The Nation May 18 2011

Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

News New cabinet: shocker awaits ex-PDP governors Sport AC Milan at par with Man Utd, Chelsea, says Taiwo Business Ex-Minister Mansur Muhtar appointed World Bank director

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VOL. 6, NO. 1763 WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

The bin Laden story

N150.00

•ABC of how the United States Navy SEALs found and killed the al-Qaeda leader PAGE 3

CPC files new application as tribunal opens •Salami heads panel From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

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OURT of Appeal President Isa Ayo Salami is chairing the five-man panel that will examine the case against President Goodluck Jonathan’s election.

Others are Justices Mohammed Garba, M.A. Owoade, I. I. Agbube and Obande Ogbuiya.

In the petition anchored on two grounds, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is asking the tribunal to order a fresh presidential election between it and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 20 states.

President Jonathan was the PDP’s candidate in the poll. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari flew the CPC’s flag.

The CPC is alleging substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act and irregularities in Lagos, Bayelsa, Kaduna, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kwara, Adamawa, Abia, AkwaIbom, Enugu and Cross River.

Others are: Rivers, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Delta, Continued on page 2

•Students reading at the launch of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) “Bring Back the Book” campaign in Abuja ... yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Reps in chaotic session over ‘NYSC 10’ motion House to elect Speaker by open-secret ballot system

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•Speaker Bankole

HE floor of the House of Representatives got rowdy again yesterday.

But Speaker Dimeji Bankole moved fast to prevent a debate on the killing of 10 National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members and the future of the scheme from degenerating into a brawl.

The Chairman of the Committee on Business and Rules, Mr. Ita Enang and Chairman of the Committee on Police Affair Mr Abdul Ningi, exchanged hot words over the issue.

They almost traded blows.

Enang, moving an amendment to the prayers of a motion by Mr. Dino

I want this House to urge the Federal Government to reconsider the compensation of N5 million it gave to each of the families of the 10 NYSC members ... To promote patriotism and selfless service to our fatherland, the Federal Government must be advised to increase this compensation – Melaye From Victor Oluwasegun, Abuja

Melaye, said Youth Corps members from states, such as Bauchi, Borno and Kaduna, where the killings took place, should undergo their national

service in their states of origin.

Ningi (Bauchi State), believing that his proposed amendment implied that no Youth Corps members should be posted to those states from other parts of the country, sprang up to his

feet, shouting and pointing his finger menacingly at Enang.

He said: “What do you mean by that? What do you mean by that?”

Enang also shouted back at him, almost bringing the session to a temporary halt. But Bankole restored calm when he persuaded Enang to withdraw his amendment.

He also did not allow Austin Nwachukwu to complete a motion he was moving. “I don’t understand how young men and women will be sent on national assignment only to return as corpses,” Nwachukwu said.

Continued on page 2

•LIFE P29 •MONEY P43 •E-BUSINESS P45 •INSURANCE P49 •FOREIGN P62

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS New cabinet: shocker awaits ex-PDP governors

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•President Goodluck Jonathan cutting the tape to open Kwara State University, Malete ... yesterday. With him are Governor Bukola Saraki (right), his wife, Oluwatoyin and Governor-elect Abdulfatah Ahmed. From left are Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rasheed Lala and PHOTO: STATE HOUSE Education Minister Prof. Ruqqayat Rufai

Reps in chaotic session over ‘NYSC 10’ motion Continued from page 1

The crisis followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Melaye, which was brought under matters of urgent national importance.

Melaye said the N5 million given to each of the families of the slain Corps members was meagre and insufficient to compensate their families.

His words: “I want this House to urge the Federal Government to reconsider the compensation of N5 million it gave to each of the families of the 10 NYSC members. I believe that adequate respect should be given to fallen heroes. To promote patriotism and selfless service to our fatherland, the Gederal Government must be advised to increase this compensation”.

Friday Itulah cautioned that the motion ought to be deferred till the Sheikh Lemu-led Presidential Investigative Panel on the postelection violence concluded its assignment and its report

submitted. Leo Ogor, opposed the motion, saying the money was no compensation.

He urged the House not to start a trend that would not be in the best interest of the nation.

It should not be misled into believing that the N5 million was meant as compensation, he said.

The House asked the Federal Government to immortalise the “NYSC 10” by naming some streets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja after them.

The House also urged the governors of the states of origin of the slain youths to name prominent streets after them.

The House also yesterday amended the rules governing the election of its Speaker.

As the sixth session prepares to wind down for the take-off of the seventh session, a new presiding officer will be elected through an open-secret ballot system, rather than through the electronic voting system as stipu-

lated in the standing order.

This was sequel to the adoption of a motion brought before the House by the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Cyril Maduabum, entitled: “Amendment of the Standing of the House of Representatives Order II, Rule 3, (f) (i) and (ii).”

Maduabum noted; “that the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives provide that the method of voting when two or more memberselect are nominated and seconded as Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall be by electronic voting.”

According to him, no other method of voting is provided for under the rules of the House.

The lawmaker said the Electronic Voting Cards required for voting in the House of Representatives may not be ready for use for the new members-elect before voting for presiding officers in the House at the inauguration of the new session.

Maduabum said following the recent successful elections in Nigeria, “the House of Representatives should show example of transparency in the democratic election of its leaders.”

Enang and Igo Aguma, the Chairman of the House Committee on Gas Resources, supported the motion, while Independence Ogunnewe opposed it.

But other members of the House at plenary unanimously adopted the resolution of the motion to amend Order II, Rule 3, (f) (i) and (ii) to read: “When two or more members-elect are nominated and seconded as speaker, the Election shall be conducted as follows” (i) by open secret ballot; (ii) voting by open secret ballot shall be conducted by the Clerks-at-the-Table using the list of the members-elect of the House, who shall each be given a ballot paper to cast his vote, with the proposer and the seconder as tellers.”

ESPITE the submission of their names to President Goodluck Jonathan, ex-governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not get automatic nomination into the cabinet, it was learnt yesterday.

Besides, about 10 outgoing ministers may be retained by the President.

Some of the candidates nominated are undergoing security checks to guide the President properly on their antecedents.

The President is weighing his options on some ex-governors who have been nominated by their states for ministerial jobs.

It was gathered that the poor performance of some former governors has made the Presidency to be cautious on the nomination of ex-governors.

A presidency source, who spoke in confidence, said: “It is true that some ex-governors have been nominated by their state branches of the PDP, but it is not automatic for the President to pick them.

“Jonathan has not assured any former governor; he has not entered into any commitment with some former governors, who have cases pending before anti-graft agencies.

“It is sad that some leaders of our party are making an issue out of nothing. There is no basis for this hullabaloo.

“And if you take into account the attitude of some exgovernors, who later became ministers, some of our leaders do not want them to be appointed into the cabinet.

“During the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, a former governor was openly castigated at a cabinet meeting for holding a lavish birthday party.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “The President is still screening the list submitted to him with the as-

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Abuja

sistance of security agencies.

“Some of the nominated candidates are already undergoing security checks to enable the President make the right judgment. As usual, the list is cumbersome.

“I can, however, assure you that the ministerial list will be ready before the inauguration of the 7th National Assembly.”

It was also gathered that about eight to 10 outgoing ministers may make Jonathan’s cabinet.

The Presidency source added: “Some cabinet members will surely be returned to office although their portfolios may change.”

The crisis of confidence among PDP leaders in the Southwest is giving Jonathan a concern.

It was learnt that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has embarked on a trouble-shooting mission among warring ministerial aspirants in the Southwest.

The affected states are Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo. Obasanjo has met with some PDP leaders and ministers on the controversy over the nomination of some aspirants by the party.

A source said: “Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has stepped into the challenge we are having in the South-West.

“There is a move to streamline the list in such a way that it will assist the President to make good choices from the zone.

“We are hopeful that in the next few days, we will be able to resolve all these disagreements. It is a shame that even in Ondo, the PDP secretariat was sacked by some thugs over ministerial politics.”

Section 147 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the President to constitute his cabinet.

CPC files new application as tribunal opens Continued from page 1

Imo Anambra, Benue, Plateau states and the FCT. The party is urging the tribunal to hold that Jonathan and his running mate, Namadi Sambo, were not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

Hearing in the petition started yesterday amid caution by parties.

The CPC withdrew its earlier ex-parte application. Its counsel, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN), cited technical reasons. He urged the court to allow the party to replace it with a new application dated May 16.

The counsel to Jonathan, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the PDP’s counsel, Mr. Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) and that of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), did not object.

Ruling, Justice Salami said the application dated May 16 is hereby set for hearing on June 23. Respondents shall be put on notice. Service shall be counsel to counsel.

In the ex-parte application withdrawn, which the CPC said is similar to the new one, except

for technical reasons, the party is praying for an order of the court directing the commission to seal all the Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDC machines), ballot papers and ballot boxes used in the election so as to preserve same for forensic test in the course of the petition to be filed shortly.

The defendants are the INEC, its National Chairman (Prof.

Attahiru Jega), Dr Jonathan, Sambo, PDP and the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The ex-parte motion was brought pursuant to Sections 77(1) and 151 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), Order 26 Rule 8 of the Federal High Court (civil procedure) Rules 2009.

The applicant also seeks an order directing INEC and Jega to produce for inspection and permit it to take copies of the documents/materials/ballot papers used in the election as shown out in the schedule to the motion.

It is seeking also an order directing the 1st and 2nd respondents to allow access to the petitioner, her solicitors, her agents and her biometric experts access to Biometric Data base of all reg-

istered voters in Nigeria in the presence of the respondents for the purpose of cross checking the finger prints on the face of the Ballot Papers cast in the states, local government, wards, polling units in respect of complaints in this petition and to compare them with finger prints, entries in the Biometric Database already in the custody of 1st respondent for the purpose of making analysis for use in evidence before this honorable tribunal.

The applicant also pleads for an order directing •the 1st, 2nd and 4th - 42nd respondents to provide to the applicant: •list of INEC officials and ad hoc staff containing their names addresses, occupations and other designations of the said officers and staff used in the presidential election across the nation.

•list of local contractors engaged by INEC to print ballot papers used in the Presidential Election and copies of contract papers used in the Presidential election and copies of contract papers executed by INEC evidencing the awards of the contract to them.

•guidelines and manuals issued by INEC for the conduct of the general elections; •list of accredited local and in-

ternational observers for the purpose of monitoring the presidential election; •tabulation of Ballot Papers distribution evidencing the serial numbers of the Ballot Papers shared across the country in polling unit, ward, local government and states basis.

•delineation of polling units by their codes on the basis of states, federal constituencies, local government, wards and polling units.

•un-coded EXCEL application templates used in the computer summation of the result for the Presidential Election used across the nation; •all the thumb printed ballot papers in all the polling units in all the States that were used across the nation in the presidential election; and an •order directing the respondents to provide copies of relevant forms for electoral materials receipt and ballot paper account and verification statement in which entries of ballot papers dispatched for the election was recorded.

In the main petition, the CPC plans to prove that there is substantial variation in the voters’ register used by INEC for the conduct of the presidential and

governorship elections and to that extent INEC and its chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, unlawfully manipulated the register to the advantage of Jonathan and Sambo.

It accused INEC of using different voters’ register containing different number of voters for different elections.

The petitioner also alleged that the ballot papers made for some polling units were used at polling stations other than the original places they were made for.

The CPC alleged that there was under usage of ballot papers at polling stations and their subsequent movement thereof to different polling units in facilitation of ballot stuffing in favour of the PDP. It said there was significant number of ballot papers missing in some polling units that were never accounted which ultimately affected the result of the presidential poll.

The petition is asking the tribunal to declare that Jonathan and Sambo were not duly elected.

It is also urging the tribunal to declare that Jonathan did not fulfil the requirement of Section 134 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

It believes Jonathan did not

•Gen. Buhari

score the highest votes cast, did not meet the one-quarter mandatory votes cast, in addition to scoring two-thirds of the votes cast in all the states of the federation and the FCT. The result declared by Jega on April 18 by which Jonathan was returned as elected president is wrongful, invalid and unlawful, the party said, adding that the election held on April 16, 2011 did not produce a winner as contemplated by the 1999 Constitution.

The CPC is urging the tribunal to, therefore, direct Jega to arrange another election between the petitioner and the PDP in conformity with the provision of Section 134(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

ADVERT HOTLINES: 01-280668, 08070591302, 08052592524 NEWSROOM: LAGOS – 01-8962807, ABUJA – 07028105302 COMPLAINTS: 01-8930678

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS

Revealed: How the end came for bin Laden Blow-by-blow account of the US Navy SEAL’S raid on al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s Abbotabad, Pakistan hideout… and the killing of world’s most wanted criminal on a hot night.

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HOSE who planned the secret mission to get Osama bin Laden in Pakistan knew it was a one-shot deal, and it nearly went terribly wrong.

The U.S. deliberately hid the operation from Pakistan, and predicted that national outrage over the breach of Pakistani sovereignty would make it impossible to try again if the raid on bin Laden’s suspected redoubt came up dry.

Once the raiders reached their target, things started to go awry almost immediately, officials briefed on the operation said.

Adding exclusive new details to the account of the assault on bin Laden’s hideout, officials described just how the SEAL raiders loudly ditched a foundering helicopter right outside bin Laden’s door, ruining the plan for a surprise assault. That forced them to abandon plans to run a squeeze play on bin Laden — simultaneously entering the house stealthily from the roof and the ground floor.

Instead, they busted into the ground floor and began a floor-byfloor storming of the house, working up to the top level where they had assumed bin Laden — if he was in the house — would be.

The raiders came face-to-face with bin Laden in a hallway outside his bedroom, and three of the Americans stormed in after him, U.S. officials briefed on the operation told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe a classified operation.

U.S. officials believe Pakistani intelligence continues to support militants who attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and actively undermine U.S. intelligence operations to go after al-Qaida inside Pakistan. The level of distrust is such that keeping Pakistan in the dark was a major factor in planning the raid, and led to using the high-tech but sometimes unpredictable helicopter technology that nearly unhinged the mission.

Pakistan’s government has since condemned the action, and threatened to open fire if U.S. forces enter again.

On Monday, the two partners at-

tempted to patch up relations, agreeing to pursue high-value targets jointly.

The decision to launch on that particular moonless night in May came largely because too many American officials had been briefed on the plan. U.S. officials feared if it leaked to the press, bin Laden would disappear for another decade.

U.S. special operations forces have made approximately four forays into Pakistani territory since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, though this one, some 90 miles inside Pakistan, was unlike any other, the officials say.

The job was given to a SEAL Team 6 unit, just back from Afghanistan, one official said. This elite branch of SEALs had been hunting bin Laden in eastern Afghanistan since 2001.

Five aircraft flew from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, with three school-bussize Chinook helicopters landing in a deserted area roughly two-thirds of the way to bin Laden’s compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, two of the officials explained.

Aboard two Black Hawk helicopters were 23 SEALs, an interpreter and a tracking dog named Cairo.

Nineteen SEALs would enter the compound, and three of them would find bin Laden, one official said, providing the exact numbers for the first time.

Aboard the Chinooks were two dozen more SEALs, as backup.

The Black Hawks were specially engineered to muffle the tail rotor and engine sound, two officials said.

The added weight of the stealth technology meant cargo was calculated to the ounce, with weather factored in. The night of the mission, it was hotter than expected.

The Black Hawks were to drop the SEALs and depart in less than two minutes, in hopes locals would assume they were Pakistani aircraft visiting the nearby military academy.

One Black Hawk was to hover above the compound, with SEALs sliding down ropes into the open courtyard.

The second was to hover above the roof to drop SEALs there, then land more SEALs outside — plus an interpreter and the dog, who would

•The late bin Laden

‘Small knots of children were on every level, including the balcony of bin Laden’s room.

As three of the SEALs reached the top of the steps on the third floor, they saw bin Laden standing at the end of the hall. The Americans recognized him instantly, the officials said.’ track anyone who tried to escape and to alert SEALs to any approaching Pakistani security forces.

If troops appeared, the plan was to hunker down in the compound, avoiding armed confrontation with the Pakistanis while officials in Washington negotiated their passage out.

The two SEAL teams inside would work toward each other, in a simultaneous attack from above and below, their weapons silenced, guaranteeing surprise, one of the officials said. They would have stormed the building in a matter of minutes, as they’d done time and again in two training models of the compound.

The plan unraveled as the first helicopter tried to hover over the compound. The Black Hawk skittered

around uncontrollably in the heatthinned air, forcing the pilot to land.

As he did, the tail and rotor got caught on one of the compound’s 12-foot walls. The pilot quickly buried the aircraft’s nose in the dirt to keep it from tipping over, and the SEALs clambered out into an outer courtyard.

The other aircraft did not even attempt hovering, landing its SEALs outside the compound.

Now, the raiders were outside, and they’d lost the element of surprise.

They had trained for this, and started blowing their way in with explosives, through walls and doors, working their way up the three-level house from the bottom.

They had to blow their way through barriers at each stair landing, firing back, as one of the men in the house fired at them.

They shot three men as well as one woman, whom U.S. officials have said lunged at the SEALs. Small knots of children were on every level, including the balcony of bin Laden’s room.

As three of the SEALs reached the top of the steps on the third floor, they saw bin Laden standing at the end of the hall. The Americans recognized him instantly, the officials said.

Bin Laden also saw them, dimly outlined in the dark house, and ducked into his room.

The three SEALs assumed he was going for a weapon, and one by one they rushed after him through the door, one official described.

Two women were in front of bin Laden, yelling and trying to protect him, two officials said. The first SEAL grabbed the two women and shoved them away, fearing they might be wearing suicide bomb vests, they said.

The SEAL behind him opened fire

at bin Laden, putting one bullet in his chest, and one in his head.

Back at the White House Situation Room, word was relayed that bin Laden had been found, signaled by the code word “Geronimo.” That was not bin Laden’s code name, but rather a representation of the letter “G.” Each step of the mission was labeled alphabetically, and “Geronimo” meant that the raiders had reached step “G,” the killing or capture of bin Laden, two officials said.

As the SEALs began photographing the body for identification, the raiders found an AK-47 rifle and a Russian-made Makarov pistol on a shelf by the door they’d just run through. Bin Laden hadn’t touched them.

They were among a handful of weapons that were removed to be inventoried.

It took approximately 15 minutes to reach bin Laden, one official said.

The next 23 or so were spent blowing up the broken chopper, after rounding up nine women and 18 children to get them out of range of the blast.

One of the waiting Chinooks flew in to pick up bin Laden’s body, the raiders from the broken aircraft and the weapons, documents and other materials seized at the site.

The helicopters flew back to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, and the body was flown to a waiting U.S. Navy ship for bin Laden’s burial at sea, ensuring no shrine would spring up around his grave.

When the SEAL team met President Barack Obama, he did not ask who shot bin Laden. He simply thanked each member of the team, two officials said.

In a few weeks, the team that killed bin Laden will go back to training, and in a couple months, back to work overseas.

Nestoil gas pipeline to boost Alaoji’s 1074mw plants

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N indigenous service company – Nestoil Plc has completed the construction and inauguration of an 18 inch x 3.2km Class 600 gas pipeline at Alaoji and 18 inch x 0.9km class 600 gas pipeline at Owaza in Abia State.

The pipeline is to supply gas to the Alaoji Power Plant, one of the the power generating plants under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP). Alaoji on completion, will deliver 1074 megawatts of electricity into the national grid.

Rockson Engineering, the firm building the power station has already relocated the nearby 330kva lines that will inject power from the plant to the grid.

Nestoil has also completed and inaugurated the new 50MMscfd capacity pressure regulating facilities at Aba and the modularised pressure

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

regulating and metering facilities at Alaoji.

The construction of the pipeline systems was completed on February 25, while the inauguration of the Pressure Regulating Facilities at the Nigerian Gas Company Limited (NGC), Aba Metering Station was achieved with LP Gas introduction on February three days after.

The pipeline system at Owaza was commissioned on March 1 and the testing and inauguration of the Alaoji main gas pipeline also commenced on February 28 with the LP Gas introduction on the 13 via the hot tap loop line.

The construction of the pipeline project was awarded by the NGC, a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on

August 31, with a completion date of February 28.

During the construction of this NGC/NNPC Alaoji gas pipeline project, it was discovered that the length of the pipeline at Alaoji was 3.2 kilometre as against the contract length of 2.5 kilometre, while the pipeline length at Owaza was confirmed to be 0.9 kilometre as against the contract length of 1.2 kilometre.

The differences were however reconciled with the NGC project team, resulting in an additional pipeline length of approximately 350m.

With its commitment to ensure the achievement of the Federal Government’s target in respect of the provision of gas to power the new NIPP plant at Alaoji as well as meeting the contractual obligation, Nestoil sustained the construction works including the provision of additional pipe-

line irrespective of the commercial implications as well as the very high security risk status of the project site environment.

Nestoil noted the pipeline system has become operational and that the newly installed pressure regulator has reduced the high pressure to 65 bars gas in Aba. Besides, the firm said it has started the provision of t the required 12.5 bars downstream pressure to the Aba customers at the required temperature; while the high pressure gas of 65 bars has also been brought to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC); NIPP power plant at the required downstream pressure of 40 bars and 20 degrees Celsius temperature for their uptake whenever they are ready for gas.

The project manager, Mr. Michael Nnanna, said: “It should be stated clearly that Nestoil has delivered its

contractual obligations and the pipeline and process facilities are already operational in Aba and Owaza, while the Alaoji pipeline has been inaugurated and locked up since the power plant is not yet ready to take up the gas.”

He described the construction of the power plant as a different project being handled by another engineering firm, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor on behalf of the NDPHC. Nnanna debunked a report that the crude pipeline was completed last year for Shell/NNPC, two years behind schedule, adding that the only crude oil pipeline project that Nestoil completed last year was the widely celebrated Shell/NNPC $1.1 billion NCTL (Nembe Creek Cawthone Channel Trunkline Replacement) project.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS N42m ‘fraud’: Ex-minister denied bail From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

FORMER Minister of Works, Dr Hassan Muhammad Lawal was yesterday rearraigned on a nine-count charge of money laundering amounting to N42 million before a Federal High Court,in Abuja.

He was however ordered to be further remanded in Kuje Prison by Justice Bilikisu Aliyu.

The former minister was earlier arraigned on May 11 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 23 countcharge of criminal conspiracy, fraudulent award of contracts, money laundering and embezzlement of N75.7 billion.

Lawal was billed for arraignment with Adesanya Adewale (now at large) on a 10-count charge, but the prosecuting counsel, Wahab Shittu asked the court to strike out the first count. He also asked the court to remand the accused person in prison pending trial.

Counsel to the embattledminister, Yahaya Mahmood, asked the court to admit his client to bail as the prosecution was yet to file a proof of evidence.

He submitted that Lawal’s health has deteriorated since his arrest, because he is suffering from a kidney ailment which requires constant medical attention.

• A cross-section of the students at the presentation of a book by the Drug Abuse Control Committee of the Lagos State Ministry of Health...yesterday

Minister revokes N27m classroom contract

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Gemade: Don’t scrap NYSC From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

SENATOR-elect and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Barnabas Gemade has criticized the mounting calls for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme .

The calls for the dissolution of the NYSC scheme have been vociferous following the post election violence that claimed the lives of 10 youth corps members in parts of Northern Nigeria.

Gemadem, who spoke in Asaba, the Delta State capital, maintained that though, the scheme needed to be reviewed, the demand for its outright cancellation was unnecessary.

The former PDP boss condemned the killings of young Nigerians, noting that the challenges being faced by the NYSC were surmountable.

He called for an overhaul of the scheme just like the Local Government system was reformed in the past, noting that the problems were not enough to call for its scrapping.

Described the killings in the North as “irrational”, Gemade advocated that the Federal Government assemble a team of experts to work on the issues of deployment, safety and mileage.

Gemade explained that the scheme had continued to serve as a tool for national unity.

He said: “It is wrong to stop a good programme.”

•From left: , Secretary, Drug Abuse Control Committee Dr Moyosore Adejumo, Adeniran Abosede (a student of Sango Secondary School) receiving a book presented by Mrs Arojojoye Bukky, the Chief Youth Development Officer, Lagos State and Mr Akpan Akpabio, the Principal Staff Officer, PHOTOS: SOLOMON ADEOLA Drug Demand Reduction Unit … yesterday

JAMB gets set for UTME on June 11

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S the curtain draws near for the conduct of 2011 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scheduled for June 11, the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it was ready for a hitchfree examination.

The Registrar, Prof ‘Dibu Ojerinde held a meeting with with the 44 coordinators of UTME in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital .

At the parley, Ojerinde reemphasised the pride of place occupied by the coordinators in JAMB’s examination. He said: “The confidence must be up-held at all times.”

According to a statement from JAMB’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Timothy Oyedeji, Ojerinde enjoined the coordinators to brace-up for the challenges of Biometric ‘thumb-print’ and impact the practical knowledge in their supervisors. He reminded them of the enormous regulatory powers entrusted in them as far as its examinations are concerned.

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

The Registrar advised them against sparing the rod on any erring supervisor, adding that they should never hesitate to write adverse reports on all unruly JAMB officials posted to serve in their areas.

While speaking with reporters, Ojerinde described the forum “as a veritable platform for critical self-assessment, as it has continued to provide JAMB the opportunity to re-map strategies for better service delivery. We cannot afford to compromise the quality, credibility and the validity of our examinations at all times”.

On the state of JAMB’s preparedness for this year’s UTME, Ojerinde said that the body’Biometric “thumbprint” system has been proven to be effective as confirmed by the success recorded at the various test-run exercises in schools.

“Already 3,300 Biometric machines have been procured

by the Board for use in all our 2,872 centres across the country”. The distribution method is to provide equipment for each centre as well as back-up for each of our examination town.

“Only those whose thumbprints were verified and captured in our data base would be allowed to sit for our examinations.”

As part of his official activities in Jigawa, the JAMB Registrar paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Mohammed Sanusi, infrming the monarch that his mission in Jigawa was to meet with 44 UTME Coordinators as part of preparations for a successful 2011 examination.

Ojerinde said he was impressed about the efforts of the monarch to preserve the rich heritage of the Jigawa people .

The Emir praised the examination body for being a worthy conduit for the admissions of high calibre students into tertiary institutions.

HE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, yesterday revoked the contract of an abandoned Block of eight classrooms in Government Science and Technical College, Area 3, Garki-Abuja.

Mohammed while on a visit to commission a rehabilitated and equipped library as part of “The Bring Back The Book” initiative in the school, discovered that the project has been abandoned for long.

He insisted that the way “we do things in the country must change for better” Mohammed recalled that the contract was awarded to M/s Ell Services Nigeria Limited in 2009 for about N27 million and was expected to have been completed within 36 weeks.

He directed that the contract be re-awarded to anoth-

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

er performing contractor on site, M/s B. Chons Nigeria Limited, which is handling a laboratory complex in the school.

Commissioning the newly refurbished and equipped library, Mohammed said the FCT Administration intends to build more modern libraries to ensure students imbibe the reading culture.

Mohammed said his administration would deliver a sound and institutional framework that will improve the quality of education and enable FCT pupils/ students take their proper position amongst their peers globally.

He called for self re-examination by all stakeholders by taking the challenge of “The Bring Back the Book” initiative to upscale the standard of education.

Ex-soldier laments non-payment of entitlement

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RETIRED Army spokesman, Private Ola Arowolo, has said 10 years after his retirement he is yet to receive his entitlement.

Arowolo, who resides in Agwamasa, a settlement behind Mogadishu Cantonment in the Federal Capital Territory,FCT, wept yesterday as his illegal squatter settlement was demolished.

He said he retired from service in 1979 but has not received his entitlement since then.

Arowolo said he had been squatting in the settlement with his wife and 10 children because he did not have anywhere else to go.

“We were among the people who were living under the bridge near the Military Pension Board in Wuse Zone 4,some people who have started receiving their entitlements were relocated but those of us who have not gotten our entitlements were left unattend-

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

ed to, that is why I am staying here with my family,” he said.

Another resident, Victor Omahg, said they were aware that they are staying in the settlement illegally but stressed that they have been treated badly by the Development Control Department which he accused of not giving them enough time to get alternative accommodations.

The Director, Department of Development Control, Yahaya Yusuf, said the settlement was an invasion of the urban fringe by illegal structures.

“Only recently there were security flash points around here, you never know where it is coming from so it is good for us to keep cleaning the place to be sure that you don’t have surprises coming out of the environment,” he said.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS

$2.1b Light Rail pill for Lagosians transportation headaches Some 24 years after a Metro Line idea was mooted to forestall the envisaged transportation pains of residents and visitors in the Centre of Excellence, there are signs that the vision of more than two decades ago is becoming a reality.

Miriam Ndikanwu reports

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HAT Lagos is fast becoming a mega city is no longer news.

What is worrisome is the fact that the road networks within the Centre of Excellence and Nigeria’s industrial hub have become inadequate for the transportation of its population, estimated at well over 15 million. But the National Population Commission (NPC) said in its report that the State of Aqua Splendour harbours less than 10 million people.

Faced with the reality that the state’s economy is losing more than N40 billion yearly to chaotic traffic the government decided to explore water and rail-based transportation by franchising some private individuals to invest in ferries and the development of jetties.

The Governor Babatunde Fasholaled administration embarked on projects that could bring about stressfree commuting within the metropolis and fast-track the state’s dream of becoming Africa’s model mega city before the turn of the decade.

One of such projects that have since gained the admiration of residents and visitors is the ongoing development of the Blue Line rail tracks billed to operate within the Marina and Okokomaiko corridor. The estimate for both phases of the project is $2.1 billion The Blue Line Light Rail track is an improvement on the multi-million dollar Metro Line project conceived in the 1980s during the administration of Second Republic Governor Lateef Jakande.

The laudable project went mori-

• Fashola inspecting the trains and facilities to be used by operators of the Lagos Light Rail System from Okokomaiko to Marina in Canada last weekend

bund in 1984, as the military administration of the former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, represented in Lagos by the late Group Captain Gbolahan Mudashiru, adjudged the project that would have gulped $78 million of the tax payers’ money.

The cancellation of the Metro Line drew the state transportation challenge several years backwards, until the matter was revisited by former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the early days of the administration.

The estimate for the proposed construction of the first phase of the Light Rail project, described as part of the Greater Lagos Urban Transportation Project in Wikipedia, was $135 million.

It was designed to be implemented by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).

In the spirit of continuity, Fashola, who took the baton from Tinubu, continued to pursue the project with vigour by approving the construction of the Blue and Red Lines on a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Under the arrangement, the state government has provided all rail and station infrastructure, while the private investors agreed to fund the construction and operate the facility for 25 years as concessionaires.

Today, construction has reached advance stage on the 27-kiolmetre Blue Line, billed to run from Marina

‘By the time the light rail commences operation, no fewer than 8,000 people will be employed by the Chinese firm, handlers of the project’ to Okokomaiko.

Work will beging soon on the Red Line Rail system, designed to tackle mass transportation in the NorthSouth axis through some of the most densely populated areas in the state.

The construction of the Blue Line being implemented by Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), has an exclusive 15metre right of way in the middle of the expressway and a total of thirteen stations. The stations are also expected to be located above the tracks, with large pedestrian walkways crossing the expressway.

Along the corridor, large and concrete barriers would be erected between the rail lines and the expressway to ward off any external factors from disrupting the service. During his inspection of the project at Iganmu in Apapa Local Government

Area, Fashola said the development of the state light rail project “has moved from being a vision to a dream and finally to reality”.

With the concrete piers already going up at Iganmu and other infrastructure being put in place by CCECC, Fashola expressed the hope that the Blue Line phase of the project will soon be completed.

Impressed by the level of work attained, Fashola said: “The project has moved from vision to dreams and to reality. The project has taken off; the baby has been born, it is left for us to nurture it to adulthood. By 2012, the first seven kilometres of rail will be ready for operation.

“There is still work to do, but the important thing is that without fanfare, without celebration, the project has taken off. It is going to be the most significant project in the state.”

Listing the economic benefits of the project, Fashola said no fewer than 2,000 Nigerians have already been employed, adding that by next year, additional 1, 000 are to be engaged.

Fashola said: “By the time the light rail commences operation, no fewer than 8,000 people will be employed by the Chinese firm, handlers of the project.

“The project is going to be the most impactful project this state has ever had. You can only imagine the number of people that will be employed, both directly and indirect-

ly, when the project is finished.

“It will reduce travel time and all the stress associated with traffic will be removed. Lagosians will travel in comfort.”

On the supply of electricity which is essential for the efficient operation of the rail system, Fashola assured that the project had been designed to supply its own electricity.

“We spent two and half years planning this project. We sought and found the best team, those who have done it successfully in other places of the world. Life is about planning and efficient management. We planned for the worst and we are hoping for the best,” he said.

But the height of the preparation toward the take-off of the project was the recent trip of the state helmsman to Canada to do a pre-shipment inspection of the coaches. He was accompanied by the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Ben Akabueze, his Science and Technology counterpart, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Special Adviser on Works, Ganiyu Johnson, the Managing Director LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola and the Director-General of the Public Private Partnership Office, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi.

The trip was the fulfillment of Fashola’s promise to Lagosians during the electioneering campaigns that he would embark on a facility tour of the facilities in his determination to ease the transportation pains of residents.

Ex-Finbank MD, others urge court to quash N10b theft charges

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ORMER Managing Director of FinBank Plc, Mr Okey Nwosu and three others have urged a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, to quash the charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They also said the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.

The agency arraigned Nwosu and three former Executive Directors of the bank – Dayo Famoroti, Danjuma Ocholi and Agnes Ebubedike on 26 counts of stealing over N10 billion from the bank.

The defendants’ new applications stalled the hearing of their

By Joseph Jibueze

bail applications, which Justice Lateefat Okunnu adjourned till May 20.

Nwosu’s counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN) told the court that the defence filed four applications which had been served on the prosecution: a notice of preliminary objection, a motion for bail, motion to quash the charges and another, challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

He urged the court to hear the bail application before determining the others because it was critical to the right to fair hearing.

The EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacob, however, objected to the application as he argued that some of the processes before the court have not been regularised by all the parties.

He told the court that the counsel to the accused persons failed to file the processes on time, thereby making it difficult for the prosecution to prepare its written address in response to the applications.

In her short ruling, Okunnu opted to hear all the applications at the same time and urged the parties to make all their applications ready before the court before the next ad-

journed date.

There was a stir as Idigbe kept hammering on the need for his client to be given fair hearing. Infuriated by the remarks, which the she said were insinuating that her court was not ready to give parties fair hearing in the matter, Justice Okunnu cautioned the counsel to give all parties enough room to be fairly heard; adding that the concept of fair hearing was not in any way alien to her.

The EFCC alleged that Nwosu and the others stole N10, 934,708, 402.17 while being Managing Director and Executive Directors of

Finbank between September 2006 and November 2007.

All the counts bothered on “stealing contrary to Section 390 (7) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C17, Laws of Lagos State 2003.”

The agency alleged that the stolen money, property of Finbank Plc, was converted to the use of Springboard Trust and Investment Limited, Omden Oil and Gas Limited, Ferbond Real Estate Limited, Busch Modern Machine Tools Limited, Eureka Global Ventures Limited, Scannel Investment Limited, Coast Lake Nigeria Limited and Tyco Food Processors Limited.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS Aggrieved Ondo PDP members suspend Agagu, exco •Party chair: they’re unserious GGRIEVED members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday announced the suspension of former Governor Olusegun Agagu and the state executive.

The action came barely 24 hours after some thugs invaded the party secretariat on Oyemekun Road in Akure, the state capital.

The aggrieved members spoke at a news conference at Adegbemile Press Centre.

Many of them were commissioners, board members, special assistants and advisers in the Agagu-led administration between 2003-2009.

They include Isaac Kekemeke, Olorogun Olafeso, Tayo Alasoadura, Taofik Abdulsalam, Senator Hosea Ehinlawo, among others.

Their spokesman and former adviser to Agagu, Segun Adegoke, said Agagu was suspended for leading the party to electoral failure

A

From Damisi Ojo,Akure

and causing unending crises.

Adegoke also announced the dissolution of the state executive for alleged financial mismanagement.

He said a panel would be set up to investigate the party’s finances.

But the State PDP Chairman, Dr. Tayo Dairo, said their action was illegal.

He said: “Who are these people talking? These are old men struggling to be relevant. If they have the party’s constitution, they will know their limitation.

“I’m talking to you now from the party secretariat, if they are really important or serious, they would have come to the party secretariat to address journalists, not run to the press centre to announce Agagu’s suspension.

“Their action is null and void. They are just trying to justify the money given to them to destabilise the party.”

‘Tinubu has not endorsed anyone as speaker’ A MEMBER of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Onibiyo Adelabu, has refuted newspaper reports that the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), former Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has endorsed a Speaker for the 7th Assembly.

Adelabu spoke yesterday at an impromptu press chat

By Oziegbe Okoeki

with House correspondents.

He said: “When we visited Tinubu, the issue of the speakership naturally came up. But all he said was that we should all behave in a manner that will be befit-

ting of the House. There was no indication that he supported anybody.”

Adelabu dispelled speculations that about four lawmakers were vying for the position.

He said: “Strictly speaking, there are only two peo-

ple interested in the leadership of the House. It is not three or four like some people are saying.”

Adelabu, who is not returning to the House, said the two people are the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and Majority Leader Kolawole Taiwo.

He praised Ikuforiji for building the Lagos Assembly into a strong institution.

‘Ekiti National Assembly PDP caucus selfish’ •Bode Ola denies arrest, forgery

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GROUP known as “The Ekiti Patriots” (TEP) has described the reaction of Ekiti Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal lawmakers to the list of nominees for federal appointments as self-serving.

It alleged that they were complaining because their names were not on the list.

In a statement by its spokesman, Ebenezer Olaleye, TEP said: “If the National Assembly members complaining now had played their roles before and during last month’s elections, the result would have been different.

“But because some of them lost the party’s primaries, they opted to stand aloof.

Some even funded opposition candidates in the name of town agenda. How many of them won elections in their polling units, not to talk of wards or local councils?

“Even Hon. Duro Faseyi, who is speaking on their behalf, did not win his Ilejemeje Local Government in all the elections? Instead of them to bury their heads in shame, they are complaining that their names are not on the list and they were not consulted.”

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti, and Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

Also yesterday, Senator Bode Ola (Ekiti Central) debunked reports that he was arrested and detained by the Police for allegedly presenting forged documents in court.

Speaking with reporters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Ola said: “I was not arrested. The publication in the papers is false. It was an attempt by my political detractors to present me in bad light.

“They alleged that the minutes of the meeting held on January 24, where the parliament of the party decided that I should be its candidate, were forged.

“Unfortunately, I was not at the meeting. How can I forge the minutes of a meeting I did not attend? Moreover, I was not supposed to write minutes of the meeting. These were the things the police asked me in a letter.”

“On the issue of result, it and that is the only result available. Reports that the police detained me were aimed at deceiving the public and denting my image.”

Aregbesola mourns Amb. Bidmus SUN State Governor Aregbesola has commiserated with the Bidmus family on the death of Ambassador Haroun Kolawole Bidmus, after a brief illness.

He said the late Amb. Bidmus lived a life of service and patriotism.

Aregbesola prayed for the repose of his soul and prayed God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

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Church begins Synod tomorrow

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HE Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland will begin its second Synod tomorrow at the Cathedral of St. Jude, Freeman Street, Ebute Meta.

The opening business ceremony will hold on Friday at All Saints’ Church, Montgomery Road, Yaba. It will feature the Presidential Address to be delivered by the Bishop of Lagos Mainland, Rt. Rev. Adebayo Akinde, and the presentation of posthumous awards to two women.

The closing ceremony will come up on Sunday at the Cathedral of St. Jude, Freeman Street, Ebute Meta.

•Osun State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs. ) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, collecting a gift from Ambassador of European Union (EU) to Nigeria, Mr. David Macrae when the EU delegation visited the Governor’s officce in Osogbo...yesterday. With them is: European Union Head of Governance Mr. Augustine Oyowe

Ondo senators–elect endorse Mark

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HE three Senatorselect in Ondo State yesterday adopted the reelection of Senator David Mark as Senate President.

They are Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central), Ajayi Boroface (Ondo North) and Boluwaji Kunlere, (Ondo South).

In a statement, they said Mark is the most experienced and longest serving Senate President and has outstanding qualities to lead the upper Chamber to greater heights.

Also yesterday, Governor Olusegun Mimiko praised the National Assembly for repositioning the nation

through its legislations.

Mimiko spoke in Akure, the state capital, while receiving Mark in his office.

Mark was in the state to see newly-elected federal lawmakers, who were in Akure for an induction workshop.

Mimiko praised Mark for piloting the Senate with humility and his wealth of experience.

He said: “When the nation was perched at the edge of a precipice, when everybody thought the end was coming, people like you called on your experience and came up with the Doctrine of Necessity to pilot the nation back on the right path.

“That was the height of

performance and our Senators have no hesitation for you to continue to pilot the affairs of the Senate.”

Mimiko thanked the leaders of the National Assembly for choosing Ondo State as one of the venues for the workshop.

Mark praised the Labour Party (LP)-led government for its achievements within two years in office.

He said: “Ondo State, under Mimiko’s leadership, is working and we are glad to be associated with Your Excellency’s achievements.

“I know you are more than capable of giving the dividends of democracy to the people and we will give you

•Mimiko

the necessary support. We have no misgivings that the people of Ondo State have decided to be in the LP. That is their preference and we are sure you will not let them down.”

PDP deserved defeat, says Ekiti lawmaker-elect

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A MEMBER-elect of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, representing Ido/Osi Constituency I and elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs. Bunmi Oriniowo, has said the party deserved the failure it recorded in last month’s elections in the Southwest.

Mrs. Oriniowo said the PDP lost because it failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

She said the party was working towards redeeming its image in the next dispensation.

Mrs. Oriniowo said: “When a young man falls, he looks forward and continues his journey. But when an old man falls, he looks back to know why he fell and makes adjustments. This applies to the PDP. “We have not really fallen,

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

but are about to. We have to go back to the proverbial drawing board. We have to accept the bitter truth that we have failed people in the past and correct the mistakes. I’m sure the party will come back

stronger.”

On belonging to the minority group at the House, she said in situations where her political interests do not agree with that of the opposition members who are in clear majority, she would employ dialogue, rather

than be confrontational.

Mrs. Oriniowo promised to support the majority members to achieve the popular demands of the people.

She said she would focus on women empowerment during her tenure.

LAUTECH group rejects fraud allegations againstVC

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HE Progressive Citizens of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, an offshoot of the alumni association has condemned allegations of fraud against the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Lanre Nassar.

Its President, Mr. James Obasa, said those accusing Nassar are afraid that their shameful deeds in the past would be exposed.

On the alleged forceful removal of the former VC, Prof. Babatunde Adeleke, by Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao–Akala, he described the allegation as “misguided”.

Obasa said: “The University Miscellaneous Provision Amendment Act, 2003, says every University VC shall go on leave six months to the end of his/her tenure. Before

From Bode Durojaiye, Ogbomoso

Adeleke proceeded on leave, he collected all his entitlements. He had completed his tenure and was not victimised as widely speculated in some quarters.”

He said Nassar was being persecuted for his zero tolerance for corruption, indolence and truancy.

Obasa said: “He is an outstanding professor of financial management, who would not compromise prudence for fraud, meritocracy for mediocrity, and diligence for incompetence.”

He urged the governor-elect, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to set up a panel of enquiry on the allegations.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS Man jailed for stealing Blackberry From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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N Ikpoba Okha Area Customary Court , Edo State, has sentenced a resident, Bright Ewere, to three years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing a Blackberry phone.

Police prosecutor Sgt Eleng Agwu said the convict stole the phone belonging to his friend, Uyi Aisiokuoere, on November 23, last year.

Sgt Agwu said the handset was being charged in Aisiokuoere’s room when the convict stole the phone. Ewere pleaded guilty.

Also, four persons, including a Benin Chief, have been remanded in prison custody for malicious damage.

The accused, Victor Okunoghae(63); John Emuze(56); Chief Gregory Akenuwa(50) and Monday Iyewuare(50), were alleged to have damaged a perimeter fence, which was the property of Ugochukwu Uzor on a plot located at Oghehge/ Osamede village, on March 12.

Magistrate Esther Eweka ordered the police to arrest Chief John Ossai, who is the chief perpetrator of the crime.

The court ordered the accused to be remanded at the Federal Prison, Sapele Road, Benin.

The case was adjourned till May 23.

Police parade 19 suspects From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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HE Edo State Police Command said it has made a major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping and robbery.

Commissioner of Police David Omojuola made this known yesterday while parading 19 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers arrested in the last two months.

Omojuola said 11 of them were arrested for kidnappings and the others for robbery.

The kidnap suspects were alleged to have kidnapped and raped three students of the University of Benin; wife of the traditional ruler of Orhio community and attempted to kidnap the head of primary health care of Aniocha Local Government.

Omojuola gave their names as John Ejime (25); Eric Igiebor(20); Igbinosun Osasumwen(24); Joel Ibuki; Collins Jubhode; Destiny Aghedo; Omoruyi O; Efe Asemota(25); Gift Oghene(25); Endurance Edobor(31); Sunday Eguavoen(27)and Lucky Endurance.

The robbery suspects are: Omoze Dauda; Ogidigbo Goodluck; Enaike Lucky; Uwefa Precious and Iyobosa Igbinoba.

Arms recovered included one AK 47 rifle; three pump action guns; one single barrel gun; four locally made pistols and cartridges.

The commissioner said the suspects would be charged to court after investigations.

Gbaramatu victims remembered From Shola O’Neil, Warri

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EADERS of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri Southwest Local Government of Delta State, have marked the second anniversary of the invasion of the kingdom by the Joint Task Force (JTF).

The Task Force stormed the community on May 15, 2009, following the killing of eight of its members by armed youths at the Chanomi Creeks.

Former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo) was accused of the crime.

Former President of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities Chief Bello Oboko said his kinsmen would not forget the destruction of their communities and killing of villagers.

He said: “On May 15, 2009, JTF war in the creeks was unfortunately declared by late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

“We will continue to remember the burdens of the war.

FNDIC reported the killing of innocent civilians and burning of communities by JTF. “But the Task Force responded said its men were killed during the operation.

“We will not forget May 15 in a hurry.”

Senate passes TETF Bill From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

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HE Senate yesterday read for the third time and passed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETF) bill to cater for tertiary institutions.

The Upper Legislative Chamber passed the bill when considering the report of the Committee on Education headed

by Senator Uche Chukwumerijie.

The bill, which repealed the Education Trust Fund (ETF), will provide for rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of tertiary education.

Presenting the report yesterday, Senator Chukwumerijie maintained that the bill, when signed into law, would reposition ETF and focus on the tertiary education sector.

To achieve meaningful impact on the sector, he said the Fund should be concentrated on public tertiary institutions.

Providing for the sourcing of the fund, the bill stipulated that tax at the rate of two per cent shall be charged on the assessable profit of any company registered in Nigeria.

It also provided for disbursement of 10 per cent of the Fund for federal scholarship and loans schemes for students in tertiary institutions.

TheSenate yesterday also read for the third time and passed a bill for an act to establish the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology.

• From right: Oshiomhole; Ayoola; Amuka-Pemu and the Chairman, Board of Directors, Tell Communications Ltd, PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI Adeniji Lasaki, at the event... yesterday

How Jonathan can fix Nigeria,

by Oshiomhole E DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan should be ready to make ‘hard’ decisions to address the country’s socioeconomic problems.

He advised the President to adopt new tactics, saying bureaucracy and political rhetorics cannot work.

Oshiomhole said Nigerians voted for him not because they love him but because “they want their expectations met.”

He advised Jonathan to be careful in selecting people into his cabinet, saying competence must be given priority.

The governor spoke at the 20th Anniversary of Tell Magazine with the theme: “Agenda for Deepening Democracy, Good Governance in the next four years and beyond”.

The anniversary also featured the launch of two books entitled Tel: Courage in Print and Opilogue: Not a laffing matter, a collection of the column of Tell Deputy Editor-inChief, Dele Omotunde.

Dignitaries at the ceremony include former Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences

•Pomp as Tell marks 20th anniversary

By Sunday Ogundugba

Commission (ICPC), Justice Emmanuel Ayoola; Prof Itsey Sagay and former Commissioner for Commerce (Lagos State) Mrs Teju Philips.

Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko was represented by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Oluranti Akerele.

Others are renowned journalist, Alade Odunewu; Vanguard publisher Sam AmukaPemu; his Thisday counterpart, Nduka Obaigbena; renowned poet Odia Ofeimum; President, Nigeria Guild of Editors Gbenga Adefaye; Chairman of Editorial Board of Compass Prof Ayo Olukotun and Managing Director, Punch, Ademola Osinubi, among others.

Oshiomhole said it is shocking that there has not been any protest on the N10 billion loan by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.

His words: “How can we

get out of this tragedy trap of leadership irresponsibility when we allow shady things by our legislators to go unchecked?

“I believe this madness in our polity can only be addressed when there is national madness and aggressive questioning and protests, which would make the equation balanced.”

The governor, who spoke on the topic, Good Governance and Democracy, said the President should tackle unemployment, noting that the only way to fight poverty was to provide jobs.

Oshiomhole, who praised Tell for its determination to expose the oddities of the military era , said for the magazine to have survived for 20 years, is a result of the quality of its workers and the editors.

“Tell kept Nigeria informed; it fired our capacity for outrage against against obnoxious policies in the face of serial abuse of power.In any nar-

rative of journalism in Nigeria, TELL has a reputable place.TELL pioneered guerilla journalism, sometimes going underground to print their papers.

Justice Ayoola praised the magazine for its struggles. He described the magazine as “a national symbol of determination and an institution of integrity.”

Ayoola, who chaired the event, said the fight against corruption must be a collective responsibility, adding that good leadership also needs good followership.

“I want to felicitate with Tell on this unique anniversary because the magazine has tasted times and seasons. Seasons of harsh military rule and yet, it is still alive today.”

Tell’s Editor-in-Chief Nosa Igiebor said the magazine was celebrating the anniversary not because it has reached a milestone but to remind Nigeria that its democracy is lucky.

He said the magazine faced huge challenges in its quest to fight the oddities of the military régimes. He said for the country to sustain its democracy, rule of law must be given its rightful place.

JTF to Togo: You cannot surrender on paper

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HE Joint Task Force (JTF) yesterday reiterated its warning to the leader of the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), ‘General’ John Togo, that his selfclaimed surrender was not acceptable.

JTF said the purported surrender lacks legal backing without the amnesty.

Its spokesperson, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha, who was apparently reacting to reports that Togo had surrendered said: “You cannot surrender in cyberspace or on the pages of newspapers.”

Antigha’s report corroborated The Nation’s exclusive report yesterday that the JTF rejected the purported surrender.

He said the Task Force was not part of any purported surrender.

The Task Force said Togo, who is still hiding, could be made to face the full wrath of the law for his alleged crimes, if caught.

But Togo’s lawyer, Casey Omon-Irabor said his client

Dokubo-Asari accepts amnesty

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HE leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari and thousands of his “genuine” fighters, yesterday embraced amnesty.

Dokubo-Asari rejected the “unpatriotic” confirmation by the Senate, of the appointment of Justice Ibrahim Auta as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC).

He described him as the “infamous judicial murderer” of late environmental rights activist, Ken SaroWiwa and eight of his Ogoni kinsmen.

Dokubo-Asari called on the President to reject the Senate’s confirmation and order From Shola O’Neil, Warri

was yet to leave the creek because the modalities for his surrender had not been worked out with the Federal

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

an investigation into the roles of Auta in the murders of the Ogoni Nine.

He spoke yesterday at the old Port Harcourt Township, popularly called “Town,” midway into a rally in memory of the late Ijaw freedom fighter, Major Isaac Adaka Boro.

His words: “We have not been part of the amnesty. Our reason is that the programme contradicts our beliefs as genuine fighters, who were not out to fight only for our own interest, but for the interest of the land and the people of Niger Delta, a land where our people suffer in the ocean of wealth.”

Government.

Omon-Irabor, who spoke with reporters in Warri, said it was within President Goodluck Jonathan’s constitution-

al powers to grant another amnesty to Togo and his supporters.

The lawyer reiterated NDLF statement that the group had been disbanded and about 203 members returned back to their various towns and communities.

While decrying the antics of the wanted warlord, Lt-Col Antigha said it viewed the report as a ploy by the alleged sea pirate to hoodwink JTF operation, adding that Togo knows what to do if he wanted to truly surrender.

His words: “Regarding the information being circulated on the internet about the “surrender” of John Togo and his gang, please note that the JTF is unaware of such a development. Surrendering can not be effected in cyberspace or on the pages of newspaper.

“If John Togo and his cotravellers are serious about surrendering, they know what to do. Until that is done, any news of surrender is seen as diversionary and a decoy and should be disregarded.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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NEWS

Ondo to pay students’ bursary, scholarship soon From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

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NDO State Government yesterday said it would pay students’ 2009 scholarship/bursary allowances before the end of this month.

It said the money would be paid directly to the students’ accounts to reduce the stress they have been going through.

The government stopped the payment following alleged fraud committed by some people who were not students but had been collecting students’ bursary/scholarship awards.

A committee was set up to probe the matter before the board began another round of payment.

The scholarship board’s chairman, Mrs. Ruth Edu, spoke in Akure, the state capital, when National Association of Ondo State Students executives visited her.

Mrs. Edu said the board lost over N180million to outsiders who presented themselves as students during the payments.

She said: “When we noted that in our first payment of this administration, Governor Olusegun Mimiko immediately directed the committee to stop payment to prevent fraud.”

The governor, Mrs Edu added, set up another committee to probe the matter and proffer solutions to prevent such a criminal act in the future.

She said: “I was really amazed when I came on board and this matter was discovered. Most of the political thugs of the past governments were collecting the bursary and scholarships meant for students.

“Most of them would come to our office with fake identity cards during payment, just because of the money. Yet, our students would be roaming about the town without receiving any payment.”

Mrs Edu said the government had taken some steps to prevent the fraud, adding: “We visited most of the tertiary institutions in the state and demanded for the verification of Ondo State students. Some of them have been cooperating with us.

Tinubu’s wife urges equal opportunity for lawmakers T HE Senator-elect representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, yesterday advocated equal opportunity for lawmakers aspiring to become principal officers at the National Assembly.

Addressing reporters in Kano, Mrs Tinubu, who is of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), said Nigerians should be allowed to seek any elective position, if they are competent to discharge their duties creditably.

Admitting that experience matters in choosing a leader, the senator-elect maintained that old and new lawmakers should be given equal opportunity to contribute their quota to national development.

She said: “I think experience does matter. Apart from experience, everybody should be given the opportunity to aspire to whatever position they re-

‘If you are competent and confident enough that you want to hold a position, and if you believe you have the integrity and the capacity, no institution should deprive you of that right.’

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

ally deem fit to aspire to.

“But saying that some people should not be allowed to occupy certain positions is not really fair, because we have been reading

a lot in the papers that firsttimers should not come in.

This is democracy; so, everybody should be given the opportunity to aspire to any position.

“If you are competent and confident enough that you want to hold a position, and if you believe you have the integrity and the capacity, no institution should deprive you of that right.”

Mrs Tinubu and other federal lawmakers from Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Imo and Anambra states were in Kano for an induction course preparatory to their parliamentary duties.

She said the course would equip the lawmakers with the intellectual capacity to provide effective representation and enable them to initiate viable legislation for the good gov-

ernance of the country.

Mrs Tinubu said: “We just started the induction course and it has been helpful and beneficial. We are learning a lot of things, which have broadened our horizon. We would utilise what we have acquired here in the discharge of our parliamentary duties.”

She promised to be responsive to the aspirations of the people of her senatorial district, saying: “I am going to represent the people of my senatorial district creditably well, because they have issues they want me to put on the front burner. I have to go back and give them answers.

“I promise to hold quarterly town hall meetings with the people of my senatorial district so that I would intimate them about what we are doing at the National Assembly and act as a bridge between the National Assembly and the grassroots.”

CPC leader admits election loss to crisis

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LEADER of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and senator-elect in Katsina State, Alhaji Abu Ibrahim, has said the party lost in last month’s elections because of its protracted crisis.

The second-time senator spoke with The Nation after collecting his certificate of return in Katsina on Wednesday last week.

The federal lawmaker said, the tragedy of losing out in the last election was not only in the presidency but also in the governorship of katsina, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Borno and every states in the country due to crisis.

CPC senator Abu Ibrahim said, CPC made serious inroads within few months sufficient enough to win presidency and governorship in more than half of the states but unfortunately, the inroads with its massive sup-

From Isah Idris, Katsina

porters failed to match its level of success due to failed crisis management.

He blamed it on those who decamped from other parties and ran into CPC just because of leadership and to win elections without commitment to the ideals of the party.

Sen. Ibrahim regretted that those who decamped from other parties en mass to the fastest growing CPC, were too passionate for positions of leadership such that they will never listen to his persistent advises nor ready to compromise anywhere.

The senator explained that instead of listening to advises and conceding to one another, the new comers to the party became too divided and referred to his mediating role as hypocritical and deceptive, the crisis which landed them in electoral disaster.

Banks ordered to honour govt cheques

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HE High Court in Imo State yesterday ordered nine banks, Spring; Oceanic; UBA; Zenith; Bank PHB; FinBank; FCMB; Afribank and Fidelity banks to honour cheques presented by the government.

This followed a motion exparte brought to it by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

Delivering his judgment, Justice I.O Agugua said: “It is hereby ordered that the defendants, their agents, privies or servants shall be and are hereby restrained from in any manner howsoever or whatsoever continuing to deny the Imo State Government the right to draw funds from its respective accounts with the defendants until the determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.”

He adjourned the matter till May 24.

Police lift curfew on post-election violence From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

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HE Kano State Police Command yesterday lifted the curfew imposed on the state after last month’s postelection violence following the declaration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the presidential election.

Police Commissioner Muhammad Yabo told reporters in Kano that the decision was taken after a security meeting with Governor Ibrahim Shekarau.

Yabo said the meeting reviewed the security situation in the state, adding that normalcy had been restored.

But he noted that despite the return of calm, the Police would intensify patrol in and around the metropolis to fish out suspected criminals.

He warned individuals or groups to avoid fomenting trouble, promising that the Police would punish them.

From right: Senators-elect Gbenga Ashafa; Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu; Ganiyu Solomon and Abiodun Faleke at the seventh session of the National Assembly induction workshop for members-elect at Tahir Hotel, Kano…last weekend.

Robbers attack corps members home

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OBBERS have attacked a building housing about 40 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in Ogun State.

The Monday night attack occured at Oluwo, near Abeokuta, in ObafemiOwode Local Government.

The robbers reportedly stole cash, laptops, wrist watches and mobile phone handsets.

The corps members, who live at Nigerian Christian Corpers’ Fellowship (NCCF) building, were said to be asleep when the hoodlums came. They ordered them to surrender their valuables.

The attack was reportedly masterminded by some hoodlums in Adigbe and Oluwo who suspected that the corps members had re-

•Anti-police protest in Abeokuta From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

ceived their allowances from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It was gathered that some of them were injured as they attempted to escape from the hoodlums after their distress calls went unheeded.

The building is about 120 metres from Adigbe Police Station.

The corps members yesterday staged a street protest in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, over what they described as the tardiness of the Police to come to their rescue.

They said if the Police had responded to their distress

calls, the robbers would not have escaped, because the hoodlums spent ample time harassing their victims.

“We called the Police to come and rescue us during the attack; they did not come to our rescue on time until after we had been robbed and injured by the robbers,” one of the corps members said.

A female victim said she narrowly escaped rape when one of the robbers attempted to violate her but was prevented by their leader.

The NYSC Coordinator, Mr Godwill Onokue, said the state directorate had reported the matter to the Police for investigation.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, told reporters that

the Police should not be blamed for the incident.

He said: “The protest was uncalled for. The Police in Adigbe did not know the lodge. Nobody knows the place as corps members’ lodge. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) could not locate the place. They should have let the Police know the place and they would have been given special security.

“The NYSC cannot point accusing fingers at the Police because if they had told us, we would have given them some policemen.

“The place is just a Christian lodge and not corps members’ lodge. When I was serving in Anambra, I related well with the Police before I joined the Force. They are no more students; they should think like graduates.”

PHCN frustrating local meter production, says Lagos

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AGOS State Government yesterday blamed the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) for frustrating its plan to produce power metres locally.

Commissioner for Rural Development, Prince Lanre Balogun, addressed reporters in Ikeja, Lagos, on the activities of the ministry.

He said the frustration was due to PHCN’s inimical polices and responses.

Balogun said Elsewedy

By Miriam Ndikanwu

Nigeria, an indigenous company in Lagos, had begun the production of metres, adding that PCHN had frustrated the company by avoiding its products.

He said Elsewedy had been discussing with some agents on local production of metres, adding that it was forced to stop production due to lack of patronage by PHCN. Balogun said: “It

(Elsewedy) cannot produce metres unless there is an effective demand from PHCN,” adding that the company pioneered transformer production in Lagos under an arrangement with the government to ease metre procurement.

He said though Elsewedy was a company, the government had some shares in it, adding that the state would ensure that its interest is protected.

Balogun said the yearn-

ings of its security outfit – the Neighbourhood Watch - to join the civil service could not be actualised because such a move would lead to easing out some elderly members of the outfit who have been useful for intelligence gathering.

He added that based on its current status, the service could attract many security personnel who have retired from the State Security Service, the military and the Police.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS Bauchi Catholic bishop for installation From Austine Tsenzughul, Bauchi

THE Bauchi Catholic Diocese will tomorrow ordain Rt. Rev. Monsignor Malachy John Goltok its Bishop.

Goltok will be consecrated

by Keith Cardinal O’Brien, the Archbishop of St. Andrews, Edinburg, United Kingdom, who will be assisted by Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, the Archbishop of Jos Archdiocese, Plateau State.

A statement by Rev. Fr. Andrew Batare, the Bauchi Diocese Director of Social Communications, said the ceremony would hold at the Immaculate Conception Secondary School, Gubi Dam Road, off Maiduguri Road, at 10am.

Goltok’s election was approved by Pope Benedict XVI on March 18.

He is replacing the late Bishop of the diocese, Most Rev. John Moore, who died on January 20 in his home country Ireland.

Born on July 12, 1965 in Bauchi, Goltok hails from Pankshin, Plateau State, and was educated at St. Vianney’s Minor Seminary, Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State, from 1978 to 1983.

He attended St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos, Plateau State, in 1984, graduating in 1990.

Ordained as a priest on November 4, 1990, by the late Archbishop Gonsum Ganaka and posted to Jagindi, Kaduna State, Gotlok later moved to Gombe as the Parish Priest from 1991 to 1996.

Known for dedication, Goltok loves football and singing.

He was posted to the Center for Spiritual Formation as Director from 1996 to 2004.

‘Incompetent workers will be sacked’ From Jide Orintunsin and Justina Asishana, Minna

THE Vice-Chancellor (VC), Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Prof.

Ibrahim Kolo, has said, there is no more room for incompetent workers.

He said only workers, who have distinguished themselves would be promoted and those found wanting would be sacked.

Kolo spoke in Minna, the Niger State capital, when he addressed the university workers at an orientation programme organised by the SERVICOM unit of institution for the units in the office of the Vice-Chancellor.

He said workers had to be a part of the excellence the university was working for.

Kolo said the university would not condone indiscipline among workers, urging them to be committed to enable the university realise its dream of becoming the best in Africa.

SERVICOM Chairman Alhaji Yahaya Suleiman said the programme was organised to ensure that the workers were disciplined and committed to their duties.

He urged them to conduct themselves in accordance with the university’s rules and regulations.

ADC challenges Kwankwaso’s victory in court

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HE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has filed a petition at the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal against the election of Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The party is protesting the alleged exclusion of its governorship candidate, Alhaji Safiyanu Abubakar, from the election and the omission of its logo from the ballot papers used in the April 26 poll.

Abubakar counsel, Kabi-

•Tribunal inaugurated From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

ru Taminu Turaki (SAN), told The Nation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly sabotaged his client’s efforts to become governor.

Accusing INEC of committing illegality, Turaki said the commission’s action amounted to a cruel denial of his client’s right, urging the tribunal to nullify Kwankwaso’s election

because there was no levelplaying field before and during the polls.

He said: “We are in court to challenge the alleged election of Kwankwaso on April 26 because we believe INEC committed an act of illegality by excluding the name of my client and omitting the logo of his party from the ballot papers.

“My client went to all the nooks and crannies of Kano State to campaign vigorously so that he could actualise

his ambition of becoming the governor.

“It is quite unfortunate that INEC thwarted his efforts by omitting his party’s logo from the ballot papers. We believe that amounts to illegality and we are in court to upturn this act of injustice.”

The tribunal was inaugurated yesterday.

Its chairman, Justice Iyabo Oladunni Kasali, promised to be independent, impartial and firm in handling petitions filed by aggrieved parties and individuals.

She spoke in company of the two other members of the tribunal - Justices Ambrose Daapul Namadi and Olugboyega Ogunfowola.

Justice Kasali warned parties, politicians and their counsel not to ‘hobnob’ with tribunal members.

She said: “The tribunal will neither be corrupt nor coerced into taking any wrong decision,” adding that he would not “entertain any frivolous adjournments from counsel”.

Justice Kasali said: “This way, the question of loss of confidence in the judicial system will not arise.”

Nasarawa election tribunal gets 11 petitions From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

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•The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Land Bureau, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola (second left); representative of the SurveyorGeneral, Mr Joseph Agbenla (left); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs Oluranti Odutola (second right); and General Manager, New Towns Development Authority, Dr Adeyemi Isiba, at the ministerial press briefing of the PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES bureau on Governor Babatunde Fashola’s fourth year anniversary.

KADPOLY Governing Council rejects plea to unban ASUP

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HE Governing Council of the Kaduna State Polytechnic yesterday rejected an appeal by the management and other stakeholders to de-proscribe the local Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to resolve the five-month-old crisis in the institution.

In a statement at the end of its meeting in Kaduna, signed by the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Alhaji Mamoon Abubakar, the Council said it would rescind its decision only if the union’s members, who had been on strike for five months, return to work.

But the lecturers accused the Council and management of corruption, insisting that the

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

government must sack them before they return to work.

The lecturers have also taken their fight to the National Assembly, which has promised to look into their grievances with a view to resolving the crisis.

The statement reads: “The Kaduna Polytechnic Governing Council held an emergency meeting on May 16. During the meeting, Council received appeals by representatives of management and senior members of the Academic Staff of Kaduna Polytechnic on behalf of ASUP for the de-proscription of ASUP activities and release of April salaries.

“The representative of the management had pleaded with the Council to de-proscribe the union’s activities and pay the withheld salaries of striking workers for April as a way to end the current impasse.

“Council unanimously resolved that the suspension of the proscription order and payment of the April salaries would only commence upon resumption of academic activities.

“However, this decision was earlier taken because of ASUP’s refusal to heed several appeals by well-meaning and highly placed personalities of whom are the Minister of Education, the Emir of Zazzau and recently the public

appeal by the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Faruk Lawan, and several stakeholders, including the parents of students of Kaduna Polytechnic, under the aegis of Parents and Community Leaders Forum, on the need for the resumption of academic activities.

“Council wishes to use this medium to express appreciation to all stakeholders who had, in various ways, expressed concern and intervened towards the amicable resolution of the impasse. “Council would like to assure all and sundry that the decision taken, even though painful, is necessary in the overall interest of Nigerian youths looking for quality education.”

Baptist urges Jonathan to ensure people’s welfare

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HE Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to improve the living condition of Nigerians through people-oriented policies and projects.

Outgoing Secretary-General of the 98-year-old convention, Ademola Ishola, spoke at the unveiling of his successor, Olasupo Ayokunle, at the church Headquarters in Oke-Bola, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Ishola said: “We urge the winners to make sure they add value to our economy and improve on our social life, particularly as it relates to security of lives and prop-

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

erties.”

He said there was need to bring to justice the perpetrators of the post-election violence in some parts of the North, describing their action as wicked, deplorable and saddening.

Ishola prayed that the blood of the innocent would not be shed in vain.

Ayokunle promised to make the Convention one great family.

He also promised to make all the departments of the Convention stronger, especially the Women Missionary Union [WMU] and Men Missionary Union [MMU] as well

We urge the winners to make sure they add value to our economy and improve on our social life, particularly as it relates to security of lives and properties. as building a strong Youth Organisation that would be very active in carrying out the ministry of the church.

Ayokunle said that he would revitalise ‘’The Bap-

tist Witness’’ which would broadcast the word of Life to the entire nation from time to time through selfownership of cable broadcasting channel in addition to tackling headlong what he called the issue of pastors roaming the streets after training.

This, he said, would be done through direct planting of churches or working with the Global Mission Board to plant certain number of churches per year in some cities in Nigeria where ‘’we do not have enough or any. The Associations and the Conferences would be required to plant certain number of churches yearly as well’’.

HE Nasarawa State Election Petitions Tribunal yesterday received 11 petitions from aggrieved candidates in last month’s elections.

But it is yet to receive any on the governorship poll, the tribunal said yesterday.

Its Secretary, Mr Henry Nyior, said of the number, three were on the senatorial election; one on the House of Representatives; and the others on the House of Assembly.

Nyior said the inaugural hearing of the petitions would hold next week, adding that the first case would be on the Nasarawa Southern Senatorial District between the incumbent Senator Suleiman Adokwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Alhaji Tanko Wambai of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

He said there was a time limit for the submission of petitions, adding: “The Constitution clearly provides that all petitions in an election must be filed within 21 days after the declaration of results.

Youths praise ACN over uniform development

By Gbenga Aderanti

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PAN-YORUBA youth organisation, Afenifere Youths, has praised the plan by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to ensure integrated development of Southwest states.

A statement by its National Coordinator, Mr. Dotun Atilade, said the group urged the leadership of Odua Development Council (ODC) to implement its report.

The statement reads: “We write to express our profound appreciation to the plans and decision of the leadership of ACN to design an integrated development model/agenda for the Southwest governments of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states. We consider with great nostalgia the integrated and cooperative development witnessed during regime of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) governments of the Lagos, Ogun, Bendel, Oyo and Ondo (LOBOO) states under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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NEWS

Army arrests 150 after ambush in Kano

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HE army has arrested more than 150 people following the ambush of a military patrol team by suspected members of Boko Haram.

“We have made over 150 arrests of suspects in the ambush on a military patrol team by gunmen we believe to be members of Boko Haram sect in an area of town notorious for attacks on military and police patrols,” army spokesman Lieutenant Abdullahi Muhammad told AFP. An army patrol team came under attack in Gwange district of the northern city of Maiduguri on Sunday night, leading to a shootout that lasted for 30 minutes, Muhammad said.

He did not give any details about casualties.

“We cordoned off the whole area and made the arrests,” he said.

Screening of the suspects was underway and those not implicated in the attack would be freed, he said.

Residents of Maiduguri have complained about the way security forces are going about hunting down members of Boko Haram.

Husseini Hala, a human rights lawyer, said there had been “series of complaints of rights abuses” by troops deployed in the city.

Boko Haram staged a short-lived uprising in parts of the north in 2009 in a doomed bid to establish an Islamic state, but the rebellion was crushed in a brutal military crackdown.

Family of slain NYSC member writes Jonathan S EVEN years after the alleged murder of a corps member, Chukwunwike Oguejiofor Orafu, in Kano, his family has petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan.

The family is worried over the inability to find his body and the government’s alleged refusal to compensate his dependents.

The petition, signed by Mr Sam Onyechi, the slain National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member’s next-ofkin came in the wake of the killing of 10 corps members in post-election violence in Bauchi last month.

With the Federal Government’s compensation the bereaved families of the ‘NYSC 10’ and their remains buried,

•Seeks justice, compensation

the Orafu family believes it has been unjustly treated.

The letter said the government was insensitive to the plight as it failed to recover his body despite several mails to the NYSC authorities over the matter. It also said it was not fair that the family was yet to be compensated.

The letter reads: “We forward this petition to your esteemed office over the horrible murder and subsequent unsatisfactory manner, the untimely death of our brother, cousin and ward, Mr Chukwunwike Oguejiofor

Orafu was handled by the NYSC and the Kano State Government of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau after he was brutally murdered by rampaging Moslem youths in Kano precisely on 11th April, 2004 while he was on Youth Service.

“Despite several searches and adverts for missing persons placed by us and even the NYSC too, our brother is yet to be found several years after, lending credence to the claim of the nightmarish voices that they had actually killed him. We had

made representations to the NYSC demanding that they, the Kano State Government and the Federal Government whom our brother was serving should pay adequate compensation for the young man whose life was snuffed out in such a brutal manner but no tangible action was taken.

“This young man so coldly killed in his prime in this gruesome manner was a blazing star who made a Second Class Upper Honours Degree in Accountancy, graduating from the University of Port Harcourt as the Best Graduating Student of his Department and Faculty and won both the Department and the Dean’s Awards for Academic Excellence.“

Jonathan: Fed Govt to hands-off primary, secondary education

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said the Federal Government will hands off running of primary and secondary education.

This, he said, is to enable the government concentrate on improving tertiary education.

He said state and local governments would be running primary and secondary education.

The Federal Governments will concentrate on developing the tertiary institutions and also policy, he said.

Jonathan spoke yesterday

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

while commissioning the new administrative block of the Kwara State University.

The Federal Government, he said would concentrate on upgrading the universities to international standards in order to churn out world-class graduates.

President Jonathan said government was determined to step up the standard of university education.

The Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, congratulated Jonathan on his victory at the polls.

The Emir also commended him for living up to his promise of conducting credible elections despite being a candidate.

“You were voted by all Nigerians. You promised credible elections and fulfilled your promise, staking your integrity. Since you have humbled yourself, God has raised you above all of us. We trust you, and we know you will take the nation further within the next four years,” the Emir said.

Responding, Jonathan said he will not go back on his campaign promise of run-

•Jonathan

ning an open administration where all Nigerians will be treated equally.

He said his administration would work continually with royal fathers across the country to ensure peace and development.

Lagos NURTW chiefs arraigned for bearing firearms

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T was an arraignment mixed with twists and drama: fully armed police battling to control a crowd of supporters in the court premises; the police legal team and an officer of the Directorate of Public Prosecution disagreeing in open court; journalists being ordered out of court by the Chief Magistrate, and charges being suddenly dropped.

It all happened at the Chief Magistrate’s Court, Ikeja, where the Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Council, Mr Olorunwa Akanni Rafiu (45), two executive officers and nine others were arraigned for allegedly bearing firearms in public and causing a breach of the peace.

Also arraigned were NURTW State Treasurer, Musiliu Akinsanya (36) and its Lagos Island Branch Secretary, Sunday Ojomo (34).

The others: are Korede Ow-

•Magistrate orders reporters out of courtroom

By Joseph Jibueze

olabi (24); Babatunde Akeem (22); Ayo Akintayo (22); Lanire Salawu (18); Akeem Babatunde (20); Akinola Falore (27); Bolaji Ibrahim (28); Kazeem Gomma (31) and Afis Sule (20).

They were arraigned on eight counts of alleged unlawful assembly, bearing of firearms and offensive weapons, obstruction, malicious damage, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.

The police said Rafiu and the others on May 6, between 11am and 9.30pm at NURTW Secretariat, Abule Egba, Bourdillion Street, Ikoyi, and Oshodi, in the Lagos Magisterial District conspired among themselves to commit the offences.

The alleged offences are contrary to Sections 70, 80, 249 (d) and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap C17, Vol. II, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria,

2003.

The two also allegedly shot sporadically, damaging property belonging to members of the public and disturbing the peace. The offences contravene Sections 71 and 356 (2) of the Criminal Code.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N500,000 each, with two sureties who must swear to affidavit of means and produce evidence of tax payment for the last three years.

But there was a twist. The police prosecutor, Mr C. Agwu, had prepared a 12count charge that included alleged murder. As the charges were being read out to enable the police remand the accused persons, Mrs Bukola Akoni, from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, said the DPP was taking over the case.

She said Section 211 (b) of

the 1999 Constitution empowers the Attorney-General to take over any criminal matter at any time.

“I shall be asking for the withdrawal of the counts dealing with armed robbery and murder, which are counts 9, 10, 11, and 12,” she said.

It was at this point that the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Idowu Olatokun, asked the reporters present to leave the court for “security reasons.” She invited them back into the court about an hour later to witness the arraignment.

Four charges had been dropped.

Among the dropped charges was the count that Rafiu and the others “on the same date, time and place did unlawfully kill one Kunle Omoroga by shooting him with a gun.”

Mrs Olatokun adjourned till June 29 for commencement of trial.

Dabo faults Unongo on Benue poll

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CHIEFTAIN of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) from Benue State, Dr. Godwin Dabo’Adzuana has dismissed as lies claims by Paul Unongo that the Action Congres of Nigeria, (ACN) won the governorship election.

Dabo’Adzuana argued that Paul Unongo, also an elder of PDP has no moral justification to allege that the PDP administration led by Governor Gabriel Suswam lost the election because it has distanced it self from the

people. ‘’Paul Unongo is making this allegation out of frustration and anger because his wife, a commissioner in the Suswam administration was removed. Unongo has no moral justification to condemn an administration he was part of in the last four years’’ Dabo’Adzuana said.

He accused Unongo of anti-party, warning that he should withdraw his allegations within seven days or else he will be summoned before the party’s hierarchy

to substantiate his allegations. ‘’The ACN did not win the governorship election in Benue State, as Unongo and others are claiming. If you look at the margin of votes secured by each political party, you can see clearly that the votes reflected the decision of the people in the various senatorial zones in the state. ‘’The ACN in Benue state has gone to court in search of justice, and it is my view that all those who feel aggrieved and who has evidence should

wait for the elections petition tribunal to adjudicate and decide on who won what or did not win’’ the politician submitted.

According to him, the Gabriel Suswam-led administration has performed beyond all expectations and needs commendations and not castigations. ‘’The people voted for him because of his style of administration, and he does not need to rig to return for a second as Unongo is alleging,’ he said. ’

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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NEWS Robbers kill policeman, two others in Kano From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

SUSPECTED armed robbers yesterday invaded the famous Kantin Kwari textile market, Kano, killing three people, including a police man.

The robbers, according to eyewitnesses, stormed the market in two vehicles at about 5:30 p.m. shooting sporadically.

Traders and their customers for dear lives; many were reportedly wounded.

“They came at a time when most people have started closing for the day.

People were taken unawares; they moved from shop to shop looting money and wares. I can confirm to you that about three people, including a police man were gunned down,” an eyewitness told The Nation.

A source said the operation, which lasted for about 25 minutes, saw the robbers looting cash in various currencies.

“They also made away with wares as they escaped unmolested,” said the source.

Commissioner of Police Tambari Yabo said: “We are still collating the facts and we are yet to inform the headquarters about the incident. I will brief you tomorrow morning. ”

Diocese of Lagos Mainland holds Synod THE Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland opens its 2nd Session of the 2nd Synod tomorrow, with worship at the Cathedral of St. Jude, Freeman Street, Ebute Meta. The opening business ceremony holds on Friday at All Saints’ Church, Yaba; the closing ceremony comes up next Sunday at the Cathedral.

Its theme is “Walking with God” (Genesis 5: 24).

The Synod is an annual festival, which allows Christians in a diocese to deliberate on affairs of interest to the diocese, Christendom and the country. Presided over by the diocesan bishop, it is characterised by worship, address, discussions, resolutions and adoption of a communiqué.

The opening service is to set the tone on a prayerful note; the business sessions will consider reports from various aspects of church life. Highlights of the opening ceremony at All Saints’ Church, Montgomery Road, Yaba on Friday include the Presidential Address and presentation of Post Humours Awards.

The Diocese of Lagos Mainland was established on August 23, 2006 as the 95th diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). It comprises 52 churches in Ebute Meta, Yaba, Surulere, Orile Iganmu, Aguda and Ilupeju areas of Lagos.

Activists sue Fed Govt over corp members’ killing

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CIVIL society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken the Federal Government to court over the killing of youth corps members in post-election violence.

In a suit filed at the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, the group alleged that “the failure of the defendants to exercise due diligence to prevent the violence amount ed to violations of their right to life; sanctity and integrity of human person.”

Named as co-defendant is Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Muhammed Adoke,

• Urges ECOWAS court to order criminal investigation SAN. The suit was filed by its lawyer, Femi Falana.

The organisation argued that “the post-election violence commission established by the government may end up the same way previous commissions of inquiry set up to address the outbreaks of violence in the country have ended: without success, implementation or follow-up. Also, the payment of N5million to each of the families of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC)

members killed is grossly inadequate and falls far short of the requirements of international human rights law. The compensation by the government is unfair as it does not fully reflect the cost of education and training of the victims; the potential future earnings of the victims, the irreplaceable loss to the families; the physical, emotional and mental suffering by the families; and the human value and economic cost to the country.”

SERAP averred: “The fail-

ure by the defendants to promptly, transparently and effectively investigate the death of the NYSC members, and to bring suspected perpetrators to justice amounts to a denial of the victims’ access to a fair, effective and prompt system of justice. In effect, the government has shown itself unwilling or unable to promptly, transparently and effectively investigate and prosecute those responsible for the unlawful killing of the NYSC members.”

According to the organisation, “what is needed is a

prompt, transparent and effective criminal investigation by independent law enforcement agencies to identify the suspected perpetrators and bring them to justice fairly, and not another fairytale political commission.”

“By the combined effects of Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a signatory, the government of Nigeria has violated the right to life, the right to the dignity and security of the human person; and the right to family life of the killed and injured NYSC members,” SERAP added.

Environmentalists protest at Shell’s AGM

E

•Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko welcoming Senate President David Mark who visited him in Akure...yesterday

‘US committed to partnership with Nigeria’

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NITED States (U.S) Ambassador to Nigeria Terence McCulley yesterday said his country was committed to working with Nigeria to improve basic education.

McCulley spoke in Abuja at the launch of Sesame Square, an adaptation of a popular American television programme: Sesame Street.

The ambassador said the programme would address social issues such as HIV/ AIDS/malaria and nutrition.

He said: ““The United States Government is committed to its partnership with Nigeria to improve basic education as a fundamental right for all children and a

By Olukorede Yishau, Assistant Editor (News)

building block of a healthy society. I am positive that Sesame Square will play an important role in achieving this goal. ”The partnership between the United States Government, through USAID, the Sesame Workshop, the Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Television Authority to develop Sesame Square is a ground-breaking approach to help ensure that all children have access to basic education by making educational programs available through the media. This is especially im-

portant for children who may not have access to traditional educational opportunities. “ McCulley added: “Yesterday, the Honourable Minister and I launched another education initiative, the 2010 Nigeria Data Education Survey, which, along with Sesame Square, aims to close the gaps between education policies and the delivery of a quality education to all of Nigeria’s youth. The Sesame Square series will help fill such gaps, celebrating the children’s potential, fostering a love of learning, and encouraging a love of country and respect for others. The producers gave the title: ‘We Can’ to the first season, to inspire children to per-

ceive learning as fun and a necessary pathway to success, and to echo President Obama’s “Yes, We Can” — a call to America and to the world that anything is possible.”

He traced the origin of the production.

“The story of Sesame Square began in 2008, when Sesame Street International and USAID collaborated to develop a pilot series. Sesame Square seeks to inspire the love of learning in children through the development of listening, speaking and reading skills. Additionally, the series will promote children’s health, hygiene, and nutrition awareness, particularly focusing on malaria and HIV/AIDS education.”

Experts fault Nigeria’s development strategy

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EVELOPMENT experts yesterday faulted the development strategy of the Federal Government, saying it is doomed for failure.

They spoke at a Policy Dialogue on Alternative Development Strategy for Nigeria organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (LSD) in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria (FES), in Abuja.

Executive Director of LSD, Dr Otive Igbuzor, in his paper entitled: “Strategy for alternative development agenda for Nigeria”, said the policy direction in the National

• Call for review of Vision 2020 From Sanni Ologun and Fatima Abubakar, Abuja

Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS – 2003 to 2007) which was later incorporated into the Seven-Point Agenda to form the Vision 2020 policy document would not bring about the much-desired development of the country.

Igbuzor said the Vision 2020 policy document needs review to meet the developmental aspiration of the nation.

Igbuzor said: “We have also come to a general consensus

on what needs to be done to bring about development.

That is why we are proposing an alternative development strategy. For instance, all over the world it has been shown clearly by the United Nations that markets are very bad in securing stability, security, education and health.”

A South African based development expert, Dr Omano Edigheji observed that ministries in Nigeria are too bloated and called for the merging of those that have similar duties like the Ministries of Aviation and Transport.

He also advocated a monitoring and evaluation unit to be based in the presidency.

Another speaker, Mr. Emma Anoliefo, said to restart the economy the Federal Government needed to activate the export capacity of the domestic economy.

The Resident Representative of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria (FES), Thomas Mattig, said many mistakes haD been made in most development strategies in the past.

Mattig said: “When it comes to development policies, a lot of mistakes have been made, to the detriment of the Nigerian citizens.”

NVIRONMENTALISTS under the aegis of the Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) yesterday stormed the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Shell in The Hague.

In a publication distributed at the meeting, the group highlighted 12 cases from five different continents detailing the oil giant’s abuses.

It displays climate and other environmental impacts from Shell’s oil and gas operations, the involvement of Shell in the violation of human rights and labour irregularities, such as those resulting from Shell’s joint venture with Brazilian biofuel producer Cosan S.A., which has been linked to slave labour and violations of labour rights.

The report also lists cases of corruption and interference with politics in order to ensure business profits.

Paul de Clerck, coordinator of the corporates campaign at FoEI, said: “We expect that the promises in the erratum we wrote for Shell will become reality. Shell is aware of the damage it is causing to the environment and of the violation of rights of local communities that it is involved in.

We want the company to take measures to restore this damage and to prevent further wrongdoing”.

During the presentation of the publication to Shell’s shareholders and board, representatives from different communities affected by Shell’s wrongdoing were present: Eric Dooh, a Nigerian farmer, who is taking Shell to court in The Netherlands for refusal to clean up oil spills in his fishponds and on his fields, said: “Oil spills from Shell pipelines caused the water and agricultural land in our village to be severely polluted. We want Shell to clean up the pollution so we can fish and farm again”.

Lionel Lepine, representing the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Canada said: “Shell’s tar sand operations are disrupting our traditional way of life. They are destroying our air, water, land and medicinal plants and the birds, fish and animals we depend on to sustain our people.”

Lepine added: “Shell’s footprint in our lands will have a multi-generational effect on our children not yet born.”

12

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS

Jonathan to politicians: don’t scramble for offices alone

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ROM President Goodluck Jonathan came this piece of advice to politicians jostling for political offices in the country.

“Don’t only scramble for political offices, struggle for the economic development of all parts of the country”.

Jonathan gave the advice yesterday while inaugurating the multi-billion naira cargo terminal in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital.

The President reasoned that development will benefit majority of the people while appointments to political offices will benefit only the beneficiaries.

Commending Governor Bukola Saraki for his foresight in constructing the terminal, Jonathan said the project is in line with his administration’s plan to decongest the Lagos Port.

He therefore assured the state of the Federal Government assistance in making the terminal functional, saying that it has the capacity to

From Vincent Ikuomola, Ilorin

dicongest the port in Lagos.

Jonathan also inaugurated the International Aviation College (IAC) in Ilorin, where he stressed the importance of Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) in the implementation of government projects.

His words: “The focus of my government in the next four years will be on Public Private Partnership and we shall continue to hold regular interactions with members of the private sector to drive the economy.”

In his welcome remarks, Saraki had told the President that work on the cargo terminal began in January 2006 and that it was specifically designed to dicongest the Lagos Port.

He thanked God for enabling him to see the project through to its completion and appealed to the Federal Government to assist the state in making the terminal function-

al.

Saraki also described the International Aviation College as a PPP initiative, adding that academic works in the college will commence in August this year.

The governor said the college was established to fill the gap in the industry and also to complement the trainig centre in Zaria, Kaduna State Saraki further informed that he was motivated to establish the college because most of the pilots on the Nigeria aviation industry are foreigners.

The college, which so far has five mini helicopters for the training of the new intakes, has been established to produce superior indigenous pilots and aviation professionals with their focus on safety, quality and responsibility.

The college is equipped with the most state-of-the-art aircraft, classroom facilities, flight simulators and othertraining aids.

Presidential committee inspects airport facilities ahead of inauguration

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HEAD of the May 29 inauguration of President- elect Dr Goodluck Jonathan for a fresh four -year tenure in office, the presidential committee for the ceremony yesterday commenced the inspection of facilities at the Murtala Mu-

By Kelvin Osa- Okunbor

hammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos with a view to ensuring that the 50 heads of state and government expected at the ceremony will experience a seamless trip into and out of Nigerian airports.

PUBLIC NOTICE THE JOSEPH GENERATION MINISTRY INT’L This is to inform the general public that the above named ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mrs Ogberekare Margaret 2. Mr. Ogberekare Sunday 3. Barr (Mrs.) Harriet .I. Ofurum AIMS & OBJECTIVES 1 To preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 To cater for the needs of widows, orphans and Youth Moral uprightness.

3 To win souls to the kingdom of God. 4 To produce,distribute and to promote Christian literature world wide.

Any objection to this application should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 565 Ndola Square, wuse Zone 5 Abuja within twenty-eight days of this publication.

Signed Ogberekare Margret

ABIA LOTTO PROJECT COMMITTEE

C/o Abia State Gaming & Control Board of Internal Revenue Headquarters Finbarrs Road Umuahia MF/COM/172/1/30 November 19, 2010 Mr.Paschal Nwakanma Managing Director Pan Inter World Ventures Ltd 58 Agulu Street,Umuahia Sir, TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT AS FACILITATOR OF ABIA LOTTO LOTTERY Iam directed to inform you that your appointment as Facilitator to Abia State Government Lotto Lottery has been terminated with immediate effect.

The decision is to terminate your appointment is in line with Section 2(i) and 2(ii) of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between your Company and the State Government, represented by the Ministry of Finance.

Your may recall that your company was given approval to act as Facilitator to Abia State Government Lotto Lottery project for a period of 12 months with effect from the date of launch of the project.

Regrettably, your company failed to conduct the operations of the lottery project to the satisfaction of the State Government enshrined in the MOU. Consequently, this Committee was inaugurated in February 5, 2011 by Lady Chinedu Brown, the then Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, in her office and was mandated to take over fully the operations of the Lotto Lottery.

You were invited severally to this Committee’s meetings to discuss the MOU and the way forward, but you refused to honour any of the several invitations. Your non-performance and the intransigence has left the State Government with no other option than to permanently terminate the contract between her and your company forthwith.

You are therefore directed to hand over the Project’s property in your possession to the Secretary without further delay.

Please accept our warm regards.

Signed: I.G. ODOEMELAM

Towards this end, members of the committee, comprising personnel from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Nigeria Air Force, State Security Services ( SSS), ministry of foreign affairs, Nigeria Intelligence Agency( NIA), yesterday assessed facilities at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, to ensure that the comfort facilities at the exexpansive lounge are in good shape.

The commitee which has the Special Adviser to the President on Aviation Matters , Captain Shehu Usman Iyal as member, confirmed that the committee has been working hard to ensure that all airport facilities are in top shape to give the invited very important personalities ( VIPS), all that is required.

Iyal explained that the protocol committee had visited and inspected facilities at both the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja as well as the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. He urged the relevant aviation agencies to improve on the facilities used for the independence golden jubilee anniversary.

Facilities at major airports were upgraded to mark the nation’s golden jubilee anniversary.

Among the airports that the visiting heads of state and government will make a brief stop over during the inauguration include: the Lagos and Abuja Aiports.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) has completed the perimeter fencing of both airports, thereby improving safety and security at the airports.

At the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, some of the facilities have received a face-lift.

The lighting at the tarmac and facilities at the expansive lounge have been upgraded.

•Atuche and his wife, Elizabeth... yesterday

EFCC arraigns ex-Bank PHB MD, wife, two others

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FORMER Managing Director of Bank PHB Plc, Mr Francis Atuche, his wife, Elizabeth and two others, were yesterday arraigned at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over theft charges.

Atuche was arraigned along with Mr Funmi Ademosun and Lekan Kasalion a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony and stealing before Justice S.A. Onigbanjo.

His wife was docked before Justice Lateefat Okunnu on a separate three-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony and stealing.

The EFCC alleged that Atuche, in his days as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank PHB, conspired with the two other accused to steal over N11.4 billion belonging to the bank.

It said they committed the offence between November 2007 and September 2008.

The agency alleged the trio sold 241, 579, 284 units of Afribank shares, a joint property of Caverton Helicopters Ltd and Bank PHB Plc and converted the proceeds to their personal use.

The three were also al-

By Joseph Jibueze

leged to have fraudulently converted some of the stolen money into loans to Congipar Nig. Ltd and using same for their personal use.

The EFCC said the alleged offences contravene Sections 516 and 383 of the Criminal Code Law, CAP C17, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Atuche’s counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), told the court that his client should be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing of his bail application.

EFCC counsel, Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), objected to the request and asked the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody.

Pinheiro argued that the EFCC had no constitutional duty to hold persons awaiting trial, adding that it was in the best interest of the accused persons to be taken off the hands of an unwilling custodian.

Justice Onigbanjo ordered Atuche and the duo of Ademosun and Kasalion to be remanded in EFCC custody.

He adjourned till May 19 for

hearing of their bail applications.

Mrs. Atuche was alleged to have stolen N8.5 billion belonging to the bank between November 2007 and April 2008.

The EFCC alleged that she fraudulently converted the proceeds of several loans for the acquisition of 337,500,000 and 168,750,000 units of Bank PHB shares on behalf of Ghazali Yakubu Investment Limited and AFCO Associates Limited.

The alleged offences contravene Sections 519 and 383 of the Criminal Code Law, CAP C17, Laws of Lagos State 2003.

She had pleaded not guilty to all the charges after it was read to her.

Her counsel urged the court to remand her in EFCC custody pending the hearing of her bail application, a plea objected to by the EFCC counsel, who urged the court to remand her in prison custody.

Justice Okunnu fixed May 19 for the hearing of the bail application. She ordered Mrs. Atuche to be remanded in prison custody and fixed July 5, 6 and 12 for the commencement of trial.

13

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 , 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Who is the next number four citizen?

The two aspirants are lawyers from Oyo State. They are also ranking members of the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As the campaign train of the aspirants rolls into the six geo-political zones, Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines their chances at the in-house elections.

H

OUSE of Representatives members jostling for the position of the Speaker are intensifying their campaigns in various parts of the country. They have set up campaign structures, which have mapped out for them, strategies for wheeling and dealing ahead of the in-house election.

The race is between Hon. Muraina Ajibola (Ibarapa North/Central), who wrote the minority report of the Power Probe Committee and Mrs. Mulikat Adeola Akande, a successful lawyer and deputy chairman of the Judiciary Committee representing Ogbomoso North/ South/Orire Federal Constituency.

Both of them are Muslims.

They are slugging it out at a critical time in national history when Nigerians want a more robust Lower Chamber. The House of Representatives, to many people, is worst than a policeman on duty on the highway. Many have criticised members for collecting jumbo salaries for fun. Passage of budget is often delayed by legislators who have thrown decorum away and exchanged blows on the floor.

Observers contend that, to restore moral uprightness and integrity of the House, a reformist should take the baton from Speaker Dimeji Bankole, who failed in his re-election bid last month. Sources said that representatives who are concerned about the image of the House are pushing for the release of security report on the aspirants ahead of the Speakership election.

PDP has majority in the House.

However, the residual impact of members from Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and other mushroom platforms cannot be totally ignored.

The slot has been zoned to the Southwest geo-political zone.

However, the Northern caucus of the House is making a fuse by sponsoring a candidate from the North. Four-time member of the House, Farouk Lawan, is the arrowhead. A member of the caucus, however confided at the weekend that it was part of the north’s strategy for relevance in the coming administration.

He said: “We cannot just keep quiet like that. Many Northern leaders do not see Vice President Namadi Sambo as the true representative of the large region in government. The Senate President is going to the Middle Belt. We cannot go against the party on zoning of the post of Speaker to the West.

The party is supreme and the zoning arrangement came up after due consultation, but we must do what we are doing to get that of Deputy Speaker” What brought the two contenders from the Southwest into greater limelight was the poor showing of their party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the re-

cent National Assembly elections.

Other visible legislators, especially Wole Oke (Obokun Constituency), who had begun scheming for the slot before the elections, failed in their return bid.

Ajibola, who is perceived as an ‘Obasanjo boy’ in the House, is also a lawyer. He is returning to the Lower Chamber like Akande, who holds a Master Degree in Law from the University of Lagos, Akoka.

The campaign train of Akande rolled into the Southwest last weekend, with her fans mobilising for her ambition down the grassroots.

Lawyers in the House, who recalled her activities as a strong member of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), also reached out to their colleagues in the House to back her bid for the number four position in Nigeria.

On the train were many federal legislators from the region, her Northern colleagues whom she had known when she was a secondary school student in Kaduna, and prominent leaders of women organisations, who want President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to accord priority to the affirmative action on women participation in politics.

A prominent woman activist, who is lending support for her aspiration, disclosed that the wife of the President, Mrs Patience Jonathan, was fascinated by the entry of the female lawmaker into the race.

“There is no woman President, Vice President, and Senate President. Having a woman as House of Representatives Speaker is not a bad idea in the spirit of the affirmative action”, she added.

A top PDP leader also said that the President, who had been briefed about Akande-Adeola’s performance in the House, especially her contributions as a member of Judicial and Foreign Affairs Committee, and ECOWAS Parliament, is not indifference to the nature and tendency of the next Speaker of House of Representatives.

Naturally, female legislators are promoting their own out of sentiment. “She is calm, moderate and a good mixer. Her antecedent speaks for her”, said a female legislator from the Southwest, who said that members would vote for merit, competence and capability during the in-house elections.

Ajibola’s main pillar of support is former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who sources said, was impressed by his Power Probe Committee’s Minority Report,

. Bankole

which neutralised the Elumelu Report that was about to expose key functionaries of the administration to embarrassment. Following the Minority Report, the table was turned against the writers of the Majority Report. The hunters were later hunted. The probe died naturally. The support by the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman captures the dictum: One good turn deserves another.

However, before he was elected a legislator, he was a successful man. His foray into politics was dramatic. A brilliant lawyer, Ajibola was said to handle a brief successfully for a PDP candidate in court. The feat attracted the attention of the strongman of Ibadan politics, the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, who encouraged him to join active politics. Like his co-aspirant, Akande-Adeola, he is not a bench warmer in the House.

Ajibola was endorsed at an informal meeting held by some PDP chieftains who were on a visit to Obasanjo in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State. Many top PDP leaders from Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos and Osun who read the media report disowned the move, saying that they were not carried along.

An out-going member of the House of Representatives, who is also a journalist, complained that majority of leaders, who were not carried along, especially the former PDP governors, ministers, federal legislators and state chairmen, perceived the Abeokuta unilateral declaration as another form of imposition typical of the retired General.

He added: “If Obasanjo is so influential and powerful as he claims, why was he unable to deliver the Southwest or his native Ogun State? That was what he did by not supporting Subaru Bankole

• Mrs Akande-Adeola

and the candidate he supported against him lost. It was a kangaroo endorsement”.

Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, was enraged by the endorsement, although he avoided confrontation with Obasanjo. AkandeAdeola is from his Ogbomoso Constituency. Indeed, many PDP chieftains in Ogbomoso want the slot as a compensation for their loyalty to the party when other parts of the state shunned it at the general elections.

ACN legislators led by Femi Gbajabiamila (Surulere Constituency) appear disposed to her candidature. Her campaign group and some senior lawyers who are very close to the party hierarchy have briefed the party’s National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, about the approaching contest in the House.

Akande-Adeola has also warmed herself into the Northern caucus of the House. Akande was born in Kaduna and she speaks Hausa fluently. A source said that her chance got a boost from the caucus following Ajibola’s endorsement by Obasanjo. Many legislators from the large zone who had gained prominence in postObasanjo era, are not emotionally attached to the former President.

In those states where the influence of the governors is not yet waning on the federal legislators, pro-Adeola-Akande colleagues are holding consultations with the chief executives and other party leaders for her to scale through on poll day.

Another dimension to the campaign is the subtle media war. The ‘campaign groups’ raised by the two candidates have invaded the media to sell their candidature beyond the House to Nigerians.

Ajobola has drawn attention to

‘What brought the two contenders from the Southwest into greater limelight was the poor showing of their party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the recent National Assembly elections. Other visible legislators, especially Wole Oke (Obokun Constituency), who had begun scheming for the slot before the elections, failed in their return bid’

his educational background, his exploits in law practice and feats as a politician who won elections where many others fell. He has been described as a strong legislator who knows his onions.

In the same vein, Akande-Adeola has explained her motivation for jostling for the position, saying that she is acceptable to majority of members, who she had worked it in the service of the country, within and outside the chambers.

However, she frowned at the report that women are unfit for the job because a female legislator, Patrician Ette, who was on the seat briefly, fell. “The issue of Ette does not come up. If a woman fell once, that does not mean that women would continue to fall. We are not from the same background”, she said.

The legislator said that, although she had read reports about endorsement, 360 legislators would elect the Speaker, adding that the head of the Lower Chamber cannot be imposed. She said that the basis for picking a person from the returning three ranking members without dialogue was unacceptable to the PDP family.

“Apart from the prerequisites, which I have met constitutionally, I also meet other conditions educationally and professionally. I have been in the House for four years and performed excellently. I have been part of the House that has legislated for good governance to the benefit of Nigerians”, she said.

Akande-Adeola promised to live to the expectation of the House and Nigerians, which gave the House its mandate. She said she would be a Speaker that can earn the respect of colleagues and confidence of the public, stressing that undemocratic attitude of leaders in the House can be checked, if the right person in on the chair.

She agreed that eyes were on the House and Nigerians want the legislators to tackle the image of the House by promoting openness and transparency.

Describing herself as a woman of integrity, Akande-Adeola believes that “the House must also tackle the slow pace of budgetary implementation by passing the budget with speed and due process”. The race is on. Who wins at the end of the day?

Time will tell.

14

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

POLITICS

CAN to Fashola: fulfill your promises

By Musa Odoshimokhe

L

AGOS State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has been urged to endeavour to fulfill all his electioneering promises to the people of the state even as he was charged to ensure the completion of the ongoing mega city project in the state before the end of his term in 2015.

The advice was given by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lagos State branch in its congratulatory message to the governor, which was made available to The Nation.

The association applauded what it called the governor’s overwhelming and well-deserved re-election to govern the state, ascribing his success at the polls to his administration’s performance in its first term in the saddle.

In a letter of congratulation jointly signed by the chairman and secretary, Rev. Monsignor B.A. Okodua and Bishop George Amu respectively, the Christian body described Fashola’s re-election as a good omen for the state.

According to the congratulatory message, the CAN said it joined the many well wishers to congratulate Fashola on his re–election as the executive governor of the most populous state in Nigeria and the economic nerve-centre of our dear and great country, Nigeria.

CAN said: “Your victory which you attributed to democracy would not have been possible without your God-given dedication which manifested in the visible developmental projects in Lagos State.

“We would also like to attribute this victory to the untiring and prayerful support of your dear wife, Mrs. Dame Emmanuella Abimbola. May God in His infinite mercy grant you more wisdom, knowledge and good health of mind and body to perform better in the next dispensation,” CAN prayed.

‘Ogun: Amosun ‘ll make a difference’ ByAdegunle Olugbamila

N the next 100 days, Ogun State people under governor-elect, Senator Ibikunle Amosun will witness unprecedented development.

Ogun people have seen our party’s manifestoes. They have also seen the good works ACN is doing in Lagos, Osun and Ekiti, and Edo states.

With this, people are now optimistic that good things are on the way; and with the profile our governor-elect, the wind of change is here.”

Saheed Olabisi Alagbe, a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), youth leader and grassroots mobiliser in Ado-Odo/Otta Local Government Area of Ogun State expressed the above view in a chat with The Nation yesterday.

He said that the fact that Senator Amosun had already inaugurated some committees comprising individuals of unquestionable pedigrees to look into how the various sectors of the state will be run in the next four years underscores the seriousness of his in-coming government.

Alagbe, a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Lagos State University and a former Welfare Director for LASU-Students Union Government and a Mobilisation Officer for National Association of Nigerian Students praised the people of Yewa, who, despite the agitation that the next governor should emerge from their constituency, voted for Amosun, an Egba man.

Alagbe explained: “I believe so much in transparency, objectivity and good governance, and that is why I joined the ACN in Ado-Odo in the 2009, when some people in Ogun State were scampering to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because it is elitist. I believe so much in grassroots politics where you can touch the common man.”

He recalled how youth of likeminded orientation in Ado-Odo used every available means possible to mobilise the people who, according to him, were afraid to pledge their allegiance to the ACN for fear of being attacked, molested or relived of their jobs.

He said the people had not made a mistake in electing Senator Amosun, adding that the governor-elect’s sterling credentials had endeared him to the masses: “Senator Amosun is a humble person. He has never been linked to any crisis in the state, even when it appeared clear that he was rigged out in the gubernatorial election in the state in 2007. He is a firstclass philanthropist whose kind gestures transcend every segment of the society.”

• Amosun

“I

Councils’ dissolution:

Ekiti ALGON lauds decision

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HE Association of Local Government of Nigeria, (ALGON), Ekiti State Chapter has expressed appreciation to the state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi for dissolving the local government councils in the state to afford other people the opportunity to serve the people They have equally expressed their appreciation to the people of the state for the supports and corporation extended to them during their tenure The state government had on Tuesday announced the dissolution of the caretaker committees in all the 16 local government areas of the state after having spent the six months in office in line with the constitution Chairman of the state Chapter of the Association, Chief Biodun AkinFasae who was also the Chairman of Ikole Local government, through a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to ALGON in the state, Mr Gbenga Sodeinde, said they were happy to have served the people meritoriously and conscientiously within the six months their regime lasted.

It should be noted that Ekiti ALGON, during the short period was able to transform the lives of the people in terms of providing infrastructural facilities over which the state governor had commended their efforts.

Until his emergence as the Governor-elect of Zamfara State, not much was known about the cord that binds Hon. Abubakar Yari Abdul-Aziz to his political godfather, Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima. In an interview with a group of journalists in Abuja, Abdul-Aziz opened up on why the Yerima factor swept off the incumbent government and why the state may re-embrace “Sharia.” Our Abuja Bureau Chief, YOMI ODUNUGA, was there. Excerpts:

‘Why Sharia Law ‘ll return in Zamfara’ F

ROM records of your public life, it does appear that you do not have the requisite administrative background to run a state…

What is important is the commitment you bring into governance. It has a lot to do with the heart and not just about having an administrative background. I have an administrative background. I just didn’t jump from school to become a member of the National Assembly. Before then, I joined was the Secretary of the All Nigerian Peoples Party and in 1999, we won an election which we governed for eight years. I later became the state chairman of my party up till 2007 and in 2007, I became a lawmaker and God has been merciful to me.

You were one of the few candidates that were able to defeat incumbent governors, how did you achieve this?

We have a ladder. For instance, as I said, I had been a secretary of the party, a chairman and now a serving member of the House of Representatives. I was supposed to be the deputy governor but one of the political arithmetic changed the equation. So, all those things were parts of it. So, people didn’t vote the party, they voted for the person. You should also remember that Zamfara State is the only state that the deputy governor succeeded his boss and you know what happened to him. He quit from the party that brought him to power and jumped to another party. People have that in mind and what he did really gave us sympathy.

You were said to have benefitted from what many called Yerima factor...

Yerima had so many programmes that the people benefitted from.

When he came on board in 1999, the scholarship of students studying in university was N1,050 for the entire season. Yerima increased the money.

Students studying sciences were being given N7,000 and those in the humanities, 5,000 monthly. For the HND students, whether engineering or banking, it was N4,000 monthly and diploma students were collecting N3,000. When Shinkafi came on board, all these things were stopped.

The next area where Yerima excelled was in the agriculture sector in which he introduced the Ethiopian system of agriculture. The farmers were very happy with the system, whereby a farmer would be given a loan for fertilizers, a loan for grain seeds, a loan to but farming tools.

When you harvest, you will not pay with money but with your agriculture products. And if one kilo or a tonne of maize is being sold at N20,000, the government will buy at N40,000.

Can you give an insight into your developmental plan for Zamfara State?

If you want to say someone develops a state, some people would like to see the infrastructure, roads, secretariat being built, government houses etc. But if you look at the economy carefully, for instance, my own state is mostly dependent on the revenue that accrues to it from the Federation Account. What is generated internally is not much and so, one needs to ask some questions in an attempt to develop the state. What type of developmental programmes are you expecting me

• Abdul-Aziz

to concentrate on? First, you know the state is backward in education. If you do not educate your people, forget about development. Zamfara State is one of the states that live below the poverty level. So, we have a lot of task ahead. As a governor who has the opportunity to manage the state administration for four years, I have to prioritize. I will do my best in the areas of education, poverty eradication and provision of infrastructure. I believe there is an urgent need to address the lapses in the education sector. For example, out of 3,000 students that sat for WAEC, only 36 got the requirement to go to university. All those things need to be addressed and they require resources.

What are our plans for creating jobs for the teeming youths in the state?

We want to create civilized jobs through the programme that we are planning to do in poverty alleviation. No doubt, the government will not be able to accommodate all of them. But we are planning to create an atmosphere whereby people can engage in private practice outside the government jobs. We also intend to create skill acquisition centres where we are going to train our youths and give them jobs.

When you won your election, newspapers portrayed you as the political son of the former governor of Zamfara State, Yerima. How true?

Yes. Whether we like it or not, Yerima played a gigantic role in the governance of Zamfara State. Therefore, you can give it any name; say godfather, whatever you call it, you are right.

Then what is your take on Sharia?

My opinion about Sharia in Zamfara State is not any different from the feeling of the average

‘We want to create civilized jobs through the programme that we are planning to do in poverty alleviation. No doubt, the government will not be able to accommodate all of them.

But we are planning to create an atmosphere whereby people can engage in private practice outside the government jobs’

Zamfara person. The aim of Sharia is to sensitize the society. That is part of what gave us victory because all those things have been in place since the administration of Yerima. It inculcates discipline and good living.

For instance, in Zamfara, a 10-yearold child cannot experience the despicable things going on in liquor joints while we do not expect to see a 14-year-old in the gathering of commercial sex workers. After Yerima left, some of these vices started creeping back into the system such that, today, the people of Zamfara are not happy with the present administration. I plan to implement Sharia law and do my best to eliminate those things. We are going to modernize the system according to the law of Sharia.

You accept that Senator Yerima is your godfather and at the same time said you plan to modernize Sharia law in the state. May we know those things you plan to do differently?

It’s not going to be really different from what Yerima did. But I will do my best as a governor to ensure that we have a peaceful coexistence as we did before. You should remember that I was a chairman under him, and we never had any quarrel for one day.

Since you said the revenue from the Federation Account cannot address the challenges, how do you intend to raise fund to implement your programmes?

I cannot achieve much if I rely on money coming to the state from the Federation Account. So, we need to hire an extra expert to see how we can achieve an ideal way of generating funds.

How would you tackle the plight of almajiri which is a major problem in most parts of the North?

This is part of what the present government in Zamfara State got wrong in an attempt to rubbish the legacy of the Yerima administration.

Yerima had decided that all those people that are out of schools should be taken to a location where they were given food and trained. The locations were run like boarding schools and he told those that were in charge that he would not like to see any almajiri roaming the streets looking for food to eat. He said they should stay in the school and they were given their allocation. It is not up to N7million to feed them and for them to continue their studies.

But when the Shinkafi administration came on board, he decided that these things were not important.

Yerima set up the system whereby you cannot see them on the street. I am going to look at how they did it in the past, how it took place then and then see how I can reintroduce it.

What is your reaction to this postelection violence in some parts of the North?

I don’t think the violence took place because of the election. If you look at the people that did such things, I don’t know which class to put them. People are fully conscious that this election was done and the winner announced, but they have some motives. Some want to loot, some want to steal. They are jobless, so they explored that opportunity to foment trouble and loot. But I know that an end can be put to this if the succeed in bringing those involved to book.

15

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Halt CBN’s cash policy, Reps tell Fed Govt From Victor Oluwasegun, Abuja

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HE House of Represen tatives yesterday kicked against the new policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) which seeks to peg deposits and withdrawals of cash by bank customers to N150, 000 per transaction for individual and N500, 000 for corporate bodies.

This was sequel to the adoption of the prayers of a motion brought before the House

by Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas which condemning the CBN policy.

He said the nation’s economy is not ripe for such a policy.

The House therefore urged the Federal government to direct CBN to suspend the policy because Nigeria is not ready for such policy. It noted that for the policy to be successful, the CBN needs to embark on necessary enlightenment programmes to educate the populace.

Okoya-Thomas in her argument said that majority of traders are yet to embrace banking culture because of perceived long protocols, stressing that the proposed cash policy could scare traders away traders when it becomes operational.

She stated: “If this implementation is successful, small scale businesses will automatically collapse, agro allied businesses will remain stagnant, thereby making the banking sector to completely suffer patronage.

“I urge the executive to stop this policy or alternately raise the bar to a reasonable sum.

Cattle sellers, petty traders, butchers, market women and so on should be put into consideration.”

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$125.2/barrel Cocoa - $2,856/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢78.07.pound Gold -$1,161/troy ounce Rubber - ¢146.37/pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N8.1 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion

RATES Inflation -12.8% Treasury Bills -2.64% Normal lending -24% Prime lending -18% Savings rate -3% 91-day NTB -6.99% Time Deposit - 6% MPR -7.50% Foreign Reserve -$34.5bn FOREX CFA 0.281 • 222.92 £ 252.9 $ 153.39 ¥ 1.5652 SDR 245.85 RIYAL 39.3

Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without the talking about the other.

- Bill Gates

Jonathan to parley with industrialists on economy

B

EFORE the end of this month, the Federal Government will parley with top businessmen and women in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan has said.

He said the aim of the meeting was to fashion out modalities to boost Nigeria’s economic activities.

The president spoke yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, during the inauguration of the International Aviation College (IAC), which was part of activities to mark his

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

one day official visit to the state.

He said the planned meeting with the industrialists was to prepare them for effective leadership, to drive the country’s economy and create job opportunities.

Jonathan said the partnership between the government and the industrialists would create an enabling environment for the nation’s economic activities.

On the aviation college, the president said: “We are quite hopeful that the college will significantly help in training pilots in Nigeria. We join the success story in inaugurating the project. I thank Bukola Saraki, the state government and management of the college.”

At the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim SuluGambari, the president promised not to renege on his campaign promises.

He acknowledged that the prayers of the monarch partly

accounted for his victory at the polls.

The president promised to expand the agricultural policies of the state government.

He said: “Accordingly, in the next four years our government will drive the state’s agricultural policies to an enviable height so as t boost food production and create job opportunities.”

Earlier, the monarch attributed the president’s victory at the presidential election to God, saying “yours was God’s choice.”

•From left: Ideas House Team Coordinator, Kunle Oyewunmi; Bola Badun of Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Managing Director, NBC, Jim Lafferty; Funmi Abioye of NBC; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Coca-Cola, Hellenic Dimitris Lois and Project Manager, Ideas House, Peju Eniola during the trade visits to distributors and retail outlets in Ojuelegba, Lagos.

Wealth Fund Bill awaits President’s assent

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HE House of Represen tatives yesterday passed the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) proposed by the federal government to hold extra oil revenue accruing from differentials between budget benchmarks and real market prices.

The bill now awaits a formal third reading and the subsequent assent of the President.

To make their work easy and avoid a lengthy harmonisation process during the short period left for this current legislature,,

•As Reps pass bill From Victor Oluwasegun, Abuja

the House quickly passed the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority bill, by adopting the version of the Senate.

All the 59 clauses in the bill were passed and the three changes were made to make it tally with Senate’s version.

The law establishing the fund which is meant to start off with an initial investment of $1 bil-

lion in Naira equivalence was passed by the Senate a week ago.

The three tiers of government including the Federal Capital Territory would provide the capital for the Fund to begin operations based on the current sharing ratio of the revenue from the federation account.

The fund, when established, would replace the country’s excess crude account (ECA), The bill states that 60 percent of

both the start-up capital and subsequent funds will be allocated equally to three main investment options: The Future Generation Funds, the Infrastructure fund and the Stabilization Fund.

However, a member of the House and Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Ita Enang, who spoke with reporters after the sitting, vehemently opposed the passage of the Sovereign Wealth Fund saying that in law the Federal Government cannot save money from other people’s income.

Dangote to merge with Savannah Sugar

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ANGOTE Sugar Refin ery Plc (DSR) is to merger with Savannah Sugar Company to boost earnings.

Chairman, Dangote Sugar Refinary (DSR), Alhaji Aliko Dangote, disclosed this yesterday at the fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company in Abuja.

He told shareholders that DSR had embarked on backward integration initiative to boost earnings and was in the

From Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor)

process of merging with Savannah Sugar Company.

The complete merger and eventual profitability of the new company he said, will take about three to four years.

If successful, Dangote said shareholders of the sugar company will receive more dividends.

He said: “What we have to do to continue to give share-

holders value is to try and grow the sugar here locally rather than using foreign exchange to import it. Our projection is that in the next three to four years, we should try and grow at least a million tons of sugar locally here in Nigeria, which will provide 40,000 jobs and that is really the target of the company after the merger. “ Commenting on the DSR’s financial performance in 2010, Aliko Dangote told

shareholders that the company recorded a turnover of N89,980,499 while the operating profit and profit after tax stood at N16,148,876 and N11,282,240 respectively.

The profit after tax was transferred to the company’s revenue reserve thus bringing the dividend paid to shareholders to just 60 kobo for every one ordinary share of 50 kobo held in the company or a total of N7.2 billion dividend.

Ex-Minister Mansur Muhtar appointed World Bank Director

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HE Federal Govern ment has expressed happiness at the appointment of former finance minister Dr. Mansur Muhtar as Alternate Executive Director of the World Bank.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga conveyed the Federal Government position on the appointment when he received Dr. Muhtar in his office yesterday.

A statement from the ministry of finance said the finance minister, Olusegun Aganga, broke the news yesterday after a briefing session with Dr Mansur in his office.

Dr Mansur’s appointment which is a full-time position in Washington is a result of the creation of an additional seat for Africa on the board of the World Bank Group.

Africa now has three seats on the board since November 2010. This is one of the direct fallouts of the chairmanship of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Group by Finance Minister, Olusegun Aganga in 2010.

The statement noted that Aganga was the first African to chair the World Bank/IMF Group.

The creation of this third seat for Africa will enhance the voice of the continent at this global body and increase its vote.

Dr Mansur’s duties on the board will include the setting of strategic directions and approving policies and programmes of the World Bank Group in the member states; approval of internal policies including human resources; oversight matters in relation to the functioning of the Group’s duties, among others.

Greek talks in disarray after IMF chief arrest

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ALKS on the Greek sov ereign debt crisis and French presidential politics were both thrown into disarray after Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was escorted off an aircraft in New York over the weekend to face sex charges.

Strauss-Kahn was expected on Sunday to appear before a New York court and plead not guilty to charges of committing a criminal sexual act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment, according to his lawyers.

The charges resulted from an alleged incident at the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan on Saturday afternoon involving a 32-year-old maid who said that she had been sexually assaulted in a $3,000 per night suite in which police found the IMF managing director’s mobile phone.

16

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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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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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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

before the action was commenced.

NAICOM, in the course of on-site inspection exercise conducted on the company last year, discovered a number of fundamental weaknesses in the management of the company including poor corporate governance structure practices, weak management and internal control, non-payment of outstanding claims and, failure to account for the sum of N26.6 billion being proceeds of private placements in the company.”

Fiakpa said that besides the routine inspection by NAICOM, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) also investigated activities of IAA following series of complaints by subscribers to it’s private placement, and that the findings by SEC were quite revealing.

“Whereas the company claimed that the amount realised from the private placement was N11.1 billion, records available at the registrar’s office indi-

cated that the total sum realised from the placement was N26.6 billion. The offer proceeds of N26 billion were paid directly into IAA account with Home Trust Savings and Loans Limited.

“The Vice chairman and another non Executive Director of IAA are the Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director respectively of Home Trust Savings and Loans Limited. The balance of N15.6 billion from the proceeds is yet to be accounted for by the company.

“It was also discovered that four companies where the vice chairman and his family members hold majority shares bought shares worth N9.92 billion of IAA through private placement. The Managing Director and the Assistant General Manager, Finance of IAA reported that all financial transactions in the company were solely handled by the vice chairman, while records of the transactions were being kept by him in Home Trust Savings and Loans Limited,” he added.

12.15 12.45 09.10 11.00 11.10 16.20

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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

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

By Chuks Udo Okonta

08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20

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

1. Dana

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HE Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos has lent its support to the take-over of Investment and Allied Assurance (IAA) Plc by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), by striking out a suit instituted by the disposed management of the company.

A statement by the Assistant Director Corporate Affairs (NAICOM), Mr Lucky Fiakpa, said the suit was struck out by Justice Charles Archibong and that the court also discharged the interim injunction restraining the NAICOM from running the management of IAA and appointing a new interim management for the company.

Fiakpa noted that the matter was struck out on two grounds, adding that the judge observed that the sacked management commenced the action without the authority of the board of IAA. Besides, he said the judge also observed that the requisite pre-action notice was not served on NAICOM

08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40

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. Arik 2. Arik 3. Arik

Court empowers NAICOM to take over insurance firm

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: Chairman of Dangote Sugar Plc, Alhaji Aliko Dangote listening to the company's Executive Director, Finance, Mr Suleiman Olarinde, while the Acting Managing Director, Mr Sai Prakash also listens with rapt attention at the company's fifth annual general meeting, held in Abuja ... yesterday.

World Bank urges reliable funding for mining

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HE World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr. Onno Ruhl, yesterday urged the Federal Government to provide reliable funding for mining sector.

He advised that since the understanding in the sector is supposed to be a public, private partnership, there must also be a reliable funding base.

Ruhl, who spoke at the official inauguration of the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) in Abuja, also said :”progress will be made on the operationalisation of the access to the Sustainable Minerals Fund as well as the Natural Resource Development Fund.”

He noted that those Funds are there

T

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

in theory, although they need to make funds accessible to investors.

Ruhl advised that the country earmarks capital budget for mining and desist from providing recurrent budget for the sector. ”The ministry needs a reliable budget not just a recurrent budget but a capital budget especially,” he said.

The World Bank Country Director, who was commenting on how the country can distinguish herself in the sector, also said: “now that the mining law and mining cadastre office are in place, the Nigeria

Geological Survey Agency is on, the government has declared the country opened for business the main job of President Jonathan is to ensure stability of policy, stability of legislation, stability of regulation, consistency and reliability in the applications that would make the difference.”

In his overview of the mining reforms in Nigeria, he estimated production value increased from $35million in 2005 to $135million in 2009.

He said the first large scale gold mine in the country is to be operational in Osun between this year and 2012.

Cement manufacturers promise to obey N1,700 to the current market price. govt's directive and He said the middlemen took ad-

HE Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has said the association is working on ways to meet the Federal Government’s directive to reduce prices of cement.

Mr James Salako, Executive Secretary of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that some factors outside the control of manufacturers were responsible for the high prices. ``But part of our plans is to step up production to push more cement into the market and ensure that more cement penetrate the market as soon as possible,” Salako said.

He blamed the scarcity and high

cost of Low Profile Oil (LPFO), logistics and role of middlemen for the price hike.

According to him, transporters also capitalise on the high price of diesel to increase cost of haulage astronomically.

“Once there is an increase in the price of diesel, transporters would take that opportunity to increase their charges,” he said.

Salako said that another major challenge was the role of the middlemen, who increased the price from the factory price of between N1,550

vantage of the short fall in supply during the elections and post-election period to hike the price.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, said the group was looking at ways to sell cement directly to retailers, irrespective of the quantity.

Dangote said that the group had also placed order for 5,000 additional trucks to fast track haulage of cement across the country.

“We are doing our best to bring down the cost of haulage so as to force down the cost of cement,” he said.

Lagos generates N59b from land transactions

By Miriam Ndikanwu

L

AGOS State Government has generated over N59 billion from its land transactions in the past four years.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau, Mr Hakeem Muri – Okunola who disclosed this at a press briefing yesterday. He explained that state Land Bureau has continued to post impressive revenue performance in the face of challenging global melt down.

He noted that the state government raked in the sum of N13,230,433,718.55 in the year 2010, N18.55 billion in 2009, N17.35 billion in 2008 and N8.79 billion in 2007.

He, however, noted that though there was decline in a few performance parameters of the Bureau, the amount generated represents 83.61 per cent of the revenue Budget provision of 15.9 billion in the period under review.

“The revenue performance is however, lower than the figure generated in the year 2009 .but percentage wise, it is higher than the previous. That is in the 2010, the Bureau achieved 83.61 per cent performance, while 66 per cent performance was achieved in the year 2009.”

He explained that apart from the economic recession that affected many countries of the world, the Bureau was faced with the challenges of fully subscribed land schemes, which were closed for further allocation. He added that the state government is working on new land schemes that will be provided with adequate infrastructural facilities.

He said the bureau also attended to about 70 applications it received from allottees of Federal Government properties, pointing out that since the properties for which regularisation were being sought belong to the Lagos state government by historical record, there was need for the regularisation.

Govt urged to check illegal gas stations

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HE Nigeria Liquefied Gas As sociation (NLPG) has urged relevant government agencies to check the upsurge in illegal gas refilling stations in different parts of the country.

Alhaji Auwalu Ilu, President of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the move was necessary to safeguard lives and properties.

Ilu said that many gas refilling stations did not have the safety measures to conduct such business.

“These illegal refilling stations only exist because of lack of adequate gas refilling plants in the country,’’ he said.

Ilu said that investors were not willing to go into the business because of the absence of good regulatory framework.

“For instance, there are the problems of inadequate and mismanagement of cylinders as well as lack of laws to check cross-filling of cylinders by consumers, among others,” he said.

Ilu urged the Federal Government to encourage more Nigerians to use gas to reduce the country’s dependence on imported kerosine.

He said that the government could do this by introducing a policy that would force down price of cylinders.

According to him, Nigeria cannot be talking of green house emissions when there is a lot of carbon monoxide from stoves and the firewood.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

17

ISSUES

• Workers protesting

NLC, affiliates in battle of wits It is no longer news that all is not well with NLC. Rather than thaw, the crisis is deepening, with some affiliate unions threatening the Congress for sending the General Secretary, John Odah, on forced leave. Will the Abdulwaheed Omar-led Congress recall Odah as demanded by these affiliates? The world is watching how NLC will resolve this impasse, DUPE OLAOYE-OSINKOLU reports.

I do not need to respond to your claim of an ‘orchestrated publicity’ being made of your health condition, suffice it to say however that NAC does not need to advance any reason before it can direct you to proceed on your statutory annual leave – Omar

W

HEN John Odah was sent on leave on March 14, many outsiders were not privy to the undercurrents which informed the decision of the authorities of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Odah, NLC General Secretary, was asked to proceed on leave on health ground. He kicked, but despite his protest, the National Administrative Council (NAC) stood its ground. Odah has been on leave since March 14, and it has been battle royal between him and the Abdulwaheed Omar-led congress

since then.

Now, affiliate unions of the NLC are taking sides in the row, provoking fears of a split in the congress. At the last count, at least, eight affiliates have deplored what they called “unfair” treatment of Odah. Rising from a meeting in Lagos, they wrote to Omar to revisit Odah’s case, especially the general secretary’s three year unspent leave that was calculated as 12 years.

The unions include Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), National Union of Banks Insurance and Financial In-

I am in a proper and fit medical condition ...to continue to discharge my statutory functions as General Secretary of Congress. If there are any doubts to the contrary, I demand that a competent medical board be constituted to establish my health status – Odah stitutions Employees (NUBIFIE), National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), Hotel and Personnel Services Union, Radio Television and Theatre Workers Union (RATTAWU) among others.

The unions said all is not well with the NLC, adding that the last MayDay celebration was colourless because of inadequate planning.

There was no time for proper planning for the event because of the leadership. Since Omar’s letter to Odah, asking him to pro-

ceed on leave, there has been series of correspondence between them. Odah has written four letters in response to five from Omar. In his letters, Odah sought to know why he was asked to go on leave.

He denied being ill, saying he is healthy.

Odah called NAC’s attention to the fact that his leave letter had no date of resumption. He clarified that he has not spent 12 years as General Secretary saying he was appointed in acting capacity • Continued on page 18

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

18

ISSUES

NLC, affiliates in battle of wits • Continued from page 17

in March 2001 and became substantive in March 2002. He also raised the alarm over alleged missing documents from his file, claiming that someone tampered with the personal file containing records of his employment.

Omar’s ultimatum Omar had written in his fifth letter to Odah, entitled “John E. Odah.

NLC/N5/C.69, and dated April 4, 2011, that only three documents were found in Odah’s file. He said the state of the file “made the job of ascertaining the residue” of Odah’s unspent leave “quite difficult”. He, therefore, gave Odah a one week ultimatum to furnish NAC through him (Omar), adequate information on his “missing” records.

Odah’s letter In response to this, Odah who claimed to have received the letter conveying the ultimatum on April 14, wrote in his fifth letter dated April 15 that he was alarmed and disturbed by the NLC President’s claim of his having only three documents in his file.

He, however, pleaded with the President to ensure safety of his file, and to bring the perpetrator to book should it be tampered with.

“Comrade President, no matter what has happened, I want to plead with you to ensure that matters are not allowed to degenerate to a level where even documents in my file are now claimed to be missing. I want to plead with you, in the name of what our movement stands for to ensure that my file is not tampered with and that if, indeed that has happened, that you bring the perpetrators to book. This matter is very important to me. What will happen when I eventually return from leave? Where will the documents relating to my long employment and involvement in Congress be found? I do not think that I deserve to be treated in this manner.”

He also recalled the letter in which Omar mentioned that his (Odah’s) file would be checked for information about his leave, and the subsequent information that it was checked.

“You will recall that the letter to you dated 16 th March 2011 conveyed the information that the residue of your unspent leave when confirmed from your file shall be communicated to you. ”Please, be informed that with the computation of your unspent leave from 1999 to 2010, your resumption date now will be 23rd November, 2012.” ”Comrade President, are you now saying that the computation of my ‘unspent leave’ which you communicated to me in your letter of March 25, 2011 was not based upon the records in my personal file as you said you would in your letter of March 16, 2011? And if indeed, that was the case, which I very much doubt, why is it that I was not informed before March 25, 2011 that only three documents were in my file and that there was therefore some difficulty in computing my ‘unspent’ leave?

He argued that only his file could have given them information included in the letters to him, and that if documents are now missing from the file, they must have been removed after the letters, directing him on resumption date were written to him.

He therefore pleaded with Omar to let him know full details of the

on-going crisis, its beneficiary and the person fuelling it. ”Comrade President, I want to plead with you to protect my personal records. The documents in my personal file are very important to me and should also be important to Congress. No one should be allowed to profit from the current situation by destroying my records and personal documents in Congress. To repeat, I am VERY alarmed and disturbed by this development.” he said.

Besides, he said part of his accumulated leave was converted to cash by Omar in 2007. ”In the first paragraph of the letter, you stated that the NAC at its inaugural meeting on 11th March 2011 decided that I should proceed on my “accumulated unspent (sic) leave with effect from Friday 18th March 2011.”

I wish to point out, Comrade President, that while the leave had a starting date, it has no date of my resumption. In other words, how many days, weeks or months is the accumulated leave?

Omar replied that he should resume on September 2, 2011. He (Omar), however wrote another letter, putting the resumption date at November 23, 2012. The reason for this according to Omar was that Odah’s available records (from his file) showed that he did not go on leave for 12 years. Another of his letter later claimed that records in Odah’s file were missing.

Omar’s letters In another letter dated March 25, Omar told Odah that his new resumption date is November 23, 2012. He said the residue of his leave as confirmed from his records led to the computation of the said unspent leave from 1998 to 2010. That ,according to Omar, changed the resumption date from September 2, 2011 to November 23, 2012.

Omar had thanked Odah for his contributions to the labour movement in the letter asking him to proceed on leave. But Odah said the tone of the paragraph conveys a message that is more than just a letter asking him to proceed on an accumulated leave.”

Odah replied asking for clarification.

Omar replied this letter on behalf of NAC. He wrote: “That you are at the first instance, to proceed on your accumulated unspent leave spanning the years 2007 to 2010 certain from Friday 18 March 2011 – 2nd September 2011.

Odah also faulted Omar’s interviews as granted to two newspapers (The Nation not among), making public his health status. “This is especially the case given your public comments since this “accumulated leave” matter started.

Your comments published in the Daily Trust and Leadership newspapers clearly show that this is more than just a matter of proceeding on accumulated leave.”

• Omar

Odah demands retraction He condemned what he described as a distortion of his medical record, and also demanded for a retraction of Omar’s statement to two newspapers on the issue.

His words: “Thus in your interview with Daily Trust newspaper of 15th March, 2011, you said: “Odah was relieved of his statutory role so as to enable him tackle health challenges, which have plagued him for quite some time and which has become an issue of grave concern to the Congress. ”Continuing you said:”National Administrative Council (NAC) of the NLC acted to enable him tackle his health which resulted in partial stroke last year. Similarly, the Leadership newspaper of 16th March, 2011, quoted you as saying:” It would be recalled that late last year Odah had collapsed, a situation, which resulted in partial stroke, and was rushed to South Africa for medication. ”It is a great shock to me that my private medical record is not only being distorted but being made public by the Comrade President of the NLC. What is shocking and worrisome is that while my health status is being made a public matter, it was however, never raised in the correspondence to me in which I was asked to proceed on leave. It was also not mentioned in your briefing to me on the outcome of the NAC meeting, which took the decision.

“He claimed to have been on his feet through out the period of the recent delegates conference, as rigourous as it was, and did not complain about any health problem. He, therefore, added that health problem should not be cited as reason for “maltreating him”.

“It is therefore very curious to me, Comrade President, that you should brief the press that the action being taken against me is a result of my health condition without the benefit of any complaints or disclosures from me. As I have said, what is even more sinister is

• Odah

that not being my personal physician, not being a medical doctor yourself and without any information from me to you about my health is that you decided not only to take this line of action of disclosing publicly information about my health condition but worse still, that it is a distorted and untrue story of my medical condition.

I am aware that even competent medical experts (doctors) are not at liberty to act in this way with respect to their patients’ medical history or record.

“The position being orchestrated publicly about my health condition is not correct. It is meant to damage my reputation before the workers that we all serve and before the entire population of Nigeria, which has always regarded Congress as an example to follow. I am convinced beyond the shadow of any doubt that to say that I have been asked to proceed on my accumulated leave because of my health condition is a deliberate ploy to deny me the right to continue to discharge my statutory roles and functions as General Secretary of Congress.”

He asked the Congress to constitute a competent medical board to establish his health status. And until that is done, the NLC should allow him to return to his work as general secretary.

Omar’s reply The President, however, replied that “I do not need to respond to your claim of an “orchestrated publicity” being made of your health condition, suffice it to say, however, that NAC does not need to advance any reason before it can direct you to proceed on your statutory annual leave. As an employee of the Congress, there is nothing wrong with your employer taking such a decision. ”Congress members are fervently seeking an end to “this distraction, which will not allow the NLC concentrate on vital issues,” according to a secretariat staff who asked not to be identified.

‘It is a great shock to me that my private medical record is not only being distorted but being made public by the Comrade President of the NLC. What is shocking and worrisome is that while my health status is being made a public matter, it was however, never raised in the correspondence to me in which I was asked to proceed on leave. It was also not mentioned in your briefing to me on the outcome of the NAC meeting, which took the decision’

The staff said people are calling to know what exactly is going on in the Congress concerning the GS and NAC. Meanwhile the eight unions are awaiting a reply to their letter.

Odah’s appeal Odah, however, appealed to the president to let him know what is actually happening. He sought to know the bone of contention.

“Comrade President, I urge you to let me know the real reasons why I am being hounded in this manner.

What exactly are the real reasons for asking me to proceed on an accumulated leave for 12 years when the records are there to show that my accumulated leave is actually for three years (2008 – 2010) only?

Why is my health condition being falsely used as the reason for asking me to proceed on leave when it is clear that, as a matter of fact, I am fit and healthy as can be attested to by my doctors? Reacting to paragraph six of Omar’s fourth letter, Odah said contrary to Omar’s claim that he started work at the NLC in 1998, he was appointed Ag General Secreatry in 2001.

“Contrary to the above assertion, the fact is that it was at the Umuahia NEC meeting of NLC which held in March 2001, that my acting appointment as Deputy General Secretary was confirmed.

Subsequently, I was appointed Acting General Secretary of Congress.

I was confirmed substantive General Secretary at the December 2001 NEC meeting of Congress in Abuja.

Commuting leave to cash

unspent

Odah also claims to have documents attesting to the fact that Omar approved his commuting of unspent leave to cash.

It is also important to bear in mind that it is not that I refused to proceed on leave in those years.

The nature of the work that we do made it mandatory for me to make that sacrifice, to forgo my leave in order to do the work of Congress.

And Congress, under your leadership, appreciated this sacrifice by commuting the accumulated leave to cash so that I would not lose all round. “…The facts are that, as in many establishments, my accumulated leave for 1999 – 2007 was commuted to cash and paid to me in 2007. You, Comrade President, approved the letter permitting the leave for nine years to be commuted to cash. You approved the payment. The documents are there.

This means that the only period for which I have accumulated leave is 2008-2010; that is only three years.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY,MAY 18, 2011

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

Ex-militants’ allowances •Corruption still nibbles away at the programme of rehabilitation

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EPORTS that ex-militants undergoing transformational training programme at Obubura Camp in Cross River State are claiming that part of their allowances are unlawfully deducted should attract the attention of the authorities. According to the ex-militants, it is likely that it is their group leaders that are short-changing them, as their allowances are paid directly to the leaders, instead of their personal accounts. The coordinators at the camp have not denied the claim; rather, one of them noted that the trainees may have entered into an agreement with their masters over their allowances.

By the argument of the coordinators, what happens to the entitlement of the ex-militants is not their worry, since there are middle-men that represent the interest of the trainees in their interface with them. One of them even used the word ‘masters’ to refer to those in charge of the militants. In essence, there is a master-servant relationship, or some contractual obligations within the group. This process is unwholesome; as the impression from the entire scenario is that the training of ex-militants may have turned into a huge racket.

The Federal Government should be interested in the trainees’ claims. It may even be helpful to audit the process, so that they can establish the veracity of those claims. Such an exercise will show whether some unscrupulous middle-

men are conniving with the coordinators to strip the trainees of their entitlement.

The audit will also establish whether some ghost names are even on the list, and the possibility that part of the money meant for the programme is siphoned by those put in charge of it.

While urging due diligence in the implementation of the programme, the Federal Government should also be working on winding down the exercise in the foreseeable future. While the amnesty programme has no doubt brought the Nigerian economy respite in the nature of substantial increase in the volume of income from crude oil exports; it would be counter-productive if the recouped resources are again expropriated through an unending programme of payouts to ex-militants. So, like many Nigerians, we are anxiously waiting for when many of the ex-militants would be gainfully employed and start to contribute their own quota to the national economy.

The crisis over the allowances is also a manifestation of a greater malady in our national life. It is the problem of bloated cost of governance, which usually is a product of corrupt tendencies among the officials entrusted with national issues.

Many Nigerian officials, regrettably, see government programmes as opportunities to milk resources from the system.

Whenever any issue borders on the deployment of our common resources, the

prevailing tendency is for those concerned to see it as a self-serving chance to defraud the system.

As we have severally argued on this page, Nigerians in other walks of life learn these traits from the conduct of those in the corridors of power. In the belief that government resources belong to nobody, the tendency is therefore for people to go all out to plunder same, at the slightest chance. There is the need for continuing social reorientation for Nigerians, especially those in positions of authority. Ethical reorientation must also be added to the training for the exmilitants, otherwise they may go back to the apparently better paying militancy once the free dole is compromised.

‘The Federal Government should be interested in the trainees’ claims. It may even be helpful to audit the process, so that they can establish the veracity of those claims. Such an exercise will show whether some unscrupulous middlemen are conniving with the coordinators to strip the trainees of their entitlement.’

A cleric’s inconsistency •Rev. Fape’s outburst on Awo and the new southwest ridicule him as a man of God

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ET’S See the Awo in you”.

This was the advice of a cleric, the Bishop of Remo Anglican Diocese, The Right Rev. Olusina Fape, to the governors-elect of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the Southwest of Nigeria. Having regained their stolen mandates in the region where the ACN swept the polls at the governorship, National Assembly and Houses of Assembly elections, the cleric, for the first time after he had eulogised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governments in his sermons in the past, now changed tone by asking the ACN governors to demonstrate that they are “true followers of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in their performances in office”.

He hit the nail on the head: “In the Southwest region, they are saying a new party has come on board. This is

‘We would have been at ease to place where the cleric truly belongs, except that he is inconsistent. And that is a big problem with many of our clerics; they seem to be talking from both sides of their mouths.

Clerics ought not to be praise-singers but, as representatives of God on earth, they should tell the truth whatever the situation, and damn the consequence’

Awolowo’s party”. The cleric was indirectly canvassing for Awo’s policy of egalitarianism and life more abundant which were antithetical to the policies of the ousted governments of the PDP in the region. As if that was not enough, Revd Fape told the ACN that it was expected to “imbibe and implement the free education and health care system as done by Papa Awolowo”. They should also be sensitive to the yearnings of the downtrodden, as “these are the things that gave Papa Awolowo a good name”.

This is a fantastic revelation from a man who had preached several times at events concerning the Awolowo family at Ikene, Ogun State. Curiously enough, he never admonished the PDP governors in that manner. As a matter of fact, he was full of praises for Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, whose administration had just been sacked at the polls by the people.

It is a pity that those who should have been in the forefront of Awo’s struggle in the Southwest were antagonistic to Awo’s success and glory.

But what we do not understand is at what point the cleric changed gear because the Daniel administration that he had all the while supported was voted out of power with ignominy. It is therefore difficult to know what exactly informed Bishop Fape’s volte face. We doubt however it was the result of his excitement over the political wind that has just blown

across the Southwest.

We would have been at ease to place where the cleric truly belongs, except that he is inconsistent. And that is a big problem with many of our clerics; they seem to be talking from both sides of their mouths. Clerics ought not to be praise-singers but, as representatives of God on earth, they should tell the truth whatever the situation, and damn the consequence.

They need not be fair-weather friends.

The PDP usurpers found too much favour in the eyes of some clerics that they had to celebrate their dubious victories at the polls with thanksgiving services during which clergy men showered them with encomiums despite the fact that they knew the usurpers never had the people’s mandate. Perhaps the PDP vote riggers would have turned from their evil ways if they had not found accommodation in the churches.

Nonetheless, the new ACN governments to be installed on May 29, as well as the ones already in office owe it a duty to follow the cleric’s admonition by using their mandates for service delivery as Chief Awolowo did. They should take the message and leave the messenger alone. This is much more so that Chief Awolowo’s immediate family and even the Tribune (that he founded) seem to have jettisoned the progressive ideaLs for which he fought and died. When gold rusts, what would iron do?

Did the microsoft case change the world?

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EMEMBER when Microsoft ruled the PC industry? In the 1990s, its Windows operating system became so dominant that government trust-busters took it to court. They spent four years and millions of dollars making the case that Microsoft was unduly using its power to wipe out rivals in the Web browser business and other domains.

The settlement to that case, which put limits on Microsoft’s behavior and imposed a decade of government oversight on the company, expired last Thursday. Almost nobody noticed. Given the furious pace of innovation by companies like Apple, Google and Facebook, an inevitable question springs to mind: Did the biggest high-tech legal action of the 20th century make any difference, or was it a waste of money and time?

Critics of the settlement, and there are many, argue that the Microsoft case did little to change technological development; it was Google, the Internet and bad business decisions that put an end to the dominance of Microsoft. The conditions imposed by the court, to stop forcing consumers to use Internet Explorer and preventing rival software from operating properly on Windows, had little relevance to the future path of innovation.

This seems too narrow a reading of history. It is, of course, impossible to say what would have happened had the Justice Department and 19 state attorneys general not taken Microsoft to court in 1998. But beyond specific conditions imposed on the company, the case did seem to alter Microsoft’s behavior, taming its ruthless drive.

Government oversight not only swayed Microsoft to pull its punches, it sent a signal to other innovators that it was O.K. to work on technologies that Microsoft was interested in — something they might never have done before. Had Internet Explorer become as dominant as Windows, Microsoft could have held more sway over the development of new services on the Web. Today, Microsoft is way behind the curve. New innovators, like Google and Facebook, have emerged with big power over their respective markets. Yet the precedent of Microsoft’s antitrust case poses an important question about the future: Should we worry about dominant information technology companies, or can we simply wait for the next big thing to bump them aside?

Microsoft thinks we should worry. Last June, it filed a letter about Google with the Federal Communications Commission. It said: “When a single entity achieves dominance and thereby becomes a gatekeeper, there is an inherent risk that it may have both the incentive and ability to place its own interests above consumers’ interests in access to a broad and diverse range of content, services and viewpoints.”

Regulators agree. The European Commission is deciding whether Google abused its search dominance, and American authorities are considering an investigation. We support these efforts. Innovation needs competition.

– New York Times

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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EDITORIAL/OPINION

President Jonathan’s Uganda trip IR: Methink President Jonathan got it wrong by his recent visit to attend the inauguration of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. It was a display of crass naivety for the President to lead a delegation of Nigerian government officials to attend the inauguration of a man, whose administrations has been anything but replete with internationally acceptable democratic values, having been “elected” into office for the fourth term in a row.

Did our President know the kind of signal he was sending out by that visit? The only deduction that can irresistibly be drawn from the visit is that Nigeria endorses the sighttight attitude of Museveni and his ilks in our clime. When I watched the video clip, I could not spot a single notable leader in attendance.

Our president ought to have known better than to jet out on such a visit to an event that no regional leader, to say nothing of world-acclaimed leader, would ever honour.

Was there nobody among the President’s retinue of aides politically savvy enough, who could have warned the President before hand, on the the implication of embarking on such a visit?

Enough of the President’s naivety.

It is not enough to be a good man to qualify as a good leader. The President, sure needs to be more street wise, I mean for him to be regionally street wise, if the humiliation he got Uganda has not taught him that lesson.

• Chris Agbiti, Esq Maitama, Abuja

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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

Nigeria on the verge of revolution

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IR: The general elections have come and gone. The election was certified both by local and international observers as free and fair like the annulled 1993 general elections, especially with the open counting that was done at the polling booths after each election. For the most part, many Nigerians considered it a success.

It is not an overstatement that the election owes its success to the political awakening that has taken place in most part of Nigeria.

Unlike in the past when the elites and the educated class of the society considered themselves too sophisticated for politics, the 2011 elections witnessed a lot of them

vying for political positions and playing active roles in the electoral process. Or what would we say of professors and vice-chancellors who were among those who reported the counted votes.

Nigerians turned citizen journalists, taking pictures of the activities at the polling booths nearest to them and uploading them on facebook. Some people even volunteered to serve as election reporters and monitored for broadcast houses. I believe they did this out of patriotism than for monetary gains. People even stayed back after voting till evening to witness the counting, the patience which is an evidence of patriotism.

Not even the electronic voter’s registration or the huge amount of money spent on the entire process could have singlehandedly brought the success of the elections. N45 billion was to be approved pay for the 250,000 corps members and ad hoc staff; buy DDC machines, papers, printers and other items during the registration. Despite the huge amount spent, DDC machines were in short supply in some places. Only 63 percent of eligible population got registered. Only the active and responsible participation of Nigerians ensured achieving a successful election.

What else can we ask for in Nigeria? Is this not the same

attitude and heart that the citizens of the developed countries we often envy and run to for refuge exhibit? This level of reorientation is the best thing that I believe has happened to Nigeria recently. This political revolution, I emphasize, has influenced the success of the elections than anything else.

However, we should not rest our oars after the new leaders are sworn in because that is when the work start. We should continue to defend our lives by keeping an eye on their programmes. We should ensure they keep the promises made during the campaigns. Only then will true development be achieved in Nigeria and the Millennium Development Goals realized. What we have witnessed is the foretaste of political revolution; the full blown will come if we keep the trend on going.

• Adenekan Adetola, Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan.

Politicians should allow election tribunals to work

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IR: It looks like the PDP is applying every possible means, including using sitting governors, to ensure that the various Election Petitions Tribunals are frustrated. They are alleged to be doing this, in most cases, in collaboration with some INEC officials in some states.

ACN petitioners in Kwara and Benue states have cried out on plans

by PDP chieftains in collaboration with the INEC officials to burn down the INEC offices in order to conceal deficiencies in ballot

documents. Counsels to the ACN in Akwa Ibom are crying foul about the uncooperative attitude of the INEC officials in that state. They complain of on-going falsification of documents.

Reading The Nation newspaper of Saturday May 14, 2011, Nigerian Compass and National Life of Sunday May 15, 2011, the counsels to the appellants were being tossed up and down on what the Election Tribunal sitting there had earlier given an order. Forms EC17 (Oath of Neutrality) ought to have been filled by INEC officials before the

election were hurriedly being filled as at May 13. INEC could not also provide the Form EC40C used for the election; while the head of Legal Unit of INEC there said that the forms are in Port Harcourt, the head of Operations said they were scattered around different wards in the local government areas. What sort of thing is this?

The governorship candidate of the ACN in Benue elections, Professor Steven Ugba’s convoy was attacked few days back and one of his top aides murdered in the process. Earlier in the week, the

Benue ACN Chairman Comrade Abba Yaro was attacked in his home by suspected thugs of the PDP who asked him to surrender all the documents with which ACN intended to prosecute their case.

During the electioneering campaigns, Senator Akume and General Onoja were shot. The parties involved in all this should allow the election petition tribunal do their work unhindered.

• Dr. Julius Madaki Shehu Close BAUCHI, Bauchi State

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

President GEJ: NYSC Compensation; Police reforms; LGA reforms start with LGA councillors selection

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HE efforts to ‘compensate’ families of members of the NYSC who lost their lives by the President is unique Tony and a good start. One Marinho would have preferred that the small N5m compensation be index-linked to NASS salaries. Surely the families can receive one Senator or Representative’s annual salary and allowances bearing in mind that they, and not the NASS members, have paid the supreme price and were forced to make the supreme sacrifice for this often ungrateful country.

If there is a monument and exhibition for General Shehu Yar’ Adua there should be one or more, at federal, state, LGA and village level for all those were killed in this and other disturbances. If the federal government does not erect a monument with the names of the dead, young and old, we must do the honouring ourselves. Mr President, last week we addressed the unwarranted fall of the naira and appealed to you to strategise to return the nation and the national currency, the naira to a semblance of its former, pre-military, glory.

That will never happen if you are surrounded by billionaires of various degrees of criminality. GEJ, Problem 2. The international and local public image of Nigeria is of a corruptly policed state where bribery and corruption are the order of the day. Solution: Police must be stopped from taking bribes at checkpoints and in police stations.

But not by you as you are not a policeman. Who is in charge of police at federal, state and LGA level? Not you but the IGP, AIGs, State CPs etc.

Simply issue a presidential order stating that if within one month police checkpoint corruption is not eradicated, the inefficient and perhaps corrupt IGP and top zonal AIG chiefs will be sacked or retired and replaced with the next batch in line. After one or two changes of the police

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ONDAY, May 16, 2011 was exactly one month since nine young Nigerians serving their country as members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, were mowed down in the most gruesome manner in Bauchi. An irate mob had unleashed mayhem on law-abiding citizens in the wake of the largely peaceful presidential election, held on Saturday, April 16, 2011. The ‘corpers’, as they are popularly known, include a lady who was said to be about two months pregnant before she was murdered.

Since the dastardly act was committed, there have been accusations and counter-accusations over those responsible for the genocide. While a particular political party has been fingered as the real culprit, the party under focus has been trying hard to lay the blame on another party. Thus, the whole thing has degenerated into a game of buck-passing with each camp struggling to outdo the other in the propaganda war.

On the day of the massacre, I watched with great consternation on national television some aspects of the press conference addressed

by Tony Momoh, a veteran journalist, former information minister, and current chairman of one of the political parties. The Prince of Auchi laboured hard to convince his listeners that his party was short-changed in the election.

He was furious, angry and desperate to prove his point. He said his party was shortchanged through computer manipulation to the tune of 40 percent of its lawful votes. It was like he was calling for ‘war’.

The party has since taken its case

hierarchy at the very top, the message will get through and you will be ‘President Jonathan: Reformer of the Nigeria Police’.

Yes, they generally did a good job during the elections but after that good start, the police reform is incomplete as corruption is again virulent along highways. Good elections must be followed by good checkpoints and good police stations too. Police already get money from compulsory police community relations. The thousands of illegally erected but police protected shops nationwide on the fences of barracks some rented at N50-100,000 per annum three years in advance. That should be more than enough unaccounted slush money for them and their wives in POWA. But that is no excuse for ten-ten or fiftyfifty naira bribery which mops up to N10billion annually from the citizenry.

Such money, though illegal should be properly accounted for. Yes, the police need better pay and conditions of service including checkpoint allowances for food and drink and other allowances that would make life worth living for the police force and citizens. To protect this new democracy and usher in a massive change at all political levels, serious planning must take place. The LGA is the next political battle line.

Let educated well-known citizens put themselves forward for LGA elections. This will continue the tsunami of change and bring the LGAs up to their rightful role and responsibility for the day to day improvements of life at the grassroots. The grassroots have been strangled and left to rot by those sent to champion their cause. We can follow the foreign example and make available the names of councillors available in libraries with communication lines. Retired and active teachers, nurses, doctors, accountants etc et cetera NGO people should prepare and be prepared to present their CVs to their constituencies.

Like in England, any expenses by politicians over N3,500 or, $500 should be recorded and published. Back to the elections. The election monitors have come and gone and thank you! Nigeria has delivered a new baby.

We must not allow it to run wild till 2015. We have a new baby. This is not the time to abandon it and disband civil society to wait for the next election in 2015.

This is the time to show it the correct path, to show it the way, to stop it too from following its 2007-2011 big bad brother and putting its hand in the fire of corruption and incompetence. But who will do the post election ‘Good Governance Monitoring’ at LGA, State and federal level?

Who will constitute the ‘Good Governance Monitoring Teams’ GGMT protecting Nigerian democracy from any of the politicians who are entrenched in the ‘bad business as usual’? There are many of the misguided greedy political class still out there seeking relevance or ‘Royalty Revenue ‘ direct from the federal, state and LGA budgets from 2011-2015 just as they did before. Already civil society should be out with a ‘Civil Society Strategic Good Governance Monitoring Plan’.

This can be taken by the ‘GGMT’ and applied to any budget, project, law, issue, event, politician or civil servant across any level of government. To monitor and nip in the bud, any attempt to cheat the people of fruits of their hard labour and to deliver their victory at the polls as a new baby political opportunity. Nigerians cannot afford to allow the political class run roughshod for 3.999 years only to come and beg or bribe us at 2015 election.

‘Let educated well-known citizens put themselves forward for LGA elections. This will continue the tsunami of change and bring the LGAs up to their rightful role and responsibility for the day to day improvements of life at the grassroots’

Dishonouring the dead to the post-election tribunal.

However, what has continued to baffle me is the vehemence with which my big brother is prosecuting his case. Rather than allow the tribunal to go into the issue, he has continued on the path of media propaganda designed to whip up sentiments.

There is no doubt that Momoh is passionate about his claims but I disagree with the way he is going about it. Last Sunday, he was again in one of the widely read newspapers trying labouriously to justify his claims. For a man famous for his “Letters to My Countrymen”, a column on burning national issues which he passionately serialized a few years back, I think he has made his point and should allow the election tribunal to take over from there.

I am not given to joining issues with elders but, as a lawyer, Momoh must allow the legal course to prevail and back down on the relentless propaganda into which he has devoted his energy and journalistic prowess for this long. I am saying this for the simple reason that we must all tarry a while and put the plight of the bereaved families of the dead ‘corpers’ into consideration. We are talking about losing an election, at a time some people, especially in the southern part of the country, lost their loved ones to a senseless massacre which has assumed a recurring decimal in that part of the country. And once the blood suckers and war mongers go to

‘I believe the government must sincerely tackle the issue of poverty, the excruciating poverty that has seized this nation by the jugular’

town with their nefarious acts, it is usually a section of the country that bears the brunt.

All the time, people in the south have always turned the other cheek again and again, but the harbingers of death have become insatiable with the blood of innocent men and women in their prime which they shed at will.

Barely three days after the massacre in Bauchi, I took a trip to Abuja, the Federal Capital. That day, I visited Sam Teidi, a retired General, who was mourning the loss of Olawale Teidi, his nephew.

Olawale, a graduate of the University of Ilorin, was one of the murdered corps members. To him, it was not just the death of the young Olawale that was the source of his agony. The father of the boy had approached him shortly after Olawale was posted to Bauchi to see if he could use his influence to effect his redeployment. A tough man that he is, the former Director of Army Ordinance had assured the father of the boy that nothing would happen to his son. After all, some of his own kids had served in the North earlier. It was with this assurance that Olawale left for Bauchi only for his corpse to be returned to his family in a casket.

Last Thursday, I watched the bereaved parents of Olawale on television as they lamented the loss of their illustrious son. The father fought back tears as he narrated how his son had called him that day to inform him of what was going on. He said that he kept on talking with Olawale until a time when the poor boy shouted “Oluwa o” (My God!) and a pall of silence descended all over the place.

According to him, that was the last contact he had with his son whom he had struggled to train in school.

Olawale’s mother, who was sitting

nearby, spoke in-between sobs of how dear his son was to her. As I watched the slides of the boy on graduation day with his parents and siblings, I almost shed tears.

Two days later, I also read the gory tales of how the late Agnes Ezennaedoziel (nee Anyanwu) met her untimely death while serving her fatherland in Bauchi. The late Agnes, a Business Administration and Management graduate of Ebonyi State Polytechnic, was burnt with her six-week-old foetus right inside the police station where they took refuge that day.

Her husband, Peter, could not comprehend why his four-monthold marriage to Agnes should come to such a tragic end. According to him, his wife’s killers simply poured fuel on the police station building and set it on fire. Agnes tried to run away from the burning building but her assailants were waiting to snuff life out of her. All the while, she was communicating with her perplexed husband who lost contact with her after a loud scream.

The two incidents narrated above reflected the experiences of both the victims and the families of the unfortunate ‘corpers’ who were dastardly hacked down for an ‘offence’ they knew nothing about.

Many still believe the orgy of violence was premeditated.

As if to rub salt on injuries, the government has announced a ‘reward’ of N5 million each for the families of those who died in the violence. Besides, any of their direct siblings who are unemployed have been promised automatic employment. Although money is a necessity in life, and employment, for a jobless person, is also a step to a fulfilled life, but those two things are not the appropriate soothing balm for the murder of loved ones

Dele Agekameh who meant everything to their families. Their death could have been averted.

I believe the government must sincerely tackle the issue of poverty, the excruciating poverty that has seized this nation by the jugular. So also is the issue of unemployment which is breeding this poverty. Also, it is the duty of the government to ensure the safety of life and property of any Nigerian wherever he/she finds himself or herself. Any government – be it at the federal or state level - that cannot guarantee, at least, these three basic things, is not worth presiding over people’s affairs.

As for the perpetually bloodthirsty hoodlums in the North, I believe their leaders whose actions and inactions have always encouraged brigandage should rein in their foot soldiers and give peace a chance. Above all and most importantly, our politicians should eschew greed and bitterness from our body politic and play by the rules always. Politics should be a vocation and not a do-or-die engagement, if truly they are out to serve!

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

22

EDITORIAL/OPINION FROM THE CELL PHONE It is really pleasing that most of the lawmakers who never really contributed towards the development of our legislature and national polity will not be coming back. The tax payers money is too precious to be wasted by people who really do not have plans for the nation other than go to the house to say yes or nay. From Olumide Soyemi, Bariga.

•Dimeji Bankole For Segun Gbadegesin The simple answer to the national question is the Russian and Yugoslavian models. The principalities would do better on their own. Let us stop the pretence about a non-existent national unity. From A.B Chanchaga, Minna, Niger State Segun, thanks for your well researched article. Please send copies to the Senate and to the Presidency...It’s necessary. From Walson Madighi, PorthHarcourt Dear Segun, your essay titled The national question again contained in The Nation May 13, 2011 is a well thought out piece. How I wish our leaders inclusive of the President, Members of the national and state assemblies, Political and opinion leaders would be thinking along this direction in our national philosophy of true nation hood. I am happy that we still have great pens like yours with great visions in this country.

Your essays have kept persons like me close to The Nation newspaper. Please keep the flag flying. From Isaiah Green C.U. esq. PortHarcourt All the people talking about national question are myopic in thinking and reasoning.

There has never been a Yoruba, Hausa or Ibo nation in the history of the world. What we need are leaders who can actualise the vision and integrate the African continent or West Africa and make it into one country. A vast market of potentialities which when properly harnessed will eliminate poverty, disease and rancor from the continent. Please save us from this your archaic idea. From Dux Maina Sambo Baba Segun, you have hit the nail on the head. You will live long. Either true federalism or the rot continues leading to the disintegration of this Nigeria. How can I get some of the books on such great minds?

From Nathan, Owerri Segun, you are on the right track but try to understand the difference between lingual tribe and dialectal tribe which Awo and Zik brought under one umbrella. From Prof Essienobot Of all who are clamoring to be Yoruba or Nigeria leader none has his qualities.

Thanks for bringing Awo on the page of a newspaper again. From Oluwatoba Fatiregun, Ijebu-jesha Osun state Re: National question again. Segun, your write-up is quite expository; hardly can we find a replacement for the scholarly opinions of Awo and Ake. It is a very clear fact.

From Enemali Akubo, Lokoja, Kogi State Your article, “The national question again,” was a nice piece, Segun. I quite agree with what you said that, to the detriment of good governance and individual freedom what had been happening since 1966 was a successive renunciation of the federal idea and practice which guaranteed governmental power divided among the constituent authorities. And we have not gone anywhere since the imposition of a unitary system which guaranteed governmental power concentrated in the hands of the central government. Things continue to deteriorate the more. Where do we go from here?

I believe what we need to do urgently, is for the President to convene a genuine national sovereign conference to discuss the issues

that we know are drawing us backward as a nation and these, of course, will include, the resource control which is the most contentious issue, true federalism that we needed so badly, ethnic identity and religiom in a federal union. We also need to discuss the issue of self-determination and entrench it in our new constitution as this will allow any aggrieved component part who wants to secede to go in future without rancour or bloody fight. What is happening in the country has clearly shown that we are not one, we are just forcing ourselves to be one. We need to sit down and discuss our future relationship as one nation. Before then, the killings and maiming of inocient souls like what happened in Bauchi State recently must stop otherwise reprisal attacks that will be widespread and devastating can occur, the aftermath of which nobody can predict. From Prince Adewumi Agunloye Prof Gbadegesin, your write-up on national question aroused me to remember former Yugoslavia which is now six countries and former Soviet Union, now 15 countries, hope are leaders would realise it before it is too late to call for referendum to decide the future of Nigeria, otherwise, civil war would decide for us. I hope going apart would happen in my time, it is inevitable.

From Olabode Majekodunmi, Abeoukuta, Ogun state I am from Plateau State and I think Awolowo was absolutely right on his views about the national question. A national conference should be Nigeria’s focus now.

Anonymous Going through your write-up of The Nation May 13, 2O11, I want to ask; is there really any hope for a real Nigeria entity?

And if there is, how long do we have to wait? I have wept so much for our dear nation and have come to hate tears with the deepest hate and I feel I should imbibe the virtue to build a nation and wait till this present entity splits then we can build on a better new foundation I don’t think there is time any longer. From Israel, PortHarcourt For Olatunji Dare Uncle Dare, your description of Obahiagbon’s grammar at the National Assembly is another thing ooh. You are a senior Baba Luwe. God bless you. Anonymous Good day Mr Dare, just finished reading your piece in The Nation. It was brilliant as usual but you made a mistake when you said Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima won’t be returning to the Senate. Yerima won his reelection bid. Thanks. From Nura Ismail, Abuja You are the best! Today’s piece is brilliant, and satirically humorous beyond comparism. You are a gift. From Senibo Re: Departure and transitions. Your article is a good one. But you missed it, when you said Senator Yerima is not going back to the Senate, he was re-elected to the Senate again. From S.A Sumaila I truly enjoyed reading your piece on today’s edition of The Nation. Please write more next week on some of yesterday’s men and women who will not return. From Edu, Owerri Ola, only change is permanent. For, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, it is regrettably lubricous. From Prince Ntah Beautiful piece today. Truly a rolling stone gathers no moss. From Dr Omusi Prof, as usual, you are too much on your ‘Departures and transitions’. However, I presumed you were going to dwell more on Speaker Dimeji Bankole, who without youthful exuberance; has been embodiment

of cheerfulness, humility, meekness and politeness in all ramifications. To have been able to manage the House full of many oldages and Dino Melayes of this world for that long, without much crisis, nor leadership tussles, is commendable. Surely, he would be missed by Nigerians and his colleagues, in particular. I wish him well. From Temitope Vincent, Akure Sir, your back page comment in The Nation of today refers. It is easily the best written prose I have read in recent times. Witty and well researched. Thanks. From Johnson Opigo Hello Dare, now that Patrick Obahiagbon is not going back to National Assembly, kindly link me up with him so that I would be communicating and enjoying his BIG vocabularies. From Raymond, Ketu Lagos Dear Olatunji Dare, your Departures and Transitions comments in today’s The Nation makes an interesting reading but you did not include the prayed exit of Ikedi Ohakim of Imo state who I feel should be awarded the title Government by Billboards instead of Gbenga Daniel. From Engr. Adona, Calabar Dear Dare, I have just digested your well researched article titled Departures and Transitions but contrary to your assertion, I thought Senator Yerima Ahmed Sani won his re-election bid . Please clarify. From Bar Shekoni Tunji you really made my day. No other picture would be as fascinating as those painted herein. All are the beauty of Democracy. One Gboza for him. From Barr Obiora Okoro, Enugu Today’s topic titled ’Departures and transitions’ is, simply put, delightfully hilarious. It shows that all the accolades fraudulently acquired by the easily-tricked panderers could not be sustained for too long.

What a pity! Today, the name of their principal promoter is mercifully repellent to most people in the whole of South-West and beyond. The people must be commended for embracing change. From Adegoke O.O, Ibadan Sure we will miss Obahiagbon, chief comedian in that house of comedians. His presence acts as a soothing balm to the huge disappointment called ‘National Assembly. Anonymous Re: Departures and transitions. l wish to point out to Dr. Dare that contrary to his write up, the enigmatic Senator Yerima won. Maybe the period would allow the senator’s young wife to ‘mature’ if you get my drift. From Ohi Ojo, Lagos Re: Departures and transitions. It is really pleasing that most of the lawmakers who never really contributed towards the development of our legislature and national polity will not be coming back. The tax payers money is too precious to be wasted by people who really do not have plans for the nation other than go to the house to say yes or nay. From Olumide Soyemi, Bariga.

Haba Dr. Dare, your piece today sent me into bouts of laughter. It is absolutely delightful. Can you please remind us of how our politicians in the 1st, 2nd and perhaps the 3rd dispensation picked up their lives post elections? This new phenomenon of becoming senators after governorship or hustling for ministerial or ambassadorial positions shows how desperate these politicians are to remain relevant and continue to milk the country dry. I am also bemused by the various arguments being canvassed by those lobbying for positions in the National Assembly tenure renewal for senate president as if he is the only capable

•Jonathan

one even from his zone. Assuming PDP did not win; won’t we have a senate president?

Let the party spread its goodies to other zones and avoid marginalisation and the sit tight syndrome. -God Bless Nigeria.

Anonymous Mr. Dare, your piece, “Departures and Transitions” was quite thrilling. I found in it, a welcome and hilarious “departure” from all the gory political tales that took the savour out of the last elections, particularly, the takes on OGD and what is his name again? Alao-Akala. More please! Oh, my God! How could I have not mentioned my dear Igodomigodo! That was the icing!

Anonymous Ah oga Dare you are partial o! You did not mention the likes of Madam NAFDAC who idiocied the people of Ekiti as well as her people in Anambra central. Dimeji Bankole should also be at home on that page. But help me ask him if he is still boasting that the PDP will win any rerun. If OGD then why not OBJ? Please ask him if he is still laughing. Ayo Arise, Omisore and Annie Okonkwo and a few songs, surely we would not miss them! From Igboeli.

You said it all. As they are leaving the scene, EFCC should get hold of them to give account of their stewardship in office. But you forgot to mention the Etiri of Imo StateOhakim Ikedi and his speaker- Opia who once said that they must rule Imo people whether we like it or not. Anonymous I read your delightful piece published in The Nation newspaper of Tuesday, May 10, captioned “Departures and Transitions”. I would like to draw your attention to an error made in listing Sen. Ahmed Sani Yerima as amongst the casualties courtesy of the recently concluded General polls. The senator was re-elected and returned as the winner of the senatorial seat representing Zamfara north. Please take note. From Barr.

Usman L. Usman Baba Dare, I commend your piece on transiting incumbents of the national houses, state assemblies and governors, and admire the “essayistic” presentation of each person’s behavioral uniqueness and idiosyncrasy. I had thought Obahiagbon was the king of verbosity and juxtaposed terminologies; “exemplarily” choreographed in dancing theses to the utter confusion of the listening house members. But your celebration of the exit of this legislative giant’s personality has proved the adage “where one man’s prowess ends is a starting point for another” based on the winning entry in Columbia encyclopedia competition in 1970s, showing superior use of grammar than Obahiagbon’s in “departures and transition”. I am sure the walls of the house of Representatives which have been vibrating through the tsunamic presentations of Obaghiagbon, would have a break for the next four years. What a loss! From Lai Ashadele, Lagos.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

24

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

Arsenal makes early move for Parker SCOTT PARKER has emerged as a target for Arsenal with Arsene Wenger set to buck his trend of signing young players.

Wenger only signs players in their thirties on rare occasions and usually only on short-term deals, but he sees Parker as a potential key player for

•Parker

the club.

Parker, 30, will be at the forefront of a fire sale at West Ham after the club's relegation, with fellow England internationals Robert Green and Carlton Cole set for the exit door along with star striker Demba Ba and a whole host of high earners.

Despite West Ham's relegation and Parker's age the England midfielder is expected to command a fee of at least £5million, but Wenger is determined to bolster his midfield after another trophy-less campaign.

A move to The Emirates would see Parker play in a midfield trio alongside his England partner Jack Wilshere and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas - if Barcelona fail to lure the Spaniard away.

To make way for Parker's arrival both Denilson and Tomas Rosicky are expected to leave - with the future of Alex Song also in doubt.

Arsenal's north London rivals Tottenham had a £7m bid for Parker rejected in January but their interest has cooled since the emergence of Sandro.

Reina excited about Reds’ transfer plans PEPE REINA has revealed he pumped Liverpool football chief Damien Comolli for news on transfer policy before committing to the Reds.

With Liverpool set to be backed in the transfer market in his pursuit of players such as Aston Villa’s Ashley Young and Mamadou Sakho of Paris Saint-Germain, Reina, 28, reckons the good times are around the corner.

He said: “Recently I have talked with Comolli asking for the future and I believe in this club and I am happy here.

“I never felt I had to leave but the situation wasn’t nice and the mood was not good. It’s not the case any more and we are ready to take the next step.

“The owners are preparing a big summer and hopefully we are going

to be right in the transfers we make.

The players that come in will improve the squad. Next season will be more positive.”

•Gervinho

Ameobi proud to play with brother Sammy

N

EWCASTLE UNITED striker Shola Ameobi was proud to play with brother Sammy at Chelsea last weekend.

Both Shola and Sammy - who were greeted by a chant of "There's only two Ameobis" - played their part in the creditable 2-2 draw at Chelsea.

"It was fantastic for Sammy," Ameobi Snr told the Evening Chronicle.

"I made my debut against Chelsea 11 and a half years ago.

"For him to do it is great for our family.

Sammy has worked really hard and he's getting his rewards now. He's a confident lad, and he did what he had to do really well."

striker, Victor Moses.

SuperSport.com was informed by Tony Finnigan, agent of Moses, in a telephone interview on Tuesday morning that the letter from the English FA was sent to Wigan last week.

But Finnigan did not divulge the content of the letter from the English FA to Wigan.

"I know the (English) FA sent a letter to Wigan last week about Victor Moses," said Finnigan. "But I believe you can contact the FA in your country (Nigeria) to get further details about the progress on the plans to see Moses switch his international career."

The English football agent also confirmed that the process has been slow from the end of the England's football governing body.

Finnigan, however, stated that there is a chance that Moses could be cleared in a fortnight ahead of the international friendly against Argentina in Abuja on June 1.

He further said Moses is keen to pull on Nigeria's colours for the game against Argentina.

"Victor Moses is anxious to play for Nigeria against Argentina. The chance of that happening is good as we anticipate a positive outcome in the next two weeks," Finnigan told SuperSport.com.

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri HOUGH the Home based Super Eagles failed to lift the just ended WAFU Cup Tournament, the Immediate Past Chief Coach of the Niger Tornadoes Team, Samson Unuanel has heaped plaudits on the team and the Head Coach Samson Siasia.

Unuanel in a text message sent to NationSport expressed happiness that the players assembled by Siasia were look alike of the never-say-die spirits exhibited by the Eagles of old adding that the overall performance of the team showed that talents abound in the local league.

“We have been clamouring for a team that is ready to give its all in its service to the nation and that we saw in the team put on display by Siasia.

The players that prosecuted the WAFU Cup can compete favourably with the foreign based under an ideal setting. Though they went down 2-3 to Togo in the final they were not disgraced . They fought with all they had especially in the semi final and the final. This is the type of spirits we need in our national teams and thank God we have been vindicated that talents abound in the local league and that what they need is an opportunity to prove their mettle. Siasia you are doing a good job. He enthused.

In the same vein, Unuanel stated that he was very open to any of the clubs in the country and would give his all if any opportunity his presented him to coach either in the Premier League or in the Lower cadre.

The former Enyimba Chief Coach said that the good works he had done in his previous club assignments speak for him as regard his qualification for any of the managerial duties that may come his way soonest.

Osaze admits: I need a break N

IGERIAN and West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie is going to consult with Albion’s medical team to establish a summer fitness programme after admitting he needed a break.

The Nigeria international is not due to pack away the boots that have fired 15 goals in the Baggies’ best Premier League campaign until the second week in June, because of a promise to play in a testimonial for a former Albion forward, Nwankwo Kanu.

Odemwingie said: “I have international duty to prepare for as soon as the Premier League season is over.

We’ve got a prestige friendly against Argentina and then a qualifying game against Ethiopia. That is on June 5. After that I have to play in Kanu’s game in Lagos on June 11. It’s not a serious game but Roy Hodgson wants us back by July 4. I need to get to the beach because it’s been a couple of years since I’ve had the chance to do that. I need a nice break but I need to see the medical people here to

T •Reina

summer and has already put plans in place to move for Shane Long, should Reading fail to win promotion.

Gervinho, who has indicated he wants to play Champions League football next season, was also watched

by Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.

Moyes, who is on Aston Villa's radar should Gerard Houllier leave in the summer, will meet Everton chairman Bill Kenwright in the coming days to formulate his transfer budget and discuss plans for the club.

Moyes said: 'I hope to have the meeting soon to find out what route we can take and how we can go forward.'

Meanwhile, Preston are hopeful of signing Everton goalkeeper Iain Turner on a permanent deal.

FA warns Ferguson A FOOTBALL Association (FA) regulatory commission has warned Alex Ferguson as to his future conduct in relation to recent comments about referee Howard Webb.

The FA received a huge amount of criticism for raising an improper conduct charge against Ferguson over the positive comments he made about Webb ahead of Manchester United's key Premier League encounter with Chelsea last on May 8.

Ferguson is not believed to have offered a significant response to the charge.

And on Tuesday he has learned he will face no punishment, beyond a gentle reminder not to do it again.

"A Regulatory Commission has warned Sir Alex Ferguson as to his future conduct," said an FA statement. "Ferguson was charged with improper conduct, relating to

T

HE English Football Association has officially written to Barclays Premier League side, Wigan Athletic, to seek clarification on their

Unuanel praises Siasia, Homebased Eagles

Moyes, Redknapp fly to France to DAVID MOYES took a whistle stop watch Gervinho tour to France on Saturday night to check on Lille's £10million-rated striker Gervinho.

The Everton manager is desperate to bolster his strikeforce during the

English FA writes Wigan on Moses

his pre-match media comments made about match official Howard Webb on May 6th, 2011.

"The chairman of the commission made the following statement following the hearing: 'This rule was brought in at the start of the 2009/10 season and this was reiterated formally to all Clubs again on October 21st, 2010.

'This is a clear breach of the rule and it is the first time such a matter has been placed in front of a Commission. As a result of this charge the Commission were aware of other occasions where pre-match comments were made by other managers.

'In this case, it was considered to be a minor breach, but a breach nevertheless, and it should be taken as a warning to all managers in the future that any such breach, even positive comments, are likely to result in a charge by The FA.'"

•Moses

see how best to go through the summer, or what there will be of it.”

The Albion favourite is determined to keep up his level of fitness which he reveals has improved as his season has gone on, after initial injury problems coping with the demands of the Premier League.

He said: “It’s a difficult league to play in. Very physical, very fast. You don’t have much time on the ball at all, the teams press a lot but I think I have been lucky, playing the type of football which suits me. When I arrived I spoke with the gaffer at the time, Roberto Di Matteo, about how I would play and it became clear to me the system was similar to the

S

UNDERLAND defenders John Mensah and Nedum Onuoha had a furious dressing-room bust-up after Saturday's dire 3-1 defeat by Wolves.

Sportsmail has learned that the central defensive partners, who are both nearing the end of their loan spells on Wearside, were toe to toe in an ill-tempered exchange.

Ghana captain Mensah was taken off by manager Steve Bruce with two minutes left after a poor display. The Lyon defender stormed down the tunnel without acknowledging Bruce and was later the only player not dressed in his club suit to leave.

Onuoha criticised Mensah's display, sparking a confrontation in which the two had to be separated by team-mates to stop it escalating.

A source told Sportsmail: 'Onuoha told him exactly what he thought of his performance. Mensah didn't take too kindly to the criticism and just went for him. The others players were obviously shocked.'

Mensah is now likely to return to France after a second injury-hit

season. Bruce would like to sign Onuoha but is put off by

Manchester valuation.

City's

£8million

A

FTER a poor showing at South Africa 2010, the continent will have to redeem its image with a strong delegation at the Brazilian tournament The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that it has earmarked November 2011 as the starting month for the qualifying rounds of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014.

The continental football governing body says 52 out of 53 of its member associations will battle it out in a total of 154 qualifying games over the next two years, ending in November 2013.

Five countries will represent Africa in South America.

According to the Issa Hayatou-led organisation, the qualifiers begin with a preliminary round involving the 24 lowest FIFA-ranked teams, of which the best 12 join the remaining 28 teams, on a bye for the next phase.

The top team from each of the 10 groups will qualify for the final playoff, and will play in a round-robin to determine the five representatives.

•Bolt

Athletes have been ranked according to their marketing potential over a three-year period.

James drops to second in the list, with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo ranked third. The list comprises the 50 athletes deemed by SportsPro to offer value for marketing money if signed today to a long-term global endorsement deal.

As the sports landscape has shifted over the last 12 months, so has the make-up of these unique rankings.

Clearly, when evaluating ‘potential’, a degree of subjectivity is involved.

Nevertheless, myriad resources were consulted and contacts nigh-on interrogated.

As was the case last year, the list has been designed and compiled to shed light on where the value might lie across the industry, and as a basis for discussion – both a snapshot of the moment and a three-year forecast.

This year’s list features 16 new entries but only five women. There are 19 Americans on the list, six Britons and, in all, representatives from 19 countries. 18 sports are represented, including seven racing drivers and seven basketball players.

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

will come before long.”

Odibe spoke on his debut in the colours of the Super Eagles asserting that he knew he didn’t have the best of the game in the match against Sierra Leone but opined that it would not be fair on him to be judged solely by that match since known established players like C. Ronaldo, Messi and others also have days in which they considered as off day.

He beckoned on Samson Siasia led technical Crew to give him another chance to prove his mettle expressing his willingness to always honour call ups to the Eagles when called upon.

“For me I will give God the glory and I am sure that whenever my country invite me to play I will definitely honour it without hesitation. Well the coach might have his misgivings about the way I played against Sierra Leone but that is always the case in some matches because even established players in the mould of Cristiano Ronaldo don’t give 100 percent in all their matches they also have days in which they may play not to expectation. You cannot be 100 percent in everything you are doing because some days you might have off days or good days a times.

“I know that I gave my best in the said match maybe it was anot enough but that is the reason why there are other matches from where one can correct the mistakes of the past. If I receive another call up, I hope to keep my head up and do what will be enough to satisfy the heart desires of the coaches. I am in top form and shape now to play for both my club and country.” The former First Bank defender said.

Ajiboye arrives weekend for Costa Rica, ETREVEDIA of Spain shot-stopper Tanzania ties and Under 23 goal tender, Oladele

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Muniru Ajiboye will breeze into Nigeria this weekend ahead of the double header matches the Dream Team V has later this month and early June.

The two matches are the international friendly between Nigeria and Costa Rica which holds on May 29th and the Olympic Qualifiers in Dares-Salam against hosts, Junior Taifa Stars of Tanzania on June 5th and the former Prime FC of Oshogbo goalie told NationSport from Spain that it was imperative for him to come home on time so as to begin preparation in earnest for the matches.

“I will be in Nigeria this weekend Insha

Other Sports...Other Sports...Other Sports...Other Sports...Other Sports...Other Sports

WORLD and Olympic 100 and 200 metre champion Usain Bolt has replaced NBA star LeBron James as the most marketable sportsman on the planet. That is the headline result from SportsPro’s second annual ranking of the world’s 50 most marketable athletes, published in the June issue of the magazine.

"Milan have superb players like [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Clarence] Seedorf and [Alexandre] Pato."

The 26-year-old will depart OM on a free transfer at the culmination of the 2010-11 campaign, after spending six seasons at the Stade Velodrome.

NE capped Super Eagles and Sudtirol of Italy on loan star, Michael Odibe has hinted NationSport that about seven clubs from four different countries are chasing after him ahead of next season league action.

Odibe made his debut for Nigeria in March this year during the Super Eagles laboured 2-1 win over the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone and in a chat from Italy disclosed that he hopes to move over to a new club at the end of the season owing to his lack of playing time for his Italy clubside, AC Sierna.

“I am not presently with Sierna. I am with a Serie B club Sudtirol, and I chose to go on loan to that club so as to keep fit and active in order to attract other clubs that may want my services. I am almost through with my loan spell and I am hoping all the clubs that have made enquiries about me will make it concrete.

I have about seven clubs from Italy, Israel, Turkey and Russia that my agents told me they have made enquiries about me but nothing concrete yet. I will be returning to Sierna at the end of the season with the expectation that concrete offers

Africa 2014 World Cup qualifiers in November

Bolt named world’s Most Marketable Athlete

sign for Milan because they are an excellent team who play great football.

"In my opinion, they are at the same level as clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea. I am not saying that the other teams that were after my signature are not good teams, though.

It is just that ever since making my international debut for Nigeria, I have dreamt of playing for an absolute top club.

Eagles’ star wants another call up O

Onuoha, Mensah in dressing-room punch-up

Taiwo: AC Milan same with Man Utd, Chelsea N IGERIA international Taye Taiwo has expressed his delight at his imminent transfer to Serie A champions AC Milan, and added that the San Siro outfit are at the same level as Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea.

Taiwo will move to Italy from Marseille at the end of the season, and he was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I have decided to

one I played in with Lille. I said ‘yes.’

“I’ve felt good physically, my endurance levels have definitely been raised. That’s why I feel physically good.

More energy will give me extra chances to score. I now feel strong enough to cope with the intensity of football in this division.”

Odemwingie, a £2million signing from Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow, will also hope to agree an improved contract with Albion in recognition to his major contribution to the campaign.

And the 29-year-old does not foresee problems, saying that all the signals from the Hawthorns hierarchy are “positive.”

EUROPEAN CLUBS AFTER ODIBE

Tiger determined to play in US Open TIGER WOODS is confident he will be able to compete in the US Open next month. The former world No 1 withdrew from the Players Championship in Sawgrass last week because of injury after just nine holes and 42 shots.

The 35-year-old had suffered a recurrence of knee and achilles problems that had dogged him at the Masters in April.

However, the American revealed he had irritated the left knee and achilles but they had not sustained any new damage. Woods has been advised to rest and undergo cold-water therapy and soft tissue treatment with a view to competing in the US Open at Congressional Country Club from June 16-19.

However, his website revealed it was 'doubtful' Woods would be able to compete in the Memorial Tournament at the start of June at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

He told tigerwoods.com: 'Aggravating my injury is very disappointing. I'll do whatever is necessary to play in the US Open and I'm hopeful I can be there to compete.'

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

Allah. I want to get to camp on time so as to contribute my quota to the team. We want to give a very good account of ourselves in San Jose and hoping to leave Tanzania without be beaten also to brighten our chances of participating at the Olympics.” Ajiboye the graduate of the Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles teams stressed.

He was in goal in all the four matches played by the Dream Team V thus and has let in a paltry two three goals in the said matches.

41

Ramos to sign new deal until 2017 REAL MADRID have successfully concluded negotiations with defender Sergio Ramos over a contract extension, Spanish daily AS reports.

The Spanish international's previous deal expired in 2016, but he has now reportedly signed an improved contract until June 2017. The 25-year-old joined Real from Sevilla in the summer of 2005 and has since developed into a key player for the capital club, making over 200 official appearances during that time.

Madrid have yet to officially announce the extension, but the Copa del Rey winners are expected to confirm the acceptance of a new deal in the upcoming days.

Meanwhile, the La Liga giants are also expected to announce the renewal of Portugal international Pepe imminently.

The former Porto star has reportedly inked a new deal until 2015.

•Ramos

Richards gets £90,000-a-week deal MANCHESTER CITY are ready to secure defender Micah Richards to a bumper new contract.

Richards has established himself as a first-choice of manager Roberto Mancini, who is delighted with the youngster's form.

The News of the World says Richards has been offered a new five-year Manchester City deal worth £90,000-aweek.

The England international is expected to soon put pen to paper.

NFF disowns The Female Football Foundation

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HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday stated that it has not in anyway endorsed a group calling itself The Female Football Foundation, to hold a launch to support the national women’s football team, Super Falcons’ towards its campaign at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.

NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu said in Abuja that the mission and objectives of the group

remain unclear to the footballgoverning body in the land since it had failed to seek for endorsement from the NFF. “We do not have a clear idea of what the group is doing, and it would be wrong on our part to associate with the launch. The group has not through any written documentation sought for approval for what it is doing, or the endorsement of the Nigeria Football Federation for the project.

West Ham debt set to top £100m WEST HAM's relegation from the Premier League will push the club's debt past the £100million mark, according to a football finance expert.

David Bick, chairman of Square 1 Consulting, states that the Hammers' descent into the Championship will cost them up to £50million. David Sullivan admitted last week that in the event of relegation, he and fellow co-owner David Gold would have to raid their personal fortunes for between £20-£40million to keep the club afloat.

Bick fears for the future of West Ham if the joint chairmen refuse to provide

finance during their campaign in the Championship.

"The loss of income from relegation - and this figure factors in the parachute payments - will be between £40-£50million net," he said.

"The Premier League division payment is about £50million while the parachute payment for the first year is £16million, so there's an immediate loss of £34million. If they don't secure promotion immediately, West Ham's position will get more severe. Given their current position with debts of £80million, it would be impossible to raise finance from bank loans now."

PRESENTATION

ASSISTANCE

PLEDGE

Pilgrims Board submits Hajj report

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Yuguda assures on Balewa-Bogoro report

Kebbi 27

Bauchi

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Foundation lifts disabled children, health centre Abuja

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Email: news_extra@yahoo.com

WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2011

Page 25

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EAR has gripped students andstaffofUsmanDanfodiyo University (UDU), Sokoto, as well as its neighbouring communities as the rainy season sets in. There is concern that floods which often accompany the rains may sweep off the communities, as theydidlastyear.

Last September’s floods wreaked untold havoc. Houses were submerged, farmlands washed away. Livestock were lost, and farmersandtheirfamiliesfearedfor their survival. Deaths were also recorded.

The university community alongside neighbouring settlements suffered greatly. The 4kmroad,theonlyonelinkingthem to other parts of the state, and beyond, was badly damaged. So wasthebridge.

UDU authorities were forced to shut down the institution as a result of the floods, a situation that seriously affected its academic activities.

“The fear of people affected within our community is what they maylikelyfacethiscomingseason,” said Prof Riskuwa Arabu Shehu, ViceChancelloroftheinstitution.

The students fearing the effect of another flood on their academics and future, said, “Our education and future hope should not be allowedtobewashedaway.”

The damaged bridge They appealed to government to urgently rehabilitate the damaged roadandbridge.

More appeals have been coming too. A community development association in Dundaye, one of the settlements in the vicinity of the university, also strengthened that call.

The state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has also called on the government, well-meaning From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto individuals and corporate organisations to come to the aid of the institution and affected assistance came from several communities. quarters. Most of those pledges After last year’s floods, pledges of have not been fulfilled, though the

‘Floods could hit us again’ Sokoto varsity, communities apprehensive ahead of rainy season Plead for repair of damaged road, bridge The institution has since resorted state and federal governments are said to have provided some help.

The federal government, for instance, ordered the Army Engineering Corps to construct a

temporary bridge. That bridge still stands but the people fear that another onslaught of rising waters willwashitoff,puttingthepeoplein freshdanger.

to some self-help. Two times a week, students and staff do some remedial work on the road, with telling effect on their lean resources. They have littlechoice.

Continued on Page 26

Lawmaker-elect pledges to combat snakebite

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Hon. Timothy Golu

NEWLY elected member of the Plateau House of Assembly Hon. Timothy Golu has promised to tackle one of the enduring challenges of his Angas-speaking people: snakebite.

The Angas people of Kanke Local Government Area have been suffering frequent attacks of venomous snakes. Victims hardly survive because the venom of the species of snakes in the area has defied solutions.

The communities which lie in remote parts of the local government hardly have access to orthodox medical facilities. This

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

forced the people to resort to traditional methods of treating victims of snake bite. In most cases, the traditional solution fails and victims of snakebite die.

Traditional and medical experts have attributed the potent venom of the snakes found in the rocky terrains of Kanke to the absence of palm trees in the area. Snakes, it is believed, feed mainly on ripe palm fruits whose oil is said to reduce the potency of the venom.

In Kanke, victims of snakebite often do not survive for more than

24 hours after the bite. Kanke farmers often wear rain boots to the farm. At night, people are wary of going outdoors.

Hon. Tomothy Golu, a former state House correspondent of Leadership Newspaper has pledged to combat the attack, saying it is his major concern.

“The biggest problem of the people of my constituency is this snakebite,” he said. “It is a very serious case; the people have been suffering in silence because they have no access to medical facilities due to the rural nature of the villages. The closest medical centre close to them is in Zamco,

Langtang North Local Government of the state which is over 40 kilometres away. And because of poor transport facilities, victims of snakebite and other diseases often die before getting to Zamco.

“As soon as we are inaugurated as House members, all I will pursue is how to attract hospital to my constituency. I will liaise with my council chairman, the Plateau State government and member representing us in the national assembly so as to have an established hospital in the area.

Continued on Page 27

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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N

IGERIAN businesses have been advised to seize the opportunity presented by the Messe Frankfurt Exhibition Germany to get their products and services across the global community.

West African Representative Messe Frankfurt Exhibition, Omonigho Itoya said that by exhibiting their products at the fair, small-scale handicraft makers can promote their goods at the ready markets provided by the organisers. “At trade fairs, they have ready markets. There are international buyers seeking for goods to buy or people to produce for them,” she said.

The fair has lots of spaces and segments that cater for varieties of products and services. Ambiente, Tendence and Heimtextil are the different types of exhibition grounds available. For instance, the Ambiente trade fair Frankfurt has approximately 4,500 exhibitors occupy 320,197 square meter exhibition space and welcomes 150,000 trade visitors from around the world each year.

Tendence has space for 2,100 exhibitors, space of 140,900 square meters and 57,000 international visitors each year while the Heimtextil has an annual statistics of 2,600 exhibitors, 210,000 square meters exhibition space and 74,000 international visitors from 57 countries.

Itoya, who is also the Managing Director of Exhibition and Trade Fair Limited said the Ethical Fashion show in Paris, a new trade fair being developed by Messe

Firm highlights benefits of trade fairs

By Collins Nweze

Frankfurt has 102 exhibitors, occupies an exhibition space of 4,600 square meters and welcomes approximately 2,100 international trade visitors.

These, she insisted, should attract Nigerian markets into the fairs to tap into the benefits of the exhibition.

Besides, Messe Frankfurt has strong brands in textiles and textile technology, consumer goods and leisure, mobility and infrastructure and technology production.

The organisers are expected to assist participants in procuring exhibition spaces,

securing national pavilion for local, state and federal government, providing advice regarding customs requirements, getting interpreters and translators, among others.

They will also provide entry tickets for the trade fair visitors and make catalogues, brochures as well as other congress programmes available.

They will also create business cooperation between manufacturers and buyers. “Our mission is to provide customised professional services tailored to specific needs of exhibitors and visitors to Messe Frankfort international trade fairs. We are

Our mission is to provide customised professional services tailored to specific needs of exhibitors and visitors to Messe Frankfurt international trade fairs. We are committed to excellent customer satisfaction, through efficient negotiation with all relevant bodies and other tailor made services geared toward making our fairs the required platform to give any business the hedge it need to succeed in modern business community

committed to excellent customer satisfaction, through efficient negotiation with all relevant bodies and other tailor made services geared toward making our fairs the required platform to give any business the hedge it need to succeed in modern business community,” she said.

Messe Frankfort Exhibition Germany is one of the world’s major trade fair organisers with its own exhibition ground. Located in Frankforth am Main, Germany, it has approximately 578,000 square meters and outdoor 96,000 square meters. This exhibition space house a total of 11 modern multi level exhibition halls.

Its exhibition ground, one of the third largest trade fair complexes in the world has 64,000 exhibitors and 3.85 million visitors utilise the Messe Frankfurt platforms to create business and wealth for their business.

With trade fair knowledge gained over 850 years, Messe Frankforth and its exhibition ground is the ideal platform needed to give small, medium and large businesses the needed international reach.

As a host, it creates not only meeting places, where people trade, but also where they share visions, spark excitement and give shapes to ideas. Messe Frankfurt has had a very strong business relation with Nigeria.

Fed Govt to provide Niger Delta youths with computers From Dele Anofi, Abuja

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HE Ministry of Niger Delta Affair has disclosed plans to distribute 595 laptop computers to Niger Delta youths on completing a skill acquisition programme in the region.

The beneficiaries would be the 595 trainees participating in the various skills acquisition training programmes of the Ministry’s three key sectors of Agriculture, Maritime, and Oil & gas as well as the 92 trainees who have completed their trainings in Galilee, Israel and Port Novo, Republic of Benin to enhance their ICT skills.

The disclosure was made by the Minister of State, Samuel Ode during the graduation ceremony of 50 non-militant youths of Niger Delta origin at Joemarine Institute of Nautical Studies and Research, Warri, Delta State under the Skills Acquisition and training programme of the Ministry.

Ode who reiterated government’s resolve to continue to invest in youths through capacity building programmes also disclosed that discussions have reached advance stage for the commencement of a micro-finance scheme that would enable all the Ministry’s trainees, cooperative societies and individuals in the Niger Delta region to access soft loans either to start-off or finance their businesses.

The Minister however charged the graduating students to make good use of the knowledge garnered during the training to justify the huge investment of the Federal Government on them.

He also stated that the Ministry is working closely with the private sector particularly those located in the Niger Delta region on how some of the youths could be offered gainful employment.

The Minister however charged the graduating students to make good use of the knowledge garnered during the training to justify the huge investment of the Federal Government on them

•Farm lands flooded last year •Continued from Page 25

“The Sokoto-Illela Road which is the only alternative today is also damaged and the danger is that the institution may be cut off again,” the students said.

There is a perception that the delay in rehabilitating the broken-down road and bridge mirrors the alleged nonchalant attitude of the government to the education sector. The institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) holds this view.

“It is an indication of the obvious neglect of the educational sector by government which has been our position for over three years,” it said.

The union said last year’s floods culminated in truncating research activities, placed additional burden on parents, apart from sending students into a spell on idleness.

‘Floods could hit us again’ The union’s branch noted that the current plight of the institution has serious negative impact on the educational development of students in the university.

At a press conference in his office, the VC said that the university community is disturbed that the repair of the damaged infrastructure is long in coming. He said the university suffered huge losses but he added that “Our happiness is that there was no loss of life among us”.

Prof Shehu said the current of the people is that they may be hit again by another devastating flood, if urgent work is not carried out. He said that the university authorities made a projection of N1.1 billion in its report to the federal government through the National University Commission (NUC) for the rehabilitation

of the road and bridge last October.

“Our students and lecturers are law abiding, including surrounding communities,” he said. “They have suffered greatly.”

He said the university deserved urgent attention and assistance to enable it to carry out its activities without any hindrance.

“This is affecting the psychology of our students,” he said. “They are disturbed.

We are calling on our leaders to do something serious about it.”

The Vice Chancellor commended both the state and federal governments for what their help but he stressed that every Nigerian citizen has the moral and social obligation to extend a helping hand to compatriots in distress.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

27

Kebbi Pilgrims Board presents Hajj report

K

EBBI State Pilgrims Board has presented a report of last year’s Hajj operations to Governor Saidu Dakingari.

In it, the board said the state lost one pilgrim out of the 5,740 that performed the operation. A child was also born while on the holy exercise.

Presenting the 2010 report to the governor in the Government House in Brinin Kebbi, the Amir Hajji and Emir of Zuru, General Muhammed Sani Sami (rtd), said that they recorded over 90 per cent success compared to the previous year. The royal father added that the only life lost during the Hajj was that of a woman who fell from the stairs of an eight-storey building.

From Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi

The Emir explained that the committee screened 1500 women pilgrims from the camp in Nigeria and treated over 200 others who were ill in Mecca and over 100 in medina.

He said that the money meant for the Sallah rams has been used for the treatment of the pilgrims, adding that they did not witness any accommodation problem in the Hajj operation.

Responding to the report, the state governor expressed satisfaction over the report presented by the committee, adding that there was a big difference compared to the previous year’s operations.

The state governor expressed satisfaction over the report presented by the committee, adding that there was a big difference compared to the previous year’s operations •Dakingari

•Children at the event

‘Surveillance, intelligence gathering will curb violence’

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O stem the tide of sectarian violence especially in the northern part of the country, the security system must be involve surveilance and intelligence gathering, it has been suggested.

The President of African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives (AFPLI), Rev Titus Oyeyemi made the suggestion in an interview with Newsextra at the monthly

By Adeola Ogunlade

meeting of the African Children of Peace Club (ACPC) held in Lagos.

He said the incessant killings, maiming and reckless destruction of lives and property that occur in the north can be blamed on security lapses.

He condemned the recent killing of the National Youth Service

Corps (NYSC) members during the last presidential election, noting that at a time when bridges should be built for national unity, “it was unfortunate that members of the NYSC members, the only authentic national symbol are being murdered”.

He added: “It is like cutting off bridges that are needed for national unity and peaceful coexistence of Nigerians” The cleric further noted that although there has been a clamour for the scrapping the NYSC, the “programme should not be scrapped as it is the only platform for national unity and integration in our country”.

He lamented that Nigerian youths are the bedrock and instruments for positive socio-economic and political development, but are unfortunately used as instruments of electoral fraud and weapons of destruction.

He appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to avoid tribal or religious sentiments in handling the report of the committee set up to investigate the crisis that occured after the presidential election.

He said: “In the interest of Nigerians who lost their friends and family members in the crisis, no stone should be left unturned in achieving justice and fairness”.

Legislator-elect to combat snakebite •Continued from Page 25 •From left: Ayo Onajide, Mrs Verkey Verghese, Mr Verkey Verghese, Mrs Folorunso Alakija and Chief Simon Olubunmi Sodipo receiving their awards of excellence at the just concluded 2nd Session of the 31st Synod of the Anglican Communion of the Diocese of Lagos Church of Nigeria

Cleric urges exemplary leadership

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INNERS in the 2011 elections in the state and federal governments have been asked to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ who came to the world to serve and not to be served.

The call was made by the Most Rev. Friday John Imaekhai, Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bendel and Bishop of Esan Diocese at the 2nd Session of the 31st Synod of the Diocese

By Miriam Ndikanwu

held at the Cathedral of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

Bishop Imaekhai said seeking the kingdom of God and the interest of the masses should be the leaders’ priority, rather than putting self first.

He advised them to be God-fearing and use the word of God to guide their every step while per-

forming their duties.

Most Revd. Dr. Adebola Ademowo, Diocesan Bishop of Lagos also urged Nigerians to be prayerful and move closer to God in all their endeavours.

In his presentation, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, (SAN) stressed the need for peaceful coexistence among the various religious groups.

Fashola, who described peace

as the ultimate in achieving credible and sustainable democracy, said a nation that is not stable cannot provide the necessary amenities as their agenda would be on how to restore law and order.

He called on the Federal Government to review the allocation of its resources in a way that the people will directly benefit from them, saying that this would impact greatly on the people’s lives.

“I will also take my cry to relevant non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that can provide us with anti-snake venom drugs to come to our aid in this matter.”

Golu said that the 5km road project awarded by the state government in all its 17 local government areas has helped to alleviate the suffering of the people of his constituency but added that a lot still needs to be done in the provision of access roads, as most of the communities lack road.

“I saw things myself in the course of my electioneering campaign and it will not be an exaggeration if I call for a state of emergency in my constituency so as to attract the needed attention we deserve,” he said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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• Wamakko

Sokoto fixes date for council election

HE Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) has fixed July 23 for its council polls. No fewer than 23 registered political parties have endorsed this decision, supporting the time table and guidelines released for the exercise.

The parties said SIEC has the exclusive power under the law to fix time for the council election or issue any guideline in respect of the local government election “this fact remains incontrovertible and a settled law’’ But, major opposition parties in the state such as CPC, ACN and DPP were not part of the decision of these parties seen as being

Medical expert condemns calls for NYSC scrap

A

medical consultant with the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Dr Haruna Shehu, has condemned the call by some Nigerians for government to scrap the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

Shehu said this at the Angwan-Bassa community in the Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT during the inauguration of a refurbished borehole project embarked upon by an NYSC member, Dr Grace Obiefuna.

The ceremony also featured medical outreach in which members of the community were offered free medical consultation and treatment.

Shehu praised Obiefuna who hails from Anambra State for embarking on such a project aimed at promoting healthy living within the community.

He noted that the NYSC scheme was a laudable programme of the Federal Government aimed at promoting unity in the country.

“If not for NYSC, I would not have known

Imo state and because of the good experience I had during my service year, I stayed back in Imo for sometime after the programme before coming to Abuja.

“It is true that the service year has its own challenges but the calls to scrap the scheme are not in the interest of this country.

“This is because the borehole project we are inaugurating now is a product of NYSC, executed by somebody who is not from the FCT,” the medical practitioner said.

Shehu called on corps members not to allow negative events created by miscreants to dampen their enthusiasm for the unity of the country.

In her remarks, Obiefuna said her interest in the borehole project and medical outreach in the community followed the high prevalence of water-borne disease, including schistosomiasis, among the community members.

Yuguda assures on BalewaBogoro report B AUCHI State Governor Isa Yuguda has assured that he would implement the report on the crises in Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Government Areas.

Yuguda, who stated this while receiving the draft white paper on the various reports of investigation into the crises presented by a high-powered committee, said this would be done with a view to finding lasting peace in the areas.

The committee was set up to review reports of committees and a commission set up by previous governments on the crises in the areas .

“Government is committed to the realisation of peace and harmony in the affected areas. The incessant crises in the two areas are of concern to government,’’ the governor said.

He said the committee’s report would go a long way in addressing the problem which

Sokoto From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

sponsored by the ruling PDP government in the state.

However, the state CPC governorship running mate, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji Gusau had in a press conference in Sokoto, two weeks ago, threatened that his party would boycott any local government election arrangement that excluded its views.

According to him,’’ we have to be part of all the process. Our views have to be represented especially on the timing and guidelines which are technical otherwise, we will not participate in the election’’ Secretary of the SIEC, Alhaji Mu’azu Durbawa recently announced July 23 as date for council election in the state just as guidelines for the polls were outlined.

Candidates for the two positions, chairman and councillor will make available a non refundable fees of N50,000 and N20,000 respectively to the commission.

Briefing newsmen,chairman of the Political Parties Association, representing the 23 parties, Alhaji Ahmed Muhammad Tangaza, said they have confidence in the ability of the Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct the council polls as required by the enabling law that gave birth to it.

• Secretary to the Kwara State Government, Alhaji Saka Isau, SAN (third left) at the foundation laying ceremony of Ksangville Housing Development in Amoyo,Ifelodun Local Government Area. With him are President of Ksangville, Mr. Abdulateef Amolegbe; Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Ladi Hassan and others.

‘I ‘ve been vindicated’

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LATEAU State Governor Jonah Jang radiated joy and fulfilment recently as he received his Certificate of Return from the Abuja headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),saying the electorate had vindicated him.

Council to get digital library

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NE of the ways to assist Mushin youths to be useful to themselves and the society is to provide them with facilities that would enhance learning among the youths of school age.” The Chairman, Mushin Local Government Area in Lagos State, Hon. Olatunde Adepitan, disclosed this while inspecting the ongoing construction work on a modern library at Bishop Aggey Road.

He said one of the reasons for the inspection was to be abreast of the extent of work done on the project and to encourage the contractor to deliver the job according to specification.This, he said, was because the number of people that will use the facility requires that the job should be of high standard by using the right building materials that will stand the test of time.

Speaking further, the council chief said:

“Lagos University Teaching Hospital is situated within Mushin, Lagos State Polytechnic is close as well; these higher institutions account for high concentration of students eager to enhance their knowledge. This is one of the reasons we are providing a modern learning environment for these youths.

“We intend to curb hooliganism, thuggery and other vices in our local government area. This is a practical demonstruction of our love for the youth and our community. Before the end of this administration, the project will be completed.”

He praised the members of the library project committee including the Chairman and Supervisor for Works, Hon. Jide Bello, Engr Tajudeen Oyebanjo, and Engr Johnson Adeyemi, for a job well done .

•Pastor Jeffrey Ramsey (middle) presents a sample of streetlight to Dr Joke Ademokoya (left) during the press conference on the Agege City Crusade by the Assemblies of God Church, Agege. With them are Mrs Esse Agesse (second left); Mrs Ifeoma Glory Ramsey and Evangelist Godwin Ewelike

Abuja From Jide Babalola, Assistant Editor, Abuja

“My return or retention has shown that we have in our own modest way improved on the generality of the lives in Plateau State, particularly those in the rural areas. This has now encouraged me to make sure I do more than what I did in the last four years for the people; by the grace of God, I will set a record in Plateau State that is unequalled,” the governor said.

At a brief ceremony presided over by INEC’s acting chairman, Dr. Abdulkadir Oniyangi, Governor Jang applauded INEC’s conduct of the just concluded polls, stressing that politicians who lose elections should endure the experience while those who won need to celebrate with modesty.

“I commend the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega and his team at the national level and the state level for a job very well done.

They have made Nigeria proud, not because I won, but I know I clearly won, because it (elections) was free, fair and transparent.

“Nigeria is now one of the recognised democratic nations in the world. As the most populous black nation in Africa, it means we (Nigeria) are the biggest democracy in Africa,” he stated while pledging to consolidate the ten-point development agenda that his administration began in 2007.

Jang’s deputy, Mr. Ignatius Longjan also collected his Certificate of Return at INEC headquarters.

BRIEFS

NUJ remembers deceased members THE Plateau State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has held a oneday prayer session in memory of their deceased members, especially the seven who died four years ago on May 16, 2007 while on the convoy of former Governor Joshua Dariye to a function in Shendam Local Government Area of the state.

The session which attracted most members of the council, saw them lamenting politicians’ attitudes towards journalists in the state and called for a change in attitude.

Members took turn to pay tribute to the departed colleagues and particularly

regretted that each time a chief executive is undertaking a tour of areas to inspect projects or commission such; the media teams are always allocated rickety vehicles which are prone to accidents.

Among those who expressed bitterness over the demise of the late Moses Ezulike, Champion newspapers; Isaac Agbo, the defunct Comet newspaper; Judith Adama, New Nigeria newspaper; Musa Nuhu Auna, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chiwo Avre, Leadership newspaper; Emmanuel Adinoyi, AIT; Sudan Lar, NTA; Reuben Emeji, Federal Information are survivors of the accident, Audu Ojogbane, Daily Independent and Monday T. Goteng.

Group seeks Jonathan’s intervention

• Hon. Adepitan welcoming Hon. Sofela and other members of the library project during the inspection.

37

AS the lobby continues over the new leadership of the National Assembly (NASS) the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in order to prevent it from being lopsided.

Intersociety in a letter to Jonathan, which was signed by the Chairman and the Head of Publicity, Comrades Emeka Emeagbalasi and Justus Ijeoma respectively, said group has “watched with

dismay the well-coordinated efforts to scheme the people of the Southeast geopolitical zone out of the ongoing zoning of some top elective offices at the Federal level especially the office of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives”.

According to the group, the Northeast and the Southeast geopolitical zones should be properly accommodated in the ongoing zoning arrangements, adding that the two zones should produce the next Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

F

Church holds programme

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UNAMIS International Gospel Centre, at 400 Herbert Macaulay Way, Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos will hold a one-day programme, Apostolic Impartation Night at the Gymnasium Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on May 20. Tagged In the days of His power, the programme begins at 8.30pm and ends the following morning.

Speaking on the programme, the resident minister, Pastor Solomon Ipila said: “The programme is meant to impart lives change destinies and transform the nation. The power of God shall be on ground to handle various challenges, even as we are trusting God to heal the sick and deliver the oppressed”.

Pastor Paul Enenche, the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, will minister at the programme.

had lingered for a long time.

While presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Gen. Ibrahim Sabo (rtd.), said the committee had a three-day interactive session with representatives of the areas.

He said the committee also produced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on how to ensure peace in the areas.

Sabo urged the government to sustain the engagement of Dr Muhammad Ashafa and Dr James Wuye of the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Kaduna for sustainable peace in the areas.

The committee was set up after the January 27 civil disturbances in Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Government Areas of the state with a 21day ultimatum to present its report.

•Yuguda The committee was charged with the duties of studying the reports and recommendations of the Justice Babalakin Commission of Inquiry into the 1991 crisis.

Police arrest three for alleged murder

P

OLICE in Minna, Niger State have arrested a middle aged man Aliyu Aliyu of Angwan Daji for stabbing to death his neighbour, Ataba Bello at Kasuwan Gwari over a minor disagreement.

Also arrested with the prime suspect are two of his friends (names withheld) who witnessed the stabbing to death of Bello, a petty trader.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening, when an argument ensued between Bello, a soap seller and Aliyu, who was in company of two others and this resulted in a free for all fight.

An eye witness said that Bello gave the Aliyu and his friends a good beating .

Newsextra gathered that the suspect became angry and pulled out a knife under his dress and stabbed the victim on the chest and immediately took to his heels, leaving behind his two friends. The resultant bleeding from the chest of Bello attracted people around and before help could come, the victim fell and

Niger From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

dropped dead Sensing danger, the two other friends attempted to run away when people pounced on them and handed them over to the Police.

We further learnt that Police later gathered from the two other suspects and an eye witness that the run away Aliyu was responsible for the death of Bello.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relation Officer, ASP Richard Oguche said that the prime suspect, Aliyu was picked by plain cloths men in his residence at Angwan Daji and that the suspects will be transfered to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation and prosecution.

Minister blames violence in North on poverty A

• Jang

World Bank praises Ondo on rural development

OR its commitment to the transformation of the urban slums into modern cities, the World Bank task team leader for the Community-Based and Urban Development Programme in Nigeria, Mr Hassan Kida has scored the Ondo State government high, saying it has surpassed the expectations of the World Bank.

Under the scheme, the World Bank had budgeted $110million to upgrade the living standard of the residents of slums in the selected eight states under the first phase of the programme.

Specifically, Mr. Kida who led members of his team to the state, commended what he termed the sensitivity of the Dr Olusegun Mimiko’s administration to the plight of the people of the state within its two years in office.

He enthused that the government’s effective utilisation of the World Bank assisted loan to transform the slums in Akure the state capital, was highly commendable and worthy of emulation by other states.

The World Bank team leader was in Akure with members of his team for an assessment tour of some projects being executed in the capital city under the scheme. At the end of their tour, Kida expressed satisfaction with what they saw and disclosed that the state government had surpassed the expectation of the World Bank through the prompt payment of its counterpart contribution. He equally commended it for even contributing above the mandatory five percent

Bauchi

stipulated by the World Bank, a development which he noted was gratifying and commendable.

The team had inspected road construction works in Owode, Ayedun, Akure High School, Oke-Ijebu and Edo Lodge areas among others and water ducts and mains behind Plaza Motel in Oke-Ijebu where he commended the state government for the initiative, which he said had transformed the socio-economic landscape of the areas.

According to him, the programme was put in place to upgrade the living standard of the residents of slums in the selected eight states under the first phase of the programme, disclosing that about $110million had been provided for the projects.

His words: “The aim of this programme is to see how we can upgrade the standard of living in slum areas in the urban cities. Ondo State has selected Akure as one of the urban cities that we should look into. It is the sole responsibility of the state government to decide what to do in the urban slum.

“Ondo State has come up to say we need improvement in roads; we need improvement in water supply; we need improvement on sanitation, we need improvement on drainage. Today, we are going round to see what has been done and we are very pleased with the activities that have been done.

S Nigeria joined the rest of the world to celebrate the 2011 International Day of Families, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Iyom Josephine Anenih has said poverty which has been responsible for violence in the Northern part of the country will soon be a thing of the past.

She also said poverty continues to claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year during childbirth.

The minister said the Goodluck Jonathan administration in the next dispensation will enhance its national development strategies that will guarantee a new lease of life for Nigerian families and the nation as a whole.

In a statement to mark the day in Abuja, the minister observed that social exclusion, especially neglect, marginalisation and deprivation of the vulnerable segment of the population, has been the major culprit behind the alarming poverty line in the country.

She said: “Discrimination and unequal access to social services deprive families of the opportunity to plan a better future for their children.”

“These challenges, we must note, also bring

Abuja

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

challenge that makes the family the victim of poverty, especially where such family members lack the basic needs of life.”

She said the challenge of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is to establish a programme to respond to the immediate needs of those who are affected and to establish a framework for social development which aims to achieve higher quality of life for all Nigerians, to enable them contribute to the well-being of their families, their communities and the nation as a whole.

The minister harped on the need to examine how families and family life being the main root of our societies, can be better supported and strengthened to enable them play the roles ascribed to them by society, at this time of socio-economic changes and challenges.

•From left: Amaechina Nkiruka, Akinseye Anthony, Obika Chiamaka, winners of brand new Honda Accord cars, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, Mr. Jacco van der Linden, Marketing Director (both of Nigerian Breweries Plc) and Bob Manuel Udokwu, Host, at the prize presentation to winners of the Gulder National Consumer promo, held at Nigerian Breweries Plc,

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

Life

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Text only: 08023058761

UI honours Abiola Irele at 75

ANA celebrates Beier, Okara, Ike

–Page 31

–Page 34

‘Jos Wild Life Park is sick’ When I was a child in the 80s, this was the place to be, but now you cannot say that anymore. I did not come here because I wanted to see animals as there is practically nothing to see. I have a little problem and I needed a place to just cool off; that is why I came here. – SEE PAGE 32

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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Endangered monument After an N11.8 million restoration, the 900-yearold Kano City Walls and Gates is fast becoming a latrine and dump site.

Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports on the state of the monument.

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ESPITE previous interventions that culminated in the restoration of Sabuwa Kafo and half the stretch to Kofa Danagundu and the Kansakali Gate of the famous Kano City Wall, the 14-kilometre wall that encircles the ancient city has turned into a latrine and refuse dump site.

The 900-year-old wall that being considered for enlistment into the prestigious UNESCO’s World Heritage List is now a breeding ground for vermin that contributes to the annual outbreak of cholera among the six million inhabitants of the city.

In 2002, the German Embassy gave a grant of N 9.3 million for the reconstruction of Sabuwa Kafo and half the stretch to Kofa Danagundu. Also, the United States Embassy donated N1.2 million as a counterpart fund to rebuild Kansakali Gate in collaboration with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) that also contributed about N 1.3 million.

As part of efforts to redress the continuous abuse and deformation of the heritage, the management of NCMM led by Mr. Yusuf Abdallah Usman has organised an exhibition on Kano City Walls and Gates at the Gidan Makama Museum, in Kano.

The exhibition was conceived as part of the conservation and management strategies designed to salvage the destroyed walls and gates from total extinction. The NCMM in conjunction with other highly committed stakeholders are keen to achieve a landmark in the conservation and rehabilitation of the national monument.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Usman decried the poor state of the monument lamenting that in spite of the legal and administrative framework inscribing it as a national monument, the walls are a shadow of their former selves. He noted that the walls are in various stages of dilapidation as they have been defaced, encroached upon with many stretches completely wiped out.

“In some places, they provide cheap source of sand for construction of houses for the city dwellers, sometimes, right on top of the walls. While the ditches on both sides have in many places been turned into refuse dump, unscrupulous persons have converted many portions of the wall into latrine where they openly defecate and urinate. Some of the gates have been pulled down and replaced with a caricature in reimposed concrete.

“For example, early last year a construction company on the instructions of officials of the state government demolished the 800- year-old Kofar Naisa ostensibly to give way for the construction of a dual carriage way,” he added.

Usman stressed that the commission is aware that cultural products like the walls and gates are best managed by involving the people, which informed the setting up of a protection and rehabilitation committee with members drawn from relevant stakeholders, including federal, state and local governments, NGOs, Kano Emirate Council and local communities. The committee, he said, is to address various conservations and management issues relating to the walls. To him, restoring the city walls and gates is restoring the health and wealth of the people of Kano. He explained that when the walls are restored, they would serve as veritable tourist attractions where

•Kano City wall at the Gidan Makam, Kano

• •Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero leading his entourage to the dilapidated wall during a stone laying ceremony

HERITAGE visitors would come and enjoy the Durbar and other tourist sites and purchase artworks and other cultural products in the famous Kurmi Market. According to him, this, no doubt, will serve as an avenue for job creation and revenue generation for tour guides, artisans, artists, hoteliers, caterers and other cultural producers.

He noted that the essence of the exhibition was to among others solicit for assistance from individuals, corporate organisations, NGOs, foreign missions and other stakeholders to identify and choose segments or sites along the city walls and gates that they could assist for rehabilitation.

Continuing, he said: “This appeal for conservation we believe will help the organisations to realise their corporate responsibility as well as promote national development. NCMM will therefore, welcome and consider all forms of partnerships and collaborations to achieve her conservation goals and aspiration to enlist Kano City Walls and associated sites into the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.”

Usman however expressed sincere gratitude and appreciation for the consistent support the commission had enjoyed from His Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Ado Bayero the Emir of Kano, recalling that when he was

the Curator of Gidan Makama Museum, a similar exhibition was organised in 1999 where His Highness graciously attended and set the tone for a generous contribution that made it possible to carry out extensive rehabilitation on some of the ancient city gates.

He also commended the efforts of Kano State Government and its agencies especially KNUPDA and the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning for their joint efforts at erecting barricades along Bayero University Kano Road, which serves as a buffer corridor for the protection of the city walls.

Kano City Wall established over 900 years ago stands as icon that defines Kano City urban landscape. It has played a significant role in the emergence of Kano as a powerful and influential kingdom in the then Western Sudan and continued to sustain its existence over the centuries. The city walls and gates of Kano remained valued for their ancient history and cultural significance as well as the intangible traditional knowledge system and skills, which they embody as evidence of the technological excellence of the classical past. They also represent human adaptation, deployment of organised labour and social organisations.

Each gate has a keeper (Sarkin Kofa) who reports to his District head (Hakimi) through one of four Divisional Heads (Wakilan Fuska). Also, each gate keeper is

•Usman

not only responsible for this gate but all the stretch between his gate and the next one as well as all that goes on within the outer portion of the walls.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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•Falcons in a celebration

PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU

•Ayakoroma

Can the Nigerian woman regain her pride as a heroine? You need to watch Andy Amenechi’s film, Egg of Life, a feminine version of Igodo, to find the answer. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

Giving women their pride of place

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HE Executive Secretary of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma, has described the epic film, Egg of Life, a feminine version of Igodo, as an attempt to give the Nigerian woman a pride of place in video films. He said the film, which examines the essence of collective sacrifice, suggests that women could play a very vital role in saving the society. He explained that the film posits that women could be heroines, capable of being remembered by posterity for sacrificing their lives for the well-being of their community.

In his paper, Giving Women Pride of Place in Nigerian Video Films: A Critical Reading of Andy Amenechi’s Egg of Life, Ayakoroma observed that the film posited that the feminine gender could assume leadership positions and move the country forward, just as the Under-20 Falconets and Super Falcons, through their recent outings, put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

He identified the Priestess of Efuru as the person around whom the whole story is anchored, noting that apart from anchoring the narrative action, as a story teller of some sort, she is a leader and a vital source of inspiration in the community. He explained that in the early part of the film, the Igwe is seen as an arrogant king, while in the second half, he is totally broken, looking towards the Priestess for inspiration.

“Here was a man who banishes a woman for having the

THEATRE effrontery to call the heir to the throne an ogbanje; and he asks his wife to keep quiet and not plead on behalf of her friend.

“But when the Priestess calls his son, “that thing,” and that his son is an ogbanje, he is helpless. Thus, by the second half of the film, he is totally finished as his confidence is totally drained,” he said.

The implication of this, he said, is that the leadership position has shifted from the Igwe to the Priestess of Efuru as everybody now looks upon her to safeguard the life of the community. He stressed that it is not necessarily the life of the young man that is at stake; rather, it is the life of the community because the boy is the symbol of the continuity of that community.

“So, if we look at the film at that level, we can argue that it is on the shoulder of the Priestess of Efuru that the survival of the community depends,” Ayakoroma said.

Examining the different personalities reflected in the seven maidens in the production, the executive secretary noted that when one of the girls says that, “I do not even know why the Priestess chose me,” the other responds that, “It is because I know how to cook,” the responses that follow reveal the individuality of each of the maidens. In his assessment, they all have their good points and

their weak points; and they are supposed to serve as helpers to each other. This, he said, underpins the view that it is the weaknesses in each of their personalities that make them to be susceptible to temptation.

“The weaknesses in each of them also make them not to survive the perilous trip. We can recall that it is temptation that makes one of the girls to sing and dance with the female spirits. She is so carried away by the action and she would have gone if not that she is yanked back by Oma. Even after they have convinced Oma that the child of the forest is a demon, Chioma runs back to comfort the boy; and of course, the boy turns out to be a monster, pretending to be a hungry and helpless boy lost in the forest.

“In looking at the moral weaknesses of each of these female characters, we realise that they are meant to serve as moral lessons for us. In other words, there is need for us to continuously question ourselves thus: What kind of lessons can we learn from these moral weaknesses, which make six people not to survive the story? What kind of strength have we gained from the characters of Buchi and Oma?” Ayakoroma added.

Unlike Igodo, whose quest is an all-male affair, Egg of Life is an all-female affair with the Priestess of Efuru as the most powerful person in the story and represents the goddess that protects the community.

UI honours Abiola Irele at 75

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•Prof. Irele

HE Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, will hold the Abiola Irele Colloquium and Festschrift, tomorrow at the Draper’s Hall of the Institute.Globally described as a commanding intelligence of modern African literary criticism, the erudite Harvard Professor, Francis Abiola Irele turns 75 May 22, but the event to commemorate the icon is coming up three days earlier with an admixture of scholarly jaw-jaw at the colloquium as well as a short performance in the evening of the same day.

The event is expected to feature participating scholars from home and abroad, including many of Irele’s peers, serving and retired Vice Chancellors as well as the broad literary community. Working with the broad theme of Theory and the African Imagination, colloquium highlights include presentations on a wide range of scholarly issues straddling meta-criticism of Abiola Irele and Africa’s critical practice and other theoretical insights.

Participating scholars will be addressing issues like the African experience in literature and ideology; (post-) Negritude; African personality; critical and cultural practices; the African imagination and emergent textualities; praxis of cultural production and literary publications.

The organisers are hoping to follow up on the day’s events with a festschrift. To this end they are enjoining scholars, colleagues and former students of Irele to also contribute essays to the proposed publication, part of which will be generated from the colloquium, and submit same to the festival coordinator and editor of the publication, Dr. Sola Olorunyomi of the Institute of African Studies.

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•Part of the Park

‘Jos Wild Life Park is sick’ Thirty-nine year-old Jos Wild Life Park is fast losing its tourism ambience, no thanks to neglect by successive administrations in Plateau State, reports MARIETHERESE PETER

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EFORE religious and ethnic crises became its bane, Plateau State thrived as Home of Peace and Tourism. Its natural and man-made tourists’ sites and the clement weather made the state attractive to many.

From the rock formations in Riyom, Wase, Jos-East local government to the wild life parks in Jos North and Qua’an Pan local government as well as the Water Falls at Kura Falls in Barkin Ladi, Assop Falls in Riyom and Kwal Falls in Bassa local government among other tourist sites, the Plateau, is indeed a tourists’ state.

Residents and visitors alike see the state as well endowed, but the recent ugly development has affected many of its facilities which are now in a pathetic state. Many of the manmade tourist centres are now in a shambles.

Such sites include the Jos Wild Life Park, which spans about eight square kilometres through Dong and Rukuba roads in the state capital.

In the 70s, the park used to be where everyone wanted to be because of its African and exotic wild life, serene environment and lively calls of nature. Most tourists visited the park to appreciate nature, relax and learn about the various animals there. But today, despite tourism being in the present administration’s 10-point agenda, the Park looks deserted, broken down fence, very few animals and worn out infrastructure.

When The Nation visited the Park, from the gate where the giant elephant sculpture welcomes every comer to the Jos Wild Life Park, to the animal cages where the very few animals such as antelopes, swan, elephants, lions, tortoise, snakes, alligators, ostrich, monkeys, baboons eagles, pelican, owl, vultures, peacocks, among others are kept in the Park among others, everything looks abandoned.

TOURISM Even during the festive period, the Park did not record the crowd that it used to partially due to the security situation in the town and largely due to “nothing new to see” in the Park. The Nation sampled the opinions of residents on the reasons why the Park is no more what it used to be and quite a number agreed that the Park needs an overhaul if the state is to reclaim its place among states with great tourism potentials. To Mr. Sunday Ezekiel Nanlong, “I don’t think the Park should be called a tourist site. Most animals that used to be there are no longer there, and if the authority wants people to come, the government should endeavour to bring those animals and even new ones back. The structures need refurbishment because the Park has been abandoned. Before the security challenges, people were patronising the place.

The question to ask is: What happens to the revenue being collected?

“I believe there is no accountability and the government is not doing much to put the Park in shape. This is very sad because that place ought to generate substantial revenue and keep people in their jobs if taken care of instead of the eyesore that is there in the name of a Park” The same feeling was also shared by Miss

•A crocodile at the park

Susan Okereke, who was seen at the Park.

“When I was a child in the 80s, this was the place to be, but now you cannot say that anymore. I did not come here because I wanted to see animals as there is practically

‘We lack adequate man-power and the animal cages are bad. It will be a major problem if any animal escapes. The Park is relatively functional but it is living in its past glory. People do not come here because of the beauty of the Park, may be they just feel like coming here to relax. We need to improve on the training of staff because staff training is inadequate’

nothing to see. I have a little problem and I needed a place to just cool off; that is why I came here.

“Generally, this place is big enough to accommodate all kinds of animals. You can see people rent this place for events and people come here to think, relax and learn. But most people are afraid of coming here because it looks scary. If the management of the Park can do something about changing the lot of this place, I believe it can generate some revenue that will improve government coffers.”

•Continued on page 33

age 33

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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•Delapidated cage

•Birds at the park

‘Jos Wild Life Park is sick’ •Continued from page 32 The situation at the Park is not an exaggeration or overstatement of the reality on ground. The Park Manager, Mr. Timothy Nyam simply put it thus: “The Park is a sick baby.” According to him, “this is not how a park should look like. Successive administrations neglected the Park.

The animal cages, fences, buildings, automobiles and the infrastructure all came with the establishment of the Park in 1972.”

Nyam said the only functioning automobile in the Park is a 39-year-old dilapidated tractor, which is being managed to pick animal feeds. He added that the property of the Park have been consistently vandalised for the past two to three decades without any prosecution. The Park Manager said: “We lack adequate manpower and the animal cages are bad. It will be a major problem if any animal escapes.

The Park is relatively functional but it is living in its past glory. People do not come here because of the beauty of the Park, may be they just feel like coming here to relax.

We need to improve on the training of staff because staff training is inadequate.

•Birds at the park

We need to get different species of animals and birds, while staff strength needs to be improved. Also, staff should be engaged in multi-disciplinary training in both African and exotic wild life in order to improve the standard of the Park.”

He, however, appreciated the efforts of the Governor Jonah Jang administration

but added that more needed to be done.

He said: “This administration has improved the lot of the Park as it has provided feeds for the animals and staff salaries are paid on time but memos which have been written needed to be approved for the purchase of animals and to renovate the infrastructure, buy automobiles

and put the Park in shape.”

Nyam, who expressed optimism thatJang would take the issue of the Park as a priority so as to boost the tourism potential of the state, urged tourists to keep coming to the Park as there is adequate security.

60 artists for May of Monument in Napoli

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IKE in most African countries, these days are not the best of times for the arts in Italy. Artists and art in Italy today exist under a peculiar situation, which abhors meaningful development and growth.

Worried by this trend, no fewer than 60 artists from across the globe have been selected to participate in this year’s May Monument as a visual autobiography or statement in response to a pervasive lack of support for the arts.

The organisers of the group art exhibition, Background Noise, opening tomorrow till May 22, in Napoli Italy, said in a statement that: “Today, in Italy, we live in a unique situation. Culture of every kind is often seen by the government as subversive, or, at best, simply unnecessary. Mu-

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor Arts

seums, cultural events, archaeological sites, and the public school system, from kindergarten to university, are currently seeing enormous reductions in funding for both staff, and the programmes that they offer. Virtually all cultural institutions in the country have experienced some aspect of the negative impact of these explicit attacks, in one form or another.

Even when faced with an environment as repressive, to the arts, as this, artists have continued to maintain the desire and ability to express themselves, share their feelings, and flourish!

For the 2011 edition of the May of Monuments, our association has asked the artists, whose works are in our collection,

to create a small piece (20x20cm) that would serve as a visual autobiography, or artist’s statement: a kind of “background noise” in response to a pervasive international lack of support for the arts.

Approximately, 60 artists from all over the world have responded with images that exist as visual expressions of themselves as artists. Taken, both together and individually, these images exist as undeniable evidence of the invincible spirit of the artist even in the most difficult of times.”

Among artists featuring in the event are Tiziana Baracchi, Ivone Bencomo, Bruno Bruno, Orlando Campos, Gaetano Cantone, Maurizio Capuano, Alma Carrano, Belinda Casanova, Michele Cazzani, Akachukwu Chukwuemeka, Maria Pia Daidone and Michele D’Alterio. Others are

Guido Della Giovanna, Ines De Veer, Arnoldo Diaz, Mario D’Imperio, Gianfranco Erbani, Felice Garofano, Vidalia Gonzalez, Amalia Guerrero, Karl Friederich Hacker, Ute Illig, Franco Iuliano, Giuseppe Antonello Leone, Franco Lista, Milagro Marambio, Setyo Mardiyantoro, Miguel Marsan,Hiroshi Matsumoto, Marilena Mercogliano, Adriana Montariello, Vincenzo Montella,Linda Morales,Renata Pagano, Dejan Pejovic, Raúl Felipe Peñalver, Pablo Perez, Ana Teresa Pesce, Yogendra Kumar Purohit, Rita Ragni, Hugo Rivero, Miguel Rivero, Michele Roccotelli, Alma Sauro, Freddy Simoza, Pablo Sinai, Sangeeta Singh, Marco Sodaro, Tamara Sorkin,Salvatore Starace, Robert Stockton, Carlos Triana, Edgar Vegas, Rino Vellecco, Ena Villani, Max Yawney, Jinleng Yeoh and Maria Dina Zanfardino.

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ANA celebrates Beier, Okara, Ike Last Saturday, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) celebrated three prominent figures in the art world - the late Ulli Beier; Gabriel Okara and Igwe Chukuwemeka Ike. There were readings, debates, comedy and nibbles. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

LITERARY

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T was an exciting feast of readings, debates and munchies last Saturday at the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Lagos Chapter’s monthly reading. The literary celebration was in honour of the late Ulli Beier, Gabriel Okara and Igwe Chukuwemeka Ike for their contributions to the advancement of Nigerian Literature.

Writers examined the efforts of these literary figures in bringing the African mythology into contemporary spheres. They emphasised the need for contemporary writers to infuse the mythological preoccupations into their writings.

The event had in attendance members of the ANA national executives, including the National General Secretary, Hyacinth Obuseh and his wife, Ann and the National Publicity Secretary, Ebika Anthony; former ANA Lagos Chair Folu Agui; the current Chairman, Dagga Tolar; Odili Ujubuonu; Kalu Uduma; and students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, among others.

Okara and Ike, who just clocked 90 and 80 respectively, were praised for infusing their indigenous folklore into their creative writings in a stylish manner that is appealing to a modern audience. The writers also commended the renowned anthropologist Beier, who died last month, for pioneering what is now known as the Nigerian arts through his works and activities at Mbari Mbayo. The patriarchs are a challenge and inspiration to contemporary writers, the writers said. It was also noted that the Nigerian literati is in want of writers to follow on their trails. As it is, some contemporary writers such as the award-winning novelist, Ujubuonu, are bent on trailing the paths of the patriarchs.

He is out with another soul-searching piece Pride of the Spider Clan, a mythological trilogy that started with Pregnancy of the Gods.

Ujubuonu was a discussant alongside Tolar, Anthony and Uduma of the Vanguard Newspaper.

The thrust of the evening was on the lessons for contemporary writers in the literary footprint of the three personalities. Uduma said present generation of writers should stick to current issues and not concern themselves with the past.

He said: “There is nothing in the past that has not been written. Everything in writing about the past has been exosted.”

Ujubuonu disagreed with Uduma, saying there are still many aspects of Africa’s folklore that yet to be explored.

Using himself as an example, Ujubuonu said while he was researching for his recent book, he found that the Ijaw nation has lots of cultural heritage unknown to many of the present generation. Such cultural wealth could be exposed by writers through their works.

“Writers need to go back and research into their roots; they would find lots of wonderful cultural values and myths that they can explore in their writings.”

His comment raised the question of why writers are not exploring their indigenous mythology in their writings.

Religion and colonialisation of the African mind, which the writers called ‘the crisis of the pagan’, was listed as the reasons some writers refuse to go into such mythologies. It was noted that films like X-Men, Merlin and the Legend of the Seeker, among others, are based on European mythologies.

Hence, it was said that Nigerian writers should borrow a leaf from European and America writers and filmmakers who are able to recreate mythological works that contemporary audience can identify with. They spoke on the need for writers to separate religion from their art.

Tolar said: “Works by people like Ulli Beier, who left Europe to research into the African culture, Gabriel Okara, who wrote a poem, Idoto, and Chukwuemeka Ike challenge today’s writers. There is no difference between Ike’s Bottled Leopard and the X-Men; they are both talking about a spirit possessing man. In both works, we see that it is not necessarily where you are from but the depth of a writer’s creativity.

When it comes to Merlin, it is an epic, while Idoto is seen as fetish because it was written by a Nigerian. This is the ‘crisis of the pagan’ and the colonialisation of the African mind that is playing out. Ujubuonu’s being here today as a discussant is no mistake. It goes to show that there are still some who are still doing same as the scholars that we are examining today.”

He urged writers to go back to their roots to recreate their cultural myths and norms in their works.

Aside the literary debate, the event was spiced up with various readings and comedy. Johnson Obasi a.k.a. MC

•Tolar, Ujubuonu and Ebika

•Obunseh and other writers

•Students at the event

‘Works by people like Ulli Beier, who left Europe to research into the African culture, Gabriel Okara, who wrote a poem, Idoto, and Chukwuemeka Ike challenge today’s writers. There is no difference between Ike’s Bottled Leopard and the X-Men; they are both talking about a spirit possessing man’ Moskito drew laughter from the audience with his satirical piece called Armed Robbers’ Strike and his hilarious jokes.

Rachael Obodo’s The Victim, a novel on a teenager who was molested by her father, raised debates over the father’s reaction after the act. He slapped himself after committing the act, saying he did not know it was his daughter and not his wife he slept with.

There is no justification for the action in the pages she read, it was said. However, Obodo said they would under-

stand better if they read the book.

Mr Sam Omatseye’s latest poetry collection entitled: Lion Wind and Other Poems seemed to be the toast of the evening as Tolar and Anthony read two poems each from the collection. All these were done over pepper soup and assorted drinks.

“It was quite a refreshing evening,” said Emmanuel Afiawari, a first-timer. “I really learnt a lot. And I made new friends and got new books to take home.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

‘Nigerians are becoming aware of artworks as investment’ Nigeria’s art market is thriving. The value of works is rising. One of the positive things happening is the auctioning of works by artists. Arthouse is a leading auction house that organises regular sales of works by notable artists. Last week, it auctioned 101 works. What does the event hold for the art market? EVELYN OSAGIE spoke with the Managing Director of Arthouse Contemporary Limited, Mrs Kavita Chellaram, on the trend and more. Excerpts:

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OULD you say that the past auctions were successful?

Yes! Nearly eighty per cent of our works are sold. It is quite an incredible feat for an auction house. Generally, I think people sell fifty, sixty or sixty-five per cent of their works…eighty per cent in this kind of market which is not yet back to what it was before the recession is fantastic. And we saw the change from 2010 to 2011: it was quite a dramatic change. In 2009, we did sixty-nine.

In both auctions last year, we did about 75 and 79, which was a great achievement compared to the previous year. This year’s was equally good. And we see that the interest in the art is growing. More Nigerians are becoming aware of artworks as an investment rather than just for pleasure. The prices are going up and we have new buyers and collectors at every auction.

Why is it that beside the first auction where a work sold for N9.2 million, none has exceeded it?

Well, in the penultimate auction we went up to N9 million, which was N200, 000 short. We have had works selling consistently at high prices. Measuring the success is not necessarily about which individual work sold highest but the overall success. The first auction was the highest. Well, it was the first time ever; and I think people were excited. I think we had 97 per cent, and that was shortly before the recession. And even the second, we were ahead of the recession and then, by the third, the recession hit. But we found, from the fourth, that the market was coming back to what it was before the recession.

How has Arthouse been coping with the competition from other groups which are into auctions?

We love competition. It is a great thing that other people are doing it. It means more people are becoming aware of the market.

Do you think the market is strong enough to sustain more auctions?

I don’t think having other auctions has actually affected us, our sales or clientele. Besides new artworks and first-timers, what new feature have you added to this year’s auction?

This edition featured more photographers than the previous one that featured George Osodi. This one also featured him and Tam Fiofori’s two works, among others. We will be having some more in the next one. What we are always trying to do is to scout around for new talents. We are always looking for new people to introduce into every auction so that the buyers and collectors don’t get bored. So, we are always seeking new artists in every auction and also to promote young artists.

How long does it take you to gather the works for an auction?

We get so many works that we cannot put everything out.

Sometimes, we get up to 300 to 400 works. And so, we have to choose. And that is the most challenging. That takes us the longest time.

How do you divide the lots between the popular and the young artists?

We go by what we like and see. I mean, there might be some older artists whose works are not good enough.

What do you look at before featuring an artwork in an auction, especially works by new artists?

We look at whether what the new talents are doing is different from what we have seen. We have a lot of artists who are graduating from different schools; and we choose people whom we think have promise. And we also get artists to submit works and choose what we like or what we think the buyers will buy.

We really look for things that we feel will sell.

And how do you know a work will sell; is there a pattern or based on the experience of past auctions?

Based on the experience of past auctions, we are able to determine which artists’ works people are looking for. There are those looking for Enwonwu’s work any time and any day. So, we have actually tailored our works towards what our clients want and, from time to time, we get requests from clients here and abroad for works of certain artists. These are some of the things that influences the kind works that is put up for auction.

Apart from that, works must speak for themselves. They must be very good works; they must have aesthetics. It is not just about putting anything and everything up for auction. And if you look at the lists of works in all the auctions, you would see a trend. There have been constant names in the auctions because they always sell. Clients are always looking for their works.

And people are coming to Arthouse because they know that they can buy authentic works; they are not going to fall into wrong hands and get any works. There are lots of forgeries around. And we try to be very careful as to what comes out of Arthouse.

It has been observed that in international art markets that South African art has a higher value than Nigerian. What do you think is responsible?

It is because the South African market is far more established than the Nigerian one. They have a longer history of people seriously collecting works of art. South Africans have been collecting artworks way before Nigerians started. There, you have a big art market and lots of galleries. South Africa is also a tourist’s haven, many tourists visit there every year. And its art is highly popular among tourists than Nigeria’s. Because of economic conditions, we do not have tourists coming into this country, especially because of the fear of kidnapping and other

•Another auction work, The Princess, by Kolade Oshinowo

•Dignity of Labour, a work at the auction by Kunle Adegborioye

VISUAL ART crises. So we have never had tourists coming in to have a look at our works of art.

And every work is judged by the market environment and the force of the people. For instance, if there are three people in the room who want a work and they think the value should be X, they would pay. Nigeria’s market still hasn’t got over $100, 000, that is the maximum that we have achieved. So we have a long way to go.

How can our artworks appreciate in value, higher than it is now, especially at an auction?

It is only when collectors feel that the value of works should go up, that they go up. It is all judged by the collectors. Ours is to value the work and collectors take it up to a different level.

What do you think is the reason for the interest in African arts in recent times?

Collectors abroad are looking for new aspects to put into their collections or quality works with reasonable prices which Africa is now offering. And I think everyone is looking for a new market, new works and things that they have not seen before. And people are able to promote African art. It now has some kind of strength to stand. People can now buy works by artists that are respected in Nigeria. Artists are establish-

‘We see that the interest in the arts is growing. More Nigerians are becoming aware of artworks as an investment rather than just for pleasure. The prices are going up and we have new buyers and collectors at every auction’

•Mrs Chellaram

ing their names which they were not doing before. People always want to buy works by artists who are established in their own country.

With the interest in African art, do you see the possibility of having an auction outside Nigeria?

Not yet. We did put up some pieces at an auction in New York last year; we sold many of our works. So, we try to create awareness wherever we can but we have not yet thought of doing anything abroad.

Most of your auctions have been in Lagos. When do you intend to shift the auction?

We have our collectors here. We are thinking of doing an auction in Abuja, possibly next year.

Why Abuja? Is prospect there?

Yes. There is more interest definitely. And as far as collectors are concerned, there is a lot of sale of art in Abuja. After Lagos, it is the second largest art market. We have clients from Abuja.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

36

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Standing for culture

• Bata tribe chief priests clapping at the Vunon Cultural Festival in Farai village, Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa ... last weekend.

Insider’s way-out to Nigeria’s nightmares

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XPRESSING candid opinion is not something serving public servants often engage in. That’s not Dr Iyorwuese Hagher, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada, in his latest book, Nigeria: After the Nightmare. And as the author states in his introduction, “this book attempts to look at the lost years of Nigeria’s waste and wanton squandermania of its national wealth.” But he started out like a story writer: ‘Wazobia is thirty five years old when he died. He had been very ill for a whole year. Most of that year, he could still afford to visit the hospital.

He would spend several hours waiting to see a doctor or nurse at the outpatient departments of our hospital, along with other “living dead.” That was in his prologue: Snapshots.

This academician, politician, administrator and diplomat then went on to establish the basis for the title of his book. With the book’s three parts that have The Brink Scenario, Nightmare Scenario, and Revival Scenario, the author notes that one of Nigeria’s nightmares is the wrong perception other nations have about it.

He would observe that international affairs is often dictated by perception rather than reality, and it is not just Nigeria that has suffered from this. Wrong notion that Iraq had nuclear bombs led to an invasion, the full impact of which is yet to be ascertained.

What worked against that nation has worked against Nigeria, too. This nation, the author insists however, does not deserve it.

It is also undeserving of the status of a ‘state to watch’ on United States of America’s terror list, a tag the nation came by in December 2009 following the attempted effort by Nigeria’s Umar Abdumutallab to bomb an airplane out of US skies. But the event as well as the stigmatization that followed, the author posits, is an outcome of a conglomeration of other problems.

The author notes that part of Nigeria’s nightmare is in the fact that it is not what a Nigerian thinks he is that counts, but what the outside world perceives him to be. While a Nigerian sees himself as a fun loving, enigmatic, political and religious being, the international community sees him as an over-confident, black African, loud-mouthed and a sweet talker who descends from a geneatic pool of scammers. In a situation where a former US Secretary of States, Collin Powel, and Oprah Winfrey, could hold this much view, the author worries that Nigeria’s image

PHOTO: NAN

BOOK REVIEW TITLE:

Nigeria: After the Nightmare

AUTHOR: REVIEWER:

Dr Iyorwuese Hagher Tunji Ajibade

PUBLISHER: University Press of America problem abroad is a nightmare indeed. Then he went further to explore how the damage was done.

Nigeria, under Western eyes, is seen mostly from books, the media and in films. New York bestsellers such as the non-fiction work, The Ice Man; CNN’s How To Rob A Bank; the films, 419: The Nigerian Scam; as well as District 9 and The Coming Anarchy by Robert Kaplan are the opium of the Western middle class, its bureaucratic elites and its public service. They are the channels from which they perceive a nation such as Nigeria and this reflects in their diplomatic dispatches. Some of these materials in books, the media and films hit at West Africa most, of all the regions of the African continent and they especially single out Nigeria for bludgeoning. Much damage, Hagher notes, were done in this way than any other. But it is not just Nigeria that Hagher looks at in his analysis here. He also brought subjects and events from around the world together to show how much injustice is done to the nation in series of attempts by Western writers, journalists and filmmakers to deliberately portray Nigeria in the extremes.

While treating issues that constitute nightmares for Nigeria, the author traces some of the problems to their roots. He selects and treats issues that, internally, contributed to the situation in which the nation found herself. When the author mentions corruption in official circles, for instance, he notes how foreign companies in the course of transacting business have encouraged it over the years. Then there was his observation of what he calls the ascending capabilities of generations of leaders in Nigeria to encourage corruption, a thing that led to the coinage of the name, lootocrats. And there was election violence that had begun in the early post independence years, which led to military rule, the civil war, and the attendant negative consequences such as the endemic corruption that the military brought into the system.

“The sad mismanagement of the economy by the military in Nigeria and the drift to war and the scars of the Nigerian-Biafran conflict, are still tender today. These have been some of Nigeria’s many afflictions.”

Writing at length, and as a contemporary of some of the events he described, Hagher notes of Nigeria’s troublesome paths to underdevelopment thus: “Since the 1950s corruption and poverty found very fertile ground in Nigeria. Paradoxically, every Nigerian leader claimed to be fighting corruption, yet Nigeria seemed to be under developing.” And right in the centre of all this is the military. Yakubu Gowon who came to power in a military coup detat in 1966 showed himself incapable of

stemming corruption, although he was personally perceived not to be a corrupt man. Gowon’s administration, according to the author, was less corrupt compared to subsequent administrations. Murtala Mohammed who took over from him, and who fought corruption was killed six months after he arrived office, but his second in command who took over as Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo (and Nigeria’s ruler who served the longest), encouraged corruption when he quietly abrogated the corrupt practices decree of 1975, and replaced it with the False Accusations Decree of March 1976. The spiral wave of corruption as well as collapse of the economy, to perennial poverty situation from then on till 1999 when the current democratic experiment began was monumental, and Obasanjo cannot be exempted from it. He, it was, that had opened door for West’s IMF, World Bank in his first coming in 1976, his “surrogate”, the military president, Ibrahim Babangida, did the same between 1985 and 1993, and by the time he returned in 1999 -2007, Obasanjo opened the door wider for these world financial institutions to execute programmes that contributed in no small measure to ruining the economy as well as further under develop the nation.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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ABUJA REVIEW

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RINCIPAL of the Vocational Rehabilitation Institute for the Handicapped, Kuchiko-Bwari, in Bwari Area Council of the FCT, Comrade Bala Sowho has expressed displeasure over the use of the institution’s premises as transit camp by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, (AEPB) for environmen-

Centre condemns use of premises as transit camp Stories from Bukola Amusan

tal sanitation offenders.

Speaking recently at the re-opening of the institute which was closed down for

Unless you tell me that this is not an institution, but a place for camping sanitation offenders then I can agree with you…While the several agencies in the FCTA were doing good jobs, it was not acceptable for any of the agencies to undermine the inputs of others through their activities

nearly five years, Comrade Sowho said it was sad that AEPB transformed the place to transit camp for environmental sanitation offenders for five years running.

Mr. Sowho said ordinarily, there ought to be mobile courts trying sanitation offenders who, if convicted, ought to be taken to the appropriate places where they should serve their jail terms.

He said transforming an institution into a transit camp or otherwise was unacceptable. “...Unless you tell me that this is not an institution, but a place for camping sanitation offenders, then I can agree with you,” he said, urging government to do

more in making the place what it ought to be.

Responding, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed promised to look into the situation.

He condemned the scenario where AEPB had to camp sanitation offenders in the institute’s premises against the wishes of the people, promising to reverse the trend within one week.

Senator Mohammed said that while the several agencies in the FCTA were doing good jobs, it was not acceptable for any of the agencies to undermine the inputs of others through their activities.

Foundation lifts disabled children, health centre

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NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation (NGO), Al-Muhibba Foundation has redeemed its pledge to the students of the School for People with Special Needs located at Karimajiji, near the City Gate Abuja.

Donating items on behalf of the foundation, the chairperson and founder of the foundation and the wife of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hajia Aishatu Bala Mohammed emphasised the need to give all-round assistance to the vulnerable in the society.

She recalled that last year she paid visited most of the special schools in the FCT, which included the School for the Handicapped, School for the Blind, and School for the Deaf.

She further said that the school for the blind needed urgent attention because its over 200 pupils sit on bare floor to receive their lessons.

This unacceptable deplorable state of learning in the FCT informed her decision to immediately respond to these challenges confronting the students by providing them the required number of tables and desks, teachers’ tables and chairs, cartons of chalk, Al-Muhibbabranded exercise books, as well as other learning and instructional materials.

Receiving the items on behalf of the management and staff of the centre, the Head teacher, Mallam Shaibu Hudu Ahmed expressed profound joy and appreciation to Mrs. Mohammed for her timely intervention towards ensuring an effective learning situation for the pupils.

A primary six pupil, Mahadis Suleiman who spoke on behalf of the pupils praised Mrs. Mohammed and the foundation for making their learning environment conducive through the provision of reading tables and desks, exercise books, chalks and other learning aids.

Also, the foundation has donated hospital equipment worth millions of Naira to Dutse Makaranta Primary Health Centre in Bwari Area Council of the FCT. While donating the items to the management of the clinic, the Minister’s wife promised to continue to respond to the challenges and plight of the needy, the orphans and the sick in the society, stressing that the goal of her Foundation is to show uttermost care to the dead and the living.

The founder reiterated her determination to ensure that every area council within the FCT benefits from her foundation’s generosity.

She disclosed that her foundation has beautified and fenced some cemeteries and graveyards across the FCT, adding that details of projects by the foundation shall be made known to the public soon.

Commenting, the wife of Bwari Area Council Chairman, Mrs. Tamar Yohanna Peter thanked Mrs. Mohammed for her unwavering efforts to uplift and advance the lives of the less-privileged in the FCT. She called on other NGOs to emulate the vision of Al-Muhibba in order to

bring relief and succour to the poor and helpless in our society.

Reacting on behalf of the clinic, the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Benson Udu extolled the virtues of the proprietor of the foundation.

He posited that the donation of the items to the clinic will go a long way in assisting, in no small way, the patients that daily besiege the clinic for some ailments including delivery and emergency services.

Hajia Aisha Mohammed was accompanied by the wife of FCT Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Boladale Olorunfemi, wife of FCT Senator-elect, Mrs. Hauwa Philip Aduda, wife of FCT House of Representative-elect, Mrs. Florence Jisalo, wives of the six area council chairmen, women groups, friends of the NGO, among others.

Some of the items donated included laboratory equipment, anti-malarial drugs, blood-related drugs and antibiotic drugs, wheelchairs, moveable couch for emergency, examination couch, delivery couch, plastic chairs, among others.

•Items donated to Dutse Makaranta PHC, Bwari, Abuja

•Hajia Aisha Mohammed (second, standing from right) with management and staff of Dutse Makaranta

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

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ABUJA REVIEW

Minister approves land for gold medallists

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LL the 25 gold medallists and 16 officials that represented the Federal Capital Territory at the 16th National Sports Festival in Kaduna State last year will be given cash reward and a plot of land each in the FCT. The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed made this disclosure in Abuja while flaggingoff the “Torch of Unity” for the 17th National Sports Festival tagged “Garden City Games 2011”.

The Minister further disclosed that the Silver and Bronze medallists would receive cash reward only for their exemplary display of commitment to sports development in the FCT. Senator Mohammed challenged FCT athletes to the 2011 sports fiesta in Port Harcourt, River State to exhibit the same zeal and commitment to ensure that the Federal Capital Territory emerges as one of the top 10 on the medal table.

To ensure effective and wider participation in sports by all youths, the minister revealed that relevant sports equipment were distrib-

From Bukola Amusan

uted to all the 62 wards, in some cases with reasonable financial support.

He said: “We have a stake in sport given its potential to foster unity, cooperation, and understanding among its participants, followers and the community at large.

Earlier, the Secretary of Social Development Secretariat, Mrs. Blessing Onuh thanked the Minister for the special attention given to sports development in the Federal Capital Territory.

She assured that the FCT athletes to the forthcoming 17th National Sports Festival tagged will perform better than the previous year.

The FCT Minister, who received the “Torch of Unity” from the FCT Minister of State, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, passed it on to the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Biodun Nathaniel Olorunfemi for onward transmission to the FCT Area Councils.

The 17th National Sports Festival is expected to commence on June 27.

Cab driver arraigned for snatching bag

Monarch’s recipe for effective child spacing

Stories From Hannah Omah

By Dele Anofi

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HE police in Abuja have arraigned a 30-year-old commercial vehicle driver, Muhammed Ibrahim before an Abuja Magistrate’s Court for allegedly snatching the bag of one Nwankwo Chidimma of Kuje Area Council. The police prosecutor, Corporal Anigbo Paul told the court that Chidimma reported the accused person at Lugbe Police Station.

He revealed that the complainant boarded a taxi with Reg. No. AR148MKA from Area One on his way to Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja but reaching new Kuchingoro Junction, Ibrahim and other accused persons now at large snatched her bag.

The contents in the complainant’s bag were phones, the sum of N7, 000, driver’s licence and various banks ATM. The prosecutor said the accused persons committed a joint act and theft punishable under Section 79 and 288 of the Penal Code Law. The accused pleaded not guilty when the charge sheet was read and sought for bail.

Magistrate Hauwa Aminu granted him bail in the sum of N60,000 and two sureties in like sum.

He ordered that the sureties must have a reasonable means of livelihood and the case was adjourned till May 26, 2011.

Police arrest hoteliers over theft

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IVE people working at a hotel in Abuja have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing expensive phones, laptops and causing hurt to one Femi Alade and Hakeem Taiwo who lodged in their hotel.

The accused persons: Orji Dalington, Joyce Bassey, Hope Oshogbome, Titus Ebanwam and Godwin Sule were arraigned for joint act, causing hurt, and theft.

This contravened Section 79, 244, and 288 of the Penal Code Law. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complaints drove into the hotel as they returned from a night club and decided to have some rest, but they were not allowed to enter their room.

The accused persons bullied them until they sustained injuries.

In the process, he said, the complainants lost three phones valued N167, 000 and one HP laptop valued at N115, 000.

They pleaded not guilty and sought for bail. This was not opposed by the prosecutor, Anigbo Paul.

The Magistrate, Omolola Oladipo granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N100, 000 each.and one HP laptop valued at N115, 000.

•Olubolade

•Muhammed

•HRH Idris Musa, MFR, Emir of Jiwa

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HE Emir of Jiwa, His Royal Highness (HRH) Alhaji Idris Musa (MFR), has said that the culture of a community should be taken into consideration while planning campaign on child spacing messages, even as he added that any crusade on the issue without weaving it around the local people’s cultural background might not be successful.

He stated this during a campaign on child spacing carried out in his domain by Susan Rich, Senior Programme Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Susan Kreen, Director, Centre for Communications Programme (CCP)/Johns Hopkins University, USA. The campaign took place at his Jiwa community, a fast-growing town which is a few kilometres from Abuja metropolis.

Not totally in the interior of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Dei Dei-Life Camp Road leading to the community has become almost impassable. Still social and public amenities are almost non-existent; the people were highly enterprising and resourceful as attested to by the number of secondary and primary schools that the community is hosting.

Alhaji Musa and his subjects were however excited when the message of child-spacing was taken to them by the duo of Susan Rich and Susan Kreen.

The monarch, who could not hide his excitement said: “The message brought by these people is welcome by my people and the entirety of Nigerians because it touches on issues of mortality and morbidity rate. Most of our women have lost their lives when their wombs get tired and they are ignorant about it, even as they are ignorant of the poverty situation around them. At times, exploding population brings problems to the economy and the society.”

According to the royal father, the time has come for Nigerians to be realistic on matters of raising children. He noted that even though everyone believes that it is God that gives children, one must learn to be aware of one’s eco-

nomic capabilities.

“As Nigerians would say, you have to cut your coat according to your cloth, we have to give birth to children that we can give the best as our economic resources dictate.

“In a matter like this, we do not have to deceive ourselves. For instance, you have to be mindful of your age; think of the remaining number of years you are going to spend on earth. If you calculate the years you have already spent and what you are likely to spend more, then you have to be realistic if you don’t want to jeopardize the lives of those young ones before they could take care of themselves,” he added.

While he pointed out that the benefits of the child-spacing crusade are enormous, the traditional ruler nonetheless opined that people’s culture and tradition must be well understood before the message is taken to them. “One critical aspect that I think must be taken into consideration in spreading this message of child spacing is the issue of culture and traditional orientation of the people you are targeting.

“The issue of child spacing can be very sensitive in some communities and that makes it imperative for the message bearers to be knowledgeable about such communities. You have to understand their habits, character, prejudice and even their taboos. These are important because it is through the knowledge of these key factors that you will design the format your messages would take.

“Having known their weaknesses and strong points, to design the form your message would take would be a lot simpler and better result would be achieved through that. Of course, you must have known when to step out and what to say at each point. That way, maximum result would be guaranteed without imping-

If we have to go by the Nigerian situation, child spacing or non-adoption of it has little impact on the economy if we take into account the level of financial impunity on the part of those opportune to be in position of power

ing on their sensitivities.

“To be honest, we cannot ignore the powerful effects religion has on individuals in this country. So, religious aspect of passing the message of child spacing must be thoroughly reflected on for the desired result. We have to look at it and use it positively so that it will not turn out to be destructive to the goals of improving the society.

“In Islam, for instance, a man is allowed to marry four wives. This contrasts with what obtains in Christianity where a man is allowed to marry just only one wife.

“It however turns out that we have seen a Christian family of one man one wife having more than 10 children, while a Muslim with his four wives could barely give birth to six children, deliberately or otherwise. I am not making it up; it is a reality of our society,” the Emir said.

He also assured his guests on the effectiveness of the method to be adopted for a successful campaign in his domain, saying that spacing children has more advantages for individuals and the country at large.

He said: ”My community is well receptive of the message brought by these organisations and those that were here today would spread it to others, that is the instruction. They are happy and ready to spread it. We have our strategy of spreading messages to the last person in the community.

“We will adopt a simple method in sending this message so that they will easily understand it because if the message you are passing cannot be understood by the target audience, then you are just wasting your time. We know the implication of this to our community and that is why we have adopted the simplest method of passing the message to them.

We cannot depend on either the radio or the television for passing the message around because both may be luxury to a poor hungry man; probably unemployed because of being retrenched.

“He may just not be opportune or be in the best frame of mind to assimilate such messages from the media but from within the community and constantly too, everyone is bound to hear it, understand it and make use of it.”

The traditional ruler however opined that child-spacing might become ineffective when juxtaposed with the pervasive financial impunity by those in authorities.

He further said: “Child spacing is for the health of the family and the society, no doubt.

What we must get clear of is the fact that child spacing and the state of the economy are two things entirely. If we have to go by the Nigerian situation, child spacing or non-adoption of it has little impact on the economy if we take into account the level of financial impunity on the part of those opportune to be in position of power.

“While the individual might be affected for not spacing his children, the country’s economy is more affected by those looting the national resources.”

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

We have resolved to mount pressure on all Jukuns representatives either in the National Assembly or the House of Assembly to see their elections as an opportunity to represent the people and not to see their elections as their own making

Jukun urge work to begin on Benue Bridge

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HE Jukuns Development Association has congratulated the president-elect, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and the Taraba State Governor-elect Danbaba Suntai, for their success at the April general elections, even as they called on the President to take another look at the abandoned River Benue Bridge among other projects littering Jukunland with a view to completing them.

The group also praised the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega, for giving to the nation a free and fair election.

In a statement by its National President Mr Benjamin Danburmo, the group said the overwhelming mandate both leaders received at the poll was another opportunity to enable them set the nation on the right path.

According to the group, while the president must brace up to creating jobs and increasing the power generation capacity, the state governor must ensure he build bridges across divides to forge the kind of unity under which the state could move forward.

“We are calling on the president-elect to

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HE World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) have advocated for the full implementation of the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) as well as passing into law by the National Assembly the National Heath Bill.

The Federal Government has completed arrangement to establish mega drug distribution centres in the six geo-political zones of the country.

According to the two organisations, the two documents contained all it takes for the country to achieve its set targets in health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDG) as well as turn the prevailing poor health indices around.

Jane Miller, Country Representative of DFID who spoke in Abuja during the opening of the 54th National Council on Health

By Yinka Aderibigbe

address frontally the issue of electricity and job creation, while the state governor should address all grievances that led to the crippling workers’ strike earlier in the year,” the statement said.

According to Danburmo, the governor as the father of all should speedily move into action and rally together all those who competed with him at the poll for the more serious business of building a virile, stable and more prosperous state.

“The governor should avoid all situations that could result in the resumption of industrial disharmony in the state, such as the type that resulted in a state-wide strike.

The Jukuns specifically demanded for the review of the Takum/Wukari road, which they claimed has become a death trap as the contractor Messrs Moore Construction had allegedly abandoned the project.

They equally called for an immediate action to be taken on the construction of the weak Ibi Bridge over River Benue. According to the statement, several lives are lost

on a monthly basis as people cross the River Benue in rickety canoes.

“We are therefore calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to let his good name wrought the same miracle for the Jukuns by re-awarding these contracts. This is the only way he would reciprocate the good gesture of the Jukuns at the poll.

The group urged the President to liaise with the association in the appointment into political office holders in order to ensure that those eventually appointed represent the collective interest of the Jukuns.

“We have resolved to mount pressure on all Jukuns representatives either in the National Assembly or the House of Assembly to see their elections as an opportunity to represent the people and not to see their elections as their own making,” the statement said.

The statement also said the association is putting finishing touches to celebrating all Jukuns who have contributed in no small way to the development of their homeland.

•Benjamin

Fed Govt urged to achieve MDGs From Dele Anofi, Abuja

meeting, noted that billions of naira are lost each year to the Nigerian economy as a result of the extraordinarily poor health status of Nigerians.

She said: “Economists estimate that US$1 to $2 billion is lost to the Nigerian economy each year as a result of malaria alone with workers staying off the job as a result of their own ill health, or to take care of sick family members which often results in premature death. Most of this ill health is preventable.

“Passage of the National Health Bill into law would provide resources to enable the shift in emphasis toward primary health

care. The new government should urgently and publicly commit itself to passing the Health Bill within the first 100 days of the inauguration”.

She said the National Assembly should urgently pass the Health Bill to provide two percent of the consolidated federal revenue to fund primary health care and ensure that the most effective primary care interventions in the health sector are prioritised.

She added that government should ensure that financing of key inputs – such as essential drugs, equipment, contraceptives, transport, maintenance services and other operational costs is provided.

She also advised that increased plan-

•Enugu zonal sales manager of Literamed Publications Ltd, Mr. Tony Uche (left) presenting textbooks to the chairman of the state library board, Sir Charles Udeh as a contribution of the company to the growth of education in the state. Behind them are officials of the company.

PHOTO: OBI CLETUS

ning and budget allocations for health from an average of six per cent to 15 per cent at all levels of the Nigerian Government would assist in meeting set objectives In his remarks, WHO Country Representative, Dr. David Okello said there is need to aggressively begin implementation of the plans.

While he noted that the partnership compact document signed with the development partners should serve as commitment to implement and uphold the NSHDP, Okello said it should also strengthen harmonisation and alignment of efforts at national and sub-national levels.

“We urged the national authorities to fast-track the final legislation of the National Health Bill. This legislation will provide an important additional guide to the responsibilities of health authorities.

“It is also a means of improving accountability and governance,” he added.

In his keynote address, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed that between now and July next year, the Federal Government would establish mega drug distribution centres in the six geo-political zones.

He said the drug centres would be established on public private partnership arrangement while states were expected to establish State drug Distribution Centres (SDDC).

We urged the national authorities to fast-track the final legislation of the National Health Bill. This legislation will provide an important additional guide to the responsibilities of health authorities

SLIDING TACKLE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

42

A

CTING executive secretary of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL), Tunji Babalola has warned clubs to stop blaming referees for their defeat.

Babalola who decried the upsurge of blames and resort by clubs as heaping of blames on referees, once the outcome of the game did not favour them told SuperSport.com that the antics is retrogressive and would further drag the name of the league into the mud.

“Clubs should accept defeat in good faith and not to point accusing fingers on the referees. They should stop blaming referees for all their defeats.

“When things do not go the way they expected it, let them carry out some selfexamination and if they strongly feel that they have

Kaduna United confident of beating ES Setif

NPL to clubs: Stop blaming refs for defeat K been short-changed, let them write to the NPL and support their petitions with circumstantial evidence, surely we will look into it.

“But the rush to blame referees will not help the development of the league. I will advice them to play by the rules. “Although, on our part we see the complaints as not being a Nigerian thing, it is global even in most developed leagues in Europe, rarely do you see clubs commend referees but we

should not take it far as to destroy our league.”

Babalola who specifically did not take kindly to the allegations by unnamed Dolphins official who accused Sunshine Stars of undermining their quest for league crown and Crown FC who blamed their defeat to Niger Tornadoes on the referee, the NPL scribe adviced them to be professional in their utterances and rather pay more attention in playing quality football.

“It is merely petty, do we

• Ayoola Moses

have to import referees to officiate in our local league. I advice them to play good game, score good goals, no referee can dispute it. There is a limit to the help a referee could offer to a weak team even if he desires to do so.

“Clubs should act and behave professionally, you cannot be running your own race and at the same time still want to determine how the next person finishes.

“We do not have leader for the league yet, the second stanza just started, so the talk of one team undermining another team is absolute rubbish and such alarming statement will not be taken lightly again,” he said.

Meanwhile, a top official of Sunshine, Mike Idoko has cautioned Dolphins to weigh their words before they dish it out to the public.

Insisting that such deliberate blackmail and falsehood aimed at tarnishing the good name of the club will not be allowed any further, Idoko told SuperSport.com that NPL needs to step in to save the league and its reputation from such unguarded outburst.

“It is a cheap blackmail and it will not deter us from pursuing our legitimate target.

Every club wants to win the league, except Dolphins are saying that the title is their birth-right.

“Even as that, they should be humble enough to allow the league to run its full course, NPL should watch such unfounded utterance and stop it forthright,” he told SuperSport.com.

Dolphins lead the premier league with 46 points followed

by Sunshine on 42 points; both teams are away to Rangers and Enyimba respectively in Wednesday’s mid-week games.

DOLPHINS VS RANGERS

Egumah promises fans good outing

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FTER a robust response on Saturday against Plateau Utd from the league leaders, Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt, who were trashed 3 - 0 at Aba, at the resumption of the league, Coach Stanley Egumah seem determined never to allow such again.

In a chat with NationSport on their week 22 encounter coming up in Enugu today, Stanley said he was going all out to get results at Enugu and pleaded with their fans for support as they tackle the tough opponents in this second round.

He also noted that losing with such wide margin in Aba does not mean that the team was not prepared for the league resumption.

"Like I said before, every match has a different

“Clubs should accept defeat in good faith and not to point accusing fingers on the referees. They should stop blaming referees for all their defeats. When things do not go the way they expected it, let them carry out some self-examination and if they strongly feel that they have been short-changed, let them write to the NPL.” Acting executive secretary of the NPL, Tunji Babalola warning clubs to lodge their complains on match decisions to the NPL’s office with substantial evidence instead of attacking referees.

From Florence Nkem Israel, Port Harcourt approach and we are going to play in Enugu with all optimism. We are going there to get points. I assure our fans that we are going to perform, let them pray for us

and the team will not let them down.

"It is true we lost 3 - 0 in Aba but that we lost with that margin does not mean that all is bad in the team or that we didn't prepare; we will still bounce back to

getting good results away", he re-assured.

Meanwhile, fans are gearing up for the week twenty three encounter as Sharks will be visiting Dolphins come Sunday at the Liberation stadium, Elekahia.

Sharks: Lobi can’t escape our bite

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ITH some good record trailing, Sharks is one team that is very much focused and determined to hit the continent this season and they are working hard to keep the flag flying.

Having lost nothing in the last five matches of the season, coupled with some good away records including the draw pulled against JUTH last weekend, the Blue Angels is set to consolidate their stand

From Florence Nkem Israel, Port Harcourt on the log today as they battle Lobi Stars of Makurdi at the Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt.

Speaking with NationSport on the match today, club's image maker, Idaa Confidence is sure that the visiting club will not escape with any point from the Garden City.

"We are sure to consolidate our position on the log after

this match. We are going to beat Lobi Stars. They are a good side, they play good football but we also know that we are better positioned to beat them and that victory will enable us to move up the log.

"We have not lost in the last five matches and we've resolved not drop anymore points at home so, Lobi Stars will definitely fall in Port Harcourt because they will not escape the bite of Sharks", he boasted.

ADUNA United Football Club has said that it was prepared to face the challenge posed by their Algerian opponent Entente Sport-Setif in the next stage of the Confederation Cup scheduled to take place between May 26 and 29th of this month in Algiers.

The Team’s Technical Adviser, Maurice Cooreman who disclosed this said that the team has been prepared to confront any team right from the beginning, adding that his youthful team are eager to prove their competence on the field of play.

The former Enyimba Football club coach said “for the past one month, we have been preparing for this match, because we know we are going to meet any team among the teams that are competing in this championship.

“Kaduna United is now a big team and we are not afraid of

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

any club in the continent and by the special grace of God, my team will be among the two teams that will play in the finals of this championship”.

Cooreman said that even though they don’t know much about their opponent, his experience in African Football has placed him at a vantage position to play any opponent home or away.

Adding that, he has confidence on his players.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Hon. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed has assured the team of the support of the state government to ensure that they win the Orange cup and called on the players to have confidence on themselves by making sure that they beat E.S Setif at home.

• Kaduna Utd players celebrates

Enyimba speaks on Champions League foes EAD coach of Enyimba, Okey Emordi has described their CAF Champions League draw as a tough one.

The two-time African champions from Nigeria are drawn in Group A alongside Al-Hilal of Sudan, Raja Casablanca of Morocco and Coton Sport Garoua of Cameroon.

Emordi, who won the Champions League with Enyimba in 2004, told SuperSport.com that the teams in their group are well established sides in African club competitions.

"Al-Hilal of Sudan are a big club from that region and have been in the Champions League for some time now. The team from Cameroon, Coton Sport, were in the final two years ago and have been a regular in the competition since then. As for Raja Casablanca, they are not newcomers to club football on the continent. So you cannot say it is an easy draw but we will be ready for our opponents," said Emordi.

Midfielder Eneji Otekpa backed his coach describing their group opponents as tough teams.

H

"Every team that made it to the group stage is tough. I know they will give us our respect since we have won the cup twice in the past. But we will give it our best to make sure that we qualify for the semifinal," Otekpa told SuperSport.com.

The Nigerian champions will open their campaign at home against Al-Hilal on July 17.

In Sunday's inter-club draws by CAF, Al Ahly of Egypt, Mouloudia Club of Algeria and Esperance of Tunisia got drawn in Group B. The group will be completed by either Wydad Casablanca of Morocco or Simba SC of Tanzania.

Titleholders, Tout Puissant Mazembe of DR Congo, were thrown out of the competition over the weekend by CAF for fielding an ineligible player in Javier Bokungu in both legs of their second round game against Simba SC in April.

Simba SC protested to CAF that Bokungu still had an existing contract with Esperance when he featured for TP Mazembe against them in April.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

43

MONEY

CBN, banks disburse N133b agric funds T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 13 banks have given out N133.11 billion to beneficiaries of the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS).

The fund is meant to boost the sector’s funding from financial institutions. The 139 beneficiaries, comprising 115 individuals/private promoters and 24 states, accessed the funds through the local banks.

The state requested the CACS funds for on-lending to farmers’ unions and co-operatives and for other agricultural interventions within their regions.

“Since inception in 2009, the CBN has released N133.11 billion for disbursement to 139 beneficiaries made up of 115 individuals/private promoters and 24 state governments,” the apex bank said in a statement.

By last month, N20.568 billion had

Stories by Collins Nweze been withdrawn from five banks for 22 projects by CBN. It also showed that UBA Plc gave out N12.053 billion for 17 projects; GTB Plc, N0.581 billion, one project; Skye Bank Plc, N2 billion, one project; FirstBank of Nigeria Plc, N1.6 billion, one project and Union Bank of Nigeria, N2.166 billion, one project. The balance of CACS funds as at last month was N66.890 billion and the cash is still with the CBN. In March, it was Benue and Kano states that accessed N1 billion each under the CACS. As at March, the sum of N16.234 billion was withdrawn with respect to 20 projects approved by the apex bank and accessed through four deposit money banks.

Access Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, Oceanic Bank Plc, Skye

Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Union Bank of Nigeria, United Bank for Africa, Unity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Citibank and Diamond Bank Plc are currently participating in the scheme.

Bayelsa and Ogun states were able to access N1 billion each under the CACS in March while the other 22 states involved in the projects are Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Enugu, Gombe, Kebbi, Kogi, Imo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Sokoto, Taraba Zamfara, FCT, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Plateau, Edo, Kano and Benue.

It is expected that the agric sector, which enjoys little consideration by banks, will be the biggest beneficiary of a new policy that mandates banks to maximise lending to it.

Already, banks and the apex bank are discussing how to icrease lending to the sector.

“That agriculture contributes 40

per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is the largest employer of labour and yet receives one per cent of lending is not good enough,” Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido said.

Sanusi said the government needed to pay more attention to agriculture, which still has one of the greatest potentials in growing the economy.

He stressed that one way of achieving this, is by collaborating with the banking system to fix the value-chain problems in the agricultural sector.

Sanusi said economic development was about enhancing the productive capacity of an economy by using available resources to reduce risks, remove impediments, which otherwise could hinder investment.

Stanbic IBTC CEO advocates fiscal incentives, infrastructure financing

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• Mr. Leo Ezeokana, Group Head, Retail Banking, Enugu presenting the key of a Kia Picanto to Mrs. MaryAnn Igwe, who received it on behalf of her son, Master Nnaemeka Igwe, a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka who won the FirstBank Golden promo.

MasterCard survey pitches spending on education N

IGERIAN respondents to MasterCard’s latest survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities have revealed that their key spending priorities over the next six months will be on the education sector.

The survey said 58 per cent of people’s earnings will be spent on tuition, followed by continuing education 49 per cent. These a significant increase from 18 and six per cent recorded in both categories last year.

The MasterCard Survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities, released twice yearly, provides valuable insights into consumers’ discretionary spending priorities for the six months ahead.

According to the survey, respondents ranked Fashion and Accessories third 46 per cent as their spending priorities, up 6 per cent from a year ago. Conversely, Nigerians are looking to spend the least on Car/Motorcycle, which is 36 per cent; Dining and Entertainment got 30 per cent while Household Electrical Appliances will gulp 25 per cent in the next six months.

The latest survey was conducted from 13 September to 11 November 2010 and involved 10,502 consumers from 24 markets across Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Data collection was via internet surveys, personal, tele-

phone and computer aided telephone interviews, with the questionnaire translated to the local language wherever appropriate and necessary. The Survey and its accompanying reports do not represent MasterCard financial performance.

In the survey, 64 per cent of the respondents, compared to 55 per cent a year ago, said that they plan to increase their discretionary spending for the first half of 2011.

Only 19 per cent of them are expecting to maintain their discretionary spending, a noticeable decrease from 30 per cent a year ago.

Also, 17 per cent of the Nigerian respondents are planning to decrease their discretionary spending, a marginal increase from 16 per cent a year ago.

While discretionary spending forms a large part of this MasterCard survey, savings patterns also play a significant role in determining how consumers look to utilise their disposable income.

The survey found that the majority of the Nigerians plan to increase their savings in the coming six months, with a substantial 91 per cent of the respondents saying so - an increase from 85 per cent a

year ago. Citing uncertainty over the economic climate, Nigerians are expecting to save more than they had in the previous six months as they saw a need to be prepared for unforeseen emergency expenditures.

Only 5 per cent of those surveyed plan on maintaining their current savings level, a slight decrease from 8 per cent a year ago. The remaining 4 per cent compared to 7 per cent a year ago said they planned on saving less.

Also included in the survey were questions about the charitable habits of Nigerians. It was found that a substantial 70 per cent of Nigerians are planning on making a donation to a charity, with 21 per cent of the respondents saying that they will dedicate more than 5 per cent of their annual income to charity, while the majority 56 per cent plan to pledge 1 per cent to 5 per cent of their annual income.

“These results reflect the fact that Africa is full of diverse markets and reinforces the importance of ensuring that companies doing business in Africa must recognise and understand these differences and adapt and customise their approaches to each market appropriately,” says Daniel Monehin, area head, East & West Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, MasterCard Worldwide

He said the financial system, with banks as its major component, provides linkages for the different sectors of the economy and encourages high level of specialisation, expertise, economies of scale and conducive environment for implementing various economic policies of government. The CBN said it was committed to making agric businesses less risky through the creation of value-chain covering the entire production and marketing processes, capable of generating employment and income for the country.

Some of the key interventions in the real sector under this reform pillar include the N200 billion Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS) and another N200 billion Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Guarantee Scheme (SMECGS).

HE introduction of fiscal incentives for investors and adherence to contractual obligations will help attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and promote private sector-led infrastructure development, Managing Director/CEO, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, has said.

Besides, she said Nigeria must be seen to have the political will and stability as well as enact appropriate legislative and regulatory frameworks to attain the level of anticipated FDI. These measures, according to her, will help bridge gaps in infrastructure financing and stimulate private sector-led investments that are needed for rapid economic growth and development.

Speaking during the 27th Omolayole Annual Management Lecture in Lagos, David-Borha said governments in both developed and developing countries have successfully used the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to accelerate investment in infrastructure and improve service delivery.

Speaking on the theme, “Financing of infrastructural development in Nigeria: The Power Sector,” she said there exists huge financing and business opportunities across the entire infrastructure spectrum in

Nigeria. The acquisition of the various Power Holding Company of Nigeria assets, concessions to build and operate power plants as well as other assets such as railways, toll roads, airports, and seaports across the country are some of the few examples.

“Investment opportunities for the private sector abound. However the public sector has to create an enabling environment in order for significant foreign and domestic investments to be made in infrastructure development in Nigeria. For instance, the Bureau of Public Enterprise has received bids from investors indicating interest in various power sector assets across the power sector valuechain such as feedstock, generation, transmission and distribution, with substantial interest skewed towards generation and distribution areas,” she said.

He said, government’s ability to stabilise the polity, respect contractual obligations and also ensure that appropriate legislative and regulatory frameworks are in place will improve procurement processes, provide better risk analysis, clearer risk allocation, accountability and greater certainty in terms of both cost and delivery.

Wema Bank demonstrates commitment to safety

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EMA Bank has demonstrated its commitment to safety and staff welfare when it staged a fire drill exercise in its Headquarters in Marina, Lagos. The fire alarm, which beamed at exactly 10.00am in all the offices of the 15–storey edifice, last week, prompted the guided escape of all the occupants to a gathering at the car park opposite the building.

All the visitors and staff of the bank including the Managing Director, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi, as well as the occupants on the eighth and ninth floor of the Towers occupied by Dana Group responded to the call. The gathering was however addressed on fire safety tips by the Fire Consultants, Inba Technical Company, led by Mr. Bassey Eteng and the Men of the Federal Fire Service, Lagos.

Speaking for the Men of the Fire Service, Mr. Godwin Omozuanvbo said that members of staff needed to improve on the response time to safety call by gathering within the first seven minutes of the bell alert.

He applauded the management

of the bank for their safety consciousness by conducting the evacuation drill, saying further that all occupants of the building are expected to leave every belonging at the first alarm sound to escape for safety using the escape routes provided by the bank.

Mr. Eteng, who conducted a lecture section in conjunction with the Fire Service Officials, explained the processes involved in the evacuation drill exercise, saying that the exercise, which is usually done twice a year, is to enable staff prepare for emergency situations.

The incident came to a climax when the Men of Onikan Fire Station arrived at the gathering in response to the call by the Lagos Central Business District, CBD, to come to the rescue of the bank, which was assumed to be on fire.

However, the bank’s Head of General Services, Mr. Fola Ajanlekoko, who spearheaded the drill, thanked everyone for their response and pleaded that laidback attitude of the staff, should be traded for safety consciousness whenever fire alarm is heard.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

44

MONEY

Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana face inflation threats N

IGERIA’S inflation rate, now at 12.8 per cent as at March, is still the highest compared with those of Ghana, nine per cent and South Africa 4.4 per cent. These have different implications on the purchasing power and economies of these countries.

Nigeria’s rate accelerated to 12.8 per cent in March as government stepped up spending ahead of last month’s elections. The inflation rate climbed to 12.8 per cent from 11.1 per cent a month earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised its benchmark interest rate by one percentage point to 7.5 per cent, the second increase this year, as it tried to stabilise the Naira and slow inflation.

CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said the fiscal stance is “un-

Stories by Collins Nweze

duly expansionary.” The bank is targeting inflation of less than 10 per cent.

Bank of Ghana (BoG) cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time in 10 months after inflation slowed in both March and April. The key lending rate was lowered to 13 per cent from 13.5 per cent, BoG Governor Kwesi Amissah-Arthur said. “Threats to inflation are dwindling due to the favourable food harvest and weak second-round effect of oil price increases at the beginning of the year,” Amissah-Arthur said.

Inflation slowed to nine per cent in April from 9.1 per cent the month before as the effects of a 30 per cent increase in gasoline prices in January eased and the cedi

Why oil price may not determine foreign reserves, by CBN

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HE expectations that a rise in oil price will automatically lead to commensurate increase in foreign reserves has been debunked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The CBN Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Sarah Alade, said it would be difficult for the apex bank to secure a speedy rise in foreign reserves simply because oil is selling at higher price at the international oil market.

Reason being that, just as Nigeria is selling crude oil at high prices, it is equally buying refined products at the international prices. She said that after subsidising the imported petroleum products, the amount that is left may not add significant value to the reserves. Consequently, she said the only way to curb the reserve is through fiscal tightening, which is already being canvassed by government through the 2011 budget.

It is also believed that getting the refineries functioning at full capacity will also boost the value of the reserves, which now stands at $34.2 billion as at May 12 when the oil price was $116.4 per barrel.

Speaking recently during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) summit on Sub-Saharan Africa economy in Lagos, Alade said subsidizing petroleum products is one of the factors expanding government expenditure and depleting foreign reserves.

For instance, the foreign reserve remained unmoved at $33 billion in April 29, even when oil stood at $129 per barrel due to crises in the Libya and other Arab countries. The depletion of the reserves was also blamed on the huge cost of conducting April elections.

However, the foreign exchange market has remained relatively stable. The CBN has reaffirmed its conviction that a stable exchange rate regime is critical to maintaining price stability but noted that in the absence of complementary policies the regime is only sustainable at the cost of significant attrition in foreign reserves.

Sanusi said CBN will continue to emphasise that the solution to reserve depletion lies in the implementation of appropriate reforms with regard to industrial and trade policies aimed at reducing import dependence, which are beyond the scope of monetary policy.

“Substantial foreign exchange is expended annually on international oil firms’ cash calls and importation of petroleum products due to the delay in implementing much needed reforms in the oil sector. This is in addition to the huge amounts spent on petroleum

subsidies, which are likely to increase with higher oil prices,” Finance Minister, Olusegun Aganga said.

Besides, the country is also expending foreign exchange on import of food items such as rice whereas what is needed is the implementation of policies that will lead to food security and total self sufficiency.

It is expected that implementation of these reforms along with the improved outlook for oil price and output should go a long way in reversing the negative trend in the foreign reserves position.

The nation’s foreign reserves had declined over the past 12 months despite rising oil prices and production, raising concerns about government spending in the run-up to April elections. They are now 27 per cent below yearago levels.

The government has said the decline was partly due to spending to maintain a stable naira currency in the face of higher dollar demand, as well as spending on the power sector and seed capital for a planned sovereign wealth fund.

Foreign-currency reserves in Nigeria rose to the highest in five months as crude prices surged, signaling the likelihood that the CBN may meet banks’ demand for international exchange.

stabilised. The currency, which weakened as much as 5.7 per cent in the first five weeks of 2011, is now down 1.4 per cent in the year and food-price inflation eased to 4.2 per cent in April from 4.7 per cent a month earlier.

“The magnitude of the move speaks much. It appears somewhat tentative, as though the Bank of Ghana is testing the water, waiting to see how inflationary pressures develop,” Razia Khan, head of Africa economic research at Standard Chartered Plc in London, told Bloomberg.

BoG lowered its benchmark interest rate four times between November 2009 and July last year as inflation slowed from a five-year high of 20.7 per cent in June 2009.

Inflatation is expected to remain about nine per cent for the rest of the year, Amissah-Arthur said.

Meanwhile, South Africa sold inflation-linked bonds at the lowest yields this year after the Central Bank said it is concerned about price increases in Africa’s largest economy.

The country’s apex bank said it expects inflation to breach the upper range of its three per cent to 6 per cent target range in the fourth quarter, peaking at 6.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2012. South Africa’s inflation rate, due to be reported on May 17, probably advanced to 4.4 per cent in April, from 4.1 per cent the month before and 3.7 per cent in February, according to the median estimate of 18 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

“We will be very vigilant and we will closely monitor” price increases, Reserve Bank Governor Gill Marcus said in a televised address after announcing the rate de-

cision. “The risks are to the upside” for inflation, she added.

The Reserve Bank allocated 165 million rand of 2.75 per cent linkers maturing in 2022 at an average yield of 2.53 per cent, the lowest since a November 24 auction of similar-maturity debt. It sold 225 million rand of 2.6 per cent notes maturing in 2028 at an average yield of 2.59, the lowest since December 1, and 210 million rand of 3.45 per cent securities due in 2033 at an average yield of 2.55 per cent, the lowest since November 24.

The Reserve Bank auctioned 600 million rand ($87 million) of linkers, as the bonds are known, maturing in 2022, 2028 and 2033 at its weekly auction, it said. Investors bid for 5.1 times the amount allocated. Returns on linkers relative to fixed-interest bonds increase when inflation accelerates.

• From left: Managing Director of Unity Bank Plc Alhaji Falalu Bello; Managing Director, Urban Development Bank of Nigeria Plc Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye and his wife, Foluke, at a reception organised for Oyinloye in Abuja.

AfDB classifies 313m Africans as ‘middle class’

R

OBUST economic growth in Africa over the last decade has swelled the size of its middle class to a third of the continent’s billion-strong population, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The bank’s study said 313 million Africans could now be classified as middle class, compared with 151 million in 1990 and 196 million in 2000.

In Nigeria and Ethiopia, Africa’s two most-populous nations with 230 million people between them, the middle classes made up 22 per cent of the population, the report said. As its yardstick, the AfDB defined ‘middle class’ as a person who spends between $2 and $20 a day at 2005 prices.

The figures are further evidence of the growing consumer clout of the poorest continent. “Sales of refrigerators, television sets, mobile phones, motors and automobiles have surged in virtually every country in recent years,” the report said.

As an example, it cited an 81 percent increase since 2006 in the possession of cars and motorcycles in

Ghana, whose economy may expand as much as 12 percent this year due to the start of commercial oil production in December.

South Africa was ranked top in terms of vehicle ownership, with 300 vehicles per 1,000 people in 2007, more than twice as many as

five years earlier. Typically, middle class Africans would also own their own houses, opt for private rather than state medical care and spend more on food and schooling for their children, the report said.

The north African states of Tuni-

sia, Morocco, Egypt and Algeria fared best in the overall assessment, with more than 75 percent of their populations ranked as middle class. Gabon and Botswana, both small, resourcerich states, came top among subSaharan countries.

Ecobank plans big for kids

A

S part of its commitment towards the Nigerian child, Ecobank has called for children between ages eight to 12 and 13 to 17 to send in articles on the topic: “My plan for Nigeria if I’m elected President” as part of activities to mark Childrens Day on May 27.

Unfolding the competition in Lagos, Ecobank’s Country Head of Domestic Products, Mrs. Funmi Ajayi, said the essay writing, is open to children under the Ecobank Education Support Saving Account (ESSA and ESSA+), also known as the Ecobank Youth Account. Lots of mega prizes will be won in the annual essay com-

petition.

The applicants are to write between 200 and 300 words on the topic and submit to Ecobank not later than May 27, 2011. Entries are to have the contestant’s full name, age, phone number, ESSA account number, home address and school name written at the top right hand corner of the opening page.

Ecobank’s Country Head of Domestic Products, Mrs. Funmi Ajayi, said that as least 30 winners; 15 in each category will go home with laptops: while 20 winners; 10 in each category will have the educational grant worth N10, 000 each.

According to Mrs. Ajayi, the competition is strictly opened to children that have the ESSA account, while those without the account can quickly go to any Ecobank branch to open an account with a minimum of N1,000 to be eligible to participate.

The maiden edition had 10,000 applications, and 29 eventual winners taking home laptops and having ESSA Account with a deposit of N5,000 opened for them.

The Ecobank Annual Essay Competition instituted in 2010 is adjudged very credible as it is graded by examiners accredited by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

45

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

e-Business SIM registration with tears For many subscribers, the mandatory SIM registration has not been easy. Those who bought new SIM cards are unable to use them, until they are registered. Is that the essence of the exercise? ADLINE ATILI asks “We recommend that the NCC reconsiders this aspect of the registration process to remove this barrier to the registration.”

Though the NCC has deployed more than 1, 000 SIM registration centres across the six geopolitical zones with plans to deploy more, NATCOMS thinks this is not enough.

It said “The sheer size of the country and the biometric requirements of the project greatly contribute to the inadequacy of registration points needed to cater for the populace in a timely manner.

“The burden on the consumer is further increased by the fact that the majority of subscribers in Nigeria have more than one SIM card for reasons of backup and cost-effectiveness.

“Others tend to have more than one SIM card for voice and data services. This situation increases the burden on the registration centres to handle the numbers. So far, the number of registered subscribers is a far cry from the over 90 million active customers acknowledged by the NCC as of February 2011.”

The challenges

E

VANS Abibu, a Nigerian residing in the United States (US), flew into the country recently to attend his sister’s wedding. After the wedding, he decided to spend some weeks before going back to the US. In order to keep in constant touch with his folks scattered all over the country during his stay and also communicate regularly with his family in the US, he purchased a SIM card, immediately on arrival.

It was, however, a rude shock to him to discover he couldn’t make calls with the SIM card. When he complained to the vendor, he was told he had to register the SIM card before using it, as it was on “receive only” mode.

Even though he eventually got the SIM card registered at a registration centre a relative took him to, he described the experience as distressing.

He said: “I was surprised when I was told I had to get the SIM card registered before I could make calls. I had thought I could buy a SIM card anywhere; put it in my phone and activate it. But it was not to be.

“For four days, I had to make do with using my younger brother’s phone to make and receive calls, before I could get the SIM registered.

“It was distressing; seeing I couldn’t get a registration point easily as the vendor told me he only sells the cards but does not register them.

“What if there was no means to resort to and I had to be reached? Wouldn’t it have been tough to start looking for someone to use their phone?

“I mean it’s absolutely wrong for you to be deprived of your right to communicate just because your SIM is not registered.

“That is not how it is done elsewhere. The vendor, aside selling the SIM cards, could have been provided with a means of registering them. Why is everything in Nigeria always different,” he asked.

Another subscriber, Rita Obijiaku said when her MTN SIM card, which had been missing for several weeks was eventually found, she could not use it as a voice prompt directed her to register the SIM card or risk disconnection.

She complained she had to queue for hours before she could get the SIM registered.

Against the backdrop of incessant complaints by telecoms subscribers, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), a telecom consumer advocacy group, has raised concerns that the giant strides recorded by the telecoms sector are being threatened by the challenges inherent in the SIM registration exercise, an initiative of the government, through the NCC, intended to curb the menace of abuse of telecoms services by criminals.

President of the association, Mr Deolu Ogunbanjo said: “Implementation of the SIM registration has met with some concerns which ought to be addressed to sustain the development of the sector.

“The process has become a burden to many consumers. Many subscribers have complained of the challenges they have experienced. We are compelled to caution that the successes of the last 10 years are now being threatened by the challenges being recorded with the registration of telecommunications consumers.”

The challenges, according to him, include inability of new subscribers to make calls.

This is as a result of the NCC’s threat to impose a fine of N5 million on any Telco

Recommendation

that fails to put newly activated SIM cards on “receive only” mode.

This fine would be for default in the first instance, and would be followed by surcharges imposed daily, while the violation lasts.

According to the NCC, the fine would force operators to comply with the directive, adding that the punishment was in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 and the Enforcement Regulations Act of 2005.

The grey areas Ogunbanjo, however, recommended that the directive be reconsidered to achieve a balance between national security interests and constitutional rights of the consumers to communicate.

He said: “The inability of subscribers to make calls because the SIM cards are in “receive only” mode should be reconsidered to have the SIMs sold active to make and receive calls; it can then be disconnected if the subscriber does not register same within 30 days.

“Operators should be requested to send SMS intermittently to their new subscribers to ensure registration or risk losing their line.

“Given the challenges with the spread of registration centres across the country, adopting this approach is considered to be

very good practice as it balances national interests and rights of the consumers to communicate.

“It is a more equitable treatment of the consumer and presents a win-win situation for the country and the individual. It is procustomer and also shows that the people are being considered and carried along.”

Another area of concern for the association is the presentation of identity cards at the point of registration. Ogunbanjo pointed out that the mandatory presentation of an identity card that was not expressly so in the beginning is posing a great challenge to rural dwellers.

He said: “The requirement to present an identity card for registration was not expressed in the beginning of the process but has now been mandated.

“For many in the urban areas, it may not be too difficult to get one, even as questions could arise as to the authenticity of the ID card, especially those that do not come from government establishments and corporate firms.

“On the other hand, people in the rural areas have a large section of their population as people who have never had cause to use identity cards. This has provided a bigger challenge as the requirement is compulsory and as such has proved an obstacle for many of those in the rural areas.

Ogunbanjo said: “There is, therefore, a great need to address this concern as we seek to improve the overall effectiveness of the ongoing exercise and customer experience.”

He also stressed the need to create extensive public awareness of the exercise, adding that many subscribers do not have detailed knowledge of the implications of the exercise. He said this could lead to disconnection of majority of them.

He said: “The SIM card registration is a national duty. However, there must be proper and extensive public sensitisation, down to the grassroots level. This is not what is currently obtainable.

“The NCC in particular, and other agencies of government, responsible for dissemination of information in the country must reach out to the subscribers, especially those in the semi-urban and rural areas.

“Many consumers are reluctant to submit to biometric capture and the lack of proper sensitisation in this, ultimately will lead to a lot of disconnections as majority of the people are still in the dark on what the process aims to achieve and why they must submit themselves to it.

“Many more have no idea whatsoever that there is a need to register their SIM cards.

The obscurity surrounding the process must be cleared, using the various modes of information-print, radio and television, in our lingua franca and local languages until the masses are made to understand the need for them to register their SIMs. “We again draw a cue from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) sensitisation on the introduction of polymer notes for our national currency. That campaign was pervasive and very successful as all and sundry became fully aware of the planned change.

“It is noteworthy that unlike the polymer notes project, the registration of telecoms consumers has implications on the constitutional rights of consumers to communicate as contained in Section 39 of the Constitution.

“Hence, the need for greater publicity to avert disenfranchising Nigerians through negligent sensitisation and eventual disconnection of their communication lines.

Continued on Page 46

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

e-Business

Nokia launches Life Tools

N

OKIA, has launched the Nokia Life Tools, the company’s leading emerging market information service in Nigeria.

The Nigeria launch follows the launch of the service in Indonesia, India and China.

Today, more than fifteen million people have experienced Life Tools services across India, China and Indonesia, according to the company.

Nokia Life Tools offers a wide range of information services covering healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment, addressing the needs of rural consumers and improving economic prosperity and quality of life. It is a key part of Nokia’s overall strategy to connect the next billion people by providing access to locally relevant services and information on affordable devices.

Speaking weekend, at the launch, General Manager,

•From left: Head of Care, Globacom, Maria Svensson; General Manager, Nokia West Africa, James Rutherfoord and Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, at the launch of Nokia Life Tools in Lagos.

16m LTE subscribers expected by end of 2011, says report

Govt tasked on national L broadband strategy T

HE Federal Government has been urged to put in place a robust national broadband strategy to bridge the current digital divide. The government has been asked to evolve and implement policies that will make Internet more available in the country.

The call was made by the Head of Marketing and Strategy, Main One Cable Company, Adebayo Oyewole at a forum to unveil the fibre optic operator’s Partner Advantage Programme, aimed at growing capacity utilisation for

Stories by Adline Atili

faster Internet access for Nigerians.

Oyewole said there is need for Nigeria to develop its own unique policy for accelerating broadband penetration in urban and rural areas.

He noted that Ghana is currently evolving a nationwide broadband policy while the United States has developed similar initiative two years ago.

He said relevant government agencies and parastatals, with role in Information and Commu-

SIM registration with tears Continued from Page 45 “We, therefore, call on the NCC and other responsible agencies of government to ensure adequate sensitisation of the populace.”

The NCC has, however, promised far-reaching publicity moves to ensure adequate awareness is created about the exercise.

Head, Media and Public Relations of the NCC, Mr Reuben Muoka, at a forum in Abuja, said the current campaign, will include radio jingles in local languages, giving subscribers the location of registration centres in all the states of the federation as well as publication in key national dailies and the commission’s Website.

He said the registration centres will continue to grow in various states of the federation, adding that some of the registration agents will move around with mobile units to cover areas that may not have fixed centres in any particular location, such as markets and similar locations.

Statutory regulation The NATCOMS boss spoke strongly on the need for statutory regulation to back the actions of the NCC. This, according to him, is needed to ensure that constitutional guarantees of privacy, confidentiality and the right of the citizenry to communicate as contained in the Constitution, are

adequately protected.

Ogunbanjo said: “We are somehow worried that the NCC is yet to issue regulations that will provide statutory backing and give necessary guidance to the endeavour.

This is needed to ensure that constitutional guarantees of privacy, confidentiality and the right of the citizenry to communicate as contained in Sections 37, 38 and 40 of the Constitution are adequately protected. The regulations should appropriately obligate the responsible parties for effective discharge in that regard, with penalties for default.”

He urged the NCC to expedite action on the issuance of the regulations so as to ensure that private and confidential information about customers collected and stored in the course of the registration exercise and maintained in the intended national database of telecoms users are duly protected from unlawful disclosure and use.

“We believe strongly that if the concerns stated above are considered and the stated recommendations adopted accordingly, the success rate of the nascent registration process will be greatly enhanced.

“It will reduce the undue stress being experienced by subscribers who have faced several ordeals in the process of registering their SIMs,” he said.

nication Technology development should reinforce efforts at providing a national broadband strategy for the country, adding that “with a clear strategy in place, Nigeria will be able to boost its broadband Internet penetration.”

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Eugene Juwah, said the commission is working in collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to develop an all-encompassing broadband strategy for Nigeria.

Broadband usage, according to experts, currently stands at between 12 to 13 per cent penetration in the country.

The Partner Advantage Programme, Oyewole explained, is aimed at increasing market access to broadband penetration through direct and indirect channels, drive continuous decrease in broadband prices and increase broadband penetration.

According to him, by working with the company’s over twenty partners, “The programme will allow the partners provide customers with industry-leading broadband services from Main One Cable, with limited financial, marketing and other risks.”

In her presentation, Chief Executive Officer of the company, Funke Opeke, said the company has enough capacity to provide Internet access to West African businesses and individuals.

She noted that increased broadband capacity in the marketplace is rapidly transforming how Internet Service Providers serving the West African region grow their businesses, based on reliable, innovative and dependable services from Main One. “As data consumption and Internet penetration grows in the region, this shift creates new opportunities for service providers to expand their portfolio and generate a continuous, incremental revenue stream based on the Main One network,” she said.

Nokia West Africa, James Rutherfoord said: “With Nokia Life Tools, farmers will be able to check market prices without travelling long distances; people will be able to find important health care information without having to travel miles to see a doctor, and students will be able to learn English, on easy-to-use and affordable mobile phones on all four GSM networks in the country.”

He disclosed that the Life Tools, available in all the states is offered in three languages-English, Hausa and Pidgin English-on the Nokia 2690, 2700, 5130, 7230, among others.

Rutherfoord said the move is part of initiatives by Nokia to bridge the information gap between the rich and the poor, especially in a developing market like Nigeria.

TE (Long Term Evolution) is gaining momentum according to a recent report

by ABI Research, which claims there will be 16 million mobile LTE subscribers by the end of this year.

LTE networks are currently running in a dozen countries, and as of March this year, one hundred LTE-ready devices were on the market, according to Global Mobile Suppliers Association figures, with 205 million LTE devices expected to ship in 2014.

While LTE is currently the cutting edge of mobile technology, it is not restricted to developed countries.

For instance, TeliaSonera has begun rolling out coverage in Uzbekistan. Uzbek operator UCell was awarded a 4G license in July 2010, while ZTE helped the operator to roll out LTE coverage to its 5.4 million subscribers.

In Germany, T-Mobile’s LTE service, called “Call & Surf Via Funk,” is priced at $53 per month in districts where xDSL fixed-broadband services are limited. The end-user is entitled to a fixed telephony line and an LTE connection, using a Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.manufactured wireless router

offering download speeds of up to 3 megabits per second.

In Japan, NTT DoCoMo Inc.s’ LTE service, branded “Xi” (and pronounced “Crossy”) spans the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka areas and population coverage stands at 7 per cent with the use of 1,000 base stations. DoCoMo says it aims to attain 70 per cent coverage relying on 35,000 base stations by 2014, with monthly tariffs running between $12 and $79.

ABI Research believes the key to LTE’s success and the main driver from 3G to 4G will be smartphones, but currently only 13 per cent of LTE-ready devices are smartphones or tablets. This, however, is expected to change significantly over the coming years, with the prediction that handheld devices will make up 72 per cent of the LTE market by 2014.

“In the U.S., people are actively looking for 4G as a handset feature, spurred by heavy marketing of 4G smartphones,” noted Research Director, Phil Solis.

“Sprint’s success with WiMAX smartphones is an indicator of the scale Verizon Wireless and AT&T can achieve with LTE smartphones this year,” he added.

Samsung unveils world’s thinnest mobile devices

S

AMSUNG Electronics has unveiled two new additions to its family of tablets. They are the GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 8.9, the world’s thinnest mobile tablets, measuring 8.6 millimetres.

The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 feature Samsung’s own TouchWiz user interface implemented on the Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) platform, offering superior multi-tasking and enhanced user interaction and navigation.

In a statement, Managing Director of the company, Idy Enang said: “The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 are remarkable examples of Samsung’s constant innovation and show our dedication to designing premium tablets that fit the unique needs of consumers across the world. By combining Samsung’s innovations in design and display without exciting new user experience, we’ve created a new class of products that will lead

the tablet market.”

The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9, combine the GALAXY Tabs’ ultrathin form factor and a lightweight design adds to the outstanding mobility of these two products.

The new GALAXY Tabs, according to Enang, will support HSPA+ network speeds of up to 21Mbps as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity to deliver rapid mobile download and upload speeds and reduce data transfer times.

The products are pre-loaded with Readers Hub and Music Hub, giving consumers instant access to more than 2.2 million books, 2, 000 newspapers in 49 languages, 2, 300 magazines in 22 languages and 13 million songs.

The devices are also designed with Samsung’s Social Hub, which will aggregate email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections into a single interface.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

47

e-Business

Production Team: Femi Jolaolu, Lekan Hammed, Yomi Oseni, Ugo Ananaba, Michael Ojo, Charles Adewale Marketing: Adeline Atili, Nkechi Nwabaogu, Kemi Makinde, Lillian Nsi-Enodien, Mariam Adeyanju Edited by: O’seun Ogunseitan

Pls. send Questions to oseun2@gmail.com or text to

080 5511 9009

Saving and earning money from your PC T

HE Universal Boot Disc 2011 from The Nation Databank’s PC User-2-User forum, is saving money for some PC Users while earning money for others.

The Disc, published in a unique partnership with the world’s largest databank of free and sharable software and programming codes, remains one of the most important tools in the arsenal of the hobbyist or professional PC Repair technician.

Today we begin a review of some of the more than 127 software utilities and PC user tools on the disc.

Indeed among many other functionalities, the disc allows computer users to bypass unknown passwords in Windows, suggesting that, forgeting Windows Passwords should no longer be a problem for well equipped PC Users.

Hitherto, regular PC Users encountering such situation are forced to lose data, since

Using Universal Boot Disc 2011 such computers will have to be reinstalled, possibly with their hard disk needing to be freshly formatted.

The alternative was to engage the services of profesional Windows system administrators who are trained to be able overide and bypass forgotten Windows Passwords, but this is always at some financial cost and substantial inconvenience to millions of PC users, who are mostly not IT savvy.

The Password bypass tool on the Universal Boot Disc 2011, allows PC Users to overide access lockouts on computers running on any version of Windows, including the very secure Windows 7.

The disc also makes it possible to remove forgotten BIOS access password, on computers that are so locked thus

The following tools are included with the Ultimate Boot CD 2011. When you boot up from the Disc, a text-based menu will be displayed, and you will be able to select the tool you want to run.

CPU Management Software Tools BIOS Management Software To Identify, Test and Optimise PC CPU To Open and Reset PC BIOS CPU Burn-in 1.00 !BIOS 3.20 CPUinfo v7.2.20041115 (for Intel Processor BIOS v1.35.0 Frequency ID P3 and below) CMOSPWD 5.0 Intel Processor Identification Utility v4.22.20100302 ( for P4 and above) KEYDisk WipeCMOS 1.2 Mersenne Prime CPU Test v24.14 Data Recovery Software Offline NT Password & Registry Editor v080 Stress 1.00 StressCPU v2.0 (requires CPU with SSE) PhotoRec v6.12-WIP x86test 0.10a TestDisk v6.12-WIP

enabling the resetting of basic computer configurations and PC security setups.

Kemi Makinde, spokesperson of the PC User-2-User and its partner, the burgeoning digital-age marketing forum Open Market (OM), said the disc is one way the forum desires to ensure that users of the different IT media the Open Market (OM) circulates information on, are never stranded, on account of a malfunctioning computer.

The unique medium OM, distributes weekly Open Market User Lists & Details, on Discs. The UBCD2011 is currently distributing with this month’s disc The UBCD 2011 is able to jump start even “dead”computers, allowing OM users to quickly access the internet to browse OM’s website, even from a PC that will not start because of a malfunctioning hard disk.

Such computers will normally not even boot to allow simple trouble-shooting that may be necessary to fix them. The Universal Boot Disc 2011 makes it possible to also access such “dead” hard disks, so that current and old, but useful work files on them, can be copied for use on other computers, while the bad hard disks are being worked on.

Regular computer users will simply boot with this critical disc in the disc drive of a computer with a faulty hard disk. But such users will have to choose what to run from any of the disc’s 127 utilities, grouped into 14 heads listed below .

To be able to boot your computer from the disc, you may need to alter the booting sequence from the BIOS setup. The key to accessing theBIOS Setup depends on your computer BIOS type. You have to Press either the Esc, the F2 or the F10 key immediately you switch on the computer.

The selected tool boots off a virtual disk created in the PC memory. All the software listed below will be avaialable to run as if they are on floppy disk on the computer.

Hard Disk Wiping Software Utilities Active@ KillDisk Free Edition v4.1.2393 (This free Edition. supports “One Pass Zeros”method only. Note that KillDisk V5.x is Windows only.)

CopyWipe v1.14 Darik’s Boot and Nuke beta.2007042900

Boot Management Software Tools Boot Partition v2.60 boot.kernel.org (BKO) EditBINI v1.01.1 GAG (Graphical Boot Manager) v4.10 Gujinv2.8.1 + MBRtool v2.3.100

Fujitsu Erase Utility HDDErase v4.0 MAXLLF (Maxtor) 1.1 PC INSPECTOR e-maxx v0.95 SUTIL (Samsung) v1.01

MBRWork v1.07b + netboot.me PLoP Boot Manager v5.0.10 Freeware

33,637 phone users have used Open Market ™ Have you?

Smart BootManager

v3.7.1

GPL

SPFDISK (Special FDISK) v2000-03t Super Grub Disk 0.9799 GPL Super Grub2 Disk 1.30 GPL XFDISK (Extended FDISK) 0.9.3 beta XOSL (Ext Operating System Loader) v1.1.5 Hard Disk Information & Management AMSET (Maxtor) v4.00 ATA Password Tool v1.1 ATAINF v1.3 Change Definition Utility (for Fujitsu M16xx/ M2915 HDDs) DiskCheck v3.8 DISKINFO v1.02 ESFeat (ExcelStor) v2.30 Feature Tool (IBM/Hitachi) v2.15 SMARTUDM v2.00 UATA100 (Seagate) v3.06 UDMA Utility (for Fujitsu MPD/MPE/MPF series HDDs) UDMA Utility (for Fujitsu MPG series HDDs) + Ultra ATA Manager (Western Digital) June, 2003 Hard Disk Cloning Software CopyWipe v1.14 EaseUs Disk Copy v2.3 + g4u v2.4 HDClone (Free Edition) v3.9.2 Partimage v0.6.8 beta 1 Partition Saving v3.80 PC INSPECTOR clone-maxx v1.0 Hard Disk Low-Level Editing Software Disk Editor v3.0 DISKMAN4 v4.01 DiskSpy Free Ed.(Personal use only) v2.0 PTS DiskEditor v1.04 ..to be continued The PCUser-2-User pages will teach the use of most of these Tools and Utilities on the Universal Boot Disc. Pls. send Questions to oseun2@gmail.com

48

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

e-Business Matters e-Rising Segun Oruame segun@segunoruame.com

T

HE elections have come and gone. But not so the tragic violence that occurred as the aftermath of the presidential elections in which several innocents were massacred and billions of naira worth of property and business destroyed.

Almost 95 per cent of the people that perpetrated this mayhem were young Nigerians no older than 25 years. They constitute a critical segment of our national population.

They also constitute that part of the population that could be harnessed to be part of the functional national digital army Nigeria needs to move ahead and join the New World Economic Order.

Unfortunately, most of these youths have never gone to school. Never been inside the walls of regular educational centres. Never been exposed to any form of economic skills.

The only thing that makes them human is that they have got blood running down their veins and they could be used as tools by their more privileged fellow citizens.

Sociologists tend to talk about the extreme nature of opportunities for a few and the extreme lack of it for the other many in terms of economic divide. The Almajiris in the north and the area boys in the Lagos area particularly fit the picture of those denied opportunities. In the north, this tribe of the denied at the lowest ladder led the mayhem that destroyed the lives and businesses of several hapless Nigerians.

All these are a tragic reflection of the failure of the state to harness the potential of its human potential-a failure that implicitly denied the citizens, right to opportunities and to life in the real sense of it. This is where President Goodluck Jonathan’s mandate in the next four years will be most felt; if and only it could turn around the lives of this denied and rejected Nigerians to become functional members of the society.

The president must begin to evolve a system that addresses the immediate economic

Of digital divide and national unity … after the elections (1) hardship of these Nigerians and the long term

challenges of providing them skills that enlist them as functional members of the society. These Nigerians need more than rehabilitation. They need food and they need hope. Hope lies in a long-term plan to kit them with basic education and scratch Information Technology skills that could open a whole new world for them.

In simple terms, it is not about closing the economic gaps. It is also about closing the increasing digital divide between those Nigerians that are already enlisted in the New World Economic order and their less privileged fellow citizens who must also go to school and who must also be part of Nigeria’s gradual but steady forage into the IT age.

Though this piece below was written months back, it still offers some semblance of the kind of hope the president must give to all Nigerians as a right to life and opportunity.

Not too long ago, one American writer and a rights advocate raised alarm on the level of digital divide in the US. American society with the rest of the West was moving fast on the digital highway. Many Americans have access to the Internet. They could buy a Pepsi on the Net, download music, listen to their favourite disc jockey, and if they so wish, they could go to school all behind their computers. It was an interesting piece on the new American life. All digital! Everything can happen by the simple click of the button or shift of the cursor.

But it was also an alarming piece. In the backstreets of black neighbourhoods and Indian reserves as well as other reservations for American natives, digital transformation was yet to happen. American society was evolving very fast to become champion of the new information society but the transformation was heightening the social divide in the American society. It was widening the distance among the different races that make up the US. It was bringing to the fore, questions with

long history on race relationship and sharpening the economic difference between whites and non-whites, between the aboriginal Indians and their white settlers; and it was magnifying the social distance between blacks, who are traditionally removed from the core of American capitalism and whites who, for mix of historical factors, have always dominated the national economy.

The term for the evolving social reality is digital divide not across continents but within the same country. More whites have access to the Internet than blacks. It is likely that whites will conduct online businesses 1000 times more than blacks or Indian natives and in all probability, more whites will have ready access to volumes of strategic information than other races. It is a simple matrix that shows that whites will be in the fore-front of American new life and whites will dominate the information society from an American perspective.

Since that piece and others made their appearance publicly, the American government has made concerted efforts to bridge the gap between the information have and information have-nots. There are sustainable efforts to create equal opportunity for all races to access digital structures in the US. The Americans make no pretence about desiring to have all men and women that would advance US interest to get digitally-enabled to achieve what the Americans themselves love to romanticise as the ‘American dream.’ Closing the digital divide and getting black kids abandon the guns for the mouse is a common theme for several projects targeted at bridging digital distances between different social classes and various races.

We are still far from becoming as digitallyenabled as the Americans but we are making efforts. There are state government that are genuinely pursuing IT led programmes that would digitally advance the chances their indigenes have at playing in the evolving knowledge economy. There are several projects in Lagos and Akwa Ibom states targeted at raising the IT stakes of these states and moving public services beyond the ambit of paper files. Lagos has committed several billions in IT just as Akwa Ibom

has spent huge money on IT. Jigawa is also making efforts.

These projects may have suffered distortions for what is generally described as the Nigerian factor, but they have not lost their fundamental theme; neither have they lost their active or latent power to digitally transform the lives of the people living in them. Ogun State is flying a similar flag; the state government has made it clear that it would build a new economy whose foundation will be IT. The civil service is being re-structured to rely on IT. And that is where the problem lies. Some states have seen the future and are moving into it, notwithstanding the political and economic challenges. While they march into the future, majority of the 36 states are snoring contentedly on a primitive economy they would rather defend than change.

And that is to say when tomorrow comes, we would have a high percentage of our national humanity completely unfit for the information society. We would have states where the degree of ‘chalk and board’ illiteracy will remain frighteningly high and digital literacy will be completely non-existent. We would have states untutored in the new culture of the information society who will end up being a drag to those states which made efforts to sign on to the digital age.

We are today a nation heavily divided by the level of exposure we have to Western education. We have had to sacrifice our brightest brains in educationallyadvantaged states via JAMB to accommodate ‘blatant mediocrity’ from less educationally-endowed states. This has taken its toll on our national economy and progress as a natural consequence of our inability to develop a national culture of excellence. There is no guarantee that our future will not take a similar course. History, they say, is cyclical.

•To be continued

South African satellite fails in orbit

S

• From left: Director, Payment Infrastructure and Processing, Interswitch, Mr Akeem Lawal; Managing Director, Mr Mitchell Elegbe and Chief Marketing Officer, Mrs Tito AdeniyiAderoju, at the official unveiling of the company’s refreshed brand in Lagos.

ATELLITE fleet operator, Intelsat reported at the weekend that one of the two principal reflector antennas on its just-launched New Dawn telecommunications satellite for South Africa has failed to deploy in orbit. It said the other antenna will await attempts to force the first one to spring loose.

The Intelsat New Dawn satellite was placed into geostationary transfer orbit, on April 22 by a European Ariane 5 ECA rocket. Since then, the satellite’s manufacturer, Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Virginia, US has been overseeing the transfer of the satellite from the point where it was released by the rocket to its test location.

The satellite’s final operating location is 32.8 degrees east, where it is scheduled to serve mainly an African audience.

Orbital has told Intelsat that the C-band reflector’s ejection-release mechanism has malfunctioned, releasing a series of pins that hold the antenna close to the satellite’s body for launch, Intelsat said.

But other data, including temperature readings from the satellite, have confirmed that the reflector remains stuck in place.

This is South Africa’s first attempt to launch a satellite communications platform and its failure means that that the country must return to the drawing board if it must sustain its adventure in space.

Firm introduces printing software

P

ANABIZ International Limited, a provider of office automation and consumer imaging solutions has introduced Canon’s uniFLOW version 5 software to help organisations add greater efficiency to copying, scanning and printing Product Manager of uniFLOW, Mr Tony Oluwasunhan, in a statement said the software was designed to bring the full value of multifunctional devices (MFD) to organisation.

“The modular structure of uniFLOW and the tight integration with Canon hardware allow the system to be built depending on the organisation’s exact requirement in order to

minimise waste and reduce costs.

“By controlling the printing, copying and scanning process of the MFD, uniFLOW allows the IT manager to administer one system with one set of user account and one database, thereby giving the user a seamless interaction with the MFD by being able to access all features with an interface or without having to re-authenticate every time they want to use a new function.”

He explained further that the software is scalable to any size, fitting perfectly with any organisational size. He said it is available in 10, 50, 150 and unlimited user versions to provide scalability and flexibility regardless of business

type.

While highlighting the unique offerings of the uniFLOW software, Oluwasunhan described it as an end-to-end office management system that allows users to capture documents directly to Microsoft share point, integrating Helix production workflow to provide job ticketing, Internet job submission, variable data printing and print room management capabilities.

He pointed out that printing and copying as well as associated costs can be tracked and stored to be used as part of a print audit to help decide future printer purchases or identify where cost savings can be made.

Just like Nigeria which lost its Nigcomsat 1 18 months after launch, South Africa may have to start anew. Like Nigeria too, South Africa has no back up satellite.

This is a possible reason why countries which desire to be in space especially which deploy communications satellites must as a rule; have back up satellites to cushion the effect of possible failures.

The failure of the Intelsat-built satellite removes the question of failure traceable to manufacturers and justifies the reality that satellites could fail irrespective of who manufactured them.

Nigeria’s Nigcomsat 1R is due for launch in the last quarter of 2011.Talks on two back up satellites Nigcomsat 2 and 3 are ongoing and would be built a few months after the launch of Nigcomsat 1R. Intelsat spokeswoman Dianne VanBeber said in an interview that ground teams have begun a series of manoeuvres to remedy the situation. One, nicknamed “rock n’ roll,” consists of shaking the satellite. Another will include exposing the stuck antenna to heat from the sun, alternating with exposure to cold, in an attempt to force deployment.

Intelsat said it would delay releasing the Ku-band reflector while the unblocking attempts on the C-band reflector are continued. The satellite has 28 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders when measured in 36-megahertz equivalents. Aside from the blocked Cband reflector, the satellite is functioning normally, Intelsat said.

Intelsat New Dawn is owned by a joint venture of Luxembourg and Washingtonbased Intelsat and Convergence Partners of South Africa. Valued at $250 million including construction, launch and insurance, Intelsat New Dawn is intended to replace Intelsat’s Galaxy 11 satellite at 32.8 degrees east. Intelsat estimates that Galaxy 11 will remain operational until April 2015.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

49

INSURANCE

Brokers tackle NAICOM over reduction in commission T HE downward review of brokers’ commission from 10 to eight per cent by the Na-

tional Insurance Communication (NAICOM) is inimical to insurance growth, the President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr Teslim Sanusi, has said.

Sanusi, who made this known at the NCRIB members evening in Lagos, said the brokers are unhappy with the directives. He said they have made their stand known to NAICOM. According to him, the directive if sustained, will lead to a diminution in the commission accruable to brokers, and further stem the industry’s growth.

He said: “As you are aware, NAICOM recently reviewed downward the commission rates on group life insurance. The council received this directive by NAICOM with some reservations and consequently registered its views with the commission as well as the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA). The council viewed the step as counter productive to the desired growth of the insurance industry as it would lead to a diminutive in the commission accruable to insurance brokers. I am, however, delighted to report that positive signals have emerged from NAICOM on the position of the NCRIB on the issue.”

A broker, who pleaded anonymity, said the operators are worried that the reduction of the commission has helped to nail the indus-

• Sanusi (middle) flanked by Nollywood actor Mr Fred Amata (left) and Managing Director, Guinea Insurance Plc Mr Soji Eniola at the event.

Stories by Chuks Udo Okonta try after losing the employee’s compensation business to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

NIA boss advocates ethical standards

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HAIRMAN, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) and Group Managing Director, Lasaco Assurance Plc, Mr OLusola Ladipo-Ajayi, has urged operators to focus on ethical standard and professionalism.

Ladipo-Ajayi said NIA expected insurers to gain the confidence of the society so as to see the benefits of insurance, adding that the industry would no longer tolerate operators who do not operate by the rules.

Adherence to rules would develop the industry to compete favourably in the global market, he said.

He said: “We all need to be more ethical in our approach to business.

We should be putting professionalism at work.”

Ladipo-Ajayi noted that NIA is committed to ensuring that operators perform their functions properly, and that it will not work with any member who refuses to comply with the industry’s guidelines.

He said the industry has looked at the market agreement and have resolved to put it to work.

“We are hoping our colleagues will show commitment. We resolved to co-operate with NAICOM by complying with all directives. It is important to assist NAICOM to achieve its objectives, which are in the best interest of the industry. It is important for the industry to support NAICOM to develop the industry,” he added.

Ladipo-Ajayi underscored the commitment of his company, stressing that LASACO Assurance Plc prides itself as one of the most ethical companies in this industry.

He noted: The company has entrenched the concept of good corporate governance before NAICOM stipulates some guidelines on it.

“We know we have done well be-

cause most of the issues raised in the NAICOM guidelines are what we have been practising since we commenced operations. In terms of ethical behaviour, we are professionals in our own approach to underwriting and claims payment.

“Even in the period of recapitalisation, LASACO has never been given any query or adverse comment by the regulator and event has proved that LASACO is ethical in all ramifications,” he said.

Ladipo-Ajayi said LASACO is committed to strong adherence to ethical standards and professional code of conduct. He noted that the company believes in following business ethics to remain a dynamic and forward looking organisation.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Fola Daniel, has also called on insurers to shun unethical practices and conduct themselves in the pursuit of businesses.

He said NAICOM would penalise any operator who contravenes the industry’s law.

Daniel noted that in the pursuit of some businesses last year, some operators bid with invalid licences and tax clearance certificates, and that NAICOM would not tolerate such unruly behaviour this time.

He said: “With respect to market conduct, there is an urgent need to address the challenges posed by improper conduct. Unarguably our products are underpriced and serious undercutting by operators that reached its climax with the Federal Government’s group life cover.

“Much more serious acts of indiscipline were displayed with respect to the Group life cover.

Right from the response to the invitation for bids, a lot of our members could not demonstrate good corporate citizenship as they were unable to produce published accounts or valid tax clearance certificates.”

unguided regulations.

“With the ceding of the employee’s compensation to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), NAICOM should join hands with operators to develop the industry. We, the brokers, are not happy with the reduction and will make our case known to NAICOM.” Assistant Director Corporate Affairs, NAICOM, Mr Lucky Fiakpa, said the decision to fix the commission at eight per cent is to have a unified commission, adding that before fixing the commission, there was no standard commission, which made the operators to charge abnormal rates.

He said NAICOM engaged actuarials to determine the commission, adding that it would be reviewed after one year if it is seen to be ineffective.

The Federal Government voted N12 billion for group life cover this year and with the reduction in the commission, brokers are to receive eight percent instead of 10, which was obtainable in the past.

The Corporate Affairs Manager, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Iyasere Davis, said the N12billion will soon be accessed by insurers.

He noted that N14 billion was voted for the same purpose last year and that the operators could only access N12billion.

He said the inability of the operators to access the full amount would have informed the reduction from N14billion to N12billion in this year’s budget.

He said: “The decision by NAICOM to reduce the commission of group life insurance was illconceived. It is worrisome that at a time the prices of other commodities are going up, NAICOM decided

to reduce the rate of a major business of operators. ”It is expected of NAIOCM to encourage others in harnessing untapped insurance opportunities, but it is stifling the industry with

G

AIG to sell 300m shares for $9b

LOBAL insurance giant American International Group (AIG) Inc and the United States Government are offering 300 million AIG shares to the public.

The price for the shares was not specified in a regulatory filing. But 300 million shares of AIG were worth about $8.89 billion at the closing price of $29.62 last week.

AIG’s shares rose to $1.75, or 5.9 per cent, to $31.37 in morning trading.

The sale will be a big step by the government to disengage itself from AIG after spending billions of dollars on its rescue of the New

York insurance company at the height of the financial crisis.

AIG paid the Treasury Department nearly $7 billion in March to trim its outstanding balance to just under $60 billion of the $182 billion government bailout it received in 2008.

The Treasury Department owns about 92 percent of AIG. Treasury officials have said they expect to recoup the full bailout amount of the bailout.

According to the filing, AIG is offering 100 million shares for sale

and the Treasury is offering 200 million shares. The Treasury will also give the underwriters an option to buy up to an additional 45 million shares to cover any excess demand.

AIG plans to use net proceeds of $550 million to pay for part of a lawsuit settlement, with the remainder for general corporate purposes.

Last week, AIG reported a firstquarter loss, weighed down by the repayment of bailout aid and losses from Japan’s earthquake and tsunami.

Royal Exchange targets Islamic market

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OYAL Exchange Plc has employed a consultant to design products for Islamic market, its Group Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Mr Auwalu Muktari, has said.

He said the company wants to be the hub in Islamic insurance in the nation, adding the firm will display different classes of products at the launch of the business.

Muktari noted that Royal Exchange would be working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines on Islamic financial business model, adding that efforts are in top gear to ensure seamless take-off of the business.

He said: “Royal Exchange wants to be the hub of Islamic insurance in Nigeria. All the people going into takaful have not gone deep to learn the system and operation of the business, they are just having two products out of the over 100 products. We are following up the central bank’s regulations because banking and insurance are financial service providers.

“We as a financial service hauling company, our micro finance bank would have to leverage on whatever the central bank will come up with to sell to the people customised products. We are in

contact with an Asian consultant, who would help us on the takaful line of business. We hope to start full range of takaful insurance before the end of the second quarter of this year.”

The company also hopes to aggressively embark on retailing marketing, noting that state-of-theart technology devices have been put in place to drive the initiative.

“To give a figure on our budget for research and development is a mere say. We have an in house department that is fully staffed and headed by an assistant general manager, who is constantly pursuing the research and development.

“He has his own budget and reports to me, and at the same time we have a vaiable e-platform, so that we can grow in line with modern electronic technology.

“In the next three years, we should be selling all our products –convectional, non convectional, Islamic, corporate and individual products on electronic platformsthrough scratch cards, mobile phones.

“There is no categorical budget for research. Any time there are issues to explore, they make submissions, which the management considers and if necessary ap-

proves it. So, we are always focusing on research as it helps to make projections,” he added.

He said the company has concluded plans to open branches in 15 states, noting that the company hopes to have branches across the states in the next three years.

“One of the visions of the board of directors of the company is to engage in expansion programme this year. Having reached 90 years, we have found out that the need to be visible in almost all the parts of the country. For we cannot reach the common man if we are operating in few sections of the economy.

So, to enable us reach and get the common man and boost our retail trade, we must have an expansion programme on ground,” he added.

“We intend to reach about 15 more states. The focus is on going, we want to make sure that in the next three years, Royal Exchange is in almost all the states.

“Some of our colleagues are going out of the country, we feel we have not satisfied the local market and there is no point going offshore.

“We want to be visible and ensure that the over 140 million people embrace insurance and they get the needed services,” he said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

50

INSURANCE

No more late submission of accounts, insurers told

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HE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) will no longer tolerate insurers’ failure to submit their accounts by the stipulated period, according to the commission’s guideline in financial reporting.

Operators are mandated by the guidelines to disclose all transactions that they undertake within a financial year.

NAICOM said: “The extra time it takes for operators to get approval of the annual financial statement is usually attributable to queries arising from either insufficient information or accounting practices that are inconsistent with legal and/or regulatory requirement or both. In order to minimise the time spent and uncertainties implicit in current approval processes, the commission has thought it fit to issue a guidance paper for the benefit of operators.

“The paper identifies current practices that it finds deficient, explains their implications and prescribes appropriate accounting treatment of issues concerned. It covers accounting policies, treatment of particular transactions and disclosure practices.

“Many operators do not disclose accounting policies on some items, which are significant for the proper understanding of the financial statements issued by them.

“The most common of items not covered in accounting policies disclosed include: gross premium

Stories by Chuks Udo Okonta

earned, reinsurance premium cost (including prepaid reinsurance premiums), claim cost, including claims handling expenses and salvage and other recoveries, claim recoverable from reinsurers, deferred acquisition cost and co-insurance “The bases of accounting for these insurance transactions are significant in the understanding and interpretation of the financial statements and there are acceptable and unacceptable ways of accounting for them. Thus the failure to disclose bases adopted in the accounting for them is in contravention of the “SAS 1 Statement of Accounting Standards - Disclosure of Accounting Policies” which requires that “whenever there are several acceptable accounting bases that may be adopted, a reporting enterprise should disclose, the basis used, especially where the knowledge of that accounting basis is significant in the understanding and interpretation of the financial statements.

“It also makes it difficult to compare the financial statement of insurance companies.”

It said operators should disclose the accounting policies adopted in reporting the following and other line items in their financial statements, which are significant in their understanding and interpretation by users.

50 firms to cover oil, gas risks

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NLY 50 of the over 300 licensed brokers are to partake in oil and gas insurance business this year, The Nation has learnt.

An operator, who pleaded anonymity, said the 50 were shortlisted because they met the requirement.

The source added that the development has heightened tension about the attainment of the local content policy, adding that major risks in the sector are given to foreign brokers and underwriters who have the wherewithal to cover bigger risks.

According to the source, the implementation of the Local Content Act has exposed the inability of insurers to handle big risks, adding that most insurers do not have the staff strength required to undertake oil and gas risks.

He said: “There is fear that the benefit of the Local Content Act may elude insurers as they are unable to grow the required capacity for oil and gas risks.

“The Act has exposed the industry to scrutiny by oil and gas firms.

Already, some oil and gas firms are sceptical about the ability of local insurers to meet the 70 per cent domestication of oil and gas risks.

“To erase this fear, insurers must begin to grow their capacity by engaging professionals with the requisite knowledge in oil and gas.

“At the moment, only about 50 brokers are engaging by oil and gas firms, which are not good for the industry.”

Managing Director, Lectern Insurance Brokers Limited, Mr Tunde Oguntade, said many of the brokers and underwriters have not been able to meet the requirement stipulated for the covering of oil and gas business.

He said: “There are requirements spelt out in the guidelines for you to be an active practitioner. But how many of our people can meet the requirement? For instance, for you to participate in oil and gas as a broker, your licence must include oil and gas and cover special risks.

“But I can tell you that about 90 per cent of the brokers carry life and general business licences. So,

with this requirement, NAICOM is restricting entry into the area, because how many people can meet the requirement.

“It is not an open thing; there is no level playing field. Another issue is how many oil and gas professionals are in the industry? Probably 10 and these 10 are likely to be with the top five brokers.

The oil and gas pool created by Nigerian Insurance Corporation (NICON) in the past ought to be a training school for practitioners, but the thing died a natural death because some people form themselves into cartel and the businesses did not spread.”

He said the operators have only performed well on paper as regard oil and gas, adding that foreign insurers still control the business.

“On paper we are doing well in oil and gas, but in actual practice we are not. You still found out that operators within the market are still struggling to get into the cartel. There is a cartel.

“The truth of the practice is that there is nothing fantastic about the local content. It boils down to property, fire and burglary. Those are the packages. The truth of it is that it is in dollars and the risks are determined by the offshore practitioners that is foreigners.”

“The local market does not have control of the rates, because the rates are determined globally and the advantage of rates can not give us the leverage that we require to participate actively.

The multi-nationals that are into oil and gas have their technical partners and affiliates abroad with whom, they do these businesses.

The fact is that they give us the non oil aspect of it 100 per cent.

But the real oil aspect of it still does not stay in Nigeria. Because they will tell you that the total capacity of the industry is not up to 10 per cent of the risk capacity required and what is the recapitalisation required? It runs into billions of Dollars.

The law says we can operate up 70 per cent, but even when it was 30 per cent, we do not participate up to five per cent.”

• From left: Director-General, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Mr Adegboyega Adepegba; Director/Head, Corporate Affairs, Mr Joseph Obah and President, Mr Sunny Adeda, at the institute’s Exam seminar in Lagos.

Lloyd’s: policy prices to rise after global disasters

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HE cost of insurance is likely to rise this year, Lloyd’s of London has warned, after heavy catastrophe claims hit the industry during the first quarter.

Richard Ward, chief executive of the world’s largest insurance market, said disasters including the Japanese earthquake in March are likely to lead to a “firming” of insurance rates as companies look to recoup their losses.

His comments came after Lloyd’s said it faced $3.8billion (£2.3billion) of claims from earthquakes and floods in the first three months of the year.

The market’s projected losses included $1.95billion from the Japanese disaster, making it the fourth most costly event in the Lloyd’s 323-year history after Hurricane Katrina, the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Ike. Lloyd’s said February’s New Zealand earthquake accounted for a further $1.2billion in claims, while heavy flooding in Australia in January cost $650million.

Despite the high volume of claims, Lloyd’s said its capital re-

serves would be unaffected, leaving its emergency central fund untouched at about £2.4billion.

Ward said: “The beginning of 2011 has seen a series of tragic events that have had a major impact on communities in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. As ever, our priority remains to assess and settle valid claims as swiftly as we can to help these communities get back on their feet.”

“The Lloyd’s market is as well capitalised as it has ever been and, while claims from all three events could still evolve over time, the market’s total exposure is well within the worst-case scenarios we model and prepare for.”

Lloyd’s is made up of 87 different syndicates that underwrite insurance risks in more than 200 countries.

Analysts say disaster-related claims will lift the cost of catastrophe insurance and reinsurance by up to 10pc.

However, prices in the broader market are likely to remain flatter, held down by intense compe-

tition.

However, some insiders insist there could be an across-the-board rise in prices if the next US hurricane season generates further significant claims. This runs from June to November.

Lloyd’s disclosure came as Catlin, one of largest insurers operating in the market, said a broad rise in rates would be “totally appropriate” given catastrophe losses so far this year which it estimated at $50bn across the market.

Catlin said its gross written insurance premiums had risen by 11pc to £1.4bn during the three months ending March 31. The company had previously said it expects to incur $200m worth of claims from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, with a further $175m coming from other catastrophe claims during the period.

Stephen Catlin, chief executive, said: “The first quarter of 2011 will be remembered for the high incidence of catastrophe losses, arising from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the New Zealand earthquake and the floods in Australia.

• From left: Managing Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Mr Ken Igbokwe; Managing Director, Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas, Mr Chima Ibeneche and Managing Director, Sokoa Chair Centre, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, at an event in Lagos.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

51

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION with

The millionaire’s potential in you BOOK REVIEW Author: Michael LeBoeuf Publisher: Crown Business, New York Reviewer: Goke Ilesanmi

GOKE ILESANMI

T

HE inability to discover and maximise one’s latent poten-

tial accounts for why most people have not achieved their purpose in life. This also explains why most people have not attained their desired financial independence because they do not realise that they have the millionaire potential within them. This is why I want us to examine this text entitled The Millionaire in You this week.

The book is written by Dr. Michael LeBoeuf, a renowned business-management consultant, professional speaker and seminar leader.

LeBoeuf says there is a potential millionaire and a wonderful life of personal freedom living within you, and the key to making it a reality is to see the possibility and make the right choices to create it. He adds that there are only four things you need to know about money. These are: How to make it; how to save it; how to invest it; and how to enjoy it.

According to LeBoeuf, only very few people manage to do all four, although almost anyone can. He says the purpose of writing this book is to make you become financially independent and enjoy the same freedom that he enjoys. LeBoeuf adds that there are three steps involved in creating the millionaire in you. The first is to see the possibilities; the second thing is to do what it takes to create your fortune and enjoy it; and finally, you need to step back, celebrate your financial freedom and enjoy it.

This book is segmented into three

parts. The first part is thematically tagged See it! According to LeBoeuf, anybody today with basic common sense can become a millionaire. All it requires is the ability to see possibilities, and then know how to proceed and follow through. He says four major insights are central to the issue of making money. The first insight is called the Time and Wealth Grid. In LeBoeuf’s words, “It’s the scourge of modern-day living that plagues most of us: If you have money, you don’t have the time. If you have lots of time, you’re hurting for money. And most of us could use a whole lot more of both. Welcome to the time/money trap”.

He says if you want to know how prevalent this problem is, just visit the jam-packed California freeways, the Long Island Expressway, commuter trains or other urban traffic areas during the rush hour. LeBoeuf reveals that what you will see is literally millions of people frantically rushing to and from work, where they put in long hours so they can make the payments on a house and a lifestyle they do not have time to enjoy.

According to him, to get out of the time/money trap, you have to understand how you got there in the first place. We fall into the trap by thinking with a paycheque mentality, says LeBoeuf. He educates that because most of us think with a paycheque mentality, we assume that having more of one requires sacrificing some of the other. LeBoeuf adds that time and money are not one-dimensional trade-offs unless we assume they are and choose to live our lives that way.

As regards the second insight, LeBoeuf discusses his law which says you should invest your time actively and your money passively. “Actively investing your time means

deciding how your time will be spent rather than spending it according to current circumstances or the dictates of others,” he educates.

LeBoeuf says the third insight of wealth-creation is simplicity, and it is the master key. Quoting John C. Bogle, he submits that simplicity gives us the power to do less of what does not matter, and more of what matters. The paradox of our time is that as things become increasingly complex, the more we need simplicity, LeBoeuf says. He expatiates that there are two simple but extremely powerful rules for managing time and building wealth. The key to managing time is the 80/20 Rule, while the key to accumulating wealth is the Rule of 72, LeBoeuf educates.

The last insight discussed is higher life expectancy tagged the Twentieth century’s greatest gift. He stresses that though marked by financial challenges, the higher life expectancy guarantees the advantage of having more years to pursue wealth.

LeBoeuf, therefore, suggests that you should resolve to make the most of your longevity bonus; create your own endowment; and realise that delayed gratification is not denied.

In the second part of this book summarily christened Do it! , the author discusses 10 choices for achieving personal and financial freedom. These are that you should live the life you want instead of the life others expect; stack the odds in your favour instead of against you; be a super saver instead of a big spender; increase the market value of your time instead of working long hours; do less better instead of trying to do it all and capitalise on the unexpected instead of being derailed by it. Others are: own the market instead of trying to beat the market; limit your losses instead of letting bad luck ruin you; listen to those who know instead of those who sell; and finally do whatever you want to do now instead of regretting it later.

In the last part, that is, part three, he says you should celebrate and enjoy. “Congratulations! You’ve reached the winner’s circle, where you can enjoy the harvest of your

years of learning, working, saving and investing. You now have the freedom to spend your time any legal way you want,” asserts LeBoeuf.

He says having abundance of money and time puts you in control of your life, but it is not going to automatically make you happy.

LeBoeuf advises that once you reach financial independence, doing the following four things can greatly enhance the quality of your life: Stay financially independent and out of the time/money trap; make it a point to keep physically and mentally active; experience the joy and personal satisfaction of giving back and making the world a better place; and finally, realise that

the true joy lies in the journey.

On style, one thing that always works for LeBoeuf is the simplicity of his language and uniqueness of presentation, which he has also exhibited here. The tips offered in this book are illuminating and motivating. He uses literary/classical allusions to achieve conceptual amplification and lend credibility to his message.

However, some areas seem restated. But the mastery with which he does the restatement makes one believe that it is a deliberate stylistic attempt to create emphasis.

On the whole, this text is a classic.

It is highly recommended to those who aspire to achieve permanent financial abundance, freedom and enjoyment.

Why managers must communicate effectively

E

FFECTIVE communication is critical to success in any endeavour. Companies and people that communicate effectively are very successful, while those that fail to do so are hardly or marginally successful. Reading for speed and comprehension, business writing, public speaking, etc., are becoming necessary skills for everyone today in the business environment. As an organisation, if your staff cannot display effective internal and external business communication skills, your business is paying the price in lost time, lost customers and lost revenues.

By Goke Ilesanmi er’s primary responsibility is the development of a team of people that work with him or her rather than for him or her. If the manager can accomplish this feat, the likelihood of realising the maximum return from individuals to achieve the goals of the organisation is greatly enhanced. And one major way of achieving corporate goals is through effective communication.

Instrument of unification All organisations are held together by and perform their functions through the process of communication. Communication is the channel of influence, the mechanism of change, the means of motivation and the socialising agent that enables an organisation to reach its goal. Without communication, there can be no interpersonal interaction.

Findings Findings show that managers spend about 70 to 80 per cent of their total time communicating in one way or the other, which may be talking, listening, reading or writing. Without effective communication, there can be little or no performance management, innovation, understanding of clients and coordination of efforts. Without effective communication, it is difficult to manage the expectations of those who are in a position to make decisions.

Managers’ task Irrespective of the management style adopted by a manager, he or she must manage people. It is through these people that a business succeeds or fails. A manag-

Ineffective communication Most managers do not communicate well, and do not set an organisational climate where internal communication is managed effectively. This is not surprising,

since a manager who communicates ineffectively and does not encourage effective organisational communication is unlikely to hear about it. Poor communication is self-sustaining, because it eliminates an important ‘feedback loop’. Staff members are reluctant to express their concerns about communication because they do not perceive the manager as receptive. A manager needs to be an active listener. According to Ed Brodow, a communication expert, we hear mostly what we want to hear, not what the other person is trying to communicate to us. In short, you may be fostering poor communication, and never know it. You may see the symptoms, but unless you are looking carefully, you may not identify your own involvement in the problem.

Solutions Effective organisational communication, regardless of form, requires three things.

First, all players must have the appropriate skills and understanding to communicate well.

Second, it requires a climate or culture that supports effective communication. More specifically, this climate involves trust, openness, reinforcement of good communication practices and shared re-

sponsibility for making communication effective. Third, effective communication requires attention. It does not just happen, but develops as a result of a deliberate effort on the part of management and staff.

Managers’ role As a manager, your role in improving communication with respect to each of these can be defined thus: First, if you want to improve communication, you will need to ensure that you and staff have the skills and knowledge necessary to communicate effectively.

Second, you play a critical role in fostering and nurturing a climate that is characterised by open communication. Finally, you must bring communication to the forefront of organisational attention.

If you make the effort to improve communication, your staff will recognise that it is important. If you ignore it, so will the staff.

Rules for management communication As regards rules for management communication, the first of the rules is to tell staff in advance. Karl Walinskas, a communication specialist educates that whether you are dealing with salespeople, floor-sweepers or doctors, anytime

you as a manager wants to make a decision that affects people’s lives, tell them well in advance. Another rule for management communication is to give enough information.

The final rule for effective management communication is to live by example, that is, walk the talk of your message.

Today’s managers must show the resolve to achieve organisational goals through effective communication.

NOTE: The duration of the public speaking seminar has been greatly reduced as requested, in addition to other adjustments. You will find the programme on the right side at the upper part of my website. Click on the text and see details. I appreciate your suggestions and requests.

•GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is a Certified Public Speaker/Emcee, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker, Career Management Coach, Renowned Book Reviewer, Corporate Leadership Expert and Editorial Consultant..

Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425 Email: info@gokeilesanmi.com Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

52

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

NEWS Anambra Election Tribunal gets 22 petitions •APGA, Uba for pretrial June 31 HE Anambra Election Tribunal has received 22 petitions, the tribunal Chairman Justice Usman Bwala has said.

Justice Bwala warned against adjournments. He said the tribunal was given 180 days to complete its assignment.

Bwala said the state has the highest number of petitions.

The tribunal has adjourned till May 31 the case between All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Senator-elect for Anambra South, Andy Uba. APGA’s Counsel, Mrs. Victoria Okonkwo, told the tribunal that Uba had been served through substituted service.

Another case that came up yesterday was the one between Ozo Ughanmadu of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Emeke Nwogbo of (APGA) for Awka North/ South Federal Constituency where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APGA candidate winner of the election.

Counsel to ACN candidate, G.C. Igbokwe, informed the tribunal that APGA candidate (respondent) had been served through substituted service as directed by the court. He said his client is expecting his reply.

T

He also told the tribunal that INEC and others had earlier been served.

The tribunal will this weekend determine the matters involving Nicholas Ukachukwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Andy Uba for Anambra South; Edozie Aroh of APGA against Charles Odedo of ACN for Idemili North/ South Federal Constituency.

Others are Azubuike Ikenna and Ben Nwankwo for Orumba North/South Federal Constituency; APGA and Senator- elect for Anambra North, John Emeka; Maggery Okadigbo and John Emeka of PDP; African Liberation Party (ALP) versus (INEC) for Awka North/ South Federal Constituency.

Abia LP candidate heads to tribunal From Ugochukwu Eke, Umuahia

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BIA Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the April 26 election, Stanley Ohajuruka, has gone to the lection tribunal over his party’s missing logo and failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adhere to the Electoral Act during the election.

In a petition filed by his Counsel Ken Mezia, Ohajuruka is asking the tribunal to nullify the election.

Addressing reporters in Umuahia, Ohajuruka alleged that there was no election in Abia.

Chief Obioma for burial Chief Jacob Obioma will be buried on May 21 at his Amachara, Umuahia, Abia State home.

He was 80.

The late Obioma was a peaceful and God-fearing man whose existence received commendation from his family and admirers.

At a youthful age, he was the Secretary of Umuopara Section of the Methodist Church of Nigeria. He held other positions, including the first President of Circuit Men’s Fellowship.

53

Ballot box discovered in Abia bush •INEC: We’re not looking for any ballot box

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HE All Progressives GrandAlliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Abia State in the last election Reagan Ufomba has discovered a ballot box belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abia bush.

Ufomba said the development shows that there was no election in the state.

INEC spokesperson Timidi Warioowehi said none of their ballot boxes was declared missing.

Ufomba spoke at Umuogelle Ntigha yesterday.

He said the ballot box with

From Ugochukwu Eke, Umuahia

number AB/06/07/014 was discovered at Avor Umuerim Ntigha polling unit.

The APGA chieftain said the governorship election of April 26 has come and gone, adding: “but yesterday some people came to my house to tell me about the discovery of a ballot box left in a bush near a polling booth at Avor Umuerim Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North council.”

He said he would challenge the outcome of the election at the election tribunal.

He said he has asked INEC

•The Ballot box

to come and carry the box, ‘but they said none of their ballot boxes was missing.’

He commended the people of Ntigha for the discovering.’

Ufomba said he has informed the Divisional Police

Officer (DPO)in Isiala/ Ngwa North of the development.

The ballot box is being guarded by some natives, it was learnt.

Police spokesperson Wariowehi said they have no record of a missing ballot box.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

54

NEWS Maternal maternity on the rise, says College Provost

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ATERNAL mortality in the country is on the increase as 800 women out of every 100,000 die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth related complications , the Provost of Niger State College of Midwifery, Hajiya Aiha Maikudi has revealed.

She said the figure translate to 42, 600 maternal deaths each year as only 33 per cent of expectant mothers are delivered by skilled attendants.

Speaking at the matriculation ceremony for the 2009/ 2010 academic session of the college in Minna, Maikudi expressed concern over the increasing rate of maternal mortality in the country, adding

From Justina Asishana, Minna

that majority of women run the risk of maternal mortality and morbidity.

She said: ”This situation should not be allowed to continue as majority of women in Nigeria are at the risk of maternal mortality and morbidity therefore measures should be put in place to prevent it.”

Hajiya Maikudi said the insitution’s contribution to curtail the upsurge, especially in the Northcentral state, was needed most to justify the introduction of basic midwifery programme in order to provide qualified midwives and skilled attendants at delivery.

Osinbajo, Akintola to represent ACN at Akwa Ibom tribunal

I

NDICATIONS emerged yesterday that three respected Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Chief Kola Awodein; Chief Niyi Akintola ; and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will represent Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the governorship and House of Assembly elections petition tribunal in Akwa Ibom State.

ACN is challenging the April 26 governorship and House of Assembly elections on the ground that it was marred with widespread irregularities.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the state governor Chief Godswill Akpabio as the winner of the poll and issued him

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

certificate of return after polling 957,585 votes to defeat other candidates in the poll.

The tribunal in Akwa Ibom state is 3-man panel with Justice Abdullahi Yusuf from Katsina State High Court as the chairman.

Other members are Justice Olusanya Olumuyiwa from Ogun State High Court; and M. S. Ayemeiye from Bayelsa State High Court while Mr. Alaba Ariyo will serve as the Secretary to the tribunal. ACN Legal Adviser, Mr. Andem Ndem, said that the party yesterday submitted its governorship and house of assembly petitions at the tribunal.

Lagos State Governor’s wife, Mrs Abimbola Fashola (left); Founder, The Counselling Ambassadors, Mrs. Regina Obasa and her husband, Mr Ademuyiwa Obasa during the 2011 Beracha held at Blue Roof, Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Lagos... last weekend.

PHOTO: TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

Govt restates commitment to sound education

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HOUSANDS of secondary school pupils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday got their hope renewed by President Goodluck Jonathan on the future of their education. They were reassured that the current administration is determined to lay solid foundation for sound and qualitative education through the inculcation of a robust reading culture in the school system.

President Jonathan made the reassurance while flagging off the Bring Back the Book campaign for the FCT at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

Jonathan said the Bring Back the Book campaign was initiated against the background of the Federal Government’s commitment to sound and qualitative education based on genuine thirst for knowledge.

Amid dance performances by Afri Theatre Group, readings by the Deputy Vice- Chancellor of Nassarawa State University, Keffi, Prof Zainab Alkali, author of The Descendants, Ayodele Olofintuade, author of Eno’s Story and words by movie stars, Segun Arinze and Stephanie Okereke, the president enjoined

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

thousands of secondary school pupils at the launch to take reading serious.

He explained that the foundation of every knowledge or learning is reading because as the saying goes, when you stop reading, you stop leading. This, reality he said, underscores why every Nigerian must act in concert to bring back the book not only in the schools but the Nigerian society at large.

Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, stressed that the Bring Back the Book campaign is a deliberate policy designed to redress the pitfalls that have been adversely affecting the quality of education in the country in the past three decades.

According to him, the problem of declining reading culture has continued to pose a major challenge not only to the government but the entire society. The ripple effects, the President observed, have permeated the entire strata of the country making the quality of graduates from the nation’s schools at various levels to fall below standard.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

55

NEWS ‘Scrapping 6-3-3-4 system is counter-productive’

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AGOS State Commissioner for Science and Technology Dr Obafemi Hamzat has objected to the calls for the abrogation of the 6-3-3-4 system of education, saying the policy is a boost to the drive for science and technological development.

He advised the federal and state governments to invest in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which he described as the baseline for future economic growth.

Hamzat, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, chided successive administrations for policy somersault, stressing that they are always in a hurry to reap the fruits of robust programmes they have refused to adequately fund.

According to him, the 63-3-4 system; as a carefully thought-out educational policy germane to the development of technical expertise among the targeted youths, who may opt for vocational studies after completing their studies at the junior secondary school.

He said: “The programme is a beautiful concept, but those in charge of its implementation derailed from the original plan. Funding is not adequate. What we should do is to implement the programme well, in-

Group calls for immortalising of ‘NYSC 10’

By Nneka Nwaneri

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GROUP, The Forum for Purposeful Governance and Democratic Ethos, yesterday called for the immortalisation of the 10 corps members killed during last month’s post-election mayhem in Bauchi.

The group said it would also establish a foundation; Educational, Welfare and Enterprise (EWE), to cater for the needs of the immediate families of the fallen heroes, as well as the building of a peace garden, in the various states where they hailed from.

The group’s convener, Mr Femi Akomolede made these known at a briefing in Lagos. He also spoke on the categories of people lined up for Nigeria’s best 11 in the 2011 award.

“This award”, he said, is to honour Nigerians for their roles in the success of the 2011 polls”.

Akomolede described the elections as a watershed in the history of the country, and congratulated Nigerians for going out to vote, despite the initial hiccup by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He also condemned those he called “joy killers”, who caused the loss of lives and property and expressed the hope that the Lemu-led committee, bring the perpetrators of the post-election violence to book.

“Going by the theme of the year, Let the people decide”, the convener said Nigerians would be vested with the right to decide their winners for each category from among nominees.

By Emmanuel Oladesu

stead of scrapping it”.

Hamzat identified ICT as a factor for rapid development in Lagos State, assuring that government would not relent in its utilisation to get maximum results.

He explained that the Ministry of Science and Technology has broken the jinx of dealing with a great deal of information processing and documentation through ICT without necessarily affecting the workforce.

The commissioner said data gathering, collation and processing were germane to nation-building, urging governments at the three tiers to imbibe the scientific culture.

Sekibo, 14 others file petitions at tribunal in Rivers T

HE Rivers State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and its governorship candidate, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, yesterday filed a petition at the election petitions tribunal in Port Harcourt.

Sekibo called for the nullification of the election of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged massive rigging, multiple thumb-printing, intimidation; inducement of the electorate and snatching of ballot boxes, among others.

The tribunal, headed by Justice A. A. Wambai, is yet to fix a date for its inaugural sitting.

It is still receivng more petitions.

Fourteen other opposition

•No date yet for inaugural sitting

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

politicians from the ACN, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Peoples Mandate Party (PMP), also filed petitions on the outcome of the Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly elections.

Secretary to the tribunal, Mrs. S. F. Adegbite, declined to speak with reporters, but another official, who simply gave his name as Abubakar, said five senatorial and nine House of Representatives petitions had been processed.

He added that petitions

were still being received on the House of Assembly election being received.

While filing the petition, Sekibo told reporters at the premises of the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt, that the results of the election, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not reflect the wishes of the people, whom he said voted massively for ACN. Sekibo urged the people to expect a long-drawn legal battle, stressing that his party would not rest on its oars, until justice is achieved.

He said: “Today marks a significant milestone, as we have filed our petition before the election petitions tribunal. We strongly believe that the PDP did not win the governorship election. ACN won the election.

“We shall leave the rest to the tribunal to decide, but our humble request is that what INEC declared should be nullified.”

Sekibo said he and other members of the ACN had faith in the judicial process and would follow what is in the electoral laws to the letter.

56

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

57

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

EQUITIES

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-05-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name CAPITAL OIL PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2

Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity Traded 13,928,681 13,928,681

Value of Shares (N) 6,964,340.50 6,964,340.50

Quantity Traded 100 2,800 72,100 48,420 123,420

Value of Shares (N) 405.00 1,400.00 36,050.00 362,506.00 400,361.00

Quantity Traded 410,353 410,353

Value of Shares (N) 3,720,494.62 3,720,494.62

Quantity Traded 5,400 335,901 341,301

Value of Shares (N) 2,700.00 864,234.03 866,934.03

Quantity Traded 5,460,037 2,417,042 2,991,804 1,023,967 616,659 7,120,280 13,846,741 3,213,998 11,283,080 51,084,634 1,601,342 19,731,463 40,981,588 3,483,702 70,100 3,181,471 29,747,977 1,411,743 16,916,196 894,884 33,534,267 250,612,975

Value of Shares (N) 46,428,671.39 4,418,047.47 19,853,526.40 4,246,331.88 4,638,415.79 18,893,647.62 191,335,513.51 2,309,997.35 181,821,957.97 515,933,921.64 2,169,464.83 40,995,226.27 59,054,815.46 30,691,542.42 76,409.00 7,123,544.48 205,788,096.56 4,307,503.26 17,465,982.80 1,051,794.92 519,846,803.02 1,878,451,214.04

Quantity Traded 1,000 143,535 223,005 1,451,777 1,819,317

Value of Shares (N) 4,380.00 32,440,345.35 1,451,955.93 127,041,890.57 160,938,571.85

Quantity Traded 327,953 1,839,820 101,546 582,626 2,851,945

Value of Shares (N) 8,364,454.27 21,378,235.20 13,033,671.47 24,529,312.20 67,305,673.14

Quantity Traded 63,560 104,499 50,000 100 218,159

Value of Shares (N) 758,478.00 2,537,235.72 105,000.00 1,039.00 3,401,752.72

Quantity Traded 131,900 100 132,000

Value of Shares (N) 373,924.00 550.00 374,474.00

Quantity Traded 20,500 20,500

Value of Shares (N) 10,250.00 10,250.00

Quantity Traded 31,750 2,099,791 7,791,806 679,367 275,751 10,878,465

Value of Shares (N) 60,325.00 76,055,341.20 8,297,184.15 28,906,814.61 7,503,510.87 120,823,175.83

AGRICULTURE/AGRO-ALLIED Company Name ELLAH LAKES PLC FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1 4 7 13

Quotation(N) 4.26 0.50 0.50 7.23

AIR SERVICES Company Name No of Deals NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC 70 Sector Totals 70

Quotation(N) 9.15

AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 14 16

Company Name ACCESS BANK PLC AFRIBANK NIGERIA PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC FINBANK PLC GTBANK PLC STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC. OCEANIC BANK INTERNATIONAL PLC BANK PHB PLC SKYE BANK PLC. SPRING BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 231 42 85 82 39 132 832 62 597 53 50 167 67 129 3 70 292 127 55 28 360 3,503

Quotation(N) 0.50 2.60

BANKING Quotation(N) 8.44 1.80 6.79 4.02 7.52 2.64 13.96 0.70 16.42 10.08 1.36 1.99 1.48 8.80 1.09 2.28 6.85 3.07 1.05 1.20 15.53

BREWERIES Company Name CHAMPION BREWERIES PLC GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 46 33 147 227

Company Name ASHAKA CEMENT PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 51 22 43 35 151

Quotation(N) 4.18 215.25 6.65 87.51

BUILDING MATERIALS Quotation(N) 25.46 11.61 127.32 42.01

CHEMICAL & PAINTS Company Name No of Deals BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC 18 CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC 20 PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC 1 PREMIER PAINTS PLC. 1 Sector Totals 40

Quotation(N) 12.34 24.28 2.10 10.93

Key indicators react to President’s directive on cement

K

EY indicators of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday returned southwards after five straight days of consistent appreciation. The market capitalisation and All-Share-Index both recorded a marginal drop of 0.01 per cent each after a gain of N180 billion and 564.00 points.

The drop recorded on Tuesday was attributed to the directive by the President on the price of cement for it to be reviewed to about N1, 000 per bag.

Reacting to the drop in the indicators, operators said the mandate received by a cross section of clients was targeted at reducing their losses by repositioning to reinvest in other portfolios.

“Most of us had our clients mandating us to sell even if

No of Deals 8 1 9

Quotation(N) 2.82 5.78

No of Deals 2 2

Quotation(N) 0.50

CONGLOMERATES Company Name No of Deals A. G. LEVENTIS (NIGERIA) PLC 4 PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC 67 TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC 77 UAC OF NIGERIA PLC 69 UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC 67 Sector Totals 284

Quotation(N) 2.00 36.02 1.06 42.50 27.99

CONSTRUCTION Company Name JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC MULTIVERSE PLC ROADS NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 27 1 1 29

Quotation(N) 52.00 0.50 3.01

Quantity Traded 293,008 100 1,000 294,108

Value of Shares (N) 15,869,641.30 50.00 3,160.00 15,872,851.30

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name CUTIX PLC NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 5 9

Quotation(N) 2.00 0.50

it means at a drop to reduce their losses. As far as they (investors) are concerned, reduction in the sale of cement will translate into reduced profit which at the end means that dividend will drop or nothing will be given to us,” a broker said.

In all, capitalisation reduced by N1 billion while the index dropped 4.65 points.

Investors traded a total of 351.099 million shares worth N2.784 billion across 5,931 deals.

However, fifty-five stocks recorded price change with twenty-four appreciating while thirty-one others re-

N

ASDAQ OMX Group Inc. and Interconti nental Exchange on yesterday withdrew their $11billion proposal to acquire NYSE Euronext after discussion with the United State (US) Justice Department.

“We took the decision to withdraw our offer when it became clear that we would not be successful in securing regulatory approval for our

proposal despite offering a variety of substantial remedies, including the sale of the NYSE SRO and related businesses,” Nasdaq Chief Executive Officer Bob Greifeld said.

NYSE shares slipped 8.6% to $37.37 in premarket trading while Nasdaq was halted and closed Friday at $26.91.

ICE was inactive and closed at $118.32.

No of Deals 22 65 156 85 47 10 28 21 35 4 19 14 506

Quotation(N) 46.00 21.50 18.50 14.00 88.00 4.83 5.76 37.50 395.00 30.73 0.51 0.64

Quantity Traded 214,500 200,000 414,500

Value of Shares (N) 431,050.00 100,000.00 531,050.00

Quantity Traded 69,108 437,513 4,707,793 3,003,337 179,903 299,630 1,015,955 111,575 25,641 2,459 2,473,532 981,350 13,307,796

Value of Shares (N) 3,185,491.56 9,450,981.84 85,366,528.47 42,352,445.82 15,852,817.14 1,432,045.80 5,721,287.57 4,131,306.04 10,209,499.49 72,314.30 1,260,710.99 624,237.49 179,659,666.51

Quantity Traded 1,129,820 2,041,925 80,068 113,110 100 18,750 3,383,773

Value of Shares (N) 1,365,801.80 4,186,294.89 2,012,221.08 489,279.00 187.00 72,562.50 8,126,346.27

REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC STACO INSURANCE PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC UNIC INSURANCE PLC. INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N) 1.23 2.03 25.93 4.35 1.96 4.07

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name IKEJA HOTEL PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 18 18

Quotation(N) 1.43

No of Deals 2 4 18 24

Quotation(N) 8.40 0.55 5.50

Quantity Traded 830,600 830,600

Value of Shares (N) 1,205,592.00 1,205,592.00

Quantity Traded 950 54,500 181,330 236,780

Value of Shares (N) 7,980.00 28,885.00 1,000,453.70 1,037,318.70

No of Deals 1 28 29

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.75

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 100 50.00 2,223,743 1,570,631.63 2,223,843 1,570,681.63

INSURANCE Company Name No of Deals AIICO INSURANCE PLC. 60 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC 9 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC 13 GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC 17 GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC 6 LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. 1 LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. 24 LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC 1 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC 2 N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. 24 NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. 1 OASIS INSURANCE PLC 2 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. 4

Quotation(N) 0.90 1.03 3.00 0.50 1.65 0.50 0.57 0.50 0.50 0.54 0.74 0.50 2.03

100 633,770 2,500 852,500 4,000 686,500 14,779,388

50.00 317,386.00 1,250.00 426,250.00 2,000.00 350,115.00 11,467,272.11

No of Deals 4 4

Quotation(N) 1.22

Quantity Traded 68,000 68,000

Value of Shares (N) 83,560.00 83,560.00

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 98 98

Quotation(N) 1.31

Quantity Traded 13,269,170 13,269,170

Value of Shares (N) 17,414,838.35 17,414,838.35

Company Name AFROMEDIA PLC DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 8 17 25

Quotation(N) 0.51 0.50

Quantity Traded 980,000 1,252,640 2,232,640

Value of Shares (N) 499,800.00 626,320.00 1,126,120.00

Company Name ABBEY BUILDING SOCIETY PLC ASO SAVINGS AND LOAND PLC RESORT SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1 1 59 62

Quantity Traded 425 5,000 100,000 8,827,600 8,933,025

Value of Shares (N) 582.25 2,500.00 50,000.00 5,591,600.17 5,644,682.42

Quantity Traded 10,600 10,600

Value of Shares (N) 5,300.00 5,300.00

Quantity Traded 1,844,651 4,350 7,910 1,856,911

Value of Shares (N) 4,788,458.78 14,877.00 10,994.90 4,814,330.68

Quantity Traded 130,151 156,000 18,094 215,952 792,302 666,751 1,982,521 4,104 3,965,875

Value of Shares (N) 2,609,659.44 78,000.00 1,296,387.00 7,706,028.00 4,046,129.12 108,347,584.60 107,783,469.67 806,659.74 232,673,917.57

Quantity Traded 1,171 72,571 73,742

Value of Shares (N) 4,098.50 359,232.48 363,330.98

Quantity Traded 316,881 316,881

Value of Shares (N) 5,417,896.30 5,417,896.30

Quantity Traded 1,000 1,000

Value of Shares (N) 50,000.00 50,000.00

Quantity Traded 107,000 107,000

Value of Shares (N) 67,225.00 67,225.00

Quantity Traded 53,892 53,892

Value of Shares (N) 35,113.04 35,113.04

Quotation(N) 15.70

Quantity Traded 3,402,150 3,402,150

Value of Shares (N) 53,400,940.24 53,400,940.24

5,931

351,098,790

2,783,825,274.83

MARITIME

MEDIA

MORTGAGE COMPANIES Quotation(N) 1.44 0.50 0.50 0.66

Company Name ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 7

Quotation(N) 0.50

PACKAGING Company Name No of Deals NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC 76 NAMPAK NIGERIA PLC 2 POLY PRODUCTS (NIGERIA) PLC. 1 Sector Totals 79

Quotation(N) 2.60 3.60 1.46

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name AFRICAN PETROLEUM PLC. BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC CONOIL PLC ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. OANDO PLC TOTAL NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 51 6 9 29 37 35 199 7 373

Company Name ACADEMY PRESS PLC. UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 12 14

Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 28 28

Quotation(N) 20.10 0.50 72.00 35.70 5.35 163.00 54.85 195.50

PRINTING & PUBLISHING Quotation(N) 3.68 5.05

REAL ESTATE

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Company Name MASS TELECOM INNOVATION NIG PLC STARCOMMS PLC Sector Totals

0.50 0.51 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.51

LEASING Company Name C&I LEASING PLC Sector Totals

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name B. O. C. GASES NIGERIA PLC FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

1 13 1 19 1 11 210

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

HEALTHCARE Company Name No of Deals EVANS MEDICALPLC. 10 FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC 27 GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC 17 MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. 15 NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC1 PHARMA-DEKO PLC 4 Sector Totals 74

Nasdaq launched an unsolicited proposal to buy the Big Board parent in April, backed by Atlanta-based commodities specialist Intercontinental Exchange.

The Justice Department last month had initiated an antitrust review of the proposal, which would have brought nearly all US stock listings under a merged Nasdaq-NYSE.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NIGERIAN BOTTLING COMPANY PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC NORTHERN NIGERIA FLOUR MILLS PLC TANTALIZERS PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

duced in value. On the gainers table, Honeywell led the list with a five percent appreciation followed by Conoil, CAP Plc, NASCON and May & Baker.

On the losers table, all cement stocks traded upon with price change reduced in value, only Dangote Cement retained its opening price despite transactions recorded.

Others on the losers table were Afribank, Fidson, Ikeja Hotel and Transcorp to mention a few.

Meanwhile, Conoil and Total formally notified the exchange of their intention of recommending N2.00 and N6.00 dividend to their shareholders.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-05-11

COMPUTER & OFFICE EQUIPMENT Company Name OMATEK VENTURES PLC Sector Totals

By Tonia Osundolire and Eshiet Uyoatta

Nasdaq, ICE withdraw offer for NYSE

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

•Conoil, Total propose N2, N6 dividends

Quantity Traded 3,154,227 1,312,275 679,000 2,757,500 52,400 15,600 3,561,428 100 4,100 1,046,345 100 1,500 15,443

Value of Shares (N) 2,839,387.06 1,374,920.50 2,056,796.00 1,378,750.00 85,944.00 7,800.00 2,024,313.96 50.00 2,050.00 568,049.30 71.00 750.00 31,339.29

Quotation(N) 17.00

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Company Name No of Deals UNION HOMES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRU 1 Sector Totals 1

Quotation(N) 50.00

ROAD TRANSPORTATION Company Name ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 6 6

Company Name UNITED NIGERIA TEXTILES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 3

Quotation(N) 0.60

TEXTILES Quotation(N) 0.65

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name No of Deals ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED 15 Sector Totals 15 Overall Totals

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FOREIGN NEWS

Pressure mounts on IMF chief Strauss-Kahn to resign

P

RESSURE is mounting on Dominique StraussKahn to step down as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Austrian finance minister Maria Fekter called on him to consider his position.

Meanwhile, her Spanish counterpart, Elana Salgado, gave her support for the victim of his alleged sexual assault.

Strauss-Kahn has been remanded in custody at New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail, following his arrest on Saturday for the attempted rape of a hotel maid.

He was arrested after boarding a plane, prompting the judge to say that Mr StraussKahn, 62, was a flight risk.

He faces seven charges and could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.

Strauss-Kahn, who had been seen as a favourite in France’s 2012 presidential elections, denies the charges.

The defence offered to post $1m (£617,000) bail, with Mr Strauss-Kahn to stay at his

daughter’s address in New York until the next hearing on Friday. However, Judge Melissa Jackson rejected the application.

“I don’t comment on judicial matters,” said Ms Fekter.

“But in view of the situation, that bail has been refused, he himself must deliberate on whether he is hurting the institution.”

The Spanish finance minister added her voice, saying that the IMF head faced “very serious accusations” but that any resignation “is only a decision that Mr StraussKahn can take”.

However, she went on to express sympathy for the alleged victim of the assault: “If I had to show my solidarity and support for someone, it would be towards the woman who has been assaulted, if that is really the case that she has been.”

Irrespective of the legal outcome, Mr Strauss-Kahn’s detention creates a practical obstacle for his role in negotiating rescue loans for Por-

Ugandan President apologises to Jonathan over stoning

U

•Strauss-Kahn

tugal and Greece.

Strauss-Kahn had been due to attend an EU finance ministers’ meeting in Brussels to discuss financial bail-outs.

The IMF has played a central role in organising rescue packages for the troubled economies of Portugal and Greece.

However, according to the Portuguese finance minister, Fernando Teixeira dos Santos, the IMF head’s absence had not been an issue.

Strauss-Kahn received support from the Luxembourg prime minister and eurogroup head, Jean-Claude Juncker, a self-professed close friend.

GANDAN President Yoweri Museveni yesterday apologised to President Goodluck Jonathan over the stoning of his convoy during Museveni’s inauguration in Kampala last week.

Jonathan’s vehicles were attacked by protesters on his way to the airport after the ceremony.

Museveni was sworn in for a fourth five-year term last Thursday. He has spent 25 years in the saddle.

He said the stone-throwing brought shame to Uganda and apologised to Jonathan and other affected leaders for what he called “hooliganism and irresponsibility.”

Museveni said the vehicle of Nigeria’s President was hit by a stone, and that the car carrying Congo’s president was almost hit.

The crowd that welcomed the country’s top opposition

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

leader Kizza Besigye on his rrival from Kenya on the same day blocked the road to the airport in Entebbe. He was said to be going for a medical checkup. His arrival sparked some violence.

According to an account, Jonathan ran into the opposition leader’s supporters who had gathered to recieve him.

Trouble allegedly started when Besigye could not make the Entebbe-Kampala trip within the one hour he was given to make way for visiting dignitaries, who were due to dine with Museveni in his Entebbe residence.

“The crowd of supporters would not let Besigye go as they turned out in large numbers to welcome him home, hence the delay he encoun-

tered at Entebbe.” ‘’It was in an attempt to disperse the crowd for Jonathan and Museveni to wade through that, it was learnt the supporters started throwing stones at the police. One of the policemen was reportedly injured, which gave others a reason to spray tear-gas to control the crowd.

At this point, it was gathered, Jonathan and Museveni’s convoy arrived. The supporters of the opposition leader, however, continued pelting stones on the police in anger, which was extended to the convoys of Museveni and Jonathan.

But the situation was brought under control afterwards. Although one person was reported dead.

Jonathan was among the nine African heads of state that attended Museveni’s inauguration. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia were there.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

63

NATION SPORT

EUROPA CUP FINAL

Echiejile chases first trophy •As Braga battles Porto

N

I G E R I A N international, Elderson Echiejile will be the second Nigerian to lift the Europa league cup if his team, Sporting Braga beats FC Porto in today's final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Former Super Eagles Captain, Nwankwo Kanu was

By Stella Bamawo the first Nigerian to win the trophy with interMillan.Although Kanu misssed the final because that was an unfortunate year(1996) for the Pompey forward as he was diagnosed with a heart defect, but he was still able to

•Sporting Braga’s Elderson Echiejile (r) battles for the ball with Leiria's Fabricio during their Portuguese Premier League match

play 5 games in the competition which makes him eligible to be part of the team that won the competition.

Meanwhile, Braga are 7-1 outsiders to win Europe’s second club competition tonight,but Braga coach Domingos Paciencia maintains the club can bring an end to the favourites’ stellar season and win his club their first silverware since 1966.

“In a final, and given how the season has gone, it’s natural that Porto are big favourites. But it’s a final, it’s just one match. With the right inspiration and motivation, many situations can occur in a match that can get you a goal. That is what makes us believe it’s possible to win.”

Braga finished 38 points behind Portos’ all-conquering outfit and they warmed up for today’s game with a disappointing home defeat to Sporting Lisbon in their final

league match of the season on Saturday.

They saved their best form for the continent this term, though, overcoming Sevilla and Celtic in the Champions League play-offs to make the group stages, where Arsenal edged them out in the running for a place in the knockout phase.

History does appear to be against Braga; they have not beaten Porto in nearly two years and have also lost two cup finals against their northern Atlantic coast neighbours.

Braga, though, will have extra incentive to win only their second trophy - to add to their Portuguese Cup victory in 1956 - as the match will be Paciencia's last in charge of the club.The final will be the eighth between teams from one nation and the first since 2007 when Sevilla edged Spanish rival Espanyol on penalties.

'Gone are the days of share the cash' •Sharks' Supporters club dedicate bus

S

UPPORTERS' Club of the WAFU Champions, Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt took a giant stride ahead as they dedicated a coaster bus at the Sharks football stadium yesterday evening, courtesy of the N5 million given by the Rivers state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi after the club lifted the WAFU Clubs' trophy last year.

Speaking to NationSport after the dedication of the bus, the chairman of the Sharks' Supporters' club, meniya Igani related how he convinced his excutives and the members of the club to purchase the bus rather than share the money.

"I am very delighted and it gives me joy that in the history of Sharks' Supporters' club we have refused to share money and by the grace of God, I have set a pace and a standard so that anybody

Chigozie targets brace

D

OLPHINS new striker, Christopher Chigozie says his dream is to start his goal scoring run for Dolphins in today’s game against Rangers in Enugu.

Chigozie who ended the first round on 7 goals for Ocean Boys says he still has 8 more goals to score in the second round and he plans to start with Rangers.

“I know I have not scored in my first two games for Dolphins but you never can tell; I can score twice in Enugu to give me 2 goals

Michael, Gwar make NPL’s Team of the Week T

HE Nigeria Premier League has announced the Team of the Week for games played in Week 21.

Sharks, Bukola Babes, Dolphins and Niger Tornadoes produced two personnel each for this week’s team that has a 4-3-3 formation.

Okiemute Odah of Sharks takes the goal while the quartet of Kenechukwu Okoh (Heartland), Seun Sogbesan (Bukola Babes), Fade Adebayo (Bukola Babes) and Juwon Oshaniwa (Sharks) play in a fourman backline.

Gabriel Reuben (Kano Pillars), Josiah Maduabuchi (Enyimba) and Chigozie Christopher (Dolphins) will play in the middle while the trio of Kabiru Sanusi (Kwara United), Sibi Gwar (Niger Tornadoes) and Victor Michael (Dolphins) are the strikers.

Justin Tenger (Niger Tornadoes) will take charge as coach of the team.

Goalkeeper: Okiemute Odah (Sharks).He made sure that the Blue Angels left Juth with an important. His reflex in that game was spot on. No wonder Juth found it hard to score in the goalless game.

Right-back: Kenechukwu Okoh (Heartland) His performance looked more like that of a right wing back and not the typical standing defender on the right side of defence. Okoh bombed forward and added bite to the attacking option of Heartland in their lone goal win over Gombe United.

Centre-back: Seun Sogbesan

(Bukola Babes) He combined well in the middle for his club in spite of the team going one man down against Zamfara United in Gusau. His defensive skill was enough to keep the likes of Austin Kadiri and Peter Bako at bay.Centre-back: Fade Adebayo (Bukola Babes) Adebayo played a box-to-box style joining attacking and defending at the same time. No wonder he got on the score sheet for Bukola Babes in the game against Zamfara United.

Left-back: Juwon Oshaniwa (Sharks) Oshaniwa makes the team for the second time this season on the back of a defensive performance at left back for Sharks in Jos against Juth in their goalless game.

Defensive midfielder: Gabriel Reuben (Kano Pillars) He repelled everything thrown at Kano Pillars in the northern derby against Kaduna United. Reuben also linked the attack well with incisive passes.

Attacking midfielder: Josiah Maduabuchi (Enyimba) The Enyimba playmaker was one of the reasons Ocean Boys found it hard to break the champions in Yenagoa at the weekend. He controlled the midfield like a general in charge of an army.

Attacking midfielder: Chigozie Christopher (Dolphins) He has seamlessly adapted to the style of Dolphins as evident in their 3 – 0 win over Plateau United. Christopher played a key role in the win as he continues his

loan spell at the leaders’ fold.

Centre forward: Kabiru Sanusi (Kwara United) He remains the most consistent striker in the league. Nine goals in nine games is no fluke. He scored his ninth of the campaign against Warri Wolves on Saturday.

Left forward: Sibi Gwar (Niger Tornadoes) Since moving from Kwara United to Tornadoes, Gwar has hit a rich vein of form. He has scored three in two games including two goals last weekend in his side’s 3 – 2 away win at Crown.

Right forward: Victor Michael (Dolphins) Michael fired two goals past struggling Plateau United. For the few times he has featured for Dolphins he has proved to be a handful.

Coach: Justin Tenger (Niger Tornadoes) He masterminded the only away win over Crown of Ogbomosho in Ilaro.

The team Okiemute Odah (Sharks) Kenechukwu Okoh (Heartland) Seun Sogbesan (Bukola Babes) Fade Adebayo (Bukola Babes) Juwon Oshaniwa (Sharks) Gabriel Reuben (Kano Pillars) Josiah Maduabuchi (Enyimba) Chigozie Christopher (Dolphins) Kabiru Sanusi (Kwara United) Sibi Gwar (Niger Tornadoes) Victor Michael (Dolphins) Coach: Justin Tenger (Niger Tornadoes)

from three matches and will not be looking for just 6 more goals,” the creative midfielder said.

He added that it was his search for a League title that led him to dropping Ocean Boys for Dolphins.

“Every body knows that Dolphins is an ambitious side and any one that wants to win can do so at Dolphins.

I want to win the League and that is why I crossed over and I am hoping that my dreams is realised.

“Also, I have always wanted to play for Stanley Eguma. When I tried to join Sharks in 2008 he had already left to Dolphins so it is good to finally unite with him here at Dolphins,” he said.

From Florence Nkem Israel, Port Harcourt coming behind me will know where to cue.

"I told the executives that I was not just voted in to eat suppoters' club money, I stood my ground that we need a bus and that is exactly what we have gotten today. Now I am giving the assurance that all matches must be attended. We are no more in the era of sharing money", he said.

Also, Chief Okey Kpalukwu, the general manager of Sharks football club who unveiled the bus said he proud of the achivement.

"I feel happy and great because when I came into Sharks, we often hear people say that Sharks football club is jinxed and can never achieve anything but today the story has changed.

"Today, we are commissioning this bus.

Ordinarily, the supporters' club would have shared the money but for the first time too they refused to share it and that is to tell you that such times are gone."

He went ahead to promise that the management would ensure to give them the full support they would need in maintaining the bus.

Present at the bus dedication was the Special adviser to the Commisioner for Sports, Sepribo Gilbert Nimifa who also witnessed the entire proceedings during the ceremony.

Tomorrow in THE NATION

http://www.thenationonlineng.net

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL. 6 NO.1763

‘The churches and mosques are full every worship day and even political leaders have appropriated God while continuing with their nefarious looting of the state and national exchequers.

The culture of insincerity perfidy and religious perversion is everywhere’ JIDE OSUNTOKUN

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

L

AST month, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola retired as the Executive Chairman of PUNCH (Nigeria) Limited, publishers of several newspaper titles including THE PUNCH, the country’s self-acclaimed “most widely read newspaper.” His retirement must be the culmination of one of the most successful publishing careers in Nigerian print journalism.

Punch was co-founded in 1971 by two friends, the late Chief Olu Aboderin, Ogunsola’s halfbrother, and Sam Amuka, aka Sad Sam - one the chief financier, the other the professional – but did not start publication until March 1973 with Sunday Punch. It quickly established itself as the liveliest and most entertaining newspaper in the country. A decade later, it nearly came to grief, no thanks to a boardroom rift about its ownership structure which led to the departure of Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam’s departure, along with that of many of the talents he’d recruited into the newspaper, led in turn to a decline in its popularity. Its almost ideological hostility towards the government of President Shehu Shagari (1979 to 1983) did not help matters; the government reciprocated by refusing to give it licence to import newsprint, a newspaper’s staple input, cheaper than it could be bought locally.

Worse was to come. Even as it literally struggled daily to appear on the newsstand, it decided to take on the General Muhammadu Buhari regime that had overthrown President Shagari in December 1983. Buhari’s coup had initially been welcomed, even instigated, by the opposition elements, including most notably, the Nigerian Tribune, Punch’s soulmate in opposition to Shagari.

Indeed when Shagari was sworn in for his second term on October 1, 1983, Tribune said in its edition of that day that the man was “assuming office on borrowed time.” And as if to underscore its deep antipathy towards Shagari, it quoted President John F. Kennedy’s memorable words about the violent consequences of anyone making peaceful change impossible. “Those” quoted the newspaper on its front page, “who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change inevitable.”

As we all know the violent end to Shagari’s second term came on the very last day of 1983.

The opposition newspapers, including Punch, and, of course, Tribune, were exultant. Before long, however, the jubilation soon turned sour as the new military rulers turned their guns not only on leading lights of the ruling party but also on those of the opposition as well.

Easily the most controversial and reckless of the military’s assault on members of the political class was the inexplicable storming of the Apapa residence of Chief Obafemi Awolowo by security forces. That apparently

People and Politics By MOHAMMED HARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

The man who turned PUNCH around

•Ogunsola

got the editors at Punch hopping mad; they reacted with an editorial that excoriated the soldiers. In return the soldiers locked up some of its managers including Malam Haroun Adamu who had been hired to revive the now comatose Punch following his successful establishment of Triumph newspaper in Kano under the “progressive” government of the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi.

The newspaper itself was to suffer closure for months at a time, first in 1993 and then in 1994. All these were to have a telling effect on its financial health.

Even before these hostilities from the authorities, the board room squabble over the ownership of the newspaper had taken its toll on Chief Aboderin’s health. He eventually died in 1984 and was succeeded by his brother, Moyo, who died in 1987 and was, in turn, succeeded by Chief Ogunsola.

RIPPLES NIGERI’S $30B DEBT GAVE ME GRAY HAIR -Okonjo-Iweala

...and Madam is still ELEGANT with the GRAY HAIR

Ogunsola’s long reign, first, as nominal chairman and subsequently as executive chairman, must rank among one of the most successful company turnarounds in Nigeria’s history. From PUNCH (Nigeria) Limited being in a state The News magazine (May 16) accurately described as “Intensive Care Unit” in 1987, Ogunsola turned it into arguably the country’s most successful newspaper company professionally and businesswise, bar the since rested Daily Times under the legendary late Alhaji Babatunde Jose.

Ogunsola came to the job well prepared. First, he had a successful career in the insurance industry where he became the managing director of Niger Insurance Company at the youthful age of 30. He then ran a successful actuarial consulting firm in Lagos from where he must have picked up the skill of identifying and assessing the risks to avoid in managing a successful business.

Obviously, the man needed more than his actuarial skills to have succeeded in turning Punch around. Those who know him say he is a slave driver and a perfectionist. As a fellow member of the board of directors of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) for the past three years or so – he sat on the board on behalf of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria whose president he has been since 2007 - I saw a bit of both in him from his contributions to board decisions and from the way he reviewed board minutes for grammar and style and the accuracy of substance.

Beyond all this however the man I came to know on the NAN board was also a stickler for transparency, propriety and frugality. On one occasion, for example, he stood alone among all board members in rejecting the gift of a laptop from the management because he said, among other things, he did not think the agency could afford them.

Little wonder then that the man was able to

HARDBALL

N

EWSPAPER headlines about the potential composition of President Goodluck Jonathan’s next cabinet make for depressing reading. Virtually all the high profile, failed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates at various senatorial and gubernatorial elections across the country are said to be in the running.

They are supposedly slugging it out with a long list of ex-this and ex-that – some with the most tawdry of reputations.

To make the process even more theatrical, Jonathan’s request for state chapters of his party to send him 10 names each, has set off a round jockeying and bitter in-fighting amongst local godfathers, party executives and governors.

Given the manner of his rise, and his commitment to staying in office for just one term, many Nigerians have great expectations that Jonathan would be driven by the need to make the most of an opportunity dropped on his lap providentially – and not as result of anything he merited.

Those who want to see him surround himself with an assemblage of the brightest and best that Nigeria has to

Jonathan as cabinet maker offer, have reasons to worry whether he can ward off intense political pressure to reward party hacks with choice positions in his administration.

On a couple of occasions in the past, he has pulled off a few surprise appointments so, perhaps, we should not be too worried. He was able to fend off strong lobbies to name high profile political figures as his Vice President. His choice of former Kaduna State Governor, Namadi Sambo, has turned out to be a wise one – as the VP’s low key personality is a good fit for the self-effacing and understated president.

He equally appointed the independentminded Professor Attahiru Jega as chairman of INEC – breaking with a pattern of past presidents naming malleable types to run the electoral commission.

Precedence is on his side. Usually presidents who would not run again for office usually have a stronger hand and are less beholden to godfathers who may want

turn Punch around from a newspaper that depended in the late eighties on Chief M. K. O. Abiola’s largesse, especially for its newsprint requirements, into a newspaper company that, a couple of years or so ago, could, for example, build a new multi-million Naira headquarters with state of the art equipment without borrowing a kobo from the banks.

Even more importantly, especially from the point of view of the workers with whose blood and sweat he was able to turn the company around, Punch today stands tall among a small minority in the newspaper business that pay their workers well and always as at when due.

Of course, Ogunsola’s nearly two and a half decade at the helm of affairs of Punch were not without some setbacks for himself and for the company. When, for example, in 2002 he made a bid for the chairmanship of NPAN against Newswatch’s Ray Ekpu, he lost, even though the race initially looked like a shoe-in for him, given his standing as a highly successful chairman of Punch. Then when he finally achieved his wish five years later in 2007, his apparent indifference to the re-establishment of an Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) must have disappointed many a reader and an advertiser considering his actuarial background; it is a crying shame that there has been no ABC since the first and the last one in 1987 to authenticate the circulation claims of our newspapers and magazines.

Inside Punch itself his biggest challenge must’ve been the crisis of integrity the newspaper faced in March 2010 as a result of the allegations of self-aggrandisement and abuse of office the editor of THE PUNCH, Steve Ayorinde, levelled against the newspaper’s Executive Director (Publications), the highly talented Azubuike Ishiekwene, after Ayorinde was forced to resign over allegations that he too had abused his editorial chair.

The Punch board investigated the allegations but never really published its findings. Even after departing from the newspaper, Ogunsola has refused to be drawn on the crisis.

“The parties involved,” he told The News (May 16) in an interview “are still holding important positions in the media. Steve Ayorinde is the editor of National Mirror and Azu Ishikwene is the Managing Director of Leadership. So... I am reluctant to comment...Perhaps when I am writing my memoirs I will make comments on these issues.”

Clearly, the man had chosen to sweep the Punch crisis under the carpet than wash the newspaper’s dirty linen in public and risk tarnishing the career of his promising erstwhile editors.

Shows you that even for an actuary who is such a perfectionist, life is not all numbers and no emotions.

•For comments, send SMS to 08054502909

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above to blackmail them at the next nomination round.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo showed what is possible in this regard. A political neophyte without a home base, his hands were well and truly tied in 1999.

He had very little choice but to name a cabinet that paid lots of political IOUs. By 2003, he was his own man and brought in a team of stellar technocrats like former Minister of Finance and World Bank Managing Director, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Central Bank Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, former Minister for Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai among others. The exploits of this second term team represent the more positive side of the Obasanjo years.

Jonathan would be doing himself and the country a world of good if he looks to that template in choosing a team that can deliver on critical national challenges in the area of power, infrastructure, the economy as a whole, security and continued constitutional reforms.

That would mean looking beyond his immediate PDP family and scouring the Diaspora to locate the best that this nation has to offer. His ability to balance the need to take care of the boys with the patriotic imperative to raise a world class cabinet would show the world his true character.

Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025,Oshodi, Lagos.

Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361. Editor Daily:01-8962807, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302.

E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO