The Nation May 25, 2014 by The Nation

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

COLUMN

Request for further futurologists

TRANGE things are happening all over Nigeria which make reality a very poor cousin and copy of the most outlandish of fictional creations. It has been said that in times of great national stress and severe disruption of accustomed experience, reality often takes on outsize wings turning life itself into a strange and surreal phantom; a paradise of illusionists. As Macbeth’s witches were known to have asked of themselves: when shall we three meet again? It is the time of thunder and political hurly-burly .Shakespeare’s fabled wingless birds have finally berthed on Nigeria’s troubled shores. The end of times often comes with its own otherworldly messengers. On Wednesday, a strange woman who claimed to be a bird was apprehended by residents of Ajegunle in Lagos. According to the old woman, her flight plan back to Ibadan was disrupted by the sudden return of daylight which forced her to abort the flight and crash land. The newspaper which reported the strange incident was so sure that this was a case of bird turned into human that it captioned its story: Bird turns to old woman in Lagos. It was no exaggeration. The woman looked like an old flying mammal with the avian features of a wizened owl plucked to the earth by the sheer gravity of advanced age. The forest of Fife has finally arrived in Nigeria. In the same year that Scotland is about to take a decision about being forcibly embedded in a union of kingdoms for four hundred years, it is left to our political stargazers to decode this grave omen and visitation for our troubled nation. The great owl of Ibadan has begun her flight. As a native insurance against natural and man-made adversities, every nation must have its own great owls and soothsayers. They must divine and define the future with its potholes and landmines. The ancient Roman Empire was crawling with these masters of the arcane art of political sorcery. Sometimes, the predictions were simple and straightforward; sometimes they were so recondite and Janus-faced, so riddled with impossible contradictions, that they do not lend themselves to easy resolutions. They would require another avatar of the trade to decode. As Karl Marx famously noted, the owl of Minerva always begins its flight after the event. If ever there is medicine after death! Yet there are futurologists and there are futurologists. Certain inevitabilities are so obvious that they do not require the gift of prophecy to foretell. As the spirit of Enlightenment enabled humanity to banish mythology as the cornerstone of human development, as scientific knowledge equipped humankind to gain mastery over nature and his own nature, scientific political predictions began to rob unscientific prophecy of its divine aura. In the ceaseless flow of history, empires rise and fall, just as nations are finite possibilities. The carefree notion prevalent among the idle Nigerian political elite that this nation is God’s own creation inoculated against the virus of self-destruction is about to be subjected to its most severe test. The events of the past six weeks are so mindboggling and so confounding that one began to long for those ancient witches and futurologists.

nooping around With

Tatalo Alamu

•The ‘bird’ that allegedly became an old woman

Like a typically Nigerian witches’ brew, the positives mix with the ultra-negative. In the same month that a rebasing of the Nigerian economy showcased the stupendous possibilities of national development, in the same month that the nation successfully hosted the World Economic Forum, and in the same month that we are about to mark fifteen years of uninterrupted civil rule, the longest in the history of the nation, the dark underside of Nigeria as a great empire of evil and injustice is now beamed on a daily basis to the global community. The Nigerian Inquisition is being globally televised. It is the television equivalent of saturation bombing. Something must tell us that all of this cannot be for nothing. After the amnesia-inducing fumes have cleared, we may discover that we have a practically non-existent country, apologies to the impudent American senator.

In the light of these developments we must now begin to think the unthinkable: is Nigeria sleepwalking its way to a choreographed and clinical self-destruction? Just in case we missed the import of recent developments, it is important to recap. Last week, the eagles finally landed. American troops established their formal presence at the southernmost tip of Chad, which is just as well as saying they arrived on the northernmost tip of Nigeria. It may be an arid no man’s land. But it is a defining moment for Nigeria and its traumatized nationhood. Let us be honest with ourselves. Somehow in the national imagination and the creative scenarios of national salvation, the arrival of American marines has been a recurring motif and sure trope. Yet six weeks ago despite the Boko Haram carnage and the mindless destructiveness of the

sect, this visitation would appear remote and farfetched. Now the unbelievable and implausible have become reality. The Americans cannot be unaware of Uncle Sam security franchise which put 2015 as the terminal life expectation of the Nigerian nation. As thinking soldiers, they would have been briefed. It is all too chillingly coincidental. America surely knows how to pick its spot and time too. Nigeria is at the nadir of its fortunes both in terms of its military capacity to defend the territorial integrity of the nation and the state capacity to protect its citizens from falling into harm’s way. The nation-space is swarming with alien troops even as its airspace drones with state of the art surveillance planes. It amounts to the electronic undressing of a whole nation. America’s resolve to rescue the abducted Nigerian girls may well lead to a horrid denouement in the next few days or weeks, that is if something goes wrong with timing or if an already tense and desperate sect leadership is panicked into precipitate action. Once America sustains any casualty from what is supposed to be a rag tag force of religious renegades, it becomes a question of national pride and pulling back becomes very difficult indeed. Even if that were not to be case, the spot where America has placed its hat in the ring is likely to become an expanded front, stretching from Niger to Somalia, taking in CAR, Sudan and Kenya in a new confrontation between Islamic radicalism and the forces of western secularism. Given its ever-widening regional fault lines and growing religious polarizations, an unstable and destabilized Nigeria might have been sucked into the vortex of an international conflict as an expendable pawn. But you must also give this to the Americans. They know how

The transformation is televised

ATRIOTISM is indeed the last refuge of political scoundrels. Whilst we are still on the subject of the epochal crisis rocking Nigeria, has anybody been following the antics of a group of self-styled patriots and intellectual carrion feeders who go by the name of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, whatever that means? Sounds more like the infamous Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) and the infamous Dr Aitkins in felonious concert with the author and authority himself, Authur Francis Nzeribe. Something new always comes out of Nigeria. This is the first time in the history of this noble concept that transformation is being televised and trivialized, and by “ambassadors”, too. Transformation has become a tea party. Rather than rolling up their intellectual sleeves to furnish Jonathan with a position paper on the manifest inadequacies of his underperforming government, they have taken to flights of fancy and abuse of platform. One would have thought that this empty and pretentious lot would have come up with a rig-

orous explanation of how transformation can even be whispered in the context of inefficiency, outlandish corruption, a culture of in your face impunity, lack of accountability, sensational stealing of public funds and cosmic incompetence. Instead they have taken to familiar grandstanding, working themselves into a froth with meretricious bunkum. It doesn’t add up, or let us say that it adds up only in their personal bank accounts. Snooper finds their adverts canvassing and campaigning for Jonathan amidst a monumental crisis of the state particularly offensive and an assault on good taste and common sense. What type of transformation agenda would further seek to inflame passions at this fragile moment? At this moment when Jonathan needs to rally the entire country behind him, they are busy fanning the embers of discord and disaffection. At a time when an entire nation is traumatized by the Chibok tragedy, telling Jonathan on television prime time that those who are for him are so much more than those against him is particularly callous and

polarizing. I had been told that an ambassador is somebody paid to lie for his country abroad. But it appears that this new set of “ambassadors” are paid to lie for their principal principally at home. If this is how serious countries set about transformation, Lee Kuan Yuan , Monhatir Mohammed and Pandit Nehru would be squirming wherever they are. Snooper is bothered about why this kind of national scam appears to be particularly attractive to a particular section of the national intelligentsia. But this is a story for another day. As profiteers of power and parasites of national misery, let our ambassadors go and enjoy their loot. Nobody is grudging them their good luck. A fool and his money will sooner be parted. And money no dey smell, even where it is procured in the most putrid of circumstances. But our friends must remember that you cannot purchase happiness with the proceeds of other people’s misery and unhappiness. Let them ask their forebears who walked the same path to perdition.

to smell an impending humanitarian catastrophe from thousands of miles away. In those days, they routinely invaded Haiti whenever things threatened to get out of hand. Otherwise, Haitians would invade America. It is called immigration control at source. The collapse of Nigeria would lead to a refugee crisis on an apocalyptic scale, with the human trail stretching from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. It will therefore be foolish to imagine that America is in this solely for humanitarian purposes or because they love the face of Nigerians. There is a utilitarian hard nose to even the most seemingly casual of American interventions which seeks to place American interest above everything else. If your national interests coincide, fine. Only a foolish country would risk the life and limb of its finest soldiers in some quixotic bid to save an under-performing African nation. Whichever way one views this, this is not the finest moment for Nigeria. Perhaps the greatest casualty of this national tragedy is the Nigerian military which is being exposed on a daily basis as an overrated and incompetent dinosaur. The Nigerian military is being forced to eat the humble and humiliating pie with every sordid revelation of internal corruption and cleavages along the national fault lines. If left unchecked, this could lead to an apocalyptic unraveling which would make Rwanda a child’s play. The mutiny in Maiduguri is a dark pointer in very ominous direction. Despite its past mistakes and its limitations as a modern fighting force, Nigerians retain a residual affection and respect for their military. Even at the nadir of its fortunes when its dominant officer corps turned the entire nation into political football, the army still boasted of a hard core of patriotic officers who stood their ground against this unworthy politicization of the military. It is a particularly sad irony that an army that had distinguished itself in peacekeeping abroad should now meet its Waterloo at home in the hands of a rag tag militia. This is a teachable moment for the Nigerian armed forces. The military is paying for the errancy of its forebears and their misadventure in power. At the end of the greatest political disaster to befall the military, no lesson was learnt and no restitution was made to the nation. Once you paper over cracks, the cracks will appear somewhere else eventually. The culture of impunity and lack of accountability does not end with a formal surrender of power by the military. The virus is merely transferred to its own internal operations. It is this virus that has now publicly hobbled and humiliated the Nigeria military. For the sake of the nation, we must hope that the military hierarchy will now learn the appropriate lessons. If only this can be said of the Nigerian political class, we shall not be needing any more futurologists in the nearest future.

Membership registration scandal rocks PDP From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

NEWS

HE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has uncovered membership registration scandal in some state chapters of the party. The illegal registration, allegedly being sponsored by yet-to-be-identified party chieftains, is aimed at cornering statutory delegates from the wards and local governments ahead of the party's state election primaries. It was gathered that the sponsors of the illegal registration have issued unauthorised membership cards to their cronies in the various states, with the view to getting their votes for their preferred candidates in the governorship and other state election primaries. The PDP had fixed the primaries for October. Reports indicate that some of the states involved in the registration scandal include Anambra, Cross River, Enugu, Lagos, Nasarawa, Kano, Sokoto and a few others. Miffed by the scandal, the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, had during the week, summoned the 36 chairmen of the state chapters for an emergency meeting at the national secretariat. The meeting was also attended by members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. Snippets at the meeting indicated that the cards were being smuggled out of the national secretariat by some party insiders in under-thecounter deals with desperate politicians who needed them. Shocked by the development, Mu'azu was said to have ordered the withdrawal of party registers in wards and local governments across the federation, with the view to frustrating the plans of the sponsors of the illegal registration. The chairman was also said to have directed investigation into the scandal, with the view to unveiling the identities of the sponsors and their collaborators at the party's national secretariat. Mu'azu was said to have vowed that anyone found culpable would be handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for prosecution. A highly placed party source close to the meeting informed our correspondent at the weekend that some prominent party chieftains in the various states were being linked to the scandal. "But the chairman made it clear that he would not take action against anyone until their involvement in the scandal is proven beyond doubts. "He vowed that regardless of their connection in government and party circles, anyone found culpable would be made to pay the price," the source added.

Chibok girls: South Africans boo Jonathan in Pretoria

R E S I D E N T Goodluck Jonathan's p e r c e i v e d mishandling of the case of the more than 200 school girls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno State got further knocks yesterday in South Africa. Crowd at the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma for a second term in office registered their disapproval of government's inability to rescue the girls one month after, with boos

of "Bring back our girls" directed at President Jonathan as he stepped into the venue of the swearing in. By his side was the First Lady, Patience. And for a moment, Nigeria became the issue at the Union Buildings, Pretoria, where the late Nelson Mandela who became South Africa's first black president, took the oath of office 20 years ago in a ceremony officially ending white minority rule.

President Jonathan was one of the more than 20 heads of state gathered for the event. Aside the shouts of "Bring back our girls" a nongovernmental organisation The Concerned Young People of SA (Cypsa) handed out pamphlets at yesterday's ceremony calling for the release of the kidnapped schoolgirls. The pamphlets were entitled Umphakathi Ukhathazekile (The society is concerned).

"Now Nigeria. Who's next? ", read a message on the pamphlet. "Where can we hide our girls from Boko [Haram]?" read another excerpt on the pamphlet. President Jonathan was due to hold talks last night with other African leaders in Pretoria on the security situation in Nigeria. Spokesman for the South African Government Clayson Monyela said the African leaders would meet

â&#x20AC;˘From left: Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), during a condolence visit to Lady Doja Otedola, wife of former Lagos State Governor, late Sir Michael Otedola, at her residence in Eredo-Epe, at the weekend. PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

OVERNOR of Niger State Babangida Aliyu wants former Nigerian leaders of Northern extraction to help in resolving the Boko Haram insurgency now into its fifth year of destruction. Dr. Aliyu who doubles as Chairman, Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) asked Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar as well as Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, to team up with the northern governors in confronting the danger posed to the collective interest of the country by the sect.

to discuss security in Nigeria. The talks follow a spate of attacks in Nigeria, which is under growing international pressure to tackle the increasingly bloody uprising. Earlier in the week, President Yoweri Musoveni of Uganda had expressed disappointment at the failure of the Nigerian government and the army to end the Boko Haram insurgency. Museveni, a former guerrilla leader said it was inconceivable that he would seek foreign help to protect Ugandans. "I have never called the United Nations to guard your security. Me, Yoweri Museveni to say that I have failed to protect my people and I call in the UN....I would rather hang myself," Museveni was quoted as saying by the progovernment New Vision newspaper. He added: "We prioritized national security by developing a strong army otherwise our Uganda would be like DRC, South Sudan, Somalia or Nigeria where militias have disappeared with school children. "It would be a vote of no confidence to our country and citizens if we can't guarantee our security, what kind of persons would we be?" he told supporters at a campaign rally.

Boko Haram: Aliyu seeks IBB, Gowon, Shagari, others' intervention From: Jide Orintunsin, Minna

The governor who spoke at the first convocation of the state owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai said it was time to restore peace to the north. "We are inviting you because of your experiences and knowledge of this country. We need you to give us the political will to help us fight this battle,"

he said. "We also need you to help the federal government and make sure that we fight Boko Haram and defeat it within the next three months. We believe that with your wisdom, we are capable of doing that." The NSGF chairman lamented the bad image which the Boko Haram insurgency has given the country and name being given to the country.

He added:"Please sirs, do it to save Nigeria and do it very soon. We are aware of these security challenges have given us a bad name and image to the extent that Nigerians are being killed abroad and nothing is done about it just because they feel we kill our own ourselves." General Abdulsalmi Abubakar who was at the ceremony did not re-

spond but nodded as if in agreement with the governor's plea. Aliyu told the 1,732 graduating students that as pioneer students of the institution they would be the yardstick for measuring its academic and moral quality. Eight of the graduating students had first class, 324 had Second Class Upper while 902 Students made second Class Lower.

2015: Obasanjo, Jonathan at war over running mate

FRESH move by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to regain relevance in the PDP is being resisted by President Goodluck Jonathan. President Jonathan is said to have rejected Obasanjo's proposal to replace Vice President Namadi Sambo with Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State as his running mate in next year's election. Obasanjo, The Nation gathered, made it clear that the only condition that

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

Jonathan would get his support is if he picked Lamido as his running mate in 2015. Lamido has already activated a machinery to oil his campaign ahead of the PDP National Convention where the party's flag bearer will be picked. Although he has not made any formal declaration to that effect, he is the only PDP member known to be willing to confront

Jonathan in seeking the party's presidential ticket. The President himself is yet to formally declare to seek a fresh mandate. A few weeks ago, Chief Obasanjo in Jigawa State described Lamido, who many see as his political son, as capable of leading the country. Obasanjo was said to have told President Jonathan that Lamido has more political value than Sambo but the President was not persuaded by the proposal.

A presidency source said Jonathan said he would run with Sambo and even reminded Obasanjo that one of Lamido's sons was arrested for money laundering. The source said:"The president had argued that with Obasanjo openly criticising the administration's anti corruption credentials, it would not be in the best interest of the PDP to bring in Lamido when the money laundering case against his two children was still

pending. "Obasanjo also tried to convince the president that Lamido would be able to bring back the five PDP governors that defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) if assured of the vice presidential slot. "But the president countered that any loyal party chieftain and prominent beneficiary of the party's platform should not necessarily wait to be given a slot before he could be of such service to his party."

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

NEWS

CHIBOK ABDUCTION SAGA

Don’t swap Boko Haram prisoners for Chibok girls - Poll

ESPONDENTS to The Nation online opinion poll are opposed to Boko Haram’s proposal to the federal government to swap detained insurgents for the more than 200 school girls abducted in Borno State by the terror group. The girls, all students of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok are spending their 41st day in captivity today. An international rescue plan is in place to rescue them. The United States, Britain, France, China and Israel have joined in the hunt for the girls. That is besides the protests by groups across the globe expressing outrage at Boko Haram’s action. The sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, recently released a video recording showing more than 100 of the girls together in a rural location. In it, he offered to exchange them for captured

militants. The video raised hopes that their location could be found using ground forces, state-of-the-art intelligence and surveillance planes. Six hundred and thirty readers responded to our Poll question: “Should the FG swap the Chibok girls for Boko Haram terrorists?” posted on our website www.thenationonlineng.net

Of this number, 513 readers or (74 per cent) voted “ NO”, while 145 ( 21 per cent) said “Yes” and asked the government to accept the terrorists’ proposal. The remaining 32 respondents (5 per cent) were undecided. The respondents were also required to comment on the topic. Here are some of the respondents’ views:

Kola This is a ball game, they should not swap the girls because they “BH” know the only thing holding them down is the Chibok girls because the whole forest would have been blown if not for the girls, so am sure nothing bad will happen to those girls, government should use their skills to get them arrested and killed, fetch out the sponsors behind everything and get them to justice. UA They should rescue the girls instead of swapping them with terrorists. What’s the guarantee that the terrorists will keep to their side of the bargain? If the federal government had acted sensibly earlier Boko Haram would not be in a position now to be dictating terms to us. Immaclouds God forbid! The essence of leadership and rulership

would be compromised if the federal government dared the swap. There isn’t any justifiable reason in swapping criminals for the innocent or does the federal government want to provide BH a new platform for more heinous attacks? Trading the right for the wrong is unthinkable. I strongly believe BH will meet its waterloo soon. Tamaramiede The best option is to face Boko Haram squarely and bring them to justice not trading criminals. Joshua Johnson It is morally, legally and socially wrong for Federal Government to negotiate with Boko Haram. If they start, it will certainly become a reference point in future. Let the government use all resources at its disposal - nationally and internationally to crush Boko Haram. It is true that some people are senti-

Sect demands security for members

•L-R: Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, Senate President David Mark, Senate leader Victor Ndoma-Egba and Managing Director of the NDDC, Bassey Dan Abia, at the inauguration of a 1.5km road constructed by the NDDC at Ikom...yesterday. PHOTO: NICHOLAS KALU

ROOPS on the hunt for the more than 200 school girls abducted last month in Chibok, Borno State are up against a fresh challenge. Their navigation of the massive Sambisa forest where the girls are believed to be kept by their abductors is being restricted by land mines laid across the area by Boko Haram, it was learnt yesterday. Vigilant soldiers detected the mines and the spots have accordingly been marked. A military source said the troops were being hampered in moving around the Sambisa forest because of many landmines planted by Boko Haram. The source said commanders and troops, which have been operating on the fringes of the forest, have marked the spots where the landmines are laid. The source said: “Boko Haram is desperate to protect Sambisa Forest and prevent troops from gaining ac-

Troops battle Boko Haram landmines in Sambisa Forest •Panel holds secret session with Borno governor From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

cess to any part of it. So far, troops have discovered many landmines along the routes to Sambisa Forest; they are battling to clear these mines. Some of the landmines can destroy military tanks. We have marked the affected landmines spots and troops have been given appropriate directive. “This development has confirmed intelligence gathering that the forest is either a major base of the sect or where the girls are kept.” Responding to a question, the source said: “We have detonated some of the landmines but what they do mostly is to get counter-intelligence about movement

mental, speaking from both sides of their month, especially our northern brothers. The sect has some key personalities of this country as their sponsors, who did so in the beginning thinking they were fighting Mr. President and PDP. Jonathan should never trade the children but face them squarely. They are criminals and should be treated as such. When the Niger Delta militants were fighting, it was issue based the oil deal that has devastated their environment. What is the Boko Haram fighting for, other than sponsorship of religious extremists and political actors who failed to gain the positions they needed. Babajide No harm should happen to any of those girls. Ayoola Aremu-Cole Hostage swapping for criminals should not happen. Are we equating the poor girls with criminal murderers?

of troops and in a make-shift strategy, they will go and lay landmines. “People have been asking why it is difficult to overrun Sambisa Forest. We have a challenge of landmines but we are trying to clear these mines. In tackling mines, you peg them and detonate. “Planting landmines is a ploy by Boko Haram to ambush troops and block access to Sambisa Forest.” The Presidential FactFinding Committee on the girls abduction met behind closed doors yesterday with Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State. Leading the committee was its chairman, Brigadier General Ibrahim Sabo (rtd). The session focused mostly on options available

to set the girls free. The private session, which lasted three hours, was held at the Government House in Maiduguri. A source described the meeting as a no-holds-barred session. “The session was to forge a consensus on the rescue strategy. We had paid a courtesy call on the governor on Tuesday but this secret session on Saturday was frank,” the source said. “We have been establishing a good number of facts on how to rescue the girls.” A member/spokesperson of the Committee, Kingsley Osadolor, said: “The committee rubbed minds with the governor behind closed doors on Saturday but I cannot give you the details yet.”

HE Islamist sect, Boko Haram, wants guarantee of non arrest or killing of its members from the federal government in the ongoing negotiation between the two sides. Leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau had said that the only condition the more than 200 school girls it seized in Borno would be released is for government to free Boko Haram members being held by security agencies. President Goodluck Jonathan has ruled out swapping such high risk criminals for the girls although government seems disposed to letting go wives and kids of Boko Haram leaders and members considered to be less dangerous. The talks are ongoing through some intermediaries including some elders from Borno State. The sect is said to be demanding the release of some of its members in custody for the release of the girls, including those convicted. They are also asking for a guarantee that none of their members would either be arrested or killed by the military and security agencies as being done indiscriminately at present. Some of the members in custody, according to records released by the State Security Service (SSS), are: Ali Sanda Umar Konduga (a.k.a Usman Al-Zawahiri), who was jailed for three years in December

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor Northern Operation

2011; Ismail Kwaljima (a.ka. Abu Summaya); Babagana Mali (a.k.a Bulama); and Kabiru Sokoto, who is still on trial. Two of the Boko Haram leaders (Bashir Madalla and Habeeb Umar Bama) had died during alleged shoot-out with the JTF and security agencies. Others are Mustapha Umar (sentenced to life imprisonment last year); H. P Bukar; Ahmad Rufai Abubakar; Muhammadu Sani Ishaq; Adamu Yusuf; Yau Said; and Anas Isah. A suspect, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche (who was arrested in Sudan) is expected to join the list. The list is outside 19 Boko Haram leaders declared wanted by the JTF with N290million ransom placed on them. A government source said: “It is extremely difficult for government to swap some of these members implicated in bomb explosions with the abducted girls. “The terrorism Act does not allow this. The criminal justice system does not also support it. But the government may concede some waivers in respect of the wives, children, parents, brothers, uncles or relations of some of these Boko Haram members in custody. At least, there are about 300 to 400 Boko Haram suspects in various facilities whose case files are being reviewed by relevant desks.

NEWS

Plot against Nyako: Tukur’s son splits PDP

HERE is trouble in the Adamawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) arising from its alleged plot to impeach Governor Murtala Nyako. The party is sharply divided over moves to make Awwal Tukur, son of the immediate past national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, deputy governor should the plot against Nyako succeed. Alleged plans by the elder Tukur to make Awwal the PDP governorship candidate in the state next year were partly responsible for the crisis that forced him out of office. The presidency and the PDP want Nyako axed on the strength of a recent memo he wrote to his fellow northern governors on the security challenges in the north, particularly his claim that the federal authorities were carrying out genocide against the north in the anti-Boko Haram military campaign. The memo, in the view of presidency officials and the security agencies that studied it, constitutes a threat to national security. Barring a change of heart, impeachment proceedings against Nyako are expected to commence within the next two weeks. Those involved want the matter dealt with expeditiously and are already lining up who gets what once Nyako is out of the way. The constitution stipulates

•Stakeholders threaten protest vote, root for APC’s Ribadu •Nyako’s son, Hong, Gulak, Fintiri, favoured as deputy governor FROM: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

that the deputy governor (in this case Mr. Bala Ngilari) should take over once his principal is impeached. But who becomes his deputy has become a big issue in the PDP with many stakeholders demanding an end to Tukur’s stronghold on the party in the state. The PDP stakeholders are also threatening to resort to protest vote in 2015 in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is trying to build consensus around a former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. They say Ribadu has a better profile than Ngilari. Investigation by our correspondent revealed that some PDP leaders in the state are opposed to the removal of Nyako because it might affect the fortunes of the party in Adamawa. It was gathered that the leaders, who met on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Yola and Abuja decided to send representation to President Goodluck Jonathan to shelve the idea of removing Nyako because of the ethnic crisis it might generate in the state.Although the PDP

stakeholders agreed that there are enough grounds to impeach Nyako, they were also of the view that the Fulani hegemony in the state will not accept any change now. It was learnt that most PDP stakeholders, including 13 members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, prefer Nyako completing his term in office. Findings also revealed that PDP stakeholders are split over plans to make Awwal Tukur the next deputy governor if Nyako is impeached. The former National Chairman of PDP had been scheming for his son to be the governorship candidate of the party in Adamawa State in 2015. The scheming caused disaffection between Bamanga Tukur and PDP stakeholders leading to defection to APC in the state. It was gathered that the stakeholders are still opposed to Awwal Tukur as deputy governor in spite of his antecedent as a former member of the House of Representatives like Ngilari. Some stakeholders have recommended a former Minister of State for Health, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong; ex-Political Adviser to the president, Ahmed Gulak, the current Speaker of Adamawa House of Assembly; and Nyako’s son, AbdulAziz, as

the next deputy governor. A highly-placed source said: “The impeachment plot against Nyako might fail because even among ourselves we are divided along ethnic and religious lines. Irrespective of the sins committed by Nyako, the Fulani (who are in the majority) will not take kindly to the sack of the governor. “Already the Fulani and Muslim leaders have been calling members of the House of Assembly one by one to reject the plot by the presidency and PDP. About 10 to 13 members of the Assembly may oppose the impeachment bid based on the persuasion of the Fulani. “Some members of the Assembly have been telling Fulani leaders that the presidency and PDP had been persuading them to impeach Nyako.” Another source, who spoke in confidence, confirmed the disagreement among Adamawa PDP stakeholders on plans to remove Nyako. “The source said: “Some of us in PDP are looking at the larger picture. If the presidency and the PDP go ahead to remove Nyako, it will lead to protest vote by the Fulani in 2015. “With this development, APC will convincingly win the state if it reaches consensus on ex-EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as its candidate.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Another bomb blast in Jos From Yusuf Aminu Idegu, Jos OS recorded a fresh bomb blast last night five days after the twin explosions in the city that left more than 100 people dead. The latest incident occurred on Bauchi Road at about 9.15pm. The explosion shook properties close to the scene and the noise was heard several kilometres away. Many soccer followers who had besieged viewing centres to watch the final of the European Champions League scampered for safety on hearing the noise. “It was a case of suicide bomber, a security siyrce saud.” A team of security agencies that were deployed to the location of the blast confirmed that one person died at the site of the blast along Bauchi road. The police source said, “The only casualty should be the suicide bomber, we noticed that he was heading towards the largest viewing center along Bauchi road where the casualty could have been over a hundred. Unfortunately for the suicide bomber, the bomb went off before getting to his target. “So we rushed there to meet the suicide bomber burning inside the car alone. Apart from that, no other casualty as a result of the night blast. “The car used in this incidence was a Vectra car without registration number” said the source. Jos has been gripped by rumour of more bomb explosions since the Tuesday twin blasts. Moment after the blast, security agents began to move to the direction of the scene with a view to taking charge of the situation. Many of the victims of last Tuesday’s blast at the popular Terminus market were burnt beyond recognition. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), described the casualty rate of the blasts as catastrophic. Governor Jonah Jang who was out of the country when the bombs went off on Tuesday visited the scene on Friday, saying the accident would not have happened if the traders there had heeded government’s warning to vacate the area. His words: “This place is not a market in the first place. They were trading here illegally; we had made several attempts to relocate them to a better place, but they resisted. Accordingly, government will remove what is left of the market and send the traders packing. “This time, we are going to clear this place, I will hold a security meeting and ensure that nobody comes back here to trade again. This decision is in the interest of safeguarding lives and property,” he said. He wondered why the traders did not detect the vehicles in which the bombs were planted.

Lagos faults striking LASU lecturers

•Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, with Vice President Muhammad Namadi Sambo, at the 28th Annual Maulud celebration of Sheikh Ibrahim Inyass held in Gombe, yesterday. Photo: Speaker's Media Office

PDP’s neglect of North will be its nemesis in 2015, says Gaidam

OVERNOR Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State yesterday dismissed the PDP as a failure whose neglect of the Northeast over the years will count against it in the 2015 elections. He said the PDP’s action is nothing short of wickedness and should be told so in clear terms by the electorate next year. Governor Gaidam spoke at the start of campaign ahead of next Saturday’s bye election in

From Duku JOEL, Damaturu

Nangere constituency into the State House of Assembly. The last representative of the constituency, Alhaji Abubakar Adamu Degubi, was killed two years ago at his Potiskum residence by unknown gunmen. “We cannot continue like this as a people. The PDP government is a failure in all sense. Nothing is working out

in this country because of the failures of the PDP,” Gaidam said. “The high rate of insecurity in the country is becoming alarming. Our roads are no longer safe. You travel from Damaturu to Maiduguri and you will not see any patrol vehicle on the way. Boko Haram is killing people on the high ways any way they like. This is too bad. “The problem bedevilling

the country is because of the maladministration of the PDP. I urge you all to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is the only party that is the last hope of the common man in Nigeria.” Also speaking, the state party chairman, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, praised the people of Nangere who have stood firmly as progressives and urged them to remain resolute in voting for the APC on Saturday.

•Urges dialogue

AGOS yesterday appealed to striking LASU workers to embrace dialogue instead of sustaining their industrial action. The government described the strike as an unnecessary drawback for its spirited efforts to boost the academic standing and reputation of the institution. A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, accused the striking members of the local branch of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) of whipping up sentiments to justify a premeditated industrial action. He alleged they evaded all attempts to make them follow due process and engage in reasoned dialogue on the issues raised. On calls for reversal of LASU tuition, he expressed surprise at how this could have justified a strike since the lecturers themselves knew government was already in constructive discussions with the students. “It is a matter of fact that the students have already submitted a position paper on the issue, which government has also constituted a seven-man committee to review and advise upon,” Ibirogba stated. He added that eighty percent of the university’s funding emanates from the state while the new fee regime accounts for only ten percent with the Governing Council mandated to fund the balance of ten percent. He also disagreed with the unsubstantiated claims of the lecturers’ union, which blamed the new regime for low enrolment into the university. On the clamour for a repeal of the “No Vacancy, No Promotion” policy of LASU, the commissioner explained that the committee examined the conditions of service for junior and senior staff and noted that there had always been a clause regulating promotion of staff based on “available job openings.” According to him: “The proviso is a very reasonable principle of management and has always been among the university’s conditions of service. “It is not a recent invention of the management, hence it is morally, ethically and indeed statutorily expedient for staff to observe and respect the clause which was an express term of their own employment.” Ibirogba reiterated the state’s commitment to ensuring cordial relationship with labour unions within the confines of mutual understanding and respect for laid down rules and regulations. He vowed the state will not allow itself to be stampeded into acceding to demands inconsistent with its policy objectives.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

NEWS

Fuel scarcity looms in Lagos

How corruption is different from stealing, by ICPC Boss

•As NUPENG orders tanker drivers to stop loading

By Gboyega Alaka

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

AGOS residents may experience fuel scarcity from this week as the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has instructed tanker drivers in Lagos zone to stop loading from Tuesday and Wednesday. The union's National Chairman, Comrades S. A. Oladiti and National Secretary, Sunday Ochibejivwie, in a statement, stated its members may embark on strike in Lagos from this week. The strike, they explained, is to protest the unwarranted killing of one of their members, Comrade Olalekan Lawal, by men of Operation Mesa in Lagos last April. The union said, failure of the constituted authority to heed to its demands and request for compensation, unabated excesses of military men at check points and demands for samples of products by security operatives from ten to twenty litres at various points are parts of its grouse. NUPENG vowed to reverse the trend, stating that drums are lost in the process. The union also directed its members nationwide to carry green leaves in solidarity and protest the slain tanker driver from last Thursday.

Splinter protesters storm Abuja fountain From Augustine Ehikioya and Bukola Amusan

PLINTER Bring Back Our Girls group, Grand Alliance Against Terrorism (GAAT), yesterday stormed the Unity fountain where the Dr. Oby Ezekwesili-led group has been observing a daily sit-out for weeks. While the Ezekwesili's group believes the government is not doing enough to rescue the abducted girls, the splinter group demanded for non-exploitation of the tragedy for partisan causes. The group, spotting white T-shirts and numbering over two hundred, alleged that the prior protests have been hijacked by political activists. The protests, it said, neither encourage the government nor motivate security agencies to win the war against terror. Speaking at the rally yesterday, the co-convener, Priscilla Achakpa, said that the group's struggle is beyond bringing back the abducted girls but mobilising Nigerians against terror. She said: "We are proud about Nigerian patriots who care deeply about the image of our country, the integrity of our nation and the humanity of the Nigerian person. "We are not political activits who want to exploit a national tragedy to further a narrow, partisan cause.”

•From left: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; his deputy and celebrator, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; the governor's wife, Bisi; former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo and Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adetunji Omirin, at Adelabu’s 64th birthday anniversary at the Deputy Governor's Lodge…yesterday.

FG considers ban of mercury

HE federal government has begun plans to phase out the use of mercury because of its effect on the environment. The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, said mercury pollutes the environment and disrupts the ecosystem. She also said the use of dental amalgam, a substance used in filling decayed tooth, is hazardous to human health. The minister spoke in Abuja at a stakeholders' forum on phasing out dental amalgam with the theme: Nigeria: towards a mercury free dentistry. Mallam, who was repre-

From: Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

sented by the Acting Director, Pollution Control, and Environmental Health, Kasimu Bayero, said government will look for other effective, environmentally- friendly and nonhazardous measures to human health. She said: "Mercury is one of the most poisonous elements on earth. It aggravates the environment and disrupts the ecosystem. "It has significant effects on human health and the environment. The environment and health of our country remains the main concern."

The Executive Director Development and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria), Leslie Adogame, explained mercury is a toxic substance of global concern that causes significant harm to human health, wildlife and ecosystems. He cautioned that an exposure to mercury could be harmful to pregnant women and lactating mothers who expose children to mercury during breast feeding. Adogame said: "Parental and infant mercury exposure can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness, and blindness.

"Even in low doses, mercury may affect a child's development, delaying walking and talking and causing learning disabilities. "In adults, mercury poisoning can adversely affect fertility and blood pressure regulation and can cause memory loss, tremors, vision loss, and numbness of the fingers and toes. "A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to mercury may also lead to heart diseases. "Improper disposal of these mercury wastes contaminates the environment locally, downstream and globally."

Clark seeks prayers for abducted girls at 87

JAW leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on Nigerians to unite in prayers for the safe return of the over 200 abducted Chibok school girls. The elderstateman, who turns 87 today, urged Nigerians to save the country from terrorism. The former federal commissioner also appealed to members of the Boko Haram sect and all their sponsors to drop their weapons and negotiate with the federal government to end the terror war. Clark, who made the appeal as his birthday wish, said the spate of insecurity will not allow him to celebrate.

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

In a statement in Abuja, Clark pleaded with Nigerians not to contemplate any form of activity, including published greetings and gifts to celebrate his birthday. He said they should instead join him to pray against all evil forces working against the peace of the country. He said:"I ask all Nigerians to pray to God to save our beloved country from destruction by the forces of darkness which BokoHaram represents. "As a leader who witnessed the constitutional

and pre-independence conferences that led to our independence in October 1st 1960 and as an active participant in Nigeria's political evolution since independence, I have seen it all. "I witnessed the patriotic zeal of nationalism of our citizens and the quest by the founding fathers to build a nation that recognises our diversity and promote unity. "I witnessed the termination of the first republic and the political killings that followed, oil boom and the failure to use the proceeds to industrialise the nation, tribalism and religious discrimination amongst Nigerians.

"Today the most terrible problem haunting the state is the heartless war of terrorism and insurgency being visited on us by the Boko Haram sect in the name of religion and "no to western education." He went on: "Though I am grateful to God for giving me good health on this occasion of my 87th birthday, I am very sad because of the killings of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram. "We have widows and widowers and children who have become orphans. This is wicked, barbaric and inhuman because no religion encourages killings or destruction in the name of God."

Youths dismiss zoning arrangement for Niger Reps seat

GROUP of youth from Gbako and Katcha Local Government Areas of Niger State has stated that aspirants from Bida Local Government Area have never respected the zoning arrangement purportedly reached by the three local government areas in the Bida / Katcha /Gbako Federal Constituency. The position of the youth group comes on the heels of a claim by a group in Bida that the next House of Rep-

resentatives member should come from Bida. The group of youths from Gbako and Katcha in a statement signed by Mohammed Kowangi, explained that when Barr. Peter Ndalikali Jiya from Gbako contested and won in 1999, there was an aspirant from Bida in person of Muhammad Awwal Bida. In 2003, they said two aspirants Barr Bida and Hon

Ibrahim Babbanna Mustapha contested against Ndalikali. Kowangi further explained that in 2007when Hon Isah Bello from Katcha vied for the office, there were aspirants from Bida. The same scenario, he said, played out in 2011, an indication that the Bida area has never respected the rotation agreement. The group maintained

"zoning in a political party is a gentleman agreement and not a constitutional issue". It added even if it ever existed, zoning has always been violated by Bida Local Government Area. The youth said the resolution reached at a Sunday where the incumbent House of Representative member, Hon Abdulmalik Cheche and others were excluded from the race cannot be binding on all PDP members.

HE Independent Corrupt Practices Commissions (ICPC) Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, has reiterated his view that "stealing is not corruption." Speaking to a team of The Nation on Sunday in Lagos at the weekend, Nta explained that his commission would fare better if there was a proper understanding of the word corruption. According to him, the controversy emanating from the definition of corruption is as a result of a long entrenched misunderstanding of the vice. "If you don't know what you are fighting then you might be busy fighting other things and thinking you are addressing the problem," he stated. The ICPC chairman, who has been criticised in the media for saying "stealing is not corruption", stated that from the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (ONCAC) and the ICPC Act, the first item that falls under corrupt practices is bribery in public and private offices. He backed up his views with Articles 15 and 16 of UNCAC and sections 8, 9 and 10 of the ICPC Act. He listed what is considered as corruption under Article 19 of UNCAC and Section 19 of the ICPC Act as: illicit enrichment, trading in influence etc. Explaining what he calls constitutes corruption, the ICPC chairman said: "If I walk into your office and I say that I have been sent by the president that this contact you are about to award must be awarded to me and now drop his card or the president's card on the table. This is also an offence under corrupt practice." Nta reiterated that the major function of the ICPC is to check abuse of office by public office holders and government officials. Stealing, he said, falls under the criminal code and should be reported to the police. He added that Nigeria cannot operate in isolation of the international definition of what constitutes corruption. Nta argued that if the Commission spends all its time chasing cases of stealing, it will be will be embarking on a futile operation and failing in its primary duties. •Read the full text of the interview next Sunday

Pasuma, Atorise for album launch

OPULAR fuji musician, Wasiu Alabi, aka Pasuma and gospel singer, Lanre Teriba, popularly known as Atorise are among dignitaries expected to grace the launch of undiluted praise, the maiden album of Bayo Apata today. It holds at Mariana Hotel and Suite Adura bus/stop along Abeokuta Expressway in Lagos by 12noon. Apata began his musical career as a choir master in Genesis Model Parish led by Prophet Israel Oladele (Genesis). He was part of the youth caucus of the late Roland Olubukola Olomola (Baba Ara) and performed with him on many occasions.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

NEWS

APC inaugurates Aregbesola campaign A committee 20-MAN state campaign committee to coordinate the re-election of the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has been inaugurated. The Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Prof. Sola Adeyeye, is the Chairman of the committee. In a statement issued by the Director, Information and Strategy of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, the committee’s Secretary is Prof. John Adebunmi Ayoade, a former Deputy Director, Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS). The task of the committee is to coordinate to the campaign exercise across the state,

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

the statement said. Oyatomi said that other members of the committee christened Rauf Aregbesola State Campaign Committee 2014, include Senator Bayo Salami, Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Chief of Staff to Gov. Aregbesola, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and Dr. Peter Babalola. The committee also comprises three state commissioners and five members of the

House of Assembly. According to the statement, the commissioners are that of Finance, Budget and Planning, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro; Information, Sunday Akere and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barrister Kolapo Alimi. The lawmakers include Bamisayemi Oladoyin, Timothy Owoeye, Femi Kujenbola, Akinloye Ajibola and Alagbada Isiak. Others in the committee are Hon. Biyi Odunlade, Comrade Poju Odusola, Obawale Adebisi, Alhaji Sule Alao, Mr. Bosun Oyintiloye.

Over 3000 couples apply to adopt available 36 children in orphanages

VER 2600 couples looking for children to adopt in Ogun State may have to exercise more patience, the state government has said. According to the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi, in spite of the fact that there are not enough adoptable babies at government-run orphanage homes in the state, no fewer than 3000 couples have submit-

Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

ted applications to the state government seeking children for adoption. While disclosing that only 36 babies are available for successful applicant-couples, the commissioner advised the unsuccessful applicants to wait for another time. Speaking during ministerial press briefing to herald the third anniversary of the administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Sonubi fur-

ther revealed that 80% of abandoned children at the Stella Obasanjo Children’s home in Abeokuta are not adoptable, while cases of abandoned children have scaled down following the state government’s free education and health policies. She added that the government has set stringent conditions for the adoption of children in the state, even as the state government is working at ensuring suitable and peaceful homes for the children.

•Wedding of Tayo Oluwatosin Omotunde (middle), son of Rt. Rev. (Dr.) Chris Omotunde (2nd right) and his wife (right), Bishop of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Ekiti Diocese, to Opeyemi Olutoyin, daughter of Mr. Nathaniel Oluwole (left) and wife (2nd right). The wedding took place at All Souls' Church, Bodija, Ibadan, yesterday

Security: Report suspicious activities, Fashola governor explained AGOS State Governor, tells artisans thatThe for proper economic planMr. Babatunde

Fashola, has urged artisans in the state to be vigilant and report any suspicious persons or activities in their neigbourhood to the community leaders or the police. Fashola gave the charge while addressing a large gathering of tradesmen and artisans during the 5th Tradesmen and Artisans week held at the Blue Roof of Lagos Television, Agidingbi in Ikeja. The governor called on Lagosians to be involved in solving the current challenges of insecurity in the country, while also urging people to be conscious of abandoned bags or objects within their vicinity. He said, “Our power of observation must increase; any place we go to, we must take note of the people there and pay attention to what is happening around us.” Fashola also emphasised the need for the artisans to

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

formalise their businesses so as to utilise the N7.2trillion trapped in the extralegal economy. He said it was important for the artisans to step up their business activities and welcome positive initiatives that will conform with global standards. He also urged some of the members of the artisans who are currently not captured in the state data base to do so in order to help the government plan for them to improve on their businesses. Fashola noted, “In real estate, the account of the extra-legal is estimated to be $45billion and this economy has no record of it. That is about N7.2 trillion and that is about 14 times the state budget if we use 2012 budget as the basis. We need to capture these businesses in the real legal form so that our records can reflect it.”

ning of the state, those in the extralegal economy must be captured. “You hear the people say I am unemployed, perhaps it is not the case of total unemployment, though not in all cases, because some truly are unemployed, but some are just underemployed. Some people for example may want to do a business, but they have not set it up, but they are running another business that is not as productive as what they want, yet they count themselves as unemployed, but they are not. “If we don’t capture that kind of person in our legal economy, such person does not account for one of the people who need electricity. So, when we are planning electricity for hairdressers in our data, we would not see that person. We need to capture the records of the extralegal economy to be able to know who is doing what so that we can plan for you.”

‘Investigate shooting of OAU students by soldiers’

HE Nationalist Coalition (ONAC) has urged the Minister for Defence, Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (retd), to investigate the alleged shooting of some students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) by soldiers attached to an exNiger Delta militant, Chief Okubo Robert. Describing the alleged shooting of the students by soldiers attached to an individual as “state-sponsored terrorism,” ONAC called on the military authorities to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the alleged assault of the students.

The pan-Yoruba group said it has received a security report which alleged that Roberts was returning from a security meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) organised by its South West caucus with Osun and Ekiti gubernatorial aspirants, Chief Iyiola Omisore and Mr Ayodele Fayose respectively in attendance, adding, “The Niger Delta militant is a member of the Security Committee of the Osun and Ekiti PDP aspirants.” A statement signed by the group’s Director of Publicity, Mr. Tolu Adeyanju, urged the Ministry of Defence to estab-

lish whether the soldiers were from the Nigerian military, the identity of the soldiers, the reasons why the soldiers were attached to a civilian, why the soldiers shot at the students and what was the mission of the former Niger Delta militant in Ekiti and Osun states. ONAC said one of the soldiers, Mr. Idris Ajisesin, with registration number 448318, shot several times at a crowd of students protesting against hike in fees introduced by the federal government. The group also alleged that Robert was driven in a vehicle marked FG 902 B02.

Lagos assures of platform for youth entrepreneurship

HE Lagos State Government has assured youths in the state that it will provide a sustainable platform that will drive entrepreneurship among the young generation. The Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Student Affairs, Mr. Akeem Animashaun, gave the assurance while addressing journalists on the youth empowerment programme

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

tagged ‘Passion to Profession Tour 2014.’ He said government intends to use the forum as a platform for empowering the youth in tertiary institutions as entrepreneurs and leaders in the society. Animashaun explained that the government will use the programme to mobilise students across the four tertiary institutions in the state

to a workshop where they will learn from professionals how to put their talents to generate income for themselves. In his remarks, the founder of proten International and co- facilitators of the programme, Mr. Ope Onoboye, explained that the aim of the programme is to teach participating students how to own their own businesses and be economically independent.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

â&#x20AC;˘ Relations besiege Plateau Specialists Hospital in search of loved ones after the blasts.

OS, the Plateau State capital was unusually calm days after the twin bomb blasts that led to the death over one hundred people last Tuesday. There was no violent reaction from any sections of the state as a result of the incident. This is an exceptional case because in all such cases in the past, the city witnessed days of continuous carnage perpetrated by youths in the name of reprisal. But last Tuesday's twin bomb explosion which occurred in a market in Jos central area could not be attributed to any religious group most especially as victims of the blast cut across all ethnic and regions divides in the city unlike other bomb explosions in the past like that of 2010, 2011 and 2012. Some aggrieved sections of the state actually waited for the next day to confirm the extent of casualties before reacting. The Christian community and its Muslim counterpart waited to know if there are more Christian victims than Muslim or vice versa. The adherents of both religions went round hospitals and mortuaries around the city to discover that everyone is in deep grief. Equal losses A sympathizer at one of the hospitals Mr. Samson Auta said, "It was actually suspected that such attacks are the handiwork of Boko Haram sect, which is suspected to be a child of Islamic religion. But the situation at the mortuary now is that there are good numbers of Christian victims and Muslim victims among the dead. So it will be difficult for anyone to think of reprisal." At the morgue of the Plateau Specialists Hospital, several Muslim families came in search of their missing relations. So also the Christian families; children were searching for body of their mothers, hus-

Plateau: Living in the shadow of fear A calm atmosphere prevails in Jos after the twin blast of last Tuesday, but the people are living in serious apprehension and tension due to rumours and fear of motor vehicles, YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU reports. bands were looking for their missing wives, friends, class mates were looking for their loved ones and so on. In this scenario, rather than anyone thinking of reprisal, both religious adherents were united in grief, they became united in the prevailing gloomy mood of the moment. In spite of the mutual suspicion among both religions, they were emotionally moved to console one another at the mortuary. When someone broke down on discovering the body of loved ones, other around will gather to console the other. At the morgue of Plateau Specialists Hospital, the first vehicle that came to pick an identified body was a Muslim van. As they picked some from there, they were heading to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) to pick another one. In this obvious circumstance of mutual grief, the idea of indicting the other as source of the attack became weak and baseless. This made the city calm after the inci-

dence, all the fears around town of possible outbreak of violence never happened. But not to take anything for granted, security was beefed up by security agencies. Armed police and soldier were promptly deployed to all the nooks and crannies of the city to forestall any outbreak of violence. There was serious security surveillance at indentified volatile sections of the city so as not to be taken unawares. Dousing the tension Leaders of both religions also became sensitive and cautious; they warned their youths against participating in any form of violence as a result of the blasts. The Nigerian Aid Group of the Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI) moved as fast as possible to issue statement warning against violence, so also the state branch of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Lawal Ishaq, state secretary of the Muslim group said in a statement, "The Nigerian Aid Group of Jama'atu Nasril Islam, Plateau state branch was shocked by the

unfortunate twin bomb blast at terminus market, Jos. The organisation condemns this dastardly act and reiterates its position that whoever is behind such act should be enemy of humanity. Surely God in His infinite mercy will visit His wrath on every single evil doer both here and hereafter. "We seize this opportunity to condole those that lost their loved ones and pray for the quick recovery of those involved. In the same vein, youths in all parts of Jos are enjoined to exercise restraint and desist from blocking roads and harassing innocent passersby in the name of reprisals. Surely whoever is behind these bomb blasts is a common enemy of all irrespective of faith or ethnic background." In the same vein, the state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in a statement said, "The state chapter condemns unequivocally the twin bomb blasts that killed many traders mostly women, dozens of commuters and others at Terminus, a busy market in Jos.

"This mindless, heinous and unwarranted wickedness against innocent lives that have been cut short in another unexplainable orgy of bloodletting cannot be allowed to continue. Security agencies should go extra mile to bring those behind this dastardly act justice and beef ip surveillance around busy areas in the city. "The state officials of CAN have gone round the hospitals and mortuaries in Jos where the victims are receiving treatment. Our thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to the families that have lost loved ones as well as those injured. You are not alone." The position of leaders of both religions went a long way in dousing tension and discouraging any violent move against the other. At the end of it all, it was calm everywhere in the volatile city. However, as religious leaders and security teamed up to prevent post-explosion violence, they could not prevent the spate of rumour been peddled around the city. Almost every other car on the streets of Jos are been suspected to be explosive-bearing car. This fear is obvious because, the twin explosions were planted in vehicles which were abandoned by those that brought them before the explosions. Since then, the fear of abandoned vehicles in the city has become the new wisdom. Any car seen parked at the road side for 30 minutes without the owner there will be forced people within the neighborhood to invite the police. Several of such cases have continued to cause unnecessary chaos, apprehension and tension in the city since the last Tuesday's blast. Though there is calm after the blast but citizens are not moving freely as usual as a result of the fears and suspicions all over the city.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Somalia parliament attacked by al-Shabab

Iran billionaire executed over $2.6B bank fraud

SLAMIST militants from the al-Shabab movement have attacked the Somali parliament in Mogadishu, leaving at least 10 people dead. Explosions and gunfire were heard and witnesses reported seeing bodies. Somali police were joined by African Union troops as they engaged the attackers. Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, once controlled large areas of Somalia but was pushed out of major cities in 2011 and 2012. However, it is still able to mount complex attacks. It has frequently targeted the UNbacked parliament. A car bomb exploded outside the gates of parliament shortly before midday local time (09:00 GMT), followed by more blasts and bursts of gunfire. The attackers then stormed the front of the parliament building as security forces fired back. "Fighting is going on inside the parliament building and we are fighting rebels inside the building but we evacuated members of parliament," Col Mahamed Dahir said. At least four police officers and several militants were reported killed. Eyewitnesses saw a number of bodies in military fatigues but could not confirm whether they were members of the security forces. Two MPs were reportedly wounded in the attack as they were taken out of the back of the building.

Gunman kills six in drive-by shooting in California

LONE gunman sprayed bullets from a car in a drive-by shooting in a southern California college town, killing at least six people before his car crashed and he was found dead inside, authorities said yesterday. Seven more people were wounded in what the Santa Barbara County Sheriff described as a premeditated atrocity late on Friday in the town of Isla Vista near the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara. "This incident appears to be a mass murder situation," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told a televised news conference. "We currently have seven people confirmed dead, that includes the suspect and six victims." Witnesses reported seeing a black BMW speeding through the streets and spraying bullets at people and other targets in Isla Vista, a beachside community where many college students live, California's KEYT-TV reported. Witness Xavier Mozejewski told the station the incident was like an "old western shoot-out."

â&#x20AC;˘South African President Jacob Zuma takes the oath during his inauguration ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria yesterday. AFP PHOTO

South Africa inaugurates president for second term

OUTH Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, was inaugurated for a second term yesterday in a ceremony marked by dance, prayer, a 21-gun salute and air force flyovers. Leaders from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other African countries attended the event at the Union Buildings, a government complex in the South African capital of Pretoria. It was the same place where Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa's first black president, took the oath of office 20 years ago in a ceremony officially ending white minority rule.

On May 7, the ruling African National Congress won elections, continuing its political dominance since the end of the apartheid system that it had fought for decades. The party retains a comfortable majority, but opposition parties have capitalized with some success on allegations of official corruption and mismanagement. National elections are held every five years. In an inauguration speech, Zuma said South Africa was " a much better place to live in now than before 1994" but that poverty, unemployment and other problems persisted despite many

improvements. "Economic transformation will take center-stage during this new term of government as we put the economy on an inclusive growth path," Zuma said. He promised to promote "broadbased black economic empowerment" to address government concerns that much of the economy remains in the hands of South Africa's white minority. This month's elections saw the rise of the Economic Freedom Fighters, a new opposition party that wants to redistribute national resources to the poor. Zuma, a former anti-

apartheid activist, was jailed for 10 years on Robben Island, the same prison where Mandela was held for many years. As president, Zuma has been hit by criticism over a scandal surrounding more than $20 million in state spending on his private home. Those attending the inauguration included President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who was recently in Singapore for medical treatment, and Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, whose government, backed by international assistance, is trying to free nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted by Islamic militants.

Malawi president scraps election, orders new vote

ALAWI'S president said yesterday that she has nullified an election because of alleged irregularities and has ordered that a new vote should be held within 90 days in the southern African nation. President Joyce Banda also said she would drop out of any new race for the leadership of the country, which is heavily dependent on foreign aid and has been

troubled by government corruption scandals. "Malawians should elect a leader of their choice, but I will not take part in those elections," Banda said. Maxon Mbendera, head of Malawi's election commission, said he was consulting the attorney general about the president's order. The election results have not been officially announced. Banda faced a field of 12

candidates in Tuesday's election, which was troubled by scattered unrest. Banda was vice president and came to power in 2012 following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. Mutharika's brother, Peter, was a prominent challenger to Banda. Malawi uses the firstpast-the-post system, meaning that the candidate with the largest share of votes, no matter how small a percent-

age of the total votes cast, is the winner. Aside from the presidential vote, legislative and local elections were also held on Tuesday. On Thursday, a deputy Cabinet minister who lost his parliamentary seat in the elections committed suicide. Godfrey Kamanya, the deputy local government minister, shot himself after locking himself in a bedroom in his house, according to authorities.

BILLIONAIRE businessman at the heart of a $2.6 billion state bank scam, the largest fraud case since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, was executed yesterday, state television reported. Authorities put Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, also known as Amir Mansour Aria, to death at Evin prison, just north of the capital, Tehran, the station reported. The report said the execution came after Iran's Supreme Court upheld his death sentence. Khosravi's lawyer, Gholam Ali Riahi, was quoted by news website khabaronline.ir as saying that his client was put to death without any notice. "I had not been informed about execution of my client," Riahi said. "All the assets of my client are at the disposal of the prosecutor's office." State officials did not immediately comment on Riahi's claim. The fraud involved using forged documents to get credit at one of Iran's top financial institutions, Bank Saderat, to purchase assets including stateowned companies like major steel producer Khuzestan Steel Co. Khosravi's business empire included more than 35 companies from mineral water production to a football club and meat imports from Brazil. According to Iranian media reports, the bank fraud began in 2007. A total of 39 defendants were convicted in the case. Four received death sentences, two got life sentences and the rest received sentences of up to 25 years in prison. The trials raised questions about corruption at senior levels in Iran's tightly controlled economy during the administration of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ukraine defends vote despite unrest

KRAINE'S interim government promised a clean presidential election today that would anchor the former Soviet state in the Western camp and show the world it would not be intimidated by Russia after weeks of violence. Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday he would respect the choice of the Ukrainian people and would work with the new authorities. Moscow wanted stability, he said. In the eastern region where at least 20 people have been killed in the past few days, proMoscow separatists said yesterday they did not recognize a vote organized by authorities in Kiev they say took power in a Western-backed coup and officials said many electoral districts would be out of action. Electoral officials in the east were setting up polling stations but fearful of violence which may keep people at home.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

Ropo Sekoni

Page 14

Femi Orebe Page 16

SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

15 wasted years

tunjade@yahoo.co.uk 08054503906 (sms only)

It has been 15 years of the changing getting worse

HORTLYafter Nigeria’s return to civil rule on May 29, 1999, the raging argument was, which of the two dates – June 12 or May 29 - is superior. The argument may have somewhat subsided; the fact is that the son cannot be the father of the man. Without June 12, May 29 would not have been. If it was June 12 that begot May 29, it follows that June 12 should be accorded its rightful place in the scheme of things in the country. If it is not; part of the reasons is that many of us who fought the good fight during the struggle for the revalidation of the June 12, 1993 presidential election result simply left the stage after the soldiers retreated to the barracks, for all manner of people to take charge. The election was won by Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Abiola. Even President Goodluck Jonathan was not known to have played any active role in that struggle. Now, it is people like him who are calling the shots at many levels of government today. That is one of the reasons we are not having the right leadership at many of those levels. It is one of the reasons why we are where we are and are lamenting today. Anyway, it is needless debating which comes first,: whether it is the chicken or the egg. Perhaps the debate on June 12 and May 29 would also have been unnecessary if we have made good for ourselves as a people in the last 15 years. Nigerians who were of age during the struggle for the country’s return to military rule must be wondering what it is that has brought us to this sorry pass, 15 years after. The same way our forefathers who fought for independence from British rule and who lived long enough to witness the progressive decline the country has been slipping into wondered whether this is the same country they fought for to be independent. But here we are, 15 years after we returned to civil rule (note my emphasis on civil rule and not democratic rule because it is deliberate); no one, except the incurable optimists in government and their cronies can see any light at the end of our long tunnel. This is regrettable. Whereas, on May 29, 1999, many of us were hopeful that we can now take our destiny in our hands after sending the soldiers who had kept us under their jackboots for more than 16 straight years since the fall of the Second Republic to the barracks; and whereas Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the man who was installed president on that day had assured us that he was going to lead us aright, I will give the forthright, purposeful, committed, honest and transparent leadership that the situation demands. I am determined with your full cooperation, to make significant changes within a year of my administration, Obasanjo had said during his inauguration, here we are, stuck with President Jonathan’s presidency. Obasanjo never ruled by his words. Perhaps things would have been different if he did. However, information minister, Labaran Maku, has said the Federal Government would celebrate the 15 years of unbroken civil rule by showcasing the

•Chief Obasanjo

achievements of the Jonathan administration in the last four years. One wonders what these achievements are. Of course, we know it is the lusual dishing out of figures instead of tangibles that Nigerians can see and feel. Finance minister and coordinating minister for the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for instance, would give us statistics of the number of unemployed graduates and how the government has taken over a million of them out of the unemployment market, without being specific as to where such people have been employed and the nature of jobs they were given. She would also bore us with figures showing how our economy is growing even if our pockets are shrinking. And, trust the agriculture minister, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, a farmer with a difference; resplendent in his bow tie and suit to match, he would not fail to remind us that we are already self-sufficient in rice production, when it is common knowledge that most of the rice consumed in the country is imported. In virtually all our banks and telecoms companies, many graduates are now on contract employment, despite the stupendous profits that these establishments post yearly! The same applies to giant construction companies that pay graduates peanuts for staying in the sun or rain for hours in the name of flag boys or girls. All these in a country with a government! Then power supply. What we should expect to be told is that the Jonathan administration has finally succeeded in privatising the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and that it would take some time for us to feel its effects. The government would have conveniently forgotten that the president himself promised us sometimes ago that by now, we should have dashed him our generators because we would have no need for them since power would have been more stable. And President Jonathan himself will tell us his regrets during the years he had not known cassava bread and how he wished he could turn

“But, wait a minute, why would the government choose to tell us only what President Jonathan has done in four years? Why can’t it tell us what the party that has been in power at the federal level since May 29, 1999 has done, after all, it is the president’s party? We should be looking at 15 years of civil rule under the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and not just what Jonathan has done, that is even if that would amount to much”

back the hands of the clock so he could start eating this sweet bread early enough. Perhaps nothing signposts the fact that the country is indeed failing than the insecurity in the land. Before Boko Haram went wild, we contended with armed robberies and kidnappings in several parts of the country. Today, it is people who kidnap for ritual purposes that are on the prowl. I hope the government would also tell us that under this administration alone, Nigeria has probably lost so many lives to one kind of violence or the other more than we had in some years put together, including years that our planes were dropping like kites from the skies. One is not saying that the present government caused all the problems, but it is clear they are beyond its ken; so, it cannot have the solution to them. Unfortunately, that is one thing those in power have refused to acknowledge. But for the uproar that attended the Chibok girls’ kidnap, President Jonathan might have declared his intention to go for second term by now. And you ask: does he think he merits this? What has he done to justify a second term? More than four years down the line, Nigerians have come to know the Jonathan administration and can as well predict it. That is why not many of them would be looking forward to what the president will list as his achievements on Thursday. Unfortunately, as they condemn those so-called achievements and his speech as a say-nothing speech, the sycophants in and out of government would tell him they have never seen such a beautiful speech anywhere in the seat of power since the days of Lord Lugard. That is what they live on, though; so, we cannot blame them. We can only blame those who make themselves available for such flattery. But, wait a minute, why would the government choose to tell us only what President Jonathan has done in four years? Why can’t it tell us what the party that has been in power at the federal level since May 29, 1999 has done, after all, it is the president’s party? We should be looking at 15 years of civil rule under the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and not just what Jonathan has done, that is even if that would amount to much. The government can still amend the programme since it is still four days away; that is if it was an oversight. We can only accept an account of four years that President Jonathan has been in office if he belongs to a different political party. It is not just that Jonathan has failed to perform, but unlike Lucky Igbinedion who was allowed to ‘repeat’ after his father pleaded with the people of Edo State to allow him ‘repeat’, it is unlikely Nigerians would want to take another gamble by affording the president another chance. The president might, to paraphrase General Yakubu Gowon, have tried his best, the fact is, that best is not good enough for Nigeria. We need fresh blood, that is, people who understand the issues and have what it takes to tackle them. That is the only way we can sing a new song come May 29, 2015. I have always warned the president against behaving like the tortoise that said it would not return from a trip until it was thoroughly disgraced. That is what second term ambition would do to President Jonathan. Again, a word is enough for the wise.

Otedola: Philanthropy personified

By Bilikis Bakare

PARTICULAR dictionary simply defines philanthropy as charitable giving to human causes on a large scale. Philanthropy must be more than just a charitable donation; it is an effort undertaken by an individual or organization based on an altruistic desire to improve human welfare. Wealthy individuals sometimes establish foundations to facilitate their philanthropic efforts. In Nigeria, we have never really fallen short of wealthy individuals with philanthropic inclinations. Late Sir Mobolaji Anthony and late Chief MKO Abiola are names readily come to mind in this regards. Real philanthropists are buoyed by their deep or inner satisfaction of impacting on the lives of their beneficiaries. Others venture into philanthropic activities because of their horrid experience with poverty Sir Michael Otedola, who recently passed on at a ripe age of 88, belongs to this class. A man whose philanthropy is legendary just as his devotion to serving humanity and God was un-wavering, touched and impacted on many lives before he bid the world farewell on the 5th of May, 2014. Though born into a Muslim family at the modest Odoragushin community of Epe Area in 1926, Sir Otedola refused to be carried away by his success later in life. With his humble beginning always in his consciousness, he has since 1985, committed his resources to the Michael Otedola University Scholarship Awards Foundation for indigent students of Epe Division in particular and Lagos State in general. Since inception, over three hundred indigent students have benefited from the scheme to become Lawyers, Engineers and Doctors etc. who are now useful to themselves and the society. Most of them would readily tell whoever cares to listen that Sir Otedola was the angel that God sent to them to give meaning to their lives. Just think about many prospective professionals who are now wasting away in different parts of the country because they couldn’t fulfill their dreams as a result of poverty, then you will appreciate an individual who commits his resources to the training of other peoples’ children. Sir Otedola’s decision to establish the scholarship awards foundation was borne out of his determination to give back to the society that offered him the platform or springboard to achieve his goals in life. He left his native Epe very early in life for Lagos city centre in pursuit of education and due to his brilliance; he won a scholarship to study Journalism at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London and graduated in 1958. This was a remarkable turning point in Otedola’s life and might have reinforced his commitment to help other indigent students attain their lofty dreams. After his destined stint as the 2nd elected executive Governor of Lagos State between 1992 and 1993, the quintessential unassuming Otedola quietly reverted to his private life and business becoming even more committed to his philanthropic works. He continued to donate generously to community development projects and to various religious causes. When the challenges of ageing came calling, this illustrious benefactor was still able to ensure the sustainability of the Sir Michael Otedola University Scholarship Awards Foundation. In 2008, his billionaire businessman son, Femi Otedola, instituted a N200 million scholarship scheme as intervention in the educational sector, expected to grow over time to include infrastructural improvements and the provision of learning aids to schools in the Epe area, thereby bringing a wider impact. With this gesture, Femi Otedola, like his father, has demonstrated himself to also be a very generous man whose heart is continuously flowing with abundant milk of human kindness. This , perhaps, reinforces the fact that kindness runs in the veins of the Otedolas. The lesson that we need to draw from the commitment of Sir Otedola and his likes to the cause of the downtrodden is that whatever man does in life lives after him. Though Sir Otedola is no more, but he will be remembered forever by the lives that he touched. •Bilikis Bakare wrote from the Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information & Strategy,

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

COMMENT

Confab: scripts and speculations Reports from committees are confirming that what the conference has achieved at the committee level is largely a reinforcement of the status quo

T is hard to ask if the national conference is going as scripted. The reason for this difficulty is that nobody is sure about the plan of action scripted by the planners of the conference. In addition, it is not clear if each delegate or group of delegates from the various constituencies had a script before moving to Abuja. But now that the conference has gotten an additional lease from the federal government, it is no longer premature to start worrying about whether it is heading in any direction that can bring any happy change to most parts of the country and to most of the individuals that made the conference possible. There have been many variants of the scripts that might have been central to this conference. One popular variant is that President Jonathan set up the conference in order to gain some electioneering advantage over his opponents. Propagators of such narrative claimed that some disgruntled Yoruba politicians were drafted or recruited to prepare the script that served as plan of action for the conference. The hope that drove that script (according to folk commentators) was to create the loudest sound bite about a national conference billed to redesign Nigeria for success. It would not matter if at the end of the conference, nothing new happened or the unitary political command system from the centre got reinforced. Some more uncharitable narrators even said that the ambition behind convening the conference was to galvanise Yoruba voters to vote for the current president who made a national conference that looks more serious and more credible than the last one organised in 2005 by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. It was also believed that the conference was to just scare political and cultural leaders from the north who are generally expected to be averse to such conference, with the hope of re-

assuring them at the end with reinforcement of the status quo. Such managers of grape vines of unverified stories went further to say that delegates even lobbied with everything at their disposal to get a seat for the principal reason of getting some millions of naira as sitting allowance and also getting opportunity to be in the news as co-participants in an elaborate effort to re-launch Nigeria, and with their new media connection, launch their political career under the president’s party after the conference. Mischievous public affairs commentators went further to say that the rule made by authors of conference modalities to the effect that majority decision in the absence of a consensus would be 75% of delegates did it knowing very well that this would be unattainable and thus capable of bringing the conference to an end in a fiasco. It was also believed and peddled that the compromise that put majority vote at 70% was not without similar goal: re-affirming the status quo that has hobbled the country and made it an enemy of nation-wide development since 1966.Such storytellers pushed the narrative of conspiracy which claimed that the shift of the conference from being one of representatives of ethnic nationalities to one composed of nominees of various vested interests was an integral part of the design-to-fail character of the conference. It was such conspiracy, according to folk narrators, that silenced the existence of a Minority report by Chief Asemota until such occlusion was no longer possible. Those who felt that the denial of the existence of a Minority report to challenge the Okurounmu report was deliberate are not likely to be surprised at the ease with which members of the Devolution of Power committee tried to block the hearing of Ms. Ankio Briggs’ Minority report that challenged the position given by the committee’s co-chairmen: Victor Attah and Ibrahim Coomassie. Many seemingly unpatriotic Nigerians are

even saying, at a time that the conference is almost over, that the claim that all Nigerians consulted at the drawing of modalities for the conference clearly recognised the indivisibility or indissolubility of Nigeria was exaggerated and deliberately crafted to make palatable the imposition of the No-go area that has hobbled the conference from its first sitting: taking the territorial unity of Nigeria as a nonnegotiable fact, even at a conference that was charged to work out how to make the multiethnicnation-space work for the good of all constituent nationalities. Authors beholden to stories about conspiracy even claimed that erection of No-go area was to tie the hands of delegates at their backs before they were told to run fast towards getting medals for participating in the country’s most reliable conference. Now is the time for speculations. Partisan and non-partisan folk commentators are also already at work on what to expect from the conference. Some have affirmed that the nononsense stance of the north as its political and cultural leaders claim to be the backbone and strength of Nigeria falls into the pattern of what was expected by designers of the conference. Once the north, the heir to British colonialists and Nigeria’s ‘landlord’ insists that nothing is wrong with the way Nigeria is currently structured and swears loud that no force can change the status of states as mere administrative units while affirming that no constitution in the country accepts regions as federating units, conference delegates would start packing their things to go back home to enjoy their modest allowances for coming, thus confirming the resilience of Nigeria’s culture of political racketeering. Reports from committees are confirming that what the conference has achieved at the committee level is largely a reinforcement of the status quo. The nation’s Cassandras see nothing more than the typical Nigeria Factor

(of holding something that is false to be also true or vice versa) in the report about a compromise over the matter of Devolution of powers. Specifically, the decision to put oil matters on the Exclusive list but with a window of opportunity for states to have a say in the exploitation, collection of royalty and tax as well as sharing of such revenue is already being poohpoohed by pundits as an illustration of the lack of proper focus at the committee level. Similarly, the report that the committee on law enforcement has recommended that Nigeria is not ready for multi-level police system is being viewed by critics as another manifestation of the power of vested interests in the matter of security. This is despite the fact that the paper presented at the instance of governors from the north accepted the need for a multi-level police system, despite the region’s reactionary position on all other matters. Could it be true that it was not disagreement among regions about having a truly federal police system that led to the committee’s opposition to state police, but the fact that retired police officers on the committee advised committee members against such a move that fear mongers believe to be capable of endangering the country’s unity? Neighbourhood storytellers are already wondering if any seriousminded conference organisers would knowingly put on such important committee individuals who had retired from a police force that had failed characteristically to protect citizens and their property over the years. I know that my readers are eager to know my own feelings about what has been going on at the conference, instead of reporting what other public affairs observers have been thinking. Seriously, I believe it is still premature to pass any more critical evaluation than folk commentators have made in their own style. I just believe I should let my readers know what I have been able to collect in terms of folk-life research since the announcement of the Jonathan national conference. I did keep my cool until the end of the Obasanjo conference. I have no reason not to have the same patience this time.

COMMENT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Stealing is corruption, please The ICPC chairman, who echoed President Jonathan, should be told to face his core duties OR quit

HE contention by Mr. Ekpo Nta, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), that stealing should not be misconstrued for corruption is unfortunate and an attempt to subvert the objectives of the anti-graft agency. Mr. Nta told visiting engineers at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja last week that ordinary Nigerians could be forgiven the mistake, but not educated people. Feigning indignation, the ICPC boss said: “Stealing is erroneously reported as corruption. We must go back to what we were taught at school to show that there are educated people in Nigeria. We must address issues as we were taught in school to do.” It is saddening that Mr. Nta, a lawyer who was brought ostensibly to give verve to the anti-graft war, failed to appreciate the pernicious nature and nexus between stealing and corruption in the country. He rather gave the impression that they are two distinct and unrelated categories of offences, that is if he believes that stealing is even an offence at all. The terse clarification later by his spokesman that stealing is an offence under the law that could be prosecuted by policemen was not just an afterthought, a reaction to the angst expressed by Nigerians to his statement, but was even more damaging to the battle to rid Nigeria of all forms of corruption. His veiled attempt to designate stealing as a minor offence is an indication that the ICPC boss is unfit for the position. A visit to the commission’s website tells the story clearly. “Corruption in Nigeria”, it says, “undermines democratic institutions, retards economic development and contributes to government instability. Corruption attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law, and creating bu-

E read the unfortunate account of Wale F F F experience F F F F F Fatade’s on our Flight - VL2107 of Wednesday, May 7, 2014 from Abuja to Lagos. Wale Fatade’s anger is over delays of the flight. It is unfortunate, first and foremost because a passenger felt unhappy with our service; a situation we never want to occur. Secondly, because in spite of all efforts we made to manage a situation beyond our control with particular reference to best practices in passenger handling when flights are delayed, Fatade still found it exciting to run down Med-View even when his Lagos–Abuja Flight was excellent as he acknowledged. As a responsible airline, we do not intend to join issues with Wale Fatade over his perception of MedView Airline as contained in his opinion on page 76 of The Nation

URING the tenure of former Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe, he used to bring together telecommunication service providers and customers (that is stakeholders), at least every quarter, to listen to public complaints over poor network connections, high call rates etc. At this forums, customers complaints were made known to service providers so they (service providers) could say publicly what they want to do to be more effi-

reaucratic quagmires whose only reason for existence is the soliciting of bribes.” Transparency International describes corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. While it is conceded that corruption is not limited to outright stealing, any attempt to make a clear distinction should be condemned as dubious and self-serving. Bribery may not be the only form of corruption, but it is a very important aspect of corrupt practices in Nigeria. The ICPC itself grew out of an appreciation of the incalculable damage done to the development of Nigeria by those who have cornered the common wealth and converted public institutions and their funds to private use. Sad enough, the ICPC that was established in 2000 as the first agency solely saddled with the task of halting the trend has failed the nation as corruption continues to fester and the agency is more interested in repeating views expressed by the President than enlisting Nigerians in fighting the scourge. The ICPC chairman owes Nigerians an explanation on how it has conducted his duty in the commission. How well has he adhered to the oath he swore to at his inauguration in office in October 2012? How many convictions has the commission

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

•Editor Festus Eriye •Deputy Editor Olayinka Oyegbile •Associate Editors Taiwo Ogundipe Sam Egburonu

•Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye

secured from the courts in its 14 years of existence and, especially, since Mr. Nta assumed office? What innovations has he brought to ensure that officials caught in the act are made to pay the price? It is perhaps more than a mere coincidence that President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier said the same words and noted that neither corruption nor poverty is the bane of Nigeria’s development. Mr. Nta must note that he might have been appointed by President Jonathan, but he should not take his gratitude to the point of undermining the cause of sanitising the Nigerian public space. His role is clearly defined by the law establishing the commission and it is in no wise similar to the function of the official presidential spokesman. The ICPC was conceived as an independent body, thus its funds are charged on the consolidated fund, yet Mr. Nta seems not to appreciate this and would rather leave his core duties to the Nigerian nation and repeat statements made by the President. We urge the board of the ICPC to call Mr. Nta to order. Cases pending in various courts for five to eight years have been credited to failure of diligent prosecution, and, in some cases, outright collusion between the prosecution, defence and the Bench. This should stop. Well-heeled public officials found to have dipped their hands in the till must be brought to justice. Sophistry by the ICPC chairman should not stand in the way. All forms of corrupt practices, including stealing, must be fought with vigour. And, if officials saddled with the task are showing signs that they are sympathetic to the ill, they should be asked to step out of the range. It does not lie in the mouth of President Jonathan who presides over a terribly corrupt nation, or that of Mr Nta who is supposed to tackle corrupt practices in the same sick country to try to make any distinction between stealing and corruption. It is an unhelpful academic exercise.

LETTERS

Medview Airline: Fatade got it wrong newspapers, Sunday 18, 2014 edition. MedView Airline’s operations are guided by safety procedures, which are never compromised for any reason whatsoever. Adherence to the safety procedures is what has made Medview to stand out as an airline in the industry in terms; of on-time departure, good in-flight services and excellent customer care. Flight delays, whether international or domestic, are sometimes inevitable, especially when safety issues are involved. We concede that there was a delay on the day in question, but we took all the necessary steps, which are in tandem with our policy as well

as that of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on how to handle passengers in such a situation. First, we sent out an SMS well ahead of time informing all passengers about the delays so that they don’t come to the airport to wait for a long time. This was followed with an offer of refreshment, and when it was time for boarding, priority was accorded children followed by the elderly. The necessary apologies were offered. Med-View also made an offer to passengers in form of discounts in their next flight. All these the author acknowledged. Even the NCAA commended our staff in Abuja

Nigeria Communications Commission, wake up cient, effective and less costly. However, since Dr Eugene Juwah came on board, he has not been calling the stakeholders together on how to solve these problems. Now, we are troubled by poor network, no network, text messages not delivered but money deducted from customers, jammed network and other sundry problems. In the last four to five

weeks, there has been no network or less than twenty percent performance. People keep asking, is there no longer any supervision for service providers? If Dr. Juwah is not up to the task the presidency or the supervising ministry should please relieve him of the burden and find another person to do it. By Dn. A. A. Akinola Ojokoro, Lagos.

for the way they handled the passengers. For any discerning mind, Med-View acted in consonance with laid down procedures It therefore sounds spurious for a journalist of repute, who is involved in the training of investigative reporters at the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), to devote half a page in The Nation newspapers to deride MedView Airline. In an attempt by Fatade to paint Medview airline black, and misinform the public, he claimed that he missed a din-

ner in Port Harcourt on September 17, 2013 because the flight scheduled for 3pm did not take off until 7pm. That is not true as there was no 3pm flight schedule to Port Harcourt from Lagos during that period, even though there was a delay as a result of bad weather. From our records, Fatade’s ticket which was purchased on September 16, 2013 with a credit card for the September 17 flight had a departure time of 19.30pm and to arrive Port Harcourt at 20.30pm. We share Fatade’s passion

like any other passenger, but it won’t have taken more than three or four paragraphs for him to register his grouse. In a fit of anger, Mr. Fatade ignored the basic tenet of fairness and accuracy (all sides of a story must have their say) as contained in ICIR Code of Ethics. In spite of Fatade’s tirade, Med-view will not relent in its efforts to maintain safety standards and procedures with customer care as the nerve centre. All the same, Med-View regards Wale Fatade as one of its best customers, and looks forward to having him on board our future flights. Mr. Isiaq Na-Allah AGM. Business Development Med-View Airline 21, Olowu Street, Ikeja

…Of B.Sc./HND dichotomy – nothing stigmatizing

PERSONALLY, consider it stomach-churning the wild cry about B.Sc./ HND dichotomy both in places of work and career progression, and I therefore feel the compelling need to put things in proper perspective. By the original plan of the National Policy on Education in Nigeria, Polytechnic graduates are conceived and conceptualized as radical breed of the Nigerian elite. Polytechnic education system was meant to build a special class of ambidextrous individuals, those who are capable of manipulative skills both by their heads and hands. This was the reason in

the heydays of employment in Nigeria, Polytechnic graduates were as hotly demanded for as fruit pudding in the critical technical sectors of the economy; but suddenly, the country took a deplorable descent into the craze for theory and arm–chair technological pontification, hence, all manner of office engineers and technicians sprung up. This culminated into the unreasonable agitation for parity with university graduates by polytechnic products even, worse still, polytechnic teachers. Whereas, each group of graduate was intended to pursue a self–actualizing and self–

fulfilling career independent of each other. The polytechnic counterpart should even be more fulfilled having been well and better versed in the pragmatic and practical sense of the word ‘education’. It is the same reason we hear of a state governor; a product of polytechnic education; asserting with precision, self–dignity and professional integrity that after passing out of The Polytechnic Ibadan, he saw no need for any further education as far as what he needed to know about engineering was concerned. By Yisa Yusuf Muslim. The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State.

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COMMENT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

Why Ekiti must reject a soul-less, clueless PDP (INEC must deploy card readers) President Jonathan, to have any respect worldwide, must immediately direct INEC to deploy the machines in the Ekiti and Osun elections

HE president, the father of the nation went azonto-dancing in Kano the other day even as blood was still flowing at Nyanya, in the federal capital territory, Abuja, where he, incidentally, resides. Limbs, burnt torsos, and, indeed, shredded bodies were still being packed for evacuation, in a once tantalisingly peaceful Jos, as the father of our nation, our very no.1 citizen, was being programmed to visit Ekiti to kick off what the clueless, soul-less party touts as the opening glee of its rampaging, rigging machine to capture the Southwest to signpost their plan to once again inflict President Jonathan on the country even when U. S Senator McCain, not just hapless Nigerians, already know that Nigeria has been so terribly ill-served with him as president. For the PDP to consummate its evil plans in Ekiti, all manner of rigging devices are being put in place but none is as shameful as Professor Jega and his INEC’s recant of its open declaration to deploy PVC card reading machines for both Ekiti and Osun Elections. As part of preparations for the 2015 election, INEC said it has concluded plans to deploy card readers to be used at the 2015 general election as well as in the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states. Speaking at a knowledge sharing workshop with national publicity secretaries and deputy national publicity secretaries of political parties on the

optimisation of the voter register, continuous voter registration and permanent voters’ cards (PVCs), Dr Ishmael Igbani, INEC’s ELECTION MONITORING AND OBSERVATION COMMITTEE (EMOC) Chairman, publicly announced that INEC would use card readers to interpret the PVCs at the elections. Said Igbani, ‘In line with its legal mandate, the Commission is currently in the process of printing the permanent voters’ cards for voters. The PVCs have embedded electronic chips containing the personal information and fingerprint details of the voters and will be used to identify and authenticate the voters at the polling unit on Election Day through the planned deployment of handheld card readers.’ But without the slightest regard for INEC’s integrity, his own apparently nebulous integrity and that of Jega, the body, like a drunk, would within hours deny that it would use those machines which are the only means by which to read the embedded electronic chips to identify and authenticate voters. These crafty INEC officials are yet to tell Nigerians how identification will now be done, but woe betides anybody caught presenting a cloned card to vote in Ekiti. Without a doubt, PDP electoral investors in the Southwest who have successfully blackmailed President Jonathan by claiming the PDP had to win in Ekiti and Osun for him to have a ghost of a chance in 2015, must have again

rattled the president who, in turn, must have directed INEC to recant. Or how do you explain an official of Dr Igbani’s status misrepresenting what must have been discussed severally at the topmost echelons of INEC unless he was not sober at the occasion? President Jonathan, to have any respect worldwide, must immediately direct INEC to deploy the machines in the Ekiti and Osun elections. Any other thing will be disastrous for his presidency. News have since filtered in as to how the PDP is buying up PVC’s from students and the poor as well as assembling former Adedibu thugs who will use the cloned cards to vote. The president should know in advance that whoever is caught in Ekiti attempting to use cloned voters cards will not have the opportunity of reporting his/her fate to the police. Ekiti will never go back to those days of murders and attempted murders, of treasury looting, massive insecurity and outright mayhem. Former Ekiti State governor, Engr Segun Oni, has advised the good people of Ekiti never to have anything to do with the PDP but should, instead, vote for the respectable and performing incumbent, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi. Said Asiwaju Segun Oni, concerning the PDP, in a well-publicised newspaper interview: ‘I did everything I could do to give the party a chance to pick a candidate we can be proud of; one we can show to coming generations as a role model. When the PDP decided what its own options are, we had no alternative but to make up our mind to toe the path of honour. What we are

doing is for the good of Ekiti, especially its name and integrity, both of which we may lose if we are not careful and for which coming generations will suffer. The position of a state governor is an exalted one in which the occupier must be a moral leader, a role model. If you have a governor you cannot sincerely pray in your heart that your children should emulate, then it means that the state has missed it. If you have a governor that could not be a role model for younger ones, then something is amiss. What is required is far more than legal qualifications or satisfying the letters of the constitution. The position of governor is a higher ground and like Caesar’s wife, its occupier must be seen to be above board because you cannot make somebody governor that is deemed in the eyes of all reasonable persons to be devoid of morals. It is a slight on the office of a governor and on Ekiti people to have someone that the average man on the street perceives as a crook. You just cannot make just about anybody governor as doing so will mean creating problems for generations. Such a society will be planting trouble. “Secondly, I know the clique that is scheming to install one of its own as the PDP governor in Ekiti. It is a very dangerous amalgam. It will be a grave mistake if we allow people, who have been declared wanted to answer for crimes all over the world, to become kings and kingmakers here in Ekiti. I want to sound this note of warning to all, that we should be vigilant and not allow a nursery bed of evil to germinate and mature in any part of

‘They say helicopters even drop food for them…!’ To all those who fight for peace…

EADER, I am guessing you are as miffed by this boko haram thing as I am; so is everyone else for that matter, except the principal actors – I mean the bombers, slayers, gunners and hell-raisers, as well as their sponsors. Now, you and I know that every disagreement has three sides. There is the side that proposes the argument. ‘You this woman, you have started again today. What do you mean by asking me for your Ankara money this early Monday morning when I have not even been to work?’ Then there is the opposing side that responds violently. ‘If you had given me on Sunday night, I would not have asked you on Monday morning. Now, where is my money?’ Then there is the third party. S/ He is the one who is interested in the content and quality of the put-downs, repartees, knock-outs flying around from both sides. He or she goes ‘Ah, what he is really saying is that you are stupid and unintelligent’ to one side and ‘Ah, what she’s really saying is that you are wicked, stubborn and untrustworthy. Are you going to stand for that?’ to the other side. Before you know it, there is a fantastic conflagration consuming the domicile of the dundees, organized and cleverly orchestrated by the interested third party because the others are too stupid to know better. My knowledge of third party is honestly limited to the insurance I

the country. When that evil matures, the monster will threaten the peace and sanity of all, ala Boko Haram.” These are words of wisdom from a highly experienced statesman who knows the PDP and its dangerous ensemble only too well. Engr Oni was elected governor on the platform of the PDP and knows what evil the party is capable of perpetrating. Also, in its 15 years’ stranglehold over Nigeria, the PDP has nothing to point to as its contribution to Ekiti development. Federal roads in the state are worse than anywhere in the country and all we have for a federal secretariat are empty promises thus making Ekiti the only state without a federal secretariat in the country. Were the PDP a decent party, its members will loathe coming to Ekiti to canvass for votes. Nigerians, irrespective of where they are located, must impress it on President Jonathan that our country needs a rebirth. Given the horrible names world leaders and leading newspapers have deployed in describing Nigeria in the wake of the abduction of about 250 girls in Borno State and our government’s incredible ineptitude in handling it, it is important that the president be prevailed upon to know that we already have enough bad news to add a post election crisis which, in the case of Ekiti State, God forbid, will be massive and riveting. The entire world has shown enough empathy towards President Jonathan, with many sending men and material that he should by no means, under whatever subterfuge, allow these dangerous businessmen to manipulate and mess him up since the buck stops at his table. God has been more than kind to Goodluck Jonathan. He should learn to count his blessings.

subscribe to in the interest of peace on the road; for me, that is, not the other speed-crazed maniacs flavouring our roads now. Anyway, my Third Party insurance is nothing but a document that says ‘Police, please let me pass; I left a pot of soup on the stove at home’. I have always thought that the insurance exists because; one, the police is invariably one to block one’s road; two, I am toooooo poor to pay the full insurance sum; and three, have you seen what a full insurance sum is lately? Phew, they are enough to make you cough. Worse still, you could finish paying the full sum for the blessed car, then the full sum of the insurance, only to hear the car begin to literally cough! Oh no, swearing at it cannot help you at that point. You just slowly must find your way to the mechanic while your insurance man zooms past you in his new car bought with … you guessed it. The existence of third parties reminds me of a quizzical line in one of Achebe’s poems in Girls at War: ‘if something stands, something else must stand by it’. If you don’t believe me, just look at our governors in Nigeria. Can you point to one of them who is able to stand without his godfather standing beside him? Many of us have asked the presidency to reveal to us the sponsors of boko haram so that some of us brave ones can march right up to them and poke our digits in their cataract-filled eyes.

But Mr. President will not. I think he is more afraid of my eye-poking abilities. Seriously though, anyone can see that those boko haram boys are nothing but rudderless ships living on the fringes of society and looking for someone to direct and feed them on account of having so little state intervention in their lives. So, along comes the third party who sweetly convinces your fringe-liver that killing other people in order to qualify for food is healthy living. That is your unconscionable third party. From what we know, it is this third party, i.e., the feeders and sponsors, who put guns, bombs, devices, cars, 4-wheel drive vehicles, SUVs, etc., into the calloused, unschooled, unsociable, hungry hands of the fringe-livers. Indeed, we hear the sponsorship is so well organized that helicopters even drop food for them in their camps in the bushes! Whether this is a fact or a rumour, we cannot say but coincidences have ways of suggesting things to one’s head. How come these people are better fed in the bushes than those of us at home? Eh? So, from initially fighting with nothing but their adamantine will power, the boko haram has now graduated to fighting with sophisticated armoury that is procured and paid for by someone so lacking in self-love and so filled with self-hate. Anyone who loves anything about himself will appreciate others a bit. So, instead of giving these poor things living on the fringes of soci-

ety bread, we are allowing the third party to give them snakes to play with by concealing their identity. This is where we need to direct our search: we need to know who they are. After getting no response from Oga-on-top, I directed my footsteps to the internet from where I got many theories. The first theory says that the boko haram is being sponsored by some ex-military leaders from the north for their own personal or religious reasons. Perhaps so, perhaps not, we cannot tell; but, you will agree there have been too many rumours regarding this fact. Once, we heard that some boko haram members had been arrested in connection with a blast but orders came from ‘above’ that they be released. I ask you, I ask you! Here you are, filled with indignation that someone could sit down somewhere and plan the destruction of someone else, and is caught for same after a great deal of evidence and pursuit, only for ‘orders’ to null all that work. Talk of corruption indeed. Why then do we bother to even search for culprits after each episode? I guess we should just fold our arms and sigh each time a bomb goes off since somewhere along the path of investigations, someone can come and say ‘Nay, I see no fault in this man’. I next read of another theory that gave a very long and twisted account of how a superpower is orchestrating the whole thing from outside Nigeria in order to unbalance and

destabilize the country, out of jealousy. Citing the internet site that is known for revealing internet mails, the account further told of how that country had gone to great lengths to recruit, train and fund members of the boko haram to cause mayhem everywhere. It also told of how that country does not want this country to reach its super power destiny. I honestly did not know whether to laugh or cry at that story but I did one thing. I immediately went into my super-prayer mode. I spat out that any force or person or power who says Nigeria will not fulfill her destiny will be consigned to the hottest hell fire, Amen! Thank you ever so kindly for echoing that with me. Imagine the nonsense! There is yet a third account which says that boko haram members obtain their own sponsorship by blackmailing the big guns in the north to part with their hard-stolen cash. They also get some money by raiding neighbouring villages and towns. Hmm! What are we to make of this but that the falcon can no longer hear the falconer? If the little ‘uns now command the big ‘uns, I tell you things have fallen apart indeed up there. How the centre is still managing to hold is beyond me. A quotation that made the rounds in the eighties says, ‘if you can still manage to keep your head when all around you are losing theirs, then maybe you don’t understand the situation’. Nay, I think the presidency understands that all of this is leading to a cataclysmic chaos if peace is not pursued quickly, whatever the source of their sponsorship. I think one way out is to reveal the identity of those sponsors. Believe me, the insect eating the leaf is really on the leaf.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

COMMENT

(66) Federating units and suffering subjects: is the JNC in a quagmire of irrelevance? (1)

•Nigerian workers

•Delegates to the JNC

HE Jonathan National Conference (JNC) is not a people’s national conference. That was always clear, right from the announcement of the intention to convoke the conference to the determination of its agenda and the selection of the delegates to the confab. Men and women of conscience who are known to be progressive and patriotic that were selected as delegates had a hard time justifying acceptance of their selection. Now, more than ever, the confab, the JNC, is in a deep quandary. With the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram, the whole world’s attention is focused on Nigeria to a degree that is unprecedented. In that focus of the world’s attention on our country and its crises, nothing stands out more than the revelation of the weakness, ineptitude and total cluelessness of our government in its response to this particular crisis of the abducted children and, more generally, the security of life in our country. I may be wrong, but to my knowledge, the JNC, meeting on the fate of our country at this particular moment when the whole world is watching events in Nigeria has not, as a body, made any statement on the Chibok abductions. If it has and I can be directed to the place where such a statement was published, I will stand corrected. But this is not the real or main point of this article. Its main point is this: the central premise of the confab, of the JNC, is that we have a national government at Abuja, at the centre, that is too strong in comparison with the relative weakness of the federating states and zones of the country. But what the crisis precipitated by the Chibok abductions has shown to us in Nigeria and the whole world is that the central government, especially as concentrated in the presidency, is weak, indecisive and inept beyond belief. Right now as I write these words, you-tube videos of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan - as the “strongest” person in the Jonathan administration - have gone viral on the internet. And the

videos show not a strong and decisive person but a blundering, inarticulate figure of great ridicule. As for the President himself, he has never looked more utterly lacking in will, resolve and credibility as the ruler of the largest country on the African continent. Thus, the JNC is caught on the horns of a dilemma, a contradiction it cannot resolve: its founding, driving premise is that the centre of governance in Nigeria is too strong, too imperial and imperious; but the whole world now knows - as many in our country have known for a long time - that what passes for a strong centre of governance in our country is actually very weak, very lackluster, and very mediocre. What is the basis of this contradiction in which the JNC finds itself trapped, perhaps inextricably? It is important to address this question with the greatest clarity possible. The JNC is premised fundamentally on reinventing federalism in our country in order to bring the benefits of federating, plural democracy to all the constituent parts of the country. Stated in this manner, there is nothing wrong at all with this idea; indeed, it a very worthwhile project. However, all federations in history past and present are made up not only of the federating units but also and perhaps more fundamentally, the subjects or persons that constitute the human and demographic majority of the given federation. Let us repeat this observation with as much emphasis as possible: without the living, working, suffering human beings in the federating units of any federal system in the world, a federation is little more than an abstraction. For this reason, federations must necessarily always look simultaneously at the federating units and the human beings that people those units. With this historic and normative context in mind, it is easy to see that the JNC confab is extraordinary in the extent to which, at least so far, it has for the most part ignored the suffering subjects that make up the human reality of the states and zones that make up our currently extremely imperfect federal system. Let me explain

with a few telling illustrations. From reports of deliberations so far at the JNC confab, together with published interviews with some leading or very articulate delegates to the confab, it appears that fiscal and administrative relationships between the centre and the federating states and zones are being reorganized along the lines of taking some of the over-concentrated power and resources from the centre and giving them to the states and communities in the hinterland of the country. Well so far, so good: more financial resources and more responsibility for governance will go to the states. But the resources and power that will go to the federating units, will they be used for the benefit of the human communities of the federating states? There is not a word, not a policy or constitutional provision for this at the JNC confab. The feeling one gets is that the delegates conflate one with the other: more resources and administrative muscle for the states with better conditions of work, amenities and security of life and possessions for the people. But this is completely specious: that governors and chairmen of local government councils will get more resources and responsibilities will not automatically mean that life will become better for our peoples in states and local government areas across the country. As a matter of fact, the near total silence of the JNC on the actual living conditions and realities of our peoples is an eloquent indication that all the talk at the confab about fiscal and administrative federalism leaves completely intact the existing institutions, policies, practices and norms that vastly enrich our political and economic elites at the expense of the poor, the looted and the marginalized majority of the population in our country. A brief illustration of this observation, this claim is perhaps necessary. Well, perhaps it would have been hoping for too much to have expected that the JNC would have a committee on corruption, waste and mismanagement of resources on the colossal scale in which the whole

world perceives their incidence in our country. With regard to politics, economy, society and morality in our country at the present moment in history, this is the number one issue. And indeed, how could any national conference in our country at the present time not have such a committee as one of its most crucial working sub-groups of delegates? But of course, no such committee, no such working sub-group emerged at the JNC. And for that very reason, all talk at the confab on corruption has been couched in generalities that do not touch on any actual cases and expressions of corruption and squandermania. The 2.5 trillion naira that vanished with the oil subsidy mega-scam of 2011? Not a word about it. The humungous salaries and jumbo allowances that members of our National Assembly enjoy while over 70% of Nigerians live below the absolute poverty line of $2 (or N320 naira) a day? Not a word about it. The President’s fleet of 12 planes that cost millions of dollars a year to maintain? Not a word about it. The billions of dollars that recently vanished from the account of the NNPC leaving no apparent trail behind? Not a word about it. The statement credited to Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in the British newsmagazine, The Economist, that corruption and squandermania in Nigeria being so monumental she would be quite satisfied if, at the end of her current tenure as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, she was able to achieve 4% clean up of the vast bog of wastage and looting? Not a word about it. No, compatriots, there has been no concrete talk whatsoever at the JNC on corruption and the corrupt. All the talk has been in broad, non-specific generalities. As a matter of fact, the committee that should have been named “Committee on Corruption, Waste and Squandermania” but was instead named “Committee on Politics and Governance” co-chaired by Professor Jerry Gana and Chief

Olu Falae came up with a recommendation which it touted as the ultimate answer to official corruption in Nigeria. What was this recommendation? It is the removal of the so-called “immunity clause” in the 1999 Constitution that protects the President and Governors from prosecution for any crimes while they are in office. I was totally nonplussed when I read about this. Has prosecution of public officials in our country made the slightest dent on the scale of corruption in Nigeria? Do not public officeholders and other wealthy and powerful figures in Nigeria notoriously and endlessly delay the dispensation of justice in our law courts through the corruption that exists in the judicial system itself? A bloated, strong and imperial center confronting weak, often humiliated federating units to the detriment of true federalism and equality and unity between the different parts of our country: that is the central assumption of the JNC confab. But this is only half of the story. In the other half, that “strong” and “imperial” centre is actually extremely weak, ineffective and dysfunctional. And this is not only with regard to the present incumbent of the presidency and his administration. With all his characteristic bluster and bullish exercise of power, Obasanjo was actually very weak and indecisive in the things that matter the most in the present circumstances and future prospects of our country. For like all the other heads of state before and after him in our country, he presided over a predatory political order that could not impose discipline within its own ranks let alone on the forces of resentment and disunity, from above and from below. In next week’s concluding essay in this series, we shall take off from this proposition as we look at the JNC confab and its contradictions, even with the brilliant and progressive minds within its ranks. Biodun Jeyifo bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

COMMENT

sms only: 08116759748

The military and its ‘enemies’ T

HE Nigerian military finds itself in an unusual position. Over the last fifty odd years it has often been cast in the role of saviour. It fought the Biafran secession and preserved the Nigerian federation – a feat that many Civil War veterans would never let us forget. It has, for the bulk of our years as an independent nation taken it upon itself, to ‘rescue’ the country in moments of ‘drift’, plunging headlong into the extra-constitutional role of governance. Truly, on many of those occasions when the soldiers stepped in the populace were only too relieved to see bungling politicians tossed out on their ears. Even when the military was not meddling in government, its competence was often celebrated internationally as Nigerian troops excelled in a number of continental and United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping operations. For such an institution used to receiving plaudits, it is hard to be humble. It is even harder when you have come to accept your billing as this great fighting machine, to suddenly be at the receiving end of trenchant criticism that raises questions about your competence. Dealing with this awkward situation has proven a test over which the military and its spokesmen have not handled well. Suddenly, they see grand conspiracies and enemies everywhere. Against the backdrop of unprecedented international focus on the country following the bombing at the Nyanya, Abuja motorpark, as well as the abduction of over 270 Chibok schoolgirls, the most readily identifiable “foes” of this powerful institution have become the media – local and foreign – and the hashtag activists seeking the release of the abductees. This last week, Director of Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Olajide Laleye, repeated statements that suggest the military truly believe some people want to destroy it as an institution. Speaking in Abuja at the monthly briefing on the activities of the army in the NorthEast where the Boko Haram insurgency has been raging, he said: ‘The Nigerian Army has been under a deliberate and concerted effort by some individuals, bodies and organisations to tarnish its good image. “These groups and their international collaborators are trying hard to portray the Nigerian military as corrupt with myriad of problems and challenges ranging from morale of troops, equipment and troops welfare.” The general argued that the campaigns were calculated to undermine the corporate existence of the army and downplay its achievements. The army which he said was one of the binding forces uniting the country was far from weak and ineffective. Interestingly, the same week when Laleye was thumping his chest, the army’s Chief of Account and Budget, Major General Abdullahi Muraina, while speaking at the opening of the 2014 training week of the Nigerian Army Finance Corps (NAFC) for Warrant Officer/Senior Non-Commissioned Officers at Jaji, Kaduna State, said current budgetary allocation to the military was inadequate to meet the contemporary security challenges and cater for the welfare of the army. Muraina broke it down for journalists this way. “The army budget for this year is just N4.8billion. Now, to provide only one item for the troops engaged in the operation in the North-East... Assuming we committed 20,000 troops, the jacket and the helmet is on the average of about $1,000. If you change that to naira, it is about N150, 000. This means they are going to spend about $20million and that is about N3billion. “N3billion as a percentage of N4.8billion which is the capital budget for this year is more than 50 per cent and that is just one item. We are not talking about uniforms; we are not talking about boots, we are not talking about structures where they will stay. We are not talking about training - because training is key to en-

•Nigerian troops hancing the capability of the force.” The issues of adequately funding and proper equipment was alluded to by Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima a while back and defensive Federal Government officials – including President Goodluck Jonathan – laid into him for suggesting that Boko Haram fighters were better equipped than our troops. Now we have the army’s purse keeper going on record to say they have issues with money. There are serious problems hampering the effectiveness of the military’s campaign in the North-East – and they are not limited to finance alone. Those challenges are the real enemies to be attacked, not the media, #Bring Back Our Girls protesters and their so-called “foreign collaborators.” For anyone to suggest that the media are the issue is downright ludicrous. What would be the motive driving this imaginary agenda of destroying the military? For these charges to stick motive must be established. Anyone who understands the way the media works knows that it is virtually impossible to get them to rally behind one agenda because of conflicting proprietary interest, political affiliations and worldview.

The real problem for Nigeria’s military is that it is yet to understand that intense scrutiny is inevitable in the relentless 24/7 news cycle. Does anyone honestly expect the media not to report when troops turn their guns on the General Officer Commanding (GOC) as reportedly happened in Borno recently? What newspaper worth its salt would refuse to report the Nyanya bomb blast that claimed 100 lives? What sort of news medium would not analyse the context in which the attack happened and ask questions about the role of the military and political leadership? The snatching of over 270 Chibok schoolgirls from their dormitory by brutal terrorists is unprecedented anywhere in the world. It is a gripping human drama that no news organisation can ignore. It is the power of the story that attracted the CNNs, Aljazeeras and BBCs of this world. They have not focused on an anonymous village in Southern Borno ‘just to destroy Nigeria’s military.’ Whatever they have done over the Chibok story, they have done in Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and in their own countries. It is almost two years since Libyan gunmen stormed the United States consulate in Benghazi, killing the

ambassador. The story of that tragic incident has refused to die because of media and congressional scrutiny. The same thing with America’s intervention in Afghanistan... No one has suggested that this scrutiny is intended to destroy the US military. It is this same mentality that led spokesmen of the Jonathan administration to accuse the opposition of treason just because they made certain caustic and critical comments! Unfortunately for our political establishment who don’t want to be accountable to anybody, intrusive reporting and uncommon scrutiny of their actions is here to stay. Terror is the issue of the 21st century and the world is interested. Thanks to Boko Haram’s brutality Nigeria has become the latest terrorism frontier – meaning she’ll be trapped in the global spotlight for years to come. Politicians, the military and all those managing this insurgency must be prepared to answer questions. We opened the door when we failed to tackle what we had advertised as a local issue. Now that we have begged for foreign help, we must realise it is not a freebie. It comes with a price: scrutiny and accountability.

Jonathan, 2015 and Armageddon F OUNDER of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and chairman of the newly registered Unity Party of Nigeria, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, says there might be ‘crisis’ in Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan is pressured into dropping his ambition to seek a second term. After reminding us of the president’s constitutional right to contest, he warns of the likelihood of militant groups in the Niger-Delta returning to violent activities if the President is denied the chance to run again. His comments are not novel. Compared to the verbal grenades lobbed by the likes of one-time militant leader, Asari Dokubo, they are relatively mild. Dokubo, for his part, has threatened war if Jonathan fails to win at the general elections! In other words Nigerians have to vote for his kinsman or else.

The use of threats and intimidation to pursue dodgy political agendas is usually rife in times of transition in Nigeria. When the late General Sani Abacha sought to transmute from military dictator to civilian president, his promoters sold the lie that he was the strongman who could prevent the country from breaking to pieces because of the bitter fallout from the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections. But against everything that had been scripted, Abacha expired unceremoniously. Sixteen years after his death the country has not fragmented. At the height of the campaign for a third term for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, we were again beaten over the head with the hackneyed line about him being the only one that understood Nigeria. When we are not being bullied into voting for Jonathan, we are made to listen to

silly statements claiming the only alternative to the incumbent is chaos. I think his marketers have got things mixed up because what we have right now is utter chaos. In coming months we can expect to hear more of these execrable comments. The reality, however, is that nobody can force Nigerians to re-elect anybody by bald threats. Until we begin to challenge some of these inane comments we might just end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy. I can understand an Asari Dokubo returning to the creeks if Jonathan loses out – after all he’s done well for himself under this dispensation. But there are millions in the Niger-Delta whose lives have not been transformed in any special way by this administration, who will carry on as though nothing happened if a new president is elected come January 2015. Friends, depend on it, the heavens will not fall.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

Adamawa: Rumpus over Commisioner’s rumored guber ambition

2015: Ajimobi battles opposition PAGE 22

PAGES 20

•Suswam

HE looming epic political battle for the Benue North East Senatorial ticket between Governor Gabriel Suswam of the state and Senator Barnabas Gemade, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has left the national leadership of the party in a confused state, sources said. While Gemade who is the current occupant of the seat has long indicated his intention to seek re-election on the platform of the same party, the Governor, according to his aides, have come under severe pressure to declare his interest in the seat at the expiration of his second term in the Governor’s office. Sources within the party said the chieftains of the ruling party in the state have been working round the clock to avert what one of them described as a “dangerous political contest” between the two heavyweight politician ahead of the 2015 general election. The Nation learnt that on more than two occasions, the national leadership of the party has been invited by concerned elders of Benue

Jedy Agba not our member – PDP Chairman

•Mu’azu

PAGE 24

•Gemade

Benue 2015: PDP at crossroads over Gemade, Suswam By Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor and Onyedi Ojiabor, Markurdi PDP to join ongoing efforts to ensure that Suswam and Gemade do not throw the party in the state into confusion with their ambitions. “Shortly after he emerged as the national chairman of our party, Adamu Muazu was intimated of the looming problem and he met with stakeholders promptly. Afterwards, he promised to find a solution to the issue. I also think there has been two or more visits to Abuja on the matter by worried stakeholders. But nothing came out of it all.

And now, the two are out there with their supporters ready to go all the way. They are not thinking of the effect of their aspirations on the party,” said Chief Yandev Jirbo, a leader of the party in Gboko local Government area. Jirbo, who also leads the Concerned Tiv Leaders’ Committee (CTLC) of the PDP, said it appears the leadership of the party is now confused as to what to do with the two big wigs of Benue PDP who are bent on throwing the party into crisis by refusing to see reasons why they shouldn’t go into political contest against

one another. “The tension within the party is is getting hotter by the day as efforts to make the duo reach a compromise on the political feud continue to fail. The concerned chieftains here in Benue has tried severally with little or no success. I am afraid that even the national leadership that we are hoping will help us prevent this dangerous political contest may have given up on us,” he said. But reliable sources within the party said the leadership of the party has tried to get the two politicians to discuss on

the matter but with little success. The duo seems to be unwilling to compromise their determination to slug it out for the party’s ticket next year. “We learnt that Abuja called on them to come forward and allow for a resolution of the matter in the interest of the party. This was after some chieftains raised alarm over the danger of allowing the duo to contest for the ticket of the party. But we also leant nothing came out of all the efforts to prevent a showdown. Now, it seems there is no way out of the looming crisis. Other sources within the ruling party say following the unwillingness of the duo to give concessions on the matter, chieftains of the PDP may have finally resolved to fold their arms and wait to see who between the two political gladiators will carry the day and fly the Senatorial flag of PDP at the party’s primary election. “Even recently, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered two •Continued on Page 20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

POLITICS •Continued from Page 19

members of the party’s Board of trustees (BoT) to intervene in the matter and ensure a peaceful resolution. His concern, like many of us is that it is injurious to the party if the two leaders are allow to continue this dangerous contest. But i don’t think anything good came out of it. I’m even of the opinion that enemies of our party may be behind the failure of efforts to avert this l o o m i n g danger,” a n o t h e r source, a f o r m e r f e d e r a l legislator, said. Observers a n d analysts see the two contenders f r o m different prisms. •Jonathan Tyokyaa Ioryem, a p u b l i c a f f a i r s analyst based in Abuja explained why Gemade should be returned to the Senate come 2015. “One Senate seat that has particularly caught the eye is the Benue North East Senatorial District where the race for the PDP primary election is between two principal actors in Benue State, G o v e r n o r G a b r i e l

PDP at crossroads

Suswam and Senator Barnabas Gemade,” he said. As a keen follower of politics nationwide, I have observed with interest the activities of these political gladiators leading up to the upcoming PDP primaries, and have concluded that in the interest of the Senatorial District and Benue politics at large, and in terms of sheer pedigree, Senator Gemade should be ushered back to the Senate come May 29, 2015. This is not to discredit Governor Suswam in any way but Gemade has, over the years, through girt and tenacity, proven himself capable of delivering the much maligned d e m o c r a c y dividends to his people. The y o u n g e r Suswam is not without his achievements, but they pale in comparison to those of the Distinguished Senator. Lest it be forgotten, this is Gemade’s first elected position since the advent of democratic governance in 1999. The argument that he was the PDP National Chairman between 1999 to 2001 holds no water because that was strictly a political office without the trappings and attraction of official government institutions, whatsoever. “At the national level, the Senator has proven beyond

reasonable doubt that he has the clout to influence events for the benefit of not just his zone but Benue State at large. His recent motion on the incessant killing and maiming of innocent Benue indigenes by ‘Fulani herdsmen’ is a case in point. He along with his colleagues not only caused the Senate to send a fact-finding team to the affected states, their motion also jolted the Federal Government into action as troops were quickly dispatched to the states in question. “Long before he became a Senator, Chief Gemade had become well known for his philanthropy and generosity. His scholarship scheme had seen many through higher institutions, and his tenure as Minister of Works witnessed the construction of several roads like the Awajir-Tse- Agbaragba-Ogoja road and Gboko-Ihugh-Tse-Mkar road as well as the Ameladu Water works. “It also led to the empowerment of several Benue indigenes while many of the state’s businessmen rose to national prominence through the benevolence of the Distinguished Senator. In all of this, Senator Gemade has remained a stoic humility which, come to think of it, has been the hallmark of his public personae despite all the positions he has held over the years,” he said. But Suswam is not lacking in similar support and recommendation. After series of pressure reportedly mounted by elders and supporters of the ruling PDP in Benue State, he finally broke his silence on his perceived interest to contest the Senate seat of the Benue North East senatorial district, saying he will not hesitate to run if the people want him to run. Suswam who stated this at a recent reception in honour of state commissioner for information, Mr Justin Amase in Adagi community of Kwande local government area and at Mbagwaza in Ushongo local government area of the state, said he

would not turn down the persistent agitations of the people and reject their offer, since they have declared him a development driven leader. Those who want Suswam to unseat the incumbent senator representing the North East senatorial district, Senator Barnabas Gemade, claim the governor has enhanced peace and rapid development in the state and as such, his service is still very much needed in the scheme of things beyond 2015. At the moment, campaign posters and billboards of the governor are placed in strategic positions around the state, just as branded vehicles with campaign inscriptions patrol the nooks and crannies of the state. Suswam said that the people had maintained that he should leave as governor and not return to his home town Logo, but proceed to national assignment. “It is you people that are saying I have worked very well and should not leave as governor and return to Logo but that I should move to somewhere higher and that you want to send me. And it is you people that said it, and I have not rejected it because you know I haven’t refused anytime you want to send me.” Some people who have performed creditably are also seeking elective positions to the National Assembly and even for me if you decide to send me too, I will not say no. That is why it is imperative especially in this 21st century, to play politics of peace, devoid of violence and bitterness.” He however, advised the people to eschew all act of aggression noting that some persons would want to cause unnecessary violence during election period. What is however left to be seen is how the looming political battle between the duo will impact on the performance of the ruling party at the 2015 general election.

Ambode-the quintessential public servant A

SIWAJU Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of the Centre of Excellence describes him as “ an uncommon civil servant” in whom he discovered an embodiment of the sterling attributes of a great accountant. The acclaimed political strategist with a knack for discovering great talents surely knows his onions. His successor, Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola(SAN) in his letter of commendation poured encomiums on him for “the high sense of dedication, selflessness, loyalty and integrity” which he brought to bear during his glorious day as a public servant. And during the recent public presentation of his biography, The Art of Selfless Service written by Marina Osoba deafening applause greeted the enviable life trajectory from a cross section of those who have known him closely for the past five decades. So, who is this illustrious son of Lagos state, nay Nigeria? Our subject is none other than Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Managing Consultant/CEO of Brandsmiths Consulting Limited, a public finance and management-consulting firm with deep knowledge of the Nigerian public sector. Born in Epe, Lagos on June 14,1964 his educational journey traversed St. Jude’s primary school Ebute Metta, Federal Government College, Warri and the University of Lagos. What is more significant to this writer are the moral lessons and traits of a sound professional that Nigerian youths should drink and digest from the flowing fountain of his wealth of experience, within a short span of 27 years. One of the lessons has to do with his vision to excel in whatever situation he finds himself. This, combined with an inner strength to conquer the hurdles that fate may place along his path marks him out as a unique Nigerian. Ordinarily, he would have capitulated and turn himself into an area boy when his

By Ayo Oyoze Baje father died at the age of 18.But he didn’t. Instead, he chose to focus his energy fully on his academics which paid off handsomely. From recording the second best result in the entire West Africa in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1981 to graduating with honours in Accounting from the University of Lagos at 21 and a Masters’ degree in Accounting combined with being a Chartered Accountant all at 24 the stage was set for a brilliant career in Accounting. One could therefore re-write his biography with the title: Ambode and the Power of Focus. That brings us to his choice of where to ply his trade. Many in his shoes would have opted for a private practice for quick monetary gains. Instead, Ambode chose the civil service, with its bureaucratic bottleneck and slow-grinding rise to self actualization! Why did he do so? The answer, as exhibited by the landmark achievements he recorded at the various places of work is to leave an enduring mark on the sands of his Accounting profession. Only a man with the passion for selfless service would do that. And truth be told, there are few of them, not only here in Lagos but the entire Nigerian nation. Rising from the humble position of a junior Accountant, he moved rapidly up the ladder of success to becoming the youngest ever Auditor General for Local Governments in Lagos State in 2001. Subsequently, he was made the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance in January 2005 before being combined with the additional responsibility as the Accountant General in February,2006 . As one determined to make his mark the genius in him restructured the financial transactions that resulted in the state budget’s performance of over 80 per cent. But of a remarkable achievement was how he assisted to keep the state running during the embattled period when the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration unilaterally stopped allocation to Local Governments in the state. A more critical look at his

•Ambode

book: Public Sector Financing may shed more light on the strategies used to keep the state afloat in those dark days. The book simplifies government accounting system from the local government through the state to the federal level.Or, he may have to write another book specifically focused on how states and even individuals could survive the hard times. Furthermore, Nigerian youths would have to learn from Ambode what it takes to fuel one’s passion for quality education. If they do, they would agree with Malcolm X’s assertion that “education is our children’s passport to the future.”From the award of the US Fulbright Scholarship for the Hubert Humphries Fellowship Programme in Boston Massachusetts, Ambode has traversed the Whartton Business

School, for Advanced Management Programme .In his insatiable quest for quality knowledge he has also had stints at reputable institutions, including Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield, England, the Institute of Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland, INSEAD Singapore and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston,U.S.A. Now, he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Little wonder that he gained recognition for outstanding excellence by the Joint Tax Board (JTB)/FIRS on the successful organization of the 1st National Tax Retreat in Nigeria in 2005. All these no doubt have fully equipped him with leadership capabilities that the good people of Lagos state, being a microcosm of Nigeria could gain from. Perhaps, this explains why the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu 1, and the leaders of the Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) could not hide their tacit support for Ambode, urging him to throw his hat into the ring of the gubernatorial contest in preparation for 2015.Declared the respected Oba Akiolu, “ Myself, other traditional rulers and some notable elders have met and decided that Ambode should be the next governor of Lagos.” Though this open endorsement has since stirred the hornet’s nest, from both the PDP and the Pan-Lagos Development Advocacy, (LDAG) who are rooting for Mr. Babatunde William -Fowler, one thing is certain. Ambode certainly has the leadership qualities to build on the great works the amiable incumbent Governor Babatunde Fashola has achieved. As an over comer of daunting obstacles, many are watching how Ambode would surmount the hurdles ahead. Ayo Oyoze Baje writes in from Lagos

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

s T

POLITICS

Ebonyi 2015: Southerners who wants Elechi’s job

HOUGH the founding fathers of Ebonyi signed nothing like a charter of equity at creation of the state, a lot of political decisions have been taken in the past with equity and fairness as key considerations. The principle of rotation, The Nation gathered, is an unwritten agreement amongst the various ethnic blocs and zones in the state. This much was confirmed when Governor Martins Elechi, whose second term in office as governor is winding down, as well as the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supported the clamor by the people of Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone, the only zone yet to produce a governor since the creation of the state, to be allowed to produce the next governor of the state. Our correspondent takes a look at some of the aspirants from the favored zone already jostling to succeed the outgoing governor and reported back that the race is indeed a crowded one. Dave Nwachukwu This Afikpo born economist has had over 30 years of varied financial services industry experience, before venturing into the consultancy industry. Although, he has not been fully involved in politics before now, sources say he has always been behind the scenes in the governance of the state especially in Governor Elechi’s administration. He has been the Chairman, Economic Advisory Committee since June 2007. The respected technocrat is believed to be one of the few men who has the ears of the Governor especially in economic and financial matters. He is believed to h a v e played a maj o r role in t h e state being able to access loans easily from banks and the stock market using his extensive negotiation and business advisory skills and contacts garnered over the years in the financial sector. He is also a strong advocate of continuum in governance. This is one strong factor likely to work in his favour in getting the Governor’s backing. His supporters say his enthronement will give the state a new lease of life and a departure from the old way of doing things by career politicians. But one major problem he will have to battle is the believe in some quarters that his not being a known politician will w o r k against the party should he be fielded. Even within the ruling party, many chieftains are of the opinion that fielding a non-politician will not augur well for the party. Dave Umahi The incumbent Deputy Governor of

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

the State has enteoric rise in politics of the state. Following the unprecedented s u c cess he r e corded in his private business, h e emerged as the Acting

joyed a me-

•Elechi

State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2007 and the substantive Chairman in 2009; a position he held till 2011 when he was chosen by Elechi as his running mate in the gubernatorial election. The Civil Engineer turned politician has since his assumption of office kept a

low profile, a sharp contrast with his flamboyant lifestyle when he was PDP Chairman. He is also believed to be one of those with firm grip of the political machinery of the state especially in his Ebonyi South Senatorial district. However, it is believed that he had stepped on a lot of toes during his time as the PDP chairman. These people, analysts say, may work against his gubernatorial ambition. But his supporters say he remains a very popular and much loved chieftain of the ruling party. Analysts also claim he possess all the qualities and is indeed very capable of becoming the third civilian governor of ‘Salt of the Nation’. He is also believed to have a large stockpile of cash which he is ready to deploy to win the general elections if he is nominated as the party’s flag bearer. His retinue of wealthy friends and associates is also a factor that may sway the PDP ticket in his way. Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu He is currently the Honourable Minister of Health of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He hails from Afikpo area of the state and he is believed to be one of the closest allies of the Governor. Before his current appointment, he was Chief Medical Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the E b o n y i State Univ e r s i t y Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. He was appointed the Honourable Minister of Health of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in April 2010. But analyst say his political inexperience, especially the lack of elective office in his resume will count against him but his Ministerial appointment may count in his favour as he is likely to enjoy the blessings of the Presidency. Senator Anyim Pius Anyim He is from Ishiagu in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. He is the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Prior to his appointment as SGF, Senator Anyim served as the Senator for Ebonyi South senatorial zone in 1999. In August 2000, he was appointed Senate President, a position he held until 2003 when he declined to seek re-election to the Senate. He held the office until the end of the Obasanjo administra-

tion in May 2003, becoming the first President of the Nigerian Senate to have survived impeachment during the 1999-2003 political dispensation. Anyim during his tenure as Senate President also led a group of

politicians popularly referred to back home as ‘Abuja political group’ that waged an unrelenting political war against the then governor, Sam Egwu. In January 2010, Senator Anyim led a delegation of 41 eminent Nigerians that called on President Umaru Yar’Adua to urgently transmit a letter of his incapacitation to the National Assembly to salvage the nation’s democracy from danger. Senator Anyim also praised the Senate when they passed a resolution on 9 February 2010 to make Vice President Goodluck Jonathan Acting President. In May 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Senator Anyim to his current position. The strong man of Ishiagu politics with his close ties to the Presidency is definitely a top contender for the governorship of the state in spite of his not to rosy relationship with the present state government led by Governor Elechi. Senator Sonni Ogbuoji The current Senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial zone, was elected on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform. He was the local government chairman of Afikpo local government area during the military regime that ushered in Fourth Republic. As the Commissioner for Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction during the first tenure of Governor Martin Elechi, Ogbuoji supervised the construction and stocking of 35 catfish ponds in an effort to provide youth employment. He was also the Ebonyi State coordinator of the Goodluck / Sambo Presidential campaign in 2011. Ogbuoji is also believed to be interested in the plum job and has the requisite experience having served in the three tiers of government - local, state and federal at different times. Dr. Paul Okorie A former Commissioner for Environment in the state, he hails from Okposi, in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state. An Engineer by Profession, Okorie is vastly experienced in the Civil Service where he retired as a Director of Engineering. He also served as the General Manager of Ebonyi State Water Corporation and as Director of Ebonyi State Environmental ProtectionAgency (EBSEPA). A much loved ally of the Governor, his relationship with Elechi however nosedived following a widespread protest that greeted his removal from the Environment ministry last year by the Governor. His allies say the protests were orchestrated by his political rivals. Despite, that setback, Okorie is still believed to be in the race for the governorship position and is still very popular among the people of the state. Timothy Odaa Governor Elechi at the inception of his administration, did the unthinkable when he appointed a lawyer, Timothy Odaa as the Finance Commissioner of the state. Odah was also reappointed in 2011 to continue in the same position. for two terms, he has overseen the implementation of the budgets and all fiscal policies of the state government. This has made him one of the trusted lieutenants in Elechi’s administration. Odaa hails from the Ezza speaking part of Onicha local government Area in the southern part of the state. Analysts say his choice as the PDP flag bearer will be strategic in that it will not only satisfy the agitation of the southerners but also placate the Ezzas (predominantly found in •Continued on Page 25

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

POLITICS

OLITICS in Enugu State, especially in the last couple of months, has been attended by a

•Lanlehin

YO State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has a big battle on his hands in his quest to retain his seat beyond May 29, 2015. While top members of the two major opposition parties in the pacesetter state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party have not disguised their intention to send the governor packing from the Agodi Government House come next year, the governor’s latest headache is the internal rebellion within his own party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) against his leadership. Indications that all may not be well in the Oyo State chapter of the APC emerged a few weeks ago with the defection of the Senator representing Oyo South in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Femi Lanlehin, to the Accord Party (AP). Lanlehin colleague in Oyo Central, Senator Ayo Adeseun, has also allegedly concluded plans to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP. The two senators were elected into their current positions in 2011 on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria about five months after dumping the PDP following deep seated rifts with the then governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala. Lanlehin’s grouse with Ajimobi Shortly after his defection to the defunct ACN, Lanlehin had expressed his interest to vie for the party’s governorship ticket for the 2011 general elections. But he was not the only aspirant interested in the ticket. There were also six other formidable aspirants including Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Professor Wole Oyemakinde; a former Commissioner in Lagos State, Dr. Ismail Adewusi, Kazeem Adedeji, Adesoji Akanbi

•Ajimobi

•Koleosho

Oyo 2015: Ajimobi tackles opposition within Ambition over the 2015 governorship election rather than differences on principles is being adduced as the primary reason why the Senators representing Oyo South and Oyo Central, Femi Lanlehin and Ayo Adeseun respectively are up in arms against the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Remi Adelowo reports and Wale Akinboade. The bubble later burst when Senator Ajimobi was affirmed as the winner of the election. Other contestants, including Lanlehin, cried blue murder, dismissing the process that led to the emergence of Ajimobi as a hoax. Concerned party stalwarts, led by the late party leader and former governor, Lam Adesina, swung into action, with the hope of pacifying all the aggrieved aspirants. In a short while, the efforts to pacify the aggrieved co-contestants paid off relatively, as some accepted party offers and gave peace a chance. The party, after a keenly contested poll, defeated the PDP in the general elections. Thus, while Ajimobi emerged as the governor, Lanlehin came out victorious in the senatorial election. But rather than abating, certain contentious and divisive issues within the party, particularly between Ajimobi and Lanlehin, continued to fester. And for three years, several efforts to reconcile the two Ibadan-born politicians hit the brick wall due to what sources ascribe to Lanlehin’s ambition to become governor. The last of such reconciliatory efforts, according to a source, was at the instance of the governor who hosted Lanlehin at the Government House. At the end of the parley, the senator was alleged to have given his word that he would henceforth work in harmony with the governor but no sooner was the promise made

that things went awry again between the two men. “Lanlehin is still eyeing the governorship seat and just can’t stand Ajimobi remaining the governor beyond 2015. Rather than work with the governor, he would rather defect to another party to support another person for the governorship,” said a source. However, there are fears among Lanlehin’s supporters that his move to AP may turn out as a misadventure. A source close to the senator disclosed, “I think this defection (to AP) may backfire. Some top leaders in AP are just not comfortable with Lanlehin’s alleged inconsistency. After the senator lost out in the ACN governorship race in 2011, he flirted with AP and was in fact offered the Oyo South senatorial ticket. “But before anyone knew what was happening, he (Lanlehin) quickly retraced his step back to ACN and was handed the Oyo South senatorial ticket. Many leaders in AP have not forgiven him for this.” Speaking on Lanlehin’s chances for the 2015 AP’s governorship ticket, the source said, “That is out of it, because Senator Rashidi Ladoja is the party’s candidate. Returning to the Senate is also not guaranteed for Lanlehin, as AP leaders have penciled Chief Bayo Lawal, who is also an Ibadan indigene as the party’s candidate for Oyo South senatorial zone.” Adeseun set for PDP? Rumours that Senator Adeseun may be leaving the

APC anytime soon was fuelled a few months ago following his reported mending of fences with his erstwhile political foe, ex-Governor Akala. Both politicians hail from Ogbomoso. Sources revealed that it was at the fence mending meeting that it was allegedly agreed that Adeseun should return to the PDP. Further proof that all is now well with the former governor and the senator was the latter’s conspicuous presence at Akala’s son, Olamiju’s wedding to Hadiza, daughter of Lagos industrialist, Hadiza, some weeks ago. Adeseun’s grouse with Ajimobi, The Nation learnt, may not be unconnected to the alleged sack of five permanent secretaries from Ogbomoso in the Oyo State Civil Service by the governor. Another unconfirmed report has it that the frosty relationship between the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who wields a major influence in APC may have compelled the Senator to seek his future political fortune on another party platform. Options before Adeseun Once he formally defects to the PDP, Adeseun is alleged to be considering two options for his 2015 political ambition. The first option, it was gathered, is to run for another term to the Senate, while the second option is to vie for his federal constituency seat into the House of Representatives. The plan is that once elected into the House, Adeseun will contest for the Speakership position, which was zoned to the

South West by the PDP in 2011 before that arrangement was scuttled by some independent elements in PDP and members of other opposition parties in the Lower House resulting into the emergence of Aminu Tambuwal as Speaker. Giving credence to this plot, a source said, “If the PDP retains the Presidency in 2015, the speakership slot will remain in the South West in accordance with the subsisting zoning policy of the party.” Adeseun was a member of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. During this period, he was the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, arguably the most powerful committee in the National Assembly. Can Koleosho be pacified? Another prominent politician in Oyo State allegedly opposed to Ajimobi’s second term ambition is Oke Ogunborn Chief Micheal Koleosho. The former Secretary to Oyo State Government during the administration of late former governor, Chief Lam Adesina, is allegedly displeased with the governor’s alleged usurping of the leadership position of the defunct ACN and later the APC. After the death of Adesina, who was the acclaimed leader of the ruling party in the State about two years ago, not a few of his followers canvassed for Koleosho as the new leader of the party. They accused the governor of allegedly relegating Koleosho to the background in the scheme of things in the party and the affairs of the government. Koleosho, it was learnt, is not considering joining another party at least for now, but has allegedly resolved not to back Ajimobi’s re-election project. Will the governor surmount all these daunting odds to win a re-election in 2015? The next general election which is just about seven months away will provide the answer.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

POLITICS

If APC bungles this chance…….. T

HOSE who boasted of ruling Nigeria for sixty years have become victims of providence in 15years. The ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is ebbing away faster than it ever imagined. That the PDP will fall does not require a prophecy. The PDP is not just falling; it has fallen big time and long time ago and that is a statement of fact. A statement of fact contains a reality that defies prophecy. It will be a misjudgment to theoretically link the fall of PDP to the Chibok episode. Long before Chibok, the PDP’s trajectory had become ominous and the leadership of the party would soon selfdestruct. A party that lost five of its governors to the opposition had already commenced a nuptial mass with its death. The defection of the five PDP governors to APC was the first stroke that sent the party to its sick bed. Quite unfortunately, the party’s handling of the post-defection crisis further exposed the incompetence of the party in crisis management. Both the Presidency and the party leadership adopted a pharisaic posturing, more or less, a grandstanding that contrasts sharply with the actual impact of the defection. It may be correct to say that it was the party’s rating that was at an all time low before Chibok and that President Goodluck Jonathan still enjoyed some degree of respect and admiration before Chibok. It will also be correct to say that if the defection of the five governors to APC signaled the fall of PDP, then the Chibok abduction signposted the fall of Jonathan. What cruel force or forces would weaken a once formidable party and simultaneously diminish the stature and status of a President that is the symbolic leader of the party. It is instructive to note that the PDP and Jonathan are contending with physical and ethereal forces that are demanding restitution for their misrule. If Jonathan shambolic approach to governance has been downplayed by government propaganda machinery, Dr. Goodluck, this time around, ran out of luck, the Chibok abduction only reinforced the general perception of ineptitude which Nigerians have always had of Jonathan and his government. The President’s failure to rescue the abducted girls , his refusal to visit Chibok and the families of the girls of the world, his costly hesitation in responding to international scoop of the abduction, and his amateurish and unprofessional response to Boko Haram,s terror are sufficient proofs of his profundity deficit . Because of the paucity of our scientific understanding and the shallowness of our scientific analysis about the performance of government and our leaders, we cannot have a perfect reading of the declining rating of the President. But even from a very primitive sociological presumption, there is a general outrage and contempt for the President and the way he has managed the abduction saga. As if this was not a serious minus for the President, his wife, a mere domestic appendage (apology to WS), came up with a superlative theatrics that instantly became a buffet for patrons of the social media who punctuated the tension created by this Otouke duo with derisive laughter. The present first couple has not only vulgarized and abated the Presidency with their laughable and revolting theatrics; both husband and wife have soiled and smeared whatever was left of our national pride and ego by exposing us to global contempt with their unpresidential razzmatazz and inappropriate dramedies. Angered by this shaming assault on the nation, the citizens are yearning for an alternative in protest. In this instance, the alternative does not need to be idealistic for as long as it can assuage our thirst for an immediate change. It will be an intolerable trauma to go through another

Thy will be done

•Buhari

•Akande By Dapo Thomas

nightmare that a Jonathan Presidency will unleash on us for another four years. It is however comforting to know that the slogan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is CHANGE. The nation really desires and deserves a change from this charlatanism otherwise both the citizens and the nation may relapse into depression. Since the APC is not the party in power, the Chibok saga is a veritable campaign issue against the PDP. Pray, what does the PDP want to use for his campaign if before the 2015 elections, the girls have not been found and rescued (GOD forbid). And even if the girls were found and rescued by then, it is not likely to help the PDP redeem its sinking image. The important thing is that the party and its leadership have failed to conceptualize a template for leadership excellence and sagacity when provided the opportunity to lead and rule the nation. Assuming that the girls were found and rescued, the credit no longer goes to the PDP but the international community comprising US, France, Britain and others, who jointly conducted the search that led to the rescue of the girls. This is the auspicious time for the APC to leverage on PDP’s fumbling. For the APC to wrestle power from the PDP at the centre, it must present itself as a very credible, dynamic and pro-active party that is ready to redefine leadership and set a new template for governance in Nigeria, The APC can be seen as a credible party if it can convince Nigerians that its Presidency was ready to excel in all the areas and sectors that Jonathan had failed. The only way to do this is to flaunt the performances of its various governors in different states of the Federation. The party should be proud of vibrant and dynamic governors like Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rauf Aregbesola(Osun), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Adams Oshiomole (Edo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rabiu kwakwanso (Kano), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ahmed (Kwara). Some of these governors, with very meager resources, have been able to achieve quite a lot in the provision of infrastructural facilities and social programmes like roads, health, revenue generation, education, social security, agriculture, housing and youth empowerment. There is no doubt that the APC has an effective public affairs/ relations machinery that suffocates the PDP. But does the party have a blueprint for the recovery of the nation from its comatose condition and a restoration agenda that can elevate the nation back to its past glory? It is not the noise that the party makes that will convince the citizens that it’s a more orga-

nized and vision- driven party than the PDP. It is the party creativity and commitment to generate a recovery strategy and plan that can do the magic. The noise being made by the party and its incessant attacks on the PDP may appeal to those who have some sympathy for the party, but to the critical elite, it is nothing more than opposition propaganda. The APC needs to do more work in the area of crisis management. The defections, crisis, leadership rancor, factionalisation and executive lawlessness being witnessed in states like Edo, Ogun, Oyo and few other states are no compliments to its good organization. The situation whereby governors and leaders encouraged and perpetrated imposition of candidates during the party congresses; the forceful snatching of party structures from their original owners; the recklessness and acts of intimidation against dissenting individuals and the surreptitious agenda of hegemonic enthronement being implemented by some of the party leaders cast serious aspersions on the credibility of the party and the integrity of its leadership. The impression people have of the party is that of a group of people whose primary objective for venturing into politics is to fulfill their ambitions and launder their individual profiles. Yes, providence may have created the opportunity for the APC to make capital appropriation from PDP’s blunders and Jonathan’s errors. But a party that seeks electoral victory on the basis of sentiments and political opportunism without providing a better direction for the nation is unlikely to enjoy the confidence of the citizens in the long run. Every benefit of advantage the APC may have above the PDP may percolate as soon as the people’s anger subsides. If politics is all about competitive engagement, the only way to compete will be by superior wisdom and vision and not through the imperatives of your opponent’s blunders and gaffes. This is the time for the APC to put its house in order; to stabilize its internal democracy; to inculcate the spirit of sacrifice in both its leadership and followership; to perfect its blueprint for national recovery; to stimulate a more engaging and constructive dialogue culture; to fine tune its selection process; to strategize on its restoration agenda; to finalise its take-over plan and to reconcile both the victims and the victors of its congresses and to step up its organizational expertise. If by any default or commission of errors, the APC fails to win power at the centre in 2015, it is goodnight APC, goodnight peace, goodnight hope and a final farewell to tomorrow.

SUALLY, when this statement is made, it is by Christians who ascribe all to God who is the controller of the universe. It connotes understanding who he is, what he wants and submitting totally to his commandment. But, it is being used here to denote the primacy of the Popular Will in managing public affairs. It means, in the same was that the Christian submits to the dictates of his God, the public officer should fully respect the aggregate wish of the people- the electorate. It is an acknowledgement that, in the same way that the Christian realises that his creator is the very source of his life, the politician must agree that the mandate he enjoys is by the grace of the people. The general good of the people is the only reason why anyone should seek office. However, this has been observed in the breach by the Nigerian politicians, elected or appointed. Every official sees himself as a master of the people, as the sovereign. As such, he is not accountable to anyone. He acts with impunity and tends to oppress those by whose authority he assumed office. He carries himself as an emperor who can decree anything and bring it to pass. This is the bedrock of the pollution of the public space. When a Nigerian politician is soliciting for votes, he makes no promise, and, when he is compelled to make one, he does so merely to access the office. As soon as he is invested with state power, he employs men whose salaries are charged on public funds to terrorise the people who form the source of his authority. This is the tragedy of a state that was once flourishing and undergirded by values and virtues. Could the will of the people still be done? Could the voice of the common man still be heard in the administration of his country? As we move inexorably towards 2015, the election year, has anything changed? Is there any basis to expect anything to change in the near future? Are the people now more discerning and are they likely to assert their authority at the 2015 polls and thereafter? Have they not unwittingly sold themselves to slave masters who exercise no-existent authority over them? Just wondering. There are two governments at the federal level. The first is headed by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who may be at sea with regard to governance but perfectly understands the language of power. He speaks it fluently and wields it to leave no one in doubt that the buck stops at his desk. The other government, parallel, is run by his Dame. Perhaps the only real Dame. She summons whoever she pleases and visits iniquities on whoever she chooses. On Thursday, as protesters of the government handling of the abduction of the Chibok girls sought audience with the President, ministers met with them to “explain” the government side. But, in doing so, the spokesman of the ministers, Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Mrs. Jumoke Akinjide who read a speech on behalf of the President, could not answer any of the ten questions posed by the protesters. They were miffed that, more than a month after the kidnap, security was yet to be beefed up in schools, including Chibok’s. Foreign journalists have exposed the levity with which it has been handled. But rather than come up with anything tangible, the government has carried on as if all is normal. Till date, there is no functional information centre. All we have is the uncoordinated, occasional outburst by the information minister who was a member of the government party that stopped the Thursday march on Aso Rock. What do we know about the rescue mission? We are not asking for details of military strategy, but simple steps taken to secure the area and the schools, especially in the North East. In view of the strike in Kano, is there now a resurgence of terror attacks on states in the North West. The government has continued to bungle its reaction to the challenge. It started with the military deceiving the people that the girls had all been rescued, with only eight left with the abductors, to the President and his wife tacitly denying that they were actually snatched. Now, they are insinuating that opposition politicians planned it to score cheap political points. There is general disdain for the people and their position on issues. No one thinks he owes them any explanation between elections. And, to be honest, it’s not all about the federal government only. The impact of many state governments are felt only when they scare the people off the roads or deploy security men to beat and batter those who gave them the mandate. Going forward, this must change. The people have to be roused to resist impunity and disregard for their collective sovereignty. The civil society and the media owe the society the responsibility of restoring the primacy of Popular Sovereignty. The People’s Will must be done.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

POLITICS

HAIRMAN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Ntufam John Okon, has added a fresh dimension to the dust being raced by the governorship ambition of Mr. Jeddy Agba, the General Manager Crude at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Agba’s aspiration became a subject of controversy following objection to his involvement in party politics by some chieftains of the ruling party. According to his critics, as a serving civil servant, it is wrong for the NNPC topnotch to be a card carrying member of any political party. But during a recent interview in Calabar, the Cross Rivers PDP boss said Agba cannot contest the governorship of the state on the platform of the PDP as he is not a member of the party. He also spoke of some of the controversies surrounding the party, especially as election year, 2015 approaches. You just marked two years in office. How has it been steering the ship of the party so far? When we took off, what we did immediately was to deepen internal democracy in the party. That was one of the goals I set out to achieve. My team all agreed to that. We also wanted to ensure that gender issues are brought to the centre so that our women who form the bulk of the population of the state are also carried along. We also wanted to ensure that we educate our people through programs. We wanted them to know what democracy is all about and how party management should be done. We promised not to disappoint but consolidate the victory of PDP by ensuring that we work hard and not take Cross Riverians for granted because we know that whatever we do will affect the chances of the party. We looked at the lists we met. We reviewed the election at the ward and local government levels and so on. That we won does not mean we came to throw away what we inherited because we felt that our own governance must be continuous from where we took over. When there were challenges, we were able to harmonize the various opinions and positions. We have also introduced the senatorial caucuses and these are very important to us because in the state executive, we had to abide by the party constitution and ensure that those structures are there to help us drive the political process. There is no way we would sit down here and drive the process. So we had the structure in the northern, central and southern senatorial districts inaugurated. To do that is also to ensure that we internalize democracy, not to sit down here and dish out instructions. That is how far we have been able to put up the structure. What were the challenges you encountered while driving these reforms?

Jeddy Agba not our member – C/Rivers PDP chair

•Agba

•Okon By Nicholas Kalu

You will discover that we first started the elders’ forum here before the party adopted it nationwide. We were able to constitute that elders’ forum and the chapter caucuses after we won the confidence of the people. It was a tedious process. We took pains to consult with each ward; the same with local government councils. On discipline, we have not spared anybody. We continue to ensure that our guidelines are clear and you don’t jump the gun. You must follow rules. So at the end you find out that Cross River State has been more stable since we came in. Where people go against the rules, we suspend them and we are even ready to remove you from our party because we don’t want any person that would not be disciplined. There is no organization that can survive without discipline. A situation where people would disregard the party and do what they like and because you want electoral victory, you tolerate them, it can spoil things for you. The governor has also made our work easy by the kind of infrastructural development he has been carrying out across the state. The only problem is he does not want to publicize what he is doing. He has been so supportive too. The peace and harmony has been sustained. Of course we have zoned the governorship to the north and all our focus is on that. But there are allegations of high-handedness against your leadership. An instance is the allegation that you got an official removed for supporting a governorship aspirant. How true is this? It is not true at all. For the Calabar South chairman that

was removed, the issues were matters of discipline. I believe that if I am heading a party, I should not be arrogant and insulting. I shouldn’t in any way drag the image of the party in the mud. He had a problem of temper among his colleagues and seniors. It played out here when he gave a dud check to a company and the company wrote me in October but I was so involved in our primaries, I did not remember. They sent me a reminder. I called him to my office and tried to ask him about it and he screamed at me saying I had no right to question him on issuing a dud check as it is a personal matter. And I asked how it could be personal when the issue about furnishing a party office and the image of the party was at stake. In fact he shouted all the way down the stairs. There is no way I would accept such behaviour. So we queried him. So it had nothing to do with Jedy Agba. When the heat was so much he resigned as chapter chairman. He is a very activate mobilizer and we respect him. But when you are doing public service you must watch your behaviour. Also, let me use this opportunity to make it clear that Goddy Agba is not a member of our party. He is a civil servant and our party rules are there on how many number of years you will spend before you can contest elections in our party. I just want this to be cleared because, you brought it up. I have never said it before. So if anybody wants to do anything let him go ahead. All I am, saying is that don’t use the name of PDP. You know there are some people who want to ruin other people’s chances. I see a plot where some people are trying to get PDP disqualified, then they will run

to another party to pursue their ambition. It would not work that way. We are too intelligent for that kind of game. We have not authorized anybody to start campaigning to protect the party because we are going to win. Those who are looking for tribunal should steer clear because they would not get us disqualified. We will not field a candidate against the provision of the constitution which says civil servants can’t join political parties. As for Jedy Agba, let us wait for him to resign and come and join us. But as for now I know he is not our member. But he is said to be a card carrying member of the PDP? PDP card is printed everywhere. If you want the PDP card you can pick it up anywhere. You can go to a printing press and print it if you like but is that how you become a member of the party? Let him prove that he is a member. It is not just by carrying a card. You must make sure the card is also incorporated in the register. Jedy Agba is not a member of the party. If he likes let him print a dozen cards, he is not a member. There was an instance in 2011 elections when a civil servant, Patrick Iwara, resigned and was granted a waiver. Is there a possibility of this for other civil servants too? Now you are coming to the issue. If you are honest and you want it, you apply to us for a waiver. It is the party that will give the waiver but we also have the right not to give. If we granted it to Patrick Iwara, it does not mean we have to grant it to everybody. For Iwara if you know him has always been part of the political establishment in the state. Even when he was here with Donald Duke, his contribution to the party is well known. I don’t know what

informed the the decision of the former administration to do that. But when we reach the bridge, we would see how to cross it. It is also being alleged that party registers are now in Government House. The registers are with my secretary. I don’t know where you are getting your information from. The party secretary has custody of those registers. People are just so afraid of everything. It is in the secretariat. We have not removed it to anywhere. But people have a right to speculate. How united is the party you are presiding over? I think we are very united. I would not pretend to you that in this party there are no challenges, but what I am trying to say is that we are out to build a strong party, a viable party that would be able to withstand all kinds of problems. If you are not with us now and you work against us, we would pick you out and remove you from the party, so that when you come back you come and line up from the beginning again. The PDP has agreed to zone the governorship to the northern senatorial district. But there are speculations of a move from the south to upturn the zoning arrangement. Is this true? Let me assure you that democracy is a game of numbers and interests. People have interests and you cannot stop anybody from having interests. The important thing is that the party has taken its stand and it is left for me as a party chairman to ensure that I drive that process to the end. I can assure you, I belong to the southern caucus, even before I became a party chairman, the south has made it openly clear that the governorship is going to the north. The leader of the southern district, who is also the leader of the caucus, here openly told everybody that as far as he was concerned, he was part of the decision that power should go to the north. He made it clear that the south will never be against the decision of the party. But if people want to try the waters, we would wait for them. So far, nobody has come out and tell us they want to. All I can assure is that it has been zoned to the north and the party would follow democratic process to achieve that goal. Is there specific interest in any of the aspirants from the north? Let me assure you that no matter how many candidates come from the north, a Cross Riverian of northern origin would emerge in the party as our flag bearer. Cross River State is on a journey that has a blueprint since 1998 to develop this state. Donald Duke carried it to a high level, Imoke came in and carried on with it to bring the state out of the doldrums. So would we just allow anybody that does not have a grip to come and take over? It is not possible. We have a lot of our northern brothers who are parts of this dream and one of them will emerge. I don’t have power to impose anybody.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

POLITICS

Adamawa: Rumpus over Commisioner’s rumored guber ambition

OLLOWING widespread insinuations that the immediate

past Commissioner for Local Government in Adamawa State, Dr. Salihu Bakari, may be eying the gubernatorial position in 2015, the recent cabinet reshuffle by Governor Murtala Nyako which saw Bakari being moved to the ministry of Higher Education has been interpreted in some quartrters as a move aimed as scuttling his alleged aspiration. The governor, while effecting the change, cited the need to re-jig his cabinet for better performance as reason for the reshuffle, but observers of the politics of the state say Nyako’s action may not be unconnected wit the growing rumor that Bakari, who doubles as an in-law to the governor, may have been oiling his political machineries in preparation for the 2015 governorship election in the state. “Like everyone of us, the governor must have been hearing that Bakari is interested in the governorship position. The decision to move him to a less visible ministry may be a way of checkmating his ambition. As the commissioner for Local Governments, he was always in direct contact with the people at the grassroots,” a party chieftain said. However, when contacted aides of the commissioner denied that Bakari has any governorship dream. A source while pleading anonymity, profusely denied any governorship ambition on the part of Dr. Bakari. According to the aide, Dr. Salihu Bakari remains doggedly committed to Governor Nyako’s ideology and cannot nurture any ambition that is

not sanctioned by the governor. “The alleged governorship ambition of Dr. Bakari remains a mere rumor. I can tell you authoritatively that he has no governorship dream, at least not in 2015. This is not about speaking for him. It is about clearing the air n what is not true and what is true. These are mere insinuations that should be discountenanced. Dr. Salihu Bakari remains doggedly committed to Governor Nyako’s ideology and he cannot and will not nurture any ambition that is not sanctioned by the governor,” our source said. Another aide blamed the rumor on Bakari’s detractors, alleging that it is an attempt to pitch him against the leadership of the ruling party. Bakari, he said, is too much a part of the system to allow himself to be distracted by any ambition. “This is a time when all hands are on deck to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Adamawa and promote the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) among the people ahead of the 2015 general election. As an important part of the administration in the state, Bakari is too knowledgeable to allow for distraction. As a serving commissioner, he would not want anything to affect his commitment to the Governor and the people of Adamawa State. This is why I say he is not nursing any governorship ambition. There is no truth in what is being rumored. Bakari is committed to serving the people of the state very well in his current position,” our source added. Before now, Bakari, who was few years back brought into the government as the Commissioner for Local Government by Nyako after serving as

•Nyako

the Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), was seen as one of the closest aides of the Adamawa governor. “Bakari is not at war with anyone in the state. He is committed to the progress of the Nyako administration and even after his stay in government, he will remain indelible to the wisdom of Governor Nyako for giving him the opportunity to serve.The Commissioner is more loyal and more committed than anybody to the good deeds of the Governor. He is happy to be a part of the many efforts to ensure the transformation of Adamawa and its people. Rumours and lies as this will only cause undue confusion in the system. That is why we are urging the people of the state to be wary of the antics of rabble rousers who are out to distract the government and the people with lies and halftruths,” an aide added.

The Nation learnt that contrary to insinuations that Bakari may not be pleased with his redeployment to the Higher Education ministry, the Commissioner is already settling down at his new desk ready to continue with his contribution to the growth and development of the state. “We can only advise the people of Adamawa State to shun frivolous rumours against personalities in the state as this can slow down the cause of governance. The commissioner is satisfied with the decision of the governor to redeploy him and he is already settling down at his new desk. He is ever happy to serve the state in any capacity or position. Furthermore, Dr. Salihu Bakari will mobilized every efforts to see that Governor Murtala Nyako’s candidate emerge the next governor of the state under the umbrella of the APC in 2015,” the aide said.

Ebonyi 2015: Southerners who wants Elechi’s job •Continued from Page 21 the Central zone) who are clamouring for the governorship as one of the largest clans in the state. But the commissioner, according to party sources is not bevy much on ground politically, even in his native Ukawu, where he lost the struggle to install his candidate to the Odefa brothers, Ali Odefa, PDP south East Publicity Secretary and Obasi Odefa, the member representing Onicha East Constituency in the state Assembly. Prof Chigozie Ogbu Prof Ogbu is the immediate past Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State. He served as Deputy Governor to Sam Egwu during his second tenure and also during Governor Elechi’s first term. A Paedratician of repute, Prof Ogbu is the only prospective candidate among the lot to have openly declared interest to replace Elechi in 2015. He has by embarked on consultation visits to major stakeholders in the state across the three zones. Ogbu who hails from Onicha local government is also highly regarded by Egwu and Elechi for his loyalty and obedience to them as a deputy governor. A silent achiever, Prof. Ogbu’s career in public service has been exemplary and enviable. He was also a former Commissioner in the old Imo State between 1988-1990. One of the founding fathers of Ebonyi State, Ogbu has continued to enjoy a lot of political patronage in the current administration due to his closeness to the Governor and has a good chance of clinching the position.

•Onu

•Egbo

Dr Ogbonnaya Onu The former Governor of old Abia State still commands a lot of respect in the state. Regarded as the leader of opposition in the state, he contested the governorship in 2007 against Governor Elechi under the defunct All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP), an election which he narrowly lost. He alleged that elections was marred by allegations of rigging and other election malpractice perpetrated by the ruling PDP in connivance with the electoral umpire.

Onu, a former National Chairman of the ANPP, is now one of the National Leaders of the fastest growing political party in Africa, the All Progressive Congress (APC). The APC is leaving no one in doubt that it intends to challenge the ruling party in the race for the governorship come 2015. And the most popular candidate from the south in the APC is definitely Onu who is believed to be nursing an ambition to replace Elechi in 2013. Dr Steve Egbo Dr. Steve Egbo is a political scientist

who hails from Ezigba in Onicha Local Government area of the state. A stalwart of the APC in the state, Dr Egbo is regarded as a giant killer, following his recent exploits in the leading opposition party’s congresses in the state where he roundly defeated Dr Ogbonnaya Onu in the battle for the control of Ebonyi South. Sources in the party said that Dr Egbo’s candidates had a field day during the ward and local government congresses of the party, clinching most of the positions in almost all the wards in the five local governments in the south except a few wards in Onu’s Uburu stronghold in Ohaozara LGA. Already, the PDP in the state is said to have started wooing him to join the party. But the APC stalwart has turned them down, preferring to stay with the opposition party where he has a brighter chance of emerging as the parties Guber candidate in the event that the party zones the position to the south like the PDP has done. Another thing going for him is that he belongs to the Ucha group led by Senator Julius Ucha which controls the party in the state. Egbo, a Senior Lecturer/ Research fellow at Abia State University Uturu is seen as an untainted politician, as he has not held any political office before, which will appeal to a large section of the electorate who are clamouring for a clean break from the old order of recycling carrier politicians in the state. But another school of thoughts say this may work against him as it may be interpreted as inexperience by the voting public.

26 POLITICS

ripples

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

APC stakeholders endorse Ogunniran

Gaya to return to Senate in 2015 •Ogunniran

Edo 2016: Onolememen is PDP’s anointed candidate

•Gaya

Will Saraki endorse Ahmed for a second term?

•Ahmed

•Onolememen

Kalu's comments rile PDP leaders

•Saraki

•Kalu

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

MAGAZINE 43

Trends

THEATRE

With VICTOR AKANDE

SOUL E predicts Boko

BIGSCREEN

SOUND TRACK

Tel: 08051101822

plus

E-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com

Nigerian acts join Miguel at MAMA

D’banj, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, others to perform at WMA

Haram attack in Lagos

Why I can’t wear , e r o m y n a s e th lo c g n li a e rev says Mercy Johnson

GISTS

ENTERTAINMENT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

ny Although she has not featured in too ma bly an home movies, Iretiola Doyle is unarguaes exciting and talented actress. Her rolindineed, several award-winning TV series have,od stars. made her one of the favourite NollywoAEL, she In this interview with MERCY MICH r role in talks about the rumour that trailed he hter's Tinsel and her idiosyncrasy and daug ues. impending wedding, among other iss

d n a d n a b s u h Why my s t n e v e d n e t t I don't a together â&#x20AC;&#x201C;NIorllyewtoioodlastar Doyle

Continued on Page 53

ENTERTAINMENT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014 Continued from Page 52

‘I have benefitted immensely from acting’

Destiny Child reunites in Say Yes

Nollywood stars warm up for BON Awards’ Children’s Day reading

Ibadan comes alive for Bull Fuji Talent Hunt finale

ENTERTAINMENT

Azeezat, a singer and songwriter, came into the entertainment industry 15 years ago. She has a number of hit songs to her credit. In January, she released the video of her song, Love Without Language. In this interview with DUPE AYINLAOLASUNKANMI, Azeezat, a strong member of COSON, talks about her recent work, marriage and much more. Excerpts:

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

MUSIC is my

LIFE â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Azeezat

ENTERTAINMENT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

ETCETERA

SUNNY SIDE

Cartoons

By Olubanwo Fagbemi

POLITICKLE

deewalebf@yahoo.com 08060343214 (SMS only)

Significant features •The cynic’s guide to Nigeria

CHEEK BY JOWL

OH, LIFE!

THE GReggs

In pursuit of general knowledge, the writer launches a virtual geographical excursion and invites the reader along. The chronicle of abysmal leadership and tortured citizenry should spark collective query of national ideals. LOCATION: Nigeria is a ‘potentially giant’ country located in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea between Republic of Benin and Cameroon. It shares porous land borders with Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. It borders fast-disappearing Lake Chad to the northeast and its eroded coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea in the south; between the devil and the deep blue sea, if you like. Topography: Nigeria has five major geographic regions: a low coastal zone swarming with armed robbers, kidnappers, militants and exmilitants along the Gulf of Guinea; hills and low plateaus north of the coastal zone marked by religious fundamentalists and fierce militia; the regularly flooded Niger-Benue river valley ravaged by tribal wars; a broad stepped plateau stretching to the northern border all but colonised by deadly mercenaries; and a mountainous zone along the eastern border increasingly famed as a terrorist sanctuary with its ‘world-famous’ Zambisa Forest approaching mythical status no thanks to a defused military. Other significant geographical features include the ‘Adamawa badlands’, ‘Maim-billa Plateau’, ‘Jos Killing Fields’, ‘Obudu Mudslide Plateau’ and ‘Human Pyramids of Kano’. Principal rivers: Nigeria has two principal river systems: the Niger-Benue and the Chad. In definitive form, the largely untapped Rivers Niger and Benue course through scenic country including confluent town, Lokoja, and oil-contaminated Niger Delta communities to empty into the Atlantic Ocean. The other river system involves various rivers that merge into the Yobe River which flows along the border with Niger and empties into Lake Chad whose waters appear to sustain Nigeria-bound terrorists. Climate: Nigeria is situated in the Tropics, where the intellectual climate is thin and infinitely corrupt higher up. Naturally arid in the north, tropical in the centre, and equatorial in the south, the climate is virtually polluted by petro-dollar-fuelled sleaze (notably oil subsidy scam, pension fraud and missing funds) originating from the central government and entrenched by retention and deployment of political thugs. The climate has a tendency to spread and produce copious rain of cudgels, blows and bullets during local government, gubernatorial and presidential elections. Natural resources: Valuable resources of natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead and zinc fetch Nigeria crucial foreign exchange. Also ‘exported’: indigenous managerial and health expertise, looted funds, internet scam and fake drugs, all of which ensure that Nigeria’s reputation as custodian of the tenth largest reserves of oil and seventh largest natural gas reserves in the world never translates into greatness. An abundance of arable land is hardly relevant as speculators and miscreants dominate the business of property development while farmers groan in neglect and honest workers pursue dreams of house ownership in futility. Nearly everything, from capital goods to consumables, is imported to depletion of the country’s foreign exchange reserve and hope of a greater future. Environmental issues: A continuous lack of leadership vision propels a waste management crisis of air, water and soil pollution as oil spillage, natural gas flaring and automobile and generating set emissions invite environmental calamity of prehistoric proportions. As ominous: open incineration and dumping of refuse beside deforestation through logging, bush burning and overgrazing by livestock. Time Zone: Officially, Nigeria subscribes to Nigeria Standard Time, which is Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour. Unofficially, the laggardly approach to appointments and service delivery called ‘African Time’ rules. It can mean anything from an hour’s delay to days, months and years of waiting for the conclusion of straightforward processes.

QUOTE I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. —Abraham Lincoln

Jokes Humour Temporary Transformation ON a cold January night, three homeless men huddled up close to keep warm. In the morning, the guy on the right says, “I had a dream that someone was pulling my ear.” The guy on the left says, “I also had a dream that someone was pulling my ear.” The guy in the middle says, “I had a dream that I was a very mean headmaster.” Payback A MAN who reeked of alcohol flopped on a bus seat next to a doctor. The man’s tie was stained, his lips were plastered with remnants of lunch, and a half empty bottle of liquor stuck out of his ripped jacket pocket. He opened his newspaper and began to read. After a few minutes, the rough-looking guy turned to the doctor and said, “Sir, I can see that you’re a medical doctor. Do you know what causes arthritis?” The doctor, disgusted by the man’s appearance and behaviour, snapped. “It’s caused by loose living, being with cheap,

wicked women, too much alcohol, and contempt for your fellow man!” “Well, well, well,” the man muttered and returned to his newspaper. The doctor, thinking about what he had said, nudged the man and apologised, “I’m sorry to have come on so strong. I didn’t mean it. How long have you been suffering from arthritis?” “I don’t have it, doctor. I was just reading here that the surgeon-general does.”

Learning to Talk HENRY walks into Dr Kamu’s office and puts a note on the table in front of the doctor. The note reads, “I can’t talk. Please help me!” The doctor thinks for a while and says to Henry, “Put your hand on the table here.” Henry thinks this is a bit weird, but Dr Kamu is a specialist, so Henry does as the doctor says. The doctor takes a rubber hammer and hits Henry’s hand as hard as he can. The man cries in great agony. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” The doctor says, “Good. Come again tomorrow, and we’ll learn B!” •Adapted from the Internet

Writer ’s Fountain IVING your story worshippers of technology. Now we have a theme: Here are two ways to endow theme: ‘Only fools laugh at ancestral wisdom.’ your story with a strong theme: In short, if you can’t sum it up in a proverb, Let’s say that you have written a story you don’t have a theme. already. Craft a plot in the usual way, Write a story that works. Then stand back complete with obstacles, setbacks, conflicts from it and ask: ‘what does this story mean?’ and twists. Then look for the theme that’s And strengthen the latent theme or maxim already there. Suppose you write a horror that’s already there. story about a young couple who honeymoon Now, let’s say that you have a theme but on a far-off island. The locals warn them it’s no story. Imagine that you burn with a secret haunted. To placate the ghosts, they must passion, an affiliation to some great cause – follow some bizarre ritual. They laugh it off. or just a deep sense of anger. It’s tempting to Weeks later, their bodies are discovered, and write a novel where your hero or heroine their faces contorted with horror. puts a wayward world right or, at least, sets Is that a story? No. It’s trite. But suppose off the fire alarms. Don’t try it. Your story the couple is pictured as scientists, won’t register. One solution is to tell your story from the Startling notes: viewpoint of someone who represents the •Most lipstick contain fish scales. exact opposite of your opinion. Gain the •Lemons contain more sugar than reader’s sympathy, however unlikely, for that strawberries. person. Then show them changing their views •Most of the vitamin C in fruits is in the under the pressure of events. As their mind skin. changes, so does the reader’s. •Milk is actually considered to be a food For a provocative example, imagine you’re and not a beverage. on a personal crusade to reveal the villainy •Money isn’t made out of paper; it’s made of an internet search engine. You sense that it out of linen. plans to take over the world.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

•Pensioners

Page 58, 59

•Orya

Page 64

‘Nigeria had no document on national quality policy’

HE Director General, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, disclosed that Nigeria is among the African countries that are not implementing the national quality policy NQP and has not had a trade version of this document. The work of the committee is to ensure well established National Quality Policy to support the National Industrial Revolution Plan. To enhance Nigeria's reputation as a provider of quality products and service in the global market, to sell what we have to the domestic and foreign market. Odumodu disclosed this at the 2nd meeting of the National Steering Committee, NSC in Abuja, stating that alot of African countries have had a trade version of this

From: Franca Ochigbo, Abuja document as Nigeria realises that not having this document hinders easy flow of foreign and domestic trading. He said, "If you want to export cocoa today from Nigeria, you will find out that cocoa will not attract the same international price in the market, why? Because when people buy it in Europe and America they have to test your cocoa sterna. Cocoa has a challenge of heavy stern in it and there is a limit the standard allows only five percent stern in it so they say they can't accept your product at that price because of the high stern. So they now discount cocoa in Nigeria at almost 10 percent of its value creating a huge loss for Nigeria. "This is happening because Nigeria doesn't have an

accreditation body, and an accreditation body actually ensures that there is classification of all lapses in Nigeria and that accreditation body is linked to other bodies all over the world in such a way that when you test a product in Nigeria, that certificate we will issue will not be questioned by anybody in the world and that is why we are losing at least 10 percent on export values. "Ondo State produces cocoa, go and find out how much we make in exporting cocoa so that you can put a value to that loss, one product, one commodity. Secondly, Nigeria through the industrial revolution plan is currently looking at why we must export primary commodities. Why can't we add value to our commodities so we can begin to export for the benefit of our

people. "We all talk about job creation; we believe this policy will also help us to create a lot more jobs for Nigerians. From the document we have, we found out that over 500 million dollars can be saved over a period of five years in implementing this policy in Nigeria. "Nigeria has a metrology activity; If you look at what happened in the last two or three weeks between two government agencies that happened at the airport, this policy will ensure that there is clear regulation and no kind of conflict will occur. So it is a document that matters in everything about us." He added that, the policy will also address alot of controverses surrounding cement in the country.

Online education increases access to higher education

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Nigeria’s GDP rebasing and boosting intraAfrica trade

How reformed is the pension scheme?

•Baum

Data collection stalls state projects continuity From: Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

HE governance index report on impact assessment states that lack of data collection is the reason for stalled projects in most states around the country, maintaining that new administrations find it difficult to pick up when the old administration is over. The Chief Operating Officer, Legal Phobia, Ibrahim Yeku disclosed this during a briefing of the Governance index development session 2014 in Abuja, stating that state government are bigger than the governors coming and going. He said, "The idea behind the development of the index is that pragmatic governance must follow due diligence and must be accountable to the electorate. "This is part of the objective of rejuvenating the Nigerian project and reclaiming a political leadership that is accountable to the people. The governance index report document highlights contribution of state governors who have, through development-based policies and programmes, thrown in their political efforts in the task of guiding the ship of the states by providing the people with pragmatic and visionary leadership. "We strongly believe that profiling the achievements and intervention of state governors contribute to raising the level of public awareness and discourse about governance performance in Nigeria. "In order to provide a basis for an objective assessment of public office holders, we are publishing the maiden edition of governance index report and governance impact assessment report, a compilation of all people based projects, programmes and policies of the 36 state governors of Nigeria. "We are publishing and documenting impactful initiative in education, health, infrastructural development, as well as other forms of economic empowerment that significantly result in poverty reduction or eradication among Nigeria people.”

Ndukwe joins others at DigitalSENSE forum’14

From left: Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Walter Drenth, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Emmanuel Oriakhi, Marketing Manager, Consumer Market Intelligence, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Charles Chijide, President Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN); Babu Akinbobola, Chairman, Media Link and Ita Bassey, Senior Brand Manager, Star Lager beer, at the 8thExhibition and Poster Awards in Lagos at the weekend.

FG, FAO provide N109million to develop National slower pace, she pointed out HE federal governIrrigation Policy that Nigeria has 200,000 ment in collaboration

with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) have provided N109million to develop and finalise a National Irrigation Policy document for the country. The FAO country representative to Nigeria, Dr. Louise Setshwaelo, disclosed this in Abuja at the Inception and sensitisation workshop

From: Frank Ikpefan, Abuja on Development of a National Irrigation Policy and Strategy,. She said her organisation gave a grant of $317,000, while the federal government provided a counterpart fund of 50.2million to finalise the 2006 draft of the National Irrigation and Drainage Policy and

Strategy (NIPD). She noted that the absence of an officially approved irrigation policy and strategy has been responsible for the bottleneck that limits progress and efficiency in irrigation development and expansion in the country. Lamenting that irrigation in Nigeria has developed at a

hectares developed under formal irrigation, compared to India that has a policy to develop 700,000 hectares of farmland under irrigation. She said: "What is important now is the need to update the irrigation policy and the need to update the irrigation policy and the strategy necessary to guide develops in the sub-sector.

HE list of notable speakers for the 2014 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) and Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable have continued to increase with the latest being the co-chairman, Nigeria National Broadband Council, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe. Just as the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson has accepted to declare the event officially open. She would be represented by the Director, e-Governance at the Ministry, Mr. Tope Fashedemi, at the two-day forum holding at Welcome Center Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos, between June 5 and 6, 2014. Executive Director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa Media, the organizers of the event, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, made these known, affirming that the former Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communication and chairman of OpenMedia, Dr. Ndukwe will be sharing some insights on Nigeria’s Broadband Perspective to Internet Protocol version Six (IPv6) during the Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable session. According to Mrs. Nweke, the 2014 DigitalSENSE Forum series is a two-day event, stressing that Day-1 would focus on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) to be chaired by Prof. Charles Uwadia, the former president, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and Head, Computer Science department, University of Lagos. “This year’s theme for day 1 is ‘Internet Governance, eBiz & Open Access in Nigeria’ on Thursday, June 5, 2014,” she declared, adding that Uwadia would be supported by Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Eugene Juwah, Chief executive officer and Director-General, National IT Development agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack, the current NCS president, Prof. David Adewunmi, president, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Bayo Banjo, ATCON’s president, Lanre Ajayi, chairman, Business and Technology Publishers Foundation (BTPF), Mr. Ken Ugbechie, President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Mr. Pius Okigbo Jnr, and Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) Mr. Gbenga Sesan who have promised the youth at heart a warm session, to name a few.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

BUSINESS

The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was established by the F e d e r a l Government ten years ago Nigerians are, however, skeptical about the level of compliance to the laws guiding the scheme, Bukola Afolabi reports.

VER nine years ago, the Federal Government introduced the Contributory Pension Scheme with the aim of helping Nigerians have something to fall back on when they retire from active work. The scheme involves a certain percentage deducted from worker's salary and saved into a pension saving account by the establishment where the person works, be it public or private. The scheme was expected to be embraced by both the public and private sectors of the economy. However, ten years into its introduction, there are concerns over whether the scheme should be cancelled or not as a result of various reports of non-remittance of pension funds to workers' accounts, most especially by many private establishments. According to recent reports from the Pension Commission (PENCOM), only 28 out of the 36 states are yet to fully become part of the scheme. More worrisome is the report that only six of 21 state governments that have enacted their laws on the CPS have remitted N26.17billion into the Retirement Savings Accounts, RSAs, of their workers under the scheme. Evidence that the pension funds are being tampered with was made evident in 2013 when a former assistant director in the federal civil service, John Yakubu Yusuf, alongside four others; Atiku Abubakar Kigo (Permanent Secretary), Ahmed Inuwa Wada (Director), Veronica Onyegbula (Cashier) and Sani Habila Zira (ICT Officer), were charged for stealing N32. 8billion naira police pension fund. They were sentenced by an Abuja federal high court to two-year jail terms each but with a N250, 000 fine option. As if that was not enough, the Head of the Pension Reform Task

IGERIA being a former colony of Britain, it's been argued, received a pension tradition into her public sector that is entirely modelled after the British structure. The Country's pension scheme had started in 1951 when the colonial British administration established a scheme through an instrument called Pension Ordinance. It, however, had a retroactive effective from 1946 and applied only to Untied Kingdom officials posted to Nigeria. In Nigeria such enabling legislations include the pension increase Decree No. 42, 1975: (a) Military Pension Act Cap (Chapter or No.) 119. (b) Pensions Act Cap (Chapter or No) 147. (c) War Pension Act Cap (chapter

How reformed is the p e Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, was also arraigned before the court for stealing billions of naira of police pension funds. He was, however, set free with a fine of N750, 000. As a way of curbing the incessant stealing of pension money, the government on April 30 this year, through the House of Representatives, passed a Bill which prescribed a 10-year jail term for pension thieves. The Chairman House Committee on Pension, Ibrahim Kamba, and his deputy, Samson Okwu, had said the that Bill was passed because of the ease with which the management of pension was being manipulated by fraudulent officials and employers and expressed hope that it would sanitise the pension industry. "The bill we have just passed creates new offences and prescribes stiffer penalties that will serve as deterrent. It prescribes harsher penalty of a 10-year jail term for anyone who misappropriates pension fund in addition to refunding three times the amount embezzled. "The establishment of Pension Transmittal Arrangement Department (PTAD) to take over the remittance of benefits to pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme would enhance efficiency and accountability in the administration and payment of pensions. "Under PTAD, pensioners are now to receive their pensions directly, rather than through the various Pensions Departments, which have been a problem to pensioners. With this, the story of pension fund looting will become a thing of the past," he had expressed hope. He also added: "Apart from introducing uniform rules, regulations and standards for the administration of pensions for public and private sectors at the federal, state and local government levels, the bill will ensure that workers get their retirement benefits as and when due. This is a legislation we can all be proud of because it fulfils the expectations the Nigerian people have in us and will enhance the dignity and livelihood of workers and senior citizens. We believe this pension reform bill will also be a veritable tool in the fight against corruption, especially in our public sector. When workers are certain of getting their full retirement benefits, it decreases the temptation to loot public funds preparatory to their retirement." However, investigation revealed that in spite of the 10year jail term, failure to remit these pension funds to RSA accounts is yet

â&#x20AC;˘Nigerian pensioners

to abate. Many employers in the private sector are yet to comply with the rules and regulations guiding the scheme as they still blatantly refuse to remit deducted pension money into their workers account. Many are worried that their years of labour working in an establishment might be of no use because they have nothing to fall back on after retirement as their contributions are being deducted monthly from their salaries yet not remitted to their accounts. Fraudulent practice by employers who capitalise on the lack of job in the country to defraud their workers is threatening the scheme. This they blame on the lack of god management by the National Pension Commission whom they have accused of not doing much to checkmate the activities of these private sectors. Grace George, who has been working with a popular communication company for the past seven years, said that for the past two years to date, her deducted pension money from her salary is yet to be remitted to her account. " The last time I received a message that my RSA account has

been credited was two years ago, yet the company deducts the money monthly. By now, I ought to have over N200, 000 in my RSA account, but currently all I have is not up to N50, 000," she lamented. She added, "When I tried to find out the reason behind it, I was told that the company uses the deducted money to pay us salary every month. What it means is that when pension fund is deducted from each of the staff salary this month, instead of sending it to the pension administrator, the company will keep the money till the following month and use it to pay us for that month. So it is like using our money to pay us again, which is a fraudulent practice. At the end, nothing goes into the pension account. So what are we to fall on when we quit the job? I hope government would do something about it." Grace further said that because the private sectors are not monitored by the government, it allows them to perpetrate such fraudulent activities. "I think public sector is better monitored because it has to do with government but the private sector is the worst. As a staff, you cannot

complain because if you do, the company would find a way to ease you out. Most times, the management of a company practically embezzles the money." Okey Nwachukwu, who also works with a private university, said pension administrators are also culpable in the fraudulent practices. "I quite agree that many employers in the private sectors are guilty of these sharp practices. It is like somebody working for nothing because, in the first place, you are paid pittance as salary and the little contribution you are making through pension is being taken away by someone you have laboured for. But you can also blame pension administrators too who most times fail to remit the money into the account even after being remitted to them by the company," he said. He continued: "You also look at the fact that in most cases, these pension administrators are subsidiaries of these companies. It is rampant in the banking industry where many banks are also pension administrators and they use these pension companies to siphon their workers contributory funds." It would be recalled that of recent

Historical development of pension scheme or no) 212. (d) Pension (special pensions) Act 1961 (chapter or no) 1961 no. 15. (e) Widows and orphans pension Act Cap 220. (f) Pensions (Statutory Corporation Service) Act 1961 no. 61. (g) Pension (Transferred Services) Act 1965 no. 28. (h) Special Constables Decree 1966 no. 7. (i) Police Pension Decree 1966 no. 60. (j) Pensions (Federal Fire Service etc) Decree 1966 no. 74. (k) Pensions gratuities (war service) Decree 1966 no. 49. (l) Transferred offices and pension liability 1971 no. 8. (m) Military pensions (Amendments) Decree 1975 no. 13

by Mohammed, head of the Federal Military Government, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces FRON 20/12/75. (n) The Pensions Act of 1979 Decree No. 102, which awarded and united all pensions, acts. (o) The Public services the recommendation review 1974. (p) The armed forces pension act no. 103 of 1974. (q) The pension rights judges Act no. 5 of 1985 and (r) The amendment Act no. 51 of 1988, 29 of 1991 and 62 of 1991. The whole of the ordinance acts and Decree is capped up in the Decree No. 102 of 1979, which took effect from April 1, 1974. It consolidated all enactments on pensions and in corporate pension and gratuities

seals devised for public officers by the Udorji Public Service Review Concision in 1974. In the same way, Pension Act No. 103 of 1979 like its counterpart Decree No. 102, of 1979, on the other hand, dealt with pension benefits, liabilities and seals devised for the agreed forces. Features of the past pension schemes In the past, civil servants bore no direct responsibility, by way of payroll tax, for the provision of pension; instead pension benefits were paid through budgetary allocations to be kept in the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Thus, in most cases, the amount released usually fell short of the actual appropriation for pension payment.

Another issue was that the past pension schemes suffered because politicians, eager to capture the votes of the electorates, were in the habit of offering fabulous pension increases that they either knew they were not going to pay or which may fall on regimes other than theirs. And due to the fact that the pension account was not distanced from political control, politicians usually dip hands into pension funds to cushion up temporary fiscal shocks. It is also claimed that pension debts in the public sector mount, in part, because of the failure of some state governments to provide their counterpart funds necessary to make up the amount provided by the federal government, in situations where the affected pensioners worked for both federal and state

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

BUSINESS FG to revive eight National Parks

p ension scheme?

From: Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

HE federal government said it has commenced plans to revive eight national parks in the country. The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, said government would make sure that the parks meet the standards of African parks. The parks include: National Park Service, Abuja; Kanji Lake National Park, Niger State; Chad Basin National Park, Borno State; Cross River National Park, Cross River; Gashaka Gumti National Park, Adamawa State. Others are: Kamuku National Park, Kaduna State; Old Oyo National Park, Oyo State and Okumu National Park, Edo State. The Minister said this in Abuja when she received the Chairman, Board of Directors of African Parks, Robert- Jan van Ogtrop, and members of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) in her office. She said the ministry will work with the Conservation Foundation and the African Parks to ensure that parks in the country are up to standards. Mallam said: "Federal Ministry of Environment will ensure that the eight national parks in Nigeria namely the National Park Service, Abuja, Kianji Lake National Park, Niger State, Chad Basin National Park, Borno State, Cross River National Park, Cross River, Gashaka Gumti National Park, Adamawa State, Kamuku National Park, Kaduna State, Old Oyo National Park, Oyo State and Okumu National Park, Edo State compare favourably with national parks of other countries. "Our aim is to develop a national park system for this country that will meet the aspirations of Nigerians and foreigners alike. A park system that will foster national unity and development and play positive role in protecting the environment and resources that are indigenous to Nigeria. Available Parks System will also play significant roles in research, science and the development of education." The minister had, while welcoming the Chairman, Board of Directors of African Parks which currently manages seven national parks spread across Africa, added that the enhancement of tourism potentials in Nigeria would ensure employment and revenue generation. "Cooperation in the tourism sector through the National Parks would be great for Nigeria as this would no doubt create an avenue to employ Nigerians and ensure greater revenue amongst others. We also need to ensure the preservation of the ecosystem in order to preserve and conserve Nigeria's natural and cultural heritage not only for us that are alive but for generations yet unborn," she added.

MultiChoice promises DStv customers more value

â&#x20AC;˘DG PenCom; Anohu-Amazu

the Nigeria Police decided to opt out of the scheme as a result of the fraudulent practices by pension administrators and some corrupt officials as exemplified by the case of Maina. As a result, The National Pension Commission, PenCom, recently issued an Approval-inPrinciple to NPF Pension Limited, to manage the pension assets of the force. The Oronsanye Committee had advised that apart from the military, no other federal government institution or force should be exempted from the contributory scheme, prompting the police authorities to incorporate a limited liability company, the Nigeria Police Force Pensions Limited, to manage the pension fund of the force. This will make them feel secured, with the assurance that their retirement savings will never be pilfered by anybody since the funds are under the custody of a licensed Pension Fund. Meanwhile, the chairman of the association, Mr. Misbahu Yola, said, while addressing newsmen in Lagos recently, that the number of

contributory pension schemes is supposed to be increasing. He said the number of contributors under the contributory pension scheme is expected to rise significantly this year, anchoring his optimism on the fact that many stakeholders are now collaborating to achieve optimum compliance. He explained that compliance with contributory pension is now a necessary condition that corporate bodies have to meet before the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) would issue Taxpayers' Identification Number (TIN) to them. The PenOp chairman also argued that since TIN number is a necessary condition for doing business with government, the level of compliance with contributory pension would definitely rise. "We expect more compliance because institutions are beginning to work together. The award of government contracts and other businesses in government is tied to the Taxpayers' Identification Number (TIN) and to get a TIN, companies are required to produce evidence of having complied with

contributory pension," Yola said. In addition to the above, he said the National Pension Commission (PenCom) is currently designing a workable means of absorbing the informal sector, and when this is done, contributors in the informal sector would raise the number of contributors and further boost the level of compliance under a contributory pension scheme. Yola identified the dearth of investment options as one of the problems the industry is facing now, adding that this is likely to escalate if the regulator fails to take necessary actions to give the operators approve more and varied investment instruments for pension assets as soon as possible. "PenCom's remarkable growth and development in just less than 10 years of its establishment, shows that Nigeria is capable of institution-building. With 20 PFAs, seven closed pension fund administrators, four Pension Fund Custodians with turnover of billions of naira, about N3.7 trillion worth of pension fund assets and 5.83 million registered workers, Pencom deserves commendation," declared Yola.

in Nigeria

Worse still, they are left, under inclement weather for long hours and sometimes for days, before collecting their stipends. Some pensioners were claimed to have died while standing in a queue waiting to receive pension benefits. This shows poverty of ideas or unwillingness to deploy ideas in the way pension payment should be handled. Introduction of pension reform in Nigeria Before the enactment of the Pension Reform Act 2004, which establishes a contributory pension scheme for all employees in Nigeria, the country had operated a Defined Benefit (DB) pension scheme, which was largely unfunded and noncontributory. The Scheme led to a massive accumulation of pension debt and became unsustainable largely due to a lack of adequate and timely

budgetary provisions, as well as increases in salaries and pensions. The administration of the scheme was very weak, inefficient, less transparent and cumbersome, leading to bureaucracy and highly liable to corrupt practices. Due to lack of reliable records of pensioners, huge amount of resources on what became yearly verification exercises were expended which did not result into the timely and efficient payment of pension. In the private sector, on the other hand, many employees were not covered by the pension schemes put in place by their employers and many of these schemes were not funded. Besides, where the schemes were funded, the management of the pension funds was full of malpractices between the fund managers and the trustees of the pension funds.

governments. Both the way a record of pensioners in the public sector is kept and the procedure for payment of pension created avoidable problems. In some establishments, no accurate record of actual pensioners exists. Corruption breeds more in the absence of facts and figures. Therefore pension costs in the public sector were inflated through insertion of fictitious names on the list of pensioners. Another weakness found in the public sector system concerns the less than dignifying manner with which the senior citizens were treated. One observes how weak and frail-looking elderly citizens are compulsorily required to travel long distances to the point of pension payment.

ULTICHOICE, Nigeria's leading provider of premium pay-TV entertainment, has made good its promise to continue to dialogue with its customers in order to serve them better. The company hosted DStv subscribers residing in Ikorodu axis of Lagos State to a forum in Ikorodu last week. According to Caroline Oghuma, DSTV Public Relations Manager, the objective of the forum is to thank subscribers for their loyalty and listen to their suggestions, advice and complaints, which provide constructive feedback necessary for MultiChoice's effective operation. Highlights of the forum included a presentation on the new DStv Explora, showcasing its features and benefits including unlimited space for high definition recording of up to 220 hours, DStv Catch-Up, and Box Office offering, among others. "This forum is coming close to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil , which starts on June 12," she said. "We want to use this opportunity to tell our subscribers that you will not miss any of the games, as all subscribers, from the DStv Access bouquet to Premium will have unrestrained access to all the World Cup matches live. This is in addition to the other Premium content that we offer on DStv." Hundreds of DStv subscribers who attended the forum lauded MultiChoice for the initiative; they also requested that such engagements be sustained. Mr. Matthew Okoduwa, Assistant Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), commended MultiChoice for the customer forum initiative, describing it as an important mechanism in customer relations. He said it is the duty of NBC to regulate the broadcast industry in Nigeria and monitor all the channels on direct-tohome (DTH) and terrestrial televisions. He added that customers have the right to complain over what is served to them but also urged them to give credit where it is due.

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DPR uncovers illegal oil factory, arrests three workers in Niger

HE Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) over the weekend uncovered and sealed an illegal engine oil manufacturing factory in Usubu village, near Kontagora in Niger. A team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel, led by ASP Ademola Oyasola, arrested three persons from the factory. The three persons arrested are the manager of the company, Phillip Ambi, the Sales Representative, Emeka Anatusi, and Secretary, Mrs Grace Asilonu. Oyasola told newsmen that the suspects would be taken to NSCDC headquarters in Abuja and handed over to the legal unit for prosecution. A DPR team, led by its Zonal Public Relations Officer, Muhammed Saidu, accompanied by the NSCDC officers, discovered the factory during a routine inspection and monitoring in the state. Saidu told newsmen at the end of the exercise that the company was operating without approval from DPR and in an unsafe environment. He explained that before anybody could engage in petroleum product business in Nigeria such person must be licensed by DPR in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Law. According to DPR's spokesman, the company is endangering the lives of the women and children at the factory by exposing them to dangerous chemicals without protection.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

BUSINESS

AN you give us a brief overview of Walden University and its role as a leading online learning institution? Walden University was founded in 1970 by two educators in the United States who were inspired by the concept of a university designed around and for the student. They recognised that many adult learners interested in pursuing their doctoral education were unable to find programes accepting of them if they could not commit to a traditional fulltime schedule. For more than 40 years now, Walden has supported the academic goals of working professionals who are interested in making a greater impact in their communities and professions around the world. At Walden, we are committed to empowering our learning community to effect positive social change across communities, countries, and continents. We ensure that our students are equipped with the practical tools and knowledge they need to be the leaders of tomorrow and make a difference in their communities locally and around the world. At the moment, more than 50,000 students from all 50 states of the U.S. and more than 150 countries are pursuing their bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees with us. We offer our students more than 80 degree programes with more than 370 specialisations and concentrations in health sciences, counselling, human services, management, psychology, social work, education, public health, nursing, public administration, and information technology. What are the benefits of online education compared to traditional learning models? The online modality increases access to higher education, which is particularly important in countries such as Nigeria where higher education isn't always available to the general population. It offers an alternative for students who want to begin or continue their studies at any stage in life, have family responsibilities to consider, or want or need to continue working while earning a degree. Our online students also greatly benefit from the asynchronous online environment, which allows students to learn on their own time. Another benefit of the online learning environment is the opportunity students have to network with classmates and faculty from different countries, regions, and around the world. For those who have never had the chance to interact and engage with others outside their local community, this presents an amazing opportunity to benefit from the practical experience and shared knowledge of their global peers.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Online education increases access to higher educationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dr. Cynthia G. Baum is the President of Walden University, a leading global online learning institution founded in 1970 and offering 80 degree programmes and 370 specialisations and concentrations. Baum assumed the exalted position after serving in various capacities, including as Executive Vice President. She recently visited Nigeria and spoke to Bukola Afolabi on the use of technology to increase access to information and role of online education in bridging learning gaps and fast-tracking economic development. What sets Walden apart and how is your approach to online education different? Walden is very focused on understanding and supporting the academic goals of working adults. We understand that many of our students are employed full time, enrolled in one of our programes while also maintaining a family and other personal commitments. But it's not only the convenience and flexibility of online education that we offer our students. Because Walden is in tune with what the workforce needs both now and in the future, we develop our programes with an eye to emerging needs and long-term trends. We involve subject-matter experts and curriculum design experts to develop our courses, and we seek employer input. Our programes emphasise the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are needed to address workforce demands so our students can take the skills and knowledge learned and immediately apply them to their careers. And we can ensure that every student is presented with the same core learning experiences regardless of when or with whom they take a course. What are the most important points a potential candidate for online learning should consider when selecting a partner institution? When selecting an institution, either a traditional campus-based university or an online university, one of the most important things to consider is the academic quality of the institution and its programes. In most countries, the approval or accreditation of organisations to offer higher education is governed by a national or provincial system, and the procedures for assuring academic quality are embedded in these systems and carried out by approved organisations. For Walden, as we are a U.S.-based institution, we are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, one of six regional accrediting organisations in the U.S. that grants accreditation at the institutional level. It's also important to

â&#x20AC;˘Baumis

research the faculty of the institution. A university's faculty reflects its mission and values. Making sure the university is employing faculty who are scholars, researchers, and distinguished leaders in their fields is incredibly important to the success of the student and institution. Another important consideration for prospective students is the support services offered by the institution as they can make a big difference in their educational success. Walden offers comprehensive support services to all of our students, from the enrolment advisors who help with the admission process to the academic advisors who help with programes planning. Our support services also include 24/7 technical support, disability services, the Career Services Centre, the Writing Centre, undergraduate tutoring, and numerous self-service opportunities through written and video tutorials. What are the barriers or challenges to online learning? Online learning isn't for everyone. However, to

ensure our students succeed in the online classroom, we offer a variety of support services such as, orientation for new students to help students understand how to engage in the classroom and share with them the variety of available resources. Students also have access to a well-resourced virtual library, research support, and our virtual communities where they can connect with other students with similar career interests as well as cultural and ethnic backgrounds to help create a sense of camaraderie and belonging to the institution. Additionally, our support teams are available 24/7 through email, phone, and chat to answer questions and guide students in order to ensure there aren't barriers to their learning and that they can be successful, build their networks, and thrive in their careers. Are most of your students from within the vicinity of your home base or are they from around the world? Our academic headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minn., in the U.S., but our students are

from around the world. In fact, we have students and alumni from more than 170 countries. Nearly 80% of our students are working full time or are self-employed, and women comprise 80% of our student body. As our international student enrolment steadily increases, we continue to become more diverse and create a global network of students, alumni, and faculty that our community can benefit from every single day. Do you think that online learning could one day supplant the on-campus teaching and learning experience? There are a variety of higher education models worldwide, with each fulfilling different needs for different students. We've seen, in recent years, that the lines are blurring between online and on-campus teaching and learning. Additionally, partnerships between on-ground institutions and other online educational models continue to grow as the market demands increased access to higher education. As the future of higher education advances, I believe we will continue to see new disruptions in the education marketplace in the years to come that will continue to challenge and change both online and traditional approaches to learning. For example, in many countries, we have already seen the introduction of MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses that provide broader access to education. Both online and traditional campus institutions will need to adapt to meet the needs of the growing global student. What are you doing to secure your reputation in the realm of higher education? At Walden, we take our reputation very seriously. One of our unique aspects is our focus on student outcomes and the impact education has on our students' careers and professions. We regularly survey our students, alumni, faculty, and the employers of our students and alumni and publish this information so people can learn who our students are, what they are expected to learn here at Walden, and how they are applying their

knowledge to advance their careers and effect positive social change. In fact, from our surveys, we know that more than 94% of Walden's international students who responded to a 2012 survey indicated that they are satisfied or highly satisfied with the university, and more than 88% are likely or very likely to recommend Walden to others. In addition, our institutional and p r o g r a m m a t i c accreditations demonstrate our quality. Walden has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1990 and was reaffirmed in 2013 for another 10 years. We have also received several specialised accreditations for our schools and programes, acknowledging we successfully prepare our students for advancements in the field. Do online teaching and learning have any impact on graduate employability? Are degrees obtained via online learning "lesser" than those obtained traditionally? Recent surveys of our graduates' employers tell us that our graduates' education is making an impact. Almost 87% of employers of Walden graduates who responded to a 2013 survey say they are satisfied or very satisfied with the Walden graduate employed at their organisation and 98% of employers of our graduates say they would hire another Walden graduate. Employers of our graduates also reported that since attending Walden, their employees' professional skills and performance in areas such as leadership, knowledge of the field, and problem-solving have shown improvement. In addition, a majority of employers surveyed said they believe online degrees are equal to or more valuable than degrees earned in a face-to-face setting. In what ways do you think online education can play a key role in bridging learning gaps towards fasttracking Nigeria's economic development? Africa is now the fastest growing continent in the world, yet there is a significant management and specialised skills shortage in Africa. Due to this skills shortage, over the next several years, there will be an increased need for outsourced staff in order to help the economy and businesses grow. What this means to me is that there is an opportunity to fill the gap between the supply and demand needed for skilled labour by increasing access to higher education for the people of Nigeria. Online education creates access and provides the people of Nigeria with an opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge needed to give back to their community and businesses and become a critical factor in the economic development of their own country.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

HE alleged illegal activities of AG Moeller, a financial institution which was declared as 'fake' by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) because of not being licensed to operate a financial institution by the apex bank has claimed one of its victims, Cross Country Limited, a transport company owned by Bube Okorodudu. The CBN, following investigations into the activities of AG Moeller and its Chief Executive Officer, Kemi Richard Adeloye by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had declared the company's operation as illegal because it is not licensed by it. The trouble between the transport Company and AG Moeller began when it (Cross Country) forwarded an application to AG Moeller in March 2007 for a loan facility in the sum of N140million for the purchase of 40 units of Volkswagen buses which Bube Okorodudu was the guarantor. According to the report, Adeloye had approached Cross Country that his firm, AG Moeller is a licensed financial company by the CBN. This according to investigations has been AG Moeller mode of operation to milk innocent Nigerians of their hard earned money. Investigation revealed that it was an agreement between the duo of AG Moeller and Cross Country that repayment of said facility will be spread over a period of 24 months and will be for a sum of N235milion. At the expiration of said tenor, Cross Country made payments of approximately the sum of N233million on the facility. As a result of the alleged failure of Okorodudu to fully its obligations, AG Moeller petitioned the police at Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan Lagos claiming ownership of the 40 units Volkswagen buses purchased with the facility and accused Cross Country of stealing the 40 buses, an allegation that was debunked by police investi-

BUSINESS

140m facility: Cross Country, AG Moeller in counter accusations Patient -Health workers relationship

•From left:Barrister Emmanuel Etti[Public and Governmental Affairs ,ExxonMobil],Dr Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo (Convener Discuss Malaria) and Prof Olugbenga Mokuolu[Keynote Speaker and Professor of Paediatrics,University of Ilorin] at an ExxonMobil sponsored programme" Doctors Discuss Malaria "conference in Uyo to commemorate World Malaria Day 2014

gations. The matter was taken before a Federal High, Lagos, with AG Moeller pleading the court to wind up the operation of the transport company and freeze all its accounts. The

company's pleading was upheld by the court but later reversed. Counsel to Cross Country, Ladi Rotimi Williams petitioned the EFCC Chairman, lamenting the "incessant ha-

rassment by the EFCC' and queried the continued summoned of Okorodudu despite the fact the case is pending in the court. He therefore urged the anti-graft agency boss to investigate the matter.

Agro-allied firm develops technology to aid farmers

N Agroallied company, Novus Agro Nigeria Ltd. said over the weekend that it had developed an effective technology that would facilitate trade between farmers and processors. A Procurement Officer of the company, Miss Osawaru Evbuomwan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos

that the technology would offer farmers’ agro-based information. She added that it would also create a profitable buyerseller linkage. Evbuomwan said that the technology would also ensure direct transaction between farmers and processors, thereby helping farmers to realise better prices for their products. “We have developed a virtual market place where

farmers can transact businesses directly with processors, otherwise known as ‘brokerage’. “The service is to facilitate trade and help farmers make profit through standard prices for their products. “To help us achieve this, we are partnering with key players in the agricultural value chain such as farmers, traders, transporters, producers and processors.”

Evbuomwan said that the system was an innovative integration of the Internet. According to her, the market process will allow the use of technology to find solutions in remote farming communities. She further explained that brokerage would involve commodity aggregation and physical exchange of the produce between farmers and producers

Dangote group to invest $250m in proposed sugar factory in Jigawa

HE chairman, Dangote group of companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is to invest 250million US Dollars in the proposed sugar factory acquired by his company which is located in Kaugama local government area of Jigawa State. Alhaji Dangote, who while answering questions from news men at the state Government House, Dutse after meeting with Governor Sule Lamido, said

the sugar company will start operation this September, adding that the 20,000 hectares of land has the capacity to grow over 150,000 metric tonnes of sugar each year. Said he, "We are hoping to commence work in the factory this September because production of sugar is a seasonal business and the season is quite short, we also hope to include offshore industries like milk diary factory and poultry

farming." "We are also going to pay compensations to the owners of the lands which we hope to use for the farming of sugarcane. We are only waiting for the state government to value the lands, then we will pay the farmers and most of the beneficiaries will be among the 10,000 farmers to be engaged for farming sugarcane,” he added. The business mogul further disclosed that they

intend to use the waste and by products from the sugar canes to produce ethanol which can be used for vehicles, fertilisers, animal feeds that will further create economic activities for the people of the area. Alhaji Dangote further explained that 23,000 indigenes of the state will be employed, out of which 13,000 persons will be conventional workers while the remaining 10,000 will be farmers that will engaged in the farming of sugarcane.

IX years to the set time for the achievement of the millennium development goals (vision 2020), we may want to find out how Nigeria as a nation if faring, and the tracks we still have uncovered.The fourth, fifth and sixth vision targets Reducing Child mortality, Improving maternal health, Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. To achieve these three out of the eight global goals, the responsibility lies heavily on the ministry of health at all levels, the various health agencies and of course healthworkers to sensitize the masses and ensure that basic healthcare is accessible and affordable by the entire populace. The various state governments are showering efforts to improve on the health sector. Lagos state for one has so far ensured that each local government has a general hospital and/or a primary health centre where common ailments and maternity issues are addressed. There has been major restructuring and overhauling of the existing general hospitals and new ones are established in local governments where they are lacking.This is however insufficient to cater for its estimated population of about 21 million people. Matters are worsened when the health sector is faced witha doctor to patient ratio as high as 1 to 6,400. This number is even higher in states like Benue and Katsina where it is one doctor to about 27,000 and 41,000 patients respectively. Some patients therefore have to make several visits to government owned hospitals before getting to see a doctor. With the crowd trooping in every now and then, many of them have to stand all day as comparatively few seats are available in the waiting area which for obvious reasons are left for patients whose state of health require support while they wait in line to get the medical attention they seek. Government hospitals are strategically ruled out by individuals who are able to afford the bills of a private hospital and in cases of emergency. Patients have expressed their dissatisfaction over their inability to run immediate medical laboratorytests, scans or x-rays. Most of them are given future dates ranging from two weeks to a month or more from the moment of request. A relative who drove a patient down to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) stated that the discomfort heightens the moment you step into the premises with the need to pay before you are allowed to park your vehicle. A large number of the nurses have lost the humane nature required by their profession. Some say they have seen it all, others believe each day's work load is overwhelming,leaving them with a tendency to vent on patients.Some others belong to the school of thought that the nurses render inconsistent service, wearing a sudden smile and a charming countenance at the sight of a patient who is likely to appreciate them in cash or kind. Nurses would rather chat away than offer support to doctors to speed up the process and improve on the overall efficiency. An elderly patient lamented at how badly things have changed when she compared the kind of services she received during her child bearing days at LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) to what obtains now. In her own opinion, the medical doctors who attended to patients then were elderly. As such, they had value for lives, were empathic and gave each patient the required time and attention. When weighing this against the comments of a gynaecologist who stated that on the average, she attends to a minimum of 300 hundred case files on each day scheduled for antenatal spending less than 5 minutes with some expecting mothers. Others complain about being referred from the general hospital to privately hospitals owned and managed by either doctors in the government owned hospitals or their allies. With the increasing awareness on the importance of seeking immediate and medical help, many have begun to patronize private hospitals where they have an option,of course with medical personnel they can trust despite the outrageous medical charges by a lot of them. Some private hospitals have however built their brand over the years, improved and increased on the range of services they offer and consequently gained the loyalty of many. This is however being taken for granted by some of the people in their employ as so much bureaucracy has been introduced the process which increases the waiting time at the hospital. In the words of an annoyed patient whose identity is concealed "yes they offer good services, but at times I am unable to differentiate between the general hospital and some of these private hospitals as you end up spending several hours to get to see a doctor for an illness as slight as malaria" she added that some of the doctors find it awkward when their patients seek more information about medications being prescribed to them are fond of assuming rather than engage their patients in meaningful discussions to be able to identify other issues of concern. Clients registered with HMOs are sometimes pushed around on issues the hospital is expected to sort out. A patient once disclosed that she was seeking to switch hospitals from a popular one situated on Mobolaji Bank Anthony way in Ikeja to another where she was sure to get a measure of equally good or better service because she was made to contact her HMO on a Sunday when she visited the hospital without anyone considering that there might be a need for a first aid. In her opinion, it was not her place to contact the HMO if her name suddenly was not on the list anymore.She had been enrolled in the hospital for about two years and visited just a month before this incidence.

63 With

JILL OKEKE

jillokeke@yahoo.com, 07069429757 THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

Consumers set for Nigerian Bank Customer's Awards (NBCA).

* Network marketers at a meeting

Streamlining the processes of redress

Nigeria's GDP rebasing and boosting intra-Africa trade By Roberts Orya imports are mainly from the industrialised world, again principally the United States and China, and from few countries in the European Union. With this trend, Nigeria was not able to lift intra-Africa trade. Trade within the continent has been very low. At 11 percent of total trade volume by African countries, trade within Africa has been the lowest compared with trade within other regions of the world. An assortment of policy, tariff and non-tariff barriers to intra-Africa trade has been identified. In addition to this, lack of political will to integrate the economies of Africa beyond fruitless policy engineering to aid trade has been cited. However, many African countries have exactly the same economic structure as Nigeria; they export primary goods to the leading industrialised nations while they import finished products from the same countries. For this reason, the most knotty of the issues that constitute barriers to intra-Africa trade is the narrow base of economic activities of scale on the continent. This issue then expresses itself in the narrow external trade channels. Likely new trade scenario The possibility that Nigeria will now influence a new trade scenario within Africa is established in the farreaching structural adjustment in our domestic economy, as revealed in the new GDP data. The trade influencers are tied in both the absolute size of the country's $509.9 billion GDP (which is by a wide margin the biggest in Africa), and the structural diversification that is revealed in the recent GDP rebasing. For example, the Nigerian services sector is now worth $265 billion. With the banks accounting for significant part of this economic value, little wonder that over the past few years, Nigerian banks have been playing big in international trade in banking services in Africa. Like it played out for the South African external sector performance, the widening footprint of Nigerian banks across sub Saharan Africa will

Mi-Fone launches devices IRST African mobile devices brand, Mi-Fone, will launch its new range of innovative smartphones into the Nigerian market in Lagos. The mobile phone company which was established in 2008 has smartphones which operate on the Android system and come pre-embedded with localised apps such as Nigerian taxi app EasyTaxi, Nigerian music Blog app Singuu, the innovative music upload service app called PureSolo and the famous 360Nobs Nigerian social media app . The Mi-Fone range will also feature the

company's owned OJU Africa app OJU Africa first garnered international attention with the launch of the first ethnically diverse emoticons. In fact, in the past three weeks the Afro Emoticons from Oju Africa have had the world abuzz, with over 22,000 downloads of the free app from Google Play in just four days, of which the majority of those downloads have originated from the United States. Powered by Mi-Fone (the first African mobile devices brand), "Oju" literally meaning "faces" in the Yoruba language from Nigeria, is an innovation born out of the motherland.

services sector's value of $265 billion is that it will accelerate on foreign participation. While trade flows in the Nigerian services sector will be led by the Western countries because they are more able to tap the Nigerian opportunities, the sheer size of this sector leaves enough head room for other African countries to come in. We also expect the export of services from other African countries into Nigeria. Crossborder trade in research and legal services are immediately contemplated to influence trade flows into Nigeria. Several foreign acquisitions which Nigerian businesses are expected to make in Africa makes this quiet imaginable. The Nigerian manufacturing sector, now worth $35 billion and constituting 6.8 per cent of GDP, has also assumed scale. Gradually, we have begun to see the outflow of Nigerian manufactured products into our sub-regional markets. From cement, sacks to biscuits, Nigerian manufactured products are making a showing outside our borders. Now that the sector has become recognized again with its 6.8 per cent contribution to GDP, coupled with the consumption profile of Nigeria's over 170 million population, Nigeria will evolve to be a major manufacturing hub, attracting investments as well as merchandises from other African countries, thus maintaining desired two-way directional trade flows. The big lesson The most important structural adjustment to note in the Nigerian economy is that it is now dominated by the private sector. Indeed, further transfer of public sector assets through the ongoing privatization programme, including in the power sector, will unlock resources, accelerate growth and broaden the economic base. Therefore, policies supporting private sector development and broader economic base are critical to opening the clog in intra-Africa trade pipelines. As we look to leverage Nigeria's diversified economic base to boost trade within the

continent, the example Nigeria has set is worth emulating by other African states. Why DFIs are relevant Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) is the designated trade policy bank of the Federal Government of Nigeria. As a development finance institution, NEXIM Bank has been supporting the process that is leading to the more diversified Nigerian economy. In the last five years, NEXIM Bank has pushed forward, through its communication programme, the policy agenda which accentuated the big sectoral gainers in the structural adjustment that was revealed by the GDP rebasing. Through our "MASS Agenda", we have presented Manufacturing, Agro-processing, Solid Minerals and Services as the key sectors for economic diversification and job creation. This being the case, the bigger contribution we now see from services and manufacturing, as well as the strong showing of the entertainment industry in the Nigerian GDP basket, is a big plus for this Administration. While policy support for economic transformation is very important, it is not enough. Accordingly, NEXIM Bank and other DFIs in the Nigerian space have received institutional reinvigoration and financial backing from the Federal Government so as to be able to effectively intervene in the sectors that made good showing in the GDP data. Moving forward, financial intervention in SME manufacturing, services and the other areas of our focus at NEXIM will be critical to maintaining growth momentum. As we know, lower cost credit, which development banks provide is important for lifting businesses in these sectors to the point where they can afford and therefore attract commercial credit. NEXIM Bank has lifted a number of firms to this position, helping them to realize export potentials.

Dangote Sugar Refinery targets 2m tonnes of sugar per annum

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• Roberts Orya pave the way for other sectoral trade in Nigerian goods and services in Africa. Financial market infrastructure is a facilitator of international trade. With the linkages the banks have established with other SSA markets through the operations of their subsidiaries,

a key facilitator of Nigeria's external trade within Africa has gained ground. However, a unidirectional trade flow from any African country cannot, mainly because of geopolitical concerns, lift intra-Africa trade. What we now see with the Nigerian

”

ATA released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics following the recent rebasing of the country's Gross Domestic Product shows that the Nigerian economy is much more diversified than we had thought or acknowledged. But it was not altogether surprising. Efforts in structural transformation of the Nigerian economy have been ongoing for the better part of the last 10 years. The Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan has provided additional fillip in the last four years of supporting private sector-led, non-oil sector growth. So here we are. And this is what we now know about the Nigerian economy after the rebasing. Agriculture, largely subsistence farming, which used to contribute 35 per cent to the GDP now contributes 22 per cent. The oil and gas sector which used to account for 32 per cent of the GDP now contributes 14 per cent. Those are the headline downward adjustments. The structural adjustment that has taken place shows these sectoral gainers. Manufacturing, which had accounted for approximately 2 per cent of the country's GDP jumped to 6.8 per cent. From 0.9 per cent, the contribution of the telecommunication sector has expanded to 8.7 per cent. The biggest leap was made in the services sector with a rise in contribution from 29 per cent to 52 per cent. Past trade trend Data provided by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the period 1981 - 2010 shows structural rigidity to Nigeria's external trade. In 1981, crude oil accounted for 96.89 per cent of the country's exports. All through the 30-year period, there was no noticeable change in the trade pattern; oil export stood at between 95 per cent and 98 per cent of total export merchandise. A 2004 data shows that roughly 60 per cent of non-oil exports from Nigeria consisted of cocoa and rubber - primary products as well. In this period, the country's very narrow export goods base invariably meant that Nigeria was trading with very few countries. Indeed, the United States received about 50 per cent of Nigeria's oil export. A handful of developing economies, mainly China and Brazil also received Nigerian oil export. Nigeria's imports are mainly in finished products. Thus, our

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

BUSINESS

The most knotty of the issues that constitute barriers to intra-Africa trade is the narrow base of economic activities of scale on the continent. This issue then expresses itself in the narrow external trade pipes.

”

IAMOND Bank has successfully issued Eurobonds worth $200 million and with a maturity of 5 years, demonstrating a global acceptance of the bank’s growth efforts. “The successful issuance of the Eurobonds is yet another milestone in the growth trajectory of the bank,” said Dr. Alex Otti, the bank’s Group Managing Director/ CEO. Otti noted that the management had started the process of transforming Diamond Bank into a major player in the Nigeria Banking industry three years ago. The transformation process has so far yielded fruit, according to the CEO, and the success recorded hitherto has shown

Diamond Bank Issues $200m Eurobond

the bank is headed in the right direction, moving up from being the country’s 11th largest bank to 6th in terms of total assets size. He added that the successful issuance of the Eurobond is a milestone in the bank’s history, “effectively launching Diamond Bank into the international market. Otti stated that the bank would continue harnessing the opportunities presented by the new capital raised as they come.

HE Dangote Sugar Refinery says its target is to produce about 2 million tonnes of sugar per annum from locally grown sugar cane within the next 10 years. The company's Chairman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, made the disclosure at the company's 8th Annual General Meeting on Friday in Lagos. Dangote said that due to the Federal Government's National Sugar Master Plan, the company had begun its own development plan. ``This plan is targeted at the production of 1.5 million to 2 million tonnes of sugar per annum from locally grown sugar cane within the next five to 10 years," Dangote said. He said that the plan was to consolidate the company's position as the largest sugar

• Orya is Managing Director / CEO, Nigerian Export-Import Bank

producer in West Africa. Dangote added that the company's sugar development plan had been structured to include an increased focus on backward integration project. ``As we commence this journey, our priority remains to consolidate our clear leadership of the sugar industry in Nigeria. ``We will work to ensure ongoing operational efficiency to drive continued growth across our markets," he said.

CBN extends agric credit scheme to 2025 Page 66

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014 On MESC

E work to ensure full security at events - weddings, birthdays, funerals, concert shows, annual general meetings, luncheons and other forms of engagements that involve having many people. At such places, hosts are usually unaware of other things around the scene. It was registered in 2012. Prior to that, I worked with Unikem Industries Limited in Lagos. How it started I didn't set out to be an event security operator. I am a UNILAG mechanical engineer graduate. But I have always had a passion for bodybuilding. When I saw bodybuilders on TV, I began training. Sometime later, I started working for a company as a security staff where they trained me on what to, and what not to do when it comes to event security and how to work it effectively. Why work for a security outfit? Then, it was more of voluntary service for me. Also, condition then warranted it. Since I graduated in 2009, getting a job was quite hard. I then thought that instead of sitting at home, I could wisely engage my time. My goal was while securing events, I would show people my CV and get employed. As it went on, I began to enjoy it. It took me to lots of places. I got to meet lots of very influential people. When former USA president, Bill Clinton, came to Nigeria, I met with him. I was one of the personal bodyguards to Arnold Schwarzenegger, then Governor of California, when he came to Nigeria for Thisday Awards. When I posted the pictures on Facebook, people, even my friends in America, asked how I met him. That was how the business part of me kicked in. I then decided to understudy my boss without giving him an inkling. So I developed a concept of what my own vision of a security firm would be. And though parts of it are yet to be actualised, I know it is a gradual process. I am willing to take it one step at a time. Cost of setting up? Despite the vision I had,

India Exim bank, Nigeria sign $100m loan for energy projects

‘My challenges starting small security firm’ Chief Operation Officer, Maximus Event Security Company (MESC), Mr. Bukola Olonimoyo, acquired Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. He speaks to Blessing Olisa, how his security outfit was well thought out to become a small scale business entity with prospects for growth that would make it a well structured outfit. most companies were already established and there was no room for small businesses. Even if you wanted to start, you had to make noise. But I didn't have the financial power to make much noise. Luckily, for me, I had a friend that was interested in security whom I told to help me get some items like the costume on the uniforms because I wanted to create a stand-out from others. This cost about $1,000 to import. We made our gadget, like a cross belt, as a unique symbol. My first job was from my UNILAG colleague. We met in my old company and he invited me to provide security for his wedding. I did. It was successful. From there, we got a lot of jobs because I was smart enough to have shared my business card at that event. For close to two years now, every Saturday we have an event. Teething problems? In addition to getting necessary gadgets to start, next was to get staff to imbibe with our dos and don'ts. Events business is quite different. Those already in the system know what is expected of them in events. Factors like how to talk to guests, compose yourself, politely ask for the invitation where a guest list is provided, generally interact, need be taught. Part of it was practically having to tell them what I learnt from my former company that we must do. As a new company, we needed to make ourselves relevant. We need to market ourselves and convince clients, event centres and event planners that we are a good alternative. By and large, God has favoured me in that respect because even when I meet those event planners, they see us differently and they are willing to work with us despite what they are used to.

HE African Development Bank (AfDB) said over the weekend that the Export-Import Bank of India and Nigeria had signed 100 million dollars line of credit agreement to finance energy projects in Nigeria. A statement released in Abuja by AfDB said the Managing Director of IndiaExim Bank, Mr Yaduvendra Mathur and Nigeria's Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala, signed the agreement

•Olonimoyo

Till date, I work on improving MESC. Currently, we have armour-like costume and 'FBI jacket', to suit client demands. Meeting client demands with costume? Some clients need us to be fully kitted because they want our appearance to be as intimidating as possible. They don't want riff-raffs and unwanted guests in their event. We display a show of force because they cannot have military personnel guard their event. There is little a force official can do in terms of interacting with guests. They are only there to prevent violent crimes. But we deal directly with the guests by asking for their invites and accosting uninvited guests. If it is an outdoor event where you have a lot of possible

loopholes, we put on the armour to look really intimidating. Any other time, we just use our 'FBI jacket'. We are always simple, neat and presentable. MESC team? On my speed-dial, I have close to 50 guys. Our regular staff are about 25, who on every weekend have events to secure. Also, dispatching them to events depend on the client. We make recommendations based on the number of entrance and exit points in the hall. If it is two, we do a minimum of four guys. Then, if it is more than that, depending on the size of the venue or the estimated number of guests, that determines the number of guys to be deployed. Business progress? You know, business is about getting what you put in.

during the AfDB's Annual Meeting in Kigali on Thursday. The statement said the agreement was meant to provide electricity transformers for solar electrification in rural areas in three states of Enugu, Kaduna and Cross River. It explained that the 100 million dollars would be spent on distribution of transformers for 96 communities in three senatorial districts of Enugu State. It also said that part of the

loan would be used to provide a substation, including solar mini-grid electrification and solar street lighting in Kaduna State. "The money will also be used for the construction of two 26MW gas-based power plants in Cross River State in the Delta Region of the southern part of Nigeria," it said. The statement said that India-Exim bank would reimburse 100 per cent of the contract value to the Indian

Here, I constantly buy equipment - batons, pepper spray, handcuffs and teasers because they are often lost or damaged. So, investment continues like paying for the running of our website to keep it updated. Continually, we reprint our business cards to get words across about us. You just continue investing in your business with the hope of getting it back and you have to pay your staff as well. Staff punishment? In the instance of losing tools, the affected staff pays half of the cost of the item. But most times, we let it go because things do get lost in one way or another. And while trying to prevent somebody from entering or in a radical situation, equipment get lost. Assessing the business? We are like a N20millionper-year venture and we are planning to upgrade it. But you have to look at what is coming in and going out. I think I am not doing badly in terms of taking care of my basic needs food, clothing and shelter. Future prospects? At present, event security is not fully standardised. I would like to ensure that is done to make it a fully structured company where we pay salary to our staff to improve the image of the company. The reason for the nonstandardisation is because it is like a part-time work. You get paid based on the work you do, not on a salary scale. It means if you recruit 200 men, you pay them off at the end of the event. I envisage having over 200 staff and pay them salary to improve discipline. Growth plans? To continuously bring out new costumes that will be more season-relevant. Also to earn government's recognition as a full-fledged security company that is part of the protection exporters upfront upon the shipment of equipment and goods under the agreement. According to the statement, major export items from India to Nigeria are transport equipment, machinery, pharmaceuticals, rice and electronic goods. The statement explained that the agreement with Nigeria brought India-Exim bank's commitment in 76 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Oceania to 10

apparatus to help tackle aspects that cannot be left to the police. Private security should get to that point where we will carry arms to reduce pressure on the police force instead of putting them on special duties to man events where the likelihood of perpetrating crime is low. Bomb explosions or theft? We have tackled, but not totally eliminated, theft in venues which are mostly done by the guests or waiters. If we are able to prevent unwanted guests, we can't wade off invited guests and waiters certified to be there. So, there is little one can do about that. If I am covering an event, I make sure there is a surveillance team inside the venue to fix eyes on everybody, including waiters, servers and guests. We do this based on the social status of the host. We produce parameter security around the venue with two undercover agents dressed like guests who move around to ensure nobody is taking food, drinks or phones - two major things that get lost at events. We often spot perpetrators before they commit the crime. For bomb, we try and search everything going into the hall. Regulatory agents? We have National Association of Private Security Company Owners. Police also regulate to cover some things we don't do. When we make arrests, we hand over culprit to the police because we can't prosecute but work directly with the police in most cases. Hazards on duty? Sometimes street urchins we prevent from getting into the venue attempt to stone us after events. A few times, we sustain injuries in the line of duty. I've seen people being stabbed with broken bottles. This is not regular or common, but it does happen. Ladies on guard? Sometimes, we engage ladies, depending on the job, like in conferences where we need to conduct body search. PUBLIC NOTICE

Need bouncers for your event? Maximus Event Security Company is an event security company that provides professional bouncers to provide security or access control to your social and corporate event. Please contact us on: 08023846122; 08099722107; 08036919528 or em a i l : info@maximuseventsecurity.com or BBM 2AF675E6. www.maximuseventsecurity.com or our Facebook at http:// m.facebook.com/maximusevent

billion dollars. The statement quoted Mathur as saying that "Exim Bank is very proud to engage with Nigeria in the area of electricity development and we are looking forward to further corporation in different sectors." It also quoted Okonjo-Iweala as saying that the agreement had been in negotiations for seven years and that its implementation signified a great shift in the relationship between Exim Bank and Nigeria.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014

EBERE WABARA

WORDSWORTH 08055001948

ewabara@yahoo.com

Feather in, not to, cap

LASSIC FM 93.7 introduces us today to Old English which ended about 1150: “If that is the criteria….” (Tuesday, May 20, 1.05 a. m. belt) Singular: criterion; plural: criteria THE NATION ON SUNDAY of May 18 follows with its own Middle English versions which ceased to exist about 1500: “Why non interest (noninterest banking should be encouraged” “…but nearly a decade had passed without a trophy before today’s (yesterday’s, Saturday, May 17, FA Cup Final) result which led to criticism (criticisms) of the Gunners (Gunners’) boss.” “Another feather to (in) Zuriel’s cap” “Akpabio decries low uptake of mosquito treated (mosquito-treated) nets” “…said Nigeria needs (needed) N1.92 trillion yearly to achieve….” The next fault is from THISDAY EDITORIAL of May 12, 2014: “…the last thing the public needs (need) now is to rub salt in (into) their wounds.” A reader drew my attention to this correction last week and pointed out that ‘public’ takes both singular and plural verbs. I know this full well, but it depends on the context. In this case, the pronoun, ‘their’. Is plural referring to the public (‘they’). Consequently, to avoid pronounverb disorder/admixture, the public in this instance (they) need—not needs. The PUNCH of April 24 circulated just this blunder: “UK police arrest mother over (for) children’s death” DAILY Sun Front Page of April 24 voiced one of the headlines wrongly: “Jonathan commends Buhari over (for/on) position on terror war” “The appointment…is often greeted with lot of expectation….” (OPINION Page) This way: lots of expectations or a lot of expectations “…we are indeed happy and proud to be associate (associated) with you….” “We wish you more feather to your cap” Get it right: more feathers in your cap “How four under-aged (underage) girls were rescued” “I am going to Lagos in 2015 because it is available for grab (it is up for grabs).” “I spoke to reporters on phone disassociating (dis-

sociating) the party from the move.” “If the party does not win elections, it will go into extinct (go extinct/go into extinction or become extinct).” “Healed of barenness” Spell-check: barrenness “…the more the desperadoes accuse her of all manners (manner) of things….” “Huge gap on medical personnel to patient ratio’ A rewrite: Huge gap on medical personnel-to-patient ratio “Blatter, Hayatou to commission (inaugurate, auspicate, open, establish, launch, initiate…) CAF Centre of Excellence” Finally from the Daily Sun Back Page: “Therefore, President Jonathan may do well to withdraw the soldiers and the police deployed to (in) the three states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.” The next contribution is by Mike Oluranti Ayodele (08034065353); “They even argue over such things as sitting (seating) arrangements.” THISDAY EDITORIAL of April 24 goofed tragically: “Hardly does any month passes (pass) without a report of a boat accident and often with heavy casualty figures.” “Brazilians will love Eagles (Eagles’) style, says….” THISDAY of April 23 marketed commercialese instead of modern English: “Top players in the marketing communications industry, (dysfunctional comma) converged at (on) a summit organised by….” The following contribution is from Bayo O g u n t u n a s e (08056180046): Please note that ‘reelect’, like ‘reelection’, is not hyphenated. ‘Title’/’headline’ is for the story while ‘caption’ is for the picture, photograph, cartoon, etc. THE NATION of April 23 issued a couple of flaws from its advertorial to editorial pages: “…we wish you many happy return (returns) of the day.” “We, the Management and Staff of RNL, heartily congratulate…for (on/ upon) achieving this great feat….” “…so the industry was going through crisis (a crisis or crises).” “The number one tailor in Nigeria, your commitment, dedication, professionalism and good leadership quality has (have) earned you this well-deserved honour.” (Full-page advertisement)

“How can people gather together to rob?” Yank off ‘together’. From National Mirror of April 23 comes the next set of howlers: “Why we re-introduce (reintroduced) boarding schools—Dickson” “…I foresee an imminent explosions” (Why?) “ALGON President seeks LGs (LGs’) autonomy at national confab” “It is such that some candidates have approached it as a do or die affair” Standard view: a do-or-die affair “With our population, the highest, not only in the region but in (on) the entire continent….” “…the tourism potentials inherent in our various geo-political (geopolitical) zones.” ‘Potential’ is non-count. “Confessed witches apprehended in Benue” Community Mirror: Witchcraft-confessors (not ‘confessed witches’) Let us welcome Hallmark to this forum. Its edition of April 23 goofed: “FCT residents groan over (at/with) security road blocks (roadblocks)” “US based (USbased) Nigerian lawyer in trouble over $1.5m fraud” “…the expected tally of between 12 to 15 items….” (Hallmark Editorial) Between 12 and 15 or from 12 to15 “However, it is feared that the state of this oil blocs (these oil blocks) may….” “Of course I have heard some delegates demanding for their own state.” Delete ‘for’. “What the respected former intelligence officer was saying was that there are (were) gaps in terms of synergy….” The next three headlines from the same page of DAILY SUN of April 23 showed lexical laziness by employing the same verb, ‘urge’, in three out of the five headlines on the page: “2015: Abia South leaders urge Abaribe to run for gov”; “Okorocha’s aide urges PDP to sack Metu over Boko Haram”; and “Ohaneze urges Jonathan to shut borders over insecurity” There are many synonyms for the abused word! “Libya to expel illegal Nigeria (Nigerian) immigrants” “…if it gets its acts right (act together).” (DAILY Sun Editorial, April 23)

Rauf: The responsibility in power

HOSE who have encountered the City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism, authored by that former Associated Press’ Correspondent in the Persian Gulf, Jim Krane, would easily reconnect with the story of how that hitherto isolated Village grew to today’s centre of commerce and tourism, that is the destination for all from across the globe. Really, the aborigines of present day Dubai, were dismayed to learn that no part of the world knew about their existence (despite their glorified exploits in fishery and other aquatic activities) until the architect of that modern heaven, Sheikh Rashid Makhtoun, decided to change that course •Aregbesola through purposeful leadership; challengBy Semiu Okanlawon ing his power with the responsibility to change the history of in her article, “The improbable his people. No doubt, the story of how Bogota, ColomDubai’s story today stands tall bia, became somewhere you among those who have dem- might actually want to live.” onstrated in practical terms the Giving one of the reasons for fact that in power really lie awarding Aregbesola the Daily some heavy responsibilities. Independent’s Man of the Year Rauf Aregbesola, 57 today, 2013 honour, the national sits atop the affairs of Osun, the daily’s Editor, Rotimi almost 4 million strong popu- Durojaiye, had cited the drift lated area in the South-West of back to Osun as one strong ilNigeria. With an epic and tor- lustrative point that the state tuous journey to power, what where those who lived there manifests majorly in more than were without choices is where three years of being in the dwellers of metropolitan Lagos, saddle are the responsibilities Abuja, Port Harcourt and oththat accompany his position of ers now want to return. power. After three years of exploits, Arriving as a leader in a state not a few are coming to terms that not many seeking peace with the potency of the Osun and pleasure would want to experiments under Aregbesola. live, there is a grandiose dis- There is a fascinating way in play of the realization that the which the media, the voices of power pails into insignificance the people, appear to be ampliif it does not translate into a tool fying what Daily Independent for changing history from an called “Symbol of Alternative unenviable past to a new world Perspectives” and The Nation of possibilities. newspaper just last week simThe very grim scenario ply dubbed “The Osun ExAregbesola met in Osun is ample”. It was what PUNCH’s worth remembering! It was erudite columnist, Prof Niyi story of a people boxed to an Akinnaso, referred to as unfortunate corner of misery, “Unravelling the Nigerian hopelessness, want, violence, Paradox”. injustice occasioned by lack of Of course, the isolated case functional education, jobs, dan- that “The Osun Example” has gerous environment, uncoordi- become in the face of national nated plans of actions and total development tragedy appears failure of leadership. They had to be the reason for clamour equally but painfully resigned that Nigeria needs to look into to fate given the dearth of that tiny fraction of its geochoices away from the misery. graphical spread to see how an Any leader who fails to con- application on a national scale front these multiple under-de- could help provide answers to velopment evils with coordi- some of the nagging national nated plans of actions must re- questions. alize ab initio that he has writIn another article, I once made ten his name indelibly in the reference to Waller Newell’s hall of infamy. Thus, what The Soul of a Leader: Characwould be tools to confront these ter, Conviction and Ten Lessons maladies with were no more in Political Greatness. “What, than some six cardinal objec- the author asked in his book, tives that on their own appeared “are we looking for in a leader?” comprehensive enough to have Given the Nigerian experience, taken care of the various dimen- what we must be looking for in sions the Osun challenge pre- a Nigerian leader is salvation sented. through the deployment of The ingenious manner with those creative strategies that which the Aregbesola have practically solved some administration’s banishment of puzzles such as unemployment poverty, hunger, unemploy- and its concomitant offspring, ment, restoring healthy living, promotion of justice and fairfunctional education and com- ness, commitment to the welmunal peace and progress have fare of the people through been pursued has produced people-centre, people-focused only one result: transformation. policies. With doggedness, Osun is fast Jettisoning political sentitransforming to what Lisa Jones ments, the Peoples Democratic describes as “a model of pro- Party-led Senate had recomgressive urban development” mended in very clear terms to

Nigeria the latest education policies of Osun as pragmatic solutions to the current national education policies that produce more illiterates than educated minds. What, for instance, is in it for Nigeria as a whole adopting the Osun initiative in youth empowerment just as The World Bank has compellingly suggested? The scheme that takes 20,000 idle but ablebodied youths out of the job market every two years definitely has the magic to ward off youth restiveness, insurgency and other crimes. What is in it for Nigeria to restructure its agricultural policies in a way that causes positive ripples in jobs creation, food sufficiency and other value chains? Is there anything in it for Nigeria if it dedicates its resources to massive infrastructure upgrades in nationwide roads networks, energy generation and distribution and provision of adequate security to investments to thrive? Are these not the requirements for igniting an industrialization revolution that will engage more hands than the current army of idle hands? Is Nigeria not fertilizing the pull from which insurgency draws its Army of mindless attackers by failing to adopt a method that will erode that pull? Perhaps, Nigeria’s main problems stem from that acute ignorance of the responsibilities that lie in power before those in leadership positions take it. The many decades of failed leadership in Nigeria buttresses Gary Hamel’s argument in The Purpose of Power where he claimed, and rightly so, that “Power has long been regarded as morally corrosive, and we often suspect the intentions of those who seek it.” I am more than convinced that many of those who passed through Osun as leaders in its 23 years of creation must be asking themselves whether it is the same Osun they governed that Aregbesola is currently handling. Compelled by the responsibilities he believes lie in the power he holds, Aregbesola has demonstrated that his eyes can be open where others are blind and that he can hear where others are deaf and dumb. That, to me, seems to be the layman meaning of The Nation Newspaper of last Tuesday when it succinctly said that the state has shown that “there is ability in disability”. And the lesson here! Power is empty and of no use when it is stripped of its responsibilities. Every genuine leader must subscribe to that Martin Luther King’s position that “I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.” This appears to be what Aregbesola, 57 today, has sworn to and for this, salute to his motto where he proudly and daily declares: Power is Responsibility! •Okanlawon is Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Osogbo, State of Osun.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

2014 Caine Prize for African Writing: Not a Nigerian affair

•Tendai Huchu

F there is one aspect where Nigeria’s claim to being the giant of Africa is warmly accepted without any ounce of resistance, it is writing. There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria parades the cream of African writers whose literary works have gained international acclaims. Names such as Chinua Achebe, the widely acclaimed father of African literature and Wole Soyinka, the first African to win a Nobel Prize, are writers of Nigerian descent whose works have found their way into world literature cannons. That the strength of the writing prowess displayed by writers of Nigerian descent is not about to decline is confirmed with the works of young writers like Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie, Helon Habila, Kaine Agary and many others. It is in this spirit that the Caine Prize for African writing, an annual literary award for the best original short story by an African writer could, to a certain extent, be used to measure literary stars in the African continent. The prize which is awarded to writers of African descents residing in the continent and diaspora with works published in the English language is worth E10, 000. Also named as the ‘African Booker’, the prize which was inaugurated in 2000 has awarded 14 writers so far of which five were Nigerians. Last year, four Nigerian writers made the shortlist, leaving only one slot for other Africans writers. Tope Folarin, a Nigerian writer in the diaspora eventually won the prize with his short story titled ‘Miracle’. Folarin’s winning piece was described by the judges as a delightful and beautifully paced narrative that is exquisitely observed and literarily compelling. This explains why it came as a surprise to many this year when the shortlist for the prize was announced by Nobel Laureate,

poetry

ROM the tilted trays of heaven Hailstones, for brief periods often hit Our play grounds; our homes With sudden accelerating clatter. And the ricochets from the zinc roofs scatter With no vicious mission, submitting rapidly Like their play-ground traveling mates to some watery end.

•Okwiri Oduor

•Diane Awerbuck

The shortlist for Caine Prize for African writing which was announced recently has raised a lot of dust among many Nigerian writers simply because there’s no Nigerian writer on the list. But Hannah Ojo asks in this write-up whether the prize has in any way become a Nigerian affair. Only last year, four out of five that made the shortlist were Nigerians one of whom eventually won the prize Professor Wole Soyinka, at the opening ceremony for the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) World Book Capital celebration held in Port-Harcourt recently and no Nigerian name came to the fore. Writers who made this year’s nomination are Diane Awerbuck (South Africa) with her short story tiled Prosphorescence, Efemia Chela (South Africa) with “ Chicken” in Feast, Famine and Potluck, Tendai Huchu(Zimbabwe) The Intervention, Billy Kahora(Kenya) with The Gorrilla’s Apprentice and Okwiri Odour’s (Kenya) “My Father’s Head”. A cynic once remarked on twitter that Nigerian writers might have missed out in this year’s shortlist since they have taken too much to the social media at the expense of developing their literary muse. Though this statement appears cynical, it may contain some element of truism. It was for this reason that The Pointer sought the opinion of writers and literary enthusiasts. Richard Ali, a lawyer and writer who also doubles as the Publicity Secretary for the National Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and Chief Operating Officer of Parresia Publishers observed that although the absence of Nigerian names in this year’s Caine Prize shortlist is surprising, it is not an issue of great moment. Citing the instance that the size of the country and the number of entries submitted would normally guar-

antee Nigerian involvement, he was however quick to retell that last year was an entirely Nigerian show. “That we are not represented in the 2014 shortlist is of no moment because a shortlist is always a delicate set of compromises: the taste of judges, geographical representation and the guidance of the prize administration all play a part in a shortlist”, he submitted. From Ali’s submission, one can then decipher that it may seem reasonable from the administrative point of view that the Caine African Writing Prize continues to have a broad-based panAfrican support. Furthering, Ali also offered; “Although we Nigerians feel we are definitive of the continent, there are a number of other countries beside ours and they also can write decent prose”. Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, a writer and journalist whose story “The Whispering Trees” was shortlisted for the 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing does not see it as a big deal that no Nigerian made this year’s short list. In an interview conducted via social media, Ibrahim said it is a completely misguided notion for anyone to conclude that the absence indicates a sudden decline. According to him; “ in 2011 there was no Nigerian on the shortlist, a year later, a Nigerian won and the following year four Nigerians were shortlisted and another one won it. I am sure Nigerians have the highest entries as well this year and following Nigerians

Climatic change We did on the farm tracks in mornings pick After a night of heavy pour, crabs, prawns and fish Flown down to ground I suppose From the rivers in the clouds In the chariot of the pouring rains and whistling storms. On our lush plains; fruitful forests and green rolling ranges

We did hunt and farm. In great swamps, Fadama lands, Rice and other early crops did thrive. Now the trays tilt no more For the hail stones to fall Since not enough hails a tilt to cause. And so many men below forty

dominance of the prize, it is only politically correct for other countries to enjoy their moment in the sun. As far as I can tell, Nigerian writing is growing in terms of quantity and quality”. Basing his argument on the premises that the Caine African Writing Prize seeks to celebrate African writing and not Nigerian writing, David Ishaya-Osu, a poet and photographer would also not readily agree that the absence of Nigeria’s name on the list shows they are missing in action in one of Africa’s most sought-after literary prize. “Last year, there were four Nigerians out of five, imagine how writers from other African countries felt the marginalization, in a way. And, frankly those shortlisted for 2014 are brilliant writers-Okwiri and Billy are very powerful fictionists who have been in the scene for a while now, so for me, it’s fair. Hence, I would not go on unprofitable laments on the absence. Moreso, Nigerians have won the prize many times”. Perhaps howling over Nigeria’s absence on the shortlist for the 2014 Caine African Writing Prize may appear premeditated at the moment but come Monday July 14 at a celebratory dinner at the Bodleian Library, Oxford when the winner of the E10, 000 prize would be named, the world would sure miss out on emerging new breeds from the land of Soyinka, Achebe and J.P Clark Bekederemo. Falling hails in our land have never seen. Nor have they a fish or crab picked. While jogging or playing on the fields. Familiar now are the aborting soils Dwindling forest lands, and thirty caking valued swamps. Phoebus we are told Keeps stoking his ember-filled oven And must be appeased before he bakes to char this land; While melting some and others he drowns. By Abiodun Ehindero

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

‘Why FG should negotiate for release of Chibok girls’ Prelate and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Most Rev Prof Emele Uka, spoke with Nicholas Kalu on why negotiations should not be ruled out for the release of the abducted Chibok school girls. Excerpts:

O you think the federal government should swap the abducted Chibok girls for detained Boko Haram members? I’m compelled to believe that Nigeria is passing through a trying period that is mixed with faith and fear. It looks like the time when Charles Dickens in his Novel ‘The Tale of Two Cities’ wrestled with the theme of duality with respect to the upheavals in London and Paris during the French Revolution. This kind of situation seems to confront us in Nigeria today when a whole nation with all her mighty Army, Air force and other security apparatuses are being humiliated by a handful of terrorists who despite their small number are able to abduct over 200 teenage school girls, whom they have kept in captivity for nearly forty consecutive days. The situation has awakened all Christians and nonChristians nationwide and even Christians and nonChristians worldwide to storm the gates of heaven with prayers to the God of Israel – our Christian God, who is supremely able to set captives free from bondage. He did it for the children of Israel when they were in bondage in Egypt for 400 years. He did it for Peter when he was impris-

oned by King Herod for preaching Christ. Also when Paul and Silas were put in dungeon, God set them free in response to their prayer and praise worship. It was the God of Israel who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den and also delivered three Hebrew lads from a fiery furnace. Should government negotiate with terrorists? It should be noted that discretion is the better part of valour and that no price is too great to be paid for the emancipation of these innocent, helpless, armless, tender girls. The government should note that if any of them dies in captivity given the fact that we are dealing with a terrorist group, the blood of the child shall be required especially from the governor of Borno State, the Chief Security Officer of the state, under whose watch this darkness has befallen this nation. What is more painful for some of us is that the insurgents have no respect or regard for international conventions, for the protection of civilians, especially women and children against the consequences of armed conflicts. The Geneva protocol provides that attacks against civilian population are prohibited and that attacks may be directed only against mili-

tary objectives. The way forward is for governor of Borno State to be encouraged, as he said in his interview with Christiane Amanpour of CNN that he would gladly negotiate with Boko Haram, if he had the chance, for the release of the more than 230 abducted Chibok school girls. He said if he had to talk to the devil to secure the release of the girls he would do so. This window for a dialogue mooted by the governor of Borno State, the very governor who was the Chief Security Officer of the state when the abduction happened, should be taken seriously and a mechanism put in place for the negotiation to take place soonest. But the group wants negotiation when it is still killing and abducting… The argument that if Boko Haram wants to negotiate, it must first renounce violence and surrender its weapons of mass destruction, does not arise. And for one to say that the government cannot enter into negotiation with a criminal organisation waging a violent war against the state and the Nigerian people is a fallacy because what is at stake is not the survival of the Nigerian state but the release of Nigeria’s innocent, harmless, helpless, powerless teenage girls who

have been in painful captivity for the past 40 consecutive days. The issue of sitting round a table with leaders of Boko Haram to discuss the release of the girls they have held in captivity for over 40 days is in order. If that is the price Nigeria has to pay to save the lives of innocent girls who the government failed to protect. Also, the argument that for the government to bend over to engage in dialogue with Boko Haram will convey the message to all other underground movements across Nigeria that it is okay for any militant organisation to use violence to press for its goals, does not hold water. This argument does not in any way address the issue of how the girls in captivity are to regain their freedom. If we dialogue to give up those in detention and release our girls, what do we lose? Not much. May be the released insurgents can fight us but that is a price we can pay. It is an opportunity cost. Would we rather let the girls die or let the prisoners be released? Now that the world powers are with us, there will be no hiding place for the insurgents when they are set free. So let’s negotiate in order to save the lives of our daughters.

xxx

NEWS

Jonathan for ground-breaking of Oritsejafor’s varsity

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will on June 3 perform the groundbreaking ceremony of Eagle Heights University. Located at Omadino in Warri South Local Govern-

ment, the private university is the brainchild of the Word of Life Bible Church, Warri. A statement from the office of the president of Eagle Heights group of schools and wife of the Na-

Cleric seeks unity

HE unity of the church is vital to the resurrection of godly values in Nigeria, the secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Sapele Local government area of Delta State, Rev. Musa Bello, has stated. He spoke at the 8th edition of Easter celebration of St Martin’s Catholic Church Sapele recently. Musa advised Christians to close ranks and rally

By Akatakpo Frank, Sapele

around common objectives. This, he said, will make the church effective in its mandate to save the world. Musa said Christians must let go of their differences for the important task of global evangelism. He lamented disunity in the body of Christ, saying the development is killing the faith and sending millions to hell.

tional President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor (Mrs.) Helen Oritsejafor, said Jonathan, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and trafitional rulers from the

area will perform the ceremony. Mrs. Oritsejafor stated that the mission of the university is to build nations through first class education.

Wealth creation conference in Lagos

HE annual business and financial empowerment conference of Sure Word Assembly Okota Lagos begins today. Tagged access to wealth conference, the event, with the theme financial dominion, ends on Wednesday. Speakers include Pastor Olumide Emmanuel, Apostle Yinka Yusuf, Julius Ojeagbase, Dan Opara, Rita Okorodudu, Aity Dennis and Dennis Inyang.

There will also be free workshops every morning on information marketing, web designing, shoe manufacturing, entertainment, proofreading and publishing. A release by the host, Dr Dennis Inyang, stated that the conference will challenge participants to start their own businesses instead of waiting for white collar jobs.

• Uka

NEWS

‘Nigeria needs God to overcome insurgency’

HE President The Way of Reconciliation Evangelistic Ministries (TWOREM) Int’l, a.k.a. Prophetic & Solution Chapel Lagos, Prophet Oladipupo Funmilade-Joel, has described the insurgency challenge in the country as worrisome. He also condemned the abduction of more than 273 female students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok Borno state. Baba Sekunderin, as he is fondly called, supported the

intervention of western powers in the rescue of the girls. Funmilade-Joel, in a statement, said: “We need God and prayers more than anything else. “Let our leaders gather and seek the face of God for intervention. What we are dealing with is a spiritual principality. If we pray hard, God will rescue us.” He urged Nigerians to engage in concerted efforts to stem the tide of insurgency to make the nation safer for all.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

WORSHIP

Makinde warns against violence

•Tinubu, Fashola, Diya extol Atilade at 70

HE Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Ola Makinde, has warned individuals or groups breeding any form of religious intolerance in the south west to desist and toe the path of peace. He spoke last Sunday at the 70th birthday thanksgiving of President Gospel Baptist Conference of Nigeria & Overseas, Archbishop Magnus, who is also the South West chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The service with the theme praise and adoration attracted friends and well-wishers of the celebrator as well as traditional rulers, captains of industry, diplomats, politicians, religious leaders and government functionaries. Former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was represented by women leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Kemi Nelson, led the dignitaries which included former Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya (Retd). The Lagos State governor, Raji Fashola, was represented

By Adeola Ogunlade

by his Special Adviser on Religion, Rev. Akintoye Buramo, while Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, was represented by the Commissioner for Works, Arch. Olamilekan Adegbite. There was also former Lagos Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan, and Comrade Ayo Opadokun, among others. Makinde emphasised the needs for peaceful coexistence. He said: “I appeal to youth to desist from criminal activities and must not allow themselves to be used by politicians to foment trouble in the name of religious, tribe or ethnic differences because murderers will not go to heaven.” He decried the insurgency in the north, saying the development was drawing back the country by several years. Makinde eulogised Atilade, saying they have been friends for the past 25 years. According to him: “Atilade is a man of peace, outstanding statesman, pastor, shepherd, a gift from God, a father, fearless and courageous to the truth

which should be emulated. “Atilade is a man of peace. Let there be peace in the western region. Lagos is a mini Nigeria; we don’t have anywhere to run to when the chips are down. Please give peace a chance.” He charged the celebrator to remain close to God. Makinde said: “Be close to God in all you do. Be heavenly focussed. You have reached the biblical age of 70; lead others to heaven and make sure to get there yourself.” Tinubu, who appreciated the efforts of the celebrator in the development of democratic principles in Lagos, said: “I will never forget your roles in bringing democracy to Nigeria by all means which we will forever grateful.” Fashola said the state needs more of Atilade’s stature for advice and statesmanship. Atilade, who was full of gratitude to God for preserving his life, said: “I thank God as He has been so merciful and kind to me. To God be the glory, dominion, majesty and power.”

Joy as OPM pupils return from free Paris tour •More’ll go, Chinyere assures

Nine steps to effective prayer Pastor Amanda Ogunro

TOTAL FREEDOM

OD loves and cares for you and wants you to communicate with Him always, not when you feel like. Your communion with God should be like the Hart that pants after the water brooks, so let your heart and soul pant after God. The Hart is an animal who when is thirsty will forsake everything to look for water to drink. As soon as it finds the water it jumps inside and begins to drink. As the water is so important to the Hart so is our prayer to Him.God is never tired of prayer of His people because He loves fellowship. Prayer is fellowshipping with God. Many believers are frustrated because of unanswered prayer. Is it because God is wicked or on holiday? No! After all, He permits us to call upon Him (Jeremiah 33:3). The more you fellowship with Him, the better you are known of Him. The reason why certain prayers don’t receive an-

swer is due to the following: (1.) lack of knowledge of the principles of prayer(2.) We abuse His sovereignty and take God for granted forgetting that He is just as loving and also a terrible God if foolishly proved.(3.) We see God as a spare Tyre, only used when needed. (Proverbs 1:2430). God will always be God. No one can remote control Him. Last week we taught on Step Four “Adoration”. Today is the fifth step “Communion.” What is Communion? Communion means sharing, participation, intimacy, friendship and comradeship. We collectively share the grace after fellowship by declaring (2 Corinthians 13:14). (1.) Jesus – grace (2.) The Fatherly love of God (John 3:16) (3.) A deepening fellowship with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14c). If this three-fold reality is our abiding blessing, then our everlasting salvation will be assured.As you move from adoration into Communion, your prayers are no longer just words. True prayer comes from the heart and is based upon relationship. It is the language of heaven, the avenue by which we enter the throne room of heaven and commune with our loving heavenly Father. Who are you in communion with? You can either be in communion with God or with

the devil, depending on the attitude of your heart (Matthew 5:8). Who do you submit to? Who do you obey? A wicked heart cannot communicate with God. All believers are meant to be in communion with the Lord. Communion is communicating with God. Wonderful reader, can you believe the love, faithfulness and awesomeness of God? Isn’t it exciting for a mortal man to communicate with a living God in the supernatural and who at the same time dwells in us in the person of the Holy Spirit? Communion is the key and without communion there will be no true breakthrough. Who are those that can communicate with God? Those who are genuinely born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. No believer can communicate with God without the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9, 26-27). Total freedom can only come if you are connected to God. You get connected to God as you give your life to Christ. Write and share your suggestion,questions and testimony with me through: Pastor Amanda Ogunro, Rivers of Living Water Ministries, 540 Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Lagos. P.M.B 2854, Surulere Lagos, Nigeria. Call 07064733154 or email info@rlwm.org.

Okonkwo, Otabil, others seek release of GROUP of eminent abducted girls end this violence that has claimed many innocent lives church leaders in Af-

•Pupils of Omega Power Ministries (OPM) on their return from free Paris tour

EMBERS and wellwishers of Omega Power Ministries were in ecstatic mood at the Port-Harcourt International Airport Omagwa last week when five students of the church’s tuition-free nursery and primary school returned from an overseas trip. The five lucky students are: Daniella Chukwu, Lucky Chukwuemeka, Daniel Okezie, Success Manasseh and Chinedu Okafor. They were in France for two weeks for an exchange educational tour sponsored by the general overseer of OPM, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere. The Director of OPM’s welfare department, Mrs. Maureen Chukwu, and a tour guard accompanied the five pupils on the trip. Chinyere told reporters at the airport that the church will not relent in giving hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless. Daddy OPM, as he is fondly called, reiterated his commitment to bettering the

By Sunday Oguntola

lot of the less-privileged and putting them on a platform to succeed. According to him: “These pupils never dreamt of travelling abroad but God has made it possible for them. That is what we want to do and make happen. “We want to give the lessprivileged a voice and opportunity to be the best God created them to be. We don’t want anybody to die less because of economic capacity.” He said the screening took cognisance of their poor backgrounds, noting that most of the pupils are children of widows and widowers. Chinyere assured that the foreign tour will continue for pupils of the school, stating that they will go in batches to accommodate every interest. On how he generated funding for the tour, the cleric said it came from the tithes and offerings of the church. He chided church leaders who feed fat on tithes and offering, saying such donations are meant to uplift the poor.

One of the parents, Mrs. Josephine Chukwu, said her husband died in 2012 leaving the family with nothing. “In my moment of trial, I located OPM. One day, I was in the church crying to God to see me through hardship when daddy gave two of my children admission to free OPM school. “Today, I am a living witness to my daughter, Daniella, being sponsored overseas by the man of God. “To me, it is like a dream that a woman like me without hope can be picked up by somebody who did not relate to me to care for,” she said. Mrs. Gladdys Chukwuemeka, a food seller at Rumuokoro junction, was overjoyed. She could only mutter: “I who could not dream of going to the airport can now see my son travelling overseas, courtesy of the general overseer of OPM.” Mrs. Chioma Unegbu, a widower, praised Chinyere for the gesture.

rica, The Council of African Apostles, has called for the immediate release of more than 230 abducted female students of Government Secondary, Chibok in Borno State. It described the abduction as a deplorable act of terrorism affecting innocent lives with nothing whatever to do with the conflicts or grievances of Boko Haram, the radical Islamic sect. In a joint statement signed by the President of the Council of Africa Apostles Bishop Tudor Bismark of Zimbabwe, Bishop Mike Okonkwo of Nigeria and Dr. Mensa Otabil of Ghana, the Council said: “the abduction and other related callous acts of terror that have been undertaken by Boko Haram in the recent past

should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. “The reports that they are being sold off into marriage for US$12.00 and that others have died of snake bites only serve to make the call for their urgent return, they should not have been touched by this conflict in the first place.” The Council called on “the Federal Government of Nigeria to exercise real leadership over this matter and use every disposable means it has to ensure that these girls are reunited with their families within the shortest possible time. “Beyond the safe return of the girls, we are also calling for the government to engage Boko Haram and find a peaceful solution to immediately

who otherwise have no stake whatever issues that are currently under contestation.” It added: “We are also calling for leaders from different faith groups to have a dialogue and especially for leadership from the Muslim faith to strongly disassociate themselves from these cowardly acts of terror being carried out in the name of their religion.” The ministers stated that the recent attacks have placed a dark cloud over the peaceful co-existence of Christians and Muslims, deeply wounding the conscience of those who uphold human life and also leading to a deterioration of public trust and tolerance of different opinions.

Paths to turnarounds, by cleric

AITHFUL believers can still experience turnarounds before the year ends just like Jacob broke through before the breaking of the day, the senior pastor of Rapture Assurance Ministry (RAM), Pastor Daniel Ikpe, has assured. He urged them to be focused and refuse distractions to experience astounding divine transformation. “Your present unfavorable condition can change for better: bad financial situation, single marital status, unemployment, disappointment, frustration and barrenness to mention just a few,” he reiterated. Speaking on the theme: You can still manifest last week

By Uyoatta Eshiet

during the 10th anniversary celebration of the church in Lagos, Ikpe admonished worshippers desirous of having the much- desired change to make out time for themselves, invest their energy wisely and spend quality time praying. He noted a lot of people who entered this year with lots of expectations are already getting apprehensive as the year is fast winding down. No matter the setbacks encountered in the past, he said the race is still open and the chances for supernatural manifestation and breakthrough very bright. He admonished Chris-

tians to always keep their spirit high andm look up to the source of our help which is only from God who made the heavens and the earth. “Let us awake in our spirits for we can do a lot to change our lives for better today,” Ikpe charged. To change every negative situation in life, the cleric challenged Christians to set out time to be alone with God just as Jacob did. But he said being alone with God is only productive in the atmosphere of prayer. According to him:”The wrestling bout that Jacob had with the God of blessing was prayer, separate yourself in prayers and bring forth your dreams in Jesus name.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014 CHANGE OF NAME OGUNDOWOLE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Tope Bridget Ogundowole, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Tope Bridget Onabajo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AGBENIGA

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Mariam Oluwafunmilayo Agbeniga, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mariam Oluwafunmilayo Oyebola. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

IGBAFE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Igbafe, Emike Selina, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Agbontaen, Emike Selina Igbafe. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

UYI

I, formerly known and addressed as Mr. Noyoze Henry Uyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Irabor, Noyoze Henry Uyi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OLOGUN

I, formerly known and addressed as Ologun Patricia Tayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Babayemi Patricia Tayo. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission and general public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME Micheal Olalekan Oludare Samuel and Shogbaike Lekan Mike is the same and one person. Now Micheal Olalekan Oludare Samuel. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public should please take note.

NWOKOBIA

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AFOLABI

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ADEYANJU

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ADEWUNMI

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ADAH

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AKINSANYA

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OMOLE

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ADEBOWALE

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ONABANJO

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OKORIE

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CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

AWO

BALOGUN

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Temitope Aderonke Lanase, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Temitope Aderonke Balogun. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Awo, Elvan Blessing, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Kuruye, Elvan Dumoteim. All former documents remain valid. Fedral University, Otuoke and general public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME That on some of my documents it is written as Doubeni Ebiboloukaemi Rose while on some it is Doubeni Ebilade Rose. That i swear to confirm that Doubeni Ebilade Rose or Doubeni Ebiboloukaemi Rose is the same and one person. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHIERINGO

LANASE

BILESANMI

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ADETOLA

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OLOWO

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FASHANU-UDOFE

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ADAMU

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IGBOKIDI

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AMAM

ALUKO

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NNABUGWU

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AIDI

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OBISESAN

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EDOMWONYI

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AJAYI

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ALOZIE

EMMENUEL

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to notify that Salami James Adekunle is the same and one person as Adetunbi Salami James. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public should please take note.

SALAWUDEEN

TIJANI

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SALAMI

ABEL

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ADEBISI

OLADEJO

OGUNWOLE

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I Alabi Disu Idris and Alabi Idris Anafe same as Alabi Idris Anafe. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. General public should please take note.

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OBI

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AMAELE

ADERETI

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EMEH

OJELABI

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OLADIRAN

BAMIJOKO

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ABDULAZEEZ

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NWOSU

OLOYEDE

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IGWEZE

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IJAGBEMI

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IHENSEKHIEN

OLOKUN-OLA

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ATOKPA

NAPOLEON

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DURU

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OLOGUNTOYE

OGUNRINDE

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ELUWADE

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FADARE

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ANOSIKE

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CHANGE OF NAME ARODUDU

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BADEJO

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ADEDAYO

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ALOKA

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STANLEY

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AKAZUAM

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014

QUOTABLE

“What they (North) are doing is absolutely not good enough. We have a major problem on our hands. Even with the state of emergency, we are not doing sufficiently well. If you now withdraw it, it is like tying one of the Federal Government’s hands and expecting it to operate with just one hand… the impression some of these northern senators and politicians are giving is that they are the ones encouraging Boko Haram.”

SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 8, NO. 2860

HETHER by reading its lips or by observing its body language, we now understand that Lagos State has become indifferent, if not entirely opposed, to the idea of recreating the Western Region as a political and economic zone. However, few knew how virulent the state’s opposition to regionalism was until last week when it publicised its position on the matter at the ongoing national conference. Ondo State is also quite contemptuous of regionalism which, in one of its obfuscatory masterpieces, the Olusegun Mimiko government described as either unessential or at any rate not the exclusive preserve of All Progressives Congress (APC) states. But where Ondo was evasive and tentative, Lagos was trenchant, adamant and conclusive. Since the idea of regionalism took root a few years ago, both Lagos and Ondo have pussyfooted dexterously. In fact both states have remained unfazed by the inspiration the Southwest’s embrace of regionalism has given to other regions, particularly the South-South. The Lagos position is mercilessly frank on regionalism. Hear the state: “We do not support, nor do we think it feasible, to return to creation of regions as governing subnational units in Nigeria. We also do not recommend the creation of new states at this time or in the foreseeable future; viability and cost are two of the immediate reasons that militate against the creation of states. There are said to be six geopolitical zones in the country: this nomenclature is unknown to the Constitution and yet it continues to feature in national discourse. We do not recommend that the said zones as a feasible structure for government for Nigeria. It is folly to believe that the coincidence of geography dictates anything but convenience; we recommend that Nigeria should adhere to constitutional federalism which to date only prescribes states, and desist from the use of zones for planning or execution of constitutional authority.” Declaring that its opposition to regionalism goes beyond merely refusing to support it to doubting its feasibility, Lagos suggests that the creation of states during the Yakubu Gowon years ended the era of regionalism. It does not say why it thinks that that era could not be recreated or why the poststates creation era is cast in granite. Perhaps it believes that the issue of viability and cost that militate against the creation of more states also

—Constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay, lampooning northern politicians for not doing enough to curtail the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

Lagos wrong on regionalism

•Fashola

•Mimiko

affect the recreation of regions. Viability is of course no deterrent to regionalism, for in fact all the defunct regions were viable. And if cost, what says that the regions must retain the present states structure within their boundaries? Lagos, it must be admitted, did not directly tie its opposition to regionalism to cost and viability; nor could it, for it can indeed be argued persuasively that regionalism may even lower the cost of running not only the regions but the country itself. It is shocking that Lagos describes anyone who thinks that “the coincidence of geography dictates anything but convenience” as foolish. The state has exercised its right to oppose regionalism, and cannot be described as foolish in doing so. Why must the state describe those who support the idea, who see substantially and creatively beyond geographical coincidence, as foolish? I am persuaded that those who think regionalism holds a lot of promise have given the idea much thought. Even if they were misguided – and I don’t think they are – they are certainly not foolish. On the contrary, it is actually Lagos that has shown a

surprising inability to understand the advantages of regionalism. The state has never been enthusiastic about regionalism, perhaps because it erroneously thinks the idea imposes certain obligations on the coastal state, compelling it, like Germany to the European Union, to bear a disproportionate burden for the region’s sustenance. Instead, it appears to prefer isolationism for reasons other than cost and viability, and meanwhile has only reluctantly participated in regionalist activities. Lagos, I believe, is short-sighted. I suspect that under Mr Fashola Lagos has begun to see and cultivate a distinct identity for itself different from the rest of the Yoruba people of the Southwest. The well-travelled governor probably envisions Lagos as a megacity, massive, multicultural and great by dint of its own attributes. He envisions a state that stands on its own, holds its own, and is not encumbered by others or beholden to others. If the governor and the elite of the state who carved the state’s opposition to regionalism had expanded their

Fashola and the argument for a Christian successor

ESPONDING to a campaign by a section of the Lagos electorate to vote in a Christian candidate as the next governor of Lagos, Governor Babatunde Fashola last Monday warned that Lagos politics would be vulgarised by such absurd cravings. But his own position on this quite complex and troubling issue was also almost reductionist. Hear him: “I read in the papers that a group is insisting on a Christian governor. I can’t recall the last time that a governor of Lagos was elected based on his religious beliefs. What will the preference for governor of one faith over the other even benefit us? Will it give one religion roads that other faiths cannot use? Will it give them schools that children from other faiths cannot attend, or will it bring water that only one faith can drink. Does hunger know your faith? Maybe we should begin to have Christian money and Muslim money; and in the blood banks, when life is being threatened, maybe we should begin to have Christian blood and Muslim blood.” Mr Fashola inappropriately tendered his opinion on the controversial call at an interfaith conference in Lagos. His arguments were persuasive, and though they oversimplified the issue, he showed a lot of courage in voicing his opinion at a forum where the import of his arguments could easily be misinterpreted in many unsettling ways. It is true that in all the governorship elections conducted in Lagos, religion never once played a role. The governor is also right to wonder whether the so-called dividends of democracy come with religious colouration. In view of the national proclivity for politicising religion, it is

probably time for office holders to work conscientiously to disentangle politics from religion. Mr Fashola’s arguments are a fair way to begin. However, his position conveniently emphasises hope over reality, theory over practice. Rather than his largely emotive arguments about the religion of his successor, Mr Fashola should have taken a more dialectical approach by widening his discourse to include a number of elements such as acknowledging rather than ignoring the changing nature of politics in Nigeria— its morphology, so to speak – and recognizing the distortionary effects of sectarian ideologies and how they shatter society’s icons. Mr Fashola’s arguments are direct and easy to understand, but they generally ignore today’s disturbing realities. I understand the governor’s adumbration of the kind of politics he wishes Lagosians to play, but I am not sure he appreciates that nothing he says, does or hopes can insulate Lagos from the new national politics, or prevent national politics from being perfused by silly and sentimental religiosity. As Lagos governor and a leader in the Southwest where religion was for a long time emasculated by politics and culture, Mr Fashola should show a holistic grasp of the new politics, understand its current but increasingly changing underpinnings, worry about the gradual erosion of the cultural leitmotif in

Southwest politics, and enunciate what needs to be done by a vulnerable Southwest to arrest the sectarian extremism convulsing the north of Nigeria. Denouncing the call for a Christian successor, especially in the brusque and sarcastic manner Mr Fashola has needlessly done, is open to misinterpretations. One of his listeners last Monday could be forgiven if he thought the governor had his own candidate, and that that candidate was in fact a Muslim. Mr Fashola is thought to be an isolationist, as this column speculates in the preceding essay. Otherwise, he should wisely begin to see the call for a Christian successor in Lagos both beyond its face value and as a gentle but frightening stirring in the coming diminution and enervation of politics in the Southwest. What the situation calls for is not suppressed disdain but a proper understanding of the sectarian currents and undercurrents gradually manifesting in Southwest politics, and the need to marshal a union of political and cultural forces to anticipate the course of the problem in the zone and proffer lasting and credible solutions. Like the north was remiss in tackling sectarian extremism early, there is nothing so far to show that the Southwest anticipates this impending complication or appreciates the regional synergy needed to tackle the menace.

vistas a little beyond the unpopular revisionist view of Lagos held by some non-Lagosians, they will recall the unsuccessful battles leading Southwest elites fought before and during the First Republic to incorporate Lagos into the Western Region. While those elites acknowledged the avant-gardism of the city and its role as a cultural melting pot of limitless possibilities, they also saw it as an effervescent conglomeration of the Western Region’s politico-cultural liberalism. To them, Lagos was not just a secular city growing phenomenally, as the current Lagos government appears to think, it was a philosophical representation and manifestation of the civilizing attributes of the days of empire. While Ondo is a normless aberration in regionalist terms, Lagos, the navel of the Southwest, now seems to think its shared history with the region/zone is less important than its future goal as an individualistic and multicultural megacity. This is a misreading of what the state represents. Much of the present Lagos State was of course a part of the Western Region. Its nascent individualism, or if you like, aspiring multiculturalism, is not, therefore, mutually exclusive of its regionalist credentials. Given the fragmented nature of African politics, not to say the evolution or unraveling of Nigeria, Lagos needs the cultural and political sinews of the Southwest both to survive and to thrive in a harsh and unjust country. It is inconceivable that Kaduna and Kano, for instance, would opt out of regional arrangements in the north should the need arise; or Maiduguri deny its historicity as a northeastern avatar; or Enugu and Port Harcourt deny themselves as southeastern and South-South entities respectively. Lagos was once federal capital, and it seeks a special status. Does its place as a regional city make it ineligible for that special consideration? Cities and states need thinkers and statesmen in order to keep renewing themselves: the former to open up new theoretical vistas for their states, and the latter to forge the skills to trudge, navigate and give a practical feel to the new paths. Many Nigerian cities, apparently including Lagos, struggle to find men who can help them bridge the chasm between the past and the future, and in particular to help them formulate a great identity that incorporates the inspiring elements of the past and the ennobling virtues of the future. They have not always been successful. I do not know where Lagos got the idea that Nigeria has outgrown regionalism. This is not only a fallacy; it distorts history in ways that make the lessons of that troubling history intellectually inaccessible. Regionalism is of course not incompatible with federalism, seeing that it stands between confederation and unitary government. It doubtless suffered problems and experienced many setbacks in the past, but successive constitutional arrangements have suffered even worse setbacks. Lagos, like many others, inappropriately uses federalism in other parts of the world as a yardstick to condemn regionalism in Nigeria. But have they asked why the developmental synergies needed to grow the economy, create wealth and narrow the gap between the rich and the poor have proved difficult to forge in these parts? No one who has perused the regionalist programme of the Southwest states can fail to appreciate the tremendous social, economic and political lift it would bring to the zone. Why Lagos is unable to understand the great leap forward that regionalism could foster is hard to explain. It is impractical to expect that the many nations existing in Nigeria can be subjected to the kind of federalism practiced by, say, the United States, where an amalgam of people was grafted upon a new land, so to speak, or by Germany of essentially one nation whose homogeneity and enlightenment have made its federalism fairly easy to practice. Lagos is wrong to denounce regionalism, and wronger still to dissociate itself from the Southwest’s call for regionalism. The Lagos position is short-sighted and counterproductive, and it ignores the dangers of stripping itself naked and vulnerable in a country where social, political and economic fair play counts for nothing.

Published by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025, Oshodi, Lagos. Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361. Marketing: 4520939, Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Telephone: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790. Website: www.thenationonlineng.net ISSN: 115-5302 E-mail: sunday@thenationonlineng.net Editor: FESTUS ERIYE