THE NATION THURSDAY 9, 2013

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Chime appears in public

INEC: we spent N122.9b on 2011 polls NEW S NEWS

Pages 2

NEWS Page 55

•57 administrators take oath

•No fresh registration of voters

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VOL. 8, NO. 2480 THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Governors rush to Villa as gunmen kill 23 policemen al-Makura, Suswam meet VP at Aso Rock Jonathan, ACN condemn Bama mayhem From Yusuf Alli, Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja and Johnny Danjuma, Nasarawa

T

HERE seems to be no stopping the bloodshed in the country, with the killing of 23 security men in Nasarawa

State.

The policemen and State Security Service(SSS) officials were ambushed on Tuesday — an incident that sent Governor Tanko al-Makura rushing to the Presidential Villa, Abuja for help.

Borno State town Bama was a scene of horror, also on Tuesday, when members of the Boko Haram sect unleashed mayhem on troops, prisons, army and police barracks.

At the end of the confrontation, no fewer than 55 people, including policemen, soldiers and the insurgents, died.

Last month in Baga, a border town between Nigeria and Niger, also in Borno State, about 185 people died in a battle between soldiers and Boko Haram fighters.

President Goodluck Jonathan and the Action Congress of Nigeria (AC N) yesterday condemned the Bama massacre. al-Makura is seeking Federal assistance to dislodge the militia group that is linked to the killing of the security operatives in Alakyq, a Continued on page 2

•A victim being rescued at about noon...yesterday

Man pulled out of Lagos collapsed building

Anxiety as security chiefs meet over Amaechi •First Lady: I’m not part of it

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HERE was anxiety yesterday in political circles in Rivers State over a meeting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, between some Presidency officials and some Rivers State security chiefs.

The agenda was not immediately clear last night, but a source said it was to discuss the political crisis in Rivers.

“They planned to how to dislodge Governor Rotimi Amaechi, “the source said.

Rivers House Speaker Otelemabu Dan Amachree has raised the alarm

•SEE PAGE 57

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

that plot to use five lawmakers to impeach Amaechi was in the offing.

There are 27 lawmakers backing the governor, who is locked in a battle of wits with some politicians for the control of the local Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the source, a close associate of the President summoned the security chiefs to Yenagoa last Saturday.

The meeting was held at the instance of the “anti-Amaechi forces,

•Ekiti State Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu (right) taking her oath of office, administered

by Chief Judge Justice Ayodeji Daramola in Ado-Ekiti …yesterday.

Watching are Governor Kayode Fayemi and his wife Bisi

Continued on page 2

•MAN UTD MANAGER FERGUSON RETIRES P15 •OYO ACN ATTACKS LADOJA P9

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

NEWS Governors rush to Villa as gunmen kill 22 policemen Continued from page 1

Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime (right), Enugu State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman (left), Chief Vita Abba and Speaker Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Eugene Odo and at the inauguration of coordinators for 57 development centres in Enugu…yesterday

Troops lock down Bama after Boko Haram attacks

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ROOPS yesterday locked down Bama, the Borno State town, where Boko Haram men engaged security men in a battle in which 55 people died.

Residents stayed indoors after coordinated assaults by heavily armed Islamist insurgents.

The military said the brazen raid was carried out by some 200 Boko Haram gunmen, who stormed the town in a convoy of buses and 4x4 trucks, armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

Disguised in army uniforms, the insurgents broke into a prison, killed 14 guards and set free 105 inmates.

They attacked a police station, killing 22 officers. Also dead were 13 Islamists, four civilians and two soldiers.

“Only a few people have ventured beyond their front doors,” said Bama resident Musa Bra. “Troops are all over the town patrolling the streets.”

He explained that many people fled to the bush after the pre-dawn attack Tuesday.

While some have tried to return, the military is screening everyone entering the town and asking for proof that they are civilians and not

From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

members of the insurgent group which has become notorious for blending in with the local population, Bra added.

“Everybody is indoors,” said another resident who asked that his name be withheld. “It is just military all over the town.”

An AFP journalist who visited Bama on Tuesday said shops, petrol stations and markets had shuttered, and there were burnt vehicles by the roadside.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday deplored the Bama killings.

In a statement, presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said: “President Goodluck Jonathan deplores yesterday’s attack by armed terrorists on Bama, Borno State which claimed scores of lives.

“President Jonathan believes that the continuation of such callous and wanton attacks of innocent Nigerians, government facilities and security formations flies in the face of ongoing efforts to establish a workable framework for dialogue and the peaceful resolution of security challenges in Northern Nigeria.

“The President warns that the Federal Government’s consideration of dialogue as an option for the elimination of some current threats to security should not be seen as a weakening of its resolve and determination to use all the forces at its disposal to crush all brazen affronts to the powers and sovereignty of the Nigerian nation.

“President Jonathan extends sincere condolences to the families and colleagues of the soldiers, policemen and prison officials who lost their lives in the dastardly attack.

“The President urges the armed forces and police not to be disheartened or daunted by the loss of their colleagues, but to remain focused and undeterred in discharging their responsibility for the security of lives and property in all parts of Nigeria with the assurance that the Federal Government will continue to give the Armed Forces and Police the fullest possible support to enhance their ability to meet the continuing challenges of terrorism and insurgency.

“President Jonathan also commiserates with the families of the innocent civilians who were either killed or injured in Tuesday’s attack on

Bama.”

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) strongly condemned the attack on Bama by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents.

In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the ACN said while every human life is sacrosanct, it is particularly saddened by the mindless killing of security personnel in the course of carrying out their duties of ensuring the protection of lives and property.

It also described as barbaric and callous the killings of defenceless citizens, especially women and children, saying the perpetrators of the act have lost their sense of decency and humanity.

The statement reads: ‘’Nothing in the world can justify the kind of killings we have witnessed in recent times, and it is high time those who are behind these orgy of violence stopped and retraced their steps,’’ The ACN said, adding that the Bama killings, coming about three weeks after the Baga massacre, portray Nigeria as a country where human life has little or no value. ‘’This unflattering portrayContinued on page 59

village10 kilometres from Lafia - the state capital.

Also at the Villa was Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, who said herdsmen had invaded a local government, unleashing violence.

Al-Makura and Suswam were received by Vice President Namadi Sambo, who stood in for President Jonathan, who is away in South Africa.

Many policemen were still missing last night, amid fears that they might have been abducted by the militia.

It was gathered that the contigent of policemen and security operatives was deployed in Alakyo village of Lafia East Development Area to raid the shrine of the militia, arrest their leader known as Baba Alakyo, and recover arms stockpiled by the group.

Commissioner of Police Abayomi Akeremale recount-

ed the attack in an interview with reporters.

He said: “We decided at the State Security Council meeting, because of the frequent attacks on churches and mosques by this particular group, which is forcing people to swear to oath at the shrine, that we carry out an operation and arrest the perpetrators for prosecution before it turns.

“The people; some called them Ombatse, but they call themselves cultural people, ambushed our men and opened fire,” Akeremale said.

He added: “The policemen were on operation to raid the place and make arrests, particularly of the chief priest, and other leaders, who have been torturing worshipers in churches and mosques to force them to swear an oath of allegiance to Ombatse.

He said the worshippers once tortured and compelled Continued on page 59

INEC: we spent N122.9b on 2011 elections

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it spent N122.9billion on the 2011 general elections, saving the nation about N9billion from the N131.4 billion appropriated for the polls.

INEC, in a document made available by its Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said there would be no fresh voters’ registration. The Permanent Voters Cards(PVCs) to be issued to Nigerians will last 10 years.

The commission said after 10 years, the National Identity Card will be used by eligible voters. INEC said it would sell off 78, 000 units of the laptop component of its DDC machines since it would no longer conduct voters registration.

The document was released against the backdrop of insinuations that about N566.2billion was spent on the elections.

The document said: “However, contrary to lingering speculations, the actual cost of the 2011 elections, including all costs involved in the voter registration exercise is N66.3 billion for Recurrent Expendi-

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

ture and N56.6 billion for Capital Expenditure – making a total of N122.9 billion or, if you like, $800.6 million at an exchange rate of N153.5 to $1, which prevailed at the time.

“This represented a savings of some N9 billion on a total of N131.4 billion that was appropriated, and a far cry from N566.2 billion speculated.”

Continued on page 62

•Jega

I’ll expose those fighting against me, says Rivers governor

I

N Port Harcourt, Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) spoke on his political battle, saying he is not running for VicePresident, as being speculated.

Amaechi said whenever he opens up; people would no longer respect any of the persons fighting him. He did not name them.

The Committee of Concerned Clergies for Peace in the Niger Delta, through its National Coordinator, Pastor Richard Ihunwo, and the National Secretary, Pastor Gabriel Adat, yesterday called for quick resolution of the PDP crisis.

The representative of Port Harcourt III Constituency in the House of Assembly, Victor Ihunwo, also yesterday raised the alarm on a plan by the 27 pro-Amaechi lawmakers to suspend him and four others for not supporting the governor .

Anxiety as security chiefs meet over Amaechi Continued from page 1

one of whom is a power broker “down”.

“At the meeting the power broker thoroughly berated the heads of the security agencies present for not tackling the ‘Amaechi situation’ clinically.

“The arrowhead (the power broker) told his fear-stricken guests that if they were all working like the State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu, the Amaechi matter” would have been resolved,” the source quoted the power broker as saying.

“The power broker purportedly told them that she is very worried that Governor Amaechi still has a stronghold on the state, despite the onslaught against From Bisi Olaniyi and Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

The others are Michael Chinda (Obio/Akpor II constituency), Kelechi Godspower Nwogu (Omuma), Evans Bipi (Ogu/Bolo) and Martins Amaewhule (Obio/ Akpor I), with the five of them loyal to the Minister of

him and his political structures, it was learnt.

The police, last Friday sealed off the secretariat of Obio-Akpor Local Council.

Amachree and members of the House have accused Mbu of working against the interest of the people.

The office of the First Lady issued a statement last night, saying she is not involved in the Rivers State crisis.

The statement signed by Ayo Osinlu, her Special Assistant on Media, said: “This is to alert the general public that insinuations are rife in a section of the public towards drawing the First Lady into the political crisis in Rivers State.

State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike.

Ihunwo said he and the four others were insisting that there was no petition against the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Loclal Government, Timothy Nsirim, who was on April 22 suspended along with his deputy, Solomon Eke, and all the 17

“According to the insinuations, the First Lady is being alleged to have summoned and held a meeting with security chiefs in Rivers state last weekend where she instructed them to take firmer action on the political crisis in the state.

“We assure all well meaning Nigerians that this is the handwork of mischief makers who are hell bent to drag the person of the First Lady into disrepute.

“We therefore, advise members of the public to discountenance such impressions, as the First Lady remains committed to peace and good governance in the country. “

councillors.

Amaechi spoke while receiving a delegation of clerics, led by the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion and Diocese of Niger Delta North, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey, at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Amaechi said: “I will speak to the state; not now. When I speak to the state, you will not respect any of these people, because I am now determined to open up. I am not running for any other position that they would say ‘okay, you must manage information, so that people can trust you’.

“ I need to quote the law and tell you what the issues are, which most people do not know. I need to tell you and ask that now, you must become your own soldiers; you must become your own policemen.

“Nobody realises how much effort we have put in place, for people to walk on the streets. Nobody realises how much money we have put in place, to make people walk on the streets. All they are interested in is how they would bring down those efforts. So, as men of God, you Continued on page 62

ADVERT HOTLINES: 08023006969, 08052592524 NEWSROOM: LAGOS – 01-8962807, ABUJA – 07028105302 COMPLAINTS: 01-8930678

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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NEWS FIGHT AGAINST INSURGENCY

Boko Haram… fro

• President Goodluck Jonathan ( middle), South African President Jacob Zuma, Minsiter of Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga (right) and South African Minister of Trade and Indusries, Dr. Rob Davies, at the South African/Nigeria Business Forum in Cape Town...on Tuesday.

The Boko Haram extremists have come a long way from their days of attacks launched on motorcycles, with weapons hidden under their flowing robes to hardened criminals well-heeled in the operations of antiaircraft guns and rocket-propelled grenades, writes Associated Press

A

• From right: Vice-President Namadi Sambo ,Swedish Minister of International Development Cooperation, Gunnilla Carllsson, Swedish Minister of Finance Anders Borg and Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Suante Kilandex when the Swedish delegation visited the State House in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

•Anambra State Governor Peter Obi (left) , President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (middle) and Minister of Agriculture Akinwumi Adeshina , during the South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum in South Africa.

•From left: Finance Director, Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc, Mr. Jasper Hammaker, the Managing Director, Mr. Nicolaas A. Verveld and Human Resource Director, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, at the company’s 2013 Pre-AGM Investors' Forum/Media briefing in Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

T first, the Islamic extremists in Nigeria’s dusty northeast rode on the backs of motorcycles, firing on government officials and other perceived enemies with worn Kalashnikov assault rifles hidden beneath their flowing robes. Now, they come prepared for war.

When Islamic fighters drove into a town in northeast Nigeria on Tuesday, they used anti-aircraft guns, mounted on the backs of trucks, to destroy nearly every landmark of the nation’s federal government. Fighters also rode in on at least one bus, the military said, while in other assaults insurgents have fired rocket-propelled grenades.

The militarisation of Islamic radicals in the north comes after witnesses saw Nigerian fighters mingle with the extremists who took over northern Mali in the weeks following a coup there.

It also comes after fighters seized massive troves of Nigerian military equipment and have received access to arms smuggled out of the lawlessness of Libya.

Those new arms, and the willingness of extremists to use them, highlight the increasing instability in Nigeria’s north and ever-growing dangers facing the nation’s weak central government.

“Each year, they grow in prominence and sophistication,” said David Zounmenou, an analyst at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa. “That’s what’s making the fighting that much more difficult for the Nigerian security forces.”

Tuesday, the sophistication of the fighters, likely from the extremist network known as Boko Haram, could be seen in their assault on Bama, a town some 65 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, the capital of

• A soldier stands in front of a damaged wall of a prison in Bama.

Borno state. The military said some 200 fighters in buses and pickup trucks lay siege to the town. In their arsenal were truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns, weapons seen during the civil war in Libya and the recent fighting in northern Mali.

That attack in Bama killed at least 42 people, as well as 13 others that authorities described as Boko Haram fighters. But the insurgents’ heavy weapons helped them overrun the barracks of the Nigerian Army’s 202nd Battalion, as well as a police station, a police barracks, a magistrate’s court, local government offices and a federal prison. The extremist fighters freed 105 prisoners during their assault, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said.

The use of the weapons marks a transformation of Nigeria’s Islamic extremist insurgency, which grew out of a 2009 riot led by Boko Haram members in Maiduguri that ended in a military and police crackdown that killed some 700 people. The group’s leader died in police custody in an apparent execution, fueling dissent that broke into the open in 2010 with the targeted killings of government officials, security agents and religious leaders who spoke out against Boko Haram.

Since then, Islamic extremists have engaged in hit-and-run shootings and suicide bombings, attacks that have killed at least 1,618 people during that time, according to an Associated Press count. That number doesn’t include the killings of at least 187 people in the fishing village of Baga during fighting between extremists and security forces, as witnesses and human rights activists say Nigeria’s military killed civilians and burned thousands of homes and businesses.

Extremist attack casualties are expected to rise as fighters now have access to sophisticated weaponry. While Nigeria’s military has fought in the past decade with

Attack underscores strength of militant group

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EMBERS of the Boko Haram militant group allegedly stormed a military compound and prison in northeastern Nigeria this week, killing dozens and freeing more than 100 prisoners.

The coordinated attack is the latest in a series of violent assaults that have taken place since war broke out in 2009 between the extremist Islamist group and the Nigerian military, and observers say neither side shows sign of deescalating.

“Heavily armed Boko Haram terrorists” launched the attack, which

killed prison guards, policemen, soldiers, and civilians, according to Musa Sagir, the military spokesman in Maiduguri. According to Agence France-Presse, the militants were reportedly wearing military uniforms during the attack.

This week’s violence follows closely on the heels of what Human Rights Watch called an “unprecedented” attack in April in the town of Baga. Some 200 people were estimated killed and thousands of homes were destroyed.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is majority Christian in the south and Muslim in the north. The militants’ name,

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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NEWS FIGHT AGAINST INSURGENCY

m… from motorcycle fighters to grenade throwers

• A picture taken on Tuesday of a vehicle burnt by the Boko Haram in Bama.

•A, Bama : A man looks at the Bama police divisional headquaters attacked by Boko Haram in Bama... on Tuesday.

PHOTOS: AFP

The people bear brunt of fight against insurgents

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N this relic of a medieval African empire, streets that were once lively markets for silk and perfumes now trade gunfire between Islamist insurgents and the Nigerian military.

Army checkpoints at intervals of 300 metres choke the roads through parts of Maiduguri, capital of north-east Nigeria’s Borno state and the centre of Boko Haram’s fight for Islamic rule.

Residents of Borno, for centuries the seat of one of West Africa’s oldest Islamic empires, then called Bornu, feel trapped in the middle, targets for both sides in a more than three-year-old conflict they fear only a negotiated settlement can end.

Along the bullet-pocked slums of Gwange and Kofa Biyu, on Maiduguri’s outskirts, bearded members of Boko Haram hide among civilians in rubble-strewn streets that are largely deserted, save a few young children playing on sandy pavements.

Grandfather Muazu Kalari said most of the adult males in his family - the ones most at risk of being killed by one side or the other - had fled since the Islamists moved in.

“My three sons abandoned their children and wives, and so I’m left to fend for my grandchildren,” he said as he arranged tomatoes on a table for sale on the empty street.

The unrest has its origins in 2009, when a cleric called Mohammed Yusuf led an uprising against the government, triggering a security campaign in which 800 people died, including Yusuf, who was in police custody.

Far from crushing Boko Haram, it triggered an angry backlash, transforming a clerical movement opposed to Western education into a violent jihadist sect that has since forged ties with Al Qaeda-linked groups in the Sahara.

Thousands have died in a conflict that has destabilised Africa’s top energy producing nation. The Islamists, who frequently target the security forces, Christian worshippers or politicians, have shown no sign of giving up and no interest in an amnesty offer floated by President Goodluck Jonathan last month.

In Maiduguri, people say a political settlement may be the only hope.

“No one believes that the military with all their big guns can stop Boko Haram attacks,” said Islamic cleric Maha Lawali. “They need to arrange a peace deal with these people.”

An army raid two weeks ago killed dozens of people in the market town of Baga, to the north on Lake Chad, prompting calls for an investigation.

On Tuesday, about 200 suspected members of Boko Haram armed with machineguns laid siege on the town of Bama to the north, freeing more than 100 prison inmates and leaving 55 people dead, the military said.

Western powers, fearing that Nigerian jihadists are tilting more towards targeting their interests, have urged Nigeria to discipline its troops and address the underlying causes of the insurgency, which stem from the north’s economic decline.

Last year Boko Haram said it wanted to revive an old Islamic caliphate, tapping into yearning for the days when Muslim sultanates thrived on trade crossing the Sahara to the Mediterranean.

Bornu was the oldest such empire in Nigeria, founded in the ninth century along the swamps around Lake Chad, and Islamicised two centuries later by Arabic-speaking gold and ivory traders plying caravan routes to Tripoli and the Nile Valley.

When Britain established a military outpost in Maiduguri in 1907, the Sultan of Bornu moved his palace there. In 1960, at independence, Borno’s markets for textiles and fish from the lake prospered, but as southern oilfields began to dominate Nigeria’s economy from the 1960s the north went into decline.

Now, even in the safer parts of Maiduguri where shops bustle and taxi horns hoot, everything dies after curfew at 6pm.

Chinese companies rebuilding roads have paused or pulled out, after Chinese construction workers were killed by gunmen earlier this year. Most flights to the city have come off schedule.

“These days, all I do is sweat in a shop for nothing,” said Tukur Modu, sitting in a store trying to sell cloth without customers.

“You pray in the mosque and for all you know there might be a Boko Haram member praying right next to you,” said Danladi Gana, whose small shop sells locally made leather goods.

“You don’t know what you might say and they will mark your face, come back later and kill you - alone if you’re lucky or with the whole of your family if you’re not.”

Fear of security forces is just as strong. Late last year Sabiyu Mohammed saw a roadside bomb hit a patrol. The soldiers started shooting randomly at people in the area, killing many, he said.

Borno State military spokesman Sagir Musa said there was no evidence that Nigerian forces targeted civilians, but he admitted that some are killed in crossfire. That doesn’t reassure residents.

“The innocent people are the ones suffering from this face off between Boko Haram and the military,” Lawali said, stepping up from his prayer mat. “We’re caught in the middle.”

•Source: Reuters

heavily armed militants and criminal gangs operating in the creeks of its oilrich southern delta, analysts and security official say those groups never had ac-

cess to anti-aircraft weapons. Nor did these groups launch attacks overrunning military barracks or leveling towns.

Where extremists gathered these sophisticated weapons also remains unclear, though they have several means available to them. A propa-

ganda video released in March by Boko Haram, featuring its leader Abubakar Shekau, showed fighters gathered around weapons they said

Boko Haram, translates literally as “Western education is a sin,” and according to The Christian Science Monitor, there are other divides between north and south Nigeria that may play a role in Boko Haram’s staying power.

It’s estimated that 70 percent of Nigerians live on less than $1.25 a day, but poverty is more prevalent up north (far from Nigeria’s oil fields and agricultural areas).

Some 75 percent of northerners live in poverty, compared with 27 percent of southerners. The great disparity between haves and have-nots, between north and south, appears to be one major draw for recruitment….

The International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a recent report that “the extent of the violence (since 2009) showed that Boko Haram was capable of mobilizing thousands of people and was better trained and armed than government

forces had thought.”

The group has said its goal is to create an Islamic state in the country’s north.

Nigeria has suffered close to 4,000 fighting-related deaths – perpetrated by both Boko Haram and the military – since 2009, reports The New York Times. A recent report by the Times notes that despite the brutal attacks said to be carried out by the militant group, on any given day, scores of bodies of suspected Boko Haram members are brought into the military hospital.

The corpses were those of young men arrested in neighborhood sweeps by the military and taken to a barracks nearby. Accused, often on flimsy or no evidence, of being members or supporters of Boko Haram … the detainees are beaten, starved, shot and even

suffocated to death, say the officials, employees and witnesses….

The military’s harsh tactics, which it flatly denies, have reduced militant attacks in this insurgent stronghold, but at huge cost and with likely repercussions, officials and rights advocates contend.

No one doubts that Boko Haram, which has claimed responsibility for assassinations and bombings that have killed officials and civilians alike, is thoroughly enmeshed in the local populace, making the job of extricating the group extremely difficult. But as with other abuses, the bodies piling up at the morgue — where it is often impossible to distinguish combatants from the innocent — have turned many residents against the military, driving some toward the insurgency, officials say.

In late April, President Goodluck Jonathan set up a committee to explore the ideas of amnesty for the insurgents and discuss compensation for victims of Boko Haram violence, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

“All Nigerians are expecting this Committee to perform magic and I pray that Allah should give you the wisdom to do so because without peace we cannot develop,” President Jonathan said, referring to the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North.

Not all Nigerians are hopeful the “magic” will be delivered.

[But] there are many Nigerians who believe that this impending amnesty is a repetition of an error; an action that may, in the immediate future and in the long run, prove to be harmful

they stole from an attack on an army barracks. Those weapons included what appeared to be heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and possibly anti-aircraft weapons, as well as ammunition and brand-new bulletproof vests.

Another source of tactics and weapons may come from northern Mali, where Nigerian extremists fought along others.

“Boko Haram will also likely recruit militants who fought and obtained new skills from warfare in Mali,” wrote analyst Jacob Zenn in a recent publication by the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Army’s West Point. “The Boko Haram attack on an army barracks in Monguno ... , in which the militants mounted weapons on four-wheel-drive vehicles, and the discovery of improvised fighting vehicles in a raid on a Boko Haram hideout in Maiduguri ... suggest that Boko Haram has already learned new methods of fighting from the Islamist militants in Mali.”

Meanwhile, arms are likely to continue to come out of Libya from heavily armed militias there, said analyst Zounmenou. Those arms can spread quickly through the Sahara Desert and into West Africa’s Sahel to Nigeria, a major shipment stop for illegal weapons, he said.

While Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has spoken before about the need to control arms shipments throughout West Africa, the trade continues largely unstopped. And as more of those weapons end up in the hands of Islamic extremists in Nigeria’s north, more violence can be expected, said Zounmenou: “They are now really going to war.” to the country! Amnesty is a doubleedged sword of a sort; it is as much a tonic as it is an elixir!

John Campbell from CFR notes, however, that “even if the prospects for success are low, as defined by the modalities, the Committee is an important step forward.

“It is a first step toward addressing the insurgency in the North by political means, rather than with a hammer. It also may create space for more political and civil society engagement in peacebuilding in the North. Jonathan even urged the Committee to make suggestions as to how the “underlying causes” of the insurgency could be addressed to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.”

•Source: The Christian Science Monitor

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

NEWS Law to protect HIV patients underway From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

A BILL seeking to stop discrimination against HIV patients scaled second reading in the Senate yesterday.

Chairman of the Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, is the sponsor of the bill entitled: “A bill for an Act to make provisions for the prevention of HIV discrimination and to protect the human rights and dignity of people living with HIV and affected by AIDS and other related matters 2013.”

The bill is seeking to outlaw the stigmatisation of HIV positive persons in all its ramifications.

In his lead debate, Okowa (Delta North), noted that Nigeria, with a national average zeroprevalence rate of 4.1 per cent and estimated population of over 150 million people, the country has a huge burden of HIV infections.

He noted that though a lot of interventions have been taken place in the HIV response in the country, significant gaps still existed.

The lawmaker said that about 1.5 million Nigerians living with HIV required treatment.

He said that 1,000 new infections occur daily.

Reps to repeal 1893 British law on sales of goods From: Victor Oluwaegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

THE House of Representatives is set to repeal the 1893 Sales of Goods Law. According to the lawmakers, the 19th century law was not only obsolete with no reference to the prevailing realties in the country but also a sad reminder to Nigeria’s colonial experience.

As the bill, sponsored by Ali Ahmed (PDP, Kwara) successfully scaled second reading, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal mandated the Justice Committee to liaise with the Institute for Legislative Studies and the Law Reform Commission with a view of identifying other obsolete laws for amendment.

According to Ahmad, who doubles as the Chairman, House Committee on Justice, the British Law regulates sales of all goods in the country except landed property.

Though he revealed that some states have repealed the law to suit their environments, it was expedient for the National Assembly to repeal and reenact it to conform with reality of the situation, in addition to regulating interstate trade.

Besides, Ahmad noted that the old law has subjected judges to excruciating experience of interpreting it, since it has all the connotation of colonial and British experience.

Jonathan nominates Nnamani, Okiro, Obi, others for board appointments (Benue); and Dr Otive Ogbuzor ORMER Senate Presi(Delta). dent Ken Nnamani and

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ex-Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mike Okiro are among those, whose names were sent yesterday by President Goodluck Jonathan to the Senate for clearance for appointments into federal boards.

Also nominated was Justice K.M.O. Kekere-Ekun for confirmation as a Justice of the Supreme Court.

Nnamani was nominated to chair the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and Okiro to head the Police Ser-

•Kekere-Ekun for Supreme Court From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

vice Commission (PSC).

Other nominees include: Aminu Dikko from Kaduna (representing the Northwest zone) as the Director -General of the ICRC; Mrs Comfort Saro-Wiwa from Rivers State (Southsouth); Janet Febisola Adeyemi from Ondo (Southwest); Mrs Yabawa Wabi from Bornu

(North east); Musa Elayo Nasarawa (Northcentral) and A.U. Kanu Abia (Southeast), all members of the ICRC. Other nominees into the PSC board are: retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Yakubu Mohammed (Northwest); retired Justice Olufunke Adekeye (Osun); Aisha Larai Tukur (Taraba); Mrs Comfort Obi (Imo); Chief Torngee Gem Toranyiin

The President Jonathan also wrote to withdraw the nomination of Mr Adesoji Olaoba Efuntayo as the Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Efuntayo was replaced with Mr. Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo (Southwest).

He urged the upper chamber of the National Assembly to confirm the nomination of Mr. Adulphus Joe Ekpe as the Director-General of the National Lottery Commission (NLC).

•Tambuwal (second right) greeting BoT Secretary Senator Walid Jibril and Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha welcoming Chief Anenih to the Assembly... yesterday PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

Army tackles insecurity with ballons From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

T

HE Nigerian Army yesterday unfolded a new technology aimed at tackling insecurity.

According to the army, the new device, called “balloons”, would be used for information and intelligence gathering to tackle terrorism and other forms of crime.

Speaking at a one-day seminar organised by the Army Transformation and Innovation Centres (ATIC) for officers and men of the 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo, Ibadan, Brig-Gen Nwokoro Ijioma, said the technology would better equip the army in combating the menace of insecurity.

In his lecture entitled: ‘Transforming the army into a force better able to meet contemporary challenges”, Ijioma said ATIC was aimed at repositioning the army to address new challenges.

He said the balloons were developed in 2012 for information and intelligence gathering to tackle terrorism and other forms of crimes in the land.

Ijioma said: “The balloons will be used in information and intelligence gathering.

This will help to tackle acts of terrorism. They have since been upgraded.

“The ATIC has been tasked to optimise and implement the vision of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) by providing the lead for improvement.”

PDP lawmakers seek membership of party’s NEC

C

HAIRMAN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT), Chief Tony Anenih was at the National Assembly yesterday. He met separately with the leadership of the upper and lower legislative chambers.

Expectedly, Senate President David Mark and Speaker Aminu Tambuwal led other lawmakers to host the BoT chair, whose mission was to smoothen executive/legislative relationship.

There was, however, a mild drama at the House of Representatives when Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila showed up in Room 414 at the Representatives wing of the National Assembly, where Anenih and the PDP lawmak-

•Gbajabiamila challenges ruling party’s BoT chair on 2015 From Onyedi Ojiabor, Sani Onogu, Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

ers were meeting behind closed door.

Anenih, Tambuwal and the PDP members were shocked when Gajabiamila, an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) representative from Lagos State,barged into the meeting venue.

The Minority Leader shunned efforts by the Speaker’s security details to stop him, despite being told that the meeting was mainly a PDP affair.

When Gbajabiamila entered, he made straight for Anenih, who on sighting him, jokingly

asked him to come and take a seat beside him, offering the Minority Leader a PDP ticket.

“We will see in 2015” Gbajabiamila replied, challenging Anenih and the PDP members on 2015 elections.

Tambuwal was in the middle of a speech when Gbajabiamila entered.

The Speaker told the PDP BoT delegation that the 7th House would continue to put the executive arm of government in check with the provision of the 1999 Constitution.

Tambuwal said: “We have been working closely with the party and the executive arm of government to do exactly what we have campaigned for on the platform of our party.

“We will continue to give Nigeria the best as an arm government, and as representatives of the people.”

In his earlier remarks, Anenih said: “I have said it to people asking for Sovereign National Conference that, there is nothing National as the National Assembly”.

According to him, the meeting was to discuss the insecurity and the relationship between the executive and the legislature.

He said the relationship with the party and other arms of government will also be discussed, adding that it would, however, be done “in family manner.”

Mark urged the PDP leadership to include federal lawmakers in the party’s National Ex-

Alleged money laundering: EFCC arrests Sylva

F

ORMER Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva was yesterday re-arrested for money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft commission said Sylva was arrested in his Abuja house.

But the actual amount involved in the money laundering was unknown as of press time.

It was the second time Sylva would be arrested by the agency,which had earlier arrested and detained the former chief executive officer of the oil-rich state on June 15, last year.

The EFCC has stumbled on fresh evidence of alleged

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

massive acquisition of some property by the ex-governor.

It was gathered the previous investigation could not unearth the latest strand of money laundering.

According to a statement by the commission’s spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the former governor was picked up at his No. 3, Niger Street, Maitama, Abuja home.

The statement reads: “On arrival at the facility at about 10am, the commission’s operatives were told the exgovernor was out of town but they insisted on conduct-

ing a search on the house having obtained a warrant from the court.

“During the search, vital documents were obtained.

Ironically, the ex-governor, who was said to be out of town was later found hiding in a dingy corner in the upper chamber of his expansive mansion.

“He was immediately taken away and is currently being interrogated at the Abuja headquarters of the anti- graft agency.

“He is being grilled in connection with fresh evidence linking him with a bouquet of fraudulent transactions that borders on money laundering.

“Part of the new evi-

dence includes a number of eye-popping real estate acquisitions in Abuja.

“The arrest of the former governor is sequel to his refusal to honour invitations by the commission.

“Rather than appear before the EFCC, he got his lawyers to inform the commission that he was unable to appear because he was sick, and hospitalised in Lagos. The lawyer had promised to appear with his client on May 7, 2013 but failed to do so.

“The commission warns that it will no longer tolerate the antics of suspects who treat its invitation with levity.”

ecutive Committee (NEC).

He also called on the warring groups within the party to ceasefire in order to effectively implement the party’s agenda.

Mark said: “As elected representatives of the people, we can make meaningful contributions for the benefit of the citizenry.”

According to him, lawmakers are true patriots, committed to making good laws that would reflect the true state of the Nigerian people.

“The National Assembly is the engine room of democracy and government and therefore should be given its pride of place, the Senate President said.”

He also pledged the loyalty of the National Assembly and promised to continue to work for the peace, unity and progress of the nation.

Wada assures rulers of support

G

OVERNOR Idris Wada of Kogi state said his administration will continue to support traditional institutions to discharge their duties effectively.

Wada made the pledge yesterday when the Attah Igala, Michael Idakwo Ameh Obani visited him in his office.

He said he will give full recognition to all traditional rulers.

According to him, Attah Igala as the chairman, Kogi traditional council plays a great role in unifying not only Igala people but the entire state and that he looks forward to him to unite Igala people and the entire state.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

7

NEWS Army devises new balloons to tackle insecurity

Ohakim: I wished I died before Pini Jason

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

•‘He was my rock’

F

ORMER Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim was emotional yesterday as he reflected on his relationship with the late columnist and veteran journalist, Mr Pini Jason Onyegbadue.

The Vanguard columnist, who died at the weekend, was the former governor’s aide.

Ohakim said it would have been better if he had died before the columnist because it would be difficult for him to cope without the late journalist.

The former governor showed the depth of his relationship with the late journalist when he visited the deceased’s family in Lagos.

Ohakim said: “Pini was a rock. He was our Rock of Olumo. He was a master and we all learnt from him.”

He described his State Executive Council (Exco) as the best across Africa.

According to him, there were 16 Ph.D holders in the Exco of 18 members.

• Ohakim (left) consoling the wife of the late Pini Jason, Priscillia in Surulere, Lagos...yesterday.

By Precious Igbonwelundu

The former governor recalled that the deceased only complained of kneel aches during their last month’s medical tour abroad.

Ohakim said: “How I wished I even died before Pini!

It would have been better for me because I cannot imagine how I will cope. Right now in his house, I have told him to tell me how I will manage, be-

cause he was my rock.

“In the military, there is what will call S and T, which is where you get supply from at the war front. He was our S and T and was supplying us with motivation, programmes and plans. Then we continued to be in the trenches today because he was giving us lifeline.

“Now that he is no more, I do not know whether we are to surrender? But I have assured him that surrender is out of the ques-

tion. So, I have told him to tell us what to do right here in his house and he should provide the answers to our questions. I am demanding for an answer and want to get it before I leave his house.

He should tell me why now?” Ohakim lamented.

Recalling their last social outing, the former governor noted that the deceased with his wife, Obby, visited him during the Eid-el-Moulud and had bar-

N1.9b subsidy fraud: EFCC can’t clarify disparity in allegations against four marketers

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday failed to clarify the discrepancies in the N1.9 billion fuel subsidy fraud charge preferred against four oil marketers and their company.

An investigative officer with the EFCC, Mr. Damon Yelma, under cross-examination

by Mr E. D. Onyeke, the counsel to the first defendant, Walter Wagbatsoma, admitted that the EFCC did not carry out any investigation to clarify the discrepancies in two shore tank certificates said to have been issued by Obat Oil Limited on a transaction.

Yelma was testifying at the beginning of the trial of the marketers - Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo-Ngadi, Fakuade Babafemi and Ezek-

By Adebisi Onanuga

iel Ejidele – as well as their firm, Ontario Oil and Gas Limited.

The trial was opening before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Yelma told the court that he was in the team of investigators that probed the petition sent to the agency by the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke, concerning the subsidy payments to some oil marketers.

He alleged that from the investigation, Ontario Oil was overpaid twice for the importation of petroleum products.

According to him, the firm, in the third quarter of 2010, imported 10 million and 12

million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) but obtained subsidy payments for 19 million litres from the PSF for each of the transactions.

Yelma said the owners of the tank farms, where the products were discharged - Obat Oil Limited and Integrated Oil and Gas Limited - gave the EFCC some documents to back the claims.

Under cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, Mr E. D. Onyeke, the EFCC official could not substantiate the allegations when he was presented with two copies of Shore Tank Certificates issued by the owners of the tank farms.

Onyeke said: “Two separate shore tank certificates were issued by Obat Oil Limited on the transaction. The one, which

had only the stamps of Obat, shows that 10,146,494 litres were discharged. The other certificate, which has Obat’s stamps and signature with that of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), shows that 19,523,892 litres were discharged.”

The lawyer said the same discrepancy was noted in the transaction involving Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, adding that the EFCC still failed to carry out further investigations.

He said: “All documents generated in the course of these transactions, including the bills of lading, cargo manifests and haulage reports, showed that at least 19 million litres of PMS were imported each time.

The trial continues today.

Constitution review: Reps will align with the people, says Tambuwal

H

OUSE of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has said the House would remain on the side of the people as the National Assembly reviews the Constitution.

The Speaker spoke in Lagos at the 11th year anniversary and annual lecture of the Crusade for Justice, with the theme: Oil and Gas, Human Rights and the Nigerian State: An Overview.

Tambuwal was represented by a lawmaker, Adekunle Adeyemi, at the event, which was held in honour of the Speaker and Justice Ngozi Osadebey-Azinge of Delta State High Court at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja.

Tambuwal said the House is pushing for items on the Exclusive List to be on the Concurrent List.

By Adebisi Onanuga

He said: “On the issue of the ongoing review of the Constitution, we are working to ensure that all items on the Exclusive List are pushed to the Concurrent List and, if possible, to the Residual List.”

The Speaker said the House has always been on the side of the people on matters of importance and would continue to do so in line with what the Crusade for Justice stands for.

Dr. Yemi Oke, of the PostGraduate School, University of Lagos (UNILAG), presented a paper entitled: Oil and Gas, Human Rights and the Nigerian State: Right-Based Approach to Energy Governance in Nigeria.

The academic noted that the controversy generated by the 10 per cent share proposed to

the resource-bearing communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has shown a lack of congruent framework for fair distribution of the gains from the exploitation of oil and gas and other natural resources in the country.

He said: “The nature of the Nigerian state is such that a development strategy, anchored on exploitation or utilisation of natural resources, may hardly produce a win-win situation between local owners of the resources and other stakeholders due to the current political economy of impunity in resource utilisation. These result in inequitable and socially unjust distribution of the resources.”

Oke noted that the violation of human and environmental rights may continually pitch

PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

becue.

He said they also discussed the state of the nation for about two hours.

Ohakim said: “I recall vividly that during the last Muslim holiday, Pini came with his wife, Obby, and the three of us with my children had barbecue. We spent almost two hours discussing the state of the nation and that very day remains one of the best moments in my life.”

THE Nigerian Army yesterday said it has devised a new technology to tackle insecurity across the country.

The new devise, called ”balloons”, will be used for information and intelligence gathering to tackle terrorism and other types of crime, the Army said.

Addressing a seminar organised by the Army Transformation and Innovation Centres (ATIC) for officers and men of 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo, Ibadan, the Director, Lesson Learnt of ATIC, Brig.-Gen. Nwokoro Ijioma said the new devise will enable the Army to combat the insecurity facing the country.

In a lecture entitled: Transforming the Army Into a Force Better Able to meet Contemporary Challenges, Ijioma said the ATIC was repositioning the Army to address new challenges.

He said new balloons were developed last year for information and intelligence gathering to tackle terrorism and other forms of crimes in the land.

Lawyer sues airline for N125m over cancelled flight

By Joseph Jibueze

A

LAGOS lawyer, Mr Ikechukwu Chiaha, has sued Arik Air Limited at the Federal High Court, Lagos, for N125million over alleged cancellation of his flight to Abuja.

During the trial before Justice Nasir Yunusa yesterday, the lawyer said following the cancellation, he missed a legal brief worth N50million after his client accused him of not being seriousness.

The lawyer prayed the court to order the airline to refund him the lost N50million, pay him N18,000 as cost of the air ticket, and N75million as general damages.

He also sought interest on the total at 21 per cent from September 1, 2010 until judgment is delivered, as well as the cost of the action.

Chiaha said he bought an Arik air ticket through Zenith Bank on August 31, 2010 and was issued a boarding pass, numbered ETKT 7252416610757-1.

The flight was billed to depart Lagos for Abuja at 7.30am on September 1, 2010.

The lawyer said he was at the airport as early as 5.45am, was checked in by Arik officials and boarded the plane.

But the plane did not take off at 7.30am, as scheduled, the plaintiff said.

According to him, he and other passengers waited till 10am; yet, the plane did not take off.

Chiaha said Arik Air officials later told the passengers that the plane was prevented from flying that day because the airline had allegedly not paid navigational charges to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

‘NAFDAC will eradicate fake drugs’ From Nike Adebowale, Abuja

T •Tambuwal

the oil producing communities against operators, especially the multinational corporations, unless there is a clear departure from the existing political order.

He said: “Abject poverty, violent clashes, kidnapping, extortion, over-invoicing, subsidy fraud and other despicable ills characterised the oil and gas sector of Nigeria.

HE National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has restated its determination to rid Nigeria of fake drugs.

The Chairman of the agency’s Governing Council, Prof. John Ibu, spoke yesterday in Abuja at the end of the council’s twoday maiden meeting.

He said the agency was mandated by President Goodluck Jonathan to eradicate fake drugs from the country in order to safeguard the health of residents.

This, he promised, the agency will accomplish.

According to him, Dr Jonathan and the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, have given the agency the mandate to eradicate drug counterfeiting across the land.

Prof Ibu said: “NAFDAC aims to eradicate fake drugs, adulterated food and adulterated table water to make the nation healthy because a healthy nation will have a healthy economy.”

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Dr Paul Orhii, expressed optimism that the agency will succeed in the fight against fake drugs and food.

He said: “We have signed a contract with the Minister of Health to eradicate fake drugs from the country, and this is the goal NAFDAC hopes to achieve.”

8

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

NEWS Fayemi opens 128-stall market From Sulaiman Salaudeen, Ado-Ekiti

E

KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday inaugurated the 128-stall Awedele Neighbouhood Market in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

Fayemi said the stalls were built to accommodate displaced traders from Bisi Market, which was partly demolished during the expansion of the AtikankanFirst Baptist road, now Funmi Olayinka Drive.

He said it would be improper and unsafe for traders to display their wares by the road side.

Fayemi said five more neighbourhood markets would be built in Ado-Ekiti and the remaining 15 local government headquarters

by October.

He said the government plans to give loans to traders, adding that women empowerment is not limited to the female gender, but extends to the family and the society, which are the indirect beneficiaries.

The governor said his wife, Erelu Bisi, will soon tour local governments to assist women financially and offer free health services to traders through her foundation, the Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF).

The State President of Market Women, Chief Waye Oso, thanked the governor for his “timely intervention” and empowerment programmes. She said although the traders requested umbrellas to erect mini-stands, the government gave them befitting stalls.

The market women sang various songs in appreciation and pledged their support for the governor’s re-election next year.

Alhaji Kareem Gbadegesin dead ALHAJI Kareem Alade Gbadegesin of Ile Ogbun Isale-Basorun in Oyo, Oyo State, is dead.

He died on April 24 at 98.

His 40th day Fidau will hold on June 2 at his Oyo home.

The late Gbadegesin is survived by grand children and great grand children.

Adelabu sworn in as Ekiti Deputy Governor P

ROFESSOR Modupe Adelabu has been sworn-in as Ekiti State Deputy Governor.

The 63-year-old Professor of Education was sworn in yesterday by the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, at the Lady Jibowu Hall of the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from across the country.

Governor Kayode Fayemi said Mrs. Adelabu’s appointment was received with “overwhelming approval from the people because she is a round peg in a round hole”.

Fayemi said he was confident that she would perform excellently.

He urged her to continue to endear herself to the people as she steps into the large shoes of her predeces-

•She’s a round peg in a round hole, says Fayemi

From Sulaiman Salaudeen, Ado-Ekiti

sor, the late Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka.

Fayemi said Mrs. Adelabu possesses the leadership qualities expected of a deputy governor.

He traced her lineage to three royal families in AdoEkiti, Ise-Ekiti and IjeroEkiti, where her parents and her late husband hail from, saying this must have given her the experience needed to lead.

Urging Mrs. Adelabu to justify the confidence re-

L

A

N annual lecture is to be held in honour of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

The inaugural edition will hold on May 24 at the auditorium of the Osun State University, Osogbo.

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka will chair the occasion.

Former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is the Special Guest of Honour.

National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will deliver the maiden lecture, titled: Political parties and nation building in the eyes of the world: Lessons for the Nigerian State.

Mr. Omobayo Aworele, the Chief Executive Officer of 1401 Solution Concept Limited, the organiser of the event, said 10 governors are expected at the lecture.

Osun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Sunday Akere is the Chief Host.

Osun PDP member remanded From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

A

•Ajimobi (middle); his deputy, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo (right) and the Chief of Staff, Dr. Adeolu Akande (left); at the retreat...yesterday.

PHOTO: OYO STATE HOUSE.

Two years on, we’ve made a difference, says Ajimobi

O

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has said the policies of his administration are aimed at making life easier for the people.

He said gone were the days when public office holders focused on what they could get from the government and not what they can offer the state.

Ajimobi spoke at the International Institute of Tropical

Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, the state capital, during a three-day mid-term performance review retreat for commissioners, special advisers and senior special assistants.

He said his administration has attracted quality and dedicated appointees.

The appointees were asked to give stewardship through power point presentations, which were appraised by

Nigeria has a bright future, says Ikuforiji AGOS State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji has said Nigeria has a bright future.

Ikuforiji spoke in his office at the Assembly Complex on Tuesday while receiving an award from members of the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM), who visited him.

NYM President Folarin Adekanbi, who led the youths, described Ikuforiji as an extraordinary person, “given his sterling contributions to the growth of Lagos State”.

He said the Assembly, under Ikuforiji’s leadership, has formulated laws and policies to create jobs, tighten security, attract investors and strengthen good governance.

Adekanbi said the award

posed in her by the people, the governor advised her to ignore subversive criticisms and rumours peddled in the social media by detractors.

He said the late Mrs. Olayinka warded off the unfounded rumours and criticisms through her selfless service.

Mrs. Adelabu said the late Mrs. Olayinka would be remembered for her selfless service to the people. She pledged to continue with Mrs. Olayinka’s good works and complete them.

Mrs. Adelabu pledged to justify the confidence reposed in her.

She said she was accepting the new assignment “in faith and not in fear”.

Also at the event were Fayemi’s wife, Erelu Bisi; former Governor Niyi Adebayo; former Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Alani Akinrinade; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; the Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida; the Chairman of the Ekiti State Traditional Council and Owa Ooye of Okemesi, Oba Gbadebo Adedeji; the Ewi of AdoEkiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe; House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin; former Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment Mrs. Teju Philips and the State Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Jide Awe, among others.

Aregbesola Lecture May 24

days have shown that we are on the right course and our people have not made a mistake by putting us here.”

He said his administration is determined to make a monumental difference in governance, adding that it has laid a concrete and unprecedented foundation.

Some of the appointees said the retreat has put them on their toes to perform optimally.

Ogun: we didn’t deduct salary to fund projects

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By Oziegbe Okoeki

was to appreciate the speaker’s philanthropic gestures and encourage him to do more.

Thanking the youths, Ikuforiji said: “Though the future of this nation looks gloomy and uncertain presently, the sense of responsibility espoused by some youths show that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Many youths are still awake, watchful, vigilant and mindful of what public office holders are doing.”

The speaker said he believes in one indivisible and progressive nation, adding that what Nigeria needs to grow is “the right leadership at all levels and tiers of gov-

their colleagues.

Ajimobi said: “The purpose of this retreat was to appraise our performance as is done in all forward-looking human endeavours. We needed to be scientific to statistically appraise what previous administrations had done in all sectors of the economy and what we have done in the last two years.

“The comparative analyses we have done in the last three

N Osun State Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, yesterday remanded a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Toyin Adesina, in prison custody.

Adesina was arrested last Friday in Ikirun for allegedly promising the electorate jobs and cash in exchange for their voter’s cards.

She allegedly claimed that she would get them jobs through the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P).

Police Prosecutor Mireti Wilson told the court that seven voter’s cards were found on the 42-year-old woman.

Wilson said she conducted herself in a manner likely to breach the peace by “fraudulently obtaining voter’s cards belonging to none PDP members”.

Adesina pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.

Defence counsel Akinlolu Adeyemi urged the court to grant his client bail, but Magistrate Olusola Aluko said the bail application should be formally filed.

Magistrate Aluko remanded Adesina at Ilesa Prisons and adjourned the case till May 31.

•Ikuforiji

ernment”.

Urging youths to remain committed to the struggle for a change in Nigeria, Ikuforiji said: “The future is in your hands. I do not want you to waste your time or allow those before you to waste your future. Remain dedicated to the efforts to create a better Nigeria.”

HE Ogun State Government has debunked reports that it deducted money from workers’ salary to pay the N340 million West Africa School Examination Certificate (WAEC) fees of pupils and to fund road projects.

The Head of Service (HoS), Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, spoke yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, during a meeting of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC).

Mrs. Adekunle said the recent increase in the deduction from salary was to make up for the backlog of unpaid pension contribution by workers.

She said the Consortium for the Administration of Salaries and Pensions (CASP) had been under-paying Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) for some time with the little amount deducted from workers’ salary, adding that the arrears was deducted from last month’s salary.

The HoS said workers may contact their PFAs for clarification and assured them that everything will normalise from next

month.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to the welfare of workers, Mrs. Adekunle said: “Governor Ibikunle Amosun will continue to do what is expected concerning the Civil Service in view of its importance to the policy formulation process. He has vowed that the massive infrastructural development will not hinder the growth of other sectors of the economy.”

She urged trade unions to always resolve issues through dialogue, adding that “with the proper use of the negotiating council, trade disputes that could lead to severe industrial actions would be nipped in the bud”.

The Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Establishments and Training, Mrs. Yetunde Kujore, said the meeting was an avenue for labour and the government to discuss issues affecting workers.

JNPSNC Chairman Sunday Adeegbe urged the government to appoint a Permanent Secretary for the Bureau of Pensions to fast-track pension payment.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

9

NEWS

Osun is not broke, says O Aregbesola

SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday debunked the rumour that the state is broke.

He said Osun is economically strong, despite the massive construction work going on across the state.

The governor spoke in Osogbo, the state capital, after inspecting some on-going projects.

He said contrary to speculations in some quarters that the state was insolvent, its economy was growing.

Aregbesola described some opposition leaders, particularly in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as “political jobbers”, who cannot see anything good in his ad-

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

ministration.

He urged the people to disregard the rumour, saying: “Do not mind their claim that the state is bankrupt. You can see that there is massive construction work going on everywhere. If the state is insolvent, will there be these kind of development in virtually all areas?

“Osun is not insolvent. The question of insolvency should not even arise at all.

They are just jabbering and we will not be distracted by

their negative comments.”

On why he had not been inaugurating projects since he assumed office, Aregbesola said the inauguration of projects was meant for lazy leaders.

He said in advanced countries, leaders do not roll out drums to inaugurate projects, adding that such ceremony was a waste of public funds.

Aregbesola said: “Our administration does not believe in inaugurating projects. We believe it is the people’s projects, so why

Ogun is investors-friendly, says Amosun GUN State Gover-

O •Aregbesola

must you inaugurate it. In advanced countries, we do not see leaders inaugurating projects the way we do in this country.”

He expressed satisfaction with the work done by the contractors handling various projects, adding that they were working according to specification and should complete the projects on schedule.

Oyo ACN: Ladoja is frustrated

T

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State has described former Governor Rashidi Ladoja as “frustrated”.

It accused Ladoja of inciting the people against the government.

The party was reacting to Ladoja’s comments that the ACN-led administration was responsible for the dispute on rotating the chairmanship

of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dauda Kolawole, ACN said Ladoja was trying to “rehash the politics of hate and falsehood to gain undue advantage”, adding that Oyo has left that era.

It said being a chief of the Olubadan, Ladoja could not feign ignorance of the fact that the issue was pending in

court.

ACN said: “The rotation of the council’s chairmanship is in court. That Ladoja is bringing it up with the aim of setting the governor against a man he reveres and setting the Obas against one another is not new to us. What is new is that, this time, he has chosen to disrespect the judiciary by commenting on a matter that is before it.

“The relationship between

the Olubadan and the governor is that of father and son. In appreciation of the governor’s efforts to beautify Ibadan, the Olubadan would next week install him as the Aare Atunluse of Ibadanland.

“Ladoja is frustrated that his campaign of calumny has not worked. The Olubadan has continued to appreciate the governor’s efforts to develop the state.”

nor Ibikunle Amosun has assured prospective investors of value for their investment in the state.

Amosun spoke at the justconcluded Canada-Nigeria Trade Investment Conference held in Toronto, Canada.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo and some governors also attended the conference.

Amosun said the necessary policies, infrastructure and atmosphere have been put in place by his administration to make the Ogun a haven for investors.

He said the five cardinal programmes of his administration were carefully packaged to better the lot

of the people and create a conducive environment for investors, who “will complement the government’s efforts and restore Ogun’s glory”.

The governor said the concerted investment drive of his administration has started yielding results, adding that investors have been responding favourably to it.

Amosun, Sambo, Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Yero and top Nigerian government officials toured a pharmaceutical industry owned by a Nigerian in Canada, Intellipharmaceuticals International.

The governor said his administration would partner the company to establish a similar industry in Ogun.

Lagos health council meets tomorrow

T

HE LAGOS State Council on Health will meet tomorrow at the Civic Center at Victoria Island, Lagos, to fashion out a sustainable policy to improve healthcare.

The theme of the meeting is: “Creating universal access to healthcare in Lagos State”.

Commissioner for Health Jide Idris said the meeting will discuss viable options in healthcare financing, reducing maternal and child mortality and access to healthcare.

He said the government plans to encourage prepaid

healthcare payment system.

Idris said: “The meeting will not only address how to ensure proper healthcare for our people. We will also looking at the physical aspect, that is, structures, locations and accessibility, which form part of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4, 5 and 6.”

He said the government will continue to sensitise the people on reproductive, maternal and child health and promote collaboration with related sectors, such as education, water, sanitation, transportation and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Rotary’s free healthcare for 100,000

H

•Muri-Okunola (middle) flanked by Commissioner for Information and Strategy Lateef Ibirogba (right) and the Registrar of PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES Titles, Mrs. Dayo Akitoye...yesterday.

Lagos gets N10.2b from land deals

T

HE Lagos State Government has generated N10.275 billion from land transactions in the last one year.

The Permanent Secretary of the State Lands Bureau, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, spoke at the Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, during a ministerial press briefing to commemorate Governor Babatunde Fashola’s sixth anniversary in office.

Muri-Okunola said the figure was 6.6 per cent lower than the N11 billion recorded the year before and blamed the situation on the global financial crisis.

He said the bureau had mapped out strategies to generate more revenue before

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

the end of the year and improve its services.

In the period under review, 2,321 Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) were issued.

Muri-Okunola said the government will start issuing C of O electronically from August. He urged residents, who acquired property before the advent of the Land Use Act in 1978, to regularise their titles.

The permanent secretary decried the rising cases of encroachment on government land, saying: “The alarming rate of encroachment on land belonging to the state government is a matter of great concern.

Some residents, communities and traditional rulers illegally sell government land, especially in Magodo and Igbogbo.

“The public are advised not to patronise criminal land speculators, as all infringements by way of erecting illegal structures on government land will be sanctioned.”

He said the government paid N2.56 billion as compensation to residents, whose property were demolished during the expansion of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Lekki-Epe expressway and the Ago-Palace way in Isolo.

He said that government had also allocated land in

certain cases to individuals who opted for this option in lieu of monetary compensation.

Muri-Okunola said: “Before the year runs out, at least, N5 billion will be paid as compensation to those affected by the Ikorodu road expansion, the Lekki Airport project and the resettlement project for the Free Trade Zone.

“Those affected by the construction work on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and Okota Link Bridge will also benefit. The property were acquired for public good and as a responsible government, we compensating the owners so that they will not suffer.”

UNDRED thousand people in Ogun and Lagos states are to benefit from the three-day free health mission of the Rotary International District 9110, Nigeria.

The District GovernorElect (DGE), Olugbemiga Olowu, announced this yesterday at the opening of this year’s Rotary Family Health Days (RFHDs) in Lagos.

Olowu said the organisation will sensitise people on family health, polio, HIV\AIDS, malaria, diabetes and cataract.

He said the programme, which is the second edition, will offer free health care services in 78 locations in Ogun and Lagos states.

At the event were Ogun State Health Commissioner Olaokun Soyinka; Director, Primary Healthcare, Lagos, Dr. K. Babs Sagoe and the Medical Director of Olaniba Memorial Specialist Hospital, Dr. Adenike Olaniba and a member of the Centre for Disease Control, United States (US), Gary Whauer.

The guest speakers were Dolapo Lufadeju and Deinde Shoga.

Olowu said: “Approximately 900 Rotarians from 62 Rotary clubs will assist the medical team at the locations.

“The programme is about Rotarians taking the lead in a massive health campaign and living their motto of Service Above Self.

“Over the three days, testing and counselling of over 20, 000 people for HIV\AIDS will take place simultaneously in the two states.

By Precious Igbonwelundu

“Other services will include malaria screening; cervical and breast cancer screening; diabetes and blood pressure screening; polio immunisation; de-worming; distribution of treated malaria nets and sanitary towels.

Our mission is to improve the health status of the people through the prevention of illness and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

“In 2012, Rotarians from 54 clubs reached out to 38, 200 people. This year’s programme has been enlarged to reach 100, 000 people from 78 sites across both states.”

Soyinka hailed Rotary for the initiative.

He said: “For us in Ogun State, were are making efforts to complement Rotary’s efforts by pioneering community-based health insurance scheme.

“The pilot stage was inaugurated recently and we will soon kick off the sheme.”

Mrs. Olaniba said the country must act fast to improve its health indices from 191 out of 197 countries.

She said: “We have to sensitise and mobilse ourselves to improve this abysmal health indices.”

Lufadeju said modern contraceptive prevalence in the country is 9.7 per cent, adding that the maternal mortality rate is estimated at 545 per 100,000 women.

He recommended stronger coordination of activities, greater focus on technical implementation, as well as strategic integration of key programme areas and resources.

10

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

NEWS

Bama: Shettima adopts kids of slain policeman

‘We joined APC to reclaim Nigeria from PDP’

T

•Donates N5m to victims

A

S 300 have become internally displaced in Bama, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday adopted three children of one of the 22 policemen killed in the Tuesday attacks on the town by Boko Haram insurgents.

The adopted kids are Saviour, Emmanuel and John.

Their father and mother died in the bloody invasion of mobile barracks.

But the fate of the Divisional Police Officer for Bama was unknown as of press time.

It was unclear whether he was dead or alive.

Shettima, who adopted the children when he inspected gory scenes of Tuesday attacks, also donated N5million to the relations and families of the slain police officers.

The governor said: “Actually it is not easy to lose a single soul, but the case of these children is quite different as they lost their entire parents. For this, I’m personally adopting them and will treat them as my own blood children.

“In fact from now on, they will be under my care, their

From:Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

feeding, education, shelter and other needs, will be my responsibility.

“I am adopting the children to give them a sense of belonging and offer meaningful contributions to their up-bringing.

Addressing over 300 Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) at a refugee camp, the governor said: “I feel your pain but you should consider this incident as an act of God. “We have adopted concrete security measures to forestall a recurrence of the incidents in future.”

The Police Area Commander, ACP Sagir Abubakar said: “We are ever ready to continue partnering with the state government to see to the end of the insurgency.

“As at this time, the whereabouts of the Divisional Police Officer(DPO) of the area is unknown. We have not found him dead or alive. We have not been able to establish contact with him.

The governor also visited the palace of the Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Kyari Ibn

Ex-NBA chief Olanipekun seeks probe of the Judiciary

A

GAINST the backdrop of perceived corruption, bribery and other unwholesome practices in the Judiciary, a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has canvassed the setting up of a commission of enquiry to purge the Judiciary of sundry ailments.

The senior lawyer said the commission , which should be set up by the Federal Government, would also “be saddled with the responsibility of looking into the ways and manners the judges are appointed to the superior courts of record, including but not limited to the character of each judge, his learning, experience, background, disposition, orientation, school background, cases handled before appointment, industry, diligence, state of mind, among others”.

Olanipekun spoke at the second edition of Dr. Akinola Aguda memorial lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS).

The legal luminary noted that “while corruption in the political, social, economic, educational, industrial, executive and legislative sectors, which is condemnable and ruinous, I dare say corruption on the Bench is suicidal to a nation.

Speaking on the lecture, entitled: The Law As an Endangered Specie, the erudite lawyer said the commission of enquiry should be made to determine and delineate when and how the Nigerian Judiciary derailed, bearing in mind that the judiciary and the legal profession started very well by producing judges and jurists who were once respected.

Reps invite IGP over ‘complicity’ in Igala communal crisis From Victor Oluwaseguna and Dele Anofi, Abuja

T

HE House of Representatives has summoned Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar over communal crisis in Igala community of Kogi State.

The summon followed a petition to the House Committee on Public Petition by Elders Forum of Igalamela/Odolu, in which the police were accused of complicity in the protracted crisis in the last 12 years.

Committee Chairman Uzo Azubuike said Sections 62, 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution empower the committee to entertain such petitions against public officers.

He said: “The invitation is aimed at ensuring that the police step up its investigation and prosecution on the communal clashes which claim lives daily. It is hoped that invitation of Abubakar and current Commissioner of Police in Kogi State would assist the committee in getting to the roots of all allegations raised in the petition.”

The petition reads in part: “Igalamela/Odolu local government area has witnessed series of violence and crimes over the past twelve years perpetrated mostly by militant youth groups under various aliases, formed and nurtured by one Friday Abdul Sani a member of Kogi State House of Assembly’’.

•Shettima

Ibrahim El-Kanemi, which shares same fence with the Bama prison yard where 14 prison personnel were killed.

He said the government would pick the medical bills of police officers wounded at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for proper treatment.

HE National Chairman of Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Sir Oliasemeka Akamukali, yesterday said members of the party resolved to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reclaim the country from the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP).

He said APC platform will give Delta State people the opportunity to rescue the state from a visionless party.

Aka m u k a l i , w h o a d dressed reporters in Abuja, also announced the dissolution of Delta State Executive Committee of the DPP and its replacement with a caretaker committee, headed by Mr

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor, Abuja

Cyprian Mbudiche Ashibuogwu.

Besides the dissolution of the Delta State Executive Committee, Akamukali said the purported suspension of Senator Pius Ewherido, himself and few others was null and void.

He said: “I call on all Deltans not to be discouraged by the antics and machinations of self-conceited politicians.

“The APC provides us the best opportunity to wrest our state and country from the claws of economic vampires and cavalier politicians.”

He recalled that contrary

to insinuation by those he called “renegades” in the DPP, the National Executive Committee meeting of the party, on February 15, resolved to join other political parties - the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) - to form the APC. He listed chieftains of the party that were in attendance as Senator Ewherido, Austin Ogbabuhon, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, Chief Great Ogboru, Comrade Frank Kokori, Julius Okpoko and himself.

“All of us including Chief Great Ogboru, and Conrade Kokori endorsed the merger with APC,” he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

At the moment there is an average of about 18 hours per day of constant power supply to different parts of the country. This feat was brought about by the implementation of the integrated power sector reform programme anchored on the power roadmap.

- Minister of Information, Labaran Maku

‘Close Circuit projects on course’

‘Africa requires $100b for infrastructure’

By Lucas Ajanaku

F

OR Africa to effectively tackle the various chal lenges bedeviling the continent, it must build the necessary infrastructure across transport, communication and energy sectors, President Goodluck Jonathan, has said.

President Jonathan, who spoke in an address at the World Economic Forum, said Nigeria expects an annual $10billion investment in power for the next decade, adding that $100billion is required yearly for the next decade.

T

HE Lagos State gov ernment yesterday said its world class forensic laboratory project and installation of Close Circuit Camera (CCC) across the state are all on course. It added that the two projects will be executed to benefit all the residents of the state.

Speaking during a ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Commissioner, Science and Technology, Mr Adebiyi Mabadeje, said technology remains the infrastructure of future, adding that even developed countries continues to invest massively on information technology infrastructure both software and hardware.

“The Lagos State Government has approved the establishment of a world class Forensic Laboratory to assist the security agencies and judiciary in properly investigating crimes and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” he said, adding that land for the project has also been secured on the outskirts of Lagos.

He lamented that the absence of a standard forensic laboratory in the country delayed the early release of the corpses of the ill-fated Dana Air crash that happened in the country as all the necessary tests needed to be done had to be carried out abroad.

On the CCC project, he said contrary to insinuation that the Federal Government had directed that the state government stopped the project because it is implementing similar project in the state, the commissioner said rather than stopping the implementation of the project, the Federal Government sought the collaboration of the state government which the state government acceded to.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$107/barrel Cocoa-$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,800/troy ounce Rubber -¢159.21pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N10.6 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion RATES Inflation -9% Treasury Bills -7.08% Maximum lending -22.42% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -2% 91-day NTB -15% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $48b FOREX CFA -0.2958 EUR -206.9 £ -242.1 $ -156 ¥ -1.9179 SDR -238 RIYAL -40.472

• From left: Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umar Ibrahim; External Solicitors, Mr Saidu Abubakar and Mr Habibu Adamu, at NDIC Sensitisation Seminar for External Solicitors on Wednesday in Abuja

Reps to probe NIMASA over N40b vessel fund T HE House of Repre sentatives is set to probe the handling of the N40billion Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF ) by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Security Agency ( NIMASA).

The investigation was prompted by the discovery that the fund has been trapped in some designated banks.

Following the adoption of the motion raised by Hassan Saleh (PDP, Benue), the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, constituted an ad hoc Committee that would also determine the total amount that had been generated under the fund since inception.

The Committee that was given four weeks to turn in its report, was also requested to ascertain the banks warehousing the funds and their level of participation in the scheme.

The fund was established by the Cabotage Act, 2003, to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity by providing financial assistance to Nigerian operators in domestic coastal shipping.

Saleh, regretted that rather than stimulate Nigeria’s

• Split over foreigner’s participation in petty trading

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

maritime growth through participation of indigenous ship owners in maritime transport, the fund has remained inaccessible to Nigerian maritime investors.

Besides, more than N40billion is allegedly trapped in designated commercial banks, a development that has defeated the purpose of establishing the fund, he noted.

“The actions of the banks and NIMASA have defeated the laudable objectives of the fund. If the maritime sector was fully developed, it had the potentials to generate much revenue as the oil sector.

“More than 90 per cent of the country’s international trade was being carried out on the sea. Only 20 active Nigerian registered vessels were handling the country’s external trade, while the remaining percentages are

owned by foreigners,” he added.

Kingsley Chinda ( PDP, Rivers ) said the motion has exposed the fact that Nigeria has weak institutions, which are responsible for the problems we have in implementing statutes and policies.

“But if passed, the maritime sector would be taken over by Nigerians,” he said.

Friday Itulah ( PDP, Edo ), noted that Nigerians’ participation in the cabotage industry was not satisfactory, adding that there was a need for Nigerians to look inward to develop the economy.

According to Patrick Ikhari ( PDP, Edo), if the economic sector was well managed, the management of other sectors would not pose any problem.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives was divided yesterday over how to protect Nigerians from foreign incursion and takeover of petty and retail trading in the country.

While some felt that foreigners should be prevented from petty trading and retail business through the instruments of law, others opined that making it a law would be counter-productive as retaliatory action from other countries should be expected.

The bill for an Act to Amend the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act, sponsored by Saviour Udoh (PDP, Akwa Ibom) generated heated argument on the floor but the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal had to intervene before it scaled second reading.

The Speaker, after an exhaustive debate prevailed on his colleagues saying Nigerians should rather be given the opportunity to decide what they prefer out of the available.

Opponents of the bill that included Nnenna Ukeje (PDP, Abia) said cation must be exercised because, Nigerians being migratory in nature that are all over the world should be taken into consideration.

She said: “The backlash of reciprocity should be considered because we have Nigerians in other countries of the world. Should Nigeria shut her borders against foreign investment, what happens to our unemployed youths that we hope get engaged through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)?”

NCC slams N53.8m fine on operators over SIM registration R

EGULATOR of the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NNC) yesterday imposed a total fine of N53.8 million on all mobile phone service providers in the country over fraud discovered in ongoing national subscriber module identity module (SIM) registration exercise.

A statement endorsed by its Head, Media & Public Relations, Reuben Muoka, noted that the action of the NCC was “In furtherance of the enforcement of the provisions of the Telephone Subscribers Registration Regulations 2011,” which prohibits mobile service operators from pre-registering SIM cards.

By Lucas Ajanaku

(Asst. Editor, Business)

According to him, the fines imposed are based on the number of fully activated new SIM cards that were either reported to the commission or purchased in compliance monitoring and enforcement exercises conducted by the Commission, and validated by the offending network. Each pre-registered SIM discovered attracts a penalty of N200,000.

Accordingly, Airtel Nigeria Networks Ltd is liable to payment of a fine in the sum of N8. 6 million for the availability of 43 pre-registered SIM card during the

exercise while Emerging Markets Telecommunications Service Ltd (EMTS) or Etisalat is liable to pay a fine in the sum N5million having been found guilty of pre-registering 25 SIM cards.

Globacom Ltd will pay N11million for being in possession of 55 pre-registered SIM cards while market leader, MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd is to pay N29.2 million over 146 pre-registered SIM cards discovered on its network.

All the service providers have been given seven days within which to pay the fine, failure of which at-

tracts N500,000 for any additional day that the contravention persists.

The NCC, in the notice of sanction to the service providers signed by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, and Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Engr.

Ubale Maska, said the fine is in exercise of its discretionary powers following prior warnings in April 2012 that mobile network service providers will be liable for breaches by their registration centres carrying out pre-registration of new SIM cards for sales, since it is the providers that activate these new SIM cards.

NNPC blames poor power supply on transmission hitches From Emeka Ugwuanyi (Houston Texas)

T

HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora tion (NNPC) said the current poor power supply being experienced by Nigerians is due to transmission system challenges and not because of inadequate gas supply as purported by the Ministry of Power.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo had told reporters in Abuja that gas supply constraint has been responsible for inability to wheel available generation to the grid for transmission and distribution to Nigerians, which the NNPC said is not correct.

But the Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, NNPC, Dr. David Ige who spoke to The Nation on the issue, said currently, there is enough gas to meet generation demand but the transmission system has some temporary and short term challenges making it unable to evacuate available power.

He said that actually the available gas is inadequate for all the power plants being put in place. He said this is an issue the corporation recognises and is working hard to address but noted that it is incorrect to say that insufficient supply of gas is responsible for power supply problems now.

He said that some of the available gas is shut-in because there is no generating plant that needs gas.

Ige said Nebo’s comment should be made in context because right now an average Nigerian that doesn’t see light shouldn’t blame it on gas supply even though there is more generating capacity than gas supply. “If the transmission is fixed the available gas can generate and distribute 4.7 gigawatts (GW) now. We achieved 4.5GW sometime last year and I must tell you our gas supply has continued to increase since then.

The issue now is dealing with short term transmission problem,” he added.

12

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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

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

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LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

we are honest enough to ask why one agency failed.”

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in his contribution noted that though he has no problem with the idea of creating a financial free zone, the Senate should find out if such a centre required the passage of a bill to come into existence.

He recalled that when the National Assembly attempted to create the Industrial Court, it was cut short by the Supreme Court.

He said that the Constitution had to be amended before the court was created.

He said that it should be considered whether a financial free zone should crop up on its own without necessarily coming through a bill.

Senate Leader, Senator Victor

Ndoma-Egba, in his lead debate noted that the bill is proposed to give legislative backing for the establishment of an international financial centre that would act as a catalyst for economic growth in the country in particular, and sub-Saharan Africa in general.

He said if established, the centre will focuse on a broad range of financial and ancillary services driven by a unique and separate regulatory, administrative and judicial framework in line with global standard.

Ndoma-Egba said that the bill seeks to accomplish the following broad objectives plugging West Africa especially Nigeria into the global financial system in furtherance of the region’s economic growth and development.

Ndoma-Egba said the centre would also exploit the gains of an international financial centre in

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

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LAGOS – UYO 10.35

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LAGOS – MAIDUGURI 1. IRS 11.15 13.15 2. Arik 15.50 18.00 08.00 18.00

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

raising the GDP per capita income and general standard of living as in United Arab Emirate, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, United States and South Africa.

The centre, he added, would facilitate the diversification of the region’s economy via increased contribution to the financial sector, drive the entrenchment of a global best practice in the country’s financial markets, contribute to the development of human capital through association, knowledge and skill transfers.

The Senate leader said that in the contemporary times, only three Nigerian banks are rated among the world’s 500 banks, the highest ranked, being 317th.

He said that the size of the country’s Stock Exchange is also small compared to the world’s leading exchanges.

He said, “Our country is positioned as the heart of Africa, very easy to access and linked to the rest of Africa. Nigeria is a coastal nation accounting for more than 60 per cent of the total seaborne traffic in volume and value for the entire subSaharan Africa.

“Our dear country is also the hub for leading global airlines in West Africa. There is no gainsaying that trade and commerce is the lifeblood of our nation with over 60 million micro enterprises in existence.

“There will be no major language barrier because Nigeria is an English speaking country and English is the primary language of business globally.”

Sub Sahara Africa, Asia fastest growing trade zones

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

LAGOS – ILORIN 1. Overland 07.15 2. Arik (M/T/TH/F) 17.30

From: Onyedi Ojiabor, Asst. Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20

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HE Senate yesterday took steps to create a financial free zone for the country.

This followed the second reading of a bill entitled, “A bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian International Financial Centre to provide for a Financial Free Zone to offer a full range of Financial and Allied Services.”

Most senators supported the bill but Senate Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central) made spirited effort to point out some flaws in the bill.

Adeyeye drew parallel with the establishment of the export processing free zone and the proposed financial free zone, wondering why Nigerians have not bothered to find out why the export free zone failed.

He said Nigeria will “work not because we established one more centre, but Nigeria will work when

08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40

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

1. Arik 2. Arik 3. Arik

Senate moves to create financial free zone

• From left: Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr Yemi Kale; Economic Advisor, UNDP, Mrs Colleen Zamba and Director, Real Sector and Household Survey, Mr George Oparaku at the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Production and Management of MDAS’ Sector Statistics in Abuja on Wednesday.

Non-interest banks to start paying premiums soon, says NDIC

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ON-INTEREST De posit Money Banks will soon start making premium contributions to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the Managing Director, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, has said.

Ibrahim, who spoke yesterday at the sensitisation seminar for NDIC solicitors in Abuja. said these bank’s deposit insurance coverage is different from other conventional banks since it is governed by non-interest banking philosophy and regulations.

He said: “We will soon request them (non-interest deposit money institutions) to start making their contributions. In a couple of weeks, Jaiz bank will soon start paying premium or contributions having clocked one year, and also, StanbicIBTC Bank’s non-interest window will also attract coverage.”

What the NDIC will do is that the monies collected by way of premium will be separated from monies or premiums collected on in-

From Nduka Chiejina, (Asst. Editor)

terest bearing deposits, he said, adding that such collection will be invested in non-interest bearing instruments that the Debt Management Office and the Central Bank of Nigeria are trying to float.

He explained that should “such a bank go under and we come to reimburse depositors, monies that would be paid will also be compliant with the regulations of noninterest banking.”

On how much depositors of noninterest organisations would be entitled to in the event of such institutions failing, the NDIC boss said, “it will be within the normal threshold for conventional banks and financial institutions.

“If it is a normal interest bearing institution, we pay you N500,000 upfront if the bank fails, and then subsequent payments would be made as we recover debts, and if it is a microfinance bank or a primary

mortgage institution, we pay N200,000 upfront. So it is the same threshold for non-interest deposits.”

The NDIC boss lamented that the corporation was having difficulties recovering debts owed to failed banks due to the corporation’s “inability to trace the debtors, lack of collateral and other related challenges.”

He identified other challenges the corporation is facing to include; “the problems of excessive litigations which makes it difficult for the corporation to wind up failed banks and settle depositors and other creditors within reasonable time; execution of court judgements against the assets of the corporation as the liquidator of failed banks based on the misunderstanding of the role of NDIC, and the lack of proper understanding of the distinction in the legal status of NDIC as liquidator/deposit insurer by legal practitioners, the court and the public,” he said.

‘Oil production in Nigeria costs 40% more’

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HE Chief Executive of Seplat Petroleum De velopment Company Limited, Austin Avuru, an indigenous independent oil production and exploration company, has lamented the high cost of oil production and exploration in Nigeria. He said it costs 40 per cent more to produce than in other countries.

Avuru, who spoke during the Pe-

From Emeka Ugwuanyi (Houston Texas)

troleum Technology Association of Nigeria’s investment forum at the on-going Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, said high production cost is a serious disincentive to indigenous marginal operators.

During the panel session, which focused on the Petroleum Indus-

try Bill (PIB) and its challenges, he noted that the majority of the stakeholders had focused on fiscal terms of the bill, while neglecting the high cost of exploring and producing oil in the country.

He said: “Today, the cost of oil exploration and production in the country is 40 per cent higher that what it should be. We want a PIB that will address this issue.”

UB-SAHARAN Africa is now competing with Asia to be come the world’s fastest growing region, a commissioned research report conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), has shown. It said the growth is being driven by rising urbanisation, a young population and the emerging middle class.

For certain countries, crucial economic reforms, combined with rising government spending and strengthening ties with fast-growing economies in Asia, will help drive future growth, the report added..

Director General, Dubai Chamber, H.E. HamadBuamim, who released the report, said thereport highlighted the growth potential of Africa for companies in the Middle East, adding that Africa offers the highest return on direct foreign investment in the world, according to the UN trade agency, UNCTAD. “Therefore, the Dubai Chamber is extremely pleased to be organising the Africa Global Business Forum 2013, in partnership with COMESA Regional Investment Agency, where regional companies will hear from leading dignitaries both from Africa and the Middle East as to how to address the challenges of doing business in Africa in order to maximise the region’s business growth potential.”

Also, PratibhaThaker, Regional Director, Economist Intelligence Unit Middle East & Africa, said: “Business perceptions of Sub-Saharan Africa are changing. Structural changes over the past decade have brought more political stability and economic growth to the continent, despite some marked exceptions. A new business mentality and an increasing consensus on economic policy have both helped.

Findings of the EIU report confirm both the growth opportunities and associated challenges in key sectors of the sub-Saharan Africa region’s economy, such as agriculture, banking, infrastructure, reail and telecommunications.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

INDUSTRY

Minister: Fed Govt to finetune multilateral trade policies

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HE Federal Government is to finetune multilateral trade policies, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has said.

This, he said would be done through the execution of liberalised trade and economic policies.

At a workshop on trade facilitation in Abuja, Ortom said the government was committed to trade facilitation and trade related financial services. The government, he said, was desirous of a smooth and effective import and export procedure relating to customs and port clearance; border management and performance monitoring systems; trade documentation and tariff development.

He said as a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Nigeria would intensify efforts to play a collaborative role in shaping multilateral trade policies.

“Mr President is committed to the reform and customs modernisation that will create the necessary enabling environment for investment and trade facilitation.

“It will also enable our seaports, which have excellent facilities to regain their pre-eminent position in the West Africa sub-region. The

Stories by Toba Agboola

government is committed to continue with the reform of the Nigeria Customs Service, which started in 2004. The objective of the reform is to have a service that is responsive to the demands of a rapidly globalised economy in terms of human capacity and ICT infrastructure, which are necessary for the effectiveness of trade facilitation,” Ortom said.

He commended the management of Customs for the full automation of the goods clearing system and the re-positioning of the Customs Service to meet WCO/WTO standards and ensuring that international requirements are met.

He said the concern for trade facilitation, which led to WTO negotiations to remove trade inhibitions at the borders, has reduced trade among countries.

The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, who was represented by Comptroller Azarema Abdulkadir, said trade can be facilitated through an update of customs procedures to a modern technology standard, adding that the Customs Service has undertaken

this since 2006 through the development of customs single window for trade; Nigeria Integrated Information System (NICIS); establishment of Nigeria Trade HUB website and Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), which covers valuation, classification and risk management for imported goods.

He said the harmonised processes and policies have contributed immensely in the improvement of Customs operations and speedy clearance of goods and increase government revenue, and that the organisation would continue to collaborate with stakeholders to enhance global trade facilitation and increase government’s revenue.

The Director, Nigeria Shipping Services, Mrs. Dabney ShawHolmer, said Nigeria’s participation at WTO negotiations was aimed at helping traders and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to have access to trade laws and regulations of their trading partners in a more transparent manner.

She said an important step was to periodically conduct the needs assessment and utilise the result to develop the skills for favourable negotiations with Nigeria’s trading partners.

LCCI urges CBN to review monetary policy

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HE Lagos Chamber of Com merce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to review its Monetary Policy Ratio (MPR) to grow the real sector.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Financial Services Group of LCCI in Lagos, the Chamber’s Director-General, Mr Muda Yusuf, said the CBN’s reforms had stabilised the economy.

He said there was need to relax the MPR to aid the growth and contribution of the real sector to the economy.

He urged the CBN to reconsider its decision on the MPR to boost real sector.

He said: “We expect the CBN to continue to maintain the MPR at 12 per cent considering the inflationary pressure that still persists but may ease the MPR mid way 2013.”

He said the inability of most firms to meet NSE’s post-listing requirements is a major hurdle in accessing funds on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) through listing.

He said: “We have provided different products to address different needs of different markets. For our $1 trillion target, we are working to ensure that the market is not over-hit. We are watching closely to ensure that the fundamentals are right.”

Muda urged the Federal Government to involve local meter manufacturers in the Transformation Agenda in the power sector to boost the country’s Gross Domes-

•Muda

tic Products (GDP).

He said the government should renew its commitment to patronage of local manufacturers of prepaid meters.

Muda said though the Federal Government has announced its intention to patronise locally manufactured goods, this has not been done.

“Local manufacturers, including meter manufacturers, have been groaning in loss due to very low patronage they have been experiencing. We want the Federal Government to renew its commitment to start patronising local meter manufacturers to boost their production,’ he said.

He also said the low patronage of local products often accounted for poor quality and packaging of their goods, which many had complained about.

NEMA hails NACCIMA

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HE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has hailed the Nigeria Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) for its N250million emergency relief project aimed at supporting disaster victims.

Speaking at the launch of the project in Abuja, NEMA’s DirectorGeneral, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, said the project was timely, because many communities are confronted with various challenges of natural and human induced disasters.

According to him, the reason NACCIMA is suporting the fund is borne out of the strong desire to reduce the impact of disasters, ensure the speedy recovery of affected

•Left to right: Labour Minister Emeka Wogu, Bombardier Aerospace Director, Jean Monty, Akwa-Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, Bombardier Chief Executive Officer Pierre Beaudoin, Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and Minister of Trade Olusegun Aganga during a visit to Bombardier’s plant in Toronto, Canada.

SON won’t extend deadline for e-registration

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HE Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has ruled out the extension of the June 30 deadline for the electronic registration of products.

Speaking with The Nation, SON Director-General, Dr Joseph Odumodu, said the deadline had earlier been shifted from May. In February, the agency launched electronic registration to check the influx of fake and substandard products into the country.

Odumodu said under the exercise, products would have an electronic registration code for easy identification of both manufacturers and importers.

Any product that does not carry SON electronic code by June, he said would be seized and destroyed.

The aim of the exercise he said, was to ensure a stress-free registration by operators, adding that it would mark another impor-

tant step in the effort to rid the country of substandard products.

He said: “Any product that does not carry the SON electronic code

by June 2013, will be removed from the market and destroyed by the agency.”

Odumodu said the agency would set up an electronic security system with the electronic registration with other agencies to give an alert on the arrival of products.

“At present, we have improved collaborations with relevant authorities in order to achieve this objective. The essence of this is to build a database on details of all the products in the market.

“We need to have a link with the products by having all the details; we will not accept any product that has no product liability.

“One point I would like to stress in talking about is that we need to change our strategy and we would do most of the things we

did last year, but some additional things would be included and I will explain why we have to do them. We have to do them for sustainability, to also connect to the world.

“When I started this job, we all focused on the prevalence of substandard products in Nigeria and the challenge of standardisation is that it is measured in terms of the prevalence of substandard product. It is an outcome of a failed system or a non-existed system that leads us to what is currently happening now,’’ he said.

Odumodu said the organisation would focus on promoting certified indigenous products.

He said the agency had started a regime aimed at ensuring that any product was traceable.

“You must be able to tell its characteristics, such as who made it and who brought it into Nigeria, among others,’’ he added.

persons and their means of livelihoods and partner with government in the development of the country.

The NEMA helmsman advocated a synergy between the government and the private sector to restore normalcy and ensure the achievement of the set targets of development.

He observed that members of the private sector through NACCIMA are looking beyond the profitability of their shareholders and are investing their resources in the service of humanity as part of their corporate social responsibility.

“This commendable initiative of NACCIMA, which is in line with global best practices presents a win-win scenario for both the private and public sectors of the economy,” he said.

EU, Nigeria sign N18b pacts

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HE European Union (EU)has signed three agreements worth 89 million euro (about N18 billion) with the Federal Government to support the non-oil sector and other related developmental programmes.

Speaking at the event, which held at the Ministry of National Planning in Abuja, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr David MacRae, said the grants would impact on the targeted sectors and help the country in leveraging its successes and supporting the efforts to attain of the Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs’) targets.

The Secretary to the National Planning Commission, Fidelis Ugbo, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsuddeen Usman, and for the Federal Government, said with the deals, the EU would provide the cash, noting that it will help Nigeria achieve the MDGs. He expressed optimism that the grants would assist the country in achieving its developmental goals as enunciated in the Vision 20:2020, the administration’s Transformation Agenda and the imminent Second National Implementation Plan.

SMEDAN, Bayelsa partner on MAME

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HE Acting Director General , Small and Medium Enter prises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr Wale Fasanya has said the agency is Committed to sustain its partnership with the Bayelsa State government so as to boost the MSME sector in the state.

Fasanya made this remark during a courtesy visit to the Bayelsa

State Governor, Henry Dickson at the Government House in Yenagoa.

He said the recent survey that was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that the state has over 400 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), but 99 percentage of this groups falls within the micro and informal sector.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

INDUSTRY

WEMPCO’s debut ignites hope for Nigeria’s steel industry The coming on stream of Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO) has provided the vista of hope required to ignite the comatose state of the steel sector, SIMEON EBULU, Deputy Business Editor, reports

• President Jonathan (third right) cutting the tape to inaugurate the WEMPCO Steel Mill plant. With him are (from left) former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Dele Alake, Sada, Ogun State Governor, Senator Amosun, Mr Tung and Dr Aganga.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

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HE steel sector so widely recognized as essential for industrialization, but largely neglected, is gradually receiving attention. Steel, in all its ramification, is regarded as the pivot around which economic activities and development revolve worldwide. Its relevance has universal appeal, but for some inexplicable reasons, Nigeria, despite of its gifting in this resource, has not lapped on its advantage. But all that is changing now, perhaps.

The successful execution and commissioning of the Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO)s, a private sector initiative by President Goodluck Jonathan last month, may well be the elixir needed to ignite both government and private sector interest required to harness and unbundle the untapped resources in the sector. WEMPCO is evidently a privately owned entity, but its bold initiative in the steel sector is “a clear evidence of commitment to the industrialization, job and wealth creation for the nation,” said the Group Managing Director, Mr. Lewis S. N. Tung, stressing that “steel is very crucial and fundamental to any industrial development in any country.”

Mr. Tung underlined the WEMPCO’s commitment to making a success of the venture, just as it has done with its other 12 subsidiaries, saying that the firm sources almost 90-95 per cent of its raw materials locally, and has gone ahead to obtain two licenses towards actualizing the first backward integration agenda in steel making.

Jonathan could agree less, While inaugurating the plant, he said: I strongly believe that self-sufficiency in steel production will open major downstream sector activities with the attendant massive job opportunities and economic empowerment for our engineers, artisans, fabricators,” and all those that have to do with the steel sector.

He assured existing and prospective investors of government’s support to collectively strive for self-sufficiency in local steel production, but enjoined WEMPCO to continue to strive to expand its current production capacity, which presently stands at 700,000Metric Tonnes, “to gradually meet the nation’s demand of flat sheet steel,” estimated at three million Metric Tonnes by the end of 2013, and 12million Metric Tonnes by the year, 2020, and fast-track its backward integration drive in the steel sector, saying that with such a move, the problems of Ajaokuta will be addressed.

The President’s avowed commitment to promote the steel sector and WEMPCO’s leap in actualizing the dream, mark a turning point in the nation’s quest to be counted among steel producers, a journey that started over 50 years ago.

The starting point was the search for appropriate local inputs, the characteristics of which determined the particular technologies that would be used. To this end, Iron ore was located at Agbaja, Itakpe and Udi; suitable Limestone at Jakura, Mfamosin and other parts of the country. Coal deposits were always there at Enugu, while potential cokeable coal was struck at Lafia.

Between 1961 and 1965, many firms from the industrialized nations of the West submitted proposals for the construction of an integrated Steel Plant in Nigeria. In 1967, a UNIDO survey identified Nigeria as a potential steel Market. This led to the signing of a bilateral agreement between the defunct Soviet Union and Nigeria, leading to the arrival of Soviet steel experts to Nigeria to conduct a feasibility study.

The overriding objectives of the steel industry is to be able to meet the demands for cast iron, rods and bars, wires, structural steels, flat sheet steels, and also the entire spectrum classified as flats, stainless and other special alloy steels, rails and pipes, as well as Plates in its various sizes in width and thickness.

Former President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and technocrat of many years in the Federal Civil Service, Alhaji Basir Borodo, gives insight into the steel sector unfolding development. “I think this thing started right from

our independence. I recall when we were in the universities in the ‘60’s, we were among the students who were saying that Nigeria should start steel production. So the idea was there. During the time of Yakubu Gowon, we also thought about it. It was a very important thing in his agenda. The thing started in the ‘80’s when we had some rolling mills that were working – the one in Katsina, Jos and in Delta – were all doing well. We were all waiting for Ajaokuta to be completed and the thinking was that we were going to get the materials from either Guinea or some other place.”

Borodo explained that the drive to develop the steel sector was well on stream, until the advent of military coups that led to the incessant change of governments altered the equation.

“Everything was on course until we had a change of government. This has been our major problem, lack of consistency. If we had been consistent about all these things (six steel production mills), we wouldn’t have been in this mess,” he said, adding that the main challenge was that every Minister, or person that came introduced their different views.

“So the key thing really is that things went wrong in the steel industry because we are not consistent,” he stressed.

He however expressed satisfaction that the private sector has taken up the gauntlet. It is very encouraging that people in the private sector are going into the steel industry on their own, and are moving ahead, he said.

Borodo agreed with Mr. Tung that Nigeria is well positioned to be a giant in steel making because she is endowed with oil and gas which are essential raw materials, iron ore, coal, human resources, as well as a huge internal market, adding that the only thing lacking is the machinery and the technology, which Tung said can be sourced from countries like China, Japan, Germany and the United States of America. “ If it is steel, oil or gas, God has given us all that, it’s only a matter of we actualising the potentials,” Borodo said.

He said the WEMPCO venture is a clear demonstration of implicit confidence of the management to the nation, as well as the industry.

He said: “It’s a matter of state and commitment. I’ll go further to say that they have been in this country for over 60 years. They started from a humble beginning. Some of the people in the management did their secondary schooling here, in Abeokuta. You can say they’re foreigners, but in terms of what they have done and what they are doing, they are Nigerians and that is the key. Sometimes, it takes somebody who is from a place and who has the love for a place to

‘Everything was on course until we had a change of government. This has been our major problem, lack of consistency. If we had been consistent about all these things, we wouldn’t have been in this mess.

The main challenge was that every Minister, or person that came introduced their different views. So the key thing really is that things went wrong in the steel industry because we are not consistent’

take this big investment risk. We have seen some foreigners who when they have made their money and when there is no adequate infrastructure, they just pack to more favourable economies, or just go home. The question about why they took this huge risk is because in their heart, they are Nigerians and they have the interest of Nigeria in mind.

There are some other foreigners who have also demonstrated this.”

The former MAN helmsman, said there were obstacles, but that government remained consistent and lent the required support. He was pleased WEMPCO did not disappoint anybody that had faith in them. “It is a very positive development and I hope others will follow. In this country, without adequate government support, hardly will there be any meaningful industrial development. This applies to whether it’s a new investor, a foreign investor or a Nigerian investor, but what we need are people that will deliver and transform this country,” he stated.

Borodo assured WEMPCO that MAN will take care of its own stakeholders no matter what, saying that government should take steps to ensure adequate protection for manufacturers, no matter the sector. “I remember we had this issue on cement some years back when government allowed people to import cement into this country. I said then that, look, you can’t do this, if you do this you are going to burn those who have invested in cement and nobody will come and invest. Government should continue to support them, whether they are in steel or cement. If you look at the history of this country, most of the industries that were supported or protected have survived. Any industry that is 5060 years old- the breweries, the flour millers, they are still around and they are growing. If you remember, we had only one company that was milling all the flour, but today, they’re probably ten or more and its better for Nigeria,” he argued.

“I think the issue now has to do with the government. Our government has to be very clear that if it is steel, we want at least 60-70 per cent of it with Nigerian materials, otherwise, the danger is that subsidised steel could come in. Even though WEMPCO for example, has done a lot of local value addition, with several people working there, a subsidised product could come in and they may not be able to compete over price. This is something, one has to look at carefully and protect the local manufacturers. In doing so, it is not only protecting WEMPCO, but also others who are producing steel in different ways. That is the important part, but we have to appreciate the fact that the critical thing about steel is that if you want to industrialise, you must be able to produce steel, otherwise, you are almost wasting your time, Borodo, cautioned.

Cognitive support for the sector was also echoed by the Minister of Steel Development, Musa Sada, and his Trade and Investment counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, who stressed collaboration between the Federal Government and the private investor in moving the steel industry in the country forward. The said government has provided an enabling environment suitable for private investors to enable them participate in the production of steel and its bye products.

Sada, underscored government’s resolve to develop the steel segment, including mining, saying they provide huge employment opportunities. He said government will only regulate the activities of the sector, and give support to companies when necessary. “To the best of our understanding, the Federal Government has taken the right position. No country in Africa has the highest steel manufacturing companies than Nigeria. The steel industry is the backbone of industrialisation in any country, and Nigeria is not an exception. The steel industry also has the highest employment in countries of the world and Nigeria is ready to develop its steel industry to boost the economy,” he added.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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COMMENTARY FROM OTHER LANDS

EDITORIALS

Kingmaker mentality •Dokubo, Kuku and others have to purge themselves of this: ‘if not Jonathan, who’?

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LTHOUGH still two years away, Nigeria’s next general elections billed for 2015 seem a matter of life and death for some devotees of President Goodluck Jonathan who might be seeking a second term in office. This is a terrifying development because it not only endangers the soul of the country; it is also contemptuous of the supremacy of the people, a principle that is generally recognised as a cardinal feature of democracy.

The most recent indication of the desperate kingmaker mentality of some Jonathan supporters was the ridiculous bullying tactics employed by Mujahid Asari Dokubo, a former Niger Delta militia leader. He told reporters at a news conference in Abuja: “The day Goodluck is no longer the President; all of us who are on sabbatical will come back. There will be no peace, not only in the Niger Delta, but everywhere. If they say it is an empty boast, let them wait and see.” The sheer audacity of his position raises a question about the basis of the overconfidence, quite apart from the fact that his statement was blatantly irresponsible.

It is intriguing that Dokubo, a former leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) and former President of the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), attributed the relative peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta, previously a hotbed of disruptive militancy, to the activities of the Jonathan presidency rather than the Federal Government amnesty programme fashioned in 2009 by then President Umaru Yar’Adua. He compounded his illogicality with the introduction of a deplorable ethnic colour to his reasoning, claiming

that Jonathan was occupying the presidential seat by virtue of his nativity as an Ijaw from the Niger Delta.

Disturbingly, his declaration that Jonathan was entitled to an uninterrupted two terms as president echoed the thinking of Mr. Kingsley Kuku, presidential adviser on amnesty. A week earlier in the US, Kuku reportedly predicted “dire consequences” should Jonathan miss re-election in 2015.

This emerging pattern has the tint of blackmail, and it is unacceptable. It is a settled matter that under the democratic system of government, which is in place in the country, the electorate is king and electoral office is not automatic for anyone. The logical implication of the sovereignty of the voters is that they, and not anyone else, ultimately decide who should rule. So, it amounts to impotent wishful thinking on the part of Dokubo and Kuku to imagine that they can determine the people’s choice for the exalted position, based on their own narrow interests.

Indeed, their approach does disservice to Jonathan’s ambition, in case he has any.

There is always the likelihood that their attitude, which bespeaks an imposition, would result in alienation of the voters.

Fighting on Jonathan’s side or speaking for him should have limits. It would be immensely worrying and disappointing, though, if their outbursts happen to mirror Jonathan’s mind on the issue. It is noteworthy that neither Jonathan nor the presidency has made any move to discourage such Goodluck Jonathan-at all-cost mind-set.

Related to this unbridled loyalty to

Jonathan is Dokubo’s reported description of Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi as a traitor on account of his alleged presidential ambition. This characterisation further betrays his incredible thought that Jonathan deserves a second term unopposed. It constitutes an objectionable assault on the governor’s freedom to have higher political aspiration. Evidently, Dokubo keeps forgetting that this is a democracy. Or perhaps, he believes otherwise.

As astonishing as Dokubo’s bluster is that fact that only some months ago he made apparently contradictory comments. He said: “The President has allowed himself to be imprisoned by some greedy individuals. His goodwill will soon go and that will affect his second term chances.” His double-speak provides reassuring evidence that he really should not be taken seriously, after all.

‘Indeed, their approach does disservice to Jonathan’s ambition, in case he has any.

There is always the likelihood that their attitude, which bespeaks an imposition, would result in alienation of the voters. Fighting on Jonathan’s side or speaking for him should have limits. It would be immensely worrying and disappointing, though, if their outbursts happen to mirror Jonathan’s mind on the issue’

Lagos’ security cameras •Is the FG playing politics with this serious issue?

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IVEN Nigeria’s dire security challenges, one would have thought that there will be closer collaboration among the various tiers of government to ensure the safety of lives and property. This is especially so since the security of lives and properties is the primary responsibility of any government properly so-called. This is why the report that the Federal Government is standing in the way of the Lagos Safe City Project cannot be said to be cheery news. The project, an initiative of the Lagos State Government, aims at providing 10,000 solar-powered closed circuit cameras in the metropolis.

Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, put it succinctly: “When we were about to embark on their installation, the Federal Government con-

‘Given Nigeria’s dire security challenges, one would have thought that there will be closer collaboration among the various tiers of government to ensure the safety of lives and property ...

This is why the report that the Federal Government is standing in the way of the Lagos Safe City Project cannot be said to be cheery news. The project, an initiative of the Lagos State Government, aims at providing 10,000 solar-powered closed circuit cameras in the metropolis’

tacted us and said we needed to stop. The reason we were given was that the FG had a scheme in the pipeline, which involved the installation of security cameras all over major cities in the country.

“According to the Federal Government, Lagos was going to be in the first phase of the project. That was why we stopped our own project”. Regrettably, till date, the much awaited Federal Government’s scheme has, like many other of its policies, remained in the ‘pipeline’; meanwhile, the state has been barred from going ahead with its own project that would have enhanced security.

Yet, one of the things that cannot be taken from the Lagos State Government is its commitment to the security of Lagosians. The government launched a security trust fund which has been useful in addressing security challenges in the state. For a state that has demonstrated a huge commitment to security matters, the expectation would have been for an appreciative Federal Government to give a nod to the project without much ado. Unfortunately, the Federal Government has been foot-dragging on the issue in a way that shows just how warped Nigeria’s federalism is.

This is a project that has been in the works since 2009, when Governor Babatunde Fashola mooted the idea. As a matter of fact, he said at a demonstration event that the cameras were needed to help reduce crime in the state. He noted, and rightly too, that the about 33,000 policemen in the state were grossly inadequate to protect and police the metropolis of about 18million people.

As at the time the idea was made public,

kidnapping was relatively alien to the state. Today, kidnapping has become a problem in the state, with security agents often helpless.

This helplessness cannot be blamed entirely on the security agencies though, because the police that are supposed to be in the vanguard of internal security are as inadequate, ill-motivated and illequipped as they can be. For instance, the report that they have never used security cameras in their investigations in the state in this age and times is stunningly shocking. A source at the State Criminal Investigation Department was quoted to have said that security cameras have never been used in their investigations. “The only time we make use of CCTV cameras is when our investigation takes us to a hotel or mall with security cameras. But if it is a crime committed on a Lagos road, forget it,” the source said. If things are that bad in cosmopolitan Lagos, the state of affairs in the other parts of the country can only be better imagined with our federal police.

We call on the Federal Government to either install its promised security devices or allow the state government that has always bent over backwards where the issue is security of its citizens to go ahead with its plan. There is no sense politicising a serious matter like security in an unsafe country like ours. A safe Lagos will not be a thing of pride to the state government alone; it will also rub off positively on the Federal Government and the entire polity. Five years is a long time to miss in such a crucial matter as this.

Tactics under fire in fight against Nigerian terrorist group

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OR WEEKS after a clash between the Nigerian army and Islamic militants last month in the remote fishing village of Baga, it was difficult for outsiders to determine what had happened.

Residents who fled to the state capital told the New York Times and human rights organizations that at least 180 people had been killed when the army went on a rampage, burning much of the village of thatchroofed homes and shooting residents as they tried to flee. Ni-ger-ian officials claimed that only a handful of civilians had died and only 30 homes were destroyed; they said the fires started when militants fired rocketpropelled grenades and set off homemade bombs.

Satellite imagery commissioned by Human Rights Watch has now made clear that a serious atrocity occurred. The organization reported last week that it had counted 2,275 destroyed buildings in the images. It said the razing was intentional, corroborating the accounts of residents who said the army torched the village after a soldier was killed in a clash with the Boko Haram militant group.

There are several reasons why this incident should be taken seriously by the Obama administration and other governments. First, while the incident may have been exceptional in scope, such abuses are not uncommon: In fighting Boko Haram, a terrorist group that has committed many atrocities of its own, the Ni-ger-ian army has repeatedly killed innocent civilians. A Human Rights Watch reportin October documented how the military task force fighting Boko Haram in its northern Nigeria strongholds had engaged in secret detentions, extortion, burning of homes and extrajudicial killings.

These have generated sympathy and fresh recruits for the militants and helped raise the death toll in the conflict to more than 3,000 since 2009.

Such abuses should matter in Washington because the United States is providing assistance to the Ni-ger-ian army, including training and help with communications and transport. Such aid makes sense: Boko Haram, which is believed to have ties to al-Qaeda, is a serious threat. However, under U.S. law, aid cannot be provided to forces that are known to have committed human rights abuses; more broadly, the United States has a strong interest in preventing practices that themselves foster extremism.

Perhaps most important, the Baga incident matters because it has prompted an unusual outcry in Nigeria itself. Members of the National Assembly have called for an investigation and President Goodluck Jonathan has appeared to acknowledge the need for one. By insisting on accountability in this case, the United States and other outside actors may be able to have an effect on the military’s heavy-handed tactics.

The State Department appears to recognize the opportunity. Last week a spokesman condemned”the loss of life and mass destruction of dwellings in Baga,” and urged a “full investigation” to hold accountable “those responsible, both military and others.” A senior U.S. human rights official was due in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, this week to discuss Baga “and broader human rights issues,” the spokesman said.

That’s a start. But the administration should not let the matter drop if Nigerian authorities are slow to pursue an investigation. It should be made clear to Nigeria’s generals that continued military cooperation with Washington depends on acknowledging the problems with the campaign against Boko Haram and undertaking reforms.

– Washington Post

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: The growing level of insecurity in the country should be tamed without delay. Cases of robberies, terror attacks, rape, kidnappings and other wild crimes have become a daily occurrence.

Just a few days ago, a gang of gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect kidnapped a 92-year-old elder statesman, Alhaji Shettima Monguno, at the Mafoni Jumaat Mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, shortly after performing the jumat prayers.

Before he regained his freedom, the kidnappers were said to have contacted the family of the former Federal Minister of Petroleum and demanded the release of some terror suspects being detained by security agents, as bargain.

In a story, “Kidnapping: Nigeria’s Fastest Growing Industry!”, The Street Journal noted that the rate of

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Taming the menace of kidnapping kidnapping in Nigeria has risen considerably in the last 10 years as not less than 1,500 people were kidnapped on an annual basis thus making kidnapping more or less a new “cottage industry” in which the nation is fast catching up as the sixth worst country.

Recent trends revealed that high profile cases usually generate media attention, as many remain resolved without attracting any publicity because the affected people prefer to quietly pay the demanded ransom

quietly and just move on, as soon as the release of the victim is secured, leaving many victims to cope with post-kidnap trauma.

We should be bothered that kidnapping is not only a criminal offence but a direct threat to national security going by its wide internal security implications and negative effects on public image.

It is time we began realistic youth empowerment policies that will give direct benefits to targeted youths in the forms of Micro-Credit Scheme,

Open letter to Ajimobi IR: Ibadan is known to be one of the dirtiest cities in Nigeria. But since you became governor, you have been committed to erasing that ugly impression. I wish to use this avenue to laud your efforts and to also plead with you that the ongoing demolition of illegal structures should be done with leniency as many people have been rendered shopless. This has really affected many people not only the citizens of the state but also the visitors.

We all know the state of the roads in Ibadan before you came into power. Mokola roundabout used to be very clumsy for both motorists and pedestrians but that is expected to be enhanced with the construction of the new Fly-over.

Sir, I will like to call your attention to some unreasonable and

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bad attitudes of some motorists and private car owners. I learnt that it has been said that nobody should park his/her car at the junction to enable free movement of vehicles on the roads but some people are still paying deaf ear to that. Most often, cars coming out from the street of Mokola to head to the major roads often clash with

motorcycles or passerby due to the way some cars are parked.

Also, in some streets of Mokola, some shop owners have been ordered to remove the extensions they constructed in the shops not those shops near the major roads but those in the streets where vehicles seldom pass. Even though my mother’s shop is not affected, I

Skills Acquisition Programme and Youth Empowerment through Agriculture, among others.

Secondly, there is urgent need for security agencies to review the existing strategies in handling kidnap cases. The emphasis should be more of intelligence gathering.

By so doing, it will be easier to nip such in the bud at an early stage of hatching. It is worrisome that many cities do not have Closed Circuit Television systems to monitor the movement of people in curbing

still have to write on behalf of affected people to implore the governor to look at the situation of things and ask them to reconstruct their cubicles to avoid rain flooding their shops incessantly.

• Waziri Mohammed Mokola, Ibadan.

criminality.

There should also be a better engagement of telecommunication companies in the prevention and apprehension of culprits. With the just-concluded registration of Subscribers’ Identity Module cards, it should be easier to obtain the databases of the people – both the victims and their captors – for useful information.

More than ever before, the people must be regularly sensitized on the antics of kidnappers and ways to evade such. The apparent cases of increased kidnapping further lend credence to the call for the establishment of state police. If we are serious about fighting crime, the federating units should be encouraged to run their own police within the existing law, to enable them protect the lives and property of their people.

It is saddening that the cold war between the Federal Government and Lagos State Government has been attributed to the stoppage of the Lagos Safe City Project meant to provide 10,000 solar-powered closed circuit cameras in the metropolis.The laudable project was to be funded by the Lagos Security Trust Fund while the cameras were supposed to be managed remotely through a central security command unit.

• Adewale Kupoluyi Abeokuta

Time to revive Abia’s moribund industries IR: Before the creation of Abia State in 1991, outfits like Modern Ceramics Industry Umuahia, Golden Guinea Breweries Umuahia, Aba Textile Mill, Aba Metallurgical Complex, Aba Glass Industry and many others were waxing strong with thousands of workers in their employ. The progressive pace continued even many years after the creation, but

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unfortunately, this fleet of industries that were the pride of the state and the envy of the neighbouring states started fizzling out in turn as the years progressed However, with the exception of Modern Ceramics that received the blessings of the state governor, Theodore Ahamefula Orji with the collaboration of the Roman Catholic Mission, others are still dormant and

any hope of their being resuscitated in the near future appears bleak The urgent need to revive these outfits cannot be over emphasized as doing so would augment the state source of revenue and at the same time provide employment to the teeming youths as well as reinstating their former workers that are now left to their fate.

More importantly, it may not go

down well in history for the present dispensation if the successive government happens to achieve the feat and possibly take the attendant glory. I therefore appeal to the chief executive of the state to do all within his strides to resuscitate these industries to serve as a lasting legacy to the future generation • Nkemakolam Gabriel Port Harcourt.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

21

COMMENTS

Congratulations Shetima Ali Monguno, my friend

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IKE most Nigerians I was shocked to hear that Shetima Ali Monguno, 92-year old elder statesman was kidnapped by the Boko Haram insurgents and taken to unknown hideout. Like most Nigerians who know Shetima Ali Monguno, I prayed and prayed for his eventual release and God answered our prayers. For those who don’t know this man intimately, he was just another statistics in the number kidnapped or killed by this murderous group calling themselves Muslims and as many have said, a true Muslim would not commit murder, kidnap or harm another person, but particularly, old men, women and children even in the time of war. The Boko Haram says that they are fighting a Jihad and even if in their warped ideology, they have divided the world into two namely; abode of Islam and Abode of War; there is no way Shetima Ali could have belonged to the Abode of War as a true Muslim. His place of birth, Monguno had been in contact with Islam as far back as the seventh century, less than a hundred years that the Prophet Mohammed walked the earth and his family has been Muslims since that time. When in the 19th century, the Sokoto-Fulani Jihadist, particularly, the son of the Shehu Usman Dan Fodio, (Uthman bin Fudi) Muhammad Bello wanted on the pretext of purifying Islam to overrun Borno, they were resisted by Muhammad El-Kanemi, a Shua Arab Cleric who saw imperialism camouflaged as Islamic Jihad. Although Mohammed El-Kanemi eventually displayed the 2,000 years old Seifawa Dynasty, the integrity and independence of Borno was preserved. In order words, since about 700AD, Islam had thrived in Borno well before it got to Hausa land and other parts of Nigeria.

These preambular statements are necessary to place Borno in the heartland of classical Islam where it had been for many centuries. Of course I am aware of the fact that a religion could manifest syncretistic tendencies which would need to be cleaned out in order to go back to the original religion. But whoever is leading the cleansing must himself be clean and holy. This was the case of Muhammad Ahmad, the grand Mahdi in the 19th century Sudan who styled himself the “Imam of the age” sent by God to return Islam to purity in the Sudan. His legacy still remains even up till today and at one time, one of his grandsons became Prime Minister of the Sudan.

What we have in the Boko Haram is something like the Maitasine rebellion in Yola and Kano and its Bulunkutu counterparts in Borno in the 1980s. It was clear that the leaders of this revolt were not really true Muslims but people who mixed Islam with traditional African beliefs and were quickly suppressed by the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The Sultan of Sokoto has dismissed the Boko Haram and their murderous campaign as unislamic, the reason therefore, of the persistence of

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E are talking of peace, but they seem more interested in violence.

Everything is being done to make them toe the path of peace and reason, but the Boko Haram elements seem set in their ways. To make Boko Haram see reason, the Federal Government raised a committee to dialogue with the group. The panel has since started work, but Boko Haram has so far not taken its place at the roundtable.

We are talking peace, they are beating the drums of war. Nobody knows what Boko Haram is up to.

The group strikes at will, catching the security operatives unawares.

Anywhere they strike, they leave sorrow, tears and blood. They have hit Bama in Borno State again. This is the second time in less than one week that they are invading the community, which first made the headlines when former Petroleum Minister Prof Tam David-West was jailed there in 1990.

Bama is a far-flung place from other parts of the country. It is a border town close to Chad, Niger and the eastern part of Cameroon.

It is 70 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Those who know also say that it is quite a distance from Baga, another border town which is about 180 kilometres from Maiduguri. Baga was the scene of a bloodbath last month which shook the nation to its foundation.

We are still trying to unravel the circumstances that led to that dastardly act in which 185 persons were said to have been killed by the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF), only for Boko Haram to hit Bama in the wee hours of Tuesday.

Boko Haram invaded Bama in a big way. No fewer than 500 members of the sect riding in 10 Toyota Hilux vehicles were said to have invaded the town, wreaking havoc on army and police barracks, the prison, where David-West was kept, the magistrate’s court, revenue office, primary healthcare

insurgency can be found not only in any Islamic ideology, but in the poverty occasioned by the corruption and oppression of the Talakawa, by the ruling elite in many parts of the North.

Unfortunately, innocent people like the grand old man, Shetima Ali has had to suffer. It is common knowledge that Shetima Ali has held many important positions in Nigeria since the mid 1950s. He was a young minister in the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Federal Government and for several years minister in the Yakubu Gowon government; he was Pro-Chancellor of the University of Calabar at one time and for many years, a member of Nigeria’s delegation to the United Nations’ General Assembly. I got to know him very well as a man of integrity, purity and honesty. When I was Director of the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) in Washington between 1979 and 1982, I welcomed him many times to the United States in my official capacity. He overwhelmed me with his simplicity. He usually travelled without luggage but with a small briefcase which he would check into the plane and inside the small briefcase would be a long dark Kaftan and that would be it. When everybody would be waiting for their luggage, he would simply walk out with his briefcase to our waiting car. And when asked why he had no luggage and his reply would be “as soon as he checked into his hotel, he would remove the long Kaftan he wore, send it to the laundry and replace it with a clean one in the briefcase and alternated this until he went back to Nigeria. He would hardly claim his tour allowance. He ate very sparingly which explains his slim figure of over six-feet. He spoke English beautifully and still speaks it beautifully and as a Muslim, who could marry four wives, he only had one wife, an English woman after he had divorced his Kanuri wife.

As Minister of Petroleum during the Gowon years and President of OPEC, he could have become stupendously rich as many of his successors. He was so clean that in 1975, the University of Lagos wanted to give him an honorary degree for his exemplary life, but the young Turks including myself opposed it in Senate on an erroneous ground that nobody in public service in Nigeria could be clean. I later discovered that we were wrong and that our Vice Chancellor who nominated him, Prof. J.F. Ade-Ajayi was absolutely correct.

Several years later, I had the privilege to discuss with Shetima Ali and he told me the story of his life, how the then Minister of Lagos Affairs, Musa Yar’Adua gave him a plot of land in Victoria island and didn’t know what to do with it for years until a friend told him he could develop it by contractor finance, and this is the only material thing he has to show for all those years of his national service. I used to visit him

when I was a Professor in the University of Maiduguri in his simple and frugal house where he would sit on an arm chair in front of the house either reading or reciting the Quran. He would graciously offer me tea which was the only drink he ever offered me. This abJide stinence from any Osuntokun drink except tea probably explains his health and longevity. Even though his eldest daughter, Fati, was married to one of the members of the Supreme Military Council during the Buhari, Babaginda, and Abacha years; he never used that connection to enrich himself as many would have done.

I have had occasions to discuss with him the problems of Nigeria when I was in Washington, United States and Bonn, Germany and he always appeared as an idealist who feel that if the leadership is right and exemplary, the country would do well. It is therefore a sad irony, that in his evening years he should be a victim of kidnapping and terrorism. I am sure the Boko Haram released him not because of any pressure on them, but because of the purity of the man in their captivity. They probably felt his death in their hands would undermine and erode the sympathy or tolerance that some people still have for them. Let us hope that the release of this saintly man would usher in the opportunity to dialogue with the Boko Haram and other insurgent groups, so that there can be peace in our time.

The title Shetima which Alhaji Ali Mogunu bears is the recognition that Kanuris give to their men of learning. It is from the same Arabic root like Sayyid or Said or Sheikh. Other forms of the same word occur in Hausa land and even Borno as Shehu and among the Malinke as Shekhu or Sekou; all meaning “leaders”. Shetima Ali has been for many years recognised as a leader among the Kanuri, he was first identified as a young man by Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the Governor of the Northern region, who himself used to bear the title Shetima and one hopes that a man so recognised by his people would be listened to by the Federal government for his ideas which he had previously made public in settling this Boko Haram problem.

From Baga to Bama centre, and the local government headquarters, among other places.

No fewer than 55 persons were believed to have been killed.

The group was also said to have set free over 100 inmates of Bama Prison. Was the invasion carried out to release the prisoners, some of who may be members of the sect?

Why has the sect stepped up its operation at a time when the government is looking for a way to appease the group through amnesty?

With the way things are now, those against the granting of amnesty to Boko Haram may have a point.

Should the nation still be talking of giving the group amnesty when it seems to have shunned all entreaties to cease fire and embrace dialogue?

Let us say the truth, Boko Haram has gone too far in killing, maiming and destroying public properties. It is acting as if it can match the government in combat. That is a fatal error of judgement. Nobody, no matter how powerful they think they are can match the government’s might. If the government decides to take on Boko Haram, the consequences will be disastrous as we saw in what happened in Baga last month. Many don’t want a repeat of the Baga massacre, that is why they have been prevailing on the government to take it easy with the group.

But for how long will the government allow Boko Haram to run rings round the country as if it is law unto itself. The government has tolerated Boko Haram long enough and this is why the group seems to think it can do anything and get away with it. With its murderous actions, Boko Haram keeps on testing the government’s will, yet its sympathisers keep saying that the group should be handled with kid’s glove. The question those people should answer is that having applied the carrot without any

meaningful result, shouldn’t the government adopt the stick?

Because of the undue sympathy for Boko Haram’s cause (which many of us don’t know anyway), we have tied the government’s hand. The government cannot act decisively to stop the group’s menace in order not to be accused of highhandedness. But see the havoc that Boko Haram is causing with its ‘lowhandedness’. We just must put a stop to this madness one way or the other. We cannot allow Boko Haram to continue to enjoy a free rein of killing households and destroying public properties without making the group to account for its deeds.

Boko Haram has been given an opportunity to come to the roundtable for talks. So, what else does it want? Is it that its grievances cannot be resolved by dialogue? No matter how difficult a problem is, it cannot be resolved through the use of a knife or a gun.

It can only be resolved through dialogue and the earlier Boko Haram and its backers realise this, the better for them. Or else, they should be prepared to pay for their action, if not now, but certainly in future.

Failure of leadership

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n every society, government provides infrastructure for the well-being of the people. Where the private sector and individuals come in, it is to complement the government’s efforts. This is why some companies and individuals build roads, power plants, state-ofthe-art schools and hospitals to relieve government of the burden of being the sole provider of these facilities.

That these organisations and individuals embark on these projects do not make it their responsibility.

But what do we see these days?

These groups and individuals are being saddled with this duty, which governments elsewhere discharge faithfully. Despite its enormous resources, our government is finding it difficult to carry out these simple tasks.

Isn’t it a shame that the government cannot provide us good roads, potable water, hospitals, houses and schools? These are basic infrastructure essential to the day-to-day living of the people, which they are today paying through their noses to get because government has abdicated its responsibility to rich organisations and individuals.

These corporate bodies and persons are making a kill from the provision of these facilities.

In our respective homes, we provide our own power through generators and water through boreholes or wells, depending on the person’s resources. Yet, we say we have a government. Government, my foot. Can we say we have a government when we cannot feel its impact on our lives? Whether rich or poor, neither can say that they feel the impact of government except those fortunate to participate in the looting of our patrimony.

Now, they are carrying their incompetence too far. Of the 1.7 million candidates for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), only 520,000 stand the chance of being admitted and this in a society, which is already grappling with the problem of graduate unemployment. What does the government want the over one million remaining students to do in a society which places so much emphasis on paper qualification?

As a way out, Education Minister Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa’i is calling on the private sector to invest in education. She is not saying anything new. There are already so many private investors in educa-

Lawal Ogienagbon lawal.ogienagbon@thenationonlineng.net SMS ONLY: 08099400204

tion, not only at the tertiary level, but also at the primary and secondary school levels. We know how much they charge. The poor cannot afford to send their children to such schools. Mrs Minister, your suggestion cannot be the solution to the problem.

The Boko Haram, Niger Delta militants, and other ethnic militias and kidnappers we have today are all the by-products of a decadent society occasioned by the failure of leadership. We will remain at these people’s mercy except the government devises an ingenious means of meeting the citizenry’s needs instead of always relying on the private sector. Why don’t we then privatise governance? Won’t that be the one-stop solution to all our problems?

‘The government has tolerated Boko Haram long enough and this is why the group seems to think it can do anything and get away with it’

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

22

COMMENTS “

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EACHER and Healer of Nazareth’ detested the hypocrisy and the evil intrigue that defined the essence of the temple of Jerusalem, the priests, elders, and the Pharisees of his day. He once drove out those who had converted the temple into a market for their wares. He was later to tell the murmuring self-conceited priests and elders that he could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days.

Jesus, as a friend of sinners, insisted the temples under Judaism, was no more than a business centre ‘where sinners seeking God’s mercy only got robbed by the priests’.

And before his final betrayal, Jesus admonished his disciples saying ‘Neither in the mountain, nor in Jerusalem shall ye worship the father. God is a spirit and they that worship Him, must worship in Spirit and truth.”

The Acts of the Apostle also told us that the Hellenists in Jerusalem after Christ crucifixion rejected the temple and took the message of God’s unconditional love for sinners to the Samaritans. They also in the First Letter to Timothy warned the congregation to “shun the teacher who is morbidly keen on mere verbal questions and quibblers’ because ‘God is to be contemplated about in the silence of the heart’. They therefore laid down a tradition of “prayer amidst poverty, faithfulness amidst suffering and of heroism capable of rising to martyrdom”.

But 2000 years after the death of the Great Teacher and Healer of Nazareth, miracles seeking Nigerians and their jet age quibbling orators, like the Jews, their high priests and Pharisees have voted for temples. Massive churches of different architectural designs dot our land. The clarion call on Sundays and during special events such as burial ceremonies, by pastors is for generous donation in aid of new church buildings or for the renovation of existing ones. The fad among retiring civil

‘And with abundance of unearned free money at their disposal, financial/oil fraudsters as well as thieving ex-governors and law makers protected by the state will continue to buy grace. The fortunes of private jet owing prosperity prophets will continue to rise’

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Nation hostage to peddlers of hope servants, law makers and ex-governors is to build bigger churches for their communities.

Even our president after collecting a gift of a small church for his community came to Lagos to rake in close to N7b to build a bigger church and recreation centre for his rural Otuoke fishing community. And for the multitude of jobless and poor miracle seekers, the bigger the temples, and the more loquacious their pastors, the greater the seduction their promises of hope and of miracle of ‘reaping without sowing’.

And this perhaps explains the usual chaos and anarchy that is often associated with weekly migration of miracle seekers to Bishop Oyedepo’s 50,000-capacity temple where three services are held every Sunday, or to Pastor Temitope Joshua’s 15,000-capacity Synagogue of all nations every Sunday.

And of course for over a decade, it has often been an agonizing experience for motorists passing through the Third Mainland Bridge, Ikorodu road towards Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan Express way every first Friday of the month when Pastor Adeboye celebrates his Holy Ghost night. And for motorists coming to the commercial nerve centre of the nation, from other parts of the country, it has often been share misery.

Last Friday, I spent over five hours between the University of Lagos and Berger end of the express road, a journey which will ordinarily take less than two hours in spite of the usual gridlock associated with Lagos roads. This situation which is said to be worse for other motorists coming to the nation’s economic nerve centre from other parts of the country has defied solution due to lack of political

T baffles that leaders who had every opportunity to better the lots of their people, but failed to do so would still have the audacity to hoist themselves as true Igbo leaders; this is particularly when those who had done pretty well as leaders to uplift the Igbos remain in the background while working assiduously to do more. Since he left office after eight years as governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu has been in desperate search for relevance and recognition ahead of 2015 general elections. He has since deployed all strategies including media hypes, rumours and peddling of lies to draw attention to himself.

Latest of such desperation was the staged outing by his allies in London at the British House of Commons recently.

Shorn of his typical penchant to grandstand, Kalu’s speech at the event was as usual lacking in any substance. In the bid to arrogate to himself the true champion of Igbo cause, he merely dragged the Igbos to the mud just as he did not proffer solutions to what he claimed to be the marginalization of the Igbos in Nigeria.

Here is Kalu’s summary of the plight of the Igbo: “unequal allocation of resources, unequal voice at the Federal Executive Council, unequal representation at the National Assembly, unequal participation in the administration of justice in the federation, unequal participation in the federal civil service and adjunct bodies and unequal representation in the armed forces and para-military organisations.

He also added; “unequal representation in the diplomatic corps ensuring incapacity in showcasing the Igbo culture as part of a pan-Nigerian culture in our foreign missions and embassies, fewer primary, secondary and higher education opportunities for our children.”. And then he added: “These structural disparities are constitutionally entrenched, thus their grave implications for Ndigbo are beyond the primary questions of inequity and marginalisation.”

But one question the hired audience and journalists at the event failed to ask was his contributions towards addressing the plight of Igbos, while in office as executive governor of Abia for eight years, and what is he doing now also to tackle the problem. They did not ask Kalu on what capacity he was addressing Igbo plights in Nigeria, since after he left office as governor, he has not attended any meeting convened by the Igbo socio-cultural organization Ohanaeze Ndigbo or Igbo stakeholders where issues affecting Igbo interest are being discussed.

So how can he be on the fringe and pontificate on the plights of Igbos instead of presenting such to National Assembly members as they are in process of amending the constitution?

Igbos have not forgotten in a hurry his role in scuttling of

will by the federal government. It has often been lost on successive federal administrations that as a multi-religious society, Christians’ freedom of worship, must not impinge on the liberty of adherents of other religions including non believers. It is also often forgotten that even among us Christians, there are many who are not miracle seekers and that have chosen to abide by God’s injunction that man must live by his sweats.

The number of miracle seekers has grown several folds in the last 13 years in the absence of a coherent employment policy by successive PDP administrations in the country. The Pentecostal churches and their prosperity prophets have become the only beacon of light providing hope for the hopeless and jobs for the unemployed.

While ex-President Obasanjo, Vice President Atiku and other leading members of PDP and their sympathizers have built private universities charging outrageous fees, the churches and their owner pastors have also built institutions of higher learning solely as business endeavours, to cater for the needs of those that the government cannot cater for and their members that have the capacity to pay.

The exploits of our pastors as successful entrepreneurs and employers of labour were late last year celebrated by Forbes which identified those it described as the richest pastors in Nigeria with diverse businesses interests in the hospitality, aviation, media, publishing and television.

While government owned publishing outfits sold to favoured friends and sometimes crooks, have collapsed as a result of what the House Committee that probed privatization

and BPE, described as ‘asset stripping,’ Oyakhilome’s publishing output is said ‘to churn out two million copies of his ‘Rhapsody of Realities,’ a monthly devotional which sells at $1 apiece.’ While Babangida, Abacha and Obasanjo sold Hamdala, NICON NUGA, Sheraton and Federal palace hotels in Kaduna, Abuja and Lagos, our pastors are running their own hotels as profitable ventures employing thousands of Nigerians.

We can therefore say the churches and their jet age pastors have only come to fill a vacuum created as a result of government failure to meet its obligations to the people. And these churches and their prosperity prophets will continue to be relevant because if ‘religion is the opium of the poor’, as Karl Marx says, our market is huge. The will to survive by the desperate unthinking poor will continue to drive them to the embrace of con artists and quibblers who promise hope. And with abundance of unearned free money at their disposal, financial/oil fraudsters as well as thieving ex-governors and law makers protected by the state will continue to buy grace. The fortunes of private jet owing prosperity prophets will continue to rise.

And today as it was in the old Jerusalem, in the last days of Jesus, some of our big churches both Pentecostals and orthodox, remain homes of intrigue where multi billion business deals are made, and havens for unapologetic vindictive ex and serving presidents.

I think all we can do apart from reminding the state actors and the powerful pastors of the warning by ‘The Teacher and the Healer of Nazareth’ to the effect that, ‘repentant prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before the Pharisees, is an appeal that the pastors take a cue from Jesus Christ, the true friend of sinners and his disciples who chose to move around taking the message of salvation and forgiveness of sins directly to the poor. They did not stay inside the Jerusalem temple to sell grace.

Our pastors are after all better now equipped for true evangelization than Christ and his appointed apostles. They have access to technology, social media, and internet facilities. They own publishing outfits and television stations. They also have bullet proof limousines and armed security guards provided by the state. Some have even been credited with having as many as four private jets.

Why must prosperity prophets, after robbing the poor, take a whole nation hostage in order to sell their invincible wares? These are after all mere promises of hope.

Kalu and the Igbo plight

By Clement Omeneogor Chief Alex Ekwueme’s presidential ambition in 1999 and 2003 in collaboration with his ex-military godfathers from the North on whose back Kalu rode to limelight. People of Abia will also not forget how he left the state indebted, destabilized and underdeveloped after controlling their collective resources for eight years during which he armtwisted the management of the state university to issue him a degree certificate he did not merit.

Kalu’s greatest problem is that he talks too much and in the end contradicts himself. He believes he knows more than any other person. When he accused the security agents of being responsible for the spate of bombing and was taken on by the Minister of Information Labaran Maku, Kalu, he went on a laboured defence without facts and figures and without a shred of evidence.

His position and action in the past and present has not helped him to talk of Igbo cause, rather it has worsened it.

The Njiko Igbo platform which he now uses and claimed to have formed to advance Igbo interest in Nigeria was originally formed by Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, the younger of brother Senator Ben Collins Ndu in 1983 at Enugu and was formally inaugurated on April 20, 1989 in a ceremony witnessed by many prominent and regular Igbos from all walks of life. Kalu was never a member of the group, even when he became governor of Abia State in 1999, he never identified with or supported the group at any point in time.

Prominent Igbos who know about the group including Yahaya Ndu are alive and are quietly watching Kalu and his antics that will take him nowhere.

If Kalu is a good student of history as he would want people to believe, he should know that the Igbos have been the beneficiary of no less than 35% of federal appointments made by the Jonathan administration and his state Abia has also benefitted a lot courtesy of the cordial relationship between the state government and federal government, a situation that was not obtainable throughout Kalu’s eight years of governance. Offices held by Igbos in the present government include those of the deputy senate president, the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, finance minister, as well as the chief economic adviser to the president. Others include

the special adviser on project monitoring, the special adviser on the subsidy re-investment and empowerment programme, Chief of Army Staff, the executive vice chairman of the National Communications Commission, managing director of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, managing director of the Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Fund and the Ministers of Power, Labour, Aviation and Health.

Other high-ranking Igbo officials serving in the present government include the chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the directorgeneral of the Bureau for Public Procurement, the directorgeneral of the Debt Management Office, the director-general of the Securities Exchange Commission, the Special Adviser on the National Assembly and the head of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. Igbos got a number of strategic ambassadorial postings, including the heads of the missions in Canada, the United Nations, India, Switzerland, Spain and Singapore.

So what is Kalu trying to achieve by his belated pontification and gospel on the plight of Igbos in Nigeria?

He is not and has never been the right person to speak on the plight of Igbos because when the opportunity was there for him to act in Igbo interest, he failed to so. Kalu should better concentrate on his acclaimed business empires to expand them and create jobs for teeming Igbo youths if he truly loves the Igbos. But the problem is that we are yet to see the business empires anywhere in the country talk less of Igbo land.

• Dr. Omeneogor writes from Toronto, Canada.

‘So what is Kalu trying to achieve by his belated pontification and gospel on the plight of Igbos in Nigeria? He is not and has never been the right person to speak on the plight of Igbos because when the opportunity was there for him to act in Igbo interest, he failed to so’

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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THE NATION

EDUCATION Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com

THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

INSIDE

Vet doctor for bank job

email:- education@thenationonlineng.com

Yearly, many sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with the hope of entering higher institutions. Each year, their hopes are dashed. The case may not be different this year. Of the 1.7million candidates, only 520,000 may be admitted, according to the Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa’i. Should things be allowed to continue like this? No, say some applicants and their parents, report KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE, ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, MEDINAT KANABE and SAMPSON UNAMKA.

AKOREDE Akpamkpa wowed the audience that witnessed her graduation from the FirstAcademy Foundation School, the corporate training university of FirstBank Plc at the External Ball Room of the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island.

-Page 28

‘We have challenge of enrolment’ HOW that you are in the saddle, how enormous is the challenge of the office?

One of the most critical challenges is the manpower.

What I met on ground in terms of classrooms, and equipped laboratories are fairly okay. I am not saying we are 100 per cent sufficient but we are fairly okay.

-Page 38

CAMPUS LIFE •An eight-page section on campus news, people etc

Their struggle for survival THEY are preparing for life after school so that they won’t have to search for non-existing jobs after graduation. They are combining their academic pursuit with low-income vocations to pay their bills. There are many of such students at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

-Page 29

•UTME candidates protesting the non-release of their results in Benin

What future for admission seekers?

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ROM May 18 to June 1, the 91,610 candidates that applied for the Computer Based Test (CBT) option of the 2013 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will take the exam in designated centres nationwide.

The successful ones among them will join the 738,375 of the 1,644,110 candidates that passed the Paper and Pencil Test (PPT) and Dual Based Test (DBT) of the exam taken on April 27 to jostle for an available space of 520,000.

According to the Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa'i the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education can only admit 520,000. This means that with 200 as the cut-off, over 200,000 candidates may be denied admission because of higher institutions’ carrying capacity problem.

If the cut-off is between 170 and 199, those likely to be denied admission may be up to 500,000.

Since the PPT/DBT results were released last Friday by the Joint

Total number of registered candidates

Total number of available spaces

1,735,720

520,000

Total number of PPT/DBT candidates that scored 200 and above 738,375

‘

But what is painful to me is that since then government/society has not done enough to provide alternatives to engage our youths. If we are going to wait until universities have the carrying capacities to accommodate eligible candidates, we will have to wait 10 years Admissions and Matriculation (JAMB) Registrar, Prof Dibu Ojerinde, many candidates have been bemoaning their fate. The results of 169,085 other candidates results fall under these categories: absentees, 47,974; pending for fur-

’

ther screening, 68,309; withheld because of malpractice, 12,110; and invalid due to multiple shading, 40,692. These candidates will have to wait until next year to retake the exam with the 127,017 others who failed, having scored

Total number of those that scored 170 - 199 571,298

between 1 and 159; and a fresh set of school leavers who will qualify to write the test for the first time next session. On the average, over one million Senior Secondary School (SSS) Three pupils sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) yearly.

Also, more than 90 per cent of the 1,670,833 applicants chose the universities against other tertiary institutions.

This huge number will compound the problem of access to tertiary education, which Prof Rufa'i is seeking help from the private sector to rectify.

When she monitored the PPT examination in Abuja and Suleja, Niger State, she urged the private •Continued on page 26

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

26

EDUCATION

What future for admission seekers?

•Continued from page 25

sector and state governments to assist the Federal Government by establishing more universities.

Candidates, their parents, students and other professionals think that will take sometime to rectify the problem. They are advocating that the Federal Government should come up with opportunities for teeming youths to gain skills rather than spend years waiting for admission.

A parent, whose son scored 190 in the examination, said it may take the government up to 10 years to address the problem of access, many youths cannot afford to be noting that idle for that long.

The father, who does not want to be named, lamented that though access to tertiary education has been a problem since the 70s, the government is yet to find a solution to it.

He said: "The problem of access has been there since our time. It was worse then (in the 70s) because there were people with results who could not pass the entrance examinations of the universities. How many institutions did we have then? It was only University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), University of Ibadan (UI), University of Lagos (UNILAG), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and University of Jos (UNIJOS). It was those who could not gain admission in our institutions that travelled abroad.

They were looked down upon as inferior because then the naira was stronger and it was not so expensive to school abroad.

"But what is painful to me is that since then government/society has not done enough to provide alternatives to engage our youths. If we are going to wait until universities have the carrying capacities to accommodate eligible candidates, we will have to wait 10 years."

With his son's chances of gaining admission to study Mechanical Engineering reduced because of his score, the father said one year of staying at home is not an option.

Rather than join the army of idle and unemployed youths, he said the teenager would have to learn a skill, preferably technical.

"I have said no child of mine will sit at home. Left to me I would want my child to go to a technical school for one year to learn some skills. I believe it is important for youths to have skills. But technical education is looked down upon as inferior which is not the case. The society has not provided the youths with middle-level training opportunities that is appreciated," he said.

An Economics graduate, Olufolarin Omoruyi, who spent 10 years after his secondary education trying to get into the university, knows where the shoe pinches for candidates struggling to gain admission. As a result of the decade-long wait, he could not participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme because he was over-aged. Like the parent, he said the problem can only be solved if the informal sector, where technical and vocational education skills thrive, is elevated to serve as a viable alternative for the formal sector.

"We may need to de-emphasise formal education," he said, adding: "The real sector is the sector to propel growth. That sector is more vocational than any thing else. It is functional education we are talking about. The formal system is saturated.

You need to formalise for the informal system; raise the level of skills. These are new markets (soft skills, carpentry, tailoring, pottery, bakery, plumbing, tye and dye, and painting.

"I have a friend in Benin who averages about N150,000 a month from painting rooms. These are the systems that grow into enterprises, not working in the bank.

When the value of services provided by these systems improves, formal education and paper certificates will be de-emphasised."

To prevent his daughter, Monsurat, staying long at home, Mr Olaosebikan Salami advised her to study English at the Lagos State University (LASU), when she couldn't

•Candidates undergoing biometric screening at the University of Calabar penultimate Saturday

‘Every student who qualifies to write UTME should be allowed to sit for the exam. I don't see how restricting the number of candidates would help because every student who is at his/ her last year of high school should be allowed to write UTME. If it happens that their score isn't competitive enough to get them into the university then it is not a JAMB issue’ enter for Law after three trials.

He said: "It was a horrible experience.

She did not make the UTME in her first attempt, but when she wrote the second time, she made 289. I was happy because I was sure she would secure admission into UNILAG where she applied to. But I did not know what happened; her name didn't appear in Law. It eventually appeared in Yoruba under supplementary list. This got me very angry. When she sat again for the third time, she did not make Law but was given English in LASU. She did not want it but I insisted because her mother and were no longer happy with her staying at home.

"Monsurat is now in 300-Level but she is happy for it because while in LASU, she also sat for the UTME twice but couldn't make it."

While the government decides what to do about the challenges of access, some candidates are thinking it may be better to scrap the UTME, or at least, that JAMB should sell less forms.

Ayanfejesu Dorcas who said her result was withheld after an earlier check on her phone had revealed she scored 260, said the exam should be stopped for institutions conduct their own.

"I checked my result on my phone and saw 260; when I went to print online I met result pending. JAMB should be scrapped and schools should be allowed to conduct their exams," she said.

Another candidate, Yetunde Odulate, who is yet to check her result, said scrapping the exam would lead to higher admission rates.

"JAMB should be cancelled for schools to be able to conduct their exams on their own as this will give more room for admission into higher institutions," she said.

Balogun Adedayo, a candidate, thinks that the problem will not be so pronounced if JAMB sells fewer forms.

He said: "Since JAMB already knows the number of students they want then they should reduce the number of applicants to

something closer to avoid waste. If they want 500,000 students then they should allow the 800,000 to one million students to apply and then close registration after that because either way, the remaining students will still have to wait till next year."

Sheffy Belo-Osagie, who runs Children of Haggai Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which caters for the education of orphans, does not agree that JAMB should register fewer candidates.

"Every student who qualifies to write UTME should be allowed to sit for the exam. It is the universities that should work on accommodating all students who pass. I don't see how restricting the number of candidates would help because every student who is at his/her last year of high school should be allowed to write UTME. If it happens that their score isn't competitive enough to get them into the university then it is not a JAMB issue.

"If JAMB sells fewer forms who will be left out? On what criteria will they ration the forms? Which SS3 student will you tell to sit at home doing nothing? With the statistics released, it means it will take three years to successfully admit students who graduate in a particular year," she said.

Though all tertiary institutions in the country cannot accommodate the eligible candidates, some parents and students said many more can be admitted if they patronise private universities. As a result, some parents direct their children to apply to private universities because they are more likely to be admitted immediately.

Again, Ms Belo-Osagie said it was the government’s responsibility to cater for its citizens no matter how many they are.

"Nigeria is a country with 'too many' people. The government needs to accommodate us all."

To avoid this kind of hin-

drance for his son, Mr Matthew Omojomoloju enrolled him in one of the least paying private universities in Osun State, to study Accounting.

"In private universities, getting admission for your child for a course of his choice is a lot easier provided you can pay their tuition," he said.

But it was not that Omojomoloju, a civil servant in Lagos, and his wife, Josephine a trader, had the financial muscle. Both had to pool resources after their son, Michael wrote the UTME twice but failed to secure admission into a public university.

"He is my first son. Michael finished secondary school at 16. But at 23 he had already written the UTME twice, scoring 223 and 261 in his first and second attempts, yet, he was not given admission to study Accounting in the two public universities he applied. So I called my wife and we decided to settle him in a private university by dedicating a percentage of our monthly income to his tuition," he said.

Mrs Shofodunrin Damilola, who has a child in Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State called for more private universities that would be patronised by people who can afford them.

"If government says the carrying capacity is a particular number, then individuals and organisations should start looking at building universities. There are many people in Nigeria who can afford to do that.

More private universities should be built," she said.

In an interview, Dr Christopher Kolade, chairman of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), said the problem of access could be solved if policy makers would just study it.

He said: "Well when there is a problem, first you have to study it and find out if you know the real dimensions of your problem. When you get the right dimension of your problems, you know that angels of heaven are not going to come down to solve the problems; it is people who will solve your problems so my suggestion is that we get people who are capable of studying this problem, understanding it and devising solutions to it."

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

EDUCATION

Reviewing Olanipekun’s tenure in UI OR years to come, ripples will still remain to the effect that Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) was the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Ibadan (UI) between 2009 and 2013, following his unquantifiable positive contributions to Nigeria’s premier university. Amazingly, from the blast of the whistle, to the breast of the tape, the four –year tenure of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) witnessed unprecedented openings of various chapters of historical landmarks to the extent that the observers wished the tenure continued ad infinitum.

Without being unnecessarily sentimental, the private sector orientation and business mentality with which Chief Olanipekun approached the national assignment considerably rubbed off on the institution and its officers in such a way that there is now a paradigm shift in the way public service is rendered. During his chairmanship tenure, UI recorded so many achievements that may probably be difficult to rival.

Immediately after his appointment, Chief Olanipekun dived into the ocean to fish for UI. Pronto, he delivered! In his letter dated March 16, 2009 addressed to the then President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, the legal icon argued for the released of fund for the commencement of work on the UI second phase (Ajibode project). On the strength of his influence and argument, N700million was released to UI, hence, the opening up of Ajibode.

Today, in Ajibode, Chief Olanipekun’s 400-capacity lecture theatre built at N65million and donated by this legal mind to the Faculty of Law is the first academic

F

building standing majestically at the new site, thus, challenging other well-meaning Nigerians to follow suit.

Insisting that this appointment was a call to serve and give and not to steal and take, Chief Olanipekun never took a dime from UI for the four tears he held the ace. Rather, the Ikere-Ekiti born legal colossus donated all his entitlements to the betterment of humanity. He directed that all his entitlements be converted to a scholarship scheme, and he gave brilliant but indigent students of Law, Medicine and Computer Science annual scholarship. Besides, he donated generously towards programme accreditation of Law Faculty.

In the wake 26 August 26, 2011 flood disaster in Ibadan which damaged substantial property in UI, Chief Olanipekun personally donated N10million towards ameliorating the suffering of the institution after a painstaking assessment of the level of destruction. There were occasions he would charter a private jet, costing him millions of naira, just to attend Council meetings. Yet, he would never ask the university to refund him.

Perhaps the highpoint of his achievement in UI was the appointment template he developed and institutionalised which other universities have largely plagiarized without penalty. In the appointment template, principal officers of the university are subjected to a long, rigorous and transparent scrutiny process with the best candidate being appointed, at least three months before the tenure expiration of the incumbent. Through this template in UI, a vice-chancellor has been appointed; a bursar and a librarian as well as Deputy Vice-

•Olanipekun

Chancellor have been appointed without any legal tussle.

Being a man of peace with placid and tranquil mien, Chief Olanipekun did not fail to show up in August 2010 when there was a palpable religious tension on campus following a 300 level Christian student who sneaked into the central mosque on Friday to preach Jesus to the Muslim faithful.

He appealed to the understandably aggrieved Islamic community to forgive the overzealous girl and allow peace to reign. And, truly, peace returned to the campus.

Assessing his tenure, the ViceChancellor, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole described Chief Olanipekun as an uncommon phenomenon with a lorry load of blessings for the university he served patriotically. According to Prof. Adewole “this university will never forget the contributions of

Chief Olanipekun because his contributions are historical and peculiar. He saw the university as a national heritage and spent his resources to preserve and elevate it.

He never dabbled into the management of affairs. We will forever be grateful to him for he is a special gift to the university. He did more than we expected in lifting the university” .Also, a Council member, Dr. Gani Adeniran said Chief Olanipekun was sent to UI by God to serve humanity and he did the job to the glory of his Creator.

But how did he see his tenure?, Chief Olanipekun described his tenure as commendably worthwhile, pointing out that he is leaving the institution better than he inherited it in 2009, just as he thanked government for giving him a chance to serve.

He said: “I challenge anyone to come out with evidence if I stole any money or participated in the award of contracts. Instead of taking from UI, the records are there to show that I added as I believe it is more blessed to give than to take. In everything I did in UI, I never compromised the interest of the university. Even those who disagreed with me will never tell you that they disagreed with me because I attempted to steal money.

They will tell you that I refused to compromise the best standard of the university.”

By and large, it could be said without equivocation that Chief Olanipekun came, saw and conquered in the service of his fatherland. Perhaps the best epitaph on the tomb of this just concluded tenure is Olanipekun: A selfless leader who gave his all for the betterment of humanity.

Sunday Saanu (08059436919) University of Ibadan

JABU students win Inter-varsity contests OSEPH Ayo Babalola University (JABU) is celebrating its students' performance in interuniversities competitions at the national level.

A statement from the Public Relations Office of the university, noted that the students have excelled in quiz and debate competitions contested by students from federal, state and private universities.

The statement reads: "Earlier in the year, the students emerged overall best at the 2013 inter-universities quiz competition held in Ado Ekiti.

The JABU team which was led by the University's Economics students beat six other competing universities to clinch the first position.

"Recently, JABU students again led other universities in the country to emerge second best at the inter universities debate competition hosted by the University of Ibadan.

Apart from the host institution which came first, JABU came ahead of other universities like Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Lagos State University, Lagos, and Crescent University, Ogun State, among others. The debate was titled: "Solutions to Nigeria's economic dilemma: Agricultural sector or petrochemicals?"

Presenting the prizes to JABU delegates, the President of the Nigerian Economics Society who was the special guest of honour at the event, Prof Egwaikhide, said he was impressed with JABU despite that it has not fully gained global recognition.

Some other commentators also praised the university owned by the Christ Apostolic Church (Worldwide) for providing quality academic service delivery to the nation.

J

• From left: Mrs Cordelia Ojeile, Head of Finance; Mr Segun Oladipo, Managing Director/Chief Executive; Chief Emeke Iwerebon, Chairman; Mr Bimbo Balogun, Head of Information Technology and Mr. Gbola Aiyedun, Publishing Director, all of Learn Africa Plc at the company's 2013 National Sales Conference at the Equity Resort Hotel, Ijebu-Ode.

NANS apologises to Council Chair

T

HE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has apologised to the Governing Council Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, Dr Anene Uzuakpunwa for the embarrassment it caused him and the institution by a purported press statement published in some national dailies, and allegedly authored by the Nigerian representative of the Association of West African Students Union, (AWASU), Comrade Sheriff Zadok.

Earlier, the group had petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan not to allow the institution descend into chaos by reappointing Dr Uzuokpunwa for another term Sources informed The Nation that Dr Uzuokpunwa has been reappointed by the Federal Government for another term, even

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

though it has not been officially announced.

The petition then signed by Zadok and three other members of NANS, raised some serious allegations against Dr Uzuokpunwa ranging from victimisation of the Rector of the institution, Prof Godwin Onu, nepotism, illegal recruitment of staff, and other forms of corruption.

NANS which nullified the content of the said petition, said Zadok was quoted out of context in the reports, adding that the union's approval was not sought before the briefing.

A new communiqué made available to The Nation and signed

by Senate President, Comrade Donald Onukaogu and the Communiqué Drafting Committee Chairman, Comrade Chidi Obasi

Michael, absolved NANS of disrespecting or condemning Uzuakpunwa. NANS said it would cooperate with him if reappointed as the Council Chairman considering his wealth of experience as a former rector of the same institution.

The new communiqué states thus: “On the issue of Dr Anene Uzuakpunwa, we wish to categorically state that our leader Comrade E.E. Zadok was quoted out of context by some media organisations. ''NANS is concerned and convinced that the transformation of Students' Unionism needs to be encouraged, supported and sustained by all who believe in social change including our Institutions; we advise all zonal unions not to meddle in the politics over appointment of Governing Council.

UNILORIN FILE

Two colleges celebrate THE Colleges of Science and Technology, (CST), and Development Studies, (CDS), Covenant University (CU), Ota celebrated their 2013 College Week with a potpourri of activities involving both workers and students.

The weeklong programme kicked off with special renditions, by workers during the Tuesday and Thursday Chapel Services of the university. It also featured trade fairs, cooking competition, artistic and photography competition, Leadership seminars, InterCollege Sports Competition, Exhibitions and a reality show tagged: 'Covenant University Got Talent'.

The CDS reached out to its host community, Ota, including donating exercise books to pupils of the African Church Primary School, Ota; while the CST students showcased their creativity and innovativeness at the exhibition, where they displayed numerous inventions from the stable of the College.

Among inventions were Short Message Service-based Home Appliances Control System, Electrical Switch Board, Motor Starter for regulating Voltage, Goal Line Technology initiative, and Home Security and Anti-Burglary System.

Don on board THE Acting Head, Department of Estate Management, Covenant University, Dr Ayotunde Oni has been reelected on the Board of Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON).

This was at the 43rd Annual Conference of the organization, held in Benin City. The theme of the conference was 'Infrastructure Development and Economic Empowerment.'

Oni said his election would enable him improve on the ratings of the Estate Management Department of the university, by keeping it abreast of new criteria for accreditation.

"The Department of Estate Management had a total score of 92 per cent during the National Universities Commission accreditation visit in 2012. With this, Estate Management Department becomes the highest ranked Nigeria.

Students shine at software contest Students of the Department of Estate Management, CU, came fourth at an international competition recently organised

by Argus Software Incorporated, based in Texas.

Acting Head of the Department, Dr Ayotunde Oni said 21 universities participated in the competition - among them, four from Africa.

Celebrating their performance, he said three of the African institutions were from South Africa, while CU was the only university from Sub-Saharan Africa.

"Most of the participating universities are based in the United States of America and they have been using this software for a very long time ever before we came on board.

Covenant University is just 10 years old and we made the competition very keen for other institutions," he said.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

EDUCATION

Vet doctor outshines others for bank job

Institute prepares seasoned administrators

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A

KOREDE Akpamkpa wowed the audience that witnessed her graduation from the FirstAcademy Foundation School, the corporate training school of FirstBank Plc at the External Ball Room of the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island.

After waiting with bated breath to learn who led the pack of 87 students that underwent the 16-week training of the tier one school, the 26-year old Veterinary Doctor was named the overall best of team Elixir, the second set of recruits to pass through FirstAcademy.

Akpampka of the University of Ibadan was followed by Folahanmi Oludiran, a graduate of Accounting from the Bowen University, Iwo, and Adeoba Diekolola who made a First Class in Economics from the Covenant University, Ota. Ironically, none of the three won the five sub-category prizes on offer.

However, their consistency in tests, assignments and examinations given in all subject areas including Products and Services, Basic Economics, Basic Credit and Finance earned them places at the top.

Mr Bisi Onasanya, Group Managing Director of the bank, described Akpamkpa's dominance from the Sciences over majority of the group whose university/ polytechnic training were in business, accounting and finance as a bitter pill to swallow. But he praised the veterinary doctor for shining through.

"It is a very bitter pill to swallow when somebody comes from outside

•Oludiran

•Akpamkpa

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

to beat everyone in a class of 87. She has beaten every one of you," he said. Addressing Akpamkpa directly, he added: "You have become a hot cake. It is not everyone that smiles at you that likes you. You have become a success enemy to everyone. Every man will like to get close to you," he said.

However, Onasanya warned the students that academics is not all it takes to build the best career in banking. While they beat tens of thousands of fresh graduates in the preliminary screening that preceded the academy training, he said success in their jobs was dependent on how well they are able to adapt in real life situations.

"We have graduated 87 people today. I do know you have learnt a lot. But let me warn you that the classroom experience is completely different from real life. Do your best to merge the two. Academic brilliance does not usually translate to success in life. You need to begin to see yourself as a different person from whom a lot is expected," he said.

For Akpamkpa, FirstAcademy was so different from her school

experience that it gave her opportunities to practice what ever she learnt during the training quickly.

She said: "FirstAcademy is quite different in the sense that in school we were not exposed to real life situations. In FirstAcademy, apart from the courses you take, you do lot of group presentations, individual presentations; you have to sharpen your speaking skills, your writing skills, and also do intensive work attachment. You are posted to a branch or a department, you study hard and put in what you have learnt.

Unlike school where you just keep taking things in, even outdated ones, they teach you global things that expose your thinking."

Oludiran said if tertiary institutions adopt the style of training, they would produce better graduates.

"There is a lot of difference. The academy is more like a cooperate university, we are meant to undergo a lot of things, they try to strike a balance between work and academics, be a team player, they try to inculcate soft skills presentation, the academy is more encompassing than the school," he said.

RESIDENT and Chairman of Governing Council, the Chartered Institute of Administration (CIA), Dr Goddy Idaminabo, has said the various examinations conducted in stages for would-be chartered administrators are tailored to breed competency in the handling of the nation's affairs.

Students, who have sat for the examinations over the years, can testify to the rigours as well as the quality of modules which, according to him, make them hold their head high anywhere.

Based on its reputation, Idaminabo said CIA has partnered with the National Universities Commission (NUC) regarding Professional Education.

At a briefing to announce the maiden All Administrators National Conference in Nigeria slated for July, Idaminabo said the conference would attract administrators from various areas of endeavours, brainstorming on challenges such as security, economic, social, political, as well as human flight.

The theme of the conference is: Administrators in Nigeria's Transformation Agenda: Roles and challenges, Idaminabo, told reporters at the CIA national secretariat in Kuje Amuwo old Ojo road last Thursday, that the national malaise could be attributed to dearth of qualified administrators.

He said as Nigeria goes through its transformational agenda, CIA, as a mother of all professions, feels the conference is important so as to identify administrative gaps in the nation.

He said: "In Nigeria today, we have people with degrees, PhD,

By Adegunle Olugbamila

politicians, civil servants but very few administrators. This is where we all got it wrong.

"A chartered administrator understands all languages; he has a fair knowledge of every subject under the sun. I keep telling people that the moment you don't have administrators who can put a round peg in a round hole, there will be problems. Administrators must be given their right of place so we can get it right at the level of leadership."

The event which holds on July 4 and 5 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja will be chaired by former Secretary-General, Commonwealth Chief Emeka Anyaoku and declared open by President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to Idaminabo, CIA is chartered by Act 103 of 1992 with a mandate to 'regulate and standardise the practice of administration through the country. He said at present, CIA has over 10,000 members.

The institute's National Chairman, Conference Organising Committee, Dr Noble Oguguo, said the budget for the conference has been put at N48 million.

"The institute is not rich enough to generate N48 million but we are looking up to kind-hearted Nigerians to assist us financially.

Dr Oguguo said some of the lead paper presenters include: the Chairman, Nigeria-America Chambers of Commerce, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa; Director-General, Centre for Management Development Dr Usman Kabir and a former president of CIA Prof Aloy Ejiogu, among others.

Council vows to resuscitate HE newly inaugurated Abuja Varsity governing board of the

T

University of Abuja has vowed to upgrade the University of Abuja into a mega university.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the university, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia stated this during a briefing with reporters in Abuja over the weekend.

He said the Council which is now its 7th will intervene in the ongoing two-week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU).

It could be recalled that ASUU had threatened to embark on a twoweek warning strike to press home their demand for the issuing of White Paper on the report of the Visitation Panel by the federal government.

However, the Council, had during its maiden meeting on 25th April, appealed to members of the

FUT MINNA gets new DVC From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

T

HE Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna has appointed Prof Suleiman Sadiku the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).

His appointment, which was ratified at the 100th council meeting, took effect from April 25. it is for two years in the first instance.

A professor of Fisheries, Sadiku is from Okene, Kogi State. He joined FUT Minna 24 years ago as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Fisheries.

Prior to his appointment, Sadiku served in several capacities within and outside the university.

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

union to shelve the intended warning strike.

Ogbemudia said during the inaugural meeting of the Council, it had pleaded with ASUU to be in their offices and classes to give lectures.

Ogbemudia assured that the new Council will look at "every aspect of the university" so as to attain the status of a mega university in the nation's capital. He appealed to the public to give the new Council time as members have just started their assignment.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof James Adelabu said the school had just "completed the suspended second semester examinations", adding that the new academic session has started in earnest with fresh students.

• The Emir Alhaji Ado Bayero (middle) flanked by Prof Oyewole (second left) and other members of the university’s team, Kano

UI plans big for Chancellor's 50th coronation

T

HE Emir of Kano and Chancellor, the University of Ibadan, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has agreed with the authorities of the institution to celebrate his 50th coronation anniversary this year.

The monarch gave the endorsement during a visit by some principal officers of the university, led by the ViceChancellor, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole.

The visit was to inform the Chancellor of plans to celebrate his coronation anniversary in grand style.

The VC said: "We deemed it fit that we should have a celebration for a royal day in Ibadan. We have been to His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuade, Olubuse 11,

Ooni of Ife, who has agreed to preside at the occasion. Major Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (Rtd.), our Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council is also happy about it. We will feature a command performance by Prof Ahmed Yerima, a renowned playwright, to showcase the monarch's immense contributions to peace not only in Nigeria but Africa, in general."

Based on the impactful contributions of the Emir to commerce, education, and national development, Adewole also disclosed that the event would be used for the foundation laying ceremony of the Ado Bayero Building complex of the University of Ibadan School of Business (UISB) which is expected

to be performed by the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Other events lined up for the milestone event, according to the VC, is a tribute session by eminent personalities.

The Emir thanked Allah for making him the Chancellor of the premier university and praised the management for the honour being done to him.

His words: "I am happy with the arrangement by your university to celebrate my 50 years on the throne. I am particularly happy that Almighty Allah made me the Chancellor of the historic university. I pray Allah to give the Vice-Chancellor and other staff good health, wisdom and courage to continue the good work for the benefit of the entire human race."

The monarch ascended the throne of legendary Kano Emirate as Emir on October 14, 1963.

The Vice-Chancellor was accompanied on the visit by the Registrar, Mr Olujimi Olukoya; Bursar, Mr Olaniyi Aponmade; University Librarian, Dr. Benedict Oladele; member of the University Governing Council, Senator El-Jubril Mashood Doguwa; Prof Ahmed Yerima of the Redeemer's University; Director, University Advancement Centre, Mr Adebowale Adeosun; Director of Public Communication, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo; and the Principal Assistant Registrar (Vice- Chancellor's Office), Dr. Festus Etadon.

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Three deaths in three weeks

The final act

Page 31

Page 34

*CAMPUSES *NEWS *PEOPLE *KUDOS& KNOCKS *GRANTS

THE NATION

CAMPUS LIFE 0805-450-3104 email: campusbeat@yahoo.com THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

email:- campuslife@thenationonlineng.net

They are already preparing for life after school.

Aware of the high graduate unemployment rate, they are combining studies with work to enable them stand on their own after graduation. This is now the practice among students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State. OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI (400-Level Language Arts) reports.

Their struggle for survival T

HEY are preparing for life after school so that they won’t have to search for non-existing jobs after graduation. They are combining their academic pursuit with low-income vocations to pay their bills. There are many of such students at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

To them, there is no compromise in the struggle for survival. On campus, they are merchants. Their colleagues and lecturers patronise them. In most cases, their products are cheap and they are appreciated for their expertise and quick delivery.

Often times, their roommates and classmates help them to serve their customers. For the traders among them, they always pray for lecturefree periods to enable them trade.

When they are not attending lectures, they are busy attending to their customers.

For those engaged in craftwork, their weekends are busy. They go to the market to buy materials to carry out their job. Often times, these students face threats of ejection by the hall management because they use their hostels as business centres.

Busayo Idowu is in her final year in the Department of Social Studies, Faculty of Education. She is gradually becoming popular on campus as a tailor. One of her customers told CAMPUSLIFE she “is blessed with a huge sense of fashion”.

Though her shop is not on the campus, Busayo, the manager of Treasure House Couture, cuts and designs clothes in her average-sized room in Mayfair area of Ile-Ife, the university’s host community.

Busayo said she learnt the trade

while seeking admission into higher institution.

“When I did not gain admission on time, I decided to learn tailoring.

I didn’t want to just sit down at home doing nothing. I was trained not to depend on others for survival but to create wealth and put smiles on the faces of people,” she said.

She added that since she started her business, she has relieved her parents of the burden of paying her school fees.

On her tricks, Busayo said studying the environment, knowing what the people wanted was the zeal that made her business to grow.

She said: “I have always loved dresses, and, as much as I could, I appreciate people who wear appropriate combination and have a good dress sense. I see the campus as a community, a market, a breeding ground and a starting point to showcase my expertise.

“Making clothes for my colleagues, who are my customers, has its advantages and disadvantages.

Sometimes, some of them will praise me and even add extra on the charges. Others make insulting remarks because I simply know how to sew. I have taken every one of them as a customer because I don’t want to lose their patronage.”

Despite his tight schedule as a paramedical student, Bosun Fadeyibi, a final year student of Medical Rehabilitation, is a barber.

He started his business in 2009 when he was admitted into the school. Later, he ventured into laundry services to increase his customer base.

Bosun said he learnt the trade from a secondary school mate and •Continued on page 30

•Busayo at work

•Maiden inaugural lecture holds at IBBU •Bank vehicle kills student -P33

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE

Pushing Out

Between NEEDS and needs (2)

T

with

HE salient issues embedded in the 189 recommendations by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and his team is not strange but glaring for all to see. What it did was that it elaborated on the fault lines within our university system which ASUU has over the years been calling on the authorities to fix; but unfortunately, successive governments have been led to believe that the association is mainly concerned about the welfare of its members. Take the issue of funding for instance. The N426.53bn budgeted for Education in the 2013 appropriation bill is about nine per cent of the total budget, previous budget hovers within this percentage. This is not close to the UNESCO recommended 26 per cent. We still have policy formulators who believe that it is “impossible” to budget such percentage without our house falling down, yet Ghana budgets 31 per cent of its annual estimates for education. Any wonder that the country is now the choice destination of Nigerians in search of quality education?

As with reports of such nature which are bound to be controversial because of some elements, the government set up a Presidential Review Committee on the Report where a Technical Committee that would review the recommendations and come out with workable solutions was raised headed by Prof.

Yakubu, who also chaired the main committee. The committee has 12 Vice Chancellors: two each representing the six geopolitical zones in the country; one Commissioner for Education also from each of the six geo-political zones; the Federal Ministry of Education, (FME); National Planning Commission (NPC); National Universities Commission (NUC); and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The Chairman of the Committee and Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi said the decision to set up the review committee was to enable the proprietors of public universities in the country both at the federal and state levels, have actionable recommendations that would make enforcement a reality.

It will be appropriate to further review some

Agbo Agbo 08052959489 (SMS only)

•aagboa@gmail.com of the recommendations here. Part of the committee’s recommendations says that overall administrative costs, including the cost of any outsourced functions, such as cleaning and security, should not exceed 18 to 20 per cent and that managers, who failed to access and properly utilise their universities’ allocation of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) subventions for research, staff development and scholarships, conference attendance, publications, and so on, should be sanctioned.

The committee maintained that no university should be allowed to remain without a governing council, whose members are appointed purely on merit and to stay in office only as provided by the law and that, vice-chancellors should be transparent, accountable and resultoriented in their dealings (the federal government constituted governing councils two weeks ago). Moreover, all non-establishment positions created by some vice-chancellors; such as Personal Assistants and Special Assistants and any similar to these are to be banned in the university system and that the council of each university should ensure compliance. All abandoned projects are to be completed, or continued with before new ones are started by incoming vicechancellors.

The explosion in undergraduates’ population on campuses which was not commensurate with facilities on ground also brought about some abnormalities. For instance, refectories, sporting complexes, convocation squares and other areas designated for other functions were converted into ‘lecture halls’ but the committee said varsities should revert to the status quo. Furthermore, it was revealed that less than 10 per cent of the universities have video conferencing facility, whereby less than 20 per cent use interactive boards while more than 50 per cent do

Their struggle for survival •Continued from page 29

a retired soldier.

At the time the businesses started taking more of his time, his younger brother, Tolulope, gained admission to study Demography and Social Statistics in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Tolulope joined his brother in managing the enterprise.

He told CAMPUSLIFE: “I have been learning how to do business since my childhood days. My dad entrusted over 500 poultry birds in my care. He told me that there is dignity in labour, and this gives me the passion to continue to struggle to make a living through my handiwork.”

Bosun, who runs his businesses from Fajuyi Hall, said none of his customers had made any derogatory remark about him, he stated.

He said: “As people see my business as menial, it sustains me and I have achieved something tangible through it. I don’t feel embarrassed cutting hair and washing the clothes of my fellow students. I am always happy when I see my work on people.”

Bosun admitted that combining business with academics had been an Herculean task, but he said it was a burden he must bear because he is looking beyond the campus.

Mending shoes and bags for students sustains Ayodeji Obisesan.

The 300-Level Economics Education student, who operates in Awolowo Hall, started his shoe-making business in his first year. He is patronised by students and members of the staff.

Does he feel embarrassed when his colleagues call him a cobbler?

Ayodeji answered: “How can I feel

not even use public address systems in their lecture halls.

On the regulatory body, government was advised to empower and restrengthen the National Universities Commission, to enforce all accreditation criteria and ensure objectivity and patriotism in the conduct of its activities. To this end, any university that falsified records, hired equipment or mercenary staff just for accreditation purpose should be closed down for a minimum of five years. The report also called on the government and other funding agencies to support teaching, learning and research and university managers should pursue the mission, vision and core values of their institutions.

These objectives can be achieved - according to the committee - if and when universities train and produce all-rounded graduates and technical experts in the areas of Information and Communication Technology, high-tech engineering, medical sciences, agricultural sciences and natural sciences, among others. To strengthen the importance of universities to national development, the committee recommended that government should get the appropriate power agency to put all Nigerian universities on dedicated electricity lines and be accorded priority consideration during distribution.

To ensure that all university academics have the minimum teaching qualification, the government would have to direct the appropriate regulatory agencies to issue a moratorium of five years, when all teaching staff in the university system are expected to have acquired their doctorate degrees and that while this is on, all new employments into academic position must meet the academic requirement of having, or pursuing their doctorate degrees while visiting lectureship should be regulated.

One of the most controversial recommendation raising dust at the moment is the section calling for the conversion of all non-teaching staff in Nigerian universities into the staff of Federal or State Ministry of Education with full control over their employment. This controversial recommendation has been seriously criticized by the non-teaching staff of universities.

To them, the report is unfavourable, cruel and untenable, as they called on the government to jettison it, noting that non-teaching staff were strategic to the running of the university system.

I will reserve comments on this pending when the presidential review committee comes out

with their recommendations, but meanwhile the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) threatened to go on strike to stop the implementation of the report. The association accused the Federal Government of insincerity in the payment of its members’ allowances. At the forefront of this allegation is the association’s Federal University of Technology, Akure branch Chairman, Mr. Benedict Chukwuma, who said the NEEDS report was targeted at retrenching non-teaching staff of the nation’s public universities. According to him, the association is rejecting the report because it aims at downsizing members of the association.

Chukwuma is of the opinion that the transfer of non-teaching staff to federal and states ministries of education “was made in bad fate and therefore leaves much to be desired.”

Preempting the adoption of the recommendation, the Joint Action Committee of the nonteaching staff met with Senator Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, where it submitted its reaction to the report.

There is little doubt that this report makes a very depressing reading and calls our sanity as a nation to question. Reflecting on it I discovered that mediocrity has dealt us a massive blow than we previously thought. How do we expect to develop when our citadels of higher learning are nothing short of glorified secondary schools? How and when did we descend this low and how do we expect to hold our heads high in the comity of 2st century nations when our graduates are half baked? How in God’s name do we hope to compete in a technologically driven world when some of our graduates have not even touched a computer!?

Most of our policy formulators travel to other countries and institutions to “understudy” their systems, what have they been “understudying” over the years? Yet they would be the first to shout themselves hoarse whenever the depressing ratings of our universities are released.

While it took years for us to get where we are today, taking the right step to correct these anomalies should start immediately and the political will to back it up should be there. Leadership is all about boldness in doing the right thing even if it may be painful and unpopular, we must fix our university system if we want to truly develop.

The ball is now on the court of the review panel, we are waiting anxiously for their recommendations as we sift the NEEDS from the needs.

Solomon Bello is in his final year at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA).

The Chemical Engineering student sings and plays the guitar with ease. As a member of the Correct Music Crew, he has released Ojo Ife, which is rocking the airwaves of several radio stations. He told DAVID OSU (400-Level Urban and Regional Planning) what he plans to achieve in 10 years.

‘Nigeria needs good music to develop’

H

•Bosun at work

embarrassed when I need their ‘insults’ to grow my business? I am a business man who needs money. I don’t trouble my parents for stipends and school fees. I am making some money by sewing leather materials for students and staff. But this does not affect my studies.”

Will he look for a white-collar job after graduation, Ayodeji said he was planning to grow his business and be self-reliant.

OW did you discover your musical talent?

Since my childhood, I’ve loved music. I listened to all kinds of music. So, I maintained the tempo as I grew up but never knew I would be a musician.

You mix Yoruba, pidgin and English in your songs. What genre would you describe your kind of music?

I won’t say my songs belong to a particular genre. But mixing all languages is what creativity is all about.

It is my goal that my music will reach as many people as possible, through different styles and, of course, diverse languages. Each dialect I use is a message to the people that speak it.

You have done a couple of songs, which have not been waxed into an album. When do you plan to release your first album?

My debut single is titled Ojo Ife, which translated in English means Love Rain. It is rocking the airwaves.

On the album, well, I have not signed on yet to any record label. To me, this is because releasing an album is not the most important thing. Passing

my message across to people is what gives me joy. I am focused doing what I am born to do. I conduct my musical affairs with my Correct Music Crew, which comprises artistes such as CSB, my younger brother, Crown, Holy Josh and our producer, Waxy Wax. Has there been any time you considered quitting music, perhaps because of frustration?

There have been challenges, every now and then. However, it has never crossed my mind to quit because music is what I love to do without much effort.

Who do you look up to?

I have so many of them, but I will mention a few. I love and listen to Tupac, Robert Kelly, King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti, and Bob Marley. I wish to surpass them.

Do you think music is playing any role in societal development?

Music is food for the soul and the soul is the seat of thoughts and imagination. Hence, nothing affects the society like the media and music. I am of the opinion that a good artiste must find a way to balance

•Solomon

his music. Just as we require a balanced diet for body growth, our nation needs good music to surmount its challenges. The artiste must entertain, educate and inspire his audience. If musicians would chart a course to deliberately promote good characters and attitudes, then we are on track to changing our world, which would in turn shape our country into one of our dream.

Where do you hope to be in 10 years?

I want to look back to today and smile after I would have achieved my desire to be one of the greatest musicians of all times. Of course, if we ask the likes of D’banj, MI or Whizkid what they had dreamed to be, none of them would say he never wanted to be a star artiste. So, in 10 years, by the grace of God and support from music lovers, I would have become an international artiste of great repute. I also hope to be a major donor to charities and orphanages.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE The news of the death of three students, two in final year and one in post-graduate school, hit the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, as the second semester took off. NGOZI EMMANUEL writes.

Three deaths in three weeks

A

LL was silent at the faculties of Law and Social Science of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State capital, last week. The silence was caused by the death of three students, two in final year and one in post graduate school.

In hushed tones, students discussed the tragedy in groups.

They were still in that mood when a procession of students emerged from nowhere, singing dirges for yet another, who was said to be a final year student in the Faculty of Management.

Before the first semester break, Adaobi Chukwuma Chukwukelue, was a final year student of Law. According to her course mates, she was friendly and was looking forward to the day she would graduate.

Three weeks ago, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, Adaobi, 500-Level Law, who was pregnant with her first child, was taken to a restaurant by her husband for relaxation. At the restaurant, she asked to use the restroom. When she did not return on time, her husband went to see what was happening. He was said to have knocked on the door several times without response.

When the door was forced open,

Adaobi was found on the floor, unconscious. As efforts were being made to take her to the hospital, she reportedly died.

The other final year student, Uchenna Michael Ejionye, was said to be a sickler. He became ill after the first semester examination. He was in 400-Level Public Administration. His close friends said he looked forward to resuming for the second semester but Michael did not resume with his friends. He died after a battle with an undisclosed ailment.

All he left for his friends and classmates are memories of how nice he was. However, according to the class governor, Emmanuel Okon, Michael fought hard but eventually lost the battle to the cold hands of death.

Mohammed Nasiru, a postgraduate student in the Department of Mass Communication, was preparing to defend his thesis last Monday. Our correspondent gathered that Nasiru traversed Auchi, Edo State and Awka for lectures.

Sources said the deceased may have died as a result of accumulated stress.

CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the three deaths occurred within three weeks. Some students who spoke

•Public Administration students in a procession mourning their dead colleague, Uchenna

to our correspondent said such bad news always happens in the second semester. An anonymous student said: “These deaths mostly happen among the final year students. I don’t know what is wrong. It is really sad.”

Expressing their grief, students of the affected departments wore black clothes and went from one faculty to another, chanting dirges.

Some of them spoke to

CAMPUSLIFE. Chinelo Akorah, 500-Level Law, said: “The joy of admission into a higher institution is one that should be for life. Every one of us thought of going to school, graduate with good results and get work to make money. But when this kind of death comes, it disrupts plans, shattering the hope of loved ones, robbing parents of the benefits of investment. The death of final year students is disheartening.”

Another final year student in the Department of Public Administration, who craved anonymity, said: “I think we need serious prayers and divine intervention, because it is only God that can save us from untimely death. We share in the grief of the families of the deceased and we pray God to stop this sad news on the campus.”

The remains of the deceased have since been interred.

Many students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) are blaming their failure on inadequate time to prepare for exam.

But lecturers say the students should blame themselves for not preparing well. Who is to blame? STANLEY UCHEGBU (500-Level Accounting) asks.

A

FTER examination, students tell tales of how they tackled the questions. When the results are released, the tales continue, depending on whether the majority are successful or not.

At the University of Calabar (UNICAL), there are students who do not read or attend lectures but prefer to go to parties. Such students are seen on campus during examination.

When the results do not favour them, they cited various reasons ranging from strict invigilation to lecturers’ lateness to class and complicated course outline for their failure.

Lecturers complain that students don’t start studying until examination is around the corner. They wondered how students would prepare for exam two weeks before it starts and expect to pass all the courses. When examination gets closer, the school library and classrooms are packed with students. Yet, students still fail exams.

Some students who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE said lecturers contributed to their failure. They complained that lecturers do not start their lecture until two or three weeks to examination.

John Ngam (not real name), a student of the Faculty of Allied Medical Science, UNICAL, said: “Two weeks to our exams, that is when lecturers come with photocopies of materials with diagrams for us to study for exams. In such situation, we are left with no choice but to burn their midnight candle in order to get acquainted with the materials given to us. We study the materials aggressively but how many of us understandd the scope?”

A Radiography student, who identified herself as Tracy, said: “After the August 2011 riot, semesters have been unnecessarily short but students are expected to attend all lectures without giving us break to adequately prepare

•UNICAL students writing exam

Students, teachers trade words over exam for exams. This makes some of us to resort to cramming of formulas and equations that could have been learnt with ease. And when one crams to write exam, one hardly remembers anything in the examination hall. I will urge the management to look into our curriculum and see if they can reduce the work load. Many of us can no longer bear it.”

In anger, a 500-Level student of Radiography, who did not say his name, said he and some students were delayed in writing examination because they did not submit their class admit card. “The invigilators told us to wait outside. We waited for about

an hour before they later called us in.

A few minutes after, we were asked to submit the answer booklets. How do they want us to pass the exam is such manner?” he said.

There is no reason for students to start reading at the beginning of semesters, said a student of the Faculty of Management Sciences, who simply identified himself as Emmanuel. “At this period, the course outline will still be in progress. So how do we read a topic we have not been taught?” he wondered.

A 500-Level Law student, Jessica, said the management should borrow a leaf from institutions such as University

of Benin (UNIBEN) where students were given three to four weeks to prepare for semester examination. She said: “Here, we given two weeks, which is not regular, to prepare for eight to 10 courses. Last session, there was a paper which students failed woefully. We did not prepare because there was no time to do so. This was why the Dean of Law faculty ordered that the exam should be retaken.”

A student of the department of Political Science told CAMPUSLIFE, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “I no longer understand what is going on in my department; it seems Political Science department is the toughest

in UNICAL. The lecturers are too strict and many students are complaining.

We need management to come to our aid.”

A student, who is known on campus as Jackson, said students should be blamed for failure in examination.

He said laziness made students to pile up work until examination caught up with them. “What students are supposes to learn in three months, they will abandon it and engage themselves in unproductive things. When the exam comes, they will race against time to read for ten courses in two weeks. Some of them will cram and still mess up at the end,” he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE

Leaders for campus journalists

T

HE Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, chapter of the Association of Campus Journalists (ACJ) has inaugurated its leaders.

The event, held at the Biological Sciences lecture theatre, was attended by the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Mr Paul Ogidi, outgoing president of the ACJ, Samuel Adegbola; his deputy, Faizah Somide and other key officials of the body.

The CSO, represented by Mr Funminiyi Adegboyega, said members of the ACJ had always demonstrated good character and a strong support for students’ welfare. He charged the incoming leaders to be f objective and transparent in the discharge of duties.

Giving an account of his stewardship, Samuel said what stopped his administration from overcoming some challenges was the people’s predilection for scoring cheap points.

“Our administration organised several events such as the July 10 remembrance, maiden Interna-

•Members of the executive after their inauguration From Oluwafemi Ogunjobi OAU

tional Campus Journalists Conference and ACJ awards, among others,” he said.

Samuel advised the incoming leaders to take the organisation to greater heights. The officials took

•Adeniran (middle) being presented a gift by leaders of the students

F

ORMER Vice-Chairman of Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Pastor Joseph Adeniran has urged students to aim for excellence.

He was addressing students of McPherson University, SerikiSotayo, Ogun State, during the maiden Students’ Week.

Adeniran, a journalist, said Nigeria remained backward

the oath and pledged allegiance to the union.

The president, Aderemi Ojekunle, described the inauguration as a new chapter in the annals of campus journalism. He reaffirmed his commitment to promoting the spirit of oneness by involv-

ing every member in the handling of the affairs of the body. He said his administration would take members on tour to reputable media houses. He listed his programmes to include internship, job opportunities and international conference, among others.

•Students in prayer session before the event started

Students urged to target excellence From Ayodeji Adesina ABEOKUTA

because excellence had been sacrificed for mediocrity. In his presentation entitled: Excellence: The relationship matrix, he said excellence could be achieved by devotion to study, stressing that

students must be the driver of their destiny.

“You can become an expert in anything you can devote 10,000 hours of practise to. The 10,000 hours are a great wand for expertise, greatness and excellence,” he added, urging them to be leading lights as pioneer students of the

faith-based university by sticking to excellence and doing a common thing in an uncommon way.

He, however, cautioned the students against vices that may terminate their academic pursuit.

Other speakers at the event included the university Chaplain, Reverend Ezekiel Abikoye; Dea-

NUC accredits varsity’s programmes

O

VER 90 per cent of academic programmes run by the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State, has been accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibrahim Kolo, has said.

Announcing the outcome of the 2012 accreditation at the 43rd regular Senate meeting of the institution, Prof Kolo said of the 19 programmes presented, 17 got full accreditation status.

The Department of Business Administration got interim accreditation and would be revisited in two years.

He added that except for the Department of Public Administration that was denied accreditation, other departments met the standards of the NUC. Prof Kolo said efforts were be-

From Yinka Olatunbosun IBBU

ing made to represent the Public Administration Department for accreditation, adding that the newly-established programmes would be presented in 2014.

He urged the staff of the affected departments not to rest on their oars. He expressed displeasure over the lackadaisical attitudes of some academic staff to duty, advising them to live up to the standards expected of lecturers by participating fully in the academic work of the university.

In another development, the university has held a one-day orientation for freshers to align them with the rules and regulations of the school.

Speaking at the event, Prof Kolo charged the students to conduct themselves in an upright manner and shun acts that could breach the

Other officers are Omolola Okediji, vice-president; Oluwafemi Ogunjobi, general secretary; Sadiq Fatai, chairman, Guild of Editors; Johnson Ogunleye, public relations officer; Adekolawole Longe, treasurer and Tosin Alawode, financial secretary.

peace of the university.

He also advised them to be hard working and committed to their academic activities so that the investment of their parents would be justified. He added that the policy of rewarding good behaviour and hard work was still in place.

Speaking earlier, the chairman of the occasion, the Director, Entrepreneurship and Counselling Centre, Prof Frank Carew, warned students not to indulge themselves in anything that would not add value to their academic pursuit. He urged them to make good use of the conducive learning environment provided by the university to achieve their dreams.

Highlight of the event included lectures by the Dean, Student Affairs, Dr John Jiya and Director of Academic Planning, Dr Muhammad Mustapha.

con Bisi Afolabi and Dr Abikoye Aderounmu.

Afolabi spoke on Academic excellence: Pathway to greatness while Aderounmu lectured the students on You and your health.

Elijah Fadare, 100-Level Accountancy, said the Week was impactful. His colleague from the department of History and Diplomatic Studies described the programme as worthwhile.

Medical students hold Health Week

M

EDICAL students of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) have held their annual health week tagged Combat against HIV/AIDS: The role of government, healthcare practitioners and the journey so far.

The event, which took place in the Edington Building of the university teaching hospital complex and the main auditorium, was attended by the Registrar, Mallam Baba Gana Aji; Provost Prof Dili Dogo; Borno State Commissioner for Animal and Fisheries Development Prof Umar Sandabe and health officers from within and outside the university.

The week-long event featured a quiz contest, awareness campaign, hospital visitation, health talk, maga-

From Taiwo Isola UNIMAID

zine launch and award presentations.

Prof Sandabe said he was impressed by the contribution of the college to public health, urging students not to relent in promoting good health among the residents of the state.

Highlight of the event was the launch of the Deedok, the medical students’ annual magazine.

Awards were presented to people, who have contributed to the development of the medical students’ association.

Prof Dogo, receiving an award, thanked the students for considering him worthy of the honour. He dedicated the award to his family and colleagues who contributed to his success.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

33

CAMPUS LIFE

Campus journalism at poly From Chris Odumegwu DSP

HE National Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ) has inaugurated a new chapter at the Delta State Polytechnic (DSP), OgwashiUku. At a ceremony in the institution’s Open Pavilion, the executive of the union was presented to students.

At the event were the Librarian, Mr Azino Akpokurerie, and NUCJ national president Emmanuel Ahanonu.

In a lecture titled Editorial: Who does what to copy, Unimke Ipong, said there was a need for division of editorial tasks among campus journalists to ensure effectiveness.

Delivering a lecture on Ethics in campus journalism and the power of the pen, Esther Etuke, a member of NUCJ, said there was the need for uniformity of purpose in all branches of the union.

Akpokurerie advised the student-journalists to imbibe simplicity in their reporting. He said: “The language of news writing is clear, concise, simple, precise, accurate, objective and fair. It is detailed, yet not verbose. It is devoid of the writer’s opinion and insinuations. It tells the story as it is, as it happened and not as the reporter thinks it should have happened.”

He warned that the culture of “brown envelope” should not be encouraged among campus writers.

The programme featured an interactive session during which answers were given to questions.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the polytechnic, Manfred Oyibogbeye, and Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Mr Frank Ikeji, said the management would give the union the support needed to flourish.

T

•Prof Gbodi (left) being presented an award for Pathfinder of IBBUL Metabolites by Dr Bashir after the lecture

Maiden inaugural lecture holds at IBBU

A

N epidemiological study has revealed that food items of either plant or animal origin consumed by human beings are considered to be continually contaminated by high levels of toxins produced by fungi, which are also seen as carcinogenic.

A professor of Biochemistry at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Prof Timothy Gbodi, made the revelation while delivering the maiden inaugural lecture of the institution. The lecture was titled Mycotoxins: Are they the silent killer?

Gbodi called for multi-sectorial mitigation strategies that would be supported by relevant public and private institutions and professionals in the field of plant and animal agriculture and to be coordinated by a single entity with the view to remove contaminants from food.

From Yinka Olatunbosun IBB

He urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ensure that standards were stuck to on imported foods and those for local consumption.

He challenged all tiers of governments to look critically into technology research in Nigeria to make the country safer for the rich and poor.

Prof Gbodi appreciated God for sparing his life and for making him the first lecturer to deliver the institution’s maiden inaugural lecture.

He said he never thought he could stumble into academics, but added he later realised that God had a plan for those who trusted in him.

The Visitor and the special guest of honour, Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, represented by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr

Nuhu Bashir, commended the management of the institution for successfully hosting the lecture.

He said the government was doing its best to ensure of realisation the vision 3:20:20 of the Aliyu administration. Bashir disclosed that concerted efforts were being made by the government to establish Faculty of Medical Sciences to boost the production of health professionals and improve health care delivery in the state.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adamu Kolo, in his remarks decried the attitude of some development agencies and manufacturing industries for not utilising research findings by scholars to fast-track the country’s development. He said in an effort to fulfill its mandates, IBBU staff and students had been encouraged to pursue researches in critical areas that were of immediate benefits to the state and the country.

T

From Adedisi Adeniji and Hammed Hamzat UI

the deceased’s close friend, Hiqmat Abdulsalam, Deborah left the campus to buy food stuffs after she wrote her first paper but she was hit by the vehicle while she was trying to buy the items.

Hiqmat said she was yet to believe her close friend was dead.

Yomi Alli, 200-Level Political Science and the late Deborah’s secondary school classmate at International School Ibadan, described the deceased as easygoing. He added she would be greatly missed.

Fadekemi Folarin, 100-Level Guidance and Counselling, said the late Deborah never looked down on people, which was why she moved close to the

OAU admits 5, 501 out of 39,632 applicants

N

EW students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State have been urged to refrain from acts capable of delaying them in the institution The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole, gave the advice during the university’s 51st matriculation. Congratulating the students, he said the oath they took was sacrosanct and could be raised against any erring student.

He noted that of the 79, 809 applicants, 39, 632 passed the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) but said the institution could only admit 5, 501. Omole said the figure represented 12.5 per cent of the

From Dhikru Akinola OAU

applicants that sat for the postUTME. The VC appealed to the students to channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters through dialogue, advising them to shun violent demonstration, gangsterism or confrontation.

He called on them to be good ambassadors of their respective families, localities and states, stressing that OAU, for them, served as an incubating stage of leadership, which was preparing them for the mission ahead. He described the freshmen as champions and victors.

From Ibrahim Alamu UNILORIN

T

HE National Universities Education Students Association (NUESA), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) chapter, has held its congress.

The event, which took place at the faculty’s lecture theatre, started at 3pm with an opening prayer, which was said by the Financial Secretary of the Joy Ikhioya. This was followed by a minute silence in honour of a lecturer, the late Dr. Emmanuel Adeoye.

In his address, the president, Abdulrazak Babatunde, congratulated the students on the success of the faculty’s Ankara Day. The event was followed by an award ceremony, attended by Nollywood actors Femi Branch, Adebayo Salami and Tunde Kelani.

Abdulrazak praised the faculty representatives for their support during his tenure.

Ajasin varsity wins debate From Richard Adura-Ilesanmi AAUA

ASS Communication students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) have emerged victorious in the debate organised by the Association of Mass Communication Students (AMCOS), Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji-Arakeji, chapter.

AAUA students defeated their counterparts from the JABU to win the contest held on the host’s campus. Students of Mass Communication from Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo (WUSTO) and the University of Ibadan (UI) also participated in the debate.

AAUA was represented by Akinlolu Ejiranti, 300-Level, Julius Omokhunu, 200-Level and Joseph Onoolapo, 100-Level. The topic of the debate was: “Is sovereign National Conference the panacea for terrorism in Nigeria?”

Students of the premier university opposed the motion while their counterparts from AAUA supported the view. At the end of the first round, AAUA won by 33.1 to 32.0; JABU defeated WUSTO to make it to the final round.

Having defeated the UI to move on to the final round, AAUA faced the host institution in what could be described as a clash of the titans. AAUA supported the motion that “Corruption is the root cause of terrorism in Nigeria”, but JABU students opposed it.

At the end, AAUA came first with 44.3 points, JABU 40.1 and UI got 38.3 to become first and second runners-up respectively. Speaking after the debate, AMCOS president at AAUA, Omodunni Alero, praised the organisers for creating level playing field for the contestants.

M

Bank vehicle kills student HE University of Ibadan (UI) community was, last Monday, thrown into mourning when the driver of a new generation bank crushed one of the institution’s students.

Deborah Asha Odunayo, 200-Level Guidance and Counselling, left the campus after reading in preparation for her next exam.

The university is conducting its first semester examination.

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the late Deborah was crushed by the vehicle as she tried to cross the Ojoo road to buy some food items.

Our correspodents learnt that the late student was immediately rushed her to a hospital but gave up the ghost a few hours later.

This incident shocked students when the news hit the campus. According to

Education students hold congress

•The late Deborah

deceased.

The late Deborah, 20, was said to be dreaming to become a Public Relations consultant.

ESSAY CONTEST FOR UNDERGRADS The Nation CAMPUSLIFE in collaboration with Blantyre newspaper, Malawi, AfricanLiberty.org and Network for a Free Society, is calling for entries into an essay competition. Details are as follows: Question: Nations which are economically free out-perform non-free nations in all indicators of well-being.

Discuss.

Eligibility: All students in any tertiary institutions (university, polytechnic, college of education and vocational school) in Africa.

The format of the text should be in MS word and not more than 1,500 words.

Interested student should please request for the background material from Adedayo

Thomas at adedayo.thomas@gmail.com, Wale at campusbeat@yahoo.com and Brian Ligomeka at bligomeka@bnltimes.com.

On the first page of the completed essay, please write your full name, department, year of study and name of institution.

Also include your email address and GSM line.

Send your entries to adedayo.thomas@gmail.com.

Entries will be received between March 28 and June 11, 2013. Entry sent after the deadline will not be accepted.

Announcement of winners: July 18, 2013. All participants will get a free CD of “Ideas for a free society”, which contains 100 textbooks on various field of studies.

Prizes: 1st - $1,000 and scholarship to 2013 Student and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) in Kenya from August 8- 11, 2013 2nd - $700 and scholarship to 2013 Student and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) in Kenya from August 8- 11, 2013 3rd - $500 and scholarship to 2013 Student and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) in Kenya from August 8- 11, 2013 4th - $300 and scholarship to 2013 Student and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) in Kenya from August 8- 11, 2013 5th - $100 We have eight consolidation prizes of $50 each.

34

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

CAMPUS LIFE Students of the Department of Performing Arts at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have staged plays and opera in defence of their final year projects. IBRAHIM ALAMU reports.

The final act F

RESHERS watched with mouths agape as the final year students of Performing Arts (PFA) Department of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) came to the campus in funny cultural dresses, last week. Many of the students thought they were going for a cultural festival somewhere in town.

The students came for serious business: a stage performance to commemorate their final year project work. The exercise was a combination of drama and music, which is part of the requirements for the students to be graded in PFA 499, a final year project course.

The department uses students’ performance in stage plays to determine their ability to apply the practical aspects of the discipline, such as casting, costuming, acting, directing, lighting and stage properties, which they were taught for four years.

The students were divided into 12 groups and each group was expected to perform a stage play at the PFA theatre.

One of the groups, G 12, per-

•G 12 on the stage performing the Voke

formed a drama entitled Voke, which was written by Peter Odogbor. The play is about a young woman, Voke, who is the only child of her parents, Idi and Omuta.

Voke fell in love with a young man, Johnny, but she was promiscuous and not satisfied with Johnny. During their wedding, the

•Yoruba and Igbo students after their cultural display

officiating priest asked the congregation if anyone had a reason the couple should not be joined together in holy matrimony. Three men stood up; they claimed Voke was their lover.

On sighting the men, Voke fainted but she was revived to shame.

Other groups presented their

drama and opera, which portrayed different experiences.

Present at the event were the acting head of the department, Adeoye Abdulrasheed, General Manager, Radio Kwara, Mr Abdullateef Adedeji, Deputy Head of Press, Kwara State Government, Mr Ayo Akanbi, Prof Nasiru

Akanji, Dr Jelili Ojuade and Dr Solomon Ikibe.

A final year student, Folake Omoyiola, said rehearsing the drama before presentation was challenging for students, but praised the department’s lecturers for rendering support to students during the project defence.

•Students displaying calabashes as cultural exhibits

The Redeemed Christian Fellowship (RCF) of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) Borno State, have held a Nativity Night to celebrate cultural heritages of ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. TAIWO ISOLA (200-Level Human Anatomy) and JOSIAH DAVID (200-Level Languages and Linguistics) write.

I

T was threatening to rain as students got ready for the event.

As they moved out of their hostels, it started drizzling; but they were undeterred. Soon, the campus was literally enveloped in various cultural attires.

It was the Nativity Night, a cultural fiesta held yearly by the Redeemed Christian Fellowship (RCF) of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) chapter.

The students trooped en masse to the Ecumenical Centre, the venue of the event.

The fiesta brings students from all ethnic backgrounds under one umbrella to celebrate their cultures. Students from every ethnic group on campus come together as one.

Participants were dressed in their cultural attires. The Yoruba cultural representatives were beautifully dressed in aso ofi, agbada with abeti aja caps to match. The Igbo representatives sparkled in their Ankara robes and beads, clutching walking sticks. The Arewa students

Cultural display at its best ‘The purpose of the event is to foster unity irrespective of our cultural background. As you can see, all ethnic groups represented here today are allowed to display their heritage. I want to encourage the youths to discover their uniqueness and be a blessing to others’ shone in their Babanriga while the Ijaws wore their hats majestically.

Each group carried its cultural elements such as beads, calabashes, baskets and tubers of yam.

The students moved round the

campus before converging at the exhibition venue. As they settled for the programme, the drama group of the RCF performed a play, which reflected the need for unity, peace and love among the ethnic na-

tionalities in Nigeria.

The event was made interesting by the sharing of native foods prepared by each ethnic group among the students. According to one of the students, the event was to celebrate Nigeria and not a particular ethnic nationality.

The occasion began with a cultural exhibition. The audience was entertained by cultural display from various ethnic groups including Arewa, Tiv, Idoma, Igbo, Ijaw, Calabar, Yoruba and Itsekiri among others.

A participant, Deborah Moses, said: “This event has added value to my life by helping me learn how to relate with people of different cultural backgrounds. I have eaten three traditional food from three ethnic groups. This really shows that what we need in this country is love and unity. Why should we be fighting ourselves; we are all people from the same root.”

There were also performances of native songs, dances and pageantry.

The guest artiste at the event, Adams Amik, sang various songs in different languages. Students were thrilled as

they went wild with applause. The artiste encouraged the students to maximise their potentials and see Nigeria as one nation.

The RCF president, Patrick Bethel, an Igbo student, said: “The purpose of the event is to foster unity irrespective of our cultural background.

As you can see, all ethnic groups represented here today are allowed to display their heritage. I want to encourage the youths to discover their uniqueness and be a blessing to others.”

He said despite the disappointment encountered, the event was a success because of the students’ determination. Patrick also conveyed the message of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to the students.

A Hausa student, who could not conceal his excitement during the Arewa cultural display, said: “I am very happy today. I feel at home. I interacted freely and saw how other different ethnic groups celebrate their culture.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

35

CAMPUS LIFE

Entrepreneurship as alternative I

N today’s economy, business is more of a practice than theory.

Entrepreneurship is a key driver of the world’s economy.

Wealth in today’s society is generated by people who can think and create avenues for others to benefit. These people are blessed with brains to create big businesses.

Those who embrace entrepreneurship tend to display a high level of creative freedom, higher self esteem and a greater sense of control over the lives of others.

Consequently, business men, political leaders, economists and educators believe that fostering a robust entrepreneurial culture will maximise the individual and collective economic and social success.

It is in this context that the National Standards for Entrepreneurship Education was established to prepare youths to succeed in an entrepreneurial economy. Entrepreneurship education is a life-long learning process that must start from elementary school and through all levels of education.

The standards and performance indicators are frameworks for teachers in training their pupils in appropriate skills through learning and assessments. Using this framework, students will focus more on productive activities, which will give them the experience that will enable them to develop the insight to discover and create entrepreneurial opportunities. They will acquire expertise to successfully start and manage their

own businesses.

Entrepreneurial activity and the resultant financial gain are always of benefit to the people and the country. If one acquires the skill, the viable business opportunity will be easily recognised when one come across it.

Entrepreneurship education also focuses on getting understanding and capacity for developing behaviours, skills and attributes of business men. The skill is open to all and not exclusive preserve of the certain people seeking personal growth and economic prosperity. Individuals are endowed in varied capabilities for developing entrepreneurial trait.

It is important to expose students to entrepreneurship education for

them to think and generate wealth.

Beyond its application to business, entrepreneurship also has its social benefit. Personal qualities that are relevant to entrepreneurship such as creativity can be applied in everyone’s daily activities. Entrepreneurship should be taught in all disciplines in the institution. It will help every graduate to carve niche for himself after graduation; such a skilled person will not rot away due to unemployment in the country. We don’t have to depend solely on school certificate all the time, we need to think about what we can do on ourselves.

Funke, 300-Level Mass Comm., AJAYI CROWTHER

Still on My Oga at the top

By Sarat Alabidun

T

HIS question may be asked: “Who are the people that do not prepare for an examination or interview before they have one? Well, the answer may not be far-fetched but it should not sur-

prise many if somebody says “Nigerian students”.

Even our leaders - yes the same leaders who rant and rave about the high rate of failure in national examinations - are also guilty of this offence. How many of them prepare for the offices they occupy? Are we the followers supposed to fare any better?

I have tried so hard to forgive our President Goodluck Jonathan for embarrassing and depleting his own image and that of the Nigerian people while answering questions

by Christine Amanpour in an interview on Cable News Network (CNN). Sure, we all remember Mr. President’s timidity and lack of composure, coupled with bullets from grammatical errors during the interview. The way the President wobbled before the world showed he didn’t prepare for the discus-

sion.

A few months later, another government official and former Lagos State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Obafaiye Shem, chose to introduce a comic chapter into what is now being referred to official negligence.

Does it look strange? To be explicit, if anybody has not heard about “My oga at the top” trend, then such a fellow must have just come from another planet. The NSCDC boss fluttered when he was asked to say the official website of the agency on Breakfast programme on Channels television. He said: “www.nscdc.that’s all”.

Probing further, the interviewers asked “dot what” but he replied: “I won’t want to tell you anything now and ‘my oga at the top’ would tell you another.” Oh my God, does

S

Illiteracy as a time bomb

By Olushola Aremu surmount every challenge in life.

Some students try to avoid failure but they never prepare to overcome the challenges. I wondered how students preparing for a crucial examination want to be successful through cheating.

In tertiary institution, there is popular saying among girls that “use what you have to get what you want”. In doing so, girls engage in all forms of bad acts including sacrificing their bodies just to get C grade. Male students, who do not want to use their heads to think, bribe lecturers with money and gifts. But these people don’t know they are only fooling themselves. Why did they not graduate with First Class since they can use what they have to get what they want?

Students want to pass, to have good grade but never read their books. How does it possible to get good grades by being unserious. Failure is now limited on campus because students have deviated from their primary aims of being on the campus.

Dave Roberson said: “Getting off the starting block, then improve your position and also the greatest test of courage is to bear defeat without losing heart”. This quote can redeem the steps a man on the verge of failure back to consciousness and stand up to any difficulty. Success is the main purpose of our being. We must endure and learn through harsh conditions. Everybody wants to embrace and accept success but nobody wants failure.

When you believe, certainly you will surely see the real success. Winston Churchill said: “Success outshines failure; making the story difference at the early stage in order to bring out the success within you and never thinking of giving up”. People should believe in themselves and work harder to achieve their goal because anything successful is never achieved through an easy means.

Olushola, 300-Level Agriculture, UNILORIN

people but as means of oppression.

Leadership has become more of power tussles than selfless service.

That explains why an oga at the top can change the official name of a website with a word of mouth; not through proper procedures nothing.

In Obafaiye’s defence, the NSCDC said he didn’t commit any crime but only lost composure, which is human. My reply to this is that, in saner countries, anyone who causes such embarrassment to his employer would not wait to be sanctioned but resign to protect his reputation and that of the organisation.

Finally, we Nigerians should get rid of our ogas at the top, who have contributed to the country underdevelopment. We can achieve this not by killing them but by doing what is right and is expected of us in the coming general elections. Like my analytical chemistry oga would say: “are we ready?”

this show a sign of education in the age of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)?

Now, this is coming at a time when the NSCDC is trying to convince the world that it is made up of professionals if the officers’ effort in checkmating pipeline vandalism in Arepo, Ogun State is anything to go by. Civil Defence Corps are beginning to prove to be good alternative and even more respected officers than the police. It is therefore appalling that someone, who himself is at the top, would now come to destroy the effort his officers had made to give the institution a good image.

My Oga at the top is now considered a metaphor for pit of rot and indiscipline in which our public system has sunk. No functioning Sarat, 200-Level Applied Chemistry, institution. We have come to see leadership not as service to the UDU Sokoto

Success should be students’ watchword UCCESS is the expectation of every determined and industrious man. One of the famous quotes of Michael Jordan is: “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career, I have lost almost 300 games in 26 times, I have been trusted to take the winning shot and I have failed over and over again in life and that is why I succeed.”

A progress in life takes a steady heart and committed soul to achieve. Pastor William Kumuyi said: “Failure occurs at every stage of life; failing is not the issue but what one does with it.”

This expression should remind us that life is full of miseries. Things happen inexplicably to man, which bring out their true character, understanding and ways of dealing with problems.

Although race, language, culture and religion can shape the habit of man and how much endurance in he can muster in the face of challenges. In life, the difference between success and failure is doing the right thing at the right time and hoping that one day one will be rewarded for his efforts.

People of this present generation always fear to fail not minding that failure can be a stepping stone for greatness. It can build up the courage, strength and determination to reach the zenith that people ever desire in life. One must not fear failure but to be afraid in losing totally in a game.

Why does beginner or novice need to be afraid in losing a game to the competent, professional and expert? I think people should cure their mind with aforementioned words of wisdom of Pastor Kumuyi and Michael Jordon. People we call great leaders may have initially failed at stage in their lives but then, they would have retraced their steps from failure by the words of wisdom of those who have won.

The likes of Prof Wole Soyinka could have encountered various challenges but despite the problems, he still became the first Nobel Laureate in Literature on African continent. Marie Curie became the first female Noble Laureate in Physics in 1903 due to her determination to

By Funke Ayoola

By Sam Ibok

W

ITH the level of illiteracy in the country, we need no soothsayer to tell us that Nigeria is siting on a time bomb. Readers may not fully appreciate the enormity of the problem we have at hand because you can all read.

Some of our leaders who live in affluence and have their wards in private schools within or outside the country do not cared if the larger percentage of the country’s population go to school. There are many country men who cannot read this article not because they do not have eyes to read but because they can only see the paper and cannot read the text.

But if one takes out time to observe the situation around the country, one will better understand the fact that the nation sits on a time bomb and the timer is ticking very fast.

I refer to illiteracy as a time bomb.

Many writers have written about it time and again that any nation which decides to squander its future by not taking education of its citizen seriously would certainly be on its knees tomorrow.

It is stale news now that our education system is in crisis. Available statistics show that we are three-decade backward given the level education has moved in today’s world.

A critical assessment of the deplorable situation would leave one quietly admitting that we are off-track and there is very little hope of getting things to turn around any time soon.

I speak about the deplorable state of our public schools. Our schools depict structures in war-ravaged countries with classrooms being shared with rodents and reptiles. Pupils learn various subjects on bare floor from illmotivated teachers. Laboratories and libraries in our secondary schools have all disappeared.

The poorly-remunerated teachers instruct the pupils through outdated materials in a rapidly advancing world. The pupils, who are already disadvantaged, will remain disadvantaged because the outdated subjects they are being taught.

This time bomb stares at us in the face daily.

While the elite’s wards are sent abroad to acquire quality education, the poor’s children are left to study materials, which cannot make them grow to become functional and transformational agents in a country that prides itself as the Giant of Africa.

The result of the neglect of our education system is being felt already. We have many children, who are supposed to be in school, hawking various wares in the traffic. Many of them are ready to go to school but what kind of education do they want to receive from the system?

Does it occur to our leaders that many future leaders have been rendered useless because of the bad system? Do they care at all? Will the ticking time bomb be stopped? Only time will tell.

Sam, 400-Level Curriculum and Teaching, UNICAL

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

36

CAMPUS LIFE

Bank donates fire station to varsity

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EMA Bank Plc has donated a fire service station to the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The gesture, according to its Zonal Manager, Mr Oluwasegun Olawepo, was motivated by the bank’s commitment to the wellbeing of its host-community.

Presenting the building to the management of OAU, Olawepo said: “It is always good to be in a serene environment. Wema Bank is proud to be associated with OAU.” He said the project took them months to complete. OAU, Olawepo noted, is blessed with a serene, peaceful and accommodating environment, which made the bank’s operations easy and smooth.

“This is one of the several CSR projects because we feel it is appropriate to reward the community where we operate,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole, thanked the bank and challenged it to carry out more

From Kemi Busari and Dhikru Akinola OAU

responsibilities.

“This is a defining moment in the context of our Public-Private Partnership (PPP). One of our most important concessions when we assumed office was to have a good security outfit. With this beautiful building, we believe that our university can move to its desire,” he said.

Tasking the bank to provide a fire truck for the operation, he expressed the administration’s appreciation for the gesture.

The Principal Fire Officer, Mr Ibrahim Adediran, described the development as a dream come true, explaining that the unit was created after the 1982 and 1983 fires in the institution.

“We used to call on fire service men from Lagere and Osogbo but it always takes time before they get to the scene. That was when the school management decided to purchase a fire truck for us,” he explained.

Present at the event included the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Adminis-

•Prof Omole flanked by Olawepo and Mrs Oyedele after the building was delivered to the management

tration), Prof Ademola Ajayi, Librarian, Mrs Bukky Asubiojo, Bursar, Mrs Ronke Akeredolu, chair-

On and Off Campus By Solomon Izekor 08061522600

man, Security Committee, Prof Fabayo Ademola, Business Development Manager, Wema Bank, Mrs

Eniola Oyedele, and the Chief Security Officer, Mr Paul Ogidi.

Philanthropist donates generator, cash to college

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LAGOS-BASED Information Technology (IT) expert, Mr John Nwosu, has donated N500,000 and a generator to the Catholic Chaplaincy and College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Nnewi campus in Anambra State.

The philanthropist, who is an indigene of Nnewi, joined the students at the morning mass last Sunday inside the chaplaincy.

Nwosu, said he was happy to join the students, who he referred to as “new breeds and leaders of tomorrow”. He enjoined the m to strive for excellence and avoid shortcuts, stressing that there was no shortcut to success.

Charging them to be good ambassadors of the university, the IT expert warned medical students not to become willing tools in the hands of “wicked politicians,” especially as the Anambra State bovernorship election drew close.

“I am impressed by your conduct. It proves to me that all hope is not lost

From Emeka Attah UNIZIK

in our country. It clearly demonstrates that with people like you, our hope to transform our country through our state and our universities has started in earnest,” he said.

Nwosu donated the generating set to the chaplaincy when he was informed that services were conducted with the personal generator of the priest in charge.

Making the N500,000 donation to the college, Nwosu promised to bring influential Nnewi indigenes to join hands in lifting the facilities of the college.

Noting that public institutions now carry out projects through public-private partnership,he said individuals must show willingness to assist government-owned institutions to achieve excellence.

The priest in charge of the chaplaincy, Reverend Father Jude Chukwuneke, harped on the need for people to show love among themselves.

•Nwosu (standing fifth left) and Father Chukwuneke with the students after the mass

VC tasks students on security

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ICE-CHANCELLOR of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, Prof Boniface Egboka, has urged students to be securityconscious.

Speaking on the UNIZIK 94.1FM last week, he urged the students and other members of the university community to report suspicious activities to the security unit.

He said the management had trained the security operatives in

From Ngozi Emmanuel UNIZIK

modern operation to ensure the safety of staff and students .

Prof Egboka also charged the students to remain focussed and participate in all academic activities of the semester.

He said: “The students should take up other vocations aside their discipline, such as enrolling in Chinese Confucius Institute, UNIZIK Business School and other diploma programmes we have in place for them.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

37

EDUCATION ESUT to honour Tambuwal, others

ACE FILE

Students advised on illegal groups

•12,703 graduate From Chris Oji, Enugu

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HE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State are among four Nigerians to be honoured by the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) at its 15th convocation on Saturday.

Others are the Managing Director Peace Mass Transit, Chief Samuel Maduka Onyishi, and the Managing Director of DECY Nigeria Ltd, Port Harcour, Cyril Nwabueze Udeh.

They are to receive honorary doctorate degrees.

Announcing this at a pre-convocation biefing, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Cyprian Onyeji, said 12, 703 graduands would be conferred with first degrees, postgraduate diplomas, Masters and Ph.D degrees.

He gave the break down as 11,634 for first degrees, 894 for Masters, 127 for postgraduate diploma and 48 for Ph.D for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 academic sessions.

The Secretary to the Federal Government (SFG), Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, would deliver the convocation lecture tomorrow.

Onyeji said there had been improvement in the university since its last convocation which covered over 13 academic sessions.

"This has been made possible partly through the implementation of our six-point agenda, which encapsulates, new and imaginative strategies aimed at redressing the deficiencies of ESUT as well as re-inventing and repositioning the university onto the path of overall excellence,” he said.

•A cross section of participants at the international conference held on the second day of the Nigerian International Book Fair (NIBF) at the Multi-purpose H alls, University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Tuesday.

‘No more room for truancy in UK’ S TUDENTS who think travelling to Britain for further studies means they can do what they like with their time need to have a re-think. The United Kingdom Border Agency now requires their institutions to monitor their movements.

During an interview in Lagos, Mark Bickerton, Director of the International Office, London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, said international students must meet up to 98 per cent attendance to ensure they are focussed on their primary purpose of travelling to Britain to study.

This is coming as the Director of the Nigerian Office, Mrs Lebari EdoUkpong, confirmed that submission of fake credentials by applicants has reduced.

With the institution just regaining its licence to sponsor Tier 4 visas (for international students) which was revoked in August 2012 over

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

monitoring issues, Bickerton said students have to sign registers in every class if not be questioned about their whereabouts. The director added that this responsibility is not unique to London Metropolitan, but is required of all institutions in the UK. "Government is trying to ensure that students are coming to the United Kingdom to do proper programmes. A lot of private colleges have been stopped. We take registers of every class and every student. Any student who misses one class we send an email; if you miss two classes we give you a phone call," he said.

Bickerton said though it means the university has more work to do keeping tabs on its over 2,000

300 Sokoto indigenes to study in Uganda

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O fewer than 300 Sokoto State candidates have been shortlisted for sponsorship of undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the International Islamic University of Mbale, Uganda.

The government is planning similar partnerships with the University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Governor Aliyu Wamakko, who spoke at the weekend in Sokoto at a send off ceremony for 150 students leaving for their Master's in Educational Development in Uganda, said the sponsorship was backed by adequate arrangements for their welfare during their stay.

He said the first batch of postgraduate students will leave on Sunday while others will leave later in the year.

"The last batch will leave and meet them there in December, and they will together begin the two-year Master's programme in Educational Management in January 2014," he said.

Wamakko disclosed that another set of 150 NCE holders will leave for the same university in September for science-related courses.

"The gesture is aimed at shoring up the educational development of the state. The problem with the education system is not the lack of teachers at all levels but the dearth of the required adequate supervision.

So, these 300 undergraduate and postgraduate students are expected to come back in 2015 and help in reversing the

From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

ugly trend," he said.

Wamakko promised to visit them.

"I will visit you soon to see how you are faring in Uganda. You should be disciplined and be good ambassadors of the state and Nigeria while there," he said.

Meanwhile, the governor has decorated students who won laurels at the National School Sports festival in Port Harcourt last

year.

The contingent won two gold and bronze medals in Handball, Badminton, and Judo, and a Silver medal.

At the brief ceremony, Wamakko praised their efforts and pledged support for their academics.

"We are happy with you and your handlers for making the state proud. Sports can no longer be relegated to the background now," he said.

international students, in the long run, it also means the students will be compelled to be serious.

Speaking further, Mrs Lebari EdoUkpong, said this monitoring would give Nigerian parents who send their wards to the institution the assurance that they are really attending school though faraway.

"For parents who are spending so much money to educate their wards abroad, they can be confident their children are in school and attending classes," she said.

However, she said prospective students should not be worried about the monitoring as it would not interfere with their social lives or opportunities for part-time work.

On application, Mrs Edo-Ukpong said the submission of fake credentials by Nigerian students has reduced greatly in recent times.

She praised the examining bodies and some universities for easing the verification process by responding to inquiries on time.

"For WAEC and NECO, we buy scratch cards to verify the results.

For universities, we try to keep genuine certificates of to crosscheck.

We call the institutions to verify.

When we call UNILAG, OAU and the private universities, they respond quickly, but other institutions don't. In the last three years there has really been a reduction in the number of fraudulent documents. It is less than five per cent, which is quite encouraging.

• From left: Dr Ayo Ogunsan, Chairman Executive Trainers, Mrs Emma Can ham, Coordinator, Oxford Brookes University and Mrs Ajoke Ogunsan, CEO Executive Trainers during a training agreement signing visit to Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, UK

NEW students of the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo have been advised to ignore any invitation by unregistered organisations.

Speaking with the freshmen on Student Activities: Voluntary Organization and Counselling Services in the College, the College Counselor, Mr Adedayo Ademikanra listed four groups students are permitted to join as: Non-Governmental Organisations, religious groups (Muslim and Christians), the student union, and the paramilitary groups.

He said over 200 associations registered by the college fall under the four categories,advising them to ignore any invitation by associations outside them as they could be cult groups.

He also urged them to report any case of intimidation to the Student Affairs.

Entrance exam for school THE ACE, Ondo, will hold a competitive entrance examination for admission into its demonstration secondary school on Saturday.

The forms for the 2013/2014 academic session are still available at the Bursary Department of the School.

•Prof Makinde

Babcock convocation in June

By Medinat Kanabe

B

ABCOCK University, IlishanRemo, Ogun State, will hold its 11th convocation on June 2.

About 1,300 students will be presented with Bachelors degrees in nine departments, including the Ben Carson School of Medicine, while another 100 will be awarded postgraduate diplomas.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the convocation date, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Kayode Makinde, said the university has turned out yearly a focused stream of highly competent and disciplined professionals, leaders in industries and academia.

He said three respected Nigerian leaders will receive the Babcock awards both by recognition of impeccable stewardship of incredible performance in office.

Prof Makinde also spoke on the internet claims by students on the increment of fees, saying the school has not increased its fees in the past three years.

He assured parents and students that the fees remain the same, adding: "Tuition still remains 380,000 for 100 and 200 level students, 310, 000 for 400 and 500 students and the average school fees in Babcock is 630, 000 per session, which includes tuition, boarding, feeding and others.

"Medical programme is 2million for the entire session while Law, accounting and Nursing is 763, 000 for the entire session because it has a variance."

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

38

EDUCATION ‘Brace for professionalism’ •Support for Elizade varsity

By Adegunle Olugbamila

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HE President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi, has advised students to deploy their ‘excess capacity’ in pursuits that would enhance their academic future.

The ICAN boss gave the admonition at the inauguration of ICAN Ojo-Badagry-Agbara (OBA) district at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Otto/ Ijanikin, Lagos.

Owolabi, who is the 48th President of the institute, urged students of Accountancy and Business Administration to begin their professionalism from their student days.

He said many serious-minded students have been able to complete their programmes in ICAN, leading to their induction as chartered accountants on graduation.

"Consolidate your future while still in school by using your excess capacities to start the Accountancy Technicians Students (ATS) examinations of ICAN. You need not wait for three or more years after your programmes before embarking on professional education," Owolabi advised.

The ICAN said students could use their free time to join associations that can improve their studentship as well as take advantage of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) rather than engage in frivolities.

According to him, excess capacity is at work when they engage in social networking using blackberries, i-Phones, computers and other costly hand-held gadgets, which he said consume more than 70 per cent of young people's time.

He recommended low-priced handsets for students which he believed would make them more responsive to their studies.

Welcoming the ICAN President to the new district, the Chairman, Ojo-Badagry-Agbara and District Society, Pastor Samuel Olurotimi Egbetokun, praised the untiring efforts of ICAN members, some of whom are working in AOCOED. Egbetokun, who is also the Head of Business Education Department of AOCOED, said: "Our greatest thanks goes to our president for the inspiration and motivation he has been giving to us, particularly in the way you considered and approved your visit to the district in spite of your tight official schedule ... and the way our proposal for a change of name was considered and given accelerated approval."

In a related development, Owolabi has assured Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State of the institute's support on professional accreditation of its Accounting Department.

He also said the body would provide materials and technical assistance to ensure membership of the students.

Owolabi, who made the promise when he led other executives on a visit to the university, said by hiring competent lecturers to take courses in Accounting, the institution had taken a giant step that would hasten the accreditation process.

He praised the founder, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, for providing world-class facilities which have earned recognition for the institution.

The ICAN President, however, advised the management of the department to always call on the Akure and District Society of the institute for guidance.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Valentine Aletor, thanked the visitors and promised that the university would do its best to make the relationship beneficial to both parties.

SCHOLARSHIPS APPROACHING DEADLINES International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) at Australian Universities Australian Gov't/DIISR MS/PhD Degree Deadline: varies, July-Oct (annual) Study in: Australia Course starts 2014 Brief description: The International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) program is funded by the Australian Government, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR).

The IPRS program was established to maintain and develop international research linkages and specifically aims to: •attract top quality international postgraduate students to areas of research strength in Australian higher education providers; and •support Australia's research effort.

The IPRS program enables international students to undertake a postgraduate research qualification in Australia and gain experience with leading Australian researchers. The scholarships are available for a period of two years for a Masters by research degree or three years for a Doctorate by research degree.

Host Institution(s): The list of Australian Universities that offers the IPRS is found at this link.

Field of study: Any postgraduate research programme offered at participating Australian Universities.

Number of Awards: Around 330 are awarded annually. The allocation of IPRS grants to participating universities is based on a formula that is reflective of their overall research performance.

Target group: Scholarships are open to international students of all countries (except Australia and New Zealand).

Scholarship value/inclusions: The scholarship covers tuition fees, living allowance, and health cover costs.

Eligibility: To be eligible for an IPRS, a student must: (a) be an international student; and (b) meet international student visa requirements as specified by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), including the requirement to purchase and maintain a standard Overseas Student Health Cover policy approved by the Commonwealth Government Department of Health and Ageing; and (c) be commencing full-time enrolment for the first time in a HDR at an eligible scholarship provider in Australia; and (d) be undertaking study in a subject area identified by the provider as one of its areas of research concentration; and (e) not hold a research qualification regarded by the provider to be equivalent

to an Australian Research Doctorate degree or, if undertaking a Research Masters degree, not hold a research qualification regarded by the provider to be equivalent to or higher than an Australian Research Masters degree; and (f) not have held an Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) scholarship within the two years prior to commencing the IPRS; and (g) not be receiving a scholarship for which course tuition is a component under any other scholarship scheme to which the Australian Government makes a substantial contribution. You must check with the Universities if they require specific eligibility requirements.

Application instructions: Applications for a scholarship need to be made directly to a participating Universities/Higher Education Providers (HEPs) in Australia. HEPs are responsible for determining the selection process by which scholarships are allocated to applicants.

The deadline varies among universities but is around July-October each year. It is important to visit the website of the University where you intend to apply and the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Contact information: All enquiries regarding IPRS awards need to be directed to the university at which the applicant wishes to conduct their postgraduate research.

A professor of Business Administration and Finance, Aminu Kado Kurfi, became Katsina State Commissioner for Education two years ago. In this interview with ADETUTU AUDU, Kurfi explained why the state government is putting infrastructure in place to take care of the Almajiris as well as plans to strengthen girl-child education.

‘We have a challenge of increased enrolment’

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OW that you are in the saddle, how enormous is the challenge of the office?

One of the most critical challenges is the manpower. What I met on ground in terms of classrooms, and equipped laboratories are fairly okay.

I am not saying we are 100 per cent sufficient but we are fairly okay. Of course there was a challenge of manpower. Before I came in, it was fair. That is what we are improving upon now. We have reasonable number of teachers but some of them need training and re-training. At present, we have 404 secondary schools, both junior and senior, whereas, in primary schools, we have 227. Due to change in policy of this administration particularly on free education at the primary and secondary school levels, enrolment has gone beyond what we could imagine.

Before this administration assumed office, secondary schools were not more than 270 or thereabout, but from 2008 to the current year, it has shot up to about 400 plus. We now have over 1.2 million pupils in our primary schools. So, our major challenge is how to manage the large number of pupils because the number of teachers

at the moment is not commensurate at the moment.

Since enrolment is much higher, there is the possibility that the quality might be low?

At present, there is an exercise we are doing. Every three months, all teachers that may have left within the period are replaced. This means that we recruit once in three months, and emphasis is placed on graduates. As a matter of fact, we don't take anybody with a pass. At a point, we were even saying no third class but on a second thought, not all third class are bad.

We are looking for the best that will impact our students, our destiny. So, the issue of favouritism on the altar of merit does not arise here. So we don't play politics with our future.

What is the concept of the girl -child education?

You know particularly in this part of the country, we have this problem of the girl-child. Some parents are not comfortable having their girl childgoing for higher education. Part of the strategy to encourage the girl-child education was that a new department for the girl child education is now in place headed by a special adviser.

Also to encourage enrolment and ensure that the girl-child continues to

•Prof Kurfi

be in school even after enrolment, the government introduced incentives for the parents. The state government, in collaboration with the local government established one-girl child school in all the 34 local government areas. They attend the conventional school where we have the boys and girls but this one is meant only for the girl child, just to give them that special attention. Up to 80 per cent of our boarding schools are for the girlchild.

There is also what we call Conditional Cash Transfer. In this scheme, girls from the rural areas are given about N50,000 regularly over a period of time so that they could proceed for their higher education, that is NCE so that on graduation, you

•Mr Owolabi (middle), Pastor Egbetokun, with some of the students of AOCOED

are posted to your local government to teach. It was introduced in 2009 and it is still running to date. It is in collaboration with UNICEF. There is another scheme that gives the mother of the girl-child N5,000 every term provided the girl attends classes all the time. But you must attain some level of attendance, at least 75 per cent. Now, parents are the ones that make sure that their girls go to school; and that is why we have not recorded any drop in terms of attendance.

Aside encouraging girl-child education, how about the school for the almajiris?

You know even before Western education, the Islamic form of education had been on. But when Western education came in, people thought it was attached to Christianity because perhaps it was introduced by the Christian missionaries. But gradually, they began to understand that it had nothing to do with religion. The fact that you are going for Western education does not mean you will abandon your Islamic religion. Some people take these almajiris for beggars, but they are not. We are taking them off the streets and putting them in schools. Not only that, they are attended to medically every week as there are ambulances that go to all the schools every week.

They will also be learning and acquiring various vocations. They are also on some monetary incentives.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

EDUCATION British envoy praises Lagos high enrolment figures

SUBEB chair counsels against mismanagement

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HAIRMAN, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB), Mrs Gbolahan Daodu, has urged members of the School Based Management Committee (SBMC) and others saddled with actualising the Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) not to divert the funds for other means.

She said this at the presentation of ESSPIN grants to public primary schools at LSUBEB office, Maryland, Thursday, last week.

ESSPIN is funded by UK Aid, through the Department for International Development (DFID) challenge fund intervention project in Lagos.

The first phase of the project, which lasted for some months, had been rounded off at N21m. ESSPIN has announced plans to begin the second phase.

Mrs Daodu, who thanked ESSPIN for its technical support, calling on stakeholders to ensure prudent management of the funds.

Her words: "Despite government's investment in education, we have not been able to touch all. ESSPIN has come to help as technical assistants.

We appealed for technical aid and they were just there to lend support.

We owe a lot to ESSPIN. "This one (second phase) will not be a failure. Don't divert the money for what is not in the plan; ensure good use of the fund; it is only when we do this with active supervision, then when we can ask for more from ESSPIN and other organisations.

Mrs Daodu continued: "It is expected that SBMC members make themselves available and should render services for free.”

According to her, the “challenged fund” would be given to schools, especially in disadvantaged Local Government Education Authorities.

They are: Badagry, Ikorodu, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ibeju-Lekki and Alimosho, which Daodu said “lack resources to adequately power quality education.”

ESSPIN Team Leader, Dr Gboyega Ilusanya, said the second phase of the project was informed by the success of the first phase.

"The committee was impressed with quality of applications and the request passed on to ESSPIN, but could only support 30 schools for this second phase of the programme with

N

By Seun Olalude

a total amount of N 15.67million.

"A little over N21million was disbursed during the first phase and all the projects were completed except one of the schools where SUBEB decided to give a better intervention and thus we had to withhold the disbursement of the balance of fund.

“About N2.7million was used to conduct a pilot research on out-ofschool issues in Lagos Mainland to understand barriers to access to education. This brings total expenditure to N38million," he said.

Dr Ilusanya, who was represented

by Mr Abiodun Fowomola, gave an insight to what ESSPIN does in the schools.

He said: "ESSPIN is taking advantage of a self-help system where schools, government and communities collaborate to renovate projects for the benefit of the school.

Communities have decided to use the challenged fund to support provision of conducive learning environment with some schools being provided variety of support like toilets, boreholes and learning materials towards the improvement of teaching and learning. That means

•Mrs Daodu

this is not new, but we are supporting modification of an existing system.

ESSPIN modified the existing system by expanding the use of a model called Integrated School Development (ISD).

“The model which SUBEB has adopted in select schools for project intervention provides information on capacity of schools in each LGEA in terms of infrastructure, governance and quality indicators."

He said ESSPIN is happy working with LSUBEB. "We are pleased to partner with Lagos SUBEB , the LGEAS, social mobilisation department and sections in SUBEB and LGEA to carry out the second and final disbursement.”

EW British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Peter Carter has praised Lagos for taking education seriously as shown by the rate of attendance in schools.

Speaking when he visited the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, he said: "The levels of attendance at the schools in the state, both private and public are exceptionally high for any country; that is a testament both to parental commitment to education and the role of the government in promoting education as the best way of preparing children for adulthood."

On her part, Mrs Oladunjoye urged the British government to help boost Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Lagos public schools.

She also sought support to improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), inclusive education and compute accurate data on out-of-school children.

Appreciating the British government's contribution through the Department for International Development (DFID)-sponsored Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) which she

B

described as immense in capacity building and other areas, she said more still needed to be done.

"The only way we can know the number of out-of-school children in the state is by collecting data. We are also looking at Technical and Vocation Education (TVE) so that the nation can forge ahead. We also want to develop the capacity of staff so that they can be versatile in best practices and reflect it in schools here," she said.

Responding, Carter said the Commission would be willing to dialogue with the state in the areas of concern. He underscored the importance of ICT to helping pupils develop relevant skills for the world of work.

"Since ICT is a very vital aspect of education, it is important for the young ones to know how to make use of the software so that they can develop their professional skills as well as knowing how to use them responsibly. We will also be preparing young people for the world of work by giving them skills which they can use in their working life to contribute to the economic development both at family and states levels," he said.

Rotary’s N.2m for special students From Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

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• From left: Mrs. Abiola Agboola Inawo, Manager, Brands Group, FE&B Promasidor Nigeria Limited presenting a cheque to Daniel Bankole of Joint Heirs School, Fola Agoro, Shomolu, Lagos, 1st prize winner, Amila Painting Challenge, and Mr Adekunle Abayomi, his Head Teacher at the finals of Amila Painting Challenge organised by Promasidor.

Exam Ethics ranks Bayelsa worst in exam malpractice AYELSA State has been ranked the worst in the perpetration of exam malpractice in Nigeria by the Exam Ethics Marshals International.

In its 2012 report signed by its founding chairman, Mr Ike Onyechere and the Chairman, Board of Trustees Prof A Ekoko, Bayelsa was at the lowest rung of the ladder ranking the 36 states nationwide for 2012, with Exam Malpractice Index (EMI) of 44.99.

The Southsouth state was followed

by Sokoto, Ekiti and Imo states.

Bayelsa also had the highest number of de-recognised schools, 13, for the year in review. It was followed by Delta, 12; Ondo, eight; Kaduna, Cross River and Imo, seven; and Plateau and Rivers, six.

Others are: Kogi, Nasarawa and Lagos, five; and Sokoto and Anambra, four.

The report also ranked states that performed well.

Yobe led others in the Examination Ethics Index (EEI) with 89.57 to emerge the Golden State. It beat the FCT and Bauchi states to the prize.

The EEI is calculated based on the number of people - candidates, parents, teachers, and officials, sanctioned for examination

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

•Abia tops most improved category

By Adegunle Olugbamila

malpractices in the state Kano, Abia, Oyo and Edo were also ranked among the Golden states. Niger, Bauchi, Katsina, Ebonyi, Osun and Rivers ranked among the Silver states, while Kwara, Adamawa, Jigawa, Anambra, Ogun and Akwa Ibom made the bronze list.

In another category, Abia State was ranked the most improved nationwide. Interestingly, Abia began its upward movement in 2010 when it ranked 20th in EEI. It moved up to 18th position in 2011 and fifth in the year under review.

Nonetheless, the report lamented the fiver per cent rise in examination malpractices in 2012.

The group urged the government to renew its efforts in moral reawakening if its fight against exam fraud is to succeed.

"The fact that 18 out of every 100 people that participated in examinations in Nigeria in 2012 were indicted for malpractices is cause for serious concern despite slight improvement registered between 2011 and 2012.

"The situation where Governments

and proprietors concentrate only on provision of physical infrastructure without making serious efforts to

rebuild the moral foundation and ethical infrastructure of education must be corrected if education is to successfully play its role as catalyst for social transformation," the report added.

HE Rotary Club of Port Harcourt, District 9140, has given N200,000 to 10 students of the School of the Deaf and Dumb, Borokiri, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The presentation was part of the activities to mark the club's media day in the state.

The club also presented certificates to 15 youths who passed through its free skill acquisition scheme last November.

Its President, Dr Henry Sota, said the gesture was in line with the club's objectives. He said the money was to assist and encourage the disabled children in their academics.

He said each of the children would receive N20,000, urging them to use the money judiciously.

In their response, one of the recipients through sign language, thanked members of the club, and promised to utilise the funds wisely.

Earlier at a media parley, Sota said: "Rotary club of Port Harcourt chartered as a club 0n January 22, 1965, is the premier club in Rotary International District 9140 of over 110 clubs in the Southeast and Southsouth zone.”

• From Left: Opon Imo Project Coordinator, Mr. Oluwasun Ngonnase; Permanent Secretary, Osun State Ministry of Education, Mr. Femi Fawole; Deputy Governor & Commissioner for Education, Osun State, Mrs. Grace LaoyeTomori and Member, Opon Imo Project Committee, Mr. Bola Ilori at the official presentation of the State's innovation, 'Opon Imo' - Tablet of Knowledge to the media yesterday in Lagos.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

40

EDUCATION

T

Health college provosts seek TETFund benefits

HE Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Technology in Nigeria has called for the inclusion of the colleges in the funding schedule of Tertiary Education Technology Fund (TETFund).

Rising from a two-day conference at the Ogun State College of Health Technology (OSCOTECH) Ijebu-Ode, the group in a communiqué read by its chairman, Dr Tunji Dawodu, said: "Colleges of health technology are tertiary institutions running various programmes as polytechnics and such should not be excluded from the funding schedule of TETFund.

The association is, therefore,

By Kunle Akinrinade

appealing to the Federal Government to compel the authority of TETFund to include colleges of health technology in Nigeria in its funding schedule."

Dawodu, who is the provost of OSCOTECH, said there was the need to adjust the examination schedule of The West Africa Health Examination Board (WAHEB) to suit the academic calendar of various colleges of health.

"The West Africa Health Examination Board (WAHEB) should amend its annual calendar and change the Environmental Health Technology Examination

from June to August in order to allow institutions have adequate time to conclude the end of session semester examination," he said.

In his speech, the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Segun Odubela, said Governor Ibikunle Amosun's administration has contributed immensely to the educational development of students in primary and secondary schools as well as tertiary institutions in the state since its inception adding that the government would continue to be proactive in the provision of enabling environment for academic excellence.

• From left: Secretary, Shomolu Local Government Council, Hon. Philips Owolabi Saliu, PR/Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr Tope Ashiwaju, Head Girl, Miss Victoria Sunday, Assistant Head Boy, John Ilesanmi and Principal, Mr Festus Adekunle Babamboni all of Morrocco Comprehensive Junior Secondary, School, Shomolu when Dufil Prima Foods presented science laboratory equipment to the school.

P

RINCIPAL, King's College, Lagos, Otunba Olapeju Oladele, has appealed to the Federal Government for a new clinic that befits the 104-year-old school.

He spoke at a five-day health programme organised by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), at the College Sport centre.

Lamenting that the clinic on the main campus behind the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) cannot accommodate many pupils, Oladele sought its upgrade to a mini hospital.

"We are looking at a vertical building where the ground floor will be a clinic that will almost qualify to be a mini hospital. The small apartment that we have here is not good enough for King's College. The clinic here is too small for the number of stu-

Wanted: A clinic for Kings

By Medinat Kanabe

dents we have. The clinic is what we have been using for almost 30 years and the population we had 30 years ago is about 10 per cent of what we have here now," he said.

The health week featured free screening for parents, pupils and workers of the school in various aspects including eye, ear, mouth, cervical cancer, HIV, among others.

Speaking on the reason for the health week, the PTA Chairman, Dr Emmanuel Oriakhi, said the programme is part of its welfare initiative for members of the college community.

"This is to attain the desired

heights in academics and because we found out that the life expectancy in Nigeria is dropping. We also found out that non communicable diseases are responsible for these death increases," he said.

Babatunde Abiodun, who represented the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the programme will make the pupils see the need for good health.

Director, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs Oyeleye Taiwo, who represented the commissioner for health, Dr Jide Idris, said it is rare for a PTA to organise such programmes.

"I am impressed with the cooperation we see existing between the school and PTA," she said.

Education can discourage human trafficking

C

OMPTROLLER of Immigration Service, Rivers State Command, Mike Longe, has said it is only education that can reduce the rising wave of human trafficking in Rivers and neighbouring states.

Longe spoke in Port Harcourt while inaugurating the Editorial Board members of The Rivers Migrant, an immigration magazine at the command.

Speaking at the event attended by the head of departments and members of the Editorial Board of the magazine, Longe said the magazine would play a major role in educating officers and the people

From Precious Dikewoha, PortHarcourt

the state.

He noted that issues, such as human trafficking and child labour can be giving more awareness to educate the public about the role of immigration and how to tackle traffickers.

Longe said: "This magazine is an educational tool for members of the public and the servicemen; it is basically to educate Rivers people on the activities of immigration service in Rivers State. This platform could be used for effective communication between the public

and the immigration.

"The issue of human traffic and child labour are properly addressed in this magazine and other issues including passport, visa, resident permit, new rules of the command and so on as the awareness in this magazine could reduce the activities of human trafficking through effective communication.“ He charged members of the Editorial Board to be disciplined in the discharge of their duties in which he believed the new assignment is a privilege that should be effectively utilise.

EDUTALK

with

Vicious cycle of yearly admissions

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HE Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results are out again and the tale of woe has begun. We have known for many years now that a huge number of candidates are left without admissions. However, Kofoworola that story is now so stale it has become nauseating. We have lamented the problem for too long Kofosagie@yahoo.com without tangible solutions in 08054503077 (SMS only) sight.

Even the candidates are tired of it. Thousands of them protested the non release of their results in Edo and Cross River State on Tuesday. They were marked absent because biometric machines in their centres were not working. They are unwilling to allow the board waste the next 365 days of their lives before they can retake the exam.

We are crying for alternatives, and fast. We cannot wait for the long term measures aimed at expanding access. We need stop-gap measures, and urgently too. We need alternatives for those who passed and will not be admitted because there is no space, and even those who failed. One year is a long time to sit waiting to retake and examination. Many candidates have waited out that one year many times over. They have become disillusioned. They are not useless; they are trainable; so why can't the government find ways to train them to fill the huge skills gap we have in various sectors of the economy?

This problem is beyond the government. The Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa'i admitted so. However, we need the government to provide leadership. We do not want long conferences seeking solutions and creating new blueprints. We want action.

Like Dr Christopher Kolade has suggested, the government should get experts to study the problem and proffer executable solutions. I agree with his stance that angels will not come down from heaven to solve our problems. How have China and India, with larger populations than us been able to do it? Their youths are going to schools, gaining technical skills and changing the world with innovative ideas and products.

While waiting for the government to think up solutions, perhaps individuals, groups, corporate organisations, NGOs, and others could start programmes aimed at productively engaging school leavers and equipping them with relevant skills to contribute their quota to societal development. Too many youths are left with too much time on their hands because there are no admissions, and no jobs to keep them busy. And, I do not have to add that that is very dangerous.

Belo-Osagie

‘Like Dr Christopher Kolade has suggested, the government should get experts to study the problem and proffer executable solutions. I agree with his stance that angels will not come down from heaven to solve our problems. How have China and India, with larger populations than us been able to do it? Their youths are going to schools, gaining technical skills and changing the world with innovative ideas and products’

From my Inbox Re: Is the trouble with JAMB or us? (Thursday, May 02, 2013) My sister, the problem is not with the examining body. It is with us.

Our people do not like responsibilty.The leaves executing properly the duties of his office which could market him for next term and chase shadow. The lawmakers negate their duties, parents, teachers, students, exam officials, all abdicate their responsibilities. During elections rigging, examination, cheating and so on. Unless we as a people decide to change, no system will check the malpractice Aidy Eshiet.

Good day to you. Deducting of student (sic) mark that sat for last JAMB exam because question linked (sic) from JAMB is barbaric, and absolutely wrong. Their reaction shows that they cannot conduct good exam anymore. I want to use this opportunity to call on well-meaning Nigerians to probe the JAMB official on how their question got linked (sic). From Adedayo Gabriel, 07059546872.

There is no trouble with JAMB. The trouble starts and ends with JAMBITES who don't want to read for exams. From 0803390-----.

Kofoworola, I don't see what the number of forms has to do with the woeful performance of candidates. JAMB was set up to sell forms to candidates who want to write its exams once they can present the requisite papers. So, if people fail, look at where they are coming from. Time was when JAMB couldn't curtail cheating and other malpractices in the conduct of exams so we all hailed post-UTME. Now JAMB is doing great and post-UTME has gone to the dogs - Dean's list, VC's list, Prof's list, Senator's list, etc! Now that JAMB has sorted its problems, I'd rather commend them. Let the other stakeholders in the system read the handwriting on the wall. It has nothing to do with JAMB this time.

There is systemic failure and jamb is not the cause. SBO

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

41

THE NATION

e-Business 08111813065 e-mail: lukajanaku02@yahoo.com

A few days ago, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) asked telecom giant MTN to increase its tariff to check its domination of the market. Some argue that NCC was right in stepping into the matter; others believe that it was wrong. LUCAS AJANAKU examines the pros and cons of the argument.

Should NCC intervene in market domination?

T

HE Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Brett Goschen, is media shy.

So, when it was his turn to speak on the Potentials and prospects of MNP in Nigeria, at the launch of the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) by the Nigerian Comunications Commission (NCC) at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, many had waited to hear what he would say, especially after his counterparts in other telecoms firms, beginning with Segun Ogunsanya of Airtel have spoken.

However, to the admiration of the audience, Goschen, on a lighter note, said there were many reasons why MTN’s subscribers are more than that of its competitors.

Goschen may not be too far from the truth.

With the country’s subscriber base above 113 million as at last December, MTN, according to sources, has about 50 million subscribers; its competitors, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat share the balance.

In a report, the telco said it increased its subscriber numbers by 3.2 per cent in the first quarter of last year to 195.4 million.

This growth was led by Nigeria, where it added a net 3.9 million new customers in those three months, helping offset a net loss of 470,000 customers in South Africa, its home market.

volving Microsoft. “This will further protect the market and ultimately the subscribers. So, there is no basis to fret over the development,” he said.

He said volume should drive the business, adding that with the introduction of MNP, end user tariffs will go down while quality service will be offered the subscribers.

MTN, ALTON keep mum

•Goschen

Juwah

KPMG report The industry growth has led to the increased maturity and sophistication of individual networks and also ushered in intense competition among players.

To ensure fair play in the industry, NCC said it engaged KPMG Professional Services in last June to study the level of competition. Kangid said undertook a similar study for the commission in 2005, where it was revealed that no operator satisfied the criteria necessary for being declared dominant in the mobile and long distance markets, which were considered at the time.

KPMG found MTN and Globacom to be “dominant” in the telecoms sector. “Based on findings, the Commission has determined that MTN is dominant in the Mobile Voice Market,” the report said. In the wholesale leased lines and transmission capacity market, the Commission noted that Glo and MTN had dominant positions.

KPMG noted: “The mobile voice market is not effectively competitive and is still highly concentrated with an HHI of 3063.

MTN has a 44 per cent market share of subscribers within this market. There is also a wide differential (of about 300 per cent) between on net and off net calls and this is indicative of the likely establishment of a calling club for MTN subscribers.”

NCC ruled that the dominant operator in the mobile voice market, MTN shall be required to collapse on net and off net retail tariffs: “The differential between the on– net and off net retail tariffs will be immediately collapsed. The tariff for on net and off-net will be the same, and subject to periodic review.”

The regulator said it would enforce accounting separation on the dominant operator, adding that it may require the dominant operator to submit details on specific aspects of its operations from time to time as the need arises.

Stakeholders’ perspective Analysts fear that NCC ‘s decision is an attempt for the regulator to micro-manage the sector. They argue that since the sector has been liberalised, the onus is on the operators to come out with unique products that will draw customers to their network.

President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Lanre Ajayi,

MTN and Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) decline to comment. While several calls made to ALTON’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, were not picked, he acknowledged a text message, but failed to pick subsequent calls. For MTN, an e-mail sent to its General Manager, Public Affairs, Funmi Omogbenigun, was not acknowledged.

While the Structure-ConductPerformance (SCP) model was adopted in the study, marketing concentration based on Herfinahl Hirschman Index (HHI), existence of price leadership, exploitative pricing and exclusionary pricing were parameters used under pricing strategies; network coverage was the only parameter used under geographic coverage of the operators.

“The SCP model postulates that the structure of a market determines to large extent the conduct of the participants in the market, which in turn, influences the performance of the firms within the market with respect to profitability and efficiency. This model, or its close substitutes, has been used in assessing competition within the telecoms industry in a wide range of countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Kenya. The reliance on this model is considered relevant especially in the context of forward looking ex ante regulation, since conduct detrimental to competition must be anticipated primarily on the basis of the structural characteristics of the market,” the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, NCC, had Eugene Juwah, said.

Regulator defends stance

•Ajayi

Operators MTN Glo Airtel Etisalat

•Ogunbanjo

Subscribers 50 million 25 million 24 million 15 million

said those arguing that the NCC is trying to micro manage the industry have a point.

He said it was the duty of NCC to ensure that there is always a level playing field in the industry.

“There is certainly valid argument that the NCC is trying to micro manage the industry but the regulator has the responsibility to ensure that there is a level playing field among the operators, it has the responsibility to also ensure that the dominant operator does not abuse its strength; in other words, they do not oppress the smaller ones. If you recall the days of NITEL, we had that challenge when it was the dominant operator and used its power to oppress the smaller operators by denying them access to connection to the network. We all complained during that time. So, if we complained about NITEL’s dominance then, it is not appropriate to allow dominant operator to oppress smaller operators but the NCC needs to ascertain

whether the dominant operator was indeed oppressing the smaller ones. I don’t know if that has been ascertained or not,” he said, insisting that it is within the powers of the regulator to ensure that a dominant operator does not distort the market. ”We should be careful not to encourage NCC to start micro managing the operators. This is something that has to be carefully balanced such that while they are trying to protect the smaller operators against the dominant operator, we don’t end up micro managing the operators. So, we must strike a balance,” he said. The ATCON boss said NCC should not be misconstrued as its effort is to deepen competition, which will benefit the consumers.

“If there is no competition and you encourage a dominant operator, other operators may die and if they do, there will be no competition again and we will be back to the days of NITEL. This is what this effort is trying to do. There is no basis to be scared about the future of the industry based on this development,” he said.

President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Deolu Ogunbanjo, praised the NCC for the step it took. He said in the United States, the regulator also stepped into the matter in-

According to NCC, dominance in itself is not negative because it is an indication of the effectiveness, resourcefulness and strategic decisions of the operator. It, however, noted that the conduct of the operator determines how its dominance would be perceived, particularly if that conduct is likely to lessen competition and distort the market.

The regulator promised that necessary regulatory tools to correct current and potential anti-competitive practices such as predatory pricing, margin squeezes and cross-subsidisation by any of the operators with dominant position in any of the market segments or sub-segments are to be applied by the Commission.

NCC said the KPMG study started in the form of interactive meetings with the operators, followed by a stakeholders’ forum to sensitise the industry and provide opportunities for constructive contributions on the state of the telecommunication market. In addition, the network operators provided industry data for the study.

Upon review, NCC said the market was segmented into voice, data, upstream and downstream services. The voice and data markets have mobile and fixed sub-segments. The sub-segments of the upstream market are spectrum and frequency services, tower services, network services, wholesale broadband/internet services and wholesale leased lines and transmission capacity services while handsets/devices and applications/contents make up the sub-segments of the downstream market.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

42

e-Business

NOA woos critics of National ID project D IRECTOR-GENERAL of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, has expressed the readiness of his agency to partner with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to provide a comprehensive national database in the country.

In a statement, the Director, Corporate Communication, Anthony Okwudiafor, said Omeri told the NIMC Director-General, Chris Onyemenam, during a visit that critics would soon appreciate the project’s importance.

Omeri said it was time to bring together the data gathering agencies. He said while NIMC collects information, NOA gathers data to serve the agencie, noting that they are partners in progress.

He urged the NIMC to enlist the NOA among its stakeholders, because it is working hard with the United States’ Department of

By Deji Fakorede

Contact Centre and other agencies to have a central data system, and that NIMC has the mandate to harmonise databases to publicise government’s policies and programmes.

“What you are doing will, no doubt, eliminate and streamline the activities of identity requiring and data collection agencies that seemed to be doing what we really need to do one-off for the interest of the nation and for those who kick against what you are doing are ignorant of the importance of Identity Management in a nation’s building and national security.

“The National Identity Management System (NIMS) is the best thing that will happen to Nigeria in these critical times of security

challenges. It will help the Federal Government to tackle insecurity and social vices in the country,” he stated.

Earlier, Onyemenam reminded the NOA chief that the Commission’s main reason for reaching out to NOA was based on the commission’s belief that the agency has the competence to reach out to Nigerians to support the NIMS project “The ability to make reference to the database upon which the card was issued is the way out,”he said, adding that the Commission has been working on the identity infrastructure and was able to begin the pilot scheme on February 23.

He said it is issuing the National Identification Number (NIN) in over 30 states hoping that as soon as the project is launched, NIMC will cover the 774 local government areas.

Chams, others to assist new ICT entrepreneurs A GROUP of firms are set to assist fresh entrepreneurs in the sector to grow their business.

Already, seven teams have been shortlisted from a pool of 160 teams that applied for the cash.

Chief Executive Officer, TechnoVision, Tomi Davies, told The Nation that funding is fundamental to the success of young people who have business ideas, adding that this informed the decision of 14 entrepreneurs to invest funds for youths to build their business.

“We are not just investing money, we are also investing our time to ensure that they succeed.

We are going to guide the team, monitor them and make our net-

works available to them so that they can grow. The whole idea is to grow entrepreneurship in the country. Another round of pitching will be done again in September. I can guarantee that no angel will invest less than N1 million on the team. That is the minimum. Any of the angels could invest N10million or even N100 million,” he said.

An angel is a venture capital fund investor.

He added that some of the angels belong to private equity venture capital firms.

He said the plan is complementary to that of the Federal Ministry of Communications

Technology which has launched the Information Technology Developers Entrepreneurship Accelerator (iDEA) Incubation Centre.

“We must support the Federal Government to grow entrepreneurship in the ICT sector. This is our response to that. The whole idea is to provide seed fund to entrepreneurs to start up,” he said. iDEA is anchored on the huge potential the software segment of the industry hold for the economy both in employment generation and value addition to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation.

More women sought in ICT

T

HE low level of women in information communication technology in the country is disturbing, the Chief Executive Officer, Phase 3 Telecom, Stanley Jegede, has said.

He spoke at the Girls in ICT Day in Lagos.

He said all hands must be on deck to assist young girls to adopt ICT. He said: “We must help young Nigerian girls to see the advantages and dividends of the dynamic and fast-evolving ICT sector. ICT is the major driver of productivity in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole. Jobs ICT sector, such as telecoms and Internet solutions are highly competitive

Ericsson’s semi-finalists out

E

RICSSON has announced the semi-finalists for the annual Ericsson Application Awards.

TeamKenya from Kenya, Team Trokxi and Team Nimdee Mobile from Ghana are among the semifinalists. Winning teams will receive 25,000 euro in each category.

TeamKenya and Trokxi are nominated in the student category and Nimdee mobile is nominated in the company category.

TeamKenya developed an application that makes it easier for electorates to know and interact with political aspirants in their location, to learn more about the laws and topics surrounding electoral processes, get the latest electoral news and also to be informed of the lat-

‘NCC not protecting data users’

R

EGULATOR of the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has been accused of not doing enough to protect the users of data in the country.

The Managing Director, Ambion Wireless, Tolulope Braimah, said the main reason Internet experience in the coun-

try has been unpleasant is that some Internet service providers buy bandwidth at cheap prices from cable operators for resell.

According to him, Glo 1 and Main One brought “backhaul”, which they sell to operators at a cheap rate, only for some of the operators to resell it at a higher cost, adding that NCC should intervene to reduce the price.

But NCC Director, Media, Tony Ojobo, dismissed the allegation as baseless, arguing that anybody that has an issue with any ISP should call the NCC on its hotline.

He said if a subscriber experiences downtime, he is entitled to compensation, adding that should the ISP fail to do that, the NCC should be informed.

est electoral events.

Team Trokxi developed an application that provides you with estimated fares to make informed decisions for public transportation. It helps you budget your trips, save money, time and minimize transport-related frauds.

Team Nimdee developed an application that enables African merchants to access bigger markets on the continent and also the global market, while allowing merchants to reach their customers on the same platform.

The three teams from Africa are competing for the first place spot with teams from China, United Kingdom, United States, Romania, Poland, Portugal and Brazil.

Techno, Etisalat partner

T

ECNO is partnering Qualcomm Incorporated and Etisalat Nigeria to launch the TECNO P3 in the country.

Speaking at the launch, which held at the in Victoria Island, Lagos, Etisalat unveiled a 12-month special promotion for its subscribers, offering 100MB free data bundle on purchase of a TECNO P3 smartphone.

The TECNO P3 is an entry-level smartphone that runs on Android 2.3Gingerbread operating system, and powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7225A processor to offer users the best 3G smartphone experience, good battery life, and easy access to the Internet and multiple social networks.

TECNO Group Vice President, Mr Arif Chowdhury, said: “We realised that Internet savvy Nigerians are in dire need of a fast, innovative and seamless Internet experience. These experiences are what TECNO P3 smartphone brings, and that also informs we partnered with Etisalat.”

A

•From left: Njideka Jack of MTN Nigeria; Folakemi Olawolu of Phase3 Telecom; Samuel Eyitayo of US Consulate, Lagos and Mrs. Martha Alade, Chairperson, Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN), at Girls in ICT Day.

and rewarding. However, it is perceived that girls in the West African region are largely less attracted to ICT studies and careers.”

Senior Manager Network Operations and Maintenance of the firm, Olawolu Folakemi, said the ICT and IT engineering are regarded as male-dominated fields, because females often shy away from them.

“It is a remarkable achievement that women are taking on the immense potentials and possibilities of these laudable professional fields based on the realisation that very few jobs exist for men that are not also open to woman,” she said.

By Deji Fakorede

Arif added that consumers can choose either the Etisalat customised version available at Etisalat Experience Centres and its partner retailers, or buy the un-customised version from TECNO’s partner retailers nationwide and it comes with the same data bundle offer as the customised version.

Chief Commercial Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, WaelAmmar, said: “The telecommunication industry has seen an increased demand for data and smartphones in recent times, and it is important for network providers and phone manufacturers to continue to collaborate and initiate products and services to satisfy this needs. Etisalat’s fast Easyblaze, 3.75G broadband service combined with these TECNO phones is yet another example of our continuous effort to bring our customers easy access to the internet.”

Firm wins ICT award

N indigenous IT firm, High Tech Data System (HDS), has won the ICT Implementation Company of the Year Award. The event held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

The company was honoured with the recognition at the Beacon of ICT Awards organised by the Nigeria Communications Week to honour deserving talents, who had, over the years, shown commitment towards the growth and development of ICT. While receiving the award, Managing Director, HDS, Mr Chinedu Okoli, said the award would enable the young firm to put in more effort in representing Nigeria well in the global ICT market.

“This award is a reward for all the hard work the staff have put in over the past year, and we are privileged and humbled to receive it. It is only the beginning and an indication of what can be achieved with dedication.

“We are thankful to God for His mercies and blessings, as we look forward to serving, adding value and providing satisfaction to our customers, while looking forward to adding our own quota to the growth of the ICT ecosystem in Nigeria.”

Okoli reaffirmed the firm’s commitment to working with its clients to identify, formulate and implement solutions to achieve value for money, increased profitability and market growth as a reputable ICT company that is open in its dealings with its clients.

The merit- centric award honours finest and brightest companies and individuals who have helped put Nigeria on the global ICT map. The annual Beacon of ICT Awards, which is now in its fourth year, are free awards designed to encourage organizations and individuals to continue to provide efficient and high-quality services to Nigerians.

43

THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

OGUN P0LITICS There have been claims of reconciliation in the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But beyond the facade of a reconciled and united party, the crisis is far from over, writes ERNEST NWOKOLO.

Ogun PDP: still far from reconciliation T

HE crisis within the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) is far from over.

For party faithful in the state, the crisis ought to have been resolved soon after the conclusion of the April 2011 general elections. Ironically, the more efforts made to reconcile the warring factions, the more polarised the party became. Those who desired an early settlement of the differences have discovered to their dismay that they have only engaged in wishful thinking.

Crux of the matter The main cause of the crisis has been who controls the party in the state. The belief, or so it seems, is that the party machinery is an invaluable trophy that must be won and kept at all cost. Expectedly, this has continued to engender bitter, if not fierce, scramble for it. The major contenders are former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Governor Gbenga Daniel; billionaire hotelier, Buruji Kashamu and former Minister of State for Finance , Alhaji Jubril Martins Kuye . It is not difficult to see why efforts at reconciliation have ended in illusion than reality.

Before the April 2011 general elections, PDP held sway in the state.

For eight years, it bestrode the state like a colossus, clinched all elective offices and dominated the politics of the state with enormous backing from the PDP controlled central government.

With the mindset that the party would continue to win every election in the state, the stage was inadvertently set for the dirty political intrigues and desperation among the quartet of Obasanjo, Daniel, Kashamu and Kuye. The understanding, of course, was that whoever controls the party structure automatically determines who get what in terms of both elective and appointive posts in the state.

How it all started The crisis started in the run up to April 14, 2007 election. The forrmer governor moved quickly to assert himself as the leader of the party.

But this was largely ignored to enable the party go into the electoral contest as one big family and be victorious against the opposition parties the Action Congress(AC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP), National Conscience Party (NCP) among others.

But the incipient crisis took a different dimension in 2008 when some members picked holes in the process that led to the emergence of the defunct Joju Fadairo-led executive committee. They claimed that the process was flawed. They alleged that it was manipulated by the governor to exclude others from participating which inevitably gave birth to the party executive committee filled by Daniel’s cronies.

But what seemed like a simmering crisis graduated quickly to a full scale political war among the foursome during the preparation for the April 2011 elections, with each either fighting directly or through proxies to ex-

ecute personal interests.

Daniel, who had his mind fixated on having former Managing Director of Gateway Holdings, Mr Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka, as his successor at all cost, used the party structure headed

by Fadairo to undermine the interests of others while advancing his.

The other three parties went into an alliance to confront Daniel and his annointed candidate. That initial understanding among the trio of Obasanjo, Kuye and Kashamu was primarily to wrest the party structure from Daniel. The objective was simple: stall the plot to have his cronies run for elective offices.

While Obasanjo mobilised the federal might and PDP’s national force against Daniel, Kuye and Kashamu tackled him in from other directions and fought him to a stand still through the judiciary.

The National Executive Committee of the party waded into the crisis at that stage and recommended the dissolution of Joju Fadairo - led executives and harmonisation to accommodate all interests. It was the implementation of that recommendation that led to the emergence of the Bashorun Dayo Soremi led Executive.

Worsening crisis Unfortunately for the party, rather than solve the problem, the harmonisation worsened the crisis.

Daniel and his faction rejected the arrangement and continued to accord the Fadairo - led executive, not only recognition but also persisted in using it to pursue his political interest.

The logjam within the Ogun PDP worsened with the emergence of parallel party executive leading to parallel congresses and parallel candidates for the 2011 polls. Many who could no longer bear the contradiction in the party, moved to other parties like the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) and Labour Party(LP) among others.

PDP at the national level and the court recognised the congress conducted by Obasanjo’s faction and its outcome. At the same time , they rejected the congress conducted by Daniel’s group and all candidates who emerged from it.

The development compelled the then politically cornered Daniel to herd all his supporters into the Peoples Party of Nigeria(PPN), a party he hurriedly floated while still in PDP. As to be expected, the PDP through the influence of Obasanjo, proceeded to pick former ECOMOG Commander and Sole Administrator in Ekiti State, General Tunji Olurin (rtd) as its governorship candidate in the April 2011 polls.

It was in this tattered condition that the party went into the 2011 polls and failed woefully. Despite this, efforts were made to resolve the crisis that brought defeat and odium to the party.

The party at the national level and former national vice - chairman, Southwest, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo inaugurated a Transition, Reconciliation and Congress Committee (TRCC) headed by Chief Bode Mustapha to reconcile all aggrieved persons and also conduct congresses in the state.

According to Oladipo, “the reason for TRCC include the need to unify the party before the congresses, the need to provide a level playing ground

• Obasanjo

for all interests within the party to be able to fulfil their aspiration, to midwife the congresses so that the executives to be produced in the congresses are acceptable to the generality of the party faithful.”

But this did not go down well with the actors and only succeeded in shredding the initial alliance among the trio of Obasanjo, Kashamu and Kuye.

The Kashamu group vehemently opposed the arrangement saying it was a ploy by the Obasanjo minority group to undermine the function of Dayo Soremi - led executives to pave way for the imposition of other persons as party officials.

Not contented with just opposing the arrangement, Kashamu group equally approached the court and even got an injunction declaring the then Tajudeen Oladipo’s TRCC as illegal.

According to Kashamu group, Obasanjo was pursuing a separate political agenda best known to him in Ogun State other than that of PDP. The group argued that if the overbearing influence of the former PDP Board of Trustees’ chairman was not challenged, it could spell doom for the party in future elections in the Gateway State. It then proceeded to conduct its congresses in the state in-spite of directive to the contrary

by PDP National Working Committee (NWC).

Expectedly, the new executive officers of PDP led by Bayo Dayo that emerged could not enjoy the recognition of all and the then National Vice - Chairman of PDP, Southwest, Mr Segun Oni, who succeeded

• Daniel

Oladipo, maintained that another congress, which would accommodate all interests, would be organised in the state.

In one of his visits to Abeokuta, Oni dismissed the congresses conducted in the state by Bashorun Dayo Soremi- led executives-that produced Dayo Bayo -led executive, ostensibly because all the forces at play, particularly, the interest of the former President, were not accommodated.

Consequently, a congress that catered for the interest of the former President was conducted and Senator Dipo Odunjirin, a lawyer, emerged as the chairman of a parallel executive and the national body of the party began to relate with it to the chagrin of Bayo Dayo led executive.

This was resisted by the Kashamu group which approached the court for judicial intervention and the attendant court judgment led to the sack of Oni, all the decisions he took in respect of Ogun PDP as well as Dipo Odunjirin led parallel executive committee.

It was on the basis of that judgment, coupled with the directive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognising the Dayo Bayo led executive committee that the party and the NWC accorded recognition to the Kashamu group as the authentic state organ of PDP in Ogun.

Today, the Kashamu group controls the party structure and oper-

ates from the party secretariat on IBB Boulevard, Abeokuta. What is still palpably missing, however, remains the unity, peace and harmony in the once powerful party in Ogun State.

With the 2015 general elections inching closer, there have been series of private meetings within and outside the state by the power brokers - Daniel, Kuye, Alhaji Sarafadeen Tunji Isola, Alhaji Sule Onabiyi, Chief Niyi Adegbenro, Kashamu, Chief Alani Bankole among others on the advise of the NWC of the party but not much has been achieved.

The big players in the state still relate with each other with deep seated suspicion. Recently, the Chairman, Board of Trustee (BoT) of partyPDP, Chief Tony Anenih, led a delegation of BoT members to Obasanjo in Abeokuta where he was urged to help re -build the party in the state. But it is not yet clear whether the former President would sit under the same PDP umbrella with former Governor Daniel who still control a large followers.

The party chairman in the state, Dayo told The Nation that the reconciliation efforts are yielding positive result in all the factions or groups, except that of Daniel. He alleged that the former governor was already negotiating with another party in the state with a view to herding all his followers into it.

Dayo hinted that the reconciliation has not yielded any worthwhile result from Daniel’s camp, saying it is being said that the former governor, who has the bulk of his followers in PPN, is spoiling to move them to either the Labour Party or Unity Party of Nigeria(UPN) In Dayo’s reckoning, the next task now is to take the reconciled party chieftains to Chief Obasanjo, and beg him for forgiveness where mistakes were made so that progress could be made in the party.

He said: “What is left is for us to see Baba, Chief Obasaanjo, and beg him for forgiveness. You know in Yorubaland, the younger begs the elder even if the elder is at fault, the younger has to prostrate and beg for forgiveness in order for peace to reign.”

But whether the desired peace will ever reign in the state’s chapter of the party remains to be seen.

• Abia State Governor Theodore Orji waving to Abians who came to receive him on his arrival from Canada at the Sam Mbakwe Airport Owerri.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

44

POLITICS House of Representatives member Hon. Dakuku Peterside is the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream). In this interview with VICTOR OLUWASEGUN, he speaks on the crisis rocking the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the face-off between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

‘Amaechi is fighting for federalism’

H

OW will you assess the performance of the governor of your home state, Rivers?

Impressive and spectacular. Governor Amaechi has done very well.

Few Nigerians will disagree with me that he is among the top three model governors. He is outstanding in security, education and health. He has done well in roads and power, but above all , he has come to symbolise transparency and accountability. In terms of performance, Governor Amaechi is a gold fish. This simply justifies the support he is enjoying from Rivers people and Nigerians.

Why is he having crisis in the Nigerian Governors Forum, the Rivers State PD and with the President?

I am not aware that he is having any problems with the President.

You see, in this clime, being honest, bold and courageous could lead you into trouble. Permit me to take the issues one after the other. On Nigeria Governors Forum, there is absolutely no trouble. Certain characters allowed themselves to be used for selfish reasons to destabilise a registered association that has stabilised the polity. Governor Amaechi’s only crime is that he puts a face to decisions made by his colleagues, very often for the interest of democracy and federalism. Some persons also claim that he is too forthright and I don’t know what crime that is called. However, the biggest unsaid problem is the perception by certain persons in the Presidency that Governor Amaechi has ambition to aspire to higher office. The attempt to criminalise ambition, if any, is the root cause of the perceived problem in NGF. This contradicts with the expectation of some of the President’s associates who are pushing that he should go for a second term.

The second strand is speaking truth to power as can be seen in Governor Amaechi’s comments on the Sovereign Wealth Fund, excess crude account, Rivers-Bayelsa oil well issue, fuel subsidy, Eastwest road, Adamawa PDP case amongst others.

Are there forces in the Presidency you alluded to responsible for the crisis in PDP Rivers State?

Is there any crisis in PDP Rivers State? There is absolutely no crisis.

What has happened is simple to understand, unless you chose to ignore or thwart the facts and continue in self delusion or you are outrightly ignorant of how the federal might can be manipulated against the perceived political opponents in Nigeria. A party congress was conducted peacefully in March 2012. Nobody raised issues until December 2012 when the interest of certain elements in the Presidency clashed with certain elements in Rivers State who are incurably ungrateful and who do not fear God. Then, some characters in the judiciary allowed themselves to be used and a controversial judgement surfaced. An Abuja High Court gave judgement in an issue it has no business with. One Felix Obuah, who never participated in any of the party congresses, started parading himself as the PDP Rivers Chairman. The same Felix Obuah has been going about making inflammatory remarks. If history teaches any lesson, it is that this ones too will be consigned to the dustbin of history very soon. I have watched how a certain colleague of mine from Rivers State sold his conscience and tries helplessly to defend the indefensible on the television. All the members of the PDP in Rivers State know who their leaders are and know who the charlatans are.

Rivers people are more intelligent than the ignorance been displayed by the characters parading themselves as the officials of the PDP in the State. Rivers people know them and know their history.

Are you suggesting that the judgement of Abuja High Court on Rivers PDP is faulty?

I am not suggesting that, but the facts are clear. Prof. Itse Sagay, the respectable legal luminary, said that single judgement delivered by Justice Ishaq Bello had the capacity of derailing our democracy. He clearly said that it has no basis in law and portends danger to our democracy. Prof. Wole Soyinka expressed concern that the debasement and manipulation of the judiciary by the politicians as exemplified by the judgement of Justice Ishaq Bello can lead to anarchy. He acknowledged the effort of the current Chief Justice of Nigeria to reform the judiciary, but recognized the fact that there are dark areas and that this

• Peterside

dark area is responsible for the seeming crisis in Rivers State. These are voices of reason. What has happened is an attempt to sacrifice the entire democratic project to get to one man who is perceived to be a political opponent. How do you explain a situation where there is a dispute among two persons who live in Rivers State over an event that occurred in Rivers State, yet a resolution was reached by an FCT High Court? How do you explain a situation where the congress in dispute took place in March, last year, and only became a subject of litigation one year after? What does the law says about the law courts entertaining purely intra-party matter? These are questions begging for answers. I am optimistic that the Court of Appeal will cure this malaise, restore sanity in the system and save our democracy from self destruction by a few desperate folks. The judgement has done a serious damage to our democracy The new or factional party officers in Rivers State, as you admitted, have suspended the members of House of Assembly and threatened to impeach Governor Amaechi. What is your take on that?

It is laughable. It simply shows the degree of ignorance of the characters parading themselves as party officials in Rivers State. They are displaying ignorance or lack of knowledge of the powers of state party officers. Even, if we admit that they can suspend elected officials, and by extension, party leaders, by our law, they do not lose their seats in the legislature. So, I do not know what they stand to benefit by that rascality.

APGA begins reconciliation

• Ufomba

T

HE crisis rocking the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) may become a thing of the past as the concerned chieftains have begun moves to reconcile the two politicians laying claim to the party’s leadership, Mazi Okwu and Victor Umeh.

At the vanguard of the reconciliation are the former governorship candidates of the party in the South-

east geo-political zone. Sources to the party disclosed that these chieftains are also trying to bring Governor Peter Obi and Umeh to the table of brotherhood. Many party stalwarts have also lamented the loss of Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The source said: “We are concerned that the party is in crisis at a time we should be preparing for the next governorship election in Anambra State. The platform is greater than any member. There is crisis today because the platform exists. We should not allow the platform to collapse in crisis”.

One of the governorship flag bearers, Chief Reagan Ufomba, declined comments about the reconciliation, although he conceded that APGA can only forge ahead in peace and cohesion.

He lamented that other parties were ganging up against the

APGA, which he described as the most formidable platform in the zone. He also alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in Abia State has been waging war against APGA because of its growing popularity.

Ufomba confirmed that he had sued the Abia State government at the Lagos High Court for malicious publication against him on the government website. He said that he had been exposed to public ridicule for shunning political and monetary inducements.

He said: “The government said that I went away with government property when O voluntarily resigned as a member of the State Executive Council. For the first time, I have seen smoke without fire in the name of politics. A lie told several times may begun to sound like the truth, if it is left unchallenged. This is precisely why I went to court.”

Afenifere not party to UPN resuscitation, says Fasoranti

T

HE pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has said it was not involved in the move by the Oodua peoples Congress (OPC) founder, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, to resuscitate the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

The group recalled that Fasehun was not a member of the party when it existed in the Second Republic.

Afenifere also reiterated its objection to amnesty for the members of the Boko Haram sect.

The group lamented that, although the nation had devoted a substantial proportion of the budget to security, safety of lives and property has not been guaranteed.

Afenifere Leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti told reporters in Lagos that amnesty for the dreadful sect may not resolve the security situation, urging the government to realise that it is wrong to reward criminals with money for killing and maiming.

Accompanied by Chief Supo Sonibare,Chief Olu Falae, Chief Korede Duyile, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Akogun Tunde Odanye and Hon. Segun Ojo, the elder statesman said that any solution to Boko Haram insurgency that lacks consideration for the victims of the horrors is inadequate.

Fasoranti said: “We agree that granting amnesty to the Niger Delta militants is in order. But we find it hard to defend the monumental abuse going on, especially among the elite managers of the scheme and are disturbed as to whether the scheme will bring lasting peace, given episodic restlessness still being demonstrated. yet, we have created a set of emergency billionaires from the amnesty while the conditions in the creeks remain virtually what they were.

“It is with this at the back of our mind that we have been skeptical over the so-called amnesty for the Boko Haram, which is a much more dangerous group than the Niger Delta insurgents who were known and demands were clear”.

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Group Political Editor

Fasoranti warned that “it would be a tragedy, if we embark on another money sharing spree in the name of amnesty with all the blood that has been shed”. He added: “Granting amnesty to dare-devil, blood thirsty insurgents whose identities and grievances are yet to be properly ascertained is prosperous, offensive to commonsense and retrogresive in its entire ramifications. Our stand is that any decision on Boko Haram should be holistic. We should not just be talking of the insurgents, but also their victims and causes of this menace, with a view to ensuring it doesn’t happen again and again”.

The Afenifere chieftain put the Jonathan Administration on the weighing scale, pointing out that it has failed in the critical areas of security, anti-corruption crusade, threats of subsidy removal, and job creation. On fuel subsidy, Fasoranti said that the Federal Government owed the people an explanation about the collapse of the refineries and the misapplication of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

Fasoranti cautioned against perceiving the next general elections as a bloody war, advising the unpatriotic politicians to desist from heating up the polity, ahead of the 2015 polls.

Falae, the former Secretary to the Federal Government, noted the move by Fasehun to re-float the UPN. He said Afenifere is not the architect of the move by the medical doctor who was never a member of the proscribed party led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He said: “Afenifere will support a political party that shares the same progressive ideals with it is the next elections”.

Also at the press conference were Chief Rahman Owokoniran, Hon. Leke Mabinuori, Bayo Fajemilua, Prince Lanre Omisore, Chief Kole Omololu and Mr. Alufa.

How to develop Niger Delta, by lawmaker

H

OUSE of Representatives member, Hon. Evelyn Oboro, has urged the government and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta region to improve the quality of life of the people. She said the promotion of the public welfare would stop further agitation.

The legislator spoke to reporters at the Atamu Social Club of Nigeria investiture held in Lagos. She said the condition of living in the Niger Delta was still deplorable, urging the government to rise to the occasion.

Oboro who represents Okpe/Sapele/ Uvwie Constituency, said: “I am not satisfied with what I see in the Niger Delta with regard to the welfare of the people. This is not just about the oil from this part of the country but the welfare. They still live in the creeks, their farmlands have been destroyed, they have no homes, they have no good education, they do not even have better environment to live in as human beings.”

The lawmaker noted that people outside the Niger Delta often make sweeping statements without bothering to visit the area to know the true situation. She said: “People have often made various comments to denigrate them but most of us don’t live there and we don’t know what they are passing through. Take a trip to the Niger Delta and you will understand what I am talking about.”

Oboro expressed the hope that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would see the light of the day after the heat it had generated.

She added: “A good law from the

• Oboro

By Musa Odoshimokhe

National Assembly can contribute to the progress of the Niger Delta. You and I know that there are laws but the implementation has always been the problem.”

“The PIB bill some people are kicking against it which is meant to better the oil communities. They should think about it because of what is derived from this area but unfortunately some people are saying no.”

The legislator remarked that the Urhobo community in Nigeria have not been favoured in the distribution of national appointmentsShe added: “Urhobo is the fifth ethnic largest groups in this country and if you look at it critically, we have not had a good number of our people appointed at the national level. But our people have not been disillusioned by this development. They have made strides on their personal enterprises to better their own lots.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

45

THE NATION

NATURAL HEALTH E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

CLINIC DAY Director, Health Forever Products Limited, Lagos, Bimbo Okubena, answers the first question based on the research published in the Journal of Basic Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology. Dr Segun Fahuwa answers the second from his Mister Guarantee Trado-herbal Clinic, Surulere, Lagos.

Jobelyn linked with psychosis treatment P

SYCHOSIS is a neurological disorder and a serious medical and social problem in most African countries.

Individuals with psychotic illness tend to seek help from traditional medical practitioners, who prescribe herbal remedies as an alternative form of treatment for the disease.

Although hyperdopaminergic activity is generally believed to play a crucial role in the symptomatology of the disease, most Africans believe the disease is due to supernatural forces at work against the mental wellbeing of individuals, and as such, the cure cannot be found in modern medicine or orthodox medical practice. The scarcity of accessible and high quality mental health care services in most African countries also contributes to the increased patronage of traditional healers by patients with psychotic disorder.

Jobelyn (JB) is a commercial poly herbal formulation that has been studied to show beneficial effects in neurological disorders.

Although it is being prescribed in many Nigerian hospitals including the Yaba Psychiatric Hospital in Lagos, however, its usefulness in psychosis has not been scientifically validated.

This prompted a study /research to evaluate its effects on animal models predictive of human psychosis.

Three researcher went to work Itivere Adrian Omogbiya,. They are Adegbuyi Oladele Aderibigbe and Adewale Ganiyu Bakre, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Univer-

sity of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

They concluded that JB exhibits antipsychotic-like activity, devoid of the adverse effect of cataleptic behavior, and may offer some beneficial effects in the symptomatic relief of psychotic ailments.

Permit me to go a bit technical in the analysis of the animal model because of the intricacies of the Science involved.

Methods: Antipsychotic activity of JB was assessed based on the inhibition of stereotyped behaviour induced by amphetamine or apomorphine in mice.

Ampheta-mine-induced hyperactivity and lethality in aggregated mice were additional tests employed to further evaluate the antipsychotic property of JB. The effect of JB on catalepsy was also assessed, using the in clined plane paradigm.

Results: JB (5 – 50 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited stereotype induced by amphetamine (10.0 mg/kg, i.p.)or apomorphine (1 mg/kg, i.p.), which suggests antipsychotic activity.

Furthermore, JB (5 – 50 mg/kg, p.o.) reduced lethality in aggregated mice and inhibited hyperactivity induced by amphetamine, respectively. However, JB (5 – 50 mg/kg, p.o.) did not cause cataleptic behavior, as it failed to alter the duration of stay of the animals on the inclined plane.

Treatment: Dunnett post-hoc test was found to specifically antagonise grouped AMP (Activated Protein Kinase) toxicity at dose levels which had little effect on the toxicity of AMP to isolated mice. Protection against the le-

Questions (1) Is it true that Jobelyn possesses antipsychotic properties?

John Ikuomola, 34 years old, Social Health Worker, Yaba, Lagos.

(2)

•Okubena

thal effect of AMP to grouped mice has therefore been considered as a suitable test for assessing substances with antipsychotic effects. Although it has been shown that the LD 50 of AMP to grouped mice is dependent both on environmental temperature and degree of aggregation of mice, the underlying cause for greater toxicity of AMP to grouped mice is not yet fully understood.

However, it has been suggested that the major events leading to death in grouped mice, given AMP, is closely connected with marked hyperactivity, followed by a phase of exhaustion in those mice which died. Previous studies have shown that a significant association exists in grouped mice between increased lethality and increased motor activity.

However, Burn and Hobbs reported that increased excitement may be the critical factor in enhanced lethality of AMP to grouped animals. Hyper-activity or agitation and displays of aggressive behaviors are integral components of psychomotor excitement commonly seen in most patients with psychotic disorders.

Patients in the state of psychomotor excitement constitute sources of danger to themselves and others, thus requiring the use of drugs with

My fiancée is pregnant, but diagnosed with fibroid. She was on birth control until we decided to tie the nuptial knot. Was that the cause and is there a remedy.

Seyi Jaiyeola, 42 years old, Information Technology Manager, Lawanson, Itire, Lagos. a tranquillizing effect such as antipsychotics. The finding that increased dopamine brain levels is the major neurochemical pathway involved in the mediation of the lethal effect of AMP in grouped mice further support its relevance as an animal model predictive of antipsychotic activity.

Studies have shown that stereotypies induced by high doses of AMP or APO (Alpha Phi Omega) are mediated through the stimulation of dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum.

However, whereas APO mediates its action through direct activation of dopamine receptors in the striatal region of the brain, AMP, by contrast, acts indirectly through the liberation of dopamine from dopaminergic neurons.

The neurochemical mechanism underlying AMP-induced hyperlocomotion or hyperactivity at moderate doses is closely connected with the activation of dopamine D2 receptors located in the limbic region of the brain.

Thus, preferential blockade of D2 receptors in the limbic system will confer antipsychotic effects with little or no propensity to cause extrapyramidal symp-

Fibroids can be treated, prevented naturally

F

IBROID tumors are tumors composed of fibrous tissue which generally occur in women during their reproductive years and shrink or disappear after menopause.

Most of the time they are benign and cause no apparent symptoms; however, in other instances, fibroid tumors can result in severe discomfort and may include heavy bleeding and pain.

Conventional medicine’s answer to fibroid tumors is very often a hysterectomy or other type of surgery and medications - none of which guarantees that fibroids will not return. Nature, on the other hand, can shrink or eliminate fibroid tumors by addressing the source of their causes and utilising remedies which create an environment in which fibroids are no longer welcome.

Fibroid tumors are also known as myomas, leiomyomas and fibromyomas. Their cause is not fully known, though estrogen is considered a primary factor in their growth.

Fibroid tumors can vary in size from so minute that they can only be identified under a microscope to very large. They can present themselves as a single tumor or as several masses.

Although their rate of growth is generally slow, they can grow quickly during pregnancy. Symptoms include abnormal bleeding (sometimes severe enough to cause anemia), menstrual pain, and a swollen abdomen. Fibroids can also cause infertility.

Fibroid tumours fall into the following three categories: Subserous tumors appear outside of the uterus; Intramural tumors are confined to the

wall of the uterus and Submucous tumors that appear inside the uterus.

Avoiding birth control pills can help prevent fibroid growth. Just as these tumors grow faster during pregnancy, their growth is also accelerated by birth control pills containing estrogen.

Pesticides and herbicides used on food products are also estrogen mimicking products to avoid. Tampons and napkins bleached with chlorine can also mimic estrogen.

I do treat fibroid in my clinic. Major ingredeints used are enuopire and baka. But the following can be useful in eliminating excess estrogen, because its elimination will result in shrinking fibroids. Dandelion, black cohosh, Siberian ginseng, red clover, goldenseal, red raspberry, licorice root,

motherwort and milk thistle do help to metabolise estrogen from the body.

Liver cleansing and drinking plenty of water to expel toxins from the body may also be very helpful. Warm castor oil packs placed on the stomach is another effective method of shrinking fibroids and relieving pain. Ginger compresses are also effective.

Exercise helps the body to free itself of toxins and regulate ovulation. Some women experience tumor reduction while following a vigorous exercise programme.

Lastly, taking a variety of digestive enzymes in quantity several times a day on an empty stomach has been reported to be very effective at removing fibroid tissue.

toms (EPSs).

EPSs are thought to result from decreased dopamine activity in the striatum, a preferential action of a novel agent against AMP-induced hyperactivity might serve as an earlier indicator of a lower propensity to induce EPSs in patients. Although first-generation or typical antipsychotics such as HP inhibit AMP-induced hyperactivity and stereotypies, the atypical counterparts.

Conclusions: Taken together, these findings suggest that JB exhibits antipsychotic-like activity, devoid of the adverse effect of cataleptic behavior, and may offer some beneficial effects in the symptomatic relief of psychotic ailments.

This study shows that Jobelyn demonstrated antipsychotic activity devoid of the cataleptic effect of traditional neuroleptic agents and this may be suggestive of a preferential antagonism of D2 -mediated dopaminergic activity. For further enquiries v i s i t : www.afritradomedic.com or send email to okubena@healthforever.com.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

46

NATURAL HEALTH

Chlorella, Yarrow, Wheat germ oil …..

Some nutritional answers to infertility problems (5)

A

PROMISE is a debt. Today, I wish to keep the promises I made over the past four weeks in respect of YARROW and WHEAT GERM OIL as essentials of fertility, and of how these supplements may support uterine fibroid therapies. As a bonus to compensate the long wait, I would like to introduce, more elaborately than I had done before, health benefits of one of the world's super foods …

CHLORELLA, the blue-green algae. I will proceed in this order ….. Uterine fibroids, Chlorella, Yarrow and Wheat Germ Oil.

Uterine fibroids After cancer, whether of the breast, cervix, uterus or ovaries, uterine fibroids are a woman's next worst enemy. They are distorted muscle growths on the external wall of the uterine, inside the uterine wall or on the internal wall. They are often benign (friendly) growths, but they may sometimes inhibit, disturb or prevent pregnancy. There are about 20 widely speculated possible causes of these growths, and this large number of possibilities makes pin-point solutions often elusive, as therapies may, therefore, be diffuse, that is broad based or widespread and expensive.

Some of these 20 hypotheses are:

Loss of potassium An electrolyte that is an electricity conductor, this salt dwells inside the cell, and checks the influx of sodium, which resides outside the cell. Potassium extracts oxygen from haemoglobin of the red cell to oxygenate the internal environment of the cell. Abnormal cells, such as cancer or fibroid tissue, thrive in deoxygerated environment. As a matter of fact, when oxygen runs short in cells, they change from oxidative life, that is oxygen dependent life, to fermentative life, such as cancerous non-oxygen dependent life, to survive. Foods rich in potassium, therefore, help to restore balance. These include Banana, Avocado pear etc. But they must be avoided or minimised where candida, other yeast or cancer is present, as they thrive on sugar. In such cases Potassium Aaspostate, Potassium Gluconate or the biochemic cell salt Potassium Sulphate (Kali Sulph) may be taken.

Deoxygenation Many environmental factors such as traffic smake, electricity generator fumes or lack of green vegetation deoxygenate the air we breathe and oxygen supply within the body. Oxygen supplements, such as 35 per cent Home Grade Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Magnessium Permanganate, tablets, which are popular here, and the biochemic cell salts ferrum phosphate (ferrumphos) and kali sulph help to supply more oxygen. So do green algae, such as CHLORELLA

Estrogenation Last Thursday, this column explained some of the sources of estrogen (food, plastics etc), which congest the body with estrogen, the dominant female hormone, and cause hormonal imbalances. Where estrogen level is too high, prolactin blood level may rise. This is the hormone which stops ovulation when pregnancy is established, to prevent pregnancy within pregnancy. Thus, for women with elevated prolactin who are not pregnant, getting pregnant is difficult if not impossible. One sign of elevated prolactin level may be nipple discharge when a woman is not pregnant.

Estrogenation which may have been firing warning shots in period pains, sore breasts, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), may cause breast cancer.

Heavy metal poisoning This was well explained last week. Heavier than waters, these metals include lead, cadmium mercury etc. In the brain, they may disturb the pituitary gland, which controls the reproductive organs which, in turn, are unbalanced. Parsely and Chlorella detoxify them beautifully.

Free radical damage Free radicals are unbalanced chemicals which bore holes into cells to steal electrons to balance themselves and, in the process, irritate the cells to cause their response in distorted growth or damage them. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals. Antioxidants include Vitamins A,C,E, Minerals such as Selenium, Zinc, Magnesium, Maganese, Calcium, and substances, such as Grape Seed Extract (about 50 times ,more powerful than Vitamin E and Vitamin C), Alpha Lipoic Acid, Carotenoids, CoEnzyme Q10 Bilbery.

Chlorella has lots of antioxidants.

Acidosis Modern diet and body stress make the blood and the body acidic, whereas the body functions best under a slightly alkaline environment. In a 0 to 14 scale, anything below seven is acidic and above alkaline. The body's most friendly envioronment is 7.04. Minerals found in fresh fruits and deep green leafy vegetables help to neutralise body acids and alkalize it, whereas cooked food, sugary food, bread, milk, fried food, hydrogenated fats (including margarine) and saturated fats (fats and oils solid at room temperature) cause acidosis. Potassium and chlorophyll also neutralize acids. Chlorella has them abundantly.

Microbial overload Candida, other yeast, viruses, bacteria and worms are often found in uterine fibroid tissue. It is believed a micro-organism named microzyma lives in every cell, and that its duty is to decompose or destroy any tissues, plant, man or animal, which becomes acidic, as corpes are. In laboratory experiments, microzyma has been shown to devolve into candida, bacteria and mold as acidosis increased, and to evolve up the ladder to microzyma as alkalinity is re-established to peak form. Some researchers believe these organisms are invited by Nature to eat up foreign substances which cause acidosis. The problem comes when they overstay their call or overpopulate and their waste products poison tissue they are to rescue. While herbs specific to each group may be deployed to eradicate it, it is better to remember they didn't come on their own and that they would naturally disappear on their own once the body becomes alkaline. Chlorella helps with this.

From this short list of potential causes of uterine fibroids, it should be clear that overcoming it requires some exertion on the

purse and patience. I always suggest the first step in a therapy is detoxification of all vital organs, the blood, lympthand call cells.

And, in many cases, it works!

Chlorella I take my cue on this herb from Dr. David Steelblock, M.B, B.S., M.Sc, D.O., who has experimented with this herb and followed hundreds of studies on Chlorella the natural medicine algae. This means there are many jobs for it to do in a doctor’s consulting room. Dr. Steelblock says all medical problems begin with a deterioration of the immune system. These comprise the organs and mobile cells which Mother Nature assigned the job of defending the body against dangerous foreign entities not designed to live in it. He links the deterioration to toxin influx from the environment, food, air and water. Heavy metals, viruses, yeast, candida, bacteria and allergies of all sorts follow. So do cell depletion, organs insufficiency and system derails. Cancer often results in extreme conditions of these calamities.

From many laboratory studies and clinical observations, hot water extract of chlorella has been found to stimulate activities of macrophages, interferon, B cells and T cells. These cells are mobile "troops" of the immune system. Macrophages eat up dangerous large foreign substances. Without them, these would aggregate in a devastating large population that may cause benign growths such as uterine fibroids or even cancer. T cells fight viruses, B cells bacterias. Interferon, which scientists have tried to produce artificially to fight cancer, is a natural secretion of the body which, say researchers, stimulates Macrophages to "war" through the elimination of cellular irritants such as bacteria, viruses, candida and dangerous chemicals. Interferon helps to check the occurrence and spread of cancer, or any "friendly" growth such as uterine fibroids.

In every culture, the blood is revered as the life line of the body, and eulogised as the River of Life. In the similarity of Chlorella cell with the red blood cell and in clinical ostentations of how it helps to form, nourish, clean and protect the blood, Chlorella has earned the name VEGETABLE BLOOD. Perhaps the secret lies in chlorophyll, the green pigment of all plants, an unravelling of which earned four scientists the Nobel Prize. The structure of chlorophyll and that of haemoglobin, the oxygen carrying pigment of the human red blood cell, are basically the same, except for their central atoms. This structure has four pillars of Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Carbon and Oxygen. In the plant, the central atom of the square structure is MAGNESIUM. (Incidentally, the structure of creation is a SQUARE) In the red blood cell, the holding central atom is IRON. When chlorophyll is consumed, either in vegetables, herbs or plain food supplements, the Magnesium is removed and replaced with iron to form blood out of it. The Magnesium serves other useful purposes in the body. Now, Chlorella is reported to possess the highest amount of chlorophyll among plants and herbs. This claim may be contested, though, by people who believe the crown belongs to SPIRULINA or ALFALFA, an Arab word which means "king of all food."

Wherever the argument swings, Chlorella is a cutting-edge herb.

For not only is it known to generate energy in the body, for which perhaps one of my favourite proprietary brands is named CHLOREROTY, it is a rich source of nucleic acids from which the genetic code is formed, and which makes Dr. David Steeblock, after many clinical observations, report that regular consumers of chlorella often look six to 10 years younger than their calendar ages. I guess every woman would like that. Again, the secret may be because Chlorella helps rid the body of ruinous heavy metals, especially mercury. Last Thursday, I suggested the use of Parsley to detoxify the brain and nervous system chemical toxins, indicating that parsley dumps them in the blood and that, to prevent reabsorbtion into the cells, Chlorella efficiently leads them out of the body through urine and faeces. Many studies have reported urinary excretion of Cadmium, a heavy metal, in Chlorella-consuming people. For these reasons and more, I suggested Chlorella last week to a Nigerian gentleman battling colon cancer in England. He'd been on chemotherapy for months, and the cancer was said to have spread to the lungs, liver and kidneys. His wife has indefatigable faith that he would overcome it. He was lean, I was told, that he at first was unwilling to give up red meat and milk as sources of protein to rebuild his wasting body. But when I told him of the several ways in which red meat had been implicated in colon cancer, of how cow milk causes intestinal disease, that Chlorella has 23 amino acids (building blocks of proteins), including all the essential ones; that the protein of Chlorella is about 95 per cent absorbable, with little or no cancercausing protein slidges left behind, that, besides, chlorella has more than 20 Vitamins, not to mention minerals, he changed his mind. I am citing this case because what is working for him so far may work for uterine fibroids and many conditions.

This man has a dutiful wife who, as advised, changed his diet within 24 hours. He has an hourly timetable to take herbal juices and, half an hour in-between, water. He starts with Wheat grass juice.

e-mail: femi.kusa@yahoo.com or olufemikusa@yahoo.com

Dr. Ann Wignore fasted almost exclusively on that to cure her cancer. The regimen includes sweet grape juice. Johanna Brandt fasted on that to cure her stomach cancer. He takes Carrot juice. Dr. George Malkmus, author of Hallelujah Diet, fasted on that to cure his cancer. There is Nettle. Maria Treben used that to cure Leukemia. There is Calamus root, famed to heal intestinal cancers. There is Vitamin D3 from Kyolic Gaolic D3. Cancer patients are grossly deficient in it.

There is Pau D'Arco, the great Cancer fighter. Of course, there is CHLORELIA. On the third day, his wife called me on the telephone that he had reported an energy lift. He could now get out of bed and walk about his room. His defecation had also improved. He has only one week respite in between chemotherapy seasons. My hope is that the gains of one week of herbs may persuade his doctors that something unusual is going on and either reduce the chemo dosages or suspend it. But, unless they are let into the picture, my guess is they would misread the situation as a chemo miracle and increase the fire power.. But as Dr. George Malkmus says in HALLELUJAH DIET, it is chemo, not cancer, which eventually kills the chemo user.

We cannot tell all the Chlorella story in one day. But suffice it to say it should be included in all detoxification programmes. The list of conditions it may help, according to Dr. Steeblock, is too impressive to ignore… *Allergies •Anaemia •Asthenia •old sores •Flu •Bad Breadth •Body odour •Acne and other skin problems •Wound healing • Pyohea (bleeding gum) • Loose teeth •Pneumonia, •Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) •Herpes simplex •Depression •Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) •Fibromyalgia •Epson Barr virus syndrome •Candida and yeast problems •Seizure •Hypoglycemia ( low blood pressure) •Hypertension •Diabetes •Hormonal imbalances/disturbance •Alcohol hangover •Detoxification •Liver toxicity •Constipation •High cholesterol •Atherosclerosis •Hepatic ulcer *Duodenal ulcer •Peptic ulcer •Gastritis •Heart diseases •Cancer •Gout •Arthritis •Obesity •Sinusitis/nasal congestion •Alzheimer's •Attention deficit •Growth and development problems… and lots more.

YARROW I do not remember what our mothers gave us Yarrow for when we were babies. But, like Gripe Water in the 1950s to 1980s, Yarrow was in the nursing mother's medicine chest. As an adult, Marian Treben, the great Austrian herbalist and author of HELP THROUGH GOD'S PHARMACY, taught me, through her work, to see it not only as a woman's friendly herb, but also good for fevers and toothache and to stop bleeding in both genders. For women, Yarrow promotes blood circulation, especially to the uterus, and fights inflammation of the ovaries and uterus, one of the causes of infertility or miscarriages. As it is now believed, poor blood circulation to the uterus, sometimes caused by a weak heart or high heeled shoes or even girdles to firm up abdominal muscles, delays Oxygen Supply, causes deoxygenation and accumulation of wastes in this vital organ. This problem reveals itself in darkened blood clots found in menstrual blood, unusual heat and/or pain in that region accompanied sometimes by cramps.

The circulation problem causes such reactions in the uterus that may lead to accumulation and overgrowth of germs and heavy metals to which the uterus responds with fibroid growths. The situation may be helped by circulation food supplements such as Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne, and Amazon Menstrual Support, the biochemic cell seat Ferrum Phosphate and Oxygen, in liquid or tablet or capsule form. Maria Treben recommends Yarrow taken as tea, tincture and used in sitz baths. For this bath, Yarrow leaves are soaked overnight in water and heated in the morning. It is poured into a bath in which the woman immerses herself in a sitting position which allows the warm Yarrow bath water to immerse her up to the navel. Maria Treben speaks of case studies in which, done regularly, such a sitz bath has helped to shrink and to eliminate uterine fibroids or heal imflamed ovaries or ovarian cysts. A sitz bath may not be feasible in Nigeria. Many homes do not have bath tubs. Yarrow leaves would be too expensive for this project because we do not cultivate the herb on plantation scale. But I guess the Yarrow tincture massaged over the uterine site will serve the same purpose. In fact, the tincture should penetrate far more readily. Regular massage just before bedtime at night may be accompanied with a hot water bottle therapy all night, as is done with camphorated oil (camphor powder in castor oil) massage taught by Edger Caycee. A large-scale international modern study of YARROW named the YARROW PROJECT eulogises Yarrow as a remedy for a thousand diseases. It studied the uses of Yarrow in many countries. It complements, for example, Maria Treben’s prescription of Yarrow for bone marrow diseases.

WHEAT GERM OIL DR H.C Vogel in his THE NATURE DOCTOR offers the lead here. Is Mr. Oye Igbemo listening?. Dr Vogel says: "If people only realised how wonderfully nourishing and curative the flakes are, they would eat them every day in one form or the other, including in their breakfast muesli. Girls and young women in particular would eat more wheat germ if they appreciated what marvelous properties it has to offer" Some of these are large quantum of Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin E and other factors, which form the major power house of Wheat Germ Oil include OCTOSANOL. Of these, Dr. Vogel reports: "Wheat germ oil is important because of its Vitamin E content which has been called the fertility Vitamin. Experience has shown that Vitamin E is useful in helping to overcome a tendency to premature birth and miscarriage since a deficiency in this Vitamin is often found to be the cause”.

In men, a deficiency of Vitamin E has been linked to atrophy or shrinkage of the testes and to low sperm count or sperm of irregular shape and poor motion. Added to the Vitamin E content of Wheat Germ Oil are Essential Fatty Acids, which Dr. Vogel says "plays an important part in the development and maintenance of healthy body cells as well as in the protein metabolism.”

What about older women?

"It can serve as a real help for menopausal problems," says Dr Vogel, and scanty, irregular and painful periods, if it is taken for some time," says Dr. Vogel. And, as he adds: "Weak sexual impulse, even impotence, can also be improved or cured if Wheat Germ Oil is taken regularly.

Dr. Vogel recommends Wheat Germ Oil for circulation, healthy heart, balancing of weight. That means it helps to even out weight, to avoid top or bottom heaviness, thinness or obesity.

Ladies and gentlemen, an old debt is redeemed!

Tel: 08116759749, 08034004247, 07025077303

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

47

NATION SPORT

Alex Ferguson’s top five signing A

LEX FERGUSON has made some incredible signings during his reign at Old Trafford. The Manchester United manager today announced he is to retire at the end of the season.

Summer recruit Robin van Persie has been tipped as potentially being one of the best after storming first campaign. Here are Ferguson’s top five deals of his legendary career at United...

Peter Schmeichel (signed from Brondby, 1991) Widely regarded as the greatest keeper in Premier League history, the Dane’s heroic efforts provided clean sheets aplenty and the security at the back which was so key to United’s success throughout the 1990s.

Schmeichel, recruited for around £500,000, knew how to intimidate opposition strikers by making optimum use of his frame. He expressed disappointment to see Alex Ferguson retire as manager at Old Trafford.

At times appeared just as fearful for his defenders, who would frequently receive a rollicking from him.

Capped eight glorious years with the club by skippering United — in the absence of the suspended Roy Keane — in the 1999 Champions League final as Ferguson’s men secured the treble.

Eric Cantona (signed from Leeds, 1992)

Cantona’s five-year spell at United will never be forgotten.

The Frenchman, who cost Ferguson just over £1million, gave the club’s fans many a moment to savour

•Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates his second Champions League crown with Manchester United in 2008

on the pitch with his dazzling skills.

He helped the Red Devils to a haul of four Premier League titles and two FA Cups.

But what perhaps cemented his iconic status was the way he played the part of the tortured genius.

The most infamous instance of his short temper was the kung-fu kick he aimed at a Crystal Palace supporter and he made philosophical comments afterwards about seagulls following a trawler.

It was somewhat appropriate that he exited early leaving the crowd wanting more, retiring aged 30 in 1997.

Roy Keane (signed from Nottingham Forest, 1993) The £3.75million Ferguson paid Forest for Keane was a British transfer record at the time but there is little question that he got value for money. In 12 years of service, the Irish midfielder was United’s engine room and driving force as they dominated English football through the 1990s

It soon became apparent that Ferguson had finally found the solution in a position which had been a problem for United since Schmeichel’s departure. He broke a multitude of records with his clean sheets in the 2008-09 season and finally retired from football in 2011, having won four Premier League titles and the Champions League with the Red Devils.

and into the next decade. He also led them to the 1999 Champions League final, only to miss the game through suspension. Keane succeeded Cantona as captain and was just as combustible a character, if not more so. But it was that edge

on the field that so endeared him to United fans and made him the player everyone else wanted in their team.

Cristiano Ronaldo (signed from Sporting Lisbon, 2003) Ferguson signed a teenage Ronaldo for £12.24million and it looked as if he may have paid over the odds for little more than a showboater in the early days. He soon showed his game was not just about stepovers, though, developing into one of the world’s most potent players.

Ronaldo scored an incredible total of 42 goals for the club in the 2007-08 season as the Red Devils won the Champions League. Although his exit to Real Madrid a year later was a blow, the world record £80million fee he commanded softened it considerably.

Edwin van der Sar (signed from Fulham, 2005) Van der Sar was 34 when he arrived at Old Trafford for an undisclosed fee but the Dutch goalkeeper was in no way a fading force. It soon became apparent that Ferguson had finally found the solution in a position which had been a problem for United since Schmeichel’s departure. He broke a multitude of records with his clean sheets in the 2008-09 season and finally retired from football in 2011, having won four Premier League titles and the Champions League with the Red Devils.

•Ferguson celebrates winning his last ever major trophy as United manager two weeks ago

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OTHER SPORTS

NATION SPORT

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

Farah targets fifth London 10,000 title

M

•Pacquiao

Pacquiao set for return in China M A N N Y PACQUIAO will bid to get back to winning ways when he returns to the ring against Brandon Rios in China on November 24.

The former pound-forpound king heads into the welterweight showdown with Rios on the back of suc-

N

cessive defeats to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez.

And Pacquiao, 34, will be desperate to prove he is not a spent force after being knocked out cold by Marquez in the sixth round of their December bout.

Confirming the fight, set for the Venetian Resort in

Macau, Pac-Man’s trainer Freddie Roach said: “Manny is definitely going to get his mojo back with this fight.

“I think it’ll be an exciting fight, but Manny is going to land and knock this guy out somewhere along the way.

“Rios likes to exchange and his style is not really

O Farah will be looking to transfer his 10,000m success in London from the track to the road when he lines up for the Bupa London 10,000 on May 27.

The double Olympic champion, who also won 5000m gold in the Olympic Stadium at the London 2012 Games, will headline an elite field containing the likes of Scott Overall, Amy Whitehead and Steph Twell and will have his sights set on his fifth straight victory at the event.

An ever-present at the 10km central London road race since it started in 2008, Farah will be looking to use the event as an opportunity to assess his form and fitness ahead of the Moscow World Championships in August, where he will aim to retain his 5000m title as well as secure victory in the 10,000m.

The 30-year-old finished third in the inaugural Bupa London 10,000 in 2008 and has dominated the event ever since, winning four in a row and notching up British records in 2009 and 2010 as well as setting the men’s course record of 27:44 three years ago.

Farah will have to see off competition in the form of his former training partner Scott Overall, who finished runnerup behind Farah last year, in London, although Overall was forced to pull out of April’s Virgin London Marathon after 25km with a knee injury.

Amy Whitehead is to lead the women’s field as she

difficult to figure out, so Manny’s gonna hit him.”

Rios, 27, is also coming off a loss after Mike Alvarado claimed a unanimous point’s decision in their March contest in Las Vegas.

The defeat to Alvarado is the only time the American has lost in his 33-fight career.

•McDowell

Dimitrov stuns Djokovic in Madrid

OVAK Djokovic was dumped out of the Madrid Open in the second round on Tuesday when he went over on his ankle and incurred the wrath of the locals on the way to a shock 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 reverse to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

The world number one, who had a bye in the opening round, was already a break down to the 21-year-old in the second set when he twisted the same ankle he hurt playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup last month.

After a lengthy medical timeout, he broke back and saved a match point on the way to taking the tiebreak 108 to force a deciding set.

He immediately lost his serve for a third time, however, and world number 28 Dimitrov battled through cramp to seal by far the biggest win of his career, ending Djokovic's bid for a fourth title of 2013.

Djokovic said his preparation for the claycourt event had not been ideal as he had not touched a racket for 12 days following his victory against Rafael Nadal in the final of last month's Monte Carlo Masters.

“Up until Saturday I didn't

know whether I would come or not because of the ankle,” Djokovic said.

“But I am not trying to find an excuse, he was the better player and I congratulate him,” added the 25-year-old, who beat Dimitrov in their previous two meetings.

“Nothing really happened when I twisted my ankle because I had good protection so that's the only positive from this. That I didn't injure

my ankle worse before Rome and Paris.”

Dimitrov, who looked close to tears as he embraced his coaching team at the side of the court, afterwards seemed underwhelmed by the victory, noting that it was “just the second round”.

“It's a great win for me.

Good day at the office. I know it's a big thing, of course,” he told reporters.

“But you got to stay on the

•Djokovic

makes her London 10,000 debut a month after finishing 13th in the London Marathon where she was the second Briton home behind Susan Partridge.

She will line up alongside Steph Twell, who will also be making her London 10,000 debut. With a 10km road PB of 32:35 she can be considered a real contender for the women’s title.

The London 10,000, which starts and finishes on The Mall and is the third race in the fiveevent RunBritain Grand Prix series, will also see teams of up to six runners from UK clubs competing for places in the UK 10km championship race, with the cumulative times of the first three finishers counting towards the team prize.

ground. Hopefully you're going to face these guys for years. It's just a match. You never know how it's going to be next time.”

He said he had not been expecting the crowd to get behind him so completely Djokovic annoyed the locals by questioning several line calls - and the atmosphere had reminded him of a raucous Davis Cup tie.

“I guess tonight was also one of these nights that things are going your way and they're there with you,” he said. “You know, the whole fight in general, the three sets, I mean, it was a lot of fun, a lot of entertainment for everyone.”

While Djokovic suffered, second seed and defending champion Roger Federer looked as sharp as ever in his first outing after a two-month layoff as he eased past Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3.

Andy Murray, the third seed, also played earlier on Tuesday and came through a testing encounter against German Florian Mayer 7-6, 7-6.

Federer chose an eye-catching mint-green shirt for his first match since losing to Nadal at the Indian Wells Masters in March.

McDowell makes World Cup pledge

G

RAEME McDowell claims he wants to play for Ireland in the World Cup even if it means he will have to represent them at the Olympics.

The Northern Irishman has represented Ireland at the previous two stages of the biennial event and was hoping to partner fellow countryman Rory McIlroy for a third-successive tournament at this year's event at Royal Melbourne in November. However, McIlroy is pondering whether to play because an IOC ruling would mean he would then be forced to represent Ireland and not Great Britain when golf returns to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. At the moment he has not represented any country since the 2011 World Cup and he has a choice of who to play for in the Olympics. But featuring for Ireland would mean he cannot change country to Team GB inside a three-

year time period. Despite McIlroy's deliberations, McDowell is adamant that he wants to play in Australia even if it ties him to Ireland for the Olympics. He said: "The dilemma Rory and I face is a very unique one. "Regarding the World Cup of Golf this year for example, that if we played we'd then be compelled to play for Ireland in the Olympic Games; is that rule going to stand? "I had an informal conversation with Rory last night about are we going to play the World Cup together, I need my partner in crime in Melbourne. I would love to do that and the Olympics will not enter my head with regards to making the decision of whether I'm going to play the World Cup." He added: "If it forces me into playing for Ireland at the Olympics so be it. Regardless of whether Rory plays I want to play and I would like him to be there as well."

50

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

51

NEWS

Senator ‘Gbenga Ashafa (middle) with executive of the Students’ Union Government of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, when they visited the Senator at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja yesterday

•Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori flanked by Chairman, Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (Technology), Prince Ade Adefioye (left) and Managing Director, Osun State Investments Company, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, at the graduation of the trainees of the Osun scheme in Osogbo

•Managing Director, Macmillian Nigeria Publishers Limited, Dr. Adesanya Adelekan (right); winners of the seventh Macmillian Youth Literary Competition, Master Sanyaolu Oladimeji and Miss Omowunmi Iginla of Foucos Secondary School, Ebute-Meta displaying their gifts at the presentation in Lagos...yesterday. With them is Chief Philip Asiodu.

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN •Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi (left); Chairman, Board of Trustees Copyright Society of Nigeria Music Foundation Council), Victor Uwaifo and Erelu Keji Okunlowo, at a news conference organised by Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in Lagos... yesterday.

•Representative of the Lagos State Health Commissioner, Mr. Jemilade Longe (left); Dr. Abieyuwa Emokpae and Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Renner James, at the World Ashtma Day organised by Elias Nelson Oyedokun Foundation (ENOF) in Lagos.

PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN.

•L-R: Chairman, Association of Pharmaceutical Importers of Nigeria, Sir Nnamdi Obi, representative of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Nigeria, Mr Ola Ijimikan, National Chairman, Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria, Dr Lolu Oio, Chairman, Board of Fellows of PSN and Chairman of the ocassion, Mr Ade Popoola and Nigerian Representative of Overseas Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Mr Femi Soremekun, at the Pharma Industry Stakeholders meeting in Lagos. PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

•National President, Nasrullahi Li Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Alhaji Sheriff Yusuf (middle) and members of his executive after the inauguration of the Ojo, Lagos branch of the association.

PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA

•Committee Chairman, Association of Stockbrokering Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Mr. Greg Otsu (left); President, Mr. Emeka Madubike; members –– Ify Ejezie; Mike Kasit and Jide Chiemeka at the association’s maiden night briefing in Lagos.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

52

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 08-05-13

Cadbury Nigeria assures on future growth

C

ADBURY Nigeria Plc yesterday outlined stra tegic priorities for increasing shareholders’ value in the years ahead as shareholders unanimously approved the distribution of N1.6 billion as cash dividends- the company’s first payout in seven years.

At the Annual General Meeting at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the board, management and shareholders of Cadbury Nigeria were about the future of the food drink company. They approved dividend per share of 50 kobo, and product-gifts to attendees, appeared to denote the full turnaround of the company.

Audited report and accounts of Cadbury Nigeria for the year ended December 31, 2012 showed marginal decline in sales, but improved cost and financing management squeezed out more profit than the previous year. Although tax provisions impinged on net earnings, underlying profitability ratios showed stronger performance.

Gross profit margin inched up to 33.1 per cent in 2012 as against N32.7 per cent in 2011.

Profit before tax margin also improved modestly from 14.8 per cent to 16.4 per cent. Both indices indicated that the company witnessed improvement in average profit per unit of sales, in spite of the decline in actual figures. While total sales dropped marginally by 1.6 per cent from N34.11 billion to N33.55 billion, profit before tax increased to N5.51 billion in 2012 compared with N5.05 billion in 2011. However, increase in tax provisions reversed net profit after tax by 5.9 per cent to N3.46 billion as against N3.67 billion in previous year.

Addressing shareholders at the meeting, chairman, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr Atedo Peterside, said that though the company ended the 2012 business year on a very strong footing, the company remains committed to sustaining the current transformation of its business.

According to him, the focus

•Nigerian Breweries raises dividend payout policy to 80%

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

on delivering sustainable growth, efficiency and capability will remain the platforms through which the company would deliver increasing shareholder value in 2013.

He outlined the strategic priorities of the company in 2013 to include investment in the equity of its leading brands, especially Bournvita, TomTom and Tang; increased innovation and introduction of new and exciting consumer brands and scaling up of the company’s routeto-market transformation programme.

Peterside added that the company would sustain focus on quality and drive improvements in productivity and operational efficiencies with a view to maximising the company’s competitive advantage.

He pointed out that the company would focus on building a strong sustainable business and developing an organisation with high potential talent.

In a related development, Nigerian Breweries Plc has increased its dividend payout policy to 80 per cent of its net profit from the initial 60 per cent.

Speaking at the company’s Investor Forum in Lagos yesterday, Managing Director, NB, Mr Nicholas Vervelde, said the company invested N36 billion on expansion of its various projects to increase its market share value and improve on dividend payment.

According to him, the amount was an increase of 98 per cent over the 2011 figure. This he said was for business expansion, which will prepare the company for the expected growth in the industry and support growth of its brands.

“The company is well positioned to take advantage of any growth in the market to sustain its leadership position and maintain healthy yield on investment for its investors. This excellent revenue performance is supported by the continuous

investment in rich portfolio of brands as well as their route to the market,” he said.

The company turnover rose by 19.7 per cent to N252.7 billion in 2012. Profit for the year stood at N38.1billion.

He said that this outstanding result was underpinned by a robust top line growth of 20 per cent that significantly outperformed the market in a very challenging year.

The Nigerian Breweries boss explained that the positive revenue resulted from volume growth and reflected the continuous improvement in the supply of the company’s products.

This he said, was also supported by the continuous high investment in their rich portfolio of brands.

Meanwhile, Cadbury Nigeria’s market consideration improved by N1.40 to close at N38.90 per share as strong resurgence in bullish trading halted a two-day decline at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Aggregate market value of all quoted equities rose to N11.346 trillion as against its opening value of N11.131 trillion. The All Share Index (ASI), the main value-based index for the stock market, trended upward from 34,815.24 points to 35,486.44 points.

Nestle Nigeria and Nigerian Breweries led 39 other stocks on the gainers’ list with addition of N5 each to close at N915 and N170 respectively.

Dangote Cement rallied N3.16 to close at N178.22. UAC of Nigeria rose by N1.10 to N71.10.

Zenith Bank added N1.05 to close at N21.40 while Guaranty Trust Bank chalked up N1 to close at N27.

With 41 gainers, there were only 12 losers in the overtly bullish market. Total Nigeria recorded the highest loss of N4.80 to close at N145.20.

Beta Glass placed second with a loss of 20 kobo to close at N9.80. Union Bank of Nigeria dropped by 12 kobo to N9.58 while Costain (West Africa) lost 10 kobo to close at 96 kobo.

Investors staked N5.02 billion on 390.69 million shares through 5,680 deals. Banking subgroup accounted for 259.27 million shares worth N2.24 billion in 2,343 deals.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 08-05-13

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

53

MONEY LINK

RenCap lowers Diamond’s, FCMB’s 2013 profit forecast THE 2013 earnings forecast of Diamond Bank Plc and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc have been lowered by Renaissance Capital (RenCap) -an investment and research firm.

In an emailed report obtained by The Nation, RenCap dropped Diamond Bank’s Profit Before Tax and Profit After Tax forecast to N33.2 billion and N23.3 billion, respectively over higher operating costs and tax rates.

It said growth, capital and impairment charges were the overriding themes in Diamond Bank’s 2012 performance. Overall, PBT of N28 billion came in five per cent lower than its forecast but PAT of N22 billion was two per cent ahead of its forecast.

However, it said Diamond Bank was the fastest growing bank in its Nigerian banks universe over 2012, with loan growth of 51 per cent year on year and asset growth of 48 per cent year on year to N1.2 trillion.

Ranked by total assets, the lender, it said, is the largest tier-2 bank in the country.

“This rapid growth stressed its capital adequacy ratio (CAR), but the bank received some relief following the $170 to 200 million of tier 2 capital raised in 2012 and the retention of all its 2012 earnings,” it said.

Stories by Collins Nweze

However, Return on Equity dropped to 22.8 per cent in FY12 from 25.2 per cent in September, on the back of a lower fourth quarter Net Interest Margin (NIM), derivative losses and strong cost growth in fourth quarter.

“We regard Diamond’s first quarter 2013 numbers as lackluster as it was all about a falling NIM and rising costs. The NIM collapsed to 9.7 per cent in first quarter 2013 from 10.9 per cent in year ended December 2012, largely on the back of a rising cost of funds,” it said.

RenCap said the lender’s costs were disappointing as it went up 38 per cent year on year, driven by branch and IT investments, and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) levy. The cost/income ratio (CIR) deteriorated to 61 per cent from 52 per cent in first quarter 2012, not an encouraging trend.

“An impairment charge of N3.3 billion trailed management’s N20 billion guidance for the year and implying a cost of risk of 2.1 per cent. It lowered the bank’s 2013 PBT and PAT forecasts to N33.2 billion and N23.3 billion, respectively, on the back of a lower NIM, higher costs and a higher tax rate,” it said.

“Operationally, we expect Diamond Bank’s 2013 performance to depend

largely on cost of risk and cost growth, as the bank’s earnings are highly geared to these two variables. Given management’s guidance of a shrinking NIM, low NIR growth and a 30 per cent tax rate, we think meaningful earnings growth (and indeed any earnings growth) will be a challenge for Diamond this year without a positive surprise on either the impairment or cost line,” it said.

It also lowered FCMB’s 2013 PBT and PAT forecast to N20.9 billion and N18.5 billion, respectively, implying PBT and PAT growth of 30 per cent and 21 per cent respectively, year on year.

It noted 2012 was the first year of the combined FCMB/Finbank entity, with regulatory approvals delaying the integration. Overall, RenCap said last year’s numbers were in line with its expectations, noting that NIM – similar to tier 2 peers, NIMs declined in 2012 on the back of rising cost of funds, falling to 6.7 per cent from 7.2 per cent last year.

However, term deposits dropped in fourth quarter 2012 to 37 per cent of the deposit book, from 40 per cent in last September, which is expected to support lower cost of funds in 2013.

F

• CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido

Also, the release in September 2012 of Finbank-related cost provisions led to a 71 per cent drop in costs quarter on quarter, and an improvement in the Cost Income Ration to 60.3 per cent from 76 per cent. Impairment charges – the gains on the cost line were offset by a jump in impairment charges to N12.7 billion, from N704 million in September.

“Management attributed this spike to provisions taken on a number of legacy loans that failed to perform on the restructured terms. We think the bank under-provided in prior quarters on the back of optimistic assumptions, as we do not think the challenges with these loans suddenly came to light in the fourth quarter,” it said.

Fidelity Bank issues $300m five-year Eurobond

F

IDELITY Bank Plc has under taken a Eurobond issue to raise $300 million from the international market.

A Eurobond issue is a debt instrument to raise money in foreign currency for strategic purposes and for a specified length of time, at a stated fixed cost.

In a statement, the bank said the Eurobond is for a five-year period,

at a coupon rate of 6.875 per cent, adding that it is efficient and enjoys efficient pricing. The Fidelity Issue was jointly managed by two leading international banks, Deutsche Bank and Citibank.

The lender disclosed that the international market was obviously impressed its fundamentals, especially its Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), which was 29 per cent by

December, 2012, compared to the regulatory base of 10 per cent. The bank also enjoys a strong Liquidity Ratio, which, at 47 per cent, is much higher than the regulatory base of 30 per cent, the statement said.

Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi said the proceeds of the Eurobond will further enhance the capacity of the bank to support the critical sectors of the

economy and meet the growing foreign currency needs of her clientele in oil & gas, power, infrastructure and manufacturing.

The bank said availability of the bond proceeds necessarily stabilizes is dollar balance sheet, eases the pressure arising from demands from customers for tenured loans and enables the bank to target viable dollar-dominated transactions.

FGN BONDS Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 350m 150m 350m 138m 350m 113m

MANAGED FUNDS

NIDF NESF

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2012 “ 14-04-2012

GAINERS AS AT 08-05-13

SYMBOL AIRSERVICE RTBRISCOE MAYBAKER UBA ROYALEX ABCTRANS ETERNA CUTIX UBCAP IKEJAHOTEL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

3.99 1.35 1.98 6.85 0.53 0.96 2.48 1.76 1.10 0.81

4.38 1.48 2.17 7.50 0.58 1.05 2.71 1.92 1.20 0.88

CHANGE 0.39 0.13 0.19 0.65 0.05 0.09 0.23 0.16 0.10 0.07

O/PRICE

COSTAIN WAPIC PAINTCOM TOTAL BETAGLAS LIVESTOCK VITAFOAM NEM UBN AIICO

1.06 1.00 1.87 150.00 10.00 2.80 3.30 0.74 9.70 0.90

C/PRICE 0.96 0.92 1.80 145.20 9.80 2.75 3.25 0.73 9.58 0.89

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N) Bureau de Change (S/N) Parallel Market

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

153.0000

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

Feb. ’11

July ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 11.8%

July ’12

CHANGE NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

NSE CAP Index

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

Date 2-7-12 27-6-12 22-6-12

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

DISCOUNT WINDOW

0.10 0.08 0.07 4.80 0.20 0.05 0.05 0.01 0.12 0.01

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8 155.7

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

LOSERS AS AT 08-05-13

SYMBOL

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m 113m

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

OBB Rate Call Rate

IRSTBANK has reemphasised benefits of its FirstMonie, the lender’s mobile money service positioned to assist it in enhancing financial inclusion.

Speaking during a media parley in Lagos, FirstBank’s Head, Mobile Financial Services, Mike Ogbalu III, said the product is targeted at meeting the financial needs of the banked and unbanked segment of the population, using mobile telephone and robust IT base.

He said FirstMonie is a fast, safe and convenient means of carrying out banking transactions through mobile phone.

He said the bank is using the product to address the needs of the poor and vulnerable while promoting the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) financial inclusion mandate.

He said the product is a game changer in Nigeria’s banking sector and will leverage on the bank’s transaction integrity to enhance local money transfer services.

“With this service, the stage is now set for the bank’s customers and anyone in Nigeria with a mobile phone to enjoy financial services, using their mobile phones to send money, pay bills, top up their phone airtime, do shopping, deposit and withdraw cash, without the need to visit a bank branch,” he said.

He said: “With almost 700 branches and business correspondent outlets located across the country, about 1,900 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), we offer an effective mobile money platform in Nigeria. “We are already recruiting agents across the country to meet the needs of our consumers”.

DATA BANK

Tenor

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

FirstBank promotes financial inclusion via FirstMonie

Offer Price

Bid Price

ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH 9.17 9.08 KAKAWA GUARANTEED 1.00 1.00 STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE 138.34 137.92 AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 150.53 149.64 LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL 0.80 0.78 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.15 1.15 BGL NUBIAN FUND 1.08 1.07 FBN MONEY MARKET FUND 100.00 100.00 FBN FIXED INCOME FUND 1,000.00 1,000.00 NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. 1,819.09 1,811.97 PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND 14.91 14.18 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 1.33 CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST 1.87 1.80 STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY 10,855.53 10,528.92 • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUNDARM AGGRESSIVE

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK

Bank P/Court

Previous 04 July, 2012

Current 07, Aug, 2012

8.5000 8.0833

8.5000 8.0833

Movement

THE NATION THURSDAY MAY 9, 2013

54

NEWS Oshiomhole sacks commissioner From Osagie Otabor, Benin

E

DO State Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Education Ekpenisi Omorotimwan has been sacked.

He was sacked exactly two months after he was sworn-in by Governor Adams Oshimhole.

Omorotiomwan was sworn in on March 8.

Secretary to the State Government Prof Julius Ihonvbere said the governor has sent the name of Washington Osifo to the House of Assembly for confirmation.

Ihonvbere said Oshiomhole also approved the dissolution of the members of the State Universal Basic Education Board, which was earlier yesterday dissolved by the lawmakers.

Imoke: I didn’t bar council chief

C

ROSS River State Governor Liyel Imoke has said he did not bar any local government chairman from seeking a second term in office.

A statement in Calabar by his Chief Press Secretary, Christian Ita, said media reports to the contrary were not true.

“What the governor told party caucuses was that while it is the legitimate right of every local government chairman to seek a second term, such aspiration should not be un-mindful of

the zoning arrangement in each local government.”

According to the governor, upholding the principle of zoning will ensure equity and guarantee peace.

“His Excellency also insisted that while the constitution allows every chairman to seek a second term in office, this however, is not automatic. It has to be earned through performance in office.”

The Governor harped on the need for consensus building in the course of selecting candidates for the local government election.

Man killed in Akwa Ibom From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

G

UNMEN suspected to be assassins have shot dead a man, Eshiet Usung-Inwang, in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.

Usung-Inwang was murdered in his house on Ikot Uso Ekong by hoodlums who, according to an eyewitness, trailed him to his house as he returned home from work around 6:30 pm on Tuesday.

The gunmen, who came on a motorbike, shot Usung-Inwang in the chest and head. The motive behind the killing was unknown.

The eyewitness said: “The men followed him into his parlour as visitors who were waiting for him, only to shoot him as soon as he asked them to sit and present their case.”

The body has been deposited in the morgue of Immanuel General Hospital, Eket.

Police Commissioner Umar Gwadabe confirmed the killing.

Gully erosion in Edo community

R

ESIDENTS of Agbede in Etsako West Local Government of Edo State have abandoned their homes, following gully erosion in the area.

About five houses have been “swallowed” in Atido quarters.

The gully, measuring about 100 metres long and 20 metres wide, have caused hardship to the people.

It was said to have started about a year ago and was spreading to other parts of the community.

They urged relevant gov-

From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

ernment authorities to proffer solutions to the problem before it gets worse.

A resident, Yusuf Usman, described the situation as sad. “You can see that many houses in the area are now empty because they have been abandoned by their owners.

“We really need urgent help to take care of this problem; government should not allow this problem to escalate.”

Edo SUBEB dissolved From Osagie Otabor, Benin

E

DO State House of Assembly lawmakers yesterday dissolved the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) headed by Sir Joseph Emoabino.

The dissolution followed a motion raised under Matters of Urgent Public Importance during plenary by Folly Ogedengbe.

Ogedengbe told the lawmakers that the SUBEB members violated the laws of the Federal Government by withdrawing funds without seeking approval from the House.

He said the fund, which was not disclosed, was withdrawn from a withheld salary account.

Ogedengbe noted that any financial transaction must be approved by the lawmakers.

All the lawmakers supported the dissolution through a voice vote and the Speaker, Uyi Igbe, set up a five-man committee headed by Festus Ebea to investigate the alleged withdrawal.

Navy impounds ship with crude oil

A

VESSEL suspected to be carrying about 1,300 metric tones of stolen crude oil has been impounded by the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Bonny, Rivers State.

The Navy was on patrol with the naval ship, NNS Pathfinder, when it intercepted the vessel.

The FOB Commander,

From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

Capt Chukwuemeka Okafor, said the vessel, Empty V-Land, with 10 crew members, was intercepted in Bonny.

Okafor said it was gathered that the product in the vessel was crude and that it would be handed over to the appropriate authority for further investigation.

Land case: I was offered inducement, says judge T HE litigation between the Delta State Government and the Okere Community in Warri South West Local Government assumed a new twist yesterday when Justice Marshall Mukoro of High Court 1 accused one of the parties of trying to bribe him.

The people of Okere Community, led by Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, sued Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and the government over the acquisition of a land on Esisi Road, Warri.

From Shola O’Neil, Yenagoa

The government is building a model primary school on the land.

The Ijaw of Ogbe-Ijoh clan in Warri South West Local Government increased the stake when they applied to be joined in the suit. They are also laying claim to the land.

There was drama in court yesterday when Justice Mukoro accused leaders of

the Ijaw community of trying to influence him through an 80-year-old emissary.

The judge said but for the age of the “messenger”, he would have ordered his arrest and detention, warning that such approach would not be tolerated.

He advised interested parties to back their claims with relevant documents and

thorough prosecution of their case.

The judge added that there was no shortcut to victory in a legal tussle.

Chairman of Ogbe-Ijoh Governing Council Clarkson Aribogha, who led the Ijaw delegation, however told our reporter that the judge’s reproach was not specifically for the Ijaw, but to all interested parties in the case.

The case was adjourned till June 11.

•Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole (left) being shown the workings of a digital radio by Managing Director, Vibes FM 97.3, Benin City, Peter Tongo, at theGovernment House, Benin City... yesterday.

Bayelsa govt, clans, slam Shell ‘failed promises’

T

HE Bayelsa State Government and leaders of the oil bearing communities in Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor local governments have lambasted the management of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) for “failure to implement agreement reached with Nembe people.”

Deputy Governor John Jonah accused Shell of failing to implement the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) and completing the Nembe Road project.

Speaking at the inauguration of 35 cars handed to beneficiaries under a revolving loan scheme and printing press for the Nembe cluster communities, Jonah, who represented Governor Seriake Dickson, said the government is unhappy with the delay in the completion of a link road to Nembe.

Shell, community feud threatens crude export

C

RUDE oil export from Shell Petroleum Development Company’s facilities in Bayelsa State could be jeopardised from next month.

The people of Amazor community in Ekeremor Local Government have ordered the company to remove the strategic Trans Ramos pipeline from their land.

The Nation gathered that the initial 20-year lease for the facility, which conveys crude from Shell’s Brass Creek field to Forcados Terminal for export, has expired and the people are unwilling to renew the lease.

Twenty five of the community’s elders, youths and women leaders have warned From Shola O’Neil, Yenagoa

On their parts, the elders of 12 communities in Kou, Iduwini, Mein and Basan also threatened to shut down operations at Shell’s E A field and Sea Eagle over the company’s alleged refusal to honour an agreement with the community.

Their position was con-

From Shola O’Neil, Yenagoa

that they could no longer guarantee the safety of the 24" pipeline in their community.

A fresh quit notice, which expires on June 30, has been dispatched to the Minister of Petroleum Resources and General Manager of SPDC. The community leaders sa id they would tackle the company afterwards unless the pipeline is uprooted and evacuated.

A copy of the letter slammed Shell as a bad tenant “who challenges the lordship of his landlord”.

tained in a statement issued yesterday by the clan heads of oil bearing communities in the two local governments.

The statement, by the State Coordinator for Leadership Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, John Isiayei, said: “The communities and Shell entered into an agreement of vessel supply, AGO

(automotive gas oil), catering and employment but since 2011 none has been attended to.

“Shell should take advantage of the existing peace in the region by honouring the GMoU with the four clans to avert any crises .

“Shell should also pay the compensation on the Bonga oil spill.”

Ikot Ekpene to recall senator tomorrow

T

HE planned recall process of the senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Aloysius Etok, would begin tomorrow with collection of signatures from the people, it was learnt yesterday.

Etok’s recall is hinged on his refusal to apologise to Governor Godswill Akpabio, following his alleged insult onthe governor.

Akpabio is eyeing the Ikot Ekpene senatorial seat in 2015; a seat ,Etok said ,was not vacant.

The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal, Emmanuel Enoidem, broke

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

the news while addressing reporters in Uyo, the state capital.

Enoidem, who is from Etim Ekpo in Ikot Ekpene district, said the people of Annang extraction has never looked down on the Ibibio.

According to him, it was such bond of brotherliness that earned Etok the senatorial seat twice.

His words: “We don’t have any tension in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, what we are doing is lawful and within the confines of the constitution.

“We cannot send Senator Aloysius Etok back to the senate in 2015; he has failed us, he has disappointed us , he has insulted us.

“In short, what we are doing now is to recall him because we gave him seven days to apologise but he refused.

“We are going to recall him from the Senate and his grace period expired last Wednesday.

“So as we talk now, we are initiating a procedure to recall him from the Senate.

Enoidem said: “Nobody needs a kobo to sign for his recall, everybody is waiting for tomorrow.

“It is not a matter of money but to teach people that when you represent anybody you must act responsibly; it is time to teach those who are representing us that there is need for accountability.”

Etok and Akpabio have been at each other’s throat over the 2015 election.

Akpabio fired the first salvo when he said he paved the way for Etok’s emergence as senator.

Also last month in Eket, Akpabio announced Etok as his campaign manager, a position which the senator rejected.

THE NATION THURSDAY MAY 9, 2013

55

NEWS PDP committee submits report

T

HE 10-man harmonisation and reconciliation committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, led by Justice Paul Obidigwe, yesterday submitted its findings.

The committee was inaugurated, a month ago, to bring warring parties together, ahead of next year’s governorship election.

Submitting the report to the party Chairman, Kenneth Emeakayi, Obidigwe said the committee met with former Vice President Alex Ekwueme; former party chairman, Dan Ulasi and National Publicity Secretary Olisah Metuh.

He said the committee met with those it considered as

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

factions.

“Some declined to see us, but former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Prof Chukwuma Soludo lectured us for more than one hour on the crisis in the party.

“We also talked with former Minister of Women’s Affairs Josephine Anenih, Senator Andy Uba, four National Assembly members, except Forte Dike, who apologised to us and we made farreaching discoveries.”

The chairman said the committee recommended to President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint a presidential liaison officer for the state.

Obi woos South African investors

•Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) customers from Ozara, Obosi in Anambra State protesting estimated bills at the PHOTO: NAN headquarters of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company in Enugu.. yesterday.

Chime makes first public appearance

E

NUGU State Governor Sullivan Chime made his first public appearance yesterday since the rumour of his death hit town last week.

The occasion was the inauguration of 57 administrators of Development Centres at the Okpara Square, Enugu.

The governor’s appearance was also his first public function after his return from London in February.

The crowd went frenzy as soon as the governor and his entourage arrived at the venue.

Many were there to be sure

•Inaugurates 57 administrators From Chris Oji, Enugu

that they were not fed with second-hand stories.

There were shouts as the governor alighted from his car.

Chime was up and about as he waved to the people, who thronged the venue of the occasion.

The governor showed no sign of fatique or symptoms of an ailing man.

Addressing the cheering crowd, he said:“Today being the first public function I’m at-

tending since I came back in February, I must seize this opportunity to express my gratitude for your prayers while I was away.

“I thank God for making today possible for the inauguration of men and women, who will be in touch with the grassroots.”

He told the crowd that the administrators were products of series of consultation with the people of their respective development centres.

“We are here to inaugurate

men and women who will be directly in touch with the people.

“I must emphasise that their appointments were a product of consultation with the people.

“So even though you were elected, you owe your appointments to the people.

“You must, therefore, serve them diligently and with commitment”.

The administrators were presented with cars ,which he said, were intended to enhance their performance.

Ibori’s alleged $15m bribe money: Court refuses move to stall proceedings

T

HE Court of Appeal, Abuja, has refused an application for stay of proceedings in the case over who should take custody of a disputed $15million.

The money was allegedly offered by jailed ex-Delta State Governor James Ibori as bribe to former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nuhu Ribadu.

The appellate court struck out a motion brought by an artisan seeking to halt a Federal High Court from further adjudicating on the case.

A man, who claimed to be a Lagos refrigerator repairer, Olalekan Bayode, had in the motion, urged the court to halt further proceedings in the suit, pending the determination of his substantive appeal.

Justice Amiru Sanusi, leading two other justices, struck out the motion for being defective and grossly incompetent to be heard.

The court noted that the motion did not contain grounds upon which the ap-

A

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

pellant hinged his prayers.

The court held that the motion was grossly defective beyond immediate remedy as it did not in any way comply with the Rules of the Court of Appeal.

Bayode had filed a similar motion at the Federal High Court, Abuja and prayed to be appointed as a manager to disburse the money to indigents, especially widows and orphans through a charitable organisation.

He had also prayed to be joined in the case for the money to be released to him, an application the court refused.

The lower court, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, dismissed Bayode’s application for being frivolous and lacking in merit.

Justice Kolawole held that Bayode failed to show sufficient ground and interest upon which the money in dispute should be released to him, other than his claim of being a Nigerian and refrig-

erator repairer based at Alagbado in Lagos.

The judge further held that the Federal Government, which instituted the case, did not ask for a manager for the fund, but applied that those with interest in the $15million should indicate before an order of forfeiture is made in its favour.

Justice Kolawole described Bayode as a busy body, meddlesome interloper and one, who was out to mock the judiciary and the issue at stake.

Three remanded for selling mosquito nets

T

HREE women have been remanded by the Ughelli Magistrate’s Court 1 in Ughelli North Local Government of Delta State, following the illegal sales of mosquito nets.

Tina Ogori, Eze Rachael and Eva Ukavwe, who is a worker of the Patani Local Government, were arrested at Ughelli and Patani on the directive of the Ughelli North Local Government Chairman, Friday Akpoyibo.

Akpoyibo said: “Last Friday, I got a call that mosquito nets were being sold at the Ughelli main market. We discovered that Mrs. Tina

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Warri Ogori owns the store and she said they were given to her by Mrs. Rachael Eze, a worker of Patani Local Government.

“When we got to the secretariat, Mrs. Eze was seen sharing the nets and when we arrested her, we recovered about 250 mosquito nets. She said she has sold about 250 nets, making it 500.

“When we asked her how she got the nets, she said they were given to her by a man in Bayelsa, who is at large.”

Obi challenges Ngige to a debate

NAMBRA State Governor Peter Obi has challenged Senator Chris Ngige to a public debate.

Ngige had called on Obi to account for the over N2trillion he collected as revenue since he became governor.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media,

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

Valentine Obienyem, the governor said it was laughable for Ngige to raise the issue of infrastructural development when the people marvel at the infrastructural development in all sectors.

He said: “Besides the roads Ngige built in Idemili, he

did nothing for other parts of the state and in other sectors.

“Look at his alma mater, Alor Boys, he is not ashamed that the place is being rebuilt

by Governor Obi .

“The other day, we met him at Girls Secondary School Alor, where he thanked the governor for rebuilding the school.

“All he did was to move the State University College of Medicine to Alor, his home town, without building a table.

“Today, Obi has built the teaching hospital from scratch and it has been accredited.”

Obienyem said Obi would be comfortable engaging Ngige in a public debate.

A

NAMBRA State Governor Peter Obi has urged investors to come to the country.

He spoke on Tuesday at the South African/Nigerian Business Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, which was packaged as part of the state visit by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The governor said Nigeria was a place to be because the country has the natural resources and huge population which are in need of investment.

On security, Obi said the problem with Nigeria was over sensationalisation of news.

Though he agreed to the existence of security challenges, he insisted that Nigeria is safer than countries such as South Africa and Brazil.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment Olusegun Aganga said President Jonathan was working to overcome challenges of doing business in the country.

Coalition drums support for APC

By Musa Odoshimokhe

T

HE leader of the Igbo United Political Coalition in Lagos, Chris Ekwilo, has expressed the group’s support for the All Progressives Congress (APC). He said the coalition would salvage the country.

Ekwilo said those who had exploited the people were now afraid of the change the APC will bring to the country.

He said: “The exploiters and oppressors of the people in order to maintain their position have continued to spread the message of despair among the people. This is certainly another imperialist manipulation where the masses are denied political dividends.”

Ekwilo called on progressives to rise and support the APC because it is the only way out of the many troubles created by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Oshiomhole has not time to reply you, governor’s aide tells Metuh

E

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole is busy addressing the needs of the people of the state and delivering on his electoral promises that he cannot reply the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisah Metuh.

This was the reply of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. John Mayaki, to Metuh’s criticism of the governor.

Mayaki was reacting to a statement credited to Metuh that Oshiomhole should reply his allegation that he (governor) begged to join the PDP and was rejected.

The governor’s aide said the PDP has no such credible personalities in its fold like Oshiomhole, a former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President.

Mayaki said: “The Comrade Governor is too busy that he can’t join issues with ‘jobless’ Metuh, the PDP National Publicity Secretary. The challenges in the state are enormous; the needs of the people of Edo State are of importance to the governor that he must deliver on his electoral promises than replying Metuh.

“Assuming, without conceding that the statement credited to the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh is anything to go by, it simply implies that the PDP does not believe in credibility, honour and transparency, which Oshiomhole signifies.

“The Oshiomhole we know is a man of character, a pas-

sionate defender of transparency and integrity and a man of honour. Whether the PDP accepts him or not, Oshiomhole is a man of the people anytime, any day. So, it is even to the discredit of the PDP and not the way Metuh thinks he could rubbish the governor.

“This recent plot against Edo State and the governor, if anything, means that the PDP has run out of tactics in nailing political opponents. I fear that the party may eventually ruin this country, if it succeeds with its hatched plans towards 2015.

“It happened in Bayelsa State; it’s unfolding in Rivers State. Oshiomhole and Edo State are not exempted; so is Niger State Governor. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is not going to be spared, among others, in this blackmail.

“For you to know that the PDP has lost out, how can a party’s spokesman say that a man like Oshiomhole begged to be a PDP member? This is not true, because Edo people do not believe that Oshiomhole will ever beg to join the most corrupt and wasteful party in the nation’s history while harvesting PDP members on a daily basis.

“It is embarrassing that Metuh is the person speaking for a ruling party. Does he think Nigerians are fools?

How can an incumbent governor, who won in a landslide election, go begging to join a party that lost to him for a second term? This is illogical to sane minds.”

56

CITYBEATS Motorist crushes undergraduate, two others W

HO will console the parents of Kehinde Adeniyi, a 26-year-old 400-level student of the Federal University of Technology (FUTA), Akure, Ondo State? The Adeniyis have been inconsolable since she died in a road crash on May 4. She was on her way home when a motorist reportedly crushed her and two others.

Sympathisers who have been trooping to her parents' 7, Williams Street, Jafa, Agbado, Ogun State home are wondering whether they can be consoled.

The late Kehinde, who studied Industrial Chemistry, and was undergoing her Student Industry Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) at a company in Ikeja, Lagos, was reportedly crushed by a green Nissan Pathfinder Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) marked EKY 923 AJ, belonging to Ogunleye Williams, 40, Station Engineer with Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Giwa Service Centre, Oke-Aro, Ogun State.

The vehicle rammed into a crowd of bystanders at Olaogun bus stop on Abule-Ijoko Road, Agbado, killing three persons instantly and wounding four others.

Some eyewitnesses claimed that Williams could have been drunk because some bottles of alcoholic drinks were found in his car. But his family and relatives said he had never taken alcohol in his life. Williams, according to sources, said the drinks were gifts from friends at a party he attended that day.

The three bodies have been deposited in a morgue and the injured taken to hospital.

The late Kehinde's elder brother, Gbenga Akinsulere, fought back tears while speaking with The Nation. He said she had called him at work earlier that night, asking for credit card which he promised to oblige her the following morning. Then, she escorted

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013 CITYBEATS LINE: 07059022999

By Seun Akioye,

a fellow church member to look at some decorations which they were planning to use for some events later.

On her way back, according to Akinsulere, she met two kids who used to be her students when she was teaching and crossed the road to greet them. Seconds later, he added, the car ran into them, killing her sister and two others.

According to an eyewitness who pleaded for anonymity, "owing to the sensitive nature of the case," a crowd, numbering about 200 people gathered immediately and attempted to burn Williams alive. "I was one of the people who guarded the driver so that he would not be killed. The crowd, on seeing all the dead persons, went mad with rage; they dragged him down and began to beat him. After a while, they began to destroy his vehicle; everything inside it was looted. Some insisted he must be burnt; so, they looked for petrol. Someone opened his fuel tank, trying to siphon fuel with which to burn him, but policemen came and forcefully rescued him," he said.

That same night, the remains of the two kids, Damilola Aransiola and Damilola Olusola, both 14, were buried. Kehinde's remains were yesterday buried at the back of her parent's house.

It was an emotional moment when the late Kehinde's uncles joined others to pay her last respects. "She was born into my hands, but I have to be here. Kehinde was a good child," one of them said, after the burial.

Other sympathisers extolled her sterling virtues. "Kehinde was not the flashy type. She didn't keep many friends; she was a chorister at the Foursquare Church, Itoki and she was her mother's confidant, always encouraging the woman up till hours before her death," said Akinsulere.

• The late Kehinde

Kehinde's mother is distraught and she has been placed "under constant surveillance."

Her father has been moved to a relation's house, where he now takes consolation from reading Bible.

At 6pm yesterday, when The Nation met him, he said he had not eaten.

Relations stood by and offered him consolatory words. But the old man seemed to have taken the loss with equanimity.

The other two were returning from choir

practice when they met their death.

Olusola's mother was said to have been hospitalised. Aransiola's was locked away because she was inconsolable. Friends fear that she might harm herself.

The Adeniyis said some PHCN workers had visited, adding that no Williams' relation had done so. The family urged the police not to sweep the matter under the carpet.

"We heard that some big people have been coming. This man would not kill my daughter

Fagbohun chairs Election Petition Tribunal

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PROFESSOR of Environmental Law, Olanrewaju Fagbohun, was yesterday sworn in as the Chairman of Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal, Ikeja Judicial Division.

His appointment followed the resignation of Justice Dolapo Akinsanya (rtd.).

Lagos State Chief Judge Justice Ayotunde Phillips said Justice Akinsanya asked to be excused because she could no longer continue as the tribunal chair.

At the swearing-in, Justice Phillis said Fagbohun, an academic, was picked after the screening of eligible candidates.

She described Fagbohun as a man of high moral standard and integrity.

"I welcome you on board and admonish you to conduct your duty without fear or favour. I urge you to speak the truth in all matters. You are supported by magistrates of high integrity. I leave you all in God's hand to go and do what you are trained to do," she said.

Justice Phillips said three cases had been referred back to the tribunal by the Local Government Appeal Tribunal for adjudica-

• L-R: Mrs. Demi-Ajayi, Ojo, Justice Phillips, Prof Fagbohun and Etti … yesterday

By Adebisi Onanuga

tion, urging the members to "avoid unnecessary adjournments." She added: "We don't want to be seen as dragging the acrimony that trailed the last local government elections in

the state. We expect a very high quality judgement from the tribunal and for justice to be dispensed quickly."

Fagbohun said the tribunal would heed the chief judge’s advice, adding: "We will dispense justice as fairly as possible. We will

'Lagos committed to people's safety'

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HE drive for expansion without obtaining the appropriate planning permission from the government has been responsible for the safety challenges that traders face in major Lagos markets, the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), Mrs Omolara Odebunmi, has said.

She said traders always endanger their lives and their customers’ lives by engaging in shortcut process to because of profit, warning: "Shortcut cuts life short."

Odebunmi spoke to reporters at the ongoing sitting of Tribunal of Enquiry on Fire and Explosion Incidents set up by Governor Babatunde Fashola to look into the immediate cause of the explosion that rocked Jankara market in Ojo-Giwa and Okoya

By Wale Ajetunmobi

areas of Lagos Island last December. The tribunal is headed by Justice Sunday Ishola (rtd).

Odebunmi said the safety agency and the state government were not satisfied that traders engaged in sharp practices to endanger the public, stressing that the agency had embarked on sensitisation campaign in major markets in the state to prevent loss of lives through preventable incidents.

LSSC, she said, would partner with building control agency to ensure that new structure of Jankara market to be built by the government in partnership with property owners would adequately conform to safety regulations, saying that the building

must be fitted with safety facilities to prevent recurrence of the inferno, which gutted the market last December.

She said government was committed to safety of Lagosians and would not hesitate to pull down illegal structures and stalls being erected by marketers on areas earmarked for pedestrian passage. Odebunmi, who noted that the state government was not discouraging trade by pulling down residential structures turned to market, enjoined street traders to move back into the market and rent stalls for their trade.

Olorunfemi Ojumu, a lawyer, who represented Adeniji Fashola family, whose property was destroyed in the Jankara incident, appealed to government not to take over his client's property.

ensure that we follow the rule of law and we shall be guided by the Constitution."

Members of the tribunal are: Mrs. Funlola Demi-Ajayi, Mr. Philip Ojo, both Chief Magistrates; Mr. Murisiq Etti, a Magistrate, and Mr. Dave Ajetunmobi, a lawyer.

Prison Comptroller redeploys 197 officers

By Jude Isiguzo

THE Comptroller-General of Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Mr Zakari Ibrahim, yesterday announced the redeployment of 197 senior officers nationwide. He said the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, approved of the redeployment.

Ibrahim said the redeployment was part of an ongoing transformation in the service, noting that it became necessary following recent promotions and retirements in the NPS, coupled with security challenges facing its facilities and commands across the country.

He said the development would reinvigorate the NPS and redeploy those who had been stagnated, adding that it would help them to be acquainted with other departments under NPS. A Deputy Controller-General and an Assistant Controller will go on retirement leave, while six Assistant Controllers were redeployed to cover various duties/posts.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

57

CITYBEATS LINE: 07059022999

NAMA cooperative makes N11m

• Williams’ vehicle ... after the incident

like that; justice must be done. They must not cheat us because they are rich and powerful," the late Kehinde's uncle, Ayodele Eyinmisan, said.

The Ogun State Police spokesper-

son, Muyiwa Ogunjobi, confirmed the accident, saying: "We have arrested the suspect; he is with us.

The Nation learnt that the case may be charged to court today

THE Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Cooperative Society made N11.2million profit in 2012. Its savings rose to N130million in 2012 from N88million in 2011 while loans disbursement was over 40 per cent in the year under review.

The President, NAMA Staff Cooperatives and Investment Society, Edino Amos, at its 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Amos said last year remained one of the challenging years, but with determination and dedication, the cooperative was able to scale through with significant achievements.

He said 2012 was a year of relentless building and repositioning for the future to develop structures that will assist the cooperative to deliver its goals, adding that the cooperative has been able to assist members and imparted positively in meeting up with their obligations through securing loans at low interest rates.

Amos advised young workers to join the cooperative society as soon as possible in order to safe guard their future adding that 35 years in the civil service will be nothing if not well planned.

The president explained that cooperatives was set up with a mission to create a cooperatives alive to the yearnings of its members by striving to improve the socio economic status of members.

DaGrin's mother denies being broke

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OTHER of the late popular pop artiste, Oladapo Olaitan Olanipekun aka DaGrin, Mrs. Falilat Olaonipekun, yesterday denied claims that she was broke. "The report has no element of truth; people should regard it as a ploy to dupe them", she said.

She told The Nation that it is true that some people once approached her for her bank account number, adding that she never knew their intention was to raise money for her.

She said she thought they collected the number with the aim of supporting her personally, adding that she did not know to her that they wanted to seek financial support for her.

Mrs. Olaonipekun said when she heard the story, she called her son's manager,

Auto crash disrupts traffic on Eko Bridge A multiple automobile accident caused a gridlock on the ever-busy Eko Bridge in Lagos yesterday.

An official of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lawal Awodehinde, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the accident involved a LAGBUS bus and seven other vehicles.

Lawal said the LAGBUS vehicle (W041) marked XX142-DJE was heading towards Costain on the Mainland at about 6:45 a.m when it lost control as a result of excessive speeding and hit seven vehicles.

He explained that the driver of the bus, who was trying to avoid a taxi cab in his front, crossed the median and hit seven vehicles coming from Costain in the opposite direction.

"We have moved all the affected vehicles to the Iponri Divisional Police Station for further investigations. Although the driver took to his heels after the accident, he was later arrested by the policemen and taken to the station," he said.

Lawal said that the accident led to gridlock for several hours on the bridge, forcing motorists to use alternative routes.

Head of Operations, LAGBUS Asset Management Ltd, operators of the LAGBUS intra-city buses in the state, Mr Olubodun Ogunyakin, said that the company would investigate the accident.

"I am not aware that anybody died in the accident. We are still carrying out our investigations to know its cause," Ogunyakin said.

'Don't use minors as bus conductors' LAGOS State Ministry of Commerce and Industry has advised the Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria (BCAN) against the use of persons less than 18 years as commuter bus conductors in the state.

Mr Ajayi Adebola, an official of the ministry, gave the advice during the inauguration of the executives of the Lagos State chapter of BCAN, held at the Suites Supremo Hotel in Obadore, Akesan, a Lagos suburb.

He said the state government is against the rampant use of persons recognised by the Nigerian law as a minor as bus conductors, adding that the 1989 Enterprise Law of Lagos State does not tolerate such practices, irrespective of the trade or profession.

"Now that your association has been duly inaugurated with zonal branches in eleven local government areas

of the state according to the provision of the 1989 Enterprise Law of Lagos State, I urge all your registered members to desist from taking the laws into their hands. Also, they must do away with all forms of violence in the course of their job. The state government will not condone the act of using minors as conductors on our roads as you are aware that the new Traffic Law strictly frowns at such practices," Adebola said.

Chairman of BCAN in the state, Mr. Olufemi Stevens, echoed Adebola's warning and charged all commuter bus drivers to desist from the unlawful act.

The new exco members include: Moses Bobola, General Secretary; Bakare Muftau, Welfare Secretary; Vincent Epenechi, Organising Secretary, and Mr Adeyanju Confidence, Assistant Organising Secretary.

Shun malpractices, children told

By Jeremiah Oke

Tunde Peters to know if he was among those peddling the false story.

Peters, she said, told her that he was not.

The rumour, she said, depressed her because many people have come to see her as a beggar who uses her son's death to generate money.

She said some people visited her a year after DaGrin's death, demanding her account details. She said N5:00 was recently remitted to the account.

She showed our reporter the message alert she got her from her bank.

It reads: "Your account 3055568657 has been credited NGN5.23 on April 1, 2013 by 3055568657." It is believed to be a bonus credited to the account by the bank.

CITYBEATS

•Mrs Olaonipekun

"I want to tell anybody who is using my name to collect money from the public to desist from it and focus on their job because I'm always sad anytime I remember that I lost my son in such a terrible way," she said.

THE Abeokuta South Local Government Council boss, Lanre Edun, has urged members of the newlyinaugurated children's parliament of the council area to shun malpractices and all forms of negative activities.

Edun made this appeal at the inauguration of the first set of parliament at the council's secretariat.

Edun said: "I implore you to be focused and responsible in handling the affairs of the parliament and try to leave a legacy of service not only to the other children but the entire peace-loving and good people of Abeokuta South Local Government area. Also treat one another with fairness, kindness and be ready at all times to protect the

By Jude Isiguzo

less-privileged" the chairman said.

Edun also advised parents to give their children good parental love and proper upbringing, for them to be useful to the society. He therefore praised Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for giving high regard to issues affecting children across the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi, enjoined the parliamentarians, to see themselves as role models with the responsibility of ensuring that the interests and rights of all children are respected and to also play a key role in the eradication of hooliganism, pranks and cultism.

One killed, as two buildings collapse in Lagos •More bodies recovered from Ojodu-Berger building

B

ARELY 24 hours after a three-storey building under construction caved in at Ojodu- Berger in Lagos, tragedy struck again in Ikorodu and Bariga areas of the metropolis yesterday. One person was killed in two other incidents of building collapse, while an unidentified number of people were trapped in the rubble.

Eyewitnesses said the fence of a building at 19, Shogbawon Street, Bariga caved in, killing a 27-year-old lady.

An official of the State Ministry of Physical Planning who craved anonymity said the building had also collapsed last year, killing an occupant, but was erected again despite government seal-off order.

Also at Ikorodu, a three-storey building under construction was said to have collapsed, a situation an official of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) attributed to the heavy downpour witnessed across the state in the early hours of Wednesday.

Lagos State Coordinator of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, however, said two teenagers, including a baby, were rescued alive in Ikorodu.

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro, Seun Akioye and Okoeki Oziegbe.

Meanwhile, rescue operations at the Ojodu-Berger scene were called off yesterday after another survivor, Harisu Madugu, a Nigerien, who was a labourer at the site, was rescued "We have called off the rescue effort. We are certain that the last body has been recovered. What we will try and do now is clear the debris so that it does not constitute nuisance to the neighbours," the NEMA boss said.

The recovered body of another labourer, Yussuf Sule, the NEMA chief said, had been handed over to the deceased's family for burial.

Efforts, it was learnt, are underway to conduct integrity test on defective Lagos buildings as two of such buildings have been identified on Basiru Street, Ojodu and awaiting government approval for demolition.

Farinloye said no fewer than 41 distressed buildings had been reported

• Sympathisers at the Ojodu-Berger site during the rescue operations yesterday

in Lagos and Ogun State.

He said: "I just got a call that about 41 buildings are in distressed state in Lagos and Ogun, but for now, two of the buildings have collapsed on occupants. Right now, we are working with other stakeholders on how to get to other scenes of the collapsed buildings."

Chairman of Ojodu Local Council Development Area, Abiodun Oloro, an engineer, also bemoaned the sharp practices of the developer of the collapsed building in his domain, add-

ing that the council was not aware of the construction before it caved in.

He said: "We would have stopped the building of the structure. We gathered that they supported the building by pillars to add more storeys on it. It is pathetic."

The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasaq Fadipe, also cautioned builders to ensure that workers at construction sites follow laid-down procedure which stipulates that an attendance register must be opened for all workers at a construction site.

Meanwhile, Deputy Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Lola Akande, has blamed the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for the collapse of the building in Ojodu-Berger.

Akande, who made this accusation when she visited the site yesterday, expressed shock over the incident, lamenting that the building had been marked for demolition but was left there until it collapsed, killing two persons and injuring others.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

58

NEWS Yobe to spend N34m on orphans, others

Niger ANPP gets new executives ahead of merger From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

HEAD of the planned merger of four major opposition parties and the national convention of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), the Niger State chapter of the party has constituted an Interim Management Committee.

It is headed by Afiniki Dauda with Usman Musa as its Secretary.

Other members of the new management committee are: Makun Abdul, Deputy Chairman; Yusuf Suleiman, Treasurer; Usman Kwatu Public Relations Officer (PRO); Alhaji Jibrin Yaro, Financial Secretary; Ismaila Sidi Shehu, Organising Secretary; Mikail Bmitoshai, Legal Officer and Musa Tanko, Youth Leader. The committee is expected to end the friction among some of its members in preparation for the planned merger of opposition parties.

The establishment of the committee, it was learnt, is in line with the decision reached at the regular meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on April 10.

In the letter, by the party’s National Secretary, Tijjani Musa Tumsah, the committee was directed to reach out to all aggrieved members and bring them into a common fold before the merger with the All Progressives Party (APC).

From Duku Joel, Damaturu

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Benue begins funeral rites for ex-Deputy Governor Ajene From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

T

HE Benue State Government and the people will today begin the funeral rites for former Deputy Governor Ogiri Ajene.

A Christian wake will hold today at his Makurdi home.

There will be another wake in his country home in Obi Local Government tomorrow.

The interment will hold on Saturday. The Nation learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan will attend the burial.

Ajene is said to be Dr Jonathan’s long-time friend since they were both deputy governors.

The former deputy governor died in a London hospital and his body was conveyed back home last week.

He served for eight years in the George Akume administration. The Benue State Government has offered to give him a state burial.

T

* Governor Gaidam donating school materials to the orphans at the event in Damaturu...yesterday.

PHOTO: DUKU JOEL

Anger as FCTA demolishes 200 structures in Bwari T HERE was anger among residents of Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) when bulldozers from the Development Control Department of the Federal Capital Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday evening demolished over 200 structures in the area.

The structures were said to have been built on water pipelines.

The affected houses had been marked last year for demolition by the Development Control Department of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.

Our reporter, who visited

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

the affected area yesterday, learnt that all houses within 130 metres of water pipelines were marked for demolition.

The Director of the Development Control Unit Yahaya Yusuf said the demolition was to prepare the grounds for more pipes ahead of the inauguration of the Usuma Dam water project.

Homes, shops, schools and places of worship were mostly affected by the demolition.

The demolished houses

were mostly in the newly rehabilitated SCC Road in Bwari town as well as neighbouring Pwabara, Jigo and Peyi communities.

Some of the affected residents said they were shocked by the 130 metres stipulation adduced

by Development Control officials.

One of the victims, who works at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and spoke in confidence, noted that although most of the affected houses complied with the dis-

tance stipulated by the FCDA, it was surprising that their structures were being pulled down.

He said the residents’ belongings were not spared because the demolition officials did not allow anyone to bring anything out of their buildings.

“I suspect a foul play in the exercise. After we had complied, why do they still have to demolish our houses?” he said.

It was learnt that the affected persons plan to sue the FCDA.

Sokoto primary teachers protest disparity in minimum wage payment S

OKOTO State primary school teachers yesterday protested the alleged discrepancies and other matters in the implementation of the N18,000 new minimum wage.

The development contrasts with last week’s joy among the teachers following the announcement of the implementation of the new pay by Governor Aliyu Wamakko.

The teachers from the 23 local governments marched through major streets in anger.

They complained about the discrepancies in the payment of the new wage, which was said to have begun yesterday across the state.

The protesters berthed their protest at the Government

From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

House and the House of Assembly complex with placards bearing various inscriptions.

Some of the placards read: “Pay us our dues”; “No pay, no work”; and “Pay us our rights”, among others.

The teachers, it was learnt, had refused to collect their payments because of the alleged discrepancies.

During last week’s May Day celebration, Wamakko announced the immediate implementation and payment of the new minimum wage for the

teachers.

The governor urged the teachers to reciprocate the gesture by dedicating themselves more to service to improve the standard of education.

He said: “The delay in the payment of the new salary for primary school teachers was sequel to a verification exercise aimed at weeding out ghost teachers as well as sanitising the payment system.”

One of the protesting teachers, Sambo Muhammad, told reporters that some of the problems he and his colleagues were facing included omissions of names from payment list and

underpayment.

He said: “The minimum number of omissions per local government is 100 teachers and the maximum of 300. Some of us were receiving about N37,000 in the old salary scheme; now, the salary has been reduced to about N20,000 with the implementation of the new salary.”

The Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Alhaji Malami Galadunchi, promised to address the problems.

The Head of Service (HOS), Alhaji Bature Shinkafi, attributed the problems to “some unavoidable human errors”.

Kwankwaso presents N68.6m cheque to ex-High Court judge’s family

NSCIA urges govt to resettle displaced Muslims

•Inaugurates 26 Magistrate Courts, others

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

K

ANO State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso yesterday presented a cheque of N68.6 million as benefit to the family of the late State High Court judge, Justice Halliru Abdullahi, who died last year.

The governor yesterday opened a seminar for Shari’a Court judges in the state.

The seminar was organised by the state Shari’a Commission to enable the participants update their knowledge on contemporary issues in civil and Islamic litigations.

The governor also inaugurated 26 Magistrate’s courts, built and furnished by his ad-

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

ministration and laid the foundation of 27 Shari’a courts across the state.

Kwankwaso explained that the move was to fast-track the delivery of justice.

The governor noted that when his government came to office 2011, it met courts operating in dilapidated structures, to the extent that some of them were occupying rented property that were unsuitable for judicial functions.

Describing the operation of courts in makeshift premises as embarrassing, Kwankwaso said his administration would

•Kwankwaso

ensure that they operate in dignified structures because of the pivotal role of the courts in maintaining law and order.

He said: “We have not only improved the physical structures of the courts, we have also provided many units of computers to facilitate speedy dispensation of justice.”

THE Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) yesterday urged the government to immediately resettle all displaced Muslims in crisis-ridden areas of Bauchi, Plateau and Kaduna.

It also urged an end to what it called “deliberate plans to exterminate Muslims in Wukari, Taraba State”.

In a communiqué at the end of its meeting in Kaduna, the council frowned at the continued failure of the government at the state and federal levels to implement White Paper reports of various commissions/panels of enquiry into various ethnoreligious crises and conflicts across the country.

In the communiqué, read by the newly appointed Secretary-General, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, the council urged the government to prosecute all those who have been arrested and accused of criminal activities.

The communiqué reads: “…Muslims should continue to propagate Islam wherever they are and remain peaceful, even in the face of provocation. The council will continue to protect the interest of Muslims in the country.

HE Yobe State Government has earmarked N34million to carter for orphans and vulnerable children this year, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Asmau Kabir Kollo, has said.

The commissioner spoke yesterday in Damaturu, the state capital, at the commemoration of this year’s World Orphans Day. Of the money, she said, N15million was used to support Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs).

Hajiya Asmau said 500 orphans will be empowered, while 215 of them who are in school will get learning materials, including Mathematics and English text books, a bag of rice, cartoons of spaghetti, toilet soap, a bar soap and N5,000.

According to her, the remaining 285 orphans will be supported with same materials as well as clothes, N10,000 cash, among others, to enable them invest in gainful ventures to become self-reliant.

The occasion was celebrated at the Government House in Damatutu.

Gifts were distributed to orphans of the Yetim Care Foundation’s orphanage in Damaturu and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

‘Do quality job or be fired’ From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

C

ONTRACTORS handling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) projects in Niger State have been warned to comply with the specifications of their contracts and deliver on schedule or have them revoked.

The Director-General of the state MDGs, Alhaji Dattijo Aliyu, gave the warning yesterday when he met with the contractors handling the N1.2billion Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) 2012 projects.

He said: “Any contractor that defaults or fails to deliver in accordance with the contract specifications and on time will have his contract revoked.”

‘Jonathan needs prayers’

A

CLERIC, Chief Augustine Adegunloye Bolade, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to seek God’s face before the 2015 general elections, if he wants to win.

The proprietor of St. Augustine Healing Home, Lagos, told reporters in Lagos that the President needs a prayers to avoid some evils.

He said: “President Jonathan urgently needs prayers. He should also heed the spiritual advice of the elders by breaking the country’s spirituals jinx, which is affecting the nation presently.”

The cleric said the Jonathan administration inherited most of the ills affecting the nation.

Bolade said he had made several predictions in the past where he stressed the need for urgent spiritual cleansing in Nigeria.

He said this is important for the country to overcome its myriad of problems.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

59

NEWS Governors rush to Villa as gunmen kill 22 policemen Continued from page 2

a police inspector to swear allegiance to Ombatse, but the policeman has been freed. He has returned to his duty post, according to the police chief.

“We are still after the persons administering the oath forcibly on people. We will make sure we bring the perpetrators to book,” Akeremale said.

Police spokesman Michael Ada admitted that 23 policemen and men of the SSS were killed. Eight patrol vehicles were also burnt.

Ada said:”The casualty we confirmed is 23. They killed and burned 23 policemen and SSS. They also burnt eight patrol vehicles. But our rescue team is still in the bush, and has not returned to give an update.”

The injured officers are receiving treatment at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia, the state capital.

Al - Makura confirmed that over 20 policemen and security operatives were killed. He said in Abuja: “The position of this militia is unacceptable to the government and already, we are taking appropriate steps to see that the perpetrators of this act are brought to book.

“I am here to meet with His Excellency, the Vice President, to brief him about the security situation in my state. Just yesterday, we had a very bitter security problem that caused the death of some security officers in the state.

“Two weeks ago, we discovered a certain militia group holding arms and carrying out cultist activities in the state.

“Since January, this thing has not abated and in the past two weeks, it took a totally different dimension. They have been going from one place to another, including churches, and taking people of that particular ethnic group to come and take portions that are meant to empower them to do what they want to do. This escalated and is causing serious

concern for the state. We decided to hold security meeting to find a way of solving the problem.

“The solution was to go to the shrine and pick on the cult leader so that the problem will be solved once and for all.

“As security operatives were approaching the shrine, unknown to them, an ambush has been laid for them.

“These people attacked them and this resulted in the death of more than 20 policemen.

This is a situation that is so grave and I feel it is very important that I come to brief the Vice-President about the security situation and to seek assistance so that we can handle the matter once and for all.

“Already, the group, which is from Eggon extraction and called Ombatse (the time has come) has been proscribed since the beginning of this year because of the activities of members. They go from one place to another, harbouring arms, attacking any area that is in conflict with any of their members.

“The group is banned and its members are those causing this problem in the state and we feel it is necessary to bring this to the notice of the Federal Government. Before now, there were one or two arrests.

But as a result of yesterday’s event, I am yet to be briefed on the number of arrests that have been made. Already, I learnt

that security operatives are making arrangements to see how they can contain the situation.

“It is on that point that I will know how many arrests have been made. The incident happened in a village called Alakyo about 10km from Lafia, the state capital. The position of this militia is unacceptable to the government, already we are taking appropriate steps to see that the perpetrators of this act are brought to book.

“That is why I have given the necessary information to the federal level so that by the time we begin to take on these perpetrators, nobody should cast aspersions on the justification.

Victims of the attacks, those who are security operatives and those who are not, we will see how we can assist their families.”

The same group in 2012, at Nasarawa-Eggon, shot and injured some soldiers and men of the SSS during a raid on one of their shrines on Alogani Hills to make arrests.

Suswam yesterday alleged that some Fulani herdsmen attacked Agatu Local Government Area of the state, leaving “high casualties including women and children’’.

Suswan disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja after having a closeddoor meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa.

He said reporters he was in Abuja to brief the vice president on the security situation in his state and other sundry issues.

The governor said: “You must have heard that there are serious altercation between the Fulanis and the local farmers.

“This time it happened in Agatu Local Government, which is one of the local governments the Senate President represents; they almost overran the local government.

“There was a lot of killings, a lot of property destroyed and I felt that I should come to brief the vice president, who is holding forth for the President.

“I also discussed other sundry issues relating to the general security situation in the country.”

He confirmed the arrest of 10 of the mercenaries, who perpetrated the mayhem, by a joint task force of the police, army and the State Security Service (SSS).

“We have arrested 10 of them with heavy weapons and many rounds of ammunitions and they are with the police now.

“The casualty is high, I don’t want to be misquoted as per the numbers, but it is high casualties.

“The Fulanis normally come when people are sleeping; so they killed both women and

Troops lock down Bama after Boko Haram attacks Continued from page 2

al can only have negative consequences for our country, which needs all the goodwill of its global partners, all the foreign investments it can muster, as well as an environment conducive for urgent growth and development.”

It wondered what the insurgents wanted to achieve by attacking women and children in police barracks and targetting health centres, courts and local council secretariat, all areas most likely to be populated by innocent civilians.

The party urged the Federal Government to work closely with other key stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the Boko Haram crisis, saying that flip-flopping and foot-dragging must stop.

The army yesterday said that normalcy has been restored in Bama.

Army spokesman Brig.Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru said the insurgents dressed in military fatigue came to attack the 202 Battalion, but that they were repelled by soldiers.

Gen. Attahiru said the insurgents were armed with rocket-propelled grenades, general purpose machine guns and bombs.

JTF arrests two, recovers two bodies from militants clash in Bayelsa waterways

T

HE Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta yesterday announced the arrest of two suspects in connection with the recent clash between two armed groups in Lorbia 1 community, in Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State.

The clash left eight persons dead.

Media Coordinator of the JTF, Lt-Col Onyeama Nwachukwu, told reporters in

Yenagoa, the state capital, that the task force was committed to restoring peace and sanity to the region.

He said that operatives of the force had so far recovered two bodies from the creeks in addition to several items recovered during a search and rescue operation.

The JTF spokesman said: “Our troops were dispatched to

Lobia 1 where an armed collision had reportedly occurred between two factions or groups; on arrival at the community, our troops promptly cordoned off and searched the community for possible culprits and arms.

“And in that operation our troops recovered two AK-47 riffles, six AK-47 magazines, general purpose machine gun

barrels, 145 live rounds of 7.62 millimeter special ammunition and one speed boat.

“Unspecified number of casualties was reported and at the moment two bodies have been recovered from the location.’’

Nwachukwu confirmed that the JTF had deployed troops to Azuzuama since May 5 as part of efforts to restore sanity in the area.

He added that the gunmen came in an 18-seater bus and six Toyota Hilux vehicles fitted with anti-aircraft guns.

Gen. Attahiru said: “The attack was aimed at overrunning the military barracks and creating mayhem. It was however successfully repelled and the barracks was not in any way breached.

“However, the Bama police station, police barracks, local government secretariat, INEC office, local Magistrate’s court and a primary school were burnt by the Boko Haram men. About 105 inmates were equally set free from Bama Prisons” The Army spokesman said four vehicles, 14 weapons, 12 IEDs, assorted ammunition, several RPG tubes and bombs were recovered after the clash.

According to him, those killed in the attack include 21 insurgents, six police officers, 14 prison staff, two soldiers and four civilians among who were three children and a woman. They were burnt to death.

He admitted heightened insecurity in the Northeast in the past months and disclosed that as a deliberate effort to prevent the activities of the terrorists from spreading, a Quick Response Group (QRG) have been established to patrol major highways nationwide.

According to him, men of the Quick Response Group are to provide quick reinforcement of troops to troubled spots and they are to operate along designated routes to check the spate of armed robbery, arm trafficking and kidnapping as well as any other acts of terrorism.

The Army assured Nigerians of its determination of to defeat the terrorist group and other criminal elements in the society.

Your Sexual Health & You: Novelty Tips, Questions & Answers

I

used to be an international gay guy. I have slept with the high and mighty in the country and now I repented, I want to share my story in the newspapers. I can even give names of my bed mates who mostly are celebrities – Anonymous Hello Anonymous. It is good to know that you are no longer prostituting. However, this column is designed to help people and families with sexual and relationship difficulties. It seems to me that you are more interested in getting attention and destroying people’s lives and careers. I suggest you go quietly and live your new life. You don’t have to take people down with you. All over the world, people struggle with all kinds of things that they are not proud of, some of which are sexual. The Christian thing to do will be to try and help these people and not destroy them – Uche I have been married for nine years and I am very depressed. I don’t remember ever enjoying sex. I have heard about vibrators. I need three very good vibrators and an orgasm gel to avoid pain. Recommend some nice movies for me too – Mrs. Shittu Hello Mrs Shittu. There are lots of options you can choose from but here are some of the top sellers. The Extreme Tri Twister Rabbit vibrator is a top of the range vibrator for women that rotates in two different directions and is capable of simultaneous penetration, clitoral stimulation and internal G spot stimulation.

I also recommend the Inflatable Black Stud. It is the only toy in this category that can be altered in size to become as big as the user wants it. And lastly, is the Clitoral Pump. It is perfect for clitoral orgasms and gives a sensation different from all the others. And for orgasm gel, take the Spot on G Spot Orgasm Gel. For the movies, you will enjoy DVDs such as Soul Train, Cheerleaders and Reckless – Uche I have started using my Explosive Thunder supplement for hard erections and performance and it is very good but I also want a penis enlarger. Can I combine Explosive Thunder with Max Size? Fred

Hello Fred, all of the above mentioned products are pills and in some ways, they do similar things such as stimulating blood flow to the penis so I don’t recommend taking them together.

However, you can take your Explosive Thunder with a penis pump for organ enlargement such as the Remote Controlled Plunger Pump or you can go for any of the enlargement creams such as Maximus Enlargement Cream – Uche Please do you have any drug or something that can increase sperm quantity? Oba Yes Oba. It is a supplement called Max Load and it increases sperm quantity and intensifies orgasms for more enjoyable sex Uche Hello, I need a vaginal rejuvenator for women who have had children? Mary Yes Mary. Ask for Tight Stuff Oriental Oil and First Timer’s Orgasm Balls for pelvic exercises – Uche My husband suffers from premature ejaculation. But he is too embarrassed to get help. Please what can I get to help him?

Thanks – Joke Premature ejaculation is quite common and so are the solutions.

You can use a desensitising lubricant or wipe to control it.

Lubricants like Max Control Spray will help him or he can use Sex on the Go Desensitizing Wipes to stop it each time you are about to have intercourse. You can see more premature ejaculation solutions on www.zeevirtualmedia.com – Uche My wife has suffered from sexual pain for years until she tried the lubricant you suggested. I have never seen her this happy and I am tempted to buy a whole carton of the Liquid Sex Lubricant – Orji You are welcome. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments and novelties can call us on 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

60

FOREIGN NEWS

Obama: North Korea’s crisis-for-concession days ‘over’ N

ORTH Korea will no longer be rewarded for provocative behaviour, US President Barack Obama has said at a joint news conference with South Korea’s leader.

Flanked by President Park Geun-hye, Mr Obama told a White House briefing North Korea was more isolated than ever.

Ms Park is on her first foreign trip since taking office in February.

Ahead of their meeting, US officials said North Korea had moved two medium-range missiles from a coastal launch site, lowering tensions.

“The days when North Ko-

•Obama

rea could create a crisis and elicit concessions, those days are over,” Mr Obama told Tuesday’s briefing after meeting privately with Ms Park in the Oval Office.

He added: “President Park and myself very much share the view that we are going to maintain a strong deterrent, we’re not going to reward provocative behaviour, but we remain open to the prospect of North Korea taking a peaceful path.

“So far, at least, we haven’t seen actions on the part of the North Koreans that would indicate they’re prepared to move in a different direction,” he said.

The visit by Ms Park, South Korea’s first female president, came as the US and South Korea mark 60 years of their military alliance.

Ms Park said her country would not tolerate what she called North Korean aggression and escalation.

“Instead of just hoping to see North Korea change, the international community must consistently send the message with one voice, to tell them and communicate to them that they have no choice but to change,’’ she said.

Pyongyang was believed to have been preparing for a missile launch last month,

Two years after, 200 Gbagbo fighters to return from Togo

A

BOUT 200 fighters loyal to former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo will be repatriated from Togo after two years of exile following their country’s 2010-11 post-election conflict, government spokesman Bruno Kone said.

Kone said the fighters include members of Gbagbo’s Defense and Security Forces army and pro-Gbagbo mili-

tiamen who fled to Togo toward the end of the conflict, which began after Gbagbo refused to leave office despite losing the November 2010 vote to current President Alassane Ouattara. More than 3,000 people were killed in five months of fighting, according to United Nations estimates.

“This operation will be taking into account 200 of the

Ouattara first mentioned the operation publicly last weekend during a trip to western Ivory Coast, a region that generally supported Gbagbo and has remained volatile in the two years since the conflict ended.

The U.N. refugee agency said it has registered around 400 Ivorian ex-combatants in Togo, though they are not staying in refugee camps.

Pro-Gbagbo fighters scattered throughout West Africa, notably in Liberia and Ghana, have been accused of staging attacks on villages and security installations in Ivory Coast. The most recent attacks occurred in March, when thousands were displaced by three raids in western Ivory Coast that were suspected to have originated in Liberia.

Putin’s top strategist resigns

London donor conference pledges $130m for Somalia SOMALIA’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Somalia has entered a new era that will herald the end of more than two decades of conflict.

He was speaking at a major international conference in London to help Somalia rebuild itself.

The UK and other donors pledged some $130m (£84m) in aid for Somalia.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said huge progress was being made in curbing piracy and tackling an Islamist insurgency in Somalia.

Somalia is widely regarded as a failed state, hit by numerous conflicts since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Siad Barre in 1991.

ex-combatants,” Kone said.

“Since all of these armed people are not part of our regular armed forces, they will be disarmed.”

The former fighters will now be civilians in Ivory Coast and some will receive a small amount of compensation to help them get started, said Kone. He did not provide a date for the repatriation, saying it could start “at any time.”

•Putin

V

LADISLAV Surkov, a longtime Kremlin strategist considered the architect of the tightly controlled political system created under President Vladimir Putin, resigned his post of deputy prime minister yesterday.

His ouster followed an un-

usually public feud with investigators over a criminal investigation into Skolkovo, a government project to promote innovation modeled on Silicon Valley. Surkov was overseeing the ambitious project.

A statement on the Kremlin website said Surkov had resigned, but many believe he was forced out as part of increasing infighting within the Russian political elite. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Surkov resigned after the president criticized Cabinet members on Tuesday for failing to fulfill his orders.

While working under Putin in the Kremlin administration from 2000 to 2008, Surkov designed the political system that came to be known as “managed” or “sovereign”

democracy. Under the system that is Surkov’s legacy, only parties and candidates approved by the Kremlin are allowed to take part in elections and appear on state television, while all others are kept on the sidelines.

After Putin stepped aside in 2008 because of term limits, Surkov stayed in the Kremlin to work with Putin’s chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev.

As Putin prepared to return to the presidency in 2012, however, a fraud-tainted parliamentary election in December 2011 set off a series of unprecedented street protests demanding free elections and an end to Putin’s rule. In late December 2011, Surkov was reassigned from the presidential administration to the government, where he was ap-

pointed a deputy prime minister in charge of economic modernization. With the transfer, he lost his job as Putin’s political puppet master.

Surkov soon found himself again working for Medvedev, who became prime minister after Putin won his third term in spring of 2012. Skolkovo was one of Medvedev’s initiatives and Surkov was overseeing the development of the advanced research center.

In this role, Surkov came under attack from investigators who in April accused a Skolkovo executive of embezzling $750,000 in state funds.

While speaking to students in London last week, Surkov sharply criticized the investigators, questioning their ability to prove anyone’s guilt.

31 held over $50m Belgium airport diamond heist

T

HE Police in Belgium, Switzerland and France have arrested 31 people in connection with one of the world’s largest robberies of diamonds.

Belgian prosecutors say they have recovered large sums of money and some of the diamonds that were taken in a raid at Brussels airport in February.

A gang cut through the airport’s perimeter fence and broke into the cargo hold of a Swiss aeroplane as it waited for take off.

They took $50m (£32m) of diamonds.

The diamonds were “rough stones” being transported from Antwerp to Zurich.

Prosecutors described the thieves as “professionals”.

They had dressed as police, wore masks and were well armed.

They forced their way through security barriers and drove towards the Helvetic Airways plane, forcing open

the cargo hold to reach gems that had already been loaded.

They snatched 120 packages before escaping through the same hole in the fence.

Prosecutors said the whole operation took only about five minutes, no shots were fired and no-one was hurt.

One suspect was arrested in France and six in Switzerland on Tuesday, Belgian prosecutors said.

The other 24 were rounded up near Brussels early yesterday.

•Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (right) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during a PHOTO: REUTERS joint news conference after their meeting in Moscow ... yesterday.

having threatened attacks in the region.

The threats followed tough new UN sanctions imposed on North Korea in March after its third nuclear test.

North Korea has also been angered by wide-ranging annual US-South Korea military drills, which ended a week ago.

Meanwhile, the stateowned Bank of China said it was halting transactions from North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank on Tuesday.

It is thought to be the first time that a Chinese entity has made a move against North Korean interests following the recent tension.

Rodman to Kim: ‘Do me a solid’ and free American FORMER NBA star Dennis Rodman is tapping his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to ask for the release of a Korean-American man sentenced to 15 years of hard labour in the North.

“I’m calling on the Supreme Leader of North Korea or as I call him ‘Kim’, to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose,” Rodman said on Twitter. He later called the tweet a direct response to a Seattle Times editorial that dared him to ask Kim for the release if the two are really buddies.

Rodman visited North Korea in February and sat next to Kim as they watched an exhibition basketball game. His trip came at a time of high tension between Pyongyang and Washington and was not endorsed by the U.S. State Department.

Bae is a tour operator who was arrested in North Korea in November. The North’s Supreme Court sentenced him last week for unspecified “hostile acts” against the state. In a Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday, North Korea said the 44-year-old Washington state man entered the country with a disguised identity.

Bae is at least the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009.

The others eventually were deported or released, some after trips to Pyongyang by prominent Americans, including former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry rejected speculation that it was seeking a U.S. envoy to negotiate Bae’s release, saying he is not a political bargaining chip.

M23 rebels kidnap dozens in Congo

N

EARLY 30 people have been kidnapped in eastern Congo by the M23 rebels in their fief of Rutshuru since the beginning of April, said a community leader on Wednesday. The kidnappings appear to be for ransom, a new and worrying trend in Congo’s lawless east.

The latest abduction took

place Sunday, when an advisor to the area’s Catholic schools, Gratien Bahati, was stopped on his way back to Rutshuru’s town center. He was released after a $5,000 ransom was paid, according to the president of North Kivu Civil Society Thomas d’Acquin Muiti.

At least few other kidnap victims have been released on ran-

som, while others are still missing. The M23 rebel group denies being involved in the kidnappings, even though they are the only armed rebels in the area.

“We were 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Rutshuru when three armed men wearing police uniforms stopped us, and placed themselves on each side

of the motorbike,” said Georges Mumbere, the motorbike taxi driver who was carrying Bahati.

“They called him by his name and forced him to get off and then they walked away with him in the bush,” he said.

School was cancelled on Monday in Rutshuru following Bahati’s abduction. Bahati was freed on Tuesday, after the ran-

som was paid to the kidnappers, said Muiti. The M23 said they had nothing to do with the incident.

The M23 rebels celebrated the one-year anniversary of the creation of their armed group with a ceremony in the town center earlier this week, but residents privately complained about the growing climate of fear under the rebels’ rule.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

61

FOREIGN NEWS

After decade in captivity, three women relive ordeals

A

MANDA Berry disappeared in 2003 from a busy block in Cleveland, Ohio at the age of 16. Her devastated sister, Beth Serrano, never gave up hope that she would be found alive.

Their mother died at the age of 44 in 2006 after her daughter’s disappearance took a terrible toll on her health.

In the photo of the pair’s reunion, the child believed to be Berry’s daughter is seen sitting next to her in a hospital bed with a hospital bracelet around her wrist.

Berry, now 27, was imprisoned in a house owned by Ariel Castro, who has now been arrested along with his two brothers on suspicion of kidnapping.

Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, who were both abducted from the same block as Berry, were also held hostage in the same house.

The three women are now being treated at Cleveland’s Metro Health Medical Centre.

Earlier today, Cleveland police confirmed three Hispanic males, aged 50, 52 and 54, were under arrest. The 52year-old man was named by city council officials as Cleveland Municipal School District bus driver Ariel Castro.

Police searched the house at 2207 Seymour Avenue after a 911 call led police to the three women and two children.

Victims were getting younger as

suspect trawled neighborhood.In a strange twist, it has been revealed that Anthony Castro, the son of suspect Ariel Castro wrote an article about the abduction of Gina DeJesus when he was a journalism student in 2004.

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have been missing “for years”. They had each been abducted separately when they were teenagers in 2003 and 2004.

A third woman named Michele Knight was also found at the house. Police have since confirmed Michele had been reported as missing since 2002.

All three women all went missing on the same busy block, near West 110th St and Lorain Ave, in Cleveland.

One of the women reportedly begged a passer-by for help.

“I heard screaming ... And I see this girl going nuts trying to get outside,’’ said Charles Ramsey, the neighbour who found the women.

Police search the house at 2207 Seymour Avenue where the three missing women were held captive. .”I go on the porch and she said ‘Help me get out. I’ve been here a long time’. I figure it was domestic violence dispute.

“She comes out with a little girl and says ‘Call 911, my name is Amanda Berry’. When she told me, it didn’t register.”

He said he kicked the bottom of the door open so Amanda could crawl out.

U.S. to provide $100m in new Syria aid •Envoy Brahimi hails accord

T

HE Obama administration is providing $100 million in new Syria aid, U.S. officials said yesterday, but the money is for humanitarian purposes only and not linked to any decision on arming Syrian rebels.

The new funds will help support 1.4 million Syrian refugees, including many in U.S. ally Jordan, and hundreds of thousands of other civilians still trapped by the violence inside Syria’s border. Total U.S. humanitarian assistance in the two-year war will climb to $510 million.

While the cash influx will certainly be welcomed by aid groups and refugee organizations that have lamented a lack of financial support, it is unlikely to end the clamoring for lethal assistance among the rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime.

The Obama administration has said it is considering providing weapons to vetted units in the armed opposition, among other military options, following last week’s revelation of a U.S. intelligence assessment suggested chemical weapons use by the Assad regime. The U.S. also is looking for ways to halt the violence that has killed more than 70,000 people.

But the U.S. maintains deep reser-

vations about providing direct military assistance, given the growing presence of al-Qaida-linked and other extremists in the rebel ranks.

Underscoring the administration’s goal of a peaceful transition of power to end the war, Kerry met for more than five hours Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

Afterward, Kerry and Lavrov declared that the U.S. and Russia would convene an international conference on Syria in the coming weeks with the goal of corralling Assad’s government and opposition representatives into peace talks.

Meanwhile, the UNArab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, has hailed a US-Russia commitment to work together to end the conflict in the country.

He said it was “the first hopeful news” on Syria for a long time, but cautioned that it was “only a first step”.

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•Amanda Berry Amanda emerged with a young child.

“Luckily it was aluminum, it was cheap,” he said, “She climbed out with her daughter. ... She went to my house, we called 911.”

Ramsay said Berry had made her escape bid while her captor had gone for a meal at McDonald’s.

Listen to Amanda Berry’s 911 call after escaping her captor.

Audio has been released of the frantic emergency call Amanda Berry made after escaping a kidnapping lasting ten years.

Berry asked for a phone to call 911.

“Help me, I am Amanda Berry... need police! I’ve been kidnapped, I’ve been missing for ten years and I’m here. I’m free now,” she frantically told the operator. A baby can be heard crying in the background.

“Hello? I need them [the police] now, before he gets back.”

WEWS news reports a detective told Ramsey: “Charles, do you realise who you just rescued?”

Ramsey added: “When the police got here, she said there are three more girls up there. And that’s when Gina DeJesus (appeared), and they brought two more girls out.”

•Gina DeJesus

•Michelle Knight

Cleveland police said Berry, DeJesus and Michele Knight are talking to authorities and appear to be in good health.

Amanda’s family speaks .”This isn’t the ending we usually hear for these stories so we’re really happy,” a police spokesman told assembled media outside the house.

The three women are being treated at Cleveland’s Metro Health Medical Centre.

Doctor Gerald Maloney says they are fair condition.

“Currently they’re safe. We are in the process of evaluating their medical needs,” he said.

“They appear to be in a fair condition at the moment. They are able to speak with us.

“I can’t really go into any further details.”

Police outside the Cleveland house where Gina and Amanda were believed to have been held. Picture: RachelDissell / Twitter .Hundreds of people gathered in the streets near the white timber house where the women were discovered.

Amanda Berry named her abductor in the 911 call as Ariel Castro.

He was in the house - believed to be

only kilometres from where the two were abducted - at the time police arrived in response to the call.

WEWS news reports the missing women were malnourished and dehydrated. Two children were seen inside the Cleveland house.

CNN reports the two children were girls.

Berry disappeared at age 16 in 2003, after calling home to say she was getting a ride home from her job at a burger restaurant.

A crowd gathers outside the Cleveland house where Gina and Amanda were believed to have been held. Picture: RachelDissell / Twitter .DeJesus vanished at age 14 on her way home from school about a year later.

Ramsey said he had “eaten ribs” with the neighbour who owned the house, and had no idea there were women in the property.

A neighbour quipped: “(He must have) big testicles to pull this off, bro, because we see this dude every day!”

Cleveland’s Mayor has issued a statement welcoming the recovery of the women. “We have many unanswered questions regarding this case, the investigation will be ongoing,” he said.

Malian military sets for Kidal offensive

T

HE spokesman for the Malian military confirms that the army is preparing for an assault on Kidal, the last rebel-held town in northern Mali.

Lt. Col. Souleymane Maiga refused to give a timeline, saying only that preparations for the deploy-

ment are “in an advanced stage.”

Kidal is currently controlled by Tuareg separatists from the NMLA rebel group. The NMLA swept into northern Mali last year. They were soon ousted by al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremists. In January, France launched an operation to help Mali

take back the north. Though they purged the main towns of the alQaida groups, they failed to stop the NMLA from returning to Kidal, which they now control.

The NMLA has vowed to fight the Malian military should its troops try to enter Kidal.

PUBLIC NOTICE EST ATE OF CHIEF LL.. AA.. O. BANJOK O ESTA BANJOKO Castle of Peace, Idomila P. M. B. 2069, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

CHANGE OF TITLE The general public particularly the operator of Aceta International Hotel are hereby informed that ownership of Land upon which Luwera Hotel is situate at Epe Road, Ikoto, Ijebu – Ode is now vested in Tanbade Harmonised Resources Limited by virtue of a Deed of Assignment executed by the Estate of Chief L.A.O. Banjoko in favour of the new owner, Tanbade Harmonised Resources Limited.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

62

NEWS MASSOB declares June 8 sit-at-home day •14 members arrested

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•A cross section of Enugu State local government adminisrtators taking the oath of Office administered by Governor Sullivan Chime PHOTO: OBI CLETUS at Okpara Square, Enugu...yesterday

INEC: we spent N122.9b on 2011 elections Continued from page 2

The commission also clarified why the Federal Executive Council approved N2.1 billion budget for INEC to produce 33.5 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

The document added: “The approved fund is for the second batch of PVCs being produced for the 73.5 million eligible voters registered by the Commission during the exercise conducted in January-February 2011.

“The government had last year (2012) approved N2.6 billion for production of the first batch of 40 million cards, while the latest approval is for the second phase of the same project. The PVCs will replace the cold-laminated temporary voter cards that were issued during the voter registration in 2011.

“Experience has shown that these temporary cards are not only fragile, but also susceptible to abuse by unscrupulous persons, who were in the past reported to have illicitly massed up the cards and put them in the hands of cronies to use in manipulating elections.

“Procedures put in place by INEC since the 2011 general elections have considerably lessened the susceptibility of these cards to such abuse. But the PVCs the Commission will in due course issue to registered voters are far much more fraud-proof. They are chipbased, with the chip on each

card containing all the biometric data of a legitimate holder.

“During elections, the PVC will be swiped with a card reader at the polling unit to ensure 100 per cent authentication and verification of the voter before he/she is allowed to vote. In effect, only a legitimate holder can present the card at a polling unit to cast his/her vote; while an illegitimate holder can be detected and prevented from using the card.”

The document explained that the production of the PVCs was cost effective. It said: “As for its economics, the PVC is being produced at a modest cost of about N65 per card, and it will have an average life span of ten years.

“It is precisely to prevent a fresh outlay of capital after the expiration of this life span that the INEC chairman, at the FEC meeting where approval was given for the second batch, pointed the way to making the National Identity Card the document for voter identification in future elections in Nigeria.

“The expectation is that by the time the PVC’s life span expires, the national ID system should have come fully on stream and there should be no need for the country to incur fresh costs on separate identity document for voters.”

“Every expenditure by the present INEC under the lead-

ership of Prof. Attahiru Jega has been necessitated and strictly undertaken as an investment – with an eye on saving the country further costs in the future. That was the reality of the 2011 voter registration exercise.”

The commission also denied alleged plans to conduct a fresh voters registration.

INEC said: “For avoidance of doubt, sir, there is no plan for any fresh registration exercise and there is certainly no cause for one. The 2011 voter registration exercise was successful and provides a solid basis for this country to finally discard the expensive cycle of massive registration exercises usually undertaken before General Elections in the past.

“The data of 73.5 million eligible voters gathered in the 2011 exercise is widely adjudged the most credible in this country’s history, and the Commission has ever since been cleaning up and consolidating the data to eliminate cases of duplication or multiple registration.

“All that INEC plans now is the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) mandated by Section 10 of Electoral Act 2010, as Amended.

“This procedure, which is a global best practice, allows for regular update of the National Register of Voters with the data of persons who freshly turned 18 years; while the records of those who are certified as de-

ceased get cleaned out.

“Incidentally, the electoral laws of this country have always provided for the exercise, but the provision was always observed in the breach until the present Commission came on board and resolved to implement it as prescribed.

“The CVR will be rolled out

by INEC nationally in the course of this year and will remain a permanent feature of the country’s political process.”

INEC gave a breakdown of how it compiled the voters register in 2011.

“INEC had previously explained the logic of the huge cost of the 2011 exercise, and it bears restating here for accuracy of the records of history. This Commission is fiscally responsible, and it is for that reason it recently negotiated the sell-off of 78, 000 units of the laptop component of DDC machines it will not need for the CVR to some state governments.”

The commission promised that the 2015 poll would be better than 2011.It added: “INEC is assiduously working and will spare no effort to upscale the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system beyond the modest achievements recorded in 2011.

“Already, the Commission is pursuing plans and programmes that will make the 2015 elections the best in Nigeria’s political history. We can confidently say that the future of Nigeria’s electoral system can’t be brighter.”

OMMERCIAL activities in the Southeast geo-political zone may be halted on June 8 the day declared as sit-athome by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

The self-determination group said yesterday that the sit-at-home call is to protest the extra-judicial killings of Igbo in the country.

The group also called for the release of Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeuko a.k.a.

Rev. King from prison.

Rev. King was sentenced to death in 2007 by a Lagos High Court having been found guilty of murder.

MASSOB also declared June 8 as Biafran public holiday.

In a statement yesterday in Onitsha, by Regional Administrator of Oshimili South Asaba Region, Chinedu Amaifeobu, and Regional Director for Security Oshimili South Prince Adili Ajana Ignetius, MASSOB warned against failure to comply with sit-at-home order.

The statement said: “This sit-At-home exercise was as a result of numerous killings of Ndigbo in Nigeria, mostly in the Northern Region, extra judicially killing of our people in Biafra land, the wanton destruction of our people’s properties and the insensitive murder of six Igbo on June 8, 2004 at Apo Village FCT, Abuja.

“June 8, 2013 as a day of mourning is set aside to remember and honour our innocent brothers/Sisters, mothers, fathers and children who have been wickedly and callously killed, murdered and massacred

by Islamist terrorist (Boko Harram) Nigerian Army, police and Islamist Religious fundamentalists.

“MASSOB decrees that their deaths will never be in vain, it must be avenged by actualising Biafra. Keeping quiet and making a lots of noise on pages of Newspapers by some Igbo groups is not enough to salvage this deadly condition of Ndigbo.

“MASSOB urges Ndigbo irrespective of their locations to observe this one-

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

day Sit-At-Home from 6am4pm. It is a national duty for every Biafran, an honour for our fatherland, a special sacrifice offered for our freedom, a unique price paid for the world to know about our existence.

“There shall be no movement of vehicles, persons etc. All private/general motor parks, major/minor markets, shops, schools, air/sea ports, public/business places, banks shall be closed on June 8, 2013.

There will be no marriage/ burial ceremonies on that day.

Also yesterday, 14 MASSOB members were arrested by security men.

In a statement by the Director of Information of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, the group condemned the incessant attacks and arrests of its members by security men, describing it as a cowardly act against a nonviolent group.

Uche, who insisted that the arrest of the MASSOB members was intended to instigate artificial tension in Igbo land and scuttle President Goodluck administration, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of MASSOB members detained.

He said: “14 members of MASSOB in a chartered bus on their way to MASSOB national meeting at Okwe, Onuimo Local government area of Imo State was arrested at Nkwagu, Abakaliki at a checking point and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCIB), Ebonyi state police command.”

•Uwazuruike

I’ll expose those fighting against me, says Rivers Governor Amaechi Continued from page 2

must stand for the truth and preach the truth.

“We need to be able to grow the economy. We need to be able to say to our people, ‘this is a state which we are proud of’. We have numerous projects that we have put in place. Before the end of the year, a lot of projects will be completed that you will see for yourselves.

“We intend to complete the Conference Centre that we are building at Chief G. U. Ake Road and the Agbani Darego Cultural Centre that is in Town; the new School

of Nursing, which is at the old University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).

“When you go to the old UPTH, there are three projects going on simultaneously. One is the School of Nursing that now has the capacity to admit 500 nursing students. The one you have in Mile Four, Port Harcourt can take only 100 and everyday we struggle with approval with the agency that is supposed to give approval, because of poor equipment and poor environmental condition.

“Now, we are building a better one in a better place. Then, you have a primary school that

is under construction there and the Heart Hospital being built by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). That is what we have converted that place to be.

“We have so many of the fish farms. We have one in Buguma, that is nearing completion. We have six of the new secondary schools to be completed by the end of the year. We have completed a lot of the power distribution substations.”

Kattey had earlier grieved over the political situation in Rivers, lamenting that it could set back the state.

The Archbishop prayed that God would grant the NGF chairman the grace, strength and wisdom to continually perform and overcome any challenge.

He said: “Your Excellency’s administration has made landmark achievements in all sectors of our economy. Rivers State came first in the country in malaria eradication and control. The siting of the biolaviocide production factory by ECOWAS in the state is also a significant milestone.

This speaks volume of your government in funding the health sector.

“We congratulate Your Ex-

cellency for making Rivers people proud once again, by winning the Vanguard Man of the Year Award for 2012.

We are proud of your humble achievements.

“We wish to thank Your Excellency for the various ways God has used you to assist the church in our time. We admire your zeal, courage and commend you. You have often displayed non-denominational approach in your goodwill to the Church of God.” Kattey informed the governor of his elevation to the of Dean of the Church of Nigeria, which is second to the Primate and of the upcoming

Synod of the church in Port Harcourt in May, while lauding Amaechi for his continued support to the church.

The Committee of Concerned Clergies for Peace in the Niger Delta also urged the Federal Government to consider Option B while granting amnesty to members of the Boko Haram and to ensure that the main actors do not remain faceless.

They also condemned “in very strong words”, the ambushing and killing of 12 policemen in Bayelsa State, urging the Federal Government to consider introducing state police to stop the senseless killings.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

63

SPORT EXTRA

Yakubu: World Cup miss still haunts me

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IGERIAN striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has revealed that his incredible miss against South Korea at the 2010 World Cup still haunts him years later.

He told the official website of his Chinese club Guangzhou R&F:"Oh my God, I will never forget that moment. At that moment, I

was ready to put the ball in the net. I thought the ball had gone in, I don't understand how it happened.

“I couldn't believe it, I was standing there laughing, laughing at myself. If I scored the goal, it would have taken Nigeria to the Round of 16.

“Losing such chance is what one remembers for a

life time."

He also picked Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha as Nigeria alltime best player and counts himself lucky to have played alongside him.

"Okocha was the best, no one is better than him. I am very fortunate to have played in the same team with Okocha,”Aiyegbeni remarked.

“He was an incredible player, you see all of his techniques, his skills and his strength. He was always fighting for his teammates as captain, and on the pitch, he was fantastic.

“His communication with the coach, the whole team was great, he is one of the greatest captains of our country."

•Yakubu Aiyegbeni miss against South Korea at the 2010 World Cup

Was Fergie forced to retire?

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HE announcement of Alex Ferguson's retirement came as a huge surprise to the world of football.

But even as fans' tears were flowing, some were already beginning to question the timing of the announcement: has the legendary Manchester United manager had his hand forced early in order to get Jose Mourinho in as his successor?

Ferguson has openly talked about his retirement for some years now, though for as long as anyone can remember he has referred to it as being two or three years away.

Yet the time has now come and the game is reeling. But what about the timing?

Is it simply a case of Ferguson retiring now in order to say goodbye to the fans at Manchester United's final home game of the season on Sunday?

Or is there something else at work?

The fact is that there are just two prime candidates for the job - Jose Mourinho and David Moyes - and both are looking for new jobs at the moment.

Mourinho has had a turbulent season at Real Madrid, enduring a tough time with club chiefs, his players including iconic club skipper Iker Casillas - and fans.

Real have reportedly agreed to release him from his contract

a year early this summer, leading many to assume that the Portuguese boss will return to manager-less Chelsea.

Yet Wednesday's Times reports that Mourinho's contract negotiations with the Blues have hit the skids, leading to another possibility: has Ferguson retired so as to ensure that Mourinho will follow him?

Mourinho would be the only possible replacement who would boost United's share price, and he and Ferguson have always had a warm relationship, built mainly on their habit of sharing a decent bottle of claret in the manager's office after their sides have clashed.

There's no doubt that Mourinho is a heavy-hitter who is one of the few men to have managed a club on a similar level, and United's shareholdees will love that.

Yet even if Mourinho is indeed bound for Stamford Bridge, it seems Ferguson's hand might have been forced to ensure United get first dibs on another prime contender: Everton manager Moyes.

Media reports coming out of Old Trafford on Wednesday morning suggested that Moyes is in pole position to take over since he is "cut from the same cloth" as Ferguson, and would be a man who could respect the club's traditions and take it

•Sir Alex Ferguson

forward in the correct manner.

Moyes is out of contract at Everton in the summer, and with a stellar reputation after years of superb work at Everton he will have his pick of jobs in the game.

So has Ferguson made way for Mourinho or Moyes?

It seems insane to even suggest that the tail could be wagging the dog in such a huge decision. After all, if Ferguson hasn't earned the right to leave on his own terms, then who has?

But Fergie will remember only too well the fate of other hugely successful managers who hung on too long - chief among them Brian Clough, whose name was a byword for managerial brilliance for over two decades, but ultimately presided over Nottingham Forest's relegation from the top flight.

There could be no would fate for a man as proud as Fergie.

The Scot would hate to see his reputation tarnished, so going out on a high - as Premier League champion - is only natural.

But there's more than that.

We're talking about a man who knows his place in history, and thrives on it. Why else would he continue for so long, long after he needed to, if not to set unbreakable records? He has his statue on display at the ground, and his name above

one of the stands at Old Trafford.

And so Ferguson will not want his final team to turn sour as soon as he leaves. He will want a successor so good that they will defend the Premier League title as easily as they have won it this season, so easily in fact that the new man in the role sees their own achievement written off as simply a function of having inherited a winning team.

Managers of the calibre of Mourinho and Moyes simply don't become available all that often - and Ferguson wouldn't trust his club to anyone who wasn't in that league.

Whoever comes to replace Ferguson, one thing seems certain: we won't have long to wait to find out who it is. An announcement about a new manager is expected very soon - if nothing else, the club must show that they have a clear succession in place for the benefit of the speculators on the New York Stock Exchange. One report has claimed that the identity of the new boss is already known, but that he is yet to give notice to leave his current job.

As for the successor's chances of success? Filling the biggest shoes in football would be a nightmarish task in many ways, but given the huge resources that the new manager will have at his disposal it could be a ticket to untold glory.

There's no doubt that there is a lot of work to do, however.

United have looked distinctly ragged this season despite their runaway title success, and particularly in the midfield there's a huge amount of work needed.

The new manager - whether it is Mourinho or Moyes - will want, and need, to get going as soon as humanly possible.

Ferguson will know that as well as anyone. It seems that this could be his last act of devotion to Manchester United: stepping aside at the perfect moment to make sure that the club he built is left in the best possible hands.

Enyimba holds Lobi in Katsina Ala •Gombe United crush Warri Wolves 3-0

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OR the second time in two season, Enyimba FC of Aba was able to hold Lobi Stars just like 3SC did last season as the Makurdi based outfit lost their 100 percent home winning record in a Week 10 clash played at the Akume Atongo Stadium, Katsina Ala. It was the first game played by both sides after they were beaten by lower league teams; Apa United and Abia Warriors of the Nigeria National League in the final of the Benue and Abia States FA Cup respectively.

Both sides tried to fashion out a winning goal to appease their distraught home fans but it was the Peoples Elephant that showed more hunger as they were bouyed by the three match ultimatum given by the club management for improved results.

With the draw, Lobi Stars now have 14 points from 10 encounters and just a point better than the Aba Millionaires who are occupying a mid table placement.

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri In Yenagoa, Heartland away misery continued after they were defeated 1-0 by Bayelsa United at the Samson Siasia Stadium while Gombe United stopped the 8 match unbeaten run of Warri Wolves with a 3-0 thumping of the Solomon Ogbeide tutored lads.

In some of the other games played, Kwara United beat Kaduna United 2-0 as Akwa United thrashed Sharks of Port Harcourt 3-0 in Uyo.

•Udoji

Dutch FA suspends Omeruo

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HE Royal Dutch Football Association , KNVB has suspended Kenneth Omeruo for one game after he picked up his seventh caution of the season in last weekend's tie against Feyenoord.

Thus, will miss ADO Den

•Omeruo

Haag's trip to PEC Zwolle this coming Sunday.

Just before the tie with Feyenoord, the Nigeria international received a trophy, 'John Smith Sr. Prize' for being the best talent of last season.

It is unclear if Omeruo would continue with ADO Den Haag in the 2013 - 2014 campaign.

The defender has strongly hinted that he could be leaving the Eredivisie campaigners for a new destination, possibly a return to his parent club Chelsea.

He is also being linked with a move to Russian Premier League tabletoppers CSKA Moscow.

This season, Kenneth Omeruo suited up 27 times in the Dutch championship.

Chukwumerije inspires 100 kids in taekwondo

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S part of its efforts to p o p u l a r i s e taekwondo across the country among young people, Chika Chuwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF) at the weekend in Jos, Plateau State capital, trained over 100 kids at its one-day Inspire The Future programme.

Being the second edition of the exercise after Abuja hosted the maiden edition last month, the kids between ages four and 14 years, were indeed excited about the programme sponsored by the grassroots sports department of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

Parents and guardians, who also admitted that such exercise would help to engage their wards, accompanied the participants to Crest Hotel in Jos. For the duo of Fortune Williams and Miracle Chidi

Uba, the programme was exciting and fun.

Williams, nine year-old pupil of First Baptist Model School, he was able to acquire skills in taekwondo as well as meet with other pupils. “I now know how to defend myself and one thing that interest me in the training was that it was full on fun,” he said.

•Chukwumerije

TODAY IN THE NATION ‘And with abundance of unearned free money at

THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

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ORGET the lyrics. They were not meant to inspire. Don’t mind the boisterous choreography; it is not meant to be the main attraction. Concentrate on the message and its delivery – short, sharp and arresting.

A man backs the camera, a ray of green light comes up behind him and, suddenly, the man faces you, amid a flood of yellow light. He begins to fling his hands and shuffles his feet, singing and screaming: “I don port o! I don port o! I don port o!”

The message is simple and clear. He says he has - thanks to the new number portability moved from one mobile service provider to another. That simple message – and its purveyor – has been the subject of a massive debate in social, business and intellectual circles.

Everything has been thrown into the fray. Expediency. Professionalism. Expertise. And more.

Was Saka wrong to have dumped Etisalat?

How are the marketing experts at Etisalat feeling now? Should Saka have gone the way he did, telling the world that his marriage – was there any? Experts insist there was none – to that network was over? Why the divorce?

Cash? What mileage for MTN? Nigerian comedians have come a long way.

Consider Moses Olaiya Adejumo (aka Baba Sala) with his plywood bow tie, oversized sun glasses and expansive trousers. The colonial master’s hat, the table clock strapped onto his wrist and the ubiquitous umbrella in his hands. He made everybody laugh and laugh until our eyes turned red with tears. Baba Sala gave comedy his all – his youthful days, intellect and energy - and lost it all in the course of pursuing this all-consuming passion. He invested all he had in a movie, which got pirated. He lost all, ending up in penury.

Today’s comedians are in a new world. No funny costumes and faces daubed with some black powder. They are decked out in sharp Oxford Street suits. Ali Baba. Holy Mallam.

Tee A. AY. Basket Mouth. Julius “the genius” Agwu. Teju Babyface. The witty and immensely talented Gbenga Adeboye of blessed memory.

There are also Sunday Omobolanle (aka Papiluwe), master of repartee, rambunctious Babatunde Omidina (aka Baba Suwe), the one who got the drug agency issuing bulletins every time he moved his bowel after being wrongly held for peddling drugs, and Bolaji Amusan (aka Mr Latin) and his friend Yomi King (aka Opebe) who insists on being an auto mechanic despite his bad hand. Nkem “Osofia” Owoh, Gringory and Chuka Okpala (Zebrudayya). And many more.

Of them all, none has recently sparked a huge debate like Hafiz Oyetoro, popularly known as Saka, the face of the MTN mobile number portability campaign. The contentious issues are as intellectual as they are moral. Saka was the lead act in an Etisalat campaign. Then the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) introduced number portability – another controversy on its own – and the networks mounted a huge marketing drive to keep their subscribers and/or get more.

The handlers of the Etisalat advertisement have said that when they were working on the script, they were looking for a character.

Saka walked in for the auditioning and he was found to be fit for the role. In the MTN campaign, it is a different matter. A celebrity was needed; an easily recognisable face. Saka fit-

RIPPLES POLICE CAN’T TACKLE INSECURITY ALONE-IG

...but can EAT the KOLA all alone, ehn?

their disposal, financial/oil fraudsters as well as thieving ex-governors and law makers protected by the state will continue to buy grace.’

JIDE OLUWAJUYITAN

VOL. 8, NO. 2,480

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

GBENGA OMOTOSO

EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK

gbenga.omotoso@thenationonlineng.net

•Winner, DAME Award for Informed Commentary

The Saka sensation

• Saka ted the bill, having been a well known face on television.

The rumour in town is that MTN paid Saka in millions. Etisalat, said those who claim to know, paid in thousands. Saka simply showed that there is a difference between a comedian and his jokes. Jokes apart, a comedian is no joker when it comes to cash. The cash was right and Saka “ported”. Isn’t there a Saka in all of us?

Nobody should begrudge Saka his success.

He has worked hard for it. A man who studied and teaches Theatre Arts, he never looked for a banking job, like many of today’s graduates. He simply practised what he learnt. He is excited doing his job.

Now, many other professionals are envious of Saka. When will doctors begin to earn millions –and some respect from nurses who claim that they are on a par with them? Will policemen ever be well paid for their exertions? Will teachers get their due? Will report-

ers ever get a good – and prompt – pay?

The world of comedians is a strange one.

They work hard to keep us all laughing. And how hard it is to make people laugh in Nigeria, a country that is, ironically, blessed with frontline comedians, even in high places.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, writing a foreward to Ali Baba’s book, wondered why the comedian would malign people who pay him to entertain them. To him, Ali Baba is an example that democracy is working.

The former President recalled a meeting with Zimbabwean Robert Mugabe, who complained that a Nigerian said when he (Mugabe) was asked by the BBC what the damage was after a fire at the electoral commission’s office, he replied by saying “ apart from the structural damage, the only thing that was lost was the result of next year’s election”. Obasanjo said he assured Mugabe that the man, whom he was sure must be Ali Baba, meant no harm.

An Egyptian television satirist, Bassen Youssef , was recently charged to court for insulting President Mursi. The United States issued a statement, saying it was worried about “disturbing trend of growing restrictions on freedom of expression”. Can we then say Obasanjo is tolerant? I dey laugh o!

How do you make people laugh in a country where many go to bed without food, where youths pound the streets looking for jobs that are not there, where insurgents have seized some parts of the country by the throat, where leaders do not serve but only expect to be served and where armed robbers waste lives daily.

American comedians and their European counterparts are lucky; they do not need to work too hard. It is easier to make people laugh in such climes where hunger and disease have been conquered, the moon is within

HARDBALL

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ESTERDAY, Hardball suggested that the events of the past few days in the Rivers State legislature had prompted fear of impending impeachment of both the Speaker and the governor. He also argued that going by history, the fear of impeachment was not unfounded. Today, he continues the argument with references to similar situations in other states: In October 2006, eight out of 24 members of the Plateau State House of Assembly served impeachment notice on Governor Joshua Dariye. Many Nigerians laughed it off as a despicable and unrealistic plot that would misfire or implode. But a month later, Dariye was out of office. Though the Supreme Court reinstated him on April 27, 2007, less than two weeks to the expiration of his second term, the damage was done, and a horrible impression of the polity was created. It also became clear there was absolutely no altruism left in President Olusegun Obasanjo, notwithstanding his vaunted claim of maturity, balance and patriotism.

A not-so-different crazy political mathematics was also employed in Oyo State in 2005 when 18 Lamidi Adedibu-inspired members of the House of Assembly out of a 32-strong legislature decided to impeach Governor Rashidi Ladoja. Since the 18 did not have the required two-thirds to impeach the governor, they devised the brazen formula of first arbitrarily suspending five of the 14 members still loyal to the governor, and then deriving the required

reach and life expectancy is high. Electricity, water and good roads are taken for granted.

Why won’t they laugh?

Where is the inspiration for jokes in a country where fraud has become a way of life? Billions of pension funds are gone for good, stolen by criminals in official circles who are backed by men in the corridors of power. The President has said the corruption stories are exaggerated. Is that to be taken as a joke? A presidential joke? A gaffe?

For Nigerians, the inspiration for jokes could come from overseas and any subject, including soccer. Consider this that a friend sent to me by telephone: “Crusade!Crusade!!Crusade!!

“Dortmund Christian Ministry, in conjunction with Bayern Church of God, invites you to a two-day power packed crusade tagged “Destroying all Spanish Giants &Goliath (Part 2) Featuring: Breaking of curses (EL Classico); Freedom from powers Platini); .Humiliation of pride (Jose Mourinho);.Overpowering principalities (Lionel Messi); Achieving your destiny and reaching your goals (Wembley).

“Host Pastor: Rev. Robert Lewandowski.

Ministering; Pastor and Elder Arjen Robben, Apostle Thomas Mueller, Pastor Marco Reus& other anointed men of soccer.

Ushers; Bro Messi and Bro Ronaldo.

Come for a power packed display as all giants will be knocked out of your life forever.

“Come one, come all!”

Do ritual killers and armed robbers enjoy jokes? Have Boko Haram leaders ever found an occasion for laughter? Do kidnappers, who snatch kids, women and nonagenarians, ever share jokes? If they do, how do they laugh?

Loud and clear? Guffaw? Or they just cackle like demented birds? Or with a gruff, like a hemp smoking motor park tout?

A comedian’s life is a study in complexity?

How does he create jokes? Doesn’t he have family problems that could take his minds off those rib crackers? In other words, how does he fall into the right mood to deliver those lines that keep the audience reeling and rolling? How? Just how many Nigerians, dazed by the vicissitudes of life in an Orwellian setting like ours – poverty, disease, hunger, insecurity, illiteracy and all such headache – still find that inner sensation that triggers laughter.

How we all wished we could laugh always, considering laughter’s benefits as a stress reducer and a kind of anti-depression therapy?

Is the atmosphere – the looting and killings – conducive to laughter? In other words, dear reader, be honest, when last did you laugh?

•For comments, send SMS to 08111813080

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

It is not yet the End of History in Rivers (2) two-thirds based on the remaining 27. If Oyo simplified mathematics beyond limits to impeach their governor in January 2006 (the courts reinstated Ladoja in December of the same year), Bayelsa State, which actually began the crude application of impeachment weapon, used a novel method in 2005. Like Rivers today, Bayelsa House of Assembly was first coerced to suspend Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha from the PDP, then an impeachment notice drafted in Lagos inside the EFCC pressure cooker was served on him, and by December 2005, 17 of 24 members had endorsed his impeachment.

The auguries are not good at all for Rivers.

The country must therefore brace up for very perilous times in the near future, not only in that beleaguered state, but all over the country, as the presidency embraces self-help in dealing with its enemies. Yet, no matter what the PDP does, the party will find it difficult to muster the number necessary to impeach the governor, except of course it opts for the Dariye method. In addition, as a direct consequence of the heavy-handedness of the president, the mutual suspicion between his home state of Bayelsa and Amaechi’s Rivers States over boundary adjustment and oil wells dispute will continue to foul the well of trust and engender more bitterness between the two

neighbouring states. Moreover, that Obasanjo got away with murder during his tenure, when many Nigerians were willing to sacrifice anything to consolidate democracy, does not mean Jonathan can get away with the same provocations. And at a time when the country is convulsing with unrest, kidnappings and sectarian rebellions, it amounts to sailing near the wind for the president to stoke more rebellion close to home.

Mr Amaechi has his faults, and has perhaps not shown enough restraint and prudence in some of his speeches and policies, but at least he was not elected to preside over the country. The PDP can misuse its powers and oppress its members as much as it wants, but it must not be allowed to flout the constitution by attempting to subordinate a state legislature to party whims or to destabilise the polity in order to advance narrow-minded party goals. The president, his party and Mr Amaechi can still pull back from the brink if they recognise that the country is greater than winning the next set of elections, and if they are smart enough to know that they are making, not ending, history. But perhaps, to them, this advice is unacceptable idealism.

•Concluded

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