The Nation November 1, 2011

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

News Hoodlums burn The Nation circulation van in Bayelsa Business CBN to review exchange rate as Naira weakens News Ajimobi stops Oyo State Council of Obas’ meeting

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VOL. 7, NO. 1931 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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States shun Abuja cash sharing meeting again Jonathan to meet governors today

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NOTHER attempt by the Federal Government to persuade the states to allow the sharing of the Federation Accounts cash for September failed yesterday.

States insist that they will accept their September allocation only when the N250 billion deducted by Federal Government agencies to fund “oil subsidy” is returned to the accounts.

A meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) – the body that statutorily outlines the sharing formula of the cash in the Federation Account among the tiers of government every month – slated for Abuja was yesterday shunned by Finance commissioners.

This is the second time in

AMCON names banks’ non-EDs

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HE Asset Management Corporaton of Nigeria (AMCON) has approved nine nonexecutive directors (EDs) for each of the three newly formed banks it acquired from the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). The banks are Keystone Bank Limited, Mainstreet Bank Limited and Enterprise Bank Limited. These appointments, according to a statement from AMCON, ....

From Nduka Chiejina and John Ofikhenua, Abuja

two weeks that they have boycotted the meeting.

On October 18, the commissioners staged a walkout over the N250 billion deducted by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

The action stalled the sharing of the September allocation, which is estimated at N1 trillion before the deductions.

Anambra State Finance Commissioner Mr. Eze Echesi, who is the co-ordinator of Finance Commissioners, described the deduction as “illegal withdrawal”.

At the Sheraton Hotel venue yesterday, some offi-

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Villas-Boas slams Mikel

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HELSEA boss Andre VillasBoas has accused Nigeria international Mikel Obi and his teammates of broken promises, in a furious training ground outburst ahead of tonight’s UEFA Champions League clash with Racing Genk of Belgium at Cristel Arena.

Continued on page 4

President, Buhari know fate today

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HE Presidential Election Petition Tribunal chaired by Justice Kummai Bayang Akaahs will today deliver judgment in the petition filed by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) against President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory in the April 16 election.

Notice of judgment was served yesterday on counsel after the Supreme Court struck out the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the petition.

The apex court held that the 60 days allowed for hearing and determination of an interlocutory appeal had elapsed.

The appeal arose from the July 14 ruling of the Presi-

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

dential Election Petitions Tribunal, then chaired by the suspended Appeal Court President, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, that held that the CPC’s petition, which was filed on a Sunday, is competent and proper in law.

Jonathan contested on the platform of the PDP. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari was the CPC’s candidate.

Jonathan and PDP had urged the Tribunal to dismiss the petition for being filed on Sunday, a public holiday.

But the Tribunal said that the petition was filed on a Sunday conferred no advantage on the petitioner, adding that it will be determined on Continued on page 4

Sport Page 24

World population hits seven billion

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•SEVEN BILLION: A nursing mother at the Yola Specialist Hospital, waiting to receive a gift from the Chairman, Adamawa State Planning Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Gamawa, to mark the celebration of seven billion world population day ... yesterday PHOTO: NAN

OING by the target set by demographers at the United Nations (UN) population unit, the world population hit a record seven billion yesterday. The division had set yesterday as the “symbolic” date for humanity to add another one billion people to the planet from 1999. Using slightly different calculations, the United States (US) Census Bureau estimates the seven billion threshold, will not be reached ...

NEWS Page 4

•ENERGY P13 •SPORT P23 •PROPERTY P25•POLITICS P37•AVIATION P47

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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NEWS

‘How fake drugs harmed Doctors do not manufacture drugs. They only prescribe drugs made by pharmacists. But, in doing their job, they have been victim of fake drugs. Lives have been lost and damaged, writes Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN

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E tells the story with a smile on his face now. But it would have been different if providence had not set in. Dr Ifeanyi Azubuike of the Military Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos had prescribed a drug for his father, who was asthmatic.

Then one day, he was called that his father’s condition was getting worse. He said: “I had an emergency call that my dad was dying. So, I had to rush home and seeing him I requested for his medicines and was told he has been on Franol. We took him to the hospital immediately and the doctor on duty gave him Franol again and in less than four hours he was responding well to treatment and by the following day, he was discharged.”

He later discovered that the Franol his father was given before being taken to hospital was fake and “that drug was prescribed by me and if my dad had died while taking it, they would have said I killed him.”

Azubuike said: “So many doctors have earned a vote of no confidence for medical accidents which after careful examinations have been traced to poor quality drugs and doctors are also prone to being sold fake drugs as only those who manufacture these HAT do you think is redrugs can confidently identify the sponsible for the incifake one by merely looking at the dence of fake or substandard drugs in this country? external features.”

The problem with fake drugs in If Azubuike was lucky with his dad, it was not so for Dr Jide Ade- this country is largely because of sanya who continues to live with greed and also because the governthe scar left on his practice by fake ment has not been very serious in drugs. A hypertensive patient was tackling the issue. I said greed, in admitted into his hospital. He said: the sense that people want to make “We had her medical history. So, more money than the worth of their it was not difficult for us to know services. On the side of the govwhat was wrong with her. The ernment, I want to blame it on legwoman was placed on Nifedipine islation. The current situation is and Propranalol. Both drugs were that when you are caught peddling bought from the hospital’s phar- fake drugs, punitive actions are too macy. She kept taking these drugs mild. That has made peddlers, that but wasn’t responding well. Her is, producers, importers, and reblood pressure kept rising with tailers to be adamant.

The effect of fake drugs is so enorevery dosage.

“We invited a consultant and as mous on the population. It affects part of his prescription requested the health of the nation which also for Hiaza- a brand of Nifedipine affects the economy of the nation. sold only in the United States. Drugs more often than not do not Somehow, we got the drug here cause deformity or disability or and by afternoon of that same day, even death at once. It accumulates her blood pressure came down. especially where drug is taken chronically for a long term. It may We were happy.”

But it was not yet celebration affect some systems or some ortime. Before she was given Hiaza, gans in the body and the cumulawhich helped to bring down her tive effect could be cell death, orblood pressure, the high BP had gan death systematic death or gencaused her a brain damage. “We eral death of the body.

What effects do fake drugs have found out that the temporal lobe of the brain had been affected bad- on the users? ly. She eventually died at 56 of brain damage six months after”.

Dr Bayo Adedigba, who works rushed in. I abandoned the patient in a private clinic in Lagos, will I was attending to in order to give never forget his experience with her urgent treatment because her fake drugs. As he put it: “It was a case was critical.

“She was examined and I prenasty experience that nearly made scribed some drugs for her. me lose my job and put a dent on Among the drugs prescribed was my 15-year career”.

“I was on night duty on January a particular syrup. Since the drugs 15 this year, when a patient with were not available in the hospiexcruciating stomach ache was tal, I had to call on our drug supplier, who is a qualified pharma-

‘We should treat fake drugs’ importers as murderers’

Dr Kayode Yemitan, acting Head of Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Lagos State University, spoke with LEKE SALAUDEEN

Fake drugs are those with zero concentration of active ingredients.

A fake drug will never have any effect on the ailment. For instance, using fake paracetamol made of chalk will have adverse effect.

Chalk is calcium carbonate. It has toxic effect in the body. In addition to not treating the ailment, it’s adding to the problem. Fake drug is evil. I think we should treat those

who import or produce fake drugs as murderers.

What about substandard or adulterated drugs?

In substandard drug, it could be that the dosage of the drug does not measure up to the required quantity that is expected to be in that drug. For instance, using substandard anti-malaria drug will predispose the patient to resistance strains of malaria because the drug will make the parasite to become more and more virulent. For example, there was a time in this country that everybody was using chloroquine to cure malaria. Today, the drug is no longer effective simply because a lot of chloroquine imported, especially from Asia were found to be substandard.

Mark you, substandard drugs could be effective to an extent. It may treat the disease up to 50 per cent level, depending on the quantity of the ingredients that are contained in the drug.

Those who know nothing about medicine are drug vendors in this country. What does this portend to public health?

There are two classes of drugs sold as retail namely: Counter drugs and Regulated or Prescribed drugs. It is not too much of a prob-

lem buying drugs for common ailments such as headache, ulcer and cough across the counter. But the problem is that a lot of prescription drugs are sold over the counter. The reason behind classifying those drugs is principally because of toxic or adverse effects. Any drug that after pre-clinical studies are found not to be too toxic, people are allowed to buy them from the counter. Or any drug that they believe taking large quantity of it will not have adverse effect on the patient is allowed to be sold over the counter without prescription.

But a drug that is not just hazardous but when the normal dosage is taken will have adverse effects or such drugs that affect sleep pattern are regulated, such as valium is being sold on counter which should not be. Regulation is the problem of Nigeria. The regulatory bodies are not doing their work as they should. They need more personnel to be able to cover every nooks and crannies of this country because much of these atrocities are perpetrated in rural areas and deep into the streets where regulatory officials hardly touch. There are cases patients in the hospitals who have abused drugs due to self medication.

cist to come to our rescue because it was around 1a.m. Leaving her till day break would worsen her condition.

“I gave the husband a note to the pharmacist and asked my driver to take him down. Within 30 minutes, they came back with the drugs.”

The syrup was first administered on her. The first spoonful of

the drug she took led to another problem. As she scooped the content into her mouth, her tongue and throat experienced a painful burning sensation, which left devastating effects on these vital organs. “The husband became restless and started raining abuses on me,” Dr Adedigba said. He even threatened to sue him if his wife died.

That same night, Adedigba said the woman was taken to a tertiary hospital where she was operated on and the syrup was flushed out of her system. She spent two months in the hospital.

“What came to my mind was that the drug had either been faked or made of substandard products.

Laboratory analysis confirmed that the drug she took was faked;

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•Dr. Yemitan

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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our patients’

ICPC recovers N13b from MDAs

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HE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said it has recovered about N13 billion from some selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The commission said the recovery was done through its System Studies Review of the affected MDAs. It said the money has been paid into the national traesury.

According to a statement by the Commision’s Head of Public Enlightenment, Mr. Mike Sowe, this was revealed in a paper presented at the ‘‘Roundtable on the Economic Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria”,

by ICPC’s Secretary Mr. Elvis Oglafa.

The event was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in conjunction with the African Institute of Applied Economics.

Oglafa identified the over-dependence on oil as a serious challenge in dealing with corruption in Nigeria.

He said: “The ICPC believes that there is not only enough evidence of corruption in Nigeria but that corruption is also an impediment to Nigeria‘s development. Therefore, the option we present to this

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

gathering is to help us fight it.’’

The statement added: “In highlighting the problem of funding facing the Commission, Mr Oglafa said the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong (ICAC) has an average of one investigator to 5,000 people and a budget of $12.30 per capita to fight corruption while the ICPC has a staff strength of 534 in a nation of about 150 million people and a per capita budget of 0.3 cents to fight corruption. ‘’The secretary said the Commission is happy with the attempt by the National Planning Commission to ensure that the 36 states establish Planning Commissions and Boards of Statistics, which would generate data for adequate planning.

“The plan will also remove the haphazard projects that have become a cesspool of corruption, that litter the landscape as abandoned projects, after billions have been expended on them.’’ ‘’He stressed the Commission`s readiness to partner the Office of the Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation in ensuring that corruption is eliminated to enable our development plans achieve their key objectives.”

Baba Suwe expected in court today •From left: A phone-based technology to detect fake drugs, which is now being deployed by pharmaceutical companies to curb fake and adulterated drugs; fake and substandard drugs being destroyed; Akunyili; and NMA chief Idris

it contained some corrosive elements,” Adedigba added.

A doctor at a clinic in Surulere, Lagos still feels bad each time he remembers a patient, Mrs Rita Okon, who came to report a minor cough. She started vomiting blood a day after she started administering a drug he prescribed.

The hospital had run out of supply of the cough drug, so the husband got one from a nearby patent medicine store. She was transferred to a specialist hospital.

Three major operations were performed on her before she finally died after six months on the hospital bed. However, laboratory analysis found that the cough syrup contained some corrosive elements.

Foreign medical doctors too have experienced the havoc that fake or substandard drugs perpetrate on patients in this country.

There was an incident at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital where foreign medical professionals from an international charity organisation visited Nigeria to perform operations on some children. In the course of performing the operations, they realised that that the drugs were not having the desired effects and they believed that they might be fake, so they had to suspend the operations and turn away other patients rather than risk lives. As a result, some children died.

However, the hospital never told the parents of the children what happened. The story blew up when the foreign medical professionals published what they knew and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) went into action and tested the medicines at the hospital. Most of them were faked and their origin was traced to Onitsha market.

A survey conducted by the World Health Organisation found more than half the drugs on sale in Nigeria were fake or substandard. It was found that Nigerian

hospitals were using contaminated drips, surgeons were using fake adrenalin to restart the heart and anaesthetists were using fake substrength muscle relaxant on patients in their operating theatres.

Nigeria is losing patients daily to fake drugs and this loss continues to erode the integrity of the nation’s health system and weakens the confidence of the average Nigerian in the capacity of Nigerian doctors.

Counterfeiters have been formidable foes and it does not seem that the war against fake drugs is being won.

NAFDAC is sustaining the fight by carrying out raids, seizure of fake products, public bonfires, close down and reopen markets believed to be hubs of fake drugs.

These many analysts say are not sustainable models for dealing with the problems of fake drugs.

The right legislation and policies, for instance, are not in place. Erstwhile Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili did acknowledge this anomaly when she said: “The war against counterfeit drugs, beverages and other food products in Nigeria is not backed by effective legislation that can ensure sustainable results and impact; as grievous as this crime is, which is even worse than armed robbery, the penalty is like a slap on the palm, the most ridiculous of which is a fine of N50,000. Any offender would gladly pay this fine and return to business next day.”

The president, Dr Omede Idris, said doctors are doing their best to keep to standards. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Monday, he said that although medical practice in Nigeria still had its challenges as in other developing countries, Nigerian doctors were doing well.

Idris said: “The basic things that are to be done are being done within the available manpower and working materials; that I can attest to.

“But the tendency is the belief that standards have not been maintained.

“Within the context of the Nigerian system, standards are being adhered to; Nigerian doctors are keeping to the expectations of their training and that of the council in charge of watching over them.’’

He said that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), had emphasised the need for Nigerians to report cases of medical negligence and misdiagnosis, adding that the council always followed such reports to the end.

Idris stressed the need for Nigerians to appreciate the efforts of medical practitioners in the country, because it was only when that was done that they would work effectively.

Dr Kayode Yemitan, acting Head of Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Lagos State University has blamed the growing incidence of fake and substandard drugs on lack of effective legislation that will strengthen the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) He said: “ NAFDAC still has a lot to do in order to achieve their set goals and objectives. They need to improve on their staff and expertise to counter the menace of fake and substandard drugs. Another thing is that NAFDAC should intensify on pre-shipment inspection. NAFDAC should go to where the drugs are being imported from and make sure that they supervise the production of the manufacturing companies before the drugs are imported to Nigeria. If NAFDAC has been part of production line, the problem of fake or substandard drugs will be reduced drastically. The locally produced drugs do not have too much problems because the regulatory bodies monitor their production except those who produce in unregistered locations.“

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OMEDIAN Babatunde Omidina, also known as Baba Suwe, alleged to have ingested substances believed to be hard drugs, may appear in court today.

Justice Yetunde Idowu of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, had ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to produce Omidina in court today.

This followed a Motion on Notice filed last Monday by Baba Suwe’s counsel, Mr. Babatunde Aturu, for an order directing the NDLEA to release the applicant from detention pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Aturu also prayed the court for an order directing the respondent to produce Omidina in court at the next sitting as an alternative.

Adesola Omidina, the first son of the comedian, in an affidavit deposed to in support of the motion, had argued that his father has been a diabetic patient for over five years and that the ailment may kill him since he has had no access to his doctor since his arrest and

By Adebisi Onanuga

detention by the NDLEA on October 12.

He also said his father told him that despite eating three times daily and defecating eight times before his visit, no narcotic substance has been found in his excrement.

Adesola Omidina said since nothing incriminating has been found in his father‘s excrement, his continued detention is not in the interest of justice.

He therefore prayed the court to grant the application for his father’s release.

NDLEA‘s Director of Legal Services Mr. Femi Oloruntoba did not oppose the application for Omidina‘s court appearance but expressed concern over a possible large turnout of fans and other supporters at the court premises in view of the popularity of the actor.

He urged the court to make a consequential order to prevent the breach of peace at the next sitting, saying “we are not opposing the application. The applicant is in good condition.”

Govt seeks $270m to eradicate malaria

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HE Federal Government is seeking $270 million to eradicate malaria in theNi-

geria.

According to a document available to The Nation, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, told a gathering of the Economic Management Implementation Team (EMIT) early this month that “a $270 million concessionary loan would be required for the execution of the programme.”

The minister said the loan would be repaid in 15 years, with a two year moratorium, a fixed interest rate of two per cent and a guarantee by the Ministry of Finance.

He said: “The integrated malaria test, treatment and eradication programme would bring all current malaria control strategies under a single project leading to total eradication.”

According to Chukwu, “about N88 billion or 12 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was being spent annually on the treatment of malaria related ailments,”

•Chukwu Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor

adding that ‘’this high malaria burden has a devastating impact on the economy.”

The goal, he said, is to reduce by 50 per cent malaria related morbidity and mortality in Nigeria by 2013 and minimise the socio-economic impact of the disease on Nigerians.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

NEWS

•Managing Director, Arik Air Mr. Chris Ndulue speaking at a news conference on the Company’s fifth year anniversary at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos ... yesterday. With him from left: Vice President, Ground Operations and Customer Services, Mr. Fernando Sevilla and Vice President, Flight Operations, Capt. Ado Sanusi.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

•From left: Facilitator, Etisalat-sponsored Nigerian Idol competition, Mr. Usee Ryhmes; Lead Competitor, Mr. Asaku Luper, and Etisalat Nigeria Youth Segments Manager, Mr. Idiare Atimomo, during the competition in Enugu ... yesterday

Senate invites Okonjo-Iweala, Alison-Madueke, Sanusi, over fuel subsidy removal

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HE Senate joint Committee probing the management of fuel subsidy scheme yesterday invited Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, her Petroleum Resources counterpart, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, to appear before it to explain the ‘’unprecedented rise’’ in the fund expended on fuel subsidy this year.

Others included Group Managing Director (GMD) Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr.Austen Oniwon, Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Abdullahi Dikko, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Sa’ad Ibrahim and Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).

They are to appear before the committee on Thursday.

Committee Chairman on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) Senator Magnus Abe disclosed the names of those invited at a news conference in Abuja .

Part of the invitation letter reads: “The Senate at its sitting on Wednesday, 12the September, 2011 considered a motion entitled: ‘Investigation into the current fuel subsidy management” and mandated its joint committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Appropriation, and Finance to investigate the operation of the fuel subsidy scheme.”

“The joint committee in carrying out its mandate resolved to request your initial reaction in a written brief and to invite you to meet the committee.”

Rep: policy has eroded peoples’ confidence MEMBER of the House of Representatives, Kamil Akinlabi yesterday kicked against the planned removal of subsidy on petroleum products, saying the proposal has eroded people’s confidence in the government.

Akinlabi, who is the Chairman, Committee on Youth Development, dismissed the existence of subsidy in the first place, while noting that hopes and aspirations of Nigerians have been turned to game by those in authority.

“There is no subsidy on petroleum products; government is only interested in passing the bucks. People no longer trust the government because it has told so many lies; no capital project has been implemented 100 per cent since the advent of democracy,” Besides, the lawmaker pointed out that promises of investing proceeds of removed subsidy in infrastructural development have

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By Onyedi Ojiabor and Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu

It said that the brief should explain the entire procedure for administering the subsidy, sources of fund and “why there has been an unprecedented rise in the quantum of subsidy in the latter part of this year than we had at the beginning” of the year.

Abe noted that “there are some interests in the assignment given to the joint committee.”

He said the committee met and agreed on a module that would enable it to conduct an open and fair investigation into the operation of fuel subsidy in the country.

The joint committee, he added, would first meet with heads of government agencies involved in operation of fuel subsidy after which memoranda would be invited from

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja never materialised.

“The Obasanjo government removed fuel subsidy but Nigerians are yet to see the projects delivered. The former President demolished all the toll gates in the country and levied road tax with certain percentage to be given to Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), up till now, nobody knows exactly how much that money generated from road tax is and nobody has been made to render any accounts in that regard.

“Meanwhile, FERMA cannot perform because it is grossly underfunded. The FERMA created by the government to maintain about 74 per cent of Nigerian roads does not have the funds to meet the challenge and thus we continue to have bad roads all over the country.”

interested members of the public.

He said:“The meeting with heads of government agencies will be open, We want to assure Nigerians that the investigation will be transparent and open and whatever we get will be passed over to the Senate to draw its conclusion.

“The first meeting with heads of government agencies is important in order for the joint committee to be fully briefed for us to understand issues involved.

“It is not a witch hunt, there is no preconceived mindset, we are going into it with open mind, we will be transparent in the way we go about the assignment.”

Senator Bukola Saraki, who sponsored the motion that led to the probe had claimed that unless urgent steps were taken, the Federal Government may

spend N1.3 trillion on fuel subsidy at the end of the year.

Saraki, who represents Kwara Central, noted that the amount was far above N240 billion provided in the 2011 budget for fuel subsidy.

Senate President David Mark referred to the existence of a “cabal and mafia” in the nation’s oil industry.

Nigerians expect the joint committee to unmask the cabal and members of the mafia operating in the oil industry.

Observers however felt that the investigation may have failed even before it started following admission by the joint committee that it needed briefing before the actual probe.

Mrs Okonjo Iweala, Mrs Allison-Madueke and their Labour counterpart Emeka Wogu will today meet with Labour and civil society groups in Abuja on the controversial policy.

The roundtable discussion is at the instance of Initiative for Peace and Industrial Harmony, a group which claims to be “an open platform of life-long students union and labour veterans who have fought and are still fighting against social injustice.”

The meeting is targeted at resolving all differences and manage disagreements with respect to challenges of petroleum subsidy withdrawal devoid of any strike or disruption to economic and political life of the nation thereby preventing national crisis.

Others expected at the meeting include Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), ActionAid International, National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

The Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Chief John Kolawole told The Nation yesterday that TUC will be represented.

NLC also said it would attend.

But oil workers under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) wont attend. Its President Comrade Igwe Achese said the union will not attend because the union’s position on subsidy withdrawal has not changed.

World population hits seven billion

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OING by the target set by demographers at the United Nations (UN) population unit, the world population hit a record seven billion yesterday.

The division had set yesterday as the ‘symbolic’ date for humanity to ass another one billion people to the planet from 1999.

Using slightly different calculations, the United States (US) Census Bureau estimates the seven billion threshold, will not be reached until March.

Under any methodology, demographers agree that hu-

manity remains on a steep growth curve, which is likely to keep climbing through the rest of this century.

The U.N.’s best estimate is that population will march past 9.3 billion by 2050 and exceed 10.1 billion by the end of the century.

It could be far more, if birth rates do not continue to drop as they have in the last halfcentury.

Nearly all the projected growth in the century is expected to occur in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, while the combined populations in Eu-

rope, North America and other wealthy industrialized nations will remain relatively flat.

Some countries, such as Germany, Russia and Japan, are poised to edge downward, their loss made up mostly by ongoing growth in the United States, which is bolstered by waves of immigrants.

The buildup to yesterday’s milestone has briefly turned up the flame on long-simmering debates about growth on a finite planet: Whether a growing population or growing consumption remains the biggest environmental challenge, how

best to help lift a billion people out of poverty and misery, whether governments should provide contraception for those who cannot afford it.

The new leader of the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, an obstetriciangynecologist, stepped gingerly into the fray. His agency remains a favorite punching bag of anti-abortion activists in the US for its role in supporting family planning clinics in developing countries.

“Instead of asking questions like, ‘Are we too many?’ we should instead be asking,

‘What can I do to make our world better?’” wrote Osotimehin in the annual State of the World Population report.

The report chronicles disparities between rich nations and poor ones. Poor countries continue to have low education levels and startlingly high rates of teenage pregnancy and maternal and child deaths due to complications from childbirth.

“In many parts of the developing world, where population growth is outpacing economic growth, the need for reproductive health services, especially family planning, remains great,” Osotimehin concluded.

States shun Abuja meeting Continued from page 1

cials of the Federal Ministry of Finance were waiting for the commissioners, to no avail.

But it was not clear whether FAAC chair said Minister of State for Finance Alhaji Lawal Yerima Ngama was at the venue.

It was gathered that some of the Commissioners met with Ngama, but declined to show up for the FAAC meeting.

“The refusal of the commissioners to attend the meeting is not unconnected with the scheduled meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and governors,” a source said.

The meeting between the President and Governors will now hold today at the Presidential Villa, it was gathered.

The President is believed to have, while in Australia, called for the meeting to break the ice in the frosty relationship between the Federal Government and the states.

“We operate under the instruction of our governors. If our governors ask us to attend the FAAC meeting, we will do so. But for now, we do not have such instruction,” a Commissioner said.

A meeting of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) will precede today’s meeting with the President.

The governors are also battling the Federal Government over the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) and the review of the revenue allocation formula.

They are at the Supreme Court seeking the declaration of the SWF as illegal.

President, Buhari know fate today Continued from page 1

merit and not ‘technicality’.

Dissatisfied, the PDP approached the apex court. But the interlocutory appeal could not be heard within the 60 days allowed.

The apex court directed all parties to go back to the Tribunal, which will deliver judgment in the substantive matter today.

At the last sitting, Jonathan and the ruling PDP disagreed openly on the status of the appeal.

The Justice Kummai Bayang Akaahs-led five-man panel will today deliver judgment in the substantive suit.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 2011

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NEWS

Militants burn The Nation’s van Suspected militants, yesterday morning, in Mbiama, a boundary town between Bayelsa and Rivers states, which is the hub of oil bunkering, burnt a van belonging to Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation, report BISI OLANIYI and ISAAC OMBE HE scene: Mbiama, a boundary town between Bayelsa and Rivers states. Solomon Amajuoyi, a driver with Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation, arrived in the town regarded as a hub of illegal oil bunkering. He is not strange to the area.

The time was 4.30am. But, unknown to him, there was trouble.

The first inkling he got was when he heard someone say: “This is one of the newspapers carrying the stories and not supporting us.”

Before he knew it, they descended on him. Minutes later, the Toyota Hilux van with which he was conveying yesterday’s edition of The Nation, Sporting Life and this week’s edition of The News, was set ablaze.

The Hilux van, with registration number XR 264 LND, was first used by the protesting militants to block the East-West Road, obstructing traffic on the road, currently being dualised by the Federal Government, through Setraco Construction Company.

Amajuoyi said the militants collected his N10,500, mobile telephone handset, a pair of sandals, his identity card and the vehicle’s key. A good Samaritan gave him N500 with which he paid his fare to Port Harcourt.

He said: “I have been hearing of militants; that was my first time of seeing them in action. They carried more sophisticated guns, which they were shooting sporadically at Mbiama Junction and the mobile policemen at the nearby check point ran away.”

He added: “I am alive by the grace of God. I am from Abia State and the head of my family. I have been driving The Nation vehicle since 2008 and going to Calabar. I started moving to Yenagoa and Warri route in the last one month.

“I got to Mbiama Junction around 4:30 am and I wanted to drop the parcels going to Yenagoa at the junction as usual, before moving to Warri. I saw a group of boys.

So many of them with guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons. As I alighted, they rushed at the vehicle and used stones to break the windscreen and side glasses, when they saw The Nation on both sides.

“The boys were saying ‘this is one of the newspapers criticising and not supporting’ them, declaring that they would burn the vehicle, and me with the newspapers and The News magazine. They ordered me to return to the vehicle, but I refused and they started beating me with sticks and other items.

“As I was escaping into the bush, I saw the boys pouring petrol from a 20-litre can onto the vehicle and its contents. The Toyota Hilux was then driven by one of the youths to block the East-West Road before setting it ablaze.

“I continued to run in the bush, in case they might be pursuing me, because I overheard some of the boys saying ‘where is the driver?’ and asking me to come back and pick my phone, money, ID card and sandals, but I saw it as a ploy to push me into the burning vehicle and I kept running.”

Soldiers in two Toyota Hilux vans later came to disperse the boys.

As the soldiers were shooting into the air, the boys were running into the bush, shooting at the military men, who had superior fire power.

The driver said: “Somebody gave me N500 for transport to Port Harcourt when I narrated my ordeal. I paid N400 to Rumuokoro, Port Harcourt and N100 for intra-city

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•From top: the burnt van; and Amajuoyi...yesterday

transportation to the office at Mile 1, Diobu. If the company replaces the burnt vehicle, I will not be discouraged and I will still continue to drive on the route. I take what happened as one of the hazards of the job.”

The spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt.-Col. Timothy Antigha, confirmed the incident and said the situation was under control, with soldiers at the scene since 2 am.

Lt.-Col. Antigha also described the protesters as a “bunch of criminals”, whom he said were not part of the authentic ex-militants. He said some of the repentant militants, who recently protested at the same spot, disowned the “self-acclaimed” former warlords and were even stoning them.

An ex-militant group, known as the “Third Phase” of the Federal Amnesty programme, Bayelsa State chapter, has condemned the action of the ex-militants against

The Nation.

The group’s Secretary-General, Mr. Tonye Bobo, in a statement, said: “We condemn the riot by some ex-militant agitators on the East/West Mbiama road earlier this morning.

“We call for immediate halt to this wanton destruction of property.

“The third phase of the Federal Amnesty Programme has embraced the non-violence approach to achieve our goals for proper documentation and training.”

But the Amnesty Committee said it was not aware of the Third Phase.

In a statement by its Head, Media and Communications, Mr. Henry Ugbolue, said: “Closure has since been achieved in the disarmament and demobilisation phases of the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.

A total of 26,358 persons (in two phases) accepted the offer of amnesty at the expiration of the stipulated deadline.

The boys were saying this is one of the newspapers criticising and not supporting them, declaring that they would burn me and the vehicle, with the newspapers and The News magazine. They ordered me to return to the vehicle, but I refused and they started beating me with sticks and other items. As I was escaping into the bush, I saw the boys pouring petrol from a 20litre can onto the vehicle and its contents

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“Given that the clamour for the expansion of the Programme to admit more persons is a distraction that could do immense harm to the Programme, Kuku is urging champions of this cause to desist.”

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy Nathan Egba condemned the perpetrators.

He said: “The Bayelsa State government wishes to condemn the attack on the circulation van belonging to The Nation by some unidentified persons around Mbiama, who accused the paper of supporting Governor Sylva… Having failed in their expectations of a negative Supreme Court judgment before the party primaries and their hopes of the governor not being cleared at the screening also dashed, these people now seem to have resorted to violence as we saw at the PDP Secretariat in Abuja and now the burning of a private newspaper’s vehicle.”

500 choristers for cancer concert

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ISTRICT 16, Knights of Saint John International, Lagos Grand Commandery, will hold a concert in support of children living with cancer.

The event, slated for November 5, at Christ the King Catholic Church, Akowonjo, Egbeda, Lagos, will feature 500 choristers from Agege Deanery, Lagos.

Expected at the event are wife of former Governor of Cross River State Mrs Onari Duke, Director of Social Communication, Lagos Catholic Archdiocese, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, and the Lagos Grand President, Sir Kola Olowu, among others.

Speaking on the planned concert, District 16 Commander Sir Rufus Ezeakacha said the concert for children living with cancer has become necessary because children are a vulnerable group.

He said they face unique challenges and are mostly voiceless and require special needs. Importantly, the period of growth that occurs in childhood has profound effects on future health and quality of life enjoyed in adulthood.

The concert, which is supported

by Fidson Healthcare Plc, is also aimed at creating awareness for the ailment.

According to the General Manager, Marketing, Fidson Plc, Mr Ola Ijimakin, this event is laudable and charitable, hence ‘’we are identifying with it. It is no doubt in line with our company’s belief of placing value to life’’.

ICPC probes police pension office

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HE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said it is interrogating a Deputy Director with the Department of Police Pensions Office, Mrs. Uzoma Attang, over alleged corruption.

The statement said: “A Deputy Director with the Department of Police Pensions Office, Mrs. Uzoma Attang, is currently answering questions at the ICPC Headquarters regarding her involvement in allegations of several infractions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

“Mrs Uzoma, who, while serving as deputy director, Accounts, in the Lagos Bureau of the Police Pensions Office, was at the same time serving as a director in some private companies, including: Status Symbol Rentals, Royal Diadem Business Logistics Ltd, Amazing Grace Property Development Ltd and Enyiuzo Ventures Ltd. “According to our findings, the companies under her management transacted businesses to the tune of tens of millions of naira, some of which were in cash in violation of the Money Laundering Act 2004.

“However, the Commission is investigating the sources of the funds and taxes thereon.

“Documents obtained from relevant agencies and banks by the ICPC indicate that she has been the main or sole signatory to the accounts of the companies from inception until December 24, 2008 and March 6, 2009, when she resigned from the companies, though she has since remained a shareholder.

“She is likely to be charged to court for violating the ICPC Act 2000 and the Public Service Rules, at the end of investigation.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

NEWS ‘Tinubu, a beacon of hope to Nigerians’ CTION Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Legal Adviser Dr. Muiz Banire has described the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as an astute politician, who stands as a beacon of hope to Nigerians, at home and in the Diaspora.

Banire spoke in Lagos at the weekend at the inauguration of an office complex named after Tinubu by the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA). He extolled his (Tinubu) virtues for his uprightness and determination to liberate Nigerians.

The ACN legal adviser, who represented Tinubu as special guest of honour, hailed the council boss, Omoyele Sulaimon for putting up the edifice as a befitting legacy for the incoming administration not knowing he would be the beneficiary. Leaders should always endeavour to serve their people selflessly, he said.

Banire admonished leaders not to restrict themselves to their tenure when initiating projects or programmes that could benefit the people, advising that whatever they do to the people they serve should always outlive them. He cited the example of Tinubu, who as outgoing governor of Lagos State in 2007, invested in a new office complex for his successor.

Sulaimon, who is serving a third term, said his intention for initiating the office complex was to follow the footsteps of Tinubu, who carried out a similar project as an out-going governor, not knowing that posterity would favour him to return to office as a beneficiary.

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Arms importation: Army chief concludes testimony in secret

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BRIG-GEN, Gabriel Olalere Oladipo yesterday concluded his evidence in secret before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

He was invited to testify for the prosecution in the case involving an Iranian, Azim Aghajani and a Nigerian, Alli Abass Jega. They are standing trial for alleged unlawful importation of arms from the Republic of Iran.

Yesterday was the second time the case would be conducted in secret due to Oladipo’s appearance on October 24.

Proceedings were concluded with the cross-examination of Gen Oladipo by Jega’s lawyer, Mr. Aliyu Yawuri. Aghajani’s lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, had earlier cross-examined the witness.

The case had always been conducted in the open court until last Monday when presiding judge, Justice Okechukwu Okeke ordered everyone including lawyers, litigants and reporters, except the accused and their lawyers, out of the court.

The judge had justified his decision to safeguard national security as the army chief could reveal some state secret in the course of giving evidence.

On October 24, lead prosecution lawyer, Mrs. Olufemi Fatunde (a Director of Prosecution in the Federal Ministry

By Eric Ikhilae

of Justice) had started leading the Army boss, (who was the eight witness in the matter) in evidence-in-chief prior to the judge’s directive.

The witness had told the court that he is a director of ammunition at the headquarters of the Army, Abalti Barracks, Surulere Lagos.

He added that he was commissioned into the army in 1991after three years in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and that he had been deployed in many arms and ammunition depot across Nigeria.

Oladipo also gave evidence on the army’s procurement policy.

He said: “Nigerian Army has procurement policy based on threat analysis...” but before he could continue, Justice Okereke quickly intervened and inquired from the prosecution whether she did not consider the matter about to be related by the witness to be security sensitive enough to be heard in secrecy.

Fatunde took the hints of the court and agreed that the evidence of her witness could be heard after the court had been cleansed of non-interested parties, a position also held by other layers in the case.

Trial has been adjourned to December 12.

Nyako, Akpabio get awards

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DAMAWA State Governor Murtala Nyako; his AkwaIbom State counterpart Godswill Akpabio and elderstatesman Edwin Clark are among prominent dignitaries expected at this year’s edition of the African Leadership Summit. The theme of the summit is Enhancing Policy Consistency in Governance: Pathway to Sustainable Growth and Development in Africa.

The conference will hold next month.

In a statement, Board Chairman of Leadtimes Africa Magazine, organisers of the event, Prof Buba Mshelia said: “The summit is designed to promote Good Governance in African Leadership”.

According to Buba, prominent African personalities will be conferred with the prestigious merit awards in different categories.

Other awardees include:

Chief Albert Horsfall, Chairman, Rivers State Social Rehabilitation Committee; the Chairman of SUBEB, Benue State, Dr. David Tsenven; the Commissioner in charge of Kogi and Kwara at the Federal Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Yusuf Olowu and the first woman professor in Bauchi State, Fatima Ja’far Tahir of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.

Others are Brig Gen Nnamdi Okorie-Affia, Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC); Abubakar Idris Garba of the House of Representatives; Senators Heneiken Lokpobiri and Odion Ugbesia. Prof E.A. Adelekan of the Department of Chemistry, University of Jos. Prof Anthony E. Onweagba of the Imo State University and Chief Uchenna Chukwuemeka Chijiago Elekwa, Executive Secretary, Abia State Secondary Education Board are also listed for the award.

Supreme Court orders Shettima, Goni to return to tribunal T HE Supreme Court yesterday set aside the stay of action granted by the Court of Appeal in the proceedings at the Borno State election petition tribunal.

The court ordered the parties in the suit to return to the tribunal for hearing of the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the April 26, 2011 polls, Alhaji Mohammed Goni.

Goni is challenging the victory of Governor Kashim Shettima.

Justice Walter Onnonghen, who vacated the order of the Court of Appeal said that an interlocutory appeal in a case cannot operate as a stay in an election matter which, must be concluded within a period of time.

The Electoral Act 2010 said that election petition must be heard and determined within 180 days.

Justice Onnonghen, who led four other justices in deciding the appeal said that the lower court has no power to stay the proceedings of the tribunal.

Goni had challenged the

•Shettima...yesterday From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

ruling of the election petition tribunal which, adjourned its sitting indefinitely after the Court of Appeal stayed the proceedings of the tribunal.

Shetima, in his appeal, asked the apex court to set aside an interim order stopping the tribunal from pro-

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

ceeding to deliver a ruling earlier slated for September 20.

His counsel Mr. Yusuf Ali (SAN), had prayed the fiveman panel to hold that the stay of proceedings granted by the Court of Appeal, Jos, was illegal.

He said the mandatory provisions of Paragraph 18 of the election tribunal and Court Practice Direction

2011, made by President of the Court of Appeal for the regulation of proceedings before the trial tribunal, forbids the granting of stay of proceedings in an interlocutory appeal at the tribunal.

He urged the apex court to set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Jos and also asked the apex court for an order remitting the matter to a different panel of the Court of Appeal constituted by the President of the Court of Appeal to be heard on its merit.

Counsel to Goni and the PDP, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), said that they proceeded to the appellate court to ensure that their case before the election petition tribunal does not become extinct on November 13 pursuant to Section 285 (6)of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Fagbemi stressed that for the mere fact that an interlocutory application is before an appellate court does not mean that a substantive judgment has been entered by the tribunal to warrant counting of the 60 days.

Reps kick as govt agencies shun Public Account Committee’s invitation

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HE House of Representatives’ Public Account Committee (PAC) yesterday restated its determination to sanction any Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA) that delays the submission of its audited report, signed by Auditor-General for the Federation (AGF).

Of the 98 government institutions invited to an interactive session with the PAC over the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), only a few people turned up with the apex bank’s Deputy Governor Tunde Lemo.

PAC Chairman Solomon Adeola said the low turnout of accounting officers of government corporations, boards and other public entities at the session confirmed that they were bent on frustrating the efforts of the PAC. He linked the development, which he said began with previous PAC’s committees, to the resentment Federal Government agencies attached to accountabil-

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

ity as stipulated in the nation’s financial laws.

Adeola noted that over the years, indifference among government officials to provide the committee with audited accounts of MDAs had frustrated the committee’s work.

He said cases of unexamined Auditor-General’s reports, dating back to 2003, were pending before the committee because of the uncooperative attitude of accounting officers and accounts departments of the government organisations.

The committee chairman said the meeting was meant to sort out the challenges facing the committee in the discharge of its mandate.

Adeola said: “It is claimed that majority of the agencies have continually created unnecessary impediments

to prevent the committee from doing a good job on the Auditor-General Report on their state of finances as contained in their annual financial report.”

He however warned defaulting MDAs on the submission of their audited accounts to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to be ready to face sanctions, saying the committee was empowered by Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution to examine the Auditor General on the accounts of MDAs and to ensure transparency and accountability in the conduct of government financial transactions.

“It is regrettable to note that while government officials relish being entrusted with public funds, ironically they loath the idea of being called to account for the funds entrusted to their care.

“The lack of accountability in our public sector finance management has giv-

en rise to the cancer of financial corruption in our public life. Certainly this cannot continue if our country is to experience meaningful socio-economic development”.

The lawmaker however warned the affected organizations with outstanding query issues to “brace up, dust up their records and assemble their defenses and be ready to appear to defend their agencies once they are called upon to do so”.

Nov 7, 8 are holidays THE Federal Government has declared November 7 and 8 as public holidays to mark the Eid-el- Kabir festival. The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, who announced the holidays in a statement yesterday in Abuja on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, urged all Muslim faithful to pray for the nation’s enduring peace and progres.

•Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi (right), Deputy Director, Root and Tuber Crops, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Odeyemi Julius (left); Technical Adviser (Operations) to the Minister of Agriculture, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Adetunji and Team Leader/Chief Technical Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture (Value Chain), Dr Martin Fregene during the kick-off of Cassava Transformation Action Plan and Implementation Strategy in Ekiti State...at the weekend

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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NEWS Dokpesi: Court rules tomorrow in bankruptcy suit

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Amosun was duly elected, says tribunal

GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun was duly elected on April 26, the

By Eric Ikhilae Election Petition Tribunal JUSTICE Mohammed Idris of said in Abeokuta, the Ogun the Federal High Court in State capital, yesterday.

Lagos will, tomorrow, rule Affirming the election of on a bankruptcy suit brought the Action Congress of Niagainst business magnate, geria (AC N) standard Raymond Dokpesi, by one of bearer, the tribunal also his bankers, Fidelity Bank Plc. dismissed the petition filed The judge chose the date against Amosun’s election yesterday after entertaining

by Gen. Adetunji Idowu arguments from parties on an Olurin of the Peoples application for stay of Democratic Party (PDP). proceedings filed by Dokpesi.

The tribunal, which said The bank is praying the the petition was dismissed court to, among others, for lack of merit, orderd the declare the businessman petitioner to pay N10,000 bankrupt for allegedly each to Amosun and other unable to repay some respondents. facilities, estimated at about The PDP had sued N7.5billion it offered Daar Amosun, the ACN and the Communications in 2009 as Independent National part finance of its daily Electoral Commission operations.

(INEC), urging the panel to The loans were also said to declare Olurin as the have been deployed to Daar candidate with the highest Communication’s broadcast number of valid votes and of the FIFA under-17 World return him winner.

Cup, which Nigeria hosted.

It also prayed the tribunal Dokpesi reportedly to order INEC to issue guaranteed the loans.

Olurin, a Certificate of Dokpesi’s lawyer Mike Return as the lawful Ozekhome (SAN) urged the winner, and in the event that court to stay proceedings on the above prayers were not the matter pending the granted, the tribunal should determination of an appeal he in the alternative declare as intends to file against an a “nullity” the election that order of the court made on produced Amosun as October 5. governor.

The court had, on October 5, In its third relief, the petielected to hear both the tioner asked the tribunal to objection and the bank’s order INEC to conduct a petition together because they fresh governorship election could be decided solely on in Ogun State, saying should documentary evidence. a fresh poll be organised, the Ozekhome argued that Peoples Party of Nigeria having indicated his intention (PPN) and its candidate, to appeal out of time, the Gboyega Isiaka, should be lower court could stay barred from participating as proceedings pending the a party and candidate. determination of his The petitioner had premapplication for leave.

Verdict is call to duty, says governor

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OR Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the tribunal judgment, which affirmed his victory in the April 26 governorship election is a call to duty.

He promised to justify the mandate freely given to him by the people with “rehabilitation of more roads and renovation of schools” in the three senatorial districts.

Amosun was reacting to suggestions from a crowd of excited party supporters at the Governor’s Office. They hailed the tribunal’s ruling.

The governor said he was surprised that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could go to the tribunal to challenge his electoral victory when it had congratulated him when the results were announced.

He said: “The verdict is a further confirmation of the mandate freely and peacefully given to me by the good people of Ogun State in the last election.”

The state chapter of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) hailed the vedict, saying the tribunal, headed by Justice Bashir Sukola, gave a clean bill of health to the April governorship election as a reflection of the will of the people.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary; Alhaji Sola Lawal, the party described the judgment “as correct and pro-people, adding that it was a “triumph of popular will of the people as against the macabre dance of erstwhile usurpers of the people’s mandate.”

The statement reads: “In a normal clime, the petitioner(s) in the ill-fated legal tango would bury their heads in shame, not only for the massive rejection they suffered at the polls, but also on From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

ised his reason for challenging the outcome of the April 26 poll on the grounds that Amosun was not qualified to stand for an election coupled with claims that INEC did not comply substantially with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.

According to the petitioner, Amosun did not have the

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

account of the ignoble revelations about their one-time principal by the nation’s anti-graft agency.

“The will of Ogun State people is sacrosanct with regard to the last general elections, which was resoundingly expressed at the polls.

“Although ACN appreciates the rights of individuals to seek legal redress in moments of conflict, the move by the petitioners in this particular case was from all intents and purposes meant to distract the Amosun administration.”

The party urged the administration to put the past behind it and forge ahead in the task to rebuild the state.

Also reacting, counsel to Amosun and ACN, Dr. Olumide Ayeni and Mr. George Oyeniyi, described the verdict as a “noteworthy decision”.

They noted that it would put to rest the agitations by both parties.

Ayeni described it as “an erudite and competent decision arrived at under a very difficult circumstance, which will usher in a democratic culture that should be nurtured.

Oyeniyi hailed the “industry put into the judgment as it will put to rest agitations by both sides”.

The petitioners’ lawyer, T.O. Amao, who also hailed the judgment, said his team would consult with his clients to know whether or not to appeal the verdict.

West African Examination Council (WAEC) Ordinary Level results as at last April and that the one he claimed to have obtained in 1978 and submitted in the INEC application form was allegedly forged.

The PDP also complained of multiple voting, disenfranchisement of voters, wrongful substitution of candidates and vote splitting.

After going through the

submissions of the perties, the tribunal dismissed the petition. It said it did not only lack “merit” but that the petitioner also failed to discharge the burden of proof of the allegations levelled against the respondents.

It said the petitioner’s allegation of wrongful substitution of the PPN candidate, Gboyega Isiaka, by INEC “is not within the jurisdiction of

Four jailed for visa fraud

Assembly screens nominees From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

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By Joseph Jibueze

A LAGOS State High Court, Ikeja, yesterday jailed four men for defrauding a woman of N2.25 million after promising to help her procure a United Kingdom visa and two Shenghen visas.

Justice Habeeb Abiru found Chinedu Oji, Adeshina Yahaya, Sunday Okewu and Stanley Njoku guilty.

He said Oji and Yahaya were guilty of conspiracy and fraud. He sentenced each of them to nine years’ imprisonment.

They also received two years’ imprisonment on each of the seven counts of forgery.

Okewu, a banker, was convicted on uttering charges. He was accused of assisting Oji to open an Ecobank account under a false name. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

The Judge held that the banker assisted Oji to open an account with the false name of Johnson Williams Briggs. He admitted collecting N100,000 for the purpose.

Njoku was jailed seven years after he was found gulty of conspiracy of obtaining money by false pretence.

He was said to have pretended to be a driver to the Chief Protocol Officer of Chevron at a meeting with the victim, and had induced her to part with N1,590,000 for the visas.

this tribunal” to adjudicate.

Reading the unanimous judgment on behalf of his colleagues, Justice Bashir Sukola held that the petitioner only tendered some documents before.

It called one witness – Mr Semiu Sodipo - whose oral evidence or testimony was based on what was told him by others.

Sodipo, the tribunal said, failed to show documentary evidence to substantiate the claims that Amosun was not qualified to stand for an election as at the time he did or did not possess the academic results submitted to INEC. The court said: “Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, in his evidence, said he was informed by many people who were disenfranchised.

This will amount to inadmissible hearsay evidence.”

The court also held that the PDP was unable to substantiate claims of overvoting, disenfranchisement of voters before or during the election in favour of Amosun.

Justice Sukola said: “The tribunal should not be made to speculate what had happened to fill the gap of what the petitioner failed to substantiate or provide.

“We have done our calculation. Even if the votes of the fourth respondent (Gboyega Isiaka) and the petitioner were put together, the second respondent (Amosun) will be leading by 51,738 votes. There is no merit in the petition and this court, therefore, dismisses it. That is our judgment.”

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (right) with Are Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao, when he visited the governor at the Government House, Osogbo...yesterday

HE Nasarawa State House of Assembly yesterday in Lafia, the state capital, began the screening of 18 commissioner-nominees sent to it two weeks ago by Governor Tanko Al-Makaura.

Seven of them were yesterday screened by the legislators.

They included a two-time House of Assembly member, Samuel Alu, who represented Nasarawa Eggon West State Constituency.

Al-Makura had sent the list of the commissionernominees and 20 advisers to the Assembly for consideration and approval.

Though the Assembly accepted the 18 commissioner-nominees for screening, it reduced the number of advisers to 15 with a proviso that 13 of them must come from each of the 13 local governments.

Tribunal affirms Jang’s election as Tallen’s petition is dismissed

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HE Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, yesterday dismissed the petition by Dame Pauline Tallen, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) challenging the re-election of Governor Jonah Jang.

The judgment, which lasted over three hours, was delivered under tight security, with the police and the Special Task Force (STF) deploying

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

about 5,000 of their men to ensure peace.

All roads leading to the tribunal venue were barricaded with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) manned by a combined team of the police, STF and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s

(INEC’s) result of the April 26 governorship election showed that Jang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 823,536 to defeat Tallen, who polled 4949,975.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, the LP candidate had taken her case to the tribunal, complaining that the electoral guidelines in the Electoral Act, 2010, were not complied with.

But Jang and the PDP argued that the election was free, fair and complied with the Electoral

Act. They prayed the court to dismiss the petition for lack of merit.

Tallen presented 94 witnesses to substantiate her claims while Jang presented nine witnesses in defence of his election.

Tribunal Chairman Justice Joseph Jella said: “The assertion made by the petitioners regarding overvoting, snatching of ballot boxes, stuffing of ballot boxes, are criminal issues that should

be proved beyond reasonable doubt, which the petitioners failed to do. They have, therefore, failed to convince the tribunal that the allegations were true.

“On the issue of disenfranchising voters, the petitioners did not present any voter so disenfranchised as witness to convince the tribunal. The petition is, therefore, dismissed for lack of merit and the election of Jang on the April 26 election is credible and is hereby upheld.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

NEWS Ekiti won’t honour Abacha, says commissioner

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HE Ekiti State Government yesterday denied plans by the state to honour the late former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha. It said the late dictator did nothing to merit honour.

Commissioner for Information Funminiyi Afuye was reacting to calls by a group, Ekiti Eye, for the immortalisation of the late Abacha, who created the state 15 years ago.

Afuye said: “We cannot honour him. Ekiti is not his creation. Ekiti has existed from time immemorial. That somebody carved it as a geographical entity is not enough for honour. This is especially against the backdrop that Abacha was not a democrat.

“This government is a product of the struggle for democracy, which Abacha opposed in his life time. We cannot honour him. We only honour people who have made positive contributions to the lives of our people.”

Ekiti State was carved out of the Old Ondo State on October 1, 1996, with five other states, during the late Abacha’s regime.

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

Ekiti Eye President Gbenga Ogedengbe had, at a book presentation in Ado-Ekiti last week, urged the state government to honour the late Abacha for creating the state.

Ogedengbe had said: “If not for the late General Abacha, Ekiti would probably not be talking about Government House or House of Assembly.

For Abacha’s October 1, 1996 decisive action, he deserves to be remembered always and appreciated by Ekiti people.”

Ogedengbe also canvassed that similar recognitions should be accorded to selected senior citizens of the state, who contributed to its creation, development and sustenance, such as former Military Governor of the Old Western State of Nigeria, General Adeyinka Adebayo; former Deputy Governor of the Old Ondo State Chief Akin Omoboriowo; an educationist, Pa Ojo Falegan; and the first Ekiti man to be elected into the Federal House of Representatives, Pa Adepoju Komolafe; among others.

Mimiko’s ex-aide dumps LP

F

ORMER Special Adviser to Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko on Planning Strategy and Special Duties Mr. Saka Lawal yesterday resigned from the Labour Party (LP).

In a letter sent through the Chairman of Ese/Afin Ward 9 to the LP Chairman in Akoko North West, entitled: “Withdrawal of membership from LP,” Lawal said: “I write to bring to your notice the resignation of my membership from LP effective from today (yesterday).

“After due consultation with my God, immediate family and political associates, I have come to the conclusion

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

that it is imperative for me to quit at this stage.

“I am leaving with no regret or bitterness towards anyone. I value the many good friends I have made in the LP over the years.”

LP’s Director of Publicity Femi Okunjemiruwa said Lawal’s resignation would have no effect on the party. Okunjemiruwa said Lawal had been romancing an opposition party in the past months.

Former LP State Chairman Dr. Olaiya Oni resigned on August 13, hinging his action on the alleged unilateral decisions of the governor on party’s matters.

Ekiti Speaker, Head of Service, others to be honoured

•Secretary, Ojude Oba Committee, Chief Fassy Yusuff (midde); flanked by Globacom Business Director, Lagos, Mr. Akeem Kazeem (left) and Head, Glo 1, Mr. Folu Aderibigbe; at the conference on Ojude Oba, 2011, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

Ajimobi stops Oyo Council of Obas’ meeting O

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday explained why he stopped the meeting of the state’s Council of Obas and Chiefs.

Ajimobi said it was illegal to allow the meetings continue, when a court case instituted against the Council by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, had not been determined.

The governor, who spoke through his media aide, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said his administration would always uphold the rule of law.

A member of the Olubadan-in-Council, Chief Lekan Balogun, at the 10th anniversary of Premier FM in Ibadan, the state capital, yesterday faulted the government’s decision.

Though he said the decision would not stop the Olubadan-in-Council from supporting the Ajimobi administration, Balogun said stopping the Council’s meeting, which is currently chaired by the Olubadan was not good.

But Ajimobi said his administration has great regard for the Olubadan and all traditional institutions.

S

PEAKER of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Dr. Adewale Omirin; the State’s Head of Service, Mr. Olubunmi Famosanya (MNI) and other eminent Nigerians, including Chief Alex Duduyemi (OFR), are among those to be honoured at the Third Top Elegance Recognition Awards, on November 6.

The event will hold at the Oranmiyan Hall of the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. Red carpet starts by 2pm.

The award is to commemorate the Fourth anniversary of a Lagos-based celebrity events and lifestyle journal, Top Elegance magazine.

Other programmes of the day include an A-class fashion show by leading Nigerian designers, a public lecture, entertainment by frontline music and comedy acts and other side attractions.

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi is the Special Guest of Honour, while Chief Alex Duduyemi is the Father of the Day. Mr. Biodun Fajobi will chair the occasion, while Deaconess Iyabo Obasa, Mrs. Sogunro-Umah and Mrs. Omubo Princewill are the mothers of the day. A public lecture on national security will be delivered by the President, Independent Television and Radio Programme Production Association of Nigeria (INTARPPAN), Mr. Elkana Mowarin.

Man stabbed to death in Lagos beach •Robbery suspect held

By Titilayo Banjoko

A

MAN, simply identified as Ope, has been stabbed to death at Oniru beach in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The incident occurred around 6am on Sunday.

It was gathered that Sodiq Mufutau stabbed Ope with a broken bottle during an argument. Ope died on the spot.

Mufutau has been arrested by detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.

Police spokesman Samuel Jinadu confirmed the incident. He said that the victim’s body had been deposited at a public mortuary.

Jinadu said another male suspect, Isioma Adigwe, had been arrested for illegal possession of arms by a police patrol team attached to Elewere Divisional Police Station, Agege.

A single barrel shot gun and two live cartridges, concealed in a black nylon bag, were recovered from the suspect.

Adigwe is being held at Panti, Yaba.

•Probes Akala’s N1.5b transformer project •Awards N250m contract for new motor parks From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

He said: “However, the case under consideration is in court. The Alaafin of Oyo went to court before the Council of Oba’s meeting was convened.

It would thus be an affront on the authority of the court to allow the meeting to hold while the government is aware of the court process.

“It is common jurisprudential knowledge that no party to a case shall take any action during the pendency of a case as this may prejudice judgment. “As a government that swore to uphold the integrity of the judiciary, we had no option than to abide by the law. We are not a lawless government.”

Also, the state government has approved a probe of the procurement of N1.5 billion transformers for the 33 local governments by the out gone administration of Adebayo Alao-Akala.

Chief of Staff Dr. Adeolu Akande spoke yesterday after the weekly meeting of the State Executive Council.

Akande said the audit was necessitated by complaints by residents on irregular power supply and lack of transformers in some places.

He said: “There are lots of complaints about these transformers. Some people are saying they were not supplied, while others are saying they were not up to specification.

“So council decided that there should be an auditing of the quantity and quality of transformers supplied by the immediate past administration.”

Akande said the government also plans to rehabilitate some state-owned hospitals and look into the procurement of equipment in those hospitals as claimed by the past administration.

Commissioner for Health

Lateef Olopoenia said the second phase of the government’s Health Mission would begin on November 14.

The first phase covered 11 local governments and attendant to about 70,000 patients.

The government has also ordered the relocation of motor parks at Iwo Road and Challenge roundabout to ease traffic.

It awarded a N250 million contract for new inter-city motor parks at different locations in Ibadan.

Commissioner for Works and Transport Alhaji Yunus Akintunde said the projects would be completed within 30 days.

The first phase of the project will involve resurfacing and drainage, while the second phase will include structural and civil works, and the provision of infrastructure, such as police post, kiosks, toilets and boreholes.

Akintunde said motor parks on Iwo Road would be relocated to Temidire Park on New Ife Road, while motor parks on Beere-Molete-Challenge would be relocated to Podo Park on the Old Lagos Road.

ACN tackles Ondo on financial status

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HE Ondo State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday asked the state government to explain why Ondo was mentioned among bankrupt states.

Ondo was among the states mentioned by senators last week as having financial problems.

In a statement, ACN Director of Publicity Gbenga Akinmoyo said the state has received over N300 billion since the inception of the Labour Party (LP) government, after starting with an opening balance of N38 billion.

Akinmoyo said: “States are broke, senators said last week, and the lawmakers launched a rescue mission, mandating the committees on Finance, Appropriation, National Planning and State and Local Government to probe what they described as ‘the looming bankruptcy in states.’

“It is impossible for Ondo State to be in financial crisis.

Governors are asking for a new formula which will give the Federal Government 35 per cent, states 42 per cent and local governments 23 per cent, while the current formula is

•Govt: we are not broke ‘It is incorrect that the bulk of the revenue received in this state is spent on the salaries of civil servants, which constitute less than four per cent of the state’s population’ From Damisi Ojo, Akure

Federal Government 52 per cent, states 26.7 per cent and local governments 20.60 per cent.

“It was opined that in most states, including Ondo State, the private sector is weak and unable to generate economic growth and jobs that are required, thereby making the state and local governments the largest employers of labour, with the attendant fiscal imbalance. But what is our government doing to redress the imbalance?

“It is incorrect that the bulk of the revenue received in this state is spent on the salaries of civil servants, which constitute less than four per cent of the state’s population.

“The government recently confirmed that it spends less than N3 billion on workers’ salaries throughout the state.

It is also public knowledge that in July 2011, the state received N16.83 billion, and in August 2011, N8.6 billion. So in the last two months’ allocation, there is a surplus of N19.43 billion after payment of workers.

“Ironically, many civil servants are yet to receive their salaries, the N18,000 minimum wage is not being paid and has been shifted to March 2012. Teachers have been stripped of their professional allowances resulting in a strike. Judiciary workers have also been stripped of their hazard allowances resulting in another strike, and the government remains tight-lipped on what is happening to the resources of this state.

“We urge the government to treat this matter with ut-

most priority. The government can only hide behind the shield of immunity while in office. Mr. Governor will lose that shield in February 2013 and as recent events have shown in the cases of former Governors Gbenga Daniel, Adebayo Alao-Akala and Danjuma Goje, the time for accounting will surely come.

“The longer Mr. Governor fails to answer the questions on public finance accounting, which the ACN has been clamouring for months, the more difficult it will become when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) come knocking on his door.”

A top government source, who pleaded for anonymity, denied that the state is in financial crisis.

The source said governors at their forum had made their position known on how the new minimum wage had affected the financial status of their states.

The source urged the Senate and other relevant bodies to review the federal allocation in favour of states.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

9

NEWS

NAFDAC nabs pharmacist with fake licence

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HE National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested a pharmacist for allegedly importing drugs into the country with fake NAFDAC licence.

The pharmacist, identified as Mr Beneth Okolie, is a superintendent pharmacist with PACMAI International.

He has been handed over to the police.

NAFDAC’s Director General Dr Paul Orhii, said Okolie had fake NAFDAC’s permit for importation of pharmaceutical products’ such as Pacsone Injection and Maitidine Injection.

He said the suspect also presented a fake NAFDAC’s

Court faults EFFC on Adigwe’s arrest

By Eric Ikhilae

A FEDERAL High Court in Lagos has faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the unlawful arrest and detention of former Managing Director of Afribank (now Mainstreet Bank), Sebsatine Adigwe.

Justice James Tsoho, in a judgment on a fundamental rights enforcement application by the ex-banker, awarded N500, 000 against EFCC as damages for breaching Adigwe’s rights.

Adigwe was arrested and detained by the Commission between May 3 and 6, 2011 without an order of court while on a bail earlier granted him by the court.

The judge held that the EFCC acted unlawfully having failed to arraign Adigwe before the various courts in the state within the 24 hours allowed by the law.

The court further held that such failure on the part of the EFCC amounted to a violation of the applicants’ rights.

Same sex marriage a taboo, says Mark From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

SENATE President David Mark yesterday described the proposed same sex marriage as a taboo and offensive to the culture and tradition of the country.

Mark spoke at a public hearing on the Bill for an Act to transfer convicted offenders and Same Sex Marriage (prohibition) Bill.

Stating that the proposal should be rejected, Mark said: “Nothing on earth justifies same sex marriage.”

He told his audience at the Senate hearing Room 3 that “my faith as a Christian abhors it.”

He said: “It is incomprehensible to contemplate same sex marriage. I cannot understand it. I cannot be a party to it.

“There are enough men and women to marry one another.

The whole idea is the importation of foreign culture but this one would be a freedom too many. We cannot allow our tradition and value system eroded.”

By Oyeyemi GbengaMustapha

notification of registration letter for Azithromycin 250mg (NRN a4-8455); Pacsone Dexamethasone 0.5mg tablet (NRN A4-8483); Pacsone Dexamethasone 1mg tablet (NRN A4-84520); Pacmai Extra capsules (NRN a4-8452); and Sugarita granules 15g (NRN 8335L).

Orhii said: “ During investigation, seven bank drafts raised in favour of NAFDAC, one having a date as late as July, 2011 totalling N2, 518, 000, which was never paid to the agency, was recovered from the suspect.Also recovered from him were a booklet of forged NAFDAC pay-

ment advice; forged NAFDAC letter-headed paper; filled application forms for registration of three products having fake NAFDAC numbers, and blank NAFDAC notification letters of registration.

Addressing reporters over the arrest, the Director of Enforcement,NAFDAC Macdonald Garba, who represented Orhii said : “The man has admitted to have forged the documents without the knowledge of the company he represents. It is not within the purview of NAFDAC’s mandate to investigate and prosecute the suspect; hence he has been handed over to the police.”

He warned stakeholders to

‘We’ve right to collect fees’

T

•The suspect, Okolie...yesterday

desist from such act , adding that manufacturers, importers and distributors of NAFDAC’s regulated products should regularly monitor and cross check the activities of their employees to avert fraudulent practices.

HE Mobile Advert Agency Nigeria Limited (MOAN) said yesterday it is authorised to collect mobile advert revenue on behalf of the 774 local councils nationwide.

National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) had protested that it was the only agency recognised by its national body to collect revenue on behalf of the councils. But MOAN said the union lacks the statutory right to recognise any organisation on behalf of the councils.

According to a statement in Lagos by the Chairman of the agency, Otunba Mike Osimen Eboziegbe, NULGE is a union of workers hired by the councils and, therefore, lacks the power to authorise or recognise any agency on behalf of its employers, but can only collect revenue as directed by the Finance and General Purposes Committees of the various councils in conjunction with the executive.

The statement said “members of MOAN, a registered organisation recognised by the councils, are the heads of the committees on mobile adverts in all the councils nationwide”, adding that the agency is also authorised to issue its national clearance certificates to mobile advert rate payees to avoid double or multiple taxation.

It said its members have authorisation from their councils to collect mobile advert revenue on their behalf, urging them to ignore NULGE. The Lagos State Signage and Advert Agency (LASAA) has said it would partner MOAN on mobile advert rate collection.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

10

NEWS Delta approves N14b for projects From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

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HE Delta State Government has approved N14 billion for projects across the state.

Commissioner for Information Chike Ogeah made this known yesterday at a briefing in Asaba, the capital.

He said N215, 630, 75 was earmarked for the construction of Oteri-Iyede Road in Isoko North Local Government. Ogeah said N53,907,702.19, representing 25 per cent of the contract sum, has been paid to the contractor.

Also to be constructed for N156, 097.98 is the Otor-Iyede community road project.

The commissioner said the Executive Council had approved N728, 379,914.92 billion as compensation for acquired lands for the Koko Free Trade Zone. The Omadino Bridge bye-pass got N6billion.

About N1, 822,356,187.14 was earmarked for the completion of the Phase 1 of the Warri/Effurun Water supply project.

The reconstruction, maintenance and rehabilitation of roads in Asaba received N5, 370,040,463.63.

Also, N551, 816,685.00 was earmarked for AjudiaboAkpakpa-Ugbo township roads in Warri South West Local Government.

He said the re-award of the Ogwashi-Uku /Ubulu-Unor Phase 1 road in Aniocha South was approved at N100,970,367.75.

Man held over adulterated palm oil

A

GROUP, Asaba Vigilance Group (ACP), in Delta State yesterday arrested a man for the alleged sale of adulterated palm oil.

The suspect, Kingsley Otigbu (36), is from Orlu in Imo State.

He was arrested when he attempted to sell adulterated palm oil to some traders at Yanga market.

Otigbu allegedly adulterated the palm oil with water and chemicals.

He reportedly has a factory at Ihiala, Anambra State.

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

The suspect said he sold the oil at N4, 500 per can, adding that his distribution network extends to Delta, Anambra, Imo, Abia and some northern states.

Otigbi said he was taught the trade by a man he identified as Ike, who lives in Kaiwo Local Government in Kaduna State.

ACP Chairman Nnamdi Chukwedo said the suspect has been handed over to the police.

Police: no bomb near CBN From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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HE Edo State Police Command said it found a small steel box without explosives in front of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Benin, the Edo State capi-

tal.

It urged residents not to panic as the box feared to contain explosives was in its custody.

Commissioner of Police David Omojola stated this while reacting to the bomb scare at the Akpakpava area, where the CBN is located.

The anti-bomb squad stormed the area, following a tipoff that an explosive has been placed there.

Omojola noted that the content of the box is still under examination and that the police would investigate to know who dropped the box.

The police boss stated that experts have confirmed that there was no bomb in the box.

Two killed in Rivers robbery

A

RMED bandits yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, robbed a team that was moving cash from a supermarket.

A police corporal on escort duty and an employee of the highbrow supermarket were killed.

The robbery took place at around 9:30 am, when some workers of the supermarket were conveying cash to an undisclosed location .

The money was conveyed with police escort from the command’s Operations Department.

It was learnt that while at Umurelu Street, behind Rumuola Junction, the team was ambushed by armed hoodlums, who fired many shots into the vehicles, resulting in the death of the policeman and the supermarket’s employee.

Two policemen in a backup escort vehicle were injured.

Police spokesman Ben

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

Ugwuegbulam said many police patrol teams, including the Swift Operation Squad (SOS) and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), are working to arrest the culprits and recover the loot.

This is coming two weeks after robbers killed a police corporal on escort duty and the driver of a Toyota Hilux van on their way to a new generation bank.

•Edo State Secretary to the State Government Simon Imuekemhe, (representing Governor Adams Oshiomhole) (left) greeting the Isekhure of Benin, Nosakhare Isekhure, (representing Oba of Benin) at the Afenmai Forum Achievers’ Day 2011 held Auchi… at the weekend. With them is the Okumagbe of Weppa-Wanno, George Oshiapi Egabor

Jonathan, PDP in crucial meeting over Sylva T HE national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) yesterday met with President Goodluck Jonathan over the fate of Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva in the countdown to the governorship primary on November 19.

The meeting, which was said to have been at the instance of the President, was still on last night.

It was gathered that the parley was necessitated by the report of the primary election appeal panel headed by former Ekiti State Deputy Governor Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi.

Sources at the PDP secretariat said contrary to the expectation of some prominent members of the National Working Committee (NWC), the Olujimi-led panel cleared Sylva for the primary.

Two of the aspirants, former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Ben Murray

•Bruce, Doukpola out Governor: I was cleared From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

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AYELSA State Governor Timipre Sylva said yesterday that he has been screened and cleared for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary on November 19.

Sylva said a certificate was issued to him after the successful screening of aspirants in Port Harcourt last week.

He described as mischievous and false reports that he was screened out by the appeal committee headed by former Ekiti State Deputy Governor Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Doifie Ola, Sylva said: “That clearance certificate remains valid. It is true that I was at the National Headquarters of the PDP on Sunday at the instance of the Screening Appeal Committee.

“But as I confidently told reporters after meeting with the committee, “the deliberations were fruitful”.

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

Bruce and Francis Doukpola were reported to have been disqualified by the panel.

Bruce was said to have been dropped because of his dual citizenship (Nigeria and United States).

Doukpala was reportedly

Nine arrested for alleged bunkering

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HE Joint Military Task Force (JTF), Operation Restore Hope, said it arrested nine persons and seized an oil vessel with 30 barges at the weekend.

In a statement by its Media Coordinator, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha, the JTF said the vessel and barges were used to lift illegally refined petroleum products on Akasa River in Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa State.

Antigha said the vessel, MT ZIA, with International Maritime Organisation No 5418381, was conveying

•5,000 tons of diesel seized From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

about 5,000 tons of illegally refined diesel; four 7,500 litres tanks; three drums containing 250 litres of illegal diesel; six electric pumping machines and several hoses.

The seizure is coming a few days after the vessel, MV Omiesam, 46 suspects and 13 boats conveying illegally refined diesel were arrested on the River Akasa.

He also said the Sector One Command had, in the last

one month, impounded four AK 47 rifles, 203 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 11 dynamites, a barge with stolen crude oil and one wooden boat with illegally refined diesel.

His words: “Sector Seven also arrested seven suspects for alleged illegal bunkering.

“They will be handed over to the police after preliminary investigation into their involvement in acts of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.

Medical lab scientists begin strike

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disqualified because of incomplete tax documents.

Although reasons for the party’s ambivalence over Sylva were not officially stated, reports linked the governor’s travails to a petition filed against him by a member of the party in Bayelsa State.

The petition alleged that Sylva sponsored an armed group to advance his political interests.

But Mrs. Olujimi said her panel found no ground on which to disqualify the governor as there was nothing in her panel’s finding to incriminate him.

She said the panel had submitted its report to the NWC and that the NWC was free to tinker with the report if it found it unacceptable.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali, told reporters yesterday that the NWC had received the Olujimi-led panel report but declined further comments.

HE Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist of Nigeria (AMLSN) yesterday began a five-day nationwide workto-rule strike over alleged encroachment of their scheme of service by their counterparts in pathology.

The body also called for the removal of the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, for failing to reposition the sector.

According to the body’s First Vice-President, Toyosi Raheem, the action is to ensure that medical laboratory scientists’ professional rights are preserved.

Raheem, who spoke to reporters in Lagos, alleged that pathologists are encroaching in the job of medical laboratory scientists, despite lacking the expertise to do so.

“In the medical laboratory services, medical Laboratory Scientists are empowered by Decree 56, of 1968 as amended

By Wale Adepoju and Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

by ACT 11 of 2003, scheme of service for medical Laboratory Scientists of 1972, 1979 and 2001.

“All these specified that Medical laboratory scientists are to take charge of Medical laboratory services in health institutions in Nigeria.

“This is also in line with the empowerment of medical doctors who are to take charge of medical services, the nurses are in charge of nursing service and the pharmacists are in charge of pharmaceutical services,” Raheem said.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Health Professionals (NUHEP), Mr Chris Iyk Ugboaja, threatened that the body would mobilise other bodies to join in the strike, if the government failed to meet their demands before Thursday.

“The JTF, in an-ongoing operation in Sector Three (Rivers State), has impounded 30 barges containing stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products.

“The confiscated barges were destroyed on the spot by a detachment of the police Bomb Squad, which is part of the on-going operation. No arrest has been made so far.

“The JTF also discovered that there is a booming trade in the stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products on Imo River, which recently caused a multi-national oil company to suspend production in the area.

“In the light of the foregoing, the JTF wishes to advise patrons of pipeline vandalism, illegal refineries and bunkering to take up legitimate and environment friendly vocations, as the JTF is not considering scaling down the on-going operations.

“The JTF also wishes to add that these operations will be taken to unexpected quarters in a bid to nab the sponsors of the illegal business.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

AMCON has restructed and recovered over 10 per cent of the non-performing loans it acquired. In the process, AMCON has tried to balance maximum recovery with minimum disruption of viable businesses.

-Mustapha Chike-Obi, MD, AMCON

NIMET workers threaten strike

By Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu

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•From left: Former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari; Niger State Governor, Dr Babangida Aliyu Muazu; Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga; CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, DG, SEC, Aruma Oteh and former Kwara State Governor Senator Bukola Saraki, at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC)commemoration of 50 Years of Capital Market Regulation in Nigeria ...yesterday PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN

Fed Govt demands report on NITEL’s liabilities From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

V

ICE-PRESIDENT Namadi Sambo has directed the management of the Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL/M-TEL) to submit a report on its liabilities, agreements and proposals to the next meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP).

He gave the directive yesterday at a meeting of the NCP at the State House, Abuja.

According to a statement by Mfon Udott for the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the Vice-President, Sambo said the outcome of the preport would enable the Technical Committee of NCP to tackle the problems affecting the ailing company.

He expressed concern over the deplorable condition of the Ajaokuta Steel Company and directed that its staff should be properly catered for.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$112/barrel Cocoa -$2,856/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,161/troy ounce Rubber -¢146.37pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N6.747 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion RATES

Inflation -9.3% Treasury Bills -7.08% Maximum lending-22.42% Prime lending -15.82% Savings rate -2% 91-day NTB -10.23% Time Deposit -7% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $30.8b CFA EUR £ $ ¥ SDR RIYAL

-

FOREX

0.281 213.2 245.00 156.91 1.5652 245.8 40.57

CBN to review exchange rate as Naira weakens T HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is set to review its target band for the naira, its Governor, Lamido Sanusi, said yesterday.

He, however, said this would depend on where the exchange rate settles and that the apex bank may move its midpoint to N155/156 to the dollar, compared to its current N150.

The banking watchdog’s policy is to maintain the naira within three per cent on either side of the N150 per dollar level.

“We’ll give it a few more days and see where it settles finally and then we’ve got to come out with a new transparent band,” Sanusi told Reuters in an interview on the sideline of an investment conference in Abuja. “...Both the midpoint and the band could change.

Whatever it is, we’ll let the market know very soon ...

It’s more likely to be around 155/156.”

He added that monetary policy was likely to remain tight for the foreseeable future to ward off inflationary

• Targets N155-156 per dollar

By Ayodele Aminu, Group Business Editor with

agency report

pressures.

“We think that we will maintain ... a high interest rate environment. We’re certainly going to keep money tight,” Sanusi said. “There are a number of pressures that suggest we’ll need tight monetary policy for a while yet.”

He said inflationary pressures would come from efforts to “sterilise” the bonds of state-backed bad bank – the Asset Management Corporation (AMCON), which was set up to bail out nine banks that were judged near to collapse in 2009.

Others were structural, like Nigeria’s dependence on fuel and other imports, and the high cost of running government, which would take a long time to address, he added.

The naira hit an all-time low against the dollar earlier this month, as worsening global economic conditions curbed risk appetite and dollar demand from importers and speculators increased.

The CBN took measures to stabilise the currency in response, including lowering the amount of dollars banks can hold relative to shareholders’ funds to one per cent from five per cent, and aggressively raising interest rates by 2.75 per cent to 12 per cent.

It also sold dollars directly on the market. The measures seemed aimed at keeping the naira within the three per cent of N150 to the dollar target.

But Sanusi said the apex bank was flexible on the exchange rate.

“This gives us an opportunity to show the markets we were never committed to fixed exchange rate ... All we

are trying to do is let people have a band within which to manage their expectations,” he said.

The target exchange rate band would aim to “maintain stability without putting your reserve position at risk,” he said. “I still think anywhere between 150 and 155 or 150 and 160 is fine.”

“If we say it’s going to be 155 or 156, people know we’re going to manage it within that band,” he said.

Meanwhile, the naira weakened against the United States dollar on both the interbank and CBN’s window yesterday as demand for the greenback outstripped supply at both markets, traders said.

The local currency closed at N159.52 to the dollar on the interbank, weaker than the N156.40 a dollar last Friday’s closed.

On the bi-weekly auction, the banking watchdog sold only $200 million at N150.25 to the dollar, short of the $242.34 million demanded and the $345.12 million sold at N150.05 to the dollar at last Wednesday’s auction.

Reps grill Minister on 2012 budget

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HE House of Representatives has reduced the benchmark for crude oil on which the 2012 budget is anchored from $75 to $70 per barrel.

This will also be based on a fixed exchange rate of N153 to the dollar.

Also, while the budget proposal is expected to service the N1.1trillion domestic debt with N794billion, the Federal Government is expecting over N200 billion as unspent funds by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) to be returned to the treasury.

This is as the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation rescinded its threat to discontinue debate on the next year’s budget proposal should the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, fails to ap-

•Rescind threat on Okonjo-Iweala •Earmarks N794b for domestic debt From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi (Abuja)

pear before it.

Okonjo-Iweala was given till midday to appear before the committee and defend the Mid Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) as pre-condition to receive the new Appropriation bill from President Goodluck Jonathan or risk its rejection by the House.

The Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Lawan Ngama, who appeared again on behalf of Okonjo-Iweala, pleaded to make the presentation.

His pleas were taken and he disclosed that the 2012

budget is primarily premised on $75 per barrel of crude oil before it was reduced to $70 per barrel.

Saying that the exchange rate was fixed at $1 to N153, the minister said the ouster of Maummar Gaddafi’s government in Libya and Ghana’s entry into the comity of Petroleum producing countries are played major role in the consideration of the bench-marks.

He said the two major events were expected to affect production quota and the budget, adding that the exchange rate was decided upon through the combination of exogenous factors and

information pieced together by relevant fiscal authorities.

Ngama also said being the apex financial structure of the government, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would align with the projection after the projection of exports, imports and global financial trends.

He said: “External forces that can influence the exchange rate are beyond the control of the CBN. It is better to allow fiscal authorities to make their assumption because of the information at their disposal.”

He highlighted the fiscal outlay the 2012 budget that projected N794b to serve domestic debts that stood at N1.1tr, saying, “Servicing domestic debt is competing with capital vote, and this is the truth.

ARRING last minute agreement between the Federal Government and workers of NigeriaMeteorological Agency (NIMET), whether forecast services to airlines, ships, oil rigs and agricultural enterprises may be put on hold from Tuesday, November 8.

The workers, under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), are angry because of the alleged nonimplementation of the relativity salary increase by the government.

Acting General Secretary of the union, Comrade Philip Agbonkonkon, said the salary increase of 53.37 per cent of every worker in the core civil service and other sub-sectors of the public service was funded from the treasury.

Having exhausted the stipulated dispute warning guidelines by giving 21 days and seven days notices to the management of NIMET, the union is not going back on its decision to embark on strike on Tuesday.

The 1,500 workers of NIMET across the country have, therefore, been directed to stay off work from that date.

“Virtually all relevant government agencies agree that the 2010 relativity circular on salary increasein the core civil service and parastatals funded from Treasury applies to staff of NIMET.

Fed Govt sells N110b in bills, yields rise

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HE Federal Government sold N110.11 billion ($703.80 million) in short-dated treasury bill at an auction yesterday with yields on the papers rising for the second consecutive auction, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said.

The apex bank sold N30 billion in the 91-day treasury bills at a 15.29 per cent marginal rate, N48.73 billion in the 182-day paper at 16.29 per cent and N31.38 billion in the 364-day bills at 16.49 per cent.

The regulator according to Reuters News, sold the 91-day bill at a 15 per cent marginal rate, 182-day paper at 16 per cent, and the 364-day bill at 16.22 per cent at its last auction on October 13.

Traders said the increase in yield on the treasury bills reflects rising interest rates in the money market as a result of the recent CBN benchmark rate hike.

The apex bank early in the month hiked its benchmark interest rate by 2.75 per cent to 12 per cent and implemented a series of measures to free up dollar supply and tighten naira liquidity, causing rapid increase in yields on fixed income across board and soaring lending rate.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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

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

Editor

are Shuaib Idris, Shehu Saad, Chris Osiomha Itede and Mr Ayo Ajayi.

Mainstreet Bank chaired by the former chairman of Unity Bank, Falalu Bello, is managed by Mrs. Faith Tuedor-Martins.

Enterprise Bank chaired by the former Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Emeka Onwuka and managed by Ahmed Kura, has Sanusi Monguno, Ebenezer Foby,Asmau Sani Maikudi, Lamis Dikko and John Aderibigbe as non-executive directors.

Also on the list are Garba Imam, Ogala Osaka, Ismaila Shuaibu and Ezekiel Gomos.

These nominees, according to AMCON, emerged from an exhaustive process, which involved wide consultation and review.

AMCON said it is confident that these prospective directors are well qualified to add significant value to their institutions.

“With these appointments, the boards of these banks are fully constituted. AMCON has charged that they set a standard for good governance and efficiency,” the

statement said.

The banking watchdog had revoked the licences of Afribank (now Mainstreet Bank), Springbank (now Enterprise Bank) and Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank) because it said they did not show the necessary capacity to recapitalise after a N620billion bailout of nine lenders in 2009.

The apex bank set up “bridge banks” to acquire the assets and liabilities of the defunct banks, which were then sold to AMCON. The CBN and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) had in July 2009, carried out a special examination of all the 24 banks with the aim of assessing their health, with particular focus on liquidity, capital adequacy, risk management and corporate governance practices. Ten banks were adjudged to be in grave states with deficiencies in capital adequacy.

Of these, eight also had significant deficiencies in liquidity, risk management practices and corporate governance policies. The 10 banks got a lifeline of N620 billion in form of Tier 2 Capital.

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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

HE United Bank for Africa (UBA) plans to raise capital through a private placement and a rights issue to support largeticket lending in infrastructure and agriculture sectors in the country , the bank said yesterday.

UBA, the third-largest lender by total assets in Nigeria, did not, however, disclose how much it intended to raise and said it was yet to finalise the pricing of the issue.

“We are going to do a private placement as well as a rights issue,” said Victor Osadolor, managing director for UBA Capital Holdings.

“In terms of pricing, we have not finalised on it yet,” he added.

UBA trades at about N3.15 per share on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), but Osadolor said the market price did not reflect the fundamentals of the bank which he expected should be trading at about N8.

He said the rights issue, which will be launched at a discount to market price, will take place after the private placement and that the bank aimed to hold enough capital to cover its deposit liabilities while creating risk assets.

Osadolor said UBA has a capital adequacy ratio of 20 per cent and achieved deposit growth rates of 20 per cent in the nine months to September. He said the bank would create loans without breaching the regulator’s limits on a bank’s exposure to a single borrower.

“The capital itself will enable us to lend a lot of the deposits we are generating,” Osadolor said.

Last October, UBA raised about N20 billion via a bond issue to bolster capital and help increase lending.

FIRS denies opposing fuel subsidy removal

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By Ayodele Aminu, Group Business

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HE Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has appointed nine non-executive directors (EDs) for each of the three newly formed banks it acquired from the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) few months ago.

The banks are Keystone Bank Limited, Mainstreet Bank Limited and Enterprise Bank Limited.

These appointments, according to a statement from AMCON, are, however, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The non-executive directors approved for Keystone Bank, which is chaired by the former Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mr Jacobs Moyo Ajekigbe are Olusegun Olusanya; Maria Olateju Phillips; Prince Niyi Akenzua; Adolphus Ekpe and Yusufu Pam. Others are Charles Chidebe Umolu, Yakubu Shehu, Mustapha Ibrahim and Brig.-Gen. AminunKano. The Managing Director of Keystone is Mr Oti Ikomi.

AMCON listed the non-executive directors of Mainstreet Bank to include Yabawa Wabi, Mohammed Gulani Shuaibu, Prof. Osita Ogbu, Joshua Ogunlowo and Abdullahi Sarki Mahmoud. Also on the list

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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

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plans fresh AMCON appoints non-EDs for UBA capital placement nationalised banks T T

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

T • From left: Group Financial Manager, Mr E. D. Rainto; Group Financial Officer, J. Vauthier and Chief Operating Officer, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, E. D. Jackson, at the company’s completion board meeting in Lagos.

PHOTO: JOHN EBHOTA

‘Nigeria among fastest growing economies’ • Govt to protect capital market investors, says Jonathan

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IGERIA has been described as one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the best investment friendly in Africa.

Senior officials of three organisations - African Development Bank (AfDB), Citigroup Global Markets Limited and Renaissance Capital - stated this at the launch of Project 50 (50 Years of Capital Market Regulation in Nigeria) in Abuja yesterday.

AfDB Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Ousmane Dore, said: “Our growth outlook showed that Nigeria is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. AfDB has been particularly impressed by the resilience, which the economy has shown in the face of the global economic slow-down, especially in developed economies. Nigeria is the best investment destination in Africa given its population, and abundant human and natural resources.

He advised Nigerians to support plans by the Federal Government in deregulating the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

He said the deregulation of the sector and diversification of Nigeria’s economy will encourage more investors into the country and by extension create numerous jobs.

The Africa Economist Director,

From Tonia Osundolire and Franca Ochigbo (Abuja)

Economic & Market Analysis, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Mr. David Cowan, said given the inertia in the global economy and the debt crisis rocking Europe, Citigroup’s Research had indicated that Nigeria was one of the top emerging global economies and best investment destination in Africa due to its abundant human and natural resources. “ Our recent research shows that Nigeria has the right potential as the best investment destination for Africa given the inertia in the global economy and the debt crises ravaging Europe.”

Also, the Chief Economist, Renaissance Capital, Mr Charles Robertson , said Nigeria’s increasing population, fast-growing middle class and abundant human and natural resources have strategically positioned the country as the best investment destination in Africa.

President Goodluck Jonathan said returns on investment in Nigeria are still among the highest worldwide.

The President, who was represented by the Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, assured of the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting investors in the capital market.

“The administration is determined to foster an environment rich in opportunities for investment with the highest returns, while bringing inclusive growth to ordinary Nigerians. ”We are set to deregulate the power sector. Government, at various levels, is increasingly looking to the capital market to finance infrastructure projects. We have also rolled out a master plan to convert the millions of acres of arable land in Nigeria to achieve sustainable food production for consumption and export,” Jonathan added.

Earlier, the Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Arunma Oteh, said as part of strategies to reposition the capital market, SEC has updated its rules for the market and strengthened the code of corporate governance.

“We are working on migrating to the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) for banks and quoted companies. I can proudly say that we have built a market that is equipped to support the investment destination that Nigeria is”.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, said that Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) was a potent investible pool capital that would fast-track economic growth and development in the country.

HE Federal Inland Revenue Ser vice (FIRS) yesterday denied opposing the Federal Government’s plan to remove the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) subsidy.

In a statement, which was made available to reporters in Abuja, Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr Emmanuel Ebeta, stated that as an agency of the Federal Government, the organisation cannot even contemplate any disagreement with any government’s policy.

He said the attention of the FIRS was drawn to news item in several newspapers yesterday, stating that the agency is in disagreement with the Federal Government on the planned removal of oil subsidy.

“There were various strands of the same report in several dailies, suggesting that there is a crack within government over the economic policy direction of the Federal Government.

“The FIRS wishes to state that as an agency of the Federal Government, the question of disagreement with the policy direction of the Federal Government is not plausible, nor could it be contemplated,” he said.

He noted that “contrary to insinuations in the media, Mrs. Okauru was neither at the meeting held on Friday, October 28, 2011 nor was she in Abuja on that day as she was on another official assignment. No discussions have ever taken place on the issue in question.”

The statement, however, pointed out that the Co-ordinating Director, Corporate Development Group, Mr Osy Chuke, represented the Executive Chairman, Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, at the House of Representatives’ Committee’s meeting on the 2012-2015 MediumTerm Fiscal Framework and 2012 Fiscal Strategic Plan held on Friday, October 28, 2011 but no discussion took place.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

ENERGY THE NATION

E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net

Fuel subsidies gulp N3.566t in six years Debate on removal of fuel subsidy is currently the talk of the country with so’me people in support of the removal and others against it.

The fight for subsidy removal otherwise known as deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry has existed for about a decade but without meaning success as the populace always rises against it. Apart from the Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), the prices of white products are regulated. EMEKA UGWUANYI Assistant Editor (Energy) critically examines the development.

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ETWEEN 2006 and now, the Fed eral Government has spent N3.566 trillion on subsidy and this figure might be surpassed by the end of the year as the N1.3 trillion projected for this year’s subsidy, from indications, may be inadequate. As at the end of September, N1.128 trillion had already been expended leaving a mere N172 billion to hit the projected N1.3 trillion. The amount is for subsidy of premium motor spirit (PMS) or petrol.

In the recent past, the Federal Government had spent hundreds of billions of naira to subsidise kerosene.

Besides, within the same period of six years, the total capital budget was N3.685 trillion reflecting a difference of mere N119 billion from what was spent on subsidy, a situation industry operators described as worrisome.

From the data made available to our correspondent by sources in petroleum industry in 2006, the amount spent on subsidy was N261 billion while capital budget was N569 billion.

In 2007, subsidy gulped N297 billion with N716 billion as capital budget.

But in 2008, subsidy consumed N631 billion while only N156 was left as capital budget. The same thing happened in 2009 with N422 billion for subsidy and N161 billion as capital budget. Last year, there was a marginal reversal with capital budget taking N936 billion and subsidy N673 billion. This year, N1.147 trillion was earmarked as capital budget with N1.3 trillion as expected budget for subsidy.

However, as at the end of September, N1.128 trillion had been expended on subsidy and records show that petrol is consumed most in November and December as a result of festivities, which depicts that the government may spend more on subsidy in this quarter than any other quarter of the year.

The industry sources who argued in support of subsidy removal said that even if the government doesn’t remove subsidy now, it must certainly remove its some time in the future, adding that Nigerians’ refusal of subsidy removal is mere delay of the evil day.

In their arguments, they said that the reason the refineries are not working, is that there are no private refineries in the country, unnecessary occasional fuel scarcity and the Federal

Government’s ineptitude and lack of infrastructure. All these are all due to the existence of fuel subsidy. They noted that government hide under spending much money on subsidy to perpetuate decay in infrastructure, leave unemployment to soar and fritter away public funds.

According to the sources, with deregulation, private refineries will spring up in different parts of the country much earlier than anticipated. The situation would not only create employment but with refining of crude in-country, the price of petroleum products would fall and make them affordable.

They are of the view that Nigerians including the labour unions and civil society groups, instead of rising against removal of subsidy should hold to government accountability by setting some milestones the government should achieve at specific periods. The sources also noted that the other option is to deregulate in phases through gradual increments of the pump price until the sector is fully deregulated.

The sources said that if subsidy is removed and the government doesn’t meet with the agreed milestones such as fixing the power, the roads and other infrastructures, the labour and the populace will have every reason to protest. They noted that with the uncertainty in the global economy as well as the fluctuating prices of crude, should the oil price fall below the budget benchmark of$70 per barrel, it would cause economic disaster for the country.

The sources said: “The turnaround maintenance (TAM) carried out on the existing refineries with the aim of increasing their production capacities have not yielded expected results.

New TAM on the refineries to be conducted by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is ongoing and we are concerned that it might not achieve tangible results. To encourage private sector participation in the operation of the refineries, the government proposed privatisation of the refineries and removal of subsidy must be supported by Nigerians.

“Prospective investors in new refin-

eries were licensed by the government. The licensees could not however, deliver due to the unfavorable regulatory and investment environment. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with some Chinese investors are now working on construction of three Greenfield refineries and Petrochemical companies but much has not been heard of the project since last year.

“There have been spirited efforts by the government since 1999 to deregulate the prices of petroleum products. During the periods the price of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) and AGO (Diesel) was deregulated and there were substantial mark ups in the prices of PMS (Petrol) and HHK (Kerosene) to bridge the gap between the domestic price and import parity price thereby reducing the subsidy exposure. PMS price however, stagnated at N65.00 since 2009.”

They noted that at full capacity, domestic refineries can only meet about 50 percent of the PMS current demand while the refineries

Shell awards N7.8b contract to Nigerian firm

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

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• From left: President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Mr. Jide Ojo, President- Elect, NAPE, Mr. Mayowa Efe, Director, Gas, Chevron, Mr. Steve Freeman and Group General Manager, NAPIMS, Mr. Morrison Fiddi, at the NAPE’S pre-conference workshop themed Developing the Nigerian Gas Market, Commercializing Existing Discoveries and Encouraging Exploration, held at the Eko Hotel Lagos.

LADOL woos foreign partners for $300m oil platform

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HE Lagos Deep Offshore Lo gistics (LADOL) base, an in digenous organisation has commenced talks with foreign investors for the take off of its proposed $300million multipurpose facility -Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) platform.

The platform when completed is expected to advance the country towards the realization of its potentials and desire as a major oil and gas hub in the West African subregion.

The Managing Director of LADOL, Dr. Amy Jadesimi, dropped the hint last week in Lagos at a BusinessDay conference, tagged ‘Annual Infrastructure Roundtable.’ Jadesimi described the FPSO as a massive investment that would create 5000 direct jobs and an additional 50,000 indirect

have contributed only between 4 – 20 percent of the PMS demand in the past five years resulting in massive imports to meet required consumption needs.

Besides, inadequate port facilities such as reception facilities were not designed to handle current levels of product import volumes leading to significant costs arising from demurrage and lightering. Subsidy has resulted in the use of limited public resources in critical infrastructure and human development such as education and health, among other, to maintain fuel price at N65 per litre and has encouraged smuggling of petroleum products across neighbouring countries and all manner of sharp practices, they said.

They listed some benefits of subsidy removal, which include comprehensive implementation of the Gas Master Plan (GMP) and other gas development initiatives being vigorously pursued by the government.

It is expected that investments in the gas initiatives will stimulate inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the tune of over $10 billion between 2012 and 2014 when all the fertilizer and petrochemical plants become operational with over 200,000 jobs expected to be created.

By Uyoatta Eshiet

jobs for Nigerians.

He said the facility is expected to be completed in the next 36 months as LADOL phase II project and would also be part of fulfillment of government’s desire to attract into Nigeria the volume of oil and gas activities and investments that were hitherto done outside Africa.

He pointed out that Nigeria currently expends over $10 billion on deep offshore oil and gas ventures as indicated in a World Oil Report without having much to show for it since most of the jobs go to foreign companies.

Jadesimi noted that the development at LADOL would further encourage fabrication in the country by taking advantage of the ensuing technology transfer and skill acquisition since most of the mas-

sive fabrications that would be needed at the FPSO platform would be carried out within the Niger Delta region of Warri, PortHarcourt and Yenagoa, where they will be shipped to the base in Lagos.

The LADOL boss said investors’ confidence to invest in the project was boosted by the Local Content Act, which came into effect last year and maintained that the industry and the nation’s economy would be better for it.

He said: “We are now talking to a lot of foreign partners and because the Local Content Act mandates that the foreign company has to work here in the country, we anticipate that more than one of them may actually end up working here with us on the development.

“The beauty of having this development in Lagos by an indigenous Nigerian facility built on NPA land

is that it will now be available for many foreign companies to use in the future. So, we are not tying ourselves to a situation where we can be held to ransom by one foreign company, hence we are opening the doors for a number of foreign companies for wider technological transfer and wider investments.”

He described the investment as a necessary development adding that, the only reason why it was delayed was as a result of lack of infrastructure to support the initiative.

He lauded the efforts of the Federal Government, which she noted, has already provided the enabling environment by setting up the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB,) which he said, has added to the boosting of opportunities in the oil and gas industry.

HE Shell Petroleum Devel opment Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has awarded a contract for line pipes worth over N7.8 billion to an indigenous company - S. C. C. Nigeria Limited.

The deal is one of the biggest contracts by an International Oil Company (IOC) to encourage in-country manufacture of the key pipeline making material. The company’s Corporate Media Relations Manager Tony Okonedo in a statement said SPDC signed the contract with the, Abuja-based company in August this year. He said Shell had earlier worked with S. C. C. to enhance their production processes and capability, such that the company is now able to manufacture line pipes of varying diameters. “The contract means line pipes are now available within Nigeria, saving money and time, and developing the right expertise and creating jobs at the same time,” said Igo Weli, SPDC’s General Manager, Nigerian Content Development. At the same time, SPDC is studying the findings of a feasibility study it commissioned on the establishment of a second mill in Nigeria, which will manufacture other types of line pipes.

Weli also said: “We commissioned the study earlier this year and are currently working with the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board on how the mill will be set up. Two line pipe mills in Nigeria will really be an exciting development for the oil and • Continued on page 38

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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ENERGY OPEC’s world oil outlook out HE Organisation of next week Petroleum Exporting

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rs • From Left: Mr Iso Bassey, Special Assistant, ICT; Liyel Imoke, Governor, Cross River State; Mr Chris Uwaje; President ISPON; Mr Chinenye Mba-Uzouku, General Secretary, ISPON, Mr. Odo Effiong, Special Adviser, ICT at the recent National Software Conference & Competition, at Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Calabar, Cross River State.

Countries (OPEC) has said its World Oil Outlook and Annual Statistical Bulletin would be launched next week.

The organisation said on November 8, 2011, the edition of OPEC’s World Oil Outlook (WOO) and the 2010/2011 Annual Statistical Bulletin (ASB) will be officially presented at a press conference to be held at the OPEC Secretariat.

“Recognised as the flagship publications of the Organisation, the WOO is an annual in-depth analytical review of various scenarios for the short, medium and longterm of the oil industry. It was first published in 2007. The publication has become an important reference tool, providing critical analysis of a range of issues, including supply and demand, investments, policies and environmental considerations.

Nigerian firm acquires oil block in Madagascar S OUTH Atlantic Petroleum Limited (SAPETRO), a Nigerian exploration and production company, said it has reached agreement with Houston based Marex MC Inc. to purchase a 90 per cent interest in the Maritime Belo Profond block, situated offshore Madagascar in the Mozambique Channel.

The block covers 13,770 square kilometres and contains a significant portion of a new deep water exploration province adjacent to ENI and Anadarko’s recent major discoveries in East Africa.

In a statement, SAPETRO stated that the purchase is subject to the approval of the Madagascar’s government but noted that information from modern seismic data indicate the block contains substantial thicknesses of favourably structured Tertiary and Mesozoic sedimentary packages in the acreage and remote sensing studies have indicated areas of hydrocarbon seepage.

The block lies adjacent to the Juan de Nova Maritime Profond exclusive exploration permit in which SAPETRO had acquired a 75 percent interest from Australian-based Roc Oil in July, this year.

SAPETRO was awarded deep offshore Nigerian block OPL 246 in 1998 and in conjunction with its partners – Total of France and PETROBRAS of Brazil - discovered

Stories by Emeka Ugwuanyi

the giant Akpo field in 2000. Part of the block was converted to OML 130. Subsequent field discoveries include Egina, Egina South and Preowei. While the Akpo field started producing in 2009, production has risen to over 180,000 barrels of condensate and the partners led by Total, are developing the other fields. In 2006, SAPETRO divested part of its interest to a Chinese company – Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC).

SAPETRO, through its Benin subsidiary is also 100 per cent owner and operator of block 1 offshore Republic of Benin, which it was awarded in 2004. The company has acquire 3D seismic on this block, drilled two successful appraisal wells and is currently planning a re-development of the Sèmè field, on which it plans to take Final Investment Decision (FID) in 2012.

The company is also evaluating exploration prospects within the block for future drilling.

Commenting on the deal, SAPETRO’s Chief Executive Officer, Martin Trachsel, said: “Entry into Belo Profond is a further addition to SAPETRO’s exploration

portfolio in Africa and reflects our commitment to establishing a presence in the continent through focused exploration activities.” He stated that the company has been studying the geology and geophysics within the vicinity following the recent acquisition in Juan de Nova and can confirm the existence of equally interesting plays which provide excellent opportunities for exploration. The statement noted that SAPETRO intends to aggressively explore Belo Profond with new broadband seismic and geochemical acquisition programmes beginning later this year.

An official of the company said: “From Nigeria to Benin, and then Mozambique Channel (France) and Madagascar, SAPETRO is viewed as one of the foremost Nigerian grown independents. With a strong financial base, partnership with major International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the strong business acumen of its Chairman – Rtd. General Theophilus Y. Danjuma, there is a lot to expect from this company.“ The official said with this recent acquisition, SAPETRO will stand out as one of the largest acreage holders in the East Africa / Mozambique Channel with over 67,000km2.

Recently Italian ENI’s Mamba South-

1 well on Area 4 in Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin, added to the string of large gas discoveries offshore East Africa. The well encountered over 200 metres of high quality Oligocene sands, the thickest payload discovered in a single reservoir in Mozambique. Energy analysts Wood Mackenzie estimates that commercial recoverable reserves of 8 to 12 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas would have been found, making it Eni’s largest ever operated discovery. Meanwhile, drilling operations are not yet complete and a huge upside exists, which could lead to upgrade of reserves once the well reaches total depth and is tested.

The ENI block and Anardako’s recent discoveries lie North-West to SAPETRO’s acreage, which moved past the Rovuma Delta area in mid Jurassic through early Cretaceous times. The SAPETRO acreage holdings cover more than 500 contiguous km North to South of the central portion of the Mozambique Channel and contain rifted and partially inverted continental fragments with more than 10,000 metres of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary section in places and a wealth of favourable structural and stratigraphic trapping mechanisms, including some of the largest mega structures in the world blocks in the Mozambique Channel.

Multinational oil firms back Nigerian Content implementation

• Nwapa

T

HE International Oil Compa nies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria including Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total, Agip and Addax, have given their approvals to key initiatives being implemented by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

The Chief Executive Officers of the multinational oil firms including ExxonMobil’s Mr Mark Ward; Chevron’s Mr Andrew Fawthrop; Addax’s Mr Cormelis Zegelaar;

SNEPCo’s Mr Chike Onyejekwe; Total’s Mr Guy Maurice, and Agip’s Mr. Ciro Antonio Pagano, endorsed the programmes during their quarterly meeting with the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Ernest Nwapa, an engineer, which held at the Board’s headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The programmes include the Indigenous Marine Vessels Utilisation Strategy, Offshore Rigs Acquisition Strategy, Equipment Components Manufacturing Requirements and Establishment of Line Pipe mills.

Other progammes are the Nigerian Content Development Fund, the Proposed Engagement Model with Ministries and Departments and Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification Systems.

The Board’s Public Affairs Officer, Mr Obinna Ezeobi, in a statement, noted that while making his presentation, Nwapa appreciated the collaboration operating companies had extended to the Board in the past 16 months of implementing the Act and canvassed for the deepening of the collaboration at all levels and common understanding of the Act’s provisions, without which all industry stakeholders would

suffer.

Nwapa said the structured implementation of the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Content Development Act has been judged as effective by various stakeholders, such that managers of other key sectors of the economy have started to adopt the philosophy.

He stressed that the oil and gas industry had the capacity to encourage the development of local capacity, ownership of equipments, utilisation of local facilities in the execution of jobs, thereby creating a revolution in the Nigerian economy.

Nwapa told the IOCs chiefs that unless their companies patronise local service companies and help them build capacity with which to execute jobs in Nigeria and employ the citizenry, they will continue to put pressure on international operating companies to employ them.

He regretted that most operating companies judge their Nigerian Content performance by the volume of contracts they award to Nigerian entities whereas most of such jobs get executed abroad and with tools leased from foreign companies, thereby exporting most of the contract budget.

He regretted the low patronage of indigenous marine vessels by the international operating companies, noting that the industry spends about $4 billion annually, but nearly 80 per cent of the spend end up abroad.

The industry, he said, should commit to the Vessel Replacement Strategy developed by the Board, which will see Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) and Platform Supply Vessels (PSV) owned by Nigerians replace foreign owned vessels.

To ensure the success of the Offshore Rigs Acquisition Strategy, Equipment Components Manufacturing Requirements and Establishment of Line Pipe mills, Nwapa challenged the industry to take steps that demonstrate that the industry would get to the expected target in 2015.

He said: “If we give a top down directive, it will create a revolution and that is how we will move from where we are now to what the Act requires.”

On the Nigerian Joint Qualification Systems (NJQS), the Executive Secretary explained that it is ready for launch and clarified that rather than serve as a contracting tool, the NJQS will help track developments in the industry and enable the industry make informed decisions.

“Making use of different scenarios, the WOO maps out some of the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. This year also sees an extension of the timeframe for the Outlook to 2035, from 2030 last year. The ASB, now in its 46th year, provides detailed time-series data on many aspects of the global petroleum industry, including exports, imports, as well as exploration, production and transportation activities, focusing especially on OPEC’s member countries,” the statement noted.

NIPCO for OTL conference

N

IPCO Plc has indicated interest to take part in the fifth edition of the Oil Trading and Logistics Africa Downstream Expo with a unique pavilion designed to showcase its outstanding facilities and investment in the oil and gas industry.

The OTL Africa Downstream Expo will hold at International Conference Centre in Abuja from tomorrow till Friday.

Nipco said its participation at the expo this year is unique as it would provide ample opportunity to demonstrate its new projects in the gas sector as well as improve the company effectiveness and efficiency in the petroleum products marketing.

Shell awards N7.8b contract to Nigerian firm • Continued from page 37 gas industry and for the country as a whole.”

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) is equipping and training the personnel of the Nigerian Institute of Welding in mechanical and corrosion laboratory testing and will invest N237 million to procure, install and commission laboratory equipment for mechanical testing, metallographic testing, chemical analysis/instrumentation, corrosion testing and non destruction testing. These activities, the company said, would help the institute to realise its potential as the foremost knowledge centre for welding engineering in Nigeria.

In 2010, Shell-run companies in the country awarded contracts worth nearly $947 million to Nigerian companies. This represented more than 96 percent of the overall number of contracts and amounted to over 93percent of the total expenditure on contracts.

After the passage of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, Shell companies in Nigeria have continued, as far as possible to make use of local contractors and hire workers from the communities in which they operate. The Nigerian content strategy of Shell-run companies in the country also promotes the use of locally manufactured goods and Nigerian service companies in production operations, projects and well engineering.

This month, Shell has adopted the Local Content Model being applied in Nigeria for use in its global operations. Ernest Nwapa, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, said: “That tells us that what we are doing here is effective and we want to show the world that, if Shell says this implementation model is effective, then it is effective. It is through Nigerian content development that this industry and country can be transformed and industrialised.”

17

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

ENERGY

‘Govt needs to encourage gas drilling’

F

OR Nigeria to enjoy gas supply security, there is need for an enabling environment for some exploration and production (E&P) companies to enable them to get more involved in comprehensive gas drilling.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Nigeria (POOC), Mr Festus Fadeyi, gave the advice at a pre-conference workshop entitled: Developing the Nigerian gas market, commercialising existing discoveries and encouraging exploration organised by the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in Lagos.

Fadeyi, who was represented by the General Manager, Exploration, Biodun Ogunjobi, noted that lack of favourable environment has made it more costly to drill for gas than for oil and as such drilling for gas has been made unattractive to investors.

He said because the structure required to encourage investments in gas development has not been in place, fewer number of E&P companies have been interested in investing in gas.

He said: “In all fairness, we must admit that it has been difficult to get investments in gas drilling, such as oil because there has been lack of favourable environment and structure. Had it been E&P companies have been empowered and encouraged through provision of favourable environment, they would have gone far in drilling for gas. For so long, we have had to depend on oil drilling to get what is called the associated gas that comes along with the oil. If you consider the costs of drilling for gas, one would appreciate why an investor would rather prefer to drill for oil than for gas. In fact, this explains why there are just few companies that are daring the terrain,” he said.

He said the country needs to ensure that its gas reserves are raised through increased gas drilling if it must be guaranteed of a gas supply security in the future.

He said: “What we have as gas reserves is 184trillioncubic feet (tcf) of gas despite the fact that our committed reserve is 225 tcf. What that means is that we still have shortfall of 41 tcf. So, there has to be some encouragement for investors and oil companies to go into gas drilling to take care of this shortfall. I believe the gas enabler well, which was struck few years ago, is a right way to go as it encourages companies to go into gas drilling. I think this is the only way to have the supply security that we talk about for future supply.

And unless we start doing that, we would find it difficult to ensure that the future of gas is protected in this country.”

On what constitutes the enabling environment required for increased gas drilling,Fadeyi highlighted

Shell Nigeria oil, gas output declines

O

IL and gas production from the Nigerian joint venture led by Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB) has shown a year-onyear decline for the first time in two years, according to third-quarter data published by the company.

Third quarter oil and gas production from the Shell Petroleum and Development Company of Nigeria fell to 281,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, compared with 291,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day a year earlier, the first of such decline in two years, the Dow Jones newswire reported

Stories by Bidemi Bakare

numerous factors among which are the sustainability of investments and the stimulation of growth in domestic market.

“There is no way we can talk about an enabling environment without mentioning the sustainability of investment. We must understand that when an investor brings his money, he wants that money to be sustained.

He does not want to plug his money into an investment that will not yield revenue.

“Besides, there has to be stimulation of growth in the domestic market.

For instance, if you look at all the gas plants that have been developed recently, you will find out that majority of the infrastructures are brought into the country. But in the real sense of it, if we are to encourage more investments in gas drilling, we have to encourage growth in domestic labour and human capacity. That is where the indigenisation thing has a role to play. We have to make sure we reduce the capital flight that goes into importation of these equipment,” he said.

He noted that there is a need for institutional reforms, collaboration among investors and renewed focus on stranded gas if increased investment is to be witnessed in gas drilling and development.

“We do need an efficient and institutional reform that will be able to support some of the initiatives in gas development.

For instance, a new pricing regime would be required to encourage investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) so that investors can be encouraged to develop the gas available in the country. We also have to place emphasis on our stranded gas that has not been harnessed. The government should be willing to encourage more investments in this regard so that the gas can be harnessed and developed.

“There is also need for collaboration among investors to develop gas because most of the LNG have been develop by the individual companies. No doubt, if one looks at the cost involved in the development of some of these gas plants one would see the justification in having form of collaboration among companies so that the risk and financial implication would not be borne by one company alone. And until we get to a point where we begin to work together it will be so difficult for an individual company to continue to muster the financial resources necessary for the development of some of these gas projects,” he said.

• From left: Taofiq Tijani, Commisoner for Energy and Mineral Resources; Lawal Gada, Renewable Energy Manager for Bank of Industry/United Nations Development Programme Access to Renewable Energy Project and Mrs. Ronke Ajayi, representative of the Commissioner for Physical Planning, at a stakeholders’forum on creating awareness on renewable energy options in Lagos.

‘Indigenous independent firms committed to gas devt’

I

NDIGENOUS major and marginal oil independent exploration and production companies are already taking up responsibility for the successful development of gas assets and projects in their care, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of one of the Independents, Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited (NDPR), Dr Layi Fatona, has said.

He said with the help of government policies, such as the marginal field development programme, Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content (NOGIC) Act and the yet to be passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), gas assets development including gas monetisation by the independents, has come alive in the past three to five years.

Fatona said prior to 2005, gas monetisation projects including the Bonny Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), West African Gas Pipeline and the Escravos Gas-To-Liquid (GTL), among others, for instance, were driven mainly by the oil majors for delivery to the international markets.

But after this period, an increasing number of minor and midsized Nigerian independent companies have been undertaking numerous gas monetisation projects, he said.

He listed some of these Independent companies to include Frontier Oil Limited, Platform Petroleum Limited, Energia Company Limited and the Pan Ocean

Oil Corporation.

Fatona who disclosed this at a workshop organized by the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in Lagos noted that the increased demand for gas both domestically and internationally actually prompted the Independents to increase their collective footprints in the area of monetising the gas potentials in their respective small asset holdings.

He noted that among these Independents, significant project costs have been incurred in the past three years with domestic gas supply as the focus.

He added that the inventory of projects that are either ongoing or ready to go on stream or completed and inaugurated is a clear testimony that the independents are poised to invest in gas projects that would be of much benefit to the populace.

These projects include the Xenergi Gas Processing Plant at the ObodugwaObodeti Field (OML56) by Energia, the Egbaoma gas processing plant at the Asuokpu/Umutu Field (OML38) by Platform.

Others include Ovade-Ogharefe Field (OML98) by Pan Ocean, the Uquo Field OML 13 by Frontier and the Ogbele gas processing at the Ogbele Field OML 54

by NDPR. The Ovade field, for instance, which cost Pan Ocean about $400 million was inaugurated in 2010 and is expected to supply lean gas to the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) power

plant at Ihobor in Edo state and also supply LPG to the domestic market.

The Uquo Field by Frontier which is to be completed by 2012 would gulp close to $200-$250 million upon completion and would serve gas delivery to customers at Ikot Abasi and Easter Nigeria while negotiations for the Gas Purchase Supply Agreement (GSPA) for supply of gas to Calabar IPP is currently on going.

Energia has spent close to $35 million on the Xenergi plant, which was opened this year and is expected to supply lean gas to the NIPP power plant at Ihobor in Edo state and also supply LPG to the domestic market while the Egbaoma Gas plant completed in 2010 and now at the commissioning stage has cost Platform a sum of $40 million till date and would be expected to feed 100MT of LPG per day into the local market and supply lean gas to third parties.

The NDPR’s Ogbele processing plant cost is about $85 million and revenue is expected to come from the sale of lean gas to NLNG, LPG and propane to the domestic market and condensate to be spiked into the field production.

Fatona, however, said these independent companies have been faced with major challenges in their quest to implementing most of these gas projects. Some of these challenges include shipping and customs clearing delays of equipment and facilities, difficulty in local material sourcing, skills gap in construction and site terrain challenges, among others.

PTI gets international recognition, repositions

A

BOUT 40 years after its es tablishment by the Federal Government to develop manpower skills for the upstream and downstream of the oil and gas subsector of the economy, the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Effurun, Warri, Delta State has gained international recognition. It is now a world accredited centre for certification in welding engineering.

The Acting Principal/Chief Executive Officer of the institute, Mrs. Clara Dennar, disclosed this at a workshop for training mangers of oil and gas and allied companies in Lagos.

Dennar, who described this as a big achievement for the country, also said to keep pace with world standards and trends, PTI is being repositioned and redirected in its core competencies to deliver professionalised set goals.

She said one of such areas in which the institute is being

By Joseph Eshanokpe

rebranded is in skill acquisition adding that there is a move by PTI to adopt the Danish Production concept. She also said: “We have, therefore, introduced short certificate courses that will run for three to nine months in different specialised fields. We are, therefore, fully prepared to run courses that are fit for the purpose to meet the specific training needs of organisations in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.”

She enjoined participants at the workshop to discuss such topical issues as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to enable stakeholders to be abreast of its implications and prepare for its prospects and challenges for the industry. She added that other issues, such as meeting growing technology expectations were timely and appropriate.

She thanked Addax Petroleum Development Company (Nigeria)

Limited for sponsoring the event, enjoining other firms to emulate the kind gesture.

The Deputy Managing Director, Addax, Mr. Monday Otabor, said the company believes that a highly skilled workforce is the foundation for truly sustainable development and success of organisations and the nation. This, he said, makes Addax Petroleum to invest highly in human capital development in both the country and abroad and also forms the fulcrum of its relationship with PTI. He said Addax, over the years, have been carrying out national merit scholarship programmes, establishment of technical skills programme and provision of infrastructure and support to schools and professional institutes and groups.

Dr Hope O. T. Adenughe of the Production Department of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) said the benefits of utilisa-

tion of the appropriate modern technologies in the oil and gas industry entails costs, increase in return on capital enhanced production, reduced negative environmental impact, such as air, ground and water pollution, and enhanced access to funding. She listed some of the challenges confronting the industry as rising costs, high consumption, costs and complexities of available facilities, people-related issues, and compliance to local and international regulations.

Also, the Country Manager, Human Resources, Halliburton Energy Services (Nigeria) Limited, Dr. Chris Offonkonsi, who spoke on The imperative of Petroleum policies in Nigeria, said policies in the subsector should reflect the dynamic changes of the oil and gas industry worldwide. She said the PIB is targeted at boosting revenue and employment, peaceful environment for operations, among others.

tted

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

18

ENERGY ‘Master Plan’ll boost renewable energy devt’

T

• Power transmission facility

Agency begins surveillance of filling station

I

N line with the Federal Govern ment’s transformation agenda, the department of Weights and Measures under the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment has set up committees to embark on surveillance of petroleum retail outlets across the 36 states of the federation including the Abuja.

Addressing the media in Lagos, the department said the team has started a one week surveillance, which the objective is to ensure that flow meters used in dispensing petroleum products to the consumers are in strict compliance with the provisions of the Weights and Measures Act. Some of the areas visited by the inspectors in Lagos include EbuteMetta, Epe, Ikorodu, Lekki, Isolo, Ikeja, Badagry, Ilupeju, Maryland,Abeokuta Expressway, Lasu Road, Akowonjo, Egbeda and Surulere.

The leader of the surveillance team, Mr John Nwankwo, said the verification of the flow meter pumps in the above mentioned areas revealed that some filling stations are not complying with the weights and measures standard, while some stations are fairly complying.

Nwankwo said: “We, however, issued warning and rejection notices to some erring dealers who are not conforming to the Weights and Measures Act, to desist from such.

We have also told them the urgent need to set their measures to standards or we will be forced to seal the station and prosecute them.”

He assured consumers of petro-

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

leum products within the state that they would, henceforth, enjoy value for their money and admonished consumers who notice any discrepancy in the activities of the petroleum dealers to report to their Lagos office in Ijora so as to enforce compliance in accordance with the weights and measures Act. He enjoined the media to assist the department to expose the activities of the uses of weights and measures equipments for trade without certificate of verification from the department of weight and measures.

He said to achieve the objective of

the present administration’s zero tolerance for corruption and the attainment of a free, just and equitable business society, the agency has reinstated its commitments to continue to monitor the activities of the dealers and verifications of all weights and measures equipments until sanity is fully restored.

Nwankwo, specifically, said the agency would not hesitate to seal any filling station found selling petroleum products with under-dispensing pumps. He said: “The act of shortchanging customers is a criminal act because the law says you should supply or dispense products in accordance with the value of the customers.”

HE Renewable Energy Mas ter Plan (REMP) un dergoing review by the Federal government with support from the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) will enhance the development of renewable energy.

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Energy Commission of Nigeria Prof Abdullahi Sambo made this known at a forum on creating awareness on renewable energy options in Lagos.

Sambo, the Special Adviser to the President on Power, said the policy framework on renewable energy, which was necessitated by the national and international interests for renewable energy is to guide in the switch from the convention sources to renewable.

He said the plan if well-implemented would expand access to energy services and reduce poverty especially in the rural areas as well as stimulate economic growth, employment and empowerment.

He added also that the roadmap generated from the plan will help in achieving a substantial share of the national energy supply mix through renewable energy thereby facilitating the achievement of an optimal energy mix.

He noted that government has been decisive in the feasibility of the plan through its huge investment in research and development.

This, he said led to the establishment of six energy centres with specific technical and research roles.

They include the National Center for Energy Research and Development (NCERD) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Sokoto Energy Research Center (SERC) at Usman Danfodiyo University (UDU),Sokoto both focusing research in all forms of renewable energy and the National Center for Petroleum Research and Development (NCPRD) at the Abubakar

T

HREE of the few major inter national Oil Companies op erating in Nigeria, ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron have posted impressive third quarter results.

ExxonMobil said the results for the third quarter of this year reflect a continued commitment to operational integrity, disciplined investing and superior project execution.

It said: “Third quarter earnings of $10.3 billion were up 41 per cent from the third quarter of last year, reflecting higher crude oil and natural gas realizations and improved refining margins. Earnings for the first nine months of 2011 were $31.7 billion, up 49 per cent over the first nine months of last year.

“In the third quarter, capital and exploration expenditures were $8.6 billion, and reached a record level of $26.7 billion for the first nine months of the year as we continue pursuing new opportunities to meet growing energy demand while supporting economic growth, including job creation.

“Oil-equivalent production decreased four per cent compared to the third quarter of 2010. Excluding the impacts of entitlement volumes, OPEC quota effects and divestments, production was in line with 2010.

“The corporation distributed over $7 billion to shareholders in the third quarter through dividends and share purchases to reduce shares outstanding.”

In a statement, Royal Dutch Shell said its third quarter 2011 earnings, on a current cost of supplies (CCS) basis, were $7.2 billion compared with $3.5 billion the same quarter a year ago. Basic CCS earnings per share, it added increased by 104 percent versus the third quarter of 2010.

The third quarter 2011 CCS earnings, excluding identified items, were $7.0 billion compared with $4.9 billion in the third quarter 2010, an increase of 42 percent while basic CCS earnings per share excluding identified items increased by 40 per cent as against the same quarter a year ago.

The company said cash flow from operating activities for the third quarter 2011 was $11.6 billion. Ex-

Energy prices Energy & Oil Prices OIL ($/bbl)

PMS

AGO

DPK

Conoil

65.00

160.00

140.00

AP

65.00

160.00

140.00

Total

65.00

160.00

140.00

Oando

65.00

160.00

140.00

Mobil

65.00

160.00

140.00

Texaco

65.00

Tafawa Balewa University,Bauchi that focuses on research in hydropower.

Others are the National Center for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (NCEEC) at the University of Lagos that focuses on research in energy conservation and efficiency and the National Centre for Hydropower and Development (NCHRD) at the University of Ilorin and the National Center for Energy and Environment at the University of Benin, Benin City.

Sambo said the research efforts of these centers have consequently produced numerous projects in solar, wind and biomass.

Examples are the five-kw aero generator by the wind in Sayya Gidan Gada in Sokoto, the pilot water heater at UDU Teaching Hospital developed by SERC in Sokoto,the solar water heater developed by NCERD and the twotonne solar rice dryer at Adarice company,Enugu built by NCERD. Other projects include the biogas digester pilot plant built

by NCERD and the Dome Type biogas pilot plant at Danjawa village, Wammako Local Government in Sokoto and the chemical extraction and transesterification of oil crops, such as Jatropha to produce biodiesel to power vehicles carried out by NARICT in Zaria.

He admitted that the new renewable energy sources, which Nigeria is endowed with, can be deployed to complement the conventional energy sources; and in the long run, provide the energy needs of the economy when fossil fuels get depleted.

He concluded that combined efforts of the government and private institutions would be imperative if renewable energy (RE) is to be boosted in the country.

ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron post impressive third quarter reports

Domestic prices of petroleum products Companies

By Bidemi Bakare

160.00

140.00

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Nymex Crude Future Dated Brent Spot WTI Cushing Spot OIL (¢/gal)

87.40 110.78 87.22

1.33 -0.10 1.92

1.55% -0.09% 2.25%

10/21 10/21 10/21

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Nymex Heating Oil Future Nymex RBOB Gasoline Future NATURAL GAS ($/MMBtu)

301.75 268.46

-1.26 0.91

-0.42% 0.34%

10/21 10/21

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Nymex Henry Hub Future 3.63 Henry Hub Spot 3.55 New York City Gate Spot 3.69 ELECTRICITY ($/megawatt hour)

INDIGENOUS

0.00 -0.05 -0.12

-0.03% -1.39% -3.15%

10/21 10/21 10/21

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME

Energy

65.00

160.00

140.00

Fagbems

65.00

160.00

140.00

Nipco

65.00

160.00

140.00

Mid-Columbia, firm on-peak, spot 28.42 3.18 12.60% 10/21 Palo Verde, firm on-peak, spot 33.46 0.26 0.78% 10/21 BLOOMBERG, FIRM ON-PEAK, DAY AHEAD SPOT/ERCOT HOUSTON 36.75 3.00 8.89% 10/21 • Bloomberg Oil Buyers Guide

cluding net working capital movements, cash flow from operating activities in the third quarter 2011 was $10.6 billion, compared with $8.1 billion in the same quarter last year.

The net capital investment for the quarter was $6.1 billion. Total dividends distributed in the quarter were $2.6 billion of which $0.7 billion were settled under the Scrip Dividend Programme. Some 25.3 million shares, equivalent to $0.8 billion, were bought back for cancellation during the quarter under our share buyback programme, the company added.

Chevron Corporation reported earnings of $7.8 billion ($3.92 per share – diluted) for the third quarter 2011, compared with $3.8 billion ($1.87 per share – diluted) in the 2010 third quarter.

Commenting, the Chairman / Chief Executive Officer, John Watson said: “We had another successful quarter with both strong earnings and cash flow. Current quarter earnings for our upstream operations benefited from higher crude oil prices on world markets. At the same time, gains on asset sales and improved margins for refined petroleum products contributed to increased earnings for our downstream businesses.

“We continue to progress our major capital projects. The recent decision to develop the Wheatstone LNG project represents a major milestone in the company’s efforts to commercialise our significant natural gas resource base in Australia. The Wheatstone and Gorgon LNG projects are expected to provide substantial new energy supplies to meet growing demand in the Asia-Pacific region.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

Shaky logic

A

Nonsensical States, not FRSC, should issue driver’s licence and number plates

B

UT for its tardiness, another developmenst of constitutional import may have passed unnoticed by Nigerians. It is, however, just as well that the multi-purpose Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has run into stormy waters in its current plans to replace both the national driver’s licence and number plates for new ones.

If Nigerians had expected the FRSC to have done its homework after the fanfare of its highly publicised launch of the two schemes by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on September 2, they were tragically mistaken: the FRSC leopard seems unlikely to change its spots. If anything, the corruption and racketeering which tainted the “ancien regime” seems to have mutated. Witness the current blame game – between the motorists and licensing authorities – over who

‘Our prescription of a new driver’s licensing system is however one in which states assume control. We do not agree with the FRSC that states cannot maintain a database of drivers which can be integrated with those of the police, the FRSC and other security agencies’

is responsible for the nationwide scarcity of number plates.

But – the matter is whether the FRSC isn’t seeking – yet again, to bite more than it can chew by taking up the two matters which belong to states licensing authorities and which the latter appear better equipped to do. The indications seven weeks after the launch of their latest brainwaves are that the FRSC is not ready. Across the federation, the story is the same: old number plates have disappeared; yet the new ones are not available – leaving a fertile environment for racketeering.

Clearly, the time to rethink the assumption of the FRSC monopoly over the production and issuance of both the national driver’s licence and number plates is now. We say this because the issues are not only constitutional but also procedural.

To start with, the very idea of a national monopoly in charge of number plates has become an absurdity. Whatever conditions that made “unification” necessary in the past cannot be said to exist now.

On one hand, it is ridiculous, if not entirely laughable, that the FRSC would seek to maintain the patently dysfunctional system by taking shelter behind the finger of “security” and “standardisation”. On the other, constitutional issues compel a rethink.

First of course is the question of who has the authority to issue driver’s licence and number plates. The states, without question, have the authority to issue both.

They administer the tests on the licensees; they also process and take custody of the paperwork for vehicle registration.

FRSC’s role in the chain is procurement; no more, no less!

To the extent that our “centralised federalism” has become an anathema, a cog in the wheel of national aspirations and development, we cannot be seen to endorse the uncurbed powers and privileges of another behemoth which insists on sapping Nigerians with its overarching powers without delivering commensurate value. It is in this light that we reject the notion that only the FRSC can produce fool-proof, secured driver’s licence and number plates.

That is not to say that we do not agree with the need to upgrade the driver’s licence and the number plate system.

While they are long overdue, the blame for the muddling of both deservedly goes to the FRSC. Our prescription of a new driver’s licensing system is however one in which states assume control. We do not agree with the FRSC that states cannot maintain a database of drivers which can be integrated with those of the police, the FRSC and other security agencies.

The FRSC is neither a procurement agency nor the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc. We see nothing wrong with FRSC working with states to agree on a national sample, while leaving states with the responsibility of procurement. That is what makes sense and that is what obtains elsewhere.

Confident competence •Earthquake demonstrates Turkey’s assertiveness

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IKE other natural disasters, earthquakes tend to expose most nations by showing them at their weakest.

The widespread damage to buildings, roads and other infrastructure, the extensive loss of life and the struggle to restore a semblance of normalcy all combine to stretch the ingenuity of even the most capable countries to extremes.

However, the recent earthquakes in eastern Turkey, in the Van Province near its border with Iran, have painted a different picture of the country, by clearly demonstrating the Turkish government’s determination to meet and exceed global standards of emergency rescue and disaster management.

Historically derided as the “sick man of Europe,” forever on the margins of more-developed Europe, and continuously lost in the fading memories of its glorious Ottoman past, Turkey had long been dismissed as just another ThirdWorld basket-case that would be perennially dependent on the superior organisational skills of more industrially-advanced countries.

The Van earthquake reached a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale and has caused over one thousand deaths and hundreds of injuries, in addition to the collapse of about 970 buildings. The cities of Van and Eric were particularly badly affected. To make matters worse, the region has suffered more than 100 strong aftershocks which have hampered rescue efforts.

In spite of this dire situation, the Turk-

ish government has gone about the relief effort with a responsiveness and competence that is amazing to see in an emerging nation. Emergency teams were on the spot within hours of the disaster, and rescue efforts were not halted by the coming of nightfall. Such is the discipline and sense of camaraderie that the rescuers’ requests for total silence in order to listen for calls for help from trapped citizens have been obeyed absolutely.

So confident was Turkey that it could handle the situation that it initially refused to accept the many offers of foreign assistance which were made in the aftermath of the disaster. While that decision may seem to be taking patriotic zeal a little too far, it certainly demonstrates that the Turkish government is confident that it has the men and material to take care of the crisis.

Turkey’s response to the earthquake is another indication of the country’s increasingly-confident self-assurance both in domestic and international affairs. It is one of the few nations in Europe to effectively weather the 2008 global economic meltdown. Its economy is riding on the back of growing industrial capacity, booming exports and a well-regulated financial system. Even though it is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), it has pursued an admirably independent line with respect to Middle East politics that has won it great respect from much of the world.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration has pursued

economic growth and social stability in line with its moderate Islamist ideology, and was rewarded with an impressive endorsement by the Turkish electorate in the general elections last June. It has had to fend off claims of undermining the country’s avowed secularism, but appears to have convinced many citizens that its intentions are honourable.

The lessons for Nigeria and other countries in Africa are clear. No nation attains greatness without putting in the hard work and planning that are essential to national progress. A country that cannot respond effectively to man-made and natural disasters within its own borders undermines its claims to independent nationhood. When a nation respects itself, it will attract the respect of others.

‘The lessons for Nigeria and other countries in Africa are clear. No nation attains greatness without putting in the hard work and planning that are essential to national progress. A country that cannot respond effectively to manmade and natural disasters within its own borders undermines its claims to independent nationhood. When a nation respects itself, it will attract the respect of others’

FTER a horrific earthquake, Turkey must accept aid from its friends Every earthquake brings stories of m iracles. The child found alive under a door after two days, the woman pulled from the rubble after a week. Yet these stories are considered miraculous precisely because they are so rare.

The hours after any earthquake are a race against time. There are never enough rescuers, and they are never fast enough.

On Sunday, eastern Turkey was struck by a quake of 7.2 magnitude. In cities made a unsupported concrete and mudbrick, the death toll is rising by the hour. The Turkish Government’s decision to refuse outside aid is senseless and cruel.

It was not ever thus. When a devastating earthquake struck in and around the Turkish city of Izmit in August 1999, killing tens of thousands, the Greek Government offered aid in a matter of hours. Reeling from the scale of the disaster, the Turkish authorities accepted.

Greek citizens sent money, clothing and blood, and Turkish citizens noticed. The Mayor of Athens made a visit. Two countries, feuding since time immemorial, began to both behave, and feel, like neighbours. When another huge earthquake struck Athens a month later, albeit with far lower causalities, the Turks reciprocated in kind. History offers other examples of disaster diplomacy, but none so heartwarming as this.

Turkey today has refused aid not only from Greece, but also from Israel and Armenia; the latter with which it has a traumatic history and the former with which it has a traumatic present.

Certainly Turkey is a more modern, confident and prosperous place than it was a decade ago, but no country is so modern and developed as to comfortably handle an earthquake alone. Greece has experience of handling earthquakes to rival Turkey’s own, and facilities far better. Israel excels at complex and technical aspects of disaster management. Both could, and would, save lives.

The Government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has its reasons, but they are not good ones. The cities of Ercis and Van lie in a sensitive part of the country, close to the borders with Iran and Iraq and with a population that is predominantly Kurdish. Last Wednesday, Kurdish militants killed 24 soldiers nearby – the worst attack in 18 years – prompting a heavy Turkish response on both sides of the border with Iraq. In normal circumstances, Turkey would not welcome an influx of outside agencies. These, though, are not normal circumstances.

Since Mr Erdogan came to power in 2003 Turkey has looked less towards Europe as its natural home, and more towards its region of the Middle East, occasionally collaborating with Iran and adopting a paternalistic pose towards the wobbling giant that is Egypt. Its relations with Israel have deteriorated, markedly. After a decade of prosperity unrivalled in its history, Turkey has clear and understandable ambitions towards regional dominance. The refusal of outside aid contains an implicit boast that Turkey is no longer the sort of country that requires it.

But it is. After a disaster such as this, any country would be, Turkish pride must not be built on the blood and crushed bones of the dead who otherwise would have lived. Regional stability is built on friendship, and Turkey is surrounded by nations offering just that. It should accept.

The London Times

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

“LORD, UNTO THY HANDS COMMIT MY SPIRIT”.

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IR: Everybody is aware of their mysterious existence. No one seems, though, to have an iota of inkling of their physical identities. Social critics and public commentators are dead sure they are somewhere there in space. Academic, religious and political leaders speak of them with certainty. The National Assembly leadership has no doubt about their reality and demonic activities. They are known to bestride the landscape like a colossus, holding a nation by the jugular.

Even President Goodluck Jonathan, the most powerful man in the land, is aware of their mystical domineering presence in the polity, but has no idea of who, in persons, they are. Neither their home nor camp is public knowledge or could be spoken of publicly without dire consequences. They are not only invincible and untouchable, but are in fact invisible. They have only one profession, mission and commission: to make sure nothing works in Nigeria, a land blessed, and perhaps over-blessed, with enviable human and natural resources. They are Nigeria’s invisible, yet devilish and fearsome identical twin brothers – the cabal and cartel.

The name of the sins of the cabal and cartel is legion, for they are many. Everyone, today, blames General Ibrahim Babangida for annulling the result of the landmark June 12, 1993 presidential election.

But the heinous political crime was actually conceived, planned, programmed and executed by the cabal and cartel. The poor retired general was only an unwilling but helpless

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Caught in the throes of the cabal and cartel tool in the crushing fists of the invisible twin monsters.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo laboured hard to educate Nigerians on how and why the rosy future of the country depended on privatization. Unfortunately, the planning programming and realization of the project, including its gains and benefits, were cornered appropriated and misappropriated by the cabal and cartel. The mind-boggling revelations oozing from the recent Senate probe of the programme conclusively confirmed it.

The award-winning tragic-comedy that was the management of late

President Umaru Yar’Adua’s illness was vintage cabal and cartel at their ingenious best. For months, that seemed like years, Nigerians did not know for sure the whereabouts or true state of health of their president.

As the concluding show of might, C ‘n’ C, that is Commander-in-Chief, sorry, I mean Cabal and Cartel, commanded security chiefs to organize water-tight security, bullied PHCN lords to do what they were wont to do best – ensuring a regime of blackout, harassed airport captains into submission and smuggled the dieing president of the Giant of Africa into his Villa in the dead of night.

But you ain’t seen nothing yet. The hundreds of billions of naira and dollars sunk, over the years, into the project of fixing the nation’s oil refineries miraculously disappeared into thin air. Today, neither the refineries nor the staggering amounts in sovereign wealth are alive; they have been slaughtered by cabal and cartel. Our responsive and peopleloving governments came to our rescue with fuel subsidy. But alas, the cabal and cartel again cornered the billions and trillions, leaving the government with no option but to hold back the funds and multiply the sorrow of its hapless people.

Nigeria Police and extra-judicial killings

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IR: I tried unsuccessfully to force back tears when I read the story of Emmanuel Victor recently murdered by trigger happy policemen in Bayelsa State.

Could it be the pity I felt for the family especially the mother whose hopes of a glowing future for a son suddenly went blank? Could it be the realisation that our nation has now degenerated to a level where anyone can be cut down by police

bullet anywhere and at any time for the flimsiest of excuses without the least whimper being made about it?

How fortunate I was that I did not lose my life in a similar incident in August. I could have been buried six feet under if I had not allowed my survival instinct to take charge of my usual radical self on that fateful day?

In August, at the Omole junction

in the Ikeja area of Lagos, some policemen had insisted that I committed an offence by not stopping my car despite having crossed the white cautionary line on the road when the yellow traffic light came on. If that strange force had not come over me, to tame the radical in me when those policemen threatened to waste and label me an armed robber if I remained ‘uncooperative’, I could have been

Akwa Ibom and the politics of zoning

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IR: For politicians in Akwa Ibom State, the 2015 gubernatorial election may be over three years away but concerns about who will take over from Governor Godswill Akpabio has attracted some interest in recent political discourses. This is not unexpected. Since Chief Akpabio became the governor in 2007, he has upped the ante and raised the profile of the state through unprecedented performance.

Indeed, the tenure of the administration of Akpabio has witnessed a renaissance of sort in infrastructural development.

Placing the state on such a high pedestal also means that the stakes are high and naturally the position

Almost all Nigerians know everything about Cabal and Cartel but yet know nothing. Everything is known about their evil deeds and nothing about their identities. This is perhaps because they bear no family names, have no birth certificates, carry no ID cards and driver’s licences, use no registered phone lines and run no traceable NUBAN bank accounts.

One thing that is sure however, is that, judging by their activities and the arrogance they exude, they can only belong to the much-talkedabout one percent of the population sitting on 99 percent of the resources.

It is now certainthat Nigeria will know no peace, justice, progress, development and realize her full potentials until the cabal and cartel are identified, ambushed, captured and silenced. And so the impoverished 99 percent of the teeming 150 million-strong population need to act.

• Dele Akinola, Obafemi Awolowo Way , Ikorodu, Lagos .

will attract a lot of interest.

The last few weeks has seen to the proliferation of nondescript groups agitating for “zoning” or “power shift.” While some have clearly articulated why the next governor of Akwa Ibom State should emerge from their Senatorial district, others have behaved not better than the dreaded Boko Haram sect by threatening fire and brimstone and conjuring up crises scenarios on the scale of the wars in Libya, Liberia, Rwanda and Kosovo if Governor Akpabio does not “shift” power to their zone.

The election of Governor Akpabio should be a great lesson to these anarchists that rather than

remain in their cocoon and expect Akwa Ibom people to “shift” power to them, building bridges of unity would have been a better approach.

It is instructive that in Akwa Ibom State, there has never been a clear policy on zoning as the governorship election has always been free for all. For instance, it is on record that the former Governor, Obong Victor Attah from Uyo Senatorial district, had at various times contested against Dr Ime Umanah of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial zone.

It is also a known fact that the present Governor, Chief Akpabio in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primaries of 2006, contested against 57 aspirants

spread across the three Senatorial zones in the state, including his present deputy, Obong Nsima Ekere from Eket Senatorial district.

The consensus in the emerging Akwa Ibom State is for the political space to be opened up for the best man or woman who will pursue the development of the state with an unrivalled passion to emerge. Such mundane and primordial considerations as “zoning” and “power shift” seem to have been ditched for visionary leadership whether from Ikot Abasi, Etinan, Oron, Eket or Nsit Ubium. The new mantra is “May the best man or woman who will lead the state to greater prosperity emerge in 2015.”

• Ini-Abasi Mboho, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

wasted and nothing could have happened except that my family and other dependants could have been thrown into sorrow and anguish.

Rather than feel bad that those policemen took my hard earned N9,000 for doing nothing wrong and against my wish, I should be thanking my stars that they were benevolent enough to take just the money and not my life or even both.

No one should live under the illusion that the attitude of Nigerian policemen towards the masses will change anytime soon. Over time they have seen themselves as an army of occupation and the rest of us as the captives who can be spared or killed with little or no provocation based on their own discretion.

As for me, I have come to appreciate that each day I go out and return home safely without being cut down by police bullet is a bonus. I have warned my family members never to engage in any form of argument or altercation with policemen and be ready to part with whatever is demanded from them.

• Odedeyi Adekunle Matogun Road, Agbado OkeAro, Ogun State

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

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exposition. The Ikenne conference conveners EYOND Ghaddaffi’s and their flock should continue their romance bloody end (October 25) My with the sterile centre. They will all remain dear man, would you have in the dustbin of irrelevance by the ongoing the whole world watch helplessly evolutionary revolution. Change will while the blood thirsty dictators irresistibly emancipate itself from whatever like Ghaddaffi mow down their shackles holding it.

– Richard, helpless people? Thank God for +2348051320609. using USA and NATO [North At 51, still shambling ... (October 4) Atlantic Treaty Organisation] to If only the power players of this nation can police this barbaric world. While understand the basic truth of your write-up, Ghaddaffi gave his people peanuts, lordbeek@yahoo.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) the better for our country. Thanks for your his own children took US $billions for doing nothing. Whatever frank and illuminating ripples. – ‘suspect motive’ NATO may have, Matthew Efenji, +2348027426369. the Libyans have shown support At 51, our successive leaders beyond any doubt. What side are have shamefully committed you? - +2348033135671. political incest. They have The tragedy of the Libyan continually raped the resources citizenry and Ghaddaffi is compounded by the facts that there FALLEN Libyan leader, Muammar Ghaddaffi got his desert, right? Not quite! Among Nigerians, they are charged to manage. It is so, so shameful! is no institutional structure to the jury is still out, with many insisting Ghaddaffi, no matter his excesses, was more sinned all prevent tyranny and that Ghaddaffi against than sinned. Well, it is the readers’ prerogative this week, starting with the Ghaddaffi +2348034310732.

The signs are ominous and was murdered by youths who were living standards are increasingly not born when he built the country denouement. Enjoy the readers’ day under the sun! un-dignifying in a geographical entity called Nigeria. These police under him have invaded your paper. Now, you realise into a modern nation. Ghaddaffi’s – and by extension, Libya’s indices imaginatively will make the storm peak in an that Goodluck is nothing but bad luck! – Olalemi, – undoing is that Ghaddaffi stayed in office for too long, making apocalypse that will determine if we have a country before +2347041851806. more than dire ever the need for his nuisance to be abated. agreeing we have a president. Nigeria at 51 is the case of an It started with Hon. Justice Ayo Salami, then our dear Asiwaju President Jonathan should learn from the Libyan debacle and adult baby still ensconced in the mother’s cocoon of babyBola Tinubu and now, The Nation newspapers. But maybe the not contemplate leading political office holders to the cul-defriendly tutelage. I agree with your rippled position. – Kayode next port of call would be the House of Representatives – or sac of tenure extension, under whatever guise. – Adebayo A, Abeokuta, Ogun State, +2348073821313. what more unpleasant surprise(s) would the Otuoke-born man Adedayo, Akure, Ondo State, +2348064973696.

President Goodluck Jonathan now has a new song, acquired without enemies and shoes spring up in the name of Beyond Ghaddaffi’s bloody end – well rippled! I think our verbatim from Obama [Barrack, US President]: strengthening transformation? The harassment of the media as exemplified leaders use their ears to talk and their mouth to listen, that’s of institutions. But he never waited for the full explanation by the stone-age invasion of The Nation newspapers has made why they talk more, listen less, learn less, forget all and do before hurrying back from the United Nations, to sing us that the paper and its writers even more popular than the nothing! They are, to me, the Tarzen Generation. Fair winds! sweet song. He is neither a general nor a pharaoh, so how will reactionary forces trying to cripple its operation. I congratulate – Kayode A, Abeokuta, Ogun State, +2348073821313. he strengthen the various institutions of state – by playing The Nation and its writers for always defending our freedom You are free to hold your opinion on the place of Ghaddaffi music? – Chris, Jos, Plateau State, +2348153771320. with objectivity and dispassionate truth. – Kayode A, in African and world history. However, one fact remains Tribune and the curse of Corioli, September 20 Abeokuta, Ogun State, +2348073821313. indelible: he fell to the evil machinations of the West and Tribune and Corioli: Some of Nigeria’s finest columnists who Yoruba front manoeuvres (October 11) betrayals at home. He was not all evil and the West you are write on Tribune’s descent into retrogradation do so out of Let it be known that the gathering at Ikenne was that of antiaping paints him. – Adewuyi Adegbite, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, concerns for the legacies of the titan, Obafemi Awolowo. But Awo people who wanted to use that platform to fend for +2348128901660. with or without Tribune, Awo’s legacies will not perish. Tribune themselves, having been rejected at home. An Awoist does Whether you like it or not, Ghaddaffi tried for Libya and is on the road to extinction. When Awo died, the whole world not beg nor does he covet the national cake. He would rather died as a hero. His only office was being a Muslim and that he mourned. The Tribune may die but there will be few mourners. work to bake his own cakes to the envy of others. That is the rejected western imperialism. What did our own leaders offer In any case, lovers of newspapers with robust editorial contents spirit of Awoism. And let’s get it clear: Awoism is beyond the Nigeria? – Ado, Kano, Kano State, +2347057749975. and intellectually stimulating columnists have abandoned the Yoruba race. - +2348157323787.

Police as private bulldog (October 18) Tribune. I did so a long time ago. – Chief Femi Adesala, old Ife I want to appreciate your write-up, “Yoruba front Thanks for your educative column headlined “Police as Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, +2348028625682. manoeuvres”. I want to tell you that all these reactionary private bulldog”. If only the robotic IGP Hafiz Ringim and elements will not only fail but they will be swept away by the his police had a copy of it! Once the source of the constabulary flood of development and prosperity the South West will soon stream is polluted, it flows down as dirty water. And so, it is experience, if the Lagos example is anything to go by. with the Nigeria Police. Reggae musicians often sing of police +2347051672169. harassment, intimidation, brutality and killing of defenceless What is wrong if a relegated people came together to protest and innocent citizens. They may well have had Ringim’s police their state of abasement? Opposition was a necessity during in mind! - +2347033689854.

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You blindly backed Goodluck Jonathan to be president when Yours today was a thoughtful, analytical and sound you should have opposed him. But now you cry because the

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Olakunle Abimbola

Viva Ghaddaffi? And other issues Feedback

‘Ghaddaffi fell to the evil machinations of the West and betrayals at home. He was not all evil and the West you are aping paints him’

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T was inevitable that the long running soap on the planned removal of subsidy would attract comical twists and turns. One part is the emerging Babel over the take-off date for hiving off the subsidy. While President Goodluck Jonathan seems to have taken for granted that the removal is done deal come January 2012, petroleum minister Diezani Allison-Madueke couldn’t be so sure. You blame it on the politics of oil subsidy removal– a sort of strategic retreat by the administration in the face of mounted opposition – I put it to the paucity of rigour on an issue as volatile as the subsidy question.

The same goes for the establishment of the so-called “committee of highly respected Nigerians” to monitor and advise the government on – you guess right –the utilisation of the subsidy money. It is pointless to state that the proposition is the obverse side of the same bad coin of lack of rigour of thought.

To identify the administration’s fixation with worn orthodoxies in the nation’s downstream petroleum sector goes beyond merely highlighting the dangerous pathology; it seems a necessary part of the effort to unearth a more virulent malignancy: the profound absence of the patriotic instinct and the stupefying myopia which finds expression in the inability of the governing class to properly articulate and pursue the nation’s interest. A sampler of the disease is the current squabble over how much to stow away in foreign bank vaults in the so-called Sovereign Wealth Fund at a time we are lamenting the sorry state of our infrastructure! Does it surprise that the mercurial, foreign carpetbaggers are already swooning over the management of the petro-dollars which the Nigerian government insists cannot be deployed to fix the run down national infrastructure!

Seems we do have a long way to go in the ritual of lamentation over the mental flight of the prodigal, hopeless elite currently infesting the corridors of power.

One notes – and this is contrary to what the government presents as the issue at stake – that the matter of the fuel subsidy goes beyond the arithmetic of balancing the books. I made the point before; the core of the discourse on the subsidy question is the matter of our national

‘No one has asked the Jonathan administration to be oblivious of the subsidy arithmetic; what majority of citizens have said is that the statistics belies a national pathology which needs addressing’

Policy Sanya Oni sanyaoni@yahoo.co.uk 08051101841

A presidency outsourced interest, the blind side of which the government continues to ignore. It has become pathetic to watch our supposedly bright brains in the executive council of the federation conveniently sideline the national interest question whenever the matter of fuel subsidy comes up.

Only the visually impaired denies the vast opportunities in the route not taken by the Nigerian government. I am constantly reminded of what the tiny Asian country of Singapore which does not even have any reserve of hydrocarbons does with her three giant-sized refineries which ranks her among the global top 10 suppliers of refined petroleum. On a visit to the Singapore facility some eight years ago, I had asked my tour guide why a country with no known oil reserve would venture into petroleum refining. Puzzled by my rather strange inquisitiveness, the guide took me to one of the heights on the island overlooking the refineries. There he requested that I look below at the sprawling natural harbour. I needed no further lecture to appreciate how the country had merely converted the potentials of her natural harbour to earn its place as world’s leading refiner of sweet crude.

The scores of crude-laden ships waiting to berth were more than enough proof!

Nigeria is not only OPEC’s sixth exporter of crude, it is blessed with good natural harbours as well. By christening itself “transformational”, the Jonathan administration just has to do offer more than it is currently putting on the table. Its profession of helplessness against the shadowy forces in the fuel supply and distribution chain remains as implacable as ever. It portrays the government as either weak-kneed or beholden to special interests.

Of course, the latest proposition of an eminent body of

Nigerians to manage the subsidy money is as laughable as it is utterly preposterous. Coming straight out of the administration’s manual of abdication, Nigerians are somewhat familiar with the template having been last used by Sani Abacha when he created the multi-purpose Petroleum Task Fund headed by Muhammadu Buhari. One had assumed that the nation was done with templates of appeasement which falls short of addressing issues more so now that we are in a constitutional environment. Like bad habits difficult to cure, this is what President Jonathan has found handy as a strategy to douse popular agitation against the fuel subsidy removal. It goes with the character of a government that prefers to outsource responsibilities to committees.

To the extent that the government pretends to be oblivious to the main issues underlying the subsidy debate, it would seem unreasonable if not irresponsible to expect that labour would shift its opposition. No one has asked the Jonathan administration to be oblivious of the subsidy arithmetic; what majority of citizens have said is that the statistics belies a national pathology which needs addressing. It is what the economists calls supply side economics. The arithmetic which pretends that the transposing the burden of the so-called subsidy means the same thing as elimination is fraudulent as it merely craves for a new set of burden bearers. Asking Nigerians to perpetually keep the fuel import racketeers in business seems like stretching our crony capitalism to its infinitely elastic limits. Something is bound to give, sooner than later.

The current time obviously calls for serious rigour. Market orthodoxies are good but only to the extent that they are moderated by enlightened national interest; just because we live in a world dictated by interests – the point needs to be harped on continually that there is no such thing as market determinism in its pure form otherwise the purveyors of capitalism would not be shelling out billions of dollars and Euros to bail-out their delinquent systems across the board. While it is not in the nation’s interest that a whopping N1.2 trillion is expended annually to settle subsidies, it pales into insignificance compared with the folly laden in the fuel importation business around which the nation is perennially skimmed. It bears repeating that Nigeria has no business expending a dime on fuel importation. The tradeoff isn’t about eliminating the so-called subsidies but one of terminating the racket of fuel importation that denies our country the full benefits of its natural endowments.

That calls for deep thinking and difficult choices which the reluctant Jonathan administration seems unwilling to take. That, unfortunately is why the nation remains at crossroads. It is the tragedy of an outsourced Presidency.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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EDITORIAL/OPINION N spite of his frequent and vigorous declarations to the effect that he stands for the institution of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria, by his recent actions President Jonathan is in fact moving in the reverse direction by the speed of light.

At least two of his recent nominations for resident electoral commissioners for the approval of Senate, demonstrate blatant partisanship and his determination to saturate the commission with his party members in violation of the constitution.

By section 156(a) of the 1999 Constitution as amended; “provided that a member of any of these bodies shall not be required to belong to a political party and in the case of the Independent National Electoral Commission he shall not be a member” The law expressly and unequivocally singled out INEC for mentioning as a body to which an appointee/nominee must not have partisan leanings when it stated that; “ in the case of the Independent National Electoral Commission he shall not be a member” Furthermore, and perhaps far more important, the constitution, in the 3rd schedule part 1 paragraph 14 sub-paragraph (3) states in-

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‘It is unfortunate that the law would permit this sort of anomalous situation: an unfortunate situation where a man who usurped the sacred mandate of the people would be allowed to fritter away their common patrimony without their due authorisaton: authorisation that should come through free and fair elections where the said electorate, in whom sovereignty resides in a democracy, are afforded the opportunity of exercising their franchise’

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Jonathan muddies the stream of electoral credibility

By Professor Itse Sagay, SAN ter alia that; “There shall be for each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a Resident Electoral Commissioner who shall: (a) be appointed by the president subject to confirmation by Senate (b) be a person of unquestionable integrity and shall not be a member of any political party” These provisions have been blatantly violated by President Jonathan who has nominated two prominent members of the PDP to the Senate for approval as resident electoral commissioners. These are: (1) Dr Gabriel Ada, who was at one time a PDP member of the Cross River State House of Assembly and in fact rose to become Speaker of that House under the government of Donald Duke. Dr Ada’s case is particularly bad because of the terrible record he left behind in Delta State as a Resident Electoral Commissioner from 2007 – 2011. Every election that has been conducted by him has resulted in acute, bitter and divisive controversy because of his clear partisanship as an agent of the PDP. In the case of Chief Great Ogboru Vs. Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan decided by the Court of Appeal, Benin, the Court made the following comments about the appalling level of partisanship and therefore the complete failure of Dr. Gabriel Ada to conduct anything worth the name of an election. At pages 54-55 of the Certified True Copy of the Judgment, the Court of Appeal has these words to say about the shocking performance of INEC in Delta State presided over by Dr. Ada. “Finally, we turn to the usual question of the effect of substantial non compliance on the election. Our findings that the certified copies of the photocopies of the above form EC8A were inadmissible must be re-iterated here. Having expunged those exhibits and the photocopies of the temporary voters’

cards in respect of the 11 local government areas above, the implication is that the third respondent (INEC) did not prove the conduct of elections in the said 11 local government areas. The tribunal had cancelled the results in three local government areas where elections were inconclusive. That means that the non compliance affected 14 out of the 25 local government areas in Delta State. In plain terms, the voters in these 14 local government areas were disenfranchised because of the non compliance with the Act. This, in our view, amounted to substantial non-compliance that vitiated the entire exercise. This means that the first respondent did not satisfy the mandatory requirement of section 179(2) of the 1999 Constitution. In a word, he did not secure the mandate of the electorate in the two thirds of the local governments of Delta State before mounting the gubernatorial saddle as their governor.

In the circumstance, we have no choice than to enter an order dismantling his over three and half years’ illegal occupancy of the Government House which is the very symbol of the people’s mandate: indeed, his illegal habitation of the said Government House for the said period of time is a mockery and, indeed, an affront to the indefeasible rights of the electorate in Delta State to elect their governor through a free, and fair contest.

It is unfortunate that the law would permit this sort of anomalous situation: an unfortunate situation where a man who usurped the sacred mandate of the people would be allowed to fritter away their common patrimony without their due authorisaton: authorisation that should come through free and fair elections where the said electorate, in whom sovereignty resides in a democracy, are afforded the opportunity of exercising their franchise. It is arguable whether this state of affairs would be per-

mitted to endure in other civilized jurisdiction! As we hinted at the outset of this judgment, the resolution of issue one would obviate the need to broach the second issue.”

It is a pity that Dr. Uduaghan had to bear the brunt of Dr. Gabriel Ada’s misdeeds. This is the man being re-nominated to carry on business as usual in another unfortunate state. I extend my condolence in advance to the state to which Dr. Ada will be posted.

(2) The second obvious case of partisanship is that of Mr. Lawrence Nnworukwu, a onetime commissioner of INEC who was later appointed a minister under PDP government. He is currently Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico under PDP patronage.

It is clear that these nominees cannot enjoy the confidence of the voting public as impartial umpires who are also persons of unquestionable integrity as demanded by the constitution. Clearly their nominations constitute a violent breach of the constitution which the President swore an oath to defend.

Given these facts, the President must make an immediate withdrawal of these nominees, to restore the confidence of the local and global observers on the commitment of his administration to genuine electoral reforms and in compliance with the existing laws. The pool of qualified Nigerians is big enough, for the President to keep himself within the confines of constitutional validity. Failure to do this will constitute a regression into the dark ages of “do or die” elections and a decisive departure from democratic rule.

‘The President must make an immediate withdrawal of these nominees, to restore the confidence of the local and global observers on the commitment of his administration to genuine electoral reforms and in compliance with the existing laws’

The travails of Asiwaju Tinubu

REAT men have never had it smooth sailing for a good part of their lives. If you are an ordinary man, you hardly encounter difficulties created by man. In this country, especially, people have become celebrities as a result of persecutions by governments which, in most cases, offend the sensibilities of intelligent, sophisticated and righteous people. Of social persecution, the likes of Tai Solarin, Gani Fawehinmi, Wole Soyinka, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti became celebrities as a result of government persecutions. All of them spent some parts of their lives in prisons.

Wole Soyinka became a greater celebrity when he won the enviable prize for literature.

Ironically, it was after he won the Nobel Prize during the Babangida’s regime that he was hurriedly decorated with a honour in his own country. When Tai Solarin, Anikulapo-Kuti and Fawehinmi, a legal icon died, the entire nation was at a standstill celebrating the deaths of these persecuted but famous men. They were celebrated both in life and death. But a greater celebration in life and death awaited the greatest of them all – Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Until now, the greatest persecution of politicians in Nigerian history was that of Chief Awolowo. As I once said in one of my writings, great men are never referred to as “late”. That is why we never talk of late Albert Einstein, late Isaac Newton, late William Shakespeare, late Chairman Mao, late Mahatma Ghandi or late Abraham Lincoln because, from the lives, writings and achievements of these great men, they continue to live in the minds of men and women. Although they died in their bodies, they live in their spirits which is greater and which are the more enduring aspects of mortal man.

Right now, another political persecution of a great man is going on, quite reminiscent of that of Chief Awolowo. During his life time Awolowo was loved, hated and feared with great passion. He was loved with great passion by those who had a great admiration for him

By Moses Akin Makinde and his political ideas and achievements. He was hated and feared by those who saw him as a threat to their political ambitions. It was said that the fear of Awo was the beginning of wisdom. But it may rightfully be said that the fear of Awo was the beginning and end of “un-wisdom” for those who feared and hated his guts because they did not want him to rule this country. He ruled and kept the Yoruba together and led them to the path of greatness and intellectual sophistication of which the Yoruba race is proud till today.

Now, history is repeating itself in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who has delivered his South-west territory from political suffocation by the rampaging conservatives. Several years after he left office as governor of the most important and most prosperous state in Nigeria – Lagos State – a spurious and an after- thought charge has been brought up against him for no other reason than to diminish his rising popularity and then rig into existence a firm grip in the South-western states which he brilliantly had recovered from the ruling party – the PDP. They are pathologically afraid of Tinubu, the master strategist, as their predecessors in power were afraid of Chief Awolowo, also a master strategist. Unfortunately, some people never learn from history of government persecutions in this country – persecutions that simply turn their victims into celebrities.

In the address entitled “The Prophecy About War and Befalling Darkness” delivered by Chief Obafemi Awolowo on September 11, 1963 before Mr. Justice George Sodeinde Sowemimo in the Lagos High Court, at the close of the treasonable felony trial, Chief Awolowo had this much to say: “My Lord, I must say with respect, and this may have to be taken up with a higher tribunal, that I do not agree with Your Lordship’s verdict, and the premises on which it is based. For upwards of 30 years, I have been in politics in Nigeria; during this period I have operated in various important theatres in the life of this great federation. I have, with others, fought against British imperialism with all my might,

and with all the talents that it pleased God to give me … Since 1957 I have fought, as Your Lordship remarked with vigour, against the feudal system in the northern region and for its eradication. I have also fought to prevent the spread of this evil political system to other parts of Nigeria . . . In short, I have always fought for what I believe, without relent and regardless of consequences to myself. I have no doubt, and I say this without any spirit of immodesty, that in the course of my political career, I have rendered services to this country which historians and the coming generations will certainly regard as imperishable.

Naturally, sir, in the course of my long, turbulent and active political life, I have attracted to myself a sizeable crop of detractors and political adversaries.

Similarly, I have in the course of this long career seen both triumphs and set-backs, and I have met with equal minds. Peter, not Peter the Apostle, but Peter, hero of High Walpole’s novel entitled Fortitude said: ‘It isn’t life that matters but the courage you bring to it’. After life had done terrible things to Peter he heard the voice that said to him among other things; ‘Blessed be all sorrow, hardships and endurances that demand courage. ‘Blessed be these things; for of these things cometh in the making of a man’. In the words of Peter, therefore, my lord, I declare (not that I have heard a voice): ‘Blessed be your verdict; and I say in advance, blessed be the sentence which Your Lordship may pass on me. I personally welcome any sentence you may impose on me. At this moment, my only concern is not for myself, but that my imprisonment might do harm to Nigeria. . . . The invaluable services which I have hitherto rendered and which I can still render will be lost to the country, at least for a season. For some time to come the present twilight of democracy, individual freedom and the rule of law, will change or might change into utter darkness. . .

Before I close, I must say that in spite of the delay of the past few weeks on the part of Your Lordship in giving judgement in this case, and in spite of my disagreement with your verdict which I have just given expression to, I must acknowledge Your Lordship’s patience throughout the trial of this case.

Particularly I want to thank Your Lordship for the due and special consideration which you have always accorded me and the other accused persons. I thank Your Lordship; and I am prepared to abide by your

sentence”.

In this speech, Awo’s prophesy about war and befalling darkness in 1963 came to pass.

Ironically, the same Awo was hurriedly released from prison to help in prosecuting the war to its logical conclusion, without borrowing a kobo from within and outside the country! The darkness that followed the civil war has remained with us till this day.

The prediction of this darkness was also repeated by Awo 20 years after, in 1983, when he said that Nigeria would not see democracy for the next 50 years!

The present persecution of Tinubu for no other reason than his guts suggests that the fear of Asiwaju is the beginning of wisdom, and the negative fear of him (i.e., fear mixed with hatred), the beginning and end of “unwisdom”.

One of the greatest political foes of Awo in his life and death was Obasanjo. He has transferred his hatred for Awo to Tinubu. Thus, Obasanjo attempted to destroy Awo’s political legacy in the South-west. But this was vehemently resisted by Tinubu who not only prevented Lagos State from occupation by PDP through Obasanjo, but went ahead to regain Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states from PDP, a feat that was so painful to Obasanjo and the ruling party.

But as in the case of Awo, the present Asiwaju’s case is predictably disastrous to the nation, for it may be another prophecy of war and befalling darkness which nobody may be able to stop. Or is there anybody who can play God and tell the nation what, or what not, could happen tomorrow? When a balloon is over-inflated, it bursts necessarily, and when an engine is overheated, it knocks. These we all know.

Surely, history has a way of repeating itself.

That is why we have to always learn from the bitter lessons of history.

• Makinde, Professor of Philosophy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State can be reached on 08038011118, mssmakinde@yahoo.com

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NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

Ameobi: UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Newcastle’s Taiwo eyes knockout confidence stage with Milan is high

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ITH Newcastle United unbeaten in the English Premier League and currently flying high in the top four, Nigeria-born striker Sammy Ameobi says confidence is high.

Sammy Ameobi: “We’ve gone into every game this season confident we can win.

“We won’t be going into this one at Stoke any different, and hopefully we can win. I’m not happy about the fact Shola’s been injured, but it could mean an opportunity for me.

“If I get one, I want to take it. I’ve been working hard towards that.

Hopefully, he can come back soon, and we’ll still be in the top four when he comes back. I saw him this morning, and he was still in high spirits, which is good. Hopefully, he’ll be able to participate soon.”

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IGERIA defender Taye Taiwo will be aiming for the second round of the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan as they face BATE Borisov of Belarus at the Stadio Olimpico.

Milan and Barca are top of the Group G standings with seven points each, while BATE and Plzen have just one point apiece meaning in all likelihood they will be fighting among themselves for third place in the group and the resulting Europa League place.

Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri's men made an indifferent start to their league campaign, but four wins in succession in Serie A have seen them climb to fourth in the league, just two points behind leaders Juventus.

In their most recent match, a brace from Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic lifted them to a 3-2 win over Roma, while Kevin-Prince Boateng is another in sensational form after a hat-trick in 14 minutes helped inspire Milan to come from 3-0 down to defeat Lecce 4-3 on October 23.

Milan cruised to a 2-0 win over BATE on October 19 in their last Champions League match, with the goals coming from Ibrahimovic and Boateng.

• Sammy Ameobi

Cooreman joins Eagles’ coaching job race

K

ADUNA United head coach, Maurice Cooreman has joined the list of coaches to have signified interest in managing the Super Eagles.

Cooreman dramatically called up SuperSport.com on Monday afternoon from his base in Kaduna to show his interest in replacing Samson Siasia as Nigeria head coach.

He said: "I have lived in Nigeria for more than a decade. I know the people and I know their football very well even though I am a foreigner.

And I know what the people think concerning football too.

"But I no longer see myself as a foreigner in this country because I am part and parcel of their football now. I have managed several clubs and people know what I have achieved with them."

The Belgian coach believes he is capable of man-managing the Super Eagles' stars.

Cooreman also said his experience of travelling around the country on a weekly basis as an NPL coach gives him an edge of discovering new talents for the Super Eagles.

"I know over the years that the problem has been managing the national team players. That is why I said I know the players well and I can manage them well. I have seen a lot of players in the league who can turn out to be big players for Nigeria if they are properly groomed.

"And I know I can scout round the country and look for players that will complement the efforts of the foreign-based players. I have worked with some of the players now in the national team. Taye Taiwo was my player at Lobi, Austin Ejide worked with me at Gabros and others," Cooreman said.

On Stephen Keshi and Sunday Oliseh as probable Super Eagles' head coach, Cooreman believes both men have towering pedigrees in the game, but they might lack manmanagement abilities.

Villas-Boas slams Mikel C

• Taiwo

Edet also hailed the organisation of the race which had received plaudits from the World Mountain Running Association and the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

HELSEA boss Andre VillasBoas has accused Nigeria international Mikel Obi and his teammates of broken promises in a furious training ground outburst ahead of tonight’s UEFA Champions League clash with Racing Genk of Belgium at Cristal Arena.

Villas-Boas claimed Mikel and others had let him and the club down after they were beaten 5-3 at Stamford Bridge by Arsenal on Saturday after the players failed to carry out his tactical demands and not sticking to his game plan against the Gunners.

The players arrived at their Cobham training centre on Sunday morning expecting their usual gentle, postmatch warm down, but Villas-Boas put them through a tough workout.

That session came after he had called them into the changing room for a 30-minute dressing down during which he forced home a number of points.

Sunday’s dressing down was the first time the new Portuguese manager has been critical of Chelsea’s players since

he arrived at Stamford Bridge.

Although Chelsea have a number of players willing to speak up in front of previous managers, it was gathered that they sat in stunned silence during Villas-Boas’ rant, delivered to them as a team rather than as individuals.

Chelsea will however find out whether two consecutive domestic losses are the start of a slump or merely an aberration when it plays

• Villas-Boas

at Genk tonight.

A win would put Chelsea back on track and ensure the two Premier League defeats, including Saturday’s 5-3 home loss against Arsenal, are not necessarily a fundamental issue for Villas-Boas.

A third straight loss, however, would undermine the team’s lead in Group E of the Champions League and could be the start of a crisis at one of Europe’s leading clubs.

Y

do? We have to go back, work hard and go again against Chelsea.

“It is like we lost. Everyone was celebrating like it was three points and then they scored and it felt like we lost the game. We just have to go back in training and work hard.

“When you look at it, we were just unlucky. We did not deserve that, we deserved much, much better. We just have to stick together. Luck is not on our side at the moment but we have to believe it will change, it has to change and hopefully our season can start again.”

Norwich’s dramatic comeback has done little to ease the pressure on Steve Kean and his squad, despite the point lifting them off the Premier basement.

Further protests against under fire boss Kean are planned for Chelsea’s visit on Saturday, after weeks of unrest at Ewood Park, but Yakubu insists the players just have to stick together.

“As a player you have to be ready for all this pressure,” said Yakubu. “Whether you play at home or away. This situation we are in in the table is not really very good.”

SEXUAL HARRASSEMENT IN SPORTS

Itanyi charges NAWIS

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ORMER African Heptathlon queen, Patience Itanyi has tasked the National Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS) to make a statement on the alleged harrasement of female athletes in some of the nation's sporting federations during its meeting which will hold in Lokoja between November 15 and 19.

Itanyi, who still holds the national record in heptathlon (outdoor) and Pentathlon (indoor), said in a statement from her base in the United States of America that NWAIS is in the best position to investigate the allegation and come out with far reaching decisions.

“There is no denying the fact that several cases of sexual harrasement have

been reported in some of our federations and nothing has been done so far,” she began. “I think NAWIS, the umbrella body for all women in sports can investigate the allegations and make appropriate reccomendations.”

“I know a lot of parents who don't want their girls to participate in sports again because of the reported cases of coaches sexually harrassing athletes they are suprintending over,” said Itanyi, who, like the proverbial prophet, is despised by officials of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria but honoured by outsiders, especially her former school, West Virginia University who inducted her into the school's hall of fame last month.

IGERIA Premier League (NPL) joint top scorer, Kaduna United’s Jude Aneke has informed NationSport exclusively that he is set for a move to AA Genk of Belgium immediately he is granted entry permit to the European nation.

The former Anambra United forward has attracted the attention of several Belgian sides after scoring 17 goals this term. He told NationSport that this was what forced his exit from the Under 23 camp which is presently preparing for the last phase of the London 2012 Olympics Qualifiers in Morocco, as he was unable to produce his international passport because it had already been deposited at the Belgian Embassy here in Nigeria.

Aneke said: “I will be travelling to Genk of Belgium in the next few days.

It was because of this I left the Under 23 camp and not because of nonperformance as was being peddled in the media. I had several offers

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP

Visa hitches delay Nigerian lifters

T

•Aneke

from Belgium, but AA Genk remains the most serious of the lot. The club wants me to come right away to Belgium so that I can be part of their winter pre-season programme.

“I will leave the country as soon as my visa is ready even if it comes when the league season (NPL) is still on. It is every player’s dream to play abroad and mine is no different. But, to be frank, I will be elated to score more goals to get my desire of ending the NPL season as not only the top scorer but another player with the highest number of goals in a season.”

HE Nigerian weightlifting contingent’s trip to Paris for the World Weightlifting Championships is now dependent on the French Embassy in the country with Visa issues yet to be sorted.

The President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Chimdi Ejiogu informed NationSport that Nigeria’s participation at the African/Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in South Africa delayed their application for ‘Shenyang’ Visas which takes ten days before it can be processed.

He called on the federal government and other well-meaning Nigerians to wade into the impasse so that the weightlifters would not be denied the opportunity of getting more points with which to secure berths at the London 2012 Olympics.

He said: “We are yet to leave the country for France. We have some issues with the France Embassy in Nigeria. The visa has not been issued yet. We are making efforts for the

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri country’s intervention because normally the Shenyang Visa takes ten days to be processed. We travelled to South Africa and we came in a bit late to file for those ten days. We are hoping that they will attend to us very soon.

“The competition starts on November 1st through 14th but it is to afford the participating countries to have some days to acclimatise before the actual competition begins few days thereafter. We are looking at November 2nd departure. What we will only miss will be the arrival date and the documentation of our representatives which could still be done before November 4th or thereabouts when the Championship will kick off.”

The Nigerian weightlifters are marking time by intensifying preparations for the World Championships in Owerri, Imo State and will only leave the eastern state after their visas have been issued.

Eguavoen submits Euro tour report today

Blackburn were robbed, says Yak AKUBU Aiyegbeni admitted ‘that (it) felt like a defeat’ after Blackburn Rovers were robbed of a first Premier League away win of the season by a controversial injurytime penalty.

Grant Holt’s 93rd minute spot kick earned a 3-3 draw for Norwich City as Rovers threw away a two-goal lead in the final minutes of the game for the second time in three days.

The furious visitors were adamant Steven Nzonzi had been fouled before handling in the area – and claim it wasn’t deliberate – as they continue to languish in the top flight drop zone.

Aiyegbeni though, who scored his third goal of the club at Carrow Road, believes Rovers’ luck has to change after insisting they have not got what they deserve so far this campaign.

He points to impressive performances against Norwich and Tottenham the weekend before and remains confident they will soon start climbing the table.

He said: “We scored the goal to make it 3-1 and three points were in our hand. We feel bad but what can we

I’ll be a Genk player soon—Aneke

N

• As Chelsea faces Genk tonight

Edet hails Imoke, C/River on Obudu F ORMER head coach of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Armelia Edet has hailed the Cross River State government, particularly Governor Liyel Imoke for the continued sponsorship of the annual Obudu International Mountain Race and the African Nations Mountain Running Championships.

Edet, who was decorated with the prestigious IAAF Veteran Pin Award in 2009 at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany for her role in lifting the status of the sport in the world both as an athlete and a coach, says the race has re-awakened Nigeria's interest in long distance, road and mountain running races. She however acknowledged that Nigeria had failed to develop these events despite the fact that there were enough talents and the natural environment to train and be as good as the East Africans who have become the undisputed champions in these races.

'What the Obudu Mountain Race has done is to remind us, Nigerians that we have the talents to compete and the environment to train and become forces to reckon with in the world. It has re-awakened the interest of the athletes who have seized the opportunity to close the gap between them and the East Africans.

“What we need to do now is to develop the environment to train these athletes. It is a well known fact that the East Africans have taken advantage of the high altitude in that part of Africa to train these runners.

We also have the same kind of environment in some states in the north...even the Obudu Ranch Resort which hosts the annual mountain race has high altitude.

“What we have to do now is to set up training camps in these areas to train our athletes', said the Cross River State-born, highly regarded coach who won a 100m hurdles silver at the 1973 All Africa Games in Lagos behind Modupe Oshikoya.

'The Governor has taken the Obudu International Mountain Race to another level by not only improving on the prize money to still make it the highest paying mountain race in the world, but also adding the African championships to the two-day showpiece.

‘By that singular act, the governor has helped in making mountain running very popular in Africa and here in Nigeria we are already reaping the benefit. Two years ago Nigeria came third in the African championships beating such established nations as Kenya and Cameroon,' he further said.

FALLOUT OF ARSENAL DEFEAT

D

• Yakubu

REAM TEAM V U-23 coach Austin Eguavoen will today present to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee a report on his tour of European clubs for the release of players for the forthcoming Africa U-23 championship.

Coach Eguavoen last week embarked on the tour visiting England, Spain, Italy and Germany with the primary aim of convincing club sporting directors on the importance of the CAF U-23 championship to the country.

The coach, who arrived the country at the weekend, is also expected to finalise with the Chris Green-led technical committee on the final phase of camping for the Dream Team V. The Board of the Nigeria Football Federation is expected to roll out the road map to success for the Dream Team V ahead of the 8-Nation Championship on Wednesday.

Nigeria is in Group A of the U-23 championship alongside host Morocco, Algeria and Senegal.

The Dream Team V begins its campaign against Morocco on the 26th of November.

• Joel Obi

Eagles to play in Benin, Kaduna B

ENIN and Kaduna will host Nigeria's two friendlies next month, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Aminu Maigari has told KickOffNigeria.com.

The Super Eagles play Botswana and Zambia on November 12 and 15, and Maigari says the games will be held at either end of the country.

"We will play against Botswana in Benin, because we have already received a commitment from the governor and we will be happy to go there because of what he has done so far for our Olympic team.

For the Zambia game, we will play in Kaduna," Maigari said.

Nigeria are without a coach after firing Samson Siasia last week for failing to qualify for the Nations Cup. A new coach is expected to be named on Wednesday.

Both games will serve the twin purpose of helping the team prepare for the upcoming qualifiers for the 2013 African Nations Cup as well as allow the new coach to get a good look at his squad.

Sunshine blame saboteurs for ouster

S

UNSHINE Stars chairman Mike Idoko says enemies and saboteurs are responsible for his club's inability to qualify for the final of the CAF Confederation Cup. Sunshine drew 0-0 against Club Africain in Tunisia on Saturday but were eliminated 1-0 on aggregate after a 1-0 loss in the first leg.

Idoko told KickOffNigeria.com that some people sabotaged the club, especially in their 1-0 first leg loss.

"You know we have saboteurs and these people revealed our secrets to our opponents before the first leg in Ijebu Ode. It is these same saboteurs that caused the ouster of Kaduna United in the same competition. It also rained heavily that day and you know rain is a weather that is favourable to the Tunisians," Idoko said.

Sunshine Stars were playing on the continent for the first time ever after they finished third in the League last season behind Enyimba and Kano Pillars. They seem set to return to the continent as they lead the log with three games left to play.

•Ibrahim Ajani of Sunshine

25

PROPERTY

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

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

* The Environment * Mortgage * Apartments * Security * Homes *Real Estate

email:- property@thenationonlineng.net

Why public buildings must be insured •Stakeholders root for implementation of law

•A public building in Sango tedo, Lekki, Lagos.

PHOTO: OKWY IROEGBU

In 2003, the Federal Government included a clause in Section 65 of the Insurance Act, making it mandatory for every public building to be insured with a registered insurer. The policy also •Experts advocate concept for stable polity covers flood, fire, earthquake andrent-to-ownership storm.

Supporting the government, experts have pledged to ensure the strict implementation of the law. OKWY IROEGBU reports.

•CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

•Senate laments lingering land allocation crises

- PAGE 26

•Lagos community cries out for justice

- PAGE 39

• Experts rap Lagos govt on collapsed building - PAGE 40

26

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Senate laments lingering land allocation crises T

HE Chairman, Senate Com mittee on Land, Housing and Urban Development, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, has decried the lingering land allocation crises in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), promising to dialogue with those concerned to resolve the issues.

Ibrahim spoke while on an inspection of FCT estate facilities in Lugbe. He expressed concern that development activities in the real estate sector in the FCT has depreciated to an all-time low because of complaints of complications in land title documentation.

He said: “The FCDA had sever-

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

ally proclaimed that some estate developments in Lugbe, Bwari and a few other area councils of Abuja are without FCDA approvals.

“The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) had also claimed that its members have lost a great deal of their investments due to apathy caused by the FCDA’s proclamation.

“However, my committees will liaise with relevant bodies, such as the FCDA, REDAN and stakeholders in the housing sector to find a lasting solution to the matter. I can’t understand why there are such increasing issues of

land title problems, especially in the FCT.” Ibrahim went on: “In a country where we are still talking about shortage of houses, developers of estates are being threatened with demolition. As far as I am concerned, this does not make sense.

“We must call them to thrash out whatever the issues are. Also, I have observed that developers provide their infrastructure, which is wrong.

This calls for caution on their part. No meaningful development can be achieved under this circumstance.

“I am sorry for those whose estates have been demolished. I don’t

know if any of you have taken legal action. But, for these, we would get to the root, and make sure business is restored to normalcy.”

Speaking, REDAN Chairman Olabode Afolanya noted that the lingering land allocation crises have made the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to stop funding estate projects whose papers are from Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

He appealed to the FCDA authorities to immediately end the crisis by harmonising existing structures in its newly created layout.

“Real estate business, especially in Abuja, is experiencing a downturn. We, as informed practition-

ers, had warned of the adverse effects of perceived inconsistencies on the part of the authorities.

I know how many complaints I receive almost daily regarding various issues of land allocation crisis, of which our members are mostly affected.”

Afolanya promised to toe the path of dialogue with the authorities and make them see reasons and the effect of their actions on the sector.

“Our members are losing huge amounts either as interest accrued on estate loans, customers’refunds, and others. We are appealing to the FCDA to come out and clear the air on this matter so that business can continue,” he added.

performance of their companies, saying they complained that the regulatory body had failed to implement the laws on compulsory insurance, particularly the one on compulsory insurance of buildings and those under construction.

Group Managing Director, LASACO Assurance Plc and Chairman, Nigeria Insurers Association, Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, regretted the apathy against insurance products by the public and asked that the trend be reversed.

He called for a strategic collaboration between surveyors and insurers to deliver effective service to the public, especially in risk improvement.

Ladipo-Ajayi advised the government to come up with a policy on graded, standard and fire retardant building materials.

Furthermore, he said: “A building approval should not be issued without insurance licence. Town planners should also ensure that public buildings are not licensed for use without proof of insurance cover.”

Earlier, in his opening address, the President, Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Mr Bode Adediji, decried the negligible contribution of the real estate and the insurance sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He attributed the poor development of the nation, challenges of housing and infrastructure decay to the prostrate insurance sector.

Adediji stressed the need for mutual understanding of the estate and insurance industry’s professionals to move the sector forward.

Why public buildings must be insured •Continued from Page 25

T

HE Public Building Insurance Cover provides for compensation in the event of bodily injury, death and property damage to tenants, third party and members of the public.

The Builders Liability Insurance, under Section 64 of the Insurance Act, states that no person shall cause to be constructed any building of more than two floors without insuring with a registered insurer, his liability in respect of construction risk caused by his negligence or negligence of his servants, agents or consultants which may result in bodily injury or loss of life or damage to the property of any workman on site.

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) chief, Mr Fola Daniel, believe said the enforcement of compulsory insurance is a responsibility of stakeholders.

He said: “The commission is, therefore, soliciting the cooperation of estate surveyors andvaluers in ensuring that the drive is sustained. This will involve ensuring realistic and reliable valuation of public buildings and buildings under construction.”

He said the commission in creating awareness and impressing on stakeholders the necessity for insuring public buildings, pledged the preparedness of the NAICOM to continue to partner with surveyors to ensure safety of lives and properties.

Daniel said the formidable enforcement team comprising all stakeholders would carry out a nationwide verification and enforcement to determine the level of compliance.

•L-R: Adediji, Sangosanya and Eleh at the event

A past President of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), William Odudu, who spoke on the professional responsibilities, challenges and opportunities of estate surveyors and valuers, raised questions as to the scope of the Act, the areas of interest for surveyors, challenges and the need for strict compliance.

He drew attention to what professional fees should be paid for the valuation and those to bear the cost.

Odudu also sought to know the parameters with which his colleagues will work with insurance brokers and underwriters to ensure that the provisions of the Act are complied with, as well as how the law can be effectively enforced by NAICOM to ensure compliance, and the challenges for the regulators, operators and those obliged to comply with the law.

On the relevance of surveyors in the delivery of the Act, he observed that insurance companies will need to be guided as to the reasonable cost of replacement of the physical property destroyed or damaged for the insurable risk or the equivalent amount to be ad-

equately paid.

Stressing the need for valuation, Odudu, said: “Valuation will provide immediate proof of loss in case of fire and will also facilitate the settlement of claims by providing a detailed inventory of the destroyed property with itemised depreciated replacement cost figures where applicable.”

He said creating awareness remained an uphill task for regulators. The biggest challenge is creating awareness for the law as many are not aware that the Insurance Act 2003 makes it mandatory for owners/ occupiers to insure their properties against listed risks.

Odudu lamented that at some yearly general meetings of insurance companies, stakeholders and shareholders had blamed NAICOM for the poor

‘The commission is, therefore, soliciting the co-operation of estate surveyors andvaluers in ensuring that the current drive is sustained. This will involve ensuring realistic and reliable valuation of public buildings and buildings under construction’

Ondo set to check indiscriminate parking on major roads

I

NDISCRIMINATE parking of vehicles on major roads in Akure, the Ondo State capital and its environs, will soon attract stiff penalty from the state government.

The state Commissioner for Transport, Nicholas Tofowomo, stated this while speaking with reporters in Igbotako, Okitipupa Local Government area of the state.

Tofowomo said a stakeholders’

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

forum would soon be held to deliberate on the appropriate policy to back up the state government’s action.

His words: “We are putting up a stakeholders’ forum where agenda to bring everybody together to forge a policy that will make parking of vehicles in an unauthorised places in Akure and

other major towns in the state illegal will be discussed.”

According to him, parking of vehicles at unauthorised places in Akure has constituted untold hardship to motorists in the state.

The commissioner said if the state government could achieve its beautification of Akure, parking of vehicles in the streets would be addressed.

He stressed that the government

would make necessary publicity and enlightenment programmes to sensitise members of the public before any sanction could be meted to them.

Tofowomo also disclosed that arrangement had been concluded by the state government to provide alternative modern parking lots to the existing ones across the state.

According to him, all the park-

ing lots will be provided with necessary conveniences by the state government.

Tofowomo asked the people of the state to continue to support the Mimiko-led administration in its effort to make Akure a mega city He commended Senator Kunlere for being a visionary and exemplary leader worthy of emulation by younger politicians.

27

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

Mrs. Catherine Dupe Atoki was elected chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) at its 50th Ordinary Session in Banjul, The Gambia last week. It was also the commission’s 30th anniversary. She is the first Nigerian woman to head an organ of the African Union. Before her election, she was a commissioner. She is also the chairperson, Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa. A graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Mrs Atoki is a member of the famous 1978 class of the Nigerian Law School, which has produced two justices of the Supreme Court and 10 justices of the Court of Appeal, among others. She holds a Masters in Law. In this interview with JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU, Mrs Atoki appraises the success of the commission and speaks on how she intends to actualise its mandate.

•Mrs. Atoki

‘Many lawyers don’t invoke the African Charter on peoples’ rights’ H

OW does it feel to be elected chairperson of the ACHPR? Well, the trepidation is minimal because I am in the system and, so, I am well in tune with the challenges. Nevertheless, it is a new development. It is a new step and being a chairperson re-

quires a lot more diversification and input to surmount the challenges we have.

So, it is a mixed feeling; one of pleasure and a little bit of apprehension. I know that, at the end of the day, I will justify the confidence that my colleagues have reposed in me.

What is your appraisal of the effects of the ACHPR in Africa in the past 30 years?

Well, 30 years in the life of any institution, even a human being, is a long time.

But, in the life of a Charter, it takes a much longer time for it to come to life because a

Charter first has to be accepted and internalised. Issues of human rights in Africa have been on the front burner of African countries much earlier than now. So, I would say that, where we are •Continued on page 31

•’Probe WAEC for discrimination’ - P.30 •’Our concerns about human rights in Africa’ - P.35

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

28

LAW REPORT

Taking preliminary objection with main suit amounts to overruling before argument IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA On Friday, June 24, 2011 Suit No: SC.3/2011 BEFORE THEIR LORDSHIPS DAHIRU MUSDAPHER ....... Justice of the Supreme Court CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL CHUKWUMA-ENEH ....... Justice of the Supreme Court OLUFUNLOLA OYELOLA ADEKEYE ....... Justice of the Supreme Court SULEIMAN GALADIMA ....... Justice of the Supreme Court BODE RHODES-VIVOUR ....... Justice of the Supreme Court BETWEEN 1. HON. ZAKAWANU I. GARUBA 2. HON. LEVIS A. AIGBOGUN 3. HON. FRANCIS O. OKIYE 4. HON. BLESSING AGBEBAKU 5. HON. CHRISTOPHER I. ADESOTU 6. HON. SUNDAY EBOSELE EREGHAN 7. HON. EMMA OKODUWA HON. ZAKAWANU I. GARUBA & ORS V. HON. EHI BRIGHT OMOKHODION & ORS CITATION: (2011) LPELR-SC.3/2011 •Cont’d from last week

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HE appellants in the main appeal have filed the appellants/cross-respondents brief of arguments and have raised a sole issue for determination to wit: “Whether the ruling of the trial Court dated 26th day of April, 2010 is an appealable decision (grounds 1 and 2)...”

The cross-appeal has arisen from the ruling of the lower court of 26/4/2010 dismissing the cross-appellants’ preliminary objection on whether or not the ruling is a decision or a directive and appealable. I have earlier on quoted the relevant abstract being questioned here in the body of the main judgment in the main appeal and I see no need repeating the same in extenso here. However, the ruling has concluded by an interlocutory order in the following term: “Consequently, it is hereby ordered that the preliminary objection filed by the respective sets of defendants shall and be heard and determined before the substantive suit.”

The implication of the said ruling and order is that the preliminary objection and the originating summons together cannot be heard first in the matter. They have to be heard separately the preliminary objections having to come first. It is contended that the ruling is a decision under Section 318(1) (supra) and so appealable; whether this is so is a matter of interpretation...

Meaning in this regard that the instant ruling having been arrived at after the arguments and submissions of the learned counsel for the parties and having thereby involved the processes of decision making is a decision under Section 318(1) supra. In other words the definition is wide enough to encompass the word “Ruling” and “Order” as have been used by the trial Court in making the interlocutory order in this matter as both words represent key processes involved in decision making.

Even then the word “decision” according to Black’s Law Dictionary (5th Edition) at P.366 has defined the word “decision” as follows: “...a determination arrived at - after considering of fact and in legal context, law.”

This definition is coterminous with the one as per Section 318(1) (supra) and which as I have found herein has covered ‘Ruling’ and ‘Order’ as in this case. It follows that the word “Ruling” has the same meaning as the word “determination”.

I hold therefore that the instant ruling as made by the trial Court in this matter is a decision and therefore appealable as provided pursuant to Sections 240 and 242 of 1999 Constitution as amended. I am rather fortified in so holding by the decisions of this court in N.P.A. v. Eyamba (supra), Awuse v. Odili (supra) and Abdulkarim v. Incar (Nig) Ltd. (supra). I further hold that the word “decision” has to be construed liberally as guided by the principle decided in Rafiu Rabiu v. The State (supra) on constitutional interpretation and it is wide enough to cover determination by a “Ruling” as in this matter. There is therefore no doubt that a “Ruling” is a determination and so a decision pursuant to the Section 318(1) (supra). The instant ruling stands out vis-’E0-

vis the directives in the above cited cases relied on by the respondents/cross-appellants in that counsel for the parties on both sides have made their submissions for and against the procedure to be followed in hearing the instant matter and the said applications as I have adumbrated above before the handing down of the said Ruling by the trial Court. The procedure followed at the hearing in this instance has been one of due process to reach a determination in the matter, thus, ruling out any doubt that the determination as has been constituted has not been heard under administrative procedure which invariably is inquisitorial in nature. The trial Court again in conformity with due process has heard both sides to the cause before arriving at the ruling and order. There can be no doubt that the instant process of adjudication has all the trappings of a judicial process. Even more so the trial Court has made an order as I have referred to above and thus has characterized the procedure in reaching the instant directive beyond argument that it is a determination of a court.

Besides, the consequential order is competent and I hold that where a ruling has been reached in the circumstances as per the foregoing there can be no basis for saying that it is not a “decision” that is competent and so appealable under Sections 241, 242 and 243 of this 1999 Constitution as amended. The decision in United Agro Ventures Ltd. V. F.C.M.B. (supra) is a distinguishable from the instant case on the facts here as no arguments have been advanced in the cited case.

I have therefore no difficulty in holding that the ruling of the lower court of 26/4/2010 constitutes a determination and therefore a decision under Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The sole issue in this appeal is hereby resolved in favour of appellants/crossrespondents.

Accordingly, there is no merit whatsoever in the cross-appeal of the 12th - 14th respondent/cross-appellants. The cross-appeal is hereby dismisses with no order as to costs.

DAHIRU MUSDAPHER, JSC: In the High Court of Edo State of Nigeria, the appellants herein by way of Originating Summons claimed against the respondents a number of reliefs. The four sets of defendants, the respondents herein, opposed the claims by filing counter affidavits and also filed various preliminary objections challenging the jurisdiction of the Court and the competence of the suit. The trial Court decided to deal with the various preliminary objections at first and if need be, deciding eventually the matter on the merits of the claims.

The plaintiffs appellants felt unhappy with the decision of dealing with the preliminary objections at the first instance, they were of the view that the preliminary objections and the substantive matter should be taken together and decision be made together, and they appealed against the decision to the Court of Appeal.

At the Court of Appeal, the respondents also raised preliminary objections on the competence of the appeal. The Court of Appeal upheld the preliminary objections by some of the respondents by holding that the grounds of appeal were at best grounds of mixed law and facts and that by virtue of Section S.242 (1) of the Constitution an appeal can only be brought in such matters with leave. Since no leave was sought and obtained, the appeal was rendered incompetent.

The appellants again felt aggrieved and have now appealed to this Court as per Notice of appeal filed on 24/12/2010. Four issues for determination have been identified and submitted to this court for the determination of the appeal viz.

“1. Whether or not the lower court has the jurisdiction to subtract or read out of the record of appeal, what is there (Grounds 6, 8, & 9) 2. Whether or not the Court of Appeal ought to take judicial notice of judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in ground 1 of the Notice of Appeal (Grounds 3 & 4) 3. Whether or not the Court of Appeal was right in holding that three grounds of appeal filed are grounds of mixed law and facts (Grounds 1, 2, 5 and 7).

4. Whether the Court of Appeal should have considered the merits of the substantive appeal in the alternative despite declining jurisdiction to hear the appeal.”

The respondents i.e. the 1st 2nd & 3rd set of respondents have severally filed notices of preliminary objections challenging among other grounds the competency of issues No. 1, 2, and 4 recited above. In that the decision of the Court of Appeal in declining jurisdiction to hear the appeal was based on the competency of the appeal for which leave was required by Section 242(1) of the Constitution. It is also argued that the above issues are extraneous to the decision appealed against and therefore irrelevant...

Having regard to the decision reached, in my view, it will serve no purpose to consider any

other matter raised in this matter including the cross-appeal by the 12th - 14th respondents.

I accordingly strike out both the appeal and the cross-appeal and make no order as to costs.

I have refrained from discussing the facts or the merits of the substantive matter before the trial Court since the matter is yet to be decided one way or the other even the preliminary objections raised by the defendants respondent’s herein, has not been decided. That is why I agree with the decision of my learned brother Chukwuma-Eneh J.S.C, which I had the advantage of reading before now.

I too, abide by the order for costs proposed in the aforesaid judgment.

OLUFUNLOLA OYELOLA ADEKEYE, JCA: I was privileged to read in draft the judgment just delivered by my learned brother C. M. Chukwuma-Eneh, JSC. I agree with his reasoning and conclusion. I have nothing to add. I also strike out both the appeal and the cross-appeal with no order as to costs.

BODE RHODES-VIVOUR, JCA: All the respondents filed the same Preliminary objection, and their complaint is that the grounds of appeal are of mixed law and fact and no leave was obtained before they were filed, and so the appeal is incompetent.

Section 233 (3) of the Constitution states that: “(3) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, an appeal shall be from the decisions of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court with the leave of the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court” Leave means permission. Before on appeal on grounds of mixed law and fact or on facts can be entertained by this court, the applicant must seek and obtain leave from the Court of Appeal or this court. Failure to obtain leave renders the appeal incompetent and it will be thrown out. See Oluwole v. LSDPC 1983 5 SC pg.1 Ifediorah v. Ume 1988 2NWLR pt.74 pg.5 An examination of the grounds of appeal reveals that they are of mixed law and fact. Since leave was not obtained as required by the clear provisions of section 233 (3) of the Constitution the appeal is not valid. It is incompetent.

For this and the reasoning in the leading judgment which I read in draft, I would dismiss the appeal.

Appearances •Ighodalo Imedegbelo (SAN) U. Egbon; Ighedoso Imedegbelo, N. T. Ashamu for the appelants •Chief Adeniyi A. Akintola (SAN) F.A. Aofalaju C.O.C. Emeka-Izomo Nnamonso Ekanem Ngozi Okechukwu (Mrs) R. Oguneso Adenlere Babawale (Mrs), M.B. Kundu-Olayiwola Sale Sali Rickey Tarfa (SAN) J. O. Odubela, Uche Obi F. Ahmed for the respondents •Concluded

•From left: Justice Joseph Oyewole, Justice Adedayo Oyebanji and Justice Jumoke Pedro of the Lagos State High Court at the new legal year service

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

29

LAW COVER CONT’D

‘Many lawyers don’t invoke African Charter’ •Continued from page 29

now, with the input of the African Commission, in its promotional mandate and also in the protection of rights, that the Charter has been given life. Due to the various activities of the commission, it has got to the extent that most African countries now recognise the importance of adhering to human rights, whether they believe it or not. But they know that it is important for their countries to be true to the rights that are enshrined in the African Charter.

How has the Commission managed the obvious lapses in the Charter?

Yes, a few lapses were identified in the Charter, but they have been rectified.

There was no elaborate provision for women. This has been rectified by the protocol to the Charter on the rights of women. And the main lapse is the lack of enforcement mandate of the commission which has been rectified by the protocol on the establishment of the African Court, which now has been entrusted with the mandate to ensure that our recommendations are enforced by third parties.

To what extent has Nigeria complied with the provisions of the Charter in protecting human rights?

Nigeria is one of the few African countries that have actually domesticated the Charter. This means that it has become part of the municipal laws of the country. It is necessary, therefore, that Nigeria should be seen to have a higher level of implementation of the Charter than other state parties. But the problem is that most lawyers do not use the Charter to hold states responsible as they do with the Constitution. It is only recently that the advocacy for the use of the Charter by some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is gaining ground and the Charter is being cited in courts to support the claims for the violations of the citizens rights.

Now that you are the chairperson of the commission. What are the challenges?

The major challenge now is how to work with the African Union (AU) to ensure that we have the resources to make our work really fruitful. This is because, at the moment, the budget as provided by the AU is a far cry from what we need to implement all the 13 mechanisms that we have. And we are the main organ to promote the rights of Africans across countries and this demands a lot of human resources as well as financial commitment.

So, I am hoping that I am going to work with AU officials to let them change their mindset and help us with the necessary resources that we need to move forward.

Do you work full time?

We have committed commissioners, though we are on part-time assignment.

We still devote a lot of time to the commission’s work. In fact, it is estimated that a commissioner spends over 180 days of 360 days doing the job, so there is the commitment. We just need to match it with the relevant resources to help us achieve our goal.

As a human rights activist, how would you appraise human development in Africa in the last 30 years with regards to the contributions of the African Charter?

I think that we are moving pretty fast.

Now, when we say that the Charter has been in existence for 30 years, let’s just recollect that, for the first 10 years, it was going through a teething period. One, it was adopted in 1981, which is right, but it was not fully ratified until 1986. So, we had six years in which we were still lobbying state parties to fully ratify it. The commission that is entrusted to promote and ensure that States implement the Char-

•Mrs. Atoki

‘It is necessary, therefore, that Nigeria should be seen to have a higher level of implementation of the Charter than other State parties. But the problem is that most lawyers do not use the Charter to hold States responsible as they do with the Constitution’ ter was not put in place until a year after.

So, we are now looking at seven years in which nothing was done. Therefore, we should actually be looking at the implementation of the Charter in the last 15 years.

From the time you joined the Commission, what level of impact has been made with respect to the full implementation of the Charter?

From the time I actually joined the commission, in the last four years, I saw a lot of advocacy being done. State parties are now responding to the promotion missions of the commissioners. They are now prepared to present their periodic reports.

We have three countries that are slated to present reports during this Session and we have the general feeling that State parties are becoming more aware of their obligations under the Charter. State parties now show interest in our reports when they are presented at the summits of the Heads of State. Before now, state parties did not even show interest in our reports; they did not read them and were not even bothered by what we said.

How do they react?

Now, there is much commitment that by the time the reports are presented, you find State parties going through them to see if any of them was indicted and that is what we witnessed in the last report presented.

State parties were agitated that the commission had indicted some countries for violation of human rights. That is a reawakening to their obligations. So, I think that there is a general awareness

and admittance by state parties that human rights should be put on the front burner of each country. Also there is now a general awareness of the need to implement the Charter.

What is the relationship between the ACHPR and the National Human Rights Commissions of its member states?

The ACHPR is a global body to promote

the Charter which all African countries except Morocco have ratified. Each state now has its human rights institution which is localised in that State. Now, the relationship we have with them is that they are our partners on ground to help to ensure that state parties comply with the provisions of the Charter. Now in the commission, there are 11 commissioners who are responsible for 53 African countries.

Practically speaking, it is impossible to have an effective coverage of those states, but we regard the National Human Rights Commissions as our ears and eyes on ground to monitor the states for us because they have similar mandates, to protect and to promote human rights in their respective states. So, our relationship is symbiotic and mutual. They help us by giving us information. They also assist us in ensuring that States implement our recommendations that are coming out from here.

What is the relationship between the ACHPR and the African Court?

The African Court was established to help in the protection of the rights that are enshrined in the African Charter. If we go back to history, we should remember that the Charter does not give the African Commission enforcement powers. So, at the end of each violation, the commission is empowered to make recommendations to the States. So, the AU realised that there was a lacuna in it and adopted a protocol to the African Charter on the establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to complement the protective rights of the Commission, among other things.

How does this work?

When the Commission concludes that there is a rights violation in a particular country and that the state is responsible, the Commission can refer the recommendations to the court for enforcement and the protocol has established how the court will go about this. We have a complementary relationship with thecourt. They can refer matters to us and, likewise, we can refer matters to them; basically for the implementation of our recommendations.

As the chairperson, what are your expectations from state parties to make your tenure successful?

The Charter is a creation of memberstates. If you create, then you empower, because the success of the commission and the Charter is the success of the State parties. I would want a way in which they would see themselves as necessary stakeholders in the enforcement of the African Charter and support the Commission by opening their doors for promotion missions, by giving information about their compliance and coming to the Commission to present their periodic reports so that we will be able to know what their challenges are. It is not how much implementation they have made, but they should be able to highlight the challenges they face and where the Commission can come in. So, I expect that I would be able to find a way to reach state parties to remind them of their obligation in signing the treaty and their responsibility in ensuring that the necessary enabling environment is created for its implementation.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

30

FROM THE COURT

Trial of Finbank MD, others to await AG’s advice

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HE trial of Managing Director of Finbank Plc Mrs Susan Iroche and others may have to wait until the court receives the advice of Lagos State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice Ade Ipaye.

Leading prosecution counsel Tani Molajo (SAN) has told a Lagos High Court that he is prepared to await Ipaye’s advice before proceeding with the case.

Mrs Iroche, her bank and two others are standing trial for alleged stealing and forgery.

The accused sought a review of the case in a petition to Ipaye.

Also named in the charge filed by the state government are former Finbank’s MD, Okey Nwosu and an ex-MD of the defunct IMB International Bank, Sebastane Adigwe.

In the charge dated September 26 and marked LCD/168/2011, the four were charged with stealing, forgery, perjury and making false statement as officials of a company, offences they allegedly committed between December 2002 and December 2009.

In count one, they were alleged to have “fraudulently converted to their own use, sums of money belonging to Zumax, received under a receivership, in excess of N465,635.070.16”, which they claimed the company owed the bank, “by fraudulently suppression and misrepresentation of cats in respect of Zumex’s current accounts.

They were in count two accused of making and publishing written statements of account in respect of the current accounts belonging to Zumex, which to their knowledge, were false, and that they concealed

LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

with

By Eric Ikhilae

and omitted to disclose payments received into the said accounts of sums received under receivership in excess of N465,635,070.16.

Count three accused them of making false statement of account in respect of a current account belonging to Zumax, knowing it to be false, in that it may be acted upon as genuine.

They were in count four, accused of procuring two witnesses, Nnezi Kalu and Otobong Asuquo to give false testimony in a case between the now defunct IMB International Bank Plc and Zumex.

The accused were absent in court when the case came up on October 24, a development that partly prevent their planned arraignment.

Molajo told the court about the bailiff’s inability to effect personal service of court processes on Adigwe. He also told the court about a petition written to the AG by the lawyer to Finbank and Iroche, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).

He said he would prefer that the court await the planned review of the case by the AG, in view of the said petition, which queried the fiat issued against the bank and its MD. Osinbajo admitted the existence of a petition by his client. He complained about the non-service of all the court processes on his clients. He informed the court about the application by his clients, challenging the competence of the charges against them.

Lawyer to Adigwe and Nwosu, Onyebuchi Aniakor made similar complaint about the non service of all the processes on his clients. He also informed the court about the applications by his clients, challenging the competence of the charge.

gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com

Highway to hell

I •Iroche

In the application filed for Nwosu and Adigwe, the accused prayed the court for an order “Quashing the entirety of the four counts and statement of offence in the information referred to as charge no.LCD/ 168/2011.”

The application is hinged on their arguments that no prima facie case was made out against them in the charge; that neither of them was liable to be tried on any of the alleged offences and that the filing of the charge constituted a grievous abuse of the process of court.

The court has adjourned to November 29 for hearing of all pending preliminary applications.

Activists seek probe of WAEC for alleged discrimination GROUP, the Disabled Rights Advocacy and Accountability Group (DRAAG), has con-

A

demned the growing exclusion of blind students by education authorities.

It expressed worry over the development in an open letter to the National Assembly and the United Nations Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR).

The group accused the lawmakers of insensitivity to the plight of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), which it said is made more obvious by their alleged refusal to pass the Disability Bill pending before it.

DRAAG urged the National Assembly to probe the alleged deliberate withholding of Mathematics results of blind students by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) since 2010.

“According to investigations by DRAAG, WAEC is in the habit of announcing a policy of exemption of blind students from writing the council’s mathematics and science examination every year.

“The grave human rights breach, however, came to a peak in the May/June 2010 Senior School Certificate Examinations when WAEC eventually began to withhold the mathematics results of its blind clients “This is a wicked human rights abuse that requires an immediate elimination of the entire processes that led to it in the first place.

“No one, not even WAEC, has the right to exempt anybody from writing any of its examinations, particularly on the basis of physical challenges.

“It is even more criminal to go ahead and withhold such result af-

•Task lawmakers on Disability Bill

By Joseph Jibueze

ter the disabled client has fulfilled his obligation in the exercise,” DRAAG’s Executive Director, Gbenga Ogundare, said.

The group also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to put the protection and welfare of disabled high on his agenda and commit his administration to the full implementation of international human rights agreements to which Nigeria has acceded.

This, it said, is even more imperative especially with the growing lethargy of mathematics teachers to teach blind students because of “the warped notion” that blind students have no reason to study and pass numeric subjects.

“Now more than ever it is imperative to take action against exclusion and discrimination as the nation reels under debilitating agitation and clashes owing to perceived marginalisation by disgruntled groups.

“DRAAG believes that if fully implemented, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities could help build the confidence of disabled Nigerians to the extent that the nation’s resources are not unequally distributed or siphoned by the elite, especially those in position of political authority at the federal, state and local government levels,’ says Bayo

Akinloye, the group’s Project Manager.

“DRAAG is convinced that the humanity of a society is to a great extent, measured by the way and manner it treats her vulnerable population especially persons with disability, therefore, we are concerned about the delay in passing the disability bill pending before NA and we are calling on the president to publicly restate his commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disability.

“We are also urging the president to as a matter of urgent national imperative establish a Physically Challenged Persons Commission (PCPC) to be funded directly from the nation’s federation account in order to enable it cater to the social security needs of disabled Nigerians.

“This will not be difficult for the president to achieve, more so when the federal lawmakers can vote huge billions to acquire new set of cars for themselves in addition to the already salacious tax payers’ money invested on accommodating themselves in posh houses while ordinary Nigerians continue to wallow in poverty,” the group said.

‘We are concerned about the delay in passing the disability bill pending before National Assembly and we are calling on the president to publicly restate his commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disability’

AM now inclined to believe that many Nigerians will not go to hell. Not really because of righteousness, or individual indignation against sin; but simply because of what they go through in Nigeria. The thought has been with me for some time, but the more l watch the life style of the average Nigerian; the more I am convinced that any dead Nigerian who served a full life term of hell here, should simply plead the defence of autrefois convict on the last day; meaning a plea that the accused person has earlier been convicted of the offence, and has served the punishment. As such should not be punished a second time.

I can imagine Nigerians on the last day aggregating before the ultimate throne of judgment, regardless of faith. Ordinarily many would be found guilty of the several misdemeanors such as picking pockets at home, riding one way on okada or a motor vehicle to beat traffic, rejecting to pay the outrageous PHCN bill especially as the service is very poor, false declaration of age to avert retirement or to play at a youth tournament or conceal the real age by an ageing woman, receiving bribe at check points or to move files in the offices; passing fake products as authentic, or conspiring to acquire one advantage or the other in the ordeal called survival in Nigeria.

For many of these and several other offences many Nigerians would be found guilty, and ordinarily should be sentenced to a term in hell.

But I guess they could easily plead before the throne of judgment as they are about to be sentenced that they have already served a term in the Nigerian hell, and as such should be acquitted. For example, I cannot not forget in hurry, and I guess many too, the present hellish experience on the Apapa end of the Oshodi expressway and the Mile Two interchange. My last week’s experience on the Tin can Island port axis, along the Apapa to Oshodi expressway to hell was inspiring.

Hedged between two articulated trucks oozing indifferently carbon monoxide into my car for hours, whose air conditioner had packed up during this gruesome five-hour trip for less than 15 kilometres journey through Mile Two to Apapa, I was assiduously preparing my defense should I appear suddenly in person before the ultimate throne of judgment. It was then that it struck me that the defense of autrefois convict may actually be a perfect defense to any act of misdemeanor I may have committed. I wondered aloud, which God will go ahead to convict and sentence me to a fresh experience in hell, when I have severally served terms on this Nigerian highway to hell.

I then figured that an offence of conspiracy can also be maintained against several officials of the Nigerian state, if I become a victim on this particular day. I remembered the requirement of proof of conspiracy as stated by the Supreme Court in the case of Patrick Njovens and others Vs The State, SC. 7/72 wherein the Court said: “It is not necessary to prove that the conspiracy like those who murdered Julius Caesar were seen together coming out of the same place at the same time and indeed conspirators need not know each other … hence, conspiracy is a matter of inference from certain criminal acts of the parties concerned done in pursuance or an apparent criminal purpose in common between them.”

I also thought about the list of those that should be charged if I make that untimely departure. A quick compilation in my mind included the drivers of the two articulated trucks, the owners of the contraption called motor vehicles, the vehicle inspection officers who allow those contraptions to ply the road, the officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), whose inefficiency has turned a common highway to a hell, the Minister of Works and his officials, including FERMA, who have continued to neglect that very important road, their excellencies and honourable members of our country’s executive and the legislature whose indifference to the plight of suffering Nigerians have become a way of life, the several security agencies who have turned the entrance gates of the port into their own oil field. They would all have been conspirators for the offence of culpable homicide or in the least manslaughter.

As if aware that he just narrowly missed a pending charge awaiting his day before the heavenly throne, the new chairman of the Senate Committee on works, Senator Ayogu Eze during the inauguration of the committee, requested that a state of emergency be declared over the federal highways. If what he means is that priority should be given to the several highways to hell called expressways in Nigeria, and that enabling laws should be put in place for private intervention in the face of inability to maintain the highways; then I think he is on spot.

But his must not be ordinary lamentations such as the infamous weeping on the abandoned Ore Highway by the elegant Diezani Allison Madueke, when she served as the Minister for works.

While we await Senator Ayogu Eze’s proffered emergency, those who can help alleviate the perennial gridlock experienced around Mile Two and the Apapa hell ways should stand to be counted. It makes no sense that Nigerian officials should conspire to hemorrhage their country men and women as a result of poor governance; unless of course they enjoy the deaths and the spilling of human blood on those highways. As for ordinary Nigerians, please watch out for that road block on the Asaba-Benin to Ore highway to hell, it might just be the men of the underworld.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

31

LAW & DEVELOPMENT

Enhanced law, public welfare as cure for insecurity T HE nation is today held down by two major challenges – insecurity and poverty. As against the socio-economic climate under which the nation assumed independence over 50 years ago, the people are confronted by a bleak future resulting from an existing regime of deepening insecurity and pervasive poverty.

Today, agencies established and sustained with huge public funds, to counter acts of criminality and related security challenges, literally exist at the mercy of criminals. The nation’s economic fortune has continued to dwindle in the face of a sustained culture and persistent failure by succeeding governments to direct state policies at securing public welfare.

How did the nation get to its current sorry state, where the government has subjugated its responsibilities under the constitution particularly Section 14 sub- section ‘b’, in a bid to satisfy the greed and avarice of the minority ruling elite?

Can the country’s resources ever be redirected to benefit the majority? How best can the Nigerian state be salvaged from its current drift towards total failure?

These posers engaged scholars and legal experts for hours in Lagos last week. It was at the fourth Law and Social Development Lecture, held annually by the law firm, Bamidele Aturu and Co. This year’s edition had as theme: Security and welfare of the people: the historical disconnect in Nigeria.

Participants include Constitutional Law expert, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), another lawyer, Prof Abiodun Adesanya (SAN), renowned poet, Odia Ofeimun, Dr. Dele Seteolu of the Lagos State University (LASU) and rights activists, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, Dr. Abayomi Ferreira, Fred Agbaje and Bamidele Aturu.

Speakers blamed the current unenviable state of affairs in the country on a sustained pattern by succeeding administrations to direct state policies at benefiting a few who incidentally, constitute the ruling elite.

They observed that the government has become less challenged by the need to secure public welfare and security. They noted that the growing incidences of incessant security threat, kidnapping, unemployment, poverty, lack of shelter, among others are list addressed by the government. Rather, the government derives pleasure in policies that benefit the thieving elite and further emasculate the mass poor.

They agreed with the lead speaker, Prof Yomi Akinyeye of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), who warned about the urgent need for the government to reorder its priority with a view to evolving policies aimed at reversing the prevailing socio-political trend.

Akinyeye traced the socio-economic history of the country and observed that the deepening insecurity and other acts criminalities resulted from a sustained regime of consistent failure in public policy formulation and application.

This position, he said, is supported by the fact that the policies formulated and applied by succeeding government have consistently been at variance with public welfare and needs.

Prof Akinyeye traced the source of the nation’s current misery to its various wrong economic decisions which it began adopting since the early 70s. He cited the deliberate abandonment of agriculture for oil as the mainstay of the nation’s economy, with its resultant migration farmhands to the cities in search of employment.

He also noted the hasty implementation of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme and the attendant increase in the number of tertiary educational institutions under the General Yakubu Gowon administration, without plans for a commensurate increase in employment opportunities.

The case, he said, was worsened with the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) adopted by the Ibrahim Babangida-government despite huge protests.

The programme, which sought to lessen government spending, emphasized the withdrawal of subsidy in every form, reduction in government workforce under the guise of rightsizing or downsizing, sale of public institutions to a few wealthy individuals in the name of privatisation and liberalisation, among others.

The liberalisation component of the economic prescriptions by the International

•From left: Prof Adesanya, Pastor Tunde Netufo and Prof Sagay

By Eric Ikhilae

Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) resulted in the out-competing of local manufacturers in the face of cheap imports from the developed economies. At the end, the people’s economic condition became worse with heightening unemployment.

He lamented the impact of untamed corruption on the people and argued that the scourge remained the worst to ever plague the country. He argued that corruption, which has grown over the years to permeate the every facet of public life, has assisted in depriving the nation of needed revenue, paralysed public institutions and distorted the nation’s reward system.

Akinyeye, who drew a link between the prevailing insecurity and failing public welfare, described both as the same face of a single cheque. He stressed the need for every state to secure its citizens’ welfare as a precondition for existence.

“Security and welfare are so important to both individuals and the state that they are considered the raison d’être of states and the justification for membership of the state by individuals or groups of individuals. Security is the highest welfare a state can afford its citizens and welfare, the greatest form of security,” he said.

He contended that any state that fails to guarantee the welfare and security of its citizens is considered a failed state. He attributed government’s failure in these areas to pervasive corruption particularly, among the ruling elite. He advocated a change in attitude and policy direction on the part of the leadership.

Dr. Seteolu further stressed the point that government’s past economic policies worked to further erode public access to welfare. He cautioned the government against its planned removal of fuel subsidy, saying it would lead to increase in commodities’ prices.

He observed that past economic policies by succeeding governments have worked mostly to the detriment of the people’s welfare. This development, he noted, accounts for the prevailing shrinking of the nation’s industrial sector, social infrastructure deficit, massive unemployment, poor health services and increasing poverty.

Dr. Seteolu, who also drew a parallel between deficient public welfare and insecurity, argued that though there exist some political and power elements in the nation’s insecurity challenge, social deficit forms a major predisposing factor to insecurity in the land.

On his part, Aturu attributed the country’s worsening socio-economic climate to excessive corruption on the part of the nation’s ruling elite.

Aturu, who queried the government’s commitment to the anti-corruption crusade, wondered why existing anti-corruption agencies appeared helpless in the face of pervasive corruption.

He also deplored the deliberate waste of public funds by political office holders, queried the policy that encourages government’s sponsorship of private indi-

•From left: Otunba Ishola Adebanjo, Mr Aturu and Dr Ferreira

•Prof Akinyeye and Mr Ofeimun

viduals on religious pilgrimages, in a secular country.

Aturu also faulted the allocation of huge public resources as security votes by state governors, noting that the illegitimate practice was gradually being emulated by other arms of government with reported cases of heads of state’s judiciary maintaining security votes.

He indicated his firm’s intention to challenge in court, claim that such security votes were not subject to auditing. He urged the people to be involved in efforts to rescue the people’ from the grip of the few thieving elite.

PHOTOS: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

“The people must seize the space and take on the corrupt politicians with frenzy never before seen. The strategy must include social stigmatisation of all who flaunt ill-gotten wealth.

“From now on, we must not allow them sit among decent Nigerians. Clerics must reject their fat cheques in our churches and mosques.

We must stop dignifying corruption and devaluing ourselves.

“The anti-corruption laws must be reworked in such a manner to make the offences strict liability offences so that the onus will be on the accused person to justify his or her wealth and not for the prosecution,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

32

LAW & SOCIETY

Lagos judiciary opens recreation centre for judges/magistrates T HE Lagos State Judiciary has opened an ultra-modern recreation centre for its judges and magistrates. It is located at the Government Reservation Area (GRA) Ikeja.

Chief Judge of Lagos, Justice Inumidun Akande, said the need for an exclusive relaxation house was not a matter of choice or status symbol, but a necessity.

Provisions were made for where judges and magistrates could relax and prepare their rulings and judgments outside their chambers and devoid of the usual office stress and distractions at home.

“Judges and magistrates deserve a place of their own; a place where our social lives can be better enhanced and expressed within and among our colleagues; a place where at our leisure, we can unwind and interact freely after a hard day’s job,” Justice Akande said.

Facilities in the twin centre include a mini mart, a gym, a swimming pool, a billiard room, a table tennis court, a conference room,

By Joseph Jibueze

a restaurant, among others.

“The effective use of these facilities would not only impact on the health of our judges and magistrates but further project the image of the state judiciary as a pace setter and leading judiciary in the country.

“It is intended to ease the work stress and to enhance the good health of judges and magistrates, who by the demands of their jobs work long hours in the courtrooms and chambers.

“The success of these centres is no doubt an affirmation of our desired commitment to achieve optimum productivity and enhanced service delivery through effective and purposeful staff welfare policy,” Justice Akande added.

To the members of the bench, she said: “Your Lordships/Honours should, therefore, reciprocate this gesture by being more committed and dedicated to your duty. To whom much is given, much is expected.”

She thanked Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) “for his support, co-operation and understanding, without which all the achievements recorded so far would have been a mirage.”

Lagos Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, described the centre as a welcome development.

She said: “It is something that ought to have been in place before now. The judges’ and magistrates’ welfare deserve utmost attention.

“After long hours and a lot of writing, they need to relax. They will sit in court for hours to hear cases, and retire to their chambers to

do research and write ruling and judgments.

So they work a lot.

“It’s not ideal for judges to go to public clubs to relax, because some of those appearing before them for various charges could also be there. It is not even safe for them.

And that could expose them to dangers. But they can come here to wine and dine with their colleagues, work out and stay fit.

“We know that exercising oneself will give one long life. Now they have a place to relax and exercise their muscles. So, I congratulate the Chief Judge for the gesture and urge other states to replicate this.”

Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, praised Justice Akande for initiating and completing what he called a brilliant project.

He added: “We know what relaxation does to the body system, and if there is anybody who really needs this type of relaxation centre, it’s definitely our judges and magistrates who spend hours writing their judgments, studying their case files and so on.”

•Justice Akande, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Ade Ipaye, Ikuforiji and Orelope-Adefulire cutting the tape

•Life Bencher, Hairat Ade-Balogun and former Chief Judge of Lagos, Justice S. Adagun

•Justice Ayotunde Philips and Justice Opeyemi Oke

•Justice Josephine Oyefeso and Justice Habeeb Abiru

•Justice Jumoke Pedro

•Justice Deborah Oluyemi and Justice Ibironke Harrison

•Justice Yetunde Idowu

•Director, Finance and Administration, Mrs Yetunde Odejayi and Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo •Justice Olabisi Akinlade and Justice Adedayo Oyebanji

PHOTOS: NNEKA NWANERI

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

LAW & SOCIETY 50TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES RIGHTS ( ACHPR) AT SHERATON HOTEL, THE GAMBIA

•From left: Chairperson ACHPR, Catherina Modupe Atoki; Dr Uju Agomo and Vice- chairperson Zainabo Sylvie Kayitesi

•From left:Dr Matina E. Nwordu, Mr Pius Oteh and Mrs Mercy Agbamuche

•Mr Ifediora Orakwe with his wife Augustina

•Mrs Augusta Ogakwu and Hauwa Shekarau

• Secretary to the Commission Dr Mary Mabroke and Julia Dolly Joiner

•Dr Johan Strigdom, AU Commissioner and Lefhoko Kesamang

•President, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Boma Ozobia

•Sheila Keetharuth and Patrice Vihard

•Prof Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan

•From left: Stanley Ibeh, Osai Ojigho, Afia Kyei and Dr Feyi Ogunade

•Saka Azimazi and Sadiku Niass

PHOTOS: JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

LAW & SOCIETY THIRD INAUGURAL LECTURE OF THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES (NIALS) DELIVERED BY PROF. PAUL IDORNIGIE AT THE SHEHU MUSA YAR ‘ADUA CENTRE, ABUJA.

•Director- General, NIALS, Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN), left and the lecturer, Prof Paul Idornigie

•Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Prof Shamsadeen Amali and Prof Charles Iloegbune

• From left: Prof. Peter Agini, Prof. E. U. Emovon and his wife, Prof. Adesua.

•Former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) and former Gov.Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu

•Ambassador Abdul-Azeez Garuba (left) and Institute Secretary, James Bathnna.

•Prof Obiora Okafor( left) and Prof. Adebambo Adewopo

• Prof. Nnamdi Aduba (left) and Dr Pascal Oguno.

•Patricia Pearce and Emo Idornigie

• From left: Dr. Soni Ajala, Dr. S.S. Ameh (SAN) and Chairman, NBA Abuja Branch, Afam Osigwe.

•From right: Former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Plateau State, Prof clement Dakas; Chairman, Lawyers in the Media Forum, S. Charles Odenigbo and Prof. Lanre Fagbohun

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

35

LEGAL OPINION Text of a joint statement presented by 16 human rights groups in Africa at the 50th Session of the African Commission on Human And Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia. The paper was read

by African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum’s (AFCOP) Sean Tait

‘Our concerns about human rights in Africa’ T HANK you for this opportunity to address the 50th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. I am making this statement on behalf of several organisations active in the fields of pretrial justice and policing.

The decision to detain someone before he or she is found guilty of a crime, is one of the most draconian a state can make.

The decision is made in an instant, but the results are long lasting, severe and adverse. The person detained loses his liberty and may also lose his home, job, income, family and community ties.

At the last session we addressed the Commission on pretrial detention and the devastating situation across the continent - where large numbers of detainees have never appeared before a judge and many spend months or even years in pretrial detention. They are not subject to the same levels of judicial oversight as the general prison population and experience a variety of rights violations – typically they are detained in conditions far worse than those for sentenced inmates and are most at risk of violence, torture inhuman and degrading treatment and corruption.

In addressing this 50th session we would like to take one step back in the criminal justice chain and bring to your attention issues around arrest and police detention.

According to figures compiled by the International Centre for Prison Studies, the prison population in Africa totals 857,994 inmates. 36.3 per cent are in pretrial detention, but this does not include those in secret or non-gazetted places of detention and nor does it include those in police detention. The percentages also vary enormously across the continent reaching 8090 per cent in some countries.

We’d like to address three stages, the actual arrest, police detention and the pretrial decision.

Firstly, the arrest stage – in numerous instances arrests are either illegal or arbitrary: either because there is no legal basis in domestic legislation for the arrest - or because the domestic legislation is incompatible with regional and international standards. For example, across the region many countries still have archaic, colonial era laws that enable the police to arrest people for crimes such as ‘loitering’ or ‘vagrancy’. To look further at the problem the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) recently carried out a study to identify and examine the drivers that push the police to make arbitrary arrests. A number of key drivers were identified including, political interference; minimal capacity for forensic investigations; corruption; discrimination; and institutional targets that are based on the number of arrests.

All these factors lead to large numbers, primarily of poor and marginalised people getting caught up in the criminal justice system – and once arrested they enter an abyss that is more or less impossible to exit.

Secondly, looking at police detention in most countries across the continent, the police may only detain people for up to 48 hours. Only in exceptional circumstances, set out by law, can this be extended. At the regional level the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights provides that: Every individual shall have the right to liberty and to security of his person. No one may be deprived of his freedom except for reasons and conditions previously laid down by law. In particular, no one may be arbitrarily arrested or detained.

However, despite a relatively strong legal foundation, the practice is very different. A recent study in Zambia, conducted by the Open Society Foundations found that at nine police stations, housing at the time of the research 242 suspects, many of the suspects had been held for one to two weeks and the longest period reported was two years. The report details entirely inadequate and overcrowded conditions, in cells that were built prior to independence.

Thus police custody is often no longer used as a precautionary measure, aimed at preventing the escape of persons suspected of having committed a serious crime, but serves as a type of preliminary punishment for all criminal suspects who lack funds to access legal assistance or to pay bond.

Thirdly, looking at the pretrial decision unfortunately in most countries prosecutors, judges and magistrates often lack understanding of the purpose of detention and the way in which it relates to the presumption of innocence and thus rely on pretrial detention as the rule, rather than the exception.

Alternatives to pretrial detention do exist, for example, through community supervision programmes, bail conditions and people standing surety. In a number of countries paralegals are providing frontline legal assistance and assisting with bail applications. Yet, despite positive results, judges and magistrates remain excessively cautious and continue to commit thousands of suspects to detention when more suitable alternatives could have been utilised.

Compounded with poor record keeping and intolerably slow justice systems suspects find themselves being held in pretrial detention for lengthy periods and often without any knowledge of the crimes they are accused of.

At its 33rd session, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights adopted the Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa, The guidelines make reference to pre-trial detention. This includes that unless there is sufficient evidence that deems it necessary to prevent a person arrested on a criminal charge from fleeing, interfering with witnesses or posing a clear and serious risk to others, States must ensure that they are not kept in custody pending their trial. However, release may be subject to certain conditions or guarantees, including the payment of bail.

At its 40th session, the African Commis-

‘In most countries prosecutors, judges and magistrates often lack understanding of the purpose of detention and the way in which it relates to the presumption of innocence and thus rely on pretrial detention as the rule, rather than the exception’ •African Union Chair, Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea sion on Human Peoples’ Rights called on State Parties of the African Charter to “take measures in terms of article 1 and 5 of the African Charter to ensure that police forces respect the dignity inherent in the individual, during the discharge of their duties in the maintenance of law and order.”

In order to further help address the challenges faced by Africa’s police forces in achieving a rights-based approach to policing and to minimise the drivers that promote the excessive use of police and pretrial detention we call upon the African Commission to deepen this resolution and adopt a set of measures and indicators that will: guide police agencies in their work; and serve as a template for state parties to report to the Commission and to conduct oversight visits.

Critical elements of such a set of standards should include: Arrest must be carried out on grounds that are clearly established in law and which accord with international standards for arrest and must not be motivated by discrimination of any kind (including but not limited to, race, gender, nationality or political views).

Detention must be effected on grounds that are clearly established in law and which accord with international standards for detention, and must not be motivated by discrimination of any kind. Detention should be an exception rather than a rule and for as short a time period as possible. Police and the justice system broadly, must observe procedural safeguards, Conditions of detention in police cells must accord with the right to life and treatment with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.

Standards of police conduct must be commensurate with the right to life and dignity Conditions of detention must accord with the right to a fair trial. Detainees must have the right to protection from ill-torture and treatment.

We further call on the Commission to: •Establish a focal point responsible for policing and human rights within the Commission and ensure policing is a specific and consistent theme of state reports and country visits. Such a focal point will include representation from the police, the state and civil society.

• Convene a high level continental conference on policing and human rights. We offer the expertise of our networks to the Commission to deepen human rights compliant and effective policing in Africa.

•The groups are Amnesty International (www.amnesty .org); APCOF www.apcof.org.za (a network of African policing practitioners drawn from state and non state institutions), African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) ( www.acjps.org); The Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI) www.cspri.org.za; Cleen Foundation ( www.cleen.org); Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) (www.humanrightsinitiative.org); and the Human Rights Law Service (HURILAWS) (www.hurilaws.org).

Others are The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa (www.ituc-africa.org); Moroccan Organisation for Human Rights (OMDH)(www.omdh.org); the Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI); the Open Society Justice Initiative (http:// www.soros.org/initiatives/justice); the Paralegal Advisory service InstituteMalawi; Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) (www.prawa.org); Penal Reform International (www.penalreform.org); ‘the Rights Enforcement and Public Law Centre (REPLACE)( www.replaceportal.com); and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) (www.zlhr.org.zw).

Media, civil society groups urged to educate the public on FoI Act

T

HE media and civil societies have been urged to promote and give adequate publicity to the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act to ensure greater public awareness and better understanding of the law.

Participants at a media roundtable on FoI ACT: How the media can use it for investigative reporting organised by Omololu Falobi Foundation, decried the low level of publicity accorded the Act since it came into being five months ago.

They pointed out that the Act, like many other laws, would take the back seat if Ni-

By Adebisi Onanuga

gerians are not properly sensitised on its usefulness and provisions.

Executive Secretary of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Mr Edetaen Ojo, who was the lead discussant at the occasion, expressed regretted that no Nigerian journalist has been known to take advantage of the Act five months after the National Assembly passed the law.

Ojo said efforts and resources put into the enactment of the Act over the last 12 years,

would come to nought if journalists failed to access information from public institutions under the cover of the provisions of the law.

According to him, public institutions that draw revenue from the national budget and tax payers fund are required by law to keep records and provide information about their activities for those who would need them.

While admitting that interviews are good for giving credibility to media reports, he argued that information obtained from public institutions by investigative reporters

who took advantage of the Act would be more credible and incontrovertible.

The MRA Executive Secretary described the assembly of facts and evidences to establish or substantiate an hypothesis as an important aspect of investigative reporting.

“Interviews might be an important part of investigative reporting but it does not provide the required data all the time. A good reporter who applied for information under the FOI Act would get documentary evidence, which cannot be easily refuted”, he added.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

MARITIME We are making progress, says NIMASA boss

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IRECTOR-GENERAL, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, has said the agency is making progress under his leadership.

Presenting his score card, Akpobolokemi said some ships were caught conducting illegal oil transfer within territorial waters.

“The papers of these vessels were discovered to be fake and according to him, the vessels had been doing this illegal business in territorial waters since March. This particular ship had conducted 36 illegal deals,” he said.

The DG also reported that some other ships were found on October 8 carrying out ship to ship transfer

Stories by Uyoatta Eshiet

of crude oil, an illegal crude oil activity. He called on the press to join in the fight against illegal shipping business.

Akpobolokemi promised to call on stakeholders to deliberate on the issues of cabotage implementation before the year runs out.

According to him, the security problems we are having in the country revolves around three major issues: Poverty, unemployment and ignorance. “In the next few years the agency will show Nigerians what we have achieved in that regard,” he said.

On staff performance, he said there is great improvement as they are being carried along by the management.

Logistics may hinder port reform

T

• Apapa port, Lagos

Reps, ANLCA disagree on retention of NAFDAC, SON, others at ports

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HOULD the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) be exempted from the agencies sacked from the port by President Goodluck Jonathan?

No, says the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), who is opposed to the House of Representatives stand that NAFDAC and SON should remain at the port.

The lawmakers are advocating for the two agencies retention so that Nigerian was to be expects in the risk of fake and adulterated products.

But ANLCA argues that their retention would amount to another policy somersault by the Federal Government.

The association argued that the agencies should not be anside the ports but outside and the on request by the Customs.

Stories by Uyoatta Eshiet

According to ANLCA National President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, even when the agencies were at the ports, they did not stop the influx of substandard and adultrated or fake products.

“The bottom line, should be, how is it done elsewhere? Must we all gather at the ports before goods can be released? The issue on ground now, is not whether they should leave the ports or not but the enforcement of an existing law which limits the numbers of agencies to operate in the port. He said Decree number one of 1999 had limited the number of agencies that should be at the ports.

“Since the government has decided to implement an existing law aimed at sanitising operations at the ports in line with what is obtained abroad, the action should be supported by every well meaning citizen as it is aimed at bringing us

in line with what is obtained internationally. Those who stand against it are doing so out of ignorance about the real operations of the maritime industry. So, if the government gave the law and decides to enforce it now, it should be applauded.”

He said these agencies had turned the ports into an avenue to generate internal revenue for their respective ministries and also for their pockets.

Shittu said: “I think part of the problem they are having is that the internally generated revenue (IGR) they make in the ports through administrative charges, levies, fines and penalties is much more than the appropriation they get from the National Assembly.

“The money they collect is not accounted for, it is not under budget and nobody oversees it. So, it is free funds and that is why they all want to be in the port.”

Customs intercepts N20m worth of Indian hemp

T

HE Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 23 parcels of cannabis sativa, popularly known as Indian hemp with a street value of N20.7 million.

About two weeks ago, the unit intercepted about 121 bags of Indian hemp worth N10.7 million.

Acting Comptroller of the Unit, Deputy Comptroller Victor Dimka, told reporters that the seizure was made in a commercial bus on the Gbaji-Agbara axis.

He added that a suspect was arrested.

Dimka urged the public to be wary of drug peddlers as they easily transfer these items from one

commercial bus to the other.

To an ordinary Nigerian, he said, the items would not be easily detected as they are neatly packed and compressed.

“When you look at this and you don’t know what exactly has been done, you will think it’s an ordinary thing. But these 23 wraps have a street value of N20.7 million. Last week, we made a similar seizure of over 117 bags and the street value of that is not as high as this one. This is to tell you that these people are becoming very smart to make sure they conceal these things from the eyes of ordinary people,” he said.

According to Dimka, smugglers no longer have a field day in smug-

gling items, such as cloths and shoes due to its large quantity, but have now resorted to smuggling Indian hemp which can be easily compressed and packed in bits.

“You can see as small as these items are, but they have been highly compressed. If they carry these things in bag, it will easily give them out like it did last week.

So, they have decided to compress these items so that you will not know it is cannabis. It has been increasingly more difficult for them to bring in things such as second hand clothing or shoes that are bulky. So, it goes to reason that they will bring in drugs that are small quantity and can fetch them so much money,” he stated.

NPA experiences cargo, ship upsurge

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HE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is still reaping the ben efits of the ports concession exercise carried out five years ago. The agency has continued to record upsurge in ship and cargo turnover since the concession.

As in the previous months, NPA said its monthly performance indicators for August were positive.

In its report for August, which was issued in Lagos last week and

which was signed by the agency’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Chief Michael Ajayi, it was disclosed that NPA witnessed increased gross tonnage of vessels in August last year as against the same period this year. It also witnessed increased container and vehicle traffic.

“Available statistics show the total gross tonnage of the ocean going vessels stood at

10,026,813mt which showed a 6.2 per cent increase over the same period of August 2010 figure of 9,437,966mt.The gross tonnage of the coastal vessels was 652,437mt a rise of 32.3 per cent over the August 2010 figure of 493,053mt,” the statement explained.

Similarly, the average turnaround time of vessels for ports was 6.1 days compared to the 6.6 days average for these ports in August 2010.

HE efforts of the government to reform the ports may fail unless logistics to enable Customs are adequately taken into account.

Speaking with The Nation, Customs Public Relations Officer (PRO), Tin-Can Island Ports Complex (TIPC), Superintendent of Customs, Chris Osunkwo, said the agency is prepared for the challenge of ensuring that the ports operate as its counterparts in other parts of the world. He said Customs is ready to make sure President Goodluck Jonathan’s reforms programme work at the ports.

Osunkwo said the decision of government means the redoubling of their efforts which he said had been the best ever in the history of Customs in terms of revenue generation.

The Service is set to surpass its revenue target set by the government as a result of discipline, training, encouragement and leadership shown by the Comptroller-Gen-

eral of Customs (CGC), Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko and his management team.

The decision of the government is aimed at ensuring hitch free, steady and prompt delivery and clearance of cargo from the ports.

He said the decision was long overdue in coming and has occupied maritime discussions and conferences for a long time. “It is the best thing to do if we are serious in moving forward as a serious maritime nation and becoming the maritime hub in West and Central Africa.” He said the Comptroller General has sounded a serious note of warning that no officer has any reason to fail.

Osunkwo said in developed countries, specialised agencies such as SON, NAFDAC and NDLEA, do not operate in the ports, they stay at bay, outside the ports and are only called into the ports when the need arises and that is exactly what the government wants to achieve.

MAN saves N9m monthly

T

HE Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, has reduced the money spent on diesel from N3.5 million in 10 days to N1 million per month. The reduction followed the connection of the institute to the National Grid.

MAN’s Head of Public Relations, Mr Siddi Mkpandiok, said this has saved the institute N9 million monthly.

The academy, he said, had also procured transformers and dedicated power lines from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) as a strategy to prepare for increased power consumption as a result of more laboratories, workshops and other facilities.

He said these were in line with the vision of the Acting Rector of the institution, Mr Joshua Okpo to see the academy evolves into a world class institute for training of high standard sailors, allied professionals in the maritime, oil and gas sectors.

Okpo said the academy was blessed with abundant human re-

sources that could be harnessed for faster growth and development of the nation’s maritime industry.

He also expressed the management’s zeal under his watch to achieve the exposure of the academy’s cadets for the mandatory sea time in line with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and globally accepted standards.

He said: “We also want to add more value to our certificate by adopting the IMO syllabus. This will further boost the certificate of competency being issued by NIMASA and increase the chances of local and International job placement for our cadets.

“We are trying to create a hitchfree learning, teaching and working environment for students, teaching and non-teaching staff of the academy. We have been able to address the problem supply water on campus. We are in the process of building better relationships between the academy and communities around it.”

Vessels, tankers await berthing at Lagos Pilotage District

O

NE hundred and twentyone vesels and 97 tankers were scheduled to berth at the Lagos Pilotage District last week.

The daily shipping position made available to The Nation by the COPI Department of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Apapa, shows 21 vessels and 14 tankers were awaiting berthing.

Analysis of the position shows ENL Terminals received 14 vessels laden mostly with food items such as rice and fish.

GDNL and Ports & Cargo received two vessels each laden with wheat and containers. J/DAM,ABTL and TICT Terminals received a vessel each with steel product and containers. Fourteen tankers were to berth on Monday with 12 carrying PMS. On Tuesday, 22 vessels and 17 tankers were awaiting berth. ENL Terminals had 13 vessels carrying food items mostly rice and fish. The Five-Star Terminal had one vessel with new cars. ABTL Terminal had three vessels with wheat and cement.

37

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

If the Kogi governorship election was held in April, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Jubrin Isah Echocho, would likely have picked the crown. But, since then, a lot has changed. Echocho is fighting to reclaim the ticket that has since been handed to Captain Idris Wada. Ebullient Prince Abubakar Audu has picked the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) ticket. There is also James Ocholi (SAN) of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Unlike previous elections, no one can safely predict the winner. ISAH IDRIS reports.

Wada, Audu, Ocholi battle to replace Idris A

S the battle for the occupation of Kogi Government House popularly referred to as Lugard House has reached climax on all fronts, participating political parties have forwarded the names of their flag bearers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has James Ocholi (SAN), Gideon Ojata will fly the flag of People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN) and the Labour Party (LP) has Ibrahim Usman, as National Transformational Party (NTP) has produced Gowon Egbunu as its candidate.

Also, while All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) has Mr. Ubolo Okpanachi, the former Aso Rock Chaplain, Prof. Yusuf Obaje will represent All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) holds on to former Governor Abubakar Audu as its flag bearer while PDP deep necked in controversy, has Capt. Idris Wada as flag bearer.

Other candidates include Mrs. Aisha Abubakar (Justice PartyP), Mrs. Bola Esther (Convention Peoples Party), Mohammed Dangana Ali (Nigeria Advance Party), Abu Adejo Samuel (Progressive Action Congress), Lawal Lamidi (Social Democratic Mega Party), Abubakar Guniwa (United Nigeria Democratic Party) and Deacon Joseph Adagbo

(Progressive Peoples Alliance).

In the unfolding drama, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling party in the state, is in a quagmire as its governorship candidate, Capt. Idris Wada who emerged at the September 22 primary is facing stiff battle from Jubrin Isah Echocho who had earlier been handed the flag at the January primary. The case is expected to be decided this week by an Abuja court.

Prior to the PDP re-run primaries, the three major political in the race were PDP, ACN, and CPC, all which were flexing muscles and clandestinely dotting the streets of Lokoja with posters and billboards.

However, the controversial September primaries organised in Lokoja in which five out of eight aspirants withdrew their participation on protest, has continued to attract widespread condemnation by a section of the party loyal to Echocho.

The ensuing legal battle has not only created crisis of confidence between Governor Idris and many PDP leaders in the state, it has sharply fragmented the party into Echocho versus Wada groups whose consequences are better imagined, as their supporters recently displayed fury in Anyigba, Igala’s political capital.

The panic among the ranks of PDP faithful now is that, besides the legal burden, certain provisions in

• Idris the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, which provides that, a party candidate submitted to INEC can only be changed before the election for reason of death, insanity or certified voluntary withdrawal by the candidate, may haunt the outcome if Wada is presented as PDP candidate.

Also a critical threat to PDP chances in 2012 is the fact that the

jettisoned Echocho who today has the ears of a sizable percentage of the voting population in the state with intimidating credentials as a first class academician, a philanthropist and untiring provider of jobs to youths across the state, particularly in banking industry where he held sway, may starve the party of critical support.

Pundits believe that history was in the making in the state, and indeed Nigeria, as a rare combination of Echocho, a first class Economists, a philanthropist and seasoned banker from Kogi East had offered to pair with Hon. Clarence Olafemi, also a first class Mathematician, a former Acting Governor and Speaker of the state House of Assembly from Kogi West, as his deputy, to re-invent the state before the aborted dream.

Now that the PDP is at war with itself and its masquerade dancing naked in the market square, the oppositions obviously are the beneficiaries and they are leaving no stone unturned to turn the table as they will stop at nothing to see that the scenario of 1992 and 1999 is replicated in 2012.

Indeed, a recapitulation of Kogi’s political history will reveal that under the Babangida regime in 1992, Social Democratic Party (SDP) was the most popular party in the state and it was blessed with a candidate to beat in late Dr. Steven Achema but the party went to war

and indeed Kogi State is new in the state. He needs to work tirelessly on the psychology of rural dwellers who might want to associate the party (CPC) with the last post-presidential election misdemeanor in the north.

Abubakar Audu, ACN Prince Abubakar Audu hails from Ogbonicha in Ofu LGA, Kogi East. He was indeed the first and a two-time governor of the state whose performance can be better judged from what he did in his short term between 1992 and 1993 and the four years, 1999 to 2003.

Prince Abubakar Audu, the former ANPP governor, would want to be identified by the projects he executed while in office.

He first picked Chief Samuel Akande from Kogi West as running mate in his first term and then Dr. Patrick Adaba from Adavi, Kogi Central in his second term. He has now picked Hon. Henry Ojuola from Kogi West, as running mate.

Audu can be a dogged fighter from the way he prosecuted his lost governorship ambition in 2003 and 2007 and indeed, he recognises and rewards whoever works for him with the same zeal he punishes those that do otherwise.

His strength: The projects he executed during his tenure which include establishment of Kogi state Polytechnic, General Hospital Lokoja, Confluence Beach Hotels, Lokoja, Prince Abubakar Audu University now (Kogi State University) Anyigba, Eye Specialist Hospital, Ogbonicha, Model College Ogbonicha, Commissioners Quarters, Lokoja, the Ganaja-Ajaokuta Road and some cottage hospitals, among others. The combination of strength by ANPP and ACN in the state has projected him as a major contender.

Challenges: Audu is believed to be autocratic and in charge of virtually ever thing such that, he hardly delegates duties, thus making his subordinates scared of him. This consequently reportedly promoted sycophancy among politicians and staff during his tenure. Besides his case with the EFCC, his advanced age is being used against him by opponents.

James Ocholi (SAN), CPC Ocholi, a brilliant lawyer hails from Ogbabede ward in Dekina LGA in Kogi East. He is 51 years and old, has been a prominent lawyer based in Ankpa, Kogi State before venturing into partisan politics. He was a governorship aspirant in People’s Democratic Party before he picked the flag of CPC for the December 3 election.

Strength: he is believed to have a radical approach to

with itself, browbeating Dr. Steven Achema through five mischievous primaries, all which he won.

However, the avoidable internal wrangling robbed him of victory as the party lost to the opposition National Republican Convention (NRC) that produced Prince Abubakar Audu as state governor.

Seven years later and precisely at the wake of a new democratic era in 1999, fate beckoned again on Kogi State to have Dr. Steven Achema as the PDP state governor but the razzmatazz of the oligarchies from the Idah –Anyigba axis in Kogi East, stood between Achema and success with some campaigns of calumny. That of course, fragmented the votes from Kogi East, which gave a desired victory to late Steven Olorunfemi.

However, a move by Achema pulled down the PDP house and gave victory to All People’s Party (APP) which by a twist of fate reproduced Audu as governor.

Now, history beckons as PDP may have to prepare for protest votes and a possible repeat of history of the 1992 and 1999. Possible alternatives readily available and being considered by Kogi youths are Audu of ACN, Ocholi (SAN) of CPC and Gowon Egbunu of NTP, all from Kogi East.

Much will depend on how PDP resolves its internal crisis. Other factors are the candidates and geopolitical considerations.

Ubolo Okpanachi, ANPP

•Audu

• Wada

achieving some of his goals as a lawyer and now a politician.

His mission statements which includes; freedom, prosperity, health, safety, inter-generational wealth and environmental protection for the people are indispensable.

Ocholi’s fulfilled ambition as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a successful lawyer, businessman and passion to fight poverty is inspiring. He is massively deploying IT campaign strategies to woo voters on GSM and is financially stable.

He has invested in his wife’s NGO, ‘Havila Gold International ‘ which cares for the less privileged, orphans and widow some of who are being trained in some educational institutions in the country. He is charismatic, lively and always optimistic.

Challenges: However, his hurdle is that, as a first timer in Kogi politics, he needs to sell himself faster among rural populace for people to know him and appreciate him.

Secondly, he stands to face some more popular competitors with years of positive impact they have had on the people, beside the governor’s larger than life support for his party’s candidate.

CPC which though has won Lokoja/Koto Karfi Federal Constituency in previous election is of new in Dekina area

Okpanachi in his fifties hails from Ofakaga in Ofu LGA in Kogi East. He is a Chartered Accountant who has made some impact and acquired some years of experience before taking appointment as Kogi State Accountant General under the Idris administration in the last seven years.

He brought his wealth of experience to bear with the financial system of the state and has touched the lives of many people in the state, especially widows, orphans and the less privileged.

Ubolo was a member of PDP and an aspirant before decamping to ACN and later picked governorship nomination in ANPP, thereby swapping position with Audu now in ACN. Strength: He has financial muscle to run a good campaign.

He runs programmes for the orphans, widow and less privileged. His capacity to manage state fund as a professional is his tool.

His philanthropic gesture could broaden support for him.

He runs a strategic campaign befitting of a goal getter.

Challenges: Ubolo has to contend with the dwindling fortunes of ANPP from which the former Governor Abubakar Audu has just decamped because of its low competitiveness.

The circumstance in which he was relieved of his office as Accountant General is his albatross. Some are saying that it is too early for him to show up in the race without clearing his name. His jumping from one pole to another by first leaving PDP as an aspirant in last January primaries to ACN also as an aspirant, then to a depleted ANPP amounts to desperation.

Yusuf Obaje, APGA Professor Yusuf Obaje believed to be in his early sixties, hails from Idah LGA in Kogi East. A cleric and a Professor of Christian Religious Studies has achieved a lot in his own field.

Professor Yusuf Obaje was an Aso Villa Chaplain under • Continued on page 38

38

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

POLITICS Hon. Abiodun Adigun-Hameed is the Chief Whip in the Oyo State House of Assembly. He represents Akinyele State Constituency 11 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In this interview with JEREMIAH OKE, he speaks on the take-off of the ACN administration.

‘Governance is crisis-free in Oyo State’

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SERIOUS crisis is said to be brewing between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Accord in the Oyo State House of Assembly; can you confirm this?

No, there is no crisis in the House; it is mere speculation. What people see as crisis is just about party affiliation. Members of the ACN in the House believe in party supremacy because we are the majority; so, we are just trying to protect the interest of our parties. It is true that the governor nominated some of Accord members for commissionership on the understanding between him and the socalled leaders of Accord. I want to believe, as a member of ACN, that the interest of the party must come first, and that is the reason we stood on the position of the ACN at the initial stage. This generated a lot of controversies and I think that has been resolved.

But some people believe that Senator Rashidi Ladoja is in total control of ACN, the government and even the governor because Governor Ajimobi could not do anything without consulting him…

Anybody that says Senator Ladoja is controlling Governor Ajimobi does not know the current situation in the state. People can say whatever they like or want. Yes, last week, Senator Ladoja said that if it were not for him, ACN would not have won the governorship election in the state. But I don’t understand what he was trying to say. He (Ladoja) contested an election and lost gallantly. Even elders in the state appealed to him to step down, he insisted on running for the election. So, I’m yet to understand the criteria he used to say he contributed to the success of the party. I believe the last election was the true wish of the people. Observers must have seen that there is no impact of Accord in the governance of the state. Meanwhile, the man at the helm of affairs in the state is very intelligent; so, if anybody says that somebody is controlling him, such a person is trying to undermine the level of his intelligence because he is a man of integrity, a man of himself; nobody can dictate to him.

It seems the state is being governed by both the ACN and Accord. constitutionally; a state can only be governed by a party. What is responsible for this?

That is not true, although we need other parties to work with us. This is democracy. Governor Ajimobi once approached Ladoja based on a gentleman agreement. One of the demands of Governor Ladoja was that ACN and Accord should share the political offices 50-50 but Governor Ajimobi disagreed with him because ACN is in control. So the duo agreed on 30 per cent for Accord on each appointment and the agreement did not concern the party. It was between the governor and Senator Ladoja. That was why we gave the Accord the Deputy Speaker because as a man of principle and integrity, you need to fulfill your promises as soon as possible. Governor Ajimobi is not after political inclinations, but how to develop the state and put smiles on the faces of the people. He knows exact places where shoes are pitching the electorate and he has promised times without number, that his government would witness rapid development. So, for these reasons alone, we need the support of all and sundry, not other political par-

•Abiodun

ties alone.

There was a media report recently that Senator Ladoja was about defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while his members occupying seven out of 32 seats in House would go with him with a view to ensuring that PDP have majority in House. If true, how would this affect the delicate balance in the House?

That depends on the kind of the people you have in the House. If I have a leader who instructed me to go to somewhere and if I have my way, I will not do so. If Senator Ladoja wishes, he can return to PDP; it does not have anything to do with our party, the ACN. Don’t you think the defection of Senator Ladoja to the PDP could pose a threat to your party?

In 2007, when there was a problem in ACN, Senator Ajimobi moved to a party that did not have recognition - the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), people did not recognise the party and we contested and won 11 out of 32 seats in the House. And our own victory spread across the state. Then Senator Ajimobi had honourable members from Oyo; we won majority seats in Ibadan. So, if he moves, it can never be a threat to our party.

Ladoja and Akala were former governors of the state, but their achievements together could not be seen or can you tell me any

‘Anybody who says Senator Ladoja is controlling Governor Ajimobi does not know the current situation in the state. People can say whatever they like or want. Yes, Senator Ladoja said that if it were not for him, ACN would not have won the governorship election in the state. But I don’t understand what he was trying to say. He (Ladoja) contested an election and lost gallantly’

physical achievement of both of them? As far as am concerned, PDP ruled us for eight years without any impact, wait and see what ACN has in stock because three months are too small for anybody to judge anyone.

It is said that there was a face-off between you and the governor initially; how did you manage it?

There was no rancour between Ajimobi and I because he is my political father, mentor and the one that nominated me for the House of Assembly in 2007. He supported me with everything. He is my brother and we are very close. We have been together for over 10 years now.

But electing the Speaker was said to have caused a rumpus…

What people don’t know is that there is house rule and there is also party supremacy. There are rules that guide the procedures of the House and in politics, there is zoning, Senator Ajimobi is from the South Senatorial District of the state and I am from Oyo Central. We have three Honourable members from Oyo Zone and Ajimobi is an Ibadan man. Hence, he cannot expect the Speaker to be zoned to Ibadan. What will happen to other zones? During the last election, we won the majority in Oyo zone and those people need to be compensated. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) is also from Ibadan; so how can someone expect an Ibadan being a speaker again? On party supremacy, before we won the election, the party leaders had zoned the position of Speaker to Oyo; so I don’t have any grudge with anybody. All I want is progress of the party because I strongly believe in the party and I worked for its success in the last election. So, I have to support whoever the party presents to be the Speaker. And as far as I’m concerned, there is no crisis in the House. The House and Governor Ajimobi have a good rapport and our relationship is very cordial.

Don’t you think the refusal of the governor to appoint members of Accord as Caretaker Committee Chairmen in councils won by the party as reportedly agreed by Governor Ajimobi and Senator Ladoja will affect the electoral chances of ACN in the forthcoming local government election?

It was not Ajimobi that rejected it, it was the House. Governor Ajimobi wanted to fulfill the promise he made with Senator Ladoja but we didn’t want to give any chance to any political party because if we are to contest local government election and an Accord man is at the helm of affairs in that council, automatically, we have lost that area. And we want to conduct elections that will be free and fair with one man, one vote.

Don’t you think the reported rancour among the parties could affect the legislative agenda of the House?

There is no rancour in Oyo ACN. The governor and party leaders in the state are in good terms. Alhaji Lamidi Onaolapo Adesina was his teacher and he is like a father to him.

He was the one that nominated Ajimobi to be a Senator in 2007. So, what do they mean by saying there is rancour in the party because some people belong to governor and some belong to Alhaji Adesina? It is not true. They always see each other and discuss the way forward for the pace-setter state. And as for the legislative agenda, we are all in good terms. Whatsoever we want to do, we do collectively without considering any political party in the House. It can never affect the agenda of the House.

Akpanudoedehe urges Ibibio to work for collective good

By Musa Odoshimokhe

A

KWA Ibom State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in the April election, Senator John Akpanudoedehe has urged the Ibibio people to downplay individualistic approach to prosperity and work for its common good.

In a speech he delivered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA at the inauguration of Ibibio People’s Forum, the Udoedehe said that unless the people team up and work for the collective good, their quest for progress and development will never be achieved.

He said: “I have come to the firm conclusion that true prosperity can only be corporate and collective. My brothers and sisters, until we work hard to downplay individualistic approach to prosperity and team up to look for each other’s success, we will never achieve success as a people.”

Akpanudoedehe stressed that he had abandoned the quest for personal wealth in favour of the common wealth of Akwa Ibom people. “This, to me, is by far a higher calling of inestimable value and fulfilment.”

He explained that his purpose of attending at the forum was to canvass for a fresh look which will bring them to term with world view of success.

“Unless and until we can begin to synergise and convert our individual successes into corporate dimension and place same at the disposal our people who are for all practical purpose left behind in many index of development, it will be difficult.”

The ACN chieftain maintained that beyond such synergy, Akwa Ibom was faced with leadership challenge. “What will make a world of difference as we try to turn a new page in our history is the quality of leadership that we can muster.”

He noted that such leadership should not be that which is enmeshed in sticky-fingers, funseeking, night clubbing and too drunken. “This class of leadership cannot and will never take our people to a reasonable distance • Akpanudeoedehe because it is a leadership in stupor.”

Wada, Audu, Ocholi battle to replace Idris • Continued fromn page 37

former Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration but later left to contest the 2007 primaries of the People’s Democratic Party but failed to get the ticket.

Prof. Obaje decamped from PDP, joined ACN where he contested and won the ticket as the party’s candidate in the April election that failed to hold.

Strength: A man with fatherly disposition is said to be humane.

Indeed, he assisted his community, the state and especially the less privileged in his days in Aso Villa and so needs to be compensated now.

Challenges: The recent decamping of the former Governor Audu to ACN has thrown spanner in his way and dream in the party and so has moved to APGA where he now holds the party’s ticket. Prof. Obaje, the most elderly of all candidates, has lots of obstacle, as APGA though an old party, has never been reckoned with in the previous elections in the state. Also a difficult task will be his inability to skew the loyalty of the younger generations of youth to recycling of leaders.

Beside the veterans and the bulls in the ring, he may not have the financial muscle to prosecute his tall ambition in the midst of energetic younger candidates with heavy pockets and so may not make much impact comes December 3rd.

Idris Wada, PDP Though not much is known on the political scene about the retired pilot, the PDP candidate is said to be a hardworking professional. He has picked Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, a successful Architect from Mopa Muro Local Government Area, as running mate.

Wada who is in his late sixties hails from Odu–Okpakili village, Odu 1 in Dekina LGA in Kogi East. He is a trained Pilot based in Kano and had a successful practice until he retired into the business of running an airline. He owned and ran EAS Airlines before he inadvertently

found himself in the stormy political water of Kogi State.

Not a few people in the state were taken by surprise at his emergence in the last governorship re-run primaries of September 22 allegedly sponsored by Governor Idris.

His strength: Capt. Wada has the backing of the state governor, the national and state executives of the party, as the PDP flag bearer in place of Alhaji Jibrin Isah Echocho, the winner of January Jan.9 primaries.

He is well positioned financially to square it up and run away with victory.

His ability to woo bulk of youths and civil servants across the three senatorial zones and skew their loyalty to his candidature, look assured as he is flying on the magic horse to realize his dream.

Challenges: Wada’s candidature is being challenged through a petition to the party headquarters by his Ward executives who accused him of forging his party membership. He is also awaiting the outcome of Court judgment in the case instituted against his mandate by the previous holder of the mandate, Alhaji Jibrin Isah, all alleging forgery in his party membership registration and election rigging.

Expectations The 2012 Kogi state governorship battle field is very likely to be fought among the candidates from Dekina zone as all indicators point to the fact that, the political equation may have unofficially pushed it to the zone, irrespective of party affiliation.

However, the crux of the power struggle is that none of the major candidates is a push over as everyone stands in a vantage position to exploit the current situation in PDP. It will however be naive to underrate the forces of government and party structure pushing Wada to victory.

The times remain interesting as every moment introduces new dimensions to the battle for Lugard House.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

39

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

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HE Ajah Community Develop ers’ Association (ACDA) has called on the Lagos State Government, the Inspector-General of Police and all well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in the land dispute between it and Complete Leisure Estate Limited in which the police are alleged to have taken sides with their rival.

Chairman of the association Pastor John Foster made the appeal while briefing reporters on Thursday in Lagos on what he called harassment and intimidation by police and “concerning what we are going through in the hands of the Nigeria Police who are not supposed to be biased in carrying out their legitimate duties.”

He recalled that the executive members of the association have been going through some traumatic experiences since 1995 when their properties in Ajah community were destroyed by the then military government in Lagos State.

He added that in the face of such repulsive and unwarranted experiences, they remained law-abiding and never took the law into their own hands. “We resolved to seek redress in a civilised manner by approaching the law court,” he said.

He disclosed that the matter was finally settled by former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu in 2006 when they were given two parcels of land at Sangotedo area of Lagos, part of which is the one in dispute for which Complete Leisure allegedly sued the Lagos State government on the claims that the land was first given to them by the state government.

The association stated that the “Lagos State government said it revoked the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the land before giving part of it to us. Unfortunately, Complete Leisure contested the revocation and the court ruled that it was not properly done. Lagos State government appealed the decision.”

The appeal dated July 28, 2011 was signed by K. A. Bakare, the Appellants/Counsel in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Secretariat Alausa, Ikeja in a suit No. M/675/ 2010.

The notice of appeal reads in part: “Take notice that the Appellants being dissatisfied with the judgment of the High Court of Lagos State, Lagos Division delivered by the Honourable Justice K. O. Alogba on June 29, 2011 in suit No. M/675/2010 between the parties herein, doth hereby appeal to the Court of Appeal on the grounds set out in paragraph 3 and will seek the relief set out in paragraph 4.

Stating the grounds of appeal, the appellants noted that: (1) “The Learned trial Judge erred in law when he held that the Originating Summons was properly taken out and competent for the determination of the dispute between the parties…The claimant was not the original land owner with deemed customary right of occupancy. The claimant is an allottee/grantee of the 1st defendant and cannot have a title superior to that of the 1st Defendant…”

The appellants therefore sought from the Court of Appeal “an order allowing the appeal to set aside the

•Locked up Community Gate.

Lagos community cries out for justice ‘They also arrested five of our surveyors working at the site, locked them up for five days at the Adeniji Police Station without reason.

We urge the Inspector-General of Police to come to our rescue and call his men to order’ judgment of the lower Court and dismiss the claimants’ Originating Summons…”

The association disclosed that “on September 22, 2011, we were invited to Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) in Adeniji Lagos where we were shown a petition written by Soglon Venture, a company we never knew about, saying that we organised thugs with guns, cutlasses and broken bottles when they made attempt to take over the land from us.

They also said our C of O has been revoked by Lagos State Government.

“When we notified the Lagos State Government over the development in the hands of police about the petition and the issue of the revocation of C of O, the government wrote a letter to the police and also sent a copy of stay of execution and notice of appeal saying that our C of O is intact.

“Still the police led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Johnson Kokumo insisted that we have to vacate the land for Complete Leisure.”

The letter by the Lagos State Government to the Commissioner of Police, Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad signed by S. Y. Kolawole (Mrs), a Director in the Directorate of Civil Litigation for Hon. Attorney-General

Stories Okwy Iroegbu and Chinaka Okoro

and Commissioner for Justice dated October 19, 2011, a copy of which was made available to The Nation reads in part: “I am directed to refer to the above subject matter, which is in respect of a parcel of land situate at Sangotedo in Eti-Osa, Lagos State. I am to state that this is a land dispute between Complete Leisure Estate Nigeria Limited, Pastor John Foster representing Ajah Community Developers Association and Lagos State Government.

“We are surprised to be informed

by Prof. A. B. Kasunmu (SAN), Counsel to the Ajah Community Developers Association that Complete Leisure Estate Limited have resorted to self-help by the use of police officers in Special Anti-robbery Squad, Adeniji Adele Police Station to forcefully take possession of the land despite the pending action in the Court of Appeal in CA/L/963/2011.

“We seriously doubt if the action of the police officers was authorised by your office or any Command in Lagos State in violation of the Rule of Law. “We are also made to understand that Ajah Community Developers Association (the third Defendant

Facility managers awards coming

F

ACILITY management practi tioners have been asked to use their professionalism to contribute to national development.

International Facility Management Association (IFMA) gave the advice recently.

IFMA is a global association of stakeholders in the management built environment with over 2,500 members.

In a statement, the body stated that activities are in top gear to reward its members at an event. It’s theme is Fostering excellence and professionalism.

Already, IFMA has called for nominations, which could be made by“anyone including members of the association.”

President of IFMA, Anthony Ezeaku, said the awards, which will hold on the November 18, this year at the Civic Centre Victoria Island, Lagos, would be preceded by an exhibition.

“It is our belief that captains of industries, executives and legislators from tiers of government, personages of local and international repute, deserve a presence on such occasion as this.”

On the awards, Ezeaku said: “You and I know that Nigerians love well-managed facilities and so we, in IFMA Nigeria, believe that it is time to encourage those that have matched this love for good facilities with real action.

“We want to set aside an evening

to recognise those who have excelled in various aspects of facilities management.

“We want to single out facilities and tell the world what makes them win the love we all have for them. We want to seize this opportunity yearlly to showcase the progress being made in the country to entrench the much desired culture of good facilities management.”

He said there are 15 categories of awards to be given out that evening.

They are awards to best managed corporate and residential facilities, to individuals that have distinguished themselves in various aspects of facilities management.

herein) particularly its officials, are being harassed and intimidated by some officers of the Federal Anti-robbery Squad (FCI D) on the basis of a judgment and an alleged revocation of certificate of occupancy in respect of the subject, and we have been informed that one SP Ola Omole and ACP Johnson B. Kokumo head the unit from which the police invitation emanated.

“The Hon. Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice has, therefore, demanded that all forms of interventions, invitations/arrests in connection with this subject matter must cease forthwith while the Appeal is pending, and also states that officers of the Federal Anti-robbery Squad are not the official Bailiffs or Sheriffs of the Court with requisite constitutional power to enforce any judgment of the Court.”

The association further alleged that though it was to report to the police station for further investigation on October 18, 2011. “We were surprised that on October 14, 2011, our security man at the site informed us that one Mr Oreagba, the former DirectorGeneral of Lands in Lagos State, who is fronting, for Complete Leisure Estate Limited led thugs, with the support of police from SARS Adeniji to invade our land, destroyed our struc-

tures, damaged so many things, carted away so many valuables, which we are yet to ascertain the cost.

“They also arrested five of our surveyors working at the site, locked them up for five days at Adeniji Police Station without reason. We urge the Inspector-General of Police to come to our rescue and call his men to order. The court did not give ACP Kokumo Johnson any directive to enforce any law; neither is he a bailiff or sheriff of the court.”

In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police dated October 18, 2011 signed by Pastor John Foster and Oladele Ojogbede, chairman and general secretary of Ajah Community Developers Association against Saglon Beverages Ventures Limited and its associates over the invasion of the association’s property, the association revealed that its members numbering over 1, 000 teamed up with those who are indigenous to Ajah Town had their various developments on the right hand side of the Lekki-Epe Express Way which is now known as Royal Garden Estate land.

It also noted that both the inhabitants and the association lost the said land to the military government in Lagos State upon, which they sued the state government, which later initiated settlement moves in order to resolve the matter amicably.

The government, it said, decided to make 200 hectares of land available to the Ajah citizens with the proviso that 80 hectares out of this expanse of land were directly for resettlement of members of the association in lieu of their land taken over by the state government.

This, according to them, formed the summary of the terms of settlement reached in 1997, No LD/1578/94, which formed the consent judgment in the case.

“By virtue of this consent judgment, the association was offered 80 hectares of land in two different parcels. One consists of 50 hectares of land at Sangotedo covered by a Certificate of Occupancy No. 84/84/2006Y issued by the Lagos State Government and another 30 hectares at Iberekodo.

“The government gave the association possession of the two parcels of land by settling the indigenes affected and also by the association compensating financially the affected indigenes regarding the two parcels of land.

“Hence, we have been in effective possession of the lands since 2006 and have started massive developments of the land,” it said.

The association, therefore, wishes to inform the public that “our C of O was not, at any particular time revoked by the Lagos State Government. The status quo ante remains as we are waiting for the ruling on the appeal filed by the Lagos State Government.

“In the light of the above, therefore, we would want the police to hands off the matter.”

When contacted on his MTN line for comment on the matter, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lagos State Police Command, Mr Samuel Jinadu, said the Adeniji Adele Police Station is not under Lagos State Police Command as it is a special squad of the Nigeria Police. He, therefore, declined further comment on the matter.

Magazine to hold awards

G

LOBAL Homes magazine will hold its maiden Nigeria Prop erty Awards on November 11, this year in Lagos.

The Global Home Nigeria Property Awards will feature the residential and commercial real estates industry.

It seeks to promote quality in the real estate, construction, architectural and interior design sectors, as well as professional services, says the Magazine’s Publisher Mrs. Roni Akins.

According to her, the event, among other things, will reform the real estate business in the country Another highlight of the event, she said, is the gala dinner, which is billed to attract about 150 guests

By Okwy Iroegbu, Asst Editor

from the countrys real estate and business communities.

She said the award has been endorsed by Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, Mortgage Bsanking Association of Nigeria and Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission.

She said the winners will be in different categories, such as the best developer of the year, best residential, commercial development and best property management company of the year.

Others are best property solicitor and best architectural design, best landscape, interior design, property financing, insurance and mortgage bank of the year.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

40

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

•Abuja Gate

Experts rap Lagos govt on collapsed building •No comment until investigations are completed, says govt

T

HE Lagos State Gov ernment has been criti cised by experts in the construction sector. This is coming against the back drop of the collapse of a sixstorey building in Maryland.

They attributed the failure to the inefficiency of the relevant regulators in the metropolis.

Chairman, Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Mr Kunle Awobodu, observed that the debris at the site of the failed structure brings to the fore the persisting substandard materials, poor workmanship and lack of construction professional input.

He asked to know if the building was designed to carry such massive billboards considering the debilitating wind pressure and the effects of the intermittent construction activities, wondering if the structure suffered any stress from the past bomb explosion in the neighbouring military cantonment?

He said: “Our concern over the years is that while we mourn our losses in a collapsed building, construction of substandard buildings continues in that neighbourhood or locality unchecked.

The slow pace at which Lagos State Government is treading towards the implementation of the 2010 Physical Planning, urban regeneration and building control law will be inimical to the urgency required to correct the anomalies.”

He asked that a special supervision programme be devoted to high rise building construction, advising that the government should not limit itself to building approvals alone, but endeavour to monitor high rise building construction.

Awobodu stressed the need to limit projects of such magnitude to reputable construction firms and not be by direct labour while regretting that the state government seems not to have enough manpower to monitor building construction in a vast area, such as Lagos.

In a related development, Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Lagos Branch, Mr Olatunde Jaiyesimi, told The Nation that the frequency of building

By Okwy Iroegbu Asst. Editor

and infrastructural collapse in the country has become of great concern to engineers.

He said they have discovered factors responsible for building collapse. He listed some of these as the non-usage of qualified engineering and allied professionals, inadequate monitoring of construction processes by relevant governmental agencies, sub-standard materials and absence of sub-soil investigation which would reveal the profile of the subsoil.

Others are use of poor and insufficient form-work, poor supervision and non -observance of approval regulations.

In his recommendation, he asked that the public be sufficiently enlightened and encouraged to draw the attention of the government to buildings where unusual signs are observed.

He said: “Every construction site must have an official COREN Project Control Form (PCF) that provides formal records of the engineers and other relevant professionals involved in the project supervision.

A copy of the completed form (Form PCF B) must always be available at the site for inspection, while approving agencies should desist from approving any engi-

‘They have discovered factors responsible for building collapse. He listed some of these as the nonusage of qualified engineering and allied professionals, inadequate monitoring of construction processes by relevant governmental agencies, sub-standard materials and absence of sub-soil investigation which would reveal the profile of the subsoil’

neering designs that do not have the PCF. Jaiyesimi urged relevant government agencies on the need to use practising structural engineers to check structural designs and drawings, including project supervision while sanitising the construction market to ensure availability of quality materials at affordable prices. He decried a situation where offenders are not apprehended and prosecuted to deter others from flagrant disregard to town planning laws and regulations.

On the part of the government, they refused to speculate as to the cause of the collapse of the Maryland building.

It will be recalled the state has a standing order of forfeiture to government of any collapsed building site.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Toyin Ayinde, said the government is not so much concerned with the forfeiture of the premises, but rather keen at ascertaining what the real cause is as the building did not show any sign of distress before now.

He said: "The issue is not in forfeiture to government, but our concern as a responsible government is to investigate and ascertain the root cause of the sudden collapse. The building, as we all know, has been standing for 11 years and has at no time showed any sign of distress. I learnt that people were in the building when they heard a sound and, luckily, everybody was evacuated. As a government, we have learnt from this that we should periodically check our buildings."

He said their worries stem from the fact that the said building is not in marshy place or showed any dampness.

The Commissioner said he has instructed the State Material Testing Laboratory to visit the site of the building and take material samples to determine cause of its collapse.

He asked that people remain calm, saying the government is on top of the situation and will make its findings open to check future occurrence when investigations are completed.

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

43

HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

•Dr Ashton (fifth from left). With him are Dr Fashade (fourth left) and Dr Ajayi (fifth right) and others at the event.

PHOTO: OYEYEMI GBENGA MUSTAPHA

How accurate are ultra-sound scan results W

HEN a 22-year-old seamstress, Mrs Toyin Ijalola, was, told by her obstetrician, in her second trimester to go for scanning, she did without reservation. When the result was out, she was told hers is a multiple pregnancy and the babies are doing fine.

Images were printed and she took same to her doctor.

Her doctor was not convinced. He ordered another scan and the result showed she has singleton and the other mass was uterine fibroid.

Another patient, 32-year-old Jaiyeoba Iginla, was told she has fibroid and the image printed indicated same. Yet, the result did not detail the size and the position of the fibroid. She decided to access another facility, though she paid a higher fee. The result confirmed a mass growth, called fibroid but the fibroid was insignificant.

These are the experiences of some patients when they visit ultra-sound scan centres. But to experts such results are not unexpected and some of them are making efforts to correct the anomaly. One of them is the Medical Director, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi.

Many practitioners have obsolete ultrasound scan machines, a problem which hampers the utilisation of the full benefits of the ultra-sound scanning procedures. Many of the scanners in the country are too old

•Experts meet to address challenges

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

to be accurate, while lack of proper training limits the interpretation competence of the physician.

“Training is first and foremost the biggest challenge, which is why we have brought professionals from the United Kingdom and United States to complement our local skills. Emphasis has been on training the doctors themselves. It is essential the operator must know what he is doing.

“We have found ultrasound machines being handled by untrained people turn out reports that are of no benefit to the physician. So, first thing we are doing is to train the physician and let him know his limitations,” he said.

He spoke during the sixth edition of the Ultrasound Scan Training Workshop organised by Nordica Fertility Centre.

A facilitator at the event, the Quality Co-ordinator, Pacific Medical Centre, Seattle, US, Dr. Christopher Ashton, said one of the aims of the workshop was to enable participants to gain more confidence as part of the heightened skill levels and basic background information they would derive on

all aspects of imaging and diagnostic procedures. “We are enabling them to know how to use the machines, how to position the patients and how to interpret the results properly.”

Ashton who described lack of training as the biggest barrier in Nigeria, noted that with the right skill, the correct ultrasound information could always be sought and made available.

“In Nigeria there is no basic infrastructure in the healthcare system for ultrasound training. There is no internship programme in ultrasound, and it takes a long time to get the required skill set, unlike in the US where it takes about a year to get well-trained sonographers to operate on their own. No matter how little it is, training matter a lot because it will go a long way to assist your medical profession.

“We have a radiologist to back us up, but here in Nigeria, there does not seem to be the right support system. There is the need to develop the support systems between the physician and the hospital. This is why we encourage the participants on the need to communicate with each other as they continue to grow and share information.”

Another resource person, the Medical Direct0or, Crestview Limited, Dr Abiodun Fashade, said to get it right from the word go, and hopefully have a multiplier effect, the crop of the doctors in training are from public hospitals, especially the tertiary institutions. “You discover that the expertise on the training we’ve been having here are from training institutions. The field of Sonography is more operators dependent. It is very important that the operator knows what he is doing and if he does not know they there is a problem.

“And you will discover that what we are also trying to do is for the operators to know their limitations.

This is because I know in this environment, the greatest challenge that we have found is that, the machine are in the hands of people who are not trained and what do they do?

They keep turning out reports that do not help the physician, the patients or the hospital research.”

Dr Ajayi said: “The first thing that we do is to train the physicians to let them know what to do and know their limitations. Another is to know what to look for, and you will be sure when you don’t have it, you will know, and if you know what

you are looking for, and your equipment is not giving you what you are looking for, of course you will know. It could be you are not using probably the appropriate machine for that thing.

“Unfortunately, another problem we are having is that there are infiltrations of substandard machines, that is, obsolete equipment in the market, but then if the practitioner or the technician is well educated, he will know how to get the best for his work.

“Our plan is to train 50 people who can train others. After a while, we will form a critical mark which cannot be ignored. It might be slow doing it, especially getting people who have done it in other countries to be involved in this type of thing. We are interested in making sure we have an impact. After training the doctors, the other people we also have to consider are the nurses, whether we like it or not, they are useful in the health of Nigerians. It is better to empower them so that they will impact it as well on the health of people.

“After training the doctor, the other people we also have to consider are the nurses, whether we like it or not, they are useful in the health of Nigeria. It is better to enable them so that they will impart it as well on health of people.”

Mark calls for review of health policy

S

ENATE President David Mark has called for a reviewof health policy to make it preventive rather than curative.

Mark, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, told members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) at a reception for physicians in Abuja that the exercise has become imperative to meet the nation’s health challenges.

The statement reads: “The

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

President of the Senate listed the nation’s current health challenges to include but not limited to preponderance of diseases, especially preventable ones, limited access to health care, lack of modern equipment and specialization as well as brain drain syndrome.

“He, therefore, called for positive collaborative action between the NMA and other

professional associations in the health sector in order to improve the sector.

“He praised the National Assembly for the passage of the National Health Bill but expressed concerned that agitation by some of the bodies for modification of its content after its passage indicates discordance in focus.

“Senator Mark counselled the NMA to pay serious attention to issues of professionalisation and regulation of ethical standards

among its members.

He underscored the importance of good health to individual and national development stressing “Health is a key sector of the economy Health is wealth”.

“Earlier, the President of NMA, Dr. Omede Idris, said the award to eminent physicians in elective and appointive positions in government was to encourage them to continue to make positive contributions to Nigeria especially towards improving the health care delivery

system in the country.

“Dr. Idris urged President Goodluck Jonathan to give accent to National health Bill, saying: “NMA believes that accent to the National Health Bill remains the panacea for transforming the health sector in our country”.

“Those who received the NMA eminent physicians’ award included, Senators Bukola Saraki, Chris Nigige, Ifeanyi Okowa, Dalyop Dantong and Anthony Manzo.

44

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVE MBER 1, 2011

HEALTH

NHIS unfolds programme for artisans, others T

O widen its area of coverage the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has rolled out programmes to cater for the informal sector and artisans.

Tagged: Community - based health Insurance programme (CBSHIP), it is designed for 75 per cent of the population who live in the rural and semi- urban areas, to enable access affordable and qualitative healthcare.

According to NHIS Executive Secretary, Waziri DogoMuhammed, the pilot scheme has been test run and now a reality in some parts of the country with non- governmental operators driving the initiative. One of them is the Hygiea Community Health Insurance Scheme introduced in Shonga community, Kwara State over three years ago.

According to DogoMuhammed, NHIS as an organisation has built on the community based health insurance programme, “and it has built on the experience of the Scheme in implementing the NHIS/MDG maternal and child health project which is a collaboration between the Scheme and office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs to address maternal and under five morbidity and mortality in the country. I am optimistic that everybody in Nigeria would be reached and covered by the year 2015, going by the mandate of the NHIS, which is to ensure that all Nigerians are covered by 2015.

“Clearly, extending health care to this category of Nigerians is a critical success factor for the scheme. We are aware that we shall be judged on the basis of

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

our capacity to extend the benefit of Social Health Insurance to those in the informal sector who bear the largest proportion of the national burden of diseases. It is well known that our brothers and sisters in the informal sector grapple with serious financial and physical barriers to health care in addition to issues of inadequate healthcare infrastructure.”

He pointed out that the implementation of the CBSHIP was therefore, a welcome relief to them and the country in general.

In further attempt to cover the whole country, he said the scheme has developed various innovation programmes such as: the Tertiary Institution Health Insurance Programme, Voluntary Contributors Health Insurance Programme, and the Retirees Social Health Insurance Programme.

He said the NHIS believes that addressing the problems of poor access to healthcare in the rural areas will significantly address the issue of the poor maternal and child health indices in the country and help put Nigeria on the path of attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Vision 20-20 – 20 of the Federal Government.

Dogo-Muhammed said while it could be argued that the informal sector is unorganised, it does not translate to the fact that they cannot be organised for specific purpose through associations, guilds and unions. “For example, there are communities of artisans such as vulcanizers, carpenters, bricklayers, drivers etc that can come together to pursue

• Dogo-Muhammed

matters that can be beneficial to members. Indeed, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) is one group that has emerged as a formidable and organised group that is championing the interest of its members. These groups readily provide the platform for organisations that can transmute into focal groups to further their members’ interests”, he stated.

The NHIS boss hinted that survey had been carried out to know all the existing communities in the country. “We now have a survey of all the cooperative societies in the country, all microfinance groups, and all groups that are union-oriented with some activities. These are economic groups that can serve as entry points by the time we start community health insurance scheme,” he explained.

On areas of overlap, of the existing NHIS and the Community -Based Health Insurance Programme, he was quick to point out that the latter will cohabit with the existing scheme.

On identifiying the poor, DogoMuhammad explained how his organisation surmount the challenge, “Of course we know that quite a number of people who are not all that poor will also want to be a part of this kind of initiative which also presents the challenges of detecting who is not

‘Clearly, extending health care to this category of Nigerians is a critical success factor for the scheme.

We are aware that we shall be judged on the basis of our capacity to extend the benefit of Social Health Insurance to those in the informal sector who bear the largest proportion of the national burden of diseases’ eligible.

“Therefore, the state governments were given the opportunity to identify, down to the remotest villages, those that qualify to benefit from the package. They were subsequently registered after they were given identity cards that have their personal identity number.

“We worked with the states.

The states have handed over this information to the federal government with their own counterpart funding. The Federal Government then added its own 75 per cent and then outsourced.The actual registration involves given the beneficiaries smart cards and number per family,” he said.

According to DogoMuhammad, the programme would operate as a non-profit scheme, owned and managed by cohesive groups of individuals formed on the basis of ethics of mutual aid and collective pooling of health risks and resources.

He pointed out that a blueprint and an implementation manual have been developed to guide promoters, facilitators and implementers of the programme across the country. “For the verification exercise, 37 to 50 sites for the take off of the Pilot Project which will run for 3 years will be selected.

The purpose of the verification

exercise, he said, is to generate additional information to assist the selection process as well mobilize and sensitize the leadership of these groups to ultimately make them take ownership.

“It is out of this inventory that three hundred trade groups, community-based associations and cooperative societies from the six geo-political zones were shortlisted using defined criteria for the verification exercise” The NHIS Scribe who acknowledged that universal coverage cannot be achieved without providing cover to the community dwellers, said, this can only be achieved when adequate financial resources are provided to address the needed subsidy for these vulnerable groups in the country.

“This will hopefully be achieved when the Health Bill becomes operational and other innovative ways of raising financial resources for health are identified”, said he.

Dogo-Muhammed noted that the programme would give the millions of Nigerians living in the rural and sub-urban areas the opportunities to access affordable and qualitative healthcare within easy reach.

A FACT ON OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

T

HE healthiest of fats for people with arthritis or other inflammatory disorders are omega-3 fatty acids, one of the polyunsaturated fats. While other foods increase levels of inflammation in the body, omega-3s actually work to decrease inflammation by suppressing the production of cytokines and enzymes that erode cartilage.

More than a dozen studies have demonstrated that omega-3 fish oils can reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Study participants reported greater strength, less fatigue, reduced joint swelling and tenderness, less joint stiffness and less pain.

Post-birth depression manageable, say experts

P

ostnatal depression (PND) has been described as the most prevalent complication of childbirth affecting between 10 and 15 per cent of women.

According to the Consultant Psychiatrist, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Dr Adebayo Erinfolami, up to 85 per cent of women suffer from some type of mood disturbance during the postpartum period.

Erinfolami spoke at a public lecture tagged: The truth about emotional disorders.

It was organised by Lagos University Medical Society, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL)/ Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Health and Life Africa Healthy-Living Initiative (HALA). His paper was entitled: Postpartum psychiatric disorders-epidemiology and overview.

He said the condition can be managed, but: “typically, postpartum depression is more persistent and debilitating than postpartum blues, often interfering with the mother’s ability to care for herself or her child.”

Erinfolami identified monitoring for signs in high risk women, educating women and family members

By Wale Adepoju

before childbirth, counselling and increase social support prior to delivery and consideration to starting therapy during third trimester or immediately after delivery as major prevention.

He said the symptoms do not interfere with a mother’s ability to function and to care for her child.

“Up to 13 per cent of women in the first year of pregnancy experience postpartum depression. There is 50 per cent higher risk of recurrent PPD in subsequent pregnancies. The risk of PPD may rise from 25 to 30 per cent if there is a history of depression before the pregnancy.

He identified risk factors of PPD as personal history of depression, family psychiatric history, marital conflict and lack of perceived social support.

Others are lack of emotional and financial support from partner, living without a partner, unplanned pregnancy, previous miscarriage, having contemplated terminating current pregnancy, poor relationship with own mother, not breastfeeding among others.

A lecturer and Consultant Psychiatrist CMUL/LUTH, Dr Yewande

•Dean, Faculty of Clinical Services, CMUL, Prof Anthonia Adefule-Ositelu; Dean, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Prof M. C Isikwe and LUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof Akin Osibogun, at the event.

PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA

Oshodi said postpartum period is the most vulnerable time for a woman to develop psychiatric illness.

She spoke on postnatal depression: clinical features, myths and stigma. she said: “PPD is normal as all new mothers feel tired and depressed.

Postpartum depression will go away on its own without treatment.”

A don at CMUL, Dr Olatunji Aina, said a common barrier to providing adequate care for women having

PPD is failure to recognise the problem in the first place.

To overcome this problem, he said, a ten-item instrument, Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was developed some years ago to screen for depression among new mothers.

It is simple to use by health care workers and it is the most commonly used screening tool for PPD in both clinical practice and research, he added.

He delivered a paper titled Management of postpartum depression and

associated socio-cultural issues.

He said: “Recently, the United States Preventive Services Task Force suggested a much easier and as well effective way to screen for PPD with a simple two-question tool developed by Whooley et al (1997).

The question items include: “Over the past 2 weeks, have you felt down, depressed or hopeless? Over the past two weeks, have you felt little interest or pleasure in doing things?”

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

45

HEALTH

Global Fund spends $4.1b on malaria, others

T

• Prof. Oyediran (left) and Dr Olugbile (right).

‘Preventive medicine vital to good health’

P

OLICY makers in the health sector have been enjoined to promote good health to prevent diseases.

A teacher at the Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof Muriel Oyediran, made this submission at the Fourth Biennial Lecture for a Consultant Chest and Community expert, the late Dr Olujinmi Soboyejo, at the Lagos State University College of Medicine.

The theme was: Health for all Nigerians by the year...? Exploring the relationship between lifestyle and health.

According to her, trends in health have shown that health improvement requires not only personnel and medical technology, but also input from individuals in protecting and promoting their health to reduce susceptibility and exposure to diseases.

She said: “Based on the definition of the World Health Organisation

(WHO) health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, it is clear that all areas of an individual’s life can have a profound impact on promoting or demoting his/ her health. Most of these areas are affected by the individual’s lifestyle and there is the need to the explore relationship between lifestyle and the promotion of health.”

She added that preventive medicine is vital to the promotion of good health “In preventive medicine, there are three levels of prevention called primary, secondary and tertiary which correspond to the phases of the development of diseases. These levels are sub-classified into five stages of prevention called health promotion/primordial prevention; specific prophylaxis, early dagnosis and treatment, limitation of sisability and rehabilitation,” he said.

Doctors make case for ambulance services

M

EDICAL doctors have advocated the need for pre-hospital services such as air ambulances in the wake of bombings in some parts of the country.

According to the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), “There is need for us as a nation to embrace new innovations, which are in use in other nations of the world. If Nigeria wants be one of the top 20 nations of the world in line with the Vision 20:2020, there is the need for the use of air ambulances in the country as the motive behind it is essentially to save lives.”

President of NARD, Dr Chinomnso Nnebue said another way to help the patients is the need for health practitioners

Oyediran said: “The primary level of prevention is subdivided into two stages: health promotion/ primordial prevention and specific prophylaxis. These two stages are directed at healthy individuals in the population before any manifestation of diseases so that they remain healthy and well. “Health promotion or the first stage of prevention prevents the emergence of diseases by ensuring that socioeconomic factors, environmental conditions and lifestyle choices known to contribute to increased risks of diseases, are minimised.

This includes the provision of good housing, safe environmental sanitation, potable water and improved nutrition. Specific prophylaxis, or the second stage of the primary level of prevention, is also targeted at healthy individuals using health education on the risk factors of disease, immunisation against specific diseases, nutritional supplements and chemoprophylaxix, as strategies to maintain the health of the population,” she said.

HE Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria spent $4.1 billion to save 830,000 of malaria victims last year. The amount covers insecticide-treated nets and anti-malaria drugs in countries where the disease is endemic.

By mid-2011 results from programmes that receive Global Fund support showed that 190 million insecticide-treated bed nets were distributed to protect families from malaria by mid-2011. Of these, 70 million bed nets were distributed in the 12 months to the end of June, 2011. Assuming a bed net protects two people, the additional bed nets ensured that an estimated 140 million more people were protected against malaria.

These were contained in a statement by the organisation’s Communication Specialist, Andrew Hurst.

Hurst said: ”Global Fund investments have also played a critical role in expanding the coverage of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in countries where the malaria parasite is now resistant to older drugs. As well as the substantial expansion in

Stories by Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

coverage of bed nets to prevent malaria, there has been a big increase in the number of people protected by indoor residual spraying of insecticides. Some 36 million indoor residual spraying services were provided, a 31 per cent increase from a year ago.

Progress in controlling malaria is prompting a growing number of countries to set their sights on eliminating a disease which still causes an estimated 780,000 deaths annually.

“A new report released by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, prior to the opening of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Malaria Forum in Seattle, identifies seven countries that have recently eliminated malaria and another 10 countries monitoring transmission with a view to arrive at zero malaria cases. A further nine countries out of a total of 108 malariaendemic countries and territories are also getting ready to move towards nationwide elimination of malaria, according to the report.”

Firm donates eye drugs to govt

P

FIZER Specialties Limited has donated Zithromax through its International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) to the Federal Government.

The drug was received by the Minister of Health, Prof Christian Chukwu. The company presented eye drugs and glasses in Abuja, Ilorin, Kano, Osun, Akwa Ibom and Delta states as part of its activities to celebrate this year’s World Sight Day. According to its Country Manager, Dr Enrico Liggeri, the company is committed to helping to reduce the burden of the two major causes of preventable blindness in Nigeria: trachoma and glaucoma.

He said: “Pfizer is doing this through several donations of drugs used in minimising incidences of blinding trachoma, the world’s leading cause of blindness and through free screenings that will help

the early detection of glaucoma.”

Similarly, the Medical Director, Dr. Kodjo Soroh, stressed the need for people to have eye examinations done regularly to prevent blindness. He said, “Glaucoma is the second leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide, not because of lack of effective methods for diagnosis and treatment, but due to limited public awareness of the disease and its implications. It also does not help that the disease is asymptomatic in its early stages that is why it is called the silent thief of sight”.

“The gift of sight is too valuable to take for granted and the key to preventing the progression to vision loss is early detection. “We cannot separate eye health from economic development,”stated the Associate Director, Public Affairs and Communication, Mrs. Margaret Olele.

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

to be on unison as matters relating to the wellbeing of the citizenry in order to better the quality of health delivery in the country.

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Flying Doctors Nigeria limited, said it is its responsibility to ensure that emergencies involving bomb victims and others with heart attacks get prompt pre-hospital medicare during the critical stages of an attack.

The Managing Director of the outfit Dr Ola Orekunrin said: “The skilled team of specialist flight physicians in our staff save hundreds of lives every year.

Nigerians will tremendously benefit from this.”

DO YOU KNO W THA T: KNOW THAT

T

YPE 2 diabetes strikes people of all ages, and early symptoms are subtle. In fact, about one out of three people with type 2 diabetes don’t know they have it. Diabetes is a chronic

condition that thwarts the body’s ability to change food into energy. This allows sugar levels to build up in the blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease, loss of vision, and other serious complication.

•From left: Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer, Musa Momodu; Regulary Officer, Banjo Adekunle and Deputy Director, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mrs Comfort Makanjuola, PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS with a truscan during a surveillance in Lagos.

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AVIATION

Commercialise NAMA, govt urged N ATIONAL President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Ibrahim Haske has demanded the commercialisation of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to enhance its efficiency.

Haske said this is the only way the government could recoup its investment on air navigation facilities including instrument landing system and the total radar coverage of the Nigerian airspace.

According to him, it is only through commercialisation that NAMA would function effectively as the leading airspace agency in Africa. He noted that the Pay As You Go platform introduced by NAMA last year to recover the debts owed by domestic and foreign carriers has shored up the agency’s revenue profile.

Stories by Kelvin Osa-Okunbor Aviation Correspondent

He said: “We need to commercialise NAMA through a government statutory provision.

But, if you look at the trend globally in the last 15, 20 years the trend has been to either privatise like we have in Canada, partial privatisation like we have in the United Kingdom (UK) with the Department of National Air Traffic Services (DNAT) or the model that we have in South Africa where you have Air Traffic Navigation Services that is 100 percent government owned but it is a company that is run like every other private company.

“Every year they are required

by law to publicly publish their statement of account, which is also audited by private accounting auditing firms. Now the advantage in that is that it brings a lot of transparency in how the organisation is run, it brings accountability which is necessary for efficiency; it equally eliminates wastages and other inefficiencies inherent in a typical government bureaucracy.

“What we are advocating is for NAMA to be fully commercialised based in line with these other examples that I have given and I am sure this can be done through a statutory provision in which case the agency will simply operate like a commercial entity operates, the main concern of course is safety but then you are also going to put certain mechanisms to ensure that you recover cost.”

Navigation aids calibration begins THE Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has begun calibration of navigational equipment at some airports and en route stations across the country to enhance air safety during harmattan.

The exercise started last Wednesday in Lagos, with the routine calibration of the two Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) and that of the Very High Omni-directional Radio Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (V OR/DME) of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

Equipment being calibrated includes the recently inaugurated secondary radar systems at Ilorin, Maiduguri and Obubra.The newly installed CVOR at Kishi in Oyo State and that of the Enugu airport are to be flight- checked by ASECNA, a foreign firm based in Dakar, Senegal.

Other navigational aids being calibrated are Conventional OmniDirectional Radio Frequency (CVOR), Instrument Landing System (ILS), Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) Very High Omni-Directional Radio Frequency (VOR) all located in, Sokoto, Gombe, Jos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, Yola, Benin and, Gombe.

Managing Director of the agency, Mr Mazi Nnamdi Udoh, disclosed that the exercise would last 14 days, explaining that the calibration of the navaids would assist in putting all the navigational aids in proper shape at these airports and en-route stations during the harmattan season.

Air Force trains at Ibom Airport THE Akwa Ibom International Airport (AKIA) and the Margaret Ekpo International Airport (MEIA), Calabar have been picked for the 2011 Staff Continuity Training Exercise & Sports Week of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF). The preliminary exercise began at the AKIA on October 25.

On October 28, seven NAF airplanes departed the MEIA enroute AKIA. Six landed safely. Unfortunately, at 19.09hours, one of the aircraft with two pilots on board crash landed 1,100 meters from Runway 21.

The AKIA aerodrome rescue and fire fighting safety team responded promptly. There was no damage to the AKIA facilities. The two pilots are hale and hearty and under observation.

The Management of AKIA notified the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General, Dr Harold Demuren of the accident.

Following NCAA’s confirmation that the accident was offsite the airport facilities, has been cleared for continuous operations.

Emirates named best airline

• From left: Haske, Lagos Zonal Vice-President, NATCA, Mr Ogodo Olusegun and General Secretary, Mr Martins Akujuobi at the press briefing in Lagos.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE.

Firm to raise N3b bond

N

IGERIAN Aviation Handling Company (nahcoaviance) has got an approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to raise a five-year bond to help in financing its projects.

Managing Director Kayode Ojo, said at a seminar in Lagos on Achieving excellence through customer relations for staff that the company had taken N2.15 billion from the first tranche of N3 billion.

He said the bond would be used to consolidate the company’s leadership position, build a warehouse,

acquire more ground support equipment and embark on other capital projects.

Ojo said the firm would become a global player if the staff improved on their handling of customers.

He contended that if clients were treated with utmost courtesy, their loyalty to the brand would remain even when a company falters once or twice in the way they (clients) are treated.

“If you spend so much on hardware you should build your software. We don’t manufacture a

product but we deliver services.

What we like is a situation in which an experience and encounter with a nahcoaviance staff anywhere in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and anywhere else we go will be the same experience everywhere.

The logic behind it is to have a fast, seamless and safe service,” Ojo said.

He maintained that nahcoaviance does not have any tangible product but sells its services to drive perception and get a share of the market.

How to make airports viable, by expert

A

N aviation expert, Mr Chris Aligbe, has canvassed the adoption of an Aviation Development Policy prescribing terms under which states and other stakeholders can build airports.

Aligbe, at an interactive session with reporters in Lagos, said without such a policy, the aviation industry will not record any significant progress.

For now, he said, the level of development in the industry is uncoordinated without a working document that will provide a compass for development.

The former spokesman of the liquidated, Nigeria Airways Limited, said most of them would not be viable because they are constructed as point to point airports as against

airports that feed passenger traffic for airlines.

Aligbe said if the aviation industry must make any significant progress in the area of airport infrastructure, government must go for concession of facilities, which will bring about private sector funding.

He said since Nigeria is the leading market in Africa, it is imperative for government to support its carriers, to dominate the market share of the available passenger traffic.

He said: “We need a legal policy framework that could cater for the development of airports, airlines and ground handling companies, which will provide a road map for the de-

velopment of the aviation industry. At the moment there is no such specific policy in the aviation industry which will help the industry have good airports and airlines.

“How do you expect the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to manage the 22 airports and yet remain profitable?

It is for this reason that we advocate that all Nigerian airports should be concessioned. That is the only option to achieve global standards for airports, which will bring about private sector funding. It may be difficult to canvass the concession option in the industry for now, because of the old experience of concession.”

EMIRATES, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, has once again been recognised for its commitment to service excellence after winning two awards from ATQ magazine at the 2011 ‘Akwaaba’ African Travel Market Awards.

Emirates was named ‘Best International Airline in Nigeria” for the fifth consecutive year in recognition of the contribution it had made to the growth of the emerging travel industry in the region. Paulos Legesse, Emirates Manager Nigeria, was also recognised for his contribution to the development of the travel and tourism sectors in West Africa.

“Receiving the ‘Best International Airline’ award from ATQ for five years in a row is extremely important to Emirates as it is evidence that the industry, and most importantly our customers, are recognising our efforts to help develop the travel industry across the region. We are committed to providing our customers with superlative in-flight and on the ground service as part of our overall commitment to the highest standards of service and value for money,” Legesse said.

Qatar Airways bags Asia’s award QATAR Airways has been named Asia’s most preferred airline brand at the 2011 Asian Leadership Award.

The Doha-based airline was honoured for outstanding service and hospitality at a ceremony held in Dubai, attended by leading figures from across the Asian business community.

The awards covered more than 20 categories, including business innovation, human resources, corporate responsibility and products and services.

Qatar Airways’ win follows a string of recent accolades for the airline, including being named Airline of the Year by industry audit Skytrax, Best Airline in the Middle East and Africa by Business Traveller Asia Pacific magazine and Best Airline in the Middle East and Africa by readers of Asian travel trade title, TTG Asia.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the latest award reflected the company’s world class standards.

SAA appoints two new regional managers South African Airways (SAA) has restructured the management of its Africa and Middle East (ME) region and also announced the appointment of two new senior leadership team members.

Under the exercise, the airline’s Africa & ME region is now split into three distinct sub-regions: · East Africa and Middle East – (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi and Rwanda) · North, West and Central Africa – (Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, DRC, Gabon, Cameroon, Benin Republic) · Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands – (Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mauritius, and Angola). Brad Edwards is the Regional Manager for this region.

The airline also announced the appointment of two regional managers in the Africa and Middle East region. This is in line with its structure for the Africa region headed by Aaron Munetsi who is the Regional General Manager based at Airways Park, the airline’s headquarters in Johannesburg.

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NEWS

•Dignitaries at a public lecture entittled: Aregbesola Government-Present and Future Prospects, organised by Jama’at Ta’awunil Political Orientation Group in Iwo, Osun State...at the weekend

•Managing Director, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Martin Woolnough, congratulating some of the students of the Nestle Technical Training School, Agbara, Ogun State after the school’s inauguration…yesterday.

•Dr. Ausbeth Ajagu (second right) speaking at the monthly meeting of the Nigerian Heroes Association of National Awardees at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos…at the weekend. With him are Mrs Opral Benson, Asiwaju Alex Sokan and Pius Sinebe an engineer

Director, Language Development Centre, Sheda, Dr Chiyere Nwagbara (left); Chief Nursing Officer, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Mrs Jecinta Anunusor; Chairlady of the occasion, Mrs Eluwa Carol; and retired deputy director, Nursing Services, Ministry of Health, Imo State, Mrs Louisa Chukwurah, unveiling 2011 harvest thanksgiving and bazaar cake of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Gwagwalada, Abuja...on Sunday

•National Union of Bayelsa State students protesting at the Peoples Democratic Party headquarters in Abuja...at the weekend

•Lagos Sector Deputy Corps Commander and Head of Operations, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Hyginus Omeje (left) and Mrs Helen Odukoya, Assistant Corps Commander and Head, Iba Unit, decorating Sector Head, Sepcial Marshal and Partnership, Mr Sikiru Aduloju with his rank of Superintendent Route Commander (SRC) at the FRSC office in Ojodu, Lagos

•President, Record and Information Management Awareness (RIMA), Mr. Oyedokun Oyewole (left), Mr Chris Onyemenan, the guest lecturer and Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr. Larry Elring at a workshop in Lagos…at the weekend.

PHOTOS: JOHN EBHOTA, DAYO ADEWUNMI AND ADEJO DAVID

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NEWS

Strike: Patients stranded at Nasarawa hospital

H

UNDREDS of patients were yesterday stranded at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, following a five-day strike by the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN).

The patients, mainly women and children, were asked by hospital workers to return home when they came for treatment.

State Chairman and Secretary of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria Stephen Ogoh told The Nation yesterday that the strike was in obedience to a directive from its National Office in Abuja.

Association’s National President Dr. Godswill Okara had condemned “the continuous disregard for government rules, regulations and even laws of this country by boards and chief executive officers of health care institutions under the Federal Ministry of Health, especially the Federal Medical Centres, Specialist and Teaching Hospitals.’’

An October 22 letter signed by the association’s National Secretary, Mr. Ashi Robert Rigye, urging union members to embark on a five-day strike, complained about the dichotomy in federal and state establishments.

The letter said: “Some federal and state

From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

establishments refuse to abrogate the dichotomy not known to our profession, e.g some are designated as technologists and others as medical laboratory scientists.”

He said the nomenclature, technologists, is no longer used, ‘’as stipulated by the

law governing the profession.”

Ogoh said the laws of the profession has been violated since 2001, adding that its affairs ‘’are controlled by those outside the profession because it has no directory’’.

Ogoh said Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura has been notified about the strike.

Lawyer sued for alleged diversion of client’s money From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

A

LAWYER, Mr. Bernard Afu, has been sued at an Abuja High Court for allegedly diverting about N11.5 million belonging to his client.

The plaintiffs, Hajiya Garba and her company, Dubu Nigeria Limited, accused Afu of confiscating the money being the balance for a parcel of land she sold to a firm at N31.5 million.

In the writ of summons issued on her behalf, Okunade Olorundare (SAN) accused the lawyer of paying the plaintiffs’ draft into his account and “refused, neglected or failed to turn the money over.’’

“It was after intense pressure that the defendant released N20 million to the plaintiffs of the N31.5 million, thereby retaining a balance of N11.5 million without any lawful excuse or justifiable reason”, he added.

But Afu claimed that the plaintiffs owed him about N6.8 million professional fees for separate cases he handled for them.

He stated that the plaintiffs paid N700, 000 of the agreed N7.5 million, adding that he stopped a N6 million post-dated cheque issued to Hajiya Garba because she reneged on the agreement.

Justice Folashade Ojo gave Afu till November 8 to settle out of court with the plaintiffs or face trial.

The plaintiffs are demanding N11.5 million received by the defendant on their behalf.

They also want the court to compel him to pay 20 per cent interest per annum on a monthly basis from September 1, 2009 when the cause of action arose and another 10 per cent per annum on the judgment sum until it is fully liquidated.

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IBARAPA CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT Igboora, Oyo State.

REGISTRATION OF CONTRACTORS This is to inform interested contractors wishing to bid for contracts in Ibarapa Central Local Government to come forward to register with the local government Projects to be executed by the council within the next 12 months include: 1. Supplies 2. Low tension electricity 3. High tension electricity 4. Supply of vehicles 5. Drilling and repair of Boreholes 6. Building construction 7. Road maintainance 8. Road construction 9. Renovation of schools To register, contractors must produce the following: 1. Certificate of Incorporation with CAC 2. Comprehensive company profile to include: Evidence of similar Job(s) executed in the last 5 years i.e. certificate of practical completion and payments.

3. Audited Account for the past three (3) years (2008, 2009 & 2010).

4. List of Personnel and Equipment.

5. Tax Clearance Certificate for 2008, 2009 and 2010.

6. Evidence of Financial capability duly issued from any capitalised Bank in Nigeria.

7. Evidence of traceable address (Not P.O. Box) in Nigeria.

8. Evidence of payment of non-refundable fees of N50,000 for Grade A, N25,000 for Grade B and N10,000 for Grade C. Interested contractors should contact the secretary, Ibarapa Central Local Government Tenders Board.

All registration must be completed within three weeks from the date of this publication.

Signed: MR. BISI GBOLAGUN

DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Ibarapa Central Local Government Igboora

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 31-10-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 7

Quotation(N) 8.00

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 134,400 1,075,200.00 134,400 1,075,200.00

Quotation(N) 2.04 5.70

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 14,871 31,820.24 283,287 1,614,638.14 298,158 1,646,458.38

Quotation(N) 0.50 1.75

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 103,000 51,500.00 251,101 438,491.99 354,101 489,991.99

Quotation(N) 5.51 3.49 2.01 4.00 1.72 10.02 14.60 8.74 4.99 1.36 3.16 0.56 0.64 12.90

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 3,573,279 20,589,404.55 4,598,298 15,561,026.76 319,793 640,346.43 262,950 1,055,672.50 891,311 1,550,514.16 40,872,941 401,450,991.85 21,847,213 317,811,303.10 11,087,848 97,422,448.32 5,866,794 29,295,852.63 511,419 692,936.11 47,973,738 153,076,719.43 8,281,551 4,621,623.56 1,316,147 848,221.41 65,398,536 842,600,794.43 212,801,818 1,887,217,855.24

Quotation(N) 202.06 91.51

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 702,785 142,440,528.21 2,365,402 216,004,344.01 3,068,187 358,444,872.22

Quotation(N) 15.43 5.00 108.00 42.00

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 440,904 6,798,423.38 220,138 1,147,154.50 287,796 31,063,162.23 57,525 2,311,935.00 1,006,363 41,320,675.11

Quotation(N) 3.01 9.45 18.00 1.09 10.93

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 65,000 195,650.00 12,000 107,760.00 239,916 4,306,154.52 36,065 37,507.60 42,004 436,421.56 394,985 5,083,493.68

AIR SERVICES Company Name AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 32 39

AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 18 20 BANKING

Company Name ACCESS BANK PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC GTBANK PLC STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC SKYE BANK PLC. STERLING BANK PLC UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 127 33 19 26 56 549 452 105 64 14 272 38 29 215 1,999 BREWERIES

Company Name GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 54 136 190 BUILDING MATERIALS

Company Name ASHAKA CEMENT PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 35 15 14 13 77 CHEMICAL & PAINTS

Company Name AFRICAN PAINTS (NIG.) PLC BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC DN MEYER PLC PREMIER PAINTS PLC. Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1 22 6 2 32

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Secure Electronic Technology PLC RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1 19 21

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.80 2.54

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 10,000 5,000.00 1,000 760.00 1,125,200 2,831,739.00 1,136,200 2,837,499.00

Stakeholders seek incentives to grow capital market

S

TAKEHOLDERS in the Nigerian capital mar ket yesterday urged government to support the wider economy through careful intervention and introduction of incentives aimed at developing the market.

Participants at a one-day workshop jointly organised by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS) Limited for financial, stressed the importance of the capital market as the engine of the economy.

Participants commended the ongoing initiatives of the NSE aimed at putting the capital market at a vantage position as a globally competitive marketplace, and urged all stakeholders to foster more collaborative efforts to enlighten the investing public about the operations and potentials of the capital market.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the workshop, participants recommended that capital market regulators should constructively engage the National Assembly, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and other relevant agencies to ensure that public utilities and other companies of national and strategic importance are quoted on the NSE to give Nigerians opportunity to participate in these compa-

No of Deals 3 1 4

Quotation(N) 7.31 0.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 94,048 687,490.88 19,000 9,500.00 113,048 696,990.88

Quotation(N) 30.00 0.67 29.00 26.05

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 817,910 24,536,743.95 5,650,550 3,829,589.00 101,030 3,055,077.06 1,319,667 34,464,565.78 7,889,157 65,885,975.79

CONGLOMERATES Company Name PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC OF NIGERIA PLC UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 43 38 28 56 165 CONSTRUCTION

Company Name JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC MULTIVERSE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 13 1 14

Quotation(N) 38.43 0.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 54,125 1,979,127.00 20,000 10,000.00 74,125 1,989,127.00

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name CUTIX PLC NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 2 6

Quotation(N) 1.70 0.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 40,454 70,848.12 631,410 315,705.00 671,864 386,553.12

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 10 34 68 57 57 19 12 35 1 293

Quotation(N) 48.00 14.20 5.82 5.97 63.01 3.00 4.50 400.00 0.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 7,853 374,418.00 233,680 3,330,468.10 433,051 2,558,480.28 862,977 5,152,169.83 180,947 11,502,182.83 291,500 862,759.70 264,500 1,161,818.40 275,424 110,169,612.14 745 372.50 2,550,677 135,112,281.78

Quotation(N) 0.91 1.30 27.00 2.35 1.65 3.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 106,268 96,573.16 119,680 162,764.80 11,004 284,116.96 111,837 265,393.95 12,600 19,782.00 100,000 350,000.00 461,389 1,178,630.87

Quotation(N) 7.50 2.25

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 2,005,000 15,035,650.00 1,713,900 3,807,180.00 3,718,900 18,842,830.00

HEALTHCARE Company Name EVANS MEDICALPLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 9 10 12 3 1 39

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name CAPITAL HOTEL PLC IKEJA HOTEL PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 31 33

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name B. O. C. GASES NIGERIA PLC FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 1 8 11

Quotation(N) 7.10 0.50 5.65

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 3,206 23,884.70 185,000 92,500.00 165,455 941,733.70 353,661 1,058,118.40

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 31-10-11 N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC UNIC INSURANCE PLC. UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Sector Totals

1 1 7 39 1 2 2 497

0.50 0.50 1.18 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

60,000 7 376,000 39,000 1,000 5,000,000 1,500 14,532,271

30,000.00 3.50 444,040.00 19,500.00 500.00 2,500,000.00 740.00 8,770,185.01

Quotation(N) 0.85

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 18,000 14,780.00 18,000 14,780.00

Quotation(N) 0.76

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,461,751 1,120,009.76 1,461,751 1,120,009.76

LEASING Company Name C&I LEASING PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2 MARITIME

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 58 58

MORTGAGE COMPANIES Company Name RESORT SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 3

Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 80,000 40,000.00 80,000 40,000.00

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Company Name CRUSADER NIGERIA PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 2 5

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 27,001 13,500.50 3,177 1,588.50 30,178 15,089.00

Quotation(N) 1.78 13.28

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 871,390 1,483,379.70 5,559 73,823.52 876,949 1,557,203.22

PACKAGING Company Name NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC GREIF NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 153 1 154

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC CONOIL PLC ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. FORTE OIL PLC MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. OANDO PLC TOTAL NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 21 8 13 8 168 11 231

Quotation(N) 63.86 35.00 5.05 9.12 141.00 28.90 200.00

Quantity Traded Value 1,029 41,623 63,000 96,866 1,771 824,379 54,761 1,083,429

of Shares (N) 62,429.43 1,392,734.78 305,400.00 927,007.62 238,842.68 22,958,464.36 10,839,690.00 36,724,568.87

PRINTING & PUBLISHING Company Name UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 7

Quotation(N) 3.61

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 108,636 392,535.96 108,636 392,535.96

Quotation(N) 12.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 989,725 10,998,562.91 989,725 10,998,562.91

REAL ESTATE Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 16 16

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST

INSURANCE Company Name No of Deals AIICO INSURANCE PLC. 333 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC 3 CORNERSTONE INSURANCE CO. PLC. 3 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC 34 GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC 6 GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC 24 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC 1 LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. 1 LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC 1 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC 38

nies.

Participants urged stakeholders to develop a more collaborative framework that take into consideration the peculiarities and needs of each segment of the market in terms of policy formulation and implementation.

The workshop underscored the importance of timely and accurate information dissemination to aid the investing public in making informed investment decisions, pointing out that financial journalists are major partners in the development of the capital market.

“Journalists, as key stakeholders, should take up the responsibility of advocating for policies, initiatives, processes and institutions that will lead to the development of the Nigerian capital market into one that is representative of the Nigerian economy,” the communiqué stated.

Participants at the workshop, included top management officials of the NSE and CSCS, capital market operators, financial editors and journalists from both print and electronic media.

Meanwhile, the stock market continued on the bullish run yesterday as market capitalisation of equities added N10 billion.

The All Share Index rose by 31.8 basis points or 0.1 per cent from 20,903.16 to 20,934.96, while market capitalisation increased by N10 billion from N6.616 trillion to N6,626 trillion.

Seventeen companies appreciated in price, led by Ashaka Cement with 4.97 per cent to close at N15.43 per share, followed by Red Star Express with 4.96 per cent to close at N2.54 per share. NCR added 4.88 per cent to close at N7.31 per share, while Ecobank and Custodian & Allied insurance, gained 4.69 and 4.67 per cent to close at N2.01 and N2.69 per share.

On the other hand, Stanbic IBTC topped the losers chart with 5.0 per cent to close at N8.74 per share, while Pharmdeko trailed with 4.89 per cent to close at N3.50 per share. Vitafoam lost 4.88 per cent to close at N5.65 per share, while African Paints and Access Bank shed 4.75 and 4.51 per cent to close at N3.01 and N5.51 per share.

The banking subsector remained the most active stock in volume terms, with 212 million shares worth N1.8 million in 1,999 deals.

It was followed by the insurance subsector with 14 million units valued at N8.7 million. In all, investors exchanged 254 million shares worth N2.5 billion in 3,938 deals.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

COMPUTER & OFFICE EQUIPMENT Company Name NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. OMATEK VENTURES PLC Sector Totals

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

Quotation(N) 0.56 1.01 0.50 2.69 0.50 1.36 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 1,049,029 593,212.83 24,500 24,595.00 11,500 5,750.00 249,557 654,882.70 751,000 375,500.00 710,978 992,360.98 75,000 37,500.00 83,200 41,600.00 1,000 500.00 6,099,000 3,049,500.00

Company Name SKYE SHELTER FUND Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

Quotation(N) 100.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,400 240,000.00 2,400 240,000.00

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Sector Totals Overall Totals

No of Deals 8 8

Quotation(N) 11.97

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 48,924 582,105.60 48,924 582,105.60

3,932

254,259,296

2,583,721,593.79

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

55

MONEY LINK

NAICOM lays embargo on insurers’ foreign operations

T

HE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) will not grant licence to insurers seeking foreign expansion, the Commissioner for Insurance Mr Fola Daniel has said.

He told The Nation that the decision to stall insurers’ foreign expansion had become necessary due to the commission’s concern for insurers to harness the enormous untapped insurance opportunities in the country.

Daniel said the insurable interest in the foreign countries especially those in the African sub-region are not up to the opportunities in Surulere Local government of Lagos State, adding that only insurers that have performed well locally would be considered for such operations in the future.

He said: “I do not believe that our companies have business going to most of the African countries. For most of the countries they have gone to, do not have as much insurable interest as Surulere Local Government.

“For any company that approaches the commission for foreign licence henceforth, we would like to know how many branches it has in Nigeria.

“If we are saying that we need to deepen insurance penetration, we cannot do that by going to Ghana.”

Daniel noted that presently is has been difficult for NAICOM to ascertain the level of impact of foreign operations of insurance firms as they do not have a consolidated balance sheet.

He said the commission would henceforth charge insur-

By Chuks Udo Okonta

ers operating abroad to intimate it of their foreign activities to enable NAICOM access their performance.

He noted that as part of the commission’s quest to reposition the industry, it would commence on-site enforcement of compulsory insurance from November 15.

“The Campaign on the enforcement of compulsory insur-

ance in Nigeria is now reaching its climax.

The insurance companies are now beginning to key into the project. Beyond sales marketing, some insurance companies have actually joined NAICOM in sensitising the public and creating awareness on the existence of these compulsory insurances through advertisement campaigns in the media.

“From early November, the commission will roll out its ad-

vertisement campaign to further draw the attention of the public to these insurances, warn and educate them about the benefits and consequences of non-compliance.

“This is preparatory to the actual commencement of on-site enforcement of compulsory insurance in the country with Ibadan, Oyo State capital as the starting point from November 15.”

FCMB stimulates investments in oil palm in Edo

F

IRST City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc is working with the Edo State Government to help stimulate investments in the state’s oil palm industry as part of initiative to boost the agricultural sector of the economy.

FCMB’s Executive Director, Transaction Services, Peter Obaseki, said during a workshop held last week themed “Tapping into opportunities in the oil palm sector of Nigeria’s Economy” that there is need to promote dialogue to stimulate investment in the subsector.

He said that although, Nigeria is

By Collins Nweze

lion ha of cultivated small, medium and large estate holdings in Malaysia or from the over 7.5 million ha from Indonesia, both of which account for nearly 90 per cent of global production of the commodity”.

With the decreasing available land for expansion of the industry in these Asian countries, Africa is expected to provide the next hub of the investments in the industry.

In this regard, all stakeholders including financial institutions in the value chain need to act in concert to position Nigeria for emerging opportunities in the sector.

This, Obaseki said, has motivated

currently rated the fourth largest producer of the commodity, the bulk of oil palm supply still comes from the groves of small holder plantations rather than the industrial plantations common in the leading producers, where palm oil is produced from cultivated plantations. The country is said to have less than 600,000 hecters of cultivated plantations distributed among the small holders and industrial estates.

According to Obaseki, “Production from these systems cannot match those from the over 4.9 mil-

T

HE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said there is need to reassess the implementation of the commission’s Macroeconomic Convergence, known as ECOMAC, to expedite single monetary union in the region.

A statement from ECOWAS Commission, said series of workshops had been held in Lomé, La-

called on the Commission to accelerate the process for the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Macroeconomic Convergence,’’ the statement said, adding that the Commission is commited to the operation of the database to facilitate macroeconomic activities of the member states.

The ECOMAC database is ex-

gos and Abidjan in 2010 to examine and validate the ECOMAC database to that effect.

The Information Officer, Uwem Thompson, said the methods of data retrieval from each ECOWAS member state were also discussed in the workshop.

“Member states, experts and other regional institutions have

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

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 31-10-11 SYMBOL ASHAKACEM REDSTAREX NCR ECOBANK CUSTODYINS NAHCO HONYFLOUR UAC-PROP GUARANTY BAGCO

O/PRICE 14.70 2.42 6.97 1.92 2.57 5.45 2.88 11.59 14.15 1.73

C/PRICE 15.43 5.54 7.31 2.01 2.69 5.70 3.00 12.00 14.60 1.78

CHANGE 0.73 0.12 0.34 0.09 0.12 0.25 0.12 0.41 0.45 0.05

LOSER AS AT 31-10-11 SYMBOL IBTC PHARMDEKO VITAFOAM PRESTIGE AFRPAINTS ACCESS MAYBAKER TRANSCORP UBA AIICO

O/PRICE 9.20 3.68 5.94 1.24 3.16 5.77 2.46 0.70 3.29 0.58

C/PRICE 8.74 3.50 5.65 1.18 3.01 5.51 2.35 0.67 3.16 0.56

Amount

Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS

Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

pected to be launched in July. The database will focus on generalities and country-specific guides which were developed to address challenges in each of the member states.

The general and country-specific guides will be prepared in the three ECOWAS official languages comprising English, French and Portuguese.

DATA BANK

Tenor

OBB Rate Call Rate

the bank as a key stakeholder in the nation’s economy, to propose to stimulate investments in this potentially vibrant sector of the nation’s economy.

The programme featured plenary and workshop sessions on contemporary performance in the sector, global trends, challenges of the sector, role of governments and financial institution in the development of the sector among other issues. It was also an opportunity to examine the role of the NIFOR in stimulating the sector and organisation of the Oil Palm Value chain in Nigeria.

ECOWAS to reassess single monetary union plan

FGN BONDS

NIDF NESF

Daniel noted that NAICOM has entered into a collaboration agreement with GIZ, a German agency for the sustenance development to conduct a diagnostic study on Micro and Takaful insurance in the country.

Presently, companies such as Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Equity Assurance Plc, Industrial and General Insurance Plc, International Energy Insurance Plc and more have their subsidiaries across the African coast.

Amount

Exchange

Sold ($)

Rate (N)

Date

450m

452.7m

450m

150.8

08-8-11

250m

313.5m

250m

150.8

03-8-11

400m

443m

400m

150.7

01-8-11

EXHANGE RATE 26-08-11 CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD

147.6000

149.7100

150.7100

-2.11

NGN GBP

239.4810

244.0123

245.6422

-2.57

NGN EUR

212.4997

207.9023

209.2910

-1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

Bureau de Change 152.0000 (S/N)

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

Parallel Market

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NSE CAP Index

NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N)

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

(S/N)

153.0000

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

Aug ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

8.75%

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% 9.4%

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 118.31 100.28 0.77 1.02 0.91 1,639.36 8.24 1.39 1.87 7,230.13 193.00

9.08 1.00 117.70 99.71 0.74 1.02 0.90 1,634.12 7.84 1.33 1.80 7,028.67 191.08

ARM AGGRESSIVE KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY THE DISCOVERY FUND • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED

CHANGE 0.46 0.18 0.29 0.06 0.15 0.11 0.03 0.13 0.02 0.06

• STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

Rate (Previous) 24 Aug, 2011 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 26, Aug, 2011 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous

Current

04 July, 2011

07, Aug, 2011

Bank

8.5000

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

56

NEWS

‘I complained to Nyame over N450m paid for N16m job’

A

PERMANENT Secretary in Taraba State Ministry of Finance, Hajiya Asabe Maiangwa, yesterday told an Abuja High Court that she complained to former Taraba State Governor Jolly Nyame about the government’s disbursement of money to contractors for unexecuted jobs during Nyame’s tenure as governor.

On July 13, Maiangwa had told the court how the government paid N450million for a N16million job to supply stationery and office equipment with the approval of a former Finance C Commissioner Abubakar

‘I met the governor personally and told him my mind about the way the commissioner handled payments with regards to stationery and also money paid to local contractors’

By Olamilekan Andu

Umar Tutari.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, Maiangwa,

during cross-examination by prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs said she met the governor personally and complained that she was not happy with the way Tutari handled payments, especially for stationery.

She said: “I met the governor personally and told him my mind about the way the commissioner handled payments with regards to stationery and money paid to local contractors. He asked after the commissioner and I told him he had travelled.

The governor then told me he was going to talk to him when he returned.”

Maiangwa said Alhaji

Naigari Umar, an official of the Government House, was posted out for refusing to sign a cheque of N200million for the Secretary to the State Government whom he considered was not the accounting officer of the state.

She said she was posted out of her office following the discussion over the N450million incident.

A statement yesterday by the Head, Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Femi Babafemi, said the case was adjourned till today for further hearing.

SWF implementation faulty, ORMER Kwara State says Saraki Governor Senator

F

Bukola Saraki yesterday said although the nation would gain from the proposed Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, its implementation appears faulty as it fails to comply with the Constitution.

He said the President needs to convince the governors on the necessity of the SWF in line with the Constitution.

Saraki addressed reporters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on his way to Abuja.

He noted that the controversy surrounding the matter would not have arisen if Dr Jonathan had carried the governors along on the essence of the fund.

Saraki said: “…I think the

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

SWF has generated enough controversies across the land. The fact that the President has not followed the constitutional provision does not mean that it is not a good thing to be done. But the President has to do the right thing.

“That does not also mean that the President has breached the Constitution.

He has to do what the laws of the land provide for. The President can do the right thing without breaching the Constitution. He can work within the Constitution, by interpretation. There are times you have to interpret (the Constitution). There are times you have to find a way around the issues.”

Kogi governorship: Court dismisses suit against PDP, Wada From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

A

N Abuja High Court yesterday struck out the suit filed by Jubrin Isah (Echocho) against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on its choice of candidate for the December 3 governorship election.

Isah is challenging the emergence of Capt. Idris Wada as the party’s candidate.

Justice Sunday Aladetoyinbo held that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit instituted by Isah, as the issue being complained of - the September 23 primary of the party - took place in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, and not in Abuja.

He upheld the preliminary objections by the counsel to Wada and the PDP, Chris Uche (SAN) and Olusola Oke, that the suit was an abuse of court process.

Besides, Justice Aladetoyinbo held that the failure of Isah to join the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the suit further weakened his case.

Benue: Appeal Court orders retrial of Assembly election petition •From left: Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji; Vice-President Namadi Sambo and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Mohammed Kachalla, during a meeting on privatisation in Abuja...on Monday

T

HE Appeal Court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, yesterday ordered the retrial of another election pe-

Subsidy: Group slams Oritsejafor for backing removal

A

GROUP of Northern Christians yesterday accused the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, for supporting the Federal Government’s plan to remove subsidy on petroleum products.

The group, under the aegis of Concerned Christians in the North (CCN), noted that the Federal Government’s plan was ill-timed and insensitive as it would compound the suffering Nigerians.

The group’s spokesman, Yahuda Peter Marsa said the Christians in the North were concerned that at a time the country was condemning the planned fuel subsidy, Oritsejafor was endorsing the plan.

From Tony Colins, Kaduna

It said: “From his dispositions and body language, the CAN president is using the umbrella body of Christians in charting a different aspiration from what we used to know of the organisation. On many occasions, Christians in Nigeria and beyond have been embarrassed by his (Oritsejafor’s) take on several national issues.

“CAN has been brought to ridicule and has been denigrated by those who know little or nothing of our religion and even the richlycherished history of CAN because of the activities of its present leadership.

“We know how our parents and grand-parents worked under Northern

Christian Association of Nigeria, which was formed on April 11, 1964, as a response to critical issues at that time.

It was the same spirit that continued till August 27, 1976, when CAN was established in Lagos. From then till now, it has been a propeople’s sympathetic association.

“We appeal to Oritsejafor to study the stewardship of his predecessors, right from Cardinals Ekandem and Okogie, to Akinola, Mbang and recently Onayeikan and learn from their temperate leadership of CAN. “We also refute in strong terms any opinion by analysts, who perceive his action to be on the grounds of certain affiliations to President Goodluck Jonathan’s descent from the Niger Delta… “

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

tition filed by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Tombuwua Tar, challenging the election of Godwin Akaan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Logo State House of Assembly Constituency.

Tribunal Chairman Justice Uchechukwu Onyemanan considered four issues for determination. These include the fact that the tribunal has jurisdiction on Akaan and the PDP and also that the matter is status-barred.

She, however, held that the tribunal lacks the jurisdiction to determine some criminal issues that were raised in the matter, maintaining that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other 94th respondents in the petition are juristic persons.

Justice Onyemanan set aside the judgment of the lower court and ordered that the petition be sent back and determined by a new panel on its merit.

Security tightened in Kano for governorship election verdict today

A

HEAD of today’s judgment by the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal between the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the police have tightened security in and around the court premises.

ANPP candidate, Mallam

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

Saliu Takia, is challenging the election of Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Takia has urged the tribunal to nullify the election because it was charaterised by irregularities.

The security measure is meant to prevent possible breach of the peace by sup-

porters of both parities.

Armed mobile policemen as well as Armound Personal Carmers (APCs) have been stationed near the court premises to cordon off the area.

It was also learnt that visitors to the court premises would be screened by the Bomb Disposal Unit and the State Security Services (SSS)

at the gate before they can be allowed entry.

PDP and ANPP state Chairmen Adamu Aliyu and Sani Hashim Hotoro have urged supporters of both parties to be peaceful during and after the verdict.

Police Commissioner Ibrahim Idris urged the public and party supporters to be law-abiding.

57

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

NEWS N200m for Anambra security outfit

Abia worries over cartel in local govt

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

G

state.

Vice- Chairman of the State Security Trust Fund Godwin Okeke made this known in Awka yesterday.

Okeke said banks have also supported the security fund with cash and crime fighting equipment.

He explained that members of the Security Trust Fund Committee were picked from the private sector, military, police, SSS, among others.

Okeke hailed the governor’s gesture, saying it would help in crime fighting effort.

Police Commissioner Muhtari Ibrahim said the money would strengthen security in the state.

Col J. Abuka, the 302 Artillery Regiment Commander in Onitsha, said the gesture would boost security in the state.

Obi’s Special Adviser on Security, Col. George Molokwu (rtd),hailed the administration for assisting security agencies.

From Ugochukwu Eke, Umuahia

T

HE Abia State Government has decried the activities of a cartel operating in the local government.

The cartel allegedly uses ghost workers to defraud the state government of several millions of naira monthly.

Addressing reporters in Umuahia, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Emma Nwabuko said government would fish out the culprits through the everyday biometric capture of workers in the 17 local governments.

Nwabuko, who was reacting to the peaceful demonstration by some workers of the local government against the introduction of the biometric data capture, said the government would continue to fight corruption in the system.

The commissioner said the state government is committed to the payment of the new minimum wage. He said: “One of the ways to pay the new wage is through blocking of loopholes through which resources of the state disappear into the hands of few fraudsters”.

Nwabuko said the government receives about N2 billion monthly, while the wage bill is about N1.5 billion, “leaving us with little or nothing for infrastructural development. We are left with no option than to find a way out of our problem, which is mopping up scattered funds like plugging fraud loopholes in our system”.

The commissioner said since the introduction of the biometric system, many ghost workers have been discovered.

He condemned the protest by some local government workers, adding that most of the workers only come to work when they are about to collect their salary.

According to Nwabuko, the protesting workers smashed some biometric machines in Aba, Ikwuano and Ukwa and molested the operators of the machines.

“It is a criminal offence and anybody found to have been involved would be brought to book,” he said.

The State Chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees(NULGE), Eze Idima, said the workers were not resisting the use of biometric machines but wanted grey areas, such as battery failure and long queues to be addressed.

Idima said the workers protest was not organised by NULGE.

•Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi(right), with Mrs Bianca Ojukwu at the Royal Hospital in London... yesterday.

T

Knocks for Chime over Labour unrest

E Don’t politicise Ojukwu’s birthday,says MASSOB

L

EADER of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has warned politicians against using the birthday of the ailing former Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, to score cheap political gains.

The 78th birthday celebration of the Ikemba of Nnewi comes up on November 4 at his Enugu home.

The MASSOB leader said although Ojukwu’s name is an asset to any Igbo politician, ‘it should not be indiscriminately used for politics.’

Uwazuruike spoke in Ojuk-

From Chris Oji, Enugu

wu’s Casabianca Lodge, Enugu,yesterday.

He said interdenominational services would be held in all the Southeast and Southsouth states and urged Ndigbo to pray for Ojukwu’s speedy recovery on Friday.

According to the MASSOB leader, Ojukwu’s birthday celebration would attract Southeast governors and National Assembly members, among others.

Uwazuruike said they would erect effigies in honour of Ojukwu in the major towns of Igboland.

“This is because Ojukwu is a

different Igbo leader. Unlike other Igbo leaders, he has a platform, he has Biafra, he has MASSOB and he has Uwazuruike.”

“We know that Igbo do not remember their leaders when they are dead, but Ojukwu’s case will be different as we shall honour him when he is alive. He served Ndigbo in a particular way while other Igbo leaders were talking and serving Nigeria,” he said.

Uwazuruike, who regretted Ojukwu’s absence, hoped that the former Biafran leader would be back to the country before his 79th birthday.

Man, 28, arraigned for alleged rape

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CHIEF Magistrate’s Court sitting in Atani, Ogbaru Local Government of Anambra State yesterday remanded 28- year- old Chidebere Igwe in prison custody for allegedly defiling four- year- old Chinaza Ogirishi.

Before adjourning the matter till November 14, the magistrate E.G said the crime is an offence against God . She ordered doctors to examine the

From Adimike George, Onitsha

girl and reports of any damage done to her.

The Prosecution Counsel, S.O Onele, had accused the suspect of having carnal knowledge of the little girl at Iyiowa Odekpe in Ogbaru.

The Charge Sheet reads: “That you Igwe Chidebere ‘m’, aged 28 years did have carnal knowledge with little Miss Chinaza Ogirishi ‘f’, who is four years, at Iyiowa Odekpe within Ogabru

Magisterial District, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 200 of the Criminal Code” The accused pleaded not guilty, saying he was innocent of the allegation.

Chidebere, who told the court that he was a bus conductor, denied knowledge of the little girl.

But the victim’s mother, Fransisca, confirmed the barbaric act.

Elechi sacks UBEB chair

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OVERNOR Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State yesterday dismissed the State Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board, Thomas Eze, for flouting the directive on nowork- no- pay.

A statement by Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Dr. Onyekachi Eni, said on October 1, the state governor

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

pleaded with workers to go back to work following the acceptance of his administration to pay the N18, 000 minimum wage.

Eni noted that the payment of salaries to both civil and public servants is based on performance and attendance to work.

He regretted that the board

Chairman paid workers who did not come to work during the industrial action in September, contrary to the directive of the state government.

He said the state government had made policy that it would not pay September salaries to workers who did not work during the industrial action.

N256b rail project for Enugu HE Enugu State Government plans to build a $1.6 billion (about N256 billion) monorail line in aid of its mass transit programme, Governor Sullivan Chime has said.

The governor spoke in Abuja during a presentation on the project at the headquarters of Urban Development Bank of Nigeria (UDBN) PLC. Chime said the rail line would be 117 kilometres long.

The governor said the

OVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has donated N200million to the State Security Trust Fund and 500 vehicles to security agencies in the

project would create 4,000 jobs in the state.

He urged UDBN to collaborate with the state government and its technical partners, Globim Trans International of Canada, to execute the project in six phases.

Chime said the first phase is expected to be completed within 24 months.

He described monorail transport system as safer, economically viable and self-sustaining.

The governor urged the bank to support the state transport corporation by giving it access to its N10 billion Public Mass Transit Revolving Loan scheme.

The presentation was made by the Chairman of Globim Corporation, a global infrastructure and management outfit, Dr. Jude Igwemezie.

Managing Director of UDBN Adekunle Oyinloye said the bank would partner state governments to address their water, road, waste management,

rural mobility and tourism needs, through the use of alternative financing techniques.

He said the bank had given out more than N8 billion under its mass transit revolving loan scheme within the last one year.

Oyiloye said the nation’s infrastructural deficit must be redressed to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

NUGU State indigenes in Anambra State under the aegis of Enugu State Committee for Democracy and Good Governance yesterday condemned what they called the uncivilised clamp down on labour leaders by Governor Sullivan Chime.

Addressing reporters in Onitsha, National Chairman of the group Emmanuel Ndubisi described the governor’s action as undemocratic.

According to the group, the recent clamp down on Osmond Ugwu and Raphael Elobike was uncalled for in a democratic government.

They decried the underdevelopment of the rural areas, despite the huge allocation accruable to the state.

“We condemn the intolerance and undemocratic stance of Governor Chime. For too long, Chime had ruled Enugu State like an Empirical Majesty, he receives allocation and

From Adimike George, Onitsha

he is not using it to do anything. If you talk, he will clamp down on you.

“He had clamped down on journalists and labour leaders. The minimum wage is the only thing that workers in the state will benefit as other things have eluded them under the administration of Governor Chime” they said.

The group also accused the governor of towing the path of his predecessor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, adding: “Chime has shown us that he is actually coming from Ebeano camp by being a maximum governor and all the actions he is exhibiting are true reflections of his predecessor” They called for the unconditional release of the Labour leaders incarcerated by Chime over the minimum wage.

Ebonyi donates N1b to hospitals From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

I

N its bid to ensure the reduction of morbidity and mortality rate in the state, the Ebonyi State Government has disbursed N1 billion to six mission hospitals.

Commissioner for Health Dr. Sunday Nwangele spoke in Abakaliki while disbursing the money to the hospitals. He restated the determination of the state government to the transformation of the health sector and the provision of quality health care.

Nwangele said this year’s disbursement is the 10th tranche of the programme, noting that the N100,000,000 grant to the rural based mission hospitals has reduced death rate in the rural communities.

“This brings to one billion naira the funds so far disbursed to the six hospitals since 2008. We would ensure the reduction of morbidity and mortality rates in the state. The disbursement has helped immensely and the state governor would ensure the sustenance of the programme.

“The intervention, which is a public-private partnership in line with the rural healthcare programme of Governor Martin Elechi, was aimed at increasing access to free medical services to women and children in the rural communities,” he said.

According to Nwangele, “the full implementation of CONMESS and CONHESS by the state government was a demonstration of its resolve to improve the healthcare system and expressed satisfaction over the achievements so far recorded by the programme.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Hyacinth Ote, assured that government would sustain the scheme and urged the beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the grants.

The beneficiaries said the grants had assisted them to expand their services and engage skilled manpower. They hailed the government for the gesture.

Community leader for burial

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HE remains of late pa Stephen Uzomechine, a devout Christian and community leader who died at the age of 81, will be buried on November 11 in his home town, Ubulu Okiti, Aniocha South Local Government, Delta State.

According to the programme released by the family, the service of songs/wake keep will hold in the family compound on November 10 by 6pm. The valedictory ser-

vice will hold at St. James Evangelising Catholic Church, Ubulu Okiti, on November 11 at 10am. The interment followed immediately at the family compound.

The thanksgiving service comes up on November 13.

Late Pa Uzomechine is survived by his wife, Sabina, six children and many grandchildren, among whom are Tony Uzomechine of Nigerian LNG and Mrs Tessy Obishai.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

60 CORRECTION OF NAME

SPACE FOR SALE

This is to notify the general public that my correct names are: ABUBAKAR, JAMIU ADEKILEKUN not ADEKILEKUN ABUBAKAR JAMIU and ABUBAKAR JAMIU ADEKUNLE as mistakenly written in my NECO Center/exam NO.020916/ 81153549EB and JAMB reg/exam NO.16126200FD/22909296 respectively. All documents remain valid. NECO, JAMB, UNILAG and general public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE AFRICAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SUPPORTERS INITIATIVE This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied for registration with the corporate Affairs commission under part ‘C’’ of the compainies and Allied matters Act [CAMA],1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE • Prof. Clement Oladapo Adewunmi (Chairman) • Prof John Akanni Ojewole (Vice Chairman) • Prof James Olabisi Oluwadiya (Member) • Mrs. Adefunke Teniade Adewunmi (Secretary) AIM AND OBJECTIVES • To promote the intergration of traditional medicine practitioners into the health care delivery systems.

• To facilitate the collaboration and constant information flow between traditional medicine pratitioners and orthodox medicine pratitioners • To facilitate the training of traditional medicine practitioners through the organization of workshops, couses with emphasis on standardization, safety and quality of their products.

• To encourage the registration of traditional medicine practitioners as cooperative societies with appropriate authorities at the local state and federal levels.

Any objection to the registration should be forwaded to the registral general, corporate Affairs commission, plot 565 Ndola Square, Wuse Zone 5, P M B 190, Garki, Abuja Within 29, days of this publication .

SIGNED: Barr. Bisi Oladosu ESQ NO. 4 Aderemi Road beside Sky Bank, Ile-Ife Osun State 08033447530, 08057383868

FOREIGN NEWS

Liberia run off election: Electoral chief resigns

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HE opposition candidate in next week’s runoff in Liberia, Winston Tubman, has welcomed the resignation of the election head after fraud allegations.

Mr Tubman, a former United Nations diplomat, said his party would decide later on Monday whether it would now call off its planned boycott of the 8 November vote.

James Fromayan said he was stepping down because he did not want to be an “obstacle” to the run-off.

Mr Tubman is facing Nobel Peace laureate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

She became Africa’s first fe-

PUBLIC NOTICE

tampered with by NEC [National Elections Commission] employees,” CDC campaign manager George Solo told the AFP news agency.

“We also have the issue of tally sheets scratched out and their numbers changed. Old people wanted to vote for certain people but NEC workers were not open to assisting them.

Before stepping down, Mr Fromayan had rejected the fraud allegations.

“I am resigning to give way to peace. I do not want to be the obstacle to the holding of the run-off election,” he said in his resignation letter.

His deputy Elizabeth Nelson takes his place.

These are the first post-war elections organised by Liberians - the previous poll was run by the UN, which still has some 8,000 peacekeepers in the country.

Mrs Sirleaf gained 44% against 32% for Mr Tubman.

A candidate needs most than 50% for outright victory.

Mr Tubman’s running mate is former footballer George Weah, who was defeated by Mrs Sirleaf in the 2005 poll.

Former rebel leader Prince Johnson, who came third with 12%, has urged his supporters to back Mrs Sirleaf.

Palestine wins seat at UNESCO

ONSHORE OIL PRODUCING DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION OF ILAJE COMMUNITIES,ONDO STATE. This is to inform the general public that the above named association has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part C of Companies and Allied Matters Ac No. 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1 . PRINCE JACKSON NOMIYE - CHIARMAN 2 . BARRISTER ADEYEMI ABIYE - SECRETARY 3. PRINCE PHILEMON EBIESUWA - PRO 4. PRINCE LAWRENCE IKUEMEHINLO - MEMBER 5. PRINCE PATRICK EHINMOLA - MEMBER 6. PRINCE PIUS AGHORUNSE - MEMBER 7. PRINCE OLOYE EBISANMI - MEMBER 8. HON. RAPHEAL OLOYE NOMIYE - MEMBER 9. PRINCE MORRIS IYALAJU - MEMBER 10. PASTOR SUNDAY EMORUWA - MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1) To pursue the Development of ilaje onshore oil producing Communities.

2) To Liaise with Government at all levels on behalf of the ilaje onshore oil producing Communities on areas of developing the Communities.

3) To liaise with oil Companies operating in the ilaje onshore oil producing Communities on the areas of developing the Communities.

Any objection(s )to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent ,off Aguiyi Ironsi Street ,P.M.B 198 , Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of the public action.

SIGNED: BARRISTER ADEYEMI ABIYE (Secretary)

male elected head of state after the 2005 elections following the end of Liberia’s 14year civil war.

Mr Tubman’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) had demanded Mr Fromayan’s resignation, saying it would not take part in the run-off if he remained in his post.

It alleged widespread fraud in last month’s first round.

Initially backed then-rebel leader Charles Taylor before falling out with him “We presented photos of ballot boxes which had been

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HE United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has voted strongly in favour of membership for the Palestine - a move opposed by Israel and the United States.

Of 173 countries voting, 107 were in favour, 14 opposed and 52 abstained.

Under United States law, Washington can now withdraw funding to Unesco. This would deprive the agency of some $70m (£43.7m) - more than 20% of its budget.

The UN Security Council will vote next month on whether to grant the Palestine full UN membership.

Membership of Unesco perhaps best known for its

World Heritage Sites - may seem a strange step towards statehood, says the BBC’s Jon Donnison, in Ramallah, but Palestinian leaders see it as part of a broader push to get international recognition and put pressure on Israel.

This is the first UN agency the Palestine has sought to join since submitting their bid for recognition to the Security Council in September.

“This vote will erase a tiny part of the injustice done to the Palestinian people,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told the Unesco meeting in Paris, after the result was announced.

Widespread applause greeted the result of Monday’s vote

in the chamber, where a twothirds majority is enough to pass a decision.

The US has veto power at the Security Council and has threatened to use it. It had no such power at Unesco so instead lobbied hard to try and force the Palestinians to back down. It will likely cut all US funding for Unesco - $70m a year, or 22% of its annual budget.

But Unesco members seemed to put politics before money, clearly voting in favour of the Palestinian bid.

This was a failure of US power, one Palestinian official told me.

The victory will give a boost to the Palestinian Pres-

ident Mahmoud Abbas. He lost ground to his rival Hamas when the Islamist movement secured the release of hundreds of Palestinan prisoners in exchange for captured Israeli solider Gilad Shalit two weeks ago.

The BBC’s David Chazan in Paris, where Unesco has its headquarters, says Arab states were instrumental in getting the vote passed despite intense opposition from the US. He says that in an emotional session, China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa voted in favour of Palestinian membership, while the US, Canada and Germany voted against and the UK abstained.

NEWS

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Lagos unfolds plans for council reforms

AGOS State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Ademorin Kuye has unfolded plans by the government to reform the council administration in the state.

By Emmanuel Oladesu Deputy Political Editor

He told reporters in Lagos that the reform guidelines, when eventually released, would reposition the local government for better service

delivery.

Kuye said the goal of the reform is to prevent financial recklessness and abuse of office by chairmen and councillors, adding that their activities would be closely

monitored by the ministry to ensure that they properly discharge their constitutional duties.

The commissioner objected to the claim that many of the newly elected chairmen did not live to expectation in their first term, urging the public to be objective in their asssessment.

He said: “The public perception is that the local government did not perform up to expectation, not that they did not perform at all.

Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has set a standard. Other governors cannot even meet it, not to talk of council chairmen.

Fashola’s performance is a challenge. We will give positive administrative guidelines on financial discipline. It cannot be business as usual. Local governments must buy into the vision of mega city project”.

Kuye said that the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and state government would discipline erring chairmen and councillors who fail to show dedication to duty, emphasising that regular legislative and executive council meetings must be held regularly at the councils.

Missing person

A 75-year-old woman, Mrs Julianah Oyeyinka has been declared missing.

Mrs Oyeyinka, from Owoope Compound, Gbongan, in Osun State was last seen early in September while going for the pensioners’ verification at the Federal Secretariat, Ikolaba, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The retired headmistress is slim, dark in complexion and of average height.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

NATION SPORT

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Agger targets new milestone D

•Agger

ANIEL Agger has set his sights on reaching 200 Premier League games for Liverpool after making his 100th appearance in the win over West Brom.

The Danish international reached the milestone in the 2-0 victory at the Hawthorns and he would have acheieved the feat earlier in his Anfield career only for injuries to hold up his progress.

Agger is happy to reach the 100 mark and admits he is enjoying his football now he has overcome his injury problems.

“It’s special to play 100 league games for Liverpool and it has been a long time coming because of the unlucky injuries I have had,” Agger told the club’s official website.

“Hopefully now I can have an injury free run and I hope now to keep on going and play another 100 games for this club.

“I am enjoying my football now. I feel I have been unlucky with injuries and hopefully I can get some good luck now because it means a lot to me to play for this club.”

Meanwhile, Agger was delighted to keep a clean sheet against West Brom and believes they can take a lot of positives from the display into next weekend’s home clash with Swansea.

“It was so important for us to keep a clean sheet and that is always good for us defenders and great for the whole team as well,” added Agger.

“I thought we played well and deserved the three points. We are happy and we have to continue this form and keep winning games.

“I think we can take a lot from this result and we now look ahead to the next game against Swansea at home and try and get another three points.”

Arsene: we must remain humble

Pardew: Fan backing key to success

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LAN Pardew has hailed the positive vibe from Newcastle’s fans as a key factor in their superb start to the season.

The Magpies tipped by many pundits to struggle this season after the departures of Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton and Jose Enrique in the summer

•Pardew

and the failure to sign a bigname replacement for Andy Carroll.

Even Pardew has admitted surprise at their run, which has meant the disquiet that greeted the former West Ham manager’s appointment last December is firmly a thing of the past. He said: “I think it’s very important that you have a good feeling running through the club, from the terraces right down to the pitchside.”

He added: “I think there’s a trust from the terraces in what we’re doing. Especially in the players that we have.

“That trust has come out in a number of areas this year that have seen us get victories.

And you can’t do that without the tremendous backing that we’ve got here.

“I think they see that we’re trying to do it the right way, approaching the game in the right style, and hopefully producing football that makes them want to come back every week.

“The support helps when bad days come along, and they will come along. We’re going to have some tough days and if they trust that the management and the players are doing everything to try to win the game then they’ll stay with you.”

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HEICK Tiote has cooled talk linking him with a move away from Newcastle insisting his happy at St James’ Park.

Manchester United are the latest side to be credited with an interest in the all-action midfielder, with Chelsea and Tottenham also thought to be admirers of Tiote.

Tiote has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League after impressing on Tyneside since his arrival from FC Twente in the summer of 2010.

The 25-year-old is enjoying life at Newcastle and is focused on helping them qualify for Europe after making a bright

start to the new season.

“Yeah, I’m happy at Newcastle,” Tiote told the Sunday Sun. “I have a long contract at Newcastle now and I need to stay focused because we are in a very good position.

“We have the possibility for a very, very good season but we need to stay focused and keep going like we are now.

“Every player wants to play in Europe and I am no different. I think that Newcastle can get into Europe, but we need to stay focused as of now and keep working together.

“It is possible for us to get into Europe but we need to stay focused and we need to keep going as we are now.”

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RSENE Wenger has reminded his team that they need to continue the good work of recent weeks.

Arsenal have won eight of our last nine games and have built something of a foundation for themselves after the traumatic start to the season, but the boss is aware there’s still a long way to go and says that the new arrivals settling into the team has made a difference.

Speaking at his post-game press conference, he said, “What has changed is that we got half of the team in on August 31 and we had to qualify for the Champions League. We had to rebuild a complete unity in the way we want to play football.

Every win makes you stronger as well.

“So now the players get used to the way we play so we get stronger but we have to remain humble, keep focus and work very hard together. There is still some ground to make up to come into a stronger position in the league and teams in front of us do not drop many points.

But that quality we have shown today should make us more confident”.

Martinez — Wigan will survive IGAN Athletic manager Roberto Martinez is confident that his side will be able to stave off relegation from the Premier League this season.

The Latics lost 2-0 to Fulham at home on Saturday and are currently at the foot of the table with just five points from 10 matches.

The defeat to the Cottagers at the DW Stadium was Wigan’s eighth in a row, seven of which came in the league, but Martinez remains calm about the situation and retains belief in his players to pull themselves out of the current trouble.

“October has been a shocking month for us,” explained the Spaniard. “I could go from things on the training ground, to suspensions, to injuries, to bad decisions, to hitting the post, and I’m delighted it’s the last game in October.

“But the experience that we had last season really prepared us for anything in football. We are a young group but I think we’re ready.

“The players need to forget about winning games, they just need to focus on improving individually.

We’ve got many good options, especially going forward.

“We need to see the overall aim. We need to get 40 points, we’ve got five so we need 35.

Tiote happy at Newcastle

With the amount of games there are left, there is not a situation where you have to win the next two.

“We want to win the next one because of the momentum, the confidence, the belief that you need to stop the negative run, and that’s what we need to change.”

•Tiote

Kean rues dropped points

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LACKBURN boss Steve Kean feels his side deserved to beat Norwich on Saturday and is confident results will improve.

Rovers led 3-1 at Carrow Road on Saturday going into the final 10 minutes but a goal on 82 minutes from Bradley Johnson and an injury time penalty from Grant Holt denied Kean’s side all three points.

Kean admits he is disappointed Rovers could not secure the victory but the Scot feels the overall performance was impressive and chose to focus on the positives.

“We have created a lot of opportunities to go on and score more goals, so we will keep going and take the positives,” he said.

“We deserved all three points against Norwich, after

we had been the first team to beat Newcastle in midweek, and against Tottenham we also played very well, so the performances have been good.”

The Ewood park side also conceded two late goals on Wednesday in the Carling Cup tie with Newcastle, which forced the game into extra time before Blackburn secured a 4-3 win.

However, despite the fact Blackburn have conceded two late goals in their last two games Kean would not criticise any of the players and insists they deserve praise for their efforts.

He added: “I don’t think anybody can give anything other than praise for the way the lads are playing for each other.

“We are a tight group, we will play to the end of each match - and we will go again when we play Chelsea.”

Jol eyes improved home form

F •Martinez

ULHAM manager Martin Jol has admitted he was relieved to come away with a 2-0 Premier League victory at Wigan on Saturday.

The Cottagers had not won a game since their 6-0 hiding of QPR at the beginning of October, but goals from Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele sealed the three points at the DW Stadium.

The Dutch boss was pleased to pick a win on their travels, but insisted that home form is more important to lift themselves

up from 15th position on the table.

He told PA Sport: “Everybody was waiting for a win.

“If your home record is great you don’t have to win all your away games but we played against Wolves and against Newcastle and I felt we were a bit unfortunate, but we didn’t score.

“We scored one goal when we were 2-0 down against Newcastle, so it was not enough.

“We had a cushion with the goal yesterday and that is what you need. You have to score goals.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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NATION SPORT

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE...UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE...

Mancini confident of Villarreal double

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ITH four points from City’s opening three matches, Roberto Mancini thinks that just five more from the next three could be enough to secure progress in the Champions League.

Group A has been every bit as hard as many predicted and it gets no easier, even with Villarreal missing former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi, who will be absent for six months with a knee injury.

Juan Carlos Garrido’s team mocked their status as the group’s also-rans with a sound performance at the Etihad Stadium and Mancini has previous experience of their ability to laugh at the odds, having seen his Inter side dumped out of the Champions League quarter-finals by them five years ago.

Mancini has also noted the fact that United have been held to goalless draws in their two trips to El Madrigal in recent years but a positive result is essential before closing the group with a trip to Napoli and a home game against Bayern Munich.

“We go for a win but Villarreal is a difficult place to go,” he said. “I played there with Inter and we lost and United have played there many times and I don’t think they have won there.

“I am very sorry for Rossi but

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AYERN Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has indicated that Napoli must not be taken lightly in Wednesday’s Champions League contest.

“We respect Napoli, who have a very lively squad, capable of causing us problems,” Rummenigge told Sky Sport Italia. “We should be focused and we know it will not be easy to play against them, we want to win to get closer to the Round of 16.”

The Bundesliga leaders maintained their place at the top of the Champions League Group A with a 1-1 draw at the Stadio San Paolo earlier in the month.

Playing at the Allianz Arena is expected to give Bayern Munich a slight advantage on Wednesday, but the club’s chief has told his players to be fully alert against the in-form Serie A side.

“At the San Paolo, Napoli gave us a hard time, they are not an opponent to underestimate,” he concluded.

Bayern Munich heads into Wednesday’s game on the back of a 4-0 trouncing of Nurnberg.

The Bavarian giants’ supremo said that the Italian side will not be easy opponents and advised the players to be alert from the first whistle on Wednesday in the Champions League

Quartet set to miss City clash

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•Samir Nasri of Manchester City tussles for posession with Cani of Villareal during the UEFA Champions League Group A match I think Villarreal remain a top team. When we started the season we wanted to improve on last year and if it’s possible,

we want to go to the second stage of the Champions League.

“We are more confident

because we did well in the last 10 days, played three or four games very well. We still want 10 points but nine may be enough.”

AVB: We don’t need Euro escape NDRE Villas-Boas insists Chelsea do not ‘need a break’ from the UK in order to bounce

Rummenigge: Bayern must not underestimate Napoli

back from their nightmare week.

The Blues make the Champions League trip to Genk for their next Group E

•Villas-Boas

encounter tonight.

The last seven days have seen the Blues under siege, with Saturday’s 5-3 Premier League defeat to Arsenal adding to their humiliating loss at QPR, three more red cards, the John Terry racism allegations, two - potentially three - Football Association fines and a supporter revolt over their stadium plans.

Away from much of the glare of the past week, although a Champions League game ensures they will still remain somewhat in the spotlight.

But Villas-Boas denied suggestions a midweek getaway would do his side good amid the club’s most turbulent period since he took charge this summer.

“No, I don’t think so, it’s nothing to do with it,” he said.

Beating Genk could see

Chelsea qualify for the Champions League knockout stages with two Group E games to spare, providing Valencia do not defeat Bayer Leverkusen in tonight’s other match.

A draw in the latter game could be the ideal result for Villas-Boas’ men, who travel to Leverkusen in their penultimate match for what could be a group decider.

“We can get in a very, very good position if we can win our game, of course waiting to see what happens in Valencia-Leverkusen,” Villas-Boas added. “But we also have a chance of qualifying if Leverkusen win.

“We have to find winning ways straight away in the next competition and then again, when we meet in the Premier League, find the winning ways.”

I L L A R R E A L midfielder Cani will miss Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Manchester City and is set to be sidelined for around six weeks after suffering a sprained right knee.

He suffered the injury during Saturday night’s game with Rayo Vallecano, the Primera Division club have confirmed, and team-mates Marco Ruben, Javier Camunas and Marcos Senna may also be forced out of the clash with Roberto Mancini’s Premier League leaders.

Argentina striker Ruben was forced out of the action just after half-time with an adductor injury, making him a doubt for next weekend’s league game with Espanyol, according to the Villarreal website.

Meanwhile, Camunas, who replaced Cani, may not feature in the City match because of a lower leg injury, and veteran midfielder Senna will be rested for the next week as a precaution after feeling a twinge in his hamstring against Rayo.

Villarreal are hoping that Senna will be able to use the upcoming international

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not counting on the Spaniard for the game.

“Javi will not have enough time to recover, I am almost sure,” the coach told the press after the victory against Olhanense.

The 57-year-old then praised Nemanja Matic, who will deputise in midfield, saying: “Matic and Rodrigo were the players who were at a higher level against Olhanense.

“Matic was the man of the match.”

•Cani

Ballack in doubt for Valencia

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ICHAEL Ballack could be doubtful for Bayer Leverkusen’s visit to Champions League Group E opponents Valencia after fracturing a bone in his nose during the 1-0 Bundesliga win over rock-bottom Freiburg on Friday.

Ballack scored the only goal of the game after just two

Garcia out of Benfica´s home clash with Basel ENFICA coach Jorge Jesus has revealed that Javi Garcia will take no part in Wednesday’s Champions League match against Basel.

The former Spain Under-21 international hurt his right leg in a practice session earlier in the week and was forced to sit out Saturday’s 2-1 league victory against Olhanense.

It was expected that Garcia would recover in time for the match against the Swiss side, but Jorge Jesus indicated he is

break to get back to full fitness.

The latest injuries add to the headache facing Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido, who was already missing star strikers Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar.

Rossi will be out of action for around six months after suffering a serious knee injury against Real Madrid in midweek, while Nilmar is still on the comeback trail after undergoing an operation to remove a knee cyst at the start of the month.

minutes to boost his side’s flagging league campaign, only to be forced off in the 65th minute after a clash with Freiburg’s Jan Rosenthal.

The injury has placed doubt over the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich star’s participation in today’s clash at the Mestalla Stadium, where the hosts will be looking to claw back their current deficit.

At the group’s halfway stage Chelsea sit top on seven points, with Leverkusen second on six and Valencia third on two.

Belgian side Genk sit bottom with a point.

FIXTURES •Ballack

Tuesday St Petersburg v Shakhtar Donetsk BATE v AC Milan Plzen v Barcelona Apoel Nicosia v FC Porto Arsenal v Marseille Borussia Dortmund v Olympiacos Valencia v Bayer Leverkusen Genk v Chelsea Wednesday Lyon v Real Madrid Ajax v Dinamo Zagreb Man Utd v Otelul Galati Benfica v Basle Trabzonspor v CSKA Moscow Inter Milan v Lille Bayern Munich v Napoli Villarreal v Man City

THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

63

SPORT EXTRA

FIFA clears Ameobi, Moses W for Nigeria ORLD football-governing body, FIFA has finally cleared Foluwashola Ameobi and Victor Moses to play for Nigeria at international level.

In separate documents on the two players sent to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday evening, FIFA declared that both players have been cleared based on the entire documentation remitted by the NFF and the Football Association.

Ameobi, of English Premiership side Newcastle United FC, and Moses, who also plays in the Premiership with

Wigan Athletic, have been on the verge for some months now and would be glad with the decision of FIFA's Single Judge on eligibility.

"After having thoroughly examined the entire documentation remitted by the Nigerian Football Federation, the Single Judge concluded that the player Victor Moses fulfils the objective prerequisites as provided for in art. 18

par. 1 of the Regulations. In particular, the player has never represented the Football Association representative team at "A" international level.

"Furthermore, the Single Judge also took due note of the fact that, based on the document dated 7 July 2011, issued by the "National Population Commission" in GarkiAbuja, Nigeria, the player in

•Victor Moses in Wigan Athletic colours

question already held the Nigerian nationality before representing England for the first time in an international match in a U-17 official competition on 23 March 2007 as he is a Nigerian citizen by birth."

The same statement was made in the case of Shola Ameobi.

The decision was made on 26 October, 2011 by the Single Judge of the Players' Status Committee, Mr. Chuck Blazer (USA). He underscored: "The request made by the Nigeria Football Federation and the player for change of Association team is accepted."

Wuraola Ojo tourney tees off today HE eight in the series of the annual Elizabeth Wuraola Ojo Memorial Golf Tournament (WOGT) has been scheduled to tee off at the Ikeja golf club today, a release from the office of the tournament sponsor, Toyota Nigeria has revealed.

Named after the late wife of the Chairman of Toyota Nigeria, Michael Ade-Ojo, the competition, since its inception has been a roll-call of who-iswho in golfing fraternity.

During her life time, the late Wuraola Ojo was not only a member of Ikeja golf club; she in company of her husband, Ade-Ojo co-mentored the growth of the game in the country.

It is worth of note therefore that the consistent sponsorship of the WOGT on annual basis

T

By Stella Bamawo underscores how dearly the sponsor, Toyota Nigeria appreciate the contribution of the woman whose immeasurable contribution watered the ground upon which Toyota automotive industry is built.

For the first time in the history of the event, this year’s event will feature a special kitty to celebrate the brand name of the sponsor while the Most Amiable Woman of the tournament prize will also feature, to continue to preserve the virtue which the diseased lived for.

This year’s event will tee off today with the professionals, while ladies will take centre stage on tomorrow.

Thursday has been reserved for friends of the sponsor as they turn out for Toyota Kitty.

Rufai vows to repay Nigerian youths •As Milo Football clinic season 2 ends

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Lagos set for 3rd Tertiary Games • N9.625m cash prizes up for grabs

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AGOS State is set to stage the 3rd edition of Tertiary Games from 10-19 November, 2011.

A Local Organising Committee (LOC), made up of representatives of all the participating institutions, and relevant sports associations, is expected to organise the tourney under the chairmanship of Prince Wale Oladunjoye, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Grassroots Sports Development to Governor Raji Fashola, (SAN).

Meanwhile, at least 17 tertiary institutions out of 20 federal/ state/privatelyrun establishments in the state, will compete in seven sports during the 10-day event being facilitated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports Development to the Governor.

The institutions are University of Lagos, UNILAG, Lagos State University, LASU, Nigerian Army School of Finance, Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOLY, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Yaba College of Technology, School of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Michael Otedola College of Education, Federal College of Education (Technical), Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Grace Polytechnic, Ronik Polytechnic, Caleb University, Imota, Wave Crest School of Catering and Hotel Management, Ansal udDeen College of Education, Wolex Polytechnic and Lagos City Polytechnic.

The sporting events include Athletics (100m, 200m, 400m,

By Innocent Amomoh 4x100m, 4x400m), Basketball (men and women), Soccer (men), Beach Soccer (men), Table Tennis (singles-men and women), Volleyball (men and women) and Beach Volleyball (men and women).

A total sum of N9.625m expected to be won as prize

monies will be directly disbursed to the lucky students through their institutions, while all the participating schools will share the sum of N3.250m to subsidise the budgets from their institutions since they participated in the two previous editions, and to support their camping and preparations for the tournament.

Okedara wins Universal Boxing title OXER Mojeed Okedara • Dedicates victory to

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of Osun State has won the vacant Universal Boxing Council title at the expense of his opponent Eric Kwandy of Ghana in a twelveround bout at LTVS, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.

Rugged and experienced boxer Okedara emerged victorious via a knock out in the fifth round from the twelve rounds bout.

The Ghanaian dictated the pace in the first round with accurate straight jabs and effective blocking, but the second round was a departure from the first when Okedara turned the tables against Kwandy with a combination of straight jabs and heavy upper cuts that received thunderous applause from the spectators.

The taller and bigger Ghanaian succumbed to the superior fireworks of champion Okedara when he was knocked down in the second round. The third and fourth rounds were equally actionpacked and exciting with both boxers exhibiting skills and tactics to the admiration of spectators.

To save Kwandy from further knocks, his coach threw

Gov. Aregbesola

in the towel in the fifth round and Okedara was declared the winner and this sent the Osun State Commissioner for Sports, Youths and Special Needs, Barrister Stephen Kola Balogun, who represented governor Rauf Aregbesola, Special Adviser to the state governor on Sports, Youth and Special Needs, Biyi Odunlade, the permanent secretary for the ministry, Olayinka Oderinde (Mrs.), Osun State Sports Council officials, representatives of the chairman, Irewole Local Government and representatives of Akire of Ikire Oba Olatunde Falabi into wide jubilation.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the victory of Okedara, Barrister Balogun assured the people of the state that sports would witness an all-round development during the time of Mr. Aregbesola.

On the preparation of Osun State athletes for the 18th National Sports Festival tagged Lagos 2012, he revealed that preparations had commenced in earnest.

ORMER Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai has promised to work hard in helping Nigerian youths achieve their goals in the game of football.

The former Eagles captain made the remark during the grand finale of “Milo Football Clinic season 2 with Peter Rufai” at the Campos square, Lagos, over the weekend.

“I had a dream, the dream of developing Nigerian youths through grassroots football. When I came back to Nigeria, I approached Nestle

By Taofeek Babalola and I said to them that I wanted to give back to Nigerians what they had done for me in my football career and they supported me through this programme (Milo Football Clinic with Peter Rufai). I owe Nigerians a lot. Thank You,” Rufai said.

Dodomayana, as he is fondly called by his admirers, believes the neglect of grassroots development is the major reason Nigerian football finds itself in this sorry state.

www.thenationonlineng.net

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

TOMORROW IN THE NATION

‘It is obvious that the EFCC cannot fight corruption unless government shows signs of transparency in the polity.

Corruption would thrive in our land in so far as governments operate like Mafiosi’ VOL. 7

NO.1,931

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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HE doubters and unbelievers scoffed and screamed “transforwetin?” when President Goodluck Jonathan announced in his Inaugural Address that was set to pursue a programme of national transformation. They may not have noticed it, but the National Transformation Train has departed and is chugging along.

Emblematic of this singular development, coming after years of stasis, is the revival of the moribund railways.

First, the Lagos-Ibadan passenger train, which had been inoperative for decades, was restored to commission. The celebration had hardly ended when it was announced that the passenger train will now run as far as the Kwara capital, IIorin, offering services to suit every pocket, from tidy third class compartments to luxury sleeper cars, and everything in between.

It is now possible to envisage that day, six months away or perhaps year, when the service will run all the 700 miles from Lagos to Kano and reclaim its old name, the Kano Limited, if you are boarding from Iddo Terminus, and the Lagos Limited, if you are embarking from Kano.

Rehabilitation of the Kano-Port Harcourt rail link, leading to restoration of the old Port Harcourt Limited passenger train, can be expected to start thereafter, if it is not already in progress. And all this is without prejudice to the projected railway line that will run from West to East, and to the construction of new, standard-gauge rails for high-speed trains.

What has been achieved in this area thus far is more than a transformation. It is a quiet revolution. It accords well with Dr Jonathan’s quiet style, and he deserves praise for it.

His efforts at transforming two other areas of Nigerian life have been less productive, however, and promise to stir up much more controversy and resentment than he could have expected..

The first is the review of the Constitution.

Here, false step has followed false step. Dr Jonathan began by seeking to extend the term for the president and state governors from a renewable four years to a non-renewable seven and six years respectively, claiming that the move was informed by altruism and altruism only.

He followed this implausible claim with a hint that he would be coming up more than 50 additional proposed amendments, all of them to be discussed and debated by the National Assembly and enacted in into law subsequently.

Fifty odd amendments, from the Presidency alone, not reckoning with other changes that the National Assembly itself and other political actors in Nigeria might propose, many of which could end up becoming national law?

RIPPLES WE MUST NOT GIVE UP ON NIGERIA – Cleric

...even as we’re HUNGRY?

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

A rocky road to Transformation

•Dr Jonathan

Was this not writing a new constitution through the back door?

Why not a people’s Constitution? Who is afraid of a Constitution of the people, by the people, and for the people?

More recently, Dr Jonathan has set up a committee of eminent Nigerians to distil from previous constitutional conferences thoughtful proposals that for one reason or another never saw the light of day and bring them up for consideration.

This is a welcome improvement, but the whole thing still reeks of an attempt to write a new constitution through the back door.

The documents they are supposed to draw on were prepared either by persons handpicked

for that purpose, or produced by ‘elections” that were a sham through and through.

Here, I recall the so-called Constitutional Conference contrived by the loathsome Sani Abacha to avoid coming to terms with the election on June 12, 1993, of Moshood Abiola as President. Where it was not massively boycotted, as in the Southwest, it was greeted by apathy for the most part.

Even a political stalwart like Ikemba Emeka Ojukwu garnered only 124 votes to win in his Nnewi constituency, yet went on to declare that the resulting “mandate” was superior to that of “June 12.”

Something constructive or even positive may well have come out of that misbegotten conclave. But it cannot be a substitute, nearly two decades later, for decisions freely arrived at by freely chosen representatives of the people.

Why are Jonathan and his strategists so averse to a Constitution founded on the will of Nigerians, one that would be truly warranted by the preface, “We the people. . .”?

Transformation by subterfuge: That is how one must characterise Dr Jonathan’s efforts in the second area in which he is seeking transformation, namely, “removing” an alleged “subsidy” on petrol.

He did not run for president on a promise to abolish the phantom subsidy if elected. On the contrary, he claimed it as one of the factors that qualified him above others for the top job that he maintained the flow of petrol and petroleum products uninterrupted, with the unspoken assurance that he would continue to do so if elected, and the implication that he would also continue the practices that

HARDBALL

DELE AGEKAMEH

made the continuous flow possible.

Now, it as if he is staking his entire Presidency on “removing” this imagined “subsidy.” Disdaining his accustomed caution, he has proclaimed to the whole world how much would accrue, calculated to the nearest one million Naira, from cutting the alleged price support.

No ceteribus paribus.

No mutatis mutandis. No exceptis excipiendis.

So many zillions will accrue to the federal exchequer from ending the pesky subsidy, which will now be use to build all the refineries and hospitals and schools and seaports and the waterways they did not build since they started cutting it in 1986.

How they can be so precise about how much would be realised from ending the alleged subsidy when they do not know how much oil is lifted or exported or refined or imported or consumed? It is all so emblematic of the national pastime of planning without fear and without research.

It does not matter whether the price of oil or the exchange rate or consumption patterns change, or the industry is policed more tightly to check fraud: the Jonathan Presidency has determined that the revenue that will accrue from terminating the alleged subsidy is as good as money in the better banks and the plan for spending it has already been perfected. The only problem is how to ensure that the winfall is judiciously spent.

Softly, softly, Mr President, lest you plunge the country into avoidable turmoil.

Take off for a moment the fedora that serves you so well as a politician. Put on instead your long-abandoned fedora of a scientist trained to gather and verify evidence, to draw conclusions and proceed only on the basis of sound evidence.

Don’t join your appointees in chanting the tired chorus that the “subsidy” must be ended. Ask them to show that the “subsidy” is not imaginary. Ask them to prove its existence with nothing less than the rigour of scientific inquiry.

Ask them to lay before you the pricing regime in all other petroleum producing countries relative to per capita income.

Ask them, Dr Jonathan, ask them slowly and deliberately why ExxonMobil can report a profit of $10 billion for the third straight quarter – much of it from its Nigerian operations — after all the creative book-keeping, whereas Nigeria has been running its oil industry at a colossal loss year after year.

•For comments, send SMS to 08057634061

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Damning Railway Corporation with faint praise

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FTER allowing train services and indeed the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) itself to go to seed, the federal government has finally begun their resuscitation. It is not known which dominant thinking persuaded the government to embark on the enterprise: is it nostalgia; or is it conviction that the economic importance of railways is huge?

Or perhaps both. Whatever the reasons, it should come as a relief to many Nigerians, who would be reluctant to look a gift horse in the mouth, that the trains are being revived. The revival may have a comical ring to it, considering how antiquated the trains are, but for a country wearied by bad roads, and traders harried by the unbearable cost of ferrying their goods by road, the rehabilitation of railway services will be embraced passionately and maybe, too, affectionately.

Newspaper reports show that huge excitement greeted the resumption of inter-city railway express services last Friday as six coaches lumbered out of the Iddo Terminus of the corporation for the start of what promises to be many journeys to Ilorin in Kwara State, some three or four hours journey by road in the good old days. The train was scheduled to leave Iddo by 9.00am. It got to Ibadan by 2.00pm and met an excited and cheering crowd. It arrived late, but its potential customers would be relieved that it got off to a generally hitch-free, if slow, start. They would expect improvement in ar-

rival and departure times over the coming weeks, and would begin, gingerly to be sure, to make their own plans to patronise the trains again. They would console themselves that five hours between Lagos and Ibadan could even, on some occasions, be bliss when compared to the episodic jams that madden the LagosIbadan Expressway.

Reports also show that railway workers gushed with pride in Ibadan on Friday when they met a flattering reception at the Dugbe station. They need to put things in perspective.

Those who cheered the Lagos-Ilorin train on were not new generations of Nigerians but those who remembered the enormous contributions of railway services. In those days, the trains moved millions of Nigerians, admittedly slowly, but without the mindless slaughter that characterise road transport today. They remembered the unquantifiable amount of goods, including refined petroleum, freight trains hauled from Lagos to Kaura Namoda. And they remembered that the senior staff members of the railways were once among Nigeria’s notable elite: men and women so well-travelled they were comparable with the jet set; so literate they were the go-to elite; and so knowledgeable that rustics relied on them and their telegraph machines for current news of the time.

Whether the trains can relive the sociology of the 1960s and 1970s is, however, a moot ques-

tion. And whether they can even thrive in a considerably altered society riddled with insecurity of all shades, some sectarian and others social and political, is something the railway top staff will be studying in the next few months. We wish them luck. But the return of train services in Nigeria cannot but be accompanied by its own delicious and riveting ironies. Since the 1970s, the world has embraced high-speed train services, with test trains exceeding 500km/h, and scheduled passenger services exceeding 300km/h. Nigerian tracks limit trains to about 35km/h.

And by the way, some of the foreign train services, like the French TGV, make huge profits. It must humble us that when we finally woke up from our slumber, we have found ourselves in a time warp, in an anachronistic era of low ambitions and dated equipment and technology.

But better late than never; and better something than nothing. If past leaders foolishly destroyed the rail system after handing their management to foreign entrepreneurs repeatedly but futilely, we should celebrate the return from the dead of a transportation mode that is crucial to the revival of our economy and the saving of our roads. The Ibadan crowd showed it is not always sensible to look a gift horse in the mouth. We won’t. But please, dear NRC, don’t let any upstart whiz kid from erehwon rename you.

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