The Nation November 21, 2012

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

‘Rename Ilorin airport after Saraki’

Govt owes us N1.3tr on subsidy, says NNPC

NEWS

Page 9

BUSINES S USINESS

•Senate seeks honour for politician

•Firm says debt affects operation Page 53

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VOL. 7, NO. 2316 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Quiet birthday as Jonathan loses brother

T was mixed feelings for the President yesterday.

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan clocked 55 and marked it in a low key fashion. He also lost his briother.

A small gathering of his aides came around to wish him happy birthday after a morning devotional hour with his family and a few

From Vincent Ikuomola and Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja

others at his official residence.

Dr Jonathan also watched a short parade by the Brigade of Guards before the day’s work which started with the presentation of letters of credence by ambassadors.

But then, other activities of

the day were suspended following the death of the President’s brother.

The Presidency confirmed the death of Chief Meni Innocent Jonathan.

In a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the chief died after a brief illness at the National Hospital.

“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan announces with sadness the death earlier today of his younger brother, Chief Meni Innocent Jonathan. Chief Meni Jonathan passed away at the National Hospital, Abuja after a brief illness. Formal burial arrangements will be announced later by the fam-

Continued on page 2

N1.3b ‘not enough’ for State House refreshments, meals Perm Sec defends Presidency’s 2013 budget

Bi-Courtney to contest contract cancellation

F

RESH facts emerged yesterday on why the Federal Government cancelled the N89.53billion concession of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Bi-Courtney Consortium. The action was based on nine factors, it was learnt.

The Consortium, it was gathered, may head for court to seek a refund of what it had spent on the project.

A source, who pleaded not to be named, told our correspondent that the government wielded the big stick after some meetings with representatives of Bi-Courtney at the Presidential Villa.

The source said: “Since 2009, the government has tolerated Bi-Courtney Consortium, but it has become obvious that it can not source funds from banks and other financial in-

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja

S

ENATORS were stunned yesterday to learn that the N1, 305 billion earmarked for the Presidency in the 2013 budget for refreshments, meals and other miscellaneous expenses is insufficient.

In the budget, N1,305, 292, 050 is set aside for refreshment, meals and other miscellaneous expenses.

State House Permanent Secretary Mr. Emmanuel Ogbile spoke on the estimate when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to defend the N14. 7 billion Presidency budget proposal for 2013.

A breakdown of the miscellaneous subhead indicates that N203,752,432 is allocated to refreshment and meals while N107,412,768 is set aside for honorarium and sitting allowance.

Besides, N37, 277, 825 is for publicity and advertisement.

Medical expenses have been allocated N50,308,546, Postage and courier services N10,035,583, welfare packages N195,066,223, subscription to professional bodies N4,589,793 and sporting activities will take N32,910,730.

Overtime is allocated N250,455,589.

Feeding of animals, including animal supplements for the veterinary clinic, is voted N30,584,144. Summit/ extra ordinary sessions, including the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, and others, will take N228,112,862. National Youth Service Corps(NYSC), IT, LOCUM, housemanship and contract staff allowances are estimated to cost N144,788,555.

To a member of the Committee, Senator Isa Galaudu, the amount is “outrageous”.

He noted that the country’s budget in one year is what South Africa spends in five years.

But Ogbile replied that the proposed

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

stitutions to execute the project.

“I think the reforms of the banking industry by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) since 2008 made banks and other lenders to be careful in investing in the PPP project.

“Secondly, while the project was dragging, many people were dying on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

This development created an image challenge for the Federal Government, with most people erroneously assuming that the administration was deliberately discriminating against the Southwest. So, Nigerians were suffering and the project was suffering.

Continued on page 2

World intensifies pressure for Gaza ceasefire

T •Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun presenting the 2013 Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly in Abeokuta…yesterday. SEE PAGE 11 PHOTO: NAN

HE UN secretary-general called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza yesterday as US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton headed to the region with a message that escalation of the conflict was in nobody’s interest.

Nevertheless, Israeli air strikes and Palestinian rocket fire continued for a seventh day.

For the second time since the fighting began, a rocket was launched at Jerusalem, trigger-

Amosun presents N112.86b budget •SPORT P23 •LIFE P25 •MONEY P30•INVESTORS P32 •POLITICS P43•FOREIGN P60 Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

•Ki Moon

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

NEWS Quiet birthday as Jonathan loses brother Continued from page 1

•From left: Babatunde Savage; Chairman Guinness Nigeria Plc , Seni Adetu; MD/CEO, Joe Costello TD, Minister of State for Trade, Ireland, and Ambassador Patrick Fay, Irish Ambassador to Nigeria at the hosting of the Irish MP at Guinness Harp Brewery, Ogba, Lagos…yesterday

ily,” the statement said.

Senate President David Mark, Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and Anambra State Governor Peter Obi commiserated with the President last night.

A statement by the Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Kola Ologbondiyan, quoted Mark to have said that he shared in the grief and pain of the first family.

Mark prayed that “God in His infinite mercies grant you the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”

He also commiserated with the government and people of Bayelsa State to take solace in the fact that late Meni lived a short but eventful life.

Governor Obi expressed

Why Bi-Courtney’s N89.53b contract was cancelled Continued from page 1

“Thirdly, the firm is also technically handicapped. The government discovered that the company does not have a history of road construction; it is quite good in building construction.

“We realised that it has been sourcing for foreign technical partners. The last of such expertise was from Borni Prono, which specialises in bridge construction. Borni Prono was part of those that built the Third Mainland Bridge and the Jebba Bridge.

Bi-Courtney Consortium also allegedly committed about six breaches. Some of the notable conditions breached by the company in the agreement with the Federal Government over the Lagos-Ibadan expressway concession includes: failure to

submit: duly completed performance bond as contained in the agreement; •copies of the construction contract as required by the agreement; • copies of the financial Agreement as provided in the agreement; •copies of the Operations and Maintenance (O.M) Contract as stated in the agreement; •Carry out construction work despite access to the site since September 2009, and •abandonment of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the site, among others.

Asked whether the government discussed the allaeged laoses with Bi-Courtney, the source said: “We had several meetings at the Villa. One of them was about two months ago. If you ask Bi-Courtney management, it would admit that the Minister of Works, Mr.

Mike Onolememen, did a lot to make sure the contract succeeded to prove that a Nigerian firm could handle such a big project.

“Initially, the company alleged that some states in the Southwest were against the project. The government tried to intervene but later became impatient when it was obvious that it might take a long time to execute the 25-year contract of Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT).”

On the likelihood of refunding over “the N3billion” spent on the project by Bi-Courtney, the source added: “There is no such plan because the firm did not keep to the terms of the agreement.

“Even the design of the road brought to the government was not too appealing.”

Bi-Courtney Consortium maygo to court over the termination of the concession.

A source said: “If a project is supposedly not being well-executed, the appropriate thing is for the government to go to an arbitration panel and take up issues with the erring firm.

“What they have done now is to use executive fiat without consultations with Bi-Courtney Consortium to cancel the concession. This is never done anywhere in the world. This kind of attitude might scare away foreign investors.

“Surely, Bi-Courtney will go to court to recover what it spent on the road. The termination of the concession was faulty and illegal.

“To say that there will be no compensation is just unfortunate.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The decision might not be far-fetched from politics because the concession businesses of a member of the consortium are being targeted for review.

“I think some people might want to settle political scores.

Bi-Courtney has just paid huge sums to Borni Prono and suddenly the contract was terminated.”

In an advertorial, the BiCourtney Highway Services Limited said it had not been formally intimated of the cancellation of the contract and the process, that led to it. It however added: “We have no doubt that the issues would be resolved in a manner that would rekindle the Nigeria spirit of enterprises, scholar arrange and constituency.

World intensifies pressure for Gaza ceasefire Continued from page 1

ing warning sirens. Police said it fell in an open area in the occupied West Bank and did not cause any casualties. Hamas’ armed wing said in Gaza it fired the projectile.

Egypt was trying to broker a truce between Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement.

An Egyptian intelligence source said: “There is still no

breakthrough and Egypt is working to find middle ground.”

Israel’s military yesterday targeted about 100 sites in Gaza, including ammunition stores and the Gaza headquarters of the National Islamic Bank. Gaza’s health ministry said six Palestinians were killed.

Israeli police said more than

60 rockets were fired from Gaza by midday and 25 of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome system. The military said an officer was wounded.

About 115 Palestinians have died in a week of fighting, the majority of them civilians, including 27 children, hospital officials said. Three Israelis died last week when a rocket

from Gaza struck their house.

In Cairo, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate ceasefire and said an Israeli ground operation in Gaza would be a “dangerous escalation” that must be avoided.

He held talks in Cairo with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby and Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil,

before traveling to Israel for discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ban plans to return to Egypt today to see Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was unavailable due to the death of his sister.

Israel’s leaders weighed the benefits and risks of sending tanks and infantry into the Continued on page 63

Reps committee walk minister out at budget defence

T

HE House of Representatives has expressed concern over President Goodluck Jonathan’s failure to prioritise science and technology in next year’s budget.

Besides, the lawmakers walked out the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof Ita Okon Bassey-Ewa, from the ministry’s 2013 budget defence session for failing to aggregate the ministry’s 2012 budget performance.

Bassey-Ewa, who appeared before the Committee on Transport, yesterday also angered the lawmakers over the appointment of a substantive Director-General for the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Chairman of the Committee Abiodun Akinlade regretted that President Jonathan could not include science and technology in his six priority areas in the budget.

The minister was walked out

shock at the death of the President’s brother.

While praying to God for the repose of his soul, he assured Mr. President and the entire Jonathan family of the solidarity of the government and people of Anambra State at their trying time.

He expressed the hope that the tragedy will not distract Mr. President from pursuing the Transformation Agenda of his Government vigorously for the benefit of the country.

Governor Dickson led a high-powered delegation of senior citizens of the state on a condolence visit to Jonathan and offered prayers for the deceased whom he described as a fine gentleman and proud Bayelsan.

The late Meni Jonathan, according to the governor contributed immensely to the development of not just his community but the entire Bayelsa State.

The five new ambassadors were told by the president to focus on the strengthening of economic ties between Nigeria and their countries.

The Ambassadors are Mr. Isaac Genesis Munlo (Malawi), Mr. Carsten Nilaus Pederson (Denmark), Mr. Shyam Lal Tabadar (Nepal), Mr. Myint Naung (Myanmar) and Mr. Alex Lamadrid (Philipines).

Jonathan told the Malawian Ambassador that the Administration was working hard to make agriculture a business in Nigeria, instead of a subsistence occupation, to attract younger farmers and provide more jobs.

He also told the Ambassador of Denmark that Nigeria wanted more robust economic relations with the Nordic countries.

He welcomed the cooperation with Phililpines and the training of Nigerian seafarers in that country.

The new Ambassadors acknowledged the positive leadership role Nigeria has played in Africa and praised President Jonathan for sustaining the tradition.

They expressed their commitment to strengthening relations between their countries and Nigeria, for the mutual benefit of the people on both sides.

The Ambassadors wished President Jonathan a happy birthday.

N1.3b not enough for State House refreshment Continued from page 1

amount is not enough.

Ogbile said: “I have taken pains to explain that this money is not just to fund the residence of the President and that of the Vice President.

“The experience I have had is that this fund is grossly insufficient. It’s not even enough.”

The Permanent Secretary said: “The Federal Executive Council (FEC) holds every Wednesday and we take care of them through this budget”.

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

for“not taking the Committee seriously” and shouting back at the lawmakers.

The drama began when Bassey-Ewa was requested to put the 2012 budget performance of the Ministry in percentage, which he failed to do.

Akinlade said it was not the first time that the minister has failed as he could not convert

He also listed other expenses that are taken care of in the refreshments and meals vote to include National Economic Council (NEC), Council of State, conferences in the Banquet Hall, presidential retreats, National Merit Award, Children’s Day and hosting of dignitaries.

Committee Chairman Senator Dahiru Kuta promptly reminded the Permanent Secretary that the Merit Award has its own budget.

Ogbile laboured to devise another ex-

to percentages his ministry’s performance for the year during their last oversight visit to the ministry.

“The minister has never taken the committee seriously. I can recollect that he also failed to provide the percentage performance of his ministry when we went to his office for oversight functions sometime ago.”

But Bassey-Ewa retorted angrily, shouting: “We are pre-

planation to support the budget.

He insisted that based on the long list of functions and activities under the Presidency, “the amount of N1.305 billion is not enough.”

He said: “Distinguished senators, I have taken time to explain what the fund is meant for. I say with all sense of responsibility that the fund is not enough, based on what the fund is meant for.”

Kuta said the committee would consider the proposal on its merit.

pared; we are prepared. You can see that I have been trying to compute the percentage.”

He was, however , asked to leave the session after being cautioned. The minister insisted that he was shouted at first by the lawmakers.

Bassey-Ewa was also advised to get himself acquainted with his ministry’s activities before appearing again for another budget defense.

In a related development, the lawmakers blasted the Ministry of Power for its inability to utilise half of funds released for its capital projects this year.

The sum of N75.464billion was budgeted for the ministry’s capital projects while N34.765billion was released by the Ministry of Finance.

Though the ministry could only utilise N19.763billion, the Continued on page 63

•Tambuwal

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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NEWS

U.S. envoy: encourage •President Goodluck Jonathan receiving letter of credence from Malawian Ambassador to Nigeria Isaac Munlo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja... yesterday.

Speaking at a seminar of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria , United States Ambassador to Nigeria Ambassador Terence McCulley challenged Nigerian leaders at all levels to ensure the diversity of the country is used to its advantage rather than its disadvantage. Excerpts:

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•Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi (second right), his deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo (right), newly sworn-in commissioners e, Mr Taiwo Otegbeye (left) and Mrs. Mutiat Adeyemi at the Executive Chamber of the Governor's Office... yesterday.

•From left: Director, Product & Service, Mr. Lucas Dada, Head, Consumer Market, Mr. Idowu Adesokan, Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Wael Ammar, Manager, High Value Prepaid, Miss Chinelo Mbanefo; Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Steven Evans and Director, Marketing Segments & Strategy, Mr. Oluwole Rawa, all of Etisalat Nigeria, PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN at the Etisalat EasyFlex launch, held at Protea Hotel, IKoyi, Lagos... on Monday.

• Founder and President of Dominion Church, U.S Dr Jerry Wolcson (left), the Presiding Bishop of TREM, Dr Mike Okonkwo and his wife Peace, during the official opening ceremony of Kingdom Life World Conference 2012 in Lagos ... at the weekend PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

Y drawing from such a broad pool of talent, the Humphrey Fellowship programme provides a model of what can be accomplished when people with very different experiences and worldviews come together to learn from one another. In a way, that serves as a microcosm of the topic on which you have asked me to speak today: “Fostering Unity in Diversity in Nigeria: Learning from the American Experience.” Now, I have to admit, this title is a bit misleading, because the “American Experience” of finding unity in diversity, while perhaps instructive, is certainly not yet complete because our journey is not yet complete. And that, to some extent, is the point of the experience: there will always be different cultures, races, ethnicities, and viewpoints from which to learn and grow. In this regard, Nigeria and America are – as one of my distinguished predecessors once remarked – “two pilgrims on the same path.”

America and Nigeria thus offer grand examples of how diverse peoples can come together to build a great nation. Each country is teeming with talented individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and religions. The Fellowship Alumni in this room carried out their studies all over the United States—at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, Johns Hopkins in Maryland, American University in Washington, D.C., Emory University in Georgia, to name just a few examples—and you are each certain to have been struck by the magnitude of diversity that is a hallmark of our country. From Southern California to the Oregon coast, from Chicago to Florida, all across America you will find people of various races and ethnicities, with different religious views, distinctive cultural norms, and divergent political ideologies. What holds us all together, what unites us, is our strong sense of nationhood. I am reminded of a banner headline in the French newspaper “Le Monde” the day after September 11, 2001. “We are all Americans.” Now, that was an expression of global solidarity from one of our oldest allies in the aftermath of a day of horror. But it is also an expression of how we feel as a people, how we feel as a nation. Regardless of our differences…, we are all Americans. And when we speak of diversity, we speak broadly, of characteristics both obvious and not.

Racial and ethnic differences are perhaps more readily observable than other marks of diversity. But diversity is not just about race, to be sure.

Much of America’s diversity comes from our history as a nation of immigrants. In fact, the United States is often referred to as the “Great Melting Pot,” a metaphor that suggests the blending of many cultures, languages and religions to

form a single national identity. But this metaphor fails to capture the slow, complex and frequently turbulent process by which immigrants of diverse backgrounds and beliefs join U.S. society, even as they transform it. I am here to tell you that unity in diversity is hard work.

The United States may be viewed as “a permanently unfinished country,” because it is continuously being built and rebuilt by immigrants. Indeed, it has been the world’s leading destination country for immigrants from the 19th century to the present. Newcomers pose a recurrent challenge fundamental to American life: enabling communities of very different peoples to learn to act collaboratively under conditions of openness, change and choice, all within the confines of one system.

In the U.S., much of the stability that exists in our nation of immigrants comes from our laws and institutional reforms within our pluralistic democracy. Through legislative actions supported by a transparent, independent judiciary which protects the rights of all including minorities and immigrants, we create, encourage, and enlarge opportunities for education and social mobility. With our system of democracy, we permit and nourish the co-existence of those with differing ideologies, convictions, and interests. As a result, we have immigrants and nativeborn citizens partnering to create a shared collective and institutional life, both as a national community and as a constellation of local communities marked by differences in class, race, religion and culture. Our nation of immigrants has seen wave after wave of newcomers displaying remarkable creativity and flexibility in adapting to the American pluralistic culture, even as they helped to transform it, adapt it, and make it their own.

The history of Africa and of Nigeria specifically does not mirror that of the United States in terms of immigration.

Yet, like America, Nigeria boasts the coexistence of many ethnic groups in a democratic land. Nigeria’s ethnic groups are 370 strong, with long histories and varying cultural norms. For the Nigerian democracy to continue to work, for it to blossom, conflicts among ethnic groups need to be addressed, and differences embraced. And Nigeria’s leaders – at the local, state, and federal level – need to promote unity, not encourage division for selfish political ends.

As I mentioned, America is ever adapting in terms of embracing diversity. But again, the key is to strive to come together based on what is shared, not to divide based on what differs among us.

Our recently re-elected President, Barack Obama, has said that “we must find a way to reconcile our ever-shrinking world with its ever-growing diversity—diversity of thought, diversity of culture, and diversity of belief. In short, we must find a way to live together as

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NEWS

Nigerian leaders must not division for selfish ends ‘

Too often, when we talk about Nigeria and with Nigerians, we hear about the differences: the Muslim North and the Christian South, the Igbo, the Hausa, and the Yoruba.

Nigerians deserve better; Nigerians can do better...And Nigeria’s leaders – at the local, state, and federal level – need to promote unity, not encourage division for selfish political ends

‘

one human family.” In America and in Nigeria, the common issues we face, the common hopes we have, are all human issues, all human hopes. We seek stability in our democracies. We desire positive action from our leaders. We expect food security. We look for economic opportunity. We want high-quality education for our children no matter their socio-economic status. We work for a protected environment that will be as safe and useful for our children and our children’s children as it is for us. And

•Ambassador McCulley we, as Americans, as Nigerians, as human beings, wish for peaceful coexistence that allows us to embrace our backgrounds and our unique characteristics even as we build our societies together. To accomplish this, we must look to what binds us together and work to achieve those common goals.

But again, the concept of diversity is a broad one. I want to take a moment to discuss the importance of religious diversity and the principle

of religious freedom. The freedom to worship is a cherished right in the United States, one that has historical roots older than the formation of the nation itself. In the 21st century, the United States pulses with a unique cultural chemistry which sees followers of more diverse faiths in many communities throughout the country.

Consider this: Most Americans were Christians when the United States was founded more than 200

years ago, but now the United States is the world’s most religiously diverse society. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of Christians in the U.S. increased by 6.6 percent while the number of those practicing all other religions grew by 69.1 percent.

People of different faiths contribute to the fabric, strength and character of the United States, in all walks of life.

To be sure, there are challenges to religious co-existence. Yet again, the guiding principle is that which binds, not that which divides. In terms of religion, that concept is the desire to worship freely or not at all. For Americans, religious liberty is embedded in the Constitution and reflected in our guiding Constitutional principle of separation of church and state. And I believe Nigerians must also work together to build their nation irrespective of their religious beliefs. If one puts continuous emphasis on differences, rather than working toward overall betterment while co-existing, one risks chipping away at the very fabric of the nation.

Too often, when we talk about Nigeria and with Nigerians, we hear about the differences: the Muslim North and the Christian South, the Igbo, the Hausa, and the Yoruba.

Nigerians deserve better; Nigerians can do better. While you should be proud of your religion, your culture, your background, your beliefs, you can do so in light of the fact that you are all Nigerians, drawing inspiration from the uplifting words of your national anthem. And I have to say that as I travel across your great country, I am inspired by your powerful sense of nationhood.

And there is much to celebrate in Nigeria. As I said to you last year at this event, I have worked as an

American diplomat in Africa since the mid-1980s, when I began my service in Niger Republic. The remarkable changes I have witnessed on this continent over the past 27 years, changes effected by remarkable African men and even more remarkable African women, make me an optimist about Nigeria’s future. Indeed, the people of Nigeria, with their intelligence, drive, ingenuity, and capability, make me an optimist about Nigeria’s future. Leaders like those assembled in this room, particularly the talented Humphrey Fellowship alumni, are those who will enable Nigeria to achieve its potential.

And as for us, your fellow pilgrims, the United States remains committed to the people and progress of Nigeria. We are committed to helping foster an environment in which this great nation continues its path of becoming a powerful force both regionally and on the world stage, a beacon of what can be achieved in a thriving, diverse, populous democracy. And while we have our history to share by way of example, we encourage you to not only accept but also welcome the fact that finding unity in diversity is an ongoing challenge, a constant work in progress. And it is not just about tolerance, but about enrichment, and dignity, and going forward as one.

And, as I have suggested, it is truly challenging, but it is what will make you stronger.

As Hubert H. Humphrey wrote of the United States, “Just as we welcome a world of diversity, so we glory in an America of diversity—an America all the richer for the many different and distinctive strands of which it is woven.” We do welcome a world of diversity, and we glory in a Nigeria of diversity, one that is all the better due to its vibrant people.

UK aid ‘not improving Nigerian education’ M

ILLIONS of pounds of UK government aid to Nigerian schools have failed to produce any major improvement in pupil learning, an independent watchdog says.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact yesterday said the aid scheme was being undermined by a shortage of effective teachers and a lack of local support.

So far £102m has been spent in 10 Nigerian states, with a further £126m committed to 2019.

The UK government said the report had a limited focus but would be reviewed.

The Department for International Development’s (Dfid) education programme is operating “in a very challenging environment, with too few effective teachers, poor infrastructure and unpredictable state funding all contributing to poor learning outcomes for pupils in basic education”, the ICAI said in its critical report.

“Our review indicates no major improvement in pupil learning.”

Using a traffic light rating system, the ICAI rated the scheme as amber-red - the second-lowest - which indicates “significant improvements” were required.

It found that around a third of the eligible children - an estimated 3.7 million were still not in school, while those that were received little by way of education.

“We are concerned by the very high numbers of out-of-school children and the very poor learning outcomes in nine of the 10 Nigerian states supported by Dfid,” it said.

It said as a result of British aid, a sevenyear-old Nigerian girl could be learning

in a new school where the teacher had been trained with UK funding, but she still might leave education not knowing how to read or write.

The UK aid goes to 10 of Nigeria’s 36 states, but a Dfid spokesman responded: “This was a limited inquiry in that the team only visited 1 per cent of schools, most of which were in only one state in Nigeria, and they did not take into account the most recent evidence of the project’s progress.

“However, we will carefully review the report’s recommendations and respond in due course.”

DFID has spent £102 million to date, with a further £126 million committed to 2019. It supports 10 of Nigeria’s 36 States through two programmes: the UNICEF-led Girls’ Education Programme (GEP); andthe Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN), delivered by a Cambridge Educationled consortium.

ICAI engaged with over 900 local people, including pupils, parents, grandparents, teachers, head teachers and community leaders. They identified only limited benefits from the education provided. Around a third of eligible children in the ten States are out of school and ICAI found no major improvement in pupil learning: “GEP and ESSPIN have helped to create ten-year State education sector plans which are neither realistic nor affordable. Insufficient and erratic State funding leaves the education system lacking infrastructure and

other essentials necessary to improve learning outcomes.

“Key education building blocks – such as adequate facilities, teachers who are present and committed, routine pupil attendance and appropriate curricula and teaching materials – are often missing from schools.

“GEP and ESSPIN are delivering similar programmes but the ESSPIN approach appears more likely to succeed in the long term,” the organisation said.

It added: “There have been some successes, including support for female teachers and school-based management committees and an innovative approach to Qur’anic schools, attended by most Muslim children in northern Nigeria. Implementation issues, however, are limiting the impact on pupil learning. “ Its recommendations are: “DFID should create a single education programme in 2014 focussing rigorously on basic reading, writing and arithmetic in the early years of primary schooling and building on the lessons learned, with aligned initiatives for teacher training and infrastructure. “ DFID should work with its partners and each participating State to secure a clear agreement about the policy changes and financial contributions required to improve enrolment and learning and to introduce effective financial management and resource planning.

“DFID should work with UNICEF

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The communities we spoke to in Nigeria want their children to become self-reliant by learning to read and write.

Our review, however, indicates no major improvement in pupil learning, with significant numbers of children out of school. In our view, DFID’s programmes will only become sustainable when they can routinely help to unlock State governments’ budgets to fund the required improvements both adequately and equitably

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to achieve significant improvement in the performance of GEP over the next 12 months.

“DFID should address implementation issues limiting impact through the Female Trainee Teachers Scholarship Scheme, School-Based Management Committees and Qur’anic schools.”

Graham Ward CBE, ICAI Chief Commissioner, said: “The communities we spoke to in Nigeria want their

Minister of Education Ruqayyatu Rufa'i children to become self-reliant by learning to read and write. Our review, however, indicates no major improvement in pupil learning, with significant numbers of children out of school.

In our view, DFID’s programmes will only become sustainable when they can routinely help to unlock State governments’ budgets to fund the required improvements both adequately and equitably.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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NEWS Hearing begins in NPAN suit against APCON HEARING begins today at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos in the suit instituted by the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) against the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON). NPAN is challenging some provisions of the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice and Sales Promotion.

In the suit filed on its behalf by Tayo Oyetibo’s chambers, the association wants the court to determine whether Articles 21 and 137 of the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice and Sales Promotion as they affect media establishments, which do not engage in the practice of advertising.

Joined in the suit is the Inspector-General of Police.

Activists to protest high fuel prices

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HE Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) has vowed to launch protests, should the government fail to address unregulated fuel pump prices across the country.

The Chairman of CSNAC, Mr. Olarewaju Suraju, who spoke in Lagos yesterday, said other groups had been put on the alert, in case the Federal Government removes fuel subsidy.

Besides, he declared December 9, which is the International AntiCorruption Day, as the “Yellow Flag Day Against Corruption in Nigeria.

The CSNAC is a coalition

By Precious Igbonwelundu

of over 150 anti-corruption organisations whose aim is to combat corruption and monitor the anti-graft agencies.

Suraju decried scarcity of petroleum products across the country for about two months with no explanation from the government, adding that it is a conspiracy to force another price hike on Nigerians.

Mr. Suraju said: “In several filling stations across the country, the pump prices of petrol are higher than the official pump price, without any explanation by the government. The Department

of Petroleum Resources (DPR), under the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, is responsible for inspection and control of filling stations, but it has not acted against the increases by marketers.

“For CSNAC, this indicates a conspiracy on the part of the government to force another price hike on the people, which will increase hardship.

“We are for this reason, beginning strategic network with stakeholders to mark the anniversary of the January 2012 uprising, with a repeat of civil disobedience, if the trend of fuel scarcity and arbitrary price fixing is not reversed by the government.

“An x-ray of the oil and gas sector has shown the level of scandalous, monumental and shameful corruption in the sector. The culture of impunity and conspiracy, which this present administration displays, provides the added impetus for perpetuating the graft that has become the trade mark of the sector.”

The group, which also xrayed the judiciary and other sectors, noted that corruption remains a major hindrance to development in the country, adding that the problem of corruption lies inside ‘Aso Rock’ and with the cronies or associates of those in power across the three tiers of government.

Afenifere Renewal Group extols Eso AFENIFERE Renewal Group (ARG) has extolled the late Justice Kayode Eso. The group, in a statement signed by its Media/Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kunle Famoriyo, said: “When an old person dies in Africa, the understanding is that he has gone to join his ancestors. It is in this regard that we the Afenifere Renewal Group accept the transition of our beloved Justice Kayode Eso with equanimity and understanding that the eminent jurist played a glorious role, with an enviable legacy in life before his exit from earth.”

“Justice Eso was a qualified ‘Avatar’ in deeds and by right. We say this with all sense of responsibility to our race and Nigeria in general.

“He was an embodiment of excellence and perfection in law practice, his chosen profession. He was ‘primus interperes’ first among equals, in the category of the great Lord Denning, Britain’s eminent jurist. “Justice Eso at the bench made laws through his judgments, which were reference points that were unparalleled in the annals of legal history of this country.

We in the ARG will continue to remember his dissenting judgment of 1979 ‘twelve two thirds’ election petition case in which the Supreme Court’s verdict of 6-1 ended in favour of Alhaji Shehu Shagari.”

From left: Osita Chidoka, Corps Marshal & Chief Executive, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC); Justin Runji, Regional Coordinator, Sub-Sahara Africa Transport Programme (SSATP)/World Bank; and Erling Rask, Sub-Sahara African Transport Programme Consultant, at the 2012 United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Road Safety Workshop held at the UN Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Lagos ACN flays Southwest PDP

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HE Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Southwest chapter, for what it called its baseless allegation that Governor Babatunde Fashola and the ACN are manipulating the appeal case on the Ikoyi/ Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

In a statement in Lagos, signed by the Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, the party said it understands why it is arduous asking the Southwest PDP to substantiate its allegation since the party believes in forging and marketing

falsehood for its existence.

It said that PDP in the Southwest was founded on such falsehood “and has ceased to surprise us by the intensity and hollowness of its falsehood.”

ACN said: “Our reaction to the latest falsehood from the stable of a desperate dying cabal called the Southwest PDP is to laugh it off as yet another vain smear effort by the PDP to cash in on the intelligence of a people that have proved for the umpteenth time that they are wiser than the antics of the PDP. “When we saw the body of their allegation and noticed that there was no

strand linking either Governor Fashola or the ACN to the laughable allegation, we felt vindicated in our age-old contention that PDP in the Southwest is a huge aberration sustainable only through such cosmetic falsehood that allowed it the brief period it had to raid the region between 2003 and 2011. We would be expecting more from the Southwest PDP if we expect them to prove their baseless and outlandish allegation for that is the lifeblood that sustains them at present.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Fashola and the ACN give no heck about Ikoyi/Obalende

LCDA going to the PDP in a free and fair election, but we feel that PDP cannot just be patronised because they are very desperate.

Even in our contention, we feel the judiciary still remains the best institution equipped to settle every electoral dispute, which is why we are still submitting to the primacy of the court in this matter.

“Neither Governor Fashola nor the ACN has done anything to sabotage this process and we remain firm that the lower tribunal erred by disallowing our legitimate votes and approving PDP’s own votes.”

‘Saraki facilitated creation of Ekiti State’

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•The late Dr. Saraki

HE Chairman of the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State, Mr. Deji Fasuan, has eulogised the late Dr. Olusola Saraki, describing him as a man who gave the Ekiti a helping hand by facilitating the creation of Ekiti State.

He said: “The death of Dr. Olusola Saraki, generally referred to as the kingpin of Kwara politics, is a shock, which reverberations go beyond Kwara State.

“During our struggle for the creation of Ekiti State, we knew the elder statesman

through Dr. Bode Olowoporoku, who was his political associate and the Ewi of Ado, who was his royal friend. He did for Ekiti, what many of our elders, political and military heavyweights were unable or unwilling to do. Of all our influence-wielding leaders, only General Adeyinka Adebayo and Air Marshal Dada (of Ipoti Ekiti) bothered to understand and appreciate what we were all about.

“While leading a delegation of Ekiti leaders to Saraki’s home in Ilorin

sometime in 1994, he told us that our struggle could only be realised if we worked hard and remained united, especially concerning the location of the state capital.

We kept to this religiously and it paid off.

“On at least two occasions, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti led some Obas and leaders to Dr. Saraki’s office in Abuja when he was the Chairman of the Business Committee of the Constitutional Conference between 1994 and 1995. Each time we were in Abuja, he facilitated our appointments

in Aso Rock.

“Dr. Saraki was generous to a fault. He was always willing to help the poor.

“Ekiti leaders and monarchs sought assistance from many non-Ekiti during our five-year struggle for the creation of Ekiti State, precisely from 1991 to 1996, but none was as effective as Dr. Saraki’s. We owe much of our success to him. We will miss him. We say a big thank you to God Almighty and to people like Dr. Saraki, who helped us to realise the creation of Ekiti State.”

Imo strengthens security ahead of Yuletide

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ITH the Yuletide approaching with its attendant crime wave, security operatives in Imo State have adopted stringent measures to check criminal activities during the period, especially kidnapping.

In Owerri, the Imo State capital, stern-looking soldiers have taken over all entry and exit points and other strategic places, just as the police command has intensified patrol and routine stop and check in the city.

According to residents, the activities of the security operatives, which often result in heavy gridlock, might be part of the measures to curtail kidnapping, which is rampant during the festive period.

The Nation learnt that indigenes and wealthy businessmen living outside the state may not visit their relatives during the Christmas if the security situation does not improve.

Already, those who managed to visit the state, especially those who live outside the country, assume low status as they move about in hired cabs instead of expensive cars, which normally give them away to the kidnappers.

Police spokesman Vitalis Onugu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), assured visitors and residents that the command would protect their lives and property during and after the Yuletide.

World Bank hails FRSC

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HE Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has been singled out as a role model commission for other African countries.

This commendation came from the World Bank and the Sub-Saharan African Transport Programme (SSATP) during their 2012 Road Safety Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

SSATP Transport Specialist, Per Mathiasen, during his presentation, noted that the increase in road traffic crash data in Nigeria in 2008 has since reduced due to enhanced performance occasioned by improved enforcement strategy, even as he decried the non- replication of the trending down in Nigeria by other countries visited.

Mathiasen also noted the world class drivers licensing standard, which he described as very difficult to forge.

He also hailed the dedication of personnel including the volunteers.

The specialist, who asserted that the technology deployment in the country through FRSC is unparalleled in Africa, attributed the successes to the establishment of the agency under the Presidency with its clear mandate and budget.

Mathiasen recommended this framework for other African countries and hailed the FRSC for leading the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) in ensuring road safety in the subregion.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

7

NEWS We’ll use flood funds well, says Dangote

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola SAN with the Irish Minister of State for Trade & Development Cooperation Joe Costello (middle) and the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Patrick Fay during a meeting to explore investment opportunity in Lagos by a trade delegation led by the Minister at the Lagos House, Ikeja,...yesterday.

Reps call for minister’s sack over N396b Ecological Fund shortfall T EMPERS flared yesterday at a proposed hearing by the Uche Ekwunife-led House Committee on Environment as the members agreed that the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafia, should be sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ms Mailafia’s absence yesterday stalled investigations into the shortfall of almost N400 billion in the Ecological Fund deductions.

The committee, which was to have conducted a hearing on the operation of the Ecological Fund, postponed the hearing following the minister’s absence.

Members of the committee said Ms Mailafia has no passion for the work and that there is an apparent disconnect between her and the work she was meant to be doing.

A member of the committee, Mohammed Abdulahi Shamsidin (Kaduna), who made the suggestion, was supported by the committee members.

He said: “The President has appointed these people to work with him.

“The Minister of Environment has no passion for the environment and there is a disconnect between her and

•House report exposes irregularities in Fund management From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

the work she was chosen for.

“I would suggest that she should try her luck else where. We should call on the President to find someone else who is not only interested in the job, but has the competence as well as the love for Nigeria.”

The committee also flayed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) , Anyim Pius Anyim, for his absence at the investigative session which was meant to conclude work the committee started last year.

Yesterday’s investigative session was stimulated by an interim report , which exposed almost N400billion shortfall in the deductions from the Ecological Fund.

According to the report obtained

by The Nation, there were illegal transfers and loans from the Ecological Fund without appropriation from the National Assembly.

The report reads: “The Statement

of Affairs presented by the Accountant General indicates that 1.46 per cent was used in calculating inflows into the fund from January to December 2003.

“This, according to the statement, was later reviewed downward to one per cent from January 2004 to June 2012, in complete violation of the provision of the Federation Account Act, which provides for two percent.

“For instance, the total inflow into the Ecological Fund account between January 2003 and February 2012 was N322, 165, 322,070.86 after the deduction of N20,123,084,858.03 for debt servicing.

“This one per cent used by the Accountant-General of the Federation for the computation of the inflows into the Fund from January 2004 to June this year was contrary to the two percent specified in the Act. “This, therefore, resulted in the understatement of the figure , N302,358,388,317.81.”

The report also said: “N93, 768,951,164.22 was transferred from

the Ecological Fund Account to Consolidated Revenue Fund (CFR) and the Federation Account.”

According to the report, the transfers were said “to have funded the acceleration of capital budget advances to states and local governments to meet shortfalls and funding of 2009 as well as Third Quarter Development Funds Warrant etc.”

The House report said of the amount, only N50 billion was paid back leaving a shortfall of N43.7 billion.

“The submissions under review also indicated that a loan of N60.75billion was taken from the Ecological Fund Account by both the federal and state governments for purposes not related to ecological problems.”

Of this loan, only N30.5 billion was repaid, the report states. “ Some direct payments were made to ministries and agencies. There were also deductions of N20, 123,084,858.03 for debt servicing.”

Jonathan: no intention to cover up panel findings

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said his administration has no intention of disregarding the findings of panels of the extractive industry.

He spoke at a Special Retreat for the Board and Directors of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). He was represented by Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio.

The President said: “To underline the commitment of this admin-

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From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

istration to transparency and accountability, especially in the extractive industries, we willingly initiated and submitted ourselves to public scrutiny through several fact-finding panels and objective criticisms.

“Let me restate the point that the administration has no intention of covering up any ascertained misdeeds revealed by these exercises.”

In a statement by NEITI Director

of Communications Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, the President said he would set up an Inter-Ministerial Task Team on implementation of NEITI Audit Report.

The team, made up of government agencies, which collect or manage Nigeria’s oil and gas revenue, is also to be reinvigorated and comprises of high ranking officials.

Jonathan described NEITI as an important anti-corruption agency

in the oil and gas sector whose report will be implemented to set the stage for the proposed reforms in the extractive industries, especially the oil and gas sector.

He said he has directed all Ministries, Agencies and Departments to give NEITI “open and unrestricted support” to carry out its statutory functions.

The President said the same directives will equally go to all companies covered by NEITI activities.

CCB vows to investigate Orubebe over asset declaration

HE Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Sam Saba, yesterday vowed to investigate the allegation of non-full disclosure of assets made against the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe.

The anti-graft agency also threatened that the minister would be brought before the Tribunal, if the allegations against him are true.

Saba spoke when the Anti-Corruption Network, led by its Executive Secretary, Dino Melaye, submitted a petition against the minister in Abuja.

The chairman said: “I have not

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

even read the petition and so cannot tell you what to expect.

“I can see the pictures in the petition and pictures do not lie.

“If what Melaye has given us is genuine, then we are going to work with it.

“Ours is to verify it and if we find out that he (Orubebe) has not declared his assets, we will find out why he did not declare it and we will also find out from the Registry why he has not done that.

“There are avenues to find out and

when we find out, it will be taken to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the last court of adjudication.

“Once, we finish, we will communicate.”

Saba lauded the Anti-Corruption Network for the courage to come up with facts to assist the agency in the discharge of its duties.

He bemoaned a situation where it had been difficult to fight corruption because of the failure of the people to avail the agency with necessary information.

“If you are asking what has been our constraints, it is the failure of

Nigerians to come out and give us information.

“I’m commending Melaye for coming out with facts which we are now going to verify.

“If we have credible organisations like yours doing what we are doing, I think the fight against corruption is going to be active, virile and enforceable.”

In the petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC), the group accused the minister of violation of Public Procurement Act in the awards of contracts.

CO-CHAIRMAN of the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief Aliko Dangote has assured that the funds being raised to rehabilitate flood victims would be prudently managed.

Dangote gave the assurance when he led members of the Committee on an assessment tour to flood victims in Delta State.

He said donations received would be used to improve the lives of the people.

Dangote said the displaced farmers would be provided with improved, fast and high-yielding seeds and seedlings to cushion the effects of the devastation on their farms.

Impressed by the Skill Acquisition/Empowerment Programme introduced by the Delta State Government in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) camps in the state, Dangote promised that the Dangote Foundation would henceforth accommodate 1,000 women from Delta annually in its empowerment programme.

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Flood said the women would be empowered to enable them improve the living standards of their families.

He also assured them that the Federal Government was with them in their moments of grief.

Dangote said the essence of the Committee was to ensure that they were adequately catered for.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said internally displaced persons who graduated from the skill acquisition centres were provided with starter packs to enable them stand on their own economically.

3,897 called to Bar From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

NATIONAL Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola was among the 3,897 lawyers called to Bar yesterday.

They were among the 5,449 who sat for the Bar final examination.

Nine passed with first class, 195second class upper, 900-second class lower, while 2,783 had pass.

Over 1,000 failed the examination, it was learnt.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Tahir Mamman, urged the new lawyers to be job creators and not seekers.

He said the knowledge which the Law school had impacted on them was enough to make them fulfilled lawyers.

Mamman said some young lawyers caught impersonating during the examination are facing criminal trial.

The Chairman, Body of Benchers , Idowu Sofola (SAN) urged the young lawyers to be good, hardworking, trustworthy, thorough, reliable and full of integrity. ‘’These and many more qualities will make you distinct lawyers.

“It will also earn you over the years trust and confidence, not only by clients, but your colleagues at the Bar and even the Bench’’.

Sofola advised the lawyers to be prompt at court and handle any case assigned to them diligently, cautiously and confidentially.

He also advised them to avoid trial by media.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

NEWS Okah:South African court may take evidence from Nigerian suspects

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S the Federal Government tries to close its case against the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Henry Okah, there are plans for the Guateng High Court in South Africa to take evidence from three bomb suspects in custody in Nigeria.

The suspects are on trial for the October 1, 2010, blast in Abuja.

But it was unclear yesterday whether the court will relocate to Nigeria or the suspects will be flown to South Africa.

It was gathered that written, oral, audio and video clips of the suspects might also be made available to the court.

A source said more than 20 Nigerian witnesses, including four case officers from the State Security Service (SSS), testified against Okah in South Africa.

The source said: “So far, more than 20 witnesses, including four case officers in SSS, have been to South Africa

•20 witnesses testify against MEND leader From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

to testify against Okah.

“There is no question of the Federal Government negotiating with the MEND leader.

“Some of the witnesses included some serving ministers, security chiefs and even former MEND coordinators.

“Depending on Okah’s defence, more witnesses might still go to South Africa. The last batch of witnesses came back about 11 days ago.

“We are determined to conclude the case to prove that we are out to fight terrorism. It is left to Okah to open his defence.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The South African court might take evidence from some of the suspects in custody.

“We are not sure whether the court will relocate to Nigeria or the suspects will be taken there.

“The court might also choose to depend on written, audio and video clips of the testimonies of these suspects, who are also on trial at a Federal High Court in Abuja.”

Four suspects were initially arrested in connection with the blast.

The suspects are Edmund Ebiware, Charles Okah, Obi Nwabueze and Tiemkemfa Osuvwo, who later died in custody.

Ebiware implicated the MEND leader in the explosions near the Government House in Warri on March 15, 2010.

The source added: “From the hint at one of the trial sessions, the court might take evidence from some of these suspects.

“It is left to the court to determine its modus operandi. We are, however, ready to cooperate with the court.”

Military hardware to be produced locally

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HE Federal Government has concluded plans to localise production of the country’s military hardware.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo said the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) would be positioned to handle the hard-

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

ware needs of the Armed Forces, paramilitary services and the police.

He spoke yesterday during the Presidential Committee meeting on the Review of the Structure, Operation and Activities of DICON, which he

chaired in his office at the State House, Abuja.

He said the committee was expected to come up with a framework that would ensure that DICON meets the objectives of its founding fathers–local production of the needs of the country’s security forces.

ASUU kicks against plea bargaining

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HE National President of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Dr Nasir Fagge Isa, has said the use of plea bargaining in cases involving influential Nigerians would worsen corruption.

Isa spoke in Ibadan yesterday when a national trustee of ASUU, Prof Chukwuka Okonjo, was honoured with Doctor of Science by the premier university According to him, plea bargaining is another ploy by the political class to protect its own, who he said are the ones stealing from Nigerians.

The ASUU leader said the union was opposed to giving support to criminals by asking him to part with some of the loot, adding that it does not portray the nation as serious.

“You catch somebody and tell him to bring a part of what he has stolen.

“It is not going to stop others but will encourage other criminals to steal. Honestly, plea bargaining is just another way used by the political class to protect its own.

“The stealing is mostly done by the political class.

“If somebody steals

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

N100million and you ask him to part with 60 million...what stops him from stealing N200billion next time?

“We at ASUU do not support giving protection to criminals” He urged President Jonathan to implement reports of committees set up by

the Federal Government to probe different sectors of the economy.

Isa said the President must show this by stepping on toes rather than hobnobbing with people of tainted character.

Okonjo, who is the father of Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said Nigerians have no reason to be poor, if the economy is properly managed and restructured.

Group condemns Obasanjo From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

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HE Southern Mandate, a coalition of socio-political groups in the Southwest, Southsouth and Southeastern geopolitical zones, yesterday condemned ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for describing President Goodluck Jonathan as a weakling who is incapable of quelling the Boko Haram insurgency.

It said Obasanjo’s “place in history is that of a villain and nothing more.”

Obasanjo had, at the 40th anniversary of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s call to ministry at the Word of Life Bible Church in Warri, Delta State, blamed President Jonathan for being indecisive against Boko Haram.

But in a statement in Abuja, signed by five coordinators of the coalition, the group said instead of Obasanjo seeking forgiveness, he took pride in the Odi massacre.

“It is not always every advice of an elder statesman that should be taken seriously. Government must wear a human face and its essence is for the welfare of the citizenry, the protection of lives and property, and maintenance of human dignity.”

DStv launches promo

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ULTICHOICE Nigeria, operators of DSTV, has launched its largest promo ever.

This year’s promo, according to a statement by the company, is for both DStv and DStv Mobile brands.

It will give more Nigerians the chance to become DStv subscribers at the cheapest rate ever.

Customers will win five Renault Sport Utility Vehi-

cles (SUVs); 10 return tickets to the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Johannesburg, South Africa; 100 40 inch LCDs and 500 Walka 7 devices.

Additional prizes include iPads and mobile handsets for subscribers with DStv Mobile coverage.

The Managing Director, John Ugbe, said: “The cost of installing a DStv system for the Access bouquet with

three months subscription during the promo is N19,900 down from N31,050.

“DStv has four additional bouquets, with price reductions from N33,100 to N24,900 for Family. Compact, from N40,500 to N28,900. Compact Plus from N 47,250 to N34,900 and Premium from N56,700 to N44,900.

“The promo will run till January 15.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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NEWS

Senate: name Ilorin International Airport after Saraki

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HE Senate has eulogised the late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki. It paid tribute yesterday to the former Senate Leader, who senators agreed was a shining example.

This followed a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba and Senator Simeon Ajibola (Kwara South), entitled: “Demise of Senator (Dr.) Olusola Saraki.”

For about three hours, the lawmakers poured encomiums on the late senator, listing his attributes and contributions to the development of the country.

Even those in the gallery said it was a honour well deserved.

Senator Ndoma-Egba recalled that the late Saraki, the

Petition: ACN slams Mimiko, LP for avoiding service

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HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State has criticised Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the Labour Party (LP) for locking up their secretariat, to avoid being served summons by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure.

A statement by Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, the Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy of ACN in the state, said Governor Mimiko and the LP have been evading service of summons by the tribunal to waste time, perhaps to make sure the case is not finished within the constitutionallyaccepted period.

He said: “ACN supporters and other Nigerians want to know why Governor Mimiko is avoiding being served summons. Why is he afraid of summons? Why is he running from his shadow?

He should be prepared prove to the world that he won the last governorship election.

“ACN is committed to pursuing the tribunal case to a logical conclusion. We have the responsibility of informing our supporters in Ondo State, Nigeria and the world why we are in court and this is what we have done. We owe no apology to the spin doctors employed by Governor Mimiko to challenge our right, which was not denied him in 2009 when he fought to retrieve his mandate.

“It is sad that the LP’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Femi Okunjemiruwa, missed the point by alluding “to an era when the judiciary was under the cash-andcarry characters of old, the era of judgment purchase.

“We urge him to name the characters he was referring to and the judgment purchased. Is he saying Mimiko’s victory in the courts in 2009 was purchased?

“What we are saying is that the LP has committed electoral fraud in Ondo State and should be ready to defend itself at the tribunal and the court of public opinion.”

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

Waziri and Turaki of Ilorin, was born on May 17, 1933 in Lagos into the family of Alhaji Mukhtar Mustapha Saraki, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist from Agoro Compound, Agbaji in Ajikobi Ward of Ilorin.

The Senate Leader said Dr. Saraki attended Eko Boys High School, Lagos, Reverend Lukas College, Lagos, before leaving for England where he qualified as a medical doctor, obtaining MCRs, LRCR and MBBS in 1962.

•Lawmakers extol late senator’s virtues According to him, the late Saraki was the first indigene of Ilorin to register as a doctor with the Nigerian Medical Council in 1963.

Ndoma-Egba said in 1964, Saraki entered politics, contesting for and losing election into the House of Representatives to represent Asa Federal Constituency.

He said Dr. Saraki was elected into the Constituent Assembly in 1977, which prepared the nation for democratic rule in 1979.

Said he: “When political parties were formed, preparatory to the return to civil rule, Saraki became a foundation member of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), which won the 1979 General Elections.

“He was a National ViceChairman of the party and contested its primaries for the presidential election, but lost to Alhaji Shehu Shagari.”

Senator Ndoma-Egba noted that the late Saraki was undeterred by his defeat at the

primary election and worked for the success of the party. He was later persuaded to contest for the Ilorin-Asa Senatorial District seat, which he won.

Senator Smart Adeyemi said the Federal Government should be urged to name the Ilorin International Airport after the late Saraki. The prayer was unanimously adopted.

Senate President David Mark said the late Saraki touched the lives of many Nigerians.

He said: “Saraki touched the lives of many people in this country.

“It shows what will happen if you live a good life, live for the ordinary people.

“Saraki has lived and died.

He is gone, but there are lessons to be learnt from his life. I think that is important.

“He was compassionate, he was kind, he was with his people, he was God-fearing and he was honest in his dealings with people.

“All these are good virtues we need to emulate.

“He lived his life as a detribalised Nigerian.”

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CITYBEATS

Passenger caught with $320,000

THE Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Command of Customs yesterday arrested a passenger with over $320,000.

The passenger, the Command said, was aboard a Qatar Airways flight bound for Doha, in the Gulf region, when he was arrested.

Onwuekwe Anthony Chidi was checking in on a Qatar Airways flight when he declared the money, but he could neither explain its source nor show proof of his business to the Customs.

A statement signed by the Customs Area Controller, Mr Eporwei Charles, said the passenger and the money had been handed over to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigations.

The statement reads in part: “About 13:00 hours on November 19, a passenger by name Onwuekwe Anthony Chidi, with passport number A04086671 was checking in on Qatar Airways; he declared the sum of $320,000 on both forms CDFIA and CDFIB, but could not explain the source of the currency or show adequate proof of his business to the Customs officer at the currency desk.”

Two suspected kidnappers arraigned

By Tumininu Owolabi

TWO unemployed men, Samson Igwe and Chukwualuka Nweke have been arraigned before a Lagos State Magistrate’s Court on Ikeja for allegedly kidnapping three girls.

Igwe 32 and Nweke 26, are facing a four-count charge of kidnapping and unlawful administration of noxious drug before Magistrate Olagbegi Adelabu.

The prosecuting Sergeant Isaac Oseni told the court that the defendants unlawfully kidnapped and detained Miss Jenifer Ezeala, Miss Joy Okonkweo and Miss Janet Okoro against their wish.

The offence contravened Sections 269, 409 and 241 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011. The defendants pleaded not guilty.

Magistrate Adelabu granted them N250, 000 bail each with two sureties in the like sum. She ordered that the sureties must possess Lagos State tax clearance certificate for the last three years.

She adjourned the case till November 22.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012 08033054340, 08034699757 E-mail:- ynotcitybeats@gmail.com

Robbers keep victim in car trunk for 17 hours

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OR about 17 hours, he was held in the trunk of his white Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) which was snatched from him at gun point.

The robbers rode with him round the Lagos metropolis, raiding and shooting, from 7p.m on Sunday till 11.30a.m on Monday.

Uche Ochiriuzor, a telephone dealer at Ladipo Market in Mushin, a Lagos suburb, regained his freedom on Monday morning at Atunrase Street in Surulere, Lagos Mainland, where the robbers abandoned his SUV after its

tyres went down and snatched another car to escape.

His shouts of “help, help” after the robbers had escaped attracted people, who rushed to the SUV to see who was locked up in the trunk.

Ochiriuzor relived his ordeal.

He said he was attacked by the robbers about 7p.m on Sunday and kept in the trunk of his SUV. The robbers, he said, spoke English, Yoruba and Igbo.

He said after they took his SUV, he overheard them saying they were looking for

a Toyota Sienna. They saw one on Governors Road in Idimu, a Lagos suburb, but couldn’t snatch the vehicle and they shot the owner in anger.

Ochiriuzor said they drove him around town and bought fuel twice, adding that before coming to Atunrase Street in the morning, they were at the Bar Beach all night.

The 40-year-old victim, who recounted his ordeal at the New Barracks Police Station in Surulere, Lagos Mainland, thanked God for sparing his life.

At Atunrase Street, Lagos, the hoodlums held residents

hostage for about 15 minutes.

Brandishing sophisticated weapons, they went up and down the street, dispossessing motorists and passersby of their property.

Their first victim, a woman, was still too shocked to recall her ordeal long after the robbers had left.

Eyewitnesses said the robbers had blocked her with an SUV and took her jewelry and other valuables.

Their next victim was a couple on motorcycle, who also lost all their valuables.

But their main target was a recharge card dealer whose

Music school for the blind

‘Let Nigerians’ wishes prevail’

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TANDARD Chartered Bank (SCB) has opened a music school for students of the Vocational School of the Nigerian Society for the Blind in Oshodi, a Lagos suburb.

The school is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for the visually impaired. The project is part of the bank’s “Seeing is believing (SIB)” initiative to help combat avoidable blindness while providing sustainable means of livelihood for individuals with impaired vision.

The ceremony was attended by the bank’s workers, the Board and Management of the school, and members of the visually impaired community.

Ace music producer and song writer Cobhams Asuquo performed a few numbers with the children.

SIB is the bank’s initiative to help tackle avoidable blindness in communities around the world.

The bank’s Group Finance Director and SIB committee

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•From left: Mrs. Agbaje; Asuquo, Meddings and SCB’s Executive Director, Finance, Nigeria, PHOTO: OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA Mrs. Yemi Owolabi, at the event... yesterday

By Oyeyemi GbengaMustapha

Chairman Richard Meddings, said: ‘’In support of the SIB initiative, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited has held an annual fundraising walk for the last seven years, raising over $740,000 which helped to fund successful cataract operations for thousands of people between January 2006 and September 2012. We are very proud of what we have

achieved with our Walk for Sight initiative in the last seven years in Nigeria. It is quite gratifying to see that the money we have raised from this initiative has made a positive difference in the activities of our partner NGOs. “The establishment of the school is just one of the several ways we reinforce our promise to our stakeholders that we are indeed here for good.”

Chairman, Nigerian Society of the Blind, Mrs. Biola Agbaje said: ‘’We are proud to say the music school is the first of its kind in Lagos and we are grateful to Standard Chartered Bank for taking their partnership with us to the next level through the establishment of the school. No doubt, our students will be indebted to the bank for this generous gift.’’

Judge urges police on diligent investigations

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JUDGE at the Lagos High Court, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, has challenged the police on diligent investigation of criminal cases before coming to court.

She said despite the judiciary’s commitment to a speedy justice system, the police have failed to strengthen their investigative capacity to end the culture of impunity.

The biggest deterrent to crime in all countries, she said, “is the fear of detection and punishment”, adding: “This does not occur in Nigeria, because only few crimes are successfully investigated and

shop is on the street.

Probably acting on a tip-off, they waited for the woman, who had gone to the bank; the moment they saw her, they snatched her bag containing cash and recharge cards.

They moved to Atunrase junction in search of a vulcaniser, but when they couldn’t get one, they hijacked another SUV and abandoned their operational vehicle.

During the operation, efforts to reach the police failed. A reporter, who called the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, did not get any response and the person that picked her call failed to alert the Rapid Response Squad about the robbery.

By Samuel Adetunla

prosecuted.”

Justice Akinlade, who spoke at this year’s conference of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, urged “stakeholders in criminal justice administration to collaborate and ensure criminals are prosecuted and punished to serve as deterrent to others.”

She said though the United States has one of the largest land mass in the world and Israel is surrounded by enemy states, yet it does appear that there are more attacks in

Nigeria because our law enforcement agents have not risen to the situation.

“Hence, our law enforcement agencies must place emphasis on intelligence gathering and crime prevention because judges will not manufacture evidence to convict criminals,” she said.

Justice Akinlade said the nation was bogged down by corruption, terrorism, kidnapping, crude oil theft, poverty and unemployment, porous borders, lack of confidence in the law enforcement agencies, and inadequate fingerprinting equipment.

In his presentation entitled: “Community and the challenge of insecurity in Nigeria,” a former university teacher, Dr. Kemdirim Protus, called for the enlistment of traditional rulers and church- based self-defence groups (vigilante) in community policing.

He said such groups should work under the supervision of the divisional police officers in their respective localities, urging the Joint Task Forces and other security agencies to collaborate with villagers in order to achieve results in tackling insecurity.

HE NATIONAL Assembly has been urged to ensure that the wishes of Nigerians prevail in the ongoing Constitution review.

The plea was made by the Chairman Tunji Bello Foundation (TBF) Alhaji Ibrahim Alao at his Yaba, Lagos office.

He said the Foundation was committed to a revised Constitution that would promote good governance as reflected in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) controlled states.

According to him, the National Assembly owes it a duty to harmonise the opinions of Nigerians to deepen democracy . He said the Foundation aligns with the ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babatunde Fashola and the ACN, stressing that the Foundation would support attempts at entrenching true federalism.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to accord Lagos State a special status.

Senator Tinubu made the submission at her constituency office at Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos Mainland. She charged the lawmakers to upgrade the existing 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) to full-fledged local governments.

The member representing Mainland constituency, Hon Monsuru Alao had earlier held a town hall meeting on the review of the Constitution at the Mainland Hotel, Ebute Meta.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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NEWS Tribunal orders substituted service on Mimiko From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Akure, the state capital, yesterday ordered substituted service of the petitions filed by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Accord and their candidates in the October 20 election on Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

It ordered that the notices of the petitions be pasted on the wall at the entrance of the Labour Party (LP) Secretariat on Oyemekun Road, Akure.

The tribunal said all processes shall be served on Mimiko by pasting them on the wall of the LP Secretariat.

Efforts by the tribunal’s bailiff to serve the notices on Mimiko have failed. The LP was served on Monday, 10 days after the petitions were filed.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the People for Democratic Change (PDC) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) have applied for substituted service of their petitions on Mimiko before the tribunal.

The tribunal has not set a date for its inaugural session.

Oyo Assembly approves State Council Bill From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

•Osun State Governor Aregbesola (third left), Commissioner for Agriculture Wale Adedoyin (second right) and others during the inauguration of the state’s Bee-Keeping Project at Oyan...yesterday.

Police have failed Nigerians, says Ajimobi O YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday justified the call for the establishment of state police.

He said the federal-controlled police have failed to maintain internal security in the country.

The governor called for the amendment to the 1999 Constitution to accommodate the establishment of state police.

He said it was the only way to address the nation’s security challenges.

Ajimobi spoke at the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan (UI), while delivering a lecture, entitled: “The police issue in federal Nigeria: A shoe wearer’s perspective”.

He said: “It is suffice to say the Boko Haram uprising in the North, the kidnappings and mob killings in the Southeast and Southsouth, as well as the ceaseless armed robberies and assassinations in the Southwest have raised questions on the ability of the police to secure Nigeria.

“The current command structure of the police prevents governors from truly serving as Chief Security Officers of their states. They merely wear that title like an honorary chieftaincy title.

“Governors, who have been entrusted with securing

their states by the electorate, deserve to have the powers and facilities to meet the expectations of the electorate.”

Explaining that the police had been abused by past federal administrations for political ends, Ajimobi cited the arrest and deportation of Alhaji Abdulrahman Shugaba of the defunct Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), who was a former Majority Leader of the Borno State House of Assembly, by the Federal Government-led National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic.

He said the police featured prominently in the manipulations of the 1983 elections in Oyo, Ondo and Imo states.

Ajimobi said: “Since 1999, the police had been used by the Peoples Democratic Government (PDP) government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to harass and intimidate governors, who either belonged to different parties or were not in good terms with the former president.

“The instances include the abduction of former Anambra State Governor Chris Ngige and the police-assisted impeachment of many governors, including former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja. Instances of police culpability in the rigging of elections against opposition parties have also

been rampant.”

The governor said one of the major consequences of the abuse of police power and inadequacy of the force was the emergence of multiple groups, ranging from neighbourhood vigilance groups to organised pseudo-security outfits, such as the Bakassi Boys and the Odu’a People’s Congress (OPC), among others.

Ajimobi dismissed fears that governors would use state police to oppress their political opponents and that states lack the resources to maintain the police.

He said: “If the fear of abuse of police power is enough reason not to create state police, then the Federal Government, which has repeatedly abused such powers, does not deserve to monopolise police power.

“If Nigeria is persuaded that states should perform police functions, the revenue allocation formula will have to be restructured to reflect the withdrawal of such function (or part of it) from the Federal Government and its enlistment as a state function.

“Besides, the deployment of resources by the state is a function of the priorities of the government. I am yet to see a gov-

ernment that has not listed security as a priority.”

The governor said the N319.65 billion allocated to the police in the 2013 budget triples that of Oyo State’s Budget for 2012.

He said: “We need to ask, as a nation, if we have a national bureaucracy to effectively deploy N319.65 billion in a single agency of government.

“Besides, my experience is that in spite of this staggering allocation, state governments have had to support the operations of the police in their respective states.

“Without going into details, let me state without any fear of contradiction that state governments today, alongside the Federal Government, are jointly responsible for the operations of the Nigeria Police.

“This expenditure has no place in their legislative list, yet governors incur significant expenses to support police functions in their respective states.”

Ajimobi said the provision for state police should come with checks and balances that would preclude governors from abusing the Force.

Also at the lecture were Prof.

O. Nwolise; Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Olawale Ogunkola; and the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Mechanised Division, Ibadan, Maj.-Gen. M. D. Abubakar.

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HE Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday approved the State Council Bill, 2012.

The approval was pronounced by Speaker Monsurat Sunmonu after the House considered the report of the Mr. Kehinde Subair-led Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.

The bill empowers the governor as the Chairman; the deputy governor as the Vice-Chairman; former governors, the speaker, the Chief Judge and the Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice as members.

The function of the council is to advise the governor on matters affecting the implementation of national programmes and policies, merit awards, maintenance of peace and order as well as on other matters he may specifically request.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Finance and Appropriation, Mr. Olusegun Olaleye, presented the appraisal of the 2012 Budget performances of Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs).

Following a motion moved by Deputy Speaker Babatunde Olaniyan, the House set aside the report, noting that it was belated because it came after the Assembly had approved the Budget Alignment Bill.

5,800 benefit from Ekiti free health mission From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

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HE Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Olusola Fasubaa, has urged residents to take advantage of the State Government’s Sixth Free Health Mission.

He said over 3,000 residents of Ikere-Ekiti have benefitted from the exercise.

Speaking yesterday in Ikere-Ekiti, Fasubaa warned expectant women against patronising churches and mosques for medical treatment.

He said it is not only unhealthy, but dangerous to resort to faith-based organisations and herbal homes for treatment during pregnancy, at delivery or after.

Fasubaa said he was impressed with the turn out for the exercise.

Caretaker Chairman, Ikere Local Government, Mr. Kayode Adekamimo said several people have regained their sight through the health intervention.

He urged the people to continue to support and pray for the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration.

In Ise/Orun Local Government Area, the Olowuro of OrunEkiti, Oba Adewumi Aderohunmu, and the council Chairman, Mr. Femi Ajayi, lauded the free health mission.

In Emure Local Government Area, the State Director of Public Health, Dr. Francis Ibikunle, said over 2,800 people benefitted from the mission.

Osun Govt, PDP disagree on demolition

Amosun presents N112.86b Budget

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GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday presented the proposed N211.86 billion Budget for next year to the House of Assembly.

The proposal, which represents a 5.6 per cent increase compared with the 2012 figure of N200.55 billion, was tagged: “Budget for sustainable growth’’.

Amosun said that the budget was geared towards the actualisation of his administration’s mission to rebuild the state.

A breakdown of the budget shows that the education sector has the lion share of N43.44 billion, representing 20.50 per cent of the budget.

This is closely followed by rural and infrastructure de-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

vel o p m en t / e m p l o y m en t generation with N39.92 billion which represents 18.70 per cent.

The governor said affordable housing and urban renewal in the budget would gulp N29.62 billion, while N14.72 billion would be expended on efficient health care delivery, representing 6.95 per cent.

Agricultural production/ industrialisation has a share of N10.69 billion representing 5.05 per cent while N73.48 billion goes to sundry matters.

The sum of N118.23 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure, representing 56 per cent, with N93.64

billion which represents 44 per cent, targeted for recurrent expenditure.

The expected total revenue in the new budget is fixed at N148.75 billion while the proposed capital receipt is estimated at N63.11 billion.

Amosun assured the people that ongoing road projects would be completed before this tenure expires.

There are over 16 ongoing road projects across the state.

The governor said: “These ambitious road projects cannot all be completed next year, but they will surely be completed by this administration.

“Efforts would be directed to the completion of the 15 model schools, the building of 13 additional ones and the renovation of 200 secondary

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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•Amosun

schools, among others.”

Speaker Suraj Adekunbi assured Amosun of the Assembly’s cooperation with the other arms of government to meet the yearnings of the people.

THE Osun State Government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have disagreed on the ongoing demolition of structures in some parts of the state.

The state government is demolishing structures on the Obafemi Awolowo Way; Igbona, Ayetoro, Okefia and Ring roads in Osogbo to beautify the state capital.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy Sunday Akere said the administration is in the process of renewing major towns in the state. He said shops were demolished on Ring Road and the East by-pass to make way for the planting of flowers on both sides of the roads.

Explaining that the shop owners were notified before the demolition, Akere said: “The shops had been marked for demolition for over six months now and the government waited for a long time to allow the shop owners look for an alternative.

“The immediate-past government was there for seven and a half years without anything to show for it. We got there in less than two years and are giving the state a face lift.”

PDP Publicity Secretary Prince Bola Ajao said: “We are not saying there should not be development, but the development must be within the economic viability of the people. Aregbesola’s action was not only unfair; it was wicked, callous and unfortunate.”

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

NEWS

Abia budgets N134.148b

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HE Abia State Government will spend N134, 148, 037,590 billion.

This represents an increase of N4,188,712,420billion or 3.2per cent over this year’s budget outlay of N129,959,325,170billion next year.

Presenting the budget, called Budget of Hope to the House of Assembly yesterday in Umuahia, the state capital, Governor Theodore Orji said it is targeted at capital project development to address the critical issues in Vision 20.20.20.

The governor said the state would next year focus more on how to increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to make it less dependent on Federal Allocations.

He said the state would

From Ugochukwu UgojiEke, Umuahia

adopt direct bank lodgment, adding that it would expand its revenue base.

Orji said the IGR would be N34,940,133,420 billion, representing an increase of 57.37per cent over this year’s 26.05per cent of the total budget outlay of N134,148,037,590 billion, or 30.94per cent of N112,943,586,87billion projected revenue.

The governor said the recurrent expenditure is N67,820,454,270billion against this year’s recurrent expenditure of N58,838,997,070billion, which is an increase of N8,981,457,200billion, or 15.26per cent, while the capital expenditure is

N66,327,583,320billion for next year.

He told the lawmakers that there would be massive road construction and reconstruction, while major projects would be completed.

According to him, the 17 local governments will be encouraged to set aside some funds to maintain rural roads.

Speaker Ude OkoChukwu assured the governor that the Assembly would give accelerated passage to the budget to enable the executive implement it effectively.

The Speaker said the lawmakers were willing to sacrifice their holidays during the Yuletide to accelerate their work for the benefit of the state and its residents.

APGA petitions CJN on Enugu CJ’s alleged interference

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HE United States chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGAUSA) has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mukhtar, to prevail on the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Azubike Umezulike, to hands off the case between Ichie Jude Okoli and Sir Victor Umeh, the party’s National ChairmaThe petition was also sent to the American Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

It urged the authorities to examine the position of the CJ on the matter. The party alleged that Umezulike might have used autocratic judicial acts in handling the matter.

In a 16-page document by Mr. Okwukwe Ibiam, the General Secretary of APGA-USA, the party called the attention of various authorities to the ex parte order and the interlocutory injunction by the CJ against APGA National Chairman.

The party noted that the action of the Chief Judge would disrupt the activities of the party.

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

“Chief Justice Innocent Azubike Umezulike refused to vacate the same interim order after its term lapsed on Tuesday, July 31. Justice Umezulike rather extended the same interim order on August 1, to September 16, when he said he would declare a ruling, after a hearing on an application from the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sir Victor Umeh, to vacate same order,” Ibiam said.

The party noted that in his ruling on September 16, Justice Umezulike said his interim order would “endure”, because a “…reflection of these cases is of course demanded”.

APGA-USA expressed worry that the Chief Justice, on September 24, extended the ex parte order initiated on June 25 and withheld judgment pending the review of an application before the Federal Court of Appeal, Nigeria.

It added: “The judge, however, made a volte face and delivered judgment on October 8, in the same matter, without waiting for the ruling from the Federal High Court.”

Six poly students renounce cultism

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IX students of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, have renounced their membership of cult groups.

The school’s anti-cult group destroyed the temple of a cult group.

The former cultists were mostly “freshers”, who were initiated about seven months ago; one of them is

Ex-civil servant dies at 80 A RETIRED civil servant and devout Christian, Chukwudi Ndubunma Esedebe, has died.

A statement yesterday by his family said Eserdebe died on September 27. He was 80.

He is survived by Elizabeth Elgoche, Esther Bashorun, Matilda Young, Theophilus Esedebe, Abraham Esedebe, Emmanuel Esedebe, Lucy Emencheta, Christopher Esedebe, Stella Esedebe and Raymond Esedebe.

The statement said the late Esedebe would be buried on November 30, after a funeral service at Saint Monica Catholic Church in his home town Ogboli, Ibusa of Delta State, at 10am.

A Christian and traditional wake will hold in Lagos on November 23 and 24 at 4pm.

a final year student.

At the convocation arena, venue of the renunciation ceremony, the anti-cult group, led by Khaki Abdullahi, displayed some items recovered from the temple of the Black Axe Confraternity.

They included a Bible, a mace, three pieces of regalia for the chief priest and other hierarchies, axes, charms, candles, vests and daggers.

The items were burnt by the repentant cultists.

Abdullahi said his group acted on information, which resulted in the destruction of the temple.

He warned that the other cult members, who refused to renounce their membership, would be rusticated.

The Rector, Prof. Godwin Onu, recalled that when he assumed office in 2010, over 50 students renounced their membership of

various cult groups.

According to him, his administration’s zero tolerance for cultism is yielding positive results.

He said: “We have sustained our efforts through prayers with the men of God around us, through the activities of the Anti-Cult Squad and through other mechanisms to ensure that our students enjoy their studies and live without fear. We stand on the declaration we made that this place must be cultfree.”

The Rector noted that cult groups’ efforts to re-launch themselves in the school had been thwarted.

Four members of the Black Axe, he said, who came from another higher institution in Abia State, were recently arrested “to prove that our school is a no-go area”.

Enugu sacks Head of Service

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HE Enugu State Government has sacked its Head of Service (HOS), Mr Denis Eze. A statement yesterday in Enugu by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Amechi Okolo, directed Eze to hand over to the acting Head of Service, Mr Chidi Ezema within 24 hours.

No reason was given for the sack.

The statement came barely a week after the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) was dissolved.

NAN reports that Eze was the first Head of Service to be relieved of his appointment of the three that had served under the Sullivan Chime administration.

CRACKDOWN

HEALTH

HELP

Kwankwaso seizes N300m drugs

Amosun launches support for expectant mothers

Lawmaker, women lift community, flood victims

Kano

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Ogun

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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GUN State Commissioner for Health Dr. Olaokun Soyinka has said that a healthy lifestyle is one sure way of controlling diabetes.

Speaking at a public lecture to commemorate this year’s World Diabetes Day, Soyinka said that avoiding sugary foods, eating balanced diet and engaging in regular exercise are equally helpful in keeping the scourge at bay.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Health, in collabo-

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Anambra

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Page 13

Email: news_extra@yahoo.com

‘How to prevent diabetes’ ration with the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Talabi Diabetes Centre and other stakeholders, held at Isara Remo in Ogun State Soyinka urged Nigerians to exercise daily in order to burn calories, enjoing them also to eat moderately just as he admonished patients to take their medications religiously as prescribed by qualified medical personnel.

On the rationale behind celebrat-

ing the day which had “Diabetes: Protect Our Future” as theme, the commissioner explained that it was to sensitise the public, particularly school children, on the dangers of the disease.

He therefore enjoined the younger generation to “make sure they read widely and learn more about the disease and other conditions as this will assist them to be healthy later in life.”

The founder and patron of Talabi Diabetes Centre, Mr. Olumuyiwa Talabi praised the state government for its untiring efforts to enhance the health status of residents, saying the collaboration with the centre was a pointer to this.

In a lecture, Dr. Olubiyi Adesina of the centre described diabetes as the absence of insulin produced from the pancreas that brings

about a rise in the sugar level, revealing that 200 million people are living with it, while 333 million people have been projected to have it by 2025.

He attributed the rise in the figure to the inactiveness of the present generation, saying that copying western culture is compounding the problem. According to him, obesity, age, ruralurban migration, genetic predisposition, smoking and alcohol are other factors responsible for the increase of diabetes.

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ORE help has come for victims of the floods which ravaged parts of the country recently, and it was just as well. Since the disaster happened, public-spirited firms and individuals have been sending relief across the country.

In Anambra State, the most recent support came from London-based philanthropist Sir Godwin Ezeemo who, apart from donating items to many less-privileged persons in the state, visited the camps of the internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in the eight local government areas that were submerged by the flood. He donated relief items worth over N10m. Some of the items donated included bags of rice, wrappers, blankets, pillows, and food items, among others.

Newsextra also gathered that more than 150 students in the country have benefited from his scholarship scheme, even as widows, the youth and other less-privileged persons are not left out.

Sir Ezeemo is also interested in the people’s spiritual wellbeing. This he exemplified in the building of a church in Umuchu in Aguata Local Government Area and a police station, to mention but a few.

Excluding the above, the amazing gesture of generosity is the building of a two- storey edifice for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Anambra State. Recall that the Anambra State chapter of the NUJ had been operating from a rented apartment for many years. The project is estimated at over N20m.

Successive administrations in the state made uncountable unfulfilled promises to the council.

As a result of these landmark achievements, the state council of the NUJ led by Mrs. Tochukwu Udoji-Omelu presented Ezeemo an award of man of the year for 2012.

Also honoured by the council was the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh who was conferred with the honour of the most historic

•Ezeemo (third left) with Arunma Oteh (fourth right), Mrs Omelu (second left) and other dignitaries during the award ceremony in Awka

More help for flood victims Philanthropist gives N10m relief materials From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

woman of the year. Oteh, according to Mrs. Omelu, dared to run where angels feared to tread.

Others who received the NUJ awards included the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Prof. Boniface Egboka as the Vice-Chancellor of the year, while business mogul Sir Emeka Offor got the philanthropist of the year, having donated books worth over N1b to some federal and state universities in the country.

Speaking during the chapter’s press week and award ceremony, Mrs Omelu said: “Today, to the Glory of God, a dream has come true. A dream that started during my campaign in 2006, to have a befitting press centre for the Anambra chapter of the NUJ, is today being fulfilled before our very eyes.

“It is on this note that I, on behalf of NUJ Anambra State Council, welcome you to this historic event, this epoch-making ceremony. We are glad that you are

here to share this moment with us.

“Permit me again to give all glory, all adoration and thanksgiving to God Almighty for this day. It is only God who could have put it in the heart of a young, unassuming, ebullient, philanthropist, a God-fearing man like Godwin Ezeemo to undertake, single-handedly, to complete the NUJ Press Centre which was abandoned at the decking level for years.

“It is only God who could make

him to do this with ease, without bitterness and without rancour and without fretting. It is my prayer that this same God who has used him so mightily will bless him beyond expectation.

“Please Sir, accept my sincere and profound gratitude and that of the entire journalists in Anambra, South-east and Nigeria. Thank you.

“May I announce to this great audience that, according to the resolution of the Congress of Anambra Council, that this press centre shall henceforth be •Continued on Page 47

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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750 houses for flood victims

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•Governor Shettima

ORNO State Governor Kashim Shettima has promised to build 750 houses for flood victims in Damasak, headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area of the state.

Shettima stated this while on an assessment visit to communities affected by flooding in the state.

The governor said the houses would be located in Dujji and Kitir-Tiram.

“As a responsible government, it is our duty to assist our people in dire need, we have already mobilised resources to take care of their immediate needs.

“We are embarking on the construction of 750 houses to provide a permanent shelter for them,” he said, adding that the houses

Suswam seeks help in fighting vice

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ENUE State Governor Gabriel Suswam has called on individuals and organisations to assist the state government in tackling acts capable of causing a breach of the peace.

Suswan made the call in Makurdi during his investiture as an Ambassador and Grand Patron of the state council of Universal Peace Federation (UPF).

Represented by Dr Torngee Tor-Anyiin, Suswan noted that government alone could not stamp out all societal ills He said that for peace to prevail in the society all hands must be on deck to tackle vices head on.

The governor said that he had empowered the security outfits to enable them protect lives and property, pointing out that this had reduced crime to the barest minimum in the state.

According to him, house breaking, pick pock-

Benue eting, burglary and even pilfering; have been nipped in the bud.

He gave assurance that the award would spur him to ensure that the relative peace in the state was sustained.

The National President of the federation, Dr George Ikpot, during the investiture, praised Suswan for the bold steps taken to ensure safety of lives and property in the state.

Earlier, the state President of UFP, Tor-Anyiin, pledged the support of members to the struggle against acts that could tamper with the relative peace in the state.

Tor-Anyiin stressed that peace was the foundation which other things depend on for survival.

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HE Kano State government said it has confiscated illegal drugs worth N300 million from dealers.

Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso made this known while presenting N50, 000 cheque to each of the 200 beneficiaries of the health micro-credit scheme who graduated at the School of Hygiene, Kano.

The state government had embarked on “a war against the sale of prohibited drugs as part of its renewed effort to check the menace of drug abuse among youths in the state.

Kwankwaso said that his government had taken stringent measures to curtail the ugly trend, especially among the youth.

He maintained that the decision to close down the Sabon Gari drugs market was done in good faith considering the danger posed by indiscriminate hawking of drugs.

“We want to control the drug business in Kano, that is why we decided to seal up Sabon Gari drugs market because it is unhealthy to

Borno would be ready for occupation in few weeks.

He said that the government was also in touch with the Federal Government to explore possibilities of further assistance..

“The Director-General of National Emergency Relief Agency (NEMA) has just left for Abuja after seeing the gravity of damage caused by the flood.

“We are also in constant touch with the Federal Government with a view to securing further assistance for the victims,” Shettima said.

He said government was also working on plans to provide some cash compensation to some of the victims who lost farm produce to the flood.

“As a people-oriented government, we are trying to see how best we can tackle the problem”.

He said government would adopt a holistic approach to ensure that a permanent solution was found to the problem of flooding in the area.

“We are also working on plans to construct channels at the river banks to prevent a reoccurrence of the problem,” Shettima said The governor also visited some of the temporary camps for the displaced people in the area and assured them of support.

•Kwankwaso

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Kogi gets modern dump site

HE Kogi Deputy Governor, Mr Yomi Awoniyi, says the state government has begun the construction of a modern refuse dump site.

Awoniyi said in a statement, signed by his press secretary, Mr Michael Abu, in Lokoja on Sunday that the dump site had been lacking since the creation of the state.

He noted that the site was part of efforts to clean up and beautify the capital city.

He said that the government’s initiative was

‘Give priority to primary education’,

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OVERNMENT has been urged to do away with bureaucracy to ensure effective primary school administration through School Based Management Committee (SBMC).

The advice was given by the Chairman, SBMC Lagos Island branch, Chief Olabinwonu Sanya, at a community forum organised by the committee in conjunction with the Women Protection Organisation (WOPO).It was meant to sensitise the citizens on the need to contribute their quota to the development of education in their community.

Aside,forum was to educate, enlighten and inform the public on what to do to bring development to education in their communities.

Chief Sanya stressed that the government at all levels should support and reduce the bureaucracy hindering effective performance of the committee. “ When you go round to canvass support for somebody to donate a block of classroom or borehole, you have to go through the bureaucracy of the board, which may take you six to nine months before approval comes and this may discourage the person who wants to donate, the free hand to perform is not there,” he said.

He commended the strides of the Lagos State government for dividing the SBMC into clusters which make it more accessible to the local community. But he wants it to do more.

Speaking also at the event, Education Secretary, Lagos Island Education Authority, Mr Moshood Maiyegun, decried the lack of enough support from the local government

By Amidu Arije

chairmen in the community and called on them to hearken to the need of developing the primary education.

Church marks 14th anniversary ACTIVITIES marking 14th year anniversary and thanksgiving service of Mountain of Freedom Bible Ministry International Freedom Chapel began on Monday . The programme will end on November 25.

Events for today and tomorrow run from 6pm to 8pm with an all night praise worship on Friday . The programme ends on Sunday with a thanksgiving service .The venue is 32, Irepodun Street, Agiliti 1 Mile 12 in Ikosi/Isheri Local Council Development Area, Lagos. Theme of the anniversary is: You are Special- Proverb 23:7.

Speaking on the programme, the host, Prophet James F. Olayinka Abolarinwa said anyone who believes in Christ Jesus is special already, saying what makes man special before God are holiness and righteousness He said that those attending this year’s event are due for abundant blessings.

to tackle waste management challenges, which had become a source of worry in the state.

Awoniyi noted that the government had acquired a massive land for the dump site and urged urged communities, whose land had been acquired for the dump site, to liaise with government for dialogue.

He also appealed to residents of Lokoja to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse along major high ways.

He said that the new dump site would assist in proper waste disposal in the metropolis and that the construction work had started.

“This is in line with the government’s determination towards ensuring that the recently launched beautification of the capital city had achieved its desired result.’’

The deputy governor described people of the state as very enlightened and should live by example by making their environment clean and habitable.

Kano confiscates N300m drugs Kano allow people to trade in medicines like any other common commodity, ‘’ he said.

He said government was now working with many other international donors to improve the healthcare delivery system in the state.

“There are more than 100 containers of various medical facilities coming to Kano, donated by international donors.’’

He explained that government had selected general hospitals in some local government areas, including Gwarzo General Hospital for rehabilitation and equipping.

He charged the beneficiaries of the Lafiya Jari scheme to ensure that only approved drugs were sold to members of the public.

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•From left: Executive Director, Bank of Industry, Mr Chris Umeh; former United States Ambassador, Amb Robin Sanders; Vice President, Public Affairs Western Union, Barbara Span; Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Leadership Innitiative, Mr Yinka Oyinlola and Managing Director, Standard Charterred Bank Bola Adesola at International Seminar on PanAfrica Small Medium Enterprises organised by Bank of Industry in Lagos PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU

Al-makura to complete abandoned projects

ASARAWA State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Victoria Titi-Monde has said that Governor Tanko Al-makura would complete all abandoned projects in the state.

Titi-Monde said this in an interview with journalists in Lafia,the state capital.

She said the administration was working

to ensure that all abandoned projects in the state were completed as soon as possible.

“The government has also completed new projects including the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lafia and the State House of Assembly, among others,’’ she added.

She urged the people to support the government to trigger meaningful development in

• From left: His Royal Majesty Eze Idegwu Onyerasoh; Eze Nri Onowu-Ojukwu; Frederick Forsight, chairman of the occasion; Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, Human Rights activist, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, Nigeria Ambassador to Spain, Princess Nkeiruka Nwachukwu; Eze C.U Nwachikwu, Eze Ndigho of Lagos State and Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, (MASSOB leader) at the one year remembrance of late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu’s death

Bauchi

Council procures N2.5m drugs

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HE Birnin Kebbi Local Government of Kebbi State has procured N2.5 million drugs for distribution to five health centres to improve healthcare delivery.

The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Musa DanIllela, told the journalists in Birnin Kebbi that the anti-malaria, analgesics, oral rehydration therapy, antibiotics and emergency drugs, would be given free to patients.

He said that councillors would ensure the delivery of the drugs to the health centres in Gulumbe,Tarasa, Kola, Nasarawa and Gwadongwaji wards.

The council chief said that the council would not

Kebbi relent in efforts at promoting healthy living standards among people of the area by complementing the efforts of the state government through the provision of health facilities and drugs to the people.

Dan-Illela said that maintenance of the health facilities would be accorded priority, and urged the beneficiary communities to exhibit a high sense of maintenance culture.

He restated the resolve of the council to expand the scope of rural health care delivery as well as the deployment of qualified medical personnel.

1,747 Kwara pilgrims back home

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Kwara International Airport.

The permanent secretary said the remaining 739 pilgrims from the state would be flown home in two batches.

He said the State Muslim Pilgrims Board, has concluded plans for the successful return of the remaining pilgrims in two batches.

Sheu gave an assurance that all the pilgrims from the state who had returned were in good health.

Honour for council chief

EMBERS of the Lagos State Community Development Advisory Council has honoured Chairman of OshodiIsolo Local Government, Hon Idris Muse-Ariyoh in recognition of his contribution to Neighbourhood Watch programmes in Lagos state.

Chairman of the council Prince Gabriel Awomodu hailed Muse-Ariyoh uplifting the standard of the council within his one year in office.

Muse-Ariyoh thanked the CDAs for recognising his efforts.

The council chairman constructed a building for Neighbourhood Watch within a year in office.

Muse-Ariyoh also employed youths to aid the efforts of the organisation.

The event which took place at Golden Stool Hotel, Festac, had the Commissioner for Rural Development Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi and the Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Rural Development Hon.Tunde Hunpe and Chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, Ayodele Adebowale in attendance.

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By Dada Aladelokun

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IVINE grace enabled by ceaseless prayers coupled with genuine sense of patriotism on the part of Nigerian leaders has been prescribed as the only way to get the country out of its present predicament.

This was the submission from the soul-stirring presentation by Pastor Ladi Thompson, a Special Adviser to the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who was Guest Speaker at the grand finale of the three-day third annual convention of the Evergreen Christian Church of God (ECCG), 228, Ikorodu Road, Obanikoro, Lagos State.

Pastor Thompson, also Senior Shepherdin-Charge of Living Waters Unlimited Church, Anthony, Lagos, minced no word as he submitted that every human, and indeed, the beleaguered Nigerian nation, needed divine grace to get out of the woods, especially with regards to the heightening insecurity of lives and property rocking the nation.

Thompson, who spoke on the theme of the carnival-like anniversary, ‘Created for His Glory’, implored all to always seek God’s face and allow piety to rule their interpersonal relationships to build a just society.

Speaking on the ceremony, the celebrant shepherd, Pastor Phillip Babalola said the essence of the convention was to glorify God for His unflinching grace over the church and her members in the past three years.

The highpoint of the celebration was tagged music ministration that was ably coordinated by Mrs Olumoroti Babalola, the host pastor’s wife. Her presentations were oiled by robust scriptural quotations to the delight of all.

Popular performers gave good accounts of themselves in turn, with soul-lifting ministrations. They included Praise Channel, B.O.U. Q.U.I, Funmi Sax and Spirit Lifters, the church’s choir, led by fast rising gospel sensation Emmanuel Michael a.k.a Xdimension.

The session turned a dance contest of sorts between Pastor Babalola and his wife on one hand and between the couple and the rest of the ecstatic congregation on the other as drumbeats of joy set the gathering aglow.

the state.

“Al-makura has the interest of the people at heart and would do everything to give to them the much needed dividends of democracy,’’ she said.

She said the recent visit to the state by the National Good Governance team led by the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, was an opportunity to showcase some of the projects to the world.

Bauchi boosts adult education

Clerics seek better Nigeria

TOTAL of 1,747 pilgrims from Kwara State have so far returned home after performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

The number was among 2,486 pilgrims from the state who went on pilgrimage.

The Permanent Secretary, General Services in the Kwara Civil Service, Alhaji Muritala Sheu, gave the information while addressing newsmen.

Sheu, who is in charge of hajj operations, said the aircraft which conveyed the fourth batch of 530 pilgrims from Jeddah arrived at the Ilorin

•From left : Chief Olanbiwonu Sanya, Mr Moshood Maiyegun and former RectorLagos State Polytechnic Chief Olawunmi Gasper during the community programme of Lagos Island branch of Schools Based Mangement Committe.

Kogi

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•From left: Pastor Babalola, his wife, Olumoroti and Pastor Thompson at the convention

Lawmaker defends new traffic law

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HE Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Rasaq Balogun, has assured residents of government’s resolve to deal with those who hide under the cover of law enforcement to make life difficult for them Balogun, who addressed stakeholders of the ItAire-Ikate Local Council Development Area when it reviewed the new Lagos State traffic law, noted that government had to review the laws to make the state safer for road users.

He explained that government had not banned Okada riders, rather it had restricted them to certain areas for their own good and safety. He equally called on trailers drivers to obey the new law by complying with the time limit they were given to ply state roads.

He said: “We did not ban Okada riders but restricted them to certain roads, the trailers drivers had equally complained but we had to explain that the laws were for public good.”

Responding to some questions raised on police and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority’s harassment, the lawmaker stressed that government was not folding its hands to watch the infringement of the rights of law abiding citizens of the state.

He said: “Let me tell you that government sacks LASTMA officials on daily basis for any abuse of office. I want to assure you that any official who contravenes the law would not only be dismissed but prosecuted.

“What the police do to Okada riders by beating them is wrong, the police are law enforcement agents who should equally respect the rights of the people, what they should do is to arrest offenders.”

In the same vein, the chairman of the council, Hon Hakeem Bamgbola who thanked

By Musa Odoshimokhe residents of the area, particularly the commercial motorcyclists for restricting themselves to the areas designated by government, promised that the council would look at ways of making life better for those who lost their means of livelihood due to the ban.

He said there must be co-operation between the council and state government to make life better for the people. “The governor was not happy with the ways the roads were abused and it was concluded that something must be

HE Bauchi State government has improved structures in the Institute of Adult and Non-formal Education, situated in Kangere village.

The state government had wanted to move the College of Agriculture to the premises, to pave the way for the establishment of the faculty of medicine at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU).

However, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Isa Yuguda, Mr Ishola Michael, told newsmen that the decision was reversed.

He said the reversal came after the Federal Government gave the university a grant to build its own college of medicine within its premises.

According to him, the new structures being erected at Kangere will be used by the institute for the promotion of education for those without formal education.

He also said that the institute was the only one of its kind in the whole of northern Nigeria and had full accreditation.

“Initially the institute was to be moved to another place so that the place would be used as the ATBU College of Medicine.

“After the university was given a grant by the Federal Government to build its own college of medicine, it was decided that the institute would remain and have the privilege of using the new structures.’’

•From left: Hon. Balogun, Hon. Bamgbola and Leader of the House, Hon. Shina Mustapha at the stakeholders meeting

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

THE NATION WEDNESDAY,NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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COMMENTARY EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

EDITORIALS

New hope on immigration

Abubakar’s misplaced optimism •There is little wisdom in exaggerating the unity of this country

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ENERAL Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), former military Head of State reportedly said that nothing can break up this country “because God has brought us together”. He made the comment while fielding questions from newsmen in Makurdi, the Benue State capital. The session with reporters marked the climax of his courtesy visit to Governor Gabriel Suswam, his host.

His remark was meant to allay fears regarding the lingering security challenges facing the country consequent upon the Boko Haram onslaught in the north. We impute this to also be his retort to sustained calls by some groups and well-meaning citizens for a sovereign national conference to discuss the future of the country’s federation.

As he succinctly puts it: “…. all the secession threats here and there with the security challenges are mere noise because we have deeply intermingled; wherever you go, you see Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Kanuris and others, so there is nothing that can break up this country because God has brought us together”. Further, he speciously believes that “Government alone cannot do it, every citizen must join hands with government to tackle the problem of insecurity”. Like many leaders in his shoes, he forgets that Nigerians can only work with a government that craves their input.

General Abubakar’s optimism, though curious, according to him, is based on one: The fact that the current trying moments being faced by the nation are a passing phase which he believes would

soon be overcome. Two: That Nigerians had intermingled for a long time and lived with obvious developmental challenges, which would make it even difficult for the country to break up.

The Abubakar sermon has become a cliché, a mantra usually espoused by past leaders that never did anything to assuage the fears of stakeholders in the Nigerian federation while they were in power and in a better position to do just that. It is better if the country’s leaders drop such a conservative mindset as pontificated by Abubakar, that the country will forever remain one indivisible corporate entity.

Indeed, it is fallacious for anyone to contemplate, not to talk of think that God brought the country together. We know without equivocation that Lord Lugard caused the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria in 1914. But since the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri in 1957, that valuable export has, rather than genuine bonding after independence in 1960, remained the country’s binding factor. And this has continued without much official ado being given to the myriad of injustices that continue to plague the country.

The country’s leaders should stop appealing to sentiment because this would not take us far if the current defective structure stands. It is trite that no society is indivisible if the right things are not done by those saddled with the responsibility of doing so. The best way out of the current logjam of mutual ethnic suspicion is for all Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic

or tribal affiliations, to sit together and agree on how the Nigerian federation should be administered in all spheres.

This cannot be achieved except the leadership is sincere enough to see the need for such a long over-due conference.

No amount of leadership grandstanding can restore the sanity of the nation’s challenged institutions; we believe there should be panacea to continuing electoral injustice; the Boko Haram malaise and the endemic corruption in the country.

The inevitable truth is that the country must listen to its people if it must remain one indivisible entity that its leadership and statesmen want it to be on paper. It is only a sincerely fearless government that can guarantee this.

‘The best way out of the current logjam of mutual ethnic suspicion is for all Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic or tribal affiliations, to sit together and agree on how the Nigerian federation should be administered in all spheres. This cannot be achieved except the leadership is sincere enough to see the need for such a long over-due conference. No amount of leadership grandstanding can restore the sanity of the nation’s challenged institutions ...’

Single and abandoned •The families of military air crash in Ejigbo 20 years ago cry for help

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HILE many questions remain unanswered more than 20 years after the crash of the Nigerian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft in the swamps of Ejigbo, a Lagos suburb on September 26, 1992, the matter is worsened by the utter neglect that the widows and other dependants of the victims are subjected to. Losing one’s breadwinner in an air crash or any disaster is painful enough; it is rubbing salt on an injury when the dependants are denied the benefits which should accrue to them there from.

Nigerians have not forgotten how, on that fateful day, a generation of young and promising military officers perished in the aircraft. The victims, including 104 senior army officers, 17 naval officers, 17 Air Force officers, eight foreign officers, 11 Nigerian Air Force crew and nine oth-

‘Are we not giving the wrong signals to serving officers and men that it no longer pays to be diligent and honest at their duty posts if we keep treating the dependants of the dead who served the nation diligently in their lifetime so cruelly? That way, too, we are indirectly encouraging those still in service to grab as much as they can just in case the untoward happens’

ers were largely students of the Senior Course 15. of the Command and Staff College, Jaji. The plane crashed into the swamp barely three minutes after takeoff from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. It took the military rescue team about 48 hours to respond, while men of the Federal Road Safety Commission, who were the first government officials to get there, appeared 24 hours after the incident, fuelling speculations that the government of the day knew something about the crash.

The then President, General Ibrahim Babangida, promised to provide for the needs of the dependants. They were assured that houses would be provided for them in Lagos, but two years later, this was revised via a letter from the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff which directed that letters be given the widows to their husbands’ state administrators to provide accommodation for them.

Some responded; others did not. As is rampant in the military and the police force, most of the widows and their children were ejected from their barracks shortly after the incident. Unfortunately, the new beneficiaries of the quarters jumped at the offers, forgetting that it could be anybody’s turn tomorrow.

In this particular instance, it is as if part of the deal to give the widows their entitlements is that they should not remarry; and they have kept to this part of the bargain for more than 20 years. This is more than enough sacrifice, giving that most of them were in their twenties when their husbands died in the crash. Indeed, if this

is part of the conditions the women should meet before getting their due, then it is unfair. If it could pass under military rule, it should not in a democratic dispensation.

We commend Mr Femi Falana (SAN) and Mr. Kabir Akingbolu for their keen interest in this matter. It was good that the military remembered their dead on September 26 by unveiling a cenotaph in their memory in Kaduna; but the best way to immortalise the dead is to ensure that those they left behind get their due on time. Whereas under the Terms and Conditions of Service for officers in the Nigerian Army (1979), the officers’ children are supposed to be Federal Government scholars, the school fees of some of them are yet to be paid for last year.

Are we not giving the wrong signals to serving officers and men that it no longer pays to be diligent and honest at their duty posts if we keep treating the dependants of the dead who served the nation diligently in their lifetime so cruelly? That way, too, we are indirectly encouraging those still in service to grab as much as they can just in case the untoward happens.

Messrs Falana and Akingbolu should honour their promise to do the needful should the military continue to shirk its responsibility to these women by the end of this month. Only people with hearts of stone will not be moved by their sad tales.

They ought not to be waiting for miracles as many of them have said in frustration, and if they must, those who ought to wrought the miracles should do immediately.

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UNNY how quickly some principles collapse when given the right kind of shove. One day, the Republican Party is rock-ribbed restrictionist, dedicated to the proposition that unauthorized immigrants are an invading army of job stealers, welfare moochers and criminals whose only acceptable destiny is to be caught and deported — the border fence forever, “amnesty” never. The next day: never mind. The party suddenly discovers the merits of a working immigration system. Senators like John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who once bravely supported bipartisan reform but slunk away late in the last Bush administration, are scratching at the door again, as if the last five years never happened.

All it took was an election in which millions of Latino voters — many of them the wives and husbands, sons, daughters, grandchildren, cousins, co-workers and friends of those despised “illegals” — overwhelmingly chose President Obama over the man who promised to be deporter-in-chief.

They rejected Mitt Romney by 3 to 1, according to exit polls.

Asian-Americans did, too. Republicans looked at a changing America, saw a future of decline and irrelevance for the party, and concluded that immigrants weren’t so bad after all.

This poses an opportunity and a challenge for Mr. Obama, who promised to tackle immigration reform in his first term and did not, and is firmly on the hook to do so now. He says he will push reform early, and he looks well positioned to get something done. His allies in Congress need to step up and help.

There is a long way to go before an immigration deal is struck, but the president and Congress can draw its outlines clearly, starting now. Any worthwhile reform must give 11 million undocumented immigrants a way to live within the law as American citizens. Mr. Obama’s stopgap move to protect young immigrants and students from deportation by a regulation similar to the Dream Act was sensible and necessary. But these Americans-in-fact deserve the chance to be Americans on paper, too. So do their parents, and whoever else in the 11 million wishes to journey from “them” to “us.”Republicans are floating schemes for temporary legal status for workers without a clear path to citizenship. Mr. Obama should make clear that basic equality demands more than that.

Meanwhile, he should be reforming the way his administration is carrying out current law — starting with scaling back its arbitrary, self-imposed quota of 400,000 deportations a year. There is enforcement work to be done, like finding more effective ways to stifle illegal employment, but any strategy that fixates on deportations and the border is foolish and ineffective. Illegal border crossings and arrests at the border have fallen to the lowest levels in decades. The unauthorized immigrants whom hard-liners want to keep out are already in the country. They are the workers and families Mr. Obama says he wants to integrate and assimilate, even as his policies break those families apart. Mr. Obama’s own Department of Homeland Security is a huge part of the problem, with its dangerous and widening use of state and local police officers as surrogate immigration enforcement agents. Its Secure Communities program has led to mass deportations of minor offenders and even people with no criminal records.

The country needs a new approach to immigration enforcement, one that stops enlisting the local police in its dragnet. The Obama administration should keep fighting efforts by states like Arizona and Alabama to set up their own immigration laws to abuse and deport the undocumented.

And it should support states like Illinois and New York, which have been trying to reassert the proper separation between local police officers and federal immigration agents.

There will be challenges, of course. The hard-liners against reform — including the white-culture alarmists and the closet racists —have not gone away. But the election did scare some of the immigration opportunists back onto the bipartisan bus.

Mr. Obama gained much when he allowed students who could benefit from the Dream Act a reprieve. Now he needs to think bigger and better, and look to the large constituency behind reform — student activists, business groups, farmers, labor unions, Catholic bishops, evangelical churches, AfricanAmericans, civil-liberties organizations and regular American citizens who support legalization — to press the case. The arguments for reform over expulsion have always been smarter, saner and better for the rule of law, the preservation of families and the economy. Now that some of their opponents are softening their positions, Mr. Obama and Congress need to act.

A version of this editorial appeared in print on November 18, 2012, on page SR10 of the New York edition with the headline: New Hope on Immigration.

–New York Times

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: Shell has been operating in Nigeria for more than 50 years now, and the Nigerian people have nothing to show for their operations. Crude Oil is being produced, refined and sold at the expense of the Nigerian people. Shell, being a very large Multinational Oil and Gas Company has infiltrated the very corrupt Nigerian Government officials and held them hostage. For instance, the Petroleum Industry Bill has not been passed because Shell and other oil companies are opposing the Tax Regime, whereas, they pay more taxes in other places like UK and Holland where they operate. Shell allegedly a means of engaging, bribing and infiltrating government officials and regulatorsso that favourable policies are passed.

These they do through alleged award of contracts to influential community members. Most of Shell’s Surveillance Contracts are allegedly given to the kings or leaders of the host communities to silence them.

In UK, Oman, Russia and such other countries, there are strict Corporate Governance Guide-

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Shell’s operations getting more injurious in Delta lines and Codes which Shell adhere strictly to. But in Nigeria, it is the direct opposite. In Nigeria, they do whatever they want and get away with it because they have willing accomplices in the corrupt government officials and regulators who are on their payroll. Shell is flaring millions of cubic feet of gas into the Nigerian atmosphere daily (SCF/d) irrespective of all the cries and noticeable effects about Global Warming and Ozone Layer Depletion.

These things are currently being experienced in Nigeria that we didn’t used to experience: Acid rain, sea-level rise (as is being experienced where villages have been sacked), ecosystem imbalance, extreme weather like

hurricanes, and extinction of plants and animals.

However, Shell is not bothered and still smiling to the bank. Instead of having Gas Gathering Facilities to gather, compress and use the gas for useful purposes, Shell is more comfortable flaring it, thereby, wilfully sabotaging the Nigerian economy of the millions of dollars accruable from the sale of gas to Nigerian users, African users and to the rest of the world. Terrible things will happen in the future if Shell does not stop gas flaring immediately.

Responsible companies consider the environment and social wellbeing, in addition to profit.

But Shell considers only profit and doesn’t care about the environment (evidenced by the con-

tinuous gas flaring, crude oil spillages, improper remediation activities, etc) or People (malicious sack of employees in the name of Divestment, sack of uncooperating Union workers, etc).

We are appealing to international bodies to call Shell to order before they destroy our country and leave for elsewhere. We have borne it enough. Crude oil is more of a curse to we the Niger Deltans than blessing. They have polluted our environment, destroyed our ecosystem, rendered our youths, farmers and fishermen jobless and sacked the few they managed to employ.

• Delta Rights Group, Delta State.

NRC and passengers safety

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IR: It is no longer news that the Nigerian Railway Corporation has been making claims on the improvement of its services especially on its Iddo/Ijoko passengers’ movements on daily basis. In as much as it is true that the number of trips on this route have increased tremendously in the last few months, what the Corporation fails to tell the world is the unpleasant condition in which the passengers are made to bear on such journeys.

It is regrettable that a corporation that is a parastatal of government and saddled with the duty of transporting people has continued to contribute to the discomfort of its passengers. These are in view of the fact that most of the coaches

have no light, fans are not available in most cases, and where available at all, not functioning. The few (may be one in a coach) that works are mostly switched off at will.

It is a regular occurrence to see people fainting and collapsing as a result of the extreme heat that passengers are daily exposed to. It is absurd to mention here that most of the Stations where passengers wait to buy tickets/board are dirty, unsecured and are without any comfort from weather elements such as rain and sun. You hardly find seats to sit on while waiting for the trains.

As usual in our environment, some “yes sir” NRC officials might call this letter a sponsored one to tarnish the image of the corporation,

but I made bold to say that any willing member of the society can come on board any day on such trips commencing from 6.20am, 7.00am from Ijoko, and then, 5.40pm trip from Apapa and 6.30pm and 7.15pm trips from Iddo especially to witness my points here. Nigerians are being loaded like animals in cages without adequate ventilation, and NRC is not bothered as they continue to sell their tickets to make money daily. They are delighted in using the Police to harass any dissenting voice wanting to challenge their cruelty and insensitivities.

As a matter of top priority, NRC must ensure that all electrical fittings in the coaches are put in shape with functional bulbs/

fluorescents and fans. It must ensure that the fans are put on whenever passengers are on board. To eliminate the incidents of people fainting due to suffocation arising from rowdiness, additional coaches should be added to each trip to reduce the numbers of standing passengers.

As it were at the moment, the reality on Iddo-Ijoko Passengers Train rides is that of a hell. The Managing Director of NRC,Engr.

Adeseye Sijuwade must see to it that sanity, security and comfort of passengers are ensured and sustained now without further delay and laxity.

• Tunde Jacobs 10, Oseni Street, Delman Bus-stop, Ijoko-Lemode

Gov. Amosun: SangoOjodu road is waiting IR: The plan of Ogun state government to reconstruct the road from Sango under Bridge through Ijoko to Ojodu is no longer news. On this plan, the people along this long stretch of road who are daily suffering the pitiable conditions of the road are more than anxious to see the project start in earnest.

May I use this opportunity to call on Governor Ibikunle Amosun (Eyi o wu a wi, toluwa ti se) to ensure that nothing stops the full commencement of the road as soon as possible, because what we heard initially was that the project will start in November, now the month of November is already fading away without any sight or sound of action on the road.

The people along the route have wasted and still wasting productive man-hours, financial resources on vehicles maintenance, high cost of transportation being charged by drivers that ply the road as they have to break even in their business among others. The daily suffering and inconveniences of the road cannot be quantified.

Former Governor Segun Osoba will forever be remembered for opening up the road during his time, and thus brought development and people to the area, former Governor Gbenga Daniel will also be remembered for neglecting the road for the eight years he spent, and thus diminished the steady development of the area, so Governor Amosun should endeavour to have his name on record as the one that uplifted the road to a high standard for the benefit of all and mankind. Definitely, history has different chapters for all actors of life on which posterity will judge every individual and government.

Sango-Ojodu road is waiting, so, Gov. Amosun, roll out the Tractors now.

• Awelewa Babafemi Ogo-Oluwa Street, Oposuru/Railway axis, Ijoko.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

COMMENTS

A season of death: Justice Kayode Eso; Justice Promotion= injustice to accused; Customs: Don’t burn, Donate!

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HIS November is the season of death. Death is hurrying to make the 2012 quota, just like government’s budgetary ‘last quarter’ mis-spending rush. With the murTony dered victims of Boko Marinho Haram bombs, cattlefarmers wars and floods we also see major deaths in politics, medicine, media and law. No one is ever old enough to die.

Professor Bayo Olumide, eminent neurosurgeon, Alhaji Lam Adesina, Dr Olusola Saraki Mr Bode Alalade, broadcaster par excellence and now Justice Kayode Eso. He was the Truth and Reconciliation Icon, true Nigerian, author of books and ‘executive lawlessness’, primus inter pares, legal stellar light, doyen of arbitration, outstanding conversationalist, with great wit. It was always a pleasure to be in his presence. He was partial to the youth and an inspirational iconic role model whenever he graced an Educare Trust activity. Many will recall him being the trial judge who found Wole Soyinka ‘not guilty’ as ‘the man with the gun’ at NBC, Dugbe. May his large heart and soul Rest In Perfect Peace. Amen. With these deaths, governments and media producers have again lost the opportunity to fund historical and motivational documentaries, interviews, Nollywood and radio programmes on making and broadcasting the ‘life and times’ of these great men. Unfortunately, in spite of the well-known anticorruption efforts of Justice Kayode Eso and others, the judiciary is still suspected of corruption, and also stands accused of unnecessary injunctions and adjournments.

A small inexplicable observation on the legal learned world: The recent celebrated and well deserved elevation of certain justices raises an important legal, moral and economic question while the National Assembly and the Legal Council are preoccupied with deliberating on weighty issues like gay marriage, constitutional review and plea bargaining. Why does the judiciary always make an ‘ass of itself’? Imagine a judge trying several complex cases some for 19 months. Suddenly she is promoted with ‘immediate effect’. If this happened in another professional, business or family sphere we

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would be in court claiming damages for ‘breach of contract’, ‘deception’, ‘false pretences’ et cetera. Remember this was believed to be the problem at the heart of the Justice Salami affair –to get him out of the way, kicked upstairs. The result is that the cankerworm of injustice breaks out right in the judge’s chambers and the courtroom. If the judges themselves were victims of such injustice would they not be up in judicial arms? Can a country like Nigeria, not known for its expeditious justice delivery service, really afford such expensive judicial ‘luxuries’ or delays? Unfinished cases are abandoned even as we celebrate well-deserved judicial promotions. Later another judge has to start all over again.

Social science departments, lawyers’ groups like the NBA and FIDA and NGOs like JDPC and Consumer Protection bodies should compute the huge multimillion naira cost of this cause of ‘delayed justice’, cost of a retrial in emotions and frustration, in repeat legal fees and transportation and feeding, the cost to the accused and witnesses, the cost to the country-all totalling N50-100m for such elaborate cases and unquantifiable ‘judicial inconvenience’ by police, prisons, prisoners, witnesses, litigants and lawyers. This cost does not take into consideration the well-known judicial slogan that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’. Would it not be better to promote the judge, start the new salary grade but keep him or her as a judge of that court until he or she has finished all existing cases expeditiously, cleared the courtroom desk?

Fellow Nigerians, languishing in prison ‘awaiting trial’ and innocent till proved guilty, should be protected from such judicial licence. We are happy when judges are promoted but it is good judicial judgement to ensure that they finish all cases pending before abandoning the court. Indeed why do judges not set aside several days for continuous hearing of a particular case to prevent the ‘adjournment syndrome’.

Another socio-legal conundrum: On TV we regularly see goods, drugs and tyres being burnt by Customs or NAFDAC or NDLEA. Environmentally speaking tyres should never be burnt in the open because they environmentally toxic substances which pollute the air badly and also damage the lungs of passers-by, even NAFDAC and Customs officials. Tyre burning should be banned nationwide by a Law ‘Burning of Tyre Prohibition Act’. Burning may be the only option to disposal of seized hard drugs if you do not breathe in the drug filled air around the fire, but why does Customs burn

all seized goods? Many such endangered goods are not harmful and are still good enough to save lives if donated to the needy flood victims, and repatriated prostitutes from Italy, freed trafficked persons, orphanages, Red Cross and religious organisations known for their non-corrupt humanitarian work. This would be punishment enough for the smugglers.

Fund-raising for these groups is a difficult task in Nigeria. So why this ‘seized wealth to waste’ burning? If the authorities burn tyres, a known major pollutant method, why do they not burn the ammunition and guns they seize and what happens to them? So why burn sieved frozen chicken, rice, cloth and clothes in a country where environmental pollution from smoke is a major problem and 70% of the country is in poverty? Customs should be legally empowered and forced to give seized goods to an independent ‘Bureau of Smuggled and Recovered Property’ or NEMA for forwarding to recognised NGOs, orphanages and handicapped schools. Let the poor, not environmental pollution, benefit from seized goods.

‘Would it not be better to promote the judge, start the new salary grade but keep him or her as a judge of that court until he or she has finished all existing cases expeditiously, cleared the courtroom desk? Fellow Nigerians, languishing in prison ‘awaiting trial’ and innocent till proved guilty, should be protected from such judicial licence. We are happy when judges are promoted but it is good judicial judgement to ensure that they finish all cases pending before abandoning the court’

Aruma Oteh, Reps and Rams

HEN people say there is monumental rot in the Nigerian system, government officials who are the kingpins of the rot are quick to dismiss it as balderdash. In spite of this, like a festering sore that has developed gangrene, you can smell the rot, feel it and see it as it walks on all fours all over the place.

An example of this pervasive rot in the system is what is currently going on at the Security and Exchange Commission, SEC, under the watch of Aruma Oteh, the director-general, DG, of the commission.

Though she had held sway as DG since 2010, Oteh probably came into national limelight in highly controversial circumstances this May. It was during the sittings of the House of Representatives’ ad-hoc committee that investigated the near-collapse of the Nigerian capital market. Oteh had caused a stir at one of the sittings when she pointedly accused Herman Hembe and Azubuogu Ifeanyi, who were then chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions.

Oteh accused Hembe of demanding a bribe of N39 million from SEC for the hearing and an additional N5 million. She also alleged that Hembe received money from the commission to enable him travel to the Dominican Republic for a conference which he neither attended nor refunded the money to the commission.

The development led to an open verbal altercation between Oteh and Hembe, a situation which finally culminated in the suspension of the

probe. A new panel headed by Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi from Taraba State was later put together to continue with the hearing. But the matter did not end there as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, stepped in. The antigraft agency subsequently arraigned Hembe and Ifeanyi for alleged diversion of public funds.

Oteh’s confrontational attitude and allegation at the hearing had caused so much bad blood between her and members of the National Assembly who have since been seeking their own pound of flesh.

When the two chambers resumed from their long recess in September, they, at different times, passed different resolutions asking the President to remove Oteh from office. As things stand now, there is a stalemate over the issue as the President seems not to be in a hurry to consider the National Assembly’s demand.

Perhaps, it is in order to placate the members of the House Committee on Capital Market that the SEC DG went out of her way to buy rams for them as gift during the last Muslim festival of Id-EI-Kabir. But the members must have learnt a bitter lesson from the fate that befell the two former leaders of the Committee and, therefore, decided to excuse themselves from Oteh and her rams.

Instead, they are demanding investigation into how the SEC allegedly spent millions of naira on rams. Call it “twice beaten, once shy”.

In order not to play into Oteh’s hands this time around, the Committee went a step further by reporting the “curious offer of rams” to

‘She (Oteh) shouldn’t have become an emergency ram merchant or vendor overnight simply because she needed to win over the legislators’

the leadership of the House. Even at that, the House members claimed that pressures are still being mounted on them to come and collect the rams. One of them told a newspaper recently: “You can imagine the level of waste in SEC. Is it its business to buy rams at a time many people have died as a result of the collapse of the capital market? We want the executive to look into this.”

But Obi Adindu, the DG’s Communication Adviser, was quoted as saying that the commission did not offer the rams as bribe to House members. According to him,”the fact is that the leadership of SEC is operating a well-known zero tolerance policy for misconduct and that is why strengthening of the capital market is a key line objective of the reform agenda”. On the issue of Sallah gifts, he said, “There is an established practice in the commission in which the commission extends felicitation to well-wishers”.

A Yoruba proverb says, “Aitete m’ole, ole m‘oloko”, literally translated as “if the owner of the farm does not make haste to apprehend the thief, the thief could apprehend the farm owner”. This, I believe, is what informed the current hoopla the House members are making to draw attention to the latest development between them and the SEC DG. The members maintained that it was an unprecedented gesture because SEC had never sent any gift to them during any festive period. According to one of them, “that, clearly to us, was attempted bribe. It was the same way the commission attempted to give us #30million and later turned against us that we demanded a bribe. This is a confirmation that the DG is desperate to remain in office.”

From a critical analysis of this incident on both sides of the divide, Oteh must have actually goofed.

What is left or what is now being done is damage control. It depends on those managing the SEC DG her-

self. In the first instance, she shouldn’t have become an emergency ram merchant or vendor overnight simply because she needed to win over the legislators.

In the process of doing that, she has now found herself enmeshed in a deeper crisis bordering on mismanagement and total lack of discretion.

She could have envisaged that the members would react this way since the memory of what happened to their colleagues -Hembe and Ifeanyi - in May this year is still quite fresh if not permanently engraved in their memory.

It is unfortunate that Oteh has unwittingly allowed herself to be made a scapegoat. Take another look and you will discover that the members who are now hell-bent on dragging her to Golgotha are only playing to the gallery. After all, it is a common knowledge that things have a way of changing hands in the National Assembly. The members are known to devise various ingenious methods to squeeze something even out of stone, particularly in the process of carrying out their ‘oversight functions’ and all that. Also, each time they pick ‘quarrels’ with the executive arm of government, and they do so at the slightest inkling. More often than not, such quarrels usually end‘dramatically’.

But trust image makers. Adindu said it was an established tradition in the commission to extend felicitations to well-wishers. If I may ask: who established such a tradition? If not bribe, what do you call that?

What has dragging innocent rams all over the place got to do with the recovery of the capital market?

Then come to think of it. How do the committee members fall under the description of ‘well-wishers’? In my own view, Oteh and her handlers should have known from the onset that the committee members are anything but well-wishers. If she earlier thought that she had them

Dele Agekameh as friends, now she needn’t look far any longer for her real ‘enemies’.

Again, who told Oteh that flooding the National Assembly with rams could massage the ego of the House members? It is simply one public relations move gone awry, and no amount of white-washing could exterminate the indelible stain and stench it has inflicted on her.

By the way, why has the experience of this Harvard graduate who had spent some years abroad before coming to head SEC continue to fail her? The other day she was accused of being a bad manager by SEC management who said she hardly involved them in her policies and decisions. At that time, it almost looked like an orchestrated gangup. It will be a disaster if nothing has changed. Certainly, holding sensitive management meetings through text messages and other electronic mails does not speak well of a Harvard graduate who spoke with raw bravado on national television the other day. Now, she is at the receiving end of her own medicine. Maybe the chickens have come home to roost. Too soon!

Send reactions to: 08058354382 (SMS only)

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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COMMENTS ‘I have been very uncomfortable with the views of most journalists on some sensitive national and constitutional issues like the death penalty as it concerns killing and corruption. Please we have a constitution and it should be sacrosant and we all know that corruption is the worst enemy of the Nigerian society. Please let us stop pretending about this and being emotinal about crime and its consequences. And when one of you is a victim, you cry to high heavens.

So, I support Governor Adams Oshiomole and the ACF on their stands. From Ken Nwanguma, Imo State’ •Dr Saraki

For Gbenga Omotoso I will rather not comment on the Ribadu report. I disagree on your conclusions on the Wammako flogging of PHCN manager. In fact, I believe Wammako should flog more people in the company including its management. I, as a Nigerian, appreciate Wammako. From Fola Aiyegbusi.

At Oronsaye’s age he should not allow himself to be consumed by lipservice and loyalty to government intrigues and petroleum mafias. He has started another inglorious journey like his ill-fated public service reforms that were greeted with controversy. As for Wamakko, the PHCN manager should document his evidences to prosecute him after his exit from office.

From Samuel Ikechuku, Ozoro I am reluctant to comment on what Prof.

Chinua Achebe said in his book on Chief Awolowo. He should consult the Obafemi Awolowo Universityn (OAU) library and read what the Biafran architect wrote in his book – EMEKA. Awolowo was never indicted. From Adeyitayo Ogunleye, Ondo State I think Dr. Saraki did his best politically.

In the cause of discharging an upright professional duty during the 1983 elections, in the defunct Kwara, my late father, then a DPO at Isanlu, Kabba, a volatile area, impressed the late Oloye and he wanted to know the dedicated officer.

They never met here on earth. Good night, the quintessential Oloye of the Ilorin people. May Allah grant you Aljanah Fidausi, Amen. From Dan. Idakwo Abubakar Saraki was still relevant even at 79. What a great man! All Nigerians should see him as a mentor and a great leader. From Hon. Emma Itodo JP. Otukpo, Benue State Who takes over from the late Saraki, considering the political battle to finish in the last election between Bukola and his late father. From Nuh, Oyo State Thanks for your write-up. Let me say this; it is not easy to fight the cabal in the oil sector because they are the ones who bankroll elections and you know what it means to fight such a cabal. Anonymous Re: Intrigues, rage in high places: That Ribadu’s report was rubbished by Oronsaye’s unguided action should not surprise a discerning mind. The President is the harbinger of the mess. Oronsaye and others were deliberately planted to protect the interest of treasury looters in the oil industry and PDP. One would have expected someone of Oronsaye’s calibre to behave better. The clique will never allow light into darkness. That is the presidency and its ilk for you. Pure double standard and corruption in high places!

What a shame! From Pastor Odunmbaku If Ribadu had learnt any lesson from the wise saying that ‘once bitten, twice shy’, he could have dodged the embarrassment he is facing following his acceptance of an assignment carefully designed by the

government that seems to be more corrupt than the word to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians. He should have learnt that, in the land, where majority of the people are incurably corrupt, fighting the monster is like signing one’s death warrant. Since they forced him out of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the chairman, haven’t we seen the ‘successes’ his successors have recorded in the fight against corruption, especially when the elite class is involved? We know that there was a time when the name of that commission sent shivers down the spine of wealthy crooks. From Ifeanyi O. Ifeanyichukwu If plea bargaining had been used instead of insisting on a conventional trial for oil marketers, the money recovered would have been able to pay marketers for the importation of PMS and avoid the current scarcity, which may be a ploy to have fuel subsidy completely removed. Refusing to swear in Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo because of her state of origin is a form of discrimination and the Constitution which is superior to any other law or policy protects her against rejection. The reason the Constitution appears so bad is our failure to obey it. Even if we produce the best possible Constitution, it will only be as good as our willingness to abide by it.

Wamakko’s behaviour was unbecoming but if Osigwe decides on legal action he must be ready to explain the issue of the money which may not be in his best interest. Anonymous For Olatunji Dare Sir, it is quite unfortunate you are communicating to an audience which knows very little about how a standard university should be run. The pseudointellectual exercise that culminated into the selection of the least-qualified candidate, Prof. Ambali, is a sordid and unfortunate one. But an average Nigerian (especially students) believes change is change, even at the expense of merit.

Should you need a comprehensive report on the selection, I will give you one. From Ishowo Lateef, Ilorin Your election post-mortem left out the demographic shift in the USnited States as the icing on the cake that gave Obama the stunning victory. From John Makurdi Thanks, for the master piece. I believe if Nigerians can put religious, tribal and cultural sentiments aside during election,

we will get there soon. From Muhammed Gafar, Ilorin Dear Dare, your analysis on the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor in the University of Ilorin ìs a graphic account of how to be a Vice-Chancellor without giving consideration to merit and excellence. Apart from Prof. Afolabi Toye, at the inception of the university who was then the Vice-Chancellor, others from Prof.

Ibrahin Oba till date went through selection processes which had ethnic and religious colouration. In those days, the appointment of Vice- Chancellors was not necessarily from the university where one served or was serving as everything was on merit. I remember my years at ABU when Dr. Bala Usman of the blessed memory in the History Department was to be given a professorial chair in 1977, he rejected the offer on the excuse that he had not publìshed enough in the Journal of African History and in the Journal of Historical Society of Nigeria or any reasonable research. It is a different ball game these days. The National Universities Commission (NUC) should address this important issue and make a Nigerian university rank among the first 100 in the world. From Chief Apelogun, Ilesha What a compelling and insightful analytical piece on the US eletion. The result may, indeed, be a wake-up call on the actual position on preferences and realities in that beautiful democracy. From Tayo Lawal, LSG Information & Strategy Re: Election USA: The election has come and gone but the great lesson is that it was devoid of rigging in any form - police, soldiers, security forces, electoral officers and all related agencies were not used to scuttle the wishes of the people, despite the fierce debate and robust campaigns by the candidates. More significant was the absence of thugs/thuggery of any nature.

The political parties must learn to play the game according to the rules. Election must be won on action not on incumbency syndrome or use of force by the ruling party. There was no corruption in any form. Nigerians are matured enough to have credible elections devoid of syndicated results. All electoral agencies must not be at the mercy of the president.

2015 must be better organised and based on party/individual performances. God bless Nigeria. From Pastor Odunmbaku.

Re: Election USA: a post-mortem. Despite the attributes or lack of such, the election was interesting and worth watching and learning from! If my country displays such,

‘I think Dr. Saraki did his best politically. In the cause of discharging an upright professional duty during the 1983 elections in the defunct Kwara, my late father, then a DPO at Isanlu, Kabba, a volatile area, impressed the late Oloye and he wanted to know this dedicated officer.

They never met here on earth. Good night, the quintessential Oloye of the Ilorin people. May Allah grant you Aljanah Fidausi, Amen. From Dan. Idakwo’

• Oronsaye

politically, we would be at peace and we would bother less about who wins or who loses. Antithetical, ACN is going to the Election Tribunal on Ondo election results, clearly declared. Must people win through the court all the time rather than by the people? From Lanre Oseni I was shocked to see that the American electoral system is organised in such a way that even if you win the popular vote, you could still lose the election if the other candidate gets the “exclusive” electoral college votes. This scenario played out when Bush beat Al Gore in the past. I do not see what is democratic about a few people’s votes being superior to those of millions of others. What happened to minority will have their say and the majority will have their way. In my opinion, this system is open to manipulation. If what they say about America’s Presidents being handpicked by a clique at meetings in the Bohemian Grove is true, then the electoral college system might just be the vessel used to ensure victory for the clique’s candidate.

Anonymous For Segun Gbadegesin Dr. Olusola Saraki, no doubt, loved his people and his people did not fail to reciprocate the gesture. It was a mutual relationship from the beginnig to the end.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Anonymous My point exactly on the constant and personalised attacks on Gen. Muhammadu Buhari by Doyin Okupe.

Okupe forgets the President’s mandate derives from Nigerians and his insults on opposition leaders could make Nigerians swing their votes in the next election.

Nobody becomes great attacking others.

Dr. Doyin Okupe has no business in a decent administration like Jonathan’s.

S.T.Zimughan, CEO, Dr.Goodluck Jonathan Forum for Global Peace.

Anonymous Re: The Lam effect. We will greatly miss the late Lam Adesina. I hope people will be committed and kind-hearted to earn the kind of encomiums being poured on the late Lam when they depart to the great beyond. May Lam’s soul rest in peace, ameen. From Lanre Oseni I have been very uncomfortable with the views of most journalists on some sensitive national and constitutional issues like the death penalty as it concerns killing and corruption. Please, we have a Constitution and it should be sacrosant and we all know that corruption is the worst enemy of the Nigerian society. Please, let us stop pretending about this and being emotional about crime and its consequences. And when one is a victim, he/she cries to the high heavens. So, I support Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the ACF on their stands. From Ken Nwanguma, Imo State

Utaka

Nosa Igiebor criticises set for Emirates visit Betis’ tactics I

Pg. 24

Pg. 41

Sport Wednesday, November 21, 2012

PAGE 23

Nigeria to battle

Barcelona stars in Catalonia friendly N

IGERIA’s national football team, the Super Ealgles are scheduled to play the Catalonia XI on January 2 ahead of the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa.

According to a report from mundodeportivo.com, a top Spanish sport

website, the Super Eagles will battle with the national team of Catalunya who would be parading some players from Spanish La Liga side Barcelona.

The Website is known to be the mouthpiece of the Catalonians and it stated that the friendly match will be played at the

Estadi Cornella-El Prat which is the home ground of Espanyol football club, a top division Spanish club.

No fewer than 12 Barcelona players will be eligible to feature in the match with Xavi Hernandez, Carlos Puyol, Gerrad Pique Cesc Fabregas, among the top stars that

could feature in the match at the Nou Estadi, the nickname of the host stadium.

Nigeria once played a similar warm up game with the Catalans in December 1998 after Nigeria had defeated Spain in one of the shock results of the World Cup held in France earlier in the same year.

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NATIONSPORT WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

Big Boss compares Mali, Nigeria Kim wins CBN Governor’s Cup

EKO 2012...EKO 2012...EKO 2012...EKO 2012...EKO 2012

Bauchi to participate in 17 sports with 220-man contingent

From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

Utaka •Keshi

set for Arsenal visit

Houses around Teslim Balogun Stadium, other venues get LASG facelift

Nosa Igiebor criticises Betis’ tactics •Utaka

Boat Regatta to Open Eko 2012

Asaah lauds Team Rivers three-phased campings

• Igiebor

BATTLE OF BAMAKO

Kanu, Ugbe tip Eaglets to Shock Mali

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

Life

25

The Midweek Magazine

• Children playing around in front of the camera.

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Text only: 08023058761

PHOTO: EVELYN OSAGIE

Before they become endangered species ‘Children are not getting proper protection in their homes. A child who is not protected will be subjected to sexual abuse. People should think well before entering into marriage. 90 per cent of the children we are reconciling to their parents are from broken homes...’

– SEE PAGE 26

My civil war story, by Odia Ofeimun

Clergy, parents urge youths to save Igbo culture

– Page 27

– Page 28

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

26

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Before they become endangered species Children are supposed to be the apples of their parents’ eyes. But these days, many parents abuse their children, sexually and otherwise. This is why the United Nations (UN) has set aside November 20 of every year as the Universal Children’s Day to highlight the protection of children’s rights. This year’s was marked yesterday, reports EVELYN OSAGIE

•Mrs Salami

•Taiwo

• Mrs Bossman

•Mrs Ekwerike-Okoro

H

E was six years old when he was sexually abused by an adult. That incident changed his life. He became a sex machine, sexually attracted to children. Today, “with the help of God” as he puts it, Taiwo Akinlami, 42, has turned child rights activist.

Akinlami, the founder of a non-governmental organisation, Akinlami Inspires, said: “Children are not getting proper protection in their homes. A child who is not protected will be subjected to sexual abuse. People should think well before getting married. 90 per cent of the children we are reconciling to their parents are from broken homes.”

November 20 of every year is Universal Children’s Day. The United Nations Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, on November 20,1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989. This year’s edition brings the spyglass on child rights issues. Experts are worried that cases of violation of children’s rights are on the increase.

A case in point is that of the late BBC presenter, Jimmy Savile, accused of being a paedophile in his life time. Savile was a household name in the 70s and 80s as a Radio 1 DJ and presenter of the Jim’ll Fix It show on BBC. But since his death, last year, there have been reports alleging that he was a paedophile who abused young people on BBC premises, in various care homes and even in a psychiatric hospital. And several more cases have come up after Savile’s. The cases in the UK are an indication of how bad the situation is and the need for parents to pay more attention to child protection, particularly against sexual molestation. Hence, Sir Terry Wogan, Children in Need presenter, observed “Children are vulnerable, and news in recent weeks have been an awful reminder.”

Now, if you think Nigeria is far removed from such hideous act, you better think again. Even though the Child Rights Act was signed into law on July 31, 2003, experts said the child’s right to protection is not given the attention it deserves. They lamented that Nigeria lacked proper documentation of cases of child rights violation, adding that many states are yet to adopt the act. This, they said, has led to the rise in child rights violation with sexual abuse at the top. Each day, according to Child Protection Network (CPN) reports, 100,000 children are abused in Lagos.

Said Akinlami : “Let’s not deceive ourselves; it is happening everyday around us. I was sexually molested and lost my virginity at age six. As a teenager, I became a sex addict, homosexual and paedophile. I was traumatised until 1997 when Jesus came into my life. I started living at the age of 27. I have lived life as I should for just 15 years. Now, I cannot go to bed hearing that a child is abused because of what I have gone through. I have been there and know its repercussion.”

Years after his experience, many children are constantly being violated. Akinlami, a solicitor and member of a committees involved in legal drafting and curriculum development on matters that relate to children’s rights, noted that the impact of child abuse, especially sexual molestation, is everlasting.

“Once a child is abused, the impact is eternal. So, we are informing people about the rights and the importance of protecting the child. From age two to six, the personality of a child is formed. There is need for a holistic re-orientation because stigma, ignorance and self blame are why sexual abuse is on the rise. Those abused should be given moral, medical, psycho-social attention, if necessary, shelter,” he said.

ADVOCACY Akinlami, who is also a mamber of CPN, said children become vulnerable if parents and guardians fail to carry out their responsibilities, urging that parents should pay attention to the “business of parenting.” Seventy per cent of sexual abuse occur in homes, he said, and are done by people they trust.

According to Akinlami, CPN has rescued 180 children between ages 10 and 17 comprising those separated from parents, trafficked, physically abused, child labour (child domestic servants), abandoned, neglected and lost-butfound.

“In the dictionary of CPN, we have replaced ‘child vulnerability’ with ‘adult irresponsibility’. Not everybody is qualified to have children. Stop rejoicing with those who are giving birth and those that are getting married, except you know what parents they would turn out to be. We have lots of children who are lost to people taking care of them without knowing how. Parents don’t care about their children. They do not have time for the business of parenting. The foundation of abuse is raised by people who do not know what they are doing. And so, when you see a child being abused and do nothing, you are destroying a generation. And when you save him, you are saving a generation. For every child you take proper care of, you are protecting the world from a genocide or mass murderer like Adolf Hitler or Osama Bin Laden,” he said.

CPN chairperson Mrs Ngozi Ekwerike-Okoro said children rights are not separated from adult rights. There are four baskets of rights — survival rights, developmental rights, participation rights and protection rights (e.g sexual and emotional). Like Akinlami, Mrs Ekwerike-Okoro believes that society has a duty to protect those rights from the cradle, adding that sex education is a necessary tool for the prevention of

molestation of children.

She said: “It is in our interest and, in fact, our responsibility to see ourselves as social police to rescue and prevent our children from all kinds of abuse. All hands must be on deck against the violators of the rights of any child, especially paedophiles. It is time to take responsibility within your area of influence: domesticate your responsibility to the rights of children and the world will be a better place. To curb the menace, the government and parents should empower children at home and schools by allowing them to exercise their rights in participating in decisions affecting their lives. Teach them to speak up and speak out! Once they are taught, they would not allow anybody take advantage of them. They should also be taught how to resist unnecessary attention from others, especially adults. “ A parent and lecturer with the National Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Mrs Odum Oruoma, called on key players to extend the awareness to the grassroots through indigenous languages to the grassroots. She called on mothers to brace to their responsibilities to their children. “The government should create awareness on child rights issues and teach parents the art of parenting and how to train their children and stay alert through our indigenous languages. Government and parents should do more to enlighten, empower and guide the children. Parenting should be taken seriously. Mothers, don’t run away from your responsibilities of bringing the children up properly. We should not take up jobs that would take us away from our children. My child once complained about a teacher who was acting funny, I took the matter up immediately and it was resolved.”

Mrs Folashade Bossman of the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender urged the public to carry out constant check on the mental state of a child. “It is the duty of everyone to look out for the young ones, and be at alert against child molestation so that they won’t grow up to be mentally imbalanced and useless. We have a duty to identify traits of mental imbalance in a child from the cradle because he/she may grow up to become a menace to the society,” she said.

•Continued on page 37

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

27

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

My civil war story, by Odia Ofeimun For Odia Ofeimun, the muti-talented poet, it was a three-in-one event. The staging of his play, Nigeira The Beautiful; the unveiling of his book, When does a civil war come to an end? and journal, Lagos Review of Books and Society. EVELYN OSAGIE writes.

“T

he trouble with Nigeria is not just bad leadership. It is about the values a people uphold. And when you reduce it to simply a question of leadership, it means that it is only the protagonists, the entrepreneurs who are allowed to have power and authority. You tend, when you overplay the role of the leader, to deprive the rest of us of the responsibilities we owe in whatever we do in our various ways of living to be the moulders and the defenders of our society.”

This quote, from Odia Ofeimun’s latest book entitled When does a Civil War come to an end? welcomed guests into the Agip Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan, last Friday. it also prepared them for an evening of controversies.

Ace poet Ofeimun was at it again, brewing what he does best – controversy.

There have been heated debates on historical accounts of the Civil War in recent times, especially with the publication of Prof. Chinua Achebe’s book There was a country. Not one to be left out on budding national discourse, Ofeimun responded with the play – Nigeria The Beautiful – and a prose When does a Civil War come to an end?

Spectacle, electrifying theatrical and dance performances heralded Ofeimun’s submission on the need for unity while satirising Nigeria’s political history, hypocrisy, the hypocrisy of its leaders and more. The event also featured the presentation of When does a Civil War come to an end? a somewhat response to There was a country, even though the poet denied it, saying: “the book was written a long time before Achebe’s was published” His journal, Lagos Review of Books and Society was also unveiled. And the air was charged for the evening.

Before the main performance, interestingly, a prologue of sort took place at the reception which further amplified the already charged evening. There, two writers Kunle Ajibade, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, a civil rights crusader, Dr. Sylvester Akhaine, and the celebrator engaged in a sad reminiscence of the nation’s political voyage and of dreams shattered. Like a pre-planned script of a gory dramatic memoir, the discourse highlighted the predicament of its heroes of democracy, particularly that of a fallen one, Ken Beeson Saro Wiwa (October 10, 1941 to November 10, 1995).

“Everywhere one looks in this country, you see the hypocrisy of many. But we know those who really paid the price for democracy: people like you, Kunle. For democracy sake, you went to prison,” began Uzoatu.

Ajibade: “Look at what they did to Saro Wiwa.”

Maxim: “Look at what they did to a great writer in his own country. Ken is gone!”

Akhaine: “When I heard he was killed, my psychology changed. He had a meeting at Beko’s place before he met his death.”

Ofeimun: “But you know Ken was crazy.

Ken drove me out of his office the day Abacha came to power. He said Abacha was a good man and that was the man who killed him.”

Maxim: “They were friends and their kids grew up together. So when Ken was killed I did not know what to make of it.”

Ajibade: “It is one image I can’t put away from my mind. It is unfortunate... this is a country that eats its own.”

Maxim: “Why is this country standing?

That was how the Civil War was began.”

Ofeimun: “Why shouldn’t this country stand? The war has not changed anything; and subsequent wars will still not change anything. Let’s go up, the show is about to start.”

In the play, Ofeimun tells the story of Nigeria from colonial era till date, bringing up age-long arguments of various ethnic groups on the platform of national discourse. It celebrates prominent actors in Nigeria’s political history such as the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late Mallam Aminu Kano, the late Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and her

•Joke Silva •One of the cast acting Awolowo addressing his followers.

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

THEATRE son, the late Fela, the late Adaka Boro, military administrators, among others. He concludes by calling on leaders and Nigerians to harness the aspects of each group that would lead to unity.

The play, he said, stems from his belief in ‘project Nigeria.’ “I believe we know Nigeria’s story. What we have not decided on is how to make Nigeria live for each and of us.

It is not only the fighting wars. This is an eminently safable country that can also save Africa. And we have the means to safe Nigeria; we only need to employ it. The differences we talk about are really no differences.

I want to live in a county with only one song, one creed, only one dance. Let us build Nigeria The Beautiful. It is a duty we owe ourselves to build Nigeria The Beautiful and unite the world. The Lagos Review of Books and Society is one in which we want to redefine the world,” Ofeimun said.

The cast held the audience spellbound as they acted Nigeria’s voyage: their line delivery and actions helped guests grasp the depth of the message. The performance of Ogun Mawuyon was particularly captivating.

According to him, the connecting thread between the play and his book. When does a Civil War come to an end? is thrust on the need for Nigerians to do away with ethnic stereotypes. He said the book is not a deliberate response to Achebe’s book, but offers an alternative way of seeing what happened before, during and after the Civil.

He said: “From the moment we started debating Achebe’s book; many people thought

‘The trouble with Nigeria is not just bad leadership. It is about the values a people uphold. And when you reduce it to simply a question of leadership, it means that it is only the protagonists, the entrepreneurs who are allowed to have power and authority’

Nollywood UP to inspire youths

By Udemma Chukwuma and Akande Kayode

T •Ofeimun

I was deliberately running away from my responsibilities by not publishing essays I wrote long ago. I needed to bring out this book so that people will not be asking me about questions they could just find in a book. If I say I have an alternative history, it is important to come out with book like When does a Civil War come to an end? What this book tried to do is to show how right Awolowo was in relation to his harshest critics.”

So when does the war end, he was asked.

“In my view a civil war comes to an end when the falsehood that divided the people and the stereotypes that ruins people has been displaced by a harsher verdict – the truth. I have followed Chief Awolowo’s career very closely. In my view, he provides the finest example of how to solve Nigeria’s problem. A man who was so much lied against but never for once behaved in a manner that showed he was worried for himself.

He was always more worried for others,” he said.

For the solicitor and critic who reviewed Achebe’s There was a country in The News, Tade Ipadeola, it is high time the civil war propaganda is rested. Ofeimun book, according to him, is timely in putting to rest such cant. He said: “In response to Achebe, Ofeimun has come up with a closure in When does a Civil War come to an end? which is a challenge to us as Africans. His argument is that the Civil War should come to end at some point. And we must ask ourselves at what point? I was born after the war and I have often wondered why should our world be always fore-grounded by the war.”

O protect the movie industry, the Lagos State government and artistes have initiated the Nollywood Upgrade Project (Nollywood UP). The government and Nollywood Workshop, a global nongovernmental organisation (NGO) are collaborating on the project. The project is designed to ensure a stronger film industry and inspire the youths.

The organisers said the project will be launched on December 3 to 7. The training, which has been designed in partnership with Coalition of Nollywood Guilds and Associations (CONGA) to address current gaps in the Nollywood's capacity, is free.

Application forms is available on www.nollywoodup.com for interested participants.

According to the chairman of CONGA, Bond Emeruwa, the training will consist of master classes that cover key elements of directing, camera, lighting, sound, producing and the creative process, along with new strategies in financing and distribution, helping filmmakers harness the power of digital video to achieve high quality results. "Cutting edge training satisfies the need to raise production quality and to capitalise on new distribution opportunities, while increasing professionalism and growth throughout the industry.

The project consists of three phases, which include building capacity through training and community cinema development; cultivating opportunities for innovation in film financing and distribution and serving to legitimise the industry as a space for investment, sponsorship and collaboration. The focus of the project is to boost the industry in all ramification through it innovation project by providing opportunities for filmmakers to receive appropriate training for 100 professionals.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

28

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Arthouse auction holds Nov. 26

A

RTHOUSE Contemporary Limited will hold its ninth auction of modern and contemporary art on next week. The auction is sponsored

by Renaissance Capital. Viewings for the sale will take place at The Wheatbaker Hotel, 4, Onitolo Road (formerly Lawrence Road), Ikoyi, Lagos on Saturday, November 24, between 10 and 6pm and Sunday November 25 between 10 and 6pm.

According to the organisers, there are 111 lots of Nigerian and Ghanaian art for sale spanning the media of painting, sculpture, mixed media works and photography.

Featuring for the first time are Adebesin Adedamola, Alimi Adewale, Abiola Akintola, Benedict Olorunnisomo, Billy Omabegho, Chika Okeke-Agulu, Chike Obeagu, Dotun Adegbite, John NosiremeThomas, Lanre Ayoade, Lucy Azubuike, Osagie Aimufia, Raqib Bashorun, Segun Ayesan, Tolu Aliki, Uche Okpa-Iroha and Wande George.

All the works for sale can be viewed online at the Arthouse website (www.arthouse-ng.com) where the complete catalogue can be downloaded. Interested bidders must register in advance before the auction or at the venue during the viewings.

Bidders’ forms are also available on the website.

For more information to register to bid or to purchase a catalogue, contact the Manager, Nana Sonoiki by e-mail on nana@arthouse-ng.com

•Cultural group performing at the event

I

T was a celebration of Igbo rich cultural heritage at the cultural fiesta organised by the Catholic Youths Organisation of Nigeria (CYON) at the Saint Francis Catholic Church, EnuguUkwu, Anambra State.

It was to promote Igbo language and ensure it does not go into extinction.

The event also featured installation of patrons and patronesses and award. It was attended by the young and the old who came in native attires.

In line with the aim of the fiesta, the Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Revd Paulinus Ezeokafor, made it compulsory that every address within the diocese must be written and presented in Igbo language.

The language was the medium of communication at the event.

Some priests and parents who spoke at the event harped on the need for future generations not to abandon their culture and tradition, especially the good ones.

They urged the youth to do everything possible to revitalise the cultural heritage of Ndigbo in the light of Christianity, by striving, at all times, to not only speak the language but dress elegantly in the fabrics Ndigbo are known with. They should as well be part of reviving the numerous Igbo cultural dances and folklores that were the mark of Igbo national identity and heirloom.

They praised the Secretary of the Catholic Youths of Nigeria, St Francis Catholic Church, Miss Nwadinigwe Tochukwu, and the President of CYON, Mr Nwobu Chukwujekwu, for their commitment and dedication in actualising the ceremony.

Most Reverend Ezeokafor enjoined youths to ensure that they don’t lose sight of the Igbo cultural heritage and traditions.

He appealed to church leaders to encourage youths to appreciate their culture and tradition to help in the war against dearth of our cultural values and language.

In his homily, the Parish Vicar/ Chaplain of the CYON, Rev Fr Emmaunel Oformata, encouraged youths to worship God in all sincerity and stop cutting corners in their quest to survive. He appealed to them to shun immorality in all ramifications and emulate Christ in all they do since any immoral life lived would be regretted.

Secretary of the Catholic Youths of Nigeria, St Francis Catholic Church, Miss Nwadinigwe Tochukwu and the President

Clergy, parents urge youths to save Igbo culture From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

VISUAL ART of CYON, Mr Nwobu Chukwujekwu in their separate speeches enjoined youths to do things that are righteous before God and serve Him with their youthful age.

They restated their commitment to assist their members to shun all acts of disobedience and cultism of all sorts to enable them be useful members of the society. They noted that cultural fiesta was an avenue to encourage youths to protect the good cultural heritages of Ndigbo to avoid youths looking like visitors in their own land.

Nwadinigwe and Nwobu informed that the numerous cultural heritages and traditions in Africa needed to be championed and protected by youths hence the fiesta was to create an awareness on the wealth of culture in our country.

Chairman on the occasion Mr Wilfred Ndibe noted that the theme of the cultural fiesta was revitalising of our cultural heritage in the light of Christianity was apt and enjoined parents to allow their children to participate in the activities of youths in the church as they would learn measures that are edifying rather than immoral acts picked up at social gatherings outside the church.

He appealed to the youths to aid the promotion of the Igbo culture by instilling forming the habit of speaking Igbo language all the time to prove wrong the BBC report that Igbo language and culture will go into extinction. He thanked in a special way the CYON patrons and patronesses for their contributions to the organization which he said fetched them the prestigious CYON award.

Parish Priest of the parish, Rev Fr (Dr)

John Ezeanyika said that the need for such programme became necessary as the moral decadence among the youths is on the increase adding that the cultural fiesta will bring out the potentials that God bequeathed in them.

He also noted that the programme will further convince other Catholic youths who are still indifferent to see something good in the lives of the registered members and urged parents to allow their children who are of age to join the organisation.

The highlight of the occasion is the installation of Ozomkpu Sir Fidelis Okekearu, Chief Ben Nwangwu, Ozonkpu Sir Tony Okeke, Ozonkpu Sir Iddi Ambrose Mgbako and Engr W.C. Osineme as grand patrons and Lady V.O.C. Omalu, Iyom Roseline Uform, Veronica Nwobu, Lady C.K Dunu and Mrs Caroline Egenti as grand patronesses.

About 13 others were also installed as patrons and patronesses, 14 received awards as the pillars of CYON, 11 people were honoured as lovers of CYON and 6 others smiled home with a special award for the selfless services to the church, the organisation and the society.

Former Chief Engineer of Channels Television Awka, Engr Ben Eneluwa Okeke and the Chief Accountant of NTA channel 12 Owerre, Mr Obiekezie Edwin expressed joy that CYON remembered them in their various support to them adding that it will spur them to do more.

They advised the youths to always work as a team, imbibe good culture and live a Christian life worthy of emulation.

Thanking the awardees and participants, the CYON President, Mr Nwobu Chukwujekwu and his secretary Miss Nwadinigwe Toochukkwu thanked God for giving them fair weather and for the huge success of the programme even as they prayed God to replenish the purse of their supporters.

Hybun enters season of literary harvests

By Udemma Chukwuma

Hybun Publications International is set to take Nigeria by squall with the launch of its new publications before the end of the year.

Hybun, established 15 years ago, had published for notable writers both home and abroad such as Mike and Angela Nwosu, Toni Kan, Akeem Lasisi, Diego Okenyodo, Chinyere Obi Obasi, Ahmed Maiwada, (three writers that took Hybun’s name to the Nigeria L.N.G sponsored multimillion dollar Nigeria Prize for Literature), Emmanuel Sule, Halima Sekula, Yahaya Dangana, Isaac Ogezi, Emeka Agbayi, Sumaila Umaisha, Mature Okoduwa and Ikeogu Oke, among others. Although at a point in its literary journey, things were at a standstill, especially when its publisher/chief executive officer, Mr Hyacinth Obunseh went to serve the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) for some years, the publishing house is out a list of interesting titles.

The titles include a collection of three plays, Beyond the Wall by Dr. Chris Anyoku, of the University of Lagos; labour rights activist and poet, Comrade Azubuike Enwe’s Canticles of Poetic Trilogue; Niger state born Osieka Osinimu Alao’s Apocyle; Princess of the Harmatharn by Dr. Seyi Adigun, immediate past Chairman of the Abuja branch of ANA; Behold your Scented Daughters by Omale Allen Abduljabar, Under a Darkling Sky, by Isaac Attah Ogezi and Breast of a Virgin . Also a collection of twenty short stories by Nigerian writers living at home and abroad, edited by Dr. Ngozi Chumah-Udeh, Head, Department of English, Anambra State University, entitled: Twenty Stories from Home; Behind the Council, a novel

by Joy Esuku, National Treasurer of ANA, and Call Me Mara, a long due collection of short fiction by the author of Valley of Decision, Hyacinth Obunseh, would be released before the year runs out.

29

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Forecasts Profit after tax N590.797m NIGER INSURANCE Gross Premium N2.73b Profit after tax N212.95m MUTUAL BENEFITS Gross Premium N2b Profit N885.633m REGENCY ALLIANCE Gross Premium N812.596m Profit after tax N256.437m LEARN AFRICA Turnover N1.06b Profit after tax N58.336m TOTAL Nigeria Turnover N46.676 b Profit after tax N942.1m MRS OIL Nigeria Turnover N51.20b Profit after tax N712 m ETERNA Turnover N27.64b Profit after tax N563.834m OKOMU OIL PALM Turnover N2.667b Profit after tax N1.044b STANBIC IBTC BANK Net Operating Income N16.805b Profit after tax N2.737b ASL Turnover N1.084b Profit after tax N101.355m GT ASSURANCE Gross Premium N3.892b Profit after tax N710.62m CORNERSTONE INS Gross Premium N1.223b Profit after tax N80.01m OASIS INS Gross Premium N562.500m Profit after tax N79.868m AFRICAN ALLIANCE INS Gross Premium N1.215b Profit after tax N107.213m BERGER PAINTS Turnover N976.303m Profit after tax N88.258m SCOA Nigeria Turnover N835.0m Profit after tax N18.200m DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY Turnover N38.251b Profit after tax N3.49b STUDIO PRESS NIG Turnover N3.375b Profit after tax N20.422m JULIUS BERGER NIG Turnover N80.125b Profit after tax N2.55b INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INS Gross Premium N1.41b Profit after tax N250.450m EQUITY ASSURANCE Gross Premium N2.45b Profit after tax N287.283m STANDARDALLIANCEINS Gross Premium N2.142b Profit after tax N475.964m CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE Gross Premium N6.917b Profit after tax N805m PRESCO Turnover N2.60b Profit after tax N800.9m RT BRISCOE Turnover N4.553b

NLNG is one of the biggest success stories in our country. From what I am told, the company has invested $13 billion so far since inception, and has become a pacesetter in terms of revenue generation for the government.

-Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga

The Palms, Shoprite’s developer P to list on NSE ERSIANAS Properties, the real estate firm behind high-brow The Palms Shopping Mall in Lagos, has concluded arrangements to list its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Persianas’s portfolio of real estate assets include the 11-acre The Palms Shopping Mall in Lekki, Lagos; Polo Park Mall, Enugu, Enugu State and two other world-class malls under construction in Kwara and Oyo states.

Executive Director, Persianas Properties, Mr Mike Williams, who spoke alongside the Chairman of Persianas Group, Mr Tayo Amusan, confirmed the impending listing of the real estate company.

Williams said the company would soon submit its application for listing to the NSE as it restructures its operations to meet international best practices and unlock values in its real estate assets.

By Taofik Salako

According to him, Persianas is working to meet regulatory and listing requirements, including compliance with the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS).

He said the company would meet the management of the NSE to sort out certain peculiarities relating to the company as a real estate company.

Williams added that the company has been positioned as an attractive investment to investors.

He said as part of efforts to bring down costs, the company engages in direct procurement and construction of its properties.

Meanwhile, Amusan has called on the government to put in place amenable policies that could

stimulate the growth of the real estate market and create immense job opportunities for Nigerians.

He said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should provide support for the development of the real estate sector and subsidise the costs of housing units by creating single-digit mortgages that could stimulate demand for properties.

Amusan noted that improved demand for housing units and real estate properties would greatly reduce the high unemployment rate in Nigeria given the large number of people involved in real estate value chain.

He pointed out that the double-digit high interest rate of between 20 and 30 per cent and short tenors of bank loans were unsuitable and stifling the

growth of the real estate sector.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) recently announced plans to invest $124 million in the Persianas Group.

The investment package consists of up to $74 million in equity provided by IFC, IFC ALAC Fund, and $50 million in debt provided by IFC. Persianas Group is expected to use the funds to further develop retail and mixed-use centres in major commercial cities in furtherance of its overall vision of a fully integrated design, property development, and asset management firm.

IFC indicated that Persianas’ vision was to develop and list Nigeria’s first investment grade real estate portfolio.

Underlining the attractiveness of the investment, IFC noted that

the Nigerian real estate sector is expected to produce high growth in the medium-term driven by the recovering economy, and other high growth sectors of commerce, construction, telecommunications, and a recovery in the financial services sector.

It pointed out that improved economic recovery would lead to demand for real estate product in all sectors in an environment where there is a dearth of quality stock of real estate and the market is undersupplied.

To address Nigeria’s vastly underserved commercial property, it outlined that Persianas is undertaking a restructuring and expansion of its operations including building and development of new retail and mixed used centres, establishment and development of a professional asset management company and restructuring of the company’s balance sheet.

‘ALSCON’s asset devalued by 90%’ From Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor in Abuja

T

•From left: Divisional Head, Products and Channels, Unity Bank PLC, Mr Felix Eze; mother of winner of N1million Kids Scholarship, Rosemary Ijeoma Ekpo; Regional Manager, Aminu Baffa and Executive Director, IT Operations, Ahmed Yusuf at the bank’s grand finale of ‘Aim and Win’ promo in Abuja.

EFCC, NIBSS, others to fight e-fraud

T

HE Nigerian Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) is partnering with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBBS), among others, to check electronic payment frauds and related offences.

NeFF’s Chairman Mr Emmanuel Obaigbona, told The Nation that the development was borne out of the need to boost confidence in the electronic payment system.

He said: “We are trying to bring together the tradition of electronic payment system in Nigeria. We are seriously working with the EFFC,

By Akinola Ajibade

NIBBS, CBN, owners of switches, and industrial workers on the issue of checking electronic payment frauds. We are working on how to educate the law enforcement agents, and the judiciary on what e-frauds is all about.“ According to him, the body has created a lot of awareness on fraud issues to enlighten people on the causes of e-payment frauds.

“We have tried to let people know some of the likely fraudulent activities, arising from the use of electronic payment channels such as Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Point of Sale (PoS) ter-

minals, mobile phones, among others. Also, we have taught them how to mitigate such risks to stimulate the growth of the financial system,” he added.

Obaigbona said the relevant stakeholders were being carried along to check fraud in epayment transactions.

He said the anti-fraud committee set up by the CBN to tackle e-payment frauds has been working to proffer solutions to the problems, adding that the committee has been consistent with its mandates to fight e-payment frauds among the stakeholders in the nation’s financial chains. 580 Similarly, an official of the Shared Services Office, Gover-

nor’s Department, Mr Chidi Umeano, said the committee, which has been upscaled to epayment fraud forum has, as members, managing directors of the banks, and the electronic payment card companies, such as MasterCard, Visacard among others.

He said the forum holds meetings regularly to discuss and fine- tune plans on how to solve problems relating to epayment frauds in the industry.

“There has been growing concern on the part of the forum to address the issue of frauds relating to electronic payment transactions in Nigeria. The forum hopes to provide solutions to the problems”, he said.

HE total asset base of Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State has been devalued by 89.47 per cent since 2006, a report from its auditors has revealed.

The company prior to being sold to the Russian firm, UC Rusal, had a total asset base of $3.2billion, but the summary of the company’s financial statement since 2006 has revealed that over 89 per cent of the company’s assets, have been devalued.

A certified true copy of the audit report by the audit firm of KPMG obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, showed that from N30.98 billion in 2007, the company’s net asset value dropped to N25.2 billion in 2008; N19.4 billion in 2009 and N14.9 billion in N2010. The report for 2011 is yet to be published.

The audit report suggested that the company’s asset base suffered massive devaluation by over N101.2 billion within a year of the take-over of the plant by UC Rusal.

Ownership of the plant was transferred by the Bureau of Public for Enterprises (BPE) to the Russian firm, UC Rusal, in controversial circumstances in 2006 following the annulment of the bid won by the American-Nigerian consortium, BFIGroup Corporation in 2004.

Prior to the bid, the company’s fixed asset as at December 31, 2003 stood at about N127.7 billion,while the figure dropped marginally to N127.3 billion at the beginning of 2004, according to a report published by the audit firm, Pricewatercoopers Limited.

Banks’ holdcos to create Erring operators to be ATM: CBN, NDIC to punished, says NAICOM monitor banks’ compliance new listings - P 30

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

MONEY

CBN, NDIC to monitor banks’ compliance with ATMs’ directive T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to monitor compliance with its directive stopping the N100 depositors pay for using other banks’Automated Teller Machines (ATMS).

CBN will deploy examiners in banks to ensure compliance, Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Umaru Ibrahim said.

He was speaking at a workshop for finance reporters in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital.

Last Tuesday, CBN stopped the N100 charge for the use of ATMs other than those of a depositor’s banks.

The decision followed a meeting at the lenders’ committee comprising executives banks directors and top CBN officials.

Stories by Collins Nweze

Depositors hitherto paid N100 per withdrawal for rising other banks’ ATMs. The NDIC boss said the decision to stop the charge would increase the patronage of ATMs and deepen the financial inclusion strategy.

He listed the other projects meant to promote financial inclusion to include the cash-less policy designed to bring low-cost, secure and convenient financial services to urban, semi-urban and rural areas in the country.

Ibrahim called for the promotion of all-women microfinance banks, adding that evidence from other countries indicate that such institutions have the potential to promote easy access to credit among

rural women, especially at the group levels.

He said the platform could also be used to mobilise more funds from the group. He said out of the total number of provisional and final microfinance bank licences issued by the CBN, the north, including Federal Capital Territory had only 24.75 per cent, and therefore called on the state governments in the region to establish more grassroots banks.

According to him, financial inclusion, alternatively characterised as ‘access to finance’ has been defined as ‘universal access at reasonable cost, to a wide range of financial services to everyone needing them, provided by a diversity of sound and sustainable institutions.’

He said the CBN and NDIC have and uphill task in improving finan-

cial inclusion given the relatively low level of penetration of financial services in the country.

The NDIC boss said the rising trend in bank customers’ complaints is a source of worry to the regulators.

He said such complaints arising mainly because of poor customer service, high bank tariffs, frauds and forgeries as well as bank distress could threaten confidence in the banking system.

He said banks are aware of whom their customers are but many of them do not appreciate the need to determine their expectations and how to manage them.

“The inability to manage customers coupled with the serious corporate governance issues could explain the high frequency of complaints among bank customers in

•CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Nigeria. To determine the causes of customer complaints and design appropriate strategies for preventing and controlling it, the need to determine customer expectations and how to effectively manage them cannot be overemphasised,” he said.

‘Assets seizure ’ll check money laundering’

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•From left: Executive Director, Southsouth Directorate, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo; Head, Lagos Office, Consumer Protection Commission, Ngozi Obidike; Managing Director, Reginald Ihejiahi; Director, Regulation & Monitoring, National Lottery Regulatory Commission s(NLRC), Prince E.O. Jeminiwa; General Manager, Fidelity Bank, Obioha Obiagwu, and Co-ordinator, Lagos Zonal Office, NLRC, Obi Iregbu, at Fidelity’s 25th Anniversary Cars and Cash Savings promo mega draw in Lagos.

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FirstBank’s Interswitch network hits 5m

IRSTBANK has received a “Milestone Achievement Award” for hitting five million Verve card issuance mark on the Interswitch network to five million Verve cards in one year.

According to Mr Mitchell Elegbe, group managing director of Interswitch, the bank also increased the activity rate of its cards on the Interswitch network from 56 per cent to 90 per cent in 12 months.

“To put this in proper perspective, 90 per cent of FirstBank Verve cards are active and have carried out at least one transaction in the last two months. The average rate across the switch is about 70 per cent.

These are huge milestones which deserves recognition and commendation,” he said.

The Group Managing Director of the bank, Mr Bisi Onasanya dedicated the award to the bank’s numerous customers, noting that their patronage and loyalty had continued to drive the Bank along the path of innovation, service excellence, and profitability.´ Onasanya said the award would encourage the customers to remain loyal to the bank, and promised that the bank would continue to provide superior services.

He said the bank would continue to defend and extend its leadership of the financial services sector through technology-driven service and specialised products and services that speak to all sections

of the banking public.

“FirstBank’s investment in ebusiness reflects our commitment to promoting financial inclusion which is widely r e g a r d e d a s a panacea for ensuring sustainable economic growth and development as well as enhancing entrepreneurship.

Our passion to serve and extend financial services to

the unbanked and underbanked has since inspired several innovations including the introduction of a card-less Automated Teller Machine ( A T M ) T r a n s f er service which ensures that people without bank accounts or electronic cards can receive funds from our ATMs across the nation,” he added.

HE Managing Director, DataPro, Abimbola Adeseyoju, has called for the implementation of the asset seizure, confiscation and forfeiture policy of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to check money laundering.

Speaking at the DataPro Inaugural Lectures in Lagos, he said the anti-money laundering/combating the financial terrorism (AML/CFT) initiative was instituted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that financial crime perpetrators are punished to ensure they do not benefit from their crimes.

He advised that an acceptable framework that tallies with ‘Recommendations Four of the Financial Action Task Force 2012 Principles’, which is on asset seizure, confiscation and forfeiture be implemented as one of the deterrents to money laundering and terrorists financing.

He said the government should ensure that competent authorities have powers to freeze or seize laundered property or proceeds including instrumentalities used or intended to be used for money laundering or terrorism financing.

Besides, he said there is also need to allow such proceeds to be confiscated without requiring criminal prosecution otherwise called a Non convic-

CBN to sponsor SOS children for five years

Fidelity Bank rewards customers

F

IDELITY Bank has given out five cars to five of its customers that emerged winners in the ongoing ‘Cars and Cash’ promo.

Muhammed Isah Shemsu, Saidu Sanusi, Benita Onwuneme, Odo Ngozika Blessing and Blessed Maka Ventures were winners of the first set of cars in the first mega draw, held to pick winners across five zones in the country—Northeast/West, Southeast, Southsouth, Abuja/Northcentral and Lagos/ Southwest.

Other 20 customers also won various cash prizes ranging from N100, 000 to N1 million each. Nwanjoku Chima from Lagos zone won N1 million,while Umar Bashir from Abuja/Northcentral and Anayo Evelyn Onyishi from the South East won N500,000 each. Eight customers from the five zones in the country won N250,000 each while 10 other customers won N100,000 each.

The bank’s Managing Director,

Reginald Ihejiahi, said the lender has fulfilled promise it made to its customers by rewarding winners in the promo. He said the bank embark on the campaign to encourage savings culture among Nigerians and to celebrate its 25th anniversary, coming up early next year.

The bank’s General Manager, Lagos, Mr Emeka Obiagwu, said the anniversary promo will last for five months, ending in May 2013, with 25 cars given out and N25 million won in cash prizes by depositors in the bank.

He said the bank will look for other ways to continually reward its customers after the end of the anniversary promo as they have been supportive of its businesses.

A car winner from Kaduna in the Northeast and West zone, Muhammed Isah Shemsu, expressed his appreciation for being a winner, while commending the bank for its initiative in embarking on the promo.

tion based confiscation approach.

According to him, it is no longer required for an offender to demonstrate the legal ownership of the property before it is confiscated.

For him, once the offender’s known source of income cannot provide the basis for such property, it should be enough room for confiscation and conviction.

He said DataPro is committed to supporting banks, regulators and other stakeholders in fighting money laundering in the country, adding that the firm was established to supply information and data on individuals, entities, agencies central authorities and institutions in the country to the relevant authorities.

The firm had also partnered with Dun & Bradstreet International to offer services to banks, manufacturers and other conglomerates around the world.

Meanwhile, the apex bank has started full implementation of its anti-money laundering/combating the financial terrorism (AML/ CFT) risk-based supervision framework, it issued in 2011.

The CBN said the measure was further supported by the importance the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) attached to the riskbased approach to AML/CFT supervision in its revised recommendations issued last February.

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has promised to sponsor the children of the SOS Children’s Village in the next five years.

CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, disclosed this at the inauguration of the CBN House at the SOS Children’s Village Gwagwalada, Abuja.

He said the apex bank has “a long standing commitment to humanitarian support and educational development, which is carried out without prejudice to race, creed, gender or religion.”

The CBN governor promised to finance the water project for the SOS Children Village as his own contribution to orphans.

Sanusi said: “Children are our future and we must do all in our power to prepare them for that future”.

He assured the children of the CBN’s support, and urged them to face their studies seriously, and be of good behaviour.

He reminded them that they would be judged by what they become tomorrow not where they are today.

Earlier, the National Director of the SOS Children’s Village Mr. Eghosa Erhumwunse disclosed that 17 million children are orphaned and vulnerable worldwide.

He used the opportunity offered by the event to appeal to the public to support the village to salvage the situation.

He lamented that the village, which caters for many children were suffering the lack of potable water, caused by the absence of a water treatment plant for its borehole.

He appealed to the government to assist the village by providing pipe-borne water channel to the village from the water board, the construction and equipping of a school library, school funding and subsidy for children in the community.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

MONEY

Why Stanbic was picked to sell bonds, by govt S

TANBIC/IBTC was selected on merit as the government stockbroker to sell bonds in the retail market, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has said.

Its Director, Market Development Department, Mrs Patience Oniha, told The Nation that the bank was selected out of the 17 institutions that applied for the job, after a rigorous screening.

She said the bank’s strong position in the industry, performance in the stock market and capacity to maintain investors’confidence, among others, were some of the qualities that got it the job.

She said: “We received 17 applications, following the placement of advertisements for the position of government’s stockbroker for retail bond trading. What we did was that we reviewed all the applicants’ vis-à-vis their ability to meet the requirements stated in the prospectus. In all these, the bank is the only institution that met the requirements.”

Vice-Chairman, Anchoria Securities and Investments Limited,Dr Olusola Dada, said DMO’s decision to unveil the broker did not come as a surprise.

Dada said the financial market

Stories by Akinola Ajibade

operators, especially stockbrokers had been looking forward to the announcement, adding that the development has further buoyed confidence in the financial market.

He said the management of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last month ordered stockbroking firms wishing to engage in retail trading of bonds at the secondary market to provide a minimum shareholders’fund of N500 million.

“The announcement has since generated interest in the market.

You know that it is not every firm that trade in bonds, but the issue has elicited joy among some brokers who have the capacity to meet the threshold of N500million as directed by the NSE and, subsequently, play at the secondary end of the bond market. Before bonds were traded only on wholesales, but bonds would henceforth be trading on both wholesale and retail. This means that brokers can buy and sell bonds on behalf of the clients, after getting approval from NSE.” he said.

Also, the Managing Director, BGL Securities Limited, Mr Sunday Adebola said the market had long

expected the commencement of retail bond trading, adding that some brokers have shown interest on the issue.

Adebola said the announcement did not come as a surprise because a meeting of capital market committee, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was held on the issue among others last month.

He said DMO was not only represented at the meeting, but told the participants that it was finalising the appointment of a government stockbroker that would engage in retail bond trading.

He said the market operators still need to meet the DMO on the frameworks for trading on retail segment of the bonds market.

“Certain issues need to be resolved before the trading commences. How are bonds going to be traded at the retail segment?

What is the minimum size or units that can be traded in the primary market? What is the minimum size to be traded at the secondary market? Is it 1,000 or 10,000 units at each section of the market? I think DMO, NSE and the operators still need to meet on the issue,” he added.

Augusto retains Lagos, GTB ‘Aa’ rating Augusto &Co has retained the “A” rating of the Lagos State Bond (Tranche 1) on the basis of the state’s strong capital expenditure programmes.

Also, the local rating firm has retained “A” rating assigned to Guaranty Trust Bank Plc’s N13.165 billion unsecured five-year bond. The firm, in a statement, said the rating was retained on the backdrop of the bank’s strong showing in the industry.

It said: “The rating of this bank expires December 2014. The rating of this bond is supported by the GTBank’s strong banking franchise, as well as its sound liquidity and good profitability. The rating also recognised the bank’s experienced management and good recapitalisation”.

According to the firm, it has indexed several blue-chip companies as part of efforts to X-ray their performance and capacity to record growth for their investors and the economy in particular.

The firm added that several quoted companies are being appraised, after which they would be rated in line with all-known global rating standards to determine their level of liquidity, and ability to record good profitability.

The firm has accorded strong ratings to several banks, on account of their strong capitalisation, good returns on investments and ability to maintain confidence level in the industry.

MfBs unfold growth agenda The Vice-Chairman, National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMBs), Southwest region, Mr Olufemi Babajide, has unfolded a seven-point agenda for banks in the region.

Babajide said this would help in driving the performance of the banks, and prevent a re-occurrence of the problems that operators faced in recent times.

He listed the bank’s strategy for growth to include capacity building, debt recovery, provision of support funds for operators, getting donor agencies to assist the operators, making the banks to operate cashless economy programme fully, and Information and Technology (IT) unification. He said over 300 software have been adopted as part of efforts to integrate the operations of its members.

He said the this was in conformity with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) directive on the integration of services of designated banking institutions in the country, adding that the microfinance banks in Ghana are using one software.

He said: “Despite the fact that all the Mfbs in Ghana use only same software, they are doing. I do not see any reason why their counterparts in Nigeria cannot integrate their operations, given the fact that they have abundance of software at their disposal.”

According to him, capacity building is crucial to the growth of the sub-sector because majority of the operators are not well grounded in the area of micro financial transactions.

Expert harps on customers’protection

•From left: Group Company Secretary, Unity Bank Plc, A’isha Abraham; Chairman, Alhaji Nu’uman Barau Danbatta; Niger State Governor Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Executive Director, Unity Bank’s Central Directorate, I. T. Mohammed and Divisional Head, Internal Audit, Mallam Bashir Adamu, when the bank’s officials visited the governor in Minna, the state capital.

Agric earnings for Africa hit $20b

A

FRICA will realise extra $20 billion in yearly earnings if its leaders can dismantle trade barriers hindering regional dynamism, a World Bank report has said.

The report was released on the eve of an African Union (AU) Ministerial summit on agriculture and trade in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In a statement, the bank said Africa’s farmers can grow enough food to feed the continent and avert future food crises if countries remove cross-border restrictions on the food trade within the region.

The report urges African leaders to improve trade so that food can move more freely between countries and from fertile areas to those where communities are suffering food shortages. “The World Bank expects demand for food in Africa to double by the year 2020 as people increasingly leave the countryside and move to the continent’s

cities,” it said.

According to the new report, Africa Can Help Feed Africa: Removing barriers to regional trade in food staples - rapid urbanisation will challenge the ability of farmers to ship their cereals and other foods to consumers when the nearest trade market is just across a national border.

It said countries south of the Sahara, could significantly boost their food trade over the next several years to manage the deadly impact of worsening drought, rising food prices, rapid population growth, and volatile weather patterns.

With many African farmers effectively cut off from the high-yield seeds, and the affordable fertilisers and pesticides needed to expand their crop production, the continent has turned to foreign imports to meet its growing needs in staple foods.

“Africa has the ability to grow and deliver good quality food to

put on the dinner tables of the continent’s families.

However, this potential is not being realised because farmers face more trade barriers in getting their food to market than anywhere else in the world. Too often, borders get in the way of getting food to homes and communities, which are struggling with too little to eat,”Makhtar Diop, World Bank Vice-President for Africa, said.

The new report suggests that if the continent’s leaders can embrace more dynamic inter-regional trade, Africa’s farmers, the majority of whom are women, could potentially meet the continent’s rising demand and benefit from a major growth opportunity.

It would also create more jobs in services such as distribution, while reducing poverty and cutting back on expensive food imports. Africa’s production of staple foods is worth at least $50 billion a year.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been advised to put in place an effective consumer protection mechanisms in the industry.

A finance/ management consultant with Kenobolyen Nigeria Limited, Mr Kenneth Nwachinete, said customers are badly treated while conducting transactions with some banks. Nwachinete said there was the need to establish a forum that would fight for the interest of the aggrieved customers. He said private organisations must rise to the challenges of fighting for the interests of customers that are unfairly treated by banks.

He said: “Often times, errors do occur in the process of conducting transactions. Because many customers are technically deficient and lack knowledge of banking transactions, they were cheated by banks. The development culminated in the establishment of a finance management consultancy firm that would help the aggrieved customers in the industry”.

He said banks’ software are sometimes faulty, adding that the development would snowball into substantive calamities for the customers and the banks if the trend continues.

He said any bank that failed to recognise the importance of depositors does so at its own peril, adding that crisis starts when people lose confidence in their banks.

Winners emerge in Sterling’s promo Sterling Bank Plc has rewarded another set of customers in its ongoing Savers’ Promo, which kicked-off in July this year.

The bank, during the fourth draw of the promo in Lagos , said 14 customers across the country won consolation and cash prizes in the October edition.

Four customers won a cash prize of N500,000 each, while 10 others won consolation prizes, such as refrigerators and home theatre electronic systems.

The winners are Abioye Oluwakemi Grace ( Ikeja Mainland Sterling Bank branch); Ocheinu Adah ( National Assembly Sterling Bank branch); Taiwo Godwin Anoemuah (Challenge branch of Sterling Bank); and Pepple Douglas Elewe ( Uyo Sterling Bank branch).

Winners under the consolation category include Madu Stella ( Ilupeju branch, Lagos); Ibrahim Olumide Kazeem (Ikorodu-Sterling Bank Branch); Ipinlaye Moses Abayomi ( Garki Area 8 Abuja); Elias Friday( Garki-Sterling Bank Branch); Kolujo Abidemi Segun (Ijebu-Ode Sterling Bank-Branch); and Igwe Emeka Chidi ( Owerri Road Branch). Others include Ojeabulu Omogbohu Esther (Benin Sapele Road- Sterling Bank Branch); Mrs Uchenna Osuji (Onitsha Bridge Sterling Bank Branch); Olusoji Aina (Port Harcourt Mainland Sterling Bank branch) and David Daniel Etuk (Uyo, Sterling Bank Branch).

The Head Consumers Protection Council, Lagos Branch, Mrs Ngozika Obidike, said the selection of winners for the promo was transparent and fair.

He said the bank had been complying with rules relating to the conception and implementation of promo.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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THE NATION INVESTORS

Mortgage banks scramble to raise new funds A HEAD of the April 2013 deadline for new capitali-

sation, mortgages banks are struggling to raise new equity funds to meet new minimum capital requirement under the new Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) policy framework for mortgage banks.

Under the new CBN’s framework for mortgage banks, they will be classified into national and state mortgage banks, with the geographic demarcation as benchmark for minimum capital requirement. National mortgage banks are authorised to operate in all states of the Federation while state mortgage banks are restricted to their registered state.

National mortgage banks are required to have minimum capital base of N5 billion while state mortgage banks must have N2.5 billion. The deadline for full compliance is April 30, 2013.

Industry sources indicated that mortgage banks, which capital had been eroded by the meltdown at the capital market and operational losses, were finding it difficult to source new equity funds.

Despite of a year-long intention to raise funds, none of the mortgage banks have been able to float

Stories by Taofik Salako

supplementary new issues. But many mortgage banks still believed they could raise additional funds before the deadline.

Resort Savings & Loans Plc, one of the four quoted mortgage banks, three weeks ago got the approval of shareholders to raise new equity funds towards supplementing its capital ahead of the recapitalisation deadline.

According to the resolution, Resort could be seeking to raise funds through public offer, private placement, and rights issue among others.

Aso Savings and Loans Plc, another quoted mortgage bank, had earlier indicated plans to raise new equity funds.

“Let it be on record that had it not been for losses in operations in the past two years which we promise to redeem, the bank

would not have had a need for new capital,” chairman, Resort Savings & Loans, Chief Francis Adefarati told shareholders prior to seeking approval to raise new funds.

The capital raising efforts of mortgage banks have been hampered by both the general lackluster state of the inactive primary segment of the capital market and also the poor performance of mortgage banks’ shares at the stock market.

The trio of Aso Savings, Resort and Union Homes Savings and Loans has so far this year stagnated at their nominal value of 50 kobo while Abbey Building Society is at its lowest value of N1.37 per share.

Altogether, the subsector’s market value stands at N19.66 billion, barely a third of market capitalisation of only Union Homes, which had closed January 2008 at N7.66 per share.

The large outstanding share capital of mortgage banks relative to their assets base has also encumbered new fund raising without addressing issues of share reconstruction and valuation. Resort has 11.33 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each, equivalent to N5.66 billion, almost a double of its shareholders’ funds of N2.87 billion and still above its total assets of N5.24 billion, according to the latest audited report ended December 31, 2011. But Resort in the interim report for the period ended September 30, 2012 reported total assets and net assets of N8.65 billion and N5.73 billion respectively.

Aso Savings has the second sectoral outstanding shares of 8.68 billion shares, nominally valued at N4.34 billion. However, audited report and accounts for the year ended March 31, 2012 showed that Aso Savings had net assets of N3.14 billion, less than its nominal value

and new minimum capital requirement for national mortgage banks.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) operates a stop-gap trading mechanism that does not allow share prices to drop below their nominal values.

“The performance of primary mortgage institutions (PMIs) has not really been encouraging. The requisite fundamental depth to warrant capital injection by impending shareholders may not really be there. Shareholders look for strong fundamental value in the past to determine their interest going forward. If you look at the financials of most of the PMIs, the performance has not really been juicy, except for some very few. Besides, fund raising in the primary market for now may not be encouraging due to market tempo,” a senior investment advisor and economist at a leading investment banking firm said.

‘Foreign portfolio equity investments drop’

By Tonia Osundolire

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HE level of foreign portfolio equity investments in the capital market has dropped from about 90 per cent to below 70 per cent as Nigerians continue to show improving appetites for quoted equities.

Managing Director, UBA Trustees, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sanni, said the reduction was due to more participation from the domestic investors in the market.

She said the capital Market Committee, a body of stakeholders in the capital market, has been working to get local investors back to the stock market.

“Capital Market Committee now works as an umbrella. We treat every single issue together, regardless of how difficult the issues are. In fact, this year all issues that came up were tackled collectively. All stakeholders in the committee are part of every subcommittee. All stakeholders are involved in whatever policy drive we have,” Sanni said.

She said the market will continue to record progress as the hiccups experienced in the past as a result of the policy made outside the contribution of the stakeholders have all been eliminated.

Sanni, who is the chairperson of the Organising Committee for the Capital Market Committee retreat, said this year’s gathering would further consolidate the gains of previous meetings.

According to her, the theme of the year’s retreat and conference is The pivot role of the capital market in the transformation agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

She explained that other activities at the conference include key note address and paper presentation by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan as well as panel discussion on business development and infrastructure.

•From left: Chief Commercial Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Wael Ammar; Head, Consumer Market, Mr Idowu Adesokan; Manager, High Value Prepaid, Miss Chinelo Mbanefo and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Steven Evans, at the Etisalat EasyFlex launch, at Protea Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos. PHOTO: JOHN EBHOTA

Global securities regulators issue new rules on securitisation T

HE International Organisation of Securities Organisations (IOSCO) has released some recommendations aimed at ensuring that securitisation markets develop on a sound and sustainable basis.

The recommendations, contained in the global body’s final report on Global Developments in Securitisation Regulation, would ensure that securitisation becomes more valuable financing tool that contributes to economic growth and the efficient diversification of risk.

IOSCO is the umbrella body for securities regulators. The organisation’s membership, which included Nigeria, regulates more than 95 per cent of the world’s securities markets in 115 jurisdictions. Nigeria is a member of IOSCO board, the governing and standard-setting council of the global body. There are also 31 other countries on IOSCO board including securities regulatory authorities of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Ontario, Pakistan, Portugal, Quebec, Romania, Singapore, South Africa,

Spain, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

The new set of rules comes as part of ongoing efforts by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to review the reforms of securitisation markets, in line with ongoing work for the G20 on the shadow banking sector. FSB had requested that IOSCO conduct a stock-taking exercise on certain aspects of securitisation, including risk retention, transparency and standardization, and to provide necessary policy recommendations.

In a statement made available to The Nation, IOSCO stated that the final report on securitisation was another step in its efforts to support sustainable growth of securitisation markets. It had in June 2012 published the report of a round table with industry participants and responses to a consultation paper on global developments in securitisation regulation.

“IOSCO has worked on the premise that regulation can contribute to a restoration of confidence and trust

by setting standards market participants must meet to address issues that surfaced through the Crisis.

These include securitisation practices and structures that created misaligned or wrong incentives and encouraged inadequate risk management practices. IOSCO considers that risk retention requirements and enhanced disclosure requirements have an important role to play in addressing these issues,” IOSCO stated.

IOSCO said the new regulatory recommendations on securitisation were based on its analysis of the various standards being implemented and extent to which different approaches to regulatory reform might result in impediments to cross border activity.

According to the global standardsetting body, the new regulatory recommendations cover a roadmap toward convergence and implementation of approaches to incentive alignment, in particular regarding risk retention requirements.

“Risk retention requirements better align the incentives of the sup-

pliers of securitisation products and, in particular, investors. Enhanced disclosure requirements about the underlying assets, flow of funds or waterfall and performance of securitisation structures will help inform investors, and have the potential to re-build investor confidence in the securitisation market.

The greater availability of information will also help reduce the reliance on credit ratings agencies,” IOSCO noted.

It noted that the newly recommended rules built on recent developments in standardised templates for asset level disclosure and other disclosure-related initiatives to assist informed investment decisions.

The final report also contained several useful observations about the role sound securitisation markets can play in supporting economic growth and the role regulation can play in reducing systemic risk and restoring investor trust and confidence while it also summarised key themes, observations and issues coming out of the responses to the consultation paper in relation to approaches to risk retention, transparency and standardization.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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THE NATION INVESTORS

NSE targets marginal oil field operators, local content firms T

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is engaging marginal oil field operators and other indigenous oil and gas firms to use the capital market to source funds and realise their locked-in values through listing of their shares.

Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Oscar Onyema, said the management of the NSE and marginal oil field operators have been discussing the prospects of listing and raising funds through the capital market.

He said the NSE was also considering opportunities inherent

Stories by Taofik Salako

in the Local Content Development Act to to encourage Nigerian-owned oil and gas firms to list their shares, in the true spirits of the Act. Onyema, who spoke at the FBN Capital Annual Investor Conference on efforts being made by the management of the NSE to deepen the stock market through new listings, said NSE has also made representation to the Bureau of Public Enterprises to make listing on the NSE as part of pre-conditions for the sale of

unbundled power companies.

He noted that the government needs to encourage companies to list on the NSE through incentives and amenable legislations.

According to him, though companies could not be forced to list their shares on the stock exchange, fiscal and legislative incentives would encourage companies to seek listing on their own.

NSE is scheduled to list GeoFluids Plc, an indigenous oil and gas services company. About 100 million shares of the company would be listed at N5 per share.

Managing Director, Geo-Fluids

Plc, Mr Ala Ibanibo, said listing of the company would enable it to attract investors and also distribute values to Nigerians.

“We know the attributes and prospects of the capital market as a dependable vehicle for wealth creation in the long-term.

Consequently, we believe that given the right regulatory and institutional frame work, the capital market will continue to be a very important catalyst for wealth preservation and that is why we are listing now regardless of the temporary challenges,” Ibanibo said.

He expressed optimism on the

performance of the company on the secondary market, noting that the listing price will be to the advantage of shareholders because the company has great potentials.

He said the company would pay dividend for the business year, citing the third quarter performance.

He assured that the company would comply with best practices and codes of corporate governance, pointing out that GeoFluids will be open and transparent for examination by shareholders, regulators and all other stakeholders.

FirstBank’s shareholders to get double dividends

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•From left: Chairman, Sam & Sara Garments, Adeniyi Oyemade; a graduate, Mrs. Mariam Olorunoje; Managing Director, Sam &Sara Garments, Mrs. Folake Oyemade; a graduand, Prince Bayo Fagbewesa and Special Adviser to Osun State Governor on Commerce, Co-operatives and Empowerment, Dr. Olalekan Yinusa, at the graduation of the state sponsored trained tailors at Sam and Sara, Mowe, Ogun State.

Banks’ holdcos, divestments to create new listed firms

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NGOING restructuring of banks’businesses into holding company (holdco) structure and divestments from noncore banking businesses may lead to emergence of not less than six new quoted companies, The Nation has lerant.

Besides the substitution of previously listed banks on the main board of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) by their holding companies, banks’ restructurings and divestments are expected to lead to listing of some six newly spin-off companies, that will hold large noncore banking assets.

Industry’s check indicated three prospective new listings from United Bank for Africa and one each from First Bank of Nigeria, Access Bank, Union Bank of Nigeria, Diamond Bank, First City Monument Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank.

Market analysts said the new listings would open new investment opportunities for investors while enabling existing shareholders to unlock inherent values in the shares.

Shareholders are also rooting for listing of unbundled and divested businesses. A shareholders’ leader, Alhaji Gbadebo Olatokunbo, said listing on the NSE should be part of the consideration for selling the unbundled and divested companies in coreinvestor sale while shareholders should be given priority in direct sales through offer for sale.

According to him, the spin-off and divestment should be done in a way that promotes transparency and unlock values for shareholders.

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s Scope of Banking Activities and Ancillary Matters No 3, 2010 requires banks to fully concentrate on core banking functions. The new model

requires banks to either sell all noncore banking businesses or form a holding company to hold such noncore banking businesses including activities such as insurance, asset management and capital market operations.

Five banks including First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc, First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc have opted to keep their subsidiaries and transform into holdcos while other banks including Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, Skye Bank Plc, Sterling Bank, Zenith Bank and Wema Bank among others, are pursuing divestments from non-banking subsidiaries.

The restructurings into holdcos will require banks to consummate noncore banking assets under existing subsidiaries or create new companies to hold such assets. Both divesting and holdco banks are merging their other hitherto separated banking related activities into the core commercial banking business.

FirstBank would offload First Registrars, its industry-leading share registration business. Shareholders are already pushing for the listing of First Registrars, considered as a viable entity on its own.

Group Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc, Mr Bisi Onasanya, said the bank would conclude the sale of First Registrars before the end of the year.

In response to shareholders’requests that they should be allowed to have equity participation in the post-restructuring First Registrars, Onasanya had assured shareholders that their interests and

concerns would be taken care of in the divestment process.

UBA has scheduled court-ordered extraordinary general meeting for December 13, 2012 to obtain the approval of shareholders to finally transform into holdco following the approval of the bank’s application by financial services regulators.

Under the restructuring, three emergent separate stand-alone companies including UBA Capital Plc, African Prudential Registrars Plc and Afriland Properties Plc are scheduled to be listed on the NSE. Africa Prudential Registrars, which replaces UBA Registrars and Afriland Properties, which is a spin-off of the real estate assets of the bank, would be owned directly by existing UBA shareholders, but their listing would open windows for new investors.

Group Managing Director, UBA Plc, Mr Phillips Oduoza, confirmed the plan to list the three new companies, noting that the restructuring will result in greater value and provide each entity with easier access to long-term capital to finance growth thus protecting shareholders’ value.

“Both UBA Capital Plc and Africa Prudential Registrars Plc will eventually become listed companies on the NSE; hence, eligible shareholders will have the benefit of owning liquid stocks in these entities while Afriland Properties will be listed at a much future date,” Oduoza added.

Other prospective listings include ADIC Insurance Limited, the risk firm sold by Diamond Bank; Intercontinental Homes Savings and Loans Plc, the mortgage banker recently sold by Access Bank, GTB Registrars, the share registration business of GTB; and Union Registrars, the share registration business of Union Bank among others.

HAREHOLDERS of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc would receive double dividends from the bank’s strong operational earnings and net proceeds from the lender’s divestment from its share registration business.

The prospects of expanded cash payouts complement other locked-in values in the restructuring of First Bank into a holding company as the bank concludes the final phase of the transition to holding company (holdco).

As part of the restructuring into holdco, First Bank would divest from First Registrars through an offering process and distribute the net proceeds to shareholders.

A top management source at the bank confirmed that the bank would include the net proceeds from the sale of First Registrars in the profit distribution for the period ending December 31, 2012.

This implies that the bank might adopt a compound lump-sum distribution or special dividend distribution to transfer the net proceeds from the sale of First Registrars to shareholders. Under the compound lump-sum distribution, the net proceeds would be cumulated into operational earnings and distributed as a one single payment to shareholders while the net proceeds could be distributed separately as special dividend alongside normal operational cash dividend.

There has been a spike in the use of special dividend to distribute earnings to shareholders as companies seek to beat high tax rate. Companies are paying special dividends at four times the pace of last year.

From the end of September to mid-November, 59 companies in the Russell 3000 stock index declared a one-time cash payment to shareholders, up from about 15 in the year-earlier period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Interim report and accounts of First Bank for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012 showed that profit after tax rose by 48.5 per cent to N66.26 billion in 2012 as against N44.64 billion in comparable period of 2011. Gross earnings rose from N225.02 billion to N267.69 billion. Profit before tax also jumped from N51.02 billion to N75.72 billion.

With the third quarter net profit, distributable earnings per share stood at N2.03 in third quarter 2012 as against N1.37 in corresponding period of 2011. At the same rate, probable operational full year earnings per share is estimated conservatively at´ N2.71.

Shareholders of FirstBank had

recently approved the transition of the company into a holdco including the sale of First Registrars.

The shareholders’ approval paved way for the submission of an application to delist FirstBank and list FBN Holdings. Under the transition arrangement, existing shareholders of First Bank will be migrated from First Bank to FBN Holdings. In line with this proposal, all ordinary shareholders of FirstBank as at the terminal date would be migrated to FBN Holdings through a share-forshare exchange between the shareholders of First Bank and FBN Holdings.

First Bank’s shareholdings in each of the holdco subsidiaries and the associated investments will be transferred to FBN Holdings while the bank’s shareholdings in each of the investment banking and asset management businesses would be transferred to FBN Capital Limited, which in turn will be owned

by FBN Holdings. The proposed restructuring will not alter the current beneficial shareholding structure of the FBN Group.

Managing director, FBN Holdings Plc, Mr. Bello Maccido said the holdco was designed to enhance the group’s competitiveness, streamline and coordinate various operations across nonbank financial services, and further exploit opportunities for synergies between subsidiaries.

According to him, the new structure would also align the ownership and operation of the bank’s subsidiaries with the overall strategy of creating an operating model that will profitably grow the group’s presence in the market for commercial banking and non-banking financial services in order to achieve the aspiration to be the dominant financial services group in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He outlined that the banking group will align and cluster similar or overlapping businesses under four broad business groups including commercial banking, investment banking and asset management (ibam), insurance and other financial services.

First Bank has 11 subsidiaries with operations across the financial services industry ranging from pension custodian, asset management, investment banking, insurance, and microfinance banking entities. The bank also holds investments in companies with international presence in the United Kingdom and France through its subsidiary FBN Bank (UK) Limited, in addition to representative offices in South Africa, China and Abu Dhabi, making it one of the most diversified financial services groups in Nigeria

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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INSURANCE

Lasaco is first ISO-certified underwriter • Posts N2.7b premium income

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ASACO Assurance Plc has set a record by becoming the first insurance firm in the country to get the International ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Certification issued by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

Its Chairman, Edward Akin Leigh, at the certificate presentation in Lagos, said the company started the process in 2010, adding that in the past 18 months, the company’s staff, branch network, business processes procedures and practices, reports and reporting standards, quality policy and management, have been subjected to world class rigorous checks, analyses and various audits both internally and by SON’s audits teams.

He noted that the certification conferred on the firm a unique competitive advantage and position-of-strength as it pursues growth and profitability.

SON’s Director-General, Joseph Odomodu, said getting ISO certification was the only thing that could change business practice, adding that the more companies are certified, the better would be the economy.

He noted that SON has decided that even the small and medium enterprises should benefit from being certified to boost their operations.

He said: “It is more interesting

• From left: Mr Ladipo; Chief Leigh; Company Secretary, Mr Lanre Popoola and Director, Mrs Toyin Phillip, during the 32nd AGM of LASACO Assurance Plc, at De Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS Stories by Uyoatta Eshiet

that insurance companies are getting certified and I really want to congratulate Lasaco for being a premier among others. Their certification indicates that we are coming up. Other insurance companies should follow the step of Lasaco for with the certification, the company’s result would soon

begin to show that something has changed, for the system is structured in such a way that it would help them to offer better services and once that happens, people would flock to where better results are being posted. ISO certification is simply ensuring that things are done properly.”

The Managing Director Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, said the company

Erring operators to be punished, says NAICOM T HE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) would continue to expose and sanction erring operators to serve as deterrent to others, the Commissioner for Insurance Fola Daniel, has said.

He told The Nation that the commission would never sweep cases of errant operators under the carpet or shield them from sanctions, adding that punishment meted out on such operators are to ensure safety of policy holders and shareholders.

Daniel said NAICOM,in imposing sanctions, gives priority to the protection of the industry, adding that it would not be disturbed by the outcry of highhandedness by some operators.

He said: “I believe the public would want NAICOM to be like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as regards sanctions. The method of Central Bank is not a cap that fits all. It is not a medication that cures all ailments. The approach of Central Bank has its own merits, which is do it publicly let Nigerians be aware of what is happening. Of cause, the Central Bank was confronted with a different scenario that needed the remedy they applied.

“The problem of the insurance industry is not exactly the same.

So, we may not be able to borrow that medication to cure a different ailment. When you have diarrhea, you have to take drastic medication to stop it, because it could embarrass you. Whereas, somebody who has headache would take panadol; two of them are medications, but are intended for different purposes. And the effects look different. So, we salute the Central Bank for what they are doing, but I want to confirm to you that from time to time, we sanction insurance operators and if it is important for

the public to know, we let them know.

“Our sanctions are largely remedial. What is upper most in sanctioning a company is the protection of policy holders. If I sanction an insurance company and put it on the pages of newspaperS, without obtaining a remedy, how does that help the policy holder? But if I can effectively sanction an operator and the interest of policy holder is fully served, that means we are doing the right thing. Let the Central Bank continue to do what it is doing; we have a different problems and different approaches in resolving the

problems.

“I assure you that we are not sweeping anything under the carpet or shielding any operator. As a matter of fact, for some months, I think there have been shouts and cries from the industry about the sanctions we have given to errant operators. We are acting as it becomes expedient and appropriate; we are not going to mimic any regulator so that the public will say we are doing something that would not be necessary.”

It would be recalled that the commission, early in the year dropped its hammer on some brokering firms that failed to comply with the industry’s rules. It urged the public not to transact businesses with them until they are let loose of its hook.

would live up to expectation, to enable it to retain the certification, adding that the company decided to raise the standard in the industry by applying for the certification.

He noted that the company is repositioning to remain atop in special risks, adding that the firm led

‘ILAN to be reorganised’

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HE Institute of Loss Adjusters of Nigeria (ILAN) is set for reorganisation, Mr Lebi Omoboyowa, its President, has hinted.

Omoboyowa, who took over from Mr Darlington Mgbojikwe, at an inauguration in Lagos, highlighted his five-point agenda to include upgrading of the institute’s secretariat and improve on the state of the institute’s professional examination.

Others are: secure a commensurate remuneration scale for Loss Adjusters; pursue the institute’s Charter to conclusion as well as maintain cordial relationship with local as well as international professional bodies. He promised to form a cordial relationship with other arms of the insurance industry.

SA Insurance to insure laptops for corps members S TANDARD Alliance Insurance Plc has entered into a partnership with Veda Technologies to provide cover for laptops of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in a campaign slated to kick off in Abuja soon.

The company’s Group Executive Director, Mrs. Rhe EmerhorIwuagwu, said at a media parley in Lagos, that the cover to be provided is against damages, adding that the firm would foot the bills for repairs of the lap tops or offer total replacement as the case may be.

She said: “We, at Standard Alliance Insurance Plc, recognise the selfless service of corps members to their fatherland and feel one of the ways to encourage them to render good service was to take away that extra burden of bearing the cost of fixing their much- needed lap tops whenever they go bad,” stating: “This will ensure that corps members are not unduly put out of pockets with the stipends they

earn.”

She congratulated the management of Veda Technologies for appreciating the importance of such a laudable laptop ownership package for corps members, noting that the management of Standard Alliance Insurance Plc found it easy to partner with them as they share

a consortium last year to underwrite Nigerian satellite, an achievement which was uncommon.

He said: “What we are trying to do is to carve a niche for ourselves in the special risks, without losing sight of the everyday insurance.

Special risks are the type of risks that are denominated in dollars.

They are international business; they give you a window into the international realm of insurance.

You have an idea of best international practices. The major problems that Nigerian insurers face does not exist in special risk and that is to ensure prompt payment of premium.

“In special risk, underwriters are empowered, and have the enabling environment to meet their obligations. Most of the problems of insurance companies of not being able to pay claims in Nigeria emanates from the fact that the premiums are not paid on time.

But when you go to the realms of special risks, premiums are paid quickly; every obligation is met quickly, so when it is your turn, there is no excuse for you to drag your feet.”

Lasaco’s gross premium income for last year stood at N2.7 billion as against N2.1 billion in 2010. The profit before tax was N478.91 million as against N249.65 million in 2010 while profit after tax stood at N213 million as against N249 million. The company paid total claims of N157.733 million in the 2011.

common youth empowerment concerns.

General Manager, Sales Veda Technologies Yusuf Abideen, said: “We sought to partner with Standard Alliance Insurance Plc because we have known the company as a dependable one on its commitment to claims payment and integrity.

We are sure corps members are in safe hands when it comes to genuine claims settlement.”

Mgbojikwe said ILAN members made a right choice by picking Omoboyowa. He said the qualities in him were manifested in the various ways he had been pursuing the well-laid down programmes designed to raise ILAN to greater heights.

He urged members of ILAN and the insurance industry to give him maximum support to enable him to achieve his articulated programmes within reasonable time.

The new ILAN boss said the institute was making efforts to improve on the fortunes of its members because, according to him, for about 20 years, the scale of fees used for its members had not enjoyed any review despite inflation in the economy.

This, he noted, rendered the scale unrealistic, inefficient and averse to the sustenance of professional adjusting practice in the country and the technical growth development of the insurance industry.

He warned that care must be taken to avoid a reoccurrence of capital flight if the profession was allowed to go into oblivion by frustration thereby giving way to an influx of foreign adjusters who must earn their fees in foreign currencies, which would deplete the national foreign reserves from which their fees, ultimately, paid.

Insurer Old Mutual to acquire Ecobank’s insurance unit

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NSURER Old Mutual is set to buy the property and casualty insurance unit of pan-African lender Ecobank for about $20 million, it was learnt.

The company, which aims at boosting its presence in the subSaharan Africa to cash in on the region’s strong economic growth, also said its German and Austrian life operations would stop writing new business as they no longer meet its investment criteria.

Old Mutual has over the past three years sold businesses, including its Nordic life insurance unit to repay debt and dispel investor concerns that the group lacked focus and would be worth more broken up.

Old Mutual had life insurance sales of 278 million pounds, in the three months to September 30, down 10 percent from a year earlier, and in line with the 2752 million pounds expected by analysts in a company poll.

Non-covered sales rose four per cent to 3.76 billion pounds, ahead of the 3.2 billion pounds penciled in by analysts.

Shares in Old Mutual, which quit its historic home of South Africa and listed in London in 1999, closed at 174 pence last week about 8.4 billion pounds.

The stock has risen 27 percent in the past year, outperforming a six percent increase for the FTSE 100 share index.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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AVIATION SAHCOL, Medview collaborate

•From left: Grace Babalola, Senior Sales Executive, Emirates Airline; Samuel Adoghe of ticketing and reservation unit, Bansa Travels; Caleb Madu, Sales Manager, Emirates Airlines and Olaide Ololade of ticketing and reservation unit, Finchglow Travels, at MMIA before their departure for Emirates’ sponsored trip to Dubai for travel agents.

Dana crash: Multiple claims delay $70,000 payment to families HY has the outstanding $70,000 compensation to families of victims of the June 3 Dana plane crash not been paid five months after the accident?

The Nation has learnt that payment is being delayed because of multiple claims by some family members.The families, it was learnt, could not agree on who should be the next- of- kin to collect the letter of administration from the Probate Registry of the Lagos High Court to get the outstanding payments.

To solve the problem, the Ministry of Aviation, Dana Air and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have set up a familiy assistance programme.

The seventh of such meetings was held last week at NCAA annex, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Although airline officials and family members who attended the meeting declined to comment on its outcome, NCAA’s DirectorGeneral, Dr Harold Demuren, said the challenge remained a sore point for air crashes.

Demuren said: “When we start having problems about the claims we cannot leave the families of the victims or the victims alone. That is why we came up with the family assistance programme. We have been working hard on what can we do to assist them so that

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Stories by Kelvin Osa-Okunbor Aviation Correspondent

they can get the smallest thing that is available under the law, concerning the compensation claims to the families.

“There are some families who have received the $30,000, being the first tranche of compensation but nobody has got the $70,000, the second tranche because this is being reinsured abroad.

“To get the outstanding $ 70,000 would require a letter of administration from the Probate Registry, which would have to come from the Lagos State government. We want to see how we can fast-track the issuance of the letters of administration for the families of the Dana Air tragedy.

“We want to see how the issuance of the letters can fast-track and accelerate the process of getting the letters of administration and once we get that, we have got assurance from the insurance companies that the money would be paid on getting this letters.

“We have been discussing that and how we can assist them considering the agonies they had been passing through since the accident occurred on June 3, 2012. The families of the affected victims have had to travel from the parts of the country to Lagos on several occasions.

“Eighty individuals have so far got the 30 per cent; whether in-

fants, elderly, payments must be made on every person on board that aircraft because life is life.

“The contract on the tickets is per passenger.

“We have to contend with the controversies or muliple claims from families of victims. And most, regrettably, we have many of those.

“In all air accidents in Nigeria, this issue of multiple claims by families of deceased always comes up. We must resolve this issue or less the affected families might lose the money.

“Nobody would pay when there are multiple claims and the one would be in the escrow account until the families can resolve their differences.

“We are putting a lot of pressure on Dana Air and it is towing that line also.They said the money is there but it needs the letter of administration before its insurance company can pay the remaining 70 per cent. We are talking to the Lagos State Government to fast-track this special dispensation, to treat the Dana Air case as special.

“The Lagos State Governor State has given instruction to the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, who has given same directive to the Probate Registry to act fast.

“We need to treat Dana Air’s case as a special. It is a tragedy for the nation.”

Emirates deploys Boeing 777 on Lagos route

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MIRATES Airlines is responding to strong passenger and cargo demand in Nigeria, by upgrading one of its Lagos flights to a Boeing 777-300.

The Airbus 340-500 deployed on one of Lagos’ two daily flights, EK781, will be replaced with a larger Boeing 777-300ER from December 1, 2012 giving a 48 per cent boost to seat capacity.

“Deploying a Boeing 777 on the Dubai-Lagos route demonstrates the strong demand from travellers to fly with Emirates and experience our superior products and services,” said Jean Luc Grillet, Senior Vice-President of Commercial Operations for Africa.

“The aircraft upgrade will open up more seats to our customers travelling to and from Nigeria and

further raise Emirates’ contribution to Nigeria’s economy.”

The aircraft passengers will enjoy Emirates’ award-winning ‘ice’ Digital Widescreen, the industry’s most sophisticated video and audio system, offering 1,400 channels of on-demand entertainment - the largest selection of programming in the sky.

“With the introduction of this larger aircraft, we will offer over 10,000 seats every week to and from Lagos.This aircraft upgrade will offer travellers from West Africa markets seamless connections to the Indian Subcontinent, East Asia and Australasia, via Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport,” Jean Luc

added.

Nigeria has been part of Emirates’ route network since January 2004,when services were launched between Dubai and Lagos with four flights a week.

From December 1, this year the Dubai-Lagos service will be operated twice a day by a Boeing 777 aircraft in a three-class configuration that offers 12 luxury First Class seats, 42 seats in Business Class and generous space for 310 passengers in Economy Class.

The Boeing 777-300ER is the backbone of the Emirates fleet, with 91 in service and a further 72 on order.

Emirates has a fleet of 189 aircraft and are the world’s largest A380 and Boeing 777 operator, flying to 126 destinations in 74 countries.

The Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) has been picked to provide ground handling services to Medview Airline’s Domestic Operations.

By this deal, SAHCOL shall be providing Ramp and Passenger Handling Services to Med-view Airline in its flight operations in the country.

SAHCOL has been partnering Medview in the provision of ground handling services in its Hajj operations.

Chairman of SAHCOL, Dr.Taiwo Afolabi, at the take-over of SAHCOL from the Federal Government in December 2009, promised to invest in personnel development, state-of-the-art equipment, fleet replacement, and infrastructure.

Less than three years later, these promises and much more has been fulfilled, which has helped tailored the company to meet the needs and expectations of its growing list of clientele.

The activities of SAHCOL include passenger handling, ramp handling, cargo handling/warehousing, aviation security, baggage reconciliation, executive lounge, and other related ground handling services, while ensuring that ground handling assignment is carried out in an efficient, speedy and safe manner, by deploying the right tools and expertise.

SAHCOL also provides ground handling services to Arik Air, the United /Continental Airline, Air France Cargo, Etihad Airways, Egypt Air, Middle East Airlines (MEA), Allied Air, Aero Contractors Airline, Dana Air, Sudan Air, African Open Sky Airlines, among others.

Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited’s services are tailored towards meeting the needs and expectations of its growing list of clientele, which includes international scheduled and ad-hoc operators, and domestic airlines operating in/out of airports in Abuja, Lagos, Minna, Kaduna, Jos, Yola, Kano, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Enugu, Owerri, Ilorin, Akure, Benin, Ibadan and Uyo.

Airlines group meets THE Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN) will hold a summit today, at the Conference Hall of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Annex, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, is expected to deliver a keynote address entitled: Safety stand down in Nigeria at the forum.

Other industry experts expected the event include: Dr. Harold Demuren, Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Nnamdi Udoh, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA); Mr George Uriesi, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Captain Dele Ore, President, Aviation Round Table; Captain Shina Akinfenwa, and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Merchant Express Cargo Airlines.

President of the association, Mr Kingsley Nwokoma, explained that the industry has had some challenges in maintaining that, the conference, which brings together professionals, will assist to educate stakeholders on the need to standardise the operations in the airport environment.

Accredition for college PEACOCK College United Kingdom, a subsidiary of Peacock Travel and Tours in Nigeria, has been accredited by British Accreditation Council (BAC) in the United Kingdom, the firm has said.

In a statement, it said BAC’s accreditation is recognised by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), part of the Home Office, as a requirement for institutions wishing to enrol students or student visitor visas.

Its Principal, Mr Zenon Adamek, said the school has proved itself to be a bona fide education institution with resources and qualities required for accreditation.

“This is a first milestone in the way to establish its presence in the UK education and training provider market. Accreditation by BAC not only opens new venues for Peacock College, UK in terms of academic, professional and administrative development but also expose the college to new challenges. Peacock College UK is maintaining its high standard of teaching and constantly develops new programmes to suit the demand from customers.

Adamek said the college came to mutual agreement to develop and to deliver programmes for retail sector with its Chinese partners.

The Executive Chairman, Peacock Group, Chief Philips, said: “The certification is a testimony to the commitment, diligence and dedication of the college and its team of brilliant staff. This is just the beginning of better things coming on the way. We are set to raise leaders in business and government.”

Aero acquires planes AERO Airlines has bought two Boeing 737-400, bringing to 12 Boeing aircraft, in its fleet.

The new B737-400, 144-seater aircraft, are equipped with the latest navigation equipment with lower fuel burn and increased reliability, making the aircraft more efficient, environmentally friendly and easier to maintain.

The addition, according to the Managing Director of Aero, Capt.

Akin George, will further consolidate Aero’s leading position in the domestic and regional market, making Aero one of the fastest growing airline in West Africa.

“The arrival of these new Boeing 737 aircraft, will allow us to introduce new routes and put us in a better position to transport more passengers in this festive season, said Capt George.

“Aero adheres strictly to the maintenance schedule for aircraft as prescribed by the manufacturers and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). We will not relent in our efforts to offer the most satisfying flying experience for passengers every time they fly with us.”

Aero has grown progressively with the introduction of new routes and aircraft to its fleet over the past few years thereby building its customers’ confidence in the airline’s ability to meet and exceed their travel needs and requirements.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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MARITIME 103 ships expected in Lagos Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

THE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said 103 ships are expected in the Lagos ports before December 2.

It said the ships would sail in with rice, general cargo, bulk salt, petroleum products, new and used vehicles, containers, steel products, sugar, fresh fish and bulk urea.

In its daily publication on berthings, the NPA said fuel-laden ships are waiting to berth at various oil terminals at the Lagos Ports.

The products include aviation fuel, petrol, kerosene, base oil and ethanol.

According to the document, the petroleum products will be discharged in oil terminals, including Atlas Cove Jetty, Ibafon Terminals, New Oil Jetty, Apapa Bulk Terminal Ltd., Single Buoy Mooring and Bulk Oil Plant.

Terminals urged on service delivery •From right: General Manager,Public Affairs, Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Michael Ajayi and Mr Sesan Onileimo at a port security seminar organised by Agenda for Good Governance in Lagos.

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

Customs denies attempt to bribe lawmakers T

HE Customs Service has denied buying 200 cars for members of the National Assembly to pass the amended Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).

Its Customs National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Wale Adeniyi, said the claims by the Managing Director of Maritime Media Limited, Elder Asu Beks, that Customs acquired the cars to influence the lawmakers to free the Service from the control of the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Finance were not true.

“It is good and easy for us to address the issue raised by Mr Asu Beks.

First, he raised the allegation that Customs bribed the distinguished Senators with 200 cars to pass the CEMA Bill. Well, we find this allegation curious and unfounded and these are allegations that Mr Asu Beks cannot back up with any evidence. This is not a substantive issue, but, for me as a concerned Nigerian and as a Customs officer, the onus of proof lies with MrAsu Beks to tell Nigerians how Customs actually bribed the distinguished Senators with 200 vehicles.

“Beks needs to come out with more

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

facts. What type of vehicles are they?

What model? Where were the vehicles bought? Were they imported into Nigeria? He needs to let Nigerians know that this is the evidence he has.

He cannot just come and make this type of allegation and we allow him to go like that. It is also in the interest of distinguished members of the House, because it is a credibility issue, and throwing this kind of allegation wildly at them like this is not good for our democracy.”

The Customs image-maker said the attempt to pass the new Customs bill is noble, because the existing CEMA is old and obsolete.

“The exercise is to bring the law in tandem with the challenges of modern Customs administration. It is obvious that people like Beks, who are condemning this bill, have not read it. It is so obvious. What this bill

sought to repeal is the old 1958 Act. There is a new Act, which was enacted in 2004, which is the Customs Excise Consolidated Act 2004 CAP C49. All the powers of Mr President in terms of granting waivers and concession are intact in Section 12 of this particular Act. Section 12 talks, particularly, about the powers to impose, to vary or remove any import duty and to amend the schedule of the tariff.

“These are powers that are vested in Mr President and these powers are intact. So, Mr Beks and the like have not read the bill. CAP 49 of 2004 is not among the provisions that the new bill seeks to repeal. All the other powers of the Minister; the power to appoint the Board and members of the Board; to chair the Board of the Nigeria Customs Service and all the powers of the Board are all enshrined in the new bill. They are there and the new bill is not taking away any power that was vested in the under the former Act,” Adeniyi stated.

He told The Nation that Customs might take legal action against Beks to compel him to proof his unfounded allegation.

NHRC summons NAGAFF over invasion

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HE National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has appeared before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over an allegation that some military personnel invaded its office in Apapa, Lagos.

Last week, investigations revealed that some NAGAFF members appeared before the NHRC to give information about the alleged invasion of it’s national headquarters at Apapa, Lagos.

At the commission’s office,

NAGAFF, sources said, alleged that some soldiers invaded its headquarters on the orders of a Deputy Comptroller of Customs, who was then in charge of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) at the Tin Can Island Port.

Sources at the Commission said NAGAFF through its solicitor, Larry Okonkwo, in a letter entitled: “Invasion of NAGAFF Headquarters Lagos by 13 Unknown Soldiers at Instance of a Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU)

Tincan Island Port, Lagos and Threat of Life of Dr. Boniface and other Officers of NAGAFF,” had petitioned the senior Customs officer over her alleged role in the invasion and subsequent alleged threats to the lives of Aniebonam and other NAGAFF members.

The Commission said in the invitation letter to NAGAFF, a copy of which was sighted by The Nation, that the request to appear of before the Commission was based on the human rights issue, raised by the NAGAFF’s lawyer.

Firm seeks roadmap for local content

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HE Managing Director, Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL), operators of the Lagos Free Zone behind Tin Can Port, Dr Amy Jadesimi, has challenged the government to chart a definite roadmap for Local Content Law administration in the maritime industry.

She said this became imperative following the delay in the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The LADOL boss, who spoke with The Nation at the Logistics West Africa Conference and exhibition in Lagos, said the call became necessary in view of some challenges faced by local operators.

She bemoaned the foreign domination of the shipping business in the country and urged the Federal Government to make the fund available to Nigerians.

The LADOL boss also called on some private sector operators, who still operate as appendages to foreign interests, to have a change of focus.

Mrs Jadesimi noted: “We need to see more private sector indigenous operators in the industry being on their own.

We need to stop being mere agents.

This agency model of classifying ourselves with one or two percentages of large contracts is not sustainable and will not help us.”

Mrs Jadesimi said with the passage of the local content law, many indigenous operators were coming into the business with a measure of confidence, noting that it is the right way to go.

She said the impact of free zones to the maritime and oil and gas industry, and how they are facilitating logistical efficiencies, specifically called for a sustained synergy between the Ministry, relevant government agencies and notable private sector operators in taking another look at some of the areas of the law, which constitute

significant challenges that still impede the success of the law.

According to her, one of such areas is the issue of tender process, which, she says, actually works against Nigerian players, in favour of foreign interests.

“So, they now have to work together with qualified private sector and look at how we can encourage such investors who are seen to be doing something realistic so that they can continue to invest with a measure of confidence,” she added.

Harping on challenges facing operators in the industry, Jadesimi said from LADOL’s experience, financing was still a huge problem because of bank’s lending rate compared to what obtains elsewhere.

She, however, berated some of the top players who she accused of festering what ‘zero sum game: I win you lose, and I lose, you lose’ syndrome, which she described as “very damaging and anti-development.”

ASSOCIATION of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has urged port terminal operators to ensure they meet the terms of the contract they entered into with the Federal Government, which requires injection of funds to develop their terminals.

Its President, Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, said there was the need for terminal operators to invest more.

He commended those that have been investing. ”Although not all the terminal operators have brought enough funds to the development of the port, especially in the area of equipment and service delivery, but let me add that some of them are trying but they need to improve on it as the month of December is fast approaching.”

Shittu said majority of the terminal operators in the country had not proved their capacity in ports operations and urged them to invest adequate funds in equipment, port environment and human capacity building such skills acquisition, packaging of cargo, pallets skills among others.

He also stressed the need for them to invest in their workers so as to improve the quality of their operations at the ports to ease cargo clearance from the ports..

Operator to acquire equipment THE management of the Ports & Cargo Handling Services Ltd., a member of the Sifax Group, has said it is ready to handle the influx of cargoes at the ports.

The spokes person of the company, Mr Oliver Omajuwa, said the company was expecting more ultra-modern mobile harbour cranes called Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTGs).

“In the next few days, we will take delivery of the remaining five RTGs in the effort to facilitate movement of cargoes.The RTG operations will lead to smoother and more effective operations. It will also improve safety and increase productivity.

“Containers that are booked for examination between 8.00 am and noon can be dropped same day before 2.00 pm, while bookings made after noon will be dropped at night same day for examination the next day,’’ Omajuwa said.

He said that the initiative was in pursuit of the company’s vision to achieve excellence and in line with the Federal Government desire to achieve the 48-hour target for clearing cargoes at the seaports.

Omajuwa said that the 48-hour target was achievable if importers could declare the actual things they imported.

“It is possible if importers declare correctly. Even with the right equipment to work, if the papers not correct, definitely, that consignment cannot be cleared,’’ he said.

Don’t connive with agents, Customs tells officers THE Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned its officers to desist from conniving with clearing agents and unknown persons to process Single Declaration (SGD) Forms in the terminal and gates.

In a circular signed by the command’s Deputy Comptroller, Administration, Deputy Comptroller G. Z. Yakubu, warned that any officer who engage in any act of misconduct would be treated as a blockade to the government’s revenue generation. “This is a serious act of misconduct, which contravenes service regulation and is not acceptable in this command.

“The CAC has, therefore, directed that any officer seen or known to be expressing any unprofessional interest in any SGD shall be reported and treated as revenue risk,” Yakubu stated.

He said: “Releasing officers and gate officers, who subscribe to the antics of those unscrupulous officers, will be treated as accomplices for aiding and abetting smuggling and posing as serious revenue risk to which the full wrath of the law shall be applied on apprehension.”

Association praises Customs THE Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Direct Trader Input (DTI) Operators has lauded the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its efforts towards achieving its 24-hour cargo clearance target.

President of the association, Mr Emeka Offor, told The Nation that with its DTI policy, the Customs has made it feasible that cargo could be cleared from the nation’s ports within 24 hours.

“I can tell you that the Nigeria Customs is doing well. Now you can clear your consignment within 24 hours, which has been the goal of the Nigeria Customs. That has been its target. That has been its dream, and I thank God it is actualising its dream.

“If you get your necessary documents ready and you have everything that you need to work with ready, you can get your goods out of the ports within 24 hours, and that is where we come in as DTI operators. Within 24 hours, you can go to a DTI cafe, get your job assessed, and go to the bank and pay; If you trigger your job and you are on a green lane, you can move straight to the port, load your container and nobody disturbs you,” he said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

37

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Last week, Olayinka Oyegbile, Deputy Editor, The Nation on Sunday, presented his book, Home Away From Home...History of Ogbomoso people in Jos, to the public. In this interview with JOE AGBRO JR., he speaks on the crises in Jos, how Nigeria can attain unity and live in harmony.

‘Jos is now synonymous with crises’

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HAT was the motivation for writing Home Away from Home? What do you intend to achieve?

I was motivated by the need to put on record the beauty of the city and how lovely it is growing up in Jos. On what I intend to achieve, I simply set out to write about a city where I grew up and where Nigeria meant love, good neighbourliness and caring for one another.

As a Yoruba boy with Yoruba parents, how was growing up in Jos? It never mattered to me nor to anyone that I am Yoruba or a Christian or whatever. We all looked at one another simply as Nigerians, ethnicity or region never mattered. It was a matter of re you a good boy or bad girl, you were judged solely by your character and not by where you came from or who your parents were.

For instance, you hardly find Igbo children born and bred in states in the north or southwest claim citizenships of such states. What’s your view on the issue of indigene/settler arrangement which occurs in Nigeria whereby children born to non-indigene parents in a particular state cannot hold citizenship of such states?

That to me is one of the greatest pitfalls of our constitution. Let me tell you, in 2005 I travelled to the United States and was a guest of one of my older cousins and while discussing with one of his kids, who was then 20. I asked when next he is going to visit Nigeria. He simply told me that he does not have any need to. I asked him what he meant and that is that not his country? He simply told me No. I was curious and I asked what he meant. He simply told me that he is an American and that his parents were Nigerians but he is American! He justified it by saying he was born in America and that at 20, he had visited Nigeria five times or so. He said as far as he is concerned, America is home. So, if that can happen why can't a Nigerian born in Lagos of northern parents not claim citizenship of Lagos?

•Continued from page 26

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HAT is the role of the Office of the Public Defender in child protection in the state?

I am sure you are aware of the Child Rights Law which has been adopted by the Lagos State government. In the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), one of the things that we do is to ensure that this law is being implemented in Lagos State. So we have family court in the state and even some police stations and officers are not aware. So, we try to educate them and bring it to their awareness that there is a difference between the child and an adult when an offense has been committed: the way and the manner in which the child is treated and even where the child is to be kept and the court the child will be taken to will be different from that of an adult.

Recently, you held a an event in collaboration with the Child Protection Network. What does such collaborative effort seek to achieve?

One of the reasons we collaborate with the Child Protection Network (CPN) is that we are not an island. We, at the Public Defender (OPD), are essential defense Counsels. And we are also passionate about the issues of the women and children which we know they are vulnerable. When there is need to prosecute the offender then CPN has to link up with OPDforustotakethenecessarystepsastoprosecuting the offender, and there are times when we assist the prosecutor in court so that they don’t mess up the case in court: we guide and ensure that they ask the right questions that at the end of the day the offender is being brought to book. So, there are some things CPN can do that we can’t do. When it comes to going to court and prosecuting the offender, CPN links up with us and we ensure that the offender is prosecuted in court and that the prosecutor is guided in enforcing the Child Rights Law. Do these efforts have any impact on the protection of the rights of the child?

Yes, it does. There are instances when you get to the police station you will find a situation where adults, children and young persons are put in the

•Oyegbile

INTERVIEW We need to rethink.

In your book, you traced how Ogbomoso people lived harmoniously in Jos since the 19th century. Is that still the case?

Well, harmony has fled Jos since the 90s, when divisive politics took over not only Jos but the whole of Nigeria. Many people live today in absolute and chronic fear; fear of Boko Haram, kidnapping and religious fundamentalism. All over the country peace has become a stranger and we now live in perpetual fear Jos is no exception and that is why I decided to write this book. In the early 80s when other cities were hit by religious riots and the Maitasine crises Jos was like a haven Jos has become synonymous with crises. This wasn’t the case before. What’s your advice to a permanent solution?

A permanent solution, in my mind, is beyond what the state government can decide. It is a thing for the Federal Government to decide upon. Or more appropriately, it is a thing we all, as Nigerians, must decide to work on. I say this because our constitution is faulty and needs to be amended. For instance, the issue of who is an

indigene or a settler is at the crux of the crises.

Why should a family live in a community for as long as 30 years and have paid all their taxes in a place and still be regarded as settlers or nonindigenes? I don't understand that aspect. A Nigerian or any citizen of the world who has lived in America for about five years and without any record of crime is qualified to apply for citizenship and entitled to all privileges, so why should I live in Lagos, Kano, Benin and so on for 30 years and be told I am only a settler?

In your views, how achievable do you think is the concept of ‘One Nigeria’?

It is achievable in as much as you and I ready to make it practicable. This is because I have come to realise that we, as Nigerians, talk a lot but do little to achieve what we preach. That is why those who have been in government and we are all living witness to their woeful performance, while there are today leading campaigns against corruption and all sorts when in fact, we all know they are as corrupt, if not more than those they now criticise.

What fond memories do you have of Jos? I grew up in a Jos that was home to all. It does not matter where you came from or what your ethnicity was. People were judged by their character and not religion, ethnicity or any of sorts. I still remember that it was in Jos as a child that I first knew of Asians, American, Europeans and so on. The city was peopled with citizens from all corners of the world because of the temperate, weather and the good naturedness of the people. In fact, it was the first in the real rainbow city. Before I ever knew there as a country called Pakistan I knew of Karachi because there was a supermarket by that name. It was run by a Pakistani. So, all the sweet memories are what I have of Jos. As a Christian child, I went to mosque from time to time and my Muslim friends went to church with us and no one frowned at it. For instance, anytime we close early in the church we congregate at the door of the mosque and make fuss so that the Mallam would release our Muslims colleagues so that we can go home. The same happens if they close before us, at times we get so mischievous as to begin to throw stone on the roof of the mosque or the church to make them release our colleagues. Today you dare not do that. If you do that as a Muslim child, you are in trouble. The same if you are a Christian.

Where did we miss the camaraderie and love of the past? I think it is due to the contest of the religions. Unfortunately we all go to mosques and churches yet our country is prostrate, what does this show? It clearly shows that we are only viewing religion from a perspective of show-

manship or business or political empire.

When was the last time you visited Jos and how did you feel?

I was there in May this year (2012) and what I saw frightened me. It is like going to a war ravaged Beirut or Lebanon. I saw a terribly ruined and divided city. The Jos of old was gone. What we have now is a divided city where Christians live in one area and Muslims in another. Those days of having Mosques or Churches side by side seem to be over. A Christian does not feel safe living amid Muslims and vice versa. The house where I grew up is just a shout way from the Jos Central Mosque and we never felt any form of threat there in those days but not anymore. A lot of Christians in that neighbourhood have left out of fear, the same applies to a place like Jenta where those who are Muslims have moved out too because of the fear that they might be attacked or in case of outbreak of violence they are vulnerable. For how long do we want to live like this? It is frightening.

What’s your take on the publishing industry in Nigeria?

Publishing in Nigeria used to be vibrant because I remember vividly that Ibadan used to be the home of many of the world’s renowned publishing firms. But, today, we have lost that and have become backbenchers in the knowledge and publishing industry. This has been complicated by the advent of e-publishing. So, today, we are lost in the ocean of life and we do not even regard knowledge as anything. Today, people are judged based on how much they can bring out of their pockets and not what knowledge or wisdom they have. It is sad. The publishing industry cannot thrive in a situation where we don't have constant power, transportation is in tatters and all that. After spending long hours in traffic how do you get home and read when you are already tired? Prohibitive cost of printing has also affected publishing and consequently the reading culture has nosedived.

What other projects can we expect from you?

A lot are in the works. I am discussing with a famous family who wants me to write the memoir/biography of their father. However, we are still at the discussion stage. Besides that I have a manuscript that I have completed several years ago which I hope to have a look at if I have the time soon. I have also compiled some of my writings which I wrote when I was writing a weekly column (Inside Africa) and some of my travelogues that have been published are ready to be compiled in a book. I also have a collection of short stories and plays. Some of the plays were performed on stage when I was a student and some were performed on television. So, I am taking a second look at them and see what can be done. I see this as going back to my original call to be a writer.

‘Law must protect rights of children’ Will Justice ever see the light of the day? Will the oppressed ever have a mediator? In Lagos State, the answers are not far. With the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, indeed, oppressors and violators of the rights of others, would no longer have a field day. OPD is set to ensure the rights of people, particularly women’s and children’s are protected. In this interview with EVELYN OSAGIE, Mrs Salami Olubukola, OPD Deputy Director, speaks on child rights protection and more. same place. It is the role of OPD to educate them on the Child Rights Law and intimate them about the existence of the Juvenile Court and the Family Court for children and young persons. We all have to collaborate to ensure that this law is properly implemented.

Many people do not know what the Child Protection Law is about. When one talks of the rights of a child, they would ask: ‘what rights does a child have? or are you saying that parents do not have the right to discipline their children? So, how do you intend to educate the public on the need for the protection of the rights of the child?

At OPD, on quarterly basis, we do what we call ‘Awareness Campaign’. The programme involves lawyers from across the state and staff of OPD going out with flyers, banners and Boys Brigade to the public in order to create awareness on the needs for the protection of the rights of a child. The area we would be visiting is usually mapped out like market places, etc. We distribute our fliers and make stops at certain points to educate people. We also collaborate with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA). And I don’t know if you have heard about the ‘Yellow Card’. The Yellow Card is like a warning to parents, and the card is essentially about is that it tries to educate parents. It is trying to educate parents on their duty and obligation to children and the rights of children.

There is also a simplified version of the Child Rights Law which WAPA has done. Sometime this year, we went on an awareness campaign with WAPA and distributed this fliers and simplified version of

the Child Rights Law. We often try to educate the public on what it is all about. We also go to schools to let the children know that they have rights and what those rights are. There are many stories on the newspapers were children in primary and secondary schools are being violated and abused. We bring such to their knowledge and what they can do. We also have the Toll Free lines where people can call in and tell us what has happened and we would now tell them the location of our office.

WhatareTollFreelines,forthebenefitofthepublic?

It is an Airtel line where people can call to report cases and tell us what is happening to them. So, what it means is that the service is free for callers. We also do rescue missions when we get an information that a child is being abused or violated in a particular place, we takeoff with our bus and a counsel to the nearest police station with a letter asking for police escort. We now move there and rescue the child/children or even a family as the case may be. We rescued a family: three children and a mother. The father was abusing the first child without the knowledge of the mother. And in fact, they have not seen the light of day for years. They said he didn’t believe in the educational system of Nigeria.

And so, he has actually held them captive in the house for years. It was the first child, who was now a teenager, that sneaked out and we got the information and rescued them. When such things happen, we don’t have accommodation, what the law states is that the victim should be given protective custody. In such cases, we

collaborate with WAPA. WAPA has homes across the state. There is one at Idi-Araba and Oregun, among others. We also collaborate with the Ministry of Youths and Sports. They have such facilities where we can keep the victims for the time being pending when we are able to resolve the issue.

Does the Child have rights? If yes, why are they not taken serious ?

Of course, just like any human being a child also have his or her own rights. And these rights are intrinsic. Whether you like it or not, as long as the child is human that child is entitled to those fundamental human rights. The reason why lots of people do not take it into recognition is because they are vulnerable, not old enough and cannot do anything about it at the stage they are in. So, it is the responsibility of the law which the Lagos state has promulgated, and that of the parents and adults around them, to actually protect them and their rights. They have rights.

Aside the government and the governmental agencies charged with it such as your office, does the society have a role to play?

Yes. We should go back to the olden days when we were our brothers’ keeper. We should not turn a blind eye or deaf ear to what is happening in our environs.

When we see cases of children that are being abused, we should report it. We should be interested in what is happening to our neighbour’s child. When a child is not going to school and is always staying at home all the time that is ‘Child Abuse’. One of the rights of a child is that the Child is entitled to education.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

38

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

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WHEN it first hit the market in 1987, the eminent political scientist, Professor Richard Joseph’s penetrating study of the rise and fall of the Second Republic., ‘Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria’, became an instant publishing phenomenon. Along with such landmark books as James Coleman’s ‘Nigeria: Background to Nationalism’, Richard Sklar’s ‘Nigerian Political Parties’, Billy Dudley’s ‘Instability and Political Order’, William Graf’s ‘The Nigerian State’ or Okwudiba Nnoli’s ‘Ethnic Politics in Nigeria’, Professor Joseph’s book has become an indispensable classic that is critical to a deep appreciation of the contours and textures of Nigerian politics. Professor Richard Joseph had taught at the University of Ibadan between 1976 and 1979 and thus, beyond the realm of theory, had a close practical acquaintance with Nigeria’s political terrain and many of her key political actors. Two and a half decades after the publication of his magnum opus, Richard Joseph’s book remained and still remains as pertinent as ever to coming to grips with the often baffling intricacies of Nigerian politics.

It was thus not surprising that to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the classic last year, the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, a scholar-activist par excellence turned politician and statesman, along with the distinguished scholars, Professors Wale Adebanwi and Ebenezer Obadare, organized an international conference to critically interrogate the book and its continuing implications for contemporary Nigerian politics. Perhaps with the exception of Chinua Achebe’s iconic ‘Things Fall Apart’ which clocked 50 in 2008, this is the only time I can recall in which a Nigerian government at any level would be involved in the celebration of a path-breaking book. As an on-line analyst ruminated at the time, “But what I find to be instructive is the fact that there are people in government who think it necessary to devote time and resources to the creation of platforms that facilitate intellectual political discourse between the state, the academic community and civil society. But then, a cursory look at Kayode Fayemi’s academic and corporate antecedents suggests that he is a person truly concerned about the fact that, 25 years later,

Jibe’s poetry of innocence

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IBE Ologeh’s new book entitled: Collection of Poetry for Secondary Schools, fascinates me enough to indulge in one of my favourite pastime-reading children’s literature.

The author collects my accolades for attempting to recreate interest in children’s literature, a great art which regrettably, is in decline in this internet century. Yet, nothing moulds the character and personality of kids like literature; though the deluge of information on television and the ubiquitous internet is competing fiercely for the souls of innocent children.

Perhaps by accident or design, Mrs. Ologeh, a veteran TV/Radio producer of popular children’s programmes, is out to rescue our young generation from the embarrassing addiction with Facebook, and the internet in general with the publication of this interesting collection of poetry.

Nothing best captures the present threat of food scarcity staring us in the face following the ravages of floods that have swept away farm lands in the nation’s food production belt than the poem, A Dance of Famine: Gloom hovers, Pecking, Like locust, Devouring, Famine bounces, Dancing, Like worms, Wiggling.

We cannot dance, We are lepers, Crippled and caged.

We can sing, We can cry, Our song high, Up shall rescue.

Segun Ayobolu sms to 07032777778 segunayobolu2@yahoo.com

Between ‘prebendal politics’ and the ‘two publics’ Professor Joseph’s unhappy postulation about the Nigerian state still holds true”.

Utilizing the concept of prebendalism as an analytic tool, Professor Joseph incisively and perceptively explicated the rise and fall of the second republic in terms of the illegal privatization of public offices and resources by those who had otherwise sworn to uphold the law and promote the public good. He derived the concept of prebendalism from feudal Europe where members of the clergy felt entitled by right to the revenue of a cathedral. In the same way, occupants of public office at all levels in the second republic felt that their positions entitled them to unbridled access to public resources with which they not only satisfied their own material desires but also serviced the needs or wants of subaltern clients who looked up to the office holders as protective patrons. This kind of criminal diversion of public resources for selfish private ends starved the polity of funds for development, increased poverty and inequality and intensified an unhealthy rivalry and competition for public office that triggered pervasive instability – election rigging, violent conflicts and ultimately coups.

It is certainly not out of place to talk today of the ‘rise and rise’ of prebendalism in contemporary Nigerian politics. Two and a half decades after, Professor Joseph’s postulations remain as valid as ever. The more we pay lip service to the so-called anti-corruption war, the more the menace flour-

ishes to the detriment oft sustainable democracy and development. Indeed, so exasperated have some elements of the political elite become at the level of graft that the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) recently called for the introduction of the death penalty for corruption. Many otherwise ideologically conservative members of the political class have warned of the imminence of revolution in the country due to the unacceptable level of poverty and unemployment in the country; ills which, in turn, it is difficult to dissociate from the atrocious level of corruption in the land.

The report of the Mallam Nuhu Ribadu Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force offers the latest revelation of the suffocating corruption that is gradually snuffing life out of the Nigerian polity. According to the report, the nation had lost over N16 billion in the last ten years from avoidable deficits and criminal poaching of material resources in the oil industry. A Senate probe panel into the mismanagement of pension funds revealed that between 2005 and 2011, government officials in charge of pensions’ funds in the country stole N273.9 billion out of N1.025 billion received by various pensions’ offices. Massive corruption has also being associated with the fuel subsidy regime, integrated power projects, capital market operations and even legislative probes of corrupt practices to name a few.

While Professor Joseph’s study focussed essentially on primitive accumulation by

Anambra Book Festival opens

BOOK REVIEW Title:

Collection of poetry (for Secondary Schools)

Author:

Jide Ologeh

Reviewer:

Ladi Ayodeji

Publisher:

R-Wells Media

Pages:

46

A born again Christian, Mrs. Ologeh never let the chance slip by to express her reverence for Almighty God in most of these 20 short poems that make up this 46-page collection.

That’s probably why the poems brim with optimism and hope, regardless of the melancholic bent of the message.

In the poem, We Shall Win!, the writer’s satire on the hallow men, which best describes our morally bankrupt national leadership, ends with a dim assurance that though: “They drew our blood, Our flesh is alive, We shall arise, To give them, A befitting welcome…”

But for her strict Christian values, Mrs. Ologeh could pass for an existentialist philosopher because of her clever use of nature’s attributes to drive home her message. Her capacity for packing captivating emotions into few lines of poetry must be applauded, as her clarity of thought.

That is not surprising, considering her background in creative writing. She was weaned off the great Nigerian classical literary tradition championed by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, J.P Clarke and Niyi Osundare at the famous premiere university, the University of Ibadan, where she obtained a first degree in English.

Ologeh’s tutelage under these masters came in form of attending their inspiring lectures, but her unique style ultimately evolved and it finds expression in the excellent use of imagery and felicity, reminiscent of the ancients. The fact that she is a housewife, business woman,

occupants of public office in the state realm, the phenomenon of prebendalism has, in this dispensation, spread to the private sector. We are witnesses in this regard to the unsavoury happenings in the banking sector where bank chiefs fed fat on depositors’ funds in a brazen betrayal of public trust, living in royal splendour and bringing ruin not just to a multitude of depositors but even crashing their banks in the process. Long before the publication of Professor Joseph’s classic, the eminent political sociologist, Professor Peter Ekeh, had sought to explicate the problematic of corruption with reference to what he describes as the ‘two publics’.

In Ekeh’s profound thesis, the public realm in Africa is bifurcated into two broad spheres within which the African operates simultaneously.

First, is the primordial public within which the African functions as a member of ethnic, cultural and communal groups that predated the advent of colonialism.

The relationships in this sphere are governed by the norms of morality. It would be unthinkable, he proffers, for a member of an ethnic or communal group association to think of embezzling the funds of the association. It would be considered grossly immoral and wrong.

However, the African also functions within what Ekeh calls the ‘civic realm’.

These are ‘migrated social structures’ such as the civil service, police, military, parastatals, legislatures and universities’; institutions that were introduced at the advent of colonialism. Relationships in this sphere are essentially amoral. Diverting resources from the ‘civic realm’ through criminal corruption to service the primordial public is seen as perfectly normal and moral. Of course, Professor Joseph disagrees with aspects of Ekeh’s analysis. He contends that both the civic and primordial publics in Nigeria “interact and interpenetrate” and are governed by “mercenary relations”. But it would appear to me that Ekeh’s perspective offers deeper insight into why Nigerian public officers convicted of corruption are venerated and given a hero’s welcome when they return ‘home’. They may be bad ‘Nigerians’ but are very good and highly regarded members of their ethnic groups.

T

TV/Radio producer, proving her mettle in a man’s world is enough for us to celebrate this daughter of Zion, who has now added publishing of poetry and a magazine to her rich resume.

Children’s literature, like paedratic medicine, is by no means an easy task.

It demands extra effort to engage the attention of kids at the intellectual level. That is why symbols and illustrations are often used in instructional procedures for young scholars.

One of the Poems, The Avenger, may seem complicated for young students, but they need something like this to challenge their intellect.

Not all maths are easy to solve. Difficult literature is, in fact, good for impressionable minds; it helps them to learn how to cope with puzzles, riddles and mysterious circumstances.

The writer has given us an excellent collection of short poems; one only hopes that parents would appreciate this work and recommend it to their wards.

HE maiden edition of Anambra Book and Creativity Festival opens today by 10am at the auditorium of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

The festival is an initiation of the Anambra Book and Creativity Network, in association with the Art Republic and Centre for Humanities and Excellence, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

It is to serve as a forum for the celebration of books, knowledge and creativity as instruments for the rehumanisation of society, the amelioration of the human condition and as a means of social, cultural and economic development.It will run till Sunday featuring distinguished authors and artistes, such as Eze Prof Chukwuemeka Ike, Prof Okey Ndibe, Prof Chimalum Nwankwo, Jim Iyke and Chiwetaslu Agu. On Saturday, November 24, there will be an award presentation by 4pm.

The festival is also expected to attract participants such as publishers, authors, craft makers, musicians, scriptwriters and film makers from Nigeria and elsewhere.

39

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

This year’s Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) convention in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, coincided with the 17th anniversary of the death of environmental activist and playwright Kenule “Ken” Beeson Saro Wiwa.

Seventeen years after his death, writers are unsure of how secured their means of livelihood is in the face of insecurity and new media – Internet. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

W

RITERS bowed their heads in sad reflection as they observed oneminute silence in honour of one of their own, the late environmental activist Ken Beeson Saro Wiwa. He was remembered as a great activist and writer. But did literature save him from the gallows? The unspoken rhetoric lay heavily on the lips of many.

The event was no funeral but the convention of writers under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in Akwa Ibom State.

Writers defied the odds, including the bumpy roads leading through Abia State to attend.

The three-day event drew over 200 writers from within and outside the country. The writers’ raffia bags and caps and customised T-shirts gave the occasion a fashionable outlook.

It featured book fair, readings, novelty football match, tour and plenary session, among others.

The wordsmiths brainstormed on the relevance of literature in the age of new media and insecurity. There was no government representation throughout the event.

Security matters For the Dean of Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Remi Raji, Nigerian literature can hardly secure writers, adding that the government should take proactive steps to encourage writers.

He said: “Is the literature secured?

Is Nigeria author secured? That is the problem that we have, is going to take a lot of proactiveness by Nigeria government which would mean taking the Nigerian writer very serious. This is what writers gain from European countries even in South Africa, where there is a sense of security. There, writers get security: social security and political security, freedom of speech and make their inspiration flow. If there is security, you will not go hungry as a writer, your imagination will be flowered, knowing you have shelter and a residency till next one year.

In the political essence, he said, literature has secured the Nigerian imagination. Policymakers should read and apply writers’ ideas.”

He said the laxity with which writers are treated could be seen at the just-concluded convention that was devoid of government support. He urged writers to look inward for proactive ways of funding.

“We have come to prove a point in Uyo. This convention is the evidence of the change that we promised and that the Congress desired. No single money has come from government, which is a perennial problem because people do not take writers serious. We are taking ourselves serious so that others would take us serious. We do not claim to be perfect but things are changing very fast. ANA, after 30 years, has come of age. It is an association made up of great minds and professionals. We need to be proactive and realistic actions; and be inward-looking and seek inventive ways of getting funding. Think deeply on how you want ANA to move forward. Everyone that has taken his time to come would have to pass through their state chapters,” Raji said.

Odia Ofeimun said literature offers a society security. He said: “Writers are the opinion-makers who have made Nigeria look like a country.

Literature provides the ultimate security for a society. The business of literature (narratives) in every part of the world is protected and defends the memory of a people. When people lose a sense of how they are living or when the lived-experience of a people is undervalued it is like losing part of your limbs. Literature

•ANA executive observing one-minute silence in honour of the late Saro Wiwa

Abuja Carnival kicks off Nov. 24

A

BUJA Carnival will hold from November 24 to 27 at Abuja, according to the carnival management committee. The Abuja Carnival Working Committee at the recently concluded eighth National Council on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation meeting, disclosed that the carnival would feature the 36 states of the federation and the FCT as well as a number of foreign countries.

The Director of Culture in the ministry, Mr George Nkanta Ufot, representing Chief Edem Duke and Prof. Ojo Rasaki Bakare, the Artistic Director of the carnival, said the annual event was conceived by the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation to showcase the rich tourism and cultural potential in Nigeria to the world, and that it has also become a rallying point for artists all over the world.

The theme is Carnival of Peace and Harmony. It would reflect the nation’s current security challenges and the need to ensure peace and harmony among its people as a recipe for national transformation.

Promasidor flags Amila Painting Challenge

A •Some participants

Writers in search of security CONVENTION tells us what is beautiful but showing us how ugliness enters into it because if we are unable to trace from one to the other, you are actually being distant from your true self. If we know our world well then we are able to live in it. Literature does it better than any other religion, politics and any other thing.”

Prof Pius Adesanmi, the keynote speaker, who spoke on the theme: Nigerian Literature, Social Media and Security, said the nation was not conducive for creative minds.

“The discontents of nationhood and the self-inflicted madnesses of the Nigerian project have cost us the precious lives of three writers, including a former National President of this esteemed association. We lost Christopher Okigbo. Then we lost Maman Jiya Vatsa. Then we lost Ken Saro-Wiwa. Poetry did not save these three writers. Literature did not secure them. It did not secure Wole Soyinka either. However, which artist has art really saved and secured in the direct sense? When has literature literally stood between the writer and the gallows? The recent kidnapping of Hope Eghagha, one of our notable poets and novelists, is Nigerian insecurity’s way of reminding our literary family that even if she is no longer killing or jailing us, she is still infinitely capable of terrorizing us by whizzing the cap off our creative heads.The modern nation state understands that the personal security of the citizen precedes and gives birth to national security,” he said.

He urged the government to look into the root cause of insecurity in the country. He added that the Nigerian government should take cue from its American counterpart and seek to protect each citizen.

On social media Calling the Nigeria internet space “Cyberia”, Prof Adesanmi, also said that the new media poses another form of security threat which comes with its own problems.

“Writer-citizens of Cyberia face border security problems beyond the simple threat to the book. There is a democracy that comes with social media and it has radically transformed the idea of the writer. This new cultural context challenges their very ability to own stories devolving from our national experiences, good and bad, in the global marketplace of creativity.”

Jerome Terpase Dooga of the Department of English, University of Jos (UNIJOS), and the Chief Executive Officer, Quick News Africa, Monday Ashibogwu, said the new media holds immense prospects for writers. They urged writers to take advantage of its potential.

Ashibogwu said: “The new media is an open opportunity to pioneer the creation of an innovative business and research based product offering that will ultimately drive and provide strategic business positioning and profit to customers and advertisers. The structure will incorporate a robust framework using relevant media and channels to help deliver on its proposition. Based on gaps highlighted, there is a clear need for an organised system with a framework for supporting business advancement and innovation.

Businesses continually seek improvement and are willing to pay for ideas that offer relevant actionable insights.”

Seeking to enlighten its members on the new media, the association partnered YSGHubs, a major sponsor of the convention. The new ecommerce and mobile applications development company in Lagos, a

subsidiary of the Young Shall Grow [YSG] Group, that offers an online media store where users can purchase eBooks, music, videos, event tickets and lifestyle accessories from the convenience of their homes, classrooms, offices and even on-thego, took writers into its packages.

Many writers were signed up immediately, it was learnt.

And the winner is...

Seven winners emerged in this year’s ANA prizes. ANA executive have reduced the number of prizes to be won this year to six. A total of 86 works were entered for the six categories out of the nine original ones. However, the prize committee headed by the Vice President, Mallam Denja Abdullahi, said ANA only winners of the three prizes (drama, poetry and prose) sponsored by ANA would receive their cash prizes and certificates because the endowers are not forth coming.

Seventeen years old, Nuela Ononye’s Behind the Dust emerged winner this year’s edition of ANA/ NECO Teen Author. She could not contain her joy when she was called out, saying: “I don’t know how to express the joy I feel as a winner. I am very happy.”

Awardwinning author, Odili Ujubuonu’s Pride of the Spider Clan won the ANA Prose Fiction Prize.

Umari Ayim’s Inside my Head bagged the poetry prize. The erudite scholar Sunnie Ododo’s Hard Choice got the drama prize. Nnamdi Okose book entitled Children of the River won the ANA/Esiaba Irobi Prize for Playwriting.

The ANA/Gabriel Okara Poetry Prize was won by Karo Okokoh’s Songs of a Griot; and Nkechi the Heroine

by Camillus Chima Ukah won ANA/ Lantern Prize. There was no entry merited shortlisting in ANA/Chevron Prize for Environmental Issues.

S part of its efforts to promote creativity among children, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Amila powered soft drink has flagged off its Amila painting challenge in about 200 primary schools across 20 local government areas in Lagos under the first stage of the competition.

Under this stage, an art teacher in each of the selected schools will conduct a general painting competition among the pupils of the school to determine the best 10 that will participate on the Amila Day, that is the day of the activation from where an overall best winner will emerge to represent the school at each local government level.

According to Miss Feyisayo Aliu of Children of Africa Project, leader of team three, handling the activation on behalf of Promasidor, the challenge has been greatly accepted in schools as kids are willing to participate and the teachers are on ground to help coordinate them.

“So far we have seen lots of beautiful paintings that would make your mouth open. It competition has really brought out the creativity in children that you can see the excitement in them when painting and how other kids are wishing they were selected for the competition. It has been fun, fun and fun for the kids.”

At Obele Primary School in Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos, Master Ekemini Victor Obong, a 10-yearold Basic five pupil emerged the overall best. In the same vein, Master Ogogu Anthony, an 11year-old Basic six pupil was the winner in Methodist Primary School, Lawanson while at Subuola Nursery and Primary School, also in Lawanson, Master Kosi Chukwudi, a 13 year-old Basic six pupil clinched the first position.

These winners among others from the other participating schools will move on to the second stage of the competition which will be held at each local government.

Comrade Bisiriyu Ganiyu Alani, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers (Surulere Local Government Area branch of NUT) said the school was very excited to have been selected to partake in the challenge and also to see that more light is now being shown on painting.

“I am very happy today because of the Amila Painting Challenge. I am excited my school is participating in it because it has taken the kids to a different level.”

40

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

All for national peace...

A scene from Odia Ofeimun’s Nigeria The Beautiful at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos last Friday

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

R

ECENTLY, the crying baby of Nollywood and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State, Nkeiruka Sylvanus has been embattled. The sultry actress who was catapulted to stardom in her epic movie A Cry for Help now seems to be in need of that help she sought for a long time ago. Known and appreciated for her emotional outbursts with tears rolling down her beautiful cheeks, making her look defenseless and vulnerable, Nkiru appears to have fallen prey to real life tormentors this time around.

Her special talent evident in the effortless interpretation of her roles has brought along with it friends and foes alike, but Nkiru Sylvanus has had a way of always evading scandals and controversies. Try hard as she may these twin evils that haunt successful movie stars continue to stalk her like a shadow. Her first baptism of mischievous gossip sought to question her academic attainments but she was able to shake them off convincingly and conclusively to the chagrin of her foes and the admiration of her fans.

Then she got enmeshed in a romantic rumpus with one Asha, a musician who was later found to be using her name to further his musical career by posing in a friendly photograph with her and making claims of a relationship. Following Nkiru’s shrill protests, further investigations led to an apology to her by the medium that published the malicious story. In a similar vein, another tabloid cast similar aspersions on her with an aide of the vice president but the junk editors were also made to swallow their sleaze with due apologies to the thespian.

Nkiru Sylvanus herself has made enough efforts to explain her relationship with her boss whom she refers to as a father figure but in our own peculiar way of prejudiced de-

Who is afraid of Nkiru Sylvanus?

By Jonathan Iwu

nunciation nobody seems to be paying her any attention, instead romantic tales keep flying around her and Rochas Okorocha, all in a bid to make her a recluse.

Now another tabloid, in its recent edition, concocted a story suggesting that the actress had parted ways with her boss and has accordingly being relieved of her appointment supposedly due to persistence of the Imo State First Lady, still purporting the existence of a romantic relationship. The magazine went further to cast aspersions on her intellectual capacity apparently in a manner as to render her insignificant and out of reckoning among her peers. As if that was not enough, a blogger Linda Ikeji went ahead with the same sponsored story without ascribing any source to it. The defamers of innocent character who seem to take an insatiable delight in mudslinging and name smearing have targeted Nkiru Sylvanus with sadistic zeal.

Obviously, being human, it was wise for her to rise to the occasion to effectively defend her name and set the records straight. But it was not surprising that her true friends were quick to decipher the malicious objective of such stories which were mere tall tales crafted by those crouching in the shadows of Nkiru’s trail blazing successes in career and reputation that had illuminated the movie and entertainment arena.

On her FACEBOOK page and to some of her friends in other social media networks, Nkiru Sylvanus wrote thus: “I am aware that one fake jobless blogger (names withheld) has been peddling news about me saying I lost my appointment with Imo State government. For the records, I

•Sylvanus

was the Lagos Liaison Officer, Senior Special Assistant on Lagos Affairs which I handed over to Lisa Asugha and I am now Senior Special Assistant Public Affairs and this happened five months ago when there was a cabinet reshuffle. To my fans, who still love and believe in

me, God will always be faithful. For those who want my downfall, sorry, I am the wrong person because I stand tall and strong”.

Evidently those who were after her were not aware of this development and when her absence from Lagos was noticed they jumped to

their jaundiced conclusion that she must have been relieved of her appointment. They failed to observe the elementary rule of journalism which is to hear from the appropriate authority on the authenticity of the story. They choose to go to Press with a story that suited their thinking and perceptions, typical of charlatans in the trade.

As her fans who believe in the shining stature of the celebrity, we are confident that she has all it takes to serve the good people of Imo State and much more. We salute the courage of Governor Okorocha for playing down indigeneship sentiments while building the Ndigbo nation through the effective utilisation of responsive and responsible people in his government. This gives rise to the cross-fertilization of ideas.

Nkiru Sylvanus is not the only nonImolite in his administration, the celebrated soccer star Kanu Nwankwo is also one of them. We are convinced that a leader should look out for competence, loyalty and intellectual capacity to help him run his government and drift away from parochial sentiments that seem to divide us instead of uniting us. States like Lagos and Kaduna have demonstrated such commendable initiatives.

Nkiru Sylvanus is the cat with nine lives, one that has exonerated herself from the plots and machinations of her adversaries. We urge you to continue to keep the flag flying. As a detribalised Nigerian with the appeal and charm of Cinderella, the machinations of your adversaries should not deter, rather they should spur you to greatness. Those who are afraid of you shall continue to be behind you while you make your expected leap unto the future with showers of blessings and amazing successes.

•Jonathan Iwu writes from Maitama- Abuja

42

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

43

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Last Friday, top politicians in Oyo State joined the House of Assembly at a special sitting in honour of the late Alhaji Lam Adesina where they paid tributes to the political icon.

BISI OLADELE and TAYO JOHNSON were there.

T

HE Oyo State House of As sembly has been described as one of the most unique assemblies in the country. Those who claim this hinge their argument on the fact that notable nationalists and great leaders such as the late Chief Rotimi William (SAN) and Chief Anthony Enahoro once stood there to make laws. It is also said to be unique because the first motion for Nigerian independence was moved on the floor of the assembly by Enahoro in 1956.

Last Friday, the hallowed chamber of the House, once again, attracted eminent politicians who came to celebrate a former governor of the state, Alhaji Lam Adesina, who died penultimate Sunday, December 11, in a private hospital in Lagos.

“Great Lam,” as he was fondly called, was until his death the leader of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state. According to the Speaker, Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu, the House of Assembly organised the special sitting to honour Lam in view of his contributions to the development of the state.

The Assembly had suspended its normal sittings on Tuesday and Thursday to prepare for the special sitting, which turned out to be a day of tributes and encomiums for the popular politician.

For a man of many parts who was a critic, pro-democracy campaigner, teacher and politician, the session attracted lots of people from different classes, groups and opinions who extolled his virtues.

At the session were former governor Rashidi Ladoja, the incumbent, Abiola Ajimobi and his Jigawa State counterpart, Sule Lamido who said that he came to pay tribute to a good friend.

Also in attendance were the National Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande, state party cheiftains and other dignitaries.

In her welcome address, Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu said the late governor was a man who made his marks at various levels and particularly, at the state level, educationally, socio-politically, stressing that the late politician also became a reference point as one of the fathers of the state.

Having served the state meritoriously, the speaker said the state owes him a duty to immortalize him, stressing: “By so doing, we are also making a loud statement that diligence and commitment to the cause of the people pays. Patriotism should be encouraged particularly, among the upand-coming generation”.

She expressed the hope that the Nigeria and Oyo State of Lam’s dream

• Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande and Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido at the special valedictory session for late Lam Adesina which held at Oyo State House of Assembly in Ibadan.

PHOTOS: FEMI ILESANMI

Tributes as Oyo Assembly holds special sitting for ‘Great Lam’ were achievable.

Akande, in his address, described the late Lam as his younger brother when he was still alive, pointing out that it was not a thing of joy to be at a valedictory service for him.

He, nevertheless, noted that Lam was a visionary leader of the party in the state adding that his memory would continue to live forever.

Former Governor of Oyo State, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, said it was pitiful that Lam Adesina passed away at a crucial time when Nigeria and Oyo State needs him most.

His words: “I am happy to see Senator Rasheed Ladoja here. It means, we are now playing a more civilized politics in the state. Before, if any politician dies we will play politics with his death and avoid a condolence visit” Olunloyo described the late Lam Adesina as a very respectful brother, powerful columnist and a very conscious historian, adding that he is proud of him and his contribution to Nigerian politics and Oyo State.

Ladoja, in his tribute, expressed sadness at Lam’s death in spite of their party differences and misunderstanding in the past. He said that he was very proud of him and his achievements.

Ladoja explained that in 1992, it was Lam Adesina that encouraged him to

join active politics, disclosing that he became a senator through his effort.

He described Lam as a reliable and a forthright politician unlike some others.

He said the late Lam was a humble teacher who got to the pinnacle of his career. As a columnist, Ladoja said that the deceased was read all over the world. As a politician, he said Lam achieved his dream while he was still alive.

The former governor urged the upcoming generations to emulate his great works.

In his own tribute to Lam, Senator Lekan Balogun said they worked together for years, pointing out that he was a great, principled and trustworthy fellow.

“He was a gentle man to the core. I think we have lost an illustrious son of Ibadanland and a great grassroots politician” Balogun said.

This was followed by a break at which a peep into the life and times of Lam Adesina was shown to all through the projector, where his early days as an Ibadan boy and how he went into politics were revealed to the audience.

An activist, Comrade Moshood Erubami said the lesson from the gathering was that death is real, and that everybody will pay the debt.

Erubami said: “All that we would be

saying here today will be testimonies to Lam’s politics and ideological orientation as reflected in his leadership style for the number of years he lived on earth before he breathed his last.

He was an unequalled democrat who is committed to serving the people, a colossus that contributed immensely to the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria” Erubami recalled the NADECO days when Lam Adesina was arrested as a ‘prisoner of war’. He said: “He was guilty for what he was arrested for because he was a rebel who wanted to overthrow the military regime for democracy to serve his people.”

On how to sustain his legacies, the activist said that sustaining the legacy of a hero with noble achievements is beyond wishful thinking, stressing that no ordinary politician can sustain the legacy of Great Lam except those who are humble, people who care and share, respect other people’s opinion, imbued with courage, compassion and character of integrity like him.

“When Lam was arrested as ‘prisoner of war’, I was the commander of the war. But he was guilty of the war because he was a rebel against military dictatorship,” he said.

Also, the Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olatunde Olaniyan described Lam as a democrat, a patriotic Nigerian who

‘All that we would be saying here today will be testimonies to Lam’s politics and ideological orientation as reflected in his leadership style for the number of years he lived before he breathed his last. He was an unequalled democrat who was committed to serving the people, a colossus that contributed immensely to the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria’

never felt bad at fighting for the cause of humanity.

In his own tribute, Senator Abiola Ajimobi explained that when he visted the late ex-governor two days before his death at the hospital, Lam told him that he had lived a fulfilled and an accomplished life.

Ajimobi said that Lam was his teacher at Lagelu grammar school, his mentor, a social crusader and a man with the fear of God, adding that in his last days, he was always praying and fasting. “ He was bright and eloquent, his rich vocabulary has helped me in life.

He has grown up to be an advocate of justice and a parliamentarians’ delight when he was in the House of Representatives. His contribution and quota in the area of education in this state cannot be over emphasized. He was a governor of the masses and the less privileged,” Ajimobi said.

He promised to sustain Great Lam’s outstanding legacies of sincerity, consistency and forthrightness in an attempt to take the state to greater height.

The Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, who arrived at the occasion unannounced, expressed his shock at the death of his friend whom he described as “an astute politician.”

He said he was at the House of Representatives with Lam between 1979 and 1983, recalling that in those days in the hallowed chamber, the late governor was an orator and his speeches laced with patriotic fervor.

He said that the Yoruba race and Nigeria have lost a honourable Nigerian that is irreplaceable.

Other dignitaries present at the event include Senator Ayo Adeseun, all the commissioners in the state, and chairmen of local governments in the state.

44

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

POLITICS

Tambuwal’s new approach to leadership

By Imam Imam

O

• From right: Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi (Right); presenting a Toyota Camry car gift to the Pastor-InCharge of Province, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Ekiti Province 1, Pastor Olawale Adejubee; while his wife, Pastor Bose (Middle); and other members of the congregation watched with rapt attention, during the 5oth Birthday Anniversary Thanksgiving of Pastor Adejubee. in Ado-Ekiti... on Sunday.

—

RIGHT OF REPLY

Suswam, Mark on warpath?

Forget it T

HE NATION in its edition of Sun day, November 18, 2012 published a highly sensational article in which it desperately tried, unsuccessfully though, to paint a picture of a nonexistent political rift between Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State and the Senate President Senator David Alechenu Mark.

In an article titled “Benue 2015: It’s Mark versus Suswam”, one Dare Odufowokan issues that he has nothing to support or prove in the guise of analysis of the political current.

In one instance, he wrote of factions in the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State; struggle for the control of the House of Assembly leading to the “removal of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly by a group of legislators loyal to Senator Mark.” In yet another instance, the writer alleged he is in battle with Suswam over the 2015 governorship election in the state.

Governor Suswam finds these allegations and insinuations as most unfortunate as they are baseless, patently untrue and deliberately cooked up by certain political interests in the state who would like to have a situation of political misunderstanding between the two leaders of the state.

For the avoidance of doubt, it has to be placed on record that Governor Suswam has never had reason for a major disagreement on any political matter with the Senate President since both of them have forged a nearly perfect understanding in their working relationship which often ends with consensus on most issues.

Secondly, the PDP state executive committee is not factionalized, neither was it rendered illegal by the National Executive Committee of the party as grossly misrepresented by the article under reference. Contrary to the false claims, the state Congress of the party actually took place and the candidates for the various positions were returned in accordance with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

It is therefore the height of ignorance or mischief to insinuate that the executive committee was imposed on the party by Governor Suswam.

• Mark

By Cletus Akwaya

The most bizarre of the erroneous claims contained in the said article is the recent change of leadership in the Benue State House of Assembly which the writer blamed on the struggle for the soul of the House by the two political leaders.

In actual fact, this claim is far from the truth as the crisis in the House had nothing to do with political differences between Senator Mark and Governor Suswam. In fact, contrary to the distorted facts put out in pursuit of selfish political interests, the Speaker, Hon David Iorhemba, was not removed but resigned from office due to a prolong faceoff with his colleagues over al-

‘The 2015 governorship election is at the moment not a contentious issue in Benue political circles, since neither Governor Suswam nor Senator Mark has made a statement on his preferred candidate or where the position should be zoned to.

It, therefore, amounts to a chase of shadow to write about an imaginary political rift’

• Suswam

leged misconduct.

The 2015 governorship election is at the moment not a contentious issue in Benue political circles, since neither Governor Suswam nor Senator Mark has made a statement on his preferred candidate or where the position should be zoned to. It, therefore, amounts to a chase of shadow to write about an imaginary political rift on the basis of a governorship race that has not been flagged off..

It is pertinent to inform the good people of Benue state that Governor Suswam’s concern now is to deliver on his promises to the people of the state by working on policies that will bring out reduction of poverty while creating wealth for the teeming population of the state and would not be distracted by a nonexistent political conflict with any of the leaders of the state. For the records, the governor has always held the position that the issue of who succeeds him is a decision to be taken by the people of the state and their leaders at the appropriate time and not by himself alone. His position on this very important political topic has not changed.

Governor Suswam and Senator Mark have maintained an excellent public and private relationship over the years, built on mutual respect for the offices they occupy and out of the shared concern for the progress and development of the state. The two leaders are resolved to continue to work together in the interest of the people they represent. Therefore, no amount of machinations by enemies of the state will change their commitment to the development of the state.

• Akwaya is media aide to Governor Suswam

VER the course of the year, many within and beyond the National Assembly have been astonished at the new ideas being introduced in the running of the House of Representatives by the Speaker, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

It is not as if many were not expecting new ways of doing things when the Honourable members among them gave him their mandate to lead the House in June last year. Rather, what is surprising to them, and to large swathe of Nigerians, is the frequency with which new and effective methods are becoming the order of the day in the legislative scheme of things in the country.

The crux of the new approach to leadership is encapsulated in the House Legislative Agenda, which was introduced by Tambuwal to initiate a new order that fosters transparency, leading to institutional integrity in the legislature in particular and the country in general.

As enunciated by the Speaker himself, the legislative agenda primarily seeks to restructure the management and functions of the legislature towards adequacy in capacity and improved productivity.

In addition, the Agenda seeks to design and implement the electronic parliament (e-parliament) blueprint that elevates the National Assembly operations to international best practices and ensures public access to parliamentary information and process.

Importantly, the Agenda seeks to review the legislative branch budget in line with the requirements of openness, effectiveness and accountability; review the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in all relevant areas in line with the aspirations of Nigerians; engage actively with other arms of government to restore public order and national security and finally to institutionalize mechanisms that facilitate effective engagement with various stakeholders including constituents and civil society organizations (CSOs).

What are those things done differently by the House leadership to warrant this intervention? Let us begin with the composition of the committees of the House in September 2011. For all those familiar with how such endeavors were undertaken in the past, they will readily attest to the fact that seeds of discord among members get planted on the day the committees are announced largely because many always felt shortchanged by the outcome. Not so when Tambuwal announced the committees in the first test of his leadership acumen as Speaker. Not only did it go well, members openly praised the House leadership for taking their view points into consideration, but for placing square pegs in square holes in order to maximize potentials for the benefit of the polity.

Take another example. The rot in the oil sector manifested in the shameful subsidy scam has been considerably unravelled to the extent that government has commenced prosecution of those indicted in the law courts. This did not just happen. It took the intervention of the House of Representatives, beginning with its historic January 8, 2012 extra-ordinary plenary session, to arrive at this junction. In spite of the controversy that engulfed the ad-hoc committee, the report of that panel laid the foundation for the rash of committees set up by the executive with the aim of cleansing the Augean stables.

Holding that extra-ordinary session on a Sunday, the first of its kind in the country, set in motion various activites which have today led to stringent calls for more transparency and accountability to be institutionalised in a sector characterised by many underhand dealings. But for the bold move taken by the Speaker, we would still have been in the dark as to the true nature of the corruption that pervades the sector.

Also of note here is the issue of the amendment of the 1999 constitution currently going on in the country. When the Speaker announced last September that all the 360 members of the House of Representatives will return to their constituencies to hear directly from their people on what they want in the new constitution, many did not envisage the kind of interest the move would generate.

When the Peoples Public Session eventually held penultimate Saturday across the country, Nigerians did not only hail the transparency of the novel process, but identified with its overall objective which is to give the country a document (constitution) that was written with the input of the people.

It is worth recalling here that each of the sessions in the 360 Federal Constituencies was organized by an independent Steering Committee of Stakeholders that included the member of the House representing the Constituency who served as the facilitator, members of the State House of Assembly in the particular Federal Constituency, the Local Government Chairmen within the Constituency and one representative of the following organisations in each Federal Constituency, namely the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Others were the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other Student Groups, the National Youth Council (NYC) and other Youth Organizations, the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) and other Women Organisations, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE). Stakeholders, such as Ethnic Nationalities, Women, Youths, Students, Town Unions, Professional Organisations, Civil Society Organizations, Religious Organizations, Traditional Institutions, Political Parties, Artisans, Labour etc, and indeed all Nigerians.

No doubt, Tambuwal’s strong stance on discipline, accountability, and truth, and his penchant desire to do things differently, is now setting the bar and becoming an example for elected office holders in the federation.

As we’ve seen times without number, his apparent willingness not to be encumbered by the political exigencies that had stunted our progress, is quite inspiring. For him, what matters is the nation’s interest.

Call that an unyielding idealism and you won’t be wrong.

• Tambuwal

• Imam is the Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Speaker Tambuwal.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

More help for flood victims •Continued from Page 13 known and called Godwin Ezeemo International Press Centre.

“Today, we are honouring Mr. Ezeemo with the award of ‘Man of the Year 2012.’ But there is no honour or award that can express the depth of our joy and gratitude for his benevolence,” she said.

Ezeemo’s philanthropy, according to Editor of Orient Daily Newspaper and National Vice-Chairman, Guild of Editors, Victor Agusiobo, is ecumenical in nature.

Chief Barnabas Ekeneme Okonkwo described Ezeemo as a gift from God to humanity.

He said the man has been helping the helpless and giving hope to the hopeless since 2001, adding that he still has a lot of good plans for an uncountable number of people.

Mrs. Ebele Nwafor, one of the beneficiaries of Ezeemo’s compassion told Newsextra that her benefactor is like a man from the moon.

She said: “This is a man who has engaged in erecting houses for widows and the less-privileged not only in his area but outside the Southeast.

“There is no section in Nigeria today that has not benefited from the good heart of this young man.

We have seen some people like the late Chief MKO Abiola in his life time that touched many lives in Nigeria. But this man is awesome.

“We pray God to prolong his life and only God knows why Ezeemo is doing all these things to people he does not know. We pray that God should replenish his pockets,” she said.

Another recipient of Ezeemo’s

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HE United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has said that trends in the past five years allow for cautious optimism that significant progress will be made in decreasing the number of people globally who practice open defecation. It stated this during the commemoration of World Toilet Day. It maintained that lack of toilet remains one of the leading causes of illness and death among children. In Nigeria, it is estimated that diarrhoea kills about 194,000 children under five every year and in addition, respiratory infections kill another 240,000. These are largely preventable with improvements in

•Participants at the event magnanimity, Mr John Ezike, told Newsextra that without the man, he would not have sent his children to school.

The father of five said that Ezeemo took over the training of his children since he came home and saw their condition, adding that only God can reward him.

In a chat with Newsextra, Ezeemo said that helping people has been his pastime since his childhood days, adding that it is a covenant he has with God.

“Since I did not stop it when I was down, how can I stop when God has blessed me? It is not for any political reason. I have not told anybody I belong to any political party or group. What I am doing is what is in me. I cannot, because of what people are saying, stop. No. It is not possible,” he said.

He, however, urged members of the press to be objective in their reportage, describing everything in Nigeria as in a shambles.

“I am happy to be honoured by

the NUJ and without this union; nothing will work in this country.

I implore you not to be petty but to say things the way they should be. I will not stop in making sure that this group grows further. This is a profession I love,” Ezeemo said.

In his speech, the National VicePresident of NUJ, Southeast zone Mr. Chris Isiguzo, who represented the President, Mallam Mohammed Garba commended members of the Anambra State council for their unity.

He said that Anambra State is one of the few states in Nigeria today, if not the only one, where mudslinging, gerrymandering and chaos had not taken over the union. He described the leadership qualities of the council’s outgoing chairperson Mrs Omelu as unrivaled.

Isiguzo noted that Press Week by the NUJ is a time that avails the media the opportunity to take stock of events in their state and country.

UNICEF seeks improved sanitation water, sanitation and hygiene.

In the circumstances, UNICEF is supporting 50 countries globally, including Nigeria to implement Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS) such as Community-led Total Sanitation aimed at empowering communities to identify their sanitation challenges and take necessary actions to end open defecation. According to a joint UNICEF and World Health Organisation report of 2012, it is estimated that 34 million Nigerians practise open defecation and Nigeria is among top five countries in the world with largest number of peo-

ple defecating in the open.

Community-led Total Sanitation aims at making all communities free of open defecation by focusing on social and behavioural change and the use of affordable, appropriate technologies. The emphasis is on the sustainable use of sanitation facilities rather than the construction of infrastructure. The approach depends on the engagement of members of the community ranging from individuals, schools, and traditional leaders. Communities use their own capacities to attain their objectives and take a central role in planning and implementing

improved sanitation.

In Nigeria, UNICEF, in partnership with relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as donors such as European Union and United Kingdom Aid is supporting implementation of Community-led Total Sanitation in 30 states.

Over two million people living in more than 3,000 open defecation free communities are estimated to be using toilets as a result. With continuous support from governments and other partners in scaling up this approach, more Nigerians will live in open defecation free

communities.

“Community-led Total Sanitation is simple and an effective way of improving access to sanitation while also paving the way for their improved health,” Ibrahima Fall, UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria said.

The approach has been found to be appropriate and the best way to ensure improved and sustained access to sanitation is to empower communities to provide toilets for themselves. No external support from governments or other agencies can provide toilets to all unserved people in the country.

The best way to ensure improved and sustained access to sanitation is to empower communities to provide toilets for themselves. No external support from governments or other agencies can provide toilets to all un-served people in the country

•Flood victims who learnt to sew at ICE relief camp, Asaba, Delta State

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

Experts list gains of efficient transportation

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FFICIENT transportation system is the soul of the economy of any promising country, experts have submitted. This consensus was made known at a forum in Lagos.

The well-attended event was organised by LASUMBA Heritage, an association of alumni and managers of Lagos State University (LASU) Masters of Business Administration (MBA).

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola who was scheduled to be at the event as Special Guest of Honour, was represented by his Special Adviser on Education, Hon. Abdulfatai Olusoga. Other dignitaries at the occasion were Hon. Kayode Opeifa, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation; Bode Akintayo, President, LASUMBA Heritage; Mr Taiwo Soares, Chairman Board of Trustees; Dr Rotimi Oladele, MD/ CEO, Megavons West Africa was the keynote speaker; Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos, Royal Father of the Day was represented with all his white-cap chiefs, while Mr Femi Ekundayo chaired the occasion.

In his applauded keynote address entitled, Transportation and Entrepreneurship: Lagos case, Oladele kicked off the business of the day as he observed: “Lagos transport system is part of the Lagos success story. Where we are now is a pointer to a promising mega city of resourceful entrepreneurship.

12 routes now are functional on Lagos water against one route of five years ago.

BRT is not a hidden feature to all of us. The governor of Lagos State is an

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FTER accomplishing and surpassing his dream of lifting an Olympics trophy in London, one of the Paralympics athletes that did Nigeria proud, Mr Yakubu Adesokan, has been honoured in his Ibadan hometown.

Adesokan won a gold medal in weight-lifting in the London 2012 Olympics. He was the first Paralympics athlete to win a gold medal for the country in this year’s competition.

The reception was organised by the Chairman, Transition Committee, Oluyole Local Government, Mr Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye in honour of the star weightlifter.

At exactly 3:00 p.m., the registry of the council at New Garage, venue of

By Dada Aladelokun

entrepreneur of global standard, driving an unusual model of enterprise-supportive logistic infrastructure.”

Urging the federal government to take a cue from the Lagos example, he suggested: “The federal government must concentrate on rail transport resuscitation and make it national. It is the major driver of economic activities. The population, distance and preoccupation of Nigeria and Nigerians can only be attended to fairly adequately by an efficient rail system. It must also build roads throughout the nooks and crannies of the nation. If all roads cannot be federal roads, let the state and local governments be empowered enough to build good roads. The money used for private jets by government functionaries, foreign trips and jamborees can build many roads.”

“As far as Lagos is concerned,” he spoke further, “we all need to rechallenge ourselves for reciprocal followership befitting the leadership we have now. We have human rights organisations all over. Where are the responsibilities, duties and obligations organisations?”

Amid nods of affirmation, he added: “To drive SME and boost economy in Lagos, we still need a true masses’ choice in transport system. I mean commercial motorcycles (Okada), but without tampering with the new traffic law of Lagos. Let us re-brand them as community transport system, licence them as such and restrict them to their domiciliary local government areas

•Co

•Opeifa (left) and Oladele at the event to operate in the suburbs. To regulate them better, the current law should subsist, but each local government should have its colour, each rider should have his/her operative’s number boldly worn as conspicuous identity.

“While annually renewable rider’s certificate should be issued, graded sanctions should also be applicable as listed in the new traffic law. Until we have a true mass transit system that can cope with our human traffic, distance and activities of enterprise, we may not be able to eliminate bicycles, motorcycles and tricycles.”

The law enforcement agents, he advised, should package compliance efforts of the new traffic law in civility

and public decorum as not to blackmail the government.

Opeifa, who was another major speaker at the event, agreed with Oladele that transportation is the hub of human welfare, adding: “FG must come up with a comprehensive master-plan for improved transportation system, drawing a cue fro South Africa, Germany, UK and the USA.” Among other things, he lamented the festering rot in the nation’s rail system, noting: “When people are mobile, the economy will move.

Telecoms, pipelines, courier services, railways and others are means of transportation.

The regional integration being mooted in the

Southwest rests on efficient transportation.”

Rather than face oil and telecoms, he encourage rich Nigerians to invest in transportation, even as he spoke on the state government’s clampdown on Okada: “Our government is compassionate; that is why we are working on options to accommodate the bike riders. We have embarked on means of training them on various vocations with generous government support. In fact, the registration has begun.”

On the essence of the parley, Akintayo said it was part of his association’s contribution to the effective running of the Nigerian economy and its entire system in the interest of the people.

Council chief honours physically challenged hero From Bisi Oladele and Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

the event, had filled up with hundreds of locals and well-wishers from all over the city. They scrambled for seats and an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the international star that set a new world record in the men’s 48kg category.

The venue of the event wore the Nigerian official colours of green and white while the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) party faithful, who dressed in Aso Ebi uniform) also thronged the reception.

Adesokan had earlier received N5m cash reward and honoured with the national award of the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) along with other gold medalists by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The weight-lifting champion strode into the hall at 4:50 p.m. majestically with hundreds of physicallychallenged friends who came to rejoice with him.

In his opening remark, AbassAleshiloye said Nigeria and Oyo State were proud of the athlete’s outstanding performance at the last competition. As an indigene of the

•Chairman of Oluyole Local Government (right), Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye presenting the award of the Council’s Sport Ambassador to YakubuAdesokan

council, the council boss honoured Adesokan with the Sport Ambassador Award of the council.

Abass-Aleshinloye noted with delight that Adesokan had succeeded in confirming the saying that there is ability in disability. He also pointed out that Adesokan is a surprise success story and a classical example of the level to which a person with disability can go in his or her chosen carrier when given the necessary support and encouragement.

In addition to the award of the Sport Ambassador for the council, the weight lifter was also awarded a plot of land at Orile Odo Scheme in the council.

“You have done well and we are indeed grateful. I want to reiterate our administration’s determination in proving necessary atmosphere conducive to our citizens to attain the best in their respective chosen professions and vocation. This is to encourage people with special disability that they can make it in life if they believe in themselves,” he said.

The council chief therefore urged the gold medalist to remain focused and abstain from anything that could derail him.

In his acceptance speech, the recordsetting sportsman thanked the local government chairman for his numerous supports for the physically-challenged individuals in the area, adding that it is hard to see a politician

who has so much passion for the disabled people.

While praising his coach, Mr Abass Aransi for discovering the talent in him, he urged his fellow compatriots never to give up in anything they believe in because he does not believe he could get to this point in life.

Adesokan admonished other physically-challenged people in the country to desist from begging for alms. He rather advised them to embrace hard work in order to discover their God-given talents.

Adesokan was born in 1979 to the family of Rufai and Mulikat Adesokan in Ibadan. After his primary education, he became a cobbler around Muslim Odinjo area of the city.

He said: “In spite of my disability, I started showing interest in sports when I became a regular spectator at the Liberty Stadium. At one of such occasions, I approached one of the officials in the Oyo State Sports Council who were later impressed with my interest and spirit. I joined them in 2004 and I was engaged as a contract staff in 2006.”

Adesokan has, over the years, won seven gold medals in different competitions including Gateway 2006 Games, KADA 2009, Commonwealth Games in India, 2011 Olympic qualifiers and the last London 2012 Paralympics Games.

He is married to Saudat and they have three children.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

Ogun launches plan for expectant mothers

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GUN State has stepped up its efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality, with the launch of the ante-natal conditional cash transfer (CCTT) programme in three local government areas of the state.

At the CCTT launch tagged Gbomoro, no fewer than 600 expectant and nursing mothers received cash for their ante- and post-natal transport expenses as well as mobile phones to enable them have easy access to their doctors and to regularly receive health tips at the launch of its first phase at Ipokia, Sagamu and Abeokuta local government areas.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, in his address at the ceremony, said the objective of the programme was to reduce child and maternal mortality which result from pregnancy-related complications due to poverty and malnutrition in pregnancy and infancy.

He assured that his administration will not renege on its promise to provide sound healthcare delivery service for pregnant women as well as free healthcare for children between the ages zero and five years.

Represented by his Commissioner for Health Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, Amosun stated that “pregnant women have been positioned to enjoy everything required for safe delivery to improve maternal and child health in order to drastically reduce maternal mortality and child deaths.

This is just the beginning of good things that will happen in the health sector. More are still to come.”

Governor Amosun further said that it would encourage pregnant women to patronise health facilities which his administration had upgraded to acceptable standards as they have been provided with modern equipment, drugs and skilled attendants.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Amosun on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Mrs. Hafsat Abiola -Costello said that Gbomoro was designed specifically by the state government to create incentives for poor pregnant and lactating mothers living in the rural communities so that they can make use of available health facilities and also strengthen their link with health service providers.

She noted that the programme will cover 500 pregnant women and nursing mothers in each of the local government areas selected across the three senatorial districts of the state, even as she added that the beneficiaries will also be entitled to delivery kits and gift packages for delivery and post-natal care.

Abiola-Costello said that the beneficiaries would be monitored from time to time to ensure that they embark on preventive visits to health facilities in their areas, saying that whoever fails to fulfill the condition would forfeit her eligibility to benefit from the programme.

•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun presenting glasses to eye patients at the free surgery exercise in Abeokuta organised by the state, Indo-Eye Care Foundation and Rotary Club Palm groove, Lagos In her address, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Mrs. Precious Gbeneol who was represented by the Project Desk Officer, Mr. Subair Abdullah described the initiative as a giant stride towards reaching poor pregnant women for

maternal and child care, adding that this would help to fast-track the attainment of MDGs by 2015.

In their reactions, two of the beneficiaries of the package, Mrs. Mary Padonu and Mrs. Rasidat Ibrahim praised the state government for the

gesture, pointing out that it would go a long way in addressing pregnancy-related complications.

The duo pledged to utilise the window of opportunity created by the programme and also attend primary health centres in their localities regularly.

He described CHIPROM as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) not only to change lives of the disadvantaged and less privileged children but also to be a positive influence in the lives of these children and in the community.

“We raise and care for a child with the purpose of bringing them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We have committed ourselves to the goal of instilling hope for a better future for the children in our communities across the nation. As a children service provider

we take seriously our responsibility to ensure a stimulating and nurturing environment for these children. We want to positively revolutionalise the way people think about the plight of children in the 21st century.

“There is no support from the government really, except occasional donation of foodstuffs and all that. We also get support from churches, companies, such as DeUnited Foods, makers of Indomie noodles and others,” he said.

‘Govt, private sector need to do more for orphans’

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HE founder of the Children of Promises Ministries (CHIPROM), Ibadan, Oyo State, Mr. Dayo Idowu, has urged the federal, state and local governments to do more for orphanages and transition homes.

Idowu, whose transition home was founded in 2005 to help orphans and vulnerable children in need, spoke with Newsextra in Chicago, United States.

The Canada-based Nigerian said: “I believe the government can help the homes, whether orphanage or transition homes. We get assistance from volunteers who come from overseas to assist at the home. We give the children the best. They go to private schools and have a driver who takes them to and fro school.

We were recently exempted from a grant because they said our children attend private schools. But my argument is this, if you take these kids out of the streets and you take them to public schools, where you are not sure of what they are teaching them, then you have not helped them. Some people say we are spoiling them. I have no apologies. The private sector also needs to do more. If all hands are on deck, it will be for the betterment of our society.”

On why he started the home, he said: “It is a call. I always say this, bringing your hard-earned money to Nigeria and do this kind of work can never be for anything other than a call. It is a call and I fought it for a while. But a call is a call and we stood up to it. There is no leading really; it is just a call. I do come home once in a year and seeing kids on the streets, not going to school brought out passion in me

•CHIPROM kids, with Mr and Mrs. Idowu (left and right)

By Olukorede Yishau

too. So, everything sort of meshed up well for us to jumpstart caring for these children.”It is a transition home. It is not an orphanage and the difference is this: an orphanage is where children stay till they are like 18 years, but a transition home is you rescue them at the point of their need and when there is no hope and later you start looking for someone to adopt them or someone to foster them. This is

the difference between and orphanage and a transition home. We do have capacity for a maximum of 25 children and we are at our maximum now.

“Apart from money from my income, we also have a farm which we set up and the proceeds from the farm go into the home. We are working towards the home being able to sustain itself and at our board meeting in Canada yesterday, we agreed on this so that we can move to other places, such as Cameroun.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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HE people of Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency 1, Lagos State, have suggested that the power to create local governments should rest with states, and not the federal government.

This, they said, will take the burden of council funding off the federal government and place it on the states.

They spoke at a crowded public session in the area where the people took far-reaching decisions on various constitutional provisions tabled for public input.

The House of Representatives came up with the idea of people’s public sessions in the various federal constituencies in the country to collate opinions, ideas and recommendations of their constituents as well as get their endorsements for the proposed sections of the constitution earmarked for review.

The exercise was anchored by the duo of Kayode Tinubu, a former Vice-Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government and Hon Femi Ayodele.

The immediate past chairman of the council, Hon Afeez IpesaBalogun; leader of the Legislative House, Abolore Shobayo and Secretary, Community Development Committee, Mr Israel Orija had difficulties in controlling the temper inside the hall.

A representative of the area in the House of Representatives, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, praised the people for the success of the session, assuring them that their positions on all the issues will be fully presented to the House.

Akinderu-Fatai intervened at intervals to either douse the tension or make clarifications on some issues slated for debate.

According to him, the maturity displayed by different groups including the political parties showed that Nigerians are interested in how the country would be governed.

Speaking with Newsextra, IpesaBalogun hailed the participants for robust argument on the floor.

“When you have all shades of opinion like what happened here today across the country, one can be assured of a constitution that truly meets the yearnings of the people,” he said.

The former council boss urged leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that the masses’ view

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HE chairman of Oto Awori Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, Mr Kayode Robert has procured two new vehicles to boost police operations in the area.

The gesture pleased the law enforcement agents who said it will enhance their security efforts.

Presenting the the vehicles to the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of Ijanikin and Ilemba-Hausa police

•Participants at the event

Constituents want states to create local councils

is reflected in the amended constitution.

This, Ipesa-Balogun said, would give credibility to the exercise.

Mr Orija described the painstaking efforts of the National Assembly as a step in the right direction.

The CDC chief believed the success of the exercise would go a long way in shaping the future of the country.

At the gathering, which also witnessed the submission of many memoranda from various bodies, including trade unions, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), community leaders and associations and various other groups, held at the Bright Ville Hall, Oshodi, Lagos, the people rejected any amendment to the constitution to allow for state police in the country even though they supported an amendment for a federal system that would permit state governments to harness and control 50 per cent of their resources and remit the other 50 per cent to the federation.

Other touching issues the people took a position on included removing the ambiguities in the process of state creation; recognition of the six geopolitical zones for administrative purposes and as a tier of government, indigeneship, financial autonomy and independence of state Houses of Assembly, state joint local government accounts, denial of revenue allocation to unelected local governments, abolition of states electoral commissions, immunity for president, governors and their deputies, rotation of the presidency, tenure of office for the president and governors, independent candidacy, voting rights for Nigerians in the Diaspora, bicameral legislature, system of government, derivation, traditional rulers, office of the Accountant General of the Federal Government, and the office of the Attorney General and Minister of

Justice of the Federation.

The people of the Federal constituency agreed that the ambiguities in the process of state creation should be removed but disagreed that one more states should be created in each of the six geopolitical zones in the immediate future. They also agreed that the six geopolitical zones should not only be recognized in the constitution for administrative purposes but should be included as a tier of government. They, however, rejected any move to include persons who have resided in an area for a continuous long period to enjoy the accruing rights, duties and privileges of the area. The people also agreed that the state houses of assembly should be granted financial autonomy and independence, that section 162(6) of the constitution should be amended to abolish the state joint local government account, that the power to create local gov-

Council chief inspires police

By Emmanuel Udodinma

stations in the presence of the council‘s executive members, management and staff, Hon. Robert said that safety of life and property at all times is an abiding commitment of his administration.

He also provided some insights into the council’s previous efforts in boosting security in the area.

His words: “On assumption of office, this administration purchased and donated six security patrol vehicles to both the Nigeria police at Ilemba Awori police station, Ijanikin and the Vigilance Group of the

•Hon Kayode Robert (third right) hands over the keys to one of the vans to DPO, Hausa-Ilemba, Ekpeghere Ibe

LCDA. All these are necessary measures put in place to assist the police force in efficient community policing.

“Our administration also replaced an accidented security patrol van with a brand new one for Ijanikin police station. We are informed that the vehicle was involved in an accident in the course of duty and swung into action by replacing it immediate because we know the importance of their work.”

Speaking further, Robert said: ”This LCDA, by the grace of Almighty God, promised to protect at all times the lives and properties of every citizens of the LCDA and to make our environment free of crimes with the help of the responsive and proactive men of the Nigerian Police. It is part of our constitutional duty to adequately assist the Nigerian Police in every way we can.

We have gone ahead in equipping the Neighbourhood Watch and other para-military agencies we have. In order to ameliorate some of the challenges they face, we have made it mandatory to pay allowances to all our security agencies as at when due. Our monthly peace and security meetings are also held tenaciously and of utmost importance to us.”

Robert said the council has been very peaceful and crime-free, explaining that the dedicated security agents in the area helped to make

•Hon Akinderu-Fatai ernments should exclusively rest with the states which should assume full responsibility for their funding, that unelected local governments should be denied revenue allocation but disagreed that they should be accorded the proper status of a third government with its own legislative list.

It is part of our constitutional duty to adequately assist the Nigerian Police in every way we can. We have gone ahead in equipping the Neighborhood Watch and other para-military agencies we have this possible.

He urged the police to ensure proper use of the vehicles in order to achieve the purpose of their acquisition.

The council chief, popularly known as Bibire, equally told the men not rest on their oars, as security is a continuous exercice.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Ijanikin, Obinna Ikegwuonu, who led his lieutenants to personally take delivery of the vehicles, praised the Robert administration, saying the vans would enhance their work.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

Youths should work hard in any vocation or profession they find themselves to be able to succeed in life…They should not ignore the importance of skill acquisition centres already provided at various places in the 21 local government areas of the state

•Igwe Igboukwu, Dr Martin Eze (middle), his wife Ego (eighth left), women of Igboukwu and others, with items donated flood victims in Anambra State

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MEMBER of the Anambra State House of Assembly representing Aguata II State Constituency, Hon Ikem Uzoezie has constructed a library and teachers’ quarters at Town Primary School Igboukwu. The project cost N10m.

Uzoezie has also empowered 220 women including widows, the destitute and less-privileged in the 11 wards of the constituency.

Each of the beneficiaries received between N5, 000 and N10, 000 to support their businesses, even as he donated bags of rice and cartons of tin tomatoes, among other items.

Lawmaker, women lift community, flood victims From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

Uzoezie visited the headquarters of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in company of Igboukwu Development Union (IDU) led by Mrs Ngozi Dike, the traditional ruler of Igboukwu Igwe (Dr) Martin Eze and Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the town union, Nze Christian OkoliUdeafor to donate relief items to flood victims.

He disclosed that he has graded

10 kilometers of road from Isuofia to Umuona Road, Igboukwu to Ikenga to Ezinifite as well as Igboukwu-Nkwo Market by-pass Road.

He urged that youths should work hard in any vocation or profession they find themselves to be able to succeed in life. They should not ignore the importance of skill acquisition centres already provided at various places in the 21 local government areas of the state. The Igboukwu women and their supporters do-

nated seven bags of rice, 200 tubers of rice , three bags of salt, four cartons of tin tomatoes , 10 cartons of noodles, two cartons of toilet soap, two bags of detergent, half carton of magi cubes and some quantity of fairly-used clothing items, among others.

Receiving the items, the SEMA Executive Director, Dr Nwabufo Ijezie appealed to other communities to emulate them.

They called for equitable distribution of the items donated. They prayed God to continue to com-

fort the flood victims, even as they commended Governor Peter Obi on his timely commitment to the welfare of the victims.

Igwe Eze, who came with his wife Ego, in his remarks, noted that “the flood was caused by the reckless lifestyle of our people.

We should have a change of attitude to ensure that water channels are not blocked while the Igboukwu woman leader, Mrs Dike encouraged them to take solace in God as He watches over the affairs of men.

Ajimobi’s wife feeds needy women

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N continuation of the Ajumose food bank initiative for needy women in Oyo State, wife of the state governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi has distributed foodstuff to over 500 women selected from Ibadan South West Local Government Area of the state.

The food items, which included yam flour, rice, beans, sugar and milk, among others, were distributed to the beneficiaries includ-

What the wife of the governor is doing is a laudable project, because food is the essence of life that affects the people. It is a means of taking democracy to the doorsteps of the people

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

ing the aged, orphans and other less-privileged persons as a way of alleviating poverty in the state.

The governor’s wife explained that the initiative was in fulfilment of Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s promises made to the people during his electioneering campaigns when he pledged that he would ensure the availability of sufficient food. Ajimobi also said he would prioritise women’s welfare.

Mrs Ajimobi noted the governor has since approved that the programme be held every month throughout the remaining years of his administration.

She described the gesture as a demonstration the governor’s commitment to the well-being of the people.

The governor’s wife assured the women that the state government would increase the number in the subsequent editions of the programme.

She urged the people to continue to pray for the governor to succeed in his vision to transform the state into an enviable one,

•Mrs Florence Ajimobi (left) presenting food items to women at Ibadan South West Local Government during the monthly Ajumose food bank programme

adding that the state would witness more progressive development under the governor.

Two of the beneficiaries from the council who received the items, Mrs Tawakalitu and Kafaya Oloya, expressed their joy and appreciation to the governor for the donation.

“Ajimobi’s administration has changed their lives and the fortune of the state since May 2011.

Since the administration came on board, it has eased the suffering of the poor,” they said.

The chairman transition committee of Ibadan South West Local Government Area, Mr. Taoreed

Adeleke said: “What the wife of the governor is doing is a laudable project, because food is the essence of life that affects the people. It is a means of taking democracy to the doorsteps of the people. I want to thank her for what she has been doing for the women, widows, and the aged in Oyo State.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

53

NEWS

Govt owes us N1.3t on subsidy, says NNPC

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HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora tion (NNPC) said yesterday it is owed more than N1.3 trillion ($8.2 billion) in government fuel import subsidies, debts which could impact on the corporation’s fuel import programme.

“As at today, the outstanding amount due to the NNPC on subsidy claims is in excess of N1.3 trillion. [The debt is] making things... difficult as we have been struggling to cope with our fuel import programme,” a senior NNPC official said.

The government pays subsidies to importers to cover the difference between the landing cost of the fuel and the fixed domestic pump price.

The subsidy debt rose steadily from N752.7 billion at end of 2011 to N1trillion in the first half of this year, the official said.

Long queues of vehicles at service stations remain common place across major cities in the country due to a shortage of fuel that first started to be felt three months ago.

NNPC previously accounted for 60 per cent of gasoline imports into the country but has taken on sole responsibility after private companies withdrew following delays in the payment of subsidies in the first and second quarters of this year.

Following large-scale fraud uncovered in the man-

agement of the subsidy scheme that swallowed N2.7 trillion in 2011, according to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) figures, the Federal Government said it will only pay subsidy claims cleared by a presidential panel set up to verify import documents submitted by companies.

Nigeria imports more than 85per cent of its refined fuel needs due to the inadequate state of its refining sector.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said the government would revisit the need to abolish subsidies and deregulate the downstream oil sector if the country is to attract private sector investors to build refineries in Nigeria and curb fuel imports

Fed Govt plans $1.1b Euro bond

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HE Federal Govern ment is set to issue $1billion Euro Bond as well as $100 million Diaspora Bond.

The government is also seeking Senate’s approval to borrow additional $200 million to fund pipeline projects.

These are contained in a letter President Goodluck Jonathan wrote to the Senate.

The letter entitled: Amendment to the 2012-2014 Medium Term External Borrowing Plan, was dated November 7, 2012, and read on the floor by Senate President, David Mark, yesterday.

The letter is coming few weeks after the Presidency sought the approval of the Upper House to borrow $7.9 billion for pipeline projects.

President Jonathan said the $1billion Euro Bond is in “continuance of the programme initiated under the adminis-

• Seeks Senate’s approval for $200m loan From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

tration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as well as a $100million Diaspora Bond.”

He explained that $200 million out of the $500 million would be expended on provision of water supply, while $300 million would be swapped with the proposed guarantees for the power sector in the draft borrowing plan.

The letter reads in part: “I wish to refer to my earlier letter in respect of the above subject and to inform you of two amendments to the 2012-2014 Medium Term External Borrowing Plan.

“First, we would like to include a $200million water

supply project being planned for Rivers State.

“This project would be financed by the African Development Bank and shall provide potable water supply to residents of Rivers State.

“Secondly, the Federal Government is currently developing a low-income housing finance facility to support the provision of affordable homes for Nigerians.

“This scheme will be financed using a $300million credit facility from the World Bank. We would like to swap this new $300million facility with the proposed guarantees for the power sector in the draft borrowing plan, thereby ensuring that we do not increase the overall size of loans proposed in the external borrowing plan.

CBN retains 12% interest rate

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HE Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has once again decided to maintain the current policy stance, by retaining the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 12 per cent with a corridor of +/200 basis points around the midpoint.

Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday at the end of the its meeting, the Governor of the CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said the committee also decided to retain the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 12.0 per cent and the Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent.

He explained that the Committee was faced with three choices: namely increase in rates in response to the up tick in headline and food inflation; a reduc-

From Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

tion in rates in view of declining core inflation and Gross Domestic Growth (GDP), and retaining current monetary policy stance in view of conflicting price signals and global uncertainties.

He said: “The Committee considered and rejected option one, as being potentially pro-cyclical considering the structural nature of recent inflationary pressures. While acknowledging the merit of the arguments in favour of option two. It was also rejected as likely to send wrong signals of a premature termination of an appropriately tight monetary stance.”

The Committee resolved to retain the MPR which de-

termines the rate at which banks lend to their customers, he added.

The Committee decried the conflicting price signals coming from the latest inflation numbers from the National Bureau of Statistics, with headline and food inflation trending upwards, while core inflation rate continued to moderate for the fourth consecutive month.

This development according to the Committee, “has created uncertainty as to the appropriate policy stance at this time. However, since the factors underpinning the inflationary pressures were mainly structural, a monetary response may not be appropriate at this time,” Sanusi stated.

Govt to remove barriers on intra-African IGERIA has taken of African countries to trade steps to remove tar stimulate industrial devel-

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iff and non-tariff barriers within the continent to encourage regional integration and increase IntraAfrican Trade, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga has said.

Aganga, who was represented by the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, stated this during the African Industrialisation Day

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

(AID), in Abuja, with the theme, Accelerating industrialisation for boosting intra African trade.

He said: “The African Industrialisation Day is a special day set aside by the Conference of African Ministers of Industry (CAMI) under the aegis of the African Union Commission (AUC), to focus on specific strategies

opment and draw attention to the progress and challenges of relevant stakeholders on the policy direction of the government towards a sustainable Industrial sector development.”

He explained that effective regional integration in Africa would also enhance trade within the continent and attract investment into the manufacturing sector.

54

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 21-11-12

Equities gain N29b in modest rally

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IXED activities combined to push indicators upward at the end of yesterday’s trading on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Consequently, the market gained N29 billion (35 basis points), reducing the deficit posted in the previous session to just 16 basis points.

Hybrid of interests on Flour Mills & BAGCO stocks arising from further information on merger agreement, value gains by capitalised stocks and stable MPR accommodation by CBN impacted on market turnover.

However, bullish investors returned with a dominant role over transacted deals, volume and value in this order; 56.9 per cent, 43.5 per cent and 81.2 per cent.

In summary, the market gained 91.16 points, repre-

By Tonia Osundolire

senting 0.35 per cent appreciation, to close high at 26,358.73 points. Similarly, the market weight indicated

by Market Capitalisation gained N29 billion, also representing 0.35 per cent appreciation, to close high at N8.400 trillion.

Both indicators had depreciated by 0.51 per cent in the previous session.

Specifically, investors traded 397.042 million shares worth N2.489 billion across 4,191 deals. The Financial Services sector retained its leadership position on the activities chart with 304.183 million shares worth N1.772 billion in 2,440 deals.

This was followed by the Oil & Gas with 42.951 million shares worth N70.139 million. Others with significant volume include Indus-

trial Goods, Consumer Goods, Conglomerates and Agriculture with 20.949 million shares, 10.645 million shares, 8,979 million shares and 4.199 million shares.

On the price movement table, the market withered marginally to 22 advancers against 27 decliners notwithstanding the uptick.

The impacts of capital gains by capitalised stocks were significant.

UACN led the 22 gainers with N2.98 appreciation to close at N42.98. It was followed by Bagco with a gain of 15kobo to close at N2.26.

Portland Paints added N0.19 to close at N4.09. Also on the table were Flourmills, Sterling Bank, Prestige, Livestock, First Bank, Cadbury and Custodian and Allied Insurance.

On the losers table, Academy Press led with a drop of N0.30 to close at N2.70 while Unity Bank followed with a drop of N0.05 to close at N0.54. Others were UACProperty, Total, NNFM, Morison, Honeywell Flour, Glaxosmith, Cutix and eternal Oil and Gas.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 21-11-12

55

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

MONEY LINK

Nigeria Export-Import Bank shops for N250b

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By Collins Nweze

HE Nigeria ExportImport Bank (NEXIM Bank) is shopping for N250 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Ministry of Finance.

Managing Director of NEXIM Bank, Roberts Orya disclosed this yesterday.

Speaking during facility tour of Beloxxi Industries Limited, Orya said the level of capitalisation of the bank has to be raised to enable it carries out more projects that will improve the economy of the country.

NEXIM currently has a capital base of N50 billionN25 billion from the CBN and N25 billion from the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Orya said there was need for the bank to expand its operations in Africa. “We have to look at the prospect of trade growth in Africa and in Nigeria looking at the size of the economy. If you give me (NEXIM) N250 billion, I can make a lot of impact considering the size of our economy. Looking at some of the non-oil sector, this will help. We have a balance sheet of less than N50 billion,” he said.

He said the bank is a profitmaking organisation as well as a Development Finance Institution (DFI) with two shareholders –CBN and Federal Ministry of Finance.

Apart from getting equity contributions from these two

shareholders, it also uses its balance sheet, which is not on the sovereign guaranty of Nigeria, to avail commercial lines of credits from other export import banks in the world.

He said that Beloxxi Industries Limited has been up to date in its repayment of $3 million revolving loans extended by the bank to it in 2003. He said the company has been able to create huge number of jobs and has been exporting its products within the sub-region.

President, Beloxxi Industries Limited, Obi Ezeude said NEXIM has also facilitated another fresh loans from Skye Bank, which has assisted the firm in growing its operations. He called on banks to

continually advance longterm funds to industrialists for saying that by so doing, the economy will be better for it.

Chairman, Committee on Banking, Federal House of Representatives, Jones Chukwudi Onyereri, said before now, the government had issues with previous managements of NEXIM be-

T

From Nduka Chiejina and Ibinayin Bose Blessing

rehabilitation of projects.

The AGF, who was represented by the Director, Finance and Accounts, Mrs Nana Mede told the lawmakers that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation(OAGF) had embarked on a number of reforms such as the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System(IPPIS), International Public Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and GIFMIS.

HARTERED Accountants have been urged to generate credible and reliable financial reports that will present a true state of public and private institutions.

This was part of the communiqué issued at the 42nd Annual Accountants’ Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria held in Abuja.

Participants at the conference also noted that the

K

EYSTONE Bank has announced the winners of the star prizes of three 18-seater buses in its Daily Awuf Promo.

While declaring the Abuja Zone Final Draw open, Executive Director Public Sector, Mr Shehu Abubakar, said: “The Grand Draw taking place today is the last of the different categories; the customers that qualify for this category have increased their deposit in savings account in the last three

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

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 350m 150m 350m 138m 350m 113m

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2012 “ 14-04-2012

GAINERS AS AT 21-11-12 SYMBOL

UACN BAGCO PORTPAINT FLOURMILL STERLNBANK PRESTIGE LIVESTOCK FIRSTBANK CADBURY CUSTODYINS

O/PRICE

40.00 2.11 3.90 63.30 1.54 0.50 1.40 15.12 26.71 1.20

C/PRICE

42.98 2.26 4.09 66.25 1.61 0.52 1.44 15.40 27.20 1.22

CHANGE

7.45 7.11 4.87 4.66 4.55 4.00 2.86 1.85 1.83 1.67

O/PRICE 3.00 0.59 11.98 125.00 20.41 4.94 2.10 40.85 1.52 1.75

C/PRICE 2.70 0.54 11.20 118.75 19.39 4.70 2.00 38.91 1.45 1.67

CHANGE -10.00 -8.47 -6.51 -5.00 -5.00 -4.86 -4.76 -4.75 -4.61 -4.57

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8 155.7

Date 2-7-12 27-6-12 22-6-12

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N) Bureau de Change (S/N) Parallel Market

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

153.0000

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

July ’12

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 11.8%

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

NSE CAP Index

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

LOSERS AS AT 21-11-12

SYMBOL ACADEMY UNITYBANK UAC-PROP TOTAL NNFM MORISON HONYFLOUR GLAXOSMITH CUTIX ETERNA

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m 113m

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Branch).

Abubakar said the promo would encourage Nigerians to cultivate a savings culture.

He also added that the conclusion of the Keystone Daily Awuf Promo with the final draws at the three locations showed that the lender has delivered on its promise to give instant gifts awards to every customer who reactivated or opened a new account within the three months that the promo lasted.

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM

MANAGED FUNDS

Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

months and, therefore, qualified and stand the chance to win one of the three Brand New Nissan Urvan Buses”.

The three winners, who emerged from the final draws that took place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, Benin, Edo State and Uyo, Akwa Ibom State were Abdullahi Hauwa Ahmad (Lafia Branch), Nwogba E. Solomon (Assumpta Avenue Branch, Owerri) and Samuel Dare Anuoluwapo (Ilorin

DATA BANK

Tenor

OBB Rate Call Rate

By Daniel Essiet

economy will function properly when participants have trust in the financial statements that drive activities and decisions in the capital market. It noted that the problems of the nation‘s uninspiring pace of development, is largely attributable to the absence of strong in-

stitutions and professionals who give high regards to corporate governance.

The conference recommended that chartered accountants should begin to play a more active role in public governance. It urged the Institute to regularly engage all relevant stakeholders in advocating good governance, principled leadership, institution-building and fiscal discipline.

Keystone Bank rewards customers

He noted that after the reforms began with seven MDAs, the initial total workforce of 53,000 was reduced to 25,000 staff, indicating that about 20,000 staff in the federal civil service did not exist. He said by this development, personnel cost which was on the high side was reduced.

He explained that the main purpose of the reforms was to eliminate fraud in the system, know the real staff of the ministries and have a centralized point of paying salaries.

FGN BONDS

NIDF NESF

low up with issues of intervention, loans and others,” he said.

Onyereri said the amendment of NEXIM Act is ongoing and has passed first reading at the National Assembly. He said the legislators will be looking at structure and issues of legislative oversight in amending the Act.

Accountants tasked on credibility of reports C

‘AGF’s office achieves 40% budget execution’

HE Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), has disclosed that his office has achieved 40.7 per cent budget implementation from a total releases of N223 million made available to it.

The AGF, Mr Jonah Oguniyi Otunla disclosed this in Abuja when the members of House Committee on Finance paid him a visit as part of their oversight function. He also said that the AGF had a total capital budget of N548 million, which went into construction and

cause of the large amount of non-performing loans in its balancesheet. Also, there was issue of lack of visibility of the bank. “In our legislative agenda, our primary responsibility is to make sure that issues of the past do not reoccur. In other to forestall such reoccurrences, it became important that we should fol-

Offer Price

Bid Price

ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH 9.17 KAKAWA GUARANTEED 1.00 STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE 128.02 AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 125.16 LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL 0.79 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.11 BGL NUBIAN FUND 0.96 NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. 1,743.19 PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND 11.31 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST 1.87 STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY 8,926.69 THE DISCOVERY FUND 193.00 FIDELITY NIGFUND 1.67 • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

9.08 1.00 127.71 124.40 0.76 1.11 0.94 1,735.74 10.75 1.33 1.80 8,695.33 191.08 1.62

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK

Bank P/Court

Previous 04 July, 2012

Current 07, Aug, 2012

8.5000 8.0833

8.5000 8.0833

Movement

56

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

57

NEWS

25 dead in Zamfara road accidents

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WENTY-five people have died in two accidents on the GusauSokoto road in Zamfara State.

An official of the Zamfara State Government said the

accidents took place an hour apart.

Government spokesman Nuhu Anka said yesterday that the first accident occurred on Monday when a bus tyre burst on the Gusau-

Sokoto road.

The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, leading to the death of six passengers, who were going to attend a wedding.

Anka said 19 others died

in the second accident involving a bus and a car on the same road.

Ten people were injured.

The government spokesman noted that reckless driving caused the accidents.

He said the accidents were not caused by bad road, because the 230-kilometre road was not damaged where they occurred, although the road has bad patches.

Lawmakers flee as Plateau workers protest unpaid salaries From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

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EMBERS of the Plateau State House of Assembly and commissioners yesterday abandoned their offices to avoid the wrath of protesting local government workers.

Workers from Jos North and Jos South Local Governments besieged the Assembly complex and the state secretariat, protesting their unpaid five months’ salaries.

The Jonah Jang administration is insisting on “no work, no pay” to compel the workers to return to their duty posts.

It was learnt that some lawmakers, including Speaker John Clark Dabwan, reportedly locked themselves in their conveniences to escape the angry workers.

The commissioners and political appointees reportedly abandoned their offices when they got wind of the workers’ protest.

However, the Press Secretary to Speaker, Nandak Shinle, said the lawmakers did not scale the fence.

She also said the Assembly was not in session when the workers entered the complex.

Five labour unions, including the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), are protesting five months of unpaid salaries and the “no work, no pay” policy of the Jang administration.

The workers wore black dresses when they stormed the Assembly noon.

Scores injured in Kogi council protest From Muhammad Bashir, Lokoja

ANY people were reportedly injured yesterday during a protest by workers of Omala Local Government and security operatives following an alleged misconduct of the council’s Liaison Officer, Aminu Atabor.

Over 100 protesters reportedly stormed the council secretariat at Abejukolo, demanding the payment of the backlog of their salaries.

But Atabor told reporters at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Lokoja, the state capital, that the protesters were not council workers.

He said the protesters were sponsored miscreants who wanted to blackmail his administration.

The Liaison Officer said nobody was injured during the protest.

The workers, among other demands, were said to have urged Governor Idris Wada to sack Atabor.

They alleged that since he assumed office in June, they have been suffering because he has failed to settle their backlog of salaries.

The workers also accused Atabor of high handedness, victimisation and harassment of perceived political opponents.

The police arrested six of the protesters and took them to the command headquarters in Lokoja.

Those arrested are Godwin Noah, Paul Wada, Mohammed Bamidele, Jacob Audu, Alilu Shehu and Mohammed Ademu.

Their arrest, an eyewitness said, forced the youths, under the aegis of Omala Youth Network, to barricade the major roads to the town.

They demanded the release of their leaders.

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•Dr Daniel K. Padolsky, President of the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Centre at Dallas, United States of America (left) and Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, after a high-level bi-lateral engagement and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, and the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Centre at Dallas, USA.

PDP youths attack ACN supporters in Benue

V

IOLENCE erupted yesterday in Wannune, the headquarters of Tarka Local Government of Benue State, between supporters of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP secretariat in the town was razed while two vehicles belonging to ACN supporters were destroyed.

A resident, Anjembe Justine, said he witnessed the incident.

According to him, trouble

•Police arrest five suspects From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

started when some suspected PDP youths ambushed and attacked a convoy of ACN supporters who were returning from a campaign rally at Pipeline, the headquarters of Mbajirakaa Ward in Tarka Local Government.

The over 30 youths were reportedly armed with weapons.

They allegedly injured

ACN supporters and set two vehicles on fire at 7pm.

The crisis, which started in Asunkunya, reportedly spread to Wannune, the country home of Senate Minority Leader George Akume.

In what appeared to be a reprisal attack, the PDP secretariat and two other buildings were razed.

Many residents of the town, a sleepy community

on the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway, fled their homes.

Armed policemen were deployed in the area to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

Police spokesman Daniel Ezeala, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), confirmed the incident.

He said five persons have been arrested while investigation has begun.

Ezeala added that the police have been deployed in the area to restore calm.

Northern governors’ wives seek backing on 35% sheath its sword and emaffirmative action HE Northern Goverbrace the path of peace by nors’ Wives’ Forum

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rose from its meeting in Abuja yesterday with a resolution that the ongoing Constitution review offers the best opportunity for the entrenchment of the 35 per cent affirmative action for women.

The forum expressed concerns on the violence in the North.

It urged members of the Boko Haram sect to embrace peace and dialogue with the government.

The meeting, which was hosted by the wife of

From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

Gombe State Governor, Hajia Adama Dankwambo, was attended by 10 of the 19 governors’ wives.

They include Mrs. Dooshima Suswam (Benue, Chairperson of the forum); Halima Ladi Wada (Kogi); Jumai Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Nana Shetima (Borno); Salamatu AlMakura (Nasarawa); Fatima Shema (Katsina); Amina Yakowa (Kaduna) and the wife of the Acting Governor of Taraba State.

In a communique read by Mrs Suswam, the forum commented on major national issues, including the constitution review, insecurity, polio eradication, partnering with development agencies and flooding.

The communique by Mrs. Suswam and Dr. Fatima Ibrahim (Secretary), reads: “The meeting noted with great concern the incessant and increasing state of violence in some northern states and, therefore, called on Boko Haram sect to

Police arrest 50 over Taraba crisis

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HE Taraba State Police Command has arrested over 50 suspected militia men over the ongoing religious riots in the state, police spokesman Amos Olaoye said yesterday.

The police said the suspects were heavily armed with charms and ammunitions, adding that they were dressed in military uniforms when they were apprehended.

Christians and Muslims on Sunday clashed in Ibi Local

From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

Government, resulting in the death of five people.

The rioters burnt down churches, mosques, commercial and residential buildings.

The death toll rose to 10 yesterday as the violence continued to spill to other communities.

It was gathered that the suspects are mercenaries believed to have been hired from other states.

Olaoye said: “By mere looking at the suspects, you would definitely agree that they are not from Taraba.

They are hired men from other states and not from Taraba because the weapons they are carrying are more sophisticated than those of our security personnel here.

“They (suspects) are neither from Ibi nor any other part of Taraba.”

He explained that the police were investigating the “root cause” of the crisis.

dialoguing with the Federal Government. It also resolved to produce and sponsor jingles and programmes on the need for peaceful coexistence.

Supreme Court upholds Nyako’s election THE Supreme Court yesterday in Abuja declared Murtala Nyako of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the duly elected governor of Adamawa State.

Justice Clara Ogunbiyi held that the petitioner, Mr Marcus Gundiri, of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), could not prove the criminal allegation brought against the respondents.

Ogunbiyi said the petitioner failed to prove the allegation of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act. She said: “When the petitioner discovered the complexity involved in proving the criminal allegation, he asked the court for severance during the hearing. The court, however, turned down the request, as doing so would have amounted to assisting the petitioner to do his case.

Panel on chieftaincy dispute From Muhammad Bashir, Lokoja

KOGI State Governor Idris Wada has set up an investigative panel on a chieftaincy dispute among the people of Budon in Lokoja Local Government.

This followed the inability of the people to instal a new Aganchu of Kakanda/ Budon, after the death of the paramount ruler in May 2010.

Wada urged the panel to be diligent, honest and truthful to enable the government resolve the lingering crisis.

The governor advised the panel to address any contentious chieftaincy problem and ensure transparency and due process in the selection of a candidate.

He noted that the traditional institution is the custodian of the people’s culture and norms.

Wada said his administration would accord the institution its highest esteem.

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NEWS JTF arrests two Shell officials for oil theft in Rivers From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

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HE Joint Task Force (JTF) has arrested two officials of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) in Rivers State for oil theft.

Operatives of the JTF, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, on Monday night arrested Bori Friday and Young Apahia at Kporgho-Ogoni in Gokana Local Government Area and handed them over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The suspects are Shell’s surveillance workers.

Spokesman of the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Maj. Michael Etete, who doubles as JTF Sector 2 spokesman said the suspects were arrested at about 9:30pm.

Etete said: “Troops of Sector 2, JTF Pulo Shield on patrol discovered an illegal connection on SPDC’s pipeline in Kporgho.

“Two SPDC surveillance staff were found on the scene and were suspected to be responsible for the vandalism. The two suspects were arrested and transferred to NSCDC, Rivers State Command, for prosecution.

“All oil companies are advised to weed out persons of questionable character in their employ.”

He said JTF is committed to ending crude oil theft and illegal bunkering.

Shell spokesman Mr. Precious Okolobo refused to comment on the arrest

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Bayelsa account for monthly allocations

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HE Bayelsa State Government has accounted for its federal allocation for September and October.

It said it received the N25 billion for both months.

Deputy Governor Gboribiogha John Jonah spoke in Yenagoa, the state capital, during the Transparency Initiative Briefing.

Jonah said in September, the state got N2 billion from statutory allocation and N12 billion from gross, including over N8 billion from derivation and N532 million from Value Added Tax (VAT).

Flanked by Governor Seriake Dickson and other members of the State Executive Council, Jonah said the state government got N311 million refund from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and N768 million from augmentation.

From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

The deputy governor said the state got N509 million refund from excess crude savings and N187 million refund from the revised 13 per cent deduction from August, 2008 to 2009.

He said the deductions amounted to N3 billion after Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) deductions.

Of this figure, Jonah said Bond deductions stood at over N1 billion while foreign loans came up to N12 million.

He said the state paid N83 million as its Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme obligation.

The deputy governor said N86 million was refunded for overpayment and the Net inflow from FAAC after deductions amounted to N9 billion.

He said IGR from August

increased to N479 million, leaving a balance of N903 million.

Jonah said the total fund available is N9 billion.

On expenditure, he said bank loan repayment gulped over N1 billion and the Federal Inland Revenue Service deductions N200 million.

Jonah said over N3 billion was spent on salaries of civil servants; over N249 million on that of political appointees.

He said N1 billion was paid as monthly overhead.

Jonah said monthly standing approvals stood at N194 million with gratuity payment coming up to N250 million, totaling N6 billion.

Giving N26 billion as balance brought forward from August, 2012, the deputy governor said total funds available to the government as at September 30 was N22 billion.

In October, Jonah said the

Osun refutes $50,000 visa scandal story

Akpabio presents N459.305b KWA Ibom State GovBudget ernor Godswill Akpa-

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bio yesterday presented a proposed N459.305 billion Budget to the House of Assembly for next year.

The proposed budget is N73.808 billion lower than this year’s N533.113 billion budget.

The proposal, tagged “Budget of Industralisation and Consolidation”, comprises N118.790 billion for recurrent expenditure and N340.515 billion for capital projects.

Recurrent revenue is estimated at N370.288.

Akpabio said N289 billion would be obtained from the Derivation Fund; N38 billion from Statutory Allocation; N27.035 billion from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR); N13 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT) and N3.254 billion from Parastatals.

The Economic Sector is to receive N174.389 billion; Social Services, N68.782; Environmental and Urban Development, N34.633 billion and Gen-

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

eral Administration, N62.711 billion.

Akpabio said one of the strategies for implementing the 2013 Budget is to build a strong fiscal regime through the expansion of the revenue base and the elimination of wastages and leakages.

Assessing the 2012 Budget, the governor said: “It was a huge success for the 2012 Budget to be passed into law last year before the 2012 fiscal year began. This administration did its best to implement the budget as passed by the House.

“We added consolidation in next year’s budget proposal because the industralisation projects that were enunciated in the 2012 budget will be pursued and consolidated on to give the state an industrial boost. We will focus on the completion of ongoing projects across the state.

“Already, our tremendous

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•Akpabio

achievements in various aspects of our corporate existence have resulted in phenomenal development that has never been seen in Nigeria before.

“We intend to make our people happy, prosperous, healthy and fulfilled in life through the improvement and sustenance of the on-going socio-economic transformation projects.”

Oshiomhole appoints Kassim Afegbua as media aide EDO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has appointed Prince Kassim Afegbua as his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs.

A native of Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area, Afegbua holds a First Degree in English from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife; a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations and Journalism

from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) and a Post-graduate Diploma in Good Governance and Democracy from Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States (US).

A seasoned journalist and public affairs analyst, Afegbua was the Director of Publicity, National Democratic Party (NDP) and later Acting National Chairman of the

party from 2006 to 2008.

He was the spokesman to former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and the Publicity Director of the Adams Oshiomhole Campaign Organisation in the July 14 governorship election.

Afegbua is a columnist with Vanguard and the Publisher of African Statesman magazine. He is married and blessed with two daughters.

NDDC to partner varsities on job creation

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HE Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is to partner universities in the training of youths.

This is part of efforts to develop human capital and create jobs for youths in the Niger PUBLIC NOTICE CHANGE OF NAME ADEBERE I. formerly known and addressed as Miss. Adebere Titilayo Patience Now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Johnson Titilayo Patience. All former documents remain valid. general public should take note.

By Musa Odoshimokhe

Delta.

The commission said the students would be trained to meet the needs of industries.

Chairman, NDDC Governing Board, Dr. Tarilah Tebepah said this at the University of Ibadan (UI) while delivering a lecture entitled: “The last mile: the great opportunity for rapid development.”

Tebepah, who was the guest lecturer at UI’s 2012 Alumni Lecture, said creating jobs for youths is a sure way to join the club of the 20 largest economies in the world within a few years.

He said jobs would be created when trainees are stimulated to utilise opportunities that would come from the expansion of relevant industries or the creation of new ones.

state got N2 billion from the FAAC; N9 billion from derivation; N564 million from VAT, N1 billion from the SURE-Programme and N311 million from NNPC. He said the gross inflow was N13 billion and a deduction of N3 billion was made, including bond deduction of over N1 billion.

Jonah said foreign loans recovery was N12 million; refund from Domestic Crude Savings Account, N509 million; and refund of overpayment of derivation, N187 million.

He said over N3 billion was paid as salary to civil servants and N304 million to political appointees.

Jonah said monthly overhead payments cost N1 billion and the total fund available at the end of October was N23 billion.

Tebepah said: “The agency must, therefore, cooperate with relevant universities to overcome this deficiency. Considering the number of challenges our dear country is facing, the universities can wipe out unemployment in five years or less.”

He described service delivery as a big challenge, yet a huge opportunity in Nigeria, if well managed.

Tebepah said: “Every service to be rendered must stipulate the skills and knowledge required to implement the measurable results of the service and the time frame for implementation. For instance, even though the amount of money NDDC receives is very important, the actual service that the money is able to achieve in a given period is more important.”

HE Osun State Government has denied a report published in the Leadership Weekend of November 3, which alleged that a certain Southwest state, in collaboration with some staff of the Ukrainian Embassy and an unnamed tertiary institution, were involved in a $50,000 visa scandal.

In a statement by Yinka Muyinwa Chambers on its behalf, the state government said it did not pay $50,000 to any Ukrainian Embassy official to procure visa for students or its officials.

It described the publication as a deliberate attempt to strain the cordial relationship between Osun State and Ukraine.

The statement reads: “Having studied the story, we believe there was no other state in the Southwest that the publication was referring to, other than Osun, which has a cordial relationship with the Government of Ukraine, through an exchange programme in education and other areas.

“It is based on this understanding that the government sends medical students to Ukraine to further their studies. The story is unsubstantiated and has no basis in the ethics of noble journalism, which demands proper and balanced story before going to the press.

“We hereby state that the alleged $50,000 bribery scandal is false and lacks substance. We regret any inconvenience and embarrassment the report might have caused the Ukrainian Embassy.

“The Osun State Government is studying the remedies available to her under the law, without same having any effect on the future of the student concerned.”

Ashafa mourns Amzat

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HE Lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa has condemned the assassination of former Ikeja Local Government Chairman Toyin Amzat.

According to the lawmaker, the assassination ,which occured in Sagamu, Ogun State, is a sign of insecurity in the country.

Ashafa described the former Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Health as a humble and easy going fellow that is worthy of emulation.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

FOREIGN NEWS Gaza: Ceasefire ‘imminent’, says Hamas

Eight killed in Kenyan clashes

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CEASEFIRE is set to be announced in the Gaza conflict, Egyptian and Palestinian officials say.

Egypt’s President Mohammed Mursi, who has led mediation efforts, said he expected Israel to end air strikes soon. A Hamas official also told the BBC a truce was imminent.

Israel has not confirmed this, but has put plans for a land invasion on hold.

It also said that an Israeli soldier and a civilian had been killed by rockets fired from Gaza.

The death of the soldier in the Eshkol area is the first reported Israeli military fatality in the latest flare-up of violence, which began last

week with the killing of a Hamas military leader.

Israel says that assassination, and its subsequent offensive, aims to end rocket fire from Gaza.

Gaza’s health ministry says at least 130 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have died since last Wednesday.

Three Israeli civilians died last Thursday in the Israeli town of Kiryat Malachi.

Despite talks of a ceasefire, Israel has told residents in villages around Gaza City to move to central areas for their own safety.

Leaflets dropped in a number of villages said: “The Israel Defense Forces are not targeting any of you and they do not want to harm you or your families.

For your safety, we demand you to evacuate your houses immediately and move towards the centre of Gaza city.”

Israel stepped up heavy artillery fire in Gaza from 18:00 GMT. The army said it has targeted “two terror operatives” in the central Gaza Strip.

In an earlier strike yesterday, the Israeli military reported a “direct hit” on two other militants in northern Gaza.

It also said about 150 rockets had been fired from Gaza towards Israel, and many had been intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system. Five soldiers were wounded in one rocket attack, the military said, with-

Rebels capture DR Congo city

F

IGHTERS from the M23 rebel group have captured Goma, the main city in resource-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The rebels met little resistance from the army or UN peacekeepers.

The leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda, Joseph Kabila and Paul Kagame, flew to Uganda for talks, amid claims that Rwanda was backing the rebels.

France called for the UN Security Council to strengthen the peacekeepers’ mandate to intervene in the conflict.

It was “absurd” that the UN force could not stop the rebels,

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.

Kabila called on people to “resist” the rebels.

Protesters burnt UN and ruling party property in the north-eastern city of Kisangani, as they vented their fury over the fall of Goma.

The UN said it had received reports that the rebels had abducted women and children from Goma.

Aid agencies say tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in the last five days as conflict escalated.

One camp near Goma, where about 60,000 people from previous conflicts were taking ref-

uge, has emptied as people flee, the agencies report.

This is the first time since the war officially ended in 2003 that rebels have entered Goma, raising fears that a wider conflict could reignite.

Some five million people died in the DR Congo war, which dragged in neighbouring states - including Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola.

Some crowds reportedly shouted “welcome” and “thank you” as M23 leader Sultani Makenga and hundreds of his fighters entered Goma, which has a population of about 400,000.

•Mursi

out specifying the location.

In Gaza, two of those killed were journalists from a Hamas-linked TV channel.

And two people were injured when a rocket from Gaza hit the central Israeli city of Rishon Letzion, badly damaging a block of flats.

Separately, Hamas fighters summarily executed six people on Tuesday afternoon, accusing them of being Israeli Israeli informers.

One eyewitness told AFP news agency: “Gunmen in a minibus pulled up in the neighbourhood, pushed six men out and shot them without leaving the vehicle.”

T least eight people have been shot and more than 50 wounded in an army crackdown in the north-eastern Kenyan town of Garissa, officials say.

A student told the BBC soldiers had shot at pupils waiting to go into an exam at a school near a military base.

It was the second day of violence after the killing of three soldiers by gunmen in town that borders Somalia, where Islamist militants are based.

Reporters say scores of troops beat and detained residents.

Kenyan Defence Minister Mohammed Yusuf Haji has told the BBC he did not authorise the army action in Garissa, which is about 350km (215 miles) north-east of the capital Nairobi.

Dr Musa Mohammed, the medical superintendent of

Garissa Provincial Hospital, told the BBC that following “skirmishes” on Monday, 45 patients were admitted - two of whom had gunshot wounds.

The hospital received another 15 casualties, including three boys, yesterday morning.

“Out of them six are gunshot injuries - they are undergoing treatment. Currently up to now nobody has been reported dead,” Dr Mohammed said.

The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said it had recorded that one person had died in the violence and that a blood donation area had been set up to help treat the wounded.

Yesterday morning, the medial aid charity said in a statement that it had “rescued four males, four females and two children, eight of them being gunshot casualties”.

ECOWAS deploys 3200 troops in Mali

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HE Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed 3200 troops in Mali to restore peace in the strive-torn West African country.

Rebel forces have seized Northern Mali terrorising the citizens and making lives and property unsafe. The rebel forces are also threatening the scheduled political transition programme in the country.

Acting Minister of Defence, Mrs. Olusola Obada disclosed this yesterday when she re-

Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

ceived a Special Envoy to the British Prime Minister on the Sahel, Mr. Stephen O-Brien in her office.

Obada told the envoy that the ECOWAS Heads of State have resolved to send the troops to restore peace in order to guarantee peace and security in the country.

She said the menace of terrorism in Northern Mali has been of great concern not only to everyone in the sub-region,

but also to the International Community.

The minister lamented how the terrorists are making life difficult for the people of Mali and how their activities had upset preparations for the country’s transition programme.

Obada stated that the intervention was an enforcement of the United Nations Revolution 2071 as enforced by the ECOWAS Heads of State in the region, stressing that the resolution had been forwarded to the UN through the African Union.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012

NEWS Reps walk minister out

IG issues security marching order

Continued from page 2

•List of suspected Boko Haram detainees being compiled

H

OW many Boko Haram suspects are in detention?

Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar was unable to provide the answer yesterday at a news conference in Abuja.

“Yes, we have quite a number of the suspects (Boko Haram) with us but I cannot give you a definite figure now. Remember that other security agencies are involved in this fight and they too have some suspects,” IG Abubakar said, adding: “Because of that concern and worry, we have just set up a committee to reconcile all the number of suspects and as soon as they do that, I can give you the number in detention.”

The police chief spoke after a meeting of the police top brass at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The IG ordered all zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of police (AIGs) to curb crimes in their areas of jurisdiction or face

From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

the consequences.

He decried what he described as increasing spate of lawlessness in certain parts of the country, particularly the northeast.

The IGP, however, cautioned the officers against high-handedness in the handling of the job, saying that the fundamental rights of citizens must not be trampled upon while enforcing the law.

Abubakar stressed the need to keep the streets free of criminals ahead of the Yuletide. He specifically charged Commissioners of Police in charge of Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna and Taraba states to be on their toes against the Boko Haram sect.

He said: “Given the situation we met on ground, I think there is progress. But we need to state that there are challenges, particularly in Borno, Yobe and Taraba in the Northeast and

Kaduna and Zamfara states in the northwest.

“All these incessant killings, kidnappings, armed robberies must stop. We must work on the excesses of our men; we have seen appreciable improvement but we still need to do more.

“In the cases of bribery and corruption, we have improved but I have observed that there are some states where it seems the issue of bribery and corruption has not gone down. Henceforth, I am going to hold the Commissioners of Police responsible for this.”

The IGP attributed the delay in trying suspects arrested for alleged terrorism to the delay in passing the Anti Terrorism Bill, but added that the suspects are undergoing intense interrogation.

He hinted that an inter-agency committee comprising all the security agencies has been set up to properly screen the suspects and determine their culpability, stressing that a Deputy Inspec-

•Abubakar

tor-General of Police (DIG) is representing the police in the committee.

Abubakar said the police authorities were still working on the next line of action against the dismissed former Commissioner of Police, Zakari Biu who was alleged to have taken illegal actions that led to the escape from police custody of a terror suspect, Mr. Kabiru Sokoto.

Sokoto was alleged to have masterminded the bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State on Christmas day in 2011.

51 illegal refineries destroyed in Rivers security raid

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NINE-HOUR joint security operation in Rivers State has led to the destruction of 51 illegal refineries and four Cotonou boats.

Six suspects, including two women, were arrested for illegal bunkering.

The Commanding Officer of NNS Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Commodore Oyetunji Fadeyi, yesterday said the operation was carried out-based on information extracted from sea pirates in the net.

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

Representatives of the Army, Air Force, Navy, State Security Service (SSS), Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), attended the news conference.

The suspects, who were apprehended by security operatives on Monday, included Jane Duke Ijeoma, Lillian Obi (women), Sandwell Jumbo, Chinonso Ochuma, Godspower Robinson and Jonathan Robinson.

They were arrested at Ke and Pero-Kparakama in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers state.

The suspects were paraded before reporters and later handed over to the police for prosecution.

The naval commanding officer attributed the rise in sea piracy and illegal oil bunkering to loopholes in the judicial system and called for the establishment of a special court, for speedy prosecution of persons involved in illegal oil activities.

Fadeyi assured that the security operatives in Rivers state were fully prepared to continue to confront oil bunkerers and others involved in criminal activities on the waterways.

During the operation, N530,000 cash, four AK-47 rifles, one FN rifle, a pistol, 212 rounds of 7.62 ammunition, four Nokia phones, a file containing documents, identity cards, eight machetes, wallet and 20 photographs, including that of a policeman and his identity card, were recovered.

lawmakers, nonetheless, lamented that less that 40 per cent of the total allocation have been released by the Ministry of Finance.

The lawmakers noted that it was the reason behind the ministry’s failure to address the perennial power challenges in the country.

Committee Chairman Patrick Ikhariale said: “As at November, the ministry still has such a huge amount of money yet it has not utilised

the money.

“What this means is that the ministry does not need such amount of money because if it needs the money it would have done something with it.

“With the way the ministry is going, it is hoped that it will not cause the collapse of the power sector.

“N15billion not utilised is highly embarrassing, the committee is of the opinion that the ministry should be given what it would be able to use.

“This year budget is not going to be the normal ritual, we are going to do a thorough job.”

World intensifies pressure for Gaza ceasefire Continued from page 2

densely populated coastal enclave two months before an Israeli election, and indicated they would prefer a diplomatic path backed by world powers.

Clinton was going to the Middle East for talks in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo to try to calm the conflict. An Israeli source said she was expected to meet Netanyahu today.

“Her visits will build on American engagement with regional leaders over the past days — including intensive engagement by [US] President [Barack] Obama with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Morsi — to support deescalation of violence and a durable outcome that ends the rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns, and restores a broader calm,” a US Department of State official said.

Netanyahu and his top ministers debated their next

moves in a meeting that lasted into the early hours of yesterday morning.

“Before deciding on a ground invasion, the prime minister intends to exhaust the diplomatic move in order to see if a long-term ceasefire can be achieved,” a senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said after the meeting.

A delegation of nine Arab ministers, led by the Egyptian foreign minister, visited Gaza in a further signal of heightened Arab solidarity.

Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood was mentor to the founders of Hamas, on Monday took a call from Obama, who told him Hamas must stop rocket fire into Israel — effectively endorsing Israel’s stated aim in launching the offensive last week. Obama also said he regretted civilian deaths — which have been predominantly among the Palestinians.

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TODAY IN THE NATION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

‘We are happy when judges are promoted but it is good judicial judgement to ensure that they finish all cases pending before abandoning the court’ VOL.7 NO.2,316

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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N contrast to the oil sector which has remained a by-word for corruption, waste and inefficiency since the seventies, there is widespread public perception that the old telecommunication sector, at least from the advent of mobile telephony some eleven odd years ago or so, has turned into an excellent demonstration of how privatisation can turn the fortune of an economic sector around.

This public perception has a sound basis.

Today mobile phones number in their tens of millions in sharp contrast to less than 15 years ago when fixed phones were only for the well-heeled or well-connected and numbered only in their few thousands. Mobile phones have also been relatively cheap to buy and use compared to what we had before, if not compared to elsewhere in the world. Not least of all, the services the private phone companies provide have been making quite a bundle for their shareholders and users alike.

Behind this public perception of a relatively efficient and profitable telecommunication sector, however, there seem to lurk a level of corruption which seems different from that of the oil sector less in its nature than on its depth and scope. Indeed there are experts I know who believe, given the way Nitel, the government telecommunication company, was privatised, corruption in the sector is worse than in the oil sector, regardless of the public perception.

We may quibble about the depth and scope of the corruption in the telecommunication sector, but no one can deny that it is there – and that it is big.

Any Doubting Thomas need only refer to recent newspaper reports of how the management of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), the regulator of the industry, has been washing its dirty linen in public.

It would seem the first blood in the commission’s running feud was drawn by Dr Bashir Gwandu, NCC’s Executive Commissioner (Technical Services), who has been at daggers drawn with the Executive ViceChairman of the commission and its chief executive, Dr. Eugene Juwah, almost from the day Juwah took over from him as acting chief executive following the retirement of the penultimate chief executive, Mr Ernest Ndukwe, a couple of years ago.

On October 8, Leadership ran a front page lead story in which it alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan had approved a waiver of a little over 1billion Naira to a company, MTS First Wireless Services, which Dr. Juwah had worked for and in which he had shares before it went belly-up a few years ago. This was also before he became the CEO of NCC. The insinuation in the story was obvious.

Even the most casual reading of a full page advert entitled “Mr. President, Please Save NCC now!”, published in the Daily Trust of October 23, among other newspapers, and signed by five members of a Business and Technology Publishers Forum (BTPF), which they claimed is “a professional body of seasoned Nigerian journalists who are actively engaged in the reportage of Business and

RIPPLES Walking good for your health, says LUTH CMD

...especially when you TREK from IKEJA to VICTORIA ISLAND

People and Politics By MOHAMMED H ARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

The President and NCC’s dirty war

•Gwandu

•Juwah

Technology especially ICT in the country,” can only lead one to conclude that Juwah and his sympathisers believed the source of the Leadership story was Gwandu.

Predictably, the BTPF advert’s conclusion was that the only way the P4resident can save NCC is to sack Gwandu who, it alleged, has been a serial saboteur of the commission’s management since he was first appointed a commissioner about seven years ago, all, they said, in his bid to become the commission’s CEO. BTPF is not alone in its call for Gwandu’s sack. Sources close to the supervising ministry say it too would not be averse to sacking the executive commissioner.

The President may yet succumb to the pressure to do so, even though this would not be so easy because it requires the approval of the Senate. But even it were so easy, the President would be ill-advised to listen to the BTPF because sacking Gwandu will not make the issues involved in the now open management

feud in the commission and about which Gwandu is accused of talking to the press, to go away. On the contrary, it can only raise questions about the President’s oft-stated commitment to fight corruption. For, there are indeed sordid goings-on at the NCC. First, no one has denied that the President has approved a huge waiver for the MTS with which Juwah had had links. I believe the insinuation in the Leadership story that this was his handiwork is somewhat unfair to the man. He may have worked there before, but the initiative for the waiver did come from him. Instead it came from his supervising ministry. Besides, the President did not have to approve. So even if he had a residual interest in MTS, the blame for the waiver should go to the minister and the president.

In his own attempt to defend himself from the charge of conflict of interest in the case, the Executive Vice-Chairman told Thisday (October 21) that the allegation was an attempt by enemies of the Jonathan administration to discredit its record of performance.

“It is,” he said, “now obvious that there is a motive and an agenda by some elements who are enemies of this administration and who are bent on stopping us from excelling.”

Coming from someone I do not believe should be blamed for the MTS waiver, this is rather disingenuous.

As Juwah himself said in the interview in question, the waiver came about because of moves by a new putative owner of Starcomms, Multilinks and MTS to merge and transform the three into a company that can compete with the Big Four in the industry, namely MTN, Glo, Airtel and Etisalat.

All three merging companies, he said, ap-

HARDBALL

Y

ESTERDAY, nearly all newspapers gave generous treatment to Chief Femi FaniKayode’s snide remarks on President Goodluck Jonathan’s dismissal of the Odi invasion. The president had during his recent media chat made wry comments on former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s methods of fighting terrorism. Obasanjo, who pictures himself a strong leader, had in Warri on the occasion of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s 40 th anniversary of pastoral work sanctimoniously declared that Jonathan was ineffective in fighting Boko Haram. The former president pointedly gloated over the orders he gave in 1999 for the invasion of Odi, Bayelsa State. Said he: “My fear is that when you have a sore and you don’t attend to it early enough, it festers and becomes very bad. Don’t leave a problem that can be bad unattended…I attended to a problem that I saw; I sent soldiers. They were killed, 19 of them (were) decapitated. If I had allowed that to continue, I would not have the authority to send security anywhere again. I attended to it. If you say you do not want a strong leader, who can have all the characteristics of a leader, including the fear of God, then, you have a weak leader and the rest of the problem is yours.”

Apparently incensed, but doing his best to hide it, Jonathan had retorted during the said media chat: “After that invasion, myself (as deputy governor) and the governor entered Odi...and saw some dead people. Most of the people that died in Odi were mostly old men,

TONY MARINHO

plied for waiver but only MTS was given.

This, he said, was because of the three, only MTS had gone bankrupt. This was in 2007. “It was,” he said, “no longer a going concern unlike Starcomms and Multilinks.”

Surely as an industry consultant, Juwah must know that when you buy companies, as the chap he said was behind the planned merger of the three did, you buy them with all their assets and liabilities. Why was it necessary for anyone to ask government to shoulder the liabilities of MTS? Juwah, obviously, could have done better than trying to defend the indefensible.

Then, of course, the MTS is not the only indefensible going-on at the NCC. There is even the more serious issue of the improper underselling of spectrum in no bid deals, the two most prominent of which were the sale of one spectrum to Open-Skies Limited led

by Chief Emeka Offor - someone whose permanence in the corridors of power is almost legendary - and a similar sale of another spectrum to another company with the almost cynical name of Smile Communications Limited (Could it be that its owners enjoy smiling all the way to their banks at the expense of others?).

In both cases the spectrums could have fetched the country much, much more that the price at which they were sold. And in the case of Open-Skies, not only did it pay peanuts for its spectrum; it failed to meet the deadline for payment more than once. Worse, it did not and still does not have a licence from NCC to use any spectrum.

Worse still, at the time the company bought the spectrum it was yet to be properly retrieved from the Nigerian Police Force to which it had initially been allocated for security purposes but which it had failed to use.

Again, it seemed more than mere coincidence that Open-Skies rushed to complete its payment only after the police had acquired a $406 million security surveillance system in preparation for the use of the spectrum. This can only fuel suspicions that Open-Skies acquired the spectrum merely to speculate with it, akin to land speculation.

Certainly the President should move to save the NCC, as our telecommunication beat reporters have urged him to in their advert.

However, what he should move against is not Gwandu but the messy goings-on at the NCC which the commissioner has been complaining about but which our concerned reporters see as the antics, indeed, “the lies of an ambitious Commissioner,” to use their own words.

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Fani-Kayode’s incredible illogic women and children; none of the militants was killed. If bombarding Odi was to solve the problem, then it was never solved. If the attack on Odi had solved the problem of militancy in the Niger Delta, then the Yar’ Adua government would not have come up with the amnesty programme. So, that should tell you that the attack on Odi never solved the militancy problem and we had more challenges after that attack on Odi.” Jonathan was referring to a recent part of our history, a part most of us were witnesses to. How could anyone fault this verifiable account?

But Fani-Kayode is not anyone. He knows how to get water from a rock; and in spite of his well- known irreverence and what his detractors describe as his facile tendency to apostasy, he knows how to procure the miracle of turning the bitter waters of Marah to sweet, and effecting changes in colours without being a chemist. Responding to Jonathan’s rebuttal of Obasanjo’s unkind characterisation of the president, he had tendentiously declared: “After the Federal Government’s strong military response in Zaki Biam, the killing of security personnel with impunity stopped. The objectives of the military operations in both Odi and Zaki Biam were to stop such killings, to eliminate and deal a fatal blow to those that perpetuated them and to discourage those that may seek to carry out such barbarous butchery

and mindless violence in the future…By doing what he did at Odi and Zaki Biam President Obasanjo saved the lives of many and put a stop to the killings and terrorism that had taken root in the Niger Delta area previous to that time…He brought justice to the perpetrators quickly and promptly and he did whatever he had to do to protect the lives and property of the Nigerian people.”

Did Fani-Kayode respond to Jonathan’s observation that no militant was killed in 1999 at Odi, and that the old general’s sense of decisiveness and justice were grossly perverted?

No. He simply sidetracked it by waffling about security goals achievable through indiscriminate, state-sponsored killings. Both Obasanjo and Fani-Kayode in fact gave the impression that collateral damage in security operations was acceptable. Worse, they even suggest that scorched-earth approach is an effective deterrent to criminality. Fani-Kayode talks of barbarism in his rejoinder without really knowing what it means or who to apply it to: is it to those who ambushed opposing soldiers and policemen and murdered them; or to a government that destroys two communities of women and children and the innocent in order to punish fleeing militants? One, it seems, should be tried in a local court; and the second doubtless should be tried for crimes against humanity.

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