October 02, 2014

Newspaper of the Year

Buhari: Nigerians ’ll vote PDP out NEWS Page 6

•APC chief okays Fayemi’s project

News 94-year old prisoner pardoned P65 Sports Drop me: Emenike dares Keshi P24 Business Foreign reserves drop to $39b P11

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 9, NO. 2989 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

•INSIDE: U.S. GETS EBOLA CASE P2 CJN WRITES GOVERNORS ON JUDICIARY AUTONOMY P10

Report: Nigerians got $533m bribe in ENI oil deal

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ITALIAN prosecutors investigating statebacked firm ENI SpA over the purchase of a Nigerian oil field three years ago allege that at least half of the $1.1 billion paid was used to bribe local politicians, intermediaries and others, according to official documents and a person close to the investigation.

•Descalzi

The Milan prosecutors have placed the Italian oil company, its former chief executive Paolo Scaroni and CEO Claudio Descalzi under investigation for alleged international corruption surrounding the deal for the OPL 245 offshore oil field concession.

ENI and both managers, neither of who has been

charged, have denied any wrongdoing.

Calling on their United Kingdom (UK) counterpart to assist in freezing suspect assets, Italian prosecutors said in a letter to the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) seen by Reuters that at least $533 million was paid to Nigerian officials and intermediaries who helped se-

cure the sale.

The case has been a setback for the government of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, because Italy’s 39-yearold leader hand-picked company veteran Descalzi to run Eni as part of a recent management overhaul at the country’s state-controlled companies. Renzi has publicly supported Descalzi and

said no conclusions should be drawn before the investigation is completed.

ENI and Royal Dutch Shell, which is not under investigation, bought the rights to the OPL 245 offshore oil licence block from the Nigerian government in 2011.

Continued on page 6

Jonathan: terrorists ’ll fail President urges Boko Haram to lay down arms From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan remained defiant yesterday, saying terrorists will fail. He vowed to check their onslaught.

Besides, he urged them to lay down their arms and embrace peace.

Dr. Jonathan, in a 20-minute Independence Day broadcast aired on television and radio networks, said Nigeria was in a sober mood due to the activities of terrorists.

But he noted that his administration had recorded giant strides in various sectors of the economy.

He urged politicians to put the love of the country first in all they do ahead of February’s general elections.

The recommendations at the national conference, the President said, would be implemented as a committee had been constituted to facilitate it.

He said: “On an occasion like this, it is important that we remember all the precious souls that have been lost in the unprecedented war of terror unleashed on some parts of our country by these individuals who want to compel us to live our lives their way. They will not succeed!”

“In their mission, they have maimed and raped. They have killed men, women and children, rendering many children orphans and several women widows. They have made vioContinued on page 6

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WHEN WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15 BE FREED?

•ALL FOR NIGERIA: Soldiers march with flags during Nigeria’s 54th Independence celebrations in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP

Ekiti PDP alleges bias as lawyers seek relocation APC urges Court of Appeal to move tribunal’s sitting

STORY ON PAGE 4

•INSIDE : MENTAL ILLNESSES: A TICKING TIME-BOMB NIGERIA IGNORES (2) PAGES 59-61

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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NEWS

• Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE), Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), UBA Capital Plc, Mrs. Toyin Sanni; and Deputy GCEO, UBA Capital Plc, Mr. Wale Shonibare during the launch of InvestNow.ng, a UBA Capital's online-realtime trading platform at NSE...yesterday.

•The ambulance which carried the U.S. Ebola patient

•Group Managing Director, SO&U Limited, Mr. Udeme Ufot and Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance Mr. Akan Okon at a reception in honour of Mr. Ufot on his conferment with a Member of the Order (MON).

Nigeria p Ebola as A A

•From left: Director of Finance/Administration, Lagos State Ministry of Enegry and Mineral Resource Mr. Gbolahan Bada, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Enegry and Mineral Resource Mrs. Regina Iyabo Obasa, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Taofiq Tijani, General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board Mrs. Damilola Ogunbuji Lagos State Enegry Ambassador Mr. Jude Abaga (M.I.) during the Energry Conservation month in Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

•From left: Johnson Okanlawon of National Mirror, Public Sector Head, Citi Bank, Mr Akin Dawodu, Assistant Editor, The Nation, Mr Sina Fadare, MD&CEO SDI/Ruyi Communications, Mr Soni Irabor, Mr Ganiyu Bello of National Mirror and MD Team Building International, Mr Yinka Olugbodi at the Citi Bank training for business reporters in Lagos.

S Nigeria prepares to be declared Ebola free by the World Health Organisation (WHO), America yesterday recorded its first case in Texas.

The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention told the AFP that since there have been no new cases since August 31, Nigeria should be able to announce a formal end to its outbreak on October 12.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to make the declaration.

The last three people monitored due to potential exposure to an Ebola patient will end their 21 days of followup for signs of symptoms this week.

"The last three patient contacts will exit their 21-day follow-up on October 2, strongly suggesting the outbreak in Nigeria has been contained," the CDC said in a statement.

But as the country is waiting for this announcement, up to twelve Americans could have Ebola. A male patient who traveled to Dallas from Liberia is quarantined at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital He is first person diagnosed with Ebola in U.S. as CDC 'disease detectives' arrived in Texas to track down anyone he came in contact with.

Several children whom the patient came in contact with are being monitored at home, Governor Rick Perry said yesterday Patient arrived in U.S. on September 20 - after flying from Liberia via Brussels in Belgium - but did not develop symptoms until September 24 He attended Texas Health Presbyterian on September 26 - but was dismissed with antibiotics. He was rushed to hospital, vomiting two days later.

The man is in a 'serious but stable condition' and has been quarantined since Sunday. He is 'awake, talking and asking for food', doctors said today. However there are fears of the disease spreading because the man was in the U.S. for almost a week before being isolated.

The patient showed no symptoms of the disease during his journey which also included a stop en route in Brussels, Belgium - but began to develop signs on September 24.

He sought medical care two days later at Texas Presbyterian Hospital where he was dismissed with antibi-

otics amid reports that he had not been closely questioned about his recent travel.

On September 28, the man, believed to be in his fifties with children, was rushed to hospital in an ambulance while vomiting and was quarantined.

It raises the frightening prospect that he was mixing freely with others for a full four days while showing symptoms of the virus - the time when Ebola is most contagious.

Texas Governor Rick Perry said at a hospital news conference yesterday that several children had come in contact with the Ebola patient and were being kept out of school and monitored closely at home.

He reassured the wider public that the risk was contained and that the disease is not airborne. Governor Perry said he had 'full confidence' in the medical professionals when it came to the safety and welfare of citizens.

His family is being monitored closely as health officials reiterated that the wider public was not at risk.

Dallas County Health Department was forced to deny that a second male patient was being closely monitored yesterday after media reports.

The ambulance crew who transported the patient all tested negative for Ebola on Wednesday but have been placed in 'reverse isolation' at their homes for the next 21 days as a precaution.

Ambulance 37 which transported him to the hospital has been cordoned off. There are concerns after it was used to move patients for two days after the Ebola patient but hospital officials have reassured citizens that it was properly sterilised.

There is believed to be no risk to anyone who traveled on the same flight from Liberia because he did not have any symptoms at the time. The virus is not contagious until symptoms develop and is then transmitted via bodily fluids.

Health officials are investigating the misdiagnosis and why the patient's isolation was delayed despite his symptoms and his travel history.

A source told CNN that no one had asked the man if he had recently traveled.

The CDC recommends that all medical facilities ask patients who present with Ebola symptoms about countries they have visited.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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NEWS

•The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas where the patient is being isolated.

ia praised for combating s America battles outbreak Community leaders are also assisting medical professionals in the hunt for those who need to be tested while trying to quell panic in the local Dallas community.

Stanley Gaye, president of the Liberian Community Association of Dallas-Fort Worth, told MailOnline yesterday that he believed the patient was a man in his 50s.

He understood that the man had been visiting his wife or fiancĂŠe and the house he had been staying had a lot of children living there.

His identity has not been officially confirmed.

Mr Gaye said at a community meeting on Tuesday: "We've been telling people to try to stay away from social gatherings. We need to know who it is so that they (family members) can all go get tested. If they are aware, they should let us know. We are very concerned about it."

Alben Tarty, spokesman for the association, said he was keen to avoid a panic but that he wanted anyone infected to come forward. He said that the patient was a 'family man' and was thought to have children.

Mr Tarty said: "It's scary for them."

The patient is reportedly not being treated with the experimental serum ZMapp - because there is none left.

"From the information that we have now, it does not appear the individual was involved in the response to Ebola, but that's something we'll investigate more," CDC said on Tuesday.

The man's name or nationality has not yet been released but it is understood that he was visiting relatives in the U.S. Asked how many people the patient may have had close contact with, the CDC said: "I think a handful is the right characterization.'

The man is not believed to have gone to any other hospitals in the area.

President Obama is aware of the patient's Ebola diagnosis and the public health investigation, the White House said.

CDC said the case also marked the first time this strain of Ebola has been diagnosed outside of West Africa.

The unidentified patient is being kept in isolation and the hospital is following Centers for Disease Control recommendations to keep doctors, staff and patients safe.

Dr Edward Goodman, epidemiolo-

gist for Texas Health Presbyterian, said the hospital had a plan for handling Ebola should a suspected case emerge and was 'well prepared' to provide care.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings told CBS DFW: "We have quarantined both [the ambulance crew that took the patient to the hospital and the unit itself to make sure that nothing was there that can be spread.

"First and foremost, we got to have our thoughts and prayers for this man, who is very sick and hopefully he'll get well. But we're gonna sure everybody else is safe at the same time."

The patient's symptoms and recent travel indicated a case of Ebola.

Specimens from the patient were tested by a state lab and confirmed by a separate test by the Centers for Disease Control, said Carrie Williams,

spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The hospital is reviewing why the patient was initially sent home with antibiotics.

Zachary Thompson, director of Dallas County Health & Human Services, said health officials in North Texas are well equipped to care for the patient.

"This is not Africa," he told Dallas station WFAA. "We have a great infrastructure to deal with an outbreak."

Twelve other people in the U.S. have been tested for Ebola since July 27, according to the CDC. All of those tests were negative.

Four U.S. aid workers who became infected while volunteering in West Africa have been treated in special isolation facilities in hospitals in Atlanta and Nebraska.

A U.S. doctor exposed to the virus in Sierra Leone is under observation in a similar facility at the National Institutes of Health.

The U.S. has only four such isolation units. But asked whether the male patient from Liberia would be moved to one of those specialty facilities, CDC said there was no need and virtually any hospital can provide the proper care and infection control.

One of the health workers who contracted Ebola, Samaritan's Purse Dr Kent Brantly, testified to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee about prevention methods earlier this month, The National Journal reported.

"Many have used the analogy of a fire burning out of control to describe this unprecedented Ebola outbreak," Brantly said.

"Indeed it is a fire - it is a fire straight from the pit of hell. We cannot fool ourselves into thinking that the vast moat of the Atlantic Ocean will protect us from the flames of this fire.

"Instead, we must mobilize the resources... to keep entire nations from being reduced to ashes.'

Just one day before the Dallas Ebola case was publicly confirmed, Bill Gates said at a breakfast meeting that countries should get ready to handle a possible outbreak of the deadly virus as people from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea move across borders.

"Because of that uncertainty, I am not going to hazard a guess,' Gates said when asked whether he thinks

the massive ramping up of international aid over the past few weeks is enough.

"We are sorry to learn of the confirmed case of Ebola in Dallas,' Samaritan's Purse president Bruce Johnson said in a statement on Tuesday.

"This person did exactly the right thing - report to a hospital.'

He added: 'I am grateful for what we have available in the U.S. We have seen the success and survival rate of Americans cared for in a wellequipped medical center. We need to help share this with the people of West Africa.

"We will be praying for the survival of this patient and that doctors will continue to learn at a quickened pace what will help fight this epidemic across West Africa."

Ebola symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, vomiting and bleeding, and can appear as long as 21 days after exposure to the virus.

Ebola is not contagious until symptoms begin, and it takes close contact with bodily fluids to spread.

The New York Times reported traveling medical workers are treated with suspicion, and that they must also deal with "a belief that simply saying "Ebola" aloud makes the disease appears.'

Health officials use two primary guidelines when deciding whether to test a person for the virus - whether that person has traveled to West Africa and whether he or she has been near friends or relatives or other people who have been exposed to the virus, said CDC spokesman Jason McDonald.

Since the summer months, U.S. health officials have been preparing for the possibility that an individual traveler could unknowingly arrive with the infection. Health authorities have advised hospitals on how to prevent the virus from spreading within their facilities.

People boarding planes in the outbreak zone are checked for fever, but that does not guarantee that an infected person won't get through.

Liberia is one of the three hardest-hit countries in the epidemic, along with Sierra Leone and Guinea.

The epidemic has killed more than 3,000 people in West Africa. .

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

•President Goodluck Jonathan (fourth left), First Lady Patience (fifth left) with (from left) Vice President Namadi Sambo, Former Head of Interim Government Chief Ernest Shonekan, Former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Senate President David Mark, Deputy Speaker House Representatives Emeka Ihedioha, Minister of Defence General Aliyu Gusau and Chief of Naval Staff; Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin clapping after the cutting of Nigeria’s 54th Independence Anniversary cake at the Forecourt of the Presidential Villa in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN

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Ekiti PDP accuses chief judge of bias

KITI State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Chief Judge Justice Ayodeji Daramola, of siding with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Lawyers representing the APC, have called for the relocation of the Election Petition Tribunal outside Ado-Ekiti, because of insecurity.

Former Minister of Justice Chief Akinlolu Olujimi (SAN), in a letter to the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, said justice cannot be served in an atmosphere of intimidation, as witnessed during the attacks on courts in Ado-Ekiti last week.

The Ekiti PDP alleged that the CJ is backing a secret plan to prevent Governor-elect Ayodele Fayose, from being inaugurated on October 16.

The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Kola Oluwawole, said the chief judge deliberately amplified what happened in the High Court, Ado-Ekiti last week Monday and Thursday, blaming it on Fayose and shutting down courts to achieve a pre-determined political agenda.

Oluwawole, who said fracas in political cases during court proceedings were not new in the

Buhari: Nigerians ’ll vote PDP out

Lawyers seek tribunal’s relocation

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AWYERS representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ekiti governorship election petition have requested the shift of the Triunal’s sitting from Ado-Ekiti following attacks on courts last week in the state capital.

According to them, the incidents, in which Governor-elect Ayo Fayose has been indicted, have made it difficult for justice to be served without fair or favour.

In a letter of request “as a matter of urgency” written to President of the Court of Appeal Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, by Chief Akinlolu Olujimi (SAN) on behalf of himself and two other senior lawyers Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) – all representing the petitioners — the lawyers said “the citadel of justice has been turned into a war front” given what happened and the statements credited to Fayose thereafter where he said among others that “nobody, no matter how highlyFrom Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

country, cited instances of the Election Tribunal sittings in Ondo State that was disrupted on March 18, 2013, when supporters of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Labour Party (LP) clashed with four persons being severely in-

placed, would remove me cheaply.”

Olujimi after recalling how the counsel were attacked by thugs that invaded the court premises and how a judge was physically assaulted, said “judges, lawyers, witnesses and stakeholders are not safe. In such atmosphere, justice can never be done. Our commitment as professionals in the temple of justice does not require us to knowingly expose our lives to the danger of annihilation.

We do not believe that the system should knowingly expose any judge, lawyer and witnesses to obvious risks.”

In the letter dated September 26, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, said there is a precedent if the petition had to be moved out of Ado Ekiti.

He recalled that the latest was the movement in 2001 of the Borno State Governorship Election petition to Abuja due to the security situation there.

The case is slated for hearing on October 14.

jured.

He also said on January 23, 2012, supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) clashed at the premises of the governorship election petitions tribunal in Lokoja, Kogi State, with one person shot and three others injured.

The statement added: “The

same also happened on January 6, 2012, when persons were injured in a commotion between the supporters of Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State and his predecessor, Alhaji Akwe Doma, at the Court of Appeal in Makurdi.

“In all the three instances Continued on page 69

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OR the second time in two days, former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari yesterday slammed what he termed the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) misrule and assured all that Nigerians will next year vote out the ruling party.

Gen. Buhari, who on Tuesday in Abuja announced that he would seek the ticket of his All Progressives Congress (APC) party to contest for president, said in Ado-Ekiti that Nigerians were tired of the PDP and will next year end its misrule.

He was at the Ekiti State capital to inaugurate the Ekiti Parapo Square, a 12,000-seater capacity pavilion built by the outgoing Governor Kayode Fayemi administration.

The ceremony signals the be-

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

Production from the deepwater oil field is expected to begin in 2016 with the field estimated to hold up to 9.23 billion barrels of crude, equivalent to nearly a quar-

ter of the country’s total prov-

“Yet, they have remained undaunted and unwearied in the face of constant challenge and mortal danger. Driven by patriotic zeal, they are turning the tide by their prowess and determination. As Commander-in-Chief, I will continue to do all it takes to enable them to keep on inflicting devastating blows at the heart of terror. Fellow Nigerians, it is our collective duty as patriots to avail our men and women in uniform of all the support they need to fight and win this war.”

The President also promised that his administration will listen to the terrorists that have genuine grievances, if they bring their grievances to table for dialogue.

Low key Independence celebration in Abuja

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LOW-KEY ceremony yesterday marked the country 54th Independence anniversary.

In what has become a pattern since the terror attack in Abuja when Nigeria clocked 50, in 2010, the ceremony was confined to the Presidential Villa.

The presidential change of guard, which lasted for about two hours, was held at the fore-court of the Presidential Villa. It was devoid of the normal full military parade and entertainment.

In the past, the ceremony was held at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

President Goodluck Jonathan did not appear in his ceremonial military uniform.

The President inspected the quarter guards before walking to the Villa foreHe expressed gratitude to the international community for working with Nigeria to confront insecurity.

On the National Conference, Jonathan said: “I have made a firm commitment that we would act on the recommendations of the conference. This, I have started by setting up the ministerial committee headed by the Attorney General of the Federation to work out the modalities for im-

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

court to receive the national salute which was followed by a rendition of the national anthem.

Inspection of new Guard/Quarter guard, silent drills, posting of sentries and colour weapons and uniforms to ensure conformity with military standards. It was all over.

Shortly after the ceremony, Dr. Jonathan signed the anniversary register, released pigeons from the cage. Assisted by some dignitaries, he cut the anniversary cake.

At the end of the event, former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon said: “I believe in Nigeria. I love Nigeria and we all must work for Nigeria; that is everybody - the government and the opposi-

plementing the Report. Every promise I make, God willing, I will see to its fulfilment. I assure you, we shall implement the report.”

He described the National Conference as the greatest centenary gift to Nigeria, pointing out that one of the major lessons for the Conference is that Nigeria, as a multi-ethnic country like, must embrace painstaking dialogue until a consensus is es-

tion - in order to make Nigeria great.

That is my wish. Nigeria will survive beyond 2015.”

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha said: “It is for us to continue to resolve to build our country, and to resolve to commonly address our common enemies and collectively decide to make Nigeria a great country.

Among those who attended the ceremony were Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, former head of the Interim National Govt, Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Vice President Alex Ekwueme; former Chief of General Staff Gen. Oladipo Diya, ministers, top government officials and members of the diplomatic corps.

tablished.

Speaking on the economy, infrastructure and Nigeria’s democratic process, Jonathan said: “Our 54-year journey as a nation has not been easy. There have been tough periods, but the Nigerian spirit and the unflagging resilience of our people have seen us through. We will continue to march forward to greater heights.

“Our Administration has

Ado-Ekiti

gining of the winding down of the Fayemi administration as Governor-elect Ayo Fayose will take the saddle on October 16.

Apart from being the nation’s Independence anniversary, yesterday was also the 18th anniversary of the creation of Ekiti State.

Twenty six distinguished indigenes were given State Merit Awards.

Gen Buhari urged the electorate to apply their voter cards purposely to vote in a new regime of hope and progress.

At the event were Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu; former Governor Segun Oni; Speaker Adewale Omirin, Senator Sola Adeyeye and State Continued on page 69

Report: Nigerians got $533m bribe in ENI oil deal

Terrorists won’t succeed in Nigeria, says Jonathan lence their ideology and are bent on destroying our country. Dear countrymen and women, we will not allow them.”

“Night after night, day after day, our security forces continue to engage the terrorists in battle. My gratitude goes out to our armed forces whose will has been greatly challenged by this insurgency more than any other time, since the civil war,” he said, adding:

From Sulaiman Salawudeen,

made a commitment to ensure that we build and sustain a democratic infrastructure anchored on free and fair elections. International and local observers have attested to the positive evolution of electoral credibility and we cannot afford to relent.

“We will continue to ensure that the will of the electorate prevails so that political leaders would be reminded at all times Continued on page 69

en reserves, according to industry figures.

An aide to Renzi told Reuters the case involving ENI, which is Italy’s biggest company by market capitalisation and the state’s biggest asset, was “not a big cause for concern at the moment”.

As part of their investigation, the Italian prosecutors in May asked the UK’s CPS to freeze $85 million in assets related to a Nigerian company, Malabu Oil & Gas, that prosecutors say was involved in the sale, according to a copy of the official request sent by the Milan investigators and seen by Reuters.

In the letter, the Italian prosecutors alleged that Scaroni and Descalzi oversaw the payments to parties who helped secure the sale. In a second letter they alleged that some of the ultimate recipients of alleged bribes used the money to Continued on page 69

Our Error In the Taraba State Government advertisement on page 23 of our October 1st 2014 edition, the picture of the Governor was erroneously published in place of that of the Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar. This error is greatly regretted.

ADVERT HOTLINES 08023006969, 08052592524

THE NATION THURSDAY OCTOBER 2, 2014

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NEWS Chief Judge withdraws ‘illegal’ oil deal case from judge •Eight witnesses testify

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FEDERAL High Court Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta, has withdrawn an alleged illegal oil deal case from Justice Okon Abang after eight witnesses have testified.

The accused were arrested on February 19 with 1,456 metric tonnes of premium motor spirit (petrol).

They were accused of illegally conveying the product in a vessel, named MT Good Success.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged them with dealing in petroleum products without a licence.

The accused are: MT Good Success, Hepa Global Energy Ltd, Adedamola Ogungbayi, Olaniran Olabode, Suraju Gasali, Moses Emmanuel, Wilson Bonsi, Padoun Kayode Jacob, Okparaodi Omaka Uche and Onyeogo Happy.

If the case is re-assigned to a new judge, it may start denovo (afresh) although eight witnesses have testified for the EFCC. The accused were first arraigned before Justice Saliu Saidu on June 16, after which EFCC sought an order of accelerated hearing “because the vessel was laden with highly-inflammable substance.”

Justice Saidu adjourned the case till September 23 for the

By Joseph Jibueze

beginning of trial.

During the long vacation, the EFCC filed an urgent motion before Justice Abang, which was heard on August 5.

Justice Abang, the vacation judge, started trial to save judicial time after the prosecution and defence lawyers gave their consent.

During the vacation, the defence counsel also crossexamined the witnesses, and the case was adjourned till September 24, 25 and 26 for the conclusion of trial.

When the case came up on September 24, Justice Abang said the file had been returned to the registry at the chief judge’s request.

It was, however, not clear why the case file was withdrawn from the judge.

The defendants were accused of dealing in the product without permit as required by Section 4 of the Petroleum Act. EFCC said the alleged offence is contrary to and punishable under sections of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

It was learnt that EFCC has two more witnesses to call.

‘Non-automatic tickets for governors okay’ From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

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LAWMAKER representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State, Dr. Stella Dorgu, has supported the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to give blanket endorsements to governors and other office holders.

She said endorsement must be dependent on performance and not by virtue of office.

Speaking in an interview in Yenagoa yesterday, Dorgu said: “The issue of blanket endorsement for party office holders, including the governors, has been a debate we have not concluded. Some people believe it should not be.

“In this particular instance, I may be said to be sitting on the fence. However, the party has spoken and it has said it is not going to have blanket endorsement for everybody, but that endorsement will be dependent on performance and I agree with that.”

NDLEA arrests two suspected traffickers

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FFICIALS of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two suspected drug traffickers for allegedly concealing 13.33kg of substances found to be cocaine, inside capacitors and perfumes.

The arrest and seizure took place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The estimated street value of the drug imported from Brazil is N119million.

The NDLEA Commander, Mr. Hamisu Lawan, gave the names of the suspects as

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EMBERS of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy have denied plans to sue the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

The BBOG said that like every Nigerian, the group would demand a probe by the Federal Government of the $9.3million scandal for every Nigerian to see.

They also said several strange statements have been attribut-

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

Daniel Marvin and Akubuo Favour Victor.

He said: “Daniel Marvin with Nigerian Passport Number A05545613 was arrested during the inward screening of passengers on an Emirate Airline flight from Dubai. He was found in possession of 7.580kg of cocaine hidden inside capacitors. The second suspect, Akubuo Favour Victor, was found in possession of 5.750kg of cocaine hidden inside perfumes. Both suspects were coming from Brazil when they were arrested.”

•Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar paying homage to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, when he visited him over the death of Galadiman Kano, Alhaji Tijjani Hashim...yesterday

$1b security loan: Okonjo-Iweala’s, Minimah’s absence stalls Reps’ hearing

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MEETING of the joint committees of the House of Representatives on the $1 billion loan request by President Goodluck Jonathan to buy arms, scheduled to hold on Tuesday, was stalled by the absence of Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Chief of Army Staff Lt.Gen. Kenneth Minimah.

The committees on Aids, Loans and Debts and Finance were to meet with Mrs Okonjo-Iweala and Minimah

S

From Victor Oluwasegun, Abuja

on the loan request, but their absence led to the postponement of the hearing.

They neither sent a representative nor a letter to explain their absence, a member, who preferred anonymity, said.

However, Deputy Leader Leo Ogor, while raising a point of order at plenary, urged the House to compel the committees to present a report on the $1 billion

loan request.

Noting that the Senate had passed the request, Ogor said the non-presentation of the report was delaying action on the loan.

Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, however, denied the request, saying he was aware of the meeting by the committees meant to hold simultaneously with plenary.

President Jonathan sent the $1 billion loan request on July 16 for approval by

2015: Mark warns politicians against treasonable comments

ENATE President David Mark warned politicians yesterday to desist from making inflammatory or treasonable comments capable of jeopardising the transition process, ahead of the 2015 elections.

He spoke at a special service to mark the 54th Independence anniversary at St. Mulumba’s Catholic Chaplaincy, Apo, Abuja.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Senate president, Paul Mumeh, said in a statement that Mark noted that such actions would overheat the polity and create tension.

He urged politicians to consider national interests above their ambitions.

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

The statement quoted Mark to have said: “Nigeria must exist as a nation first before we can pursue our ambitions.”

The Senate president urged those fanning the embers of war and disunity to have a rethink, “because we have more to gain by staying united.”

He stressed that politics is a call to service and not a platform to cause disaffection or disharmony.

Mark said: “Election is not a do-or-die affair. We should

know that only one seat exists at a time.”

The Senate President warned mischief-makers not to test the will of the government because “government has all it takes to deal with troublemakers. Let’s give peace a chance.”

He told Nigerians that governance is a collective responsibility between the government and the governed.

“Therefore, it is not government versus the people. Both exist in a symbiotic and reciprocal relationship.”

Mark said the country’s problems were not beyond redemption.

His words: “All we need is

No plan to sue Oritsejafor, says BBOG From Grace Obike, Abuja

ed to the advocacy by people who do not represent the advocacy.

BBOG said it is a well-organised advocacy with well-respected leaders, who represent them.

The group added that any statement that is not made by one of the representatives should not be associated with the advocacy.

A statement by the BBOG media spokesperson Abuja,

the lawmakers to procure military hardware to fight insurgency.

It was uncertain when the hearing will hold, as the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Abdulmuminu Jibrin and his Loans and Debts counterpart, Yinka Adejare, failed to inform of the next hearing date.

While the Senate granted the presidential request last week, the House is yet to approve it.

Rotimi Olawale, said: “We have in recent times observed a ratchet of very strange statements being attributed to our Citizens Movement, the #Bringbackourgirls campaign for our 219 abducted Chibok girls. Recent news reports now quote anonymous individuals. Those statements do not represent the position of our Movement.

“We are a well-organised citizens movement with appropriate leadership and official

spokespersons who are mandated according to our public communication strategy to speak on behalf of our Movement.

“Therefore, any public statements not made by our leadership or officially designated spokespersons of our Movement should be discountenanced and ignored by the public because they do not represent the position of #BringBackOurGirls. Statements made by members not designated in their

personal capacity cannot and should never be attributed to our Movement.

“For the avoidance of doubt, those designated to speak on behalf of the Movement at all times are the Co- Conveners of #BringBackOurGirls - Abuja Family— Hadiza Bala Usman, Oby Ezekwesili, Maryam Uwais, Saudatu Madhi. All members of our strategic team also speak on behalf of BBOGAbuja Family, namely Jibrin

the support and the goodwill of the citizens.

“We are in a complex society. There are bound to be disagreements and complaints. There are channels to address these complaints.

Taking up arms against your neighbours or government is not a solution. We must see ourselves as brothers and sisters.”

The National Assembly, he assured, would make laws that would have a positive impact on the citizens.

The parish priest, Rev. Fr. Innocent Jooji, advocated peace and unity to achieve progress.

He prayed for God’s intervention to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

Ibrahim, Bukky Shonibare, Florence Uzor, Rotimi Olawale, Aisha Yesufu, Maureen kabrik, Mariam Ikunaiye, Dauda Iliya and Tunji Olanrewaju “From time to time, our Movement can officially designate specific members to represent us and speak on our behalf on issues touching on our advocacy.

In such instances, whoever that individual may be will represent our position and so attribution to #BringBackOurGirls will be appropriate and in order.”

8

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

NEWS NIGERIA AT 54

Ekweremadu hails Nigerians for enthronement of democracy

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EPUTY Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has hailed Nigerians for the enthronement of the democratic dispensation. He urged them to sustain it.

Ekweremadu spoke in his message to Nigerians on the occasion of the country’s 54th independence anniversary.

The Deputy Senate President in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Uche

From: Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sani Onogu, Abuja

Anichukwu, noted that “at 54, Nigeria has made progress, as the people have, through determination and sacrifice, laid a foundation for a speedy national transformation by achieving an unprecedented 15 years of uninterrupted democratic streak.

“However, celebrating our

independence at the threshold of the 2015 elections is also a call to duty to add to the nation’s democratic credentials and development by working for a free, fair and credible poll.”

Ekweremadu, who also chairs the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, assured that the Senate would provide solid legal frameworks and legislative support to guarantee the

success of the 2015 general elections and subsequent ones.

He praised the President Goodluck Jonathan administration for its determination to end terrorism as evidenced in the success recorded in the war against insurgency.

The deputy Senate president wished Nigerians a happy 54th Independence anniversary.

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Fashola urges Nigerians on AGOS State Governor nation building

Mr. Babatunde. Fashola (SAN) has urged Nigerians on the need to show commitment towards the development of the country.

He spoke yesterday at the Independence Day rally at the Police College, Ikeja.

Fashola said the challenges confronting the nation would be surmounted if citizens worked for the country’s progress.

The governor also advised Nigerians to rekindle the spirit of national service and pride symbolic of the good old days.

He noted that the excitement, which characterised past National Day celebrations had waned into a mere ritual, saying the good old days could be restored if Nigerians changed their attitude.

Said he: “In the past, national days were celebrated with excitement. Everybody looked forward to such celebrations.

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

“But in recent years, the celebration has waned to a mere ritual. Just another work-free or school-free day with little celebration or importance attached to it. This should not be so.

“In some countries, national days are celebrated with fanfare. Independence pageants are held and there are celebrations.

“We should begin to celebrate the nation’s independence with the passion of the past. We should revive the old patriotic zeal.”

Fashola enjoined Nigerians to re-ignite the nationalistic passion of the past and believe in the Nigerian project.

The celebration was a parade of colours, as pupils and personnel of para-military organisations participated in the march past.

Obiano, Shettima pardon prisoners From Nwanosike Onu , Awka and Duku Joel, Maiduguri

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• Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) inspecting the Guard of Honour mounted by a detachment of the Nigeria Police, at the 54th Independence anniversary at the Police College, Ikeja...yesterday

Akume urges govt to tackle insecurity

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ENATE Minority Leader George Akume has said this year’s Independence anniversary has come at a time when all hopes appear lost.

He said in a statement yesterday: “Nigerians have been gripped by the fear of insecurity. Besides armed robbery, kidnapping and political assassination, insurgency has brought death to our footsteps. Government should tackle it.

“It is regrettable that a government, which came to power on the promise of providing fresh air, has not only failed to live up to its prom-

ise, but has also failed to justify its existence by providing the minimal constitutional expectations of any democratic government.

“The President Goodluck Jonathan administration has failed to protect life and property.

Boko Haram started as a small rebel group, which the late President Umaru Yar’adua was poised to crush. His failing health and death robbed the nation of a patriotic leader.

Under President Jonathan, Boko Haram has been provided with the enabling environment to prosper to such an extent that it has overpowered

the Army and is a threat to international peace and security.

“Instead of providing Nigeria with fresh air, the government has polluted the air with an endless chain of scandals: The fuel subsidy scam in which top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) men featured with their children, the theft of $20 billion from our oil revenue and the illegal export to South Africa of $9.3 million by faceless people using a jet owned by the President’s friend, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

“The situation looks hopeless. I enjoin Nigerians not to lose hope but to rally round

the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the only hope for the country. I advise Nigerians to vote for the APC so that we can save our great nation from doom.

“The PDP has failed woefully to solve Nigeria’s problems. It has failed because the government it has set up is not only incompetent, but is also corrupt and is led by people, who have no vision. It is only the APC that has the capacity to rescue the country from the abyss that the PDP government has plunged it into on its 54th anniversary as an independent nation.”

Northern governors: Nigeria ‘ll not collapse

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HE Chairman, Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) and Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has expressed optimism on the continued existence of the country against speculation of its collapse after next year’s elections.

Aliyu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Israel Ebije, to mark the 54th Independence anniversary, urged Nigerians not to give up on the country, but should work for its unity and prosperity.

He enjoined Nigerians to remember the labour of the country’s founding fathers and shun acts that could dash their expectations, adding: “It is the duty of Nigerians to shun acts that will undermine the unity of the country.”

The governor challenged those who have balkanised the country along political divide

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

to use the Independence Day celebration to reflect on the gains of a united country and not dwell on narrow interests.

Aliyu said: “Let me congratulate Nigerians as we celebrate our 54th Independence.

It is my wish that we celebrate more independence in peace, harmony and prosperity. We need a country which our people can really call their home.

“We want a country where we can be independent from personal or group interests. We should be united towards achieving common goals and aspirations. While we have challenges of insecurity amid fears of disintegration, we must realise that Nigeria has prospect, Nigeria has international presence regardless of our challenges. Believe me, many nationals wish they were Nigeri-

ans.”

He said the insecurity giving the country a bad image would soon be solved, adding that once politics is not seen as a do-or-die affair, people will be more focused on going about it peacefully.

“It is, therefore, my prayer that Nigerians should mark this Independence Day celebration in the spirit of reconciliation. We must work towards healing the wounds triggered

by politics, religion and ethnicity. We need true reconciliation to work together as an indivisible entity.

“We shouldn’t just mark this year’s independence celebration just for its ceremonial value, but also for the sake of encouraging ourselves that Nigeria is a country worth fighting for, a nation of patriotic citizens and a country we are proud of,” Aliyu concluded.

Amosun rues Chibok girls’ captivity From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

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GUN State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun lamented yesterday the celebration of the country’s 54th Independence anniversary without the release of the over 200 Chibok school girls.

He said they are part of the future leaders, adding that had President Goodluck Jonathan believed early that they were abducted, they would probably have been rescued.

The governor spoke at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta.

He said unless the right leadership was put in place, the country’s march to greatness would take a long time.

N the spirit of the 54th independence anniversary, Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano has granted amnesty to 25 prisoners.

This was contained in his special broadcast to mark the Independence Day celebration yesterday in Awka, entitled: “A message of hope”.

Obiano said the amnesty was granted on the advice of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

The governor, who read President Goodluck Jonathan’s address before his own, said his administration had set a target of $41.9billion investment by the end of this year.

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima also granted yesterday amnesty to 22 prisoners as part of the activities to mark the 54th Independence anniversary.

Shettima, who was at the Maiduguri Maximum Prison, said his visit was to sympathise with the inmates.

He said they should cooperate irrespective of religious and ethnic differences, adding that government saw the need to identify with the inmates as the country marked its 54th independence anniversary.

Nigeria needs independent judiciary, says NBA

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HE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) advocated yesterday a “work” towards the attainment of an independent judiciary.

It said there would be no rule of law and economic development where the judiciary was not autonomous.

In a statement by the NBA President, Augustine Alegeh (SAN), to mark the Independence Day, the association urged religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence to preserve the country’s unity.

Alegeh said: “As we celebrate our 54th Independence anniversary today, I enjoin each and everyone of us not

By Joseph Jibueze

only to exhibit those attributes, which unite us as a nation and promote religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, but also to eschew those tendencies that divide us.

“Although our challenges as a nation are daunting, I wish to use this opportunity to say these challenges are surmountable and can be overcome by our unity and faith in one indivisible Nigeria.

“As we mark this Independence Day, I enjoin our members, government and stakeholders to work towards the attainment of judicial independence and autonomy.”

Orji advocates peace, unity

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BIA State Governor Theodore Orji has advocated peace and unity among Nigerians despite religious, political and ethnic differences, as the country celebrates its 54 years of political independence.

He spoke in a statement in Umuahia by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Ajunwa.

From Ugochukwu UgojiEke, Umuahia

Orji said insecurity and other problems facing the nation would soon be over.

Said he: “If all citizens, parties and religious bodies see Nigeria as one and indivisible entity, the challenges we are facing will be solved.”

Elechi sues for tolerance From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

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BONYI State Governor Martin Elechi yesterday sued for tolerance and accommodation to engender growth and development.

Elechi spoke at the Abakaliki Township Stadium at the 54th Independence anniversary and the 18th anniversary of the state’s creation.

The governor said the country is at the threshold of another transition, which is coming in the midst of social, economic and security challenges.

His words: “It is in consideration of this reality and in appreciation of the need to water the tree of our unity that I frequently dwell on the imperative of tolerance and accommodation for our growth and development.”

9

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

NEWS 54TH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun inspecting the Guard of Honour at the 54th National Day celebration held at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta...yesterday.

•Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima (right) presenting new clothings to one of the 22 prisoners pardoned by the state during his visit to the Maiduguri Maximum Prison...yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

•Deputy Governor of Oyo State Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo watching as the police march past at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan...yesterday.

•Wife of Cross River State Governor, Mrs Obioma Liyel Imoke (middle) Deputy Governor's wife, Mrs Gloria Cobham (right) and wife of the Speaker of the House of Assembly Mrs. Eneyi Larry Odey, dancing past during the celebration in Calabar...yesterday.

•March past by the Notre Dame Nursery and Primary School, Enugu…yesterday.

PHOTO: OBI CLETUS

•Scripture Union Nursery and Primary School during their March Past at the Independence Day in Uyo...yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

•Citizen Arise Movement of Nigeria protesting on Independence Day against bad governance at the Eagle Square in Abuja ...yesterday.

PHOTO: ABAYOMI

•Lagos State Deputy Governor Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (right), Secretary to the State Government Dr. Oluranti Adebule (left) and the Head of Services Mrs. Josephine Oluseye Williams at the Independence Day Parade in Ikeja...yesterday.

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

•A march past by paramilitary forces, School Children and members of Voluntary Organisations at the Police College , Ikeja, Lagos ...yesterday.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

10

NEWS 2015: Lagos youths assure party

By Musa Odoshimokhe

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LEADER of the Lagos State youths wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adebola Obale, has promised the ruling party the support of younger voters in the 2015 elections.

The youth leader spoke at a rally organised by the Kosofe Federal Constituency at the Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos.

He said the APC government has done well for the youth, but should give them additional responsibilities.

Obale said governance should not become the exclusive domain of the old in the country, noting that APC has ensured a level-field for those who wanted to participate in politics.

He said: “We are at this rally because we want to draw attention to what the youths of the country are facing. Without the youths, there will not be the elders. We are using this medium to call for more opportunities for the youth.”

He added that the society that neglects the youth would perish, stressing that many leaders who occupy the corridor of power hardly want to give youths the chance to prove their worth.

“That is why we are urging the President of our youth’s wing, Toyin Balogun, to contest for the House of Representatives. He is a young man who has done much in terms of mobilisation for the success of our party.”

Osun APC debunks alleged discovery of fake ballot papers O SUN State All Progressives Congress (APC) has debunked the claim by the state Peoples Democratic Party that 11,000 fake ballot papers were discovered in the inspection of electoral documents used in the August 9 governorship poll.

The party’s spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi, in a statement in Osogbo, the state capital yesterday, said the attention of APC had been drawn to “the blatant falsehood being bandied around by the PDP. “This claim is nothing, but a joke taken too far by people who are nothing but enemies of progress and development in our dear state. Their pasttime is to use all manner of dubious tactics to hoodwink unsuspecting public into believing their good-for-nothing petition has any shred of credibility.”

The Election Petition Tribu-

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

nal had granted an order of inspection of all polling documents to both the PDP and APC since September 9.

The inspection at the INEC office was in two folds - getting the Certified True Copy of all the result sheets obtained by both parties and scanning the ballot papers for the purpose of forensic analysis.

The APC, in the statement, said: “The only equipment authorised to be brought to the INEC office are the photocopiers and scanners and no other.

One wonders how photocopiers and scanners will discover fake ballot as claimed by the PDP liars!

“Our team of inspectors is also on ground inspecting electoral materials and contrary to

PDP falsehood, at no time did any PDP representative raised the issue that any ballot paper was fake. So, it is mischievous to state that the INEC was unable to explain the presence of fake ballot papers.

“To buttress the point that the promoters of this falsehood are on a wild goose chase and are all out to entertain themselves, the basis upon which their petition is based is that in almost all the polling units, result sheets were not signed and stamped by the presiding officers, thereby rendering the result null and void.

“However, the certified true copies of the result sheets have shown that the result sheets were signed, stamped and even authenticated by PDP agents in all the polling units being challenged. Curiously, in

some units that PDP claimed that election was rigged, it was PDP that had highest scores on the result forms. What an absurdity of a reckless petition?”

The party said the phantom claim of discovery of fake ballot papers was a product of hallucinating minds of dishonorable persons who have no regard for truth and integrity of the judicial process.

It added: “We are in receipt of the Certified True Copy of all Result Forms (EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D and EC8E), particularly Form EC8A across all the polling units in the 30 local government in the state and we discovered contrary to the PDP claim in their petition that all the result sheets were not only signed, they were stamped by the respective presiding officers and countersigned by the

party agents, including PDP agents.

“It is therefore a demonstration of crass irresponsibility of the PDP to now turn a mere inspection of polling documents that had revealed nothing untoward to an avenue where they allocate imaginary votes, which they failed to legitimately earn at the August 9 election to themselves and disturb the peace of the state with their odious noise of a victory that will never be.”

The APC urged its supporters to ignore the alleged “falsehood of PDP, which is merely calculated to hoodwink their paymasters in Abuja.”

“For the PDP pathological liars, we wish they will desist from ignoble act of misleading members of the public, an enterprise that ensured their failure at the August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun in the first place,” it said.

Makinde to open Ibadan House

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HE Ibadan House, a building for the unity of indigenes of the ancient capital of Oyo State, will be inaugurated today.

It was renovated by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Mr. Seyi Makinde, an engineer and a philanthropist, who has been sensitising his party members to his aspiration on the platform of Omi Tuntun.

A statement by his aide, Alhaji Akeem Azeez, said Makinde, who single-handedly renovated the building, would be joined by High Chief Kola Daisi and the President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Chief Bayo Oyero as chief host.

The Olubadan of Ibadan Oba Odulana Odugade will be the royal father of the day.

Photo-journalist Dada Osasona dies

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RETIRED photo-journalist with the Daily Sun and the Oyo State founding Chairman of Photo-Journalists Association of Nigeria (PJAN), Dada Osasona, is dead.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Dare Fasube, said the late Osasona hailed from Ayede-Ekiti, Ekiti State,

•Former Head of State Gen. Mohammadu Buhari about to inaugurate the Ekiti Parapo Square, as part of events marking the fourth anniversary of the Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration, in Ado-Ekiti...yesterday. With him from left are: Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu; Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi and House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin.

CJN writes governors, minister on fiscal autonomy for judiciary

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HE judiciary is set to assert its financial autonomy, following the Federal High Court judgment in its favour.

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Aloma Mukhtar has written to governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the need for them to comply with the judgment granting fiscal autonomy to the judiciary, which also declared as illegal the instalmental release of its yearly allocation.

The CJN also notified them that by the judgment delivered on January 13 by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the judiciary was no longer required to submit its budget to the executive.

Administrative heads of courts in the country, under the aegis of the Association of Court Registrars and Ju-

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

diciary Staff Union of Nigeria (ACRJSUN) have resolved not to submit their courts’ budgets for next year to the executive in compliance with the judgment, but to the appropriate legislative houses.

These were made public in a statement yesterday by the media aide to the CJN, Ahuraka Yusuf Isah, on the resolutions of the joint meeting in Abuja lastTuesday by court registrars and members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

It was agreed at the meeting chaired by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Sunday Olorundahunsi, and the JUSUN President, Marwan Adamu, that it would amount to contempt of court to submit budget proposals to the federal and states budget and plan-

ning offices or commissions.

They also agreed that federal and state judiciary should not obey or condone budgetary ceilings likely to be placed by the Federal Government and some governors to subvert judiciary’s financial autonomy.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Mrs. Rosemary Onnome DugboOghoghorie, Registrars of the various divisions of the Court of Appeal Court, Federal and states High Courts, Sharia and the Customary Courts of Appeal They resolved that “it shall be tantamount to contempt of court on the side of the executive at both levels to place a ceiling on the amounts judiciary can budget for”.

The Chief Registrar of Abia State’s Customary Court of Appeal, Benson Anya was quoted to have

raised a motion to the effect that the meeting resolve that, “the federal and state judiciary be mandated not to forward their budget proposals to the federal and states budget and planning office or commission but take them straight to the National and States House of Assembly for appropriation’’.

The motion was said to have been seconded by the Chief Registrars from the five geo-political zones which were unanimously adopted.

The second motion was moved by the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Mrs Rosemary Onnome Dugbo-Oghoghori, that “all federal and state judiciaries shall not be ready for budgetary ceiling, which shall be tantamount to contempt of court by whoever does that’’ This was also unanimously re-

solved.

Isah quoted Marwan as informing the meeting that the CJN had written a cover letter attached to the judgment of the Federal High Court to the governors, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Attorney General of the Federation intimating them on the need to comply with the court order.

JUSUN, he said, had held series of meeting with the Minister of State for Finance, who had agreed to comply with the court order since it is subsisting.

JUSUN is expected to present copies of the budgets for the judiciary in 12 states at the next meeting with the minister. The union had already presented the figures for 24 states, as demanded by the Minister of State to begin implementing the court order.

Amosun seeks help over armoured vehicles’ malfunction in Ijebu

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HE mystery surrounding the frequent malfunctioning of the Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) deployed in Ijebuland is a source of worry to Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Three of the APCs are stationed in Ijebu-Ode, IjebuIgbo and the university town of Ago-Iwoye to secure banks and other businesses.

But the vehicles are mal-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

functioning to the dismay of the governor and policemen manning them.

Amosun, who suspected sabotage when he was in Ijebu-East during his tour of the area, queried the correlation between the day APC malfunctioned and banks’ closure in Ijebuland.

The governor urged Ijebu

traditional rulers to help him in solving the puzzle.

He recalled that an SMS message sent to him last Sunday predicted that the APCs in Ijebuland would not work last Monday and banks would also not open. And as foretold in the SMS, the armoured vehicles malfunctioned.

The governor said it was strange that all these normally occurred when it was

getting to the festive period, adding that last time, it was during the Ramadan festival and last year, it was during Christmas.

Amosun added: “Once we want to have any major festival, there’s always a problem with the APCs and the only ones that normally develop the problem are those ones in the area I have mentioned. But we will go back to the drawing board to

make sure we do what is needed to be done.

“Once again, we will do our bit to make sure that all the lengths and breath of Ogun State are well-protected. Indeed, I pray that very soon, we will get to a stage where we will not need APC before we are secured. But we will continue to do our bit to make sure everywhere in Ogun State is secured.”

•Governor Amosun

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Sovereign Wealth Funds are managed conservatively.

They don’t borrow money the way banks do, so you can’t compare this business to banking business. This business does not expose itself to that kind of risk. It is not the same thing as private equity •Managing Director/CEO, NSI A, Uche Orji

Dubai deals may be billions, says Dangote

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FRICA’S richest man, Aliko Dangote, said further deals with the Investment Corporation of Dubai may run into billions of dollars after the Emirati holding company invested $300 million in his cement business last month.

“We have also agreed to invest in other other ventures in oil and agriculture,” Dangote said yesterday in an interview at a conference in Dubai. “They already have a seat on our Board. This could run into billions of dollars.

There are a lot of opportunities that we are looking at with ICD.” ICD is exploring opportunities to work with the Nigerian billionaire after taking an unspecified holding in Dangote Cement Plc (DANGCEM) last month, its first major Africa investment, ICD Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Al Shaibani also said today in Dubai. The company is diversifying its investments, which include Emirates airline and Emaar Properties PJSC. Dangote, whose cement and commodities businesses built him a $23.1 billion fortune, according to the Bloomberg billionaires index, partnered with the private-equity firms Blackstone Group LP (BX) and Carlyle Group LP (CG) in August for Africa investments. He plans to spend about $3 billion to boost production of sugar and rice at his companies, he said today.

Dangote’s cement business, the biggest producer in Africa, has the capacity to produce 29 million tons in Nigeria and plans to expand in 13 other countries on the continent.

The billionaire is bidding for gas assets in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, to help stem continuing disruptions to his cement plants in the West African nation. He’s also building a $9 billion oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Nigeria’s southwest that is scheduled to be completed in 2016.

“We are looking forward to doing more with Mr. Dangote, and we have some things that we are exploring at the moment,” ICD’s Al Shaibani said. “Having the right partner, especially in Africa, is the key thing.”

• From left: Director-General, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyeama; Kenyan Ambassador to Nigeria, Tom Abolo; Diki and Ozigbo at the event in Abuja...yesterday.

Fed Govt mulls more invest ment in Transcorp

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ESPITE selling off some public assets, the Federal Government is considering additional investment in Transcorp Hilton Hotel Plc. The Director-General, Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Benjamin Diki made this known at the public presentation of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel’s Initial Public Offer (IPO) in Abuja.

He said government is considering making further investments in this company because Transcorp has been paying dividend for the past five years consistently and the federal government, being a shareholder has been enjoying this dividend, and that is why the federal government can recommend to Nigerians to buy this stock.

Government’s interest in boosting its investment in Transcorp Hilton he said “is to tell you the level of profitability of this company and we recommend Transcorp to every Nigerian, even if it is 10 shares buy it, we will see what will happen in the future, we are supporting a good deal for Nigerians.”

The BPE boss noted that “government’s 49 per cent share holding is now being diluted because government has not yet taken up its rights

From Nduka Chiejina (Asst. Editor)

issue, and government has enjoyed high dividend from this stock.”

He said the federal government has not brought other shares to the Nigerian public “because we are not confident of their fundamentals, they have not been making profit, they have not been paying dividends on a regular basis. We don’t want to come and sell shares to Nigerians, then they will wait one, three, or five years without dividend.”

Speaking to journalists at the event, the Managing Director, Transcorp Hilton Plc, Valentine Ozigbo, said Transcorp Hilton is Nigeria’s best example of Public Private Partnership (PPP) because Transcorp is a very serious investor.

Ozigbo said over the next five years, the company will take a phased approach in developing high-end hotels in Ikoyi, Port Harcourt, Ikeja and Warri, as well as a Convention Centre and Apartment complex in Abuja, in addition to paying even higher dividends than it is currently doing.

He said the company is raising up to N8 billion through

the IPO offering of 800million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N10 per share to capitalise the development of new projects.

He said the company will utilise the proceeds from the IPO to develop two high end hotels in Lagos and Port Harcourt and major commercial centres, in order to capitalise on the increasing demand for world class amenities, while Hilton Worldwide will serve as the Operator/Manager of all the proposed new developments which will become part of the international Hilton Hotels chain across Nigeria.

Ozigbo explained that the Transcorp Hilton Ikoyi Hotel will be an upscale hotel on a 5,868 square metre site at 39, Glover Road, Ikoyi having 300 rooms and suites, with conference and leisure facilities, gym and spa and a swimming pool.

The project is expected to be supported by a growing population of young and wealthy Nigerians and business travellers, and it will be jointly owned by Transcorp Hotels and Heirs Holdings.

The estimated cost of the project is put at $140 million (N22.68 billion), with the cost of land going for $15 million or N2.43 billion. Construc-

Foreign reserves fall to $39.56b

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HE nation’s foreign re serves fell to $39.56 bil lion by September 26, down 0.15 per cent from the previous month, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), have shown.

The reserves stood at $39.62 billion in August and were $45.66 billion in September last year. Currency traders attributed the fall to draw downs by the CBN to support the naira.

Data from the CBN, showed that the reserves stood at $39.65 billion on August 25 and

By Collins Nweze

$38.4 billion on July 17. The rate of accretions to the reserves has been marginal but consistent since the CBN reviewed the Bureau De Change (BDC) policy guidelines.

The reserves were at $37.23 billion on June 25; $37.26 billion on June 26; $37.31 billion on June 27. The reserves also rose to $37.54 billion on July 1 and continued the upbeat till the current position.

Further analysis showed that before the upbeat, the re-

serves had maintained a steady decline after closing last year at $42.85 billion.

The year-end figure represented a decrease of $0.98 billion or 2.23 per cent, as against the $43.83 billion recorded at end- December 2012. The reserves dropped to $38.79 billion as at March 12. Analysts said the reserves declined as imports of fuel and foods soared.

But the CBN said the decrease was driven largely by the increased funding of the foreign exchange market in

the face of intense pressure on the naira and the need to maintain stability, adding that the pressure on the external reserves was deemed to be consistent with the seasonal annual payment of dividends to foreign investors The CBN had on June 24, rolled out new guidelines for BDCs operation. The regulator raised the capital base for operators from N10 million to N35 million, plus additional caution deposit of N35 million to be kept with the CBN at zero interest rate.

tion cost is said to cost $125 million, or N20.25 billion, and the projected commencement date is the fourth quarter of 2014, with three years construction period if the Lagos State government issues the permit on time.

Transcorp Hilton Port Harcourt on the other hand, will be a 250 room hotel facility with conference and leisure facilities located in the Ero Road, Port Harcourt, GRA. The project will be built on 10,141 square metres of land at an estimated project cost of $105 million, or N17.01 billion. The cost of land is put at $5.86 million, or N950 mil-

lion, with construction cost put at $100 million, or N16.20 billion. The projected commencement date is the fourth quarter of 2014, with three years construction period.

The company has also commenced the renovation of the Transcorp Hilton Abuja. The renovation involves the modernization of core facilities of the hotel, for which Transcorp plans to spend approximately $57.5 million, or N9.2 billion over the next three years.

The funding for this renovation will be sourced from the company’s cash flows from operations.

TCN records 71.66Mw evacuation gap

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F the 3,449.85Mega Watts which the elec tricity generation companies produced as at September 28, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) sent out 3,378.19MW, according to the statistics published by the Federal Ministry of Power on its website.

As to why the remaining 71.66MW could not be evacuated, the TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Seun Olagunju, said the gap was due to the fire outbreak at the Apo, Abuja transmission station, adding that the station has been restored .

She said the company has a “guaranteed 6,000MW capacity.”

The spokesman was then asked to respond to the claim of the Chairman, Heirs Holdings Limited, Mr. Tony Elumelu, who had on September 10, said that in Nigeria, one of the biggest challenges to power generation is transmission.

He was quoted in a statement by the Communications Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Bolanle Omisore as saying that “in fact, while Ughelli

• Claims 6,000Mw capacity From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

Power Plant generated at full capacity for the first time in July, we’ve been asked to scale down generation because of the outdated transmission systems. For every 100MW generated and sent to transmission companies, 40 per cent is lost, in part because of this infrastructure issue.”

But Olagunju explained that it is easier to blame government owned TCN, which is the only government owned entity in the power value chain, stating that in the history of the Nigeria power sector, it has never generated power beyond the company’s wheeling capacity 6,000MW. The spokesman debunked Elumelu’s statement and maintained “That is not true.

But it is easier to blame TCN because it is the only government owned company in the sector. Nigeria has never generated up to 5,000MW and TCN has a guarantee capacity of 6,000MW. We can evacuate 6,000MW if they can generate it.”

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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THE NATION

BUSINESS INDUSTRY

industry@thenationaonlineng.net

The World Bank has, in a bid to help close the funding gap for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), approved $500 million (about N21.7 billion) lifeline for the sector. This is coming on the heels of a similar intervention by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which has launched a N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Fund. CHIKODI OKEREOCHA writes that if SMEs could leverage these efforts and also key into several specific training/capacity building programmes of some states, the sector could play its role of creating jobs and enabling inclusive growth.

SMEs: Can sustained funding rev the engine of growth?

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HE future of Nigeria’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector looks promising. Of late, local and foreign financial institutions, government agencies, trade support institutions, foreign organisations, state governments, and well meaning individuals, have been focusing attention on the sector.

This is with a view to fashioning out robust sector-specific financing programmes and capacity building initiatives, to galvanise the SMEs, acknowledged globally as viable engines of economic growth and development. While the World Bank and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), two of the biggest international and local financial institutions, respectively, are showing the way in the area of access to finance, some state governments and public agencies have concluded partnership arrangements that promise to put the sector on the path of sustainable growth.

Apparently recognising that lack of access to credit is one of the major hurdles before SMEs, and with its determination to help close the funding gap, the World Bank, this week, approved $500 million (about N21.7 billion), for Nigerian SMEs. The Nation learnt that the facility, which got the nod of the bank’s Board of Executive Directors, would come from its International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD’s) lending window to provide stable funding to support the growth of Nigeria’s SMEs through the establishment of a development finance institution. The Development Finance Institution (DFI) will provide long term funding to eligible financial intermediaries to lend to SMEs and will also provide partial credit risk guarantees to participating commercial banks.

“The DFI will be operationally and financially sustainable, and will be subject to regulation and supervision by the CBN, which will enforce requirements similar to those applied to commercial banks, including strong prudential transparency and accountability standards,” says Lead Financial Sector Specialist and Task Team Leader of the Project, Arnaud Dornel. The project, which is expected to run for seven years, will be implemented by the Ministry of Finance.

The project, the bank said, drew on experiences from other countries such as Germany, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico, and had been developed in collaboration with other donor supporting development finance reforms in Nigeria, namely: the African Development Bank, Germany’s KFW, French Development Agency, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.

The World Bank explained that the project was in support of government’s efforts to promote the growth and job creation potential of the private sector through improved access to financing, noting that limited access to finance is a key obstacle to enterprise growth and entrepreneurship, particularly for young people, and it is a major obstacle faced by the SMEs, the bank said.

The World Bank observed that only about 6.7 per cent of Nigerian firms reported having a loan or active line of credit in 2014. It also added that SME lending made up only around five per cent of the total commercial bank lending.

The World Bank is right. Lack of access to fund has been identified as one of the major challenges facing SMEs in Nigeria. Commercial banks have been unable to extend credit to the sector due to poor documentation of busi-

•CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele

•Minister of Commerce, Trade and Investment Dr Olusegun Aganga

•Oteh

ness/project proposals as well as inadequate collateral by SME operators. Besides, cost of packaging appropriate business proposal is considered too high for most SMEs. Other challenges include multiple taxation, inadequate electricity supply, fear of ownership dilution and inability to employ consultants, among other factors.

Though these challenges are not peculiar to SMEs; they apply to operators including the big corporate in virtually all the sectors.

However, while bigger corporate organisations are managing to weather the storm, the same cannot be said of SMEs because of their relatively small size. Worst hit by the challenges particularly lack of access to fund are women entrepreneurs. The World Bank acknowledged this much, which was why its Country Director for Nigeria, Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly, disclosed that under its latest intervention in the SME sector, “Specific attention will be paid to strengthening the capacity of businesswomen.”

As she observed, “Women entrepreneurs in Nigeria are held back by knowledge gaps, limited access to markets, and challenges regarding land ownership rights, which in turn, limit their access to finance.”

CBN also recognised the need for more access to funds for women entrepreneurs. The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, while launching the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Fund in Abuja recently as part of efforts to boost the SME sector, said 60 per cent of the funds, which aims at ensuring wealth creation and poverty reduction in Nigeria, would be disbursed to women at a single digit interest rate. Already, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) is partnering United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to train women entrepreneurs with the hope of leveraging the CBN’s N220 billion MSME Fund The second phase of the economic empowerment programme for women-owned Cooperative Societies drawn from selected states of the federation, which came on the back of the SMEDAN/UNDP partnership, has been concluded. No fewer than 60 women representing various Cooperative Societies from the North and South of Nigeria benefitted from the entrepreneurship training.

At the closing ceremony of the entrepreneurship training held in Enugu, the Director-Gen-

eral, SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Umar Masari, who was represented on the occasion by the Director of Enterprise Development and Promotion, Mrs Justina David, noted that women are now in a better position to access the CBN’s Fund, as well as other soft loans from the federal government-owned development finance institutions such as the Bank of Industry (BOI) and Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

The President of National Association of Women Entrepreneurs (NAWE), Mrs. Adaeze Ozongwu commended SMEDAN and UNDP for building the capacity and improving the lives of women entrepreneurs in the country.

Mrs Ozongwu noted that the design, content and delivery of the programme had not only helped to unlock the potentials of these women groups, but also led to a more effective management of business projects by these women.

BoI and some state governments have also stepped up the tempo of their support programmes for SMEs, further fuelling hopes of Nigerians of a revitalised SME sector capable of generating employment, creating wealth thereby reducing the high crime rate in the country. For instance, BOI, in partnership with Kaduna State Government, is providing a N1billion matching fund to support MSMEs in the state. Earlier, BOI, in cooperation with foremost global infrastructure and technology company, General Electric (GE), announced plans to create affordable access to funding to the tune of over N81 billion for SME infrastructure sector. The agreement would see BOI and GE providing access to finance to qualified SMEs in critical sectors including healthcare, power, and transportation.

On its part, the Bayelsa State Government, in a bid to build a robust economy that is not crude oil dependent, said it was collaborating with members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to raise a N10 billion Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development Trust Fund aimed at encouraging small and medium scale entrepreneurs. According to the Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, encouraging small and medium scale entrepreneurs has became imperative as “SMEs are the real engines of growth of any economy.” The governor disclosed that while the state government would source for 40 per cent of the fund, members of the OPS would provide the remaining 60 per cent.

To underscore the importance the state government attaches to its SME sector, Bayelsa State Government in collaboration with other stakeholders hosted the 20th International Conference on Small and Medium Enterprises (CSME 2014) in Yenagoa, the state capital. At the event organised by the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME) the Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh, stated that SMEs were critical to the growth and development of a nation, especially countries with significant employment and income distribution challenges.

“SMEs do not only contribute to the GDP growth and creation of decent jobs but also enable inclusive growth due to the broad-base population participating in the economy through millions of SMEs”, she said. Oteh disclosed that globally, SMEs accounted for over 95 per cent of the business population, constitute between 60 to 70 per cent of employment and contribute between 50 to 60 per cent to GDP. She said it was “this realisation that informed the laudable initiative on the part of the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish SMEDAN in 2003 to promote the development of MSMEs in the country’s economy.”

Apart from the CBN’s N220b MSME Fund, Oteh listed other recent efforts of the Federal Government to support the SME sector to include the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP), the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin), and the innovative $15m Venture Capital Fund targeting software developers set up by the Ministry of Communication Technology. These initiatives, Oteh explained, were launched to galvanize the development of small businesses in the country.

Earlier, the Federal Government had reduced the costs of registering SMEs with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) by 60 per cent.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, while speaking at the recent 8th annual Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises finance conference, said the directive for the reduction of the business registration costs was given by President Goodluck Jonathan. Aganga added that the development underscored the importance of the sector to poverty reduction, job creation and inclusive growth.

The Minister said since SMEs account for about 80 per cent of businesses registered with the CAC as well as about 50 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), there was need to remove all factors that would impede their development to nation building. He said the N220b facility whose disbursement was flagged off by the President would not only help empower SMEs, but also address the access to financing needs of the sector in an efficient and sustainable manner.

‘

SMEs do not only contribute to the GDP growth and creation of decent jobs but also enable inclusive growth due to the broad-base population participating in the economy through millions of SMEs

‘

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

INDUSTRY

World Bank, UNIDO, LCCI canvass laws on industrial policies

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ONCERNS associated with democratic transition in Nigeria can be addressed if sustainable institutions and frameworks are established and good governance encouraged.

This was the position canvassed by stakeholders at the democratic transition lecture themed, “Making Democracy Work for the Private Sector” organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos, during the week.

The stakeholders include the Senate President, David Mark, representatives of the World Bank, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS).

At the lecture, each of them sought an improved business environment with the enactment of laws to back policies as part of measures to address policy summersault. According to them, the nexus between politics, governance and investment cannot be ignored, as they remain interdependent on each other for any economy to thrive.

By Okwy lroegbu-Chikezie Assist Editor

Mark acknowledged concerns bordering on continuity and smooth transition expressed by the private sector, noting that investors need a politically stable environment to do business just as the political leadership needs a robust private sector to ensure social and economic stability. “An average businessman is concerned about the transition process.

Since government has no business in managing enterprises that the private sector is better equipped to run, we are providing necessary support to ensure continuity in policies and further diversify the economy.

“We understand the concerns on the security of investments, considering the insurgency in the NorthEast. To this end, we hope to encourage the growth of participatory democracy rather than representative democracy in order to improve stakeholder engagement and implement policies that would improve the well being of Nigerians. We are also working to pass the Petroleum

Industrial Bill (PIB), the Bill on Constitution amendment and the Electoral Act Amendment Bill before expiration of this National Assembly”, he said.

On his part, World Bank’s Lead Economist, John Litwack stressed the need for government to bridge the widening divide between social structures in the country. According to him, Nigeria continues to record modest movement in its welfare indicators as against macroeconomic growth, adding that uneven growth remains dominant across different states of the country. He however, advocated stable regulations as well as addressing critical issues raised in the ‘Doing Business’ ranking to drive investment inflow into the country.

President of LCCI, Alhaji Remi Bello explained that democratic transition years are viewed by investors with a great deal of anxiety and apprehension, especially concerns related to electoral disputes and other forms of post-election agitations that threaten stability of economic policies. He noted that though the prog-

nosis for Nigeria is not frightening, the lull in governance as a result of disproportionate amount of time and resources devoted to electioneering and related activities has profound effect on the economy.

“Investors need to be assured that elections would be free and fair.

They need to be assured that there will be level playing field. They need to be assured that the major institutions of state managing the electoral process will not be partisan. These are very crucial elements necessary for the sustenance of investors’ confidence at this time,” Bello said.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Shola Oworu, said a smooth transition is important for businesses to thrive. He said Africa has some of the most thriving economies that have witnessed growth, and as Nigeria moves into transition, it is very critical that the business community is put into consideration.

“In Lagos State, the private sector

is important to the state and the private sector should be allowed to do what it knows best, which is business. The dialogue between the private community and the government is very important and we have been having sessions with the business community to find out how best to go about the democratic transition” Fashola said.

The governor noted that the security situation needs to be addressed more vigorously because it is important that the citizens and the business community are safe, adding that the state is setting up an arbitration centre to give additional comfort to investors and the citizens.

Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Bimbo Ashiru, said investors must trust government and vis-versa especially during this democratic transition,. He added that currently the state is among the top 10 in the area of investment, as over $10 million has been invested in Ogun State.

HarvestPlus, Nollywood launch movies to improve nutrition

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•From left: Honorary Life Vice President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Margaret Adeleke, Director of Transportation Engineering, Ministry of Transport, Lagos State, Frederick Olofin and Assistant Corps Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Gloria Danfulani at the Transport & Logistics Stakeholders Forum organised by the Chamber in Lagos during the week.

‘Why African economies remain stunted’

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INANCING developmental efforts in Africa is proving difficult due to the continent’s overreliance on overseas development assistance (ODA), the Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Carlos Lopes, has said.

He said this has hindered the growth of the African economies. He made the observation in a paper on curbing illicit financial flows. Carlos revealed that from 1970 to 2008, Africa lost between $854 billion to $1.8 trillion in illicit financial flows.

Carlos said: “The latest progress report of the High-level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows (IIFs), where I deputize for former President Thambo Mbeki revealed that the annual average was between $50 billion and $148 billion. Commercial money such as tax evasion and trade and services mispricing through multinational companies constitute the largest component, followed by proceeds from criminal activities and public sector corruption.”

He said the loss undermines revenue generation and reduces the benefits from economic activities, particularly in the extractive sector. He argued on the possibility of redirecting IIFs to increase domestic resource mobilization, finance the adaptation costs of climate change, and tackle conflicts in the region. The ECA secretary said IIFs undermines Africa’s fiscal and policy space and deny its financial systems and governments the opportunity to use domestic re-

By Okwy lroegbu-Chikezie Assist Editor

source mobilization schemes.

On the sources of IIFs, he said they include but not limited to aggressive tax avoidance and trade mispricing, unequal agreements and contracts by which resources are transferred from Africa, poorly negotiated resource extraction contracts, investment and double taxation agreements. He cited examples with some multinational companies that take advantage of the different double taxation treaties to shift profits from one country to another, exploiting the treaties with the lowest withholding tax rates.

Carlos said innovative domestic climate finance opportunities such as resource savings from curbing illicit financial flows could help in financing resilient policies. He underscored the fact that the losses recorded by African countries undermines revenue generation and reduces the benefits from economic activities, particularly in the extractive sector.

The ECA boss, who is also a development economist, further observed that illicit financial flows pose a threat to the stability and security of the continent, undermining institutions and democracy in addition to jeopardizing sustainable development and the rule of law. “Many of the violent conflicts in the forest regions of Africa are tied to “lootable” commodities such as precious metals and rough diamonds that are used to fuel

conflict. Revenue from forestry is used by belligerents to purchase arms and other materials,” he said.

On what should be done to attract more private equity into the continent, Carlos said there is need for a transformative developmental framework. He further suggested a structural transformation agenda that will require an adequate, predictable, sustainable and integrated financing mechanism geared towards financing developmental goals.

Carlos advised economic managers of the continent to embark on reforms to capture unexplored or poorly managed resources. This, according to him, will include curtailing illicit financial flows and transforming those funds into a powerful tool for enhancing domestic resource mobilisation.

In his words: “Africa needs strong funding on mechanisms, strategies, and peer research to distinctly show the impacts of illicit financial flows on the different sectors of economic activity. Indeed, curtailing illicit financial flows could become a key delivery mechanism for sustainable development.”

He also called for concerted efforts by countries of origin and destination, insisting that the legal and financial approach must be transparent and the international asset recovery regime integrated in an effort to curb these outflows and unlock the much-needed resources.

ARVESTPlus, a global program to improve nutrition, in partnership with Nigeria’s Nollywood’s top movie directors, have made four movies to entertain and inform Nigerians on how they can improve their diets and health. The movies were premiered this week during the 11th Abuja International Film Festival held in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory( FCT).

The four movies are: The Yellow Cassava (English), Dada Oni Paki (Yoruba), Ebiyebi (Ibo) and Sakani (Hausa). Each of the movies, which star Nigeria’s top actors – Segun Arinze, Monalisa Chinda, Chidi Muokeme and Emeka Ossai, among others, is in a different language to ensure that all Nigerians can learn about the benefits of vitamin A cassava.

The movies feature vitamin A cassava as part of their storyline.

The thinking is that with more than 75 per cent of Nigerians watching Nollywood movies, both in rural or urban areas, these movies have an important role to play in encouraging all Nigerians to grow and eat the nutritious Vitamin A cassava.

Vitamin A cassava is yellow in colour because it contains high amounts of beta-carotene, unlike common white cassava. Beta-carotene is a naturally occurring substance that the body converts into

By Chikodi Okereocha

vitamin A. Experts say that in Nigeria, an estimated 30 per cent of pre-school-aged children and 20 per cent of pregnant women suffer from vitamin A deficiency, resulting in poor vision, blindness and sometimes death.

By eating the new yellow cassava variety, as the movies show, women and children can meet almost half their daily needs of vitamin A. But consumers first have to be convinced to switch over from the traditional white cassava. “No doubt these movies will go a long way in addressing the scarce nutrition information we have in this part of the world. We are optimistic that they will help educate the Nigerian populace that consumes cassava,” says Zeb Ejiro of Smile Africa, which represents Nollywood’s top directors.

The Ministry of Agriculture is promoting vitamin A cassava under its ambitious Agricultural Transformation Agenda and has been a key supporter of Smile Africa’s vitamin A cassava-themed movies. It has also supported HarvestPlus and its partners in distributing vitamin A cassava stems to over 500,000 farmers in 3,000 villages and connecting farmers, processors and sales outlets to ensure that vitamin A cassava is available to the average Nigerian.

Institute rewards excellence in good governance

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HE Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), saddled with the responsibility of safeguarding corporate governance in the private and corporate sectors, during the week, rewarded two Nigerians that have shown unparalleled qualities in Good Corporate Governance.

At the 38th Annual Dinner and Awards ceremony held in, Lagos, Distinguished Chartered Secretary Award was conferred on the Company Secretary of Fidson Healthcare Plc and ICSAN Governing Council member, Mr. Yomi Adebanjo.

Jospeh Abugu, Professor of Commercial and Industrial Law of the University of Lagos, was adorned with ICSAN Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance.

The occasion was chaired by the past president of the Institute, Hakeem Ogunniran. The President

By Biodun-Thomas Davids

and Chairman of Council of ICSAN, Dr. Suleyman Abdu Ndanusa, said “These awardees emerged after satisfying the criteria as laid down by the relevant committee of the Council saddled with the task of screening the nominees. The process that led to their emergence was therefore, thorough and transparent in line with best practices. We stand for integrity and uprightness.”

Dr. Ndanusa intimated that the Institute is currently undergoing transformation towards making it an Institute that people would love to associate with. “High profile visitations meant to reposition the Institute and publicity drive is ongoing,” he disclosed, while calling for patience, understanding and support of all members so that together they could achieve the desired success.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

16

THE NATION

BUSINESS LABOUR

Housing: Deposits safe, NLC assures workers

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•From left: Former General Secretary, National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), Comrade Adebayo Kazeem, Comrade Oyelekan, and General Secretary, Comrade Lamidi Danjuma at the meeting in Lagos.

NUFBTE to address rights abuses by employers T HE Leadership of the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), said it would exploit every Industrial Relations avenue to checkmate the arbitrariness of employers in the work place..

The National President of the union, Comrade Lateef Oyelekan at the National Executive Meeting (NEC) in Lagos expressed dismay at the flagrant abuse of the workers’ right by some employers, most especially in the area of redundancy.

Citing the present disaffection against the management of Fan Milk in Ibadan over the unilateral and unprocedural termination of over 65 staff without recourse to the union, Oyelekan said the union would ensure that justice prevails.

He said: “We will use all the means available to us in the area of industrial relations, including strike to ensure that our members in Fan Milk and other companies are not just sacked anyhow without carrying the union along. We

understand the fact that the employer has the right to hire and fire, but under our contractual agreement, it should be done with the consent of the union.”

The NUFBTE President therefore charged the employers body, Association of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) to call its members to order in a bid to ensure that peace continues to reign in the sector.

“As we have understanding at our NEC, we once again seek the cooperation of AFBTE to appeal to their members who flagrantly go against labour the policy”, he said.

Oyelekan who lamented the state of unemployment in the country said the employers ought to be supporting government in ameliorating the crisis rather than increasing the number due to their selfish reason.

He however noted that its union has made a remarkable contribution to reducing the state of unemployment in

the country through several investments the present leadership has undertaken.

He said unemployment is a devil which must be tackled by all, stressing that government alone cannot address the problem of unemployment.

On the state of the nation, the NUFBTE boss said the continued assault of Boko Haram insurgents and the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease called for renewed efforts from the government.

He said: “The ironic and painful aspect of this security and health challenges is the glaring fact that the government in power has relegated these vital issues to the background and instead has brazenly chosen to concentrate undue efforts on 2015 re-elections at all cost. The helpless situations across the length and breadth of the nation calls for extra-security and health alert on the part of every citizens and residents.”

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has assured workers and subscribers of the security of their deposits for the NLCKristone-Lally Housing Project in Abuja.

In a statement, the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said the congress is doing everything possible to protect and secure the interests of the subscribers despite alleged of a scam in the housing project.

Omar said: “In its bid to promote workers’ welfare, the congress went into understanding with a number of developers to provide affordable housing for workers, one of such understandings was with Kristone – Lally with whom congress signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). ”Based on this MoU and subsequent advertisement, a large number of workers subscribed to the project under the MoU, KristoneLally was to build specified housing types at agreed prices. The funding of the project was to be provided by financiers from abroad whom Kristone-Lally had identified.”

The President said NLC was on its part to ensure that there were off-

taken of the housing units by mobilizing workers to subscribe by paying some per centage of the price of desired house type stressing that NLC was happy with the overwhelming response of Nigerian workers to the advertisement of subscription to the housing project.

He said that on the 4th of October 2013, NLC decided that further subscription and collection of money be stopped to enable the project consolidate and deliver the first phase of houses to those who had subscribed within the agreed timeframe of December 2014, adding that the congress’ decision was served on and acknowledged by Kristone-Lally.

Omar said: “Congress became worried as the take –off of the project kept on being delayed. Due to the delay, a number of subscribers applied for a refund of their deposits.”

He explained that in the process of processing the application for refunds, the officials of NLC encountered a bank teller which showed that a subscriber had paid the initial deposit into an account other than the advertised NLC-Kristone-Lally EPC account.

NUP protests non-payment of pension, arrears

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HE Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Electricity Sector, Rivers/Bayelsa Chapter, has protested against the non-payment of their arrears and pension for over nine months.

The union insisted that the Ministry of Finance and Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company, NELMCO Board should apologise to the families of its late union members, who died waiting to collect arrears and pension.

The President, Rivers/Bayelsa Chapter of the union, Mr. Ufeme Tuka, who addressed newsmen, said the union was ready to take steps to ensure that the government aids the plight of the members of the union, who have been facing difficult times over the nonpayment of their entitlements.

He also said the purpose of the peaceful protest is to bring the attention of the government to know that they have not been receiving their allowances adding that their members are suffering due to the government’s insensitivity to their plight.

He said: “For a long time now,

our gratuity and pensions are not paid as at when due by NELMCO. We are in the arrears of the forth month and they have not paid our pensioners.

“Many of our members have died because of this problem of nonpayment of our entitlements because that is the only means in which we make ends meet in our families. We are facing so many challenges. As I talk now so many of our members have died as a result of hunger. We are calling on the government to come to aid. We are suffering so much”.

During the protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the union drew the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan to the hardship which their members are going through due to the irregular and non-payment of monthly pension since the beginning of the year.

The union insisted that the Ministry of Finance and Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company, NELMCO Board should apologise to the families of its late union members, who died waiting to collect arrears and pension.

Union decries attempt to scrap TRCN •From left: Binatone’s Financial Controller, Mr Joseph Babayemi, Osolo of Isolo Kingdom, His Royal Majesty ,Oba Agbabiaka, Binatone’s Media Consultant , Mr Aliu Mohammed Olurotimi, and Administration Manager, Mr Olayinka Oladapo during a visit to Osolo of Isolo by the Binatone management to mark the Osolo’s 10th coronation ceremony.

ASSBIFI warns against unfair labour practices

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HE President of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI),Comrade Sunday Olusoji Salako, has called on both the government and other employers of labour in the country to take advantage of the nation’s industrial policy to partner with workers to ensure sustainability of fair labour practices for the nation’s industrial sector to thrive in harmony.

Salako , who in an interactive session with newsmen after ASSBIFI’s capacity building at Entry Point Ho-

tel, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State , called for the implementation of the nation’s industrial policy for peace and harmony to thrive in the industrial sector.

He said: “We call on both government and other employers of labour in the country to partner with the workers through transparent implementation of Nigeria’s industrial policy to guarantee the sustainability of fair labour practices, as well as for foreign investors to invest in the nation’s industrial sector.

“Our call is necessary now, because interestingly, governments around the world are increasingly strengthening labour institutions to play a leading role in the promotion of dialogue as an important reflex and to help raise the capacity of critical partners in national development agenda.

“We also call on both government and employers of labour to embrace dialogue with workers as social dialogue is an important element in industrial peace and harmony in the workplace”.

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HE Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has rejected the alleged attempt by the Federal Government to scrap the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

The National President, Comrade Michael Alogba Olukoya, said the attempt to scrap the TRCN was a misguided policy summersault that will not only ruin and ridicule the teaching profession, but also bastardise standards and quality of education in the country.

The union said TRCN is the only body that regulates the practice of teaching in the country from the primary to the tertiary institutions, and wondered why the federal government wants to scrap the council.

Olukoya, said TRCN, established since 1993 through the TRCN Act CAP T3, has achieved a lot for the educational sector through its laudable roles in the accreditation and re-accreditation procedures in the

Colleges of Education, National Teachers Institute (NTI) and universities.

According to him, TRCN Act was enacted after a nation-wide strike by the union on the need to regulate the teaching profession in the country.

He said the union will not fail to return to the trenches as it did in 1992 and 1993 before the federal government established the council, if the alleged ongoing attempt by the federal government to scrap the council is not stopped forthwith.

NUT urged the government to allow the TRCN to remain as government has done to other regulatory bodies in the country like the Libraries Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN), Nursing and Wid-wifery Council, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Medical Laboratories Science Council of Nigeria and Council for the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN).

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

That PDP offer of first refusal to Jonathan

Shelve it!

•INEC should concentrate on its core duties, leaving listing and delisting parties until after the 2015 polls

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NDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) plan to register more political parties before the 2015 general elections fixed for next February is difficult to understand. The commission’s chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, disclosed that it would be exercising the powers conferred on it by relevant laws to deregister political parties considered moribund, as well as approve new ones that could field candidates for the presidency, governorship, federal and state legislature seats.

The commission is apparently relying on provisions of Section 78(7) (i) and (ii) of the Electoral Act, 2010 which states that , “The commission shall have power to de-register political parties on the following grounds: “(i) breach of any of the requirements for registration; and “(ii) for failure to win a seat in the National or State Assembly election.”

The power conferred by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) derives also from sections 221 to 226 of the 1999 Constitution, and paragraph 14 of Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution.

However, it is puzzling that the electoral commission is dissipating energy on issues that could be controversial instead of addressing more serious ones. In the first instance, while INEC considers the provisions of the relevant laws clear, other experts and political parties do not think so. They say the attempt to muzzle parties runs against the principle of democracy which is to open the door of participation to as many as possible. Some of the parties deregistered last year have

gone to court to contest such powers and, if only to err on the side of caution, since it would not infringe any law in doing so, INEC ought to have awaited the final judicial pronouncement on the matter before taking any further step on the issue.

It is our view that the spirit of the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on the registration of parties in the matter brought before it by the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi on behalf of his party, the National Conscience Party (NCP) is enough to inform INEC that the supreme law of the land intends to allow as many associations as want to participate in the electoral process access to the soap box and ballot box. The apex court had, in the matter, ruled that the very general criteria stipulated in the constitution were sufficient to guide INEC in performing the task of registering political parties. It has also been argued that if the constitution meant to grant INEC power to deregister parties, it would have done so expressly.

The commission may have a point in canvassing the view that, if the parties were registered on condition of the criteria spelt out in section 224 of the constitution, any time they fail to meet up the criteria, they should cease to function since they would no longer be better than those that failed the test.

Whatever may be the argument, we fault INEC’s decision to exercise these powers at the moment given the closeness to the elections and possible futility of the action. The parties to be registered would have very little time to put in place the structure needed to elect candidates and

canvass for votes against the already entrenched ruling and opposition parties.

Besides, at a time that the existing parties have commenced canvassing for votes, it is too late to be bringing in new entrants.

The task before INEC now is to ensure that the continuous voter registration is well handled; permanent voter cards get to all registered voters, controversy on new polling units is satisfactorily resolved and stakeholders are carried along on the journey. The commission has a responsibility to ensure that overzealous security men are tamed and that the voters have confidence in its capacity to deliver credible elections. It should therefore leave deregistration of parties out for now.

‘Whatever may be the argument, we fault INEC’s decision to exercise these powers at the moment given the closeness to the elections and possible futility of the action. The parties to be registered would have very little time to put in place the structure needed to elect candidates and canvass for votes against the already entrenched ruling and opposition parties’

Graft in judiciary •It’s the CJN’s duty to flush out the bad eggs across-the-board

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HIEF Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, made the right observation when she asserted that corruption in the judiciary is not limited to magistrates and judges, but a common thing among members of staff of the entire judicial process. The chief justice made the observation at the opening of a national workshop organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI). According to her, corruption is rampant among court registrars, process clerks and bailiffs.

“Now more than ever, the public has become more critical of the conduct of the judicial staff, perhaps buoyed by public outcry against unwholesome conduct of the judicial staff like leakage of judgments before delivery, demanding bribes before the preparation of records of ap-

‘The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. And, to justify this assertion, the judiciary should be seen to be above board. When judicial staff collude with litigants to leak judgments and judges compromise themselves for pecuniary gains, the judiciary can no longer be the last hope of the common man but a veritable architect of his hopelessness and misery’

peal, acting as go-between for some overzealous litigants and some corrupt judicial officers, ostentatious lifestyles beyond legitimate earnings, and a host of other activities”. It is good that the CJN admitted again that cases of massive corruption in the judiciary throughout the country are real and not mere speculations.

Indeed, we appreciate her concern for fighting corruption in the system. It is rather frustrating that while many judges have been sanctioned over one malfeasance or the other, corruption persists in the judiciary, with the connivance of senior lawyers, some of whom have also been sanctioned. On this matter we cannot but agree with the CJN who suggested a change of attitude among lawyers as well as judges, and even called for a review of the pattern of assessing the performance of judges, to which we must include the performance of lawyers as well. This is necessary because corruption in the judicial system would continue to thrive with the connivance of lawyers with judges, and vice-versa.

Cases of frivolous adjournments to whom judges readily concur but from which lawyers benefit illegally, frivolous and midnight injunctions and some other corruption-induced activities arising from connivance of judges with lawyers, like the case of the reported telephone conversation between a lawyer and a judge at an appeal case before an Osun election petition tribunal and many such misconducts have almost succeeded in reducing Nigeria’s courts to kangaroo

courts.

As Justice Mukhtar rightly observed, we have had cases of some judicial staff that had solicited and collected huge sums of money from unscrupulous litigants on the pretext that they were acting on behalf of some judges. As a result of this, “many judges and magistrates have been violently attacked by hoodlums on the mistaken belief that they did not perform even after money had been given to them through their staff”, the chief justice said. Although many of such staff had been apprehended and disciplined, many have so far escaped detection. This is not good for the system.

Therefore, Justice Mukhtar must ensure that her threat that “If you indulge in any misconduct and you are caught or reasonably suspected to have done so, you will not only be disgraced out of the judiciary but will also be made to face the legal consequences of your ignoble and nefarious action”, is not an empty one.

The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. And, to justify this assertion, the judiciary should be seen to be above board. When judicial staff collude with litigants to leak judgments and judges compromise themselves for pecuniary gains, the judiciary can no longer be the last hope of the common man but a veritable architect of his hopelessness and misery. This is why we applaud the CJN’s warnings. She should not relent in her efforts to clean up the rot in the system in the interest of Nigerians.

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IR: As a prelude to the 2015 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, offered what they call an offer of first refusal to President G oodluck Jonathan to fly the party’s flag in the forthcoming Presidential election. This means that the party has endorsed President Jonathan as its candidate and other aspirants will only contest the primaries and vie for the ticket if he rejects the offer.

For the past two years or so it would have been clear to any keen observer of Nigerian politics that President Goodluck Jonathan has not had any serious challenger to the office. Aside from that fact, when has any executive incumbent in Nigeria either at the federal or state level lost a re-election bid at the primaries?

In 1983 the National Party of Nigeria, NPN did not make Shehu Shagari an offer of first refusal yet he was re-elected to the Presidency. In 2003 despite the nearmiss that President Obasanjo suffered in the hands of his deputy and power broker Atiku Abubakar, he was still not offered a right of first refusal to the Presidency.

That this lexicon is gradually creeping into our political dictionary even when it has existed with us in an unorthodox manner as the “power of incumbency” shows that something is wrong and spin doctors are making a hell of an effort to justify it.

They are so quick to point out that it also exits in United States of America from where we copied our presidential system of government but that is where the comparison ends. Those that make the unnecessary comparison however forget to tell Nigerians that the offer in the US is always tied to landmark achievements and performance. Thomas Jefferson who was the first American President to be made that offer in 1805 was because of the landmark achievement of acquiring the massive Louisiana territory in 1803 from France thereby almost doubling American land mass as it was then. Several other American Presidents have been made that offer on the strength of their solid achievements and performance in office.

To what then does President Jonathan merit this offer?

Is it because Nigerian undergraduates stayed at home for more than six months because his government reneged on the agreement it made with university teachers some years ago? Is it because public hospitals were shut in Nigeria for more than two months on account of a strike action by medical doctors as a result of an unfulfilled agreement on the part of the government?

Is PDP making President Jonathan the offer on the grounds that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa where there is no stable power supply or where hunger is rising even as the economy is growing?

The offer of first refusal did not even just come ordinary. It came with a baggage full of dirt and insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians. As part of the offer, all the first term PDP governors are to be returned unopposed whether the governor performed well or not; all serving PDP governors who aspire to go to Senate will be returned unopposed; the Senate President David Mark will have a jolly ride back to the Senate and all sorts of compromises at the expense of the ordinary Nigerian whose future is tied to an elite that conspires and consolidates for its own selfish interests.

Why are we so blessed in copying the wrong things and leaving out the good ones?

The efforts dissipated by the party and presidential image makers should better be channeled to more creative endeavours instead of trying to hoodwink Nigerians. Nigerians know better and will have their day in the polling booths come next year. It is for the party to make an offer of first refusal to anybody but the person will have to contend with Nigerians come February next year.

• Chukwuma Okoro, Abule Oshun, Lagos

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

18

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: Upon our attainment of political sovereignty on October 1, 1960, Nigerians from diverse ethnic cum social backgrounds heaved a sign of relief and expected that Nigeria would become a better country as imperialists handed the baton of leadership to Nigerian leaders. Their belief was that the leaders were filled with nationalistic fervor and zeal, and that they would put the country’s interests above their selfish materialistic and ethnic interests.

But, soon after our attainment of political freedom, our disunity that is traceable to ethnicity and religious intolerance became manifest with devastating implications. Political parties were formed along ethnic and religious lines. In the first republic, AG was to the western region what NPC was to the north; and, NCNC was believed to be an Igbo Party. Those parties were not nationalistic in outlook. So, clannishness and ethnic rivalry eroded the foun-

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Nigeria @ 54: The journey so far dation of our country’s unity. Not surprisingly, the Nigeria-Biafra War erupted, which claimed the lives of millions of people, and caused the depredation of the south-east.

Again, the June 12, 1993 presidential election imbroglio nearly caused another civil war in Nigeria. It took the deaths of Sani Abacha, a maximum military dictator, and MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election,for Nigeria to be brought back from the precipice. General Abdusalami Abubakar hurriedly conducted a general election, which brought

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to power, and ushered in the fourth republic.

Nigeria has not become a truly peaceful and united country, although we have enjoyed 15 years of unbroken democratic governance.

We still view one another with hatred and ethnic distrust. In order to allay the fears of the minority group about their being dominated, and to erase the feelings of marginalization among them, the ruling PDP introduced the political formula of rotation of power among the six geopolitical zones in the country. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo benefitted from

Who is afraid of new Polling Units?

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IR: I am compelled to pose the above query in the light of the controversies and barrage of criticisms trailing the proposed creation of additional 30, 000 Polling Units by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) bringing the number of Polling Units in the country to approximately 150, 000 . These criticisms are not constructive; they are deeply rooted in tribalism, religious bigotry and political sentiments. We need to rise above it.

Leading the campaign against the commission’s proposal is the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly headed by the controversial Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark.

Beyond flashing to our face the marginalisation claim, the group and its allies have not been able to support their assertions with verifiable facts or proofs. The group’s call for the removal of the INEC boss, Prof. Attahiru Jega over what they termed “promoting of northern agenda” is hollow, outrightly premature and cheap blackmail aimed at arm-twisting the INEC boss to dance to their tunes, to put it mildly. Unfortunately, none of

these individuals criticising the initiative has been able to controvert the fact that the designated places in the northern region of the country, indeed, deserve the new Polling Units.

Meanwhile, a glimpse at the planned exercise shows Lagos and Kano states taking the lion shares with 2,980 and 2,053 additional units respectively. While Bayelsa with the lowest registered voters in the country of 590,679 got 121 units. The truth, therefore, is that every state, as it were, is to be allotted polling units in equal proportion to the strength of its registered voters. The dust being raised by some of these groups that their regions are being short-changed in the exercise is nothing but a Nigerian factor where every national issue is brought on the table of politics and ethnicity.

It is important to note that the electoral umpire has not acted ultra vires in the circumstance, especially, in view of Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2011 (As Amended).

The said provision captures the power of the body to so act in the following words; “The Commis-

sion shall establish sufficient number of Polling stations in each ward and shall allot voters in such Polling Stations”. Assuming (without conceding) the critics of the proposed exercise had established their claim against the electoral body, the commission can still not be said to have violated the provisions of the law. The reason is that the Act does not stipulate the number of units to be allotted to each state. The discretion in doing so remains the exclusive power of the commission and it appeared to have exercised this discretion fairly and justly in the foregoing circumstance.

Rather than pooh-pooh the proposed exercise, Nigerians should rally behind the commission in her quest towards finding a lasting solution to electoral ills in our system. The 2015 election is too crucial for us as a nation to be hijacked by some of these tribal and religious bigots in the garb of elderstatesmen and political analysts.

• Barrister Okoro Gabriel, Ebonyi State.

that unwritten political arrangement and initiative. He ruled for eight years.

His successor, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua, died while in power. The doctrine of necessity was invoked, and it facilitated and paved the way for the emergence of Dr. Good-Luck Jonathan as president in 2010.

President Jonathan inherited most of the problems that are afflicting us, today. But, has he done much to tackle them, effectively and deci-

sively?

Our educational system is in tatters with millions of unemployable university graduates roaming the streets. Power supply, which is the chief driver of industrial development in any country, is erratic, here.

Some major federal roads in the country are so rutted that they bring back memories of dilapidated thoroughfares in war-ravaged countries like Afghanistan, Cambodia and others.

Now, well-heeled Nigerians seek medical treatment for minor ailments like headache and malaria in Europe and America.

Nigeria needs fixing. But achieving national integration and unity and having a competent and patriotic political leadership are keys that will unlock our potentials and take Nigeria to a great height.

• Chiedu Uche Okoye, Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State

That old Post Office at Ifon, Ondo State IR: Three years ago the DSTV’s History Channel treated its Nigerian viewers to a fascinating science fiction series titled “Life After People”. The film imaginatively depicted what would happen to the world, as we presently know it, if all human life suddenly ceased to exist.

Landmark locations such as New York Central Park, Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Space Needle (Seattle, USA) and other skyscrapers were shown being eventually overtaken by fungi, creeping plants, forests and animals. The degradation levels were shown at varying intervals of time up to 1000 years.

In retrospect, if the producers of this film had known the Nigerian terrain, they could, before producing this film, have visited the old Post Office in Ifon town in Ondo State to have an idea of what a building would look like after 30 years of total abandonment to the elements.

Historically, Ifon in Ondo State was a colonial administrative seat until 1925 when it lost the status to Owo. It reclaimed this status in 1972 when Owo Division was created and Ifon was made the administrative headquarters. During that time it had Osogbo, now capital of Osun

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State, among its peers. Ifon town is now the headquarters of Ose Local Government Area which was created in 1989.

The Old Ifon Post Office was commissioned by the Queen of England, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in February 1956 during her first official visit to Nigeria. She was accompanied to Ifon by the then Governor-General Sir James Robertson. Ifon people vividly remember the Queen sleeping the night at Ifon at the residence of late Chief Asaboro. The post office building then was state-of-the-art, complete with a mini telephone (PABX) exchange, sorting room, an external letter box house and a postmaster residential quarter.

As soon as a bigger post office was built at the outskirts of the town in the mid-80’s, the old post office was completely abandoned and is presently an eyesore in the town centre.

NIPOST and other relevant federal authorities are please enjoined to put the old building into some form of commercial use or transform it into a National Heritage Site.

• Dapo Fakorede Ijapo Estate, Akure, Ondo State.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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COMMENTS

The future of Nigeria

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NE of the reasons for the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 was the economic complementarity of the two British protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria.

In other words, it was an economic union but it is not certain that Sir Fredrick Lugard who was behind the amalgamation was prescient enough to hope that economic integration will lead to political integration. In fact, he tried to preserve the political, social and cultural dichotomies of the two regions of Nigeria as he met them. He did try to import indirect rule into the south-western part of the country with its strong indigenous monarchies which he wrongly equated with the northern emirate system and where there were no chiefs in the largely acephalous south-eastern part of Nigeria, he gave warrants to any strong man he could find in the society to become chiefs . This import of the northern emirate system into the south did not always work out. In fact evidence exists to suggest that it led to disaffection and revolt against the colonial government and its surrogates in the South. At an official level, the colonial administration tried to separate people of the South and the North with the effect that southerners living in the northern part of Nigeria lived in the strangers’ quarters or outskirts of towns appropriately named Sabon Garis (new towns). The same thing happened to northern Nigerians living in southern Nigerian towns. So there developed segregated townships, one for native and indigenous inhabitants and the other for their fellow countrymen and women coming from outside the regions. The two local administrations were also separated; the northern part of the country until the 1940s was ruled by orders-in-council meaning by the colonial officials in collaboration with the Emirs while there was an element of democratisation in the south beginning from 1923 when elections were held in Lagos and Calabar to choose educated Nigerians into the legislative council of Nigeria in which the representatives of the North were largely colonial officials. It was not until 1946 that attempts were made to bring the North into the mainstream of Nigerian politics and by this time, the sense of nationalism even though found in the South and in some pockets among educated northerners particularly teachers was not felt in the entire country. The effect of this was that it was easy for the British colonial officials to persuade the northern leadership of imaginary threat from their southern counterparts which led to a comment by a critical colonial official who said that if somehow Nigerians had disappeared from Nigeria even as late as the 1940s, civil war would have broken out between the British officials in the North and the British officials in the South. The point to note is that by the 1950s, Nigerians themselves inherited the prejudice harboured by the British colonial officials in the North and in the South. The result was that when political parties were formed in the 50s, the Jamiyar Mutanen Arewa (JMA) which

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ESTERDAY, Nigeria was 54. As usual, the Federal Government rolled out the drums to celebrate yet another National Day anniversary. The sceptics among us may ask: what are we celebrating? Is it to show that another year has gone by since we turned 53 last year? It is good to celebrate, but it is better to have good reason to celebrate.

To celebrate for the sake of celebration is a waste of resources.

And as we all know these resources are scarce to come by these days.

It is in our character to celebrate; we are good at that. We celebrate just anything when we have easy access to the resources to do so.

Those in government are most guilty of this since they have access to our common wealth which they can use the way they like.

They know how to spend the people's money on their behalf without the people benefiting from such jamborees.

The life of a nation and a man is comparable. Though age may tell on a man and not tell on a nation, but where a nation has nothing to show in terms of growth and development, its age becomes mere number.

Since our independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria, many believe, has been moving round in circles. Its leaders have not done anything to help the country achieve its potential. They are more interested in themselves

metamorphosed into the NPC (Northern Peoples Congress) and the Action Group which developed from the Egbe Omo Oduduwa in the South-west were regional parties formed to challenge the nationalist pretension of the NCNC (National Convention of Nigeria and the Cameroons) formed as far back as 1944 as a mass movement and was later to change its name to the National Council of Nigerian Citizens. There was no national party that cut across all the various ethnic groups.

This shows to a certain extent that amalgamation did not lead to political integration of the country and the seeds of separation and dichotomy that was sown in 1914 has germinated and grown into a strong tree.

Nigeria has witnessed series of ups and downs including a civil war and ethnic, religious and fratricidal conflict in some parts of our country in which people of different ethnic groups have found it necessary to kill one another in order to assert and preserve their identities and hold on to indigenous rights and land. Nigeria has never in its history witnessed the kind of terrorism posed to its very existence by the Boko Haram sect.

This is a sect that originated in Borno State and that has gradually spread to most parts of Northern Nigeria. The programme of this sect is not quite clear but its declared objective as unrealistic as it may sound, is to establish a caliphate in Nigeria where the Sharia will be in full operation. Leadership of the movement seems rather confused about the strategy for achieving this goal. In its campaign of terror which was originally targeted at Christians, members of the Muslim Ummah are now not being spared in this campaign of slaughter and terrorism.

This is why it is difficult to see this movement as a purely Islamic fundamentalist movement. Poverty and hopelessness in the arid North-eastern part of Nigeria may be a contributory factor, but whatever its causes are, which are not very clear, the sovereignty of Nigeria over part of its territory is being challenged. There is evidence to suggest that Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and Al-Shabaab in Somalia have been lending support through training in the use of car bombs and other incendiary devices to the Boko Haram. This is the first challenge in the history of Nigeria where this kind of thing has happened and unfortunately, the use of bombs by this group or its affiliates or other disgruntled elements in the society have spread to such important centres as Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, apart from Maiduguri where killings on a daily basis have become the order of the day.

The military since their intervention in government in 1966 had tried very hard to restructure the country in such a way as to minimise this regional fissiparous tendencies in the country by dividing the country into several smaller states for ease of administration and development. But it is a moot question whether the sense of separate ethnic identity among Nigerian peoples have been minimised. In fact some have suggested

that the military itself as a way of control found it convenient to encourage this sense of separate ethnic identity among Nigerians. After the end of military rule, the politicians have not helped matters because they too have not been able to form country-wide political associations rooted in Jide national ideology.

Osuntokun The fact is that most political parties in Nigeria seem to be agglomerations or associations of people formed largely for sharing what is euphemistically referred to as the national cake. The result is that Nigerian politics is about sharing rather than baking the national cake and this sharing is done along ethnic lines and those shut out of the sharing usually feel left out to the point of eagerness to bring down the whole national architecture on everybody’s heads. While this is going on, the task of creating necessary infrastructure on which to build a virile nation and an industrial economy that would provide jobs for the teeming youthful population has been abandoned. It seems every successive government becomes more and more corrupt, inefficient and inept than the previous ones. There is no place in the world that is not afflicted by some form of the cancer of corruption. In the first world of Europe and America, this problem is dealt with using appropriate, sure and immediate sanctions to discourage others who may want to indulge in corruption. But in the third world countries, the crime of corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of society because of uncertain sanctions. In the case of Nigeria, it is not unusual to see people arrested for corruption but they are invariably released after a few days and nothing is heard about it anymore. This has made the problem to fester to such an extent that the public thinks nothing can be done about it. In third world countries such as Nigeria where institutions and structures are weak, leadership is almost everything. If leaders show the way, people will follow. In Nigeria, people tend to see a dichotomy between private and public morality. People who do what is proper in their private lives go ahead to indulge in public corruption. This is rather strange for a country of church and mosque goers. If there was a competition among corrupt nations in the world, Nigeria would be one of the champions.

54 years in wilderness than in what they can do for the country. Nigeria has the capacity to be great, but sadly, the kind of leaders it has been saddled with all these years, does not have what it takes to take it to the promised land. Unlike the children of Israel, who spent 430 years in bondage in Egypt, God was so kind to us that we did not spend that long under British colonialism.

What then is delaying our progress after surmounting the odds of colonialism? Where did we miss our way? What is the problem? As Shakespeare said, the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings.

The problem of Nigeria is simply that of leadership. We have been unlucky in the type of leaders we get. They are those who do not care about the nation but themselves and their families. To them, as long as it is well with them and their families, the country can go to blazes. They come to office, promising heaven and earth, but they end up doing nothing.

They lack vision and are clueless. The Bible put it succinctly, where there is no vision, the people perish. Nigerians are suffering for the lack of vision of their leaders. The vision they have is to loot, loot and loot. Where do we go from here? Must things

‘See what our leaders have made of our independence, which some countries went to war to attain. If after 54 years of independence we are still crawling, at what age will we then walk? At 70, which is just 16 years away?’

continue like this? Why is a nation so blest suffering lack? Why are the people of a nation suffused with oil living in poverty?

God wanted us to attain greatness without breaking much sweat and so allowed us to be liberated from Britain without a fight with our colonial masters.

Even, the 30-month civil war could not stop our march to greatness.

But, we missed our way by not following God's plan for our nation's life. Many are asking today whether it would not have been better to remain under British colonial rule than the self government we have been practising in the past 54 years. With what we are witnessing now, we cannot even say that the future is bright.

How can the future be bright with those at the helm of affairs today?

Yes, the Jonathan apologists will say that he did not get us into this mess. Ask them, what has their man done to get us out of it? You will shudder at the tissue of lies that will come out of their mouths in their bid to defend the indefensible.

They will tell you that their benefactor has confronted terrorism frontally, yet Boko Haram continues to run rings round the Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. Their man has ''fought terrorism to a halt'', yet the Chibok girls are still in captivity, 171 days after their abduction from their school in the wee hours of April 14. Indeed, have Nigerians not been enjoying stable power supply since the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)? Have companies which relocated to Ghana, Benin, Cote d'ivoire and Togo not

returned? Are the textile mills not running efficiently again? Have generator distributors not packed up and moved to other countries since Nigeria is no longer good for their business?

In the past 54 years, we have been in wilderness because of lacklustre leadership. We are in the wilderness of corruption, mismanagement, failed public utilities and a comatose real sector. But things were never as bad as they have been in the past four years. There is no hope of a better tomorrow because of the insistence of some people that the same leadership must remain in place in 2015. The older generation of the Israelites did not get to the promised land because they doubted the power of God to deliver them. The promise of God to them was to move forward, but on the way, they questioned His power to deliver them, wondering whether His servant, Moses, actually heard from Him or had his own plan to kill them while in transit to the promised land. hey taxed the Lord's pa tience as our leaders have been doing in the past 54 years. God gave us freedom on a platter of gold so that we can come to ours within a few years.

But see what our leaders have made of this freedom, which some countries went to war to attain. If after 54 years of independence we are still crawling, at what age will we then walk? At 70, which is just 16 years away? Those that started this journey with us have gone far. They have since left us behind in the race of life.

Even Ghana, our next door neighbour is not the same Ghana we used to know in the 1980s

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Lawal Ogienagbon lawal.ogienagbon@thenationonlineng.net SMS ONLY: 08099400204, 08112661612

when things were difficult for that country. Ghana whose citizens did menial jobs here in the 80s has since overcome its challenge and now has a thriving economy. This is why many companies are leaving Nigeria today for Ghana. Mind you, I love Nigeria because it is my country, but I would not be blinded by that love not to point out its ills. Our leaders have, over the years, been our problem. Unfortunately, Jonathan is not making things better. All the same, happy anniversary, Nigeria.

171 DAYS AFTER

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WHERE ARE THE ABDUCTED CHIBOK GIRLS?

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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COMMENTS

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S stated on this page last week, PDP has defined itself as a party that wants to hold on to the disproportionate share of our resources its members have cornered.

Stealing government money, they have said is not corruption. Exploitation of our innermost fears, promoting ethnic and religious divisiveness to win election is acceptable.

While most Nigerians feel a sense of shame that our Chibok girls are still marooned in the forest after four months, the party junkets around the nation celebrating decampees, followed by series of carnivals in some selected cities by TAN at the end of which it presented Jonathan as its star for 2015. They just don’t give a damn.

Unfortunately, unlike PDP, even with the exit of Ali Modu Sheriff, Tom IKimi and Femi Fani-Kayode until recently the public face of APC which has pulled all the stops for the greater part of the year to be a carbon copy of PDP, the party has yet to clearly define itself.

The public declaration of Atiku Abubakar who shares a PDP vision of power, a vision that has driven him from PDP to AC, back to PDP and now APC, for the party’s presidential ticket has only reinforced the impression that the two parties are the same side of a coin.

And even for the core supporters of APC, it is not unlikely that for the fear of having their ears jarred by Atiku’s declaration, many might have not cared to listen to his familiar tone.

And unfortunately for APC, while the electorates know what President Jonathan and his PDP represent, they cannot say the same of Atiku Abubakar whether clothed in the cloak of PDP or APC. It is equally depressing that preparation for Buhari’s declaration is in top gear with the party behaving as if there are no lessons to be learnt from our recent history. The problem is not just that the duo have contested several times, labelled serial losers by PDP or that Buhari is over 70 in a world run by those in their thirties and forties. Or that nearer home, Zik, Ahmadu Bello, Awo, Bode Thomas, Rotimi Williams, Enahoro, Akintola, FaniKayode, Osuntokun, and Ikoku made their major contributions to our national development in their thirties and early forties; it is just that the duo are unelectable looking at our geo-political configuration.

Buhari, unarguably is about the best Nigerian leader to face our nation’s daunting problems. He is the answer to PDP corruption, Jonathan indecision, society’s indiscipline and his party endless squabbling. Buhari has proved our problem is leadership and corruption. During his short stay as Head of state, our refineries worked. We earned foreign exchange selling refined petroleum. We did not import grain. Our problem became how

N

IGERIANS are a funny lot. Oh, do I even say we are funny? I think we are simply unique. We always claim we are enlightened, yet we don’t seem to put that into use when dealing with certain social and political issues. Is there any country where rumour mongering thrives the way it does in Nigeria? I seriously doubt. At times, when you see an educated person discussing an issue that he does not have facts and figures on, simply ask him a simple question: have you tried to find out the true position of things? He is likely to shrug his shoulders and tell you that everyone, including himself, is discussing it.

For many, this is likely to be the case with the ‘raging’ controversy surrounding the decision by the management of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, to ask prospective corps members to buy a scratch card with which to download their call-up letters online. NYSC, acording to the rumour mill, asked them to pay N4000 before they could collect their call-up letters; in other worss, pay N4000 to serve their country. At least, that is the version of the story that the rumour mill was feeding members of the public. Do I say that your truly was also sucked

‘If convenience and safety are the names of the game, which option will someone who finished from, say the University of Benin, but who resides in Lagos, pick? Brave the elements, square up with the inherent dangers and hit the Benin-Ore expressway to go and pick his or her call up letter or just raise N4000 and buy the scratch card?’

2015: The choice before APC to store what was locally produced. He rejected IMF-inspired SAP which was later accepted by Babangida. Buhari was vindicated as Babangida’s indiscretion and unpatriotic act led to the collapse of all our industries.

But Babangida, David Mark and Gusau, Buharis’ nemesis, along with other greedy politicians who wanted Buhari out of the way to run the country in their own image along with their laboratory-incubated ‘new breed’ politicians have been in charge in the last 15 years. Now Jonathan with his exploitation of our fears and anxieties that have found expression in ethnic suspicion among our multi ethnic groups, mindless killings of innocent people in the middle belt states of the country by yet-to-be-identified so-called Fulani herdsmen, it is leaders like Buhari, a Fulani who is deeply committed to his Islamic religion no less than president Jonathan, an Ijaw is to his Christian fundamentalist beliefs, that suffer the collateral damage of the exploitation of our ethnic and religious differences.

The forces against him today are as potent as they were in 1985, 2003, 2007 and 2011.

Buhari shares a common fate with Awo. He was the most qualified Nigerian leader in terms of achievements, preparation and commitment to the poor in our nation at independence. But within two years of independence, the parasitic political and economic elite across the land unjustly sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment, installed Akintola, a man who had been constitutionally removed by his party, without election, went ahead to rig the 1965 regional election in his favour while keeping Awo in Calabar prison.

He was brought out of prison by Gowon to make useful contribution to the successful prosecution of the civil war caused by the greed of the political elites from the north and east. When in 1979, he wanted to bring his expertise to solve some of our nation’s

problems, Obasanjo said the most competent man didn’t have to win. The erstwhile enemies, the parasitic political and economic elite from the east and the north who derailed the first republic once again went into a coalition which predictably collapsed over sharing of nation’s booty. In 1983, during Awo’s last attempt, the forces against him and by extension against Nigeria almost ensured he did not get a running mate from the north and east. Once again, it was the greed of NPN, an umbrella body for political and economic parasites that led to the collapse of the second republic which heralded Buhari as head of a military junta in 1985.

With Awo’s ‘adventure in power’ between 1962 and 1979, he had no business contesting the 1983 election. He ought to have sat back to tender the UPN which he was a major investor. Buhari today is faced with similar option. The reasons are obvious. For 2015, the greedy PDP northern political elite fearing Buhari presidency would drive them out of town, the middle belt, victims of recent mindless killing by yet-to-be-identified socalled Fulani herdsmen has been programmed to believe the fear of a Fulani man is the beginning of wisdom. The South-south and South-east, contractors and importers of sub-standard goods that enjoy government waivers, hiding under the banner of ethnicity and religion while sucking the blood of the dispossessed in their midst, have proclaimed Jonathan as the liberator of the Igbo and the long awaited Ijaw messiah. They have, without proof, declared Buhari, who secured no votes in the area in 2011, a ‘Boko Haram sponsor and leader of a ‘janjaweed party’. In the South-west, he is haunted by his role as a military dictator among the old and those below 30 who were never taught history at school have become captives of prosperity prophets, backers of Jonathan. How does those

nudging Buhari on expect him to walk this ‘tight rope’ over a sea of greedy and selfish Ijaw and Igbo sharks with injured anti-Fulani predators impatiently waiting at the beach?

What then are the options for APC if they are to avoid the mistake of the past? In a liberal democracy political parties are owned by oligarchs who have stakes in the survival of society. In the US, the Republican and the Democrats pursue the same objective. Social change is evolutionary. Buhari, Tinubu Audu Ogbe and other party oligarch should take control of their political party and set up a presidential committee to screen young men for the party’s presidential ticket. Buhari like Awo has nothing else to prove. He, like Awo has been vindicated in his life time by history. With his goodwill, any candidate he endorses and sells to the nation along with his fellow APC oligarchs will be acceptable to Nigerians who feel diminished by PDP’s clueless response to our domestic problems.

Edward Kennedy from the records of his achievement as second longest serving American senator was the best president America never had because he was haunted by his July18 1969 Chappaquiddick bridge accident which led to the death of his female passenger trapped in his car when it plunged into a river. After his last encounter with Jimmy Carter, he moved on to mentor two great American Presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama who have already earned their places in American history. If he along with his colleagues in APC succeeds in liberating Nigeria from PDP, he can then also sit back like the late Senator Edward Kennedy and say: “For all those whose cares have been our concern; The work goes on, the cause endures, and the hopes still lives; And the dream shall never die”

‘In the South-west, he is haunted by his role as a military dictator among the old, and those below 30 who were never taught history at school have become captives of prosperity prophets, backers of Jonathan.

How does those nudging Buhari on expect him to walk this ‘tight rope’ over a sea of greedy and selfish Ijaw and Igbo sharks with injured anti-Fulani predators impatiently waiting at the beach?’

Rumour mill and the NYSC fee

By Olufemi Adegoke in by the story? Yeah, I was. But I just decided to go a step further. Why should a body like the NYSC charge prospective corps members such amount of money all because they wanted to get their call-up letters? But wait a minute, do most Nigerians double-check before going to town over an issue?

These are the things I was able to find out concerning the call-up letter imbroglio. The most significant is that NYSC gave options – in fact, two options. A prospective corps member can buy scratch card and go online and do all the things he or she needs to do so that he or she already has his or her table ready before getting to the camp. This option includes doing registration online (which usually takes at least 36 hours in the camp upon reporting) and then downloading the call-up letter and even the biometrics would have been done online. The other option is that the prospective corps member goes to her school where he or she has just finished, and then picks up his or her call-up letter by hand and then proceeds to the state where he or she has been posted to. If I am not making a mistake here, I think this is very straightforward and the choice, if again I am correct, is that of the prospective corps member: you can either raise the N4000 and then proceed to the cyber café beside your house and do everything online or go to your school and pick up your call-up letter and proceed to your orientation camp.

Does the NYSC have some fault here? Yes, it surely does. And that fault stems from the fact that not enough information and communication were provided as far as this novel idea is concerned. People resist change and that is natural. But that change becomes doubly challenging when it comes with parting with your hard-earned money. Clearly, the idea of asking people to pay to collect their

call-up letters will surely raise eyebrows, mainly because it represents a departure from the norm. Most of us who did that mandatory one-year national youth service are aware that we just went to the universities and polytechnics where we finished and picked up our callup letters. And may I also say that it was easier then. No insecurity like this and one could sleep even by the roadside, if stranded, with both eyes closed. If you were to fear anything, perhaps it had to be natural elements.

However, I think we need to look at the issue from what we call opportunity cost and alternative foregone in elementary economics. If convenience and safety are the names of the game, which option will someone who finished from, say the University of Benin, but who resides in Lagos, pick? Brave the elements, square up with the inherent dangers and hit the Benin-Ore expressway to go and pick his or her call up letter or just raise N4000 and buy the scratch card? In fact, if this option of a scratch card was available when I was to go for my orientation camp at the Black Gold Orientation Camp, Kaduna, some 18 years ago, I would have grabbed it with both hands.

I finished from the then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti and I came to Lagos immediately after finishing with my clearance. When the NYSC call-up letter came, I had to hit the road to Ado-Ekiti where I picked up the letter. I then came back to Lagos again before proceeding to Kaduna. You can imagine the stress!

I have deliberately brought up these options and my own personal experience to let Nigerians know that at times, we do not look at the larger picture when we are passing judgment. This is by no means a case of trying to help NYSC plead its case. I want to believe the body has enough hands in its public affairs department to tackle the issue. But this write-up aims to deal with two issues simul-

taneously. And those issues are the fact that Nigerians should always get their facts right before condemning any policy by any government agency. Can government be trusted in this part of the world? I seriously doubt that. In fact, going by the unsavoury experience of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment fiasco, every Nigerian has all the reasons in the world to be circumspect when asked by government agency to pay for any service.

In this regard, I can understand the indifference. But indifference is again quite different from deliberately consuming misinformation when technology has made life less miserable for us when it comes to information gathering and verification. It is high time we collectively dried up the oil that keeps the rumour mill running in our society. Again, I am not deluding myself that the handlers of the rumour mill would not have another issue to feast on tomorrow whenever they consider the NYSC N4000 controversy too stale to keep on the front burner. They will surely have. And in most cases, it has to do with one government decision or the other. That is the nature of the society we live in. But we can change it.

And in ending this, I still go back to the main issue: the NYSC N4000 call-up letter ‘fee’.

As earlier stated, the issue here is that of commonsense: will you spend N4000 and get your call-up letter within the confines of your sitting room (if you have internet connection in your house) or go to your university and pick it? It is a choice that is purely that of the person involved. The key issue here, as I have found out, is that NYSC is not forcing any prospective NYSC member to buy into that option and that is the main reason why the controversy surrounding the issue is needless.

• Adefeso writes from Lagos

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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HERE I have my home in America, there are farms in all directions. It is true that America is the world’s greatest country of technology, industries, hitech inventions, etc. But America is also the world’s greatest home of farming. The state of California alone produces and exports more food that any sovereign country besides America. So too does the state of New York. If all national barriers to food importations were cancelled by all countries, America could feed the entire world. That is the truest picture of national prosperity.

Though Nigeria is not as large as America, Nigeria can also produce most of the world’s food. And the Nigerian South-west can compare quite creditably with California or New York. It is all a matter of proper governance, proper planning, proper attention to farming and to farmers.

In particular, we in the South-west already have the tool. Education is the tool for making progress in all directions in the modern world. We have made ourselves one of the world’s most educated peoples. Education is today’s sharp tool – and we hold it in our hand.

The first step into our farming revolution should be to spread the word around – in our governments, among our leaders and politicians, in our schools, colleges and universities, in our social clubs, in all our towns and villages and farmsteads, everywhere. And the word is that we as a nation are returning very seriously to winning the gold from our soil again.

For those of us who have become used to thinking that farming is not an occupation for the educated or the rich – but an occupation fit only for the illiterate, the aged and the poor – here is some information to ponder.

Successful farming is a major pillar of the economic prosperity of almost every one of the leading industrialized countries of the world – such as America, Britain, Germany and Russia. Farming is also a big pillar of the growing prosperity of rising Third-world countries like Brazil, China, Argentina, India, etc.

Israel is a small desert country, a young country founded only in 1948. The Israeli leaders knew from the beginning that their country must make a success of farming if it was to succeed at all. Today, Israel is one of the leading exporters of fruits and vegetables in the world. Starting from the prosperity in farming, Israel has now become one of the leading technological and industrial countries in the

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Let us seriously begin to prosper world.

It is therefore almost certain that if we in Nigeria or the Nigerian South-west do not make a success of farming, we will not make a success of our general economy. In other words, if we want to conquer the poverty that is now buffeting us, the place to start is to make a success of our farming right away. It is that clear and simple. Waiting for the oil of the Niger Delta is, for more than 99% of Nigerians, particularly of the Yoruba people of the South-west, waiting for more poverty and more suffering. Waiting for our state governments to provide employment for most of us from the handouts that they get from the oil money from Abuja monthly, is inviting disaster upon ourselves and our families.

In recent years in our South-west, our governments have been paying some attention to agriculture, but, unfortunately, they have been following Nigeria’s insane practice of holding everything in the hands of governments and bureaucrats – and therefore achieving no real success. We need to learn how other Third-world countries are creating a virile class of modern farmers.

For a start, our governments must immediately begin to encourage and assist us private citizens to invest in farming. All of us belonging to the younger generations in the Southwest are educated. That is an asset. Quite a good number of us who are educated have some education in some aspect of agriculture or business. That is another asset. Many of us (professionals, businessmen, political leaders and civil servants) command some financial resources or some access to finance. That is a great asset. To make immediate success with farming, our governments must immediately encourage and entice our people to divert some of these assets into farming.

Here are a few examples from some other Third-world countries. For Ivory Coast to become a very successful agricultural products exporter (exporting vegetables, pine apples and other fruits and cocoa) in the 1950s, the country’s first president, Felix HouphuetBoigny, showed the way by going into very big farming. (I visited his extensive farms in

ITH President Goodluck Jonathan’s endorsement for a second term by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria is shaping up to be a marketing contest. It promises to be a time when creative framing of the contest will be decisive. And with barely five months to the February 14, 2015 presidential election, it is apt to do a comparative analysis of how sellable are the two front runners, in the race – incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress ( APC).

President Jonathan has two major advantages over any other opponent – name recognition and the power of incumbency which affords him the leverage to create dramatic events and make policy decisions which can advance his chances at the polls. If, for instance, he musters the courage to further reduce fuel price, induce accelerated trial and eventual jailing of fuel subsidy scammers, sack police commissioners in states where kidnapping has become thriving business, and get the army to take the fight to the Boko Haram insurgents, he can fairly blunt his perception as a fumbling, ‘clueless’ anti-people leader who gives no damn about the suffering of the masses. It can also begin to indicate that he has not been in consort with, or a patron saint of, the corrupt oligarchy. The poser is: Can he?

Of course, no leader at the level of the Presidency will not have ‘achievements’ to celebrate. The task for Jonathan’s marketing agents - and we have a plethora of them with the rambunctious Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) taking the cake is itemizing those populist programmes and projects which have transformed the peoples’ lives. Statistics don’t sell with the masses; what are those Jonathan policy measures which touch lives of citizens, directly. What are the tangibles?

However, one achievement President Jonathan can rightly boast of is being a democrat, allowing the people’s will to prevail in elections, by citing the governorship elections in Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti states and most recently Osun, the so-called militarisation of the process in the last two states notwithstanding. Also, there is, to some extent, the perception of President Jonathan as being tolerant of criticisms going by the stridency of some of his critics, which occasionally degenerate to name calling, with some columnists tagging him as ‘clueless’ and a serpent.

Our president says he is not a Pharaoh or a General and projects as your regular, unpretentious village boy. Let no one be deceived. It is becoming obvious that behind his manufactured humble mien lurk a strong willed streak and a cunning which neutralize opposition without being seen as a demolishing Leviathan, a bulldozer. You remember that General turned-farmer, who became a two-term president and brashly showed us he was a Power Hurricane? The Otueke village boy has quietly humbled him without a fuss. Just as he has neutralized those vociferous Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) grandstanders most of whom are yesterday’s men seeking relevance in today’s politics. The saturation campaign of Jonathan’s foot soldiers, nationwide, has had the effect of intimidating potential challengers in his party, the PDP, thus leading to his unanimous adoption as party presidential

the 1970s). Many prominent citizens followed his example, and then many common folks.

The first Prime Minister of Israel, Dr. Ben Gurion, gave up political leadership and became a farmer in a settlement that was turning a desert into farms – and thus contributed much to the Israeli farming miracle. In Brazil, there are many factories processing and exporting farm products. In one such factory – an enormous tomato processing factory outside Sao Paulo – I watched farmers coming to deliver truck-loads of tomato for a whole day. It was the same in a company that I visited in the Philippines – a company exporting fresh and canned pine-apples to the United States. Argentina is a major exporter of beef because many in the Argentinian elite invest in cattle ranching.

In summary, for those of us who already command some assets, the opportunities are virtually limitless in crop farming, crop packaging, crop processing, livestock raising, meat processing, various export businesses, agricultural machinery importation, sales, rentals, and servicing, etc. Agricultural machines are the tools of modern farming. It is important to realize that, for our educated folks, the age of hoes and cutlasses has passed.

Men who import agricultural machinery, and those who sell, rent out, service, and operate agricultural machinery, are the life-blood of modern farming. For our educated youths, the door is also open for inventions of various kinds of farming tools and food processing tools, as well as for various new kinds of processed foods, snacks, spices, etc, for home consumption and for export. A businessman whom I met in South Korea made his wealth through packaging and exporting South Korean native spices and herbs. In such ventures, our country is virgin land – a land in which the enterprising and sagacious can quickly amass a fortune.

The beautiful grasslands of the northernmost parts of Yorubaland must turn into cattle ranches belonging to rich Yoruba ranchers, and we must become a net exporter of meat products. We must recover our position as one of the world’s largest exporters of co-

Gbogun gboro coa. We must expand cocoa acreage in our forestlands, and replace our old and tired cocoa trees with new and better quality trees.

And we must re-energize our Cocoa Produce Marketing Unions.

Finally, our state governments are, of course, our frontline assets in this revolution.

It is they who must chart the plans, lay out the rules, and do most of the motivating of our people. Happily, they are already awake to these tasks. In the agenda for South-western Regional Integrated Development, agriculture leads the way. The awareness already exists; all that is now needed is that they must approach it right. They must believe that we the common people can get it done.

‘The beautiful grasslands of the northern-most parts of Yorubaland must turn into cattle ranches belonging to rich Yoruba ranchers, and we must become a net exporter of meat products. We must recover our position as one of the world’s largest exporters of cocoa. We must expand cocoa acreage in our forestlands, and replace our old and tired cocoa trees with new and better quality trees’

The big sell: Jonathan versus Buhari

By Bisi Olawunmi candidate. The continuing saturation awareness campaign strategy is also intended to numb the people to feel there is no effective, alternative choice in the opposition to his candidacy. Those not sold on Candidate Jonathan may choose not to vote, but then even a 30 percent voter turnout does not invalidate the election. It is a situation where voter apathy may work to Jonathan’s advantage. After all, is democracy not turning into a rule of the minority?

Now to General Muhammadu Buhari. How do we place this General in terms of electoral permutation and marketing?

Buhari, in terms of name recognition, personal integrity and consistency is the most sellable candidate for the APC. But a Buhari presidential bid suffers two major setbacks - that of limited time to project him as well as frame the campaign issues and an apparent funding limitation. The procrastination of his party, the APC, in projecting him as the putative candidate, has not helped matters, thus allowing all kinds of political opportunists to jostle for the party’s presidential ticket under a nebulous internal democracy mantra. It is turning out a chaotic terrain, especially with some party leaders and APC sympathetic columnists articulating weird presidential ticket permutations, including that of a Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, a PDP stalwart, as the party’s presidential candidate, if he defects. It does not get more desperate and befuddled!

There is also an unexplainable lethargy in APC awareness campaign nationwide. As noted by Tatalo Alamu in his Snooper column in The Nation of Sunday of August 31, “like an overweight sprinter, the APC has been slow to get off the starting block”. It is rather ludicrous seeing APC’s spokesmen whining that Jonathan’s foot soldiers shouldn’t be on the campaign trail. Who is stopping APC following suit? It would appear the Buhari strategists suffer the same lethargy, like the party, in getting a Buhari saturation awareness campaign off the block. It ignores two realities – that a presidential election is a marathon, not a 100 meters dash and that at presidential election level, the candidate, not the party, is the focal point. That is why it is now more of selling the candidate, his persona, his credibility.

The main advantage and attraction of a Buhari candidacy, and putative Presidency, is his perception as an incorruptible person who can be trusted to confront the cancer of corruption that is ravaging the country, head on. It is the one issue which, properly articulated, and coupled with that of insecurity, can determine the presidential election outcome in Buhari’s favour. This is where framing the election issue becomes crucial. Two American presidential elections were determined, basically, on just one issue each - weak leadership in the Carter- Reagan 1980 election, and insecurity/crime in the Bush versus Dukakis election in 1988. I covered both election campaigns, live. The Chibok girls’ abduc-

tion by Boko Haram insurgents is a scene reminiscent of Iranian militants holding Americans hostage at the U.S Embassy in Teheran in 1979 for several months up to Election Day in November 1980 which projected President Jimmy Carter to the American people as a weak leader who cannot assert American power to free the hostages. Then Governor Ronald Reagan, who had vowed to confront the Iranians with the American might, whatever it takes, won the election in a landslide, Carter winning only in two of the 50 states - his native Georgia and Minnesota, the state of his running mate, Walter Mondale.

In the 1988 electoral battle between Vice President George H.W. Bush (Republican) and the Governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis (Democrat), the Bush campaign turned the table on front runner Dukakis by projecting him as soft on crime and liberal with criminals, exemplifying this with Dukakis’ granting of parole to a jailed rapist, Willie Horton, in Massachusetts only for the convict to go to Maryland state to commit another rape. Although Dukakis engineered economic renewal of Massachusetts state, and promised similar economic miracle nationwide, the Bush campaign framed the election as a security/crime issue and vigorously projected a crime-ridden America under a Dukakis Presidency which persuaded the American people to vote for security, thus ending the presidential hopes of Dukakis. It was a classic example of campaign issue framing.

Both candidates Jonathan and Buhari carry some baggage.

Given Nigeria’s state of insecurity and rampant corruption, which are generally seen to have worsened under Jonathan’s watch, President Jonathan’s re-election becomes a hard sell to the Nigerian electorate, while the perception of Buhari, in some quarters, as a religious fanatic and northern irredentist are burdens he would need to discharge. Buhari also suffers the additional disadvantage of limited campaign penetration, which can, however, be mitigated if creative campaigning is applied in the time available. Ultimately, two factors will be decisive in the 2015 presidential election– voter turnout and perception management. In the 2011 presidential election, 38.2 million people voted as against 66.8 million registered voters, representing about 55 percent voter turnout. The party that can mobilise more of its supporters to cast their ballots will be at an advantage. On perception management, a projection of President Jonathan as a seemingly ‘harmless’ person who flows with the tide may attract a ‘let him be’ vote for a second term from an indulgent electorate while a vigorous marketing of Buhari as a selfless patriot, the liberator from the bondage of corruption and insecurity could persuade the voters to cast their ballots for the ascetic General. It is a potential cliff hanger.

However, given the imponderables of politics, anything can happen, between now and the February 14, 2015 vote, to change the calculations.

• Dr. Olawunmi, teaches Mass Communication at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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THE NATION

EDUCATION

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

NIGERIA @ 54

•Even in the West, the ‘Bring back our girls’ chorus reechoes.

Nigeria was 54 yesterday. Yet, there seems to be nothing to cheer about the country. Like Nigeria, education is moving round in circles. From strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) to the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, the sector has never had it this bad. The over 200 school girls abducted from Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, in April are yet to be released, 174 days after. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA reports.

A sector’s unending crisis N

IGERIA celebrated its 53rd anniversary last year in the heat of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike.

In the preceding month of September, President Goodluck Jonathan fired the Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai and she returned to her constituency, ASUU, which strike she tried to break while in office. A professor of Education Curriculum, Prof Rufai’ returned to the Bayero University Kano (BUK) where she was teaching before joining the Jigawa State Executive Council in 2007, and later the Jonathan cabinet in 2011.

Incidentally, ASUU president Dr Isa Fagge is also from BUK While ASUU called off its about six months strike early December, having ageed on certain resolutions with the Federal Government, ASUP stuck to its gun, leaving the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, as supervising minister to resolve the debacle.

During his tenure as Supervising Minister, Wike was unable to tackle the problem.

Rather, he and ASUP engaged in a war of words. ASUP president Dr Chibuzor Asomugha accused Wike of politicising the

crisis and incapable of handling it.

Stakeholders including the House Committee on Education, parents, National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Education Right Campaign (ERC), among others, called on parties to sheathe their swords for the sake of students.

NAPS, NANS and ERC staged series of protest nationwide to no avail.

Shekarau steps in Things changed in July, when former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau became Minister of Education. While many saw Shekarau’s appointment as a mere political move by a desperate government, others believed he would make a difference, being an educationist.

A former National President of the All Confederation of Principals in Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS), Shekarau’s achievements, particularly in education when he was governor, many believed, would be replicated at the national level.

ASUP suspends strike Shekarau was barely two weeks in office

INSIDE

Student suspended for leading protest -Page 27

Court reinstates sacked Ondo Poly workers

-Page 28

when ASUP suspended its 11-month-old strike. How Shekarau was able to achieve this, no one knows. Sources, however, said on resumption, Shekarau invited ASUP leadership, pleading that they called off the strike so as to give him more time to appraise the issues.

Though Dr Asomugha announced that the strike was only “suspended” for three months, “to allow the new Education Minister study their demands and take appropriate action”, many knew that was the end of the crisis.

“The decision to call off the strike is in consonance with the demand of the present Minister of Education, Alhaji Abrahim Shekarau to allow him study our demands,” explained Asomugha while urging his colleagues to return to the classroom without further delay.

“All ASUP is asking for is that government makes commitment on when and how the issues will be resolved.’’

To allay public fear, the Federal Government initially shifted schools’ resumption from September 13 to October 13.

Shekarau, who directed that schools close down with immediate effect, said the measure was to mobilise the education sector against EVD in schools nationwide. The decision jolted many private schools which by then had begun the summer coaching associated with long vacation.

Shekarau promised that the government would offer free seminar to teachers on the EVD. He also said every primary and secondary school would be given blood pressure monitors, and that schools are expected to nominate two members of staff for the EVD training.

After a meeting between the House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), a new date- September 21 was arrived at for resumption. But while many private schools have commenced academic activities nationwide, many state governments, except few such as Kwara State resumed Monday last week while others shifted resumption till Monday next week, after the Eid-El-Fitri celebrations.

The EVD crisis The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) turned out his first baptism of fire. EVD which was imported into the country on July 20 by the late Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer, took its toll on education.

CAMPUS LIFE

Increase in education budget In January hopes were buoyed when the government raised the sector’s 2014 budget

•A 10-page section on campus news, people etc

Students hooked on hookah -Page 29

• Continued on Page 26

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

EDUCATION

A sector’s unending crisis • Continued from Page 25

by 15 per cent over the previous year’s. Stakeholders described the action as a step in the right direction.

The N493 billion representing 10.7 per cent of the total national budget of N4.6 trillion still falls short of the 26 per cent recommendation for developing countries by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Nonetheless, stakeholders are of the view that the hike would address some of the challenges crippling the sector. That expectation appeared to have been rubbished by the abduction of over 200 school girls by Boko Haram insurgents last April.

Chibok girls’ abduction In the wee hours of April 14, some men in military uniform invaded the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, and abducted over 200 pupils.

Their abduction provoked global fury.

Boko Haram supposed leader Abubakar Shekau (whose the mili-

tary claimed to have killed in Konduga, Borno State few weeks ago), had threatened to sell the girls, according to what he called instructions from Allah.

The country has also come under the butt of global embarrassment.

The Nigerian government has also come under fire for her ineptness to retrieve the girls, protect the population and end Boko Haram terrorist actions. Federal Government has launched series of search exercises with some international assistance to locate the girls, to no avail.

Following incessant cries especially by parents of the abducted girls, Non-Governmental Organisations and other concerned citizens, Federal Government eventually agreed to a swap deal, a condition earlier laid down by Shekau in which some of Boko Haram captured leaders would be exchanged for the kidnapped girls. Many experts in security matter have lent their voices on the issues. Some said the girls may not be found again. Those who believe otherwise argued that even if they are found, their psychological

•Polytechnic students in one of their numerous protests during the strike.

and emotional state can never remain the same as they have been subjected to lots of traumatic experiences during their abduction.

By 14th of this month, it will have

been six months the girls have disappeared. As of 29 June, more than 200 students were still yet to be found. To further complicate matters, no one knows at what stage the

negotiation deal has reached. Last week, one of the girls was found wandering in the bush. Government has since relocated the girl for proper rehabilitation.

How to improve education, by Nigerians Nigerians have expressed their views on what the government can do to improve on education. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, MEDINAT KANABE, OLUWATOSIN OLAWALE, SEUN AKINOLA and JAYEOBA OYEFOLU OLAYINKA report.

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R Adio Peter, an instructor with Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Iba Estate Ojo, Lagos, said the government has not made significant improvement in education, adding that it needs to do more.

Said he: “There isn’t much improvement due to the challenges of infrastructure. The government needs to work on this to enable teachers dispense their duties well.

There should also be a focus on Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The Government still needs to give the necessary support to schools to bring them to standard.

A parent Mr Adebayo Oluwasegun, who lives at Agric, Ikorodu, said: “There is little improvement but the school needs the support of the government on some school amenities to give pupils or student standard education.

Another parent, Mr. Samson Olawale, feels that rather than trade blames, concerted efforts by all is necessary.

“The standard of education of a nation depends not only on the government, but also everybody. I believe the education standard of Nigeria is far below standard compared to 10 or 20 years ago.

“Firstly, the government is supposed to spend much on education, but in Nigeria, government budget is still less because it is not concerned about quality. They are instead after their pocket.

“Many government officials own private schools that children of the poor could hardly attend. They don’t care about what happens to the less privileged. This is the cause of dilapidated facilities in our schools,” Olawale added.

A teacher in Ojo area of Lagos, Mr Sola Olagbamigbe, lamented that employment of would-be

teachers in many states is no longer based on merit, but political compensation.

He said: “Teachers are not employed based on their certificate and qualification, but only because of the godfathers job seekers have at the top and in the ministry. This is the reason teachers no longer give quality service to pupils.

Aside, a drop in reading culture by pupils, Olagbamigbe blames parents for poor monitoring of their wards.

“In addition, there is a reduction in the reading habit of our children who now prefer to use their time for frivolities like watching foreign football matches and browsing on social media, which to me, add no value to knowledge.”

“Also, parents cannot be left out of the blame as many do not devote enough time to train their children, but leave home early for work and return late at night. They often

•Former President Olusegun Obasanjo registered for doctorate degree at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Lagos. With him is NOUN Vice-Chancellor Prof Vincent Tenebe.

leave their children in the hands of housemaids and there is a popular, saying: “You cannot have your cake and eat it.”

Abdullahi Faruk Ayoola, a pupil of Atunrase Senior High School, said governments seem to deploy more teachers in urban areas, advising that same gesture be extended to rural areas.

“For education to be better in Nigeria, the government should transfer more qualified teachers to rural areas and equip the schools with ICT and other necessary tools for teaching.

“Children these days have the opportunity to be taught by qualified teachers and are also exposed to computer education at an early age. The government is also making efforts to better the education system in some parts of the country, but they seem to be less concerned about rural areas.

“We can see that there is a difference between the result of last year’s West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and this year’s and the government should be blamed for the outcome of poor results.

Mrs. Adefolayan Oluwatoyin a teacher in Fortlad International School, Mushin, Lagos also has a different view.

“Education in Nigeria is nothing to reckon with,” Oluwatoyin lamented. “The system is too poor.

Students, who claim to be educated, cannot speak coherent English. Teachers on their part focus more on personal businesses than teaching the pupils for which they were employed; this is making Nigeria education to suffer.

“The Government should also ensure that teachers’ salaries are reviewed yearly. This, I believe, would make them happy and always want to carry out their duties

and as at when due. The government should provide schools with necessary amenities, as this will make them more effective.

But Managing Director, The Education Partnership Centre, Dr Mo Adefeso-Olateju, noted that though Nigeria has not yet attained the Vision 20-20-20; she has done her best.

She said: “If you look at the philosophy of Nigerian education, what our founding fathers had was very noble, articulate and well put together. In 1969, they came together to have a curriculum conference. What they arrived at in that conference was very fantastic. But times have since overtaken some of those things. So, we don’t just have one vision, we have to continuously update where it is that we see ourselves as a country.

“No country can say she has achieved her vision in education so Nigeria will continue to work towards achieving its vision for education as it evolves.”

Mr Samuel Olusanya of the Department of Economics, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), noted that education in Nigeria started very well, adding : “now, I will say education is going down. This is because of the unskilled lecturers and secondary school teachers we have today, and this is because many of them get their degrees through back door.

“Another problem is the manknow-man way of doing things” Olusanya continued. “Someone is not qualified but because he knows influential people, he is employed as a lecturer and when he finds himself on the job, he begins to fumble and his failure falls back on the students, which is what we are experiencing these days in form of failure in major examinations.”

‘There isn’t much improvement due to the challenges of infrastructure. The government needs to work on this to enable teachers dispense their duties well. There should also be a focus on Information and Communications Technology (ICT)’

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

EDUCATION OYEDEPO AT 60

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OUNDER of the Living Faith Church and Chancellor Covenant University (CU), Otta, Ogun State Dr David Oyedepo last week celebrated his 60th birthday.

For the church and CU, it was a

By Adegunle Olugbamila

week-long celebration.

Each event couldn’t just go by without students and the university community congratulating their founder

as he joined the sexagenarian club.

Oyedepo seized the opportunity to tell the world about his divine calling, especially on spreading the gospel of quality education in and beyond Africa.

•From left:Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof Charles K. Ayo, the Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo, Vice-President (Education) Living Faith World Wide, Pastor Faith Oyedepo, Director, MRD,UN Habitat, Prof Banji Oyeyinka, Commissioner for Transport, Lagos State, Mr. kayode Opeifa and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, CU , Prof Taiwo Abioye at the unveiling of the UN Global Report on Human Settlement 2013 in honour of Dr. Oyedepo at 60.

Student suspended for leading protest against poor infrastructure

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500- level Mechanical Engineering student of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in Edo State Iyoha Ebhodaghe is in trouble. His academic activities/clearance have been suspended by institution’s management for allegedly carrying out an unauthorised protest.

Trouble started for Iyoha in August when he led some students on a peaceful protest to Benin City to demand for the building of standard classroom at the institution.

The students led by Iyoha were members of the Concerned Students and Youths on Political Advancement and National Development, an organisation formed by Iyoha.

Photographs of the renovated secondary schools’ classroom were displayed by the students for the public to compare with how lecture halls looked like at AAU. Iyoha, who said the protest was to draw the authorithy’s attention to their plight, urged the government to investigate alleged extortion of students and the infrastructural decay in the school.

Three days after the protest, Iyoha was queried by the school management for gathering students for illegal assembly as well as providing the students distorted facts about the management.

The query stated: “Reports reaching the university management states that you went to Government House and NUJ office in Benin City without due authorisation.You went ahead to publish some news about the university without authorisation” “It was also alleged that you were involved in gathering students for illegal assembly and given them distorted facts about the school management.

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HE Rotary Club of Nigeria, (District 9110), has presented cheques for scholarship to 16 brilliant but indigent students studying in Nigerian universities in Lagos and Ogun states being its catchment areas.

The District Educational and Welfare Endowment Fund (DEWEF), has been on since 1999.

At a briefing by the District Governor Dr Dele Balogun, and other members of the Board of Trustees, the scholarship scheme comprises 16 students from across various tertiary institutions who are in their 200-Level but are having financial challenges in paying their tuition.

By Nneka Nwaneri

Balogun said Rotary checked their competences in their first year in schools through their Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).

He said the scholarship will run till the end of their studies irrespective of their programmes.

“We feel nothing should affect the academic life of these young stars. So we got presidents of the 83 clubs to bring them forward from their catchment areas.

“Many of them have come out tops in their programmes. Al-

though many who have come forth are brilliant but not indigent, it is a measure taken so we do not derail from the essence of the project,” Chairman of the scholarship commission, Prof Femi Oludimu said more than a million naira was spent on the project, adding that the outstanding is being used as immediate response funds in the event of emergency.

Posters have already being circulated around university premises and forms for the next batch which will close on January 16, next year, said a member of the trustees Prof Alaba Akinseye.

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OLLOWING the outcry that trailed the introduction of online registration by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Coalition of Civil Society Group (CSO), has called for support on the project.

It warned that the project should not be sacrificed on the altar of politics, deceit and misinformation.

At a briefing in Abuja, the President of the group, Comrade Etuk Bassey Williams, said in a world where Information and Communications Technology (ICT is on the fast lane, full computerisation of the NYSC mobilisation was an innovation borne out of critical thinking by the NYSC management, and that it is timely in solving the myriads of shortcomings being experienced

Aliyu seeks entrepreneurship programmes for tertiary institutions

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IGER State Governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has said the country can only meet the challenges of the 21st century when tertiary institutions review their courses to reflect entrepreneurial skills.

He also said for the actualisation of Vision 20:2020, entrepreneurship education is indispensable.

Aliyu spoke at the maiden Entrepreneurship Week by the Department of Entrepreneurship and Business Studies, Federal University of Technology, Minna. It had as theme: ‘’Entrepreneurship for self-reliance”.

Aliyu said education institutions should be established with clear mandates and focus to address spe-

From Jide Orintunsin in Minna

cific areas of national development.

Represented by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mohammed Bashir Nuhu, the governor said efforts should be made at building a strong diversified economic base that is non-oil dependent, but driven by robust entrepreneurship engagement.

Aliyu said: “To attain international competitiveness and economic selfreliance deliberate efforts should be made at building a strong diversified economic base that is non-oil dependent, but one driven by robust entrepreneurship engagement.”

He praised FUTMINNA for run-

ning Entrepreneurship and Business Studies programme up to degree level, adding that the graduates of the departm ent would be better positioned to be self employed.

The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Musbau Akanji, said the aim of establishing the department is to meet the demand of the society for job creation and wealth generation to reduce unemployment and poverty in line with Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs).

Represented by his Deputy (Administration), Prof. Suleiman Sadiku, Akanji said the event was an indication of the achievements of

“You were also found to be consistently applying for money from the Students Union on behalf of your association, knowing full well that your association is supposed to be self funding, thereby wanting to defraud the SUG.” “These actions have constituted embarrassment to the university authority and the state government.”

A statement signed by the university Public Relations Officer, Chris Adamaigbo, said: “There are adequate teaching facilities in the institution for effective teaching and learning.”

Adamaigbo said Iyoha and others were sponsored by some persons who were determined to discredit the administration of the ViceChancellor, Prof. Cordellia Agbebaku.

In his reply, Iyoha said he was only exercising his freedom of speech as a citizen of the country and that he did not mean to cause harm to the university.

Iyoha said he decried the state of the university’s lecture hall, adding that the protest was peaceful.

It reads in parts, “With regards to funds, my organisation with its good motive and absolutely clear conscience applied to the Dean of Students Affairs through the Students’ Union for funds but no fund was approved.

“My actions were neither in any means meant to cause any embarrassment to the university authority nor the Edo State government.”

In the suspension letter signed by Dean of Students, Prof. Aigbedion Isaac, Iyoha was advised to stop parading himself as a bonafide student of the university.’’

‘Don’t politicise NYSC online registration’

•From left: Registrar, CU Dr. Olumuyiwa Oludayo, Vice-Chancellor; Professor K. Ayo; Lecturer, Prof Amos Alao; Representative of Chancellor, Covenant University, Pastor Ubong Ntia and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Taiwo Abioye in a group photograph after the university's 37th public lecture in commemoration of the Chancellor's 60th Birthday.

Rotary endows undergraduates with scholarship

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

•Gov. Aliyu

the university’s mission to build and develop high level capacity through skilled, dynamic training and research as well as development services of highest standard in entrepreneurship.

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

in the course of service.

Williams said the N4,000 was moderate for the services that will be rendered on the platform. He however, urged that the cost should be reviewed downwards.

“Having painstakingly investigated and analysed the circumstances surrounding the full computerisation of the NYSC mobilisation process and the cost associated with it, we hereby resolve thus: “That prospective corps members will benefit immensely more than they stand to lose from harnessing and fully maximising this on-line registration platform,” he said.

Bassey further said the group’s independent findings shows that less than 5,000 prospective members had subscribed, while above 17,000 have indicated interest confirming that it is widely embraced by the prospective corps members entirely at their discretion.

He added that engaging of Messrs SIDMACH Technologies, the outfit contracted to undertake the project, shows that the scheme had nothing to hide as agencies such as the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) would never have engaged the services of the same company if it were incompetent.

“We want to state that the introduction of the on-line registration is not only a product of deep thinking but timely and commendable owing to the fact that ICT remains the major catalyst of globalisation in the education sector as it saves time and energy,” he added.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

EDUCATION

Court reinstates sacked Ondo Poly workers

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HE National Industrial Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State Capital on Tuesday reinstated 15 out of the 32 sacked workers of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) in the state.

The embattled workers were sacked early 2013. The court also ordered the management to immediately pay all 15 reinstated workers their outstanding salaries and allowances which have been withheld since they have been relieved of their jobs.

They include, Abodunrin Moses, Adeoni Olusegun, Agbi Nelson, Arijeniwa Adedotun, Ayodeji Akinsanmi, Mrs. V.O Ayodele, S.B Bolaji, Ekundayo Gbenga and A.M Elegbede Others were, Olubamiji Kumuyi,

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

Ogunbode Benson, T.L Olemija, Olugbamila Omotayo, Omotola cAlaba Olumayowa and S.O Oniyelu.

The Presiding Judge, Justice, Ndidi Ubaka admitted that the workers were wrongfully sacked by the institution’s authorities, without justifying reasons why they were sacked.

Ubaka noted that the court returned 15 of the embattled workers because they were able to certify the court with the documents they tendered that they were senior staff of the polytechnic.

The judge, however said the court could not return the remaining 17 others, due to the fact that they were unable to proof to the court with their

document whether or not they were senior staff.

The judge concluded that all those who were not reinstated are junior staff and they could not give satisfactory evidences to proof their case.

Those affected include,A.E Adebayo, Aderigbe Olamide Olajope, Ajanaku James Akinyemi, Akinrolabu Dare Raphael, Akinyemi Oluwafemi Taiwo Alonge Titus, Arealepo Michael Oluwasola.

Others were: Arolowo Clement Jimoh, A. Bello, O.M Fagbayimu, T.M Ogunleye, A.O Olayode, J.A Oluyede, Omoge Edward Taiwo, Omole Olayinka Idowu, J.K Omole and Shoyege Ayodeji Olayinka.

Speaking with reporters shortly after the ruling, the former Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP)

Chairman of the institution, Olubamiji Kumuyi, said they received the judgement with mixed feeling, insisting that all of them are senior staff.

He noted the court used a divide and rule in its ruling, by using the first letter of their appointment in deciding the case.

“For instance, some of us were employed as lecturers and automatically we become a senior staff and some of them who were employed about 17, 30 years ago as junior staff but they are no more junior staff again but a senior staff because they have gained promotion”, he stated.

Kumuyi assured that they would consult their lead counsel, Mr. Femi Falana SAN for the next line of action.

Oshiomhole commissions lecture theatres at AAU

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OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has commissioned two 500capacity lecture theatres and a block of lecturers’ offices at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

Also the governor threatened to revoke the contract for the completion of the administrative block of the university if the contractor fails to complete the project on schedule.

Speaking on Tuesday at the commissioning of the projects, Comrade Oshiomhole said the management of the university justified the initial N250 million provided by the government to develop infrastructure in the university, which made government double the amount review it upwards by N500 million. He promised to further review the fund by another 100 per cent if the N500m is judiciously expended.

He said: “I believe that the management of the university under Prof Agbebaku is the best of all time. When I told the commissioner of works how much this project caused, I am not sure he believed me until he heard from the vice-chancellor himself.

“Let me say that listening to you and having inspected the three facilities you spent the money on, I can say you have done extremely well.

“Having seen what you have done with this amount and we have decided to double the amount which is now 500 million. The Chairman of Council has said the next time drags drag me here will be to commission a few other projects.

Let me also say that once you bring me here, to show me what you have done with that N500 million, I will double it for the university in the coming year. Once the people are getting value for money, there is incentive to provide more resources”, he said.

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Graduates on NYSC e-mobilisation THE Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps NYSC, Ekiti State, Mr. Ibeh Tobias Chidibie, has urged all fresh graduates of the Ekiti State University (EKSU) to process their NYSC mobilization using the electronic system recently launched by NYSC. Chidibie who spoke when he visited EKSU Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Oladipo Aina said management must appreciate and embrace the efficiency of the e-mobilisation system which has been described as a welcome initiative to fast-track the registration of potential corps members and eliminate all mobilisation bottle necks.

He said candidates are to pay N4, 000.00 each to access the emobilisation platform adding that the university management must encourage their graduates to take advantage of the initiative Aina who spoke through his Deputy (Academic), Prof. Ibiyinka Ogunlade assured Chidibie of the Institution’s cooperation.

The institution’s Registrar, Mr. E.A Ogunyemi, said the online registration initiative is ideal, adding that the only constant thing in life is change.

The Dean of Students Affairs, Prof.

Isaac Adanlawo said NYSC must involve EKSU in the newly introduced initiative, noting that the university can produce and make profits from the sales of scratch cards to graduates instead of enriching the private cyber café owners.

Varsity assured of students’ hostel

•From left: Prof Audu, Prof Agbebaku and Governor Oshiomhole at the commissioning.

From, Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

Oshiomhole added: “Let me also share with you my frustration at the pace of work of the administrative block. I thought by now, that project would have been completed and commissioned so that senior management and other academic and nonacademic staff can have a very conducive environment to work. The time allowed for the contract has lapsed and the contractor is competing with snail in terms of speed.

“I have asked the commissioner to issue several warnings and I believe we have issued on ground. If those warnings are not heeded and I come back here, we will revoke the contract and get someone else to do it.

“We are obliged to keep our promise. Our selling point is that when we promise, we keep our word. That is why I didn’t come here with 20-point agenda, and all kinds of agenda. We just came to work and we are work-

ing.

“I am just embarrassed at the pace the project is going. I will do a letter under my own signature to the contractor to either behave or we will re-award the contract so that this project can be completed this year.

We can’t drag beyond this year”, he added.

On the issue of road network in the university, Oshiomhole stated, “We do face some financial challenges right now, once you have again deployed what we have provided, we will provide even more.

To the students he said: “Let me appreciate you even more for your support not only to this government but also to the management of the university. This institution is your own. I went to the Emaudo campus and we have seen that from a very modest beginning, this university has transformed to a new level. It is a positive story.

In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor

of AAU, Prof Greg Akenzua, represented by Prof Thomas Audu said: “We are gathered here to inaugurate three projects funded by the Edo State government as part of its intervention in the infrastructural development of our university.

“The governor in his magnanimity approved 250million naira for the infrastructural development of the university. The judicious application of that grant by the leadership of the university is what we are celebrating today.

“We are indebted in deep appreciation to the Comrade Governor in his avowed determination to move this university to the next level in infrastructural development”, he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Cordelia Agbebaku, said due to the shortage of lecture theatres the governor graciously approved money for the building of the twin structures.

NASC trains corps members on seed inspection HE National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), has begun a seed inspection training for members of the National Youth Service Corps allocated to the council in Southwest.

The training which started at NASC office in Ibadan, Oyo State capital had in attendance 13 corps members from the six states in the Southwest.

The Council said it plans to train hundred corp members nationwide.

The council has therefore begun a training to assist the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.

At the opening, Mr Joshua Olonilua, Acting director, Seed Certification and Quality Control, NASC, said the training is meant to meet the shortfall of manpower for certification of seed officers.

EKSU FILE

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

“The youth corp members were deployed to our Council for the purpose of seed quality assurance to help in complementing the effort of our own officers and to increase our ability for seed quality assurance particularly seed crop field inspection.”

The training which is an initiative of NASC started last year to empower youth corps members on field work.

“The exercise is to train corps members on rudiments of field crop inspection and seed quality assurance so that their productivity can be measured and farmers will be happy for getting higher quality seeds.” he said He further praised the effort of NASC as the Council is reaping the

benefit of the training in their productivity.

“The quality assess of crops in Nigeria took a new dimension, we have better quality seeds for farmers, and we are now clamouring for the absorbing of the last trained members from the government so that they can gainfully utilise their experiences for greater involvement in quality assurance.”

NASC Acting Director Dr Phillip Ojo, who was represented by the Commission’s Director, Administration and Finance, Mr Ezekiel Omotosho, spoke extensively on the importance of the training of corp members.

He said: “The training is aimed at impacting the required knowledge on the participating youth corp members and seed quality control officers before the com-

mencement of actual field inspection.

He added that corps members have already had a formal training in Agriculture.

One of the trainees, Augustine Habu, a graduate of Agricultural Economics, said after the exercise would assist him to check seed companies for credibility.

“The foundation of Nigeria is agriculture and the foundation of agriculture is seeds, so having quality seeds will improve the productivity of food in Nigeria and we are here to ensure that,” he said Another participant, Miss Ogbechie Ezindu, a graduate of Horticulture said the training would increase food production in Nigeria and also help in the removal of bad and good seeds.

ONE of the construction firms in contractual negotiation with EKSU on the construction of students hostels BOT Developers, has assured the management that efforts are on top gear to get the necessary financial muscle to move to site and begin construction work.

Speaking during a recent visit of the leadership of the construction firm to, Prof. Aina, the leadership of the firm said they are seeking financial support from a financial partner who is ready to release the funds needed.

The firm management said their financial partner requires a letter of intent from the university to help facilitate the release of funds The DVC, (Academic), Prof.

Ibiyinka Ogunlade welcomed the team to her office. He said the vicechancellor is eager to make EKSU residential, noting that such step would help students take advantage of the academic culture of a fully residential university.

Prof. Ogunlade added that the university authority would support the construction company with necessary requirement.

FBN, EKSU partner on ICT IN a bid to upgrade the edu-portal of EKSU, and include e-learning to it, the First Bank of Nigeria FBN, has visited the university to discuss on areas of strengthening existing infrastructure on Information and Communications Technology.

Speaking during the visit, the Executive Director FBN, Mr. Gbenga Shobo who led other high level staff from the FBN said the bank is pleased with the achievement recorded with the EKSU edu-portal which is run by the financial institution.

The First Bank official explained that the edu-portal would benefit students and can incorporate details of students’ transcripts from when they are admitted into the university to when they graduate.

The DVC Prof Ogunlade who represented the VC Prof. Aina thanked FBN for their cooperation and described the relationship between EKSU and the bank as beneficial.

He however explained that there is need for both partners to discuss the

New dawn for Niger Delta students

History as girl bags first class in Radiography at UNICAL Page 31

*CAMPUSES *NEWS *PEOPLE *KUDOS& KNOCKS *GRANTS

Page 42

THE NATION

CAMPUS LIFE 0805-450-3104 email: campusbeat@yahoo.com THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

email:- campuslife@thenationonlineng.net

Students hooked on hookah It is a common sight in the Arab world and in highbrow clubs and hotels. Hookah, an exquisite smoking device, is used by the well-heeled.

Some students have joined this exclusive club. They take delight in inhaling and puffing smoke from the device. HABEEB WHYTE (Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus) writes.

I

T is a beautifully designed object. The affluent use it to cool down, puffing smoke from their mouths and nostrils. In the Arab world, men sit in circles on a mat in the open, the object before them. It is also common in highbrow clubs and hotels. Hookah “is a cool way of smoking”, so say those who use it.

The device has found its way onto campuses, where studentsmokers take delight in using it. To them, it is bye-bye cigarette, welcome hookah.

But Hookah (or shisha, as it is popularly called) is enjoyable and hazardous. Hookah is a single or multi-stemmed apparatus for smoking flavoured tobacco in which the smoke is passed through a water basin before inhalation. For smokers, the experience and enjoyment are nothing compared with the satisfaction derived from smoking cigarette. From the thickness of its smoke and its tobacco content, Hookah is seen as the favourite of smokers, who derive pleasure in puffing dense clouds of smoke from their noses and mouths.

The apparatus comes with four major components – a bowl, pipe, hose and smoke chamber- which are set up by smokers.

This is unlike a cigarette, which is lit effortlessly.

An average Hookah smoking session lasts more than 40 minutes, in contrast to cigarette, which burns out in a few minutes. However, in an hour-long of smoking hookah, smokers consume about 100 to 200 times the volume of tobacco in a cigarette.

Also, the chemical composition of tobacco in a cigarette and hookah are different. The charcoal in hookah causes the tobacco, which is mixed with other ingredients, to be heated at

•The Hookah a lower temperature, in contrast to a cigarette, where the tobacco is burnt at high temperature.

Since smokers consume higher tobacco in Hookah than in a stick of cigarette, it is believed hookah is hazardous to health.

Despite the health consequence, student-smokers are gradually changing from cigarette to tobacco-rich hookah, spending thousands to buy the instrument.

A complete set of hookah is expensive. The least affordable electronic hookah goes for N2,100, compared to a stick of cigarette that sells for N10.

In 2005, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that water-pipe (hookah) smoking poses a serious health hazard to smokers and people around them. The body said hookah is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking.

But student-smokers are not deterred by this warning. A single hookah is enough for a group of 10 to smoke tobacco to their satisfaction. Some smokers claim hookah is good to keep the body warm during the cold. But in all weathers, the instrument is not far away from student-smokers.

To the surprise of many, hookah smokers are not limited to male students; female undergraduates also engage in it.

To Abu Bakre, a student of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State, hookah is the best way to smoke. “I smoke it whenever I hang out with my friends. We catch fun, smoking it together. I love the gum and mint flavour a lot. I smoke it twice in a week. It has made me stop smoking ciga•Continued on page 30

•Vigilante kills student-P32 • Stop exploiting graduates, Muslim Society tells NYSC P41

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

30

CAMPUS LIFE

The social media again

I

ARRIVED almost two hours early for a public lecture at the University of Lagos two weeks ago and decided to use the extra time to visit my former lecturers.

I was walking briskly to the Faculty of Arts complex when an elderly lady standing beside a young lady politely beckoned on me to come. After exchanging pleasantries I asked why she wanted my attention.

“Take a good look at this young lady and tell me what you see,” she said. Confused, I looked at the lady, who is probably between 18 and 19 years old and couldn’t immediately picture anything since I was seeing both of them for the very first time.

When she saw my befuddled look she said: “Just look at what she wore, I know her parents and I know she can never dress like this at home. I have been talking to her for a while and she did not see anything wrong in dressing so provocatively. This is why I wanted you to be a witness that I voiced out my concerns.”

Not knowing what else to add, I appealed to the young lady to listen to the counsel of the elderly lady. One thing I deduced before leaving was the young lady’s disposition, she wasn’t rude or defensive. She said what she wore was what “my mentors wear on social media and I don’t see anything wrong with it.” Beyond this brief encounter, the social media may be controlling our lives more than we think.

The social media, a platform for social interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks has radically altered the way we live and interact. Anchored on mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content, it is considered revolutionary.

Like everything about life, it has both positives and negatives. This is where the issues lie because most people do not know how to draw the line.

On my way from work recently, I stopped at a provision store to pick up some items. As I walked out of the store

where something caught my atw e tention, I saw a young copy man of about 22 watching nearly raw pornography on his everymobile phone. What howthing ever got me worried was cybera young boy of about 9 bullyyears watching with him, ing has I stopped in my track and with spread felt I have a duty to perwidely form here, I told the child among to walk away while I sat youth, 08116759750 down with the young man w i t h to see why he would be (SMS only) 42% of so unconcerned showing Ameri•aagboa@gmail.com such lewd stuff to a child. c a n It turned out that he’s an undergraduate of one of the universities in Lagos. He said he only youths reporting that they have been vicwatches it when he is “bored” and “it does tims, according to a recent CBS News renot affect my being in any way.” Probing port.

While many businesses use social netfurther, I asked “what about the child?”

“Well, I did not invite him to watch” was working sites to find and communicate with his lame answer. The positive side is that clients and customers, the sites can also when we met weeks later he proudly told prove a great distraction to employees who me he does not watch “such stuff anymore may show more interest in what their because they are not good for my spiritual friends are posting than in their work tasks.

Wired.com posted two studies which demlife.”

Social networking sites like Facebook and onstrated damage to productivity caused by MySpace allow us to find and connect with social networking: Nucleus Research rejust about anyone, from a coworker to a ported that Facebook shaves 1.5% off office long lost neighbour. Browsing these sites productivity while Morse claimed that Britcan make you feel connected to a larger ish companies lost 2.2 billion a year to the community, but such easy, casual connec- social phenomenon. It is based on this that tion in an electronic environment can also new technology products have become have its downside. They can make it more available that allows social networks to be difficult for us to distinguish between the blocked, but their effectiveness is not total.

It is now obvious now that most social meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual rela- networking sites encourage people to be tionships formed through them. By focus- more public about their personal lives. Being so much of our time and psychic en- cause intimate details of our lives can be ergy on these less meaningful relation- posted so easily, users are prone to bypass ships, our most important connections may the filters they might normally employ when talking about their private lives. weaken.

Some of us may have heard about cyber- What’s more, the things they post remain bullying. Kids especially are vulnerable to available indefinitely.

While at one moment a photo of friends the practice of cyber-bullying in which the perpetrators, anonymously or even posing as doing “funny stuffs” at a party may seem people their victims trust, terrorise individu- harmless, the image may appear less attracals in front of their peers. Though not yet tive in the context of an employer doing a popular in Nigeria, the devastation of these background check. While most sites allow online attacks can leave deep mental scars their users to control who sees the things on kids as some have even been driven to they’ve posted, such limitations are often forgotten, can be difficult to control or don’t suicide.

The veil of anonymity afforded online can work as well as advertised just like the nude bring out dark impulses that might other- iCloud pictures of some celebrities that were wise be suppressed in real life. In the west – released to the public after their accounts were hacked.

Pushing Out Agbo Agbo

•Continued from page 29 rette and I am happy about it. I used to exhaust a pack in a day but now, I prefer hookah because of its flavour.”

To relax, Solomon Ebiaku, an HND II Accounting student of Moshood Abiola Polythecnic (MAPOLY) in Abeokuta, Ogun State smoke hookah.

He said the instrument comes with a different smoking experience.

He said: “It is something that I do once in a while. Although, some •In session...Hookah smokers people smoke it daily but personally, I see nothing bad in it.

Whether I smoke hookah or not should not be anybody’s headache. I believe I have rights to my privacy. Hookah has helped to flavours. “The bottomline is that hookah reduce the number of cigarette smokers among smokers die faster than people who smoke students. Cigarette is cheap and harmful but cigarette because carbon in hookah is equivahookah is expensive but reasonable.” lent to 200 sticks of cigarette. So what makes In some campuses, hookah is not readily hookah less harmful?” he wondered. available to students. They only have opporAbimbola Solola, a 300-Level Sociology stutunity to smoke it in clubs and hotels. dent of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), With N1,000, you can enjoy hookah 100 said: “Hookah is dangerous to our health, but times more than the way you enjoy cigarette, the manner students are getting addicted to it Supo Laniyan, a 500-Level Agriculture stu- is worrisome. It has become an everyday thing dent at the Olabisi Onabanjo University in on campus now.”

Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State said.

Odunayo Whyte, a 300-Level Business and “The only thing that is disturbing is the Education Studies student at the Federal Colabuse. Normally, the bottom container is lege of Education (FCE), Abeokuta, said he learnt meant to be filled with water but students about hookah when the photogragh of a fenow fill it with gin and rum. Also, the flavour male smoker went viral on the social media. is meant to be inhaled without being mixed He said: “I discovered that students who but smokers here have devised means of mix- smoke hookah are being influenced by people ing it with weed and other hard drugs. This who are supposed to guide them. It is now distorts the concept,” he said. everywhere on campuses today. We even have According to Ibrahim Salako, an ND II Civil hookah competition, where students in variEngineering student of the Federal Polytech- ous schools post their pictures on Facebook, nic in Ilaro (ILARO POLY), Ogun State, hoo- Instagram and Twitter to compare thickness kah smokers are deceived by its sweet of smoke. This is reality of ill in our society.”

Students hooked on hookah

While on the surface it appears social networking brings people together across the Internet, in a larger sense it may create social isolation. As people spend increasing amounts of time on social networks, they experience less face-to-face interaction.

Scientists have evaluated social isolation in many studies, and have determined that it can lead to a host of mental, psychological, emotional and physical problems including depression, anxiety and many others. In fact, a University of Illinois, Chicago School of Medicine animal study showed social isolation impaired brain hormones, which is the likely reason socially isolated people experience tremendous levels of stress, aggression, anxiety and other mental issues.

While the above studies show actual correlations between social networking and negative consequences, others argue that many other negative consequences may exist that have not yet been studied.

What about it encouraging poor grammar, usage and spellings? Most youths these days find it difficult to write five straight sentences without abbreviation. Beyond that, it also allows the spread of misinformation that may be perceived as fact even in light of evidence to the contrary thereby creating a culture in which a single mistake, such as a careless picture or poorly thought-out comment, can cause irreparable harm to an individual’s reputation.

Even though no disease or disorder has yet been linked to social networking addiction, still a number of behaviours associated with excessive use of social media have lately become the subject of much discussion and research. A social networking addict could be considered as someone who uses social media excessively to a point where it interferes with other daily activities.

A research team headed by Wilhelm Hoffmann of Chicago University in 2012 concluded that twitter is harder to resist than cigarettes and alcohol. The team used Blackberry’s to gauge the willpower of 205 people aged between 18 and 85. The results showed that with each day the ‘selfcontrol’ dropped lower and lower and concluded that between social media, cigarettes and alcohol, the ‘self-control-failure’ rate was highest with social media. Other researchers have also linked anxiety, sleep deprivation, depression and some psychological disorders to people who spend too much time online.

He started his music career as a hip-hop artiste but Meshach Budaye, a 300-Level Industrial Technology Education student at the Federal University of Technology in Minna (FUT MINNA), Niger State, who is known on campus as Meshbee, changed his genre of music after his third song. The rapper tells UCHE EKWUEME-DURU (classmate) why he now sings gospel music.

‘Jesus changed me from secular to gospel artiste’

W

HAT genre of music do you do?

I am into gospel music, where I do rap and R and B. What inspired your music talent?

I cannot really point what inspired me into music but I discovered I had a special likeness for music. I got involved and developed the ability. I found out that I was very good at it; so I decided to go deeper in music. Taking the decision of going into music was not a hard one for me because I noticed my ability for rap.

Which musicians would you say influenced your choice?

When I started some years back, I was into secular music. The famous Jude Abaga known as MI in the music industry was my role model.

I loved the way he churned out the rap in his songs, so I became attracted to him and his kind of music. Gradually, I started listening to a wider range of music, such as songs by Busta Rhymes, Twista, Tech 9ine and the rest of them. Then, I became motivated also by them. But when I got born again and met with Jesus, my life changed.

I stopped doing secular music. I am strictly a gospel artiste now. I now look up to the likes of Lecrea, Da Truth, and Dwayne Tryumph. These are now my mentors.

Do your parents support your going into music?

They are not in full support of my choice. They made a suggestion that I should finish my studies first before pursuing my music career.

How has it been combining your studies with music?

Mixing the two has not been easy. But I try my

•Meshach best to strike a balance between both sides. I don’t give all my time to one and neglect the other.

Whenever I am in school, I focus more on my studies so as to make good grades and when I am at home, I do my music.

How many songs have you done before now?

I have four songs to my credit. I am working on the fifth one. Three of the four songs are actually secular while the last is a hip-hop gospel.

Are you signed to any label yet?

No. But some music labels have been meeting me for a record deal.

What is your advice for students that may have this kind of passion?

My word for them is to put in their best and be the best they can be if they have the passion to do music. Being good at music comes by doing music often. They must not be frustrated in pursuing their dreams.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

31

CAMPUS LIFE Eteng Rajuno has made history by becoming the first student to bag a First Class in Radiography at the University of Calabar (UNICAL). She was honoured at the eighth Induction and Oath taking of the College of Medical Science. STANLEY UCHEGBU (Accounting) reports.

History as girl bags first class in Radiography at UNICAL T

HE induction at the College of Medical Science of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) was remarkable. Although it was the eighth oath taking at the Radiography and Radiological Sciences departments, it was special. An inductee, Ms Eteng Rejuno, made history by bagging a first class, the first since Radiography was introduced in the school in 1981.

It was a moment of joy for the graduates, as they took the oath. The inductees filed into the Conference Centre of the UNICAL Hotel venue, beaming with smiles. They were joined by their family members and friends.

Of the lot admitted into the department five years ago, 61 were lucky to complete the programme. To the management, the ceremony was a turning point in the history of the institution and the Radiography Department.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof James Epoke, led other principal officers, including the Medical Science Provost, Prof Saturday Etuk, represented by his deputy, Prof Edisua Itam; Dean of the Faculty of Allied Medical Science, Prof Anne Asuquo and Dean of the Faculty of the Clinical Science, Prof Maurice Asuquo.

Others were Registrar, Radiography Board of Nigeria (RBN), Mr Michael Okpaleke, Cross River State Chairman of Association of Radiographers of Nigeria, Mr. Otu

Asinyang, Medical College Secretary, Mrs. Uduak Akang, Head of Radiography Department, Dr Nneoyi Egbe, lecturers and medical practitioners, among others.

Prof Epoke urged the inductee not to tarnish the reputation of the profession, saying the institution was known for producing sound radiographers. He told the inductees to shun unethical practices that may erode the value of the profession, adding that the RBN would not hesitate to withdraw certificates of erring members.

“Today, history is made in the Department of Radiography. We produced the first student to be graduated with a First Class in the department. And this makes the event remarkable. I will enjoin you to always seek knowledge and make the best of your career,” he said.

Prof Etuk, whose speech was read by Prof Itam, described radiography as an evolving profession, stressing the need for constant update of knowledge to meet up with challenges and demands. He urged the inductees to see themselves as new breeds that would bring about advancement in the profession.

Okpaleke advised the graduates to improve on the knowledge they acquired in school and be conversant with new techniques. He said: “Knowledge you have acquired is just the foundation, you are expected to improve on it. You must be abreast

of trends on the field and make a success of it. You need to continuously develop yourself in new techniques because the practice of today is different from what we had in the years past.”

In his lecture entitled: Ethical basis for improving radiography service delivery, Dr Egbe demonstrated with diagrams how to maintain radiation dose and therapeutic need of patients in line with best practice. He said a radiographer owed a patient an enhanced service.

The high point was the oath taking session, which was performed by Okpaleke and Dr Egbe.

Eteng had Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.5 – the highest recorded since the institution started awarding Bachelor degree in the discipline. For the feat, Eteng bagged seven honours, including automatic employment in the school after her National Youth Service.

Others best students are Emmanuel Agiande, who was the best in clinical proficiency, and Mabington Okwuonu, best in leadership creativity.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Eteng praised the department’s lecturers and parents for their efforts in making their dreams come true.

She said: “We thank the management, the college authorities, our parents, friends and well-wishers for the roles they played in

•Eteng

ensuring that we are being inducted today.

We specially appreciate our parents for their financial and moral support.”

The inductees presented gifts to their lecturers and donated a generator to the department. This was done by Mabington, a former president of Nigerian Association of Radiography Students.

The Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) means different things to students. For some, it is a period of time wasting because of their inability to secure ‘lucrative’ placements. Others believe it is a time to acquire practical skills that will improve their employability, writes SARAT ALABIDUN (300-Level Chemistry, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto).

Pains, gains of industrial training

T

HE Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), otherwise known as Industrial Training (IT), is compulsory for students of higher institution, especially the in science, social science and engineering fields. In many schools, it is a requisite for award of academic certificates.

For sciences and engineering students, SIWES is inevitable. Before they graduate, they are required to be exposed to industrial practice to complement the theoretical training they get in school. They must undertake industrial attachment between three months and one year.

In the course of the training, they are exposed to various techniques in their fields.

For some, the exercise is worthwhile, for others, it is a misadventure they never wish to repeat. This is because of the almost free service they render during the period.

To ensure compliance with objectives of the scheme and make it stress-free for the trainees, the Federal Government established Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to pay a fixed stipend to the students. But, the stipend does not come until years after the trainees would have completed the exercise.

Some may not receive the money even after they graduate; others, who are lucky, are paid before leaving school. Since ITF is statutorily required to support the students throughout the period, most companies where students undergo the training do not want to pay them.

Some pay token to appreciate the trainees.

However, it is a different stroke for different folks. While some students believe their

•Students on SIWES working in a laboratory IT period is worthwhile because of the experiences they garner, others think it is a complete waste of time.

Does SIWES have any benefit? Olusola Motunrayo, a 400-Level Microbiology student of Crescent University in Lafenwa, Ogun State said it was during the period she was taught latest techniques she could not have learnt in classroom. Olusola underwent industrial attachment at the Badagry General Hospital in Lagos.

She, however, decried the non-payment of the IT allowance, which she said could erode the objectives of the scheme.

For Dauda Salihu, a 300-Level Applied Chemistry student of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), SIWES period afforded him a lifetime opportunity. He benefitted from Health and Safety training at the

firm he underwent his attachment. This could have cost him thousands of naira should he be asked to pay for the free training.

“I gained a lot of experience during my industrial training. In fact, I had the privilege to attend a free training on Health and Safety sponsored by the company. We were given certificates at the end; this could have cost me fortunes if I were to pay,” Dauda said.

Khadijah Aliyu, a 400-Level Science student at Bells University of Technology in Otta, Ogun State urged the government to reduce the working hours of the trainees, since they are not paid for the service they rendered.

She said: “I will advise that the working hours of IT students be reduced. We should not be subjected to hours of work as salary earners.”

Trainees can get jobs through SIWES, Ismail Adebayo, a student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan (IBADAN POLY), said.

But for Olufunmi Oloyede, a graduate of Biochemistry at Igbinedion University in Okada, Edo State, the scheme should be scrapped.

She described her SIWES period as “bad experience”, saying: “I started my IT at a federal research agency but we were never allowed to do anything. It was so bad that some of the staff brought clothes from home for the IT students to press. I left there for another government agency, where I had to pay about N30,000 to be given a placement.”

SIWES is a waste of time and resources, says Christiana Ajigah, a 400-Level Chemistry student of the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State.

She said ITF supervisors hardly visited students at their place of assignment, which is why, she said, many students never undergo the training.

“They write fake reports in their log books and get away with it. The supervisors never visit. Even when they do, they never ask the right question apart from wanting to know how much students are being paid by companies. We should not be allowed to go through unnecessary stress in search of places of attachment,” Christiana said.

For some, the SIWES period is a time to make money. This notion is common among students of polytechnics, who undergo the one-year compulsory training. The students apply for placements where they take up jobs that do not correlate with their courses of study. Their aim is only to get salary. It is common to see an engineering students working in banks during the SIWES. Adeola Oni, an ND student of the Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree, defended the students, saying the economic situation of the country led them into the act.

“It happens that some students pay their fees0 and they might not want to go back to school empty-handed, which is why many students want to earn salary rather than undergoing the training,” she said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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CAMPUS LIFE Vigilante kills student •‘He attacked me’

D

•The doctors taking the oath

N

O FEWER than 72 Medicine, graduate of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, the Anambra State capital, have been inducted at the Gilbert Uzodike Auditorium, Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi.

The graduands, all clad in black suits and white shirts, exuded class and professionalism as they filed into the hall.

The outgoing Dean of the faculty, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu and the Sub Dean, Dr Charles Okafor, who chaired the Planning Committee of the 36th induction, charged the graduands to imbibe good dress sense at all times.

In his address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Joseph Eberendu Ahaneku, charged the graduands to be worthy ambassadors of the institution and help to mobilise resources to facilitate its continued production of highlevel manpower for the country.

Prof Ahaneku, who was represented by Prof Brian Adinma, congratulated the graduands, stating

72 take Hippocratic Oath From Franklin Onwubiko UNIZIK that the event marked a watershed for the years they put into their studies.

The Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu, in his remark, thanked the Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Prof Anthony Igwegbe and the Board of NAUTH for the provision of conducive learning environment and prayed for God’s guidance for the graduands.

Prof Ikechebelu, a professor of Obstertrics and Gynaecology advised the doctors to ensure they are in areas where they have comparative advantage, disclosing that a lot of young doctors fell out of the residency programme in pursuit of specialisation in clinical medicine when their natural ability was in biomedical research

or policy issues.

In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Anambra State, Dr Nnadozie Paul Obiegbu, charged the granduands to discover themselves and put God first in all their endeavours.

Speaking on behalf of other medical graduands, Dr Egwuekwe Sopuruchukwu Ogonna, assured their guardians that they would make the institution proud, saying they had imbibed virtues and learning coupled with hard work from their lecturers.

Dr Egwuekwe, who won four awards out of five available awards of the college, appreciated the contributions of parents and well-wishers for their efforts.

Chief Chigbo Kenneth, one of the parents expressed joy for the doctors who were able to complete their academic programme.

•The LASPOTECH students during the rally

S

STUDENTS of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY) and Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) have held awareness campaigns on the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

At the Offa Poly, HND students collaborated with the Department of Mass Communication to sensitise their colleagues on the need to be hygienic to arest an outbreak of the virus.

The coordinator of the campaign, Mr Zakariyau Imran, said the aim was to enlighten students on the danger of the virus, urging them to seek medical assist-

ID Temitope Bamidele provoke a night guard at Bumbest Hostel in Ogbomoso, Oyo State? Temitope, a 500-Level Electrical Electronics Engineering student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, is not alive to defend himself. He was allegedly shot dead by a physically-challenged night guard working in the hostel.

The incident happened on Sunday when the deceased, an indigene of the town, was leaving a birthday party for another event.

He was said to have left with the host, who dropped him off at 11pm in Taki.

Instead of going to the second party, CAMPUSLIFE learnt, the late Temitope stopped by at Bumbest Hotel whose owner is his acquaintance.

A source told our correspondent that a hot argument ensued between the late Temitope and the night guard, who allegedly shot him in the stomach. The gunshot caused panic in the hotel as customers ran out to know what was happening.

It was learnt that the deceased was left in a pool of his own blood for hours before he was

Alumni get exco

T

HE Akungba chapter of the Adekunle Ajasin University Alumni Association, has elected officers to direct its affairs for two years.

The officers were Mr Dennis Akinbobola, Chairman; Mr Sulaiman Najim, Vice Chairman; Mr Louis Adekola, Secretary; Mr Pious Atere, Treasurer and Mr Oluwaseyi Oluwalade, Event and Publicity Coordinator.

In his speech, the outgoing

ance if they developed symptoms of the disease.

He added that regular hand washing and avoidance of contact with the inner part of one’s body should be observed.

The head of the Department of Mass Communication, Mr Abdulateef Oyewole, expressed satisfaction with the campaign, saying adequate information on

From Israel Fawole LAUTECH rushed to Bowen Teaching Hospital where he died.

The following morning, the guard was picked up by the police. As he was being whisked away, he kept repeating: “He (the late Temitope) attacked me first; I attacked him back to defend myself.”

From Lanre Okulaja AAUA Chairman, Dr Gabriel Ehinola, thanked the outgoing interim executive and members of the association for their support.

He said he would continue to give necessary support to the association.

Dr Ehinola said inauguration of the new executive and presentation of charter would be done at a later date which would be communicated to members.

Guest speaker at the event, Mr Sola Imoru, spoke on the “Benefits and roles of an alumni association.”

•OFFA POLY students sensitising their colleagues on the disease

Schools intensify anti-Ebola campaign From Ademola Fagbemi, Jenifer Umeh, Funmilola Adewumi OFFA POLY, LASPOTECH

•The late Temitope

the epidemic would help to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The campaign is very relevant in terms of discipline because it publicises the safety measures to curtail the Ebola virus, for students to know the danger of the virus and how to contain it,” he stated.

A member of the organising team, Apotiade Taiwo, HND I, Mass Communication, said the campaign was a means of reducing the spread of the Ebola virus with emphasis on indiscriminate

body contact with individuals with excessive sweat secretions and sharing of hand towels.

Meanwhile, the Mass Communication Department of Lagos State Polytechnic held a sensitisation rally, tagged: “Ebola alert: Safety for one, safety for all.”

The rally started around 9am from the First Gate of the main campus, Ikorodu and later proceeded to the office of Dean, Students Affairs (DSA), School of Technology, Engineering, Environmental Studies.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Mr Olarewaju Kuye, who received the students at the school’s library on behalf of the Rector, Dr Abdul-azeez Abioye Lawal, congratulated the department for organising the campaign.

“The Mass Communication department is one of the best in this great institution because no other department has done the job that you did. I want to use this opportunity to beg your lecturers not to come to class today. After this Ebola campaign, go to your house and enjoy yourselves,” he stated.

Newspaper of the Year

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON SOUTHEAST STATES

Ebonyi students counselled on national values •PAGE 34

Mass transit for better life •PAGE 34

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

PAGE 33

Judge awards N2m damages to barman •PAGE 37

•Awomnuzie women protesting the bad state of their road

R

Women protest deplorable Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road

ESIDENTS of Awomnuzie community in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State have decried the bad state of Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia federal road and called on the Federal Government to repair it.

They said motorists now pass through their community daily to access Abia and Akwa Ibom states because of the deplorable state of the road. They added that this has destroyed their community road network.

Speaking with newsmen at Amizi, the traditional ruler of the community, HRH Eze Eugene Ndimele, said the constant usage of their community road by commuters had left them at the mercy of transporters, and, in some cases led to death through vehicular road acci-

By Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

dents.

Eze Ndimele said: “Since the rains started and the federal road leading from Umuahia to Ikot Ekpene collapsed, trucks and cars both commercial and private now use our community to link up with other areas. I have restrained my people from violent demonstration against motorists”.

He noted that the situation of the roads in his community has become so bad that he can no

longer access a section of his community and its people, adding that many of his people have

been cut off from other members of the community.

The traditional ruler won-

‘Since the rains started and the federal road leading from Umuahia to Ikot Ekpene collapsed, trucks and cars both commercial and private now use our community to link up with other areas. I have restrained my people from violent demonstration against motorists’

dered the type of contractor assigned to work on the federal road and the one which passed through his community from Ururuka road to Amizi-Oloko to join the Ikot Ekpene road .

Bemoaning the terrible state of the road, the President-General of Amizi Development Union (ADU), Sam Ekpo, said the Oloko-Ariam portion of the road earlier awarded to Marble Head Construction Company in 2011 was abandoned after little work.

•Continued on page 37

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

34

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Mass transit for better life T

HE Chairman of Ezza South Local Government Area in Ebonyi State, Hon Laz Ogbe, has launched a mass transit scheme aimed at increasing the internally generated revenue of the council.

The inauguration of the first batch of 10 14- seater buses took place at Onueke Motor Park.

The council chief said he considered it necessary to resuscitate the Ezza Ezekuna Mass Transit to change the economic fortunes of the council and well being of its residents. He added that his effort was in line with his promise to alleviate the sufferings of his people “The people of Ezza South would no longer have to go to Abakaliki before boarding a bus to other states as the buses would be plying all major routes from Onueke. These include Afikpo, Abakaliki, Cross River, Enugu, Onitsha, Lagos and Abuja,”.he said.

Ogbe said the mass transit scheme would start from Onueke to Afikpo and Onueke to Abakaliki for the time being.

“Other routes would be covered by second phase and subsequent delivery of more buses as have been arranged and ordered by the administration,” he assured..

On the developmental strides of Governor Martins Elechi, whose philosophy is guiding him, he said: The idea in alleviating the sufferings of the people was borrowed from the development strides of Governor Martin Elechi who has touched the lives of Ebonyi people in many ways. My administration will continue to complement the efforts of the governor to better the lives of. the people of Ezza South Local Government Area”.

“Let me reiterate that my ad-

‘The people of Ezza South would no longer have to go to Abakaliki before boarding a bus to other states as the buses would be plying all major routes from Onueke. These include Afikpo, Abakaliki, Cross River, Enugu, Onitsha, Lagos and Abuja’

•Nwali cinaugurating the buses. Watching are the council Chairman and other guests

•The buses From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

ministration will continue to embark on well- meaning

projects and policies that will have direct bearing to the generality of the people” The council boss also thanked

the people for their support to the governor and his administration..

He also applauded the efforts

of the co-ordinators of his local government in making his administration a success.

On the transport fare, Ogbe promised to operate on a subsidized rate subsidized rate of N50 for the Abakaliki-Onueke route instead N150 being charged by other transporters.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Celestine Nwali, praised the initiative of the council chief.

He lamented that the Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR) coming from the 13 local government areas of state were poor despite the revenue generation outlets available to them in different sectors of the economy.

Nwali called on the council chairmen to find out ways of increasing their IGR , instead of solely depending on allocations from the Federation Account for the execution of their projects.

He also urged them to emulate such venture initiated by Hon Laz Ogbe for the well-being of their people.

Ebonyi students counselled on national values S TUDENTS in Ebonyi State institutions of higher learning have been advised to imbibe positive attitudes that will enable them achieve optimal development of their potential and build good characters expected of future leaders.

The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, gave the advice at the flag-off of a re-orientation programme: Do the Right Thing: Campus Focus, held at the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.

The Director-General, who was represented by the Director of NOA in the state, Dr Emma Abah, disclosed that the programme was aimed at building a positive and value-driven character in students by engaging them in a discussion on the nation’s core values, such that they realise they are materials for the transformation of the society.

He added that the programme was geared towards broadening the space for dialogue between the young people, policy makers and the rest of the society to promote meaningful engagement at various levels.

Regretting that institutions of

•Idike addressing the students

higher learning are becoming crisis points, where all forms of social vices thrive, Omeri reiterated the implications of such trend as the graduation of illbaked and even not-baked-at-all citizens for the society, insisting that the presence of such mediocres in the society often hampered speedy development.

Omeri called on varsity authorities in the state to rise up to the task of nurturing students who are morally upright and

genuine in their characters since knowledge, skills and competence without character do not make a complete man.

He, thereafter, appreciated the management of the university and resource persons for creating enabling environment for the programme and as well as devoting their time for the raising of a well-educated, properly-cultured and adequately-enlightened citizenry through the policies they churn out for the stu-

dents while in the institutions.

He expressed delight at the large population of students who witnessed the occasion, more especially as they comported themselves with dignity throughout the duration of the programme.

In his keynote address, the Vice Chancellor of EBSU, Professor Francis Idike, thanked Omeri for initiating a partnership between the institution and the agency, saying that the decision was critical to the development to the

Nigerian students.

He called on the students to pay serious attention to the lectures which he said would not just instruct them on what to do but would actually direct them on the right path to follow to success.

Dr Onwe S. Onwe, in his lecture on “Attitudinal Change And Ethical Values As Necessary Ingredients For The Devel•Continued on page 36

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

35

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT The 2014 annual children’s thanksgiving of Christ Holy Church (CHC) International Aba, Abia State, was celebrated in style. Our Aba Correspondent, SUNNY NWANKWO, who was at the event reports.

‘Parents need to thank God ‘ I T was all smiles at the Christ Holy Church (CHC) International, 7b Ibo road, Aba, Abia State as children, parents, guardians and invited guests danced to the altar with gifts to appreciate God for his protection and mercies despite the challenges of life. The early morning down pour could not prevent the children and their parents from attending the long awaited Thanksgiving service. They filled the church auditorium to capacity.

One of the questions on the mind of the reporter which a parent answered, was where children got all the money to buy as much as a washing machine to offer as a gift during a family thanksgiving. He said he was ready to offer a bigger gift to God because none could make for the life of his child, promising to do more during adult harvest.

The children adorned in well fitted robes left their audience asking for more as they thrilled the congregation with melodious songs and drama presentation, to entertain their guests and other members of the church.

The service became solemn as the Head of Children and Women Department of Province III; Senior Deaconess C. U Eziuzor took the church on a special prayer session for the children, the church and the country.

Among the dignitaries at the event were the member representing Aba South State Constituency in Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Blessing Nkemdirim Ihesimuo who was in a happy mood all through.

In his sermon, the Bishop of Province III, Rt. Rev. Aaron Eziuzor, taking his Bible passage from Psalm 116: 12-14, described children as Gods heritage and urged parents to emulate David the psalmist who never failed to give thanks to God for the goodness of God to his life and that of his family.

Bishop Eziuzor admonished his parishioners not to shy away from thanksgiving and to always teach their children the way of the Lord by drawing them nearer to God. The Province III provincial head who was happy for God’s protection on the church and the children, particularly for not losing any child to ill health,accidents of kidnapping.

•Showing children presenting drama

•The second shows rt.rev. Eziuzor in the midst of children dancing with them during their song rendition

Elechi: 2015 elections may be postponed

E

•The urtra-modern Secretariat built by Enugu State Government which will be inaugurated soon. Commissioner of Works & Infrastruture Goddy Madueke conducted some journalists round the building.

BONYI State Governor Martin Elechi has said there is a possibility the 2015 elections will be postponed if the security situation in the country worsens.

He stated this in Abakaliki during a media chat as part of activities marking the country’s 54th independence anniversary and 18th anniversary of the state’s creation.

Elechi, who was responding to a question on his successor, said that residents of Ebonyi State will decide who succeeds him in 2015.

His words: “I don’t know why we are so unsettled about this matter, mind that the time-table is out and actors are going to make themselves available. You give the impression that I will singlehandedly say that this is my successor.

“It has to come by way of consensus and by election. So please,

‘What if the elections don’t come?. You should pray more that we over come the distabilising factors that are shaking the entire nation with probability, I am not saying that they will succeed, but with probability of stalling all elections’ From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

do not overheat the polity. What is important now is that we face our projects and programmes.

“What if the elections don’t come? You should pray more that we over come the distabilising factors that are shaking the entire nation with probability, I am not saying that they will succeed, but with

probability of stalling all elections.

“If the nation is at war and this is a constitutional provision, such that elections can’t be held, elections will be postponed.

“We should be more concerned with ensuring peace and tranquility in the country rather than who succeeds who.

“If I am alive till May 29, 2015, I will hand over to somebody”, he added.

3 THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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37

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Women protest deplorable UmuahiaIkot Ekpene Road

Ebonyi students counselled on national values

•Continued from page 33

•Continued from page 34

opment Of Nigerian Students”, reminded the students that imbibing attitudinal change and good ethical values are very important criteria for their growth and development in life.

Dr Onwe, who is also the Director Division of General Studies of the university, enumerated these values to include: respect for elders and constituted authorities, tolerance, punctuality, honesty, hard work, decency, faithfulness, humility etc and told the students that they can only achieve their dreams like some Nigeria’s great heroes and heroines, if they identify with, love, appreciate and imbibe the country’s core values and principles.

In his words, “As students, you should imbibe good values and desist from habits that are inimical to your desired future. You should also encourage others to cherish and cultivate good attitudes because they are the first credentials that every serious student must acquire. Vices such as examination malpractice, cultism, thuggery, rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, restiveness etc should be far from you.

“Examination malpractice is a serious crime and must be

avoided. Cultism is not about class; rather it is an act of cowardice and should be avoided too.

Political thuggery is not good and students should not present themselves to be destroyed by politicians, especially in this period of political transition. Students are not animals and should not engage in rape or sexual harassment of others.

“Also remember that kidnapping carries ultimate death sentence just like armed robbery. Always protect public property because it is a duty for us all. Every student ought to be good ambassador of his or her institution, state and nation. Again, you should not take laws into your hand by organising or participating in protests and riots. These are the only ways of achieving your dreams.”

Earlier, the Dean of Students Affair, Professor Hillary Ezeh, welcomed the participants to EBSU and noted that the programme was apt especially as the core aim of the university is to produce men of integrity whose characters are laced with the virtues of honesty, hard work, patriotism and tolerance. He expressed hope that the programme would yield positive result for the university and the

•Dr Emma Abah and Prof Ogbu presenting some Ebola pamphlets to Prof Idike

nation at large.

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Education, Hon Chibueze Agbo, who was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary, Sir Clement Elom, said the exercise came at the right time and assured NOA of government’s support and assistance at all times.

Some of the students, Igwe Onyebuchi, Chukwu Chidimma, Nworie Anastasia and Okoro Gloria lauded the programme which they said, reminded them of how important they are to national development. They also recognised that the programme

‘As students, you should imbibe good values and desist from habits that are inimical to your desired future. Vices such as examination malpractice, cultism, thuggery, rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, restiveness etc should be far from you’ provided for them the chance to contribute to national discourse and pleaded with NOA to make such a regular event. The SUG

president, Ngwu Deborah, in her vote of thanks, thanked NOA for the lectures.

Ekpo said the situation made the union to protest through a letter to the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememe and the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji, saying that nothing has happened except some palliative work done by the state government.

He attributed the environmental degradation of his community to the bad nature of the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia road, “Which has forced road users to divert to this community for their movement to their different destinations on daily basis”.

He said the community has spent over N500,000 on palliative work on the community roads, adding that traffic on the community road is now less because of the palliative effort on the federal road..

Ekpo noted that his community is well known for agricultural produce, “but since the situation of our roads is so bad, we are now finding it hard to evacuate our farm produce, this means that our economic activity has slowed down drastically”.

On the protesting women, the president said that they were protesting the bad nature of their roads, as they now find it difficult to go for anti- natal attention, attend church services and even

T

ists pass through their community because of the bad condition of the federal road and in the process destroy their community roads, “When their vehicles get stocked on the road, our children help them to push them out and the money they get is usually used to treat themselves because of the muddy water they put on their legs into”.

‘Our women are suffering, after going to the farm we do not have any one to buy them from us, as our customers no longer come to buy because there are no roads leading to our place’

F

‘The Abia NSCDC chief praised the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji, for his support to the command, adding that it has made their work easier and promised to ensure a crime-free state at all times’

By Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

gage in the act of economic sabotage.

The last suspect to be paraded was one Akam Justice Ogbuagu 20, who was arrested for vandalising GLO substation oil tank used in running the mast at Amodu Ututu in Arochukwu Council Area of the state.

The Abia NSCDC boss expressed concern as the suspects with the exception of Okaome, 45, are young men.

He said that the action of the suspects showed that they have nothing to bequeath to the future generation, adding that he has decided to parade them for the

go to their farms since their produce could not be evacuated.

The woman leader of the community Mrs Christiana Ekpo, said that the women are suffering, saying, “Our women are suffering, after going to the farm we do not have any one to buy them from us, as our customers no longer come to buy because there are no roads leading to our place”.

Mrs Ekpo said that most motor-

• Mr Ekpo

Judge awards N2m damages to barman

Abia NSCDC arrests six suspected pipeline vandals HE Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested six suspected oil pipeline vandals at various points. It has also completed the necessary documents for their prosecution in court.

Speaking in Umuahia while parading the suspects, NSCDC Commandant Andy Dateer in the state said oil pipelines vandalism had reared its ugly head again and that his men are equal to the task of patrolling the pipeline highway at all times.

Dateer said that in one of their patrols along Kilometre 79 around Ahiaba Okpuala in Isiala Ngwa North Council Area, his men arrested three suspected oil pipeline vandals after their dastardly act with over 75 litres of illicit petroleum products.

He gave the names of the suspects as Onyekachi Nwachukwu 20, Nwokeoma Chinatu alias Papa 19, and Chinedu Ochogu alias Gbodo all from Ahiaba Okpuala, in Isiala Ngwa North council area of the state.

The commandant also paraded two suspected oil pipeline vandals who were caught at Ekeoba Ohuhu in Umuahia North Council Area, adding that when his men confronted them, the suspects challenged them leading to one of the suspects being hospitalised.

Dateer gave the names of the suspects as Chukwudi Adimoha 27, and Emeka Okaome 45 both from the same Umudiawa village, and wondered why suspects should en-

•Eze Eugene Ndimele

•Some of the suspected pipeline vandals

public to know the disrespect the suspects and their allies have been bringing to Abia State.

Dateer said that their action is not in tandem with the economic

policies of both Abia State and Federal Government, stressing that despite the continuous sensitisation of the state government on radio, television and

other media against oil pipeline vandalism, the suspects still went after the pipeline.

The Abia NSCDC chief praised the state governor, Chief

Theodore Orji, for his support to the command, adding that it has made their work easier and promised to ensure a crime-free state at all times.

OR abusing his fundamental human rights by detaining him illegally for 27 days and destroying his properties, Justice C.N. Mbonu-Nwaelyi of the Onitsha High Court 3, Anambra State, has awarded N2 million as damages to a barman, Uche Ojika, against Mr James Nwafor, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), the Officer in Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Nigerian Police, Anambra State Command, the Governor of the state and the AttorneyGeneral.

The police was also ordered to write a letter of apology to the plaintiff, over his illegal detention and torture.

Ojika, 32, was working as a barman at Upper Class Hotel, No 8, Old Market Road, Onitisha until August 1, 2013 when he was arrested by policemen with 13 other workers, following an allegation that the owner of the organisation was a ritualist.

The hotel was demolished on the orders of the former Governor of Anambra State , Mr Peter Obi, an action that was supervised by the then Commissioner of Police, and the Onitisha North and South Local Government chairmen.

He was in his quarters at the time of the incident.

The hotel was owned by Chief Bonaventure Mokwe, who has also filed a case for a N3 billion compensation against the former governor and the state over the alleged illegal demolition.

The barman, it was gathered, had claimed N100 million damages in the case he filed for the enforcement of his fundamental human right in suit 0/157M/2014, after he was released from detention for want of evidence to prosecute him.

Reliving the ordeal on the day of the demolition and his illegal de-

•Ojika

By Jude Isiguzo

tention by the police, Ojika said: “On August 1, 2013, around 7am, policemen invaded our hotel, beating and intimidating workers. They said we should take them to our Oga’s office, as they were carrying out orders from above. When we probed further, they said the governor.

They tied our hands behind our backs with ropes and dumped us at the reception. Some of them went up to look for my Oga. “The policemen threw us into their vehicle and we were taken to the Area Command. We were 14 in number. They pushed all of us into a very small pick up Black Maria meant for only four people. We were inside the Black Maria from 7:30am to 4pm before they took us

to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Awkuzu, where I was kept for 27 days. In the first five days in Cell Four, I was neither given food nor water to drink. I was told that the cell is where they keep hardened criminals and kidnap suspects. When my people heard that I was arrested, they came to SARS but were told that I was not there. They were not able to see me until after 12 days.

“At SARS, I was tortured until I fainted. The first day they brought me out from the cell, policemen tied my hands to my legs from behind and hung me on an iron. They carried another heavy iron and placed on my back. I was bleeding from my mouth and my nose until I fainted. The policemen poured a very cold water on me and when I was revived, they said I should write a statement that my

boss is a ritualist and murderer, but I refused, insisting that I have known him for over two years and that he is a businessman who has interest in hospitality industry and properties. The second time I was brought out and tortured, a statement indicting my boss on the same murder issue was written by the police and I was asked to sign it and I refused. I was released after 27 days without being charged for any offence. It was when I came out of detention that my lawyer filed a case against them”.

His lawyer, Kachi John Bielu, who said they were going to appeal the judgment, hailed the trial judge for rising up to defend the common and defenceless, but said the amount awarded was too small.

He explained that if a citizen is detained for 27 days on suspicion and “You ask him to go? Why did you not charge him to court? If there was no case against him why was he not used as a witness or does it mean that the police does not believe in the confessional statement which they allegedly obtained from him? Before you say somebody made confessional statement, it must have been obtained in the presence of someone close to the suspect or via video recording.

None of these things were done. Peter Ilobi, the man whom the police claimed is the petitioner in the case, had no statement in the police station That is to tell you that everything they did was illegal”, he said.

Bielu said the court ordered the defendants to apologise to his client but, under the law, it is supposed to be a public apology not private.

“He was published in the newspaper as a criminal. His hands were tied behind. People now see him as a criminal, they no longer want to do business with him, some of his family friends and villagers no longer want to associate with him as a result of that publication. The apology should also be done publicly. It should be published in some national newspapers, so that those who see him as criminal would know that he is not. We do not agree that a letter of apology should be written and sent to him privately”, he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

38

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

•From right: FRSC Benin Zonal Commander, Mr Charles Akpabio and Sector Commander in Anambra State, Mr Sunday Ajayi, inspecting a Guard of Honour during Akpabio’s official visit to Anambra Command in Awka

2015: Ohanaeze Ndigbo disowns Jonathan

T

•Controller of Federal Operations Unit of Nigerian Customs, Mr Victor Dimka (fourth right), discussing with the NDLEA Commander, Enugu State Command, Mr Anthony Ohanyere, (fifth right) on the seized Cannabis Sativa in Enugu .

•Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen (left), going through documents with Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra who paid him a visit in Abuja.

HE apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has denied endorsing anybody for next year’s presidential election.

Its President General, Chief Gary Nnachi Enwo Igariwey, addressed reporters at Finotel Hotels in Awka, the state capital.

There had been speculations in the Southeast that the Ndigbo had endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan.

At the Igbo Day celebration on Monday at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the Igbo group said the Ndigbo would show interest in the Presidency after the expiration of Jonathan’s tenure.

At the media briefing, which was attended by the group’s President in Anambra State, Elder Chris Eluemunoh, Igariwey said the people were consulting on the 2015 presidency.

He said: “Ohanaeze has not made any statement on the adoption of any candidate for 2015.

Anybody can quote me on that.

What I said is that Ohanaeze has no plans for Igbo president in 2015. We can only do that with consultation with the (Ime-Obi), our traditional rulers.

“But right now, such consultations are still ongoing. At the appropriate time, Ohanaeze will come out with its position.

“Even if there had been statements by some members of the body, the final statement will come from me as the presidentgeneral of Ohanaeze. Ndigbo needs to make use of their demographic weight during elections because we are the only group that can give anybody more than 25 per cent. But we need to be united.”

On the controversy that Jonathan abandoned the Southeast in the provision of infrastructure, since he claims to be an Azikiwe or Ebele, the Ohanaeze leader said Ndigbo had benefited from his administration.

‘Even if there had been statements by some members of the body, the final statement will come from me as the presidentgeneral of Ohanaeze. Ndigbo needs to make use of their demographic weight during elections because we are the only group that can give anybody more than 25 per cent. But we need to be united’ From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

He said: “I did not share the view that he (Jonathan) has done nothing. But I share your view on the state of our roads. When we visited him, we made some observations and they are a part of the consultations. We need to sit with the President and review some of the issues. But all the same, we feel he has done a lot for us.”

Igariwey denied the claim that the governors in the zone shunned Monday’s Igbo Day event.

The Igbo leader explained that the governors took excuse from attending the event because of the national honours in Abuja.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

39

NEWS PHOTO NEWS

•From left: Prof Thomas Audu, member of the Board of Ambrose Alli University, representing the Chairman of the Board; Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku, Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University and Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the inauguration of two 500-capacity lecture theatre and office complex for lecturers at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

•From right: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar lll, Sultan of Sokoto, and Dr Khaliru Alhassan, Minister of State for Health during the commissioning of the Holy family Mother and Child Clinic, Sokoto, Sokoto State.

PHOTO: BRIPIN ENARUSAI

•From left: Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Magnus Abe, representing Rivers South-East, Hon. Asita of the House of Representatives at a function in Port Harcourt.

•Chairman, Peace Community Association, Elder Eddy Aziengbe (fourth left ) receiving the association's certificate from Head of Agriculture, Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos State, Mr. B. O. Oluwatoyin(third left) during the group's inauguration.

40

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

With ekpoita :funtreatsvilla@yahoo.com / 08077706130

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Looking Through A Child’s Eyes When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away. My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can’t carry a tune and don’t have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen.

My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words.

If they don’t know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.

When I pray I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that. My kids say, “Hi God!!! Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy.”

When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and clothes, and dirty carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach, or to learn

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sands of Time Bruce Lee

Martial arts expert Bruce Lee was born on November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, California. Lee’s mother called him “Bruce,” which means “strong one” in Gaelic. Young Bruce appeared in his first film at the age of three months, when he served as the stand-in for an American baby in Golden Gate Girl. In 1941, the Lees moved back to Hong Kong, then occupied by the Japanese. As a teenager, he became a member of a Hong Kong street gang, and in 1953 began studying kung-fu to sharpen his fighting skills. In 1959, after Lee got into trouble with the police for fighting, his mother sent him back to the U.S. to live with family friends outside Seattle, Washington. Lee finished high school in Edison, Washington, and subsequently enrolled as a philosophy major at the University of Washington. He also got a job teaching the Wing Chun style of martial arts that he had learned in Hong Kong to his fellow students and others. Through his teaching, Lee met Linda Emery, whom he married in 1964.

On July 20, 1973, one month before the premiere of Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong at the age of 32.

The official cause of his death was a brain edema, found in an autopsy to have been caused by a strange reaction to a prescription painkiller he was reportedly taking for a back injury. With the posthumous release of Enter the Dragon, Lee’s status as a film icon was confirmed. The film went on to gross a total of over $200 million, and Lee’s legacy created a whole new breed of action hero—a mold filled with varying degrees of success by such actors as Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, and Jackie Chan.

People & Culture

Rwanda

The original inhabitants of Rwanda were the Twa, a Pygmy people who now make up only 1% of the population.

While the Hutu and Tutsi are often considered to be two separate ethnic groups, they speak the same language, have a history of intermarriage, andshare many c u l t u r a l characteristics.

Rwanda has been a unified state since pre-colonial times with only one ethnic group, the Banyarwanda, and a shared language and cultural heritage.

Music and dance are an integral part of Rwandan ceremonies, festivals, social gatherings, and storytelling.The most famous traditional dance is Intore, a highly choreographed routine consisting of three components - the ballet, performed by women; the dance of heroes, performed by men, and the drums. Drums are of great importance, the royal drummers having enjoyed high status within the court of the mwami. Drummers usually play together in groups of seven or nine. The country has a growing popular music industry, influenced by East African, Congolese and American music.

Traditional arts and crafts are produced throughout the country, .Woven baskets and bowls are especially common. The south east of Rwanda is noted for imigongo, a unique cow dung art, whose history dates back to when the region was part of the independent Gisaka kingdom. The dung is mixed with natural soils of various colours and painted into patterned ridges, forming geometric shapes. Other crafts include pottery and wood carving.

There is a strong oral tradition ranging from poetry to folk stories.

Many of the country’s moral values and details of history have been passed down through the generations. The most famous Rwandan literary figure was Alexis Kagame (1912 – 1981), who carried out and published research into the oral tradition as well as writing his own poetry. The Rwandan Genocide resulted in the emergence a literature of witness accounts, essays and fiction by a new generation of writers such as Benjamin Sehene. A number of films have been produced about the genocide, including the Golden Globe nominated Hotel Rwanda and Shooting Dogs, which was filmed in Rwanda itself, and featured survivors in the cast.

ACROSS

DOWN

1.Complete (5) 2. Massive(5) 6. Have courage to (4) 7. One who trades (6) 10. Bow (3) 11. Uncooked (3) 13. Specialist (5) 14. Perch (3) 15. Quarrel (5) 17. Liabilities (6) 20. Lobby (5) 21. Epoch (3) 22. Pitcher (4) 23. Expands (5)

1. Mammary Glands (5) 2. Pull Forcibly (5) 3. Mix (5) 5. Thread (6) 8. Recess (4) 9. Bemoan (4) 12. Afloat (5) 14. Influence (4) 16. Stay Upright (5) 17. Sketch (4) 18. Wager (3) 19. Anger (3)

WORDWHEEL

Form as many words as you can with the letters in the wheel.

Every word must make use of the letter at the center, i.e. the letter T. A 9-letter word with the meaning “ UNPLEASANTLY NOTICEABLE” is hidden in the grid. This is the star word. 2letter words and proper nouns are not allowed. Words up to forty score excellent.

JUMBLEWORD Unscramble the word jumbled in the grid below and place the deciphered word in the blank grid.

Humour

A Nigerian Naval officer was addressing the rank and file of the force and told them of new uniforms, boots, increased remuneration the force has approved for them. As he mentioned the approved items, the crowd kept shouting “hurray!”such that the officer could not hear even his own voice again. He got angry, brought out his gun and fired in the air. Everyone became quiet and the officer, quite enraged warned “ if you hurray againnnnnnnna, you shall hurray yourself”.

Got wind of a criminal act, plan?

Alert your friend,The Police.

To conquer oneself is the best and noblest victory; to be vanquished by one’s own Pep Talk nature is the worst and most ignoble defeat. - Plato

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

41

CAMPUS LIFE IBB varsity gets students’ leaders

T •Participants at the seminar

How to mitigate effects of climate change, by experts

E

XPERTS have held talks on how to source funds to promote campaigns on climate change adaptation and mitigation in Nigeria. They met last Tuesday during a research seminar organised

by Africa Climate Change Adaptation Initiative (ACCAI), University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

In a lecture titled: Climate finance and associated research opportunities, Mr Olugbolahan Mark-George, a financial adviser and consultant, said the United Nations Framework for Climate Change has earmarked over $30 billion to assist developing countries ease the impact of climate change. He lamented that Nigeria had been unable to access significant fraction of the fund.

“Nigeria has received no adaptation funding, but has been able to access less funds for climate change mitigation programmes.”

He blamed the development on initial absence of a national implementing organ in Nigeria, which he said was recently accredited under the Federal Ministry of Environment.

The financial expert explained that the transformation agenda as pursued by the Federal Government,

From Inya Agha-Egwu UNN demanded Nigeria to be a an actor in climate change adaptation and mitigation process, saying that over 50, 000 Nigerians were displaced in 2013 by climate change.

Mark-George advised participants at the seminar to tailor their researches to solving climate changerelated problems to enable them access funds meant for climate change mitigation and adaptation exercises.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Chairman, Africa Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, UNN, Prof Polycarp Chigbu, said although farmers had been facing problems of climate change for some decades now, the issue was a subject of global concern.

Prof Chigbu stressed the determination of the University of Nigeria to be at the forefront of the crusade for climate change mitigation and adaptation in Africa.

The Director of Centre for Africa Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, UNN, Prof Anthonia Achike, said ACCAI-UNN was established

in 2010 to partner with African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), Kenya, to build trans-disciplinary climate change adaptation capacity at the university.

Prof Achike said the objective of ACCAI-UNN was to “build human capacity needed to address climate change adaptation that meets Africa’s unique needs through university-based curricular for conventional postgraduate degrees, and undertaking short training courses for a wide range of professionals from all sectors.”

She stated that the centre would also incorporate various communities within African region in execution and implementation of its research findings, and also provide bases for adaptation of international best practices in climate change issues and collaboration with similar or related facilities across the world.

She expressed belief that the symposium would help boost the research skills of staff and post-graduate students in Climate Change Economics Policy and Innovation (CCEPI) in the university.

Stop exploiting graduates, Muslim Society USLIM Students’ Society to monetise the scheme tells NYSC tempts of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos must be rejected by everybody. He

M

State Area Unit, has accused the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of exploiting graduates by charging them N4,000 for printing of call-up letters.

Graduates that are being mobilised for the next batch of the National Youth Service are paying the money as requirement to get their postings.

While hailing the NYSC for introducing online registration, they said asking graduates to pay amount before mobilisation indicated that the government was no longer interested in sponsoring education.

The MSSN Amir (president), Kaamil Kalejaiye, urged NYSC not to become a profit-making body.

He advised the directorate to look for other means of generating revenue rather than placing the burden on graduates.

He said: “This is another open betrayal from our government. Why should someone who wants to go and serve his fatherland pay so much for a journey he is forced to

T

HE Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) has directed the Provost, Dr Elizabeth Ikem, to proceed on terminal leave. This followed subtle agitation and protest by some aggrieved staff. The embattled provost mounted the saddle in 2000 when the institution was reopened.

The council’s directive was confirmed by a newspaper advert, last week, which announced the vacancy in the college’s provost office.

A worker, who did not want his name in print, said the council’s directive was in order to further develop the school.

By Tajudeen Adebanjo LAGOS go? Where do they expect a student who suffered and managed to graduate from the decaying system get such money? NYSC must realise that having finished a degree course does not mean that you have a job.

So, where do they want the thousands of jobless Nigerian students to get N4, 000?

“Another thing that bothers our mind is how the NYSC came about the N4,000 charges. Is it for maintenance of the website or administrative task that has earlier been catered for? What does NYSC want to use N4,000 from the over 10,000 corps members do? Since the Federal Government is sponsoring the programme, there is no need for this. Government should be alive to its responsibility. The money is unjustifiable.”

Kalejaiye urged probe into the activities of the NYSC, saying at-

Provost sent on leave From Daud Salaudeen LAGOS He said: “The provost has done her best and made landmark contributions. She should leave when the ovation becomes loudest. We need fresh insights from another administrator to re-position the school.”

A student, Adedayo Kosoko, said that the Provost did well, adding that students would miss her.

The outgoing chairman of the Stu-

also described as annoying the justification made by the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Olubunmi Aderibigbe, who said online registration was optional.

Kalejaiye said: “We expect anticorruption agencies would swing into action by probing the activities of NYSC. This is a clear signal that corruption looms in the horizon of NYSC. How the website contract was given, how much it cost and what it takes to maintain it must be made open. NYSC is not a profitmaking body. We urge Nigerian lawmakers and stakeholders to check the activities of the NYSC to avoid exploitation like we had during the ill-conceived Nigerian Immigration Service employment.”

MSSN urged the directorate to stop victimisation of Muslim female corps members, saying: “The constitution guarantees their freedom to practise their religion anywhere and anytime.”

dents’ Representative Council (SRC), Matthew Ojebola, said the development was yet to be announced officially, but added that change was the only constant thing in life.

He said: “The students have not been informed of the council’s decision. But from what we have observed, the Provost may not resume next session. Change is constant. If the Governing Council decides such change for the school is good for the institute, we must welcome it because the elders are wise.”

Matthew added that the Provost’s tenure should be celebrated because of her landmark contributions to the development of the school.

HE I b r a h i m B a d a m a s i Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, has inaugurated the Students Union Government (SUG) executive The event took place at the university twin lecture theatre.

At the event the university’s Legal Adviser, Amina Ndayako, urged the officers to always abide by the rules.

The president, Bashir Shuaibu administered the oath of office on members of the Students’ Representatives Council (SRC), a legislative arm of the union.

Shuaibu, praised the management for conducting a credible election, calling on his fellow leaders to join him to continue the struggle for students’ welfare.

“I salute the courage and spirit of togetherness in this very great institution and the trust the entire students have in me. Our victory was a well-deserved one.

I urge all stakeholders, comrades in struggle, NASU, ASUU and SSANU to please join hands with us to fight for the rights of students,” he stated.

The Vice Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy VC (Administration), Dr Yakubu Auna, praised the students’ affairs division and the computer science department of the university for organising the e-vot-

•Bashir From Victoria Ehinmodu IBBU

ing.

He congratulated the new executives and charged them to imbibe the spirit of transparency. He said: “It is not always easy and convenient to be a union leader, but it is necessary to serve because, service to humanity is one of the basis of human existence. “ The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr John Jiya, also congratulated the new leaders and students for their peaceful conduct during and after the elections.

Kogi varsity goes tough on sale of handout, sexual harassment

T

HE Management of Kogi State University (KSU) in Anyigba has warned staff, that textbooks, and harass of students to desist or face the law.

The management said it would not condone any form of extortion of students by lecturers and non-academic staff.

In a statement by the Registrar, Mr J.A. Zhizhi, the university noted that the warning had become necessary in view of several allegations bordering on exploitative sales of unauthorised hand-outs, journals and books before, during, and after registration of students.

Other activities frowned at included deliberate delay of project assessment by supervisors in order to extort gratification, collection of unauthorised levies during defence of thesis and dissertations.

While stressing that the reported cases were being investigated, the management appealed to students and members of staff who may have

From Mohammed Yabagi KSU

been affected by these activities to promptly report to management.

Our investigations revealed that aside from money extorted from students on the sale of the hand-outs, journals and text books at exorbitant rates, names of such students are written for undue advantages “Some members of staff give assignments to students and make them contribute several thousands of naira each. The staff will then direct the unsuspecting students to town to hire equipment and facilities owned by them to do the assignments.The staff’s private equipment and facilities are poor and substandard, but are hired by students at exorbitant costs, compared to the state of the art equipment and facilities owned by the university, which are never made available to students to use for assignments,” some sources lamented.

Association welcomes freshers

T

HE National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS) at the the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY), has held orientation for freshers at the institution’s Adesoye Hall.

In his welcome remark, Mr Kolapo R.O, urged the freshers to build strong academic foundation.

“Don’t limit yourself to getting a diploma only. You should focus on how you will acquire degrees in the university and also go for your masters,’’ he said.

The Student Union Government President, Adedeji Festus, charged the freshers to avoid examination

From Jennifer Umeh OFFA POLY

malpractice and other vices, warning them not be carried away by social activities in the institution.

President of the association, Akintunde Moruf Dolapo, said: “Education is the only panacea to poverty and banish ignorance in the society. It is the only way that allows one to get ahead in life and be successful.”

He charged students to shun cultism, destructive criticism, tribalism, drug abuse, provocative dressing and hooliganism.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

42

CAMPUS LIFE Members of the Niger Delta Students’ Union Government (NIDSUG) converged on Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital for the union’s second national convention, where they elected leaders to pilot their affairs for another year.

EMMANUEL AHANONU (Corps member, NYSC Enugu) reports.

New dawn for Niger Delta students

T

HE election of officers after the Onbara Yalah-led executive of the Niger Delta Students’ Union Government (NIDSUG) completed its tenure was a Herculean task. For five hours, officials of the Department of State Security (DSS) screened candidates vying for offices to ascertain the authenticity of their studentship.

The screening took place at the Port Harcourt office where the candidates were asked to swear to an affidavit to maintain peace during the election. After the oath, the electoral process began with a national convention chaired by Dr Henry Akpan, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.

The event was attended: Minister of State, for Niger Delta Affairs, Dairus Dickson Ishaku; Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Hon. Godwin Etah; the guest speaker, Isaac Osuoka, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Ijaw Affairs, Dr Felix Tuodolo and Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Students Matters, Tamuno Osika, among others.

Tonbara said the convention with the theme: Re-awakening the Niger Delta youths for effectiveness in the emerging Nigerian state, was to guide the Niger Delta youths for the journey ahead through re-orientation and campaign against restiveness.

“We believe Niger Delta youths must prepare for the challenges ahead of them. This is the basis for holding this event, which is to tell our colleagues to embrace entrepreneurship and not hooliganism,” Tonbara said.

Dairus said he was elated by the resolve of the students to take their destiny into their own hands, stressing that they were building socio-cultural bridges to foster peace and economic development.

He said: “The ugly attributes of militancy, indolence, kidnapping and brigandage asso-

•Delegates waiting to be accredited before the election ciated with youths of this area are now things of the past.”

The election followed the next day, where 23 candidates, who passed the DSS screening, contested for the offices. Each state in the Niger Delta region had five delegates, while Niger Delta students in the North and Southeast sent 15 and 10 delegates respectively. More than 500 students across the country witnessed the election held in Ijaw House, Bayelsa State.

There was tension as the aspirants sought support with their manifesto. The two presidential contenders, who are from Delta State, canvassed support from delegates. For several minutes, there was commotion in the hall,

making the electoral officers to cancel the manifesto.

At the end of the election, the Chief Returning Officer, Gospel Tanam, announced Obada Akpomiemie as the president-elect, having polled 71 votes to beat his rival Stanley Ekwuememe, who had seven votes. Also Bariture Ngbee defeated Ijeoma Belema with 44 votes to become the Vice President (Administration); Chinaobi Ojukwu became the Vice President (Project).

Other officers elected include Alemichi Kwubi, General Secretary, Juliet Mauyu, Treasurer, Joy Ekadi, Public Relations Officer, Ibi Tonye, Provost, Christy Eka, Director of Gen-

•Contestants performing a traditional dance

I

N measured steps, they walked on the raised end of the hall, smiling and waving to the excited crowd. Their choreographed movement attracted a thunderous applause from the cheering observers. In a similar manner, they returned to the room from where they emerged. Then, the event kicked off.

This was the atmosphere at the 750-capacity lecture theatre, where a beauty pageant organised by the Faculty of Education of the Delta State University (DELSU) in Abraka was held.

The pageant was preceded by interdepartmental football contest, where the Department of Science Education defeated Department of Nursery and Primary Education in a 3-2 win.

During the lecture held to mark the event, Dr Samuel Campbell, an officer at the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), urged students to reject the temptation to use hard drugs, warning that abuse of drugs could cause lifetime damage to the body.

A debate was also held, where students of all the departments spoke on the topic: Why is your department the best in the faculty? The debaters reeled out points to outshine one another in convincing the listeners on why their department is special in the faculty.

Franklin Izose, a 100-Level student of

der and Women Empowerment, Janet Slyvanus, Welfare Director and Daniel Ifon, Director of Transport.

Chimdindu Obiarandu was elected the Senate President, while Amabebe Inekirumu became the Deputy Senate President.

Jackson Sunju, a member of the electoral committee, said the DSS was called to ensure thugs were not elected into the union’s leadership.

Obada said his administration would focus on empowerment and intellectual capacity building for members. He urged members to resist move by politicians to use them as political thugs.

•Benita...the queen

Enter the ‘Queen of Education’ Nigerian Universities Education Students Association (NUESA), Delta State University (DELSU) chapter, has organised a beauty pageant to crown the ‘Queen of Education’. ESE OKODUWA (300-Level Home Economics Education) reports.

Vocational Education (Home Economics unit), said: “The best department is Home Economics, because its students feed their colleagues from other departments. Stomachs can never get satiated of food; food is essential for the sustenance of life. Without food, no students will be in school to study.”

Dismissing Franklin’s position, Benjamin Onaho, a 100-Level Science Education student, said science made it possible for Home Economists to know the proper ingredients for

food. Without scientific research, he said, many human activities would not have been possible.

Prof C.N. Okeoji, Staff Adviser to the Nigerian Universities Education Students Association (NUESA), declared the beauty pageant open.

She praised the association’s leaders for improving the social life in the faculty.

Intelligence, cultural knowledge and sense of fashion of the contestants were tested during the preliminary stage. Some of them could not stand the test, dropping out of the contest. In the

final stage, the contestants appeared in flowing designer gowns. Their intellect was put to test; each was required to answer intelligent questions.

In the end, Benita Ifeghoe, a 100-Level Computer Science Education student, beat nine other contestants to emerge the Queen of NUESA. Esther Kissa, a 100-Level Nursery and Primary Education emerged the first runner up.

Crowning the new queen, the outgoing queen, Miss Stella Aiwerioghene, a 400-Level Chemistry Education student, hailed the contestants for their courage, saying in every competition, there could always be only one winner. “But all of you are winners because of your time and energy you sacrificed to make the event worthwhile,” she said.

Benita, who got excited by the feat, said her joy knew no bounds when she was announced the winner, noting that she had always wanted to be a beauty queen.

President of NUESA, Julius Asuai, a 400-Level Economics Education, said: “This event began like an unachievable dream and vision; today, it is a reality because of the cooperation of executive members and students. I am grateful to God and all of you.”

Highlight of the event included award of certificate to members of the NUASA executive.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

43

CAMPUS LIFE

Traits of a good leader L

ET me start this piece by looking at leadership from my own perspective.

A true leader is not dictatorial but offers a responsible service to the people. It is pursuit of success and responsibility that empowers such a leader to influence his followers to achieve set goals. The motive, method and means by which he leads are important, as this will determine the quality of the leadership he would render and its impact on his followers. The major and prominent motive for leadership is simply for service. Service to the people is the ultimate goal of leadership.

Leadership is more than a title, status or position one occupies. Leadership is a task and assignment that must be achieved through hard work. Anyone who is not ready to work hard should not aspire to lead because leadership and diligence are Siamese twins. The way we apply the force of diligence to responsibility will determine how far we will go and what impact we will make in leadership position. Success in leadership is the result of utilising whatever ability, skills and resources we have at our

disposal maximally.

Diligence has to do with mental alertness, intelligence and hard work which are geared towards producing specific results that will make the purpose of our leadership a reality.

Diligence demands painstaking attention and utmost focus. Diligence means doing the right thing in the right way and at the right time, with the right people and with the right resources.

An effective leader is always known for his tenacity to what is right and insisting on efficiency all the time. Many leaders succumb to the pressure of change, even though it is not needed at that particular time. “Consider the postage stamp. Its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there,” Josh Billings said. Our leadership exploits will be at risk if we do things frivorously and impulsively, without consistent and persistent approach.

When our effort is inconsistent, we are not being diligent and we stand the risk of being inefficient. Diligence will produce perseverance, which is a vital key in making impact in life. John Rockeffer once quipped:

“I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature. “The truth of the matter is this; a man who does not put in steady effort in the execution of his assignment cannot be relied on’’.

Working hard on its own does not necessarily constitute diligence. Diligence constitutes working hard carefully. We must not fall into the danger of being busy while on the wrong track. We can be hard working, yet doing the wrong thing and channeling our energy and resources in the wrong direction. We have to be careful and give a lot of attention and thought to doing things properly.

Working hard carefully on our way to becoming a great leader requires doing the right thing in the right way, at the right time, in the right place and with the right motive and strategy. This is diligence, which is crucial in putting us on the right track towards excelling as a leader.

Any leader cannot succeed if he does not give a lot of attention and thought to what

By Yinka Olatunbosun he does. He must make sure he consciously channels his human and material resources rightly in the execution of his leadership objective. The buck ends on his table. So, he must put in place a mechanism to ensure his goals and objectives are carried out the way he plans them.

Yinka, 400-Level Chemistry, IBBU

Stopping teenage pregnancy V

ESICOVAGINAL Fistula (VVF) is an abnormal tract extending between the bladder and the vagina that allows the continuous and involuntary discharge of the urine into the vaginal vault. This occurs when there is a prolonged labour.

In the process, the unborn child is tightly pressed against the pelvis, cutting off blood flow to the vesico vaginal wall and therefore affecting the tissues. This leads to a hole between the bladder and the vagina, resulting into an uncontrollable leakage of urine through the vagina.

Teenage pregnancy has been so rampant in our society today. According to statistics, about 16 million girls of ages 15-19 years give birth yearly. That is about 11 per cent of all births worldwide. Half of these teenage births occur in just seven countries, which are India, Ethiopia, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

By Oyebimpe Oyesanya Teenage pregnancy poses serious health risks that can even lead to death, as most teenagers indulge in unprotected intercourse. This is because of lack of proper orientation.

VVF occurs in teens because their pelvic bones are yet to be fully developed.

According to a radiology study of early 1990s on teenagers in the United States, it was found out that the actual size of the birth canal was smaller in the first three years after menarche than at age 18, and that the dimension of the inlet, midplane and outlet of the birth canal of these young adolescent were contracted.

In Nigeria, of 241 fistula and 148 that were controlled, it was found that 27 per cent occurred in girls of age 15 years and below, 59 per cent occurred in girls of age 18 and below. This shows that early age at marriage was significantly associated with fistula.

Malnutrition of these young mothers also contributed to the risk of fistula.

Teenagers involved may face some social challenges, such as isolation from the society due to the putrid smell brought about by the urine leakage and lack of supports by family members. Teen mothers are less likely to complete their education. They also suffer depression.

Fistula can be treated either transvaginally or laparoscopically. Some possible complications may occur afterwards and these include recurrent formation of the fistula, injury to ureter, bowels or intestine and vaginal shortening. But laparoscopical has become more prevalent due to its greater visualisation, higher success rate and low rate of complications.

Everyone has a role to play in curbing this disease. Parents need to educate their kids, both male and female about intercourse and

dignity. Girls may be the only one at the physical risk, but both are responsible for another person’s life. Parents should also avoid the habit of early child marriage to protect the lives and future of their children.

The government must provide adequate facilities to hospitals to treat fistula cases. It must enact a legislation to stop child marriage and punishment should be meted out to those engaging in the act. The vulnerable, which are the teenagers, also have the important role to play. They must resist peer pressure and focus on educative write-ups and videos produced against VVF. The media will help by educating teenagers on why they must not engage in premarital intercourse. I believe this health risk can be reduced and stop if these measures are put in place.

Oyebimpe, ND II Food technology, ADO POLY

Why NYSC DG must go now

By Sheyi Babaeko

I

T was Edmund Burke, who said: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This truism succinctly described the silence in many quarters while youths of this country are being swindled by people who are sup-

posed to provide everything they need to survive.

I raise my voice to condemn the barbaric, obnoxious and anti-people policy of Brigadier -General Johnson Olawumi, the Director General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who introduced N4,000 fee for graduates to pay before collecting their callup letters for National Youth Service.

We are yet to be told a cogent reason why corps member must pay any fee at all to get their call-up letters. This shows the agency is being turned to revenue-generating outfit for the government, which is against the law setting up the NYSC in the first place. I have once said that NYSC is an irrational organisation that is being run to clueless officials. The introduction of the call-up letter fee vindicates my earlier stand and it shows the body is drowning organisation crying for a lifeline.

With the introduction of fee, we can now see that the Olawumi-led NYSC is insensitive to the plight of the impoverished masses?

The Director-General is a misfit, who does not have anything to add to the office he is holding. Why should he ask unemployed

people to pay such amount? This tells me that the NYSC has now moved from bad to worst.

Attempt by the NYSC Director of Corps Mobilisation, Anthony Ani, to justify the obnoxious fee could be likened to whitewashing the putrid sepulchre. Nothing is done to reverse the ill-conceived policy which will still cause imbalance in the NYSC scheme. By asking graduates to pay, it is clear that the scheme has outlived its relevance. It has now become a platform to exploit Nigerians.

I will appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately sack Brigadier General Olawumi for his gross incompetence.

He should be booted out of office without further delay.

It is, indeed, an insult to every Nigerian that while millions of naira is being allocated to the NYSC via Ministry of Youth Development budget, some people in the organisation still believe collecting money from graduates would sustain the scheme.

What about the funds allocated to feeding at the orientation camps, which could not be done because of Ebola outbreak? Yet, the DG

is coming out to demand for money from jobless youths.

Serving the fatherland has really caused tears and heartache to many youths. I have a personal sad story to share. I was posted to Sokoto State for the compulsory one-year service. On my way to the state, I was robbed by armed robbers after the vehicle I was traveling in got involved in a ghastly accident in which I broke a part of my hip.

Up till now, I still walk with the aid of clutches. NYSC never showed modicum of concern about my well-being. Throughout the time I had operations on my hip, I only saw some NYSC officials once. There are many corps members who are in life-threatening situation because of the National Service. Olawumi and his insensitive officials are not concerned. They are not after the welfare of Nigerians but just on their own. I urge every youth to rise up and ensure that this anti-people policy is rescinded by the leadership of NYSC, a sinking body looking for straw (the poor money) to stay alive.

Sheyi is a Master’s student at the University of Leeds, UK

Ebola scare at OAU: The aftermath

I

F the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) scare that gripped Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife, a few weeks ago was to be real, then, it is high time the management of the institution woke up to the health challenges and the general welfare of the students.

The rumour went viral on social media and the university became a subject of attention in many discussions. In various Halls of Residence in the institution, students became panicky, momentarily stopping their traditional greeting style.

In my interaction with colleagues, I came to realise that the management did not put

adequate measure in place to forestall any outbreak of the disease, despite being an environment prone to such endemic disease, because of the colony of bats that has found abode on the campus.

The management was negligent in mapping out strategy and putting the right structure in place before the resumption of students from neighbouring countries to prevent the deadly disease. Although, it made efforts to sensitise the university community on the precautionary measures against the disease, nevertheless, the measures were not enough in terms of providing adequate public enlightenment

and how the disease could be isolated.

It is high time the OAU management joined hands with the students union in ensuring that this endemic disease doesn’t find its way into the citadel of learning. This must be achieved through the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in order to promote a healthy environment. Students and visitors within and outside the school environment must be adequately sensitised on the disease. With these measures in place, the university would be a safe environment of learning.

Alex just finished from OAU

By Alex Ojekunle

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

44

CAMPUS LIFE

•Wisdom (right) receiving the prize

•The choristers after the event

H

IS voice was inspiring, his song, soul-ifting and the atmosphere, electric. That was the mood when Wisdom Nkecha, a 400-Level student of Industrial Mathematics at the Delta State University, won the Singing Contest of Abundant Grace Zone of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Abraka.

The event tagged: “ZAMAR 2014” was attended by different groups;

Winning souls through praises From Ese Okoduwa DELSU it spiced with activities such as singing, drama presentation and debate.

The week-long event, which was organised for students of the church, began with enlightenment of guests

on the theme of the programme.

The competition witnessed nine contestants with two persons eliminated at each stage.

At the end of the contest, Wisdom Nkecha emerged the overall winner while Jessica Oseafiana and Tina Ogido were first and second runners-up.

Teenagers in the church were not left out as they held a debate on the topic: “Does secular music affect sanctification?”

The debate was won by Blessing Okpiar, a SSS 2 pupil, and Salvation Okpare, JSS 2 pupil.

The Assistant Pastor in charge of Delta Province Six of RCCG, Pastor

Adedji Omidioara, enjoined the congregation to always sing to God, saying praises move the hands and mind of God. Some students who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE said the event was inspiring. The Music Director of the host choir, Banabas Omaojo, 500-Level Science Laboratory Technology, said he was excited at the large turnout, noting that : “the purpose of the event is to feel the presence of God and be in-tune with him”.

Mixed feelings trail OOU’s resumption

T •African liberty champion, Adedayo Thomas (in cap), with members of Writers’ Guild of the Kenyatta University in Nairobi after Thomas delivered a lecture titled: The Role of Student-Journalists in Creating the Foundation for a Free African Society...last Thursday in Kenya

On and Off Campus By Solomon Izekor 08061522600

HE Students’ Union Government of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, has issued a press statement, suspending its agitation for school fees reduction after a meeting with the school management.

A statement by the union reads: “It is painful to announce that the Students’ Union Government is suspending the on-going struggle for now. OOUites, the suspension is based on the apparent realities.

Having critically looked into it, and considering the intervention of ASUU (OOU chapter), JAF and other civil society organisations, the de-

From Sanya Boluwatife OOU cision was taken for the overall interest of students. Some of the issues that informed our decision was that if we continue the struggle, 2013/2014 session would be wasted.”

The union condemned the inability of the school authority to yield to the demands of students, urging students not to lose faith with the struggle for affordable education.

Some students of the university had criticised the Students’ Union, saying they betrayed them. Other students praised the union for tak-

ing the right decision in students’ interest.

The President, in his statement tagged: “Suspension,” said: “I know that mixed feelings, shock, criticisms and disappointment will follow the suspension of the struggle. I want to plead with you to please understand that the decision was taken out of pain since it is the most appropriate decision to take looking at the reality and situations. I know confidently that our struggle is not a waste of time or energy. The decision was not taken due to any financial inducement, political influence or any personal reasons.”

•Temitope in training session with the orphans

O

Graduate trains orphans in skills

LADIMEJI Temitope, an Accounting graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, held a skills acquistion workshop for orphans at Solid Rock and Covenant Orphanages at Moro, in Osun State., tagged: “Project skill-up” , it was held under the auspices of Precious Stones, a non- governmental organisation founded by the graduate.

In her remark, she said: “Our aim at Precious Stones is to infuse love into child early. This, we believe, is the bedrock upon which other life issues are built, and this is why our

From Alex Ojekunle OAU focus is on children, but in a major way,the less privileged.”

She was received by a 10-man team, including Odidimu Funmilopeda, the skills instructor.

The children were taught how to make wrist beads with their names, ear-rings, neck chains, wrapping books with various clothing materials, among others.

Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Mrs Oroyemi Ayoola, the matron of the orphanage, praised the initiative

and thanked the organisers for the gesture.

‘The event is a blessing to the children and the centre. I believe that as they practise more, the skill acquisition would not only help them to make money for themselves, but also help them in their future.”

Temitope reiterated their commitment to the project saying: “our vision is to be global agents of change and hope while our mission is to reach the unreached and also bring children of different race and tribe to the awareness and consciousness of God’s love.”

45

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

EDUCATION

Julius Berger to train ABUAD students F OREMOST construction giant, Julius Berger, has opened its doors to Engineering undergraduates of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) to understudy its operations and study in Germany to make them professional civil engineers upon graduation.

The arrangement is a deal between the university and the construction company.

The Vice-Chairman of Julius Berger, Nigeria Mr. Stockhausen Heinz, who spoke at the just concluded UNESCO retreat in ABUAD, said the experience will expose the students to quality engineering and global best practices.

Heinz said the four year-old university was chosen for the pilot project because of the discipline exhibited by students and the faculty, in addition to the university’s stable academic calendar.

Heinz promised that ABUAD would be linked with the reputable University of Technology and other industries in Germany which are vital to training of engineers.

This way, Heinz hopes, the soci-

•Aare Babalola

ety would stem the ugly and unacceptable trend of the preponderance of collapsed structures in Nigeria which Heinz attributed to low quality engineers who have no regard for quality and standard.

Speaking at the commencement of a four-day retreat by the MultiSectoral Regional Office of the UNESCO, which ABUAD hosted, the Vice-Chairman of Julius Berger, Nigeria, Heinz, who described this phenomenon as unfair

and criminal, said this ought not to happen as engineers are duty bound to give the best value for what the owners of structures are paying for.

According to Heinz, who was in company of Julius Berger’s Managing Director D. Lubasch, Saubairu Bayi, if engineers follow standards and specifications, structures and roads would last.

Through the partnership which will be on a pilot project, Heinz said Julius Berger would influence the university’s curriculum positively having seen her need and pleased with her facilities.

Said Heinz: ‘’Although this is my second time of coming to this university, today I am here with the Managing Director of Julius Berger, D. Lubasch, to see the university, to see how it is managed and to see what assistance we can offer as a construction company and, particularly, to see how ABUAD’s engineering graduates can work with us after leaving school.

“Under this partnership, your students will be able to understudy us and see the right ways of doing things because here in Julius Berger, we do not only pay atten-

tion to details, we are highly disciplined and focused and always strive to do the best when it comes to quality and standards.

We pay particular attention to quality assurance.”

ABUAD Founder and Chancellor, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), thanked the Julius Berger team, stressing that their coming was timely as it would enable them see and appreciate what the university was doing to raise the bar of excellence in tertiary education in the country.

Aare Babalola pointed out that both institutions have a confluence in engineering on which the partnership could stand to positively impact the construction industry in Nigeria in particular and the world in general.

The Director, UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja, Prof.

Hassana Alidou, equally praised Heinz for the partnership with ABUAD, promising to do everything possible to ensure the success of the partnership. He stressed that any university that does not have partnerships with the industry would produce low quality graduates.

Reps laud Auchi Poly Rector

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EMBERS of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Education, have applauded the Rector, Auchi Polytechnic, Dr Philipa Idogho, for huge development in the institution since she assumed leadership of the polytechnic.

The committee spoke during a visit to the college as part of its oversight functions.

The committee observed that the polytechnic had, indeed, witnessed infrastructural and human development in the past six years.

Led by its Chairman, Aminu Suleiman, the committee enjoined federal institutions to consolidate on the huge resources granted by the government in the sector.

Suleiman said with the score card presented by Idogho, there is no doubt that the institution adhered to

• Suleiman (left) with Dr. Idogho during the visit.

By Sampson Unamka

its budget.

A member of the committee representing Etsako Federal Constituency, Abubakar Momoh, said: “Auchi Polytechnic is one of the few

polytechnics that did not embark on the 10-month strike recently called off by Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics.”

He praised Idogho’s leadership for ensuring that students of the institution were not kept out of school when

they were supposed to be learning.

He pointed that Auchi Polytechnic had enjoyed uninterrupted six academic sessions which, he said, should be emulated by other school administrators to address the problem in education sector.

AAUA FILE Eastern gate ready in two weeks THE Director of Works and Services of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Olatunde Adegbola, has hinted that the ongoing construction of the institution’s eastern campus gate would be ready in two weeks’ time.

Adegbola, an engineer, noted that the project was being constructed through the Direct Labour Committee of the university. He said: “We started the project on August 18, and we thought it would be completed within six weeks. But due to the nature of the gate, we may not be able to complete it within six weeks. So, I can tell you that latest in two weeks , the project would be completed.”

The Acting Director, Physical Planning and Development, Emmanuel Orimoloye, said on completion of the project, in addition to fencing, encroachment on the university land would be prevented.

He said the development would further ensure the safety of lives of staff, students and property of the university, and add to its aesthetics.

Don chairs conference session A DON in the Department of Environmental Biology and Fisheries, Dr. Francis Gbore, attended the third international conference on Applied Life Sciences which held at the National University of Malaysia, (UKM), Bangi, Malaysia.

The event, which focused on Application of Science, Technology and Humanities in Environment, Biology and Agriculture, was attended by researchers, scholars, students and policy-makers across the globe.

Dr. Gbore, said: “The conference provided me an opportunity to share knowledge and practical experience with scholars, researchers, students and policy makers from around the world.

“In recognition of the relevance of our research efforts at AAUA and the quality of my submitted paper on Brain Regional and Hypophyseal Protein Profiles of Boars Fed Dietary Fumonisin B1, I was appointed to chair one of the scientific sessions at the conference.”

He thanked AAUA management for approving his application for sponsorship from TETFund.

Ebola: Bayelsa trains 484 teachers

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•From left: The Protem Vice-Chancellor, Edwin Clark University, Prof Timothy Oyebode Olagbenro; Founder of the university, Chief Edwin Clark, receiving book donations to the university from the Founder, The Truth Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Love Arugu in Abuja.

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

AYELSA State has begun a two-day training of 484 teachers across the state on precautionary measures against the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Following the training, teachers resumed their duties at their various schools on Monday.

The Commissioner for Education Mr. Salo Adikumo, inaugurated the training workshop for teachers.

The state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) had asked the government to train teachers on Ebola as a condition for resumption of schools. NUT argued that teachers despite being critical stakeholders were initially excluded from the training exercise organised by the state ministry of health.

Adikumo said, the state government had set up a task force in partnership with the Ministry of Health to curtail the disease.

He praised governments for making it possible for teachers to undergo the training. He urged participants to pay attention to the lectures and not hesitate to all ask questions on grey areas.

The resource person from the

By Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

Ministry of Health, Dr. Ebiye Soya, said the training was designed to educate teachers on Ebola preventive measures.

Soya said that the training would be accompanied with a written test which he insisted participants must pass.

After passing the test, he said that the teachers would be certified as experts on Ebola cases.

Soya noted that the essence of the training was to prevent human transmission of Ebola should there be a case in Bayelsa.

The Commissioner for Health Dr. Ayibatonye Owei, praised the teachers for their willingness to embrace the workshop despite the distance of the venue to their communities.

He said ministries were collaborating with government to ensure that EEVD is not spread to Bayelsa.

Owei presented 240 handheld thermometers, wash hand basins, and detergents to the Ministry of Education for distribution to the trained teachers.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

46

CAMPUS LIFE FUNAAB FILE

SCHOLARSHIPS

Entrepreneurial education for students

APPROACHING DEADLINE

TO address unemployment in the nation, Rotary International in collaboration with the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has organised a five-day Entrepreneurial Education (EE) training for students of the institution.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole, who was represented by his Deputy (Development), Prof Felix Salako, stressed the need for youths to discover and develop their talents.

He lauded Rotary International for the training.

The President, Rotary Club of Sagamu-Central, District 9110, Rotarian Bisola Asaye, said the aim of the training was to make the students employers of labour instead of job seekers.

‘Be relevant after graduation’ THE Director, Institute of Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR), Prof Akin Omotayo, has charged the 2013/2014 graduating students of the university to be relevant after graduating.

Delivering a lecture titled: “Developing skills set for excellence and how to search for and get your first job”, he challenged students to go the extra mile, show enthusiasm and take charge of problems when they come to achieve excellence.

He charged them to have passion for self-employment by learning and using the various skills they have; and if they seek paid employment, they should create their own curriculum vitaes or resumes and make use of relevant social media.

Training on data analysis TO ensure that data are properly analysed, IFSERAR has organised an intensive training programme for research scientists, lecturers, postgraduate students and final year undergraduate students on data analysis.

Prof Omotayo said participants should utilise the opportunity the training offers, disclosing that the training was designed to update and upgrade the skills of undergraduate, postgraduate students and others, who needed to learn how to analyse data. ”Some already have the skills but they are rusty because as new software are being developed, new ways are coming up. So, we are organising this training both for those who are green and those who have the skills which have gone rusty,” he noted.

Chevening Scholarships for Postgraduate Students in UK, 2015 2015, developing countries, Featured, Master, New Scholarships, Postgraduate, scholarships, UK Comments are off

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OREIGN and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations offer Chevening scholarships for master students. The programme provides full or part funding for full-time courses at postgraduate level, normally a one-year Master’s degree in any subject and at any UK University. Chevening scholarships cover tuition fees, a living allowance at a set rate (for one individual), an economy class return airfare to the UK and additional grants to cover essential expenditure. Some scholarships cover part of the cost of studying in

the UK; for example, tuition fees only or allowances only. The application deadline is November15, 2014.

Study Subject(s): Scholarships are provided to study any subject at any UK University.

Course Level: The programme provides full or part funding for fulltime courses at postgraduate level, normally a one-year Master’s degree at any UK University.

Scholarship Provider: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations Scholarship can be taken at: UK Eligibility: Applicants must: -Meet the academic requirements for their chosen course(s) of study; -Have a good standard of written and spoken English, and meet the Chevening Scholarships language requirements as well as the language requirements of their cho-

sen course(s) of study; -Be a citizen of a Chevening country -Have a minimum of two years’ work experience; -Not be employees, relatives of employees, or former employees (who left within the past two years) of Her Majesty’s Government (including British Embassies and High Commissions), a partner (sponsor), a sponsoring UK university, or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities; -Not have previously studied in the UK under a UK Governmentfunded scholarship; -Not have dual British nationality (unless you are a Citizen of a British Overseas Territory).

Scholarship Open for International Students: Students of Chevening country including Nigeria.

Scholarship Description: Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations.

The programme makes awards to outstanding scholars with leadership potential from around the world to study postgraduate courses at universities in the UK. The Chevening programme was established in 1983 and has developed into a prestigious international scheme. Chevening Scholars come from more than 150 countries and territories worldwide (excluding the USA and the EU), and this year the Scholarships will support more than 1500 individuals. There are over 43,000 Chevening alumni around the world who together comprise an influential and highly regarded global network.

Centre unveils plan to assist NGOs

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OUNG non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with passion for education of the downtrodden, but crippled by finances, now have a lifeline.

A group, The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre, has unveiled plans to fund such NGOs. According to the Managing Director, TEP Centre, Dr Mo Adefeso-Olateju, it aims at identifying new NGOs that are models in education and help them to seek improved funding from local and international donors TEP Centre is Nigeria’s pioneer education partnership consultancy, which specialises in the design, implementation, support and evaluation of multi-sectoral partnership programmes in education.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos, Adefeso-Olateju described the hub as a global initiative that is in operation in India, South Africa and East Africa.

She said: “This is an initiative of results for educational institutes based in Washington DC. But the CEI is funded through a grant from the UK Department for International Development.”

According to her, the idea behind

By Medinat Kanabe

CEI is desirous of bridging the gap between the less privileged and wellto-do children in the society.

TEP Centre, she said, observed that there are many groups that are doing well.

“Some NGOs are into technology innovations, some are providing food for school children; yet some others are providing tuition for school children, while we have those dedicated to training teachers. In fact, there is so much happening everyday that shows that Nigeria needs a hub, and so we decided to do it.

Adefeso-Olateju said because the group is testing the ground for the first time, it had to adopt three key stages that are working.

“We are actually following a precept approach to identify programmes that are innovative.

First, we go around the entire country, whether in a village or town or a city. We want to know what programme they are implementing that is making a real difference in the lives of children, especially poor children.

“We identify the models and

funder as well because what we are ultimately looking into is to match innovation with funding opportunity so that a programme that is reaching maybe 100 children can now reach 1000 children if it is a good model. ‘’Second, so we are going to be profiling model, and funders that are currently working, in addition to providing the world with well analysed information that will work for education. Third, we identify conduct priority where we will match make philanthropists with innovators according to the latter’s interest. At this level, we will bring them together through networking event and other programmes that can provide technical support,” she added.

She noted that TEP Centre are profiling organisations they are actually non-state because state governments are doing enough already.

Adefeso-Olateju said the centre would be glad to enact a partnership between innovators and funders.

“We have an education partnership centre where we bring the public and private sector to partner, to be able to ensure that more children have access to good quality education. We have over 500 models already and 31

•Dr Adefeso-Olateju

are Nigerians. We have also profiled all the 31 Nigerians,” she stressed.

“We will be working with our partners from other countries to design a programme based on the needs of the innovators in Nigeria. We are concerned about bringing the public and private sector together to resolve some of the issues and challenges that the country is facing,” she added.

Stakeholders counsel student leaders

A

S Nigerians prepare for next year’s general elections, students have been advised not to make themselves tools by desperate politicians in achieving political their ends.

The advice was given at the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE) in Ondo, Ondo State inauguration of its new Students’ Union led by the President Ayokunnumi Isiaka.

From Leke Akeredolu,

Those who attended include: ACE Acting Provost Dr. Abayomi Olajuyigbe, the former ACE SU president, Dr. Isaac Akinloye, Special Adviser to the Governor of the State of Osun, on Environmental Sanitation, Bola Ilori and Chairman Ondo West Local GovernmentArea Bola Makinde.

Olajuyigbe lamented how politicians use students during election

•Coordinator, NYSC in Anambra, Mrs Bassey Ekpe (second left ), unveiling a statue which depicts an effigy of a female Corps member carrying the inscription "Welcome to Umuawulu, a peaceful home for corps members", erected by a corps member, Miss Michael Alfred, to Umuawulu Community near Awka.

and later dump them after achieving their objectives.

He said politicians should also act as agents of transformation by investing in students as future leaders.

His words: “We will blame politicians for using students to achieve selfish interest. Some of them go to the extent of interfering in the affairs of the students’ union. But for us in this college, we will not interfere in students affairs. For instance, during the SU election, the management distanced itself from the poll thereby allowing the students to choose their leaders.

“We are going to groom these union leaders and send them on leadership training so that they would be useful for themselves and the society,” Olajuyigbe said.

He urged the student leadership to always embrace dialogue and distance themselves from the misconception that leadership acceptability is enhanced by the number of “alutas” recorded.

Akinloye asked SU to make their colleagues’ interest their priority.

Akinloye, a lecturer, Lagos State University (LASU), also advised the students to see their new offices as a training ground to become better leaders in future.

Ilori appealed to the students to stop promoting corrupt politicians who have never impacted on the them or the society.

Ilori attributed the problem of the country to bad leadership, saying the

newly sworn-in executive members should see themselves as parts of the team that would transform the nation for better.

Makinde said there is nothing bad if students endorse a politician, adding that such students must have seen some positive things in such a person before their action.

Meanwhile, Olajuyigbe, has assured staff and students of their safety against the outbreak of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

He said the use of the Human Infra red Thermometer (HIT), at the various gates leading into the college to screen people coming into the institution, forms a part of its commitments to safety of lives and in compliance with the directive from government.

“The management decided to bring in the Human Infra-red machine so that we can work hand in hand with the Federal Government to put a check on the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease.

“This is just a way to safeguard our college as students resume for new academic session. The action is taken in compliance with directive from the government, which mandated every institution to put measures in place to check the spread of the disease “he stated.

He advised workers and students to take precautionary measures, such as regular hand wash as well as living in decent and clean environment.

47

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

EDUCATION

Ibeju-Lekki LGA appeals for more schools, teachers

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HE Chairman, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos State, Olorunkemi Semiu Surakat have appealed to the state government to look into the issue of inadequate number of teachers in the schools in their area.

He made the appeal during the inauguration of Prince Bayo Balogun Teachers House in the area.

He praised the new 1,000-capacity hall. He said aside shortage in number of teachers, there was the need for more schools to be built

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

in the fast-developing area.

“When you look at the number of teachers we have in our LGA, they are not enough. Also, the numbers of available schools are unable to serve our children very well as it subject them to stress.

Ibeju-Lekki being the one quarter of Lagos State in size and the schools is widely dispatched within the LGA which is about 20 kilometres in distance to one another . So it is not that we don’t

have schools to go but our children have to trek hours before they get to schools.

“In our effort toward supporting existing teachers, we have employed 150 contract teachers that are posted to various schools within the local government. It is not that there is no teacher within the LGA but they are not enough.

Let’s say we have about 500 teachers in the LGA but the average number needed is about 800, that simply means we are experiencing a short fall of about 300.

“The local government thinks of

what can be done to move close to the standard, this is what made us to employ 150 teachers on contract basis. So, we are still having a shortage of about 150 teachers that will assist us in shaping the future of our children,” he said.

Presenting the keys of Prince Bayo Balogun Teachers House to the National President of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Olukoya Alogba, the donor Prince Bayo Balogun described the development as part of the existing relationship he has with the teachers in the council.

Balogun, who is the Commissioner Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission and immediate past local government Chairman of Ibeju-Lekki, said the hall was meant to benefit the community and encourage teachers by way of serving as a source of revenue.

Reacting to the issue of shortage of schools within the LGA, Balogun attributed the development to large portion of land inhabitants enjoyed. He said government plans to wade into the matter.

Group promises JAMB forms to students

A

GROUP, Reality Campaign Organisation (RECOON), has promised to donate 150 JAMB forms to each of 36 states, including Abuja in the next JAMB registration.

The group said the idea was part of RECOON/Jonathan Education Support Programme, which has assisted indigent students over the last four years.

The National President of the group, Kennedy O. Kennedy, made this declaration in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital while receiving 6,800 youths who completed their training in various skills.

Congratulating the youth, Kennedy said the only way the organisation could reciprocate the gesture of their brilliant performances is to do more by making arrangement to purchase 150 JAMB forms each to indigent students in various states of the federation.

He said the objective of the organisation was to add value to humanity by delivering good governance to all.

He noted that the organisation was •Mr Akeju, Prof Adeloye, and Mr Frank Ekperigin an alumnus during the lecture.

A

LUMNI of Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti have been enjoined to collaborate with the school’s authorities to offer its pupils entrepreneurial training.

They urged their members to be involved in partisan politics.

The Honorary President, World Neurosurgeon Association Prof Adelola Adeloye, spoke at the school’s Second Distinguished Alumni lecture in Ikeja, Lagos.

It had as theme: “The Evolution and impact of Christ’s School on Nigeria development: The role of alumni in sustaining the legacy.”

He said the impact of the school on the development of the country would be measured by the achievements of its alumni in various fields, noting that the founding fathers of the school saw special abilities in its students to flourish in unexpected places and unlikely professions which the school did not prepare for.

“The thrust of the life of a pupil in the school, during our time, was the acquisition of a good, all-inclusive education. The academic attributes of pupils were well-developed. The impacts have been massively overwhelming on Nigeria and its people,” he said.

He noted the school’s contributions to the nation’s education and socio-political development are notable, saying these have made the school to stand out.

Adeloye, who is also the emeritus professor of Neurosurgery, University of Ibadan, said the school would stand out for being the fountain upon which thoroughbred leaders across varying disciplines had evolved.

He said there was the need for

By Wale Ajetunmobi

alumni to participate in politics provided such acts are to repeat the excellence the school is known for in socio-political environment.

He added: “Politics touches everybody.Hence, everybody should approach it, albeit in varying degrees of intensity.

Olusegun Aganga, the Minister of Trade and Governor Kayode Fayemi have written their names in gold with their performance.

Both are alumni of Christ’s School.

We need more of our alumni to follow their footsteps. If our politics is influenced by the motif of transparency, integrity, honesty and hard work, which the Christ’s School taught us, Nigeria will be a better place as a result of our involvement.”

The don who said Christ’s School is reputed for academic leadership and dominance, urged the alumni association to ensure that standard is not compromised.

He said: “The school notified the nation of its potential for academic leadership and dominance from early years of its inception. In 1937, of the 30 pupils admitted into Ibadan Government College through competitive entrance examination, 10 were from Christ’s School with six of them, including Rufus Ogunlade, qualifying for government scholarship. In 1959/ 1960, Christ’s School alumni accounted for the largest number of students admitted from a single school into the then University College, Ibadan.”

Adeloye said the alumni must publicise the school, so that people would acknowledge its leadership

ability. He was, however, dissatisfied with state of infrastructure in the school, saying erosion has distorted its physical topography.

“Restoration and repairs are urgently needed. We must also note that urban development near the school has also encroached on its compound,” he said.

Chairman of the Lagos branch of the alumni association, Yemi Akeju, said the event was held to make members explore the alumni network so as to improve quality and uphold the legacy of the school’s founding fathers.

The highpoint was the testimony session, where members told of how the Christ’s School alumni network had fostered a spirit of brotherhood among them.

partnering with various ICT centres to train youths in the next phase of youth empowerment which the group said will begin by July, next year.

“We want to thank youths who have completed their training in various departments of skill acquisition, let me state it here that the money we are spending is not given by any political party or politicians, it is from our pockets.

“Though we maintain co-operation with political parties, acknowledge individual and professional bodies as well as NGO’s with similar vision, we are also sensitising youths on peaceful co-existence during and after the election.

“We have also taken the responsibility of buying 150 JAMB forms each to students in various states in the next JAMB registration. Our next move is to partner with multinational technology companies to train fresh graduates under technology policy transfer,” he added.

Campaign on enrolment in Yola

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

Christ’s School alumni canvass entrepreneurial training

From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

A

CAMPAIGN on school enrolment has begun in Yola, the capital of Adamawa

State.

The campaign aims to encourage street children known in Northern Nigeria as ‘almajiris’ into schools.

The campaign also offers learning support by providing more than 10,000 Yola pupils with stationery.

Initiated by 1 GAME Campaign and supported by the Adamawa State Ministry of Education, the plan will involve airing of messages in the electronic media, advocacy visits to traditional, religious, community, women and youth leaders, town hall meetings and a door-to door campaign, all with an aim to get children into classrooms and learning.

1GAME representative in Adamawa, Jackson Akor, said: “We are committed to achieving our objective of ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to free and compulsory basic education.

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

“That is why 1 GAME has initiated various programmes to create access to education for the Nigerian children.

“We are getting everyone involved, from political leaders to village heads. We don’t want any child in Yola to be left out of school.”

Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) estimates that over 141,951 children of school age in Adamawa State roam the streets as beggars without access to education. Only Taraba with 63,168 and Gombe with 123,923 have lesser amount of street children among states in the country’s North-East region than Adamawa.

Non-school attendance is highest among Nigeria’s Northeastern states with only 49 per cent of school age boys and 37 per cent of girls of the same age attending school.

•Ondo State Teachers Service Commission (TESCOM) recruitment examination in Owo.

48

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

EDUCATION

#BBOG to govt, don’t forget our abducted girls M EMBERS of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy, have urged the government and international community not to forget the Chibok girls as Nigeria celebrates her 54th independence The group says Nigeria’s independence should be a day that calls for sober reflection because the Chibok girls who have been in captivity for 170 days cannot experience the peace and unity required that is expected by all Nigerians.

They said government in celebrating independence, should

From Grace Obike, Abuja

take decisive steps in ensuring that the Chibok girls are rescued from the grips of Islamic fundamentalist sect Boko Haram.

The group revealed this in a statement signed by Hadiza Usman, Oby Ezekwesili, Sa’adatu Mahdi, Mariam Uwaize and Rotimi Olawale.

The group said:”On this 170th Day since the abduction of the Chibok girls, we members of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign call on our government and the rest of the world not to forget the

abducted 219 girls in Nigeria.

Our advocacy has always been for a singular purpose; and that is, for our government and security agencies to rescue the abducted Chibok girls who are daughters of Nigeria.

“Nigeria’s 54th Independence Day calls for sincere and sober reflection. On a day like this, we cannot but recall the last line of our national anthem ‘one nation, bound in freedom, peace and unity’. That statement does not at this moment hold true for the 219 Chibok girls that have been held captive by the ruthless Boko

Haram terrorist group; yet we remain hopeful. We, however, remind the Federal Government that it has the responsibility to ensure that these girls are rescued so that they can again live in freedom, peace and be united with their families.

“We, therefore, call on our government to decisively act with utmost urgency in taking every measure possible to rescue our girls. We are optimistic that our girls will be rescued. We also ask that all necessary mechanisms, structures, systems and procedures of reintegration, rehabili-

tation and resettlement are put in place as we await their arrival.

Such readiness will help our nation to effectively handle whatever challenges that the trauma has caused them.

“The Abuja #bringBackOurGirls family will not embark on any rally or public event in Abuja, but will join thousands of supporters of our Chibok girls all over the world to amplify the social campaign using #WeareHere and #BringBackOurGirls hash tag. October 1st (yesterday) would mark Day 155 of our sustained advocacy for the rescue of our girls.”

Rotary endows undergraduates with scholarship

T

•Pupils of Grace Schools, Gbagada, Lagos in a group photograph during the school’s students exchange programme to Singapore

HE Rotary Club of Nigeria, (District 9110) has presented cheques for scholarship to 16 brilliant but indigent students studying in Nigerian universities in Lagos and Ogun states being its catchment areas.

The District Educational and Welfare Endowment Fund (DEWEF), has been on since 1999.

At a briefing by the District Governor, Dr Dele Balogun, and other members of the Board of Trustees, the scholarship scheme comprises 16 students from across various tertiary institutions who are in their 200-Level but are having financial challenges in paying their tuition.

Balogun said Rotary check their competences in their first year in schools through their Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). He said the scholarship will run till the end of their studies irrespective of their programmes.

“We feel nothing should affect

By Nneka Nwaneri

the academics of these young stars. So we got presidents of the 83 clubs to bring them forward from their catchment areas.

“Many of them have come out tops in their programmes. Although many who have come forth are brilliant but not indigent, it is a measure taken so we do not derail from the essence of the project,” Chairman of the scholarship commission, Prof Femi Oludimu said.He said more than a million naira was spent on the project, adding that the remaining funds is being used as immediate response funds in the event of emergency.

Posters have already being circulated around university premises and forms for the next batch which will close on January 16, next year, said a member of the trustees, Prof Alaba Akinseye.

NYSC online mobilisation: Again, a storm in a tea cup

I

MUST confess that I am not at all disappointed by the unsavory reactions that greeted the planned N4,000 mobilisation fee by the National Youth Service Corps for prospective corps member. Most of Rate- laden commentaries in the media came from the well established traditional critics of the scheme which at every opportunity see the 41- year- old corps as having outlived its relevance and should be disbanded.

One of the areas where the scheme had faced scathing criticism recently is the mobilisation process which starts from the corps- producing institutions with the compilation and processing of student’s data and culminates in the production and issuance of the call- up letter by the NYSC. The service corps had been made to understand rightly, that many corps members had died in the process of the shuttling between their homes and their institutions trying to get their call- up numbers and later the call – up letters. Very often the critics referred to the successes recorded by among others, the West African Examination Council (WACE) and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in their operations to ease registration and accessing results by their candidate in the comfort of their homes and asked the NYSC to take a cue. It is therefore, uncharitable all in the name of criticising to refer to the decision as planned imposition of online registration fee.

The innovation of the aforementioned bodies which was achieved through public private partnership (PPP) policy applauded by the stakeholders and public is the same now being roundly rejected in the case of the NYSC. Whereas the WAEC and JAMB charge fees outside the online service, this is the first time the NYSC is asking prospective

corps member to part with their money to pay for a service which is beyond its capability to render free of charge.

Even when the NYSC management has made a statement to the effect that the service was optional, some pseudo mathematicians have already calculated that the scheme would be “smiling to the bank with no less than 1.2 billion every year” so, even if only one hundred or one thousand subscribed to the service in a year, the vault of NYSC must be overflowing with N1.2 billion.

I don’t know much about the organisation called Education Rights Campaign, ERC but part of its statement quoted in the write-up in The Punch of Tuesday, September 23 , 2014 page 43 reads: “progress should mean easing of burden; not the other way round. More so technology to be deployed for the online registration and processing of call-up letters by prospective corps members is not something from heaven. The technology exists here in Nigeria. It is the same technology already used for online registration in schools and it is beyond what the NYSC, which has enormous annual budgets, can provide at no extra cost…”

One would readily agree with the ERC that progress should mean easing of burden and how else could the NYSC ease the burden of the mobilisation process for prospective corps if not by reducing the tedium and hazards associated with the process. The rest of the statement above is merely pedestrian assumption often resorted to by lazy and ill or uninformed unionist and critics wherever they wanted to play to the gallery. The technology already exists here in Nigeria. True.

But, is it free or cheap? “It is the same technology already used for online

registration in schools. Which schools? For free? Or how much?

That it is not beyond what the NYSC, which has an ENORMOUS annual budget (emphasis online) can provide at as extra cost. “In an era when information is readily and promptly given on demand by government ministries and agencies, this is a great disservice to the public who would have wanted to know the enormity the budget and its breakdown so as to determine what amount is available to render the proposed online mobilisation “at no extra cost” but which NYSC Board and management were trying to pocket by charging a fee for the service.

The public private partnership (PPP) model is being used by many public institution and organisations in the country to render efficient, effective and affordable service for which they lack the requisite human and material capital. This is exactly what the Board and Management of the NYSC are trying to do after many years of consultations with stakeholders The managers of the scheme are Nigeria who are deeply aware of the challenges parent face in trying to give their children tertiary education. I do want to believe that decision to introduce the fee-paying online mobilisation for prospective corps member after duly testing the waters is ‘venal clandestine, criminal or fraudulent as some of the commentators claimed. If the fee is considered too high, the corps should be advised or even prevailed upon to meet with its partners to discuss a downward review. But I think the introduction of the online mobilisation has come at the right time.

I also want to think that we should address issues on their own merit. I wouldn’t know what the killing of

corps members in Plateau and Bauchi States have to do with the proposed online mobilisation fee or the scheme itself. Most Nigerians, from opinion polls conducted from time, to time, lauded the introduction of the scheme.

I challenge anybody or group who disagrees with this to conduct their own independent popularity poll and be courageous enough to publish their findings. Those who were responsible for the killing of the corps members in Plateau and Bauchi States, reprehensible criminal acts which have become criticism reference point, do not reside in the NYSC. They are people who have suddenly realised in their own warped estimation that we can no longer live together as one united country. When the Yakubu Gowon administration created the NYSC in 1973 after the 30-month civil war it was to evolve a Nigeria where every citizen would take as home wherever he lived. Forty one years after, there is hardly anybody to speak up for Nigeria; the voices mostly heard are those for ethnicity or religion. Those who instigated the killing of corps members in Plateau and Bauchi States carried out ethnic and religious agenda.

Is it the fault of the NYSC managers that the programme has been “adulterated”? At inception for example, the orientation programme used to hold according to the time table without outside interference. Today, the scheme can no longer hold the orientation course during the month of Ramadan in order not to incur the wrath of the Sultan of Sokoto and the Muslim leadership as if the exercise would strip the participants of their holiness.

This writer had their orientation course in the month of Ramadan in August 1978 at the Argungu Fishing

Festival Village in the Old Sokoto State and I remember we visited the then Sultan Abubukar Sidiqque and he had words of encouragement for us. He did not raise issues with the NYSC authorities for conducting the exercise during the Muslims’ holy month.

The scheme was free to deploy corps members without any hindrance, but today there are long lists of request from all segments of the society-right from the presidency down to the smallest group-dictating where such corps members should be deployed. The records are at the NYSC Directorate Headquarters should any group or individuals disagree with this assertion.

Is this any reason why you would want the NYSC scrapped? Then you must also call for the scrapping of almost all the public institutions and agencies of government. Many of the graduates from universities and polytechnics now can hardly express themselves in good English. We are being told of soldiers sent to the war front to fight the enemy but who tactically found themselves elsewhere. All these because of the external interference in the admission and recruitment exercise respectively, for example.

Do we scrap the institution? I guess your answer is no. The problem with our public institutions are not created by the managers; they are by those who think those institutions must always do their biddings even if they are not in the national interest. And unless this culture of disregard of national aspiration is tamed we would continue to shift blames for our failures.

•Abdulwaheed Obomeile Senior Citizen writes from Akure Abdulwahabohio@yahoo.com

50

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

51

THURSDAY OCTOBER 2, 2014

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Many Nigerians participated in the struggle for Independence. But, some of them have not been honoured or immortalised. MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE examines the role of the forgotten heroes.

• Mowoe

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HE battle for Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960 was fought by Nigerians from all walks of life. They were inspired by the love for their fatherland. Beyond the notable heroes and celebrated nationalists, there are countless others who are not so well known, but who equally paid a prize for the liberation of the country from colonial rule. Some of them suffered incarceration and even lost their lives in the struggle.

At independence, many thought it was the beginning of a new dawn. With the advent of self rule, they thought the problems would disappear and the generality of Nigerians would savour the fruits of independence. But, it didn’t happen that way. The independence of the country has been preserved and some minimal gains have been recorded. But the dreams of the founding fathers have been dashed. Many of the heroes of the struggle have remained unsung.

Adegoke Adelabu

Adegoke Adelabu was a strong and vocal politician from Ibadan. He was fierce and outspoken in his days and he made remarkable impact in the struggle for independence. He won a seat in the Western Regional House of Assembly and served as Minister of Social Services and Mineral Resources as a member of the House of Representatives. As a colourful politician, he left his imprints on the sands of time.

He coined the word Penkelemesi, meaning ‘peculiar mess.’

He was a member of the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. He contributed to the socio-political development of Nigeria. He struggled for the independence, but he never lived to witness the attainment of that status.

In the parliament and Council of Ministers, his ideas gave birth to productive agricultural policies, especially the River Basin Development, Mass Literacy Scheme and the indigenization policy, which he put forward in 1957.

His death in 1958, at the age of 43, unleashed communal violence in Ibadan. He was the first opposition figure to die in office. Although, he passed on at a time the country needed his parliamentary service most, the country has done very little to appreciate his contribution as the opposition leader in the Western House of Representatives.

The uncompromising politician had a turbulent career and was arraigned for 17 times for murder, but he triumphed in all the charges proffered against him.

Mary Okezie

Mary Okezie was the one of the

•Alakija

•Tarka

•Adelabu

Unsung heroes of Independence prominent women that led the Aba Women’s Riot in 1929. She was a teacher at the Anglican Mission School, Umuocham, in the present day Abia State when the riot broke out. She was very sympathetic to the cause of the rioters. Nevertheless, being a civil servant, she could not directly participate in the protest against the census, which was widely regarded as a prelude for the imposition of more taxes by the colonial government.

Okezie submitted a memo to the commission of inquiry on the reason why the riot broke out. She founded the Ngwa Women’s Association in 1948 to promote the education and welfare of women.

Ladipo Solanke

Ladipo Solanke was a political activist with unparalleled record. He joined the Union of the Students of African Descent and championed the cause of the emergent students of African descent. He led the West Africa Students Union (WASU) and was responsible for securing hostel accommodation for students in London.

He taught Yoruba among Nigerian students in London, who did not show much interest in African tradition and culture. He later became a broadcaster.

His voice was popular on the radio, where he utilised the Yoruba Language to dish out propaganda against colonial rule. His leaflets, written in English and Yoruba, also caused panic in the rank of the colonialists. He devoted a significant portion of his time towards the betterment of the life of the people. He travelled around the sub-continent to get relief materials for the West African students and achieved a considerable success. The student body he left fought relentlessly for emancipation from imperialist domination.

Solanke however did not live to witness the independence of Nigeria; he died in 1958 from lung cancer.

H.O. Davies

Hezekiah Oladipo Davies, popularly known as H.O. Davies, was a nationalist and lawyer, whose contribution to the Nigerian nation was momentous. He was prominent in the emerging trade union in the country and fought colonial administration through legal protests. His grandfather was from Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State.

He was the Secretary-General of the Lagos Youth Movement, which later transformed in the Nigeria Youth Movement (NYM). The NYM was a

political association that became a thorn in the flesh of colonial government. He left the association in 1951 and formed his own political party, the Nigerian Peoples’ Congress (NPC).

He later joined the NCNC, where he and his co-travellers impacted in the polity of the country. A successful lawyer, he was honoured by the Queen of England for his distinction. He was a delegate to the Economic Council of the United Nations in 1964.

Sir Adeyemo Alakija

Sir Adeyemo Alakija was a lawyer, businessman and politician. He was the President of the Nigerian Youth Movement. He was a co-founder of the Daily Time of Nigeria, an independent newspaper that shaped the post independence era. He was largely behind the success recorded the NYM in Lagos politics.

The contribution made by the erudite lawyer to the attainment of independence through the NYM’s persistent struggle for self governance was remarkable. Alakija’s role in the brotherhood community of Free Masons was also legendary. The Egba chief was prominent in the formation of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa and he became its first President.

Mukoro Mowoe

Mukoro Mowoe was the PresidentGeneral of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), which was founded in 1931.

He rose to prominence in the 1920s through political activism. As a shrewd businessman and politician of the first generation, he deployed his wealth to negotiate a better position for the Niger Delta. He became a thorn in the flesh of the colonialists in the march to independence.

He was elected from the Warri Province to the first Western Regional Assembly in 1946. His role could be compared to those of foremost nationalists like Jaja of Opobo, Nana Olomu of Ebrohimi and William Pepple of Bonny.

The UPU, which he co-founded, established the Urhobo College, Effunrun, the institution that became the citadel of learning in the country.

He never succumbed to imperialist intimidation.

Eniola Soyinka

Eniola Soyinka co-founded the Egba Women Union with Mrs. Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti. Soyinka is the mother of renowned playwright, Prof. Wole Soyinka. The women activist played a

prominent role in decongesting Nigeria of colonial manipulation. She was fully involved in organising workshop for illiterate Egba women to make them understand their rights as citizens.

The contribution of this rights activist remained indelible in Nigeria, yet nothing significant has been done by succeeding administration to appreciate her efforts.

Ernest Ikoli

Ernest Ikoli hailed from Bayelsa State. He was a journalist by profession. He was one of the nationalists who fought for independence of the country. He could be described as a forgotten hero of the modern Nigeria.

Ikoli, H.O. Davies and Samuel Akinsanya founded the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) in 1934. He rose to become the President of the organisation. In 1942, he represented Lagos at the legislative council.

He was not only advocating the end of colonial rule in Nigeria, but led an attack by over 1000 warrior against the Royal Niger Company trading posts. The attack on the British company led to reprisals, which eventually resulted in the British-Nembe war.

Joseph Tarka

Senator Joseph Tarka was one of the founding fathers of United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC). The union was dedicated to protecting the Middle Belt cause. By extension, advocating for self rule in Nigeria. He was elected to the Federal House of Representatives on a non party basis.

He later became the President of UMBC in 1957 and ensured that the Nigeria got independence through legislative pronouncement at the House of Representatives.

David Obadiah Lot

David Obadiah Lot was a religious leader from Benue State. He joined the political scene in 1940 to secure better political bargain for Nigeria.

In 1946, he was part of the Nigerian delegation to London for a constitutional conference.

He used the Middle Belt Zone League (MLL) to pursue his dream of a better Nigeria. He was elected into the House of Representatives. Being a teacher, he groomed ardent followers who were sympathetic to the Middle Belt cause. He was equally vocal in the creation of separate state for the region in the Nigerian composi-

• Davies

tion.

Dr. Akinwande Savage

The political activist was a member of the National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA). He was resident in Ghana when the issue of independence for African states took the front burner. He returned to Nigeria in 1915 and entrenched the NCBWA in the country.

Though, the congress did not perform up to expectation in Lagos. The domineering position of the Gold Coast group within NCBWA whittled its influence in Nigeria. The group supported local and tribal institutions to fight for self economic determination and governance.

Mojola Agbebi

Mojola Agbebi was a Baptist minister. He was formerly known as David Brown Vincent. But he later renounced the name during the wave of African nationalism. He was a strong supporter of self-rule. He used both religious and political platform to canvass for African rebirth and independence.

He played a prominent role in the establishment of the native Baptist Church now (First African Church) in Lagos. He supported his wife’s effort in establishing the Baptist Women’s League. He presented a paper at the first Universal Races Congress in London in 1911, canvassing for the return of African churches and territory to their original owners.

Chief Arthur Edward Prest Chief Arthur Edward Prest was a prominent Itsekiri politician from the Warri division. He was police officer before he was elected as member of the Western Regional House of Assembly. He declared his support for the Action Congress in 1952, but left in 1957.

Bode Thomas

He was one of the founding members of the Action Group (AG). The politician called for strong regional based politics. This, according to him, would lead to competition among the regions for development and progress.

The lawyer championed the adoption of true federalism for Nigeria.

Gambo Sawaba

The uncompromising and radical female politician dominated the northern politics, calling the authorities to recognise the role of women.

Her bold initiatives came with useful results, as the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) took into cognizance programmes that elevated the women folk.

52

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

FOR THE RECORD

Nigeria at 54: ‘We’re in a sober mood due to insecurity’ Text of an address by President Goodluck Jonathan to Nigerians on the nation’s 54th Independence Day celebration on October 1, 2014.

Fellow Nigerians:

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ODAY marks the 54th anniversary of our country’s independence as a sovereign nation. This is also the tenth month of our journey into a new century, having marked the centenary of our nation in January this year.

The first 100 years were marked by triumphs and tribulations, benefits and burdens, opportunities and challenges. We made some far reaching advances in building a strong, united and prosperous nation. We also overcame the forces of disunity that culminated in a debilitating civil war. We have also renewed our faith in one another, and in our country.

We have proven that we are truly a resilient nation.

In my address to the nation last year, I did emphasize that we were in a sober moment in our country. We are still in that mood in spite of the many accomplishments of our administration. Our sombreness has to do with the crises of nationhood occasioned by the activities of terrorist elements who have done the unimaginable to challenge our unity as a people.

On an occasion like this, it is important that we remember all the precious souls that have been lost in the unprecedented war of terror unleashed on some parts of our country by these individuals who want to compel us to live our lives their way. They will not succeed!

In their mission, they have maimed and raped. They have killed men, women and children, rendering many children orphans and several women widows.

They have made violence their ideology and are bent on destroying our country. Dear countrymen and women, we will not allow them.

Night after night, day after day, our security forces continue to engage the terrorists in battle. My gratitude goes out to our armed forces whose will has been greatly challenged by this insurgency more than any other time, since the civil war.

Yet, they have remained undaunted and unwearied in the face of constant challenge and mortal danger. Driven by patriotic zeal, they are turning the tide by their prowess and determination. As Commander-in-Chief, I will continue to do all it takes to enable them to keep on inflicting devastating blows at the heart of terror. Fellow Nigerians, it is our collective duty as patriots to avail our men and women in uniform of all the support they need to fight and win this war.

This Administration is committed to making Nigeria safe for all Nigerians, irrespective of our places of birth, how we worship God and our political persuasion. To all those waging war against our country, I ask that you lay down your arms and embrace peace.

To those who have genuine grievances, I affirm that Nigeria will listen to you, if you bring your grievances to the table of dialogue.

To the good people of Nigeria, let me restate that our task of building a better and greater country must not waver.

W

HILE we continue to deploy our resources in the fight against the terrorists, we do recognise the great toll the conflict is taking on our people.

This is why, to assist the afflicted, we have launched the Victims Support Fund, an independent multi-sectoral charity, which will aggressively solicit resources to augment Government’s statutory intervention, in bringing succour to the injured, the displaced and the bereaved.

In partnership with Nigerian business leaders and international partners, we have also introduced the Safe Schools Initiative which is aimed at promoting safe environments for education nationwide, starting with the North East region.

The Presidential Initiative for the North East, a comprehensive programme to fast-track the economic restoration of this region, which has been the epicentre of terrorist activity, has been set up.

Our overall objective is to do all we possibly can, to sustain in the North-East, the momentum of economic advancement, which is on-going in other parts of the country, despite the machinations of the terrorists and their sponsors.

It should now be clear to anyone who was ever in doubt that these terrorists do not mean well for anyone, of whatever religion or dispensation. Their persistent choice of the weakest and most vulnerable in society, for grue-

some attack, provides an insight into their abnormal mind-set.

I urge every Nigerian to put aside political, sectional or other parochial considerations, and support whole-heartedly the efforts of the government and the military, in checking this evil.

We are grateful to the international community, and especially our neighbours who are working closely with us in confronting this challenge, for their increased partnership and solidarity. Our steady progress in weakening the insurgency has certainly justified our cooperation.

Fellow Nigerians, in my independence anniversary address last year, I informed you that we had taken cognizance of the suggestion over the years by well-meaning Nigerians on the need to focus attention on rebuilding and strengthening the ligaments of our union. It was in that regard that we announced the convening of a National Dialogue on the future of our beloved country.

We have successfully delivered on that promise as we established the 2014 National Conference headed by Justice Legbo Kutigi. After months of deliberations, which did not come without its challenges, the conference concluded its assignment and has handed its Report to me.

I have made a firm commitment that we would act on the recommendations of the conference. This, I have started by setting up the Ministerial Committee headed by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation to work out the modalities for implementing the Report. Every promise I make, God willing, I will see to its fulfilment. I assure you, we shall implement the report.

One major lesson which the 2014 National Conference has taught us as a country is that, a multi-ethnic country like ours, must learn to embrace painstaking dialogue until consensus is established.

To me, the National Conference is the greatest centenary gift to our country that we must cherish and sustain.

ELLOW Nigerians, our 54 year-journey as a nation has not been easy. There have been tough periods, but the Nigerian spirit and the unflagging resilience of our people have seen us through. We will continue to march forward to greater heights.

We have been able to sustain a big, strong and influential country with a robust economy. We are currently in our sixteenth year of uninterrupted democratic rule, daily improving on the consolidation of our democratic process.

Our Administration has made a commitment to ensure that we build and sustain a democratic infrastructure anchored on free and fair elections. International and local observers have attested to the positive evolution of electoral credibility and we cannot afford to relent.

We will continue to ensure that the will of the electorate prevails so that political leaders would be reminded at all times that there is a day of reckoning when they have to go back to the people at the polls. Election days must not be days of violence and death. We must remain vigilant to ensure that our electoral process is characterised by peace, security and transparency.

I enjoin the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all security agencies, politicians and the electorate to work conscientiously and peacefully, together, to consolidate on the gains of the recent elections. Free and fair elections have come to stay; nothing else will be acceptable to our people.

My dear countrymen and women, occasions such as this present an opportunity to thank God for our country and to report to you, on our journey so far.

Our power sector reform is on course with the ultimate objective of generating enough electricity to power our homes, industries and businesses. We are making giant strides in the Agricultural Sector which we are re-positioning to diversify our economy. We will continue to upgrade our infrastructure to make life easier for all and create an enabling environment for enterprise to flourish.

Over the last four years, the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act in the Oil and Gas Sector has ensured major increase in the participation of indigenous Oil and Gas companies in the industry. Several critical infrastructure projects have been commissioned and commenced. The level of indigenous asset ownership has greatly increased and utilisation of Nigerian-owned and built assets such as marine vessels and rigs is being progressively enforced.

There has been maximised local value addition by encouraging the manufacture of equipment components and parts within the country. There has also been massive growth in indigenous participation in the provision of

F

goods and services to the upstream sector from 10% to 60% within the last four years.

Today, following the rebasing of our economy, every international monitoring and ratings agency now acknowledges Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa, with a Gross Domestic Product of five hundred and ten billion dollars ($510 billion) which also places us as the 26th largest economy in the world. This is progress.

Earlier in the year, we launched the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) with the stated objective of fast tracking inclusive growth, job creation, enterprise development and industrialisation.

The success of these policies is already evident in the increased value addition in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

In line with our objective of encouraging the production of made-in-Nigeria vehicles and making Nigeria a regional hub for the automobile industry, a number of foreign auto manufacturers have established plants in Nigeria, complementing the laudable efforts of our local vehicle manufacturers who have also demonstrated great innovation and competitiveness.

We have also launched a special support programme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with an initial intervention fund of two hundred and twenty billion naira (N220 b).

This is in addition to the Presidential Job Creation Board which I inaugurated recently with the charge to create three million jobs annually.

In demonstration of our Administration’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit, we have commenced the new mortgage re-finance programme with the establishment of the Nigerian Mortgage Re-finance Company. It is expected that, in addition to creating additional housing units across the country, this initiative also represents a huge job creation opportunity.

We have recorded notable success in the social sector. Nigeria has been globally acknowledged for reducing extreme hunger by more than half, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) formally presenting the country with an award for achieving the Millennium Development Goal on Hunger three years ahead of the 2015 target date set for the Millennium Development Goals.

This progress is as a result of the deliberate policy of government to increase capacity in our agricultural sector of which the first step was to address and eliminate the graft in our fertilizer procurement system and ensure that the product gets directly to the farmer. We are expanding our irrigation infrastructure to ensure that our farmers have sufficient water supply for dry season farming.

A benefit of these combined actions is that our national food import bill has declined from 1.1 trillion naira (6.9 billion dollars) in 2009 to 684.7 billion naira (4.35 billion dollars) by December 2013, and continues to decline.

Modern hybrid schools are being provided for less privileged children across the country, resulting in significant increase in the national school enrolment figure.

In order to further enhance access to education at the tertiary level, 14 new Federal Universities have been established; and, to encourage persons of exceptional abilities, our Administration has also introduced a Presidential Scholarship Scheme based strictly on excellence and merit.

N infrastructure, we are building roads, bridges, and new rail lines to make it easier to traverse Nigeria and increase the integration of our people and our ability to do business with each other.

In this regard, we have commenced the process of building the Second Niger Bridge.

The Loko-Oweto Bridge over River Benue in Nasarawa and Benue States, will significantly reduce travel time by road between Northern and Southern Nigeria. The on-going dredging of the River Niger up to Baro in Niger State is opening up large parts of the Nigerian hinterland to maritime activity.

The Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro-electric power projects are on course, and the Kashimbilla dam which we started a few years ago, is nearing completion. The successful privatisation of our power sector will in the long run enhance industrial growth. Policies such as this and others have raised Nigeria to the enviable status of being the number one recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa in the past year.

The result of this infrastructure drive is that two and a half million jobs have been created over the past two years. This is a record, which we are committed to improve upon to continue to provide jobs for our youth.

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•Dr. Jonathan

An unprecedented number of Airports across the country, are not only being reconstructed at the same time, but being reequipped and reassessed with emphasis on maintaining global standards.

Fellow Nigerians, the goals we set to achieve for our country involve expanding the frontiers of economic freedom. Let us therefore unite with one heart and one mind.

All our people must have access to the good things of life. All our people must be empowered to pursue the gift of life with happiness. This is our country; we must build it for our common posterity.

S we move into an election year, desperate moves to overheat the polity are becoming a regular occurrence.

Our political leaders in particular must know that the contest for power should not translate to the destruction of the polity.

The contest for the leadership of our country must yield good governance, and not ungovernable spaces. The love of country should rank higher than our individual ambitions.

We must remain committed to a united and indivisible Nigeria within democratic parameters. The protection of individual rights, liberty, equality before the law, freedom of thought, and a progressive pursuit of a sound economy must be our goal.

I cannot end this address without commenting on the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which was sadly brought into our country recently. My directives to the Federal Ministry of Health saw the ministry leading the charge in curtailing the spread of this deadly scourge and managing its impact. This is how it should be: swift, effective and comprehensive action in defence of citizens.

It must be pointed out that the Ebola battle is still raging elsewhere in our sub-region. I therefore enjoin all our citizens to continue to adhere strictly to all the guidelines that have been given by our health officials to keep Ebola out of our country.

I appreciate and welcome the spirit of collaboration, unity and partnership with which we confronted the threat of the Ebola Virus Disease. I thank all Nigerians for working together to prevent what could have become a major epidemic. I particularly thank the medical personnel, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice.

This is the spirit which we must demonstrate at all times as we face up to our challenges as a nation: one people, united by a common resolve, in the pursuit of one common national interest.

As we look forward to another year in our national life, I am more than confident that our tomorrow will be better than our yesterday and today. Nigeria has got the human and material resources to excel and we shall lead the way in that journey to our manifest destiny.

Fellow countrymen, brothers and sisters, in all our plans, and in all our words and our actions, we must stand together in love and unity, as one people under God. We are one people from the womb of one Nigeria. We are brothers and sisters. We are one family. We are Nigerians.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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THE NATION

NATURAL HEALTH E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

CLINIC DAY The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Health-Forever Product Limited, Otunba Olajuwon Okubena answers the question on arthritis. altered through processing, frying, CLINIC DAY Questions: and high-fat cooking. Therefore, in-

How to get rid of arthritis

ATURAL medicine practitioners believe there is no disease without cure. Arthritis, however, is not an exemption.

Arthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints. It is the leading cause of disability in people, especially the elderly from 55 years.

Arthritis is no longer the disease of the old because younger people are, these days, susceptible.

There are different forms of arthritis; each having a different cause. The most common is osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease).

This occurs as a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or age. Emerging evidence suggests that abnormal anatomy might contribute to the early development of osteoarthritis. Other forms of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, as well as autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks itself.

Orthodox medicine practitioners believe there is no cure for arthritis, and so they prescribe treatments that will lessen the pain and discomfort of the disease.

Tylenol, aspirin, and ibuprofen are a few of the non-prescription drugs that doctors often recommend. Others are cyclo-oxygenase2 (COX-2) inhibitors, steroids, and anti-biologics.

Surgery, however, is an option in some instances. But what physicians recommend most are effective pain-lessening treatments for the arthritis.

There are testimonies of people who have used other methods other than orthodox medicine to treat arthritis.

For example, a woman found succour after many years of pain from arthritis by changing her lifestyle.

What she did was to change her diet. She got rid of my arthritis by radically changing her diet. I tell people with arthritis that if they want to get rid of it, they have to give up everything enjoyable except sexual intercourse. She spent three weeks on the diet. She bought an electric juice extractor and for the first three days, the only food she consumed was freshly extracted fruit juice and vegetable juice. She drank the juice five or six times a day, a couple of glasses at a time, or whatever she felt comfortable with.

She also drank peppermint tea and rain water. People must drink the juice as soon as they extract it - don’t keep it in the fridge for later, and don’t use juice bought from a supermarket.

After three days you continue with the juice every day, but additionally you start eating raw fruit, raw vegetables and raw nuts in quantities you’re comfortable with Herb tea and rain water are the only drinks allowed - I drank peppermint tea and still do. The emphasis is on fresh raw food and juices nothing is to be cooked. You can’t

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add anything to the food either, such as salt, sugar, sauce, but you can use herbs to flavour the raw vegetables.

People should avoid alcohol and caffeine. In fact, everything is not allowed except fresh fruit juice and veg juice and whole fresh raw fruit.

Others are vegetable, raw nuts, herb tea and rain water. The distilled water you can buy in supermarkets would probably be okay, but town water that has chlorine is definitely bad and should be avoided. The purpose of this diet is to flush the toxins out of your body, particularly uric acid. Uric acid, as doctors know, is a bad inflammatory agent that deposits itself as crystals in the joints and in places of injury in the body.

It helps to cause the pain, inflammation and swelling associated with arthritis. Doctors prescribe drugs to to combat the effects of uric acid, but a far more effective way is to flush it out of your system so that it can’t cause problems. Uric acid is one of the many toxic by-products produced from food during the digestive process. On the typical western diet there is such an over-abundance of these toxins produced within the body that the organs of elimination can’t cope with the excessive workload, and the toxins build up to the point where they can start causing problems. The idea is to change over to an easily digestible diet that produces a minimum amount of toxic by-products.

The eliminative organs of the body can easily cope with the greatly reduced workload, and also can clear out the backlog of accumulated toxins. As the toxins were cleared from my body my pain and swelling reduced progressively until after about two weeks I was about 80 per cent clear of pain and I stopped the anti- inflammatory drugs. After three weeks I was totally clear of symptoms of arthritis - no pain, no swelling - nothing. As a long term maintenance programme you can go on to a 75/25 diet, i.e. each meal must contain at least 75 per cent good food and no more than 25 per cent bad food. Good foods are all those included in the three week diet. Bad foods are all other foods.

If you really want to maintain optimal health, eat raw fruit, raw vegetables, and raw nuts as your only food for the rest of your life.

Free radicals are thought to play a role in rheumatoid arthritis. These naturally occurring chemicals can cause damage to many parts of

I am a lover of traditional medicine; can you tell me how to cure a protracted arthritis naturally?

-Demilade Adekoya, Ilorin, Kwara State body, including the joints. Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals. Some of the most famous antioxidants are vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. The mineral selenium, while not an antioxidant in its own right, helps the body manufacture the potent antioxidant glutathione.

A recent study found that the addition of an antioxidant mixture or vitamin E alone to a standard treatment regimen for rheumatoid arthritis improves symptoms.

This controlled, but apparently not blinded, trial compared standard treatment alone against standard treatment plus vitamin E and standard treatment plus a mixture of antioxidants.

The results showed that participants in the vitamin E and antioxidant mixture groups experienced more rapid and marked improvement in pain, stiffness, and laboratory measurements of disease severity.

Some years ago, a middle aged woman was escorted to my office by a friend to seek solution for her arthritis problem. It was a big problem for her to even sit down on the chair. She wasted no time in narrating her story. She told me her grandmother died of arthritis complications. According to her, her mother was on wheelchair at home because she lost the ability to move about and here she was almost breaking down because of the same disease. She further told me that they have exhausted all prescribed medications. She asked if there is any hope.

I recommended three capsules of Jobelyn, to be taken thrice daily with a considerable volume of water of between three to five litres daily.

“Is that all?”, she asked.

I promised to offer her a refund for the purchase of the product should the treatment failed after one month of treatment. Her condition improved considerably and she returned before the end of the month was to give testimony and introduce two other friends going through the pains and agony of ar-

‘If you are to prevent arthritis from destroying your life you must refrain from processed foods and other acid forming foods.

Normally, a healthy diet should be 70 per cent alkaline and 30 per cent acidic. Alkaline foods are typically foods which are still in their natural state (raw and fresh)’

•Okubena

thritis. What is the magic behind the efficacy of this product? From research studies in United States and Germany, it has been established that Jobelyn is the most powerful natural antioxidant, over 3,000 times more powerful that vitamin E. It has a rich combination of different antioxidants, such as Orachydro, Orac-lipo, Horac, Norac and Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD).

Jobelyn, which is produced from Sorghum bicolor. It is rich in food nutrients such as carbohydrate, protein and dietary fibre in addition to numerous amino acids and minerals. This is best combination of food and medicine by nature. In my excitement, I informed my friend, Dr. David Abia-Okon (a surgeon) of my new discovery for Jobelyn. Though he believes in the efficacy of the product but he confines its use to the treatment of anaemia, sicklecell anaemia and stroke.

My friend refused to embrace the idea of Jobelyn as a remedy for arthritis. The only way to convince him was through scientific evidence. After one year of research on the product at the Pharmacology Department of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Brunswick Laboratories, USA and Mdbiosciences also in USA, we carried out bio-assay guided isolation of pure active compounds which have proven superior to many of the existing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) cox-2 selective drugs used to treat inflammations, pains and arthritis.

The product significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced release of cytokines (IL-1beta, TNFalpha, IL-6, IL-8) and PGE2. The product has a very high selective effect on Cox-2 than on Cox-1 activities with a selectivity index (IC50 Cox-2 : IC50 Cox-1) much lower than those of well-known antiinflammatory agents If you are to prevent arthritis from destroying your life you must refrain from processed foods and other acid forming foods. Normally, a healthy diet should be 70 per cent alkaline and 30 per cent acidic. Alkaline foods are typically foods which are still in their natural state (raw and fresh). And acidic foods are typically foods which have been

stead of eating acidic foods (cooked and processed), you should be eating mostly raw, fresh vegetables and fruits. They are rich in antioxidants which neutralise free radicals that are responsible for inflammation, arthritis and pains. Also, reducing the consumption of meats could also be helpful to your arthritis. By eating less meat and more fresh fruits and vegetables, you would be allowing your body to receive more nutrients and keep your acidic levels low. The result of your new diet could change the pain and inflammation affecting your arthritic joints.

Chronic inflammation has a known negative impact on immune defense mechanisms, and is an underlying phenomenon for many health problems. The nature of inûammatory status by bioactive consumables, particularly those present in common and traditional medicinal foods, is becoming an increasingly important factor in global preventive health management.

Chronic inûammation is linked to metabolic diseases and obesity, and altered cell-mediated immune responses are affected by multiple mechanisms, due in part to a positive feedback loop between local inûammation in a dipose tissue and dysregulated immune cell activation and production of proinûammatory mediators, such as leptin.

As obesity continues to rise, representing malnutrition and metabolic disease, it is suggested that speciûc food components may exert speciûc immune regulatory effects.

Our immune system is an amazing network of cells that function from very basic to highly complex levels. The purpose of this system is to protect us from our environment and watch for any early damage in our own cells. Sometimes, however, the system goes awry and misreads signals. As a result, our defenses do not recognise our own body at work, and begin “attacking” cells. This leads to illnesses called autoimmune (selfimmune) diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation of the joints), systemic lupus erythematosus (commonly known as “lupus,” an inflammatory disease of connective tissue), and vasculitis (inflammation of a vessel of the body).

When our immune system gets confused, it can do damage to our own bodies. Genetic background as well as particular environmental factors, such as smoking, can increase a patient’s risk for developing an autoimmune illness.

What’s the immune system? The immune system allows us to identify and destroy foreign invaders (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc) and survey our own cells to prevent them from growing uncontrollably (cancer and other disorders). Its complexity and ability to protect us is astounding.

The immune system is linked to rheumatic diseases.

The human system can be divided into innate (born with) and adaptive (developed through life) systems. The innate immune system is an evolutionary “ancient” system that reacts quickly to danger by identifying damaged cells as well as infectious invaders such as bacteria and virus.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

NATURAL HEALTH

Brain health and mass failure in Maths, English (2)

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ANY people do not look after their brains. They do not even remember it exists until they have a headache or their memory begins to fail. How can such people be expected to relate poor school performance or failure in examinations to poor brain nurture or food and ebbing brain health? I remember Mrs. Bikkesteth, my primary three class teacher in 1958 at St. Andrew’s Primary School, Ibara, Abeokuta. She forced the class to memorise the Bible verses such as Romans 12:17-21 irrespective of whether we had enough brain power to do so. Children who were slack about it padded their buttocks and back with extra clothing because Mrs. Bikkesteth was quick with the cane. Some other teachers were worse. Their punishment for slackness were heavy knocks of the knuckle on the head. They either didn’t know, or it didn’t matter to them that this traumatise an already irresponsive brain. So, many children of my generation dreaded school, hated some teachers and the subjects they taught, were happy on Fridays because there would be no school on Saturdays and on Sundays, and would end up hating English Language and Mathematics. Who in the 196468 ‘O’ Level set at Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo. In the class, the French teacher made us read the French grammar book in turns. Many of us preferred the back seats. Then, one day, he began the routine from the back row. Omolewu couldn’t pronounce quest que ces’t? Pretending to help him, the teacher read the three words as kese ko se?/ in trust, Omolewu read on, after him. The class roared in rib-cracking laughter. Even the teacher couldn’t help reeling in laughter. The class nicknamed Omolewu kese kose, his nickname till this day.

Today, I see many university graduates around who cannot balance the tenses of grammar when they speak. They remind me of the General Studies class of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in the 1973/74 session. The Use of English was a component of this first-year course. The examiner asked the students to identify gerunds in some sentences and to form sentences of their own with gerunds of their choice. Your guess is as good as mine: mass failure. Yet a gerund is no more than a verb which ends in ing as long as it doesn’t function as an adjective. Thus, the verb go, derived from the words to go, becomes a gerund in the sentence… Going to school yesterday, I saw a rat.

English Language is an interesting subject. I must admit that, like many of today’s schoolboys and schoolgirls, I, too, hated the English class. Adjectival clauses were Greekish. Adjectival clauses sounded like Latin. Today, even teachers of other subjects, such as mathematics and chemistry, cannot balance equations on both sides of a simple sentence. I often hear lettered people say, for example, if I knew he was a bad man, I would have avoided him. That is wrong. The correct expression would be: if I knew he was a bad man, I would avoid him.

OR: if I had known he was a bad man, I would have avoided him. This problem of the Use of English as a second language manifest everywhere. Your secretary is likely to mess up a simple letter many times. Business centres are worse. The boys and girls who work there probably have no good ‘O’ Level pass in English Language. If you rely on them for a large job, you would have to proof-read several times to make the work at least 80 per cent error free. Newspaper readers who complain about typographic errors do not know what editors go through in one work day. As a newspaper editor, I strained my eyes every day reading 70 per cent page proofs of editions of no fewer than 40 pages. New proofs would come with new errors of punctuation, tense, spelling etc that I didn’t introduce! With a deadline to beat, the editor often throws up his arms in defeat. Isn’t it better to get the paper out than not to have it read? Thus, we can see that mass failure in English Language and in Mathematics examinations is a complicated matter which will require deep-rooted solutions.

Today, I address only the possibility of supporting brain function with food supplements known in folklore and in clinical experience to prevent brain weakness or damage, nurture the brain, improve memory and enhance brain output. There are too many of them than can be accommodated here. So, I will probably address only about ten that I have found useful over many years. I would like to begin by situating the brain and brain function in a world of these herbs and food supplements.

The Brain

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HE brain is a fatty substance. That means it must be nourished by food which contains the components of this fatty substance. And as fat oxidize or rot easily under oxidative impact, the brain needs protection antioxidants.

How many of us include brain foods and brain specific antioxidants in our daily diet, or add them to the diet of our children, especially those involved with serious learning and examinations?. Many people take their brains for granted, as they do many organs of their bodies, and only remember they have something “upstairs” when they have headaches, migraine or they begin to suffer from memory loss.

These problems are more rife today because of the oxidizing effect of the cell phone. Fat accounts for between five to 15 per cent of the average human brain. The rest of it is water and protein. Most of the fat surrounds the myelin sheath or covering of the nerve oxons. The sheath protectively houses the nerves, and the fat protects the sheath.

The brain is divided into three parts: frontal, middle and back. Inside the brain are about 100 billion neurons. Neurons are nerve cells which send signals to all parts of the body through the Central Nervous System (CNS) and receives signals from them. There are global cells in the brain as well. The support the neurons and are more numerous than them. Neurons transmit signals at about 200 miles per hour. There are many types of neurons. They function biochemically in ways too complex for this column to describe. That is the job of neurologists. I am fascinated by the fact that neurons branch into what are called dendrites. I am fascinated because I may

cope easily with tedium? Yet Omega-3 oil is abundant in the “Original” Titus fish and Sardine. Health shops sell well-formulated Omega-3 fish oils. Udo’s Oil and Ultimate Oil are about the best brands. Do not buy artificial omega 3 oil.

not have had the optimum number of neurons at birth. So, as the brain stops growing at a point during babyhood, I may have lost that chance forever. Yet the more the neurons the more the intelligence the brain packs. Neurons are tightly packed like sardines in the can, so, if I add the better information then to my receipt, storage and diet, my retrieval is faster and grows more efficient than if they were loosely packed or distant from one another. Dentrites are like tentacles of neurons. Distant neurons can communicate, though not as efficiently as if they were closer, if they grow dentrites towards one another certain foods and herbs support the growing of these dentrites. An average neuron has about 1,000 to 10,000 dentrites. The interesting part of it all for me is this 1) If a pregnant woman takes enough Omega-3 fish oil to support the pregnancy, the baby in her womb will likely have more neutrons and dentrites than the baby of a woman whose diet was Omega-3 deficient. Now know that the more neurons, the more intelligent the baby is likely to be. Adults whose mothers cheated on Omega-3 may not grow new neurons as adults because their brains have stopped growing, but they may benefit from a flourish of dentrites from neurons.

These dentrites help to bridge that gaps between these neurons somewhat. But they cannot have the effect or impact of tightly or closely packed neurons. It would appear that Mother Nature still makes room for amends outside the womb, for the brief period the brain continues to grow after the birth of a baby.

Omega – 3 Oils Dr. Joseph C. Maroon, M.D., and Dr. Jeffrey Bost, P.A.C; wrote a book titled FISH OIL, THE NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMATORY in which they advocate use of Omega-3 fish oil as an antiinflammatory in place of ibuprofen or even aspirin as a blood thinner.

In respect of Omega-3 uses for brain health, they say: “A developing foetus obtains EFAs through the mother’s dietary consumption. Omega-3 EFA supplementation has shown many benefits for both the pregnant mother and the developing child, including prolonging gestation and preventing pre-term labour. In 2002, in a randomised iced, double blind, placebo-controlled study, which is the most stringent way to evaluate an effect, S.F. Olsen and colleagues show that supplementation with DHA prolonged gestation by six days.

In 2003, C.M. Smuts and colleagues showed that supplementation with fish oil prolonged gestation in women with high risk for pre-term delivery”.

Omega – 3 essential fatty Acids (EFAs) are in two major fractions: EPA and DHA. EPA is used more for the treatment of inflammatory conditions. It is DHA that is more specific for the brain and the eyes.

Remi Cooper, in the booklet The essential omega -3 Fatty ACID DHA says: “How much of the brain is composed of DHA? The exact amount is not known, but it is believed to be at least at 330 per cent and probably more… of particular importance is neural development in any human development. There is a large body of research investigating the role of DHA in the development of the brain and nervous system in foetuses and young infants. The fact that DHA is specifically incorporated into the membrane phospholipids of the brain and retina, and that it is the “preferred” essential fatty acids for these tissues is not disputed. In fact, so prevalent is DHA in the makeup of the brain and retina that researchers and health experts are beginning to emphasise how important this fatty acid can be.” In a research by Nettleton, Trial animals denied DHA in their diets for three weeks lost half of their brain DHA when animals were fed DHA, their brain DHA levels increased copper adds: “There is too much research to ignore the notion that lack of dietary DHA for developing fetuses and infants can have serious adverse consequences later in life, particularly in the area of the brain and nervous system.”

From the foregoing, we can easily observe the folly or stupidity of many adults and parents. Mothers do not take Omega3 fish oil during pregnancy or during breastfeeding. They send children too early to nursery schools where their brains are prematurely opened for intellectual development without Omega-3 oil to help the brain cope with the pressure. And since Mother Nature abhors a vacuum, the brain uses Omega 6 and Omega-9 oils instead of Omega-3. Can this make the brain as efficient as it should? Any wonder that these children cannot

Ginkgo Biloba Anytime I suggest Ginkgo biloba to a woman, I tease her.

This is because, originally, this herb was known as Maiden Hair. It was so called because it made the hair of women long, thick and beautiful. It is surprising that they would ignore it today and prefer instead chemical relaxers which cause a host of health problems for them. The Ginkgo biloba tree species is about 150 million years old on earth, and the individual tree can live for about 1000 years. When researchers investigated why it made female hair look so beautiful, they found it was because a tea of the leaves promoted micro blood circulation in the brain. Trust men! They took over this herb and renamed it Ginkgo. The Chinese led the world to Ginkgo biloba, using it for memory enhancement, to ease asthma, bed wetting, bladder irritation, intestinal worms and gonorrhea. Ginkgo has helped people suffering from dementia to improve their thinking, memory and social behavior.

According to Dr. H.C.A. Vogel in his The nature doctor: “In Cases where the brain does not receive sufficient blood, the tincture made from the leaves has proved to be efficacious.

Also, a deficiency of oxygen to the brain can be remedied quite rapidly which is very important after a stroke. Blood viscosity, that is, its consistency and rate of flow will increase in a short time. This makes it possible to eliminate the symptoms of a defective circulation such as headaches, buffing in the ears, problems with hearing and sight, depression and the state of fear panic. Some people over the age of 70 have registered a notable improvement in health after only four to six weeks when they have taken a double dose of the tincture three times a day (the normal dose is 15-20 drops three times a day). Relief is even more certain when a low protein diet but one that is rich in vital substances, vitamins and minerals is also followed.

It is possible to normalise high blood pressure after just a few weeks of taking Ginkgo biloba, viscosity will be favourably affected. Improved blood circulation and supply of oxygen ensure that the cells of the central nervous system are better nourished and hence more efficient.

Alpha Lipoic Acid When it comes to protecting the brain against free radical damage, Alpha Lipoic Acid is of great value. It is fat and water solube, that means it is active in both fat and water and as antioxidant. This makes it of great value as an antioxidant is of inestimable value these days of the cell phone.

It has been shown in some experiments that the cell phone has a microwaving effect on auditory tissue and the brain, with the possibility of ionizing them. Young people spend a great deal of time on the cell phone and may does be impacting ionizing radiation on their brains. Antioxidants protect these tissues. The traditional antioxidants, Vitamins A, C and E cannot be left out. So is their big boss, Grape seed Extract, which is about 50 times more powerful than either vitamin A or Vitamin E. the beauty of Grape Seed Extract is that it is one of the few substances which easily cross the brain-blood barrier. Dr. Ray Strand, author of What your doctor does not know about nutritional medicine, may be killing you in ever fails to include it in any of his prescriptions. It was one of the remedies which saved his wife from fibromyalgia, bone, muscle and nerve pain of many years.

Lecithin

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HIS is a fat emulsifier or dissolve which many people are aware of who use it to dissolve gall bladder stones or to reduce high cholesterol levels. It has two major fractions, choline and inositol which are important for nerve and brain health.

Lecithin is a major component of cell membranes and is important for healthy nerve growth and function. Egg yolk is a good source of lecithin. But many people keep away from egg because of Cholesterol problems. So, many people have turned to soya beans, which is now the commercial source of lecithin. In many human studies, in which lecithin effects on the brain has been targeted, this fat like substance has been found to help cases such as Alzheimer’s disease, bibolar disorder (manic depression) and attention deficit. In the book Optimun nutrition for the mind, nutritionist Patrick Holford suggests one tablespoonful of lecithin granules to the cereal everyday helps the memory of many people. In Nigeria, lecithin granules are not as common as the lecithin softgel sold as 21 grain/1,200mg per gel. Over dosage may occur at between 10 grams 10,000mg, ( 30 grams or 30,000 mg), accordingly to Vanderbilt University, overdosage may create symptoms such as gastrointestinal problems, diarrhoea, weight gain, a rash, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and or a fish body odour” Based on the brains critical need for Omega-3 fatty acids and lecithin, researchers have developed a means of binding both and delivering them to the brain. In a study of, people who took this remedy for memory or learning problem, the Clinical response was 2.4 times greater than in a placebo group. Although this particular remedy is not available in Nigeria, Omega-3 fatty acids and lecithins are available and should be consumed by young and old people alike.

Sugar and other Brain Enemies Young people depress or damage their brains without being aware they are. They do not drink enough of plain water. Dehydration causes brain shrinkage and heat which may oxidise the fatty components of the brain. Aluminium cookware (pots, tea cups, spoons etc) leach into food and end up in the brain. Even the commercial pepper grinding machines leach iron and grease into food and these affect brain health. This is not to mention alcohol and sugar consumption.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

e-Business

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Mobile money transactions hit N98.1b

HE Minister of Communications Technology (ComTech), Dr. Omobola Johnson has said total transactions achieved through the use of mobile money since it was introduced about four years ago has hit $600million (about N98.1billion) while total number of people that have subscribed to the initiative is also about one million.

She lamented that while the situation is gradually improving, currently 35 million adult Nigerians (about 46 per cent) are financially excluded.

Dr Johnson who spoke at the Centre for Value and Leadership (CVL) Economic Growth Sector celebration in Lagos, said more people in Nigeria have a mobile phone than have a bank account, adding that 75 per cent of adults living in urban areas and 39 per cent of them living in rural areas have access to a pre-paid mobile phone services.

According to her, 18 mobile money operators have so far been registered while since the commencement of operations, approximately one million people have subscribed to the alternative payment platform.

She said about 67,000 persons

•‘46% financially excluded’ Stories by Lucas Ajanaku

have been registered as agents while over 11million transactions of over $600million have been conducted “While uptake has been initially slow, improving infrastructure, fine-tuning of legislation and increasing confidence in product by consumers will result in significant acceleration “Mobile money is currently mostly used to buy airtime; it however has the potential to serve as a platform for drawing more people into formal financial services,” she said.

She lamented that analysis has shown that a significant proportion of payments in the country are cash based with total payments estimated at $695billion (about N113.7trillion) per annum. Of these, cash accounts for over 90 per cent of transactions in terms of volume, and about 60 per cent in total value “Bank transfers and cheque payments combined make up less than

Source: ComTech Ministry 0.5 per cent in terms of volume and approximately 38 per cent in terms of value.

“Other digital forms of payment are increasing in volume however they currently make up only about two per cent in value “Most payments (in terms of value) are between businesses and persons (B2B, B2P, P2P); government payments however have high potential to change the payment landscape of the country,” the minister said, adding that cash-based transactions are not only expensive but risky and promote insecurity in the financial system and the country.

According to her, to redress this situation, the Federal Government

has started implementing policies to increase the adoption of digital forms of payments with information communications technology (ICTs) being at the heart of the success of such policies, especially in the area of providing infrastructure for the delivery of services, applications for management, security and adoption of services.

She said: “Although the situation is improving, currently 35 million adult Nigerians (about 46 per cent) are financially excluded.

Adoption of products and services not supplied by deposit money banks have contributed the most to reducing exclusion (that is. the “formal other” category).”

According to her, specific policies and legislation crafted relating to the development of the ICT sector include: National ICT Policy of August 2012; National Broadband Plan 2013-2018 of May 2013; and Guidelines for Nigerian Content in ICT of November 2013 She explained that while the

Connect Nigeria initiative was aimed at speeding up the building out of communications infrastructure so that all Nigeria has access to good quality and affordable, highspeed telecom and internet services, Connect Nigerians ensures that Nigerians have affordable and convenient access to devices and have the capacity to use them; so that all could share in the benefits of ICTs. Local Content in the industry is also targeted at lowering the barriers to entry and increase the participation of indigenous companies in the ICT sector and stimulate job creation in the industry Other measures include “Increase the adoption of ICTs by government to achieve greater transparency, efficiency, and productivity in governance and citizen engagement; implementing a national broadband strategy and roadmap that seeks to increase broadband penetration from six per cent to 30 per cent by 2018; 3G/LTE Wireless Broadband Coverage to 80 per cent of the population; Fixed broadband to 16 per cent of population based on fibre by 2018; Minimum download speeds of 1.5 Mbps; and Open Non-Discriminatory Access.”

MainOne supports DemoAfrica

W

EST Africa’s leading provider of business communications, MainOne, said it has demonstrated its commitment to entrepreneurship and technology development in Africa by supporting the Demo Africa conference, held in Lagos.

In a statement, it said it also shared ideas for tech start-ups to create successful businesses. The event attracted 40 African Start Ups and Venture Capitalists that include Angel Investors, Tech Acquisition Specialists, IT buyers, in addition to business leaders and ICT experts from within and outside Africa who discussed technological start-ups and key strategies to keep businesses afloat. Conference discussions revolved around strategies for supporting new and emerging techstartups and entrepreneurs to strengthen Africa’s start-up and innovation ecosystem, promote and facilitate new investments, and foster innovative business models for the continent’s development.

Its Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, ‘Folu Aderibigbe said DemoAfrica was an easy sponsorship decision, as it provided an impetus for community entrepreneurship development, and enabled young talented Nigerians showcase their products (ideas),

learn how to harness and create wealth from their skills, as well as prepare for the journey that ensures personal development, and global relevance.

He said: “MainOne is pleased to be a vital part of this public-private alliance aimed at enhancing and deepening the startup and innovation ecosystems of fast- growing West-African economies.

This partnership reiterates our commitment to technology development and the growth of the Nigerian startup environment, manifested through our support for the Co-Creation Hub, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria Software Cup, and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria’s TENT programmes, among others.”

The Demo Africa conference is one of the flagship initiatives of LIONS@frica and aims to connect African startups to the global ecosystem.

Demo Africa is the place where the most innovative companies from African countries get a platform to launch their products and announce to Africa and the world what they have developed. The selected start-ups also benefit from coaching and mentorship programmes from both local and international mentors and coaches organised by Demo Africa and the US State Department.

MTN’s bonus airtime to VTU customers

M

TN said it is offering more value to its subscribers who use the MTN Virtual Top Up (VTU) service, adding that it is giving up to 100 per cent bonus on True Talk and Smooth Talk Plus after every recharge, for as low as N5 up to N200, between 00:30am and 1:59pm daily from Monday to Sunday.

It explained in a statement that its VTU is a convenient service that enables customers to remotely top up airtime on their mobile phones from any part of the world and enjoy multiple services by dialling *555*PIN# or *888*PIN#.

The bonus reward is available to customers for the following denominations: N5, N10, N20, N50, N100 and N200. It rewards customers with 100 percent bonus airtime immediately the main account is credited through the use of the MTN VTU 100 percent bonus recharge platform. Subscribers can then enjoy voice calls, SMS and data activities for as low as 40k per second on the bonus airtime while the regular tariff still applies for calls made from the main account.

Its Sales & Distribution’s Executive,

Omatsola Barrow, said: “Giving 100 per cent bonus on every VTU recharge is a way of appreciating our customers for making use of the service, while giving them even more value for money. With the additional bonus airtime, subscribers can make more calls, send SMS and do more data activities at no additional cost to them.”

Subscribers must however exhaust the airtime in the main account before enjoying the benefits of the bonus account. They will also be unable to perform Share N Sell (Share N Sell is a service that enables a customer dispense airtime credit on his phone to five other beneficiaries of his choice) on both the main and bonus accounts.

Its Corporate Services Executive, Akinwale Goodluck said: “We have pledged to continue to enrich the lives of our subscribers by providing them with a robust bouquet of innovative products and services, which is why we are rewarding our customers with 100 per cent bonus of the face value of every VTU recharge within the stipulated hours. We will continue to seek new ways of adding value to the lives of our customers.”

•From left: Akinwole Oludayo, Muhammed Salisu Usman, Nwaje Lucky and Ogunlana Olumide, all winners of the MTN Budding Entrepreneur Challenge during its Link Forum in Abuja.

Capacity expansion, key to service quality, says DBI chief

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ICE President of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Dr Okechukwu Ugweje has said expansion of the current capacities of the telcos, compelling them to do more and addressing the problem through the top bottom approach are some of the solutions to the persistent poor telecoms service quality.

DBI is the manpower training institution of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). It is located in Abuja with campuses in Lagos and Kano.

Ugweje lamented that poor service quality is real arguing that anybody

who thinks it is not an issue in the industry is being economical with the truth. He identified network congestion as one major cause of poor service quality, adding that unless massive investment is carried out to strengthen the network, the issue will remain with the industry.

“Qualty of service is a problem and anybody that tells you it is not a problem is being economical with the truth. One of the problems that cause quality of service issue is network congestion and the only way you can solve it is to expand

the network. There are other issues in quality of service. Most of the telcos are aware that they do not have good quality service,” he said.

He said the recent sealing of mega billion deals with both local and international finance houses is one of the efforts being made by the operators to correct the obvious disequilibrium between infrastructure and subscribers. According to him, the NCC is also not resting on its oars as it recently sanctions operators that failed to live up to the key performance indicators (KPIs) entered into with the NCC.

ATM... the fraudster’s tool?

•Continued from Page 47 systems and a call centre to aid support efficacy. There is also a need to ensure that the custodians are sufficiently trained to provide the crucial first level support. The negligence of these will make the support process expensive, unwieldy and ineffective.

This drives the proverbial ‘race to the bottom’ for all stakeholders. A decimation in the number of service providers or their replacement by uncertified operators willing to collect the cutthroat rates offered by the banks will not bode any good tidings for the banks nor their customers.

Another emerging class in the clog of ATM availability is the gang of Marauders who attempt to blow-up

the ATMs to gain access to the cash in the safes. For this group, Banknote staining could be an effective prevention technique, in which the anticipated reward of the crime is removed by denying the benefits, by marking the cash stolen with special security ink. Of course the ink should be machine detectable to ensure that deposit machines reject stained notes.

Some customers are also culpable. Furiously banging the ATM when ‘it swallows your card’ or does not dispense the money on your transaction will not solve any problem. If will only compound the problem by taking the ATM out of service. In the rare instance of this

anomaly, the right thing to do is to call the number on the ATM body or visit the bank. There are usually journal entries and time stamps that will prove that you were not paid what you have been inadvertently debited, and a routine for redress and refund instituted, Okere said.

While acknowledging the significant progress that has been recorded in payment systems, underpinned by the opportunity for the average Nigerian to be availed of having access to the global installed base of ATMs, courtesy of his local bank ATM card, and without recourse to a foreign bank account and ATM card, there is still the need to ensure that charity truly begins at home.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

SPECIAL REPORT

In this concluding part of a series on mental illnesses, Assistant Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF reports on how prohibitive charges and poor funding are hurting psychiatric care.

Rising mental illnesses: A ticking time-bomb ignored (2) How dearth of experts, few facilities hurt the system UNLIKE traditional and faith-based healers who operate without any professional code, orthodox psychiatric specialists are under professional obligation to respect a patient’s right to complete information about diagnosis, treatment and outcome, including attendant risks and benefits, as guaranteed in the patient’s bill of rights. However, this does not, in any way, suggest that psychiatric care system is totally immune from multifarious ailments afflicting the entire health sector, leaving this allimportant sector crumbling. For more than three decades, Nigeria’s health sector - which the mental health is a part of - has been put on crutches as a result of poor funding, lack of adequate modern medical facilities, dilapidated infrastructure, corruption, and paucity of medical personnel, forcing the few rich to continually jet abroad in search of medi-

cal solution to even mild ailments.

Although the prevalence of mental illness in Nigeria as reported by World Health Organisation (WHO) is 20 per cent, which obviously is high enough to rank it as a formidable public health challenge, the subsector suffers crippling institutional challenges. High in the hierarchy of afflictions bedeviling the mental health system is the fact that services are few and far between. In a country with an estimated population of 160 million, it is abnormality that there are less than 200 psychiatrists practicing in the country, says Joseph Adeyemi, professor of psychiatry and clinical psychiatrist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), who is also the national president, Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN). Being someone who understands the state of affairs, the academic is unhappy that the negative fallout of dearth of experts has left the country with an impossible ratio of psychiatrists to the population as 1:1,600,000. He added that it is dangerous to toy with mental health of the citizenry because “there can never be public health without mental •Continued on page 60

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•Continued from page 59_

health.”

Several experts echo the view that the dearth of specialists in psychiatric medicine and poor funding of the eight neuro-psychiatric hospitals in the country contribute to the growing number of psychiatric patients in the country. Nigeria is among nine African countries that are in dire need of psychiatric specialists: Liberia, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Burundi, Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Democratic Republic of Congo. But, apart from paucity of psychiatric doctors, other specialists in the mental health team are also few in numbers, grossly inadequate to cope with the challenges of meeting the health demands of increasing number of mentally-ill patients. According to a mental health situation report authored by the WHO in collaboration with the University of Ibadan (UI), Nigeria has 69 psychologists in all, 1,460 psychiatric nurses, 114 social workers, and 35 occupational therapists – far below the required manpower needs of the country.

Moreover, increased international migration of health workers from developing, such Nigeria, to more developed nations, and internal migration from rural poorer communities to wealthier urban communities, has further worsened the shortage of mental healthcare workers. Ironically, at a time their services are badly needed in the country, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other cadre of health workers that are trained in Nigeria often leave in droves to more developed countries, where there is better remuneration. According to a recent survey by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which regulates the training and practice in the profession, at least 40,000 Nigerian-trained medical doctors, many of who are psychiatrists, are practising in the US alone. Of the 506 African psychiatrists in the United Kingdom, not fewer than 214 are said to be Nigerians.

As if the situation is not precarious enough, the skills of the few available psychiatrists are sometimes misused, involving deploying specialists to other departments in hospitals that are not primarily established for neuropsychiatry, some top health workers said. The gross inadequacy of mental health workforce is partly responsible for why the WHO says an estimated 90 per cent of Nigerians with clear-cut mental health syndromes do not bother to seek medical treatment.

According Dr. Osasu Olotu, chief medical director, Federal NeuroPsychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin, Edo State, since private healthcare givers play a limited role in providing mental health services, the bulk of mental health services are provided by the eight regional stand-alone neuropsychiatric hospitals, forcing many people that are unable to be accommodated in the hospitals to turn to spiritual or tra-

•Dr. Adebayo

Rising mental illnesses: A ticking time-bomb ignored (2)

•Psychiatric wards at LAUTECH

ditional healers for help.

Despite increasing cases of mental illnesses, there are only 2,856 bed spaces in all the hospitals that have facilities for handling mental sicknesses in the country. As a measure of the problem, none of the 8 stand-alone neuropsychiatric hospitals has up to 1000 beds, whereas each is established to service millions in their respective region. A breakdown of the number of bed spaces in the stand-alone psychiatric hospitals shows the following: Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH) in Yaba, Lagos, has 500; FNPH in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has 525; FNPH in Calabar, Cross Rivers, has 201; FNPH at Enugu, Enugu State, has 150; FNPH at Maiduguri, Borno State, has 200; FNPH at Kaduna, Kaduna State, has 136; FNPH at Benin, Edo State, has 267; FNPH at Sokoto, Sokoto State, has 122.

Others are Psychiatric Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, (128); Psychiatric Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, (60); Federal Medical Center, Abraka, Delta State, (14); FMC, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, (35); FMC, Makurdi, Benue State, (36); FMC, Umuahia, Abia State, (5); FMC, Yola, Adamawa State, (40); Specialist Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, (12); LUTH, Lagos (28); Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, (15); University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, (20); Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State, (38); Obafemi Awolowo Teaching University, Osun State, (23); LAUTECH, Osun State, (20); Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Kaduna State, (28); University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, (100); Psychiatric Hospital Rumnigbo, Rivers State, (128); Anambra State Psychiatric Hospital, Nawfia, (28); Central Hospital, Agbor, Delta State, (8); UNTH, Enugu Staqte, (10); University of Ado Ekiti Teaching Hospital, Ekiti State, (20); UCH, Ibada, Oyo State, (62); and Bayero University Teaching hospital, Kano State (24).

Besides the issue of inadequacy of facilities, what experts say further compounds the accessibility problem is the fact that the available few hospitals are concentrated in the urban areas where less than 30 per cent of the population reside and eke out a living. Since common mental health disorders like depression, anxiety and schizophrenia are as common in the country as in other countries of the world that have better mental health resources, the disproportionate location of facilities in the cities tends to foist serious negative effects on continuity of treatment for patients who have to come from distant locations to access treatment. Some experts told this reporter in confidence that patients sometimes leave hospitals without knowing their diagnosis or what medications they are taking, or wait too long for referrals, appointments, and treatment and are not respected or given adequate emotional support.

Over the years, while the nation’s sick health sector has been gasping for breath without any hope in sight, it has left the citizenry in the lurch, especially the teeming millions at the lowest rung of the social ladder. Despite a steady growth in the number of mentally-ill persons roaming the streets and the resulting danger this constitutes to the general public, there has been no meaningful plan to mitigate the crisis, which exorbitant charges constitute to access to treatment. Except for the few rich, Dr. Emmanuel Owoyemi, president and founder of the Mental Health Foundation (MHF), a leading NGO, said many people with psychotic ailments are often unable to afford the cost of treatment, with many abandoned to their fate or die on the streets. Even in the homes of traditional healers that the locals daily patronize, treatment is not cheap, with the least being an average of N100,000 to treat most common

•Alhaja Hidayah

•Prof Adeyemi

types of mental illness, lasting for months in some cases. Experts say that is why it is common to see many ex-patients, who after defaulting in the payment for treatment, serving as wives or perpetual maids in the homes of some traditional healers – without considering human rights implications involved.

But patients also pay through their nose to access treatment in the few psychiatric hospitals, usually out of pocket. Though psychiatric doctors are often reticent to talk about payment for their services, preferring to say there is no uniform pricing because of mental illness has various types and degrees of severity, some relatives of patients, who volunteered information on the condition of anonymity, said “having mental sickness is like a death sentence without an option of appeal.”

Even at that, payment for treatment pales in comparison with high cost of drugs. According to experts, the cost of antipsychotic medication for just a day is over N40,000 (more than double the current national minimum wage);yet the duration of treatment in many serious cases is not fewer than 21 days. Also on the high side in relation to citizens’ disposable income are medications such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers and antiepileptic drugs.

This, in a country where two thirds of the population live on less than 2$ per day (according to a 2011 UN Human Development Index), can be worse than “a death sentence,” which makes Dr. Owoyemi to decry this situation, saying it is doing the citizenry and the country a lot of harm.

If the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 1999, which intends a record universal coverage for all Nigerians, is to resolve the accessibility and affordability crisis, the conundrum has not abated, if not worsening year after year. Not only has its beneficiaries limited to employees of the state and federal governments, including workers of a few large corporations, constituting less than five per cent of the population, the NHIS has been unable to achieve the envisioned turnaround in the healthcare financing, making the crisis of affordability and access to continue to undermine the wellbeing of Nigerians – all to the detriment of the teeming poor.

However, neither the prohibitive charges nor the fund-starved NHIS can be labeled as the chief culprit; the root cause of the breakdown in the mental health system is persistent poor funding to the health sector as a whole. With N262 billion devoted to health sector out of N4.962 trillion in the 2014 budget, signifying a 6.7 per cent decrease against 279 billion allocated to it in 2013 (6.04 per cent of the year’s total budget), not a few concerned medical professionals pooh-poohed the low priority accorded the all-important sector.In 2012, N282 billion out of N4.749 trillion was voted for the health sector, representing 5 per cent, while 4 per cent of the national revenue was spent on health in 2011 – lagging behind many African countries, including those classified by WHO as low-income economies. Yet, experts lament that it is only about 1 per cent of the vote to the health sector that reaches the mental health system (which ends up almost entirely in servicing recurrent bills). According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), public expenditure in Nigeria as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 1.3 per cent in 2003, a decline from 2.2 per cent in 2000. Also, WHO says this of Nigeria’s health sector: “Household out-of-pocket expenditure as a proportion of total health expenditure averaged 64.5 per cent between 1998 and 2008, which is very high.” Unfortunately, the trend, as deplorable as it is, has not changed for the better.

Obsolete laws, absence of regulatory body

•Prince Ademola

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SPECIAL REPORT

MENTAL HEALTH SUMMARY POINTS

•Patients under an open shed

While the reasons for the dearth of resources for mental health in the country are multifaceted, most prominent is the absence of political will to develop a mental health service based on a comprehensive legal and policy framework to regulate treatment and practices in psychiatry. Instead of attacking the problem with a massive plan and free the mental health from its shackles, successive administrations have treated the issue with levity, resulting in a broken system. About 54 years after independence, Nigeria is yet to have a functional mental health policy. The Lunacy Act of 1958, which is the current legislation on mental health is derogatory, says Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia, an expert in health law.

Not only is the law said to belong to a time when mental illness was more poorly understood, its title is disparaging, for the law does not provide clear regulation of mental healthcare: no direct legal protections, and no financial or welfare provisions for mentally-ill persons.

Although hopes were raised in 2003 when mental health bill was introduced in the National Assembly, ten years later, the bill is yet to be passed into law – no thanks to widespread ignorance about mental health issues and lack of political will to change the situation. Even at that, the bill, which focuses on procedures for admission of involuntary patients, an essential part of any serious mental health legislation, also fails to address salient issues, including access to care in rural areas where there are no psychiatric wards, besides being very casual in its approach to human rights protections, non-discrimination of mentally ill persons, and regulation of traditional and faith healers. To solve most of the complications afflicting mental health, any new mental health law should address the thorny issue of financial resources and

•A patient

Nigeri•More than 64 million health l nta me one m fro ans suffer illness or the other se do •Less than 90 per cent of tho not receive treatment at all.t of those •More than 70 per cen k help see who receive treatment al healfrom traditional and spiritu ers. chiat•The total number of psyn 200, tha less is eria Nig in tors ric doc an imposleaving the country with st to more atri chi psy 1 sible ratio of than 1 million Nigerians.2,856 beds •Nigeria has a total of toserve ls inallherpsychiatrichospita . ple peo n 160 millio al will, •Due to lack of politicmental a Nigeria does not have tment and health law to regulate trea dicine. practices in psychiatric meing body •There is no coordinat ion and to oversee public educat mental awareness campaigns on ers. health and mental disord misconand ths my , ma stig he •T ntal illness ceptions surrounding me discrimithe of ch contribute to mu violations nation and human rights h mental wit ple peo by d nce erie exp disorders.

public education, says Onyemelukwe-Onuobia. As for Nonso Attoh, a law lecturer at the University of Nigeria, protection of human rights, pervasive role of religion in mental problems, accreditation and regulation of faith-based and traditional healers as well as affordability and accessibility of mental healthcare facility are fundamental issues that need to be accorded serious importance.

But lack of a legal framework is harming mental health system in on other fronts: it has left both the traditional and the psychiatric wards unregulated and unmonitored, making them easily susceptible to abuses. The effects of zero-protection are lashings and tying down that take place with impunity in alternative healing homes, as well as chemical and physical restraints, nonconsensual electroshock, and forced medication common in psychiatric wards.

According to Dr. Owoyemi, the lack of a legal instrument has also made it impossible for NGOs like his to seek legal redress for victims of human rights abuses, such as beating, tying to the ground with chains and lots of ugly practices pervading alternative psychiatric practice. “People do come to my office here and say that they got relaxed in their work, broke down and taken to the hospital but were not taken back when they tried to resume. They always come here to see if we can help them, but we cannot. The same thing was happening in HIV until a law was passed to stop it. The federal and state governments put laws in place to fight discrimination against HIV. Today, you can’t do that with people living with HIV. That was how it stopped. If there is no legal framework, inhuman treatment, torture, stigma, and discrimination will continue,” he said.

Stigmatisation, rising cases of mental illness Of all the factors aiding the constriction of access to mental health treatment, Dr. Kazeem Adebayo, head of psychiatric department, LAUTECH, Osogbo, said that widespread social stigmatization of psychotic ailments ranks high. While differentiating between external and self-stigmatization, he said the latter is even worse because ex-patients often allow societal negative perception to affect their self-esteem adversely, thereby condemning themselves before others stigmatize them. Due to entrenched cultural mores and spiritual attachment in many Nigerian communities, attitude to mental illness is largely negative, fuelled by notions of causation that suggest that affected persons are possibly responsible for their illness. More often than not, there is a strong supernatural belief that psychiatric ailments are usually caused by possession or attack by evil spirits, sometimes seen as a divine punishment for the atrocities the affected person may have committed in the past.

Consequently, a lot of people, regardless of their social status, resort to spiritual or traditional healers whose expertise and services are not regulated or monitored by any recognized statutory body, seeking orthodox treatment only as a last resort, mostly when the patient’s condition has deteriorated, and consequently more difficult to handle. Besides the fact that stigmatization is breeding intolerance of even basic social contact with people known to have such illness, Dr. Owoyemi added that mentally-ill persons are not permitted

•One of the houses where alternative healers keep their patients

to work or reabsorbed into their previous positions, even after they have undergone treatment, since they are traditionally assumed to be dangerous and violent or mentally retarded, irrespective of medical statements certifying such people mentally okay.

As stigmatization of mental illness is hurting patients, experts confess that it is also causing serious injury to the psychiatric profession itself. At a time the profession is reeling under the pangs of dearth of professionals, Prof. Adeyemi lamented that stigmatization is making the profession unattractive to young minds, since many of them think that their chances of securing a job are limited compared to other medical lines. According to him, career interest in mental health by aspiring undergraduates is minimal, adding that the unattractiveness of the profession is reflective of the country’s negative attitudes and poor understanding of the bio-psycho-social basis of psychiatric disorders. Dr. Olotu added that many Nigerians hold certain stereotypes and negative beliefs towards persons with mental illness, their relatives and professionals who provide care. He listed the impact this is having on the practice thusly: reduction in number of people who seek help in orthodox settings, late presentation for treatment, difficulty of patients keeping on with their treatment because they feel ashamed coming to hospital, and reduction in number of persons willing to take up the profession and care for the mentally ill.

Yet, all indices are clear that mental ailments are on the rise in the country, as results of surveys and hospital data reveal. For example, an analysis of more than ten years’ admission record of Ireti Health Services in Ikirun, Osun State, shows that more and more mentally ill patients seek treatment in the 20bed private psychiatric facility. From 100 patients that visited the hospital in 2002, it grew to 131 in 2003; 152 in 2004; 137 in 2005; 143 in 2006; 132 in 2007; 183 in 2008; 148 in 2009; 148 in 2010; 157 in 2011; 169 in 2012; 145 in 2013, while 98 patients have visited the clinic by mid-2014. Prince Bamidele Ademola, a psychiatric nurse who is the founder of the hospital, said that recovery rate is hundred per cent if patients adhere strictly to medical advice, adding that “with what is happening in the country, it is sheer hypocrisy for anyone to say mental illness is not on the rise.”

Unlike before, government-paid psychiatrists are no longer reticent in talking about the state of affairs in their respective hospitals. Many government-owned psychiatric facilities confessed that more and more patients visit their wards, but refused to give details, citing confidentiality of their patients.

But some are no longer keeping mute about it. At the FNPH, Benin, Dr. Olotun said, “rates of new cases seen every year are rising steadily. Up to 3,000 new cases are seen yearly. Up to 10,000 clinic appointments are scheduled.” Recently, Dr. Oluyemi Ogun, the Director of Clinical Services, FNPH, Yaba, said, “We see between 15 and 20 new cases everyday and from 150 to 200 patients on a clinic day; doctors are challenged because one doctor may have to see over 50 patients per day.” While delivering a keynote address at a workshop on adolescent mental health in May 2012, Ajibola Falaye, professor of Counseling and Developmental Psychology at UI, raised an alarm over increasing incidents of mental problems and disorders among young Nigerians. She said that contrary to expectations, many young people are not always in good health, stressing that young people who need admission are thus admitted into psychiatric wards alongside adult cases. “Although mental health is the ninth component of primary health care, the implementation is fraught with problems.

Hence, nothing is being done about mental health problems of young people,” she noted.

Also, at a seminar organized for primary healthcare professionals in 2011, Dr. Adegboyega Ogunlesi, then Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, expressed his displeasure over the increasing number of Nigerians with psychiatric problems, saying it is frightening. Using data from his hospital, he disclosed that mental illness patients at his hospital increased from 28,000 in 2009 to 42,000 in 2010. Dr. Ogunlesi blamed the situation on the “institution-based care practice,” which the nation has focused on in over the years. Beyond the medical and lifestyle causes of mental illness, there is no doubt that stressful socio-economic conditions in the country can, indeed, induce mental illness in the citizenry. The bad governance experienced at virtually all levels of government in the country can easily dispose people to depression and other psychiatric cases. Dr. Owoyemi and Prof. Adeyemi said there is a correlation between mental disorders and poverty, violence, social exclusion and constant insecurity. Sadly, all these social vices abound in the country.

And if submissions of experts are anything to go by, the country’s mental health system will remain moribund unless there is a massive effort to up the funding to the subsector, augment the facilities, train and retain psychiatric professionals. In addition to this, tales of torture and other indescribable abuses may not stop until the ruling elite musters the political will to enact a mental act law and policies to address the basic needs and rights of individuals with mental illness, prioritise mental health in overall health planning, resource allocation, and workforce development.

(Concluded)

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MONEYLINK

CRR funds should finance real sector projects, says FirstBank CEO T HE Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, Bisi Onasanya has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the need to commit Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) funds to real sector projects.

The CRR is a portion of banks’ deposits kept as reserve with the CBN to achieve monetary policy stability.

The CBN pegged CRR at 75 per cent for public sector deposits and 15 per cent for private sector deposits. Over N2.3 trillion banks’ deposits are currently kept with the apex bank as cash reserve.

Speaking at this year’s Euromoney

Stories by Collins Nweze

Conference held in Lagos, Onasanya said FirstBank has over N460 billion CRR fund kept with the CBN at zero per cent interest rate.

He urged the apex bank to create avenues whereby some of the CRR funds will be diverted to funding Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) projects.

“We need to find a way whereby those funds at the CBN will come back to fund lending to the real sector. The CBN could advise each bank, to for instance, increase its lending to SMEs

by say, N100 billion, and subsequently release another N100 billion from the CRR pool to the lender when the lending is completed,” he said.

Such step, he said, would boost lending to the real sector and enhance economic development.

The bank chief said FirstBank has the highest loan exposure to agriculture and that the lender has a working arrangement with the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), making it easier for it to lend to small businesses.

Onasanya said the bank goes through due diligence to ensure that

UBA Capital inaugurates trading portal

U

BA Capital at the weekend , launched an online trading platform with real time investment account funding role.

The platform, investnow.ng, allows investors to fund their investment accounts directly and instantly, without going through an account officer in the option of a client-company funds lodgment.

It also provides a live price feed (intra-day) for listed stocks, enabling investors to make informed decisions based on the latest data.

Speaking at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), UBA Capital Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Oluwatoyin Sanni praised the milestone, saying “since UBA Capital was founded our mission has been to develop the capital markets in Nigeria in order to give the investing public the confidence to invest actively. The platform combines world class technology with a robust client data protection and security framework in order to give our clients a seamless experience

when processing transactions. Our clients will have access to research materials to make informed investment decisions.”

He said UBA Capital’s clients will be able to manage their portfolios online on mobile devices, tablets, laptops and desktop computers.

By making investing in Nigeria quicker and simpler, Sanni said, the platform will unite it with its customers.

Managing Directors such as Wale Shonibare (UBA Capital Investment Banking); Tokunbo Ajayi (UBA Capital Trustees); Modupe Mujota (UBA Capital Asset Management) and Jude Chiemeka (UBA Capital Securities Trading) also supported the platform.

They said innovation remains a key driver for all the businesses within the group to continue to provide outstanding quality of service and value to customers.

only the right entrepreneurs secure loans. “We focus on emerging businesses and also have strategic plan for SMEs. We need to find a process that ensures that the CRR funds help in lending to this sector,” he said.

FirstBank of Nigeria Limited has in recent months, taken its SME Connect campaign to different parts of the country to assist small businesses overcome consistent challenges they face especially, in the areas of business plan writing, marketing products and services as well as accessing bank loans and documentation.

The bank, he said, believes that SMEs are at the heart of national development, contributing greatly to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.

Onasanya said FirstBank, as Nigeria’s leading SME, is focused

A

C

Olugbodi.

The training provided an in-depth analysis of the financial markets and highlighted how economic trends and indicators should be interpreted.

The forum also provided opportunity for interactive discussions among key media operators in the local market. The Citi Financial Journalists Training aligns with Citi’s commitment towards capacity building

PAN African non-governmental organisation (NGO), African Peace and Development Initiative (APDI) has commended the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for its commitment to the safety and stability of the Nigeria’s financial system and for standing out as one of

among various stakeholders in the Nigerian economic space.

“The Citi Financial Journalists Training speaks to one of the bank’s core strengths in the market. Over the last 30 years, we have been at the forefront of providing financial markets training to industry colleagues, including our competitors, as well as regulators such as the Central Bank of Nigeria,” Dawodu said.

Offer Price

AFRINVEST W. A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGE FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND

168.45 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.69 1.39 1,676.09 1,118.84 121.30 121.16 1,117.51 1.2381 1.2875 0.8705 1.0829

• UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

Bid Price 167.01 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.69 1.33 1,676.09 1,118.03 120.45 120.30 1,116.70 1,2298 1,2875 0.8539 1.0829

GAINERS AS AT 30-10-14

the leading deposit insurers on the continent.

APDI President, Mike Femi gave this commendation while presenting the Africa’s Meritorious Service Award of the organisation to the Managing Director/Chief Executive (MD/CE) of NDIC, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim in Abuja.

According to the APDI President, NDIC’s commitment at keeping fate with its depositor, protection mandate over the years and its various initiatives, particularly the recent bridge bank phenomenon, had gone a long way in boosting confidence in the nation’s financial system.

He said as a supervisor, it was heart-warming that NDIC had demonstrated overt transparency and professionalism in the conduct of its operation thereby, serving as role model to other public institutions in Nigeria and the continent.

DATA BANK

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

on empowering SMEs and their entrepreneurs in capacity building and development.

Last November, the lender hosted the maiden edition of the conference themed: “SMEs at the heart of National Development: Creativity, Capacity and Capital”.

Group praises NDIC

Citibank trains journalists in Lagos ITIBANK Nigeria Limited last week, hosted the annual Citi Financial Journalists Training in Lagos. The event covered topics on financial markets and macroeconomics. It was facilitated by the bank’s Nigeria’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Akin Dawodu; Country Treasurer, Bayo Adeyemo; Managing Director of SDI/Ruyi Communications, Soni Irabor and Managing Director of Teambuilding Nigeria, Yinka

•Onasanya

RETAIL DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM (RDAS) Transaction Dates 24/09/2014 17/09/2014 08/09/2014 ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Inflation: August

8.5%

Monetary Policy Rate

12.0%

Amount Offered in ($) 350m 300m 300m

Amount Sold in ($) 349.96m 299.9m 299.9m

CBN EXCHANGE RATES September 29, 2014

Currency

Buying (N)

Selling (N)

154.70

155.71

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

CHANGE

Foreign Reserves

$39.6b

US Dollar

GUINNESS

190.00

199.50

9.50

Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$97.9

Pounds Sterling

250.7724

252.3929

CHAMPION

9.70

10.18

0.48

ANINO

0.21

0.22

0.01

Euro

200.3394

201.634

NESTLE

1,055.00

1,100.00

Swiss Franc

165.7385

166.8095

Yen

1.445

1.4544

CFA

0.286

0.306

231.3531

232.8481

25.1773

25.3409

INTENEGINS

Credit to private Sector (CPS) Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

0.51

0.53

0.02

14.70

0.55

ROYALEX

0.55

0.57

0.02

PORTPAINT

5.32

5.50

0.18

STERLNBANK

2.15

2.20

0.05

32.25

32.99

0.74

PZ

LOSERS AS AT 30-10-14

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

N16.42 trillion.

45.00

14.15

CCNN

Money Supply (M2)

CHANGE

ETERNA

3.80

3.61

-0.19

PREMBREW

4.63

4.40

-0.23

UPDCREIT

9.13

8.68

-0.45

UNILEVER

49.20

46.90

-2.30

N17.2 trillion 16.5%

NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

19-09-14 Rate (%) Rate (%) 22-09-14

Yuan/Renminbi

Overnight (O/N)

11.00

10.917

Riyal

41.259

41.5256

1M

12.464

12.393

SDR

232.156

233.6562

3M

13.281

13.201

6M

14.205

14.110

FOREX RATES

RTBRISCOE

0.97

0.93

-0.04

NPFMCRBK

0.98

0.94

-0.04

R-DAS ($/N)

157.29

157.29

LEARNAFRCA

1.40

1.35

-0.05

Interbank ($/N)

162.75

162.75

FCMB

4.45

4.30

-0.15

LIVESTOCK

2.94

2.85

-0.09

Parallel ($/N)

167.50

167.50

33.00

32.00

-1.00

ASHAKACEM

WAUA

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

Sept. 22, 2014

Rates

T-bills - 91

10.10

T-bills - 182

10.22

T-bills - 364

10.30

Bond - 3yrs

11.52

Bond - 5yrs

11.55

Bond - 7yrs

12.13

64

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

65

NEWS Ayogu Eze decries use of ‘thugs’ From Onyedi Ojiabor, Asistant Editor and Sani Onogu, Abuja

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HE Senator Ayogu Eze Governorship Campaign Organisation has accused his opponents of allegedly hiring thugs to protest against him.

Eze, one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants for Enugu State governorship ticket, is challenging the emergence of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the party’s consensus candidate.

The organisation also alerted the people to what it called desperate attempts by rented thugs to demonstrate against Eze’s insistence on open primaries.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, it alleged that some elements in Enugu State were intimidating and stopping “Eze from presenting himself for the PDP primaries on November 29”.

The organisation said nobody would be allowed to cow its candidate from presenting himself to the party.

It said: “...These hirelings have been paid to demonstrate against Eze’s rejection to the purported endorsement of a consensus candidate.”

The statement by the organisation’s Legal Adviser, Kingsley Onyeke, alleged that local government chairmen in Enugu North Senatorial District, which Eze represents in the Senate, were on an instruction to mobilise three bus loads of “rented demonstrators” to gather at Nsukka to insist on the consensus candidate.

The organisation stressed that “no amount of arm-twisting by these elements will force our candidate out of the race”.

It hailed Eze for being a courageous and worthy representative who excelled in his legislative assignment for the state and country.

Wondering why Eze had become the target of unwarranted manoeuvres and manipulations, the organisation said its candidate was only asking the party to open the space for free and fair primaries.

Enugu academics back Ugwuanyi From Chris Oji, Enugu

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group of academics in Enugu State, under the aegis of Academics and Allied Professionals (ESCAAP), has supported Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) consensus candidate.

Ugwuanyi was a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) before he was elected into the House of Representatives.

Members of the group, rising from a meeting yesterday in Enugu, told reporters that they promised to ensure that “Ugwuanyi emerges the governor of Enugu State in 2015”.

Their spokesman, Dr. Aaron Agbo, read the written statement.

He said: “We took time to consider Ugwuanyi, his antecedents, potential and pedigree. We believe that he possesses the requisite experience, sanity and dexterity to move the state to higher heights.

“We equally considered reports from the various zones of the state and found out that his emergence was based on a superior argument.

I

Okorocha pardons 94-year-old, 15 other convicts

MO State Governor Rochas Okorocha has pardoned 16 convicts, including a 94-year-old man, Canice Egbunanne, on the nation's 54th Independence anniversary.

It was the first time in 10 years the state's convicts got such amnesty under a governor's prerogative of mercy.

The governor's action followed the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, under the chairmanship of Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh (SAN).

Eleven of the convicts were imprisoned for non-capital offences and had almost completed their prison terms.

The others had less than six

•70-year-old man also among amnesty beneficiaries

By Olamilekan Andu

months to serve.

Pa Egbunanne and 70-yearold Chidi Nwosu were pardoned on the grounds of age.

Before the amnesty, Okorocha asked the crowd at the event whether or not they supported the release of the 16 people as recommended by the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy. There was a deafening affirmation from the crowd.

The governor delivered an emotion-laden extempore speech that excited the crowd before he threw the question to them.

He said at 54, the nation should seriously tackle inse-

curity, youth unemployment, selfishness and corruption, lack of patriotism, ethnicity, insurgency and other national challenges.

He said: "As a nation, there is no better time to act and achieve the desired goals than now. We must admit that things are not working out the way they should in Nigeria.

That will help us to wake up as a nation.

"Democracy has not functioned well in Nigeria. We have to strengthen our democracy because it is not being practised the way it should. When that is done, then development is guaranteed. Nigerians should see themselves as members of one

family and shun leaders who preach tribalism, religious dichotomy and division among the political class.

"Nigerians should use the 54th Independence anniversary to revisit the devolution of power. A nation where the citizenry have private security, private electricity, private borehole and everything private is a failed one. To get things right, we must know when to disagree and when to unite for a common goal as a nation."

Okorocha hailed the Army, police, the State Security Service (SSS) and other security agencies for their sacrifices.

The governor noted that they sacrifice their security

and comfort to keep others secured.

Among the pardoned convicted are: Uchenna Udum, Sunday Egwu, Amos Ishaya, Anyuba Bartholomew, Benjamine Osunkwo, Okezie Obasi, Ifeanyi Nwokeji, Ogbonna Onyinyechi, Chidi Nwosu and seven others.

Deputy Governor Eze Madumere; the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof.

Anthony Anwuka; Chief of Staff to the Government House, Sir Jude Ejiogu and Service Chiefs attended the event.

A statement yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, said others included top government functionaries, traditional rulers and religious leaders.

•Some youths with their leader, Jeff E. Joshua (middle), at a rally on Nigeria’s 54th Independence annivarsary at Obafemi Awolowo Roundabout, Ikeja, Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO : OMOSEHIN MOSES

Woman, three others remanded for alleged kidnap, robbery A WOMAN and three other suspects have been remanded in Aba Prisons by a Magistrate’s Court sitting at Mgboko in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.

The accused were brought before the Mgboko Magistrate’s Court for alleged kidnap, impersonation and burglary.

It was learnt that one of the accused, Mrs. Grace Ahuruonye Ugorji, escaped arrest when the Divisional Police

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

Officer (DPO) for Ohuru Isimiri, Titus Anayo Ugwoke, and his team dislodged some kidnappers from a hideout in the area.

She was re-arrested, following police surveillance on her movements.

The police at the Ohuru Isimiri Division arraigned Mrs. Ugorji and the other sus-

pects for alleged kidnap, impersonation and burglary after police had concluded investigation on their alleged involvement.

The police said they arrested a man for allegedly impersonating an army officer.

The suspect was said to have ridden a tricycle and worn a military camouflage when he was arrested.

The police said when he was quizzed, the suspect could not account for his camouflage.

The other suspects were allegedly arrested after breaking into a shop at Ohuru Ismiri.

The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges read tom them.

The magistrate directed the police to remand them in prison custody until the next adjourned date.

Court adjourns Orji’s son’s suit against The Sun

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N Abia State High Court, sitting in Ohafia and presided over

by Justice Amanze Chikwendu Chioma, has fixed November 11 for hearing in a libel suit filed by Chinedu Orji, one of the sons of Abia State Governor Theodore Orji, against The Sun and Ebere Wabara, a media aide to former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu.

The adjournment followed two motions filed by the lawyer to the defendants, Mr. A. C. Arinze, that Wabara, also a columnist with the newspaper, was not served with the court processes.

Although the lawyers to the plaintiff, led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), did not object to the motions, they told the court that the defendants

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

planned to stall the hearing.

Uzoukwu averred that the motions, dated July 9 and September 17, were served on them on September 29.

The lawyer said the action was among the efforts to frustrate the matter.

But Arinze said the defendants did not have any plan to stall the proceedings.

The lawyer blamed the late service on the location of the plaintiff’s lawyer, adding that it was outside the court’s jurisdiction.

He prayed the judge to ask the plaintiff’s lawyers to provide an address within the court’s jurisdiction for easy correspondence.

Before adjourning the mat-

‘The governor’s son said the publication portrayed him as a law breaker and criminal’ ter, Justice Chioma asked the plaintiff’s lawyers to provide an address within the court’s jurisdiction for an easy service of processes.

The judge explained that the address would quicken the court processes.

Chinedu Orji sued The Sun for allegedly calling him “a terrorist” involved in “ter-

rorist activities” in an article it published on March 10.

The governor’s son said the publication portrayed him as a law breaker and criminal.

According to him, the publication, which was also published on the Internet, made some countries to place him on their watch lists.

In the suit the Claimant is therefore claiming the sum of N5 billion as damages for libel and an unreserved apology to be published at least three editions of the newspaper.

He is also asking for an Order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants or their agents from further writing or publishing the said libellous matter or similar one against him.

Academics urge Obiano to repair roads From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

O

VER 50 professors and doctors, who reside at Esther Obialor Estate in Awka, the Anambra State capital, have urged Governor Willie Obiano to repair the roads in the estate.

They said all the roads in the estate had become impassable, especially during the rainy season. The residents accused the government of abandoning the estate.

The contract for the roads’ repair was reportedly awarded by former Governor Chris Ngige.

Although work started on the roads before an Appeal Court sacked the administration in 2006, the roads have been abandoned since then.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Awka, Prof. Nonso Nnabuife, a former dean in the Faculty of Agriculture and Chairman of Agu Awka GRA Residents’ Association, said they were tired of doing palliative work on the roads.

He urged Obiano to give the roads urgent attention, adding that the residents had been parking their vehicles outside their homes because of the sorry state of the roads.

Another resident, Chief Joseph Nwakpadaolu, told reporters that he had spent N1 million on one of the roads to make it passable.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

66

NEWS Uduaghan pardons 12 death row prisoners From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

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ELTA State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has pardoned three death row prisoners and commuted the death sentence of nine others to various terms of imprisonment.

Uduaghan, who spoke in Asaba, said their pardon was based on recommendations from the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.

He said: “As part of the Independence Day celebration, through the power conferred on me under Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution, I have granted total pardon to three prisoners sentenced to death and granted amnesty to nine other prisoners on death row, whose sentences have now been commuted to various terms of imprisonment.

“I want to call on sponsors of Boko Haram that enough is enough, they should have a rethink, they have killed, maimed, kidnapped and today, we are saying, enough is enough.”

The governor mentioned a case of a 24-year-old man, who, when he was 16, was accused of stealing a phone and was sentenced to death.

Uduaghan said but for an appeal filed by the family, he would have granted him pardon.

He, therefore, pleaded with the family to withdraw the appeal to enable him exercise the relevant powers and grant the accused pardon, adding that any action taken would be sub-judice.

R

Amaechi: my travails’ve made me stronger

IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said the administration’s persecutions, travails and betrayals have made his resolve stronger.

He advised politicians and their supporters to avoid maiming, killing, violence and thuggery, as the nation moves towards the 2015 elections.

Amaechi, in the text of his Independence Day speech, noted that with the end of his tenure approaching, his resolve to build a virile state remained as fervent as it was seven years ago.

He said:”Like athletes in a race, we are running to win.

We must continue to run to breast the tape and reach the

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

finish line strong.

“Our persecutions, our travails and betrayals make our resolve stronger.

“By May 29, next year, I shall have finished my course as governor, but shall always put Rivers in my prayers.

“As we prepare for the 2015 general elections, may our politicians and their followers know that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.

“If we maim and kill the people we aspire to lead, who would we then govern? Let us run our campaigns in the best manner and pursue our electioneering with respect

for one another.”

The governor said the nation’s 54th Independence anniversary called for sober reflection.

He said when he assumed office on October 26, 2007, he committed himself to building a “Rivers State of Possibilities,” where none would be discriminated against.

He said: “We set for ourselves a target and a goal to leave our state better than we found it. It was, indeed, a big challenge, but seven years after, we can present a commendable score sheet to the glory of God. “When we took the oath of office in 2007, insecurity was at its peak. Military and po-

lice checkpoints dotted every street and lane. We were forced to raise our hands on our way home, at the end of a hard day’s job. Our humanity was debased, as much as our pride was assaulted.

“So, we chose to confront the criminals, who had stolen our peace. Not because we were strong, but because we loved our people.

“We chased them, not with arms and ammunition, but with bravery and the boldness of our fathers. We soon made our streets safe again, life returned to our biggest city, Port Harcourt, and our communities. Our economy again began to blossom and those

investors chased away, began to return to our state.

Today, our state thrives as Nigeria’s second biggest economy.

“Seven years later, we have changed all that. We employed 13, 210 teachers.

With our free education programme, we have rekindled the hope of the people.”

The governor also stated that his administration contained the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

He praised the efforts of the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, who he said showed immense commitment.

Corruption impeded our dreams, says Okara

R

ENOWNED poet and novelist Pa Gabriel Okara has said corruption and pride are the major hindrances to the actualisation of our founding fathers’ dream.

Okara spoke yesterday in his Aboloma, Rivers State, home during an exclusive interview with The Nation.

He said: “Though I am getting weak daily due to old age but I would not stop speaking on the consequences of the missing point that has kept Nigeria far from the dream of our founding fathers.

“Because we have failed to realise that we have missed it, we have also failed to think and adjust. This has affected the attitude and aptitude of our future

From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

leaders.

“We are not getting it right, instead we are misleading the younger ones; look at the behaviour of our youths today it will give you the true picture of where we are. We need to end corruption and pride; this country is at the mercy of political drivers.

“The founding fathers had a dream, where we are today

is it where we are expected to be? Because of pride we no longer consider the popular view of the people.

“I remember the first Independence Day celebration, the expectation was high but I didn’t know we could still be where we are today.”

The renowned poet said the only way out is to turn to God. He said without corruption other countries would have been depending on Nigeria for survival.

Okara said mass looting has made youths prefer other cheap ways of making money rather than hardwork.

“Because they see politicians who do not have university certificates driving expensive cars, building houses in all the cities then you cannot advise them that the best way to make money is by hard work and dedication to their studies. We need to know that we have missed it.”

Imoke calls for self-analysis, unity

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ROSS River State Governor Liyel Imoke said yesterday that Nigeria’s 54th Independence anniversary and centennial celebration of the country’s amalgamation should serve as a

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

moment of introspective selfanalysis.

He emphasised the need for the country to remain united to overcome its challenges.

In his address to mark the occasion, he said: “Today marks an important opportunity for a collective introspective self-analysis of how far we have come and how much further we have to go.

“As the largest nation on the continent and an apt representation of Africa, we must be determined to ensure Nigeria’s place in an incredibly dynamic and competitive world.

“In Cross River State, we shall protect the implementation of our social agenda to create wealth and a prosperous and harmonious society for all.

“We must sustain the dream of a free and egalitarian society that independence represented for the generation of our forefathers who fought for the country we live in today.

“Since 1999, our state has experienced an evolution. Our people, supported by progressive governance, are more confident in their economic prospects and steadfast in the determination to achieve our collective goals.

“The economy of our state has been transformed from a dependency on the public sector to one which is forging ahead on a path to becoming the premier service-driven and investor-friendly economy in Nigeria.

“Our progress is palpable.

Our achievements are tangible. Our dreams are attainable. All we need to do is maintain the momentum of our development and remain unremitting in our desire to reach our goals.

“Today, we celebrate all that makes us great as a nation. We celebrate our culture, unity in diversity, resilience and optimism in reverence of the great sacrifice and unwavering determination of our founding fathers.

“To adhere to that essence of reverence, we must ensure that we are all determined to play our part towards the prosperous growth and development of our beloved country.

“Let us stand united and steadfast to confront the challenges that face us as a democracy and a developing economy so that the labour of our heroes past, shall never be in vain. Let us look forward and march purposefully towards the bright future ahead of us.”

•Pa Okara...yesterday.

‘Jonathan’s endorsement has vindicated us’

T

HE National Patron, Youth Wing and Secretary, Board of Trustees of the National Coalition for Jonathan and Sambo Presidency (NACOJSP), Dr. Benjamin Irikefe, said yesterday that the group had been vindicated by last week’s endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Irikefe, in a statement, hailed the PDP’s Governors’ Forum, the Board of Trustees, National Executive Committee and over 8,000 Goodluck support groups, which gave automatic tickets to the President.

He said the endorsement has vindicated NACOJSP, which had stormed the PDP national secretariat on April 1 to demand an automatic ticket for Jonathan.

The patron urged Jonathan to reciprocate the gesture by formally accepting the call and publicly declare his intention to seek a fresh mandate.

Irikefe praised the Presidential Adviser on Political Matters, Prof. Rufail Alkali, for successfully organising and hosting over 8,000 Goodluck support groups, in Abuja.

Democracy has brought development, says Akpabio

A

KWA Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio has said the return of democracy has brought meaningful gains in all areas of development.

Akpabio, spoke yesterday at the Independence Day celebration at the Uyo Sports Stadium.

He said: “There was massive infrastructural decay, dilapidated public utilities, growing unemployment, inflation, devalued currency, mismanaged economy, epileptic power supply, and eroded educational system amongst others.

“For over three decades, democracy which has been adjudged as a veritable vehicle for development had eluded

our nation. But the return of democratic governance, 15 years ago, has brought forth meaningful gains in all areas of development.

“We have made reasonable strides and restored our nation to that of our founding fathers’ dream.”

He lauded the pace of transformation under President Goodluck Jonathan, saying “he has given us hope of realising the dream and vision of the founding fathers”.

“The Jonathan administration has restored our hope in the labour of our heroes past and assured us that it will never be in vain. They laboured with faith and wisdom to build a nation founded on the im-

movable rock of peace, love, unity, faith and brotherhood.

“The administration has been more forthcoming and remarkable with its transformation agenda. It has tackled hitherto intractable areas and turned relegated institutions into agencies of quality service delivery.

“The unbundling and privatisation of the power sector has given greater impetus to investments and development of small scale businesses.

He urged Nigerians to defend the country’s unique identity and re-enact the culture of peace and unity that earned them self-governance.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

67

NEWS Ex-banker arraigned for N21m ‘fraud’ From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

T

HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned yesterday a former employee of Oceanic bank, now Ecobank, Aliyu Sulaiman, for “illegally withdrawing over N21 million”.

The amount was collected from indigenes of Albasu Local Government Area in Kano State to open a microfinance bank in Albasu.

Sulaiman was charged with criminal breach of trust, forgery and use of genuine documents to illegally withdraw money from an account entrusted to him.

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

Justice Dije Aboki remanded Sulaiman in prison custody and adjourned the case to October 16.

‘Probe intercepted $9.3m’ From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

A

GROUP of Islamic scholars, Ulama, has called for the probe of the $9.3 million intercepted in South Africa.

Its Chairman, Dr Musa Mohammed, spoke when the group visited the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11.

Mohammed urged the government to prevent foreign interference in the country’s security matters and check unguarded utterances by ethnic and religious leaders, which could cause disunity among Nigerians.

The emir expressed concern about the insecurity in the country and urged the government to probe the $9.3 million intercepted in South Africa.

Federal might won’t work in 2015, say Saraki, Ahmed

K

WARA state Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and Senator Bukola Saraki yesterday said the All Progressives Congress (APC) would wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the federal level next year.

They dismissed the use of federal might to win elections, saying APC has come to stay.

Ahmed and Saraki spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, at the N250 million empowerment programme of Alhaji Mashood Mustapha, who represents Ilorin West/Asa in the House of Representatives.

Ahmed said: “Things have changed. Gone are the days when you go to Abuja and write figures. We will vote and stay there till counting is done.

As they count, we know the figures and the figures will go through the Internet before anybody can manipulate things. There is nothing to fear by the grace of God. There is no federal might anywhere.

The only might is the people’s votes. That is where our strength lies.

“As a government, we will continue to do our best to give our people the dividends of democracy. We have also ensured that political office holders play their role.

“True democracy is not

‘It is clear to everybody that seasonal politicians cannot win elections. If you want the votes of my people, you must believe in them and stand by them always’ From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

about sitting in Abuja; it is about coming back home. For those of us who are here, we should let those that are not here know that the APC has come to stay. The structure that is holding the state will take over the administration of Nigeria in 2015. This can only be demonstrated with programmes such as this. We must use our right to vote who we want at the time of elections.”

Saraki said he joined APC to rescue the country from “looming danger”, adding: “We did not leave PDP for personal interest. We left because we saw danger. Things are going wrong and we need to do something right. My people, what you have seen here is an

‘Don’t sell Benue shares at Dangote Cement’

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ENUE State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Abba Yaro has urged the state government not to sell the 90 million Dangote Cement Plc shares held in trust for indigenes by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC).

In a telephone interview with The Nation, Yaro de-

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

scribed the sale of the shares on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) as “an attempt to further enslave the people”, urging the House of Assembly to stop it.

A former Director with the defunct NITEL, Mr Adaa Maagbe, expressed concern that the sale was coming a few

FOREIGN NEWS ICC: Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta must appear at Hague

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HE International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected a request by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to avoid appearing at a hearing on 8 October.

He denies organising ethnic massacres after the 2007 elections in which 1,200 people were killed.

Judges rejected Mr Kenyatta's request to postpone the hearing or appear via video link, and insisted he must appear in person at the Hague.

The trial has already been delayed several times.

Mr Kenyatta’s lawyers made the request that he be excused from appearing before the court on the grounds that he had other commitments in Uganda at the same time. They suggested that the hearing be postponed or that arrangements be made

for Mr Kenyatta to appear via video link.

However, the ICC rejected the request, saying that the matters to be discussed were at a critical stage and directly involve the interest of the accused and victims.

“The chamber, by majority, finds that the requirements of justice in this case necessitate the physical presence of the accused in court,” the ICC said in a statement.

Earlier in September, the ICC decided to postpone the start of Mr Kenyatta's trial after prosecutors said the Kenyan government had failed to hand over crucial documents.

The hearing on October 8 will instead aim to set a date for a trial.

Mr Kenyatta’s lawyers have repeatedly said the whole case

should be dropped because of a lack of evidence.

Mr Kenyatta was elected in 2013, despite facing the charges.

Analysts said he turned the prosecution to his advantage, portraying it as foreign intervention in Kenya's domestic affairs.

In 2007, Mr Kenyatta was a close ally of President Mwai Kibaki, who was declared the winner in that year's election despite claims of fraud from his rival Raila Odinga.

The disputes soon turned violent, with targeted killings along ethnic lines, pitting members of the Kikuyu ethnic group of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Kibaki against other communities.

Mr Kenyatta is accused of organising an ethnic Kikuyu gang, the Mungiki sect, to attack rival groups.

Hong Kong students vow to step up protests if...

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example of sincerity.

“Ahead of the 2015 elections, we are beginning to differentiate the boys from the men, the real men from the fake, those that mean well for our people and those who want to take advantage of them. I give thanks to the Almighty God that my people in Kwara State know the difference.

“It is clear to everybody that seasonal politicians cannot win elections. If you want the votes of my people, you must believe in them and stand by them always.

“If you believe in our people, do not sit in a hotel near the villa in Abuja waiting for the villa to do something for you. Today we are at home and we will be here for another week. Some of our opposition members will not come home; or they will come in the night and leave early in the morning because they don’t want to empower the people.

“I challenge the PDP to show us those they have empowered. After they have done that, then they can contest elections. For our people who are seeking elective posts, the basic rule is for them to make themselves heavyweights at home. I appeal to political office holders who Governor Ahmed has empowered to empower others too.”

TUDENT demonstrators in Hong Kong have vowed to step up their mass pro-democracy protests if Chief Executive CY Leung does not resign.

Student leader Lester Shum said protesters could start occupying government buildings if Mr Leung did not quit today.

Thousands continue to protest on the streets against China's vetting of candidates for 2017's leadership poll.

Ex-Governor Chris Patten accused China of reneging

on its commitments.

The pro-democracy protests continued throughoutyesterday-China's65thNationalDay. As evening fell, thousands of demonstrators remained camped out at the main protest sites in the Central business district, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok, while a fourth site opened on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, a major shopping district several roads south of Mong Kok.

months to the 2015 general elections and urged the government to rescind the decision in the people’s interest.

Maagbe, who is a senatorial aspirant in Benue North East, queried the reason for the sale of the shares.

BPIC Managing Director Mrs Bridget Seidu did not pick her calls or respond to messages sent to her phone.

Immortalise Galadiman, Tambuwal urges Kwankwaso

•Tambuwal

H

OUSE of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal has urged the Kano State government and the Emirate Council to immortalise the late Galadiman Kano, Alhaji Tijani Hashim, who died in Abuja on Monday.

He said this would tell future generations of the deceased’s contributions to the development of Kano and Nigeria.

In a statement by his media aide, Malam Imam

Imam, Tambuwal described the deceased as “a complete gentleman, who used his wealth and influence for the benefit of the people”.

He said the late Galadiman made a name for himself as a humble prince and traditional title holder, whose deep knowledge of Kano tradition stood him out.

The Speaker said: “He was both traditional and modern.

He traversed the two worlds without conflict, earning for himself and the Kano Emirate huge respect the world over.”

Tambuwal condoled with the government and people of Kano and prayed to God to console the Galadiman’s family.

Shettima frees 22 prisoners From Duku Joel, Maiduguri

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ORNO State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday freed 22 prisoners.

As part of activities marking Nigeria’s 54th Independence anniversary, Shettima visited inmates of the Maiduguri Maximum Prison.

He urged them to live together in peace and avail themselves of the skill acquisition programmes in the prison.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of justice and Solicitor-General, Mallam Fannami, said the governor approved two sets of Shadda clothing materials and N50,000 to each of the freed inmates.

The governor donated two bulls, 10 rams, bags of rice and beans, among others, to the prison for the Sallah celeebration.

The Controller of Prisons, Inuwa Garba, thanked the governor for his support and expressed worry about the increasing cases of psychiatric problems among inmates.

Garba said about 28 of the 411 male inmates were mentally ill. He said unlike other prisons, which are congested, the 1,000 capacity prison houses only 418 inmates.

Garba said 33 were condemned to death; 42, life imprisonment; 107 were convicted for capital charges and others ordinary charges.

He said the inmates were trained in carpentary, sewing and football, adding that an adult education programme was in place.

Garba thanked the governor for donating two Toyota Hilux to the prison, which are used to transport ill inmates to hospitals. He urged the government to complete the abandoned staff quarters.

Ukraine: Shell kills four at Donetsk school

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SHELL has killed four people at a school in the rebel-held east Ukrainian city of Donetsk, on the first day of classes, officials and witnesses say.

Another six people died when a minibus was hit elsewhere in Donetsk.

No children were apparently hurt when the school playground was shelled but a biology teacher and a parent were among the dead, witnesses told Reuters.

The school is 4km (2.5 miles) from Donetsk airport,

where rebels have clashed with Ukrainian troops.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in eastern Ukraine since 5 September but the truce has frequently been violated.

The Kiev-controlled regional administration said rebels from the selfproclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) had opened fire with a multiple-launch rocket system.

But DPR deputy leader Andrei Purgin told Russian TV that Ukrainian rocket launch-

ers had targeted residential areas from as far as 40km (25 miles) away.

Pro-Russian separatists control of much of Donetsk and have launched several attempts to capture the airport to the north-west of the city in recent weeks.

Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told reporters the airport was still under government control but rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko told news agencies it would be fully captured in two to three days.

ISIS crisis: New strikes in Syria near Kobane

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NITED STATES-led forces have carried out air strikes on Islamic State (IS) militants battling Kurdish fighters around the northern Syrian border town of Kobane.

A BBC correspondent saw explosions outside the town in the morning.

At least 10 people were killed overnight, Syrian activists said yesterday, as the jihadists moved to within 2 to 3km (1.2-1.9 miles) of Kobane.

Tens of thousands of people have fled across the border into Turkey since IS launched an offensive two weeks ago.

The jihadists' advance has put pressure on the Turkish government to take a more significant role in the US-led coalition formed to combat IS. Ministers submitted a proposal to parliament late on Tuesday to allow Turkish

troops to conduct operations in Syria and Iraq, and to allow foreign forces to use Turkish military bases.

Parliament is expected to debate the proposal today, and the ruling AK Party's majority means it is likely to be approved.

In a separate development in Syria on Wednesday, at least 22 people, including 10 children, were killed and dozens wounded in a double bomb attack in the central city of Homs, officials and activists said.

First, a car bomb exploded in front of a school in the Akrama al-Jadida district while the children were heading home. Minutes later, a suicide bomber drove by the scene and detonated explosives inside his car, a local official told the Associated Press.

No group said it had carried out the attack but the area is dominated by President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect.

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

Lagos politician held for alleged pipeline vandalism

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House of Representatives hopeful, Wahab Jinadu, has been arrested for alleged pipeline vandalism.

He was arrested by operatives of the Inspector–General of Police(IGP) Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism at Ifote village in Obafemi/ Owode Local Government (LGA) of Ogun state.

Jinadu was described as one of the most wanted pipeline vandals, who he had been arrested and arraigned three times for the same offence.

Sources said he was discharged and acquitted on each occasion.

The police are linking him to the siphoning of petroleum products worth millions of naira from vandalised Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline within Lagos and Ogun states.

Speaking on his arrest, head of the IGP task force, Mr Friday Ibadin, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said on September 15, detectives acted on an intelligence report that Junaid was back and operating with his boys at Ogere in Ogun State.

He said:”Detectives led by Ogere sector commander, Mr Shakwallo Philemon, an Assistant Superintendent (ASP), stormed the area and

By Jude Isiguzo

arrested him. They also recovered three big valves already mounted on NNPC right of way in Ogere. This is the fourth time Junaid would be arrested by the police.

“We are still on the trail of his accomplices who are still at large. He would soon be arraigned before a competent court and we hope to get him to face the wrath of the law upon conviction this time.”

Junaid said he was seeking means of making fast money after being nominated by his people to represent them at the House in 2015.

“Heaven knows that after I regained my freedom in 2012, I had stopped anything that has to do with pipeline vandalisation. The slot for the House of Representatives was zoned to my area, Ibeju Lekki constituency. I am one of those who has the best opportunities to contest and win the election. I was told to go and look for money to sponsor my campaigns.

“I called my friend Oloje, a vandal, who informed me that the area is calm and that I can come and lift some trucks. I was waiting with the tanks to lift the product when policemen arrested me. I guess it is my enemies

who are bitter that I was anointed for Ibeju Lekki constituency at the House of Representatives in 2015 that informed the police. As I speak to you, no one knows that I have been arrested.

Please forgive me and give me another chance to represent my people in the House of Representatives’’ He claimed that a full tanker can be bought for N1.5million from vandals and sold at N3million.

Junaid, who claims to be veterinary doctor, said he was first arrested and arraigned in court by the task force in 2008. “I was discharged and acquitted. In 2010, I was also arrested at Epe and after several months, I regained my freedom again. The third time was in 2012, when policemen from FESTAC Division arrested and arraigned me in court. I was able to secure my freedom because of the calibre of lawyers that stood for me.”

He said his nickname Doc was given to him because he is a veterinary doctor. “ I am a graduate and I read Botanical Science and Animal Rearing. It’s just that people no longer patronise us and I had to change my profession. I am sorry and I promise that as soon as I am elected, I will assist the police in their war against pipeline vandalisation.”

•The destroyed illegal depot INSET: Junaid

•The destroyed illegal depot

The task force also busted an illegal local refinery at Osara near Lokoja in Kogi State. The owners were said

to have fled when they spotted some patrolling policemen.

According to Ibadin, the

task force is still combing the village for those who constructed the ‘refinery’.

The ‘factory’ has been burnt.

SHOWBIZ

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OUTH African soap fans have been cut off from the country’s most popular show, Generations, following the August sacking of its cast for demanding better pay.

The last available episode of Generations was broadcast on Tuesday.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) said it would be at least two months before a “revamped” version of the show returns - with a completely new group of 16 actors.

Generations is South Africa’s longest-running soap, having launched in 1994.

Watched daily by some seven million viewers, it follows predominantly black middle-class characters working in Johannesburg’s advertising industry.

The cast first went on strike in August, after a long-running dispute over pay and contracts.

They claimed they were underpaid and received no

SA’s most popular soap’s cast sacked

•Cast of Generations

repeat fees for their work, which is also screened in other African countries.

The actors were asked to

continue filming while negotiations were taking place, but were sacked after they did not return to work. The

SABC has now run out of new editions to broadcast.

“We don’t have enough episodes of Generations, so we

will only go until today,” SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago told the AFP news agency on Tuesday.

“We are hoping that Generations will have episodes ready for the first week of December.”

At the time of the cast’s sacking, executive producer Mfundi Vundla told a South African radio station that the actors were not irreplaceable and the soap would continue without them.

“There were other actors before, there will be other actors in the future,” he told Talk Radio 702..

“Generations will go on; it doesn’t mean the demise of the series.”

The cast have since approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration in an effort to get their jobs back.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions has urged other actors not to be persuaded to join the soap as replacements.

“Don’t be used by the arrogant producing companies in order to maintain and continue the exploitation of your fellow actors,” said secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi.

Top acts declare for Coke Studio concert

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•Patoranking

HIS Friday, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, will come alive with continental show, Coke Studio, a Coca-Cola’s youth-centric music platform.

Organisers say the event will feature electrifying performances from top acts such as Olamide and Iyanya, who would headline the event alongside trending vocalist Tekno, Emma Nyra

and dancehall artiste Patoranking.

The event is the fourth in a series of several others meant to create fun and excitement around Nigerian campuses.

According to Brand Manager, Colas, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Olufemi Ashipa, the Coke Studio concert will continue to excite campus communities across Nigeria with live music from estab-

lished music stars. The stars are expected to perform alongside upcoming and aspiring local artistes at each campus where the music platform visits.

“The huge turnout by fans and the rave reviews for the Coke Studio outings at the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), the University of Benin and the Abia State University are indicative of the high level of con-

sumer engagement which Coke Studio enjoys across the country,” Ashipa said.

According to him, CocaCola would continue to connect the very best artistes from across Africa to create new sounds through a fusion of genres, styles, and songs.

The Coke Studio initiative which began last year, touring different African countries, has become a huge success in other parts of the

world, including the Middle East and Asia.

This year, the event seems to have grown bigger, with the inclusion of higher institutions in Nigeria.

Organisers say talented students, who would like a chance to perform on stage with the stars on parade, can do so during the concert by buying a bottle of Coke, and liking Coca-Cola on Facebook.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

NEWS Buhari: Nigerians ’ll vote PDP out Continued from page 4

Chairman of the party Jide Awe. There were also lawmakers, members of the Executive Council; representatives of the army, the police, prisons, immigration, and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Gen. Buhari said only the resolve of the electorate could end what he called PDP’s misrule.

He said: “It is no doubt that Nigerians have been traumatised under the PDP leadership and Nigeria will be in trouble if we carry on the way the PDP has been doing in Nigeria.

“That is why it is important for the elite to talk to the less-privileged to collect their permanent voter cards in preparation for the 2015 elections. This is the only missile against the PDP tyranny.

“We must take this seriously because the APC is seriously determined to offer a better alternative platform for Nigerians. So, we have to be prepared for next year’s elections.”

Gen. Buhari praised Fayemi for his success in the last four years, which he noted reflected in the quality and grade of the pavilion.

“I am indeed very happy to be part of this success story. Fayemi has been able to prove that what is expected of any leader is selfless service and I want to believe

that all these legacy projects will remain in his name forever”, Gen. Buhari said.

The governor urged the citizens to unite and take ownership of the “Ekiti project” so that the state could continue to have a “pool of achievers worthy of state, national and global recognition”.

“I therefore charge the good people of Ekiti State to push the bounds of possibilities for our future by uniting more than ever before to protect our heritage of honour as well as the modest developmental gains we have made in recent years. We must celebrate today by joining our hearts and minds in one accord, and decide to outgrow the teething challenges of statehood, such as the arbitrariness we have witnessed in recent times,” Fayemi said.

He described the State Merit Award as aimed at restoring the values for which Ekiti people are known, to redeem “the meaning of who our heroes are”.

Fayemi said it was incontrovertible that Ekiti is the home of intellectuals, noting that one of the award recipients, Dr. Hallowed Olaoluwa’s feat as Africa’s youngest Ph.D holder in Mathematics at the age of 24, would spur the younger generation to undertake the intellectual challenge with “avowed determination to surpass the academic ex-

cellence already displayed by Olaoluwa”.

Fayemi added: “Today, we celebrate the 54th anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence, as well as the 18th anniversary of the creation of the land of honour, Ekiti State. We have therefore also found today a most suitable day for us to hold this year’s edition of the Ekiti State Merit Awards and Honours Roll as well as the official commissioning of this edifice - the Ekiti Parapo Square - one of the legacy projects of this administration and our foremost symbol of the heterogeneity and unity of the Ekiti people.

“The activities are all part of our end-of-tenure programme of events which we have put in place to celebrate our administration’s Legacy of Honour and Service - Aseyori Ifarasin Pelu Iyi. “Today, our state comes of age.

It has been 18 long years since our state was birthed on this day in 1996. We have gone through an interesting past, with more than our fair share of unsavoury episodes that have put us in bad light in the comity of states. But we have also made considerable progress as a people. Certainly, we have fared better as an autonomous state than when we were just a part of the old Ondo State.”

Terrorists won’t succeed in Nigeria, says Jonathan Continued from page 4

that there is a day of reckoning when they have to go back to the people at the polls. Election days must not be days of violence and death. We must remain vigilant to ensure that our electoral process is characterised by peace, security and transparency.

“I enjoin the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all security agencies, politicians and the electorate to work conscientiously and peacefully, together, to consolidate on the gains of the recent elections.

Free and fair elections have come to stay; nothing else will

be acceptable to our people.”

The President read out the achievements of his administration in many areas.

Appealing to politicians, he said: “As we move into an election year, desperate moves to overheat the polity are becoming a regular occurrence. Our political leaders in particular must know that the contest for power should not translate to the destruction of the polity.

“The contest for the leadership of our country must yield good governance, and not ungovernable spaces. The love of country should rank higher than our in-

dividual ambitions.

“We must remain committed to a united and indivisible Nigeria within democratic parameters. The protection of individual rights, liberty, equality before the law, freedom of thought, and a progressive pursuit of a sound economy must be our goal,” Jonathan stated.

Commending the spirit of collaboration, unity and partnership with which the Ebola Virus Disease was confronted in Nigeria, the President thanked Nigerians for working together to prevent what could have become a major epidemic.

Report: Nigerians get $533m bribe in ENI oil deal Continued from page 4

buy aircraft and armoured cars.

“We are investigating many money transfers to many people in various countries who received sums that vary from millions of dollars to thousands of dollars,” the prosecutors said in the follow-up letter, seen by Reuters.

In response to the requests London’s Southwark Crown Court last month granted an order to seize the $85 million in assets related to Malabu, according to a judicial source.

London’s Metropolitan Police has also been investigating aspects of the Nigerian deal since last year. A police spokesman said the inquiry into alle-

gations of money laundering is continuing.

Descalzi and Scaroni, in statements and through their lawyers, denied that they were involved in any illegal behaviour. Descalzi also told Eni employees in an email seen by Reuters that he had not engaged in any wrongdoing.

After a board meeting last week, ENI also reiterated that the company had not engaged in any wrongdoing and that it had “full confidence that Descalzi had acted properly.”

The OPL 245 block licence has long been the subject of dispute. It was first awarded a decade ago by military dictator Sani Abacha to Malabu Oil & Gas for a publicly-stated $20 million.

After the death of Abacha, a new Nigerian government annulled the deal. Malabu’s licence was reinstated in 2006.

Reuters was not able to locate Malabu for comment, and it is unclear whether the company still exists.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), did not reply to questions sent

by Reuters asking about the investigation by Italian prosecutors.

Shell, which is not under investigation in any case, released a statement saying: “Shell companies have acted at all times in accordance with both Nigerian law and the terms of the OPL 245 resolution agreement with.”

Ekiti: PDP accuses chief judge of bias Continued from page 4

mentioned above, courts in the states were not shut while no judge came out of his chamber to ‘warn’ the party supporters.”

On the alleged assault on Justice John Adeyeye last Thursday, he said it was reported that the judge told Fayose, who came to attend the tribunal sitting, to warn his thugs.

“That reportedly took place at the court premises, not inside Justice Adeyeye’s chamber or court.

“Firstly, Justice Adeyeye reportedly addressed law-abiding Nigerians, who came to the court to observe proceedings as thugs. Isn’t that wrong?

“Secondly, Fayose was in the court premises, not inside any courtroom. Meaning that Justice Adeyeye came out of his chamber or court to address

people who were possibly being unruly at the court.

“Now we wish to ask: Is it the duty of a judge to check unruly crowd in the court premises?

Definitely no!

“Thirdly, if indeed Justice Adeyeye was assaulted by the ‘unruly crowd,’ was he assaulted because they knew he was a judge? Was Justice Adeyeye carrying identification as a judge on his head? Definitely no!

“Most importantly, who says the APC government of Dr. Kayode Fayemi could not have planted some hoodlums in the crowd and the hoodlums set by the state government were the ones who assaulted the judge?

“In Ondo, Kogi and Benue states that I mentioned above, did the chief judge of any of the state shut down the courts?

“Obviously, the Ekiti Chief Judge shut down courts for rea-

sons other than what happened in the Ado-Ekiti High Court premises last week Monday and Thursday.

Only Justice Daramola can tell Nigerians why he shut down the courts in Ekiti because even when gunshots boomed in Lokoja on January 23, 2012, the Kogi State Chief Judge did not shut the courts,” the statement claimed.

On last Monday’s incident, the PDP said neither Fayose nor the PDP as a party ordered anyone to invade the court.

It said all the efforts geared towards stopping Fayose from being inaugurated have failed “and only God knows who will get burnt by the fire ignited by those who were rejected by Ekiti people, but wanted to retain power, using the judiciary.”

The party insisted on a thorough probe of the Ekiti judicial crisis to bring those found culpable to book.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

THE NATION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

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TODAY IN THE NATION

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 2014

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL. 9, NO. 2,988

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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T was a colourful ceremony in Abuja on Monday.

The sartorial elegance of the guests and the hall festooned with flowers, red carpet and all. The bounteous harvest of awards for a rare assemblage of honourable men and women who stepped forward to be garlanded by no less a honourable personality than Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The government ensured that no one missed the excitement. It was televised live.

But, as they say, the enemy can never kill a big game. Even before the curtain was drawn on the ceremony, those who have refused to see anything good in the Transformation Agenda had gone to town to lampoon it, deriding it the way some angry youths would a rowdy village festival.

“I agree that the honorees are prominent Nigerians. They are,” a fellow argued, “but how many of them are eminent?”

He then went on to report what people have been saying in university staff rooms, restrooms and newsrooms on the National Honours Awards. Most of the comments, obviously from disgruntled Nigerians and professional critics who would want to rip apart anything they can’t reap from so cheaply, centre on the recipients.

Take, for instance, the service chiefs. The critics wonder why they should be honoured, considering the security challenges we are facing. Were they honoured for failing in their promise to subdue Boko Haram? Must they be on the list? Where are the Chibok girls?

The commentators went on and on, railing about the awards as if, like corruption, they had become a crime that must be confronted headlong.

Are they right? No, I dare say. Where were these fellows when the President explained clearly that terrorism is a global phenomenon which no nation has been able to defeat? Besides, have we ever sat down to think of how Boko Haram would have spread if the military had been asleep? The insurgency, after all, has been confined to the Northeast, although there are occasional strikes in some cities – a suicide bomber here and another there - including Abuja. Isn’t this a rare feat in warfare? We have heard of soldiers abandoning the fronts for some tactical monoeuvre in Cameroun; not officers and, indeed, not a service chief. So why all the noise?

To many of the idle critics, it is an assault on the sensibility of all mothers that some 216 Chibok girls snatched off their dormitories on April 15 in what has been touted as one of the worst mass abductions ever remain in captivity and those who are supposed to lead the battle for their retrieval are being decked with medals. But, haven’t we been told by President Jonathan and the military that the girls’ whereabouts is known and that they will soon be released, hale and hearty?

Where is our patience, the stoicism for which

‘Structurally, Nigeria has to change. The best way to go is to have six federating zones of the country rather than the present unwieldy 36 state structure plus Abuja’

GBENGA OMOTOSO

EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK

gbenga.omotoso@thenationonlineng.net

•Editor of the Year (NMMA)

That big show in Abuja

we are well known? Does any good thing come without perseverance? Can we now say because these girls are yet to return home that Nigeria should be ungrateful to the military chiefs? Haba.

Where is that sense of equity and fairness for which we are famous?

But the critics were not done. They went on to attack the government for not honouring the late Dr Ameyo Stella Shade Adadevoh, the woman who physically prevented the late Patrick Sawyer from spreading the Ebola virus and died after contracting the disease. No; the awards are for only the living, the authorities said.

If a medal could be awarded posthumously, I am sure the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have pushed for one of its dearest, the late Chief Lamidi Adedibu, the inimitable Ibadan politician and exponent of amala and abula politics whose vote harvesting formula has become such a big hit. So effective it was in Ekiti that it was christened “stomach infrastructure”, even as some observers insisted that it was all a veneer for the complex rigging of the May 21 election.

The presidential cook also got a medal. This, in the view of the rusty critics who pose as academics and intellectuals, is cheapening the awards. Wrong. The President’s steward is as important as any other member of the kitchen cabinet. He must be loyal, dutiful and skilful, with a wonderful culinary expertise. In other

RIPPLES

TOP INDIAN POLITICIAN JAILED FOR CORRUPTION – News

Here in Nigeria, they’ll ‘HAIL’ you!

words, he must be dexterous in cooking tuwo shinkafa and tuwo masara. He must be able to differentiate okazi (ukazi) from utazi and uziza leaves. He must be able to handle banga, ukwobi, nsala, ofe Owerri and ofe din a nwayi,the one also called “lovers’ soup”, as well as every other dish that may attract the presidential palate at any time.

Imagine if he is the sloppy type and he adds too much salt to the President’s meal or too much sugar to his coffee and his tummy begins to rumble in the middle of a speech at one of those high profile sessions. Just imagine. To the best of my research ability, Dr Jonathan has never had to abandon a speech to visit the washroom. Shouldn’t the nation show some gratitude for his chef’s remarkable ability?

Something tells me that the man who selects those sharp bowler hats will also be recognised some day. So will the exquisite designer of those long dresses with glittering golden buttons and chains, the dress that many Nigerians now wear in solidarity with His Excellency and his Transformation Agenda.

And the driver, the one who ensures that the President’s waist isn’t strained on those rare occasions when the car has to pass through one of those few rough roads that will soon be fixed. And the unknown chap who shines those gleaming shoes. And the wine taster, who must ensure that the President and his guests get the best from the world’s reputable cellars.

Talking about roads. Works Minister Mike Onolememen was all smiles as a reporter interviewed him on television after he got his award. “It is a challenge for us to deliver better service”, he said. He is right, a cheeky fellow said, adding: “Don’t our roads deserve better attention?”

Chief Nyesom Wike’s award infuriated many academics who wondered whether he was being rewarded for the teachers’ strike that kept universities shut for almost a year.

They said he was better known as a Rivers State politician than the occupier of the Education portfolio? They called him all manner

HARDBALL

I

F it was not such a heartrending disaster of blood and death, the September 12 building collapse at The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Ikotun, Lagos, has angles that provoke a chuckle. Hardball is not referring to the earlier stories that the church was targeted, which its leader, Prophet Temitope Joshua, served to a disbelieving public, although these are included.

It is noteworthy that Joshua released security camera footage which showed a “strange aircraft” flying over the church a number of times before the guest house within its premises collapsed. He also presented an email suggesting a previous failed plot to bomb the church by the Islamist guerilla force Boko Haram, which is promoting terroristic activities in the country, mainly in the northern region.

Interestingly, Joshua insists on continuing this apparent appeal to pity and the pursuit of the discernible objective of painting a picture of victimhood. Apart from being unsupported by persuasive proof, his effort conveniently ignores the more fundamental and evidential issues surrounding the crumbling of the building.

In his latest attempt to externalise the cause of the tragedy, he reacted to a report by a South African journalist, Jacques Pauw, which implied

JIDE OSUNTOKUN

of names, including “woman wrapper”, apparently on account of his being close to the First Lady. But, isn’t Wike a loyal party man?

Who else could have given Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who Wike plans to succeed, such a run for his money? Now the chief has got the reward of being loyal. But will he get the big prize?

Wike was not the only politician who was honoured. There were many others, including Otunba – sorry, a slip there – Dr, as he would now want to be addressed, Iyiola Omisore. Some, who obviously did not bother to understand the basis for the awards, questioned his inclusion on the list. Is it, they queried, for losing the Osun election? Gentlemen, fair is fair; Omisore fought a good fight. But then, doesn’t his side-kick, who played a major role in that war of an election, Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan, the one who vowed to beat up Isiaka Adeleke, deserve to be honoured, if not for being a loyal party man but for his pugilistic virtuosity?

Asked by reporters if it was true Adesiyan punched Adeleke, as alleged by the first civilian governor, the one called Serubawon (hit them with fear), he replied: “My regret is that I did not beat him as he claimed I did. If I had not been a minister, I would have flogged him like a baby… He is lying, if he says Omisore and I beat him. One upper or lower cut would have landed him in hospital. You know me…Ta lo nje ode aperin niwaju ode apayan (who is an elephant hunter in the presence of a hunter who kills human beings)? I will one day leave office as a minister and any time I leave office, I will fight Adeleke.”

Governor Jonah Jang was all smiles as his medal dangled on his neck. Another insolent fellow to whom impudence seems to be a normal behaviour questioned his eligibility for the award. He was quickly reminded that Jang is the chairman of the Villa-backed faction of the Governors’ Forum. There was so much noise after the forum’s election, which Amaechi won by 26 votes to Jang’s 19. But the Jang faction, by a strange application of arithmetic principles and backed solidly by the Villa, insisted that 19 was greater than 26, a proposition he has continued to defend. For being so principled, doesn’t Jang deserve his reward?

Chief Tom Ikimi also got an award. An observer asked: “what for? For quitting APC for PDP?” The architect-politician has paid his dues. He was foreign minister in those turbulent days of the Abacha regime, when Nigeria became a problem to the world and all our values were shredded. The chief did his best to help that regime. Now, his expertise will soon be pressed to service for the PDP. What better way to show appreciation?

To all those worthy awardees, I say congratulations.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Joshua’s self-righteous fixation that his publicised miracles were fake. Pauw had said: “I challenged the pilgrims to provide me with medical proof that they had been healed. None did.” This was against the background that the collapsed guest house was reportedly occupied largely by visiting South Africans who numbered 349 at the time of the incident. It is believed that the calamity consumed 115 people, including 84 South Africans.

In a statement released through the church’s Faceboook page, Joshua offered a self-righteous defence. He said: “The writer(s) fabricated names of people who do not exist and remained faceless in order to hide their evil intentions. They need to be investigated.” Joshua continued: “It is our belief that these stories were intended to divert people’s attention from the evil that has been done.”

In case there was any doubt about the kernel of his communication, he made himself clear enough when he said: “Those involved in these stories need to be

investigated concerning the building collapse. If they are not directly involved, they will help the investigation. If they are not the ones who did it, they know those who did.

Perhaps they were involved in the building collapse because they claim what is happening in The SCOAN is fake.”

It is logical to ponder why Joshua seems fixated on the idea that the building must have collapsed as a result of an outside machination by those who do not wish him and his church well. Reports said the affected building was originally a three-storey structure which was being raised to accommodate three additional floors. In this context, the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun, was quoted as saying: “We have investigated and found that they had no approval for the additional structures.”

So, who deserves to be investigated, probably more than anyone else? Joshua may need to look inward; this is no time to take a position of unbending unreasonableness.

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