The Nation October 08, 2014 by The Nation

Newspaper of the Year

Ondo PDP crisis grows over Mimiko NEWS

Page 7

•Governor/NWC deal rejected

News 11,000 killed in Boko Haram war P7 Sports Keshi: Eagles ready for Sudan P41 Business Fed Govt owes Bi-Courtney N132b P5

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 9, NO. 2995 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

States demand account of subsidy since 2007

Rally for Chibok girls From Grace Obike, Abuja

HE Bring-Back-Our-Girls (BBOG) campaigners will hold a rally in Abuja on Tuesday to mark the six months of the abduction of 219 pupils of the Chibok Girls Secondary School, Borno State. The girls were forcibly taken by Boko Haram gunmen from their hostel on April 15. Doubts on their whereabouts were cleared when the girls were shown in the sect’s video, dressed in Islamic apparel and reciting the Qur’an. The BBOG group has been drawing the world’s attention to the girls’ plight. Continued on page 4

•www.thenationonlineng.net

•NNPC GMD Joseph Dawha

OVERNORS have demanded from the Federal Government details of the money withdrawn from the country’s revenue for fuel subsidy since 2007. They are also insisting that it is wrong of the Federal Government to deduct funds for fuel subsidy and other related

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

expenses from crude oil proceeds before payment into the Federation Account. Expressing doubts about the Federal Government’s transparency in the handling of the proceeds from crude sales, the governors have urged the Supreme Court to stop the deduc-

tion of money before payment into the Federation Account. The 36 states’ case was initially filed before the apex court in 2012. Parties in the suit, including Joseph Daudu (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Continued on page 4

•INSIDE: EX-GOVERNOR OBI JOINS PDP P9 GBEMI SARAKI BIDS FOR KWARA PDP TICKET P12

Fayose: Police padlock court’s gate to stop case E-11 alleges death threats

Outrage over $5.7m arms deal

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

By Joseph Jibueze,

OURTS are set to reopen today in Ekiti State. The reopening comes about one week after the Chief Judge ordered their closure following attacks on some judges, lawyers and litigants by supporters of Governor-elect Mr. Ayodele Fayose. But the courts may remain closed, a source said last night, because of a directive from the Presidency to the police that the case against Fayose should not be allowed to go on. Inspector General of Police Sulaiman Abba could not be reached for comments last night on an order he was said to have issued Police Commissioner Taiwo Lakanu, who also could not be reached as his mobile phone went unanswered. Police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu also did not take his call. Fayose is facing a legal test of his integrity. A group of Ekiti stakeholders, the E-11, is claiming that he should not have participated in the June 21 election because he allegedly lied in his form. Justice John Adeyeye, who is hearing the matter, was beaten up, his suit torn by pro-Fayose thugs who stormed the court, smashing property. The National Judicial Council (NJC) has said the case should go on, with the police providing security and arresting all those who attacked the courts. In what appears a distortion of the NJC’s recommendations, the police were last night erecting obstacles towards ensuring that the WHEN WILL THE CHIBOK court does not open to hear GIRLS any case. KIDNAPPED The Police were said to ON APRIL 15

Snr. Correspondent

•Col. Dasuki

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In the course of events, the South African company could not perform and decided to refund the money. What is illegitimate in this transaction?

•Finance Minister Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala •CBN chief Emefiele

? ?

HERE was outrage yesterday at the seizure of yet another cash belonging to Nigeria. The $5.7 million was meant to buy arms through a third party. The criticisms were scathing, with the Federal Government getting knocks for burgling yet another arms purchase — the second in three weeks. The lid on this deal was removed by a South African newspaper on Monday - three weeks after the seizure of $9.3 million cash, which was also meant for arms purchase. The money was taken in cash inside a bombardier jet to Johannesburg. The South African Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the money was frozen for illegal transaction. The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday led the condemnation of the action, which it described as “embarrassing”. But National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki, who issued the end-user certificate for the

’ •LIFE P15 •SPORTS P23 •MONEY P26 •INVESTORS P28 •POLITICS P43 •FOREIGN P58 BE FREED?

Continued on page 4

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS

Posers for Fed G •Chairman/MD Mobil Producing Nigeria (ExxonMobil), Mr. Nolan O'Neal and Chairman Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu at the signing ceremony of the agreement between ExxonMobil and Tenoil, a subsidiary of Heirs Holdings, to commence drilling programme in Ata oil field in Lagos.

For partaking in suspicious foreign exchange transactions, Nigeria has in the last few weeks incurred the wrath of South Africa. The latest is about a $5.7 million arms deal, which the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) insists is a legal transaction. The reaction of the NSA throws up issues that remind many of the sweet-sour relationship between the two nations, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

W • Kwara State Governor Alhaji Abdulfatah (left), his predecessor, Senator Bukola Saraki and CEO of PharmaAccess Mr. Onno Schellekens discussing the Gone Unity Health Insurance Scheme in Paris...yesterday.

ALK the streets of Lagos, Abuja and other big cities and towns in Nigeria and chances are that on two of ten houses will hang a satellite dish with the inscription ‘DSTV’. Ask two in 10 Nigerians what GSM service provider they are hooked on to; the probability is that they will say MTN. These two companies are of South African origin. It is believed they make more money in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki made reference to what these two companies and, by extension, South Africa, have gained from Nigeria in his reaction to the country’s seizure of $5.7million arms’ cash deposited in a bank. The South African authorities seized the money on the basis that the transaction was illegal. This was the second in less than one month. The first was $9.3 million – stashed in several suitcases and airlifted through the Lanseria Airport, north of Johannesburg, in September. The latest seizure made public on Monday was done by the country’s

•President Jacob Zuma

Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority. The money was frozen for allegedly being the proceeds of illegal transactions. A South African newspaper Rapport reported that it gathered that the deal was approved by the Federal Government. The NSA issued the end-user certificate for the transaction. It was meant for the supply of helicopters, unmanned aircraft, rockets and ammunition. The transaction was between Cerberus Risk Solutions, an arms broker in Cape Town, and Societe D’Equipments Internationaux, a Nigerian company based in Abuja. Societe paid R60m into Cerberus’ account at Standard Bank. “Cerberus was previously registered as a broker with the National Conventional Arms Control Committee, but the registration expired in May this year. The marketing and contracting permits also expired at the same time,” reports City Press. Col. Dasuki’s reaction to the latest seizure depicted some anger. First, he said there was nothing illegal about the deal and wondered why the money should be seized. He reminded South Africa of how Nigeria has provided a beneficial en-

Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon set to block supply routes for Boko Haram From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

•Director of Strategy, Lagos for the People Association (LPA), Miss. Ronke Kosoko (left) speaking at a news conference on the State of the Nation in Lagos... yesterday. With her are LPA leader, Mr. Charles Adoga and Public Secretary, Mr. Azeez Salako. PHOTO; ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE.

•London based Nigerian International Lawyer and Security Expert, Vincent Oligbo being honoured with the Ambassador for Peace Award by the chairman United Nations Economic and Social Council Peace Initiative and President Universal Peace Federation International, His Excellency, Dr. Thomas G. Walsh at the United Nations in New York.

OLLOWING unrelenting attacks by Boko Haram, the Federal Government has sought collaboration with ‘critical’ neighbors to block all arms and ammunition supply routes of the sect. The affected neighbors are Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroon, who were part of mutual talks facilitated some months ago by France. Out of the three neighbors, Cameroon had engaged Boko Haram in many bloody encounters. But the response of Chad and Niger Republic to the insurgency in Nigeria had been rated as “very, very, low.” It was gathered that the “slow response” of Chad and Niger Republic informed President Goodluck Jonathan’s shuttles to the two countries. The latest of such shuttle was Jonathan’s trip to Niger Republic on Tuesday with key security chiefs. A top source, who spoke in confidence, claimed that intelligence reports have confirmed that Boko Haram members had been using Niger Republic and Chad as transit and supply routes for arms and ammunition. Some of the hardware include Armoured Personnel Carrier, sophisticated guns, RPG rockets, and explosive devices. The reports also indicated that through the transit routes, Boko Haram had been having contacts with Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb(AQIM), the Taliban, the Ansar, and ISIS among others. Another key discovery was alleged trans-border recruitment of members, cutting across Chad, Niger and Cameroon, by the sect. It was learnt that security experts are of the opinion that only a total blockade could force Boko Haram into submission. The highly-placed source said: “Nigeria is seeking the collaboration of other neighbors to mount total blockade against Boko Haram. “This will involve blocking all their transit routes and interception of supply of arms and ammunition by the sect. “The increasing rate at which Boko Haram gets logistics from sponsors and backers outside the sub-region made the new thinking imperative. Without blockade, the war may drag for a while.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS

Govt over $5.7m seized by South Africa ‘

Mr. President, you cannot threaten another country when your administration is willfully breaking the laws of that country. In this case, your administration stands on a weak moral ground, as its hands have been caught in the cookie jar. Therefore, issuing infantile threats is laughable, unacceptable and wrong

•Col. Dasuki

•Multichoice Nigeria chair Adewunmi Ogunsanya

vironment for MTN, DSTV and a host of other South African businesses to thrive unhindered. His words: “It is our hope that South Africa would reciprocate this noble gesture. We want to state clearly that a business transaction actually took place between a legitimate company in Nigeria and another legitimate one in South Africa through the bank. “In the course of events, the South African company could not perform and decided to refund the money. What is illegitimate in this transaction done through the bank?” The NSA obviously had his eyes on MTN’s profits when he made the veiled threat. MTN Nigeria reported revenues of N793.614 billion in the 2013 business year. The amount was a 5.31 per cent rise from the N753.578 billion recorded in 2012 and 4.70 per cent above revenues posted in 2011. Since inception in 2001, MTN has paid N1.23 trillion or $7.07 billion to governments in taxes and other levies. A breakdown of some of the payments shows that in the 12 years to December 2013, MTN paid company income tax of N330.235 billion

to the Federal Inland Revenue Service; N224.439 billion in Value Added Tax (VAT); N191.087 billion as withholding tax, and N44.845 billion as education tax. In a statement earlier in the year, MTN Group, which operates in 22 countries, said revenues in Nigeria rose 24.5 per cent. It added that South Africa and Nigeria are the largest contributors to its income. The two countries accounted for 77.9 percent of data revenue growth. DSTV, which enjoys a near monopoly in the pay-Tv sector, also enjoys huge patronage in Nigeria. Save competition from StarTimes and CONSAT, which is relatively new, DSTV has a cashcow in Nigeria. Col. Dasuki’s call on South Africa, coming on the heel of the first seizure, will only appeal to a few. Not many Nigerians will be willing to take sides with the Federal Government, given the fact that no satisfactory answer has been given for the cash earlier seized. Unlike now when the NSA issued a statement, it was only through the grapevine that Nigerians got to know that the cash belonged to the Federal Gov-

•MTN Nigeria chief Michael Kpoki

ernment. The All Progressives Congress (APC) said it was embrassing the $5.5m seizure came at a time the circumstances surrounding the seizure of $9.3 million were still hazy. The party slammed the Federal Government for issuing “childish and immature threats against South Africa threatening its investments in the country, instead of addressing the pertinent questions surrounding the illegal arms procurement deals”. It said: “Mr. President, you cannot threaten another country when your administration is willfully breaking the laws of that country. In this case, your administration stands on a weak moral ground, as its hands have been caught in the cookie jar. Therefore, issuing infantile threats is laughable, unacceptable and wrong. “Mr. President, if the funds involved in the latest seizure were sent through bank transfer, can the government explain why Oritsejafor’s plane was stuffed with cash and transported to South Africa? Can your administration’s embarrassing explanation that it is customary for other country’s security agencies, including with MOSSAD,

KGB and CIA, to cart plane loads of cash across the world to purchase black market weapons hold any more water now? These are some of the questions Nigerians are asking, not an untenable spin by untruthful government officials,” the party said. Senior lawyers, who spoke with The Nation yesterday, described the latest seizure as shameful. Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), activist-lawyer Festus Keyamo, former NBA Ikeja Branch chairman Monday Ubani, Constitutional lawyer Ike Ofuokwu, and Lagos lawyer Ike Ibe called for the prosecution of all those involved in the shady deals. Akeredolu said the government’s admission of being involved in what he called cross border crime is an indictment of the current leadership. Keyamo said the cash seizures are not only embarrassing, but are a disgrace to the country. “These transactions are highly suspicious; they smack of illegality, and it is embarrassing and very shameful that the Federal Government can be linked one way or the

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other to these shady deals.” Ubani urged Nigeria to unite and ensure the matter is not swept under the carpet. This is not the first time the country and South Africa are having a spat, but unlike in the past when many Nigerians took sides with the government, the government may have to do this battle alone. Many Nigerians will easily recollect the 2012 spat over the deportation of 125 Nigerians from Johannesburg over vaccination. The then Foreign Minister Olugbenga Ashiru said the deportations represented something more than a vaccination concern. Ashiru said it represented the ongoing “xenophobia” faced by Nigerian immigrants living in South Africa who face rampaging police who arrest them without cause. The country followed up by reciprocating the gesture with the deportation of South Africans. It only ended when South Africa apologised to Nigeria. The current situation, however, is a different one, meaning South Africa may not apologise and with Nigerians not with their government on this case, it is to your tent o’Israel for the Federal Government.

American Ebola patient critical but stable

OSPITAL officials say the man being treated for Ebola in Dallas is showing improved liver function, though he remains in critical condition. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital released a statement Tuesday saying Thomas Eric Duncan is on a ventilator and is receiving kidney dialysis. The hospital says his liver function improved after declining over the weekend, but warns that his condition could vary in the coming days. Duncan is from Liberia, and he fell ill after traveling from the Ebola-ravaged country to Dallas two weeks ago. He is the first person to be diagnosed in the U.S. with Ebola. Duncan has been hospitalized since Sept. 28. Federal and local officials are monitoring nearly 50 people who had varying degrees of contact with Duncan before his hospitalisation. He is on a ventilator and a kidney dialysis machine to help stabilize his health, the hospital said on Tuesday. Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with the deadly virus on U.S. soil, has also been given the experimental medication brincidofovir. A hospital in Nebraska said it is using the same drug to treat an American jour-

•Virus can be active in semen for 90 days nalist who was airlifted from Liberia and arrived Monday. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said in a statement that Duncan's liver function declined over the weekend. It said although it has since improved, "doctors caution that this could vary in coming days." Authorities in the United States and the public are on alert following Duncan's diagnosis more than a week ago, which raised concerns that the worst epidemic of Ebola on record could spread from three worst-hit impoverished countries Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Duncan, who arrived in Texas in late September on a commercial flight from Liberia, has been in critical condition since Saturday. The first case of Ebola being contracted outside of West Africa was reported in Spain and the World Health Organization expects more cases in Europe. Freelance NBC cameraman Ashoka Mukpo is being treated at the Nebraska Medical Center, which cared for one other U.S. national flown out of West Africa af-

ter contracting Ebola and was later discharged. The drug used in Dallas and Nebraska, brincidofovir, was developed by Durham, North Carolinabased Chimerix Inc. The company said it has been tested in more than 1,000 patients without raising safety concerns. "We decided this was currently our best option for treatment," said Phil Smith, medical director of the Nebraska Medical Center's Biocontainment Unit, which consulted with U.S. health and drug officials before making its decision. Mukpo is experiencing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, the center said. In Washington, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer said he expects the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will propose tougher Ebola screening requirements this week at U.S. airports. President Barack Obama said on Monday the government would develop expanded screening of airline passengers for Ebola, both in the West African countries hit by the disease and the United States.

Texas state health officials said they are monitoring 10 people who had close contact with Duncan and 38 others who came into contact with that group to see if anyone had developed signs of infection. So far, no one has shown any symptoms, health officials said. Officials have said this is a critical week to see if any of those exposed in Dallas develop signs of the virus that has killed more than 3,400 people since an outbreak in West Africa began in March, out of nearly 7,500 confirmed, probable and suspected cases.

Male Ebola survivor: no unprotected sex for 90 days Sex could keep the Ebola epidemic alive even after the World Health Organization (WHO) declares an area free of the disease, one of the discoverers of the deadly virus said on Tuesday. The WHO is hoping to announce later this week thatNigeria and Senegal are free of Ebola after 42 days with no infections — the standard period for declaring an outbreak over,

twice the maximum 21-day incubation period of the virus. However, it appears the disease can last much longer in semen. “In a convalescent male, the virus can persist in semen for at least 70 days; one study suggests persistence for more than 90 days,” the WHO said in an information note on Monday. “Certainly, the advice has to be for survivors to use a condom, to not have unprotected sex, for 90 days,” said Peter Piot, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a discoverer of Ebola in 1976. “If we would apply the rule for double the time, that would be 180 days — six months. I think it (90 days) is probably a compromise, for practicality,” he told a news conference in Geneva. Ebola spreads via bodily fluids such as blood and saliva, but it has also been detected in breast milk and urine, as well as semen, the WHO says. The whole live virus has never been isolated from sweat, however. More than 3,400 people are already known to have died in the world’s worst Ebola outbreak on record, the vast majority of them in three West African countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

•President Goodluck Jonathan (middle) with (from left): Cameroonian Defence Minister Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o, Benin’s President Thomas Boni Yayi, Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou and Chadian President Idriss Deby during a regional summit on the fight against Boko Haram in Niamey...yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

States demand account of subsidy since 2007 Continued from page 1

on September 23 regularised their processes. The Supreme Court fixed December 8 for the hearing. The states, in a suit by their Attorneys General, described as “unwholesome and unconstitutional” the practice of deducting “fuel subsidy funds and other expenditure from oil proceeds before it is paid into the Federation Account”. They contended that the practice by the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), formed one of the measures through which the Federal Government shortchanges the states and local

governments. The states claim that the practice has caused inaccuracies in the computation of oil revenue remitted to the Federation Account by the Federal Government and its agencies. They urged the apex court to abolish the practice. In their statement of claim, they stated that “there are inaccuracies in the crude oil and gas revenues remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC, caused by wrongful deductions at source by the NNPC to fund her operations. “As a matter of practice, subsidy claims ought to be remitted to the NNPC from the Petroleum Support Fund by the Federal Ministry of Finance,

based on claims from oil marketers approved by the PPPRA. “However, NNPC’s practice is to remit to the Federation Account, amount payable for domestic crude, less subsidy claim. The NNPC then requests the Federal Ministry of Finance to pay the amounts due to subsidy claim back into the Federation Account, being the balance cost of the domestic crude. “According to a report of the Federal Ministry of Finance dated November 22, 2010, titled, ‘The Interim Report on the Process of Forensic Review of NNPC’ the implication of this unconstitutional practice is that the actual remittance of

proceeds for domestic crude sales to the Federation Account is far less than the amount expected.” The states are praying the court to, among others, declare the Federal Government’s practice as a violation of the provisions of sections 88 and 162 of the Constitution. They also seek an order of perpetual injunction retraining the Federal Government, its agents and those taking instructions from it “from making any further deductions from the amount standing to the credit of the Federation Account for the purpose of funding the payment of fuel subsidy claims or any other Continued on page 57

Rally for Chibok girls on Tuesday Continued from page 1

The leader of the BBOG, Aisha Yusufu, said yesterday that the planned rally would be used to let the world know that six months after, the girls are still in captivity and to insist on the rights of the girls. “It is high time we rallied together and make sure that we make the appropriate demand to the authority to do the needful to rescue these girls and bring them back.

“We are looking at the rally this time around being big but at the same time, we have resolved that even if it is only 10 of us, we will still do our protest but we want people to come out and join us; we hope that Nigerians will come out collectively. “It is six months; everyday that those girls are there is evidence that we are not important because if anyone of us is in the same situation, nothing will be done.

“We are hoping on it taking place all over the world. We see that with the day of the girl-child coming up, we know that to every girl-child, action they say speaks louder than words. You are telling the girlchild that she should go to school but yet we see those girls that have dared to go to school and have been abducted for six months and the whole world has done nothing. That speaks louder than any narrative that you go and

tell a child. ”It’s been half a year that those girls have been gone. Each of us should look at our houses and think of if any of our child or anybody from our neighbourhood faces the same fate, how painful it will be. ”You can imagine for everyday in six months, those girls have been going through all manner of terrible things that we cannot imagine. ”It was really painful the Continued on page 57

Fed Govt warns South Africa

HE Federal Government said yesterday that having given South African firms operating in Nigeria a conducive environment, that country should respect this country. In a statement yesterday according to Premium Times on the seizure of another $5.7m Nigerian cash meant for arms purchase in that country, National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki said: ”It is our hope that South Africa would reciprocate this noble gesture.

“We want to state clearly that a business transaction actually took place between a legitimate company in Nigeria and another legitimate one in South Africa through the bank. “In the course of events, the South African company could not perform and decided to refund the money. What is illegitimate in this transaction done through the bank?” he queried. The statement was issued through a spokesperson, Mr. Karounwi Adekunle.

Fayose: Police padlock court’s gate Continued from page 1

have told judges that the environment was not safe enough for them to resume duty. They

also suggested that the fence of the high court complex be raised before they could resume. “All these are being done to give the judges a sense of insecurity,” a source said last night. The E-11, has alleged death threats on its members through phone calls and messages over the suit. The group’s chairman, Mr. Femi Ajiniran, who made this known in a statement yesterday, called on the police and the Department of State Security (DSS), among others, to track and bring the masterminds of the threats to book. He explained that some of its members had been receiving threats after Justice Olusegun

Ogunyemi was attacked and manhandled on the premises of the Ekiti State High Court on September 22. Ajiniran added that the threat calls and messages persisted after another attack was meted on a judge of the high court, Justice John Adeyeye. He noted that some members of the group like himself, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Mr. Femi Ajayi, Mr. Niyi Ajakaiye and others got the threat calls and messages on September 23 through 08067368077 at 15.15pm;08057360202 (15.18pm);08064961472 (15.22pm); and 07030083553 (15.36pm). The threats were also sent through 08139463115 at 15.40pm;080114355195 (16.22pm);08063196042 Continued on page 57

Outrage over South Africa’s seizure of Nigeria’s $5.7m APC to Fed Govt: come out clean on cash seizure

Continued from page 1

trans action, said there was nothing untoward about it to warrant the action taken by the South African government agency. Senior lawyers and opinion leaders also decried the seizure of the cash, which they described as “shameful”. They said it was unfortunate that a similar “illegal transaction” could occur again when the backlash from the first one is yet to settle. They said all those involved in the “shady deals” must resign and be prosecuted, if the country wants to repair its battered image. According to them, in other climes, not only would those involved in the first incident have been named and made to resign, their trial would have started. The lawyers praised South Africa for exposing Nigerian officials’ “shady deals”, urging the country to make public its investigation. Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), activistlawyer Festus Keyamo, former NBA Ikeja Branch chairman Monday Ubani, constitutional lawyer Ike Ofuokwu and an Imo State governorship aspirant, Mr Ike Ibe, a lawyer, called for the prosecution of all those involved in the “shady” deals. Akeredolu said the govern-

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday urged the Federal Government to come out clean on the seizure of yet another Nigerian cash by South Africa. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC asked President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently address Nigerians on the serial embarrassments to which his administration is subjecting the country in the comity of nations. The party said the issues surrounding the first seizure of $9.3 million had yet to be resolved before the latest scandal, wondering why the government would want to turn Nigeria to a rogue nation by taking ownership of money laundering and other acts of illegality, thus devaluing the currency of every Nigerian. ‘’Again, Mr. President, Nigerians are urging you to please come clean over these cash-for-arms scandals. They want you to answer critical questions on the legality of your administration’s repeated conduct. They want to know the identities of the two

ment’s admission of being involved in what he called cross border crime is an indictment of the leadership. “Seizure of hard currency said to belong to the Nigerian government by the South African government is, to say the least, a national disgrace. The Federal Government under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan owes Nigerians an explanation.

Nigerians who were arrested with an Israeli in South Africa over the first illegal deal, especially since the Israeli has been named. ‘’Nigerians want to know why the purported arms procurement for the government is done illegally between private companies that are neither known nor registered for dealing in arms? And why are the movement of monies not transparently documented for what they really are, if they are truly for legitimate purposes? ‘’They want to know whether indeed the weapons which the government is seeking so furiously to procure are for the battle against Boko Haram or for a sinister motive, considering the desperation of your Administration to continue to rule at all cost and by any means possible. They want to know whether every Nigerian should begin to fear what will happen in the days and weeks leading to the forthcoming general elections, against the backdrop of your Administration and party’s do-or-die politics. ‘’Mr. President, if the funds involved in

The question, however, is: What explanation? “The admission by the government of its involvement in this cross border crime only underscores the character of persons we have regrettably saddled with leadership. This development is undoubtedly a source of embarrassment to decent Nigerians. “This clear act of illegality

the latest seizure were sent through bank transfer, can the government explain why Oritsejafor’s plane was stuffed with cash and transported to South Africa? Can your Administration’s embarrassing explanation that it is customary for other country’s security agencies, including with MOSSAD, KGB and CIA, to cart plane loads of cash across the world to purchase black market weapons hold any more water now? These are some of the questions Nigerians are asking, not an untenable spin by untruthful government officials,’’ the APC queried. The party also wondered whether the funds being ferried up and down by the Administration were appropriated by the National Assembly, or whether they were part of the missing $20 billion oil money. The APC slammed the federal government for issuing childish and immature threats against South Africa, threatening its investments in the country, instead of addressing the pertinent questions surrounding the illegal arms procurement

must be called to question by the National Assembly with the responsible agencies directed to investigate and punish those found culpable whether in agbada, khaki or cassock,” Akeredolu said. Keyamo said the cash seizures were not only embarrassing, but are a disgrace. These transactions are highly suspicious; they smack of illegal-

Continued on page 57

ity, and it is embarrassing and very shameful that the Federal Government can be linked one way or the other to these shady deals. “They’re dragging the name of the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria into complete disrepute in the eyes of the international community. What is going on is a ground for highly-placed public officials linked to these trans-

•Mohammed

actions to resign, be removed from office or be impeached. Unfortunately, none of these has happened. It is a shame,” Keyamo said. To Ofuokwu, there must be something “sinister” about the “arms” deals. He said Nigeria was portrayed as a nation of criminals before the world. “The Federal Government has thrown caution and all known fiscal decency and responsibility to the wind. There must be something sinister about this arms deal, if at all there is any. Their conduct with these cash seizures is, to say the least, a monumental shame and embarrassment to us as a nation. “The advisers and functionarContinued on page 57

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS

Babalakin: Fed Govt owes Bi-Courtney N132b

HE Chairman of BiCourtney Ltd, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), said yesterday that the Federal Government owes the company N132billion. He said Bi-Courtney was not owing the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), rather, AMCON and its principal (Federal Government) were indebted to Bi-Courtney. At a news conference in Lagos, Babalakin, through his law firm’s Head of Litigation, Mr. Tola Oshobi, said the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, ordered the Federal Government, represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), to pay Bi-Courtney Ltd the money. A copy of the order, made by Justice G. Olotu on April 5, 2012 in a suit was made available to reporters. The judge directed the attorney-general to pay N132,540,580,304.00 to BiCourtney “being the sum due to be rendered and remitted to the applicant (BiCourtney).” The judge also directed

•‘We’re not indebted to AMCON’ By Joseph Jibueze

Adoke “to compel” the affected government institutions and bodies to make the payment “without any further delay” to Bi-Courtney. Justice Olotu also made “an order directing the defendant/respondent, being the chief law officer and legal representative of the Federal Government to set off from the sum of N132,540,580,304.00, any claims agreed with the plaintiff/applicant to be due from the plaintiff/applicant to any agency of the Federal Government, including but not limited to AMCON.” Babalakin said AMCON’s assertion that Bi-Courtney was indebted to it is yet to be confirmed by any court. “Conversely, BiCourtney’s position that it is not indebted to AMCON and that it is AMCON and its principal that are indebted to it, is premised upon a judgment of the court and not merely on Bi-Courtney’s assertion. “AMCON is of course an

lines’ operations was computed, and came to over N132billion as at 2012, which the court ordered Federal Government to pay. “By the time we do a different analysis from 2012 till now, it could be more,” Babalakin added. On AMCON’s claim that Babalakin signed an offer letter admitting to owing N50billion, the senior advocate said it was not a binding agreement. “The offer letter being bandied around by AMCON and its counsel has five conditions precedent…, all of which must be met before the agreement comes alive. The question AMCON needs to answer is which, if any, of these conditions precedent has been fulfilled?” Babalakin asked. The Federal High Court in Lagos nullified an order appointing a former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) as the receiver/manager over the assets of BiCourtney, Chartered Investment Ltd, Resort Interna-

N All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential hopeful, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), will no longer declare his intention to seek his party’s ticket today. The declaration will now take place on October 15. A statement by the Coordinator of the Buhari declaration ceremony, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said arrangements for the declaration remained the same. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar a fortnight ago declared his intention to seek the APC ticket. Ogbeh said Gen. Buhari’s declaration would take place at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

•Buhari

‘Why Land Use Act should be abrogated’

NLC, TUC move to restore order to Labour Party

•Warn members against Akure convention

HE two umbrella labour bodies, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have asked members of the Labour Party (LP) to ignore the party’s convention scheduled for Akure, the Ondo State capital, this weekend. The unions, who are major stakeholders in the LP, said in a statement by Abdulwaheed Omar and Bobboi Bala Kaigama, presidents of the NLC and TUC that a broad-based consultation would be carried out to decide on the modalities for convening a national convention for the party. Both unions at a meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party, held at its national secretariat in Abuja, said it would henceforth take interest in the affairs of the party. The statement said in view of the fact that they were committed to the development and sustainability of a true working people’s party, they had directed the National Labour Political Commission to organise a broad, all-inclusive stakeholders’ meeting tomorrow to discuss the way forward for the party. The statement reads: “There had been speculation that Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the only governor on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) would defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “The die has now been cast and Governor Mimiko, who was elected Ondo State governor for a second term on LP’s platform, has defected to the PDP. This has brought

agency and an integral part of the Federal Government. The judgment sum awarded to Bi-Courtney exceeds AMCON’s unconfirmed allegations,” he said. On how the N132billion debt arose, Babalakin said when the concession contract for the Murtala Muhammed Two Airport (MM2) was signed, it was agreed that the flights in and out of Lagos would be operated from MM2. He said banks financed the project based on the projection that a certain number of passengers would pass through MM2 yearly and would pay tax to enable BiCourtney recover its money. However, Babalakin said two major airlines – Virgin Nigeria and Arik Air – were allowed to operate from the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), contrary to the agreement, adding that the airlines controlled about 70 per cent of the passenger traffic. He said the money that should have accrued to BiCourtney from the two air-

tional Ltd, Roygate Properties Ltd and their chairman Babalakin. Justice Ibrahim Buba held that the order by his colleague, Justice Okon Abang, was made in error as AMCON and Agbakoba did not state the facts to him. Dissatisfied, AMCON and Agbakoba filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, urging it to nullify Justice Buba’s ruling and uphold Justice Abang’s order. AMCON also filed a motion at the Federal High Court seeking an order restraining Bi-Courtney and Babalakin from executing Justice Buba’s ruling. In the application with notice for injunction pending appeal, AMCON is seeking an order of injunction restraining the respondents, their agents or subsidiaries “from giving effect to the order” and from “dissipating” the companies’ assets to forestall foisting a fait accompli on the appellate court. The actions are yet to be heard, while Bi-Courtney and others have not responded to them.

Buhari shifts presidential declaration

•Omar From Tony Akowe, Abuja

changes and challenges to the LP. “One implication of this action of the governor is that he is no longer a member of the LP. Consequently, the proposed convention of the party in Akure, which venue was hitherto chosen in deference to the office of the then only Labour Party governor is no longer tenable. “Even before Dr. Mimiko’s defection, NLC and TUC, through their political commission, had cautioned on the dangers of proceeding with the proposed convention, given a number of disturbing developments, including court challenges and factionalisation in the party. “As major stakeholders, the two labour unions are committed to the development and sustainability of a true working people’s party. To this end, the NLC and the TUC are convinced on the imperative of holding broad-based consultations to decide on the modalities for having a successful convention. “We have mandated the National Labour Political Commission to organise a broad, all-inclusive stakeholders’ meeting on October 9 to discuss the way forward for the party. We, therefore, urge LP members to refrain from participating in the convention called for October 11 in Akure.”

FORMER Minister of Lands and Housing and a delegate to the National Conference, Chief Nduese Essien, has lamented that the conference failed to agree on the abrogation of the Land Use Act, which he said has impeded housing programmes. Essien, who spoke to reporters in Abuja on the forthcoming reception in his honour by the Eket community in Akwa Ibom State and other groups, said the conference has reinforced the potential of Nigerians to live together despite the divergent interests and ethnic groupings. He noted that the ability of the members to agree on a wide range of issues, which were germane to the development of the nation, was indicative of the fact that Nigerians were more united on national issues than as-

From Yomi Odunuga, Abuja

sumed by the outside world. Essien, an ex-leader of the Southsouth Parliamentary Caucus in the National Assembly, said the recommendations reached during the conference would resolve the national challenges and give Nigerians a new lease of life. He said: “The Land Use Act should be expunged from the constitution, while land should be returned to the original owners so that whoever wants to make use of land for any development project should go to the owners directly. “This idea of bringing the land under the control of the government has not paid off. It has not served the objectives it was meant to serve. The Land Use Act was intended to make land available to those who needed it

for development, but we have seen that land is only made available to those, who are close to the corridors of power. It is not available to the farmers and industrialists because the process of getting land titles is a very tedious one.” Speaking on his experience at the National Conference, Essien said: “The outcome of the National Conference shows that Nigeria has the potential to remain strong, united and developed because the cries, which erupted at different times before the conference, collapsed in one day when we agreed that the status quo should remain. “You also find out that the recommendations of the conference covered a lot of areas that if implemented will bring about a prosperous nation and make Nigeria the envy of other na-

tions.” He said one of the decisions taken by the conference would make it possible for the cabinet to be made of people from the National Assembly and from outside to give a good blend and make ministers responsible to the National Assembly to reduce the usual friction between the lawmakers and the executive. The former minister said for the housing deficit to be reduced, the Federal Government must make land available to local and foreign housing investors, who have the resources to build houses. He enjoined the Federal Government to harness the huge pension funds being tied down by certain government agencies for massive housing development, which could pay back the money with interests.

2014 budget implementation faulty, says Saraki

ORMER Kwara State Governor Senator Bukola Saraki has described the implementation of the 2014 budget as faulty. Saraki, the Senate Committee Chairman on Environment and Ecology, said contracts were just being awarded by the majority of the federal ministries and parastatals. The lawmaker, who is also a member of the Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions Committee, spoke to reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. His words: “The last time we passed the 2014 budget, I said I was not happy with the way the budget was passed because I believed we did not deliberate enough on the actual expenditure. “Budget is an estimate and when you do not review your actual, then it is likely that your revenue estimate may be wrong. In 2013 when we did a budget estimate that we would be producing 2.5 million barrels and at the end of the day we were only

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

producing 2 million barrels; that was what distorted the budget. “Again, in 2014 the majority of the ministries’ contracts are

just being awarded. So if they are just awarding contracts in October, is it possible to have implementation? The answer is no. These are some of the challenges that make us say the budget implementation is faulty and will not meet the

expectations of Nigerians. “I think we at the National Assembly need to review the way we go about the budget implementation; because for example, the key issue is revenue. Without revenue there can’t be expenditure. “

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS CNPP to INEC: emulate Brazil’s election process From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

•Holidaymakers in Lagos checking-in at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, on their way home... yesterday.

Kukah to get Leadership award From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

HE Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev Matthew Hassan Kukah, is to be conferred with the 2014 Outstanding African Leadership Award by The Voice magazine, in Amsterdam, on October 17. Kukah, who has accepted the award, said he would do his best to the glory of God and humanity. The Selection Committee, in a letter by Pastor Elvis Iruh, the chairman, said: “On behalf of The Voice magazine and The Voice Achievers Award Committee, I have the honour to inform you that the Selection Committee for 2014 has nominated and conferred on you, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the bishop of Sokoto Diocese, the African Leadership Award for 2014. “Your selection was a unanimous choice because of your contributions to the rebirth and development of the Christian faith through your commitment to righteousness and uplifting of the social and moral values in our nation, the continent and the rest of the world. You have taken your Christian activities beyond the shores of this country and it is commendable.

PHOTO:ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

Ebola: Nigeria awaits WHO’s clearance

HE World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to declare Nigeria free from the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) soon. A statement by the Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Heath, Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, said WHO would soon make an official statement on the virus. Nigeria has controlled the spread of the virus, which was brought into the country by a Liberian-American, the late Mr. Patrick Sawyer,

•Health experts meet in Abuja tomorrow From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

in July. Seven deaths were recorded. The statement reads: “It is expected that the World Health Organisation (WHO) will soon declare Nigeria free from EVD.” Health experts are expected to meet in Abuja tomorrow on the scourge. Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu will

open the meeting under the auspices of the Treatment Research Group (TRG). Mrs. Adesugba said the meeting would review the efforts made to control the spread of EVD and the resources used, adding that it would also develop a blueprint for research on Ebola and other diseases. She said the meeting would mobilise support among the experts and stakeholders, in-

cluding the organised private sector. On August 4, as part of the national response to the EVD outbreak, Prof. Chukwu inaugurated the TRG, which began work based on its terms of reference. Nigeria has been hailed for its response to the EVD. Since August 31, no new case of the virus has been reported. It is, therefore, expected that WHO would soon declare the country EVD-free.

Security chief gets UN award in New York

LONDON-based Nigerian international lawyer and security expert, Vincent Ikechukwu Oligbo, has been honoured with an Ambassador for Peace Award by the United Nations (UN), in New York. Oligbo, whose companies work with the Metropolitan Police, is the director of Foxtons Security Ltd, Bluebell Security Ltd and Founder Life and Hope Charity International, in London. The 48-year-old, who was honoured by the British Government with the Binney Memorial Award in London, has been described as the man of the moment and man of the future. Oligbo, who hails from Umuoji in Idemili North Local Government Area of

Anambra State, said he is proud to be a Nigerian. His words: “I was humbled by my nomination and award as an Ambassador for Peace at the United Nations in New York. I am proud to be a Nigerian. Although I have lived most of my life in England; Nigeria will always come first in whatever I do.” The award was presented by the Chairman of the United Nations Economic and Social Council Peace Initiative and President of the Universal Peace Federation International, Dr. Thomas G. Walsh. He said Oligbo was nominated because of his exemplary life and his contributions not only to the British society, but also to the Nige-

rian society. Walsh stressed the need for outstanding citizens to be recognised and honoured in order to promote peace. Said he: “The United Nations Organisation and the Universal Peace Federation acknowledge as ambassadors of peace, those individuals, whose lives exemplify the ideals of living for the sake of others and who dedicate themselves to the practices, which promote universal moral values, strong family life, inter-religious cooperation, international harmony, renewal of the United Nations, a responsible public media and an establishment of a culture of peace. “Transcending racial, national and religious barrier,

the ambassadors of peace contribute to the fulfilment of the hope of all ages, a unified world of peace where the spiritual and material dimensions of life are harmonised.” Oligbo said he was humbled and honoured to be considered for such a prestigious award and honour at the United Nations. He vowed to use his status to promote issues, which would be beneficial to mankind, adding that he would also improve the lives of the masses. Oligbo hailed the President Goodluck Jonathan administration for its efforts to tackle terrorism. He advised Nigerians to love one another and eschew ethnicity and fanaticism.

THE Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) urged yesterday the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to emulate the Brazilian Election Management for conducting seamless general elections on October 4. CNPP’s National Publicity Secretary Osita Okechukwu said in a statement in Abuja: “It is worthy of emulation how seamlessly the Brazilian Election Management conducted the October 4 general elections for the election of president, governors, national congress and state legislators all in one day. “In the poll, more than 80 per cent of Brazilian 142, 822, 046 registered voters voted, registering the highest voter turnout in any liberal democracy in recent times. The figures go thus-: Null Votes - 6,678,580, Blank Votes - 4,420,488 and Total Valid Votes - 104,023,543. “Our interest was elicited because the results were out in less than 48 hours and up to date no election tribunal was set up, the presidential candidates concurred with the October 26 runoff between Dilma Rousseff of the Workers Party (PT), who polled 43,267,668 votes, making 41.59 per cent and Aecio Neves of Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB), who polled 34,897,211 votes, making 33.5 per cent. “We also understand that Electronic Voting and E-Card reader mechanism were adopted in the conduct of the general elections. In our country, the narrative is some pundits repeating Senator David Mark’s goof, before the liberalisation of telephone in Nigeria that it is not for the poor. Nigeria, like Brazil, is a multi-cultural, heterogeneous, literate and illiterate, rural and urban and among the 10 most populated countries on earth. “CNPP therefore challenges the Prof. Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to study the procedure, processes, mechanisms and technology adopted by the Brazilian Election Management for a successful election. “It is our considered view that the transparency, fairness and credibility of the conduct of elections reinforces the trust and confidence of the electorate; hence maximising their electoral worth and value. This is what led to a large turnout of voters in Brazil.”

‘How Ogun PDP can be strong again’

HE National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Adewale Oladipo, has said the key to the party’s greatness in Ogun State is in the hands of former Governor Gbenga Daniel and the Chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation Committee in the Southwest, Prince Buruji Kashamu. He said the party could not afford to lose in the coming elections, as experienced in 2011, adding that their working relationship would ensure the party’s victory. Oladipo spoke against the backdrop of Daniel’s sur-

prise visit to the Goodluck Jonathan Political Centre, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, venue of the Eid-el-Kabir party hosted by Kashamu. The event was witnessed by the Ekiti State governorelect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the National Auditor of the PDP, Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju, former governors of Ogun and Oyo states Chief Gbenga Daniel and Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Teslim Folarin, ex-deputy governor of Ekiti State Mrs. Biodun Olujimi, Dr. Abisola Sodipo-Clark, Abiodun Akinlade, Prince Segun Adewale and former deputy

governor of Ogun State Alhaja Salimot Badru. Members of the party’s executives, under the leadership of Bayo Dayo, were also represented. Oladipo said: “I’m sure with the coming together of Buruji and Daniel, they have demonstrated their friendship. They will consummate it soon by the special grace of God. The National Working Committee (NWC) is encouraging them to do that. “We will ensure they come together, work together so that our presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is re-elected, while

the PDP will take over the mantle of leadership in Ogun State by the grace of God next year.” The PDP national secretary said Daniel and Buruji have many followers, who must be brought together under one canopy. He described them as the two strongest forces as far as Ogun State politics was concerned. Said Oladipo: “In Ogun State, some of us familiar with the terrain know that Kashamu is a formidable political activist and an astute politician. He commands a very strong political structure in the PDP.

“Also, you know that Daniel, a member of the Labour Party, has many supporters. These are the two strongest forces in Ogun State. “There may be other minor players, we will accommodate them, but the greatest task before us is to bring Buruji and Daniel together. This has been accomplished. “You know birds of a feather flock together. That was why you saw Daniel here with his associates. We, in the PDP, have worked very hard in bringing the Daniel structure and the Buruji structure together.” Kashamu described

Daniel’s visit as “significant and a good omen” for the party. He said: “Although it was a private visit, it is perhaps a confirmation of my prediction penultimate Sunday that Daniel has no choice but to return to the PDP. As I said on that occasion, most of his foot soldiers had returned to the PDP. It is just a matter of time before Daniel and a few others, who are still outside, will join us. “It is a good omen that a party that is not in government at the state level is growing everyday. It can only get better in the days, weeks and months ahead.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS Ganiyu Solomon declares for governor

HE Minority Whip of the Senate, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, has declared his ambition to run for governor of Lagos State next year. He reeled out his programmes for the people yesterday at the declaration, which took place at Ikorodu Town Hall in Ikorodu Local Government Area, Lagos State. The senator was subsequently adopted by the traditional chiefs and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the local government. The declaration coincides with the inauguration of Solomon‘s campaign office in the town, where members and supporters of APC gathered in their thousands to express their support for the senator in his “unwavering commitment and drive to take Lagos to the next level.” Solomon said he offered to serve the people of Lagos due to its status as the economic capital of the nation, saying it needs “constant improvement and regeneration of infrastructural facilities and the people deserve the best possible.” He analysed how his party has “changed the face of Lagos and improved the quality of lives of the people” since the inception of the democratic dispensation in 1999. The aspirant praised the former Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the incumbent Governor, Raji Fashola, for taking the state to greater heights “that left no one in doubt that Lagos is a reference-point in good governance.” Reeling out what he has in the offing for Lagosians, Solomon, who sponsored bills on amend-

By Emmanuel Oladesu

ment of the National Directorate of Employment Act, Electronic Commerce, Whistleblowers Protection, Institute of Capital Market Registrars and Elderly Persons Centre, as well as sponsored and co-sponsored many other motions, said he would lead a government that will ensure improved security of life and property. “I will assemble a formidable team that will not only adequately maintain existing infrastructure, but provide new ones. Lagosians will enjoy more road and sea infrastructure, hospitals, schools and renewal of the environment. “I promise to reduce poverty, create new jobs and youth development programmes. I promise support for the organised private sector; I promise to accord the traditional institution, the elderly and vulnerable citizens of our state due recognition and support. “I intend to run a transparent and corruption-free government that will give all stakeholders: civil servants, public servants and residents of Lagos their dues and make everyone happy,” he said. The senator has represented Lagosians at various levels - local council chairman, House Representatives and currently in the Senate for the second time. The traditional chiefs at the event include Baale of Eleshin, Baale Ogolonto, Baale Ewenla, Baale Palopo, Baale Ladegboye and Baale Majidun among others. Among political leaders, at the ceremony are Alhaji Yinka Esho, Alhaja Ajao, Dr. Ahmed Afolabi, Hon. Olanrewaju Saka Senayo, Alhaji Apanisile, chairman, Lagos Choice 2015 Ikorodu, Princess Afolashade Olabanji Oba.

Gunmen kill two policemen in Jos

POLICE Inspector and a Corporal have been killed by unknown gunmen in Jos, the Plateau State capital. The attack took place at about 7:30pm yesterday. The two officers died instantly after they were allegedly shot at their duty post near the University of Jos. Their identities could not be obtained as at time of going to the press and no reason was given for the attack, in which the gunmen made away with the officers’ rifles. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Plateau State Police Command, Abu Emmanuel, who confirmed the killing, decried the development.

•Two die in cattle-rustling attack From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

“It is sad that these officers had to pay the supreme price while trying to protect the citizens. “The police are working round the clock to track down the perpetrators and bring them to book,” he said. Two Fulani cattle breeders were also killed yesterday in a cattle-rustling incidence in Rengyel village, Jos. About 182 cows were stolen during the attack. The state Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Haruna Boro, who made this known,

said: “About 232 cattle were rustled and two cattle breeders killed by the attackers. “The body of one of the victims, Mohammed, has been recovered by officers of the Special Task Force (STF), while the second victim, Aminu Inusa, 25 year-old, was still missing and presumed dead. “Out of the 232 cattle lost by the association, 50 were shot dead while 182 were rustled into Vom, Jos South Local Government Area.” He added that the cattle belonged to Alhaji Ahmed Muazu, Malam Ruwa Isa and Malam Dauda Umar - members of the association.

The chairman said they had witnessed a decrease in cattle theft around Riyom and Barkin Ladi after several meetings with community leaders. But he lamented that Jos South was proving to be a challenge despite meetings held with leaders. “We no longer see any relevance to the meetings we have been holding with the Berom leaders and the Chairman of Jos South Local Government Area since they have refused to put a stop to this theft. Therefore, we will no longer take part in any meeting with them because it is a waste of time,” he said. The Information Officer of the STF, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, was not available to confirm the incidence yesterday.

11,000 killed by Boko Haram insurgency, says report

REPORT has said no fewer than 11,000 people have been killed as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. The affected states are under a state of emergency. The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in the United States gave the estimate. It used media reports to compile a database on deadly violence in Nigeria since 1998. In an article published in The Washington Post, the researchers said the Boko Haram conflict

has become one of the deadliest in the world. They estimated that 7,000 people were killed in the 12 months between July 2013 and June of this year, adding that casualties from the conflict are piling up at a higher rate than those from Iraqi and Afghan wars. The estimate includes casualties caused by Boko Haram attacks and operations by the military. Rghts groups have accused the military of using indiscriminate and heavy-handed violence in an effort to stop the insurgents.

‘Only trouble-makers are leaving Ekiti’ From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

KITI State Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has denied the claim by Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) that people are relocating from the state in large numbers ahead of his inauguration as governor. Fayose, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday, described the claim by the lawyer as “irrational, bunkum and baseless.” He was reacting to a publication in which Falana was quoted as claiming that residents and indigenes were leaving the state. Fayose wondered how the lawyer came about such claims, saying the people of Ekiti State who voted for him as their governor on June 21, were eagerly awaiting his inauguration. His words: “Ekiti people, who elected Fayose and preferred him over and above Falana’s lackey, are waiting for his coming and for the four years he will lead the state. We know for sure that as our Lord lives, that expectation will not be cut short. “Ekiti is as peaceful as any other state. It is people like Falana, who are beating the drums of war and propaganda and are having nightmares in which they are the only ones seeing their own Ekiti in trouble, while the reality is that Ekiti is moving into a golden era. “Those causing trouble in the state in the last two weeks are leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their thugs. If people like Jaruu and Apase, who have murder cases hanging on their necks, are leaving the state, security agencies know how to handle their cases. “If trouble-makers and people that the Bible calls ‘the troublers of Israel’ are relocating, then, it is good riddance to bad rubbish. If those who have looted the state’s treasury and are afraid of probe are relocating, they should know that the long arm of the law will catch up with them.”

•Ekiti State Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu (right) inspecting an equipment at the Cassava Processing Centre at Igbemo-Ekiti…yesterday

Ondo PDP rejects Mimiko-NWC deal

NDO State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the manner the defection of Governor Olusegun Mimiko was handled by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC). It noted that the process was executed without respect for the state Chairman, Mr. Ebenezer Alabi and members of the State Working Committee (SWC). The party’s Publicity Director, Ayo Fadaka, in a statement yesterday, said the action was calculated to treat the members of the party as inconsequential. “We therefore declare that this is grossly unfair and so reject outright, all negotiations purportedly entered on our behalf without our direct input and blessings. “We state in the most unequivocal manner that we repose absolute confidence in the executives of the party at every level in the state and will take serious exceptions to any action taken directly or indirectly to harm or dismantle them,” the statement reads. It added: “We welcome Mimiko and his followers to the party in their individual capacities. We also respect the Constitution of the PDP, particularly the recognition that it confers on any governor who is a member. “However, we remain mindful of the fact that he is joining as a governor. We say

•‘Governor’s defection is a blessing for APC’ From Damisi Ojo, Akure and Tayo Johnson, Ibadan this because PDP is a big party with established structures that must not be treated anyhow. “We also understand that Governor Mimiko’s publicly stated goal of defecting into our party is to enable him contribute effectively to the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan. We must say this is appreciable, but as citizens of Ondo State, we do know that Governor Mimiko carries a lot of baggage and liabilities that precludes him from discharging such responsibility.” The party said the governor has descended from the charismatic height he operated from in 2009, when he came into office, to a level of scorn, alleging that his administration has mismanaged the state’s finances and commonwealth. “Most disappointing of all is the now emerging trend of the inability of government to pay workers’ salaries as at when due and even owing two months salaries now. “This we consider a baggage and liability that will do great harm to the electoral prospects of President Jonathan than any good,” it stated. The party also observed that the governor was con-

scious that his party could no longer win any election. “We also want to bring to public domain the fact that before Mimiko’s defection to our party, principal and prominent members of his Labour Party (LP) had already abandoned him and his party and are already members of our party, prominent among them is Senator Boluwaji Kunlere. “Therefore, we declare again that our party, the PDP, was already set on a winning course before this desire of Mimiko to cross into our party again. “The generality of our members want it place on record that they demand proper respect from the leaders of the party in Abuja and that they equally conduct their research on the viability of people before admitting them to the party,” the statement added. But the Senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Ajayi Boroffice, said Mimiko’s return to PDP would assist the All Progressives Party (APC) to win more elective posts. He spoke at a rally entitled, ‘The Broom Revolution,’ organised by the youth wing of APC as part of efforts to drum up support for the party and welcome over 250 defectors to the party.

Boroffice said the development was a blessing to APC since the LP had turned into a rudderless ship without direction. He added that the crisis in the PDP over leadership shift has started bringing more members into APC. The senator noted that the LP would be dissolved, explaining that from what he gathered from sources, the party would soon submit its certificate and flag to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the disappointment it suffered from the governor. He said: “The LP in Ondo State has become a rudderless ship that is going on a wide sea without direction. The implication is that the people will have to leave a sinking boat that is LP for the only alternative, which is APC. Therefore, the development is a blessing to APC in the state. Only that right now, majority of people are civil servants, a reason many of them are yet to declare that they have deserted Mimiko’s administration”. Boroffice added that in 2015 general elections, the APC will be the political party to beat. The senator assured that the partywould win at the the Federal level as well as in 26 states.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS Obiano snubs Obi at bishop’s funeral

HE remains of a former Catholic Bishop of Awka, Rev. Simon Okafor, were laid to rest yesterday at his home town, Ifitedunu, in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State. At the funeral service at St. Patrick Cathedral in Awka, were former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, his wife Beatrice; Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano and his predecessor, Peter Obi. Also, former Governor Chris Ngige, representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly; the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh and a House of Representatives member representing Anaocha, Njikoka, Dunukofia, Uche Ekwunife attended the service. But Obiano did not acknowledge Obi’s presence when he accorded recognition to the dignitaries.

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

After calling the names of Ekwueme, Ngige, Umeh and others, the governor merely referred to Obi as the former governor without mentioning his name. But the congregation looked in the direction of the former governor, shouting Obi’s name (Okwute) before Obiano corrected the mistake. The service was conducted by Francis Cardinal Arinze with other bishops, including the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor, among others. Bishop Arinze urged the worshippers to live according to the dictates of Christianity, like the late cleric, as he read his autobiography. Obiano said the education foundation, led by late bishop, trained the poorest and brightest in the state. The governor stressed that beyond the church, Anambra residents mourned the bishop’s death.

APC to govern Imo for 20 years, says governor

MO State Governor Rochas Okorocha has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will govern the state for another 20 years and even beyond under the philosophy of the Rescue Mission administration. The governor said the party's development strategy would be based on one Rescue Mission administration to another. A statement yesterday by

the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, quoted Okorocha as saying governance in Imo State had surpassed making him the governor. The governor spoke yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, at the inauguration of officers and members of the state campaign council. He noted that the philosophy of the Rescue Mission would be institutionalised for the rapid development

of the state. Okorocha said: "We are working. And with that, we have been able to silence the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We intend to sustain that for life. We have no gun, but the people. Our work or the performance of the administration has destroyed the PDP in the state. We only need to close ranks to achieve the goal. I am preparing the ground so that the younger ones will have opportunities tomorrow."

He added: "We have sent packing those who held the state hostage for decades. The Rescue Mission administration, under the aegis of APC, will continue to grow. The masses are behind us because they have seen the difference. We won't relent. We will not rest on our oars. We will continue to empower youths to be useful to themselves and to the society, and not to become thugs, like the PDP did."

Okorocha to host 22nd NMMA Nov 1

MO State Governor Rochas Okorocha will host the 22nd edition of the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) on November 1. The event, the biggest annual media excellence awards in Nigeria and Africa, will hold in Owerri, the state capital, from Friday, October 31 to Sunday, November 2. The governor will be assisted by the public and private sectors in the state for the awards ceremony. The grand award ceremony, which has become the highest focus of the media institutions and practitioners for recognition and acknowledgement of excellent achievements in the industry, is gathering enthusiasm among practitioners. It will host the best among media practitioners, veterans and chief executives. The highlight of the event is the grand award presentation ceremony on November 1, when winners will be announced from the over 150 outstanding media practitioners who were nominated for this year’s 53 categories of the awards. Other activities include the media leaders’ roundtable, to be chaired by Okorocha, where special papers will be delivered by veteran media practitioners and academicians on: The Freedom of Information Act: The Role of Media in Reporting Issues of National Interest. A night of tributes will also be held in honour of dead media leaders and icons. There will be a media tour of Imo State by practitioners, to witness the developmental projects of the Okorocha administration, among other activities. The Imo State Government has expressed it preparedness for the ceremony. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) is chaired by Deputy Governor Eze Madumere. A member of the committee and Senior Assistant to the Governor on Media Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo said: “The state is set to welcome the veterans and practitioners of Nigerian media industry to the Land of Hope.” He said the guests would enjoy the best of the state’s hospitality during the NMMA awards. According to him, Okorocha is enthusiastic about the media development in Nigeria

and has contributed immensely to its development across the country and Imo State in particular. Onwuemeodo stressed the essence of the media and the need for the private and public sectors to support its growth, especially the welfare of practitioners, who are often exposed to hazards. The governor’s aide noted that the impact of media reportage could make or mar a nation. The Chairman of NMMA’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Vincent Maduka, was optimistic that Imo would make a success of the event. He said the NMMA had raised the bar of media excellence in Nigeria by setting the precedent for other media award schemes. Onwuemeodo said: “NMMA enjoys the goodwill of the private and public sectors because of its credibility, which could be seen in the progress and positions of NMMA alumni, many of whom have gone to garner several international media awards in the past 20 years.” NMMA Panel of Assessros (PoA) Chairman Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye stressed the importance of media synergy with the government. The expert said the assessments of entries for this year were ongoing, adding that the nomination list would be published this week. He said there was an increase of about 36 per cent in the number of entries received this year, compared to last year’s, which had 952 eligible entries from 632 entrants as against 1,307 eligible entries received from 886 entrants this year.

•A resident carrying a chair from a home in a flooded area in Makurdi, Benue State...yesterday

Anambra widows fault Jonathan’s wife

IDOWS in Anambra State have accused the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, of deceiving them with an empowerment programme she organised last weekend. Mrs Jonathan was in Anambra State last weekend for a rally at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the state capital, where she reportedly promised to distribute some items to them. But at the end of the rally, the widows said the First Lady did not fulfil her promise. The rally, tagged: Southeast Empowerment Programme, was organised by Prince Arthur Eze to garner support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid. Mrs Jonathan and the organiser, a frontline businessman, were said to have assembled various items to be distributed to the widows. The items included grinding machines, garri processing machines, soap, sewing machines, hair driers, bags of

rice and beans. Over 10,000 widows from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states were said to have attended the rally. Deputy governors from of Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Delta states and top politicians from the region also attended the rally. But the widows accused Mrs Jonathan and the organisers of playing politics with the programme. According to them, the items were meant for politician’s wives and not widows. Addressing reporters yesterday in Awka, the leader of the concerned widows, Mrs. Hope Nwandu, noted that although Eze had a good intention, the organisers of the programme allegedly used it to enrich themselves. She said none of the widows got an item, although most of them left their homes as early as 7am and remained there till 10pm. The spokeswoman alleged that since the items were tak-

en to local government headquarters by some people, nothing had been heard about them. “Why should they use widows to play politics when they knew that it was not real? Those fronted as widows are politicians. Anybody who ridicules widows is bound to have problems. It is even in the Holy Bible. You should not use widows for political propaganda because when widows cry out to God, the wrath of God will descend on those involved,” Mrs Nwandu said. Another widow, Mrs. Nkechi Oguelina, alleged that those assigned to share the items were to blame. It was learnt that the governor’s wife, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, once ordered that the items should be taken to the Governor’s Lodge at Amawbia. The directive angered the widows and they were said to have protested the move. The coordinators allegedly shared the items among themselves.

Mrs Oguelina said the items given to Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu states were well handled, adding that it was only those for Anambra widows that had a problem. Another widow, Mrs. Florence Obiefuna, picked holes with the programme. She said: “We hired two 608 buses to Awka because they invited us. All the widows paid for their fare and some of them are on my neck to refund their money. Where will I get the money to pay them when it is difficult for me to feed my family? “Imagine, we were at Alex Ekwueme Square from 6.30am to 10.30pm without anything given to us. Even the gift items promised us have not been delivered. “They told us they would be shared on the basis of the local governments. But those asked to coordinate the programme are sharing the items among themselves, especially the politicians, who took up to three different items,” Mrs Obiefuna said.

2015: Two aspirants step down for Health Minister Chukwu

•Okorocha

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

WO aspirants stepped down yesterday for Health Minister Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket for Ebonyi State. They are: Prince Sam Agom Eze and Chief Ben Akpa. The two aspirants are from Ebonyi South Senatorial District, where the ticket was zoned to. They spoke yesterday in Abakaliki, the state capital, when they visited Governor Martin Elechi. The decision, they said, followed the adoption of Chukwu by stakeholders of old Abakaliki political bloc on Monday night. The old Abakaliki bloc comprises Ebonyi North and Central senatorial districts. The stakeholders, after a marathon meeting, unanimously adopted Prof.

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

Chukwu as the consensus candidate. The meeting, which lasted several hours at the Governor’s Lodge in Abakaliki, was attended by stakeholders from the area. They analysed the political situation and considered succession, transition and power rotation. The stakeholders resolved that key political figures from the zone, who were interested in the governorship ticket, should shelve the ambition in the interest of the state. Governor Martin Elechi, according to a source at the meeting, reportedly adopted Chukwu, following a search for the best aspirant. The governor was said to have urged the minister to prepare for the governor-

ship position in next year’s election as PDP’s consensus candidate. Commissioner for Information and State Orientation Dr Chike Onwe said the resolution was taken in good faith for and on behalf of the people of old Abakaliki zone. Onwe explained that part of the resolution was that Abakaliki residents should support the power shift in the interest of peace and mutual co-existence among the various sections of the state. Chukwu’s adoption, it was also learnt, might have been informed by the fact that he is the least controversial among the aspirants from the zone. The minister’s popularity and rising profile following the containment of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was said to have convince the governor that Chukwu would make a good governor.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS ‘Compensate owners of burnt motorcycles’

APC women on state tour By Uyoatta Eshiet, Uyo

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) women leaders in Akwa Ibom State have begun a month state tour. The tour, from October 2 till October 28, will cover the three senatorial districts and all the federal constituencies. The woman leader, Mrs. Magdalene Ekaette Akpabio, said the essence of the tour was to enable the leadership mobilise and sensitise women. Mrs. Akpabio said the party was on ground and is working to take over power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “We are working on getting party offices in all local governments and to enhance our presence to position the party to take over power in the state,” she added.

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli

HE Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) has urged the Delta State government to compensate owners of the 300 motorcycles burnt in Mosogar, Ethiope West Local Government Area. Last Saturday, over 300 motorcycles were confiscated in Sapele by the State Directorate of Transport in line with the government’s ban on the use of motorcycles in Ika South, North and Sapele local governments. In a statement, the UPU President-General, Joseph Omene, said: “We condemn the setting ablaze of the motorcycles, which were forcefully seized from their owners under the pretence of trying to enforce the law. “We demand compensation for all those whose motorcycles were set ablaze.”

‘PDP primaries will be open’ THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has said its primaries will be open to all qualified aspirants and ethnic groups. It said it will field only tested, trusted and capable candidates who can match any opponent from any party. The Chairman, Felix Obuah, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Jerry Needam, said he was not intimidated by criticisms, as the party’s decision was resolute. Obuah said no system could be more democratic than giving all ethnic groups the opportunity to field their best candidates. “May I also use this opportunity to enjoin faithful party members not to be deceived by our opponents’ antics and remain steadfast to party policies and resolutions.”

Jonathan, others for IYC summit From Shola O’Neil, Port Harcourt

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will, tomorrow, lead Niger Delta governors and heads of oil multinationals to Effurun-Warri, Delta State, to find solution to the unemployment in the region. The event is the rescheduled World Summit, organised by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), which has “Partnering for Prosperity and Sustainable Development” as theme. IYC spokesperson Eric Omare said the summit was necessary to take the success of the amnesty programme to the next phase. Omare said over 1,000 delegates, including youths, government officials, women groups, community and religious leaders are expected to attend the event. President Goodluck Jonathan would be joined at the summit by the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, who is the Mother of the Day. Chief E. K. Clark is the Father of the Day.

•The burnt motorcycles

Ex-Anambra Governor Obi joins PDP

FTER much persuasion, pleadings and speculations, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi finally joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday. In the build-up to the event, Obi hosted the party’s Southeast members at his Government Reservation Area (GRA) Onitsha home. The attendees included Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha; Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim and the Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum, Theodore Orji (Abia). Others include Akwa-Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio; former Enugu State Governor Okwesilieze Nwodo; former Senate President Adolphus Wabara; Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Emma Anosike, Senator Hope Uzodinma; Senator Ben Obi; Senator Igwe Paulinus and former Aviation Minister Mrs. Kema Chikwe. Also in attendance are Offor Chukwuegbo; Mrs. Uche Ekwunife; Chris Azobogu; Fort Dike; Jerry Alagboso; Toby Okechukwu; Kingsley Ebenyi; Onyechi Ezenwa; Eucharia Anazodo; Chuma Nzeribe; Princess Adaeze Oduah; Arua Arunsi; Egwuatu Cyril; Anayo Nebe; Col Usobundu and Ifeanyi Ubah. Ministers present include: Emeka Wogu (Labour); Prof. Chinedu Nebo (Power), Osita Chidoka (Aviation), Viola Onwuliri (Foreign Affairs). The PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, who was represented by the Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the visit was a resolution by the Southeast caucus to visit the former governor and persuade him to join the party. Metuh, who cited the defection to the PDP by Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, said the time was ripe for Obi to also join the party. Akpabio said the PDP always lost in Anambra because of Obi. The governor described Obi as a man of integrity, who would be an asset to the country. “If some of your people do not believe in you, if they do not admire you, if they do not

realise your potential, we gathered here are telling you that Nigerians believe in you and admire you,” he said. Orji said: “We’re here today to discuss the future and progress of the Southeast with our brother, Peter Obi. “Having reviewed with him the state of the country and how it affects our people, we concluded that our interest in the country is better served when we remain together as brothers and sisters under one party and speak with one voice, which Obi has championed over the years. “We all agreed that politics globally is dynamic and changes from time to time. We in the East should do the same in the interest of our people. We, therefore, appeal to him to join the PDP, since that is the party majority of our people belong to.” Ekweremadu said Obi, even when he was in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), extended the hands of friendship to everyone who would contribute to the development of Anambra State. He said Obi’s demonstration of leadership, integrity, friendship with the President and commitment to Nigeria prompted them to come and appeal to him to join the PDP. Ihedioha said the visit was born out of the former governor’s patriotism. Anyim said he was optimistic the forum would convince Obi to make a definite pronouncement. He said: “The delegation would not leave this house until he joins.” Nwodo said: “In view of Obi’s integrity, political sagacity, marvellous work in Anambra State, stabilising influence on the Federal Government, we, PDP leaders, move the motion that you are the one we are waiting for in PDP.” Mrs. Chikwe, speaking on behalf of the women, said the former governor was like a mistress seeking for legalisation of her union. She said Obi shared the same vision of a prosperous country with the PDP. Responding, the former governor said he was humbled by the visit. “I most sincerely appreciate this visit by people I consider as important political leaders

from the Southeast. I thank you for your continued belief and commitment to the welfare of our people and the progress of our country. “I have in the past worked closely with all of you and you know my belief about our zone working together. I assure you that we will continue to work even closer as a team in the interest of our people. “Regarding your visit let me assure you that I heard your kind and passionate requests and that your journey would

not be in vain but in the best interest of our people. “The issue of joining a national party is not about happenings in APGA, but because of the need to be a competitor and not a spectator in national affairs. I hereby join the PDP.” One of Obi’s aides said they thought it was just a visit by a few PDP members as their principal had said. “But we were surprised that it turned out to be a carnival,”he said.

Ex-commissioner joins Delta race From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

DELTA State exCommissioner for Economic Planning Clement Ofuani has formally declared his intention to run for the governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ofuani said yesterday in Asaba, the state capital: “I am satisfied; not driven by an ambition for power for its sake alone, but by a commitment to serve.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

Police recover N700,000 jewelry, watches

Hole-in-heart baby gets help S

YMPATHISERS have rallied to the support of the Agbo family whose 23-month old baby, Eyitayo, requires N1.6million for a corrective holein-heart surgery. The Agbos brought their child’s plight to the public last month, following their inability to raise the money. Eyitayo was diagnosed of congenital heart disease at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). The doctors said he requires surgery in India to enable him live. After trying for over a year to raise the funds, Mr and Mrs Agbo visited The Nation to beg Nigerians for help. Their efforts have started yielding results, with people paying into the account opened for the purpose. About N882,000 so far has been lodged into Agbo Isaac Eyitayo’s account at First Bank with number 3086969070. During their visit, Mrs Juliana Agbo said: “We have been running everywhere to see if we can raise the money; we even wrote to Lagos State Ministry Health through LASUTH for assistance; but we have not received any re-

By Ebele Boniface

HE P o l i c e i n L a g o s have recovered gold wristwatches and necklaces worth N700,000 from a suspected armed robber in Agege, Lagos. The suspect, Oluwasegun Olusola (33), was arrested by men from Pen Cinema Police Station after his gang operated on Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway where they allegedly robbed a couple of the items. Lagos Police Command spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said the stolen items had been recovered, adding that the suspect is assisting the police in their investigation. He said the incident occurred on October 2 about 6.30pm at 27 Alhaja Olowowewe Street in Ogun State, pointing out the suspect was arrested during a stop- andsearch by the police. The recovered items are seven wristwatches valued at N110, 000; gold necklaces and ear-rings valued N560, 000. Nwosu said the recovered items have been released to the owners.

•He will not die, says mother By Evelyn Osagie

sponse. And my baby’s case is getting worse. The burden is already too much. I have stopped working to care for my child and my husband, who has been catering for us since, has been doing his best with what he gets from the fish farm where he works to provide for the medical care and the up-keep of the family. It has really been challenging. I feel bad for the pain he is passing through; and I pray God would save my son. We need help to do so. That is why we have come to the public: please, help me save my son. I am telling people to look at me and help me” Reacting yesterday, Mrs Agbo said: “When my husband showed me how much had been raised, I cried with joy. I was already losing hope. And this has made me feel sad. It is a thing of joy to know that people really care for my baby’s life. I thank God for answering our prayers through those people that are contributing to save my baby. At last there is still hope. My baby will not die. I know God who has started it will complete it.”

•Eyitayo

•Commissioner of Police Kayode Aderanti

•Pioneer Board/Council members of Certified Public Administrators (CPA) of Nigeria (CPA-Nigeria) (from left) Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Imam Shuaib Abdullahi; President, Institute of Architect, Edo State Chapter; Timmy Oigbochie; Prof Folayan Ojo; another member and Chairman, SCOA Group Plc Mr Henry Agbamu (right), taking the oath of office at the Conference Centre, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos.

‘My husband steals from me to cater for us, says wife

43-year-old trader, Nimota Fatokun, has prayed the Customary Court in Alakuko, Lagos to dissolve her 16-year-old marriage. She is alleging that her husband shirks his responsibility as a father. Mrs Fatokun said:”This is the 10th year that my husband stopped giving me any allowance. But each time he sleeps with me, I conceive. He pays only a quarter of our children’s school fees, leaving me to pay the balance. At times, he steals from my savings and gives our children as feeding allowance. My husband is stingy to us. On different occasions when I had gone into labour, he didn’t provide the medical bills. “He doesn’t seek my advice before taking any decision. He

‘This is the 10th year that my husband stopped giving me any allowance. But each time he sleeps with me, I conceive’ By Basirat Braimah

thinks I am not intelligent. My husband keeps lamenting that the landlord will show up soon, but I later got to know he owns the house through a neighbour. As a result, I sold the shop he bought for me at a ridiculous amount because he wasn’t catering for our needs.” Mr Fatokun, 50, spray painter, in his defence, said:”My wife has a problem, which I think can’t be

solved. Whatever we discuss, she informs her relations. I can’t do without sleeping with my wife, so I had to give her money for family planning. But she literally blew the money. “How can I be happy with her, when she sold the shop I bought for her at a ridiculous amount? She doesn’t assist me with our children’s school fees. I had to visit my wife the next day after she was delivered of our last child because I was ill.

“I was shocked to find my wife and children missing because we were on good terms before I left for work and she had no reason to pack out of the house. I searched unsuccessfully for my family for several days. I then resolved to visit the welfare home for children. Upon my meeting with the management, they summoned my wife’s relations who refused to show up. I later found out that they were living with their grandmother.” The union has produced five children: Ibrahim (15), Mojeed (12), Saliudeen (10), Idris (4) and Ismail (1). The court President, Chief Awos Awosola, ordered Moruf to take custody of the first three children and adjourned the case till October 23.

Council chief empowers constituents By Nneka Nwaneri

HAIRMAN of Ikosi Ejinrin Local Council Development Area, of Lagos State Prince Ganiu Adetola has distributed some materials to his constituents under his poverty alleviation programmes. This, he said, it was in line with his vision to provide sustainable sources of income to the unemployed, while also reducing the poverty. Some of the items include freezers, refrigerators, generators, tyres, batteries, vulcanising machines, spraying apparatus, hair dryers, barbing kits, sewing machines, catering tools, mobile phones, mechanic work boxes, motorcycles, popularly known as okada, and food stuff, among others.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

Collation of recovered illegal arms starts today T HE Lagos State Police Command will start the collation of unlicensed firearms recovered by its Area Command todays. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti, on September 23 gave two weeks to those in possession of illegally acquired firearms to return them. The ultimatum expired on Monday. Aderanti who frowned at the high level of arms proliferation in the state, said a special task force would be set up to comb

By Jude Isiguzo

the state and recover illegal firearms after the expiration of the ultimatum. Aderanti ordered area commanders to create a desk for receiving such arms, adding that those who do not surrender theirs after the expiration of the ultimatum would be treated as armed robbers. “A lot of individuals that are not licensed use it to intimidate and harass innocent persons. After two

weeks, anyone who does not return the illegally acquired weapons will be dealt with. We will not accept any reason for not returning the weapons. We will treat anybody caught in illegal possession of firearms as an armed robber. I am not happy with the number of arms in wrong hands. We would deal with anybody who intends to unleash mayhem on the state. We are entering another phase and there

should be a level playing ground’’, Aderanti said. The command’s spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), told to The Nation that after the sallah break, area commanders are expected to give report on the level of compliance. He said: “Yes the ultimatum has expired and after the holidays the area commands are expected to come and give their reports. The CP directed all Area commands to establish a desk for the collection. After their reports, the Command will know the

next step to take”. The ultimatum followed the murder of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APC), Alhaji Azeez Asake last month in Lagos Island. Asake was allegedly killed by thugs loyal to the Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally, attended by President Goodluck Jonathan and the party’s National chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, among others.

Gunuvi cultural festival begins Badagry tomorrow By Evelyn Osagie

•Oba Aholu Menu Toyi I

LL is set for the hosting of the First Gunuvi Festival of Arts and Culture in Badagary, Lagos. As the festival starts tomorrow, Egun festival leaders are advocating a change in the educational system. They urged the government to learn from Asia where indigenous cultural practices and studies are included in school curric-

ulum They made the call at a briefing in the Palace of the Akran of Badagry, Oba Aholu Menu Toyi I. According to the organisers, the Gunuvi Rights Initiative of Nigeria (GRIN), the festival is expected to bring together sons and daughters of Egunland from within and outside the country, the Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast. GRIN National Speaker, Comrade Bukoh Eseyido said the festival is part of moves to galvanise the rich cultural heritage of Egunland. The festival, he said, would correct misconceptions regarding some mores and cultural practises that prospered the people before the advent of the colonialists, there will be series of lectures during the festival featuring seasoned dons led by the Deputy

Ashafa to run again

ENATOR Gbenga Ashafa has declared his intention to run

again. The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator represent Lagos East District in the Senate. The first-time senator said he consulted with members of his constituency before his declaration. He made his intention known at an APC Stakeholders’ Assembly in Epe last weekend. In attendance were APC chieftains, including former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, former Secretary to Lagos State

•Ashafa

By Wale Ajetunmobi

Government, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Bashorun, Ashafa’s predecessor, Senator Olorunmbe Mamora, Alhaji Busura Alebiosu, Alhaji S.A. Sunmola, Alhaji M. A. Gafar, Senator Anthony Adefuye, Alhaji Shakirudeen Seriki, Chief Lanre Rasaq and Alhaji Sikiru Banire. Others are Jokotola Pelumi, Tunde Isiaq, Bayo Oshinowo, Ayodele Odeyemi, Alhaji M.O. Ogungbo, Kaoli Olusanya, Yetunde Arobieke, Abayomi Aiyeola, Mojeed Adebola and Gori Ogbara. The senator said: “After wide consultations with our political leaders and the people I represent, I have concluded that I will run for a second term as a senator to represent the good people of Lagos East Senatorial District in the Senate in 2015.” Ashafa said he had surpassed people’s expectations within three years, having sponsored a total of 76 constituency projects in the district. He said his impact had also been felt in education, youth empowerment, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), agriculture, health and community development.

Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof Sena Bakare, who will be presenting a paper on Nutritional benefits of local beverages as source of economic empowerment. Other speakers include Dr Henry Hunjo and Dr Anthony Dasu. “In my opinion, the Westerners helped to under-develop us. Before the coming of the colonialist,

our people have their practices and values that have kept the sanity and sanctity of the African society. There were wars and crisis but the people had their ways of solving them which were very effective. We would be revisiting such prosperous aspects of our culture. One of the lectures is focused on Education System in Oguland before the arrival of the West-

ern World, which focused on re-orientating our leaders to revisit be looking at some of those One of these is through its educational We hope to showcase the rich cultural heritage of our land. It is hoped that the festival will unite all the people of Oguland.” It will feature lectures, awards, cultural exhibitions and displays and so on.

Woman for burial

HE remains of a community leader in Iloro Ekiti, Madam Victoria Yewande Ekundayo (nee Aladeokin), will be buried on Saturday. A statement by her daughter, Mrs. Kike Amusa said the would begin with a service of songs tomorrow at her residence in Ado- Ekiti. A wake keep will be held on Friday at her residence in Iloro Ekiti; the service will hold at St Mary African Church, Iloro Ekiti at 9 am on Saturday. Entertainment of guests will take place at Iloro Community High School, Iloro Ekiti. She is survived by children and grandchildren.

•The late Madam Ekundayo

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS Aondoakaa, Orhii, Orya, 23 others back Suswam From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

ORMER AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF) Mike Aondoakaa, National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director-General Paul Orhii and NEXIM Bank Managing Director Robert Orya have endorsed Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam’s senatorial ambition. At a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders meeting in Ushongo Local Government Area, Aondoakaa, Orhii, Orya and 23 other prominent sons and daughters of the council backed Suswam for the Benue Northeast senatorial election next year. They signed an undertaking to support Suswam in the election in which the incumbent, Senator Barnabas Gemade, has also shown interest. They also washed the governor’s legs and dressed him in the Tiv traditional attire to show their support for him.

•Suswam

Kumuyi for Kwara THE General Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, will be in Kwara State for a crusade from October 21 to 23. The event will hold at the church’s camp ground in Eiye-Nkorin. The theme is: “Supernatural encounter with the God of power”.

I’m in good health, says IBB

ORMER Military Head of State Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), who is recuperating in Germany after a surgery, yesterday promised to return home soon. He spoke with reporters in a telephone conversation facilitated by former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, when the latter visited Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu in Minna, the state capital. Gen. Babangida left for surgery in Germany on September 6. Shortly after exchanging pleasantries with the gover-

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

nor, Gen. Abubakar put a call through to Gen. Babangida and put the handset on speaker to enable reporters hear and speak to him. Gen. Babangida, in a sharp and lively voice, said he would soon return home, but did not specify the date. He said: “I appreciate all those who have expressed concern about my health. I am much better and I will soon return home.” Abubakar, who was with Alhaji Umaru Ndanusa, Babangida’s close friend, said

it was customary for him and Gen. Babangida to visit the governor during Sallah. He urged politicians to play the game without bitterness. Aliyu said he was happy when the delegation sent by the state government to check on Gen. Babangida in Germany came home with news that he had “significantly improved”. He said: “When the team members came back, they told us they had a conversation with him for hours. It was a pleasant information compared to what we heard

‘Ishaku must wake up’ From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

S •Gen. Babangida

before.” A family source told our correspondent that Gen. Babangida is expected back on Friday.

Gbemisola Saraki seeks governorship ticket

HE 2011 governorship candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in Kwara State, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, has signified her interest to take a shot at the seat again. But this time around, the senator, who is Senator Bukola Saraki’s younger sister, is seeking the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) ticket. In her letter of intent to the state PDP chairman, Ms Saraki said: “I have the pleasure to inform you that after several months of statewide consultations, I have resolved to contest for the position of the Governor of Kwara State on the platform of our great party, the PDP, in the 2015 general elections. “This decision is informed, on one hand, by calls by my family, friends and several thousands of members of our party, who are convinced about my capacity to lead the state out of its present hopelessness and stagnation, which the ruling party has deliberately thrown it into. “On the other hand, it is informed by the positive reactions received so far from majority of elders and stakeholders of our party, and other members of the public during my statewide consultations. “Thus, in obedience to their clarion calls, and a per-

200 aspirants collect PDP nomination forms in Kwara

VER 200 aspirants have collected the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) nomination forms for 35 seats in Kwara State. Speaking with reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, at a Sallah feast, a governorship aspirant, Mr Mohammed Belgore (SAN), said the number of aspirants showed that everyone had a say in the party. The event was attended by former Deputy Governor Pa Joel Ogundeji, PDP State Chairman Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, the party’s state executives, community leaders and youths, mostly from Kwara Central. Although Belgore stopped short of formally declaring his governorship ambition, he urged prospective party delegates to consider the most popular aspirant. He said: “Everyone has a say in the PDP, unlike in the All Progressives Party (APC). That we have many aspirants in the PDP is a sign of liberty; it is sign that From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

sonal conviction that Kwara State can be better governed, I have decided to offer myself to the service of the people. “As an aspirant, I am under no illusion that the stakes are high, but I also know that we face an electorate that has been exhausted by broken promises, bad governance, collapsed infrastructure, an ailing economy, and a host of other problems that seem

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

we have democracy. When did you ever have so many aspirants? Over 200 people have collected nomination forms for just 35 seats. That is historic! It was never so before.” “Primaries are ahead of us and I urge party delegates to consider two key things: Who among these aspirants has ever confronted these guys without retreating? Who has never been with them before? Only one person will get the ticket. What is the point of getting the ticket when you can’t win? “Ask them, who can win the majority votes among them? This is not about just getting the ticket; it is about winning majority votes. So who can truly win? Who do the majority of Kwarans want? Who has been the major subject of APC attack? APC has always attacked me. I have been their main target and this says something.” Belgore, whose speech was preceded by good will messages from his supporters, said the time was ripe to “end years of underdevelopment in Kwara”.

to defy solutions. But with God on our side, and the unalloyed support of our party, I believe I would bring my experience and connection to bear to salvage our dear state from the brink of collapse. “I assure you that I am committed to free, fair and transparent primary among my co-aspirants in the PDP. I must, however, be quick to commend the thoughtful decision of our party to exempt all female aspirants from the pay-

ment of the mandatory Minimum Contribution Levy, among other concessions granted the womenfolk by the PDP. “This is no doubt of the commitment of our party to the participation of women in politics in Kwara State and Nigeria at large. Nonetheless, it goes without saying that I have indeed contributed to the party beyond the minimum contribution levy of N500,000 that other governorship aspirants have had to pay.”

OUTHERN Taraba’s consensus candidate and Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Darius Ishaku, “must wake up and do more” to clinch the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) governorship ticket, Colonel Agbu Kefas (rtd) said yesterday. Kefas, who chairs the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), spoke in Wukari and Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, while canvassing support for the minister. The names of Ishaku, Kefas and Senator Emmanuel Bwacha were submitted to former Defence Minister Gen. Theophilus Danjuma by Southern Taraba stakeholders as the most credible governorship aspirants from the zone. They asked Danjuma to endorse a consensus candidate for the zone. But Danjuma’s nominee, Ishaku, an architect, is opposed by some people, who described him as “an Abuja politician”, who is not popular at home. Kefas told his supporters that he had stepped down for Ishaku, adding that the minister would “wake up” and do more to endear himself to the people. He said the northern and central zones had ruled for 18 years and it was the turn of the southern zone to produce the governor for the first time. Kefas said: “It is not a tribal or local government agenda. It’s all about power shift to Taraba South. Ishaku would have done same if I was endorsed because that was what aspirants from the zone agreed on. “Don’t allow anybody to mislead you. I am not better than him just as he is not better than me; we are all qualified for the contest but it’s a matter of choice because the seat is for one person. “If you say Ishaku is not popular, use your popularity and colour him to be popular. He too must wake up and do more to be endeared to the people. He may be the best governor because power comes from God and governance is a collective project; it is not about one person. We are all involved. Let us work towards progress and make Taraba develop.”

Why activists are seeking elective offices, by Shehu Sani

HAIRMAN of the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) Comrade Shehu Sani has blamed the nation’s problems on the failure of activists to seek elective offices after military rule ended. He said instead of taking over from the military dictators, “they abdicated leadership positions to those who lacked democratic value and culture”. Speaking with reporters yesterday in Minna, the Niger State capital, Sani said the sad development was responsible for the enthronement of corruption, instead of the development usually associated with democracy. He said many of the activists who rescued the nation from the military had resolved to rescue it from undemocratic elements that have been in power since 1999. Sani said: “We have faced a lot of questions about why we want to venture into poli-

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

tics. But politics should not be left for corrupt people or incompetent politicians. It should not be left for those who have no interest in developing the country. “Particularly, I am from the northern part of Nigeria and it is very clear that senators from the North have not been living up to expecta-

tions. If you look at statistics from 1999 to date, you will discover that over 60 to 70 per cent of National Assembly members are from the North and most of our senators are not active.” The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain said he was eyeing Kaduna Central senatorial seat to give his people a voice and responsible leadership, which he

said were lacking in the present dispensation. He said the APC would take over Kaduna next year, if it puts its house in order, stressing that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had never won a free and fair election in the state. Sani said the 2015 elections would be different because the APC now knew the PDP’s antics.

Nasarawa North wants to produce next governor

HE people of Nasarawa North have urged other senatorial zones to support their desire to produce the next governor. Political stakeholders in the zone, the Nasarawa North Forum, met at the weekend in Wamba. At the meeting were Minister of Information Labaran Maku, Senator Solomon Ewuga, Senator John Danboyi, House of Representatives’ member Mr David Ombugadu, Deputy Governor Damish Luka and former Deputy Governor Michael Abdul. The forum’s spokesman, Prof. Onje Gya-wado, said Nasarawa North was the only zone that had not produced a governor since the state was created. Gya-wado pleaded that in the spirit of equity and fairness, other zones should support Nasarawa North to produce the next governor.

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

He said: “As we leave you all, it is our prayer that Nasarawa State will know peace and that all those who know that it is the turn of Nasarawa North should give us the opportunity. So we call on our brothers from Nasarawa West and Nasarawa South to realise that it is only in equity that we can get there; that it is only in fairness that we can be together and it is only in politics like this that we can enjoy the benefits of democracy.” The forum condemned the spate of violence in the state, which had displaced thousands of people.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

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‘How I escaped death in Kenya terror attack’

•Prof Anyidoho looking at the plaque at the Kofi Awoonor’s Mausoleum in Wheta, Ghana.

PHOTO:KINGNORBERT AKPABLIE (CITY FM, GHANA)

When the final night falls on us as it fell upon our parents we shall retire to our modest home earth-sure, secure that we have done our duty by our people; we met the challenge of history and we were not afraid... goodbye – Prof Kofi Awoonor – SEE STORY ON PAGES 16 & 17

How tourism is growing in Nigeria

An uncommon manager turns 70

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Home of pottery

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•From left: Prof Anyidoho and the late Prof Awoonor.

PHOTO:NANA KOFI ACQUAH

•Prof. Anyidoho

‘How I escaped death in Kenya terror attack’

N the past few weeks, there have been activities in Ghana marking the first anniversary of the death of poet and novelist Prof Kofi Awoonor in the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi Kenya. You seem to be on top of it all, what is the significance? Indeed, it has been weeks of activities by different groups. From Thursday, September 18, there was a two-day international symposium in his memory at the University of Ghana, Legon, tagged: Kofi Awoonor and the challenge of history, where a literary award named after the poet was launched to celebrate African talents. It was attended by Ghana President John Dramani Mahama with the academia, his children and other members of the family, students and other wellwishers from within and abroad. It was followed by an evening of poetry and testimonials from the people who knew and interacted with him; and later his poetry collection, The Promise of Hope, was launched. And at his country home in Wheta, Volta Region on September 21, the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adzaho, unveiled the Awoonor Mausoleum and an educational fund instituted by his children in honour of their father to support students in Wheta. The programmes were meant not only to commemorate the one year anniversary of his death, but to celebrate him and his legacies. He had been an inspiration to all: he was very intelligent, profound and deep. His poems were always laced with wisdom. He says “Reaching for the stars we stop at the house of the Moon/And pause to relearn the wisdom of our fathers”, saying if we don’t do that we would not find our way to stars. It is unfortunate that we are losing the tradition of celebrating people while they are still alive. But for us, he lives on; his legacies would never die. Initially, we planned to organise something to coincide with the release of the book, Promise of Hope, earlier in the year, after family consultations, because at the time, they were building a mausoleum for him at home in Wheta, we decidedto plan something proper for September. Then, we’ve also considered the possibility of his house being not just a museum piece but a place for creative activities, such as creative residences/fellowships so that he would continue to inspire younger writers. Awoonor was not just a writer, he was not afraid of politics. It was always a pleasure to learn from him every Sunday in his house, watching people, including high-profile politicians and the media, come and go, seeking for advice and help. And he was always there for people. You were close with the late Awoonor. Besides both your first names are similar, how were you related? We are very much related. The similarity in the name “Kofi” is not just a coincidence by the day of the week in which we were born. Beyond that we are related from the

On September 21 last year, Africa lost one of its illustrious sons, the Ghanaian poet and author, Prof Kofi Awoonor, in the Westgate Shopping Mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya. He was in Kenya for the Storymoja Hay Festival. In the past few weeks, Ghananians have been celebrating the first anniversary of his death. The Chairman of Council, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ghana, Prof Kofi Anyidoho, is one of those determined to immortalise the late poet. Prof Anyidoho, a renowned poet and scholar, and cousin to the late Awoonor, was supposed to accompany him to the festival. In this exclusive interview with EVELYN OSAGIE in Ghana, Anyidoho recounts how he missed death by the whiskers, his moments with Awoonor and more. INTERVIEW same extended family, according to the African tradition. We are from the same town. As far as I know, Awonoor’s mother and mine regarded each other as cousins. They would visit each other. My sisters were regularly in his mother’s house when she became too old to move around. So, when he died, I found myself becoming the family’s spokesperson and spokesperson for funeral planning committee. Were you in Kenya with him when he died? No, I didn’t go with him, but the invitation to Kenya was sent to him through me. He was in Nairobi at the Storymoja Hay Festival in connection with his new book of poems, The Promise of Hope, which I edited and wrote an introduction for. They were going to use the occasion to do an advance publicity for the collection that was to be used to launch a new series called African Poetry Series, because it was being published together with collections by younger African poets,

some from Kenya. When he found out that I wasn’t going, he said if I had told him, I wouldn’t be going he wouln’t have accepted the invitation because he didn’t want to go alone. That was how he bought a ticket for his son, Afetsi. That day when the news first came through…. (silence) So, you have missed death by the whiskers? It is even more complicated than that. You see, my daughter was getting married on that same Saturday, that was why I couldn’t go with him and also why he wished he hadn’t accepted the invitation because he would have presided over the marriage ceremonies. When I reminded him of the marriage a few days before he left, he wasn’t happy he was missing it. Could you recount how the day was for you? We were at the marriage ceremony when I got the text message, which I still have on my phone, saying: “There was an attempted robbery of a mall in Nairobi where Prof went shopping”. That same day the president was

‘We were at the marriage ceremony when I got the text message: “There was an attempted robbery of a mall in Nairobi where Prof went shopping”...I called his roaming number, but no response and called a second time and somebody picked the phone... I became more worried’

visiting Ho with the Chief of Staff when he got the message from our Ambassador – so they were looking for him. I called his roaming number, but no response and called a second time and somebody picked the phone and I said: “Can I talk to Prof Awonoor?May I know who I am talking to?” And as I called my name, the person on the other line said: “Oh, uncle, this Afetsi.” “Where is your dad?” I had asked. He said: “He is missing. We can’t find him. That was when I became more worried. I called back a little later and texted him, and he sent this text: “Still searching for him!” an hour or so later, the Chief of Staff called that the body had been found and the description fits but that they were still waiting for confirmation. Fifteen minutes later, he called back and said: “Prof, I am sorry to say, it’s confirmed!” That’s part of the story. Awonoor, as he called himself, was an unrepentant panAfricanist; interestingly, he died on the late President Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday. Wow! That is somewhat symbolic, don’t you think? There were all kinds of things about the whole thing. A day before he died, he gave a lecture in Nairobi and towards the end of it, he said he had written a bit about death but particularly at his age, 79, you can’t get frighten about death. Unless you are an idiot, you should know that you should be moving on and the time to go is near. That an ancient poet from his tradition said: “I have something to say. I will say it before death comes.” And less than 24 hours, he was gone. But he left us with very powerful consoling words in one of his last poems included in the anthology that: When the final night falls us as it fell upon our parents we shall retire to our modest home earth-sure, secure/that we have done our duty by our people; we met the challenge of history and we were not afraid so the final night…goodbye. I also extracted those lines and used them for my introduction of the collection. And take note, the title of the collection, The Promise of Hope, which I picked from one of his poems that says: I believe in hope and the promise of hope. And this is perhaps more important. Sometimes hope can become too elusive but people become more determined not to give because there is the “promise of hope”. His words should inspire us. In that poem, he’s reconciled himself and thinks he has done his part. That is what I want us to celebrate and to encourage us that whether we die at 41 or at 79 like Awoonor or the late Prof Chinua Achebe, a few years older or like the late Nelson Mandela few more years older, what have we used our lives for? Your style of poetry is somewhat similar to that of the late Awoonor’s. Is it because of your love and connection with him or your Ewe background? It is partly that because I was luckier than he was. When I was growing up, I had this •Continued on Page 17

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•Continued from Page 16 example of his person. And that was important because the school’s system was telling us a different thing – that to become a poet, you must imitate the English poets because they knew what poetry is – which was poetry in books. Awoonor was telling me, “There are some really good poetry in the mouths of our people in the village and our singers. And I was particularly blessed because my grandfather was one such person: he was a composer in the oral tradition. My mother became a composer and leader of a very powerful group of performers, composing hers and singing other people’s songs. So while I was busy learning Williams Shakespeare and other good poets in the books; and I was also listening to my mother, grandfather, uncles and the rest of the community. Indeed, it was people like Awoonor who pointed me to that direction. He says we are spending too much investment on English, so we can’t throw it away, but while on it, remember Shakespeares was not the only great poet the world ever produced. He was as good a poet as our tradition poets and any you can find anywhere in the world. So I benefitted from that legacy. But tragically, we are not passing some these legacies unto our children. If I were to start life all over again, there would be one serious omission I would correct. My children are very fluent in my wife’s language, which is not Ewe. I wish they could speak mine as well; but I didn’t work hard enough to teach them. They grew up in an academic community, and fortunately my wife’s language is a common one around there. So they learnt it without much effort. My sister’s children, who grew up in the so called poorer part of Accra, speak all every available language in the community and would even switch from one to the other with total ease. Interestingly, I first read the Ewe versions of Shakespeare’s classics and other classical books as a child before reading the English version. And it made me understand the works better. But we don’t have such any more in the schools’ system. So I am working on a departmental project that would involve looking at them again and doing a paper to encourage that their being brought back because they have already been published and used why did we stop using them in our schools. How did your background affect the man you now became? That story is a long one. But like I’ve always said, somewhere along the line you need to begin to take yourself serious. But above all, you should never get to the point you tell yourself, “I have got it all”, because you’d never get there. So I am learning every time from my people, school and the libraries. I pay particular attention to people when they sing their songs because I know that there is lots in there that I would never find in the books. But the biggest change came for me when I finally decided to start writing in Ewe towards the end of the 70s. The idea came from Awoonor. He said: “Kofi let’s stop writing letters to each other in English. The next time I receive a letter from you if it is in English, I won’t read it.” Writing in one’s language is a skill which comes with practise. But the problem is that we never practise at all or enough. And that is why many of us are highly literate in other people’s languages but not in ours. So when I started writing in Ewe, one of the things I did was to take some of the poems I wrote in English and redo them entirely in Ewe. I am excited about it. All those experiences inspired my love for and understanding of literature. If I hadn’t began reading Shakespeare in Ewe, when I was given his book to readat the training college, I wouldn’t have liked reading them again. So I discovered early the world of stories, in books as written by poets, dramatists and novelists, is one of the most beautiful worlds that you can explore. And I have never regretted it. At what point did you decide to become a writer? In primary and middle schools, my best subject was mathematics. I gave it up and I am now reading poems because I didn’t go to secondary school – there was no money for that. I went to Teachers Training College. Perhaps if I had gone secondary school where they had laboratories, I would have become a scientist or medical doctor, helping people to deal with their ailments. Even though that avenue closed for me, I have never regretted the alternative. But I was helped by the creative writing clubs set up first in the Teachers Training Colleges and then extended to the secondary schools. I became one of its found-

•Ghananian parliamentarian Dan Abodakpi dancing with the late writer’s daughter, Sika. PHOTO: KINGNORBERT AKPABLIE (CITY FM, GHANA)

‘How I escaped death in Kenya terror attack’ INTERVIEW ing members and started writing.They organised workshops for us, and if you wrote a good piece you’d be invited to the district, regional and then national workshops. And there was a publishing programme attached to it where the best pieces were selected and published in what was known as Talents for Tomorrow. The Ministry of Education would then distribute them to schools. So, you found yourself being read by people in various schools. While I was at the college, I found out that one of my earliest pieces were published in the Talents for Tomorrow. I still meet people who say they read me long ago in Talents for Tomorrow. That was a tremendous formal programme funded by Ministry of Education but again that has also died away. They never passed it onto the next generation. Given your experience, what do you say of the argument that children who are taught their school’s subjects in their Mother Tongue tend to understand them more than those taught in English? As ateacher of literature but of language, this is an area I am quite interested in. interestingly, it is my wife’s area of specialisation. She once gave a lecture on the advantages of basic education being in the first language. Anybody who is arguing against that doesn’t know the truth. How many of the developed countries do their basic education in a foreign language or produce their literatures in some other language. They come to foreign language after they have educated themselves first in their language.What we have accepted as the norm is a total anomaly, but we have been compelled by our colonial experience to think of it as the normal, and sometimes, the only thing to do. You once gave anillustration at a conference of how the earliest African literate imbibed the culture of speaking English at home rather than the Mother Tongue. Could you recap? Yes. I said after the Europeans finished converting us, they beat us if we speak the language. And that indeed had its impact. The problem is staring us in the face, and nobody would do it for us.To illustrate the problem and the solution, if an evil-minded person poison you to take over you property but luckily you survive, excepting that the poison has already done some damage, do you go back to the same person to give you medication to cure yourself. Let us leave it at that for people to think about. Would such a fellow ever get well? The evil fellow, whom you think is helping to cure you, may give you a different kind of poison to kill you

slowly since people now know he is giving you medications. You may not die today or tomorrow but sooner or later you’d die and nobody would trace it to him? But I think we should borrow from the churches today – they are showing us the way out. Big churches are now preaching in our languages or when in English someone is attempting to translate to our languages immediately, even though the translation may not be apt at times. As a people, we woke up early enough but decided to look elsewhere. Look where it has brought us to. Somehow, we seem to believe we would do well, but after 50 years, it is not working. Ghana became independent in 1957 same year as Malaysia. But before Malaysia’s independence, they took a decision that led to the establishment of a language institute that ensures the language, commerce, government, politics and education of the new nation would be conducted in the Malay and not English. The rest of the story is clear. In Malaysia the computers are all in Malay. We keep complaining. But who would do it for us, if not we, ourselves? At a conference on Colonial History and Forced Labour in Africa in Ho, you shared an illustration on the scars of slavery and force labour, could you recap? It is one that shows how untrue it is when people say we have forgotten the years of slavery. Although my wife’s grandfather inlaw lived for over 110 years, he never forgot that when he was a little boy some of his relations were disappearing never to come back. And even though he hasn’t said it or talked about it, perhaps because it was just too painful, we knew he never forgot. So,in 1986, when were turned from the United States, he asked my wife: “are some of them still alive there in America?” My point is, in the reconstruction of history, even silence becomes meaningful. The songs that our people sing are perhaps the richest source in the reconstruction of history; the proverbs and even the dance, not just the dance itself but the costumes. And like the late Awoonor once said indeed, there is not just good poetry in the mouths of our people in the village and our singers, but rich historical stories as well. When I was in Cape Coast to do a project, entitled Memory and Vision,with an AfricanAmerican colleague, Sandra from the Northwestern University, US, they did that dance then, and I asked for its meaning. They said it depicted how their warriors defeated a famous slave raider, who raided different communities, capturing and selling people into slavery. Some scholars of oral literature have argue that, unfortunately, someour traditional

‘I wouldn’t place my fate and future entirely in the hands of government. Who is government?...The fate of Nigeria is not in the hands of Jonathan, but in the hands of the Nigerian people...people who put all their resources into developing agriculture alone will inherit a legacy of excrement’

songs and dance with rich historical stories/ motifs are on the verge going extinction... The beautiful thing is that our people themselves, the elders, have not forgotten. I remainvery confident that they are not about to disappear from the surface of the earth. So, you do not subscribe to the argument that in the face of globalisation, most Africa’s languages and culture are in the brink of extinction? Not exactly. Globalisation is not a thing of yesterday or today. It’s been going on throughout the millennia. At one point in history, the rest of the world came to Africa to learn. And this is not just a claim but a fact of history which the Europeans themselves have recorded. Although later, scholars in Europe and America tried to cover it up. But they can’t cover it up. I urge you to take a trip to Egypt and do a five-day tour of the Nile to some of the ancient Egyptian sites, you’d find clear evidences of the civilisation developed by the African people.The respect and height they have achieved nobody in today’s world is anywhere near it, be it inPhilosophy, Engineering, Mathematical Sciences and Medical Science.All the so called founders of the Greek Philosophy came to school in Egypt. The points where we lost out was due to the African leaders of that knowledge holding it to their chest without passing it down. The Greeks who came there, went back home with the same knowledge and established public schools and started teaching the children. That is how come we are being told that Pythagoras discovered the Pythagoras Theorem, but that was the mathematical principle on which the pyramids were constructed. David Livingstone comes to Africa and is carried on the head by some Africans to Victoria Falls, and then he announces that he has discovered Victoria Falls. And we have the nerve to be teaching that to our children. Christopher Columbus first came to Elmina here before striking out across the Atlantic because the Europeans knewthat there were African sailors who knew about other passage from here to the Caribbean. History has it that a former Emperor of Mali, Abu Bakari II, travelled across the Atlantic in several hundred boats and a large contingent of people and disappeared into the Caribbean; but they didn’t go there to discover the place, let alone claim it for themselves. They just disappeared among the local population. Even in those early days, people were regularly going across the Atlantic from Africa into new place. There is a book, They came before the Columbus. The historians and the History Departments would never recommend to us because if they do that then the glory passes away from Columbus to an African. Your observation is in line with existing argument about historical authorship, i.e. whose history are we telling. As a poet that is sensitive to the nuances of language, my understanding of history is “his story”. And it is a good chance that his story cannot be my story. So if you leave his story to be the only story that needs to be heard, then I am lost. That is exactly what has happened to us. I had to be very careful here. But if the story were to be properly told, you will discover that Africans have never been helpless victims. If we have lost some of the time, to which some will say most of the time, it is not for lack of trying or fighting back. The late Achebe has this story about the story of a hunter and a lionin which he said he’d heard from an American researcher. What Achebe didn’t know was that that story was our own story which some American visitor was now telling as if it was his creation, he’d took it and didn’t even acknowledge where he got it from. When I first heard that story, it was told by the former Ghana President late Kwame Nkrumah at the 1965 Organisation of African Unity (OAU) conference here in Accra. While hosting the closing banquet, he reminded other AfricanHeads of State of the story of a hunter and a lion where an old man would often tell his grandson stories that in the animal kingdomthe lion is the king. But little boy noticed that when a hunter goes into that forest and there is confrontation between him and a lion, according to the hunter’ss tories, the lion always loses. And the small boy would asked, “Grandpa, I thought you said, the lion was big, fierce powerful and nobody, not even the elephant or the tiger could defeat him?” And the old man replies, “Yes”. And the boy then asks, “The hunter is a small person, how come every time gets into a fight with a lion, the lion gets beaten?” The old man says, “The story, my son, will always end like that until the lion learns to talk”. That was why Nkrumah established the In•Continued on Page 48

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•From left: Barclays Ayakoroma, Mrs Ejele and Mrs Mbanefo

How govt. boosts tourism growth in Nigeria

IRECTOR-GENERAL of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Dr (Mrs) Sally Mbanefo, has ascribed the steady and speedy growth of tourism in Nigeria to the conscious efforts of the President Goodluck Jonathan led-administration to create an enabling environment for the money-spinning industry to thrive in the country.She said that last year, Nigeria recorded a total of 4,037,808 international tourist arrivals which accounted for US $649,468,486 in expenditure. “Domestic tourism arrivals for 2013 recorded 3,081,808 while US $470,606,780 formed the expenditure. This year, Osun Osogbo Festival recorded 12,207 tourist arrivals while 18,567,060 accounted for the expenditure compared to 21,713 tourists recorded last year. The sharp drop was due to restrictions placed by the government to control the spread of Ebola virus. Sango Festival, which is celebrated in 43 countries around the world recorded 88 international visitors and over 5,000 domestic tourist arrivals this year,” she said. Dr Mbanefo spoke at this year’s edition of the World Tourism Day (WTD), with the theme, “Tourism and Community Development,” organised by the Ministry of Tourism Culture and National Orientation and NTDC, held at the Art and Craft Village, Abuja, last Saturday. She said that President Jonathan’s successful privatisation of the power sector resulted in an enhanced power generation and supply, which according to her is very important in the tourism industry as it will reduce the overhead expenses of hospitality operators. “President Jonathan remarkably upgraded airports in the country, which had not be considered necessary by previous administration, while Mr President, who is well knowledgeable about the imports of transportation channels to the development of tourism industry rehabilitation old roads and constructed new roads, while overhauling the railways in the country,” Mbanefo said. Dr Mbanefo added that tourism can only prosper if it engages the local population by contributing to the social values such as participation, education and enhanced local governance, noting that “there can be no real tourism development, if such development damages in any way the value and the culture of host communities or if the socio-economic benefits generated by the tourism sector do not trickle down to the community level. “It is important for stakeholders in the tourism sector to have competitive power over and above what is obtained in other countries of Africa. Therefore, it is imperative that as joint stakeholders, we provide value added content, enhanced services to meet tourists’ needs. All these would result in a synergy of efforts as

By Ozolua Uhakheme

CELEBRATION domestic tourism would enable stakeholders to have the opportunity of finding each other,” Mbanefo said. Dr Mbanefo who said that tourism needed to collaborate with other sectors to grow expectedly charged the private sector and nongovernmental agencies (NGOs) to contribute more to the tourism industry, saying that “this will enable us to jointly achieve our desired objectives. This is because in promoting a tourism development strategy, I cannot rule out the contributions of the private sector. I believe their involvement in conjunction with state governments and government agencies would provide a comprehensive approach to the development and promotion of domestic tourism in the country.” The NTDC boss who disclosed the efforts of

her administration in promoting and developing potentials in the country, with domestic tourism as a catalyst, lauded the Minister of Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke and the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Nkechi Ejele for their supportive roles. She disclosed that she had visited over 20 states, meeting with stakeholders in the industry, government and traditional rulers, among others, while joining ventures with the private sector. She added that NTDC under her administration collaborated with the expatriates through the diplomatic communities to sell Nigeria’s tourism potentials and woo foreign tourists to visit and appreciate the fascinating tourist destinations and crowd-pulling festivals in Nigeria. Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Taleb Rifai, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Culture and National

Orientation, Mrs Ejele, said this year’s WTD represents an opportunity to further advance tourism’s contribution to economic, social and environmental sustainability. “On the occasion of World Tourism Day 2014, I would like to invite all tourism stakeholders and host communities to come together and celebrate this day as a symbol of our common efforts in making tourism a true pillar of community development and community the basis of a more sustainable tourism sector,” the message read in part. The Permanent Secretary during exhibition of the Art and Craft Village lauded the activities of the NTDC boss, saying, “Clap for the NTDC DG, Dr Mbanefo. She is working.” Mrs Ejele noted that this was no rivalry between NTDC and the Ministry of Tourism, adding that Dr Mbanefo was given a short notice to arrange for the 2014 WTD and she delivered, in spite of paucity of fund.

Club rescues detained nursing mothers

HE Rotary Club of Festac town Lagos offset the bill of 4 nursing mothers, who were indebted after deliveries at the Maternal and Child Centre, Festac Town, Lagos. The women were spotted by the Rotarians during a tour of the wards. Many of them sat helplessly, having being detained for two weeks or more after delivery, a gesture which costed the club 120,000 naira. The club also presented items for the centre. Items such as 50 bedsheets, 50 mosquito nets and 7 baby cribs were among other things. The women accepted the gestures with joy and wild jubilations in their wards. It came as a surprise to many of them. Others just wondered in bewilderment. The Maternal and Child centre monthly delivers an average of 110 babies, said the Chief Matron, Mrs .Gbemisola Moradeyo, who led in the tour. President of the Rotary Club of Festac, Gabriel Onyema, said the club’s mission is to aleviate the problems and suffering of the people. He gave the cost of the donated items to be 985 thousand naira. This, he said was made possible by its individual members donation, together with well meaning people and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), which provided them with 2000 nets which will be distributed to women and children. He wondered why residents dont patronise the outfit, which he descibed as one with state of the art facilities. The president also noted that the Rotary is partnering with government to make life better for the people.

•Members of the club making the donation By Nneka Nwaneri

PHILANTROPY “The scenery here is a happy one with lots of decorum. People are ignorant of the facilities I see , so I wonder why they wouldnt come for their deliveries here.” The high point of the visit was the presentation of a 3 minutes old baby, who the club members showered with gifts, money and prayers. Medical Director of the centre, Dr Ademuyiwa Eniayewun, said the gesture is a

welcome development and called on others to emulate the club in its humanitarian works. The visit, the MD noted, is not only about the material and financial benefits, but goes a long way in giving the patients psychological and moral support. He boasted of the centre having the best facilities for pregnant and sick children, which will go a long way in reducing maternity and child mortality. In the next few weeks, the club will present the centre with incubators and other needed equipments.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

While our people perish...

Oily bribe •Another oil contract scam: This time, will the Jonathan govt punish Nigerians involved?

T is a familiar story, and this reality makes it even more intolerable and condemnable because of the suggestion that corruption is alive and well in the country. News that Nigerian politicians were implicated in an investigation by Italian prosecutors into an alleged bribe scandal involving ENI, which is Italy’s biggest company by market capitalisation, and the state’s biggest asset, has once again exposed the dark underbelly of the powerful. While it may no longer be news that individuals in the country’s corridor of power engage in underhand dealings with international firms to the country’s detriment, the negative implication of this latest development is nevertheless troubling. It is alleged that in connection with the purchase of a Nigerian oil field three years ago by ENI and Royal Dutch Shell, at least half of the $1.1 billion paid, meaning $533 million, was used to bribe local officials and intermediaries who helped to secure the sale. Particularly disturbing is the allegation that some of the beneficiaries of the bribes, which ranged “from thousands of dollars to millions of dollars”, used the money to buy aircraft and armoured cars. Indeed, to some extent, deals like this one may help in explaining the obscene levels of unjustifiable affluence among members of the ruling elite. Considering the alleged volume of the bribe, it is noteworthy that production from the deep-water oil field in question, OPL 245, is expected to begin in 2016; and the field is estimated to hold up to 9.23

billion barrels of crude, which is reportedly equivalent to nearly a quarter of the country’s total proven reserves. It stands to reason that as a result of this oil deal, the country must be bearing the brunt of the corruption of its leaders. The inflation of the cost of the oil field, which the bribe brought about, and which benefited just the pockets of some individuals rather than the state coffers, ultimately amounted to a loss for the country. There is no doubt that such money paid as bribe to the individuals who short-changed the country would have been useful for its developmental purposes. However, beyond the alleged malfeasance of local public officials in this matter, the angle of foreigners and their role in international corruption deserves examination. It is perhaps a reflection of the apparent universality of shady inclinations that this oil deal involved locals and foreigners. But it is, at least, reassuring that the Milan prosecutors have placed ENI, its former chief executive Paolo Scraroni and CEO Claudio Descalzi under investigation for alleged international corruption, a development that has been interpreted as a setback for the Italian government because the company is statecontrolled. It remains to be seen whether the Goodluck Jonathan administration would take a cue from the Italians and probe the issue, which is certainly the path to follow, given the approach of the investigators who have asked the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to freeze $85 million in assets related to a Nigerian com-

pany, Malabu Oil & Gas, said to be involved in the sale. It is worth mentioning that the controversial OPL 245 block licence was first awarded to Malabu in the 1990s by military dictator Sani Abacha for a reported $20 million. After Abacha’s death in 1998, a new government voided the deal; but Malabu’s licence was restored in 2006. Given Malabu’s background and the move against it by the Italian investigators, the allegations of wrongdoing in the sale of the oil field should prompt a serious response from the presidency, and the guilty should be punished. The perception that Nigeria is a country where corruption is accommodated and treated with respect must not be allowed to endure.

‘It remains to be seen whether the Goodluck Jonathan administration would take a cue from the Italians and probe the issue, which is certainly the path to follow, given the approach of the investigators who have asked the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to freeze $85 million in assets related to a Nigerian company, Malabu Oil & Gas, said to be involved in the sale’

Not a scam •The N4,000 NYSC charge should be included in its budget in subsequent years

OMETIMES the line between fairness and tyranny is so thin that one is overshadowed by the other. Such seems the case in the enduring furore over the charge of four thousand Naira to National Youth Service Corps members to pick up their call-up letters. The narrative, often dwarfed by any other voice, is that the NYSC top brass has decided to filch the hapless corps members of the sum of money. They earn in each of their twelve months of service the sum of about N18,000. This is a paltry sum by any standards. Corps members know that this sum hardly affords them a place to lay their heads. The elite among them are those who come from well-heeled homes or who enjoy support

‘This is a good idea. But the NYSC should ensure that in subsequent years, the agency incorporates this policy into its budget. This will avoid the upheaval that the measure has inspired. Given the high scale of corruption in the country, government officials should understand it is not enough that you are just but you must be seen to be just, especially if it concerns charging the citizens sums of money’

systems from family, family friends or who serve in companies with liberal packages. These are few. The corps members are made to believe that their country expects a sense of service from them and not luxury. Four thousand Naira is therefore a huge sum for any corps member to pay for any service. In a nation where the governing and political elites are perceived as alienating, a climate of cynicism and doubt overwhelms this community of young Nigerians. So the directive from the NYSC top brass that they pay N4,000 seemed not only exploitative, but also cynical. But the story was not well-received because it was not properly understood. The NYSC says it is not compulsory that corps members should pay the sum. It is a convenience policy. Those who prefer not to pay would be required to travel from their various homes to their universities to pick up their letters. That had in the past created logistical barriers. Intending corps members have to travel, in quite a few cases, long distances to pick up the letters. In such cases, it may even be more expensive. For instances, a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University who is domiciled in Sokoto would have to undertake the longdistance sojourn to Ile-Ife. Under the new arrangement, he or she would only need to spend money – that is, N4,000 – to obtain a scratch card and obtain the same document. It will clearly cost the student a lot more than N4,000 for a return journey to Ile-Ife in Osun State, a journey that would include costs like feeding and overnight stay in addition to transporta-

tion. On the other hand, a student of the University of Lagos who resides in Yaba which is in the same district with the university has no reason to pay the money. The student can walk to the institution and pick up the document free of charge within an hour or two. The NYSC has said that it introduced the measure without any budgetary allocation. So, in order to ensure the convenience of the corps members it propounded the idea. It is working with a private firm, whose infrastructure will facilitate the access to the scratch cards. This is a good idea. But the NYSC should ensure that in subsequent years, the agency incorporates this policy into its budget. This will avoid the upheaval that the measure has inspired. Given the high scale of corruption in the country, government officials should understand it is not enough that you are just but you must be seen to be just, especially if it concerns charging the citizens sums of money. The NYSC N4,000 charge is not extortionate, but young Nigerians have lived to see exploitation all around them. Their teachers did it in obtaining class lecture notes, in passing their tests and examinations and accessing a few other routine entitlements. They also witnessed the recent tragic episode of the immigration job scam. Hence they saw NYSC charges in that light. The NYSC authorities clearly don’t seem in this instance to join that corrupt wagon. They, however, should incorporate it into their budget next year.

IT is over 30 days now that our church communities in Gulak, Shuwa, Michika andBazza were sacked by the callous and nefarious attacks of the Boko haram terrorists. While Gwoza and Magadali had been under the tyrannic and despotic control of the terrorists; this is almost the sixtieth day. Our priests are displaced. This act of territorial capturing in our estimation is sad, heart-aching and potentially deadly and dangerous to the territorial integrity and the common good of Nigeria. Common Nigerians, who were supposed to celebrate their independence as a free nation, were rather counting their losses and regrets as they had been reduced to the status of Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs). Where is the freedom? Life is terribly difficult. We are waiting eagerly to go back home, even as it is obvious that we are going to reconstruct our looted and burnt houses and ecclesiastical structures. We have been sacked for months, sleeping in uncompleted buildings, camps and school premises. We have been absorbed into the houses of relations and friends in sixties and seventies. Meals time is always difficult and shameful. We have counted weeks rolling into months, must we also count years? We are waiting to go back home! Nigerians are waiting to go back to their ancestral homes! Our minds are greatly troubled, do we think about our status? Or about our family members yet to be connected with ever since we fled our homes? Do we worry about our aged parents who were not so strong to flee; they always fed us with words of encouragement and wisdom. Do we worry about our sick members, women and infants who had been trapped? Most of whom we heard had been raped and killed. Or worry about the health, education and future of our children? We have got a lot of questions yet to be answered. Talking about resumption back to school, our children have not yet been fed well or clothed; so resumption is practically out of our calculation. In our opinion, if thousand of Nigerian children can’t go to school then in the long run “boko is indeed haram”. Then their future is at stake, quite bleak. The health condition of our people is truly troubling in their displaced camps. While our people perish, inaction or rather slow action is what we get. Political activities in the neighboring communities are on-going, as though nothing is at stake. The seemingly not so much talked about syndicate would someday be a yoke on all. Lately, the three Local Government Areas of Bama, in Borno State and Madagali / Michika in Adamawa State and their chairmen were all sacked. The Shehus and Emirs were dethroned and unknown figures placed in such capacities. This amounts to a cultural coup! Thousand are displaced, many killed, and others forcibly conscripted. These are pointers to the fact that Boko Haram terrorism is not just a northern problem, but a Nigerian problem and in fact a global issue. As a church we are really going through a severe moment of persecution. Our ecclesiastical circumscription is facing a sharp disintegration. • Fr. Gideon Obasogie, DirectorDirectorate of Social Communications, Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri Editor’s note: For reasons beyond our control, this column, which features editorials from other climes, is being suspended until further notice.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: The poser raised by Leke Salaudeen in The Nation of Monday October 16, made an interesting reading. The opinions of the people included in the publication and their analyses on the topic are eye openers on the reasons why many governors have failed to get a second term in Oyo state. All along, I held the belief that the so-called jinx though assumed a tradition is in actual fact circumstantial. This is so because the reasons for the failure of a governor to get a second term in office are different from another and Oyo people have never come together to resolve not to vote any governor for second term. It is heartwarming that majority of the opinions stated salient factors which either tilted victory to a candidate or led to failure of another. Consequently, concerning the question raised by Salaudeen,

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Re: Can Ajimobi break the second term jinx? Ajimobi has an edge over his predecessors when we consider the factors that lend credence to the socalled jinx. Let us forget about his superlative performance in all sectors of the state which forms the basis of the above assertion for a while and assess the factors enumerated by Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), who is not a politician and not known for sycophancy, in relation to

Ajimobi’s quest for second term. He mentioned professional, traditional and cultural factors as determinant of who becomes governor of Oyo State. Ajimobi has warmed himself into the consciousness of all professionals in Oyo State. The driver’s union, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and artisans are having it

On Kwara’s excellent resource management

IR: I wish to direct public attention to the general plight of states in the federation at the moment especially as it relates to the diminution of their monthly statutory allocations by the federal government as an austerity to cushion the effects of the abyss created by country’s dwindling local and foreign earnings. Many a state in the federation for quite a while, has had its monthly allocation cut down by as much as 40 per cent although the percentage reduction varied between states probably owing to the fact that some states were deemed to be disadvantaged/less resourceful or the central government employed partisanship as a major tool in the allocation of the monetary resource. While some states have been crises- ridden by this move by the federal government, others have designed means of keeping afloat by looking inwards to turn the meagre resources available to them into appreciable wealth for their domain. One of such states is Kwara. The state wisely designed a Shared Prosperity Programme since the inception of the present administration through which the state’s resources are put into ventures that would provide job and business opportunities especially for the resource-

poor indigenes. The several projects upheld by this means have today become generators of wealth for a sizeable fraction of the people of the state. This is not to assume that the state has become totally selfsufficient despite the cut in its allocation as it would have been able to do more for its people had there never been a reduction in its statutory allocation. Kudos should be given the present leadership of the state under the drive of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed that has kept the state afloat despite its meagre resources, salaries are regularly paid as and when due, promotions at different levels of the civil service enhanced, N3billion provided in car loans and a host of other benefits. Governor Ahmed whose popularity, uncommon loyalty to all citizens without political boundaries and excellent perfomance in office as the state’s chief executive are attested to by indigenes of the state, has added another feather to his cap by his confirment as the ‘Senior Advocate of Teachers’ by his people. Also in his coffers are other awards including Global Excellence Award for Best Governor in Northern Nigeria (2011), City People’s Best Governor, North Central Ni-

geria (2011), African Leadership Magazine’s Award for Outstanding Agricultural Development Icon of the Year 2011, Business Day Best Governor in Agriculture 2013, City People’s Best Governor in Youth Empowerment 2013, NUT Best Governor in Education 2013 and HOG Governor of the Year 2013. ‘Segun ‘Bambo Ojomo, Lagos.

good under Ajimobi’s administration, consequent upon his labourfriendly policies like payment of salary on the 25th, payment of 13th month salary, loans and recent increment in workers salary. On the traditional factor, Ajimobi has put an end to all schism amongst the traditional rulers in the state over supremacy. Bickering and disruption of Obas meetings have become things of the past. Besides, traditional rulers’ welfare is well catered for. On the cultural factor, Ajimobi is a bona fide and true son of Ibadan which has about 65 percent of the voting strength in the state. Aside this, his spectacular performance in turning the fortune of the state capital round in environmental rebirth, urban renewal, technical university, flyover at Mokola, intercity bus services and neighbourhood markets. The peaceful co-existence as

against reign of terror in the recent past have warmed him into the consciousness of many Ibadan indigene and this will definitely pay off at election time. Oke-ogun today is a proud owner of a polytechnic at Shaki (ditto for Eruwa), while several roads linking various towns in the zone have been put in good shape. That is in addition to the dual carriage ways under construction at Shaki and Iseyin. The same can be said of Ibarapa, Oyo and Ogbomoso zones. In spite of the climatic hiccups slowing down the work on dual carriage ways in Oyo and Ogbomoso townships, the roads are masterpieces and have changed the faces of the two towns for good. It is true that some leading political office holders at the federal and state levels have left the ruling party in the state. On the surface, it looks like a minus for Ajimobi’s quest for second term. However, in reality, politics and government are like a bus, while some board, some will alight. Therefore, as some are decamping from, others are decamping into. What is left for the governor is publicity and effective machinery for enlightenment on his government’s accomplishment. That accomplished, I am sure, the second term for him is a forgone conclusion. • Adewuyi Adegbite Apake, Ogbomoso.

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Abia Politics: The reign of political jobbers

IR: My attention has been drawn to an advertorial carried in the Vanguard of Monday, September 29, purportedly signed by me containing congratulatory message in honour of Senator Nkechi Nwaogu who along with other eminent sons and daughters of Abia State received the National Honours. Even though I am quite happy and proud that one of our own got a National Award, let me quickly seize this opportunity to clarify that the said advert did not emanate from me and thus it is not fair to ascribe it to me as I am not in the habit of advertising congratulatory messages in the newspapers. Ordinarily I would have waved off the issue as inconsequential because throughout my political career spanning over three decades I have never

been known as a spoiler or one who stands in between the ambition of any one aspirant. My concern has always been to serve my people in whatever capacity to the best of my ability. For the avoidance of doubt, what I did was to send an sms to all awardees including Governor Theodore Orji congratulating them on the award. As an elder statesman in the state, I will not condescend so low as to show my political preferences on the pages of newspapers but can only do so on the ballot box. As a democrat, I do not have the power or the propensity to stop anybody from nursing an ambition to vie for any elective position in the state or elsewhere for such power lies with the electorate.

I want to believe that this is the handwork of dirty tricksters who are out to drag my name in the mud. Yes political jobbers can go and say Adighije said this or is interested in this politician or that politician. That is how they feed and earn their pay. They thrive on collecting money from gullible politicians when they set one against the other thus causing disaffection and overheating the polity. All these outright falsehoods and fabrications about my person are mere figments in the imagination of the fabricators as I am not in a position of influence or affluence to anoint anybody to any position as that power belongs to God Almighty.1 • Senator Chris Adighije Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

COMMENTS

‘Our Girls’; Hedima; All Hail Ghana; ‘Nigeria’s Fall from Beacon to Beggar’ –Leadership Question? ‘

UR Girls’ are still missing. No mention in the 54th Oct 1, President’s speech. Imagine the meeting of the ‘Presidential Speech Think Tank for Oct 1 Speech’ at Tony which the insertion of Marinho the Chibok Girls was discussed. The arguments would include: If the Chibok Girls were mentioned, the opposition would have said the President was using them for cheap publicity. If the Chibok Girls were not mentioned they would have said the President was insensitive to their plight. It was a no-win situation but they should have been mentioned. They were more than mentioned in all our hearts. Let us remember Wing Commander Chimda Hedima, aged 39, executed so maliciously by Boko Haram and all others killed in the service of Nigeria. We sympathise with his family and pray that his compatriot is found alive. May he Rest In Peace and may his family not be abandoned by an incompetent and ungrateful nation and have to beg for school fees and food. The Ghanaians are coming ‘back’ with a bang. The older readers will remember how Nigeria was both first and second home to our brother and sister Ghanaians in the precolonial and post-independence era. Names like Kofi, Kwame, Kwaku, Kwesi, Adadevoh, Kotey, Kojo were not commonplace but always mystical. There was Kofi, a giant, in our class in St Gregory’s College Ikoyi in 1961. The Great Nkrumah was our idol as was Lumumba, and Nkrumah covered all Ghanaians with his glistening shadow of protection, authority and visionary Pan Africanism. The fabulous Kente cloth was admired, and groundnut stew was a prized delicacy. History lessons made the Ashantehene, The Gold Coast and The White Castle known to every Nigerian school child. In the 1950 and 60s the view from the decks of The Elder Dempster Lines ships named Motor Vessel MV Accra, Aureol, Apapa of the Ghanaian cities of Takoradi and Accra were

HE 2014 edition of the greatest show on earth, as the FIFA World Cup is affectionately called, has come and gone. And in many ways, Brazil, ably supported by their guests of 31 football squads from 31 countries across six continents, certainly put up a great display of football at the highest level of the sport over a period of 31 days. Next time out, in four years’ time to be precise, the football world turns its attention to Russia, where the 2018 edition of the quadrennial tournament, is scheduled to take place. Until then, many of the serious-minded football nations of the world will spend the time in-between planning towards the next world cup, identifying players who will, all things being equal, play a major part for their countries come June/July 2018 in the cold wintry conditions of Russia. It is really funny how, here in Nigeria, we always put out jingles during World Cup tournaments that allude to our number in population as well as our spirit as a nation. In the run-up to and during the recent World Cup in Brazil, different groups and corporations painted billboards and our television screens green-and-white with enthusiastic messages. One common thread that ran through the messages was “we have all it takes” to beat the best at the World Cup, perhaps, simply because we are Nigerians or Africans with a special indomitable spirit and population strength. Patriotism is all fine and good, and I could never see a sin in being optimistic. But then again, I believe that optimism must always be tempered with a healthy dose of rationality. As they say, luck is usually basically a case of preparation meeting opportunity at some point. And that is

part of our regular exotic stops on the 13 day passenger Liverpool -West Africa Route. As active youth, we could not understand the necessity of the Ghanaian military to bring Osagefo Nkrumah down and were devastated. Later while reading Kwame Nkrumah’s speeches alongside our Nigerian equivalent, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who never got to the top job here, I used to say that we were 10 years behind Ghana in everything. Everything, especially in activities of a political nature. Many Nigerians feel we arguably committed the greatest mistake of our modern history by not following the Rawlings execution by our own execution of our own almost permanently wayward leadership, political and military. We must juxtapose this with the rivers of blood and tears likely to flow from the court martial of our 98+12 Fellow Nigerians in uniform for protesting incompetence and unpreparedness for battle and being used as cannon fodder. I still remember visiting the famous Ghanaian Pa Adadevoh on Ikorodu Road in the 1960s. His daughter married into our family. Later I was taught Chemical Pathology by Professor Adadevoh and staying in his house during the strike that killed Kunle Adepeju. Late Doctor Ameyo Adadevoh was a child in the house. May Her Gentle Soul Rest In Perfect Peace. During their own recession, Ghanaians took economic refuge in teaching and other jobs in Nigeria. When they went home on leave, Ghanaians took toothpaste and toilet rolls. Then came the reactionary ‘Ghana Must Go’ and most went home determined to build. Ghana made a full recovery. Ghana never had oil until recently but still recovered, though the cedi has fallen dramatically through Western banking policies. When the economic downturn hit Nigeria, in spite of our oil wealth and First Gulf Oil Windfall of Babangida’s time, due to our incompetent and thieving rulership, we Nigerians in turn fled as economic refugees to Ghana and beyond, even reaching Spain through the island of Lampedusa. Why? Firstly it is easier to do business in Ghana -cheaper costs and stable electricity needed by the growing Nigerian manufacturing and professional community in Ghana. Secondly, it is education. There is a tsunami of students ‘fleeing’ Nigeria and paying to study in Ghana. This is in addition to the ocean of

students who, like our oil, are exported annually to the UK and Europe and USA as raw material and re-imported as professionals. The reasons are steady annual academic calendar, recognised qualifications and tranquillity on and offcampus although there are some deaths, not as many as in Nigeria from cultists. Thirdly, we are to import electricity from Ghana when we used to export to Ghana. Wonderful for Ghana but disgraceful for Nigeria. Ghana has become an oil state even as our oil exports are threatened. It is nearer by ship to the USA and EU. I only hope that Nigeria’s politicians and civil servants, all receiving national Honours like ‘CON-men’ etc., are ashamed enough to realise their responsibility in this catastrophic ‘Fall Of Nigeria From Beacon To Beggar’ due to their greed and failure. As we watch Ghana grow we must not be jealous. We had the opportunity and squandered it. We must implement diversification reforms and undress the federal government. Nigeria which no longer teaches history, geography, civics or has PE, Physical Education lessons must reform. Nigeria is losing its soul, its youth, to other countries. Who will lead ‘Nigeria’s Educational and Electricity Revolutionary Recovery’ after 30 years of ‘The Leper, Locust, Rat and Thief’? ‘If Ghana Can Do It, So Can We’.

‘I only hope that Nigeria’s politicians and civil servants, all receiving national Honours like ‘CON-men’ etc., are ashamed enough to realise their responsibility in this catastrophic ‘Fall Of Nigeria From Beacon To Beggar’ due to their greed and failure. As we watch Ghana grow we must not be jealous. We had the opportunity and squandered it. We must implement diversification reforms and undress the federal government’

Still on Brazil 2014 (1) where I have issues with our seemingly incurable optimism and unfathomable expectations on our sporting teams at each meet. Nigeria may have attended the World Cup as champions of the African continent, but that did not automatically make the Super Eagles a superior football outfit than any of the other teams which attended the tournament as nonchampions of their continents. The fallacy and hollowness of believing in the hype of attending the World Cup as champions from an African perspective, has been brutally exposed several times in the past as no African champion at the tournament had ever made it beyond the round of 16 matches. In fact, only once previously – Nigeria in 1994 - had a team attending the tournament as champions from Africa progressed out of the group stage of the World Cup in contemporary history of the FIFA tournament. And if we needed any further reminders, only last year, at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, Tahiti, which came into the tournament as Champions of Oceania, got heavily mauled by every team in their group, including Nigeria, scoring only a solitary goal (against Nigeria) in the process. At every sporting tournament, different teams or individuals, take part with varied levels of expectations. It is no less so at the World Cup where teams participate with their respective level of what to expect. Of course, the level of expectation is always tied to the level of preparation prior to the tournament. However, what the tourna-

‘…The hope is that by the time the next World Cup comes around, Africa and in particular, Nigeria, would have imbibed enough lessons from this latest failure at the grand global stage’

ment proved to all was that the foundation of a successful outing is built around the core ingredient of genuine player quality in addition to the overall individual and collective discipline of the team members and, of course, the passion to win. But then, it is worthy of note that passion alone does not drive a team forward without a good dose of any of the other ingredients. Brazil, for instance, wobbled along until they eventually fell flat on their face. This is because though they had some players of genuine quality, notably Neymar Da Silva, the poster boy of the tournament, they nevertheless didn’t quite have enough quality and balance throughout their team to make them into a full force of genuine tournament heavyweights to inspire much confidence in supporters and fear in opponents. In the absence of that, the team merely sought to feed on the nation’s fervor and the hope that Brazil’s reputation as five-time winners of the trophy and arguably the number one football nation in the world, would see the team through. Ordinarily, this would have worked in a field where the quality of the other teams was not as good as what Holland, Argentina, Colombia and the eventual winners, Germany, presented. However, in this case, Brazil suffered horribly because they had failed to get the proper mixture of the interplaying ingredients right whereas Germany did and duly triumphed. While Brazil seemed like a really bad car with only good bodywork and one or two other parts to brag about, some of the other teams were a clear example of Keke NAPEPs, hoping to triumph over Mercedes, Renault, etc, in a Formula 1 race – an absolute impossibility. From an African standpoint, no country stood any realistic chance of getting beyond the quarter-finals even if any had somehow managed to get to that stage of the competition. On paper and purely based on the

collection of players at their disposal and the clubs the players ply their trade with, Africa’s best hope at the tournament were perennial underachievers, the Cote d’Ivoire. But then the Elephants, as the Ivoirians are nicknamed, are considered underachievers because even on the continent, despite having had some of the continent’s finest football players for over a decade, in recent years, the team has always flattered to deceive as evident in the damning reality that the likes of Kolo Toure, Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure still do not have an African Cup of Nations’ medal to boast about. Invariably, assessment of Nigeria’s performance at the tournament ends up producing as many different takes as there are people willing to comment on it. On my own part, the truth is that we simply do not have the team and or players, and we have not had the type of players to really, based purely on quality, get beyond the round of 16 teams at the tournament. And I expressed same sentiments before and after the knock-out match against France on Monday, June, 30 – a match the Super Eagles lost 2 0, having acquitted themselves really well during the first half. One trend to support this is the argument that from the 16 teams that had qualified from the individual groups and were pitted against each other in a group-winner-versus-group-runner-up match-up, none of the group runners-up managed to knock out any group winner. This means that all the eight group winners progressed to the quarter-finals. Certainly, it is simplistic to merely look at it in such a black-and-white manner. A few of the runner-ups surely gave their group winner opponents a tough time before getting eliminated eventually. Costa Rica, for instance, eliminated Greece on penalties after 120 minutes, same way as Brazil eliminated Chile. Mexico came agonizingly

Dele Agekameh close to upsetting Holland before losing 2 -1 to two goals from the Dutch in the closing minutes and into injury time. The USA were, perhaps, even more valiant, dragging Belgium through 120 minutes of football before succumbing to a 2-1 defeat also. The two finalists did not also have things all their own way as Argentina only knocked Switzerland out having been dragged through an extra 30 minutes of football following a stalemate over 90 minutes. Germany, on the other hand, had to stave off stubborn resistance from Algeria, arguably Africa’s best, most balanced and disciplined team at the tournament. The Algerians also dragged the eventual champions through extra time before their European opponents’ extra quality eventually told. In the end, it is worthy of note that only Colombia’s 2-0 victory against Uruguay, and Nigeria’s defeat to France by a similar score line were the only straightforward affairs for any of the winners. The reality, however, was that it was no mere coincidence that, in each case, the group winner had that extra quality in fortitude, stamina, star quality or tactical know-how to overcome the challenge of a group runner-up en route the quarter-final. • (To be continued) Send reactions to: 08058354382 (SMS only)

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

COMMENTS ‘Nigeria has become a lawless country where lawless leaders are governing. How on earth can a man seeking to be governor be victimising the same people he wants to govern? It is painful that Ekiti that is known for being a state of honour has been turned to a state of anarchy by a man who does not believe in the rule of law. Fayose and his backers are celebrating arrogance in Ekiti, forgetting that he who fails to humble himself always ends up disgraced. I want Fayose and those that are backing him to understand that Ekiti is not for rascals as the Ekiti people would resist any unholy attitude. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa, Lagos’

• Jonathan For Dare Olatunji Sir, your piece on Ekiti’s Fayose foretells the trend of impunity Nigerians should expect during and after the 2015 elections. The PDP and its followers are primed to muzzle all agents of civilized social order to remain relevant in the country. The moral question is ‘when will the mass of Nigerians revolt against the unbridled violence of our collective psyche? Sir, remember the Arab spring? Therein lies our salvation. From PHILLIPS.Ilaro,Ogun state. Sir, Naturally, the ethos of good breeding, nobility, robust conscience, selflessness and integrity should not be expected from certified reprobates and absconding felons who ought to be in jail but are highly honoured in any society/country. Should Mr Ayodele Fayose not have allowed civility to prevail in place of repulsive conduct? It is so sad. Now, the leader of PDP, who sponsored the governor-elect, is yet to say a word. Are the leaders of PDP conscious of the verdict of history with their drab approach to governance and surreptitious moves to rule the country again? From ADEGOKE O O, IKHIN, EDO STATE. Sir, I feel terribly ashamed as a yoruba man of the incident playing out in Ekiti State. As a student in the 80’s I was a beneficiary of a Judicial Judgement. Again in year 2008, I again benefited from a judgement which though one may consider delayed but very instructive. It has therefore made me to believe in the sanctity of the courts. i therefore find it very repulsive that a character that calls himself a Governor elect in a

HE Jonathan Actualization Movement (JAM), a rather obscure association of rooting for re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan purportedly held its town hall meeting on September 21 at Giginya Hotel Sokoto. Much as we were not bothered by their “Town Hall” meeting, the heap of lies about Sokoto State contained in their programme of events attracted our attention. It is very clear that JAM is just out to deceive the unsuspecting general public with their array of lies in their desperation to market an unmarketable commodity. Yes, they have the right to pursue their desperation but that does not allow them to play with the intelligence of the people through lies. The obvious fact is that, the North West town hall meeting was only a money-making venture for the organizers with a bunch of hired agents, as the average Sokoto resident was not aware of any such meeting which was not publicized. Part of the achievement touted by the group for the Jonathan administration in Sokoto State is the Lagos-Sokoto railway project ‘approved’ in March 2014. How could somebody in his right frame of mind bring into focus an ‘approved’ project that is yet to leave the drawing board as an executed project? The good people of Sokoto State do not know anything about this railway dream; besides, the Jonathan administration is notorious for jumping the gun in awarding over-ambitious contracts. To an ordinary Sokoto man, the Jonathan administration is zero in terms of capital projects. Another blunder is the over-exaggerated rehabilitation of Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto Road. Why would the Jonathan administration appropriate to itself what it did not do? The rehabilitation of this road started during the days of PTF under General Muhammadu Buhari right through to the Obasanjo era. The fact of the matter is that none of the repaired roads are in Sokoto State. This gargantuan lie has further exposed the desperation of the group to obfuscate facts in order to delude their principal. Again, on dry season farming, JAM was just holding onto anything that came its way. Otherwise, what in concrete terms has Jonathan administration donein Sokoto State to promote dry season farming? We challenge JAM to

State of Honour (Ile Iyi, Ile Eye) could behave in such discretable manner. It is really food for thougt for all yorubas, moreso for all Ekiti indigenes. From Lanre Atoyebi. Governor-elect Ayo Fayose acts of accompanied thugs to beats judge and other judiciary works, is very unfortunate and the beginning of what Ekiti state people will see in the next four years of his government. This is an indication of wrong chosen of stomach infrastructure instead of good leader. From Chika Nnorom For Gbenga Omotoso I have protested that the’ eminent’ Yoruba man of our time; the great mobilizer and US drug indicted name is missing. Mr Buruji. Definitely it’s a deliberate oversight on the FG part to exclude him. Anonymous. It is a pity that criminals are the one having a better day in Nigeria of today. I congratulate those ones that deserve the honour and pity those ones that know inside of them that they don’t merit the honour, they have taken sandpaper and we all know sandpaper don’t digest. God bless Nigeria. From Yemi,Ibadan. Sir, I join you in your broad smile or is it “laughter” on “That big show in Abuja”. One day for Nigeria. The people MUST be delivered from this charade. From Ken Amanze, Owerri, Imo State. The inclusion of Governor David Jang on the national award list actually pissed me off. As at the time of sending this text, plateau workers are owed three months salary arrears. Anonymous Sir, your write up today is classic, timely and very rewarding. May the ink of your pen never dry sir. From Andy Sir, I was initially angry when I started reading your Editorial Notebook about “THAT BIG SHOW IN ABUJA”. I got a relieve afterward because the piece was an intelligent ‘ena’ for

the wise. The message is timely. Well-done. Anonymous Gbenga, please be informed that the piece about the result of the election of the NGF is 16 (Jang) and 19 (Amaechi). Please check your facts well. From Kola Sir: Re that big show in Abuja: Of all the recipients of the national awards, the one that merits it most is the chef or cook to the president the simple reason is that it’s not easy to garnish the presidents food(s) at the right proportions with no ingredients overshadowing one and other considering the meagre allocation “a mere #1billion as yearly feeding allowance of our own president. The chef or cook or steward or whatever must have put his utmost frugal ability at the service of the nation. From Dr Tunde Obaoye, Lagos. For Tunji Adegboyega Re: The president and the proverbial lizard. Honestly speaking, Jonathan performed in some aspects, lagged behind and kept thinking about some. In major road projects, I give his administration kudos. In power, he was misled into concluding the sale of the power plants because it won’t be the solution to the country’s power problems. Nigerians, if cleansed of corruption by a forceful leader (FG) can deal with the power problem. Massive insecurity caught him unawares! He delayed in acting hard initially and damage had been done by the time he started to hit the terrorists hard. He has achieved excellently in banking. By acceding to ASUU’s demands and the allied groups he has shown he is a listening president. He needs help from all of us by way of suggestions on solutions to the issues. Anonymous On “Ekiti, a dress rehearsal?” It is extremely barbaric that thuggery could be carried that far with impunity. Whether a judge would be

biased or not, let there be judgment first. The Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court are there. After all, despite the backyard impeachment in 2006 of Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, he eventually got justice and governed at last. I pray someone’s innate sight would not be destroyed to further spite and again destroy the outer sight. However, all should be cautious of allowing a sleeping dog to lie. Having lost an election, people should stop passing through the backyard, thinking of hope for reversal where there is none. From Lanre Oseni. Dear Tunji, I have just finished reading your write-up in The Nation newspaper of October 5 captioned “The president and the proverbial lizard” with a lot of fury and would like to ask, “What do you people from the west and The Nation Newspaper want from the president”? If he eats, you would criticise him, if he doesn’t you will … Anonymous. Good day sir. Thanks a million times for a fine piece. But sir, what is happening to our Page 3 man? From Chief Ukpa, Akwa Ibom State. Jonathan’s self-assessment on Nigeria’s 54th Independence celebration was a nice piece. Anonymous. Tunji, I read the president’s speech and noticed that he said nothing about corruption. So, how can he boast of having achieved much? Have a good Sunday. Anonymous, Makurdi, Benue State. Nigeria has become a lawless country where lawless leaders are governing. How on earth can a man seeking to be governor be victimising the same people he wants to govern? It is painful that Ekiti that is known for being a state of honour has been turned to a state of anarchy by a man who does not believe in the rule of law. Fayose and his backers are celebrating arrogance in Ekiti, forgetting that he who fails to humble himself always ends up disgraced. I want Fayose and those that are backing him to understand that Ekiti is not for rascals as the Ekiti people would resist any unholy attitude. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa, Lagos. Nigeria is 54, good; because we got our independence on a platter of gold. But, what progress have we made since then? It is very sad and painful that things are still the way they are in the country despite the enormous resources at our disposal. At 54, we should have advanced in every sector due to our endowments; indeed, there should have been no excuse for failure. All the leaders in the three tiers of government should henceforth dwell on good governance rather than keep thinking of how to enrich themselves. Ekiti State voters have made a wrong choice due to ‘stomach infrastructure’ but beating up judges is a big embarrassment. From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

The many lies of Jonathanians By Sahabi Garba come forward with a detailed summary of what the administration did to move the state forward in the area of dry season farming. Long before now Sokoto State has never lacked strategies to mainstream western and Quránic education. In fact, the present administration in Sokoto State has done and is still doing wonderfully well in the area of marrying Islamiyyah School with Western education. The Almajiri Schools project copied from Wamakko’s administration is seemingly a national programme not restricted to Sokoto State alone, so how could anyone single it out as a Sokoto affair? JAM lied about the provision of improved cotton seedlings free of charge to farmers. When was that done, how many farmers benefited, and where in Sokoto State is cotton being mass-produced? Sokoto, to be sure, is no more a cotton producing state. Another massive lie is about the desertification control project: the so-called presidential initiative on afforestation, whatever that means. Perhaps one needs clearance on this particular initiative; we do not know anything in tangible terms that the Jonathan administration did to control desertification in the state. It is on record that the current administration in the state has engaged itself in concrete desert control efforts through tree planting exercises in all the 23 local government areas and the establishment of a Ministry for Environment. Within the seven years of this administration in Sokoto, more than 357 kilometres of shelter belts have been established and this can be seen in every local government. The 2010 floods that ravaged parts of Sokoto State exposed the nonchalance of the Jonathan administration to the welfare of its people. When the floods occurred with over seven bridges destroyed and communities from over nine local government areas cut off, it took the federal government three months to respond with its so-called palliative. Immediately after the floods, the administration in the state

mobilized men and materials including heavy duty machineries and spent whooping sums to cushion the devastating effects of the disaster. The state government has since resettled many of the victims in the houses it built for them. JAM needs to be reminded that, it was an administration with the listening ears that is in place in Sokoto which mobilized tipper lorries from the 23 local government areas, other heavy duty equipments and resources to move to the site of the broken bridges and damaged roads at Usmanu Danfodio University, Moore and Illela road. These heavy machineries succeeded in moving into and a ‘bridge’ was organized which served as a link for more than two years. The roads and bridges in these places were federal government owned but Sokoto State government came to the rescue to restore communication and socio- economic activities among dislocated communities. The construction of the bridge by the federal government began three years after the floods, and it is still under construction. What manner of concern for the welfare of the people is this as being illustrated by the Jonathan administration? What has Jonathan administration done for Sokoto in the area of Primary Health Care through SURE-P? It is more convincing now that JAM is harping on fairy tales to showcase their principal as a performer. What an average Sokoto man knows about projects on Primary Health Care are the health care centres built in each of the 10 wards of the 23 Local Government areas of the State, employment of over 1700 health workers to man them and the recent distribution by Muhammadu Buhari of 230 ambulances to the health centres purchased by the state government. Unity Schools are the property of the federal government, so even if a library was constructed in the only Unity School in the state, does the average Sokoto man know? How does that make life more bearable for him? In the brochure circulated by JAM to its hire-

lings in its desperate bid to propagate falsehood, it mentioned the e-wallet system in the distribution of inputs to farmers; it is myopic of JAM to count this as a blessing of the Jonathan administration. Even in states where phone system was deployed, it never worked. What does an average rural farmer know about e-wallet system? The only thing our farmers here know is the timeliness with which the present state administration supplies them with subsidized fertilizers and inputs. An example is the recent launching of 1000 units of mini hand tractors or tiller machines to farmers in addition to 1000 tractors earlier distributed. The Shagari irrigation project was constructed during the Obansanjo administration, so why should JAM now appropriate its provision to the Jonathan administration? This is another shameless claim by the organization to deceive the people. Is the Sokoto International Airport a state government’s property? If JAM wants to reach the ordinary Sokoto man, would they convince him that President Jonathan has rehabilitated the airport for him? What does an airport mean to a rural dweller who has never used an aircraft before? The silos, JAM is talking about, are not the creation of the Jonathan administration as they were constructed way back during the military era. The Goronyo Dam was last touched by the federal government during the Obasanjo administration, when the president visited the site. It is very uncharitable for anyone to have mentioned Sokoto water supply as part of the Goronyo Dam rehabilitation by Jonathan. In case JAM choses to forget, during Labaran Maku’s infamous media tour, Sokoto State was skipped because the Jonathan administration has virtually nothing to show. When the organizers failed to locate any project that could be ascribed to President Jonathan and were also not encouraged to make claims on those executed by administration preceding his, the media tour to Sokoto was shelved. If the JAM and President Jonathan honestly believe Sokoto people have benefited from the administration, 2015 would be payback time. The verdict of Sokoto people would vindicate the claims. •Garba writes from Sokoto

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net Stories by Taofik Salako

‘Entertainment, media revenues to hit $8.5bn ’

Controversial Total’s Egina $3.5b FPSO project begins

Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor)

IGERIA’s entertainment and media revenues will reach an estimated US$8.5bn in 2018, more than doubling from the 2013 figure of US$4.0 billion at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.1 per cent. This is contained in the recently released The Outlook report issued by Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC). This, the report said, “represents one of the fastest growth rates in the world.” According to the report, “the Internet will be the key driver for Nigeria, where the number of mobile Internet subscribers is forecast to surge from 7.7 million in 2013 to 50.4 million in 2018.” Increased Internet access the report stated “will generate more consumer spend than any other media product or service in the next five years in the African entertainment and media industry. “Television in the form of advertising and subscriptions and licence fees, will also become a US$1 billion-plus market in 2018, while the market will grow steadily” the report said. The Outlook also includes detailed information for South Africa, and Kenya in each of the 12 industry segments. Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment & Media Industries Leader for PwC South Africa, noted that “growth in the South African entertainment and media industry is largely being driven by the Internet and by consumers’ love of new technology, in particular mobile technology, such as smartphones and tablets, as well as applications powered by data analytics and cloud services. Technology is increasingly being driven by consumers’ needs and expectations.” The fifth edition of PwC’s Entertainment and Media Outlook’ presents annual historical data for 2009-2013 and provides annual forecasts for 2014-2018 in 12 entertainment and media segments. The Outlook includes historical and forecast data on the Internet, television, filmed entertainment, radio, recorded music, consumer magazine publishing, newspaper publishing, consumer and educational book publishing, business-to-business publishing, out-of-home advertising, video games, and sports with detailed breakdown of these sectors. Aside from the Internet, The Outlook predicts that the fastest growth will be seen in video games and radio, which will enjoy growth rates at nine per cent and 8.2 per cent respectively. “Video games has made the greatest transition to digital, largely due to the popularity of mobile gaming, but also because of the increased potential for digital distribution of console games,” adds Myburgh. The study projects that 27 per cent of console revenues are forecast to be digital in 2018.

NLNG is one of the biggest success stories in our country. From what I am told, the company has invested $13 billion so far since inception, and has become a pacesetter in terms of revenue generation for the government. -Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga

HE construction of the Total’s Egina field’s floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, has begun, two years behind the scheduled time due to conflict between the principal contractor, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Lagos Deep Offshore Logistic Base (LADOL), a sub-contractor and one of the local vehicles to the FPSO project. The ground breaking ceremony to mark the commencement of execution of the project was performed in Lagos by all the representatives of the relevant stakeholders including Samsung, LADOL Integrated Logistics Enterprise, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Total Upstream Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Nigerian Export and

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

Processing Zones Authority and the Nigerian Ports Authority. The FPSO contract was enmeshed in controversy from inception when LADOL, which supposed to carry out some fabrication work for the vessel in line with the local content requirement, was alleged to lack the capacity to do the volume of tonnage allotted it. The development resulted in court case, which was just resolved. With the case resolved, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and LADOL Integrated Logistics Enterprise formed a new company that will solely handle the FPSO project, which is called SMI-MCI FZE (Samsung Heavy Industries –Mega Construction Integration Free Zone). As a result of the lengthy legal tussle, the cost of the FPSO which was initially $3.2 billion was in-

creased by $300 million even when construction of the vessel has not started. Some industry stakeholders said that the cost of the vessel may still go up in view of the delay. Fielding questions from reporters during the ground breaking ceremony, Samsung General Manager, Frank Ejizu, said: “Yes we had slight delay in the project at the initial stage, which has been resolved and the delay will in no way impact on the cost of the project. It was just a delay between us and LADOL. It will not have any significant impact on the cost of the project. If you listened to our presentation, the fabrication project will be completed by end of 2016 while the integration work will start in January 2017. “ The Chairman of LADOL, Chief Oladipo Jadesimi also corroborated that. He said: “On the

so-called legal tussle, there were some unresolved issues between Samsung and LADOL, which ended in a slight disagreement and the parties went to court but I can assure you that in line with international best practices, parties didn’t allow such a huge project with significant implication for the Nigerian economy to stay too long in court and parties sorted their difference out in the overall interest of the Nigerian economy and this project. You can see we are on course, all outstanding issues have been resolved, the case in court has been withdrawn and we are set to go. “On employment, this project at peak period will employ 1,500 people but all these people will not be employed at the same time because the project is in phases. We will employ a minimum of 1,500 people at the peak period of this project.

•From left:Registrar, Achitect Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON). Arc. Sale Mohammed Yunusa; President, Arc. Umaru Aliyu; Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Mrs Akon Etim Eyakenyi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr.Ezekiel Oyemomi;, Director Architectural Services, Arc. Sani Gidado, during the inauguration of ARCON’s Board in Abuja.

Fed Govt will acheive 20,000Mw target soon’

HE Federal Government is planning to achieve a target of 20,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity before 2020, despite gas and other infrastructural problems facing the sector, the Director-General, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), Rueben Okeke, has said. The government is targeting 20,000 megawatts of electricity, as part of efforts to become one of the best economies in the world by 2020. The initiative, contained in the Financial Strategy Services (FSS) blueprints introduced to identify and further develop sectors that are key to the realisation of the dream, has seen government expecting 20,000 megawatts

By Akinola Ajibade

from power. Okeke told The Nation the feat is achievable in view of the proactive measures undertaken by the government to develop the sector. He said the sales of the unbundled assets of Power Holding Company of Nigeria(PHCN) to new private investors, the planned sales of the National Independent Power Plants(NIPPs), forming of partnership with international energy solution firms among others would help the country to achieve its goal. He said: ‘’ The power generation companies(GENCOs) are expected to increase electricity generation, the NIPPs will deliver 5,000 megawatts, the decision of the Ministry of Power to

sign Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) with Electric(GE), Siemen, and other foreign companies and other initiatives would help in increasing power generation. We have various Independent Power Plants(IPPs) programmes coming up as well. With all these, I think we should be able to have an installed capacity of 20,000Mw by 2020.’’ According to him, the country has enough gas to meet its domestic needs, supply markets abroad among meeting other needs. He said the government is solving problems relating to gas infrastructure, adding that accessibility of gas by the power firms would soon be a thing of the past.

‘’ The gas is available. But the fact is that you need to gather the gas together before you can supply power firms. The fixing of infrastructure is going on . I’m very optimistic that we are going to have gas. And if we have gas, we are going to have 20,000Mw in the next six years. The Minister of Petroleum Resources (Alison DiezaniMadueke), the Minister of Power (Prof Chinedu Nebo ) the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) and others recently met to discuss modus operandi to make gas available .I believe with what the government is doing now, there should be availability of gas that would power all the power stations soon.’’ he added.

Glo unveils Mobile Tutor By Lucas Ajanaku

LOBACOM has made learning easier for primary and secondary school students in the country as it launches a unique educational app called Glo Mobile Tutor. The national operator said at the demonstration of the offering at the Globacom Headquarters in Lagos that the application is a mobile-based educational application that provides a more convenient and easier way for students at both Junior and Secondary schools to learn and successfully prepare for examinations. According to the telco, tha app comes with full Junior and Secondary school curricula that have been specially designed to provide instant knowledge and prepare students for examinations. The application is rich in content such as live video lectures, timed mock exams, structured assignments, revision videos and talk to counsel. In her address during the launch, Sales Director, Glo 1 Enterprise, Bolanle Ogundogba said “Globacom is committed to the development and education of the Nigerian child. The Mobile Tutor provides instant knowledge and puts the power of education within the reach of every child in all the 774 local government areas of Nigeria.” She explained that “Glo, having realised that there’s a relatively low literacy rate in Nigeria and Africa, due to deficits in educational infrastructure and insufficient manpower needed to impart knowledge, found the need to introduce this service with the application and contents provided by Roducate.” The innovation is loaded with both West African and British Curricula and has been endorsed by the relevant educational bodies such as the The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), the National Educational Research Development Council (NERDC) and Federal Ministry of Communication Technology Ogundogba assured Nigerians of Globacom’s continued support for education because of its believe that good education makes a great nation and encouraged parents and guardians to avail their children and wards of this laudable technology with its pocket-friendly tariffs and rates. The Glo Mobile Tutor is one of the many innovations that Globcom has introduced as part of its commitment to better the lives of Nigerians. The plan is open to both new and existing subscribers. Ogundogba said that Globacom is building the best and biggest global telecommunication brand focused on supporting the people with a reliable platform to enable them reach their fullest potentials. To enjoy the service, subscribers are required to text EDUW to 4244 at N75 weekly, or EDUM to 4244 at N150 monthly, she concluded.

Banks, switches get PZ Nigeria Plc: Continuing its Entrepreneur finds success in November deadline for data winning streak herbal products security - P28 - P39 - P 26

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

THE NATION

BUSINESS MONEY

e-mail: money@thenationonlineng.net

Banks, switches get November deadline for data security

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended banks, switches and processors’ compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) till November 30. The PCI DSS is a proprietary information security standard for organisations that handle cardholder information for the major debit, credit, prepaid, e-purse, Automated Teller Machines, and Point of Sale (PoS) cards. The standard was created to increase controls around cardholder data to reduce credit card fraud via its exposure. In a circular to banks, switches and processors, signed by CBN Director, Banking Payment System, ‘Dipo Fatokun, said the need to extend the deadline followed requests by many banks seeking more time to enable them complete the certification process. He said to determine the readiness of various operators; the CBN

Stories by Collins Nweze

engaged the services of three Qualified Security Assessors to conduct pre-certification assessment of the banks. The result, he said, showed that while many banks have complied with the certification, many are still at different stages of compliance, adding that with this extension, banks, processors and switches are expected to comply before the end of the deadline. The validation of PCI DSS compliance, is performed yearly, either by an external Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) that creates a Report on Compliance (RoC) for organisations handling large volumes of transactions, or by SelfAssessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for companies handling smaller volumes. The CBN had earlier released card issuance and use guidelines for the financial services sector.

Fatokun said the power to issue the guideline was derived from Section 47 (3) of the CBN Act 2007. He said industry stakeholders who process, transmit, and or store cardholder information should ensure that their terminals, applications and processing infrastructure comply with the minimum requirements for the sector. He said that all terminals, applications and processing infrastructure, should also comply with the standards specified by the various card schemes, adding that only banks licenced by the CBN with clearing capacity shall issue payment cards to consumers and corporations in the country. Fatokun explained that banks without clearing capacity can issue in conjunction with those with clearing capacity, stating that all banks should seek approval from the CBN for each card brand they wish to issue.

‘Money laundering, terrorism financing rate worrisome’

HREATS posed by money laundering (ML) and Terrorist Financing (TF) to West Africa have become pronounced over the past decade, the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), has said. In a statement, the agency regretted that knowledge of the two phenomena and the various dimensions of their manifestations are low in the region, adding that a critical factor responsible for this low level of knowledge in the region, is the dearth of local expertise to enable the generation and deepening of knowledge in the emerging field of ML/TF. To bridge the gap, GIABA initiated an Annual AML/CFT Research Grant to build regional capacity for research on ML/TF. The funds will assist in facilitating the conduct of short-term studies on identified research topics. The body has through the grant, been empowering the civil society in Ghana in the implementation of

AML/CFT Measures; Financial Inclusion and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Standards in Sierra Leone and Money Laundering Through Non-Profit Organisations in West Africa, among other interventions. The agency has also been involved in the development of effective civil society interventions for managing cross-border cash flows in the informal sector. It said the report on Financial Inclusion and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT) standards in Sierra Leone, which assessed the link between financial inclusion and AML/CFT, showed that while the former helped to lower ML/ TF risks, a wholesale implementation of the latter without regard to the economic and financial peculiarities of the country, could exclude most poor individuals and households from the formal banking and financial systems and, by extension, undermine AML/CFT efforts.

How to facilitate financial inclusion

• From left: Deputy Director, Central Bank of Nigeria, Ahonkhai Franklin; Chief Risk Officer, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Greg Jobome with the Environmental Services Consultant, Environmental Accord, Ibrahim Salau at the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles Pre-Reporting Workshop hosted by the bank in Lagos.

Banks may raise $2.5b in bonds

ANKS may raise about $2.5 billion this year, compared with the $2 billion they raised in 2013, according to FBN Capital, the investment-banking unit of FBN Holdings Plc. Analysts said international debt sales are becoming common as yields on Nigerian Eurobonds due in July, 2023, declined 96 basis points this year. That compares with an average of 35 basis-point drop in emerging-market yields, according to Bloomberg indexes. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in August changed the way

lenders calculate capital buffers. The regulator ordered banks it considered too big to fail to boost minimum capital ratios to 16 per cent last year, compared with 10.5 per cent for South African lenders, which control most of the continent’s banking assets. “Capital adequacy for many of the banks will be close to the minimum” once the changes are taken into account, Mike Nwanolue, an analyst at Lagos-based Greenwich Trust Group Ltd. told Bloomberg. The CBN removed some assets lenders can count as capital in

preparation for the implementation of Basel II and III, while limiting Tier 2 capital to 33 percent of Tier 1 capital, according to an August 5 circular from the regulator. Minimum capital requirements for lenders with operations outside the country was kept at 15 percent and at 10 percent for those with interests only in Nigeria. The changes will shave 100 to 400 basis points off the capital adequacy ratios of most banks, Adesoji Solanke, an analyst at Renaissance Capital in Lagos, said.

AfDB inaugurates $35m capacity building project

HE African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched a public financial and macroeconomic management capacitybuilding project worth $35 million. It was approved by the bank’s board last December. The inauguration came at a workshop in Khartoum, Sudan, presided over by the State Minister of Finance and National Economy, Magdi Yasin, and attended by government officials from the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, Central Bank of Sudan, Taxation Chamber, Khartoum Stock Exchange, and Customs Authorities. The AfDB was represented by Suwareh Darbo, Officer-in-Charge

(OIC) of the Sudan Field Office. In a statement, the bank said the workshop was also attended by staff, including Camille Karamaga, the Project Task Manager; Tadesse Melaku, Financial Analyst; and Asaye Adal Fasil, Procurement. The project’s overarching objective is to build and enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in the use of public resources, macroeconomic policy and debt management through strengthening of institutions and capacity building. The minister hailed the bank’s continuous support to Sudan, promising to provide the utmost support to the project team to effectively implement this important project. The minister said the project was

essential for better management of public resources in the context of the government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. For his side, the OIC of the Sudan Field Office, underscored the fact that the realisation of the project bears is a concrete testimony to both the bank’s and the government’s commitment to financial governance, which is critical for the country to realise its development aspirations. The OIC also emphasised the project’s alignment with the pillars of the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP) and the National Development Plan (2012 to 2016), both of which strengthen governance and institutional capacity in the public sector.

HE Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN), has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation to facilitate the realisation of CBN’s financial literacy/inclusion objective and inculcate appropriate banking habits and culture in people. The group stressed its commitment in rallying bank customers and consumers of banking and financial services for the promotion and protection of their interest in the face of daunting challenges against them. The BCAN said that banking should be conducted based on acceptable values and best practices. It said the group would intensify efforts at fostering mutual understanding, trust and confidence between banks and their customers through customer education so as to strengthen and ensure the realisation of CBN’s financial literacy/ inclusion and other programmes. “The BCAN should also organise awareness programmes in the areas of Guide to Bank Charges, Fi-

nancial Literacy and Inclusion as well as Banking Policies, Regulations, Products/Services for the benefit of consumers in particular and stakeholders in general. The group should also collaborate and partner with organisations and individuals who share its vision and objectives in order to be able to extend its services to the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, for positive multiplier effect,” it said. Continuing, the group said that henceforth, it would create sustainable platform for the provision of advisory and counseling services in banking and finance to its members and the interested public in order to deepen their knowledge and ability to make the right financial decisions and choices. The group would also work closely with the regulatory and supervisory authorities to ensure that banks are held accountable for any unethical, unprofessional and risky products, services and practices they introduce into the financial system and to customers/consumers.

CBN advises MDAs on remittances

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has asked Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to adopt e-payment channels for their transactions. Salaries, pensions and suppliers and taxes are to be paid using the electronic channels. The policy applies to organisations with over 50 employees. In a circular, the apex bank said the process would reduce time and transaction costs, minimise leakages in government revenue receipts, provide reliable audit systems and make it comply with global payment standards. The policy is also expected to ensure confidentiality of transactions. CBN said, henceforth, payment instructions and associated schedules are no longer to be transmitted to banks by organisations in the public and private sectors through unsecured channels, such as paper-based mandates, flash drives, compact discs, and email attachments. The transactions, the bank said, must be routed through bank approved electronic platforms, which

transmits the instruction to debit a payer’s account and credit that of a beneficiary, mobile account, electronic wallet or other electronic channels. It will include the ability of a payer to monitor and obtain electronic feedback on the status of any payment, without depending on any third party, manual or semimanual means. Draft guidelines that will ratify the policy have been sent to commercial banks and payment service providers. The exercise is in line with the CBN Act, 2007, Section 47, Sub Section 2(2d). It said the policy aligns with the National Payment Systems Vision 2020 (NPSV), which is aimed at ensuring the availability of safe and effective mechanisms for making and receiving various payments from any location and at any time. The CBN said all public and private sector organisations, which relates with employees, pensioners, suppliers, taxpayers and others, are considered as stakeholders required working for the success of the policy.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

MONEY As Access Bank prepares for its Rights Issues expected to yield N68 billion, the lender has continued to highlight key attributes of the offer in favour of existing shareholders, saying it makes the offer irresistible to investors, report SIMEON EBULU and COLLINS NWEZE.

Access Bank: Seeking fresh capital to deepen operation S AVVY investors know where to put their money. As Access Bank Nigeria Plc prepares to give investors fresh opportunity to invest in it. Many investors with eyes on good returns on their investment know that it is an opportunity they cannot afford to miss, said the bank’s Deputy Group Managing Director, Obinna Nwosu. He said the lender will be raising N68 billion capital through Rights Issues. He advised shareholders to take up their rights when the issue begins, as the bank has proven its ability to deliver superior returns on investment. The bank chief also listed some of the major attributes that makes Access Bank an institution of choice for investors.

Strengths Nwosu said the bank has Capital Adequacy Ratio of 21 per cent, and has seven banking subsidiaries. The lender also employs 3,192 professional staff working in 366 branches. The lender has 1,042 ATMs, with 11,846 Point of Sale channels. He said with a vision of becoming one of the most respected banks in Africa, Access Bank has grown to be the top five banks in Nigeria, stating that between 2002 and 2007, the bank ranked among the top 10 lenders in the country. “That feat was triggered by its role as a dominant trade finance bank; top three foreign exchange and money market bank and model of compliance in the banking industry,” he said. Nwosu, who spoke in company of other Senior officials of the bank, including the Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Roosevelt Ogbonna at a media briefing in Lagos, said that between 2007 and 2012, the bank emerged among the top five in the financial services group, adding that this was achieved based on its reference point of Service Delivery; leading e-business support bank; employee of choice in Africa; reference point for corporate governance; attainment of high independent credit rating and as a top five trade finance lender. Looking ahead, he said the lender has a vision that by 2017, it would become the most respected African Bank. “To attain this, the lender wants to achieve the top three position by all financial metrics; become a reference point for technology; sustain high independent agency; become a leading project and structured finance bank, as well as best treasury and financial market bank in the country,” he said.

Reasons to Invest in Access Bank On his part, Ogbonna said that investors should consider the fact that Access Bank is a Tier-1 Bank with Robust financial indicators, Enlarged resource base with strong upside potentials, credible leadership with a clear focus on value creation for shareholders and strong returns for investors. He listed Capital appreciation

& dividend payout, attractive market price trading at a 0.9 times its discount book value, strong corporate governance, shareholder management practices and window of opportunity in rapidly expanding and consolidating banking sector, as other enticing indicators. He also said that the bank has demonstrated capacity in integrating and extracting value from acquisitions, has actively traded stock with a robust shareholder base and a track record of strong performance; kept every promise made since 2002. He said Nigeria continues to be a compelling story with significant growth opportunity. Access Bank is fully embedded as a Nigerian Tier-1 Bank and completed our transition to a large diversified financial institution. “Also, enhancement of Tier 1 capital is imperative to enable us exploit the market opportunities and achieve our vision, whilst delivering superior shareholder value,” he said, adding that the bank is poised to building and leveraging on resources and benefits of being a large diversified financial institution.

Where to invest the fund The bank’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Seyi Kumapayi, said the lender will deploy the N68 billion on its working capital to boost lending and support Information Technology (IT) upgrade. The CFO said part of the funds will also be deployed on branch expansion, renovation and facility upgrade, as well as replacement of obsolete equipment. He said Nigeria with 170 million people, enjoys stable political and economic environment as well as excellent demographics, thus making the business environment exciting. He said the lender has overtime, consistently delivered superior returns to its shareholders. “We have shown that we can integrate and add value to institutions based on our successful acquisition of Intercontinental Bank,” he said. Kumapayi said the lender has Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) bonds worth N65 billion, which will mature and be retired this month. He described Access Bank as a Tier 1 bank with robust financial indicators, enlarged resource base, with strong upside potentials, credible leadership with a clear focus on value crea-

tion for shareholders. The bank, he added, also enjoys strong returns for investors –capital appreciation and dividend payout. The bank is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange. On timing for the Rights Issue, the CFO said the timing is right. He said shareholders have been contacted and they approved the time frame for the Rights Issue. “Our shareholders have approved the Rights Issue. We have been on it for a long time during which we engaged both local and international investors,” he said.

Shareholders The bank’s shareholders are expected to vote on October 13 on the proposal to sell shares to existing investors. Banks are preparing to sell equity and debt after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) changed the way lenders calculate capital buffers. The CBN is seeking to increase banks’ ability to withstand losses five years after the AMCON bought bad debts from banks to save the industry from collapse. The regulator removed some assets lenders can count as capital in preparation for the implementation of Basel II and III, while limiting Tier 2 capital to 33 per cent of higher-quality Tier 1 capital, according to an August 5 circular. The lender announced in April that it has received shareholders’ approval to raise $1 billion, including through debt and equity to fund lending targeted to rise to 20 per cent this year.

Sustainable banking Access Bank is also a strong converser for the implementation of sustainable banking principles by lenders. Its Chief Risk Officer, Dr. Gregory Ovie Jobome recently called on stakeholders in the Nigeria Sustainable Banking Principles (NSBP) to follow uniform reporting standards for them to achieve the desired objective. Speaking at the NSBP Pre-Reporting Workshop held in Lagos, he said stakeholders needed to ensure that they formulate policies that will enable them achieve their sustainable banking objectives. The workshop was organised by Access Bank. He said operators needed to ensure that issues around human rights, environmental sectors to the bank and other critical issues are reported uniformly.

• Access Bank GMD/CEO Herbert Wigwe

The Managing Director of Sustainable Finance Limited, Carey Bohjanen, said banks should think through the NSBP and implement them. She said the NSBP is a regulatory requirement that lenders have to adhere to because it is also cost-saving. She said in line with global trends on sustainability, the CBN, on March 6, issued the NSBPs reporting template to banks, discount houses and development finance institutions for compliance. The purpose of the reporting template, she added, is to provide reporting institutions with a uniform format for reporting their implementation efforts. To successfully implement the guidelines, she said, it is necessary for reporting institutions to have an implementation plan with realistic timelines, stressing that all hands must be on deck to ensure successful implementation of the NSBPs. She said the reporting template developed by the CBN will encourage consistency in reporting by banks, discount houses and development finance institutions, as well as provide the CBN with a standard for assessing the commitment of reporting institutions to implementing the principles and sector guidelines. The CBN expects that these policies and procedures would have

‘The lender wants to achieve the top three position by all financial metrics, become a reference point for technology, sustain high independent agency, become a leading project and structured finance bank, as well as best treasury and financial market bank in the country’

been ratified by the bank’s Board of Directors and exposed to management staff and subsequently, to all staff of respective institutions.

Innovation Access Bank Plc and Visa recently announced a partnership with an online shipping company, shoptomydoor.com to give the lender’s Visa cardholders to shop online at retailers in the United States, United Kingdom and China. The cardholders also by this partnership, enjoy exclusive shipping discounts. Also, cardholders will have the opportunity to shop from the world’s major international retailers with more flexibility and convenience. They can make purchases online in these countries as if they are local residents and also have them shipped in a few business days. The bank said the deal shows its commitment to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cash-less banking and enhancing electronic payments, e-commerce and ease of transactions. The bank’s Executive Director, Personal Banking, Victor Etuokwu, said the introduction of Shoptomydoor.com platform is a deliberate attempt by the lender to make financial services easy and accessible to its customers. Its Head, Card Products, Justin Ijeh, expressed the lender’s commitment to providing innovative products, and not just aimed at aligning with the CBN’s cash-less policy, but also designed to make life easier for its customers. “While the surge in e-commerce has given rise to concerns about online security, the bank has allayed the fears of its customers by confirming that its cards are protected with top-notch security tools. In addition to the in-built security mechanism, Access Bank’s Visa Cards are protected and verified by VISA features,” he said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

THE NATION INVESTORS

PZ Nigeria Plc: Continuing its winning streak F

OR PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, if the fundamentals of the business in the preceding year are anything to go by, then it may be correct to say that things are definitely looking up for the fast moving consumer goods company. Of course, no one expects any less from a company with an enviably rich heritage which dates back to the 18th century. But the truth is, the company has been up and doing to be able to maintain the culture and tradition of success it has attained over the years. Expectedly, as shareholders converge in Abuja, the Federal capital tomorrow for the 66th Annual General Meeting, one issue that would dominate discussion and perhaps resonate among many of the participants, is how to determine whether the journey in the last one year has been smooth or worth the while after all. To be sure, the mood is bound to be hopeful as there is a lot going for the company at the moment. PZ has been able to continue to enjoy the loyalty of most homes as can be seen by the array of their products’ line in demand from detergents, refrigeration, expellants, confectioneries, babycare products, toiletries, sanitary wares, to mention just a few. Little wonder the Chairman, Professor E. C. Edozien, while reviewing the performance of the year-end ahead of the AGM, noted that although market competition remains very keen, the company has however remained focused and has been defending its market share successfully.

In retrospect Edozien said the focus of the company is to drive shareholder value through improving efficiency in its supply chain, managing operational efficiencies and investing in brands that delight its consumers. These objectives were relentlessly pursued during the year; though the growth of the topline was negatively impacted by some factors resulting in a modest growth of 2 per cent rising from N71 billion to 72.9 billion. The Chairman observed that the white goods business experienced good volume and topline growth despite significant international competition. Also the family care business achieved growth in volume terms, but saw a decline on the topline as a result of the compelling need to be competitive on pricing in order to maintain market share. He said despite this and increased investment in brands and route to market expansion, “the profit before taxation (PBT) grew by eight per cent, from N7.7 billion to 8.2 billion before

Foundation has continued to channel most of its resources to educational and physical infrastructure projects. During the year under review, the Foundation embarked upon the following projects, including: renovation of Hostel at Government Secondary Schools, Keffi; renovation of two Dinning Halls at General Muritala Memorial College, Yola; construction and Donation of a Block of Classrooms at Niger Mixed Secondary School, Asaba; furnishing of the Assembly Hall at Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin, as well as installation of a borehole at Atani Community, Onitsha, among others.

Future growth plans Prof Edozien

•Source: PZ Cussons Stories by Taofik Salako

exceptional items. The exceptional items amounting to N1.3 billion reflect the write-off of assets under impairment following the outsourcing of certain activities and asset which have become redundant” he said, adding that as a result, profit after taxation, and after taking account of the exceptional items declined by nine per cent, when compared to the previous year. It should be noted, however that without the exceptional items, a growth of about 20 per cent would have been achieved. He said overall, it is gratifying to note that after taking into account the impact of the tough operating conditions, the keen competitive environment and the security challenges in the country, the company still performed satisfactorily and it is expected that this commendable performance will continue in the coming year.

Product lines The PZ brand has experienced an upsurge in production in key home and family care brands as they performed relatively well during the period. Commenting on this development, the chairman said: “The personal care

business grew driven by Personal Wash, Beauty, Medicaments and Mother & Baby Categories. We maintained our leadership position in the Toilet Soap segment with Premier, Joy and Imperial Leather. Our Premier range especially Cool Deo is growing rapidly and it is driving our market leadership. The Robb range also remained the market leader of the Medicaments segment with the Hot Robb variant accelerating our growth in the hot ointment segment. Our range extension into gift packs with Cussons Baby is driving growth and leading our challenge for leadership of the baby category. Cussons Baby soap remains the market leader in the baby soap segment. “We successfully introduced our global brand Carex, and antibacterial hand wash liquid which has since established a leading position in the antibacterial hand wash segment. Our home care business shows growth in the household category while a slight decline was recorded in the fabric care business. Morning Fresh continues to grow and extend our leadership in the Dish was category. We launched Canoe detergent fro colour care to expand our fabric care portfolio while Zip consolidated its position as a leading de-

tergent for whiteness. “The market for the white and brown goods has always been competitive with new entrants distributing imported brands. In spite of this, the segment sustained its topline growth during the year through the introduction of consumer relevant products that are designed for the Nigerian environment. This included revised route to market strategy that comprising traditional trade, modern retail and business to business trading. These strategies result in growth in the washing machine and freezer segments and the maintenance of our position in the refrigeration segment.”

Workers as most treasured assets As acknowledged by the consistently high net worth of the company was made possible by its most valued asset: its employees, who he said, “have been diligent in working to improve the quality of our customer service so that the company will continue to deliver higher returns to stakeholders. The Company continued its investment in various leadership training programmes for the senior managers in addition to several existing developmental programmes for the junior levels during the year. The Graduate Management Trainees Scheme is in its eight year and is helping the company’s succession planning programme to be prepared to lead the organisation to the next level.”

Corporate social responsibility To match the demand and growth of education in Nigeria and support the infrastructure gap, the PZ Cussons

•From left: Marketing Manager Colas, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, Managing Director, Nigerian Bottling Company, Ben Langat, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Patricia Jemibewon and Brand Manager Colas, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Olufemi Ashipa, during Coke studio Unilag Coca-Cola Concert, held at the institution's premises, Akoka, Lagos. PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

In line with the strategic plans and the policy direction for the forthcoming year, the Company has continued to invest in strengthening the supply chain and improving the operational efficiency and consumer experience, while minimising the cost base. Thus, the detergent and Soap manufacturing processes have been further improved to drive efficiencies and meet the increasing demand for these products. These initiatives plus other investment to optimise the supply chain and overall overheads will ensure a flexible and competitive cost structure for your company going forward. The company was incorporated in Nigeria on December 4, 1948 under the name of P.B. Nicholas & Company Limited. Its name was changed to Alagbon Industries Limited in 1953 and to Associated Industries Limited in 1960. The company became a public company in 1972 and was granted a listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The name was changed to Paterson Zochonis Industries Limited on November 24, 1976 and in compliance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990, it adopted its present name of Paterson Zochonis Industries Plc on November 22, 1990.

Union Bank chief urges Auditors on efraud control

HE Group Managing Director of Union Bank Plc., Mr. Emeka Emuwa, has challenged Internal Auditors in the banking industry to brace up to tackle emerging trends in electronic fraud, which have become a real threat to the survival of the sector. Addressing members of the Committee of Chief Internal Auditors of Banks in Nigeria (CCIABN) at their 28th Quarterly Meeting hosted by Union Bank in Lagos, Mr. Emuwa acknowledged that e-fraud was not just a Nigerian problem but a global challenge. As such it required an “all hands on deck” approach to proffering proactive strategies, realigning processes and developing realistic action plans to curtail the menace. Emuwa, who was represented by Emeka Okonkwo, Executive Director, Corporate and International Banking at Union Bank, said: “while winning the war against cybercrime seems like a daunting task, it is not an impossible one and would require key stakeholders to effectively work together to surmount the challenge.” He therefore urged the Committee to continue to foster collaboration within the banking sector and enjoined Internal Auditors to constantly upgrade their skills, knowledge and techniques to ensure that the right level of assurance is provided always. In his own remarks, the Chairman of the Committee of Internal Auditors of Banks in Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Esenwa, commended Union Bank’s steadfast support for the Committees initiatives. He also pledged that the association would continually strive to enhance its visibility and relevance, while strengthening its activities towards greater financial stability in the sector.

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHWEST STATES

PAGE 29

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

Ojude-Oba: Day Ijebu celebrated Sallah and paid homage to Awujale INSIDE

â&#x20AC;˘Continued on pages 30 & 31

Ajimobi to deliver N5b market in December

PAGE 36

When Amosun went round to feel the pulse of Ogun people PAGE 32 & 33

Lagos rewards taxpayers with affordable Homs PAGE 34 & 35

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SOUTHWEST REPORT

The third day after Eid-ul-Kabir festival is a special one for the Ijebu people of southwest Nigeria irrespective of their faith as they usually turn out in their best attires to pay homage and pledge loyalty to their paramount ruler, the Awujale of Ijebuland during the annual Ojude-Oba festival. ERNEST NWOKOLO was at the 2014 edition.

Ojude-Oba: Day Ijebu celebrated Sallah and paid homage to Awujale

•From right General T. Y. Danjumo, Rtd Guest of Honour, Oba Sikiru Adetona, Awujale of Ijebuland, Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Mrs Funso Amosun

T was all glamour and show of opulence once again last Monday as the Ijebu nation in Nigeria converged on Ijebu - Ode, their capital and the royal home of Awujale of Ijebuland in Ogun state, to celebrate this year’s Ojude - Oba annual festival. An estimated 25,000 people beside friends and in-laws of the Ijebu participated in the over 100 years old festival designed to pay homage to the paramount ruler of Ijebu nation, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba 11, who is often referred to as Orisa Ijebu [the god of Ijebu] by his subjects that hold him in reverence. As early as 9 :30am, the mini stadium like - arcade newly built by the Ijebu people for the festival had began to witness massive crowd of Ijebu sons and daughters and enthusiasts who surged into the venue and spilling into the long stretch Awujale street and the adjoining ones. At the epic - centre on one end of the arcade is Oba Adetona, sandwiched by Governor Ibikunle Amosun and General Theophilus Danjuma who was the Special guest of honour. A few metres away sat the duo of Olori Kemi Adetona and Senator Daisy, Danjuma’s wife. A further distance away was the first lady of Ogun State, Mrs Olufunso Amosun in her gait and elegance, observing the carnival at a vantage position. Wherever one turned, it was the sight and drum beats of people in

festive mood one could behold and heard. Freelance local drummers and entertainers in their various groups entertained guests for no fixed price. And within the festival arcade, it was a kaleidescope colours as each of the Regberegbes (Age grade groups) seated in different positions - males and females, competed for attention with power dressing that showed off the success, cultural heritage, wealth and enterprising spirit synonymous with the Ijebu. The enthralled Danjuma who said he and his wife did not know what to expect of the festival, described it as colourful and unique. Senator Amosun who was witnessing the event for the fourth time as a governor, captured the celebration as something that “represents the display (of) real cultural symbol of unity for the Ijebu and Ogun State.” By 10: 30am, the Regberegbes had started to take turn to pay homage to the Awujale, Oba Adetona, who equally poured his highly sought royal blessings upon them without measure. No fewer than 22 various age grades, including Egbe Bobaniyi where Giwa Muftau Oseni is the head, took turn to pay homage to their revered paramount ruler. They were followed by corporate organisations. Here the Globacom, official sponsor of the yearly event, took the lead followed by First City Monument Bank (FCMB) among others. These age grades who adorned different, clean and gorgeous attires to

tell one group apart from the other nonetheless, showcased wealth, opulence and success that often follow the industrious and enterprising spirit of the Ijebu. Interestingly, the first to perform this rite with rhythmic Ijebu dance steps were the Egbe Mafowokun age grade. This age grade which happened to be Oba Adetona’s group did not only distinguished themselves from the rest by virtue of age and their attire, they also have the rare luck of being peopled by great personalities like Senator Biyi Durojaiye, the Olu of Odosenlu - Ijebu, Oba Shafi Sule among others as members. Oba Shafi Sule of Odosenlu kingdom serves as their head. The festival peaked by 1pm when

the Baloguns and Eleshins - horse riders, began to troop into the festival arena from their various quarters like triumphant soldiers returning from a successful military campaign from a far country. The Baloguns are the descendants of the families of the Ijebu war lords, who fought many of the Ijebu ancient battles and secured the area known geographically today as the Ijebuland in Ogun State from external invaders including the colonial soldiers. Aside the glamour and equestrian look the Baloguns and horse riders gave to the Ojude - Oba festival, their entrance to the arcade were accompanied by intermittent booming of local hunters’ guns. This year’s edition pa-

raded Balogun families Kuku, Keregbetu, Josin, Omitogun, Alatishe, Adesoye, Osobe and Odejayi. Others are Baloguns Oreagba, Sarumi, Otubu and Alausa. Balogun Kuku family was particularly unique. It is the largest family in Nigeria after that of the Momoh in Auchi, Edo State. Over two dozens of the Kukus rode on horseback into the arcade to pay homage to the paramount ruler and paraded their Olorogun, Sunny Kuku of the famous Eko Hospital, Lagos. But beyond the cultural and religious dimension of the festival, this year edition provided another veritable platform for the Ijebu people to drum up support for the creation of Ijebu State

•From left Otunba Yomi Cash, Prince A. Adesanya and Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, Ogun State Information Commissioner

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SOUTHWEST REPORT

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

•Cross Section of Egbe Jagunmolu Obinrin Akile Ijebu

•General T.Y Danjumo rtd middle present first prize Glo Gift to Tobalase Obinrin Akile Ijebu while 3rd left Mr YomiOgunbamowo, Glo Nationbal Co-ordinator Business Support and other look on.

•Egbe Bobakeye Okunrin Akile Ijebu

•Cross section of Egbe Gbobaniyi Obinrin Akile Ijebu

by the nation’s National Assembly. This much was expressed by Oba Adetona who called on the Federal government and the National Assembly to urgently give effect to the creation of an Ijebu State and 19 others as recommended by the National Conference. Adetona who lauded the delegates to the confab for the recommendation, said it is when the federal government and NASS have done everything necessary to “actualise an Ijebu State,” can the Ijebu people be convinced that the justice they have been clamouring for over the years is done. The monarch who described the over 100 years old festival, as a unifying force for all sons and daughters of

•Balogun Kuku family

Ijebu extraction regardless of religious differences or creed, adding that they would anything to protect this “unique cultural heritage.” According to him, the festival has been courting international attention following the involvement of some corporate organisations like Globacom - a telecoms company (owned by an Ijebu man), among others which has remained a major sponsor of the festival in the last nine years. The Special guest of honour for this year Ojude Oba, General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) who graced the event in company with his wife, Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma, described the festival as “unique” because of its capacity to pull together, the “cream of

the society.” Danjuma noted he can’t remember any traditional ruler of any kingdom in Nigeria that has a tradition that could bring massive crowd of colourfully dressed people together like the Ojude Oba and said there “must be something” Oba Adetona is “doing right” to achieve that feat annually. He prayed for God’s blessing and protection upon Adetona to enable him lead his people continually on the right path even as he also described Awujale as one of the “longest surviving Obas and Emirs in Nigeria.” For the Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ojude Oba is the “display of the real cultural symbol of unity for Ijebu and Ogun state.”

•Chief Funso Okunnowo and Chief Yemi Ogunbiyi

Amosun said the people of the state would continue to pride themselves as the cultural ambassadors of Nigeria while Ojude Oba has also become a major cultural calendar in the country. According to the Governor, the festival is the manifest “hard-work, industry and hospitality” of the Ijebu people as their communal spirit of cooperation and development has served to boost the tourism sub-sector of the state. Amosun reiterated his administration’s commitment to the development of the state as evidenced in the five point agenda -all geared to make Ogun state investors haven. He revealed that last week, the World bank rated Ogun as the fourth

best place to do business in Nigeria and appealed to traditional rulers and citizens to be supportive as government alone can’t perform all the magic. The Governor also urged residents particularly politicians and their supporters to shun acts capable of throwing the state into violence before, during or after the forthcoming 2015 general elections. Amosun said “violence profits nobody and even hinders genuine development,” urging parents not to allow their wards to be used negatively in respect of the forthcoming polls. The Governor noted that it is God that determines what position people occupy in life, even if multitude are running for any particular office. He said that in the spirit of civility and also as a mark honour to the state’s founding fathers, politicians and their supporters should shun violence and other electoral vices. According to him, it is only in an atmosphere of peace and harmony that people can prosper in their legitimate businesses. Other dignitaries at the festival aside General Danjuma, who was the Special guest of honour, his wife Senator Daisy , the host Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, his wife Olufunso, are Senator Gbenga Obadara (Ogun Central), Senator Lekan Mustapha, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Mr. Tunji Ayanlaja (SAN), Dr Subomi Balogun, Olori Kemi Adetona, former Governor Gbenga Daniel among others.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SOUTHWEST REPORT

OVERNOR Ibikunle Amosun’s first major tour of communities and towns in the Gateway State was in 2011 during his electioneering campaigns to solicit the people’s votes. The second was for an inspection of some projects, particularly the roads and model schools being built in each of the state’s 20 Local government councils. Barely seven months to the expiration of his four years tenure, Amosun has returned to the people on whose mandate he governs the state, this time not to kick-start a campaign for his re - election bid, but to feel their pulse and establish how his programmes and policies have impacted on them. It is understandable why he embarked upon this facts finding mission. Of recent, there appears to be a curious paradigm shift in how people conceive governance and development. The concept of “stomach infrastructure” - Amala and Gbegiri politics, seems to be gaining currency in the camp of the unwary as opposed to focus on infrastructural development that would drive investments, creativity, employment and income to the citizenry. The loss of Ekiti State by Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) serms to accen-

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State took time off his busy schedule at Oke Imosan in Abeokuta to go round the state for an assessment of the impact his administration has made on the people in the last three and half years. ERNEST NWOKOLO was on his entourage. tuate this concept and tends to suggest that the easiest route to win the heart of the people and also make a huge electoral capital is to pander to their immediate needs. Besides, in the last one or two years,

Amosun has also been contending with stiff opposition not so much from the outside but within his political party - APC, fuelling concerns that the Governor would lose a huge swathe of supporters across the state ahead of

•Amosun addressing supporters in Imeko-Afon...yesterday

2015 elections. Amosun once admitted that no politician worth his onion would want to go into any general elections with a divided house, and did promise to do everything possible to bring about

genuine reconciliation and unity among the aggrieved members, elders and interest groups within the APC in Ogun State. But it does appear the feuding parties are not in a hurry to sheath their daggers.

•Amosun being welcomed by Ijebu North traditional rulers...yesterday

Again, some of the policies of the administration especially the on - going massive roads and bridges construction across the state did not only leave many in a momentary and biting hardship as residential buildings, shops, worship centres and even burial sites were compelled to give way to road expansion projects, but also serves as veritable tools in the hand of the opposition politicians to launch scathing criticisms against the administration, sometimes unconstructively. So when the Governor set forth to tour the state two weeks ago beginning with Imeko - Afon Local Government Council in Ogun West, Ode-

•Amosun addressing supporters in Ijebu Igbo...yesterday

And you have the opportunity, if you send somebody on errand and he is not doing well, you have the power in your hands, you can send away bad government by your votes

2011 governorship election, Mr Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka (GNI). GNI who contested the 2011 polls on the platform of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) but lost to Amosun, is still aspiring to slug it out again with the governor in 2015 if given the ticket by the Labour Party(LP) or any political party that is in alliance with LP. The experience of popular acceptance was the same all the way in Ipokia, Ewekoro, Odeda, Ikenne, Remo North, Ogun Waterside and Ijebu - Igbo. Residents and many interest groups trooped out to welcome him, pledging support for his second term bid, and also anchoring their action on the relative peace, clean and safe environment, security of lives and properties among other things that have returned to the state. In Ijebu - Igbo, home town of the late Afenifere leader, Senator Abraham Adesanya, the enthusiastic crowd of supporters was phenomenal. And despite the fact that it is equally the home town of the billionaire hotelier and Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) financier in the state, Prince Buruji Kashamu, as well as that of Senator Gbenga Kaka(APC), whose relationship with the Governor is less than cordial, Amosun commands not a small following there. The residents were particularly enamoured by the commencement of work at the ever busy station junction for the construction of the first fly over bridge in the ancient and populous town in Ijebu North Local government. Although, construction of the Ijebu - Igbo fly - over ought to have began about a year earlier but people of opposing interest at the time, it was learnt, prevailed on individuals whose properties would be affected by the project not to allow any demolition on their structures until government compensates them. And Amosun who was humbled by the overwhelming reception accorded him in the places toured so far, pledged his commitment to further development, assuring the people he would not take their support for granted even as he noted that his visit was not to kick -start 2015 campaign but to assess the impacts of his government on them. Amosun said: “I have come to assess all we have been able to do since you voted us in as Governor and all

‘

When Amosun went round to feel the pulse of Ogun people

•A cross section of Ijebu Igbo residents who thronged out to welcome Governor Ibikunle Amosun when he visited Ijebu North Local area...yesterday

•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun addressing a crowd in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area, when he visited the area in continuation of his official assessment tour of 20 local government areas

da, Ogun Waterside, Remo North, Ipokia, Ijebu - Igbo, Ikenne and Ewekoro councils respectively, it was a kind of popularity test for him. But contrary to what traducers, critics and opposition politicians would want the public to believe, Amosun and his administration are not only manifestly popular with the people but also lauded for the bold achievements recorded as the Governor was showered with affection in whatever direction he turned. In Imeko- Afon Local government, his first port of call, he was received by a massive crowd, including the masquerades. The traditional rulers and opinion leaders from the area rooted for the continuation of his “rebuilding mission” in the state. The monarchs and leaders of thoughts including the renowned historian, Prof. Anthony Asiwaju, said the governor is providing the courage and leadership required to reposition the state on the path of greatness. The traditional rulers which include the Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Oyekan, the Ooye of Iwoye - Ketu, Oba Joel Alaye, Onidofa of Idofa, Oba David Adeyanju, Oloola of Ilaraland, Oba Samuel Adeluyi, Obaladi of Afonland, Oba Busari Adetona, the Council’s 40 Baales, said Amosun and his administration would continue to enjoy their support. Oba Oyekan, for example, assured the governor that Imeko - Afon is fertile and opened to him and his administration to transform and develop via his rebuilding mission and infrastructural development for the benefits of residents and private business operators. Oyekan said:” although, Imeko Afon is known to be a virgin land but for how long would a maiden remain a virgin? For any virgin, matured and of the right age, she needs to be de flowered. “Imeko - Afon wants your administration to marry and de flower her. For how long the land would remain a virgin land? Our land is ready for a manly administration like yours to come.” Prof. Asiwaju in his remarks scored Amosun high, saying he has recorded “phenomenal and unprecedented achievements particularly in the areas of infrastructural development and urban renewal projects.” The historian lauded the Governor for turning their hitherto over 100 rural communities and villages into towns; making them accessible and interlinked through building over 100km Ilara - Ijoun roads networks in Ogun West Senatorial district. He said: “he has turned bushes into towns, he changes things from good to better and from better to best. He has all our support. We can only ask for more from him and also appeal to him to finish the dualization of Imeko - Ilara and to reconstruct Imeko road to Owode via Atapele.” The popularity and acceptance of the governor in Imeko is particularly strategic and significant not only because it is the headquarters of the Local government or of the large size of its population but also the fact that the place is also believed to be the home town of former boss of the Gateway Holdings - the economic wing of the then Gbenga Daniel’s administration, and Amosun’s opponent during the

my other people you voted in, whether at the National Assembly, state level and even at the ward level, you are our masters, you sent us on an errand. “And you have the opportunity, if you send somebody on errand and he is not doing well, you have the power on your hands, you can send away bad government by your votes. “There’s something we must do and this is not for APC alone but for all the parties in Ogun State, we don’t want violence, nobody should fight, if you’re running for any office, 50 people can come out but it is the person destined by God that will get the position. “I am saying this not for APC alone but I am saying it for all our parties, whether you are for this party or that party, but for us in APC, we will ensure that we must not do anything that will bring violence to our people, nobody benefits in an atmosphere of violence, nobody benefits in an atmosphere that is devoid of peace. “It is when you have peace that we can have development, it is when you have peace that we can achieve huge success, it is when you have peace that you can assist government.” But the PDP in the state said the tour is a subtle way of kick - starting of 2015 electioneering campaign by the

Governor, hoping he would use the opportunity to recover lost ground ahead of time. The Party’s state Secretary, Mr Semiu Sodipo, said the crowd that converged to welcome him in each of the Local governments so far visited did not show up in those places on their own volition. Sodipo specifically accused Amosun of “forcing and mandating” the state’s civil servants to join him in the tour whereas, they ought to be “non partisan.” According to him, the governor should know that the game is up and that the people of the state are thinking a different thing about him and his administration. Also, aide to ex - governor Gbenga Daniel, Mr Ayo Giwa, said the governor should be bothered by the fact that he is touring local governments without projects to commission there, three and half years after he was sworn into office. Giwa reasoned that Amosun is jittery because the election time is near and instead of pointing out what he has done, the governor, elected to be cursing one person after another like he did in Odeda Local government as if that is what the people deserved now. Giwan said: “he stalled Olokola project. Why can’t he revive it? A refinery should have been established there by Dangote. As far I know, he has done only one project and that is Totoro road to Owu. Others are not completed yet. “The model schools are not ready after he promised to deliver them by 2012. He even promised to put students there by September this year but that is not feasible. Is that the kind of leader the people want?”

•A crowd of Ijebu-Igbo residents who trooped out to welcome Amosun when he visited Ijebu North Local Government Area.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SOUTHWEST REPORT

Fashola’s quest to pro

Nigeria’s 54th Independence anniversary last Wednesday was marked with a difference in Alimoso Local Government Area of Lagos State where two Community Development Associations (CDAs) put up a programme to promote peace among youths in the area. OZIEGBE OKOEKI reports.

Though Lagos is almost totally surrounded by water, getting potable water for the residents is a herculean task but the state government is determined to redress this. MIRIAM EKENE-

CDAs gospel of peace among youths at independence

N an era when violence and thuggery have become the past time of youths, two Community Development Associations (CDAs) in Lagos State took the initiative of promoting peace especially among the youth in their area as part of activities marking the October 1, 54th Independence Anniversary of Nigeria. Gloryland and Graceland CDAs in Alimoso Local Government Area came up with the initiative in partnership with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Project for Peace initiative (PFI) aimed at inculcating peaceful co-existence among youths irrespective of religion or ethnic background. The event which took place at Goshen Street, Gloryland Estate was attended by youths in the communities as well as their parents as a way of commemorating Nigeria independence in grand style. The Chairman of Gloryland CDA, Olumide Adewale who was highly elated about the programme coming up as part of the independence cele-

bration, said he believes the country has the potential of surmounting present challenges confronting the youth and the nation. While speaking to newsmen, Adewale expressed joy that the usual barriers associated with youths these days has been broken with the coming together of the youth in the community to preach love to one another as a way of promoting peace which according to him ultimately leads to development. “This programme has to do with peace and progress. How do we foster friendship to bring about peace and development? This is the only way Nigeria can move forward,” he noted. While giving thanks to the organizer of the event, PFI, Adewale assured that such a laudable programme would have to be repeated in other communities as a way of discouraging violence. Also the chairman of Graceland CDA, Olanrewaju John said the youth should be encouraged to partner together in promoting peace. The high point of the programme which was the launching of a book writ-

•Little Naomi displaying her book

ten by Ulomachi Naomi James a 12year old girl titled, ‘The beautiful broken pot’ provided an inspiring thought to the participants. The little girl became the centre of attraction, having written such a book at her tender age. She explained that the title of the book came as a result of a mother who lured her daughter into prostitution. The author enjoined her peers to also come up with books as a way of developing their talents. While soliciting for government support, the organiser and founder of PFI, Mr. Emmanuel Alao said the challenge facing the NGO is sponsorship. According to him, “it has become a herculean task trying to get support from government. Godfatherism is the order, if you don’t know somebody that will fight for your cause, it becomes difficult,” he said.

AGOS State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that the challenge of accessing potable water in Lagos by residents becomes a thing of the past. Considering that the ever growing population of the state, projected at 29 million by 2020, has also pushed water demand in the state to 733 million gallons per day in a few years time as against the present need of 540 million gallon per day, the challenge looks herculean. But the governor is undaunted and has embarked on a bold road map with the implementation of the Lagos Water Corporation Master Plan targeted to produce 745 million gallons per day to exceed required 733 million gallons per day demand by 2020. Intensive work is ongoing at the Adiyan phase 2 waterworks to compliment water generation from other waterworks such as Adiyan phase 1, producing about 72 million gallons per day; Iju Waterworks with capacity for 45 million gallons per day and Ishasi Waterworks producing about four

million gallons per day. Construction work on this project commenced in 2013 and is expected to be completed in 2016 which will inject additional 70 million gallons of potable water per day into the distribution network. On a recent visit to the site Fashola said the project was designed to put an end to scarcity of potable water supply to the residents. According to him, “The construction work on the Adiyan Waterworks phase II is in top gear. The contractor has showed that they could work at night and hopefully, this will speed up the construction of the water works. “This is the third major waterworks in the state. The first was the Iju Waterworks which was built in1910. There was no major intervention in the state until 1991 when Adiyan Waterworks phase I was constructed. That is a long time and the population continued to grow in the state. “The state government has constructed so many mini and micro water works. The reason why this is important was that we started with the mi-

Lagos rewards taxpayers with af

With an estimated four million housing shortage out of a national total of 17 million, Lagos faces a daunting challenge providing accommodation for its growing population believed to be in the region of 20 million. But the state government through its Lagos HOMS programme is determined to correct this shortage by providing decent, affordable housing units to its emerging middle and lower income earners. SEUN AKIOYE reports

OT many people are more optimistic about the capacity of Lagos State Government to deliver what it called “decent and affordable homes” to the city residents than Akinola Kojo-Sagoe. Since February 2014, when the Lagos Mortgage Board (LMB) was inaugurated and he was appointed as the Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sagoe has consistently been engaged in selling the mortgage scheme to Lagosians. So far he has succeeded, at least to the degree to which his “products” have been available. Since the Board was inaugurated, it has been given the mandate to administer the allocation of what is now known as the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Schemes (LAGOS HOMS). The vision Lagos state has a rising profile as West Africa’s commercial capital and an alarming profile as consisting of

•A housing unit in Igando

one of the worlds dreaded slums. Though the smallest in landmass out of the 36 states in Nigeria, Lagos is the most densely populated with immigrants coming from all over the country, in pursuit of happiness and living thereby putting pressure on public infrastructure, especially housing. The result was predictable, mass slums emerged with residents living in sub human conditions. Housing price also rose with homeowners charging between two and three years rent in advance. Real estate agents also cashed on the jamboree charging exorbitant amount for their services which are usually “compulsory”. The World Bank says Nigeria has a housing deficit of 17million and Lagos alone accounts for 4 million of that figure. Amnesty International was less charitable describing at least70 percent of Lagos residents as living in slums and unhygienic conditions. The Lagos state government tried to

address some of these concerns with the promulgation of the Lagos Tenancy Law in 2011 which restricted the number of years a homeowner can collect from a prospective tenant in the state. But the law seems ‘too little too late’ as it failed to address the issue of housing shortage. One landlord was quoted as saying: “Government has no right to dictate what I collect from my tenant after all the government didn’t build this house.” He thereafter advised the government to build its own houses where it can foist its own laws. 200 Homes every month Interestingly that was exactly what the Lagos state government did. In February, when Governor Babatunde Fashola inaugurated the new Lagos Mortgage Board; he made it clear that the mandate was to provide affordable housing for Lagosians especially the first time owners. ”Home ownership has often been regarded as a utopian aspiration for a

•Sagoe and Foresythe during the inspection

large majority of our people; a mark of great prosperity and the attainment of significant wealth. As a result, this status brought about by inequality has eluded our people decade after decade. “We believe that equalizing opportunities will remain the expectation of every taxpayer from a government under any social democracy for generations to come. It is for this reason that our strong determination to provide better access to capital through affordable access to home ownership remains unshaken,” Fashola said. Lagos has since begun the construction of modern houses across the five divisions of the state. The houses which vary between one, two and three bedroom apartments are built with all modern facilities in place and it is available to any Lagos resident who can show evidence of at least five years payment of income tax and with a reasonable steady income. There is more good news, the state government, through the LMB will finance the houses for applicants with an irresistible 9.5 percent interest spread over 10 years. There is bad news too at least for Lagos moneybags. The Lagos Homs scheme is not available for sale to those who have the cash to buy the houses but for those who will like to explore the mortgage route. “Looking at the housing deficit in Lagos which is about four million, if we must bridge this gap we cannot sell the houses outright or the money bags will hijack it. Governor Fashola has said the houses are meant for first time buy-

ers. We also want to build the mortgage culture, with that you will build up your credit and housing can reach those who still need them,” Sagoe said. ‘Sagoe is of the opinion that Nigerians have to change the cash based mindset which has held the productivity of the people down. “Mortgage increases productivity because you know you have to work. We are starting something new and we need the help of everyone to succeed,” he said. Sagoe said aspiring Lagos residents can become a home owner in five simple steps. Application and submission; pre-qualification; draw; post draw processing and; the closing. However,

•Ajara Housing Scheme

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SOUTHWEST REPORT

to provide potable water for Lagos residents ,

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (middle) being conducted round by the Managing Director, Lagos State Water Corporation, Mr. Sayo Holloyway (right) and the Project Manager, Salini Nigeria Limited, Mr. Raffaello Bizzarro at the 70 million gallons per day Adiyan Waterworks, Phase Two, Oke-Aro

•The 70 million gallons per day Adiyan Waterworks, Phase Two, Oke-Aro

cro water works and to resuscitate some of those that were built by my predecessors, and to construct more as a short term measure in the first term.” Fashola explained that the long term plan is to have more of such being built in partnership with private sector to deliver more of such projects. “This is direct government funding. The long term plan is that we will need more of this to be able to hit the water demands for the residents of the state. The plan is that by 2020, we should be able to meet the (water) plan of the citizens of the state.” He said provision of water alone is never the an-

swer to water scarcity but the conservation of water. Managing Director; LWC Mr. Sayo Holloway, further explained that the new waterworks when completed will boost water supply to the western axis of the State which is not being reliably served now. He listed such areas to include Ipaja; Agege; Ayobo; Idimu; Ikotun; Isolo, Festac, Owode; Kirikiri; Ajegunle, Apapa; and parts of Ogun State host community of Adiyan waterworks that will benefit from this intervention. Other axis such as Ikorodu township

and environ will also be served, while the Lagos Metropolis will witness pressure boost in the water mains for improved service delivery. Holloway explained that Adiyan phase 2 coming 23 years after phase one was constructed is expected to serve over 3 million inhabitants of the aforementioned areas. He said state of the art technology is being deployed in the new waterworks for improved operational efficiency and environmental compliance. He also added that in the master plan for LWC, technical design is also being finalized for the construction of the

the uniqueness of the Lagos Homs is the draw where all eligible applicants who have evidence of tax payment in Lagos for five years will have the opportunity to be picked in a draw that will see them wining a house of their dream. “There are three draws and your application entitles you to them, so there is every possibility that if you don’t get picked in one draw you will get picked in the next, so the opportunities are limitless,” a staff told The Nation. There are commitments from the applicants too. For instance, one must be able to provide the initial 30 percent equity fund before the LMB approves the loan to cover the balance on the mortgage. For the houses that have been sold or those that will soon go under the auction, the average price is between N8million and N15million. There is also the interest rate which some have described as a “little steep” for a government scheme but Sagoe said: “The interest will come down eventually, there can only be a downward movement. We are starting the equity with 30 percent too, the idea is to start off and see how many people will subscribe to it, and this is still the initial stage.” For those who are unable to put up the 30 percent equity fund, there are

other options they can explore says Bayowa Foresythe , the Executive Director, Shared Services at LMB. The scheme is called Rent to Own which affords a couple to rent an apartment in one of the schemes and the equity is built into the rent over a five year period. “When you rent one of the houses what we call rent credit is saved from your rent over a five year period and then you are encouraged to apply for the house. This is the new direction Lagos is going and it is the right direction,” he said. Currently, there have been seven draws for the allocation of the houses and 443 applicants have won houses with about 273 people fulfilling their obligations and collecting their keys. According to Sagoe, the scheme has delivered 1,400 houses in seven months while contractors are currently working on 23 sites across the five divisions in Lagos. “Our mandate is to deliver 200 houses every month,” Sagoe said. He said the mandate is to have between 3,500 and 5000 housing units by the end of 2015. “The model now is to work day and night to achieve this mandate.” A home for taxpayers It is a fantastic feeling to own a piece of property in Lagos, most residents will agree. Sagoe and Foresythe thought so too. According to them, the scheme

which was being funded through taxpayer’s money is a reward for diligent and taxpaying residents of the mega city. “This scheme is being funded by your tax money and only those who pay taxes can have access to it. If more people pay taxes, then we can do more, this is one of the rewards for paying taxes,” Sagoe admitted. Recently, officials of the LMB went on a three-day tour of all the schemes in Lagos as part of the preparations for the October draw. In Amuwo Odofin where seven blocks of 12 flats are being proposed, work has just begun with the clearing of about three and half hectares of land. Foresythe said the construction will usually take 12 months and it will include a Laundromat, central sewage system. Amuwo Odofin scheme has also been designated as a research centre for the Lagos Homs. In Ajara Badagry, the scheme is about 60 percent completed. Developed by the New Town Development Authority (NTDA), the scheme has 420 units and would be ready by the first quarter of 2015. Apart from the usual facilities of street lights, individual Laundromats, central electricity and sewage system with interlocking brick roads, the scheme also have the advantage of the lagoon at the back of the estate which may serve as a major transport hub for those coming from Lagos. But one of the most improved upon is the Igando scheme in Alimosho local government area. Built on the former site of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation camp, the 492 housing unit is a beauty to behold. According to Foresythe, the scheme has in addition to other facilities, a community library, Police post and basketball court. The houses here too have been great improvements from the initial conception at Shittu scheme. The blocks were properly demarcated giving that exclusive feeling of a stand-alone. The blocks have designated colours which Sagoe said is “playing with colours to make it more vibrant. “Can you imagine how beautiful this place will be when finally completed?” Foresythe asked lifting his eyes up and spreading a hand around the complex. On the Island, the team visited the

th affordable ‘Homs’

50 million gallons per day Yewa water scheme which will be sited in Badagry to serve the Lagos – Badagry axis. “It is expected to grow rapidly in tandem with the ongoing Light rail transportation and the dual carriage way infra structure. This axis is expected to witness an annual population growth above 5 per cent. “Work is also ongoing for the development of the Odomola water scheme with an ultimate 210 million gallons water scheme to serve the Epe /Victoria Island corridor. This will be undertaken in 3 phases”. He said the exponential population

growth in Lagos over the last few decades has overstretched available infrastructure as evident in housing, transportation, power and potable water, adding that the government has taken up the gauntlet for rapid water infrastructure development to mitigate proliferation of boreholes and water borne diseases. Apart from the reliable and wholesome water supply that the project guarantees, an estimated 700 jobs have also been created for the teaming youths through the ongoing construction.

•The Community Hall of the Igando Housing Scheme

Sangotedo scheme with its 41 blocks of flats and 492 units where ten blocks will be allocated during the October draw. The scheme is of a different architecture complete with balconies unlike the newer schemes in Igando and Badagry. Sangotedo is divided into two phases, while the first has been at least 90 percent completed, work has already started on the second. “We are working night and day to ensure we deliver a standard housing unit, we cannot compromise on standard,” an engineer on the site said. There is also the Lekki phase 1 scheme which will have eight blocks of 96 unit houses. Workers are already on site with pilling works beginning. It is estimated to be completed and ready for sale in 12 months. “This is going to be a hot cake when completed,” Sagoe said with excitement. But one of the most challenging constructions is currently ongoing at Ilubirin which has been termed as the city beside the sea. An ambitious project not only in size, but also in the sheer velocity which involves the reclaiming of 20 hectares of land from the sea to build a 66 block apartment of 1,254 units. According to engineers at Cyron Investments Ltd who are the contractors, the building works which began this in March this year is expected to last for 18 months. “The work is tough because of the 40-metre pipes that we need to use. If it were raft we would have finished construction but we have standards we cannot compromise,” an engineer said. Ilubirin is also a wonder of modern engineering. There were cranes lifting heavy metals and trailers discharging cement. It was a sea of workers each deeply involved in different aspects. All

around the fresh breeze from the sea provided a soothing relief from the noise of the equipments and to the north is the view of the endless stream of vehicles on the Third Mainland Bridge. Handled by the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Ilubirin may in the future become an engineering tourist attraction when fully developed. But the Lagos Homs project is not only providing accommodation for Lagosians. It is also providing what Sagoe called “360 degree effect on wealth creation.” From the construction to the furnishing of the houses, there has been wealth creation in every sector. According to Foresythe: “Jobs are being created on these various construction sites that have benefitted over 134 construction companies, 459 sub-contractors, employing over 1,168 persons, seven consultancy companies, over 5,442 suppliers, artisans, labourers and numerous citizens who are employed in the supply chain of sand, gravel, woods and fittings as well as food vendors and transporters.” In October, another draw will hold and several taxpaying applicants will become home owners. This process will be repeated every month until Lagos state is able to cut the housing deficit drastically. ”Governor Fashola has said the scheme will outlive him so we have no problem about continuity, but the lesson about the Lagos Homs is to pay your tax consistently, then you can also partake in the rewards,” Sagoe said as he moved to begin a round of inspection at the one block scheme in Omole Ikeja.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SOUTHWEST REPORT

Lagos council Excitement as chairmen empower Aleshinloye physically-challenged, market traders get N10million lift artisans Traders at the popular Aleshinloye Market, Ibadan, part of which got burnt a few weeks ago were full of joy when Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, distributed cheques worth N10million to the victims of the fire, in fulfillment of his promise to assist the distraught traders. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU witnessed the event.

HEN in August Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State visited the popular Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan to commiserate with the traders whose shops and stalls were burnt in an overnight fire few hours earlier and pledged to assist the victims get back on their feet, not a few among the traders thought it was one of those promises by politicians. So, immediately the rubble from the over 200 shops burnt to ashes by the fire was cleared, the traders mobilized resources and started rebuilding their shops without waiting for government assistance, and within a week they were back in business. But to their surprise, Governor Ajimobi came back to the market few weeks after, not for shopping, but to distribute cheques to the traders in fulfillment of the vow he made to them during his visit few hours after the fire incident. Many shops were abandoned while other traders decided to close down business on the fateful day to witness the ground breaking event which some traders found difficult to believe. It was a mammoth crowd that greeted the occasion. Leading the traders to the occasion was the Chairman, Aleshinloye Market Traders Association, Alhaji Fatai Amubikaun in company with some elders of the market. Top government officials and political bigwigs present at the event were the secretary to the state government, Alhaji Ismail Olalekan Alli, Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Lady (Princess) Oyefunke Oworu and her counterpart in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Honourable Fatai Buhari. The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Ibadan South West Local Government, Alhaji Toareed Adeleke, the chief host, also led high ranking officials of the local government to witness the distribution of the cheques. There was drumming and dancing, while traders sang songs praising the governor to show their debt of gratitude for the love and concern shown to their plight. Some of the affected traders recounted their ordeal in the aftermath of the fire disaster, which many said stripped them of all they had labored for. Sixty-four-year old Adijatu Oke said the unfortunate fire disaster caused her much heart ache because the money she used for trading was sourced from a Cooperative Society, but suddenly everything was reduced to ashes, leaving her in much debt and bitterness. Another trader, Abosede Ige who sells jewelries said she lost over N400, 000 worth of goods to the inferno, but expressed thanks to Governor Ajimobi for the kind gesture ,adding that “half bread is better that

Amosun gives hope to community dwellers Biodun-Thomas Davids

Governor Ajimobi presenting a cheque of N50,000 to Mrs. Olanike Alphonsus, one of the traders whose shops were gutted by fire at Aleshinloye market

none”. Mrs Ige who has returned to her newly constructed shop with new stock enjoined the government to provide functional fire station with modern facility to avert future fire disaster in the market. “I don’t think we should be here today collecting cheques from the governor if the market fire station was well equipped to fight and put away the fire before it caused havoc. I know the governor had tried his best, but what can be done to prevent this kind of disaster tomorrow. That should be our utmost concern now. The market needs modern fire station with good boreholes and modern facilities so that we don’t have to come here in ten years time to collect (another) cheques “, she said. A total of 198 traders affected by the fire outbreak got a N50, 000 cheque each. In their separate remarks, some of the beneficiaries, including Mr. Friday Eze, Mrs. Abimbola Ajayi as well as the Chairman of the Market, Alhaji Fatai Amubikaun, commended Governor Ajimobi for the gesture. “We are very grateful to Governor Ajimobi. He is a caring leader who always fulfils his promises. In 2004, something like this happened, the then government promised to assist us but no help came. Today, we are highly excited that the governor did not only give us money, he came personally to distribute the cheques to us. God will continue to strengthen him”, Amubikaun said. The market Youth Leader, Alhaji Basiru Aikore who came to the event with scores of his members in a show of appreciation eulogised Governor Ajimobi and pledged continuous support to him in his quest for better Oyo state. He described the distribution of the cheques by the governor himself as a mark of good leadership.

•Alh Fatai Amubikan, Chairman Aleshinloye Market Association

•Alh. Basiru Aikore, Youth Leader Aleshinloye Market

“Many governors have come to sympathise with the traders in times of need and pledged to assist us, but they never came back. But as we can see within a very short time the governor came, promised and he has fulfilled his promise. Yes, it is true the money he gave to each trader cannot be compared with the amount lost , but what we are saying is that the token came in at the right time and we shall ever remain grateful to him for identifying with our grieve”, he stated. While presenting the cheques to the traders, Governor Ajimobi said that the gesture was in fulfillment of his earlier promise to assist the affected traders to cushion the effect of the losses they suffered during the inferno. He commended the traders for their immense contributions to the socio-economic development of the state, adding that his administration would not relent in its efforts at ensuring improved living condition for the people of the state. The governor said that his administration had earmarked the sum of N300 million as interest-loans to assist traders in the state, while modern markets have been provided for the traders who were removed from the streets. He called on politicians in the state to desist from engaging in campaign of calumny, politics of deceit, character assassination and violence. Governor Ajimobi urged the traders to continue to support the urban renewal programme of his administration and to continue to sustain the existing peace in the state, reminding them that meaningful development could only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace. Alhaji Taoreed Bolaji Adeleke, Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan South-West Local Government in his address appreciated the Governor whose concern did not stop at mere sympathy alone but has empathised with the people by matching his words with actions in acceding to the yearnings of the traders to re-construct their burnt stalls and alleviate their suffering. He went further to say that Governor Ajimobi had, before that day, distributed cheques worth N100million to traders at Lekan Salami Stadium aside the N20million given to traders at Scout Camp, Molete, Ibadan and called on the people to reciprocate the government’s gesture by supporting its programmes in their totality and voting to re-elect Governor Ajimobi at the 2015 general election. He further assured the affected traders of a conducive trading atmosphere at the Phase 2 of Aleshinloye Neighbourhood Market that has motorised borehole and VIP toilet facilities.

Ajimobi to deliver N5b market in December •Traders to get 1,450 shops in first phase

YO State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, is to inaugurate another neighbourhood market in Ibadan, the state capital in December. The market, whose construction costs N5.5 billion, is located near the old airport at Sango area of the city. The facility, dubbed Samonda Business Complex, is a modern neighbourhood market coming after the first one located at Scout Camp, Molete area of the city. The project, which is aimed at meeting the needs of the huge number of traders in the city, is being undertaken as a joint project between WEMABOD TAHC and the state government. Located at a prime location in the city, the government plans to deliver about 4,000 shops in three phases with social amenities including a modern clinic, police and fire stations, banks, a mini shopping mall, small parks and play area for children, green areas

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

and warehouse. Speaking during a visit to assess progress of work at the site recently, the Chairman of WEMABOD Estates Limited, Erelu Angela Adebayo, expressed satisfaction with the extent of work done on the project and assured that inauguration of the first phase would be done in December with 1,450 shops available for traders. The shops include blocks of open stalls and locked-up shops ranging from N500, 000 to N1,500,000 each. The Managing Director of the partnering firm, WEMABOD TAHC Limited, Mr Kayode Adeleke, lauded the Oyo State Government for embarking on the project, saying it would be one of the largest markets in the country when completed. He said the government embarked on the project to provide decent shops for the teeming traders who are warned against trading on the

•From left (sitting): Group Managing Director (GMD), Odu'a, Mr. Adewale Raji, Chairman, Wemabod Estates Ltd., H.E. Erelu Angela Adebayo, Immediate Past Chairman, Wemabod, Dr.Adebayo Adewusi. From left (standing): MD, Wemabod, Mr.Olumide Ologun, Directors Wemabod, High Chief (Surv.), J. A. A. Fagbamiye, Basorun Ayo Afolabi, Dr. Owolabi Adebawo, Deacon Adepoju Adeyemi and Manager Legal, Olukemi Adeloye (Mrs.)

road, According to him, the shops would be bought off by owners with immediate issuance of deeds of assignment by the state government. He said the second phase would commence next year.

FTER about nine years of self help in the development of their community, residents of Christ Embassy Unity Estate, Aseese, Ogun State have been formally recognized by the government and may soon have basic municipal amenities extended to them. Amidst verve, feasting and praises the community under the auspices of Christ Embassy Unity Estate Community Development Area was recently presented with the certificate of community recognition by the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Before the presentation, the community had no formal platform through which it could approach the government for any municipal amenity thereby shouldering on its own, acquisition of basic infrastructure through cooperation of community members. Corroborating this point, the community chairman, Kendrick Agbi said, “With this cooperation, the community has been able to erect electricity poles with service wire and construction of security house among others” While presenting the certificate of community recognition with words of hope on developmental projects, the Deputy Director, Ministry of Community Development and Cooperative, Ogun State, Mrs. Fadimu Seye, who represented Governor Amosun remarked that with the certificate, the community now has a formal record with the government in terms of development and could now approach the government formally for any obvious municipal need. Fadimu who as well represented the Commissioner of the Ministry, Chief Samuel Durojaiye Aiyedogbon thanked the community for partnering with the state government in community development, adding “that no government can successfully carry out community development without the deliberate involvement of the citizenry.” In a message to similar communities in the state she said “start it on your own, do it your own way then invite the government.” She also called on the community members to “jointly identify common problems and proffer solutions to them as the fourth tier of government.” Meanwhile Agbi, who mentioned that the community was ready to partner with Ogun State Vigilante Group called on the government to assist them with the “provision of 500KVA electricity transformer and upgrading of the major road into the community.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

THE NATION INVESTORS

Naira, other currencies top Joburg Stock Exchange

AIRA is one of three African currencies now being traded on Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). This development became possible Monday as the JSE launched the first currency futures which track the exchange rate between the Rand and select African currencies. The JSE listed three new currency futures contracts which track the exchange rate between the Rand and the Zambian Kwacha, Kenyan Shilling and Nigerian Naira. Currency futures allow investors as well as importers and exporters to protect themselves against the currency movement in the foreign country. “The JSE is very excited about this new groundbreaking initiative as we have been working on this strategy for two years. With Africa being a global investment destination it makes sense for the JSE as a major exchange player in Africa to be involved in providing appropriate products to mitigate currency risk and exposure when dealing in Africa,” said an elated

Warren Geers, General Manager, Capital Markets at the JSE. The latest trade statistics from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) show trade flow between South Africa and Nigeria amounted to R34,4 billion between January and July this year. In the same period, trade between South Africa and Kenya amounted to R4,6 billion and trade between South Africa and Zambia was valued at just less than R18 billion. The JSE has partnered with Barclays Africa and specialist brokers, Tradition Futures, to bring this new offering to market. Lourens Harmse of Barclays Africa who looks after sub-Saharan Africa Trading at the Corporate and Investment Banking division said, “Our involvement with the listing of the African currency futures on the JSE further deepens Barclays Africa’s commitment to growing Markets participation in Africa. As part of our vision to be the ‘Go-To’ bank, we strive to give our clients superior execution and access to the continent through world-class and leading innovation.”

Andrew Gillespie of Tradition Futures noted, “It is a groundbreaking development to have a transparent, independent, well regulated platform to mitigate or assume FX Risk in these African countries, against any other currency of their choice - that does not prejudice anyone, irrespective of size, domicile or nationality. The ability to transact anonymously, through specialist brokers such as Tradition Futures, and to have access to full and fair, timeous price discovery is an international benchmark requirement for a developed market. This allows for a level and fair playing field, where the best price is available to all, without bias or favour, which is a significant facet and feature of this market in African FX on the JSE. The new futures contracts will provide the market participants with the ability to get exposure on the JSE to the exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Zambian, Kenyan and Nigerian currencies through trading synthetic across currencies. For example, investors can get ex-

posure to the exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Kenyan Shilling by trading both against the Rand. To promote crosscurrency trading the JSE will charge trading fees on only one of the foreign trade logs and not both. A Currency Futures (CFs) Contract is an obligation to buy or sell an underlying currency at a fixed exchange rate at a specified date in the future. For example, a futures contract can give an investor the right to buy dollars at R10 per dollar at the end of December. One party to the agreement is obligated to buy (longs) the currency at a specified exchange rate and the other agrees to sell (shorts) it at the expiry date. A futures contract is therefore an agreement between two investors with different views on the way or extent a currency will move. The underlying instrument of a currency future contract is the rate of exchange between one unit of foreign currency and the South African Rand. This means that the

• From left: President, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, (NIMN), Mr. Ganiyu Koledoye, Chairman Election Committee, 2014, Mr Chidi Nwankpa, and Registrar/Chief Executive, NIMN, Deji Olokesusi, during the inauguration of the election committee of the institute in Lagos. PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

Commission releases forex rate benchmark

HE foreign exchange benchmark for global players has been released by the FSB, The Nation can authoritatively report. The report was prepared by FSB in collaboration with International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in line with discussions of FX market participants across the globe, along with submissions received in response to an interim report published in July 2014 for wider public consultation. The work of the FSB in this area was initiated in response to concerns raised in 2013 about the integrity of FX benchmarks. These concerns stemmed particularly from the incentives for potential market malpractice linked to the structure of trading around the benchmark fixings. As a result, the FSB Plenary formed a working group to focus on FX benchmarks. The mandate of the group was to undertake analysis of the FX market structure and incentives that may promote particular types of trading activity around the benchmark fixings. The group was tasked to propose possible remedies to address these adverse incentives as well as to examine whether there is a need and scope to improve the construction of the benchmarks themselves.

Based on discussions with the relevant market sectors, the FSB believes that all the recommendations above can and will be accepted and implemented by the market groups concerned, thus the report is expected to deliver a substantial improvement in market structure and conduct. The FX benchmark group was cochaired by Guy Debelle (Assistant Governor, Financial Markets, Reserve Bank of Australia) and Paul Fisher (Deputy Head of the Prudential Regulation Authority: Bank of England. The FSB has been established to coordinate at the international level the work of national financial authorities and international standard setting bodies and to develop and promote the implementation of effective regulatory, supervisory and other financial sector policies in the interest of financial stability. The FSB brings together national authorities responsible for financial stability in 24 countries and jurisdictions, international financial institutions, sector-specific international groupings of regulators and supervisors, and committees of central bank experts. The FSB also conducts outreach with 65 other jurisdictions through its six regional consultative groups. The FSB is chaired by Mark Carney,

Governor of the Bank of England. Its Secretariat is located in Basel, Switzerland, and hosted by the Bank for International Settlements. The report was prepared by a Review Team constituted by IOSCO’s Task Force on Financial Benchmarks and Assessment Committee members, in response to a request from the FSB for IOSCO to undertake a formal review of the closing spot rate against the Benchmark Principles. The FSB report published today sets out a number of recommendations for reform in the FX markets, and in particular the benchmark rates.

value of the futures contract moves up and down with this exchange rate – the level of the exchange rate determines the value of the futures contract. Currency futures contracts therefore allow participants to take a view on the movement of the exchange rate as well as to hedge against currency risk. Currency futures are used as a trading, speculating and hedging tool by all interested participants. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is based in South Africa, where it has operated as a market place for the trading of financial products for 125 years. It connects buyers and sellers in equity, derivative and debt markets. The JSE is one of the top 20 exchanges in the world in terms of market capitalisation and is a member of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE). The JSE offers a fully electronic, efficient, secure market with world class regulation, trading and clearing systems, settlement assurance and risk management.

NSE unveils electronic trading terminal

-Front Trader Platform makes it first debut in the Nigerian electronic (fix) trading terminals market to boost “real time” online trading for stock market traders and investors. This platform’s architecture was designed by the technical team of XFront Trader Limited, Nigeria and powered by Europe’s leading global terminal provider - Infront Norway, in collaboration with one of South Africa’s leading financial market data providers. This platform will enable stockbrokerage houses (SBHs) to provide easy to use and efficient real-time information and trading system to their clients. X-Front Trader Platform is cutting edge in both the front-end GUI (graphical user interface), and connectivity infrastructure for trading and content delivery, yet it is affordable. This terminal was developed based on a 12-month extensive market research and collected feedback from the local Nigerian stock market participants, ASHON (Association of Stockbrokerage Houses of Nigeria) leadership and randomly selected SBHs. X-Front Trader Platform meets regulatory requirements while reducing the huge ICT infrastructure cost as such similar platforms by Infront have delivered in many other countries with matured electronic trading (such as in the Nordics). Now you can see why this is a ‘Game Changer’ for every NGSElicensed SBH and CIS-licensed broker, regardless of size. The platform aids to easily meet the latest strict requirements and standards of the current SEC recapitalization exercise for NGSE-licensed SBHs. The coming pre-market presentation is targeted towards all management levels (inclusive technical, accounting and sales departments) of Nigerian SBHs. Our primary goal is to make attendees aware of this industry leading technology platform,

proven globally, yet customized for the needs of the local Nigerian financial community. The presentation will drill down to the real business needs of SBHs and how the platform and associated services resolves their current problems, creates opportunities and grows business in a scalable manner at a reasonable cost that will ultimately save money with increased efficiency, fewer errors and replacing current solutions that fill some of the market data information at a much higher cost. It should be noted that the new and transforming Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGSE) of today is technology-driven and for market operators to benefit from the new processes, they should be ICT-compliant to attract domestic and foreign clients. According to Engr. Ekwueme Michael Anyadibe, Managing Director, X-Front Trader Limited, among other topics, the presentation will specially cover: Detailed information on how XFRONT TRADER TERMINAL works, since it is based on a ‘multibroker integration’ cloud network architecture where any stock brokerage house can use his prepaid OMS to connect to the X-Front Trader Architecture via industry standard protocols. Early adopter commercial offer for SBHs. Details can be discussed on a case by case basis. Business cases and product benefits The presentation will take place on October 8th, 2014 at the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers’ Training Hall, 10th Floor, CSS Bookshop House, 50/52 Broad Street, Lagos. It will begin at 2.00pm. All the market operators and investing community are invited to have first-hand information about this electronic (fix) trading platform and its benefits to operators and the general market.

Union bank gets PCI DSS certification

NION Bank of Nigeria Plc is now certified with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). PCI DSS is a global security standard for protecting card data, created by leading card companies Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB. The Bank was presented with the certificate after undergoing a rigorous successful audit of its operations which was conducted by PCI DSS Qualified Security Assessor – Panacea InfoSec in conjunction with their

local partner - Digital Encode. This certification gives the bank the added incentive to offer its customers improved data security to protect them from card fraud, identity theft, insider threats, cybercrime, hacking and other security vulnerabilities. Commenting on this achievement, the Head Corporate Affairs/Corporate Communications at Union Bank, Ogochukwu Ekezie-Ekaidem said “our top priority is security and protection of customer data, as well as compliance. This certification is

further proof of our commitment to provide quality service to our customers and we are proud to be compliant with PCI DSS’s stringent security requirements.” Beyond the PCI DSS certification, and as it seeks to reclaim its leadership position in the banking industry, Union Bank has also reinforced its overall security system through a Security Operation Centre (SOC). This will further guarantee that customers can conduct online transactions on more secure platforms and without any apprehensions.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL Vodacom empowers youths through ICT N its continuous effort to bridge the gap between theories taught in the classroom and real life situations, Vodacom Business Nigeria organised a two day industrial tour for students from the Department of Engineering and information Technology, Covenant University, Nigeria. The visit was aimed at providing first–hand experience and a unique opportunity for the students to gain insight into a working environment related to their field of study. The industrial tour which took place at Vodacom’s offices in Ikoyi focused on “Demystifying Cloud Computing” and students got an in-depth knowledge of Cloud technology, how it works and how it is applied to modern businesses. Speaking during the visit, the Managing Director, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Guy Clarke, said “Our commitment is centered on the concept that the more knowledgeable the

youth are, the greater their opportunity for employment. We know that Cloud Computing plays a big role in the ICT industry today and it would contribute to the further growth of Nigerian businesses as the technology is gaining wider acceptance in the business world”. According to him, the workshop is one of the company’s many contributions towards the development of skills and job creation opportunities for young people. Cloud computing will continue to change the world and in many cases, young people drive this process even without knowing it. With millions of youths in Nigeria connected to the Internet, many use cloud through collaboration and social networking tools. There is no better way to encourage this change than exposing the young people to the technical, business and leadership skills required for Cloud technology innovations.

World Bank cuts China growth forecast T HE World Bank has cut China’s growth forecast for this year to below Beijing’s target of 7.5 per cent. The World Bank has cut China’s growth forecast for the next three years as the country tackles structural reforms. Growth in the world’s secondlargest economy will fall to 7.4 per cent from a previous estimate of 7.6 per cent, it said. “In China, growth will gradually slow, as efforts to address financial vulnerabilities and structural constraints increase,” the lender said. Growth in 2015 will go down to 7.2 per cent and then 7.1 per cent in 2016 from a previous forecast of 7.5per centfor both years. The World Bank has become the latest in a series of major banks to downgrade their outlook for China on growth concerns.

In September, US bank Goldman Sachs cut the country’s growth forecast to 7.1 per cent from 7.6 per cent in 2015 and kept this year’s forecast at 7.3 per cent, below Beijing’s target of 7.5 per cent. Louis Kuijs, greater China chief economist at RBS, said it was likely China would miss its official growth target this year, because the government was “okay” with slower growth. “Unlike our previous expectations, the government is not extremely forceful in trying to meet its 7.5per cent growth target,” Mr Kuijs said. “One of the key messages coming from these forecasts is that the government seems all right with a little bit weaker growth than its

target, as long as things like the labour market are holding up.” Chinese authorities have repeatedly said there is no dramatic change to its policy, despite a series of weaker than expected economic data from the Asian giant. Growth will slow as the Chinese government tries to “strike a balance” between containing growth risks and meeting growth targets, the World Bank added. “Measures to contain local government debt, curb shadow banking and tackle excess capacity, high energy demand, and high pollution will reduce investment and manufacturing output,” the World Bank said. The bank also cut its growth forecast for developing countries in the East Asia region for the next two years, from 7.1 per cent to 6.9 per cent, as global trade growth slows.

‘How to develop Port Harcourt airport into cargo hub’

F the Port Harcourt International Airport , Omagwa, Rivers State is to developed into a cargo hub for the South - South region , the federal government should urge relevant aeronautical and other agencies to harmonise operational charges and tariffs , improve on Infrastructure as well address gaps in procurement movements, the chairman Of PrimePorts Logistics, Mr Femi Adewunmi has said . The logistics , freight and clearing operator said until government puts in place incentives to drive cargo volume into the Port Harcourt International Airport, operators would not be able to tap into the N630 billion market share available in the Garden City and its environs. Adewunmi said currently freight operators using air transport facilities only tap into 2.5 per cent of the 17.5 million kilogrammes of cargo brought into Port Harcourt annually . He said of the several million of cargo brought into the country annually, Port Harcourt’s market share accounts for only 25 per cent , out of which a paltry 2.5 per cent ate flown in by air. The other volumes, he said are mainly hauled to Port Harcourt by road , thereby reducing capacity at the airport. He said government could attract players in the freight and logistic business by simplifying the operational tariffs to make it attractive for people to fly in their cargo direct into Port Harcourt. Adewunmi said it costs freight forwarders N2.50 kobo more by kilogramme to fly their cargo into Port Harcourt as opposed to flying them into Lagos. Such disparity in tariff , he said has remained a huge disincentive for many operators in the business. He said if government is determined to develop the Port Harcourt Airport into a cargo hub, it should provide incentives for stakeholders to facilitate their business. He said : “ Unless government takes urgent steps to fix the challenge of inadequate infrastructure at the airport, streamline tariffs, change its attitude if trying to receiver costs through high charges to airlines and freight forwarder the desire to turn Port Harcourt International Airport into a regional cargo hub by 2015 may not be achieved . This could only be achieved if government change the way the industry operates. The way to effect that change is to introduce a deliberate policy , that would be legislated to increase air freight volume into Port Harcourt Airport for oil and gas and related companies that would want to bring in equipment . There must be proper segmentation

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

of the market whereby operators could focus on core areas , within a geographical terrain . Know the customer and develop the market.” He said to attract volume of air freight into Port Harcourt Airport, government and its agencies should put in place some serious structures that could drive the business. Adewunmi said :” People are afraid of making the investment that would attract air freight volume into the airport because the support infrastructure is inadequate, the service charge is high. Airlines are not encouraged to fly air freight into Port Harcourt Airport because it is more expensive. Operators have to pay N250 per kilogramme higher that what is obtainable in Lagos. They authorities say we have to pay more because the volume is low. But this is a disincentive to business. Port Harcourt cost structure is higher. government should address the cost issue. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria should not use revenue to manage cost, it should use cost to attract revenue . Doing this will increase the volume of the business, which ultimately will increase revenue I. The long term Until the issues are fundamentally addressed it would be difficult to attract the volume of air freight .” He called on stakeholders to increase awareness on air freight clearance at the Port Harcourt Airport, affirming that many operators are underutilising a captive market , which is potentially lucrative , but t is being serviced from Lagos.

• Chief Executive Officer, Etislat Nigeria, Mathew Wilshere (left) and Group Chief Executive Officer, Zinox Technologies Limited, Leo Stan Eke during the launch of TD Mobile at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Asian markets rebound on positive US jobs data A SIAN markets rebounded from a string of declines on Monday after stronger-thanexpected US payroll data. US Labor Department figures showed 248,000 jobs were created in September and the unemployment rate dropped to a six-year low of 5.9per cent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 opened 1.1per cent higher while the broader Topix rose one per cent. The Japanese yen also weakened against the US dollar, which is near a four-year high on speculation the US central bank may raise interest rates earlier. Hong Kong stocks opened flat as pro-democracy protests stretched into the second week. The Hang Seng index rose in later trading on news that protest lead-

ers were holding talks with the government and that crowd numbers were dwindling. Over in South Korea, the Kospi rose 0.3per cent on Monday after being closed the previous session for a public holiday. Companies that do business with North Korea saw their shares jump after Pyongyang unexpectedly sent its most senior delegation ever to attend the closing of the Asian Games in Seoul. This includes Hyundai Merchant Marine, the largest shareholder of Hyundai Asan, which is a major investor in North Korea. Australian stocks fell 0.4per cent after private data showed that in-

flation cooled in September. The Australian dollar also fell to a fouryear low against the US dollar. According to TD Securities and the Melbourne Institute, consumer prices rose just 2.2per cent from a year ago last month, compared with a revised 2.4% reading for August. China, India and most south-east Asian markets are closed today for a public holiday. However, investors will be closely watching the election results in Brazil, where President Dilma Rousseff is expected to face a run-off against pro-business rival Aecio Neves on 26 October. Latin America’s largest economy is a major destination for foreign investment from Asia.

Ethiopian Airlines receives B787 aircraft

• Adewunmi

THIOPIAN Airlines said this week that it has received its 10th B787 Dreamliner dubbed “Niagara Falls” Ethiopia as an aviation technology leader in Africa, is the first airline in the world outside Japan to receive and operate in August 2012 the B787 Dreamliner, the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft. The airline has chosen the B787 as its core fleet on its mid and long range routes such as Johannesburg, Lagos, Abuja and Harare in Africa; London, Paris and Frankfurt in Europe; Shang-

hai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Seoul in Asia; Washington D.C., Toronto and Brazil in the Americas. The Toronto and Washington D.C. routes are recorded as the longest non-stop routes using the B787. Ethiopian Airlines group chief executive officer , Mr Tewolde Gebremariam, said “We have chosen the 787 as our core fleet on our mid and long range routes as part of our commitment to our esteemed customers to give them the best possible travel experience. Today, Ethiopian has the youngest fleet in Africa with an average age of 7 years and in line with our long term, fast, profitable and sus-

tainable growth strategy, Vision 2025, we plan to phase-in new and modern aircraft such as the B787s, B777s, A-350 and the B737-8 MAX to support our fast expanding global network”. He said:” The B787 is ideal for mid and long range travel with unique features that enhance the customer experience such as greatly reduced noise, higher cabin air humidity, unique and adaptable lighting and biggest windows in the sky. It also enables the airline to reduce its carbon footprint with up to 20 per cent less fuel consumption than similar aircraft in activity.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Despite challenges faced by micro entrepreneurs, producers of herbal products are developing strong businesses that are benefitting the economy, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Entrepreneur finds success in herbal products T

HE herbal industry has offered a lot of Nigerians an opportunity to make their dreams come true. This is evidenced by the successes recorded by many including Ayo Adekiyesi, Chief Executive, Chavan Cosmetics Limited, a firm producing herbal soap. When he started the business in 2006, he lacked the required money for a big business. He started with N2,500 after he left his job at PZ industries. However, he took it as a challenge and built the business solely on his marketing skills and hard work. Then, he was living in a room with his wife. He used part of it for living apartment and the other for production. When his idea blossomed, he then moved to a selfcontained room. Along the line, he took a loan of N350,000 from a bank on yearly interest rate of six percent. After the milling production machines began running, revenue began to grow. The turnover helped them

move out of poverty. The business has grown from a home-based start up to a fully fledged factory endeavour. The goal, thereafter was to market the products to large traders - sending them to the shelves of the large stalls and shops, responding to a growing demand among consumers. After few years of operation, Adekiyesi is recording significant earnings annually. He is however reinvesting the earnings. They are creating more storage, buying equipment to improve the quality of the products. The good news is that he is almost liquidating the loan he took from the bank. This is because his products are doing well in the market. While his customers base has increased, this is attributed to word of mouth publicity following personal use. His hard work has paid off and its successful presence is felt across the industry. Adekiyesi attributes his success to his wife who motivates him and

•Adekiyesi

is involved and helpful in every aspect of the business. No wonder, success comes easily to him. Today, he has 14 employees and the business is worth N2million.

The company is thriving with two major products. From the proceeds, he has been able to build his personal house. The business provides employment and is helping to stimulate the economy. He established the company around the belief that regardless of background, there is a market for a good product. He had an idea that with more personal attention and a customised approach, the statistics could be better. According to him, an entrepreneur must have a goal in mind. He believes in what he is doing and follow the goal with great determination. These qualities have helped him to forge ahead and make a mark. His success story is merely one example of how a worker with a dream of a better future and a willingness to improve his life, led him to became a prosperous micro business-owner. He is a living testament to his

personal credo of maximising productivity and assuring "meaningful work, paid or unpaid, through the last breath." He wants to create something that instead of assuring jobs and stability would assure jobs and security for the low-income families. Adekiyesi knows what it is to fail and fail hard . He never allowed failure puncture his entrepreneurial ambition . To start from the bottom means to actually come from nothing. He is forever grateful to his friends and family who supported him then and continue to do so now. So far, he has been able to spread positive messages of selfesteem and hard work to encourage all people to perform to their full potential. People like Adekiyesi are proof that despite many challenges the economy is facing , entrepreneurs can, and are, developing strong businesses that benefit people and the economy

The music industry has provided business opportunities for entrepreneurs besides selling recordings and earning royalties from sales. Many of these include work for broadcast, freelance song writing for inclusion in movies, television shows and advertisements and other derivative uses. All of these activities help to create entrepreneurial success stories for creators across the economy. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Making money as a performing musician

HERE are some amazing entrepreneurs turning business opportunities in the music industry into success stories. These include recording artistes, songwriters, record producers, performing artistes, musicians (concert &session), background vocalists and engineers. Eludiwura Kayode Solomon, founder and Chief Executive, IK Wonders Gospel Band, Lagos is one of them. He is a gospel music entrepreneur. He started as a secular musician. Depending on who you ask, Solomon, popularly known as IK Wonders is serving the music industry. The motivation, however, is that he has always wanted to be a musician and has been passionate about the craft since he was young. To achieve this, he began as amateur instrumentalist at a Pentecostal church in Abeokuta, Ogun State. There, he learnt to play a lot of instruments. He later came to Mushin in Lagos. Over time, he worked and wrote songs which were recorded by other singers. Then, there was exponential growth in the amount of music produced and consumed

within the area. But at the same time,however, it was hard for new entrants to go solo. Although he was maturing as a musician, fans were not ready for him then. Thereafter, their mindset changed. It happened in 2000, when he performed at a ceremony involving one of his sisters. The performance gave him an impressive leap. That was the beginning of a professional journey which was going to put food on his table. A few years, later, he realised that writing the songs for others was not going to give him more money. He needed to own them. Subsequently, he dropped an album, “Talking your language”. The result was great. Gradually, he built a solid, loyal fan base. When it grew large enough, he began partnering individuals to create contents that reflected their interests through music. He dropped another album “Double Celebration”. He became well known in Lagos society circles for his talent at shows and parties. But the competition was fierce––and so the love. It was survival of the

fittest. Later, he was making waves as a confirmed musician and began to build a business empire. His winning a market share helped him to further his brand and credibility. This allowed him to perform as an artiste, songwriter and entrepreneur. As his career grows, he will be able to engage in more promotions. Thinking like an entrepreneur helped him to identify opportunities and design a business around them. As an entrepreneurialminded music artiste, he became adept at marketing; which was critical to his success. He didn’t only think of ways to sell his product (CD’s, T-Shirts, Videos, etc.) but of ways to endear people to him in an effort to create a close-knit community for his fans. He didn’t limit himself to obtaining deals that he heard and read about but those that can result in income generation. Today,he is happy to able to transform his talent into a financially rewarding enterprise The key to musical success, of course, is having customers and

charging them enough to make a profit. His ability to hang around his locality opened doors, and let the world know he is in business. And—surprise, surprise—fans were flocking in. He tried to figure out how to keep it all going—and going efficiently and profitably. But a major change came when he answered a divine message to move into a gospel music enterprise. This led to him dropping an album” Omokayode” in 2010. Subsequently, he sang “His Excellency” this year. His band has grown into a successful one responsible for creating gospel music. Today, traditional gospel is not only the greatest music hit factory ever heard, but an institution, a state of mind, a way of life, a style, the sound local evangelism has evolved. The distinctive upbeat and uplifting gospel music produced by IK wonders and others has bought together old and young, like never before and continues to this day. His talents as a songwriter and entrepreneur and his huge contribution to popular music are recognised.

•IK Wonders

Today, he is a ‘crossover” not only on record and stage, but also behind the scenes. He set his eyes on television, movies. He is among the stable of gospel singers, songwriters, producers and musicians of the Redeemed Christian Church that has taken the concept of simple, catchy Christian songs to a whole new level of sophistication. As a student of Lagos State University, he has became a model of music entrepreneurship pride and self-expression and a repository of great talent. He is a regular performer at many prominent events and campuses. His programmes are also designed to educate and develop the careers of young instrumentalists, singers and conductors.

Association praises BOI for SMEs access to fund HE Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), Secretary General, Mr Frederick Nwokeleme, has praised the Bank of Industry (BOI) for rising to the challenge of supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to grow their businesses. Addressing the association’s meeting in Lagos, Nwokeleme said the members have received letters of offer from the bank to take advantage of a loan facility. He explained that the loan was meant for viable SMEs. The association, according to him, was interested in long term capital and sources of lending for small and mid-sized businesses. Nwokeleme urged members to take advantage of the lending channel .

To protect its integrity, the Secretary-General said the association was determined to provide every measures to ensure the affected members repaid the loans. In another forum, the President, Prince Saviour Iche, called on the government to establish a startup loan programme to support young people start up their own business. The scheme, he explained, should provide loans and mentoring support to young graduates who would not normally be able to access traditional forms of finance for lack of track record or assets. According to him, AMEN is ready to guarantee such youths, support them with viable business ideas and mentor them to succeed in their endeavours. He urged the government to

•Nwokeleme and Iche at the event

address infrastructure constraints, promoting economic growth and the delivery of jobs.

He underlined the capacity of national entrepreneurship programmes to provide incen-

tives to encourage small entrepreneurs increase local technological innovations.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

BUSINESS NEWS Bank to sponsor customer service awards

• Oil Platform

‘How to make NNPC globally competitive’

OME retired top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have expressed worry over the continued decline of Nigeria’s oil reserves saying the trend portends danger for the economy especially as oil accounts for over 80 per cent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings. Some of the retirees including Mr. Mike Olorunfemi, Akin Adetunji and Ade Olaiya rose to top management positions before retiring. Olorunfemi rose to the position of Deputy Group Managing Director, after serving as Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), among other positions before his retirement. They spoke on how to transform the NNPC to enable it maximise value addition to the economy and also become a

By Emeka Ugwuanyi & Chikodi Okereocha

profit-making venture. According to them, the statement credited to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) that Nigeria’s oil reserves is depleting rather than increasing was worrisome. They said the reserves have declined as low as 35 billion barrels as against almost 40 billion barrels when they left the corporation few years ago. They said: “The implication of that for Nigeria is that if nothing is done drastically and aggressively, the country will sooner than later end up being a net importer of crude, not even finished products because there wouldn’t be reserves to tap from. So, these are the issues we tried to highlight in our book titled Nigerian Oil and Gas: A mixed Blessing? A Chronicle of NNPC’s Unfulfilled Mission, which will be launched today.”

They noted the importance of capitalising the NNPC if it should compete effectively with other national oil companies (NOCs) and international oil companies (IOCs). They said: “The issue of NNPC is not really independence as such; what we are saying is that we should capitalise NNPC as a corporate entity. When you capitalise a concern it means you set out a proper board and management completely different from government subsidiary or parastatal. It has its own set business objectives. See what is happening in Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) today. NLNG is a model we can readily point at as being the way to go, that is capitalise it and let it go as a business and measure its performance by the money you put into it and the profit you derive from it. And from there, it will be self-subsisting, it will be able to go to the market and have access to inter-

national financial market to be able to finance its activities and free the government of all these responsibilities.” They said government’s direct management of NNPC is stifling the corporation because what we are having today is government running the NNPC. They lamented that every commercial and management decisions are taken by government, adding that when that happens, it is not healthy for a thriving business. “We need to differentiate between capitalising a business from making it independent. An enterprise can be independent but doesn’t have access to fund, but when you capitalise it, it has its fund, it has its assets. So, it could use its assets for its business. That is really the issue. It will run as a business. People say government has no business in business that is what it should be,” they said.

Emirates, Angola partner on concession

MIRATES Airlines and the Republic of Angola have announced the signing of a Management Concession Agreement which will see Emirates take a role in the management of TAAG Linhas Aéreas De Angola. The signing of the agreement is predicated on the relationship with Emirates as the majority shareholder of TAAG Linhas Aéreas De Angola, The agreement lays the foundation for both airlines to jointly

leverage commercial opportunities in Africa and beyond. The 10-year Management Concession Agreement was signed this morning by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group and H.E. Augusto da Silva Tomás, the Minister of Transport for Government of Angola. This initiative is to further the Republic of Angola’s vision to create a world class Angolan car-

rier with the support of Emirates. As part of the agreement, Emirates will work closely with the Angolan government and TAAG Linhas Aéreas De Angola to formulate and implement a business plan, provide management support and devise fleet and route network strategies, whilst bringing synergy through the complementary networks. Emirates will not contribute equity under this agreement* but appoint four senior managers to work for

TAAG Linhas Aéreas De Angola. Both airlines will also cooperate across a wide range of areas including bilateral codesharing on cargo and passenger services, participation of customers in both airlines’ frequent flyer programmes and passenger and cargo handling. Emirates has also committed to allocate its resources to staff and crew training on best-in-class business and operational processes and systems.

ERITAGE Bank has said it will sponsor the 2014 Nigeria Customer Service Awards (NCSA) because of its commitment to customer satisfaction and excellence in service delivery. The bank also said its participation in the annual excellence awards is part of an overall plan to consolidate on recent positive landmarks the bank achieved in the industry. Last week, Heritage Bank and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) signed a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) that paved way for the bank to acquire Enterprise Bank Limited. Heritage Bank, which was earlier announced as the preferred bidder for Enterprise Bank, paid 20 per cent or N11.2 billion being part of the bid price. Speaking in Abuja on the bank’s decision to partner NCSA, its Head, Service Measurement & Evaluation, Chiamaka Ugo Obidike, said the bank identifies with the NCSA’s objective of raising standards of customer service in all sectors and in the banking sector in particular. “This unique and exciting award recognises the service levels attained by companies from which service excellence can be measured,” she said.

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

Coordinator of NCSA, Dr Aliyu Ilias, said the organisation is glad to have Heritage Bank as the sponsor of the awards coming up early this month at Ibeto Hotels, Abuja, explaining that it has not been easy selecting the right sponsor given the number of sponsors who elected to sponsor this year’s edition of the award. On the significance of the awards, Dr Ilias said it basically aims at “celebrating service excellence in Nigeria. We encourage Nigerian companies to go beyond paying lip-service and eyeservice to customers because the customer deserve better. “We also preach that dealing fairly with the customer is both rewarding to the organisation as it is to the customer, and that is why we promote and project such hard working organisations that excel in the business of fulfilling customer service delivery,” he said Dr Ilias also encouraged nominees, as well as willing companies, to snap the opportunity of featuring in the event 2014.byfeaturing in the 2014 Customer Service compendium , which he said gives companies leverage with the showcasing of their products and services and their commitment to excellence service delivery.

Honour for Etihad’s inflight service

TIHAD Airways has been honoured at the Future Travel Experience Awards 2014 for providing a market-leading inflight experience. The prestigious awards are part of the Future Travel Experience Global event and celebrate “outstanding efforts to improve the passenger experience”, with this year’s winners announced at a gala reception in Las Vegas, attended by senior travel executives from across the world. Etihad Airways won the ‘Best Up In The Air Experience’ award, with a panel of independent experts praising the airline’s remarkable hospitality, comfortable seats, extensive inflight entertainment and connectivity, and customer-centric dining services, including its Café Service in Economy Class, ‘Dine on Demand’ in Business Class, and Inflight Chefs in First Class. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Our inflight experience has been devel-

oped with the guest in mind and we pride ourselves on offering the best possible experience in the sky, with inspiration from the world’s leading hotels and restaurants. This award is testament to the success of our current offering, and provides a vote of confidence for The Residence by Etihad™, and the ground-breaking new First, Business and Economy Class products that will feature onboard our Airbus A380 and Boeing B787 aircraft.” Judges were also impressed by Etihad Airways’ Flying Nanny inflight child care assistance program, and hailed the innovative products that will debut onboard the airline’s Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft in December 2014, showcasing a new First, Business and Economy Class product and service offering, and The Residence by Etihad™, a three-room private cabin on the A380 with living room, separate double bedroom and ensuite shower.

Ikeja urges customers’ cooperation over vandalism

•National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi

THE management of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) has urged electricity consumers within its network to join ongoing efforts at enhancing power supply through involvement in the protection of the company’s installations and equipment in their communities. The call is coming on the heels of recent rise in theft of sensitive equipment and malicious damage to the company’s assets over the last two months. “The Company has recorded not less than forty five transformers

that were vandalised within the stated period, thereby throwing some communities into darkness,” said Pekun Adeyanju, Head, Communications Strategy in a statement. According to Adeyanju, some of the items include Underground cables, Up-riser cables, Feeder Pillar units, and Aluminum Conductors, among others. He explained that apart from hindering the effectiveness of power distribution within the network vandals also risk prosecution and electrocution as has been the case in several failed at-

tempts by vandals. “While we thank all our customers for their support, we appeal to customers and members of the public to be vigilant and report any persons involved in the theft or destruction of IKEDC property to security agencies, the nearest IKEDC Business Office or call the company’s customer care numbers on 01-4483900, 0800-2255-45332 or 0700-2255-4532 or send an email to: customercare@ikedc.com,” he said. It would be recalled that the long arm of the law re-

cently caught up with two men, Suleiman Amusa and his son, Owolabi Amusa who have been jailed for attacking a staff of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution PLC (IKEDC) with a machete whilst on official duty at Agbowa-Itokin road, in the outskirt of Ikorodu, Lagos. In a judgment delivered by the Magistrate, Mr. P.L. Hopeto at the Badagry Magistrate Court 2 on July 2, 2014 under the charge number IKD/C/ 24C/2010, both defendants were convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour.

Adeyanju said IKEDC was collaborating with the relevant security agencies who have pledged to prosecute offenders as well as safeguard the lives and property of Power companies in reaction to rising cases of vandalism. He added that the company was also committed to equitable power supply to all customers even as we continue to leverage our partnerships to achieve additional supply outside the national grid, efficient vending platforms, smart metering and transparent billing for energy consumed.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2014

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

EKITI POLITICS A group of professionals, the E-Eleven, led by Mr. Femi Ajiniran, is asking the court to determine the eligibility of the Ekiti State Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to contest the June 21 election. EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the implications of the litigation for power transfer in the Fountain of Knowledge.

Fayose: Question mark on eligibility? E

KITI State Governor-elect Ayodele Fayose has one more hurdle to cross before assuming the reins on October 16. The court must make a pronouncement on his eligibility for the election held on June 21. If the case is decided in his favour, he will be sworn in by the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola. If the court rules that he was not eligible, there may be fresh constitutional crises in the state. When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer was filling ‘Form INEC CF.001,’ little did he know that he would be asked to explain what he deposed to in the court of law after winning the poll. In the form, Fayose allegedly denied being indicted for fraud by a judicial commission or an administrative panel of inquiry. However, a group, the ‘e-Eleven’, thinks otherwise. Based on the document, the group believes that he was unfit to contest for the election. Therefore, it is praying an Ado Ekiti High Court to make a pronouncement on his eligibility for the contest. Other defendants in the suit are the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). According to e-Eleven, Fayose contested the poll in error. On may 23, the group had approached the court, alleging that Fayose had contravened the 1999 Constitution and the 2011 Electoral Act. The suit was brought pursuant to Order 3 Rule 5 and 6 of the High Court of Ekiti State (Civil Procedure Rules, 2011), precisely 29 days to the governorship election. Put succinctly, the group said Fayose violated Sections 177 and 182 (1) (d-e) of the constitution (as amended) and Sections 31 and 87 of the Electoral Act. Section 182 (1) (d-e) provides that no person “shall be qualified for election to the office of governor of a state, if he is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud; or within a period of less than ten years before the date of election to the office of governor of a state he has been convicted and sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty or he has been found guilty of the Code of Conduct.” =Also, Section 31 (4-6) of the Electoral Act provided further conditions for disqualification of a governorship candidate. The section stated that a person might apply “to the commission for a copy of nomination form, affidavit and any other document submitted by a candidate at an election and the Commission shall, upon the payment of a prescribed fee, shall issue such person with a certified copy of the document within 14 days. “A person, who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by a candidate in the affidavit or any document submitted by the candidate is false may file a suit at the High Court of a State or Federal High Court against such person seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit is false. If the Court determines that any of the information contained in the affidavit or any document submitted by the candidate is false, the Court shall issue an order disqualifying the candidate from contesting the election…” The group alleged that the governorelect was indicted in a suit he filed against The News Magazine in 2004. In 2004, Fayose sued The News Magazine for alleged defamation of character at the High Court, Ekiti. The trial judge, Justice Ayodele Daramola, dismissed Fayose’s suit

• Fayemi

• Fayose

‘Cases of arson have also been reported in Ekiti. A former leader of the road transport union has been murdered. The APC office has been razed. The campaign office of the governor has also been burnt by suspected thugs. Fayemi called off his ‘thank you’ tour. He also imposed a curfew on Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. Many indigenes are worried that Ekiti is in the news again for the wrong reason. Some traditional rulers have sued for peace, stressing that the state is greater than the major actors at the centre of the new controversy’ • Prof Jega

on the premise of the comprehensive report the State Security Service (SSS) filed on Fayose’s activities. Besides, the E-Eleven insisted that the Ekiti State House of Assembly impeached Fayose on October 16, 2006, following the report of a validly constituted administrative panel as provided for in Section 188 (5) of the 1999 Constitution. According to the group, the panel found the governorelect guilty of gross misconduct in 2006, which means he cannot contest governorship election until 2016, in line with the constitutional provision. However, the PDP has objected to the claims, saying that the group and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are orchestrating a succession crisis in Ekiti, follow-

ing the defeat of Governor Kayode Fayemi at the poll. Since the case started, there has been anxiety in Ekiti. A judge, Olusegun Ogunyemi, has been attacked by suspected thugs. Although Fayose denied involvement in the attack, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, has written on how thugs manhandled the judge and prevented him from discharging his constitutional responsibilities to the National Judicial Council (NJC). He said the judge was prevented from ruling on the case before him. Fayose has denied that he sponsored the attacks, saying that the attribution to him was embarrassing. At the Election Petition Tribunal, thugs also harassed another judge, Justice John

Adeyeye. According to reports, there was pandemonium at the court premises. When thugs invaded the premises, judges, counsel and court workers were manhandled. Court document were allegedly mutilated. Many people were injured. The governorelect said he did not mobilise the thugs to disrupt proceedings in court. Cases of arson have also been reported in Ekiti. A former leader of the road transport union, Mr. Omolafe Aderiye, has been murdered. The APC office has been razed. The campaign office of the governor has also been burnt by suspected thugs. Fayemi called off his ‘thank you’ tour. He also imposed a curfew on Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. Many indigenes are worried that Ekiti is in the news again for the wrong reason. Some traditional rulers have sued for peace, stressing that the state is greater than the major actors at the centre of the new controversy. Irked by the desecration of the temple of justice, the NJC invited all the parties and victims to Abuja. After its meeting, the council condemned the attack on judicial officers and urged the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the incidents. It also directed that the suit should be given accelerated hearing so that it the verdict can be given before Fayose’s inauguration. However, to the PDP has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukthar, accusing the chief judge of planning to abort the inauguration slated for October 16. It warned that the unfolding scenario may precipitate a constitutional crisis. The petition titled: “Another Judicial Coup Plotted to Avert the Swearingin of the Governor-elect of Ekiti State,” was signed by the Secretary, Dr. Tope Aluko, and the Publicity Secretary, Pastor Kola Oluwawole. The party alleged that Justice Daramola and Governor Kayode Fayemi had planned “to give accelerated hearing to some suits challenging the eligibility of Fayose for the June 21 governorship election, despite the notice of appeal and the stay of proceedings filed in respect of the suits.” The party said that Fayose had challenged the assumption of jurisdiction by an Ado-Ekiti High Court on the matter and also filed a stay of proceedings on the hearing of the substantive suit. It also recalled that the governor-elect has written a letter the CJN, raising fears about attempts “to frustrate the swearing-in of the governorelect.” “This was done in view of Section 185 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers only the Chief Judge of Ekiti State to swear in the governor-elect as the new governor, as Ekiti State presently has no Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal or President of the Customary Court of Appeal that can perform similar functions, in the event the chief judge declines to do so,” it added. The PDP frowned at the delay in responding to Fayose’s letter of September 28 to the Chief Justice, six days after Justice Ogunyemi was attacked and four days after Justice Adeyeye was beaten up. It alleged a desperate move by the APC “to obtain a ‘black market injunction’ from an Ekiti State High Court restraining the chief judge from swearing Fayose in. The NJC has said that petitions forwarded by parties to the matter “are being looked into.” It has also directed that the matter should be determined before the swearing-in of the governor-elect. Thus, the APC, the E-Eleven, Fayose and the PDP have to abide by the decision and wait for the court’s verdict.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2014

POLITICS A critic, Iboro Otongaran, reflects on the historical responsibilities on the shoulders of the Ibibio leader, Obong Victor Attah, who is leading the campaign for a level-playing field for governorship aspirants in Akwa Ibom State, ahead of the primaries.

Attah: We don’t want imposition in Akwa Ibom

HE events of September 5, 2014, at Asan Ibibio, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, was very symbolic. On that date, about two million persons, who constitute the cradle of Ibibio civilisation, gathered to honour one man and proclaim him their leader. The beneficiary was Obong Victor Attah, governor of Akwa Ibom State from 1999 to 2007. The reception, according to the organizers — Ibibio elders and leaders — was meant to achieve a dual purpose: welcome Attah back from the National Conference where he served as co-chair of the committee on Devolution of Power and to honour him for his work during his time as governor of the state. Styled a grand reception, the event lived up to its billing. It was grand in every sense of the word. The attendance turned out to be the political equivalent of a sell-out pop concert. Around two million people packed into the arena called Asan Ibibio. The venue was filled to the brim. Those who could not find space at the arena moved to the adjoining roads and vacant spaces nearby. It was an occasion dripping with symbolism. For instance, it was a day made soggy by heavy downpour. Yet, the rain could not stop the party. Not even the traffic snarl that stretched in all directions for about 10 kilometres could hold the people back nor dampen their enthusiasm to witness the occasion. A rival rally in another part of town, apparently staged to counter the Attah reception, did nothing to stem the flow of human and vehicular traffic in the direction of the reception hall at Asan Ibibio. Every aspect of the reception was laden with meaning. The proclamation of Attah as the overall Ibibio leader appears to have gone down well with his people, given the mass, enthusiastic turnout at the reception. The only comparable event in the state that could perhaps be compared with it was the inaugural flight into Ibom International Airport in September 2009. If it were an electoral contest, the level of support displayed for the former governor would have been described as an ‘overwhelming mandate.’ If the people have given Attah such pan-Ibibio authority to lead, it does not require any leap in imagination to conclude that he will enjoy mass and loyal followership. A leader is as strong as the dedication and loyalty of the followership that gives his leadership the needed traction. The event at Asan Ibibio, which symbolised overall endorsement, a sweep-

• Attah

• Akpabio

ing approval of Attah as the paramount Ibibio leader means that henceforth Ibibio will speak with one voice and act in one accord on state and national issues. The political explication of such prognosis is huge: it means the advent of a material force that is unstoppable. As a denouement to the reception, Attah made a great speech. At once a reflection on the past and a compass to the future, the Asan Ibibio declaration by the newly crowned paramount Ibibio leader, Ubokudom Ibibio, may yet prove the turning point in the politics and development of Akwa Ibom State. The nugget of the speech was a call for a level-playing field for all aspirants in the processes leading to the selection of a successor to Governor Godswill Akpabio and a repudiation of zoning. But, trust Attah, an intellectual in

The Asan Ibibio declaration by the newly crowned paramount Ibibio leader, Ubokudom Ibibio, may yet prove the turning point in the politics and development of Akwa Ibom State. The nugget of Attah’s speech was a call for a level-playing field for all aspirants in the processes leading to the selection of a successor to Governor Godswill Akpabio and a repudiation of zoning’ politics with predilection for scholarship, he sought to earth his view on the matter within the context of the political currents and sentiments in the state by saying though zoning would be a major sentiment with some people in the choice of the PDP flag bearer for the gubernatorial election next year, there were other more compelling considerations that could not be wished away because of zoning. For him, one of those considerations was “the crying need to take back the state and return it to the people to be developed and used for the benefit of all.” He laced on the icing by adding that the coming succession would be a collective decision of the people, and not an imposition by one man. It was a resoundingly clear message. Every effort by a few naysayers to distort what Attah said, which was actually a regal seal on the chorus of the majority of Akwa Ibom people, is an expression of the innate human instinct to discredit and reject information that is inconsistent with one’s wish. There is explanation for it in cognitive dissonance theory: those discomforted by discordant information slip into denial to be able to sleep well at night. On the whole, the event at Asan Ibibio two weekends ago points to a new dawn in organisation, a fresh threshold in political sophistication and acuity. It may well be the game changer in the race ahead.

• Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Senator Ganiyu Solomon (middle) during his declaration of ambition at the Ikorodu Town Hall, Ikorodu yesterday. With him are Dr. Ajayi-Bembe (left) and Hon. Folasade Olabanji-Oba (right).

‘No adopted candidate in Edo APC’ From Osagie Otabor, Benin

DO State All Progressive Congress (APC) has denied insinuations that some aspirants have been adopted as candidates in next year’s general elections. The party said the alleged adoption of candidates was another propaganda by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to cause disaffection in the progressives camp. Its treasurer, Saliu Momoh, who spoke with reporters in Benin-City, the state capital, denied speculations that Governor Adams Oshiomhole had promised the 15 APC lawmakers automatic return tickets. Saliu said the flag bearers would emerge through democratic process. He added: “Nobody has adopted anybody in the APC. The APC is quite clear about this. The APC is a political party that is for change in Nigeria. As progressives, we have said we must go by democratic rules.” “The APC is set, not only to change the party system in Nigeria, but every step taken must be through democratic process. No person is trying to impose any candidate at the primaries.” “We are not unaware that our opponent will sponsor candidates. After the primaries, those sponsored will be insisting that they will not agree. But, we are going to make the process very credible. Nobody will impose candidate. We will look at the guidelines and the rules. There will be no imposition. “The governor has said that aspirants must be given a level-playing field. I am not aware that the governor has given an automatic ticket to anybody or House of Assembly members. Those are rumours being peddled by the PDP.”

2015: Ex-presidential candidate urges Kwarans to shun ethnicity From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

ORMER presidential candidate of the National Transformation Party (NTP) Deacon John Dara has urged the people of Kwara State to shun prejudices as theyvote for candidates of their choice in next year’s elections. Dara, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, also enjoined them to emulate Americans, who shunned racial prejudices in electing a black American, Barak Obama, as the President in a predominantly white society. The former Special Assistant to former Defence Minister General Theophilus Danjuma spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, shortly after receiving a merit award from the West African Students’ Union (WASU). Dara unfolded his agenda, saying that his mission is “to change the face of Kwara State and make life more abundant for people of this state.” He said Kwara would “rise above distractions and prejudices” and elect the best candidate. Dara stressd: “The truth is that everybody thought it would be impossible for a blackman to be the President of America in the same way many people think it would be impossible for a Christian to be elected as the governor of Kwara State.” Decrying what he described as poor governance, the aspirant said: “I do hope that, at the end of this electoral season, the people of Kwara State would be given the opportunity by PDP delegates to restore excellence in governance for the first time by electing me as their governor.”

PDP governorship aspirant promises to transform Lagos By Raymond Mordi

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in La gos State, Mr. Akintoye Branco-Rhodes, has promised to serve Lagosians diligently, if elected as the governor. The aspirant, who spoke in Alimosho, during the novelty march organized in his honour by youths, said that the time had come for Lagosians vote for change. He promised to fight the infrastructure battle and rekindle the confidence of the people in governance through people-oriented programmes. Branco-Rhodes is not intimidated by the big names in the race. The more the merrier, he said. He added: “Politics is all about merit. We are not afraid of competition. We’re going to the primaries and we believe the people will choose the candidate of their choice. It’s about the people. We are hoping that they will choose someone who understands the issues.” Branco-Rhodes, an energy expert, reflected on his pro-democracy activities in the last two decades, stressing that he understands the problems of Lagos. He promised use his experience for the transformation of the state, especially in the area of power supply. This, he said, would assist in creating employment opportunities for youths. The Deputy Chairman of the PDP in Alimosho, Hon. Abu Ojeikere, commended BrancoRhodes for visiting the area to assess the situation on ground. He said other aspirants are only targeting votes from the local government. Ojeikere said, in spite of huge population of Alimoso, which he described as the biggest local government in the country, the area lacks many social amenities. He said: “They are only interested in our votes. You can see how dilapidated our roads are. Apart from roads, there are no street lights. If you build a house here, you provide everything for yourself.” • Branco-Rhodes

THE NATION WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2014

POLITICS

UPP: don’t postpone next year’s polls

Former Secretary to the Delta State Government Chief Ovie Omo-Agege is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Delta State. He spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU on his plans for the Southsouth state. .

‘Why I am running for Delta governor’

By Adeola Ogunlade

HE United Progressive Party (UPP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to postpone next year’s election. The party said the move could be misinterpreted as a desperate move to achieve tenure elongation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Its National Chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said it is wrong to postpone the polls because of insurgency, recalling that during the civil war, the country did not suspend socio-economic activities across the country. He said: “The postponement of election would create an impression of tenure elongation in favour of the ruling party. Once that is done ,the perception can be dangerous and it could result to anarchy. “The Northerners believe the next election is an opportunity for them to take power back. But, the PDP do not want to relinquish power. We in UPP want the elections to hold at the stipulated time by the INEC because Nigerians want change.” • Okorie

Delta 2015: Group endorses aspirant

GROUP, ‘Warri Rebirth,’ has endorsed a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Delta State, Dr Andrew Foubiri-Warri, for the governorship election. He was endorsed in Warri, shortly after the meeting of the group chaired by Mr KessAgbosa. Agbosa said: “This is what Delta State has been waiting for; a man who can bring change. I see him more as a change agent by virtue of his courage, doggedness and selfless commitment to serve his people. This man is not only exceptionally intelligent but oozes a breath of fresh air. In his response, Dr Foubiri-Warri reiterated that there is no zoning in the PDP in Delta State, saying that the notion is a figment of the imagination of those calling for it. The aspirant, who spoke on the theme: ‘Unity and advantages of the ethnic tribes of Warri,’ commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan acting as the symbol of unity in the state. Explaining his mission in politics, he said: “I am in the race to redefine the political scape of Delta State and I am committed to an allinclusive government. I will be the bridge between the youth and the elders.” A member of the group, Olu Okpodu, described the aspirant as an enigmatic and focused politician, adding that he is a man of integrity. The meeting was attended politicians, including Paul Nuta Oyibokja, Frank Afejuku, Nikoro Obruchie, Paul Onome, Sunny Nikoro, Mrs. Franca AfejukuKumene, Dr. Akpo Mudiaga Odje, Professor TemiAkporhonor, Mr. Lucky Obiuwevbi, Mr. David Jemide and the Chairman of Warri South Council, Dr. Austin Uroye.

‘Nobody has endorsed Oba in Kwara PDP’

GROUP, the Kwara South Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Integrity Group, has said that stakeholders have not endorsed Prof. Oba Abdulraheem as the party’s candidate in next year’s election. The group explained that it has not directed any of its members to endorse any aspirant. Former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Bisi Oloruntoba, who is a member of the group, said the purported endorsent is false. He said in a statement that the group supported the plan by the chapter to conduct primaries for aspirants. Oloruntoba added: “We wish to dismiss the report as entirely false, misleading and therefore, null and void. This is because at no point did stakeholders in the PDP meet to endorse any candidate. While Prof. Oba’s supporters are free to sell their principal, it is a mischief taken too far to dignify their individual interest by calling it an endorsement by Kwara South PDP stakeholders.” The party chieftain said members are at liberty to support the ambition of an aspirant who will not constitute a threat to their interests. He stressed: “It is our position that anybody who is competent, popular and credible can seek our party’s nomination. We restate our commitment to free and fair primaries where our people from Kwara South would back only a candidate with record of fairness, friendship and goodwill for them. “We will only support a candidate we can be safe with, no matter where he hails from in our dear state. We will be guided by our history: informed history and not prejudice that is built on needless ethnic bias. “Every aspirant can sell their aspirations to our people, who would then make their choice known at the appropriate time. We wish to state that our people would not be intimidated by any empty endorsement made in bad faith. They certainly won’t back an aspiration which all of us fear may constitute existential threat to our people!” • Oba

OU have described yourself as the best aspirant. Why? First, let me acknowledge that all the aspirants in this race are qualified and worthy of the governorship position. They are good men and women who mean well for our party and state. All of them have good ideas and policies to move our state to the next level. But, from this pack, I stand out. I stand out because I believe that I have a better understanding of the issues and the solutions to the problems facing our people. Second, it is important to note that even before we begin to implement these ideas and policies, our party has to first win the elections. We have to win not just the gubernatorial election but also the presidential election. In fact, the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan is more important than anything else. In Delta State, our challenge is to increase our voter turnout from the 68 per cent we achieved in 2011 and deliver more votes to President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. Delta State is President Jonathan’s catchment area. Anything less than 95 per cent voter turnout in 2015 would be unacceptable and deemed a failure. We also need to win the governorship election with a wider margin, so that we are not distracted by unnecessary tribunal litigations. I strongly believe that I, more than anyone else in the race, can achieve these overall objectives for our party. My candidacy in the governorship election will ensure a greater voter turnout in the presidential election and help Mr. President achieve a landslide that will make it impossible for the APC to secure 25 per cent of the votes in Delta State. I can also expand Governor Uduaghan’s winning coalition by winning more votes in the hitherto opposition stronghold of Delta Central and widen the support base of our party. What is your position on zoning? Obviously, I do not subscribe to this. If I do, I wouldn’t have joined the race in the first place. In Delta State, zoning and power rotation of the governorship has never been implemented. In all previous governorship elections, aspirants from all three senatorial districts contested the primaries of the PDP. Chief James Ibori was challenged for the ticket of PDP by the likes of Dr. Joshua Enueme and Chief Ifeanyi Onwukamike from Delta North. In 2007, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan emerged the flag bearer of the party not because it was the turn of Delta South but because he won an open primary that was contested by Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Chief Godswill Obielum, Prof. Fidelis Oditah, Chief Simeon Ebonka, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa from Delta North and the late Pius Ewerido, Chief Charles Obule, Olorogun Otega Emerhor, Hon. Napoleon Gbinije, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Olorogun Oscar Ibru and myself from Delta Central. What has happened in Delta State in the past is that after the governorship candidate of the party has emerged from a primary contest that is open to aspirants from all the senatorial districts, the principle of zoning is then used to distribute other elective and appointive offices among the three senatorial districts in the state for purpose of fairness, equity and justice. So, there is no basis for anyone to now claim it is their turn and others should be excluded. No one has ever been excluded from

• Omo-Agege

the governorship primaries because of where he or she comes from in the past. And it cannot begin now. Primaries are designed to determine who is best positioned to win the general election for the party based on what he can do for the entire people of Delta State and not to allocate the party ticket to satisfy sectional interest. Those who are clamouring for zoning of the governorship should know that it is not a winning strategy in this election, given the existing political landscape. They should put the interest of the party and, by implication, the interest of the President above their narrow sectional interest. What are your chances considering the alleged anointment of Sir Anthony Obuh by Governor Uduaghan? Governor Uduaghan has not told me he has anointed anyone. And his public pronouncements suggest he hasn’t and I have no reason to doubt him. The primary process is not a coronation but even if it were, I am the logical beneficiary having secured the second most valid votes at the 2006 Ogwashi-Uku guber primary. My chances are indeed very bright. I have offered myself to God to use me to build the Delta State of our dream. With the special Grace of God upon our efforts, I am convinced that we will prevail in the gubernatorial primaries of the PDP in November and win the general election for our party with a larger margin than the PDP did in 2011. My candidacy will certainly guarantee victory to our party as I am capable of harvesting votes from the hitherto opposition hotbed where I come from.

‘Those who are clamouring for zoning of the governorship should know that it is not a winning strategy in this election, given the existing political landscape. They should put the interest of the party and, by implication, the interest of the President above their narrow sectional interest’

If you look at my support base, you will find ordinary people who are not government officials, the grass root people who have made the decision to support me because they believe in me, and not because they were instructed to do so. They are people whose support will enhance the electoral power of our party support and diminish that of the opposition. They are people, who are not in the system, but are committed to our party and President. How do you intend to sustain the ‘Delta Beyond Oil‘policy of Governor Uduaghan? Not only will I sustain the programme, I will accelerate its implementation because it is the urgent need of our time. This is not just rhetoric to please Governor Uduaghan; it is something we must do because there is no alternative route to achieving sustainable development. For too long we have depended on oil and we can no longer afford to do so, if we are serious in not only tackling the current problems of unemployment and insecurity, but also preventing it from getting worse. This is given the possibility that revenue from oil could fall drastically in the very near future. As a depletable resource, oil could finish one day or there could be no demand for our oil, as other countries discover alternative sources for their energy needs. As we speak, the United States of America which used to be the biggest buyer of Nigeria’s oil is no longer buying our oil because it has discovered the technology to produce synthetic crude oil and it is projected that very soon, the US will become an exporter of oil. This technology has the potential of making almost every country in the world an oil producer. This technology is already being used in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China and Estonia. Even Morocco and Jordan have announced plans to test the technology. Besides, African countries such as Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya have discovered oil in commercial quantity. So, we are faced with the real possible of oil glut in no distant future. We can’t afford to wait for this scary scenario to unfold before we begin to pay sufficient attention to other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, tourism which have huge potentials for job creation. If we must solve the unemployment problem and engage our youths and women in gainful employment, it has become imperative to diversify into the non-oil sectors and increase the domestic base of our economy for the rainy day. We must commend Governor Uduaghan for having the foresight to bring this to the consciousness of not only Deltans, but all Nigerians and it is to his credit that other state governments have now taken up the challenge of diversifying the economies of their state to complement the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President, which is also intended to make Nigeria less reliant on oil. You said you will complete all projects initiated by Governor Uduaghan. How do you intend to achieve this, considering the fact that you will also initiate your own projects, if elected? The only reason why anyone would contemplate abandoning any project is if that project is a white elephant project that would not add value to the economy when completed. None of the projects started by Governor Uduaghan falls into this category. So, there is no justifiable reason to abandon any of them.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

‘Life is founded on Law of Exchange’

MAGINE a world furnished with all sorts of trading. That is Mr John Chidi’s definition of life. Life, Mr Chidi said, is founded on the principle of “Exchange”. So convinced is he on this notion that Chidi, author of Fools 101 and Dedare’s Pride, has written about it. Last Sunday, Chidi held a workshop on his new book, Law of Exchange, in Lagos. In his 93page book with five chapters, he attemptes to prove that nothing in life is free, asserting that “there is always a price to be paid”. According to him, to attain your dreams, you cannot but put into motion the law of exchange,adding that the “right exchange will make you leave “the back-country and step into the lime-light”. So what is this Law of Exchange? In the author’s words, “The “Law of Exchange” states that no state or height can be altered or attained without a triggering input or the offering of factors commensurate with the desired end. Where the state refers to a present condition, the height, an envisaged endpoint and the input is the basis that causes a trade-off and upon which it is made.” Although we are not told where he gets his definition from, the author’s illustration of the above statements forms a major part of Chapter One of in his book that is subtitled: The Package. Reading the book, would give one a better understanding of his principle. However, at first glance the reader may be tempted to rule out the book as one treating another law subject, which is usually laced with legal jargons, problematic and difficult-to-understand precepts. A closer look shows it is a motivational handbook that would serve as a life-lifting encyclopaedia to folks seeking to succeed in life’s endeavours. While showing life as a marketplace of colossal trading activities at every stop, it highlights the economics of life. He is not one to sit and weep over a state of difficulties, he urges the reader that he/she use every trial to his/her advantage as a “stepping stone to the next level”. In his view, everyone is a master of his destiny to which he likened to a ship, saying your final destina-

By Evelyn Osagie

LITERATURE tion depends on your ability to utilise life’s challenges and opportunities. “Everything you want or don’t have in life can be gotten in exchange for something else”, he posits. And is that that possible, you ask? The answer is in page four to 11 of Chidi’s book. In chapters Two and Three, the author focuses on squarely The Prerequisites and The Principles of the law. In every exchange, according to him, three parties are involved – the person, the purpose and the platform. And to win and stay on top, Chidi says, the rule is not to come empty-handedto the market place of life, adding you must learn to come with a bucket full of ideas, talent and skills. The author, however, warns that “nothing begets nothing”, while urging that “Let what you bring to exchange be commensurate with what you want to get”. On chapters four, Chidi, who is also a Pastor with the Sure Word International Church, touches on what he called The Paramount - the exchange of mind and soul. For him, “The highest exchange you can ever be involved in is that concerning your soul…You could apply all the principles in this book (and any other book in the world) and not derive all the success available because a fundamental material is missing – a relationship with your maker.” In the final chapter, again, the author likens life to a journey on a ship and the process of living to the sport of surfing. He goes on to explain from page 83 to 93. Chidi challenges the reader that quitting is not an option. For him, “Quitting is for hapless, content-withaverage, not-asking-for-much folks…there is

Fela at Lagos museum

EO Entertainment in collaboration with the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos is showcasing Fela AnikulapoKuti’s sculptural works and portraits to celebrate the late Afrobeat legend. The exhibition and music concert tagged The Fela You Don’t Know will hold on October 13 and 14 at the National Museum, Onikan Lagos at 9am daily. In October 2005, the Kuti family headed by Femi and Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti children of the late music maestro, started celebrating the life and time of their father who passed on in 1997. This gave birth to FELABRATION, which is celebrated in October to commemorate his birthday as well. Eight years on, the event has been held in several venues to immortalise Fela Anikulapo-Kuti; who lived and died for the cause of people and justice.

•Chidi

not sadder than a surfer who used to surf.” He ends with a charge, saying that in “maximising your moments and opportunities, make life matter”. Though Chidi’s choice of subject is not new, the methodology he brings to bare on it is what adds fresh spice to an old preoccupation. And as the President, One Flesh Ministries Int’l, Pastor Collins Edebiri, who wrote the foreword of the book, says: “The message of the book will appeal to all irrespective of their belief and faith.”

‘The highest exchange you can ever be involved in is that concerning your soul…You could apply all the principles in this book (and any other book in the world) and not derive all the success available because a fundamental material is missing – a relationship with your maker’

•The late Fela

Why Ebola must be contained, by global NGOs

OME international non-governmental organisation have expressed concern over the Ebola crisis in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. They said the spread of the disease could set the countries’ progress back a decade. In a statement, the Save the Children, Plan, Oxfam, Catoholic Relief Services (CRS) and Child Fund Alliance, called for increased financial investment to ensure that the World Health Organisation (WHO) Roadmap and United Nations (UN) Overview of Needs and Requirements are fully funded to ensure a scaled-up response “Without concerted and immediate international action to tackle this crisis, the outbreak could see these countries’ hard-fought for progress set back years, bringing the healthcare system to its knees and, for Liberia and Sierra Leone, back to levels not seen since the end of their respective civil wars,” according to the groups. While millions of children worldwide start their new school year this week, filled with excitement and hope, in their view, the classrooms in Ebola-affected countries remain eerily quiet, as communities are forced into quarantine for the foreseeable future. Many other countries in West Africa are currently on alert. “Vacant farmland has not been ploughed in time for next year’s harvest, raising real concerns that families will not be able to provide for loved ones over the coming months. Over-crowded rural clinics are being forced to turn away pregnant mothers and young children suffering from malaria, tuberculosis and other life-threatening diseases. With extremely limited or no medical facilities or trained doctors to help contain the outbreak, the Governments of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone are doing all they can to contain the epidemic. Even before the current crisis, Liberia had just 51 medical doctors to serve a population of 3.7 million people, and Sierra Leone also had one of the lowest number of health workers per capita in the world.

‘Vacant farmland has not been ploughed in time for next year’s harvest, raising real concerns that families will not be able to provide for loved ones over the coming months. Overcrowded rural clinics are being forced to turn away pregnant mothers and young children suffering from malaria, tuberculosis and other life-threatening diseases’ •Health workers carrying Ebola victims

By Evelyn Osagie

HEALTH “All three affected countries are, to varying degrees, still recovering from protracted conflicts and facing challenges posed by widespread poverty. The sheer scale and impact of the Ebola crisis threatens the very progress they have fought so hard to achieve. As international development organisations, we will continue to do all we can to support the people and Governments of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, namely by providing highly-trained personnel, medical equipment, and by supporting commu-

nities, but we do not yet have the means to respond effectively to an epidemic of this scale.” They commended the efforts of the government of the three countries, but, called for the deployment of specialist medical teams with biohasard capacity to support containment and case management in the countries. “We welcome the leadership shown by certain governments so far in responding to the crisis. But a further and massive increase in financing, personnel, and expert capacity is urgently needed if we are serious about stopping the spread of Ebola. Without this,

thousands more children, adults, and health workers will die unnecessarily and the long term economic impact of this crisis will be felt for years to come. “We are calling on World leaders to: deploy disaster response and specialist medical teams with biohazard capacity to support containment and case management in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea; increase financial investment to ensure that the WHO Roadmap and UN Overview of Needs and Requirements are fully funded to ensure a scaled-up response, and commit to investing in and strengthening the healthcare sector, in order to build back stronger, more resilient healthcare systems and communities,” the group said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

The Midweek Magazine

R Oyeyemi Adegbite will become a septuagenarian on Friday when he clocks 70. Young Oyeyemi attended Emmanuel School in Ado-Ekiti, for his primary education before proceeding to the famous Christ’s School, Ado – Ekiti, for his secondary education. Based on his performance in the common entrance examination to the school, he was awarded the Western Nigerian Regional Government Scholarship. After passing out of Christ’s School with flying colours, he proceeded for his High School Certificate at the newly established USAID sponsored Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro, Egbado, in 1964, as one of the pioneer students. He completed his HSC in one year by passing all three subjects at the GCE (London) Advanced Level. Oyeyemi gained admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in 1965 on a Federal Government Scholarship from where he graduated in June 1968 with a B.Sc Honours degree in Business Administration. For his post graduate studies he proceeded to England where he obtained the MBA and PhD degrees at the Graduate School of Management, Cranfield University, one of the leading Business Schools consistently ranking amongst the best in the world. Along the way he also qualified as a Professional Accountant in the United Kingdom. Dr Adegbite is a Fellow of several professional bodies in Finance, Accountant and Management, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) of the UK; British Institute of Management (BIM); Institute of Directors (IoD) London; Strategic Planning Society and the Institute of Management Consultants. In 1972, under a Commonwealth Foundation Fellowship for Nigeria, he was in England for a period of four months where he spent time on an attachment with the British Institute of Management, the Institute Society and Arthur Guinness (Park Royal) Ltd; he also attended management development programmes at the Ashridge Management College and Urwick Management Centre during this period. In 1990, he represented Nigeria as a delegate to the Third Beijing International Conference on Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development organised by United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with the People Republic of •Continued from Page 17 stitute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, realising that we are spending money on our university that is not telling our children anything about ourselves but simply reproducing European narratives. That was also why he established and recruited people, like the late Kofi Awoonor as Managing Director, for the Ghana Film Cooperation, to train a generation of African filmmakers. What is your opinion about the role that African leaders have not played in correcting history? Nkrumah was right on top of it. And everybody said:”Oh, he was too far aheadof his time and colleagues”.Thensomebody reminded us that: “That was not true. He was abreast with the times.We were the ones who expected the rest of the world that were already moving aheadto wait for us.”That was why while he was pushing the cultural front, he was also establishing Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Ghana Atomic Commission,Counsel for Scientific Research,Counsel for Industrial Research, and setting up factories to produce everything from corn beef to textile. He also established an airline, which firsttook offwith an all Ghanaian crew and Akosombo Dam to provide us with electricity. Given your list, Nkrumah had great vision for the future. Well, there are many Ghanaians who would tell us that Nkrumah was the worst president. But I wouldn’t have gone to my boarding school, if it hadn’t been for his policies. My parents didn’t have a kobo to send me to school. So, his policies paid for me to go to school from primary to tertiary and eventually to my PhD. You have mentioned many projects done by the late Nkrumah, what was his greatest legacy, which African leadersshould pay attention to if Africa is to catch up to the rest of the world? We can spend the rest of the night trying to recount his legacies. But his biggest invest-

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An uncommon administrator turns 70

• Dr Adegbite

CELEBRATION China. After graduation in 1968, Dr Adegbite worked with the Leventis Group as a Management Staff in the Finance and Accounts

Department of the Motors Division before joining the Nigerian Institute of Management from where he rose to the post of Administrative Secretary as well as Editor of Management in Nigeria. On completing his graduate studies, he joined the University of Lagos as Lecturer Grade One in Management Consultant operating under the name

‘How I escaped death in Kenya terror attack’ torical research is constantly corroborating that fact. You find that, in Nigeria there are people speaking a language that is sister language to Ewe. Our elders will always tell us that they originated from an area around the Kwara River in Nigeria, in a place now known as Ayo Do you mean “Oyo”? Yes. Laughs. But that is not being taught in the schools; the historians don’t tell us this. They would tell us how different we are fromour neighbours in Togo because somehow, the French has turned them into differenthuman •From left: President Mahama and Prof Anyidoho beings; and how different we are ment was on his people – Ghana is what it is from the people of Benin Republic. As for the today because of Nkrumah vision that led him Nigeria, in my people’s belief system, they to invest on the people. A lot of the people say that when people die here, in Eweland, who are insulting him today would never had you are likely to find them in a market in gone to school if he hadn’t established the Nigeria. schools. When he took over the reign of govWow, why? ernment in the early 50’s, we have only one Laughs. Because that is where we came from Middle School; not secondary school in the originally. whole of the Northern territory. Within a few What cue should the African leaders take years, by the late 50s to early 60’s, every Disfrom all these? trict in the country had a major secondary When we talk of African leaders, who are school. The University of Ghana was estabthe African leaders? We count President lished; the University of Cape Coast was esMahama, Nigeria President Goodluck tablished to train teachers for the secondary Jonathan. But how much good luck can he schools, University of Science and Technolbring toNigeria as an individual and a leader ogy started in Kumasi to produce scientists, of Nigeria. The fate of Nigeria is not in the engineers, architects, etc. But while he was hands of Jonathan, but in the hands of the doing that he kept reminding us that by ourNigerian people as primary school teachers, selves alone, we can never get far that Afrias secondary school teachers, as university can countries needed to come together beprofessors, as market men and women, as cause our troubles started when we forgot or mechanics. So we are now sitting down waitdecided to forget that we are one, from the ing for somebody to come and tell us what same source, brothers of same mother. Hiswe should be doing. We are waiting for some

of Enterprise Consulting Group (ECG), a company he ran for over 30 years as chairman/CEO before proceeding on retirement. As one of the pioneer Management Consultants in Nigeria, Dr Adegbite undertook several high profile assignments on behalf of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of federal and state governments. He also consulted extensively for various international organisation and agencies, including the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Development Fund for Science and Technology Development, International Labour Organisation, International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/WTO, European Commission, Center for the Development of Industry and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. In addition, he served as Country Representative in Nigeria to the Economist Intelligence Unit, London from 1976 to 1986. During the course of his career, Dr Adegbite travelled widely across the world to several countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. He also visited virtually all the states in Nigeria. In the area of public service, he was appointed by government as a member of the old Ondo State Economic Advisory Council from 1977 to 1980. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Ondo State Investment Holdings Limited from 1986 to 1988. He was at different times on the Council of both the Nigerian Association of Management Consultants (NAMCON) and the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria (IMCON). He was as active member of Rotary Club International for many years and attended several international conventions. As a management researcher, consultant and writer, who believes in combining theory with practice, he has written several articles and research papers some of which have been published in learned local and international journals in the areas of small business development, strategic planning, export promotion, tariff and trade policies, industrial development planning as well as organisation development. One of his articles published by Intermediated Technology Publications Ltd, London, won a cash prize as the best articles in the 1997 Small Enterprise Development Writers’ Competition. Dr Adegbite got married in 1972 at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, to his heart throb Titilayo, (nee GibsonRoberts), and the marriage is blessed with lovely children and grandchildren. donor organisation to come and build toilets for us before we even start talking about hospitals. So, I wouldn’t place my fate and future entirely in the hands of government. Who is government? We have the University of Health and Allied Sciences to run in Ho and everybody keeps saying government. And at one point, we managed to arrange a meeting with Mr President and he had courtesy to meet us. He endorsed the requests we made, then he passed it onto us, to the Minister of Education, who in turn, passed it onto the National Council for Tertiary Education, they, in turn, are waiting for “get-fund”. Getfund, in terms of waiting for the Minister for Finance to release money, ultimately, the Minister ofFinance iswaiting for money to come from the people so that he can distribute it. But the people are waiting for the government. Laughs. Every one of us has an obligation to play. As funny as it sounds, it is indeed a sad reality. But what role has literature played in telling our story as it ought to be told? All over world, African writers are being celebrated. Through the years, African writers like Achebe, Awoonorand many others, through their works, have sought to correct the misconception about Africa…our Africa. I keep wondering why people keep asking about literature’s contribution. It is expected that a carpenter should contribute, the Engineers should contribute, the agricultural people should all contribute to national development. But let me add here that while agriculture provides for the nourishment of the body, the arts, including literature, provides for the nourishment of the mind and, especially the soul of the people. And people who put all their resources into developing agriculture alone will inherit a legacy of excrement. Laughs. What, then, is there to inherit for those who put money in developing the arts? They are nourishing that part of the human being which doesn’t die. Not as individuals alone, the soul of the nation survives every citizen.Although individual-citizens may die,the soul of the nation lives on.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

The Midweek Magazine

LATUNDE Chidera Obafemi’s Silver Palm Frond is the interesting, thoughtprovoking, and inspiring narrative of the experiences of the Nwoke family, from the eye of one of the Nwokes, Mackson, to be precise. It is a simple but well crafted plot that moves from the family house to the school and back to the family house, where the narrator, in a bid to express some air of freedom and exhibit the opulence his family is known for, falls into the hands of some abductors. The anxiety, the intrigues and the desperation that ensue form the bulk of the 275-paged novel. Mack, the narrator, undergoes a period of torture, anguish, desperation and loneliness, but above all, a period of selfdiscovery and rebirth in the hands of his abductors. During the period of his incarceration, he learns that evil machinations could grow root and later overwhelm the owner if not nipped in the bud. He also discovers the potency of humbling oneself before his creator by kneeling down to pray especially when all else fails. His vivid imagination and succinct description of the moods and the plight of the abducted young ones brings to sharp focus the predicament of the Chibok girls which though has attracted global outcry still remains unfathomable. Mack and his fellow victims escapes at first but are later recaptured before the intervention of the security agents. When he finally re-unites with his family, the lid of a can of worms opens up, and he discovers much to his pleasant surprise that the woman he had grown to hate as his biological mother is after all an impostor, who is actually the mastermind of his kidnap. He also discovers, to his pleasant surprise, that he has a twin sister, Gbemisola. The novel, divided into fourteen subtitled chapters, covers such themes as bullying among school kids and siblings, parental favoritism, social consciousness and over pampering as a form of domestic divide-and-rule system borrowed from our colonial masters. It also probes into the challenges of inter tribal marriage, kidnapping, corruption and other myriads of seemingly intractable problems bedeviling this country. Other aspects deftly treated in this very engaging novel are the aspects of self-discovery, forgiveness and giving back to the society through philanthropy. Set in contemporary Lagos, the novel is

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Quest for salvation BOOK REVIEW Title: Author: Reviewer: Pagination:

Silver Palm Frond Olatunde Chidera Obafemi Solomon Iguanre 275

written in the first person POV which enables the reader to have a firsthand encounter with the inner workings of the narrator, his wishes, thoughts and actions. The diction is quite appropriate to the young adolescent age of the narrator, who, for the better part of the novel suffers one form of oppression or another at home, school, and on the street with a negligible iota of respite and a glorious ending. The descriptive prowess of this young writer, Olaunde must have been informed by his early exposure to literature and his precocious artistic sensibility to the written words. His diction is simple but rich in striking coinages and expressions that will hold the reader by the jugular right from the first page to the last page of the novel. The characters are distinctive in mannerisms, expectations and speech nuances and the author displays some level of mastery in the consistent portrayal of the registered traits of these characters. For example, Seyi is portrayed as the over pampered spoilt brat who exploits her ‘last born’ status to get away with many misdemeanors that her siblings dare not attempt and this characteristic permeates the entire novel . Dami is the first born, but the domestic bully who masterminds the killing of their grandmother and also perpetrates several defiant antics within the household unmolested because he will always craftily shift the blames on his introvert younger brother, Mack who is the narrator. Sola, who later joins the family, shows ample traces of a growing lady with class and panache. Even where the characters are inconsistent with acceptable social behaviours, they are consistently inconsistent in this novel. Klaus, for instance, is a notorious bully whose stock in trade is physical oppression of junior students like

Mackson and all through the novel that anti-social behaviour sticks with him, so much that whenever he comes in contact with his victim, he pushes the latter to the floor. At the end when Mackson asserts himself and breaks free from his grip, Klaus continues to torment other junior students. The humour in the novel finds expression in the author’s choice of words and power of description. On page 59 for instance, “ Dad once said that my faeces smelt so bad that they were powerful enough to wake someone in coma.” Still in that fashion is another one on page 71 where the ‘stench legacy’ is used to describe the stench pervading the rest room long after Mackson must have left the restroom. The first humorous excerpt can also be regarded as hyperbole, which takes us to the presence of several poetic devices in the novel. This also attests to the poetic sensibility of this young writer, who interjects some of the chapters with relevant poems. Apart from the sufficient employment of similes and metaphors, he also makes use of chiasmus. A couple of

examples may just suffice here. On page 27, while describing the wrinkles on the face of his grandma, Mackson compares them with the muscles of a labourer’s veins but added that ‘the only thing was that they weren’t that strong’. Most of the similes and metaphors conform with the principle of ‘no cliché’ as they are fresh and imaginative. And for chiasmus, page 139 of the novel reads: “I didn’t know what to expect, didn’t expect what to know”. These and many more devices add up to enrich this novel in a way that makes it irresistible to any adventurous reader. The title is a symbolic reference to the dichotomy between the haves and the haves not, the privileged few and the less privileged. While ‘silver’ represents the rich and the privileged few, the ‘palm frond’ represents the poor and the depraved people in the society. It is a subtle clarion call for the rich to add bright colours the lives of the poor people in the society. There are however few typographic errors in spelling which probably eluded the notice of the editor. Also, the reality of the offspring of a union of an Igbo man and a Yoruba women bearing purely Yoruba names throughout is questionable since a typical Igbo man would at least imprint Igbo names on his children even if they bear Yoruba names alongside. Then, the end bits appear a little over dragged, especially after the 11th January party in honour of the twins and the less privileged members of the society. But since there is no perfect literary work anywhere, the few lapses pointed out are neither enough to diminish the aesthetics of the work nor tarnish the delectation of the reader in the course of reading this new entrant into the literary space. Above all, the novel is strongly recommended for parents who shower superfluous affections to their favourite children to the detriment of others, wealthy members of the society on the need to put smiles on the faces of the less privileged members, policy makers and the youth in general. The most remarkable lesson to be taken away from reading this novel is on page 247, where the author remarks through mum, “ you don’t have to own the whole world to save at least a life.” •Dr Iguanre is a lecturer at the Department of Languages and Literary Studies, Babcock University, Ogun State.

Musings on Yemi Ajagbe’s The triumph of childhood trials

EING an orphan is bad enough in a Nigerian society; being a female orphan is the apogee of juvenile suffering, and the deepest end of child melancholy. This is a major issue Miss YemiAjagbe sets out to depict in her debut into the logocentric realm with her novella, The Triumph of Childhood Trials. In her novella which, through bildungsroman (German word for comingof-age story), pushes the envelope on idealist feminism, she depicts the protagonist, Adara, from whose consciousness most of the plot of the novel is unravelled, to the reader. She does this via the omniscient narrative technique — as a very young girl who is orphaned and becomes worldly wise due to her numerous encounters with infernal and perfidious individuals like Baba Lagos, popularly referred to as ‘Alayeti o common’, and the inspector’s wife, a terrible woman with enough devilry in her maleficent bag of tricks to make the Biblical Potiphar’s wife appear sacrosanct. Adara is exposed to such universal vices as the cruelty of man to man, female oppression, gender bias, and other societal ills of that ilk. Instead of allowing these to deter her and bring her to eventual ruin, she uses them as stepping stones on her path to becoming a great woman. Along the line, somewhere in the story, she has met Adayo, a young lad who shares a lot in common with her, being an orphan who had also gone through his own fair share of hardships in life. She eventually gets married to

this Adayo, and they even get divine retribution upon those who had earlier scorned them and put their oars in the duo’s paths to eventual success. This is perhaps the manifestation of the title of the book, as her childhood trials help her overcome odds and become a better woman in future. To grant the author a very big plus, sheer ingenuity is clearly the muse inspiring the creation of the plot of the novella as it hints very craftily at animist elements. As is understood in the animal kingdom, every adult animal, predator or prey, has gone through a lot to become what it is – master hunter or master dodger. Even the biggest animals, when they are young, are vulnerable to other predatory creatures, and so the weaklings die out and leave survival to the fittest. Whereas in the human world it is very likely an individual gets born with a silver spoon and has it all the way in his or her favour, such that even if he is not fit he gets to survive, a higher percentage aim to be great so they can maliciously carry out their vendetta and rage at the general world for all the suffering they must have encountered on the path to success. Despite the commendable efforts of the author at cutting the Gordian knot which tangles serious societal vices, some glibness is noted in the work. First, the author employs oversimplified methods in conveying her message. Despite the dense composition of the plot in feministic ideals, its straightforwardness and predictability trigger disinterestedness in the reader. Indeed, the book

would be vastly improved by some bit of metaphoric elements and meanders in the plot to build the suspense to a scale found in Sefi Atta’s Everything Good Will Come. It seems too that the velocity of the feminist projections in the novel is reduced by the quite commonplace nature of the colloquialisms employed by the author. This is probably understandable because it is apparently the author’s first attempt at works of feminist dimensions. Yet, it is not clear whether the author intends that the novella be interpreted from the feministic dimensions an adult will view the text, or the art for art’s sake approach more appropriate for younger readers. In an interview she granted to the Association of Nigerian Authors, O.A.U chapter, Ile-Ife, she points out she is not a feminist writer. Similarly, in another interview with The Insider Talkshow, she points out again that to the very best of her knowledge, she is not a feminist. Hence, all indications lead to an assumption that the novella has indeed been dedicated to the reading pleasure of literary greenhorns. Save these two impediments to the otherwise literarily nuanced nature of the book, the author has admirably, in the opinion of the writer, joined the league of budding feminists in the Nigerian literary world. She should work on a second edition that will appeal to a more advanced audience. •Paul Ade-Adeleye is of the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

BOOK REVIEW Title:

The triumph of childhood trials Yemi Ajagbe

Author: Reviewer: Paul Ade-Adeleye Pagination: 275

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

The Midweek Magazine

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts) HIS year’s Muson festival tagged Muson: coming of age, kicks off on Thursday, October 16 with My Kind of Music, the personality programme where a select cast of eminent Nigerians provide a rare glimpse of their persona to the audience. This year’s star-studded cast include the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Scion of the Awolowo family and former Nigerian Ambassador, Dr. (Mrs.) Tokunbo AwolowoDosunmu; former University of Ibadan ViceChancellor, Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo and former Federal Minister of Housing, Lands and Urban Development, Chief (Mrs.) Mobolaji Osomo. The festival drama follows on Saturday, October 18 featuring Jagua Nana – the Musical, Cyprian Ekwesi’s famous novel produced and directed by Wole Oguntokun. Lovers of visual arts will welcome the return of the visual arts exhibition to this year’s festival programme. The exhibition will open at 4.00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19, and run until October 22. The event is organised in collaboration with the Visual Arts Society of Nigeria (VASON). This year’s classical concert holds on Sunday, October 19 featuring the MUSON Symphony Orchestra conducted by MUSON’s new Artistic Director, Composer, Cellist and Kora player, Tunde Jegede. The Orchestra will perform the very popular Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin and other works by renowned international and Nigerian composers. MUSON Festival devotees will be treated to a new and exciting festival offering on Monday, October 20 as the Society of the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN) an esteemed partner of MUSON will be contributing dance workshop and concert. The workshop, which is free will hold at 2.00 p.m. on that day and will focus on Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary and Latin. The dance concert which will follow at 6.00 p.m. on the same day, will feature “IO” a mini production described as “a non-stop, breath-taking theatrical production, a merging of different genres of Arts, ranging from drama, to dance music, to spoken words and singing, to live painting” It promises, according to SPAN, to be “an entertaining, innovative, and crafted production that will keep the audience smiling and applauding through the night.” The grand finale of the MUSIQuest, the annual talent competition for youths will feature the best candidates from the earlier stages of the competition in a concert. The event is scheduled for Thursday, October 23. This year’s Jazz Night, which comes up on Friday, October 24, is designed to showcase two young promising Nigerian jazz artistes. The opening act will feature a MUSON alumnus, Jazz Saxophonist, composer and arranger, Imoleayo Balogun. Balogun and his Big Band will perform Jazz music “blended with African philosophy”. The main act will feature Bez whose music has been described as an “unusual hybrid of Soul, Rock, Jazz and R&B music that sets him apart from mainstream Afro hip-hop movement”. His debut album Super Sun was listed on the Boston Globe as one of the Top 10 “World Music albums of 2011”.

TAKE TWO !!

To get a good shot at an event, a photographer climbs up a platform in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

•PHOTO: ISAAC AYODELE

OTTERY as an art dates back to the late Stone Age. It has survived into the present era and has been studied by various artists, cultural anthropologists and archaeologists. It is one of the oldest surviving traditional craft found in different parts of the country, which has been practised from pre-historic times to the present. The art started as far back as 3000BC with the evidence discovered in a site known as Iwo-Eleru in Ondo State. Further archaeological research proved it may even be dated earlier to about 6000BC in the Borno area. Another site, where several ritual pots and stone axes were found, is Igbo-Laja in Ondo, which is dated to the 14th to 15th centuries AD. Even though the Yoruba speaking people are predominantly farmers, they are involved in other economic activities such as weaving, dyeing, metal casting, carving and pottery. As a craft, pottery making is exclusively a woman’s profession among the Yoruba people and is usually passed from mother to daughter through apprenticeship. They carry out their day to day activities at a specific pottery site known as ‘eebu’. An eebu consists of a series of sheds and work areas and is usually located in a shady area. The number of sheds in a pottery site often de-

Muson Festival opens October 16

Ilorin: Home of traditional pottery

From Omotayo Adeboye

POTTERY pends on the number of potters practising in the area. The shed usually serve as store for clothes, food, tools, the finished and the

unfinished pottery products. Moulds and stands for pots are kept in front of the sheds. The hearth for firing the moulded pots are situated close to the work area for easy, and proper monitoring during firing. Ilorin, Kwara State capital is wellknown for her artistry in pottery. It is known as an important centre of pottery, producing both red (pupa) and black (dudu) pottery wares. Researchers like Frank Willet recorded that some modern pottery forms sold in the open market in Ilorin carry identical marks which have close resemblance to those found inside open bowl pottery (isaasun) relics of the old Oyo kingdom. He suggested the likelihood of the women potters from the old Oyo kingdom, migrating and settling in Ilorin after the collapse of the kingdom in 1837, hence the resemblance in the pottery works. Pottery works are being produced in different pottery centres in the present Ilorin

town, areas such as Okelele, Dada and Adeta pottery centres are well known for well-finished products. Various forms and styles of pottery are usually produced in these pottery centres scattered all around the metropolis. These includes decorated water coolers, (aamu) open mouth bowls, (ape) soup bowls (isaasun), fryers (agbada), pitchers (oru) and traditional pottery money safe (kolo). Other forms of pot, which are no longer in great demand such as the large dye pot (ikoko-aro) and large fermentation pot (ikoko-isa), are also made on request. Samples of these pottery forms are on display in a new exhibition presently open to the public at the National Museum, Ilorin. The studies into the art of pottery give a good insight into the intelligence, skill and technological know-how of these, though unschooled, yet skilful people; and their economic activities and trade connections at this ancient time, despite the non-availability of today’s high technological development and advancement. •Mrs Adeboye is Curator/Asst. Director, of National Museum, Ilorin.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

BUSINESS EXTRA

2014 budget implementation faulty, says Saraki F ORMER Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki has described the implementation of this year’s budget as faulty. Saraki, who is the Senate Committee Chair on Environment and Ecology, lamented that contracts were just being awarded by most of the federal ministries and parastatals, wondering if such contracts would be completed this year. The senator, who is also a member, Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions Committee, spoke yesterday with reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. He said: “The last time we passed the 2014 budget, I got up and made a comment that I was not happy with the way the budget was passed because I believe we did not deliber-

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

ate enough on actual expenditure. Budget is an estimate and when you do not review your actual, then it is likely that your revenue estimate may be wrong. In 2013 when we had done budget estimate that we will be producing 2.5 million barrels of oil and at the end of the day we were only doing 2 million barrels; that is what distorted the budget. “Again, in 2014, in majority of the ministries, contracts are just being awarded. So if they are just awarding contracts in October, is it possible to have implementation? The answer is no; these are some of the challenges that make us say the budget implementation is faulty and will not meet the expectations of Nigerians. “I think, we at the National

Assembly need to review the way we go about the budget implementation because for example, the key issue is revenue and without revenue, there can’t be expenditure. But if you open the news every month, about six pages are dedicated to all the allocations given to every local govern-

ment.” The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) asked: “But do we have publications of revenue? Do we know how much the country is making on volume of oil production? “We don’t and that is not

where the focus is. If you want to have your budget implemented, your revenue must not be distorted. If you are expecting N10 and you only get N7, which budget are you going to implement? “The budget for 2015, if it is going to come now and when it comes to the Na-

tional Assembly my own appeal is that we should spend time and debate what happened in 2014 before we really go into the issue; to be sure that projections and estimates are right and sustainable. I am afraid until we do that, budget implementation will not be right.”

Ekiti owes Fountain Hotel N14m, says e-11

GROUP in Ekiti State, the e-11, yesterday said the government is owing Fountain Hotel N14million. In a statement by its chairman, Femi Ajiniran, the group said it felt compelled to clarify its involvement in the hotel’s management because of recent events in the state. He said Consolidated Alliance Limited, owned by over 21 businessmen who are not all e-11 members, took over the hotel’s management in April, 2008. It said e-11 and some of its members, including those who are part of Consolidated Alliance and those who are not, own shares in the hotel just like other members of the public. The group said shareholders contributed N30 million and borrowed N35 million from Ecobank to equip the hotel with swimming pool, water supply, to hire workers and pay salaries, provide furnirure and other infrastructure. “The N65 million went into taking care of these and into making the hotel a befitting masterpiece that it has become today,” the group said. It said during the Segun Oni administration, Consolidated Alliance paid N2.5 million to the state through the Ministry of Commerce as rent per month until the government under Dr. Kayode Fayemi set

By Joseph Jibueze

up Fountain Holdings to manage the state’s business interests, including collecting rent. “As at 2 October, 2014, Fountain Hotel is owing Fountain Holdings the sum of N32,922,074 in rents while the Ekiti State government is owing Fountain Hotel the sum of N46,417,591.50. “If the sum being owed Fountain Holdings in rents is deducted from what the Ekiti State government is owing the hotel, Consolidated Alliance is still being owed in excess of N14 million,” e-11 said. The group debunked claims that it manages the hotel, saying: “Anything to the contrary is mischievous and should be discountenanced. We are not the managers of Fountain Hotel, but Consolidated Alliance Limited which has some of our members as part owners. “We believe this would put all misinformation to rest. However, if it doesn’t, we are ready for public scrutiny in the interest of transparency, probity and accountability. “Our continued silence at a time like this has become unfashionable especially in the light recent developments in our state, hence the need to set the record straight in the spirit of accountability and for posterity’s sake.”

Forcados Terminal achieves safety milestone in export

ORCADOS Terminal in the Western Niger Delta operated without a significant safety incident between September 2000 and September this year, during which some 1.25 billion barrels of oil passed through the facility that is operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) operated Joint Venture, the firm has said. The safety milestone translates into a daily average of 300 staff handling nearly two export tankers every week. Speaking on the milestone, its, Managing Director and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN), said: “This is a significant achievement in a work environment that involves multi-disciplinary staff teams and contractors.

“Over the years, SPDC has improved work processes and trained staff leading to the introduction of the Goal Zero initiative on safety. “We’re happy that the improvements continue to manifest not only at Forcados Terminal but also in other installations.” Over the past 365 days, a number of high risk maintenance and engineering activities have also taken place at the Forcados Terminal, including rehabilitation of crude oil storage tanks, subsea repairs to the tanker loading system and upgrade to the jetty amongst others. The asset did not record any disruptions relating to these multiple concurrent activities, which is also evidence of the sustained and proactive engagement of the host communities.

• Manager, Customer Loyalty Management,Temitope Omole; Director, Brands and Communication, Enitan Denloye; and Director, Human Resources Business Optimisation,, Charles Ogunwuyi, all of Etisalat Nigeria during the Bovi Man on Fire show, sponsored by the telco in Lagos.

Osun poultry farmers gross N260m profit

OULTRY farmers in Osun State have made about N260 million profit in the last one year. Speaking with reporters in Osogbo, the state capital, the Chairman, Tuns Farms Ltd, Alhaji Kahmis Olatunde Badmus, said farmers recorded the feat through the Osun Broiler Outgrower Production Scheme set up by the Governor RaufAregbesola administration. Badmus said no agricultural project in the country has ever had such a record of success. He said the scheme was a tripartite partnership project among Osun State government, Tuns Farms Nigeria Limited and the Poultry Association of Nigeria.

By Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

He said the state government invested N300 million in the project to provide feeds for day old chicks (DOC) which he declared that Tuns Farms supplied the participating poultry farmers in the scheme. According to him, the participating poultry farmers raised the birds in their facilities before selling them to Tuns Farms. Badmus said the poultry farmers who participated in the scheme have repaid over N170 million out of the N300 million loans offered advanced to them by the state government. He said: “No agaricultural project in the country can match

the Osun Broiler Outgrower Production Scheme. The farmers that participated have made profit of over N260 million. Individual farmer in the scheme made profit in the range of N15 million. The state government has not lost anything. The government even gained because the farmers are paying N1 million every month which is going into the state coffers through Internally Generated Revenue.” Badmus, who said the scheme has boosted the production of broiler meat in Osun State, noted that the state was the second largest producer of broiler meat in the country. He said the chicken produced in Osun State goes to organisa-

tions such as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), oil industries, Shoprites among others. He also added that Tuns Farms invested N8 billion in its poultry plant in Osogbo for broiler meat production. He said: “Our plant here and that of Zartech Limited in Ibadan are the only two poultry plants internationally certified fit to sell to KFC which is number one restaurant in the whole world. We also supply chicken to Shoprite outlets all over Nigeria and the oil industries. “We are buying back from the farmers because we had guaranteed the state government that we would secure standby market for the farmers.

‘Lagos open to dialogue over Badagry Expressway’

HE Lagos State govern ment has said its doors remain open for dialogue with the Federal Government over ongoing Lagos/Badagry Expressway. Reacting to plans by the Federal Government to take over the project in the name of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) transnational highway, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Femi Hamzat, noted with appreciation current interest of the Federal Government on the road. In a statement, he said he hopes the new interest will mark a new lease of life in the Federal Government’s commitment and interest in its various responsibilities towards the people of the state. The statement read: “For the avoidance of doubt, the Lagos State Government has solely conceived and financed the project from tax payers’ fund. If the Federal Government now wants to join us, we will be ready for appropriate dialogue. This is in the interest of developing our dear coun-

By Okwy lroegbu-Chikezie

try. However, we think that it is through dialogue and a thorough analysis of the project rather than on the pages of newspapers that such a major issue will be broached and resolved.” The statement further said the state government would also like to state that challenges associated with huge projects

such as the Lagos Badagry Expressway (LBE), whether engineering, technical or even funding is not unusual. “We are positive that the challenges will be surmounted, through innovative and wellthought out strategies by which our state government has always transacted its business. In that wise this project will surely be completed and delivered in the interest of

Lagosians,” the statement added. It further advised, the Federal Government to do a similar review of their many projects facing serious challenges all over the nation which, if care is not taken, might end up becoming white elephant and abandoned projects. The State Government pledged its preparedness to

ExxonMobil, Tenoil begin Ata field’s drilling

ENOIL Petroleum & Energy Services (Tenoil), a subsidiary of Heirs Holdings, has said it has reached an agreement with Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), an ExxonMobil subsidiary, for the drilling of an appraisal well on the Ata field. The Ata field was discovered in 1964 by MPN, the operator of its joint venture (JV) with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and is located in block oil mining lease (OML) 68, which borders Tenoil’s block oil prospecting (OPL) 2008. Both blocks are lo-

cated in shallow water offshore of the Eastern Niger Delta. The drilling will help evaluate whether there is an opportunity to jointly develop the Ata field. The commencement of drilling at the field represents a further milestone in Tenoil’s emergence as one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous field operators. Together with the development of OPL 281, which Tenoil operates on behalf of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp), these field developments are important steps in Heirs Holdings’ integrated

energy strategy, encompassing power generation, oil production and refining, petrochemicals and fertiliser production. Speaking on the development, Chairman of Tenoil, Tony Elumelu, commended MPN. He said: “This is an exemplary demonstration of genuine commitment by an international oil company to the development of indigenous capacity in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. MPN is collaborating with Tenoil to provide technology expertise in the successful execution of this first drilling project.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

MONEYLINK

Analysts predict post-election rate cut

NALYSTS at Renaissance Capital (RenCap) have predicted interest rate cuts by December next year to allow credit growth and boost real sector production. Its Global Chief Economist, Charles Robertson said in the ‘sub Saharan Africa Macro Strategy’ that such step would allow interest rate move from ‘high single digit, to mid-teens’. He said: “Post-elections, we expect interest rate cuts as soon as second half of 2015, which we think will allow year-on-year credit growth to pick up from current high singledigits to the mid-teens. This is positive for equities and the banks. Equally, it should give a lift to the consumer, as the effect of any preelection wage hikes dissipates. “We

Standard Chartered to hire 1,000 workers

Stories by Collins Nweze

believe expansionary fiscal policy in 2015 is unlikely, due to capacity constraints and a desire to keep debt levels low.” Robertson said on fundamental basis, Nigeria is well ahead of the other countries under its coverage given its improving external reserves position which covers nine to 10 months imports and a small fiscal deficit of one to one to two per cent ofgross domestic product (GDP). He said recovery in the oil sector has led to stronger growth, which has been upwardly revised to 6.3 per cent and 6.5 per cent this year and 2015, respectively, against prior forecasts of 5.7 per cent and 5.6 per cent. He said: “We prefer Nigerian banks to Kenyan banks on a valuation ba-

• Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele

sis. Admittedly, the operating environment in Nigeria is tougher against other key sub-Saharan Africa markets and this has led to a lower sector-wide return on equity. The good news is we see a recovery from December 2015, when we expect Nigeria’s monetary policy to ease, which is banks-positive.”

IMF lowers 2015 global outlook

HE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its outlook for global growth next year and warned about the risks of rising geo-political tensions and a financial-market correction as stocks reach “frothy” levels. The world economy will grow 3.8 per cent next year, compared with a July forecast for four per cent, after a 3.3 per cent expansion this year, the Washington-based IMF said. The US growth is helping lead a worldwide acceleration that is weaker than the fund predicted two and half months ago as the outlooks for the euro area, Brazil, Russia and Japan deteriorate. “In advanced economies, the legacies

of the pre crisis boom and the subsequent crisis, including high private and public debt, still cast a shadow on the recovery,” the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook. “Emerging markets are adjusting to rates of economic growth lower than those reached in the pre-crisis boom and the post crisis recovery.” The outlook buttressed the case made by IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, who warned last week that officials need to act to prevent a prolonged period of sluggish growth, a trend she called the “New Mediocre.” Raising growth in emerging and advanced economies “must remain a priority. We see the major risk in the stall-

Name

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

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

RETAIL DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM (RDAS) Transaction Dates 29/09/2014 24/09/2014 22/09/2014 ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Inflation: August

8.5%

Monetary Policy Rate

12.0%

CHANGE

Foreign Reserves Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

CHAMPION

10.18

11.21

1.03

IKEJAHOTEL

1.66

1.82

0.16

18.85

20.00

1.15

3.91

4.10

0.19

Credit to private Sector (CPS) Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

BETAGLAS HONYFLOUR FIDELITYBK

1.99

2.08

0.09

33.60

35.00

1.40

NPFMCRFBK

0.98

1.02

0.04

INTENEGINS

0.53

0.55

0.02

CONTINSURE

0.95

0.98

0.03

UBN

8.69

8.95

0.26

STANBIC

LOSERS AS AT 02-10-14

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

GUINNESS

214.98

204.24

-10.74

35.00

33.25

-1.75

CUSTODYINS

4.30

4.09

-0.21

VONO

1.49

1.42

-0.07

C/PRICE

CHANGE

Money Supply (M2)

Amount Sold in ($) 499.95m 349.96m 349.96m

Currency

Buying (N)

Selling (N)

$39.5b

US Dollar

154.70

155.71

$97.9

Pounds Sterling

250.7724

252.3929

Euro

200.3394

201.634

Swiss Franc

165.7385

166.8095

Yen

1.445

1.4544

CFA

0.286

0.306

231.3531

232.8481

25.1773

25.3409

N16.42 trillion. N17.2 trillion 16.5%

NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

Amount Offered in ($) 500m 350m 350m

CBN EXCHANGE RATES September 29, 2014

19-09-14 Rate (%) Rate (%) 29-09-14

WAUA Yuan/Renminbi

Overnight (O/N)

11.00

10.917

Riyal

41.259

41.5256

12.464

12.393

SDR

232.156

233.6562

13.281

13.201

14.205

14.110

FOREX RATES

CUTIX

1.90

1.82

-0.08

REDSTAREX

4.59

4.40

-0.19

R-DAS ($/N)

157.29

NASCON

9.70

9.31

-0.39

Interbank ($/N)

162.75

1,090.00

1,050.03

-39.97

MANSARD

3.00

2.90

-0.10

Parallel ($/N)

167.50

NEM

0.79

0.77

-0.02

NESTLE

however. It opened a subsidiary in commodities-rich Angola in January and has said it would like to expand into Mozambique. South Africa’s new Central Bank Governor to lift bonds Lesetja Kganyago’s appointment to succeed Gill Marcus as head of the South African central bank is lifting bond investors, who say they’re counting on him to maintain the focus on curbing consumer-price growth. “If he’s going to be more hawkish than the current governor, bond investors are going to be happy,” Jonathan Myerson, who helps manage the equivalent of about $3.6 billion at Cadiz Asset Management (Pty) Ltd., told Bloomberg. “It’s going to give security around inflation concerns, so it’s a good thing. Yields should benefit.” Rates on rand government bonds fell by the most after Brazilian yields among 31 emerging-market nations monitored by Bloomberg after South African President Jacob Zuma named Kganyago, who turns 49 yesterday, as the next governor. Monetary policy should retain its emphasis on inflation, Kganyago said September 30 in a speech, which Myerson described as “outstanding”. The Reserve Bank raised the benchmark rate twice this year to fight accelerating prices, which have exceeded the 6 per cent top end of policy makers’ target range for five straight months amid a weakening rand. While the increases have weighed on the slowest economic growth since the 2009 recession, traders are betting more are in store over the next six months. Kganyago, who will take office on November 9 and chair a policy meeting less than two weeks later, pledged to continue Marcus’ policy path and pursue price and financial stability.

DATA BANK

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 02-10-14

SYMBOL

ing of the euro zone,”the IMF report stated. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined for a second day, falling 0.7 per cent to 1,950.79 in New York. The equity benchmark is about three per cent lower than a record reached on September 18. According to the report, a sustained period of policy interest rates near zero in advanced economies has raised the risk that some financial markets may be overheating. “Downside risks related to an equity price correction in 2014 have also risen, consistent with the notion that some valuations could be frothy,” the lender said without naming specific markets.

TANDARD Chartered plans to hire at least 1,000 more workers in Africa in the next couple of years, an increase of more than 10 per cent, even as its expansion elsewhere has slowed. Reuters report said Standard Chartered’s chief executive for Africa, Diana Layfield declined to specify where the extra workers would go, but picked Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana as three of the most attractive markets. ”Nigeria has to be close to the top of everybody’s list (for expansion) ... it has scale, growth and real dynamism,” Layfield said. Nigeria overtook South Africa as the continent’s biggest economy this year after a rebasing of its gross domestic product (GDP). “Our opportunity in Africa is constrained by the ability to invest at pace, and that’s not just a financial constraint but also a management capacity. So the real challenge is prioritization,” Layfield said at a briefing on Africa by the bank. After a decade of expansion that took it to 89,000 workers globally, Standard Chartered has put the brakes on hiring in the last two years after suffering an embarrassing fine for breaching US sanctions, big losses in South Korea and a slowdown in its investment bank. It has about 8,100 workers in Africa and has a significant presence in 15 countries there. Standard Chartered, Barclays and Citigroup are the biggest international banks in Africa, but they are facing increasing competition from Asian banks, including Chinese ones. London-based Standard Chartered makes almost all its profits in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It made a profit of $317 million in Africa in the first six months of this year on income of $878 million, each about 10 per cent of the group. Loans to Africa only account for three per cent of its global total,

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

Sept. 29, 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

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

NEWS APC to Fed Govt: come out clean on cash seizure Continued from page 4

deals. ‘’Mr. President, you cannot threaten another country when your Administration is willfully breaking the laws of that country. In this case, your Administration stands on a weak moral ground, as its hands have been caught in the cookie jar. Therefore, issuing infantile threats is laughable, unacceptable and wrong,’’ the party said. It reminded the Jonathan Administration that nowhere else does a government engage

in illegal black market movement of money or arms - both signatures of terrorism worldwide, adding that only terrorists and pariah nations move money and procure arms in clandestine manners as the Jonathan Administration is doing. ‘’Even at a time when we were ruled by military dictators and our country was a pariah nation, we did not experience these repeated and embarrassing national disgrace and clandestine, terrorist groups’ approach to the purchase of arms.

How can Nigeria truly be a respected member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) when our own government and its operatives are self identified and self confessed money launderers?’’ APC queried. The party wondered how many other unknown scandals the Jonathan Administration had plunged Nigeria, and appealed to the Administration to tread softly in the interest of all Nigerians, who will be the ones to suffer the repercussions of the government’s repeated illegal conduct.

Outrage over $5.7m arms deal Continued from page 4

ies of this government, I believe, have differently or jointly resolved to pull down this government by all their actions. We, as a nation, have lost about USD15million in less than one month to South Africa. “With this development, South Africa continues to climb up the ladder of development index whilst Nigeria continues its decline in all spheres. This conduct only portrays us as a people and as a nation of criminals and very primitive ones for that matter. “What is the essence of the cashless policy being put in place if the Government in itself under the watchful eyes of the Central Bank is still conducting business in this manner? Honestly, if the truth must be told, it all boils down to primitive acquisition which our public servants are well known for,” Ofuokwu said. Ibe said heads should have been rolling if there was no cover-up by the government. “After the first and second incidents involving the same unwholesome means and the same South Africa, by now heads should have been rolling. “This is either gross incompetence on the part of officials charged with the responsibility of legitimate arms purchase or an attempt to rubbish Nigeria’s national integrity and sovereignty. “I call on the President to take all steps both domestic and diplomatic to arrest this ugly trend and bring to book anyone who played any inappropriate role in the entire mess,” he said. Ubani urged Nigerians to ensure the matter is not swept under the carpet. His words: “It’s a very big source of embarrassment. All this while, we’ve been saying that monies are being taken outside our shores. What we were not sure is the method, the source and countries they’re taking them to. But this time, South Africa has become the destination point. The first time, they explained it away. This time, there is more to it. “If it were a serious country, these incidents are not merely coincidental – they’re enough to make any government lose its legitimacy in the eyes of the people, and officials should be resigning. Why would South Africa be taking on Nigeria? If Nigeria is respected by the rest of the world,

why would South Africa be in a haste to expose all our faults and embarrass us in the eyes of the world? “It means they really have facts that these guys have been milking this country dry. They’re angry with the Nigerian government in the way it is treating its citizens. They must be tired of the kind of corruption that Nigeria is noted for. In every human development index Nigeria is always rated low. “They’re trying to portray Nigeria, which claimed to have rebased its economy and is bigger than South Africa, in a very bad light and show there is something wrong about Nigeria and about its fight against corruption. Maybe South Africa now wants to be on the side of the Nigerian people. “If it is a country where the people know their rights, where the citizens are united, not divided on ethnic or religious lines, what will be done is that whoever is involved in this must resign and be prosecuted. But if that happens, people will bring up religious, ethnic and political party sentiments and the whole thing will die off and our leaders will be laughing at us while drinking Champagne. “The House of Representatives did not investigate the first one and it has even become a dead matter. If care is not taken, in a week’s time, this one will also be a dead matter and nothing will happen. As long as we’re not united, nothing will happen.” Mr George Oguntade (SAN), described as worrying the failure of the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala or the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to clarify the “embarrassing” arms transactions. He said: “These recent incidents involving seizure of very substantial amounts of money allegedly belonging to the Nigerian State by another government is indeed a national embarrassment. “The frequency of the incidents will also appear to raise questions as to the legitimacy of the transactions. It is either those involved are utterly ignorant of global money laundering protocols or deliberately attempted to circumvent same. Both do not augur well for the Nigerian state whose name has been appropri-

ated to these transactions.” To Oguntade, “it is incredulous that neither the CBN governor nor the Minister of Finance has made an official statement on the matters.” “This paints a very bad picture of the Nigerian state and provides ample justification for the global view that fiscal irresponsibility is the order of the day by the Nigerian government and that this will not in way aid the war against terrorism which has confronted it for some years now. “It is high time citizens of Nigeria raised their voices and call the government to order on these shameful shenanigans,” Oguntade said. Theophilus Akanwa described as “disappointing” the fact that government officials would engage in a transaction that could result in a national embarrassment and humiliation by another country. He questioned the sincerity of the transactions, if the deals could not be brokered through legitimate means rather than violating South African laws. Said Akanwa: “Assuming there is the need to purchase arms for the nation, I am perplexed on the reasons why Mr president will not order the right channels to be followed to avoid the further sinking of our country’s image on corruption. “Why the cashless policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when the government is still carrying cash? Where is CBN and what was it’s role in all these cash carrying?, he said.

Gate padlocked Continued from page 4

(16.18pm);08023518200 (16.13pm);07034959184 (16.00pm);08039427568 (16.48pm) and 08055557522 at 18.12pm. Ajiniran added that the group’s members also received threat calls and messages through the following phone contacts: 07064932467 at 12.08pm;08067813113 (13.13pm) and 08065047910 (18.34pm). He called on the police and the DSS to investigate those behind the threats. Ajiniran noted that the callers threatened to destroy their property and attacked their families if they did not withdraw the suit against Fayose.

States demand account of subsidy since 2007 Continued from page 4

purpose whatsoever, except those authorized by section 162 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic”. They are also praying for an order directing the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF) to, on behalf of the Federal Government, “give account of all subsidy claim deducted from the federation account from 2007 till date”.

Named as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice and the National Assembly. In their notices of preliminary objection, the respondents challenged the jurisdictional competence of the Supreme Court to hear the case. They contended that the appropriate court to institute the suit was the Federal High

Court because the plaintiffs were challenging the deductions made by the NNPC, which is a federal agency. They also argued that the case was statute barred on the grounds that the suit, filed in 2012, sought to challenge the deductions made from 2007. The respondents further argued that the plaintiffs’ claims did not disclose any cause of action against them.

Rally for Chibok girls on Tuesday Continued from page 4

other time when the President said it was three months of their abduction when it was actually over five months. That tells you the importance the

government attaches to the rescue of these girls. ”As a country, I think that we have fallen almost to our greatest low for these girls to still be missing after this long period ýand for every child/

girl-child out there, we have shown them that they don’t matter because they now see it as 219 of their colleagues taken away and the nation is doing nothing. That is a new low for us as a nation.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

FOREIGN

•Health workers protesting outside La Paz University Hospital in Madrid Yesterday.

PHOTO:AFP

Spain seeks to prevent spread of Ebola

ARCELONA, Spain — Spain intensified efforts on Tuesday to contain any spread of Ebola from an infected health worker as the government came under increased pressure from the political opposition and the European Union. The health worker, a nurse who has not been identified, was described as being in a stable condition. Her husband and two other people were quarantined, and monitoring

was extended to another 50 who might have come into contact with her. The nurse contracted the illness while treating a Spanish missionary who was infected in Sierra Leone and flown to Carlos III Hospital in Madrid. The nurse’s husband has shown no signs of having the disease but was isolated as a precaution, said Dr. Francisco Arnalich, head of internal medicine at Carlos III Hospital.

Congress approves Obama’s mission against ISIS

URKEY has the secondlargest European army in NATO, and its military participation in the antiISIS coalition could tip the balance in the battle against the militants. But while Turkey’s parliament adopted a resolution authorizing military action against ISIS, the country has not yet offered any assets to the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS nor is it participating in any significant way. “Turkey is deeply ambivalent about choosing sides in this fight,” Phillips said. “Turkey’s primary interest is to overthrow the regime of Bashar al Assad and to undermine the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish entity in Syria. It will only send troops if the deployment of those

troops advances Turkey’s core goals.” The current siege on the Syrian border town of Kobani is a perfect example of the limited effect of airstrikes. While Kurdish forces have been battling to defend the town, ISIS militants have pounded Kobani with heavy artillery and besieged the town from multiple sides. On Monday, ISIS fighters appeared to be making headway toward seizing full control of the city, raising their black flag over a building on Kobani’s eastern outskirts, according to Reuters. The U.S. must intensify airstrikes — particularly on the hills on the south side of Kobani — in order to avert a “slaughter” in the border city, Phillips said.

•Obama

“If Kobani falls there will be a genocide of huge proportions — tens of thousands of people will be beheaded,” Phillips warned. “And ISIS will be emboldened into thinking that they can do whatever they want, no matter what Obama says.”

Are the Airstrikes Against ISIS Working?

N the weeks since the United States mounted its first airstrikes against ISIS and pledged to “degrade and destroy” the militants, it appears the Sunni extremists are showing no signs of slowing down. ISIS militants have slaughtered hundreds of government troops, beheaded Western hostages and on Monday flew their black flag on the outskirts of a key Syrian border town — despite an aerial bombardment by American and Gulf state planes. So what then have the airstrikes accomplished? Not much, according to analysts. “We have not ostensibly degraded the capability of the organization — we have put them on notice that we will target them, but we have not prevented the movement or the offensive of ISIS,” according to David Schenker, director of the program on Arab politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Despite a large number of sorties, fewer bombs are dropping on Iraq and Syria than in previous, recent aerial campaigns. “Both in Syria and Iraq we are not having the type of impact, I think, that to date that the administration had hoped,” Schenker said. “The operational tempo is so limited.” That’s partially because the initial intensity of the airstrikes has dropped off as targeting the militants and their

infrastructure has become more difficult, according to Schenker. “These groups recognize that they are being targeted and are not making themselves so obvious,” Schenker explained. “They’ve gone to ground.” Strike assessments coming in from officials have detailed direct hits on trucks, command and control centers, and small numbers of ISIS fighters. That’s not much to boast about, according to Schenker. With ISIS numbers estimated to range in the tens of thousands, “it’s hard to be very enthusiastic about” an airstrike that kills a small handful of militants, he said. “The high-value targets are few and far between,” Schenker said. “It’s excruciating — a painfully slow and plodding operation.” It didn’t start off that way. Tactical strikes in Iraq helped prevent the massacre of thousands of Yazidis and helped Kurdish forces regain control of a decisive dam near Mosul. Since then, though, few tangible gains are visible — especially in Syria. “We have provided ammunition to our Kurdish allies, we are working to try and shore up the Iraqi forces but on the ground in Syria we are not preventing the continued onslaught of ISIS,” Schenker said. “I do not see this in any way as a degrade-and-destroy operation — what I see it as is a limited containment opera-

tion that hasn’t had a great deal of success so far.” The operation already has borne a hefty price tag; Tomahawk missiles don’t come cheap. “There’s the obvious costbenefit analysis: Are these airstrikes worth it?” Matthew Henman, manager of IHS Janes Terrorism and Insurgency Center, said. “At the moment, it appears to be pretty mixed.” While there are some signs that tactical strikes in northern Iraq have helped slow the ISIS offensive, “its nothing revolutionary,” Henman said. “Even with concerted airstrikes happening, the group is still able to mass large numbers of fighters for attack and is still able to seize control of strategic territory,” Henman added, noting the ISIS advance on Kobani, the Syrian town six miles from the border with Turkey. Experts agree that ISIS cannot be destroyed from the air — but that doesn’t mean there’s another option yet. “The administration knows full well that airstrikes alone won’t succeed in degrading or destroying ISIS,” said David L. Phillips, the director of Peace-Building and Rights Program at Columbia University. “Since President Obama has made clear there will be no U.S. boots on the ground, we need to find friends in Iraq and Syria who are prepared to confront ISIS.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SHOWBIZ

Star The Winner Is: How Michael Achu became winner I

N what could be described as a shocking, surprising and sympathetic climax, Michael Achul, last weekend, walked away with the coveted prize of a brand new car and N10million, in the first edition of Nigeria’s version of Star The Winner Is music game show. Like a blind game, Job Idoko, Achu’s co-finalist was not sure how the show will turn out, thus, he chose to walk away with N2million, rather than go empty-handed – It turned out he could have been the original winner of the top prize. After six semi finalists went against each other, the battle for the life- changing grand prize of 10 Million

Like a blind game, Job Idoko, Achu’s co-finalist was not sure how the show will turn out, thus, he chose to walk away with N2million, rather than go empty-handed’ naira and a brand new car intensified in the grand finale, with two great singers, doko and Achu delivering the best of their vocals to

AGN: Artistes drum up support for Ibinabo Fiberesima

•Show host Uti Nwachukwu flanked by Idoko left and Achu

wear the much-desired diadem. As is the tradition on the show, both contestants were offered two million naira to walk away or wait to see the 101 Jury results which would reveal who actually won the duel round. Apparently, Job fell more to the pressure and walked away with the money on the table – this automatically

qualified Achu as winner of Star The Winner Is Season 1. When the real result was revealed, it turned out that Job had higher votes, but it was late, as he had forfeited his spot to Achu. Ironically, Achu has so much to thank Idoko for. If Idoko did not press the dreadful buzzer to walk away with the N2million

dangling carrot, Achu would have gone home emptyhanded. Fans of the show went on rampage on social media, expressing their thoughts on the most shocking results of all time. Other spectaculat performances during the semifinal were put up by Brenda, Rhema, Shimar, Daniel and Roxy.

9ice ‘drags’ Jaywon, others to Ogbomosho for campaign

•Fast and Furious 7 wallpaper

November date for Fast & Furious 7 trailer

AST and Furious, will have a glimpse on the trailer of the seventh installment next month, Distribution Company, Universal Pictures has announced, saying that Walker and trailer will shock the world. After the sudden death of the series’ key actor, Paul Walker, in a car accident, last year, fans of the movie series have been more interested in watching the Fast and Furious 7, which was ongoing before the actor’s demise. Expectedly, to see Walker again, for the last time, in a big screen is surely an effective marketing strategy for the movie because many have been waiting for this. Walker’s co-star Vin Diesel, reportedly felt “emotional and bittersweet” after watching the movie’s trailer. “We all went above

and beyond to make Pablo proud, but man, I wish he could see what we have created and just how far we have come,” he said in an interview. Tyrese Gibson, a singer and an actor, is one of the first who confirmed the release of the movie’s trailer on social media. In a report, Gibson, like Diesel, has been emotional after watching the new trailer. “Fast & Furious fans worldwide... The new Fast7 trailer is gonna drop Nov. 1. We did this in Paul’s honor,” Gibson posted in his face book account. He also said that the most anticipated movie will surely shock the world. Reports say to be able to finish the movie, franchise producers asked Paul Walker’s brother, Caleb and Cody Walker, who share the same look as Paul, to stand for their brother in the un-

finished scenes. Keen eyes will surely notice the difference between the Walkers even with the aid of computer technology. Aside from Paul Walker, his brother who stood as his double, and Vin Diesel, Fast and Furious 7 will include the majority of the series’ cast. On the other hand, the movie has a new director - James Wan. It was Justin Lin who was credited for the Fast and Furious’ precious success but it was Wan who was responsible for the movie’s seventh installment. Reports say there is high hope for Universal Pictures, the movie’s distributor, to be able to regain its big investments on the franchise, because according to sources, projecting the potential gross of films these days is rather difficult, especially for major sequels.

GAIN, popular Nigerian singer turned politician, Abolore Akande, aka 9ice, has proven to all that he has not given up on his political ambition, as he led a group of artistes, including Jaywon, Lord of Ajasa, LKT and Outrageous, to the just-concluded Ladoke Akintola University Students’ Union Week in Ogbomosho last Friday, as part of his campaign activities for the House of Representatives election. At the LAUTECH main campus in Ogbomosho, J L Wise Music act, Damilare Abdulganiu, aka Outrageous, and Alapomeji Records signee, Tunde Fasasi, opened the show with their new song titled I beg Sir. Ezekiel Omowunmi Funsho, aka Easy Plus, also thrilled the gathering with his current songs, Bariga Layewa and Area. While L K T stormed the stage with his popular song, Follow Follow, This Year crooner, Jaywon, showed great dexterity on the stage with his songs, Gbon Gbon Gbon and Madantin. Lord of Ajasa was not left behind, as he also urged the crowd to show their commitment to 9ice’s cause. The president of the Students’ Union Government LAUTECH, Areo Ajibola Oyegoke, said: “Ogbomosho youths, alongside LAUTECH SUG, are in support of Adegbola Akande ‘9ice’ Abolore to contest for the House of Representatives in 2015. That is why we are supporting him. We want to encourage other youthful people in Ogbomosho to con-

By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi

test for elective positions in order to represent and protect the youths of this town. We are tired of endless promises from politicians who don’t recognise the youths of Ogbomosho not to talk of carrying us along in their policies. Our future is now and not tomorrow. We believe in 9ice for the fact that he has us in his programmes and we are ready to support him totally.” Interestingly, while addressing the Ogbomosho youths and LAUTECH students, 9ice said: “Our future is now. There must be a change. And the change is the youths of LAUTECH and Ogbomosho. We have programmes that are suitable for the youth. This includes building of hostels, transportation system and youths empowerment. We need to open our eyes.”

•9ice

GROUP of artistes, under the aegis of Ibinabo Fiberesima Campaign Organisation, have come together to pledge support for the candidacy of the current national president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberesima, for a second term. A member of the group, actor Charles Inojie, who has pledged his support for the reigning president, said: “I don’t need a president who will share money to the members. We need a president who will put policies in place. The passion with which Ibinabo does it is what endears me to her and I support her for a second term.” Also, actor Victor Iwuagwu, the current president of the Lagos State chapter of the guild, insisted that the actress and former beauty queen must continue her stay in office. “Even if she says she will not run, I will go and carry my Bishop and Vicar. We will drive to her place and beg her to run. She is the AGN’s messiah. I say no to selling of generators and stealing of air conditioners in the secretariat,” he added.

2015: Tuface Idibia flags off Vote Not Fight campaign

S part of initiatives to ensure a hitchfree electoral process in 2015, Tuface Foundation, in partnership with Young Stars Foundation, National Democratic Institute (NDI) and other partner organisations, has flagged off the Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War campaign. The campaign, as revealed by the management of the Foundation at a press conference last Tuesday in Lagos, is an initiative championed by multi-award winning star, Tuface Idibia, and is targeted primarily at the youth. In addition, the project’s theme music recorded by Tuface Idibia as part of the Million Voices for Peace (MVP) project and a public service announcement video by the BBC Media Action to sensitise the electorate on the need to Vote Not Fight were unveiled at the event. However, the highlight of the launch was the signing of the pledge by Tuface Idibia, Henry ‘K Slim’ Kosiso, a Now Muzik artiste and collaborator on the MVP Break the Silence single, Ms. Ransome-Kuti and EiE’s Yemi Adamolekun, among others. Other partners on the Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War campaign include the Enough Is Enough (EIE) Coalition, Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, Development Initiative For African Women, Hip TV, The Bridge Youth Development Foundation, One Life Initiative for Human Development and The Bridge Yout

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

SPORT EXTRA 2015 AFCON QUALIFIER

Sudan’s altitude worries Keshi

UPER Eagles’ Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi has revealed that the high altitude in Sudan may affect the performance of his players in Omdurman on Saturday. He told NationSport that in as much as the technical crew is preparing the players in earnest with the prompt arrival of the players for battle against Sudan, playing the match at night would, however, cushion the effect of the heat but the altitude still remains and will pose a threat to the expected solid performance from the Eagles and envisaged victory. “The weather is high altitude weather and you know that some of them are com-

From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja ing from Europe (where it is relatively cold) when the winter time is beginning and here in Nigeria (it is a different weather). So they (the players) are jumping from weather to another but we just have to be ready mentally so that we can achieve our goal there (In Sudan). Keshi, however, expressed happiness and heeved a sigh of relief that the match in Omdurman would be played in the night when the heat would have cooled off. “But I am happy that the match will be played at 8pm (Sudan time). At least the heat would have gone down a little bit, but the high alti-

Eagles must win in Sudan —Pinnick

RESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation, Melvin Amaju Pinnick, on Tuesday stormed the training session of the Super Eagles’ team, who are preparing for a game against Sudan on Saturday, declaring that he will bring the much desired changes to Nigerian football. Addressing the players during the evening session after a hectic two-hour training, Pinnick, said he was intune with most of the players, assuring them that integrity will be the hallmark of his administration, even as declared that the game against Sudan should be the take off point for his administration. “The last NFF regime has been wonderful in terms of achievement and we want to continue from there. That is why I must say the Sudan game is a must win for us, because it’s the first competitive game under this dispensation. On our part we are determined to continue to sup-

‘Bring back the AWC trophy’

EWLY elected President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has urged the Super Falcons to welcome him into office by winning the African Women Championship (AWC) trophy in Namibia later this month. Pinnick gave this charge when he visited Falcons Tuesday evening in training at the FIFA Goal Project Pitch, Abuja. He told the girls that winning the trophy will be an added feather to his cap as his involvement now is on a different level as the President NFF. "This is the dawn of a new beginning so I urge you girls to go to Namibia and conquer Africa, I want you girls to go and do this country proud" "President Goodluck Jonathan has done so well in sports in this country so we must his Transformation Agenda in sports by winning this trophy. I want to proudly as the NFF President lead you guys to the Presidential lounge where you will be honored and accorded your pride of place after winning the trophy.” “But please make sure that you think success when you are playing, think Nigeria and whatever you need will be given to you" admonished Pinnick.”

port the team and soon you will see what we would do through Corporate Nigeria and the rest of the game’s supporters and sponsors”, he declared. He said all rumours regarding pronouncements allegedly made by him should be disregarded, assuring that he was starting on a clean slate to build on the immense achievements of his predeccessors. He was accompanied to the training session by NFF Vice President, Mr Seyi Akinwunmi, Executive Committee member, Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu, who both promised to keep a close tab on the workings of the national team. There were also NFF, Director of Technical, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme and Dr Mohammed Sanusi, who is the Director of Competitions at the Glasshouse. Super Eagles skipper, Vincent Enyeama, who responded on behalf of the players and officials, assured that the team will not let the nation down in the course of qualifying for Maroc 2015 Nations Cup. “Mr President, no shaking. But we must congratulate you on your election and assure Nigerians that with God all things are possible”, he declared.

• Keshi

tude will still be there. But we will try and do everything that we have to get the result we need”, the Eagles’ tactician vowed.

Sudan moves match to artificial pitch

FCON Trophy 4Officials have confirmed that Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifying game between Sudan and Nigeria, will be played on the artificial turf of the Municipal Stadium in Khartoum. “We have just been informed that the match will now be played on an artificial pitch and not natural one. That is why we are now training at the FIFA Goal Project,” africaFootball.com quoted Eagles’ co-ordinator, Emma Attah, as saying on Tuesday. “It’s a late change, but we have to rise up to the challenge. We will play even on a concrete floor to win this match.” According to Attah, the number of players in the Super Eagles camp in Abuja, has risen to 17, with the arrivals of Mikel Obi, Vincent Enyeama, Kenneth Omeruo, Emmanuel Emenike and Elderson Echeijile. Stephen Keshi is understood to be clamouring for early departure to Sudan, to avoid fatigue among the players.

Full house in Eagles camp • Babatunde ruled out of Sudan match

UPER Eagles have shown that they will leave no stone unturned as they seek a qualification ticket for the Maroc 2015 Nations Cup, with all the invited 24 players training Tuesday evening at the Mainbowl of the Abuja National Stadium. Before then, there had been an early morning training at the Atro Turf of the Abuja National Stadium, that had 17 players in attendance with all the others sending words to Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, that it will be a full house by the evening training session and it was. The session even had

• Michael

the luxury of having newly elected President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Pinnick Amaju Melvin in attendance and what a session it was for the players. Head Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, said after the evening session that he has ruled out Ukraine based midfielder Babatunde Michael from the encounter because he picked up a knock on the knee while playing for his club. “We have good cover for him and we pray that he bounces back before the return leg against Sudan in Nigeria”, he declared. Michael himself was emphatic when he spoke about his injury. “I really want to play this game against Sudan but fate says I will not but by the return leg in Nigeria I should be back. The doctors have assured me that I will be fit between four and five days time”. Apart from that blot the team is perfect in health with travel plans being made for Thursday by the NFF. The team continues it preparation for the must win game against Sudan on Wednesday morning at the Goal Project site of the Abuja National Stadium.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

TODAY IN THE NATION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.9 NO.2,991

‘…The hope is that by the time the next World Cup comes around, Africa and in particular, Nigeria, would have imbibed enough lessons from this latest failure at the grand global stage’ DELE AGEKAMEH

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

First, at NIPC...

F there is one clergyman in this country who is not afraid to speak truth to power, he is Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, the long retired Catholic Archbishop of Lagos. In an interview in the September 27 edition of Saturday New Telegraph, the man lived up to his billing when he declared that President Goodluck Jonathan does not deserve a second term and that “CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) leadership today is zero.” The association, he also said, has been turned by its current leadership into an “appendage of the PDP (the ruling Peoples Democratic Party)”. One of the most interesting aspects of the interview was his narration of the encounter he had with the president in the Aso Rock Villa during the run-up to the 2011 presidential election. After his audience with the president in the company of two other gentlemen, he said, the president asked him to pray for his success at the polls. To the president’s shock, the cardinal said, he declined because he believed even though the president was as good as having won the election, he was not going to rule. “You have won, that is no problem”, the cardinal said, “but you will not rule.” President: What? What do you mean, I will not rule? Cardinal: Yes sir, others will rule. Those around you will rule. They are the ones that will rule in your place. Many a Nigerian today, I suspect, will agree with me that the cardinal’s over three-year-old prophesy has come to pass; today, not quite a few of the president’s men – and women, these in particular – have curved little private empires for themselves in which they presume to exercise their principal’s remit without his permit. Of these private empires within the president’s Big Empire, three, headed by women, should remind you of Chinweizu’s famous Anatomy of Female Power (1990), whose thesis is that man, not woman, is the weaker sex. Using the words of probably an apocryphal American housewife, he argues that the notion that we live in a man’s world is so much bunkum because a man may be the head of his house, but the woman of the house is the neck that turns the head. The number one private empire in the president’s Big Empire is, of course, that of the First Lady, Patience, about which a lot has been written by pundits, including yours sincerely. Then there is that of the Minister of Finance, who also doubles as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, making her, in effect, the country’s prime minister and the first to attain such a status since the return to civilian rule in 1999. The third is that of the Oil Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, without doubt the most powerful oil minister to date. It’s a toss-up whose empire, between the two powerful female ministers’, is the more powerful. In all three private empires stuff have happened, some benign, some not-so-benign. From the look of things, the seed of a fourth private female empire is being planted at a very important economic institution in the land, namely the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), a parastatal of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment saddled with attracting foreign investment in the country. Chances are, this seed, unlike the other three,

People and Politics By MOHAMMED H ARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

A tale of two ladies

•The late Mrs Oyo

will grow into anything but a benign tree. It will certainly be one private empire too many. As I once said on these pages, in spite of NIPC, Nigeria, like most developing countries, is a net exporter of capital, given the colossal amount of stolen money stashed abroad from the country. However, without NIPC even the relatively modest amount that has come in would probably never have done so. It is therefore important that the fairly impressive record of performance left behind by its last Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (ES/CEO), Engineer Mustapha Bello, be sustained at the least, if not improved upon. However, from the look of things it seems Bello’s successor is a square peg in a round hole. To begin with, Mrs Saratu A. Umar seems to have come to the job with a baggage; over a year ago, she left as the Head of the Credit Insurance and Guaranty Department of the Nigerian ExportImport Bank rather unceremoniously. Since her appointment as the NIPC boss several months ago, it seems Mrs Umar is more interested in rubbishing the record of the leadership she took over from than in establishing her own. This, at least, is the impression one gets from reading a petition against her by the majority of the commission’s directors to its parent ministry. The new ES/CEO has good reason to be suspicious of some of the directors; they too competed for the job. A good manager would, however, have given her presumed rivals the benefit of doubt until they proved themselves unworthy of her trust. Instead, Mrs Umar, according to the petition, has, among other things, encouraged staff to write

secret memos against each other, encouraged insubordination by publicly humiliating directors and wilfully ignoring procedure in treating files, removing the Legal Adviser and Secretary of the commission’s board without the board’s approval, employing staff into senior positions without budgetary approval and in violation of the Federal Character principle, and engaging contractors and employing consultants without due process, etc, etc. Mrs Umar has reportedly dropped hints that in carrying on the way she allegedly has, it is with the support of her minister, Mr Olusegun Aganga, and even that of the president. The minister owes himself to clear his name – and by extension, the president’s – from seemingly credible suspicions that he has turned a blind eye to Mrs Umar’s apparent manifest wrongs. He can only clear his name by investigating the allegations to establish whether they are true or false. Whichever party is wrong should get the sack because it is obvious there is now too much bad faith within the leadership of the commission for it to carry out its mandate with any success. Certainly no one should be allowed to build a mini-empire out of an institution whose remit is to attract the foreign investment we say is necessary to grow and develop our economy.

decisions by her boss, like his infamous Third Term Agenda which he never formally declared. As a onetime board member of NAN, I can attest to her concern for professionalism and her personal integrity. At least twice, first in February 2008 and then in September, there were attempts to damage the credibility of NAN under her, presumably by elements probably linked to the agency who were apparently unhappy with her determination to sweep out the financial rot she had inherited when she became managing director in 2007. One of her first acts as managing director was to write to then Minister of Information and Communication, expressing her concern about the financial misdeeds in the agency and her worry that the ICPC which she had invited to deal with the misdeeds has been rather too tardy in its handling about the matter. The first attempt at undermining NAN’s professional integrity under her was a story purporting to emanate from the agency, which claimed that a Federal Court of Appeal had dismissed President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s election. Fortunately for Remi, someone from The Punch called to verify the story. NAN moved quickly to disown it. The second time she was not so lucky. This time, Channels, the well respected Lagos private television station, ran the story sent out from a bogus email address, newsagencynig@yahoo.com, which said President Yar’adua will resign after a cabinet reshuffle as a result of his well known ill health. Channels had attributed the story to AFP, the French news agency, which in turn had attributed it to NAN. That she survived the attempts to sabotage her was probably due to the confidence the authorities had in her professional and personal integrity. Her death is indeed a great loss to Nigerian journalism. May the Good Lord give her immediate family and members of her larger professional constituency the fortitude to bear her loss.

...Then a sad one from NAN

Last Wednesday, October 1, Nigeria lost one of its most accomplished journalists, Mrs Felicia Oluwaremilekun Oyo, the first, and so far the only, female president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and one of the most effective and transparent managing directors of the country’s news wholesaler, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Remi died barely 11 days shy of her 62nd birthday. Apart from being the first female president of the NGE and the first female boss of NAN she was also the first female spokesperson of a Nigerian president. In all three jobs she proved she was there not just as a token to the “weaker” sex in a world thoroughly dominated by men. She proved she earned them on her own merit. Take, for instance, her job as the spokesperson of President Olusegun Obasanjo. It spoke volumes about her ability to handle a man whose capacity for leaning on his own advice is legendary that of all the three spokespersons he had during his eight years as president, she was the longest serving by a wide margin. Not only was she able to retain his confidence longer than her predecessors she did so at the same time by being civil in her words and actions towards her professional colleagues even when she was defending such indefensible

Corrections Sir, In a paragraph of your column today (September 17), you wrote that “I would like to use the FELINE metaphors we as journalists are fond of.” It should have been CANINE and not feline. Feline describes cats; canine describes dogs. Since you were talking of dogs... ‘lapdogs, attack dogs’, the fit and proper word should be CANINE. May Almighty Allah continue to strengthen and bless your pen! Paul Ikwu, Jos. +2347068194122. Sir, You said last week that Professor Shehu Bida was the first veterinary doctor in the North. Long before him there were Northerners that qualified, e.g. Dr Bukar Shuaib (1958) and Dr. Musa Goni (1961), both of them from Borno State. You can check that from the Veterinary Council Office in Vom, (Plateau State). +2348024511202. •For comments, send SMS to 08059100107

HARDBALL

OR anyone wondering about President Goodluck Jonathan’s religious roots and the foundation of his moral life, the man gave a helpful clue on September 30 when he received a “Primatial Award of Excellence in Christian Stewardship” from a delegation of the Anglican Communion, led by Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. In a revelatory moment, Jonathan said: “I grew up as a member of the Anglican Church…I have been a part of the church from the beginning. I attended the Anglican Primary School as a pupil. So I have to be very grateful to the Anglican Church that brought me up. I am what I am today because of the Anglican Church.” If Jonathan sounded like a proud product of Anglicanism, then the questions should arise as to what he was taught in that framework, if he was taught anything, and whether he is practising what he learnt, if he learnt anything.

Jonathan, the Anglican However, from the testimony of Primate Okoh, who probably should know about these things, it would appear that the Anglican Church is equally proud of him and his representative status. Listen to Okoh’s words in justification of the unprecedented award: “By this award, we affirm that you, as the leader and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, have shared, allocated, distributed the resources of Nigeria fairly, equitably, and judiciously to the East, West, North and South of Nigeria, to all, including the traditional religionists, Muslims and Christians alike, to men and women, to the youth and children, including the Almajiri. This is the essence of this award. Congratulations. May God honour you.” Against the backdrop of such a glowing tribute, Jonathan must deserve hearty

congratulations. What is more, Primate Okoh should be thanked for highlighting Jonathan’s perceived solid achievements in office, even though it looks like the alleged successes are not generally appreciated. Or more precisely, they are generally unrecognised. Now that Primate Okoh has supposedly shown just how fair-minded Jonathan has been, and possibly continues to be, it may not be out of place for the reportedly numerous beneficiaries of his non-discriminatory goodness to reciprocate. So, in the days ahead, specifically, considering the approaching 2015 general elections in which Jonathan may likely seek re-election despite his current game of calculated suspense, it shouldn’t be surprising if other recognisers come up with their own fancy awards in aid of the presidential secondterm project.

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist

Just imagine how colourful and reinforcing it would be for Jonathan to be given awards by the representatives of the categories defined by Primate Okoh: “the East, West, North and South of Nigeria…including the traditional religionists, Muslims and Christians alike…men and women…the youth and children, including the Almajiri.” It would be a carnival of highly favourable publicity and praise, which Jonathan would, no doubt, enjoy. It is interesting that, in his remarks on the occasion, Jonathan made thought-provoking comments which, ironically, he may not have fully grasped in terms of their relevance to his presidency. Jonathan said: “But God has a reason for everything. I believe whatever is happening to Nigeria will be very temporary.” He probably doesn’t realise that his administration, warts and all, is one of those things “happening to Nigeria.” Who knows how many people are praying that his time in office would be “very temporary?”

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