The Nation October 18 ,2011

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Bankole has case to answer, says EFCC BUSINESS– Page 11

•Court to rule on December 19

NDLEA awaits Baba Suwe ‘s third ‘excretion’ •‘Comedian is innocent for now’

NEWS

Page 7

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VOL. 7, NO. 1917 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

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Fuel subsidy removal divides private sector Major oil marketers, traders are beneficiaries

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HERE appears to be a split in the Organised Private Sector (OPS) over the impending fuel subsidy removal.

The OPS yesterday disowned the pro-subsidy removal industrialists who attended a retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last week.

The OPS comprises Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Manu-

WHO SAID WHAT The purported support of the OPS for the removal of fuel subsidy is not true ... the said representatives of the private sector spoke in their personal capacity ...

– NECA

By Yusuf Alli, Toba Agboola and Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu

facturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), National Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) and National Association of Small Medium Enterprises (NASME).

Disowning the supporters of subsidy removal, NECA,

We have not taken a position.

We urge government to take a deep look at the issues before taking a decision. We will make our position known before the end of the week.

– NACCIMA

NACCIMA and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said they were speaking for themselves.

Briefing reporters in Lagos, NECA Director-General Olusegun Oshinowo said the industrialists, who claimed to represent the OPS at the October 13 and 14 presidential retreat, did not have the private sector’s authority.

MAN, a key player in OPS

The financial burden of subsidy is unsustainable and untenable in our nation where critical infrastructure, human and capital development are in dire need of investment.

– Proponents of removal

is expected to make its position known on the issue today.

Oshinowo spoke amid the unveiling of the beneficiaries of the subsidy named as major and independent marketers, depot owners and traders.

“It is important for the public to know that the OPS, comprising NECA, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), NACCIMA, NASSI

and NASME, was neither invited nor represented at institutional capacity at the retreat. The said people attended in their personal / company capacities and were not mandated to speak on behalf of the OPS. “The purported support of the OPS for the removal of fuel subsidy is not true, as the OPS is yet to meet and take a Continued on page 4

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HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has refuted the statement credited to Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF) Mr Samuel Orkura, accusing the corporation of not having its account audited since inception. Irked by the statement, the management of NNPC, our correspondent gathered, is planning to publish its audited accounts in some national dailies ...

Business Page 11

Osaze: I’ve learnt a lesson

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IGERIAN international Osaze Odemwingie has revealed that the week building up to Sunday’s West Brom’s thrilling 2-0 derby win over Wolves has taught him to take criticism on the chin. The Baggies striker admits he let the disappointment of his below-par performance in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland ...

ASUU spoils for another strike From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

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NIVERSITY teachers are spoiling for another strike over their 2001 agreement with the Federal Government.

They said unless the government implements the agreement next month, they may cripple the university system again.

The teachers urged parents, and especially students to hold the government responsible for whatever happens after the November 22 date agreed for the implentation of the agreement.

After an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, yesterday, the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) resolved to battle government over what the union described as its lack of commitment to reversing the decay in the university system.

ASUU President Prof.

Continued on page 4

NNPC says books audited

Sport Page 41

Mubarak’s sons worth $300m

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HE two sons of deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has £340m (£215m) in Swiss bank accounts, says Egypt’s deputy justice minister.

Assem al-Gohari, who also heads the illicit Gains Authority. He said most of the funds - which are now frozen - were held by Mr Mubarak’s elder son Alaa.

•Scene of a truck that fell off the Ijora bridge in Lagos ... yesterday

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

FOREIGN Page 58

•ENERGY P15 •SPORT P24 •PROPERTY P25 •AVIATION P36 •POLITICS P37

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

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How Nigerians, others exploit Documents just released by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice reveal how Nigerians, among others, are exploiting human rights provisions to remain in the country, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

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HE release of the report on the website of the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice came at a time when many Britons, including those in government, are yet to recover from the decision of the European Human Rights Court, which allowed a 24-year-old Nigerian, Akindoyin Akinshipe, convicted of rape to remain in London.

The European Court said deporting Akinshipe would breach his right to a ‘private and family life’.

Tory MP Dominic Raab said of the court’s decision: “It is a warped notion of human rights that allows a convicted rapist to claim the right to family life to avoid deportation.

Inflated human rights claims threaten our border controls. It is vital we reform the Strasbourg court as well as UK law to restore some common sense.”

Now, it has emerged that many other Nigerians are also leaning on similar grounds to remain in the UK. But, unlike Akinshipe, whose case, was not built on stories that an average Nigerian can tell are lies, many of those seeking asylum, with the assistance of their lawyers are cooking up tales.

Unfortunately for some of them, the asylum court judges are seeing through some of these lies.

Imagine this story: A Nigerian woman, who came to Britain and overstayed her visa, was asked to leave. Apparently goaded by a lawyer, she appealed the decision.

Her grounds: she would not be safe in her home country. Why? She said when still in Nigeria, she had killed a snake ‘by accident’. As a result, she was declared a persona non grata, because her fellow villagers worship snakes as sacred creatures. She said if she returned home, her safety could not be guaranteed.

The judges refused to let her stay, but it is suspected that she is likely still to be in UK, trying other means to beat the law.

Take the case of another Nigerian, Adeniyi Aderinola, who, on his own, had no problem staying in the UK, but chose to allow himself to be used to try and secure a resident permit for a 34year-old Zimbabwean Rudo Ndemera, who arrived at Gatwick Airport in 2002 on a six-month

We count on people to curb smuggling, says Customs

What the law says Article 8: Right to privacy (1) Everyone has the right to his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.

(2) There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic wellbeing of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedom of others. visitor’s visa. She overstayed by several years. She was discovered in 2007 and asked to leave. She hid under what turned out a nonexisting relationship with Adeniyi to ask for a right to stay. She said Adeniyi, a British citizen, was a long-term boyfriend— thus giving her a right to a ‘family life’ in Britain. Adeniyi played along and their lawyer even told the court they were like Romeo and Juliet.

Then, it was time to provide proof, and she balked.

The court dismissed Ndemera’s request to stay. But months after that hearing, the decision has not been enforced.

Another Nigerian, Albert Faluyi, a lawyer, chose to help a Ghanaian lady beat the UK law. He appealed to the judge to reunite her client, Rabi Saaka, and her children, arguing: “If the appellants are not allowed to join their mother here, that is likely to lead to disproportionate consequences compared to the need for immigration control.”

Saaka wanted to bring her two daughters — whom she has not seen for nearly 10 years — to the UK from Ghana. In 2008, she married an Irishman, and as such has the right to stay as the dependent of an EU citizen. Now, she wants her children to reap from

that with Faluyi’s assistance.

It is not only Nigerians that are ‘lying’ their way to remain in the UK or helping others to remain.

Take the case of a 36-year-old Somali man, who arrived in Britain and claimed asylum. He told Border Agency officials that he left his home in Mogadishu because he feared for his life. He said he was a member of the Ashraf clan, one of the smaller ethnic groups in Somalia, which was allegedly the object of attack by an arm of al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, which is locked in bloody battle with the government.

Not all who heard his story at

the hearing for asylum in London last week believed him. Not a few feel that if safety was his reason, why leave his wife and flee?

Besides, it was discovered that he is not of the Ashraf clan, but, a member of the dominant group in Mogadishu, Hawiye.

He was given away when experts employed by his legal team played the spoiler by insisting that his facts did not add up.

He said: “When I came to this country, most of the Somalis I saw advised me to say I was from a minority clan before I went to the Home Office — I thought that was

the only way I could save myself.”

The case of 31-year-old Tanbir Morshed is also interesting. The Bangladeshi lied that his girlfriend was British and that their ties were so strong that it would be unfair to separate them by deporting him.

But it turned out his girlfriend, Agneszka Litwin, is not British but Polish. But as a result of European Union law, she has similar rights to a British citizen. He submitted evidence to show how strong their ties were. But everything soon fell like a pack of cards.

Morshed and Litwin were quizzed separately about key dates during their relationship. And they

‘Accused remanded in Ikoyi prison found in London hospital’

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged a Lagos High Court to enquire into how an accused it ordered remanded in Ikoyi prison landed in a hospital in the United Kingdom.

Justice E. A. Adebajo had this year, upon their arraignment, ordered that Sunday Akinyemi and Olu Osho, facing a 30- count charge, be remanded in prison.

Yesterday, prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo told the court that Akinyemi (the first defendant) had been released from prison.

He said the accused consequently was released following a fundamental rights application filed byhis lawyer, Femi Falana.

Justice Mohammed Idris of the

By Eric Ikhilae

Federal High Court, Lagos released Akinyemi unconditionally to attend to his failing health in the United Kingdom.

Oyedepo told the court that while the trial of the defendants was still pending before it (the Lagos High Court), the Federal High Court ordered the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Ikoyi ( who were named as respondents in the fundamental rights enforcement application) to release Akinyemi.

Oyedepo urged the court to compel Falana to explain how his client left the prison custody without the consent of the court before which he was standing

trial.

Falana argued that the order of the court remanding his client at Ikoyi prison was still intact, having not been set aside by the Federal High Court.

He explained that what the Federal High Court did was to grant the defendant leave to travel abroad for medical treatment and to protect the accused’s right to life. He said the accused was suffering from cancer.

Falana assured the court that on his return to the country, his client would be taken back into prison custody and made to stand trial.

He said he had met with the authorities of the EFCC over the issue and assured them that his client’s trial would continue once he

overcomes his health problem.

The lawyer sought two weeks adjournment to enable him furnish the court with necessary documents of what actually transpired at the Federal High court.

Akinyemi and Osho are being tried before the court over alleged conspiracy to steal, forgery and stealing of over N90 million property of Texas Connection Ferries Limited.

During the trial, Akinyemi fell ill and was admitted at the Military Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos. But when his condition worsened, he was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on March 9, 2011 by the prison management.

Falana had, in the application he filed before the Federal High

Court, stated that Akinyemi had been treated in two Nigerian hospitals without any improvement.

He said there were two medical reports by the Medical Board constituted by the Lagos High Court, indicating that it was urgent that Akinyemi be flown overseas for treatment.

The accused alleged offences are said to be contrary to Sections 516, 390 of the Criminal Code Cap C17 Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003. Akinyemi pleaded not guilty, but his application for bail was refused.

The court has adjourned the matter till October 25 to enable Falana produce the documents relating to the proceedings at the Federal High Court as he had promised.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

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rights law to remain in UK

•From left: One of Britain’s centres for asylum appeal hearing, which has heard several cases of asylum seekers; Cameron and Akinshipe, whose permission to remain in the UK despite his conviction for rape irked many Britons.

messed up and when Lewin was later cross-examined, she chose to play smart. She answered every question with: ‘Sorry, I don’t remember.’ or ‘I am not sure.’

Another Ministry of Justice file recounts the case of 50-year-old Pakistani Raja Mohammed Khan, who also used Article 8 to thwart attempts to deport him after he killed a man in a car crash under the influence of drugs.

But because his second son has a British passport, Khan escaped his on the grounds of his right to family life.

The ministry’s files are replete with funny stories, including that

of a man who was to be deported only for him to, within weeks of the notice of deportation appeal on the grounds that his new English girlfriend was expecting his baby and that he had rights to a ‘family life’ under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act. These stranger-than-fiction stories have made the Judges’ Council — made up of representatives from all tiers of the judiciary, and headed by the Lord Chief Justice — to warn in a recent report that the appeal grounds were obvious lies cooked up by lawyers to help their clients remain in London and make money for

themselves.

As a result of concerns such as this, Britain has revealed plans to tighten up rules on admitting relatives of migrants and cracking down on abuses used to enter the country, such as sham and forced marriages.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who wants to prevent newcomers from relying on Britain’s comprehensive welfare system, said that family migration accounted for almost a fifth of total non-EU immigration to Britain last year.

The Conservatives want to reduce migration to Britain from

around 200,000 people per year to a figure of tens of thousands, which they argue, is more manageable.

Restricting migration is seen as a way of reducing pressure on public spending at a time when the Conservative-led coalition is cutting public spending.

The policy appeals to the rightwing of the Conservatives, but has caused friction with the Liberal Democrats, the junior coalition partner.

Cameron said: “We’re going to look at further measures to ensure financial independence: discounting promises of support from family and friends, and

whether a financial bond would be appropriate in some cases.”

“We’re also consulting on how to tackle abuse of the system, to make sure that family migrants who come here are in a genuine relationship with their partners.”

Cameron gave an example of a Pakistani man granted a visa on the basis of his marriage to someone settled in Britain.

“He obtained indefinite leave to remain and then immediately divorced his UK-based spouse. He returned to Pakistan and remarried and then applied for entry clearance for his new spouse,” he added.

Michael Jackson doctor’s trial to resume Wednesday

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JUDGE delayed resumption of the trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death until Wednesday to give defense attorneys time to analyze new testing that coroner’s officials recently conducted.

Testimony had been canceled on Monday so that the prosecution’s final witness, Dr. Steven Shafer, could deal with family affairs after his father died last week.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor agreed to delay the case against Dr. Conrad Murray for another day after defense attorneys said they needed time to prepare for how to deal with testing the coroner’s office conducted last week on the level of the sedative lorazepam in Jackson’s system.

Murray’s attorneys have sug-

• Michael Flanagan

•Dr. Conrad

gested that authorities ignored the effects lorazapam may have had on the pop superstar and said their own testing suggested Jackson had taken eight pills before his death.

Coroner’s officials determined Jackson died from a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol. Authorities contend Murray gave Jackson the fatal dose and other sedatives in the singer’s bedroom to try to help him sleep. Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said the defense lab’s results combine two numbers to make it seem like there was more lorazepam in Jackson’s system than may have been present. He said the coroner’s tests show a much smaller amount was actual-

ly in Jackson’s system and are inconsistent with the theory that he swallowed several pills.

Lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff said he had numerous questions about the coroner’s testing and had asked the agency to conduct the same test before the trial began but was told it couldn’t be done. He said he didn’t yet know what impact it will have on how Murray’s defense case is presented.

Defense attorneys are expected to begin calling their own witnesses, including experts, later this week.

Pastor agreed it was an issue that defense attorneys needed time to address. He ordered attorneys to give him an update at a hearing Tuesday afternoon.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

NEWS Continued from page 1

•From left: EFCC Chairperson, Mrs Farida Waziri; Member, ICPC, Alhaji Bako Abdullahi and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the first national conference on stolen asset recovery and the management of proceeds of crime in Abuja ... yesterday PHOTO: NAN

Ukachukwu Awuzie told reporters that the NEC meeting advised clergies, traditional rulers, labour, Civil Society Organisations and labour to intervene to avert the avoidable crisis.

Awuzie said: “We wish to call on all well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians, the operators of our governments, our legislators, the clergy, traditional institutions, gentlemen of the press, labour and Civil Society Organisations, market women, parents and students to intervene and get this avoidable crisis averted.

If by November 22, government reneges again, ASUU should not be blamed for whatever action(s) NEC decides to take.”

In 2001, ASUU and government entered into an agreement to resuscitate the university System. The 2001

ASUU spoils for strike agreement provides among other things, that there shall be renegotiation every three years in order to review the state of the implementation of the agreement and especially update the document to continue to make it relevant for the development of the system.

Awuzie said going by its provisions, the 2001 agreement was due for renegotiation in 2004. “But between 2003 and 2009, ASUU had to write over 50 letters, held over 200 meetings with different government representatives and agencies, staged over 10 warning strikes and declared a total indefinite strike to get government to set up its renegotiation team, commence the renegotiation, conclude the renegotiation, sign the agreement and commence the

Fuel subsidy removal divides private sector Continued from page 1

position on this issue. We wish to emphasise, once again, that the said representatives of the private sector spoke in their personal capacity and not on behalf of the Organised Private Sector.”

“NECA dissociates itself from the said statement, which was reported to have been signed by 42 representatives of the OPS at the meeting.”

Oshinowo added that as soon as the OPS, as constituted , meets and takes a position, this will be conveyed to the government and made known to the public through appropriate channels.

He recalled that in the past, when government wanted to embark on a similar policy shift, the five arms of the OPS were invited in their institutional capacities for a stakeholders meeting.

“This has always been the mode of engagement with the private sector. We implore the government to do the needful by engaging in dialogue with the acknowledged and authentic representative organisations of the OPS, rather than individual business owners, multinationals and favoured business men in the private sector.

If and when we are called for the stakeholders meeting, each arm of the OPS, as part of an OPS delegation, will exercise its right, in line with international best practice, in selecting the

Revealed: Beneficiaries of oil subsidy

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HO are beneficiaries of oil subsidy?

Their identity emerged yesterday as The Nation learnt that they comprise the five oil majors; members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN)/Nigeria Independent Petroleum Company (NIPCO); depot and tank owners and those simply described as traders.

It was learnt that all the groups have been hiding under the guise of importing products to enjoy subsidy from the government.

A top source in the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), who spoke in confidence, said: “Over the years, about four groups have been benefiting from the fuel subsidy. They are five oil majors in the downstream sector; members of IPMAN/NIPCO; owners of depots and tanks; and those we can call traders.

“To avoid confusion in the oil sector, personalities that will represent it at the meeting.

NECA also faulted the compelled signature of the 42 that signed the outcome of the meeting, saying it was not the tradition of the OPS for all members that attend such a meeting to append their signature to the outcome. Their leaders always do that whenever it is necessary.

NECA has appealed to members and officials of the organised private sector not to make any personal statement on the issue in the name of the

we cannot release the list of the beneficiaries unless the government decides otherwise. These players have boosted fuel supply in the country in the past through importation and they had mutual agreement with the government to enjoy subsidy.”

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said on Sunday that Nigerians will be shocked if the list of subsidy beneficiaries is released.

The Federal Government which budgetted N240billion for fuel subsidy this year has spent more than N600 billion. It is believed that government would have spent N1.2 trillion by the end of the year.

The government last week lobbied Senators and members of the House of Representatives to embrace the plan billed to commence from January.

A government source said: “We have started a new process of engaging members of the National Assembly and the

OPS. NACCIMA President Dr. Ademola Ajayi said the chamber is not in support of the removal of subsidy.

He said NACCIMA would make its position known before the end of the week.

Ajayi urged the government to take “a deep look” into the issue before its decision.

The LCCI President, Chief Femi Deru, said the chamber would soon come out with its position. But the dissociated the LCCI from the pro-subsidy removal industrialists’ position.

Labour to appreciate why the withdrawal of fuel subsidy is necessary.

“As part of the new engagement, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala made a two-hour presentation to leaders of the National Assembly last Monday at the Presidential Villa.

“A sensitization campaign has also begun in earnest. The gains from the withdrawal of fuel subsidy outweigh the fears being nursed by lawmakers and some highly-placed Nigerians.”

A high-ranking Senator said: “The government is reaching out to us; they are lobbying us with facts and figures but we are not yet convinced that the withdrawal of fuel subsidy will not hurt our hardearned democracy.”

Director General of NECA Mr Olusegun Oshinowo said the reported meeting between some private sector individuals, claiming to represent the OPS, and the Government on October 13 and 14 did not have the backing of the OPS.

Rising from the Abuja retreat, the pro-subsidy removal group said it took its position because the current regime of subsidy benefits only a few people to the detriment of the generality of Nigerians.

The OPS said the money to be saved should be used to provide infrastructure.

President of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Mr Nduka Obaigbena, who read a communiqué, outlining their position, said 42 of the 45 members from the private sector

signed the communiqué.

The communique reads in part: “That the financial burden of subsidy is unsustainable and untenable in our nation where critical infrastructure, human and capital development are in dire need of investment.”

But it was learnt that the industrialists attended the retreat as chief executives of their companies.

“We were not there as OPS representatives; we were there as heads of our companies”, a source told The Nation last night.

implementation.

“The renegotiation that was supposed to have commenced early in 2004, concluded in a couple of months and implemented the same year was delayed by government for five years. That is how what is supposed to be the 2004 agreement is now being called 2009 agreement.”

He expressed disappointment that over two years after signing the agreement, government is still not implementing.

Awuzie called on government to “put its priorities right” adding that It is true that it is not possible for any nation to attain any decent development if its education sector is in tatters and its government is recklessly refusing to take heed and do the right thing. It is even more worrisome if the institutions that have the mandate of producing high-level manpower training and skills are the ones that are being deliberately suffocated” Prof. Awuzie added: “It is very disheartening to note that, over two years after signing the agreement that is intended to arrest and reverse the rot and decay in the university system, most of our campuses still remain no more than a caricature of what a university is supposed to be.

“The deterioration is continuing unabated largely because government has refused to sincerely implement the 2009 agreement. University infrastructure and facilities are still in shambles: lecture theatres, lecture halls and students’ hostels are not only inadequate but in miserable state of disrepair; laboratories and workshops are shadows of their former selves; counters and shelves in our laboratories that are supposed to be housing chemicals and reagents are now the battlefields of rodents and arachnids; libraries are like storehouses of archaic books and periodicals; level of automation in the university system is scandalously primitive; students are still being packed like sardines in hostels and lecture rooms; instances of students sitting on bare floor or peeping through the windows to listen to lectures are very prevalent; students population is continuously ballooning while infrastructure and facilities development is not only static but in decline.

Ex-Governor Goje arraigned for alleged N25b fraud

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ORMER Gombe State Governor Danjuma Goje was yesterday arraigned before a Gombe Federal High Court for allegedly mismanaging about N25billion Universal Basic Education and other funds.

He was charged on 17 counts alongside four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Othersare: former Executive Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Aliyu ElNafaty; a food contractor, Alhaji Sambo Mohammed Tumu; S.M. Dokoro Gombe; and S.M. Dokoro.

They were ordered remanded in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS) till today when the court will hear their applications for bail.

Prosecuting counsel Wahab Shittu and defence counsel, Chief Niyi Akintola(SAN) disagreed on Goje’s application that the Federal High

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Court has no jurisdiction to try him for money laundering.

The charges against Goje include: “That you, Goje, sometimes between May 2003 and May 2011, with attempt to convert, conspired with others to conceal N5billion property of Gombe State Government, which was, or in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represented proceeds of an illegal act.

“That you, Goje between May 2003 and May 2011, in Gombe committed an offence to wit: converted N5billion property of the Gombe State Government.

“That you Goje; Tumu, being Gombe State Government House food supplier; and others, between May 2003 and May 2011 attempted to convert, conspired to conceal N1,920,000,000.00 property of Gombe State Government, which was, or in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represented proceeds of an illegal act.

“That you Goje and Tumu between May 2003 and May 2011 converted N1, 920,000,000.00 property of Gombe State Government, being an illegal act to wit: concealing its illicit origin.

“That you Goje; El-Nafaty, Gombe; and others, sometimes between May 2003 and May 2011, with attempt to convert, conspired to conceal N1,661,451,371.64 property of Gombe State Government, which was, or in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represented proceeds of an illegal act.

“That you Goje and El-Nafaty and others, sometimes between May 2003 and May 2011, committed an offence to wit: converted N1,661,451,371.64 property of Gombe State Government, being an illegal act, concealing its illicit origin.

“That you Goje with others, conspired among yourselves and others to conceal or disguise the sum of N1,000,000,000 property of Gombe

State Government, which was, or in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represented proceeds of an illegal act.

“That you Goje; S. M. Dokoro being the proprietor of S. M. DOKORO GOMBE; and others, sometimes between January 2008 and May 2011, in Gombe within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court with attempt to convert, conspired among yourselves and others to conceal N242,500,000.00.

The offences were said to be contrary to Sections 14 (a) and 17 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14 of the same Act as amended, modified and retained under Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended).

The accused pleaded not guilty.

They requested Justice Babatunde Quadri grant them to bail.

The judge will rule on their bail application today.

•Goje in the dock ... yesterday

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

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NEWS

‘They hit my chest with an object and l lost consciousness’ But for providence, she would have been used for ritual. Ranti, however, reappeared 72 hours after she disappeared on the street of Ado-Ekiti, reports SULAIMON SALAWUDEEN

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OURTEEN-year-old Ranti Omola had walked through the valley of the shadow of death. The little girl is reliving her ordeal in the den of some men who abducted her on the streets of AdoEkiti, Ekiti State, while running errands for her grandmother, with whom she was staying.

Ranti, a pupil of All Soul’s Anglican Grammar School, Busari resurfaced last Thursday, 72 hours after she was forcefully taken away to an unknown destination.

Mr. and Mrs. Kolade Omolade were elated when they were informed that Ranti had been sighted on the road walking home.

Ranti, who had miraculously been let off the hook, was, however, a shadow of herself. Her hair was shaven half way and she was almost unconscious, oblivious of what was happening around her.

But someone who knew she had been declared missing, hurriedly alerted her relations, who spontaneously rushed out to bring her in. Ranti’s new-look prompted the parents to take her to a church, where she regained full consciousness.

“Immediately we got to their shrine, we were told to come down and they put

‘

Immediately we got to their shrine, we were told to come down and they put hoods on our faces. They also hit me on the chest with an object and I lost my consciousness at that point. When they shaved my head and my private parts, I did not know •NARROW ESCAPE: Omola before she was kidnapped (left) and after she escaped from the kidnappers’ den

hoods on our faces. They also hit me on the chest with an object and I lost my consciousness at that point. When they shaved my head and my private parts, I did not know.

“In the evening of Thursday when I was to be killed, I struggled with them as they were dragging me into the cave.

“At this point, a man emerged and ordered them to take me to where they picked me; ‘take her away, take her away’, the man said.

“At that point, they hit me with an object and I became unconscious again until I was brought into this church. I did not know when

they eventually dropped me where they picked me at Basiri around 7 pm.

Asked about the two other pupils she met in the bus, she recalled they were still alive and had not been killed when she was released.

According to Mrs Kemi Olayiwola, Ranti’s sister

who sighted her where she was dropped and brought her to the church, Ranti could neither stand nor speak when she was brought to the church.

She told reporters that they had combed everywhere in the state capital in search of the victim since she

Woman sues army over late father’s gratuity

Firm fetes top clients today

By Joseph Jibueze

A BUSINESSWOMAN, Mrs Anne Okoli, has sued the Minister of Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed, at the Federal High Court, Lagos, for allegedly refusing to pay her late father’s employment benefits 15 years after he died.

She is claiming N6 million from the defendants, which includes the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Bello Adoke (SAN).

The money is for general, special and exemplary damages for arrears of pension, gratuities and other benefits due her father, Dr Essien Benjamin Nkereke.

Okoli said the late Nkereke, who trained in Russia as a doctor, served as Principal Medical Officer II on Grade Level 13 at the Nigeria Army Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, until he died in 1996.

“The defendants and officials of the Ministry of Defence (Pensions Office) have also refused to itemise the plaintiff’s late father’s pension and other benefits, including a plot of land allocated to him at Abuja as a senior staff of the ministry,” Okoli told the court.

She claimed the defendants’ conduct have caused the survivors “severe emotional torture, retardation and psychological trauma and has denied them normal family life and exposed them to undue hardship and suffering in life.”

The suit, filed on October 14, is yet to be heard.

‘

got missing.

The pastor of the church, Pastor Lanre Idowu, told reporters that he had to go into a serious prayer session for about 20 minutes.

The cleric said: “She acted as though she was a moron when she was brought, but after the intercession, she regained consciousness.”

•ALL FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS: A breast cancer awareness campaign tagged ‘Jog for Life’ organised by the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN)...at the weekend

Tears as police honour families of six slain officers

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HERE was free flow of tears yesterday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, as the police honoured the families of six slain officers who died in the line of fire.

The policemen were killed in gun battles with armed robbers on three different occasions.

In the roll of honours are: John Umbugabu, Vincent Enejere, both of the 26 Police Mobile Force base, Uyo. The officers were killed on July 17 in an exchange of gunshots with armed robbers.

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

On August 19, the duo of Cpl. Moshe Megbe and PC Pius Mathew fell to robbers’ bullet as they courageously pursued and engaged hoodlums that had stormed the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

Both Cpl. Ekong Imo and PC Akan Okon attached to “C” Division were killed in an armed robbery incident in Uyo on August 23.

Police Commissioner Solomon Arase said Governor

Godswill Akpabio has approved N1million each to the families of the six deceased police officers.

In addition to the governor’s monetary award, Arase presented each family of the deceased with the Commissioner of Police’s Certificate of Commendation for their gallantry, dedication to duty and zeal.

The police boss assured the families of the deceased that insurance claims and sundry entitlements which had already be processed, would be

paid in due course.

His words: “To the families of the deceased, you can count on the support of the leadership and all officers and men of Akwa Ibom State Police Command at this moment of grief. You should, however, be consoled by the fact that the deceased officers died fighting as professionals, gallantly as real men, and honourably as angels.”

Arase added that the criminal who killed the officers had been apprehended and would soon be arraigned in court.

MDS Logistics Limited, a division of UAC Nigeria Plc, will this evening reward its top clients in Lagos.

The event tagged a Night of Harmony will feature award presentations to its longserving clients and those who have done business with it in large volume.

Top executives of multinational and blue-ship companies are expected at the event.

The company’s Divisional Managing Director, Mr. Solomon Aigbavboa, said clients will also win prizes through a raffle draw.

A magazine on the logistics industry, The Chain, will also be presented at the event.

Aigbavboa said: “This is an event by MDS to appreciate our clients. For us, this year’s event is tagged Night of Harmony. It is a night where we get all of our top clients together and appreciate them.

We have more than 50 top clients. Most of them are going to be there, represented by their top management staff, such as Managing Directors, directors, General Managers.

“The highlight will be the award that will be given to our partner client. We have it in two categories; we have the one for those that do business with us by volume basis.

“Four customers will win award for doing business with us in large volumes, while three will get awards for being evergreen customers.

Most of them are the multinationals.”

The event will hold at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

6

NEWS Minister warns against kerosene subsidy removal

Adefuye advises Jonathan A FRONTLINE politician, Senator Anthony Adefuye, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to check the excesses of security operatives who take delight in effecting unlawful arrests.

Adefuye made the remark in Ondo, Ondo State during the funeral of Mrs Sabainah Faleyimu.

Adefuye , who described the arrest of The Nation editors as a national disgrace, said the rationale behind it was not justified.

He called for a thorough investigation of the arrest to avert a recurrence .

The senator urged the President to create socioeconomic structures that would cushion the suffering of the masses. He said : “I want the President to firmly concentrate on revamping the economy. The current epileptic power supply in the country should also be urgently addressed.”

CP warns officers against booze Jude Isiguzo

THE Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Mr Philimeon Ibrahim Leha has warned officers to desist from drunkenness and other vices that could affect them in the discharge of their duties.

Leha, who addressed officers and men of the six riot police squadrons in Lagos while on a two-day working visit at the weekend said some personnel have been killed while sleeping on duty and fire arms carted away by hoodlums.

He noted that indiscipline; corruption and illegal duties have greatly affected the attitude of a lot of anti-riot policemen and have made them ineffective.

Leha explained that the duties of an anti-riot policeman include, quelling of riots, crowd control, guarding places of national and economic interest, embassies and high commissions and other place considered security risk by government.

NIALS lecture for Thursday A FORMER general counsel with the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Prof. Paul Idornigie will on Thursday deliver the third inaugural Lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS.).

Idornigie, a Research Professor at NIALS, will speak on “ Investment Treaty Arbitration and Emerging Markets: Issues, Prospects and Challenges”, at the event to be chaired by the Director General of the institute, Prof. Epiphany Azinge.

The lecture, which holds at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, has the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Bello Adoke; a former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo and a former Minister of Science and Technology, Prof.

Emmanuel Emovon, as special guests of honour.

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

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•Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, his deputy, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka, and some of the High Court Judges after a service to flag-off the 2011/2012 Legal Year, in Ado-Ekiti...yesterday

Fashola, Tinubu, Ajomale: PDP has failed Lagosians AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), his predecessor, Senator Bola Tinubu, and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chairman, Otunba Oladele Ajomale, have asked Lagosians to reject the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the council polls holding on Saturday across the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

Also, PDP and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) youths in Ejigbo, Oshodi-Isolo and Ikorodu councils have pledged to support the ACN and to vote for its candidates at the polls. At a rally in Ejigbo, they said that the local government chairman , Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan, has lived up to expectation by spreading the dividends of democracy in the area.

The ACN leaders said PDP leaders objected to the creation of the councils, adding that the PDP-led Federal Government and National Assembly also frustrated bids to enlist the councils in the Constitution, despite the peoples’ referendum, which heralded their creation.

Fashola, Tinubu and Ajomale spoke at Ikorodu, the headquarters of Ikorodu Division, when the ACN campaign train rolled into the ancient town.

At the rally, Ajomale gave flags to the chairmanship candidates; Sheriff Anipole (Ikorodu Central), Hassan Adefarasin (Ijede), Adegboyega Basanya (Igbogbo/Bayeku), Jumoke Ademehin (Ikorodu West), Adeola Jokomba (Ikorodu North) and Ibikunle Adebogun (Imota).

At the rally were former Deputy Governor Abiodun Ogunleye, Olorunfunmi Basorun, Primate Charles Odugbesi, Salisu Alogba, Kaoli Olusanya, Bayo Ajisebutu, Sunai Agunbiade, Dele Olowu, Folake Sokunbi-Kalokalo, Abiodun Oyebolu, Akanni Seriki-Bamu, Kanmi Daramola, Prince Olukoga, Funso Ologunde and Oluwasola Amusa.

Tinubu said: “PDP opposed the creation of the additional councils. That is why they do not deserve the votes of Lagosians. The PDP administration has failed the nation. We should all reject their candi-

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Lagos ACN to opposition party: you can’t reap where you have not sown

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OR the Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the decision of the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to participate in Saturday’s elections into the 20 councils and the 37 Local Government Development Areas (LCDAs), is a shameful volte-face.

According to the party’s spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, it was strange that the PDP, which had in the past used its federal might to frustrate the creation and sustenance of the LCDAs, could make a U-turn and present candidates to administer the councils.

In a statement, he said the suspension of funds from the Federation Accounts to local governments in the state for 14 months by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was part of measures taken by the PDP to sabotage the desire of Lagosians for more councils.

The statement reads: “The party sees the decision as self serving and a demonstration of the fact that the PDP, as a party, is ogling for Lagos just for the power to loot the state, as they have been doing in every other state and the Federal Government.

“Lagosians are aware of the antics of the PDP in Lagos, which has employed every means since 1999 to frustrate the creation

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Political Editor

dates . They cannot reap where they did not sow”.

Ogunleye said: “We should ensure that all our candidates win this election. A vote for them is a vote for development”.

Fashola paid tribute to Ikorodu leaders, urging them to ponder on the developments recorded by the division since 1999. He added: “In 1999, Ikorodu had one local government. Now, you have six. After God, who do you thank for this? It is Asiwaju Tinubu. Local governments are babies of development. But PDP opposed their creation in Lagos State. The local governments were delivered with sweat and blood. Lagos council allocations were seized. People died; people were pauperised because of the creation. Now, we have 377 wards instead of 245”.

The governor promised that, apart from the High Court project, ferry terminals and Ijede road, which is being built, many development

of additional councils, as well as the development of the state.”

The party urged Lagosians to reject a party that strongly opposed a process aimed at bringing development to the grassroots.

Besides, the statement described the ACN as the only party with genuine commitment to spread the dividends of democracy to residents.

It said: “We recall that at a time, the members of Lagos PDP were championing the cause of urging their party leaders at the federal level to illegally withhold the allocations that were meant for Lagos because it (Lagos) created additional councils to meet the needs of their people.

“We recall that the Obasanjo government not only withheld the allocations of Lagos local governments but also employed every known means to disrupt the running and peace of Lagos State.

“We recall that for several years, and despite the Supreme Court ruling declaring that act illegal, the PDP and the Obasanjo governments subjected Lagos workers to tremendous hardship and frustrated development activities in Lagos in their futile effort to arrest the legitimate desire of Lagosians for more local governments.”

projects would follow after the elections.

Ajomale urged reconciliation in Ikorodu, urging the ACN leaders in the six councils to keep the political family together. He added: “Let the elders go home and reconcile all. If you don’t like the government, try opposition. We made a mistake in Igbogbo Constituency and lost at the supplementary House of Assembly election. For two months that the PDP legislator was there, it was tough. Let this never happen again. The party has decided on the candidates. The party’s decision is final”.

At Kosofe, where Ajomale also presented flags to party candidates, the chairman also called for reconciliation and harmony. He pacified the aggrieved aspirants, especially Segun Aka-Basorun, saying that God’s time is the best.

Chairmanship candidates at the rally, which held at Gbagada Playing Field, were Afolabi Sofola (Kosofe), Ayodele Oyesanya (Ikosi-Iseri), his running mate, Abimbola Bada; Obafemi Durosinmi

(Agboyi-Ketu), his running mate, Mufa Okusi, Gbolahan Bagostowe (Somolu), and Sulaimon Omoyele Oris (Bariga).

At the rally were Housing Commissioner Bosun Jeje, Kosofe ACN leader Abiodun Sunmola, Lanre Rasak, Senator Tony Adefuye, Sesan Olarewaju, Bayo Osinnowo, Tunde Braimoh, Jibayo Adeyeye, Chris Ekwilo, Denge Anifowose, Niyi Idowu, Wale Mogaji, Samuel Oreoluwa, Hakeem Oso, Abiodun Adefolami, Abiodun Aigbe, S.A. Oyedele, Funso Ologunde, Karim Daramola, Abiodun Oyebolu, Bolaji Sanusi, and Alhaji Mustapha, Somolu ACN leader.

There was tension at the rally as some youths stormed the venue with the posters of AkaBashorun, proclaiming him as the Kosofe Council chairmanship candidate. However, Primate Odugbesi, the state secretary of the party, called for peace, reconciliation, harmony and decorum in Kosofe, stressing that an aspirant of today, who did not make it, could bounce back tomorrow.

INISTER of Petroleum Resources Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke yesterday warned against removal of subsidy on kerosene.

Mrs Alison-Madueke spoke at an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Gas in Abuja.

She said the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) indebted to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the tune of N9billion for gas supply.

Nigeria, she said, earns $1.5billion annually from gas export, explaining that the country requires $4billion to provide gas infrastructure.

She said the country flares 15 per cent of its gas production, 12 per cent is used domestically, 41 per cent exported and 32 per cent integrated for internal operations of the oil industry.

According to her, Nigeria’s gas reserve of 187 trillion cubic feet puts it in the league of the world’s top eight in gas reserves.

With a production of almost eight billion cubic feet per day, she noted that “only 12 per cent is consumed locally, about 15 per cent is flared wastefully. With 41 per cent of production dedicated to export, we are in fairly good position in exports.”

Tribunal upholds ACN Rep’s victory

By Eric Ikhilae

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HE Legislative Elections Petition Tribunal in Lagos has upheld the election of Ganiyu Olukolu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as a member of the House of Representatives for Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency.

Tribunal Chair Justice Maurice Eneji yesterday dismissed a petition filed by Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Cosmos Okoli in the April 9, election.

Okoli and his party had challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Olukolu as the winner.

The tribunal held that Okoli and his party failed to comply with the provision of Paragraph 18 (1) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), a development that rendered the petition incurably defective.

The tribunal accordingly dismissed the petitions and awarded N50, 000 costs each against Okoli and his party, in favour of Olukolu and ACN. The tree-man panel upheld Olukolu’s argument that the pre-hearing notice issued in favour of the petitioners be set aside on the ground that the issuance of the said pre-hearing notice was based on a letter written by the petitioners’ lawyer to the Tribunal.

The tribunal held that a petitioner’s request for the issuance of pre-hearing notice by means of a letter contravened the provision of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that such request must be based on a motion to the tribunal.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

7

NEWS Lawyer faults ex-CJN’s inclusion on committee

Distress call centres for NYSC From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

By Eric Ikhilae

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IGHTS activist and lawyer Bamidele Aturu has faulted the inclusion of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu on the committee to reform the judiciary.

Aturu also criticised the detention of popular actor Babatunde Omidina (aka Baba Suwe) by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on suspicion of drug ingestion.

He described it as an abuse of his right to personal liberty.

Aturu slammed the government’s anti-corruption stand, describing the trial of some ex-governors as a charade.

The activist criticised the non subjection of security votes to audit and government’s sponsorship of religious pilgrimage, describing them as avenues of frittering away public funds.

Aturu described as a ruse, the Federal Governement’s claim that it was subsidising the cost of petroleum products.

He spoke in Lagos yesterday while announcing plans for the fourth edition of his law firm’s–Bamidele Aturu and Co’s–annual law and social development lecture, scheduled for October 24 in Lagos.

Aturu said: “The 28-member committee recently set up to sanitise the judiciary would ordinarily have been welcome, but for the inclusion of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“His inclusion is insensitive and controversial, to say the very least, as it gives an impression that he is the victor in the dispute between him and the suspended President of the Court of Appeal.”

‘Protect Nigerians abroad’ From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

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HE Federal Government yesterday called on the international community to take steps to protect migrant workers from maltreatment in their countries of domicile.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Olugbenga Ashiru made the call through the Permanent Secretary, Martin Uhomoibhi, at the opening of the Global Forum on Migration & Development (GFMD) in Abuja.

He said: “To address partnerships among countries, we must work together for that transformation and ensure that the transformation reaches every country and not just the strong ones.”

According to him, the forum which Nigeria is cochairing with Switzerland is part of a series of global forum for migration and development, which is a recent initiative of the United Nations to address the linkages between migration and development.

The Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Eduard Gnesa, said South-South migration remains the most important form of human mobility in many regions of the world.

•From left: Chairman of the occasion Prof. Efedaye Ohwovoriole; Country Group Head, Novartis Pharma Services Mrs. Vera Nwanze; Director (Pharmacy), Lagos State Ministry of Health Dr. Moyosore Adejuwon and Head of Marketing-Mass Market, Novartis Pharma Services, Ladi Ojo, at the launching of Galvus/GalvusMet and ExforgeHCT, Oral Novel Innovative Product for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension respectively, in Lagos.

EFCC insists on Bankole’s trial

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday insisted that former Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole must face trial over alleged contract inflation.

The commission said the scam was perpetuated under his watch so he must be prosecuted.

Bankole is facing a 16count charge of contract inflation before Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Bankole has filed two motions: one, asking the court to quash the charges and another seeking to disqualify EFCC counsel Festus Keyamo from trying him.

But Keyamo, who asked the court to dismiss the motions, argued that Section 57 (2), (4) and (7) of the Public Procurement Act and Section 58 (5) and (9) of the same Act

•Court rules Dec 19 From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

states that all persons who are entrusted with public funds for other purposes can be charged.

He said he provided the accused with the evidence against him so as not to be seen as a persecutor.

“The counts had shown that the prosecution gave the accused the idea of the actual prices of the items and how the prices were allegedly inflated, thereby giving the accused the idea of what he was going to face.

“Those counts are not defective as submitted by the defence counsel. I urge the court to dismiss the application and proceed with the trial”, he said.

Keyamo asked the court to discountenance the argument that he has

personal grudges against Bankole because of the letter he wrote to him when he was Speaker on certain questionable spending of the House.

He recalled that he did similar thing in 2000 when Ghali Na’abbah was Speaker.

Keyamo said: “The constitution does not question in explicit language, the impartiality of a prosecutor, but the impartiality of the court.

“Just like the accused believe in his innocence of the charges against him, the prosecutor also believes in the guilt of the accused and the court is there to balance the scale.”

Keyamo further argued that the accused cannot raise objection to his competency to prosecute at this stage of

the matter when he had taken his plea.

Bankole’s counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) argued that Keyamo lacks the power to prosecute his client because there was no Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, who issued him a fiat to prosecute the case as at the time of filing the charge.

“The last AGF was Mohammed Adoke (SAN), who vacated officially on the dissolution of the Federal Executive Council on May 28.

“The AGF is the only officer that the constitution empoweres to issue a fiat to lawyers to institute or continue criminal proceedings in the High Court,”he said.

Awomolo noted that the charge was filed on June 7 when no AGF was in office.

Justice Okorowo has fixed December 19 for ruling on the two motions.

NDLEA awaits Baba Suwe ‘s third excretion HERE is anxiety over the status of popular Yoruba comedian Babatunde Omidina, aka Baba Suwe, who is in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Officials of the agency are awaiting his third ‘excretion’ to confirm whether he ingested drugs, after allegedly testing positive to drug ingestion.

Baba Suwe was arrested last Thursday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

T

By Kelvin Osa- Okunbor

Speaking in a telephone interview, NDLEA’s Director-General Femi Ajayi said the actor would undergo Computerised Tomography Scan (CT Scan) .

He said, according to the standard operational rule, it is after the third ‘excretion’, which could take some days, before it could be clear that the suspect did not ingest any drug.

Ajayi said: “If the scan result indicates that the actor did not ingest any drug, the NDLEA will release him,

even as it may not be out of order to apologise to him.

He ruled out the possibility of the actor taking legal action, affirming that he should take it in his stride as one of the sacrifice to be taken in the drug war.

Ajayi said: “As far as we are concerned Baba Suwe is innocent, at least for now, it is just normal that when there is reasonable suspicion, we take people in for observation.

“There are standards, you see, after three excretions, we may just believe they are

V

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

UTME tests.

AVNU Chairman and Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Prof Ish-aq Oloyede spoke to reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, after a pre-convocation press.

The VC said President Goodluck Jonathan would be in Ilorin on Saturday to inaugurate some of the university’s projects.

He said 5,330 graduants would be awarded degrees/

diploma certificates on October 24 and 25.

Oloyede said vice-chancellors had requested the Senate to hear their side of the story before taking a decision on the post-UTME test.

His words: “The VCs have been very careful not to respond to JAMB’s campaign of calumny.

“We have heard that the Senate is threatening to outlaw post-UTME, but the Senate is informed enough to hear from all the parties before taking its decision.”

The VC hoped that senators would not be misled into tak-

Group petitions Fed Govt THE Federal Government has been urged to intervene in a matter involving a Nigerian, Timothy Onwughai and a United Arab Emirates company, First Group.

Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) ,in a petition to the Federal Government, said Onwughai and his wife paid over N6million to the firm.

It reads: “Onwughai decided that he was no longer interested in buying the property because of alleged discrepancies in the agreement.

“But the firm refused to refund payment he already committed to the deal.

“Over the last 10 years since Nigeria returned to civil rule, housing rights have not received attention.

“The neglect by government of the housing rights of Nigerians is in gross breach of Section 16(1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.”

Bello urges support for ACN

•Omidina

okay.

“We will apologise to him, we believe he will take this as a sacrifice in the war against drugs.”

VCs advise Senate against scrapping of post-UTME ICE-Chancellors under the aegis of Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVNU) have written to the Senate on the legality of the post-Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) test.

The Senate described the post-UTME test being conducted by tertiary institutions as illegal, threatening to outlaw it.

The vice-chancellors are moving to ensure that the Senate does not prevent universities from conducting post-

THE police plans to set up distress call centres in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps.

This is aimed at safeguarding corps members and allow the NYSC achieve its effectiveness, Inspector-General of Police Hafiz Ringim has said.

Ringim spoke when the NYSC Director-General, BrigGen Nnamdi Okore Affia, visited him yesterday.

The IG described the idea as a step in the right direction in view of the present security situation in the country and the need to ensure the safety of corps members.

The Director-General solicited the cooperation of the police during the Batch ‘C’ Orientation course holding from November 15 till December 6.

He requested for synergy and interconnectivity between the NYSC Distress Call Centre and that of the Police.

ing decisions for states and private universities, considering the tripod nature of the university system.

Oloyede insisted that the Act establishing universities in the country empowers them to admit students, stressing that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was established to harmonise the admission exercise.

“Universities must not be stopped from screening their candidates and determining their competence.

“Experience has shown that other people sat for JAMB exams for candidates.”

AHEAD of Saturday’s election into council areas in Lagos, the Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, has urged residents to vote for candidates of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Bello spoke at the weekend during an interactive session with the Mainland Independent Group (MIG) shortly after flagging off ACN campaign in Yaba and Lagos Mainland.

He stressed the need for every member to respond to the wishes of the party leadership.

The commissioner, who is the patron of the MIG, said: “We must not allow the opposition to make in-roads into the progressive politics of Lagos State which has been under the firm leadership of our focused leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and performing Governor Raji Fashola.”

He urged aggrieved members to put the past behind them and work for the success of the ACN, which he described as a party of the present and the future.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

8

NEWS No coercion needed to enforce Tenancy Law, says Fashola

Tokyo can’t impose self on members, says NURTW

By Oziegbe Okoeki

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AGOS STATE GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola has said no one would be coerced to obey the new Tenancy Law. He said the courts are there to prosecute offenders.

Fashola spoke at the Blueroof Complex of LTV 8 in Agidingbi, Lagos, during an interactive session with reporters to mark his 1,600 days in office.

He said anyone, who engages in any act or enters into any obligation contrary to the provision of the Tenancy Law, either as a landlord or tenant, is deemed to have performed an illegality.

On the introduction of a device used in measuring the level of alcohol intake of drivers, breathalyser, which was launched last Thursday at Ojota Motor Park, Fashola said it would reduce accidents.

He said the device can also detect substance abuse, such as marijuana and cocaine, and would reduce mental health defects in the society.

The governor said the programme speaks volumes of the Action Congress of Nigeria’s (ACN’s) commitment to promoting public health through preventive health care and urged all eligible voters to come out and vote during Saturday’s local government election.

On the provision of houses to the populace through mortgage, he said the Lagos Home-Ownership Mortgage Scheme (HOMS) is still being fine tuned and urged the people to be patient.

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HE national headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) yesterday restated its ban on the factional leader of the Oyo State branch, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (also known as Tokyo).

It said Tokyo cannot impose himself on members of the union.

The NURTW National Headquarters had on October 12 said: “Both Lateef Akinsola (Tokyo) and Mukaila Lamidi (Auxiliary) are hereby banned from participating in all union activities, especially contest-

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

ing or participating in any election of the union.”

But Tokyo has reportedly described the ban as illegal and ineffective.

The union’s National President, Alhaji Najeem Yasin, in a telephone chat with reporters in Abuja yesterday, challenged Tokyo to come out of hiding and participate in the union’s activities.

He said should Tokyo dare the union, the security agents would deal with him.

Yasin, who noted that Auxiliary applauded the

national headquarters’ decision to ban them from participating in the union activities, said it was surprising that Tokyo was still resistant.

The NURTW had reconciled the stakeholders and members of its Oyo chapter, who agreed to embrace peace for progress in the state.

The reconciliation was part of the conditions Governor Ajibola Ajimobi gave to Yasin, who pleaded for the lifting of the ban on union activities in the state.

But a few days after the ban, reports had it that Tokyo rejected the ban on

him and described it as illegal.

According to the report, Tokyo denied ever sending any of his members to the reconciliation meeting in Abuja.

Tokyo’s man, Lekan Alisile, had introduced himself at the meeting as a member of the Tokyo faction.

Alisile attributed the crises rocking the Oyo NURTW to the greed of members, who made themselves available for politicians to achieve their goals, adding that there should be factional harmonisation to ensure full reconciliation.

Okada passenger falls off 3rd Mainland bridge

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MOTORCYCLE passenger fell off the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos yesterday.

It was gathered that the victim fell off the bridge when a red cab hit the bike from the rear, causing it to lose balance.

The motorcyclist was injured. He was taken to the hospital by the State Emergency Service.

Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander Jonah Agwu said: “Around 4pm, there was a crash involving a bike and a red cab.

The cab hit the bike from the rear and the passenger fell off the bridge into the lagoon.

“Local divers have been

By Jude Isiguzo

trying to recover the body, but they haven’t found it yet.

The motorcyclist sustained injuries and has been taken to the hospital at Gbagada, while his bike is in police custody.

“The Lagos State Government has always been against motorcyclists on expressways, the Third Mainland Bridge inclusive. But instead of complying, they take unnecessary risks.

“I hope all will learn a lesson from this incident. The law is there to protect the people, and if anyone wants to make a long distance trip, he or she should take a bus instead.”

PDP chief joins ACN From Damisi Ojo, Akure

F

ORMER member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State Chief Tayo Alasoadura yesterday joined the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Alasoadura, who was the Commissioner for Finance during the administration of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, dumped the PDP last Thursday.

He was received into ACN by the party’s State Chairman, Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose, and Secretary Adegboyega Adedipe at his home town in Iju. Alasoadura said: “Principled and progressive politics is part of the Yoruba heritage and this has generated a lot of respect for our race.

“It is our belief, therefore, that there is an urgent need to join our brothers and sisters in the ACN in protecting this much-cherished legacy.

“Ondo State people need to join hands with our peers in Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti and Edo, to enthrone the ideology of vision and progressive government in the Southwest.”

The former commissioner said he has always been a progressive, but joined the PDP recently because of mainstream politics.

He said: “I decided to return to my root because of the peculiar problem of the country under the PDP administration. I can no more stay with the party that has no vision and mission for its citizenry.”

•Aregbesola (Middle) speaking at the event yesterday. With him are Deputy Governor Grace Laoye-Tomori (left) and Oyeweso.

‘Provision of infrastructure will foster development’

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ROVISION of infrastructural facilities is the only way any government will make impact on the citizenry, Prof. Siyan Oyeweso of the Osun State University said at the weekend.

Oyeweso spoke at the Leisure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, during the maiden edition of the Bolanle Lashengbe Memorial Lecture.

The lecture, with the theme: “Infrastructure Challenges in an Emerging Economy,” was attended by members of the Osun State Executive Council and members of the the Action Congress of Nigeria

O

cial corruption had dealt a blow to development of infrastructure in the country, for which Nigerians have been paying huge levies for poor infrastructural service provided by the private organisations, especially, the telecommunication service providers.

Oyeweso called on Governor Rauf Aregbesola to import his master plan from Lagos, where he served as the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, for the development of roads in the state.

Aregbesola said: “People thought Lashengbe was my friend, well, he was my

elder brother, but he dedicated himself to ensuring that I won the election of April 2007, just like we did for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and when we were robbed of our victory. He was committed to the struggle of ensuring that we reclaim the mandate without asking for a kobo.

“It was unfortunate that we lost him before his dream becomes a reality and the only thing we can do to honour his memory is to organise a lecture in his name and ensure that we serve humanity by providing necessary infrastructure for the people.”

Six shops, 10 vehicles razed in Abeokuta

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EN vehicles and six shops were gutted by fire at OkeSokori in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, yesterday.

Nobody died.

It was gathered that the fire

My plan for food sustenance, by Ajimobi HE Oyo State Government has finalised plans to introduce agricultural programmes in secondary schools.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi said the plan would reduce dependence on food importation.

Ajimobi spoke at the Methodist Bishops’ House in Ibadan, the state capital, at the weekend, during a church service marking the World Food Day. He said the programme is aimed at bringing youths back to agriculture.

Represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural and Natural Resources, Bimbo Kolade, the governor said the failure of youths to engage in farming does not augur well for the future.

(ACN) from Osun and Lagos states.

Admitting that Nigeria has achieved a lot in infrastructural provision since Independence, the guest lecturer, however, noted there was still room for improvement if government embarked on proactive measures in its developmental projects.

“One of the biggest factors militating against infrastructure provision in the country is abandoning the task with government alone and the lack of maintenance culture among Nigerians”, he said.

Oyeweso added that offi-

He said the programme would be piloted in one school in each of the 33 local government areas and would focus on poultry, fisheries and planting of vegetables.

Ajimobi urged Nigerians to cultivate the habit of having home gardens and growing vegetables, such as okra, spinach, tomatoes and pepper, for domestic consumption.

He said such practice will enable people eat fresh farm produce, stay healthy and save money.

The governor said: “We want to bring back agriculture in the state. We are encouraging the school agricultural programme, where, at least, one school would have a poultry farm or a fish farm or a dry season vegetable farm.”

•NURTW members protest planned election From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

was triggered by an explosion from a fuel tanker, marked Lagos XN52AG, which skidded off the road and hit an electric pole, spilling its content.

An eyewitness, Mrs. Adeoye Adeaga, whose building materials shop was also affected, said the tanker exploded when it ran into the electric pole.

Another victim, Damilola, whose handset shop was destroyed, said: “I can’t believe what I am seeing. I had just returned from the mosque and was working in the shop when I heard the explosion; I had to run for my life. I watched the fire as it destroyed my property.”

Governor Ibikunle

Amosun, who visited the scene yesterday in the company of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, said the government would look into the plight of the victims.

Amosun said: “We have to thank God, because what we have lost in the fire cannot be evaluated with human lives and none was lost. We will see what we can do and get back to those affected.”

Also yesterday, members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) marched to the Governor’s Office in their hundreds, urging Amosun to suspend the union’s election scheduled for tomorrow.

They alleged that some individuals and groups, both within and outside the union,

have hijacked the election process to achieve their selfish agenda.

The transporters warned that there could be an outbreak of violence, if the election is allowed to take place.

Spokesman of the protesters, Mr. Adewale Adegboyega, urged the government, security agencies and the NURTW National President to restrain the outgoing Chairman, Prof.

Tajudeen Baruwa, from forcing his candidates, Moruf Yekini, Lukmon Ajunwon and Shina Adegbenro, on the union.

Adeoluwa, who spoke on behalf of the governor, urged them to be calm.

Adeoluwa said the government would bring all the parties together and resolve the differences.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

9

NEWS EFCC moves Doma to Lafia

One dead, 27 injured in Nasarawa accidents

•Ex-governor to face 17-count charge

From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

ONE person died and 27 HE Economic and Fiothers were injured yesterday nancial Crimes Comin two accidents in Nasarawa mission (EFCC) yesState. terday moved former NaThe first accident occurred sarawa State Governor on the Jos-Akwanga road, Aliyu Akwe Doma from few metres from the ERCC Abuja to Lafia, the state Secondary School, Azuba, capital, for trial. near Shabu, Lafia, at about Doma and nine others 10am. will face a 17-count charge It involved an 18-seater bus for allegedly mismanaging belonging to Benue Links about N18billion. with registration number XA The others are: Timothy 352 TSA and a 14-seater bus Anthony Anjide; Dauda marked XA 183 SNA. TwentyEgwa; Aigbakhode John; four of the passengers were Abdumumin Jibrin; Senainjured. tor John Dangoyi; Suleiman One of the passengers in •Representative of Gbong Gwom Jos, Ati Adamu Adiwu (left), with the Chief Executive Officer, Yakubu Gowon Foundation, Mr Ibrahim; Incapint Nigeria Benue Links, Osoja Udekor Dan Tenshak, at the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition on Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s 77th birthday in Jos, Plateau State...

Limited; Broworks Limited; said the driver of the vehicle yesterday and Green Forest Investovertook about 10 others at a ment Limited. stretch, facing oncoming Some of the charges vehicles. against them are: “That you He said it became impossiDoma, Anjide and Egwa, ble for the driver to pull back burnt. between January 2007 and and avoid the 14-seater bus MEMBER of the AcAccusing some PDP chiefDecember 2009, in Lafia, coming from the opposite tion Congress of Nitains of masterminding the Nasarawa State converted direction, as there were other geria (ACN), Celesattack, the ACN chairman N5,000,000,000, property of vehicles on top speed close to tine Agber, his brother and warned security agencies to Nasarawa State Governit. four others were yesterday protect members of his parment, being proceeds of an The second accident ockilled in a skirmish in ty to avoid the breakdown illicit act; curred in Yelwata village, Ugba, Logo Local Governof law and order.

“That you Doma, Anjide near Adogi, on Lafia-Shenment Area of Benue State. dig into the cause of this criFrom Uja Emmanuel, Governor Gabriel Susand Egwa, between January dam road at 11am. It recorded Their death, it was learnt, sis with a view to bringing Makurdi wam said the violence 2009 and December 2009, in the single fatality with three followed a clash between the perpetrators to book.” broke out following the Lafia, converted injured.

Some of his property, inACN and the Peoples DemThe senator condoled killing of “a money lender” N1,000,000,000, property of The Federal Road Safety cluding his trucks, were set ocratic Party (PDP) supportwith the bereaved families and his brother at 3.30am.

Nasarawa State GovernCommission (FRSC) Sector ablaze after he was killed by ers. and appealed to ACN supHe said: “They (rioters) ment, being proceeds of an Commander, Mrs. Sarah unknown persons.

Governor Gabriel Susporters to remain calm. burnt the houses of former illicit act; Ajenge confirmed the inciSenate Minority Leader wam and the ACN goverHe promised that the parmembers of the House of “That you Doma, Anjide dent. She attributed it to George Akume condemned norship candidate in the ty would get to the root of Assembly, James Iwar and and Egwa, between January reckless driving. the violence.

April election, Prof Steven the killing.

Mamwoo Terkaa, and that 2010 and December 2010, in Twenty-four passengers A statement by his media Torkum Ugba, are from the Benue State ACN also of National Poverty EradiLafia, converted injured in the first accident aide, Mrs. Beckie Orpin, local government. condemned the attack. cation Programme (NAPEP) N274,000,000, contrary to and the three others rescued quoted the former governor An ACN chieftain, who Addressing reporters at state Coordinator Donald Section 14(1)(a) of the Monfrom the second crash are as describing the attack as pleaded anonymity, told the party’s secretariat in Kertyo.” ey Laundering (Prohibireceiving treatment at the barbaric and retrogressive.

The Nation that the late AgMakurdi, the state ChairSuswam urged the resition) Act 2004 and punishIntensive Care Unit of the Akume said it portrayed ber, popularly called Egbe man, Comrade Abba Yaro dents to remain calm, sayable under Section 14(1) of Dalhatu Araf Specialist the PDP as intolerant of the Nack, had allegedly been said the attack on ACN ing armed policemen and the same Act; among othHospital in Lafia. opposition, adding that the under threat from the rulmembers by suspected PDP Armored Personnel Carriers. act negates the tenets of deing party. thugs was a manifestation ers (APCs) have been deThe allegations, the mocracy.

The party chieftain said a of the ruling party’s intimiployed in Ugba.

EFCC said, amounted to The statement said: week before his death, the dation to prevent the oppoBenue Police Command money laundering, an illic“Though only 12 years of late Agber, who hailed from sition from claiming its spokesman, Alaribe Ejike, it act, and concealing its ilage, our democracy is fast Konshisha Local Governmandate at the election pean Assistant Superintendent licit origin contrary to Secgrowing and we cannot afment Area, had been threatFrom Kolade Adeyemi, titions tribunal. of Police (ASP), said the sittions 14(1) (a) and 17 of the Kano ford to sit and watch a few ened.

Yaro said ACN had prior uation has been brought Money Laundering (Prohityrants drag us back to the The businessman had THE Kano State Government knowledge of the attack under control as the police bition) Act 2004 and punDark Age. lived in Ugba for over 30 has said it would install and that the house of its had begun investigations. ishable under Sections 14(1) “The police and law enyears, doing his transport Close Circuit Television governorship candidate, He said no arrest has been and 17 of the same Act. forcement agencies must business.

(CCTV) at strategic locations Prof Torkuma Ugba, was made. in Kano metropolis.

Governor Musa Kwankwaso spoke in Kano when he received a team of “Justice and equity.

GROUP, the Middle for All” programme.

The group noted that some Belt Alliance (MBA), He said the new device of the traditional titles borne which claimed to repBy Eric Ikhilae would help the government by certain Middle Belt leadresent the interest of indigenes to tackle security challenges ers do not have origins in the of Northcentral states, has beChairman, Dr. Leonard Shilgand maintain peace.

Middle Belt and called the gun moves for the separation ba, and Secretary, Comrade The governor lamented the of the region from the North. people to renounce tradition Andrew Ayuba Butswat, it shortage of policemen in the and practices alien to them.

It decried the current arurged governors from the restate, noting that Kano State The communiqué reads: rangement where Middle Belt gion to form the Middle Belt has only 8,000 policemen “We must be proud of our culindigenes are grouped with Governors’ Forum and pull compared to Lagos with ture and the pre-dominant rethe Hausa-Fulani with the inout of the present Northern 32,000 and Kaduna with ligion (Christianity) of our retent to create a façade of one Governors’ Forum.

12,000. gion. No Islamic theocracy North.

Faulting the provisions of He said the government shall be accepted in any part of Rising from its inaugural the 1999 Constitution, the would ensure the protection our territory. meeting in Makurdi, the Begroup called for the convocaPUBLIC NOTICE of life and property of the “Any constitutional arrangenue State capital, the group tion of a sovereign national residents, saying it was CHRIST SPIRIT AND LIFE EVANGELICAL MISSION ment that seeks to permit Sharsaid it had resolved, among conference where a new consurprising that the most 42 Zumurat Street, off Ojo Road, Ajegunle, Apapa, Lagos. ia law implementation in any others, to ensure that the restitution would be made for populous state in the country gion no longer “plays the secinch of our territory shall be Nigeria; where each federatThis is to inform the general public that the above named foundation could be short of security resisted with all resources at ond fiddle” and is treated as ing unit would have control has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration agencies. our disposal. Religion is an inunder the part “C” of the CAMA 1990. an equal stakeholder in the of its resources and progress Kwankwaso said: “I am dividual choice to make, and Nigerian project. at its pace; where the Constiappealing to the InspectorTHE TRUSTEES ARE: must not be imposed.”

In a communiqué by its tution would ensure justice General of Police to review Rev. Sunday Oyebisi General Overseer Pastor Esther Oyebisi Minister in Charge the situation and deploy the Prophetess Victoria Aina - Church Treasurer/ Diviner appropriate number of police Deacon Babatunde Oguntuase Church Secretary From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, The government said it officers for the effective LATEAU State workers Mrs. Monisola Onilere Member Jos agreed to “raise its monthly surveillance of the state.” have called off their Mr. Segun Oyebisi Member The Policing Component ment negotiation, with the wage bill within a basket alloone-month strike over Deaconess Afolabi Member Manager of Justice for All, Dr the demand for the impleCommissioner for Informa- cation of N1.7billion” to acMohammad Auwal Umar, tion, Mr Hansi Karuri, and commodate the workers’ dementation of the new miniAIM AND OBJECTIVE noted that safety and security mum wage. some top government offi- mands.

1.

To preach the word of God. With the agreement, the imare among the cardinal cials also in the team.

This followed an agreement Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the objectives of peace.

The Labour team was led by plementation of the minimum by the government to pay the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris He said Kano and Lagos the state chairman of the Ni- wage is expected to begin this new salary.

Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Way, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication. states would benefit from the geria Labour Congress (NLC), month.

At the signing of the agreeBancir directed the workers pilot programme.

Comrade Jibrin Bancir, with ment, the Head of Service, Mr. SIGNED: REV. SUNDAY OYEBISI to resume work immediately. other union leaders.

Moses Gwom, led the govern-

T

ACN man, brother, four others killed in Benue clash A •Akume, ACN accuse ‘PDP thugs’ •Suswam: money lender’s death caused riot

Security: Kano to install CCTV

Group seeks Middle Belt’s separation from North

A

P

Plateau workers suspend strike

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

10

NEWS

Bayelsa Assembly okays Sylva for second term

B

AYELSA State Governor Timipre Sylva’s bid for a second term yesterday got a boost with his endorsement by members of the House of Assembly.

A statement signed by the 27-member House said its support for the governor was based on what it called his excellent performance in the last four years.

The Assembly has 24 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members. Labour Party (LP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and KOWA party have a member each.

The statement, titled: “On Sylva We Stand,” reads, “We, the elected representatives of the Bayelsa people in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, hereby endorse the re-election of Chief Timipre Sylva in next year’s gov-

By Sunday Omoniyi

ernorship election.

“Governor Sylva’s performance stands him out.

Over the last four years, we have come to know him as not just an alternative to the coterie of contenders for the exalted position of Bayelsa State Governor, but the one we earnestly need now to lead us in our collective voyage to the future we all desire. We are happy with what we have seen.

“We have been impressed with Sylva’s wide knowledge, foresight and clear understanding of the peculiar nature of our state and its people. These qualities have been apparent in the many development programmes of his government, which have put our Glory of All Lands ahead in several social, eco-

nomic, and political spheres.”

The lawmakers noted the contribution of the Sylva administration to the current amnesty programme of the Federal Government, which has encouraged the hitherto agitated youths of the oilrich Niger Delta to turn their backs on armed struggle and embrace peace.

“The amnesty programme, which actually had its roots in our state, is not only a huge success but is celebrated within the comity of civilised nations as Nigeria’s contribution to the global search for peace,” they stated.

They highlighted the vast infrastructural transformation programme of the Sylva administration, saying, “We are proud to be associated with a governor that

has made Yenagoa, our state capital, one of the best lit at night in Nigeria, given Bayelsa State one of the best health institutions in the country, and given our youth one of the most robust human development programmes in the country.

“Under Sylva, we see a promising future for our Bayelsa State. We must allow this promise to continue to blossom.”

The statement was signed by the Assembly Speaker, Hon. Nestor Binabo (Salga II), PDP; Deputy Speaker, Hon. Fini Angaye (Kolga II), PDP; Leader, Hon. Amalanyo Yousuo (Balga II), PDP; Chief Whip, Hon. Konbowei Benson (Silga IV), PDP; Deputy Leader, Hon. Agatha Goma (Ekelga I), PDP; and Deputy Whip, Hon. Igrubia Walaman (Ogbia III) PDP.

Other are: Hon. Obolo M. Boubou (Silga II), PDP; Hon. Daniel Igali (Silga III), PDP; Hon. Dorgu Kuroahegha (Silga I), PDP; Hon. Empere Bamua (Salga III), PDP; Hon. Akpe Peter (Salga I), PDP; Hon. Omekwe Azibola (Ogbia I), PDP; Hon. Emoto Obedient (Ogbia II), PDP; Hon. Alfred Egba (Yelga I), PDP; Hon. Emelah Gentle (Yelga III), PDP; Hon. Fekeoweimo Ebipadei (Yelga II), PDP; Hon. Omonibeke Kemelayefa (Ekelga II), PDP; Hon. Obuebite Jonathan (Nembe I), PDP; Hon. Ayobegha James (Nembe II), PDP; Hon. Obiene Iniyobio (Nembe III), PDP; and Hon. Sam-Ateke Victor (Brass I), PDP. The following opposition members of the Assembly signed the endorsement: Minority Leader, Hon. Ingobere Abraham (Brass III),

•Sylva

KOWA Party; Minority Whip, Hon. Aprezi Victor (Ekelga III), PPA; and Deputy Minority Leader, Hon Isenah Tonye (Kiolga I), LP.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

For emphasis, one of the key objectives of the Marketing Development and Restructing Initiative (MDRI) is the continous availability of genuine products at the grassroots.

-Fola Daniel, Commissioner for Insurance

NIPC proposes 10-year tax holiday for investors

At auction, Naira firms, demand eases

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HE naira firmed at the official trading win dow yesterday, as dollar demand eased following several tightening measures introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week. But the local currency remained much weaker on the interbank market.

The CBN sold all the $296.91 million demanded at N149.95 to the dollar, against its initial offer of $400 million at the official window.

Foreign exchange demand was down sharply from the $591.67 million at last Wednesday’s auction, which were sold at N150 to the dollar.

The naira remained under pressure on the interbank market, at N162.88 to the dollar, with dealers uncertain over sentiment following a week of intense volatility for exchange rates in sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest economy.

New car imports up 40%, say dealers

N

IGERIA’s new car im ports jumped by 40 per cent in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year, although sales were expected to slow given rising interest rates and local currency weaknesses, import dealers said on Monday.

Car sales in the country are a proxy measure for private purchasing power, a leading economic indicator which is not formally available.

Nigerian port figures showed new vehicle imports according to Reuters news increased to 36,773 in the first nine months to September from 26,113 in the same period of last year, when credit dried up in the wake of a deep banking crisis, vehicle importers said.

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

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

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

FOREX -

0.281 213.2 245.00 156.91 1.5652 245.8 40.57

By Toba Agboola

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• Star Prize winner Arinze Ngene, Country Manager, Johnson Wax, Mr Husain Jafar; Director of Sales, Mr Afeez Ajibowu and Mr Kene Bube, Financial Controller, at the presentation of new Toyota Corolla cars to promo winners at Johnson Wax company.

US court to hear Shell Nigeria human rights case T HE United States Su preme Court agreed yesterday to decide if companies can be held liable in the US for international human rights law violations in a case about allegations that Royal Dutch Shell Plc helped Nigeria violently suppress oil exploration protests in the 1990s.

The justices, according to Reuters news, said they would hear an appeal by a group of Nigerians, who argue they should be allowed to proceed with their lawsuit, accusing the oil company of aiding the Federal Government in human rights violations between 1992 and 1995.

The plaintiffs, families of seven Nigerians, who were executed by a former military government for protesting Shell’s exploration and development, sought to hold the company liable under a 1789 US law called the Alien Tort

Statute.

A US appeals court in New York dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that corporations cannot be held liable in this country for violations of international human rights law.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the review was necessary because appeals courts around the nation have issued conflicting rulings on corporate liability under the more than 200year-old law.

The apex court is expected to hear arguments in the Shell case early next year, with a decision likely by June.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the case raised a host of issues of national and international importance.

The Alien Tort Statute

states that US courts shall have jurisdiction over any civil lawsuit “by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States.”

“For the victims of human rights violations, such cases often provide the only opportunity to obtain any remedy for their sufferings and to deter future unlawful conduct,”sattorney Paul Hoffman said in the appeal.

He said the ruling created blanket immunity for companies engaged or complicit in universally condemned human rights violations, including torture and executions.

In the Shell case, the lawsuit accused the company of violations related to the 1995 hangings of the activist Ken

Saro-Wiwa and eight other protesters by Nigeria’s thenmilitary government.

Shell has denied the allegations that it was involved in human rights abuses in Nigeria.

Shell’s attorney, Rowan Wilson, told the Supreme Court that the appeals court had been correct in dismissing the lawsuit and that further review of the case was unwarranted.

The Alien Tort Statute allows foreigners to sue in US courts over international law violations.

It has been increasingly used in the last 20 years by plaintiffs to sue corporations for alleged involvement in human rights abuses overseas. There have been a number of recent U.S. appeals court rulings on the issue.

‘$50b investment needed for Vision 20:2020’

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BOUT $50 billion is needed in the power sector to prosecute the Vision 20:2020, the Minister for Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, has said.

Nnaji, who spoke at the commemoration of 50 years of capital market regulation in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja, called on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to help the government secure the required fund.

He listed the USEXIM Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as other

From Nduka Chiejina (Abuja) and Tonia Osundolire

sources of funding for the power projects.

He gave an insight on how the over $5 billion injected into the National Independent Power Project (NIPP) was spent between 2007 and 2011, saying some of the funds, which came from the Excess Crude Account, were spent on 10 power plants, which are still under construction while the balance was used to purchase turbines.

The expenditure, he ex-

plained, became necessary because Nigeria does not have the 330 KV ring network. While lamenting the huge cost of providing electricity, he said it costs the government $1 million to provide one megawatt of electricity.

Another problem in the nation’s drive towards electricity provision, the minister disclosed, is that Nigeria has stranded power in some parts of the country, which he attributed to short sightedness on the part of past planners, who did not factor gas supply, transpor-

tation and other long term considerations required to exploit power for the plants. Gas companies, he said, would only do business with entities they are sure would pay for their gas.

In defending the government’s decision to divest from the power sector, Nnaji stated that no government owned power plant is operating above 50 per cent of installed capacity, whereas independent power plants were doing better than 60 per cent of their installed capacity.

HE Nigeria Import Pro motion Council (NIPC) has proposed a maximum of five to 10 years tax holiday incentives to companies in the country.

Speaking at the presentation of the Sector Specific Incentives Policy to stakeholders in Abuja, its Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Mustapha Bello, said vital incentives to stimulate export-oriented activities that will lead to significant growth of the non-oil sector will be set up.

“Companies are to enjoy incentives for maximum of five10 years if they expand capacity to at least twice by the fifth year. This is to assist investors secure their investments as it relates to operational matters, automatic expatriate quota slots should be allocated to deserving investors based on the quantum of investment , sector needs of the industry and job creation potential for Nigerian graduates,” Bello said.

Bello said one feature of the policy documents is the introduction of state enterprise, adding that for an enterprise to qualify for a state enterprise, it must be capitalised to about $10

Glo 1 for West African ICT fair

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LOBACOM will be showcasing its 9,800km-long cable, the Glo 1, at the West African Information and Communications Technology Congress (WAFICIT) exhibition and conference, which begins today in Lagos.

Glo 1 is berthing at the fair as sole telecoms partner of WAFICIT in the cable sector.

According to the Head of Globacom’s Business Enterprise Department, Mr Folu Aderibigbe, Glo 1 is making an appearance at the first major telecoms show since it was launched in Nigeria earlier this year.

“Evidently, Glo 1 is the leader in its field and we are making that clear at this event. We wish to place the facility on stage in this specialised fair to give vendors, stakeholders and end users a ringside access to the potentials of the infrastructure,” he said.

He explained that the cable was developed to solve the backbone and broadband challenges of West Africa, and bring the sub-region at par with the developed nations in terms of speed and reliability.

NNPC faults AGF on unaudited accounts

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HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora tion (NNPC) has refuted the statement credited to the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Samuel Orkura, accusing the corporation of not having its account audited since inception.

Irked by the statement, the management of NNPC, our correspondent gathered, is planning to publish its au-

By Emeka Ugwuanyi and John Ofikhenua, Abuja

dited accounts in some national dailies to puncture the AGF’s remark about the corporation.

The AGF, Mr Orkura, who appeared before the House Committee on Public Accounts, told the legislators that the NNPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are

some of the government agencies and parastatals that have refused to submit their audited accounts to his office in accordance with the Constitution. He said the two agencies have never audited their accounts since they were established.

The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, in a reaction to the accusation, said the cor-

poration has been sending its audited accounts to the AGF’s office, noting specifically the corporation’s accounts 2000 to 2009.

Ajuonuma described Orkura’s statement as untrue.

Ajuonuma said: “The statement is totally different from verifiable official documents in the possession of the NNPC, the office of the Auditor-General of the Federa-

tion as well as the Public Accounts Committee of both the Senate and House of Representatives. I can confirm without mincing words that the NNPC as a responsible commercial entity with international connections has not only audited its accounts but have been sending the detailed financial reports to the Senate, House of Representatives and the office of the AGF.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

12

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-10-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 6 6

Quotation(N) 7.33

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 13,147 97,752.50 13,147 97,752.50

Quotation(N) 1.95 5.80

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 139,500 284,580.00 134,955 803,268.50 274,455 1,087,848.50

AIR SERVICES Company Name AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 5 18 23

AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 14 16

Quotation(N) 0.50 1.70

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 13,000 6,500.00 147,670 242,220.94 160,670 248,720.94

Quotation(N) 4.99 3.39 2.17 4.15 1.79 9.22 12.90 9.33 4.80 1.36 3.41 0.68 0.63 11.80

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 7,608,379 38,044,147.58 459,880 1,501,240.80 241,298 535,125.62 658,700 2,679,067.78 5,954,883 10,431,559.72 11,387,917 104,619,225.76 21,042,103 268,384,738.06 285,537 2,666,196.58 2,052,810 9,608,849.22 7,413,373 10,089,910.16 9,384,886 32,167,457.38 1,463,220 953,571.37 457,118 290,191.14 28,105,155 331,439,618.57 96,515,259 813,410,899.74

Quotation(N) 204.99 6.00 86.06 0.97

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 386,728 78,879,015.62 375,675 2,122,047.50 1,279,582 110,127,915.33 6,700 6,231.00 2,048,685 191,135,209.45

BANKING Company Name ACCESS BANK PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC GTBANK PLC STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC SKYE BANK PLC. STERLING BANK PLC UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 104 27 15 27 98 558 509 29 65 43 168 21 20 324 2,008 BREWERIES

Company Name GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC PREMIER BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 60 22 126 2 210

BUILDING MATERIALS Company Name ASHAKA CEMENT PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 33 13 22 21 89

Quotation(N) 13.50 5.90 100.00 40.01

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 389,746 5,343,218.52 207,417 1,187,659.89 781,388 76,525,429.06 124,663 4,859,188.37 1,503,214 87,915,495.84

CHEMICAL & PAINTS Company Name BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC DN MEYER PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 24 1 28

Quotation(N) 9.36 18.91 1.09

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 6,850 63,035.00 120,660 2,208,911.60 4,800 5,232.00 132,310 2,277,178.60

T

Stock market rallies as investors gain N64b

HE Nigerian stock market opened this week with a continuation of Friday’s bullish rally as a mix of gains by highly capitalised and low-priced stocks increased investors’ value by N64 billion. The market had gained N18 billion at the close of previous trading session.

Aggregate market capitalisation of all quoted equities rose from N6.298 trillion to N6.362 trillion, setting the market on a positive outlook . The All Share Index (ASI), the benchmark index at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), recovered to the 20,000 basis points at 20,071.36 points as against opening index of 19,869.85 points.

The congruence between aggregate market capitalisation and value index indicated that the increase in market capitalisation was driven by actual increases in prices of quoted shares. Increase in capitalisation might be due to new listing in some instances.

The uptrend yesterday was strengthened by gains within the top-30 stock

No of Deals 2 9 1 12

Quotation(N) 0.50 2.29 3.63

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-10-11 Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 18,000 9,000.00 298,660 675,975.00 200 690.00 316,860 685,665.00

COMPUTER & OFFICE EQUIPMENT Company Name NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. OMATEK VENTURES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 1 3

Quotation(N) 5.48 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 52,000 284,960.00 100 50.00 52,100 285,010.00

Quotation(N) 1.90 29.51 0.72 29.80 27.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 506 915.86 499,900 14,925,924.91 9,024,219 6,118,496.73 1,123,356 33,097,947.40 355,977 9,311,083.18 11,003,958 63,454,368.08

Quotation(N) 40.45 5.63

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,094,041 44,270,319.45 400 2,364.00 1,094,441 44,272,683.45

CONGLOMERATES Company Name A. G. LEVENTIS (NIGERIA) PLC PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC OF NIGERIA PLC UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 44 79 96 58 279

group and three of the four indexed sectors including banking, insurance and oil and gas sectors. The food and beverages sector closed on the negative.

Though the gains improved the year-to-date return at the Nigerian stock market, many analysts said the negative return of 18.97 per cent was still high enough to worry about.

Dangote Cement topped the gainers’ list with a gain of N4 to close at N100.

Oando followed with a gain of 70 kobo to close at N25.70.

Guaranty Trust Bank gained 30 kobo to close at N12.90.

NCR added 26 kobo to close at N5.48. International Breweries chalked up 24 kobo to close at N6, while Diamond Bank rose by 16 kobo to N3.39 per share.

Other top gainers were First City Monument Bank, which gained 15 kobo to close at N4.15; First Bank of Nigeria added 12 kobo to close at N9.22; Ikeja Hotel, with a gain of 11 kobo to close at N2.37, while Capital Hotel garnered 10 kobo

GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSU COMPANY PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. STACO INSURANCE PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 29 1 30

No of Deals 61 61

No of Deals 1 1 2

Quotation(N) 1.78 4.90

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 5,000 8,900.00 100 466.00 5,100 9,366.00

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC P. S. MANDRIDES PLC MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC NORTHERN NIGERIA FLOUR MILLS PLC TANTALIZERS PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 8 25 57 76 84 11 2 1 11 35 3 1 11 325

Quotation(N) 48.00 14.00 6.49 6.18 58.25 2.75 5.66 1.54 4.18 400.50 21.48 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 11,691 539,252.90 113,293 1,538,390.15 440,959 2,866,986.00 2,768,205 17,210,676.62 359,143 21,342,462.62 122,500 321,400.00 3,689 20,229.50 50,000 77,000.00 186,112 775,288.97 71,811 28,730,430.32 3,197 68,671.56 100 50.00 533,000 266,500.00 4,663,700 73,757,338.64

Quotation(N) 0.90 1.04 27.00 2.99 1.35

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 122,600 113,620.00 646,457 670,252.52 154,990 4,033,420.04 4,900 13,965.00 442,416 583,908.26 1,371,363 5,415,165.82

Quotation(N) 7.50 2.37

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 308,650 2,260,255.00 6,888,861 15,938,192.42 7,197,511 18,198,447.42

HEALTHCARE Company Name EVANS MEDICALPLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 10 15 1 16 46

0.57 1.21 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.43 0.50 0.50 0.50

400,000 10,050,000 100 97,223 110,350 25,100 40,100 157,500 153,169 86,846,079 500 2,500 171,000 100 159,212,492

228,000.00 12,009,401.34 50.00 48,611.50 55,175.00 12,550.00 20,050.00 78,750.00 76,584.50 43,423,039.50 680.00 1,250.00 85,500.00 50.00 123,341,481.45

Quotation(N) 0.75

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 2,743,204 2,095,087.28 2,743,204 2,095,087.28

MORTGAGE COMPANIES Company Name RESORT SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC Sector Totals

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name CUTIX PLC INTERLINKED TECHNOLOGIES PLC Sector Totals

3 7 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 28 1 2 2 1 104 MARITIME

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

CONSTRUCTION Company Name JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC ROADS NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

to close at N7.50 per share.

However, Julius Berger Nigeria topped the losers’ list with a drop of N2.12 to close at N40.45. PZ Cussons Nigeria lost N1.04 to close at N29.51. Ashaka Cement dropped by 50 kobo to close at N13.50. Dangote Sugar Refinery dropped by 32 kobo to close at N6.18. Flour Mills of Nigeria lost 25 kobo to close at N58.25, while United Bank for Africa dropped by 17 kobo to close at N3.41 per share.

Turnover stood at 293.53 million shares worth N1.49 billion in 3,646 deals. Market turnover was driven by transactions in the insurance sector which recorded a turnover of 159.21 million shares valued at N123.34 million in 104 deals.

Banking sector trailed with a turnover of 96.52 million shares valued at N813.41 million in 2,008 deals.

Niger Insurance was the most active stock with a turnover of 86.85 million shares valued at N43.42 million in 28 deals. Continental Reinsurance followed with a turnover of 59.1 million shares valued at N66.15 million in 14 deals.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

No of Deals 1 1

Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 200,000 100,000.00 200,000 100,000.00

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Company Name CRUSADER NIGERIA PLC. NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 1 1 4

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.87 0.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 10,500 5,250.00 1,000 880.00 500 250.00 12,000 6,380.00

Quotation(N) 1.90

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 212,525 390,667.16 212,525 390,667.16

PACKAGING Company Name NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 25 25

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name CONOIL PLC ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. FORTE OIL PLC MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. OANDO PLC TOTAL NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 21 6 24 11 143 10 215

Quotation(N) 35.00 4.57 9.12 140.00 25.70 200.00

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 82,054 2,728,295.50 51,160 222,546.00 240,468 2,213,544.61 72,085 9,590,805.00 1,515,225 38,482,593.73 10,366 1,969,540.00 1,971,358 55,207,324.84

PRINTING & PUBLISHING Company Name LONGMAN NIGERIA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 6 7

Quotation(N) 4.65 3.80

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 500 2,210.00 17,450 65,130.00 17,950 67,340.00

Quotation(N) 13.00

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 41,952 543,318.80 41,952 543,318.80

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name CAPITAL HOTEL PLC IKEJA HOTEL PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 15 52 67

REAL ESTATE Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 8 8

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 21 21

Quotation(N) 5.95

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 260,607 1,480,252.56 260,607 1,480,252.56

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Company Name CHAMS PLC IHS NIGERIA PLC STARCOMMS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1 4 6

Quotation(N) 0.50 2.66 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 12,000 6,000.00 10,000 25,300.00 2,013,100 1,006,550.00 2,035,100 1,037,850.00

Quotation(N) 0.57 1.10 0.50 2.23 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 801,421 460,366.11 59,096,200 66,146,418.00 223,000 111,500.00 38,150 83,505.50 1,000,000 500,000.00

ROAD TRANSPORTATION Company Name ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2

Company Name UNITED NIGERIAN TEXTILES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2

Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 38,940 20,248.80 38,940 20,248.80

Quotation(N) 0.97

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 6,326 6,389.26 6,326 6,389.26

TEXTILES

INSURANCE Company Name AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE CO. PLC. CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC GREAT NIGERIA INSURANCE COMPANY PLC

No of Deals 26 14 1 6 1

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Sector Totals Overall Totals

No of Deals 41 41

Quotation(N) 11.68

Quantity TradedValue of Shares (N) 425,496 4,898,823.77 425,496 4,898,823.77

3,641

293,530,723

1,491,446,313.90

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

13

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

TUESDAY, OCTOBERBER 18, 2011

15

ENERGY THE NATION

E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net

PHCN begins multi-billion naira network reinforcement in Eko T HE Eko Electricity Distribu tion Company of Power Hold ing Company of Nigeria (PHCN) said it is carrying out major reinforcement of power facilities within its network, which will cost the utility company billions of naira.

The Chief Executive Officer of Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Oladele Amoda, disclosed this at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos on the activities of the company and plans to improve and sustain power supply. He said the company in the last one year installed 350 numbers of 500kva transformers within the network and is processing the deployment of 150 transformers for relief substations, that is, overloaded transformers.

He said funds are available from the government to distribution companies to be able to replace obsolete and faulty meters in our system and we want to meter every customer that has paid to address complaints of over billing.

Besides, 27 major projects, which belong to the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), are also ongoing. The projects being undertaken by the NIPP, Amoda said, comprises installation of 32 numbers of 15mva transformers, construction of 33kv and 11kv lines as well as replacement of obsolete equipment from Badagry to Apapa, Ajegunle, Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and to Ibeju Lekki , among others. The projects will also cost the government several billions of naira. The NIPP projects are overseen by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).

Amoda said: “We have embarked on several reinforcement projects, construction of new 33kv and 11kv lines across the network. Rehabilitation of dilapidated lines within our network has been ongoing. We have changed some obsolete equipment such as 33kv and 11kv panels in various locations within our network, which have been limiting our ability to evacuate power. Some of the obsolete equipment has been there for between 30 and 40 years. We are doing a massive replacement of obsolete equipment.

“Between last year and now, we have deployed 350 distribution transformers and have been replacing faulty transformers. The government made available funds so that we will be able to replace obsolete and faulty meters in our system and we want to meter every customer that has paid to address complaints of over billing. From this month, we believe that when a customer pays, within two weeks, the customer will be metered.”

Amoda also noted that the company has embarked on massive deployment of prepaid meters as a result of the fund made available by the gov-

• Over 500 transformers injected

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

ernment. He said his month, the company would be installing 3,000 meters and by next month would increase on that figure and would continue the increment in subsequent months. He said the company’s focus is to ensure that from this month, when a customer pays for meter, the meter will be in place within four days.

He also noted that the company is deploying new technologies to improve its services to customers. For instance, it has deployed system control and data acquisition (SCADA) to automate its operation as well as statistical metering. These new technologies are meant to help address the company’s main prob-

lem, which is energy theft.

The Eko chief said the company current has in place the Geographical Information System (GIS) programme. The GIS, he said, enables him to determine from his office, the transformer that feeds a customer, therefore, no staff would be able to lie to him, whenever a customers complains about transformer.

To further serve the customer better, the company has introduced smart card metering and Eko is the only distribution company that operates. Besides, the distribution company operates a mobile injection substation, which is moved from one area to the other as an interventionist transformer. It is

• From left: Wole Oyetoran, Country Manager, PGS Exploration Nigeria Limited; Olusola Bakare, Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE); Dr. Femi Lalude, Managing Director, Petrodata Management Services and Chairman of session; Jide Ojo, NAPE President and Guest Speaker/ Chief Geophysicist PGS, Mr Paul Lecocq, at NAPE monthly technical forum sponsored by PGS Limited...in Lagos.

How to check oil reserves depletion, by geoscientists

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EOSCIENTISTS under the um brella of the Nigerian Asso ciation of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), have identified factors responsible for the country’s dwindling oil reserves and the need for the Federal Government to be continuously replacing it.

The Federal Government had aspired to attain 40 billion barrels of oil reserves by end of last year, but that was not actualised as the reserves currently hovers around 36 billion barrels.

• FID on Brass LNG for December

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

It was also leant that the Final Investment Decision (FID) on Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) located in Bayelsa State, which could have been taken in June but was postponed may hold at the end of the year.

The goescientists noted that lack of exploration, the shift of exploration from easy terrain to very diffi-

OIL PRICES OCT 6-OCT 13

Light Crude

Source: Rigzone.com

made handy for emergencies and as alternative during maintenance.

Amoda said the company does everything possible to align with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government. He said: “In achieving the transformation agenda of the Federal Government, we are re-orientating our workers to have a paradigm shift from how they used to carry out their operations and services to customers and also to come to terms with the realities of today. We want the workers to realise and treat customer as the king and imbibe the zero tolerance on corruption, such as demanding incentives from customers before they carry out their duties. He also urged customers not to induce PHCN staff, but pay their bills promptly.

“We want to reinforce safety

awareness for our workers whenever they are out there and for our customer. In our safety week, which holds this week, we will teach our workers and some customers the rudiments of safety, not get closer to our equipment or erect stalls under the high tension wires,” he said.

To recover the debt of N8 billion owed the distribution company, Amoda said the management is exploring ways of persuading the customers to pay their debts. Some of the ways include the customers’ parliament, which brings the management and the customers together to hear out each other and address the problems, the reintroduction of community development associations (CDAs), town hall meetings and customer consultative council (CCC) meeting at business unit levels. The foram would afford customers easy access to the management, and be able to make their complaints and have their problems solved without delay.

Brent Crude

cult ones, need for new technology to access these difficult provinces, need for right incentives to ginger operators to go searching for oil and right environment, as some of the impediments that cause drop in the country’s oil reserves.

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, had a two years ago said the country oil reserves was declining and had dropped by about a billion barrels under a year and ever since no major replacement has been done. Besides, in view of the contentious provisions in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), oil companies have been very reluctant in carrying out exploration activities, which is the only way to find new oil. The situation currently shows that Nigeria has continued tap from the existing reserves without replacement since the past two years.

At a parley in Lagos last week where the officials of NAPE announced the activities planned for its pre-conference workshop in Lagos annual conference in Abuja, the concerns over non-replacement of Nigeria’s reserves crept up.

Commenting on the issue, the President of NAPE, Mr Jide Ojo, said: “The DPR director gave some numbers as to what our reserves are as a nation sometimes ago and he did make a bold statement that the reserves are dwindling. As the President of NAPE, I can say that the Director of DPR is well within the rank to quote those numbers because he is the custodian of the statistics and he can actually go beyond that and make statements on why the reserves are dwindling and who is not doing what and who should be doing what.

“We, as professionals, adopt a slightly different position on that.

What we know and what you can also confirm is that we are not drilling as many exploration wells as we should be drilling. That means we probably are not finding as much reserves as we could be finding. That is a fact and what we need is to find out why the exploration wells are not being drilled. The reasons are not far-fetched. It has to do with the fact that the operators are looking for incentives to drill the exploration wells.

“There are times the operators tend • Continued on page 16

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

ENERGY Libya oil output to hit 1m bpd soon

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RODUCTION from a Libyan oil field will restart within days and the country should be able to pump one million barrels per day (bpd) within a year, the interim oil and finance minister said.

In an interview with Reuters, Ali Tarhouni said he had received a phone call the previous evening saying the huge El Sharara oil field operated by Spanish firm Repsol was ready to restart and he expected it to resume pumping within days. It produces 200,000 bpd.

“Within less than a year we will be up to one million barrels. I am very confident of that,” Tarhouni said.

Libya is struggling to resume oil production, which forms the overwhelming bulk of its economy but was largely halted for the past eight months by its civil war. The country produced about 1.8 million bpd during peace time.

The oil minister said current pro-

• An oil rig

Pan Ocean awards multi-billion naira contract to Fenog P AN Ocean Oil Corporation (POOC), has awarded a multibillion naira contract for the construction of a 67-kilometre Amukpe-Escravos pipeline project (AEPP) to Fenog Nigeria Limited.

The award of the contract, according to the company, which is an indigenous company, is propelled by the need to encourage alternative field production potential of exploration and production companies and infrastructure development for the country.

Pan Ocean, the operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/Pan Ocean Joint Venture, said the contract which involves installation of 20" pipeline across the 67 kilometres route, would have capacity to handle 160,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) with remote manifolds to accommodate third parties’ crude oil evacuation to the Escravos.

Commenting on the project, the Chairman and Managing Director of Pan Ocean, Dr. Festus Fadeyi, said: “We admire and appreciate the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for signing of the Nigerian Content Bill into law. The law has become a catalyst for local capacity development and the Amukpe-Escravos Pipeline project reflects Pan Ocean’s contribution to developing indigenous capacity as required by the Nigerian Content Law. “By awarding the AmukpeEscravos Pipeline Project to Fenog Nigeria Limited, we have demonstrated our desire for increased participation of Nigerian companies in the oil and gas sector. Fenog is a Nigerian company with local manpower. This contract, therefore, is expected to serve as a means for

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

local capacity development in keeping with the provisions of the law.

“The contract with Fenog further reflects Pan Ocean’s drive towards developing the Nigerian oil and gas sector as it will contribute significantly towards increasing Nigeria’s overall crude export.”

The Pan Ocean chief noted that upon completion of the project in 2013, the company hopes to significantly contribute to increasing Nigeria’s crude exports with its attendant impact on revenues both for the government and other stakeholders. This pipeline will offer the other operators within that region the opportunity to increase their crude evacuation capabilities, he added.

He also said the contract was awarded after a rigorous and intense bidding process. “We have a high regard for the laws which govern contract award and operations in the oil and gas industry. Hence, Fenog was chosen on the basis of merit and in compliance with the due process regulations of NNPCNAPIMS, NCDMB, NIPEX and DPR,” he stated.

He said: “We are particularly pleased with the support of our joint venture partner, the NNPC for working with us to conclude the contracting process in a speedy and efficient manner. The contribution and support of Chevron Nigeria Limited in facilitating the right of way is also acknowledged.”

The Executive Director of Fenog

Nigeria Limited, Mr Matthew Tonlagha, thanked Pan Ocean for the opportunity given to the company. He said Fenog will deliver the project on expectation to justify Pan Ocean’s confidence as well as underscore the call for increased patronage of indigenous companies by players in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

Fenog agreed with Pan Ocean to deploy the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) technology for installation of the pipeline, given its advantage over the conventional open trench method. The HDD equipment will install the pipeline between six metres and 45 metres below the ground. At this depth the pipeline will be secured from most external interference, including vandalism.

Other benefits include the fact that with HDD, engineering and construction time is reduced; since it does not require the robust buoyancy calculations, concrete coating/curing, and affords the construction team a site that is almost independent of weather conditions. It is noteworthy that Pan Ocean’s choice of HDD installation method for this pipeline will further promote the Nigerian Content requirements because technology transfer is guaranteed. He added that this is the first time in the world that continuous HDD will be used for pipeline installation up to 67 kilometres.

Construction work is expected to commence by the fourth quarter of 2011 and the project is scheduled for commissioning by the first quarter of 2013.

NAPE denies oil discovery in Kwara

T

HE Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) has dismissed the reportedly discovered crude oil in Kwara State as unsubstantiated as the elements that show the presence of hydrocarbon are lacking in the area where the state government claimed to have found oil.

The association dissociated itself from such discovery, noting that a farmer cannot find oil because a farmer deals with the surface while oil exists thousands of feet under the ground and where oil can seep to the surface, some conditions must be present, which do not apply in the case of Ara-Orin, the area of Kwara State where the oil was reportedly found.

Commenting on the issue, the President of NAPE, Mr Jide Ojo, said: “People make political state-

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

ment for good reasons sometimes but I would like to say that that finding has not been substantiated.

A farmer cannot tell you he found oil because the farmer’s business is on the surface while oil comes from thousands of feet below.

Sometimes you do hear that oil seep into surface but the conditions have to be appropriate for that to happen. But it is not like you can find a commercial accumulation of oil on the surface. I can say that that comment and discovery has not been substantiated.”

The President-elect, NAPE, Mr Mayowa Afe, said he doesn’t believe the governor made the announcement because there has not been any further information on the discovery. He also noted that the

Department of Geology, which is a corporate member of NAPE, said there is no characteristic to show that oil exists there.

His words: “When the news broke, our comment was that the governor was misquoted and we want to give the governor the benefit of doubt that he never made such statement because we have people at the Department of Geology, University of Ilorin, Kwara State who have shown that seismic work around the area debunks the claim.

Besides, there are conditions for the generation of hydrocarbon. There is the petroleum system, none of these is complete in Ara-Orin.

I’m not sure the governor actually made that statement and since then there has not been any official reaction and further comment on the fact they have gotten oil.

duction was at 400,000 bpd and the rapid recovery was owed to the bravery and skill of Libyan workers, some of whom had given their lives to protect and repair the oil fields. “We have a lot of patriots,” the minister said.

The minister promised to scrutinise all oil deals agreed during the rule of deposed leader Muammar Qaddafi and would publish evidence of corruption, including documents.

“One of the things I promise, is that we will practice transparency, not talk about it,” Tarhouni said.

Industry sources have long anticipated an investigation of oil deals by the new rulers in Libya, which may lead to a reallocation of some contracts to reward countries which supported the uprising against Qaddafi.

Foreign players account for almost half a million bpd of oil output in Libya and imported 1.3 million bpd of crude before the war.

Slowing global oil demand growth evident, says Fitch

D

ESPITE this month’s recov ery in crude oil markets, ap parently driven by rising hopes for a plan to address the European debt crisis, Fitch Ratings sees the potential for global demand conditions to soften further over coming weeks as concerns over the outlook for the global economy mount.

Signs of a slowdown in energy demand growth have been apparent since mid-summer and have been confirmed in data releases from various sources last week, Fitch Ratings said.

The ratings firm said the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its monthly report on world energy market conditions, revised down its 2011 world demand forecast by 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) and cut its 2012 expected demand figure by 210,000 bpd to 90.5 million bpd.

Risks of further revisions are skewed to the downside given the potential for a double-dip recession in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies.

While weak demand in the de-

veloped economies has been factored into traders- expectations for months, Fitch believes the more significant development this fall is a slowing growth rate in emerging market energy demand. Chinese demand in particular appears vulnerable to increasing weakness as imported energy needs decline relative to previous forecasts.

Trade figures released by the Chinese government last week indicated that September oil import volumes declined by 12 percent year over year, as export demand growth slowed compared with August.

Fitch views a more dramatic pull-back in emerging market oil demand as the biggest risk factor for world oil prices moving into 2012. Weakening demand in the developed economies for exports from China and other emerging markets could erode imported oil demand further over the next few months. Fitch has noted that in one hypothetical scenario involving a slowdown in Chinese GDP growth to less than five percent crude oil prices could drop by 20 percent.

How to check oil reserves depletion, by geoscientists • Continued from page 15 to get discouraged by inconsistency of government’s policies. The operators are looking for an enabling environment, they are looking for remuneration that will support their effort, they are looking for returns on their investments. There are some fairly complex linkages and we have to be careful how we jump to conclusion. The reserves are probably there in the ground, we just need to encourage the operators to go for it.

The operators spend so many millions of dollars doing their exploration wells; they need to have the assurance that they have to get returns on their investment.

The President-elect of NAPE, Mr Mayowa Afe, commenting on the declining reserves, said it is something that everybody needs to get worried about because we need to add more reserves. However, he noted that the association’s conference this year will focus on the issue completely.

He said: “We are talking on perspectives of hydrocarbon reserves. As a nation if we are depleting our reserves we must look for more oil and not sit down and continue depleting the ones we have. There must be a conscious effort to also add more reserves to what the country has. And that will guarantee more future. Like we said earlier, we will demand for

alternative energy but that will not come immediately. There will be more demand for oil so there is need for us as a nation to continue to add more to the reserves that we have.”

The Publicity Secretary of NAPE, Mr. Olusola Bakare, said because nothing lasts forever including oil, therefore, as a nation, we should know that nothing lasts forever. Oil will not continue forever. I’m not saying we are running out of oil already but should bear in mind that oil should not continue forever.

He said that other reasons for dwindling reserves include shift in exploration environment. “When oil exploration started, we had terrain that is not difficult to explore but currently we are way beyond that, it is more difficult to find oil and more difficult to drill to the depth where oil and gas can be found. Currently, we have hydrocarbons in the regions of high temperature high pressure (HTHP), and we need specific drilling and exploration technology to be able to drill that.

That is why the incentives the operators are expecting are very pertinent.

Because the incentives that are needed to be able to drill this very high demanding environment and tap hydrocarbon is quite different from what it used to be because before we drill in normal temperature normal pressure.

Not all the rigs have the capacity to drill this kind of wells,” he noted.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

17

ENERGY Prof Kayode Soremekun is the Dean, College of Development Studies and Head, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Covenant University, Sango Otta, Ogun State. A professor of Political Science with specialisation in Oil Diplomacy and Energy Politics, he spoke with JOKE KUJENYA on the oil subsidy, its consequences and other issues.

‘Nigeria lacks capacity to create value from petroleum’

G

OVERNMENT wants to stop oil subsidy, could you shed some light on this concept?

The concept of oil subsidy derives from a situation in which Nigeria sends her crude oil to other countries for refining. Nigeria has been unable to process her crude oil and sends it to foreign countries, which have the strength, the refining capacities and facilities to process the crude into refined products, after which we now import same back into our country. By the time the crude is coming back to us in refined form, a lot of value would have been added to it. And to that extent, it is bound to cost a lot. However, in the bid to ease the pains of the populace, so to say, the government decides to shoulder some of the burdens. That is what is called oil subsidy.

In other words, the subsidy essentially originates from the government’s inability to process the crude oil within. Besides, Nigeria is the only OPEC member country that sends her crude oil abroad for processing and then imports same. So, you can imagine the absurdity of the concept. In a normal situation, the Nigerian government should be ashamed of herself for even talking of subsidy at all, because as I speak, Nigeria is about the only country that lacks the capacity to refine her products.

In the case of Venezuela for instance, that country has made so much progress that she not only refines the crude oil, but also owns petrol and gas stations across the United States of America (USA).

Venezuela earns as much from her crude oil as she earns from the refined products.

Nigeria’s former Information Minister had in chat told Venezuelan Ambassador to Nigeria that Venezuela should come and invest in Nigeria with her refineries and the likes, but diplomat told the woman that Nigerians should rather learn to invest in Nigeria not Venezuelans coming to invest in Nigeria. So, when the government talks of oil subsidy, and the removal of oil subsidy, she is actually showcasing to the rest of the world, the bankruptcy of the Nigerian political class. As far as 1968-69, when the duo of Obafemi Awolowo and Abdulazeez Attah were running the Ministry of Finance as Minister for Finance and Permanent Secretary, respectively, they evolved a document through which Nigeria could have run a viable oil industry. That document was ignored. So when they talk about removal of fuel subsidy, they are indirectly to the kind of oil policy in place in Nigeria in the past.

The multinationals produce the oil, take it abroad, process it and sells same to us. You can imagine the thoughtlessness which goes into governments. Early this year, I was invited by one of the multinationals to its headquarters in Europe and they showed me round their facilities and all the intellectual processes that go into their oil industry. They also showed me how they bring back our own oil to us. I was even surprised at their audacity to invite me as a Nigerian and explain such to me. Indirectly, what they were saying that the way Nigeria’s oil industry is being run, nothing will happen by way of information and transformation.

In fact, the joke in other parts of the world is that, the smallest tanker that leaves Nigeria with crude oil, when processed into products, the money earned from that particular consignment can pay all the salaries

of those working in Agip Nigeria for one year. So, you can begin to appreciate the loss in oil subsidy.

And it is a pity that this country is being run this way. What it simply means is that at the end of the day, Nigeria lacks the capacity to add value to our primary products. And we are talking of an oil industry that has existed since 1958. Our oil was discovered first in 1956; it was then found in commercial quantities later in 1958. And this means that from 1958 till date, Nigeria has failed to show that she has the capacity to add value to our primary resource. Ideally therefore, those who claim to be running this country should cover their faces in shame.

But rather than be ashamed, they can’t even understand the intellectual underpinnings which go into the oil industry and this is really very painful. In a way, I guess what Nigerian is trying to do by oil subsidy removal is a desecration of the memories of OPEC’s founding fathers. I must say that oil subsidy in short, simply means, import-inspired deregulation in an oil-producing country.

What would be the implication of subsidy removal?

The implication is that oil would now be sold at going market rates.

So, anytime the dollar goes up, the price of oil goes up. Now, you might be tempted to think that there is nothing wrong with the removal fundamentally. But, it becomes nonsense and something of an idiocy in an oilproducing country. If subsidy is removed in countries, such as Kenya and Tanzania, which don’t produce oil, there would have been no problems, but Nigeria produces the oil.

She owns the product. So, removing the subsidy is like trying to slap God in the face that after giving us this rich natural resource; let’s still visit hardship on the Nigerian populace.

I know of a particular governor, who goes to watch Chelsea every time the team has a match with his retinue of aides. And the governor still goes to hire bodyguards to accompany him and yet, he is still clamouring for oil subsidy removal.

The political class is the one feasting on this oil subsidy removal.

Looking at the oil subsidy from the era of General Ibrahim Babangida days, how do you situate the boom and free cash flow during his era?

If you would recall the general trend of the Ibrahim Babangida days when corruption was elevated to the level of both science and arts, then, you can then imagine what has happened to the money in circulation.

Incidentally, there’s an interesting profile in the man, Babangida in a book written by Carl Mier entitled: ‘This house has fallen’; so to that extent, the subsidy removal or proceeds from the subsidy removal which would have gone into helping the populace, putting in place basic infrastructure, simply disappeared as usual. And as we speak, there is nothing to suggest that such a thing will not happen again. In fact, fundamentally speaking, and viewing the issues in terms of an oil-producing country as Nigeria, there should be really nothing like subsidy. Because, if we get the crude oil at minimal cost, feed them into our refineries here and get out the gasoline, then, it would not cost us much at all. But, unfortunately, despite the distortions and malformation, which characterise our oil industry, we ought to come in terms with oil subsidy removal, which can be seen as fulfilment of prophecy.

I say that because in the twilight of

colonial rule, there was a political party which was formed in Lagos called Egbe K’oyinbo Malo (That is, A group asking the whites not to leave Nigeria). And the argument then, which sounded rather absurd, was that if the white man should go, the black political elite would visit hardship on the populace. And today, we are seeing their fears happening. If tomorrow, there is a free and fair election, I think the majority of Nigerians might vote for the colonialists to come back given the thoughtlessness and bankruptcy with which we do oil policy in Nigeria. And this is not just about oil policy, every other area of our public policy is afflicted by the same spate of bankruptcy of poor leadership.

This is precisely the same thing that has happened to the steel industry in Nigeria. Today, Nigeria has no steel industry the same way we don’t have a viable oil industry. And yet, they are talking of a growing economy. How can our economy grow when the pillars of a viable economy are not there?

Every car you see on the road and park is imported because we don’t have authentic steel and oil industry. If we have a viable steel industry alone, all the cars made of steel and made in Nigeria will be out there. Same will be the case with an authentic oil industry, all the cars made of plastics, courtesy of petrochemicals, made in Nigeria, will be all over the place. But no, we import everything. And any country with these two viable industries will not need to import anything from anywhere in the world. Instead, the economy is at present structured in such a way that we sell crude oil to Shell, they give us money and then, we use the same money to buy all kinds of products from the rest of the world, including rice.

So, basically, I wouldn’t know precisely how the Babangida’s era money frizzled out, but there is nothing on ground to show for it apart from his mansion and the opulence of his aides.

There was the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), an agency set up during the late General Sani Abacha regime and headed by former General Muhammadu Buhari. Can you explain the relevance of PTF in the light of oil subsidy, its removal or not?

My understanding of the PTF is that, it was more of a sectional thing in which proceeds of the PTF were used to develop a lot of structures in the north. And that in itself is ironic because you get the oil from one part of the country, you use a man like Buhari to head it, and in the process, he simply funnelled all the resources up north. And to that extent, it was like a kind of lopsided development project. So, I wouldn’t really describe that as any kind of subsidy.

Why are we still importing fuel?

That in itself, is a shame and quite a disgrace. And those who should be ashamed about this, they are not.

Instead, want to go to the Security Council and this, in itself, is rather ironic in the sense that a country with the largest number of security votes is unraveling in the contest of insecurity. I hope you can see the dismal contrast. Security votes of astronomical proportions against insecurity of similar proportions, you would agree, it is really a pitiful situation.

So, why do you think it has been difficult for Nigeria to make our three refineries operational?

You have to appreciate the fact that

though we have about three refineries, initially, and in particular, the refinery in Port Harcourt, it was not built by Nigeria. It was built by the then hegemonic company, Shell BP. And after some time, the government took it over from them. And since then, the Nigerian factor settled in and tons and tons of money have gone into it and yet, the refineries work at minimal capacity; which in itself is something peculiar to Nigeria because refineries technology as we speak, is not rocket science. It is now standard technology. And as regards the Kaduna refinery for instance, the point is that, there is nothing as terrible as under-development. Kaduna refinery was structured to process heavy crude whereas, Nigeria does not have or process heavy crude. So, Nigeria has to indulge in what we call swop-arrangement with Venezuela whereby we exchange our light crude for Venezuelan heavy crude. In the first instance, how and why should we have built a refinery that was to process heavy crude when we only possess light crude?

Are you implying that our crude oil is light from source or after some refining?

Of course, what we have is Bonny Light from source. And God has been so kind to Nigeria in that even in the grades of oil, He gave us what is called Sweet Bonny Light as crude oil which would require minimal efforts to process unlike the heavy crude.

But despite that natural endowment, even among the other oil producing countries, we still go ahead to indulge in exporting this crude.

Those fellows over there will just be laughing at us wondering how can a country with so much oil be so languishing? So, the subsidy argument is a bankrupt. It is like they are trying to, as it were, reframe and redefine the debate along their own line.

And it is time Nigerians knew about the kind of nonsense going on.

And as for the Warri refinery, which we often regard as the third, it is not working as well because, though I am not very sure about this, but it is like a spill-over from the Shell BP Port Harcourt refinery. But the point is that it suffers the same kind of affliction like the others that are not working because they have not been structured to work by some status quo forces.

Was it that none of these refineries ever worked at all for the benefit of the country?

Well, there was a time that they had optimum performance. But after some time, they just refused to work because if they work, how would the beneficiaries then export crude oil and process same. So, the situation is like what we have with the PHCN, if our power sector should work tomorrow, some people will be out of business.

Where then do we go from this point in terms of a workable solution?

A workable solution is to have a viable oil industry in place and to revive our steel sector, as well. And this is something we can easily embark upon if we all, as Nigerians, are honest. Other countries, Norway through Statoil of Malaysia through Petronas of Venezuela have been

• Soremekun

able to do this. And out there, the technology is standard, it is not esoteric at all. But the point is that, if the Nigerian oil industry should work in the way it should, then, there would be losers. It’s like PHCN working and the Generator Mafias and unscrupulous officials at the PHCN would be out of business. So, it is just sad that in every decadence in Nigeria, there are beneficiaries.

And sadly, President Goodluck Jonathan is not addressing this problem but rather talking about oneterm tenure elongation for the presidency. So, what we are seeing is a clear case of broken promises. It is just very painful that what rightly belongs to us is taken outside, sold out at a cheaper rate and then, resold to us at an higher rate That’s just so absurd. Now, if we refine our crude by ourselves, distribute the various products we will get from the refined crude into various sectors of the Nigerian economy, sell and keep our gains within our country, you just do the mental calculation of the gains that will stay within the country. And that’s the same problem that has caused the kerosene scarcity.

Now, there are two phases to the oil industry –the upstream and the downstream. The upstream is where you have the crude oil in its absolute state and concentration.

The downstream is where you have the spread of filling stations and all other outlets. Yet, there is more to that. When the crude is fully refined, from it, we get kerosene, naphtha –and this can still be refuelled to get more petrol; and from that point, we move into getting chemicals from which they get materials to produce plastics, and then, we go into getting petroChemicals; which is at the point we get materials to make cars, especially, the type from Korea. And if notice, most vehicles are not so made from steel again. And this is why we not only need to revamp our oil industry, but the steel industry must equally be brought back hence, we are not ready yet.

With just one tanker of crude oil taken out of the country and processed into all the life-enhancing materials I mentioned, then, and only then, can Nigeria be on her way to self discovery

‘During Babangida regime the subsidy removal or proceeds from the subsidy removal which would have gone into helping the populace, putting in place basic infrastructure, simply disappeared as usual. And as we speak, there is nothing to suggest that such a thing will not happen again’

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

18

ENERGY

‘We’ll soon deliver Alausa power project’

H

AVING successfully com pleted and operated the Is land power plant, the Lagos State government is set to replicate similar project within the Alausa/ Secretariat axis to further boost electricity supply in the state.

The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Taofik Tijani, disclosed this in an interview with The Nation.

Tijani said his ministry was given the mandate to deliver the captive power plant to enhance commercial and business activities in the axis and environs.

He noted that prior to the creation of his ministry; the ministry of infrastructure was saddled with this responsibility and as such delivered the Island power project and other power projects for the state.

“Before we came on board, the power projects executed in the state were handled by the ministry of infrastructure. The Island power project, for instance, was implemented by that ministry. Even the power project for the Lagos water corporation was part of their work programmes.

“But when we came on, the governor in his wisdom felt our ministry should be in charge of power projects and so mandated us to deliver on all power projects in the

By Bidemi Bakare

state. On arrival one of the projects we met on ground was the Alausa power project, which we were tasked to successfully implement,” he said.

He stated that the ministry has so far made progress in the development of the power project by its attraction of an investor to execute the project on a private-public partnership basis.

He said: “We are moving steadily on the delivery of the Alausa power project as we have concluded the development plan for the project.

Right now, I can confidently tell you that we have an investor that is ready and willing to execute the project on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis. And within a short time we are going to conclude negotiations on the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

So, all things being equal, by this time next year, we should be having the power plant in Alausa ready. The ministry is leaving no stone unturned to make this a reality.”

He added that the Lagos State Electricity Board being a part of the ministry has been reactivated to meet up with this huge challenge.

“Before now, the electricity board created a long time ago was mori-

• A transmission facility

bund and nonfunctional. But with the new ministry of energy in place, we have been able to inject live into the board by appointing a professional to head the board.

We believed that doing so would aid the agency to perform its functions effectively. One of such functions of the board is playing a pivotal role in the execution of power projects in the state. The board is

Akwa Ibom communities end feud

A

FTER several years of feud and litigation, some com munities in oil-bearing parts of Oron, Akwa Ibom, have resolved their dispute.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the two rival groups in the area - Oron Public Relations Committee (OPRC) and Oron Petroleum and Environment Committee (OPEC) - have also been collapsed into one committee that would liaise with oil companies and government agencies on community issues.

The Chairman of Oron Nation Oil and Environment Committee (ONOEC), the new central committee for the communities, Chief Etim Antai, made this known on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Oron.

Antai said that the communities

• Float oil committee had resolved to work together in their dealings with oil companies operating in the area, adding that members of ONOEC, which has negotiation, project implementation and monitoring sub-committees, were drawn from the defunct rival groups.

“An Oron high court presided by Justice Archibong E. Archibong has declared ONOEC as the only body authorised to represent and negotiate on behalf of Oron communities on all issues.

“The communities are in Oron, Okobo, Mbo, Idung Uko and Urue Offong/Oruku Local Government Areas; ONOEC has the mandate to discuss, on behalf of these communities, all development mat-

ters for the benefit of all Oron people.”

Antai recalled that Oron Union, the apex socio-cultural organisation in the area, played a mediatory role after the court judgment and reconciled the feuding parties.

He noted that the restructuring of the rival committees and factions in the area into one grouping would also make it easier for oil firms to deal with the host communities.

He said the new committee had already articulated the needs of the people, in readiness for a dialogue with the oil firms.

Antai, however, called on the oil companies to co-operate with the committee in efforts to attract development to the coastal communities in Oron.

OPEC scribe calls for effective Libyan oil ministry

T

HE head of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Abdullah el-Badri, has urged Libya to set up an effective oil ministry as soon as possible to properly oversee the country’s fractious core petroleum industry.

According to Upstreamonline report, el-Badri, secretary-general

of OPEC, disclosed that to Reuters as Libya persists with a de facto oil minister but little in the way of regulation for its National Oil Corporation.

“They should have a ministry. If you have a contract with the NOC, you need someone independent to supervise it,” el-Badri, who himself used to be Libya’s oil minister,

told Reuters.

Libya used to have an oil ministry before scrapping it. At one stage former NOC chairman Shokri Ghanem held the ministerial post but reverted to just the position at NOC before defecting from the regime of Muammar Gaddafi earlier this year as the Arab spring swept across the country.

to engage the private investor and ensure that the project is delivered within the stipulated time.

Not only that the board is also the one to handle the lighting of streets and this explains why the board has been visible in the area of street lighting. It has been active in the installation of street lamps for clear visibility at nights.

Now with the effort of the board it is almost not impossible to see every streets being lighted at nights in the state, he said.”

Tijani further said the ministry is looking at human capacity development as it believes it is key to the successful implementation of its various energy projects, includ-

Ugandan minister to resign on graft charges in oil

U

GANDA’s Internal Affairs Minister Hilary Onek said Friday that he would resign to pave the way for a smooth investigation into graft allegations in the oil sector during his tenure as the energy and minerals minister.

According to Dow Jones Newswires report, during a stormy parliamentary debate last week, lawmakers called for the resignation of Hilary Onek, who was in charge of the energy and minerals ministry when what lawmaker Gerald Karuhanga described as “dubious” payments were allegedly made to several Ugandan officials, including the current prime minister, Amama Mbabazi and former foreign affairs minister, Sam Kutesa.

“I will step aside as soon as parliamentary adhoc committee starts investigations,” he told Dow Jones Newswires.

Energy prices

Domestic prices of petroleum products

Energy & Oil Prices OIL ($/bbl)

Companies

PMS

AGO

DPK

Conoil

65.00

160.00

140.00

AP

65.00

160.00

140.00

Total

65.00

160.00

140.00

Oando

65.00

160.00

140.00

Mobil

65.00

160.00

140.00

Texaco

65.00

160.00

140.00

82.98 105.87 82.98

0.39 -0.03 0.39

0.47% -0.02% 0.47%

10/07 10/07 10/07

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Nymex Heating Oil Future 285.88 Nymex RBOB Gasoline Future 264.76 NATURAL GAS ($/MMBtu)

-0.23 -3.84

-0.08% -1.43%

10/07 10/07

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Nymex Henry Hub Future 3.48 Henry Hub Spot 3.40 New York City Gate Spot 3.49 ELECTRICITY ($/megawatt hour)

-0.12 -0.09 -0.14

-3.25% -2.58% -3.86%

10/07 10/07 10/07

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME

INDIGENOUS Energy

65.00

160.00

140.00

Fagbems

65.00

160.00

140.00

Nipco

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

65.00

160.00

140.00

Mid-Columbia, firm on-peak, spot 24.66 0.85 Palo Verde, firm on-peak, spot 33.33 BLOOMBERG, FIRM ON-PEAK, DAY HOUSTON 39.00 • Bloomberg Oil Buyers Guide

ing power.

“It is, unfortunate that some of the staff we inherited in the ministry, though willing to work, but I must confess they are not moving at the speed which I would have preferred. So, for them to go along with me accordingly, there is the need to bridge the gap in capacity.

They will require adequate training and retraining if they are to be attuned with the demands of their jobs. In this regard, the ministry has been doing its best to make this training possible so that they can contribute efficiently and effectively to the realization of the dreams and targets of the ministry and the state as a whole, he said.”

3.57%

10/07

1.69 5.34% AHEAD SPOT/ERCOT 1.22 3.23%

10/07 10/07

Onek was energy minister at the time London-listed Heritage Oil sold its 50 percent stake in two oil blocks to Tullow Oil for $1.45 billion. Uganda and Heritage remain embroiled in a dispute over the $404 million the Ugandan tax body assessed on the transaction.Gerald Karuhanga, a ruling party lawmaker, presented a number of documents in parliament last week alleging that Tullow had bribed several Ugandan ministers with up to $25 million to sway some key decisions regarding its operations in the country in its favour. Tullow and the accused ministers dismissed the allegations.

“Tullow Oil totally rejects the outrageous and wholly defamatory accusations of corruption made against the company in the Ugandan Parliament,” the company said in a statement last week.

Uganda’s Daily Monitor newspaper quoted Karuhanga as saying Friday that he had received death threats from unknown people following his revelations.

Kutesa, who is already facing separate corruption charges related to the misappropriation of funds meant for the 2007 Heads of Government Summit, resigned his position last week.

However, Mbabazi told reporters he won’t resign because the allegations are not true.

Graft allegations enraged the law makers who voted on a motion to slap a moratorium on the execution of any new oil deals, including Tullow’s $2.9 billion sale of two thirds of its interests in the country to France’s Total and China’s CNOOC. The development leaves the key deal in balance as Uganda awaits the commencement of up to $10 billion oil development projects in the oil rich Lake Albertine rift, where at least 20 oil fields have been discovered so far in three oil blocks.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

A welcome idea, but ...

FG’S job initiative is good; but there are other issues to address to make it succeed

A

strong nexus has been established between the high rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria and most of the problems that threaten the country’s security and stability. These include the incidence of violent crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, assassinations, political banditry, communal upheavals and dysfunctional religious extremism. The plague of joblessness also compounds those social vices such as prostitution, drug trafficking and addiction, as well as other forms of delinquency that weaken the moral fabric of society.

Apart from this, an underdeveloped country like ours where there is so much work to be done in diverse sectors shoots itself on the foot when it fails to generate enough jobs to engage the talents and energies of a significant percentage of its teeming youth.

‘As commendable as this initiative is, however, it can still in the final analysis be only a tiny drop in the vast ocean of unemployment in Nigeria. This is because it does not address the root cause of the unemployment challenge which is the severe infrastructure deficit responsible for the hostile economic environment that has led to massive deindustrialisation’

This is why we welcome and commend the new initiative by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to tackle the problem of youth unemployment in the country.

On October 11, the President flagged off the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin), a programme conceived to create between 80,000 and 110,000 new jobs over the next four years. Describing this as one of the steps towards fulfilling his campaign promise to create jobs, the President said a seed fund of N50 billion had been set aside in the 2011 budget for this purpose.

The YouWin initiative is a PublicPrivate-Partnership project that is expected to empower at least 6,000 youth entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 35 drawn from the universities, polytechnics, technical colleges and other post-secondary institutions, to create new businesses or expand existing ones. Those with bright business ideas will be chosen through a competitive process and helped to source the requisite capital to actualise their plans and become employers of labour.

This job creation model has the potential of stimulating business creativity and developing new entrepreneurial talents. Another notable feature of the initiative is that apart from helping to convert good ideas into sustainable businesses, it will train those with not-so-good ideas to improve on their concepts and ultimately become successful entrepreneurs.

Now, how will this worthy ideal be translated into reality? How will the integrity of the competitive bidding

process be maintained and protected?

How will government ensure that like many other well conceived projects that failed, this initiative is not crippled by corruption, nepotism, political partisanship and other sentimental considerations? The challenge is thus to put in place a rigorous implementation process that places premium on transparency and accountability.

As commendable as this initiative is, however, it can still in the final analysis be only a tiny drop in the vast ocean of unemployment in Nigeria. This is because it does not address the root cause of the unemployment challenge which is the severe infrastructure deficit responsible for the hostile economic environment that has led to massive deindustrialisation. The new businesses to be created through the YouWin initiative will still have to operate in an environment characterised by epileptic power supply, poor transportation and endemic insecurity.

If well established businesses are only managing to survive with many, including multinationals, forced to either close down completely or relocate from Nigeria, what are the prospects for the survival of new ones? Again, if the government goes ahead with the planned removal of the contentious fuel subsidy, will the inevitable inflationary spirals not further erode the purchasing power of consumers with negative consequences for businesses? It is important that government’s economic initiatives are undertaken within a holistic framework that helps to avoid counter-productive contradictions.

Honour well deserved •Cape Verde’s ex-president wins Mo Ibrahim prize for leadership OME November 12, former President Pedro Verona Pires of Cape Verde will step forward in Tunis, the Tunisian capital, to receive this year’s Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. This is a befitting tribute to the former leader who retired as president last month, after serving two terms. The prize is supposed to be awarded each year to a democratically elected leader who has voluntarily left office. Pires follows Joaquim Chissano (2007) and Festus Mogae, (2008) as Ibrahim laureates. Nelson Mandela was made the honorary inaugural laureate in 2007. However, in 2009 and 2010 the prize committee, after in-depth review, did not select a winner.

Established in 2007, the Ibrahim Index is the most comprehensive collection of quantitative data providing an annual assessment of governance performance in every African country. The Ibrahim Prize is an annual US$5 million award paid over 10 years and US$200,000 annually for life thereafter. The foundation will consider granting a further US$200,000 per year for 10 years towards public interest activities and good causes espoused by the laureate. It is the world’s most valuable individual prize.

Without doubt, Pires merits the award, which also coincides with the fifth anniversary of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

He played a key role in the fight against Portuguese colonial rule and became prime minister at independence in 1975 - a position he held until 1991. He led moves to introduce multi-party elections, which his party lost. Ten years later, he

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bounced back to become president and, unlike many African leaders, stepped down after two terms, rejecting calls to change the constitution to remain in office. This adherence to the country’s constitution despite pressures from some quarters that he should tinker with the document in order to secure a third term in office is something to celebrate in a continent where many of its leaders want to be life presidents.

This is one of the qualities that endeared Pires to the prize committee.

However, there are other reasons that influenced his choice for the award. This includes his vision that led to the transformation of the country into a model of democracy, stability and increased prosperity in his 10 years in office. Although unemployment and poverty are still high, forcing many people to emigrate (i.e. some 700,000 Cape Verdeans live abroad, more than the 500,000 at home), Cape Verde, an Atlantic archipelago of 10 islands - has experienced significant economic growth in recent years, partly because of a boom in tourism. The country also has an impressive record on human rights and good governance. Under Pires’ leadership, Cape Verde was reclassified from the U.N.’s “least developed” category to middle income status, the second African country to have done so, after Botswana.

We commend Pires’s example to other African leaders, particularly those who believe they are born to rule and die in office, Nigerians inclusive. It is a matter for regret that some African leaders, even in this age and times still try to elongate

their tenure through all kinds of devilish schemes, a thing that had taken many of the countries to the precipice; that is where the inordinate ambitions of these leaders have not led to actual wars.

We commend Mo Ibrahim for recognising this critical shortcoming in the continent and for trying in his own ways to minimise its incidence, if not eliminate it outright. As Mo Ibrahim had himself noted, the prize is needed because many leaders of sub-Saharan African countries come from poor backgrounds and are tempted to hang on to power for fear that poverty awaits them when they leave office. The Mo Ibrahim award gives them something to look forward to. It should also rekindle competition for good governance in a continent that has a deficit of it.

‘Under Pires’ leadership, Cape Verde was reclassified from the U.N.’s “least developed” category to middle income status, the second African country to have done so, after Botswana. We commend Pires’s example to other African leaders, particularly those who believe they are born to rule and die in office, Nigerians inclusive’

Justice for the ‘underwear bomber’

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MAR FAROUK Abdulmutallab stood up in a federal courtroom Wednesday and admitted for all the world to hear that he tried to take down an American airliner by igniting explosives sewn into his underwear. After railing against the United States and calling “jihad” against the country “among the most virtuous of deeds in Islam,” Mr. Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty to all eight counts against him, virtually guaranteeing that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

This relatively quiet end to his trial contrasts with the controversy that followed soon after the Northwest Airlines flight carrying Mr. Abdulmutallab and some 290 others touched down in Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. It once again highlights the invaluable role of the federal courts in bringing terrorism suspects to justice.

Mr. Abdulmutallab, whose despicable mission was disrupted by alert passengers and crew, had managed to pass through security at an Amsterdam airport without the explosives being detected. Once on the ground in the United States, he was questioned for a mere 50 minutes by U.S. law enforcement officials before he was read his Miranda rights and subsequently charged in federal court. The case prompted the FBI to revamp its rules to give agents greater flexibility in questioning terrorism suspects before invoking Miranda rights, and it spurred the introduction of fullbody imaging devices in U.S. airports.

The Obama administration claimed that it gathered valuable intelligence during the brief interrogation and that it worried that a prosecution could be compromised if Mr. Abdulmutallab was not read his rights and taken before a judge in a timely fashion. We were among those critical of the administration for rushing into law enforcement mode and not seriously weighing all options, including designation of Mr. Abdulmutallab as an enemy combatant. But we part ways with those who — to this day — continue to work to put federal courts off-limits for terrorism prosecutions.

Federal courts have long been a tried-andtrue venue in which to prosecute accused terrorists. Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the United States has secured some 300 terrorismrelated convictions in these courts, according to Justice Department statistics. The courts’ rules are clear, procedures are fair and their legitimacy is unparalleled. The punishment meted out upon conviction has consistently and appropriately been tough. In the Abdulmutallab case, the Miranda warning — and the possible exclusion of statements taken before then — was inconsequential because of the overwhelming physical and eyewitness evidence. Efforts to strip the executive branch of this powerful tool or to force all terrorism suspects to be held in military custody are as myopic as the Obama administration’s failure at the beginning of this case to consider the alternatives.

– Washington Post

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

... and the only REMEDY is MAXIMUM WAGE!

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IR: THE media, indeed, is a power house. And, as it is common with power, there is a tendency of the media to uplift the world or deliberately diminish it. One way the media exercise this tendency is in the way and manner they construct or deconstruct social issues. By the act of framing of issues, the media is able to trivialize, exaggerate or even exacerbate issues. They can stigmatize a nation or a people, fuel upheavals and even debase human values.

It is from this premise that I examine the seminal smear campaign against Abia State government originating from the internet.

Unable to confront the government on ground, with no arsenals to fight and with a despondent and famished army, the remnants of a dying opposition have resorted to the cyberspace in a renewed, lastditch onslaught aimed particularly to cause distraction. They have found a hideout in the anonymity of the cyberspace, a world that is both everywhere and nowhere.

They exist as virtual terrorists or guerrillas immune to every sovereignty, order and decency. They have spread themselves like wandering minstrels, scavenging for any little opportunity to distract Governor Theodore Orji from his crusades of transforming the God’s Own State.

The latest of the schemes of these remnants is the so called Abia or ABSU Gang Rape. A video contraption delivered to the internet through Youtube presents a young lady being raped by five boys.

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The framing of Abia State This is a barbaric act, condemnable and unacceptable anywhere. It is not so much the distraction of the remnants that is worrisome as the unprofessional manner by which the media handled the scandal by framing Abia State and a reputable university. Instead of reporting and commenting about an alleged gang rape which is criminal and reprehensible, the media easily bought into the schemes of the remnants and be-

came willing tools in the framing of a reputable state and her university.

Assuming that the incident even happened in Abia and around the university community, why couldn’t it be approached as a case of a criminal act perpetrated by some culprits against a lady?

Why couldn’t it stand independently as a social crime for which the law is on hand to address? Why link a reputable university and the

state government as though they were accomplices in such a heinous evil?

By the manner of the framing of Abia, the media played into the hands of the remnants and became willing instruments in the orchestrated smear campaign against the state. They contravened the wellknown rule of suspending verdict until there is verifiable evidence.

They got carried away in the overwhelming emotion and global an-

When not to say ‘It is well’ IR ‘It is well’ is a stock cant on the lips of a whole lot of Nigerians. It does not matter how terrible or critical a situation may have become, or how urgently a corrective measure needs be taken, someone would always be quick to quip the phrase ‘it is well’ when it even clear no tangible approach or solution is being put in place to safe the situation; they chant the cant until they are consumed by it.

The origin of the saying itself is unclear to me, but with the way it is being abused here in Nigeria and serious issues taken so unserious by the baseless belief

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that a miracle would from nowhere occur to change our situation, it has become clear the country is already drifting towards becoming the nation of mediocres.

In Nigeria where nothing seems to be working for us, it defies logic reasoning to insinuate that all is well with us. And even if one would only say it for the sake of saying something, the kind of gusto Nigerians put into it is ridiculous.

What is it that is well? Is it unemployment rate that is alarming and getting worsened as day passes by or the corrupt politicians that litter the polity and run our govern-

ment with no probity? Could the endemic poverty that pervades the land and insecurity of lives in the hands of armed robbers, kidnappers and Boko Haram be national goodies?

For those who still believe so strongly it is well, perhaps the terrible situations make their best meal.

I read some months ago in our national dailies where Nigeria’s unemployment rate was put at 41.9 percent. But with the battalion of unemployed youths around me and those in my community entirely considered, the authenticity of the statistical figure seemed unrealis-

Budding imperial President

S

IR: EVENTS in recent days are pointers to the possible emergence of an imperial President on the nation’s political landscape.

First, the insistence of President Goodluck Jonathan on a seven-year single term Presidency despite public outcry against the ill-timed proposal only shows the insensitivity of the President to the plight of the people he was elected to serve.

Nigerians are of the opinion that

ger against the dastardly picture of the rape.

To be fair, the media must find a way to remedy this damage to the collective integrity of Abia people.

Abians are a people with a long history of reverence to values.

They are puritans and conservatives by nature and with a high inclination to Christianity. Thus, such social depravations and human degenerations that thrive on liberal values do not have a place in Abia. Today, the state is also blessed with a Governor that is emphasizing the transformation of the human person through a holistic approach involving the creation of a new social order and the reorientation of citizens towards a new ethics. And this is why this framing of Abia must stop.

•Godwin Adindu Umuahia, Abia State.

the government of Jonathan needs to concentrate its attention on addressing the myriad socio-economic problems that are plaguing the nation rather than dissipating energy on tenure elongation agenda.

Second, the President is hell-bent on removing the subsidy on petroleum products which would leave Nigerians more impoverished.

Why would an elected President subject his citizenry to further eco-

nomic hardships? Nigerians are already groaning under excruciating economic conditions which are the creation of our inept leadership over the years. And just some few days ago, the office of The Nation in Lagos and the one in Abuja were invaded in a commando-like manner by the agents of the state-the police-for publishing a letter purportedly written by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to President Jonathan.

The siege could not have been carried out without the backing of the President. One of the pillars of democracy is press freedom. The clampdown on the media houses under the watchful eyes of the President is worrisome and only reminds one of the dark days of late Gen. Sanni Abacha.

Nigerians must rise up to save the nation from imminent revolution.

•Daodu Randolph Emmanuel, Lagos.

tic and challengeable. What we see around us suggest something of 70 percent; there’s no doubt about it.

How then is it well with us?

And those in employment also face a lot of hardships in their respective places of work. Many are left with salaries of months unpaid and with no hope of when to be paid. As they are silently dying of hunger, no one would dare to raise his voice for the fear of losing the job. And when they come together in secret to ruminate the non-payment, someone among them would still scream ‘all is well’.

To say it is not well, to them, is to say something negative that could in turn work against them.

So, they pretend all is well and continue to suffer in silence. What a pitiable situation!

I am left to wonder when Nigerians will change and start to see and approach issues in the practical ways they require. It is when we realize and face the reality that all is not well that we will develop a true sense of responsibility to make it well. The earlier we realize this, the better for us. We cannot deceive ourselves forever!

•Alimi Olukola Fatai, Osogbo, Osun State.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

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ROF. Richard A. Joseph, the famous “Nigerian-American” scholar, formerly of the University of Ibadan but now of the Northwestern University, Evanston, III, United States, gave a dire verdict on the collapse of the Second Republic (1979-1983) in his landmark book, Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria: The rise and fall of the Second Republic.

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epublican ipples

lordbeek@yahoo.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please)

His grim verdict: that republic collapsed because its leading lights converted public wealth into private use.

Of course, private appropriation of public wealth did not die with the Second Republic. If anything, it emerged stronger from its ashes, as the military Saracens that sacked that republic proved no less adept at raiding the public till.

That has explained the current corruption-driven crisis of grinding poverty and stalled development.

Still, the Nigeria Police raid on The Nation newspaper offices in Lagos and Abuja, on October 11 and 12, suggests prebendal acquisitions have gone beyond personal appropriation of state resources to personal appropriation of state agencies!

The attempt by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to annex the Nigeria Police as his private bully organ, and the feckless Goodluck Jonathan Presidency’s sheepish submission as a meek and willing poodle, announced the arrival of that new and more vicious strain of prebendalism in the Nigerian public space.

When the annexed agency is the Police, then it is another cruel blow to the building of institutions, for which President Goodluck Jonathan waxed lyrical in his independence “Nebuchadnezzar” church oration; but for which he appears to have no stomach to follow through.

But of more corporate peril: the democratic order faces clear and present danger if such outlaw antics are not squarely faced down and soundly defeated. If “personal” prebendalism killed the Second Republic, “institutional” prebendalism may well kill off the polity, in the not so long run!

Ironically, Obasanjo, star actor in the new prebendal show, was also the principal actor in bringing to life, to universal acclaim, that fallen republic, after 13 straight years of military rule (1966-1979).

Indeed on the cover of Prof. Joseph’s book, the then Gen. Obasanjo was photographed with the five leading presiden-

Olakunle Abimbola

hear from his lawyers. But when the bromide was published, his lawyers had morphed to be the Police! Abike Dabiri-Erewa, former broadcaster and member of the House of Representatives took the cake in her reported assertion during the House debate on the matter: “We did not know his lawyers are policemen”!

Otherwise, the police would not have misguided themselves so ludicrously. Instead of finding out if indeed the bromide was fakery, as Obasanjo reportedly alleged, they took culpable sides in an inter-citizen conflict; and played laughable 21st century Don Quixote, wanting to know the “source” of Yussuf Ali’s story, perhaps to vent their spleen on the malcontent that released the satanic letter!

Even after Obasanjo’s initial bluff had fallen flat on its face, IGP Hafiz Ringim rang out another ridiculous bluff: that his Police were carrying out “criminal investigation” against The Nation! Pray what is criminal in a secret letter gone awry on the strength of its mischief? Like Obasanjo who would not publicly identify with a letter he allegedly wrote, Mr. Ringim too lost his ringing voice, when it was time to name the all-important petitioner! Talk of the Police as private tool!

All this while, the Presidency played dumb, only to later “intervene” to save the harassed journalists, like some sickly Deus-ex-machina, the Greek god come to save the plot of a doomed play!

But let these benevolent spirits know for sure: the right of a citizen in a republic is based on a set of laws which is the basis of relationship between the rulers and the ruled. Inasmuch as there is always need for compassion in human affairs, the guiding rule is sticking to the letters and spirit of the law, not, like some magicians, flashing last-minute sympathy, when the authorities, in the first instance, ought not have allowed the abuse of a crucial state institution, to settle personal scores.

Now the satanic question – and just as well from a satanic letter! – no one is about answering: what if it is found Obasanjo actually wrote that letter, and indeed abused the police system?

What sanction should go his way?

Of course, all those involved in this charade, from a scheming and irate former president to a colluding Presidency down to the atavistic Police, must know this as a matter of fact: the story of Nigeria is the continuous resistance of the libertarian media against the oppressive temper of the Lugardian state. Frederich Lugard was the British ruffian who amalgamated Nigeria in 1914 and tried to impose his gruff and rough temper.

The Nigerian press faced down the Lugard threat from the very beginning in 1914; and to the ruinous era of his proud descendants, the Nigerian military juntas.

That same press is not about to chicken out now: even if the Presidency, in a purportedly democratic order, makes itself captive to a private citizen’s bully tactics.

Police as private bulldog

‘The Nigerian press faced down the Lugard threat from the very beginning in 1914. It is not about to chicken out now: even if the Presidency, in a purportedly democratic order, makes itself captive to a private citizen’s bully tactics.’

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OR a leaderless movement which a leading Western commentator only last week passed off as “indignant indolents”, the Occupy Wall Street movement may have crossed the threshold in playing itself up as modern capitalism’s nemesis in the same manner that Arab Spring has played up as the scourge of the dictators in the Maghreb.

By weekend, the movement had spread like bushfire to several dozen cities in the United States with a record 1,500 cities worldwide reportedly joining in the chant ‘Occupy Together’ movement.

From Berlin to Athens, Auckland to Mumbai, Tokyo to Seoul, a new wave of anarchy seems to have been let loose on the universe by a movement whose demands remains as nebulous as it was on September 17 when it started in Manhattan Financial District’s Liberty Square.

In United Kingdom, a throng of 3,000 marchers reportedly attempted to occupy the London Stock Exchange. Rome was a different kettle of fish; there anarchists reportedly hijacked the supposedly peaceful protests to unleash mayhem leaving several buildings torched. Nearer home in South Africa, scores of marchers reportedly converged at the country’s Stock Exchange in solidarity with their colleagues to protest the sins and greed of the banks and corporate world.

Don’t ask me why Big Brother has remained a spectator to these developments. Isn’t it said that we are un-shockable? Are we not supposed to be immune to any shock at all?

Now, what is the objective of the OWS? That, unfortunately has been the hard part. Like the mixed multitude that they are, the movement is more renowned for their rage and indignation as against a coherent message or even a course of action. What do they want?

Social and economic justice? Fair enough. But how? At this time – it seems entirely pointless to ask.

Regime change? Not so fast – at least so it seems.

Like the Arab Spring from which it claims to have derived inspiration, there is a lot to say of the objective conditions which made OWS inevitable. Given all that

‘Let those who feign ignorance know this for sure: unemployment and despair know no ideology.

Capitalism is as beautiful as its redemptive power’

tial candidates in 1979: Alhaji Shehu Shagari, then of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) who would later emerge president; Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Nigerian People’s Party), Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Unity Party of Nigeria), Alhaji Aminu Kano (People’s Redemption Party) and Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim (Great Nigeria People’s Party).

Of all the five, only Alhaji Shagari still lives. All five, of course, made a name for themselves one way or the other. Still, despite their intimidating credentials, the connotative interpretation of that book cover would appear to portray Obasanjo as a morally impregnable agent of positive change, who everyone ought to toast.

Not any more! Thirty-two years after and two presidential terms later, Obasanjo has descended from those dizzying heights of awe – at least among the starry-eyed – to the nadir of the influence-peddling jungle, where the former president is apparently sworn to muscling all it takes to corral whatever enforced respect he feels he deserves as “father of modern Nigeria” but which many of his compatriots meet with a scornful yawn.

That is perhaps the only logical way to interpret the Obasanjo letter that triggered all the excitement. The reportage of the letter on October 4 and the follow-up bromide publication the following day after Obasanjo’s stout denial, was a straight fight between a citizen, who claimed to have been injured and another corporate citizen, who he claimed had inflicted the injury. The police had absolutely no business weighing in on either side, except of course carrying out disinterested investigations, prelude to telling the courts what they knew about the matter, if charges were pressed.

But alas! The police did much more – by the manic way they merrily threw themselves at the job of harassing and intimidating The Nation and its top flowers, in the fond hope that anyone would be impressed by that brazen official braggadocio; and that in the ensuing hullabaloo, the newspaper would slither away with fright, begging for mercy, and that in the resulting atmosphere of fear, no one would probe further whether or not Obasanjo wrote the controversial letter. Fond hope!

In his initial denial, Obasanjo threatened the newspaper would

Policy Sanya Oni sanyaoni@yahoo.co.uk 08051101841

From Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street has happened since 2008 when the global credit market froze and the subsequent tanking of the global economy, it seems inevitable that the world will come to this point.

To start with, one of the greatest, but enduring hypocrisies of western capitalism is the notion of the Open Society when indeed a minority few – the so-called one percent – actually set, and bend, the rules of the market place to their whims. One sure lesson from the global economic crises isn’t just that this minority are careful to ensure that rules are rendered in some incomprehensible, foggy technicalese beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals, it is also, a revelation in how the power of greed and delinquency became the main directing principles of global finance.

Today, the world is apparently wiser. Just as yesterday’s unchallengeable tyrants are being disrobed in the market square, the fundamental ethos of capitalism is being challenged like never before.

With the global economy showing no signs of imminent recovery, larger questions about stewardship are being pointedly asked . With jobs routinely gutted to swell the statistics of the unemployed and social welfare being knifed on a scale hitherto unknown to pay for the sins of a few, it seems the moment to find and fix the sinners.

It is easy to argue that banks are being unfairly vilified in what is clearly the sins of everyone. Now that is true to some extent. That itself seems natural given how bountifully they have reaped from the mess they helped create. As leading actors in the current global mess, their role can hardly be understated.

Nigeria of course provides a telling illustration. At the heart of the rot in the nation’s financial sector, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) threw a lifeline of N620 billion supposedly to block the holes inflicted on the treasuries of the eight ailing banks it rescued. That was in August 2008. Three years after, the apex bank – this time through AMCON - poured in another N679 billion to complete the rites of transition to get the financial sector on an even keel –bringing the total to N1.299 trillion.

This figure excludes the outrageous executive compensations and fat bonuses paid to the undertakers in what seemed like a scheme to seal the fate of the affected banks!

The simple arithmetic of the cost of delinquency would seem equal if not greater than the minimum share capital of some 50 plus brand new banks. And the amount – shelled out just to clear the Augean stable of some half dozen banks! And if one may add – the same sum would have set up one microfinance bank in each of the 774 local councils in the country to service the so-called grassroots population. That is how costly some sector’s delinquency can be.

For crying out loud, how much did the textile sector – noted for its potentials as mass employer get in a decade?

A paltry N100 billion which took a decade to disburse.

So, let the banks take the heat. It seems a just dessert.

What are the lessons from both the Arab Spring and the OWS? Simple. The major one is that there is a limit to which a people can take. Like the ostrich, the federal government can go on pretending that all is well. Does anyone imagine the humongous costs of running the government as being any less ruinous than the peccadilloes of some clever crooks in the financial sector?

What about crony capitalism which seeks to spread the gravy among the privileged few? How does this tally with the illusion of an assumed infinite elasticity of the patience of the average Nigerian? How further down do things have to go before they snap?

Let those who feign ignorance know this for sure: unemployment and despair know no ideology.

Capitalism is as beautiful as its redemptive power.

Stripped of its redemptive face, capitalism becomes an empty shell. The message in the streets is that liberalism which cannot deliver social justice is not worth a dime.

The people need jobs; they need shelter; they need affordable healthcare. They need transportation. Those are the echoes from the street. Can anything be more coherent?

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

22

EDITORIAL/OPINION HE Nigerian Police can be very effective, even negatively, anytime its wants to be. Last week it bore its fangs on the Nigerian Press in a manner reminiscent of the dark days of military rule in Nigeria when in a Gestapo style operation, its operatives stormed the Lagos office of The Nation newspapers to arrest four of its editors. Similar show of shame was on display at the Abuja Bureau of the media organisation where they ransacked offices and drawers in search of only God knows what.

The event leading to the invasion of the Newspaper, Tuesday last week, by The Police began a couple of weeks or so earlier when a letter believed to have been authored by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to President Goodluck Jonathan, urging him to sack some top ranking government official was published by the newspaper.

Thus exposed, Obasanjo feeling embarrassed not only denied authorship of the letter, but, also lambasted The Nation and its editors. And out of fear that the newspaper probably still has many of such embarrassing documents about him, Obasanjo chose not to contest veracity of the letter in court but instead set the Police against The Nation. You know how big men, especially brutes like Obasanjo behave in this country. You also know how the Nigerian police can be used as a weapon of oppression by anybody with means and/or ‘connection’. That was my understanding of what happened.

Can you recall the number of times your neighbour who is a friend to the DPO, has used the Police to harass you over a minor disagreement? What about the ‘big man’ in your area who knows the Commissioner of Police? It’s the same thing. They all use the Police to terrorize the defenseless. Today it is the ‘mighty’ Obasanjo using the Inspector General of Police, his ‘boy’, Hafiz Ringim to terrorize The Nation to silence the voice of the people.

I am not saying the Police can not intervene in disputes, but this must be done within the ambit of the law and without necessarily favouring any of the parties. If the Police are fair to all, even the guilty party would accept the verdict. And in matters that are best settled by the court, the Police should

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HE reality is beginning to dawn that the national team, the Super Eagles, will not be taking part at the next edition of the African Cup of Nations to be held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in January 2012. As hurting as this reality is to millions of soccer loving Nigerians, I will like to give a word of caution, against the background of the on-going call for the sack of the chief coach of the Super Eagles, Samson Siasia.

It is true that the practice, world over, is for a coach to either resign or be sacked whenever his team fails but in this particular case, one will like to advice that the nation’s football administrators tread softly.

Making Siasia or other individuals scapegoats will not solve the problem. There is a need to search deeper in our quest for the way forward rather than looking for an escape route. If we choose to, we could sack Siasia thereby making the aggrieved soccer fans in the country happy but our journey into soccer oblivion will continue un-abated.

For the avoidance of doubt, the gradual slide of the country into soccer oblivion did not just start today. It began years ago. The Super Eagles couldn’t go beyond the quarter final of the last edition of the African Nations Cup held in Angola. In 2002, the same team, under the tutelage of the revered coach Adegboye Onigbinde, couldn’t go beyond the first round of the Japan/Korea

‘The problem of the national team is a more complicated one. A simplistic approach such as sacking a coach and hiring a new one will just be like scratching the surface. Imagine where we would have been if we had allowed coach Onigbinde to continue his rebuilding process after the disastrous outing in Japan/ Korea 2002 World Cup.’

Police terrorism just investigate and allow the judiciary to take care of the rest.

Now, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Muhammed Adoke has washed his hands off the mess that the Police has brought the Federal Government. The man is saying that the letter from the Ministry to IG Ringim on the complaint by Obasanjo against The Nation was for the Police to investigate the matter and not to invade the newspaper house and arrest its editors. But we all know this is not true. Even if the letter says so, that was not the spirit behind it. The intention was to deal with the newspaper and disrupt its operation. But they have forgotten that the Nigerian Press has an indomitable spirit.

This is not the first time the Press will be dealt with like this in Nigeria. In fact, the history of Nigerian Press is replete with such high handedness and brutality by the Nigerian security agencies acting on behalf of oppressive leadership. We thought we have seen the end of such with the coming into being of democracy in this country. We thought the Freedom of Information Act as signed by President Goodluck Jonathan has taken care of this kind of issues. If an ordinary letter written by an ordinary Nigerian to the president of his country advising him on how he thought the country should be run is being treated like this by the Police, you can imagine what Ringim and his boys would do if the matter reported by the Press has to do with more serious national issues, the Freedom of Information Law notwithstanding.

But now that those behind this show of shame by the Police have denied the IG and

his boys what would Ringim do now? The lesson for him and the Police as well as all other agencies of state is to at all times serve the interest of the Nigerian nation and not necessarily its leaders. By the way, in what way did the publication of that letter injure the Nigerian state that the Nigerian Police had to behave in the manner they did at The Nation? It became laughable when feelers emerged that the authorities concerned were planning to slam sedition and some other criminal charges against some of the editors arrested. I thought crimes are committed against the state and I have not seen any committed against Nigeria in this case. Or has Obasanjo become the state? Although one is not a lawyer, my layman interpretation in this matter is that if at all there was any crime committed like forgery as being peddled, then let the court decide. It is not for the Police to determine, harass or terrorize The Nation. The Police should act in the best interest of everybody, including the mighty and the low and should be seen to be doing so.

This police action is a further dent on the already tarnished image of the Nigerian Police especially against the backdrop of its failure to combat the increasing crime wave in the country. With armed robbers seemingly acting with impunity and Boko Haram terrorists seemingly beyond reach of our police, the public is wondering whether of all the security challenges facing the country, the only thing the Police could do was to terrorize the Press. The same public is calling the integrity of IGP Ringim to question. If as AIG in the east, that area of the country was rife with kidnapping, what,

Let Siasia be

By Tayo Ogunbiyi World Cup. To make matter worse, the Super Eagles in Japan/Korea could only manage to score one goal having lost its first two matches against Argentina and Sweden respectively. It could only manage a face saving barren draw with England in its last match.

At the France1998 World Cup, the team also had a disastrous outing losing 4-1 to Denmark in the second round. Aside, the Super Eagles, almost all the nation’s national teams have been experiencing dwindling fortunes in recent time. The national U-20 side, the Flying Eagles, which in the 80’s and early 90’s used to monopolise the U-20 championship in Africa has since lost its grip on the competition. Indeed, it got so bad that the team did not qualify for the 2009 edition of the U-20 World Cup. With regards to the U17 side, the story is not different. It was so bad that the team did not qualify for the last editions of the U17 world cup and the Africa U17 African Nations Cup respectively. It is also on record that the country did not qualify for the soccer events of the last All African Games held in Maputo, Mozambique.

The female national teams have not fared better either. At present, the qualification of the national female team, the Super Falcons, for the football event of the next summer Olympic Games to be held in London hangs in the balance. In fact, it got so bad for female soccer in the country that the national female team did not qualify for the soccer events of the recently concluded 2011 All African Games in, Maputo, Mozambique.

The reality that Nigerians don’t want to accept is that the country is no longer a force to be reckoned with in football be it in Africa or the world at large. We are only living on past glory. We lost it long ago. Sadly, the fans and the administrators have been shying away from this reality. When was the last time a Nigerian footballer won the African Footballer of the Year Award? Or better still, when was the last time that our

footballers got nominated into the top 10 ranked African best footballers?

There was a time when Nigerian footballers were the toasts of the soccer world. Then, we used to have up to six nominees among the ten footballers usually nominated for the annual African Footballer of the Year Award. Indeed, the high point of the country’s dominance in African football was when Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba and Kanu Nwankwo won the title in successive order.

In those days, our footballers were plying their trade in top European sides such as Arsenal in England, Ajax of Amsterdam, Barcelona in Spain, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan in Italy respectively among others.

Today, the country cannot boast of a footballer playing in any top flight European club. Last Season, our best player in Europe was Osaze Odewemgie who, sadly though, plies his trade with relegation threatened lowly West Brom of England.

Like the story of the degeneration of other segments of the country, our passage to extinction in the soccer field started when we decided to allow over-aged players to represent the country in age grade competitions.

Spanish players such as Ike Casillas, Xavi, Iniesta among others represented Spain when Nigeria hosted the U-20 World Cup in 1999. Today, they formed the bedrock of their country’s national team which won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

In contrast, however, Joseph Yobo, the current captain of the Super Eagles, is the only surviving member of the Nigerian 1999 U20 team that is still relevant to the national team. While other countries use age grade competitions to invest in the future of their football, we always want to win at all cost.

The poor organisation of the local league is equally responsible for the poor state of football in the country. Gone are the days when football fans used to be crazy over the local league. Presently, the national football league has been on a prolonged break as the

they ask, qualified him to be made the Inspector General of Police by President Goodluck Jonathan. Some ‘enemies of progress’ are even saying that Ringim was made IGP by Jonathan because of the rapport he forged with the President when he served as Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State at the time Jonathan was the state Governor.

Others are even insinuating that Obasanjo is the staying power of Ringim as he would have been removed by the president immediately after the Boko Haram bombing of Force Headquarters. But because Jonathan has ‘no liver’ to oppose Obasanjo, Ringim has to stay and if terrorizing The Nation et al by the Police would make Obasanjo happy, the IG it appears, is willing to do that.

One is not insinuating anything but our leaders must and be seen to be acting in our best interest and not serving the interest of a few. Obasanjo is an elder statesman and must be similarly treated, but he should and must also respect himself. The revelation of this letter by The Nation is an opportunity, I think, for Jonathan to move out of the shadows of Obasanjo and prove to Nigerians that he is his own man.

‘If an ordinary letter written by an ordinary Nigerian to the president of his country advising him on how he thought the country should be run is being treated like this by the Police, you can imagine what Ringim and his boys would do if the matter reported by the Press has to do with more serious national issues, the Freedom of Information Law notwithstanding’ board saddled with overseeing the league has been enmeshed in an unending bitter leadership tussle . And there seems to be no end in sight for the resolution of several other conflicts rocking the board. This is why, some of our footballers travel to less known footballing nations such as Bangladesh, Sudan, India among others to further their careers. Aside this, the Challenge Cup, now Confederation Cup, that used to be a glamorous national soccer event has since lost its glamour.

The neglect of grassroots football is equally responsible for the abysmal performance of our national teams . Ajegunle, a prominent Lagos suburb, is renowned to be a famous breeding ground of budding footballers in the country. You can imagine how many Ajegunles exist across the country and how many potential soccer stars in such places are rotting away. Similarly, the abandonment of school sports competitions such as NUGA, Principal Cup, Manuwa Adebajo Soccer Championships among others have is also partly accountable for the decline of our national teams.

The implication of the foregoing is that the problem of the national team is a more complicated one. A simplistic approach such as sacking a coach and hiring a new one will just be like scratching the surface. Imagine where we would have been if we had allowed coach Onigbinde to continue his rebuilding process after the disastrous outing in Japan/Korea 2002 World Cup. Since then, we have hired and sacked numerous foreign and local coaches but the problem has persisted. Sacking Siasia will not change anything. He had started a process that we should allow him to finish. Clemens Westerhof, perhaps the most successful Super Eagles coach, spent five years on the job before he could give us the superb 1994 team and on the way to achieving that when he lost the vital qualifying match against Cameroun which ensured that we missed the ‘1990 World Cup finals in Italy. Let Siasia be. If we manage the current setback very well, we might, perhaps, be on the road to soccer glory again!

• Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

23

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

24

41

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT NATIONS CUP LOSS

CAF CONFEDERATION CUP

Sunshine 'll make amends in Tunis —Ogunbote

I

T has been a period of apologies from Nigerian football coaches.

On Saturday in Ijebu-Ode, coach of Sunshine Stars, Gbenga Ogunbote added his own apology after his wards went down 0-1 to Club Africain of Tunisia in the first leg semi-final of the CAF Confederation Cup. He assured SuperSport.com in this interview that they will reverse the result in Tunis.

Coach, the match ended 0-1 against you, what went wrong and is there still hope for Sunshine?

It is quite unfortunate that we lost this game 1-0 but all the same if they can come here to beat us 1-0, we can still go there to do something. The game is not yet over.

Honestly, all I want to say is that we are sorry to Nigerians, they should not lose hope on us, something can still be done.

Did the conditions, I mean the slippery pitch, affect your team's performance?

Of course, yes. You saw how we started the game. You know our style, we are not used to playing aerial balls, we put the ball on the ground.

But all the same we still give glory to God. It seems your boys did not make use of their chances in the first half?

Yes, that is true, but we are still going to work on it before we go for the second leg.

Are you saying that all hope are not lost?

Yes, that is it, if they come here to win us 1-0 we can still go there and make a reverse.

How do you rate Club Africain?

They are not a bad side. You know for a team to get to this stage of the competition you can't write them off.

They are a good side and deserved their victory, is that it?

No, I did not say that, they just had one chance and converted it. You can see how many chances we lost, so we will work on it.

Some of your goal poachers Ajani Ibrahim, Ukeyima Akombo, Cletus Itodo and others did not click.

Why? I think they had a bad day. Let's put that way and call it a bad day. All the same, I believe they will make amend in Tunis.

• Ogunbote

Stop blaming me D

ELE Aiyenugba is of the view that the Super Eagles are collectively responsible for failing to steer the side to the 2012 Afcon.

The Bnei Yehuda goalkeeper has come under criticism for his performance in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying against Guinea that ended 2-2 in Abuja.

But the 27-year-old is unhappy that he has been fingered for a lacklustre display against Guinea's Syli Nationale.

"I personally feel unhappy that we didn't qualify for the Nations Cup. And I still can't explain why it is so. But I don't think one person should be singled out for the blame because all of us took part in the match.

"If we had won and qualified we will all take the credit. But now that we lost (out of qualifying for the AFCON), I believe we should all take the blame for failing and not say it was Dele or someone else who caused it," the former Enyimba man said to SuperSport.com.

Aiyenugba also apologised to the Nigerian football fans for the team's failure to reach the 2012 AFCON. "I'm so sorry that we didn't qualify for the Nations Cup. Our fans deserve more than qualifying for the Nations Cup but we have let them down," he said.

Nigeria's Super Eagles will not take part in the AFCON for the first time in 25 years.

—Aiyenugba

M

Siasia may quit Eagles job

U

• Dele Aiyenugba The last time the Nigerians missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations was in 1986 when Egypt played host.

NLESS there is a change of heart between now and next week when the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Fedration (NFF) meets, there are strong indications that the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Samson Siasia may throw in the towel without the soccer federation sacking him.

Sources close to NationSport at the NFF secretariat in Abuja reveals that eggheads of the federation are going to use this week to make contacts with a possible standby coach, if, eventually, the man popularly called "World Cup coach" by his admirers decides not to swallow his pride and call it quits with his multi-million naira job.

NationSport’s impeccable source at the GlassHouse, said: " Yes, we have received the report of the Technical Committee, and we are studying it. We would not be meeting this week, but next week.

"The date is not yet certain. We are

Eguavoen trails players B to Europe N ATIONAL U-23 chief coach Austin Eguavoen is expected to embark on a European tour to seek for the release of players for the upcoming CAF U-23 championship billed to hold next month in Morocco.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee chairman Barrister Chris Green would accompany him on the week long tour of select European countries.

In a media release issued by the team’s media officer, Arafat Aliu, it was stated that Coach Austin Eguavoen would visit over four European countries to see club directors over the release of players

for the CAF U-23 championship which serves as London 2012 Olympic Games qualifier.

“Considering the limited number of days available to the coach he would not be able to visit all the club directors.

In any case he has already established contact with those that time would not allow him to see,” stated Arafat Aliu.

“Letters have already been sent to the clubs, in Ukraine,Turkey and Israel as Coach Austin Eguavoen had earlier established contact with club directors of Dream Team V players in these countries,” he added.

From Patrick Ngwaogu and Andrew Abah, Abuja going to use this week to make a lot of consultations on a standby coach who would step in if eventually Siasia decides to throw in the towel based on the recommendations of the Committee.

"We would get a new technical adviser who Siasia would work under.

His salary would have to be reviewed downwards, and his Dutch assistant would have to be sacked because both of them are not justifying the huge amount that is being paid to them.

“Siasia would still maintain his chief coach nomenclature, but answerable to someone else. We know that he is an ambitious young man, but he is too immature to handle the Super Eagles," the source said.

On the eventuality that the former international decides not to continue with the job, the source said, "that is

RITISH star Dan Wheldon has been killed in one of the most horrific motor racing crashes ever seen.

Wheldon – a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 – was competing for a special $5million prize at the IndyCar championship's finale in Las Vegas.

Cars were running in packs at 220mph when two touched and spun, setting off a shocking chain reaction involving fifteen drivers.

Wheldon's car was launched into the

air off the back of another, flipped and smashed into the catch fencing above the retaining wall in flames.

The 33-year-old Briton — from Emberton, Bucks, but based in Florida — was airlifted to University Medical Centre in Las Vegas as what was left of his Dallara-Honda was covered in tarpaulin.

But the father of two, who scored a spectacular triumph at this year's Indy 500, could not be saved and was officially declared dead at 3pm local time.

Falcons hit Yaounde Wednesday

T

HE Super Falcons will leave for Cameroon on Wednesday for their second leg London 2012 Olympics Qualifier against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon on Saturday.

The team is hoping to join South Africa who have already qualified for the London Games.

The second leg game for the final round African qualifying fixture comes up on October 22nd in Yaounde, Cameroon.

At the Super Falcons’ camp in Abuja, 24 players trained Monday morning as the team resumed training after observing Sunday as rest day.

Having arrived in camp over the weekend Onome Ebi joined her team mates as they sweated it out under the watchful eyes of the coaches.

The technical crew drilled the strikers

disappointed not to beat Wydad and qualify for the final of the Champions League against Esperance of Tunisia.

“It is good to be recognised for my contribution in the match but I sincerely would have been happier if this award had gone to another player, while Enyimba picked the ticket to the final.

“We are really sad for missing this great opportunity of writing our names in bold gold letters. I am very sorry for this disappointing

on the proper positioning in front of opponents’ goal area and the art of perfect finishing in front of goal. Positioning of defenders against set pieces was also given attention during training.

“Concentration is key. The girls need to be 100 per cent concentrated to give their best in the match. We are not leaving anything to chance that is why all hands must be on deck to achieve our desired result,” Coach Uche said.

Perpetua Nkwocha, Faith Ikidi, Onyi Ukaonu and Rita Chikwelu were being expected last night after representing their various clubs over the weekend.

The Falcons will on Saturday in Yaounde take on the Lionesses of Cameroon as both teams battle for the sole ticket to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

performance from us. Really, I am still at a loss how we were unable to score even a goal all 90 minutes.”

A league winner with Ocean Boys and Bayelsa United, Ojobo is currently attracting interest from clubs from North Africa and Europe but he has insisted it was not the time or place to talk about it.

“I really don’t want to say anything in that direction as I am still at a loss over our elimination from this competition,” he said.

Osaze: I've learnt a big lesson • As West Brom boss hails Nigerian

N

• Siasia

why we are making all the contingency plans to avoid any vacuum. All these would be passed to the board for ratification when they meet next week," he concluded.

IGERIA international Osaze Odemwingie has revealed that the week building up to Sunday'sWest Brom’s thrilling 2-0 derby win over Wolves has taught him to take criticism on the chin.

The Baggies striker admits he let the disappointment of his below-par performance in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland, followed by Nigeria failure to qualify for the African Nations Cup, get the better of him.

But he bounced back with a bang against Wanderers as he stepped off the bench to fire Albion's second goal within four minutes of coming on - and double his tally for the season.

"I wouldn't say I am that down," said Odemwingie.

"I worry about the team a lot and the gaffer has noticed that I am a sensitive person and I do worry about the team and my performance. But in the last two games we drew. We had a good draw against Fulham and we went away to Sunderland and got a point as well so we were on the way up and the problems weren't so exaggerated.

"I had to take in stuff that I didn't really

Wheldon killed in IndyCar crash

AHEAD OF LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS

Enyimba’s exit shatters MVP Ojobo ARKSON Ojobo has said he would have preferred a ticket to the Champions League final than being voted MVP in Enyimba’s goalless draw with Wydad of Morocco.

Wydad marched into the Champions League final Sunday after they held hosts Enyimba to a scoreless draw in Aba to go through 1-0 on aggregate having won the first semi-final 1-0 in Casablanca.

Hard working Ojobo told MTNFootball.com that Enyimba are highly

FEAR OF SACK

The race was abandoned two hours after the lap 12 crash, which left piles of debris - including a burning chunk of metal - all over the oval track.

Formula One stars Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button led tributes to Wheldon.

Hamilton, 26, said: "This is an extremely sad day.

"Dan was a racer I'd followed throughout my career, as I often followed in his footsteps as we climbed the motorsport ladder in the UK.

"He was an extremely talented driver.

As a British guy, who not only went over to the States but who twice won the Indy 500, he was an inspirational guy, and someone that every racing driver looked up to with respect and admiration."

Button, 31, paid tribute on Twitter.

He wrote: "Just woken up to the most horrific news.. Dan Wheldon RIP...

"I have so many good memories of racing with Dan in the early 90's, a true fighter. We've lost a legend in our sport but also a great guy."

like to here last week from here and there but this situation has also taught me that sometimes you have to let things pass, just concentrate on your work and keep going."

He added: "It was nice to score with my first scoring chance.

"I could feel the importance of this game from the first day I arrived back from the national team with the way the fans were talking about it. I knew it was a big game so when I scored the goal I felt double joy. We climbed up the table and it was an important three points and the first home victory is great."

The 30-year-old hitman was pleased his instinctive 76th-minute finish gave his team-mates some breathing space against Wanderers.

And he was delighted he could help deliver a Black Country derby victory for the fans after the pain of the 3-1 defeat at Molineux in May. "I saw the goal and I took it without thinking," he said.

"I just saw the far post and hit it there.

I didn't have time to think, I just relied on my instincts because it's something you do in training all the time and it's already registered in your head how you do the move. I'm glad it went in and we climbed up the table, and I scored my goal, so everything is good.

Even at 2-0 we knew if they could score one we would still have to survive the last five minutes plus stoppage time.

"We had this scenario last year so we knew we had to be very concentrated for the last few minutes and I was nervous, but our defence was very solid and I was very impressed. I heard from a few fans that they needed a win for them to forget that 3-1 defeat, and we were at home so we wanted to forget that with goals and a victory.

But they are pleased and happy. I saw how they were celebrating and we are all happy."

Meanwhile, West Brom boss Roy Hodgson Monday tipped Peter Odemwingie to use his Black Country derby goal as the spark to ignite his season.

The Nigeria striker netted his second goal of the season as a substitute to seal the 2-0 win over Wolves Sunday and end a troubled week on a high.

And Hodgson, who has been forced to deal with Odemwingie’s injury problems so far this season, hopes the 30-year-old will build on Sunday’s clinical strike.

The head coach said: “I think it will lift him. It was a very good goal and he’s a very good player. It’s important for him that he realises we are all 100 per cent behind him.”

Albion also fears of injury to left-back Billy Jones. The Premier League debutant came off with cramp in his hamstring rather than a strain Sunday and the Baggies hope he will be available for Saturday’s clash with Villa.

Ameobi: It was fantastic to score S

HOLA Ameobi opened his seasonal account with a stunning equaliser – then admitted his first goal had been a long time in coming!

Ameobi’s 86th-minute strike earned Newcastle United a point from Sunday’s exciting game against Tottenham Hotspur.Alan Pardew’s side twice came from behind to draw 2-2 and stretch their league and cup unbeaten run to 10 games this season.

And the long-serving striker will have hit few of his previous 70 goals as sweetly as the one which left Brad Friedel helpless.

Jubilant Ameobi – who came on for United’s other goalscorer, Demba Ba, in the 71st minute – was just glad to be back on the field after a frustrating few weeks out with a shoulder problem.

“It’s fantastic to score my first goal – it’s been a long time coming as a few of the boys have told me!” Ameobi told the Gazette.

“I’m excited. We’ve kept the unbeaten run going, which is great. It’s something we’re proud of, and it gives us great confidence as a squad of players that we can match the best, especially at home.

“It was a great feeling after the game – we came up against a top side, and we battled them all the way. It was a great game to watch – I was itching to get on and be part of it. It was one of those that you just try and get on target. Obviously the angle wasn’t great, but I’ve caught it and it’s hit the back of the net before Brad Friedel’s even dived.

“It’s one of those shots you hit probably one in 50 times. It’s obviously come at a good time for us when we were pushing for the equaliser.”

Newcastle remain fourth in the Premier League, and struggling Wigan Athletic are next up at St James’s Park on Saturday.

With the belief in the dressing room growing by the week, there’s a confidence among Pardew’s players that they can be a match for anyone this

• Shola Ameobi

season.

Ameobi added: “We’re not getting carried away – it’s only eight games into the season.

“We know it’s a long season, and we’ll have our ups and downs, but we’ve got a belief that we can come through pretty much anything. We’re a team that fights to the death, and I think we did that.”

Ameobi’s now in his 12th first-team season at St James’s Park, and with competition for places up front fierce despite the club’s failure to sign a No9, he’s relieved to have staked his claim.

The 30-year-old’s career at United has been beset by injuries, and the latest problem couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Moses opens contract talks

T

HE agent of Wigan Athletic forward Victor Moses says the 20-year-old has opened contract

• Moses

talks with the Premier League outfit.

The promising youngster joined the Latics in 2010 from Crystal Palace for a reported fee of £2.5 million and has gone on to make 48 appearances in all competitions.

Despite his lack of experience, Moses has been trusted to start every single Premier League game for the Latics this season.

And his assured performances have prompted manager Roberto Martinez to open discussions over a new deal for the Lagos-born player.

Moses' agent, Tony Finnigan, told Sky Sports: "We had the first round of talks last week.

"We met with the club, and talks are ongoing. Victor is enjoying playing at the moment and that is the main thing.

Moses has represented England from U-16 level through to the U21's and has scored two goals in the colours of Wigan.

LAGOS GOVERNOR’S CUP TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

Abinu breaks down in tears after defeat •A still from the IndyCar crash incident in which Wheldon lost his life.

am not in the best state of mind right now to talk. I am in great shock after this loss.”

These were the words of Nigeria’s number one female tennis player, Fatima Abinu yesterday as she broke down in tears after being ousted from the female single’s category of the ongoing Lagos Governor’s Cup Tennis Championship.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) sanctioned competition taking place at the Lagos Tennis Club Court features players from all over the world.

The Nigerian player started on a good note winning the first set 6-2, before losing concentration in the other two sets losing 3-6, 3-6 to Indian’s Nidhi

“I

• Lawal, Candy advance

By Innocent Amomoh Chilumula in a keenly contested encounter.

With this result, Abinu is out of the female singles category, as she sets her eyes on the doubles which starts in earnest.

Other Nigerians that have qualified for the next round include: Lawal Shehu who defeated compatriot, Clifford Enosoregbe, and Kingsley Enosoregbe, who ousted another Nigerian, Sanni Adamu in two straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.

Also Sarah Adegoke of Nigeria defeated compatriot Blessing Samuel in another females’ singles’ duel. After

proceedings, Adegoke got the upper hand winning 6-3, 7-5, while Christie Agugbom lost to Silvia Njiric of Croatia, 1-6, 3-6.

Other matches witnessed were that between, India’s Vijayant Malik and Mark Fynn of Zimbabawe, which ended 6-0, 6-3 in favour of Malik.

All Africa Games silver medalist, Candy Idoko defeated ace rival Sunday Emmanuel in an all Nigeria affair, scoring 7-5, 2-6, and 6-3 in the men’s singles to move to the next stage of the competition.

Action continues tomorrow at the same venue.

25

PROPERTY

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

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

* The Environment * Mortgage * Apartments * Security * Homes *Real Estate

email:- property@thenationonlineng.net

Fed Govt, Lagos move to settle rift on land ownership

•Highrise building on Temple Road, Ikoyi, Lagos

In Lagos, land is like gold. The high accommodation in the upscale areas of the state attests to this. It, therefore, does not come as a surprise that the crux of the altercation between the Federal and Lagos is on which of tier of government controls the ‘Black Gold’ in Nigeria’s commercial headquarters. Investigations by The Nation reveal that about 70 per cent of the state landmass is under federal control because the state once served as the seat of the Federal Government.

•Experts advocate rent-to-ownership concept for stable polity The imbalance in land ownership has largely affected real estate development, but with the near resolution of the impasse between both parties, the sector may yet witness unprecedented growth, writes OKWY IROEGBU. •CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

•Motorists decry state of •Ondo charges contractor handling • Fashola inaugurates Ilorin-Kabba road Falomo Bridge part Akure Township Stadium - PAGE 26

- PAGE 39

- PAGE 40

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

26

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Motorists decry state of Ilorin-Kabba road T

HE sorry state of IlorinEgbe-Kabba-ObajanaLokoja highway in both Kwara and Kogi states has continued to receive criticisms from motorists and residents.

The highway, which is a trunk ‘A’ road, has become crater-ridden, making commuters and motorists easy preys to armed robbers. Because of the deep ditches that have taken over the 310-kilometre Ilorin-Lokoja road, driving through it, especially immediately after Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State to Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, takes about 10kilometres per hour.

The immediate past deputy governor of Kwara State, Chief Joel Ogundeji, several times during his tenure, urged the Federal Government to effect accelerated maintenance of the highway, but these were not attended to.

Some concerned people of Kwara and Kogi, who spoke with The Nation, bemoaned the parlous state of the road. They called on office holders from both states to lobby the Federal Government for the repair of the road.

The immediate past national secretary of Okun Development Association, an umbrella body of Yoruba speaking people of Kogi State, who plies the road regularly, Comrade Silas Ajagun, said: “The Egbe-Kabba-Obajana road has neglected in the past eight years, and it is yearning for government’s attention.

This is a highway in which men of the underworld have a field day, robbing the users of their valuables and raping our women.

“At a point, motorists plying the road abandoned it for Iloffa-Ekiti State highway. Those who have no other place to call their home do ply the road. I approached a serving senator from the state on three

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

occasions to do a documentary on the road for the government to view on television, but he did not listen to me.

“The other highway calling for the urgent attention of the Federal and state governments is the Jege-Odo Ere-Okoloke-Isanlu Essa in Yagba West Local Government Area. To make our people have a sense of belonging, the road has to be reconstructed.

Yagba land, being the food basket of Kogi State, needs access roads to evacuate foodstuff and raw materials to urban areas.

“My heart bleeds for my kinsmen when I remember their sufferings on the road. The wear and tear on their motor vehicles cannot be overemphasised and it is not as if we do not have top officials in governments.

“After his electioneering campaign, Okun Development Association visited President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on some infrastructure in Okun land, namely the federal university, domestication of Kampe Dam at Omi, reconstruction of the aforementioned highways etc.”

Also lamenting the state on the road, Chief Abraham Medaiyese, said: “The Ilorin-Kabba-Lokoja road is terribly bad. It appears as if we don’t have government in this country. This road has so much economic value, yet the government has neglected it.

“It was the Sanni Abacha government that fulfilled his promise when he increased the pump prices of petroleum products. It assured us that it would create Petroleum Trust Funds (PTF), saying the funds would be used for the maintenance and repair of all roads in the country.

“During that period, all the roads

were well-maintained and the hospitals stocked with facilities.

“After it, all increases have been going down the drain. All proceeds from the increases have also been going down the drain. It is a pity.

Anyway, we always pray for Nigeria and it will survive all those leaders who do not care for the welfare of the common man.”

A resident of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, narrated his experience when he travelled from Ilorin

to Iluke-Bunu, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, Alhaji Funsho Aikore said.

“Obstinately, the driver headed towards Osi from Omu-Aran against the initial agreement that our journey to Iluke-Bunu should be through Otun-Omu-Aran road.

“For several years, commuters have abandoned the old IlorinKabba road because of what has been described as the terrible condition of that road. Travellers to

Kabba, Lokoja, Abuja or Okene now take Ekiti State route to get to their destinations.

“Lamentations started soon after Osi in Ekiti local council of Kwara State, but the worst was yet to come.

The short stretch between Eruku and Egbe both Kwara and Kogi communities leaves much to be desired. Our leaders should consider it a shame to for not pressing for the rehabilitation of this bad roads.”

•Benin-Ore Express Road

Fed Govt, Lagos move to settle rift on land ownership •Continued from Page 25

T

HERE are indications that the stalled housing development in the high brow and middle class areas of Lagos will soon be revived with the near resolution of the disagreement between the state and Federal Government.

There has been contention on whose domain resides the available land mass meant for construction and some of the abandoned housing projects.

The Federal Controller, Ministry of Lands, Housing, Urban Development, Lagos, Mr Temitope Olayinka Onaeko, explained that the problem of the state is land based because a larger percentage of it is on water. adding that land is the greatest resource of the state.

He said: “The Federal Government has between 60 and 70 per cent of landmass in Lagos State and this is the crux of disagreement between her and the state.

“There would have been increased housing development in the Lagos, especially from the massive empty plots in Ikoyi and Ikeja, but they have been stalled as the state has refused to issue development permits to developers and private sector operators engaged by the Federal Government to develop houses.”

He said: ‘’Though we have provided funding and the needed land for the earmarked projects, they cannot take-off because the state denied them approval plans, but very soon the gray areas will be sorted out.”

Onaeko said the government is trying to harness to the full benefit of the vacant housing estates previously occupied by federal civil servants in Satellite Town, Ikoyi and Ikeja GRA as a result of the monetisation

•1004 flats at Victoria Island, Lagos.

policy of government.

The Controller also disclosed that his ministry is also embarking on site and service scheme in Abesan, Epe, Ikorodu and Iyana-Ipaja to serve the low income earners.

However, he stressed that the government is looking beyond the land rift to collaborate with the state on Millenium Development Goals (MDG’s) in of water provision and street lightning.

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Ama

Pepple, said under the Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda and Vision 20:2020, the provision of accessible and affordable housing remains one of the strategic na-

tional imperatives for guaranteeing the well-being and productivity of the citizens and provides one of the most potent platforms for job creation.

‘Real estate development requires huge capital outlay and it is generally recognised that the government alone cannot tackle problem’

She said the government new line of thinking is to partner with the private sector in housing delivery due to the huge capital outlay.

She said: “Real estate development requires huge capital outlay and it is recognised that the government alone cannot tackle the problem. The government requires partnership with private practitioners in the real estate industry to create the necessary infrastructure at the desired scale. Therefore, the government at all levels, are expected to play the key role of facilitators.”

The Minister, who was represented by the Director, Architectural Services in the ministry, Mr Gidado Sani, said the government has opportunities in the sector and it encourages national, international and multi-nationals to avail themselves of them.

In furtherance of government’s policies to move the sector forward, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria(FMBN) was recapitalised to reposition it to meet the challenges of real estate with internal strategies that will make mortgage lending easy for citizens.

She reiterated that the government has strengthened its site and service scheme to develop infrastructure at different locations across the country to enhance suitable housing development through a well-planned environment to reduce urban sprawl, informal and haphazard housing construction, lacking in basic services.

She pledged the readiness of the government to pursue tirelessly the provision of housing to assist, especially the vulnerable sector of the economy and the poor who cannot on their build decent accommodation.

27

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

Many had thought the era of crude deployment of state’s coercive powers to muzzle opposing views and press freedom went with military rule. But last week’s siege on The Nation by security agents betrayed the nation’s unwillingness to break from the past. Lawyers said the arrest and detention of journalists in a democracy, without course to the law, is condemnable.

JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU, ERIC IKHILAE and JOSEPH JIBUEZE report.

W

HEN the Deputy Editor of The Nation, Mr Lawal Ogienagbon, received some policemen in his office last Tuesday, he thought it was a routine visit.

Few minutes later, he was told he was under arrest. He and some of his colleagues in Lagos and Abuja were later to become ‘guests’ of the government for two days.

Many had assumed that the return of democracy in 1999 would guarantee the people’s right to freedom of expression and right to hold opinion as enshrined in the Constitution. This assumption is strengthened by the belief that every democratic government must adhere to the tenets of the rule of law, and exhibit respect for judicial process in punishing any perceived infraction of legal provisions.

Everyone had thought that acts of arbitrariness and non-tolerance of dissenting views by government and its agents, taken to a ridiculous height under military rule, have been buried with the country’s gradual ap-

•Mr Ringim

Is the press under siege?

• Lawyers condemn attack on journalists preciation of democratic ethos, now over 12 years old.

These assumptions and thoughts were shattered last week when, acting on an alleged order from the Presidency, the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP), Mr H. Ringims, dispatched his men to apprehend all senior officials of The Nation newspaper. By the time the policemen left The Nation’s offices in Abuja and Lagos, the siege on the media house ended on October 11, four editors, two correspondents and theHead of Security were taken intocustody.

The development reawakened the people’s memory of their experiences under Generals Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and the late Sani Abacha. During their reigns, media practitioners were an endangered species. One literally signed his death warrant if his stories went against the government and its agents.

Under Buhari’s Decree 2, it didn’t matter even if what was published was true. To

show that it meant business, the Buhari government convicted two journalists, Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor, then of The Guardian newspaper and jailed them. They spent years in prison.

The government did not contest the veracity of the story they wrote. It merely held on to the claim that the report embarrassed it and some of is agents.

The pattern continued under the succeeding Babangida and Abacha regimes. Media houses were summarily shut down and practitioners apprehended and thrown into custody without being subjected to any from of trial.

With democracy, and particularly, with a president without military background, the reenactment of the crude deployment of raw state power against harmless journalists, as reflected in the recent attack on The Nation’s journalists, has left everyone in doubt as to whether the country will ever break from its unenviable past.

The attack on The Nation has continued to attract disdain and condemnation from individuals and corporate entities.

Lawyers, including the President, Nigerian Bar Association, Joseph Daudu (SAN); his predecessors, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), President, Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), Mrs. Boma Ozobia and a rights advocacy group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), among others, described it as barbaric and a needless deployment of state powers.

SERAP contended that the attack, intended to decapitate the fast-growing media house, was a brutal exhibition of state’s coercive powers. It said the development illustrates the government’s intolerance of critical views and its policy of attacking the media.

It argued that the action by the Nigeria government and its officials contravened its

•Judicial integrity at stake over investigation

•Continued on page 29

•Daudu, others hail judiciary reform - P.28 •Court voids charge against lawyer - P.31

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

28

LAW & DEVELOPMENT

•Uwais

•Agbakoba

•Daudu

•Akeredolu

Daudu, Agbakoba, others hail judiciary reform L AWYERS have hailed the 28-member committee set up by the Chief Justice of Nigeria Dahiru Musdapher, to reform the judiciary.

The high-powered team, headed by the former CJN, Muhammad Uwais, is made up of other former CJNs, former Presidents of the Court of Appeal, retired justices of the Supreme Court, retired and serving judges of the high court as well as senior members of the bar.

The panel is a fulfillment of Justice Musdapher’s September 19 promise at the Special Court session to commemorate this year’s legal year that he would carry out judiciary reforms.

President Goodluck Jonathan had also asked him to carry out reforms at his swearing-in.

The committee will suggest ways to restructure and reposition of the NJC, Federal Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Institute (NJI).

It will also recommend measures to address the quality and timeliness of the trial process, procedural inefficiencies, poor infrastructure, as well as poor conditions of service for judicial and non–judicial officers.

In addition, it will suggest ways to tackle the “declining intellectual quality and reasoning content of delivered judgments, corruption, as well as the effects of an unrestrained quest for political power which have served to disrupt the efficiency of the judiciary and damaged its perception by the public.”

Members of the committee include former CJNs S.M.A. Belgore, Idris L. Kutigi and A.I. Katsina-Alu; Mamman Nasir (former PCA), A.G. Karibi-Whyte, Mustapha Akanbi, Umaru Abdullahi (former PCA), Kayode Eso (Rtd. JSC), Umaru A. Kalgo (Rtd. JSC) Rose N. Ukeje (Former CJ, Federal High Court).

Others are Justice R.P.I. Bozimo, (Former Chief Judge, Delta State), Justice Lawal Hassan Gummi (Chief Judge, FCT), Joseph Daudu, SAN, (NBA President), Chief Richard O.Akinjide SAN (Former A-GF), Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, (Former A-GF), Dr. A.G.F. AbdulRazak, (SAN) and Anthony O. Mogboh, SAN. It also includes Former NBA Presidents; T.J.O. Okpoko, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), O.C.J. Okocha (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu (SAN) and Prince Lanke Odogiyan.

Other members are Hajiya Hairat Balogun, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, SAN, (Director-General, NIALS), Dr. Mamman Tahir (DirectorGeneral, Nigerian Law School) and Mr. A.B. Mahmud, (SAN).

Lawyers said the panel is a major step to reform the judiciary, which has suffered severe image crisis in recent times due to alleged corrupt practices by judicial officers and internal wrangling.

Other areas the committee is mandated to

By John Austin Unachukwu and Joseph Jibueze

look into include constitutional review of all superior courts of records as well as the lower courts. Justice Musdapher reiterated that the purpose of the reforms was to set out the judiciary on a path of renewal to restore the integrity and dignity of the judiciary to its pristine status.

The CJN gave the committee up till November 18, 2011 to complete its work and submit its recommendations. The recent crisis which Justice Musdapher inherited was unprecdented. It is the first time a President of the Court of President of Appeal would accuse a sitting CJN of interfering with the course of justice. Justice Salami had accused Katsina-Alu of attempting to influence justice in the appeal involving the Sokoto governorship election petition. Katsina-Alu, however, denied the allegation.

There were also counter allegation against Salami. This allegation and counter allegation raised public concern about the ability of the judiciary to dispense justice. Confidence in the judiciary also waned.

This much was acknowledged by Musdapher, who immediately promised to do something to reverse the trend. The judiciary reform committee is believed to be his solu-

tion to the problem.

Daudu said such a panel had long been expected. “That is what we have been calling for. It is a vindication for the NBA because we really need reforms for two reasons. We need reforms because of the way things have gone; we also need reforms because the world is moving ahead and we need to move with it.”

Agbakoba (SAN) described the reform panel as “a very wonderful thing.” He added: “It is not just a Salami and Katsina- Alu matter. It is the complete breakdown of judicial institutions that we are going to fix. This is going to be the most fundamental reform in the history of the judiciary.

“The clarity of vision, the sense of perception, the sense of urgency which the CJN brought inspires us to believe that he is truly interested in the massive reform of the judiciary.

“The CJN made a statement which really touched me when he said that Nigerians who we represent have no confidence in us. Nigerians have lost confidence in the judiciary to perform its statutory functions.

“Cases take forever to end in our courts.

People, who go to court to seek redress, come out frustrated. How can we deal with over 50,000 cases pending in Nigerian Courts?

How can we reduce the lifespan of cases from

10 years in Federal High Courts, 20 years in the Supreme court and so on?

“We have to look at the impediments that hinder the smooth movement of cases in our Courts. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has just declared 24 hours service in Nigerian ports.

What stops us from doing so in the courts?

The Courts, which at present close at 4pm everyday now can also work for 24 hours.

At presently, it means that the judiciary looses 24 hours everyday. Imagine the speed with which we shall move if we operate 24 hours service. You can file your processes at 4pm via electronic filling process.

“Nothing stops each law firm from getting electronic pay card because the registration can be done 24 hours. Nothing stops us from evolving a more objective way of assigning cases in our courts. At present, the Federal High Court assigns cases on Thursdays, but why can’t the cases be assigned as soon as they are filed such that if I file my case on Friday, by Monday morning I already know where it is going?”

Akeredolu said: “I think that it is the best thing to happen to the country because the CJN took the right position.

“From the first day I became the President of the Bar, I started saying that we need reform, but the then CJN did not see the need.

I believe that we shall come out better after the deliberations.”

Who is who on the panel JUSTICE Uwais was appointed by the late President Umar Yar’Adua as chairman of the Electoral Review Committee. His committee made far reaching recommendations for the reform of the electoral system. He was Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

Belgore Justice SMA Belgore took over from Uwais as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Although his tenure as CJN was short, he made great strides towards stabilising the judiciary.

Kutigi Justice Idris Kutigi succeeded Belgore as CJN. His tenure came to an end in December 2009 when the then President, Yar’Adua was away on medical ground. He is remembered as the only CJN who swore in his successor in office. CJNs are usually sworn in by the President of the country.

Katsina-Alu Justice Katsina-Alu is the immediate past CJN. His tenure was embroiled in controversies some of which may have resulted in the reasons for which this reform committee was set up. Under his watch, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami was sus-

pended.

Nasir Justice Maman Nasir is a former President of the Court of Appeal. While in office, he was concerned about training of judges and facilitated the establishment of the National Judicial Institute, the institution responsible for training not only judges but all judiciary staff. He handed over to Justice Mustapha Akanbi as president of the Court of Appeal.

Karibi-Whyte Justice Adolphus Godwin Karibi-Whyte is one of the foremost judicial titans ever to grace the Nigerian judicial landscape.

He was once chair of a Constitutional Conference in Abuja. He retired from the Supreme Court on 29th January, 2002 when he clocked 70.

Akanbi Justice Mustapha Akanbi retired as President of the Court of Appeal. While on retirement, he was appointed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). After holding office for five years, Akanbi declined a fresh offer.

Abdullahi Justice Umaru Abdullahi took over from Akanbi as President of the Court of Appeal.

He was the chairman of the NJC committee that investigated allegation of corruption against Salami and Katsina-Alu.

Eso Justice Kayode Eso, a retired justice of the Supreme Court, is reputed as the father of judicial activism in Nigeria because of his boldness in dealing with issues. He is regarded as one of the greatest analytical minds that ever sat on the apex court in Nigeria.

Kalgo Justice Umaru A. Kalgo, CON, is a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Chairman, of the Law Reform Commission of Nigeria.

He rejected an offer to be appointed as the Chairman of the ICPC after the retirement of Justice Emmanuel Ayoola.

Ukeje Justice Roseline Ukeje, OFR, retired as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

Under her watch, the headquarters of the Federal High Court in Abuja was built.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

29

LAW COVER CONT’D

Is the press under siege?

•Continued from page 27

international legal obligations, including those under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a signatory.

The group further contended that the unlawful arrest, intimidation and harassment of innocent journalists violates Section 22 of the Constitution (as amended), which requires the Press to hold the government accountable to the people.

SERAP’s position is contained in its petition to Commissioner and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Ms Pansy Tlakula.

It argued that the government’s resort to brute force against journalists undermines and limits the citizens’ right to freedom of opinion and expression; including the right to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

According to SERAP, the guarantee of freedom of expression applies with particular force to the media. It noted that without press freedom, it is much easier for the government to take away other human rights and perpetrate official and large-scale corruption.

“Indeed, the right to freedom of expression and peoples’ right to seek and receive information cannot be meaningful unless the media plays its key role in a democratic society without political interference or influence.

“States are required not only to refrain from interfering with rights but also take positive steps to ensure that rights, including freedom of expression, are respected. In effect, governments are under an obligation to create an environment in which a diverse, independent media can flourish, thereby satisfying the public’s right to know, SERAP said in the petition.

Daudu said despite the intention of the security agents and their sponsors, the manner of arrest and detention of these journalists was condemnable.

“One has not heard from those who initiated the arrests and the subsequent detention. But all we can say now is that the action is condemnable and gives one a sense of ill feeling and disappointment. It makes one feel that we are returning to the era when government was intolerant of the press, especially those perceived to be in opposition.

“We are responding now with a caveat until we get the full details. But if it was done because somebody somewhere feels that the letter shouldn’t have been published, then we will come out with a full statement, “he said.

Agbakoba condemned the police action totally. He said: “It is highly regrettable that, at this time and age, the Nigeria Police still carry on as if they are in the 18th century.

•Boma

“This is just a simple matter between The Nation and an individual. If that individual feels that his right is infringed, he should go to court. I still do not understand the place and why the police should be involved in this whole matter.

“I should be very shocked as to why editors will be arrested in this day and age simply for doing their work. It certainly doesn’t speak well for our stature as a leading democracy.”

To Akeredolu, the arrests and detention of the journalists is a very unfortunate development.

His words:“I think it amounts to overzealousness on the part of the Nigeria Police. I believe that there is something that the police did not do well.”

The arrest is an act of intimidation meant to frighten away the press from performing its responsibility of informing the public, said Emeka Ngige (SAN).

“I think the arrest is condemnable. It’s a reminder of the sad days of military rule.

The security agents, instead of resorting to crude ways of doing things, could have simply invited the editors for questioning and they will honour it.

“What happened is simply an act of intimidation of the press, which, like others in the past, will fail. These editors should be charged to court if any offence has been committed by them,” he said.

Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) said the struggle against assault on the press is a collective fight. “Many people would have been forgotten by now if not for the press,” he said, adding: “I don’t know when it became a crime for a media organisation to publish a letter written to a public figure. If allegations were made against him (Obasanjo) and he thinks the allegations are false, he should go to court. He has the right to exercise his fundamental human right under the Constitution. We thought we have gone past that stage.

“As I speak with you, public officers are not speaking against the arrest. They have forgotten that they might become victims tomorrow. Most of the people enjoying public offices never knew what we went through

•Akintola

•Ngige

for us to have democracy. So, it is convenient for them to gloss over the suffering of fellow citizens.

“But some of us know the implication of keeping quiet in the face of tyranny, that is why we are condemning what is being done.

If they have committed any offence; go to court. When did it become the norm that the police have to act at the behest of any expublic officer?

“Is Ota farm now an extension of the office of the President or IGP? We have so many former presidents in the United States; you hardly hear of them after leaving office, they keep a low profile. But the reverse is the case in Nigeria. At every point in time our former leaders keep disturbing our peace. They keep on heating the polity.

“I pity all those public officers who are keeping quiet in the face of this. They will need the same press they are disparaging now when they are in trouble. I remember a number of former governors who have had cause to go to court to seek for protection against the same state they had earlier ruled.

“Our leaders don’t just learn because they don’t read. They don’t read about the past experiences of some people. When it is convenient for them, they disparage the press, they disparage the judiciary,” Akintola said.

On the matter, Yusuf Ali (SAN) said although the police have a right to arrest anyone suspected to have committed an offence, they must state why the editors were taken into custody.

“The general power of the police to arrest under the Police Act is premised on reasonable suspicion of the commission of a felony or an offence. I would want to believe that the police acted within the law.

“The onus is on the police to tell the world the offence(s) of the gentlemen,” Ali said.

A former NBA General Secretary, Lawal Rabiu Rabana, said: “The arrest and detention of the journalists came to us as a surprise. If we really practise democracy and the rule of law, that sort of thing should not happen at all.

“If there is a publication that is seditious,

the law provides how to go about it, not this gestapo approach.

“No, this approach was not right at all.

But, I think that the message has been sent, that Nigerians will not tolerate any breach of the rule of law, arm twisting of people and disregard for fundamental human rights.

I am happy with the public outcry that has trailed the action,” he said.

For Kemi Pinhero (SAN), expressed the hope that the development does not amount to ominous signs that the country is descending into a police state.

A former Chairman of NBA, Lagos Branch, Chijioke Okoli, described the arrests as an attack on free speech, saying: “I condemn the arrests in their entirety as an unconstitutional attack on free speech and personal liberty, which are parts of the democratic infrastructure.”

To Mr Nurudeen Ogbara, a former Chairman, NBA, Ikorodu Branch: “The arrest of the four editors of The Nation is a sad reminder of the yesteryears of military dictatorship in Nigeria and it signifies a descent into autocracy and dictatorship.

“The Goodluck Jonathan administration is not only lawless, it is also anti-people and a disappointment given the enormous goodwill that all Nigerians lavished on the President in the last election.”

Mrs. Ozobia said she received the news of the arrest and detention of these journalists with incredulity and, eventually, sadness.

“There are extremely rare occasions where the arrest and detention of a journalist (for publishing an article or other material in the course of his duty) might arguably be justified, but this, from the facts reported to date, certainly fell far short of the stringent criteria applicable in such circumstances.

“It is unacceptable and I would encourage those who have been arbitrarily detained in this manner to seek full recompense in accordance with the laws of Nigeria. This will hopefully prevent further impunity and the undermining of the rule of law in Nigeria,” she added.

Client sued over unpaid professional fee

A

LAGOS based lawyer, Oje Alexander Uzebu, has urged the state’s High Court to enter judgment against one of his clients, Senator Levi Ikwuagwu Nwokeafor, for allegedly failing to raise a formidable defence in a suit he brought against the client.

Uzebu’s prayer is contained in an application he filed before Justice Lateef LawalAkapo, seeking summary judgment against Nwokeafor on the ground that the defence he (Nwokeafor) filed to the substantive suit “is evasive and unreliable.

The lawyer, is by the substantive suit, seeking to recover a purported legal fee estimated at N32 million allegedly owed him by Nwokeafor.

In his statement of claim, stated that he was in 2006 engaged by Nwokeafor to act as a lead counsel in a case of conspiracy, stealing and money laundering involving one Madam Nancy Nwosu, who was arrested and held in

By Eric Ikhilae

the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He averred that at a meeting held with Nwokeafor and another lawyer, Praise George, who was engaged from Port Harcourt, it was agreed that he lead the legal team to defend Madam Nwosu against the charges of stealing and laundering N102 million.

Uzebu said after the meeting, he accepted the brief and ensured the release of the said Nwosu from the EFCC custody. He averred that upon information from Madam Nwosu’s family that the EFCC had invited some other people, and that he should be involved in their defence, he gave a bill of N32 million which the family agreed to pay.

“At a meeting on August 19, 2006 at Eko Hotel, the family member of the suspects, in the presence of Hon Kio Tams, approved the

bill of charges for payment,” he said. He added that N3million and $30,000 were later disbursed to them in the presence of Tams, leaving a balance of N29million.

He averred that he ensured that all those held and interrogated by the EFCC over the case, including Hannah Offor, Godwill Oba, Innocent Oba, Uche Isekwe and Chief Akuro George were released.

Uzebu said the EFCC later informed him, via a letter that it had decided to put on hold, the prosecution of the suspects and also returned the confiscated money to the owner, the defendant, Senator Nwokeafor has failed to pay his balance which parties agreed that he keep in trust pending the conclusion of the case.

He prayed the court to among others, order Senator Nwokeafor to pay him N32 being the legal fees fro services he rendered; a declaration that the N32 represented the legal fees which was kept with the defendant on trust

are the professional fees of the claimant in respect of allegation of stealing and laundering case for which he was engaged.

In his statement of defence, Nwokeafor denied the claimant’s allegations, stating that he never engaged Uzebu for the said case. He admitted that Uzebu was a lawyer to his company, Stelins Company Nigeria Limited in a case pending before the state’s High Court.

He also denied receiving money in trust as claimed by Uzebu, stating that he, not being a lawyer, could not receive any legal fees meant for the claimant.

Nwokeafor said the money and cheques he received were received in the ordinary course of his business and for sundry transactions as a businessman.

He prayed the court to dismiss the suit with substantial cost because the suit was “misconceived, harassing, vexatious, gold digging, blackmailing and abuse of court process.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

30

LAW & SOCIETY JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU was among the The Nation’s journalists arrested by the police last week. The manner of the arrests has been widely condemned. For those arrested, it was an experience in a police cell. Unachukwu recalls his experience.

Journey to Kalakuta Republic

O

N Tuesday, October 13, 2011, about 1.30 p.m, I was in my office at the corporate headquarters of Vintage Press Limited (VPL), publishers of The Nation in Lagos, when I heard people running helter skelter and there was an unusual noise, almost a pandemonium in the premises.

As a pondered to find out what the was happening, I started getting frantic calls from colleagues who had assembled in front of our head office building.

They asked me to meet them at the office gate immediately, that there was an emergency situation at hand. In fact, I received more than 20 calls in less than two minutes.

So, I hurriedly went to the gate and on getting there, I saw my colleagues, Deputy Editor, Lawal Ogienagbon, News Coordinator, weekend titles, Dapo Olufalade, Labour Correspondent (Mama Labour), Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu and our Chief Security Officer (CSO) Babajide Adegbenjo in a car with a security man in front.

I also saw CSP Emma Ogolo moving up and down the main gate vicinity, and another armed mobile policeman, with three other plain clothes security men in a 504 Peugeot saloon car outside the office gate.

I approached Ogolo and inquired who they were and where they came from. He just told me that they are from the Nigeria Police Force.

I asked the reason for their visit and consequent arrest, he told me that this would be made known to them at the station when they got there.

I asked of the warrant of arrest, he said that it would be shown to them at the station. So, at this point, I became worried and curious about the whole thing But being a lawyer and one of the Senior Staff members of the organisation on ground, I asked him if I could go with them to know where they were taking my colleagues to and for me to make sure that due process and the rule of law are complied with in dealing with them.

He obliged me and said that there was no problem with that. I went to join my colleagues in their car. They said there was no space. I went to plead with the security agents in the Peugeot car to allow me to ride with them so that I could come back to the office with my colleagues in their car after the visit, not knowing that all of us would not come back together in the same car.

They allowed me to ride with them to Force Criminal Investigation Department, (FCID), Alagbon.

At Alagbon, Ogolo and his colleagues took us upstairs and handed us over to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) incharge of the station, DCP Ibrahim, who received warmly, offered us seats. Then, I introduced myself to him as a legal practitioner with the company. I also explained the reason for my presence there to him and he said: ‘’Lawyer, sit down, you’re welcome’’.

Then, he told us that the arrest was in respect of a letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan, which was published in The Nation a week before; that they wanted us to produce the letter, or say what we knew about it.

He gave us a sheet of paper to write down our names. This was passed over to me to put down min. I told him that I am a lawyer, that I was neither arrested nor I invited to the station by the police.

He said: “Lawyer write down your name.

There is no problem. Are you not an employee of the company?’’ I said yes. So, I wrote down my name as the fifth person. He asked his men led by Ogolo to take us down to their office.

There, Ogolo cautioned us, gave us statement papers to make statements about the story and what we knew about the letter in question.

I protested and refused to make any statement. I told them that I am a legal practitioner, that I was neither arrested nor invited by the police, that I voluntarily came to the station to make sure that my colleagues who

were arrested were fairly and legally treated.

It was while we were debating and arguing this that DCP Ibrahim came down, excused Lawal and they left. While I was raising the issue of writing a statement with them , the VPL Legal Adviser, Mr Adeleke Adeyemo came in with his partner, Mr Adedayo Adeyemo.

They swiftly went into action to secure our bail, but the Police authorities refused to oblige them. While they were on this course of action, Lagos lawyer and Civil Society activist, Mr Femi Falana came in. He also made frantic efforts to secure our bail, but the Police did not agree to let us go.

We later heard that Lawal was taken to Abuja that evening.

When my colleagues finished making statements, we were all taken to the counter, the officer on duty received us, and asked to declare our possessions He also requested us to remove our shoes, belts, etc and declare them.The police insisted that they must detain me alongside my colleagues.

So, after declaring everything in our possession, we were taken to the cell guard who received us, registered us and distributed us to various cells.

Dapo and Jide were taken to one cell, I was taken to Kalakuta and Dupe was taken to female cell.

In Kalakula, I was surrounded by the inmates immediately I entered the cell.

One of them said to me: “Welcome to Kalakuta, this is a different world. We cook our food here, we have our laws, we have our own rules, the laws and rules of Nigeria do not apply to us.

Here we have our own President. This is our President. And I said: “Good evening, Mr President.” The President responded and said: “Yes, Mr man, who are you and why are you here?”

I told him my name and that I am a lawyer working with... He didn’t wait to hear the complete story and screamed: “Lawyer?

What brought you here lawyer? As I was about to answer, one of the inmates dealt a very heavy slap to the wall beside me, folded his fist, and charged menacingly towards me, probably to land a corresponding slap or blow my check, but the President told him to stop it and hold on, that this man is a lawyer.

Then the President turned towards me and said: “Mr lawyer, continue with your story, why you are here? I told them why I was there and they condemned Obasanjo and wondered why President Jonathan should remain a tool in Obasanjo’s hands, collaborating with him to harass innocent journalists.”

He continued: “Lawyer now you’re here what did you bring for us? What do you have for the boys?” I told them that I had no money with me then, because I did not contemplate that I would be detained by anybody for doing nothing. I also told them that the story in question was written by our Abuja correspondent and it has the name of writer on it.

Also, that the writer had honoured police invitation for him to report at Force CID Headquarters, Abuja. `At this point, the cell president said: “Lawyer, we are serious here o, we are respecting you because of your profession. Drop whatever you have here for everybody to see.”

However, I made a pledge to reach out and find something for them after my release. I also volunteered to assist their lawyers to expedite action on their cases and to offer

•Falana

•Adeyemo

them (Probono) free legal advice during the period of my detention.

At this point, the president directed the orderly on duty to conduct me round the cell.

The man took me round the detention cell with a candle light because there was no light.

He first took me to the conveniences, the gents and showed me where to ease myself anytime I was pressed. He showed the available rooms with different prices from N5,000, N10,000, N20,000, N40,000 and N50,000.

I told him that I liked the N50,000 room, but I didn’t have the money to fund it. I told them that I was not even in the mood to sleep at all. So, they could keep me in the corridor, or any room of their choice.

He took me back to the president and narrated my discussions with him and the president said, “No problem, lawyer, sit down.”

I sat down and they began to ask me legal questions about their cases, I advised them on how the cases would go and what is going to be the likely outcome of some of their cases.

After a while, I started dozing and the President directed the guard to take me to a room to sleep.

The guard took me to a dingy dark cell with two small mattress of the floor. One had a bed sheet on it while the other one did not .

He told me to lie down and sleep in either of the two. He told me that was Fela’s room when he was detained there and that is why they call the cell Kalakuta Republic.

I thanked him and laid down on the floor.

In the morning, about 5.30, the inmates made call for prayers. When they did not see me, they came for me and I joined them in morning devotion.

After taking some inspiring songs, the pastor ministered the word of God and exhorted every inmate to be optimistic, that God will do it again in our lives.

Later, the inmates went for their respective duties; some were sweeping, others washed plates and yet others went to tidy up the gents.

Some of us who were just new were left idle, I sat with the President on the table, attended to his legal needs and other in-

mates who wanted some legal opinions about their cases came and obtained such advice from me free.

While this was going on, the cell keepers came, took roll call of the inmates including myself and left.

At 10.00 a.m. , Ogolo and his team invited me to the office and requested me to make my statement to enable them to complete their documentation processes and since the police had detained me despite my refusal to make statement the previous day, I decided to write the statement.

Later, food vendors to bring food for me.

They brought the food and I ate it before returning to the cell.

We were there talking and playing whot when the they brought a cooler of beans, when they opened the cooler, the beans were swimming in water and they called it Jonathan’s food.

The inmates collected the cooler, kept it with them and after some time, they started dishing the beans among themselves.

About 3 p.m. the police came for me again. They asked me to join them in a car.

They did not disclose our mission, but only said that we would be back soon when I insisted on making a call to my wife and office, to let them know that I have been moved out to an unknown destination.

However, the Police did not allow us to collect our cell phones and other possessions from the counter.

On the way, they directed that we take them to our respective homes, Mrs. OlaoyeOsinkolu and I. We took them, woman Inspector Mojisola Kelani and Sgt Amaechi Augustine, to our respective homes where they ransacked everywhere looking for Obansajo’s letter to Jonathan, but they did not find anything incriminating on us.

As we left for the search, they took Dapo to the corporate Headquarters of my company at Fatai Atere, Lagos to search for the same letter, but they could not find it.

As we returned from the search late in the evening, we were told to get our people to take us on bail. And within five minutes, Mr Adeyemo, Legal Adviser to Vintage Press Limited came in with Adedayo Adeyemo. They signed our bail bonds and we were released on bail to Jude Isiguzo and Eric Ikhilae, Police Affairs Correspondent and Judicial Correspondent of The Nation .

We were asked to report to the station on Thursday by noon with sureties, but when we got there, we were asked to go home and report to the station anytime we be invited. It was, indeed, a horrible experience. But it was good to breathe the air of freedom again.

‘The guard took me to a dingy dark cell with two small mattress on the floor. One had a bed sheet on it while the other did not. He told me to lie down and sleep in either of the two. He told me that was Fela’s room when he was detained there and that is why they call the cell Kalakuta Republic’

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

31

FROM THE COURT

Lagos Attorney-General seeks review of estate administration law

L

AGOS Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye has called for a review of the state’s AdministratorGeneral and Public Trustee (AG/ PT) Law (Caps A4 and P27, 2003) to reflect modern day realities.

The law empowers the administrator-general to manage the estate of a deceased person.

Ipaye, who spoke at a stakeholders’ workshop on “Administration of Estates and Trusts: Challenges and Way Forward,” said the law deserves a comprehensive review because “it has been there for long.”

The workshop was the third in the series organised by the ministry.

The commissioner said the public has to know about the rules of estate administration. “Anyone who feels not well-treated challenges the person administering the estate, so we must expose the rules by which we operate. We must also be seen to be acting in line with laid down rules,” he said.

“Parties to an estate need a new orientation, a wider viewpoint, that there are other beneficiaries who have rights.”

Lagos Administrator-General,

By Joseph Jibueze

Mrs C. O. Odumosu said challenges facing her office include the uncooperative attitude of Probate Registry personnel resulting in delayed responses to enquiries; non-implementation of the Administration of Estates (Small Estate Payments Exemption) Law 2005 and hostile attitude of beneficiaries.

She also identified lack of awareness of the law and cultural differences as challenges, and called for an amendment of the AG/PT Law to accommodate differences in religious beliefs.

Odumosu said: “A challenge is the non-recognition of Islamic inheritance law in the provision of the AG/PT law.

In instances where a devout Muslim dies intestate, there is bound to be a conflict as to the applicability of the law as it is now, with the religious beliefs of the beneficiaries.”

Other speakers included SolicitorGeneral and Permanent Secretary, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN); professors of law, Itse Sagay (SAN) and Bolaji Owasanoye; Justice Elfreda WilliamsDawodu, Justice Lateefat Folami, Managing Director, First Trustees, Mr Olumide Oduntan, among others.

They agreed that there is need for sensitisation of members of the public on the roles and functions of the Office of Administrator-General and Public Trustee.

Speakers called for capacity building of the members of staff and introduction of a service manual to guide the operations of the office of AG/PT. It was also suggested that if possible, the Office of AG/PT should be detached from the Ministry of Justice and to ensure it fulfills its autonomy granted to it by the law.

The need to establish sub-offices in different localities in the state to enable citizens have access to the office was also identified, was well as the re-engineering of the legal and procedural framework of the Office of AG/ PT maximise and unlock its revenue potentials for the state’s benefit.

Smooth interface among the Probate Registry, AG/PT, land registry; and enhancement of dispute resolution functions of the AG & PT, were also suggested.

•Mr Ipaye (left) and Mr Pedro (SAN)

Court voids charge against lawyer

R

EPRIEVE has come the way of a lawyer, Emmmanuel Achukwu as the Court of Appeal in Lagos quashed a charge brought against him by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

The court, in a judgment read by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, faulted the refusal of trial judge, Justice Pat Ajoku of the Federal High Court, Lagos, to uphold Achukwu’s objection to the charge on ground on incompetence.

The AGF had, in 2009, charged Achukwu with forgery, fraud and alteration. He was accused of swindling two foreign firms - Arkville and Marbach Global Trading Company - of N314 million.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and challenged the competence of the charge and urged the court to quash it on the grounds that the prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case against him, and that he committed no offence known to law.

The trial judge, in a ruling, held in favour of the prosecution, stating that the accused person raised his objection late, having pleaded to the charge. She held that Achukwu’s objection to the charge was not raised on time as required under section 167 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA).

Achukwu appealed the trial court’s decision. He raised two issues for the court’s determination and argued that the lower court erred when it held that his objection was belated.

He contended that his objection was not to any formal defect on the face of the charge, as envisaged by Sec-

By Eric Ikhilae

tion 167 of CPA, but a substantial objection which touched on the court’s jurisdiction to try him when the proof of evidence provided by the prosecution failed to support the charges brought against him.

He prayed the appellate court to set aside justice Ajoku’s ruling of May 10, 2010 and quash the charge against him on the ground that the proof of evidence failed to disclose any prima facie case against him. The prosecution failed to file any response to the appellant’s appeal despite proof that it was served.

In its judgment, the appellate court upheld Achukwu’s arguments. It consequently set aside the May 10, 2010 ruling by the lower court and proceeded to quash the charge for being incompetent.

“The trial court veered off the complaint before it by not restricting itself to the objection and the supporting affidavit and documents annexed thereto, but was in my view, erroneously influenced by the counter affidavit and annextures thereto to hold that it was belated and incompetent.

“I am inclined to and do resolve issue number one in favour of the appellant in holding that the trial judge was wrong in holding that the application was incompetent and belated. The application was timeous and well founded as rightly contended by the appellant’s counsel,” the court held.

On the second issue, the appellate court held that the trail court erred when it refused to consider the appellant’s objection to the charge on the ground that the appellant’s lawyer forgot to raise the objection when the charge was being read.

“I should think the plea did not prejudice the consideration of the application as filed as it was not a plea of guilty. If it were, the argument on waiver of the objection might have caught up with the accused/appellant.

“The reason proffered by the trial judge is simplistic, diversionary and a resort to technicality intended to lead to miscarriage of justice by shutting out the accused from the consideration of his motion on merit,” the court said.

It held that the trial judge, having earlier found that there was no competent proof of evidence before the court, ought to have proceeded to quash the charge because there could be no reasonable cause of action disclosed when there was no proof of evidence.

“As a retrial would be prejudicial, oppressive and serve no useful purpose, I do hereby enter an order quashing all the counts framed against the appellant as no prima facie case has been disclosed to warrant the continuation of the said trial.

“Charge number FHC/L/ 320c/2008 against the appellant pending at the Federal High Court, Lagos is accordingly quashed and the appellant is discharged,” the court held.

Other justices on the panel, Justices Clara Bata Ogunbiyi and Hussein Mukhtar agreed with the decision in the lead judgment read by Justice Danjuma.

LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

with gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com

Police and fundamental human rights

I

T is increasingly becoming evident that the greatest challenge facing the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is poor appreciation of their constitutional powers. I had thought it was poor remuneration and structural defects, and I had always advocated for a radical change in institutional structure and funding. But it appears a bigger challenge is the crisis of confidence arising from an institutional misreading of the lawful responsibilities of this important structure, upon which law and order in a modern society is built.

The invasion by the police of the Abuja and Lagos offices of The Vintage Press, publishers of The Nation Newspaper, without anybody or authority taking responsibility for prompting them, is a lesson the police must take to heart, with all sense of responsibility. In the face of official hedging as to who was responsible for the invasion of the newspaper house; shouldn’t the newspaper house and the editors whose rights have been fragrantly infringed upon, sue the Police chiefs and officers in their personal capacity?

How would the officers be able to pay if the court as it ought to, awards punitive and aggravated damages against them in their personal capacities for the abuse of power? Each time I see our policemen and women acting unlawfully at the behest of a complainant, I wonder whether being the first to report an incident is a confirmation of the rightness of cause. Experience shows that when the police are not acting at the behest of the person who reported a matter, they act for the person who throws more weight or resources around; with scant regard to an independent opinion after a rigorous investigation.

The police easily forget Section 214(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which provides: ‘subject to the provision of this constitution – the members of the NPF shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred upon them by law’ (emphasis mine). So, when a police officer acts ultra vires his powers, such officer is clearly on his own, and the courts should be guided to deal with the person as such. To pretend that when a former President of Nigeria as alleged in The Nation’s case reports an alleged infringement of his rights against a fellow citizen, the police should assume a licence to go hay wire is an affront to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and until similar mix up are discerned and appropriately sanctioned, the abuses will not stop.

For the avoidance of doubt, the general duty of the police is provided in Section 4 of the Police Act, chapter P19, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to wit: “the police shall be employed for the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged, and shall perform such military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them by, or under the authority of this or any other act.”

In invading the Nation Newspaper, and arresting members of staff, the police spokesman, Olusola Amore, was reported in the press to have justified the arrest, based on a ‘criminal complaint’ by an unnamed Nigeria. The senior police officer apparently has given little or no time to study and appreciate the provisions of the law, particularly the fundamental rights as provided in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended. He also exhibited poor appreciation of what constitutes an offence under the law.

He and his colleagues showed the urgent need for an institutional reorientation programme on fundamental human rights as provided in chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution as amended. They showed ignorance on the supremacy of the constitution. They needed a lesson that an arbitrary arrest and undue detention constitutes an abuse of Section 34(a) of the constitution, which provides that: “no person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment”. Also that it offends Section 35(1)(3)(4) and (5) of the constitution, dealing with right to personal liberty, notification in writing of the facts and grounds for an arrest, and access to court within a reasonable time.

In arresting the editors and staff, the police officers flagrantly dealt a blow to natural justice, encapsulated in section 36 of the constitution, to wit: the right to fair hearing. For if, according to the police spokesman, there was a criminal complaint by one party, should that abrogate the natural right of hearing from the other party, before coming to the opinion that such was indeed the case, as shown by their conduct in invading the premises and arresting ‘the perceived offender’.

Again by allowing themselves to be used to settle an alleged ‘criminal complaint’ by one person, the police authority have unwittingly offended the rights of several other Nigerians desirous of receiving the information imparted by The Nation newspaper, as provided in section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, to wit, the right to freedom of expression and the press, that: “every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impact ideas and information without interference”.

To mitigate the abuse of the rights of the newspaper, the arrested individuals and the reading public, the police authority should offer an unresolved public apology and pay adequate compensation to Vintage Press, Barrister John Austin Unachukwu and his colleagues. Again the police must henceforth show publicly that it has learnt its lessons, and must educate their officers to resist the temptation to act as the private army of the privileged few.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

32

LEGAL OPINION

Sexual minorities, law and cultural heritage in Africa “B

EFORE now, I got jealous when I heared or saw my wife speaking/discussing with her male workmate(s).

But now, I get more jealous and anxious when I hear her (my wife) speak or discuss intensely with her fellow female workmate on the phone or physically; because the kind of society we find ourselves is raising such suspicion” -Anonymous SEXUAL Minorities is the term used to describe a group whose sexual identity, orientation or practice differ from the generally accepted practice in the society. This group is often though not without bias referred to as the Perverts . They are often grouped and called the LGBTI’s….(Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals,Transgender and Intersex).

While lesbians and gay men are attracted to members of their own sex, bisexualism exists when the attraction involves persons of both sexes. Transgender is used as an umbrella term to describe individuals that do not conform to the gender role expectations of their biological sex. It encompasses people who seek sex reassignment, sometimes involving hormones or surgery, to bring their physical characteristics into conformity with their gender identity. To be a transgendered is to have a persistent belief that one is trapped in the body of the wrong gender.

They are also called transsexual. Intersex portrays a person who possesses male and female sexual characteristics. That is Hermaphrodites.

Speaking for purposes of human rights law, the sexual minorities are described as those under some contemporary legal framework are being discriminated upon on the basis of their sexual orientation, attractions and practices. A learned Professor of law, JAMES D. WILETS, in his scholarly exposition moved further to describe these people to include “all individuals who have traditionally been distinguished by the society because of their sexual orientation, inclination, behavior or gender identity”. To follow the later definition will give our discussion here an unending voyage of discoveries, hence we shall for all intent and purpose limit our mind to the LGBTI’s and their legal shield in our present day African society. But in any case, the question that attracts attention of individuals, groups, governmental and non-governmental organizations, Nigerians, Africans at large is the determination of the extent the rights of the above persons are being observed and protected in the African society.

Now, ARTICLE 1 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights {ACHPR} Provides as follows: “The member states of the Organisation of African Unity parties to the present Charter shall recognize the rights, duties and freedoms enshrined in this Charter and shall undertake to adopt legislative or other measures to give effect to them” ARTICLE 2 of the same Charter further Provides: “Every individual shall be entitled to the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms recognized and guaranteed under the present Charter without distinction of any kind such as race, ethnic group, colour, sex, language, religion, political or any other opinion, national and social origin, fortune, birth or other status” An analytical perusal of the above statutory injunctions are predicated upon the age long premise that human beings are endowed with certain inalienable rights by virtue of being human; but the question that calls for attention in this social context therefore is to determine whether in the light of the above piece of legislation, the sexual minorities’ rights are being promoted and protected in Africa. Though the drafters of the instrument do not in the process expressly mention the term “sexual minorities”….and bearing in mind the trite rule of construction in statutes that “where wording of a statute is clear and unambiguous, it is not for us to import or infer what we think it suggests, and therefore the words should be construed in its plain usage”. This is a prominent rule of legislation.

It is against this background that the protagonists of rights of the Sexual Minorities’ have argued that the inclusion of the word “or other status” as used at the end of the article connotes or by implication, suggests that the sexual minorities could come under the categories of person{s} referred to in the provisions. Better still, the expression , “ev-

By Ikenna Ukam

ery individual” as used goes without qualification. Therefore everyone irrespective of class or creed is entitled to equal protection of the law Well, giving this an objective assessment, one cannot believe God said: ‘I will punish you because you are a man, you ought to have been a woman.’ I can’t believe God said: ‘I will punish you because you are black, you ought to have been white;’ I can’t believe God said: ‘I will punish you because you are homosexual, you ought to have been heterosexual.’ This position is impliedly a re-emphasis on the meaning of love and accommodation. The biblical injunction “love one another….” connotes an unqualified love towards everyone regardless of whom the person is.

It has been posited in the same vein that the debate about homosexuality is not a religious argument (because neither Bible nor Koran is a universally accepted constitution) because religion itself is well known to be dogmatic.

But studying this state of affair in our traditional African setting, the question that usually comes to mind is: Are the perverts mentally unwell? The answer is in the negative. They are not mentally unwell, but taking together the evidence around us closely supports the position that the social stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and violence associated with them not having a heterosexual orientation coupled with the hostile/stressful social environments created thereby affects their psychological, physical, social and economic well-being.

Psychologically, sexuality as we all know is a central aspect of being human, it exists throughout the lifespan – it encompasses sex, gender identity and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. It is influenced by biology, interactions, economic system, psychology, cultural, legal, religion and spiritual factors/history – it is experienced and expressed in thoughts, sex and gender practices, desires, behaviours and roles. The debate whether sexuality such as homosexual is as a result of genetic predisposition or as a result of social orientation remains unsettled. Some believe that sexual orientation may be determined before birth but expression may be influence by social norms in the society. Sexual practices differ from society to society. But enquiring what makes a person a gay or lesbian, there is a developing body of evidence which suggests that homosexuality is the result of a complex interaction of genetic influences, and hormonal influences in utero. It suggests that homosexuality is not to an extent a choice, and it’s not as a result of undue influence of other LGBTI people or overbearing mothers/absent fathers vise versa. But forms and expressions of Same Sex Practice {SSP} is believed can be influenced by social and structural factors.

Reacting to the question, why would law/ regulations be made to regulate individual private life style, a gay reiterates by saying: “You can only appreciate the difficulty by the time you create a mental picture of the scenario in a reverse or swap position – where the whole society is homosexual with few heterosexual; would it be proper to force or make laws compelling the few heterosexuals to conform with homosexual way of life/norms?”….. “After all what about those men/ women who do not even or want neither a man nor a woman or even same sex?”

Arguably, it’s been pointed out that when issues bordering on the right of the LGBTI’s forms an issue, it does not necessarily mean that their acts (sexual acts) be promoted – But that the society ought to allow them to exercise their basic inalienable rights such as the rights to assemble freely like any other human being as guaranteed in the constitution – They ought not to be discriminated upon or subjected to inhuman treatments or even

kill them on the basis of their sexual inclinations – But ought to be accorded recognition and respect by virtue of being human. Therefore whether you are heterosexual (straight) or homosexual, you ought to enjoy all available inalienable rights such as: right to privacy, right of non-discrimination and equal protection of the law, right to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention; protection against inhuman treatment, right of a prisoner under international and local Laws, right to freedom of expression, association and information, right to the highest attainable standard of health.

However, no matter how agreable the argument in support of this sexual perversion may be, it remains trite that heterosexuality is a human behaviour or practice that goes back to the dawn of time. And without brazen apostasy to African value system, I will however posit that the concept of gay regime does not only deviate from the idea that the structure of a normal family is defined as a unit comprising of a man, a woman and child{ren} in sound conformity with heterosexual mentality and practice, also antithetical, inimical and constitute a rape to the sanctity of African orthodox cultural values Granted that the prime duty created by the Charter is the obligation imposed on the state parties to the Charter to protect and promote the rights as encapsulated in the Charter, let us however digress at this juncture to consider the regional receptive attitudes of this unAfrican orientation in Africa.

Most African countries consider homosexuality and other anti-nature sexual practice as against God’s idea of creation. In Uganda for instance, in their bid to frown at this unnatural practice, a lawmaker proposed gross penalty such as death sentence for homosexuality.

Even South Africa, which is recorded as one of the first countries of the world to prohibit all forms of discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation in her constitution still reasons that codification of the rights of sexual minorities in the local laws will tend to undermine the country’s value system; and therefore drag the image of the family of the person(s) involved in the act into disrepute.

The Mozambican Organisation in Defense of Gay Rights is not agitating for the legalization of same -sex marriage but is only advocating for the recognition of their rights which the Mozambican society is averse to.

And in a country like Senegal, some gay activists were recently jailed after coming out openly to canvass support from the general public.

In Malawi it was reported that sometimes on or about December 2009, two gay men were arrested and beaten thoroughly for holding an engagement party. They were further charged with unnatural practice and gross indecency. A similar event took place in Kenya where a group of angry mob thronged venue of a gay wedding, and the police took over the scene and arrested many guests.

It was the Zambian Minister of Home Affair that was quoted as saying that homosexuality is “UnAfrican.” And infact it is a felonious act which carries a minimum prison sentence of 14 years under Zambian law.

Zimbabwean government is not left out in the struggle against this cultural apostasy in Africa. President Mugabe opined that the practice of gay will make Zimbabwe’s ancestors turn in their graves.

Coming down to our local jurisdiction in Nigeria, this act is also a taboo in our society. Even though we have very few closeted gays in existence, the sociological make-up of Nigerian state would not allow this rather disgusting state of affair to germinate. In the southern part of our country, it is an offence to engage in such act. And it will indeed be a journey to “Golgotha” for any person or

‘Whether you are heterosexual (straight) or ho-

mosexual, you ought to enjoy all available inalienable rights such as: right to privacy, right of nondiscrimination and equal protection of the law...’

•Ukam

group that may tend to champion such cause in the Northern part of Nigeria. The Nigerian lawmakers we, believe, are at present incubating law geared towards banning same-sex marriage as well as any form of association among the perverts. All these and more point to the fact that ill feelings towards the perverts are similar across the Africa continent.

Thou shall not lie with mankind, as with woman kind: it is abomination” (Lev.18:22). “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Lev 20:13).

The above biblical injunction receive support in the salient provisions of Article 27 {2} and 29(7) of the same African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right.

Article 27 (2) provides and I reproduce verbatim: “the rights and freedom of each individual shall be exercised with due regard to the rights of others , collective security, morality and common interest” Article 29{7} also provides inter-alia: “The individual shall also have the duty to preserve and strengthen positive African cultural values in his relations with other members of the society, in the spirit of tolerance ,dialogue and consultation and, in general to contribute to the promotion of the moral well-being of society” The mutual conflation of the above two provision shows a glorious effort on the part of the drafters of the Charter in question to prevent African cultural heritage from extinction. This in my humble view will serve as a guide to any local legislation yet to be passed in respect of the subject under discussion.

Even though the quest for the protection and promotion of the rights of sexual Minorities in African depends on the applicable legislation, constitution, existing policies, and traceable case law of each country in respect of the issue, we believe that the combined effect of ARTICLE 27{2} and ARTICLE 29{7} supra will guide our lawmakers properly in reaching a fruitful deliberation on the subject matter.

Finally, the cogent question remains whether legalization of Same-sex marriage wouldn’t start us down a “slippery slope” geared towards legalizing incests and bestial relationships, with its attendant horrible consequences?

Even though LGBTI’s have an avenue of challenging discrimination against them by virtue of international covenants which Nigeria has ratified, one cannot but find solace in the very recent opinion of Prof. Eunice Uzodike, in her Inaugural Lecture Series, UNILAG(2011) (“Trends of Human Rights Campaign in Family Law”).

She said: “Our government must not fold its hands and allow this lunacy to get out of control.

It must be promptly arrested by constitutional amendments expressly prescribing that legal marriage in Nigeria can only be between a man and a woman and expressly prohibiting marriage between persons of same sex.”

By next time we shall be constrained to examine the right of male prisoners that practice Men sex with men (MSM) to be provided with condom in view of their right to health under the relevant laws.

Ukam is a Lagos-based lawyer. e-mail: ikeukam@gmail.com. 08028969652.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

LAW & SOCIETY ROUNDTABLE ON DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE WORK ETHICS FOR THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SERVANT AT THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES (NIALS) AT ITS AKOKA, LAGOS CAMPUS

•Former Deputy Governor Plateau State Dr OnjeGye Wado(left) and Director-General (NIALS) Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN)

•Mrs Sade Adetiba and Pastor Ituah Ighodalo

•From left: Chief Henry Okolo, Prof Obiorah Okafor and Prof Clement Dakas

•Taazenga Edward and Mrs Anyanwu Calista

•Dr John Adebisi Arewa(left) and Araga Oyetunde

•Dr Francisca Nelum(left) and Mrs Ada Chuma-Okoro

•Ogeah Raymond Elokah and Shanikijula Tersoo Samuel

•Oladejo Azeez(left) and Dr Emmanuel Okon

•Mrs Temitan Ilemobayo Ibironke(left) and Obaseki Elvis

•Mrs Okara Nnenna(left) and Mrs Chinyere Ani

PHOTOS: DAVID ADEJO

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

LAW & SOCIETY

From left: Chief Richard Oma Ahunaruogho, his wife Mojisola; Chief Augustine Alegeh (SAN), his wife Fenshat and Ochuwa Alegeh at a dinner party to mark Augustine Alegeh’s 25 years of call to Nigerian Bar

•Mr Silva Ogwemoh and his wife Priscilla at the event

Rape: Lawyer petitions Adoke

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LAWYER, Mrs Carol Ajie, has urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN) to ensure that perpetrators of the Abia gang rape are brought to justice.

In a petition entitled: “Petition and request for the investigation, detection, prevention & punishment of the crime of assault against the Nigerian state, deterrence and Abia gang rape,” Ajie said the culprits must be tried.

“Rapes are on ascending strollers; our women, our fortresses remain endangered species, from cradle to grave, attributable to the failure of our justice system. Often those who commit crimes against young girls and women, go unpunished, thereby emboldens rapists and culprits.

“In collaboration with the civil and human rights community, and millions of concerned Nigerians at home and abroad. We demand that urgent steps be taken to find the culprits and try them, in the interest of justice,” the lawyer said.

Ajie said the culprits have been identified as Jonah Uche (Final year or extra year Accountancy), Wisdom, Zaki (Duberville

Lodge), Chisom and Ifeanyi Ogu Justin are believed to be students of Abia State University (ABSU) Uturu.

She added: “The questions on our lips are: Why did the Police allow pro-ABSU Gang Rape ‘march’, and stopped the anti-Rape protest? Why would the Abia State Police Command arrest, detain and intimidate anti-rape protesters on Thursday, October 6, in Umuahia, 300 of them across the Southeast on their way to present petitions and antirape messages to Abia State House?.

“The World is eager to see you hand justice to girls and women. Groups from UK and US and in Nigeria have also expressed concern that it is one rape too many, and particularly considering that there is a reasonable probability that the victim may not have survived the horror of the terror.

“And even if she did, research reveals that when sexual and other crimes against young and under-aged girls happen, the victims are shy or scared to speak.

“Under section 316 subsections 2 & 3 of the Criminal Code Act (CCA) persons who inflict grievous harm on others in the course of executing an unlawful act that result in death, are guilty of murder.”

Aspirant goes to Supreme Court

T

HE Progressive Action Congress (PAC) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Steve Ibanga, has gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the election of Governor Godswill Akpabio in the April general election.

Ibanga claimed he would have won the election had his party’s logo not been omitted from the ballot paper.

The Akwa Ibom State Election Petitions tribunal sitting in Uyo had struck out the case, but Ibanga appealed to the Court of Appeal, which also dismissed the petition.

According to Ibanga, his party’s logo was unlawfully excluded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He told

reporters in Uyo that he was leaving no stone unturned to get justice.

Ibanga said he was not satisfied with the previous verdicts, adding that it was a clear case of injustice.

He expressed optimism that the Supreme Court would do justice to his case, and urged his supporters to remain calm as the law is not a respecter of anybody.

The Appeal Court presided over by Justice Massoud Abduraham upheld the July 4, 2011 election tribunal’s verdict.

He held that the lower tribunal was right in dismissing the petition against Akpabio.

According to him, Ibanga tried to raise fresh issues in their appeal, adding that the petition was not properly filed.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

35

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

LAW & SOCIETY

From left: Chief Richard Oma Ahunaruogho, his wife Mojisola; Chief Augustine Alegeh (SAN), his wife Fenshat and Ochuwa Alegeh at a dinner party to mark Augustine Alegeh’s 25 years of call to Nigerian Bar

•Mr Silva Ogwemoh and his wife Priscilla at the event

Rape: Lawyer petitions Adoke

A

LAWYER, Mrs Carol Ajie, has urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN) to ensure that perpetrators of the Abia gang rape are brought to justice.

In a petition entitled: “Petition and request for the investigation, detection, prevention & punishment of the crime of assault against the Nigerian state, deterrence and Abia gang rape,” Ajie said the culprits must be tried.

“Rapes are on ascending strollers; our women, our fortresses remain endangered species, from cradle to grave, attributable to the failure of our justice system. Often those who commit crimes against young girls and women, go unpunished, thereby emboldens rapists and culprits.

“In collaboration with the civil and human rights community, and millions of concerned Nigerians at home and abroad. We demand that urgent steps be taken to find the culprits and try them, in the interest of justice,” the lawyer said.

Ajie said the culprits have been identified as Jonah Uche (Final year or extra year Accountancy), Wisdom, Zaki (Duberville

Lodge), Chisom and Ifeanyi Ogu Justin are believed to be students of Abia State University (ABSU) Uturu.

She added: “The questions on our lips are: Why did the Police allow pro-ABSU Gang Rape ‘march’, and stopped the anti-Rape protest? Why would the Abia State Police Command arrest, detain and intimidate anti-rape protesters on Thursday, October 6, in Umuahia, 300 of them across the Southeast on their way to present petitions and antirape messages to Abia State House?.

“The World is eager to see you hand justice to girls and women. Groups from UK and US and in Nigeria have also expressed concern that it is one rape too many, and particularly considering that there is a reasonable probability that the victim may not have survived the horror of the terror.

“And even if she did, research reveals that when sexual and other crimes against young and under-aged girls happen, the victims are shy or scared to speak.

“Under section 316 subsections 2 & 3 of the Criminal Code Act (CCA) persons who inflict grievous harm on others in the course of executing an unlawful act that result in death, are guilty of murder.”

Aspirant goes to Supreme Court

T

HE Progressive Action Congress (PAC) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Steve Ibanga, has gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the election of Governor Godswill Akpabio in the April general election.

Ibanga claimed he would have won the election had his party’s logo not been omitted from the ballot paper.

The Akwa Ibom State Election Petitions tribunal sitting in Uyo had struck out the case, but Ibanga appealed to the Court of Appeal, which also dismissed the petition.

According to Ibanga, his party’s logo was unlawfully excluded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He told

reporters in Uyo that he was leaving no stone unturned to get justice.

Ibanga said he was not satisfied with the previous verdicts, adding that it was a clear case of injustice.

He expressed optimism that the Supreme Court would do justice to his case, and urged his supporters to remain calm as the law is not a respecter of anybody.

The Appeal Court presided over by Justice Massoud Abduraham upheld the July 4, 2011 election tribunal’s verdict.

He held that the lower tribunal was right in dismissing the petition against Akpabio.

According to him, Ibanga tried to raise fresh issues in their appeal, adding that the petition was not properly filed.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

AVIATION

My vision for NAMA, by new MD

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HE Managing Director of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nnamdi Udoh was the former Director of Safety Electronics and Engineering Services.

Following his assumption of office last week, Udoh has unveiled his agenda for the establishment.

Udoh, a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society(MRAs); National Association of Air Traffic Engineers; Nigeria Institute of Management among others, led the team that delivered the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) project which involved the deployment of nine radar sites in Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Ilorin, Niuman, Talata-Mafara and Obubra.

Udoh, 51, said he would operate an all-inclusive, broad-based open-door administration, devoid of discrimination.

His words: “It is just a continuation of where my predecessor stopped. I have been part of the management and also part of the new drive in the transformation agenda of Mr President. Everybody here knows what we have been doing and we will just re-

Stories by Kelvin Osa-Okunbor Aviation Correspondent

intensify our efforts. In order words, one of the new innovations in the area of the new upgrades blocks by ICAO terminology. In other words, just moving from where we are, to a more sophisticated reliable and more effective technology.”

He said: “There is also the radar support service project, it is ongoing for the next four years, we have done one year. This is the second year and we are going to run for five years starting from 2009.

It is part of the agreement that is why the Federal Government has actually directed that any project of such not just in aviation and NAMA, you most back it up with support logistics.

He said: “The only issue has to do with funding which for most of them the Federal Government has been doing.

Udoh disclosed his passionate expectation to see a NAMA in the next 50 years, which would have given birth to a conglomerate of companies.

He said: “The NAMA of my dream is sustainable NAMA of the next 50 years, where my

• Former NAMA MD Ibrahim Auyo (left) presenting the handing over to Udoh.

grandchildren can work; where I can consult for where I can deliver papers, which I can do seminar for, and above all, every-

How to tackle security, by experts Last week, experts in the aviation industry gathered in Lagos under the aegis of the Travel Business Aviation Safety Summit to examine airport safety and security, KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR reports.

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HESE are not the best of times for players in the aviation industry as the challenge of security around the airport remains a major challenge they have been grappling with in the wake of recent threat to security at the nation’s major gateways.

It is on the strength of this that experts in the sector gathered to examine the challenge of aviation security and the steps taken by the government to address the issue.

The experts included the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren; former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Richard Aisuebeogun, Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), and Mr Ayo Obilana.

Speaking at the forum, Aisuebeogun said insider abuse is the greatest threat to aviation safety and security.

Speaking at the Sixth Safety, Security and Service Summit with the theme: Air transport security in Nigeria: An imperative for safety organised by Travel and Business News, in Lagos, Aisuebeogun said the insider has legitimate access to resources or an area, but uses that access to provide the information or assistance to someone or group that wants to perpetrate crime.

He painted a picture of a man

who surrounds himself with tough security personnel but is unaware that one of them is a traitor who will eventually kill him.

Aisuebeogun said the issue is worsened by the fact that today’s insider threats have grown to become suicide bombers who are ready to die while perpetrating their ugly acts. He said global terrorism groups are using huge funds at their disposal to penetrate agencies using insiders as their best tool.

He further said disgruntled employees and greedy individuals are mainly those who constitute insider threats.

Demuren called on the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to recruit more aviation security personnel to man strategic positions in the nation’s airport.

He noted that the manpower personnel in the employ of FAAN is grossly inadequate to tackle the challenges being witnessed in the country.

Demuren said the need to have more Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel in the industry became imperative as those who are determined to cause havoc in the industry are constantly inventing new tricks to circumvent security checks at the airports.

Aviation Consultant and former Airport Manager, Sam Akerele, said there is need for FAAN to carry out quarterly aviation security, at

least once in three months.

He also lamented that fuel dumps in the airports are located too close to either terminal buildings or offices such that if there is a fire incident, lives and property could be recorded.

Oduselu said: “Bombs are exploding everywhere and terrorist groups are threatening more attacks. Tension is building by the day as a result of the dastardly acts of these terrorists.

Aviation, by extension, is not isolated from this attendant fear of insecurity.”

Chairman of Selective Security International Limited, MrAyo Obilana, gave insights into why aviation globally is a prime target for terrorism.

He said airports are targets because of the different personalities using it, the media hype it generates and its economic impact on any country.

Obilana, however, said that with good intelligence network, standard practices, proper identity card system, access control, screening procedure, evaluation of threat levels, profiling of passengers, routine screening, background checks and pre-employment checks of staff, terrorism could be curbed in the country.

He also called for training and retraining of security personnel and called for adequate funding for the various security agencies if terrorism is to be curbed.

ICAO, EC endorse global aviation safety data reporting bank

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HE European Commission (EC) and ICAO have agreed on the use of a single repository and a common categorisation scheme (taxonomy) to report all aviation accidents and incidents worldwide.

Under the agreement, ICAO will promote, among its 190 member states, the European Coordination Centre for Accident and Incident Reporting Systems (ECCAIRS),

developed by the EC Joint Research Centre (JRC) for collecting and analysing aviation safety data as well as the sharing of safety information.

The EC will promote the use of the ICAO taxonomy as the standard for reporting and exchanging accident and incident information within the EU. The ICAO categorisation of accidents is fully compatible with ECCAIRS.

“Through this agreement, ICAO and the EC are taking concrete steps to create the first-ever global system for reporting aviation accidents. The signing further demonstrates our long-standing commitment to working together on initiatives and actions that significantly improve the overall effectiveness and sustainability of air transport,” said Raymond Benjamin, Secretary General of ICAO.

where in the world, organisations deliver new organisation may be NAMA Consulting Limited; may be

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE.

NAMA Training Institute, may be NAMA Hotels group, may be NAMA Travels and Tours. That is my dream.”

Remodelling of Port Harcourt airport begins

T

HE remodelling of Port Harcourt International Airport terminal building is to begin soon following the deployment of equipment to site by the contractor handling the project.

This was made know by the Regional Manager, South Eastern Airports in Port Harcourt, Mr Henry Anyanwu while speaking with aviation correspondents.

According to Anyanwu, the remodelling, which will take between three and six months to be completed, will give relief to passengers using the already congested halls built in 1980 to accommodate few passengers.

The Regional Manager, who recalled that Aviation Minister Mrs Stella Oduah-Ogiemwienyi was not impressed with her findings during her tour has kept to her promise of remodelling the airport terminal building.

“The contractors are on site to start remodelling. We thank the minister for keeping her words and I am sure work will start soonest. The job may take up to six months depending on modelling because there may be other things that may be added,” Anyanwu said.

He revealed that following the absence of regular electricity supply to the airport, seven generating plants have been dedicated to the airport to provide 24 hours power supply Six for the terminal building

Okorocha calls for upgrade of Owerri Airport

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OVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has appealed to the Minister of Aviation to upgrade the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport to a full fledged international cargo airport.

Okorocha, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister Nelson Ezedioha, acknowledged the crucial roles played by air traffic management in the aviation industry. He urged them to help the government in the development of safety in the air space.

The governor who spoke last week, when the association of air traffic controllers met him after their delegate conference, explained that the upgrading of the airport will fast track the socio - economic development of the state.

He said the location of the Owerri Airport is strategic and cannot be isolated while the government is repositioning other airports in its transformation agenda.

Committee on aviation fuel ready soon

T

HE report of the six man committee set up by Aviation Minister Mrs Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi to look into the scarcity and high cost of aviation fuel will soon submit its report for consideration and onward implementation by the government.

The Technical Adviser to the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Victor Oche who disclosed this, said the essence of the committee was to ensure that aviation fuel was available affordable and sustainable for the comfort of every Nigerian adding that, the more the air fare was hiked the fewer the travellers while the airlines will continue to lose revenue.

“I am very sure that any moment from now, it will be Eldorado, I assure you with the zeal and the drive of the minister, and it will soon be over for the two parties. The marketers and the airline operators and Nigerians will smile,” said Oche.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Aregbesola: By 2014, Osun’ll be a model state Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, recently spoke with journalists in the state. He dwelt on the achievements of his administration since November 2010 when he assumed office. Osun State Correspondent ADESOJI ADENIYI was there.

A

PART from the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) project, what are other achievements of your administration?

When I read in the newspapers what the opposition says about us, I chuckle. The truth of the matter is that we are not comparable with our predecessor. But most of us did not recognise most of the things we have done because they are intangible. It will be in the interest of all Nigerians to recognise the intangibles because we cannot make any serious headway if we just look at the society from the area of brick and mortar alone.

We assumed the governance of Osun on November 27, 2010 and in terms of vacuum, the state was vacuous. The only thing that was there is Oyin ni o, a mere slogan.

That, in itself did not inspire anybody. Luckily, before we did anything at all, you were the first set of people we met as fourth estate of the realm. I remember that we met you very late at night. I realize that I am a night worker because I have discovered that between 7 am and 12 midnight, I will be looking as if I will collapse but when it is 12 midnight strangely, I will just develop the capacity that I could not even imagine. I will just become charged.

Second week after my inauguration, we began the process of OYES. The idea had been there, but I expected that from you, there would be efforts to discuss how it was possible for any government to recruit 20,000 youths, train them and exhibit them within two weeks.

The truth is that there is no facility in the whole Nigeria to train more than 5,000 people at a time. How did we get to train 20,000 people, gave them leadership and made them to do the job they are doing?

The greatest challenge to the scheme was preparing them for what they are ultimately doing.

Soon after that we gave the state an identity that the state did not have before we came on board. We gave the state a crest, a flag and these are not just symbols, they are symbols that have meanings. Before you can do anything, you must get the people to understand who they are, because if they don’t, nothing can work, just as nothing had worked before we came. From what I see and what I heard, people now want to be called Omoluabi.

People now understand the reason for being the citizen of this state.

After that, we held an education summit at which we were able to develop a strategy for education in the state. It has not manifested physically, but it will soon manifest. Though premature, if we must tell you, we have restructured education such that we will have neighbourhood schools that will

cater for Primary one to three; the junior schools, which might not be neighbourhood will be for pupils in primary four to JJS 3 that would be called Grade 4 to Grade 9, while the high school will be for SS1 to SS3, that is, Grade 10 to 13 where the students can go to any institution of their choice. That is a clear fall out of the summit and not many states have been able to do this as simple as it is, even those that were here for the last eight years.

The opposition keeps saying you have fallen short of hte people’s expectation...

When I read their tantrums about what we have done, I laugh because as at the time we took over, this state was carrying a burden of N18.3 billion debt. The debt was not just an ordinary debt, it was a debt that was painful and suffocating. It was so bad that for the state to meet its recurrent expenditure, it had to borrow N1 billion every month. As at that time, the total revenue of the state was N2.1 billion (IGR was N300 million and allocation was N1.8 billion) out of which, right from Abuja, N615 million would be deducted, leaving N1.5 billion. The salary as at that time was N850 million, leaving us with N650 million. Subventions to tertiary institutions in the state was N850 million, leaving us minus N150 million; and we had to pay pensions of N250 million. I wouldn’t know how much specifically, but as at that time, gratuity was already outstanding and it could not be less than N1.5 billion.

I only knew that by June this year, the outstanding on gratuity was N2.4 billion. What was allocated in December was N30 million and that was what I met. But in that month, I raised it to N50 million and by April this year, I raised it to N150 million. If I want to be very meticulous and factual, let us say we must pay gratuity of N50 million and if you subtract it, you will have minus N500 million. Aside that, you must run government with money. So, a billion naira loan had to be taken from bank to augment every month and by the following month, you pay it off and continue. That was the situation I met.

By March, noticing the almost impossibility of running any government at all and having realized that there was no hope for the state should that regime continue, we realised that our only saving grace was to restructure the loan and we desperately sought for a financial institution that could support us by refinancing and I got one finally in the First Bank. We were able to broker a deal that allowed us to refinance the loan, such that today, as I am talking to you, the maximum we get on that suffocating loan is less than N100 million. We

have removed the burden of the loan and we have spread it such that the state would not even know that it is paying anything.

Are you suggesting that the state government can now move faster?

If you subtract N100 million from N615 million, we have N515 million and for ease of multiplication, let us say N500 million. They took the loan in June 2010 and we concluded the arrangement of refinancing in March. June to March is 10 months. The loan by their own arrangement was to last for 36 months and if you take 10 month, out of 36, we are left with 26 months. If you now multiply 26 by the N500 million we have saved, it means that we have saved this state N13 billion by our action.

No matter how cynical, careless one wants to be, it is a plus to me and my administration. So, whenever you see me, remember that this tiny man has succeeded in holding back N13 billion for Osun development. Apart from that, we have not taken a kobo from the N25 billion refinance deal we made with the First Bank. The facility was negotiated purely to refinance the suffocating loan already taken.

On agriculture, since Awolowo, as little as it is, by our own estimate, nobody has done anything close to what we have done. As I am talking to you, we have cleared 3,000 hectare of land beside the fact that we have equally given access to loan to farmers. We succeeded in ensuring that we gave support to farmers from money, to seedling, to chemical which get to the directly. Today, our support for farmers is extension talking of financial, chemical, improved seedlings and others.

But the people appear to be impatient. They want to see roads and other physical infrastructure…

I am not in any way disturbed by conventional expectations of some people. Some people believe that all that is meant for the government is road, whether well done or badly done, but they have forgotten that the man that the divine had granted the opportunity to be the administrator of Osun now was the man used by God to transform Lagos, when you are talking of road, and I am around. In Nigeria today, I am still the most productive road builder in Nigeria at the level which I operated. Before my ascension to the post of Commissioner in Lagos State, nobody ever thought that road would be done on credit. I was the first person to develop the capacity of engagement that will ensure that contractors will work on promising note.

So, if I do not respond to road by your expectations, the question is why? The truth is that, if you do anything on road during the rain, you are simply wasting money be-

• Aregbesola

‘When I read in the newspapers what the opposition says about us, I chuckle. The truth of the matter is that we are not comparable with our predecessor. But most of us did not recognise most of the things we have done because they are intangible. It will be in the interest of all Nigerians to recognise the intangibles because we cannot make any serious headway if we just look at the society from the area of brick and mortar alone’ cause it will not stay. So, I will rather stay with inconvenience of bad road during the rains. If you want to use the road to judge me, you are mistaken, I am simply strategic. Just wait till the season is dry and you will see the amazing wonders on our roads.

And education?

We have planned a brand new programme in education and you must have seen the schools springing up. Prototypes are going to be built first. We are building the junior schools in Osogbo, around Alekuwodo, the primary school would be built in Ife and the high school would be built in Ejigbo.

When you see the prototypes, you will judge whether our intervention has meaning, but I know that the total cost of intervention on education alone will not be less than N18 billion.

Don’t forget that this state that was N18.38 billion indebted by November when I took over has today, N21 billion to spend on development of Osun. In the history of this state, nothing like that has ever happened. Apart from that,

local governments have in their accounts N4 billion for development and If you add it, it means we have N25 billion and if you add it to N4.5 billion that we would have paid out this year on the loan, it means we have N29.5 billion.

What efforts are you making to ensure that you put up a feedback mechanism that would give you the opportunity to gauge the people’s pulse about your government?

Though we are yet to release the feedback mechanism to the public, we have an office that will be called Bureau of Social Service (BOSS).

The office will be reporting to my office and the sole responsibility is to police the activities of government everywhere in terms of policies, programmes and projects.

It is our own creation to ensure effective monitoring, supervision and control of all activities of government. The office will not be in Abere, it will be in town. It’s duty is to follow up projects, programme on policies and report back to me. It will be superior to • Continued on page 38

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

POLITICS

2012: Groups rise for Oshiomhole

O

•Middle: Aregbesola answering questions from a battery of journalists. With him are Otunba Jumoke Ogunkeyede (left) and Osun AC Chairman Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (right).

By 2014, Osun’ll be a model state in 2014 • Continued from page 37

any officer in government, except me and my office as governor.

Even in Works and Transport ministry of which I am the commissioner, the body will still report to tell whether I have done the work there or not. We are emphasising this for you to know that we have put in place feedback mechanism.

Apart from that, in a democracy, the party too is an instrument for gauging the mood of the people.

We are everywhere by virtue of the fact that we are a party. There is no compound in which we have no representative and through that structure, we equally get feedback from our members. We equally engage social researchers periodically to assess the import of programmes on the people.

There was this rumour sometime when you were onn lesser hajj that you had cancer. How did you feel then and what is your reaction to it?

When I was in Umrah and my media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, called me that I should take a picture and send it now, I wondered why and I didn’t take him serious until I opened my facebook and saw a message sent to me by somebody that “don’t worry, I have a traditional medicine for your predicament.” As at that time, I was in the dark of the false publication that I had cancer. I replied that person that “Mr. Man, I don’t know what you are talking about and I have no problem that will require traditional attention.” Throughout the day, I did not get the import of my aide and all I did was just to send some photographs that we took in Medina. On the following day, while I was browsing, I stumbled on the publication and I was shocked that somebody could say this about any human being. I asked that on what basis could this thing be reported about me, but I dismissed it and I went my own way.

That tells you how inhuman people could get. Even if they don’t respect me, they should respect my children. You can’t just tell rubbish.

That was the height of it. It began some months back in May. I left the office 3 am, I came to pick my bag and I left for Dubai for the graduation of my daughter. Before I came back, the rumour was that I fell in my bathroom and I was rushed out with a broken leg. As if that was not enough, when I went to China , they went about town with speculation that I went for medical checkup. So, it was all rubbish and I took it as such.

Your predecessor awarded some contracts running into billions of naira, which were not executed.

What are you doing to bring the failed contractors to book?

On the fake contractors, we have stripped them off their covers by publishing their names in the newspapers. What has not happened is the expected media follow-up. As far as government is concerned, we have taken the first step and we are believing that the agency set up to investigate and sanction economic offenders will be courageous enough to do the investigation, sanction them and carry out the retrieval of our funds when we are ready to give it to them. We are using several strategies, one of which is to engage the state House of Assembly to use its authority and power to invite them to come and tell the people of the state why they would take our money and not deliver the services required. Within the government, we will further scrutinise the report of the committee to be sure that nobody is carelessly included in that list and once we confirm that, we will contact all the appropriate authorities to further investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book.

On your promise to establish a regional market here where goods will be sold at the same price obtainable in Lagos . When would this be? At the same time when would the rail project between Osun and other states in the South-West take off?

On the issue of our promises on the creation of a regional market, we have reached a stage where our efforts in that regard will be made known. We have not been resting, but we want to get to a particular stage before we make it known to the public. We have also concluded arrangement with the Nigerian Railway Cooperation for the use of their facilities to move agricultural produce free of charge from Osun to Lagos. We are yet to get a logistic centre in Lagos , but we are working on it. The logistic centres will be where the agricultural produce will be dropped and the franchise outlets would be put there to sell, so as to facilitate sales.

In reverse order, manufactured produce would be brought from Lagos to Osun free of charge and be sold at Lagos price. We have moved the terminus to Dagbolu between Osogbo and Ikirun and the Nigerian Railway had concluded its job on the terminus. A mid-regional market will be there and we are working on other supportive infrastructure. We will

develop access to the area and make it conducive. And we will have warehouses there. It is not yet time for me to talk to you on the acquisition of our own locomotive stocks, not because we have not gone very far, but we are processing the concession of our own to run facilities on the railway. We are actively working on giving our promises on that aspect. I am believing God that it will be realised. As for the regional railway, it is nothing a state government can do, it is a regional affair and we are still working with other states to ensure that it is done.

The health workers and the teachers in the tertiary institutions are on strike and even the workers that have just returned to work are still threatening to go back on strike. What are you doing to address these issues?

I came into political consciousness through activism and I don’t even believe that any society that is sane must be without agitation.

So, those who had issues with the people administering them must always protest one thing or the other. It is the maturity of the protesters that actually qualifies their protests. As long as it is not violent, I don’t think strike is anything we should be worried about.

As a matter of fact, we must encourage our people to protest what they do not accept. However, as an administrator, we are doing our best to ensure that the striking workers return to work. We are negotiating with them and I am quite sure that we will reach consensus in no distant time. We will resolve the crisis between us very soon.

You said that you have N29.5 billion for development of Osun, but if you calculate the money you need eventually, it is more than you have. How will you generate more money to carry out your programme?

The truth of the matter is that the money that can take us out of the situation we are now cannot be less than N300 billion. Through financial re-engineering we are raising it, but what we have raised is grossly inadequate, and we will look for other methods to raise money for development, details of which I will not supply now. Just note that when it comes to the time when this money is required we will get it. By my own commitment, I want to leave here by far better and comparable to any human society anywhere in the world and I want you to join me to achieve this.

PPONENTS to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s second term dream may be in for a tough electoral battle. Reason: A coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), named Coalition Vanguard in Edo State, led by its Coordinator-General, Comrade Ibhafidon Peter, has vowed to hold a ‘one-millionman march’ to propel the realisation of the governor’s secondterm ambition in next year’s elections.

The group, comprising eight associations, made a courtesy visit to the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Dr. Simon Imuekemhe last week. Explaining their mission, Ibhafidon explained: “Our agenda is to sensitise well-meaning people of Edo state through vigorous campaign in the three Senatorial districts for the purpose of actualising our vision and mission to see Oshiomhole’s re-election in 2012 is a reality. We will not rest nor sleep until Adams Oshiomhole realises his aspiration in 2012 by championing ‘One Million Man March’ as one of our strategies to achieving that.”

Acknowledging the group, Imuekemhe said the future of the state and the country belonged to them all, noting: “We have done our part and we are dancing out to hand over the baton to the youth. Therefore, you must be interested in who governs you and what happens to your state.”

Imuekemhe added: “The litmus paper to assess any government is how far and how well such government has been able to positively affect the lives of its citizenry and what the people of the state would use in assessing and judging Governor Oshiomhole in 2012 is the quality of infrastructural projects he has been able to implement in the state. I have no doubt in my mind that you are in a good position to mobilize the support of our people towards the Governor’s victory come 2012 elections.

“A good product sells itself and I know Comrade Governor is a good product as the litmus paper to assess any government is how far and how well such government has been able to positively affect the lives of its

•Oshiomhole

By Dada Aladelokun, Assistant Editor

citizenry and what the people of the state would use in assessing and judging Governor Oshiomhole in 2012 is the quality of infrastructural projects he has been able to implement in the state.

“Nobody in this state with the right frame of mind can say Governor Oshiomhole has not touched his or her life directly or indirectly. When we talk about performance, there are four basic needs of our people that Governor Oshiomhole has addressed; they are education, roads, water and basic health care. Go to Idia College, Maria Gorreti College, St. John Bosco College among others and see whether Oshiomhole has not done well or not. As you are going to these places, look at the roads down to Auchi to Jattu, go to Ayogwiri toOkpekpe, Ekperi/ Apana among others and at the end of the day, you make up your mind whether the Governor has affected the lives of the people or not.

Speaking further, he said: “In Edo Central, we have addressed their major problem - water. In Ekpoma today, the Governor has struck water there and these are areas people believed that you cannot get water. What about light and other basic needs of life? So for me, as an Edo man, who has spent all my life in this state, there is no doubt in my mind that the Governor is doing well and if given the opportunity, he will consolidate on all of these.

“I believe that even our ancestors will support him to win the elections just as the blind would also support him because they already noticed that the roads which used to be rough are now smooth. Right now, parents are busy withdrawing their children from private schools because of what the Governor has done in our public schools.”

“Please, let the people know that they have somebody who has their interest at heart and let this momentum be sustained from now till after the elections and let your members increase geometrically because you have a good product to sell,” Imuekemhe explained.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

39

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Experts harp on real estate investment opportunities

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IGERITE Limited and other stakeholders in the building industry has converged on Lagos to brainstorm on opportunities available in Africa at the Sixth Nigerian Real Estate Fair.

The fair, which had as theme: Investment opportunities in Real Estate and Construction in Africa’s second Largest Economy, was a platform aimed at unveiling numerous investment opportunities in the real estate and construction sector of the economy.

According to Mr Abimbola Banjo, Sales Manager (Technical), Nigerite Limited, the fair was a platform to create awareness for latest innovative products in the building industry and to exchange new business ideas that can move the sector forward.

He said the aim of Nigerite at this year’s event is to target both the professionals and non-professionals in the industry to get them know their latest products in the market and to also make them affordable.

He noted that Soe Properties, organisers of the fair, has been doing a working hard to put the fair together over the last six years, adding that Nigerite would continue to support the Nigerian Real Estate Fair in future.

In his address at the opening ceremony, Mr Olisa Ebigwei, the Convener and Managing Director of Soe Properties, said the fair represents a platform for bringing

professionals together to discover the potential in the construction industry.

He said: “The real estate Fair, an advocacy and capacity building platform was born six year ago, and the summary of the past six years of the fair, has been strenuous for all us . The platform has been on a mission using different strategies to get across to the stakeholders in the industry.

“Last year’s edition was tagged: Bridging the housing gap through public partnership, which engender cooperation between the government and the organised private sector on delivering affordable housing to Nigerians.”

Ebigwei noted that reports from National Bureau of Statistics and World Bank, which have been released for over five years, showed that Nigeria has 16 million housing stock deficit.

This means that there are investment opportunities in the manufacturing and importation of building components like roofing sheet, cement, iron rods, equipment and others, he said.

He advised that stakeholders in the sector should exchange ideas, create new business relationships and advocate new policies that will engender housing for Nigerians, not forgetting to check the building systems, building technologies and materials to see if they are meeting world standard.

Firm launches steel pipes

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HE Nigeria Gas and Steel Limited has launched large diameter steel pipes in Nigeria.

Its Managing Director Mr Hasib Moukarim said the company has invested $5 million on new production line that would cater for the manufacturing of heavy duty steel pipes.

According to him, the new look mill is a blessing to Nigeria as the country stand to conserve million of dollars being expended on teh importation of large diameter steel pipes and beams.

Moukarim said the modern fashion of construction designs in the world today incorporates the use of steel pipes in the construction and building of warehouses, airport, conference halls, pedestrian bridges will soon be produced locally.

To make the NGSL mill complete and comparable to any in the world, Moukarim said a sophisticated bending machine has been added to the company’s facility, adding that the new machine can bend steel pipesround or square of any diameter or thickness to different shapes and forms as specified.

As a result, he said the com-

By Leke Salaudeen

pany has completed the installation of a 70-metre long pipe that will cater for the manufacturing of huge welded steel pipe ranging from four-10" in diameter and three-10mm in thickness.

Explaining the advantages of steel pipes, Moukarim said it has been proved by experts that the steel pipes can withstand higher pressure than beams of the same size, saying that it was for this reason that architects and structural engineers have opted for their use in large projects.

Moukarim said: “The new expansion is a kind of promotion to higher class of industry that is directed to serve the construction and infrastructural fields in Nigeria and West Africa “The product was subjected to impact and hydro tests by SGS. The promoters look forward for a greater patronage from Federal and State governments who are keen in provision of infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges, highway rails, bus stops, airport terminals, traffic light etc.”

Formerly Mouka Pipes, Nigeria Gas and Steel Limited has been manufacturing steel pipes in the country for over 35 years.

•Governor Mimiko inspecting a road project in Akure.

Ondo charges contractor handling Akure Township Stadium

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HE Ondo State Commis sioner for Youth Develop ment and Sports, Allhaji Yekini Olanipekun, has urged the contractor handling the Akure Township Stadium to meet the deadline for the project.

The Project Engineer, Mr Sowemimo Abiodun, promised that the on-going project at the stadium would be completed by December 12, 2012.

But, the state Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has assured the citizens of the state that if the State’s Sunshine Club gets the final ticket, the match could be

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

played on the pitch.

Olanipekun, who give this charge while inspecting the stadium, commended the contractors for the level of work done so far.

The commissioner said the state government would not tolerate shoddy jobs that could undermine the projects.

He charged the contractors to brace and be more proactive to ensure their completion within stipulated time and in accordance with specifications. Olanipekun said the

state government would ensure that facilities at the Stadium would be given proper monitoring.

“The artificial pitch is maintenance free, but we are going to ensure that all facilities in the stadium are not neglected. By next football season, our players must be playing their home match at the stadium because their fans are really missing them,”he added.

He, however, commended the state government for investing more on sports, stressing that was another way of fighting unemployment in the society.

Policy on housing management coming

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HE Minister of Lands, Hous ing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple, has disclosed that the government is set to adopt policies that will provide appropriate framework for the revitalisation, regulation and management of housing in urban areas.

The government has realised that the starting point of re-establishing order and creating cities free from environmental disaster in our rapidly urbanising country needs a good policy framework to guide the present future actions.

This is the reason for the review of the national housing and urban development policies.

The Minister made this known at this year’s World Habitat Day Commemoration in Abuja, stating that the commemoration will raise the necessary awareness and galvanise meaningful collaboration among stakeholders.

She said: “The ministry has been very active in creating a conducive environment for the organised private sector to participate in the pro-

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

vision of sustainable and affordable housing in Nigeria. With this, the ministry has created a public-private partnership (PPP) unit in the ministry.

“I am challenging this forum on the need to establish the mechanism for responding quickly to the problems of climate change and to develop the capacity for sustainability.

“We must protect our cities to realise their full potential as engines of growth and integration. I, therefore, call on the private sector, NGOs, individuals and various stakeholders in the housing sector to collaborate as partners in progress to safeguard the safety and development of our human habitat.

“Most of the negative occurrences attributed to climate change and already manifesting in Nigeria include drought, desert encroachments, rise in sea level, ocean surge, erosion and flooding. This year alone, flooding has repeatedly ravaged some parts of the country with

catastrophic effect,” she stressed.

The United Nations, SecretaryGeneral Ban Kin-Moons, who was represented by the UNDP Resident Co-ordinator Mr Dauda Toure said the prediction is that by 2050, global population will have increased by 50 per cent from what it was in 1999. ‘’Then, global greenhouse emission must have decreased by 50 per cent compared to levels at the turn of the millennium. I call this a 5050-50 challenge. ‘’Local efforts are critical to success, but must be supported by international initiatives. We have already seen progress, including the creation of the climate change adaptation fund and adoption of the action plan to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, known as REDD plus. ‘’All countwries agree on the goal of limiting global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius. Developed and developing countries have committed to lower greenhouse gasses in a formal, accountable international agreement.”

‘Opportunities abound in South Africa’s property market’

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HE Director, Rabie Property Group, Mr Greg Deans, has urged Nigerian investors in South Africa property business to tap into the growing opportunities in one of South Africa’s mixed use city, Century city, a 250-hectare development in Cape Town, comprising office, retail, residential and leisure components, in an integrated and aesthetically pleasing urban environment.

The city, according to him, has the highest investment and grows with a new outlook of developments of about R11 billion. ($262.9million).

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

He added that the Nigerian property investors could benefit from the targeted development of 1.4million square metres of land in the next scheme.

He also noted that, already, Century City is being developed by South African Rabie Property Group, a renowned property development company and it is strategically located in the heart of the greater Cape Town Metropolitan area.

It is also surrounded by a strong road network giving ease of ac-

cess to the Western Cape region, and at the same time, offering conceivable amenities, such as canal, shopping malls, theme park, hotels, conference facilities and other urban amenities.

He said about 800,000 square metres have been developed as at 2008 and that Nigerians could make the most of the opportunities available in the city that is fast turning into a leisure spot for about 30 million visitor per annum.

He explained that the built form comprises around 300,000 square

metres of offices, more than 3000 residential front doors and 150,000 square metres of retail and leisure facilities, adding that some letting inquiries from large corporate firms and individuals from Nigeria, Kenya and other African countries has been recorded.

“There is no doubt that Century City has reached critical mass in terms of a mixed use development and is well-geared and structured to take advantage of the economic upturn we see just around the corner. ‘’We expect the pace of devel-

opment to continue to gain momentum as we go forward considering the centrality of the location and all the facilities on offer within the integrated precinct and we also expect that Nigerians will take advantage of this opportunity,” Deans said.

He noted that Rabie Property Group will, in the nearest future, consider participating in Nigeria’s growing property market if it is able to find the right local partners. According to him, the country’s property market remains the bedrock for wealth creation.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

40

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Surveyors insist on valuation in financial reporting

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HE importance of valuation in financial reporting cannot be overemphasised, estate surveyors and valuers have said.

They also made a case for the speedy implementation of the Financial Reporting Council Act proposed by the government.

They stated this at a seminar on international Financial Reporting Standard and Valuation Practice held over the weekend in Lagos

by Inversion Para Desarrola Ltd, a United Kingdom real estate information company with tentacles in Africa.

A surveyor, Mr Akin Olawore, said the execution of the law will put the country on the path of adopting the best approach to regulation of Financial Reporting as it is practised in the United Kingdom, Australia and United States.

He said it would, among other things, increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), while enhancing local and foreign investors’confidence in the quality assurance of systems of Financial Reporting in public and private financial in the country.

The learning outcomes, he said, will include, the understanding of 'fair value' from valuation and auditing perspectives, assessing data in the property market and the understanding of the rudiments of the International valuation Standards.

President, Nigeria Institution of

.•Canvass the implementation of Financial Reporting Act (FRA)

•L-R: Akin Olawore, William Odudu, Chris Thorne and Bode Adediji, at the event.

Stories by Okwy Iroegbu Asst. Editor

Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Mr Bode Adediji suggested that compulsory insurance valuation for companies be han-

Fashola inaugurates Falomo Bridge part

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HE Lekki Concession Com pany (LCC) has delivered Falomo Bridge On-Ramp for public use. This is coming barely six months after an event to herald the take-off of the project.

The on-ramp, which is one of the series of facility to complement the ongoing expansion and reconstruction of a-50 kilometre Lekki Road, was inaugurated by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

The 15-metre bridge, starts from Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue by Caverton Helipad and terminates at Falomo Bridge intersection. It is aimed at reducing the traffic congestion at the intersection between Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue and Adeyemo Alakija Street.

Lekki Concession Company, the concessionaire, was mandated in 2006 by the Lagos State government to design, finance, rehabilitate, upgrade, operate and maintain the 50- kilometre Eti-Osa Lekki-Epe Expressway for 30 years. It is also to construct 20 kilometres of the Coastal Road.

Speaking before declaring the bridge open, Governor Fashola, commended the company for the expertise showed in delivering the road facility, adding that the project has further demonstrated what could be achieved by the government working hand-in-hand with the private sector in the area of critical road and other infrastructure.

He described the new Falomo Bridge On-Ramp as the first bridge structure of that magnitude and specification anywhere in Nigeria that would be constructed by a private investor under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, using finance arranged by a private sector.

The governor said out of N50 billion raised by LCC to execute the ongoing works on the Eti-OsaLekki- Epe Expressway, a substantial portion of it, which represents Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Lagos State, has been used to construct the new project.

While counting some of the blessings derived from the daunting traffic challenges of the state, he noted that through proper planning, the state government has been able to create about 5,000 jobs for traffic managers in the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), and business partnership with LCC, which has created 1,436 jobs for construction workers of Hitech Construction Company, who built the bridge.

An elated Fashola stated that for any government to create jobs, it must invest in infrastructure, emphasising the continued commitment of his government to develop more critical infrastructure in the state directly and in partnership with the private sector, saying, “the successes that we have already achieved together with LCC are real-life examples of what is possible using PPP Model.”

Speaking to reporters, LCC Managing Director, Mr Opuiyo Oforiokuma, said his company would deliver the entire road by December 2012.

He had earlier told the audience that after the firm secured a N50 billon long-term financing package from various local and international financiers in 2008, it had last year substantially completed the first six kilometres road section, which started at the descent of the Falomo Bridge Loop in Victoria Island and ended after the new Lekki second Roundabout.

He said: “We are also making steady progress towards substantially completion by the middle of November this year, the nine-kilometre Second Roundabout section, continuing from Maruwa bus-stop and ending close to the Ikota Bridge.

“We are also executing works in other road sections. For example, the ongoing expansion of the one kilometre stretch of the carriageway continuing from the end of the second road sections, and ending at the entrance of Victoria Garden City.”

dled by surveyors. He decried a situation where non-surveyors are allowed to handle, such sensitive jobs to the detriment of the economy.

He said: " We want to subscribe to a scenario where company's an-

nual report must have valuation as an attachment. For us to have a robust insurance sector, valuation of the assets of company's must be handled by a surveyor."

In furtherance of this, Adediji tasked his colleagues to raise the

bar on professionalism to eliminate the activities of quacks. The facilitator of the programme and Chairman, Standards Board and Technical Director of the International Valuation Standards Committee, Mr Chris Thorne, observed that valuation ignores national boundaries and urged surveyors to see to the passage and implementation of Financial Reporting Act. He said: "Capital markets and ,indeed, the investment markets need to have confidence in valuations, and following numerous inquests into the 2008 financial crisis, regulators and the G-20 have acknowledged that proper valuation standards and effective regulation are necessary for improved financial stability."

He pointed out that standardised valuation across business sectors is vital for reducing investment risk, adding confidence to financial reporting and providing a consistent approach to portfolio and asset valuation.

According to Thorne, valuation encourages transparency and information sharing, he said, though he cannot clearly say how it will affect property prices in the country, but the idea should be encouraged, especially by surveyors on whose purview valuation rests.

He tasked surveyors to engage the services of other professionals in their core competencies to ensure that their clients get the best in every valuation exercise.

•Participants at the event.

Lagos calls attention to environment

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AGOS State Governor Gover nor Babatunde Fashola has said over the years, man has abused the environment in form of indiscriminate felling of trees, emission of carbon dioxide from industries, vehicles, motorcycles, generating sets, including the use of firewood, which contributes to global warming.

He urged the country to respond appropriately to climate change challenges as is done in the developed economies.

He said this at an event tagged 'Walk for Nature' by the state government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) on Saturday. This year’s theme is Sustaining a greener Lagos.

He said the Mayoral conference on Climate Change organised by the state for Africa is strategic and part of the effort to avail African countries the opportunity of coming up with a policy that would be suitable to combat the menace of climate change and also articulate a standpoint to be pursued at the up-coming UNFCCC COP-17 later in the year in Durban, South Africa.

Fashola ,who was represented by the Commissioner of Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, said the state is not

resting on environment issues exemplified by itspartnership with NCF, Friends of the Environment and the fight against desert encroachment.

The governor said the state has encouraged the planting of over three million trees with sanitation and anti-pollution strategies taking the front burner. While the challenges are enormous, the state is convinced on the noble path it has taken to go green to preserve the environment.

He said: “Nature must be guarded with passion because of the future of our children. There is the need to promote a healthy environment for posterity.”

Chairman, NCF Ambassador Hamzat Ahmadu, asked the local governments to institute community driven initiatives on waste management to avert risks in future.

He said: “ Corporate bodies and the business community must take the issue of the environment more seriously as it is very vital to their financial growth. Any development path must put the environment, the ecology as its centre piece as the economy cannot do without the ecology, but the ecology can do very well without the economy.“

He recalled that the recent flooding in the state was man-made as people continuously ignore sanitation rules and dump refuse in the canal. Ahmadu, therefore, called on the government to take stringent moves to enforce sanitation rules and guidelines to have a healthy environment. A representative of Chevron, Mr Debo Lokombi, said his company has demonstrated a commitment to the preservation of the environment.

He encouraged stakeholders to ensure that they protect the environment, noting that it is critical for the survival of humanity.

In a related development, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Prof Emmanuel Obot, called on people to change lifestyles and attitudes, such as indiscriminate duping of refuse, building on drainage and other forms of environmental degradation that are inimical to the environment.

He gave the advice at this year’s World Habitat Day Celebration entitled, Cities and Climate Change organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation,MTN and Nigerite in Lagos.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

42 EXECUTIVE

OFFICE O

ERNOR OV

F

G

E TH

ABIA STATE

ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR

Government House, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.

Tel: 088-220253

RE-OBI NWAKANMA DIATRIBES AGAINST GOVERNOR T. A. ORJI OF ABIA STATE

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he attention of the Abia State Government and the good citizens of the state has been drawn to a series of abuses, name calling, jabs and diatribes against His Excellency, The Executive Governor of Abia State Chief Dr. T. A. Orji since he politely asked his brother governors of the South-eastern States to please re-absorb their indigenes in the civil and teaching services of Abia State whom he is transferring back to them. One of such diatribes was authored by one Obi Nwakanma in his column, THE ORBIT, published on the page 23 of Sunday Vanguard, September 18, 2011.

One does not need to join issues with Mr. Nwakanma and his likes or the revered Catholic Bishop of Umuahia, Lucius Ugorji, but it is necessary to point out the peculiar position of Abia State vis-Ă -vis the history and sacrifices of Abia people in maintaining the dignity and survival of the more than 40 million Igbos of South-Eastern Nigeria. Since the effective establishment of British Colonial rule in the early part of the 20th century, nothing in the history of the Igbos had ever taken place without the sacrifices and contributions of the Igbos occupying the present Abia State of Nigeria. Although other Igbos were involved in slave trade and slavery, the Aros of the Old Eastern Nigeria with their origin at Arochukwu in present Abia State were the most demonized by the British over the trade. No wonder the British colonial adventurers having subdued Bende in 1894, used the excuse of the Obegu (Ugwunagbo) market incident of early 1901 to invade and destroy the Ubinikpabi shrine in Arochukwu which the British man named the Long Juju of Arochukwu. Till today Arochukwu, despite her contributions in the history of South-Eastern Nigeria, as captured by late Professors Kenneth Dike and Edith Ekejiuba in their book “AROS OF SOUTH -EASTERN Nigeria (published 1991), the Aros are still held in contempt and suspicion by other Igbos, and the land of their birth the least developed compared to other towns. With the construction of the Railway line from Port-Harcourt to Enugu, Aba became a centre of trade for all Nigerians. With the Ngwa man's accommodative nature, other Nigerians took advantage of it to make Aba their permanent home. Today, several generations of the cookeys, Epelles, Ekpos, other Igbos and Nigerians have had Aba as their permanent home.

In 1929, following the excesses of the British appointed Warrant Chiefs all over the Eastern provinces (Onitsha, Owerri, Calabar and Ogoja) Aba was the rallying point for women from all over the Eastern Region who converged riotously against the British colonial merchant houses, colonial civil servants and the native colonial agents a.k.a Warrant Chiefs. This women riot is today known as the Aba Women Riot of 1929. But for the riots, women, like their male counterparts would have been paying taxes in the 9 Eastern States today. Even with the 1929 world Economic recession, which ended about 1932, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the old Eastern Nigeria flocked to Aba in search of greener pastures. In Aba, they saw and conquered the business world, politics, religion, social life etc till even and after the 2nd world war. Thus from today's Anambra State came the Mbolus, Atueyis, Onyemelukwes, Olikagus, Aginas, Frank Owelles, the Amazus, Ibetos (in Umuahia ) the Ekpos, Udomas, from AkwaIbom/Cross River States, the Epelles, Cookeys, from Rivers and Bayelsa States, Muemekas from Delta, the Obianus from Onitsha etc.

From Imo State, the Nkwerres like the Onyejiakas and the Anyaehies also came to Aba, saw and conquered. In Umuahia, now the Abia State capital, the Anambrans, Wawas, Ibibios, Efiks also came to today's Abia State capital where they made new homes. With the introduction of the Macpherson's constitution in 1951 and independence, Nigerians from different parts of the country, like Barrister (later Justice Udo udoma), Mrs. Margret Ekpo, Moore Obioha, F. C. Okoronkwo, all went to both the National and Regional Assemblies from Aba in the present day Abia State. All these were non-Abians. We do not know how many went to these Houses through Owerri, Mbaise or Orlu.

In the field of education, Mr. Muoemeka, from Igbo Delta as far back as 1942 established the first post primary school in the name of St. Pauls Commercial College, Aba which is today the Girls High School, Ogbor Hill, Aba. Late Eze R. O. Ekenna, from Obizi Mbaise also established Eastern Commercial College in Aba. They were able to do these without molestation because of the accommodative nature of Abia man which is very uncommon among other Igbos of South East Nigeria. With the end of the Nigeria-Biafra war in 1970, and loss of Port-Harcourt, Aba the commercial /Industrial nerve centre of the East provided a home for all Igbos. Thus such prewar Igbo businessmen who lost their property in Port-Harcourt and else where relocated to Aba. Think of the Akwiwus, Oji Ogbus, Maduakos, Owunnas (starline), Melos Nwankwos etc.

In the 1976 Local Government elections and 1979 Federal and State elections, Eze Desmond Onyekwere, Chief Akanno, (all from Imo State) etc were all elected in the Aba Local Government. In 1979, Architect Nwobi from Anambra State represented one of the Aba State constituencies on the platform of the NPP in the Imo House of Assembly. In 1983, Barr. Sam Ekenna from Mbaise also went to the Imo House of Assembly representing Aba North State Constituency. In the military transition programme, Chief Ngozi Anyaehie from Nkwerre, sir Bright Nwelue (Mbano) were all Chairmen of the Aba south Local Government at one time or the other from 1984-1998. In the primary education sector, a time there was in Aba South Local Government when both the 1st and 2nd Headmasters in a primary school, South of Ngwa road, were all a couple from the Nkwerre/Isu Local Government of Imo State. With the creation of Abia State in 1991, Abia State still retained non-indigenes in both its teaching and civil services as no body was laid off, even when the Enugu State Government laid off non-Enugu indigenes from its services including Abians. Imo, Ebonyi and Anambra States followed suit and nobody complained.

Abians have been a very accommodative people, who do not discriminate between Jews and Gentiles. In Christiandom, it is on record that the 1st Catholic Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, late Rev. Dr. Anthony Gogo Nwedo was from Oguta, Imo State. Late Rev. Chima Nwana, from Arondizuogu was the Chairman of the Umuahia District (equivalent of Diocese) of Methodist Church, Nigeria before the IDOWUNIZATION of the church which tore the church apart in 1976. At the CKC, Aba, monsignor Nwafor Unegbu from Arondizuogu was incharge of the money-spinning church for more than 20 years.

With the creation of Aba Diocese of the Anglican Church in the 1970s, late Rt. Rev. Hubert Afonya, from Opobo, Rivers State was the first Bishop of the Diocese of Aba. Notwithstanding that, in the Catholic church, late Rev. Dr. Godfrey Paul Okoye was displaced as Bishop of PortHarcourt during the civil war. Okoye died at Enugu in 1977 as he was translated as Catholic Bishop of Enugu. He hailed from Dunukofia Local Government of Anambra State.

On the retirement of Hubert Afonya as Bishop of Aba in the 1980s, Rt. Rev. Professor Augustine Iwuagwu from Umunkwo Isiala Mbano was brought down to Aba as Bishop and successor of Afonya. In the Roman Catholic Church, need it be mentioned that Bishop Anthony Nwedo while retiring in 1990 as Bishop of Umuahia, single-handedly picked his successor in the person of Rt. Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji from Naze Imo State but ordained a priest in Umuahia Diocese.

That is the liberalism of the Abia man which has no limits. At the Abia State University, Uturu, most Professors and deans of faculties and other lecturers from Imo State did not relocate to the new Imo State University in 1993, except such hawks as Professors Igbozuruike, B. E. B. Nwoko etc. who rushed to Owerri immediately. Other administrative and Professional staff from Imo State and other Igbo States in ABSU have remained put and building new personal buildings in Okigwe which opportunity they do not have in Owerri. How many Abians are lecturers in IMSU, Owerri. Even non-indigenes in this school are being discriminated against in so many areas.

This also reminds Nigerians the attitude of Imolites in 1991 when Abia State was carved out of Imo State. They did not allow Gen. Babangida to finish his announcement of the State creation before they locked out all top management staff in the state's ministries and parastatals of Abia extraction. To their shock and surprise when they reported to work the next morning they found themselves locked outside by those they had dined and wined with the previous day. What a way of treating a brother. They did not stop there, the then Abia State Gov. that was visiting Lagos was equally locked out of Imo lodge that was jointly owned by the two sisters states. As if these negative actions were not enough, Ex-Gov. Ikedi Ohakim crowned it all with his recent backloading of all retirees of Abia origin that had spent all their productive years working for Imo State only to be sent back to Abia on their retirement for their gratuity and pensions. What a way of one shying away from his responsibility. Let the likes of Nwakanma not cry further because what Abia State government had just done was to have room to accommodate her citizens that had been sent packing by Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra States governments and the Boko Haram. There is no way a responsible government will allow her citizens to roam the streets jobless and homeless without finding them accommodation which incidentally is being occupied by the same people whose home governments had sent these Abians packing. To do otherwise is a direct invitation to anarchy. Abia is not retaliating against anybody. What she has just done is to look inward and find a way of fending for her numerous citizens that were displaced from other states. Despite all these, Abia State still retains non-indigenes in her public service. That is why you still have the likes of Pat Mgbemena as the Special Adviser to the Gov. on project Monitoring and Implementation, Mr. Kingsley Emeruwa as the Special Adviser on Special Duties (Media), Dr. Okoli as the Chairman, Aba South Local Govt. Area which is the richest Council in Abia State. Chief Chuka Odom and Godwin Duru held their first and so far last high political offices in Abia State from where Chuka Odom was appointed a minister of the Federal Republic. Gov. T. A. Orji deserves commendation instead of condemnation from sources I will consider as not been properly informed.

On the issue of achievements, by the Governor, for Nwakanma to say that Gov. T. A. Orji has achieved nothing throughout his stay in Government House is the most uncharitable thing for any body to say. It goes to show how ignorant Mr. Nwakanma and his likes are with the development in the State. Infact from all indications it goes to show that they are only being mischievous. Who in his right senses in Nigeria will say that Gov. T. A. Orji has achieved nothing in office. Think of his giant strides in construction and rehabilitation of roads in Aba and Umuahia and other Local Government areas in the state, building and equipping of over 210 health Centres across the length and breath of Abia State; stamping out of kidnapping and other violent crimes; provision of operational vehicles/motorcycles to all security agencies including the Army; promotion of all civil servants in the state including Non-indigenes to their next level; positions they will still enjoy in their new States of transfer; building and equipping of two ultra modern diagnostic/specialist hospitals; construction of New Secretariat for civil servants; award of bursary to students both in Nigeria and overseas; construction of a cement factory in Arochukwu; provision of streets lights in our major cities of Aba and Umuahia etc. The Gov's achievements are so numerous to itemize in a treatise of this nature. My humble request is that the likes of Nwakanma should visit Abia State to see things for themselves instead of being arm-chair critics because it appears that Obi Nwakanma and his likes were in a deep slumber while all these developments were going on in the state.

That the burden of maintaining none Abians is becoming too heavy on the shoulders of Governor T. A. Orji should not be misunderstood by other none-Abians. The Governor nor Abians need not be castigated. Rochas Okorocha, Peter Obi, Sullivan Chime and Martin Elechi understand the problem more than Obi Nwakanma and other critics. They should learn from them. Let us even stretch it a little bit further, Mr. Nwakanma, I challenge you to mention one state in Nigeria including your own dear Imo State where you have more Non-Indigenes in her employment than in Abia State till today. For all I know, such State does not exist in Nigeria.

Even Lagos State where non-indigenes can comfortably claim to have more than 40% of the State's entire population does not have up to 1% of her total work force as non-indigenes. Even in your own Local Government in Mbaise, there is no single non-indigene on the pay roll of that council. Do we take it too, that you spend your salary as a staff of Vanguard Newspaper taking care of children from other homes instead of your own kids. Your diatribe can only worth the while if Nigeria can today operate without States. Unless that is done, states must first of all take care of their citizens before taking additional load from outside.

Hon. Joshua Nnanyerem Ogbonna is the Special Adviser to Abia State Governor On Print Media, Research and Documentation

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

43

HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

At OAUTHC, kidney transplant is our specialised area While many Nigerians travel overseas in droves for medical treatment, especially for kidney transplant, OYEYEMI GBENGAMUSTAPHA was at the teaching hospital that pioneered renal transplant in Nigeria and reports that the hospital, like some of its counterparts abroad has all it takes to perform medical feats.

O

BAFEMI Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Nephrology Unit, experts say, is one of the best in the country.

It offers both Haemodialysis and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis. It was introduced in September, 1992. This was in collaboration with the Renal Unit of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom and the Nephrology Unit of the University of Cairo, Egypt. The institution has been training health care personnel for its kidney centre.

Already, the Federal Government has designated OAUTHC as the Centre for Renal (Kidney) care. The sub-specialists, Nephrologists, Tissue Typing Officer, Renal Nurses, Renal Radiologist, Pathologist, Transplant surgeons were trained in Manchester and Egypt. The department is equiped with human resources to meet modern challenges.

According to the Chief Medical Director of (OAUTHC), Prof.

Olusanya Adejuyigbe, the hospital pioneered kidney transplantation in the country. Even then, it said it is yet to attain its potential as a result of many challenges, including under funding. “The ultimate objective is to develop a world class kidney centre with comprehensive services which will include stateof-the-art Kidney Transplantation.

This is a great challenge to management. And we are on top of it.

As the pioneer of kidney transplant in Nigeria, we are not resting on our oars. This hospital started to perform kidney transplantation

from June, 2002. Kidney transplant has become routine procedure and Nigerians are enjoined to take advantage of these highly specialised health care provisions.

“Modern sophisticated diagnostic, haemodialysis and CAPD equipment give finest and accurate result in the management and treatment to kidney patients. The ultimate in renal replacement therapy is the kidney transplant. At the moment, renal transplant is facing some challenges in Nigeria. For instance, Lack of a sustainable organ donation policy and the prohibitively high cost of kidney transplantation surgery have been identified as major factors inhibiting progress in renal transplants.

“To do a renal transplant, you need someone who is ready to donate a part or whole organ, but what our experience has showed so far is that getting willing donours has been a great limiting step for those who need the service to benefit from the skills of our surgeons.”

Adejuyigbe, who observed that in more advanced countries with sustainable organ donation policies, kidney transplantation procedures are more likely to be physically successful, but medically may not, because somebody is paid to donate a kidney, even though such person may not know who uses such kidney.

“In many other countries, there is cadaveric organ harvesting. Individuals would have filled a form giving permission for their organs to be removed in the event of their death. However, there is no enabling law for such process in Ni-

•Prof. Adejuyigbe geria. But we have been assured this is one of the issues that will be included in the new National Health Bill and once it is assented to, we hope people will become aware that even if they are dead, their organs can continue living in another human being.”

Noting that in Nigeria, commercial organ donation is illegal, he said kidney donation is only often available in situations when the patient’s relations are willing to make the sacrifice. “If it is easy to get organs for transplant, we can get as many as needed. This is the limitation on transplant procedures. It may have to do with our culture, our educational background and world view, but that is the reality and it is a huge limitation to kidney transplantation.”

Adejuyigbe said the body could reject an organ, and mount body reactions to kill it, hence the need to suppress the body’s ability to kill the organ with drugs. “The aggressiveness of the rejection is reduced if there is some genetic relationship between the donour and recipient.

But so many people are forced to go abroad because there are no willing relations who will part with their organs, so they buy the organ, do the surgery and come back home. Unfortunately, the high

•Badmos doses of immunosuppresive drugs they need to take, usually have long-term effects and we see many of these patients still requiring medical assistance after coming back home following their surgery abroad.”

A Consultant Nephrologist and member of the medical team that carried out the first kidney transplant at the health institution, Dr Tajudeen Badmos, disclosed that, despite the odds, successful kidney transplantation surgeries had been carried out.

“We did a transplantation in 2002, two in 2003 and have done 11 to date. The one with University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Zaria was the 11th, and so far the longest survivor has lived eight years.”

Stressing that the greatest problems are high cost and sourcing of kidneys, he said the first three surgeries were co-funded by the hospital.

“The hospital paid the cost of operation but lack of funds is a real challenge. About seven of the recipients that can cope financially are still being monitored. Generally, it has been a success story. But there is need for education on donating kidneys. We utilise reasonable matching in which if three out of

six antigens match for the donor and recipient, it is fair. Anything less than three would be risking early infection and need for immuno-suppression within two months of the procedure.

“The first case in 2002 was very difficult because the patient was a 35year-old diabetic from Lagos, but we went ahead, and discharged him after three weeks. He was monitored for about seven months. Unfortunately, he developed a complication from diabetes and died.”

According to Badmos, at between N2.5 million and N3 million for transplantation surgery, OAUTHC was still the cheapest in the country.

“We don’t make profit; the bulk of the cost is for HLA typing, surgical materials and consumables, and haemodialysis. The other problem is the donour. In this environment, people do not want to part with their kidneys.”

He said a kidney donour can be discharged five days after surgery.

“With two kidneys, God has given everyone more than eight times the normal kidney function requirement, so if you part with one kidney, you still have four times what you need. One kidney can keep you going for the rest of your life. If we can convince people to donate, it will take care of the problem,” he stated.

‘Nigeria needs more psychiatrists’

T

HE shortage of psychiatrists in Nigeria has been described as inappropriate.

The Medical Director of Federal Neuro- Psychiatry Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Dr Rahman Lawal said this at World Mental Health Day. According to him, the country’s ratio of 200 psychiatrists to 150 million is too small for psychiatric problems and to attain Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Lawal said most doctors prefer to specialise in other fields due to reasons best known to them. He enjoined his medical counterparts to sub-specialise in psychiatry. He urged psychiatrists in the Diaspora to return to the country to help those with mental problems.

Lawal said some highly rated physicians have established a Postgraduate Fellowship programme in Nigeria for different specialties including Psychiatry, saying there

are two postgraduate colleges which run courses in psychiatry.

Many of the Federal Psychiatric Hospital in addition to the Teaching Hospitals are also offering training programmes.

“There are nine Federal Government Psychiatric hospitals, though more are still needed to be established. The country should train more man-power -psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists and doctors. This is to boost man power. When we have more man-power then we can spread from hospital treatment to community treatment as it obtains in other parts of the world,” he said.

Lawal said the country’s 200 psychiatric doctors are an improvement on the 100 that he met when he was trained.

The Head, Department of Psychiatry, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Joseph Dada

•Dr Lawal

By Sulaiman Gbenga Idowu

Adeyemi said anybody can develop psychological stress or

mental ailment.

He said people are ignorant of the condition because they lack the information on what to do when there is a mental problem, adding that people should be enlightened on steps to take when they have psychiatric problems. “Individuals should not feel shy to take care of their mentally sick relations,” he added.

Adeyemi said there is a need for community-based facility to treat psychiatric problems. “If you have anybody suffering from psychiatric problem in the community, there is need for us to have facilities where they can be treated otherwise the community may not have qualitative wellness, he said.

He called for preventive-medicine to curb the incidences of psychiatric problems. “We need to invest in prevention, community activities and research because if we are able to research into what mental illness is, we can improve on the quality of care,”

he added.

A former Medical Director of Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Idowu Malomo, called for investment in mental health and improvement in the awareness. “We should support the mentally ill and educate the people at individual level. This would help to reduce the stigma attach to those who are mentally ill,” he added.

He identified funding as a major stumbling block to psychiatric care, saying mental health should be improved upon. Psychiatric hospitals should be established to provide additional support for the mentally ill in the community and at the community level, he added..

Malomo said the country need more active Non Governmental Organisations NGOs to promote mental health.

He said there are challenges, such as natural and human disasters capable of leading to impaired mental health for Nigerians.

44

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

HEALTH GL OB AL HAND WASHING D AY GLOB OBAL DA

UNICEF: Handwashing can save 150, 000 children yearly

A

S Nigeria joins the world to commemorate this year’s Global Hand Washing Day, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has highlighted the importance of hand washing with soap or ash and water to prevent diseases, especially among children.

The simple act of washing hands with soap or ash and water, at critical times, such as after using the toilet and before handling food, can reduce the incidence of diarrhoea among children under five by almost half and respiratory infections by nearly a quarter.

In Nigeria, diarrhoea causes 194,000 deaths of children under five yearly, the second highest rate in the world. Respiratory infections kill another 240,000. Most of these can be prevented with proper hand washing with soap or ash.

According to UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Suomi

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha and Wale Adepoju Sakai, “Hand washing with soap or ash and water is simple, effective and it is one of the most cost effective public health interventions for the reduction of childhood diseases. In Nigeria, hand washing can save the lives of thousands of children yearly and thereby contribute to their growth and development”.

With the support of the European Union and UK Department for International Development, UNICEF Nigeria has helped to provide water, sanitation and hygiene services in schools and communities, especially in rural areas. Since 2010, UNICEF has also supported the promotion of the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach in Nigeria, aiming to accelerate access to sanitation in poor, rural communities.

Hand washing is a critical component of the approach and CLTS

is catching on like wildfire but with much better results: communities are beginning to register dramatic declines in the incidence of diarrhoea and related death and disease.

Meanwhille, over 50,000 school children washed their hands, using Lifebuoy soap at an epoch event held at Tafewa Balewa Square, Lagos Island.

The record-breaking initiative was kicked off at noon , at a well attended event was a symbolic demonstration to mark the Global Hand Washing Day. Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Thabo Mabe, said the occasion marks the announcement of a world record breaking pledge against diarrhoea in Nigeria.

“Every year, more than 3.5 million children die before their fifth birthday because of diarrhoea and pneumonia. In fact, one child every 15 seconds dies unnecessarily from diarrhoeal disease, which is the second most common cause of

death in children under five in the world.”

The campaign, which has become Africa’s biggest pledge to defeat diarrhoea, seeks to mobilise the public in hand washings to prevent the deadly disease of diarrhoea.

Statistics indicate that only one out of every 10 children washes his/ her hands properly with soap and water and only 10 per cent of the population know how to wash hands properly” the Unilever chief said.

“But washing of hands protects you from many illnesses, so we should make washing hands a family habit. It is easy and one of the cheapest ways to prevent infections caused by germs and viruses ,” he noted.

He said though most of people are aware of the benefits of hand washing, yet the behavioural practice of it is lacking in many homes.

He called on mothers to in-

Firm rebrands antibiotic

‘Make proper use of insecticidal nets’

T

HE wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, has urged Nigerians to ensure proper use of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs).

Mrs Fashola spoke to reporters during the distribution of the products in Lagos.

She urged the beneficiaries to, “Hang the nets under shade from evening to morning of next day”.

This should amount to 12 hours hanging out (airing), so as to allow the smell off. It is recommended that a beneficiary should hang the nets in an airy place or shade for a day before hanging it over the bed.

According to her, people need to observe the steps to ensure correct use of the nets in –doors or out-doors because they are factory pre-treated nets. “The nets are convenient because they are ready to use and do not require the initial treatment. This means users need not worry about the preparations and protections that go along with the initial treatment, or retreatment. All these have been done at the factory,” she added.

Mrs Fashola said it could be hung from the walls or roof to cover the bed or sleeping mat, if sleeping indoors. To keep the mosquitoes and other insects out, be sure to tuck the bottom of the net under the mattress or let it hang so that it touches the ground all around, she added.

“To sleep outdoors, hang the net over the sleeping mat on sticks at each corner or under a tree. Tuck the net under the sleeping mat or make sure it touches the ground all around. When dirty, you can wash up to 20 times maximum without re-treatments,” she said.

Mrs Fashola said the nets could be used every night, all year round, saying, “even if you don’t see or hear mosquitoes. You never know when a malaria mosquito (anopheles) might bite.”

The Malaria Control Programme Director, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Bolaji Coker, said: “Direct skin contact with the insecticide on a net that is still wet or dry may cause a tingling sensation on the skin. This is not harmful, even for small children.”

He said the smell would go away in a few days, saying it is not harmful to people who sleep under the net. “The smell will go away in a few days and is not harmful to

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

C

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

people who sleep under the net.

Remember that net treatment is effective, even if the net does not smell. Insecticides used for treatment of mosquito nets are not harmful to people,” Coker said.

Coker said malaria is preventable and treatable, yet it still kills more than one million people each year.Those killed are mainly African children under five years of age, he added.

He said the safety and well-being of the family longer should be based upon whether people are rich or poor. “An insecticidetreated net protects against mosquito bites. When insecticide treated mosquito nets are easily available for every person, young or old, malaria is reduced. The insecticide on the net kills or keeps away mosquitoes,” he said.

The global health watch, World Health Organisation (WHO) policy on malaria prevention through the use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) says: “The best opportunity for rapidly scalingup malaria prevention is the free or highly subsidised distribution of LLINs through existing public health services (both routine and campaigns). LLINs should be considered a public good for populations living in malaria-endemic areas. Distribution of LLITNs should be systematically accompanied by provision of information on how to hang, use and maintain them properly.”

An insecticide-treated net kills or keeps away other insects, such as head lice, bedbugs and fleas.

Some States are already distributing Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLITNs), two per household, and more states will do. All mosquito nets act as a physical barrier, preventing access by vector mosquitoes and thus providing personal protection against malaria to the individual(s) using the nets. Pyrethroid insecticides, which are used to treat nets, have an excito-repellent effect that adds a chemical barrier to the physical one, further reducing human–vector contact and increasing the protective efficacy of the mosquito nets.

Other common insecticides used include: Deltamethrin (K-Otab); Lambda-cyhalothrin; Alphacypermethrin; Cyfluthrin;

still good habits of washing hands in children so that it becomes a habit.

The Day (GHD) was created by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Hand washing in collaboration with United Nations in 2008 to foster and support a global culture of hand washing with soap, shine a spotlight on the state of hand washing in every country and raise awareness about the benefits of hand washing with soap.

GHD created for children and schools. At the moment, it is being celebrated by everyone promoting hand washing with soap.

Since 2008, each year, over 200 million people are involved in celebrations in over 100 countries around the world. Global Hand washing is endorsed by all governments, international institutions, civil society organisations, NGOs, private companies, and individuals.

•Proper airing of insecticide treated nets for 24 hous under shade prevents rashes and other inconveniences, and users can sleep under without complaints

Etofenprox and Permethrin.

Most commonly, the insecticide kills the malaria vectors that come into contact with the ITN. The challenge potential users are

facing include complaint of smell and irritation to the skin and one shape, which is rectangular. Some prefer the conical/circular shape, but this is elusive.

IPROFLOXACIN (Molecule), the most frequently used antibiotic in the world, has been changed from its tablet form, to Ciprotab soflet in Nigeria.

According to the manufacturers, the reason for this is that substandard brands of Ciprofloxacin have been identified all over the world.

Also, poor quality brands have been discovered in some cities, including Calabar; Maiduguri; Ibadan and Lagos.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is an urgent need to secure the integrity of Ciprofloxaxin through better technologies.

Taking a cue from this, Fidson Healthcare Plc, the purveyor of the antibiotics in Nigeria decided to collaborate with Banner Pharmacaps Inc. of USA to explore the soflet technology in checkmating counterfeiters thereby guaranteeing consumers’ safety.

At the presentation of the new transformation to drug, in Lagos, the company said it picked the soflet technology because it enrobes tablets with a gelatin film, which confers greater stability on the drug molecule, resulting in a one or two toned colour dosage form that can be easily printed on, offering distinctive product differentiation.

According to the Managing Director, Fidelis Ayebae, the patented technology is difficult to mimic, as it provides easy recognition of tampering, “Soflet gelcaps is unique, patented manufacturing process. The phenomenal success of Ciprotab brought the growing vulnerability to counterfeiting , which has been the lot of successful pharmacological intervention in medical practice in Nigeria. We have elected to engage the reins of technology in advancing and protecting Ciprotab from counterfeiters,” said Ayebae.

NAFDAC representative, Mrs Stella Denloye, said WHO recommended the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task-Force (IMPACT), a tool recommended by IMPACT to combat counterfeiting among others is technology.

“IMPACT has since advocated the protection of drug products with appropriate technologies that are easy to identify and almost impossible to imitate. NAFDAC is waging an unrelenting war at combating fake and substandard drugs in Nigeria The recent introduction of the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) is aimed at exploring the technology to this end.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

47

MARITIME

Agencies yet to get quit order • Notice expires Friday

L

ESS than four days to the expiration of the quit notice given to some agencies operating at the nation’s ports, some of the affected agencies, say they are yet to get the presidential order.

Some of the agencies are the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Directorate of Naval Intelligence (DNI) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Others are the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), Plant Quarantine and Animal Quarantine and the National Environmental Regulatory and Standards Agency (NESREA).

The notice was issued in Lagos by the Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

But investigation conducted by The Nation revealed that almost a week after the order was given, officials of some of the agencies are behaving as if they have no regard for the presidential order.

A senior official of one of the affected agencies, who crave anonymity, said they were yet to receive letter from Presidency to that effect.

“As I am talking to you, my agency is yet to receive the quit notice letter from the relevant authority. But don’t forget that there was a letter that posted us to the port and if there is any reason for us to vacate, I think the same procedure must be followed. We are not expected to read our posting on the pages of newspaper. If tomorrow, the minister says she does not say so for one reason or the other, what happens?” the official asked.

But the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

advised officials of the agencies to save themselves from embarrassment and urged them to close shop and vacate their offices at the port on or before the expiring date.

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Omar Suleiman, said President Goodluck Jonathan issued the quit notice to consolidate the gains of port reform and maximise the unlimited opportunities in the maritime sector for the greater benefits of majority of the Nigerians.

Among the opportunities, Suleiman said, are the nation’s territorial waters, with a total coastline of about 800 kilometres, which provides for investment in shipbuilding and Greenfield port development.

Suleiman urged all the heads of the affected agencies to take the necessary steps towards recalling their officers from the ports to beat the two-week deadline given by the President.

The NPA boss warned that at the close of office on Friday, the Commissioner, Port Police command and other security details of the authority would see to the full enforcement of the eviction order given by President Jonathan.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the agencies would be allowed to operate at the nation’s seaports as from Monday, next week are the Nigeria Customs Service, Port Police Command, State Security Services (SSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Port Health.”.

The NPA and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Suleiman said, are allowed to perform their statutory functions at the ports.

“The objective of port reform is to reduce time spent on clearing goods from several weeks to about

one week or less like in other countries. The government is determined to stop extortion and corruption now going on at the ports. ‘‘The President is committed to the reduction of the cost of doing business at out ports and make them as efficient as we can so that we can become the hub in the subregion,’’ Suleiman said.

The NPA boss said seaports play a vital role in world trade and sees it as the backbone of the world economy. “Without ships and transportation services that ships provide, the world would not be as prosperous as it is today and many countries would not be able to participate in world trade hence the reason the Federal Government is set to maximise the unlimited opportunities in the maritime industry,’’ the NPA boss said.

Suleiman praised the concession programme, noting that it was the only way the ports could compete favourably globally.

He bemoaned the delay in paper documentation by the Customs and the banks and said the issue needs to be addressed to enhance efficiency and boost revenue generation.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Dr. Vicky Haastrup, has hailed President Jonathan for reducing the number of its agencies at port “The directive of Mr President is clear. Apart from NPA and NIMASA, only Customs, Immigration, Port Health, Police and SSS operatives are allowed to operate at the port and the other agencies to recall their operatives. So, on our part, as terminal operators, we will not allow any official of the affected agencies in our terminals after Sunday, October 23, 2011,” he said.

Consumers decry high cost of rice

By Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

R

ICE consumers have urged President Goodluck Jonathan and other relevant agencies to review the duty payable to Customs with to bring down its landing cost to make the commodity more affordable to Nigerians as Moslem festival is fast approaching.

The market price of rice, the consumers said, has increased geometrically since the Federal Government banned rice importation through Seme, Idiroko and other land borders.

Some of the consumers who spoke with The Nation attributed the high cost of rice to the new tariff regime introduced by the Federal Government.

A rice merchant at Alaba Rago Market in Lagos, Mrs Ronke Agbaje, told The Nation that when the ban on rice importation through the land borders was lifted

earlier last year, the landing cost of 600 bags was put at N2.7 million and was later increased to N2.8 million.

Agbaje told The Nation that the same 600 bags of rice now stands at N3.65 million which the importers considered as too expensive.

He said he had been in the rice business for over 20 years and afraid that the price of the commodity may not come down except the Federal Government reduces the tariff payable on the item.

Investigation revealed that rice importation through the land borders has stopped while its smuggling has reduced drastically due to the high landing cost of the commodity because of the surveillance put in place by Customs.

A consumer, Mrs Sola Ayeni, also lamented the high cost of rice and low quality rice being imported through the Lagos ports.

NAGAFF commends Fed Govt over removal of agencies

T

HE National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has held an interactive session with the maritime community.

The aim, according to the organisers, was to appraise the recent action of the Federal Government sacking of about 10 government agencies that operates in the nation’s sea ports.

The action was applauded by some of the freight forwarders, who had complained over the years because of what they termed ‘a negative effect’ of the presence of these numerous agencies on trade.

They had petitioned the government several times about their removal as they were accused of not facilitating trade, but aiding corruption. Government in one full swoop, sacked about 10 of such agencies leaving only five and NPA as the ports supervisor.

The national leadership of NAGAFF, though appreciative to the government efforts to make the nation’s seaports operate as their counterparts in the developed world said the government should

By Uyoatta Eshiet

not use the word ‘sacked’.

Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the founder of the body and the national President, Mr Eugene Nweke, advised that the term should be moderated to read that’ they have been withdrawn from carrying out physical examination, at the ports. They maintained that the term is sending wrong signals to the outside world and to those who were fond of importing substandard, expired and or adulterated products into the country.

Aniebunam said a country like the United States may treat Nigeria with suspicion.

For agencies, such as Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), NAFDAC and NDLEA, the government should mandate NPA to assign some of their unused office apartments scattered around Apapa to these agencies to use so that they can render their services real time when Customs calls them in. He said if the agencies have to go back to their offices, then the efforts toward the 48-hour cargo clearance to fast-track will still not be achieved.

Group canvasses good leadership

T

• From right: Dr Ngozi, Minister of Transport, Idris Umar and Managing Director, NPA, Omar Suleiman in a boat on their way to Apapa to give the quit order,

Importers bemoan abuse of trade liberalisation

I

MPORTERS and clearing agents at the nation’s land borders have been urged to stop abusing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to boost revenue and facilitate trade on the borders.

Speaking with The Nation at Seme border, Managing Director, World Cargo Investment, Mr Adesope Aderoju, said ETLS was put in place by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to facilitate the integration of trade and commerce among citizens of the member states.

Aderoju said the scheme was set up to eliminate barriers and pro-

mote free trade in the sub-region.

ETLS, he said, exempts goods manufactured in member states of ECOWAS to move freely, and without the payment of import/export duties, within the region.

The scheme, Aderoju added, has been subjected to unbridled abuse, especially by some unscrupulous importers and Asian businessmen.

These unscrupulous people bring in goods from China and other Asian countries, ship them into the sub-region and land such goods in ports of neighbouring countries, such as Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, Ghana and even lately Liberia. They subsequently change

the labels on these goods and smuggle them through the land borders into the country.

A source said the implications of this act are grave. Apart from the loss of huge governments revenue, goods that find their way into the market in this manner gain unfair competitive price advantage over locally made products.

Apart from the abuse of the ETLS, which is mostly perpetrated through the land borders, many importers also flagrantly abuse the country’s import policy. They bring in different goods, including those that are banned by the government through the seaports.

HE publicity arm of the Coun cil for the Regulation of the Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN), The Registered Freight Forwarders Forum (RFFF), has urged the council Chairman, Alhaji Akeem Olarewaju, the Registrar, Sir Mike Jukwe as well as the leadership of the umbrella body of all freight forwarding associations in Nigeria to be focused, confident, and carry out the work of the council according to the Act that set it up.

Speaking last week, the Chairman of the forum, Mazi Festus Ukwu, advised its officers to carry out their work without fear or favour.

He assured them that all wellmeaning people in the council are behind them. He said: “As critical stakeholders of the Council, we are duly registered members of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), who have voluntarily agreed to come together and to speak with one voice on the proper management of and administration of our Council Act. We want the Chairman of Council, the Registrar and the leadership to be focused and carry out their assignments fearlessly as we are behind them.”

Speaking on the crisis within the Council these past three years, Ukwu said: “We, the registered members of CRFFN acting under the Forum, shall no longer keep

By Uyoatta Eshiet

quiet to see our Council distracted over trumped–up allegations by the unprogressive forces.”

On the crisis by some unregistered associations, Ukwu advised such bodies to work towards meeting the conditionalities of accreditation by CRFFN rather than dissipate energy on why a particular association was registered. He said for the associations registered, due process was followed by the Council leadership, advising anyone aggrieved to seek intervention from the appropriate quarters if they wish to do so.

The forum advised the Council to stop the accreditation of NAGAFF and ANLCA as the accredited associations based on the two instruments. ANLCA to represent licensed Customs agents and NAGAFF to represent freight forwarding practitioners. RFFF also wants the Council to give a five years to other small groups or associations to meet up with the guidelines for registratuion after which they can be reconsidered for accreditiation.

They also advised that the provisional approval given to some associations be withdrawn immediately and all government agencies informed. They also want the Council to, as a matter of urgency, want the enforcement of the CRFFN Act, especially in the area of discipline.

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48

MARITIME Maritime Watch Use of old trucks

By Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

I

MPORTERS have advised truck owners to form co operative societies that would enable them to have access to credit facility from banks for their truck replacement.

Speaking with reporters in Lagos last week, the Managing Director, Sea Investment, Mr Sesan Adegboyega, said it was necessary to replace their truck fleet, as over 60 per cent of them in use at the ports were substandard.

According to him, most of the trucks at the port were

sub-standard, adding that the need to increase fleets could only come when they team up and obtain credit facility from banks.

Adegboyega said importers were wary of the trucks that were used at the ports.

“The issue needs to be addressed. It is a big challenge for us as importers in the sense that we are made to pay a lot of money in transporting our goods to the market.

If any of them has two trucks, he wouldn’t want to partner with owners who have five.”

Tin-Can Customs

T

• Lagos port

Terminal operators violate agreement

T

ERMINAL operators have been accused of violating their agreement with the Federal Government.

Operations at the nation’s seaports were handed over to them five years ago.

But some of the terminal operators are now using their terminals for operations not contained in the agreement.

One of the government officials at Lagos port, Mr Sesan Alabi, told The Nation that the Green View Terminal, which was concessioned to operate as a bulk terminal, now has a manufacturing/processing plant to serve its subsidiary rather than the port users as contained in the agreement.

This observation, he said, was also noted in a report submitted recently, by the committee set up by the Federal Government to evaluate the performance of the terminals since 2006.

The report of the commit-

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

tee, Alabi alleged, also accused terminal operators of monopolising the ports to the detriment of port users and the public.

The action, Alabi said, was against the concession agreement the terminal operators signed with the Federal Government.

The committee was headed by a maritime lawyer, Mr Chidi Ilogu.

The committee, he said, recommended that the Federal Government should punish the terminals that violated its agreement by reverting them, within three months, to their original status as entrenched in the agreement, A member of the committee, who does not want his name in print, also told The Nation that majority of the terminal operators in Lagos are now operating outside the law that empowered them to operate at the ports

and urged the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to investigate.

“Many of the terminal operators believe they can do whatever they want and that nothing would happen to them since they have the ears of the Federal Government, “They believe they have put our ports inside their pockets and are ready to die with them. They have converted the terminals to other uses contrary to what they have in the agreement.

“For example, one of the terminals that was concessioned to operate as a bulk cargo terminal now operates with impunity an industrial processing and bagging plant for its parent company.

“The development has limited the provision of bulk cargo services to other bulk cargo consignees.

He also told The Nation that some terminals that were

leased as a multi-purpose facility to meet the cargo and raw material needs of local industries, have developed infrastructure designed for container operations in a manner inconsistent with the lease agreement and port reform objective.

“Our members were not happy when they discovered the emergence of jetties and tank farms around the access roads and exits to the ports at Apapa and TinCan-Island.

“No fewer than 26 tank farms were within the ports corridor in Lagos and majority of them contain hazardous cargoes and are less than five kilometres away from the port.

“These haphazard developments create danger to the main port establishment, port users and the general public. That is why we want the government to address it the way it has addressed the issue of its agencies.”

Traders partner SON on fake products

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HE Maritime Traders Association (MARTA) is partnering with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to check the influx of contraband.

Speaking with The Nation in Lagos on Friday, the President of the group, Mr Roy Philipson, said the partnership became necessary to save their business and the lives of Nigerians.

He said the level of importation of fake products is high and the leadership of SON needs the support of every patriotic Nigerian in stopping the menace.

Philipson said genuine importers are spending a lot of money in making sure their products are not faked.

The importer also urged security agents at the borders to check the influx of fake products in their areas of operation.

Philipson said the association does not support the importation of prohibited goods and urged the Federal Government to pros-

ecute any importer found violating the law.

Majority of their members, he said, are law abiding citizens.

He bemoaned the high cost of doing business at the sea ports and urged the Federal Government to make the ports attractive

for business.

The delay in cargo clearance, Philipson said, is not good for the economy.

“Now is the time for stakeholders to collaborate and for importers to do the right thing as laid down by the government. The stress in cargo clearance is unwar-

ranted. With e-clearance, there is no reason why goods should not leave the ports within 48 hours.

He called on the leadership of Customs to embark on a trade facilitation scheme rather than subject every container to 100 per cent examination.

Security agencies urged to collaborate

S

ECURITY and regulatory agencies at the port have been urged to collaborate and work in the interest of the nation as the local government elections come up in Lagos on Saturday.

General Manager, Sea and Land Ventures, Mr Festus Adeleye, advocated strong co-operation among the various security agencies at the ports to aid the sharing of security information.

He said such an improvement in the management and dissemination of security-related information should be worked at to reduce the tension that sensi-

tive security information often generates among members of the public.

The call, Adeleye said, became necessary with the spate of violence in the country.

To check the reoccurrence of such an ugly incidence, he said government agencies at the ports should intensify efforts to realise the objectives of the pre-shipment inspection scheme.

This, he explained, would ensure that the contents of all imported cargoes were predetermined even before their arrival.

He said: “We will continue to intensify the

realisation of the pre-shipment inspection scheme.

Through the efficient implementation of the scheme, all the contents of imported cargoes will be predetermined even before their arrival.

“With the local government election coming up this Saturday, there is the urgent need for cooperation among maritime stakeholders, especially in the area of intelligence information sharing,” he said.

He commended the cordial relationship among stakeholders, especially in intelligence information sharing.

HE Tin-Can Island command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), has denied the allegation of corruption leveled against one of its officers at the port.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Chris Osunkwo, told The Nation during a telephone conversation that there was no iota of truth in the alleged allegation leveled against a senior female officer of the command that she collects gratification from importers and clearing agents before clearing their goods from the port.

He called those who gave the information as mischief makers and busy bodies who are not ready

to see anything good in positives steps taken by Customs.

“If you insist that due process must be followed, they would call you names and try to rubbish you,” he said.

A clearing agent, who craved anonymity, said the command is living up to expectation based on the seizure of the $1,106 concealed in a container and the explosives that were brought into the country recently.

“Most of the officers of the command are very diligent. People should stop blackmailing them because they have personal scores to settle with them” the agent said.

Port Act enactment

T

HE Ministry of Trans port has been advised to assist in fast-tracking the enactment of a Port and Harbour law.

The Federal Government started the port reform programme and concession of the infrastructure to private sector operators since 2001.

So far, 24 out of the 26 port terminals have been concessioned.

Speaking with The Nation in Lagos, Managing Director, Global Industry Limited, Mr Adeola Adesanya, said fasttracking the process would ensure that the interest of Nigerians was not sacrificed as a result of incomplete implementation of the port reform.

He was worried that the Port and Harbour Bill still remained in the cooler four years after agreements had been signed with the terminal operators and the terminals handed over to them.

Adesanya said the port reform and restructuring was aimed at increasing efficient operation, decrease the cost of service rendered and to make Nigeria the hub for international freight and trade in West and Central Africa.

A stakeholder in the industry, Mr Wale Aladejobi, called on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to monitor compliance and start the regulation of port operations and services.

High port charges

F

REIGHT Forwarders have continued to groan under the weight of charges they are forced to pay by concessionaires operating at the nation’s sea ports.

Addressing journalists in Lagos last week, the president of IFFA, Chief David Okutalukwe, called on the Federal Government to intervene and look into the issue of high port charges. He said if the bodies saddled with the responsibility of regulating the concessionaires and the shipping companies fail to intervene, freight forwarders may be forced to take laws into their hands.

Okutalukwe lamented that when the NPA was in charge of port operations, the demurrage on goods at the port was not more than N3,000 per day, but today

By Uyoatta Eshiet

the demurrage collected by terminal operators is as high as N8,000 per day on a 40-foot container. He said these charges are not uniform and terminal operators now charge as they wish.

“If you roll a container out of the wharf they will ask you to go to Eric Moore to drop it. When you get there, they will tell you there is no space and you should go to Migfo, you can continue running about like this for a whole week and they still charge demurrage on these things, for a fault that is not yours. It is a plan to extort money from importers and agents; we have kept quiet for so long but nobody is addressing the issue, now we want the government to take a decision on it,” he said.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

MOVEMENT FOR ABIA RE-UNION 16, Ojike Street, Umuahia- Ibeku.

UNWARRANTED ATTACKS AGAINST GOVERNOR TA ORJI ARE DOOMED TO FAIL

R

ecently a nondescript group of hired guns, jobbers, hustlers and name droppers fronting for some discredited politicians masquerading under the aegis of an equally bogus platform of ASSOCIATON OF ANAMBRA STATE DEVELOPMENT UNIONS, Aba fired a petition riddled with juvenile innuendoes, deceit and hypocrisy against The Abia State Government, to President Goodluck Jonathan on the issue of the transfer of non indigenes back to their home states. The summary of their frivolous entreaty to the Commanderin-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was for him to ‘use his good offices to deploy enforcers and federal structures to overturn/ rescind and embark on a policy showdown with the Abia State government in the matter of the indigenisation of the Civil Service.’

One would have expected that a signatory of that banal petition who flaunts a ‘doctorate degree’ should have had the mental capacity to understand that the dialectics and gravitas of indigenisation policies in Nigeria and worldwide was not pioneered by Dr TA Orji.

Instead of appreciating the socio-economic exigencies that informed OCHENDO’s decision, he permitted himself to embark on a prescriptive flight of fancy, which inevitably exposed his intellectual bankruptcy.

Historically, the basic objectives of indigenisation have formed the fundamental issues of national development in Africa since the sixties.

Even the Japanese, South Africans, Russians at one point or the other adopted indigenisation as systematic policies of gaining the socio-economic pulse of their lives. Lest we forget, it was the Federal government of Nigeria in the early seventies that introduced the indigenization policy into the polity. Today the local content policy, a variant of indigenization- is a cornerstone of the oil industry.

From 2002,the governments of Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo and some Northern states repatriated thousands of Abia state employees in their service for reasons of indigenising their work force. Samplers: Enugu state ejected 438 Abia civil servants. The figures from Imo revealed that, 98 Abians were extruded in 2005. Benue state in 2006 kicked out 128 of our kinsmen. From Anambra, 196 of our brothers and sisters were given the boot.

The mass movements of Abia refugees back to Umuahia was reminiscent of Jewish deportations of World War 2, because the manner of their ejection especially emigrants from Imo state, bore tell tale signs of humiliation and human rights violation. Abia State government accepted the situation with equanimity and rehabilitated all the deportees.

The malcontents from Anambra State Town Unions, who could not interpret an innocuous memo, just went to town and screamed blue murder. There was no where in the directive HAS/S.0071/11/132 of August 25, 2001 that mentioned anything like a sack. Back loading is a civil service lingo for transfer and not retrenchment. Nothing in thought, word or deed in the policy endangered national security.

For several months prior to the implementation of the policy all the affected staff were properly debriefed and notified and governors of the affected states informed in writing. It is on record that the vast majority of the affected staff were enamoured and appreciated OCHENDO’s benign approach.

So all this evocation of fear and conjuring of crises scenarios on the scale of Jos, Rwanda, Liberia, Kosovo is all mumbo jumbo that only exists in the mind of nihilists. We implore the security services to invite the three signatories of that trite letter for a chat as sections of that piece are inciting, seditious and treasonable.

As we speak, the tertiary institutions, and the organised private sector, in Aba, Umuahia including high profile apparatchiks in Government House, Umuahia are top heavy with non Abians from Imo state, Anambra and elsewhere. Given the serene and tranquil situation brought about by OCHENDO’s commitment to peace and security, the gold rush to the Abia El-Dorado has been on the upward swing.

It is a measure of the cosmopolitan nature of Abians that you have sections and streets named after non Abians like Awolowo, Adelabu.

The Calabar, Kaduna and Eket people are not left out. The cattle market at Lokpanta, an exclusive trading hub for our Northern/Fulani brothers, receives regular developmental attention from Dr TA Orji’s administration. It is therefore, the moral equivalent of a sin to suggest that the Abia State Government is pursuing an exclusive, anti-Igbo, anti-settler, agenda.

It may be true that citizens and fundamental human rights vide sections 3 and 4 of the Nigerian constitution needs to be fine tuned.

But that falls into the domain of the National Assembly to review the constitution. So also we have to re-work the mantra of true federalism, to reflect the cultural mosaic of the Nigerian federation.

Until this is done,it will be pure hogwash to contend that Abia state has run foul of Nigeria’s model of federalism.

Be it known that, the issue of back loading of non indigenous staff is irrevocable and has the wholesale endorsement of all Abians. No amount of blackmailing or destructive criticisms will reverse the Almost a decade down the line, when it was the turn of Abia to policy. Those failed politicians, who were roundly trounced at the downsize and shed excess luggage, Governor T. A. Orji adopted a polls should lick their wounds and synergise with OCHENDO to disengagement process imbued with due process and a human continuously move Abia forward. God’s own state is not a political face. But suddenly, all manners of rabble-rousers, anarchists, football anybody can kick around. demagogues, hack writers and trouble making clerics emerged from the wood works and went haywire, spitting fire, scare mongering OCHENDO like the Biblical patriarchs of Moses and Joshua, led and indulging themselves in a mass hysteria of uninformed and the Abians and liberated them from the wilderness. His actions and policies are a continuum of that unction. He has changed the Abia primitive criticisms. story, so let every other scallywag shut up.

We heard of the crude, impudent and naive posturing of a commissioner for disinformation from the neighbouring ‘OTOKOTO’ state accusing Abia State Government of threatening Igbo unity SIGNED whereas, they were the ones who railroaded Igbo fraternity into Hon Kingsley Imaga Hon Armstrong Chimezie extinction when in 2010, they literally vomited and spat on pensioners Secretary PRO of Abia extraction who had successfully done duty tours in Imo State.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

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MONEY LINK

SEC attributes losses in capital market to ignorance

T

HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has blamed the large number of casualties in the capital market on lack of professional advice by investors before committing their money to the market.

Director-General of the SEC, Ms Arumna Oteh, while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja, blamed investors for not knowing the difference between saving their money and investing in the capital market.

Oteh, who said she learnt the art of capital market manipulations from her parents, said other Nigerians should have sought the advice of investment analysts and professionals before taking

From Nduka Chiejina and Tonia Osundolire

the plunge.

She said, SEC is not in the business of advising people on what to do with their money, but to protect the system from sharp practices.

She said current statistics have shown that “only about 5 million Nigerians out of a population of 150 million people invest in the capital market. Of this total, only 230,000 people, representing 0.15 per cent of the total population, invest in collective investment schemes.”

Ms. Oteh, said there is great opportunity for growth in the mar-

These products are expected to enhance liquidity and market depth and lead to a robust market that would have a market capitalization of $1 trillion by 2016.

On its part, the SEC, she said believes that “demutualization of the stock exchange will further strengthen the capital market, a belief that compelled the commission to inaugurate an industry wide committee to develop a

ket, both for the investor and the mangers of such funds.

In anticipation of expected growth in the market, she said SEC has intensified efforts to strengthen the market, including examination of fund managers and trustees of such schemes and recently encouraged the establishment of an industry trade group for the fund manager, adding that the new team at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has outlined a bold vision to build a credible market with five product ranges-equity, fixed income, exchange traded funds(EFTs), options and financial futures-over the next five years.

Training will enhance IFRS

S

TANDARD Chartered Bank Nigeria recently organised a five day training workshop to bring to the forefront key implementation issues arising from Nigeria’s adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

The bank in a statement said it recognises the need for training and capacity building of personnel in order to adopt the IFRS. Accordingly, rather than focus exclusively on classroom training of staff, the bank decided to have a mix of classroom training, interactive stakeholder sessions and external workshops based on its assessment of the enormity of changes in financial reporting, technical skill sets, business processes and systems which would arise from IFRS adoption.

The bank said the transition to

Stockbrokers explore infrastructure finance

S

By Taofik Salako

TOCKBROKERS under the aegis of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) would engage international financial experts and Nigerian government officials on ways to use the capital market to finance infrastructure. Speaking on the 15th Annual Conference and Induction of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, the President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mike Itegboje, said stockbrokers have decided to focus on exploring ways that the capital market could be used to address Nigeria’s infrastructural challenges.

He said, capital market operators and regulators would at the conference brainstorm with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and top government officials to channel the long-term funds at the capital market for the development of suitable infrastructure.

He said, using bank loans and other short-term instruments to finance infrastructure, which by their nature

are long-term investments, is a financial mismatch, adding that the Nigerian capital market is best suited to undertake that task.

Itegboje, noted that though people tend to associate the capital market mostly with the secondary market trading at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the capital market has almost limitless capacity as a global marketplace without borders.

He cited the oversubscription of the Nigerian Eurobond as an indication that investors still have appetite for good offers.

He said by using the capital market

to finance infrastructure, government could help stimulate the recovery of the market while deepening the choices available to investors.

He said a project, such as the revamp of the Nigerian Railways, would require more funds than what the government could muster, noting that the capital market could however pool funds for such critical infrastructure. He said with international experts billed to speak at the conference, Nigeria would benefit from such international people that have experience in structured capital market finance for such projects.

Cash policy to harmonise lending, interest rates

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said the cash limit policy would, in the long run, help bridge the gap between lending and deposit rates in the country.

This would be achieved, when the cost of managing cash in the economy, estimated at N192 bil-

lion, is curtailed, CBN Deputy Director, Currency Operations,.

Albert Ikmseedun, has said.

While speaking at a sensitisation programme held in Ikeja on the proposed cashless economy policy for the Lagos community, Ikmseedun, argued that the cost of managing cash to

Nigeria’s financial system is high and increasing, even as he appealed to residents of the state to welcome the policy.

He said while cost of managing cash-in-transit as at 2009 was N27.3 billion, cash processing stood at N69 billion.

FGN BONDS Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 17-14-11 SYMBOL NCR DIAMONDBNK IKEJAHOTEL NEIMETH GTASSURE INTBREW DANGCEM STERLNBANK FCMB GOLDINSURE

O/PRICE 5.22 3.23 2.26 1.29 1.16 5,76 96.00 1.31 4.00 0.55

C/PRICE 5.48 3.39 2.37 1.35 1.21 6.00 100.00 1.36 4.15 0.57

CHANGE 0.26 0.16 0.11 0.06 0.05 0.24 4.00 0.05 0.15 0.02

LOSER AS AT 17-10-11 SYMBOL JBERGER MULTITREX DANGSUGAR UBA WEMABANK ASHAKACEM ECOBANK PZ JAPAULOIL CCNN

O/PRICE 42.57 1.62 6.50 3.58 0.66 14.00 2.25 30.55 0.77 5.96

C/PRICE 40.45 1.54 6.18 3.41 0.63 13.50 2.17 29.51 0.75 5.90

Amount

Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS

OBB Rate Call Rate

IFRS will require all key stakeholders to work in unison to address common challenges and highlight similar opportunities in order to ensure a successful implementation of IFRS in the country.

The target participants included a proper mix of senior executives of banks, directors of key banking regulators from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

According to Standard Chartered Bank’s Executive Director for Finance, Mrs. Yemi Owolabi, “We are always interested in deepening the knowledge base of our stakeholders in the country’s financial services industry. As an international bank with a presence in more than 70 countries across different continents, we fully realize the importance of adherence to internationally accepted standards within the financial services industry. The importance of this workshop cannot be over emphasized based on the regulatory directive for IFRS adoption by the 1st January, 2012. We intend to continue organizing seminars like this to ensure the development of capacity and creation of awareness not only for the members of staff of Standard Chartered Bank in Nigeria but also for our various stakeholders within the country.”

DATA BANK

Tenor

NIDF NESF

road map for demutualizing the exchange.”

She expressed delight that the world has awoken to the huge opportunities in Nigeria, a development that has seen Nigeria leverage the financial crisis to lay the foundation for a world class capital market, saying a world class capital market is needed to channel investment money opportunities that abound in Nigeria.

Amount

Exchange

Sold ($)

Rate (N)

Date

450m

452.7m

450m

150.8

08-8-11

250m

313.5m

250m

150.8

03-8-11

400m

443m

400m

150.7

01-8-11

EXHANGE RATE 26-08-11 CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD

147.6000

149.7100

150.7100

-2.11

NGN GBP

239.4810

244.0123

245.6422

-2.57

NGN EUR

212.4997

207.9023

209.2910

-1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

Bureau de Change 152.0000 (S/N)

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

Parallel Market

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NSE CAP Index

NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N)

13-09-11 N6.7026tr 21,018.52

14-09-11 N6.760tr 21,199.16

% Change -0.87% -0.86%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

(S/N)

153.0000

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

Aug ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

8.75%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 9.4%

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 118.15 100.28 0.77 1.02 0.91 1,639.36 8.24 1.39 1.87 7,118,33 193.00

9.08 1.00 117.96 99.71 0.74 1.02 0.90 1,634.12 7.84 1.33 1.80 6,917.31 191.08

ARM AGGRESSIVE KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY THE DISCOVERY FUND • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED

CHANGE 2.12 0.08 0.32 0.17 0.03 0.50 0.08 1.04 0.02 0.06

• STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

Rate (Previous) 24 Aug, 2011 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 26, Aug, 2011 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous

Current

04 July, 2011

07, Aug, 2011

Bank

8.5000

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

54

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES PROJECT (SMMRP) CREDIT No. 4012-UNI

Invitation for Bids (IFB) SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF LABORATORY EQUIPMENT FOR THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND GEOSCIENCES, JOS IFB No. (MMSD/SMMRP/ICB/10/01) 1.

2.

This Invitation for Bids follows the General Procurement Notice for this Project that appeared in Development Business, issue no. ID-843108 of 9TH December, 2004 The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has received a credit from the International Development Association toward the cost of Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this credit to payments under the Contract for the Supply and Installation of Laboratory Equipment for the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences, Jos.

S/NO 1

Tuesday 18th October, 2011

DESCRIPTION OF GOODS Item 1 CORE SPLITTER (Manual)

QUANTITY

DELIVERY DATE

BID SECURITY

1

120 Days

2.5% OF Bid Price.

2

Item 2 CORE SPLITTER (HYDRAULIC)

1

=do=

=do=

3

Item 3 TRIAXIAL ROCK TESTING MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

4

Item 4 CBR APPARATUS, COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES

1

=do=

=do=

5

Item 5 POINT LOAD TESTING MACHINE AND ACCESSORIES

1

=do=

=do=

6

Item 6 GEONOR VIBRATING-WIRE TEST EQUIPMENT

1

120 Days

=do=

7

Item 7 MASONRY SAW WITH COMPLETE ACCESSORIES

1

=do=

=do=

8

Item 8 CORE DRILLING AND CUTTING MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

9

Item 9 CONSOLIDATION TEST APPARATUS (CA – 01) COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES

1

=do=

=do=

10

Item 10 VICAT APPARATUS COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES

1

=do=

=do=

11

Item 11 CONSTANT AND FALLING HEAD PERMEABILITY CELL

1

120 Days

=do=

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

S/NO

DESCRIPTION OF GOODS

55

QUANTITY

DELIVERY DATE

BID SECURITY

12

Item 12 CONSISTOMETER TEST APPARATUS

1

=do=

=do=

13

Item 13 CONSISTENCY LIMITS TEST APPARATUS

1

=do=

=do=

14

Item 14 COMPACTION TEST APPARATUS

1

120 Days

=do=

15

Item 15 CONE PENETROMETER

1

=do=

=do=

16

Item 16 DENSITY TEST APPARATUS

1

120 Days

=do=

17

Item 17 DUCTILITY TESTING MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

18

Item 18 HAND GRINDER BELT

1

=do=

=do=

19

Item 19 ELECTROMET III

1

120 Days

=do=

20

Item 20 ELECTRONIC BALANCE

1

=do=

=do=

21

Item 21 ROCKWELL HARDNESS TESTING MACHINE

1

120 Days

=do=

Item 22 SWEDISH DROP TEST HAMMER MV/N) (BRITTLENESS)

1

=do=

=do=

1

120 Days

=do=

Item 24 AUGER DRILL MACHINE COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES

1

=do=

=do=

Item 25 LABORATORY HYDRAULIC ROCK BREAKER MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

22

23 24

25

Item 23 ABRASIVE VALVE TEST APPARATUS

26

Item 26 LABORATORY PNEUMATIC ROCK BREAKER MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

27

Item 27 THERMAL FLAME JET

1

=do=

=do=

28

Item 28 AIR COMPRESSOR

1

=do=

=do=

29

Item 29 DIAMOND CORE DRILL

1

120 Days

=do=

30

Item 30 BIT GRINDING MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

31

Item 31 EXPLOSIVE LEAD BLOCK TEST APPARATUS

1

=do=

=do=

32

Item 32 OHM METER

1

120 Days

=do=

33

Item 33 LEAKAGE TESTER

1

=do=

=do=

34

Item 34 CIRCUIT TESTER

1

=do=

=do=

35

Item 35 ALTIMETER/BAROMETER

1

=do=

=do=

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

56

S/NO

DESCRIPTION OF GOODS

QUANTITY

DELIVERY DATE

BID SECURITY

1

=do=

=do=

36

Item 36 MINE AIR FLOW CENTRIFUGAL FAN RIG

37

Item 37 MANOMETER

1

=do=

=do=

38

Item 38 VENTURI METER

1

=do=

=do=

39

Item 39

ANEROID BAROMETER

1

=do=

=do=

40

Item 40

CHART RECORDER

1

=do=

=do=

41

Item 41 DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE METER

1

=do=

=do=

42

Item 42 DIGITAL THERMOMETERS

2

=do=

=do=

43

Item 43 ORIFICE FLOW METERS

2

=do=

=do=

44

Item 44 THERMOCOUPLE 2500OC

1

=do=

=do=

45

Item 45

1

=do=

=do=

46

Item 46 CYCLONE SEPARATOR

1

=do=

=do=

47

Item 47 AXIAL FLOW FAN

1

=do=

=do=

48

Item 48 SURVEY CHAIN

2

=do=

=do=

49

Item 49 WELDING HOOD

2

=do=

=do=

50

Item 50 STUDENT LATHE MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

51

Item 51 BENCH GRINDING MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

52

1

=do=

=do=

53

Item 52 ELECTRICAL TOOL BOX (GREENLEE 0159-11) Item 53 GENERATOR SETS 12KVA

2

=do=

=do=

54

Item 54 CENTRAL DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM

1

=do=

=do=

55

Item 55 PORTABLE LABORATORY MULTI-GRAVITY SEPARATOR WITH 2 SETS OF REPLACEABLE PARTS

1

=do=

=do=

56

Item 56 HYDROCYCLONE TEST ASSEMBLY (WITH 2 SETS OF REPLACEABLE PARTS)

1

=do=

=do=

57

Item 57 HAVER CPA COMPUTERIZED PARTICLE SIZE ANALYZER

1

=do=

58

Item 58 WARMAN CYCLOSIZER

1

=do=

=do=

59

Item 59 PORTABLE GYROLL LAB CRUSHER

1

=do=

=do=

60

Item 60 LABORATORY JAW CRUSHER

1

=do=

=do=

61

Item 61 PULP DENSITY SCALE

2

=do=

62

Item 62 LABORATORY DISC PULVERIZER

1

=do=

CONSTANT FLOW PUMP

=do=

=do=

=do=

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

S/NO

DESCRIPTION OF GOODS

57

QUANTITY

DELIVERY DATE

BID SECURITY

63

Item 63 DRIVE ROLLS BATCH

1

=do=

=do=

64

Item 64 LAB SIZE HAMMER

1

=do=

=do=

65

Item 65 BENCH TOP PLANETARY AUTOMATIC BALL MILL

1

=do=

=do=

66

Item 66 F.C BOND GRINDING TEST MILL

1

=do=

=do=

67

Item 67 HARDGROVE GRINDABILITY TESTER

1

=do=

=do=

68

Item 68 TEST SIEVES

2

=do=

=do=

69

Item 69 TEST SIEVES

2

=do=

=do=

70

Item 70 ROTAP SIEVE SHAKER

1

=do=

=do=

71

Item 71 ROTAP SIEVE SHAKER

1

=do=

=do=

72

Item 72 SIEVE BRUSHES

5

=do=

=do=

73

Item 73 WET/DRY SIEVE SHAKER COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES

1

=do=

=do=

74

ITEM 74 LAB. COLUMN FLOTATION MACHINE PLUS

1

=do=

=do=

75

Item 75 EMDEE MICROFLOT

1

=do=

=do=

76

Item 76 LABORATORY FLOTATION MACHINE(DENVER)

1

=do=

=do=

Item 77 LABORATORY FLOTATION MACHINE(WEMCO AGITAIR)

1

=do=

=do=

Item 78 LABORATORY HIGH-INTENSITY INDUCED ROLL MAGNETIC SEPARATOR:

1

=do=

Item 79 LABORATORY WET MAGNETIC DRUM SEPARATOR

1

80

Item 80 LABORATORY RARE EARTH MAGNETIC SEPARATOR

2

=do=

=do=

81

Item 81

1

=do=

=do=

77

78

79

=do= =do= =do=

LABORATORY ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATOR

82

Item 82 HAND MAGNET

1

=do=

=do=

83

Item 83 GAUSSMETER

1

=do=

=do=

84

Item 84 SPIRAL TEST RIG

1

=do=

=do=

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

58

S/NO

DESCRIPTION OF GOODS

QUANTITY

DELIVERY DATE

BID SECURITY

85

Item 85 LABORATORY WILFLEY速 CONCENTRATING TABLE

1

=do=

=do=

86

Item 86 PILOT PLANT FLOTATION MACHINE

1

=do=

=do=

87

Item 87 LABORATORY SELECTIVE SIMPLEX MINERAL JIG

1

=do=

=do=

88

Item 88 BENCHTOP DIGITAL pH METER

1

=do=

=do=

89

Item 89 MOISTURE DETERMINATION BALANCE

1

=do=

=do=

90

Item 90 PLATFORM SCALE DIGITAL

1

=do=

=do=

91

Item 91 PRECISION BALANCE

1

92

Item 92 pH METER

1

=do=

=do=

93

Item 93 CONTINUOUS LABORATORY FILTER PRESS Item 94 BATCH PRESSURE FILTER

1

=do=

=do=

1

=do=

=do=

Item 95 PORTABLE VACUUM PRESSURE PUMP Item 96 LABORATORY CENTRIFUGE Item 97 NITON XL3T GOLDD PORTABLE XRF METALS ANALYSER Item 98 MERRIL CROWE PLANT ECONOMY Item 99 RIFFLE SAMPLERS -ENCLOSED Item 100 KNELSON CONCENTRATOR Item 101 GRAVITY CONVECTION LAB OVEN Item 102 OVEN Item 103 COAL ASH DETERMINATION FURNACE

1

=do=

=do=

1 1

120 Days =do=

=do= =do=

1

=do=

=do=

1 1 1

120 Days =do= =do=

=do= =do= =do=

1 1

=do= =do=

=do= =do=

104

Item 104MELTING FURNACE TILTING ELECTRIC FURNACE

1

=do=

=do=

105

Item 105 LABORATORY ROTARY KILN

1

120 Days

=do=

106 107

Item 106 SEDIMENTATION APPARATUS Item 107 ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROPHOTOMETER (AAS)

1 1

=do= =do=

=do= =do=

108

Item 108 MULTIPURPOSE X-RAY DIFFRACTION SYSTEM

1

120 Days

=do=

109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116

Item 109 PORTABLE pH METER Item 110 WATER DEIONIZER Item 111 WATER DISTILLER Item 112 DIGITAL SHAKING WATER BATH Item 113 KERN TOP PAN BALANCES Item 114 BOX FURNACE Item 115 RESISTIVITY METER Item 116 INDUCED POLARIZATION EQUIPMENT

1 5 2 2 2 2 1 1

=do= =do= =do= =do= =do= 120 Days =do= =do=

=do= =do= =do= =do= =do= =do= =do= =do=

117

Item 117 SLINGRAM (HLEM) EQUIPMENT

1

120 Days

=do=

94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103

=do=

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

S/NO

DESCRIPTION OF GOODS

59

QUANTITY

DELIVERY DATE

BID SECURITY

118 119

Item 118 GEIGER COUNTER Item 119 PORTABLE SEISMOGRAPH

1 1

=do= =do=

=do= =do=

120

Item 120 PETROGRAPHIC MICROSCOPE:

2

=do=

=do=

121

Item 121 THIN SECTIONING MACHINE COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES

1

=do=

=do=

122

Item 122 PORTABLE ANALYZER (XRF)

1

=do=

=do=

123

Item 123 GPS UNIT

10

120 Days

=do=

124

Item 124 DIAMOND CORE DRILL

1

=do=

=do=

125

Item 125 HP HDX 18T SERIES LAPTOPS COMPUTERS

10

=do=

=do=

126

Item 126 ALL-IN-PCS IQ800T SERIES DESKTOPS Item 127 LARGE FORMAT PRINTERS & SCANNERS Item 128 ROCK POLISHING MACHINE Item 129 ROCK GRINDING MACHINE Item 130 ROCK CUTTING MACHINE Item 131 IMAGE (IMAGE PROCESSING SOFTWARE)

10

120 Days

=do=

1

=do=

=do=

1 1 2 1

=do= =do= =do= =do=

=do= =do= =do= =do=

132

Item 132 ARC GIS9.3

1

120 Days

=do=

133

Item 133 DRILLING BITS

5

=do=

=do=

134

Item 134 COUPLINGS

10

=do=

=do=

135

Item 135 CIRCULAR SAWS

2

120 Days

=do=

136

Item 136 CORE BITS

2

=do=

=do=

137

Item 137 CUTTING DISCS

1

=do=

=do=

138

Item 138 GRINDING DISCS

1

=do=

=do=

139

Item 139 DRILLING RODS

2

=do=

=do=

140

Item 140 LE CHATELIER FLASK

2

=do=

=do=

141

Item 141 REAGENTS

15

120 Days

=do=

142

Item 142 FLOTATION REAGENTS-

18

=do=

=do=

143

Item 143 ZINC METAL

500mg

=do=

=do=

144

Item 144 METALLIC TIN

500mg

120 Days

=do=

145

Item 145 PLATINUM CRUCIBLES

5

=do=

=do=

146

Item 146 PLATINUM DISHES

2

=do=

=do=

147

Item 147CARBON CRUCIBLES

5

=do=

=do=

148

Item 148 NICKEL CRUCIBLES

5

=do=

=do=

149

Item 149 SILICA DISHES

5

=do=

=do=

127 128 129 130 131

60

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

3.

The Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project now invites sealed bids from eligible and qualified bidders for the Supply and Installation of Laboratory Equipment for the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences, Jos.

4.

Bidding will be conducted through the International Competitive Bidding (ICB) , a procedure specified in the World Bank’s Guidelines: Procurement under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits, and is open to all bidders from Eligible Source Countries as defined in the Guidelines.

5.

Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project at the address below and inspect the Bidding Documents from 11:00am to 4:00pm Mondays to Fridays.

6.

Qualifications requirements include: • •

Evidence of two contracts for the supply and installation of equipment of similar nature and magnitude as those proposed which were successfully executed during the last five.

Audited Financial Statements for the last 3 years to demonstrate the financial capability of the Bidder in terms of Profitability and adequate working capital.

Additional details are provided in the Bidding Documents.

7.

A complete set of Bidding Documents in English may be purchased by interested bidders on the submission of a written Application to the address below and upon payment of a non refundable fee N 10,000.00 (Ten Thousand Naira) only or US$70.00 (seventy United States Dollars). The method of payment will be in Bank Draft in favor of Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project or through electronic Bank transfer to the Projects designated account (for International bidders). The Bidding Documents will be collected by the representative of the Bidder or by courier services on request.

8.

Bids must be delivered to the address below at or before 1:30pm on 29th November, 2011. Electronic bidding will not be permitted. Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives, who choose to attend in person at the address below at 2:00pm on 29th November, 2011. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security of at least 2.5% of bid price or an equivalent amount in a freely convertible currency.

9.

The address referred to above is: Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, No. 6, Marte Close, Off Misau Crescent, Garki II, Abuja. Nigeria P.M.B. 107, Abuja.

Nigeria +234 8053000153, +234 7098802871

Signed: Project Coordinator

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

61

NEWS

ACN closes case at electoral panel

A

CTION Congress of N i g e r i a (ACN)candidate for Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency in Anambra State Dozie Nwankwo has closed his case

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

at the State Election Petition Tribunal.

Nwankwo is challenging declaration of Uche Ekwunife of All Progressives Grand Al-

liance (APGA) as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the April National Assembly elections.

APGA’s counsel, Okafor, said the case would be closed

today to make way for INEC to begin its case.

The INEC counsel requested more time to conclude his case.

Tribunal Chairman, Justice Onajite Kuejubola, adjourned the case till today.

Ebonyi tribunal nullifies Minority Leader’s election

T

HE National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has nullified the election of the Minority Leader and member representing Ezza-North West in the House of Assembly, Enyi Chukwuma Enyi.

Justice Henry Olusiyi, yesterday declared Celestine Nworji of the Peoples Demo-

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

cratic Party (PDP) winner of the election. Nworji reportedly scored the highest number of votes in the election.

The tribunal invalidated the exclusion of the election results from Nweke Okpuru polling unit in Inyere ward, where the petitioner scored

706 votes.

All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) supporters had besieged the tribunal to give solidarity to their candidates.

Justice Olusiyi ruled that the Electoral Officer had no powers to exclude the results from the polling unit, having been collated and declared earlier by the presiding officers.

He said the PDP candidate won the election.

“The people of Nweke Okpuru, who trooped out on the day of the election to cast their vote for the candidate of their choice had expected their votes to count. Excluding their vote amounts to injustice and we therefore hold that the election result of the polling centre remains valid,” he said.

Ajimobi seeks Assembly’s approval for N13b extra budget

A

N13 billion Supplementary Appropriation Bill was yesterday sent to the Oyo House of Assembly for approval by the government.

The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Adedeji Adelabu, disclosed this in Ibadan while briefing reporters at the end of the state executive council meeting.

According to the commissioner, the supplementary vote had become imperative to ensure the successful implementation of the transformation agenda of the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration.

He explained that N7 billion would be spent on recurrent expenditure while N6 billion was earmarked for

capital expenditure.

According to Adelabu, the budget would take care of the new minimum wage, massive road rehabilitation and construction of fly-over bridges at Challenge and Mokola in Ibadan metropolis as part of government’s ef-

forts to decongest the state capital and ensure free flow of traffic.

Also at the briefing, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdul-Lateef, said the government had also approved the commencement of the second phase of the free

health mission, saying that it would start in the next two weeks.

He explained that the second phase would cover areas not listed in the first phase, assuring that all the 33 local governments would be duly taken of.

Anambra doctors embark on strike

D

OCTORS in Anambra State have embarked on a two- day strike in solidarity with the civil service doctors who have been on strike for nine months.They are protesting the non payment of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS)by the state government.

The doctors are also protest-

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

ing the stoppage of the civil service doctors’ salaries without following the civil service regulation.

Addressing reporters yesterday after a protest rally in Awka, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Emmanuel Ekwesianya, accused the Peter Obi-

led administration of frustrating moves by the body to negotiate with them.

He said: “Following the strike, the state government stopped salaries of the civil service doctors without following the due process in civil service regulation”.

Commissioner for Health Amobi Ilika dismissed the claims of the striking doctors.

IMT Enugu Rector sacked From Chris Oji, Enugu

T

HE crisis rocking the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, which led to the de-accreditation of courses offered in the institution, took a new turn yesterday following the dissolution of the governing council and removal of the Rector,Prof. Edwin Onyeneje.

Onyeneje was reportedly directed by the Enugu State Government to proceed on leave.

Commissioner of Education Simeon Otuanya confirmed the incident yesterday. He said Prof Mike Iloeje has been appointed the new Acting Rector of the institution. He also said a new Acting Registrar has been appointed.

According to Otuanya, the state government has also constituted a Judicial Panel of Enquiry into the affairs of the institution.

He decried the non -accreditation of some courses at the institution.

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) had withdrawn the accreditation of National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes last month on the grounds that the school was admitting more than the required capacity.

Group condemns removal of fuel subsidy

T

HE Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF) yesterday said the Federal Government’s plan to remove fuel subsidy would only increase suffering .

It said it was unfortunate that state governors are supporting what could amount to sending the masses to “an early grave.”

NUF, in a statement by its President, Augustine Chukwudum, urged the government to drop the plan.

It said rather than removing fuel subsidy and increasing the prices of other commodities, the government should review petroleum prices downward.

“Let President Goodluck Jonathan reduce the price of fuel to N20 per litre, kerosene to N10 per litre and gas

By Joseph Jibueze

to N15 per litre. By so doing, the masses can feel the much awaited democracy dividend that has been deprived them for the past 12 years of civil rule,” NUF said.

To the group, Nigerians have a right to enjoy their natural resources at affordable and cheaper rates. “It is not a privilege as claimed by state governors,” it said.

NUF added: “President Jonathan should be preoccupied with how to better the life of every citizen in our great country and not dancing to the tune of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cabals who do not care about the welfare of Nigerian citizens.

62

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

NEWS Pensioner dies at Delta screening centre From Okungbowa Aiwerie,Asaba

N 80-year-old pensioner died yesterday at the Screening Centre for federal retirees in Asaba, Delta State.

His body was in the open for several hours before his family got an ambulance to evacuate it.

It was learnt that efforts by his 30-year-old son to make the verification officials attend to him because of his ill health failed.

Two other pensioners fainted, but were resuscitated by their colleagues.

Many of the retirees were in a fragile condition and were brought to the centre by their children.

Some were crammed into the few canopies provided, while several others waited in the scorching sun.

They complained about the organisation of the exercise.

Seventy four-year-old Joseph Agbademi said: “I have been coming from Kwale for three days now and I am yet to be screened. The system is very poor and this is not good for us.”

His colleague from Effurun, Mr. Samson Enafewa said: “After four days of coming here continuously, they said I should submit my papers. I have done that and I’m waiting for them to call my name.”

A

•Oshiomhole (second left) welcoming Oba...yesterday

Anenih can’t rig in Edo, says Oshiomhole

E

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the Chairman of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Tony Anenih, cannot rig the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into power.

Oshiomole spoke yesterday while receiving over 2,000 former PDP members in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State into the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The defectors include members of the PDP executive committee in the council.

Oshiomhole said: “Let Anenih perish the thought that he will rig in Edo State, because he will not be able to do so. The people are the constant denominator. When the man lost the last election and is now boasting that he is standing on one toe, it can only be that he wants to rig.

•2,000 PDP members join ACN “We decided that the way to punish Anenih, the godfather, is to bring development to his people, which he failed to give them. That is why he will continue to depend on rigging.

“If we can tar the road leading to his village, then we are determined to develop everywhere. This is the best punishment for those who benefit from rigging.

“We have fought the preliminary in Akoko-Edo, we had the elimination fight in Estako Central, we had the final during the last election and we defeated them in all.

“God has used you and I to liquidate Anenih politically.

Right now, he is living on the political oxygen President Goodluck Jonathan extended to him. The day the President

turns off the oxygen mask, Anenih will die politically.”

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, the former local government chairman, Chief Charles Oba, said their decision was motivated by Oshiomhole’s achievements.

Oba said: “What you have been doing in Edo State surpasses our expectations. We came to join you to work as brothers and sisters to expand the frontier of development in the state.”

Former PDP Secretary Chief S.S. Yaya said: “What governments could not do in 50 years, you have done in three years. When you came on board, I thought it was a big joke. But when you started work, I knew it was no joke. Come 2012, we will work to ensure your success.”

Oshiomhole praised them for their decision to identify with the progressives.

He said: “The essence of governance is the use of power to change the fortunes of the people. By your decision to unite with us, you have strengthened our capacity to deliver good governance to our people.

“We can only be judged by what we have done for the people. When the campaign starts, everybody will show his scorecard. For the 10 years PDP was in government, it had nothing to show. But the ACN has much to show for its two years and 10 months.

“We will continue to bring development to your door steps. Every local government will be able to point out what the government has done in the area.”

Robbers kill two in Port Harcourt RMED robbers yesterday killed two persons in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The victims are a Police Corporal on escort duty and the driver of a Toyota Hilux van. The incident occurred in front of a new generation bank in Mile One, Diobu on Ikwerre road.

The robbers escaped with the money their victims withdrew from the bank.

The Police recovered N1.5 million from the Hilux van.

A journalist, Mr. George Onah, narrowly escaped death, as bullets shattered the rear windscreen of his KIA Rio car.

Onah said: “I thank God Almighty for being alive to tell the story. I would have been killed by the armed robbers, mostly young men, but with blood shot eyes.

“I left my office, situated beside the bank, at 2:57 pm and entered my car. I was

A

•Police recover N1.5m From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

about reversing when I started hearing gun shots.

“I squeezed myself between the passengers’ seats, so that the robbers would not see, but I was monitoring what was going on through the rear view mirror.

“The armed robbers, who came in an unmarked Toyota Camry car, thought I wanted to block them from operating, and shot at my rear glass.

“The Hilux was about leaving the bank, when the

robbers shot at the driver, who died on the spot. They shattered the head of the police escort, who sat with the driver in front, with bullets, and took his AK-47 rifle.

“The robbers went to the back of the Hilux and pulled out bags of money.

They escaped with the dead policeman’s rifle and the bags of money in the Toyota Camry they came in.

“When I came out of my car, people could not believe that I was alive. They thought I had been killed by the robbers’ bullets. I give God the glory.”

Police spokesman Ben Ugwuegbulam confirmed the incident.

Ugwuegbulam said: “A police corporal serving with the Swift Operation Squad (SOS), who escorted the van, and the driver, were shot dead.

“Diobu policemen and the bank’s guards responded, forcing the robbers to flee, leaving behind N1.5 million, which was recovered with the van.

“Investigation has been intensified to arrest the culprits.”

The bodies of the victims were deposited at the morgue of an undisclosed hospital.

Delta tribunal chair removed HAIRMAN of the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Abisoye Ayo, has been removed. No reason was given for his removal.

Justice Joy Unwana has been appointed to

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From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

replace him.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, Justice Unwana sought the cooperation of counsel to the case to enable the tribunal conclude the trial speedily.

THE NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

63

FOREIGN NEWS Liberia’s Sirleaf welcomes run-off with Tubman

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IBERIA’s President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says she is happy to be facing an election run-off against former United Nations diplomat Winston Tubman.

With almost all the ballots counted, Mrs Sirleaf gained the most votes but failed to pass the 50% threshold needed for outright victory.

Mr Tubman says he will contest the run-off after his party had alleged fraud and said it was pulling out.

This is Liberia’s second election since the end of a 14-year civil war in 2003.

Mrs Sirleaf, who was last week awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, won the 2005 election to become Africa’s first female elected head of state.

She defeated former foot-

baller George Weah, who is Mr Tubman’s running mate this time.

Mrs Sirleaf said she welcomed competition but was confident of victory.

With 96% of the vote counted, she has 44% against 32% for Mr Tubman, the electoral commission announced. Turnout was 71%.

The BBC’s Jonathan PayeLayleh says former rebel leader Prince Johnson is the potential kingmaker as he is running third with 12%.

“We want to thank the Liberian people,” President Sirleaf told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.

“We must go back to them and make a stronger appeal.”

The election has been largely peaceful, however

Mubarak sons have $340m in Swiss banks, say officials

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•Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf

the headquarters of Mrs Sirleaf’s Unity Party was on Saturday morning burnt to the ground in an apparent arson attack in the capital, Monrovia. It is not clear who was responsible.

PUBLIC NOTICE AFARIOGUN I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AFARIOGUN ABIMBOLA ADUBI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ADEYANJU ABIMBOLA ADUBI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

HE two sons of deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have $340m (£215m) in Swiss bank accounts, says Egypt’s deputy justice minister Assem al-Gohari, who also heads the Illicit Gains Authority, said most of the funds - which are now frozen - were held by Mr Mubarak’s elder son Alaa.

The balance is reportedly held by his younger son, Gamal Mubarak.

Both sons are standing trial on corruption charges and complicity in the killing of protesters.

Their father is also charged with killing the protesters, who were campaigning in January and February this year to depose him after three decades in power.

Some of the anger that led to Mr Mubarak’s overthrow was fuelled by the belief that he and his sons had illegally amassed vast amounts of wealth corruptly.

Alaa Mubarak, 49, is a businessman who largely kept out of politics.

Gamal Mubarak, 47, was a leading politician in the former ruling National Democratic Party and was widely seen as his father’s heir apparent.

Mr Gohari said the Swiss authorities were investigating whether Alaa Mubarak was involved in money laundering.

Switzerland has already frozen the assets of the Mubarak family and other former Egyptian government figures.

Mr Gohari estimated these were worth about $450m - most of these funds are believed to belong to the two sons.

Switzerland promised last week to speed up the return of funds once held by members of the Mubarak government and those of the ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. “Switzerland is the seventh financial centre in the world.

It is the first in terms of restitution of funds stolen by dictators,” said Swiss foreign ministry spokesman, Valentin Zellweger.

Defence College trains security operatives on counter-terrorism From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

THE National Defence College (NDC) has trained 25 security officers on comprehensive and enduring multiagency approach to internal security operations in Nigeria.

The trainees, who were drawn from the armed forces, the police, State Security Service (SSS), and other paramilitary agencies, were on the Course 4 batch of Defence and Security Management training.

The Course commandant, Rear Admiral Thomas Lokoson said inter agency rivalry has always stood in the way of multi agency security operations. He stressed that participants should put the ugly trend behind them.

Lokoson spoke at the closing ceremony of the training.

He said: “There is urgent need to promote inter agency cooperation among the various security agencies, especially at this point in our nation’s history. The era of inter agency rivalry is over, so there is the need for us to advance the interests of the nation” According to him, the training has provided the needed theoretical framework for tackling cases of internal insecurity and that participants should work hard to take the message back to their various agencies.

Representative of the British High Commissioner in Nigeria Col. James Paul stated that the British government would continue to cooperate with the Nigerian government in enhancing security and addressing security challenges in Nigeria.

According to Paul, the British government would continue to partner its Nigerian counterpart in building capacity in the security sector.

www.thenationonlineng.net

TOMORROW IN THE NATION

‘Today, I mourn for Dele Giwa and many others who

have died in the hands of the assassins. I mourn for our dear country. She is the one that suffers’

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL. 7

NO.1,917

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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OMORROW will mark the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Dele Giwa, crusading journalist and founding editor of the Newswatch magazine, in what remains one of the most horrific acts of preternatural malevolence ever carried out in Nigeria.

Just two days before that ghastly incident, a senior official of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, had accused Giwa of illegally importing and stockpiling arms and ammunition for the purpose of staging a socialist revolution in Nigeria.

The charge was preposterous. Giwa had nothing but contempt for socialism. He was a shiny advertisement for capitalism and the free market economy. But he had, in a widely discussed column, warned that if the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) on which the government was pinning all its hopes for economic recovery failed, the authorities would be stoned publicly.

Alarmed at the charge that he was planning to overthrow the government by force of arms, Giwa quickly briefed his attorney, the late and much lamented Gani Fawehinmi, asking him to pursue the matter at law.

The following day, a security chief, Colonel Halilu Akilu, called to reassure Giwa that the accusation had resulted from a misunderstanding; that the matter had been cleared, and that Giwa should think nothing to it. He asked for directions to Giwa’s home so he could stop by on his way to the airport to board a flight to Kano, as a demonstration of his good faith.

Akilu then went on to intimate that a parcel from the commander-in-chief, most likely an invitation to some official event, was on its way to Giwa’s home.

A few hours later, the emissary arrived.

Giwa’s son, Billy, collected the parcel and handed to his father, who was seated at the dining table, in company of Kayode Soyinka, the London correspondent of Newswatch, who was from the UK. The envelope, which bore the seal of the Presidency, was marked: “To be opened by addressee only.”

Taking the package, Giwa had said: “This must be from the Presidency.”

Those were his last words. As he opened it where it lay on his laps, the package exploded, pulverising his pelvis, setting a section of the house on fire and reducing the cars parked in the garage to smouldering heaps of mangled metal.

Giwa died as he was being rushed to a nearby hospital. Miraculously, Soyinka survived, and so did Giwa’s wife and baby daughter, who were at the time in another section of the house.

If they had all been killed, the investigating authorities would have passed off the blast as an accident waiting to happen. After all, they had publicly accused Giwa of illegally importing and stockpiling arms and ammunition; the ordnance had exploded, killing its procurer, they would have said. There would have been no witnesses to suggest anything to the con-

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

Who killed Dele Giwa?

‘

Police investigations have been so desultory that, to this day, nothing beyond the fact and the method of the murder has been established. No arrests have been made, and nobody has been charged, much less prosecuted...

•The late Giwa

trary, and a perfect murder would have been committed.

Police investigations have been so desultory that, to this day, nothing beyond the fact and the method of the murder has been established.

No arrests have been made, and nobody has been charged, much less prosecuted...

Soyinka, the visiting Newswatch correspondent who had witnessed the incident, came to be named a suspect. If he was not complicit in the crime, senior state security officials said, how come he had survived it when his host seated across from him had perished?

My brother Herbert Tunde Dare, a deputy commissioner of police with the Special Branch, had been assigned to the investigation. Soon after he began investigations with his accustomed energy and commitment – failure was not in his dictionary — he was transferred from Lagos to Kaduna but kept on the case.

He had been summoned to Lagos to file a preliminary report on his investigations. He had planned to return to Kaduna the same way he had travelled to Lagos: by air. But at the last minute, the police authorities came up with an assignment that warranted his returning by road.

RIPPLES We’ll join labour to stop subsidy removal –CNPP

In fact,it’s going to be the ‘GRANDMOTHER’ OF ALL BATTLES

‘

Somewhere between Jebba and Mokwa, in Niger State, he was killed in a curious accident.

Announcing his death, the police said he had lost control of his car while trying to overtake another vehicle and crashed. He had died instantly. The wreck of the car he was alleged to be driving was never produced. The police said a driver and an aide assigned to him were injured in the accident but had been treated at an unidentified hospital and discharged.

Fed up with the dilatoriness of the police in the investigation of the murder of his client, Gani Fawehinmi decided to institute a private prosecution. The court of first instance allowed itself to be misled to hold that Fawehinmi’s court filing was libellous, and the court went on to order Fawehinmi to pay damages in the amount of N5 million, failing which his chambers housing one of the richest law libraries in the nation, would be auctioned.

Mercifully, the appellate court set aside this egregious ruling.

In a panegyric to General Ibrahim Babangida on the occasion of his 70th birthday, Mohammed Haruna cited the ruling of the lower court and Fawehinmi’s unsuccessful efforts to enter a private prosecution – unsuccessful because he was blockaded on every front – as evidence

HARDBALL

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EITHER the United Nations (UN) Security Council nor the Arab League has an answer to the worsening pro-democracy unrest shaking Syria and threatening Bashar Assad’s 11-year rule. Bashar himself took power after the death of his father, Hafez alAssad, who ruled for 30 years. Much more than being inspired by the Arab Spring revolutionary movement that swept through the Maghreb unseating dictatorships, the unrest in Syria is partly borne out of frustration with what appears to be four decades of the Assad ‘monarchy.’ It has led to the recasting of the wellknown pro-regime slogan from ‘God, Syria, Bashar, that is enough’ to the more provocative ‘God, Syria, Freedom, that is enough.’ For a revolt that has lasted about seven months, and cost about 3,000 lives, the zeal with which it is promoted has surprisingly not abated.

Now, the possibility of sectarian civil war is sadly no longer ruled out. Yet, it can still be avoided, if concerted pressure is brought to bear on Assad to relinquish office. The UN Security Council early this month attempted a resolution to restrain Assad from using violence to quell the disturbances and to make him respect human rights. The resolution failed because it

DELE AGEKAMEH

that the fiery attorney was pursuing the wrong persons.

Haruna went on to add that the murder could have resulted from marital conflict. Evidence?

The guard at the Giwa residence had positively identified the driver of Giwa’s former wife, Florence Ita, as the bearer of the parcel that killed Giwa. And, by way of additional insight, he added that some flour magnate whose business deals Newswatch had reported might also have had a hand in the murder.

If these were viable or even plausible leads, why were the suspects not prosecuted?

Babangida has consistently blamed everyone except his administration for the failure to investigate Giwa’s murder forthrightly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Hear him in his own words, in this interview with Karl Maier, as recorded by Maier in his book This House Has Fallen: Midnight in Nigeria.

“It was emotive. There was a lot of passion.

I think one of the problems was that the people, or more or less the media … up to now nobody seemed to say okay let’s look at these things dispassionately. But from the word go, the government did it. That’s the first reaction.

The media, his friends, and most important, the lawyers, the crusaders in this thing. Then anybody who would want to say something different from the popularly held belief, you were seen as part of it. So they succeeded in getting only one side of the story dished up.

“But we carried out investigations,” Babangida continued. “We had leads. There were questions we asked but nobody went into this thing about the so-called questions that we asked. But the circumstantial aspect of it.. .

Akilu spoke to him twenty-four hours before.

But somebody had to talk to somebody. That’s the harsh reality of life. But unfortunately nobody wanted to listen. I suspect the media, whatever human rights groups, if they tried to look at this dispassionately, like normal intelligent people would, we may have gone (sic) somewhere. But people have already made up their minds. That government is guilty, period. The report, they are not interested.”

This Joycean outpouring was Babangida’s answer to the question: “What happened to Dele Giwa?”

It begets yet another question: These people who were so powerful that they could prevent a military government that made it plain at every opportunity that it was not merely in office but incontestably in power — how did it come about that they prevented the government and the police from bringing to justice the perpetrators of one of the most sensational murders of our time?

And still one more question: Why were they not charged with obstructing the course of justice?

Were they above the law?

•For comments, send SMS to 08057634061

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Before Syria slips into sectarian civil war was vetoed by Russia and China. Assad himself is unlikely to heed any counsel that calls for his resignation because to do so would amount to signalling the end of his regime.

That Syrians are tired of one family lording it over the country for 40 years is also not in doubt, leading to a stalemate compounded by the country’s power equation. The ruling Ba’ath Party is largely controlled by the Alawite minority, a subset of the Shia Muslim population that forms only 13 percent of the country’s population. The majority Sunni population estimated to be over 70 percent constitute most of the protesters. They have the number, the time, and history on their side. Now, too, they occupy the moral high ground.

To avoid a fiery civil war requires the cooperation of the UN Security Council, Assad’s Russian and Chinese backers, and Turkey, the most vociferous backer of the Syrian opposition. The alternative to pressuring Assad out of office is to make a violent meltdown inevitable. Forty years of the Assads in power should have inspired a more equitable and democratic political arrangement to guarantee harmoni-

ous interactions between the various groups in the country. That did not happen. When the younger Assad assumed office in 2000, he promised reforms, but the changes he eventually offered were generally limited to the economy, and were largely cosmetic. Like Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, where the Ba’athists also held on to power for longer than necessary without initiating restricted changes, the future has caught up with the Assad government.

War in Syria, no matter how limited, and as is gradually being demonstrated, has the potential of engulfing other countries like Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and for ideological and sectarian reasons, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Already, there are Syrian incursions into Lebanon, and the border with Turkey is tense. The sectarian brew in the region between Shia and Sunni is also likely to boil over. To avoid these unpleasant and devastating consequences, the UN, Arab League, Russia and China must coax Assad out of power and put an end to the appalling repression that is horrifying the world.

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