The Nation October 5, 2011

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

News News News

Alaafin calls for caution on pan-Yoruba conference P10 Terror suspect Abdulmuttalab attacks U.S. in court P4 Govt sacks CEOs of FAAN, NAMA, Aviation College P7 www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 7, NO. 1904 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Fuel price to rise as govt insists subsidy must go Jonathan proposes N4.8 tr expenditure

O

PPONENTS of fuel subsidy removal may have lost the battle, with President Goodluck Jonathan hinting yesterday that it will go next year.

This is in his administration’s four-year financial outlay made available to the National Assembly.

Removal of fuel subsidy, say its opponents, will automatically send fuel prices rising. This, they note, will affect the cost of other goods and services.

Besides, many believe the idea of subsidy is “a huge fraud” which allows some privileged few to steal.

But the government maintains that the subsidy is of no benefit to the poor. If it is removed, says the government, the cash will go into rebuilding infrastructure.

In separate letters to the Senate and the House of Representatives – read on the floor by the presiding officers – Dr Jonathan said the funds saved from the subsidy removal would be spent on safety nets for the poor.

The plan – to remove the

THE FIGURES

$75

•Benchmark price for oil

N4.5tr

•Total spending for 2012

N1.2tr

•Savings from oil subsidy cut

N1.3tr

•Capital spending for 2012 From Onyedi Ojiabor, Sanni Onogu, Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

subsidy – has been greeted with condemnation by organised labour.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have vowed to challenge the move Continued on page 4

Obasanjo denies letter to Jonathan •Editors: we stand by our story

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ORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday denied writing President Goodluck Jonathan to remove some chief executives. He described the story, published exclusively by The Nation yesterday, as a figment of the imagination.

Obasanjo spoke at the presidential wing of the

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. He was on his way overseas.

He arrived at the presidential wing in a three-car convoy, accompanied by his friend, Dr Femi Majekodunmi.

The former president flew Continued on page 4

THE LETTER OBASANJO DENIED

Robbers seize Edo bank

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RMED robbers were holding staff and customers of an old generation bank in Auchi, Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State, hostage yesterday. The robbers attacked the bank, but could not escape because security agents had surrounded the premises. Soldiers and policemen delfated the tyres of the robbers’ vehicle.

News Page 10

Siasia gives Osaze Carte blanche

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N his return to the national team for the first time since March, Osaze Odemwingie has got a “licence to kill” from coach Samson Siasia when Syli National of Guinea come calling this weekend.

Siasia welcomed Odemwingie back to the squad just before the team’s first training session, with a charge to pile misery on Guinea ...

Sports Page 24

70 dead in Somalia

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T least 70 people have been killed by a huge suicide blast near a government compound in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, say officials. Eyewitnesses said a truck carrying explosives was driven into a gate near a government ministry and detonated. A spokesman for the Islamist militant group al-Shabab told the BBC it carried out the attack.

Foreign Page 61

•MONEY P15 •NATION INVESTORS P17 •SPORT P24 •LIFE P29 •POLITICS P43

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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NEWS WORLD BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Survivors: Breast cancer To many, breast cancer means death. Is this true? Enquiries show that there are two sides to it. For many, they get over it after medical attention and live a normal live. Others, who develop ‘complications’, groan under its jackboot, writes Assistant Editor (News) OLUKOREDE YISHAU •Jog for Life breast cancer awareness campaign organised by BRECAN in Ibadan

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ORRIED by the rising wave of breast cancer, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside this month for awareness on breast cancer. Already, WHO, in collaboration with many Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) across the world launched an intensive awareness about breast cancer on Saturday.

Here in Nigeria, one of those involved in creating the awareness is the Ibadan, Oyo State capital-based Mrs. Betty Akeredolu-Anyanwu, herself a cancer survivor.

She has been using the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) as a vehicle to teach other women and whoever cares how the deadly disease can be defeated.

According to the crusader, her encounter with cancer began one day when she felt a lump-like substance in her left breast while taking a shower.

“All sorts of thoughts came to mind, mostly negative. Immediately, my mind raced to breast cancer.

Of all my years of knowing and hearing cancer, I never thought I would become a sufferer. I was terrified,” she said.

Mrs. Akeredolu-Anyanwu recounted that she withdrew from all social activities, lost some weight and could not summon up courage to go for a clinical confirmation until she viewed a television programme entitled: “How to Change Your Life”.

She said: “I remember, they featured the mother to the Baldwin brothers, and showed pictures of her while she was going through cancer. After watching her amazing transformation from a sick woman to the beautiful one on television, I made a promise to myself to be a survivor.”

Diagnosis showed that her cancer was at its early stages. So, she was referred to a surgeon, who removed

•Akeredolu-Anyanwu the lump and 14 years after, she is alive and kicking.

Also alive and kicking is Princess Nikky Onyeri, who was in New York, United States (US) in June to tell the world that cancer should not be a death sentence.

In 1993, Princess Onyeri went to a clinic for a medical check-up after feeling a strange object inside her left breast. The verdict of the doctor, who examined her, was that she had only six months to live, having been inflicted with cancer.

A second diagnosis she underwent in the United Kingdom indicated the situation was not as bad as the Nigerian doctor had painted it.

She only had a benign cyst. After a year in the UK, she got over the cyst and returned home. It has been 18 years since then.

Spurred by her breakthrough, Mrs Onyeri alongside other cancer survivors from more than 50 countries had approached the United Nations (UN) in the U.S. to push for a radical shift in the global body’s commitment to taming cancer.

•Sani Their advocacy contributed to the political declaration at last month’s UN High Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), which made it mandatory for world leaders to sustain the war against cancer.

Another cancer survivor, Oluwakemi Oyegbile, insists breast cancer does not mean death. She said a few years ago when her doctor diagnosed her as having cancer, she felt bad. “It was really traumatic. I asked why me? Is this the end? I felt terrible and worried, thinking it was the end of my life. I cried the whole day and wondered what I’ve done wrong to deserve this? I asked God why he allowed this to happen to me. I was distressed and felt very bad.”

In a chat with the UN radio in New York, she explained that the toughest part of the experience was the mastectomy.

She said: “Going through the treatment was another ordeal; the chemotherapy, radiotherapy; all were stressful. I had to spend a lot to undergo the treatment. Howev-

•Onyeri er, I was happy that my own was in situ, meaning it could be treated. It served as a source of hope that it could be treated.”

Like Oyegbile, another survivor, who believes breast cancer is no death sentence, is Margaret Shogunro-Pitan, a nutritionist and mother of four. It all began with a feeling that her body was not functioning properly. She was feeling a lot of discomfort lying face down, especially with her right breast. But as a Christian and minister of God, she was quick to say ‘God forbid’ each time the reality of it being breast cancer crossed her mind.

With time, she decided to take the plunge. She headed for a private diagnostic laboratory for mammogram - a cancer screening test. But she did not return to the laboratory to ask for the outcome of the examination until two months later. The test was positive, but it was decided that a second opinion should be sought. And in February 2006, it was confirmed that she had malignant lump.

•Oyegbile For 29 days, she was on admission at a top hospital in Lagos, where she had mastectomy. She had to undergo six courses of chemotherapy, 22 sessions of radiotherapy and CT scan.

Five years down the line, Shogunle-Pitan is okay and kicking.

But, it has been different strokes for survivors.

Rahama Sani, a social worker at the Bayero University Kano Teaching Hospital, provides the missing link.

In 2005, Sani had a successful mastectomy, but four years after, the cancer resurfaced and spread to her vertebrae. She has since had another round of treatment and so far, she is not showing signs of going down that terrific road again.

The same cannot be said of a popular lady, who was for many years one of the evidence of surviving breast cancer. The founder of a cancer care centre died a fortnight ago and the belief was that she died of cancer.

Another survivor, who also suf-

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

3

NEWS WORLD BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

not death sentence •A breast cancer patient, Florence Majekobaje being presented with cash assistance by the Corporate Affairs Manager of Skye Bank Plc, Mr Kayode Akinyemi in Lagos ...yesterday.

With them are: COPE President Ebunola Anozie(left) and a cancer survivor and member, COPE’s Board of Trustees, Mrs. Kehinde Gbeleyi (right).

Three other patients got cash assistance.

‘Adopting healthy lifestyle can help beat breast cancer’

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BREAST cancer control expert and founder of the Care Organisation Public Enlightenment (C.O.PE) Mrs Ebunola Anozie yesterday spoke on how to beat breast cancer.

Anozie told reporters that regular breast examination, exclusive breast feeding, avoiding obesity, avoiding sugary drinks and being physically active for at least 30 minutes every day could help reduce chances of cancerous cells developing in the breasts.

She listed other potential anticancer strategies to include: eating more vegetables and limiting consumption of alcohol, salty foods and processed foods.

Anozie said governments at all levels are not doing enough to fight cancer.

The cancer control expert,

therefore, urged government to be proactive by implementing policies that would promote adoption of healthy lifestyles.

She said: “Nigeria should have state of-the-art equipment in our general hospitals where patients can go for treatment, instead of traveling abroad, bearing in mind that 99 percent of Nigerians cannot afford this. Breast Cancer is more prevalent among women in developed countries but the mortality rate is higher in developing countries due to late presentation, ignorance, illiteracy, religious beliefs, stigmatisation, taboos and fear of the unknown.

“It is rather unfortunate, that the issue of cancer is being relegated to the background which shouldn’t be. I must reiterate that the Federal and State Govern-

fered a relapse, said: “At the moment, I am going through agony, words cannot explain. My condition is deteriorating by the day. I cannot predict what will happen next. I am dying by installments.”

She has had to start the treatment all over again and the cost can be killing, it was learnt.

The Nation’s findings showed that breast cancer chemotherapy patients may have to take Adriamycin, a bottle of which costs N2, 000 from pharmaceutical stores.

But if the breast cancer patient has heart problem, she has to use another variant of the drug known as Eprirubicin, and a bottle could go for as high as N10, 000.

A patient is expected to use six courses of this every three weeks.

By the time she is through with this, she must have spent between N80, 000 and N100, 000 on drugs alone. There is, however, a cheaper drug, which costs N400 per tablet known as Cyclophosphamaide. But it is rarely prescribed.

In the event that the patient

needs surgery, the cheapest known as Lumpectomy, costs not less than N15, 000. Mastectomy, which is the removal of affected breast, goes for about N50, 000. As for radiotherapy done through linear accelerator machine for breast cancer, 20 sessions are said to cost about N100, 000 anywhere in the country. The radiotherapy for cervical cancer costs about N50, 000 and above. But a breast cancer radiotherapy done with Cobalt 60 machine, especially in government-owned cancer clinics, could be cheaper. The rate in private cancer clinics is higher.

In a situation where the patient is hormone positive, she has to use anti-hormone drug known as Tamoxifen. A pack costs N600, which lasts one month. But the patient who tests positive to this is expected to use the drug for five years nonstop for effective result.

This drug can only be used by women who have not reached menopause. For the five-year period, a patient needs N36, 000.

By Olukorede Yishau

ments act fast before it becomes a time bomb. We must bear in mind that lifestyle choices may reduce breast cancer risk.”

She added: “Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Cancer Registry states that out of every 10 cancer cases, 5 are breast related, 3 are cervix while 2 are other types of cancer. It was also reported in the media on Thursday, September 29, 2011 that cancer cases have increased by 21 per cent.

“The statistics alone are enough to make a woman think that getting breast cancer at some point in her life is inevitable. At least, we are aware that 1 out of every 12 women would have breast cancer.

A woman’s choices about the way she lives can help lower her risk of developing breast cancer. As a non-communicable disease, cancer is the enemy in our midst that

Breast cancer detection guides •Yearly mammogrammes starting at age 40 •Clinical Breast Exam (CBE) about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s •CBE for women every year for women 40 and over •Breast Self Exam (BSE) for women starting in their 20s.

Those who have attained menopausal age have to use Tamoxifen for between two and three years before combining it with another higher treatment, which is more expensive.

But the financial implications of all these drugs and treatments pale into insignificance when compared to what it costs to use the new wonder targeted therapy for those with HER 2+ breast

threatens us as no war or manmade disease ever has. “ Anozie said her organisation will, later this month, launch a programme known as WE CARE through which women would be offered free Clinical Breast Examination and Ultra Sound-Scan and would be referred for biopsy. It is sponsored

by Skye Bank.

She also said the organisation will next year open a home care service for cancer patients. In her words: “The need to deliver home care service is vital. That is why, come 2012, C.O.P E is launching “SEEK-A-CARE” project, a long term home care delivery service for breast cancer patients. This would create more jobs and improve our health care system thereby giving hope to the patients and their family members.” cancer. A cancer patient would have to spend N400, 000 to buy enough dosage of the drug known as Herceptin for one month. Such patient is expected to use it for one year. That means to enjoy the enormous benefit of this wonder drug, both before and after surgery for people with HER2-positive breast, a patient needs N4.8 million.

In order to avoid these huge expenses and excruciating pains, an Associate Professor and Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist at the Oncology & Pathological Studies Unit, College of Medicine (CMUL), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. Rose Anorlu counseled thus: “Don’t wait until you have symptoms before going for routine checks yearly for breast cancer, cervical cancer including pap smear and ultrasound scan. Postmenopausal women in particular should go for routine self-breast examination, a mammogram test and a pelvic ultrasound scan to check the ovaries.”

QUICK TAKES Death rate dropping A study released yesterday by the American Cancer Society (ACS) has shown that fewer women are dying from the ailment, largely because of advances in screening and treatment.

But, women in the Third World are not reaping from the decline in breast cancer death rate because they do not have as much access to life-saving advances.

These are some of the findings from the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2011-2012 report, which appears in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. It further shows that in 2011, an estimated 230,480 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. About 39,520 women will die from the disease in 2011.

New test this week A new breast cancer test is to be unveiled this week in Ireland.

Known as the Oncotype DX test, it determines whether chemotherapy would be a suitable treatment for breast cancer patients. The genetics-based test means that about 30 per cent of women who would otherwise have had chemotheraphy will be spared the toxicity and long-term side effects of the treatment. The test is suitable for early stage breast cancer.

Breastfeeding works The Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Dr. Paul Orhii has said exclusive breastfeeding helps reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. His position is in line with the gospel of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA).

Help for govt Can the government alone fight the battle against breast cancer?

No, said the Programme Coordinator, Sebeccly Cancer Care, Dr. Omolola Salako, who is also a Paediatric Oncologist and Senior Registrar at the Department of Paediatric Oncology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). She said the enormity of the challenge dictates that philanthropists and corporate bodies must assist the government.

Pink Pearl’s package Pink Pearl Foundation has flagged-off a month-long awareness campaign on breast cancer in the Niger Delta region. The campaign will feature four events tagged Pink Kitchen, Ball Out, Pink Ride and Camp Diva, which will be used to promote and enlighten Nigerian women on regular breast examination as well as the plight of sufferers. Its Executive Director, Ms. Orode Uduaghan, said the events run from October 5 to 29.

No to discrimination Breast cancer does not discriminate. It does not know age, race, colour or creed. Gender, body weight, family history and so on mean little or not to breast cancer, when it decides to strike. So, avoid the risk factors.

The courage to dare A breast cancer survivor Juliet Uzoma-Aguwa has said awareness is the key to fighting breast cancer.

Uzoma-Aguwa, who founded the Courage to Dare, an NGO, said: “A long-term goal of mines is to inspire millions of African women who have lost hope, and to let them know there is life after cancer. I want them all to have the courage to dare cancer.”

4

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

NEWS Obasanjo denies letter Continued from page 1

•Batch C Youth Corp members showing their NYSC discharge certificates after their passing out in Abuja ... yesterday

a private jet with registration number N169SD, which took off at about 10.40 am.

Obasanjo said: “I have not written to the President since his inauguration. I think probably I wrote to him last year on honours and awards for some Nigerians. So, if any newspaper has written that, it’s a figment of their imagination and I will refer it to my lawyers and they will hear from my lawyer.

The Nation stands by the story, the editors said yesterday. The bromide of the letter is published on page one.

Obasanjo also spoke on the security situation in the country, saying: “Well, I don’t think anybody needs to be an oracle to

•Obasanjo ... yesterday

make any pronouncement on security situation. It must be the concern of all of us. It is my own concern as a Nigerian because without security in the country, then, there is

Terror suspect Abdulmuttalab attacks U.S. in Court

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MAR Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian youth on trial in Detroit, United States, for attempting to bring down an airliner was defiant as he appeared in court yesterday.

He attacked the US and declared the radical Islamic cleric that was killed last week by the US, alive.

Abdulmutallab’s outburst came as jury selection got under way for his trial. The 24year-old is acting as his own attorney and has previously told reporters they should stop reporting that Osama bin Laden was dead.

“Anwar is alive,” Abdulmutallab said yesterday, referring to Americanborn cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed last week by a joint CIA-U.S. military air strike in Yemen.

“The Mujahadeen will wipe out the U.S. — the cancer U.S.,” he added.

Eight people have been ac-

cepted into the jury pool and four excused.

The first two prospective jurors called yesterday said they could not be impartial and were dismissed. The man was a law enforcement officer. The woman, an automotive sales administrator, said she believed Abdulmutallab was guilty.

Abdulmutallab questioned another woman who said she was concerned about retaliation for serving on the jury.

Abdulmutallab, well-educated and son of former FirstBank chair Mutallab, was directed in the attack by al-Awlaki and wanted to become a martyr when he boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in Amsterdam on Christmas Day 2009, according to the government.

Abdulmutallab, who complained loudly at a previous hearing about having to wear prison clothes, came into the courtroom yesterday wear-

ing an oversized prison Tshirt. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds called a brief recess to allow him to change into clothes more appropriate for court, after acknowledging and denying his apparent request to wear a “Yemeni belt with a dagger”.

The judge has denied many of Abdulmutallab’s requests for the trial, including that the case be judged under Islamic law.

Abdulmutallab has pleaded not guilty to eight charges, including conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. The government says he wanted to blow up the plane by detonating chemicals in his underwear, just seven minutes before the jet carrying 279 passengers and a crew of 11 was to land at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

But the bomb didn’t work, and passengers assisted by

crew members saw flames and pounced on Abdulmutallab.

The failed suicide attack, the first act of terrorism in the U.S. during the Obama administration, revealed the rise of a dangerous al-Qaeda affiliate and al-Awlaki’s growing influence.

The government says Abdulmutallab willingly explained the plot twice, first to U.S. border officers who took him off the plane and then in more detail to FBI agents who interviewed him at a hospital for 50 minutes, following treatment for serious burns to his groin.

Abdulmutallab told authorities he trained in Yemen, home base for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He said he was influenced by al-Awlaki, who was killed last Friday by an air strike that President Barack Obama called a “major blow” to al-Qaeda’s most dangerous franchise.

Following the strike, a U.S. official outlined new details of al-Awlaki’s involvement against the U.S., including Abdulmutallab’s alleged mission. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said al-Awlaki specifically directed Abdulmutallab to detonate an explosive device over U.S. airspace to maximize casualties.

Osama bin Laden appeared in a video declaring Abdulmutallab a “hero”.

Abdulmutallab also has been lauded by al-Qaeda’s Englishlanguage Web magazine Inspire, whose editor was killed along with al-Awlaki.

After the outburst about alAwlaki and flap over Abdulmutallab’s clothes, jury selection got under way in earnest, with most questioning done by the judge and attorney Anthony Chambers, who has been appointed to assist Abdulmutallab.

ACF plans conference on Boko Haram

T

HE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) said yesterday the Boko Haram insurgency is detrimental to the development of North.

The Northern socio-cultural group plans a conference on peace and unity to address the menace and proffer the way forward for the North.

The Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation committee for the conference, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Gusau, spoke in Abuja yesterday when he met House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

He also spoke on ACF plans for 2015.

Describing Boko Haram’s activities as unacceptable, Gusau said the all-inclusive conference on peace and unity will take care of all aspects of security and the attendant socio economic factors.

He, however, refused to disclose details of the discussion he had with Tambuwal on 2015.

“In view of the insecurity in the North and other parts of the country, the ACF is left with no option than to put its house in order. We cannot afford to be left behind in the scheme of things.

“We realised that under our revered leader, the late Sardauna, nobody dare say

Boko Haram ‘commander’ moved to Abuja

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OKO Haram key suspect Ali Saleh has been moved to Abuja for interrogation, it was learnt yesterday.

Besides, seven of the 19 Northern states have been placed under intense surveillance by security agencies.

Saleh was arrested alongside some members of the sect by the Joint Task Force (JTF), after an attack on some buildings on Baga Road in Maiduguri.

Saleh was relocated from Maiduguri to Abuja for grilling, following revelations from some Boko Haram (Western education is sin) suspects in detention.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We decided to relocate Saleh to Abuja from the custody of the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri as part of a comprehensive probe into the activities of the sect.

“We are already quizzing the operational commander of the sect who has made useful statements.”

According to the source, “there is no doubt that some retired military men, who know how to use dynamites, have joined the sect to assist it to manage some of its sophisticated explosives and weapons.”

“The security agencies are making substantial progress. I think if we are able to track down one or two fleeing leaders of the sect, we can check Boko Haram menace,” the source, who pleaded not to be named because he is not allowed to speak to the meFrom Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

I’m a Muslim or a Christian; everybody lived together in peace and the nation was

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

dia, said.

Responding to a question, the source added: “Saleh may be a notorious gun runner, but preliminary findings have confirmed that he has been central to the activities of Boko Haram.”

It was also gathered that seven of the 19 states in the North have been placed under intense surveillance, following the success of the operation against Boko Haram in Borno State.

Besides Borno, the other states are Yobe, Bauchi, Niger, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina.

The move followed reports that Boko Haram members in Borno are regrouping in these states.

The source said: “We have a challenge in Kano State, in particular, where intelligence reports have confirmed the presence of some Boko Haram leaders, including the leader of a breakaway faction of the sect, Abu Mohammed.

“But we have been very careful in managing the situation in Kano State because the state was noted for sectarian violence some years ago, until sanity prevailed. Instead of an outright crackdown, we decided to mount intense surveillance on Kano State.

“It is the same constructive security engagement that we have in place in Yobe, Bauchi, Niger, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina. These states have considerable number of Boko Haram members too.”

moving forward, but things have changed to the level that we are now at each other’s neck.

“The situation is unacceptable and ACF has decided to

organise a conference to address all these problems and proffer solutions,” he said.

According to Gusau, the North is rejecting its change of fortune whereby rather

•The late Yusuf

than develop its human and natural resources, the North is in turmoil under the disguise of Boko Haram.

He said: “We in the North must be part of the progress and development of the country; we have fought for the unity of this country and it must be sustained. Time is now and the ACF has come up with the conference to address the problems facing the entire North.”

Tambuwal assured the ACF of the readiness of the House to co-operate with any group desirous of the peace and progress of the nation.

While he noted that the unity of the country has become imperative, Tambuwal said Nigeria was designed by God, “hence the urge to work for the progress of the country”.

PHOTO: ISAAC AYODELE

not much we can do. So, there is a need for peace and security for development and progress in the nation.

‘Subsidy must go’ Continued from page 1

through strikes and other lawful means.

But the President, who last week said he is no maximum ruler, is pressing ahead, going by the content of his letter to the National Assembly.

It was gathered that the Federal Government may propose over N4.trillion as expenditure for the 2012 fiscal year.

The government has proposed $75 per barrel as oil bench mark.

Jonathan wrote: “Although aggregate expenditure is expected to increase from N4.8trillion in 2012 to N5.18 trillion in 2015, concerted efforts are being made to make savings from overheads as allocations will be frozen from 2015.”

He added: “Capital spending will increase marginally from N1.32trillion to N1.84trillion in 2012 to N1.64 trillion in 2015 as government intends to leverage on Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements to supplement capital allocations from the budget.”

“A major component of the policy of fiscal consolidation is government’s intent to phase out the fuel subsidy, beginning from 2012 fiscal year. This will free up about N1.2trillion in savings, part of which can be deployed into providing safety nets for poor segments of the society to ameliorate the effect of the subsidy removal.’’

Jonathan said the accrual from the Sovereign Wealth Fund will be used to augment funds for the critical infrastructure.

He said the fiscal deficit is expected to follow a declining, and sustainable path from 2.69 per cent of GDP in 2012.

Jonathan said oil revenue is expected to increase marginally from N2.37trillion in 2012 to N2.47 trillion in 2015 as the bench mark price of US$75 will be maintained throughout the period while oil production is projected to rise from 2.48mpd to 2.6mpd.

The budget also expects substantial decrease in both domestic and foreign debts.

Jonathan said: “On the revenue side, the strategy of adopting an oil price based fiscal rule and accrual of windfall oil savings will continue. A baseline bench mark oil price of $75 is proposed for the 2012-2015 period while oil production of 2.480mbpd, 2.500mbpd, 2.575mbpd and 2.600mbpd will be adopted to the 2012-2015.”

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

5

NEWS THE JACKSON TRIAL (DAY 6) Fifty-eight-year-old Dr. Conrad Munray, who is standing trial for the death of King of Pop Michael Jackson, is a father of seven children, including the one born for him by an ex-stripper, Nicole Alvarez. His trial has revealed he is a ladies’ man, a fact which the prosecution hopes to use in portraying him as a man who mixed business with pleasure. Three of them, including a nightclub dancer, a cocktail waitress and the mother of his son, have taken the stand at his trial, giving details of their phone conversations while Jackson was dying in his room.

Murray’s women give shocking testimonies

•Sade Anding

A

NDING, a cocktail wait ress who met Murray when she was working at a Houston steakhouse, was the first witness Tuesday.

Anding testified at the preliminary hearing in January that she was on the phone with Murray when he suddenly stopped responding to her.

She testified that she got

a call from the physician at 11:51 a.m. on the morning of Jackson’s death. About five to six minutes into the call, Murray disappeared from the other end of the line, she recalled.

“I didn’t hear him on the phone anymore,” Anding said. “I heard commotion as if the phone was in a pocket and I heard coughing and I heard a mumbling of voices.

I started telling him about my day, and that’s when I realized he was no longer on the phone. I was just talking, and the next thing, I said ‘Hello hello,’ and then I didn’t hear anything.”

Anding said she stayed on the phone for another five minutes, listening and wondering why the man she sometimes dated wasn’t responding.

She told the court Murray went quiet shortly after answering and she heard ruffling - as if the phone was in his pocket - for several minutes before she hung up.

Anding said that Murray referred to her as his “girlfriend” because he wanted to thwart advances of other women.

She earlier told a newspaper that they never had sex.

•Michelle Bella

S

HE met Murray in a night club. When she appeared before the Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday, the prosecution attempted to pin down details of phone messages between her and Murray in the days before Jackson’s death.

Murray’s counsel felt it

was not important and thwarted the efforts. They raised a number of objections.

The prosecution also made efforts to portray Murray as a man who flaunted his status as Michael Jackson’s doctor to woo young women. But the defence seemingly succeeded in not getting Bella to lend credence to this.

But she still gave some information vital to the trial.

She testified that she received a text message from the doctor the morning of June 25, 2009.

The prosecution had discovered she received a voicemail from Murray in which the doctor ‘dropped’ Jackson’s name.

Deputy District Attorney Deborah Brazil tried to ask Bella about the voicemail yesterday. The voicemail was on June 16. The doctor mentioned going on tour with Jackson. But, the judge did not support the prosecution’s quest and barred them.

•Nicole Alvarez

A

LVAREZ, the 29-year-old mother of Murray’s youngest child, testified yesterday. Her testimony is important because the propofol Murray used on Jackson was shipped to her Santa Monica, California, apartment.

Prosecutors yesterday asked her about a phone call between the pair which appeared to have been made at

about the time an ambulance carrying the singer arrived at hospital on the day he died.

Ms Alvarez said: “I remember him telling me that he was on the way to the hospital, in the ambulance with Mr Jackson, and for me not to be alarmed because he didn’t want me to be worried... because he knew that I would learn this through the news and I’d be upset.”

She told the Los Angeles court the doctor had introduced her to Jackson several times, including a “surprise” visit to his home shortly after their baby son was born.

Ms Alvarez said Murray regularly left her at night to provide medical care for Jackson, returning in the morning hours of the next day.

Defense objected when prosecution asked the age of Nicole Alvarez (Murray’s girlfriend), but the judge allowed it.

Alvarez testified that she didn’t know because she didn’t look. Alvarez said she didn’t recognise the signature on the FedEx receipt of the propofol delivered to her apartment on April 29, just months before Jackson died.

Three U.S.-born scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics yesterday for their studies of exploding stars that revealed that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.

American scientists win Physics Nobel for revealing universe’s expansion T

HE Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences yesterday said American Saul Perlmutter would share the 10 million kronor ($1.5 million) award with AmericanAustralian Brian Schmidt and American scientist Adam Riess. Working in two separate research teams during the 1990s — Perlmutter in one and Schmidt and Riess in the other — the scientists raced to map the universe’s expansion by analyzing a particular type of supernovas, or exploding stars.

They found that the light emitted by more than 50 distant supernovas was weaker than expected, a sign that the universe was expanding at an accelerating rate, the academy said.

“For almost a century the universe has been known to be expanding as a consequence of the Big Bang about 14 billion years ago,” the citation said.

“However the discovery that this expansion is accelerating is astounding.

If the expansion will continue to speed up the universe will end in ice.”

Perlmutter, 52, heads the Supernova Cosmology Project at the University of California, Berkeley.

Schmidt, 44, is the head of the Highz Supernova Search Team at the Aus-

•Schmidt tralian National University in Weston Creek, Australia.

Riess, 42, is an astronomy professor at Johns Hopkins University and Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

•Perlmutter Schmidt said he was just sitting down to have dinner with his family in Canberra, Australia, when the phone call came from the academy.

“I was somewhat suspicious when the Swedish voice came on,” Schmidt

•Riess told The Associated Press. “My knees sort of went weak and I had to walk around and sort my senses out.”

The academy said the three researchers were stunned by their own discoveries — they had expect-

ed to find that the expansion of the universe was slowing down. But both teams reached the opposite conclusion: far-away galaxies were racing away from each other at an ever-increasing speed.

The acceleration is believed to be driven by dark energy, one of the great mysteries of the universe.

The physics prize was the second Nobel to be announced this year.

On Monday, the medicine prize went to American Bruce Beutler and French scientist Jules Hoffmann who shared it with Canadian-born Ralph Steinman for their discoveries about the immune system. Steinman died three days before the announcement.

The prestigious Nobel Prizes were established in the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, and have been handed out since 1901.

Last year’s physics award went to Russian-born scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov for groundbreaking experiments with graphene, the strongest and thinnest material known to mankind.

The prizes are handed out every year on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death in 1896.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

NEWS Jega leads ECOWAS team to Liberia From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

IN recognition of his successful handling of the April general elections, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chair Prof. Attahiru Jega, is to lead a 150-member Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Election Observer Mission to monitor Liberia’s presidential election scheduled for this month.

A statement issued yesterday by ECOWAS Communication Officer, Uwem Thompson confirmed Jega as the leader of the regional team.

According to the statement, the forthcoming polls are critical for consolidating the gains made in Liberia and other ECOWAS Member States over the last decade in the entrenchment of peace, stability and good governance.

The statement reads in part: “The success of the elections will also testify to the country’s maturity in democratic principles and progress in national reconciliation.

The ECOWAS observer mission will include members of the Council of the Wise, representatives of the ECOWAS Parliament, the Community Court of Justice, experts from ECOWAS member states drawn from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs/Regional Integration, ECOWAS Ambassadors as well as representatives of civil society organisations and the National Electoral Commissions.”

Dangote Group pledges improved performance

By Tonia Osundolire

PRESIDENT of the Dangote Group of companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has promised that the firms would continue to work hard to deliver improved returns to shareholders.

Addressing shareholders of Dangote Flour Mills in Kano at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), Alhaji Dangote said the flour mills would perform better in future as its expansion project aimed at boosting production and packaging is almost completed.

He said: “Our dedicated plant for production of our wheat meal brand, Alkama and Danvita, would soon be ready for inauguration any moment from now.

“This would no doubt, tremendously boost our top line growth in year 2011 as plans are already in place to massively launch the products and increase the distribution networks to all the hinterlands.”

Dangote Flour Mills paid dividends of N1.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2010, bringing the total dividends paid by the four companies in the group which have so far declared their result for the 2010 financial year, to N 76.24 billion, compared to the N60.21 billion paid in 2009.

Govt awaits integrity test result on Abuja UN House

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HE Federal Government is awaiting the result of an integrity test on the bombed United Nations building in Abuja to determine whether to pull it down and rebuild or effect repairs only.

This was announced yesterday by the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide while speaking with reporters after inspecting what remains of the building, and witnessing the laying of wreath by the visiting UNDP Administrator, Ms. Helen Clark.

She said: “As for this building, it is up to experts to tell us whether the building has integrity and, in any event, we now need to look at a redesign to take account of security implications and you will be briefed as

From Augustine Ehikioya and Bukola Amusan, Abuja

things progress once a decision is made as to what to do with the building.

“But all you need to know for now is that Nigerian government is committed to rebuilding and getting the UN back into their own facilities as quickly as possible. Security now is the number one on the agenda, nationally at the states and local government levels.”

“And we are working as a Federal Capital Territory that hosts all the agencies, embassies and high commissions, multilateral institutions and the Nigerian and state governments to ensure that everybody is protected. It is something we are doing in

partnership with the Federal Government and all the security agencies.

You can be sure that security is not something that we are taking lightly.

This is something that has unfortunately happened in many different countries, worldwide. Our work is to ensure it doesn’t occur again.”

After laying the wreath in honour of the 23 that died from the blast, Ms. Clark said: “I have been very shocked by what I have seen. It is a very terrible attack and very sad news indeed.”

“The UN, of course, would re-evaluate the security needs that we have here. We also in the short term, have to find some accommodation where our people can come to work together because some of the work places have been destroyed and the people have been scattered. We are working

on a medium term solution and long term solution with respect to rebuilding for the UN. “We want to be back here and we are committed to be in Nigeria and working in support of Nigeria and its people. We have to re evaluate security, so we must ensure that we do it safely. The government of Nigeria has been absolutely tremendous in the support it is giving the UN from the beginning of the news; total co-operation and support and also working with us very hard to find solution for the short term, medium and long terms. Nigeria wants us here and wants us strong.”

Julius Berger workers were seen working on the premises of the building yesterday.

Corps members to join emergency volunteers

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•Ms Akinjide (left) and Ms Clark laying wreaths in honour of dead UN workers in Abuja...yesterday

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

PDP loss in Southwest democracy in action, says Mark

S

ENATE President David Mark yesterday declared that the sweeping defeat suffered by his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest during the April general elections was simply democracy in action.

Mark, who spoke while inaugurating the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the implication of the party’s loss in the zone was that the will of the people prevailed.

He noted that there was no doubt that the 2011 general election was “certainly one of

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

the most credible elections we have ever had.”

According to him, “that PDP lost in the whole of Southwest is an indication that the wish of the people prevailed.

“INEC preached one man one vote and it was indeed one man one vote.”

“Nigerians will continue to embrace democracy.

“Because the 2011 election was credible, we have few cases going to the tribunals

and the tribunals will decide the cases early enough because they are few.”

He urged the electoral umpire to continue to intensify voter education as well as to start preparation for every election early to ensure maximum success.

Mark told those who lost in the election to be good losers saying; “when people lose election they should not waste peoples’ time by going to the tribunal.”

The Senate president assured the people that the country would continue to conduct credible elections

“because we have the personnel, the resources and all it takes to conduct credible elections in this country.”

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Andy Uba, said his committee’s keen interest would be the review and consolidation of the 2010 Electoral reforms which gave rise to the Electoral Act 2010.

Uba said that INEC would also be strengthened with a view to making it even more independent and credible in its quest to entrench democratic best practices in the country’s electoral system at all levels.

HE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on incoming and outgoing youth Corps members to join the existing Emergency Management Volunteer groups at the orientation camps of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and in their states after their service.

The Director General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi made the call at the weekend while hosting some outgoing Corps members who served in NYSC-NEMA Emergency Vanguard including Miss Tola Ojo, who founded a social media forum Youths Against Disaster (YAD) in Abuja.

He said NEMA would continue to train all its volunteers on the basic principles of disaster management and precautionary measures as part of the strategy to curtail the spread of epidemics, natural and manmade emergencies.

He said: “We will soon dedicate more efforts in training and improving the capacity of Emergency Volunteers in all the states of the federation through seminars, interactive forums and provision of relevant working kits.”

Praising Miss Ojo for undertaking several advocacy and awareness campaigns on Emergency Management and presentation of relief materials to hospitals as well as features in the media, he said NEMA would continue to support such projects and where necessary offer automatic employments and scholarship for deserving corps members.

PDP members reject Bode George wife’s nomination

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ROMINENT leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State are kicking against the nomination of the wife of its former Nat i o n a l Chairman(Southwest), Chief Olabode George, as Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC) representing the state.

The PDP leaders including former Works Minister Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe; Chairman of the party’s Elders Council, Dr. Abayomi Finnih; former state chairman of the party, Alhaji Muritala Ashorobi and Chief Kofoworola BucknorAkerele, have petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan protesting the nomination.

By Emmanuel Oladesu

Their objection to the nomination of Mrs. Roli Bode-George is on account of her not being from Lagos.

They want the President to stop the nomination, saying it would amount to injustice and cause disaffection among members of the party if she is allowed to remain as the state’s representative in the NPC. Other signatories to the petition also addressed to the Senate President David Mark are Chief Jide Damazio, Otunba Tokunboh Kamson and Mrs. Modupe Sasore.

The petition read in parts:”Our attention has been drawn to a recent newspaper publication indicating that Mrs. Roli Bode-George

is being screened for appointment as a federal commissioner of the National Population Commission representing Lagos State.

We wish to bring to your attention that the nominee cannot represent Lagos State as National Population issues are too sensitive to be left in the hands of a non-indigene of the state. Population issues are too fundamental in resource allocation, particularly in revenue allocation and planning and we should necessarily have an indigene to represent us and properly protect our interest. For the avoidance of doubt, Mrs. Roli BodeGeorge is from Delta State and has no natural connection with Lagos State. As such, we strongly object to her nomination which is

not just a slap on the faces of all Lagosians but also on PDP leaders and members in Lagos State. This is not appropriate and thoroughly challenges our conscience and morality. We are aware that this nomination is being pushed by Chief Olabode George, an ex-convict and this situation is most likely to bring our party (PDP) into serious disrepute, confusion and embarrassment.

“We further note that the unjust nomination amounts to abuse and recklessness when we realise that the same Mrs. Roli Bode-George is still a member of two different boards, namely, the Federal Medical Centre, Bida and Nigeria’s Pilgrims Board.

This is insensitive and of-

fends our sensibilities because it rubbishes the essential canons of justice and equity. We strongly object to this abuse and appeal to the president to exercise prudent and appropriate authority on this issue by evaluating its political, constitutional and moral background in a dispassionate manner, without which a huge injustice would have been done to Lagos State. Expectedly, appointments that are constitutionally meant for Lagos State should necessarily be for the appropriate persons, who are indigenes. This is our conviction.

“We are therefore appealing to your excellency, Mr. President, to use your good offices to stop this potentially inflammatory process for the good of the party and the citizens of Lagos State.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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NEWS Senate decries human trafficking

Dams get attention From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

The Federal Government has directed that attention be paid to dams that can serve for irrigation and as well as power.

Speaking at the meeting for the presentation on Dams Development and Hydropower Generation at the State House, Abuja, yesterday, Vice President Namadi Sambo said: “The former cycle where dams were constructed and not used to full capacity should not be the case, we should construct dams and use them fully.”

He said most of the dams in the country can be used for irrigation, noting that all dams with the capacity for irrigation be selected for completion as they are economic corridors that would drive the transformation agenda.

Fed Govt to provide 1.2m jobs

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

T

•From left: Minister of Women Affairs Hajia Zainab Maina; Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa , Majority Leader, House of Reps, Hon. Mulikatu Akande Adeola and the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Christiana Alaaga at the House Leader's Office … yesterday PHOTO:ABAYOMI FAYESE

FAAN, NAMA, NCAT chiefs removed

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HREE aviation chief executives lost their jobs yesterday.

THE Federal Government is They are Federal Airports to provide 1.2 million jobs Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) through its Cassava ValueManaging Director Richard Chain programme.

Aisuebeogun, his Nigeria The Minister of AgriculAirspace Management Agenture and Rural Development, cy (NAMA) counterpart IbraDr Akinwumi Adesina, said him Anyo and the Nigerian this yesterday at a College of Aviation Technolstakeholders meeting in ogy (NCAT) Rector Adebayo Abuja.

He said the Federal Government will establish a Cassava Market and Trade Development Corporation (CMTDC) to drive the valueECTURES may soon be added chain activities. disrupted in colleges of “The cassava transformaeducation - no thanks to tions will create 1.2 million a planned strike. jobs, half on-farm and half The Chairman, Adeyemi off-farm, and an increase of College of Education chapter $450 in the income of 1.8 of the Colleges of Education million cassava farmers, Academic Staff Union (COEAincreased productivity of SU), Smart Olugbeko, hinted 12.5 tons per hectare in of the strike at a briefing on addition to creation of a the activities to mark the bestrong supply chain,” he ginning of the COEASU Week said. at the institution in Ondo.

Present at the forum were According to him, the loomCommissioners for ing strike is over the Federal Agriculture from Ogun, Edo, Government’s failure to Osun, Ekiti, Abia, Anambra and Kogi states.

From Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

Araba.

President Goodluck Jonathan approved their removal in a sweeping reorganisation of the sector.

In a statement, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, asked the former chief executives to hand over to their successors.

George Esezobor Uriesi

heads FAAN. Udo Nnamdi is NAMA’s Managing Director and Capt Chinyere Kalu is NCAT Rector.

The removal of the aviation agency chiefs was received with mixed feelings, even as some industry players described it as long overdue.

According to the Secretary General of the Nigerian Avi-

ation Professionals Association (NAPA), Abdulrasaq Siedu, the government’s action is in line with stakeholders’ recommendation as one of the ways to develop the industry.

The Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Ogiemwonyi, had earlier spoken of plans to restructure the personnel and operations of the industry.

Strike looms in Colleges of Education

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‘Probe National Hospital’ A GROUP, Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has called on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to probe the rejection of accident victims at the National Hospital, Abuja.

The group said media reports alleged that three auto crash victims died on October 1 because the hospital refused to admit them, following an order that only potential bomb blast victims be admitted.

In a statement, the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Director Ms. Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA demanded the prosecution of the hospital’s Medical Director.

The group described the alleged order as ‘unlawful’; ‘illegal’, ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘unethical’.

It urged the medical council to initiate a public hearing into the claim.

HURIWA said: “We demand the prosecution of these doctors on the ground of gross negligence of their Hippocratic Oath.”

HE Senate yesterday expressed outrage over the rising spate of human trafficking in parts of the country.

This followed a motion of national urgent importance

by Senator Dahiru Kuta (Niger East) and 33 others entitled: “Scourge of human trafficking in Nigeria.”

Senators who contributed to the debate included Chris Anyanwu, Oluremi Tinubu, Ayogu Eze, Ike Ekweremadu, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Benedict Ayade, Zainab Kure.

They were unanimous in urging decisive action to stem the scourge.

The lawmakers condemned human trafficking and resolved to urge the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to strengthen co-operation among member states.

Kuta noted that Nigeria has become a signatory to the Transnational Organised Crime Convention (TOC) and its trafficking in Persons Protocol on December 13, 2000.

He said Nigeria established the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related matters (NAPTIP) in 2003.

Mrs. Tinubu said urgent steps should be taken to tackle the menace “in the overall interest of our children”.

Before the issue was referred to the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Judicial Matters for further action, Senate President David Mark, said human trafficking is a topical issue worldwide.

He urged senators to take up the issue individually since the phenomenon occurs in every senatorial district.

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

implement the agreement it reached with COEASU last year.

He regretted that the government had jettisoned the agreement, stressing that the strike would continue for as long as the Federal Government continues to neglect the agreement.

Olugbeko said: “The Federal Government freely entered into the agreement with COEASU last year but up till now it has refused to honour the

agreement.

“Very soon there would be a disruption in the academic activities at the various colleges of education because of this development.

“The perennial crises in the education sector may not end because government doesn’t honour any agreement it enters into,” he said.

The Deputy Provost, Dr. Femi Olajuyigbe, criticised the delay in upgrading the college to a university.

He lamented that over a

year after the release of the report of the technical committee on the issue, the report was yet to be implemented.

Olajuyigbe noted that the teaching profession was yet to attain the height obtained in some countries.

According to him, the institution has turned out 55, 000 graduates and has been operating as a degree awarding institution since 1981.

He urged the Federal Government to implement the report and upgrade the college.

CAN intervenes in govt, labour crisis

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HE Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday intervened in the one month strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the failure of the Ebonyi State Government to implement the N18,000 minimum wage.

NLC Caretaker Committee Secretary Max Nnaji said organised labour met with the clergy at the weekend.

Nnaji said CAN would meet the government and set up a committee comprising, organised labour, CAN and government representatives to look at the controversial table recommended by the government for the payment.

He said: “The clergy has waded into the crisis. We met twice at the weekend and it was resolved that CAN should meet with the governor to discuss about the setting up of a committee.”

The labour leader regretted that since the industrial impasse, Governor Martin Elechi had not met with the union, adding that labour would not accept the gov-

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

ernment table without negotiations.

He said the union is in a serious dilemma over the industrial action.

“We cannot accept the government table neither would we call off the strike. “ It is regrettable that government has closed all avenues for negotiations “It said the strike must be

called off before negotiation can start.

“Government has resorted to the use of intimidation; we are still on strike and the government went ahead to compute workers salary with the controversial table.

“If we call off the strike, workers would accuse us of collecting bribe from the government.

“So we are at a cross road but we would not compromise the welfare of the work-

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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•Elechi

ers,” Nnaji said.

Man charged with issuing dud cheque

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned a Lagos businessman, Tosin Ajetumobi, for allegedly stealing N13million.

He appeared before the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on six counts of conspiracy, stealing and issuance of dud cheque.

EFCC prosecutor Anselem Ozioko alleged that Ajetumobi, who is the Managing Director of Jaytee Brite Limited, on February 11, 2008, with intent to defraud, conspired with his company to commit felony by stealing money belonging to Gabosky Ventures Limited.

The agency claimed he knowingly and fraudulently issued an Oceanic Bank Plc cheque numbered 08106269 and dated February 28, 2008 for the sum of N3million to Gabosky.

‘Address police problem’

By Joseph Jibueze

“When the cheque was presented for payment, it was discovered that there was insufficient fund in the account as the cheque was returned unpaid,” EFCC said.

EFCC said the defendant borrowed the N13.

7million from Gabosky for his recharge card business, but allegedly issued the fake cheque when paying back.

Issuing dud cheque contravenes Section 1 (1) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, Cap D11, Laws of the Federation 2004.

Ajetumobi pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Justice Olabisi Akinlade ordered that he be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons.

She adjourned the matter till October 25

RETIRED military officer, Gen. Olu Bajowa, has urged federal and state governments to address low morale, lack of modern equipment and inadequate training for the police.

This, he said, was to enable the force rise up to the security challenges facing the nation.

He spoke at the weekend in Akure during the launch of a book “Jandukugbode”, a detective story book written in Yoruba by Bishop Akin Omoyajowo (rtd).

Bajowa, who was the chairman, extolled the patriotic zeal of the lead character, Adegbesan, a journalist turned detective who worked assiduously by using modern security gadgets to apprehend criminals.

He recommended segmentation or regionalisation of the police as practiced in the First Republic as solution to the national security predicament currently in the country.

Commending the author of for writing the book in Yoruba, he said it would further help in the preservation of the Yoruba heritage.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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NEWS Ondo PDP inaugurates transition panel From Damisi Ojo, Akure

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday inaugurated a transition committee to pilot its affairs, pending next year’s congress.

The nine-man committee is headed by Hon. Ebenezer Alabi from Ondo Central Senatorial District.

The members representing the nine federal constituencies in the state, are: Sanya Orungbemi (Akoko Northeast/North), Major Olufemi Bobare (Akoko Southeast/Southwest), Femi Omosanya (Owo/ Ose), Alabi Ebenezer (Akure North/South), Tunde Adegbonmire (Idanre/Ifedore).

The others are: Hon. Adebusuyi (Ondo West/ East), Mrs. Dupe Arowosegbe (Odigbo/OkeIgbo/Ile-Oluji), Chief Oyedele Ibine (Irele/ Okitipupa) and Obadiah Vincent (Ilaje/Ese-Odo).

Inaugurating the committee, PDP national legal adviser Chief Olusola Oke said it was set up to reinvigorate the party and rescue Ondo people from the visionless government in the state.

Oke said: “With the transition committee, PDP will form the government in 2013. We have put the crisis behind us.”

Alabi said: “We are going to work day and night. We will tap from the experience of the outgoing Tayo Dairo-led executive.”

Former Governor Olusegun Agagu, former Deputy Governor Omolade Oluwateru, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, Deacon Ayo Ifayefunmi, Prof. Olu Agbi and Dr. Oladuni Odu, among others, were at the occasion.

Strike disrupts lectures at UI CADEMIC activities were yesterday paralysed at the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) began a one-week warning strike.

The unions are protesting the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement between them and the Federal Government.

ASUU had ‘last week’ embarked on a one-week warning strike, thus disrupting students’ examinations, but

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From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

the strike’s effect was cushioned, when students fled the university, following a threat to bomb the institution by the Boko Haram sect.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as, “3 yrs after 2009 agreement, FGN yet to fully honour agreement”, “Show human face to varsity workers”, “Let justice and equity be your guiding principle for achieving peace in Nigerian universities.”

SSANU Chairman Jonathan Olu Omolona said: “The

strike is on because the major part of the 2009 agreement has not been implemented. The monetary aspect has also not been cash-backed and we have exhausted our patience.

“The government is not sincere. We only hear that trillions of naira has been budgeted, but we have not seen where the money is going to.

“The agreement will be due for review next year. Since 2009, they have been signing one paper or the other, but, nothing has come out of it.”

NASU Chairman Olusola Fatoki and his NAAT counterpart, Oyelade Oyesola, said they could not understand why

the government has failed to honour an agreement that was not imposed on it.

Fatoki said: “The public may be looking at us as trouble makers, but we are not. We are fighting for the future of our students. The children of many of those in government do not school in Nigeria, so they are less concerned about the poor standard of education here.

“If we don’t fight for these students today, their tomorrow will be bleak. We are appealing to the government to wake up to its responsibilities.”

Aregbesola laments dilapidated buildings in cities

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SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has lamented the existence of old and dilapidated buildings in towns and cities across the country.

Citing Osun as an example, Aregbesola said many houses in the state were built before and shortly after independence, and have become an eyesore.

He spoke during the 2011 World Habitat Day Lecture organised by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in Osogbo, the state capital.

Aregbesola said his administration set up the Urban Renewal Committee to arrest

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

the situation.

He said: “The state of our cities has been a matter of concern since my inauguration.

Yoruba people are urban dwellers. Many cities in Osun State that will qualify as urban centres are also historical places. Many of them have existed for more than 500 years.

“The architecture in some of these cities is Gothic, while others are 18th Century Brazilian. Some were brought in by the colonial authorities while others were imported by slave-returnees.

“From early to mid 20th

Century, our fathers invested the wealth realised from cash crop farming and trading in buildings. Regrettably, with the disappearance of cocoa, wealth also disappeared, and the buildings crept into dilapidation. Many of them have been collapsing.

“We have therefore embarked upon urban renewal.

A committee of seasoned academics and competent professionals is already working assiduously to develop a modern urban outlook for our towns and cities.”

Aregbesola said his administration, through Osun Clean (O’Clean), is also working towards a clean and healthy environment.

He said: “We have committed huge sums to the dredg-

•Aregbesola

ing and channelisation of rivers and streams in the state to avoid flooding.

“This applies to those in Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Ikirun, Odeomu, Iwo and Iragbiji, among others. We are already seeing results. In spite of heavy rains in our region this year, no flooding or loss of life and property was recorded in Osun.”

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has said former Governor Rashidi Ladoja will have to register at his ward, if he is to return to the party.

Ladoja had indicated that he may return, if the PDP is reorganised.

He said there are still many credible people in the party and blamed the PDP’s failure at the April polls on former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The party’s Secretary, Alhaji Bashiru Akanbi, yesterday said in spite of overtures made to Ladoja by PDP elders, he would have to return through his ward, as stipulated in the party’s constitution.

He added that Ladoja is not in a position to give consditions for his return.

Akanbi spoke while issuing nomination form for the position of the National Secretary to a former commissioner, Chief Bayo Bankole.

He said: “Senator Ladoja had been a leading party member. When he sought to return to the party, we directed him to go to his ward, but he preferred to be re-admitted from Abuja and that is contrary to our party’s rules. So he left for Accord party.

“We are happy that the former governor is coming back, but in line with our party rules, he has to go to his ward. It is the ward that will recommend his return to the party.

“He cannot give the party any condition for returning. All he needs to do is abide by the constitutional provisions of the party for members returning.”

Lagos Assembly gets acting Clerk

Ekiti ASUSS not meant to undermine NUT

By Oziegbe Okoeki

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From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

THE Ekiti State chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) has said its recognition by the State Government is not meant to undermine the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

In a statement yesterday, ASUSS Chairman Sola Adigun said the recognition of the union as an independent group was “deserving and long overdue.”

Adigun advised NUT leaders against trying to reverse the autonomy granted to ASUSS. He said heaven did not fall when the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) pulled out of NUT, adding that ASUSS’s autonomy would not make NUT insignificant.

Adigun thanked Governor Kayode Fayemi for recognising the union and urged him to speed up the processe for the implementation of the 27.5 per cent teachers’ peculiarity allowance.

Oyo PDP gives condition for Ladoja’s return

•Representative of NEPZA Mr Juwon Falope (left) presenting a certificate to Mr. Abiodun Alafiatayo of Law Union & Rock Insurance during the presentation of registration certificates to five insurance companies at Olokola Free Trade Zone, Lekki, Lagos. With them are Managing Director/CEO of OKFTZE Mr Luk Haelterman and Mr Olutope Mathew, a consultant

‘Daniel no more threat to Ogun PDP’

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ORMER Governor Gbenga Daniel is no longer a threat to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State .

He will be welcomed, if he chooses to return, the party’s leader, Prince Buruji Kashamu, has said.

Kashamu spoke during a PDP reconciliatory meeting at Ijebu–Igbo. He allayed the fears of members that Daniel, if allowed to return, would try to control the party.

Kashamu said: “No one is as powerful as God. If Daniel wants to return to PDP, let us allow him. He cannot be governor again, as he has exhausted his constitutionally permitted eight years, and

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

does not have the power to be more than an ordinary member in the party.”

The PDP leader, who spearheaded a long legal battle that eventually wrested the party’s structure from Daniel’s faction, prior to the last general elections, said

aggrieved/former party members, including former Minister of Commerce Chief Jubril Martins-Kuye and Senator Lekan Mustapha, should be embraced.

He said the six PDP members of the House of Assembly have not been representing the party’s interest and urged them to sit up.

Kashamu also urged party

members to support the PDP candidate in the April governorship election, Gen. Tunji Olurin (rtd.), in rebuilding the party.

The meeting was attended by the state Secretary, Chief Pegba Otemolu, Mr. Segun Sowunmi and party leaders from five local government areas in Ogun West Senatorial District.

HE Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday approved the appointment of its Director of Finance and Administration (DFA), Mr. Segun Abiru, as the acting Clerk of the House.

Mudashiru Obasa (Agege 1) had, during plenary, observed that since the former Clerk, Mr. Taiwo Olatunji, had retired, it was necessary to appoint an acting Clerk, pending when a substantive Clerk would be appointed.

Hudewu Suru Avoseh (Badagry 1) moved a motion to that effect and was seconded by Adefunmilayo Tejuosho (Mushin 1).

The members voted in support of the motion and Abiru, who was the next in rank to the former Clerk/ Permanent Secretary of the Assembly, was appointed.

Drivers resolve dispute in Ado-Ekiti

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OMMERCIAL vehicle drivers in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday resumed work, restoring economic activities in the town.

Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and Drivers’ Cooperative had, on Monday, protested the failure of a private transport company owned by Chief Omolafe Adeririye to comply with the gov-

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

ernment’s directive that all parks should be moved to the outskirts.

NURTW Chairman Prince Julius Jegede said parties in the dispute, at a meeting with Ado Local Government Chairman Sunday Ibitoye yesterday, agreed to allow peace reign, pending further talks on the matter.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

9

NEWS

Taraba community rebuilds collapsed bridge From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

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ESIDENTS of Doubeli in Gidin-Waya, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State yesterday began to rebuild Doubeli Bridge, which collapsed about three weeks ago.

The bridge, which links the Northeast to the South, collapsed on September 19 following a heavy downpour. Most of its parts were damaged, making it impossible for vehicles to get to the community from other parts of the state, and elsewhere.

The damage has also caused regular traffic snarls on the Wukari-Yola federal road.

Travellers from Benue State heading to Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, or to Yola, the Adamawa State capital, have been passing through Katsina-Ala in Benue State, to Takum, en route Bali to Mutum-Biu. Those from Yola to Benue State also face the same predicament.

Motorists have complained that the route prolongs their journeys.

Some residents of the community used household implements to rebuild the bridge. They gathered stones, tree trunks and earth to fill the damaged parts.

At the site of the collapsed bridge yesterday, a tipper was conveying sand and other materials.

The usually pastoral settlement has become a hub of business activities.

Small vehicles that could not ply the longer route paid N2,500 to be ferried across the river in local boats; Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) owners paid N4,000 for same service.

A number of passengers were stranded when their vehi-

•Some vehicles being ferried across the river...yesterday

cles got stuck in the mud on the collapsed bridge. Their agony and desperation paved the way for urchins to make brisk businesses.

Some of the locals told The Nation that the collapsed bridge became a good reason for them to make quick money.

“We didn’t cause the disaster (collapse of the bridge). But what can we do? It is a source of blessing for us to make

PHOTO: FANEN IHYONGO

money,” said Ali, one of the boat owners.

With the community’s “self-help”, vehicles started using the bridge by noon yesterday. Heavy duty vehicles, laden with goods, had started plying it.

But the vehicles paid a toll. Small vehicles paid N500 each while trailers and tankers paid N1,000 each.

It was gathered that the contractor handling reconstruction of the bridge will be on site next week.

SERAP seeks progress on ICC probe of Jos crises

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CIVIL society group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has written to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, urging him to “make progress and bring your analysis and investigation of allegations of crimes against humanity in Jos (Plateau State) to a quick and satisfactory completion”.

The group urged Ocampo to do this “for the sake of tens of thousands of victims of violence and unlawful killings waiting for justice; to end impunity of perpetrators and spreading violence and insecurity to other parts of Nigeria”.

In the October 4 letter by the solicitor to SERAP, Mr Femi Falana, the group said: “Following our petition to your office, dated January 21, 2010, Prosecutor Ocampo rightly launched an investigation and analysis of the situation in Jos. “However, it is now close to one year since the ICC launched an analysis on the Jos situation; and many victims are continuing to ask us for the outcome of the intervention by the ICC. The continuing delay by the ICC to complete its examination of the Jos situation is fuelling and contributing to a vicious cycle of violence and impunity, leaving victims without

Ex-Kogi governor Audu seeks ACN support on poll

layed is justice denied.

The statement reads: “The violence continues to escalate and innocent citizens continue to be killed and brutalised.

The violence and unlawful killings in Jos and the impunity of perpetrators have had a multiplier effect and precipitated continuing violence and unlawful killings in several parts of the country.

“The government continues to fail to respond adequately to the situation, showing itself to be unwilling or unable to transparently and effectively investigate allegations of crimes against humanity committed in Jos or other parts of the country, or to bring suspected perpetrators to justice.

This is contrary to the country’s international legal obligations, including under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,” the group added.

“For several weeks now, there have been series of killings of innocent Nigerians, including the killing of a family of eight in Jos. We have sent updated information on the situation in Jos to your office.”

The group therefore urged “the ICC Prosecutor to urgently take forward its intervention on Jos, which we believe will go a long way in addressing the situation, and bringing to justice suspected perpetrators of crimes against humanity in Jos.”

Sultan to African leaders: emulate Caliphate’s founding fathers

From Mohammed Bashir, Lokoja

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ORMER Kogi State Governor and the Action Congress Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate Prince Abubakar Audu has urged members of the party and other residents to support him for the December 3 governorship election.

Audu spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting of the ACN in Lokoja, the state capital.

He urged other contestants for the party’s ticket to work for the victory of ACN. The former governor, who said the party’s governorship ticket was for every member, noted that victory is guaranteed for the party if members work together.

Audu said: “I am not nursing any grievances against anybody. In a game like this, it is not possible for all of us to be in one camp. But since the primary is over, we must close ranks and work together to achieve the objective of bringing change to governance in our state.”

The former governor lamented that so much damage has been done by the PDP administration.

justice and an effective remedy.

“We are also concerned that a cycle of violence has had a deleterious effect on development and has been a core source of instability and insecurity in many parts of Nigeria.

“SERAP believes that your satisfactory completion of this case would help end the cycle of violence and impunity of perpetrators in Jos as well as increase Africans’ confidence in international justice and in the court in particular.”

In a statement yesterday by SERAP Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group noted that “the reason one goes to court is to get justice”, adding that justice de-

•Sultan

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HE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged African leaders to emulate the five core values of the founding fathers of the Sokoto Caliphate.

He said this would enable them achieve good governance and sustainable development as well as realise the goals and dividends of democracy, for the benefit of their people.

The Sultan spoke at the Jodi-

di Annual Lecture Series of the Weatherhead Centre of Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In a lecture entitled: Islam and Peace-Building in West Africa, Abubakar traced the history and growth of the Sokoto Caliphate, established by Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio in the 19th century.

He espoused the direct and strategic reasons for the success of the Caliphate’s socio-political and administrative structures in the enthronement of social justice as well as enhanced quality of life.

The Sultan noted that Dan Fodio had established strong hierarchical structure and religious scholarship a century before British colonialists ar-

rived in the country, adding that these were further entrenched by his brother, Abdullahi, and his son, Muhammadu Bello.

Abubakar listed five categories of values that would aid African politics for a dynamic framework for governance and a veritable yardstick for assessing political behaviour and action.

According to him, these are: knowledge, primacy of justice, fight against corruption, dignity of labour and uplifting the status of women.

The Sultan noted that these core values have been the bedrock of good governance since the advent of Islam and other religions.

He blamed politicians for

not exercising restraint in the struggle for power and political supremacy, saying poor leadership by politicians is among the causes of social tension, including the Jos crises and Boko Haram bombings.

Abubakar advocated “the efficiency of consensus-building within the polity” as panacea for the disagreements in political circles.

A statement by the spokesman of the Nigerian delegation to the annual lecture, Danladi Bako, quoted the Sultan as saying dividends of democracy must begin to show for the benefit of the populace and genuine dialogue should be initiated to heal the nation’s sundry wounds.

Robbers raid community bank at police college

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OME armed robbers on Monday raided a community bank at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos.

It was learnt that the robbers took advantage of the Independence holiday to undermine the police.

A police source told The Nation that the robbers gained access into the banking hall, opened the security doors and emptied the vault.

It was also learnt that after

By Jude Isiguzo the operation, the robbers locked the doors and walked away.

Part of the stolen money was said to be the salaries of police officers paid on Friday.

The bank is directly behind the office of the Commandant of the Police College.

The source said it was after the hoodlums had left that some people, who saw them,

raised the alarm.

The police are said to be working on the possibility that the robbers were aided by insiders.

The police spoke of plans to arrest top managers of the bank for questioning, especially those responsible for keeping the security keys.

Also to be arrested are the security guards on duty at the time of the incident.

According to the source, pre-

liminary investigations have begun and investigators are working round the clock to ensure that they apprehend the suspects.

Hundreds of policemen, who have their savings in the bank, beseiged the place yesterday morning on hearing about the incident.

Police spokesman Samuel Jinadu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said he had not been briefed on the incident.

Suspected PDP thugs attack reporters in Kogi From Mohammed Bashir, Lokoja

SOME youths, said to be the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs, yesterday attacked reporters covering an assignment at the party’s secretariat in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The youths were allegedly sent by the party’s Zonal Vice-Chairman for Kogi West, Mohammed Abdulrahman, aka Balga.

The thugs, who brandished weapons, beat up the reporters at the office of the chairman, Hassan Salau.

It was gathered that Balga’s action was not unconnected with his grievances that his political benefactor did not emerge the party’s governorship flag bearer.

Balga reportedly entered the chairman’s office and challenged the presence of reporters at the party’s secretariat.

The PDP governorship candidate and his running, Capt Idris Wada and Yomi Awoniyi were shocked over the attack.

Katsina CPC appeals tribunal judgments From Isah Idris, Katsina

THE Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Katsina State has ratified an appeal against last week’s annulment of elections of its National Assembly candidates.

The former Chairman of the Elders’ Council and a national leader of the party, Sen. Mamman Abubakar Danmusa, told reporters that the party has gone to the Appeal Court over the tribunal’s judgments and that the state executive has ratified same.

The former Deputy Senate President said CPC has gone to Appeal Court to challenge the annulment of the elections of its two senators and eight House of Representatives’ members by the Katsina State/National Assembly Election Tribunal Chairman, Justice Solomon Akinpeye.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

NEWS Catholic priest abducted in Benin From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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HE Parish Priest of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Eguaholo, Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Chukwura, was yesterday abducted by unknown gunmen.

The catechist, Pullen Iserhienrhin, and Parish Secretary Pullen Omoigui said 10 gunmen struck at about 1 am.

They said the hoodlums forced their way into Fr. Chukwura’s room and abducted.

The Vicar-General of the Benin Diocese, Reverend Father Augustine Ehigie confirmed the kidnap and said the matter had been reported to the police.

Judiciary important to democracy, says Oshiomhole

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DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the judiciary is important to the survival of the nation’s democracy.

Oshiomhole spoke yesterday while receiving the President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Joseph Daudu, at Government House, Benin, the state capital.

He said: “We need the courts for democracy to survive. In fact, democracy is a celebration of the rule of law. To attract foreign investors and retain them, they must have confidence in the judicial system.

Where the judiciary is not seen as capable of interpreting the law, some investors will not want to come. So you do occupy a very sensitive position in the country.”

Oshiomole said the judiciary can only function effectively when it has vibrant, knowledgeable and courageous lawyers.

He said: “The state government will do all it can to support the Bar and ensure that it remains strong enough to keep Nigeria’s democracy afloat. “The Bar remains one of the huge national institutions in the country. Given the challenge of national unity, I believe we need strong national institutions, like the Bar, to continue to build bridges of unity and play up what unites us.”

Daudu praised Oshiomhole for the changes in the

state.

He said: “I have always been familiar with Benin City and Edo State; I do a lot of cases here, so I’ve always had cause to come in. But on flying in this afternoon, I noticed some changes.

“Some schools are not the way I left them and a lot of roads have changed. I saw structures and I know that there are more that are not visible to the naked eye.

With what I have seen, I acknowledge that you are doing a very good job.

“The essence of democracy is for people to benefit from the quality of leadership. From what people say, I don’t think there are adverse comments about your government. I pray that you keep it up and do not allow yourself to be distracted or provoked by people who do not want you to make progresses.

“I have also been told of what you have done with the judiciary. You have built new High Courts and furnished them to international standard. You have tried to make justice accessible to the people in a speedy manner. It is not surprising that you are encouraging the growth of justice delivery.”

Also yesterday, Oshiomhole launched the State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA), which is expected to curb reckless driving.

He urged the agency’s officials to be civil in their dealings with traffic offenders.

Robbers hold bank staff, customers hostage in Edo

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RMED robbers yesterday held staff and customers of an old generation bank in Auchi, Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State, hostage.

However, the robbers themselves got trapped after security agents surrounded the bank.

Soldiers and policemen deflated the tyres of the robbers’ vehicle. Eyewitnesses said some of the hoodlums, who were on guard outside the bank, escaped, but those inside held customers and staff hostage and were shoot-

•Suspect killed in Delta From Osagie Otabor, Benin and Shola O’Neil

ing randomly.

It was learnt that the robbers arrived at the bank at about 3:45pm.

Residents locked themselves indoors to avoid being hit by stray bullets.

Some students of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, were said to be trapped inside the bank.

Also yesterday, a suspected robbery kingpin, fingered

for various crimes in Enerhen, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, was killed in a gun battle between his gang and the police.

The incident occurred when policemen from Enerhen Division responded to distress calls from residents of Yamkut Estate in the early hours of the morning.

Eyewitnesses said eight gunmen stormed the area, forcing their way into apartments and dispossessing in-

habitants of cash and valuables.

They said the robbers operated for about an hour before the police arrived.

The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Enrhen Police Division, Mr. Hassan, confirmed the incident.

Hassan said five cartridges, live bullets and expended cartridges were recovered from the scene.

A resident, Felix Okoyi, said the hoodlums ransacked his apartment and took away all his money after beating him up.

Army denies working for Shell

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HE Nigerian Army has said it works for the Federal Government and not the Dutch oil company, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Major General Sunday Idoko, spoke yesterday during an official visit to the Headquarters of 2 Brigade and the decoration of promoted senior officers at Bori Camp in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Maj. Gen. Idoko said the army recognises the Federal Government as the only authority and does not intend to join issues with any organisation.

He said unpleasant consequences await any soldier found guilty of the allegation by a London based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Platform, that SPDC used the Nigerian military to abuse the rights of

•Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi (right) presenting a gift to Major Gen. Idoko at the Government House, Port Harcourt...yesterday From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

people in the Niger Delta.

The GOC said: “If any case is proved against any soldier, we will deal with him appropriately, but certainly I have not heard of any.

“BBC is entitled to its opinion. The Nigerian Army is not responsible to SPDC. We take

our instructions from the Commander-in-Chief and we cannot operate on the instructions of Shell or any company for that matter.

“For anyone to be a successful soldier, he must be loyal to the President and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

When we talk about loyalty, there is nothing like 80 or 60 per cent, it must be 100 per

cent.”

On the recent arrest of a middle-aged man who was trying to drive into Bori Camp with suspected explosives, the GOC said: “Somebody was arrested quite alright at the gate and after our preliminary investigation, we handed him over to the State Security Services (SSS).

So if you want to know more, you may have to go to the SSS.”

Alaafin calls for caution on pan-Yoruba conference

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HE Alaafin of Oyo has cautioned the organisers of the planned Pan-Yoruba conference that the timing of the talks is not right.

In a statement yesterday, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi said: “Having carefully gone through an advertorial in the Nigerian Tribune, running from Monday, today and perhaps, again tomorrow, endorsed by the duo of Mama HID Awlolowo and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, inviting all manners of Yoruba leaders to a meeting at the Ikenne home of the Awolowo and slated for Thursday, 6th October, 2011, I wish to make the following observations as the Alaafin, a traditional ruler, a leader of my people and an individual committed to an indivisible one Nigeria and a peaceful Yoruba Nation that will maintain its pride of place in the comity of the Nigerian nation.

“The security situation in the country today is nothing but parlous. As a people, the situation now calls for caution, circumspection and a deep thought. This is in view of the fact that the ethno-religious intolerance and suspicion has actually put the country on its edge. ‘’There is no doubt that the current threat to our national security has put the capacity of President Goodluck Jonathan into test. For those who do not know the dynamics of politics, especially the volatile nature of security, they may be quick

in putting the blame on Mr President or his speed in responding to the various threats, but for somebody like President Jonathan, who does not want to play to the gallery for the fun of it and in the naked show of executive power, you should allow him to bid his time in tackling the situation.

“On our own part as a nationality, the Yoruba at this point in time need to be extra careful, vigilant and cautious, especially in making public statements whether as an individual or as a people on the precarious security situation in the country.

The Yoruba nation must play a central role in promoting the peace, unity and stability of Nigeria at a time like this and not recluse into the kind of cleavage that the organisers of the conference seek to promote.

“I do not believe quite honestly, that this is a time that the Yoruba should converge for any inaugural conference. Our people are well domiciled in all parts of the country, including parts of the north where Boko Haram largely operates. We have MEND and other militia groups equally in the South South and South East. What we need now is dialogue by engaging Boko Haram and similar groups in sincere discussions towards seeking a path to resolving the present security crisis.

“We should refrain from any gathering capable of suggesting that we are up to anything sinister and thus put the lives

of our people in other places both within the country and in the diaspora, into danger. The Yoruba People are a diverse people who are also politically sophisticated. Politicians cannot be stopped from playing their politics of ideological differences. However, what should be paramount now is how to nudge the country forward on the path of peace and reconciliation.

A time like this demands high diplomacy from Yoruba race and we have never been found wanting in this area at any time of challenge in the past.

“It is on this note that I express my strong reservation and fears about the so called PAN YORUBA CONFERENCE slated for Ikenne on Thursday, 6th October, 2011 at the instance of the duo of Mama HID Awolowo and the Ooni of Ife, Alayeluwa, Oba Okunade Sijuwade. For me, I have always believed in the principle of adequate consultations for necessary preparation and contribution for any worthwhile and purposeful meeting.

As a matter of long standing principle, where these essentials are doubtful and questionable, I never make myself available to be used as a pawn against the interest of my people.

“There are very pertinent questions we must ask. What is the agenda of the so-called Pan Yoruba Conference? When and what level of consultations

took place before the decision to hold such a meeting was made? What level of buy-in was achieved amongst the Yoruba people by the conveners? What really is the motive and the hidden agenda of those behind this conference? The Yoruba people are not willing at this point in her history to surrender what it has toiled for over the years for a mesh of porridge. Those masquerading as Yoruba leaders are the permanent government contractors whose influence are waning politically and who now want to use this kind of conference as leverage to continue their politics of the stomach.

“We know that we traditional rulers from Yoruba land are not reading from the same page because our ranks have been infiltrated by fifth columnists.

Our children are watching and we must strive to live by example and not unnecessarily jeopardise the interest of the Yoruba nation and the future of our children.

“I cannot be part of a political jamboree that is organised in the interest of a few, to the detriment of the larger Yoruba nation.

I wish to end this piece with the principle of CAUTION with which I started this piece in the overall interest of the Yoruba Nation.”

Oba Adeyemi signed the statement as “The Alaafin of Oyo and Permanent Chairman, Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Mobil sacks 94 workers at Qua Iboe Terminal

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TOTAL of 94 contract workers at the Qua Iboe Terminal, operated by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom, have been sacked by the company.

Spokesman of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the Terminal, Mr Bassey Harry, said the union was agitating for the payment of the disengaged workers’benefits.

Harry told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket, Akwa Ibom that the development was regrettable.

He said it was a negation of assurances by the management of the company to suspend its ongoing staff rationalisation until the adoption of the Petroleum Industry Bill.

The union leader said: “Our major concern is the welfare of affected people.

We are not going to impose willing workers on an unwilling management.

“We, however, insist that the procedures as spelt out in the agreement entered into by both parties be met.

“Since the affected people committed no crime, nor performed below expectations, we are insisting that they be disengaged under redundancy terms and not termination.

“We have taken the matter up to ensure that they get their due benefits and we are urging the management to withdraw the termination letters and disengage them under redundancy rule.

“We are prepared to fight this to any level.”

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$118.7/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 -15.84% Savings rate -1.42% 91-day NTB -6.99% Time Deposit -6% MPR -8.75% Foreign Reserve $34.87b CFA EUR £ $ ¥ SDR RIYAL

FOREX -

0.281 215.1 245.00 153.16 1.5652 243.2 40.57

The current level of revenue generation can and must be improved upon. The FG would ensure proper monitoring of activities of mining operators and construction companies so t5hat revenues accruable to the government coffers from their operation are adequately remitted in line with the laid down regulatory framework of the sector. -Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Sada

Nigeria’s crude slips on slowing demand

Fed Govt set to restore rural electrification agency N T

HE Federal Govern ment is planning to bring back the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). It was scrapped two years ago over undue financial impropriety.

The Nation’s investigation revealed that the Ministry of Power, which scrapped the agency in 2009, is working on the modalities of restoring the agency by the end of this year.

It was gathered that the Minister of Power, Prof.

Barth Nnaji, has made up his mind to restore the agency to deepen access to electricity by the rural people. Currently, an inventory of projects that were under-

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

taken by the sacked management is being taken by the ministry. This will include projects at different levels of completion (those that were abandoned and those that didn’t take off). The stock will equip the ministry with an idea of what to do to effectively bring back the agency on stream, it was learnt.

The Rural Electrification Agency, which was established by an Act of the National Assembly, was meant to see that electricity installation and supply are not only concentrated in the urban and metropolitan areas of the country, but also ex-

tended to rural dwellers and for rural development.

However, following the misappropriation of N5.2 billion meant for the agency, in which the former Chairman, House Committee on Power, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and some members of the committee as well as some members of the management of the agency were accused of involvement, the ministry of power scrapped the agency.

When the N5.2 billion scam broke out and indicted Elumelu and the Managing Director of the agency, Mr Sam Gekpe, the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Isa Bello Sali, issued a memo stating that the

agency has been scrapped with effect from September 15, 2009. This coincided with when the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua sent a bill to the National Assembly, to repeal Rural Electrification Agency and transfer its functions and liabilities to the Ministry of Power.

The bill had only gone through the first reading in the Senate when the financial scam broke out and the agency was subsequently scrapped.

Although the power ministry scrapped agency, the Act establishing it was not tampered with and it was on the strength of this and other advantages that Nnaji wants to resuscitate it, it was gathered.

Airtel staff protesting over the activities of their management at a news conference in Abuja...yesterday

NLC protests sack of Airtel’s 4000 workers • Contract expired Sept. 30, telecoms firm insists

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HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it will not allow Airtel to operate in the country unless it reverses its decision to sack about 4,000 workers.

The umbrella union of the nation’s workforce said in a statement yesterday that since Airtel locked its gates against the workers, it would not allowed it to operate in the country unless it reversed its decision on the affected workers.

“Since Airtel and its partners in the enslavement of Nigerians decided to close the offices, the NLC will ensure they remain shut. The Labour movement will not allow Airtel to do business in Nigeria if it denies workers their fundamental human rights including that of unionisation, which is guaranteed under section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution.

“It is inconceivable that a company like Airtel which made over 50 per cent of its first year’s $17 billion revenue from Nigeria alone, will seek to place Nigerians

By Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu and Adline Atili

on less than half salary and deny them basic rights.”

However, the firms at the centre of the imbroglio, Global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies and providers of call centre services to Airtel Nigeria- Spanco Channel BPO Limited and Tech Mahindra, have described as untrue, allegations that Airtel sacked 3,000 call agents due to disagreement over salary cuts.

In a joint press statement, the companies said they are working on a business model that would see them engage more workers and make Nigeria the hub of Airtel’s international call centre operations, stating that the story about the sack of its call centre agents, is not correct.

Nonetheless, NLC alleged that Airtel Nigeria was out to casualise regular jobs.

The Congress said following its take-over of Zain Nigeria by Airtel, the service provider “employed a handful of workers and decided

to turn almost all the permanent jobs in the company to casual ones. It alleged that Airtel contracted out the permanent jobs to two Indian companies – Spanco Channel BPO Limited and Tech Mehindra.

The two companies, the NLC argued, could not handle the jobs, so it in turn engaged three Nigerian firms - HR Index, C.C. SNL and Bezeleel to hire workers for Airtel.

NLC in a statement by its President, Abdulwaheed Omar, said:”Airtel seconded hundreds of its staff inherited from Zain to this third party companies.” Some of these staff, he insisted, “had worked for seven years. It is under this exploitative arrangement the Nigerian staff were made to work; some of them without letters of appointment and identity cards and none with a Condition of Service.”

Omar said an agreement was signed by the NLC and the workers union - National Union of Posts and Telecommunications Employees

(NUPTE), with Airtel to the effect that no worker would be victimised or sacked because of the strike they recently embarked on following their maltreatment.

Airtel has, however, denied all the allegations through its subsidiary companies.

Chief Executive Officer, Spanco Africa, Sanka Ralingam and President, Corporate Affairs, Tech Mahindra, Sujit Baksi, said contrary to claims of sack, the contract between the two firms and the service provider ended on September 30, this year. They said Spanco and Tech Mahindra now want to hire the call centre agents directly, including willing people, among the 1,600 members of staff in the call centres in Abuja and Lagos. ”The contract existing between us and two of the agencies, namely CCSNL and HR Index expired effective Friday, September 30, 2011. The third agency, Bezaleel’s contract will expire in January 2012. So, there is no issue of mass sack, but expiration of existing contracts,” Baksi said.

IGERIAN crude oil differentials weak ened further yesterday on expectations for lower European refinery demand due to maintenance and economic run cuts.

The benchmark Qua Iboe grade, according to Reuters news, slid further below dated plus $4 a barrel, traders said.

Differentials had also weakened in Monday’s session, partly due to concerns about lower US demand after ConocoPhillips said it had stopped crude oil processing at its 180,000 bpd Trainer refinery.

“There are reductions of refinery runs in the United States and also in the Mediterranean where there are poor margins,” said a West African crude oil trader.

Angolan cargoes for November-loading are nearly sold out, with only three-four cargoes remaining, traders said.

Qua Iboe was valued about 20-30 cents lower at around dated plus $3.60, Bonny was assessed at a discount of around 10-20 cents to the similar-quality Qua grade as regular delays have reduced demand for this grade.

In Angola, traders said that only 3-4 cargoes remained unsold for November, including a Mondo cargo and two Pazflor cargoes for endNovember loading. Traders said that Pazflor was last sold at a discount of 50 cents to dated Brent. It is now being offered at dated minus 10 cents, a trader said.

“It’s a new grade and there’s a lot of uncertainty about the quality. People are holding back,” said a crude oil trader.

Fed Govt posts 36 finance attaches abroad From Augustine Ehikioya and Anne Udeze, Abuja

T

HE Federal Govern ment yesterday posted 36 accountants to various embassies abroad including France, India, Kuwait, Togo, Cameroun, South Africa, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

Before resuming at their new duty posts, the accountants started a five-day induction course at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Abuja yesterday.

In a welcome address to kick-start the induction, the Director (Finance and Accounts), in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. S. I. Ocheni, urged the 36 accountants proceeding on posting to be well-informed to face the rigours of the duties and responsibilities attached to the office of finance attaché.

He charged them to keep proper records and timely render statutory returns, noting that reports have indicated that some missions collect revenues for Federal Government, but fail to remit same promptly to treasury as required by law.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

12

BUSINESS NEWS Glo among Africa’s 10 most valuable brands

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

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

LAGOS – BENIN Arik 07.30 Associated 08.30 Aero 10.50 Arik 11.45 Associated 13.00 Aero 14.25 Arik 15.30 Associated 16.00

1.

2.

3.

4.

Arik Aero Arik Aero

1. Arik 2. Aero 1.

2.

3.

4.

LAGOS – CALABAR 07.30 11.20 12.50 16.00 LAGOS – JOS 10.55 11.15

LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40 08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20 12.15 12.45 09.10 11.00 11.10 16.20

LAGOS – PORT HARCOURT (CIVIL) 1. Aero 07.15 08.35 2. Arik 07.15 08.35 3. Arik 09.00 10.20 4. Dana 09.27 10.40 5. Aero 10.50 12.30 6. Arik 11.40 13.00 7. Air Nigeria 12.00 13.10 8. IRS 13.30 15.00 9. Arik 14.00 15.20 10. Dana 15.03 16.20 11. Air Nigeria 16.00 17.10 12. Arik 16.10 17.30 13. Aero 16.15 17.30 14. Arik 17.10 18.30 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

LAGOS – OWERRI Aero 07.30 Arik 07.30 Air Nigeria 13.40 Arik 14.00 Arik 16.30

08.40 08.40 14.55 15.10 17.40

1.

2.

3.

4.

Arik Aero Arik Aero

LAGOS – WARRI 08.15 11.50 11.55 14.55

09.1 12.50 12.55 15.55

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

LAGOS – KANO Air Nigeria 07.10 IRS 08.00 Dana 08.10 Arik 12.20 IRS 14.00 IRS 18.15

08.50 09.45 09.40 14.00 15.45 19.55

LAGOS – OWERRI 07.20 14.00 16.30

08.30 15.10 17.40

LAGOS – UYO 10.35

11.35

1. Arik 2. Arik 3. Arik 1. Dana 1. IRS 2. Arik

LAGOS – MAIDUGURI 11.15 13.15 15.50 18.00

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

08.00 18.00

LAGOS – ABUJA SAT/SUN Arik 7.15; 10.20; 2.20; 5.20pm – 7.30; 9.15; 10.20; 2.20; 4.50; 6.45 Aero 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 – 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 Air Nigeria 08.15; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30 – 08.15; 13.30; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30

By Adline Atili

G

• From left: Head, Glo 1 Business Solution, Mr Folu Aderibigbe, presenting a N1 million cheque to Madam Lucy Obi and Chioma Akpotha at the register Glo SIM and Win promo draws, at Mike Adenuga’s Tower, Victoria Island, Lagos.

PHOTO: JOHN EBHOTA

NOSDRA slams N1m fine on Agip over oil spill F

OR failing to immediately con tain, recover and clean-up oil spill impacted sites at its OB/ OB Gas Plant in Obrikom Omoku, Rivers State, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has imposed a fine of N1million on Nigeria Agip Company Ltd (NAOC).

According to a statement by NOSDRA yesterday, the DirectorGeneral/Chief Executive of NOSDRA, Sir Peter Idabor, in a letter to NAOC over the incident, dated September 19, this year, maintained that the action of the company amounted to contraven-

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

tion of section 6(3) of the NOSDRA Act. He directed Agip to mobilise to the affected site already destroyed by inferno resulting from the oil spill for immediate clean-up and remediation so as to prevent further degradation of the environment.

The director-general also notified the company of the issue of quantum of compensation to the victims

of the oil spill, which will be determined by the outcome of the damage assessment to be conducted by NOSDRA. The letter, which directed NAOC “to pay the statutory fine of N1million into the account of NOSDRA within 14 days from the date of receiving it”, also advised the company to act upon it with all seriousness and the highest ethical standard expected of an establishment of repute.

Dangote plans rail system to connect factories

D

ANGOTE Group has said it will soon construct rail lines to connect all its cement factories to the national rail system to reduce cost of transporting its products.

Managing Director of Dangote Cement Terminal in Lagos, Mr Akin Adesokan, stated this while conducting distributors around Dangote Cement Factory in Ibese in Ogun.

He said the rail lines are necessary because the cost of transporting bulk cement was still a challenge.

Adesokan said Dangote would also establish freight systems to boost export of its products to countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He explained that, the move will forge strong bilateral trade relations within the ECOWAS countries, adding that the freight system would reduce the cost of haulage and in turn, the prices of the products.

“The challenge is taking our goods from the factory to the ports since there is no railway system it makes transportation of bulky goods burdensome,” he said.

T

Adesokan said the Dangote Group has invested heavily on haulage with the purchase of over 2000 trucks to distribute cement to the various depots in the country.

“This is our own corporate social responsibility initiative and no other company has done this.

“The price will definitely come down because the chairman of Dangote Group has the interest of Nigerians at heart and wants to bring down the price of cement to the barest minimum so that everybody can afford it.

“The factory in Ibese has the capacity to produce six million tonnes of cement per annum and will make cement available in every part of the South West region.

“Before, we cannot take cement from Obajana down to the South West, but with this factory, it will be a thing of the past.

“From Ibese, we can take cement to Ibadan, Oyo, Ogun and all other parts of the South West region,” he said.

Adesokan said that he brought cement distributors to the factory because he wanted them to see the extent of readiness of the factory.

He pointed out that the total de-

mand for cement in the country was currently about 17 million metric tonnes annually, but envisaged that the demand would increase this year.

Adesokan said that the Ibese factory would be completed in October while the first batch of production would follow immediately.

Mr Abodunrin Matthew, a member of Ifelodun Cement Dealers Association, Ewekoro, called on the Federal Government to address the problem of poor infrastructure in the country.

“What we need from the government is good roads because there is a shortcut to the Ibese factory through Papa to LagosIbadan expressway.

“Government has to support local manufacturing companies like Dangote to help the country to stop importation of some goods into the country,” Abodunrin said.

Another distributor, Mr.Ade Shaleye, advised that the company should provide facilities to make its products available to distributors at lower costs.

KACCIMA decries hostile business other countries, opened up environment many the economy to foreign investors about seven years ago,

HE President of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Alhaji Ahmad Rabi’u, said the business environment is still not conducive for the rapid economic development of the country.

Speaking in an exclusive chat with The Nation in Kano, Alhaji Rabi’u called on President Goodluck Jonathan to work towards making Nigeria an

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

investors’ haven within the framework of his transformation agenda.

He noted that direct foreign investment is not as much as it should be due to the nation’s hostile business environment.

He explained that Nigeria like

yet while other countries are attracting investors, Nigeria is yet to get the desired foreign direct investments.

He particularly urged the Federal Government to fix power and infrastructure to ensure the survival of local industries in the northern part of the country.

LOBACOM has been voted among the 10 most valu able brands in Africa and the only privately owned company to make the top 10 list at the inaugural Brand Africa 100 awards, held

by Brand South Africa, and Brand Leadership Academy in South Africa.

Acccording to the organisers, Brand Africa 100 is based on a multi-tier methodology that incorporates qualitative, quantitative and secondary research. Developed by the Brand Leadership Academy in partnership with TNS and Brand Finance PLC, this seminal research has set the standard for brand evaluation on the continent.

The valuation also takes into consideration how brands are evaluated by both consumers and investors, taking into consideration how consumer affinity for brands translates into value for the investors. It was conducted across Nigeria, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

According to Globacom, being named among the continent’s top indigenous brands is an honour on the Chairman of the company, Dr Mike Adenuga, whose vision has propelled the company to an enviable level in eight years of its establishment.

Adenuga’s dogged commitment to growing an African telecommunications behemoth has propelled the extension of Globacom to the Republic of Benin, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia and Cote D’Ivoire.

Adenuga had also written Globacom’s name in the record books when he singlehanded financed the laying of a submarine cable from Europe to Africa with a dedicated extension to the United States. His passion for affordable telephony services for Africans has been the driving force behind Globacom’s racy growth in a short period.

The organisers noted that the results of the awards have proved that African brands are gradually making a headway representing 33.7 per cent of all the brands nominated, whilst international brands had 66.3 per cent. A further breakdown of the African results indicate that Nigerian brands represent 9 per cent.

Shell denies polluting environment

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

T

HE Shell Petroleum Develop ment Company Limited (SPDC) has debunked allegations of environmental devastation in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria’s oil province.

Shell’s spokesman, Tony Okonedo, in a chat with our correspondent on the issue, said: The company read the charges recently levelled against it in a report published by Platform, a UK-based NGO, and reported in the media.

“Platform, a UK-based NGO whose stated objective is to promote the creative process of democratic engagement to advance social and ecological justice, recently published a report criticising SPDC and the Nigerian government for allegedly devastating the environment and abusing human rights over the past five decades.

“The report recycles a number of old and unsubstantiated allegations against SPDC without recognising the historical and complex situation in the Niger Delta where we operate or the many positive efforts the company makes to improve the lives of people in the area. We categorically reject the misleading allegations made by Platform.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

13

ISSUES

• The Area Comptroller, Tin Can Island Customs Command, Charles Edike (right) and other officers displaying the intercepted explosives to reporters at the port.

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

Seaports are crucial to the economy of a nation. They must be secured at all times. With the bombings in some parts of the country, many believe that security at the ports should be tightened. The attempt to illegally import arms and ammunition through the Tin Can Port has strengthened the case for watertight security, OLUWAKEMI DAUDA writes.

How secured are the ports?

A

FTER the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, world leaders resolved to stem the proliferation of arms and ammunition and ensure enhanced security at airports and seaports.

While airports are receiving adequate attention, the same cannot be said of seaports which are more prone to insecurity, importation of dangerous goods and

criminal activities.

Experts and stakeholders in the maritime industry said lack of adequate attention to the ports has created a new problem in Nigeria and other developing countries.

Since the US attacks, they argued, the Federal Government has focused attention on ensuring the safety of air travel to the detriment of the seaports where explosives were intercepted last week,

by the Customs.

Speaking with The Nation in Lagos after the seizure of a 40-foot container laden with explosives at Five Star Logistic, Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos, security experts and port users raised fundamental issues on national security concern.

Before the shipment of the dangerous containers aboard a vessel, MV CMA-CGM Everest, which sailed from India’s busiest port of

Nhava Sheva also known as Jawalal Nehru the previous year and last week’s seizure of a container with serial number KK FU7662007 bearing explosives shipped from China, the Managing Director, Olas Security Services, Mr Kayode Animashaun, said, criminal activites at the ports are mainly importation of e-waste materials which include used batteries, used television sets, used

computers and stealing dock lines or robbing crew members of cash.

With the container load of explosives in the country, Animashaun said: “Just as airplanes could serve as weapons, so could ships and their cargoes.

“Protecting the seaports, therefore, the security expert argued, • Continued on page 14

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

14

ISSUES

How secured are the ports?

• Continued from page 13

is key to understanding the importance of port security to the nation.

“The seizure of the 40 feet container of explosives has made it imperative for the Federal Government to intensify security measures at the ports,” he said.

Animasahun said importing arms and ammunition through the seaports would have serious implications for the economy, the nation’s unity as well as for lives and properties of Nigerians.

“Port security,” he said, means “protective measures taken to secure the maritime industry, related intermodal supply chain from terrorism; the unwitting transmission of terrorism-related assets and crime; effective response should those measures fail; and freedom from danger, harm, and loss to person and property.”

Ports and economy

national

Across the world, port and maritime operations and associated facilities and infrastructure represent one of the greatest challenges to the security of nations and the global economy.

The reason is because of their topography. Anti-economic vices, such as smuggling, child trafficking, small arms proliferation and terrorism, among others, thrive at porous ports.

Nigeria must key into the security initiative through the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code being the first in West Africa to meet the security requirement.

Port security is critical to national development. A well-secured port will foster national development.

Foreign policy Nigerians are worried over the nation’s foreign policy. The defects in the policy, maritime operators said, made it possible for dubious importers to ship dangerous goods into the country.

Speaking with The Nation in his office last week, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Omar Suleiman, called for the review of the policy and urged the Federal Government to impose stiffer sanctions on any country that allows her shore to be used for the shipment of arms and ammunitions and explosives into the country.

Port potential and location The ports are significant choke points for enormous economic activities. The Lagos seaports contribute immensely to the economy through revenue generated by the Customs.

Aside their economic roles, the Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Onne seaports are also near major population centres. So, the importation and use of bomb and explosives at any of the ports could injure and kill thousands.

In addition, a weapon such as bombs and rocket launchers could cause vast environmental and social disruption while destroying important non-port infrastructure, such as oil installations, airports and companies within and around the ports in major cities.

A stakeholder in the maritime industry, Mr Michael Frances , said

the vulnerability of the maritime transportation system is extremely high, and the consequence of a security breach, such as the illegal importation of explosives, arms and ammunition into the country, would be disastrous.

Neglect of port security Providing port security involves closely scrutinising activities not only at the ports but at points along the shipping chain.

The fact is that 70 per cent of such weapons could not have come into the country through the airports.

The greatest impediment to improving port security is, therefore, the extent to which it had been neglected by successive administrations.

Although the Federal Government will no longer neglect port security based on the recent experience, another stakeholder, Mr Sesan Arowolo, said numerous factors make port security planning and implementation a continuing challenge. They include: • A large amount of goods coming into the country through the seaports. More than 70 per cent ocean containers in the sub-region come into Nigeria.

• Goods arrive at and depart from the port not only by ship but by trucks.

• Federal, states, and local governments have stake in port activities.

• Operators, stakeholders, carriers, shippers, logistics firms, producers, freight forwarders, labour union, and others use the ports. Therefore, they must all be involved in security efforts for it to be effective.

• Any serious security effort requires international cooperation from foreign governments, foreign port operators, and foreign ship owners.

However, to ensure security and safety of the ports for uninterrupted activities, there has to be commitment and a synergy of efforts among the various organisations — the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO) responsible for coordination of hydrographic activities and charting of Nigerian waters; Nigeria Maritime Safety and Administration Agency (NIMASA), NPA among others.

100 per cent physical examination by Customs “It is difficult for Customs to completely inspect thousands of cargoes daily. Inspecting each thoroughly would bring commerce to a halt, and generate serious reactions from importers and their clearing agents.

“But physical inspection by Customs is very necessary under the current situation because it was through the physical examination approach that the Customs at TinCan was able to intercept the explosive container.”

This was the view of another operator, Mr David Ogoegbunam.

Given the difficulties of 100 per cent, physical examination by Customs, whose statutory responsibility is to facilitate trade, port security, he said, needs to be layered, with checks at multiple stages on a container’s journey.

He listed other measures to include: • Collaborating with other Customs officers in major cities of the world to end arms proliferation in the country.

• NPA CEO Suleiman

• Dikko

• One of the seized explosives.

• Obtaining information about which ship or container that might be dangerous before berth at the nation’s ports.

• Compelling shippers to give information to the Federal Government about the contents of their containers and goods they are carrying.

• Officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service must create standard procedures for packing and moving goods at the ports so that errors would be detected easily.

• Giving maritime reporters’ unrestricted access to all parts of the terminals to uncover irregularities while enforcing greater control over who may come to the ports and near containers.

• Director-General of NIMASA, Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi suggested that the nation must adopt new inspection and tracking technologies that are in tandem with IMO standard.

• Onshore inspection before ships berth at the port.

Security technologies Advanced technology scanners have helped other countries speed

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

up Customs inspections. Companies in advanced countries have developed an array of new technologies, which include sensors, identification and authentication technologies, screening technologies and surveillance technologies.

Anti-tamper technologies and tracking and inspection technologies.

The Federal Government should, therefore, show interest in purchasing some of these technologies to boost maritime security of the country.

Best practices in port security The government must ensure that port workers and emergency services workers are fully prepared for effective response by the terminal operators.

Vulnerability of security agents and truck drivers Most of the security agents, start-

ing with those working with terminal operators and some of the government security agents at the port which include the Police, State Security Service (SSS), Customs and truck drivers picking up the container at the ports, often poorly paid and possibly not well-educated, may represent vulnerability in the industry.

The issue is not merely that something could be put in a container illicitly for an attack but moved inland without inspection, and then unloaded into the hands of political enemies of those in power. These weapons could then be transported for use in major population centres during election.

Also, bombs and explosive materials could be put in several containers by enemies and then detonated at ports or transported to government establishment like what happened recently at police headquarters and United Nations office in Abuja.

The Federal Government, operators said, should not permit such dastardly act to be perpetrated at the nation’s seaports before swinging into action and pre-empt the agents of darkness that are pursuing personal agenda.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

15

MONEY

Banks tighten screw on personal loans T

O check abuses, banks have changed the terms and conditions for granting consumer loans.

Consumer loans are credits advanced to a depositor based on the personal relationship with a bank. In the past, banks granted such loans to their workers and others from multinational, oil and gas, telecom companies, as well as other high earning sectors of the economy.

Such workers could walk into a bank and secure loans based on their salary. All that is now gone.

Banks, which, hitherto granted such loans are now demanding that the employers should sign a guarantee form providing 100 per cent cover in case of default. This means that should the borrower fail to pay at the agreed date, the responsibility will shift to the employer.

The Nation learnt that banks adopted the new measure following a high default risk. Most banks have a facility under which employers can guarantee loans for their workers. In the event of

Stories by Collins Nweze a default, the employer will pay the loan. The banks also have non-guaranteed loan facilities, which employers deduct installmentally from workers’ salaries and remit to them.

It was gathered that the situation wouldn’t have been easier if there was a viable savings culture in the economy. Such would allow borrowers secure loans with tenured funds or fixed deposits.

“Due to prevailing low salaries, people do not have enough money to save. We also know that the cost of living is rising in the country,” a manager in one of the banks, who asked not to be named, said.

Personal loans are given at between 25 and 30 per cent per annum and tenure ranges from six months to two years, depending on the bank.

Before the new rule, demands for personal loans were outstripping supply leading to delays in processing. This is coming at a time some institutions are taking

Card fraud persists, despite chip technology

C

OUNTERFEIT card fraud, especially as a result of card skimming, is on the rise again. Consumers with chip-andPIN cards should not assume they are protected, experts have warned.

Although banks are now issuing more credit and debit cards with integrated chips, requiring customers to enter Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) at points of sale and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), criminals are able to work round the security.

Although chip-and-PIN cards are extremely effective to prevent lost and stolen card fraud, they still have a magentic stripe on them.

Criminals copy the information on the magnetic stripe in the same way they have been skimming cards all along.

The ATM has made life easier for bank customers; so has it made fraud easier for crooks as thousands of Nigerians have lost mil-

E

essence of the product.

Michael Obi, a customer relations officer in one of the telecoms companies, said that this policy defeats the privacy that surrounds consumer credit as many borrowers would prefer to keep their relationship with the banks private.

“I think consumer credit is a personal transaction that, unless so demanded, is not supposed to be disclosed to a third party when the borrower can meet all the lending requirements,” he said.

Although many believe banks are just being more painstaking in their credit granting to avoid repeat of what happened in the past where non-performing loans eroded their liquidity and profitability but they need to remember that security does not repay loans. “It is the willingness and ability of the borrower that determines how soon a loan is repaid, not the guarantor or collateral,” he insisted.

He described consumer credit as loans provided to individuals to meet personal, family or household needs. Through such credit, the consumer will be able to meet

his needs immediately, while payment is deferred or spread conveniently over a period of time. Consumer credit products such as credit cards, automobile loans, household equipment loans, student loans, share purchase loans, personal loans and mortgage loans are just a few examples.

Obi said considering the population of working class, it was clear the consumer credit market had not even been scratched. Although many of the banks have developed consumer products, not many have fully tapped into the goldmine. Huge opportunity abounds to grow consumer credit as people have basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, transportation among others.

These needs have to be met one way or the other and are developing with the growth of the economy. He said that increased consumer lending leads to more demands for goods and services, expansion of productive capacity, increased employment, income tax revenue and create wealth for the economy.

lions of naira to fraudsters, The Nation investigations have shown.

The fraudsters adopt different methods, largely playing on the ignorance and carelessness of card users to perpetrate their crimes. There is an increase in the use of ATMs in the country, made possible by the gradual move from a cash-based economy to a cashless one, but fraudsters are now a clog in the wheel of e-business.

To reduce these ugly trends, firms such as Interswitch Nigeria Limited and ValuCard Nigeria Limited have resolved to embark on a consumer education campaign.

However, the rise in the spate of complaints by ATM card holders on fraud pushed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to come out with a new regulatory framework last year, directing banks to put measures in place to combat ATM frauds.

ETB launches MTXPRESS money transfer QUATORIAL Trust Bank Limited (ETB) has launched a product called MTNPRESS money transfer to encourage growth. The launch, which came a few days after its agreed merger plans with Sterling Bank Plc, saw the bank recording treble performance in the area of international money transfer system. ETB has successfully transfered money through Money Gram and Western Union.

Speaking at the launch of the product in Lagos, ETB Managing Director, Mr Gbolahan Folayan, said the bank is pioneering the MTXPRESS money transfer in Nigeria.

He said: “We believe in the capacity and competency of ETB to pioneer this enterprise because of its award-winning antecedents in international money transfer business.”

He said the bank would bring its wealth of experience to bear on MTXPRESS, and further win more patronage.

Managing Director of Mobile Union Limited, United Kingdom,

one month to process personal loans, with others having suspended the issuance of loans to clear applications.

“The banks are becoming wiser in terms of lending, as they may not want the ugly situation of the past where bad loans crippled their liquidity to repeat itself. As things stand now, no bank wants to be put in a precarious condition,” the source said.

The policy places more responsibility on the employer than the borrowing staff, thereby reducing the lender’s risk ratio to almost zero. He said although consumer banking is the provision of products and services to meet the financial needs of individuals with a steady and verifiable income but there is the need to safeguard depositors’ funds through quality lending.

Analysts insist that banks have indirectly closed their doors on consumer credit because very few employers will agree to sign such guarantee. It is also believed that employees that are not in the good books of their employers may never have access to such credit thereby defeating the very

Mr. Steven Faulkner, said the patrons of MTXPRESS would have undeniable access to funds once they request for it.

“The product, unlike other money remittance products, is pre-funded, thereby providing convenience and removing anxiety to agent banks and customers.MTXPRESS has already secured an approval-inprinciple from CBN and will, in conjunction with the bank roll out unique international money transfer business never experienced in Nigeria”, he said.

The bank’s Executive Director, Commercial & Institutional Banking, Mr Femi Obaleke, said the bank has human resources, proven track record, capital and technological infrastructure to successfully pioneer MTXPRESS in Nigeria.

In a related development, the Group Head, Treasury & Financial Institutions, Mrs. Mojisola Bakare said the bank has offered various options to customers, by adding MTXPRESS to its products.

• From left: Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Dr. Sarah Alade; Zenith Bank MD/CEO, Godwin Emefiele; CBN Deputy Governor, Operations, Babatunde Lemo and Director-General, Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu, at the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting in Washington DC. PHOTO: AYODELE AMINU

PenCom invests N489.3b in banks

T

HE National Pension Commission (PenCom) has invested over N489.3 billion (about 24.1 per cent of its assets) in money market instruments.

Money market instruments are owned by banks, and serve as vehicles through which banks maximise their returns. Unlike the capital market instruments, (such as stocks and open/close ended funds that are influenced by demand and supply mechanism), the growth of money market instruments is dependent on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s policy rates. The instruments include saving deposits and fixed deposits, among others.

According to Afrinvest West Africa, the pension assets invested in the banks is higher than what was invested in foreign financial institutions. Afrinvest West Africa is an investment research outfit.

By Akinola Ajibade Its research covers banking, infrastructure, foods and beverages, conglomerates, insurance, and brewers and bottlers. Others are healthcare/chemical and paints and petroleum marketing.

The body, in a report, said PenCom invested N7.4 billion (0.4 per cent) of its assets in instruments domiciled in foreign banks.

It said the investments in the money market instruments are far below N829.2 billion invested in the Federal Government securities such as bonds and treasury bills.

Providing insights into assets classes of PenCom, the body said N69.6 billiion (3.4 per cent) was invested in the state government securities, while N50.7 billion (2.5 per cent) was invested in corporate debt securities.

On capital market, the report shows that the investments of

PenCom have reduced drastically in tandem with the crisis in the market. It said PenCom invested N358 billion (17.6 per cent) of its assets on local shares instead of the 25 per cent statutory limit on equity investment.

The report further said that N24.1 billion (1.2 per cent) of pension assets was invested in foreign shares.

It said N170.5 billion (8.4 per cent) was invested in real estate properties, N8.2 billion (0.4 per cent) in the unquoted securities and N14.2 billion in cash and other assets.

The body observes that the developed economies such as China, Canada and United States have invested 30 per cent of their pension assets in equities, while Nigeria invested lesser than that.

It advised PenCom to raise its investments in equities to attract more foreign portfolio investors into the Nigerian market.

16

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

MONEY

Rescued banks’ future Retail banking vital to growth N bright, say experts T

HOSE who invested in the rescued banks may have no cause to regret, analysts have

said.

According to the analysts, the banks have good prospects following their recapitalisation.

The banks are Union Bank Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc, Oceanic Bank International Plc, Finbank Plc and Equatorial Trust Bank Limited.

A few months ago, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approved the Transaction Implementation Agreements (TIAs) of the banks to enable them to seek and discuss with potential partners or investors issues of common interests. The approval tallied with the CBN’s directives that the banks should recapitalise before September 30 or face liquidation. As the deadline expired last Thursday, analysts believe that the shareholders of the banks are in for good times.

The Chairman and Vice President, Anchoria Investments and Securities Limited, Dr Isaac Olusola Dada, told The Nation that shareholders of Union Bank would get a better deal because their shares were not exchanged for anything. He said the fact that Reliance Capital is injecting funds into Union Bank means that its shareholders would get maximised values on their investments.

He said: “A new shareholder is

By Akinola Ajibade coming in to inject capital into Union Bank. This implies that the bank is going to have an enlarged capital soon. So, the issue of exchanging the shares of Union Bank for something is out of it. Assuming Union Bank has no authorised capital to accommodate the new investment that is coming through Reliance Capital; the bank has to offer its shares for sale. It means that certain people are going to offer their shares to Reliance Capital.

But there is nothing like that. What is happening is that the investor is bringing fresh funds into the bank.”

He said a direct investment was coming to the bank, adding that the bank would do shares placement in the event of over-subscription.

According to him, Intercontinental Bank, Finbank and Oceanic Bank International would exchange their shares for a particular price since they are being taken over by new investors. He said the new investors would come with the shares exchange rates beneficial to them as expected.

“Even at that, the shareholders of the three banks are still gaining. Remember, they have not lost their shares unlike what happened to the three banks that were taken over by the Federal Government through the Assets Management

Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

“They still have their shares intact, though at a lower rate. There are speculations that Access Bank has agreed to pay the shareholders of Intercontinental Bank, I think, N2.00 per share. If you look at it from this angle, which would be the exchange rate at which the shareholders of Intercontinental Bank would sell their shares to Access Bank. If that happens, the existing shareholders of Intercontinental Bank would have their shares valued at that price in the enlarged Access Bank Plc,” he added.

He said when the transactions are completed and the banks fully recapitalised, the banks would do well in the hands of their new owners. He said the development would result in capital appreciation for the shareholders of the banks, who have hitherto lost greatly to the crisis in the market.

Also, a former General Manager, Heritage Investments and Securities Limited, Mr Tayo Bello, argues that shareholders in those banks have not lost their investments. Bello, with the new arrangements, the shareholders stands a better chance of recouping their losses.

He said the investors would get returns from their investments soon, adding that the new owners of the banks cannot afford to fail.

IGERIANS need to focus more on retail banking to reduce the number of unbanked people in the country.

Speaking during the Independence Draw for the Diamond Bank SavingsExtra promo held in Lagos, the bank’s Senior Adviser, Retail Banking, Mr Garry Marsh, said retail banking should be the centre of attraction for banks if the country’s financial inclusion must be improved.

He explained that the bank had last year, given out N500 million to winners in its SavingsExtra promo and would be giving out another N600 million in the next four months to winners.

During the weekend draw, the first 20 winners also emerged and were given N1 million each after a they were picked at the draw.

Marsh added that in the next four months, 15 winners will emerge weekly and will win prizes ranging from N5 million, N2.5 million, N500,000 and salary for life.

Marsh said 36 people have already won its Salary for life, which entitles them to N100, 000 monthly for 20 years. He said the bank has already

perfected the legal framework that would allow the next of kin of the winners continue to get the fund even after the winner is dead.

He said the bank’s plan to improve savings will add value to customers and improve profitability for shareholders. He added that retail banks had a significant role to play in Nigeria’s growing economy, adding that Diamond Bank is a leading player in the retail banking segment.

Marsh said over 70 per cent of Nigerian adults do not have any bank accounts and this presents an opportunity for the banking system. “It is an opportunity to win, not only for Diamond Bank, but for every other bank committed to savings drive,” he said. He said the bank has given out about N1 billion to winning customers and will give out another N600 million in the next four months.

The winners emerged after a draw conducted in the presence auditors and representative of consumer protection group. The draw was endorsed by KPMG, which said it the winners were selected randomly and transparently.

NBS assures on 7.98% GDP growth

T

HE National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has assured that the Nigerian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to grow by 7.98 per cent this year as against 7.85 per cent recorded last year.

The 0.13 percentage point increased in Real GDP growth observed in the projected figure for 2011 would be accounted for by the increase in the activities of the wholesale, retail trade, building and construction, finance and insurance and telecommunications sectors of the economy, the body said in a statement in its website, tagged Economic Outlook for Nigeria.

The nominal GDP for the year 2011 was projected at N33.9 billion as against the N29 bsillion recorded in 2010 thus indicating an increase. The two major output groups of the economy, that is, oil and non-oil sectors, are expected to witness an increase in output in 2011.

The non-oil sector would be

driven by growth in the activities of the wholesale and retail trade; telecommunications; finance and insurance; building and construction sectors. The oil sector output is expected to remain stable as a result of the continued peace in the Niger Delta region following the Federal Government’s amnesty programme.

It added that economic growth and development is much dependent on a number of factors especially for an economy like Nigeria which had witnessed various levels of decline in growth of some sectors.

Activities in the oil sector, with their associated gas components, are projected to result in a growth rate, in real term of 3.40 per cent in 2011 compared with the 4.56 per cent recorded in 2010. The Nigerian oil sector recovered from the recent unprecedented levels of disruptions due to militancy, vandalisation and facility shut downs.

Dollar beats all assets

T

• L-R: Head, Personal Banking Distribution, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Tolu Oladipo; FATE Foundation Alumni President, Bosede Oboh; Founder/Chairman, FATE Foundation, Fola Adeola; Brand Specialist, MTN, Olubunmi AyoolaOgunlade and Executive Director, FATE Foundation, Osayi Alile Oruene, at the FATE Foundation Alumni General Assembly meeting in Lagos.

CBN reiterates need for sound risk management

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has advised risk managers of banks to ensure that they comply with international best practices in carrying out their functions.

Speaking during the 2011 Annual Conference of the Risk Management Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), recently held in Lagos, CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi listed factors that brought the financial sector to its knees to include macro-economic instability due largely to sudden capital outflows; major failures in corporate governance at banks; lack of investor and consumer sophistication; inadequate disclosure and transparency about financial position of banks; critical gaps in prudential guidelines and uneven supervision and enforcement.

Sanusi’s speech was presented by the Deputy Director, Risk Management Department, CBN, Mr Olawoyin Adebola. He said ongoing global financial crisis contin-

ues to hurt Nigeria and other countries across the globe, adding that the global financial crisis affected the gains achieved during the 2005 banking sector consolidation. He said a sound financial system could only be achieved when substantial and fundamental economic reforms are implemented.

Said Sanusi: “Consumer confidence is also being tackled in the reform programme. It is hoped that the new macro-prudential rules would limit capital market lending to certain proportion of banks’ balance sheet, prohibiting banks from using depositors’ funds for propriety trading or venture capital investment, “The important thing is to learn from the past and avert the dangers of the past. We should all try to be vigilant risk managers ahead of any situation, so as to guide our institutions, our financial sector and economy as a whole.”

In his address entitled: Recent Market Turmoil: Rethinking the Role

of Risk Managers in a Changing Wold, the President, RIMAN, Mr Emmanuel Abolo, noted that failures of financial institutions was caused by failure to adhere to risk management principles.

Said Abolo: “In many cases, this is due to the pressure that firms face to increase market shares, combined with unrealistic expectations about growth and performance prospects. But no matter how much risk exposures get sliced, diced and distributed among financial market participants, financial innovation cannot mask poor underwriting.

“Banks are not only participants, in the financial markets, participants cut across several sectors and industries and in a world of interconnectedness, we cannot remain blind to systemic dynamics.

We at RIMAN are conscious of this fact which explains why we have continued to reach out beyond the financial service industry,” he said.

HE dollar makes up 60.2 per cent share of the world’s currency reserves, more than double the 26.7 per cent for the euro, which has the next biggest portion, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The dollar makes up 60.2 per cent share of the world’s currency reserves, more than double the 26.7 per cent for the euro, which has the next biggest portion, the world body said.

After all the concern that the US is debasing its currency, the dollar beat stocks, bonds and commodities for the first time since May as investors sought refuge from

slowing growth and Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis.

The United States currency rose six per cent in September, according to Intercontinental Exchange Inc.’s Dollar Index.

Gains for the world’s reserve currency show investor confidence in the nation’s creditworthiness after Standard & Poor’s stripped the US of its AAA rating two months ago.

Even with Republican leaders in Congress joining critics of Federal Reserve stimulus measures, the currency bested all 16 of its mosttraded counterparts in September for the first month in more than three years.

Group canvasses accountability, enforcement of monetisation policy

T

HE Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has called for enforcement and strengthening of the monetisation programme in public service. Its Director, Eze Onyekpere said monetisation is backed by law and should be strictly enforced.

“A situation where officers and agencies that have some services monetised and directly paid to them go through the back door to enjoy official vehicles and other perks for which they have already been paid is outrageous and should not be allowed to continue,” he said.

Speaking during a debate on the 2012 federal budget held in Abuja, Onyekpere said there was the need to abolish or drastically avoid wasteful expenditure in almost all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). According to him, it is also possible to consider a moratorium on new capital projects (except they are justifiable under very strict conditions) and concentrate on completion of thousands of ongoing and abandoned projects.

He said the debate was imperative to improving fiscal governance, creating value, jobs and enhancing the standard of living.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

17

THE NATION

INVESTORS T

HE stock market lost about N1.52trn in investors’ earnings between July and September. This translates to a negative return of 18.44 per cent during the quarter.

A nine-month review of the market showed that the recession at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) exacerbated during the quarter, eroded the marginal gain and built up double-digit negative return.

The benchmark index at the NSE, the All Share Index (ASI), which measures price changes in the market and also doubles as the country’s index, closed the quarter at 20,373 points, a decline of 4,607.2 points or 18.44 per cent on the opening index of 24,980.20 points.

Aggregate market capitalisation of all quoted companies also dropped from the opening value of N7.988 trillion to close at N6.496 trillion, representing a loss of N1.45 trillion or 18.7 per cent.

With the extremely bearish performance of the market in the quarter, the average year-to-date return on the NSE stood at about -18 per cent. ASI indicated a nine-month decline of 17.75 per cent or 4,397.52 points while aggregate market capitalisation of equities showed a loss of N1.42 trillion or 17.91 per cent.

With inflation rate at 9.3 per cent, the real return on investment at the market closed third the at negative 27.05 per cent.

Quarterly analysis of the market showed that the worst erosion of investors’ values happened between July and September.

The market closed the first half with a marginal gain of 0.85 per cent as a steep decline that started in June eroded average year-to-date gains from N360 billion in May to N74 billion by the end June.

The ASI closed the first half at 24, 980.20 points as against its year opening index of 24,770.52 points, indicating an average gain of 0.85 per cent. Aggregate market capitalisation of quoted companies closed the first half at N7.988 trillion, representing an increase of 0.93 per cent

Stock market loses N1.5tr in three months

By Taofik Salako

or N74 billion on 2011’s opening market value of N7.914 trillion.

The first half position reflected the sustained recession witnessed in June when the stock market lost N280 billion or 3.4 per cent. The market picked up in May with a gain of 3.29 per cent to push the overall average yield for the five-month

period to 4.43 per cent compared with about 1.1 per cent by the fourth month.

The five-month review had also shown showed that the market returned N360 billion as the market rallied on the back of gains by manufacturing companies.

Month-on-month analysis showed that investors’ value appreciated by N271 billion in May as against N130

billion recorded in April. Market capitalisation closed in April at N8 trillion.

The first half performance represented a significant meltdown from the exceedingly bullish outlook that started this year. The market had closed in January with a year-to-date return of 8.2 per cent, indicating a gain of more than N690billon for equities investors. But a decline of

•From left: Managing Director, Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB), Mr Gbolahan Folayan; Chairman, Mr Adewale Sangowawa and Company Secretary, Mr. Imo Esiet, at the bank’s court-ordered extra-ordinary general meeting in Lagos.

Nigerian banking sector may shrink to 17 banks

T

HE number of deposit money banks in the Nigerian banking sector may reduce from the current 24 banks to 17 banks by the end of the on-going banking reforms, according to sources.

There are currently 18 quoted banks and six private limited liability banks including the three quoted banks recently nationalised by the government, bringing the total to 24.

Sources in the know of business combinations and bids for the nationalised banks, however, said

3.04 per cent in February and further depreciation of 5.36 per cent in March, dropped the Nigerian average return for the first quarter to 0.60 per cent, indicating that investors had lost N0.04trn over the threemonth period or a loss of N730bn given the market capitalisation of N8.6trn in January.

ASI had jumped to 26,830.67 points

by January month-end but subsequently sloped to 26,016.84 points and 24,621.12 points in February and March respectively.

Market analysts blamed the performance of the market during the third quarter on the incongruence in the financial services policies citing the several increases in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and the uncertainties that trailed the banking sector reform.

there were strong indications for further reduction in the number of banks after last week's mergers and acquisitions deals submerged four banks.

Under the business combination deals struck last week, Access Bank Plc would subsume Intercontinental Bank Plc while Finbank Plc and Oceanic Bank International have been acquired and would be merged with First City Monument Bank Plc and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI). Also, Sterling Bank Plc has acquired and would merge

the operations of the privately owned Equitorial Trust Bank.

Thus, last week's mergers and acquisitions deals have reduced the number of banks in the Nigerian banking sector from 24 to 20 banks within the immediate future.

A source closed to the workings of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) said the corporation might consider disposing the three banks it acquired after they were nationalised by the government to competitive bids from Nigerian banks.

At least, two of the AMCON-

Controversies trail Longman's change of name SOME minority shareholders of Longman Nigeria Plc, now LearnAfrica Plc, are at loggerheads with the Chief Emeke Felix Iwerebon-led board of the company.

According to the shareholders led by Anthony Olunwa, Mrs. Stella Ugboma, Mrs. Sarah Gyang and Bello AbdulWahab Gbolade, at issues are the alleged highhandedness and breach of due process by the management board.

Things came to a head last Wednesday, when the aggrieved shareholders through their lawyers filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Ikeja, Lagos, challenging the powers of the management board of Longman Plc including Chief Emeke Felix Iwerebon (Board Chair) and Ayo Grillo (Acting Managing Director) who were

By Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

joined as defendants.

The petitioners alleged that the board acted in bad faith by not serving the mandatory statutory notice on the petitioners.

They alleged that the sitting capacity of the venue of the EGM chosen by the board as contained in the purported notice allegedly circulated only to a selected few cannot accommodate more than 200 thereby disenfranchising and excluding the majority of the 7,000 shareholders.

The aggrieved shareholders, therefore, said they would take all possible measures to enforce their rights as shareholders.

They have already asked the Federal High Court to restrain the management from •Continued on page 18

owned banks - MainStreet Bank, Keystone Bank and Enterprise Bank - could be merged with operations of existing Nigerian banks, according to the source.

Managing director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr Mustafa Chike-Obi , confirmed that the corporation has received more than 20 expressions of interest (EOIs) for its three banks consisting of five and 15 EOIs from Nigerian and foreign investors.

He said AMCON plans to sell the three nationalised banks within two years noting that the corpora-

Forecasts Q4 SEVEN-UP BOTTLING COMPANY Plc Turnover N16.545b PAT N661.16m GREAT NIGERIA INSURANCE Plc Gross Premium N4.500b PAT N291.93m

tion would not hold on to the banks beyond the period.

Stanbic IBTC Bank had also recently said it was opened to acquisition of another bank to leverage its aggressive retail and commercial banking brand.

Executive director, personal and business banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Jacques Troost, said the bank would consider any acquisition that would add value to its expansion drive.

"Opportunities arise all the time.

I think in this market, over the next few years there will be mergers and acquisitions. We will always be looking for opportunities," Troost said.

COURTEVILLE INVESTMENT Plc Turnover N492.93m PAT N151.32m

OANDO TURNOVER N127.82 PAT N3.06b

UNIVERSITY PRESS Plc Turnover N1.911b PAT N308.9m

DN MEYER TURNOVER N582.16n PAT N14.81n

JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA Plc Turnover N160.500b PAT N3.128b

STACO INS. TURNOVER 6.43b PAT N665.05m

MORISON INDUSTRIES GLAXOSMITHKLINE Plc NPF MFB NIGERIA Plc Turnover N196.71m t/o N827.31m Turnover N5.258b PAT N10.51m PBT N198.55m PAT N895.04m PAT N198.55m TRANS-NATIONWIDE TRIPPLE GEE & EXPRESS Plc CUTIX Plc COMPANY Plc Turnover N649.2m Turnover N588m Turnover N174.77m PAT N54.56m PAT N68.75m PAT N5.4m

Tripple Gee & company Plc Turnover N166.09m PAT N74.59m Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc Gross Premium N3.750b PAT N889.68m Niger Insurance Plc Gross Premium N2.039b PAT N72.93m Honeywell flour mills Plc Turnover N21.214b PAT N835.646m

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

18

THE NATION INVESTORS Neimeth’s shareholders seek review of rights price HAREHOLDERS of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals have called on the board and management of the company to reconsider the price of its proposed rights issue, citing the lower price at the stock market.

A shareholder of the company, Mr Nona Awoh, said this would be the first time he would be seeing a price of rights issue being higher than the secondary market price, owing to the fact that right price is usually lower than the price of the company on the trading floor.

According to his explanation, this price differential is to allow the existing shareholders pick their rights and those willing to sell it can as well make some profit at the end of the day.

Also, another shareholders Mr Gbadebo Olatokunbo supported Awoh stressing that the company need to do something about their rights.

“Look into the price value of the rights issue,” Olatokunbo said.

Meanwhile, during the comple-

S

By Tonia Osundolire

tion board meeting of the company before the rights commenced, the issuing house, said that the idea of the primary market price being higher than the secondary market is because, they feel the price of the stock in the market is presently under valued just like some other quoted companies in the market.

“The main aim of having the price differential the other way round from the usual norm, is because we at Meristem believe that it will at the end of the day correct the value of the price in the secondary market. By the time there is high demand in the market and the share is not available, investors will have no choice other than coming to pick their rights, by then the price will be corrected on the floor driven by the force of demand and supply,” the company said.

According to the offer document, the rights issue is being undertaken to enable the company to pay-off offshore bond and also enhance its working capital funds. The direc-

tors believe that after the successful completion of the issue and the disbursement of the issue proceeds, the company will have sufficient working capital to carry out payment of existing facility (N273.861 million) and additional working capital (N914.880 million) leaving the total net proceeds of the total issue at an estimated N1.189 billion.

Besides the rights issue price saga,

shareholders assured the management that with the ongoing reforms taking place in the banking sector, interest of shareholders have been shifted to other sectors which have been described a being more promising.

Sir Sonny Nwosu said the company should take the challenge by putting first the interest of shareholders ahead of other decisions taken. “Some of us do not believe

in the banks again and are prepared to invest in other sectors.

Recapitalisation of the banking sector has continued to pour sorrow on investors and the economy as a whole.”

He added the five kobo dividend is a good but that the company should improve on what it has for now.

According to the financials, the turnover of the company in the year ended March 31, 2011, stands at N1.899 billion from N1.891 billion in 2010. Loss after tax increased to N113.077 million.

Controversies trail Longman's change of name •Continued from page 17 holding any further meeting pending the determination of the suit.

However, investigation by The Nation revealed that the EGM held as scheduled as some shareholders and staff of First Registrars Nigeria Limited, were seen at the venue of the meeting. A shareholder, who would not be named, said the EGM took place, adding that members passed a

FACTS

TO

resolution to change the company's name to LearnAfrica Limited as well as amended some clauses in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Confirming this development, a senior management staff member of the company, who declined his name, however, denied any knowledge of a lawsuit against the company by some shareholders.

Probed further, he said, at the EGM, the new board ratified the

change of name to LearnAfrica Plc following the divestment of Pearson UK, which held 51 per cent majority shares of the company.

He also disclosed that Mr Fred Ijewere, who was appointed as a non-executive director last August, had been named the new Acting Managing Director, following the removal of Mr. Ayo Grillo as Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive last Wednesday.

•MD, Cadbury Nig., Alan Palmer

•MD, Nestle Nig., Mr Martin Woolnough

cent in 2009. However, return on equity declined from 93 per cent in 2009 to 85 per cent in 2010.

The Bottom-line Both Cadbury Nigeria and Nestle Nigeria have made significant investments in production and sales and marketing over the years.

While Nestle Nigeria has continued to provide effective back-up for its

expanding market share through new factories, Cadbury Nigeria had undergone painstaking restructuring and recapitalisation in recent years, which have streamlined the operations of the company for effectiveness. These investments, in addition to adaptable management strategies, have been the bulwarks of the companies against the economic meltdown.

FACTS

Cadbury Nigeria vs Nestle Nigeria: The tastes of the confectioners

C

ADBURY Nigeria Plc and Nestle Nigeria Plc are Nigeria's largest and biggest confectioners with premium brands that have for generations been on the top list of the food and beverages market. Two of Nigeria's oldest companies, both companies have quite similar characteristics including being members of global multinational companies.

Nestle Nigeria, the older company, has retained an enviable position as the highest-priced stock in Nigeria and the most capitalised food and beverages company.

Cadbury Nigeria has also similarly witnessed improvement in its stock market rating while rejuvenating its fundamental performance.

Both companies have showed impressive growths in recent years in spite of the economic recession and financial illiquidity, which have adversely impacted the fast moving consumer goods sector generally, and especially the luxury goods market.

They have sustained growths while improving on their underlying profitability. Cadbury Nigeria, which had suffered a major relapse and long streak of losses due to its 2006 accounting problem, has continued to show steady improvement in profitability while Nestle Nigeria has defied the meltdown with remarkable profit.

Sales Generation Both companies have continuously improved on their top-line performances. Cadbury Nigeria's average sales growth in recent years stood at about 10 per cent. It had grown sales by 5.3 per cent in 2009 and further consolidated this with 14 per cent growth in 2010.

Similarly, Nestle Nigeria has maintained impressive growth in sales over the years. With an average sales growth of about 27 per cent in recent years, Nestle Nigeria appeared unaffected by the muchcomplained economic lull and declining consumer purchasing power. Sales had grown by 32 per cent and 21 per cent in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Profitability Cadbury Nigeria finally broke away from a four-year losing streak in 2010 with appreciable improvements in underlying and actual profitability measures. Gross profit margin improved from 25 per cent in 2009 to 32 per cent in 2010 while the company reversed its negative

By Taofik Salako

pre-tax profit margin of 9.3 per cent in 2009 to positive 6.7 per cent in 2010. The return of pre-tax profit margin to positive marked a major turnaround for Cadbury Nigeria, although it remained under the influence of legacy accumulated losses.

Nestle Nigeria has shown consistent improvement in actual and underlying profit. Profit before tax margin improved from 20 per cent in 2009 to 22 per cent in 2010, indicating average margin of 21 per cent over the years.

Gross profit margin had risen above two-year average of about 43 per cent to 44 per cent in 2010 as against about 42 per cent in 2009.

Actual pre-tax profit thus doubled its growth rate from 16 per cent in 2009 to 32 per cent in 2010 while net profit growth increased to 29 per cent in 2010 compared with 17 per cent in 2009.

FACTS TO FACTS Turnover growth Gross profit growth Pre-tax profit growth Gross margin Pre-tax profit margin Net profit growth Return on Assets Return on Equity

Actual Returns Shareholders of Cadbury Nigeria moved closer to receiving actual cash dividend with the return to positive of the net earnings of the company.

Although negative reserves could not allow dividend payment, the company in 2010 made a semblance of return to its shareholders, with the transfer of positive net earnings to the reserves in 2010. Actual return to shareholders stood at 9.0 per cent in 2010 as against loss of 9.8 per cent per share in the previous year. The company recorded a positive return of 6.9 per cent on total assets in 2010 as against negative return of 9.4 per cent in 2009.

Nestle Nigeria remained one of the most attractive equities in terms of underlying returns. Average returns on equity and total assets over the years stood at 89 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. Return on total assets rose above average to 30 per cent in 2010 as against 29 per

Nestle Nig.

Cadbury Nig.

2010 %

2009 %

Average %

21.1 27.7 32.4 43.8 22.1 28.8 30.2 84.8

32.0

26.55 13.85 24.3 42.65 21.15 23.1 29.7 88.8

16.2 41.5 20.2 17.4 29.2 92.8

Pre-tax profit margin (Nestle)

Turnover growth Gross profit growth Pre-tax profit growth Gross margin Pre-tax profit margin Net profit growth Return on Assets Return on Equity

2010 %

2009 %

Average %

14.0 43.9 182.1 31.7 6.7 194.5 6.9 9.0

5.3

9.65 21.95 82.8 28.4 -1.3 70.3 -1.25 -0.4

-16.5 25.1 -9.3 -53.9 -9.4 -9.8

Pre-tax profit margin (Cadbury)

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOMBER 5, 2011

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

Analysing mass failure • WAEC and NECO should offer more sophisticated breakdowns of results

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HE biennial release of overwhelmingly poor examinations results by examining bodies like the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and the National Examinations Council (NECO) have become an unwelcome ritual. The latest manifestation of this educational tragedy was manifested last month when NECO released the results for the 2011 June/July Senior School Certificate Examinations.

As has become the usual practice at such events, the council released sectoral breakdowns of the results. They were categorised along the lines of performances in the various subjects taken, and the occurrence of examination malpractices in the subjects and in the various states where the examinations were held.

Some of the more significant figures re-

‘In addition, these figures are simply too generalised to make much meaning or serve as the basis for educational reform. The performances in specific subjects do not give an indication of how well girls are doing when compared to boys, even though increasing educational opportunities for girls is one of the major development challenges facing the country. The statistics do not chart the performances of individual schools, making it difficult to objectively assess those schools which are doing well, and are therefore value for money’

veal a 79 per cent failure rate in English Language and over 615,000 examination malpractice cases.

Interesting as they are, however, sectoral analyses of this kind do not really offer a useful description of the patterns and trends which characterise these examinations. The revelation that there was a high rate of failure in English Language, for example, does little more than proclaim what was already widely known. Nor does the widespread nature of examination malpractice in the country reveal anything new. Indeed, these statistics are rolled out with such depressing regularity that they are beginning to lose their capacity to shock the populace, thereby blunting its resolve to take remedial action.

In addition, these figures are simply too generalised to make much meaning or serve as the basis for educational reform.

The performances in specific subjects do not give an indication of how well girls are doing when compared to boys, even though increasing educational opportunities for girls is one of the major development challenges facing the country. The statistics do not chart the performances of individual schools, making it difficult to objectively assess those schools which are doing well, and are therefore value for money.

We also need to know how rural schools perform, or those in slums as against the padded parts of town. How has access to technology played in the equations? What of the Federal Government colleges?

Much of the necessary information can be gleaned from the registration forms

filled by candidates prior to examinations, especially statistics on age, gender, residence and school. Educational planners would certainly welcome figures which can tell them in unambiguous terms which policies are working and those which are failing to achieve the desired ends.

It would be very useful if sectoral breakdowns from WAEC and NECO could show if there are any possible links between location and performance, whether failure rates are higher in boys than in girls, and whether the median age of candidates is rising or falling. Do girls get involved in examination malpractices more than boys? Is the occurrence of cheating higher in private schools than in public schools? Into what age-range do the top performers in these examinations fall?

The public availability of such information would have salutary effect on students, teachers, parents, schools and other institutions in the educational sector. Schools which have been allowed to get away with unproven claims of “100 per cent success” in WAEC and NECO examinations would now be forced to utilise more honest marketing methods.

Wholesome competition would develop as states, schools, boys and girls strive to ensure that they are positively reflected in comprehensive sectoral breakdowns.

The battle against mass failure begins with the examinations bodies. If they can provide the nation with more detailed information about the examinations they conduct, the country will be better able to confront its educational challenges.

Lawyers’ agenda for Musdapher • The new CJN should know that justice is not what it should be in Nigeria

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AHIRU Musdapher has assumed office as the 12th Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). President Goodluck Jonathan, during his swearingin at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in line with official tradition, conferred on him the national award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), the second most significant national honour in the country.

But notable lawyers in the country have challenged the new CJN to justify that he truly deserves the position and the national honour of GCON. They have set an agenda which they consider to be of paramount importance to get the judiciary out of the crisis of integrity it currently faces, and to improve the course of justice dispensation in the country.

Joseph Dawodu (SAN), incumbent national chair, Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), Olisa Agbakoba , Ricky Tafa, Layi Babatunde, Mike Igbokwe , Chris Uche , Emeka Ngige and Kemi Pinheiro, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), as well as Femi Falana, all came out to identify issues to be tackled by the CJN. These include: restoration of the Bar/ Bench relationship, ensuring quick disposal of cases, re-instatement of Justice Ayo Salami, President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) that was suspended by the National Judicial Council (NJC), curbing of corruption among judges, urgent review of events of the last 24 months,

prevention of abuse of the right to file interlocutory applications, initiation of a Bill for the amendment of the constitution to reduce the CJN’s powers and ensuring sterner application of disciplinary measures on erring judicial officers.

What a good thing that members of the legal profession are setting agenda to prevent ruination of the high rating of the calling. Justice Musdapher has the Herculean task of restoring the integrity of the judiciary. Aloysius Katsina-Alu, the erstwhile CJN, left that post in controversial circumstances. Katsina-Alu, for instance, was accused by Salami of interfering in the Sokoto State governorship petition requesting the PCA to tinker with the (then) yet-to-be delivered judgment.

This request was reportedly made in the presence of Musdapher, the current CJN who has not denied that he was not in the same room with Katsina-Alu and Salami. The controversial aftermath of this accusation led to the kangaroo suspension of Salami as PCA. Lawyers’ call on Musdapher to make the recall of Salami one of his salient agenda would be the greatest test of Musdapher’s sincerity to faithfully lead the judiciary out of the on-going rigmarole. He has come into that office at a time when the judiciary, especially its topmost echelon, is enmeshed in crisis that lowered its estimation in public perception.

Musdapher should endeavour to learn fast from history as those who ignore popular wishes in the past have become

remnants in the waste bin of posterity.

The popular sentiment which we equally share is that being part of the entire problem, it might be very difficult for him to be dispassionate in resolving the judicial impasse. The implementation of the lawyers’ agenda may indeed be difficult, but it is not impossible a task for Musdapher to achieve if truly he wants to be sincere in the discharge of his judicial duties.

At 69, time is not on his side since he has just 11 months to spend in office as CJN. By July 15, 2012, he is due to reach the mandatory retirement age of 70. He therefore needs to move fast in order to attain most of the agenda so that the vastly eroding confidence in the court and the entire judiciary can be restored.

‘Lawyers’ call on Musdapher to make the recall of Salami one of his salient agenda would be the greatest test of Musdapher’s sincerity to faithfully lead the judiciary out of the on-going rigmarole.

He has come into that office at a time when the judiciary, especially its topmost echelon, is enmeshed in crisis that lowered its estimation in public perception’

Fix the King monument

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HE DEDICATION of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, postponed from August, has been rescheduled for Oct. 16. That date should be moved forward again, unless the ceremony includes a pledge to correct the embarrassingly misleading quotation on the side of the Stone of Hope.

The quote — “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness” — sounds jarringly immodest, particularly since it was excerpted from a sermon that King delivered about the folly of prideful bombast. The reason for this dissonance is that, in a misguided effort at concision, the words were pulled out of context. The full quotation was conditional; King did not claim these qualities but said that, if others insisted on calling him a leader, he hoped it would be in the service of those noble causes. That’s a big difference.

The poet Maya Angelou, who knew King, asserts that the ham-handed editing makes the civil rights leader sound like “an arrogant twit.” She called for the monument to be reengraved. She’s right.

What makes this matter even more troubling is that the distortion apparently took place without meaningful review. The secretary of the Commission of Fine Arts, Thomas Luebke, revealed in a letter to The Post that the commission never approved this truncation of the quote, as had been asserted

by Ed Jackson Jr., the memorial’s chief architect. A spokesman for the National Parks Service told us it had not been notified of the editing either. “We were neither informed nor consulted about this abbreviated quote, and we believe we should have been,” said the spokesman, Bill Line. We tried to ask Mr. Jackson about this, but he has not returned our calls.

Meanwhile, the botched quotation, first noted in an op-ed by The Post’s Rachel Manteuffel, has become something of a national laughingstock. Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert recently suggested that if Washington was willing to subordinate accuracy to brevity, we might as well truncate the quote even more, reducing it to “I was a drum major” — and then put a funny hat on the statue’s head. ”Hey,” Mr. Colbert deadpanned, “he did lead a march.”

In today’s poisonous, polarized political atmosphere, it sometimes seems as if monuments and memorials are the only thing Washington still does well. Are we willing to abandon even that? In this case, “chiseled in stone” does not mean — or should not mean — unchangeable.

Generations of Americans will learn about the Rev. King from this monument. What they learn should be correct and not demean the memory of a great man. The memorial’s Web site is still soliciting donations, with this quotation: “the time is always ripe to do what is right.” Time to find out if those words have any power left.

– Washington Post

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOMBER 5, 2011

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

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IR: The news came to many within and outside the state as a surprise. To some as a good news, to others a myth. Crude oil discovered in Kwara State’ screamed the headlines. Because the news came from the Chief Executive of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Fatai, it gladdened the hearts of many. If true, it will make the state to join the ranks of the oil-producing states. Of course, the benefits accruing from oil discovery cannot be overemphasized.

However, geological facts and figures emanating from the discovery make the news a fantasy. To students of earth science, the news of the discovery sounds like a heresy. It is like a man in the maternity ward claiming to have given birth to a bouncing baby boy.

The Nigerian geology is broadly

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Kwara oil find: reality or geological fantasy? divided into two major rock types; the sedimentary basin and the basement complex. The former represents the layered softer rock formation like limestone, sandstone, shale, clay, etc that underlay a large percentage of South East, SouthSouth and to certain percentage of the South West geopolitical zones of the country. These are areas where crude oil exploration is presently going on. It stretches to the fringes {thorough} of Rivers Niger and

Benue.

In the North-western and Northeastern parts of the country like Sokoto , Maiduguri and Chad areas, there are sedimentary rock formations too. However the latter or the second type is the harder rock types that underlay the remaining major part of the country in which a bigger portion of Kwara State falls, and which occurs in forms of igneous and metamorphic rocks, like granite, gneiss, schist, meta-sedi-

Celebrating independence in dependence

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IR: When a country attains independence, it signals liberty and freedom. Such a country becomes free from the dictates of any external force. The sovereignty of such country is taken very seriously and respected as well. Leadership becomes the exclusive reserve of the indigenes of the country. The case of indirect rule by any external force terminates at the point of independence.

Also, at independence, it is assumed that the country is matured enough to stand on its own. To this end, leaders of such country make frantic efforts to bring about rapid development and making life meaningful for the citizenry. This is done by provision of clean and safe water, shelter, education, food security, electricity, creation of jobs, construction of good roads and so many more indicators of development.

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria secured independence from her colonial master. The news that Nigeria is now an independence state generated so much excitement, jubilation and hope. There was high expectation of rapid development from the citizens. Everyone was seriously yearning for an improved way of life.

Agriculture was the mainstay in Nigeria. It was the major source of revenue and Nigeria was doing very well in it. The then groundnut pyramid is an obvious attestation to this fact. With just agriculture as the major source of income, the Nigerian economy was receiving an amazing boost.

The hope for rapid development in Nigeria was further heightened

when crude oil was discovered at Oloibiri in the present Bayelsa State.

At this point, Nigeria’s revenue base became mind blowing. Oil boom drastically increased Nigeria’s income level. As a result of this, agriculture was neglected and made a way with. Crude oil became the main focus for income generation in Nigeria. To this end, the agricultural sector collapsed.

Ironically, instead of moving forward, we are retrogressing. Nigerians are still suffering in abject poverty and frustration. The deadly disease of corruption has consigned this country to an abysmal situation.

From 1960 till date, we are yet to have constant power supply, good roads and quality education. Our health care sector is in shambles,

youth and graduate unemployment pervade the air like a communicable disease. Also, our manufacturing sector is a mirage. Our refineries are just mere monuments; even our local farmers are yet to be well encouraged and assisted for bumper food production. Our security network is polluted and bastardized. In the midst of plenty, Nigeria still depends on other countries for virtually everything. What a paradox.

The question is did we really celebratd 51st independence anniversary or 51st dependence anniversary?

• Okechukwu Chukwuma Department of Mass CommunicationSchool of PostGraduate Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

ments etc.

Presently, a very large percentage of hydrocarbon especially crude oil, and gas, all over the world, are derived from the sedimentary beds of ancient seas, many of which are now far beneath dry land; that is, in a marine environment. Crude oil, or hydro-carbon, is hardly tapped from a place underlain by basement rocks; the process of formation of basement rocks either in igneous or metamorphic derivatives involve intense heat and pressure which cannot sustain the survival of both the marine plant and animal lives that form the basis of organic deposits from where crude oil is derived.

Now coming to Aran-Orin in Kwara State where the supposed crude oil was discovered, it is located in the southern geopolitical zone of the state and forms part of the basement complex of Nigeria, being part of African Orogeny dated by that renowned geologist of great repute, Professor Oyawoye (from Kwara State) to about 650million years ago. From past records of water borehole drilling undertaken in Aran-Orin and the environs, soil samples taken showed that the well lithology has an average depth of about 30meters of loose unconsolidated lateritic pebbly sand, followed by a few meters of weath-

ered gneiss, before finally hitting hard un-fractured biotite gneiss.

However if we now assume that indeed crude oil has been found in this environment, then we can make some assumptions: one, that AranOrin and the environs, even as far as Osi, about 20 kilometers away, were formally under the sea, and therefore fossil remnants of past marine animals and plants lives should have also been discovered at the same place. Second evidences of marine sediment occurrences and structures should have been seen and identified in the same area, like sandstone, shale, limestone, etc.

Third, the underlain dense basement rocks encountered during borehole drilling in those areas should have served as impediments to the free migration of the said crude oil to the surface; against the report given by a farmer. If all these geological indices are lacking in Aran-Orin and the environs, then the like-lihood of crude oil existence is in doubt.

The only known occurrence of sedimentary basin in Kwara State is found in Lafiagi and Pategi area made predominantly of what Nigerian geologists categorized as Bida sandstone. To date no record of past plant or animal marine lives have been found in the area, to even suggest a possibility of hydrocarbon deposit. It would have been better for the government of Kwara State to undertake various types of geophysical investigations before rushing to the press.

Crude oil is not water; it is a strategic hydrocarbon deposit that also requires strategic planning to tap.

• Tunde Salawu Ilorin, Kwara State.

Nigeria at 51: time for Nigerian leaders to grow up

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IR: Nigeria is lying prostrate in the age of progress because Nigerian leaders cannot get it. The leaders of Nigeria have frittered away the precious gift of time (51 years of existence) on frivolities, acrimony, and division and consequently put a knife on things that held us together as a nation.

While the majority of Nigerians who want Nigeria to make progress and succeed work during the day and go to sleep in the night, the minority who want to destroy and tear Nigeria apart have been working 24 hours a day for years now. We are tired of those who speak against political and economic saboteurs in the afternoon and in the night they engage scoun-

drels, leeches and miscreants to continue to do violence to our corporate existence.

While we need to appreciate God that despite the monumental challenges facing us as a country, we are still together as one people, we must take notice that we have kept this country together for 51 years with sorrows, tears and blood. This is the time to grow up.

Lagos ACN challenges the majority in Nigeria who want to keep Nigeria as one indivisible political entity to learn the tricks of the destroyers of Nigeria by working 24/ 7 too. Our huge diversity should be a plus and not limitations as other nations have managed diversity to record unprecedented successes.

Our leaders must go home to do their jobs as fathers and mothers to nip in the bud this consistent and endless journey to perdition. The home truth is that if we fail to do our jobs as elders, the coming revolution may not spare the past leaders and the present crop of leaders.

The revolution will not look at anybody’s face.

Nigerian leaders must hurry up to deliver services and provide jobs for Nigerians by totally re-organizing and rebuilding of the power sector, educational sector, health, transportation and security. Over the past 30 years we have been giving false and endless hopes to the impoverished Nigerians but hope

is no hope if we have to wait till the end of the age to get what we want.

Nigerians have been told about Vision 2010, and now it is Vision 2020. The Holocaust writer Elie Wiesel says that a people who do not preserve their memory are a people who have forfeited their history. Nigerians have not forgotten all the hopes raised and all the hopes dashed. Taking them for granted again in this stage and age is to travel to the point of no return.

• Joe Igbokwe Lagos ACN Publicity Secretary, Lagos.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOMBER 5, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

Females and Folic acid; Contractor negligence; Nigeria@51: Cut political costs

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EMALES: ‘Think Pregnancy, Think Folic Acid, one tablet 1mg daily’ before conception. It is a World Health Organisation, (WHO) recommendaTony tion to help prevent Marinho early miscarriages/ abortions and also prevent congenital abnormalities particularly in the brain of the developing baby. Folic acid must be taken from the time a pregnancy is planned for adequate amounts of folic acid in the body before the pregnancy gets there. Please tell all your female friends, church and mosque groups, students, in the marketplace, politicians and legislators, police and especially female teachers.

So we are 51 years old and not a lot to show for it apart from some very rich politicians and billionaire businessmen who unfortunately made their fortune from Nigeria’s misfortune of not having functional refineries and adequate power supply. This misfortune is from repeated sabotage and corruption, incompetence and negligence. There is a rumour that there is regular secret ‘anti-refinery and antipower meeting’ to guarantee our incapacity and need for imported fuel and generators-all persecuting the Nigerian citizen.

At Nigeria@51 many ‘Fellow Nigerians’ asked what the federal, state and LGA had done for them in return for their loyalty and hard work. The commonest response was the governments were more excited to impose a revamped tax system on them to extract more money out of their weakened pocket than to provide any succour for the needless problems facing the average citizen. That tax money, citizens’ claim, should have been used to make up for the jumbo pay and glaring lapses, incompetence and corruption resulting in the poor provision of amenities and infrastructure.

They also responded that too much of their collective money was being used and abused to satisfy the apparently insatiable greed of politicians. That political class wallows in the decadent splendid squalor of power with multimillion sala-

T

O every Nigerian, October 1, every year, has come to represent an important milestone since 1960 when the Union Jack, the British flag, gave way to Nigeria’s green-whitegreen. I remember in those innocent days when school pupils would look up to the day for the usual march past and fun-filled activities, including free meals at school. That continued for quite some time till the early 1970s when the first austerity measures were introduced in the country.

That was way back in 1975, shortly after the late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed seized power in a bloodless coup on June 29. A number of measures were hurriedly put in place at that time to instill discipline in all facets of national life.

Quite a good number of people applauded the measures. But some of those measures unsettled those who were neck deep into corruption. In no time, some disgruntled Nigerians with some external collaborators took a most heinous and devilish route to reverse the pendulum when on Friday, February 13, 1976, General Muhammed was brutally cut down in a hail of bullets. That singular incident put the country on the cascading road to perdition.

From one military rule to another, including several unsuccessful coups in which precious lives and talents were wasted, it was clear that the country had lost focus.

Celebrating October 1 each year has become an annual ritual. On this occasion, Nigerians have been treated to high promises of Eldorado. However, as it has turned out, the older the country becomes, the farther it drifts from its promised land. Not even the

ries and allowances while ‘Nigerian Rome’ burns around them in poverty with an inability to live a normal life. But Rome built Roman roads!

If fellow Nigerians do not quickly get the long overdue and easily calculated better returns on their investment in the elections and democracy, the politicians may have to pay reparations and suffer repercussions. They are too greedy in the face of suffering. Politicians must quickly cut their obscene salaries and allowances back to 1999 levels or by 50% -75%. It is those salaries and allowances and immoral pensions for just four years work that monthly slap the faces of struggling fellow Nigerians. The politicians have had their ‘hand in Nigeria’s till’, greedily overpaying themselves while fellow Nigerian children have no desks or books.

Is there no check on their greed? They are the judge and jury in the own salary case. They ignore public opinion, financial norms, economic realities and the plight of the suffering citizens around them and bring a fraction of that money as ‘village donations’ –a deceptive shame since the money is the citizen’s money. Therefore the politicians must accept responsibility for directly causing the righteous anger in all working fellow Nigerians and pensioners on endless, painful biometric pension queues.

As reported in the international press, how dare Nigerian politicians be the highest paid worldwide, taking home $2m or N300m/annum or N25m/month in salaries and allowances and principle officers double or triple that? Is there cross party collusion when it comes to ‘the political rape of Nigeria? Of course the military also stole billions, but why don’t we hear opposition party politicians rejecting such pay, taking a part of it, or at least opening a special account and putting half of their pay and allowances in it while waiting for an end to the jumbo overpayment? They must do this now, in public.

Politicians beware! Revolutions are started by much less, small mishaps breaking the overburdened camel’s back.

Unless politicians reverse the situation financially to less offend honest hardworking Nigerians with their flaunted wealth at the people’s expense, we continue to face the threat of serious upheaval. Then it will be too late. We can get

change for the better without a revolution but to survive we must have change, urgent change, with or without a revolution!

Take for example small mishaps growing out of hand. The unnecessary suffering is all around us. Every so-called solution comes with its own viper’s nest of new problems burdening the people. It is only in Nigeria that a so-called solution always brings more misery! The irresponsibly executed repairs a few kilometres before Ibadan on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway causing hours of misery to millions for the past two months are a disgrace to any contractor. Because contractors are repairing the road, do they have the right to ‘suffer’ everyone?

Has the contractor not got the capacity and responsibility to keep traffic moving during repairs? Can an alternative lane on the road shoulder not be constructed? And why should it take 2-3 months to repair 100metres of a high traffic volume road?

Similarly at the Orita-mefa junction in Ibadan, the roundabout has been uprooted but the road is difficult. Will the Oyo State government please call the contractor’s attention to its responsibility to level the access and ensure free flow of traffic? This experience is a daily nightmare across Nigeria. The suffering for ‘progress’ is too much. Nigerians need urgent, compassionate solutions. Nigerians are not herded cattle, but human beings needing justice and help in a living hell.

‘Similarly at the Orita-mefa junction in Ibadan, the roundabout has been uprooted but the road is difficult. Will the Oyo State government please call the contractor’s attention to its responsibility to level the access and ensure free flow of traffic?’

Independence without freedom advent of civilian governance in 1999 has brought anything significantly different. I say civilian governance because that is what we have in Nigeria today, not the democracy we all crave for. In essence, our claim to democracy is a ruse. The reasons are glaring for any discerning mind to see.

Nearly 12 years of civilian governance and 51 years of independence have brought untold agony, pain and hardship to Nigerians.

Just look around. More and more people are being sentenced to a life of dependency, want and penury on a daily basis in the country. Industries are vanishing, while the few remaining ones are relocating to neighbouring countries in order to escape from the harsh economic environment in the country.

Besides, the cost of production has continued to skyrocket due to the absence of relevant infrastructure like roads, electricity and even security. The few companies that have managed to keep afloat are doing so by tinkering with their workforce in order to break even. As a result, many able-bodied men and women are daily being thrown into the ever-lengthening unemployment queues.

Graduates are left to roam the streets for lack of jobs because government policies are creating high-level unemployment instead of generating employment.

Shamefully too, there is no appropriate data to determine the unemployment level. Many of the school leavers have either turned into okada riders (commercial motorcyclists) or simply taken to crime such as kidnapping, armed

‘Next year’s parade could as well take place inside the President’s sitting room or even bedroom. That is the extent of our nation’s independence without freedom’

robbery, cultism, advance fee fraud and other despicable crimes that are mushrooming everywhere.

The case of the graduates is more pathetic when viewed from the fact that most of them are even unemployable. Apart from the fact that the school system has completely collapsed, the quality of graduates from most of the nation’s tertiary institutions nowadays is abysmally poor.

Furthermore, our school curriculums are not structured on existing macro-economic needs to ensure their sustainability. People seem to be going to higher institutions these days to acquire ‘worthless certificates’ that cannot put food on their tables. Sometimes, you may even find it difficult to believe that a person has gone through university education in Nigeria, judging from his poor knowledge of issues in the core area of study and even spoken English. It is not unusual for students to devise various ingenious methods just to obtain the much-needed certificates which are worthless in the labour markets.

In the area of governance, most of those that parade the corridors of power are more or less wheelerdealers who are as unprepared as they are unworthy of public office. To this set of people, the bottom line is what they get, certainly not what they can contribute to the growth of the country.

Those who are willing, capable and ready to make a difference in governance are either not allowed to get there or are simply scared away by the tonnage of money needed to run for public office. If at all the money can be sourced, the fear for their lives in the face of marauding paid killers does not allow them to throw their hats in the ring. Even in appointive offices, only those who lick the ass

of those who have monopolized state power are considered good enough.

The consequence of this appalling state of affairs is that Nigerians have lost hope and faith in government and those who govern them. Except in some exceptional cases here and there, people now see government officials as thieves, liars and good-for-nothing crooks, who are only there to siphon the common wealth of the people for personal benefits. The society is plagued by moral degeneracy, near institutional collapse, hunger and many more.

The only way out of this quagmire is for government to be open, sincere and committed to improving the welfare and living standard of the people. Government should stop paying lip service to fighting corruption, which remains the number one enemy of progress in the country. People in government should stop stealing the common wealth. If we continue the way we are, I am sure the day of reckoning is just around the corner. A people’s revolt is imminent. And if it happens, there is every likelihood that the ongoing Arab uprising might just be a child’s play. But those who underestimate the rising people’s anger are always quick to say that Nigeria cannot break.

That is a mere conjecture. In any case, when the people are sufficiently pressed against the wall, they can go for broke. That must be properly understood!

If people have been managing to stay afloat in the face of all the vicissitudes unleashed on them by irresponsible governments, perhaps, what has compounded their woes is the insecurity of lives and property now prevailing in the country. The security situation is so bad that people now venture out of their homes without being sure if they would ever

Dele Agekameh return safe or in body bags. You could fall victim to armed robbers, assassins or even get hit by stray bullets from hoodlums and/or security agents. You could also be blown up by bombs being planted all over the place by terrorists who have foisted their regime on the populace.

In fact, terrorists seem to have made nonsense out of all government’s attempts to neutralise and stop them in their tracks. They now roam freely, visiting death and destruction on innocent citizens. Just last Saturday, Abuja the nation’s capital, went to sleep as a gargantuan and monstrous security blanket was thrown all over the city and its environs, no thanks to threats of bomb attacks issued by the terrorists. In spite of the denials and bravado put up by the President and his handlers, this year’s Independence Day parade was held behind the securely locked gates of Aso Rock Villa, the seat of government. Who knows? Next year’s parade could as well take place inside the President’s sitting room or even bedroom. That is the extent of our nation’s independence without freedom.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOMBER 5, 2011

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EDITORIAL/OPINION FROM THE CELL PHONE I must say this country is in a “state of nature” where every man is for himself. But that is not to say that our government has to relent. We are a nation in need of salvation and the earlier our leaders and security agencies wake up from their slumber, the better for us all. Anonymous

• Tinubu

For Segun Gbadegesin My question is: Why do I get headache whenever I discuss issues about our leaders? Simple! The current one is an (un)hoped mistake as his predecessor.

From Dr.Rightway Ukandu If the current leadership of the country has ‘truncated knowledge of history’ as far as your write-up is concerned, I believe it’s important that those who know and have more ‘balanced’ knowledge about Nigeria’s history should not do us the evil of hiding history or misinforming us, otherwise, we will produce more ‘clueless’ leaders always. From Crooning Poet Nice Article Sir, but I think our founding fathers were too fast to fight for Independence. We would have stayed under our colonial masters till 1990. Our orientation would have been far better than what we have now.

Anonymous.

At 51, we are taking more steps backward. Imagine our president telling us he is not a General whereas he is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

If he is not a Pharaoh then, he should be a Moses and liberate his people. Moses was more of an Army General to have moved a whole nation out of Egypt.

Anonymous.

If an Army General is what we need to fix Nigeria let us have one. If it is a David we need, let every Jonathan step aside and return when Nigeria is fixed. I am very impatient with people who are clueless and given to excuses and escapist tendency in front of challenges and duty. Jonathan is only recaping the Obama sophistry during his visit to Ghana.”Africa does not need strong personality but strong institutions.” I say we need strong personality to build strong institution. Abraham Lincoln, Washington, Chairman Mao, and even Obama are strong personalities.GEJ should wake up and get down to work. From Oyetakin Ebenezer, Abuja We are celebrating failure, poverty and total collapse of the entire system. So, nothing to celebrate at 51. Jonathan and some other governors do not have programmes at all. The national and state legislators only have plans for their pockets. In fact,we have ‘armed robbers’ as leaders ruling us in this country now.

This man called Jonathan is an apology to this nation. From Tayo Tola Agbaje, Garki, Abuja Sir, please know that whatever Jonathan might achieve in his tenure will pale down to insignificance when compared with the fact that he cut corners to become President. His war against corruption can only have meaning if he de-

clares his assets publicly like President Yar’Adua did, period. Anonymous That is a thoughtful expose on ouranything-goes country! But, ruefully, I believe the “IDES” of 2015 is on the home stretch. It seems very sequential. Thanks.

From Ben, Aba Can President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan successfully take this country called Nigeria to a promise land? I doubt, because Mr President is ruling by proxy.

All the security agencies are doing what they think is right; the NNPC is doing what it likes by selling the most-needed kerosine by trucks on our streets instead of petrol stations; and then project the organisation on all radio and TV stations as the best agency, same for our road management agency which records deaths on our roads daily. From Layi Alabi, Basorun Ibadan.

I love your article:”Slouching towards Hades” It is very articulate and blunt. I also like how you didn’t speak ill of anyone. Nice one! From Ikenna, Lagos.

This is nothing but plain truth. Nigeria is surely a House of Cards with the present leadership. What is Ringim still doing at Louis Edet House? No shame really. Let your ink not dry. From your avid reader. Albert, Ibadan.

Having read your Friday Edition titled “Slouching towards Hades”, I must say this country is in a “state of nature” where every man is for himself. But that is not to say that our government has to relent. We are a nation in need of salvation and the earlier our leaders and security agencies wake up from their slumber, the better for us all. Anonymous Dear Segun, thanks for your piece in Friday edition of The Nation. It is thoughtprovoking and compelling to read; your views are horribly true. Yet, I think our president needs plenty of prayers, to help him give the right leading in these worrisome times. I suspect many powerful forces, inside and outside government, have sworn to derail this country. It’s not a good excuse for poor performance, but a good reason to pray.

May God help Nigeria. From Bishop E. M. Atuwosi, Port Harcourt.

Your write-up “Slouching towards Hades” is frank and blunt. I like it. Why did you stop short of calling for the resignation or impeachment of Mr President? Anonymous If Salami wins his case, what happens to the Acting Chief Judge? Is the office supposed to remain vacant pending the outcome of the case? Anonymous Your comment in today’s edition of The Nation is so disheartening. Are you trying to tell the whole world that USA, UK, Germany etc where bombs are exploding are security threats? All those nations respect their leaders but you choose to call your leaders mediocres and expect your children to respect you. Sir, read more about terrorism which is all over the world, and know that it isn’t in Nigeria alone. It will do us readers of The Nation if people like you stop embarrassing with uncultured comments base on sentiments or because you don”t like faces of those who are there. Check, think before you write. From Chris Rich.

Segun, “Slouching towards Hades” is another exposure of our grand failure to protect ourselves. Neither the president

nor the IG is protected. Our saviour is our God. We need prayers for our survival, protection, and safety. Thanks for being a constant reminder. From ADEYCorsim, Oshodi, Lagos Your critique: “Slouching towards Hades” is an arousal for proactive leadership but, please, avoid the use of vulgar and grandiloquent language.

Pastor Gabriel A. Sir, I read “Slouching towards Hades” and fear gripped me. It seems like a bad dream one prays to wake up from. I fear for my life as a Nigerian. From Chuka Chukwudile The security agencies need a total overhaul, and I think jumbo salary reviewed for them is not justified. Wrong people are recruited wrongly. Anonymous Segun, I always appreciate your frank write-ups. We understand that the president appointed only his friends, relatives, loyalists and stooges who are not even capable to tackle Jos crisis not to talk of Boko Haram with locallymanufactured bomb. The president does not have the courage to remove even a DPO let alone IGP, SSS, NSA or any military chief. He didn’t win any election and doesn’t have a blueprint to rule this country period! Concerned Nigerian.

For Dare Olatunji Dear sir, our rulers may actually succeed in their quest to send the country to hell. For majority of Nigerians who are already on the ground, there will be no fear of any fall. But these rulers must fear for themselves; for while their loot may buy them visas to better climes, the loot will not, cannot guarantee them the life of privilege without responsibility to which they are accustomed hereabouts; for those better climes operate higher codes of conduct than these pretenders to leadership can ever hope to comprehend in a hundred lifetimes. From Ben Pever, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja I cannot agree more! I think we are operating the rule of the claw as against that of law. You were really at home, today. Kudos. From Kayode A. Abeokuta.

With the fearful trend of unemployment in Nigeria, urgent solution is essential. I have two ideas which will reduce this challenge by employing 20,000 youths.

My ideas will not cost the government a dime but who will connect me with President Jonathan Goodluck. I am an A C N man and I cannot join PD P. From Bayo Abidoye, Ajase Ipo, Kwara State.

I read your write-up in The Nation, what else can I say, sir you have said it all.

Congrats for writing a brilliant, insightful and incisive article on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in The Nation of September 27.

The PDP is an ostrich. Nigerians are noting the events in Egypt, Libya, Zambia and so on, and they will use their votes appropriately in future. Thank you. From J. Agba Gboko, Benue State

For Tunji Adegboyega Tunji, your column is a must read. Your “Jonathan and his critics” (The Nation, October 2) is thought-provoking. I find solace in your philosophical words “what I am sure of is that whichever ten-

• Jonathan

dencies Jonathan manifests cannot be a problem; since, for every Pharaoh, there is a Moses and for every Goliath, a David.

There is God Himself for every Nebuchadnezzar.” But, will this make a difference to the president, when there appears to be a curse blinding our leadership? From Barr. I.E. Kodo, Keffi Your analysis with regards to our president is true. He and his party are leading us blindly. See the judiciary, the Salami and Sokoto case. Anonymous.

“Jonathan and his critics” Salami’s handling of election petitions of 2007 with ACN is like Iwu’s INEC with PDP …. Our judiciary needs reform. From Ihuoma.

Good article, we need to ask further that if GEJ says he cannot be an army general, why then is he the commander-inchief of the armed forces? From SFB. Your column has given enough clues about the true identity of Jonathan. You have said it all. Please keep it up. From Sina.

Tunji, you are welcome. We must all remain on the firing line until the country is fully liberated from the shackles of injustice. Jonathan is a pretender. Despite his avowed commitment to the rule of law, he removed Justice Salami without allowing the Senate to deliberate on the recommendations of the NJC. Yet, he doesn’t want to be the Pharaoh or an Army General! From Alhaji Adeboye Lawal.

Why is it that all of you in The Nation newspaper will not believe the good intentions of the president? Is it because he is not from the ACN party? Anonymous Tunji, I really enjoyed your brilliant and highly philosophical article in The Nation on October 2. It is full of wisdom, especially the last paragraph. Anonymous “Thank God, I am back”. Famous last words? Like Reuben Abati, Louis Odion and Sola Fasure, we thought you had been spirited away too. Welcome back!

From Anonymous.

I have just read your piece of Sunday. I am proud of your head and pen. Bravo!

From Dr. Rufus Akomolafe, OAU, Ile-Ife. You are a genius, man! What an article you had on ‘’Jonathan and his critics’?

Ride on, Tunji; God will continue to give you wisdom. Remain blessed. From Anonymous President Jonathan lacks the vision to rule a country like Nigeria. His style of leadership for the past 100 days shows that the country is groping in the dark; decisive actions are needed to move the country forward and not speeches. If need be, let the president read books written by great leaders to give him clues on how to tackle Nigeria’s problems. We need a pro-active man as president and not a comedian who cannot take decisive actions. Anonymous.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

Eagles in game 'of thier lives’ –Okonkwo

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UPER Eagles defender, Chibuzor Okonkwo expects his teammates to play the game of their lives when they face Guinea in a 2012 Africa Nation’s Cup qualifier on Saturday.

Nigeria trails Guinea by three points in Group B going into the final round of games and cannot contemplate failure to amass maximum points if they are to finish above their West African neighbours.

A one-nil victory against Guinea will see the Super Eagles clinch qualification for next year’s tournament to be hosted in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea but Okonkwo says the lads have resolved to do the job in comprehensive fashion.

“We need to win by just one goal but we will not score less than three goals on Saturday,” Okonkwo told SuperSport.com.

“It is an important game and we will play the game of our lives to get

a good result. They are currently on top of the group but we will show them that that position rightly belongs to us when we beat them thoroughly on Saturday,” he said.

Okonkwo has been battling with

•Okonkwo

fitness problems following the groin injury he picked up during Nigeria’s 1-3 friendly defeat to Argentina in Dhaka on September 6.

The powerful defender missed Heartland’s Cup final victory against Enyimba last week and is a huge doubt for the Guinea game.

“To be honest, I don’t know if I will be fit in time for the game. The team doctor is currently accessing the situation and we will know shortly.

“I have be doing special exercises and working out in the (swimming) pool and I hope to be better soon,” he said.

Okonkwo also took time out to reflect on the situation involving goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama who has been excluded from the list of players to face Guinea on Saturday.

"He is missed. He is still a part of us because we are all one big family,” Okonkwo said.

NATIONS CUP QUALIFIERS

Siasia gives Osaze O Carte blanche O

N his return to the national team for the first time since March, Nigeria coach Samson Siasia has given Osaze Odemwingie license to kill when Syli National of Guinea come calling this weekend.

Siasia welcomed Odemwingie back to the sqaud just before the

LONDON OLYMPICS RACE

17 Falcons in camp S UPER FALCONS’ Head Coach, Eucharia Uche looked somewhat brighter on Tuesday morning as she counted 17 players in the camp of the Senior Women’s Team, preparing for a London 2012 Olympic Games final qualifying leg against Cameroon in less than three weeks.

Uche, former international striker, had threatened to jettison the invited group should they continue to show lackadaisical attitude to invitation, with only five players in camp four days after the call. This appeared to

Nigeria/Guinea: Match officials storm Abuja Wednesday

have worked as 12 more players discountenanced the holiday period to show up at the team’s Millennium Hotel camp in Abuja.

Players in camp include Precious Dede, Tochukwu Oluehi, Ezinne Mbalisi, Blessing Edoho, Gloria Ofoegbu, Joy Jegede. Others are Rose Umeh, Chinaza Nhetewesi, Glory Iroka, Martina Ohadugha, Rebecca Kalu, Cecilia Nku, Asisat Oshoala, Osinachi Ohale, Esther Edem, Francesca Ordega and Augusta Egwim.

team's first training session, with a charge to pile misery on Guinea.

"We would like to say welcome back. We have missed you in the team and we are all happy to see you," Siasia told Odemwingie.

"We know how you always give everything when you play for your country, which is why Nigerians

love you so much, and we know that you will do the same this weekend.

"This is a very important game for us, because we have to qualify for the Nations Cup. We need goals and we know you can deliver that for us, so we will be counting on you and the rest of the team."

Odemwingie, the most senior player at the morning's session, then led the rest of the squad in warming up before some light drills by the coaching crew.

A total of 12 players were at the team's training session at the Practise pitch o fthe Abuja National Stadium on Tuesday morning.

Five others, who came in early Tuesday morning, were allowed to rest at the hotel.

Captain Joseph Yobo and defender Taye Taiwo arrived soon after training to swell the number up to 19.

FFICIALS for Saturday’s makeor-break 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria and Guinea will arrive in the Federal Capital, Abuja on Wednesday.

Match Commissioner, Souleymane Magassouba from Mali, will fly into Lagos aboard an ASKY Airline flight at 3pm, alongside the match referees from Cote d’Ivoire. The five persons will then be airlifted to Abuja aboard Air Nigeria flight in the evening of same day.

The centre referee is Ivorian Doue

Syli Nationale hit Abuja tomorrow

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N preparation for the match against the Super Eagles, the Guinea Federation has released a time-table of activities for the Syli National.

The Syli Stars are scheduled to depart Paris, France via Frankfurt, Germany for Abuja, the Nigeria capital on Thursday, 6th October.

The winner of the decisive game on

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ELE ADELEYE has declared that he is ready to feature for Nigeria against Guinea in Saturday's Afcon qualifying match in Abuja amid mixed reactions to the 2pm kick-off time.

The 2pm kick-off schedule by CAF has attracted divergent views from players,

Dream Team V coaches read riot act to home-based

•Want early arrival of players

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OMESTIC League players invited to camp for the commencement of the build-up of Nigeria Under-23 team to the London 2012 Men’s Soccer Olympic playoff in Egypt have been advised to arrive Ibadan latest today in preparation for the one week Camping exercise which starts tomorrow.

The Assistant Coach of the Dream Team V Stanley Eguma opined that those that failed to meet the deadline may have considered themselves surplus to requirements to the team stating that with

•Otorogu

with the Free State side, where he hopes to impress management.

Former Orlando Pirates striker Ezenwa Otorogu is having trials with Bloemfontein Celtic.

Otorugu was released from his contract with Pirates during the offseason after failing to make the starting XI. He joined Pirates at the beginning of last season but after seeing little action under coach Ruud Krol his contract was terminated and since then he has been on the lookout for a team.

Celtic technical director Mich D' Avray confirmed to KickOff.com that the Nigerian has started training with the club.

"I can confirm that he is here, he joined the club last night and has started training with us," he said.

"We don't know what happened with Pirates but the coach will assess him and if he is happy we can sign him tomorrow or later this week," he added.

GOVERNORS OPEN SQUASH

How I won the title –Malaysia’s Adnan

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INNER of this year's Lagos Governor Open Squash Championship, world number 39 Mohammed Adnan from Malaysia said he exploited the weakness of his opponent, Nigeria’s Sadiq Taiwo to clinch the $10,000 star prize.

Adnan said he concentrated on the mistakes of his opponent, insisting that his top raking ahead of the Nigerian was not a major factor for his victory.

“I knew how to handle him after playing the first set. He hit the ball well but I noticed his weaknesses and it became a simple game for me. He can still do well against other top opponents but it was not his day. I will always remember this victory and as the Asian champion, coming to Nigeria has added something great to my career,” he said.

The Malaysian beat Nigeria’s Sadiq Taiwo in three straight sets of 11-5, 113 and 11-5 to take the title from Jonathan Peters, who lost in the semifinal.

Taiwo was rewarded with a sum $7,500 as the runner-up while Peters and

another semifinalist, Tunde Ajagbe, got $4,000 each. for their efforts.

Ogun State’s Yemisi Taiwo won the ladies category, beating her opponent from Lagos State, Ebifemi Taiwo. She won $3,000 while Ebifemi got $1,500. Last year’s winner, Dasbak Logdi, and fellow semifinalist, Kally Yashim got $750 each.

Temiloluwa Adegoke retained his U14 boys title after beating Lanre Pratt 117, 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9. In the girl’s category, Ondo State’s Adebayo Kehinde beat Titlayo Akinleye from Kwara State to win the title, which earned her a trophy and undisclosed cash reward.

In the veteran category, Sode Pepple from Lagos State beat Tunde Yahaya of Kwara State in the final while Bola Mogaji won the third position. Pepple got N50,000 while Yahaya got N30,000, with Mogaji getting N20,000. Former national player Elizabeth Iyamu from Edo State won in the women’s category while Esther Udofia from Akwa Ibom came second.

D

•Odemwingie

October 8 qualifies for the African Cup of Nations in 2012 to be jointly hosted

by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Meanwhile, Coach Michel Dussuyer could hand debuts to two newcomers - Thierno Lamine Bah, a right fullback on the books of FC Lausanne, Switzerland and Alhassane Bangoura , highly rated winger with Rayo Vallecano, Spain.

Adeleye braces up for early kickoff

Otorogu on trials with Bloemfontein ORMER Orlando Pirates striker Ezenwa Otorogu is having trials with Bloemfontein Celtic.

The Nigerian started on Monday morning after joining the side at the weekend in preparation for his time

Normandiez, with his compatriots Yeo Songuifolo, Bayere Moussa and Dembele Denis as 1st Assistant, 2nd Assistant and 4th Official respectively.

The Security Officer for the game, Cameroonian Abel Mbengue, will fly into Lagos aboard an Air Nigeria flight from Douala at 8pm on Thursday, and then connect Abuja on Friday morning.

Opponents Guinea have yet to respond to several inquiries by the Nigeria Football Federation on the contingent’s day and time of arrival.

The team will stay at Hotel de Bently, Utako, Abuja.

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri the race for the three available tickets for the Olympic Games becoming keenly contested for, the technical crew does want anything that will hamper the preparation including lateness of players. “ it is just normal that every player reports at the designated time to camp and any player that fails to arrive on schedule will of course have himself to blame. The door will be shut on those ones because we do not have much time to the competition again.”

coaches and football enthusiasts.

But SC Tavriya Simferopol of Ukraine center-back has made it clear that the early kick-off time for the important Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against the Syli Nationale of Guinea will not affect him or his teammates.

The ex-3SC man is bullish that the Super Eagles are focused on beating Guinea to claim an automatic spot to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations which Equatorial Guinea and Gabon are billed to play co-hosts.

"We are professionals and we know how important this game is to us and Nigeria.

The issue of playing at 2pm should not be a distraction for us because our concentration is on getting the points to qualify for the Nations Cup. "The time of the match shouldn't be a cause for concern right now. The concern should be getting a win that will qualify us to the Nations Cup," Adeleye, 22, said.

Obudu LOC retains $50,000 top prize HE Local Organising for 2011 winners Committee for the 7th Obudu

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international mountain race and the 3rd African Nations Mountain Running Championships has revealed an unchanged prize money outlay for this year's edition.

Last year the total prize money for the 6th edition of the race was increased by over $35,000 by the organisers following the introduction of the women's version of the African Nations Mountain Running Championship.

The total prize money which gone up from $245,500 to $278,000 has been retained for this year's edition.The prize money for the first to the 10th position for this year's race remain the same with the winners in each gender category going home with $50,000 each while $20,000 and $9,000 respectively will go to the second and third placed finishers.The prizes for 4th -10th placed finishers in each category also remain at $4,500, $4,000, $3,000,2,500, $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 respectively.

William Archibong,the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee explains the reason for the retention of last year's prize money structure for the 7th edition which holds at the Obudu Ranch Resort in Obudu,Cross River state.

'His Excellency,the executive governor of Cross River state wants the race to maintain its status as the highest paying mountain race in the world.He is happy with the way the competition has been organised since its maiden edition in 2005 and wants us to make this year's event even bigger

and better in terms of the technical organisation of the race as well as the quality of athletes who will participate', he said.

•Adeleye

Lagos Junior League kicks off today •58 teams set to fight for honours

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RGANISERS of the Lagos Junior League (LJL) has informed at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, that the debut Premier League version of the competition that started last year, will kick -start today at the various centres.

Addressing a handful of Journalists, the Executive Secretary of the League Board Taofik Aromire said on Tuesday that the competition which is a regulation League for the Under 20’s, is starting today with 58 teams, 57 from the various Local government areas, and one private owned team ready to fight for honours in the various categories.

Aromire pointed out that with the help of LASGEM number data base provided by the State’s Ministry of Education, the organizers of the competition have been able to stem the age fortification syndrome which Nigeria has been synonymous with.

“The good thing about the league is that we have a data base which helps with the authentic verification of the ages of the players, right from the Schools. This is an honest process of creating a standard platform for these children. We have 20 teams in the Premiership, 20 teams for the

By Innocent Amomoh League one, and 18 teams in the League two.

“With a total of 1,123 matches to be played in the whole, the competition has been packaged to attract corporate sponsors. We will also have in place our own version of the Football Association Cup, called the Lagos Junior League Cup,” Aromire noted.

He, however, stressed that henceforth, only certified coaches will be allowed to handle the various teams from all 57 Local Government Areas in the State, including the private owned teams that may be willing to be part of the League.

Alluding to the importance of the media in driving the vision of the board, Aromire said plans are in place to televise at least one match per week from the League, adding that it intends to export 170 players discovered out of the total 1,740 players participating in the League.

Last year, teams representing the 57 Local Government Areas in the state participated in the pilot League, and 20 of the teams qualified to debut in the maiden Premier League version, with others competing in the League one and two respectively.

OLYMPIC QUALIFIES

Canoeing Federation picks three rowers •As coaching course begins Oct. 7

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HREE rowers namely Babajide Egbele, Idowu Otukoya and Shuaibu Adebayo have been selected by the Canoeing Federation of Nigeria to represent the country at the Olympic qualifiers which takes place in Cairo, Egypt from the 29th of October to 1st of November, 2011.

The technical director of the federation, Ebenezer Ogbonna, informed NationSport that the rowers will be accompanied to Cairo by two coaches, Emmanuel Ihana and Patrick Egbele as the trip is being empowered by the Cross Rivers State tourism corporation.

Ebenezer also informed NationalSport that 15 coaches are expected in Calabar for a Level 1 course which holds from 7th to 17th of October.

Despite Nigeria’s first appearance in Rowing at the All Africa Games, Team Nigeria Canoeing won one silver and

By Akeem Lawal two bronze medals, but Ebenezer noted that the feat did not come as a surprise as the country is blessed with rowers.

“Well, being the first time, I’m satisfied and I thank God for that. We were not given any chance by everybody, even by the international federation.

“Competitive canoe is new to Nigerians, but canoe as a means of transportation is not new to Nigerians.

I can assure you that every child that grew up in the riverine areas, Bayelsa, Benue, even in the North where we have water, they are all paddlers, they started paddling since childhood. So it may be surprise to you that we won but to me it’s not a surprise because I know the materials that I have. All I want to do is have them polished like diamond on the competitive training.”

Nigeria Cup: Odedina thrills with victory

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HE atmosphere at Civic Centre Victoria Island late in the night of Saturday was electrifying when Rear Admiral Taiwo Odedina, a 15 handicapper was declared winner of the Nigeria Cup 2011 Golf Championship.

The tournament is Ikoyi Club 1938 (Golf Section) annual Independent anniversary tournament for Nigeria.

The announcement was greeted with loud and standing ovation from the pack-full hall of members of Ikoyi Club and the numerous guests to celebrate the winner of the most prestigious tournament in the calendar of golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938.

Rear Admiral Odedina stole the show a net score of 73 to displace the tournament defending champion, Tim Ayomike, who was also in hunt for his second Nigeria Cup trophy from the ladder board.

Delivering the winners speech, the elated player who smiled home with a special trophy, business class ticket and TV set for his one-day effort was elated to get his name into the Nigeria Cup honours list.

“This is a great day for me because standing right here is the dream of many and I am happy I am the one here tonight. The field was awesome and coming top, I would tell all present that it was a result of good play and good luck.”

Playing in a field of over 200 players,

Odedina got the better of 17-handicap Uche Obodoekewe, who came second after a score of 74 while Sam Ogunbiyi came third. Ogunbiyi’s 78-net score was 1-shot better than Miri Dashe who carded 79.

Dashe defeated Ilkwoum Kim on countback. Kim also signed for 79 net score. Remi Edu, Femi Obatoyinbo, Femi Soyombo, Sarumi Wahab and Kola Aderibigbe were in the top 10 category.

While Odedina ruled in the net event, Peter Eben-Spiff topped in the gross category for men.

•Odedina

David Mark to grace Daily Trust’s RESIDENT of the Senate, golf tourney David Mark (GCON ) will tee-

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off the second edition of the Daily Trust Corporate tournament slated for the Ikoyi Club on Saturday at its Golf course.

The one-day tournament will be

By Stella Bamawo graced by notable corporate chieftains from within and outside Lagos. It will also attract two hundred and fifty golfers with other veteran golfers.

A tournament dinner will be hosted by Media T r u s t Limited(Publishers of Daily Trust, Weekly Trust, Sunday Trust and Aminiya Paper at the Ikoyi Club premises after the tournament ends on Saturday.

The first edition of the tournament was held at the •David Mark Kano Golf Club in Kano in February.

SERVICE

FACILITY

SKILLS

Corps member renovates school

Kano to establish farmers’ radio

Sylva’s wife empowers female youths

Sokoto

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Kano

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5, 2011

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Bayelsa

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Email: news_extra@yahoo.com

•Pastor Egbon (middle) with some of the widows

NGO fetes Abuja widows

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HEY shuffled to soft music.

They also received precious gifts.

For a good part of a day, widows in Abuja came together as one family as the country marked its 51st independence anniversary. Sharing jokes and one another’s company, they pushed away the gloom of widowhood.

But they had one woman to thank for that: Pastor Mrs. Ada Egbon, a former President of Inspired Women Foundation (IWF), a nongovernmental organisation (NGO).

Egbon organised a party for the women, convinced that it was the

Cleric celebrates with the less privileged Women defy security threat at anniversary From Dele Anofi, Abuja

best thing to do. She said there could be no greater joy than making the less privileged happy.

The widows defied security warnings to celebrate Nigeria and rejoice with their benefactor. They turned out in beautiful dresses, some with

their children. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and praised Pastor Egbon for giving them a reason to join other Nigerians in an anniversary celebration.

Apart from the usual wining and dining, the happy widows went home with several gifts.

Pastor Egbon who was also marking her own birthday anniversary, said she could have celebrated with her array of affluent friends. She chose to be with the less privileged.

“I feel that I must mark my birthday with the less-privileged especially the widows because I just don’t

want my friends come around and party but at least share with those who are hurting, those that require some sort of sense of belonging in our society.

“As you can see, they turned out in their numbers believing in God that nothing negative will happen to them and that all will be well with Nigeria. If they believed that bombs would go off on this day, •Continued on Page 39

Jang’s man rues poor council development

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•Governor Jang

HE administration of Governor Jonah Jang in Plateau State has rued poor development of the grassroots. The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr. Paul Wai said there is little development in the local councils despite the huge resources at their disposal.

He advised the chairmen of the 17 local government areas of the state to live up to expectation, saying the impact of the N400million released to them from the Paris Debt Relief Fund should be felt by the grassroots dwellers.

Dr. Wai gave the advice in Jos, adding that henceforth Directors of Works in the local government areas will be held responsible for sub-

From Marie-Therese Peter, Jos

standard work done by contractors handling projects in their areas.

He expressed displeasure over the quality of work done in Riyom Local Government Area where he went on a familiarisation tour.

“I am not happy with what I saw at the health centre,” he said. “The people in the local government faulted the contractors as the project was not done according to specification but we shall hold the Directors of Works responsible because they are the ones who inspect and accept that the work is okay.

“This is the time for the local government chairmen to take stock and

double up as the state government has invested so much in the local government. The governor does not tamper with the funds of the local government; in addition, the Paris Debt Relief Fund was released to them and some got up to N400million but when you get to such places, you don’t see any evidence that such money was released.

We expect that what is on the ground should be commensurate with what they received.”

Meanwhile, the state chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and Chairman of Shendam Local Government Area, Hon. Kemi Nshe has said council chairmen in the state will serve out their stipulated time in of-

fice, thus eliminating any chances of setting up transition committees.

The ALGON chief maintained that anyone who wants to be the local government chairman should wait and contest an election as transition committees do not have any place in a democratic set-up.

“The local government is a system governed by law,” he said. “If the President, governors and legislators have four years and they re-contest, it is natural for us in the local government to remain in office and whoever wants to re-contest should do so.

“The issue of transition committee is not democratic and the governor is a democrat who does what the constitution says.”

Page 25

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

26

Edo council blazes development trail

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HAIRMAN of Owan East Local Government, Edo State, Alhaji Sufiyanu Igbafen, has never been too far from his people.

Two times Secretary to the Local Government under the conscious stewardship of Hon. Pally Iriase, the best performing local government chairman in the whole federation, first in 2003 and between 2004 and 2007, Igbafen acquired his technocratic bent under the thoroughbred administrator.

It is against this backdrop that on assumption of office, Igbafen, a graduate of public administration from Bayero University re-enacts his commitment to work solely for the people. He has, through the educational development, collapsed the ladder of rural poverty, the most potent force that keeps his people on the edge, thereby creating an exit route from poverty for his people through the development of education. He has cleansed the unremitting rot visited on the local council by the previous Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration.

Another driving force behind Alhaji Igbafen’s dedication to purposeful governance and unparalleled performance is Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s unbroken record of taking governance to the peoples’ doorsteps. From the onset of the transition experiment, Oshiomhole urged the 18 local government chairmen to revamp the comatose infrastructure in their domain, especially in the area of public schools that constantly remind us each passing day how badly we have been misgoverned over the years.

The chairman had no trouble keying into the governor’s programme.

By Jacob Afenikhena

He saw the educational sector as having the basic responsibility to train, produce and supply the personnel required to power, propel and sustain government’s projections of meeting its set goals of poverty reduction, infrastructure development, gainful empowerment, wealth creation, political and social value reorientation, if properly pursued and harnessed within the context of public interest.

Alhaji Igbafen has taken the transformation of the shrunken public schools in his domain beyond razorthin differences that should have been expected of a local council chairman – owing mainly to the paucity of funds at his disposal. As a farsighted administrator, Alhaji Igbafen knows that it is better to keep one’s money where one’s mouth is – investing wisely in the future destiny of his people – education.

He has simply put his local government on overdrive to meet the yearnings of his people within the allotted time. He has mounted a dogged campaign to drive educational development in Edo State by investing heavily in it.

The local council which stands neck-deep in the rising waters of infrastructural decay under the PDP administration has suddenly found new life under the ACN-led administration. The chairman is not delivering on his mandate in order to attain the specific political goal of maintaining his electability. He is meeting the diverse needs of his people. He is performing also because he knows the huge effect his failure will have on the fortunes of ACN in the coming elections.

•Ugbevbojie Primary School, Warrake The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Abdul Oroh said this much while inspecting the completed three classrooms blocks, headmaster’s office with ceiling fans, toilet facilities, burglary proof at Emokpaire Primary School, Ubuneke, Ivbiaro.

“When the transition council chairmen came on board a few months ago, the comrade Governor gave them specific instructions to devote about 75 per cent of their monthly allocation and the internally generated revenue to the reconstruction of the collapsed primary schools in their locality. The chairman, in my estimation has surpassed that mandate in the development of educational infrastructure in the local government in terms of specifics and quality. I’m happy that Alhaji Sufiyanu Igbafen has consciously keyed into the development agenda of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.”

Mr. M. I. Yusuf who was a foundation student in 1950 when the school was founded and later taught

Hon. Oroh in the same primary school, lauded the chairman’s uncommon devotion to the excellent job which is rarely seen anywhere in the country in public primary schools.

“As a student and teacher in this school I never thought a day would come when a beautiful edifice such as this will be erected on this premises. This community will remain eternally grateful to Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the chairman and his team for doing us proud.”

The same feat runs through in all the 11 wards, except in ward 01, Afuze, the local government headquarters, where Governor Oshiomhole has built two primary schools – Ohobo and Emai primary schools respectively. He has also completed 6 class rooms block, headmaster’s office with toilet facilities in Ugbevbojie Primary School, Warrake and has provided chairs and other learning materials for the pupils. There is also a block of three classrooms, headmaster’s office with

•One of the widows (right) recieving a gift •Continued from Page 25 no one would turn up here today and even Abuja streets would be empty but we have to thank God for His mercies. I joined the President to pray for a better Nigeria and for God to touch the hearts of the perpetrators of these evil acts.”

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Victoria Oloko who lost her husband eight years ago, said well-meaning Nigerians should emulate Mrs. Egbon whose love for the underprivileged was well known in the Fed-

NGO fetes Abuja widows eral Capital Territory (FCT). Oloko said she was overwhelmed when she got the invitation to attend the birthday/independence celebration.

“It is only widows that know where it hurts, being breadwinners of the family. It is not easy at all, especially as the children grow and have to go to school. But for someone like Mrs. Egbon to have it in mind to empower us, it is something I see as inspiration from God.

Her NGO is doing a lot for us through training, provision of equipment and start-up capital for small business.

“For her to still feel that we should be part of her celebrations is something I cherish because, on a day like this, who will remember us except God. Is it the government that says we should not even go to Eagle Square to celebrate the national day or the rich people that

are busy with their friends and families? I can only pray that God will continue to be with her”.

Barrister Jane Amadi, an Executive of the IWF enjoined all Nigerians to spare a thought for the less privileged in the society.

“The rich and not-so-rich should not be so self-centered that they would turn a blind eye to those that need assistance,” she said. “Let us cultivate the culture of helping others.”

toilet facilities in Eweka Primary School, Uokha; a block of three classrooms, each with teacher’s office, headmaster’s office with toilet facilities at Eweka Primary School, IgueSale; a block of three classrooms, headmaster’s office with toilet facilities at Atemonokhai Primary School, Ikao.

The chairman in his efforts to lay a hand on every community in the educational development evenly extended the same gesture to Abadakhigua Primary School, Amoya Otuo for the construction of a block of three classrooms, headmaster’s office with toilet facilities as was the case in other completed schools he has built. In addition, construction working is on going at Uanhumi Primary Schools, Emai; Oboikhudumen Primary School , Ihievbe, Ekpenga Primary School , Ikhin and Osamara Primary School , Okhuamen, Ihievbe.

That inspired an ACN leader in the local government, Hon. John Aimola to say that Alhaji Igbafen has taken the council to a height never seen before in the history of the council.

“We are delighted that our community has benefited from the Adams Oshiomhole administration through the goodwill of the chairman,” he said. “As you can see, it is obvious that the schools built by the chairman are far enhanced than the ones built by Universal Basic Educational (UBE).’’

Each of the school, in the words of the chairman, will have at least 450 single and double modern chairs: ‘‘We are doing this to complete the Comrade Governor’s massive reformation of our school system that has neglected to the extent that our children now seat on stone to learn in open roof class rooms in public school as if we were in stone. Lack of maintenance culture is at the heart of the decay in the public institutions and that is what we are out to check.’’

The chairman has built four ultramodern blocks of 40 lock-up stores in Ivbiaro new market. The market is being fenced to prevent intruders from having access to traders’ wears and it will, to a large extent, guarantee the safety of their goods.

He has also embarked on drainage construction in some parts of the local government in order to reinforce and fortify the roads to check erosion menace that has been threatening the area. He has constructed drainage that collects water from substantial parts of Warrake community and this has saved a lot of trouble any time it rains. He has restored the road at Afobakhire and Iyador environs that almost disconnects the two quarters. His timely intervention takes the neighborhood out of harm’s way.

Apart from school reconstruction effort the chairman has successfully connected several rural communities in the locality to the national grid and procures transformers to check incessant power outages in other areas. He has electrified Oscar Street in Warrake which springs about one kilometer and a 300 KVA •Continued on Page 27

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

27

•The village head of Shabra , Alhaji Umaru Abdullahi presenting a ram and guinea brocade to Okerekeafor at the event

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MEMBER of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Sokoto State, Mr. Franklin Chigozirim Okerekeafor has rejuvenated a rundown primary school in Shabra, his place of primary assignment.

Shabra is in Yabo Local Government Area.

Okerekeafor also constructed and erected a signpost guiding people to the school.

His effort excited the locals who turned out in large numbers at the inauguration of the renovated classsrooms. They praised the young Corps member for his interest in the educational advancement of Shabra, exemplified by his determination to give the local primary school a new look.

The communities, as a mark of appreciation, presenting Okerekeafor with an average size Ram, Shadda brocade and a cash donation totalling N70,000. Of that amount, the council donated N50,000 while the council chairman, Comrade Abubakar Shehu Shamaki, donated N20,000.

Mr. Onya Okechukwu, the state NYSC Millennium Development Goals Schedule Officer who oversees

•A block of classrooms renovated by the corps member

Corps member renovates school From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

the scheme’s programmes on Family and Community Life Re-orientation Component (FACUR), witnessed the event.

He said: “This is the type of projects we encourage corps members to undertake because it is the primary objective of their service.

Men and women, young and old, including his fellow Corps members, were also at the inauguration of Okerekeafor’s project.

The village Imam said the opening prayers before a large crowd including the state Director of Information, Mallam Ibrahim Adamu.

Chigozirim Okerekeafor who never wanted to end his service year without leaving a mark on the soil in the caliphate, made a rare sacrifice of injecting both his service and state allowances to the tune of N550,000 for the project that he dedicated to the will of God and the future of children and people of Shabra.

Shabra village in Yabo local gov-

ernment which is about 40 km from Sokoto has been battling with inadequate basic social amenities ranging from roads, water, school and healthcare facilities that will give the inhabitants a sense of belonging.

To them, beside healthcare services, roads and schools are also sorely needed.

However, the inhabitants of Shabra, which has a number of neighbouring communities with a model primary school have not been finding it easy for their wards to be in school, a necessity the inhabitants believe is important to the future of their children.

But unfortunately, the situation has been the same for over 13 years since the establishment of the only primary school serving people of Bakale, Loli, Durai and other communities in 1976.

The school with a headmaster and 6 teachers, had two blocks of two classrooms and an office each when it was thrown into education coma by a heavy windstorm that parked

Edo council blazes development trail •Continued from Page 26 transformer to service Afobakhire, Iyakhara and Iyado quarters in the same quarter. He has electrified Usun community with 100 KVA transformer and extended concrete poles and swings wires to about half a kilometer in the area. He has purchased Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN bulk meters to be distributed to the 12 quarters in Otuo community.

Another accomplishment of the chairman in the last few months in office is the cautious attention given to the primary health care delivery system. He has given a facelift to a referrer centre at Afuze which now serves as flagship in boosting the primary health services in the locality. He has furnished the referrer centre with drugs and medical facilities in addition to human capacity.

He has constructed 380 meters drainages in Ake, 550 meters in Afuze, 150 Ikhin, and 350 in Afobakhire, Warrake; which now redirect erosion accurately from road to the drains in the communities. Aside these, he has constructed feeder roads in Ogute and Iviamen, sink borehole in Eshoriri community in Erah and revamped the moribund urban water board in Afuze, constructs refuse dump site at low cost housing estate at Afuze and Warrake to ease refuse disposal.

•

•Atemonokhai Primary School, Ikao It is remarkable to note that in spite of the sparse resources of the council Alhaji Igbafen is not indebted to any of the contractors and has paid the entitlements of all the ex-political office holders. Chief Omoh Joshua Ebofuia, the chief executive officer of Paul Bless Global Resources whose company constructed one of the schools has this to say of the chairman: ‘‘this is the first time in my 35-year experience in this business to be swiftly paid on execution or completion of projects.’’

Governor Adams Oshiomhole was ecstatic on discovery that the person he selected to function as transition chairman is not dense. His words: ‘‘I new from the onset that Alhaji Sufiyanu Igbafen will deliver

the goods to his beloved people in record time.’ The dog that will fetch meat for the owner is easily detected as a budding puppy from the way it wags its tail.’’

It is obvious from the foregoing that Owan East local council, as it were under Hon. Pally Iriase, is witnessing another round of focused and benevolent leadership – one that is single-minded at assuaging the plight of the people. The people are already harvesting, evidently from the key strategy and policy thrust of the Oshiomhole administration in the critical sector of education which has gained currency in Alhaji Sufiyanu Igbafen’s Administration.

•Afenikhena is Chief Press Secretary to Alhaji Sufiyanu Igbafen

off the roofing which eventually resulted to total dilapidation of the structures, a state which hitherto remain thesame for some time before additional block of 3 class rooms was constructed during the Bafarawa administration. The later also failed to last the test of it need by the people of the Shabra after losing it structural features which required facelift.

Speaking separately, a villager, Mallam Suleiman Abubakar said’’ this School was functional until the windstorm brought it down 13 years ago and since then the classrooms were out of use because there has not been attempt to put them back’’ According to Abubakar’’ the situation has in the past affected the entire learning activities of our people because the School is the only available educational facility serving us.

“Pupils attendance has been going low as well as routine teachings of our children’’, he pointed out.

However, even at that, the School had to manage with the structural facilities to accommodate about 200 pupils under rains or sun. Most of the pupils were being taught under the trees in view of the state of inadequacies in terms of facilities.

This situation continued for some time until Mr. Franklin Chigozirim Okereafor, a Batch ‘’C’’ Corps member took passion in the ugly situation bothering the people and education by promptly initiating a rescue community project to renovate the block of three classrooms to make it conducive for the teaching and learning activities of both teachers and pupils.

The tireless and hardworking Corp member from Imo state whose primary place of posting is the state Ministry of information, took a giant step to approach the council when he was privileged to serve as a Returning Officer during last April polls at Gunguma village, a destination he could not get to until through Shabra where he sighted the School.

In his quest to actualise his dream after what he explained. “I was shocked and displaced in spirit when I found myself in Gunguma village for INEC election exercise and only

to discover that there was no one that could speak English then I took the course to ensure a change in the community but it was not possible before I realised the need to step in for Shabra village when I began to task myself towards the project.

“Their urge was to have a functional School and I eventually shared the views with my primary place of assignment before I was told to liaise with State Universal Basic Education Board when Yabo local government council attached a team of engineers to me to assess the need for the project’’, said Okerekeafor.

At the Commissioning, the Council Chairman Comrade Abubakar Shehu Shamaki expressed appreciation and thanked Okerekeafor for his selflessness and dedication to the development of educational future of Shabra village.

He said: “NYSC scheme remains a vital catalyst of rural and community development which every Nigerian should embrace and ensure the spirit coexistence.”

Represented by Hon. Musa Ladan, Councellor of Birnin Ruwa Ward said his council will continue tom encourage community service initiatives stressing that ’’ this is a wonderful mark of development to us and will continue to encourage such humanitarian effort by Corp members’’ Village head of Shabra, Alhaji Umaru Sai Abdullahi while commending the singular efforts of Mr. Okekerkeafor in renewing the hope of his people educationally, canvassed for automatic employment for the Corps member whose sprit of dedication and commitment stood him out saying’’ we want him to remain in Sokoto because of his initiatives and commitment’’ According to him, ‘’ we will ensure his work is safeguarded and maximally utilised by our people’’, added.

Similarly, Umaru Abdullahi Kilgori, headmaster of the school said: “He has not only done us proud but the nation for making us to appreciate the value of the scheme’’ He appealed to parents and the entire inhabitants of Shabra village to cooperate with the authorities and ensure prompt attendance of their wards in school.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

28

Jigawa revokes four contracts

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• Governor Lamido

OUR contracts worth over N359 million have been revoked by Jigawa State government. They were cancelled for violating the terms of the contracts awarded by the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for the construction of classes laboratories and provision of furniture in some secondary schools in the state.

The state Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture,Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim who disclosed this to newsmen shortly after the state executive council meeting, said three out of the contracts were awarded in 2007, while the other was awarded in 2009, but the contractors failed to complete

Nasarawa improves transportation system

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HE Nasarawa State government has inaugurated 40 18-seater buses it bought for its mass transit company.

Almakura said that the gesture was aimed at reviving the state owned transport company as most of its vehicles had since been grounded.

According to him, the company which was called ‘On the Move’ and which is now dead, will now have its name changed to ‘Nasarawa Express’.

“The motive for resuscitating the mass transit company is to alleviate the transportation problems being faced by the people of the state.

“The effort is to provide for the citizens and indeed Nigerians affordable and cheaper means of transportation in the state, which has suffered a long neglect in terms of transportation facilities,’’ he said.

He also called on the company authorities to handle the vehicles with care, saying “I urge you to take care of them as your own personal property for them to last’’.

On the anniversary, the governor said that,

Nasarawa “as a state and country, we have plenty to be grateful to God Almighty for; for his bounties and mercies because Nasarawa has largely remained free of any major turmoil, ditto for our country.

“We have remained a single united entity in spite of all odds.”

Almakura also blamed past and present leaders and the elite for the nation’s plight.

He said that “greed, opportunism, laziness, lack of vision and corruption have deprived our leaders the opportunity of lifting the country to greater heights setting it on the path of sustained growth and greatness.

“We all must share the blame for the sorry state of affairs in which we have found ourselves.

“On our 51st independence anniversary, our country has paradoxically remained a toddler, unable to grow and reach maturity, often punching well below its weight in the global arena”

Sokoto women seek involvement S Nigeria celebrates her 51st in politics independence anniversary, women in Sokoto State have called for the

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involvement of more women in politics and public service across the country . ‘’ We are happy that Nigeria is 51 years old and there have been some great achievements although women are still being largely neglected in the scheme of things. ‘’ We should, however, be fair to President Goodluck Jonathan for fulfilling his promise of keeping 35 per cent of all positions for women especially the political appointees ,’’ Hajiya Rukayya Sahabi, from Silame Local Government told reporters in Sokoto.

Sahabi, who is also the Women Coordinator for Silame Local Government Area, added that women’s rights should be further ensured across the nation .

She said most of the women who lived in the rural areas were still suffering and noted that the ugly situation should urgently be redressed .

Her colleague from Illela council, Hajya

•Chairman, Ikeja Local Government Area, Hon Wale Odunlami giving fuel to one of the beneficiaries of the local government’s fuel alleviation programme organised by the council at its secretariat

Sokoto Aisha Mai-Mota said that more women should be allowed to contest political positions. ‘’ All the three tiers of government should emulate President Jonathan in terms of the appointment of more women into their cabinets . ‘’ We should not be only used during the polls to massively cast votes only to be dumped thereafter until another election ,’’ she added .

Other women respondents, who agreed with Sahabi and Mai-Mota were Hajya Aisha Sifawa from Bodinga and Hajiya Hadiza Isa from Isa ,among others .

All of them stressed the need for girl child education to be accorded the due attention it deserved if Nigeria was to fully develop.

37

Kano to establish farmers’ radio

Jigawa From Eunice Bosua, Dutse

the projects up till date.

He explained that the contracts revoked were the construction of science laboratory at Government Day Science Secondary School, Guri by Beams and Columns at the cost of N6.6 million which was 85 percent completed but abandoned; drilling of 21 solar powered boreholes awarded to Karwe ventures for N148.8 million out of which N117 million had been paid , and its 96 percent completed, and the renovation of hostel at Government Unity Secondary School, Gwaram at N9.9 million but where nothing has been done by the contractor.

Alhaji Ibrahim stated that the council in session approved the establishment of the state School of Basic and Advance Studies (SBA) at Kafin Hausa town with a view to helping secondary school leavers who did not meet with the requirements for admission into universities and other tertiary institutions in the country.

The commissioner also disclosed that, the council has directed the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to set up an inter-ministerial committee that will over look the establishment of the school as well as its take-off.

The council also approved the release of N88 million to the state Institute of Information Technology, Kazaure for the capital projects of 2011, ranging from procrement of furniture, landscaping of academic area, renovation of staff quarters, purchase of Desktop computers among others.

He disclosed that the council in session also approved the upward review of feeding allowances of boarding secondary school students from N72.00 per head to N90.00,an increase of 25 percent.

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•Nasarawa State Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura inaugurating an electric transformer in Shabu Lafia Local Government

HE Kano State government has voted N17 million for the establishment of a Farmers Radio Station in Kano, as part of renewed effort to boost agricultural production in the state.

Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso disclosed the plan while addressing residents of the state shortly after the 51st Independence anniversary parade in Kano.

Kwankwaso, who was represented at the occasion by his Deputy, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, said the radio station would be the first of its kind in the country.

He said that the station would aim at enlightening farmers, especially in the rural areas, on modern farming techniques.

The governor also said that the government had approved the rehabilitation of five Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (KNARDA) training centres at the cost of N4.6 million.

Borno craves unemployed graduates’ cooperative societies

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NEMPLOYED graduates from Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State have been urged to form cooperative societies to enable them benefit from the state government’s intervention strategy to reduce unemployment.

The call was made by the state Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Youth Empowerment ,Hajja Zainab Gimba during an inspection visit to Kanemba Rice Farm Cooperative project at Ngala tow.She reiterated government’s determination to boost food production through such projects across the state.

Borno From Abiodun Joseph, Maiduguri

The commissioner, who was represented by the Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Zanna Mahdi, advised members of the cooperative society to liaise with his ministry in order to benefit from any assistance from the

state government. She praised the society for its contribution to food production as well as creating employment opportunities for many youths in the area.

Replying, the spokesman of the society, Alhaji Lamba, appealed to the government to come to their aid by assisting with irrigation pumps, adding that the rice farm cooperative was established in 2008 on five hectares of land but now has 85 hectares of rice farm.

NOA, church pray for Nigeria at 51

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HE Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Idi M. Farouk, has urged Nigerians, especially religious leaders to be fervent in prayers as a lasting solution to the festering ills plaguing the nation.

He made the call through the agency’s director in Lagos State , Mr. Waheed Ishola at the National Prayer organised by the agency which was held at the Somolu Local Government secretariat, Lagos .

Also in their own contribution towards making Nigeria whole and prosperous as it marked its 51st Independence anniversary, members of Evergreen Christian Church of God, held a prayer session for the country that day. It held at the church’s headquarters, 228, Ikorodu, Ikorodu Road , Lagos .

The NOA event was amid a large crowd of residents led by Christian and Islamic religious leaders from the area. Officials of Lagos State government were also present on the occasion where the religious leaders took

By Dada Aladelokun

turns to pray for speedy recovery of the sick Nigerian nation.

Farouk said: “Our prayer today is to seek God’s intervention, bring about sustainable peace and security and help political, religious and traditional leaders at all levels to provide leadership that is anchored on the fear of God and honest service to the people.

“Only peace and good governance can guarantee the transformation of our nation. Nigerians are prayerful. It is the realisation of this fact that this event is organised to hold simultaneously in all the 36 states and the FCT as well as in the 774 local government areas of the federation.

The NOA boss restated the commitment of the agency to promoting the sustenance of the culture of peace, understanding and good governance among the Nigerian teeming people.

All the religious leaders present were unanimous in the scathing condemnation of the culture of unbridled corruption, leadership wickedness and utter breakdown of law and order in the country.

ACN leaders hailed over council chief re-nomination L EADERS of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Lagos State have been hailed for returning the council Chairman of Itire-Ikate as the party’s flag bearer in the forthcoming local government election scheduled for October 22.

Members of ACN in the council led by the party Chairman, Mr Musibau Balogun, saluted the courage of Otunba Henry Ajomale for putting in place electoral process that made Bamgbola’s re-nomination possible.

Balogun described Bamgbola as a loyal party man with dislike for any form of division or caucus in the party.

The council chief, he said, has always ensured peaceful co-existence with the party members.

“He has continued to assist the indigent and old people financially not to mention the computer and adult literacy programme he initiated. The health centres in the council have received a great boost. His administration periodical meetings with the Community Development Association (CDA), Community Development Committee (CDC) and residents of the council had acquianted him with the needs and yearnings of the people,” Balogun said.

The Igbo United Political Coalition (Ndi Igbo in ACN) led by Chairman Chief Obinna Ugwu, affirmed their support for Bamgbola for his numerous developmental programmes and his love of carrying everybody along in his programmes.

“We thank the party at the state level for giving him ticket for second term in office to finish his people-oriented programmes,”said

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

Chief Ugwu.

Meanwhile, Bamgbola’s vice, Alhaja Mulikat Ajala has also thrown her weight behind the council boss to continue in office.

Alhaja Ajala said her support for the chairman is not unconnected with his giant strides in the administration of the council.

“I write to confirm our full support for Hon Akeem Adisa Bamgbola, to run for second term as the chairmanship flag bearer of our party in ItireIkate at the coming Local Government elections in Lagos State,” she stated.

Also, Secretary to the Local Government, Pastor Gbenga Oyebode attested to good conduct, good working relationship of the council chief with the executive, legislature, management and staff of Itire Ikate •Bamgbola LCDA.

Kano He said that the government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, would spend N2.1 million on the construction of a model farmers’ market in the state.

“Similarly government has initiated moves to enhance tomatoes production at Kadawa and Kura irrigation sites by Dangote farms and other private investors,” Kwankwaso said.

He further said that his government had approved N15 million for the upgrading of the amusement park in the Kano Zoological Garden to enhance its activities.

Prominent personalities, including the

• Kwankwaso

Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, attended the parade, which was held at the Sani Abacha stadium.

KACCIMA decries hostile business environment T

HE President of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Alhaji Ahmad Rabi’u, said the Nigerian business environment is still not conducive for the rapid economic development of the country.

Speaking in an exclusive chat with Newsxtra in Kano, Alhaji Rabi’u called on President Goodluck Jonathan to work towards making Nigeria an investors’ haven within the framework of his transformation agenda.

Ahmad noted that direct foreign investment is not as much as it should be due to the nation’s hostile business environment.

He explained that Nigeria like many other countries, opened up the economy to foreign investors about seven years ago, yet while other countries are attracting investors, Nigeria is yet to get the desired foreign direct investments.

He particularly urged the Federal Government to fix power and infrastructure to ensure the survival of local industries in the northern part of the country.

“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has enormous task before him. Fixing the governance issue is paramount. Today many countries in the world have opened their flood gates by inviting direct foreign investments.

“Nigeria has opened up its gate over seven years ago but the opening of the gate has not attracted people because there are certain things that can only be done by the

Kano

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

government, notably the essential ingredients like power.

“The cost of doing business continues to be extremely high. It is unprofitable and noncompetitive and many businessmen find themselves in different predicaments that constitute clog in the way of survival, not even progress,” Ahmad lamented.

‘Infrastructure critical to agriculture’

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N NGO, the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria has underscored the importance of adequate infrastructure in promoting agriculture.

Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Foundation, stated this at an interview with reporters in Abuja .

Adamu listed the critical infrastructure to include land, water, road, funding, extension service and market, among others.

“As a developing economy, there is a lot of ground to cover in the provision of infrastructure to promote agricultural production.

Forum defends candidate’s election

T • From right: Phil Hall, Vice-Patron, Nigeria-Britain Association (NBA); Oronto Douglas, President’s SSA on Strategy; Tunde Arogunmati , President, NBA & Robin Gwynn, British Deputy High Commissioner, at the NBA Enterprise Dialogue in Lagos.

BRIEFS

Group urges support for chairmanship aspirant A group, Apapa Mass Movement, has urged residents of Apapa to vote massively for the Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Hon Ayodeji Joseph in the October council elections.

Its Chairman, Alhaji Oyebanji Jelili, said the chaiman’s antecedents speak well for him. Addressing reporters in Lagos ahead of the elections, Jelili said to sustain development in the council, the residents should consider the council chair for a second term.

He said : “The catalogue of the achievements of Hon Ayodeji Joseph’a administration which has led to dramatic change in the area of infrastructure, healthcare delivery, education, security, environment, youths and women

empowerment are evidence of his commitment and ability to move the council to greater height.

“Hon Ayodeji Joseph has rehabilitated 11 roads in Apapa Central Business District, 13 roads in Apapa GRA, eight buildings , 11 health programmes, 20 programmes for women, youth empowerment and staff welfare, environmental programmes and the introduction of six social corporate responsibility initiatives.

“As part of the measures designed to actualise the objective of the Apapa Mass Movement, seminar and symposia would be organised to sensitise the people to vote massively for the entire candidate to vote massively for the Action Congress of Nigeria in the local government election scheduled for October 22 in Lagos.

HE Isolo Stakeholders Forum has reacted strongly to agitations against the candidacy of Hon. Shamsudeen Abiodun in the forthcoming local government election in Isolo under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

In a press statement signed by the Chairman of the forum, Otunba Jide Oni,it said the process that threw up Hon. Olaleye as the ACN candidate met all known democratic requirements and therefore wondered why oppositions have resorted to crooked means to overturn the choice of majority of party members in the local goverment.

According to Otunba Oni, contrary to claims of imposition being bandied about by the agitators, Hon. Olaleye was not imposed on the party as he enjoyed the support of all and sundry within the local government.

He added: “There was a stakeholders primary held at Century Hotel on August 9, 2011 where all the stakeholders endorsed the

By Emmanuel Oladesu

candidature of Hon. Olaleye “To further justify his popular choice, we do not think all the seven wards in the local government, 28 out of the 33 members of the council excos, seven ward secretaries, 90per cent of ward excos and seven out of eight political cacauses as well as five out of the seven ward party chairmen can be wrong in their choice of Hon. Olaleye,” says the Forum Chairman.

He added that a major feature of true democracy is when majority opinon is not mortgaged for selfish and parochial interest.

The forum expressed gratitude ACN leaders particularly Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Henry Ajomale and others who have worked asidiously to design a political process that ensured only credible and popular candidates fly the party’s flag at the forthcoming election.

Praises for Wamakko THE Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, has been praiseded for his quick response to part of the Lugu dam that collapsed recently. Making the commendation was a crime analyst, Mr Folorunsho Atta. He said the rescue operation would not have been successful if not for the dispatch of 25 vehicle trucks earlier donated by the governor to all local government councils, to the scene of mishap.

Atta urged Wamakko to make sure that

repair work on the dam is carried out as quickly as possible.

While praising the governor for his support to police in the state, Atta called on the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Adisa Baba Bolanta, to ensure that the supports given to the price are judiciously used.

“Bolanta is a pragmatic police chief while in Lagos as divisional police officer (DPO1, area commander for area ‘D’ (Mushin). I believe that with the support of Wamakko, the state will continue to be a peaceful state” Atta said.

•From left: Senior Director, International Scientific and Clinical Affairs, Pfizer Vaccines, Dr. Mark Fletcher; Chairman, Clinical Microbiologist and Infection Control Committee, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Folasade Tolulope Ogunsola and President, Pediatric Association of Nigeria, Dr. Dorothy Esangbedo, at the Pneumococcal Disease Summit, organised

by Pfizer, in Accra, Ghana.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Life Who gets NLNG Prize for Literature?

– Page 32

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Text only: 08023058761

The famished vultures of Abagana – Page 33

Keep Areh legacy – Page 34

‘We eloped to get married’

•Prof. Ebun Clark

• SEE PAGE 30

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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‘We eloped to get married’ This seems to be a season for septuagenarians. Prof.

Ebunoluwa Bolajoko Clark, wife of the writer Prof. J. P. Clark, joined the club last weekend when she marked her birthday in Lagos. You only need to spend a few minutes with her to appreciate her elegance in speech and style and beyond. At 70, she is living life to the fullest. She spoke to EVELYN OSAGIE. Being 70

I

FIND life interesting. I have been very lucky. God has really blessed me. I am very grateful. And I have been blessed by my country. Even if my country doesn’t know me very much, I drained inwards instead of draining out. Also, I have a husband who won’t go out. So, if he doesn’t leave, I can’t leave.

Growing up I didn’t really grow up here as such. I was yanked out of my culture when I was nine years old to England. I forgot my language which I spoke very well. I lost it at my first year at primary school in England. So, I have that complicated side that I will say formed who I am, because your formalities will be what stamped you for life. To complicate matters, I married an Ijaw man. I must say that in spite of my 47 years of being here, I am still very eurocentric in my attitude.

I went to nursery school and two primary schools here. And in 1951, my father, the late Alhaji Jimoh Odutola, decided to take me along with him to England and enrolled me in a primary school there. I settled down and stayed within the school system for nine years. From there I went to Drama College from where I was appointed to Ibadan. I came home averagely every two years.

Eloping to get married It wasn’t done in my time to marry out of your own ethnic group. I know the hell I went through. We, in fact, had to elope to Cotonou to get married because my father would not agree.

And you know in Nigeria, no matter how old you are you must get your father’s permission before they’d wed you. My father had about three of us who eloped then. I was the third to elope.

Fortunately for me, the challenges I had to surmount were not much, because my husband and father in-law protected me a lot. I was totally spoilt by my father-in-law; and I would say Chief E. K. Clark continued with the spoiling (laughs).

I met him as a co-worker. My husband was already known, internationally and nationally, when I married him. He was a senior research fellow in the Institute of African Studies. I was an assistant lecturer in another department in the Faculty of Arts. At that time, I was in flat four and he was in flat six (laughs).

And somehow we met and 47 years later we are still together.

My attraction to Prof.

I was not really attracted at all when I first met him at a friend’s flat. He came in and he was loud very loud. And I said to myself ‘Who is this character shouting all over the place?

Thank God, I will never marry such a person’. And then, he had moved into his flat but had a research to do on Ozidi, and had been away from the block of flats I had just moved in.Then, there he was shouting again in front of the block one day and a friend and I peeped out of my window and I said, ‘that awful character I met him some weeks ago.’ And he said, ‘bad luck he is in number six, you are in number four’. But after then, there was silence – no shouting. And to cut a long story short, we met through a protest I led in the block because we were being overcharged for rent and so my Ijebu blood boiled up. I went to collect signatures to send as protest to the bursar that he should charge us the same amount as the other blocks. I succeeded actually. And we met and started to date.

•Prof. Ebun Clark.

PHOTOS: EVELYN OSAGIE

Blending work, scholarship and family Actually, it wasn’t immediate because every Friday I would travel to Lagos in my car from Ibadan to have a nice time.

After all, I was young and single and had boyfriends.

One day, my uncle decided to give me a welcome-homeparty. So, I went that Friday. On getting there I saw the character in my party and I asked, ‘who invited him?’ He heard that I had left my flat and followed me to Lagos. And at that time I was being romanced by somebody else, who was actually proposing to me and I was having the delight in turning him down (laughs). And the rest is history.

‘It wasn’t done in my time to marry out of your own ethnic group. I know the hell I went through. We, in fact, had to elope to Cotonou to get married because my father would not agree. And you know in Nigeria, no matter how old you are, you must get your father’s permission before they’d wed you. My father had about three of us who eloped then; I was the third to elope’

It was not easy. Attaining my professorship was not also easy. It is not easy for women. As a pioneer, I had to cut through wooded areas. It is easier for women lecturers now than it was for us. I started work in 1963 and I got my professorship in 1985. Twenty-two years was quite a long time. You don’t get your professorship because you are a good teacher.

You have to be a good research scholar, and publish. In academia, we have a saying that ‘publish or perish’. When you are bringing up children it is not easy to do your research in a highly competitive environment. We’ve got to look after the children; take them to their school; got to see to their different examinations they are taking at the different stages of their life. And for every child you have as a woman you lost two years because you must look after your child. And we got to see to the husband. It is easier for the man to lock himself in his office and to write. The university is a maledominated environment all over the world. I did a lot of battling, crying, yearning, stamping my feet to get my professorship.

My life as a teacher By 2013, when I would be retiring from consultancy services, would make it 50 years of my being engaged in different aspects of teaching within and outside the academic environment. You see, I voluntarily retired from the university about 20 years ago in 1991 after 28years of teaching. I went into banking for a few years and then I started my consultancy on •Continued on page 31

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Nollywood phenomenon It is fascinating. There are various root sources of this phenomenon called ‘Nollywood’. In terms of popularity and money, I am told it is Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood.

It is here to stay. Two of my daughters love it. They spend their time watching Nollywood. And I would ask one of them ‘why are you so keen on this?’ and they would say, ‘it is life. We learn a lot of Nigerian life from it.’

Not just Nigerians alone, but the whole of Africa and blacks watch it. And it is gradually creeping into the white population as well. And if Nigeria continues to grow economically and not crash, and people get more interested in this multi-billion dollar industry, which it has become, you may find it investing in other industry.

It did not just drop from heaven and grow to what it is.

Nollywood has its source in the early television dramas such as The Village Headmaster, Yoruba theatre, and us, the drama teachers. The fact that Ogunde went into film also helped.

The Pec Repertory Theatre and I

•Prof. Ebun Clark flanked by her husband and children

‘We eloped to get married’ •Continued from page 30

communication business. I would say I have had a continuous life as a teacher with the little break in banking, yet I was still teaching. The Chartered Institute of Banking in Nigeria (CIBN) used me to give keynote addresses on certain issues of human resources. And I worked with some consultancy firms, still teaching. And then I started my own teaching consultancy where I now teach graduates from all universities.

I started earlier in 1963 when Ibadan got its autonomy from the University of London, and by the time I retired in 1991, I had already done 28 years. At that time you either retired at 60 or 35. So, I wasn’t too far from 35, I decided to retire early to start a new life before I get too old and tired.

Our educational system

When I look at the state of the educational system right now, some I am happy with, some I am not hapy with. The explosion in in the number of the university population, and the countless number of universities with new ones springing up across the country, has affected the fallen standard of education.

You cut your coat according to your cloth; but the cloth has become too large and the coat is not the right size for a quality design. The number of universities being funded by one source is so many. When I started teaching students had to pay. Education was not free. Until eventually, university education became free, food also free – everything free – the government is finding it hard to cope. When I went to China in 1995, I discovered that the Chinese government only sponsors the citizens’ education to the equivalent of our-own JSS. After that they say parents should pay. Ghana had one law Faculty for a long time. I think that we have over-extended the university; it should not be made available to everybody. It may be seen as a controversial statement but I have watched it affect quality.

We had more quality when we had fewer students and universities than you have now. But political exigencies had to come into play in a country where you have so many ethnic ambitions to satisfy - the quest of various governments to satisfy the ethnic ambitions to have peace.

Where are the teachers?

My passion for Ogunde Theatre A schoolmate of mine from the drama college in England had done his PhD in thesis on Alarinjo Theatre. When I read his thesis, I said the story has not finished because the Alanrinjo theatre was the Yoruba professional classical theatre. I said there is a contemporary theatre of the same mode and the exponent of this theatre is Ogunde. I had known about his theatre since I was a child. I had taken part in a school play directed by one Layeni who was also part of the movement in the 40s. I had always thought about it, so when I was admitted into the University of Leeds to do my MPhil, I chose Ogunde Theatre as research topic. He was very happy when I told him my research topic was on him; and we started talking straight away. That is how I got to know him.

It wasn’t easy at all. He was very helpful and cooperative but I don’t know why he never told me where he was going to perform since the time I started in 1972 till 1978 when I finished and another four years I used to prepare it for publication. I always had to find out myself.

Interestingly, I finished with Ogunde in 1978 because he moved into film that year. And I am not a film scholar. My friend did 400 years history of Yoruba classical theatre.

And I pushed that story on to the modern theatre which is an off-shoot of the classical. I was already the Shakespeare lecturer in the Department of English, so it was easy for me to shift from Ogunde to the Renaissance. It was one of the reasons I was elected the fellow of Corpus Christi College at the University of Cambridge to continue with my research.

PROFILE

P

ROF. Ebun Clark had part of her early education in Nigeria. In 1951, her father took her to England where she completed her education. She was the 1960 Gold Medallist of Great Britain and Ireland in the Final grade examination of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. She has other important prizes in speech and drama.

She began her teaching career as a pioneer staff member of the School of Drama, University of Ibadan, in 1963. In 1965, she was appointed Lecturer in the Department of English, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

She rose to become Director of Centre for Cultural Studies and Professor of English at the University.

She was a Visiting Fellow at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge and a Senior Fellow of the British Council, from 1989 to 1990. In 1997, she was elected Bye-Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge.

On retirement from UNILAG in 1991, she became the pioneer Head of Human Resources Department, Magnum Trust Bank PLC, Lagos, from 1992 to1995. Magnum merged with other banks in 2006 to form Sterling Bank PLC. In 1995, after leaving Magnum, she founded her consultancy, LASEM (Lagos School of English and Mathematics. She is the lead facilitator and Managing Director of the consultancy. LASEM is Nigeria’s first consultancy on English and Mathematics, which conducts workshops on English language and communication skills.

Its workshops are regarded in Nigeria and the Western Region of Africa.

She has conducted communication skills sessions for various international organisations in Nigeria, West and East Africa, and was a judge for the 2001 Commonwealth Writers Prize for the African region.

Prof. Clark is a member and fellow of several professional bodies, and she is listed in the Directory of United Nations Economic Council for Africa (ECA) on African Women Professionals. She is married to Prof.

J.P. Clark, an eminent poet and playwright; and they have four children.

My husband founded it because I was still in the university and he had to find something to do to stay in Lagos. I gave him my research knowledge on repertory. I said he cannot be like the Yoruba theatre because it is non-resident theatre because that is the only way they can make money. And in any case, they marry their women; you can’t go on marrying the women because I won’t allow it.

Then, the subscription theatre was the next bet. At home we would discuss and I’d go to theatre to help with speech.

Then he had what we call 'theatre sabotage' when an artist walks out of the show half-an-hour before it starts. I knew about it from my research and advised him to have an understudy. In most countries, they have always had understudies, so that in case somebody falls sick the understudy takes over. In Nigeria, it is not just sickness, it can be ‘sabotage' that is a person taking the major role could decide to walk out. It happened to him twice. And I would come in to help to nullify it by improvisation or making sure you have an understudy. When a person taking the part of a major character now sees that there is an understudy, unless the two of them connive, he will sit up. I am also a professional verse speaker and that is where my husband tapped in a lot. Not every writer has the opportunity of having a speaker. I would read his poems for him so that he can hear the lines as a professional verse speaker.

Three-year-old boy wins Loya Milk promo

M

R. Edwin Omaraka, father of a three year old boy, Oghenetega Omaraka who won the first prize category, N250, 000 in the on-going ‘Win cash with Loya milk’ promo have called on the public to keep participating in the promo.

Omaraka said when he found out from his wife that their three-year-old baby has won the first prize category he was very excited. “Initially, when I heard that Tega had won from my wife, I screamed, Mr Omaraka said.”

Though the three-year-old, Oghenetega seemed unaware of his prize, Mr Omaraka made known that the prize money would be used for his son’s education. “He (Oghenetega) has an account and I will put the money in his account. The money will be to support his education.”

Another winner of the first prize, Ms. Lilian Ugwu, who intends to invest the money on her education said, she reluctantly got into the competition and did not expect to win any prize.

“My uncle went to the market to buy Peak milk but he was forced to buy Loya Milk because of the high cost of peak and we have been buying the milk before the promo started. From one of the sachets, I got the raffle ticket and just decided to enter for the competition. I will use the money for my education because am about entering the higher institution and I will use the money to finance it.”

Also, Mr Obinna Mbon Basil, a businessman who won N250,000 in the promotion, said he would use some of the money for his children’s education and spend the remaining on his wife and him.

“Initially, I thought it was 419, Obinna said, but am happy I won. I have been using Loya Milk for more than six months and it is a good product. Well I will use the money on my children’s school fees and spent the balance on myself and my wife.”

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Who gets NLNG Prize for Literature?

Three books…three authors…but there will be only one winner. The countdown is on for this year’s edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG). Who takes home the prize? The literary world is waiting. EVELYN OSAGIE writes.

O

N October 10, a winner will cart away the $100, 000 prize for this year’s NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature.

Every year, the prize rotates among four literary genres - prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature.

This year’s edition goes to children’s literature. After the initial shortlist of six books, journalist Mai Nasara’s The Missing Clock, Eno’s Story by Ayodele Olofintuade and Chinyere Obi-Obasi’s The Great Fall made the final shortlist.

The children’s literature prize, the organisers said, does not favour any genre – prose, poetry or drama, noting that “only good writing is rewarded”.

Since 2004, the prize has rewarded prominent writers such as Gabriel Okara, , Prof Ezenwa Ohaeto (co-winner 2004), Ahmed Yerima, for his classic, Hard Ground, Mabel Segun for her collection of short plays Reader’s Theatre; Kaine Agary for Yellow Yellow, and Esiaba Irobi’s Cemetery Road clinched the prize last year, posthumously.

The prize sifts the huge array of children’s books which come out every four years, shortlisting only the outstanding entries.

The head of the prize Advisory Board, Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo, said he was impressed with the reception of the initial shortlist by the populace, saying it was an indication of a revival of the reading culture. He assured that his board will retain the high literary standards the prize has already attained.

The judges have also expressed their delight at the high standard of writing evident in a lot of the entries for this year’s competition. However, they also noted that writers should seek to raise their standards, as many entries were still laced with avoidable errors of logic, syntax and spelling.

Three books have one thread knotting them together – the message. They convey strong moral lessons that children could identify with. But, according to the judges the message is not the only criteria needed to emerge winner.

According to the chairman of the panel of judges, Prof.

Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, the criteria used for judging the winning book are the content, relevance, form, (technique), language, editorial standard, plot, dialogue, characters, morals, quality of work, among others.

She said: “We want the standard of this year to be as high as the previous years. And, in my opinion, this year’s books are good enough. I want to assure the authors that only excellence will be the criterion that will determine the winner.” Adimora-Ezeigbo, who is past co-winner of the prize, said it was challenging arriving at the final shortlist of three from the initial shortlist. And the final task would be to choose a winner from the lot.

However, the prize’s past records of ‘no winner’ have left thick dust of sceptism in the minds of many, particularly the Nigerian literati.Will the works of the three finalists – Nasara, Olofintuade and Obi-Obasi – be worth the prize?

They have to wait till the unveiling next Monday at the Eko Hotel, Lagos, to find out.

In a way, one could say that the controversy had drawn a lot attention to the prize, in addition to the fact that the takehome money was later increased to $100, 000 from $50, 000.

However, having made the final shortlist out of 126 entries received by the board, no matter the outcome, some critics have opined that the finalists deserve some form of compensation – especially for scaling through huddles.

•Nasara

• Olofintuade

Meet the authors Obi-Obasi, The Great Fall, is set in present day Lagos but has a blend of traditional folklore. The author takes the reader into a rendition of the folktale on the proud but foolish hare and the wise tortoise. The work canvasses the benefits of wisdom and humility in an individual. The story is narrated by Mrs Mba to her children. The author has two other children’s books to her credit. The graduate of English and Law, who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1993, is also a banker.

Olofintuade’s Eno’s Story paints a vivid picture of a heartrending reality happening in certain part of the country where innocent children are labelled ‘witches’ and are thus condemned to dehumanising treatments. It calls attention to the menace, advocating against the trend. At first glance one would wonder why she chose to explore such a preoccupation in a children literature. Critics have opined that it is a hard knot for child to crack – talking about such esoteric concern in a children’s book. However, come to think of it, who says a child should not be acquainted with a topical issue happening around the society. It may help shape the child’s attitude against such discriminations.

Olofintuade is a teacher of Creative Writing at Ibadan International School and is also a freelance book editor.

Nasara’s The Missing Clock calls attention to entrepreneurship spurred by the efforts of four-year-old Banji. His parents became rich after making a unique discovery. The book is his first in the genre. He is a journalist and science communicator with interests in TV/film, poetry and leadership studies. He uses ‘Mai Nasara’ as his pen name. His real name is Adeleke Adeyemi.

•Obi-Obasi

Remembering Fela, The Abami eda

A

•Fela

NYONE who is familiar with Fela’s music, will know the phrase “everybody say yeah yeah.” The late Afrobeat creator connected with his fans with it, and his listeners adored him enough to do as he told them to. In a way, I felt ‘yeah, yeah’ when we wrapped up this edition: it’s taken a whole year of waiting and visualising to package a souvenir issue in honour of a man who has been described as Nigeria’s best ‘cultural ambassador’.

For 14 years, the Kuti family have sustained the Fela heritage through FELABRATION, the annual carnival of scholarly conversations and stage performances in October at the New Afrika Shrine (Agidingbi) to coincide with his birthday (15th). And it is no surprise that the venue throbs with thousands of Fela followers from within and outside Nigeria.

Last year’s outing provided an opportunity for many individuals who knew Fela closely to share their knowledge of him; the revelations were astounding, and you will

By Pelu Awofeso

find some of them in the articles we’ve published.

For this edition, we’ve also commissioned articles from people who knew Fela one on one: Azuka Jebose Molokwu was a young reporter for The Punch in the 1980’s when he met Fela (first inside the courtroom and later in hospital and at the musician’s home); over time Fela developed a liking for Molokwu so much so that he made a surprise appearance at the young journalist’s 25th birthday one midnight in August of 1986. On a performance tour at the Apollo Theatre in New York, Fela introduced Molokwu to the audience as his son and ‘great entertainment journalist’.

The other commissioned story has been written by Majemite Jaboro, Fela’s Personal Assistant (Shrine) back in the days; his recollections are worth reading, not just because they portray Fela in his elements but for the fact that they provide a nostalgic chronicle of a day in the life of the unforgettable Afrika Shrine, where Fela was both preacher and priest.

And musician, art curator and producer Lekan Babalola gives us a glimpse into what life was like inside Fela’s Kalakuta. Babalola feels that a lot has been written and said about Fela but not so much is known about the people (The Kalakutians, he calls them) who lived with him.

He has pursued this agenda for 25 years and, incidentally, the Art Council of England has commissioned him to produce a multimedia project on the subject. “By the grace of God, by the grace of Allah and by the grace of Ifa, we should start touring by October of 2012,” he told me just before we went to bed with this edition.

Still, there are many stories yet to be written about Fela. Reason: Fela was no ordinary person: he lived a purposeful and colourful life, and one marked by several milestones. Fourteen years after his death, his music remains with us while his fame has spread even farther from his country of birth. For a man who “worked on his music, at least eight to 10 hours in a day…strict with his band’, he deserves no less; and we at waka-about are pleased to have produced this commemorative edition in his honour.

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The famished vultures of Abagana

By Moyo Okediji

T

HE civil war officially ended in January 1970, but its agonies and traumas endure.

The psychological lesions of the war continue to mark virtually every artistic expression produced in Nigeria since the first shots were fired in 1967. Although the abrasive wounds manifesting in pictorial, literary, and musical forms are remarkably obtuse they remain palpable to the discerning consumer. A predominant volume of artistic expressions in Nigeria therefore contains conscious and subconscious allusions to the internecine war.

These references, repercussions, and consequences are replete in works produced by those who witnessed the crisis, and even by generations of artists not yet born when Nigeria fought its war against secession.

Most of these artists may not even recognize the impact of that war on their works, especially if they were born decades after Nigerian and Biafran generals shook hands and declared the end of fighting. The Nigerian military ruler, General Yakubu Gowon, appeared on television to close the chapter with his historic assertion of “No victor, no vanquished” in January 1970. Nigerians jubilated and assumed it was all over.

But now they know much better. The war and its effects are lodged in the subconscious of the living and the genetic codes of those not yet born at that time, and its aftermaths continue to bleed, thrive, and throb in the creative imagination of contemporary art in Nigeria.

The subterraneous, subtlest, and imperceptible references are the most numerous. One of the most benign consequences of the war was the establishment of the National Youth Service Corps. The programme emerged from a desire by the Federal government to cultivate national unity and integrate youths across ethnic, regional, and religious fragmentations in Nigeria. The war against secession necessitated the need for such national integration programs. The slogan of the war was, “To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done.” The NYSC program was designed to tackle this task.

Since the first corps members reported for postings in 1973, the body of artworks associated with the NYSC is impressive in number, even if not always satisfying in quality. Almost every village in Nigeria has a statue produced by a young artist serving under the youth corps programme. The themes of these statues are varied and the execution ranges from extraordinary to mediocre. But, however diverse the subjects and styles, they are all monuments of war. Better still, they are anti-war monuments, even if the youth corps artist who made the work was not born when the Biafra War was fought, nor even fully aware of the historical implications of the statue that he or she was erecting in the central square of a village distant from home.

Without the war there probably would be no NYSC, without which the youth corps art would never have been produced.

The repercussions of the war directly reverberate in many other ways in African art. The widely acclaimed Tolsoy of African literature, Chimamanda Ngozi Adigwe, borrowed the theme of her breathtaking novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, from the civil war. The two leading Fuji exponents, Ayinla Kollington and Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, were soldiers who fought on the federal side during the civil war. It was not for nothing that late Ayinde’s group was known as “Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and His Fuji Commanders.” Juju musician I.K. Dairo, who did not fight physically, warned the nation about the impending war, and when it ended, celebrated the cessation of hostilities. Singer Celestine Ukwu, and the members the Oriental Brothers Band, witnessed the war on the Biafran side, and they have composed musical dedications and allusions to the war. Most remarkable is Chinua Achebe’s collection of lyrical poems, Christmas In Biafra And Other Poems. Together with Uche Okeke and Obiora Udechukwu, the leading members of the Uli art school, Achebe saw and chronicled the war firsthand, trapped inside Biafra.

But on September 24, 2011, as I sat in the Blanton Art Museum in the University of Texas at Austin, and faced hundreds of art lovers who came to listen to a public conversation between El Anatsui and me, it was clear that both of us use artistic images to nurse the common wounds of the war within our psyches. For us, art has become a coping mechanism for dealing with the horrors of a war that many Nigerians believe is already won or lost, and historically deflected to the past.

•Abagana vulture by Okediji

‘The hungry vultures made an artist out of me. In 1977 when I was posted to serve in the NYSC in Awka, the vultures were there, patiently waiting. I was not an artist when I graduated from the University of Ife in June 1977. As these vultures stared at me with their shifting eyes, and as they shuffled around like broken umbrellas, they transformed me into an artist in July 1977, almost immediately I arrived in Awka. On September 24, 2011, as I sat before the packed auditorium in the beautiful, multi-million dollar architecture of the Blanton Museum in which I held the public conversation with Anatsui, my mind stood still for a moment as my recollections of Awka and Abagana transported me back more than 30 years into the tunnels of the past’

The after-shocks of the civil war fragment the compositions of Anatsui, a Ghana immigrant who moved to Nsukka to teach at the university, five years after the war ended. Nsukka was one of the deadliest battlefronts, the terminal theater where Biafran soldiers resisted the advance of Federal troops attempting to penetrate the east from the northern front, just below River Benue. It was the famished Nsukka front that claimed the life of Christopher Okigbo, one of the greatest poets that Africa has produced. He died fighting on the side of Biafra. In 1975, the scars of the war were still fresh when Anatsui moved to Nsukka. He saw buildings riddled with bullets. And the vultures of Biafra, with dark feathers cladding their bodies like ragged suits, were still waiting in the hope that fighting would resume, so they could return to their feeding frenzy.

The hungry vultures made an artist out of me. In 1977 when I was posted to serve in the NYSC in Awka, the vultures were there, patiently waiting. I was not an artist when I graduated from the University of Ife in June 1977.

As these vultures stared at me with their shifting eyes, and as they shuffled around like broken umbrellas, they transformed me into an artist in July 1977, almost immediately I arrived in Awka. On September 24 2011, as I sat before the packed auditorium in the beautiful, multi-million dollar architecture of the Blanton Museum in which I held the public conversation with Anatsui, my mind stood still for a moment as my recollections of Awka and Abagana transported me back more than thirty years into the tunnels of the past.

Seven years after the civil war ended and I began my national service in eastern Nigeria, the vultures of Awka and Abagana seemed shocked that the feast was over. It was the Christmas Eve of 1977. Vultures perched everywhere you looked. Their moldy baldheads inflected the sunlight as their sad eyes watched you, expectantly.

They looked solemn in their dark habits, which they wore loose like dirty rags, some stalking ponderously like emeritus dons in academic gowns. I could not believe that the world had so many vultures in them.

My NYSC colleague, Biodun, was walking me back from his place to the bus stop, where I usually caught the minibus home from Abagana to Awka. We were both barely twenty year olds, still perplexed by the cultural strangeness of central Igbo country, where the NYSC had posted us for a year. Biodun and I, both Yoruba speakers from Oyo State, were posted to the East Central State, with Enugu as the state capital. Biodun served as a history teacher in Abagana Girls’ Secondary School, in Abagana. I taught art at the then College of Education, Awka, now the Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Biodun usually visited me in Awka on the weekends to admire my paintings and share his poems with me.

Occasionally, I visited him in Abagana, a small town that I found fascinating in its desolate condition. It looked tired, like many other small towns and villages in Anambra State, seven years after the Nigerian civil war.

Awka, where I lived, was not much better than Abagana.

But Awka did not really look as fatigued. Rather, Awka appeared stubborn and defiant. Both towns were located between Enugu and Onitsha, perhaps the two most important Igbo cities in that vicinity. Seven years after the war, Enugu was still the unofficial political capital of the Igbo people, while Onitsha was the commercial capital. Awka, an ancient town known as a centre for wood sculpture and metal work, was showing better signs of recovery from the destructive effects of the war.

But Abagana in 1977 looked rather shell-shocked and petrified, as if unable to leave behind the harrowing experiences and the horrific memories of the war.

Abagana was the horrid war theatre where Federal troops suffered one of their worst setbacks, and the Biafran army enjoyed their greatest victory. The story of the Abagana battle linked Awka with Onitsha. After several disastrous attempts by federal troops to take Onitsha by crossing the River Niger from Asaba, Nigerian officers decided to reverse their tactics. Led

by Major Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, federal forces attacked and took Onitsha from Biafra via a campaign launched at Awka in March 1968. Abagana was strategically positioned between Awka and Onitsha.

The federal troop that took Onitsha was depleted and tired, and required urgent reinforcement. On March 31, 1968, a column of 96 vehicles containing federal troops that left Awka to reinforce Onitsha made a strategic stop in Abagana, less than 30 miles from Onitsha. It was a horrible mistake. About 10 years after federal troops made this fatal decision to pause in Abagana, a young man who saw the carnage showed me the spot where all the federal fighters were massacred almost to a man, victims of Ojukwu’s Bucket, also known as Ogbunigwe, or explosives locally made in Biafra. My friend, Biodun, a fellow NYSC member, lived less than half a mile from this historic battlefield, which optimistic vultures still haunted a decade after the disaster. I made profuse sketches of the landscape of devastation, because Nigerian soldiers later returned to destroy almost everything that stood or moved in the entire vicinity of Abagana.

(To be continued next week) • Okediji is of University of Texas in Austin, USA

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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The late Peter Areh was celebrated by artists and arts patrons last week in Lagos during a memorial lecture, Celebrating tragedy: Art and Theatre in the anatomy of death and funeral in Africa, reports OZOLUA UHAKHEME Assistant Editor (Arts)

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RONTLINE art connoisseur and former National Planning Minister, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, has enjoined art patrons and gallery owners to sustain the legacy left behind by the proprietor of Pendulum Art Gallery, the late Peter Areh, who was murdered two years ago in Lagos. He described Areh as an inspiration to many artists hoping that there would be continuity in the hosting of his memorial lecture.

He spoke at this year’s annual memorial lecture organised by Art Republic to celebrate the late Areh, the trials, triumphs of art and cultural enterprise in Nigeria. The lecture, which was held at the Aina Onabolu Studio Iganmu, Lagos was presented by international Secretary of the Pan-African Circle of Artists and Senior Lecturer, University of Nigeria, Mr C. Krydz Ikwuemesi, on Celebrating Tragedy: Art and Theatre in the anatomy of death and funeral in Africa.

Present at the lecture were Frank Okonta, Peters mother, Mrs. Augusta Areh, Ms Areh, Okay Ikenegbu, Chidi Ugwu, Olisa Nwadiogbu, Prof. Grace Ojie and other artists.

Gbadamosi said Areh’s quality of art exhibition during his life time was compelling and that he discovered talents. He noted that he was bubbling with ideas on how to retain younger generation artists’ interest in art. “His enthusiasm is also compelling. He lives and will continue to live. Peter was an inspiration and I pray there will be continuity in the memorial lecture. I wish the second lecture will be more successful. And I hope the arts enthusiasts and members of the Visual Arts Society of Nigeria (VASON), will do more to get involved in the organization of the annual lecture,” he added.

Chairman of VASON, Mr Sammy Olagbaju, recalled that the late Areh had the ambition of elevating arts beyond his life, noting that he puts lots of energy into gallery business.

According to him, Areh recorded a momentous achievement because he had invigorating ideas of art.

“In VASON, he served on several committees. I found him very useful and his memories will not die with me. His life was too short to digest all he met. If he lived longer, I would have loved him more and appreciated him more in VASON. I wish there is a replacement for him at Pendulum Gallery. I salute his endeavour and courage as he lives with the Lord,” Olagbaju said.

In his paper, Ikwuemesi described death as a

•Mrs Areh

•The late Areh

‘Keep Areh’s legacy’ pan-human experience and a great disturber of social equilibrium. He noted that in the quest to understand the essence of death, religion did not deal with the experience of death from the physical point of view but also concerns itself with afterlife matters. He explained that all religions have a concept of after life and tries to encourage its members to aspire to the ideals of such afterlife.

“From the religious point of view, the phenomenon of death, therefore, may bring material life to an end, but it is not really a final stop or station in the trajectory of existence. Rather, it is at once an end and a new beginning, a transcendentally transforming experience, an access road to nirvana, heaven, hell, or the other world in general. Yet, the fear of death is common in human psychology. Alleviating such fear medically is one of the issues addressed by thanatology,” he said.

According to him, thanatology aims to provide ‘palliative care’ for dying individuals and their

families and that the meaning of life and death has not been the concern of the medical sciences, including thanatology. He noted that unlike other branches of medical sciences, thanatology recognises that death is primarily a personal experience, but a complex calamity that affects both the dead and the living in different ways. The principles of thanatology, he said, were grafted unto the cultures of Africa and dutifully upheld by elders and medical experts.

He added that terminally-ill people are taken to the forest to die in seclusion, not necessarily as a punishment but to save their families from the stigma of such death and to ensure that earth is not polluted by such aberrations in what normally should be a happy and well-led life.

Ikwuemesi stressed that death is a personal experience, but that it becomes a communal experience through its demoralising tendencies and calamitous exertions on the bereaved, not just the immediate family but the extended family. Life in Africa, he said, is circumscribed

Life’s fragile fiction

A

RT exhibition brochure like a book is a compendium of expression of thoughts in visual, literary backed by creative principles on subjects of great relevance to the artist. It is also a documentation of the artist’s experience, experimentations and perhaps fresh discoveries in his chosen field.

These and many more form the content of a brochure.

Still, some contemporary artists in the country pay little attention to the value of exhibition brochure instead, opt for flyers, hand bills and a few-page brochure that simply lists works, profile and artist’s statement.

But for Moyo Ogundipe, his recent major solo art exhibition in Nigeria, Life’s Fragile Fiction was more than a celebration both on canvass and in print. The accompanying brochure dwells on the artistic effort of Ogundipe as well as exposes the varied capacities of Nigerian artists. For instance, Dr. Peju Layiwola’s essay, Nigerian Artists Reinterpreting Hellenic Images, is very instructive on the Greek culture and philosophy- a trend that confirms modern Nigerian artists’ rich repertoire of imagery. Beyond that, the publication contains other contributions as divergent as the motifs, issues and trends addressed in the artist’s exhibits. The contributors include Moyo Okediji, Janine Sytsma, Niyi Osundare, Bode Sowande and the duo of Pogoson and A O Akande.

The 108-page brochure is edited by Dr. Ohioma Pogoson of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan and published by the institute.

In particular, Sytsma’s critical study of Moyo Ogundipe’s paintings from the US to Nigeria reveals some trends and experiences that have become part of the artist’s signature over the

•Ikwuemesi

ASCON harps on localisation of case studies

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

years. “These encounters with Yoruba art and culture provided the basis for his negotiations of culture in Diaspora…Now that I am physically removed from home, the things of home mean so much more.”

Also illuminating is essay, Forest of a thousand wonders, by Osundare which tells how Ogundipe draws from the richness of the American world without losing his African soul in the process. Though, Osundare spends three of his five pages on the artist’s school daysespecially at the Christ School, Ado Ekiti and University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), he still captures the essence of the exhibition. He sums it up by saying that the 54 works are from Ogundipe’s forest of a thousand wonders.

Like Osundare, Moyo Okediji’s piece, Moyo Ogundipe: neo-Nomadic art venture, dwells on the artist’s many parts- artist, poet, radio/ TV producer and film producer. Expectedly, all these papers are like different slices of an orange being savoured by its readers and viewers of the exhibitions. But the aspect of Okediji’s essay that many will find refreshing and instructive is that aspect that tells of the artist’s encounters with the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in the late 70s- a period the Afrobeat legend was having series of crises with the military dictators.

“When Fela decided to return to Nigeria in 1979,it was with the help of Moyo Ogundipe that he staged his renaissance. As a television producer, Ogundipe risked everything to provide Fela with the high level of publicity that Fela needed to reassert his musical presence and refurbish his tarnished image,” Okediji reports.

by solidarity from birth through adulthood/ marriage to death, but that the accumulation of people approximates the accumulation of wealth.

On burial and funeral as art and theatre, Ikwuemesi said most cultures might not see in death any art, no matter how art may be defined, even if funerals are artistic or theatrical in nature.

“It is a fact that a dying person does not give up the ghost with the intention of generating art.

Yet, the activities it triggered by death harbour elements of art and theatre in variety of ways,” he noted, adding that lack of a funeral or an improper funeral may dishonour the dead.

H added: “Funeral in Africa has never been a mere act of interment marked by rites of passage, but an important performance on the social stage conditioned by the incident of death. Like all art, a funeral aims to solve a social problem. It is a creative exercise that complements the incident of death and mediates the physical and spiritual realms.”

By Adegunle Olugbamila

For Bode Sowande, the exhibition at University of Ibadan is a rich harvest of paintings, which confirms that the artist’s talent is huge and the artistic talent ageless.

Most of the photographs of the exhibits (plates) were arranged on pages 55 to 101 of the brochure.

This approach allows minimum distractions to the readers of the essays contained in the brochure.

Much as the contents were enriching, the quality of binding leaves much to be desired as some pages are falling of easily. Also, there are handful of typos, lengthy sentences and punctuation errors in the essays. For instance, some of the spellings are done in American English (programme, honour) in the foreword.

Notwithstanding, Life’s fragile fiction brochure is a detail dossier on the artistic life of Ogundipe, which will be very useful to artists, critics, art historians and student artists.

The need to apply case studies as instrument for solving organisational problems was the fulcrum of a five-day workshop held at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Topo Badagry in Lagos.

The workshop held by ASCON in conjunction with and Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM), drew participants from Management Development Institutes across Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Gambia and Nigeria.

Director-General of ASCON, Mr Ajibade Peters, said the use of case studies has suffered serious crisis in the past partly because certain case studies were inappropriate on one hand, and not domesticated in various ministries and agencies on the other.

Harping on the need to reawaken the culture of management training using the case studies model, Ajibade said: “Case studies are critical to solving organisations’ problems hence the need to teach case study writing and application to management development institutes. Teaching with case studies was discontinued because many a times we didn’t have time to analyse the cases. But more importantly, most of the cases didn’t reflect our culture, environment and structure in our ministries, departments and agencies.

For instance, Nigerians will relate better with case studies on Ministry of Finance, Lever Brothers and other Nigerian organisations than cases from foreign companies.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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It was a feast like no other when literary enthusiasts from all climes gathered to celebrate the environment in Lagos. Wordslam 5, tagged Homage to the Environment, came across as a rousing creative banquet for Lagosians. EVELYN OSAGIE writes.

A thrilling banquet for nature

T

HE chief ingredients were not just the music, rhythms and rhymes, the poetic lines, dramatic presentations or the chants. It was the vivacious poets that lend their voices to the environment that made the fifth edition of Wordslam enthralling.

From the famed to upcoming acts, the audience had a dose of what it felt like being in the grove of the ‘god of the spoken word’. The poets stood like ‘gods’ standing before their worshippers, churning out lyrical words from their poetic essences. The mode of renditions differed but each were united by the poetic blend of the spoken word. They were backed up by engaging contemporary and cultural music groups such as Naijazz collective and Edun Drum Ensemble. Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) housemates’ coach Yemi Oyewo, who anchored the event, was the ‘Word Priest’.

And together they paid Homage to the Environment.

All these were servings at the literary buffet stewed in the ‘spoken word’ organised by Culture Advocates Caucus (CAC) in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut.

According to the organisers, this edition was spurred by the success story of previous WordSlams, whose first edition was held on July 5, 2008, across the state; and the public demand for a come-back. As they promised they treated the audience, which included ace filmmakers, Tunde Kelani and Victor Okhai; Editor of The Guardian on Sunday, Jahman Anikulapo; Toyin Aluko; musicians Ade Bantu and Segun Adefila, to “a remarkable feast of live poetry performances”.

Geothe-Institut Director Marc-Andre Schmachtel said this edition was held for the poets to demonstrate their power.

On procession were the chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Lagos chapter; Dagga Tolar; Awoko; Edaoto; Cornerstone; Amos Onileagbon; Uche Nwadinachi; Iquo Eke; Ayeola Mabiaku and other poetic voices. Their renditions reflected the beauty of nature and the environmental degradation and hazards as a result of man’s activities such as global warming; depletion of the ozone layer, flood, erosion, desertification, dirty habitat, etc.

The mature voice of Ben Omowafola Tomoloju, a poet and veteran journalist, came as a refreshing mix with the contemporary. His robust years of experience in the arts and culture climes came into play as he recited his poems, translated as Oyewo chanted an Ijala chant (Yoruba hunter’s poem); and performed songs from his proposed album accompanied by Edaoto. He was the poet of honour for the event.

The multi-talented Arts Editor of The Compass Chuka Nnabuife’s rendition left behind a food-for-thought on man’s inhumanity to the environment. As a philosophical environmentalist, he called for attention to negative practices of man that are harmful to the environment. His rendition, Mighty Iroko yields to fall, was from his ongoing project, a poetic reflection on the devastating effect of landslide in his native homeland in the Southeast entitled Mbize… Landslide Down the Eastern. He sang an Igbo folksong at the end, giving his presentation a traditional appeal.

Nwadinachi’s rendition, Tell me why, asked questions: “…What’s happening to the sky...why the birds are going on strike/and the kids cannot look into the eyes of the sun…”

His rendition gave the feel of Black American ‘soul’ poetry with the fusion of jazz music.

Performing poet Onileagbon, the Director, Onileagbon’s Sight and Sound, was at his elements again. He had his wife on stage alongside Iquo as backup singers for his poetic rendition. With Walking by the precipe, he called attention to environmental degradation, warning man to put a stop to its harmful activities against nature. Interestingly, his rendition came across as a nursery rhyme, especially as he chanted the chorus: “…Little by little we near the end… must the end die that they may live?”

The socialist poet, Tolar had a rhythm and poetry (RAP) appeal as he vibrated his lines. He showed the audience that he is abreast with his root when he

•Cornerstone

•Iquo

chanted an ewi to the River goddess Olokun.

The poetry feast also featured acts from upcoming poets, such as the The Young Flowers, which showcased performances by students of secondary schools across the state; members from Aj House of poetry, inspired by Tolar, stood out in the lot with their performance that called attention to refuse thrown on our waterways.

‘Poetess’ on stage for nature Iquo rendered I will set sail, a romantic poem of ‘endless possibilities’ that life voyage has for humans. Starting with an Ibibio folksong swept the audience away. One could see why she called the ‘romantic poet’.

Ayeola was more daring with her renditions. She left behind questions hanging in the air as she asked: “Are you a man”. She began her first poem entitled The measure of man, throwing rhetorical questions that drew the audience from their shell with lines like: “…The measure of a man is not in his stature…not the size of his tool…”

Her second rendition brought to life reason she called the ‘sensual performer’. The poem, which was on popular demand, First slave in New England drew from her well of sensuality. This reporter also rendered a poem extoling nature.

Borntroway shines…

The feast Open Mind and Mic session featured makeshift

•Ayeola

PHOTOS: EVELYN OSAGIE

performances – music and poems - by members of the audience. The session, the organisers said, is aimed at discovering new talents in the vibrant literary scene.

Talented upcoming acts took the stage to show the audience what they could offer. Kemi Bakare and 2tek Odey, members of the creative arts movement aimed at inspiring young talents across the country, ended up bagging the first and third position respectively. Bantu, Adefila and Tolar were all smiles, Nnabuife named Bakare as the winner of the session – her prize is N15, 000.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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A wake-up call towards disability issues

P

EOPLE living with disability (PLWD) have called for disabilityfriendly and inclusive practices in Lagos State’s policy process.

However, the advocacy campaign may remain a long-term dream without the help of the media, it was learnt. With this in mind, the Lagos Civil Society Disability Policy Partnership (LCSDPP) organised a technical workshop on effective disability reporting in Lagos. The group called for partnership with the media. It was facilitated by DFID’s State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) programme.

It was a two-day brainstorming event that brought together the media, members of LCSDPP comprising civil society organisations and individuals working on disability issues in Lagos State and Ministry of Youth Sport and Social Development, among others. LCSDPP praised the Lagos State government for signing into law the Special Peoples Bill, adding that government should seek to the implementation of the provisions of the law to the letter.

Mr Daniel Onwe, a lawyer, who chaired the technical team that worked with the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Disability, educated participants on provisions and implications of the Lagos State Special People Bill 2010, saying henceforth defaulters would be made to face the strong arm of the law.

“With the passage of the law, henceforth, there is no excuse to flout the law.”

He, however, noted that since copies of the law are not yet available to the members of the public, many are not enlightened about the provisions of the law.

Mr Felix Obanusibi of SAVI said the role of the media in advocating, educating and influencing for policies and public opinion towards the advancement of PLWD cannot be overemphasised.

•Participants at the workshop.

By Evelyn Osagie

Mr Adebukola Adegoke, a member of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, called for the perspective to be set right on how disability is seen, perceived and expressed.

With the theme Building effective disability reporting for the promotion of the Lagos State special people’s law, various issues bordering on better representation of disability matters - based on the social model of disability - in the public space came to light.

Hence, the media received training on how to enhance the presentation of disability stories. There was a heated argument on the nomenclature of PLWD. However, Mrs Akinola Emmanuella, whose paper was entitled Issues and perspective in the dynamics of disability reporting, said issues on disabilities are not given enough coverage, adding that PLWD are often misrepresented. She said news reports on PLWD should reflect disability

PHOTOS: EVELYN OSAGIE

issues, while calling for media houses to imbibe disability-friendly practices.

“Persons with disabilities are not seen regularly in the media, and are rarely portrayed as persons with opinion on news and topical issues. Disability is almost always the focus when an individual that has a disability appears in the media. Headlines and stories should not be derogatory but should promote issues on disability; put the person at the centre stage and not the disability,” she said.

At the end of the workshop, a communiqué was signed. It reads: “Media organisations are expected to imbibe disability-friendly and inclusive practices in the conduct of their professional activities and programmes; mainstream disability issues, inclusion and the social model of disability in their monitoring, investigation, coverage, and reportage of government activities, policies, programmes and projects; establish ‘Disability Desks’, and sustain their commitment to more and

‘Even a beggar can afford newspaper in India’

BRIEF

Copyright Operatives seize N5m pirated products in Gusau

T

After 51 years of independence, the role of the media in Nigeria’s development cannot be over-emphasised. But it is not there yet. This came to the fore at the presentation of The Moment newspaper in Lagos.

EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

T

HE contributions of the media to Nigeria’s political development have been praised by many.

Its role to the nation’s developmental processes was also applauded when True Moment Media Limited launched its publication, The Moment newspaper at the Sheraton and Towers, Lagos.

With the passage of the FOI Bill, the sky could be the beginningfor the media. However, in spite of its achievements, some critics have said that it is not yet Uhuru.

The Managing Director, Universal Makan, Mr Lekan Faseun, said: “The media is responsible for setting agenda for the development of society.” In his keynote address entitled: The media as an agent of economic development, he said the media and the nation’s economic development are related. He noted that although a free media is necessary, it is not sufficient for a nation’s economic growth. “Economic growth can be achieved in addition to political stability, education, right legal structure, quality education and more,” he said.

On the part of the Managing Director, Visafone, Mr Sailesh Iyer, the common

consistent media paper spaces, news/ programme air-time and other relevant media resources towards persons with disabilities (PWDs) and disability issues.

LCSDPP launched a newsletter entitled: Fact Sheet on on plight and prospects of persons with disabilities. The workshop was attended by 50 participants, which included representatives of media houses in the state, civil societies and government agencies. They included The Nation newspaper, Punch newspaper, Newswatch Magazine, PM News, Television Continental (TVC), Channels Television, Premier newspaper, True Nigerian Magazine, Vanguard newspaper, Nigerian Tribune, Lagos State Television (LTV); Disabled People’s Organisation, Joint Association of Persons with disability, Nigeria Association of the Blind, Lagos Chapter, Directorate of Rehabilitation, Echoes of Women, Century 24, DFID’s State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI), Ministry of Youth Sport and Social Development, and members of the LCSDPP Partnership.

•Iyer and Ekoriko at the launch

man on the street is left behind in the system of things. An instance, he said, is the high cost of the price of a newspaper in the country. He called on newspaper proprietors to make it affordable, lauding The Moment for its bold move into the very competitive market. “Newspaper should be made affordable to the common man on the street. In India, even a beggar on the strees can afford to buy a newspaper. You can get a paper at N3 in India.”

According to the Publisher of The Moment, Mr Moffat Ekoriko, the paper is offering Nigeria a tool for national development. He lamented that a lot has gone wrong in the polity. This, he said, has affected the standard quality of practice. He said The Moment is a ‘serious interest paper’ aimed at raising the standard in journalism practice.

“In The Moment, we espouse the principles of good governance and shall hold Nigerian leaders to account. We will

‘shine our eyes’ and ensure that public office is about service to the people better.

It is also inspired by the patriotic zeal to create a better Nigeria. It took Sanusi to tell us that members of the National Assembly were using more than 25 per cent of the nation’s entire budget. That was a big slap on Nigeria’s media.”

The Moment, he said, is a joint venture between foreign and Nigerian investors with TT Media Limited of the United Kingdom, publishers of NewsAfrica magazine, as the technical partner and manager. It started publishing once a week on January 6, this year; and went daily since August 28. Its editor is Mr. Martins Azuwike, a former editor of Business Times.

The launch was attended by captains of industries, traditional leaders, journalists, among other dignitaries, such as the Managing Director, S.O. & U Saachi & Saachi, Mr Udeme Ufot; the Obateru of Egbin Royal Kingdom, Oba Adeoriyomi Oyebo. Members of staff were also there.

HE Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has arrested six suspected pirates in Gusau, Zamfara State.

The commission’s operatives also confiscated an estimated N5 million worth of copyright infringing products during an anti-piracy operation in the state, according to a statement.

The raid was carried out on six outlets dealing in suspected pirated products located near the Army Barracks on Akilu Road and Tudunwada Quarters on Kaura Namoda Road, Gusau.

The impounded products included large consignments of foreign and local VCD/ DVD movies as well as text books and dictionaries whose titles belong to various publishers, such as MacMillan, UPL Africana, Oxford and NNPC (Northern Nigerian Publishing Company).

Locally produced music dubbing machines as well as VCD and DVD duplicators were also confiscated.

Director-General of NCC Mr Afam Ezekude, represented by the Commission’s Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Vincent A. Oyefeso, stated during a post-raid briefing that the operation was an indication of the commission’s renewed commitment to its regulatory and enforcement mandate, nationwide.

He indicated that the Commission was intensifying its anti-piracy operations to protect the genuine right owners and the copyright industries in Nigeria.

He reaffirmed NCC’s commitment to its policy of zero-tolerance of piracy in the country.

Ezekude urged stakeholders in the creative industries to support the copyright protection and anti-piracy campaign.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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ABUJA REVIEW FCTA flags off tree planting campaign

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TREE planting campiagn has begun in earnest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Minister of State for the FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide who kicked off the campaign, said in order to tackle the ecological problems confronting the nation, Nigerians must stop using firewood for cooking.

Responding to questions, she said: “We are suffering from the ecological problem of desertification. The Sahara is

From Bukola Amusan and Anne Udeze

claiming land everyday, so we need to plant trees. For every tree that is felled, we need to plant 10 more trees.

“We need also to stop using firewood where we can and the government is committed to providing kerosene at affordable price so that our people will not have to destroy their environment by felling trees for this purpose”.

She said the overall effect of this environmental degradation is a threat to food security and healthy environment which ultimately accelerates rural poverty and the menace of climate change.

“Today we are faced with various environmental problems such as deforestation, erosion, urbanisation, increased demand for arable land, fuel wood/charcoal production and decline in supply of nontimber forest produce on which the rural economy

depends, Akinjide said raising concerns.

According to the minister, the objective of the tree planting campaign was to raise awareness on the global warming and climate change.

In a chat with journalists, Chairman of Abuja Municipal AreaCouncil (AMAC), Hon. Micah Jiba urged residents to imbibe the culture of tree planting as it would enhance healthy living especially its gift of oxygen which promote healthy living.

•Mrs Akinjide

National policy on ageing underway

A

•Hajiya Maina

S Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate the United Nations Day of Older Persons, the Federal Government is working on a national policy on ageing.

It will centre on issues of older persons in the country.

Disclosing this at a media briefing in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina said work on the policy has reached an advanced stage.

The Minister made a case for the country’s older citizens to be granted access to efficient health care services, safe environment, the right to retirement and the right to custody and company of their children and grand chil-

FCTA to demolish illegal structures

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HE Development Control unit of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has marked several buildings in Garki Area II for demolition in order to ease traffic flow.

Its Director, Yahaya Yusuff who led the marking exercise gave the various owners 48 hours to remove them or have them demolished.

He said there is urgent need to decongest the area in order to

Yusuff lamented that areas built for parking lot have been taken over by people who built tents and settled there for business, thereby making the environment unhealthy

pave way for the free flow of traffic caused by the heavy presence of financial institutions, schools and hotels in the area.

Yusuff said the perennial problems on the streets of Abuja are attachments built outside the main building thereby affecting the normal width of the main roads where vehicles should have free movement.

He said the attachments create unnecessary traffic jam which results to delay of trips and accidents which could lead to loss of lives” “Buildings guilty of the hazards in the area have been marked and notice of48 hours has been given to them to remove the attachments or have them demolished” he said.

He said the traffic situation in the city is an issue that should be confronted headlong.

He lamented that areas built for parking lot have been taken over by people who built tents and settled there for business, thereby making the environment unhealthy.

Stories From Bukola Amusan

dren. He lamented that the world is now facing challenges arising from a rapidly growing and diverse ageing population which currently stands at well over 606 million.

According to her, the growing number of older persons all over the world which is projected to hit 2 billion in the next 50 years would pose great challenges to Africa as a whole and Nigeria as a country, the implication being that the continent’s older population, aged 60 years and above, will increase six folds in five decades.

She warned that, “Today, one in every ten people is 60 years and older. By 2050, one out of every five people will be an older person. And by 2150 one third of the people in the world are expected to be 60 years of age or older”.

Hajiya Maina said that the Federal Government’s immediate focus would be on policy issues and legislation that would guarantee the provision of specialized services and protection

for older persons in the society.

“Older persons as a social category have special needs, socioeconomic and health challenges requiring specialized attention and treatment. They are the vulnerable in the society and worst hit in the face of any major disaster, natural or man-made.

“In this year’s celebration the Ministry will engage more elitist Older Persons that would contribute more resourcefully to the concrete policies, plans and legislation that would chart a new course for older persons in Nigeria,” she added.

The minister said that her Ministry would be embarking on intensive sensitisation of

both the media and the public on the need to provide adequate care and protection for the country’s senior citizens.

Earlier, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Elizabeth Emuren urged all stakeholders to rise up to the challenges of creating a society that will guarantee improvement on the living conditions of vulnerable Nigerians.

She also enjoined Nigerians to see the Day as another opportunity to adequately care for the country’s esteemed Older Citizens, to protect and honour them for their past contributions to the development, growth and survival of the society.

Today, one in every 10 people is 60 years and older. By 2050, one out of every five people will be an older person. And by 2150 one third of the people in the world are expected to be 60 years of age or older

• Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa (left), presenting the state indigene Award of Excellence to the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina in Yola

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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ABUJA REVIEW Substandard buildings to be pulled down NY structure found to be substandard in any mass housing site in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja will be demolished, the FCT Administration has said.

The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed who made this disclosure at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a housing estate named after him at Kaba District in the Phase IV of the Abuja, said such structures will be demolished.

The Minister reiterated that the FCTA will from now ensure strict regular auditing of all buildings under the Mass Housing and Accelerated Development Scheme in order to ascertain their structural integrity and quality of materials used for construction.

Mohammed revealed that all

A

From Bukola Amusan and Anne Udeze

developers under the Mass Housing and Comprehensive Housing Development Schemes are to be monitored under stringent technical conditions; warning that participating companies must engage the services of requisite professionals in the ex-

ecution of the projects.

The Minister emphasised that his administration will continue to monitor the activities of developers to ensure that the public is not being ripped off through exorbitant charges and use of substandard building materials.

He cautioned developers against greed by offering their completed houses for sale at

All developers under the Mass Housing and Comprehensive Housing Development Schemes are to be monitored under stringent technical conditions

T

The evil of fake drugs is worse than the combined scourge of malaria, HIV/AIDS and armed robbery, this is because they can be prevented and kill few at a time but fake drugs kill en masse

The developers are private investors who out of their admiration of the FCT Minister, decided to name the estate after him.

T

Stories From Bukola Amusan

of drugs based on poor prescription from quack doctors and unlicensed medicine stores in city, the Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCTA through its task force on Counterfeit, Substandard and fake drugs is set for a show down.

It is planning to close down medicine stores that fail to adhere to the health guidelines.

The move was necessary due to the various reports of death arising from the misuse of drugs in the city.

The taskforce is to monitor and stop the distribution of fake drugs in the city and its area council.

A good drug is expected to contain active ingredients in the right quantity which is stored under the right temperature for a specific period otherwise known as the shelf life.

Drugs with no active ingredients or insufficient active ingredients are harmful.

The Chairperson of the task force, Murna Kazzah who led a raid to the Gwagwalada Area council recently said they are out to monitor and stop the distribution of fake drugs in the city.

Cautioning FCT residents against buying drugs from unlicensed medicine stores, she explained that the choice of Gwagwalada Area council for the flag off of the exercise was due to the heavy presence of quack doctors and illegal medicine store in the area.

Represented by the Secretary of the committee, Halima RamonYusuff who is a Pharmacist, Kazzah adised against buying

•Muhammed

Minister, London Mayor partner on investment

FCTA set for showdown with quack doctors HEY are scattered all over the country, taking advantage of the economy.

Some carry out their nefarious activities in an enclosed place, away from the watchful eyes of the regulatory bodies like the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, PCN, the National Agency for the Control of Drugs Administration and Control and even the enlightened public.

Although they offer cheap services, the tales and scars they leave behind have left a long-life regret in many.

These are quack doctors and unlicensed patent medicine stores that always receive patronage from the poor and the illiterate in the society.

They operate in small shops and at times kiosk without the logo of the various regulatory bodies.

They are all over the six FCT Area councils from Kuje, Gwagwalada, Bwari, Kwali, Abaji and even the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

They sell drugs that are either expired or have been exposed to sunlight due to the way they display them. They carry various combinations of drugs in baskets and move from house to house to sell drugs to the sick and the weary in the Neighbourhood.

The quack doctors at times operate in their rooms, they hardly carry out blood test on patients to probe the cause of ailments but are quick in prescribing drugs and giving injection at will.

The lucky patients survive while some are not so lucky.

Unsatisfied with various cases of death arising from the misuse

rates far above the means of the ordinary people; thereby defeating the objective of the scheme.

According to him, government has put in place several measures to ease the development of mass housing estates in the Federal Capital Territory; therefore developers should reciprocate by selling the houses at affordable cost.

The FCT Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide who was represented at the occasion by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Biotin Nathaniel Olorunfemi described the event as unique.

Urging investors to emulate the good initiative of Newton Royal Link Limited, so as to make accommodation readily available to those who need it, she appealed to developers in the FCT to adhere to the Abuja Master Plan.

•Dr Orhii

drugs without full name and the address of the manufacturer as well as those not registered with NAFDAC. She blamed the increased activities of quack medical practitioners to the influx of people into the FCT, assuring that the FCTA would do everything possible to confront the challenges.

According to her, clinical and inspectorate departments have been established for the successful implementation of the national health policy and to regulate the activities of both public and private health institution in the FCT. She said efforts on to provide enough health facilities to cope with the growing population, adding that some Primary Health Care centres would be upgraded to hospitals.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii described the use and sale of fake drugs as a form of terrorism against public health and an act of economic sabotage.

He said the drugs are been produced without following the laid down protocols of production with a deliberate attempt to cheat the unsuspecting consumer.

“The evil of fake drugs is worse than the combined scourge of malaria, HIV/AIDS and armed robbery, this is because they can be prevented and kill few at a time but fake drugs kill en masse”.

“When a consumer takes fake drugs, the illness is not cured and progress on the health is very fast because the right drug has not been taken to arrest it, and even when the genuine drug is taken thereafter, the ailment may not be cured easily as

HE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Mayor of London, Alderman Michael Bear, have met in Abuja to seek ways of bringing more investors into the country.

The duo also toured the Millennium Towers under construction as well as the Abuja International Craft Market at the Central Business District, Abuja.

Speaking after the tour, the minister thanked the Mayor for the visit which he described as a mark of confidence in the FCT Administration and, by extension, the administration of President Jonathan.

Bear praised the creativity and ingenuity of Nigerian craftsmen; assuring that he will help in marketing Nigeria.

He said: “I am impressed by the developmental strides in the country especially in the Federal Capital Territory; thus, we will let the world know that it is safe to do business in Nigeria.”

The city of London is one of the world’s leading international finance centres and the Lord Mayor of London’s principal role today is ambassador for all UK-based financial and professional services.

Senator Mohammed later hosted the Mayor to a dinner at the official residence of the FCT Minister in Gwarinpa I District, Abuja.

Municipal Council urges better hygiene

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HE Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon Micah Jiba has called on residents of the city to cultivate good cleaning culture in order to avoid outbreak of diseases.

Jiba, who spoke at the formal launch of the Area Council’s Clean and Green Initiative, said this could be achieved through door-todoor sanitation exercise, construction of public conveniences, avoiding dumping refuse in waterways and drainage, and effective compliance to all public health rules.

He urged residents to avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse, even as he urged them to start planting trees and other ornamental plants in and around their homes.

He said: “The thrust of this laudable initiative is to create an alternative environmental sanitation and management programme that would cushion the efforts of the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency and the various Public Health Departments of Area Councils in combating the huge sanitation challenges facing the Federal Capital Territory.”

The chairman of the initiative and the Director, Monitoring and Inspection of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mrs. Jumai Kwanashi explained that the effort is in line with the transformation agenda of President Jonathan’s administration.

Noting that the initiative is community-based, she stressed that a clean environment will avert health hazards. resistance may have developed by the invading organisms”.

“The use of fake drugs can lead to damage of vital organs an also react with other body chemicals and become toxic with harmful effects to human health”.

“We are here today to advise the consumers to protect themselves and their families from the harmful effects of using fake drugs, buy your drugs from a

safe source because the bitterness of a fake and low prized drug lingers on after the sweetness of low price”.

“To ensure that drug is genuine, safe and of good quality, it has to be registered by NAFDAC,” he added.

Members of the Nigerian Police Force and Youth Corps members were present at the sensitisation programmes.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Often, people acquire skills but are never able to utilise them. But today because of the need for positive change in our society, I, through my NGO, CGVC, have collaborated with [organisations] to ensure that the skills acquired are utilised to benefit everyone

Sylva’s wife empowers female youths

H

OW do you ensure that young women can not only earn their keep but also contribute to the development of their state and country?

The wife of Bayelsa State governor Mrs Alayingi Sylva has since resolved that question. She set up a non-governmental organisation (NGO) called the Centre for Gender Values and Culture (CGVC) which has been empowering female youths with skills. Over the years, CGVC has become a veritable vehicle for actualising the dream of not only giving the young ladies a job but putting them on a platform to comfortably compete with their counterparts elsewhere, including young men.

In furtherance of this goal, CVGC entered into partnership with international bodies and NGOs to run a skill acquisition training programme for Bayelsans. The mission which took off November 2010 in Yenagoa, the sprawling state capital, gave birth to 210 skilled entrepreneurs recently. To actualise her vision, Mrs. Alayingi who has continued to empower women in the state in all facets of life, including the health sector, presented the new entrepreneurs with items to support their newly acquired skills which included catering, head gear styling, cane craft, bead craft, batique/tie and dye and silk craft.

Presenting the items, Alayingi who announced that the skills acquisition centre already has students in the fashion design department, said the beauty of the skills programmes is that it will not end here but will continue to expand.

“I feel very happy to see that the noble cause we embarked upon on the 10th of November, 2010 has birthed skilled entrepreneurs today,” she said.

O

VER 90,000 persons are said to have been internally displaced due to religious, post election and other crises since last year in Jos, Plateau State alone.

The figure which was made known by the North Central Zonal Coordinator of the Na-

From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

With the title of her speech, skills empowerment, the key to socio-economic development, Mrs. Sylva informed that the skills acquired and the successful graduation ceremony by the beneficiaries was a major milestone in her effort to address the economic challenges which has deprived our people for long and hindered our capacity to be among the major players in the economic development of Nigeria and the international society.

She added that her mission for the programme was not only to offer “our youths and women with skills, but to also groom them on how best to utilise their newly acquired skills”.

Like other numerous initiatives she had embarked upon, the skills empowerment programme offers the grandaunts with the opportunities to gain first-hand knowledge of doing business not just in Nigeria but the international market, and enhance their skills, and access to the information, and resources they need.

“The entirety of this initiative and especially this 3day workshop”, she further disclosed, “is to prepare you, my dear graduants, for the international trade zones by exposing you to the best practices needed in breaking into the export market and how to develop new unique products in line with International demands”.

In addition, the programme is also a window of opportunities provided for you to realize your full potentials to be self employed and self reliant and I have no doubt in my mind that the skills acquired during the course of this training and 3day work-

shop, if properly utilised, will bring about the accelerated socio-economic transformation we desire.

Decrying the lack of proper usage of skills acquired by most people, she says, her NGO was out to end such trend in collaboration with her foreign partners.

“Often, a lot of people acquire skills but are never able to utilise them. But today because of the need for positive change in our society, I, through my NGO- CGVC have collaborated with the world women trade fair (WWTF) and VITAL VOICES/WIMBIZ organization USA to ensure that the skills acquired are utilized to benefit not just the families of the participants, but the socio economic development of Bayelsa State, Nigeria and the international community, which is the essence of this 3day workshop”.

Arrangements are also on top gear to sponsor some of the best bead makers for a foreign trade fair, informed Alayingi who has positively touched many lives of women in the state. These added excellent women from the state would have the opportunity of interacting with other women of repute from other parts of the World at such events.

“My joy today is double as I see the future is bright because my partners, the WWTF have made arrangements to sponsor the best 3 bead makers to partake at the Togo trade fair”, added Alayingi who says her partners should be applauded “for this great gesture, and also the Smithsonian institute, who happen to be the organizers of the prestigious cultural festival of the USA, with the aim of showcasing cultures from all over the world, as they have also placed orders for selected bead designs from CGVC to be displayed at the next cultural festival, which happens to have Nigeria as the next country

•Mrs Sylva

chosen to be culturally introduced and showcased to America and the world at large in both crafts, fashion and culture”.

“It is therefore my hope and prayer that you take full advantage of this initiative to become dependable partners in our journey to the promise land”.

Describing the event as a new beginning in their “lives and the dawn of better things to come,” she urged them to be “very diligent and hardworking, so that the time and finances invested in this project is not wasted.”

90 displaced in Jos crisis From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

tional Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhassan Danjuma Aliyu at a two-day

workshop in Lafia, Nasarawa State, showed that 50,000 persons were displaced in January 2010 during the Jos crises.

While 10,000 were affected during the post-election crises in

2011, Aliyu stated that about 32,000 internally displaced persons were recorded again in Jos over the religious crisis there recently.

The workshop which was organised for effective camp management, also shows that this year alone, over 10,000 people were displaced in Gwer West Local Government Area and also over 3,000 in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and boundary of Benue and Nasarawa states.

It was because of these problems as well as situations in the various internally displaced persons camps identified by officers in the North Central Zone that the workshop for disaster management was organised, Aliyu said.

Aliyu, however, said it is expected that at the end of the workshop, “it will not only increase the awareness of the participants on the activities of NEMA and camp management but also to plan effectively as part of disaster risk reduction measures to avoid disaster within disaster”.

The Director General NEMA,

Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi who was represented at the occasion by Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Edward Maigida however said that camps do not provide durable solutions to situations of displacement caused by conflicts or natural disasters.

“They are often the only refuge for communities who have been forced to flee their homes and are seeking safety, shelter and material assistance. There is thus need for proper camp management as part of an effective humanitarian relief response”.

While thanking all the stakeholders for their efforts during and after emergency situations, the DG said that “it must be stressed that the way emergency situations are managed have significantly influenced on post disaster recovery and future development possibilities.

“I therefore urge you all to take the emergency response phase as a critical part of the disaster management cycle and further challenge you to come up with an appropriate contingency plan to enable all stakeholders prepare and respond effectively and efficiently,” he said.

I urge you all to take emergency response as a critical part of the disaster management cycle and further challenge you to come up with an appropriate contingency plan to enable all stakeholders prepare and respond effectively and efficiently •Itsekiri Cultural Group performing during the 2011 Heritage Festival in Lagos

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

• A cross section of the 16 new Commissioners in Ondo State taking oath of office.

Senator John Danboyi represented Nasarawa North Senatorial District between 2003 and 2007. In an interview with journalists at Akwanga, his home town, he speaks on why his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and other issues. JOHNNY DANJUMA was there.

‘Why PDP lost Nasarawa to CPC’ L

OOKING at the rising insecurity in the country, for instance the recent UN House bombing, what is your view?

What is happening in this country today is as a result of poverty. It is poverty that is creating these crises. And because some people have seen that there is so much poverty in the land, they have cashed on it and have gathered into different groups in different names to create the insecurity we are having today. The truth of the matter is that, because of poverty, there are people that have ganged up to cause insecurity in the land.

What, in your view, are the steps the government should take to tackle the situation?

For the mere fact that Boko Haram has owned up to it what the government need do is to identify the leaders of Boko Haram and dialogue. People are kicking against this but it is the only way. There is nothing dialogue cannot bring. They are calling for all sorts of things; Boko Haram people are saying that they want the governor of Borno State to step down. They may be saying these things out of ignorance, because the man was elected. So, government should sit and discuss with them to show them the light.

Nasarawa State before the 2011 elections was a one-party state under the PDP but that has changed today. What, in your view, led to the failure of the party in the governorship election?

When a party interferes with laid-down guidelines, especially as they relate to elections, the outcome usually brings up this kind of problem. And this caused the suspicion in Akwanga.

The leadership of the party is supposed to be neutral when it comes to taking decisions and, even if you are going to take decisions, you take decisions based on what the popular view of the people is. The party didn’t do this. I happened to be in a meeting presided over by the then deputy governor, Michael Abdul. That meeting held within Akwanga zone which is like the heartbeat of Nasarawa State. Whatever happens in Akwanga spreads all over the state and most times, decisions are taken from there.

If you take right decisions there, other people of the state would follow.

You have not answered my question…

There was a meeting where I advised the deputy governor in the presence of 10 other people. Solomon Ewuga ran for elections in this state and we know what happened. Then he was running for a seat in Senate. I had vowed not to run for election that time because Ewuga met me and spoke to me that I should allow him to run and I said okay, but I begged him for one thing; I said the only condition was that he should give support to Aliyu Akwe Doma and his deputy, John Michael Abdul. That is why I didn’t contest any election, particularly to be sure that these people secured their seats and continued with some kind of work they were doing for Nasarawa State. So in that meeting, I pointed out to him that if we did not give Ewuga the ticket and allow him to defect to another party, we might have problems.

Then, what did he say?

He vehemently refused because he was looking at Ewuga as a threat to his 2015 governorship ambition, not knowing that he had not even secured 2011 yet. So, it was this blind ambition that caused the failure of PDP in Nasarawa State. If Ewuga was in our team, I know that PDP would have won Nasarawa State. And this was what I preached to them and they refused to accept it and today, they are looking for somebody to blame. That is why they have called for a kangaroo committee and penciled down my name to appear before it to embarrass me and make it seem to the Nigerian people that I do not know what I’m doing. Six days to election, Aliyu Doma, the then governor, called me and asked me to be the General Officer Commanding in this zone. Where was the deputy governor? Where was the Minister of Information?

Where was the Secretary to the State Government? They are all from this zone; why didn’t he appoint them? After I came, worked and squandered my goodwill - because virtually I was begging people to vote - we secured the votes that we got. PDP won elections in Akwanga, my domain. They didn’t win elections in Nasarawa-Eggon and Wamba.

Nasarawa-Eggon is where the Minister of Information comes from. The SSG comes from Wamba; they didn’t win elections. And when the sharer of the cake came and asked for 10 names to the federal government for appoint-

• Danboyi ment, they never sent anybody’s name from Akwanga. Nobody has been able to give any explanation to that. Places that elections were not won those were the places where they sent names. Tell me how PDP performed in Nasarawa-Eggon? How many elections did PDP win there?

Are you now alleging that there is a gang-up against the people of Akwanga?

Yes, there is a gang-up against the people of Akwanga and supported by their own children because maybe they are preventing one, two or three persons from rising. We have worked tirelessly for this party. I was a member of this party and I never moved to another party. I have always been in PDP, even when there were crises. I didn’t join another party. It was the same PDP that I formed. We mobilised ourselves back to work and now, somebody is accusing me of anti-party activities.

Let us look at the issue of John Michael Abdul

trying to position himself for 2015...

I am talking about Akwanga. The Minister of Information has his own ambition. Everybody has his different ambition. People were saying that they would run for governorship in 2015.

So, they never wanted Ewuga. It was a gang-up and it manifested in Akwanga. The person that was then deputy governor who was supposed to secure their seats. I was the one that insisted that Ewuga shouldn’t be.

What do you think led to the setting up of these anti-party activities’ committee by the PDP in Akwanga, and what is your involvement?

Recently, when I was around in Akwanga, somebody rushed to my house and gave me a letter which was written by Chief Ezekiel Maichibi and Yohanna Mark and they claimed to have been representing the party in a committee that the party had set up to try people that they believed were involved in anti-party activities during the general elections. That letter was given to me and the moment I saw it, I said, ‘well, it is good I will need to appear before the committee even though the committee, based on the party constitution, does not have right to talk to me.’ But I decided that it would be best for me to appear to shed light on things that are not very clear to people in Akwanga and to the whole nation, especially why PDP did not win the governorship election in the state. That is why I decided to honour the involation. On arrival, the chairman of the committee tendered an apology that the letter sent to me was sent in error. He said that they had discussed with the party and they found it to be so. It was also confirmed by the secretary of the party that the letter was sent in error. But unfortunately, they had a list of about 61 people including my name. So, something must have happened somewhere for my name to have appeared on the list.

Now that the chairman of the committee and secretary of the party have agreed to tender a written apology to you, what do you intend to do?

I am a civilised person; I will accept it. But that does not mean a lot of water has not gone under the bridge; a lot has happened. That is why I have chosen to speak. I have been very quiet over issues.

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DISCOURSE

After 2011 elections: The road ahead Electoral Commissioners (RECs). The non-partisanship of every REC appointed must be foolproof, or my party and the people will challenge them.

Text of the response by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Leader, Action Congress uf Nigeria at the conferment of the Leadership newspaper’s ‘Person of the Year’ award at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.

National Security The nation’s security and stability are being put to a grinding test. No matter who we are and what party we belong, we must work together for the unity and security of this nation.

On this issue, we must narrow our political differences to work together to keep this nation safe and to repel anyone and anything, foreign or domestic, which would do Nigeria ill.

While we have and will battle over many other issues, on this existential issue, the government has my solemn pledge that I will do what I can to help our nation out of this predicament. Although we talk security, the crux of matter is our unjust socio-economic system. The security problem will not be resolved by security policy alone. It requires a social and economic reconstruction that we have hitherto lacked.

Without strong, visible public support for such an undertaking, government will not have the organic base to quell the unrest and achieve the peace we need. Government will become a stranger in its own home.

I

AM honoured to be here today. I thank the Leadership Group for honouring me as the ‘Leadership Person of the Year’. It takes some courage to name an opposition figure as Person of the Year and the Leadership Newspaper is to be commended for this step. In doing this, you affirmed that the Fourth Estate, the media, remains a fertile ground for the growth of democracy. This gathering represents an important forum for us to talk about the state of our nation. I believe I received this award because of the electoral gains made by the opposition and the positive advance this means for our democracy. Yet, I also believe my most important role tonight is to give an open and public warning about the dangers that now amass over our nation and our democracy.

Key issues are the judiciary and the operation of the rule of law, freedom from political oppression, electoral fairness, economic deprivation and national security. The earlier we honestly discuss these issues, the better itwill be for our democratic development.

Judiciary and Rule of Law We need to maintain a vigil over the rule of law. In the immediate post-election period, we have been confronted with the abuse of power to muscle out the opposition. Through strict observance of the rule of law, our courts are to be the guardian of fairness and justice. Without such a protector, democracy lies exposed to the ravages of power. This is the case in Nigeria, today. Instead of learning good democratic lessons from judicial overturning of its electoral violations, the governing party now seems intent to overturn the impartiality of the judiciary.

The most glaring example of this has been the government’s attempt to cut short the career of one of our illustrious jurist, Court of Appeal President Justice Isa Salami. What was his crime? Refusing to put his sense of justice on sale. For this, they tarnished his name and plotted to end his career. They rumoured that he was in the pockets of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). This is a terrible lie against a good man. His verdicts were not for the ACN. They were for justice. However, those in power could not tolerate his impartiality. They sacrificed one of Nigeria’s finest jurists to send a blunt message to other jurists: go against our wishes and you shall lose those robes you hold so dear. If such a thing can befall so senior a jurist, what hope do others have? Unless the public cries out, the ruling party may succeed in turning the rule of law from an inalienable right into a tradable item that only it owns and controls.

Given this example, no other jurist now dares cross their assumed master. Our courts have become islands of confusion as judges balance their conscience against their careers. Thus, in Benue State, we saw the judicial confusion that led to an incongruous judgment by the Appeal Court for the PDP governor. After overturning several 2007 elections, Appeal Courts and tribunals could well have been duly admonished to forget the rule of law in judging current election appeals.

I cannot over-emphasise the importance of this attack against the judiciary. Should it be allowed to stand, all aspects of our democratic life are in danger. Sensing that the courts will no longer overturn their excesses, PDP operatives will return to the most blatant forms of electoral misconduct. They will snatch victory like a criminal kidnapping a child, but the courts will be too afraid to rectify the wrongful taking. We are in danger of justice becoming so blind that it pretends not to see anything, even the wrong done right in front of it. Even worse, this disregard for the rule of law will spill into every aspect of our lives. Neither our lives nor property will be safe and secure from unjust interference by those who hold the staff of government power.

For our part, the opposition will uphold the rule of law. We will petition the courts to follow the law and work to make sure courts act independent of politics. Each and every Nigerian should expect the full protection of the law and enjoyment of his civil liberties. That is our democratic creed and motto.

Electoral fairness We must not relent in our struggle for electoral reforms. The Uwais report contains a fine blueprint. The Uwais Committee produced a comprehensive report detailing the faults in the electoral process and enumerating 83 recommendations.

Important recommendations dealt with the independence of the electoral commission and creating an electoral process less

P

RIVATE schools in Abuja, earlier shut by the FCT Administration, are to pay N250,000 and satisfy all required standards to operate.

The Director in the Department of Policy and Implementation, FCT Education Secretariat, Mrs Rosemary Umanah, dropped the hint yesterday.

She said only schools which could meet the re-

Economic deprivation

Tinubu

‘Although we talk security, the crux of matter is our unjust socio-economic system. The security problem will not be resolved by security policy alone. It requires a social and economic reconstruction that we have hitherto lacked. Without strong, visible public support for such an undertaking, government will not have the organic base to quell the unrest and achieve the peace we need. Government will become a stranger in its own home’ vulnerable to manipulation. The beauty of democracy lies in the power it confers on the citizenry to elect the leader they want or reject those who have failed them. The solemn procession to the ballot box is one of democracy’s fundamental pillars.

The ruling party, PDP, has always pilfered votes through brute force or brazen fraud to secure its victories. The 2003 elections were bad but what came next was worse. By 2007, the public was eager to wave goodbye to Obasanjo but he and his cronies were not ready TO GIVE FREE REIN TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. They snatched the people’s mandate from their very hands. PDP operatives commandeered election materials. Phantom results were announced for phantom polling stations. The electoral pilferage prevented serious opposition parties from going into post-electoral hibernation as was usually the case.

We were alert to the danger that the next election would be even less of an election if we idly watched PDP hardliners perfect their schemes. The opposition and civil society applied great pressure that resulted in a change of INEC leadership and a somewhat-improved voter register. The country and, indeed, we in the opposition had faith in Attahiru Jega and his ability to engender positive change, despite the fact that he inherited a corrupt system. However, after these elections, we may have been too quick to hand Attahiru Jega a trophy of integrity.

We fear INEC is now moving in the direction opposite to democracy. The pretence is there but the substance of democracy is steadily eroding. Across the country there is a groundswell of discontent with the performance of INEC as evidenced in the numerous annulments, re-runs and lingering court cases.

Testimonies at the Presidential Appeal Tribunal reveal that Jega’s INEC did a shoddy job in the presidential elections.

It is not too late to reform INEC in time for the 2015 general elections. We expect the INEC chairman to remain true to his commitment to re-organise heads of departments. Serious complaints against senior officials have been ignored. It is almost five months after the April elections and about time the fundamental issue of the re-organisation of INEC’s dysfunctional system rises to the top of its internal agenda.

The integrity of our ballot papers is also fundamental. The reason for the avalanche of complaints over sensitive election materials might not be unconnected with lack of due process in procurement of election materials.

We want an independent INEC as the name connotes and we want a trustworthy umpire to boot! INEC must clean its house.

We urge the government to publish the list of the Resident

Nowhere is this more obvious than in the sphere of economic policy. Our people are mostly struggling and poor. They are also frustrated. And unfairness has become the hallmark of our economy.PDP management of the economy has been ineffective. Nigeria suffers one of the world’s worst rates of income inequality. We do not practise sufficient economic justice to change the skewed regime. There is nothing in the PDP policy arsenal to fight this battle. Just as the PDP’s political strategy is using the instruments of democracy to prevent genuine democracy, its economic strategy prevents economic democracy.

High unemployment rates remain unchanged. The people living below the poverty line has not decreased. The middle class – the backbone of any democracy — is an endangered species. Manufacturing and industrial firms are closing faster than opening. Electricity is unreliable and costly. Our people have not enough safe water to drink. Our women line up in blazing sun to buy kerosene in a nation that produces oil.

We in the opposition advocate fiscal federalism. Under the Excess Crude Account and now its progeny, the Sovereign Wealth Fund, the Federal Government has improperly siphoned funds constitutionally mandated for state governments. This represents a massive slush fund the Federal Government can use as it wishes with little public knowledge or oversight. At best, the monies will be used to fund practices that enrich government cronies but make poor the larger economy. I cannot speak for other states but I make bold to say that the states with ACN governors would rather see their proper share of these funds in the hands of their governors than in the custody of the bureaucrats servile to PDP chieftains.

Democracy as the only option As Nigerians, we all have a choice regarding which side of the epic divide we want to reside. I, Bola Tinubu, choose democracy. That preference does not blind me to the difficulties of my selection. I know others have selected differently from me. Democracy is hard to establish and even more difficult to maintain. It requires restraint and adherence to principle.

Dictatorship and authoritarianism are easy to form and give a crude delight to those who operate them. But while democracy now appears to be ascendant, we must keep alert.

My friends, it is one thing to have democracy; it is quite another thing to keep it. It is one thing to proclaim democracy; it is quite another thing to live it. We have done well in proclaiming democracy; we have been far less outstanding in living it.

In conclusion, l thank Leadership for this fine honour. I accept it not on my own account but on behalf of all those who believe as I do. I stand here, a Nigerian, proud and unapologetic. Despite all that I have endured, I will keep at it until this race is won. I hold no malice against anyone and seek no one’s harm. I focus on the betterment of my country and the improvement of my people. I see no way to do this than via political and economic democracy and justice.

The sun is setting on those who would hold hostage the destiny of the many for the benefit of the few. Still, the Nigeria that now exists is not yet the Nigeria I see in my dreams. Thus, I shall keep working to make those dreams come true.

I look into the shadows of how things are, yet I fear not for I am guided by a light that these shadows cannot extinguish. It is the lamp of liberty, hope and the decency and resiliency of our people. We shall attain the full potency of our nationhood and its democracy. The path will be hard but there is no mortal power that can stop us.

Thank you. May God Bless you and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

FCT gives closed private schools conditions to reopen quired standard would be reopened after the payment.

The FCT Administration closed more than 364 private schools for various offences, including failure to meet approved standards.

Mrs. Umannah said the department was committed to ensuring standards and qual-

ity assurance for schools.

Her words: “When we came on board, there were a lot of schools that were not licensed and we have been using a process called accreditation to license them.

“This is an ongoing thing; but we discovered that while we were struggling to do this

many people were on the side putting up schools without registration.

“We warned them, and when we saw they could not improve on the standards, they were closed.’’

According to her, certain things, which were necessary for a good learning environ-

ment for children, must be put into consideration before establishing a school.

She said: “It is expected that before you can begin academic activities, you would have draw up a plan, have development control to get an approval.

“Then you start building;

get Corporate Affairs’ Commission to also register you as a corporate entity.

“When you have done all that and built to specification, you seek for permission to put the children in the school.

“It is also expected that you will get teachers that will meet the minimum standards and the minimum standard of teachers’ qualification, which is National Certificate in Education for basic level,” she said.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

MONEY LINK

O

GUN State government has said it is losing between N1.5 billion and N2 billion every month due to wrongful remittance of its tax proceeds to other states.

This amounts to between N18 billion and N24 billion annually. The state said people should comply with the Personal Income Tax Act 2004 which stipulates that such taxes are payable to the tax authority where the person resides and not where he or she is working.

Speaking yesterday on the theme: “Understanding the Residency Rule for Employees living in Ogun State”, the state’s Governor, Ibikunle Amosu, said people living in border towns and villages like Sango Ota, Akute, Ibafo, Magoro, Mowe, Ojodu-Abiodun and Aiyetoro –Ayobo, among others, are not complying with the rule. He said many employers remit taxes of their employees in these areas to Lagos State government contrary to the PIT Act. He said government is committed to channelling over N100 billion to provide infrastructure to these areas as contribution to the development of the areas. Amosun, said the state has engaged tax experts to look at ways of improving the state’s internally generated revenue, by ensuring that it gets the taxes meant for its coffers.

The state, with a population of about four million, he said, currently generates about N950 million Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) on monthly basis, as against N700 million generated by the previous administration.

“More and more people are working in Lagos and other states, but they are bonafide residents of Ogun State, and most of them commute to work from the state. Unfortunately, many employers however, do not comply with the provisions of the personal income tax act. If we are able to add N2 billion to what we are doing now in terms of revenue generation, we will be doing better,” he said.

He said the violations and wrong-

Tax leakage: Ogun loses N24b annually

By Collins Nweze

ful administration of the statutory tax by companies and institutions is marginalising Ogun State.

The tax leakage is an obvious case of revenue erosion and economic strangulation of the state, adding that the state government believes that compliance with the extant tax law would go a long way in ensuring that the state delivers on its obligations to its numerous

•Advocates compliance with residency rule Ogun State Commissioner of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said the state’s Internal Revenue Service has simplified the process to support employers so that they comply with the law and remit taxes correctly.

She said research is on going and that the figure represents a conservative estimate, going by findings, adding that plans are in place to put in place to ensure that em-

stakeholders.

He said Ogun State is taking the lead in ensuring that all stakeholders, including private and public sector employers, employees, the business community, industry associations, professional bodies and employee unions understand and comply with the residency rule aspect of the tax laws of the country.

Unity Bank upgrades to Oracle 11g

U

NITY Bank has opted for the ‘BANKS’ Application Software to implement Oracle 11g with Web Logic.

This will result in achieving global data consistency, efficiency, data integrity, security, performance and manageability.

In a statement, yesterday, the bank said the landmark achievement places it in a leading role in the financial services by having the largest data capture and storage capacity.

Unity Bank’s Head of Media Relations, Sani Zaria, said aside improved service delivery; the upgraded information technology optimisation guarantees long term data integrity and

Euro rises against dollar

T

HE euro yesterday rose from an eight-month low versus the dollar.

According to Bloomberg report, the 17-nation currency rose for the first time in three days against the greenback on speculation that the United States Central Bank may implement a third round of quantitative easing, which would debase its currency.

The euro extended its gains and higher-yielding currencies rose as US stocks pared losses.

The Australian dollar declined to the least in more than a year

confidentiality of the bank’s customers’ information and records as well as high level data resilience.

Zaria also revealed that the bank has achieved the implementation of CITRIX, an application optimization solution designed to improve service turnaround time in all its 250 branches nationwide, while drastically controlling the growing recurrent cost on network connectivity, He said the bank is aware of the need to build and invest more in its distribution platforms as well as reinforce its products capabilities in asset management and asset gathering through a productive workforce that will go the extra mile to fulfill the aspirations of its customers.

I

N continuation of its contribu tion to the development of the global financial system, Access Bank Nigeria, is organising a conference titled, ‘The Access Bank Financial Market Conference.’

The conference, which is the fourth in a series, was inspired by the recent policy developments in Trade Finance and FX/Treasury Operations as well as Macroeco-

nomic developments and regulatory actions and implications on business.

“Operators in the Nigerian economy have identified liquidity risk, foreign exchange risks and counter party risks as the foremost challenges faced by organisations in recent times, a situation largely driven by the recent turbulence in the domestic and international

markets,” the bank said in a statement.

It added that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) recent policy on cash handling is also a topic of corporate interest as most organisations are uncertain about the implications of this policy on their financial operations.

It said the need for stakeholders to deliberate on these issues is the

Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 4-10-11 SYMBOL ETI DANGSUGAR PRESCO UACN CAP CADBURY GTASSURE ROADS FCMB IKEJAHOTEL

O/PRICE 12.00 7.00 7.00 33.46 17.85 13.91 1.01 4.65 4.25 2.25

C/PRICE 12.60 7.35 7.35 35.13 18.74 14.60 1.06 4.88 4.46 2.36

CHANGE 0.60 0.35 0.35 1.67 3.89 0.69 0.05 0.23 0.21 0.11

LOSER AS AT 4-10-11 SYMBOL ACADEMY ETERNAOIL CHELLARAM NPFMCRFBK PAINTCOM FO FLOURMILL ABCTRANS REDSTAREX HONYFLOUR

O/PRICE 2.60 5.12 6.76 1.08 0.93 10.44 59.55 0.54 2.41 3.10

C/PRICE 2.47 4.87 6.43 1.03 0.89 10.00 57.21 0.52 2.34 3.05

Amount

Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS

Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

immediate motivation for this conference.

The conference is seen as a platform for policy makers, regulators, asset managers, investment analysts, local and financial international institutions and other players in the financial markets to discuss some of the highlighted regulatory induced reforms and their impacts on businesses.

DATA BANK

Tenor

OBB Rate Call Rate

versus the greenback after the Reserve Bank of Australia held its key rate at 4.75 per cent.

The euro appreciated 0.7 per cent to $1.3267 from $1.3176, after touching $1.3146, the weakest since January 13.

It rose one per cent to 101.99 yen from 100.97 yen yesterday.

It touched 100.76, the least since June 2001. The dollar rose 0.3 percent to 76.88 yen.

The euro traded at 27.9 on its 14-day relative strength index against the dollar, falling below 30 for a second day. It was at 29 on a similar index versus the yen.

Access Bank holds Leadership Series conference

FGN BONDS

NIDF NESF

ployees’ personal income tax deductions due to the state are henceforth remitted to it’s coffers.

She said that government, employers of labour and their employees are principal factors in the execution of this policy.

She said that individuals living the state expect so much social amenities from government but such can only be provided when their taxes are remitted to the right coffers based on the Residency Rule.

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 1.00 117.81 107.46 0.78 1.02 0.94 1,628.78 8.24 1.39 1.87 7,221.04 193.00

9.08 1.00 117.57 107.10 0.75 1.02 0.93 1,625.40 7.84 1.33 1.80 6,999.77 191.08

ARM AGGRESSIVE KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY THE DISCOVERY FUND • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED

CHANGE 0.13 0.25 0.33 0.05 0.04 0.44 2.34 0.02 0.07 0.05

• 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

57

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 4-10-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 6 6

Quotation(N) 7.35

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 128,330 940,225.50 128,330 940,225.50

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

No of Deals 3 63 66

Quotation(N) 1.95 6.12

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 5,000 9,500.00 740,985 4,545,991.98 745,985 4,555,491.98

Quotation(N) 1.48

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 55,500 85,591.56 55,500 85,591.56

Quotation(N) 5.70 3.67 2.65 4.46 2.05 9.80 12.90 9.48 5.10 1.32 4.04 2.09 0.74 0.74 12.85

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 9,698,252 54,779,861.60 13,878,521 50,634,678.65 332,486 871,566.35 2,935,000 13,042,560.25 31,133,344 64,066,235.41 15,457,891 151,631,248.77 32,477,705 421,323,582.70 4,883,863 46,193,292.82 15,940,535 80,356,809.67 641,743 846,932.21 46,501,239 187,076,258.72 3,748,724 7,834,833.16 1,400,500 1,009,426.50 268,340 198,571.60 18,629,178 237,508,414.63 197,927,321 1,317,374,273.04

Quotation(N) 207.95 83.49

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 582,066 121,040,624.70 1,615,222 130,840,124.06 2,197,288 251,880,748.76

Quotation(N) 17.00 7.30 100.00 40.01

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 782,154 13,026,545.82 227,595 1,592,529.30 90,710 9,006,714.16 77,688 3,110,711.14 1,178,147 26,736,500.42

Quotation(N) 9.36 18.74 1.14 0.89

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 7,192 65,323.00 786,749 14,169,251.66 39,809 45,391.81 300,000 267,000.00 1,133,750 14,546,966.47

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

No of Deals 6 6 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. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 185 107 26 49 79 612 490 46 144 13 245 23 19 14 389 2,441 BREWERIES

Company Name GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 31 133 164 BUILDING MATERIALS

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

No of Deals 46 12 25 27 110 CHEMICAL & PAINTS

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

No of Deals 5 53 3 2 63

Stock market sustains recovery on Q3 earnings

T

HE Nigerian stock market opened this week with bullish rally as low share prices and expectations on third quarter corporate earnings reports quickened investors’ appetite.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed an overtly bullish market situation with nearly five out of every six stocks that recorded price changes closing on the upside.

All key indices at the stock market trended upward with gains across the banking, food and beverages, oil and gas, insurance and several other sectors.

The All Share Index (ASI) jumped by 1.02 per cent from 20,373 points to 20,581.30 points. The NSE 30 Index improved from 912.62 points to 922.91 points. The NSE Banking Index appreciated to 301.48 points as against its opening value of 295.45 points.

The NSE Food and Beverages Index equally increased from 643.34 points to 646.10 points. The NSE Insurance Index closed higher at 144.49 points as against its index on board of 139.78 points while the NSE Oil and Gas Index improved from 233.25 points

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

to 236.19 points.

Aggregate market capitalisation of all equities gained N66 billion to close at N6.563 trillion compared with its opening value of N6.497 trillion.

The positive outlook that started the fourth quarter has raised optimism that the lingering recession, which exacerbated in the third quarter, might moderate. However, the year-to-date return at NSE closed at negative 16.91 per cent.

Nigerian Breweries led the advancers with a gain of 351 kobo to close at N83.49. UAC of Nigeria followed with a gain of 167 kobo to close at N35.13.

Oando added 112 kobo to close at N24.11 while SevenUp Bottling Company and CAP gained 100 kobo and 89 kobo to close at N48 and N18.74 respectively.

However, Flour Mills Nigeria continued on its decline with a loss of 234 kobo to close at N57.21. Nestle Nigeria lost 99 kobo to close at N400.01. Forte Oil dropped by 44 kobo to N10.

Chellarams slipped by 33 kobo to N6.43 while Eterna

dropped 25 kobo to close lower at N4.87 per share.

Turnover stood at 246.98 million shares worth N2.36 billion in 4,663 deals. United Bank for Africa was the most active stock with a turnover of 46.50 million shares.

Guaranty Trust Bank followed with 32.48 million shares while Fidelity Bank ranked third with 31.13 million shares.

Banking sector remained atop activity chart with 197.93 million shares. Food and beverages sector placed a distant second with 8.89 million shares while hotel and tourism trailed with 8.30 million shares.

Market analysts however, remained cautious about the short-term outlook of the market although most analysts agreed that impressive third quarter earnings would significantly enhance the attractions of already low-priced equities.

According to analysts, with potential dividend yields on several stocks in double-digits, most discerning investors might find the stock market more attractive than largely single-digit offering of the fixed-income markets.

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 11 11

Quotation(N) 2.34

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 289,000 680,320.00 289,000 680,320.00

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 4-10-11

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

No of Deals 2 2

Quotation(N) 5.22

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 50,500 263,610.00 50,500 263,610.00

Quotation(N) 6.43 30.01 0.78 35.13 27.26

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 140,252 901,820.36 2,443,871 73,332,916.17 2,817,623 2,154,124.51 844,735 29,485,351.73 912,665 24,519,654.47 7,159,146 130,393,867.24

Quotation(N) 47.16 4.88

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 23,537 1,062,317.70 90,000 439,200.00 113,537 1,501,517.70

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 38,500 77,000.00 38,500 77,000.00

Company Name ASO SAVINGS AND LOAND PLC RESORT SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC Sector Totals

CONGLOMERATES Company Name CHELLARAMS PLC PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC OF NIGERIA PLC UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 92 53 57 72 281

NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. OASIS INSURANCE PLC PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

2 1 3 1 1 2 110

No of Deals 8 1 9

No of Deals 17 17

No of Deals 4 4

No of Deals 23 46 322 97 114 20 17 84 4 2 729

Quotation(N) 2.10

Quotation(N) 48.00 14.60 7.14 7.35 57.21 3.05 4.50 400.01 22.61 0.50

No of Deals 9 16 14 20 12 1 72

Quotation(N) 0.90 1.21 27.00 3.00 0.99 3.68

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 109,280 102,282.00 231,511 272,068.31 46,799 1,263,670.72 515,940 1,545,805.89 336,688 318,616.06 50 184.00 1,240,268 3,502,626.98

Quotation(N) 2.36

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 8,302,733 19,594,449.88 8,302,733 19,594,449.88

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name IKEJA HOTEL PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 39 39

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name B. O. C. GASES NIGERIA PLC VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC VONO PRODUCTS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 10 1 12

Quotation(N) 6.95 5.70 2.88

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,089 15,228.81 61,550 351,775.02 10,000 28,800.00 73,639 395,803.83

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

No of Deals 3 2 5

No of Deals 63 63

No of Deals 3 1 4

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 251,500 125,750.00 3,500 1,750.00 255,000 127,500.00

Quotation(N) 0.59 1.03 2.30 0.50 1.06 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,431,179 1,407,195.33 217,700 223,004.00 136,785 314,815.65 291 145.50 3,060,897 3,225,669.31 300,000 150,000.00 76,320 38,160.00 1,100,000 550,000.00 84,500 42,250.00 164,000 82,000.00

Company Name NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 43 10 6 1 21 1 1 5 2 10

No of Deals 1 1 2

Quotation(N) 0.86

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,074,010 1,777,440.50 2,074,010 1,777,440.50

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 600,000 300,000.00 20,000 10,000.00 620,000 310,000.00

Quotation(N) 1.03 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 50,000 51,500.00 5,000 2,500.00 55,000 54,000.00

Quotation(N) 6.57 1.84

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 50 312.50 800,294 1,463,325.20 800,344 1,463,637.70

PACKAGING Company Name AVON CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS PLC. NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 41 42

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

No of Deals 1 20 15 3 24 19 229 21 332

Quotation(N) 0.50 63.86 35.00 4.87 10.00 148.00 24.11 200.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 15,000 7,500.00 28,212 1,711,622.04 204,771 7,163,529.40 125,000 608,750.00 237,301 2,395,091.08 8,270 1,165,497.00 3,396,873 81,685,426.17 71,834 13,649,660.00 4,087,261 108,387,075.69

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

No of Deals 11 7 10 28

Quotation(N) 2.47 4.85 3.81

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 323,268 798,471.96 178,400 865,488.55 42,202 166,110.30 543,870 1,830,070.81

Quotation(N) 12.20

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 21,750 275,356.25 21,750 275,356.25

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

No of Deals 9 9

ROAD TRANSPORTATION Company Name ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2

Quotation(N) 0.52

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 200,000 104,107.00 200,000 104,107.00

Quotation(N) 0.85

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 22,500 20,025.00 22,500 20,025.00

TEXTILES

INSURANCE Company Name AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC.

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 500,696 434,704.64 500,696 434,704.64

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 135,527 6,449,920.04 458,618 6,561,177.90 1,682,888 11,617,432.04 2,795,884 20,390,541.50 2,714,176 154,190,903.85 210,320 641,135.00 192,122 855,530.16 665,078 264,311,454.49 21,950 471,980.00 15,500 7,750.00 8,892,063 465,497,824.98

HEALTHCARE Company Name EVANS MEDICALPLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N) 0.94

MORTGAGE COMPANIES

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC NORTHERN NIGERIA FLOUR MILLS PLC TANTALIZERS PLC Sector Totals

8,588.50 150,000.00 50,050.00 12,000.00 500.00 13,125.50 6,267,503.79

MARITIME

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name CUTIX PLC Sector Totals

17,177 300,000 35,000 24,000 1,000 26,251 7,975,100

LEASING Company Name C&I LEASING PLC Sector Totals

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

0.50 0.50 1.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Company Name UNITED NIGERIAN TEXTILES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2

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

No of Deals 23 23

Quotation(N) 12.60

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 212,950 2,582,899.50 212,950 2,582,899.50

4,654

246,894,188

2,361,661,139.22

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

58

NEWS CAN wades into Ebonyi Labour crisis

‘Education can curb violence’ HE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged governments to make the education of youths a top priority to checkmate violence and insecurity in the country.

In a statement by its National President, Dauda Mohammed, NANS challenged the government to reflect on the state of the nation with a view to safeguarding democracy.

He said: “NANS congratulates Nigerians on the occasion of the nation’s 51st independence anniversary celebration. We wish to challenge Nigerians, particularly the authorities at various levels, to reflect on the state of the nation”.

Mohammed said education remains a key instrument to checkmate violence. NANS said only a secured and peaceful environment can expedite the development of the country.

It said the nation should remember victims of the 0ctober 1 bomb blast in Abuja during the 50th independence anniversary celebration and victims of other violent attacks.

“We see the present security situation in Nigeria as an issue that demands the concern of all Nigerians and should henceforth not be seen as a problem confronting only the government.

“We want to restate our call on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently convene a National Dialogue that will involve stakeholders across ethnic, religious, civil societies and aggrieved groups in the country on the present state of our nation’s security, rather than treating it as a government affair alone”, Mohammed said.

T

Ebonyi decries diversion of petroleum

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BONYI State government yesterday said three petroleum product marketers had diverted products meant for the state to other parts of the country.

The government said it was battling with the activities of some unscrupulous marketers who do not have filling stations, yet divert products allocated to the state.

Special Adviser, Petroleum Product Pricing Distribution, Chidi Ejem,spoke to reporters in Abakaliki.

He said the activities of these marketers had become worrisome.

Ejem said the state government had mobilised its Task Force to checkmate the diversion of petroleum products.

“What I’m working on now borders on the issue of diver-

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

sion. I’m pursuing three marketers who have diverted Ebonyi products to other states. ‘’They left the depot and till now they have not gotten to Ebonyi State. One of them called that his truck fell on the way. ‘’I have mobilised my boys to the location where he said his product fell to verify the story. ‘’We want to verify such claims. The other one is in Port Harcourt. So, at the end of today, I will ascertain whether all these claims are true or not.’’

‘Judiciary on course’

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PRESSURE group, the Coalition for the Recovery of the Mandate of Cosmas Okoli, has expressed confidence in the judiciary.

The group said at a news conference that contrary to insinuations by the Labour Party’s House of Representatives’ candidate in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, Okoli has not jettisioned moves to reclaim his seat at the House of Representatives.

The Chairman of Ohaneze, Amuwo Odofin, Chief Fabian Onwuaghalu, said although the matter was at the tribunal, there was the need to sensitise the public that Okoli’s efforts at getting justice had not been jettisioned.

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Funeral for rector

HE Acting Rector of the Auchi Polytechnic ,Edo State, Louis Remi Akagbosu is dead. He died on September 11. His remains will be interred on Friday at his family compound on Mission road, Agenebode.The valedictory service comes up at the Polytechnic auditorium on Thursday by 12 noon.He is survived by wife, Dame, children and relatives.

Peace rally holds tomorrow

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GROUP, the United Ethnic Group (UEG),Apapa, Lagos, will hold its inauguration/rally tomorrow. The venue is the Apapa Local Government car park. The time is 11am.A statement by its Chairman, Chief Gabby Dimude, said the rally is meant to sensitise the people on the need for peace in the local government, state and the country.

Community leader for burial CHIEF Dan Ede Agege of Orhomuru-Orogun in Ughelli North Local Government of Delta State is dead. He was 79. He was a community leader,the Urhoro of Orogun Kingdom.

According to the funeral arrangements announced by the family, the wake comes up at his Orogun family compound on Friday.His remains will be interred on Saturday.

He is survived by wife, Victoria, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, among whom are Clement Ede Agege, Director of Environmental Services, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC); Justice James Omo Agege, retired Chief Judge of Delta State and Chief George Emo Agege.

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

T

•European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, David MacRae, with Anambra State Governor Peter Obi after their meeting at Abuja… yesterday

MASSOB decries arrest, detention of members

T

HE Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has condemned the alleged arrest, detention and harassment of its members by soldiers on internal security duties in Anambra and Enugu States.

Comrade Uchenna Madu, MASSOB’s National Director of Information, spoke on Tuesday in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Madu was reacting to the alleged ‘’harassment, arrest and torture’’ of MASSOB’s members by soldiers on internal security patrol in Anambra and Enugu states.

He said MASSOB would continue to maintain a “nonviolent’’ approach to its agitation through the use of dialogue, local and international diplomacy.

“We do not see the military

Jubilation as court frees members From Adimike George, Onitsha

T

HERE was jubilation yesterday at the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, following the release of an octogenarian member of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

One thousand MASSOB members yesterday marched on major streets and markets in Onitsha chanting Biafra songs.

The octogenarian, Pa Samuel Onwuka, had reportedly been in prison custody since 2006 until a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawale, discharged and acquitted him. Narrating his ordeal with security operatives prior to his detention, Pa Onwuka vowed not to succumb to intimidation. He said he would continue to fight for the realisation of Biafra.

The Onitsha MASSOB Region IV Administrator, Arinze Igbani said over 25 of their members are still languishing in cells and called for their release. men having a constitutional right to arrest, torture and detain MASSOB members.

“We see the arrest as attempts to frustrate MASSOB, pushing us into

violence so that they will now see more reasons to start killing MASSOB members.

“But we remain nonviolent, MASSOB will remain non-violent even in the face of the persecution’’.

HE Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)in Ebonyi State yesterday waded into the one- month- old industrial action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) following failure by the state government to fully implement the N18,000 national minimum wage.

State Caretaker Committee Secretary of the NLC Comrade Macx Nnaji said Organised Labour met with CAN at the weekend on how to resolve the industrial dispute.

Nnaji said Labour and CAN have agreed to meet with the state government and set up a committee, comprising government and Labour representatives He said the committee would look at the controversial table recommended by the state government on the payment of workers.

Nnaji said: “The Christian Association of Nigeria has waded into the industrial crisis with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem. ‘’We met twice at the weekend and it was resolved that CAN should meet with the state governor to discuss how to set up a committee that would comprise CAN, Labour and government representa tives”.

The Labour leader regretted that since the industrial impasse,Governor Martin Elechi had never met with the union.

He said the union would not accept governmen’s t table without any further negotiation.

“We cannot accept the government table, neither would we call off the industrial action.’’ It is regrettable that the state government has closed all further negotiations, insisting that we must call off the strike before they would negotiate further with us.

“Government has resorted to the use of intimidation on workers, we are still on strike and the state government went ahead to compute workers salary with the controversial table.

Abia justifies sack of non-indigenes

A

BIA State Government has defended its decision to disengage non-indigenes. It said the policy was part of measures to overcome the burden created by the need to implement the minimum wage.

The state said the reaction over the decision was unnecessary as it had consulted with the states whose indigenes were affected.

Special Adviser to Governor Theodore Orji on Public Affairs Ben Onyechere said in a statement that the state resorted to this, among other steps,following the failure of

By Eric Ikhilae

by the Federal Government to modify the revenue formula.

He said although the staff rationalisation policy was unfortunate, it’s one of the state’s few options in the face of current financial realities.

Onyechere assured of the state’s willingness to revisit the policy should the Federal Government agrees to increase states’ share in the federal allocation.

He denied that the policy was to retaliate similar cases meted at to Abia indi-

genes by other states.

“Staff rationalisation and audit are one of the ways in which government can adjust to the payment of minimum wage in addition to raising taxes to enable government augment the obvious deficit that will accrue as a consequence of the mandatory wage bills.

“The act of governance is not a tea party but rather a very serious business where one governor’s action or inaction can make or break governance.

“The decision to rationalise staff is the choice between

the devil and the deep blue sea, none of which is comfortable but one of which must be followed.

“It is a common knowledge that states were told to source for funds to pay minimum wage which in itself will enlarge the wage bills as much as erode financial stability of most of the states.

“It is noticeable that while workers are on strike in some states others are free from it, reason being that some state governors had refused to face the stack reality while treating the issue at hand with levity.

Enugu workers stopped from resuming work

T

HERE was a mild drama yesterday as the striking workers in Enugu State were prevented from entering their offices,following the suspension of their industrial action, by the Enugu Workers Forum.

Led by Osmund Ugwu, who insisted on the continuation of the strike, the group

From Chris Oji, Enugu

went round offices chasing workers away and pasting notices that the strike should continue.

The Organised Labour had, after a meeting last weekend with religious and traditional leaders, accepted to return to work after one month.

Public schools resumed yesterday as teachers were seen in their various classes.

State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Chumaife Nze was away in Abuja, following the suit filed against Labour by the state government.

Many workers had converged on Freedom Square in

the secretariat waiting for the arrival of national officers from Abuja to confirm the retur-to-work order.

“Once the national officers come and confirm to us that we can now go back to work, Osmund Ugwu and his group cannot stop us. If they dare do that, it is then that they will incur our wrath,” said a unionist.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

59

FOREIGN NEWS France warns Syria not to intimidate activists

Suicide car bomb kills 70 in Somalia capital

F

A

T least 70 people have been killed by a huge suicide blast near a government compound in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, say officials.

Eyewitnesses said a truck carrying explosives was driven into a gate near a government ministry and detonated.

A spokesman for the Islamist militant group al-Shabab told the BBC it had carried out the attack.

It is the largest attack since al-Shabab withdrew its forces from Mogadishu in August.

Rescue workers said more than 50 people had been injured in the blast. Many of the victims were soldiers and students who had been waiting at the education ministry.

The United Nationsbacked transitional government condemned the attack and said no senior government officials were hurt in the blast. Government members were meeting in the building near the blast site

•Scene of the bomb attack....yesterday

at the time.

“The attack shows that the danger from terrorists is not yet over and that there are obviously still people who want to derail the advances that the Somali people have made towards peace,” it said in a statement.

The government statement set the number of dead at 15, but it was not clear whether this was only an initial count.

The blast struck outside a compound housing government buildings in Kilometre Four (K4) - a crossroads

in central Mogadishu.

Police officer Ali Hussein told the Associated Press news agency that the vehicle had exploded after pulling up at a checkpoint on the way into the official compound.

I arrived at the scene by foot about 30 minutes after the lorry exploded. It was shocking. At least 11 bodies burnt beyond recognition were lying on the ground.

The main buildings and surrounding trees were on fire.

First-aid workers were carrying severely wounded

people to ambulances. Two people with blood all over their legs were shouting for help.

People came rushing to the scene, but it is hard to identify the bodies. Some people were crying - it was very emotional. Somali government soldiers then began shooting in the air to get the crowds to move as it was rumoured that other suicide vehicles may be in the area.

They are stopping and searching all cars. There are no vehicles moving in this area of the city.

Clashes erupt in eastern province of Saudi Arabia

F

OURTEEN people have been injured in clashes in eastern Saudi Arabia, state media say.

They said the unrest in the province of Qatif late on Monday had been incited by “a foreign country”, without elaborating.

Saudi Arabia’s minority Shia population is concentrated in the east, the scene of protests earlier this year.

State media said eight of those wounded were security personnel and three were civilians.

State news agency SPA quot-

ed the interior ministry as saying that “a group of outlaws and rioters on motorbikes” had gathered in alAwamia village near the city of Qatif, “carrying petrol bombs”.

The group was responsible for acts leading to “insecurity with incitement from a foreign country that aims to undermine the nation’s security and stability”, SPA reported.

Saudi mentions of foreign meddling are normally veiled references to Iran, the region’s main Shia power,

observers say.

In March, Saudi police opened fire to disperse protesters in Qatif, a day before planned countrywide antigovernment protests.

The protesters, from the Shia minority, were demanding the release of prisoners they said had been held without charge.

Protests are illegal in Saudi Arabia, which has had an absolute monarchy since its unification in the 1930s.

Rights groups have accused the police of beating protesters during previous rallies in

Rwandan President Kagame ‘sparked 1994 genocide’

F

A FORMER ally of Rwandan President Paul Kagame has accused him of complicity in the death of a former president which sparked the 1994 genocide.

Theogene Rudasingwa said he heard Mr Kagame boast in 1994 that he ordered the shooting down of the plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana.

“By committing that kind of crime Kagame has the responsibility in the crime of genocide,” he told the BBC. President Kagame has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attack.

Dalai Lama cancels South African Tutu trip over visa THE Dalai Lama has cancelled his trip to South Africa, where he had been invited by fellow Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The Tibetan spiritual leader’s office said the South African government had failed to grant him a visa on time.

Pretoria has maintained that it did not come under pressure from China to stop the visit.

Archbishop Tutu said South Africa was “worse than the apartheid government” for failing to issue the visa.

Mr Rudasingwa, who lives in the US, has fallen out with Mr Kagame in recent years and was sentenced in absentia in March to a 24-year jail term for threatening state security and propagating ethnic divisions.

Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the genocide which began on the evening of 6 April 1994, after Mr Habyarimana and Burundi’s leader died in the plane crash.

Hutu militias then began a campaign of orchestrated killing against Tutsis.

Theogene Rudasingwa is by far the most senior former

ally of Paul Kagame to have made the allegation that Mr Kagame was responsible for shooting down the plane carrying Juvenal Habyarimana.

I first met Mr Rudasingwa in 1994 on the front line between the then-rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) troops and the Rwandan government forces which were mainly responsible for carrying out the genocide.

It was just a few days after the plane went down. Mr Rudasingwa was one of a close circle of officers around Mr Kagame.

PUBLIC NOTICE THE PINNACLE OF GOD MINISTRY This is to inform the general public that the above mentioned Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Section C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEE ARE: 1. Pastor Jonah Chimeuche Okonkwo 2. Pastor (Mrs) Elizabeth Ngozi Okonkwo 3. Chibuike Nweze 4. Mr. Michael Okechukwu Oguejiofor 5. Mrs Edith Nkiruka Ugwu AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ 2. To fulfill the great Commission in Mathew 28 Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Sign: C.M.O. Nweze Esq. Solicitor & Advocate

Qatif.

Shias make up about 10% of the population in Sunnidominated Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has not seen protests on the same scale as other nations in the Middle East and North Africa during the so-called Arab Spring.

RANCE has warned Syria it will not tolerate its agents harassing those who are protesting against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

The warning followed media reports that a group of activists had been filmed, insulted and attacked in Paris.

Earlier, an Amnesty International report accused Syria of a campaign of intimidation against activists abroad.

It quoted the activists as saying that Syrian embassy staff had threatened them and their relatives in Syria.

Meanwhile, Russia has said it will not support a draft resolution condemning Syria’s suppression of prodemocracy protests, which is to be put to the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero, quoted by Agence France-Presse, said Syrian activists had been given more police protection in the wake of the alleged intimidation, which is now being investigated.

Here was a show of defiance by a small group of opposition activists outside the Syrian embassy in London.

They had written their names and home towns on the placards they were holding in full view of the embassy building. This, even though the protesters here had stories of being intimidated, allegedly by the diplomats inside.

One of the protesters told me his mother and brother had been attacked outside the House of Commons earlier this year.

Namibia crowds welcome colonial-era skulls from Germany

H

UNDREDS of Namibians have welcomed home 20 skulls of ancestors taken to Germany more than a century ago.

Warriors on horseback shouted war cries and women in ceremonial dress ululated as the plane carrying the skulls landed in the capital Windhoek at sunrise.

German scientists took the heads to perform discredited racial experiments.

Prime Minister Nahas Angula said the “tragic chapter” of history was now closed, but many Namibians disagree, demanding Germany pay reparations.

The skulls are believed to belong to 11 people from the Nama ethnic group and nine from the Herero, who died after an uprising against their German colonial rulers more than 100 years ago.

They were among hundreds who starved to death after being rounded up in camps.

In the 1880s, Germany acquired present-day Namibia, calling it German South-West Africa. In 1904 the Herero, the largest of about 200 ethnic groups, rose up against colonial rule, killing more than 120 civilians.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

‘The government should stop covering up. We want the army that killed the promising Stephen to show...remorse by apologising to the family. It should also ensure that those who murdered Stephen are brought to book’ VOL.7 NO.1904

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

I

T’S been two weeks today since we last met on these pages. During this period several major events have taken place, among them the Senate screening and subsequent swearing in of Justice Dahiru Musdapher as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Coming in the wake of the disastrous acrimony between the former CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, and the suspended President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Ayo Salami, over the 2007 Sokoto State governorship election, Justice Musdapher’s appointment couldn’t have come at a worse time for the judiciary.

The acrimony started when the former CJN stopped the Court of Appeal (CA) sitting in Sokoto from delivering a judgement that was speculated to have been against the incumbent governor. However, the acrimony only became public when the former CJN tried, in effect, to promote Justice Salami sideways into the Supreme Court, a move which the latter loudly rejected by heading for the courts in protest.

Then followed accusations and counteraccusations between the warring judges of selling out, each to his alleged “political masters”. Predictably both bar and bench became deeply divided over who was right and who wasn’t. Thereafter all efforts by horrified well-meaning observers, especially former senior judges like Mamman Nasir and Mustapha Akanbi – both incidentally former PCAs – and senior lawyers to contain the acrimony failed.

The failure was compounded by the decision of the former CJN to set up a panel of members of the National Judicial Council (NJC), the disciplinary arm of the Judiciary, to adjudicate in the matter. The outcome the suspension of Justice Salami for perjury against the CJN - was predictable; the vast majority of the 23 odd members of the NJC are, constitutionally, the CJN’s appointees.

Again predictably, Salami, who had been persuaded to withdraw his court case against the former CJN, headed back to the courts, this time to defend himself against his suspension based on the NJC claim that he had lied against the former CJN. This development, as Justice Mustapha Akanbi, among others, has repeatedly pointed out in several newspaper interviews, was unprecedented.

It is against this background of a deeply divided Judiciary that Justice Musdapher has become the country’s new CJN. Obviously this makes his job unenviable. Add to this the fact that he’s been a major actor in the Katsina-Alu/Salami face-off as a key Salami witness who, however, in the end rejected Salami’s account of the judicial controversy over the 2007 Sokoto State governorship election, then the new CJN’s job looks like

People and Politics By MOHAMMED HARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

Who will save the judiciary?

‘

Still the CJN can make a difference even with the little time he has. He obviously has the ability to do so.

Otherwise, it is unlikely that he would have risen as far as he has.

What remains is for him to show that he has the will.

•Justice Musdapher

mission impossible.

Happily, there’s hardly anything that is impossible in this world provided, that is, that there is the insight and the ability, and, above all, the will, to deal with it.

Already the new CJN has shown an appreciation of the enormity of his job. He did this during the Special Session of the Supreme Court to mark the beginning of 2011/2012 Legal Year by honestly admitting, albeit cautiously, that the judiciary has never had it so bad.

“As it stands today,” he said on that occasion, “it seems the society we serve is not entirely satisfied with our performance.

Hard as it may be to accept, we feel it is less important to focus on whether this assessment is fair or not. The important thing is for us to transparently come to terms with the prevailing realities, accept the gap in expectations, and do our utmost to bridge it.”

He then assured his audience that the judiciary under him will carry out “the weighty responsibilities” hanging on its shoulders “with vigour, truth and dignity.”

More than anyone else the CJN obviously

RIPPLES

HARDBALL

his predecessor by trying to resolve the fallout from the face-off.

The Nigerian Bar Association and many senior lawyers have, quite rightly, denounced the role of the NJC in the suspension of Justice Salami. Some people have even called for his recall in the face of the fact that he was suspended after he had gone to court to challenge his suspension on the ground that he lied against the former CJN, making his suspension sub judice.

I very much doubt the wisdom of such calls if only because re-instating Salami can only further divide an already badly divided Judiciary. Instead Justice Musdapher can direct that Salami’s case be given accelerated hearing. A quick verdict would provide an opportunity to sort out the Sokoto mess which is at the heart of the current judicial predicament.

Beyond that, Justice Musdapher can do a lot by leading by example. Writing in an insightful collection of essays in Thisday by members of its editorial board in its October 1 Independence Anniversary edition, a lawyer, Sonnie Ekwowusi, in his own essay asked the very pertinent question, “Who Will Save the Judiciary?” His answer suggested he believed politicians are the ones. “The Jonathan administration,” he said, “should therefore take concrete steps to overhaul the country’s criminal justice and prison system.”

Ekwowusi couldn’t be further from the solution to the decay in our judicial system.

Politicians have been part of, indeed are the root cause of, the decay. They are therefore unlikely to be part of the solution, much less the entire solution, to the problem.

The solution lies almost entirely with the members of the bench themselves.

Needless to say, all parties in any dispute, political or otherwise, will invariably try by means, sometimes fair, sometimes foul, sometimes both, to persuade judges to see things their way. It is entirely up to the judges to resist anyone who tries to suborn them to give judgment, not essentially on the merit of their case, but solely for a consideration.

Short as his tenure will be as the CJN, indeed precisely because of its brevity, Justice Musdapher has no choice but to lead the battle for redeeming the image of our judiciary as an institution whose members, generally speaking, are regarded as available for sale to the highest bidder, or worse, to the next bidder.

And if whispers coming out of the hallowed chambers of courts are to be believed, he has more than enough fellow judges on the high bench, notably the next in line to succeed him, Justice Alooma Mukhtar, to give him covering fire against any illwilled compromiser.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Immunity no barrier to anti-graft war

VISION 20-20-20 IS POSSIBLE–Shonekan

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...HOW? BY ABRACADABRA?

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knows he has next to no time to do his own bit for the Judiciary; he has less than a year to reach his mandatory retirement age of 70. And even with the best of intentions and the strongest of wills, one needs years, not months, to clean the Judiciary of the rot that has eaten deep into it.

Still the CJN can make a difference even with the little time he has. He obviously has the ability to do so. Otherwise, it is unlikely that he would have risen as far as he has. What remains is for him to show that he has the will.

He has promised to raise a judicial reform committee to help redeem the image of the Judiciary by overhauling the administration of justice in the country.

This, to me, is rather a false start. The experienced learned judge, I am sure, must have heard the quip about the most effective strategy for sweeping a problem under the carpet is to set up a committee to look into it.

Of the many things that have served to dent the image of the Judiciary none, at least in my view, has been as bad as the Katsina-Alu/ Salami face-off. Justice Musdapher can do worse than begin his effort at cleaning up after

LAWAL OGIENAGBON

PINION is still divided on what effect the retention of immunity clause in the constitution has on the war against corruption. The clause shields the president and governors from being prosecuted for corruption while in office. However, how that division is distributed between those who support its retention and those who oppose it is even more difficult to judge. But for the moment, it is important to note that virtually all the anti-graft agencies, particularly the EFCC and the ICPC, favour the expunction of the clause. A few days ago, a legal officer with the EFCC, Mr Ike Okonjo, complained at a conference held in Abuja that the clause hindered the fight against corruption. He was merely mirroring the view of the leadership of his organisation.

But does the clause really hamstring antigraft efforts? It is hard to say. Indeed, no matter how vociferous the campaign to expunge the clause gets, for now, neither the National Assembly nor any panel whatsoever is minded to tinker with that provision. Antigraft agencies are, of course, going on with their work. Rather than be distracted campaigning against the clause, they would be

more productive focusing on their work in spite of the many limitations they contend with daily.

If they cannot get the clause abrogated, they have said, they would in the alternative want a tribunal to ensure a speedy prosecution of suspects.

This is also a tempting proposition, for doubtless the speed with which suspects are prosecuted in the regular courts can benefit from some firm handling and catalyst. Yet, in such matters, when a man’s reputation could be lost irretrievably, it is always better to proceed cautiously rather than for justice to miscarry. The society must be educated to wait patiently for its pound of flesh.

Overall, however, the existing constitutional provisions for anti-corruption war seem to have taken into consideration the highly litigious propensity not only of Nigerians generally, but also particularly of activists whether in the legal profession or in the human rights and civil society communities. The argument has been repeatedly advanced that litigations will both slow down office holders and make them less productive. This is indubitable. After all, though it may appear delayed, office holders are not protected after vacating their positions, nor are antigraft agencies constitutionally or institutionally deprived of the enthusiasm needed to diligently

pursue the prosecution of offenders.

What in fact appears to be lacking is not legal or constitutional provision to tackle corrupt public officers when they leave office but the inability of the electorate and the media to bring pressure on office holders to relinquish office consequent upon their indictment by anti-graft agencies. As the experience under the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo presidency showed, even such indictments can sometimes be irritatingly politicised. To abrogate the immunity clause could indeed lead to wider abuse and also tempt a hostile government to hound opposition office holders out of office through a judicial system that has so far proved incompetent to resist unhealthy political pressure.

It is inadvisable to indulge the campaign to abrogate the immunity clause. Even for a polity that has achieved the civic culture, a constitution without an immunity clause would still have to be managed carefully. Nigeria’s political culture is not anywhere near the civic culture; we would, therefore, be flying in the face of providence to subject the country to such intolerable stress trying to solve a problem by inadvertently creating a bigger one.

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