Sep 5, 2013

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

PDP candidate rejects Offa rerun victory NEWS

Page 53

•APC won election, says PDP man

We won’t take over Wema, says AMCON NEWS

Page 2

•‘We’re there to revive loan assets’ www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 8, NO. 2597 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

Suntai: Lawmakers reject Taraba deal

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HERE is a twist to the Taraba State deal which ceded the running of the state to Deputy Governor Garba Umar, who is to act as governor as Governor Danbaba Suntai stays in the Government House.

Monday’s announcement of the deal by the Senator Hope Uzodinnma Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fact-finding team was thought to have ended the political impasse sparked by SUntai’s arrival from a 10-month medi-

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

cal trip. .Uzodinma and his team, who were in Jalingo on Tuesday, also said Umar should be consulting Suntai before taking major decisions.

Yesterday, some House of Assembly members rejected the decision. They accused the committee of taking sides and acting a script prepared

by PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur.

Majority Leader Joseph Albasu and seven others told Continued on page 2

•Vice-President Namadi Sambo (second right), President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (right) with MD/CEO, GTBank, Mr. Segun Agbaje (left) and Regional Head, Origination & Client Coverage, Africa Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Anil Dua , at the ceremony in Abuja… yesterday

Dangote to get $3.3b loan for oil refinery

•PAGE 11

PDP crisis: Jonathan rejects Obasanjo’s peace mission •SEE ALSO GES 4 & 5 PAGES PA

Cracks widen as Tukur, Baraje clash

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HERE were strong indications last night that President Goodluck Jonathan may call the bluff of the seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Dr. Jonathan, who reportedly got angry at a meeting

There is only one lawfully recognised PDP and I am firmly in charge...any person who is not duly elected into any leadership position and...goes ahead to arrogate such to himself will face the full wrath of the law —Tukur From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

with PDP governors loyal to him on Tuesday night, asked them not to lose sleep over the

Two arrested in UK over £20m Abacha loot

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From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

HE last is yet to be heard about looted funds traced to ex- Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, as £20m(N5.12billion) laundered through some lawyers in Britain is being probed.

Two suspects, including a former Attorney-General of Kogi State, have been arrested in London in connection with the loot The two suspects, who were trying to convert a 1994 CBN Traveller’s Cheque worth £2,000 at Travelex are undergoing interrogation in London.

Upon a search in the suspects’ hotel in London, it was gathered, about £78,000 traveller’s cheque was found on them.

There were indications that the UK Police may invoke the Mutual Legal Assis-

party’s crisis.

It was also learnt that some forces in the Presidency are viewing with suspicion the peace moves initiated by ex-

It shows that Tukur is unfit, incapable and totalitarian...The court has recognised us and directed that the status quo be maintained. His press conference is subjudice. Let them continue to make more blunders —Baraje President Olusegun Obasanjo because the aggrieved governors are seen as his “die-hard” loyalists.

The peace meeting called

by the ex-President is scheduled for tomorrow in Abuja.

The President is said to have rejected Obasanjo’s peace moves.

A source, who spoke with our correspondent last night, said: “The President, after going through some security reports on the crisis, got angry and told the governors, ‘we will not lose sleep. Those who ignited the fire should go and quench it’.

“It is obvious that the Presidency is already closing in on those pulling the strings Continued on page 2

•Hassana Badaru (fourth right front) and Hussaina Badaru (third right front) are held by their parents as doctors give a press conference after a surgery to separate the conjoined twins at BLK Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi …yesterday STORY ON PAGES 6

Continued on page 2

•GOVT: ASUU’S DEMANDS UNREALISTIC P6 •MEND THREATENS ATTACK P7

2

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

NEWS •Senate President David Mark (centre) with former Miliatry President Ibrahim Babangida (right) and Senator Tunde Ogbeha during a visit to Babangida by the Third Regular Course of the Nigeria Defence Academy Alumni Association in Minna, Niger State …yesterday

Suntai: Lawmakers reject Taraba deal Continued from page 1

reporters that they want “strict compliance with the provisions of the constitution.”

The other lawmakers are: Charles Maijankai, Istifanus Haruna Gbana, Abel Peter Diah, Daniel Ishaya Gani, Mark Useni, Charles Ishaku Audu and Gambo Maikudi.

The lawmakers asked Taraba people and the public to disregard the Uzodinma committee’s pronouncement. “The committee lacks the power to do so,” Albasu said.

The eight lawmakers are also asking President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that the matter is settled as provided by the constitution.

“We are miffed by Senator Hope Uzodinma’s dubious misadventure and a cocktail of contradictions which he clearly displayed yesterday (Tuesday) at the end of the visit of the PDP fact finding committee to the state,” Albasu said.

P

He noted that Uzodinma’s “hurriedly contrived solutions” to the constitutional crisis in Taraba had plunged the state into more confusion than it had been.

The lawmakers said a member of the PDP committee, Ahmed Gulak, had quoted President Jonathan as saying “the Taraba issue is a constitutional matter”.

Albasu faulted the panel for even visiting Suntai in the hospital in the U.S. when an injunction granted by the court restrained them from doing so.

He wondered why Uzodinma, who breached court orders and went to visit the governor in New York and said he was impressed with the governor’s recovery is now ordering Suntai to go back to the hospital.

Albasu said Section 190(2) of the constitution only requires the governor to transmit a letter to the House.

“Such a letter is not subject to debate by the House,” he said.

The lawmakers said the deputy governor flew with the Uzodinma team from Abuja. “On arrival, they held a closed-door meeting at the Executive Lounge of the Jalingo Airport. Then, they went straight to the Executive Chambers and were about to commence their business before realising that they ought to have seen the governor.”

Albasu said Uzodinma even said the governor was hale and hearty and needed not to go to the market square for people to know that he was fine. “But in what is now the most dubious thing to happen to democracy in Nigeria, Uzodinma announced a power sharing arrangement that Suntai should be a ceremonial head while his deputy should effectively be in charge.

“This is totally unconstitutional and a design to benefit Umar in his relentless quest to unseat his boss who was democratically elected by overwhelming Tara-

bans.”

The lawmakers said the Uzodinma panel brought lawmakers that are not from PDP to the parley. They also accused the acting governor of mobilising a crowd that was opposed to Suntai to the meeting.

“The court order which restrains the committee has not been set aside; as such the committee has no legal basis to act on the Taraba crisis.

“We want to state that the solution to the leadership crisis of Taraba lies in the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

“It portends great danger, if sensitive constitutional matters of this nature are handled with political manipulation or whims and caprices of certain individuals or groups.”

The lawmakers are praying the court to decide on the letter Suntai transmitted to the House that enmeshed in “orchestrated controversies”.

Continued on page 58

Two arrested in UK over £20m Abacha loot Continued from page 1

tance to seek the extradition of Mohammed Sanni, who is allegedly linked to the probe.

A source said: “The arrest of two Nigerian suspects (including a former AttorneyGeneral of Kogi State) has triggered the latest round of investigation.

“With the £20million loot in their care, they decided to test the waters with £80,000. So, the two suspects took £2,000 Traveller’s Cheque purchased by the CBN in 1994 to Travelex to get some cash but the desk officers were suspicious because of the time frame.

“The attendants alerted security agencies who arrested the suspects and later searched their hotel rooms where additional £78,000 worth of traveler’s cheque was found.

“The security agencies are working on the suspicion that the suspects were on a laundering mission in the UK as part of moves to repatriate the alleged £20million stashed by the late Head of State.”

The Press Bureau of the Metropolitan Police last night said: “We have contacted officers to get any details of this incident. We will reply in due course as and when we have them.”

The Abachas were alleged to have laundered about $3billion cash.

The Federal Government has so far recovered more than $2.550billion.

‘The attendants alerted security agencies who arrested the suspects and later searched their hotel rooms where additional £78,000 worth of traveler’s cheque was found’ The government is trying to trace the whereabouts of $450million hidden in many countries.

A Federal Government counsel on repatriation of Abacha loot, Mr. Tim Daniel, had said about $2.550billion of $3billion had been so far recovered by the Federal Government from the late Abacha’s accounts and his family.

He gave the breakdown as follows: voluntary surrender ($750m); Switzerland ($570m); Jersey ($380m); UK($150m); Luxembourg ($300m); and Liechtenstein ($400m).

A few months after the 13th year anniversary of Abacha’s death, the Federal Government recovered£22.5m (N6.18billion) loot which the late Head of State, allegedly stashed in Jersey.

The £20million being investigated is alleged to be part of the outstanding $450million.

AMCON not taking over Wema Bank’

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HE Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) yesterday said it will not have any impact on Wema Bank’s normal business operations.

In a three-paragraph statement by the corporation in Lagos, it reiterated that it was established primarily “to help revive and stabilise the Nigerian economy by effectively resolving the non-performing loan assets in the Nigerian banking sector”.

AMCON said it had not taken over ownership of Wema Bank.

PDP crisis: cracks widen as Tukur, Baraje clash

EOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Bamanga Tukur took the battle to his opponents yesterday, vowing to ensure that governors are suspended.

National Assembly members who joined the Abubakar Baraje-led breakaway faction are to lose their seats, the chairman said.

Other PDP chieftains who joined the faction would be expelled from the ruling party, he said.

But, Baraje replied Tukur, saying he is unfit for his position.

At a press conference he addressed at the party’s secretariat, Tukur described leaders of the breakaway faction as impostors, saying security agencies have been detailed to treat them as such.

He said: “Consequently, we shall ensure that any person who is not duly elected into any leadership position in our great party and has not been duly assigned any role but goes ahead to arrogate such to himself will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“Similarly, all persons elected on the platform of our

PDP crisis: Jonathan rejects Obasanjo’s peace mission Continued from page 1

to divide the PDP ahead of the 2015 poll.

“I think the Presidency may damn the consequences. The next few weeks might be for dirty politics. There is a likelihood of titfor-tat politics.”

At the meeting were Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Ramalan Yero (Kaduna); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Theodore Orji (Abia); Liyel Imoke (Cross River); Henry Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Idris Wada (Kogi) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi).

Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs Ahmed Gulak and Deputy National Chairman of PDP Uche Secondus From Yusuf Alli and Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

great party at all levels who identify with these enemies of the oneness and greatness of our party shall have their seats declared vacant as required by law.

“We shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that such persons and indeed any other individual who attempts to subvert the leadership of the PDP shall reap in full, the consequences of such actions”.

Stating that the PDP has no faction, Tukur said there was

were also there.

A close aide to the president faulted Obasanjo’s intervention in the crisis.

According to the aide, “What is happening in the PDP has nothing to do with the President; it is not his headache at all and he is not losing sleep over it.”

The President believes that those who ignited the crisis should also look for ways to put it off. And from security reports, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is behind it; he cannot start a crisis and now pretend to be finding a solution to it.

“It is good that the current happenings are unfolding at this time; we now know those who are doing what, those who have been hiding their faces while cre-

no reason whatsoever for such a claim under any guise.

“The PDP has only one duly elected National Executive Committee (NEC) under my chairmanship. I wish, therefore, to state with all emphasis that any group of persons parading themselves as leaders of NEC or any other organ of our party are impostors and I urge all Nigerians, especially the security agencies and other institutions of democracy, to regard them as such.

“Let me state categorically that the PDP as the sole cus-

ating problems - including security crises for the government. The government is studying the situation and will respond at the appropriate time.”

Obasanjo and the governors are battling to prevent President Jonathan from contesting election in 2015, the aide alleged, adding: “But the President will contest 2015 election and his achievements will speak for him.

“Those who are calling for revolution should better start preparing for it because President Jonathan will contest the election; Nigerians will decide his fate and not Obasanjo and the six or seven governors. Those calling for war should start preparing now,” he said.

todian of the sacred mandate of over 160 million Nigerians and which in the last 14 years has lifted high the banner of democracy will not fold its arms while some undemocratic and unpatriotic elements destroy our common destiny by causing divisions and confusion among the people.”

“There is only one lawfully recognised PDP and I am firmly in charge,” Tukur declared.

According to Tukur, the PDP has adequate mechanism for internal conflict res-

olution and advised aggrieved party members to exploit such mechanism.

In his reaction, Baraje, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “With what he said, it shows that Tukur is unfit, incapable and totalitarian. The earlier they take him out, the better for Nigeria and PDP. As far as we are concerned, there is no person or thing like Bamanga Tukur again in PDP. “By saying that they want to use the security agencies to deal with us, Tukur has also confirmed the level of impu-

•Tukur

nity, lawlessness, recklessness and ignorance in PDP. “With his declaration, it means the police have become puppets in the hands of his group. Let them come and Continued on page 58

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THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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NEWS CRISIS IN PDP

Tukur to court: T •From right: Group Managing Director, UBA Plc Mr Phillips Oduoza, Minister of Agriculture Dr Akinwunmi Adesina ; DirectorGeneral, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Frank Nweke; Chairman, NESG Foluso Phillips; and Chairman of Neimeth Mazi Ohabunwa at the 19th NESG conference in Abuja... on Tuesday.

•From left: Country Director, Oxford Business Group Brooke Butler; Country Managing Director, Accenture Nigeria Niyi Yusuf and CEO, Rise Network Toyosi Akerele at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja...on Tuesday.

PHOTO: ADEOLA SOLOMON

•From left: Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment Mr Tunji Bello, Minister of Tourism Chief Edem Duke; President, Association of Fast Food Confectioneries of Nigeria (AFFCON)Mrs Bosede Ayeni and Prof Pat Utomi at AFFCON’s inaugural national conference in Lagos...yesterday.

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday urged a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja to commit the party’s factional chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, to prison for alleged contempt of court.

It urged the court to also jail the faction’s National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Deputy National Chairman, Dr Sam Jaja.

The party wants the court to jail them for a minimum of one year each for allegedly committing criminal contempt.

The motion on notice for committal of the alleged contemnors, filed yesterday, was brought pursuant to Order 35 of the Federal High Court Rules 2009.

PDP’s lawyer Mr Ajibola Oluyede, who made the court processes available to reporters at a news conference in Lagos, said he was directed by the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led PDP to file the action.

He said his clients also filed a Preliminary Objection against the suit filed by Oyinlola, Baraje and Jaja at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.

The three sued Tukur, Deputy National Chairman Uche Secondus, National Women Leader Dr Kema Chikwe and National Publicity Olisah Metuh.

Baraje and the others are urging the court to stop the Tukur-led executive from functioning as the party’s national officers.

But the Tukur-led PDP, in the contempt proceedings, said Baraje and the others allegedly violated a judgment of the Federal High Court in a suit numbered FHC/ABJ/504/ 2013, delivered on January 11.

The faction said Oyinlola conspired with Baraje and Jaja to take actions by which they flouted the judgment.

By allegedly doing so, they obstructed the administration of justice by subverting the appellate process, as Oyinlola’s appeal against the judgment is yet to be determined.

The party said Oyinlola, “with guilty knowledge” “appointed and declared” himself as the National Secretary of the PDP “for the purpose of rendering the judgment of this Honourable Court nugatory and of no effect.”

The applicants urged the court to make an order nullifying Oyinlola’s appointment as the National Secretary.

The Federal High Court, in the judgment nullified Oyinlola’s candidacy as a nominee of the Southwest Zonal Chapter of the PDP. Plaintiffs in the suit are Chief

•Tukur

By Joseph Jibueze and Musa Odoshimokhe

Adebayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo, who sued for themselves and on behalf of the Executive Committee of Ogun State PDP. The court declared Oyinlola’s subsequent election as National Secretary at the convention held in March last year as invalid, null and void by reason of another court order which nullified the Southwest Zonal Congress from which Oyinlola emerged.

The court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rectify PDP’s records “by deleting the name of the first defendant (Oyinlola) as the National Secretary.”

The court directed INEC to replace Oyinlola with a candidate nominated at a valid congress of the Southwest Zonal Chapter of the PDP, to be held within 21 days of the order.

According to the plaintiffs, by claiming to be a factional National Secretary of the PDP, Oyinlola and the others disrespected the court.

“The alleged contemnors have, since the delivery of the said judgment, committed additional acts of criminal contempt by conspiring to flout the purpose of the court as pronounced in its said judgment and the authority of the court in so pronouncing,” they said.

The applicants said the alleged contemnors acted to subvert the appeal process made available by

Revolt has caused

F

•From left: General Overseer, Victorious Army Ministries International (VAMI) Rev. Joseph Dominic Agboli; Dr. Bill Winston of Bill Winston Ministries; and Pastor Blessings Agboli during the arrival of Dr. Winston for VAMI’s conference at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos ...yesterday.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

ORMER Minister of Information and Culture has said the revolt in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has caused structural damage in the party. Oyovbaire, who is a chieftain of the party and a national delegate at its just-concluded Special Convention, told The Nation in a telephone interview, that the crisis must be handled with seriousness.

The Professor of Political Science said the fact that the party failed to handle the present crisis in its usual ‘family affairs’ way, is an indication of its seriousness.

He said: “It is a serious matter.

As a national delegate, I was at the Eagle Square and I saw a lot of

Augustine Avwode, Assistant Editor

movements, but didn’t read much meaning to it until shortly after I left the venue and went back to the hotel room. I got so many phone calls.

“I think it was an attempt to drive home a very strong opposition to some of the things that have been happening in the party in the past.

But whether it should have been resolved through this kind of revolt, or work towards settling it through the fabled ‘family affairs’ approach of the party, is a matter for further analysis. I can only imagine what could be the source of worry to the factional group and why it has chosen to ventilate its

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

5

NEWS CRISIS IN PDP

urt: commit Baraje, others to prison

•Kawu Baraje

constitute criminal contempt of this Hoonourable Court in that they have not only acted in concert to frustrate the order of this court, but have published to the public their decision to flout the authority and purpose of this Honourable Court in making the said order, demonstrating defiance and

disrespect of this court, thereby holding the court in public odium, trampling upon the dignity and magesty of the judicial institution of the country in general and this Honourable Court in particular by making the court appear supine and irrelevant.

“It is, therefore, desirable, nay,

imperative that this Honourable Court makes an example of the alleged contemnors to show the public that the criminial conduct of the alleged contemnors is an aberrant behaviour that is not permissible in a civilised democracy as obtainable in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the

applicants said.

Oluyede maintained that what transpired in the party was a storm in a tea cup, which would heal in due course, but blamed the actors for action contrary to the provisions of the constitution.

He said: “That does not really pose a danger to democracy; democracy means people should be free to express themselves. So, by expressing themselves in this way, even though it is illegal grouping, it does not really portend danger to the polity or even the party.

“The only thing that needs urgent attention is that many times some of the players have not recognised the need to play by the rule. They ought to have realised that the freedom they are enjoying requires the existence of certain democratic structures and institutions and that they should in the course of expressing these rights bear in mind that the institution must be preserved.

“That is the actual danger to the polity and that is going to affect not just the PDP, it is going to affect the entire polity. And that is the reason why my clients take a very serious approach to the action of Alhaji Baraje, Prince Oyinlola, Mr. Sam Jaja and their supporters.

“It would appear that what they are trying to do is a coup d’ tat. Now the constitution of the PDP states the process of the change of leadership.

What the group led by Baraje has done is no more than attempted coup. There is an illegal attempt to take over the leadership of the PDP without following due process.

“They have not followed due process not only because they have not followed the rule of the party, they have not followed due process because in the course of effecting their plans, they have attacked the integrity of the institution of democracy.

“The first institution they first unnecessarily dragged into it is INEC. Now, the INEC should not have registered the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), when INEC knew that those people who floated that party were still card carrying members of the PDP. “These people are still card carrying members of the PDP today.

Some of them are among those who are jostling now for recognition though illegally at the leadership of the PDP. “By this action INEC has again, got into the ring instead of staying outside by unnecessarily facilitating the break up of an existing party, contrary to Section 224 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

anger this way. “ Whichever way you look at it, it has certainly caused structural damage to the party. This is not just talking about the institutional damage, no; there has been a structural damage done to the party.

All institutional pillars stand and rest on the structural pillar, which sustains the institutional pillars.

And that is why all stakeholders are calling for a quick resolution of the impasse within the party.”

While expressing his belief in the ability of the party to resolve the issues at stake, he acknowledged that those who were masterminds of the revolt probably did so because they felt proper attention had not been paid the their

grievances.

Oyovbaire said: “I grant the fact that the most angered of the angry elements within the PDP have been of the Northern variants; and as some put it, whether it is true or imagined or false, there have been serious anger over what you might call the breach of a gentleman’s agreement, which came by way of denial of the said understanding or agreement.

“It is a serious thing because it is like a denial of the PDP Constitution. But, whether it is a gentleman’s agreement, or what was in the constitution, I am not sure this issue was well handled in the past. So, this formed a fundamental background to what is

happening today. I think that my party should have taken this very seriously and I really want it to be quickly settled because, the party is obviously a national party and anything that happens to it can reverberate across the country.”

He added that what has happened was an indictment of the way the party has been run in the past. He rejected the notion that those who led the factionalisation might be behind the emergence of some of the latest new parties in the country as a way of preparing a ready place for them just in case the PDP fails to reconcile their grievances. He described such insinuation as mere speculation and conjecture.

He said: “I still believe that this revolt is just to emphasise the need, absolute need, for the PDP to be run in a much more wholesome and sound way. Remember, we all started in 1998 and the first set of government was formed in 1999.

Between 1999 till date, the experience of the PDP can be divided into three phases, which I will not name here, but the party has managed to overcome them.

However, what is clearly noticeable is that each time a similar thing occurs, there is a tendency for the phenomenon to change for the worse. But I am sure we can handle this one, too. The talk of the faction moving to another party is still largely speculative.”

•Oyinlola

•Sam Jaja

Baraje’ll salvage our party, says Kwara PDP

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HE Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is out to salvage the party from total collapse, the Kwara State chapter has said.

Its chairman, Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani, told reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital, that it would be bad to allow the party to collapse.

He said: “Corrections were supposed to be made and when the well meaning people and loyalists of the party saw the way PDP was going, into the brink of collapse, they said before it collapses some people must salvage the party. And this salvaging team has taken over because that is the dream of the founding fathers of PDP.” The chair, who was represented by the party’s secretary, Prince Yemi Afolayan, gave reasons for Baraje’s emergence as chair.

He said: “There were noticeable breaches of party constitution. This national convention, which was supposed to be special national convention, we have it on authority that before the national convention date is fixed, NEC will meet and fix, and ratify the national convention. NEC fixed the date for July 20, and it changed. NEC did not fix the new date. So, the convention committee at that time fixed another date and dragged NEC to ratify it instead of NEC fixing the date. That is illegality as far as party is concerned.

“The convention was supposed to have authentic delegates that participated in 2012 convention and these delegates included ministers, special adviser to president, special assistant to president, ambassadors, commissioners of government in the state and special advisers to governors.

“All these people were disenfranchised. When there is a constant breach of the Constitution, then that executive cannot stand. Throughout the tenure the 1999 Constitution by taking it upon themselves to overrule the judgment and appoint Oyinlola to the office which the court had validly removed him from, without following the process stipulated by the judgment or awaiting the result of the appeal.

“The acts of the contemnors

of Tukur up till this moment, NEC is supposed to be held every quarter but he never held one. So there are a lot of illegalities that happened and people were fed up to the brim.”

The chairman also debunked the alleged factionalisation of the party in the state, adding: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), (authentic) Kwara state chapter’s attention has been drawn to the impersonation of the office of the state chairman of our great party and that of the party by some unscrupulous elements.”

He added: “The impersonators of the office and indeed the state chapter of our great party are those dissidents whose antecedents in the political arena confirm these political jobbers that would hang to anything for survival.

“The state chapter of our party remains loyal and committed to the authentic PDP whose vision is to provide honest and selfless service to the generality of Nigerians.

“The Bamanga Tukur leadership is outdated and it has been dropped into waste basket of history as Baraje leadership has not only been acknowledged, embraced and endorsed but it has come to stay.

“While we urge all party men and women and our teeming supporters across the 16 local government areas of the state to ignore the ranting of the impersonators and remain focused and united, our party is one our political structure remains formidable.

“The party will not be deterred by these rented impersonators whose antecedent is known as dissidents. They are always available to serve as an agent of destabilisation. The Kwara PDP Chairman is Ishola Balogun Fulani .”

structural damage to PDP, says Oyovbaire

•Oyovbaire

THE NATION THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

6

NEWS

Nasarawa killings: ‘Fulani mercenaries killed 22, burnt 150 houses’ T

HE Judicial Commission of Enquiry probing the killing of over 50 security personnel at Lakyo village in Nasarawa State was yesterday told how “Fulani mercenaries” allegedly invaded and killed 22 people in Eggon communities of Barkin Abdullahi District (BAD) in Lafia Local Government Area.

They also accused the Fulani of burning 150 property comprising 139 houses, 10 shops and a hospital.

The Eggon communities of BAD and its environs expressed their displeasure in a memorandum they submitted to the panel.

The memorandum was signed by Usman Idrisu and Sidi Akpanvan on behalf of the Eggon communities of BAD. The panel’s Secretary, Abubakar Sadiq Ishaq, read the memorandum yesterday following the absence of the communities and their legal representative.

Some Eggon communities had withdrawn from the proceedings of the commission.

They listed the villages under BAD as Akuya, Takpa, Sabo Gbakom, Sabo Gida, Aridi Kuje, Gada, Angwan Asilika, Arikpa Awonge and Awunza.

The communities said the villages are mainly populated by the Eggon people except for a few

From Sanni Onogu, Lafia

towns under BAD where there are other tribes, such as Rindre, Mada, Hausa, Fulani, Alago and Igbo.

The petitioners said they are predominantly farmers, adding that there were few cases of conflicts between them and the Fulani herdsmen “who more often than not would allow their cattle graze on the food crops of the local farmers”.

They said: “In fact, aside the usual misunderstanding experienced by the people of BAD from minor political differences, there had never been any report of crisis in BAD until the recent onslaught which engulfed BAD and its environs and left it in ruins.”

The memorandum reads: “Before February 7, 2013, there were rumours that the BAD community and its environs might be attacked, because of earlier attacks on some other villages close to BAD, such as Burum-Burum and Yelwa Bassa in Kokona Local Government Area.

“Some of our brothers and sisters, who had escaped attacks and fled from Burum-Burum, Alago, Damba, Ruman Doma and Iggah to BAD for safety, had said some strange mercenaries had invaded their villages.

Nigerian don gets global honour

“Meanwhile, rumours continued to spread in BAD until about 2pm on February 17, when the merciless mercenaries advanced their onslaught to towns under BAD en route the western part.

“It is believed that the mercenaries extended their indiscriminate attacks on BAD after systematically destroying other villages close to BAD, including Burum-Burum, Alago and Sabo Gbakom.

“People screaming for safety and shouting on top of their voices signified not only the likelihood of danger but also an obvious situation of war such that would clearly not warrant even the bravest in the community to ask questions before taking to his heels.

“Amid the confusion, ...people were seen briskly fleeing and running to the northern part of BAD. Some mercenaries were seen invading the western side of BAD while its inhabitants fled for dear lives.

“The people stood afar and saw the mercenaries destroying BAD by burning down houses and sporadically shooting any person at sight.

“The evil onslaught carried out by the mercenaries lasted about four hours. A lot of property were destroyed: houses were burnt to ashes

and many people were killed.”

Of the 22 people who were killed in the attacks, 15 were from towns under BAD. Sixty-one houses, 10 shops and a hospital were also burnt in the town.

Aside towns under BAD, the communities also alleged that the invaders attacked its other villages, like Sabo Abakom, Aku Kpadom, Onyu, Akuya and Awunza.

“In Sabo Gbakom, the mercenaries attacked around 4pm on February 7, 2013. The mercenaries entered the village, unsuspected, through the road to Burum-Burum Lewi in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area.

“The village is occupied predominantly by Eggon people, whose property were destroyed as the villagers ran for safety.

“At the time of the attack, there was no presence of security agents.

Up till the time of writing this memorandum, the Nasarawa State Government had not visited the area to either sympathise with the victims or assess the level of damage caused,” the communities said.

Thirty-five houses were burnt during the attack on Sabo Gbakom.

Several foodstuffs were destroyed.

While two people were killed and

17 houses burnt in Aku Kpadam village, two houses were destroyed in Onyu, beisdes several foodstuffs that were destroyed.

Three persons were allegedly killed in Akuya village and 14 houses burnt; Awunza village lost eight houses and foodstuffs.

Despite the destruction and loss of lives and property on February 17, the communities said the state government did not take “proactive measures” to protect the lives and property of the people of BAD. They said Governor Tanko alMakura later visited the area and promised to tighten security, supply materials and send a team of estate valuers to assess the level of destruction.

“However, up till the time of writing this memorandum, none of the things promised by the governor was fulfilled,” the communities said.

They regretted that 28 suspected mercenaries, who were arrested in possession of live ammunitions by the police following the attacks, were released.

They added: “The 28 Fulani mercenaries arrested were believed to be among other attackers who invaded parts of Doma, Lafia, Kokona, and Nasarawa-Eggon.

Army redeploys senior officers

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

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By Sam Egburonu

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HE Dean, School of Science and Technology, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof Mba Ogbureke Okoronkwo, yesterday received the Commonwealth Peace Ambassador Award, the Imperial Peace Ambassador Honour.

The award is presented by the Commonwealth Students/Youth Federation for Peace (CWSYFP).

President of the Federation, Oyewoga Bilikis and some of the officials from Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and the Nigerian coordinator presented the award to Okoronkwo at NOUN headquarters in Lagos.

The occasion was chaired

by NOUN Vice Chancellor, Prof Vincent Tenebe.

Tenebe explained that NOUN is not a conventional university but an institution which “is designed to provide quality education through a distance learning mode, which is the in-thing all over the world today”.

He hailed the youths for coming together uniting for peace.

The academic noted that youths participate more in a war than other people.

Tenebe said he was happy that a Nigerian woman, Bilikis Oyewoga, has become the President of the federation.

He said: “I am looking forward to a day when a woman will become the President of Nigeria.”

Oyewoga said CWSYFP, which was established in 1985, is the umbrella body for all students and youths within the Commonwealth states in Africa.

She said the focus of the federation is to sensitise members on the importance of peace, cooperation for students’ exchange programmes, among others.

•Tambuwal (fourth left); Emuchay (second right) with some members of the National Assembly attending the 59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in South Africa...on Tuesday.

National Assembly to conclude deliberations on Diaspora Bill, says Tambuwal

H

OUSE of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal said yesterday that the National Assembly would soon conclude deliberations on the Diaspora Bill.

Tambuwal spoke on Tuesday night at a dinner organised for him and other members of the National Assembly attending the 59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner was hosted by the Nigerian Consulate in South Africa.

The Speaker said the Diaspora Bill was designed to integrate the potentials of the nation’s citizens living abroad.

He said the bill would enable the nation to harness “the contributions of our fellow compatriots towards the development of the country without their leaving the country of their residence”.

The Speaker said the contribution of ideas by Nigerians in Diaspora had become important towards the development of the country.

He urged members of the Nigerian community in South Africa to always keep in touch with developments at home.

Tambuwal said: “The challenges in Nigeria are enormous... You should try to know the legislators representing you at the state and national assembly.

“If you have any idea of what can be done to improve our economy and build our nation, don’t hesitate to pass it on to the legislators representing you.

“That is why we are there at the National Assembly. We are there to make laws for the country and support the government to do what is right.

“It will help us to function well as lawmakers, if we get contributions from Nigerians living at home and abroad. We are very much available and accessible.

“Don’t leave us all alone.

We need your contributions.

It is up to us, collectively as Nigerians, whether we live in the Diaspora or live at home, to continue to work together.”

He hailed the Nigerian Consul-General, Mr Okay Emuchay, for bringing Nigerians living in South Africa together.

Tamwual advised them to sustain the good image of Nigeria in South Africa.

“I say to you, please, continue the good work, because I have heard that so many Nigerians living here are doing very well. Though a few of you engage in activities which violate the laws of your host country, majority of you are doing very well.

“I plead with you to continue in that direction. Ensure that all you do here is legitimate and engage in activities that can make you earn a living within the confines of the law and be a proud Nigerian,” he said.

Emuchay said Nigeria has a large population in all the nine provinces of South Africa.

He said the dinner was organised to provide opportunity for Nigerians living in South Africa to interact with the leadership of the national assembly.

Emuchay said there are about 152 South Africa companies operating in Nigeria.

“These 152 companies are active in our economy; more are still coming. This rush shows that there is something in Nigeria that is attracting them. But there is need for Nigerian businessmen to take advantage of the business opportunities in South Africa and bridge the gap to grow our economy through competition,” he said.

The Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA) President, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, urged members of the national assembly to look into the challenges facing Nigerians in the Diaspora.

HE Nigerian Army has announced the voluntary retirement of 10 of its Generals.

They are: Major-Generals L. P Ngubane, N. C. Maduegbunam, B. M. Monguno, O. A. C. Ariahu, A. K. Kwaskebe, C. O. Ugwu and Brigadier-General E. D. Amah, M. M. Dan-Ali and M. A. Hassan, among others.

A statement yesterday by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, said the Army had also appointed some senior officers to various postions and formations.

They include Maj.-Gens. S. U. Abdul-Kadir, the Commander Training and Doctrine Command; P. J. Isang, the Chief of Training and Operations Defence Headquarters, among others.

Nigerian conjoined twins separated in India

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IGERIAN twins, who were joined at the lower abdomen and hips, were successfully operated upon in India and separated at the B. L. Kapur (BLK) Superspeciality Hospital after a 13-hour surgery.

The twin girls - Hussaina and Hassana Badaru - are the first foreigner-twins to be separated in India.

“The separation surgery took us 13 hours, with further surgery of five hours dedicated to reconstruction.

The separation was a big challenge as they had unusual sharing of the alimentary canal and the nervous system,” said Prashant Jain, one of the experts who performed the surgery.

The incidence of conjoined twins is high in Southwest Asia and Africa, with cases in Nigeria as high as 53 per 1,000 deliveries.

7

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

NEWS Jonathan decries indiscipline in RESIDENT Goodluck civil service Jonathan yesterday en-

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joined new members of the National Assembly Service Commission to ensure discipline.

He gave the advice when swearing in the members before the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Jonathan decried the high level of indiscipline among Nigerians, especially in the public service.

He said: “One of the greatest problems we have as a nation is the issue of discipline.

“Everywhere, from the least office to the highest, in most cases, people don’t take their responsibilities serious. It is your duty to make sure people are disciplined where they need to be disciplined.”

The President urged the commission headed by Alhaji Adamu Fika to make sure that

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

people of the same rank are treated equally to distinguish himself from his predecessors.

Listing the qualities of Fika in human resources management, Jonathan noted that he is a round peg in a round hole.

He admonished him and other members of the commission to bring their wealth of experience to bear on their assignment.

According to him, the key responsibilities of the National Assembly Service Commission included the appointment of persons to offices of the National Assembly, among others.

The chairman of the commission thanked the President for the honour.

He said: “We are aware of

Exam malpractices offenders risk five-year imprisonment

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From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

NY candidate caught in exam malpractices by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) risks a minimum of five years’ imprisonment and a N200,000 fine.

This is based on the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) approval of a memo from the Ministry of Education seeking to amend the WAEC Act 2004 in line with the 2003 convention in Ghana.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting yesterday in Abuja, the Education Minister, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, said the proposal for the amendment would be forwarded to the National Assembly towards domesticating the convention in Nigeria.

The minister, who attended the briefing with the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu and Minister of Environment, Hadiza Mailafia, said the new penalties also involved barring offenders from sitting for the examination in future.

Ajudua asks for fresh bail

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AGOS socialite and alleged fraudster, Mr. Fred Ajudua, yesterday asked a Lagos High Court in Ikeja for a fresh bail.

Mr. Olalekan Ojo, counsel to Ajudua, filed the fresh bail application before the court presided over by Justice Ganiyu Safari.

The other accused, Charles Hijiudu, was denied bail by the trial judge, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, on June 27.

He ruled that Ajudua failed to present convincing materials to back his claim that he would not escape from trial

By Adebisi Onanuga

after doing so for seven years after he was granted bail in 2005.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2003 arraigned Ajudua and his co-accused, Hijiudu, for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen - Mr. Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen - of about $1.69m between July 1999 and September 2000.

Justice Safari adjourned Ajudua's request for fresh bail till September 10 for ruling.

Ki-moon urges participation in World Literacy Day

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S the world celebrates the World Literacy Day on Sunday, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has stressed the need for countries to participate and help their citizens learn to read and write. Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States of America, he said more than 773 million young people and adults around the world cannot read or write.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

By Adeola Oladele-Fayehun

(UNESCO), about 40 million of these are Nigerian adults.

Seven million Nigerian children have dropped out of school. The literacy rate in the country is about 57 per cent.

"When we invest in learning and literacy, we invest in human dignity, development and peace," Ki-moon said.

He added: "In our knowledge-based era, literacy is a foundation for a more just inclusive and sustainable world.

It can advance all the Millennium Development Goals."

Fed Govt urges cooperation in water management

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HE Federal Government has enjoined cooperation of memberstates on the management of trans–boundary water resources.

Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, said the cooperation would reduce tension in the management of water resources, which member-states face.

In a statement in Abuja by Boade Akinola, deputy direc-

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

tor (Press), the minister acknowledged the conflict caused by the demand for water. She urged the memberstates to sue for peace by working together.

“Let us work towards reducing the conflict arriving from the challenges posed by the varied and often conflicting demands for water within member- states.”

•Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (right), greeting Nigeria’s first Professor of Medicine, 90-year-old Theophilus Ogunlesi, when he visited the governor in Abeokuta... yesterday

Fed Govt: meeting ASUU’s demands can shut down Nigeria T HE Federal Government yesterday said government’s activities may be shut down if the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and those of other sectors are fully met.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said this in Abuja yesterday when he addressed State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said the Federal Government has been spending so much on the development of tertiary education.

Maku urged ASUU to reconsider its demands since there are many demands from other sectors before the Federal Government.

He said the huge sum spent to restore peace following the Boko Haram insurgency in the North would have been used to finance education and other sectors.

Said he: “This country belongs to all of us. If we all insist that every sector’s problems must be completely solved, we will down tools, we will not work, then the country will stop working. If we say every problem we face in this country, we will not work until it is resolved, then I’m sure there is no sector that will work.

“It is our country, we are partners with ASUU, we are friends, they are our patriots and we understand the critical roles the university teachers are playing to create a new society we are hoping to have. But at the same time, we have to put the nation first.

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PFN urges ASUU to end strike

HE Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has expressed concern over the prolonged closure of public universities.

In a statement yesterday by the National President, Rev Felix Omobude, in Benin City, the body said it was not unmindful of the uncompromising stance of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) vis-a-vis the Federal Government’s failure to honour the 2009 agreement.

“While PFN salutes the courage of the leadership of ASUU for its positive position on the need to revamp and reposition the education sector, it is of the view that a need has arisen to bring into sharp focus the brunt the nation is being made to bear for the continued closure of the universities,” Dr Omobude said.

PFN appealed to the leadership of ASUU not to throw away the baby with its bath water, but should return to the classrooms soon From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

“I know all of us desire more from the system, but the truth is that there are limitations and from the limitations we have, we believe ASUU really needs to do a rethink and ensure that we reopen our universities because we are feeling the pains of our children being at home.”

Maku continued: “Government has priorities; education remains the number one priority and will continuously remain the number one priority of a developing country like Nigeria. There is no way we can avoid it. The quality of human capital is going to determine the future of our country. But at the same time, when you look at the envi-

MEND issues ultimatum to Chevron workers

•Asks them to evacuate premises

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HE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has said it is satisfied with the destructive progress of its Hurricane Exodus, which it added has reduced Nigeria’s oil output significantly, through its sustained sabotage of pipelines.

It urged workers at the Chevron Tank Farm in Escravos, Delta State, to evacuate the premises, saying mortar attacks were imminent on October 1, from 00:01Hrs Nigerian time.

The militant group said this yesterday in an online state-

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

ment by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo.

MEND said: “We will also continue to turn a blind eye to the crude oil merchants passing through our territories, because their activities, besides the toll paid us, are helping to achieve our objectives of zero oil output by 2015.”

Spokesman for the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, when contacted at 8:29 pm yesterday, said: “I am driving. I will not be able to respond, please.”

From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

in the interest of parents, students and the nation.

It enjoined the Federal Government to treasure the integrity that goes with honouring agreements by implementing the agreement with ASUU with candour and commitment, as that would reposition and service the education sector on a continuous basis instead of waiting to be stampeded into action by strikes.

Omobude urged the three tiers of government to address insecurity and unemployment posing a threat to the country.

“We advise government to address unemployment, with particular emphasis on youth restiveness,” the PFN national president added.

He called for prayers, supplications and fasting to ensure peace.

ronment today, we are dealing with power supply, railway that has broken down many years ago.

“We’re dealing with roads, creating an enabling environment for the industries to prosper. There is no area today that you touch that you do not have an urgency for the government to deal with.

“I just want to say that it is unfortunate that our students are still at home. It is very sad because the Federal Government has done so much in the last three years for education. People can compare the statistics. When we were on the Good Governance Tour and we got to the University of Benin, we saw 37 projects completed, includ-

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ing the new Senate chambers built under this administration. Most of the projects were carried out through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

“There is no federal university today that does not have multiple projects.

There is no federal university at the moment, including polytechnics and colleges of education, even state polytechnics, we are funding them.”

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, said the Federal Government has done its best to finance education, but ASUU has been giving the public the impression that government has not done anything on the agreement signed in 2009.

UN to observe International Day of Charity

HE United Nations (UN) General Assembly has adopted a resolution by consensus to designate September 5, the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa, as the International Day of Charity.

The designation of the International Day of Charity will create a universal platform to enhance visibility, organise special events, create synergies and increase public support for charity.

“Charity plays an important role in upholding the values and advancing the work of the UN,” said Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General.

“Donations of time or money; volunteer engagement in one’s own community or on the other side of the world;

By Adeola Oladele-Fayehun

acts of caring and kindness with no thought of recompense; these and other expressions of global solidarity help us in our shared quest to live together in harmony andbuild a peaceful future for all,” he added.

The resolution was co-sponsored by 44 member- states representing five regions of the UN. The cross-regional support of the initiative reflects the universal recognition of charity and the enduring relevance of selfless giving in today’s world.

“I welcome this first observance of the International Day of Charity, which was proclaimed last year by the UN General Assembly,” said Kimoon.

THE NATION THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

8

NEWS Fayemi: social security is everyone’s right •N370m for 2,250 Ekiti women

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KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi has said social security benefits are the legitimate right of the needy.

The governor spoke yesterday at the inauguration of the First Phase of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Scheme in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The scheme was jointly sponsored by the federal and state governments.

Fayemi said each beneficiary would earn a monthly stipend of N5,000 for one year on the condition that their children remain in school and the house hold accesses healthcare services.

He said at the end of the one year, beneficiaries will receive N100,000 each to be invested in an agriculture-related enterprise.

Fayemi said the three tiers of government must be united in the fight to eradicate poverty.

He thanked traditional rulers for assisting in the selection of the beneficiaries, saying: “My dream is that a time will come in Nigeria when every poor senior citizen will auto-

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

matically qualify for the social security scheme.”

The governor said his administration’s effort to eradicate poverty was yielding fruits, with the rating that the state has the highest life expectancy in the country.

He said the government was making moves to ensure the state benefits from the N220 billion “being planned for small and medium scale enterprises to stimulate the economy and improve the wellbeing of citizens”.

Fayemi said: “In 2011, Ekiti kicked off its social security scheme and about 20,000 senior citizens above age 65 have been benefiting N5,000 monthly.

Plans have been concluded to increase the number of beneficiaries by 5,000. The programme is now being replicated in Bayelsa, Anambra and Osun states.”

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Dr. Precious Gbeneol said the Federal Government released

•Fayemi (second right); Mrs. Dipo-Salami (left); Mrs. Gbeneol (second left) and Okpanachi... on Wednesday.

N5 billion to 56,500 women in 24 states under the CCT scheme.

She said N370 million would be disbursed to 2,250 women in five local government areas in Ekiti.

Gbeneol said: “This programme is no longer coming from Abuja because a lot of

delay and sharp practices were noticed. Now, every state will compile the list of beneficiaries because they know where the poor live.

“The Federal Government’s target is to prevent about 224,000 children from dropping out of schools. The fund is meant to tackle maternal and child mor-

tality.

“Poverty in Nigeria is multidimensional and has to be tackled from all fronts. That is why the Federal Government is engaging in inter-governmental collaboration to tackle it.”

Also at the event were Fayemi’s wife, Erelu Bisi; Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe

Adelabu; Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi; House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin; Deputy Managing Director, Ecobank, Mr. Tony Okpanachi and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Mrs. Bunmi Dipo-Salami.

Aregbesola, minister disagree Jumia, group donate books to pupils on fertiliser distribution O O SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday said the Federal Government’s fertiliser distribution scheme is a failure in Osun.

He rejected claims by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, that 3.5 million farmers had benefited from it through the Growth Enhancement Programme, arguing that “no farmer in Osun benefited from the initiative”.

Aregbesola spoke in Abuja at the 19th Nigerian Economic Summit while participating in a debate centred on “Growing Agriculture at the state level”.

Adesina said: “The old fertiliser business was just a racket. In the old times, people just filled papers at the federal level. Fertiliser did not get distributed and people got paid.

With President Goodluck Jonathan’s support, we cleaned up that sector and the state governments participated.

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•Governor advocates incentives for farmers the scheme, the state governFrom Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor)

The Federal Government’s participation is 25 per cent and state governments pay 25 per cent of the subsidy.

“When we started last year, we reached 1.5 million farmers. This year, we have reached about 3.5 million farmers and we expect to reach five million more before the end of the dry season. So it is that synergy between the federal and state governments to take agriculture as a business, rather than a development programme, that makes things work.”

Responding to the minister’s comments, Aregbesola said: “If Osun had benefited from

ment would not have spent about N1 billion on fertiliser for farmers. I see the spirit, the zeal and the passion of the minister of Agriculture. However, the fertiliser distribution did not get to my state.

“Whatever the governor of Anambra State experienced, I did not experience. I committed close to N1 billion to procuring fertiliser when the one arranged through the agents you put together failed. That is the truth. We cannot continue to pretend that all is well.”

The governor debunked claims by the Federal Government that youths were interested in agriculture, saying: “We have spent billions of

naira clearing lands and giving them to farmers, but the few of them that went there have done nothing. They know roaming about the streets begging for money pays better than staying on the farm.

“The solution to this problem is the creation of incentives for farming. There must be a guaranteed minimum price for agricultural produce to enable farmers live comfortable lives. If that is not there, we are joking. Most farmers would not want to farm because farming today is still not a business in Nigeria.”

Aregbesola urged the government to give zero-interest loans to farmers.

Two robbery suspects held in Ondo

HE police in Ondo State yesterday arrested a suspected robber and his alleged informant.

The police got a call that robbers were operating at the Energy filling station in Pele, Ondo town, and moved to the scene.

One of the “robbers”, Ernest Otulor, was arrested but three escaped with N250,000 and two mobile telephones.

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

A Russian-made single barrel gun and one cartridge were recovered from Otulor, who hails from Oneke in Ebonyi State.

It was learnt that his arrest led to the arrest of Jeremiah Akpan, the gang’s alleged informant.

He allegedly sent the filling station’s security man on

an errand to pave the way for the robbers.

A cartridge used for the operation was reportedly found in Akpan’s home.

Also yesterday, a Police Constable, Omoniyi Edema, attached to the Bolorunduro Police Station near Ogbese Division was killed by hoodlums on his way to work. His motorcycle was stolen.

He was shot in the head and had several machete cuts.

Edema body had been deposited at the mortuary of the Akure Specialist Hospital.

Police sources said three suspects, Ameh John, Aboh Michael and Olowolagba Toyin, who received the deceased’s motorcycle, have been arrested and have confessed to the crime.

•Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission, Osita Chidoka (left) greeting the Managing Director, ABC Transport Plc., Mr Frank Nneji, at the second Stakeholders Forum on Speed Limiting Device Enforcement in Abuja...yesterday. With them is the Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mutiu Sumonu.

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

NLINE retail store JUMIA Nigeria and the 1 Child, 1 Book, an initiative of the Tosin Jegede Foundation, have given free books to pupils of the Ojota Primary School in Lagos.

The presentation of the books was witnessed by representatives of DHL and First City Monument Bank, the co-sponsors. Also in attendance were representatives from the local and state governments.

To replicate the gesture across the country, a book is donated to the ‘1 Child, 1 Book for any book bought on jumia.com.

We’re not interested in housing scheme, say Ondo workers

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HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ondo State yesterday said its members will not reenrol in the National Housing Fund (NHF).

They pulled out of the NHF some years ago.

Ondo NLC Chairman Comrade Bosede Daramola spoke with reporters in Akure, the state capital, after the visit of the Chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Mr Olabisi Ogunjobi, to Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

Daramola said there was nothing to show for the contribution made by workers in the past.

She said the NLC had no objection to the Federal Government’s move to build houses in different parts of the state, but Ondo workers would not join the scheme.

Ogunjobi earlier said the new management in the housing sector would bring back states that had withdrawn from the National Housing Insurance Scheme, which is designed to provide credit to contributors to build their own homes.

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From Damisi Ojo, Akure

He said the Federal Government would soon start building housing units in seven pilot states across the country, under its ministerial housing scheme Ogunjobi said under the arrangement, the bank would build 105 housing units in each of the pilot states, which include Ondo.

He said the scheme would be a tripartite arrangement, where the state governments would provide land, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development would provide back stub and the bank would provide funds.

Ogunjobi said: “We are selecting seven states as pilot for this project and Ondo is one of them.

“The selection is based on the performance of the state and we already have five. We hope they will be able to provide the required facilities.

“We want to ensure that everybody owns a house. It is a sign of achievement and the most singular investment any young man below age 50 can

Police warn vehicle owners

HE Ogun State Police Command has warned owners of abandoned vehicles at Ibara/Ogbere Divisions to remove them or lose them to the public. It said the vehicles would be auctioned after 14 days of this publication.

The vehicles are a Volkswagen Passat marked CC524AGL; Honda Accord car, CM699KTU; Honda Accord car, LM611KJA; unregistered Peugeot 406; Mercedez Benz 911 lorry, XD898FGG; Urvan Nissan bus, AN302EOI; Volkswagen bus, XA573LSR; unregistered Volkwagen bus and 22 motorcycles.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

9

NEWS

Ajimobi approves gazette of teachers’ records

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YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved the gazette of appointments, promotions and the records of service of teachers.

He gave the approval while receiving executives of the Nigerian Union of

Teachers (NUT) in his office.

Ajimobi said the gazette of their service records would reduce the difficulties encountered by teachers at the point of retirement.

Restating his administration’s commitment to the welfare of teachers, he said

all salary and promotion issues would be addressed.

Ajimobi, who recently reinstated over 1,000 teachers that were sacked for age falsification, warned the NUT leadership that he would revoke the pardon if any attempt was made to incorpo-

rate those sacked for certificate forgery.

He said teaching requires integrity and urged teachers to be dedicated to their duties.

NUT State Chairman Mr. Oluwatoyin Babatunde said the visit was to thank the governor for pardoning the

teachers.

He urged the governor to look into the predicament of some primary school teachers, who had degrees but had been on Grade Level 14 for several years.

Ajimobi pledged to look into it.

Ekiti gets child care committee

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HE Ekiti State government has inaugurated an eight-man Consultative Committee to manage Early Child Care Development Centres across the state. The committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Eunice Dada.

Members are permanent secretaries Mr. Kola Ajumobi (Ministry of Information & Civic Orientation); Mrs. Bimpe Aderiye (Ministry of Education, Science & Technology); Dr. Olufolake Olujobi (Ministry of Health) and Mrs. Folake Falore (Primary Health Care Development Agency).

The rest are Mrs. J. A. Boluwatife (Women Affairs & Gender Empowerment representative); State Chairman of the School Based Committee Chief Sylvester Adeyanju and the State Chairman of the Parents’/Teachers’ Association

•Mrs. Adelabu (fourth left); Mrs. Boluwatife (left); Mrs. Aderiye (third left); Mrs. Olomojobi (third left); Ajumobi (fourth right) and Mrs. Falore ... on Tuesday.

(PTA), Pastor Isikalu.

The Early Child Care Development Centres were established to give children access to qualitative early education.

Inaugurating the committee in her office in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Deputy

Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu said: “Early childhood is a time of remarkable brain development, which lays the foundation for later learning. Once the right foundation is laid in early childhood, building at

higher levels of education will be easier.”

She said the government carefully considered the committee’s membership to enhance its success and urged the team to justify the confidence reposed in it.

Lagos NUJ mourns Obe

Southwest PDP slams factional governors

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Stakeholders’ Council in the Southwest yesterday berated the seven governors that walked out of the party’s special convention in Abuja last weekend.

It described the governor’s action as “a crass display of ego and lawlessness and as assault on democracy”.

In a statement yesterday by its Chairman, Senator Lekan Balogun, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the group said: “Nigeria’s democracy, more than ever before, has come under serious assault from the seven governors that walked out on the party leaders at the PDP national convention.

“Their action was a demonstration of egoism, the same egoistic act that got PDP into this mess in the first instance. For the avoidance of doubt, a governor is not the party leader in a state, though a No. 1 provider of resources to run the party, which has wrongly created this level of swollen headedness. But it takes a high level of maturity for a governor to recognise that the party leader deserves his respect.”

The council said the Governors’ Forum was wielding undue influence on the country’s politics and its activities were becoming dangerous.

It said: “This problem has become compounded with the creation of the Governors’ Forum. You can have a forum for any group of political actors/role players.

Forum flays Atiku’s PDP faction

A

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

SOCIO-political youth group, Southern Youths Forum (SYF), has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, seven governors, three former governors and some federal legislators for walking out on President Goodluck Jonathan at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention held at the Eagles Square in Abuja at the weekend.

The group is made up of members from the 17 southern states.

Speaking with reporters yesterday at the Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, SYF Convener Mr. Odeyemi Oladimeji described the Atiku faction’s attitude as “political rascality”.

Oladimeji said: “Their action is disrespect of the Office of the President, who happens to be the leader of the party.

It is a normal thing to have rancour in a party but the aggrieved members should have handled it maturely.”

He said the activities of the Atiku faction were aimed at “heating up the polity” and distracting Jonathan.

Oladimeji restated the group’s commitment to Nigeria’s unity.

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

The Senators’ Forum is an instance, but it has never gotten into conflict with the party.

“The Governor’ Forum has become so powerful that it now threatens the leadership of the party, culminating into the recent childish and irresponsible walk-out by the governors halfway into the convention.

“The governors seem to be either oblivious or contemptuous of the fact that the convention was a creation of the law. It, therefore, amounts to a demonstration of ego and lawlessness for these governors to walk out of such an important legal creation.

“One implication of this act and its fall-out in the

days ahead is that it has not only undermined the authority of the PDP but also poses a threat to the nation’s democracy.

“The masses are getting increasingly disappointed with the growing irresponsibility, lawlessness and egoistic tendencies of their elected representatives, who are expected to be temperate in their conduct, as well as respect the law and constituted authority.

“The people may be left with no other choice than to resist this lawlessness to protect and preserve their budding democratic institutions and processes.”

The council backed the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led faction.

Speaking for the committee, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Kola Ajumobi, said the committee will work assiduously to make the project a success.

union said: “Obe was a committed photojournalist, who devoted all his time to the profession. He died at a time when the younger generation of photojournalists needed his experience, which •The late Obe spans over five decades.

HE Nigeria Union of Jour“Obe will best be rememnalists (NUJ), Lagos State bered for his coverage of the Council, has described the 30-month Nigerian Civil War late veteran photojournalist, Pa (1967-1970) and his time as the Peter Obe, as “a thoroughbred chief photographer of Daily Times, when he was always professional”.

Obe died in Lagos last week- churning out exclusive cover photographs.” end at 81.

NUJ prayed God to grant In a statement by its Chairman, Mr. Deji Elumoye, the him eternal rest.”

T

Group decries shortage of veterinary doctors in Oyo From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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HE Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) has said there is shortage of veterinary officers in the Oyo State public health sector.

It said only 16 veterinary doctors were serving the 33 local governments.

Oyo NVMA Chairman Dr. Ibrahim Adekunle spoke yesterday at the association’s annual state conference at the Jogor Centre in Ibadan, the state capital.

The theme of the conference was: “The role of veterinary doctors in the development and transformation of Oyo State.”

Adekunle said only 16 veterinary doctors perform clinical duties, inspect meat, monitor diseases at control posts and service provisions on farms in the 33 council.

He said the number is inadequate and capable of exposing the public to diseases such as avian influenza, among others.

Urging the government to employ at least 60 veterinary doctors and technologists, Adekunle said: “As a professional body, we are ready to co-operate with the government to develop Oyo State, especially in boosting animal production, disease prevention, control and monitoring.”

Prof. Oyewale Tomori, while delivering his lecture, said: “If Nigerians can keep their animals well with the aid of veterinary doctors, the economy would improve. Government needs to recognise the role of veterinary doctors in economic development.”

Chairman of the occasion Dr. Adebayo Adewusi urged veterinary doctors to enforce the registration of poultry farmers to ensure that only healthy birds are consumed.

Lamenting that 60 per cent of the livestock consumed in the country are imported from Niger Republic and other neighbouring countries, he urged the government and Nigerians to invest into agriculture.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

10

C ITYBEATS I didn't borrow to wed, says Rep A member of the House of Representatives from Ife Federal Constituency, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, has described as laughable, an online report that he is broke after his wedding to a beauty queen.

He reacted yesterday through his media aide, Elder Sanya Ojo, saying: "It is unfortunate for any discerning mind to nurse the insinuation that a trained accountant in the person of Hon Rotimi Makinde could get involved in anything that could lead to financial recklessness. Accountants are known to be judicious in their spending and Hon Makinde is an accountant of many years in the private and public sectors. To be precise, he was in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for 20 years.

"Being a lawmaker representing four local government

By Dada Aladelokun, Assistant Editor

areas, a right-thinking person would know that such a political office holder would have large followers who provided the platform to rejoice with their leader. Indeed, the night party later held in Ile-Ife was a direct way of satisfying the yearnings of his supporters who wanted an event held in the constituency."

Insisting that the wedding was celebrated modestly, Elder Ojo added: "As a thoroughbred businessman he would not also spend beyond his budget or go into borrowing as being peddled by mischievous enemies through a faceless blog merely for a wedding event. For anybody to also think he would attempt to lure Asiwaju Bola Tinubu with money as canvassed by the blog, is high-level ignorance by his coward enemies."

'Improved grassroots affairs in Ekiti' THE Ekiti State Government has restored sanity in grassroots administration, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Affairs, Gbenga Sodeinde, has said.

Sodeinde told The Nation yesterday that gone were the times when local government did not serve its purpose because of diverse encumbrances caused by human factors, especially, indiscipline.

"Before the Dr Kayode Fayemi-led administration came on board, there had long been stories of ghost workers, "jobless" staff and all sorts of

fraud that constituted a clog in the wheel of development at the level. Today, all-round sanity is back in the vital system. You won't find bad eggs anywhere and finding a round peg on a square hole is a rarity," he said.

"Across the council areas today," Sodeinde added, "road projects are ongoing among others, under the keen supervision of the state government. We have seen the intrinsic value of the current style of governance at all levels in the state; this is why everyone seems ready to identify with the government."

Mortgage firm queries agents

THE Lagos Building Investment Company (LBIC) has taken steps to protect its integrity following allegations that some of its officials and agents are swindling subscribers.

The company, it was learnt, has queried an agent for collecting unauthorised charges from some of those who subscribed to buy houses through the mortgage institution.

The agent, it was learnt, has up till next week to respond to the query. She will also explain the additional N1.5m she allegedly took from a subscriber, Mr Adeniyi Olanrewaju after he paid N2.5m in 2011.

LBIC Managing Director Mr Babatunde Jinadu said he had directed his officials to investigate the matter and give him a report next week.

He urged other subscribers with similar issues to contact his office.

By Oluwakemi Dauda

He said the company, being reputable, would continue to honour its agreement with subscribers, adding that it does not delay allocation once the apartments are ready and payment completed by the subscribers.

Subscribers, he said, were free to collect their deposits if they have problem in completing their payment.

He said subscribers had been refunded when they could not pay the balance, noting that the agency refunded the N1 million to Alhaji Ajani Adedubu when he could not complete payment.

He wondered why some subscribers complained about the two-bedroom apartment allocated to them, saying they paid the same amount that other tenants paid.

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

Chronic kidney disease threatens ex-banker's life O PEYEMI Alfred Oluwatuyi, who hails from Ikere in Ekiti State, gave a good account of himself as an Accountancy student at the then Ondo State Polytechnic in Owo between 1992 and 1997.

Then, he nursed one ambition: to pass out in flying colours and secure a good job to enable him care for his parents and relations.

Providence smiled on him as he got a job that helped him to start actualising the dream. Sadly today, the dream means nothing to him; all he needs now is the opportunity to live - no thanks to a health challenge that has rendered him bedridden.

His family's home in Ijegun on the outskirts of Lagos, according to his distraught wife, Kemi, has for over a year now, been home to sympathisers.

Said to be diabetic at the point of his appointment with a bank, Oluwatuyi's health assumed a frightening dimension when he lost his job.

"Immediately his appointment with the bank was terminated, his health challenge and sudden loss

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O kill boredom occasioned by the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, some students have taken to learning events planning.

No fewer than 50 students attended the event tagged, "Train the Trainers Workshop."

It took place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Speaking after the one-week programme, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organisation, Kehinde Ajao, said the initiative was prompted by the passion to develop entrepreneurs among the current generation of youths in order to ease the rate of unemployment in the country.

She said: "We are passionate about bringing the best out of

‘Everything is in God's hands; it has gone beyond us ... Certainly, this is the point where God must raise His people to save the life of my husband’

By Dada Aladelokun, Assistant Editor

of financial muscle resulted in high blood pressure; then he became a big problem in our hands," said Kemi.

At that point, he was saddled with managing his health problem and sustaining his family of four. Then, according to his wife, he opted for "all sorts of jobs to keep him busy and at least, put water on our dining table."

His case become worse about a year ago, when he was diagnosed of suffering from acute kidney malfunctioning.

Before he started attend-

By Innocent Amomoh

the average Nigerian youth.

We have so many gifted youths who need to be guided.

This training will to help them discover their potentials in event management.

"The programme was fixed for this period because of the ASUU strike. We discovered that when these students are idle, they get involved in social vices that can be detrimental to their well-being. There is a popular saying that 'an idle mind is the devil's workshop.'

We encourage them to add value to themselves instead of destroying their future, especially the ladies, who will see the compulsory break as an avenue to bring unwanted children to the world."

By Bukunmi Ogundare and Adedoyin Adesanya

against sexual violence."

MEDIACON's Senior Programme Officer, Francesca Abiola, said the organisation had reached out to millions of people, adding that it also carried out capacity building and awareness. She said their services include legal assistance, medical care, trauma management counselling, and relocation of victims when necessary at no cost.

"Tackling sexual violence requires collective response to promote preventions and ensure that victims and their families get the best possible aid to ensure that both immediate and later effects of sexual violence on them are reduced," she said.

ing the specialist hospital at Oshodi, where he is being treated, his wife said, "we have taken him to all manner of hospitals in desperate search of succour."

Now, he is in dire need of money to find a permanent solution for his ailment.

Many have suggested hospitals here or India. His cash-strapped family spends about N100,000 weekly for dialysis.

Not long ago, the patient's plight became a huge concern for his kinsmen under the banner of Ikere Development Forum (IDF). Day in, day out, it has been the main issue at its meetings.

Last Saturday, Tope Orolu and Tope Ajayi were among members of the forum who made a case for Oluwatuyi at their quarterly parley.

There it was revealed that

an illustrious son of the town, ex President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), among others, had expressed willingness to help Oluwatuyi.

Ido-Ekiti-born Okeowo Kemi Osakuade, an accountant and his ex-course mate at the polytechnic, has intensified efforts to save the life of their former school mate.

Oluwatuyi’s wife burst into tears yesterday when The Nation sought to know how he was faring. "Sir, everything is in God's hands; it has gone beyond us. We are on our way from the hospital where he went for the second dialysis in the week. Certainly, this is the point where God must raise His people to save the life of my husband," she said.

Varsity students train on events planning

Alumni lift charity organisation

THE Media Concern Initiative for Women and Female Children (MEDIACON), has received monetary donation from the old students' association of Our Lady of Apostle Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

MEDIACON is a non-governmental organisation campaigning against sexual violence and response to crises of women and female children.

The alumni's Vice President, Mrs Kemi Ogunbanjo, presented the donation to MEDIACON's Executive Director, Princess Olufemi Kayode.

MEDIACON Board of Trustees' member, Pastor Jada Onikosi, said: "We appreciate this gesture and we hope other groups will emulate the alumni in the fight

• Oluwatuyi

• The trainers and the beneficiaries

She said the vocation would create job opportunities for the participants after school, "especially now that jobs are scarce."

"We have the passion to train people and make them better citizens in future. We make them understand that to be successful entrepreneurs, they must develop passion for what they do, imbibe the needed drive, objectivity and be creative," Ajao said, adding: "Event planning is all about being creative and maintaining a level of integrity."

A beneficiary, Soyemi Oluwaseun, said she developed love for the ushering and decoration aspect of event planning, adding: "It is worthwhile.

I enjoyed every aspect of the

training. I will earn a living from event planning after my school programme."

Tobi Taiwo, another student, said: "I didn't expect to learn this much. I have seen event planning in a different way.

We are in a competitive world where one must be distinct."

Kemi Adetore said she learnt new techniques in line with her discipline as a Mass Communication student. "Initially, I thought it was an opportunity to get ushering job and make money to foot some bills, but I discovered that I could achieve more through event planning," she said.

The next edition of the quarterly programme, The Nation learnt, will be held at the same venue in October.

BUSINESS

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

11 We want a SONCAP programme that would serve its purpose; a programme that would be dynamic, where all the identified loopholes would be effectively plugged thereby making it difficult for the plaque of substandard products to continue to dominate the Nigerian business space.

-Dr Joseph Odumodu, DG, SON

Naira falls on tight dollar supply

Customs seals NAHCO, SAHCOL’s warehouses

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HE Nigerian naira weakened further yes terday on the back of strong demand for the dollar even as the Central Bank pledged that it had no plans to devalue the local currency.

The naira fell to N163.6 to the dollar on the interbank compared with N162.95 a dollar the previous day.

Dealers said limited dollar supply from oil companies had weakened the naira along with the CBN’s decision, so far, not to sell dollars directly to lenders.

“Many customers who could not win their bids at the official forex auction resorted to the interbank market to cover their positions, putting the naira under pressure,” one dealer said.

“We expect that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will sell dollars before Friday or at latest next week, while possible direct dollar sales by the apex bank could help support the naira in the near term,” another dealer said.

The CBN said on Tuesday it would resist pressures to devalue the naira since it retains ample funds to defend the currency.

The banking sector regulator, in July hiked the cash reserve requirements for public sector deposits to 50 percent from 12 per cent in a bid to tighten naira liquidity, and shore up its value, but has failed to stem the currency’s decline.

In the official window, the apex bank sold $260.75 million at N155.76 to the dollar, compared with $285 million at the same rate on Monday.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$117.4/barrel Cocoa -$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,396.9/troy Sugar -$163/lb MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE -N11.4 trillion JSE -Z5.112trillion NYSE -$10.84 trillion LSE -£61.67 trillion RATES Inflation -8.7% Treasury Bills -10.58%(91d) Maximum lending -30% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -1% 91-day NTB -15% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $46.8b FOREX CFA -0.2958 EUR -206.9 £ -242.1 $ -156 ¥ -1.9179 SDR -238 RIYAL -40.472

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

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• From left: Managing Director Zenith Bank Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Group Managing Director Access Bank Mr. Aigboje AigImoukhuede, Agbaje and Managing Director First Bank, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, at the event in Abuja...yesterday.

Dangote signs $3.3b deal for refinery, fertiliser plants D

ANGOTE Group yes terday signed a $3.3billion loan agreement with a consortium of both international and local banks to establish the biggest petroleum oil pefinery and petrochemical/ fertilizer plants in Nigeria.

The projects, which will gulp $9 billion, will generate about 9,500 direct and 25,000 indirect jobs, in addition to reducing current volumes of refined fuel imports by around 50 per cent, and effectively stop the importation of fertiliser. The projects will be financed by $3billion equity and $6billiion loan capital.

With a projected refining capacity 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd), and producing a variety of refined fuel products from local crude resources, Nigeria will cut its current volumes of imported fuel products by almost 50 per cent.

President of The Group, Aliko Dangote, said: “This plant will further entrench Africa’s role on the global map as not only a valued contributor for natural resources, but also a competent manufacturer of refined products and fertilizer.

He said the Dangote Group would be ready to delve into sectors that are capable of generating the much needed

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• ‘Fuel importation to end by 2016’ From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

jobs and urged other investors to have abiding faith in the nation’s economy.

The Vice President, Namadi Sambo, who was a special guest at the ceremony, applauded the Dangote Group for supporting the economic agenda of President Jonathan administration, saying the government has created the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

Also, the Petroleum Minister, Deziani Alison Madueke and the Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, praised the Group for its commitment to driving the economy through its investments.

Sanusi said the refinery deal is a big one in the history of Nigeria, indicating that Nigerian banks are healthier, adding that it was time for Nigerian government discouraged importation and encourage local manufacturing.

The Managing Director/ CEO, Guaranty Trust Bank, Segun Agbaje said the deal

remains the largest syndication by banks in Nigeria, undertaken with the knowledge that the successful implementation of Dangote Refinery and Fertilizer project will have far reaching implications for Nigeria’s economic growth.

“This project is an historic example of self-empowerment and leadership for the continent as a whole – and is made possible through effective partnerships between the Nigerian private sector, Government and international financial institutions.

Standard Chartered remains committed to being here for good in Nigeria, and the region,” CEO, Standard Chartered Bank in Nigeria, Bola Adesola said.

Meanwhile, Dangote has assured that Nigeria’s resort to importation of petroleum products would end by 2016 when the firm’s proposed Dangote refinery and petrochemical project is implemented.

He said: “Now, Nigeria is going to be taken out of the list of countries that import petroleum products. We will produce 20 million metric tones which is currently

equivalent to what Nigeria consumes currently.

He said the country currently spends about $30 billion annually on the importation of petroleum products, promising that the execution of the project will not only put an end to the waste associated with fuel importation, but also create jobs for about 85,000 Nigerians at the initial stage, including 8,000 engineers.

In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media, Dr Reuben Abati, the President said the investment in refining, petrochemicals and fertiliser production will contribute significantly to the attainment of his government’s priority objective of job creation.

Dangote was accompanied to the Presidential Villa by chief executives of the participating banks, including FirstBank of Nigeria, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Stanbic-IBTC, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and Rand Merchant Bank.

Others on the delegation included the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Chief Kola Jamodu, Mr. Femi Otedola, Mr. Jim Ovia, and other senior members of the Dangote Group.

HE Comptroller-Gen eral of Nigeria Cus toms Services (NCS), Dikko Inde Abdullahi, has shut two cargo warehouses belonging to the Skyways Aviation Handling CompanyLimited (SAHCOL) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company ( NAHCO) Plc. Abdullahi said he took the action yesterday because of the firms’inability to explain the disappearance of goods.

Other reasons he gave for the action include the firms’inability to produce Customs documentation and evidence of payment of import duty and other charges.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the Airport Comand of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mrs Thelma Williams, the action is a follow up to meetings between the Customs Area Comptroller Mohammed Dahiru Umar with stakeholders, including cargo agents and freight forwarders association.

She said the command’s action was legal.

Williams said the noncompliance with Customs procedure, loss of revenue to the Federal Government and national securityinformed the action of the NCS. She said:” The refusal of the companies to comply has brought about un-conducive working environment in these warehouses which militates against officers and men of the Command discharging their statutory duties effectively.

“Upon the aforementioned contraventions, the Area Command has no other option than (but) to invoke the relevant provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) CAP C45 LFN 2004 (as amended) and other extant regulations and SEAL UP the Warehouses to ensure and enforce compliance.”

Nigeria’s first warehouse receipt system coming

HE Federal Govern ment has entered into an agreement with African Exchange (AFEX) Holdings to create Nigeria’s pioneering warehouse receipt system.

The system will enable Nigerian farmers and cooperatives to store their produce at accredited warehouses while the produce in the warehouses can be used as collateral to get loans.

Speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja yesterday at the on-going 19th Nigerian Economic Summit Group meeting, the Minister of Agriculture who represented the federal government Dr. Akinwunmi

From Nduka Chiejina (Asst Editor) and Bridget Adah Agiounim

Adesina disclosed that the federal government will establish 800 warehouses across the country, that is at least one warehouse in every Local Government Area in Nigeria.

In addition, Adesina said the Federal Government will create an Agriculture Information System to help gather data for farmer and also recruit those that will manage the warehouses.

The Agriculture Minister further disclosed that Bloomberg has agreed to invest $250 million in warehouse facilities in Nigeria as

a fallout of the agreement with the African Exchange Holdings.

When operational, the warehouses will be leased by the government to private investors “so that farmers can make money”, the minister said.

To fast-track the take-off of the warehouse system, seven pilot warehouses have been established “to ensure grains standards, guarantee collateral for farmers and secure how farmers get their produce to the market.”

The system will commence operation in October for two years in seven states ”where agriculture is by far the largest economic sec-

tor”.

They are Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kwara, Gombe and Oyo states.

According to the minister, “strengthening agricultural markets is critical to diversifying Nigeria’s economy.

AFEX will help to improve the access of farmers to markets, reduce post harvest losses, stabilise prices and raise their incomes”.

Chairman of AFEX Holdings , Tony Elumelu, said the warehouse receipt system initiative “is a step towards financially empowering more farmers and ensuring that agriculture is not only commercially viable, but a strong positive contributor to the Nigerian economy.”

Elumelu also said AFEX wants to roll out in many across Africa and Nigeria is the next port of call after Rwanda host of the East Africa Exchange which has become “a critical player in agribusiness development across the continent.”

Mr Nicolas Berggruen, Chairman of Berggruen Holdings said with the establishment of a warehouse receipt system in Nigeria, farmers in the country “may now use receipts for their produce as collateral for loans. This will control price volatility due to the availability of buffer stock and enable farmers to sell produce at better price points.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

12

NEWS Lagos begins astronomy, space science in schools

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HE Lagos State govern ment is set to start the study of astronomy and space science in its public secondary schools as a way of placing the state on the super highway of information communication development (ICT).

Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr Adebiyi Mabadeje, wo disclosed this at the closing ceremonies of the weeklong yearly Summer Science and Technology Camp, which held at the state’s Model College, Igbonla, in Epe Division of the state, added that no nation could develop in the 21st century without paying conscious attention to the study of science and technology.

He commended the 300 students at the camp for their enthusiasm during the camping which he said recommends them as ‘’potential ambassadors of the state government’s goal of always blazing the trail in innovation, change and creativity.’’

The students, picked on merit, were exposed to Digital German Equatorial (GEQ) and Alt-Azimuth Mounted Telescopes, Mobile Planetarium Domes and projectors, as well as other astronomical softwares. Other activities included debates, quiz, exhibitions, film showsscience encounter and multi-media presentations.

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Oladunjoye, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Omolara Erogbogbo, said that the investment of the state government on Science, Technological, Engineering and

By Lucas Ajanaku

Mathematics had started bearing fruits, with improved performance in internal and external examinations, as well as a string of laurels for its state’s educational institutions and students.She said that the state had equipped over 200,000 students with laboratory science equipment and over 100 schools with ICT tools.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Nike Animashaun, said: ‘’The serene and conducive venue was deliberately chosen to ensure nothing distracts the resource persons, teachers and participants from achieving the objectives of whetting the appetite of the students to continually thirst for careers in science and Technology-related careers.”

Dr A. Falayi of the Department of Physics Covenant University took the students through basic lectures in Astronomy, celestial phenomena, weather patterns and concepts ,while the commissioner promised that the state government had concluded plans to establish Astronomy clubs in schools and outreaches for members of The summer camp, put together in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Education attracted delegates from within and outside the state, including public and private resource persons. The six Tutor Generals/Permanent Secretaries also led their officials and students to the camp.

• From left: Company Secretary, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr. Olalekan Sanni; Chairman, Dr. Bamidele Makanjuola and Managing Director, Mr. Joel Ajiga during the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting at the Lagos Airport Hotel...yesterday in Lagos.

UNIDO seeks to promote agricbusiness

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HE United Nations In dustrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has advocated more pragmatic policies that would promote the growth of agricultural businesses in Nigeria.

Its Regional Director, Representative in Nigeria, Dr Patrick Kormawa made the call in Abuja at a two-day workshop on Development of Policy Guidelines to Engage Women and Youths in Agricultural Businesses.

It said such policies should be anchored on youths and women entrepreneurship, adding that it would promote agriculture.

He said: “This would help to resolve the economic, social, cultural and security issues facing the country.

“Effective participation of youths and women as entrepreneurs in agriculture is essential for job creation, pov-

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

erty alleviation, gender equality and economic empowerment.

“There are several programmes and projects working to support youths and women in agribusiness.

He continued: “Our experience from several African countries shows that in spite of the huge investments to this effect, the number of youths taking up agribusiness as profession is not commensurate to the investment.

“In other words, the number of sustainable and

descent jobs created in agriculture has not been encouraging, particularly for the educated youths.

“For this to happen, agriculture needs to be profitable and must provide dignity to women and youths.”

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said the workshop was relevant because of the unemployment rate in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He said the government recognised the recent youth restiveness, insecurity and poverty among women.

He added that the govern-

ment had decided to revitalise its employment generation strategies to solve the problems.

“The high involvement of women in agriculture, developing the sector and improving access to productive resources are the surest ways for achieving food, nutrition and other Millennium Development Goals.

“We must have the political will to channel the required resources to youth development in order to set Africa on the path of sustainable development,” he added.

Agency launches new product

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OMPLIANCE and Content Monitoring (CCM) Limited has introduced ‘CCM Ad.Vantage’ as part of its efforts to monitor all media stations in Nigeria.

According to the agency, ‘CCM Ad.Vantage’ is an infrastructural upgrade of the company’s existing media monitoring capacity by an additional 100 stations in 14 locations in the country.

It guarantees more reliable advert monitoring services in Nigeria. With ‘CCM Ad.Vantage’, the agency aspires to lead with innovative services such as this that promises to alleviate the pain of stakeholders in getting the right and timely information to take decision.

By Chinasa Ekekwe

Speaking at the unveiling of the product’s logo, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CCM Limited, Mr. Tunde Onadele said that CCM began operation three years ago with a wide coverage of 160 stations, comprising of 100 radio stations and 60 television stations. He said that with ‘CCM ad.vantage’ also known as ‘CCM260+’, the agency would be able to cover 260 stations which are about 75 percent of the number of television stations in the country. He said CCM is now well positioned as more reliable than other service providers in the industry.

“Our promise is to lead on the information front.

We are telling our customers that the company has upgraded from 160 to 260 within three years of operation. No other media monitoring company covers Nigeria like we do,” he added.

Onadele said CCM’s superior media monitoring technology is able to provide more reliable and accurate media compliance reports to advertisers and agencies that are still struggling with challenges of station proliferation, audience fragmentation, unacceptable low compliance rates to media schedules, lack of audience datadriven and poor post-campaign analyses.

IPMAN lauds minister over product HE Independent Petro has launched the country on stability leum Marketers Asso the path of sustainable

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ciation of Nigeria (IPMAN) has lauded the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke for the stability in product supply and growth in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

IPMAN’s Secretary, Mr Mike Osatuyi, who gave the commendation at the association’s National Executive Committee’s (NEC) meeting in Lagos yesterday, was happy that people with the requisite qualifications were appointed to man Federal Government’s the ministry’s and parastatals.

He said the appointments of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC ) Engr. Andrew Yakubu and the Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development Fund ( PTDF), Dr.

By Emeka Ugwuanyi and Ambrose Nnaji

Oluwole Oluleye, are round pegs in round holes.

IPMAN also commended the minister what the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) under the leadership of Prince Haruna Momoh is doing to sustain uninterrupted product supply adding that the association will continue to work with PPMC in all its 21 depots across the country to ensure seamless product supply.

Osatuyi said IPMAN controls over 85 per cent of petroleum products retail outlets in the country.

Osatuyi said: “There is evidence in both the upstream and downstream sub-sectors of the industry that justify that the minister’s appointment

growth.”

He listed some of the achievements to include “the steady and unbroken stability in the supply of petroleum products throughout the country in the past few years and the enactment of the Nigerian Content Act signed into law in 2010 by President Goodluck Jonathan as major enablers for building indigenous capacities for the long term survival of the oil and gas industry.”

He also said that the signing of the gas supply and purchase agreement (GSPA) between key industry operators and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) for the supply of gas as an incentive to guarantee adequate supply of electricity in the country is a milestone.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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COMMENTARY FROM OTHER LANDS

EDITORIALS

The only way out •Neither the Presidency nor the PDP can resolve the Taraba crisis; only the law can

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HAT an interesting thing to note that the Presidency claimed not to be interested in the circus show going on in Taraba State. This is the Presidency renowned for playing politics with essential state matters, often to the detriment of constitutional sanctity and public morality. We are therefore not surprised by the declaration, through Ahmed Gulak, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, that President Goodluck Jonathan: “….does not want to be dragged into that issue that has religious and political colouration.

President Jonathan has been rightly advised on this matter. It is not negligence; it is simply respect for the rule of law.’’

The state governor, Danbaba Suntai, returned to the country on August 25, after spending about 10 months abroad. He was in Germany and the United States of America to receive medical attention for injuries sustained when a helicopter he flew crashed last year. Since his return to the state, things have not been the same.

His deputy and the acting governor in his absence, Garba Umar, and some members of the state House of Assembly, including Speaker Haruna Tsokwa, resisted the bid by some loyalists of the governor to deploy his name to take over the state’s affairs. Suntai’s purportedly signed letter of intention to resume work was rejected by the assembly.

Much as we take the Presidency’s denial of involvement in the matter with a pinch of salt given our experience, we want to quickly add that it is unnecessary because the issue is a constitutional matter which the president should have

no say in at all. In the same vein, we do not see as proper the intervention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through the setting up of a committee on the matter. The committee, tagged PDP Fact-finding Committee on Suntai’s Health Condition, headed by Senator Hope Uzodima visited the ailing governor in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, on Tuesday and resolved that the deputy governor should continue to act as governor, pending the time that the governor would have fully recuperated to resume duties. However, the acting governor should carry his boss along on major policy measures that he intends to take.

While the Presidency’s position not to intervene is in order, it is apparent that in matters of less serious consequence, it had, in defiance of reason and wise counsel, through proxy, to the chagrin of Nigerians. We recall that the agents of the Presidency have been causing problem in Rivers State and even within the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), with the Presidency pretending not to be involved.

We can only hope that the Taraba case is truly different from the open-secret support from the Presidency in the cited instance and other instances. To do otherwise will be disastrous for the Presidency, the ruling party and the polity as a whole.

The Presidency ought to have learnt its lessons on such matters by now.

And, as for the PDP, we want to say that the Taraba matter is beyond its usual ‘family affair’. We have had enough troubles from these ‘family affairs’ and the point is that they have not helped us much. It is true that when Governor

Suntai returned to the country, he looked frail, but what the constitution requires of him is that he transmits his intension to resume duties to the assembly upon his return. That, the governor has done. If there are doubts as to whether he is competent to resume duties now or not, the constitution has spelt out the process. That, we insist, must be followed.

The Taraba power impasse is purely a constitutional matter that should be trashed out constitutionally. Where the respective stakeholders in the state cannot resolve it constitutionally, then the courts should be approached for solution. Self-help by any of the warring factions or meddlesomeness by outsiders cannot be the panacea; indeed, these are absurd in the Taraba matter.

‘The Taraba power impasse is purely a constitutional matter that should be trashed out constitutionally. Where the respective stakeholders in the state cannot resolve it constitutionally, then the courts should be approached for solution. Self-help by any of the warring factions or meddlesomeness by outsiders cannot be the panacea; indeed, these are absurd in the Taraba matter’

The lesson from Poland

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•The successes of a Nigerian-born Polish citizen tell us that much is wrong with our politics

IGERIA’S politicians have a lot to learn from the story of Dr John Abraham Godson, a Nigerianborn Member of Parliament of the Lodz District in Poland, and the first Black man to so do. Godson left the shores of Nigeria for Poland in 1993 with the aim of serving as a missionary. However, he began to get involved in political activities in 2004.

In March 2005, he was elected into the District Council; elected into the City Council in January 2008 and reelected in November 2010. In December of the same year, he won his election into the Polish Parliament and was reelected for a second term in November 2011. These are no mean accomplishments. Although married to a Polish lady, whatever he has become in the country politically he has

‘What these achievements tell us is that we still have a long way to go to deepen democracy.

How many Nigerians can contest elections in states other than their own? Even people of the same geo-political zone discriminate on state basis.

How many of our political office holders can claim that they got their mandates through community efforts?’

earned through his social and community development activities.

This contrasts sharply with what happens in Nigeria. Rather than have people contest election and be voted for on their individual merit, all kinds of considerations go into selection of candidates for political offices and people generally vote for political parties. Many Nigerians, especially in the urban centres, do not know their councillors, not to talk of local government chairmen, many of who are lords to themselves once elected. This absence of interface with political aspirants is part of the reasons why we are not having the appropriate democratic dividend. Elected officials do not see themselves as owing allegiance to the electorate and are thus not obliged to do their bidding.

Even now that Godson has resigned from the ruling Civic Platform Party on matters of principle, including the party’s flirtations with gay marriage, the people (his constituency) are still key as to what the next line of action should be at the end of his term in the parliament. It is a symbiotic relationship, one in which he and the electorate understand their rights and obligations. “I fight for my electorate; those 30,000 people who voted for me and gave me the mandate to fight for their rights and their protection”, he says in an interview.

How many of our politicians can say the same thing and mean it? How many of them can, like Godson, decide to stand for election as independent candidates simply because of disagreement with their party (the ruling party for that matter) on account of principles? Many of them see the ruling party as the only

platform where they can make it; outside of it, they are like fish out of water.

This should not be because the candidate should also be an issue in an election, not just the party.

Right now, Godson seems to be considering options that ordinarily would have been considered outlandish. Yes, he enjoys dual citizenship of both Nigeria and Poland, but should this ordinarily entitle him to contest for mayoralty in that country? Interestingly, that is part of what is on the cards after his term in parliament. He can even contemplate contesting election into the European Parliament! In the Polish Parliament, he is a member of some committees as well as chairman of four others.

What these achievements tell us is that we still have a long way to go to deepen democracy. How many Nigerians can contest elections in states other than their own? Even people of the same geopolitical zone discriminate on state basis. How many of our political office holders can claim that they got their mandates through community efforts?

Godson’s story affords us an opportunity to celebrate Nigeria; that it is not all about the bad and the ugly. It is also an opportunity to take a few lessons from Poland, where a Nigerian-born is doing well politically. Nowhere did we hear of election fixing, electoral violence or rigging. If a Nigerian can do it in a ‘strange land’, then it should be doable at home. All we need is the will to do the right thing and not place extraneous matters above what will benefit the greatest number.

In North Korea’s death camps, thousands of prisoners disappear – CAMP NO. 22 covered some 775 square miles, a larger geographic expanse than London, New York or Los Angeles.

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N a way, the camp was a city in its own right, albeit a locus of inhumanity rather than a bustling metropolis. Camp 22 was one point in North Korea’s constellation of concentration camps that run on unadulterated cruelty, a secret world where prisoners are fed poison for experimentation, women are forced to kill their own children and entire families are murdered in gas chambers.

As the world sits by, North Korea has imprisoned as many as 200,000 people in these camps. Although human rights violations remain unfortunately common in many nations, these camps form a category of their own in today’s world. North Korea’s gulag is a place where people aren’t people but rather objects for exploitation and elimination.

The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea released a report this week detailing the harrowing reality of Camp 22. Satellite imagery suggests the camp recently closed. Good news?

Not exactly. According to the report, after a food shortage in 2009-10, Camp 22’s population shrunk to somewhere between 3,000 and 8,000 people from around 30,000 in previous years.

Thousands of prisoners seem to have evaporated into thin air — perhaps via Camp 22’s crematoria.

Last week also saw the conclusion of public hearings for a U.N. Commission of Inquiry investigation into North Korea’s human rights abuses. The hearings featured testimony from Shin Dong-hyuk, perhaps the best-known escapee of a camp and the subject of a 2012 book

by Blaine Harden, The Post’s former East Asia correspondent. Recounting his punishment for dropping a sewing machine, Mr. Shin recalled: “I thought my whole hand was going to be cut off at the wrist, so I felt thankful and grateful that only my finger was cut off.”

Although the U.N. commission has no formal prosecutorial powers, Michael Kirby, the retired Australian judge who led the inquiry, promised that the report he is overseeing will “not be just another U.N. document.”

It should not be. Other nations have tolerated these camps for far too long. South Korea rarely speaks out about human rights in the northern part of its divided country. The United States has focused (unsuccessfully) on dissuading North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile thousands languish and suffer.

Many, as Mr. Shin testified, are bred in the camps like farm animals to be worked and then die with no possibility of ever entering a freer world.

Among the more chilling questions in the history of World War II is how the Allies could know about Auschwitz and other German death camps but take no definitive action, such as bombing the rail lines, to stop them. It is encouraging that the United Nations has stirred itself to pay attention to North Korea’s camps.

Still, historians of the future may again wonder how the world could have known so much and done so little.

– Washington Post

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

• Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

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THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTMBER 5, 2013

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: When Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State and his aides set out on a journey to Adamawa on October, 25 2012 in his Cessna 208 -5N-BNG private jet, little did he know that even as an executive governor with enormous power at his beck and call, one day he will become a pawn in the political chessboard of selfish politicians. It is an unfortunate scenario of the healthy at the moment hiding under the malaise of the man in power and authority to fester their political nets. In these one can fathom “religion” in the political arithmetic of who becomes what in 2015 general elections. The common good of Taraba people is shoved aside for primordial sentiment, personal and selfish aggrandisement of some politicians.

They should have a rethink and ask for God’s mercy those scrambling for power at the expense of the health condition of Suntai.

This kind of drama was once enacted by a certain unelected cabal trying to hold political power by

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Suntai as pawn in Taraba politics proxy and at all cost for former President Umaru Yar’Adua. The nation was nearly pushed to the precipice. What is the mind of the law in this case? Specifically, Sections 189 (1, 2, 3 and 4) and 190 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended provides the undeniable legal lead and solution to this imbroglio but the situation in Taraba demands more of common sense than the application of law. Call it another doctrine of necessity.

Sentiments apart, Governor Suntai might not be fit to govern Taraba again but the fact remains that the only requirement of the

law was for him to send a letter of his readiness to carry on with his duties to the House of Assembly.

There was no place in the 1999 Constitution where it was stipulated that an ailing governor should or must physically appear and address the State House of Assembly to ascertain his capability to govern. The Taraba House of Assembly should not feign ignorant of the law.

It must be restated that the 1999 Constitution created the lacuna upon which this in-fighting festers.

Whatever position the contending groups must have taken, was anchored on this vacuum of the law because, the law itself is an ass

which looked the other way or rather was blind to the case under review. The constitution makes it extremely tedious to remove a governor. Can you imagine a sick governor writing a letter to the House of Assembly declaring himself incapacitated? Which commissioner will cast a vote of incapacitation against a governor who picked him from the dust bin of obscurity and set him on the path of fame?

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in this circumstance is in itself incapacitated and should be declared so. This is an auspicious moment for us as a na-

(KWASIEC) Returning Officer of the local government. Instead, the Returning Officer disappeared and an unknown man found his way to the state radio station to announce a contrary result.

A returning officer is required to be fearless, upright and bold; he or she is expected to consider national cause over and above selfish interest. He is like a soldier who goes to war to protect the integrity of his country. Anybody who fears human beings more than God cannot serve as a returning officer. Anybody who cherishes bribe or fear human threat more than due diligence cannot serve as returning officer and ought to reject the post.

For how long shall we continue to be in this wilderness? For how long shall we be patient before we get to the promise land? Now, the efforts of those that voted for their candidates have been reduced to nothing so much that it will be dif-

ficult to convince some of them in future elections.

According to Winston Churchill, “the greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes”. So if the majority of people in an area are fools and they have foolishly but constitutionally chosen their representative against the wish of the wise minority, the wise minority should see it as one of the weaknesses of democracy and allow the wish of the majority fools to rule. There is no sense in ruling by force and it helps nobody to be in government against the wishes of the majority. Nigeria is not moving forward despite its great potentials because the right people are not in the right places.

Over eighty per cent of our youths are not engaged. We have over 17 million housing deficits which means that majority of Nigerians are either homeless or living in sub-standard houses. We

have never enjoyed 24 hours uninterrupted power supply. Our universities’ gates are perpetually under locks and our children under-fed in a country with abundant arable soil. We have oil but it has been our undoing; we would be better off without it. Our people are stark illiterates though they have passed the four walls of a school.

Do we say that the KWASIEC officer who has turned back the hand of the clock in Offa local government re-run election does not know the implications of his actions on democratic development of the nation? No. He knows. The government should be interested in this case and punish the culprit as a deterrent to others in his shoe.

Whether his action is right or the people are right is a matter of time.

‘Do or Die’ politics of PDP in Offa

IR: To steal is criminal, how much more to steal a peoples’ mandate. In a civilized society, when the people have spoken, their voice should be heard.

This is the essence of democracy; giving power to the people. It is the government chosen by the majority of qualified people in an area. When votes are being manipulated or fraud is being perpetrated to install unpopular candidate by a powerful minority, this is no more democracy. It is stealing and it is more heinous than theft.

In the Offa local government runoff election held on Saturday, August 31, the results of the wards clearly favoured All Progressive Congress (APC) with all wards but one in favour of APC candidate.

Constitutionally, the result of the election is supposed to be announced by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission

• Olufemi A. Oyedele Osogbo, Osun State

tion to insert some clauses that will correct these anomalies. This is the second time we have treaded this path to nowhere; we should get our acts right.

• Sunday Onyemaechi Eze Zaria, Kaduna State

No merit in Jonathan’s second term bid

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IR: A second term for any president or governor is not a must or a compulsory thing. The people should ordinarily want to have you do a second term, not you imposing a second term on the people.

I am from the South-south, and by the foregoing arguments I should support Jonathan for a second term bid, but I prefer to differ on this matter. My position is clear: Jonathan has not proven himself to be a man that can take Nigeria out of its present state of insecurity, poverty, deprivation, joblessness, corruption, to mention a few dilemmas bedevilling Nigeria.

A president that can wake up on January 1, and increase the price of fuel is certainly not a man of wisdom. Jonathan has failed the Southsouth with his purposeless leadership and inability to fight corruption head-on. He is being swung round like the “barber’s chair” to make his government unpopular by the same northerners he has surrounded himself with.

Believe it or not, Jonathan had laid a bad precedent for the south, and it will be extremely difficult for a southerner to get to that position again in the country. I will rest my arguments this way: It is either PDP dumps Jonathan and remain relevant in 2015, or retain Jonathan and go into extinction in 2015. The choice is theirs.

Thank God for viable oppositions.

• Engr Osaro Ogbewe Benin City

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTMBER 5, 2013

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COMMENTS

N600 billion census budget outrageous

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HE chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Festus Odimegwu said recently that he would need N600 billion to conduct the next census. This is at a time when the Federal Government through its act of omission or commission has shut down all state and federal universities in the country because it cannot find N87 billion being demanded by the teachers. It would not surprise me if this same Federal Government finds N600 billion to give to the census body when you cannot ride on any Nigerian road without running into huge craters and gutters. At the end of each census, we come up with spurious numbers that are not believed by anybody or believable at all. What is apparent in Nigeria is not always real, it is the case of the more you see, the less it counts. At election times, small states produce more votes than states that are much bigger and much more populous if only to get their preferred candidate elected.

Apart from the census of 1956 which put Nigeria’s population at 32 million, all other censuses have been marred by forgeries. During enumeration of people, it is not uncommon for villages to contribute money to give to enumerators in order to boost their population figures and yet we call this a census. Enumeration of any kind in Nigeria is totally without integrity. When states are asked to come up with the number of school aged children, the figures given sometimes outstrip the population of the entire state. Any exercise requiring figures in Nigeria is usually manipulated because of the financial implications of figures in Nigeria. Would it not be better to save N600 billion and just get statisticians to give us projected population of Nigeria based on a baseline of 1952 and rate of increase at 3% per year or something of that sort rather than the spurious figures bandied around dishonestly by NPC? Nobody can swear on the figures of Nigeria’s population.

Today, we are told that we are about 170 million but I do not believe it. I personally do not believe that Nigeria is more than 100 million; the remaining 70 million are ghosts as far as I am concerned. The idea of population count every 10 years should be jettisoned and replaced by population count every two decades. The money saved should be used for development of infrastructure of the country. Imagine what N600 billion can do in the development of Nigeria. Odimegwu and his NPC should be asked to go on holidays and come back 20 years after the last census and give us the chance to use the money saved to develop the country. Census is about people and about development. Arbitrary figures are of no importance whatsoever to the development of Nigeria and if we need to take the next census, we should do it scientifically by calling in experts from the UN to do area mapping of Nigeria

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ONG before I joined the Daily Times in October, 1990, I had become familiar with the name Peter Obe. Who wouldn’t then? Peter Obe was a household name. Obe’s fame derived from his work as a press cameraman. He took worldclass pictures, which stood him out among his peers.

Obe’s reputation made him famous. This is why people like me knew him long before we became reporters.

By the time I joined the Daily Times, he was no longer in the now defunct conglomerate; but he was still active in the field. Obe was an all rounder. He took political, social and sport photographs. Name the event, Peter Obe was there. Many, at least the older generation, will still remember seeing a man in shorts and sweat shirt and a hat, with several cameras dangling around his neck, running around the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, those days taking photographs during football matches.

He was everywhere something big was happening. Whether an accident scene, whether a molue (the once - upon - a - time popular commercial bus in Lagos) plunged into the river, whether robbers were being shot at the Lagos Bar Beach, whether a political gathering of note, whether the Supreme Court was delivering judgment on a big case, whether there was a riot or fire, Peter Obe was there. People wondered whether he was a spirit because he was always on the spot where news was breaking.

There was no event Peter Obe did not cover during his illustrious career. How did I know considering the wide gap in our ages? We will get to that story shortly. Obe took his work with all seriousness. He never allowed anything to come between him and his job. Even after his retirement from the Daily Times he still worked for the paper as if his life depended on the job.

That was Peter Obe for you. Wherever he went, he went with his cameras and he had many.

I knew him from afar in my early

and to point out the centres of concentration of people through settlement pattern and then project the overall population of our country. This can be done through area photography without the arduous, primitive enumeration and money guzzling system Nigeria revels in.

We know that elections are around the corner and people are looking for money for election, but we can’t be fooled all the time. The figure of N600 billion for counting Nigerians, many of whom are poor, despairing and despondent such that they would take the money rather than being counted, if given the option is outrageous. There are so many outlandish things going on at the centre in Abuja; recently, the Nigerian Space Authority or something of that sort says it is planning to send Nigerian astronauts into space by 2020. When I read this in the paper, I just laughed that what a country! And I asked myself - how is that important to the ordinary men and even to men who are not ordinary? What direct benefit will sending an astronaut into space bring to Nigeria? Are we going to reinvent the wheel?

Countries that are sending people into space are already developed and have the basic requirement of decent living for their people. Why would a country whose people still defecate in the bushes or in open space and whose people have no potable water to drink or electricity to light their homes and power their businesses, decent educational and health facilities, efficient transportation system be planning to engage in the expensive venture of space exploration when the Russians and the Americans, the two leading nations in this area are deemphasising state participation while encouraging the private sector to take over these expensive ventures?

We make fools of ourselves by pretending to be a big power when in fact we are not. We should cut our coat according to our cloth and face the reality of underdevelopment and try to overcome it. This is the challenge we face, the challenge of husbanding our resources and embarking on rapid development, transformation and industrialising our country while we still have the resources accruing from hydro-carbon exploitation. Our mono-cultural economy cannot be sustained forever and in fact cannot be sustained for too long, we have only about 30 years to transform this economy or die. Future generations of Nigeria will not forgive us if we do not embark on the process of transformation right now. Unfortunately, there is too much politicking in the land, too much talk about election in 2015 when in fact nobody knows who would be around tomorrow. We need to do the first thing first, let those who are in government right now discharge

their responsibilities to the electorate, fulfil the promises on which they were elected and let the future take care of itself. Nigerians are a long-suffering people and I admire them for that and there is even wisdom in being longsuffering because Jide revolutions do not Osuntokun always pan out. It is better to be longsuffering and to hope for evolutionary changes rather than wish or engineer sudden changes. But sometimes herd instincts and mob mentality can push a people to the edge of a precipice when they feel that the situation is hopeless.

We are getting to this point in Nigeria where the more we spend on power generation, the less power we get. For the past 14 years, power generation in Nigeria has not increased past 4000 megawatts and yet, billions of dollars have been spent on this sector without any appreciable change in our power generation situation. Electricity generation is not rocket science, other third world countries and indeed other African countries like our neighbour Ghana have managed to stabilise their power sector to the extent that generators are not as everywhere in Ghana as they are in Nigeria. Would it not be wonderful if the present regime can tell us categorically when every home in Nigeria will have power 24 hours every day? This is something that is taken for granted in most countries of the world even in countries where the frigid weather should militate against this.

If we have a government that can guarantee regular supply of water and electricity, then we would know that we are gradually coming out of the stone-age in which we have been consigned by previous administrations. The needs of Nigerians are not many and not outrageous or outlandish. What we require are basic needs for decent human living and we hope and pray that one day, a government would come that would be able to deliver on this simple needs rather than giving us outrageous budgetary figures on space exploration and demographic enumeration.

The Peter Obe I knew days at the Daily Times, but later became close to him. It was some seven or eight years after I joined the Daily Times that I became close to him. I had known him all along as Peter Obe, but at the Daily Times I got to know of his appellation, Exclusive.

The appellation derived from the fact that he only took exclusive photographs. The photographs he took those days cannot be found in other papers except in the Daily Times.

Exclusive took much pride in his job and this I could discern when I became close to him between 1997 and 2002. People of my generation called him Exclu Baba whenever he walked into the newsroom at the Daily Times corporate office on Agidingbi Road, Ikeja. Whenever he came, he came with pictures on the back on which were written the legend : ‘’Exclusive’’. Peter Obe took me under his wings as his son during our relationship.

As News Editor and later Deputy Editor of the Daily Times, he made it a duty to see me in the office whenever he was around. Some of my colleagues became envious of me.

Whenever they saw him parking his car, they will rush down to the newsroom, shouting, ‘’Lawi, baba e tide o’’, meaning ‘’Lawi, your father is here’’. Then Exclusive will bound in, in you guess right, his trade mark shorts, sweat shirt and a pair of canvass. He never came empty handed. Besides pictures for the paper, he would also bring me gifts.

Usually, he branched at the Daily Times on his way back from his Igbara Oke hometown in Ondo State.

During those visits, we will chat and chat. We talked about virtually everything under the sun. I was lucky to have people like him to guide me then. Exclusive, the famous artist/cartoonist, Mr Jossy Ajiboye and the late Akinlolu Aje, a moving encyclopaedia if there ever was one, and a contributor to Head-

lines, the historical journal in the Daily Times stable, were my Godsent guardians. I listened with rapt attention to the words of wisdom that poured forth from their mouths. In those difficult days in the Daily Times, they advised me to exercise patience, saying things will not continue like that. They believed that the paper will not die, but unfortunately the government killed the Daily Times.

This is not the story of the Daily Times, but of Peter Obe. But there is no way we can divorce the story of Peter Obe from the story of the Daily Times, a paper, which he served diligently in good and bad times. So did Jossy Ajiboye and the late Aje. These men were totally loyal and committed to the Daily Times. It was not for want of something to do, but because I sense, they were sentimentally attached to that great institution. Obe was a rare breed. He didn’t look at the age difference between us in dealing with me. I consider myself lucky to have been close to him, Jossy Ajiboye and the late Aje. hose days whenever the trio gathered in my office, Peter Obe will say to me ‘’Lawi’’, he called me that too, ‘’ma fun Jossy ati Aje ni orogbo ati awon meat pie ti mo ko wa fun e’’, meaning ‘’don’t give Jossy Ajiboye and Aje out of the bitter kola and pastries I brought for you’’, and we will burst into laughter. Yes, whenever Exclu Baba was coming to the Daily Times, he always came with a load of bitter kola and pastries of all kinds for me. At a point, my office became where people came to look for bitter kola because they knew I will always have some in stock, courtesy of my father.

When I spoke with Peter Obe on phone a few months ago, I felt bad after our discussion because I could barely hear him. His voice was hoarse, but I didn’t know that the

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end will come so soon. Peter Obe died on Sunday at 81. His death has robbed journalism of one of its greatest photographers ever. The history of the Nigerian media will be incomplete without the role played by Exclusive in the development of what is today known as photo - journalism.

On Tuesday when I informed Jossy Ajiboye of Peter Obe’s death, he could only moan ‘’ah, Peter, ah Peter, ki olorun ko forun ke’’, meaning ‘’ah Peter, ah Peter, may his soul rest in peace’’. After making his own enquiries, he called back to ask: ‘’Nibo lo ku si, ilu e tabi eko?’’ I replied that Exclusive died in Lagos. Exclusive was among the best if not even the best in his trade.They don’t come better than he did. This is a big loss to the Daily Times family, journalism and the nation, which civil war years (1967 - 70) he captured in graphic details in his book: Civil War Pictures from Nigeria : A Decade of Crisis in Pictures. May he rest in the bosom of the Lord.

Death so cruel

Life is cruel and so is death. Last Sunday, a longstanding friend and colleague, Adebowale Adegoke, died in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, after many years of struggle. Debo died on the same day with Peter Obe. When the late Debo and people like us started out on this job, we began the hard way.

We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into then. We just considered ourselves lucky to have got a job then. It all began in The Punch, the lively paper for lively minds. We were young, vibrant men determined to make a career in journalism. Thank God we had masters like Dapo Aderinola (Baba Africa), Najim Jimoh and Demola Osinubi to mentor us. Things were

Lawal Ogienagbon

lawal.ogienagbon@thenationonlineng.net SMS ONLY: 08099400204

difficult but we soldiered on with the belief that the future is bright.

In our search for greener pastures, we moved to other papers. Like me, he also found his way to the Daily Times. He rose to Deputy Editor of the Sunday Times.

Last Sunday, he died in Abeokuta, which became his home after years of working there. What a sad end to a life of struggle. Since our oga, Tunde Ipinmisho, broke the news of Debo’s death to me on Monday through a text, I have not ceased wondering how cruel life and death can be. My heart goes out to his wife, Yemisi and children. May God give them the fortitude to bear the loss. Adieu, Debo, till we meet to part no more.

‘There is no way we can divorce the story of Peter Obe from the story of the Daily Times, a paper, which he served diligently in good and bad times’

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTMBER 5, 2013

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COMMENTS

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HE on-going macabre dance in Taraba State is symptomatic of all that is wrong with our constitution and its operators.

It is no more a secret that Governor Danbaba Suntai was aided by two hefty men to disembark the plane that ferried him from the US after 10 months of intensive medical treatment following serious injuries he suffered when he crashed his personal jet near Yola in October last year. It is also public knowledge that he was not strong enough to acknowledge cheers or speak to his enthusiastic supporters and well-wishers that were on hand at the airport to welcome him. Even if the scenario had been different, one will still be tempted to ask what informed Suntai’s desperate bid to take over the reins of government even before he had time to take inventory of what transpired in his absence. But since the governor has not appeared in public or address his state House of Assembly close to two weeks after his arrival, one can hazard a guess – the lure and nostalgic craving for a governor’s pervasive power without responsibility.

This perhaps explains why the race for the governor’s seat, from nomination to election is often a fierce battle. It is a war viciously fought by desperate men. It is, as ex-President Obasanjo appropriately described it a ‘do or die battle’. It is not a race for the fainthearted. Besides brute force which has left us with unresolved cases of assassinated governorship aspirants, it sometimes requires a resort to perfidy and high level of intrigue accompanied with non conventional rules. For instance during ex-President Obasanjo’s failed attempt at railroading the South-west into the ‘mainstream’, an era marked by massive rigging of governorship elections, his point-man in Ibadan, Alhaji Adedibu, the man designated as ‘garrison commander’ by PDP, reportedly took a close look at a governorship aspirant and coldly asked, “Can you without hesitation remove your dress and like a hooligan engage in a public brawl? Can you swear publicly with the Holy Koran on what you know was evidently untrue”?

And for those who want to be governors by all means, it is a zero-sum game and the end justifies the means. In 2007 race to Ekiti governor’s lodge, Fayemi outwitted about a dozen of his highly cultured soul mates - journalists, human right activists, intellectuals all sharing the same ideological orientation. But the crave for the governorship seat drove some of them to the embrace of PDP. They

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Power without responsibility blatantly rigged elections and turned the land to a battle ground for about four years. A few months to the next election, the battle line is once again drawn between the governor and Opeyemi Bamidele both of APC. An earlier attempt by PDP to pick its candidate ended in a shoot out. Ekiti state by the way is a poor state whose federal allocation is second to the last on the list of 36 states.

In Oyo, Uyo, and Awka as in Port Harcourt where Nyesom Wike, the minister of education (state) has said he was ready to sacrifice his ministerial position to fight the battle for the Rivers government lodge by ensuring Amaechi the incumbent governor of the state does not ‘sleep with his two eyes closed’, the story is the same. The lure of the office of governor is such that all manners of men find it irresistible- those in their 60s, 70s, ex military governors and administrators, serving senators , successful professionals and business men we all describe as ‘men of great accomplishments’.

For instance, Chukwuma Soludo, a celebrated intellectual, former CBN governor who for five years pursued PDP monetary policies with passion, cross-carpeted to APGA following his failed attempt at entering Awka government house through PDP. Last week his new party disqualified him from its primaries. Most Nigerians, except the aspirants who understand what it means to be a governor in Nigeria, would ask what on earth Soludo is looking for in Awka after conquering Nigeria and the world.

The same question can be asked of Dora Akunyili, who as minister of information was the most visible of Yar’Adua ministers. She pursued PDP ‘branding policy’ fraud with

HE epoch-making event of handing-over of erstwhile successor companies of PHCN to the new private sector owners must not go unrecognised and un-celebrated because it is a major step in the nation’s quest for selfsufficiency in electric power supply. What began like a child’s play about 14 years ago when President Obasanjo (OBJ) sacked the management of NEPA and replaced it with Sen. Liyel Imoke-led Technical Board has finally arrived at the destination and alas, there is no more NEPA, no more PHCN – acronyms which have been maligned by the very people they were serving.

To discerning observers, the process has taken too long but, like the thousand miles journey which begins with the first step, that singular action of Obasanjo and indeed his resolute commitment to power sector reform gave birth to the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005. The Act specifically provided for one year to wind up PHCN and allow the 18 successor companies autonomy of operation. However, the journey has not been without feebleness and near U-turn on the part of the administration of President Yar’Adua and filibustering by the workers’ unions aided and abetted by external forces who have been leeching the system. A new vista was given to it when President Jonathan launched the Power Sector Reform Roadmap in August 2010. Despite missing some key milestones, the power sector reform train has finally berthed at the terminus! It is marvellous in our eyes!

Before examining the outlook of the power supply industry under the crop of the new private sector owners, I consider it important to look at two sectors of the economy where similar reforms have yielded positive results even though some of the benefits might have now been taken for granted.

Time was when a customer seeking to withdraw cash from banks must be prepared to spend sometimes up to half a day to accomplish the objective. You would have to collect a plastic disc with a tally number and wait endlessly for your tally number to be called. The teller would pass your cheque to a supervisor who would order retrieval of your signature card to verify your signature and search through piles of computer print-out pages of previous day’s closing balances of all the branch’s customers to ascertain your balance before releasing your cheque for payment! Systematic reforms led to adoption of electronic banking with applications of ATMs and various online transactions. Now we are talking of a cashless society!

All these changes came about because of the reforms in the banking sector.

The few customers of NITEL (few because they were just about 500,000!) cannot forget what they went through whenever their numbers were “stolen” or “temporarily outof-service (TOS).” If you wanted your number back, you would provide a ladder with a vehicle to transport it and the NITEL

passion. The lure of governor’s office however drove her from PDP to APGA. The race for the Awka government house can get no more comical than with the presence of Andy Uba, a former governor for two weeks and a serving senator. He is presently locked horns with Tony Nwoye, a man said to be his protégé. Similarly, the uninitiated is bound to wonder why Senator Chris Ngige would not be discouraged by the ignominy he suffered as a governor when he was kidnapped in a broad daylight, locked up like a common criminal and asked to write an undertaking renouncing his office as governor. Rather than get discouraged, he is now set for a battle against all comers, including his erstwhile godfather and tormentor, Chris Uba. At the last count, besides ministers and captains of industry jostling for government houses in the 36 states of the federation, there are about 40 senators and members of the Lower house set for the battle. They include senators Ifeanyi Okowa, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Hope Uzodinma, Chris Anyanwu, Ike Ekweremadu, Ayogu Eze, Annie Okonkwo, Ayo Arise, Gbenga Aluko, Kabiru Gaya, Olufemi Lanlehin. Others are Representatives, Abdulrahaman Kawu Sumaila, Emeka Ihedioha, Uche Ekwunife and Opeyemi Bamidele among many others.

The desperate bid to be a governor is perhaps because governors have immeasurable powers. They are the lords of the manor in their states. As leaders of their parties, they alone determine who is nominated to contest election as councillors and chairmen, if and when they decide to have local council elections. In most cases they run the councils as local administrations through their appoint-

ees. Members of state assemblies also need their endorsement before they can contest election. Most state assemblies are therefore extensions of the governor’s office. Attempt to assert their independence will most often lead to Ogun experience under ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel who locked up his state house of assembly and chased the lawmakers out of town.

We also know governors can through their power of patronage create millionaires overnight. They don’t account for their monthly security votes. In the Niger Delta and Northeast, we have seen how governors deployed security funds to sponsor terror gangs that metamorphosed into Niger Delta militants and Boko Haram insurgency. In Oyo State, Adedibu, the garrison commander and leader of the thugs demanded and got 20% of the security vote which he said was needed to mobilize his gangs. That was after getting Abuja’s support to illegally remove a governor that turned down his request.

The power of the governor is so pervasive.

Yet it is often power without responsibility.

They are accountable to none but themselves.

Perhaps with the exception of Nuhu Ribadu who recently challenged the 19 northern governors to justify the over N16 trillion they collected from the federation account in the last 14 years, we have ignored the governors and LGA that spend over 30 per cent of the budget. We have failed to subject to scrutiny the activities of governors who dish out patronage and gifts to shut up the mouth of the local opinion leaders, including the Obas, the Obis and the emirs.

‘We also know governors can through their power of patronage create millionaires overnight. They don’t account for their monthly security votes. In the Niger Delta and North-east, we have seen how governors deployed security funds to sponsor terror gangs that metamorphosed into Niger Delta militants and Boko Haram insurgency’

Power sector: It’s a new dawn

By Oye Eribake technician through long routes of telephone poles and wires ending up in your premises!

In retrospect, NITEL was managing a situation of scarcity of telephone numbers, a situation which bred corruption whereby customers who could afford it induced its staff to manipulate the situation in their favour. It was not unusual for numbers to be diverted from unsuspecting subscribers during the daytime and routed to businesses who piled up debts for the subscribers at night time; in order instances, numbers were brazenly withdrawn from subscribers and allocated to highest bidders.

I consider it appropriate to start this natal welcome note with the DISCO successor companies because, by virtue of the fact that they operate downstream, they form the interface with the consumers. As corporate entities who can sue, you should expect that your customers also have reciprocal right to sue you. Quid pro quo.

For you, customer focus is sine qua non.You have a lot of inhouse and out-door cleaning up to do.Your commitment to reduce losses must be pursued vigorously; the reticulation infrastructure is worse than an eyesore in most places.

Conductors are undersized and drooping to less than three metres ground clearance with catenaries which defy any description, majority of poles are worse than the leaning tower of Pizza, cross-arms display different inclinations and detached insulators are not uncommon, feeder pillars doors are kept permanently ajar etc. Gone are the days when the Electrical Inspectorate Division must certify installations before they would be allowed to be electrified. Hopefully such oversight functions will come alive again.

For as long as generation output does not match demand, you can be rest assured that customers will understand the inevitability of load shedding. Compliance with NERC directive of publishing or publicising the schedule of load shedding must be complied with. There must be no favouritism in the matter of load shedding. Customers should not have to pay for provision of, or repair/replacement of any item outside their premises; and whatever a customer is obliged to pay for must be officially invoiced and receipted.

It is in your own interest to create multiple avenues for customers to pay for your services like, for instance, scratch cards or payment at designated supermarkets. You should consider introduction of packaged sub-stations and SCADA equipped control rooms and other efficiency-enabling power

distribution technologies as soon as possible. Customer enlightenment on conservation and efficient use of power must not be overlooked especially for consumers with high inductive loads. You must help your customers to help you!

The power generation companies (GENCOs) constitute the anatomical heart of the system as they generate and “pump” electricity into the transmission and distribution grids. The system today is anaemic, so to say, and just as doctors have to transfuse blood into anaemic patients, the GENCOs must not only gun for highest availability of the equipment already installed in power stations they have acquired, they must embark on expansion projects right-away. The demand is there, the ROIs are good and the sector is strategic and attractive to financiers. The challenges of gas supply are being properly addressed. Realising that nearly 120 million Nigerians have been denied access to electricity, your vision 2020-20 must be “To connect 20 million Nigerians to electricity yearly from now until year 2020” so that by 2020 Nigerians will enjoy clean, un-interrupted power supply. By 2020 our homes and businesses ought to have forgotten the era of load shedding with the attendant environmental pollution emanating from diesel and petrol generating sets causing health hazards like asthma and in extreme cases, mortalities caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from generator fumes, long-term exposure to carcinogens, noise pollution and all other inconveniences that go with running generators.

I have always pitied the whipping boys of government apologists who wasted no time blaming generator merchants for the epileptic power supply and bureaucratic ineptitude demonstrated in handling of projects in the sector. If indeed these merchants constitute such a cabal and if indeed the cabal has been sabotaging government’s efforts at improving power supply, there is no reason why they will fold their arms now that private operators have taken over, afterall the stake must be higher for them now! If on the other hand, the generator market shrinks to the bare necessities of standby power at critical installations like high rise buildings, airports, hospital theatres etc, then Nigerians will know for sure that “the worms gnawing at the vegetable dwell therein!”

Properly managed, the privatisation of the power sector will be a veritable advertisement for further divestment by the government from other sectors which can be better funded and managed by the private sector.

To all key players in the electric power supply industry, I say LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!

• Dr Eribake writes from Lagos.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTMBER 5, 2013

COMMENTS

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HE noise that Nigeria is about to break up is increasing everywhere one touches in the world. For me, one consequence of it is that I tend now to think a lot about the time of my youth as a Nigerian boy growing up in the beautiful hills of northeastern Yorubaland – in the land of the green hills and rock towers that my people call Ekiti. Our folklore – folk tales, songs, praise poetry, jokes, legends, myths, etc – told of town after town dotting our valleys and hillsides, and of our much larger country equally dotted with towns, all of which towns belonged to one large mystical family known as the Yoruba, the people of “Ekaaro, e jiire”..

My earliest memories are ofwalking with my mother and some other kinsfolks, up our hills and down our valleys, to go and fraternize with family or friends celebrating some festival or family event. Town after town we would go. Just as we were getting tired of the walking, we would come to another town. I often wondered how it was that my people knew people in every town, and that we could usually walk into some family compound where the people would accept us as family and ask us to take a rest while they hurriedly cooked some good meal of pounded yam for us.

I fondly remember many of those festivals. But the one I remember the most is the annual Maidens’ Festival of Songs in Ise in southern Ekiti. In this festival, girls who were ready to marry made their debut by singing a particular kind of Ise song, to which each girl composed her own long lyrics. This was beauty on show – each girl in front of her family compound, surrounded by the large crowd of her parents’ relatives and friends and her admirers from all over Ekiti and much of Yorubaland, glistering in the most dainty hair braiding, and dressed in equally dainty clothes, beads and other jewelry, and singing heavenly songs that usually brought tears to the eyes of many in the crowd. It used to be said that marrying an Ise girl was one of the best things a man could do, because she would fill his home with beautiful singing and happiness.

Yes, we Yoruba are great lovers of colour and beauty. Having established solid foundations of plenty and order over many centuries, we had gradually built a culture that emphasized dignity and elegance – many

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T the just concluded PDP Special National Convention of August 30, to re(sel)elect national officers into vacant positions declared void for irregularities in the procedures preceding their emergence, a formidable splinter group emerged comprising seven PDP governors including Rivers’ Governor Chibuike Amaechi under the leadership of former acting National Chairman of the PDP, Abubakar Kawu Baraje with other major protagonists like Atiku Abubakar and Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

The present implosion in PDP has always been a certainty long-predicted, awaiting the convolution of other conditions to crystalise. The immediate precursor of the present disintegration can be gleaned from the orchestrated crises within the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, where the smoldering presidential ambitions of some principal participants of that powerful club coincided with the greater agenda of the ruling party which is to foster some “cohesion” around the hold on raw power for the perpetration of the existing status quo. It was a fiercely contested situation that drew blood amongst members but whose utility did not exceed the parochial fixations of 2015 general elections.

Opposition was, however, quick in deepening the cleavages of that crack and as minority beneficiaries of that cabal they dug deeper and fanned the embers of the present disintegration by their own opportunistic antics. In sheer desperation, a new prince of the “convoluted coven” in the person of Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom was crowned as the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, which for me, remained a clearly desperate miscalculation that did not take into account the already diluted essence of the forum that was, then, polarized along ethno- religious and geo political divides manifesting in the forms of Northern Governors’ Forum, South-south and South-east Governors Forum and I learnt of the latest ‘Progressive Governors’ Forum in the South-west under the leadership of my friend, Governor of Ekiti State Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

The narrative on this score will remain naive and inchoate if I fail to look in the direction of another possibility that supports the view that the Akpabio’s emergence was not a mistake after all, but a carefully designed strategy to de-

Golden assets in our nation’s cultures centuries before the British showed up. As one Ekiti king, the Ogoga of Ikere, said in 1959, “The world knows that we Yoruba always bring colour and beauty into whatever we do”.

But another source of beauty in our towns was their cosmopolitan character and orientation. In virtually every family compound in every one of our towns, there were people from various parts of Yorubaland, some of them still speaking their different Yoruba dialects, and some occupying very high positions in the community. One of the highest members of the elite in my Ekiti hometown was from Ondo town. He had come from Ondo as a young labourer at the time that our first local church was being built, and had stayed on, and become a rich and important citizen – and a chief.

One Ijebu man became very famous among us children during the drought of 1944-5.

Most water wells in the town failed because of the drought, but the well behind his house regularly had water because his house was built in a low area of the town.

When we children came to get water, he would sit there by the well and joke with us as we drew water. But he would never allow any of us to come there when he was too busy to stay with us. If any of us came at such a time, he would come rushing out with his whip, shouting “Ki ro mi se?”

(What are you doing there?) in his Ijebu dialect. His story is that he had seen a child fall fatally into a well somewhere before, and he was determined not to see that kind of terrible sight ever again. We children called him Baba Kiromise.

Many non-Yoruba folks were also part of our community life. Many of them, as ethnic groups – the Urhobo, Nupe and the Ebira especially – added to the beauty of our towns by celebrating their own cultural festivals annually and taking it to the palace. For many centuries, Hausa traders had enjoyed the privilege of lodging in the outer wing of our Oba’s palace, near the marketplace. Centuries before, one of our early

Obas had given them space near the marketplace to build a mosque. In the marketplace, my mother belonged to the Iso (location) of the sellers of home-woven cloths.

One of her closest friends, a Nupe woman named Amina (but better known as Mama Tapa) belonged to the Iso of sellers of smoked fish. On my way back from school, whenever my mother was too busy haggling over cloths with customers, I could always walk over to Mama Tapa at her Iso and she would take good care of me. She was like my second mother. In our family compound, there lived an Ibibio trader who owned a small store near the marketplace.

I never knew his name. His wife called him Manager, so our people called him Monija.

Because, in the Yoruba culture, every adult member of a family compound is parent to all the children in the compound, Monija was one of our parents too. We children liked to run errands for his wife because of her tasty non-Yoruba foods. In the next compound, there lived an old Fulani cleric whom we called Baba Filani, who made divinations on sand and taught the Arabic alphabet and the Koran. He was nice to children, and so we all respectfully ran errands for him.

In short, I grew up with a rich cosmopolitan outlook – the way that, for many centuries, generations of Yoruba children have grown up. The fact that we Yoruba do not, unlike most other peoples in the world, fight over religion, has enriched our cosmopolitan outlook enormously. This cosmopolitanism is the golden soul of our culture – the great gift that we bring to the making of Nigeria.

Every Nigerian nationality has some spirit of gold in their culture too. We can build a lasting Nigeria of all-round beauty if we would respect and honour the cultures of all our nationalities. Regarding our nationalities as obstacles to the evolution of a united Nigeria, and trying to push them down, is a boundlessly destructive posture.

Also, any nation disrespecting and abus-

Gbogun gboro ing the culture of any other Nigerian people, as we are now seeing more and more in Nigeria, is putting on itself the historic responsibility of destroying the spirit of Nigeria. In fact, the most obvious sign that Nigeria is moving towards dissolution today is that some Nigerian nationalities are becoming more and more viciously disrespectful of some other Nigerian nationalities.

In the matter of building of a harmoniously evolving Nigeria, we the Yoruba nation bring a huge lot to the table. But, obviously, we cannot be expected to make fruitless sacrifices indefinitely. The only viable path forward for Nigeria is that every one of our nationalities should place emphasis on bringing their best to the table too.

‘Every Nigerian nationality has some spirit of gold in their culture too. We can build a lasting Nigeria of allround beauty if we would respect and honour the cultures of all our nationalities’

PDP’s implosion

By Malachy Ugwummadu mobilize the Governors’ Forum since it could no longer sustain its relevance namely to maintain and secure the variables that guarantee the power base in favour of the status quo. At the least, you can be sure that neither the Jonah Jang faction nor that of Amaechi ever meets and whenever they do, it is to countermand what the other does. The fall out of this divide was the consolidation of the culture of impunity which graduated from the supremacy of 16 governors over their 19 colleagues in the botched Governors’ Forum election to the brazen temerity with which five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly allegedly removed their Speaker and positioned themselves to impeach the governor.

Prior to the implosion of August 31, you would recall that the major power bloc in the PDP which is the PDM went directly for the party’s jugular and engaged the soul of the floundering party by seeking and obtaining registration at the INEC. For a less arrogant and nihilistic political party, that alone would have narrowed the option available to the leadership of the party and drew their attention to the red lines. But lo, none of that happened because, in their undisputed estimation, the issues and concerns have not and cannot change. I had the privilege of reading the tirades of one of their oldest warhorses and chairman of the BOT, Chief Anthony Anenih who rather than face the reality and possibility of change in politics continued, as he unwittingly did in the volcanic uprising of Edo State, to discountenance the direct implications of Atiku’s moves. But by far more devastating to the imprudent assessment of the situation and to the total detriment of the political fortunes of President Goodluck Jonathan is the failure of PDP’s leadership to recognise that the Atiku/PDM’s most cancerous strategy of disengagement aimed at maximum destabilisation of the party was to remain right in PDP, and shop for supporters.

Two supervening developments immediately after the Saturday event would convince

anyone in doubt about the far-reaching degree and impact of the activities of the splinter group.

The next day, Sunday September 1, the President, in spite of the initial grand-standing and posturing of leadership of the PDP, quickly extended hands of fellowship through an open invitation to the leadership of the splinter group which was meant, at the least, to create and sustain a window of communication with this critical dissident group. To be sure, this may not pose any serious challenge to actualise because, to a large extent, what has just happened must, also be interpreted from the prism of its opportunistic essence where capons of the same buccaneering group raised the bar of the game through effective threats and blackmail with the clear objective of returning to the same ship if and when the “price” becomes right. Otherwise why did their name not change fundamentally beyond “New PDP”? Did you also bother to consider their grievances and observe how very little the real challenges of the Nigerian state and the fortunes of her people featured? As at the time of going to press, four out of the seven governors have already attended the first reconciliation meeting at the presidential villa with the prospect of an expanded attendance the next day.

You would also notice that former President Olusegun Obasanjo immediately flew into Aso Rock in the pretext of attending an inter-denominational church service with the President but ended up spending over three hours in closed-door meeting with President Jonathan in recognition of the clear need to immediately arrest the present trend which has an inherent danger of completely disintegrating the party.

Whereas I have argued in a manner suggestive of the implosion in the ruling PDP, I believe, as am bound to, that it is cosmetic, ephemeral and will not educe for two obvious reason.

First, the character and pedigree of the protagonists of the splinter group is such that they could not have possibly conceived a radical departure from the status quo and in fact, cannot afford such extreme position because they have no alternative abode or shore to anchor there-

after. Secondly, the reasons offered, thus far, for their present resentments have very little to tell about the woeful experiences of Nigerians under the rulership of PDP in the past 14 sordid years where all that mattered was the control of raw power for power sake.

In the circumstance, the crucial question must be raised and addressed namely; what is in it for the ordinary Nigerians who are the shortchanged victims of this high powered political maneuvering? I am inclined to believe that the lot of the Nigerian people is not yet within the consideration of these politicians who have not shown any clear cut difference except when the balance of power tilts against them. For a party that cannot do more than oscillate around Anenih, Bamanga Tukur, Obasanjo, Ahmadu Ali, Olabode George etc in search for leadership, such a party offers the people a wonderful opportunity to exit this stereotype in realization of their dreams. The time is therefore now for the suffering people of this country to reject the old brigade and align forces with credible progressive formations that are determined to contest power with disintegrating PDP. • Ugwummadu is a Lagos based legal practitioner.

‘To a large extent, what has just happened must, also be interpreted from the prism of its opportunistic essence where capons of the same buccaneering group raised the bar of the game through effective threats and blackmail with the clear objective of returning to the same ship if and when the “price” becomes right.

Otherwise why did their name not change fundamentally beyond “New PDP”?’

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 , 2013

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INDUSTRY

IFC invests $5.3b in Nigeria, others

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NTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has released details of its regional activities in Nigeria and other SubSaharan Africa showing strong development impact through record volumes of investment and advisory services.

By June, this year, IFC has committed a record $5.3 billion to new investments and carried out advisory services projects worth $65 million in the region.

IFC supported Nigeria and other Africa’s entrepreneurs gain access to finance, funded infrastructure and agribusiness.

In Nigeria, IFC financing supported major investments by two Indonesian companies: Indorama’s investment in Eleme Fertiliser and Wings In a report made available to The Nation, IFC said it invested its $3.5 billion, and mobilised $1.8 billion from other investors. The funds, the statement said, include loans for 54,000 small and medium businesses, encouraged 13.7 million microfinance clients; and im-

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Stories by Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie Asst. Editor

proved health and education for 360,000 people.

It also said its advisory services projects generated 27,000 jobs; trained entrepreneurs and connected farmers to global markets.

Three public-private partnership mandates were successfully closed, helping deliver health services to 360,000 people in Lesotho and Nigeria and power to 75,000 in Liberia.

IFC and the World Bank’s Investment Climate Advisory Services worked with governments in SubSaharan Africa to implement over 50 reforms that benefited the private sector in 17 different countries.

IFC Director for West and Central Africa, Yolande Duhem said: “By focusing on developing Africa’s private sector in key areas, such as power generation, transport or agribusiness, we are playing an active role in stimulating sustainable economic growth and job creation in the region.

“We also believe in boosting regional markets in Africa and many of our investments aim to allow

•Aganga

companies to grow beyond national boundaries.”

It also disclosed that IFC’s focus on encouraging investments between emerging markets was strengthened this year through new investments of nearly $400 million in so-called Southsouth investments.

MAN seeks stakeholders, others’support

HE Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the government and other stakeholders to work for the rapid industrialisation of the country.

Speaking at the yearly general meeting of MAN’s Southwest zone, its Chairman, Dr Michael Daramola, said growing the manufacturing sector was fundamental to sustaining economic development.

“The manufacturing sector remains the soul of every economy because it creates jobs, improves living standards and helps to grow domestic wealth, especially when they are export-driven.

“A strong manufacturing base is expected to also help to prevent or minimise huge import tendencies.

“No major nation has managed to transform itself from a poor nation to a rich nation by relying solely on import of raw materials without a vibrant industrial sector,’’ Daramola said.

The guest speaker, Prof. Sunday Otokiti said significant effort must be placed on manufacturing for the country to achieve its objectives.

Otokiti, in his lecture titled: ReEvaluating manufacturing potentials in Southwest Nigeria, said: “Manufacturing has proved to be a driver and

core instrument adopted by the developed countries.

“To grow our industries, we need to look inwards on ways of producing our needs without necessarily outsourcing for them.

“The highest priority should be given to technologies that expand the availability of raw materials.’’

Ekiti State Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi, who, was represented by the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation Mr Debo Ajayi said the government was creating an investment-friendly environment for businesses to thrive.

“The southwest regional integration project, when fully implemented, will improve the economy of the region and improve living standards through cooperation among the states.

“We need to work together to bring about the transformation we desire.

“To effectively do this,the organised private sector must be included in policy making processes and decision making,’’ he said.

Fayemi added that the government’s intention in providing infrastructural development was aimed at realising the objectives of the transformation agenda.

‘Manufacturing not doing well’

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HE manufacturing sector is not doing so well because of the dearth of necessary infrastructure, says Lagos State Commis sioner for Budget and Economic Planning Mr. Ben Akabueze.

He spoke at a forum in Lagos.

He said the sector would fare better as the Federal Government addresses inflation, interest rate and the energy sector.

He said if the government can win the battle in the power sector, the challenges facing manufacturing would have been halved.

He said manufacturing has fallen to its lowest ebb compared to what it was during Independence when it inched higher than countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

The state administration,he said, is doing so much in infrastructure upgrade that will not only cut on the expenses incurred by manufacturers, but also to make life pleasurable for the citizenry.

On the high unemployment rate in the country, the commissioner attributed it to high operating costs suffered by manufacturers which have led to a lot of them closing shop.

He, however, noted that this has caused serious crisis in the economy, especially for manufacturers.

Quoting National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), he said while the state unemployment figure stood at eight per cent, that of the Federal Government is 24 per cent.

•From left:Secretary, Phone and Allied Dealers Association of Nigeria (PADAN) Mr. Uche Echendu; President, Mr. Iyke Nwosu; Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu and Public Relations Officer, PADAN Mr Iyke Onwe during Odumodu’s visit to Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos.

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Fed Govt to partner private sector on revival of oil palm industry

HE Federal Government will work with stakeholders in the oil palm industry to grow the value chain of the sub-sector in line with its industrial revolution plan (IRP), Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Olusegun Aganga has said.

At a meeting with the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria in Abuja, Aganga said the ministry would partner the stakeholders to develop an holistic and integrated policy that would fast-track the sector for growth.

Other associations, including the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria and Vegetable and Edible Oil Processors Association of Nigeria were at the meeting.

Aganga said: “No nation has developed from being a poor to a rich nation by relying heavily on producing and exporting its raw materials without a vibrant and robust industrial base and services sector.

“Our country is blessed with abundant human and natural resources to become a great nation, especially given the ongoing transformation and reforms being

carried out by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

“To diversify and grow our economy through industrialisation, we have already developed and begun the implementation of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).”

He said the plan had identified strategic areas where Nigeria had comparative advantage such as agri-business.

He explained that the NIRP placed high premium in converting raw materials into finished products through value addition.

The ministry, he noted, is partnering the manufacturing sector to remove barriers to increase productivity to increase the capacity utilisation of the real sector for job and wealth creation.

“We are committed to providing a conducive environment to support the growth and development of the industrial sector.

“The meeting with the coalition of stakeholders in the oil palm industry value chain afforded us the opportunity to appraise the

problems militating against achieving the full potential of the sector.

“We are ready to partner all the stakeholders to resolve the issues raised,” he assured.

The Executive Secretary, Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, Mr Fatai Afolabi, solicited the assistance of the ministry in industrialising the sector.

Afolabi said stakeholders in the industry were ready to key into the IRP to move the sector forward.

“In the past 20 years, this is the first time we will get the opportunity of meeting a minister in charge of the industry despite all our efforts.

“We want to thank Mr Olusegun Aganga for his passion and commitment toward industrialising the country.

“We are confident that if the present momentum is sustained and improved upon, local production and processing of oil palm in Nigeria will experience the desirable turnaround within the next three to five years,” he said.

NACCIMA predicts rise in Nigeria, Turkey trade

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HE trade volume between Nigeria and Turkey will improve tremendously by 2015, the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agricultrure (NACCIMA) has

said.

NACCIMA National President, Alhaji Mohammad Abubakar, said at the opening of an exhibition of products from the two countries in Lagos that the aim of the exhibition is to increase the volume of trade between Nigeria and Turkey to 500 million dollars (N75 billion) yearly by 2015.

He said the projected trade volume is feasible because of the understanding between the two countries.

“Turkish export to Nigeria increased by 11.4 per cent in 2012 with a record of 438 million dollars as against the 393 million dollars recorded in 2011.

“Turkish imports from Nigeria totalled $1.1 billion in 2012, a 36.5 per cent increase over the $823 million recorded in 2011,” he said.

Abubakar said the volume of trade between both countries is a testimony of faith, reliability and confidence in products and service delivery.

Chamber’s trade fair to get global status

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HE Niger Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture plans to upgrade its yearly national trade fair, its Director-General, Alhaji Salihu Adamu has said.

Speaking with reporters on the just-concluded national trade fair organised by the chamber, it said the fair would soon be of international status.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fair, which was its 11th edition, was organised in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Investment, Commerce and Co-operatives.

“The decision to upgrade the fair to international status is as a result of the numerous requests received from many foreign companies, indicating interest to come to the state to showcase their products,’’ the chamber, Adamu said.

He said the fair was successful in spite of the low turnout of the local entrepreneurs from Niger.

“This is because there were many firms from other parts of the country and abroad which participated in the fair,’’ he said. He said Plateau, Kano, Sokoto and Bauchi states participated in the fair, while some firms came from Senegal, Niger, Ghana, Guinea, Mali and India.

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THE NATION

EDUCATION

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

INSIDE

CU gives alumni key jobs

Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education will fast-track national development. However, the realities in Nigerian schools paint a different picture, reports KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE

THE Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University (CU), Ota, Prof Charles Ayo, has announced four new principal officers, three of who are alumni of the university.

-Page 26

‘Oshiomhole not witch-hunting teachers’

EDO State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is not out to witch-hunt teachers, the Deputy Speaker of the state's House of Assembly Festus Ebea has said.

He said the verification of certificate ongoing in the sector in the state is aimed at reforming and repositioning...

-Page 38

CAMPUS LIFE

• Glass equipment for science research

Teachers push for science revolution

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

‘We are on strike to save education’

THEIR anger showed as they converged on the Botanical Garden Park on Mary Slessor Avenue in Calabar the Cross River State capital. It was 8:30am and the presence of these placard-bearing men and women startled passers-by.

-Page 29

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HE present age is widely acknowledged as the age of knowledge. It is an age characterised by vast advancement in science and technology as well as developments in Information Communication Technology (ICT) that bring valuable information to the fingertips of users once they are connected to the internet.

For Nigeria not to be left behind in this age, science teachers say a revolution must take place in the way the sciences are taught in primary and secondary schools.

A conference by the International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE) in Malaysia between September 29 and October 3 with the theme: "Live Science, Love learning, Create Change" will address how school children can be encouraged to embrace science early, within and outside the classroom, to the point of choosing careers in science-related fields.

However, back home stimulating a culture of scientific inquisitiveness among learners at all levels is yet to

gain ground in many schools across the country.

Speaking on the issue with this reporter, Prof Oka Obono of the Sociology Department of the University of Ibadan (UI) said lack of such scientific enquiry culture is the reason students have apathy for research. As a result, he said many students struggle with their finalyear projects because they learn to research as a means to an end - since it is a crucial requirement for graduation.

‘

If exposed to science and research from the primary level, Obono, who is the chief consultant to the United Nations Economic Commission on Research Methodology in Africa, said Nigerian students would readily embrace science and research, which he said is the cornerstone of societal development.

"We need to be able to start from the foundation to create an appreciation of research as a critical thinking and systematic problem solving process which is implied in the

Government should train teachers properly and equip schools well because in my present school, there is no equipment we want that they do not provide. When I taught in a public school, there were no facilities. You kept improvising and improvising until you got tired

’

training of our children right from primary school level. We can start from primary school to teach the basic canons and process of critical thinking in Basic Sciences and scale it up in secondary school," he said.

However, many teachers who attended the 54th Conference of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) in Uyo Science said teaching and learning of teachers’ sciences in schools could improve if allowance challenges facing in some science education states is are addressed. The challenges include still N2.50 poor laboratory infrastructure, lack of training opportunities and motivation for science teachers, and poor funding.

Despite the importance of funding and availability of science equipment and consumables, many teachers said the teacher has a huge role to play in breathing life into the sciences in the classroom. However, this is only possible if the teachers' content knowledge and pedagogical skills are up to date with current realities in the field. As science evolves and new discoveries are made, Ichie Sir Martin Ezeuehu, a retired principal of one of the 104 unity schools, said teachers have to update their knowledge to remain current.

He said: "Time has passed where • Continued on Page 26

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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EDUCATION

CU replaces Registrar, others with alumni

UI VC gets new roles LONDON-based Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) has appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof Isaac Folorunso Adewole, into its highest governing council to serve for the next two years.

Adewole, the only Nigerian appointed into the council is expected to join 22 other members drawn from 13 commonwealth countries.

A letter to that effect signed by ACU Secretary-General, Prof John Wood and addressed to Adewole stated that he will join others to oversee the body's activities and determine its future direction.

"We are therefore delighted to have such an experienced and diverse set of university executive heads including the UI VC serving over the next two years", Prof.

Wood said.

ACU is the world's first and oldest international university network, established in 1913 with over 500 member institutions in countries across the commonwealth. The council takes all final decisions on matters of fundamental concern to the organisation. Similarly, Adewole, has been appointed into the Ethics Committee of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Adewole who is also the President of African Organisation Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) war appointed recently to serve in the Lyon, France-based IARC. AORTIC is a specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organisation with the objective of promoting international collaboration in cancer research. It was established in May 1965 through a resolution by the World Health Assembly as an extension of the WHO. Membership has grown to 24 countries.

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HE Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University (CU), Ota, Prof Charles Ayo, has announced four new principal officers, three of who are alumni of the university.

Mr Muyiwa Fadugba, Dr Ada Sonia Peter and Mr Gbenga Alalade, three pioneer graduate of CU will serve as Registrar, Chaplain and Director, Physical Planning & Development (PPD).

The fourth is Mr Azubuike Ezenwoke, a former Chairman of the university's Students Council, who is the Dean, Student Affairs.

They are replacing Dr Ubong Ntia (Registrar), Pastor Biodun Adebiyi (Dean, Student Affairs), Pastor Victor Oluwadamilare (Chaplain), and Pastor Joseph Olamife (Director Physical Planning & Development) who have been given other assignments in the Living Faith Church Worldwide, proprietor of the school.

Ayo made the announcement penultimate Monday at a meeting of the university Senate, and later at the Chancellor's Assembly on behalf of the university's Chairman, Board of Regents, Dr. David Oyedepo.

He explained that it was high time the 'Eagles' started taking up key positions in the university in order to showcase what they had been taught, and to further establish their leadership capacity.

Other appointees include, Prof C. Loto, who replaced Prof S. Adefila as Dean, College of Science and Technology; Dr. P. Alege, replaced Prof O. Olunrinola as Head, Economics and Development Studies. Dr. S. A. Ogbiye took the baton from Prof J. B. Adeyeri as HOD, Civil Engineering; while Dr. K. O. Ajanaku, took over from Dr. A. I. Inegbenebor, as HOD,

By Adegunle Olugbamila

Chemistry.

A new Sub-Dean Dr. Justine Daramola, was also appointed for the School of Postgraduate Studies.

He replaces Dr. S. N. Chinedu, who is now a Director in the newly established Directorate of Quality Assurance.

There was also change of guard in two CU centres - Systems and Information Services and Entrepreneurial Development Studies, where Pastor Stephen

Ogah, another pioneer student of CU, and Dr. Chinonye Moses are taking over from the incumbent directors.

The VC also announced the result of a recent staff evaluation exercise in CU which has led to the promotion of 57 workers. He said a total of 27 academic members of staff were promoted to Senior Lecturers; 19 to Lecturer I; while six others were moved up to Lecturer II. He added that the Centre for Learning Resources had three staff members promoted to senior

resource officers, two to resource officer I, while two others were promoted to resource officer II. Ayo enjoined all workers to cooperate with the newly appointed officers in order to move the university's forward.

Meanwhile, the papers of 13 faculties who applied for promotion to the professorial cadre are being processed for external assessment. Of the number, three are being considered for full professorship and 11 for Associate Professorial cadre.

•From left: Ejiogu Emmanuel Onyekachi of Miketoy College, Isheri-Osun; Obi Uchenna David of Barachel College, Ifako-Agege; Victor Ike-Okoro of Topgrade Secondary School, Surulere; and Mgbemena Thankgod of Leeland International College, Oregun-Ikeja, all finalists of the PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge for Secondary Schools holding this month.

Teachers push for science revolution in schools • Continued from Page 25

you use your note books of five-10 years ago to teach science. There was a case where a teacher went into a classroom and was telling the students about an acid called sulphuric acid and the students had to correct him that it is no longer called sulphuric acid but hydrogen tetraoxosulphate VI acid. That is the modern name for it.

"You cannot achieve much in the teaching of science by using an obsolete note. Teachers have to modernise their notebooks through current method of teaching science," he said.

To update their knowledge, Ezeuehu said it was of necessity that practising teachers attend regular capacity building programmes and join professional associations like STAN. "At this type of gathering, we have overseas participants coming in to interact with teachers. We develop teachers and we also develop students. The current WAEC assessment of the performance of students in science has increased tremendously and we believe STAN is helping in that direction," he said.

Ezeuehe also said with such training, teachers learn how to make the teaching of science activitybased.

"In the past when you are teaching science subject, the students would fall asleep or find a way to get out of the class but this time around we have what we call hands on programmes which enables the students to work with their hand while at the same time learning. We have made it so easy by developing some games and songs in science.

Our teaching method this time is activity oriented. This is a very current trend in the teaching of science all over the world," he said.

Also speaking, Mrs Philomine Joseph, a Chemistry teacher of over 35 years, said though teaching and

learning of sciences has improved in Nigeria since the 70s, a lot still needs to be done to overhaul infrastructure and train teachers.

"Science education in Nigeria has improved but it has not reached where it should reach that is why the science teachers association has so many subject journals and we have modular teaching now," she said.

The Indian, who came to Nigeria in 1977, also blamed teachers more than students for poor performance in the sciences in public examinations.

"I blame teachers for everything; academically they are to be blamed for how they impart knowledge," she said.

Mrs Ngozi Ojiakor, a Biology teacher at the Loyola Jesuit College, Gidan Mangoro, Abuja, also holds teachers responsible for poor performance in the system. She said she was a victim back in her school days.

"I loved Chemistry a lot more than Biology back in school. However, the teacher I met at the College of Education killed my interest in Chemistry completely," she said.

Despite their great responsibility towards improving performance of their pupils, Mrs Joseph admitted that teachers are not totally to blame as they are negatively affected by factors such as poor working conditions and poor remunerations, which affect their productivity.

"But you know they are failing in

their work because of other conditions. Teachers are like that because we have not supported them. Somebody who is hungry cannot do anything well; even if they are capable they cannot do it well. So their welfare should be taken care of.

"Money that is given to them as salary should be able to meet their expenses. It is sad that teachers who teach in some private schools cannot afford to send their children to that same school. Teachers should be able to give their own children good education; they should be able to earn enough to take care of their own families," she said.

Defending teachers, Professor of Science Education, Prof Peter Okebukola said the government does not do enough to support them.

He said: "Our teachers are very committed. The environment in which they are working is very harsh; no laboratories, no nothing. WAEC will send the practical items to prepare, then they (teachers) start running around to get money. Some state governments will say free education, don't charge money. In the same breath, they would warn the teachers - and they have not resourced the schools - that if they charge money, they will sack them.

The parents are willing to pay; they want their children well taught. But if you do that, they will sack you."

Apart from paying teachers well, Okebukola said science teachers may

do better if Northern they are paid schools have allowances regularly. facilities but Currently, no students, some states southern pay science teachers an schools have allowance of students but N2.50 per lack facilities month, while others pay N5,000, while some do not pay at all.

Okebukola said teachers should be paid, however be monitored to deliver.

"It is nice to incentivize teachers; to let them be happy teaching science.

So if their allowance is not encouraging, they may not be giving their best. Maybe one is using this medium again to request that government should support science teachers by giving them something extra that is reasonable that would help them to be more committed," he said.

Without facilities, science cannot be well taught. Mrs Joseph urged the various state governments to improve public schools in this regard.

From her teaching career in various parts of Nigeria, she said southern states are lagging behind in terms of facilities, while northern states, where many schools are better equipped, lack pupils.

"I have gone to almost all the states in Nigeria, and the northern states

‘Our teachers are very committed. The environment in which they are working is very harsh; no laboratories, no nothing. WAEC will send the practical items to prepare, then they (teachers) start running around to get money. Some state governments will say free education, don't charge money. In the same breath, they would warn the teachers’

give a lot of support to the teachers and the school system. Their schools are better equipped - like in Minna, the schools I visited were well equipped, but then I felt the attendance of students was poor. But here (in the south) if you give the chance all the children will come to school.

The awareness is there. However, if you check the classrooms, they have nothing. We need well equipped laboratories but you will find it in very few schools," she said.

Having taught in a public school before moving to Loyola Jesuit College, Gidan Mangoro, Abuja, Mrs Ojiakor knows what it is to lack tools needed to impart scientific knowledge effectively.

The Biology teacher compared the frustrations in her former school to the fulfillment she experiences teaching in her present school.

"Government should train teachers properly and equip schools well because in my present school, there is no equipment we want that they do not provide. When I taught in a public school, there were no facilities. You kept improvising and improvising until you got tired," she said.

Stressing the importance of improving laboratories in schools, Ezeuehe warned that failure to do so would keep Nigeria far behind in the development index.

“Government must establish modern laboratories in schools; send teachers for refresher courses especially on ICT. They have to reorganise and re-establish their mode of supporting science education in schools otherwise we may never catch up. It is science that places countries in either first world, second world or third world and Nigeria is placed in the third world but still I doubt if we qualify to be in the third world, we may be placed at the fifth or sixth unless we wake up and begin a reorientation in the way we support science education,” he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

27

EDUCATION

NGO offers scholarships to 300 less privileged children

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NON-Governmental Organisation, Caring Hand Foundation, (CHF), has announced that 300 children would benefit from its scholarships.

The foundation said the set of beneficiaries cut across children who are victims of child labour, abusive parents or guardians, victims of flesh trade, disabled, mentally ill, those infected with HIV/AIDS, and street children, among others.

The foundation vowed to enroll the children in various private schools nationwide.

The CHF Project Coordinator, Mr Okechukwu Trust made the announcement at the Festac Town office of CHF. He said the aim of the project was to provide education for marginalised children, create awareness and get communities involved in their lives to eradicate the root causes of marginalisation.

Okechukwu added that the foundation has set up a team to impart holistic and integrated life skills on

By Jane Chijioke

the beneficiaries through training.

She said CHF choice of private school for the beneficiaries so they can learn in conducive environments.

Highlighting some of the factors that keep children out of school, Okechukwu said they include lack of life skill education, bombardment

of visual media, child abuse in schools and families, lack of motivation to study and lack of knowledge on effective methods of study faced by some children.

"Because of this, we are partnering with some private institutions to offer free private education. We partner with schools whose teachers have moved from standing in front of a class to pupil-centered teaching.

The focus here is learning and this cannot be adequately achieved in an environment that is not conducive.

We want to give them sound education. We also set up a team to monitor these pupils,'' he said.

He said the cost of seeing each child through school annually is N150, 000 comprising tuition, transportation, feeding and books.

The President, CHF, Mrs Blessing

Amobi, said the foundation was a product of a vision from her youth She said: “It was a vision I had when I was young. I believe everybody came into this world for a purpose, but unfortunately some people do not discover their purpose early enough. I realised I love helping people as it gives me joy and satisfaction. I actually want to touch mostly the orphaned and the needy.

‘Mother tongue, solution to examination failure’ From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

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HE Provost of Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel, Dr Dahiru Abubakar, has pitched his tent behind the use of mother tongue as a medium of communication and instruction for secondary school pupils.

Dr Abubakar believes the move will stamp out the negative perception of Mathematics by secondary school pupils which often leads to mass failure in major examinations.

Scholars, Abubakar emphasised, should be encouraged to conduct more researches towards translating relevant textbooks, particularly in sciences and instructional materials into selected major languages, thereby aping countries like China and Japan which today use their mother tongues official language, and as a means of communication in schools.

Abukakar made the observation at the ninth yearly conference of School of Language, held at the Federal College of Education, Kano. It was themed: 'A reflection on language and literature, education and the Nigeria centenary’.

He suggested that the Guidance and Counseling unit of schools should be assertive in selecting best language and literature for prospective teachers.

Mastery of a subject matter alone, according to him, is barely sufficient to impart knowledge, adding that the medium of communication must be mastered by teachers to enhance further effectiveness.

Abubakar noted that the essence of language is communication which is the life blood of teacher education.

He argued that many students, especially in the teacher training institutions lack effective communication skills, adding that this deficiency affects their understanding and assimilation of other subjects they study in their various courses.

He stressed that if the use of mother tongue is encouraged to teach most subjects in primary school alongside the English language, it will enhance and stimulate accurate understanding of many subjects at the rudimentary stage of education.

The Provost, Federal College of Education, Kano, Hajiya Rabiu Jubrila Muhammed, in her contribution, emphasised quality understanding of the art of communication as the best tool to enhancing education, which is capable of moulding students for greater future challenges.

• Old Students of the Methodist Boys High School Express Way Ibadan Old Boys Association in a group photograph at the end of their quarterly meeting held at the school premises in Ibadan…on Saturday.

GTB African Gifted Foundation wraps up HE fourth edition of the African Gifted Foundation academy ended in Ghana last month with the Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank plc; Mr Segun Agbaje underscoring the importance of the growth of the African child through community participation.

According to Agbaje, the GTB which is the sole sponsor of the academy, recognises the importance of educating the people, and has done this through a series of programmes that are impactful and beneficial to their well being, and social interaction.

"Teachers cannot do it alone.

Communities and schools must provide children and teachers with resources, time and support that are conducive to developing the right mindset and receiving quality education,"Agaje said.

He said over the years, GTB has shown its commitment to the development of the African child through its support for various youth improvement and empowerment programmes.

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By Chimaobim Ihedi-Obi

The African Gifted Foundation is a non-profit organisation set up by GTB to promote Africa's top emerging talents for the development and sustainability of the African continent through the establishment of an academy. The academy is designed for secondary school students gifted in mathematics and sciences, who are in the top two category in their school.

Annually, the academy selects exceptionally talented students between ages 14 and 19 from different African countries. The students are taught various subjects such as space exploration, cybersecurity and global commodities trading by experts in the industries, leading universities in the United Kingdom and diverse African countries during a weeklong camp in Ghana.

The students that participated in this year's academy were shortlisted using their examination results, teacher's recommendations, and a short

essay by them. In this year's edition which held in Ghana between the 21st and 27th last month, The pair of Adewunmi Adefolaju and Ukomadu Nelson from Igbobi College, as well as Ossai Chioma from Methodist Girl's High School, Awarun Adetolah from King's College, and Lawal Aramide from Ansar-ad-deen College represented Nigeria. Schools that have participated in the GTBank football tournaments (The Principals and Heritage Cup) also benefitted.

Agbaje further stated that the Bank's interest in supporting education is borne out of a commitment to the development of young people in the African community.

"Guaranty Trust Bank is an ardent supporter of education and the Bank has over the years supported educational programs for children in and outside the classroom through the 'adopt a school' initiative and the various sporting programmes organized for schools at different times of the year," Agbaje added.

College begins full boarding

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HE management of LeadForte Gate College has invited parents, to see its new facilities at Lekki, Lagos where full boarding will begin from next session.

Tagged ‘First Open House,’ the event served as an avenue for parents to see firsthand the new facilities which had been under construction for months.

Ahead of the new infrastructure, both primary and secondary (Day) arms of the Lead Forte Gate had operated in Ogudu for a decade.

However, with the new development, the secondary arm will relocate to Lekki to start full boarding.

The school Executive Director Mrs Oluyemi Lemo said the infrastructure befits a world-class education Lead Forte is selling out to the young and upcoming

By Sampson Unamka

generations.

On the mission of the school, she said: “I have passion for education, I have passion to help people, especially the young generation; and am just trying to fulfill my mission.”

Mrs Lemo said she sees the school as a world-class institution that can compete globally with its contemporaries.

“Talking about leadership to start with, the name of the school is Lead-Forte that talks about leading. We want to be leaders, bring forth leaders, and develop leaders.

“So leadership is our focus; that is, children will be able to lead wherever they are and they will stand out among other children wherever they go" said Mrs Lemo.

The Principal Mr Greyling Ben, a South African said: “It is our vision to look out for each and every student of the school and make them understand that they have leadership skills that need to come out of them.”

He added that the school will blend with British system of education with that of Nigeria.

Greyling continued: “We are going to look at every child individually; for me it’s going to be a very positive and happy academic experience, not only academically, but culturally, sport wise and socially.

“So, when they bring their child, we will send them out as young adults that can think for themselves, maybe go abroad and come back as full grown leaders and become part of the leadership potential in Nigeria,” he added.

JABU FILE

JABU begins MBA programme THE Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, has commenced its Masters in Business Administration (MBA) programme. Interestingly JABU is one of the few private universities currently running an MBA programme in the country.

The university considered the first entrepreneurial university in Nigeria, has also commenced its postgraduate programmes in Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Business Administration and Accounting.

The university will start its MBA programme from this month. The programme which will run for both full and part time, is opened to all first degree graduates from all disciplines. The Vice-Chancellor of JABU, Prof Sola Fajana said he would also be taking classes for the programme.

Parents assured of quality teaching THE management of JABU has assured parents of high learning experiences for their children in order to make them worthy successful citizens.

Speaking at the parent's forum of the university, the Prof Fajana stressed the need for parents to support the institution in its bid to help train the students to meet the rapidly changing future.

Fajana said: "Our improvement plan that will take us to a guaranteed future is in place. Our values that underpin life in the school and prepare our young people for fulfillment in a challenging environment beyond school have been identified and articulated following extensive meetings and deliberations with various committees on the campus.

Our teachers are committed lifelong learners who will continue to work hard to deliver the best for all our students."

28

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

EDUCATION

JAMB pegs admissions deadline •Urge candidates to print admission letters

D

ETERMINED to expand access and ensure compliance with 2013/2014 admission calendar, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has pegged October as deadline for conclusion of admissions for all tertiary institutions.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the body, Mr Fabian Benjamin noted that the first round of admissions into degree-awarding institutions has been concluded and urged candidates that have been admitted to print their letters from its website.

“Candidates who made degreeawarding institutions as their first choices or most preferred are enjoined to check the Board’s website and print their admission’s letters,” it noted.

The admission was concluded at a combined Technical Committee Meeting on admissions into Degree

By Jane Chijioke

awarding institutions for 2013/2014 academic session held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The meeting had 109 degree awarding institutions in attendance and 76 out of the institutions made submissions (lists of admitted candidates) to the Board.

The second round of admissions will be conducted between September 23 and 27 at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo State and it would be solely for admissions into polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education and innovative enterprises Institutions. All admissions into the nation’s tertiary institutions are expected to end in October.

The admissions done so far were in compliance with Federal Government guidelines on admission and approved criteria.

• Mr. Amos Cirfat, (left) STAN President, presenting a trophy to Obinna and Victoria at the event

Lagos mass literacy agency trains facilitators

T

HE Lagos State Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and NonFormal Education has concluded six-day workshop for the facilitators of the adult literacy scheme in some local government areas in the state.

The agency held the workshop in conjunction with the National Mass Education Commission (NMEC), UNESCO and the Millennium Development Goal, (MDGs) Office.

One hundred and eleven facilitators participated in the training, which had as its theme: "Revatilising adult and youth literacy in Lagos."

The Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Wahab Alawiye-King, underscored state's commitment to the development of adult education, inclusive of other other levels.

Alawiye-King, who declared the workshop open, told participants that their contributions to the literacy scheme and by extension, economic development of the state was highly recognised and commendable. He implored participants to take what he described as 'selfless service' more seriously.

Earlier in his farewell message, the representative of the National Mass Education Commission, Mr Bayo Adeyemo, admonished participants to ensure the knowledge they acquired should reflect on their future assignments. He said the agency is willing to support any establishment, group of people or individuals contributing to the efforts of governments in eradicating illiteracy in the country.

The Director of the state's Agency

By Adegunle Olugbamila

for Mass Literacy, Mrs Fola Amore advised participants to appreciate the conditions of their students, who are either dropped-outs or had never been to school.

She said thousands of people had benefited from the literacy scheme which she added had on improving the economy significantly.

She noted that the success of the programme would go a long way in achieving the MDGs, especially in eradication of illiteracy in Lagos and the country.

Amore urged participants to involve the community leaders, especially the traditional rulers and their chiefs so as draw target audience to the scheme.

The trainees were drawn from three local government councils: Epe, Ifako-Ijaiye and Apapa. Amore said the workshop was a pilot programme, adding that similar workshops would be organised for facilitators in other councils in future.

Some of the trainees said the workshop exposed them to new knowledge that would greatly help them in the future endeavours. Many of them who had been part of the literacy project in the state for several years, implored governments, especially at the local level to provide enough facilities such as textbooks and writing materials for learners.

They also asked the government to increase their monthly allowances.

Those at the workshop included the Executive Secretary, National Mass Education Commission (NMEC), Alhaji Jubril Paiko; a UNESCO's consultant in Nigeria, Dr. Kolawole Oseni, among others.

NLNG awards 10 PG scholarship

T

HE Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) has announced the award of scholarships to 10 Nigerian students to study various courses in top universities in the United Kingdom under its Post-Graduate Scholarship Scheme.

The NLNG Post-graduate Scholarship Scheme, launched in October last year, is funded by NLNG and managed by the British Council - an internationally-recognised service provider in the area of scholarship management and partnership brokerage in higher education.

In a statement in Port Harcourt, the firm said the scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, living expenses, travel and other issues.

The 10 pioneer candidates for the

From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

scheme were selected from a total of 1,665 applications.

The criteria for selection included the course of study, which is restricted to programmes in Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Studies, Management Sciences, Information Technology, Law and Medicine at Masters Level, possession of a second Class Upper minimum degree and successful completion of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

The British Council said the 10 scholars, who will be unveiled at a public ceremony in Port Harcourt on September 10, have received pre-departure orientation ahead of their departure from the country this month.

N1.7m prizes for science contest winners I

T was sweet reward for hard work for pupils, teachers and schools that excelled in this year’s edition of the NNPC/MOBIL/ STAN Quiz and Project competition held Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital as they smiled home with prizes worth N1.7million.

The competition, which featured written and oral quizzes on sciencebased subjects as well as science project exhibition was one of the highlights of the 54th conference of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) at the Community Secondary School, Aka Ofot.

The pupils, who represented Delta, Osun, Imo and Cross River States (Primary Category) and FCT, Abia, Akwa Ibom and Ondo States (secondary category) in the oral quiz final put up a sterling performance that demonstrated they earned their places through hard work.

The questions, which were structured to test their critical thinking ability and depth of scientific knowledge and its applications, covered areas of Live Sciences (Biology and Physical Health Education), Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics), Mathematical Sciences (General Mathematics and Further Mathematics), Vocational Sciences (Agricultural Science and Home Economics), Technology (Technology and Computer Studies) and Computer Science for the secondary category. The primary participants were tested in Basic Mathematics and Basic Science and Technology.

At the end of the competition, the team from Delta State, represented

by Praprara Owodeha-Ashaka and Ajirioghene Eyehwkwa of DSC Model Primary Schools I and III lifted the trophy in the primary category with 112.25 points. They were followed by Osun in the second position (105.75) and Imo in the third (100.75).

In the secondary category, it was the duo of Obinna Ukogu and Victoria Okeke that won the trophy for the FCT with 127 points. Abia came second with 120 and Akwa Ibom third with 115.50.

The winners of the primary category were rewarded with N150,000 while runners up got N100,000. The secondary winners got N200,000 while the runners up got N100,000 courtesy of Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), sponsors of the competition for the past 18 years.

Individual subject winners of the written quiz were also rewarded

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

with N50,000 cash prizes.

In the project category, the pupils worked on the theme: "Security Devices" with Doregos Private Academy, Ipaja, Lagos State, lifting the trophy and N100,000 prize for its bomb detector.

The teacher's project was won by two-time winner, Mr Olanipekun Eweje who teaches at Government Science Technical College, AyedeEkiti in Ekiti State. His project, a fuel less energy generating device for rural dwellers, earned him N300,000 - N200,000 and a laptop worth N100,000.

He urged government to support the projects exhibited at the conference so they can solve local problems. Speaking on their quiz victory, an elated Victoria Okeke said

though they had tough competitors, they were well prepared to win.

"The students here were extremely good and competitive. It was a tough one but we were well prepared. We attend Loyola Jesuit and are taught to respond well under pressure. The preliminaries in Abuja prepared us for the final," she said.

In his speech at the event, Dr Ayodele Fagbemi, Manager, Medicine and Occupational Health, MPN said the oil firm considers it expedient to support STEM activities to encourage young people to take to science and technology.

He praised STAN for engaging pupils in this regard.

"We commend STAN's unwavering dedication to attracting students to science-related fields and to ensuring that anyone who wishes to become an engineer, mathematician or scients will have that opportunity,” he added.

Group sponsors holiday classes in Osun

A

S part of its contribution to Governor Rauf Aregbesola's efforts to boost education in Osun State, a socio-political group Itesiwaju Movement, has organised free holiday coaching classes for students of Irepodun and Orolu Local Government areas of the state.

The programme, tagged Itesiwaju Summer School (ISS), which started on Monday, August 5, has been described as unprecedented in the area.

Sponsored by an alumnus of Ilobu Secondary Commercial Grammar School, Ilobu, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government, Dr Oluwole Alabi, who is now a Consultant Gynaecologist, the summer school has engaged more than 1000 pupils in the councils.

It is not only the pupils that are enjoying the event. Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Irepodun Local Government chapter, Mr. Taofeek Musa, who is also the Chairman of the Organising Committee, said even teachers and traders are happy about the additional earnings they are getting.

"The allowances to be earned by the 26 of us will also contribute significantly to the economy of this environment. There are also food vendors who have since been coming to trade at the centre as part of

By Chimaobim Ihedi-Obi

its multiplied effects," he said.

The Principal of Ansar-ud-Deen Grammar School, venue of the coaching, Mr. Yekeen Ibraheem, said the turnout of the students at the centre was surprisingly massive.

"I was transferred here from Muslim Grammar School in Osogbo and so I cannot say this initiative is new, but the way it has been endorsed by both students and teachers is highly unprecedented.

“I doubted the students' participation when we were informed but right from the first day the classes started I was marveled at the turnout," Mr. Ibraheem stated.

Addressing the pupils when he visited, Dr. Alabi said the summer school was inspired by Aregbesola's efforts to restore the glory of education in the state. He urged them to be focused.

"If you are focused we can have world leaders among you here. All of us that you see here never attended a private school; we were trained in public schools and our parents made huge contributions by guiding our steps. If you listen to instructions and you read very well the sky is the beginning of your limit," he advised.

29

Pains, gains of Post-UTME

Engaging youths for peace Page 31

Page 34

*CAMPUSES *NEWS *PEOPLE *KUDOS& KNOCKS *GRANTS

THE NATION

CAMPUS LIFE 0805-450-3104 email: campusbeat@yahoo.com THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

email:- campuslife@thenationonlineng.net

For several hours last Friday in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, members of unions in the education sector, the Joint Action Front (JAF), a civil society organisation, protested what it called the rot in the education sector. They were joined by some civil society, human rights and non-governmental organisations. EMMANUEL AHANONU (Political Science) and PRINCESS ANN OTUDOR (100-Level Theatre Arts, University of Calabar) report.

•Some of the striking lecturers during the rally

‘We are on strike to save education’ •Lecturers, students protest in Cross River

T

HEIR anger showed as they converged on the Botanical Garden Park on Mary Slessor Avenue in Calabar the Cross River State capital. It was 8:30am and the presence of these placard-bearing men and women startled passers-by.

That early Friday morning, their solidarity songs rent the air. “Education must be funded!

Education must be funded!! Education, Education, Education must be funded!!!” They sang.

The song continued till 9:30am when they were set for the grand march against what they called the government’s insensitivity to the development of education.

The demonstrators are members of unions in the education sector under the aegis of the Joint Action Front (JAF). Joined by civil society, human rights and non-governmental organisations, lecturers, non-teaching staff and students of public universities in the Southsouth zone, they took to the streets to draw attention to the plight of education.

The protesting unions included the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Na-

‘We are out today to let Nigerians know that the public education system is collapsing or has collapsed absolutely. If nothing is done to address the situation, our children would suffer. All of us here benefited from the public education system. But today, our children can no longer have quality education at their door step’ tional Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP).

Others were the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT), Education Rights Campaign (ERC), National Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ) and Students Rights Movements.

Displaying placards with inscriptions such as: “Nigeria is not broke; where is the N2.6 trillion paid as subsidy for undelivered fuel?”; “Nigeria government show concern; Education is a right for all citizens”; “Save education in Nigeria, do what is right”; “Public schools are dying”; “Federal Government must stop deceiving the public, implement agreement with

ASUU now” and “They must stop looting and fund education”, the protesters marched on major roads, paralysing vehicular movement.

Leaving the Botanical Garden, the protesters marched through Target Street to Nelson Mandela Street and gathered at the Watt Market - the biggest market in Calabar. For 20 minutes, the protesters addressed traders, telling them of the government’s careless policies to “kill education”.

At Etim Edem Motor Park, JAF Secretary Comrade Abiodun Aremu addressed the crowd in pidgin English, on why the people must stand by the striking lecturers. He listed what he called •Continued on page 30

•UNN releases admission list •Students’ group pleads with Boko Haram-P32

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

30

CAMPUS LIFE The emerging gay revolution (2)

I

RECOLLECT vividly when the same Sex Marriage Bill was being debated at the National Assembly some months ago. I thought then: of all things that could be debated to bring succour to the lives of Nigerians who stood in the sun and rain during election and have been at the receiving end of mismanagement -and corruptionfor a long time, so homosexuality law is the only thing that the sponsors of the bill could think of. I felt it was a non-issue until the call I wrote about last week changed my thinking.

We tend to see corruption from the one sided perspective of political office holders lining their pockets with public fund.

But homosexuality is also part of corruption - moral corruption - which is more real now than ever.

I received calls and messages from students and the public following last week’s article, which points to the fact that it is an issue we have to look seriously into. One caller even said it was a “pandemic.” I find this hard to believe though - and advised parents not to be naïve, but take closer look at their children. Some said I was “set up” to write about the gay community in Nigeria so that people can be sympathetic to their cause. Another caller said I should beam the searchlight on the entertainment industry and “see the amazing things happening there, but gay is no big deal, it is ‘cool.’”

When I took a closer look at the issue, I discovered that Africa appears to be the last vestige that is keeping its feet on the ground to say no to gay lifestyle. The West fell a long time ago. Asia’s hardline stance is softening and even the Church – the spiritual and moral bastion of the society is gradually caving in to the well-coordinated propaganda from the gay community.

Let’s take a look at these statistics to buttress this point further and follow the trajectory of events. I want to use the United States as an example because we simply love everything American. The trajectory of

Pushing Out with

Agbo Agbo 08116759750 (SMS only)

•aagboa@gmail.com events show how some people’s views have changed over the years.

In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a same-sex marriage case brought before it during an era when many states still criminalised homosexual sex. However, three decades later, even some of the Court’s most conservative judges endorsed gay marriage. Why did they do this and what changed their perspective?

The changed tone reflects a dramatic evolution in U.S. popular opinion: Support for gay marriage has doubled since 1996, reaching 53 per cent in 2011. Compared with a number of other countries, in Europe and Latin America in particular, the U.S. is even hard when it comes to attitudes toward gay rights. What this means is that there is a gradual decline of homophobia in these areas.

In the mid-1980s, no European country provided legal recognition to gay and lesbian couples. A quarter-century later, 16 countries in the region had same-sex marriage or legal partnership laws in place. Eleven other countries, including Argentina and South Africa, have legalised same-sex marriage. In Mexico and Brazil, gay marriage is legal in at least some states. The countries with larger majorities in favour of gay marriage than the U.S. include Uruguay, Argentina, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain.

All this reflects rapidly changing global attitudes toward same-sex relationships more

‘We are on strike to save education’ •Continued on page 30

government’s iniquities against quality education, saying the country’s leaders were looting public funds to establish private school at the expense of public institutions.

A lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof Israel Wuruji, while addressing the protesters, said: “We are out today to let Nigerians know that the public education system is collapsing or has collapsed absolutely. If nothing is done to address the situation, our children would suffer. All of us here benefited from the public education system. But, today, our children can no longer have quality education at their door step. Why must we send our children to private schools built by corrupt politicians?

“Universities have been closed down for two months now, but the government is not concerned to address the issue. We were told that the government would release N130 billion to fund education. When the government realised that what is needed to make our schools provide quality education is N1.3 trillion, which they want to provide within the next three years, they agreed that they will release N400 billion every year. But they have brought it down to N130 billion. The question is: if you have a child who has been diagnosed of a disease that needs surgical operation and you are giving that child Panadol and telling him ‘don’t die’, can we say you care for the child? So, what the government is doing today is paying lip service to quality education.”

Prof Wuruji noted that the ongoing ASUU strike had nothing to do with lecturers’ salary, saying the union is on strike to force the government to improve poor facilities in schools.

To ensure that their message got to

the ordinary people on the street, the protesters addressed the public in different languages, including Hausa, Igbo, Efik and pidgin English. At Gbogo-Biri Street, the message was communicated to members of the Hausa-Fulani Muslim Community

by Alhaji Abubakar Abdulahi, the group’s secretary.

Leaving U. J. Esuene Stadium, the protesters proceeded to the Cross River Government House. As they approached the gate of the Government House, a drama ensued. Some armed policemen and soldiers drafted to the scene ordered them to leave the area, saying the governor was not around.

It took about 10 minutes for the professors among the protesters to convince the security operatives that the demonstration was not against the governor. After the explanation, the policemen escorted the protesters with four vans till they dispersed hours later.

Other areas visited by the demonstrators included Diamond Hill and Murtala Mohammed Highway, from where they dispersed.

In a statement, its chairman, Dr Dipo Fashina, and Secretary Aremu, said the rally was to identify with ASUU and the public towards improving education.

“Each time the union goes on strike, it is because the federal and state governments have failed to implement agreements they freely entered into and signed with the lecturers’ unions.

Central to saving public education is that the government must fund education in line with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) standard of 26 per cent and make education free for all,”said the statement.

Students, who participated in the rally, urged the government to accede to their lecturers’ demands.

broadly. According to a World Values Survey data – concerned about values and cultural changes in societies all over the world - from 1993 to 2006, the proportion of people who thought homosexuality was never justifiable dropped from an average of 59 per cent to 34 per cent. The U.S. matched the global pattern, with a decline from 54 per cent to 33 percent. Among the 27 countries asked about the moral status of homosexuality in both 1993 and 2006, the U.S. dropped from 12th most gay-friendly in 1993 to 17th most friendly in 2006.

The World Values Survey data do suggest that Asia and Africa remain more homophobic than the Americas and Europe, but change has been rapid nonetheless. In the 2006 wave of surveys, the majority of Indians and Chinese remained firmly against homosexuality. But the proportion of people who thought homosexuality was never justifiable fell from 93 per cent to 64 per cent in India from 1993 to 2006 and from 92 per cent to 74 per cent in China.

From this survey, we can see that people in the West have become more accepting of differences in sexual orientation than of differences in religious belief. For example, more than a quarter of Americans and 22 percent of Brazilians suggest they wouldn’t want neighbours who practised a different religion. But only two per cent of Americans and six percent of Brazilians volunteer that they wouldn’t want to live next door to a homosexual. Across surveyed countries in 2006, 44 per cent of people said they wouldn’t want to live next to someone of a different religion, compared with 16 per cent who mentioned homosexuals.

In the 20th century, American churches opposition to gay rights was rock solid so much so that when it came to gay rights, religion was “enemy number one” and that is where gay activists took the next fight to.

A decade into the 21st century, the story is very different. Congregations across the U.S now increasingly accept, nurture, and even marry their gay brethren. Polls show majorities of major Christian denominations - including American Catholics, despite

their church’s staunch opposition - support legal gay marriage.

Leaders of some of the most conservative sects, like the Southern Baptists, have moved away from the vitriolic rhetoric of decades ago toward a more compassionate tone. Mormons even march in gaypride parades.

A report quoted a sitting Republican senator, a Methodist from the heartland state of Ohio, saying the question was settled for him by “the Bible’s overarching themes of love and compassion and my belief that we are all children of God”.

Pope Francis was widely quoted during his recent trip to Brazil that “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

Why did perception changed so rapidly in the West? In my opinion the answer is simple: The media and the internet. The globalization of media has made it possible for us to know what is happening around the world instantly, and gay activists know this and they are exploiting it perfectly.

Suddenly, high profile gay individuals have come out of the closet to make public their sexual orientation. These high profile individuals in the entertainment, sports, business, politics and media industry are role models to millions of young people around the world who may not be well grounded to make informed positive choices. They may be swayed to believe that that is the best way to live.

Being at the receiving end of global content development and dissemination, I strongly believe we should be concerned because we simply swallow hook, line and sinker whatever thrash is thrown at us.

Carry out a survey on what our youths watch on television today and your guess would be as good as mine. So we should not live in denial that we cannot have gay people in our midst because of our “strong culture” which abhors such behaviour. The youths - who form close to 70 per cent of our population - know so little about our culture but more about the current pop culture which incorporates and encourages gay lifestyle.

All said, where are God and His Word in all of this?

When he was two years old, Stephan Abge lost his legs to polio. But he did not allow his disability to prevent him from getting a degree. Stephan bagged a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH). He is one of the youths who participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation in Cross River State. He relived his experience in the camp to JOHNPAUL NNAMDI (his mate).

‘No regret for my disability’

H

OW did you become physically-challenged?

I was not born disabled.

My birth was normal, just like every other person’s. My mother told me I had normal, legs until about two years, when I was attacked by polio. This has kept me in the wheel chair.

You acquired higher education, despite your challenge. How did you cope?

It is the will of God that I will be educated. I had my primary education in a special school for the physically- challenged. While in school, I had a bad experience; I •Stephan was discriminated against. I paid the fees myself, so it was not so easy sure I was comfortable and for me. At the university, I had behaved like everybody else. I got friends who carried me and helped all the kits I needed. But I could not me in getting certain things done. participate in activities, such as At a point, when I was not morning parade, sports and Man financially capable of continuing ‘O’ War drills. However, I did not with my study, I got a scholarship miss out on lectures and social from the management, which saw activities.

Did you receive a warm me through until I graduated. This really helped me because I could welcome from your colleagues?

Yes. In fact, I made as many not have been able to see myself friends as possible. I befriended through school.

How did you cope with the male and female and our relationship is cordial because they stress of the orientation?

For me, it was fun and I tried my were always there for me. I tried best to enjoy myself. I did not as much as possible to be useful to encounter many problems. them, too. We interacted and Although it was always difficult helped one another when the need for me to make my way to the arose.

What would you have loved to bathroom or to the toilet, I made

be if you were not disabled?

I would have loved to be a doctor. Nevertheless, I am not regretting this because I am already a graduate of Computer Science and I believe I still have the chance to go further in my education.

How do you think the quality of education can be improved on?

The system is not 100 per cent excellent, I think the government and the private sector can do more to make education attractive to the youths. Government must solve the issue of strike in public schools by increasing funding and provide infrastructure. There should also be a regulation of private universities, where students pay exorbitant fees.

When building schools, government or private owners should consider disabled people by providing special tools to aid their learning. I must add that people with disability should also be given equal opportunity on employment issues.

What is the advice you have for people in such situation like you?

I want to let them see themselves as normal human being. They should not see their disability as a barrier to their destiny or happiness.

Most disabled people have low selfesteem and present themselves as an object of pity. To such people, I think they should have a change of mindset because there is a reason why we find ourselves in every situation. Above all, every human being on earth has one challenge or the other but we have to forge ahead, struggle and look beyond our limitation. People should not do things for us out of pity, rather they should give a helping hand when they notice we need help.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

31

CAMPUS LIFE For five days, youths from various parts of the country were hosted in Rivers State by the Peace Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND), a non- governmental organisation, in its continued promotion of peace in the oil-rich region. UCHE ANICHEBE (500-Level Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka) ADEBAYO CALEB (400-Level Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), NKIRUKA CALISTA (500-Level Engineering), and ANIE OSITA (Corps member, NYSC, Port Harcourt) were there.

•The participants being addressed by one of the speakers

F

OR five days, the Peace Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) hosted youths to a seminar on peace, economic growth and development in the Niger Delta region.

The event was held at The Adolescent Project (TAP) Centre in Oyigbo, Rivers State. PIND is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) harnessing youth energy to foster peace and promote development.

According to the organisers, the aim of the workshop was to form a youth network and map out strategy for the sustenance of peace and economic development in the region.

Addressing participants, who are students of higher institutions, the guest speaker, Reverend Edward Obi, said peace was a prerequisite for development in any society, saying: “Peace is a quintessential public good, which in the simplest conception, can mean the absence of war.”

The participants underwent training on conflict resolution, Information Communications Tech-

•A guest with some CAMPUSLIFE students after the event

Engaging youths for peace nology (ICT) and project management. The training sessions were facilitated by Mr Ifeanyi Ogechuckwu, co-ordinator of the West African Network for Peace Building (WANPB); Mrs Mercy Abang, a journalist and blogger, and Mr Mike Utaha, Acting Director of the Kukah Centre.

In a lecture titled: “Peace: foundation for better livelihood”, Prof Mark Anikpo of the Centre for Ethnic and Conflict Studies spoke on the relationship between war and underdevelopment, noting that youth empowerment remained one of the potent tools to foster peace.

“When there is peace, productive activities, especially among the rural population, flourish without hindrance,” he said, urging the participants to always stand up for conflict resolution.

Executive Director of PIND Mr. Sam Daibo advised participants

not to relent in peace advocacy.

He said: “We all are stakeholders of peace, because violence affects our lives in different ways. We are the key drivers of peace in our communities. PIND only facilitates the activities. We are the real actors.”

Dennis Flemming, programme director at Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI), said: “There are a few nations which are not experiencing one form of violence or the other. But peace is something every nation should strive for. We found out that one of the reasons for restiveness in the Niger Delta is unemployment. So, to tackle this, we focused on providing means of livelihood to youths in the region to achieve peace.”

Utaha lauded the initiative, noting that the Kukah Centre partnered with PIND because it was interested in making the nation peaceful by engaging the

youth in the North and Niger Delta with the aim of promoting religious harmony.

“I will say that PIND is making progress in curbing violence instigated by youth unemployment,” he noted.

Toward the end of the five-day event, chapters were established across the Niger Delta states. The organisers charged the youth to network and uphold the cause of peace.

Aniebet Ubong, a Law graduate from the University of Calabar (UNICAL), said he was elated to be involved in activities promoting peace.

“The workshop afforded me the opportunity to interact with youths from different backgrounds and gained knowledge from them,” he said.

Onyekachi Onuoha, another participant, noted that solving societal problems through youth initiative

enticed her. “I am the author of four books and my works represent what I term the reflection of the ideal society. I write to bridge the gap between morality and society, and to advocate for peace, justice and equity. I have learnt another way to promote peace in the course of the workshop,” she stated.

In attendance were Mr. Noble Pepple, Executive Director of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA); Mr Joseph Adoga of the Department of Civil Societies and NGOs, Morgan Keay, a guest from the US Department of State and Dr Dara Akara, Programme Director of PIND. Others were Hon Eloah Akee, Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on Good Governance and Ethics, and Tunde Fajinbola, Chief Press Secretary to Ondo State Deputy Governor.

PIND was established in 2010 and it is funded by Chevron, an oil firm. Its objectives include the advancement of economic sustainability in the Niger Delta by engaging youths in the region.

How can unionism be used for the benefit of students? Members of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) learnt the know-how during a visit to the chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, Comrade Ayodele Adewale. TOLULOPE OGUNLEYE (HND II Computer Science) reports.

When comrades meet

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LL was quiet at the secretariat of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State last Wednesday during a visit by some students union leaders.

About 10:30pm, members of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) Students’ Union Government (SUG) arrived at the council to keep an appointment with the chairman, Comrade Ayodele Adewale.

As he relaxed in his modest office after a busy day, the students knocked on the door. As they filed in, Adewale jumped up from his swivel chair and extended his hand to receive the visitors.

With a broad smile, the council chairman told his guests to sit; then, the conversation began. Fondly called Mayor, Adewale is one of the youthful council chairmen in the state.

Being a former students’ union president, Adewale is seen as a mentor and source of wisdom by the visiting union leaders who

•Adewale (right) speaking to the Students’ Union leaders in his office

came learn ways to deploy unionism towards improving the welfare of students and staff of their institution.

On why the union chose Amuwo Odofin council chairman to mentor its members, the SUG President, Olanrewaju Balogun, said Adewale had impacted on the lives of the people of the council and engendered positive values since his days as a students’ union president at the Lagos State University (LASU).

Olanrewaju said the council chief was the students’ choice because he is experienced in students’ movement and national politics.

Speaking on how to lead people, Adewale noted that he remained a leftist ideologue, saying that the only way to liberate the people was to advocate for positive change.

He said the best way to liberate the masses from the shackles of poverty was to contest for an elective post in government to acquire the power to bring the change needed

in the society.

On how to cope with distraction and complaints from people being led, Adewale said human beings are insatiable, adding: “The best you can do in such situation is to pursue the agenda of the majority and satisfy your conscience.”

Explaining the challenges of students’ unionism, he said therwe were little resources at union leaders’ disposal to work with, noting that the best way to suc-

ceed was to engage people of like minds to achieve the change students wanted.

Dwelling on challenges facing unionism, Adewale said the use of protest to call attention of the authorities to students’ plight was outdated, saying protest is the last stage of negotiation.

He emphasised the use of propaganda to promote students’ opinion, adding: “You must envision your mind because with propaganda you can gain people’s mind.”

He advised the students’ leaders to be focused, saying challenges surface at every level of life, “but if you remain focused, you will achieve your aim.”

Given his demanding job, one of the students asked how Adewale relaxed. The council chairman responded: “Relaxation is relative; some people relax with a bottle of beer, some do it with ladies while others go to clubs to unwind. As for me, I like spending my time with people like you.”

Admonishing the youth to dream for greatness, Adewale said if anyone wanted to be great in life, he must make a sacrifice.

“You must have a good vision to be a good leader, because no one sees the vision better than the visioner. Strive to be successful in life and you must know that success has many fathers while failure has none,” he told his guests.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE UNN releases admission list

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HE primary admission list for 2013/2014 academic session of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), has been released by authorities of the institution.

The faculty of Social Sciences topped the list with 470 candidates.

Others are faculty of Engineering, 306; Biological Sciences, 306; faculty of Arts, 296; faculty of Business Ad-

From Oladele Oge

UNN ministration, 225; faculty of Education, 184; faculty of physical sciences, 176; faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, 146 and faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences 106.

The Registrar of the institution, Mr Anthony Okonta said the fresh students should proceed with their online registration.

Cross Rivers students get leaders HE Cross Rivers State chapter of the National Association of Cross Rivers State Students (NACRISS) has inaugurated a new executive council.

Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Commission (JCC) Patrick Ambah commended the electoral body for making the election peaceful. He warned that unionism must not be politicised for selfish ends.

T •Members of the group after celebration

Group celebrates anniversary

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STUDENTS group, Act It, at the Lagos State University (LASU) has held its first anniversary.

The president of the group, Hamzat Bakare, 300-Level Medicine, said the initiative was borne out of the need to serve humanity.

From Nurudeen Yusuf

LASU He said: “Act It is committed to supporting youths and women through campaigns on health, gender equality, education and environmental sustainability.”

In a chat with CAMPUSLIFE, Hamzat called on governments, private organisations and non-governmental bodies to invest in the health sector of the country, adding that Nigeria cannot afford to pay lip service to the health of her citizens.

Ikale students rename association, elect leaders

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HE National Association of Ikale Students (NUIKAS) has been renamed as the Federation of Ikale Students Union

From Kanja Godshield

CRUTECH He said: ‘’Unionism must remain a pressure group to fight for the welfare of students in every tertiary institution in the country.’’ He advised the new executives to work as a team to achieve a successful administration.”

In his acceptance speech, the President Abang Ogon promised to work with his team to revitalise the association.

From Kemi Busari

OAU (FISU).

The change was effected at the annual national conference of the association held at the University of Lagos recently. A new constitution was also drafted to regulate the affairs of the union.

New leaders were also elected to pilot the affairs of the association.

Senate President, Iwakun Oyeniyi, urged members to embrace the new leadership in good faith.

Fellowship celebrates youth day

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•Leaders of the union being sworn in

Ibadan students swear in leaders

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EMBERS of executive of the Federation of Ibadan Students Union (FIBSU), who were recently elected, have been inaugurated.

The swearing in ceremony was attended by Chairman of Oodua Group of Companies, Sarafadeen Alli, Dean of Students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan

T

HE Vice-Chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Prof Olufemi Mimiko, has advised the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to dialogue with the Federal Government rather than shutting the university system.

He made the appeal at a reception in honour of Dr Lanre OluAdeyemi, a lecturer of the institution, who was appointed the Senior Special Assistant on Research, Planning and Special Duties to the Ondo Sate Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

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HE Staff Club of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree (OSPOLY), has inaugurated new executives to pilot the affairs of the association for the next one year. The event was held at the club’s building on Iree–Ada Road and attended by staff and students of the institution.

The new executive is led by Mr Adekunle Lekan as President. Others are Mr Aderibigbe Anthony, Vice President; Mr Sangodapo Akinbode, General Secretary; Mr Ige Benjamin, Assistant General Secretary, Mr Adebowale Sunday, Public Relations Officer, Mr Omojuyigbe Collins, Sports

From Sikiri Akinola

OAU (IBADAN POLY), Bayo Oyeleke, Convener of Ajumobi Students Consultative Forum (ASCF), Adedapo Walter and students.

President, Taofeek Olalekan, thanked Governor Abiola Ajimobi

for his support. He called on local governments in the state to be prompt in the disbursement of bursary and grants to students.

Former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Oludare Ogunlana, enjoined the students to face their studies.

VC tasks ASUU on strike From Richard Adura-Ilesanmi

AAUA Prof Mimiko said entrenching good governance in the country must be a collective responsibility rather than blaming those in power. He said ASUU should embrace peace rather than embarking on “needless” strike. He said: “I do not believe it is necessary for our colleagues to be on strike. I do not believe it is correct to shut down

the entire university system for two months. I do not believe it is correct for people who have not worked for two months to expect to be paid.

“It is not right and it is bad.”

Prof Mimiko pointed out that shutting down the nation’s universities would hamper the progress and development of the country. He appealed to the striking lecturers to return to their classrooms while negotiations continue.

Club inaugurates exco From Olumuyiwa Ogunleye

OSPOLY Director; Mr Ishola Oluwafunto, Director of Finance; Mr Afolabi Solomon, Treasurer; Mrs Adegbola Iyabo, Kitchen Secretary and Mr Olonade Oluwaseun as Bar Secretary.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Adekunle thanked members for given him their mandates at the polls. He promised to take the club to new heights. “I thank you all for the trust

you reposed on me thus far. I promise to fulfill all my pledges to the best of my capacity. I would work with my team to uplift the association,” he said.

The event was attended by Mr Tope Abiola, Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Dotun Omisore, official of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP ), Osun-Poly chapter and Mrs Odebode Bola, President of the Osun State Polytechnic Alumni Association.

HE Holyghostant Campus Fellowship (HCF) at the Imo State University, (IMSU) has held its yearly youth day. The event was held at the Holyghostant Chapel headquarters in Owerri.

Pastor-in-charge of the province, Prof Uju Blossom, urged the youths to be godly and avoid youthful exuberance.

Highlights of the occasion include the launch of the Echoes of the Holyghostant Youth magazine and

From Chidiebere Enyia

IMSU presentation of awards to members.

Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Chibuike Egwim, a 400-Level student of Optometry, said: ‘’I am grateful for how God has led us so far. I have received spiritual impartation from the sermons delivered today. It feels great to be part of the celebration.’’

Students’ group pleads with Boko Haram

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RESIDENT, Congress of Muslim and Christian Students Forum (CMCSF), James Ayodele, has called on Boko Haram insurgents to embrace dialogue and peaceful resolution of their grievances.

Members of the association, who visited worship centres and scenes of bomb blasts in Kano recently, held interactive sessions with

Leaders for Uyo JCC

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HE Akwa Ibom State arm of the Joint Campus Committee (JCC) of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has held her Fourth convention. The event was held at the College of Education, Afaha Nsit.

Vivian Akpan was elected Chairman. Others are Friday Ise, Vice-

From Sikiru Akinola

OAU traditional rulers in the state. The group condemned religious violence and called for tolerance among Christians and Muslims.

Ayodele said: ‘’we appeal to members of Boko Haram to sheath their sword and embrace dialogue with the Federal Government to restore peace in the country.’’

From John Obot

UNIUYO Chairman and Sifon David, Secretary-General.

The session was presided by outgoing chairman, Uduak Nseabasi.

He thanked members who supported his administration and urged the new executive council to work in unity.

However, Vivian promised to use her office to promote the interests of students.

Union gives food to members

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HE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has distributed foodstuffs to members.

Chairman of the occasion, Mohammed Haruna, said the primary objective of the union is the welfare of members. He called on

From Saad Aliyu

MAUTECH members to do their best and work as a team to improve the state of the association.

The Registrar, Alhaji Ibrahim Ribadu, commended his team for showing concern to the plight of members.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

33

CAMPUS LIFE Leaders for Ondo students From Kemi Busari,

•Cross section of lecturers at the event

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HE University of Calabar (UNICAL) has held its 55th inaugural lecture at its International Conference Centre (ICC). It was delivered by Prof Andrew Uduigwomen in the Department of Philosophy.

Prof Uduigwomen said the es-

Varsity holds 55th inaugural lecture From Emmanuel Shebbs and Favor Inyangudo

UNICAL

sence of man’s existence is com-

plete when he manages the relationship between his mind and body, adding that the heart plays a vital role in human existence.

He called for change in the soci-

ety.

He said: ‘’It is clear that the root cause of our socio-economic problems as a nation is the depravity of our hearts. We need a transformed heart fashioned after the image of Christ.’’

The Vice-chancellor, Prof James Epoke, represented by his deputy, Prof Austin Obiekezie, urged participants to transform their hearts for the good of the country.

OAU THE National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS) has inaugurated new leaders.

The event was held at Babafuken Ajasin Hall in Akure, Ondo state capital.

In his address,the new president , Afolayan Simon, said the association has the potential to bring development and human empowerment to citizens of the state.

He commended the outgoing administration for the progress it recorded and called for cooperation of every member.

He said: “All hands must be on deck to take this association to the next level. Every elected officer must resist the temptation of financial misappropriation and other misconducts. Such practices remain the bane of this union and we must be accountable.”

Afolayan charged the state government to increase bursary allocation for students, adding that the current grant is not commensurate with the resources at the disposal of the state.

He also called for the inclusion of student leaders in the decision-making machinery of the state.

The Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, represented by Secretary to Ondo Strate Scholarship Board, Mr Segun Odusanya, enjoined the students not to engage use aggression in their activities, noting that the plight of students remains a priority to the state. He advised them to be focused in their academic pursuits.

He advised the students to be focused in their academic pursuits.

President of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) chapter of the association, Fagbemigun Israel, challenged the new leadership to live up to the task of repositioning the association.

Group holds convention

T •Aguna (middle) with leaders of the students during the visit

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EMBERS of the Federation of Igbo Students (FIS) of the University of Calabar, (UNICAL) have visited the Eze Igbo of Kano, Odu Ndi Igbo VI, Nnaji Aguna Eche Ibe 1 of Nkeke.

The students were led by President, Ekene Odumegwu. Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Odumegwu said the visit was informed by the need to gain from the Eze’s leadership experience.

He said: “We believe that the elders are the custodians of knowledge acquired through diverse experiences. We decided to embark •From left: Hafsah Badru; Sulaiman Lawal and Bilikisu Yahya after their induction as graduates of Medical Laboratory Science, Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), NkpoluOruworokwo, Port Harcourt ... last Friday

Igbo students visit monarch From Isaac Mensah

UNICAL on this mission so as to get gain knowledge of our culture.”

The monarch commended the students for their knowledge of the Igbo culture.

He noted that great leaders are those with strong human relationship skills. “People basically can be best governed when there is a

good relationship between the leaders and the led,” he said. He urged the students to be mindful of the company they keep, adding that bad company ruins good reputation.

He decried the gradual extinction of the Igbo culture and urged the students to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the race.

Odumegwu thanked the monarch for giving the students audience.

HE Lagos zone of the Federation of Colleges of exstudents Association (FECA), has hosted its eighth regional convention.

The event titled: Eko 2013: Predestined, was held at Baptist Model High School, Ikotun, Lagos.

In his welcome address, Regional Secretary of the association, Uyiosa Oronsaye, said the event was a platform to rekindle friendship and renew the commitment to win souls for Christ. The Zonal Coordinator, Ahiru Tajudeen, noted that the theme of the event was timely, adding that many youths are ignorant of their divine assignment.

The national president who spoke on Operating in the supernatural said for participants to exert supernatural powers, they

From Eddy Uwoghiren

LAGOS must be born again, knowledgeable in God’s word and embrace purity. ‘’Whatever is not of God should not be found in your life.

You must seek the face of the lord continually,’’ he added.

There were also training sessions on bead making, graphic design, dancing, catering, printing, snail rearing, photography and news reporting. This was followed by a six-hour prayer session tagged FECA Prays where supplications were rendered for the country.

At the closing ceremony, awards were presented to deserving persons. The Regional Coordinator, Julius Osimen, urged participants to apply what they were taught to every aspect of their lives.

‘Whatever is not of God should not be found in your life. You must seek the face of the lord continually’

Students honour lawmaker

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HE National Association of Oyo Students (NAOS) has honoured Dr Moroof Akinwade, a former member of the House of Representatives.

The award was presented to him during the Ajayi Crowder University (ACU) inaugural paliamentary lecture.

In his welcome address, Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu commended the students for organising the event.

Delivering a lecture entitled: Challenges and prospects of exalting the leviathan: new paradigms and strategies

From Dhikru Akinola and Naheemot Nurudeen

OAU for Oyo, Dr Willie Siyanbola, called on Oyo indigenes outside the state to return home and invest in their community. He advised the students to be resourceful and shun unhealthy habits.

Other persons honoured at the ceremony are Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, Dr Kunle Ogunmola and Chief Imam of Oyo, Alhaji Moshood Adebayo, among others.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE The Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has conducted its third post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

No fewer than 40,000 candidates took the exam. OLATUNJI AWE (300-Level Political Science, Ekiti State University) and FRANCIS OLOWOLAFE (200-Level Theatre and Media Arts, FUOYE) report.

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HE quiet town of Oye-Ekiti in Ekiti State came alive recently. No fewer than 40,000 candidates swarmed the town to write the entrance examination of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), one of the seven universities established by the government two years ago.

The post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was the third the university would be conducting since its establishment. The exam, which was held for eight days, was a Computer-Based Test (CBT) for all applicants, who scored not less than 180 in UTME. The institution’s management showed its magnanimity by extending invitation to applicants, who did not choose the school as their first or second choice.

The university, which has campuses in Oye and Ikole-Ekiti, chose Oye as the centre for the exercise held in its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre.

The centre hosts over 700 computers. The examination was held in batches.

The exercise took many applicants by surprise. Many candidates complained that they did not see the timetable to know when to write the test. Others said the test did not go according to the timetable released by the school.

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that candidates who had issues with the timetable were those who filled in for English and Literary Studies.

Adeola Adeleke, a candidate, said: “I never knew they were going to start the examination as it was stated on the timetable. But, thank God I was not late for the test.”

The candidates, before going into the examination centre, had their documents checked to prevent impersonation and to bar candidates that scored below 180 from participating in the exercise.

Policemen and officers of the Civil Defence Corps were on ground to

Pains, gains of Post-UTME •Applicants in a rush to the test centre

ensure security and maintain law and order.

The exercise was not without hiccups as some candidates complained of their inability to upload their thumb print during the registration, a development that made many to go to the school days before the exercise.

Adenike Olanrewaju said: “I had to travel to this place from Lagos because of this problem. This gave me the opportunity to participate in the CBT training class. I was able to rectify it before the test.”

The post-UTME also boosted business activities in Oye. Residents made good sales, servicing the applicants

in various ways. A food vendor, who identified herself as Iya Ibeji, said she has the greatest sale period whenever the university held its post-UTME because of the large number of people who patronise her cafeteria.

On the number of applicants, Omobola Omoboriowo, 200-Level Theatr Arts, said: “This is good news for the university. If 10 per cent of them can be admitted, it will increase the number of students on campus and Oye Town will be livelier.”

Another student, who did not say his name, said: “Even if not many of the candidates are admitted, the fact remains that facilities in the school

are not enough. This is the area the management needs to look into.”

Mariam Olowoporoku, a candidate, said: “After I saw the facilities on the campus, I don’t think I want to come here anymore, because the school lacks enough lecture rooms. I used the test to practise so that I can perform when I go to write postUTME in institutions I chose as first and second choice.”

The chief examiner and the Dean of Social Science, Prof Rasaki Ojo, said the exercise was successful.

“We were able to manage the crowd of applicants that came for the test. We also took a step further by making sure we solved

cases of candidates that had problem with online registration. This made it easy for many of them,” he said.

On the hiccups experienced by applicants, the Dean said no invention was totally reliable, saying: “We have one or two hitches with the computers, which we hope to work on next time. But on the whole, I would score my team excellence considering the serenity and excellent nature the examination was conducted.”

A staff, who worked with the security department, said: “It was not easy to organise such exercise but it came out to be successful.”

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, has announced the date for the Nigerian Universities Games (NUGA) which it is hosting. The sporting event will hold next month. DHIKRU AKINOLA (400-Level Political Science) writes on the preparations so far.

All set for varsity games

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ARRING any last-minute changes, the 24th edition of the Nigeria Universities Games (NUGA) to be hosted by the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, will begin next month.

Last Thursday, officials of the university unveiled the logo for the sporting event at the conference room of the OAU Guest House in Ikeja, Lagos. The starting and closing dates of the event were also chosen at the event, which was attended by former Nigerian international Mutiu Adepoju and ex-Super Falcon goalkeeper Ann Chiejine.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole, spoke of the institution’s readiness to host the “best-ever NUGA,” despite the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The partial suspension of academic activities for the sporting fiesta by the hosting institution underscores the importance of NUGA’s platform to the discovery of talents and promotion of unity.

•Alexander with some members of the Sport Committee making a mark on the track

Over 60 universities across the country participate in the annual sport festival, which has been an avenue through which youths are engaged to tackle poverty and insecurity.

Omole said all the events of the games would take place in the university, stressing that the facilities would be ready before the games begins. He commended the Federal Government for releasing the funds

for the construction of an Olympicsize swimming pool for the event.

The games were billed to take place last December but it was postponed because of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the university. In January, the university’s NUGA committees began preparation for the event.

Recently, our correspondent was conducted round the game facilities

by NUGA committee chairman,

Prof Bolaji Oluseye, OAU Sports Council chairman, Prof Godwin Isichei and the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, to show the readiness of the university to host the games.

Our correspondent saw the ongoing construction of spectators’ seats for the swimming pool. The construction work was being carried out by an Italian firm. One of the engineers, identified as Alexandra,

was seen working on the track lane.

Prof Oluseye said the track lane would take weeks for completion.

He observed that the pool must have, at least, an eight-lane track, adding that the facility could be used to train world-class swimmers in the country.

The don boasted that the university would cart away all the gold medals in the games given the facilities put in place by the management to train OAU participants.

Assuring on security of participants and logistics, Oluseye said there were 12 committees to manage the hosting of the event, adding that each committee was working round the clock to ensure a hitch-free fiesta.

The only game new to OAU team is swimming, Prof Isichei said, adding: “We are going to train our students on this before the event starts and we hope to win some medals in it.”

He said the OAU team had won gold medals in hockey and cricket, stressing that the institution would repeat the feat in the games.

On sponsorship, Prof Oluyemi said the institution had partnered with some corporate bodies but added that “our door is still open” to other firms that may want to partner with the school. He noted that accommodation would be provided for participants from other institutions on campus and some selected off-campus halls of residence.

•Continued on page 36

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE

Lagos ‘deportation’: The crux of the matter

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TORIES remain one of the best and most potent forms of literature. And I remember, albeit hazily, one I heard as a child.

I sat at the feet of my mother, aunt or grandmother. My memory fails me on the exact identity of the storyteller but the story lesson remains indelible and that is what I wish to share with readers.

Obi, a character in the story, was sent by his parents to go and fetch firewood for the evening meal in the forest of Okofia. The forest was at the boundary of the town in which Obi lived and the land of the spirits. Partly due to its location but also because it was so luxuriously verdant, the forest housed all manner of creatures, most notorious of which were the spirits that possessed the ability to change to other forms.

Everybody in the town knew this; children were warned repeatedly as they grew up: “Whenever you go into Okofia, keep your eyes straight ahead, gather your firewood and leave. Never look sideways or backwards.” Once in a while, a stubborn child went on an errand to Okofia and never returned.

So on this day, Obi set out for Okofia, fully aware of the dangers and what was expected of him. He gathered his pieces of firewood, tightly-bound with a strip of raffia and went about gathering some more raffia, which he would need to roll into a pad to balance the weight of the bundle of firewood he was to carry on his head. This done, Obi returned to where he had set the bundle of wood. A bird

perched on his firewood; it was a pretty bird, with golden feathers, round yellow-rimmed eyes and a small beak that looked like it was made of ivory.

Obi stood for a while, transfixed by the beauty of this creature. He was, however, still very conscious of his surroundings. And that would have been his saving grace had the bird not started to sing. Obi knew that the spirits often crossed the border into Okofia disguised as animals but the stories he had heard spoke of spirits in forms of roaring lions, growling jackals and preying black-eyed hawks; the legend never told of a small, golden bird with a seraphic voice and sad beautiful eyes.

Delighted, he took a step towards the bird, hands outstretched to pick it. But the little bird flapped its golden winds, flew a very short distance away to a low branch and perched. It kept singing even more melodious tunes. Totally lost, Obi crept forward again, cooing to the little bird of his unadulterated intentions. Each time he got close, the bird flew to another branch close enough for Obi to still see it and hear its seraphic tones but far enough that he had to creep even closer to get to it.

Little by little, in this manner, Obi unwittingly followed the singing bird into the depths of Okofia. At some point, the bird flew away without perching, leaving Obi to stand and watch with disappointment. It took a while but Obi soon realised he was lost… lost in the land of the spirits.

Depending on who was telling

the story, from this point, the journey would either end in tragedy for Obi or something miraculous appear as a saving grace. It is irrelevant anyway, as the lesson is already clear. This story came to mind while I observed the recent confusion generated by the Lagos government’s ‘deportation’ of Igbo destitute to Anambra State. Barely had this been done than the ex-governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, released a statement condemning the action as unconstitutional and tribalistic. It remains unknown to us where Kalu got his information. But he, as a “champion” of the Igbo cause, proceeded to issue a seven-day ultimatum to Governor Babatunde Fashola to tender an apology to Igbo, failure of which he would sue the latter.

Enter self-acclaimed Achilles of the Yoruba, Chief Femi FaniKayode, with the inevitable rebuttal. Fani-Kayode took us on a tour of the history of Nigeria and established that Yoruba remains the richest tribe in the country, historically and otherwise, while the Igbo still struggle to catch up. He proceeded to recount the generosity of the Yoruba, more than any other tribes, towards their Igbo patriots, drawing his instances from history, politics and war.

My analogy goes thus. Obi represents the Nigerian masses, men and women who are wrapped together and called citizens by perhaps fate, destiny, God or a combination of the three - depending on your belief. The firewood he had been sent to fetch is peace, stability, a future that is devoid of strife. Alas, the

A note from Plato’s idea

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HE conception that it is only the government that can bring change to the people is widely accepted. Although this is true to some extent as the aim of the government is to cater for the people, when such government does not meet up with the needs of the citizens, what happens?

Plato, perhaps the greatest Greek philosopher of all times, in his book The Republic developed the idea that the strength and success of the state is directly tied to the values of citizens living in it.

Giving this Plato’s postulation an insightful thought, the first thing that comes to a sound mind is: what are these values that individuals must imbibe to maintain and attain a dreamed society and how can they affect the society in a way that will engender development? These values are basically three.

The three important values a Platonic ideal state must possess, as the philosopher listed them, are courage, wisdom and justice. Wisdom is a value that requires people to act for the interest of all groups and all parties. Justice means that people must do jobs according to what their skills and natural talents can do, while courage is the strength to defend and uphold one’s belief of what is just and right in the face of criticism and rejection.

In modern interpretation, these values are seen in the virtues of integrity, reliabil-

ity and being honest and straightforward. Also, they are reflected in transparency, diligence, trustworthiness and self-discipline.

It means to be positiveminded and saying yes to patriotism, accomplishment, prosperity and honour.

It means having a sense of morality, a sense of general consideration, a sense of responsibility and loyalty.

When we possess these values, true virtues, we rid ourselves of nuisances such as bribery, corruption, poverty, bad leadership, crime, etc. The ills will also gradually reduce to an insignificant level or if not outright eradication in all aspect of our national life.

The government and individuals should realise that, change begins from within before manifesting without.

Plato went further to say that legislations and policies cannot to solve problems faced by the state if fundamental values are not perfected in individuals, which make up a state.

He realised the importance citizens in a given state. Government should know this fact too if only it would take time to think about how to engage the citizens in a positive end rather than using divideand-rule tactics to govern and turn people’s back against one another. Individuals and not laws create the state.

Problem begins to solve when people discover how to solve it. How then can we progressively impact these values into our body politic?

little bird continued to distract, leading him farther away from the dinner at home and into the deeper recesses of spirits’ land.

The higihaga and crinkum-crankum (apologies Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon) generated by the ‘melodious’ songs of little birds – in this case, Kalu and Fani-Kayode - have clouded the crux of the matter: which is the definition of indigeneship and citizenship in Nigeria.

In my humble opinion, the little birds have achieved their aim of cheap publicity - personally, I dug up and read as much of other similar delusional pieces written in the recent times by Fani-Kayode. To them, I say bravo. But to the ordinary men and women, who have allowed themselves to be degenerated by the little bird into a vulgar rabble-rouser on the social media and the likes, I say ‘focus’.

Right now, we should be asking: what does the Constitution say about indigeneship and citizenship? Was Fashola right constitutionally to ‘extradite’, relocate or deport full-fledged Nigerian natives based on their not being indigenes of Lagos State? Was his colleague, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State also right to sack – regardless of years of experience or level and without any compensation – all civil servants who were non-indigenes of his state a little over a year ago?

What would be the requirements to attain indigeneship of a state – stipulated years of residency, ownership of property, payment of tax or perhaps acquisition of the host state’s visa?

By Chisom Ojukwu Rather than bother about the veracity of Fani-Kayode’s touted ‘long and intimate relationships’ with Igbo women or whether Chief Orji Kalu’s Lagos property was indeed cordoned off in retaliation to his threats, these are the matters we should be concerned about. Minus these men, I fail to see how the issue of the deportation based on non-indigeneship is a tribal matter, especially if there is truth in the reports that the Lagos government equally deported destitute to Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Kano states. A tendency to easily lose focus of priority when issues become muddled up will not help us attain freedom from self-serving leaders.

Obi must let the little bird sing and hop all it wants. He must pack up that stack of firewood and go home, otherwise the evening meal will forever remain unmade.

Chisom is a Corps member, NYSC Osogbo

The beauty of literature

I

By Feyisara Ibitoye According to Plato, the best way to instill these virtues into the citizens is through education.

When we create a reward system that recognises these values, we will encourage people into accepting these virtues. If we introduce an educational system that emphasises on good ethics and teaches the children at early age, the period they can be molded, the society would change for the better.

We must engender a system that abhours social vices and punishes anyone found engaging in act that can destabilise the society. These and other techniques will bring the values needed for a better society.

We all want change but the government cannot do it all alone. It is up to us, the people, to make our country better. If the change must begin, it must begin from within each and every one of us.

Feyisara, 300-Level Physics and Electronics, AAUA

T was George Bernard Shaw, an American writer, who observed: “Imagination is the beginning of creativity.” Indeed, literature is a mirror through which we see the realities of life. This is considered to be true because life is creatively embellished in any piece of literary work, be it prose, drama, or poetry.

The aesthetics of literary works lie in the artistry of the artist, especially in relation to the work’s delivery and presentation. Doing this involves the use of language and culture.

Relating literature as a branch of art, Prof Jasper Onuekwusi of the Imo State University (IMSU), defines literature in his book titled: The prose in literature as “any imaginative and beautiful creation in words, whether oral or written, which explores man as he struggles to survive in his existential position and which provides entertainment, information, education and excitement to its audience.”

Literature belongs to the same category as other forms of art such as music, sculpture, film, painting, dance, photography and the like.

This, therefore, explains the nexus between literature and beauty. In other words, art is any beautiful creation whether in words, wood, sound, plastic, stone, or any other medium, which has the ultimate objective of entertaining and granting relaxation by creating beauty as

well as expressing truth as perceived by an artist, and provides pleasure. Literature is art and art speaks remote truth.

It is important for us to see literature as a slice of life that provides curious man with vivid knowledge of aspects of life, which he could not have known and, to subsequently imbibe the lesson to live a more fulfilled life.

Little wonder then that early African writers such as the late Chinua Achebe, Ngugi Wa’thiong, Prof Wole Soyinka, Chris Okigbo, Ayi Kwei Armah and Laye Camara, among others, manifested literary aesthetics and sensibilities in their writing.

The first time I read Things Fall Apart, the popular work of Achebe, I was surprised to see my culture in a story. I was to confirm those oral stories told by my grandmother, which vividly described the life of my people in the East. For instance, how the elders in my village sat and discussed the affairs of village; how the maidens used to sing at the marriage of one of their own; how the children used to gather around a bonfire to listen to stories by elders; and how the masqueraders entertained villagers during festivals and ceremonies.

All these underscore the aesthetics, value and beauty of literature. Then, I came to the understanding that literature is, no doubt, a reflection of the socio-culture, eco-

nomic, political and reliBy Chidiebere Enyia gious sensibilities of a people. It recreates people’s way of life as well as projects their yearnings and aspirations. Being a mirror of the society, literature responds effectively by promoting the dialect of the people.

Literature also responds effectively to cultures as portrayed in Achebe’s novel, Arrow of God. It is in this regard that we should view literature as a means of social engineering. The society cannot do without literature and vice versa.

As Denise Escarpit, a French critic of children literature, argued, “literature is a product of social funding; its subject changes according to changes in society and literature usually has no meaning outside society.

Prof Onuekwusi, during his inaugural lecture last June titled: A nation and her stories: Milestones in the growth of Nigeria, fiction and their implication for national development, observes: “A people who neglect the story, especially those that came from their cultural lives and •Continued on page 36

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

36

CAMPUS LIFE

A vote for peace on campus P

ARTICIPANTS gathered at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) last week to commemorate the death of Mrs Bridget Edoware, a victim of youth violence.

The event tagged “Curbing cultism in tertiary institutions” was held at the Akin Deko Auditorium of the institution.

The organisers, Bridget Edoware Sorae Foundation (BEST), said the yearly event was an opportunity to reach out to the less-privileged and vulnerable persons.

At the event, the university’s ViceChancellor, Prof Osayuki Oshodin was represented by his deputy, Prof John Okhuoya; Captain Hosa Okunbor, who was represented by Hon E. J. Agbonehima, lecturers and students.

In a welcome address, Chairman, Board of Trustees of BESF, Prof Tes Sorae, said the violence portrayed by the media daily is baffling, adding that it is worrisome that youths are the major perpetrators of unrest.

Prof Okhuoya said anti-cultism campaign by various institutions is laudable, observing that many youths have lost their lives in cultrelated attacks.

From Eddy Uwoghiren UNIBEN Guest Speaker, Prof Dennis Agbonlahor, former Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University,Ekpoma (AAU), spoke on the origin of cultism on campuses and condemned the destructions caused by their activities.

He said: “Because of cult activities, the CNN had once rated AAU as the second most notorious campus worldwide, making them unable to conduct end of semester exams.”

He noted that the Anti-Cult Crusade Organisation (ACCON) was formed in the institution in 1999 to curb cult-related violence, adding that authorities of tertiary institutions should take the anti-cultism war seriously.

Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Izevbigie Loveth, 100-Level student of Biology at the College of Education, Ekiadolor (COLBEN) said the seminar was timely, adding that cultism is still rife on campuses. Another participant, Madam Pat Okosodo, said the event was a platform to sensitise youths on the dangers of cultism.

•Winner of the National Essay Competition organised by the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ajomole Kayode receiving the star prize of a laptop from Chairman of the occasion and Human Resource Director of 7UP Bottling Company, Mr Femi Mokikan in Lagos.

On and Off Campus By Solomon Izekor 08061522600

All set for varsity games

•Continued from page 34

The Chief Security Officer of the university, Mr Paul Ogidi, confirmed that latest security gadgets had been procured to forestall security breaches during the event.

He noted that the management had made efforts to equip the fire service unit to combat any untoward incident.

Also, CAMPUSLIFE gathered that officers of the police, State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Command (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Nigerian Red Cross would be on ground to support the school’s security personnel.

Adepoju, who was named NUGA ambassador, observed that it was necessary to identify with the game, which he said could produce a generation of educated sportsmen in

the country. He urged the Federal Government and corporate bodies to support the fiesta to fight youth restiveness.

Some students, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, said they were looking forward to the games. Kehinde Adefolayemi, 400-Level Economics, said: “I am hoping that the local economy will be boosted by the event.”

Tayo Ibrahim, an Urban and Regional Planning student, observed that the sporting festival would afford OAU students the opportunity to rob minds with their counterparts from other institutions. “I have the expectation to feel the spirit of oneness during the period, because this is our own Olympic games and I want to experience it. I am anxiously expecting the commencement of the game,” he said.

The beauty of literature •Continued from page 35

backgrounds ultimately get into avoidable courtship of instability, rootlessness and indeed personal and community disaster.”

This evidently illustrates the facts why our nation is suffering from diverse moral decadence. The writer choice of words, techniques, devices, inventions, images and other literary paraphernalia which is creatively embellished into the beautiful piece of any literary work is certainly the artist’s effort to reach a certain distinction and excellence expression.

Longinus in Critical theory since Plato (1970) notes: “A work survives a first hearing or reading disposes the soul of high thoughts and leaves the mind more food for reflection than the words communication.”

Wole Soyinka, a literary icon enunciated the beauty of literature in his poetic engagement. This is explored in his poem Abiku, a powerful poem that brings out the beauty of African imagery and promotes the black culture. It is full of aphorism, paradoxical expression and also enriched with the aesthetics of metaphors.

In fact, the poem explained a primitive belief that a child is possessed by evil spirit, which can tor-

ment the mother with a painful experience of persistent death at birth.

The line such as: “In vain your bangles cast charmed circle at my feet I am Abiku, calling for the first and repeated times” demonstrated this.

The poem explores the Abiku myth, which has occupied the centre stage in traditional African belief.

Soyinka, through his creative ingenuity as a poet, recreates life with words in a written form. There is no doubt that a certain distinction and excellence in expression were achieved through the poem, invention of images and metaphors through which he presented a picturesque and description of an Abiku in the poem.

It is indisputable that literature is the mother of all human endeavours.

Literature is perhaps God’s greatest gift to man for his peaceful and harmonious relationship with his fellow men. In other words, it is God’s means of presenting pleasantly an enduring roadmap for all manners of development of man. Indeed, literature is beautiful because it shares with other arts the quality of being beautiful.

Chidiebere, 300-Level English and Literary Studies, IMSU

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE

UNILAG VC seeks end to ASUU strike

ACE FILE

Muslims plan coop society

•Nigeria hosts African Engineering Conference

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NIVERSITY of Lagos (UNILAG), Vice-Chancellor Prof Rahamon Bello is one of those seeking a speedy resolution of the conflict between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that has resulted in a two-month nationwide strike.

He said the re-opening of the universities will boost Nigeria's hosting of the fifth Regional Conference of the African Engineering Education Association holding in Lagos between next Monday and Friday.

Speaking in his capacity as the Chairman, National Organising Committee (NOC) for the conference at a briefing in the university, Bello said planning for the event being hosted by UNILAG and five other Nigerian universities (namely Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Federal University Ndufu Alike, Ikwo, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Ilorin, and the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) has been on for

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

about a year.

With universities from various African countries involved and foreign facilitators coming in, Bello said postponing the conference will do more damage to Nigeria's image than hosting it outside the UNILAG campus should the strike persists.

"This conference has been in planning for the past one year. The commitment of the foreign and local partners has been given. We were hoping that with the intense negotiations ASUU strike would be called off. We cannot cancel the conference at this point because it will be in bad light," he said.

Being the third time the conference is coming to Nigeria, Bello said all efforts have been put in place to ensure engineering educators, profes-

sionals and policy makers to get cutting-edge information on engineering education.

Prof Oye Ibidapo-Obe, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo, and a former vice-chancellor, UNILAG will deliver the keynote address at the conference.

Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa'I, who is expected to declare the conference open, and Ayo Vaughan, a director and Engineer with ExxonMobil, will also make presentations at the conference.

Bello said a special feature of this year's conference is the organisation of 10 workshops to be mounted by volunteer facilitators from across the world.

"The conference has its integral part capacity building workshops

•Prof Bello

for teachers in the areas of teaching methods, ICT, leadership, entrepreneurship skills etc. The workshops are to be mounted by foreign experts who are authorities in their respective fields," he said.

The event will also feature the inauguration of the African Engineering Deans' Council (AEDC) - the umbrella body for deans of engineering in Africa.

36 returnee doctors employed

Bursary holds workshop

By Sampson Unamka

HIRTY-SIX new doctors, fresh from the Kuban Medical School in Russia, are to join the Rivers State Health Service Commission.

They were sponsored by the State government and given automatic employment on their return home.

Speaking when the doctors visited her office, the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi said that Governor Rotimi Amaechi has mandated the Ministry of Education to forward the names of the medical doctors to the Ministry of Health for immediate employment.

She said that their services will be needed in the sick bays of the model primary and secondary schools as well as health centres in the state.

"I have mandated the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry to have your names and addresses because His Excellency Rt.Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has asked the Ministry to hand you over to Ministry of Health so that you can start work immediately and also ensure that you can get your employment letters," she said.

Mrs Lawrence-Nemi said that the present administration has increased the number of scholarships given to students to study in countries like Canada, Russia and the like. She added that many of the beneficiaries have been employed by the state government.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr.Richard Ofuru advised the new doctors to take their work very seriously so as to justify government's investment in them. He noted that the government would be willing to do more if they give their best during their one year houseman ship and their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service year.

Thanking the government on behalf of the doctors, Dr Manoah Edwin who hails from Andoni Local Government said throughout their medical training their fees were paid promptly and they lacked for nothing. He promised that they will give their expertise to the state.

Out of the 36 medical doctors, three, Dr Nwankwo Hapuruchi Chinalurum, Dr Nzokuru Cynthia and Dr Princewill Matthew, graduated with distinction.

THE Management of the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo, has approved the request of the Muslim Community in the college to establish a cooperative society.

The group, to be called ACEMCO Cooperative Society will be voluntary and open to all interested members of staff of the college.

The aim of the cooperative according to the proposal by the Muslim Community is to promote the financial wellbeing of members through interest-free financial operations and legitimate businesses, which are compliant with Islamic teachings.

When it starts, ACEMCO would coordinate accumulation of funds for personal future needs of members; grant loans at zero interest rates and engage in viable businesses where members can invest and share dividends.

T

•From Left: Governing Council members of Assanusiyyah College of Education, Col Abdulrahman Olagoke, Dr Omotayo Akanmu and Prof Isaac Ojo, at the maiden convocation of the institution held in Odeomu, Osun State.

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NUC reviews proposals for World Bank He pointed out the need for the project NUC to address the inability of Vice-

COMMITTEE set up by the National Universities Commission (NUC) has identified 14 outstanding research proposals that can be presented for support under the African Centre of Excellence (ACE) initiative of the World Bank.

Through the ACE project, the World Bank will provide grants to the tune to $8 million to universities in seven West/Central African countries including Nigeria.

Presenting its report to the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Julius Okojie last Thursday, Chairman of the National Project Performance and Review Committee (NPPRC), Prof Adebisi Balogun, said the 14 proposals stood out from the 54 assessed in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - STEM (25), Health Sciences (15) and Agricultural Sciences (13).

He disclosed that the Committee reviewed them based on quality and whether they would address sub-regional challenges in Africa, especially

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

their impact on upgrading teaching and learning capacities in universities, and research.

The 14 proposals found to be capable of standing alone included those from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) on Food Security; University of Ibadan on Analysis, Modelling, Simulation and Computation; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) on Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment as well as Bayero University, Kano (BUK) on Dry land Agricultural System.

Balogun informed Okojie that institutions with similar presentations like the Universities of Jos, Ilorin, Uyo and Ibadan, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Redeemers University, Mowe, Ogun State, were advised to collaborate so they can succeed at the international level.

Chancellors to agree to collaborate on research. He also called on the Federal Government to develop strategies on how some of the research topics that were good but could not meet the AU requirements could be supported locally by relevant stakeholders.

He also noted the importance of supporting proposals in the areas of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Knowledge Education, with a recommendation for their consideration by the African Union (AU).

In his response, Prof Okojie said when in place, the ACE project would attract renowned professors of African origin and address the low level of PhD in the system.

He however lamented the poor response of the universities, saying that with $ 8 million committed by the World Bank, Nigeria was in a position to benefit from the project.

TO improve their efficiency and update their knowledge in modern accounting trend, the ACE Management has planned a four-day workshop for accountants in the Bursary Department and Audit Directorate of the college.

The workshop opening on Thursday at the S.K. Babalola conference room has as theme: "Current changes in global accounting standard: Adoption, Implementation and Application of International Public sector Accounting".

It will be declared open by the Provost, Prof Adeyemi Idowu.

New heads for Coop THE members of the ACE Staff Cooperative Multipurpose Society have appointed a new executives to manage the affairs of the group for the next one year.

The Cooperators at a meeting with the ACE Management approved the appointment of the following members as members: Dr Yetunde Akorede, Department of English (chairman); Mrs Olakitan Adebayo, Business Education; Mr Obinna Nwachukwu, Bursary Department; Mr M. T. Fapohunda, Demonstration Secondary School; Mr Sunday Adebayo, Mr. Solomon Akande and Mr Samuel Omobolade of the Division of Academic Affairs.

The Committee has been mandated to sanitise the cooperative.

World Library group re-elects LRCN boss

T

•Dr Victoria Okojie

HE International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has reelected the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN), Dr Victoria Okojie as the Chair of its Africa Section.

The result of the election conducted online during the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) held in Singapore was announced by the IFLA Regional Manager for Africa and the Returning Officer for the election, Lindy Nhlapo. IFLA is the global voice of the library and information profession and the leading

By Eniola Osidein

international body representing the interests of library and information services (LIS) and their users.

As the Chair of Africa Section, Dr Okojie becomes the recognised voice to speak on library and information science issues across Africa, especially developing and implementing policies and action plans, and Continuous Professional Development Programmes.

During her first tenure as the Chair of IFLA Africa Section, Dr Okojie paid attention to the development of the public libraries. She facilitated the sponsorship of the Bill and Melinda

Gates Foundation for the first African Public Library Summit where leaders and key players in public library sector met to discuss the future of African Public Libraries.

Dr Okojie also initiated the formation of the Africa Public Libraries Network.

With her re-election, the Africa Section Chair said she would move the sector forward by working with global partners and other stakeholders to re-position the libraries and librarians in Africa to play key roles in bridging the digital divide; contribute to the global development agenda, and to place libraries on the agenda of African Union discourse.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

38

CAMPUS LIFE SCHOLARSHIPS

FUNAAB FILE

Thailand, Vietnam scientists visit A team of Thailand and Vietnamese scientists on the European Union GRATITUDE Project visited the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) to collaborate on research.

Welcoming the visitors, the ViceChancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole, said the essence of research is to impact knowledge, urging them to make the best out of their research efforts.

He noted that the collaboration between FUNAAB and the GRATITUDE team was yielding results and pledged his support for any exchange arising from the collaboration between FUNAAB and universities in Thailand and Vietnam.

Oyewole assured the scientists of their safety as they went round visiting some industries, farms and villages in Nigeria.

Kuwaiti don donates equipment PROF Darish Al-Azmi of the College of Technological Studies, Kuwait, has donated a radar measuring equipment to FUNAAB. Al-Azmi, a friend of the Head, Department of Physics, Dr. Amidu Olalekan Mustapha, made the gesture during his visit to the VC. The equipment constitutes the Gamma Ray Dosimeter for measuring radiation and other devices for measuring radioactivity in food and environmental materials.

Speaking on the occasion, the VC commended Al-Azmi, Dr. Mustapha as well as other members of the department for the donation, which he said would assist the university to attain its set goals and objectives.

VC lauds Egba Indigenes THE FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oyewole, has commended Egba indigenes for their efforts in the development of FUNAAB. He made this commendation while receiving a seven-man Joint Action Committee (JAC), under the aegis of Egba Indigenes Global Association. The VC called for the support of the association, challenging them to make more impact in FUNAAB by erecting structures so as to leave their imprint on the university.

As part of his effort at making FUNAAB a world-class university, the VC solicited the support of the group to use their clout to help FUNAAB Community Radio get an operating license, which he said will transmit basically agriculture-related programmes.

In addition, he sought for assistance in the realisation of FUNAAB's dream of becoming a conventional University.

APPROACHING DEADLINES UCLAN PhD Studentship in Languages,Literature and International Studies in UK, 2014

The University of Central Lancashire isproviding PhD Studentship in the school ofLanguages, Literature and international Studies.SchoalrshipsUK/ EU and International studentscan apply for this Studentship. The fulltime PhD (via MPhil) studentship is offered forresearch on, 'Exploration of race and nation innineteenth century American theatre andperformance cultures: playwriting, performance and (international) reception'. Applicants should be able to demonstrate experience of working with historical sourcesand the ability to work to

targets and timescales efficiently.

The studentship willcover the cost of tuition fees at UK/EU ratesplus a maintenance grant of £13,726 (2013/ 14rate). International applicants may apply butwill be expected to pay the difference betweenthe UK/EU and International Fee Rate. The successful applicant will start on 1 January2014.

Study Subject(s): The full-time PhD (viaMPhil) studentship project title will be'Exploration of race and nation in nineteenthe century American theatre and performance cultures: playwriting, performance and (international) reception'.

Studentship isprovided in the School of Languages, Literature and International Studies at the University of Central Lancashire in UK.

Course Level: This studentship is available for pursuing full-time PhD (via MPhil) degree levelat The University of Central Lancashire in UK Scholarship Provider: Uclan university of Central Lancashire in UK. Scholarship can be taken at: UK Eligibility: Applications are invited fromcandidates with an MA and/or an upper secondclass honours degree upper second class honours degree in relevant disciplines such as American Studies, Literary Studies, or Drama and Theatre Studies, and an interest in thebroad area of theatre history. They should beable to demonstrate experience of working with historical sources and the ability to workto targets and timescales efficiently. Scholarship

‘Oshiomhole not out to witch-hunt teachers’

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DO State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is not out to witch-hunt teachers, the Deputy Speaker of the state's House of Assembly Festus Ebea has said.

He said the ongoing verification of certificates in the state is aimed at reforming and repositioning the sector in the interest of the citizens.

During a chat with The Nation in Lagos, Ebea debunked the allegation by the opposition party that the exercise was punitive and a way to victimise teachers that demanded the implementation of the Teachers Salary Scale (TSA).

He said: "The problem we have in this country is that we tend to play politics with anything under the sun even when we know that it is the right thing to do.

“Right from the inception of Governor Oshiomhole’s administration, he had always laid emphasis on education. Initially, he was talking about infrastructural repairs.

Now that we have been able to make an appreciable progress in that facet of the education sector, we equally need to look at the human resources. In a situation where students from this state do not perform well in public examinations, a serious government must begin to look inwards to know what is wrong.

"An investigation was done by the administration and it discovered that it is garbage in garbage out. Whatever you give is what you get. It was discovered that there was something wrong with the impartation of knowledge to the pupils.

He then began to make efforts to check with the teachers. That teacher (the one who could not read details on her certificate properly) was just picked by random sampling.

“She was called to read and she messed up. It was not that the woman’s illiteracy level was reported to the governor who then picked on her. When the opposition begins to play politics with all these things, you find out that they

By Innocent Duru

are not serious. The governor is a serious minded leader who has decided that he has to put Edo State first and whatever would benefit the people is always what he is concerned about.”

At the end of the exercise he said the government would replace the unqualified teachers with qualified ones.

"We have quality graduates who don't have jobs. If we now decide to habour people who cannot even read books just because of democracy or just because of politics or because you need vote, it is a shame.

Most public office holders don't have the heart to do certain things right. Now that Governor Oshiomhole has the heart to do what is right, they are challenging

him. If we need ‘x’ number of teachers and we remove those that are not doing well from the system, don't you think the man would still employ?

"He is not thinking of sacking people just because he wants to reduce the numbers of teachers. He is looking at how to bring quality teachers into the system. He wants teachers that are trainable because he has said that henceforth, teachers would be going on refresher courses.

“It is not enough for you to bring the knowledge of yesteryears to 21st century pupils. So, teachers too must go through training and retraining. What kind of knowledge do you want to give to a teacher that cannot read that she would be able to give to the pupils? Such a woman is going to bring out junk.”

By Medinat Kanabe

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PROFESSOR of Restorative Dentistry at the Lagos State University (LASU), Enosakhare Akpata, has launched the second edition of his book,

Principles and Practice of Operative Dentistry.

Operative Dentistry is the branch of dentistry that deals with maintenance and repair of damaged teeth.

Akpata who launched the book at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, said the new edition became necessary because there are now a lot more procedures in the field since the first was published in 1997.

Speaking with journalists at the event, Akpata said though the 250page book is small when compared to other books on operative dentistry, it is concise as it touches all necessary areas that will be use-

•Festus Ebea

• From left: President, Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), Dr Kayode Ogunbiyi, first Vice President Mr Laolu Oguntuyi, and a member of the institute, Tunde Salawu during NITAD Annual Trainers Conference in Abuja.

Don launches dentistry book

• Prof Akpata

Open for International Students: UK/EU and international students can apply for this scholarship. Scholarship Description: Applications are invited for a full-time PhD (via MPhil) studentship in the School of Language, Literature and International Studies.

Application Deadline: The application deadline is 31st October 2013. UCLAN PhD Studentship in Languages, Literature and International Studies in UK,2014 For more information, click: scholarship-positions.com/uclanphd-studentship-languages-literature-international-studies-uk2014/2013/07/26/ To be continued

ful to students, lecturers and other professionals in the area of tooth repair.

Akpata who has also written many books and published in academic journals, said the new edition details the history of operative dentistry from 1960 to date and new practices in the field.

"It also deals with the step-bystep method in teeth repair, how to mask discolouration, how to repair broken tooth, how to determine when a teeth is beyond repair and what to do. This book is a resource which people in authority can refer to the public," he said.

He advised Nigerians to always keep their teeth clean by brushing twice a day either with a tooth-

brush or a chewing stick saying brushing at night is very important.

Akpata said the greatest challenge he faced while writing the book was to get illustrations and clinical photographs.

The book reveiwer, Prof Adeyemi Olusile said the book is a veritable resource on tooth care.

He added that it is also ideal for those who want to acquire knowledge on restorative dentistry.

He said: "The 10-chapter book has a nice cover, it is durable, has good prints, ample illustrations, and coloured photographs which makes it very interesting and easy to understand."

Prof Julius Okojie, Executive

Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) Abuja, who was represented by Prof Eugene Okpara said anyone who wants to write a book should do it because of the joy and satisfaction derived and not for pecuniary gains because the book will either be photocopied or put on the internet.

Congratulating Akpata, Okojie said the fact that he is publishing the second edition of the book is a testimony tothe success of the first edition.

Others at the event included: Ambassador Arthur Mbanefo, former Nigeria representative at the United Nations; Prof Joel Akinosi, former Provost, College of Medicine, UNILAG, and Mr Sunday Uaboi, Principal Private Secretary to Nigeria's First Prime Minister, among others.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

39

EDUCATION

Special teachers learn to teach without resources

H

OW can teachers teach visually-impaired pupils to read without a Braille machine?

How can the hearing impaired recall what they were taught more effectively? Can intellectually challenged children actually learn enough to sustain themselves and contribute meaningfully to the society?

One hundred teachers from the five special schools and inclusive units attached to conventional public schools in Lagos State learnt there are thousands of ways to teach children with learning disabilities during a three-day workshop organised by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB) last week.

Using a tailor's tracing wheel, facilitators from Viewpoint Educational Services Ltd taught the teachers how to trace letters, shapes and other symbols on paper thereby creating an embossment on the reverse side which the visually-impaired pupils could touch with their fingers and learn concepts.

They also learnt to use inexpensive beads and grains to outline symbols for a similar purpose - in addition to how to use visual aids to help hearing-impaired pupils remember, and hands on activities to support the education of intellectually-challenged learners.

In addition to improving their pedagogical skills and ability to produce instructional materials from readily available resources, the teachers were taught how to identify children with learning disabilities and motivate them to learn, and how to use the internet to source for instructional media for use in the classrooms.

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

One of the participants, Mr Muhammad Adebisi, who heads the Inclusive unit at the Local Government Primary School, Ipakodo, Ikorodu, said with 10 of his teachers in attendance, the training has imbued them with skills to revolutionise their teaching when the 2013/2014 session begins this month.

“This workshop has changed me despite the fact that I have not been to school yet. I brought about 10

T

•Participants of the W.TEC Girls’ Technology Camp in a programming class during a visit to General Electric (GE) office in Lagos.

your teaching with instructional materials. For special needs learners, it helps even more. For example you may sign as many times to a hearing impaired and they will not understand. But if you show them, they will understand and remember,” he said.

As an expert in instructional medial, Chief Executive Office of Viewpoint Educational Services, Mrs Sidikatu Abiola, told The Nation that no child is un-teachable even with learning disabilities. She said this is so because the thousands of instruc-

tional media available appeal to one or more of the five human senses, which can be applied in the classroom.

"Special teachers need to use instructional media to teach their students so they will learn and changes will take place. There is no way you use instructional media to teach and the children won't learn. Instructional media are attached to one or more of the five senses. If a child cannot see, he can hear and feel, smell or taste. So you can use media that can appeal to others senses to teach him," she said.

Lagos needs more public schools, says musician

By Emmanuel Oladesu

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• From Left: Ashiwaju, Mrs Alli and Mrs Faith Joshua, National Coordinator, Indomie Fan Club (IFC) at the event.

ANCOPSS canvasses entrepreneurship studies HE All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) has described entrepreneurship studies as a solution to youth unemployment and poverty eradication in the country.

It said the entrepreneurship studies curricula will emphasise stakeholders' efforts to ensure innovation, creativity, ingenuity and initiative in youths.

This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC), at the Teachers' House, Owerri, the Imo State capital.

It was signed by Dr Fatima Abdulrahman, the National President, and Alhaji Illiyasu Kirim, the Public Relations Officer.

Although ANCOPSS observed the dearth of an enabling environment for the teaching and learning of entrepreneurial studies in most schools, it insisted that students and young entrepreneurs should be motivated by governments and private indi-

teachers. They have been informed here so they are going to transform the school when we resume. We were taught to produce and utilise instructional at little or no cost,” he said.

Another teacher, Mr Philip Adeleke who works at the Ojuwoye Inclusive School, Mushin, praised the facilitators for showing teachers how to achieve so much with very little.

“The training was practical-oriented.

Children without special needs learn better when you couple

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

viduals to be zealously productive.

It noted that entrepreneurship studies is capital intensive in terms of the cost of machines and other infrastructure, coupled with inadequate number of specialised teachers of entrepreneurship studies in the various schools.

It, therefore, recommended, among other things, that entrepreneurship studies be given adequate time frame to mature, adding that adequate budgetary allocation be made by governments in order to ensure a successful implementation of the programme.

ANCOPSS also sought the training and re-training of specialists (teachers) of entrepreneurship studies for immediate and long term needs.

The NEC commended Governor Rochas Okorocha and other stakeholders in the state's education sector, "for ensuring the attainment of laudable achievements recorded in the education sector in Imo state."

T

EACHERS have been urged to improve their interpersonal skills to enhance their productivity in and out of the classroom.

This advice was given to 2,500 teachers who attended the fifth yearly teachers' seminar organised by Dufil Prima food, manufacturers of indomie noodles at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Public Relation and Event Manager Mr Tope Ashiwaju, said the seminar with the theme: 'Effective interpersonal skills; A tool for teachers' success,' was geared towards creating a better future for children and equipping teachers with the needed skills that would enhance their careers.

Addressing the teachers, the lead speaker, Dr Raimi Moronfolu, a lecturer in the Department of Physical and Health Education, UNILAG advised the teachers to create a conducive environment that can help foster productive learning and interaction.

He stressed that the environment consists the active and passive relations, adding that the latter represents parents and community which have greater influence in the school

Indomie organises fifth teachers seminar

By Jane Chijioke and Eniola Osidein

than the pupils.

He also urged them to be good to their pupils.

He said: "As a teacher, you must be fair to every of your pupils; you must give everyone fair opportunities to excel. You must have the team-building skills; do not divide your class.

Also be a good observer; you need to understand their mood."

Moronfolu also urged them to be good listeners and be cordial with other teachers.

“You must listen to your pupils.

Some pupils are more exposed than their teachers. So, there is nothing wrong with adding to your knowledge.

You should have a good relationship with your fellow teachers. You should be concerned with what they say about you. Do not dominate others; respect every teacher, accept their weaknesses and appreciate their strengths. You must complement each other,” he added.

He admonished the teachers to be problem solvers and role models.

“Your personalities matter; be role models to your pupils. Always be innovative and bring varieties to the class. You should support your pupils' avoid favouritism in class. Motivate them. Do not use derogative statement to qualify a child. Have positive perception towards every child,” he advised.

Earlier, the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, who was represented by Mrs Kofoworola Alli, a Director in the ministry, said teachers are one of the main pillars of a sound and progressive society.

She said teachers bear the weight and responsibility for teaching and that apart from parents, they constitute source of knowledge and values for children, setting high standard for them, while articulating clear goals.

HE founder of Community Initiative for Education (CICE), Peju Taiwo, has called for the establishment of more public primary and secondary schools by the Lagos State government.

Taiwo, a musician popularly known as 'Easy Lizzy', said no investment surpasses education, urging the government to facilitate access to the school environment for children.

She said CICE was established to drum support for child education and alert the community to the dangers of child abuse and peer pressure, negative use of the internet, lack of proper guidance and counselling in schools.

The musician, who visited the Lagos Office of The Nation, spoke on the on-going 'Free Holiday Coaching' courtesy of CICE for children between Primary one and six at Gideon Comprehensive High school, Isolo.

He urged well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to toe same path as children and youths need inspiration for greatness.

Taiwo said: "CICE is a movement that we started six years ago. Our target is to educate the people and sensitise them on the dangers of child abuse, drug abuse, poor parenting and abuse of the internet.

We are happy that prominent Lagosians, and traditional rulers, including the Osolo of Isolo, Oba Kabiru Agbabiaka, Chairman of Isolo Council, Shamusideen Olaleye, Mrs Huburat Okoya and Kabiru Lawal have endorsed the movement.

"The message we are sending out is that child rearing is the responsibility of all the members of the society. We want the society to return to the old culture of communality.

We also want parents to pay more attention to their children in this age of the internet.

“Today, children speak with codes that their parents do not understand. We want to return to the earlier period characterised by value and virtue".

Taiwo expressed concerned about the lack of access to public schools by many children, adding that indigent pupils live far from their schools. She pointed out that many parents cannot afford to send their children to private schools in the neighbourhood because of its financial implications.

She added: "We have conducted a survey on easy access to public primary and secondary schools in Lagos and found out that pupils trek from far distance to get to school and return home. For example, there is no single public primary school in Festac and OkotaIreakari axis; ditto for Lagos Island, between Mobil and Eleganza. Government must do something about this.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

40

EDUCATION EDUTALK

with

That research may thrive

T

HAT relevant authorities need to urgently address the challenges students and academics face conducting quality research and writing competitive research proposals is no longer news.

Sometime last year, Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa'i lamented that the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) could not get enough

• Mrs Daodu presenting a certificate to one of the graduates, Noeline Whelanu. With them is Mrs Esiet (right) and one of the facilitators.

48 out-of-school girls graduate

F

OR out-of-school girls in Iwaya community, popularly known as Makoko, Lagos, the day the Action Health Incorporated, AHI, a non-government organisation focused on promoting the health and development of young people, came to register them to learn vocational skills was the best day of their lives.

Out of the 480 girls interviewed, only 48 registered to undergo the two-year training in hairdressing and dressmaking, and today, they are thankful they did.

Last Thursday, they graduated at a colourful ceremony held at the Fazil Omar Senior Secondary School, Iwaya and went home with sewing machines and hair dryers to start their own businesses.

The faces of the graduands, dressed in either blue or wine graduation gowns to indicate their specialization, radiated with joy.

Their parents, siblings, friends and community leaders shared in their joy. They were so excited that they had to be reminded many times to sit down, preferring to stand.

Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, who was the keynote speaker at the graduation, said she was happy about the second opportunity the girls got.

By Medinat Kanabe

Represented by the Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB), Mrs Gbolahan Daodu, she said the state has discovered that many young people do not go to school despite the government's free education policy. She added that the vocational/entrepreneurial training by AHI provided them a good opportunity to be productive with their lives instead of making mistakes or falling into the wrong company.

"They missed the first chance to go to school so this is another opportunity for them to be educated," she said.

She advised them to hold on devotedly to what they have learnt, teach it to their younger ones, and impact positively to the society.

"It is an important programme because one of the worries of a parent is to see that their child is not in the position to contribute meaningfully to the society," she said.

Executive Director, AHI, Mrs Adenike Esiet said she was excited about the success of the programme. She added that though the Lagos State Government has made commendable investment in education, more still needs to be done.

She said the level of poverty in small communities in Lagos State is greater than outside. However, with little investment, AHI was able to make a difference in the girls' lives.

She said: "There is more poverty in the small less privileged communities in Lagos than there is outside. All we need to do is assist them in any way we can and it will make a big difference in their lives.

The girls really want to go to school or learn a trade but poverty won't let them."

She advised their parents not to allow the girls regress, adding that it is now left for them to take over from where AHI stopped.

A representative of the mothers, Mrs Oluwatoyin Lawal who spoke to The Nation, said they are grateful to AHI for its investment in their children as they couldn't send their children to school or to learn a trade because they could not afford it.

"We are grateful to AHi for taking the burden from our shoulders and giving the girls an opportunity to fend for themselves. I sent my granddaughter to school but she could not pass her exams. She repeated from time to time and spent about three years in JSS1 so I decided she should learn a trade."

Ondo students seek increased bursary

T

HE National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS) has urged the State government to increase their bursary allowances from N10,000 to N50,000 to help them meet financial demands.

The association noted that due to the increase of school fees by various institutions, the N10,000 can no longer cover their needs.

At a press conference in Akure, the state capital, the President of the association, Comrade AFolayan Awodola assured students that the newly-elected execu-

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

tives would continue to protect the interest of the students.

"From our quarters, we are demanding for increase in the bursary allowances from N10,000 to N50,000. This will enable students to meet their welfare demands in their various institutions. We advised the governor to work with the association to ensure favourable learning conditions for all students of Ondo origin in various tertiary institutions in Nigeria and Diaspora.

"We will make available our programmes that will be of impact to Ondo State students. The association will be coming up with it monthly editorial to show case the works done by the executive, educational, social and impactful programme that will be organized by the association to impact on the students," he said.

On the Academic Staff Union of Nigeria Universities' (ASUU) strike, the President urged the Federal Government to meet the demands of the union rather than playing lip service to education.

Primary school registration ends tomorrow

P

ARENTS who wish to enrol their wards into public primary schools in Ogun State have until tomorrow to register them.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Segun Odubela advised parents and guardians to register their wards into schools closest to their homes.

Odubela, in a statement issued by the press officer of the ministry,

Kayode Oduyebo, directed head teachers of public primary schools within the state to ensure that the exercise is free to all eligible sixyear olds.

Ahead of the registration, which started August 19, the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) had as part of preparation for the 2013/2014 session, embarked on massive construction of blocks of classroom in selected junior secondary and primary

schools in the three geo-political zones.

Speaking at the inauguration of one of the projects, Odubela, a barrister, said the government would not relent on its oars towards ensuring the delivery of free but qualitative education to all schoolaged children in the State.

He also enjoined parents and guardians to cooperate with the government by monitoring their wards' activities after school hours.

Kofoworola

Belo-Osagie Kofosagie@yahoo.com 08054503077 (SMS only)

academic publications of good quality to support with the book fund provided by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

Just last week, the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Julius Okojie was presented with the report of a committee that assessed proposals from 54 universities bidding for the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence project which will inject over eight million dollars into schools in West and Central Africa to improve facilities and research output.

He complained that universities did not show enough interest in the project, describing the number of applications as low. He also said public universities would get more funds from the Federal Government if only they could access the Book Development and Research Funds.

However, not many universities access this fund because their academics are unable to present acceptable research proposals.

A member of staff of a state university in the north confirmed Okojie's claims to me. She said grants dedicated to book development and research have never been accessed by the institution. When some academics managed to send a proposal to NUC and it was returned for corrections, which she said they never made.

The Editorial board of the Journal of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) has also had issues with bad academic papers. Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Prof Okechukwu Abonyi said in their National Officers Report that out of 56 research publications it received for the 48th Volume of the journal, only nine met its benchmark for publication.

Abonyi also said out of 97 articles submitted for the conference proceedings of the association’s 54th conference, only 58 were found publishable.

Since the authorities are aware of the problems institutions are facing in this regard, I think it is time the FME and NUC address the issue holistically. This is especially true because the problem is not a local one. It is affecting the ranking of Nigerian universities internationally.

When Prof Oka Obono addressed the issue of measuring research performance in Nigerian tertiary institutions at a workshop in Dubai, he said Nigerian academics normally complain that the Webometric rankings is unfair as it is based mainly on what can be accessed online. However, he noted, importantly, that we cannot afford to turn our backs on the world. Indeed we cannot afford to isolate ourselves, especially if we are not ready to do like China, which decided to look inwards and create its own standards.

Like Obono advocates, the education authorities should come up with a national standard - a checklist for academics to use scrutinise themselves as they conduct research. That way, we will be sure that whether located in Lagos or Kafanchan, if assessed by anybody anywhere in the world, it will be relevant.

Also, institutions should not just tie promotion to the number of publications that academics can produce but measure their quality as well. This is another suggestion by Obono, who said the practice of publishing articles in backyard journals that have little credibility and limited circulations for the purpose of promotion should be discouraged.

Rather than for assessment committees to be impressed by the number of publications, they should encourage academics to undergo the rigours of publishing in internationally-recognised journals so that their work will be available to more experts, and as a result be more impactful.

To enhance wider circulation of research works of our academics, journals of our local professional associations should also be published online and subscribe to world-acclaimed databases for scholarly work. STAN, with the aid of grants from the TETFUND, has started uploading its journals online. Given the advantage of Information Communication Technology in making knowledge accessible, other associations should follow suit. Who says our institutions cannot be among the best in the world?

‘Like Obono advocates, the education authorities should come up with a national standard - a checklist for academics to use scrutinise themselves as they conduct research. That way, we will be sure that whether located in Lagos or Kafanchan, if assessed by anybody anywhere in the world, it will be relevant’

42

Thursday, September 5, 2013

POLITICS

43

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

AKWA IBOM POLITICS Akwa Ibom State stakeholders are divided over the sacking of former Secretary to Government (SSG) Umana Okon Umana by Governor Godswill Akpabio. While some people hail the action, others claimed that it smacks of dictatorship.

Correspondent KAZEEM IBRAHYM reports.

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2015: What next for Umana Umana?

HE removal of the State Secretary to the Government (SSG) of Akwa Ibom State, Umana Okon Umana, by Governor Godswill Akpabio has continued to generate ripples in the the state.

Umana was kicked out of office on July 29. He was on an official duty in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) when security operatives stormed his office and ordered the workers to vacate the premises before sealing it off.

Umana and Akpabio have a long history of friendship dating back to when former Governor Victor Attah was in the saddle. Both men served in the Attah Administration. Umana was the Commissioner for Finance.

Akpabio was commissioner in three ministries - Petroleum Resources, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Lands and Housing.

When Akpabio indicated interest in the 2007 governorship election, he resigned his office to focus on his ambition. Attah was also positioning his son in-law, Dr. Bob Ekarika, who was the Commissioner for Health, to take over from him. It was an open secret in the state that Attah was not interested in the candidacy of Akpabio. However, Akpabio was able to exploit the frosty relationship between Attah and former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He warmed his way into President Obasanjo’s heart and mobilised the support of major stakeholders in the state. It was easy for him to get Obasanjo’s consent during his faceoff with Attah over the explosive issue of resource control. Attah and the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, and his Bayelsa counterpart, Chief Diepreyei Alamamieseigha, were the arrow heads of the Southsouth’s agitation for resource control at the time. It was an agitation that Obasanjo was never comfortable with.

It was at that time that Umana, a man with a deep pocket, supported Akpabio. He was one of the few aides of Attah, who stood by Akpabio and assisted him to secure the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) . He was said to be a major factor in rallying the Ibibio to support Akpabio’s ambition. He emerged, ahead 56 other aspirants during the PDP primaries, and went ahead to win the governorship election.

As a compensation for the various roles he played before and during the election, Umana was appointed as the Secretary to State Government. He held the office for six years before his unceremonious removal.

During his time as the SSG, Umana was always described as the ‘brain box’ of the administration. He determined who gets what in the government. It is either you are his friend or you are thrown out of the government.

While many Nigerians have condemned the way Umana was sacked, others believe that the governor has the right to hire and fire. One of those in support of Umana’s removal was the former Commissioner for Economic Development, Jerry Akpan, who also served in the Akpabio Ad-

• Akpabio

ministration. He said the governor has done no wrong in removing him.

Akpan, who is also a former Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters to Akpabio, explained that the removal has provided a level playing ground for the governorship aspirants.

He pointed out that the former SSG was using his office to full advantage, to the detriment of other contenders.

“It is possible that, like I have read in the newspapers, the declaration of the former SSG triggered-off the action of the governor. No one should blame the governor. If the governor had allowed him to continue, I don’t think it would have augured well for his administration. Apart from that, I think it is even better for the former , if truly he wants to contest as the governor of the state in 2015. It would give him an ample opportunity to move round the state, do his consultations without any fear of any kind.

“So, I think that the arrangement is a perfect arrangement. The governor is a man that you cannot predict. It is even better to enable Umana to go out and canvass for the support of the electorate, because asking someone to resign is not bad.

Akpan said that the constitution enjoins aspirants in government to to resign from office, ahead of the electioneering.

“We all know that from all intents and purposes, at that time the former SSG was seen as the governor of the state. As at that time, the former SSG was seen as a man that has been anointed to takeover from Akpabio.

As at that time, there was no level playing ground provided by this adminis-

• Umana

tration. But the sacking of Umana has provided a level playing ground for every other Akwa Ibom person to come into the 2015 governorship race, otherwise he was using his office at the detriment of others”, he stressed.

However, the Media Adviser to the former SSG, Iboro Otongaran, claimed that his boss publicly declared his intention to contest the 2015 governorship. He challenged anybody with the evidence of such declaration and electoral campaigns, including video clips, texts of speeches and others to provide it.

“The claim that Mr. Umana Okon Umana, the former Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, had publicly declared his intention to run for governor in 2015 and commenced his election campaigns is untrue and misleading, and it can only help to reinforce a falsehood earlier planted in the media by mischief makers, if it is not challenged.

“Umana made no formal public declaration to run for the office of governor and did not start any election campaigns. The hype built around the so-called declaration was nothing more than the regular rumour peddled by mischief mongers. Any position to the contrary must be supported by evidence of such declaration and electoral campaigns, such as video clips or texts of speeches or a list of attendance by journalists at the declaration ceremony.

“It is instructive to note that, unlike all previous press statements from Umana, which he either signed himself or were signed by his media adviser, Iboro Otongaran, this so-called

gubernatorial declaration was not signed by anybody. If anyone has any evidence that contradicts this position, let the person make it public.

“We wish to also note that the press has been feasting on the stories of possible aspirations by politicians, not just in Akwa Ibom State, but all over the country, though in this instant case, it was not just a case of media obsession, it was obviously a case of a planted story for the purpose of a witch hunt. The purported public declaration story was planted, not only to embarrass, but ultimately, to discredit the former SSG”, he added.

However, the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, argued that it was the prerogative of the governor to appoint and make changes in his cabinet.

“Following the declaration of Mr. Umana’s gubernatorial ambition for the 2015 election and the commencement of campaigns, as widely reported in the media on July 25, 2013, and his non-rebuttal of same, Governor Akpabio sought advice from relevant electoral and constitutional experts. He was advised that he was duty bound by his oath of office to defend the constitution, which includes the provisions of the Electoral Act, which forbid public officers from declaring for electoral office while still in office. He consequently, requested for Mr. Umana’s resignation to enable him pursue his stated interest in the 2015 governorship election.” he said.

For Sylvester Nyong and Victor Usoro, who are company executives in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State, the

‘Umana has maintained absolute silence. His next line of action is not known. It is clear thyat the governor does not want him to succeed him. But Umana’s associates have said that he has a governorship ambition. Will the former SSG chicken out? Will he stick to his ambition? Time will tell’

governor has harsh on the former SSG. To them, it is only in Akwa Ibom State that the governor had resorted to gangster methods to prevent the legitimate political ambition of citizens. Nyong said: “We therefore, vehemently disagree with Chief Akpabio’s reason that Mr. Umana Umana was humiliated out of office because he had allegedly expressed his political intention. Rather, Umana’s ill-treatment is a premeditated political persecution meant to scuttle his political ambition, instill fears in other aspirants and pave the way for Akpabio’s goal, which is to plant a stooge as a successor.

“The stooge will do the bidding of Chief Akpabio, render financial returns to him and be beholden to him as the godfather. In other words, together with his siblings and wife, the governor wants to establish the Akpabio Dynasty to which their puppet-governor would report and render financial and other benefits long after in the post-Akpabio period”.

Nyong and Usoro cited the examples of politicians that are already making arrangements to contest the next governorship election at the federal level. They pointed out that the Minister of Niger Delta Affiars, Godsday Orubebe, had announced in that he would contest for the Delta State in 2015, adding that President Goodluck has not asked him to resign.

“Senator Ganiyu Solomon had also indicated interest to contest the governorship of Lagos State. The Senate President and Governor Babatunde Fashola have not humiliated them publicly. Even, the Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, announced his intention to run for the governor of Ekiti State. It is only in Akwa Ibom State that Chief Akpabio had resorted to gangster methods to abort a legitimate political ambition of a citizen”, he said.

These claims, however, have not gone unchallenged. Other indigenes of the state, who spoke in defence of Akpabio, pointed out that the former SSG had used his position in the past 10 years to ensure that no Ibibio son or daughter, other than himself, stood a fair chance of getting the PDP ticket for the 2015 governorship election.

Ofonime Ebong and Idara Ntuen, who are Uyo-based company executives, advised the people not listen to politicians who are wiping ethnic senstiments, adding that Umana cannot be in public office for ever.

To them, Umana was the crafty mastermind that plotted the removal of his kinsmen, the former deputy governor, who had nursed a governorship ambition, from the position of deputy governor, to pave the way for himself. They said the plot to discredit the Akpabio Administration will fail.

Umana has maintained absolute silence. His next line of action is not known. It is clear thyat the governor does not want him to succeed him.

But Umana’s associates have said that he has a governorship ambition. Will the former SSG chicken out? Will he stick to his ambition? Time will tell.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

44

POLITICS Chief Babatunde Onakoya is a cheitain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State. In this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, he explains why Govenor Ibikunle Amosun deserves a second term in office.

Baraje faction is legitimate, say Sagay, Ngige

‘Amosun deserves L second term’

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HE people of Odogbolu, Ogun State, have adopted Governor Ibikunle Amosun for a second term. What informed this position?

Normally, all human beings are political animals. As a community leader, I was at the meeting and the decision to adopt Senator Ibikunle Amosun was not taken casually. It was after very careful consideration of his mission to rebuild the state. We looked at the area employment generation at inception of these administration, which has stand him out as a performing governor. He has engaged most of the idle minds and we in Ogun State have recognised this fact.

He started by employing almost 3,655 staff into the civil service; 309 staff were employed into the teaching service. Look at the area of security in the state. He has equipped the security outfits to enable them perform. There has been heavy investment on road networks, turning all the cities into a place where traffic flow is enhanced. There are flyoverrs to beautify the state. I must say that Abeokuta has been transformed from its rural outlook into a modern city.

The government is not wasting time on its transformation agenda. Resources have been carefully managed, unlike what we had under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government when resources were wasted with impunity, with the masses of our people at the receiving end.

Some people are saying that the All Progressives Congress is divided in Ogun State. Why is it so?

The Action Congress of Nigeria, now the All Progressives Congress, is intact. There is unity among the progressives in the party. It is a figment of their imagination. The truth is that, no matter how good you are, people will still complain. If they know the governor will not give them chance to embezzle, they will complain. Some of them are trying to run the party down. It is not fair. APC is one big family; it is now more united than before

• Onakoya

and efforts will be made to maintain that unity because all the parties that came to form the APC have done so for the progress of the country How prepared is your party in Ogun State for the 2015 elections?

Amosun’s performance will speak for him and I am proud to associate with his performance. The people of Odogbolu and environs are fully behind the governor and we will come out enmass to vote APC in 2015. However, I will not release the details of how we will achieve the feat because it is a matter of tactics, strategy and wisdom.

We will continue to give the best to the APC because it is the party for the masses. It is the party that has come to liberate Nigerians from hunger, insecurity, power failure and unemployment. Ogun people have been receiving the best from our dynamic governor and only the best is good for our people. He has inspired great transformation in the state. People now know that not all politicians are liars or renege on their campaign promises. I am quite sure that the governor remains committed to giving the best, in terms good roads, qualitative healthcare delivery, quality education, employment generation and industrialisation of the state.

‘PDP can’t recover from crisis’

N

AWYERS have said that the Kawu Baraje’s faction of the Peop0les DEmocratic Party (PDP) can legitimately lay claim to the leadership of the party.

Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) and Emeka Ngige (SAN) said, since the party is in crisis and there is a split, both factions can lay claim to its leadership, unless the court decides otherwise.

Sagay said the Baraje group can make claims because the election that produced the Bamanga Tukur executive was flawed. The election, he observed, did not comply with the rules and the constitution of the party. Therefore, Tukur’s faction cannot claim to be authentic, he said.

The Baraje group, according to him, has evidence to prove its case in the court. He said there is confusion in the PDP, adding that there is no legitimate executive committee to paddle its canoe.

Ngige also agreed that the new faction is legitimate, since it has not pulled out of the PDP. He said that the court will decide its fate.

He commended the Baraje’s faction for going to court to prove its case as the authentic group. “Instead of engaging in thuggry or fisticuffs, they opted for the court interpretation.

That is the beauty of democracy. The aggrieved governors have proved

I

By Leke Salaudeen, Assistant Editor

that they are democrats”, Ngige said.

Sagay noted that the split in the PDP has put an end to its claim as the dominant party in the country.

He said the ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan to re-contest in 2015 and the North obsession’s for power have ruined the party. The Northern governors are against the second term for Jonathan and they are prepared to go to any extent to ensure that power returns to the North”, Sagay noted.

“What is happening today is not a surprise because it was predicted by political observers. This development has further exposed the PDP as a party without common ideology.

The driving force is the acquisition of power by all means and sharing of the spoils of office”.

Ngige said many people saw the split in the PDP coming. He said the party lacked a culture of internal democracy. This, according to him, made some of its founding fathers to abandon the party.

He said: “What is happening is the beginning of the disintegration of the party. A house that is not built on the pillar of justice, consistency and probity can never stand. The PDP is a rot that has besieged Nigeria.

“The opposition should take the ad-

• Baraje

vantage of the situation and free the country from the PDP and the opportunists in the party that have held the nation back in the last 14 years. The opposition should put its act together and take over power; they should sacrifice their personal ambition in the interest of common Nigerians and the country as a whole”, Ngige added.

Sagay said the three major parties are likely to square it up in the 2015 general elections. According to him, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Movement and the remnants of PDP would present a presidential candidate.

“The APC and PDM should merge or form an alliance to enhance their electoral fortunes”, he added.

Delta APC sets up harmonisation committee

T was a carnival-like rally in Asaba, the capital of Delta State.

The members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) thronged the Grand Hotel for the inauguration of the party’s Harmonization Committee by its Southsouth leaders.

It was a clourful event. The supporters of the aspirants for the senatorial elections in the Delta Central District accompanied the contenders, dancing and waving the brooms, the symbol of the party.

The aspirants include the Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, and Otega Emerhor. The seat became vacant, following the death of Senator Pius Ewerhido Security agents had a hard time controlling the thousands of supporters from the three senatorial districts.

At the event were Senators Adego Eferakeya, Spanner Okpozo, former Governor John Odigie -Oyegun, Tony Omoaghe, Victor Eboigbe, Frank Kokori, and former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Olise Imegwu.

The Southsouth Zonal Vice-

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

chairman, Chief Tom Ikimi, applauded the supporters for embracing the slogan of change. He said that the APC was not an opposition party, but an “alternative party”.

Ikimi was accompanied by Mr. Olisamaka Akamukale, the National Auditor and Miriki Ebikina, the ex-officio member.

He said the party will build a secretariat after it has built its leadership structure. Ikimi urged the members to cooperate with the Harmonisation Committee, which will supervise the party in the interim as directed by the APC interim leadership.

He said: “We are not going to allow any individual to say that I am the owner of APC. We are not yet building a party leadership or structure. We are building a harmonisation committee.What we are going to establish in Delta State is not an executive; it is a harmonization committee. The harmonisation committee will give directions, until an interim committee is set up.”

According to him, the members

of the harmonization committee will be drawn from the three senatorial districts, based on the guidelines by the APC interim leadership. He said the former Presidents, former and current governors, senators and other legislators will be part of the committee.

Ikimi said the list will be scrutinized by the interim national council to rectify any deficiency and everyone a sense of belonging.

He added: “When we have compiled the list from these people and we see any deficiency, we shall sit and make the necessary adjustments. This list will not be published, until we take it back to the National Executive Council.

We will deliberate on it. Once it is approved by the interim council, it will now become the State Coordinating Committee.”

Ikimi said the duties of the State Harmonisation Committee include “the harmonisation and fusing of the structures of the legacy parties into one united, strong and vibrant APC.” He said the committee will also co-ordinate the activities of the party, including meeetings.

From Dele Animasaun, Kontagora

IGER State ALL Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Mr Yusuf Lawal has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not recover from its crisis. He said the split in the party has marked the downfall of the acclaimed largest party in Africa.

The politician attributed the factionalisation of the PDP to its violation of due process and rule of law, stressing that its leadership has been swimming in the pool of legitimacy crisis.

Lawal, a lawyer, spoke in Kotangora on the political situation in the country. He noted that the ruling party has inflicted pains on the people in the last 14 years, adding that the governments it produced had failed the nation.

The politician advised President Goodluck Jonathan to embrace the reality that his second term bid will hit the rock because he will not have a formidable platform to lean upon in 2015.

He said: “President Jonathan should forget about 2015. He should heed the advice of “The Patriots” that he should not recontest. He should be ready to be a statesman as from 2015”.

Lawal urged the APC leaders to sustain the tempo of the party’s popularity and aspire to succeed where the PDP has failed. He said the people of Niger State are now gravitating towards the APC, following a critical apparaisal of the political situation in the state and country He called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to conduct a more credible electionin 2015.

Lawal said: “The PDP is factionalised. It will not win in 2015. APC is growing in leaps and bounds in Niger State. The progressives ideas are being propagated daily. We are ready for change in 2015. I call on Nigerians to do away with the PDP in the next general elections.”

• From left: Chief Frank Kokori, Prince Tony Omoghae, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Tom Ikimi and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Asaba, Delta State capital.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

45

NATURAL HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

CLINIC DAY

1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Director-General, National Agency for Food Drug Adminis- 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 tration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii and Director, Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories/ 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 Monk, St Benedict Monastery, Ewu-Ishan, Edo State, Rev. Father Anselm Adodo write on the question.

1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 mittee on the development of 1234567890123456789 IGERIAN government is 1234567890123456789 Question herbal remedies. not biased to neither or1234567890123456789 In a determined effort to protect 1234567890123456789 thodox Medicine nor Traditional medicine. Of importance What is Traditional Medicine day; and is there our people, NAFDAC organised a 1234567890123456789 meeting in April this 1234567890123456789 currently, and in the post 2015 deanything the Federal Government is doing to improve stakeholders’ year, at which National Expert 1234567890123456789 velopment era is the need to enthe practice; and what is the situation now?

Committee on Verification of 1234567890123456789 sure that the health system at all claims by Herbal Medical practi- 1234567890123456789 levels is strengthened to respond 1234567890123456789 tioners was set up.

N

‘Govt is improving sector’

to adequately and timely. Public emergencies had prior to 2010 been limited to those occasioned by floods and by extreme harsh weather and/or poor environment. However, since 2010, bomb blast has become a new dimension of public health emergency.

There is a role which Traditional

Yinka Odumosu, a researcher, Ilesa, Osun State.

Medicine must play in all these.

And we are taking pragmatic steps to realising that.

There have been some modest achievements in the health sector since the National Council on

Health meeting, which are solid foundations to continue to build on, post 2015.

There is establishment of Committees to look into critical issues in the health sector such as Com-

We have it in view that very soon Nigerian herbal products will be exported to the rest of the world.I commend the efforts of the members of this committee on progress they made thus far, and urge them to intensify their efforts to enable us fully utilise the benefits of traditional medicines.

1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 thodox medicines, it was no surprise that the use of traditional medicines enjoyed less acceptance and patronage over time.

However, in recent times, there has been a reasonable and noticeable swing from the earlier bias in

favour of orthodox medicine to greater acceptance of traditional/ herbal medicines in many countries including Nigeria.

The reasons for this trend include but are not limited to: Easy affordability of herbal medicines.

Easy Accessibility. The highly publicised but erroneous claims of zero side effects. Global trend towards an increased use of herbal medicines.

New diseases for which cures are yet to be found in orthodox medicine e.g. HIV/AIDS, Sickle cell disease and many viral diseases like Lassa fever.

With this new trend, the need to ensure that only good quality, safe and effective herbal medicines are distributed and used became paramount to the Federal Ministry of Health. In furtherance of this, we have a burden of unauthorized advertisement of herbal medicines with unsubstantiated claims on cure of serious diseases with the intention to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Decree No.15

of 1993 as amended, now Act Cap N1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004 mandated the Agency to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, chemicals and packaged water.

The Drugs and Related Products (Registration etc.) Decree 19 of 1993, now Cap F33, LFN 2004, in Section 9 defined a drug to, “include any substance of vegetable, animal or mineral origin or any preparation or admixture thereof manufactured, distributed, sold or advertised for diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of any disease or disorder”.

For successful implementation of the aspects of the mandate relating to herbal medicines, the Agency in collaboration with relevant stakeholders established: • Standards and guidelines for registration of herbal medicinal products in Nigeria.

• National Advisory Committee on herbal medicinal products.

• Regulations and guidelines for the regulation of herbal medici-

Biotech or, Biohealth, is a new modern form of medicine that focuses almost exclusively on using high-tech machines to diagnose diseases, even before they appear in the body. In Biotech, patients are subjected to endless series of expensive tests, just to detect illnesses that are yet to manifest in the body, or to know the nature of already diagnosed ones. Biotech diverts attention from the question ‘How can people prevent illness?’ to focus on ‘How can they pay for treatment?’

Whereas in the past, people go to the hospital when they feel ill, today everybody is advised to head for the hospital for sicknesses that they may suffer from in five or 10 years’ time. Modern medicine has abandoned its role as a healthcare provider to become a HEALTH SCARE PROMOTER. Fear is a very effective weapon in the armory of modern medicine. The sick go to the

hospital because they are afraid of death and the healthy go to the hospital because they are afraid of falling sick. One way or the other, we have all become prisoners of fear.

Bio-health is not interested in addressing the disparities in wealth, trade imbalance and rich-poor divine in the world communities. Biohealth turns away from the fact that poverty, unfair trade imbalance, poor sanitation, poor nutrition and unbridled monetisation of public health, is the root cause of health inequality and poor health in the world, especially in Africa.

Bio-health not only treats our diseases, but it often invents diseases and then go ahead to provide the medication to cure its invention. This medicalisation of human life, from infancy to adolescence, pregnancy, middle age and old age, partly explains the rapid expansion of the medical

enterprise in the past 20 years. It is not a health for all, but rather health for the rich, who make up one per cent of world population.

Health for all, in the language of modern medical capitalism, means health of the one per cent for the one per cent and by the one per cent.

When we talk about promoting traditional medicine, we are talking about a rediscovery of our traditional African culture of care and concern for one another and for our environment. As major stakeholders in the health sector, we at PAXHERBALS are calling for a new thinking on healthcare management, policy and reform in Africa. We call for a reawakening of the Traditional African approach to health in which the health of an individual could not be separated from the health of a community.

Instead of pursuing a ‘healthy

•Prof Chukwu

nal products.

NAFDAC is discussing with stakeholders to ensure compliance. The Agency has banned illegal advertisements of herbal medicinal products and bogus claims of cure for disease conditions. Such advertisements contravene Section 2 of the Food and Drug Act. Cap 150 LFN 2004, which regulates and controls advertisement of medicinal products.

Unpatriotic businessmen who engage in illegal advertisement of their products in the electronic and print media to mislead the unsuspecting members of the public are seriously warned to desist from such malpractice as the Agency will deal decisively with violators. The agency will work closely with National Broadcasting Commission to enforce compliance with the provision of relevant laws.

Let me seize this opportunity to once again appeal to the Mass media to assist the Agency to address this anomaly. I urge you to insist on seeing an authentic NAFDAC approval before airing any advertisement on herbal medicines.

It is a misnomer for people to treat without proper diagnosis. Diagnosis is the bane of treatment. Hence, the Ministry is exploring setting up training for herbal traditional practitioners at Colleges of Medicine, throughout the Federation.

‘NAFDAC does not witch hunt traditional healers’ 1234567890123456789

T

HE decision to observe a Traditional Medicine Day was made by African health ministers in 2000 as part of a strategy to boost the role of traditional medicine in National health system. NAFDAC is using the opportunity of this year’s commemoration to showcase her efforts thus far and the resultant impact in promoting the use of safe and efficacious herbal medicines in Nigeria.

I commend the efforts of our respected Traditional Medicine Practitioners towards ensuring that their products are listed with NAFDAC before they are distributed, sold and used in Nigeria.

The use of Traditional medicines in Nigeria can be traced back to the earliest history of mankind, as in other cultures worldwide. Prior to the coming of orthodox medicines, Nigerians relied solely on traditional medicines for all their ailments, which included the use of herbal, animal and mineral based medicines often followed by spiritual ingredients such as incantations.

With the level of sophistication, ease of use and effectiveness of or-

•Dr Orhii

Traditional medicine and healthcare in Nigeria, which way forward?

F

IFTY years after most countries attained independence, Africans remain the world’s least healthy people. As a group, they are at the bottom of every index of social and economic indicators. Surveys of the use of health services show that fewer Africans are seeking care, partly because fewer services are available at affordable price, and partly because they are dissatisfied with modern health care services.

CORRECTION

•RITAM means the Research Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine and not Research Institute of Traditional and Applied Medicine as we errorneously wrote upper week.

•Dr Johnson Idowu is the CMD of RITAM, not Dr Idowu Ogunkoya.

– Editor

1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 1234567890123456789 • Father Adodo

lifestyle’ characteristic of modern, individualistic culture, we preach a return to the older wisdom traditions of Africa that corporately valued community-based well-being and harmonious living.

H

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

46

NATURAL HEALTH

Treatment of breast cancer in Alternative Medicine (4) Being the fourth part in the serialisation of the text of a presentation by FEMI KUSA at the maiden seminar of the College of Integrative Medicine held at the Water Parks, Toyin Street, Lagos, on August 1 and 2, 2013.

T

HE college was founded to train members of the National Integrative Medicine Practitioners Association (NIMPA). In the first part published on August 8, two promising case studies provided the grounds for hope that herbs and nutritional supplements, used alone or as an adjunct in orthodox cancer therapies, can bring about a cancer cure. In one of these cases, stage iv colon cancer which had spread to the liver, lung and kidney shrank by 25 per cent within two months of the introduction of alternative medicine therapies to conventional therapy. In the second case, breast cancer shrank significantly. Last Thursday, August 15, featured the loss of oxygen in the body as a possible cause of cancer, some common causes of deoxygenating and some ways and means of oxygenating the blood, including the use of oxygen tablets or capsules. This week, the column explores gene and cell damage as potential cause of cancer.

Last Saturday, CANCER DEFEATED'S 41st Convention opened in Mexico, one of the world's fastest growing havens of Alternative Medicine. In this country, Alternative Medicine thrives because, the government and the medical association give doctors a free hand to decide what medicines to give their patients. CancerDefeated is a non-profit organisation devoted to showing Doubting Thomas doctors and lay people alike that cancer can be cured. Its conventions go beyond that to providing information about food and food supplements which help to prevent cancer, foods which support the body in its bid to rid itself of cancer, techniques or concepts, such as anti-angiogenesis, which doctors may employ in the treatment of cancer.

Mrs Sola Sowemimo, a reader of this column, invited my attention to last Saturday's convention. Mrs Sowemimo, a lawyer, broke her holiday in the United States to spend one week in Mexico. When she telephoned me to say how overwhelming her experiences have been, I extracted a promise from her that, on her return home, she would write a series of articles on this column for the benefit of its readers. Our aim in doing this is simple. We wish to let people suffering from cancer know that this disease is defeatable, that many people worldwide have defeated it, that, even in Nigeria, there are people who have defeated it. How much more joyous would we be if our doctors, especially cancer doctors (oncologist) spare these ideas a thought, or actually study them or make use of them. Yesterday, at the closing of the convention, Cancer Defeated organised a doctors - only forum, which took doctors from all over the world who attended to orthodox medicine clinics in Mexico where conventional doctors used or were using Alternative Medicine protocols to heal patients of various cancers. It was a purely technical session of the convention. On Monday, Mrs Sowemimo sent me the following text message: "I had a nail and tongue analysis yesterday. Amazing! The doctor has a book with graphic pictures. Its $60, not cheap.

The result of my analysis is amazing and he also had the supplements to heal me. Incidentally, every test I did, reflexology, thermography, tongue and nail analysis indicated the same results. Truly amazing. I may do conning today. That is removing pressure through the ears. Not cheap. But people who have done it are praising it. There is a sauna - like gadget. I did the free therapy with clothes on. It accrcolates heat through the body. The gadget is foldable with a chair in it and costs $950 without shipping. Its good for managing cancer as it helps blood circulation. I met a lady there who has been coming every day to use it. She has been in remission from cancer for four years now, but because of all the bad drugs, her period stopped.

Guess what, after the first use of the gadget, her period returned that night.” I wish I knew about it three months ago.

Such, I believe, will be the wish of Mr. George Ubeng, another reader of this column who, like me, could have wanted to attend the convention. Mr. Ubeng is so passionate about Alternative Medicine that he has set up the semblance of a health farm, TREASURE GARDENS, which he hopes, someday, to pattern after Dr. George Makhmus's HALLELUJAH ACRES in the United States. George Malkhmus survived cancer by fasting almost exclusively on organic CARROT JUICE and set up the farm to prove to the doubting world of conventional medicine that, if he could, other people too, can defeat cancer. I do not think that George Ubeng is motivated by any serious health challenge. In his 50s, Ubeng just got swept off his feet by this column and decided to keep healthy and to help other people do so.

Last Thursday, I mentioned anti-angiogenesis as one of the treatment modes likely to feature at the 41st Cancer Defeated Convention. Today, I'd like to mention ZEOLITE of which the following findings from a cancer cure study were published.

"Fifty-six people with mostly stage 4cancers who had a prognosis of about two months to live were given a type of liquid Zeolite. At the end of the study, 51 people were cancer free and six more were alive but still fighting cancer. This is a 78 per cent cure rate for terminal cancer, an incredible rate. According to the Zeolite patent, it kills cancer in two ways.

One "It activates the P.21 gene.The function of the P.21 gene is to tell the cancer cell to die. P.21 acts as a tumour suppressor as it

controls cell cycle progression. The activation of p.21 appears to halt the growth of tumours by directing suppressing growth signals. In in-vitro studies, all cancer cells treated were destroyed in 72 hours. There are no side effects because it specifically targets cancer cells, as it is not attracted to normal, healthy cells.

Two "Even more important, the tri-metallic part of the Zeolite destroys the nucleus of the cancer cell it enters. Some cancer cells are destroyed in an outward burst of the ectoplasm. In other cases, cancer cells are destroyed when their wall and membrane collapse after the nucleus are the cytoplasm are destroyed.

"Most often after the nucleus and ectoplasm are destroyed, the entire cellular contents dissipate into surrounding environment. The membranes of the now dead cells remain intact but no cellular structures are left.

"Because Zeolite's ionic charge, when full of toxins, pulls it to cancer cells only, it does not kill healthy cells".

I guess this little explanation of Zeolite patent will help its Nigerian users understand the product better. We are now in the Age of Visualisation Medicine as I told a group of people last week. In this concept of medicine, man is recognised as a HUMAN SPIRIT and his body as the physical housing in which he resides on earth to which it has come to gather experiences for its maturing. The body is his tool and friend. He can talk to it, pet it, play with it, instruct it. When he knows how a particular medicine works in his body, he can actually visualise it working and his body deriving benefit from it. Beforehand, he can tell his body he is going to send it some medicines to help it. But, often, many of us do not know where our organs are and how the medicines we take carry out their work and, so, the connection with the body is lost.

I guess, also, that there are different brands of Zeolite on the market. The one used in the study is liquid Zeolite enhanced with a humic acid substance called DHQ. I do not know if this brand is available in Nigeria, but I have heard that Zeolite - Av is around, even if in negligible number.

From CANCER DEFEATED notes, Zeolite is good for detoxification generally and not only for cancer therapy. Really, isn't it better to prevent cancer than to attempt to cure it? There are no fewer than three other reasons, therefore, why it should be good as an every-day detoxicant. First, it is said to chelate heavy metals out of the body. Remember, heavy metals are a source of organ poisoning and cancer. So are pesticides and herbicides which, in Nigeria, for example, we consume along with beans, millet, water melon, cocoa, cabbage, cucumber, leafy vegetables of all sorts, carrots to name a few crops. Zeolite is a potential aid in liver and kidney problems, as it is in intestinal conditions which lead to excess ammonia gas circulating in the blood. Ammonia is largely that offensive gas exuded by pit toilets. The liver normally converts it from products of protein digestion to urea which the kidneys excrete with urine. If the liver is weak, ammonia may not be well converted to urea. If the kidney is sick, and ammonia was converted to urea, urea levels would rise dangerously and poison the body.

In the intestine, the human 'pit toilet' unfriendly bacteria produce ammonia to destroy their enemies who are our friends, the friendly bacteria, and to make the environment toxic for their well-being, since they thrive in toxic habitat. Large amounts of ammonia circulating in the blood may hurt the brain, cause headaches and even coma, paralyse the nervous system or lead to death. Zeolite, through many pathways, including removal of ammonia, eliminates these trouble makers which may potentiate poisoning and cancer at the end of the day.

Nutritional deficiences There are so many nutritional factors breast cancer patients may be deficient in that time would not permit the listing of all of them. It has been scientifically suggested, for example, that cancer, like HIV disease, is rare in countries with selenicin rich soil. Selenium like magnesium, Zinc and vitamin C are not enough in the blood of cancer patients. I would like to mention the need to pay attention to all minerals and vitamins, in particular Zinc and Vitamin are not enough in the

blood of cancer patients. I would like to mention the need to pay attention to all minerals and vitamins, in particular Zinc and Vitamin C. Zinc is needed for healthy immune function, reproduction and healing, Young immune cells mature in the thymus. It has been found that the thymus of Zinc - deficient people is often shrunken to about a quarter of its normal size.

But when they take zinc supplements for about two weeks, this gland assumes its normal size. The bigger the thymus, the more its number of T - cells it can graduate into the immune army. In cancer therapy, dosages larger than the 15mg daily allowance recommended in normal times will be required. I place a serious premium on Vitamin C. Conservative doctors allow no more than 60 or 90mg a day. Rarely will they allow up to 1,000mg. Yet earlier mega dosage medical activists such as Dr. Robert Atkins ventureddosage not lower than 3,000mg daily. Dr. Linus pauling who won the Nobel Prize two times, each time unshared with any one for his research on vitamin C, prescribed up to 10,000mg a day for cancer patients. His work explained how, at the molecular level, Vitamin C holds the tissue fabric together. Besides, Vitamin C is anti-viral and boosts immune count.

Dr Pauling shows that by the time, scurvy manifest in inflamed gums, loose and falling teeth, Vitamin C, would have been subclinically deficient in the body for a long period while Dr. Pauline was widely criticised as he was praised for mega dosage ideas. When he was asked by the press who was right…. he or his critics, Dr. Pauling replied: TIME WILL TELL. How prophetic! For Dr. Pauling died at the age of 97. His critics died along, long before that age. If we assume that Dr. Pauling took mega doses of vitamin C everyday as he advocated we all should, can we not infer that thus was a secret of his longevity?

The second point is that natural vitamins and minerals are preferred to pharmaceutical types. Artificial vitamins and minerals have been implicated in many cases of cancer as shown, for example, in the experiment to determine if beta carotene and anti oxidants could help smokers who had lung cancer.

Pharmaceutical better carotene was used in the experiment.

The death rate rose so high in the study that the project was stopped abruptly.

Micro organisms More than 100 trillion bacteria live in the human body, according to the results of the first DNA-sequencing of human microbiome. The microbiosome are columies of micro organisms which live in and on the human body, sometimes harmlessly, sometimes dangerously. There are several hundred species of bacteria in the mouth alone. According to the sequencing technology, all the bacteria could weigh as much as a new baby or an average human liver. This is a heavy burden which some authorities have likened to an extra organ in the body.

The micro-organisms struggle with the cells for nutrition and emit wastes into the system. The immune system keeps an eagle eye on them to ensure they do not overgrow their population beyond the point at which the body can keep them in check. Scientists have said the microbiosomes are crucial to the stability of DNA and that stability of microform population in the right proportions determined in a way DNA health.

They break loose, however, when the blood becomes deoxygenated and the tissues become acidic. In these media, the immune system looses fighting capacity.The some sequencing came from 244 healthy adults who were checked for microbial colonies in the skin, nose, mouth, intestine and virgina. One of the prominent organisms in Women experience it in the vagina. It is present on the tongue as oral thrust, that white coat over pinkish red colour of an uninfected tongue. Oral thrush signifies lowered immunity because the thrush would not have expressed itself if the immune system could overpower it. Candida can become systematic, affecting the intestine or heart or brain or breast. Dr. Tullio Solocini, a non - conformist Italian oncologist, who specialises in metabolic disorders believes cancer is caused by a fungi infection and treats it with powerful antifungal agents. In respect of breast cancer, he injects baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) into the tissue. Sodium bicarbonate should neutralise the acidic environment in which candida thrive and oxygenate it, making this environment inhospitable for candida. Dr Solocini says he is opposed to "intellectual conformity" which is based on suppositions without foundation or, worse still, lies and falsehood", a veiled reference to chemotherapy, radiation and surgery in cancer therapy. Under the dark field microscope, a live blood sample that is uninfected presents a rich - red tone in which all cells move around vigorously. Candida infestation presents as white patches. Many plants remedies kill candida. One of the anti-fungal, proprietary products I used to enjoy suggesting for candida is Amazon. A-F from the Rain Tree group. Another is Amazon C-F. like Rain Tree products they have become extinct following the company's decision to stop production. But we still have traditional anti-fungal in Grape Seed Extrait, Golden seed root, Echinacia, Kyolic Aged Garlic Pau d' Arco, Aloe Vera, Tee Tree leaves and oil, Cinnamon, Siberian ginseng, Oregano, Licorice, Juniper, Peppermint, Astragalus, Grape fruit seed, Bergamot, Carrot, Cloves.

There are lots more. Could Mother Nature have armed us with anti-fungals to prevent and cure cancer? If, like the critics of Dr. Solocini, we doubt him, we only need to remember that Dr. Anne Wigmore cured her cancer on a fast of organic wheat grass sprout juice, that Johanna Brandt of South Africa fasted exclusively on grape fruit juice for weeks to cure her stomach cancer, and that Dr. George Malkhmus, author of HalleluyahDiet, which is selling well in Nigeria right now, fasted almost exclusively on organic carrot juice to cure his cancer. What they all fasted on to defeat cancer are anti-bacterial and anti-fungal foods!

e-mail: femi.kusa@yahoo.com or olufemikusa@yahoo.com Tel: 08116759749, 08034004247, 07025077303

•To be continued

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THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

e-Business E-mail:- lucajanaku02@yahoo.com

08111813065

Over three years ago, the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market resolved that telecommunications and oil firms should be listed on the Stock Exchange. The Federal Government is now pushing to actualise this dream. Will it succeed? LUCAS AJANAKU writes.

Waiting for telcos at stock market W

HEN the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and her Communications Technology counterpart, Mrs Omobola Johnson spoke during a visit to the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Lagos, they did not conceal their mission.

“We are here today because we believe that this stock market needs to be deepened and broadened and one of the key ways to do that is to get more companies to list.

“Our vision for this stock market is that it must become the premier stock exchange of Africa. We must overtake Johannesburg, even as our economy overtakes that of others and we are hoping that down the line this stock market will do the same,” Dr Okonjo-Iweala said.

Mrs Johnson said the telecoms sector is the fastest growing sector of the economy, adding that it has taken the leadership position in the last five years, growing yearly at an average of between 22 and 23 per cent and contributing 8.5 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as at the second quarter of the year.

“The main reason we are here is to bring more companies unto the stock exchange. The ICT industry contributes 8.5 per cent to GDP; it is the fastest growing sector of the economy and we need to ensure that companies in the sector are listed. It is therefore appropriate that many more Nigerians should benefit from this success through the increased public ownership of these companies. That will happen when they are listed on the stock exchange,” she said, stressing that efforts had gone beyond just calls for more companies to be listed to collaboration.

The ministers pledged the government’s support to the NSE and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as it moves to deepen the market.

Twelve years after the liberalisation of the telecoms sector, the subscriber base has crossed the 100 million mark while most of the telcos have been smiling to the banks, repatriating billions of dollars yearly as profit.

Though some of the telcos have moved close to indigenising the brand by appointing Nigerians as chief executive officers, sector analysts argue that listing on the NSE will further strengthen the people’s confidence in the telcos.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Teledon International Group, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, said the time had come for the telcos to list on the NSE. According to him, when he was national president of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), getting the telcos listed was one point he raised.

“The big telcos, MTN, Etisalat, Glo and Airtel should be listed on the NSE. They are big enough. They are generating a lot of revenue.

They should become proper Nigerian entities so that Nigerians, who desire can own shares in them. When their public offer is out, people can buy their shares. When they have annual general meetings, management will account for their stewardship. The move will popularise them rather than victimise them.

It will make them open to Nigerians so that if

•Floor of NSE

there is any subscriber that has the financial muscle to participate, such a subscriber will buy shares and bring a lot of capital onboard. They keep talking about going abroad or going to banks to source $2 billion, $3 billion to expand their networks. When they do public offer, they will have a lot of capital because of the shares that people will buy. That will give them the financial muscle to expand their network and improve on the quality of service as well as popularise them as Nigerians will now have a sense of ownnership of these companies,” he said.

He added that listing will also enhance the institutionalisation of corporate governance which will bring about transparency and accountability.

The telcos, he said, would be reluctant to list, arguing that when the necessary regulatory framework is in place, the telcos will fall in line.

President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, agrees with the former ATCON boss. According to him, if the telcos get listed, the issue of vandalism will become a thing of the past as the subscribers will see the infrastructure as their own. “The telcos will be able to raise money from the public to finance network expansion and improve services.

People will be prepared to allow the erection of BTS in their homes and offices. There will be a sense of belonging by Nigerians who will jealously guard the infrastructure,” he said.

All the operators except Glo are listed on the stock exchange of their home countries.

MTN Nigeria Board Chairman: Dr Pascal Dozie CEO: Michael Ipkoki Subscribers: 55, 238,430 million MTN Group is a South Africa-based multinational mobile telecommunications company, operating in many African, European and Middle Eastern countries. Its head office is in Johannesburg and it is listed on Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

Globacom Limited Board Chairman: Dr Mike Adenuga CEO: Jameel Mohammed Subscriber base: 25,019,862 million Globacom Limited is a Nigerian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Lagos. The firm is a privately owned telecommunications carrier that started operations on August 29, 2003.

Since then, there is no record of the telco going to source funds from any bank both onshore and offshore.

About four years ago, the firm singlehandedly funded a submarine cable, Glo 1, at $800million. It recently signed a network modernisation with two Chinese quipment vendors, ZTE and Huawei worth $1.25billion.

It also operates in Ghana, Republic of Benin and Cote d’Ivoire.

Airtel Nigeria Board Chairman: Oba Otudeko CEO: Segun Ogunsanya Subscriber: 21, 591,904 million Bharti Airtel Limited, popularly known as Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecoms services company with headquarters in New Delhi, India. It operates in 20 countries across South Asia, Africa, and the Channel Islands.

Airtel has GSM network in all countries in which it operates, providing 2G, 3G, (3.75G in Nigeria) and 4G services depending upon the country of operation. It is reputed to be the world’s fourth largest mobile telecommunications company by subscribers with over 275 million subscribers across 20 countries as of July, this year. It is the largest cellular service provider in India, with 191.39 million subscribers as of last month. Airtel is the third largest in-country mobile operator by subscriber base, behind China Mobile and China Unicom.

Airtel is credited with pioneering the business strategy of outsourcing all of its business operations except marketing, sales and finance and building the ‘minutes factory’ model of low cost and high volumes. The strategy has since been copied by

several operators.

Aside Nigeria, it operates in 16 other African countries, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

It is listed on the floor of both the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited.

Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat Nigeria) Board Chairman: Hakeem Belo-Osagie CEO: Steven Evans Subscribers: 15,303,647million Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, branded trade name Etisalat is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) - based telecommunications services provider, operating in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. As of February, last year, Etisalat was the 15th largest mobile network operator in the world, with a total customer base of more than 135 million and was named the most powerful company in the UAE by Forbes Middle East last year.

Etisalat International Investments is the business unit of Etisalat that operates outside the UAE and manages the firm’s stakes in telecommunications carriers in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Ivory Coast, Egypt, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The International Investments unit also manages Etisalat’s minor stakes in other telecommunications services providers, such as Sudatel (a mobile, fixed and Internet services provider in Sudan), and Qtel (Qatar-based telecoms services provider).

It is listed in the UAE Stock Exchange.

“Any of these telcos that braves the odds and be the first to get listed on NSE will attract the attention of subscribers who will naturally see it as truly a Nigerian brand,” Ogunbanjo said.

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e-Business

SIM registration: Agents accuse dealers of sharp practices

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UBSCRIBER Identity Module (SIM) registration agents have accused the global system of mobile communication (GSM) workers and dealers of shortchanging them.

The working, they alleged, colluded with the dealers to cheat them.

To forestall sabotage, the operators have deployed itinerant agents in the field. The agents comb the streets and other remote areas of the country with their biometric data capturing machines.

They operate in groups of two and three, armed with loads of unactivated SIM cards and wear-

Stories by Lucas Ajanaku

ing the branded T-shirts of their employers.

Some of the agents said while the operators approved N100 per registered or activated SIM card, they only get between N10 and N40 per SIM. “The owners of the telecoms’ companies approved N100 for each activation but you know that the Nigerians working with the companies will take their cut, which may be N30. The dealer will take his own and give us any amount he feels,” Elvis an agent lamented.

A female agent, who gave her

name as Titi, said before she started work, she signed an agreement with her employer.

A friend, she said, introduced her to the dealer who gave her the machine.

“I am a 300-level student of Obafemi Awolowo University, IIe-Ife. I felt I should get something to do with my time since our lecturers are on strike. The dealer gave me a machine and other things that I needed to do the SIM registration. I was asked to work with others. While a colleague sells, I activate the SIM cards with the machine. Initially, I was paid N10 per each SIM card,” Titi added.

She further said the target is 1000 SIM cards per month, but because she worked hard, delivering about 50 SIMs daily, her stipend was increased to N20 and later N40.

However, they lamented the irregularity in payment. According to them, they are not paid at the end of the month.

“Sometimes, they will not pay until the middle of the following month. “One of the big two does not even pay at all. It is shocking to me because the company makes a lot of money,” Elvis added.

They accused the dealers of not paying them for the double SIM

cards activated. “It is no fault of ours that somebody who has registered his SIM comes to us to register again. We do not have the art of knowing that somebody has registered his SIM card earlier. Customers tell us that they are registering their SIM cards because of the text message they got from their service providers.

“So, when you register about 20 and you are happy that you have done well for the day, they would tell us at the office that half of that had been registered.

That means there is no pay for those ones,” they further lamented.

Etisalat introduces hajj promo

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•Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko (right) receiving the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson (middle). With them is Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, Dr Henry Akpan at a IT seminar in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Dell to unveil e-waste management strategy

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OMPUTER giant Dell Incorporated will soon unveil its e-waste management strategy for Nigeria, its Client Product Marketing Manager, Anglophone East and West Africa, Annie Odo-Effiong, has said.

She spoke on the sideline during a training for Information Technology (IT) reporters in Lagos.

“I will not say there is anything that is taking place (about e-waste management) in Nigeria. Dell will soon come out with a sustainable e-waste management strategy in the country. Ewaste is a global issue and Dell is the first to ban the export of disused electronics and e-waste to developing countries of Africa, India and China. But you know the Dell office in Nigeria is young, just two years old and as we grow and our business

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grows, we will make sure that we provide all the necessary vehicles for e-waste management in the country,” she said.

According to him, in this financial year alone, it accomplished its goal of collecting one billion pounds of e-waste and continues to be an industry leader.

Mrs Odo-Effiong said though Dell’s products were not threatened by counterfeiting, she urged its customers to patronise approved channels, because it will not only boost the growth of the economy but also make them to get the necessary support should there be any challenge after purchase.

“Our products are not produced locally. We don’t do consumables here, so we haven’t really had the challenge of counterfeiting but when it comes to our hardware, we

emphasise and encourage people to ensure that they are buying devices from the appropriate channels. ‘’We encourage customers to patronise the channels not necessarily because the products are different from what you get locally, but because buying the devices is one thing, getting support is another thing. If you bring the product from another region, then most of the time, that device cannot be attended to, but if you buy it in Nigeria and there are issues, we do what we call a service charge transfer. ‘’So, normally what we emphasise is, buy the device through the channel, so that we can hold our partners accountable for what is in the market.

We are prepared to serve them and make sure they get the best service from our devices,” she added.

TISALAT Nigeria has launched a promo for its customers intending to perform this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, the operator said from September 1 to November 30, new and old customers of the firm going to Saudi Arabia for the holy pilgrimage would enjoy highly discounted rates on local calls from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, short message services (SMS) and data services.

Director, Business Segments, Etisalat Nigeria Lucas Dada said the promo would give its customers discounts on calls to Nigeria at N30 per minute, local calls within Saudi Arabia at N30 per minute and N20 per SMS, with a data package for as low as 1 kobo per KB for all pay-as you-go data plans.

In addition, he said, incoming calls and SMS received in the holy land during the promo are free.

He said the promo, which is in its fourth year, was designed to

help customers stay in touch with their families, friends and business associates in several places, including Saudi Arabia at low costs.

“The hajj Special enables customers to seamlessly and conveniently stay connected to family and friends while performing hajj by providing heavily discounted rates on calls to Nigeria, local calls in Saudi, SMS and data services,” he said.

Customers can also travel with recharge cards as well as receive e-top up from family and friends.

Besides, Dada added, the promo offers its prepaid customers data roaming internet bundle packages.

“The prepaid hajj data bundles can be bought in Nigeria before proceeding for hajj, or while in Saudi Arabia. However, use of the bundles will only start when the customer arrives in Saudi Arabia and are valid for 30 days from the day of purchase,” he added.

MTN donates vehicles to Ondo

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O enhance security, MTN Foundation has donated patrol vehicles to Ondo State. The gesture, which was made under the Foundation’s Security Support Project (MTNFSSP) kicked off the second phase of the initiative.

Receiving the vehicles, Governor Olusegun Mimiko praised the Foundation for showing concern for the insecurity challenge in the country.

He said the initiative would help complement efforts made by the government in securing lives and properties in the state.

“Government can’t handle the security challenge alone, which is why we are, particularly, gladdened by this gesture and we are calling on other service providers to emulate the gesture of MTN and support government’s effort in providing adequate security for residents of Ondo as well as the entire country,” he said.

The Corporate Services Execu-

tive, MTN Nigeria Mr Akinwale Goodluck said the telecoms giant is glad to assist the state in tackling its insecurity challenges.

“It is common knowledge that security of life and property is critical to the growth and development of any state and is therefore an area that should not be left for the government alone. We are passionate about improving the quality of life in Nigeria and contributing to socio-economic growth. We constantly seek out opportunities to contribute to the development of the communities where we operate,” he added.

Ondo is a beneficiary of the MTN Foundation activities, such as the MTNF-Rural Telephone Project, MTNF Disability Support Project, MTNF Learning Facility Support Project, MTNF Youth Skills Development Project, MTNF Scholarship Scheme for students and now MTNF Security Support Project.

How intellectual property theft threatens software development

N Information Communication Technology (ICT) expert, Osamede Umweni, has suggested the updating of copyright laws to take care of emerging issues in the industry.

Unweni, who is the Chief Executive Officer 70th Precinct warned that if intellectual property theft is not checked, the industry’s growth be stunted.

To check copyright abuses,

the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, inaugurated an Information Technology Developers Enterpreneurship Accelerator (iDEA) Software Incubation Centre in Lagos and raised a governing board to run it.

Also, about N500 million has set aside and the venture capital fund manager is expected to generate about $75 million which will be used to assist young software developers and

start-ups.

Unmeni said: “Let me commend the minster for her visionary leadership of the new ministry. Intellectual property theft is a big issue that must be addressed. It refers to a range of intangible rights of ownership.

There are essentially four types of intellectual property rights relevant to software: patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and trademarks. Each affords a different type of legal protection.

So, every young sta-rtup should always consult their lawyers, who would guide on them on how to protect their intellectual property.”

According to him, it also important that the laws on intellectual property are updated.

Vice Chairman, iDEA, Pius Okigbo Jnr, said young software developers would sign an undertaking that they will not steal other people’s ideas, adding: “People will be mentored

on patenting.”

Mrs Jonhson assured that patent registration is available in the country, adding that poorly tested and documented software were the major challenges confronting local software industry.

She promised to support the industry, adding that if local software are well documented and tested, banks and other institutions will not waste money on imported software.

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NEWS

Vice President Namadi Sambo (second right); President, Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (right); Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, GTBank Mr Segun Agbaje (left) and Regional Head, Origination and Client Coverage Africa Standard Chartered Bank Mr Anil Dua at the US$3.3Billion Debt Financing for dangote Refinery/ Petrochemical and Fertilizer Complex in Abuja.

From right: Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; Deputy Governor Prof Modupe Adelabu; Special Adviser, Bureau of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Mr Kayode Jegede; Group Managing Director/CEO, ipNX Mr Ejovi Aror and Executive Director, Finance, ipNX Nigeria Ltd Mrs Bimpe Olaleye during the Ground Breaking of the Fibre-Optic Network Rollout (Phase 1A), in Ado-Ekiti.

•Minister of State Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Jumoke Akinjide(left) Director General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Emeka Mba; Secretary of the Commission Mark Ojiah and NBC Director of Marketing and Services Areh Patrick during a visit of NBC Team to the Minister in Abuja.

PHOTO ABAYOMI FAYESE

National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Vice-Chancellor Prof Vincent Tenebe; Dean School of Sciences Prof Mba Okoronkwo and President of Commonwealth Students/Youths Federation for Peace Bilikis Oyewande at the presentation of Peace Ambassador Award to Prof Okoronkwo at NOUN headquarters Lagos.

•Chairman, Bayelsa Post Flood Management Committee, Chief Francis Doukpola (left), and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Chief John Jonah, at a Workshop on Flood Preparedness and Management in Yenagoa... on Tuesday

•From left: Plenipotentiary, Republic of Rwanda to Nigeria, Ambassador Joseph Habineza; Country Director, Institute for Government Research and Leadership Technology, Ambassador Moses Essien; and Country Director, UNDP’s Democratic Governance Development Project, Dr Mourtada Deme, at the PHOTO ABAYOMI FAYESE 2013 leadership and democratic governance lecture held in Abuja.

•From left: Chanchangi Airlines Publc Relations Officer Mr. Olu Balogun; Deputy Airport Commandant, Yola International Airport, Bassey Sunday and Acting Head of Department, Operations, Mr Basaar Adamu, during Chanchangi Airlines inaugural flight, Lagos-Abuja-Yola, at the Yola International Airport, Yola.

•From right: First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan; Permanent Secretary State House Mr. Emmanuel Ogbile; Minister Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina and her Education counterpart Prof Ruqayyatu Rufa’I during the National Youth Online Protection Summit at the State House Banquet Hall in PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN. Abuja.

•From left: Representative of Turkish Ministry of Economy, Mr Mehmet Gettu; International Sales Director, Meridyen International Fair Organisations, Mr Nuvit Becan and Representative of National President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (Naccima), Mrs Adesola Adebutu at the opening of Turkish Export Products Exhibition in Lagos.

•Chairman, Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area Abiodun Mafe (middle) and members of the executive and legislative during the sanitation of their council at Water Bus-Stop, Ipaja, Lagos.

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NEWS

APC won Offa rerun, says PDP candidate •APC urges Jonathan, others to prevail on KWSIEC

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•Some of the All Progressive Congress (APC) members carrying placards during a media briefing by the party on the Offa Local Government rerun...yesterday. INSET, from left: All Progressive Congress (APC) Kwara State House of Assembly member representing Essa/ Shawo/Igbodun Constituency, Hassan Oyeleke; National Working Committee, All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Alhaji Femi Whyte; APC Kwara State House of Assembly member representing Ojomu/ Balogun Constituency, Olayonu Tope and Prince Popoola...yesterday.

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

bad thing. If something like this continues to happen and we decide to cover it up for one reason or the other, if not now, in the future we will account for everything.

“It is very good for us to call a spade a spade anywhere we see it. By doing this, you are helping yourself and others. In the interest of peace and justice in Offa and Kwara State, KWSIEC should release the authentic results of last Saturday’s local government poll in Offa.

“The people of Offa have said that they don’t want the PDP. It is clear that Offa people want the APC. The election is a test for both the APC and the PDP. It was a test for the PDP people to correct the wrongs they have been doing, which made the people to hate them. For the APC that won, it should check itself and examine what it has been doing that makes it acceptable in Offa.”

Jimoh’s confession gives the lie to the election results the KWSIEC announced on the state radio.

The commission has been accused of declaring the PDP, which won only one of the 12 wards in the local government, as the winner of the poll.

The APC chairmanship candidate, Saheed Popoola, yesterday said the announcement of the PDP candidate as the winner was laughable, unjust and dangerous to democracy.

Addressing reporters in Offa, Popoola urged well-meaning Nigerians, including President Jonathan, the IGP and Prof Jega to prevail on KWSIEC to upturn

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PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) councillorship candidate in last Saturday’s rerun in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Afolabi Jimoh, has confessed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate won in his ward.

Jimoh was declared the winner by the State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC).

The APC has urged President Goodluck Jonathan; the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, to prevail on KWSIEC to release the authentic result of the rerun.

Jimoh, who contested the Shawo Southwest Offa seat, said KWSIEC was in error to have declared him the winner.

The young politician said though he remained a loyal member of the PDP, but being a Muslim and a faithful Offa indigene, he would not claim the victory he did not win.

He said: “I remain the authentic candidate of the PDP for Shawo Southwest Ward. I make bold to say that in all the eight polling units in my ward, the PDP lost that day.

“As a son of this great town, I believe that in all that we do, we should know that we are going to account for them. I’m this wise. I am not going to be a part to getting what is not mine from anybody.

“In all the eight polling units in my ward (Shawo Southwest) the PDP lost, while the APC won convincingly in all the polling units in the rerun on August 31, 2013. I know well that the town stands for equity and justice. I know that we shall give account of all our actions on this earth one day.

“On that day, there will be no influence from anybody: be it an Oba, a governor, a leader, an elder, a father or mother.

You will be left alone with your deeds. In this wise, I have resolved not be a partaker of getting what is not mine from anybody: in Offa, Kwara State and Nigeria. As a native of this town, I don’t wish my town a

In all the eight polling units in my ward (Shawo Southwest) the PDPlost,whiletheAPC won convincingly in all the polling units in the rerun on August 31, 2013. I know well that the town stands for equity and justice. I know that we shall give account of all our actions on this earth one day.

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its injustice.

He said the authentic results, which were obtained from the collation centres, be declared in the interest of peace, justice and progress.

Popoola said: “The people of Offa Local Government, last Saturday, unequivocally decided that I, Saheed Popoola of the APC, is their choice. This choice must be respected, and we stand before God and man to declare that we stand by this choice.

“We are going to do everything possible within the ambit of the law to retrieve this mandate and exercise it to the benefit of the people of Offa. We shall not rest or tire until the people’s choice is sworn in.”

Popoola said the party had petitioned Radio Kwara for breaking the National Broadcasting Corporation’s (NBC’s) code.

Father, son killed in Jos attack

Sacked policeman kills man, 40, in Jigawa

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From Ahmed Rufa’I, Dutse

DISMISSED policeman has killed a 40-year-old man, simply identified as Malam Magaji, and injured three others at Galadanchi Quarters in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The Commandant of the state Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Malam Muhammad Gigado Fari, addressed reporters on the killing.

He identified the killer as “Abbati, a former police constable”.

The NSCDC commandant said Abbati “attacked and killed a middle-aged man over a minor dispute”.

He gave the name of the victim as Magaji Ringim who, until his death, was a worker at the School of Legal Studies, Ringim.

Three others, Auwalu Dan Dungure, Amadu Abdullahi and Hafizu Aminu, were seriously injured and taken to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, for treatment.

The suspect was reportedly arrested by the NSCDC and the police.

He said: “Already, we have petitioned Radio Kwara for breaking NBC’s rules. The guideline is here on the conduct of the announcement of result of election. Also, we have petitioned the INEC over the conduct of the KWSIEC officials, who have turned themselves to be agents of the PDP. We could not identify the difference between KWSIEC and the PDP. We discovered that Dr Uthman Ajidagba is a card-carrying member of the PDP. We have petitioned them. Already, we are in the Court of Appeal.

“There was a case that was going on before the election and there was a ruling last Friday.

We are already in the Court of Appeal. By the grace of God, we are going to send them out of that place.

“I want to assure you that the long arm of the law will chase them out. We will use all legal means to flush them out of that place. The place does not belong to them; it belongs to us, the APC.” The APC candidate stressed that the election result sheets were duly signed by presiding officers appointed by KWASIEC and security operatives.

According to him, the results from polling units were also

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From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

man and his son have been killed in Gyel village, Bukuru, in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

His wife escaped narrowly when gunmen attacked the family in their sleep on Tuesday night.

The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Abraham Yiljap, spoke on the attack when he addressed reporters in his office yesterday in Jos, the state capital.

He said: “At the moment, Plateau residents are at peace with one another, but some criminals are hiding under the cover of darkness to steal and give the impression that crises have resumed in the state.”

The commissioner advised the residents not to panic on some criminal activities in parts of the state.

He assured that the government was working with security agencies to end criminality.

Yiljap said seven suspects had been arrested in connection with recent criminal activities in the state.

collated at the 12 wards.

Popoola noted that given the final result, the APC won in 11 of the 12 wards and in the entire local government.

“Our party polled 11,337 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, who got 4,710,” he said.

“It was discovered that the Returning Officer, who is statutorily empowered to collate and declare results at the council’s collation centre, absconded. No officer of KWASIEC was available to offer an explanation on this.”

A huge crowd of APC supporters and other residents attended the media briefing.

The APC urged President Jonathan, IGP Abubakar and Prof Jega to prevail on KWSIEC to release the authentic result of the rerun.

The APC noted that the electoral subversion by KWSIEC was a threat to democracy, which gives the people the right to vote and be voted for.

The presiding officer for Unit 006 (Shawo Central), Akin Oyetunji, corroborated Jimoh’s confession.

Oyetunji said: “We accredited 227 people (at the unit) and 206 of them voted. Of the 206, the APC had 130 votes and the PDP had 73 for the chairmanship.

For councillorship, the APC had 152 and the PDP 57 votes. I can say it anywhere that in that polling unit, the APC won the election. I don’t fear anybody than Almighty Allah. I’ll say the truth even if it is bitter.”

Some placard-carrying students at the briefing called for the immediate release of the authentic results.

The National President of the Offa Students’ Union, Wasiu Afolabi, urged President Jonathan to wade into the matter to avoid “what is happening in Egypt and Syria”.

He added: “We know that the state government is not known to stand for the truth.”

A former member of the House of Assembly Saka Raji said KWSIEC has cheated the people of Offa.

The former Minority Leader said: “The election was free and fair, as testified to by the security agents. The community has been robbed. KWSIEC Chairman, Dr Ajidagba, needs to be investigated for wanting Offa to go up in flames.

“The state government is flouting the norms of democracy. It is a disgrace to the nation.

The PDP government in Kwara State has disgraced the whole world. The PDP has robbed APC of its legitimate right.”

BoI, ECOWAS bank partner on project financing

T

HE ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) may soon seal a funding pact with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to enhance project financing in the sub-region.

EBID, the financial arm of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is an international financial institution established by the 15-member countries of the community to promote development in private and public sectors.

At a study visit to the BoI office in Lagos, EBID’s Operations Director Isaac Olagunju, who led other members of the African Development Finance Institutions (ADFIs), said there was need to understudy the workings of the Nigerian bank.

He noted that the bank has become a success among African DFIs, adding that the BoI remained a major market for other DFIs. Olagunju said: “Remember that BoI is the single largest bank for EBID. It is in the light of this that we must liaise with them to get the desired level of funding for project financing, taking into cognisance that the bank is a success story in itself.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

54

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 4-09-13

Shareholders okay N4b new capital issue for Vitafoam

S

HAREHOLDERS of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc yesterday authorised the Board of the foam-manufacturing company to raise up to N4 billion from the capital market as the company moves to reduce its high financial leverage and further unlock returns to shareholders.

At the extraordinary general meeting in Lagos yesterday, shareholders also provided a window of opportunity for additional capital issue by empowering the Board to make supplementary allotment in the event of an oversubscription.

According to the resolutions by the shareholders, the Board could “raise up to N4 billion by issuing securities, such as equities or debt by way of public offer, rights issue, debenture, special placing and other options or combination of any of these methods and offering same for sale on such terms and conditions as the directors may deem fit in the interest of the company, subject to the approval of the relevant regulatory authorities.”

By Taofik Salako

The indication is that the company would opt for a rights issue in line with the general consensus of the shareholders. Shareholders said that the new capital issue is a better option to expand the operation of the company.

Chairman, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr Bamidele Makanjuola said the recent expansionary investments made by the company were financed from internally generated revenue and short term loans from banks, which have made it expedient now to refinance the balance sheet through new issues.

According to him, the financial leverage has been exerting enormous pressure on the company’s working capital and bottom-line.

“The implication of this regime of funding is better appreciated if we consider the fact that in the past three years, about N1.2 billion was paid out as an interest on loans and overdrafts to banks as against N742 million paid as dividends to sharehold-

ers,” Makanjuola noted.

He said the most efficient way to consolidate the expansion programme already carried out is to prospect for equity injection into the business urging the shareholders to support the new issue.

In direct reference to possibility of a rights issue, Makanjuola “urged shareholders to take advantage of this unique opportunity to enhance the quality of their shareholdings by increasing their stake in the business”.

Managing Director, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc Mr Joel Ajiga assured that the company would continue to explore opportunities to improve its operations and customer satisfaction while delivering better returns to shareholders.

He said the recapitaliation was in the best interest of the shareholders given the potential recent investments have created for future earnings.

General Secretary, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN) Mr Adebayo Adeleke said the rights issue is coming at the right time, noting that the historic performance of the company has made it a toast of investors.

He urged the company to make judicious use of the new capital to deliver improved returns to shareholders.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 4-09-13

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

55

MONEY LINK Money market funds hit $4.7tr

DMO seeks co-arrangers B for N80b note issue T

HE Debt Management Office (DMO) has said it is looking for an international bank and a local lender to act as co-arrangers for N80 billion depository note to be issued this year.

According to Reuters, the DMO said in a notice it has appointed a sole depository bank and an arranger for the offering, but did not name them.

The news agency quoted a source at DMO saying Nigeria had mandated Citibank to act as the depository bank.

A Citibank spokesperson declined to comment. Bids for co-arrangers are due on October 3. Nigeria is increasing the amount it borrows from overseas to around 40 per cent of all debt over the next three to five years, from 12 per cent, seeking lower funding

ANKS and asset managers running money-market funds face a regulatory push from the European Union (EU) amid warnings from lenders that the plans may kill off part of the $4.7 trillion global industry.

Bloomberg reports that Michel Barnier, the EU’s financial services chief, will call for the funds to hoard easy-to-sell assets and in some cases to meet minimum capital requirements, in a bid to limit the scope for excessive risk-taking.

Regulators are working to impose tighter restrictions on money-market funds since the September 2008 collapse of the $62.5 billion Reserve Primary Fund. Its failure, caused by losses on debt issued by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., triggered a wider run on the industry that helped freeze global credit

Stories by Collins Nweze

costs.

The debt office in May said it would issue N80 billion in global depository notes this year, after a $1 billion Eurobond, to deepen its footprint in international debt markets.

Citibank and Deutsche Bank acted as advisers on the $1 billion Eurobond issued in July, which was four times oversubscribed.

Nigeria also plans to issue $100 million in Diaspora bonds this year and is seeking advisers.

The DMO said the depository note will be documented under U.S. rules and listed in Europe.

•DMO DG Abraham Nwankwo

Analysts want banks to enhance financial inclusion

B

ANKS need to take steps that will enhance financial inclusion in the country given the benefits such move will accrue to the economy, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited, Bismarck Rewaane has said.

According to the FDC’s Monthly Economic Report for September, banks’commitment to financial inclusion plans will help reduce the level of poverty and underdevelopment in the country.

He said a study carried out by Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFINA) in 2012 showed that 34.9 million, that is 39.7 per cent of adult Nigerians lacked access to banking services.

He said to achieve her Vision 20:20

objective of being one of the top 20 economies and Millennium Development Goals of reducing extreme poverty and hunger, Nigeria must invest in human capacity and infrastructure.

“The importance of financial inclusion cannot be over-emphasised as funds and credit must flow with ease to those who need them.

To ascertain the viability of agent banking in Nigeria, we used a peer comparison with emphasis on economic variables, using nations where agent banking is practiced.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, per capita income, poverty and literacy level, mobile phone and internet penetration, power and level of insecurity are factors that can

affect the viability of agent banking,” he said.

This finding, he added, is in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) mandate on financial inclusion, which necessitated the introduction of an agent banking policy in the country.

Agent banking, he explained, is a model in which an authorised third party renders banking services to customers on behalf of a financial institution. Services rendered by the agent are transactional in nature and include deposits, withdrawal and transfer of cash.

Also, included are account opening, cheques request, bills payment and balance inquiry. The model, he explained, was originally designed to offer banking services to persons who do not have access to a traditional bank due to poverty or location.

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

NITY Bank Plc plans to hold draws to select the first group of winners in the second edition of its Savings Promo known as 3-in-1 Savings Advantage.

In a statement, the bank said the first of the five draws would hold in Bauchi this weekend.

It noted that “all the draws will be held in a period of about two weeks between September 7 and 21, this year”.

No fewer than 61,383 savers qualified for the draws.

The draws are scheduled to hold in five cities across, namely PortHarcourt, Minna, Katsina, Akure and Bauchi covering the five zones adopted by the bank to bring the promo and reward its customers in their primary localities or businessplaces.

The bank’s Divisional Head for Retail Banking, Usman Abaji, said prizes to be won are sound proof generating set, 32’ LED Samsung televi-

NIDF NESF

OBB Rate Call Rate

Current Market 5495.33 N552.20

Amount Offered ($) 350m 350m

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2012 “ 14-04-2012

GAINERS AS AT 4-09-13

TRANSEXPR JOSBREW VITAFOAM VONO DNMEYER PAINTCOM CUSTODYINS PZ WAPIC STANBIC

0.91 3.54 4.02 1.06 1.72 1.95 1.39 38.90 0.99 17.07

C/PRICE 1.00 3.89 4.41 1.16 1.88 2.13 1.51 41.99 1.05 18.07

350m

CHANGE 0.09 0.35 0.39 0.10 0.16 0.18 0.12 3.09 0.06 1.00

Year Start Offer

Current Before

Current After

CUV Start %

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

153.0000

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N) Bureau de Change (S/N) Parallel Market

PRESTIGE CHAMPION MANDRID AIRSERVICE AIICO AGLEVENT WEMABANK TRANSCORP UBCAP COURTVILLE

O/PRICE 0.60 17.03 5.94 3.44 0.87 1.70 1.10 1.35 1.35 0.71

C/PRICE 0.54 15.33 5.35 3.10 0.79 1.55 1.02 1.28 1.28 0.68

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

July ’12

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 11.8%

CHANGE 0.06 1.70 0.59 0.34 0.08 0.15 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.03

NIBOR Tenor

Amount Demanded ($) 150m 138m

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8

2-7-12 27-6-12

113m

113m

155.7

22-6-12

Statistics All Share Index Mkt Cap (NGN’bn) Deal Volume (mn) Value (NGN’mn)

30 Aug 36,248.53 11,496.61 4,164 190.62 2,580.30

Rate (%) 30 Aug

Rate (%) 2 Sep

Call

11.66

12.29

7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 90 Days

12.00 12.45 12.75 13.16

12.58 12.87 13.16 13.41

Date

02 Sep 36,337.15 11,524.72 4,468 256.91 2,393.16

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

LOSERS AS AT 4-09-13

SYMBOL

sion, thermocool deep freezer, gas cooker, and refrigerators.

Other prizes are Blackberry phones, and thermocool bed-side fridge and power generating set.

The bank said the draws cover only savers in the category of N10,000 and N100,000 minimum threshold and for 45 days only.

Subsequent draws will cater for other category of savers, which will be rewarded with scholarship, business empowerment tools and the grand star prize of Kia Rio saloon cars.

Unity Bank restated its commitment to fairness and transparency, urging the public to attend the draws to witness for themselves. It added that regulators, such as Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and National Lottery Regulatory Commission would attend the event.

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

From Nduka Chiejina (Asst Editor), Abuja

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Quotation Price N8250.00 N1000.00

Unity Bank holds promo

DATA BANK

FGN BONDS Tenor

U

markets.

The EU plans include requiring money-market funds that maintain a fixed share price to build up a cash buffer equivalent to three per cent of their assets, according to the draft. Funds that are already in place before the rules become law would have three years to fully meet the cash-buffer requirement.

The European Fund and Asset Management Association, a group representing the investment-management activities of banks including HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), has warned that setting capital requirements for money funds risks destabilising their business model and confusing investors, who may simply look elsewhere.

Offer Price

Bid Price

ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH 9.17 9.08 KAKAWA GUARANTEED 1.00 1.00 STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE INVE 141.19 140.70 AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 156.04 155.62 LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL 0.80 0.78 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.16 1.16 BGL NUBIAN FUND 1.18 1.16 FBN MONEY MARKET FUND 100.00 100.00 FBN FIXED INCOME FUND 1,000.00 1,000.00 NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. 1,817.15 1,813.39 PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND 13.64 12.97 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 1.33 CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST 1.87 1.80 STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY 11.004.94 10,680.29 • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUNDARM AGGRESSIVE

Movement

SECONDARY MARKET Tenor T-bills - 91 T-bills - 182 T-bills - 364 Bond - 3yrs Bond - 5yrs Bond - 7yrs

30 Aug (%) 10.58 10.72 11.15 13.07 13.49 13.53

02 Sep (%) 10.42 10.66 11.05 13.07 13.49 13.51

THE NATION THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

56

NEWS Warder shoots taxi driver in Rivers From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

A PRISON warder yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, shot a taxi driver on the Elelenwo-Akpajo Road, not far from the State Television (RSTV).

The name of the triggerhappy warder could not be ascertained but it was gathered that some warders, who were moving some suspects, got stuck in a traffic jam and decided to drive on the other side of the road.

As the prison’s vehicle was moving, it ran into a taxi. The officers, it was gathered, ordered the driver to move and he complied.

An eyewitness said: “As the driver made to move, there was a gunshot and there he was in a pool of his blood. A lady, who sat beside him, was injured.

We don’t even know if she would survive or not.”

Police spokesperson Mrs. Angela Agabe said the warder has been disarmed, arrested and handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

Protect pipelines, says Akpabio

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

WORRIED by the spate of pipeline vandalism in the country, Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday appealed to host communities to partner the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to protect oil facilities.

Akpabio spoke in Uyo, the state capital, during a stakeholders’ sensitisation forum on anti-vandalism.

According to the governor, giving information to security agencies could lead to the arrest of pipeline vandals.

His words: “I urge the host communities to join the fight to stop this evil, before it stops us.

“You must rise up to the challenge of protecting oil installations within your environment.

“I request the various security agencies to establish mutual collaboration with communities to gather intelligence information towards curbing the activities of the vandals.

Edo takes custody of stowaway boy

T

HE Edo State government has taken custody of Daniel Ohikhena, the 13-year-old boy who flew from Benin to Lagos in the tyre compartment of an Arik aircraft.

It was not confirmed yesterday which correctional facility it plans to take Daniel to.

Many government officials declined comments on the matter but a source said Daniel would not be handed over to his family.

The source said they discovered that Daniel would not do well, if he was returned to his parents since they are separated.

His dad, Osaigbovo, who suddenly appeared on Tuesday, said he was yet to see his son.

In a telephone chat, Osaigbovo said he has been begging to see his son, adding that he was yet to be told of what transpired at the meeting attended by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, State Director of the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) Bakori Tukur, officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs, his wife and son.

Daniel’s mother, Evelyn, however, vowed

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

to take custody of her son.

She said the government should be ready to “detain” her as well.

Daniel was said to have told the governor and security operatives that he does not want to see his father.

The issue of who takes custody was said to have generated much argument at the meeting.

Sources at the meeting said officials of the ministry and the SSS argued contrary to the governor’s suggestion that Daniel should be handed over to his mother.

“There was an argument over who should take custody of the boy.

The governor said he should be given to his mother but the DSS and officials of the ministry of Women Affairs said the government should take custody.”

Evelyn told reporters yesterday that she was not prepared to reconcile with her husband.

She said they have been separated for over a year because of the problem she had from the organisation

she borrowed money from.

Mrs. Ohikhena said when her husband was informed about their missing son, he responded by saying, “I should go and look for his son for him.

“I was robbed on my way from a business trip to Koko market in Delta State.

I also had a defect in one eye that has affected my vision.

“I cannot see out of one eye at the moment due to incessant beatings I received from him.

“The question you people should ask him is whether he knows the private school Daniel was attending before I transferred him to the public school at Ogbe.

“He has since abandoned us. He and his family have been disturbing me since they heard that Daniel was given a scholarship.

“My husband is staying in his mother’s house. I will resist any attempt to deprive me of the custody of my son. If it happens I will ask them to detain me with him. I am not after the scholarship money. All I am after is for them to release my son to me,” she

said.

The government said its interaction with Daniel showed an intelligent kid who needs more care.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation Louis Odion said the government was taking steps to ensure Daniel got psychological support to enable him achieved his potentials.

Odion stated that the state is ready to assist him consistent with the philosophy of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

He said: "As a dotting parent himself, Governor Oshiomhole has followed the development closely. As a matter of fact, he personally engaged Daniel.

"From his interaction with Daniel and his parents, who unfortunately are separated, it is obvious that there is a deficient in terms of parental care even though Daniel sounds quite intelligent.

"We will ensure that Daniel benefits first of all from the intervention from clinical psychologists.

"His psychic needs to be weaned off destructive anger."

A

N activist in Rivers State, James Kobah, has called on Ijaw leader Chief Edwin Clark to stop witch-hunting Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Kobah accused Clark of misleading President Goodluck Jonathan in the current political crisis in the country.

He berated the Ijaw leader for advocating the governor’s expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for alleged anti-party activities.

The activist called on Clark to go home and “rest since he has nothing to offer the President”.

Kobah said the Ijaw leader should also be held responsible for the failure of the Jonathan administration.

He said: “Clark says he has a new wife at 84. He should rest at home and manage his new wife since he has nothing to offer the President.

“We are not happy with what is going on now in the state. We want to ask him (Clark) to leave Amaechi and Rivers State alone.

“He can continue to deceive Mr. President if Mr. President decides to accept his advice. There is a crisis of this magnitude in which stakeholders are pulling out of the PDP and he’s still there deceiving Mr. President.”

Kobah noted that the governor would not be subdued by his political enemies because God is on his side.

“Amaechi is succeeding because there is some level of justice in all the actions he had taken.

“Of course, you can see that Amaechi's cause is being fought by God. There is no way he could have survived in the system till today if God is not on his side.”

Akpabio ‘Manager of the Year’

By Nneka Nwaneri

A •Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi addressing participants at the 2014 pre-budget orientation and sensitisation workshop in Port Harcourt...yesterday.

Protest over Edo kidnap victims

C

•Dad begs to see son •Mother vows to take custody

Leave Amaechi alone, activist tells Clark

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

IVIL society groups in Edo State have demanded the release of victims being held by kidnappers.

The victims are human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, a primary school teacher, Mrs. P. Elebe, her three children and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tenacious Ogbome.

Mrs. Elebe and her children -two girls and a boy- were abducted on August 18 on their way to church.

Ozekhome and Ogbome have spent 14 days with their abductors.

It was gathered that negotiations were on for payment of ransom but the demand of the kidnappers was not made known.

The groups called for the release of the victims during a protest in Benin City.

They called on the government to declare a state of emergency on security and youth employment.

Mike’s elder brother, Pius, said: “The only thing I can say is that we have committed everything into God’s hand and what God has decreed, no man can stop.

“We earnestly pray for his return because there is no family without Mike.”

On whether his family has been contacted, he said: “You know this is a sensitive issue and it should be treated as such.”

Robbers invade Delta deputy governor’s home

S

USPECTED robbers stormed the house of Delta State Deputy Governor Prof Amos Utuama and stole car parts.

Some commissioners also fell victims. Richard Mofe-Damijo (Tourism), Newworld Safugha (Local Government Affairs) and Patrick Ferife (Lands) lost valuables to the robbers.

Utuama’s house is near the commissioners’ quarters A Toyota Hilux Truck belonging to Mofe-Damijo was vandalised and some parts stolen.

•Three commissioners not spared From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

It was gathered that the robbers scaled the 16feet fence of the Deputy Governor’s residence and headed for the car park.

They removed spare parts from exotic vehicles in Utuama’s garage.

Items carted away include nine brain boxes and an undisclosed amount of cash hidden in cartridges in some of the vehicles.

The deputy governor has ordered the redeployment of his security personnel. It was learnt he has sacked his domestic staff.

Already, the deputy governor’s chief detail and other senior security officers, who were on duty, are facing orderly trial for their alleged complicity.

Police spokesman Lucky Uyabeme said investigation had begun.

KWA Ibom State Governor Godswil Akpabio will be conferred with the award of the Manager of the Year by the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

NIM President Michael Olawale-Cole said the award followed the extraordinary performance and efficient manner in which Akpabio has managed the state’s resources.

He said the Annual National Management Conference would hold in Uyo from September 15-17 where the governor will present a paper titled: ‘’Essentials of Good Governance in the Progressive Transformation of Nigeria’.

The conference is expected to be declared open

by President Goodluck Jonathan at a gathering of 3,000 professional managers; government functionaries; decision makers; opinion leaders; policy formulators and top management executives in both the private and public sectors.

THE NATION THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

57

NEWS

More confusion in APGA

Orji hails Methodist Church

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

M

ONDAY’S emergence of Chike Obidigbo as the second governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the primaries conducted by the Maxi Okwu’s faction has thrown the party into more confusion.

Some members have started joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP).

On August 26, APGA elected Willy Obiano as its candidate during the primaries conducted at the Women Development Centre in Awka, Anambra State.

But on September 2, the Okwu’s faction held another primaries at MicRoyale Hotel in Awka to elect Obidigbo.

Obidigbo had been disqualified by the party’s screening committee with six others, which paved the way for Obiano, regarded as Governor Peter Obi’s choice.

Since the August 26 primaries, all had not been well with the party.

Some of the members have accused the National Chairman, Victor Umeh, of being partisan.

Okwu has continued to accuse Obi of using him for his selfish reasons.

A member said: “We are no longer comfortable with what is happening in (APGA). This party has been balkanised just as the PDP and that is why it is becoming to your tents o Israel.”

Anambra to employ 5,000 teachers From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Onitsha

A

NAMBRA State Governor Peter Obi yesterday ordered the immediate employment of 5,000 teachers and other administrative workers into the state’s primary and secondary schools.

Obi directed the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Uju Okeke, to ensure that the employment process followed due process in the 21 local government areas.

The governor, who spoke at the 2013 Principals’ Annual Retreat at Nkpor, Idemmili North Local Government Area, said the state would spend N15 billion on primary and secondary schools by December.

He said before the end of October, the 410 secondary schools in the state would receive new buses, generators and computer sets, with complete accessories.

Mrs. Okeke said the state education system was being repositioned and schools would continue to benefit from the government’s intervention.

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

•A train at Ikeja, Lagos...yesterday. Inset is a coach of the train which fell.

I

Abortion law: Why Okorocha succumbed to pressure

MO State Governor Rochas Okorocha may have conceded to the Church in repealing the law legalising abortion to prevent opposition parties from taking advantage of the misunderstanding to pitch the church against his government, it was learnt.

The governor ordered the repeal of the abortion law, which was greeted by criticism and protest since it was signed into law.

Sources said the governor succumbed to the church, which kicked against the law permitting victims of sexual assault, rape and incest to abort resultant pregnancies, to avoid a battle with Catholics.

The governor’s action was not unconnected to the fear that incurring the

N

PHOTO:ABIODUN WILLIAMS

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

wrath of the highly populated Catholic Church will rob him the chances of re-election or anointing a successor in 2015.

Former Governor Ikedi Ohakim lost his re-election bid to a running battle between him and the Catholic Church after he reportedly ordered a priest to be beaten up.

A source within the Government House, who spoke to The Nation, said: “The governor is not unaware of the implications of engaging the Church in a battle because that was exactly what consumed his predecessor.

“So what he has done was the smartest thing to do in the present circum-

‘The governor is not unaware of the implications of engaging the Church in a battle because that was exactly what consumed his predecessor’ stance to avoid the wrath of the Christians who play a deciding role in who becomes governor.

“Okorocha is equally aware that mischievous politicians, who were bent on pulling down his administration may have hi-

jacked the situation and escalated it to the point of painting him and the lawmakers as enemies of the people, especially Christians.”

It was also gathered that some powerful elements within the governor’s camp, who are devout Catholics, were secretly supporting the Church against the government by releasing vital documents pertaining to the controversial law to the leadership of the Church.

Political analysts believe that the governor’s action would calm frayed nerves and mitigate the plot of some politicians to capitalise on the issue to pull down the government.

Nine killed by mudslide in Calabar

INE people were killed in Edim Otop community in Calabar, Cross River State when a mudslide rolled off the side of a hill and collapsed on a building.

Several others were injured.

A man lost his familyhis expectant wife, three

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

children and his motherin-law- in the incident, which happened in an area, called burrow pit off Uduak Obong Close.

The man, it was learnt, cheated death as he went to fetch water from the rain. It rained all day in

Man remanded for alleged sodomy

From Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

•Ibama...yesterday

A SENIOR Magistrate’s Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, yesterday remanded in

Calabar yesterday.

Also killed were those who tried to rescue the victims.

When The Nation visited the scene at about 9pm yesterday, bodies were being exhumed. Six were counted by our reporter.

Present on the scene were the Quick interven-

custody a suspected homosexual for allegedly defiling seven- year-old twin brothers, Elijah and Elisha Emmanuel.

Godface Ibama (30) reportedly committed the crime at Urualla water front, Mile One, Diobu, on August 23, but was arrested and detained last Friday.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of having unlawful sex with the boys.

The prosecutor, Sgt Kenneth Osisi, told the court that the suspect committed the offence punishable under Section 214(1), of the Criminal Code Cap 37, volume 2, laws of Rivers State.

The Magistrate, Alatuwo Elkanah Fubara, adjourned the matter till September 11 because the suspect had no lawyer.

“I have taken notice of the fact that the suspect has no lawyer. The matter is adjourned till September 11 for bail argument,” he said.

tion Squad and the State Emergency management Agency, who evacuated the bodies to the General Hospital in Calabar.

ABIA State Governor Theodore Orji has hailed the Methodist Church of Nigeria for choosing an Igbo man as its Prelate.

Orji, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Cosmos Ndukwe, said he was elated that for the first time in the history of the church, an Igbo man, Rev Samuel Uche, has been picked as Prelate.

He enjoined members of the church to join the prelate in building the church.

The governor said the election of Archbishop Uche signifies that there is indeed hope and that with a little patience the grace of God will locate everybody.

Orji enjoined clerics ,especially those from the South, to continue in their decision to ensure that most Rev. Uche succeeds.

Four die in Ebonyi accident From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

FOUR persons died in an accident involving a Mercedes Benz truck and a green Mazda Infinity at the Amudo Onueke axis of the Abakaliki-Afikpo Expressway.

The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ebonyi State, Jide Fehintola, confirmed the incident yesterday in Abakaliki, the state capital.

Fehintola said there was a head–on collision when the tyre of the Mazda Infinity bursted. He attributed the crash to over speeding and recklessness.

“Four people -three men and one woman-died on the spot. Another person was injured. The bodies have been taken to the mortuary.

“The crash would have been avoided if the drivers were not over speeding.

Yes, the tyre bursted but if he was not over-speeding, he would have been able to control the car.”

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NEWS PDP cracks widen as Tukur, Baraje clash Continued from page 2

deal with us; we are waiting for them.

On the status of the New PDP, Baraje said “it is legal; there is no cause for alarm.”

He added: “As far as we are concerned, the court has recognised us and directed that the status quo be maintained.

His press conference is subjudice to the order of the court.

Let them continue to make more blunders.”

Regarding plans to declare the seats of 22 Senators and 57 members of the House of Representatives vacant, Baraje said: “It shows that Tukur does not know anything about the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. “You can see that all our complaints against Tukur are genuine. He is a symbol of intolerance, recklessness, poli-

tics of exclusion and over and above all, ignorance.

“How can a national chairman of a party say that he would declare the seats of lawmakers vacant? Does he have the power? This is sheer ignorance.”

“To wake up and say he is going to recall people or declare their seats vacant showed he is ignorant. He is not fit to be called the national chairman of the PDP.” Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and seven governors elected on the platform of the PDP on Saturday, launched a breakaway faction of the party.

The seven Governors are: Rotimi Amaehi (Rivers); Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Sule

Lamido (Jigawa); and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara).

Baraje was named the chairman of the faction.

Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola was made secretary.

The former deputy chairman of the Tukur-led PDP, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, is the deputy chairman of the “new PDP”.

Members of the National Assembly have also been embracing the faction in their numbers.

Baraje said the group was forced to leave the Tukur-led PDP as a result of series of arbitrary actions and dangerous permutations by Tukur, with President Goodluck Jonathan’s backing.

He also listed arbitrary suspension of notable members of the party, adding that the PDP has lost focus.

Three killed in Onitsha building collapse

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HREE people were feared killed yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra State, when a four-storey building, under construction, collapsed after an early morning downpour.

The building, situated on No 24, Obanye Street in Odoakpu, near Onitsha General Post Office, collapsed at about 3:30pm. The collapsed building is said to be valued at over N40 million.

It could not be confirmed yesterday if three people died. An eye witness said nobody died as workers had closed for the day when it happened. He said workers were sighted at the building at about 8am.

A mechanic, Mr. Willy Chima, told our reporter that he had his workshop on the land before it was sold for the erection of the four-storey building. Chima said the building could have given way because the soil had persistently been ravaged by flood.

He noted that the land should have been sand-filled before the erection of a structure of such magnitude.

At the scene of the incident in Obanye Street, sympathisers were seen discussing in

•Another caves in at Nnewi From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Onitsha

groups.

Sources said inferior materials could have been used in the construction. Tiny iron rods were seen hanging-out and the building appeared sunk below its foundation.

A woman from Ukpo in Dunukofia Local Government Area, who allegedly owned the building and lives in Abuja, was said to own another five-storey building, which is almost completed at the back of the collapsed structure.

The contractor handling the project was said to have visited the site on hearing about the unfortunate incident.

Another eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the builders and labourers did not work due to a downpour, which started at about 6:30 a.m.

“We heard a heavy sound and as most of the neighbourhoods in the street rushed out, we saw the uncompleted building collapsing.

“It was a big surprise to all of us. We have noticed recent-

ly that work in the building was going on at a high speed.

“It is just a pity, what a huge financial loss. But thank God, no one was working in the building today and no one was injured in the incident,’’ he said.

A three-storey building undergoing construction at Okofia–Umuenem, Otolo Nnewi in Nnewi North Local Government Area also collapsed.

Work was going on when the building caved in, trapping about seven workers.

Although nobody died, six were wounded, three critically. They were rushed to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and a private hospital.

Chief Christopher Akabogu, a businessman based in Kano, is said to be the owner of the building. The contractor was said to have used inferior materials.

President General of the Community, Mr Alphonsus Amiebue said that the villagers mobilised to rescue the victims but could not ascertain if some were buried alive.

•Members of Taraba State House of Assembly (from left): Albasu, Mark Useni and Abel Peter Diah…yesterday

Suntai: Lawmakers reject Taraba deal Continued from page 2

Speaker Haruna Tsokwa told The Nation that the eight lawmakers were expressing the view of the minority in the House. To him, “legislative function is a game of numbers; 16 of us signed that it should be so.

“When the PDP Fact-Finding Committee came, they met with the leadership of the House and the Majority Leader was there; when they reached the agreement, they didn’t say anything;, when the PDP panel was issuing a statement, they didn’t say anything, today, they are

coming out with a different view.”

Tsokwa said the interest of Taraba supersedes individual interest.

“We have Taraba at heart, and what we want is peace.

That is why the PDP committee came to resolve the matter,” he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

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FOREIGN NEWS Iraqi Shia family of 16 massacred

A

N attack on a Shia Muslim family living near Baghdad has left at least 16 people dead, Iraqi officials say.

Six children and five women were among those killed when the neighbouring homes of two brothers in the town of Latifiya, 40km (25 miles) south of the capital, were targeted overnight.

A survivor said the gunmen shot anyone they saw before blowing up the houses.

Sectarian violence has surged across Iraq in recent months, reaching its highest level since 2008.

More than 800 people were killed in August alone, with Baghdad province worst affected.

Latifiya is in a religiouslymixed region that came to be known as the “Triangle of Death” at the peak of Iraq’s insurgency in 2006 and 2007.

Obama reassures Europeans over US surveillance

P

RESIDENT Barack Obama is reassuring Europeans that the U.S. is not snooping through their emails or eavesdropping on their telephone calls.

Obama says U.S. surveillance programs that became public knowledge after a government contractor leaked details about them are meant to help improve America’s understanding of what’s happening around the world. He acknowledged that the programs haven’t always worked as intended and said steps have been taken to “tighten them up.”

Europeans, who place a premium on privacy, were outraged by the programs.

At a news conference yesterday on his first visit as president to Sweden, Obama assured Europeans that the U.S. isn’t spying on them. He says additional changes to the programs may be required and that his national security team along with an independent board is reviewing everything.

German leader visits site of French WWII massacre

W

ITH hugs and handholding in a solemn tribute to those killed, the presidents of Germany and France yesterday visited a ghost town left behind after the largest massacre in Nazi-occupied France nearly seven decades ago.

The trip by German President Joachim Gauck, accompanied by France’s Francois Hollande, to the southwestern French town of Oradour-surGlane was the first by a serving German leader. The town is today a phantom village, with burned-out cars and abandoned buildings left as testimony to its history.

On June 10, 1944 - four days after the Allied D-Day landings in Normandy - an SS armored division herded hundreds of civilians into barns and a church, blocked the doors, and set the town on fire.

A total of 642 men, women and children died. The killings were believed to have been ordered by a battalion commander in retaliation for the kidnapping of a German soldier by the French Resistance.

Mali’s new President Keita sworn in

I

BRAHIM Boubacar Keita has been sworn in as Mali’s new president at the Supreme Court in the capital, Bamako.

Before he took his oath of office, transitional leader Dioncounda Traore handed over power at a ceremony inside the presidential palace.

Mr Keita, a former prime minister, won last month’s run-off election.

The election of the new president is intended to restore normality after a coup and French-led military action against Islamist rebels in the north.

France sent more than 4,000 troops to Mali in January and together with West African troops regained control of towns and cities from groups aligned with al-Qaeda.

They captured territory with the backing of Tuareg separatists in 2012, taking advantage of a coup in Bamako during which the army accused the civilian government of not doing enough to repel the Islamists.

Mr Traore and defeated presidential candidate Soumaila Cisse were among the more than 1,000 politicians, diplomats and military personnel at yesterday’s inauguration, according to agency reports.

The 68-year-old also reiterated that national reconciliation was his priority.

“I want to reconcile hearts and minds, restore true brotherhood between us so that all the different people can play their part harmoniously in the national symphony,” he said.

A

China: Bizzare case of a boy eye-gouging •Malian new President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita takes the oath of office on Yesterday. Keita, a former prime minister, began his five-year term in the presence of outgoing transitional leader Dioncounda Troare.

PHOTO :AFP

A larger inauguration ceremony, to which French President Francois Hollande has been invited, will be held later this month.

One of the first tasks for Mr Keita, often known as

“IBK”, will be to open peace talks with Tuareg separatist groups.

After France’s military intervention, the separatists captured Kidal, the only town in Mali where the Tu-

years in prison without the possibility of parole for abducting the three women and keeping them imprisoned in the dungeon-like confines of his house, where they were starved, beaten and sexually assaulted for about a decade.

The house where the three were held, bound with chains and ropes for periods of time, has been torn down.

Police found a suicide note and confession written by Castro when they searched his home in May. His lawyer said on Wednesday that prison authorities repeatedly denied him a psychologist.

“We requested the opportunity for our retained independent psychologist to see and evaluate Mr. Castro in both the county jail and in the prison reception center, where he was being held. We were

denied and thwarted in each of our attempts by the state and county,” defense attorney Jaye Schlachet told Reuters.

After prison medical personnel tried to resuscitate him, Castro, 53, was transferred to a hospital and pronounced dead about 90 minutes later, officials said.

“If the state of Ohio is going to incarcerate an individual they should protect that individual from themselves and others,” Schlachet said.

“This is not good for the system and not good for the families,” the lawyer said.

Castro was taken into custody in May, just after Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, were freed with assistance from neighbors who heard Berry’s cries for help.

Also rescued was Berry’s 6-

aregs form a majority. But they agreed in June to allow nationwide elections to go ahead as long as negotiations continued within two months of a new president taking office.

•Castro

year-old daughter, fathered

by Castro and born during her mother’s captivity.

Castro pleaded guilty in July to kidnapping, rape, felonious assault and aggravated murder under a fetal homicide law for the forcible miscarriage of one of his three victims.

His plea deal with prosecutors spared Castro a possible death penalty for murder.

French PM: Assad could strike again if no one acts

F

RANCE’S prime minister made a passionate appeal yesterday for intervention in Syria, placing the blame for a chemical attack on Syrian President Bashar Assad and warning that inaction would let him carry out more atrocities.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault addressed the French National Assembly at the beginning of a debate on the wisdom and necessity of a French military response. Yesterda-

By Nneka Nwaneri

THE United Nations will for the first time today celebrate the International Day of Charity, a statement by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon reads.

The UN Chief urges the world to give charity in order to play their role in upholding the values and advancing the work of the United Nations.

Charity Ki- moon says also includes donations of time or money; volunteer engagement in one’s own community or on the other side of the world; acts of caring and kindness with no thought of recompense, among other expressions of global solidarity to help the shared quest to live together in harmony and build a peaceful future for all.

The observance coincides with the anniversary of the death of Catholic nun, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, whose life and good works for some of the human family’s poorest and most vulnerable members inspired emulation across the world.

Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro hangs self in prison cell

RIEL Castro, sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping, rape and beatings of three Cleveland women he held captive in his house for a decade, was found hanged in his prison cell late Tuesday, a state corrections official said.

The former school bus driver, who pleaded guilty to 937 offences in July, was under protective custody and isolated from other inmates at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient. Prison staff found him hanged at about 9:20 p.m.

CDT on Tuesday (0220 GMT, Wednesday), officials said.

A review of the incident, which came a month after a death row prisoner was found hanged at another Ohio prison, was underway.

Castro was sentenced on August 1 to life plus 1,000

UN celebrates 1st Charity Day

day’s debate will end without a vote - since President Francois Hollande can order a military operation without one but it was part of his government’s delicate dance to rev up support at home for an unpopular intervention.

The French debate also offered a preview of the challenges ahead for the Obama administration when the U.S. Congress debates Syria next week.

The U.S. and France accuse

Assad’s government of using chemical weapons in an Aug. 21 attack on rebel-held suburbs of Damascus that killed hundreds of people. Obama and Hollande are pushing for a military response to punish Assad for his alleged use of poison gas against civilians although U.S. officials say any action will be limited in scope and not aimed at helping to remove Assad.

The French government is in a particularly difficult situ-

ation, with many opposition party members claiming that the Socialist Hollande is merely acting as a lapdog for the U.S., the only other major power considering a Syrian military intervention.

Ayrault was careful to say that his certainty about the facts of the attack comes from French sources. But he mentioned for the first time a death toll of nearly 1,500 - which is around what the Americans have cited.

CHINESE police say a sixyear-old boy whose eyes were gouged out may have been attacked by his late aunt, state media report.

The boy’s aunt, Zhang Huiying, killed herself six days after the incident by jumping into a well, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Police say they found blood from the boy, Guo Bin, on the aunt’s clothes.

The attack, which happened in Fenxi, Shanxi province, on 24 August, shocked the nation.

Guo Bin’s parents found him with his eyes removed and covered in blood.

He had been lured by an unknown woman into a field where she gouged out his eyes, Xinhua reported at the time.

It was not immediately clear from the reports if Guo Bin who had reportedly told his family that the woman spoke with an unfamiliar accent had identified the woman as his aunt.

‘Putin may turn against Assad’ PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin offered a glimpse of international compromise over Syria yesterday, declining to entirely rule out Russian backing for military action as he prepared to host a summit of world leaders.

As the United States and allies prepare to bypass any Russian U.N. veto and attack Damascus, there is little chance of Putin’s support. But his words may herald new efforts to overcome great power rivalries that have let Syria descend into bloody chaos.

At the same time, Moscow said it had sent a warship it calls a “carrier killer” to the eastern Mediterranean, where a U.S. fleet is waiting for Congress to approve orders from President Barack Obama to launch punitive strikes against Syrian President Bashar alAssad following his forces’ alleged use of poison gas.

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SPORT EXTRA

EAGLES BONUS ROW PANEL FALLOUT

Enyeama: I was never contacted •‘I don’t know what is really happening’

S

UPER Eagles stand-in Captain, Vincent Enyeama has affirmed that he was never contacted by the bonus row panel headed by Segun Adeniyi that allegedly indicted the Lille shot-stopper and some others senior squad members over their role after Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Namibia’s Brave Warriors in a 2014 World Cup qualifying match in Windhoek. Enyeama told NationSport during Wednesday’s media parley at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar that he was surprised to read some of the comments credited to him by the panel, even as he maintained he was never invited to the body’s sittings. “I never got any invitation from anybody. I will say it now. I have only seen that in the press. I never got a letter of invitation and I never got a phone call to that effect from anybody.

“Nobody has contacted me and nobody has said anything to me.

I only read all these things on the pages of newspapers. I don’t know what is really happening and that is the truth. “I wonder where all that are coming

T

against the Super Eagles.

The Flames are expected to arrive in Calabar on Thursday from Ghana where they will fly to from Gaborone.

After its controversial claims of Calabar being an unsafe city to play in, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has now declared its faith in the city having sent an advance party to visit Nigeria.

A statement released by FAM general secretary Sugzo Nyirenda praised the reception given the Malawian delegation

N

Emmanuel sent Russian Potapov Nikita packing in 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

National Coach, Ubale Mohammed who led the team to the two-legged ITF Junior circuit that will terminate with the second leg in Lome, Togo also confirmed yesterday that other Nigeria players like, Emmanuel Samuel and Sadiq Tswako have all pulled through to the second round.

He expressed the hope that Nigerian junior players who are going to form the nucleus of the country’s Davis Cup qualifying round team are expected to do well at this championship.

Eagles’ technical director wants car, house

S

•Enyeama

Malawi lose to Botswana ahead of Nigeria clash

HE Flames are expected to arrive in Calabar today as part of their preparations for the crunch clash against the Super Eagles on Saturday.

Malawi lost 1-0 to Botswana in a friendly game on Tuesday as they continued their preparations to face Nigeria in Saturday's 2014 World Cup qualifier in Calabar.

Jerome Ramatlhakwane scored the lone goal as Flames coach Tom Saintfiet tried new combinations ahead of the clash

Nigerian players in flying start in Cotonou IGERIAN players campaigning in the ITF West Africa Under-18 Junior Circuit in Cotonou, Benin Republic began their quest for glory in flying starts yesterday as most of the country’s representatives cruised easily into the next round.

Joseph Imeh, ranked number 628 in the world beat Benin Republic’s Gandonou Dominic 6-0, 6-1. Another Nigerian, Sylvester Emmanuel beat Aboufirassi A. of Morocco 4-6, 7-6, 6-1 to advance.

Nigeria’s Mohammed Mohammed also had an easy 6-1, 6-1 victory against Diarra Amadou.

Christopher

From Taofeek Babalola, Tunde Liadi and Uchenna Ajah from,” he queried, even as he insists he prefers to focus on Saturday’s game against Malawi’s Flames. On the way forward in resolving the bonus row saga, Enyeama stressed: “Nobody has talked to us and so we don’t even know. We are only reading it in the newspapers. Nobody has told us that our bonus has being reduced and nobody has told us our bonus has been increased.

Nobody has told us anything. I personally do not want to jump into any conclusion over things,” he cautioned. The Eagles it would be recalled allegedly refused to collect the slashed win bonus of USD7,500 each for the win against the Harambee Stars of Kenya and the draw in Namibia after the 2014 World Cup qualifying match. Instead the players allegedly demanded for the full payment of USD15,000 which was the payment done before the new order from the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) on the emolument of the Eagles by half.

ITF WEST AFRICA UNDER-18 JUNIOR CIRCUIT

in both Abuja and Calabar by the Nigeria Football Federation.

“NFF welcomed the [visiting delegation] in Abuja as well as Calabar. They inspected some of the hotels in Calabar and they have settled for the Dannic Hotel. The hotel is new and resembles the Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe and it is generally good,” Nyirenda was quoted by Nyasatimes.com.

Nigeria (on nine points) and Malawi are separated by two points going into the final

Group F games this weekend with both sides still in with a chance to qualify for the play off stage.

The Super Eagles need at least a draw in Saturday's game while the Flames need nothing short of a win to brighten their chances of qualifying for their first World Cup. Kenya host Namibia in the group's classification game also on Saturday.

Nigeria vs Malawi will kick off at 4pm WAT. Join Goal for live match commentary.

UPER Eagles’ technical director Amodu Shuaibu has asked to be provided with a car and a house as part of conditions for his job.

The former Eagles’ coach, who was a guest of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday, said "There were some grey areas that needed to be resolved before I started work.

"You know I am a consultant for the Edo State Government for youths and sports development and I needed to inform my comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole about the appointment from the NFF as a matter of respect and honour to a man who gave me succour.

“And now that he has given me the go ahead, I thought it right to return to the Federation and inform them that I am ready to resume duty.

"However, I only gave them two conditions. Since I have taken appointments in the last

20 years I have had an official car, so it would not be too much for them to give me an official car and a house to discharge my duties. So, it’s now over the technical committee to act."

Amodu is to be assisted by James Peters and Kashimawo Laloko.

•Amodu Shuaibu

TODAY IN THE NATION

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

F

IRST, a confession. I did not read the article that sparked the row between Femi Fani-Kayode, a chief, lawyer, former minister and public affairs analyst and Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. But, I have been following the altercation, which has fuelled a bigger disputation in restrooms, classrooms and newsrooms.

A recapitulation: Fani-Kayode wrote an article in defence of the widely misconstrued –misconceived, some insist - “deportation” of some Anambra State indigenes from Lagos. He got a truckload of responses, some of them charging him with ethnic jingoism and others mincing no word in describing him as a tribalist. Not one to lose an argument so cheaply, the chief fired back. He said if he was a tribalist, he would not have had an “intimate relationship” with Mrs. Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain and pearl of the revered Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu and Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Emeka Odumegwu- Ojukwu – of exciting memories.

Rather than resolve the matter, Fani-Kayode’s clarification was like adding salt to injury. Mrs. Odumegwu-Ojukwu, an ex-beauty queen, briefed her lawyers. They should sue FaniKayode for suggesting that they were lovers, a report said. The chief has taken up the gauntlet, setting the stage for a sensational legal battle.

Trust Nigerians. They have refused to let the courts set the ball rolling. There are arguments everywhere on what “intimate relationship” means. Does it suggest a sexual affair? Platonic?

Is it right for a man to claim to have had a “long standing and intimate relationship” with a woman who is married? Will saying so amount to lowering her esteem and damaging her reputation? Does anybody have the right to ask a man to explain what he means? What, in social parlance, does intimacy mean? Does it mean being in love? And what is love? Mere affection?

When the matter eventually comes before the court, will Bianca be in the dock for cross-examination? What kind of questions will FaniKayode’s lawyers be asking her? Will she be beaming with those magical smiles that swept the great Ikemba off his feet? What will her lawyers be asking Fani-Kayode; to explain what he meant by “intimate relationship”? What is he likely to tell them? Will the court define this innocent, but sensitive phrase for the parties?

Accused of having an affair with an intern, Monica Lewinsky, former United States President Bill Clinton hired the best lawyers money could fetch and mounted a moving defence to save his presidency. He said: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”

Clinton also said: “There is not a sexual relationship, an improper sexual relationship or any other kind of improper relationship.” The lurid and erotic details of the scandal are so incredible that a respected family newspaper as The Nation would find it inappropriate to bother the reader about them. The main charge of perjury was spiced with legal definitions of sex to establish if an offence had been committed. For days, the salacious show went on and on before a grand jury. It was the biggest show on television.

On August 17, 1998, Clinton admitted that he

E

VEN in those days of baby innocence when they made us chant alien nursery rhymes about this awkward fellow sitting on a wall and having an irreparably great fall, Hardball had so much trouble fathoming why that articulated ball-head chose to sit on the wall in the first place. As one grew older, one learned another twist in the tale that HumptyDumpty may have actually been pushed as part of a larger political plot by all the king’s men and all the king’s horsemen who pretended to seek to mend him after his calamitous fall.

The Humpty-Dumpty tale may well be child’s play but does it not seem the verisimilitude of what is happening in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) today? PDP is in the midst of a great fall, though an opposition member like Senator George Akume believes it has not only fallen, but that it will never rise again, the party would soon be buried and nobody will ever hear of it again, the former governor under the party was quoted to have

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL. 8, NO. 2,597

‘We also know governors can through their power of patronage create millionaires overnight. They don’t account for their monthly security votes’ JIDE OLUWAJUYITAN

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

GBENGA OMOTOSO

EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK

gbenga.omotoso@thenationonlineng.net

•Winner, DAME Award for Informed Commentary

Of love, power and politics

• Mrs. Odumegwu• Fani-Kayode Ojukwu had an “improper physical relationship” with Lewinsky. He faced charges of obstruction of justice and perjury in the Congress. He was acquitted. He kept his job.

Clinton was humbled. He was sober. It is worthy of note that all through the trauma, his wife, Hillary, stood by him. She saw the whole “political sex scandal” as a “vast right-wing conspiracy”. The power of love or – if you like - the love of power. Or both.

Now a flashback. When the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was flown into Abuja in the dead of the night from Saudi Arabia where doctors were battling to save his life, so many questions were raised. Was it Hajia Turai’s show of love for a darling husband or a desperate attempt to grab power and use it by subterfuge?

The latter turned out to be the case, following attempts to stop then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan from taking over power.

All efforts to enforce the Constitution were resisted by a cabal headed by the Hajia. There was no doubt that she was in charge. Yar’Adua was not allowed to see people. People were not allowed to see him. The Villa propaganda machinery hit the overdrive. We were regaled with phantom stories of his fast recovery, how he was jogging for 30 minutes daily and how the doctors would soon certify him fit as a fiddle and he would be back at work. Then fate supervened. Yar’Adua died.

Again, questions. Could he have made it if he was allowed to remain in the hospital and not hauled onto a plane and shipped home to retain his job? Who was running the show while His Excellency remained bedridden? Who

signed the budget the late Yar’Adua was said to have signed? Who played what role in the Yar’Adua odyssey? We may never know.

But that was a foreshadow of the Taraba situation. The story of how Governor Danbaba Suntai flew a plane that crashed on October 25, last year, got injured and was flown overseas where he spent 10months is well known.

What is not clear is the state of His Excellency’s health. When he arrived to a tumultuous welcome the other day in Abuja, Suntai could only manage to raise his hand in a failed attempt to wave. He was helped off the plane.

He spoke no word to anxious reporters. At the VIP Lounge with him was former minister Jerry Gana, beaming and chatting with Suntai who seemed to be paying no attention, just looking into empty space. Jet lag?

Suntai got to Taraba and suddenly became active. He sent a letter to the House of Assembly, informing the lawmakers that he was back at work. He sacked the Executive Council, named a new Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and a new Chief of Staff (CoS).

The governor remained holed up in the Government House where his wife, Hajia Hauwa, took charge.

A video tape in which Suntai thanked the people for their support was released to the NTA. His voice was muffled as if he spoke with pains. When Adamawa Governor Murtala Nyako visited Suntai, he came out of the living room dejected. He was all tears. All attempts by lawmakers to see him were

L

blocked, until it became obvious that the Hajia could no longer stop them. They said Suntai was not in a good shape. Deputy Governor Garba Umar announced that he was still in charge and that his boss could not have taken all the actions ascribed to him. Anarchy.

Then, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stepped in. It summoned all the parties to the crisis to Abuja. Suntai was not there. Hajia Huawa was there. Eventually, the matter was settled on Tuesday. Umar will keep running the state but he must consult Suntai, the PDP peacemakers said. Where is the Constitution in all of this? What was at play – Hajia Hauwa’s love for her man or her love of power? We may never understand.

In fact, it is this lack of understanding – ignorance, actually - that may have spurred some mischief makers, armchair critics and busybodies who will never mind their business because they think everybody’s business is theirs to attack the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, for demonstrating her love for the President.

They have accused the amiable woman of fuelling the Rivers State crisis. It all began as a simple reprimand of Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi- the one the First Lady calls her son - who planned to demolish some structures in Okrika to pave the way for beautiful schools. She reportedly snatched the microphone and warned the governor to stop using the word demonnis, demonnis. Politicians latched onto that harmless scene and unleashed trouble on the state. A new commissioner of police was drafted in and, ever since, the state has had little peace.

Those layabouts, aforementioned, have recently stepped up their game. They said the Abuja Peace Rally that was hailed at home and abroad as one of the potent weapons against terrorism was nothing but a campaign to boost President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 ambition.

They ask: “Didn’t the President say he would brood no distraction as he vigorously pursues his transformation agenda?” “Is this love for the First Citizen or mere passion for power?”

Unfortunately, the drafters of the much pilloried 1999 Constitution forgot –it may have been deliberate, anyway – to make provision for the role of love in power. Otherwise, all these arguments would never have been necessary.

See why we need a new constitution?

PDP and the Offa vote heist

AST Saturday’s rerun election in Offa Local Government of Kwara State was peaceful. The results were signed by the presiding officers and security agents. Of the 12 wards, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 11 with 11,337 votes.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 4,710 votes.

Instead of announcing the winner, the Returning Officer vanished. He resurfaced in Ilorin where a radio station proclaimed the PDP candidate winner. Apparently troubled by his conscience, one of the would-be councillors, who was awarded the phantom victory, Mr Afolabi Jimoh,

HARDBALL

told a press conference that he never won.

Again, the PDP has shamelessly turned winners into losers and losers into winners.

Abracadabra. There have been protests over this brigandage, lack of shame and disrespect for decency that have turned the PDP into a mother hen that kills her chicks and a house of crises. Unfortunately, the party is trying to drag Nigeria down with it.

The state government should emulate Jimoh, surrender the stolen mandate, instal the real winner and apologise to the people.

It is not too late.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

PDP: Humpty-Dumpty is having a great fall said. But if Hardball is asked, PDP went into decline immediately after its birth thereabouts 1998 and not many of us would be surprised if it takes its final gasp 15 years after.

After the Group of 34, the founding fathers who were driven by the passion to oust an embarrassing military junta from power morphed into PDP and grabbed power, that seemed to have ended their ambition. The group which comprised some of the elite and tested politicians in the land quickly returned to their old ways of power, perks and the pleasures of office. Sadly, they learnt no lessons from the horrendous years of the military and did not muster the commonsense to set some ground norms, ideological leaning or even imbue the fledgling with a viable manifesto.

They simply returned to their prodigal ways

which result is being reaped today. The selfsame licentiousness that led to the fall of the first republic and the attendant turbulence of about three decades of military rule was being re-enacted by the PDP in the last 15 years.

PDP started its decline from day one as has been asserted earlier because founding fathers like Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Bola Ige and Audu Ogbeh, to name a few, were soon sequestrated if not hounded out of the party, making room for a horde of hawks, power mongers, kakistocrats and megalomaniacs to flood the party and mould it in their image.

So the party had really drooped southwards for nearly as many years as it has existed.

The party became known more for its

numerous and endless crises than lofty ideals for building a modern Nigeria. In fact, Nigeria has been in decline in real terms in the last one and half decades having not witnessed much improvement in any sphere of life.

Will PDP fail irretrievably? Most likely so because what is at stake is the 2015 presidential election. It is simply a tussle between President Jonathan and the North over the top job and the main condition for peace is a renunciation of the desire for a second term by the President.

That is not likely to happen; the PDP umbrella is therefore caught up in a violent storm that is likely to rent it into at least two parts. So Humpty-Dumpty has fallen to his fatal end?

Well so many Nigerians would probably say good riddance, what the heck was it doing sitting around on that damned wall anyway?

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