The Nation Sep 8, 2013

Ex-Kwara gov, Teenage Saraki’s security stowaway detail withdrawn undergoes

Anglican Archbishop, wife kidnapped in Port Harcourt –Page 3

Blame CP Mbu for insecurity in Rivers –Amaechi

•Kattey

Baraje too, may lose psychiatric board appointment test –Page 5 –Page 4

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Vol.08, No. 2602

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

N200.00

Police armoured personnel carrier (APC) stationed at the entrance of New Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat, Oyi River Crescent in Maitama Abuja yesterday.

Inset: Front and side views of the operational headquarter of the Baraje faction.

Photo ABAYOMI FAYESE

PDP Crisis: Police seal-off Baraje faction office

Olu of Warri under pressure to abdicate Oyinlola: Action is height of impunity Closure in order, says Metuh Royal family, chiefs reject Go and beg Obasanjo, Fani-Kayode tells Jonathan

–Page 2

monarch's ban on deity –Page 4 worship

BRAZIL 2014: SUPER EAGLES BEAT MALAWI 2-0

–Page 71

NEWS

2

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

PDP crisis: Protest as police seal off Baraje’s faction secretariat

T

HE PDP leadership crisis claimed its first casualty yesterday: the proposed secretariat of the Abubakar Baraje faction was sealed off by armed policemen.

The security agents brandished an order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, obtained on Friday, the same day elders of the party including ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih and two former national chairmen of the party-Chief Barnabas Gemade and Dr.Ahmadu Ali, met with the two factions in the dispute in Abuja to set the tone for the resolution of the crisis.

The Baraje faction which was still savouring the court’s refusal to grant the request of the Tukur group to restrain it from parading itself as the representatives of the party denounced the seal off of its secretariat as the height of impunity.

It said it was designed to break the spirit of its members,but vowed that the plan would fail.

The Tukur faction however said the police action was in order.

The two factions are interpreting the court order differently.

Justice Elvis Chukwu had ordered the two parties to maintain the status quo and fixed September 12 for the hearing of the motion on notice.

Although,the plaintiffs i n c l u d i n g Tukur,PDP,Prince Uche Secundus (Dep. National Chairman) and Dr.Charles Akintoye (Act.Nat Secretary),had prayed the court in their Motion Exparte for an order restraining Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other defendants, their associates, subordinates, workers and agents from “parading or holding out themselves as the national officers of People Democratic Party, and also from opening and/or operating parallel national, state.

LGA and ward secretariats of PDP” pending the determination of the substantive motion,the court was silent on it in its ruling.

But it specifically asked both sides to “maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of this suit.”

While the Tukur faction interpreted the status quo to mean that it is the authentic PDP leadership, the Baraje faction insisted that the ruling recognised the formation of New PDP. Investigation revealed that the Tukur faction, which also celebrated the ruling on Friday, had notified the police of the order of the court.

A source in Tukur’s

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation/ Emmanuel Oladesu/ Gbade Ogunwale

camp said: “If you know the meaning of status quo ante bellum, you will appreciate why we are celebrating. The court said we should revert to pre-factionalisation period.

“The police have no choice than to respect the order of the court irrespective of whose ox is gored.

Baraje and his ilks should go back to the court for the interpretation of any ambiguity.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “It is true the court rejected the application to restrain Baraje and others from parading themselves as NWC members of PDP but the same court was specific on status quo ante bellum.”

It was gathered that the seal off of the Baraje faction’s secretariat located at 4 Oyi River Crescent, Off Ibrahim Babangida Boulevard was aimed at preventing its formal opening tomorrow.

The choice building is about 100 metres from the Boulevard.

When our correspondent visited the secretariat at about 5.19pm, its gate had been coated in PDP colours.

A signpost on the wall of the building was covered with a black veil and the road leading to the secretariat filled with white granite.

It was gathered that the policemen who sealed off the secretariat were drafted from the FCT command, especially Maitama Police Station.

Besides blocking the access road with a weatherbeaten Armoured Personnel Carrier, policemen and plain- clothed security men sat under a tent, which is about 50 metres from the building.

A highly-placed source said: “Security agencies got a report that the G-7 governors and other leaders of Baraje faction have concluded plans to open the secretariat with pomp and pageantry on Monday.

“As a matter of fact, Baraje, the G-7 governors and others went to inspect the secretariat after leaving the venue of the peace talks on Friday.

“Many PDP stalwarts and members have been mobilised for the inauguration of the secretariat.”

A resident of the Panama neighbourhood said: “We were all shocked, we woke up to see armed policemen cordoning off the secretariat.

“We just hope that we are safe here. We do not want them to use the excuse of factionalisation to deny us peace in this neighbourhood.”

The Baraje group yesterday said the office seal- off was the height of impunity.

Its National Secretary,

•Baraje group says it’s height of impunity •Police action in order, Tukur’s faction •Jonathan must beg Obasanjo-Fani-Kayode

•. From left: President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and President Goodluck Jonathan wearing the Massai traditional attire during a dinner in Nairobi, Kenya on Friday

Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said the security forces who effected the seal off were mobilised based on a non-existent court injunction .

Oyinlola said: “The whole world knows that Justice E. Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday refused to grant Alhaji Bamanga Tukur’s application for an ex parte injunction against our party’s executive. The Judge asked parties to maintain the status quo.

“His judgement was a reinforcement of an earlier order of the Lagos High Court which also asked parties to maintain the status quo.

“Now, should Nigerians conclude that Tukur’s interpretation of status quo is this crude display of naked power and undisguised impunity?

“We are not at all surprised at this occurrence given the fact that Tukur issued a statement on Friday evening deliberately seeking to mislead the media and the public that Justice Chukwu granted him an injunction against us. “ We are happy that the ever vigilant Nigerian press ignored him and his falsehood. Now, he is not only wilfully disobeying the various courts which have made pronouncements on this matter, he is spicing up his love for impunity with this reckless misuse of state power by misleading the police.”

The faction asked Police Inspector- General Mohammed Abubakar to withdraw his men from the building

in the interest of justice, rule of law and democracy.

Nigeria,according to Oyinlola, is ruled by law and not by might and force.

He declared that the faction would not allow the move to break ‘our spirit’ and that the group “are determined to rescue our party from the lawlessness and crass arrogance that have defined the character of the Tukur leadership since inception. Our party needs that deliverance, its members deserve the change we have brought into it.”

He wondered why Tukur, who appeared before the party’s elders on Friday “ostensibly in search of peace, could, in less than 12 hours later, start another round of acts of impunity.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the Tukur faction,Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday offered explanation for the seal off of the Baraje faction’s secretariat, saying that the security agents acted in accordance with a court order.

But he said the move will not affect the on-going reconciliation by party elders.

Metuh, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, said: “There is no problem with the seal off of the PDP faction’s office.

There is no problem, if the police sealed off the their secretariat.There was a court order to that effect.

A federal High Court

judge, Justice E.S. Chukwu, said the status quo should be maintained. The police acted on the order of the court.”

He acknowledged that the party has challenges but said the logjam would soon be over.

He accused the media of always focusing on the weakness of the ruling party instead of highlighting its strengths, successes and prospects.

He also said the governors in the Baraje faction have not shown enough commitment and loyalty to the party leadership.

He said their demand for the resignation of the national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was improper, impracticable and unfair, pointing out that the removal of the party chairman is laid out in the PDP constitution.

Metuh also objected to the insinuation that the perceived second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan was responsible for the crisis, explaining that the President’s fate lies with the PDP constitution, the 1999 and court.

He said:” It is undemocratic to prevent somebody from pursuing a second term ambition, unless the constitution or the court says otherwise.

It is within the right of the President to contest. It is unfair to hinge the peace move on his second term ambition.

“By the order of the court, no person is authorised by law to open a secretariat or operate under the name, colour and flag of the PDP other than the one led by Alhaji Bamanaga Tukur.

“The sealing off of the secretariat opened by the Baraje group under the name, colour and flag of the PDP is therefore in order and in line with

the law,” Metuh added.

Also speaking on the PDP crisis yesterday, aviation minister in the Obasanjo government, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said that “the only hope left for the PDP is if President Goodluck Jonathan listens to President Olusegun Obasanjo and those behind him and drops his 2015 ambition.”

Fani-Kayode in a statement added: “The truth is that Obasanjo is one of the greatest political strategists that Nigeria has ever known and he is an extremely dangerous adversary. I know him well and his ways are deep. “ Go and find out what happened to all those that betrayed him or tried to kill him. Their end is never good.

Those close to Jonathan would do well to advise him to get on his knees and beg his political mentor. Only Obasanjo, with the help and support of President Ibrahim Babangida and Vice President Abubakar Atiku, has the power, authority and moral gravitas within the PDP to call the dissidents to order and rally their support. Without that, President Goodluck Jonathan is finished and he should just wave goodbye to his 2015 reelection ambitions.

“The APC, with the support of the PDP dissidents, will form the next Federal Government of Nigeria. That is the way to go. PDP, as we once knew her, has gone forever. The ship has hit the rocks and she has sunk to the bottom of the sea. She is dead and buried and my prayer is that her soul rests in perfect peace’’

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

3

3 PAGE

CAPTURED

Miss World goes to Bali after protests

I

NDONESIA said on Saturday the final of the Miss World pageant later this month would take place on the Hindu-majority holiday island of Bali instead of near the capital, Jakarta, after days of Muslim hardline protests.

The announcement is the latest sign in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation of fringe Muslim groups' growing influence on authorities and their power to stymie events they deem unIslamic.

Last year, pop sensation Lady Gaga axed a concert after a series of protests, where radicals dubbed her "the devil", threatened to burn down the venue and criticised her for wearing only "a bra and panties".

Although the Miss World organisers had already promised to replace the contest's trademark bikinis with Balinese sarongs for its beach fashion segment, thousands have taken to the streets this week to denounce the decision to hold the contest in Indonesia.

The contest opens in Bali on Sunday and later rounds were due to take place in and around Jakarta, with the winner originally set to be crowned at a venue outside the capital on September 28.

The government said all events would now be held on Bali, where hardline influence is almost non-existent and where the Balinese are used to hordes of foreign tourists sunbathing in skimpy swimwear.

BRIEFING

Abbott is new Australian PM

A

ustralia's conservative leader Tony Abbott swept into office in national elections yesterday as voters punished the outgoing Labour government for six years of turbulent rule and for failing to maximize the benefits of a now fading mining boom.

Abbott, a former boxer, Rhodes scholar and trainee priest, promised to restore political stability, cut taxes and crack down on asylum seekers arriving by boat.

"From today I declare that Australia is under new management and Australia is once more open for business," Abbott told jubilant supporters in Sydney.

It was frustration with Labour's leadership turmoil that cost the government dearly at the polls.

Labour dumped Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2010, for Australia's first female prime minister Julia Gillard, only to reinstate Rudd as leader in June 2013 in a desperate bid to stay in power.

"It is the people of Australia to determine the government and the prime minister of this country and you will punish anyone who takes you for granted," said Abbott.

Rudd was given a rousing welcome from dejected Labour party supporters in his hometown of Brisbane, conceding defeat and announcing he would step down as party leader.

"I know that Labour hearts are heavy across the nation tonight. I gave it my all. But it was not enough to win," Rudd said, supported by his wife and family.

BRIEFING

BATTLE WEARY Somewhere in the fleet of a supposed Police Rapid Response Squad (RRS), this tattered jalopy is still trundling along. We can just picture this weary van wheezing and sneezing as it chases after a band of robbers operating with a swift SUV. Working with tools such as these, it is no surprise the police are waging an uphill battle against well-equipped criminals.

Photo: MUYIWA HASSAN

Anglican Archbishop, wife kidnapped in P/Harcourt • Wife abandoned on desolate road T • Blame CP Mbu for insecurity –Amaechi

•Kattey with wife

HE Anglican Archbishop of the Niger Delta North Diocese, the Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey and his wife, Beatrice, were on Friday night kidnapped close to Port Harcourt in what the Rivers State Government called the latest evidence of the deteriorating security in the state under Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu. The couple were abducted at Aleto-Eleme, the bishop's home town at about 11.30pm.The wife was later abandoned in the couple's car while the abductors went away with the clergy.

He is the second highest ranking official of the Church of Nigeria, being next only to the Primate, Dr. Nicholas Okoh.

Kattey and wife were on their way to Port Harcourt, when the kidnappers struck near the two Eleme Refinery and the Indorama-Eleme Petrochemical Company.

His whereabouts was unknown last night with the abductors yet to state their reason for seizing him. They have not demanded a ransom either.

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

the exercise had been cancelled in view of the ongoing WAEC/GCE examinations.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi, in A senior member of the his first reaction to the kidnap Anglican Church in Port Harblamed Police Commissioner court, who would not want his Mbu Joseph Mbu for the rising name in print, said the bishop insecurity in the state. detests the idea of going about It was learnt yesterday that with police escorts. the kidnapped cleric was schedHe chose to live in his peruled to receive the Most Rev. sonal house in Aleto-Eleme from Nicholas Okoh, in Port Harcourt where he goes to St. Paul Catheyesterday and decided to leave dral, Diobu, Port Harcourt, which his personal house in Aleto- serves as his official base.

Eleme for the Rivers State capital Kattey is described as a very on Friday night to enable him put simple and easy-going cleric. His finishing touches to preparations kidnap occurred barely two for the arrival of the visitor. weeks after the Rivers State ComIt could not be confirmed at missioner for Sports, Fred Igwe, press time if Okoh was able to was shot at Akpajo-Eleme in the visit Rivers State. same Eleme LGA on August 25.

Another source said the couIgwe was severely injured ple decided to set out for Port Har- and is still receiving treatment in court that late to enable them beat an undisclosed hospital. the usual Saturday traffic restricHis car was riddled with bultions occasioned by the monthly lets. environmental sanitation exerThe Police Public Relations cise.

Officer (PPRO), Angela Agabe, a Unknown to them, however,

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed Kattey's kidnap and said the prompt response of the police to the kidnap forced the criminals to abandon Beatrice and the couple's car.

Agabe was optimistic with the effort of the policemen, the Bishop would soon be released unhurt and the kidnappers apprehended and prosecuted.

Amaechi, through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, regretted what he called the upsurge in kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, militancy and other vices in the state under Mbu. The same Mbu, he alleged, has continued to allow exmilitants to protest on the streets of Port Harcourt, an action the governor said has emboldened criminals.

Amaechi had earlier called for Mbu's immediate redeployment, which he described as the only condition for peace in Rivers State, having accused the CP of taking sides in the deepening political crisis.

SEE KATTEY PROFILE –PAGE 5

4

News

S

OME Itsekiri of Delta State have turned against their paramount ruler, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II. His offence: banning traditional religion and planned Christianisation of the Kingdom.

A section of chiefs, youths and women leaders are consequently pressing for his abdication of the throne.

The development has sparked tension across Warri and other Itsekiri towns and villages.

The monarch has changed the traditional title of Ogiame, banned the worship of deities, pouring of libation and other traditional practices he considers to be fetish.

Antagonists of his new-found religious disposition say he should vacate the palace if he is constrained by his Christian religion in the performance of his duty as their traditional leader.

The monarch, who is a top member of the Foursquare Gospel Church, in the edict, described himself as a “royal priest in the order of Melchizedek”, who has destroyed all ancient and new altars in the land.

It was gathered that trouble started on Wednesday after the monarch changed the historic title of ‘Ogiame’ to one he was yet to announce yesterday, because “it connotes our allegiance to Umalokun (goddess of the sea).”

He also changed the Itsekiri anthem and the pouring of libation and renounced all altars of idolatry in communities of the land.

A copy of the edict, entitled ‘The New Order In Iwere (Warri) Kingdom’, which was obtained by our reporter, made sweeping changes to the tradition of the Itsekiri (Iwere) people.

He said: “I also repent for the name and title of “Ogiame” that my

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8 , 2013

Olu of Warri under pressure to abdicate •Religion tears kingdom apart •Royal family, chiefs kick against monarch’s ban of deity worship From Shola O’Neil, S-South Regional Editor

ancestors and I have borne, as it connotes our allegiance to Umalokun (goddess of the river) and other deities of the sea, all of which are false gods.

“Today, I renounce our allegiance to Umalokun and other gods of the sea, land and sky.

On behalf of the royal bloodline, the throne, the people of Iwere land, I publicly enter into a new covenant with God.” The pronouncement has not gone down well with some of his subjects.

Some members of the royal family, prominent Itsekiri leaders and top chiefs of the kingdom

opposed the declaration and urged the Olu to step aside if he is unable to carry out his duties as the Olu. It was gathered that over 30 members of the royal house have also dissociated themselves from the edict and advised the monarch to abdicate.

Their position was taken

after a meeting in Warri.

It was gathered that the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILT) have also scheduled a meeting for today in Warri to take a stand on the decision.

A member of the ILT, who spoke with our reporter on condition of anonymity, said the forum was most certain to endorse the call for the monarch’s abdication.

Our source said, “The leaders of thought feel saddened by this development, because the ILT was visibly active in the selection and coronation of the Ogiame.

He cannot come and change the title that is

•L-R: Mallam Iyau Darazo, Special Assistant to General Buhari; Dr Olubiyi Adesina; Mr Femi Adesina, President, Nigerian Guild of Editors; Prof. Tam David-West, former Minister of Petroleum; General Muhammad Buhari, former Head of State; Professor Tayo Adesina and Mallam Salman Yussuf representing General Ibrahim Babangida during an interdenominational commendation service for the late Mama Ruphina Olajumoke Adesina, mother of Mr Femi Adesina, Deputy Managing Director, The Sun Newspaper and President, Nigerian Guild of Editors held at Regency Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE.

synonymous with the Itsekiri people.”

The meeting of the princes and princesses was followed by wide protests by Itsekiri interest groups from within and outside the country.

Hundreds of youths who stormed the Olu’s palace openly denounced it as anti-Itsekiri, saying it will rob them of their identity, history and culture.

They made bonfire in front of the monarch’s expansive palace and prevented vehicles from moving in and out of the Ugbori enclave.

An Itsekiri youth leader, Mr Omolubi Newuwumi, who was sighted at the entrance to the Olu Palace (Aghofen) declined comment, even though he was said to be a leader of the protesting youths.

An eyewitness said youths from communities across the three Warri local government areas of the state besieged the monarch’s palace as early as 7:30am to express their displeasure with the document.

Meanwhile, prominent Itsekiri leaders have expressed concerns that the latest crisis will not augur well for the kingdom.

“The Itsekiri ethnic group has prided itself as one nation under one monarch; but I am afraid that with what we are seeing this may soon become history. This is the first time that the people will openly challenge the decision of the king,” one source said.

The Ovie of Emede Kingdom in Isoko South Local Government Area of the state was chased out of the kingdom by his subjects because of a similar clash of religion.

The monarch, Johnson Omote Egbo, went into exile after refusing to worship the Oniyose deity of his forefathers because of his religious belief.

He has since returned home to his people.

Police withdraw Saraki’s security guards, details •Baraje too, may lose board chairmanship F E D E R A L Government’s crackdown on the brains behind the Baraje faction of the PDP got underway yesterday with the police withdrawing their men attached to the immediate past governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, as guards and escorts.

The withdrawal came barely 48 hours to his appearance before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for another round of interrogation on the collapse of Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria(SGBN) founded by his late father, Dr. Olusola Saraki.

The security details are seven, including two at his residence in Abuja; three in his home in Ilorin; and the other two who are always at his call and beckon.

From: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

All the details were withdrawn yesterday allegedly on ‘orders from above’ and without any notice to the former governor.

There were strong indications that the withdrawal followed alleged security reports indicting Saraki as the arrowhead of the factionalization of the PDP. Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, chairman of the faction to which Saraki belongs is an ally of the former governor.

It was also learnt that security reports indicated that Saraki is one of the strong pillars behind Governor Rotimi Amaechi,

which led to the governor’s re-election in May as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

Although President Goodluck Jonathan had

•Saraki

private audience with Saraki on the NGF crisis recently, it was learnt that the former governor stood his ground that Amaechi is the authentic NGF chairman.

The withdrawal of Saraki’s security aides is believed to be part of the crackdown on the ‘dissidents’ in the party.

An aide of Saraki, who spoke in confidence last night, said: “The seven policemen attached to my boss have been withdrawn.

As I am talking, he has no one protecting him other than God. The policemen were withdrawn abruptly and simultaneously in Abuja and Ilorin on Saturday. No reason was given by any Police command or the Inspector-General of Police. When necessary, we will issue official statement. But it is obvious that there is a plot to expose Oga to danger.”

A source in EFCC said last night that : “We are expecting Saraki for a follow-up quizzing because former top management

staff of SGBN, including the ex-MD of the bank, Robert Mbonu. As a key player in the bank, he needs to fill in more gaps in our ongoing investigation. He has more questions to answer.”

It was further gathered that the National Chairman of the New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje’s security guards in his Abuja and Ilorin homes have been withdrawn.

He may also be dropped as Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

Another source added: “It is certainly a tit-for-tat policy; there is no way Baraje can remain in a government he has lost confidence in. I think he should have resigned the NRC job by now.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Stowaway boy sent for psychiatric tests From, Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

D

ANIEL Ricky Oikhena, the 13year- old Benin school boy who made the headlines over two weeks ago after stowing away to Lagos from the Edo State capital, now thinks the whole episode was unnecessary.

He is back in Benin and for now in the custody of the state government which is trying to figure out how to ensure a solid future for him.

A source said Daniel, on reflection, is sober and regrets that his hope of making it to the United States of America in the Arik plane’s wheel compartment hit the rocks.

Daniel’s action is thought to be a direct fallout of the separation of his parents.

There have been accounts of maltreatment at home, an allegation dismissed by his mother.

The Edo State government, sources said yesterday, sent him for psychiatric tests to determine his mental balance.

The results of the tests were said to be negative meaning that his mental stability is not in doubt and that he acted innocently in stowing away.

He is currently living in one of the government quarters in Benin.

It was gathered that he is unhappy that he is practically all alone in the house with neither radio nor television sets to keep abreast of events.

Sources said he has requested that his siblings be allowed to visit him.

One of the sources said: “Daniel is looking sober. He complains about being alone with no television or radio to keep him busy. He also requests that his siblings be allowed to visit him; that he is seriously missing his brothers and sister.

“As for food government is feeding him like a king. He has no complaint about that.

“He went for tests in a hospital in Benin. All the results came out and they proved that he is okay. He has no mental disability. All his action was based on his adolescent thinking.”

Daniel said he acted ignorantly in stowing away and that he never knew the implication of his action.

He wants everyone to forgive him. He is particularly delighted by the offer of scholarship from De Raufs Aregbesola Volunteers Group, an information he got from his handset which has a radio.

The source quoted him as saying: “I never knew the implication of my action. When I entered the wheel compartment of the plane and it took off, initially I was feeling cold. Later, everywhere was warm and the next thing was I began to hear people speaking in a language different from English. “I was disappointed in myself when the plane did not land in America. That was why I started crying when the security people held me.”

It was gathered that the state government may let him go and reunite with his family soon following the outcome of the psychiatric tests which are in his favour.

News

5

Lagos to host 1st Nigeria e-health summit

Italy rescues 700 Nigerians, other migrants off Sicilian coast T L

HE Italian coast guard said yesterday it had rescued more than 700 migrants and refugees, including some Nigerians, Syrians and Egyptians, from four struggling boats, the latest in a surge of refugee arrivals.

One broken-down boat carried 207 migrants from Nigeria, Ghana and Eritrea, including six children and two women in the

late stages of pregnancy.

Coast guard and navy vessels rescued the migrants from troubled boats off the coast of Sicily on Friday and Saturday, rushing four of them — a mother, father and their two young children — to hospital for emergency care, the coast guard said.

Another boat was carrying

212 migrants including eight children and was being towed toward the tiny island of Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost point. The coast guard did not say where the passengers were from.

Two other boats carrying a total of 293 Syrians and Egyptians were brought Friday to Augusta, on the eastern coast of Sicily.

The number of refugees trying to reach Italy in dinghies and

other boats has increased in recent months because of surging violence in Syria and Egypt and calm summer weather that has tempted many to try their luck on the seas.

The Italian interior ministry says 3,000 Syrians arrived in Italy from the beginning of the year to the end of August, mostly arriving by boat in eastern Sicily.

• L-R: Chairman of the occasion, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Celebrator, Chief Ayo Opadokun, his wife Adenike during the 67th birthday celebration of Opadokun at Eko FM Multipurpose Hall, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL.

The man: Ignatius Kattey O Continued from page 3

NLY the brains behind the kidnap, on Friday night, of the Most Reverend Ignatius Crosby Ogborun Kattey, the Anglican Archbishop of Niger Delta North Diocese, can say how and why he became a victim of their indiscretion.

But until they do so, their mission can only be a matter of conjecture.

And one that readily came to mind last night was his June 30 engagement of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State on the political crisis in

•Archbishop Kattey

PROFILE

the state that has defied every known solution so far.

The setting was a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt to commemorate the 60th birthday thanksgiving service of a former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), O.C.J. Okocha (SAN).

Archbishop Kattey preached the sermon at the service and used the opportunity to ask the governor a few questions about the political crisis.

Amaechi who, 24 hours earlier, had received President Goodluck Jonathan at the city airport soon after the governor was snubbed by the President at a state function in Abuja, held nothing back in responding to the clergy’s questions.

He spoke of his intention to dump the PDP “if they suffocate us in PDP and if we need to move, we move! We will continue to struggle for our rights, and that includes our oil wells.

You will hear the truth of this fight in December, January. I will address the state and I will tell you the truth of the fight.”

He also dwelled at length on the suspension of the Chairman and councillors of the Obio/Akpor Local Government which triggered the crisis.

Amaechi, true to his threat has since ‘moved on, forming, along with seven other PDP governors, a parallel national executive committee.

Of course, the kidnappers’ motive may be far removed from politics, but until they give their reasons, a thousand and one conjectures will be thrown up.

The Most Rev Kattey, Justice of the Peace, was born in Nchia Town called Alode in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State on 23rd August, 1948, to the late Chief

Amos Kattey and the late Mrs. Margaret Ada Kattey.

He was enrolled for his primary education at St. Paul’s Catholic School Obigbo (now Oyigbo) in 1954 and passed out in 1959. His secondary education was at National High School Aba before gaining admission into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to read Mechanical Engineering.

He did a Post Graduate Diploma in Education at the University of Benin in 1986 and obtained a Masters of Education degree in Guidance and Counselling from the University of Port Harcourt in 1989.

Arch. Bishop Kattey attended the Trinity Theological College Umuahia for his Certificate in Theology in 1983 and 1984. He has a Masters degree in Biblical Studies from Christian International Graduate S c h o o l o f Th e o l o gy Florida, U.S.A through Correspondence. Arch.

Bishop Kattey became a born-again in 1971 and was ordained as a Mini ste r o f th e An gl i c a n Communion in 1986. In 1995 he was made Archdeacon of the newly crea te d Eleme Archdeaconry and Principal, School of Ordination, Diocese of Niger Delta North, a year later.

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

AGOS State will host the first Nigeria e-health summit slated for 12th September, 2013 at the Eko Hotel, Lagos.

Health Minister, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, and his Communication Technology counterpart, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, are expected to declare the summit open.

Other notable participants at the summit include the Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Jide Idris, and his counterpart from Ogun and Oyo states respectively.

The summit which is being organised by AAJIMATICS and its partners, Global Health Project & Resources and the Anadach Group, has as its theme “Understanding Current EHealth Ecosystem in Nigeria and the Role of the Private Sector in Harnessing Potential Opportunities to improve health for all Nigerians.”

The objectives of the summit, according to Mr. Adekunle Ajiboye, CEO of Aajimatics, is to improve understanding of current eHealth ecosystem in healthcare in Nigeria – from government and private sector perspectives; identify key opportunities and constraints in leveraging technology to improve health care delivery in the country and facilitate discussions around the development of a private sectorled e-Health for the country.

Ajiboye explained that the essence of the summit is to develop and maintain a spirit of cooperation and communication among healthcare professionals and institutions, with the primary goal of improving healthcare practices in medical standards and patient care by promoting excellence, professional ethical behaviour through the creation of comprehensive environments that support organisations in the continuous investments in people and technology to meet the challenges of tomorrow in urban and rural healthcare delivery.

Ede youths protest ward’s domination of assembly seat From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

S

OME youths under the aegis of the Council of Ede Society in Lagos have kicked against the alleged domination of the seat of the Osun State House of Assembly in the last sixteen years by Ologun Agbaakin Ward 3 in Ede. In a statement by the group’s chairman, Tayo Otitokoro and Secretary, Sakiru Magbagbeola, the youth organisation implored elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intervene in the matter and ensure that a candidate is picked for the 2015 state House of Assembly election from one of the ten wards in Ede constituency except from Ologun Agbaakin.

They also urged the party elders to compel the serving member of the state House of Assembly representing the constituency, Hon. Debo Akanbi, to desist from parading himself as their candidate for the 2015 elections.

6

News

Ogun battles Winners Chapel over alleged assaults

T

HE Ogun State Ministry of Justice is studying two separate cases of alleged assault by members of the Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners Chapel against officials of the Internal Revenue Service and Urban and Physical Planning with a view to taking legal measures against the church.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated this in a statement yesterday.

Olaniyonu alleged members of the church violently assaulted a reporter, Peter Falomo and cameramen, Lekan Egunjobi, of the Ogun State Television (OGTV) who accompanied officials of the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning to the Ota premises of the church for building inspection notices.

The video camera of the TV crew was forcibly seized and damaged, the commissioner further alleged, adding the camera was only released after the recording was wiped off.

Two other officials of the ministry, he added, were injured by irate church members, who allegedly queried the audacity of the officials to step into the church.

Yesterday’s attack, Olaniyonu alleged, was the second following Thursday’s assault by security personnel of the Kingdom Heritage Nursery and Primary School, a commercial venture within the complex of Winners Chapel, against tax officials.

Assets of the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS) were damaged during the assault, the commissioner stated.

The matter, he stated, has been reported to the police.

The General Manager in the Ogun State Urban and Physical Planning Board, Mr. Stephen Adewolu, who was part of the team molested in Ota, expressed shock at the development.

He said: “No organisation can carry on as if it is above the law. We have information that the people in that church are just building structures indiscriminately without building approval, without necessary environmental impact assessment reports and they are violating planning laws and regulations.

“We only went there to serve statutory notices on the on-going building development and they are behaving as if the premises of the church are not covered by the laws of the state in which it is located.”

The head of the church’s Corporate Affairs, Apostle Anslem Opara, declined to comment on the allegations when contacted.

Text messages to his mobile phone were also not responded to.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Ex-militants declare Atiku persona-non-grata in Niger Delta

F

ORMER Vice PresidentAtikuAbubakar has been declared a persona-non-grata by leaders of exmilitants in the Niger Delta for threatening to stop the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and spearheading the breakup of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former warlords drawn from all nine states of the Niger Delta made the declaration after a meeting under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative (LPCDI) in

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State yesterday.

They said: “”It is unfortunate that Atiku, who has benefitted so much from the Niger Delta’s crude oil and gas, is leading dissidents in a political coup against the first Southerner to ever ascend the seat of President of Nigeria.

“We are aware of his vast business interest in the Niger Delta and we are warning him, in his own interest, to stay off the region.

T

be given a lifeline.

“He also promised that we would be empowered, to live a new life from the resources of our oil.

“We have been waiting patiently for these to happen.

Our acceptance of peace benefitted Atiku and his ilk. Why did he not lead a campaign for the Federal Government to provide the empowerment tools?

“Why has he found it convenient to distract President Jonathan from rendering service to Nigerians?”

They went on: “It is the

How to fight poverty, by minister From: Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

S •A fallen 80-tonne container that caused traffic gridlock for hours at CAPPA bus stop on the Agege Motor road Oshodi Lagos... yesterday Photo: Olusegun Raphael

Crisis will consume PDP, Nyako warns

A

DAMAWA State governor, Murtala Nyako, yesterday declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will continue to wallow in crisis until the deluge of injustices currently perpetrated by a factional National Chairman, Alhaji BamangaTukur, is redressed.

He warned that the crises will affect the fortunes of the party in elections across the nation.

Nyako spoke at the Government House Yola when he received a delegation of the new PDP stalwarts from Taraba State led by its chairman, Dr. AbdulmuminiVaki, on a solidarity visit.

The governor said the current chaotic developments in the party were not unexpected going by the level of impunity and subversion in the party.

Nyako said: “The level of

From Barnabas Manyam, Yola

impunity being promoted has reached a level where 5 is greater than 27 and 16 is greater than 19.

“Even a kindergarten pupil will tell you that the arithmetic is highly criminalised”.

Nyako said any party seeking peace and progress cannot tolerate such high level of injustice that has now become

F

By Bukola Afolabi

recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2012.”

The nominal GDP for the second quarter of 2013, the report said, was estimated at N9.115tn lower than N9.840tn estimated for the corresponding quarter of 2012 and N9.493tn recorded in the first quarter of 2013.

It said while the oil sector experienced production challenges, the non-oil sector output increased in the second

the culture in the party.

“Nigerians cannot tolerate this highhandedness any longer. That is why you are seeing protests from every cranny of the nation and for these complaints to stop.

He reiterated that the clash in the party was a clash between positive and negative forces that have been on perpetual struggle.

“The two actors- Tukur and I- are Muslims. This alter-

cation neither has religious nor ethnic coloration.

“The crisis is between justice and injustice and by the grace Allah justice will prevail at the end of the day.”

The governor said following the disposition of the national chairman to continue unleashing injustice without let or hindrance, concerned party faithful have no other means than to factionalise to restore sanity and order.

From Tony Akowe

must have a change. That is why we said that this change we are talking about in the APC is not just change of government but change of attitude and people must vote according to their belief and consciousness of accepting who will do the right thing.”

On the imperatives of the merger, he said: “We have never had merger before now but alliances and government of national unity.

“There has never been merger. We have melted into one and I think that was the biggest achievement and that is what gives Nigeria a lot of hope.”

He assured: “There is not going be any crisis because we are going to be fair to all. Everybody in the party will be free to aspire to any office.

“But I think that no matter the number of people who aspire, we are going to come out clean from it.”

U S T A I N A B L E developments in all tiers government will end poverty in the country, Minister of Environment, Hajiya Ibrahim Mailafia, has stated.

The minister said it is imperative to align the vision 20:2020 and transformation agenda of the present administration with the outcome of Rio+20 Action Plan.

She spoke at a workshop on the Adoption of the Framework of Action Plan for the Implementation of the RIO+20 Summit Outcomes held at the weekend in Abuja.

The proposed framework supports key issues like poverty eradication, productive employment, food security and nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable tourism, sustainable transport, sustainable cities and human settlement.

Others are energy, health population, disaster risk reduction, climate change, forest, biodiversity, desertification, land degradation and drought among others.

Jonathan has failed, says Shekarau

ORMER Kano State governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday took a critical appraisal of the current administration and asked Nigerians to brace up to the challenges of unseating President Goodluck Jonathan come 2015.

Shekarau spoke just as the Interim National Chairman of

‘GDP rose by 6.18 per cent in Q2 ‘

HE nation’s economy grew by 6.18 percent in the second quarter of 2013, the National Bureau of Statistics, said in its new report at the weekend.

A copy of the report, which was signed by the Statistician General of the Federation said: “On an aggregate basis, the economy, when measured in second quarter 2013, grew by 6.18 per cent in the second quarter of 2013, slower than the 6.56 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2013 and 6.39 per cent

“He cannot be enjoying our oil money and at the same time use the same money to fight against the owners of the oil.”

They added: “What we thought we would be hearing from the North was how the Federal Government would implement the spirit and letters of the amnesty programme.

“Before the former President, UmaruYar’Adua, died, he promised that as soon as we dropped our arms and allowed an unhindered flow of oil from the creeks, we would

same Northerners that vowed that they would make the country ungovernable for Dr. Jonathan. By splitting the PDP and causing further tension in the polity, they are demonstrating the agenda of giving President Jonathan sleepless nights, with the intention of taking over power in 2015.

The former freedom fighters also urged Jonathan not to be distracted by the antics of persons they alleged were fighting hard to distract him.

They added they were still waiting patiently for the Federal Government to fully implement the terms of the amnesty programme.

Atiku’s spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, however dismissed the threat.

He said: “Atiku has devoted his life to defending democracy in Nigeria and will not be prevented or deterred from visiting any part of this great country.

“Throughout his long career in business, he has maintained strong ties to the Niger Delta and employs thousands in the region. He will continue to passionately defend democratic values and his work to improve the dignity and lives of all Nigerians.”

quarter of 2013.

The bureau added that the non-oil sector growth was driven by growth in activities recorded in the agriculture, airlines, hotels, restaurants, building and construction sectors.

It added: “The oil sector contributed approximately 12.9 per cent to real GDP in the second quarter of 2013, lower than the 14.75 per cent contribution in the first quarter of 2013, and the 13.86 per cent recorded during the second quarter of 2012.”

the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, gave indications that the substantive national leaders of the party will likely emerge in January 2014.

Shekarau spoke at a conference organised by the Movement for Better Future and Democratic Emancipation Movement in Kaduna.

He said Jonathan has failed woefully and does not deserve reelection in 2015.

The former governor, who was a member of the merger committee of the APC, said: “My assessment is that the government is a total failure. It is not about projects as I have said but about the wellbeing and safety of the people”.

On the way forward, he said: “The only answer to this failure is to get the right people to do it. It is not about the rules.

“The electorates have a very big role to play because people

Akande, who spoke through the Interim Deputy National Secretary of the party, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, disclosed that the guidelines for the harmonisation of the three parties that constitute the APC at the state levels have been released.

The committee, he said, will be announced next week.

He warned that the harmonisation committees are not executive committees but expected to hold forte for about two months and register members for the party before commencement of congresses to elect substantive leaders.

Akande assured: “Nobody will take the APC and put it in his pocket. We will have no godfathers in this party.

“All those who want to be godfathers should go the PDP. I want to appeal to you to register enmasse, pick the right people and vote for them as leaders.”

News

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Fallen container paralyses traffic in Lagos

F

By Remi Adelowo

OR over 12-hours-yesterday, traffic was completely paralysed on Lagos Mainland as a result of an 80-tonne container which fell from the back of the truck conveying it to an unknown destination.

Investigations revealed that the incident occurred at about 2am on Saturday at Cappa junction bus stop along Oshodi to Mushin road.

For several hours, men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) were seen on ground trying to manage the gridlock, which extended to Stadium Bus Stop in front of the National Stadium in Surulere.

Many commuters resorted to trekking to their destinations after spending several hours inside commercial buses.

Speaking with The Nation, the leader of the LASTMA team, Mr. Akinola Daboh said, “The truck involved in the accident was too small to convey the heavy container which weighed 80-tonne. Another cause of the accident was that one of the rear tyres pulled out while the truck was on motion.”

It was gathered that the first crane brought by LASTMA officials to evacuate the container was returned after failing to lift the fallen container off the ground. The evacuation process caused a serious damage to a portion of the road.

Daboh disclosed that the truck has been impounded by the traffic control agency, while the container will be released to the owner.

7

My arrest, detention by SSS most painful experience, says Alake

T

HE Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, yesterday reminisced on his life at 70.

Speaking with journalists at his Ake Palace during a press conference to herald the activities marking his 70th birthday, he revealed that the day he was “arrested and detained” by the operatives of the defunct Nigeria Security Organisation (NSO) now known as Department of Security Service (DSS)

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

on suspicions that he could plot a ‘coup’ with others to topple the military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, remains his most painful experience till date.

Adedotun, a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army, said on that fateful day sometime in December 1985, he had paid a visit to former Head of State,

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in his Ota Farm, and had barely walked two steps out of the farm when a young man who identified himself as an NSO operative emerged from a corner and whisked him away to Lagos.

The Alake added that the operative later took him to Alhaji Mohammed Gambo who later became the Inspector General of Police in 1985 for interrogation.

According to him, his arrest and detention by the security agency happened just three months after he was retired from the military.

Narrating further, the monarch said Gambo who grilled him, told him he was being arrested for interrogation based on security reports that he was dissatisfied with the manner he was disengaged from the military.

He disclosed, “The day I

•One of the 14 choir groups singing during the grand finale of the Lagos Catholic Archdiocesan choir competition at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Victoria Island… yesterday PHOTO: Nneka Nwaneri

Adventist Church to INEC: ‘don’t fix election on Saturday’

E

LDERS of Seventh Day Adventist Church in Nigeria yesterday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Federal Government to desist from fixing elections on Saturdays.

Saturday is the worship day for members of the Christian denomination worldwide.

The Church stakeholders claimed that letters have been sent to the appropriate government institutions on the need to fix elections for any of the working days instead of Saturday.

They also noted that apart from Saturday, both Sunday and Friday should also be exempted as election days. This, they noted, is to allow both Christians and Muslims to enable them observe their religious obligations.

The newly re-elected

From: Leke Akeredolu, Akure

President of the Western Union of Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Nigeria, Pastor Oyeleke Owolabi, who spoke with reporters on behalf of the elders at a press conference in Akure, the Ondo State capital, noted that many countries in the world do not conduct elections on Saturday, stressing that this was to allow for religious liberty.

He said, “We are not being selfish; what we are clamouring for is that elections should not be conducted on Fridays, Saturday and Sundays, because these days are spent by Christians and Muslims as their worship days.

“Saturday should be set aside for us to worship. Why can’t the government conduct elections on a working day except Fridays,”he asks.

Rotarian preaches selflessness

T

HE newly-installed President of the Rotary Club of Onigbongbo in Lagos, Mr. Dare Adelusi, has challenged well-placed Nigerians to embrace selflessness and contribute more to the upliftment of the downtrodden.

He said all hands must be on deck to tackle biting poverty and deprivations across the nation.

Adelusi spoke last week during his installation as 32nd President of the club in Lagos.

He said, “We must see ourselves as one and do all within us to lift the lessprivileged across Nigeria.

Poverty alleviation must be the task of all to save this country.”

He stated that the organisation’s service to humanity will manifest for the next one year in the form of provision of computer laboratory in a public school within Onigbongbo.

Other projects, according to him, include construction of a toilet in a public school, construction of boreholes and provision of micro-finance credit for petty traders within the vicinity.

These, he assured, will “lift families out of poverty and place them on the way to prosperity and social wellbeing”.

was claamped into detention by the military for six days three months after leaving military service was one thing I would not like to remember.

Prior to the arrest, somebody had told me that I was arrested and I said no. I had visited Obasanjo and on my way out, someone who identified himself as an NSO operative came out from a corner, accosted me and took me away.

“I was brought before Gambo who interrogated me.

He said we learnt you were not happy how the military dis-engaged you from service and we thought you could join coup plotters but I told him I was happy when I was retired, because that freed me to go home to do what I loved to do most and that I was not embittered and harboured no motive to plot a coup.”

According to him, it was an experience he would not want to remember, while the day he got married in April 1971 remains his happiest moment.

Parts of activities marking Oba Adedotun’s 70th birthday include a visit to Lantoro Lepers Colony, Iberekodo Lepers Colony and St Stephen’s Children Home, Obantoko all in Abeokuta where the monarch will felicitate with the inmates.

PDP cannot recover, says APC chieftain

By Sunday Oguntola

A

member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mazi James Opara, has predicted that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot recover from the ongoing crisis confronting it.

Speaking yesterday with newsmen, Opara added that the crisis will break the PDP into pieces.

The chairman of Lagos State All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the APC said the country has been stagnant under the PDP in the last 14 years.

He called on Nigerians to support the APC to move the country forward.

Opara stated that the Lagos APGA decided to follow Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, to the APC because of his antecedents and philanthropic works.

He welcomed Prince Adeshina Olayokun, who also defected to the APC last week, stating that the development confirms that the APC is an unbeatable party.

The deputy state chairman of the group and a former senatorial candidate in Lagos State, Chief James Alatishe, assured that the APC will change Nigerian the same way South West governors have changed the region.

Alatishe commended the party’s leaders for setting up a committee to address the sharing of positions and offices.

He tasked the committee to carry out the job in such a way that no one will feel marginalised.

The vice chairman, Lagos West senatorial district of the group, Chief Agafe Obiakalusi, stated that members of APGA in the APC merger have been mobilising for new members.

8

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

9

10

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

I

NEWS REVIEW

T was not his return to the country seeking to resume his duties as governor after undergoing treatment abroad for 10 months that divided the state neither was it the letter Governor Danbaba Suntai transmitted to the State House of Assembly informing the lawmakers of his purported resumption of duty that polarised the legislature. Even before his return on Sunday, August 25, from New York, United States of America from where he had his second leg of treatment, not only the House, but the entire state was already divided.

SIMMERING CRISIS Before the October 25 air crash in which he was wounded while piloting the aircraft, Taraba was already in crisis. The PDP has been fractioned into two camps. The party has been living with the crisis and suffering from its self-inflicted wounds because of undemocratic tendencies under the umbrella.

Suntai's final return into the state only deepened the old cracks and reinvigorated the battle that has been going on in the state chapter. From the beginning there were two camps: Governor Suntai's camp and Senator Aisha Alhassan's faction. The governor and the senator representing Taraba north were the gladiators. The Alhassan faction was known for consistently opposing the policies of Suntai's administration.

When Suntai got involved in the air crash and was flown abroad, his camp gave birth to the Umar faction -what is now referred to as the UTC Camp.

But now that Suntai and Umar are locked in the bitter battle of wit, the Alhassan faction has ensnared.

Senator Alhassan has refused to back either Umar or Suntai because she also has the ambition to contest the governorship in 2015. The calculation is that if she takes sides with Umar, she will jeopardise her ambition since she and Umar hail from the same north senatorial district.

Besides, the two are Muslims, and Umar been a man in the saddle of power may have an edge over her during the primaries. Alhassan will also not support Suntai because of the governor's open secret to cede the 2015 governorship slot to south of the state.

Alhassan has in her camp former PDP Chairman Alhaji Abdulmumini Vaki, she is also trying to reabsorb former Governor Jolly Nyame and Danladi Baido who defected to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) during the April 2011 general elections back into the ruling party's fold.

For now, the battle on who steers the ship of Taraba is between the deputy governor and his boss. The House is divided into two; 16 lawmakers are for Umar while Suntai has eight.

PDP has 22 of the 24 legislators while the remaining two were elected on the platform of the defunct CPC. Out of the 16 who are supporting Umar, 14 are PDP. The lawmakers backing Umar are Speaker Haruna Tsokwa (Takum I constituency), Deputy Speaker Tamko Adamu Maikarfi (Gassol I), Chief Whip Mohammed Gwampo (Yorro), Deputy Majority Leader Josiah Sabo Kente (Wukari I), Deputy Chief Whip Mohamed Umar (Gashaka), Minority Leader Ibrahim Imam (Jalingo I), Minority Whip Yahaya Abduraman (Gassol II) and Iratsi Daki (Ussa).

Other pro-Umar lawmakers are: Rashia Abdullahi (Nguroje), Aminu Jalingo (Jalingo II), Emmanuel Dame (Ardo-Kola), John Bonzema (Zing), A. A. Jugulde (Gembu), Hamandama Abdullahi (Bali II), Abdulkarim Mohammed (Ibi) and Edward Baraya (Karim-Lamido II).

The eight lawmakers -all PDP

11

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Suntai, Taraba and a party divided down the line The 'return to work' of Governor Danbaba Suntai which sparked crisis is only one out of the many challenges that have divided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State. FANEN IHYONGO writes on the factions and the consequence that await the party in 2015 polls if the current political impasse is allowed to escalate.

• Suntai who are backing Suntai are: Majority Leader Joseph Albasu (Lau), Charles Maijankai (Karim-Lamido I), Istifanus Haruna Gbana (Donga), Abel Peter Diah (Mbamga), Daniel Ishaya Gani (Wukari II), Mark Useni (Takum II), Charles Ishaku Audu (Kurmi) and Gambo Maikudi (Bali I).

ALLEGATION OF BRIBERY Besides the allegation that the 16 lawmakers were bribed to the tune of N25million each, sources said the Speaker has been chosen to be Umar's deputy if he becomes the substantive governor. The 16 rejected Suntai's letter of return, saying he did not author it. They invited the governor to the House on the premise that he was voted into power for transparency, not to shroud his strength or frailty in the dark.

The Majority Leader and his group have given Suntai the go-ahead to resume work, after he transmitted a letter to the House. The crisis became explosive.

When the Senator Hope Uzodinnma's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fact-finding team ceded the running of the state to Umar, to act as governor while Suntai stays in the Government House, the Speaker and 15 other members hailed the deal.

Playing the same script with Umar, the 16 lawmakers believe the governor is not yet fit to perform his constitutional duties and should, therefore, return to the United States of America to complete his rehabilitation.

But the House Majority Leader and other seven lawmakers who are in support of Suntai rejected the

• Taraba PDP Chairman, Victor Bala resolution by the party, saying "the committee lacks the power to do so".

They want the matter to be 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 at the end of the visit of the PDP fact finding committee to the state," Albasu said.

The majority of members of the dissolved state cabinet and other political appointees are rooting for Suntai to resume work. They, like the eight lawmakers, have proclaimed Suntai as physically and mentally sound to carry on as governor.

Former Speaker Istifanus Haruna Gbana, with his deputy Abel Peter Diah and former Majority Leader Charles Maijankai were removed at the prompting of the deputy governor. So it is common knowledge that they will not back the deputy governor in the ensuing crisis.

Five out of the seven commissioners: Iliya Wanapia (Finance), Emmanuel Bello (Information) Jonah Agyo (Works), Isa Musa (Poverty Alleviation), G. T. Kataps (Justice) and Augustine Katakata (Commerce and Industry) are pro-Suntai. For the records, Suntai appointed Katakata commissioner while the latter was on sick bed. He will not be against Suntai on health grounds.

Alhaji Abdulhadi Haruna Lau (Social Welfare, Youth and Sports) Danfulani Kwetaka (Environment) are for Umar. Sources said Lau runs errand for the deputy governor.

The former Secretary to the State

Government (SSG), Mr. Emmanuel Njiwah, five former commissioners and four advisers who were sacked by the deputy governor are supporting Suntai.

The five commissioners and two advisers were sacked by Umar for allegedly mismanaging N400 million flood mitigating grant. The other two advisers: Tonyonga Binga (Education) and Joseph Magaji Tahwa (Rural Development) were sacked because, according Umar, their services were no longer required.

The sacked commissioners: Mr. Anthony Jellason (Agriculture); Mr. Rabo Usman (Water Resources); Mr. Yakubu Agbaizo (Education); Jonah Agyo (Works) and Miss Christy Green (Women Affairs) as well as Joshua Augustine, Special Adviser on Revenue, and Manasseh Kaura, Special Adviser on Border Development are in support of Suntai. They have even sued the deputy governor and the leadership of the House headed by Speaker Tsokwa. Agbaizo is also with Suntai.

He has proclaimed that the governor was grooming him quietly to grab the party's governorship ticket.

Former Commissioner for Health, Mustapha Hammangabdo, who was also indicted by the House report for allegedly feasting on the flood relief funds -although he resigned few hours before Umar's axe- is behind the deputy governor.

Source said he resigned on the advice of the deputy governor who promised to carry him along in the long run.

THE INTRIGUES Among the other 18 Special Advisers, Adviser on Government Projects Orbee Uchir and the Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bashir Marafa who married a younger sister of Suntai's wife are supporting the deputy governor.

Marafa is contesting for the Senate in 2015 and stands a better chance if Suntai who also has ambition to run for senate in the Central zone is schemed out of power.

Former SSG Garveh Yawe and Chief of Staff Ahmed Yusuf, appointed

by Umar are in his support, while Mallam Aminu Jika, Suntai's appointed Chief of Staff is pro-Suntai.

The PDP State Chairman, Victor Bala and most of the ruling party's officials are pro-Suntai. They were assisted by the governor to clinch their posts as party executives. Bala and most of his men are supporting Suntai to rotate power to the southern state.

If a Christian governorship candidate emerges from the south, he will likely pick a Muslim deputy from the central zone. If the Majority Leader -Albasu - who is from the northern zone wins second term, he stands to benefit as Speaker in the 2015 political equation.

In the National Assembly, Senator Abubakar Tutare is in support of Umar because he sees Suntai as a threat to his second term ambition. As an incumbent in the senate, he sees his chances brighter when he has only Marafa to contend with for the ticket.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha is behind Suntai. He hails from the southern zone and is considered as one of Suntai's favourites in clinching the PDP governorship ticket for 2015 polls.

For the six members of the House of Representatives (all PDP), Bawa Ishaka Mohammed (Ibi/Wukari), Jerry Manwe (Karim-Lamido/Lau/ Ardo-Kola), Ibrahim Elsudi Tukur (Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna) and Sam Tsokwa (Donga/Ussa/Takum/ Yangtu) are for Umar while Haruna Manu (Bali/Gassol) is for Suntai.

Tsokwa believes that the success of Suntai would give Mark Useni (who is also running for Reps in 2015) the upper hand to grab the PDP ticket.

Aminu Ibrahim Malle (Jalingo/ Yorro/Zing) who is from the defunct CPC is also in support of Umar. The other House of Reps members have backed Umar based on religious sentiment.

Salome Jankada and General Adamu Tubase Ibrahim (rtd) are for Umar. The two want the party's ticket to contest the senate from Taraba south district.

All the state's 16 local council bosses including the coordinator of the Special Area -Yangtu are supporting Suntai. The ominous sign is that whichever group that wins the soul of the state will never trust the other. The consequence is that the cracks in the party will continue to widen until the party will finally disintegrate like a shell fallen from high grounds.

Many members will leave en mass to the opposition.

The Alhassan/Vaki state faction has pitched tent with Alhaji Kawu Baraje faction at the national level.

They are protesting the exclusion of their faction from the recentlyconcluded national convention of the party in Abuja.

The camp has been challenging the legitimacy of the election that brought Bala as Chairman of the party in Taraba. They want new congresses to be held and a new leadership to be formed in Taraba, even as they call for the removal of Bamanga Tukur as national chairman.

Tukur is also accused by the Suntai camp of taking sides with Umar.

Whichever way it goes the party is divided down the line.

12

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

13

COMMENT and ANALYSIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Talakawa Liberation Herald (29)

El-Rufai redux? - The message, the Lekan Otufodunrin messenger and the skeptical, unbelieving audience

Otufodunrin@thenationonlineng.net 08050498530 (SMS only)

BY BIODUN JEYIFO Redux: (adj) brought back; resurgent. The Victorian era redux.

Dictionary.com (online) WAS totally unprepared for it, the deluge of comments that I received by email on the article that was published in this column last week on Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.

By a very long shot, this was the largest body of comments that I had ever received on any single or particular week’s column since I began writing the series nearly seven years ago, first in The Guardian (under a slightly different title) and then in The Nation since March this year. As much as the sheer volume of the comments that people sent to me, I was also surprised by the fact from their names, one could see that the writers of the comments come from all parts of the country. And as if that was not enough, there was the additional fact that almost without any exception, all the comments expressed very negative sentiments and opinions about ElRufai, many of them with scathing and unforgiving anger. Indeed, it is instructive to go over the contents of some of these comments.

The most common themes in the comments concerned what their authors deemed El-Rufai’s penchant for hypocrisy and opportunism. As an illustration of this allegation, those who leveled the accusation against ElRufai stated that now that having decamped from the PDP and is in the APC, he has started to praise or even hero-worship General Muhammadu Buhari, whereas when El-Rufai was still in office and in the PDP, he had said of the retired general that on the basis of his performance when he was in office as military head of state, Buhari was “permanently unelectable”. Others talked of venality and self-seeking. One comment that came from a prominent civil rights advocate was sanguine in reminding me that as of this very moment, El-Rufai is in the courts of the land being prosecuted for corruption, having earlier been indicted by both chambers of the National Assembly for corruptly enriching himself while in office. Others talked of thoughtless and wasteful highhandedness while he was in office, especially as the FCT Minster. They talked of how the monetisation policy of the Obasanjo administration was used by El-Rufai to sell housing units constructed specifically as permanent residences for members of the National Assembly while they were members of parliament, with the result that subsequent members of the National Assembly had to be accommodated at exorbitant costs at government expense. And so it went on and on, the mountain of outrage and anger at El-Rufai in and out of office.

As I pored over these comments, it was not difficult for me to come to the conclusion that El-Rufai is most definitely one person that many people love to hate, in the words of that well-known and overused phrase.

Moreover, from what I have read, both from and about him on the internet, it appears that El-Rufai himself not only seems to invite violent negative feelings toward himself but he actually delights in doing so! In this respect, El-Rufai seems to me to be the obverse of the Honourable Patrick Obahiagbon who greatly delights in drawing condescending, mocking laughter toward himself while one may say that El-Rufai likes to attract vituperative

The case against fake auto parts and tyres

I

L

•El-Rufai

and condemnatory anger toward his person.

Like Obahiagbon, it seems that hardly any attention is paid to the actual contents of El-Rufai’s articles, speeches and blogs. Definitely, not a single one among the dozens of comments on last week’s article in this column on El-Rufai that came to me via email said anything at all on the actual contents and the claims made in “Stunted Potentials Hobble Our Nation”, the article that I extensively discussed last week. In other words, it seems that the “messenger” being so objectionable to so many people, there is little or no regard for the “message”. As I happen to believe that there is much to ponder carefully in El-Rufai’s recent articles and lectures, I think this is unfortunate. In other words, it is my contention that the question of the gap, the disjuncture between the “message” and the “messenger” in El-Rufai’s writings should lead us not to the conclusion that what we confront in him is an embodiment of the all too common phenomenon of the public figure that everybody loves to hate but, rather, the reality of a monumental credibility problem. This is a credibility gap, a trustworthiness problem that in this particular instance attaches to the public persona of ElRufai but that, on another level, he shares with most members of our political class.

This is what I wish to discuss briefly in what follows.

On any account, the public lecture that El-Rufai gave in May this year to the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association is masterful in its detailed identification and concise analysis of many of the problems and crises that we face as a nation and a continent at the present time. Given as this year’s contribution to the annual Alao AkaBashorun Memorial Lecture and titled, “Impunity, Injustice and Insecurity: What Is the Role of the Law?” the lecture graphically explored the scope and depth of such issues as unprecedented levels of poverty in Nigeria at the present time; the chasm of social in-

“Famously and with an extraordinary emblematic power, on the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus, who had vigorously persecuted the Christians, experienced an epiphany that was to transform him into Paul, the Apostle on whom the future of Christianity, that then much despised religion of the poor, ultimately depended. On the road to 2015, will ElRufai act according to the classic schema of this Pauline script? Will he truly, truly cast his lot with the poor and the marginalised, the millions of unemployed youths of our country and our continent? ”

equality that separates the few rich from the rest of the society; youth unemployment, its grandiose scale and equally grandiose frightening ramifications; and the deep divisions that are deliberately and opportunistically manufactured by our political elites. What was even more moving about the lecture was that it traced these issues beyond their abstraction as “problems” and “crises” to their effects on our individual and collective humanity as a people. And quite remarkably, the anger of El-Rufai in this lecture toward members of the political class is so stark, so overwhelming that, but for the fact that one knows that all this is coming from El-Rufai, one would have thought that these were the words of a radical activist, a revolutionary who had completely broken, not just with the PDP but the entirety of the Nigerian political class. As a matter of fact, several times during the lecture, El-Rufai invoked the names of both Alao Aka-Bashorun and Gani Fawehinmi as the departed avatars from whom he had obtained a mandate to speak truth to power in our country.

In a similar vein, though on a more limited scope, this is the same order of discourse, the same universe of deeply humanistic and egalitarian values that we confront in such other recent articles of El-Rufai as the one discussed in this column last week, “Stunted Potentials Hobble Our Nation” and “Fiscal Responsibility Commission – The Sleeping Watchdog”. In both of these articles, El-Rufai takes on the voice, the persona of the Nemesis of all that is monstrously corrupt, wasteful and comatose in governance in our country, especially as this negatively impacts the lives of the majority of our peoples. And as I remarked in last week’s column, it is particularly noteworthy that El-Rufai in these articles is magnificently impatient with our leaders; he is insistent on the fact that we are in a race with time and with all the better organized and more humane nations and societies of the world. Several times as I read these articles I asked myself the following questions: Where is all this coming from? Why did El-Rufai not say these things and act upon them when he was in government? What does he expect all those who are very familiar with all the things he did and did not do in office, in government, what does he expect them to think of the born-again moral reformer and social revolutionary that we confront in these recent articles?

Continued on page 18

AST Thursday, I was invited as a speaker at the Auto Tyre Day organised by Automobiles and Road Safety Initiative. The topic I was asked to speak on was the effect of fake auto parts and tyres on the economy.

My first reaction to the invitation was to ask to be excused since I didn’t consider myself a road safety expert. I, however, accepted the invitation when it occurred to me that as a motorist or driver virtually everyone is a stakeholder on motoring issues.

The celebration of the day, though not as popular as other well known ones, is necessary considering that safety on our roads should be paramount to all of us.

Road accidents in Nigeria, which has led to the death of many innocent people, are on the increase and there is an urgent need to halt the alarming development.

The theme of this day: Be Tyre Smart, Play your part is very instructive. It is a clarion call on all of us not to be smart in the negative way but to comply with necessary regulations on the use of tyres.

It requires that we should use the right tyres all times and take necessary precautions.

The value of the Nigerian auto industry as at 2011 was put at N12.5billion as against N750m in 2001, according to some auto industry stakeholders.

However, an average of more than N500 million is said to be lost to fake parts annually.

To be sure, fake parts business is a global problem and not just peculiar to Nigeria. After all a majority of the fake parts are imported sometimes by unscrupulous businessmen who reportedly tell their foreign partners to manufacture sub standard parts.

Dr Oscar Odiboh an auto consultant vividly captures the challenge posed by the menace of the fake products when he said in a paper he presented at an occasion like this: “A car is made up of an average of 14,000 parts and each can be faked,” adding that “ for each car part, there is an average six versions in Nigeria.”

A visit to Ladipo will confirm this assertion with the open sale of fake parts and tyres while mechanics and touts encourage vehicle owners to buy fake parts with all kinds of spurious claims about second hand parts and tyres being better than new ones. My question is usually which new ones are they talking about, fake or genuine?

Undoubtedly, the reign of fake parts has stunted the growth of auto dealership in the country and encouraged indiscriminate sales of second hand motors.

In many ways, fake parts have a lot negative impacts on a growing economy like ours where regulations are not effective and can easily be sidetracked by corrupt government officials at the ports and unpatriotic business men who are more concerned about the money they can make than the dangers to the lives of vehicle owners and other motorists.

The obvious challenge is that safety on our roads is compromised as the rate of accidents will keep increasing when the lives of the people could have been saved if more vehicle owners shun the patronage of fake parts.

With fake parts and tyres, there is a huge loss of revenue by both government and sellers of genuine parts. Those who import the fake products are sure not to pay taxes expected of them which should be paid to the government.

For sellers of genuine parts they will experience low patronage and will not easily recover their investments.

There may be need for waivers for importers of genuine parts to reduce the high cost of genuine products in the local market due to the present multiple taxes and charges which force the dealers to sell at generally unaffordable prices.

Whatever the case, like the Yoruba will say, Ohun ti o da o da (What is not good is not good); fake auto parts and tyres are not good and can kill not only motorists but the economy.

14

Festus Eriye efestus2003@yahoo.com sms only: 08116759748

P

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Comment & Analysis

RESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan promised Nigerians transformation: in

ways he, his supporters and opponents may never have anticipated, he is delivering.

The ongoing war of attrition within the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) rather than being a tragic event, could ultimately lead to radical transformation in the way the business of politics is conducted in Nigeria.

It may also result in reining in the monstrous, rampaging presidency constructed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his eight years in office. This was a presidency more committed to enforcing its will than upholding the rule of law.

It was a presidency unabashedly given to using state apparatus to undermine constitutional institutions, emasculate elected officials and subvert the commonweal.

But for a brief window when the late Umaru Yar’Adua was still trying to find his way and Jonathan as Acting President was coming to grips with exercising ultimate power, we have reverted to the Obasanjo years when a president’s wish was law and dissent well-nigh treasonable.

One can be forgiven for dubbing this administration OBJ-lite. It has copied all the former president methods – especially in dealing with perceived enemies. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is ever ready to be deployed for sudden investigation of all who fall foul of the powers-that-be. Elected officials can be blackmailed with the sudden withdrawal of their security detail. Election outcomes are recognised only when they are favourable.

Even throwbacks to the OBJ era are wheeled out of retirement to reprise their erstwhile

Karma and the PDP meltdown attack-dog roles. You cannot run down the list without experiencing that strange sense of déjà vu.

Unfortunately, those we are dealing with are not the sort to split hairs over originality.

They are too pre-occupied with the struggle for survival, and for desperate men anything goes – as long as it works.

The real tragedy for a party that loved to describe itself as the ‘biggest in Africa’ is that it has been so preoccupied with staring at, and admiring its image as mirrored by the water, it didn’t realise the moment it fell into the river! Even in its death throes some who should know better are deluding themselves that the party will emerge from the current trauma stronger.

The only way that can happen is if there is genuine reconciliation in which the grievances of ‘New PDP’ elements are addressed and the rebels receive amnesty. But that is an unlikely scenario because what is driving the split is a cocktail of burning ambition, betrayal, broken promises and deeprooted bitterness.

Jonathan is committed to running again.

His embittered foes are bent on holding him to commitments he made when he first sought the presidency under equally contentious circumstances in 2011. The other eruptions like the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) debacle and Rivers PDP crisis are all

symptoms traceable to the disagreements over 2015 which are destabilising the party.

Anyone who has followed the exchanges across the PDP divide in the last one week will not have escaped the old pattern of denial and looking for scapegoats.

Rather than embark on some desperately needed introspection, party hacks have descended on the usual suspects. Predictably, some of Jonathan’s supporters now see in Obasanjo the Macchiavelian directing the drama. Never mind that the possibility of the former president and his erstwhile deputy, Atiku Abubakar, sitting together to cook up a conspiracy - given all the issues between them - just beggars belief.

In reality the spiritual principle that you reap what you sow holds true in the PDP mess. Everything the ruling party and its managers have done in the last 14 years created the impression that with sufficient might you can get away with impunity.

I have been amused to no end at the recourse by PDP chairman, Bamanga Tukur and elements in the presidency to legality as the means of fighting the rebellion. Tukur has been huffing and puffing about how he was properly elected by the special convention. He has even gone as far as threatening to declare the seats of rebels in the National Assembly vacant, and send security agents after them for daring to have a difference of

“It is hypocritical for the president and his supporters to cry foul over ‘New PDP’. Without shame they recognised Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, as NGF chairman after he received just 16 votes in an election in which 35 governors voted. Jonathan used the power of his office to encourage Jang’s dubious claims. So why is he discomfited that a mere seven governors will topple Tukur and replace him with one-time Acting Chairman, Abubakar Baraje?”

opinion.

Coming from party leaders who have encouraged this sort of unorthodox conduct in the past, the whole legal posturing is just risible. The PDP has 23 governors, but its national leadership was sacked by Atiku and a mere seven governors! What is wrong with that? Given what has been happening in the polity in the last few months the ruling party should not see this as a strange development.

It is hypocritical for the president and his supporters to cry foul over ‘New PDP’.

Without shame they recognised Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, as NGF chairman after he received just 16 votes in an election in which 35 governors voted. Jonathan used the power of his office to encourage Jang’s dubious claims. So why is he discomfited that a mere seven governors will topple Tukur and replace him with one-time Acting Chairman, Abubakar Baraje?

It is rib-tickling watching the outrage of the same people who have been addressing the impostor, Evans Bipi, as ‘Speaker’ of the Rivers State House Assembly. This was a fellow who along with five others purportedly toppled the real leader of the 24-member assembly in the now infamous fracas where legislators assaulted each other with dangerous weapons while the police looked on like spectators at a boxing tournament.

If Bipi and his Gang of Five can seize power in a 24-man assembly, what is wrong in seven governors overthrowing the leadership of the ‘biggest party in Africa’? In the PDP’s universe this should not elicit surprise.

Over the last 14 years this party has sown impunity and injustice, now it is reaping a whirlwind harvest.

This isn’t a beauty contest between Jonathan and Atiku or the governors and the president. This is about the underlying things stoking the crisis. This is about a system that has received too many shocks and now the absorbers have given way. This is purely a case of what has been going round finally coming around. So PDP deal with it!

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Comment & Analysis

15

How credible?

Annulment of census results in 14 of 20 LGs in Lagos raises question about our headcounts

T

HE decision of the census tribunal to annul the 2006 census results in 14 local government councils of Lagos State, six years after the exercise, fits into the aphorism, that it is better late than never. Yet we must ask, what caused the long delay before the tribunal reached this decision? Again, we want to know how and why the National Population Commission (NPC) got it all wrong in as many as 14 local government councils, out of the 20 in the state, in the 2006 census. Indeed, even more scary is the fact that but for the dogged determination of Lagos State to pursue justice over the census figures allocated to it, the faulty figures would have been presented to urban planners as the valid census for the councils; with all its consequences.

We therefore commend the Lagos State government for tenaciously seeking justice in this matter; and we urge the commission to immediately take necessary steps to conduct a valid headcount in the affected councils. It may interest other states that have queries about the 2006 census figures ascribed to their states that, apart from seeking a nullification of the disputed census figures, Lagos State also conducted a parallel enumeration programme to determine the population of those living within its boundaries. The importance of this exercise, despite the extra burden on the resources of the state can now be appreciated, considering the inaccuracies of figures from the NPC; more so as no modern-state can be effectively governed without accurate demographic figures of the persons and physical development within a given area.

In the face of this judicial confirmation of the inaccuracy of the 2006 census, at least in the 14 local councils of Lagos State, it is necessary for the commission to conduct an in-

ternal enquiry as to how it faired so poorly despite the availability of modern demographic technologies to help it perform its function. The commission must also take necessary steps to impart on the general public an understanding that census is for effective economic planning, as against the notion that it is merely for the politics of resource allocation. It must also be borne in mind by the staff and agents of the commission, and indeed Nigerians, that without an adequate census, governments at all levels cannot properly plan for the provision of infrastructure, which include schools, electricity, water, recreational facilities and of course the apparatus for security of lives and properties.

It is also important to note that an accurate census has become even more critical for our country because of our recent security challenges. The menace of Boko Haram and sundry other crimes cannot be appropriately dealt with without an accurate data of Nigerians and her physical development. Nigerians should appreciate that with a forensic and physical data of its citizens and development, it would be a lot easier to determine and pin down criminal elements, whenever a crime is committed anywhere in the country. Indeed, the population commission has the primary responsibility to have a de-

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

•Editor Festus Eriye •Deputy Editor Olayinka Oyegbile •Associate Editors Taiwo Ogundipe Sam Egburonu

M

ANY at times one may wonder why our so-called leaders take delight in clinging to power even to the point of death or when they are incapacitated. Once they get into power via questionable or unquestionable means, they would not want to cede it even when they are incapacitated as if it’s their business venture.

The political charade in Taraba State is not a different one. The governor, Danfulani Suntai, who has brain damage owing to air mishap which occurred last year is yet to fully recover but sadly his stalwarts want to hijack the politics of the state by playing politics with his health. Little wonder his health status is yet to be divulged by his disciples. They want to establish politics by proxy.

They now want to duplicate what happened during Yar’adua’s era. We are all familiar with how they played politics with the late president’s health challenge. When he was terribly ill, his health status was denied Nigerians even when he was flown abroad. To make it more dramatic, they tried to fool us by using somebody’s voice as his in a foreign media, feigning that he was recuperating. How funny! To fan more tension in the country, he was flown back into the country to

•Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye

mographic data bank, which can be used by the security agencies, in pursuit of their responsibilities. Such capacity would also help the country counter trans-border crimes, and stop foreign criminals who claim to be Nigerians when they are caught even outside our shores.

It is also important for the commission to conduct an internal audit of its systems and processes, to understand how it could get its work wrong in as many as 14 councils in Lagos State, alone. Of course, there is also the possibility that similar errors were committed in other parts of the country; such auditing would help the commission to understand the weaknesses and the challenges that wrought these statistical fallacies. Since many argue that census is a political issue, it is also important to find out whether the error was an act of commission or omission, and either way identify the persons or the techniques responsible for these errors, to avoid a recurrence.

Working towards a more reliable census in 2016, we restate the urgent need for the NPC to begin to plan for the deployment of the most modern technology available for demographic exercise. The commission should also recruit and train the appropriate manpower for the exercise, if it is to avoid the pitfalls of 2006. While the commission’s chairman, Mr. Festus Odimegwu, may wish to say that the tribunal’s judgment has vindicated his recent comment on the credibility of censuses over the years in Nigeria, we must state clearly that Mr. Odimegwu’s comment was a needless controversy. Going forward, he should, henceforth, concentrate his energy at working to conduct a very transparent and credible census in 2016. Where the commission succeeds under his chairmanship, the country will be better for it.

LETTERS

Suntai: History repeating itself avoid losing his seat in the dead of the night and his then vice president- Dr Goodluck Jonathan- was turned down when he made an attempt to see ailing boss on his return.

The charade continued until life was snuffed out of him.

Prior to his demise, it was believed that the then first lady navigated the ship of presidency; she decided who got what, when and how.

As the political crisis in Taraba lingers, I am afraid to say that history is about to repeat itself except something urgently is done to salvage the situation. This is because following the decision of the house to elevate deputy governor, Garba Umar, since the ailing governor had been away since last year, the wife of the latter together with her disciples-Jonah Jang of Plateau State and others went and brought him back to stop the inauguration of the former, not minding his health status. To them it is obvious that his position is more important than his health.

It is sad and sardonic that

Suntai, whom they claim has fully recuperated and is fit to assume his duties as the Chief Executive Officer of the state could not alight from the aircraft himself without aid, let alone waving his hand to his anxious fans that came to welcome him or speak to the pressmen in the airport.

I was amazed when I watched the clip of his alighting from the plane on arrival.

His face looked as if he swallowed an office pin. One of his aides held him in the arm. To avoid further embarrassment, he was whisked away to the VIP lodge of the airport. They claimed that he was very tired

and needed to rest.

To convince the Assembly that he was fit to resume his duties, he fulfilled his constitutional obligation by writing to them. This was trailed with mixed reactions as regards the authenticity of the signature. To ascertain this, he was summoned by the ‘doubting Thomases’ of the house to come and address them after the delegates that were sent to pay him homage were turned down.

This generated uproar as the cabal claimed that he had done what the constitution stipulated and there was no need to address the house. How crafty!

Who is deceiving who?

I give kudos to the recent response of the law makers to the ailing governor, that he is unfit and as such should go back to US to continue his treatment. That is how it ought to be-it should be premise on capability and not on compassionate ground else history might repeat itself.

Emmanuel Onoja is a corps-member in Ibadan.

On Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs)

P

ERMIT me to air my views on the era of Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs). IGRs are revenue sources derived from the provision of goods and services by the agencies of government or non-governmental organisations that are not inclusive of external allocations, grants and benefactions. IGRs are critical to the affairs of organisations that are involved in its generation and are useful in the running of such outfits.

Often, the viability of some organisations is determined by its capacity for IGRs. In some instances the rating and external allocation formula or even

resource allocation is based on the capacity for an organisation to generate its own revenue.

Hence, some organs or sections of government or nongovernmental organisations are often looked down as a result of their inability or delay to come up with viable options for internally generated revenue.

Thus every agency or section worth its salt is expected to be able to generate its own revenue or at least part of it and should not always be cap in hand looking for its sustenance from the powers that be. As a result of the quest for IGR, some moral

issues have often arisen and the public has often questioned the rationale behind such moves.

A case in point is that of revenue motive by FRSC through new number plates which was stepped down by the National Assembly on the grounds that if the agency needed extra funding it should propose in its budgetary submissions for approval. There is therefore no need to stampede hapless vehicle owners into the September 30 deadline and not only that with threats of enforcement to get at defaulters after this date. Must vehicle owners be made to suffer because the FRSC wants to make a

point that it too has the capacity to bring in revenue for the government and thereby leverage on its own equitable allocation from the Federal Government.

Again, what moral value is it for water corporations owned by government to be selling water in tanks when they cannot make the commodity available to the populace just in the name of IGRs? May be such outfits had better still add value to the water by bottling it for the public at a subsidized price.

Emmanuel Tyokumbur Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan.

SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 500 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS: sundaynation@yahoo.com

16

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Comment & Analysis

Ropo Sekoni

Education and democracy: training the future generation 1

ropo.sekoni @thenationonlineng.net

The parlous state of education in the country requires a desperate solution

A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to Farce or Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the power of knowledge.James Madison There is but one method of rendering a republican form of government durable, and this is by disseminating the seeds of virtue and knowledge through every part of the state by means of proper places and modes of education and this can be done effectively only by the aid of the legislature.—Benjamin Rush It is only when the minds of men have been properly and rigorously cultivated and garnished, that they can be safely entrusted with public affairs with a certainty and assuredness that they will make the best of their unique opportunity and assignment.ObafemiAwolowo

T

ODAY’S piece is the first of a series on an issue that should be of serious concern to lovers of a united and progressive Nigeria: educating and training those who are to keep Nigeria going. The three quotations overleaf by two of United States of America’s founding fathers and one of Nigeria’s founding fathers capture the themes that circumscribe the articles on education and democracy in this column for the next few weeks.

Femi Orebe femi.orebe @thenationonlineng.net 08056504626 (sms only) HEN I last wrote about Chief Oladeji Fasuan, a man of razor-sharp intellect, he was 77 and that was on 7 September, 2008. He has since added five more glorious years of solid and continuous service to the nation, Nigeria, to Ekiti state and to the Are-Afao community of Ekiti state which I have the divine privilege of sharing with him. A man of many parts and gargantuan capabilities, Chief Fasuan will answer his Maker serving God and humanity. His illustrious contribution to the industrial growth of Western Nigeria in the golden Awolowo days, his service in Ondo state, especially during the administration of Papa Adekunle Ajasin, and his unequalled contribution to the Ekiti state creation, have all become folklore just as his sterling, and continuing service to our Alma Mata, Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti, will remain indelible.

Without a doubt, the word 'service' can, with considerable justification, double as his middle name.

I always consider it a privilege whenever I have the opportunity of paying deserved tribute to those of our icons who have, in their life time, left their names on the sands of time. I have done so for many which include, but are not limited to: Chief Alex Olu Ajayi, Chief Fola Alade, Chief Dele Falegan, Prince Juli Adelusi Faluyi, Professors Banji Akintoye, O.O Akinkugbe, Bolaji Akinyemi and Jide Osuntokun, Chief (Dr) JGO Adegbite and my inimitable Primary School teacher, Chief Fajana; men whose names command instant recognition from the services they have rendered to humanity in their various callings. These writings have been motivated , never by any sense of

W

Given the arguments— pros and cons— that attended to the recent strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), it should not require a great measure of brilliance on the part of the average Nigerian that the country is not giving enough attention to the most important ingredient that can sustain its unity and predispose it to sustainable democracy and development. When government spokespersons rest their argument against provision of credible higher education on lack of funds, the average citizen needs to get worried about what awaits his or her children in a country that is a part of a modern world driven by knowledge. The articles planned for the next few weeks are designed to express concerns about the way to provide proper education that can keep our country together as a democratic federation in a global political and economic ethos that is driven by freedom and innovation.

Some of the questions once asked by Bertrand Russell and John Dewey will be repeated in the series, with the hope of stimulating discussion on what true patriots of our country need to worry about as they prepare their younger ones for life beyond them in a country that appears to have been at the crossroads for too long with respect to how best to educate the citizenry in a highly competitive global envi-

ronment. Put simply, the issue that education has a role in making democracy a workable system and that democracy has a role in making education profitable to the individual and the community in which he or she lives will be repeated in the discussion in the next few weeks on what the government and the citizen need to do to save the country’s democracy and federation.

Nigeria is not without its own thinkers and doers in the area of systematic promotion of the symbiosis between education and democracy. Chief ObafemiAwolowo and Chief AdekunleAjasin in particular had given deep thought to the role of education in nation building and in the making of a modern and progressive nation and citizenry. The initiation and funding of free primary public education in Western Nigeria in 1955 demonstrated and still demonstrates Chief Awolowo’s conviction that democracy might be a mirage if citizens (voters) are not educated. Using proceeds from taxes, initially paid grudgingly by citizens, as well as from proceeds from lottery in the 1950s to fund primary public education at a time when there was no trace of petroleum certainly underscores a rare commitment to education as a means of sustaining democracy and a way to prepare citizens for a meaningful life in the era of modernity.

Most of the citizens from the Western part of Nigeria in the generation of this writer are largely products of Awolowo’s free primary education provided by a combination of properly coordinated public and private or sectarian schools in the 1950s. In the assessment of nationals and foreigners in the field of higher education, there were few, if at all, complaints about the quality of education in Nigeria until the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Education started to decline in Nigeria under military autocracy between 1983 and 1999. It should not surprise anyone if military dictators had no use for education for citizens, on account of the fact, that a highly educated citizenry could become too critical of authoritarianism. But there is no reason why an elected government should be afraid of giving proper education to citizens during a period of democratic rule.

However, the quality of education in the last fourteen years of postmilitary rule has not improved considerably for citizens to believe that Nigerian military dictators are more averse to educated citizenry than elected civilians that succeeded them in 1999.

The parlous state of education in the country at present recalls the Yoruba proverb: Oro sunukunojusunukun la fi n wo o. This translates roughly in English to a desperate problem requires a des-

perate solution. Providing the right type of education to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, development, and federation certainly calls for creative thinking on the part of all stakeholders: parents, students, federal, state, and local governments, and most especially the legislative branch of government at all levels.

Attempting to amend a constitution that is riddled with confusion in respect of creating an educational culture and system in the country without paying any attention to how to re-design education in the country is similar to looking away from dealing with how to create a realistic and efficient security system in the country.

Like the issue of law enforcement, educating and training the Nigerian child to the point that he or she can feel safe, self-confident, emboldened to express his or her opinions and live by the wish of the majority in a competitive global environment requires more than expressions of commitment to the promotion of a knowledge society in the country. It calls for fresh and deep thinking on how to create an educational system or systems that can support aspirations of Nigerians to thrive in the modern global market. Consigning education to the realm of buck passing and bashing the professoriate may not solve the problems that have contributed in large parts to Nigeria being 145th on the Global Competitive Index and being 146th on account of poor primary education in the country. It is the legislature at all levels and the civil society across state borders that must lead a new discussion on the way forward, while lovers of inclusive political and economic institutions in the country pay attention to the need for a new strategy on how to educate Nigeria’s citizens.

Oladeji Fasuan: The consumate administrator at 82 Chief Fasuan's working life reads like a history of the economic cum industrial development of the old West Region, and later, that of Ondo and Ekiti State

patronage, but by the Yoruba saying: yin ni yin ni, ko le se mi - meaning that where you show appreciation, you do not only encourage that person to do more but you are, indeed, asking others to emulate these good deeds towards God and humanity. Without a scintilla of doubt, Chief Oladeji Fasuan deserves this decent mention in this highest circulating newspaper in the country -The Nation.

Chief Fasuan eagerly, indeed with a sense of pride, admits his humble beginnings. It is for this reason that his forthcoming autobiography is titled: The Back wood Boy -Scaling through Accidents of Life -An Autobiography.

It has therefore been through God's grace and by dint of hard work that he rose to become what he is today. Born to the family of Samson and Alice Fasuan of Afao-Ekiti on September 6, 1931, he attended St Andrew's Primary School, Are-Ekiti, between 1939-45 and sixty eight years later today, he still carries with him his first school leaving certificate, eloquently attesting to his incredible care about things that matter. He proceeded from there to Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti, '46 -51 and for his higher education , he attended the University College, Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he was between 195559, graduating with a B.A ( Econs) degree. He later attended, at various times in his chequered professional career, some short but specialized courses like that at the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank in '72 and earlier at the Universities of Ife, Ibadan and Pittsburg, United States of America.

As I wrote in my 2008 article, Chief Fasuan's working life reads like a history of the economic cum industrial development of the old Western Region, and later, that of Ondo and Ekiti

States , all rolled into one. The result is that apart from the executive positions he held in such institutions as the Western Region Investment and Credit Corporation (IICC), where he served as General Manager, same as he would later hold at the Ondo state Investment Corporation , he was Permanent Secretary in such key ministries as Economic Planning and Statistics, Chieftaincy Review Commission, Agric Credit Commission and, later, General Manager, Ondo State Water Corporation . He also served on the boards of the O'dua Investment co ltd, West African Portland Cement, Nigerian Breweries, Dunlop among many others and was chairman , Odua Textile Mills, Ado-Ekiti and Owena Motels Ltd. At the federal level, he served between '99 -2004, as Commissioner on the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Abuja. His various communities have also tasted of his public spiritedness. A three time Chairman of the Christ's School Board of Governors, he was member, later chairman of the Ekiti government Advisory council between 2003-2006, member, Ekiti state joint account committee, 2004-2006, the same time he was chairman, Ekiti Elders Committee and Baba Ijo, St David's Anglican Church, Afao -Ekiti, from 2002 to date.

Important as all these are to Chief Fasuan, nothing compares to his Chairmanship of the committee for the creation of Ekiti (1991-1996) which he regards as the climax of his public service and the fruition of the Ekiti struggle for self determination which had started way back 1876 with the Kiriji wars which pitched the Ekiti Confederate Army against Ibadan. Chief Fasuan's incomparable exertions towards that historic achievement have been

severally commended. Among those who have done this is His Royal Majesty, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti who wrote about Chief Fasuan as follows:' In the cause of our interactions, I discovered that chief Fasuan is a very pleasant individual, an upright man who does not only want people to work with him openly without any secret agenda, but also that people should place their cards on the table face upwards. It is on record that his tireless and heroic efforts contributed immensely to the creation of Ekiti state. I see Chief Deji Fasuan in the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi and Nelson Mandela.

These are people who gave up the comfort and pleasures of the world in order to build up others and make them comfortable in life. Such people are Christ-like. They are men who aimed at higher values and pursued them relentlessly, not minding the sacrifices until such values are attained. Such people are heroes and sources of inspiration for all times'.

At 82, Chief Fasuan does not suffer fools gladly. A highly informed commentator on public affairs, his latest contribution to public discuss was the one on the raging controversy over whether or not Local Governments should be granted autonomy; a thoroughly harebrained idea of the National Assembly which is apparently indulging in an unnecessary fishing expedition because its members simply do not know how best to serve the Nigerian nation. In chief Fasuan's views, not only should the federal government have nothing to do with Local Governments, that tier of government should, indeed, be scrapped as only the state and the federal are the federating units. It is his belief that lo-

cal governments add no value, but rather, that they are centres of corruption. It is the view of this columnist that all monies going to states should, in fact, go to the states and that it should be left to states to create the number of Local Government areas it desires and administer them without the slightest intrusion by any other arm of government. Indeed, for maximum effectiveness, Local Governments should be structured as extensions of the State government with the primary duty of helping it deepen good governance and development but certainly not as centres of opposition. Their creation should therefore be an executive action since there are instances where the ruling party does not have a majority in the state House of Assembly. This obvious truism, which we demonise and run away from, is the lone reason state governments do everything to win elections in ALL LGA's, including the latest exemplar in Kwara State where the PDP candidate was declared winner in the re rerun election in the Offa LG in spite of the fact that the opposition, APC candidate won in 11 out of 12 wards. As long as anything other than what is being suggested here is in place, Nigeria will continue to have problems with regards to that tier of government. Autonomy being canvassed by the National Assembly is in total contradiction to the constitution which grants states the right to create Local Governments. Or what type of autonomy from the mother is the National Assembly canvassing for the child?

– Chief Deji Fasuan is the Jagunmolu of Ado-Ekiti and the Agbaakin of Omuaran, Kwara state.

Here is wishing him long life in glorious health.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Tunji

Adegboyega tunjade@yahoo.co.uk 08054503906 (sms only)

W

IKIPEDIA defines an umbrella as “a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight”. So, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chose an umbrella as its symbol, the expectation is that come rain, come shine, Nigerians will be covered. And, with the emergence of the party as the ruling party in 1999, there were great expectations of an all-round protection from the party. Unfortunately, what Nigerians have been reaping is a bundle of disappointments. The optimism that greeted the return to civil rule on May 29, 1999 has given way to general discontentment. Things have been that bad; and there is no doubt that it can only get worse if Nigeria is left in the hands of the PDP beyond the expiration of President Goodluck Jonathan’s term in 2015.

That was why Nigerians leapt for joy when on August 31, the party broke into two. It was an implosion foretold. On that day at its special convention in Abuja, some prominent members of the party pulled out of the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP to form what they called ‘New PDP.’ Alhaji Abubakar Kawo Baraje, a former acting national chairman of the party is now the national chairman of the ‘new PDP’. Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former national secretary of the party was named as its national secretary and Dr Sam Sam Jaja as deputy national chairman.

Other leaders of the ‘New PDP’ are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governors Rabiu Musa

Postscript, Unlimited!

By

Oyinkan Medubi 07057012862 (SMS only) puchuckles7@gmail.com

D

EAR reader, today is World Literacy Day. You know what that means don’t you?

It is the day people examine themselves and seek a genuine answer to the question: how would I like to be that man or woman in my village who looks at the letter S on a page and declares ‘my goodness, how like worm it looks! Will it crawl out of the page?’ I know I would cry. If I cannot recognise the letters on a page, how on earth am I going to read the instructions on my favourite cereal pack?

I have always regarded illiteracy to be a little like that poem by the nineteenth century poet, John Godfrey Saxe entitled ‘The Blind Men and the Elephant’ based on a story said to have originated in the Indian subcontinent. As you can guess, the poem is not only famous, but it has been used to illustrate many things, the most famous of which is the fact that truth has many sides and there is a need to respect other perspectives outside of our own. The poem tells us that six blind men examined the elephant and declared it in turn to be a fan, spear, wall, rope, snake and tree. Worse, each of them was sure he was right.

Now, the point is not so much the perspectives which were all wrong but the fact that each was so wrong

Comment & Analysis

17

Humpty Dumpty falls at last ‘New PDP’: Old things have passed away? I’m afraid, not necessarily Kwankwaso (Kano), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto). Others are Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara). Before the break-up, many of the members had been complaining about Alhaji Tukur’s leadership style, but President Goodluck Jonathan seemed not ready to do away with him. It was therefore imminent that a division was inevitable.If, therefore, there was any surprise about the party, it was that it could trudge this long before collapsing.

For 14 years, there is nothing the PDP can point at as its achievement. It met Nigerians in darkness; it has not taken them out of it. All we hear is about the Federal Executive Council awarding contracts for this or that project; Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of such massive award of projects. Early last week, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, cried aloud about the worsening unemployment situation in the country.

If President Jonathan did not know before August 31 that his presidency was standing on shifting sand, and if he is yet to acknowledge that fact even now, then he must be naïve indeed. It was clear that the way he is running his presidency; it is only a matter of time for the party to implode. His handling of the Rivers State

crisis, where even ‘Oga madam’ wanted to drive a democratically elected governor out of town, was a thing that could only have been any other ‘politics’ in the queer ‘family’ called the PDP. I may be wrong; but something tells me that the break-up became inevitable partly because those behind it have read the handwriting on the wall and have seen that more Nigerians are disenchanted with the party.

The implication is that there would be less pork to share after 2015; so, why not jump ship before it is too late? Unfortunately, Alhaji Tukur, with whom the president appeared to have covenanted not to separate, has not been helping matters. He appears not to understand the gravity of what has hit the party under his chairmanship. He is still threatening the arrow-heads of the ‘new PDP’, a thing which tells me that he is in no way about shedding his village headmaster toga.

Yes, I am opposed to zoning; but no top shot of the PDP can say the same thing because they all know (if they want to be honest with themselves) that zoning is very much alive in their party. But former President Olusegun Obasanjo unilaterally ‘killed’ zoning just to satisfy one ambition: install Jonathan as president.

The PDP had engaged in such dishonesties in the past without being bothered, in so far as it was con-

“An umbrella is supposed to provide cover for people in rain or sunshine. This is a big irony with the PDP because the umbrella, its symbol, has exposed Nigerians to everything that it is supposed to protect them against … But nothing I have said here should be misconstrued as a celebration of the ‘new PDP’, as old things may not yet have passed away”

venient for the party. To the ruling party, everything is ‘politics’. Or, to use their catchphrase, it is a ‘family affair’. So much water had passed under this bridge of ‘family affair’ that the party, and by extension, many Nigerians, no longer know the difference between good and bad.

Even when one of the party’s elders, former President Obasanjo went to the homes of the party’s top shots and ate pounded yam and egusi soup, or when he danced with them today only to get them removed from office the next day, we all see it as ‘politics’ because our psyche has been so conditioned.

All these actions worsen the plight of a people who only about 14 years ago were freed from the jackboots.

The many lessons that they were supposed to have learnt from the transition to civil rule were never learnt; as a matter of fact, they were never taught because the ruling party that is supposed to teach those lessons itself lacked the capacity. The party cannot give what it does not have.

But only the enemies of Nigeria would weep for the PDP. What has happened is that the party has merely paid itself back in its own coin. It was a question of what goes around, comes around. The party led the way to balkanisation of some other structures by creating parallel ones. We have the PDP Governors Forum which it encouraged to spite the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and reduce the influence of its chairman, Gov Amaechi. When this did not achieve the desired result, the party (presidency and all) infiltrated the NGF and attempted to break its ranks by sponsoring Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State to run against Amaechi for the NGF chair. In spite of the federal might, Amaechi defeated Jang by 19 votes to 16. It was

obvious the Jonah faction characteristically slept off during the election, as it eventually claimed to have won after waking up from its deep slumber. It is instructive to remind Nigerians that the Presidency gave the loser a winner’s welcome!

Honestly, I do not know how far the party’s elders can go now, when things appear to have been damaged irredeemably. If the elders had cautioned Alhaji Tukur before and he did not listen, then, they should leave him and his boss to their fate because that is what you do to a child that is behaving like a dog that wants to get lost. But if the elders kept quiet all through, either because of the spoils they are getting from the government or for whatever reason, then, we have to question their kind of elders.

The point however is, even if the breakaway faction reunites with the old tomorrow, it can never be the same again. The camaraderie is gone with the winds because, as we say in Yorubaland, two people can no longer be friends after taking themselves to court. What has happened in and to the PDP is worse than people going to court. An umbrella is supposed to provide cover for people in rain or sunshine. This is a big irony with the PDP because the umbrella, its symbol, has exposed Nigerians to everything that it is supposed to protect them against. This is the disconnect between dreams and deeds; the tragedy of the big-for-nothing ‘largest party in Africa’. But nothing I have said here should be misconstrued as a celebration of the ‘new PDP’, as old things may not yet have passed away. However, the way the opposition parties react to this great fall will determine, to a large extent, how much of the spoils from the PDP crash they will get in the coming elections.

We must bring basic literacy skills to the doorstep of all citizens, or die trying We must somehow ensure that the light of literacy placed in our hands lights up someone else’s lamp and so sure! That is just one of the things that illiteracy does to one. It makes you blind like the blind men.

For instance, I ask myself, were they unable to apprehend the elephant because they were blind or were they blind because they could not apprehend the elephant? Are you confused? Good, so am I. There is nothing like blindness to make people stumble.

No doubt, literacy has many advantages. For one thing, you must be very literate to persist in reading this column for many readers have told me many times to tone down my English so that they can read what I have to say. But I don’t trust Nigerians; if I were to go lower than this, I fear they are not altruistic enough to say, ‘Come up higher’, you know, like you tell someone who deliberately humbles him/ herself so that he/she can be elevated in front of a crowd. Nigerians will just forget me there. So, this is not a very good example. But what about traffic signs? Oh, you would not believe just how many people think that the one who has the right of way at a roundabout is that one who gets there first, such as the donkey, Okada rider, mule, taxi, etc.

Believe me, I often cannot tell the difference.

As I was saying, many advantages attend literacy. Only the literate crowd in Nigeria knows for instance that all governments are insincere with the truth and the economy, and are ignorant to boot.

That’s funny, because the government also thinks that the people are

insincere with the truth and the economy, and are ignorant. Clearly, people who go into government suddenly develop severe bouts of illiteracy, but who’s to know? That’s why we’ve had all kinds of braindeprived policies: selling mobile phones instead of tractors to farmers; changing licences and vehicle number plates three times in a year, increasing fuel prices once a year, and other policies not mentally well enough to be mentioned. Forgive me if I exaggerate ... I am not exaggerating? You mean, all these happened? Well, who would have believed it?!!! Wait till I tell my dog.

‘Mr. Bones, have you heard ...’

Jokes apart, we have said it again and again. This government would write its name in gold if it began to take the literacy problem in this country more seriously.

There are far too many people in the land who cannot read and write.

There are far too many people in the land who cannot count, read newspapers or sign their names. But they can read the currency very well.

Now, let me tell you something.

Failing to read a newspaper in a day, literate or not, is failing to contribute to the development of the country because one would not know what is going on, react appropriately by taking the right steps and generally help to stop the bad guys in their tracks. When I heard the rumour that our president was in the habit of looking down his lucky nose at Nigerian newspapers, I gulped. Had he never heard the expression, keep your friends close but your enemies

closer by visiting, playing, eating and dying with them, etc., eh? But I’m glad he has since repented. No? Oh you!; you must be one of those enemies he really needs to keep close.

On the other hand, illiteracy is not an excuse for the failure to know what is going on in one’s country for where there is a will, there is a way. It was said that the early settlers in America found ways of improving themselves by attending night schools when the day’s work was done. That way, no one could get the better of them financially, socially and most important of all, politically. So, they were often to be found at that time with a hoe in one hand and a pencil in the other, even if only to have something to bite on in the times of stress or depression. On the other hand, Nigerian illiterates are simply content to remain so because they feel no particular pressure to acquire the alphabet or numeracy. They wake up in the morning, bring down yesterday’s agbada down from its hook, sling it on, tuck their hands inside its folds, step outside their huts and just follow their nose to where the nearest aroma of food is wafting in from, which is usually a politician’s compound.

It has often been said that Nigeria runs a diversified economy.

What that means is that the rural folks, who constitute the largest group in the illiterate class, have many sources of income. They get some perks from the village politician representing them in govern-

ment; they also get ‘something’ from their close relatives who are rich and who are obliged to share or their reputation in the village will not be worth a kobo. Believe me, every family has a ‘rich’ relative. Then, they get a little ‘something’ from their sons and daughters who come ‘home’ from time to time and bring all the riches in the city for them. If you had all these diverse economic sources, would you be inclined to shift from your behind too? I know I would not.

The government has to move – crane, digger, and all – to make the illiterate know and believe that they need literacy in order to add more meaningfulness to their lives. It must activate the adult literacy unit of its programme to bring people out of the realm of darkness into the marvellous daylight of literacy. The government, and all of us, must aim toward making “Literacies for the 21st century” a reality by bringing basic literacy skills to the doorstep of all citizens, or die trying.

Everyone has a part to play too. You can regularly read aloud to your children from story books instead of leaving their imagination to what they can get on “Tales by Moonlight”. In your family, you can also do literacy adoption: help bring a child into literacy by reading to him/her regularly. In your neighbourhood, you can adopt an adult to teach the basic literacy skills to.

We must somehow ensure that the light of literacy placed in our hands lights up someone else’s lamp.

18

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Comment & Analysis

Practical framework for boosting intra-African trade

By Roberts Orya help them harness opportunities for growth.

I came up with the idea of what we call the Sealink project as a response to the challenges our exporters face. This project is intended to provide direct maritime links between ECOWAS membercountries. That was the original idea. But when we began to work on the initiative; when we began to mobilise support for the project from our sisters and brothers across the sub-region; and when we exposed the project to our friends in Cameroon, we found that the Sealink project is born in due season, and that its scope should cover both West and Central African sub-regions.

Last month, we held the first Sealink bilingual investor forum in Accra, Ghana. For me, it was emotional to see the overwhelming support and endorsements the project received across the two sub-regions. The ECOWAS Commission, which was represented by its Vice President, Dr. Toga Gayewea Mcintosh, is backing the project.

The Sealink project is seen as assisting the Commission to actualise some of its objectives under the 1979 Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, and the Right of Residence and Establishment across West Africa. Since the ECOWAS Commission was an early backer of the project as far back as 2011, it came to the Forum with substance. We were told the attention of Heads of Government of ECOWAS member-countries has been drawn to addressing piracy – one of the risks the Sealink project contemplates. Beyond this, the ECOWAS Commission is happy to lobby Member-States to provide priority berthing for Sealink vessels.

The enthusiasm for the Sealink project cuts across the language divide. Our brothers from the francophone countries, particularly Côte d’Ivoire want full integration into the Sealink project. This has always been the business case. However, at the time NEXIM Bank commissioned the feasibility study for the project, Côte d’Ivoire was embroiled in a political transition crisis which prevented the study team from visiting the country as they did all other ECOWAS Member-Countries. But today, the crisis is history. His Excellency, President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire is Chairman of ECOWAS. Rather than being seen as an exclusive project, delegates saw the setting up of the Sealink project, which enthusiastically attracted the name “Eco Sealink” (to reflect its origin) in the same light as Ecobank when it started. Today, Ecobank has transcended the boundaries of its origin to become truly a Pan-African institution with subsidiaries in 34 countries across Africa. This was the shared fate of the Sealink project. Like Ecobank, the Sealink project will operate as a private sector business, which will leverage national and regional governmental institutions to bring prosperity to its shareholders and peoples of the sub-regions. The programme to raise $60 million in combined equity and debt capital for the SPV which will operate the project has

“

Freight charges for shipment of cargoes within subSaharan African are the highest compared with what obtains within any other region of the world.

Whereas it costs about $2,500.00 to ship a containerised cargo from China to Lagos, it costs roughly $3,500.00 to ship the same from Lagos to Douala.

And whereas a shipment from United States to Lagos might take 10 days, cargoes sent from Apapa Port in Nigeria to Tema Port in Ghana will take a minimum of 45 days, because unavailability of direct sea link between the two countries

“

I

T is now well known beyond the shores of our continent. Several African economies, of which Nigeria is the biggest, have been experiencing GDP growth rate of 5 per cent or more for about a decade. The positive outlook of economic growth on the continent, when the major economies of the world are in decline with negative or weak growth, has made Africa the darling of global investors in a way never seen before. More than ever before, this is an exciting time for Africa and investors in Africa.

The bright prospects for investments in Africa are linked to vast untapped economic opportunities. But market mechanisms are known to be weak too. When I assumed the leadership of the Nigerian Export – Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) four years ago, I was immediately interested in knowing the connection between economic growth trends in West Africa and trade flows within the sub-region.

Of course, this was not a mere academic inquisition. By the statute setting it up (Act 38 of 1991), NEXIM Bank is an Export Credit Agency, and is the trade policy bank of the Federal Government of Nigeria. I therefore wanted to see how Nigeria can leverage regional trade in pursuing the goal of a more robust external sector performance, which has underpinned the quest for diversification of foreign exchange earnings for the country.

Shocking statistics What I found was shocking. At the same time, it inspired action. Economic growth rate in the member-countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has accelerated past existing infrastructural capacities. Intra-Ecowas trade had grown from 4.7 million tonnes in 1998 to 13.2 million tonnes in 2008 without any corresponding increase in road or rail transport infrastructure.

Until recently when investment in infrastructure became a national economic growth strategy into which citizens’ welfare is embedded in Nigeria, the country’s housing and construction industry contributed just 2 per cent to GDP. Across the sub-region, existing road transport infrastructure has degraded, while the networks provide very limited access to economic opportunities. The few rail networks were not interconnected across countries to provide regional coverage, which would have improved their viability.

And in the last two decades, the major airlines in the sub-region – Nigerian Airways and Ghana Airways – have collapsed. The ports also lack enough capacities. This acquaints port users with the phenomenon we call port congestion.

The reaction I get from non-exporter middlesenior level professionals when I paint the poignant picture of the constraint infrastructure deficiency puts on regional trade within Africa is usually unbelief. Freight charges for shipment of cargoes within sub-Saharan African are the highest compared with what obtains within any other region of the world.

Whereas it costs about $2,500.00 to ship a containerised cargo from China to Lagos, it costs roughly $3,500.00 to ship the same from Lagos to Douala. And whereas a shipment from United States to Lagos might take 10 days, cargoes sent from Apapa Port in Nigeria to Tema Port in Ghana will take a minimum of 45 days, because unavailability of direct sea link between the two countries necessitates that the goods are first shipped to Europe, then transhipped to the West African destination by European vessels.

If an exporter in Nigeria cannot afford the time and higher cost of cargo transhipment, and therefore opts for road transport in spite of the poor state of the roads and dilapidated trucks, that exporter would be confronted with some of the worst pains of non-tariff barriers to trade in West Africa. Multiple (sometimes illegal) road blocks and several immigration checkpoints will prove very daunting.

The bigger damage done to this exporter is psychological. The exporter will not be able to contemplate significant increase in trade capacity. For him/her to move 20 container-size cargoes across the West African borders, one extreme is that 20 trips would be done with one truck. On the other extreme, 20 trucks would have to be deployed on the road at the same time.

Either way, or in-between, the odds that stark against the exporter can be overwhelming. With this scenario, it is trite to say that intra-regional trade in Africa is not competitive. Intra-ECOWAS trade is about 10 per cent, while intra-Africa trade fared only marginally better at 12 per cent. Trade within the European Union is about 50 per cent.

Facilitating “Eco” Sealink I don’t believe in arm-chair banking, never mind the profession is white collar. Therefore, at NEXIM Bank, we follow our clients to the market in order to understand the risks to their businesses (to which we provide credit), and how we might

gathered steam ahead of its commencement of operation in 2014.

Further endorsements have been provided by the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Union of African Shippers’ Council, African Development Bank, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development and West African Development Bank (BOAD).

What is in it for Nigeria?

I have had to answer the needless question on whether NEXIM Bank had derailed with this initiative, by not focusing exclusively on providing funding for Nigerian businesses. Honourable Chukwudi Jones Victor Onyereri, Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency, emphatically noted at the investor forum in Accra that Nexim Bank is enabled by the Act setting it up to “facilitate” Nigerian trade. He pledged further legislative backing for NEXIM Bank, should the need arise in the process of opening up the sub-regional markets to Nigerian manufacturers and exporters.

My response is that proper understanding of the role of an Exim bank shows they are national financial agencies with the primary objective of providing access to foreign markets for their local businesses. In this regard, NEXIM Bank is facilitating the Sealink project through mobilisation of private sector resources for a scheme that will increase market access for Nigerian manufactured goods, while also providing Nigerian businesses with inputs from neighbouring countries to drive up costefficiency and competitiveness for manufacturers operating in Nigeria. Our manufacturers should be able to leverage their relative high capacities to produce for the sub-regional market, where good appetite for Nigerian manufactured goods, including pharmaceuticals, have been established for decades.

Part of our goals at NEXIM Bank is to unlock opportunities in the maritime sector through effective indigenous participation, thereby stimulating maritime-related employment as well as minimise capital flight by domesticating substantial percentage of an average $5 billion generated within the country annually from import and export tonnages.

Also, the objectives of the Sealink project ventilate the economic goal of Nigeria’s foreign policy which has always emphasised support for Africa. In this context, development practitioners, including the World Bank, have identified growth of intra-Africa trade as a necessary prelude in improving Africa’s trade with the rest of the world.

Business case and governance In providing transportation service for producers, manufacturers and traders across 35 countries of West and Central Africa, the Sealink project will be serving a market of over 400 million people.

Our initial proposition is to start off with three passenger-cum-cargo vessels. This ensures we accommodate the preferences of our traders who are accustomed to travelling with their articles of merchandise.

Traded goods which the Sealink vessels will carry include agricultural produce like yam, plantain, pineapple, water mellon, etc. The dry cargoes will also include used vehicles, automobile spare parts, manufactured products, building materials, solid minerals, etc. Financial analysis by the financial adviser to the project, FBN Capitals, projects very attractive financial performances by the company which will operate the venture. A robust corporate governance framework has been put in place by a carefully selected board from the leading light of private sector operators. Partners to the setting up of the Sealink projects, apart from NEXIM Bank, are Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FEWACCI) and TRANSIMEX – an integrated logistic services provider based in Cameroon.

Development impact I believe the biggest development impact of the Sealink project would be its enhancement of food security in West and Central Africa over the coming years. Countries within the sub-regions have differences in food production capabilities due to climatic and cultural reasons. Food surpluses in some countries would be traded in countries having shortages. Because of market access, we foresee enactment of economies of scale and elimination of wastage arising from production to excess consumption requirement in one country or region. Thereby, the principle of comparative advantage would be unleashed to combat poverty and boost prosperity by facilitating job creation, especially in agriculture and industrial activities around the port areas, as well as by saving foreign exchange which would have been lost to exorbitant freight charges of European shipping lines. · Orya is Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export–Import Bank

El-Rufai redux? - The message, the messenger and the skeptical, unbelieving audience Continued from page 13

Famously and with an extraordinary emblematic power, on the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus, who had vigorously persecuted the Christians, experienced an epiphany that was to transform him into Paul, the Apostle on whom the future of Christianity, that then much despised religion of the poor, ultimately depended. On the road to 2015, will El-Rufai act according to the classic schema of this Pauline script? Will he truly, truly cast his lot with the poor and the marginalised, the millions of unemployed youths of our country and our continent? Or is he merely appropriating the critiques and the vision of all those in our country who, over the decades, have consistently and unwaveringly stood by the side of the majority of our peoples?

Perhaps these questions redundant, precisely because sadly, tragically, our peoples are not famous for holding their politicians to their word, their promises.

And I must admit that I am the very first to concede that the questions may indeed be completely redundant in the Nigeria that we all know only too well and are living through. I confess also that at a certain level, I am as infected as any compatriot reading this piece with the virus of the deep, unbelieving skepticism of the mass of ordinary Nigerians toward nearly everything coming from their social and intellectual elites, most especially the electioncycle promises and visions of our politicians.

This means that in the end, these questions do not constitute the last word on this issue of El-Rufai’s credibility problem.

If there is a last word, look for it in both the run-up to and the aftermath of 2015. ElRufai is at the moment out of office and is rather beleaguered. Let us wait to see if the rhetoric, the born-again visions will outlast this current phase in his career. More importantly, let us wait to see how many in the ranks of the APC he can and will carry with him in the rough roads ahead if, against all the odds, he decides to stick to the Pauline script of genuine and profoundly life-changing epiphany. I confess that I am not holding my breath.

1.8% Bested by 0% A few weeks ago, I remarked playfully in this column that if in the future I ever came across any results in national secondary school certificate examinations around the world that were worse than the 1.8% passing rate in the NECO exams of 2009, I would bring such finding to the notice of the readers of this column. I was sure that everyone recognised that I made that remark playfully because I thought that it was impossible to get anything “better”, as I ironically put it, than a passing rate of 1.8%. In other words, I was sure that I would never need to fulfill that promise.

Well, I regret, deeply regret, to inform the reader that we now have something that has surpassed that record. And it is not 1.2% or even 0.8%; it is 0%. This took place in Liberia three weeks ago in the national entrance exams taken by secondary school students for entrance into the University of Liberia. Reportedly, of the nearly twentyfive thousand students that took the exam, not a single one passed. Passing in this case was measured in exactly the same terms as in NECO: at least five subjects including English and Mathematics.

If it offers the reader any consolation, let me also report that, unlike the near total indifference with which the NECO debacle of 2009 was met in Nigeria, a national outcry of anguish greeted the Liberian catastrophe three weeks ago. This, I hope, shows that if we send Patrick Obahiagbon to commiserate with the Liberians on the terrible failure rate of their students in English, he will not find a welcoming party at the airport.

Biodun Jeyifo bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

POLITICS

19

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

2015: Dickson and Jonathan’s new strategies

The Enugu Assembly Before the Asaba meetings, Dickson had arranged a gathering of governors of the South-East and South-South zones at the Government House, Enugu, on July 7.

The governors, who rose from the forum, resolved to continue to support the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The governors released a threepoint communique which was read

by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, who is also the Chairman, South-East Governors’ Forum.

In the communique, the governors announced their appreciation of President Jonathan’s performance so far and praised Jonathan’s mid-term report.

But the quest for zonal unity ahead of 2015 by Jonathan’s foot soldiers was defeated as three governors refused to turn up for the meeting. Governors Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha (Imo), and Adams Oshiohmole (Edo), neither attended the gathering nor sent representatives.

Mike Odiegwu in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, explores President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 new strategies including Governor Seriake Dickson’s efforts in pushing the cause through regional integration

T

HE drumbeats of 2015 are warlike. Voices wafting from a charged political battlefield which politicians have suddenly turned Nigeria into are reverberating with anger, disappointment and sometimes assurances.

While most Nigerians, including the progressives, who came together to form the All Progressive Congress (APC) are disappointed at the failures of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as concretised by rising poverty level, unemployment, insecurity, corruption and many others, the leadership of PDP maintains there is no vacancy in Aso Rock, the seat of federal government.

Ahead of 2015, the PDP itself is fraught with problems. Informed observers believe that President Goodluck Jonathan is at the centre of the confusion in the party. His undeclared ambition to retain the juiciest political seat in the country is the reason for the controversies.

By all indications, those who think that Jonathan will not emerge the presidential candidate of PDP in 2015 are wasting their time. It is a done deal and the array of Jonathan’s foot soldiers are clearing the coast to actualise this ambition. The President’s body language is also speaking volumes of his ambition.

All the legal hurdles that could have debarred PDP from fielding Jonathan had been removed. The court had declared him fit and qualified to contest in a judgement that put paid to the fears that he might lose the party’s ticket on constitutional grounds.

The big question The challenge, however, is: How will PDP sell Jonathan to Nigerians in 2015? In 2011, Jonathan rode to power on a national goodwill. Youths, elders, children, right groups, democratic organisations, media houses and even the progressives rose in his defence. He was a household name and was viewed as the Messiah that would take the country to the promised land.

But the goodwill has fast diminished. From the breath of fresh air that was expected when he assumed power, Jonathan has been

•Dickson

accused of forcing people to breath the polluted air of corruption, insecurity and poverty.

The Presidency has consistently maintained that such allegations are the handiwork of opposition leaders who have turned blind eyes to laudable programmes and projects of the Jonathan’s administration in the areas of infrastructure and free and fair elections.

In fact, the foot soldiers of the President, especially the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, are working assiduously to ensure that Nigerians love Jonathan again.

Their thinking They are plotting, scheming and re-strategising to convince PDP,

particularly the founding fathers of the party in the North, that Jonathan should be allowed to fly the flag of the party again.

To relaunch the Otuoke-born President, Dickson and his team are battling to form and consolidate new and existing groups as platforms to positively speak in unison on every issue concerning Jonathan.

They believe that when notable regional groups take a stand for Jonathan, other negative views will be dwarfed and relegated to the background. The groups, they argue, will also use their influence to mobilise support for the President in 2015.

South-South caucus of PDP meets in Asaba

Such idea of rescuing the dwindling fortunes of Jonathan came to the fore in Asaba, Delta State, when South-South caucus of the PDP met recently and passed a vote of confidence in Jonathan.

In attendance at the meeting were political office holders at national and state levels, senators and members of the House of Representatives, zonal and national officers of the party and governors from the South-South geopolitical zone.

There were also other marathon meetings involving leaders, including governors from the regions where issues of Jonathan’s reelection was discussed. Dickson is alleged to be the brain behind all the meetings.

Shifting attention to the INC The relentless Dickson turned his attention to the two major groups in the Ijaw nation - the Ijaw National Congress and the Ijaw Youth Council. Analysts believe that while the governor of the only homogeneous Ijaw state successfully reconstituted the leadership of INC with persons who are loyal to the 2015 agenda, he has so far been unable to replicate the feat in the IYC. It was obvious that officials of the state government influenced the elections into the vacant positions of INC. All the persons whose names appeared in a list of government candidates circulated among the delegates prior to the elections, emerged victorious.

At the end of the election, a former Senator, Chief Tare Sekibo, who topped the alleged list of government candidates, was elected the president of the organisation amidst protest by persons not in the good books of the government.

In his acceptance speech, Sekibo, who hails from Okirika, Rivers State, the home of Dame Patience, wife of President Jonathan, had vowed to pursue the collective interest of the Ijaw nation.

Few weeks after the election, the objective of the new INC became very clear. Dickson, through his Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolor, assembled the elders at the Ijaw House for an emergency meeting.

In a heated session, the elders took turns to condemn what they referred to as consistent attacks on their son, Jonathan, by other groups, especially from the North.

The elders, who held discussions that lasted for over four hours from 3am to 7pm, resolved to meet with the Arewa Consultative Forum, Ohaneze Ndiigbo and the Oodua Peoples Congress from the SouthWest to resolve areas of differences.

They believed that reasoning with other ethnic groups would give their geopolitical zone a second chance at the presidency in 2015.

They were of the opinion that consulting with other ethnic groups would lead to an agreement that would allow Jonathan a second term in office.

They were worried that the tirades launched against Jonathan •Continue on Page 26

20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Politics

The deepening crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which led to the recent split and emergence of a faction, known as the ‘New PDP,’ has shaken the power base of the ruling party, as the leading actors in the battle explore options for survival and relevance, report Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu and Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo

PDP: Factions explore survival options

T

HINGS finally fell apart in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday, August 31, 2013 as the warring members dared the leadership and declared their faction as ‘The New PDP.’ Before the split, the lingering crisis in the party had been precarious but both the leadership of PDP and the dissatisfied members had tried to manage the situation, pretending that the matter had not gotten out of hand.

Even the seven breakaway PDP governors, who were the first top officials to openly threaten to leave the party in anger, first gave impression that the matter may still be resolved internally, when they consulted with major political leaders across the country, beginning with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. As the consultations and negotiations continued, there were speculations that PDP, touted as the biggest and the most professionally managed political party in Africa, would be saved.

But it seems all that ended that Saturday, when the much advertised and controversial special National Convention of the party was held in two different places, by two factions, with each of the faction naming its officials. While the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led group elected some members to fill up some vacant positions, the New PDP announced Alhaji Abubakar Baraje as the National Chairman, former governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was named the National Secretary, positions they both held respectively before the PDP crisis escalated.

From this point, no faction or member could play the pretense game any more. The war has been declared at last. What remains, therefore, is the survival intrigues.

All through this week, the political actors involved in the game of power have shown the stuff they are made of. Our investigation shows that the game also has been played both in the open and be-

•Jonathan hind closed doors. In each case, however, the modus operandi seem similar. For example, instead of the usual style, where the opposing leaders tried to remain diplomatic in their public utterances, they have become more blunt and confrontational.

The war of words picked up from Wednesday this week when a seemingly unruffled Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (that is ‘the old PDP), who addressed reporters at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja declared that the party was ready to wield the big stick on “renegade” members of the party who recently formed a parallel party called ‘New PDP’.

Not done yet, he stated that the party will soon ask the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the elective seats of such “disloyal” members vacant.

•Tukur Dismissing the existence of the new PDP, Tukur had said, “No stone will be left 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.

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

The remarks, analysts have pointed out, were the clearest indication that the Jonathan administration, pressured by an internal party rebellion it has never faced,

has jettisoned peace efforts with aggrieved PDP governors and other aggrieved party members and is now spoiling for war.

Tukur’s declaration, The Nation gathered, was the fallout of a meeting late Tuesday between the PDP Chairman, loyal governors and President Jonathan. The meeting was summoned after the seven breakaway governors refused to attend an earlier reconciliation talk scheduled for Tuesday on the excuse that they needed to make consultations with other stakeholders in the crisis.

The governors subsequently proposed a new date, September 10, for the next peace parley.

Sources, however, told The Nation this weekend that given Tukur’s latest riot act to the alleged ‘recalcitrant’ PDP members, the new date for reconciliation talk with the Abubakar Kawu Barajeled faction may not hold on the scheduled date. Skeptics also al-

WHAT 1999 CONSTITUTION SAYS TENURE OF SEAT OF MEMBERS

68.-(1) A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if(g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.

Provided that his membership of the letter party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored; or

leged that it is not likely to ever hold successfully as the situation has already fallen out of hand. “It will never be the same again. Attempts to advise our leaders to adopt give and take strategy in the interest of the party’s survival was brushed aside. Now, the war has commenced. I think we should be talking of political survival of each of the major actors as PDP is bound to change,” said an “old PDP” top member, who does not want to be quoted at this point in time Two irreconcilable differences Aside the well publicised demands of the PDP factions, which include the removal of Tukur and return of state party structures to Governors Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and Murtala Nyako in Rivers and Adamawa States respectively, two requests of the aggrieved governors have been described by insiders at the presidency to be “irreconcilable with reality and therefor unacceptable.”

One of such demands is that Jonathan should ask the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to stop the investigation of governors. The second request is their demand that President Jonathan should forget his ambition of seeking re-election in 2015.

“These demands do not make sense and so we do not see them as being anything less than cheap blackmail. We can’t accept that,”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013 said the source.

Other sources also disclosed that at the meeting between the president and his loyalists, a governor from a core northern state and another colleague from the South -South were said to have impressed it on Jonathan that acceding to what they called the ‘unreasonable demands’ of the aggrieved governors is akin to committing political suicide.

They were also said to have pointed out that the sole agenda of the opposing governors was to stop the president from recontesting the 2015 race, while adding that other demands were just addendum.

Other governors present also reportedly passed a vote of confidence on Tukur’s leadership of the party. The chairman’s only sin against those calling for his removal, according to the governors, is his unalloyed support to the president.

How long can Tukur hold on?

A Presidency source said while the president is not completely averse to Tukur stepping aside, his only concern is the timing.

Tukur, the president strongly believes, may not be able to withstand the rigours of the next elections due to his advanced age. “In the president’s opinion, Tukur should not be disgraced simply because of his loyalty to him. A new chairman will likely oversee the party affairs in 2015, but it has to be a trusted party man,” said our source.

A cat and mouse game The Nation gathered that quite a number of resolutions were reached at the meeting between the president and his supporters.

According to our source, all the leaders of the PDP faction have been placed under intense security watch in order to ascertain their next move.

In addition, security agencies have been given stern directives to prevent the opening of the parallel secretariat being planned by the Baraje group.

Aware of this plan, the Baraje faction has kept details of its new office a closely guarded secret, while it has also resolved to be more discreet in its operational strategies. This strategy has worked well so far for the group, with some of its activities completely taking the Presidency and the security agencies unawares.

If the power game has remained underground, the leaders of the two groups are no longer discreet in their verbal exchanges and open declaration of their actions against one another. Tukur has not only threatened to sack or remove Baraje, the ‘rebel’ governors and lawmakers, but has also asked the court to deregister the Peoples Democratic Movement which was recently registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC). On the threat to remove National Assembly members, legal experts have been consulted across the country to know if the Constitution empowers a ruling party to remove a lawmaker that got into the house on its ticket.

In his reply, Baraje and the others retorted that Tukur should go to jail for court contempt. By this weekend, the war of words had become so crude that some elders of the party, including the Chairman of Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Solomon Lar and Chief Edwin Clark sued for caution.

This plea, according to our sources, has not dissuaded the Presidency and Tukur-led PDP from their current resolve to fight

Politics

out the battle.

On the part of the Baraje- led New PDP, The Nation gathered that aside laying open claims to being the real PDP, the group, also led by foundation members and influential leaders of the party, has resolved to tilt the power equation and control of the party at the various states in their favour.

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the leader of People’s Democratic Movement before the formation of PDP in 1998, wielded tremendous grassroots support across the country.

When PDP won the Presidency in 1999 and became the Vice President, he allegedly maintained direct contact with PDM supporters across the country. It is alleged that those supporters and power brokers across the country are already being mobilized to accept the New PDP. Options open to the actors Based on the almost unanimous decision of the Jonathan/ Tukur group to call the bluff of the factional PDP members, the group

is reportedly considering several options.

The first, which Tukur revealed last week, is the declaration of seats occupied by such members vacant. Sources disclosed that the INEC will, in the next few weeks, be put under intense pressure to declare vacant the seats of governors and members of the National Assembly who have pledged loyalty to the Baraje-led faction.

If this option fails, sources say such members will be suspended and if they fail to show remorse and retrace their steps, outrightly expelled from the party.

Furthermore, it was learnt that ministers in states controlled by governors considered as disloyal will be given the brief and the logistics to set up parallel PDP structures to challenge the authorities of the states’ chief executives similar to the scenario playing out in Rivers State where the Minister of State for Education, Nyesome Wike, has been engaged in a war of attrition with Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Another option on the cards for

the Presidency is to keep the EFCC busy by asking it not to relent in its probe of states controlled by opposing governors, their relatives and associates. “In the next couple of weeks and months, more heat will be turned on the Baraje group,”said our source.

Options before the Baraje-led faction From all indications, it appears the battle for power struggle in the PDP will make the the courts a beevive of activities in the weeks to come.

One option being explored by the Baraje group is to ask the court to declare the last convention of the PDP illegal. A case has already been filed at a Lagos High Court to this effect.

But aware that asking the court to declare its group as the authentic executive of the party may not succeed, the Baraje faction is reportedly considering moving enmasse to the newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) which is being run by loyalists of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is also a members

21

of the Baraje group.

There is also the possibility of the faction entering into an alliance with the major opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fears are in fact being expressed in political circles that if this group teams with APC members in the National Assembly, tough times may indeed lie ahead both for President Jonathan and the PDP in the months ahead As the unbundling intrigues peaks, some of the questions being asked include whether Tukur’s PDP has the legal power to declare the seats of the rebel lawmakers vacant? Section 68, sub-section 1(G) for example, speaks on the tenure of National Assembly members.

There are also questions on whether PDP will ever resolve this crisis and remain its old self. If it fails, which of the two factions, the old and the new, will gain the upper hand?

Also, if Jonathan- backed Tukur continues to adopt the nu•Continue on Page 26

Is Obasanjo the puppeteer?

T

HOSE who have stepped on his toes either by omission or commission have sad tales to tell.

For former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, literally making a mincemeat of his real or perceived political foes has allegedly become a pastime of sort.

The retired Army General, according to his critics, is imbued with a persona that hides his capacity to get even with his political opponents at any time.

A former governor of a SouthWest state can not easily forget the Owu-born general. Having fallen out with Obasanjo over some undisclosed reasons, the former president had allegedly told close aides that he will ensure the governor ends up in jail at the end of his first term in office.

Desperate to secure a second term, the governor reportedly mobilised some traditional rulers in his state to plead with Obasanjo on his behalf. As soon as the guests were ushered into Obasanjo’s office, the governor allegedly went on all fours, asking the then president to forgive his transgressions while assuring him of his unalloyed loyalty from that moment on.

Almost close to tears, the governor was quoted as telling Obasanjo, “Sir, I know you don’t easily forgive those who offend you but please in the name of God, forgive me.” Obasanjo’s response was straight to the point.

“If you know I don’t forgive, why did you offend me in the first place?”

The governor was lucky after all. The intervention of the paramount traditional ruler of his state got him a reprieve. He was forgiven and went ahead to win a re-election.

Those who know the general intimately will most likely say the above scenario is an exception and not a rule for Obasanjo, the man many Nigerian politicians and elites love to hate.

His speculated frosty relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan and his alleged role in the crisis currently ravaging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again brought to the fore the complex personality of a man who has had the enviable reputation and yet un-

•Obasanjo

By Remi Adelowo equalled feat of ruling his country in both civilian and military dispensations.

Long before the PDP crisis climaxed with the formation of a splinter group two weeks ago, loyalists of Jonathan, according to sources, saw clearly Obasanjo’s imprints in the whole saga.

Sometime last year, the former president resigned his chairmanship of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), on the excuse that he needed to devote more time to his international engagements. His decision, analysts said, was the first sign that all was not well between him and Jonathan. Strident denials by Presidency officials failed to douse this speculation.

Then came the unceremonious removal of Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Olusegun Oni and Bode Mustapha as the PDP National Secretary, National Vice Chairman and National Auditor respectively. What more,

the national headquarters of the party sacked the State Executive Council of the party believed to be loyal to Obasanjo, replacing it with a new executive council backed by a chieftain of the party, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

It was akin to drawing the battle line. But Obasanjo decided to stay away from all party activities and official events at the Presidential Villa to which he was duly invited.

Except for his occasional verbal jabs reportedly directed at the Jonathan Presidency, the former president refrained from speaking specifically on his alleged feud with the president.

The opportunity to get even with Jonathan came following the crisis that erupted in the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, which has pitched the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, against forces backed by the Presidency.

Five northern governors, Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger), moved in to save their colleague (Amaechi) who had been suspended from the party.

These governors with their Kwara State counterpart, Abdulfatah Ahmed, are now the arrowheads of the new PDP. They also have an ally in former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Sources say the former president, who has lately taken up the role of a peace maker, and the five ‘rebel’ northern governors have been fingered in a security report as the brains behind the formation of the ‘ New PDP’ and the crisis tearing the party apart.

The Nation gathered from a national officer of the party that Atiku Abubakar, also an antagonist of the Jonathan government, was co-

opted into the plot by the aggrieved governors in order to give the new group a wider reach and acceptability.

Those linking the former president to the crisis are quick to refer to his close ties with the ‘rebel’ governors. Obasanjo is allegedly instrumental to the political success of the five men.

Kwankwaso served as the Minister of Defense under Obasanjo after he failed in his reelection bid in 2003. Ditto Sule Lamido, who was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1999 by Obasanjo serving for about four years before he was dropped. The former president also allegedly played a major role in the election of Lamido as governor in 2007. He succeeded Taminu Turaki, a member of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

The Niger State helmsman, Babangida Aliyu, also owe his rising political career to Obasanjo. A retired federal permanent secretary, Aliyu’s lifelong ambition was to become the Head of Service of the Federation. But Obasanjo, it was, who allegedly insisted on Aliyu succeeding exGovernor Abdulkadir Kure in 2007.

Wamakko’s and Nyako’s cases are also similar. Both former members of the defunct ANPP, sources say the former president facilitated the movement of the two governors to PDP and their subsequent election as governors in 2007.

The PDP governorship ticket for Sokoto State in 2007 was initially won by Mukhtar Shagari, who served as Minister for Water Resources under Obasanjo.

He was allegedly asked by the then president to step down for Wamakko and was picked as the latter’s running mate. He is still Wamakko’s deputy till date.

PDP many crises and OBJ’s role The ruling party has been faced with countless internal crises since its formation in 1998, mostly bordering on its leadership. And either by deliberate design or fortuitous circumstances, Obasanjo’s name has been linked to them.

From Obasanjo’s alleged •Continue on Page 26

22

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Politics

scribed him as ‘’technocratic politician’’, who has no worthy political clout in the state as at the time of this write-up. He was the National Acting Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] Secretary.

He was chosen by the Northeast PDP Zonal Delegate Conference held in Bauchi in 2012, for the post of National PDP Chairmanship before Alhaji Bamanga Tukur of the defunct Gongola State pulled the carpet under him at the party’s national convention in Abuja.

Babayo may find it hard, for he is not popular, not famous, and generally described as “a dark horse.”His political and financial impact is said not to have been felt in the state when he was the National Acting Secretary of the most populous political party in Africa, the PDP’’.

2015: Bauchi PDP governorship battle picks up Austine Tsenzughul in Bauchi reports on the emerging aspirants for PDP governorship ticket in 2015

M

ALLAM Isa Yuguda, an ex- banker, took charge of Bauchi State affairs on the heels of a popular dissatisfaction with the state government’s affairs and its functionaries led by Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, then Bauchi State governor from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007, for alleged corruption, and insensitivity.

Yuguda achieved an extra ordinary feat by flooring an alleged annointed of the incumbent, Mohammed Nadada Umar, who had served faithfully as Bauchi State Secretary to the State Government [SSG] for almost eight years. Like every new leader whose tenure is expected to make a significant turnaround, and push up the muchneeded material upliftment of the people, Mallam Yuguda’s return on the Bauchi political scene was a monumental relief.

This was largely because he had served as a junior minister in the Federal Ministry of Works and Transport, and senior minister, in charge of Nigerian’s Aviation with the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. Besides, the good name he made for himself as a grand midwife, who took delivery and nursed to maturity the defunct Inland Bank Ltd, the state’s first owned financial outfit, it was natural for electorates to bear the scorching and earroasting April heat to queue up and vote for him as a ‘Savior-Governor’.

But those who understood him and a handfull of skeptics treated his campaign for the Bauchi Government House Tenancy with mixed grill.

Today, as the race for 2015 picks up, Bauchi people, according to a source, “are looking for a peron who will not crack jokes with our destiny; who will not give us water via television screen, or provide functional healthcare service on radio waves but real things that can make our lives bearable, somebody who will not be feathering his nest from Abuja instead of living, staying and working with his electorates’’.

To meet the people’s yearnings and wipe away their bitter bloodlaced tears of many years of deliberate neglect and abuse of mandate, some politicians, Bauchi sons, who believe they are capable and can adequately deliver on the people’s desires, having tested the electorates’ pulse in areas of infrastructural development, human and other resources management, have begun clandestine but deep consultations with their constituencies, either directly or through their agents. While some have begun forming assorted youth fora, associations, development unions and pressure groups, others have ordained and are empowering some high class traditional leaders as their campaign arrow

heads ahead of 2015. Though, none of the aspirants and potential aspirants has openly come out to make a categorical statement, their agents have been singing their praises, telling members of the public what such aspirants are capable of doing and what the electorates should do so as to avoid the current quagmire and take Bauchi State to the desired wonderland.

Such aspirants include: BALA ABDULKADIR MOHAMMED Among those being paraded for the millennium tasks are the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed. To place him where he is currently and where he could go, the FCT boss, over 10 years ago submitted himself to the sitting Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda as an acolyte when the governor served as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

To prove he was a serious apprentice, Sen. Bala, as he is fondly called by his admirers, but known in Bauchi as Kauran Bauchi, contributed immensely to Yuguda’ Stenancy at Government House, Bauchi in 2007 to date. As an indispensable strong tag team partner to Yuguda, Bala also contributed hugely in scuttling Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mua’zu’s ambition to the Senate when the latter’s tenure as the 13th governor of the state and 3rd Bauchi state civilian governor terminated on May 29, 2007. He hails from the ancient chiefdom of Duguri, south of the famous Yankari Games Reserve in Alkaleri Local Government Area [Bauchi South Senatorial Zone] of Bauchi State.

His relationship with Yuguda is, at the moment, said to be sour.

He is variously tagged as a ‘’goal getter and a man of the people, detribalised, has a listening ear to those that have access to him and passionately loves Bauchi.”

The FCT Minister is also said to be well-connected at home and abroad and can bring the extremely needed meaningful development to the state. Having been at the affairs of the nation’s capital since 2010, after he and other Senators threw their weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan when the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was ill, he has been enjoying tremendous followership across the state.

He has formidable financial and political structures from Bauchi South, Central and North Senatorial Zones.

There are, however, fears in some quarters that he may activate the alleged Gov. Isa Yuguda’s carefree kind of governance once he is on the saddle, thereby not deliver-

•Yuguda

ing the necessary dividends of democracy to the people that yearn to belong to the global circle.

And unless, strong voice from Bauchi North, commonly referred to as’’ the Katagum Mafia’’ decides that Bauchi South has produced two governors for 16 years and there must be power shift, Sen. Bala has a signed and sealed deal for the governorship on the platform of a popular party in the state barring man-made obstacles.

Another potential militant factor before the FCT boss on his way to Government House, Bauchi is his love lost with the present Bauchi number one citizen, who has repeated and public referred to him as ‘’the Bauchi PDP in Abuja.”

At the hot height of their iced friendship, Mallam Samaila Burga, a former Personal Aide to Gov.Yuguda and then Acting Secretary of the state PDP at different fora (it is on record) declared that ‘’as far as Bauchi PDP is concerned, Kauran Bauchi (Sen. Bala Mohammed) is not registered in his ward as a PDP member. He has not registered in his ward, not registered in his local government area, (Alkaleri LGA) and certainly not registered with us at the state level.

This means clearly that he is not a Bauchi PDP member and no more arguments on his PDP status in Bauchi State’’. Curiously, it is not known if the popular ‘’Kamashi Kaura ‘’, of the Yuguda election campaign fame has normalised his PDP membership.

SENATOR ABDUL AHMED NINGI Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, current Senate Leader, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial Zone in the Red chambers, is the longest serving national lawmaker from the state. With a long and certainly an

enviable political profile that began with his entry into the House of Representatives in 1999, Ningi’s stint in the banking sector thought him not only how to manipulate figures, but also manipulate humans and supply to their needs for his mission’. He has being generous with his wallet, sharing dividends of democracy to his impoverished constituents who need basic infrastructures that make life bearable in the present global village.

Variously described as ‘’a bornorator, endowed with leadership qualities’’, he politely tells his elders their wrongs openly.

Politically, he will get the nod of his constituents whenever he declares his governorship interest. But he has shaky political structure in Bauchi South where Sen. Bala Mohammed is in charge like the Pope in Rome.

Abdul Ahmed Ningi, former Majority Leader under PDP in the House of Representatives, is a potentially strong contender for the Bauchi Government House come 2015. He can do the job, but the legislative work is more or less verbal, and the art of lawmaking et al is within the confines of a select-enlightened persons, whereas at the state level, it involves practicals, putting up infrastructures and attending to people’s physical needs, even contributing to their spiritual development and spreading dividends. He is likely to copy and reintroduce the Sardauna of Sokoto and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s administrative styles in this 21st century.

MUSA BABAYO Dr. Musa Babayo, father-in-law to Gov. Isa Yuguda’s son is not popular like Senators Bala Mohammed and Ningi. He is however, known by few in the state who de-

BABAYO GARBA Senator Babayo Garba, a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was elected as a member, Bauchi State House of Assembly representing Gamawa Constituency, 2007 and became Speaker of the House after Hon. Haliru Dauda Jika was impeached. He was later promoted to Deputy Governor after Garba Mohammed Gadi, elected in 2007 as Yuguda’s deputy, was impeached.

Babayo, at the 2011 contest, dethroned the then incumbent Senator Nazeef Gamawa. He is not the choice of many Bauchi PDP members, especially in the South and Central, for the alleged role he played in the impeachment of Garba Gadi who hails from the same senatorial zone with him.

But political watchers in the state say ‘’Senator Babayo Garba Gamawa has acquired wealth these past few years and with the present poverty level in the state, money can establish any structure over night and can easily buy his way and or manipulate his way to Government House.

IBRAHIM ZAILANI Ibrahim Zailani is not new to Bauchi politics, having represented Toro Federal Constituency at the House of Reps. from 1999 to 2003.He was also a commissioner for Information and Justice under Governor Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu. Being a lawyer and having served the state for over 6 years, he understands the dynamics of Bauchi politics.

MOHAMMED NADADA UMAR Mohammed Nadada Umar certainly does not need introduction when it comes to Bauchi State politics and its dynamics. He was the engine room of the now cherished Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu government that is said to be common people-oriented from 1999 to 2007. As a lawyer, company secretary, traditional title holder, administrator cum politician, Nadada, as he is fondly called by most Bauchi people, was the Secretary to Bauchi State Government when Mu’azu served Bauchi well.

Nadada hails from Dambam local government area of the Bauchi Central Senatorial Zone.

For now, these are the frontline Bauchi sons that have indicated their intention and or are likely to contest the governorship election come 2015 under the present embattled and factionalized Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]. However, spoilers and publicity seekers, even blackmailers are expected to join the race when campaigns for elective offices at the general elections, 2015 begin on various political party tickets. Defection, [decamping] and or cross-carpeting would not necessarily be a surprise.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Politics

ripples

Political Politics turf

with Bolade Omonijo boladeomonijo@yahoo.com

Obi dumps Okwu

Nunc Dimitis, PDP?

T

C

•Okwu

HIEF Maxi Okwu, the man laying claims to the chairmanship of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) with Chief Victor Umeh, is alleged to be an unhappy man today.

Okwu is reportedly peeved that Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, whom he had backed against Umeh in the battle for the soul of APGA, has dumped him. Okwu recently confided in close friends that Obi did not carry him along in his reconciliation negotiations with Umeh and also that he sidelined him in the election of Willy Obiano as the Anambra State governorship candidate for the party in the 2014 election. Few days ago, Okwu’s faction of the party held another parimary in Awka where Chike Obidigbo was elected as the party’s governorship candidate.

Presidency positions Abdulrahman Oba

•Ayuba

Ayuba takes leave from politics

R

C

HAIRMAN of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Abdulrahman Oba, is being positioned by the Presidency as the next governor of Kwara State, sources have disclosed. This plot may not be unconnected to the opposition of Senator Bukola Saraki to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Saraki currently controls the PDP structure in the state, with all the party’s elected officials from the state, both at the state and national levels, solidly backing him. Oba recently fell out with Saraki over the latter’s alleged opposition to his (Oba) reappointment as FCC boss.

•Oba

ETIRED Army Generalturned-politician, Tanko Ayuba, is taking a sabbatical from politics, it has been revealed. The Kebbi Stateborn Ayuba, who was a senator in the last dispensation, decided to take a backseat for now after several unfulfilled promises made to him by PDP leaders in the state. Following his replacement in the Senate by another retired general, Mohammed Magoro, many had thought Ayuba will be nominated as a minister, an ambassador or as a chairman of a federal parastatal. But that has not been the case much to the disappointment of Ayuba’s supporters. All efforts to make Ayuba leverage on his closeness to the vice president, Namadi Sambo (who served under him as a commissioner while he was the Military Governor of Kaduna State in the early 80s) to get a federal appointment, have been rebuffed by the former lawmaker.

Between Mimiko and Daniel L

•Mimiko

ONG before he joined the Labour Party (LP) from the PDP a few weeks ago, former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, was known to be a regular visitor to the Ondo State Government House in Akure, the state capital.

Daniel and his host, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, have allegedly been engaged in series of talks on how to whittle down the influence of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (now APC) in the South-West.

According to sources, the two men are determined to field ‘strong candidates’ to challenge APC candidates in all the South-West states in the 2015 election. Unconfirmed speculations also have it that LP has provided its platform for Senator Iyiola Omisore to contest the Osun State governorship election coming up next year, just in case the former senator is not fielded by his party, PDP.

23

•Daniel

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has proved correct many analysts who predicted that an implosion in it before 2015 would set the country and its people free.

At the moment, the party’s leaders and technocrats are working out a formula to put together the broken pieces, but this appears an uphill task. The question being asked is whether Mr. Fix It can actually plough into his book of tricks to manufacture a solution. It has become the more difficult to handle because Baba Iyabo is also at work- behind the scenes.

Fortunately, President Goodluck Jonathan still has the Obasanjo scheme to follow. At a point when it was clear that Obasanjo was pursuing a third term dream as if his life depended on it, he kept denying the self-evident fact. He instructed those who kept the key of the treasury to release as much as could be needed to suborn the lawmakers. Each of those who indicated interest laughed all the way home with N50 million dropped in his account. Yet, he failed.

But, because Baba Iyabo made his move early enough through pliant legislators, he was able to deny ever nursing the ambition. Jonathan could yet adopt the same option. His aides have continued to deny his moves to contest the 2015presidential race. Rather, they have chosen to obfuscate issues by concentrating on his constitutional right to pick the PDP ticket and submit himself to the democratic process.

On educational qualification, they are quick to point out that Dr. Jonathan is the first occupant of the presidential palace to hold a doctorate degree. This is sophistry at its worst. The wrong question is being asked and answered in a bid to confuse the people.

Back to the PDP, what is the way forward? The first step is to conduct a sincere soul searching. What went wrong?

Where did the President and leaders go wrong? Only when the correct answers have been proffered can the next question-what is to be done be asked.

Dr. Jonathan missed the point when, upon trouncing more experienced politicians of Northern origin to emerge the presidential candidate of the party in 2011, he threw a bash believing all things had been put under his feet.

Thereafter, he failed to do the needful by calming frayed nerves and reconciling warring groups. His supporters went about singing victory songs and some even said the North would never come near the epicenter of political power again.

The post-election violence that rocked many Northern towns was dismissed as child’s play, with his men threatening that the full weight of presidential power would be used to crush the opposition. The context encouraged breakdown of law and order in many parts of the country.

Northern leaders looked on as agents of darkness descended on the land with fury. The audacious insurgents seized the country by the throat, struck at the Police Headquarters in Abuja, drew attention of the international community to the state of things by taking the war to the United Nations House in Abuja. They attacked churches in a bid to cause anarchy by promoting religious war and at a point took control of a number of towns in the far North. It took the declaration of a state of emergency that handed power to the military in the troubled states to restore some measure of normalcy.

Jonathan also engaged in a needless, naked display of power when he interfered in the affairs of the Nigerian Governors Forum; encouraged those he had procured to do the job rig an election that had transparently returned Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to office and backed a spineless Plateau State Governor to pretend to leadership of the Forum. What did he achieve? He acquired more enemies and pointed the way to the opposition to come together and work for victory. Now, the PDP has three factions. There is the PDM, made up of loyal supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and another, a group of seven disaffected governors have distanced themselves from developments in the party. The rump is as weak as a sheaf of papers. The factions have openly taken the battle to the party’s leaders and the attendant crisis can no longer be dismissed. A president who had been unwilling to sit with the “dissidents” suddenly found time to sit at crisis resolution meetings and sought to enlist ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to douse a raging fire that had already consumed the roof of the building.

Does Jonathan, with his famous Ph. D. have the capacity to read the handwriting on the wall, or does he have a Daniel who could decode the script? It appears that, by divine arrangement, the PDP’s time is up. The leaders need to look at the foundation of the house, realising that a building divided against itself cannot stand. Elders who could have been called upon to resolve the crisis are themselves aggrieved. Founding fathers like General T. Y. Danjuma, Alex Ekwueme, Solomon Lar, Jacob Nwokolo, among others are now in the cold.

The future is bleak. The light is merely blinking and the ship is sinking. Who shall save the House of PDP? Its friends can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

24

THE SUNDAY INTERVIEW

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

‘Why stable power remains a dream’

Dr. Sam Amadi, who sits atop the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the agency saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the nation’s power sector, holds the view that lack of sustained investment, corruption, as well as political intrigues are to blame for the lingering crisis in the power sector. He said that much in this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

N

IGERIANS are not happy over the perennial power crisis in the country. Why has the power crisis remained intractable for so long?

When you talk about what is happening in the power sector and what we should be doing, the first thing I’ll tell you is to say some of the things we have done and what I think we should be doing and how to go forward. All of us know what has happened to the power sector in Nigeria. We are a country of 160million people. We are a large country with a large population. As at today, all our installed capacity is slightly above 6, 000 mega watts of electricity. May be if we add the ones that are not working, we can have about 9, 000mw. South Africa is about 50-60million people, yet they have about 40,000mw.

I recall that one of the last good power plants we had under Shehu Shagari, Egbin Power Station, alone used to generate about 1, 200megawatts but because we failed to keep up the tempo of activity in the sector, we are now suffering the dire consequences. If we created three more Egbins, we won’t be in this situation by now.

Most every countries of the world produce at least 2, 000mw other year. India just had a plan to produce an additional 100,000mw in five years. But we don’t have such plans.

Even if the PHCN runs diligently we still cannot meet up.

Lagos alone requires 10, 000-15, 000 mw and more to drive its economy as a mega city. Two decades and more of insufficient or low investment led to the problem affecting the power sector at the moment.

The problem of power crisis dates back to several decades.

Between the late 80s and 90s, the country could barely generate a paltry 2, 100 megawatts of electricity because there were no conscious attempts by the federal government to invest in the power sector.

By 2000, the electricity system had collapsed and we were having about 2, 000mw and, at the same time, politicians had expanded rural electrification. What it means is that as part of your campaign promises, you procure transformers for some communities where there are no PHCN

power. If I get license today there is no way I can start to produce. There is no way you can embark on a power project except the prospective investors agree ahead on modalities of how to make recoveries.

So, before anybody digs a power cable, somebody has agreed to buy that power because if you don’t agree, he will not start. So, it’s a delicate balance.

The Electricity Power Sector Reform Act was therefore canvassed to bring about a power policy that will lead to efficiency, in terms of deliverables, address the issue of the quality of supply, corruption and all of that.

So, as an investor, you have an idea that there would be On the issue of corporate governance and there will be moneybags buying regulation to protect over the power the consumer. This is what the policy plants, I don’t have framework is all about. any problem with In those days, NEPA donates the that at all because power, NEPA are the even if a power ones that distribute, and you couldn’t even plant is N1billion, sue NEPA then. NEPA someone like me had what you could call a vertically cannot buy it. integrated monopoly.

There are claims But as a regulator that the privatisation of in the sector, it is the sector is shrouded in mystery… our job to ensure Privatisation is a that the overriding contested issue all over the world. And I public interest is always say this, what not jeopardised in matters is the nature of the regulatory any way. environment.

It does not mean For me, the that government does mandate to these not work because this is so important. I’m operators is look, opposed to the you must deliver ideology that government does not on the promise. work. In the US, we hear of government institutions competing favourably with the private sector for

“

“

“

lines, under the guise of providing constituency projects you donate transformers without recourse to procedures and all that.

But thankfully, the Electricity Act had three major policy thrusts aimed at addressing the problem in the sector.

One way was the involvement of the private sector because the government felt it didn’t have the money required to boost the system because it cost at least $1million to produce one megawatt of electricity.

The other thing was to ensure liberalisation of the market, a market where you have rules that govern

“

The problem of power crisis dates back to several decades. Between the late 80s and 90s, the country could barely generate a paltry 2, 100 megawatts of electricity because there were no conscious attempts by the federal government to invest in the power sector.

By 2000, the electricity system had collapsed and we were having about 2, 000mw and, at the same time, politicians had expanded rural electrification.

trading. The idea being that if the market is profitable enough then people can readily invest in it because when you regulate price, you can then create electricity market because the industry cannot just thrive without a market.

But it is the belief in some quarters that one way to tackle the power crisis is to adopt the example of the telecoms sector, where competition has led to improved service delivery of sorts…

Power is unlike telecom where all you need to do is deregulate and you say come and buy spectrum which government auctions. Investors build their mast and become operational.

In telecoms, all you need to do is deregulate and say come and buy broadband and then the government auctions it and the signals go by air and you prepare to launch out. But in power, you make a lot of investments.

It takes you an average of three to four years to generate

efficient service delivery.

But in Nigeria government-owned companies have failed because we are not ready to change our public institutions.

So, I would rather we ensure workable privatisation.

The next issue is why does public sector not work? The answer is simple: corruption. If there are benefits and sanctions, things will take shape.

Unlike in the private sector, there is no shareholder convention that will come and tell a public corporation that, look you have lost money this year, why is this so?

So, it is difficult to have efficiency in that kind of situation.

But again, there is no law that says the only way to run a public company efficiently is to privatise it. No, but once we run our public institutions on commercial value things can work, which means if we give you a budget, you must deliver.

The second issue is that we must be willing to raise the level of investment in the power sector because except investors find the market attractive, they won’t come.

In the past, we did not invest continuously in the sector. Some of the money were stolen and embezzled by corrupt officials.

Let me tell you, no bank was prepared to lend prospective investors loans to finance the power sector.

•Continued on Page 25

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

THE SUNDAY INTERVIEW

•Continued from Page 24

UBA, for instance, was financing power plants being built in Sierra Leone, until this present regime because of the issue of marketability.

How much will you sell it and secondly who will buy that power and pay what?

We didn’t invest continuously in the sector and we did not create. Half of the money was stolen by corrupt officials or the money was diverted to other uses. Nobody will invest in this market if they don’t see how they can get their money back.

On the issue of moneybags buying over the power plants, I don’t have any problem with that at all because even if a power plant is N1billion, someone like me cannot buy it.

But as a regulator in the sector, it is our job to ensure that the overriding public interest is not jeopardised in any way.

For me, the mandate to these operators is look, you must deliver on the promise.

Skyrocketing price of electricity is one issue that has

“

remained hotly debated. What is your take on this matter?

Pricing of Before now, electricity is based Nigeria was the second lowest tariff on social class. The country in the world, but we are big people are the somewhere in ones subsidising between the middle now. Electricity is a the cost for the human right no doubt poor people. We because the most important thing a recover cost more consumer wants is from commercial availability. Even if this is a human right, and industrial without appropriate pricing things will users. remain comatose.

And it takes If Nigeria produces 20, more than a year or 000megawatts, the two to get a plant price will go down.

But I agree that we going. are paying an Before the estimated price.

On fixed charge, electricity sector the real issue is not can grow, there the amount, it is the fact that people don’t have to be intense get electricity as and when due. investments into Everything in the the sector which industry is paid for; wire, cables poles, must also be meter, etc.

Pricing of afforded a time gap electricity is based on to mature, with one social class. The big mega watt of people are the ones subsidising the cost electricity costing for the poor people.

We recover cost more $1 million to from commercial and produce. industrial users.

And it takes more than a year or two to getBefore a plantthe going. electricity sector can grow, there have to be intense investments into the sector which must also be afforded a time gap to mature, with one mega watt of electricity costing $1 million to produce.

Our system is not the type that detests corruption.

Unless we have a change of attitude, things can’t move as they should because corruption is a measure of the moral laxity in the industry.

You have to pay bills, we need to privatise this industry because it is a key industry that drives socioeconomic growth and development. So, I think the problem of corruption can be tackled once there is the right political will.

We have zero-tolerance to corruption in the commission. Every staff of NERC has at least N10million insurance, has access to housing loans. Then if there is still corruption, then we have no choice but to give them the boot.

Poverty is not by income, it depends on many factors or what you call the vulnerability test. For instance, if you live in a country like Nigeria, where the public health sector is comatose and you have another individual who will probably spend as little as $100 to access healthcare compared to you in Nigeria who will require at least N100, 000 to get the same level of service, who is poorer? Of course, it is you who is paying more for the same thing.

Our poverty is even bigger than we think because it is not just about income. Even as an individual, there are some ailments that will afflict my household and I don’t think I’ll have the financial capacity to manage it.

So, I consider myself poor by virtue of these teething problems of underdevelopment.

“

•Amadi

25

26

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Politics

2015: Dickson and Jonathan’s new strategies •Continued from Page 19 and the present negative mood of some important sections of the country would work against Jonathan in 2015.

One of the leaders, Chief Thompson Okorotie, submitted that Jonathan deserved a second term in office. But he said there must be ethnic harmony to guarantee a second term for the President.

So, Prof. Alagoa’s suggestion that the elders should form a group to meet with Arewa and Ndiigbo was adopted by other elders.

Tuodolor, the convener of the forum, said the Ijaw Nation had yet to meet its collective aspirations despite its strategic importance to the country.

IYC imbroglio Having secured the support of INC, Dickson and other Jonathan’s foot soldiers took the campaign for ethnic harmony to the IYC, the youth wing of INC. Their scheme to control the body and perhaps plant their stooges ahead of 2015 allegedly stirred controversies that split IYC into two factions.

Dickson lobbied and won the hosting right of the IYC elections, a move considered contrary to the provisions of the constitution that established the youth body.

According to the constitution of IYC, Bayelsa is not qualified to host the elections since the presidency of the council was zoned to it.

But pundits argue that Dickson’s desire to keep tab on the conduct of the elections informed

his decision to demand that the aspect of the constitution should be waived to grant him the right.

The overtures of Jonathan’s foot soldiers and other unresolved disagreements created disaffections among members of IYC and led to the emergence of factions.

The development got messier when two electoral committees were formed for the same election. While one committee had scheduled election for August 10, the other faction picked August 8 for the same exercise.

The confusion created fear of violence in the region and compelled INC to wade into the crisis by first postponing the elections indefi- •Dickson nitely.

But the Government of Bayelsa Rulers Forum. But when they evenState quickly denied having tually gathered, the inauguration anointed candidates for the elec- was suddenly turned into an endorsement party for Jonathan. tions.

Many of the traditional rulers Birth of ‘South-East, South- took turns to praise Jonathan and later threw their weight behind him South Traditional Rulers Forum’ Beyond the plots to control Re- for 2015. There were unconfirmed gional Governors Fora, INC and reports that one of them left the IYC, Jonathan’s foot soldiers have venue of the programme in a hurry, continued in their quest for regional lamenting that the reason for the integration. They swayed tradi- meeting had been defeated.

“We were not invited to come tional rulers from the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones and endorse Jonathan. What is to gather in Yenagoa for a meeting. happening here is deceptive”, he Most of them were told that the was quoted as saying.

Other community leaders, howgathering was aimed at integrating them into a forum called the South- ever, insisted in their different reEast and South-South Traditional marks that they would support Jonathan’s second term in 2015.

According to them, Jonathan had urged them to partner with other provided effective leadership de- stakeholders in the ongoing effort spite the challenges confronting the to build an egalitarian and prosperous Nigeria. country.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade The main problem Sijuwade and Ghom Ghom, Jos, By all indications, analysts beHRM Da Buba Gyang described the President as one of the best leaders lieve it will take more than regional integration to make Nigerians love to have ruled the country.

Oni, who was represented by the Jonathan again. They said he must General-Secretary of the Council of tackle corruption, guarantee secuYoruba Monarchs, Oba Aderemi rity, provide employment and enAdedapo, said: “Dr. Jonathan’s sure uninterrupted power supply emergence as President of the coun- within the period left in his current try was a fulfilment of Chief tenure.

If he fails to do these satisfactoObafemi Awolowo’s prediction that an Ijaw man would rule this rily, there are indications that many Nigerians will run to APC which country some day in the future.

In his remarks, Chief Emmanuel they now see as PDP’s viable alterIwuanyanwu called on Nigerians native. to give Jonathan a second chance.

He argued that there was no time the President pledged to serve a single term alone.

But Gyang urged political class to ascribe constitutional role to the traditional rulers to enable them contribute to decision-making in the country.

Those in attendance were the Sultan of Sokoto, represented by the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar •Continued from Page 21 El-Kanemi, President-General of clear option of attacking or houndOhaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, ing the ‘rebels,’ will they chicken Nnachi Enwo-Igariwey and former out or resolve to destabilise both Governors of Bayelsa and Imo the National Assembly and the States, Chief Diepreye PDP? Insiders said the number of Alamieyeseigha and Ikedi Ohakim. lawmakers that are in Barajes They all expressed delight at the camp are enough to cause a major formation of the Forum, stressing headache for PDP and the Presithat it would cement the bond of dent. “This is true, especially if they unity between the zones and pro- are pushed to the wall and theremote stability in the country. fore decide to form alliance with Addressing the forum, Jonathan the opposition. You may be inwho was represented by Dickson, formed that this is not entirely out of contemplation. It could be the final option,” said a PDP lawmaker, who insisted that Tukur misfired, when he threatened lawmakers.

Already, insiders within the attempt made by those who are corridors of power in Abuja, we self-centred, to intimidate him. It is learnt, are already directed to take his rejection of the intimidation into consideration that possibility antics of political adversaries that and work out the way out. If this has generated this campaign of option is finally taken by the sofalsehood and name-calling. called ‘rebels,’ it remains to be seen Even in our community setting, how Jonathan will cope with it those who resort to name-calling ahead of his 2015 presidential amand the raining of insults at the bition. height of an intellectual argument are people who upon sensing defeat would attempt to divert attention.

It is no longer news that the Rivers community, nay the SouthSouth geo-polittical region and the entire nation crave a Jonathan Presidency post 2015. The reason for this preference is not farfetched. The President, in the last •Continued from Page 21 two years, has set in motion an unprecedented pace of develop- roles in the elections and unceremoment. The only areas he is faulted nious removal of PDP National by his critics are areas that relate Chairmen from Solomon Lar (who to “our local political procedures”. in 2004 set up a parallel PDP secreFor the Nigerian people, these ar- tariat), Audu Ogbeh, Barnabas eas are better ignored since the Gemade and Ahmadu Ali, analysts President is serving them well. say it is not out of place to state that Wike, being a people-centric poli- the PDP’s destiny seems to be to the tician and administration like al- whims and caprices of the former president. ways, remains with the people.

Though Obasanjo on his part This is where he derives his hardly makes any effort to deny or might and followership. With the people by his side, he is always at acknowledge allegations linking home in Rivers State and elsewhere, him to such crises, his silence may while his opponents find solace on have contributed in making it diffithe pages of paid advertorials, cult to deconstruct his roles in these documentaries and falsehood. No lingering PDP crises. In the current politician of South-South origin, matter, it remains doubtful, given who understands the loud voice the history of their political assoof the people, will be anti-Jonathan. ciation since after their re-election It is unfathomable, to say the least. as President and Vice-President reJust of recent, those who performed spectively, if Obasanjo and Atiku less enjoyed a second term, while can sit down together to plot the should a performer be denied a current split?

More than this puzzle, the big second term, simply because nonquestion remains, who bites the performers have declared so? dust in this current ‘war’ between — Simeon Nwakaudu is the Obasanjo and Jonathan? InterestSpecial Assistant (Media) to the ing times, no doubt, lie ahead in the next few weeks and months.

Minister of State for Education.

PDP: Factions explore survival options

Understanding Wike’s politics O

F late, the nation’s political space has been inundated with several political reports and commentaries on the person of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, the Minister of State for Education.

If he travels to his home state for a weekend, his political adversaries manipulates the media to question why he returns home every weekend.

These opponents make ridiculous comments which attempt, though without success, to question his commitment to his assignment as a minister of the Federal Republic. If he fails to travel any weekend, the same adversaries, who usually hide under the mask of phantom political groups, call him an “Abuja politician”. Whichever way it is viewed, it is a case of the proverbial cockroach in a court presided over by chickens. The cockroach will always be adjudged guilty.

The unfolding political drama in the country has clearly revealed who the men of honour are. Those who have principles which they are willing to stake their necks and political future for. Those who are ready to stand by the generality of their people, irrespective of the economic consequences and the likely pains that their personal preferences may suffer.

For Wike, politics has always been and will always be peoplecentric. All pursuits must be determined by the overall strategic interest of the people. At all times, the aspirations and the collective will of the people must be considered before any position is taken.

For him, once such a position is taken, the eyes must be on the goal to ensure that the interest of the people is protected. The interest of the people in this case supersedes the interest of one man or a

By Simeon Nwakaudu

cabal. Therefore, at every turn, he is with the people, irrespective of whose ox is gored.

As a local government chairman, this political philosophy drove his actions. It was on this basis that he put in place unprecedented achievements that set him aside from the crowd of local government chairmen. As a firm believer in grassroots development, he evolved as the national president of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON. All Nigerians know the collective achievements of ALGON under his watch. The promotion of primary healthcare, security and staff welfare across the country.

Standing with the people is second nature to Wike. This is fundamentally why he is in politics. It is only natural that if you stand with the people, the people will stand by you.

As Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government, Wike was the politician that brought stability into an administration that his hardwork , dedication and commitment gave life to. At the time, despite all political grievances that stakeholders had, he was able to build a rare unity of purpose in the state’s political framework. Since he left, the administration in the state no longer has a stabiliser as there is no administrator that is willing to sacrifice personal ego and ambition for the people.

It is clear that the minister comes from a solid political background that he always works in a manner that promotes the interest of the larger percentage of the community. Little wonder, the negative, paid political propaganda against his person has yielded no fruit. The people know him person-

ally. They know what he stands for and are not deceived by the antics of paid political commentators and advertorial consultants whose assignment has been to feed the public with concocted stories.

Since Wike became the Minister of State for Education, the game has changed. For those who remember the mantra, no longer business as usual, they will gladly agree that there is a new way of doing business at the basic education sector under the supervision of the minister. We can only highlight some key performance indicators in this piece. First, the minister executed on behalf of President Jonathan, the overwhelming delivery of 125 Almajiri Schools, 16 girl-child schools, implementation of N150billion nationwide adult literacy programme, 72 e-libraries for Federal Government Colleges, phased total rehabilitation of 24 Federal Government Colleges and the commencement of the construction of vocational and technical colleges in all the 11 states of the South-East and South-South zones.

Lest I forget, he has successfully executed the distribution of over 60million textbooks and library resource materials to pupils and students of primary and junior secondary schools nationwide. We cannot leave out the fact that he is a champion of training and retraining of teachers across the country. Over one million teachers have been trained under his watch to improve efficiency and national development The facts of the minister’s achievements since he joined politics are public knowledge. Wherever he found himself, he has worked relentlessly to improve the condition of the people. In doing this, he has rejected every single

Is Obasanjo the puppeteer?

32

Glamour

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Glamour

33

34

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Glamour

&

OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL (08033572821) raphseg2003@yahoo.com

with

YETUNDE OLADEINDE

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

47

—PAGE 57

PHOTOS: TAIWO ABIODUN

•Sango Priest make his appearance

H

IS appearance and character were frightening: He is a six-footer, his eyes were blood shot, the cowrie shells attached on his regalia were dangling and making noise as he ran about, a leather band tied with some objects was around his forehead. The gourds tied on his neck were dangling sideways and swinging like a pendulum. The plaited hair on his head and the red coloured skirt he wore made him look like a woman. He was restless! As he came out from the sacred room where he wore his Sango regalia, the whole community went agog. At a point it looked as if it was going to rain.

Those who were attending for the first time became afraid as they looked at the sky, thinking, it was going to rain. Some ran helter-skelter singing his praises, and showering panegyrics on him, while some were afraid to go near him, he pranced about like a possessed god.

Yes, that is the spirit of the deity - Sango, a warrior ,was at work. The man who is the present ‘Sango’ (Sangodele Ibuowo) who doubles as Ifa priest has become a changed man and a transformed being immediately he came out from the sacred room of Sango. A few minutes later guns boomed intermittently to herald his coming. This was the situation in Koso Community in Oyo town penultimate Saturday as the town celebrated Sango Festival which attracted the high and the low, from all walks of life both at home and from overseas.

Exploits

The world hails Sango festival Sango festival was held last week in Oyo. It attracted lovers of culture from all walks of life. Taiwo Abiodun who witnessed the festival reports.

Koso community is named after Sango Oba Koso (The king (Sango) did not hang), hundreds of people trooped out to watch ‘Sango’ who displayed his magical feats in the presence of many that came to watch.

Sango brought out a new sharpened knife and cut his own eyes, while blood was dripping out, it was shown to all spectators but later nothing showed that he had a cut. At another time a man hammered a six -inch nail into his eyes and forehead but trust the efficacy of African magic, the powerful Sango only shook his body as he removed the nail without a sign of blood coming out from his eyes! The spectators hailed him.

Sango usually displays his magical feat during the one week long festival and also

in the Alaafin’s palace when a man sat in the air without a chair, he even crossed his legs, all these to show the prowess of a god called Sango who reigned and ruled in the 17th century and later became a deity worshipped and revered today.

For weeks the ancient town of Oyo was painted red as posters of all types with the Alaafin’s photographs were embossed on them, courtesy of different sponsors. At the roundabout leading to the palace were billboards and posters announcing the festival. In the palace were different kinds of people from all walks of life who thronged the palace to watch ‘Sango’, the man that spits fire! It was his festival. The crowd was huge.

Koso community has about 100,000 population, with churches and mosques but the community has predominantly Sango worshippers and thus have a temple where followers worship every Saturday.

In a small sacred hut is where Sango was said to have hung himself, while another house made with mud and thatched roofs was where he used to wear his regalia. Not only this, there is a room where all are forbidden from entering. According to Mr. Odejobi Babajide, a historian, no one takes photographs of the inner place because the camera would be damaged no matter how powerful it is. “We have seen a lot that attested to that. This is a sacred place, we don’t joke with it, and people from all walks of life do come here to have a look.”

How Sango became a deity Many still think the story of Sango is a myth but according to the community head of Koso, Pa Oyetunji Oyedemi, the Mogba Sango Alaafin, the story of Sango and his feats was real,” Koso was a warrior , he was a native of this community. This is the place where he was said to have hung. This place is where Alaafin of Oyo would choose the Mogba while Mogba would pick other chiefs.”

The spot where Sango hung has become a tourist attraction and no one goes there anyhow.”We offer sacrifices to the deity, Sango. We use ram, yam flower (amala),

•Continued on page 48

48

Life •Continued from page 47

cock, and other things to offer sacrifices to Sango,” said Mogba Sango of Alaafin. Another, describing how important his position is, said his position or status in Oyo is powerful. “It is only Alaafin that has the power or prescribed authority to make him the Mogba Alaafin while he himself has the sole authority to choose Balogun, Ekefa, Ajagun Aran, Ekefa, ! Elerin, Yayi who all come after me, Mogba Alaafin,” he boasted.

A community without calamity According to Mogba Alaafin, the community members are well protected against thunderbolt because they worship the god of Sango. And again, you dare not steal any property of Sango. According to Mr. Odejobi Babajide, “ There was a time when the door leading to the shrine of Sango was removed from Koso community and stolen. They knew it was an artefacts, for two months we searched for it and could not get it but we reported to the Alaafin who performed some rituals and sacrifices, later it was discovered in Badagry. Those who stole it could not move forward again, the door was recovered from them later.” Mogba Alaafin testified to the story and said, “It is true that it really happened but that was many, many years ago. It was not when I became the Mogba Alaafin, but it was true. You dare not steal any material that belongs to Sango at all. I remember that when those thieves were caught, they became another thing entirely. It is not done.”

This place has become a Mecca of sorts, according to Mogba Alaafin, “People come from all walks of life to worship and see things for themselves here.” He compared it with Christians and Muslims who are on yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mecca.

He said, “ People coming here could be compared with those who travel yearly to see things these religious leaders they believe are their saviour did. It is a yearly pilgrimage as people from Brazil, America, Britain and other places come here to worship and see things for themselves. It is real, I mean the story of Sango.”

A Portuguese called Alexander Ifasope was at the scene where Sango displayed his theatrics. He said he was happy to have come down to Koso, to see things for himself. According to him, “It is true that in Brazil they also worship Sango but it is not as real as this. This is different from what I used to see yearly in Brazil. I christened myself Ifasope because I am one of the followers of Ifa and Sango. Thank God that I have the privilege to be here during this festival and it is great.”

A retired merchant ship sailor, Captain Bisi Fowokan Jackson, said, “I am an old man but I have believe in Sango our deity, that was why I am here today to celebrate with the devotees. I am a sailor of 28years working experience, though I have retired home and live in Lagos but Sango is what me and my children worship for that is what I believe. I don’t go to church or mosque at all and it does not mean anything.”

Prince Akinola Ajibade Hassan who came from Odoola Cultural Foundation (Sango Otta, Ogun State) said, “What we are doing is promoting our culture and preaching the gospel all over the world for those who don’t know and wanted to know more.

I have been to the United States of America, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil , Rio de Janeiro,

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

The world hails Sango festival

•Some foreigners at the festival

•Heralding Sango

•Getting ready for the festival

and so many places in the world preaching the gospel of African culture,”. He added that it is time to enlighten the world that Sango really existed. We have imported religions in Africa and we cherished them but this programme is to bring the lost sheep back to our own culture. The Alaafin of Oyo used to preach to us to cherish our culture. There is nothing bad in accepting a religion but we should not forget our culture and religion. In the United States of America we see Buddhists and they tolerate one another, it is high time Nigerians do this.”

Devotees and temple The Sango temple is painted

red while the devotees wear red clothes and plait their hair. The devotees consist of males and females; children are not left out as they publicly declare that they are Sango devotees. In the temple are many benches. One of the devotees said they congregate every Saturday to worship. “Here we don’t know Christianity or Islam but we worship Sango here. We have many devotees, if you come in any of these Saturdays you will meet us worshipping.”

Madam Nimota Sangobunmi who is well over 60 years of age was met dancing and singing praises of Sango said, “I was born into Sango worshipping and I remain in it till I

die.” Immediately after saying this she ran after Sango who was still displaying his magical feat singing his praises. Another woman, Sangodele Sangogbemisola described the occasion as great. She said, “I worship Sango because it pays me. I was born into it, so how will I not be worshipping in its temple and celebrate the festival?”

Princess Ike Obaleye, who is the Ambassador of Ekiti and Obabinrin Sango was in his regalia as she held a fly whisk and a symbol of Sango called Ose, said, “I am from Ekiti and we don’t go to church in my family.

We worship Sango. Tell the world that that I am doing what my Ori

sent me. My husband is also a staunch member.”

The festival also attracts artists and the business class. Portraits and carvings of Sango and his materials were on display with other Yoruba traditional, clothing materials on display for sale. A marketer, Folorunsho Olatunbosun, who was there to sell his artworks said he came purposely to sell his goods to those who came for the festival But how come the Koso town?

The story of Sango was narrated thus, according to Mrs. Grace Joke Akinola, a museum curator: “In the olden days, Sango was a warrior and a powerful king who reigned and ruled in Oyo Empire. When he became too powerful for the Alaafin of Oyo he created another place for him to be ruling as two captains cannot row a boat.” She continued: “Many did not know that the story of Sango was real until now. Sango was a king with powerful juju, but one day he set two of his powerful chiefs Timi (Agbale Olofa Ina) and Gbonka against each other saying he wanted to know who was more powerful between the two. While Gbonka had the power to sedate or make his enemy sleep off, Timi had the power to conjure fire along with his dangerous and powerful magical arrow that emits fireworks to kill his enemy.” Akinola continued, “Timi eventually killed and beheaded his enemy, Gbonka, at Akesan market. But later Timi discovered that Sango’s plan was to eliminate him, he then went to Sango and asked him to vacate his throne or face war, but to avoid being disgraced Sango went to hang himself while his wives Oya, Osun, Oba turned into river and flowed away while today we have Oya River, River Osun and Odo Oba in Iwo. To avoid disgrace by Sango’s followers as they were taunted that their loved king cowardly hung himself while the houses of those who went to town announcing that their king hanged himself were set ablaze those who were afraid and trying to avoid being beaten or having their houses razed changed their tune and later went on announcing that the King did not hang (Oba Koso).”

Alaafin must not meet Sango one on one Today, the community where the king hanged himself is called Koso! Corroborating the story, Magba Alaafin said, “Sango hanged here in annoyance and it was a woman selling bean cake that saw Sango’s body dangling in the air who came to report the incidence. People started saying it that Sango has hanged himself, but later when the followers were annoyed they started burning their houses and the ‘song’ was changed to denial, Koso, meaning he did not hang!”

However, till today, the Alaafin of Oyo must not see Sango eye ball to eye ball for it is believed that they are two powerful kings who must not have a clash of authority.

Speaking at the celebration of the festival in the palace of Alaafin, Gani Adams who is the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) faction leader said the Yoruba should appreciate their culture and encourage their children to speak Yoruba language.

Dr. Paula Gomes, the Cultural Ambassador of Alaafin of Oyo, praised those who attended the festival and said she needed to educate people on the difference between Orisa and Olodumare, as she said Sango is Orisa.

BUSINESS THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

49

I don’t micromanage Tayo Oviowu -- Page 54

German firms increase stake in Nigeria Briefs A Nigeria hosts

T a time when major multinational companies operating in the commanding heights of the economy such as oil and gas, to mention just a few, are either downsizing or pruning down their services, some German firms boosting their stake in the nation’s fledging economy, The Nation can authoritatively

By Biodun-Thomas Davids

report.

Some of these leading companies are Julius Berger, a giant construction company and largest private employer in Nigeria, Weststar Associates Ltd, an automobile company dealing in Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler/Jeep/ Dodge/RAM in Nigeria, Butrupa

Limited, Raumplus Nigeria Limited, Bilingual Solutions Genius Company, to mention just a few.

Confirming this development, Andre Ronne, Head of Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria (DGIC), a lobbyist group established in 1982, observed that the quantum of investment by companies

•From left: Ag. Registrar, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Revd. Jacob Agboola, Ag. Vice Chancellor, Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin receiving souvenirs from Regional Bank Head, UBA Plc, Mrs Adenike Abimbola when representatives of the bank paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor recently

of German heritage operating in the country presently has increased substantially.

DGIC, which has a working partnership with the Nigeria-Germany Business Association (NGBA), which was established as Nigeria German Business Council (NGBC) 15th October, 1986, according to Ronne, has a proven track record of head-hunting services in Nigeria and Germany, provides premium quality virtual offices for individuals/entrepreneurs and companies looking to take advantage of Nigeria’s economy.

“Nigerian-German trade relations dated back several decades. German products have been part of the Nigerian life since and before independence. The German private sector is heavily represented in the Nigerian economy judging by the fact that they are one of the most important trading partners of Nigeria. Also the considerable number of German investors in Nigeria that hold shares in Nigerian companies through joint ventures or fully owned Nigerian registered firms, show the increasing importance of strong German presence in Nigeria,” Ronne stressed.

The delegation succeeded in meeting the Federal Minister of Works and representatives of National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) in Abuja, officials of the Chamber of Commerce in Abeokuta, as well as company representatives from Julius Berger and Dangote Conglomerates.

In a similar effort, DGIC, hosted a small delegation from Germany that has come to evaluate a dual vocational training programme in Nigeria-a training programme for artisans and technical staff of Nigerian and German companies based in Nigeria.

Qualified engineers in short supply —experts

T

HE Minister of State Niger Delta Affairs, Architect Darius Dickson Ishaku has lamented that the standard of engineering profession has dropped drastically, which is not unconnected with the lack of educational facilities in the nation’s ivory towers today.

The Minister disclosed this during a maiden public lecture of the Institute of Appraisers and Cost Engineers, with the theme, ‘Cost Engineering in Total Cost Management of the Economy,’ in Abuja.

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

He said, “I am really worried at the low standard of engineering profession this days, the engineers that have done so much for this country are gradually fading away.

“In spite of the national challenges, Nigerian engineers have kept the national power plant running for decades which in itself is very impressing. I would also like to use this opportunity to appeal to engineers to give value for money. Aside this, older engineers should endeavour to transfer in total-

ity knowledge to upcoming engineers.”

In his paper presented on the occasion, Mr. Otis Anyaeji who is the founding Chairman Institute of Appraiser and Cost Engineers, maintained that there are abandoned projects all over place because cost engineering has not been recognised in the economy, and even if they are, they are not being followed.

According to him, “In facing the fact of unemployment on ground all the sectors of the economy have to be

revived at once for employment to be quickened. If the economy is gotten right everyone will get employed. Nigeria will go back to the days where the government employed youths even before they leave the universities.”

The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of awards to deserving personalities by the institute including: Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Oluwagbemiga Kuye, Darius Dickson Ishaku, Mustafa Balarabe Shehu, Kasim Abdul Ali, Mr. James Olotu among others.

Fed govt to prosecute firms with poor financial records

T

HE Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, (FRCN) Jim Obazee has called on public and private institutions in Nigeria to review their financial laws in compliance with the international standards on accounting and reporting.

Obazee made this appeal at the 2013 Annual Conference on Corporate Governance organised by Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, in Lagos.

According to him, “We can only build credible institutions that can compete in the global market when we uphold the various financial codes that of best international practice.”

Good corporate governance, he said: “Include, good moral values, ethics, integrity, accountability, transparency and openness

By Adeola Ogunlade

which are recipes for economy transformation in any country of the world.”

Obazee noted that although Nigeria is endowed with immense resources to achieve economic growth and transformation, but the lack of capacity to implement the unified codes across private institutions, public corporation, charity organisation, political parties, churches and mosques on financial reporting has become the bane of the country’s development.

He restated the commitment of the government towards providing good governance and transparency.

“Nigerians are no more interested in how many roads, hospitals and other amenities that we build but what amount revenue have we gotten, how much revenue

have we generated, how were they ultilised and whether its met with our electoral promises is very apt”, he said.

Obazee who also doubles as Chairman, International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR) of the United Nations, declared that the government was determined to clamp down on institutions that do not have good record keeping as licensees will be withdrawn and their names displaced on the website for noncompliance to statutory laws on financial codes of corporate governance.

In his remarks, the Company Secretary, First Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tijjani Borodo asserted that government must set the pace for the entrenchment of corporate governance culture in Nigeria.

“Government at all levels are

the biggest spender and they have the onerous responsibility toward promoting values that will be emulated and upheld in other sector of our national life responsi8blity to Earlier, in his opening address, the President of the Society, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye noted that although there are improvements in corporate governance in Nigeria, there is still work to be done. “We need to continue to discuss and debate on how best we can sustain the culture of corporate governance in Nigeria.”

He lauded the effort of the FRCN on the introduction business ethic in schools which according to him, It is a good initiative to catch them young so that our children will be taught on the spirit and not just the letter of corporate governance in Nigeria.

world bakers’ exhibition

By Andrew Oyafemi

A

LL road will lead to Lagos from Tuesday, September 19- 21, as Nigeria plays host to renowned bakery, catering and confectionary companies at a world exhibition.

Tagged: ‘BBC Expo 2013’, the exhibition, an initiative of Global Exhibition Resource Nigeria (GERN) will ensure that latest products, equipment, machinery and ingredients in confectionary business are showcased for the growth of the industry.

Justifying the need for the exhibition, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Temitope Oluwadipe said over 30 exhibitors and five foreign missions are expected at the programme.

He said: “It will be another great step towards freeing ourselves from the shackles of food importation as we spend N635 billion annually importing wheat alone. Our wheat import is growing at the rate of 13 per cent annually. By 2020, it is estimated that, at this growth rate, Nigeria’s annual wheat imports will hit 17 million metric tonnes, or the entire wheat exports of Canada, the third largest wheat producer in the world. As we do, we will be shattering the hope of our farmers who produce crops that( can substitute for wheat in bread.”

Expatiating, Oluwadipe noted that bakery products have become indispensable in the menu of many Nigerians, adding that the development has contributed to the growth of the sector in Nigeria.

He said the emergence of a significant middle-class, urbanization and the expansion of modern habits by busy, healthconscious and well informed consumers are changing the way people are consuming bakery products be it cakes, sandwiches, pastries, puffs, pizzas, or croissants.

He said bakers need to keep abreast of development in modern technology to serve their customers better.

Firm unveils new statuette for CSR awards

A

HEAD of the Nigeria CSR awards, SERAs 2013 billed for 21 st of September at the Muson Centre, organisers of the awards have announced the unveiling of a new gold and silver statuette to replace the former one.

The organisers contracted the redesigning and manufacturing of the new statuette to R.S. Owens, a company based in New Jersey, USA, which has also produced world renowned Oscars and Golden Globes.

According to the coordinator of the SERAs, Ken Egbas “our new statuette is priceless and a massive improvement on the previous version. This is the statuette to have and own.”

50

A

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

BUSINESS

MINA Imoitseme Yusuf, 13 years plus, and contemporaries of her own generation born in Nigeria in the early millennium may have seen coins but whether they have spent it at all is another matter.

Few weeks ago, Amina and her younger siblings while playing in the garden accidentally stumbled on a box containing some foreign as well as Nigerian coins but rather than gloat over what was supposed to be a ‘unique prize,’ the discovery made no remarkable meaning to them as they went about their play as carefree as possible.

To the older generations, coins are a relic of the past but for kids of Amina’s age and experience, it is one history they can hardly connect with. And the reason for this is not far to seek.

Since the turn of the 21 st century, coin, though accepted as a legal tender everywhere, began to lose attraction for many not just because they have no intrinsic value of sort, but also because they are cumbersome, and, wait for this: They are in short supply!

“The last time I saw a coin was in 2007, I was actually issued some in the bank as part of the CBN order to the banks. But I don’t remember spending them. I think I have close to 2, 000 naira worth of coins in the shelve at home that I have no use for,” recalled Mr. Obiechina Nwokolo, a textile merchant in the popular Mushin Upholstery Market, Lagos.

Low attraction According to the CBN, Nigeria’s currency structure comprises three coin denominations and eight note denominations. The coin denominations are 50 kobo, N2 and N1, while the note denominations are N5, N10, N20, N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1000. But notes are more favoured compared to coins.

As the debate over the planned currency restructuring by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rages, a major issue that has been highlighted is the sudden disappearance of coins from the economy. That is, the set of legal tender comprising 50 kobo, N1 and N2, which were introduced in 2007, but failed to perform their function as a medium of exchange.

According to an analyst, “it is only in Nigeria that we don’t make use of coins. We see coins as if they have not been used before. In the early 90’s, coins were in use and considered good money until it now lost their value.

“Go to developing countries like Japan, America, China, they make use of coins.

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, we have coins in circulation but the question is where are the coins?”

Short of accusing the CBN of complicity in the matter, Ade Olumide, a trader at Oshodi, raised a poser: “We have 50k, N1 and N2, but please help me ask the CBN, where and what can we use them to buy?

Sweet in the market goes for at least N5. These days you can hardly see things in the

Whither Nigerian coins?

Although the country’s currencies are denominated in notes and coins, indications are that coins are fast going out of fashion. Bukola Afolabi xrays the issue of disappearing coins

•Coins

market that go for less than N5.”

Mrs. Stella Edmund, a journalist, also shares the same sentiments with Olumide. “It’s because Nigeria no longer uses coins, that is why we have this brazen level of corruption everywhere. Imagine I was forced to buy a pack of needles the other day because the trader, who would normally sell at a unit cost of N2, couldn’t provide the requisite change. So, I was forced to take the whole pack for N50. So, it’s really not good at all that coins are no more in use in the country.”

Points to ponder In his submission, the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Muda Yusuf, said the present rate of inflation has overtaken the value of coins. He said coins currently had little or no significance in the Nigerian economy.

He said, “It doesn’t have any impact on the economy currently because what has happened is that inflation has caught up with the value of the coins. So, the coins have no value again. And as

it is now, they cannot buy anything again as a currency.

“Inflation has overtaken the value of our coins, so they are no longer of any value in the current inflationary situation that we have. But the only benefit is that coins last longer than currency notes. So, if we have coins that still have value then it will have economic impact.”

Muda added, “You know there was a time that the CBN wanted to convert N5 to coins so that our coins would have value, but this wasn’t done. And since then our coins have lost value due to the rising inflationary rate.

But if we can re-denominate the lower currency notes likeN5 and N10 to coins, then that means that we will spend less in the printing of currency notes.”

As regards fears that redenominating the N5 and N10 notes to coins may lead to the demise of the denominations, Yusuf noted that the value of the currency was what should be considered.

He said, “What I am talking about is the value of our currency denominations that are in coins. Since our

coins no longer have value, even if you give a beggar some coins, he will give you a surprise look, asking, what is he going to do with coins.

“The second is that the rate at which inflation is rising is another serious factor that makes these coins to lose their value completely in this current economic condition. But if we convert our lower currency notes to coins and they have value, then people will still use them. However, permit me to state it again that the advantage of coins over notes is that coins last longer than currency notes.”

However, despite the huge budget by the CBN on sensitising Nigerians on the need to accept coins, the transaction chains were broken as banks and customers reject the currency.

Investigations by The Nation revealed that coins are not in circulation because of their rejection by the market people and banks.

For instance, it is a common practice to see customers, whom banks have imposed the coins on, going to another transaction officer to deposit them in

their accounts. Local retailers keep rejecting the coins because the banks won’t accept them as deposits.

Experts believe that the fear about inflation surpasses the figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on the country’s inflation rate. According to them, inflation would essentially mean nothing to the average consumer if it had no bearing on the economy. It is in the economy that inflation can either hinder a person’s ability to purchase or cause a lack of growth for businesses. The role inflation plays in the economy is substantial.

Global best practice One of the reasons the United States’ one-cent coin has never been phased out is due to the inflationary ramifications of such a move.

Experts believe that low denomination coins are important economically.

Even in the United States, Vice President Joe Biden recently noted that the government has concluded plans to curb waste by reducing the number of coins being produced.

He said: “They make hundreds of millions of these coins every year; 40 per cent of them end up being returned to the Federal Reserve because nobody wants them. And here is the worst part: They are still making coins of presidents from the 1800s, meaning the United States Mint is about halfway through its planned production.”

Way out A Lagos based lawyer Uche Ogochukwu said the regulatory bank should intensify effort at bringing back the coins.

He argued that many children in this generation might not know that the coin was part of the nation’s currency, and noted that it was important for Nigerians to start using the currency.

He said, “Until the CBN says that the coin is no more our currency, I think people should be encouraged to continue using it. Many children of this age may grow up not knowing that the coin is part of Nigeria’s currency. So, they should work on this if they really want us to believe that the coin remains a legal tender.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Austin Ifeloju, a public analyst, stressed, “The CBN must work out ways to boost the impact of coin denominations in transactions; otherwise it should tell Nigerians that the denominations only exist for calculations and business computations. If the CBN wishes to bring back coins, it should jettison whatever idea to change any of our lower notes to coins rather, it should work out ways to check inflation and make the coins, which we have now valuable.”

The Chief Executive Officer, Economic Associates, Dr. Ayodele Teriba, brought a new dimension to the currency restructuring debate when he suggested that the existing banknotes from N1 up to N1,000 should be converted to coins.

Teriba argued that “a robust coinage must be adequate for the retail payment needs of all children and adults. Naira coins that would make sense today will fall in the range of N1, N2, N5, N10, N20, N50, N100, N200, N500, and N1,000. Just before anyone screams, remember that the two pound coin is more than N500 in face value, and the coining of the five pound note is imminent in the United Kingdom.”

Teriba, who stressed that the move by the CBN to convert some banknotes into coins will facilitate retail transactions in the country, however, pointed out that while the proposal to coin N5, N10, and N20 is in the right direction, “it is equally arbitrary, as it lacks correspondence with current values of retail items, and is also bound to fail.”

The economist queried: “How many pieces of the Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s coins will a school child need to hold just for school run and refreshment at break time? It will require too many pieces to make sense for school children, much less adults.”

He argued that there are

Continued on page 51

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

BUSINESS

51

Whither Nigerian coins?

•Sanusi

•Yusuf

Continued from page 50 two types of retail payments: highly repetitive small value transactions such as urban transportation, sweets, cigarettes, kola nuts, fruits, vegetables, snacks, cooked food, sachet water, soft drinks, juices, beer, newspapers, haircuts, phone cards, as well as less frequent but relatively high value transactions such as clothing, footwear, watches, raw foodstuff, poultry, livestock, fuel, spares parts and local airfares.

He stated further: “Coins must be designed by the Central Bank with the first category of retail transactions in focus because their repetitive nature and the conditions under which they must happen, such as in crowded markets, stadia, streets, bus stations, airports, congested traffic, and varying weather conditions, including rainy, sunny, and humid conditions, mean that notes are ill-suited for them.

“Coins will fare better under these conditions, which is why countries regularly upgrade their coinage to keep pace with the prices of this category of retail items.”

According to Teriba, “Nobody holds the naira coins today because the N2 coin at maximum face value makes absolutely no sense. It is a waste of the country’s resources and time to mint such. N1 and N2 should be the minimum, and small enough, like the farthing of old, and they would make sense.

“N20 naira maximum coin still will not make sense because it still does not buy a soft drink or an apple, and no one will hold them. If you stamp N500 or N1,000 as the maximum value on the same coins today, everyone will hold them, as in other countries where the coinage relates to retail prices.

“To be sensible today, naira notes should take face values of N500, N1,000, N2,000, N5,000, N10,000, and N20,000 (current value of the lowest airfare), where N500 and N1,000 could circulate as both notes and coins until further notice. I have arrived at these suggestions by trying to connect the face value of naira notes with the realities of retail prices.”

However, a former director of the CBN faulted Teriba’s argument, saying that minting coins is the most expensive form of currency.

According to the ex-CBN official, who pleaded to remain anonymous, “There is

•From left: Joe Hudson, MD/CEO Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc with Mr. Oyeyemi Olawuni, Director, Federal Ministry of Labour and the Chairman, Sagamu Community Development Committee, Olotu Omoba Michael Oyedele at the company's closing ceremony of its annual Health and Safety Month in Sagamu recently

Experts mull transparency in extractive industry

W •Teriba

always little acceptability of coins, especially if the quality metal used is low. We had this instance in Nigeria whereby the old kobo was bulky and people were not willing to accept it. One of the characteristics of money is portability and coins hardly meet that.

“Coins disappear in Nigeria because the face value of the metal used in producing it is lower than the intrinsic value. Thus, people will always take it to the goldsmith and it will be used for jewelry, gold and other ornaments.” He insisted that banknotes are cheaper to print because “all you need is paper, mercury and ink.”

Just like any other legal tender, the coins have become acceptable in many societies and have failed in some, including Nigeria. The re-introduction of coins into the Nigerian economy in 2007 was welcomed by most.

However, the ovation was short-lived as the coins lost public appeal and were consequently phased out.

A lot of reasons have been adduced to the failure of the coins in the past with very little effort to address it.

With the planned introductions of higher denomination of the Naira note and conversion of some smaller denominations into coins, there have been fears on the potential effect of the action, when the new notes are eventually circulated.

But the CBN spokesman, Ugochukwu Okoroafor, argued that despite the arguments against coins, coins still have their value still.

“Most Nigerians don’t carry coins and don’t like to collect coins as change either and because of this attitude they readily forfeit their change. But we still have some places in Nigeria that we make use of coins like supermarket, eateries, etc. So, we encourage Nigerians to be using coins,” Okoroafor said.

ORRIED by the deepening level of corruption in the extractive industry in sub-Sahara Africa, a cross-section of experts have set machinery in motion to address the ugly trend.

One group in the vanguard of this initiative is the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), a nongovernment, nonprofit organisation, with collaboration with other stakeholders.

The organisation which facilitated an interface and discussion forum tagged: ‘CSO Engagement of the NEITI Process in Nigeria: The CISLAC Experience’, in Lome, capital of Benin, recently, engaged critical stakeholders in the extractive industry, pointing out to

By Bukola Afolabi

them why they must all join hands together to promote transparency in the sector.

Mr. Hashimu Salaudeen, who was CISLAC Head of delegation at the Benin Republic advocacy trip which included investor, parliamentarian, civil societies and regulators, recalled how the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative policy came to be, its implementation in Nigeria, what the scenario was before the implementation and what it is now after the adoption of the EITI policy.

He also spoke on the need for Benin to quickly embrace the EITI policy because the francophone countries are still at the formative process of

going into full natural resources extraction, especially crude oil. This to him will help the country avoid some of the potholes Nigeria fell into.

Painting the Nigeria scenario, he noted that Nigeria is a country with rich natural resources though at present depends on oil and gas as its main source of revenue. He observed that the sector was opaque and riddled with corruption as its activities and revenue was known only by a few government officials and oil firms, which made even called for accountability cumbersome.

He however said that with the origin of the EITI in 2002 and Publish What You Pay movement, demands, especially by civil societies, for

Firm targets 3,000 textiles, garment workers

S

AM and Sara (Omoluabi) Garment Factory has hinted of plans to employ about 3,000 workers from the textile and garment industry.

Disclosing this to The Nation, the Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Folake Oyemade, said going by the company’s expansion plan, about 3, 000 workers are expected to join its workforce, adding that this is in line with the government transformation agenda.

She commended the Osun State government and Bank of Industry for their support in driving the initiative and creating an enabling environment for the business to thrive.

According to her, Sam and Sara is one of the few compa-

nies in Africa that took advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Today, she noted that tonnes of uniforms are being exported from Nigeria to America under its brand name, Impreza.

“Though the profit is still marginal because of the exchange rate and other factors, like government’s inadequate protectionist policy through the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) scheme, we are optimistic that the trade condition will improve, more so if the Nigerian government recognizes the benefits of building local industry using the instrument of friendly taxation.

“But for the Bank of Industry (BOI) that offers a reason-

able interest on loan and encourages local entrepreneurs, the interest rate in commercial banks in Nigeria is outrageous,” she said.

She however regretted that there is no market for Nigerian brands, adding that foreign brands has taking over.

“The Chinese have bombarded our market with fake products. People go to China to manufacture substandard products to come and sell in Nigeria,” she said.

“Another challenge is that our products are not available in the market. We have to create market for made-in-Nigeria brands. We must pull out of those orthodox markets and create our own market,” she said.

Universal health coverage possible in 2015 if…NHIS

N

IGERIANS will soon access good quality and affordable health care services when and where ever they need it regardless of financial and social status, if the National Health bill is passed into law, the South-South Zonal Coordinator of the NHIS, Mr. Nasiru Ikharo has said.

This assertion was made at a forum held for stakeholders, enrolees, healthcare facilities and health maintenance organisations in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Port-Harcourt recently.

According to the SouthSouth Zonal Coordinator of the

NHIS, Mr. Nasiru Ikharo, the foundation of universal health coverage is access to good quality and affordable healthcare service as at when it is needed.

This, he said, is the vision of NHIS that is mandated to facilitate fair financing and delivery of good quality and affordable healthcare services to Nigerians and residents of Nigeria by the year 2015.

It could be recalled that the content of the current national health bill has a provision for 1% of the consolidated revenue account of the Federal Government recommended for NHIS to give health insurance cover

for the vulnerable groups that include those who cannot afford to contribute to the national health insurance fund.

This 1% Federal contribution to the vulnerable groups’ funding could amount to forty billion naira (N40billion) necessary to boost the contributed funds of NHIS. Ikharo also revealed that the NHIS is considering several financing options for the vulnerable groups’ fund that will include cross subsidisation from other programmes of the scheme and from other sources soon to be made public.

openness and transparency increased globally and Nigeria was not left out.

A parliamentarian, Hon. Adam Bi, in one of the meetings, commended the initiative as it is good for his country to have an insight into what other countries especially Nigeria has gone through as it would be a good guide for Benin and a rich experience to learn from.

He also stated that the advocacy trip is also good for his country to have an insight to the transparency issues before his country starts exploration.

Mr. Awo Marcel a staff of the Ministry of Petroleum research and Mines, after listening to the presentation said that Benin is ready and interested to put in place the necessary steps to implement the EITI benchmark through a cross-ministerial concept including organising workshop across ministry for better understanding and appreciation of the issues.

During the advocacy with civil society groups, Mr. Roger Kpokpo, of Global Aids, said that the insight provided by CISLA representative has helped to expand his knowledge base on the need to ensure accountability in the extractive industry and why all stakeholders must be involved.

For Mr. Gandaho Ramleg, though there is a law in place, it did not clearly state the sharing of the revenue to positively affect the host communities.

He however fears that there is danger because the seeming peace in his country is a product of pathological silence of the citizens to what is going on in the country, which could change when Benin begins full exploration of crude oil.

A representative of Gender for Development Action (GADA) Miss Obiageli Ukeoma, after listening to some of issues raised by the stakeholders during the discussions, commended the stakeholders for wanting to ensure transparency in the extractive sector. She urged the stakeholders to work towards having a law in place even before companies that would be involved in the extractive industries starts operation.

52

BUSINESS

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Beyond Talent

‘Data management key to economic growth’

By Adetayo Okusanya

The five levels of competence

Y

OU appear to have turned your sights on the Nigerian market.

What exactly are your intentions for this market and so far what have been your major challenges?

There are a number of challenges but that’s why we are really excited about the investment in Nigeria and emerging countries. They are countries that have a huge potential and a huge need for the latest technologies. I’ll state here that a lot of the problems run outside our scope, I won’t say that EMC is going to solve the problem of Nigeria as a country. But we can ask the question: How does our foray into the Nigerian market translate to benefits to Nigeria, the economy and the people?

One, adoption of Cloud Computing. Today worldwide customers are telling us that they have huge IT operations and Data Centers and they tell us they want to increase revenue but reduce cost.

They are saying this because the evolution of IT in the past 20 years has resulted in a very complex IT environment; number of storage, servers, different vendors, different networks, different managers, different management, even the expertise is different, there is no continuity, you have to keep evolving. Plus there are disruptive technologies, every time a new disruptive technology comes up, you end up on one of two scenarios, you are either prepared to adopt or integrate this disruptive technology which requires a lot of technology before and a lot of vision or you end up re-investing all over again and there is a lot of disruptive technology.

Like when internet came, it really revamped the way Data Centers and even banks were running. You might ask how we are doing this in the Nigerian market, and in a number of other markets that have the same characteristics as this one. Well, we are partnering with service providers in order for them to make available their platform to offer IT services to enterprises and private sector companies and even governments so they don’t have to invest all over again. So when we say platform-as-a-service, back-up-asa-service, organisations do not need to build their own platforms or back-up system. The service providers can provide them. If you look at the savings by these enterprises who subscribe to these services from service providers it’s huge. The other advantage is that you adopt these services much quicker because you are not enabling 3G or any other service. You don’t go through your own deployment and go through power failures, and it’s definitely much cheaper because it is much more efficient. You don’t duplicate the same infrastructure over and over, its one infrastructure being shared with other organisations.

The other area where we

1. Ignorance HIS is simply a state of lacking information, knowledge or learning. A state of “not knowing.” It should not be confused with the word “stupid” which refers to a lack of intelligence, slowness of mind or a diminished capacity for reasoning. It is a state of “unconscious incompetence.” There are many people in our businesses and communities today who are more ignorant than they are stupid.

Ignorance is a form of mental blindness, stupor or sleep.

Many people who are ignorant are clueless to the fact that they are, which in turn stifles any learning and development from taking place. Truth be told, everyone suffers from ignorance in one form or the other. The question, therefore, is not whether one is ignorant at all, but rather whether one is ignorant in the things that are relevant to their survival and success.

There was once a time when the calculator was a global champion. In today’s world, ignorance can be as simple as using a calculator to do a spreadsheet’s job!

2. Awareness Awareness is more than a step up from Ignorance. Each of them exists in two parallel planes than can never converge. One is unconscious, the other is conscious. An ignorant person can be likened to a man who was fast asleep while his home was broken into and his possessions stolen, while a man who is aware can be likened to one who was awake when the thieves broke into his house. Whether he chooses to do something about it or not, is a different story.

Awareness is a state of having knowledge gained through perception or information. It is a state of consciousness. One can be aware of something without necessarily understanding it i.e. conscious incompetence. The great thing about awareness is that it creates opportunities and choice. The dangerous thing about awareness is that it can create a false sense of competence.

Many people are aware of what they need to do to live a healthy life i.e. eat right, exercise regularly and go for routine medical check-ups. Yet, they do nothing about it.

3. Know-How Know-how simply means the knowledge of “how-to-do” something. Know-how is the ability to apply acquired knowledge in a practical way to achieve a desired outcome. It is no longer about what you “know” but what you “can do or achieve with what you know.” To graduate to the level of know-how, you must possess some level of understanding.

As a performance consultant, I have heard my clients complain over and over again about the quality of students graduating from our universities. The reason for this is quite clear to me. We have students who are being taught to acquire knowledge (sometimes obsolete knowledge) and not to acquire knowhow, whilst corporations are about “production” and need human resources with the “know-how” to get things done efficiently and effectively.

Know-how is the beginning of “conscious competence.” If you want to be successful in your career, at a minimum you must know-how to achieve outcomes that others ascribe value to. As far as corporations are concerned, all your knowledge is but a waste if it has no bearing on the “bottom-line.”

4. Expertise Expertise is big-brother to know-how. The word expertise is derived from the Latin word “expertus” which means “known by experience.” It is, therefore, know-how with prolonged experience or extensive practice.

Expertise requires a high degree of understanding or intimacy of a subject matter. To qualify or be regarded as an expert in something, you must have special knowledge in that area beyond that of an average person, such that others come to rely on your opinion. A novice can be regarded as someone with limited know-how, while an expert can be seen as someone with extensive know-how.

Expertise must necessarily result in faster, more efficient and more effective solutions.Many organizations would do a whole lot better if they invested in developing their employees to become experts at the things which are essential to their survival and success.

5. Mastery Ahh…mastery! This is the highest level of competence and the “daddy” of expertise. To achieve mastery is to possess”full” not just significant command of a subject matter. It is the highest state of “unconscious competence.” Mastery is the ability to exert “controlling”influence over something. It is a state of great skillfulness, which enables a high degree of dexterity and adroitness in problem solving.

A master will always get the best of the problem and not vice versa. Amaster will always win against the house. You know you have mastered your craft when you are always able to maximize desired results with the least amount of resources.

Every master is an expert, but not every expert is a master.

There are very few experts in our generation, and masters are an even rarer breed.

T

•Fraijat

Nazim Fraijat, Managing Director, Levant and Emerging Africa Region (LEMA), drives investment in key economic sectors across the globe. In this interview with Bukola Afolabi, he shares his experience on the problems and prospects of working in an emerging market like Nigeria

INTERVIEW see ourselves relevant is in cost reduction, especially the cost of operation. When I look at how in Nigeria this is important, I think of the example of the dependency on electricity. We can reduce the electricity consumption of the same system dramatically by deploying technologies that require much less power.

While in other parts of the world it’s because of the Green Technology Movement, and we can adopt this technology for those reasons here as well, however, it has the added advantage of being efficient in the scarcity of electricity. So while we cannot fix the electricity problems in the country, we can help optimise electricity.

Nigeria is a growing market, will you say this market will pay off your investment just as it did in the Asian countries or will it supersede your returns in Asia?

I can’t make that comparison because we will get into the dollar figures. I can however respond in terms of growth. We earlier mentioned a growth figure of 40% year on year in Nigeria. These are very strong figures. Today we are talking about growth and even decline in most of Europe and America, but growth is seen in single digits in most of the world.

When somebody is growing at 11% or 12% this is great .

However, it’s not only about the growth in the GDP of the country and economy. It’s how far the IT adoption is, so for example if I have an economy that is growing by 10% but they have a 5% IT adoption rate, that means I have 80-90% I can go after, but if I have high adoption and low growth then there will be no return. So we see this in the emerging market and we see return in Nigeria and West Africa and other parts of Africa where it is very strategic and important for EMC to grow.

What we have here in Nigeria is not a sales office alone.

It is a sales, technical, customer

support, implementation, project management office, the full cycle. And this full cycle is Nigerian. If you peek inside, you’ll can see that the management, the sales, the pre-sales, the implementation are all Nigerian. EMC is usually involved in mission-critical environment, we don’t provide consumer products, what we have are systems and where we stop, business stops. That’s a problem. You cannot continue protecting these customers by being remote. I believe the reason EMC is successful in the Middle East and Africa is because we invested in the local kin. Somebody who is here to stay and grow, who is here to educate his kids and bring the best in the country to EMC that’s more of a strategic approach, if we look at someone who is here for a couple of years and leaves then the whole investment will be gone. We would have to invest over and over again.

Where are your big markets in West Africa?

Biggest is Nigeria but we are present in Ghana.

Do you think the public sector can benefit from Big Data Management?

In the public sector there is definitely the need for security. You will also find its usefulness in areas like health care to predict certain illnesses before they happen, in the education sector, and even in election with 160million Nigerians for profiling and analyzing past data, there are a lot of areas. The potential and the possibility of Big Data is humongous and they say Big Data changes the world and I will say that everyone should look into this. Data scientists are soon going to be in very high demand. 20 years ago when I went to college, my Dad wanted me to study something else, but because of the change in the market that’s where we are going now. I am teaching my son what Big Data is and who Data Scientists are because that’s the career for the future.

Everybody knows that the Nigerian market is very peculiar. What constraints have you experienced in working here?

Each country has its specific challenges. Sometimes it’s cultural, economic, level of maturity, so many different circumstances, but I am a strong believer that the sales and customer relationship is the same anywhere in the world. If you can buy the same system that works in America in many of the largest banks here, then we are not so different. Oracle doesn’t make another application for Nigeria, Calculus in your University is the same calculus I studied. So if you look at how much we have in common, it’s so much. We all drink water at the end of the day but yes each country is peculiar but the majority is very similar. One of the first things we do that helps a lot is by investing in local resources, the people of the country run EMC. For 15 years we didn’t do this and we failed. When people from other regions ran this company it didn’t work. So, we started from ground zero by that we are helping ourselves because these are the people living in this country dealing in this country. They know the challenges and how to handle them.

The other part is we don’t do business on our own. We work with local partners who have the reach, trusted relationships, are familiar with the process and challenges, and that helps. The last part is that we have to be aware as a company of these challenges and see how we can be more relevant to the market. I told you that the system running the New York Stock Exchange is also the same system that is running a number of the banks in Nigeria but there are other systems and solutions that are not relevant here. So the closer we are to our customers and partners, the more local the leadership, the more relevant we are and this is reflected in our products and services. For example, we develop exact services for different parts of the world. There are parts of the world where our customers need extra professional services and other parts of the world they don’t need them so we have to be dynamic and flexible.

• Okusanya is CEO of ReadinessEdge

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

BUSINESS

53

Nigeria strategy report H2 2013 T

HE key risk we highlighted for H1 2013—a US Fed pull-back— crystalised, putting pressure on a broad range of assets in particular, with the languid performance of key emerging economies further fuelling investor angst. Among the hardest hit, were previous high flying assets, particularly global bonds, commodities and emerging markets as the carry traders were put on termination notice.

While European central banks scrambled to reassure their constituency and Japan reaffirmed commitment to its make or break fiscal/monetary experiment, leading the US Fed to offer a partial retraction to stave off an undesirable dollar move—the announcement did deliver a dose of realism to markets which we believe sets the tone for H2 performance.

As with emerging and frontier market counterparts, Nigeria had a difficult Q2 13, with the strains which showed up simultaneously in both asset market and currency performance pointing clearly to the source of ongoing pressures on both fronts. Remarkably, as we had anticipated, a surge in domestic interest which put the spotlight on the less fancied market segments helped limit the damage on overall equity indices, though a harried defence of the Naira put up by the CBN in the wake of surge in portfolio outflows may not have had the commensurate impact on bond prices despite substantial recovery in reserves across the period.

However there were positive developments on many fronts, the most important being the emergence of a robust recovery in the banking sector and a sustained run of single digit inflation which we believe signals the onset of a much more stable backdrop for policy and market outlook. In addition, we survey a range of key indicators for Nigeria’s economic and market outlook and conclude that both global and domestic viewpoints present much more benign portents than recent turbulence would suggest, which strengthen our positive basic premise for domestic assets.

Thus, our basic thesis for the global economy— one of sustained overall recovery— and for Nigerian markets to progress, via fundamental reforms, on the path towards more stable fiscal footing and a more robust market economy.

An important regime change we have consistently highlighted in past few reports but which materialised in H1 2013, was Nigeria’s increasing correlation with global asset trends. As we had emphasized earlier, we attribute this to such factors as the incorporation of Nigerian assets into global bond and equity indices and the domestic banking sector drawing a line under its crisis.

In particular, the latter factor has allowed the deepest and most liquid sector of the Nige-

rian equity market to respond to a broader range of stimuli beyond investors immediate concerns around the industry—a consideration which has important implications for the sector going forward. Both factors have medium to long term currency in shaping our allocation views.

For our allocation views we draw two broad conclusions. In the context of a discernible shift in risk assessment we had anticipated in H1, the ongoing inflection across a wide range of asset classes it engendered will likely be extended into H2 2013.

In this environment, cyclicals will likely extend their relative outperformance of defensives and previously neglected value will receive renewed attention.

In Nigerian markets for instance, this would mean that valuations in the consumer segments will likely give investors pause while fallen ‘angels’ across industrials and financials may be set for an albeit volatile recovery. Fixed income outlook is perhaps more interesting given the sudden change of fortunes at the tail end of the period. Within the context of broader macro-economic trends—and the sector’s volatile performance—over the past few years and in contrast to the global picture, the pendulum on our ever changing views for Nigerian fixed income has again swung into positive territory.

In a half-year of paradoxes and mixed fortunes, global markets scaled the much vaunted “fiscal cliff” only to be undercut by the prospects of a largely unforeseen (not by us) pull-back in the US Fed’s easing programme. However, harking to a key risk we had highlighted in our H1 report, signs of US recovery proved a bag of mixed blessings, boosting developed market (DM) assets, as we had conjectured, but halting the previous emerging market (EM) boom cold in its tracks. The mechanism was very much the one we had anticipated: the reversal of risk sensitive outbound portfolio investment flows from developed markets on the merest sign of life at the home turf, leaving markets which had witnessed a boom in DM portfolio inflows susceptible to correction.

This correction validates the earlier fears of a host of EM central banks which had sought to curtail such flows at their peak in 2011-12 and should come as little surprise since the vaulting performance of emerging markets had long been driven by DM portfolio flows. However if any was needed, the less than stellar events in EMs themselves, epitomised by continued deceleration in Chinese growth and the related puncturing of Brazilian commodity boom acted as further impetus for this reversal. These events had agencies like IMF and the World Bank scrambling to cut global growth outlook, but as often is

the case we see more in this story than the negative connotations might suggest. Interestingly, the carnage was much more pronounced in leading EMs, with impact on frontier market indices much less evident. Beyond the lower inflows into the latter space, we believe this trend suggest that this wasn’t merely a global risk-off trade. In our view, the move incorporated a domestic view for affected markets and underscores the importance of market segmentation along risk profiles in explaining allocation shifts during the period.

We therefore believe that this validates the distinctions in investor motivation and risk perception we sought to make in the analysis that framed our outlook for H1 13 in that period’s report.

Nigeria was fully immersed in these trends, playing closely to a script we envisaged at the start of the period. Nigerian assets felt the full benefits of improving global picture earlier in the year, outperforming most of its global peers. They have nevertheless succumbed, like counterparts, to shifts in risk sentiments since Q2 13 aided, as ever, by a ready supply of domestic problems, with stalled fiscal reforms, inhibitory monetary policy, sporadic security lapses which substantially cut oil output sabotaging both fiscal and market well being. In two key respects, however, events in capital markets held true to our sketch. The reversal in global investors’ EM appetite put domestic fixed income markets in disarray in Q2 but on the other hand, the timely re-entry of domestic investors spared domestic markets the worst outcomes of massive portfolio exits in equity markets.

With events in H1 13, we are also more confident in our earlier view that Nigerian outlook will become more closely tied to global events going forward.

A point that may be lost from focusing only on dour economic news and negative turn of market events, in EMs is that they still maintain a healthy gap to developed markets in terms of economic outlook which appears set to persist over the medium to long term.

It is also clear to us that contrasting near term outlook of one with the other risks missing the point that the global economy is merely exhibiting the (lagged) effects of the same underlying phenomenon.

Specifically, we see these trends—putative developed market recovery vs. emerging market collapse— as a pointer to healthy broader global adjustments that brings the global economy into the much more balanced outlook it needs to gracefully exit ongoing fiscal dislocations and flatulent monetary stimuli. With this in view, we feel confident in categorizing market events in H1 13 as a technical correction, which leaves our longer term fundamental views intact.

Culled from ARM Research

Company News WAPIC records 40% gain in 10-days amid bearish trend on the bourse

W

APIC Plc recorded a moderate gain of +6.1% to extend its 10-day gaining streak amid a general downtrend in the market; as investors displayed a strong bargain appetite towards the stock.

The stock recorded +40.00% gain in 10days, outperforming the key benchmark indices which recorded a -0.94% loss within the same period.

Market outlook reveals a renewed and active moderate bargain tendency towards the stock in the last 4-weeks: following the prolonged (21-weeks) price correction trend that delivered a -53.02% loss after an impressive rally of +136.51% recorded in the first quarter of the year.

We further observed that the stock recorded an upper break-out at the end of today’s session – indicating a strong bargain appetite from investors as the stock traded above the upper Bollinger band by +16.2%; an indication of the strong possibility of it extending the uptrend in the coming sessions.

WAPIC’s price analysis reveals a mixed performance trend as the stock posted +8.25% and -13.93% as its 3-months and 6-months returns respectively, while its 52-weeks and YTD performances stood at +77.97% and +81.03% gains respectively.

ARM retains NEUTRAL rating on Conoil Plc

C

ONOIL Plc recently released its long overdue FY 12, Q1 13 and Q2 13 results.

Revenues declined 4.7% YoY to N149.9 billion for FY ended 31st December, 2012 with Q4 12 revenues 5.3% lower YoY (-8.7% QoQ) to N35.2 billion – 34% behind our forecast—extending a trend which began in Q2 12. We believe the decline was driven by lower PMS volumes due to subsidy payment delays which impacted the broader industry sales.

Management reported that it was owed subsidy arrears for 10 months in 2012, which put pressure on working capital for most of the year. However, 2012 arrears were reportedly paid between Q4 12 and Q1 13. Based on the contribution of PMS to total sales, we estimate that PMS volumes slumped 55% to 167 million litres negating the impact of a 49% price rise at year start.

Margins improve on lower costs However a 14% drop in COGS to N30.7 billion, which is 38% behind our forecast, drove gross profit 227% higher YoY to N4.4 billion, with corresponding margins expanding 890 bps to 12.6%, 60bps ahead 5 year average. Notably, however, the steeper decline in COGS relative to revenues reflects the impact of a much higher base in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, which put GM at a multi-year low of 3.6%.

GTBank & StanChart coordinate $6.75Bn debt financing for Dangote’s Refinery

D

ANGOTE Industries Limited on Wednesday, 4th September 2013 signed a loan agreement with a consortium of both local and international banks to the tune of $3.3billion for the purpose of constructing the biggest Petroleum Oil Refinery & Petrochemical/ Fertilizer Plants in Nigeria.

The plants, which will cost a total of $9 billion will generate up to 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 stopping the importation of fertilizer.

The USD9billion project will be financed by USD3billion equity and USD6billiion loan capital. The signing ceremony commits the first tranche of loans secured by Dangote, comprising a USD3.3billion term loan facility supported by a consortium of 12 local and international banks. This first facility was jointly co-ordinated by Standard Chartered Bank as the Global Coordinator, and Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank plc as the Local Coordinator.

58

WORSHIP THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

'We have too many commercial gospel singers ' Renowned gospel musician, Evangelist FunmiAragbaiye, spoke with Tosin Adesile on her career and sudden disappearance from the industry, among other issues. Excerpts:

•Aragbaiye OU disappeared from the music industry for a long time and returned.

What went wrong then?

It is not really like anything went wrong but I can call it answered prayer. It is like when you pray for divine connection, contact, promotion and God suddenly decided to take you to places. Though I have always been travelling abroad but it's like the job is taking a wider scope. So, that's why for some time I have not been available to wax record or album as I used to do in the past.

But I'll say it's not only peculiar to FunmiAragbaye but the other artistes because the music industry is no longer what it used to be. You want an artiste to release an album, give it to a distributor at N40 or N50 when it's being sold at N150.

So, the sudden disappearance was because I travel abroad a lot more than ever before. My job entails ministering in churches and secondly because of the problems in the entertainment industry.

What are the problems?

Like you do a production and you have to give it cheap to distributor for N50 and we all know the production cost of a CD is close to N100 or above.

It's like what you are investing in the production, you're not getting it back. It's difficult and you still have to do promotion and mass dubbing.

And mass dubbing sounds cost N 23 or N25. So to record an audio, you may have to spend N1.5million and to record a standard video in this country, you need more than N2 million. That is aside costume and other logistics and you want to sell it at N50. In how many years do you want to recover your production costs aside the problem of having a good marketer and the likes? I have fallen victim into the hand of some marketers that have absconded with my productions.

One of them collected the

Y

master tape of a song from me about nine years ago. He released the music into the market and sold. The master tape and royalty, I have not seen.

I've reported him to all label owners and he has been summoned. He confirmed what happened and promises to return my master tape and royalty. Up till today, he's nowhere to be found.

Why does making profit bother you considering this is the work of God? I'm not talking about profit.

Take all the shows I have done in the last 25years, I have never told any church whenever they engaged me to bring a dime.

But my master tapes have been with one or two marketers and this has discouraged me a lot.

How did you find music or how did music find you?

The whole thing started in Ilorin in the early 70s. I was then living beside the ECWA Church in Ilorin where you

have this Igbajapeople. If you're used to Igbaja songs, you'll know what I'm talking about.

They used to have sonorous voices. That is where I started from.

There I started writing and composing songs. There, I started getting songs from my dreams. I'll just wake up and be singing a particular song. God will then ask one to write it down and do a research in the Bible because my lyrics are taken from the Bible.

I remember the song that brought me to limelight, which is "Sioni o, Ilu ayo'', I got it from my dream and likewise all my lyrics. The "Mogbope Olorun", I got the inspiration along Lagos/Ibadan expressway.

When I was recording ''OlorunIgbala'' in Lagos, I just slept off and got the song inspiration and many others.

At a particular time, your songs were the raves at birthday party, wedding etc. When you disappeared, lot of unedifying songs came. Does this make you feel guilty?

It's because of the society we are in right away. Other artistes are springing up everywhere because of economic problems in the country. Everybody is now singing commercial music.

There are calls and there are calls but there are some people that called themselves. So it's like those who called themselves that have dominated the scene.

Why are many gospel artistes not doing well today?

The Bible makes it very clear that 'by their fruit, you shall know them'. Whoever comes in and leaves the stage just like me must have had one problem or the other. It might be because some are not fully prepared for the work and that has to do with divine call we are talking about.

You know God is a merciful God, he allows you to do whatever you like but when He is ready to strike, we'll start to shout.

Aside from singing, what else do you do?

The work of an evangelist like me is to evangelise through songs. It's not about singing alone, you still have to minister in church through songs and in word. So, it takes you to places.

It is an enormous task. As a matter of fact, combining church business with any other work can be very difficult.

So, I minister everywhere all over in songs. So, that job alone is tasking and enormous for anybody that is divinely called to keep busy for the rest of his life. So I don't have any

NEWS

Cleric canvasses love among Christians

T

HE Senior Pastor of Arrow Seed Ministries International Lagos, Pastor Mike Nwimoh, has reiterated the needs for Christians to close ranks and promote ecumenical efforts.

Church leaders, he added, must be ready to sacrifice personal agenda and work together for the expansion of God's kingdom.

He pointed out that denominationalism and protection of territorial boundaries will not take the body of Christ to higher places in the nation.

Nwimoh spoke last week in his office following the inauguration of the church.

He said: "We need to come together. Most of the strategies we have been using have failed.

Whatever cannot conquer the church should not conquer an individual church or a member of the church. " The former resident pastor of Word Base Assembly Lagos canvassed for apostolic love

By Sunday Oguntola

• Nwimoh among believers to conquer new territories.

According to him: "We need love more than anything else.

All our territorial preservation instincts should give way. We must embrace one another as a community of believers that is indivisible".

He stated that the church, which started recently, is mandated to raise "New Testament Apostolic Cultured-churches."

This, he explained, means

"churches where there is love and what cannot conquer all of us should not conquer any of us.

We do everything we can to show love."

On starting from the scratch despite being in a well-established church before, Nwimoh said: "I am not afraid to start small."

He explained great men must learn to take giant strides and start a big vision with whatever they have at hand.

He assured the new assembly will conquer territories because "This is a place we allow people to give expression to whatever vision God has placed in people's hearts.

"We want to fight together, overcome together and reign with God together.

"I see the expansion and extension of the church in the next 10 years. We'd be producing a community of believers who love one another just as they love God."

job that I'm doing again. I started singing at live shows in 1989 when they were booking us for N600. People virtually drew me into it by force. When God said He'll take me through the world, I didn't know. From there people started inviting me for their wedding and birthday ceremonies.

Most of your earliest songs had messages for Nigeria, showing your passion for this country. How do you feel these days about Nigeria?

The more I travel, the more I pity my country. God does not make mistake. Nigeria is our Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, when I started, that was the message God gave me to preach the gospel of Christ. If you have listened to my song critically, I usually have different messages.

I was caught up in the studio when June 12 crises started. The Lord said I should preach to them with Psalm 53.

I sang the song over 20 years ago and all these songs have won one award or the other. This was at a time when other artistes were are willing

to play free of charge. I didn't sing to suit the people there despite the fact that shakers of the society were there. In Nigeria, God’s message for us is to continue to be hopeful.

When I see the way people scramble for visa, I feel sad.

During the Abacha regime, everyone was praying and God solved the problem. Now, we are relaxed again. People should continue to pray.

Particularly what God is saying is that most of the problems we have today are man-made but His judgment will come upon people who are ruling us badly.

People at the helms of affairs are in Abuja. They are not plying bad roads. It is the masses that are at the receiving end. They only white -wash the roads the President wants to ply.

I want to tell our politicians that government needs to work out low profile tenure.

Before I retired from the Ministry of Works and Transport in Ibadan, I Km road cost N8-10million and you even dualise it with at least a bridge.

Now, we hear billions when they award such roads too.

xxx

READ T S U M 50 AN NIGERI AN I CHRIST R S AUTHO Are you a Christian author? Are you bothered about poor exposure at bookshops and limited patronage?

The Nation is offering you an unbeatable opportunity to showcase your books and talk about your passion.

The 2-in-1 project involves an advert supplement backed with a profile story on each participant.

Kindly contact Sunday Oguntola on 08034309265 or shinystarontop@gmail.com for advert details and participation.

You will be glad you did!

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Worship

59

COLUMNS

NEWS

How to save Nigeria, by Kalu, Okonkwo

T

HE urgent needs to tackle the nagging security challenges facing the nation were at the front burner last Thursday at the 14th annual Mike Okonkwo lecture.

The lecture delivered by renowned economist, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, was in celebration of the 68th birthday of Okonkwo, the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).

Kalu, who spoke on Overcoming the Nigerian security challenges: A panacea for national growth, identified bad governance, absence of adequate judicial system, culture of impunity and inequities as the basis for the restiveness across the nation.

He said security was beyond keeping large armed forces but attending to socioeconomic issues that degenerate to violent reactions.

By Sunday Oguntola The former Minister of Finance said the nation cannot develop without security or attract foreign and local investors as long as lives are not saved.

To arrest insurgencies, he said government must create a level playing field for all Nigerians and embrace meritocracy while guaranteeing justice and fairness.

The highpoint of the celebration was the presentation of prizes to winners of the national essay competition.

Folatomi Alli-Balogun of Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, Lagos emerged winner and went home with a cash prize of N100,000, a personal laptop, a trophy and three internet-ready desktop computers for her school.

Mark Nwanbiankea of La-

gos State Senior Model College, Badore came second and was rewarded with a cash gift of N75, 000, a laptop and two internet-ready desktop computers for his school.

For emerging third, Samuel Effion Edet of Government Technical College, Calabar bagged a cash gift of N50, 000 and an internet-ready desktop computer for the school.

Okonkwo said the competition was his little contribution to the emergence of a new Nigeria.

He said attention has to shift to the younger generation to save the nation, saying the level of decadence was appalling and overwhelming.

The celebrator called on well-meaning Nigerians to join hands in whatever capacity to save the nation from total collapse.

•L-R: Kalu; Okonkwo, his wife, Peace; The Chief Examiner, Prof. (Mrs) Akachi Ezeigbo and the Chairman of the occassion, Major General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd)... at the event PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

'I have nothing to do with campaign against Mouka'

T

HE General Overseer of Christ Healing Grace Church, Lagos, Pastor EzeNnamdi Ofoegbu, has disowned a DVD/VCD titled "The naked truth about Chosen" where he was alleged to have made damaging statements against the Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Church and its founder, Pastor Lazarus Muoka.

Ofoegbu, who described the VCD as blasphemous and wicked, said he had nothing to do with.

The cleric, in the VCD, was shown casting aspersions on the church and Muoka, alleging the latter defrauded him and was involved in several spiritual manipulations.

The lead testifier in the VCD, a certain Juliet Idu, corroboratedOfoegbu's alleged statement, adding that Muoka also promised several women marriage once they join the church, which has not been fulfilled.

Speaking with reporters

By Sunday Oguntola last week in Lagos, Ofoegbu said such statements and utterances attributed were fabricated and malicious.

According to him: "I never granted interview nor did I authorise the use of my name, photograph or publication in any form.

"The said statements or documents or photographs were fabricated to achieve their wicked intent of pulling down the man of God and the church."

Ofoegbu, who is also the Diawa I of Umudiawa Kingdom in Abia State, said he could not have had anything to do with the VCD in circulation because of his respect for Muoka and the church.

"Pastor Muoka led me to Christ. He is my spiritual father and I have nothing but respect for him. He did the best for my life and I have no reason whatsoever to fight him for anything," he stressed.

He admitted he once fell out

with Muoka over some issues, which he insisted had since been resolved in 2009.

This, he reasoned, could have provided an opportunity for the sponsors of the VCD to capitalise on.

On his resolved rifts with Muoka, Ofoegbu said: "I had issues with my pastor in 2007 and he invited me for a peace meeting where we resolved everything.

"There is no misunderstanding again and I could not have done this considering I never did even when I had grievances against him."

He appealed to security forces to investigate the source of the damaging VCD and arrest those involved for making unsubstantiated claims against a reputable man of God. Muoka, he vouched, "preaches Christ and serves God in spirit and truth. The allegations of any form of occultism or magic are false and outright blasphemy."

TWOREM's Season of Favour holds

A

SPECIAL prayer summit with prophetic impartations and declarations organised by the Way of Reconciliation Evangelistic Ministries (TWOREM) International (Prophetic & Solution

Chapel), Lagos holds from September 11-15.

Tagged the Soul Harvest Conference, the theme of the event is "season of favour".

The Venue of the programme is Sekunderin International Miracle Prayer

Mountain, IyanaAgbalaTuntun, New Ife Road, Ibadan.

Ministering is Revd& P r o p h e t OladipupoFunmilade-Joel (Baba Sekunderin) and other anointed ministers.

Living Faith

By Dr. David Oyedepo

The Platform For Divine Restoration( 2)

L

AST week, I showed you what restoration is all about and three platforms that restoration is built on. Apart from that, I showed you some scriptural steps to double portion restoration.

This week, I will show you other scriptural steps to double portion restoration: •The Blood Covenant (Zechariah 9:11-12): The blood of Jesus is a vital force for your restoration. Your double restoration can be accessed by engaging the blood covenant in warfare.

•Praise (Philippians 4:4): High praise is a platform for supernatural restoration.

When praise becomes your lifestyle, restoration becomes a natural occurrence.

•Prophetic encounters (2 Kings 4:1-7): God's anointed prophets are agents of restoration. Every genuine prophetic encounter leads to supernatural restoration.

•Divine Guidance: When God leads you on what to do, supernatural restoration becomes your testimony. When God leads you through the Holy Spirit, your supernatural restoration is guaranteed anyday And David (1 Samuel 30:8; 18-19).

When God leads, He restores whatever belongs to

you (Psalm 23:1-3), renders your enemies helpless (Psalm 23:4), and takes over your battles.

WHY? •When God leads, He goes before the led: It was God who went before David and overthrew his enemies (1 Samuel 30:8).

•When God leads, He goes with the led. When God is for you, no situation can be against you (Romans 8:31).

•When God leads, He works with the led (Mark 16:20).

•When God leads, He works through the led (John 14:10).

•When God leads, He works for the led.

How To Access Divine Guidance: •Be born again (John 10:4-5): Until you are born again, you cannot be led, because you do not have the life of God in you.

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1 John 5:12).

You must be born again to qualify for divine guidance, which guarantees supernatural breakthroughs (Isaiah 48:17-21).

•Desire to be led: In all your ways, acknowledge God

as your true guide and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

•Position yourself spiritually (Revelation 1:10): You must be a man/woman of the Spirit. You must maintain a high level spiritual frequency, because He can speak to you anywhere and anytime. Many people miss God's divine direction, because they are not spiritually positioned. ...Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter (Revelation 4:1). You must come out of carnality to the spiritual realm to pick divine signals.

•Engage in Prayer and fasting (2 Samuel 5:19-23): We engage in prayer and fasting to locate the way to go, in order to experience our desired restoration.

God's leading is pivotal in accessing your Next Levels. If you want full restoration of your redemptive dignity, you must open up to divine guidance. God led Moses step by step, in restoring the destiny of the Israelites. God has vowed your restoration and no devil can stop it. Your change of story has finally come, therefore, be restored!

Friend, the power to benefit from divine guidance is available, if you are born again. You get born again by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. If you are set for this new birth experience, please say this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.

Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again! I will continue next week.

I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

Marriage is more than a contract, says Adewale

T

HE President of Family Booster Ministry (aka Living Home Foundation), Pastor Bisi Adewale, has challenged popular notion that marriage is a contract.

Marriage, he said, is more than a social contract but a covenant relationship between God and the spouses.

He spoke last week ahead of the annual Lagos Singles' Conference slated for September 29 with the theme "solid foundation, solid marriage".

Adewale warned that considering marriage as a contract will hamper the institution, pointing out this is one reason why divorce is rising these days.

According to him: "Marriage is much more than a contract. It is a covenant between Almighty God, the man and his wife.

"Marriage is about keeping a covenant as Jesus does with his bride, the Church. The devil hates Christian marriages, he wants the family to fall apart and he will stop at nothing to achieve this. So Christians must be prayerful."

The marriage counselor

By Sunday Oguntola added: "In a covenant relationship, there is no tolerance of competing affections in either party.

God has serious consequences for those who violate their covenant vows."

He took a swipe at ministers that encourage divorce and remarriage, stating they will have to answer before God about the distortion of the first institution.

He said the singles' conference offers a platform for young Christians to meet, mingle and learn lifechanging teachings on marriage.

Adewale assured that

participants will leave the venue better informed and prepared to face the challenges of matrimony.

•Adewale

Foursquare District convocation

T

HE annual convocation of the Surulere District of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria holds from September 11- 15.

Ministers expected include the General Overseer, Rev. Felix Meduoye, Rev. Luke Egbonuba, Rev. C.C. Orgu and the host, Rev. Olusegun Dada.

A statement by the chair-

person of the organising c o m m i t t e e , SisterFunmiGeorge, stated there will be pastors' meeting, business meeting, ministration in word and soul lifting gospel songs at the convocation.

The theme of the event, which holds at 56 KarimuStreet, Sururlere Lagos, is "Understanding the times".

60

THE ARTS THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Amazing world of children’s theatre

T

HE idea is noble and unique. It is meant, first and foremost, to create an avenue for the children to display their talents. And in doing so, find a way of using theatre not only to unwind but to also see if they can make a career out of it when they grow up. The Children Creative Station which entered its 4th edition this year was initiated by the National Troupe of Nigeria to teach the children how to dance, how to act, create their own stories and do voice training and lots more.

When they mounted the stage at the National Theatre, Lagos, last weekend to display what they were taught for one month, the audience were awed by the level of artistic dexterity demonstrated by the children.

But what it all showed is that children theatre has come to stay in Nigeria.

From the story given to them to act, entitled The River Between and the impact of the message in it, it appeared the handlers of the programme were intent on preparing a new set of artistes who would use positive issues to make the desired change in the society. And that indeed was the underlying factor in discovering them and showing them the way on time.

There is no doubt about it. In the past six years, some culture eggheads in Nigeria have taken their time to focus attention on children creativity so as to ensure that there is continuity in the sector. This is a welcome idea since it has been helping to discover new talents at the early stage and also encourage kids to realise that theatre is a beautiful profession.

For instance, in the last decade or so, the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) has been championing and embarking on aggressive programmes to revive some of the dying values of the people. In this regard, Professor Tunde Babawale of CBAAC has made it quite clear that his aim is to ‘catch them young’. This is why he has been instituting and executing ‘catch them young’ theatre programmes geared towards teaching children dance, songs, drama, love for what is African and more, including making them see their mother tongues as their best heritage.

Positive ideas For every society to get it right and point the way forward for its future leaders, it is imperative to teach them how to go so that when they grow up, they will never depart from it. This was the idea behind The Dramatised Story-telling Competition begun three years ago by the National Troup of Nigeria. While theatre itself is a replica of life on stage, the storytelling competition was done to encourage the children to look into the larger Nigerian society using stories, drama, props, songs, dances, costumes and so on to bring to light the elements that make Nigeria what it is today.

Josephine Igberease, who introduced the programme, once said: “The power of story-telling is unquestionable. We are all story tellers as we live our lives through a network of stories…This is why in this year’s edition, children are challenged to tell the story of our hundred years of existence in a complex entity called Nigeria. It is my hope that as these stories are enacted, our youths and children will come to the realisation that our lives and stories are intertwined on a giant stage in which everyone is an actor. In essence, the story can only end well if we learn to promote understanding, religious tolerance and mutual respect for one another,”

As many agencies of government and some concerned culture groups device new concept of ‘catching them young’ to train children in the art of stage drama, music, dance, miming and voice training, Edozie Udeze writes on the impact this has created in the culture sector and how and why many children are now drawing closer to theatre as a source of career and entertainment

•Scenes in dramatised story-telling competition organised by National Troupe of Nigeria.

Igberease, the director of drama of the National Troupe, said.

Also, Sarah Boulos who has created Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN) through which she has been nurturing kids on the rudiments of the art is of the opinion that theatre when completely inoculated in children can help to control intolerance amongst them. She said: “Our aim is to serve and also educate Nigerian youths on how to achieve greatness via the art. It is to create opportunities for them and putting in place several opportunities for them to dialogue, develop and overcome limitations using the arts as the healing and transforming tools.”

Boulos who has been in the forefront of this children artistic ideal over the years has established a home just for the purpose of indoctrinating arts in the kids. This concept equally goes to conform with what another apostle of children theatre, Bikiya Graham

Douglas, does with her pet-project named Beeta Universal Arts Foundation.

Apart from collaborating with a lot of institutions to boost children creative concepts, Bikiya believes that arts has a lot to offer the society. In this regard, she said: “Children are the future of any society. Thus, working with them from the incubation stage secures the future of our dynamic industry. In fact, Nigerian children have talents, we know that and it is our aim to help them to be who and what they ought to be.”

Activities Every year, many culture departments put in place laudable programmes to bring the children together where they can celebrate culture and display their rich traditional heritage. From January through December, these programmes come on to ensure that these ideas are kept fresh in children’s subconscious.

While CBAAC has chosen to cel-

PHOTOS: EDOZIE UDEZE

ebrate Christmas and the Children’s Day with such mouthwatering cultural activities , National Troupe and some other groups have elected to dwell more on discovering their talents through stage and drama, music and dance.

CBAAC, on its part, has diversified its themes, using debates and quiz mainly to tease the level of tolerance in the kids. Babawale did not mince words when he noted that, “you will therefore agree with me that our prosperity as a nation resides in the values we inculcate in our children. Such values are best implanted in children from their respective homes, the schools and of course the society at large. This is why we call on parents to give more attention to our children in order to make them future leaders that they ought to be.”

Babawale’s stand on this issue of using the art to entrench a positive

approach in the kids once made him to ask the kids: “Does culture have a role to play in curbing insecurity in Nigeria?” This is why he has always insisted that the Nigerian society should build in the children the attributes of tolerance, dialogue, reconciliation, peaceful co-existence and a sense of accommodation which are characteristic of our culture.”

Even then, Igberease took it beyond that when she posited that, “As the art of dance and music dominate the world stage of entertainment today, we also need to help our children radirect their creative energies positively towards building a viable creative entertainment industry. Our greatest export to the world apart from crude oil is our creative talents (home video). They remain Nigeria’s greatest ambassadors, standing tall next to our footballers. Therefore what our kids have as talent needs to be tapped, discovered and encouraged by all of us. This is the whole essence of what we do.”

Thus Igberease’s commitment towards this regard has been quite remarkable and total in such a way that every year more new future Nollywood talents are discovered while parents are encouraged to see the other side of their kids.

Responses It is not only that the children are made to fall in love with the arts, that is the whole issue in this matter.

What should be uppermost in the minds of parents is to be sure what talents their kids possess and then see how to help them key into it on time. Mary Ukala who has been following the development of children theatre in Nigeria in her response said: “Yes, I must tell you that before now, most parents did not look well.

We did not see why our kids could be actors and actresses. Not only that, Nollywood has opened the eyes of our children in this regard; my son is also interested in being an actor. Last year, when we attended the one organised by CBAAC, he told me categorically that he would like to be an artiste. Today, he acts in his school dramatic society and he comes home everyday full of ideas.”

Ukala also confessed that each time she watches big time artistes on television or home video, she is intrigued by the kind of professionalism they display. “Therefore,” she said, smiling, “I don’t see why we should not encourage our children to be exactly what they want to be in life. Children do better in life when they are given the opportunity and allowed to go into areas where their talents are best suited. This is why we commend CBAAC and then call on more agencies and institutions to initiate more programmes to train and develop children theatre.”

All said, the large crowd that trooped out to watch Children Creative Station last week, indeed showed how much both the parents and thespians have come to accept and love children theatre. At a stage, the cinema hall, venue of the show, became too small to accommodate the teeming crowd.

While some people sat on improvised platforms, others made do with standing throughout the duration of the two, and, half hour show.

Igberease said, nonetheless, that “we will continue to provide the necessary avenues to make this work. It is not easy to make children conform on stage, but once they do, it is amazing what they can perform.” And so with this, the beat indeed goes on. And let the children theatre continue to prosper.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

61

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

62

Professor Dickson Baiyelo goes home The Funeral Service/Requiem Mass for Prof. Titilayo Dickson Baiyelo, Senator Gbenga Ashafa’s in-law, took place at St. Benjamin’s Catholic Church Sanyaolu, Olowora, Lagos on Friday. The reception followed at Regency Hall, Ikeja Lagos with important personalities including the Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed; Managing Director, LSDPC, Alhaji Biodun Oki, Chief Babatunde Daramola and others in attendance.

PHOTOS: MUYIWA HASSAN.

•L-R: Daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Nike Okello; widow, Mrs. Cordellia Idowu Baiyelo and other children Olumide Baiyelo, Mrs. Bola Craig, Mrs Tolani Giwa and Mrs. Bunmi Baiyelo

•L-R: Mrs. Funmi Adollo, Otunba Lekan Adebowale, Abiodun Tito and Sen. Gbenga Ashafa

•L-R Alhaji ‘Demola Azeez, Senator ‘Gbenga Ashafa and Alhaji Kunle Hussein

•L-R: Mr. Bolaji Laja, Mr. Kola Adefila, Hon. Thomas Adu and Mr. Folusho Omosa

•L-R: Alhaji Bashir Sanda and Alhaji Danladi Yaro

•Managing Director, LSDPC, Alhaji Biodun Oki and Senator Gbenga Ashafa

•A cross section of the guests dancing

•L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, Alhaji Mutiu Are, Senator Gbenga Ashafa

•L-R: Sir Olufemi Ademola Banjoko and Senator Gbenga Ashafa

•L-R: Mr Kunle Bamtefa , Managing Director, LSDPC, Alhaji Biodun Oki, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Mr Musiliu Gbolahan Bakare, and Legal adviser LSDPC, Jimi Benson.

•Senator Gbenga Ashafa with Chief Babatunde Daramola

•Officiating minister, Rev. Father Ola Maria Agbolade

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

T

HREE years before the 2016 National Census in Nigeria, the exercise is already threatened by controversies delicately embedded in the troubled bowels of ethnic politics.

Like lightening before the thunder, it began as a mere critical assessment of the previous census exercise by the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Mr. Festus Odimegwu, but as some stakeholders responded to his opinion of the 2006 census, expressing anger and disappointment, the matter soon degenerated to name-calling and now religious and ethnic-politicking. Already, tempers are high and participants in the heated battle are dangerously divided along ethnic and religious lines.

Current controversy Festus Odimegwu may not have envisaged the current storm his census ship is currently battling with, when he stirred it in the current direction. Perhaps, merely eager to clear some noted minefields that may stand on his way to success in 2016, the former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc. set the scene for the unfolding politics of numbers when he publicly questioned the authenticity of the 2006 census results, describing it as "not credible."

The NPC boss had simply said, "No census has been credible in Nigeria since 1816. Even the one conducted in 2006 was not credible. I have the records and evidence produced by scholars and professors of repute; this is not my report.

If the current laws are not amended, the planned 2016 census will not succeed."

Arewa Consultative Forum and some northern leaders found Odimegwu's utterances unacceptable and demanded from President Goodluck Jonathan his removal as Chairman of NPC. One of the most outspoken of such northern leaders, who had so far demanded Odimegwu's removal, is Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State. The governor was so crossed with the utterances of Odimegwu that he personally took the matter to President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock, Abuja.

While there, Kwankwaso described Odimegwu's appointment (as NPC chairman) as a huge mistake. He was particularly livid that Odimegwu could ridicule the result of the last census.

Kwanwkaso made this position known in a parley he had with State House correspondents after he met with Jonathan

INSIGHT 63

CENSUS CONTROVERSY

Odimegwu and Nigeria's politics of numbers

• Odimegwu at the presidential villa.

In that encounter with newsmen, Kwankwaso was unsparing, reportedly accusing Odimegwu of being drunk when he made his comments on 2006 census.

He said: "We are not happy about that appointment and think that it was a mistake. Festus shouldn't be there in the first place. Why, because, you see, unfortunately, somebody read his CV. He had only one thing in the alcohol industry, all his life. And my guess is that he's taking a lot of his products and that is why we feel that his appointment is a mistake because he cannot be the chairman of NPC and at

Chairman of the National Population Commission, Mr. Festus Odimegwu, is under fire following some recent utterances attributed to him, which sparked off a heated controversy that is threatening his job. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, in this piece, reports that the current census controversy has revealed a hidden but explosive politics of numbers in Nigeria. the same time be attacking what his predecessor had done.

"Even if it was wrong, he now has the good opportunity to correct it, but instead of doing that, he has been running around to discredit the 2006 census."

He was particularly criticised for including ethnicity and religion as identification indexes.

But defending his decision, Odimegwu had said the inclusion of religion and ethnicity would be necessary "because characterisations are important in the country."

Critics of this decision had described

ethnicity and religion as both sensitive and divisive. But Odimegwu said: "If anybody is afraid of this, he should tell me why he is afraid and we have to call it ethnicity and religion because that is, if you don't describe Nigerians in relation to ethnicity and religion and other parameters, then you are not describing them because we are proud of ethnicity and religion even if that is at a low level."

He added: "You need those data to plan for building mosques, churches, cathedrals, planning pilgrimages, planning nomadic education and if you don't have those data you can never plan those things well. These things will be sources of stealing money.

They will put a wrong figure there and when you put money they will embezzle it.

"So you use data to plan. I am a professional manager, a technocrat, one of the best from corporate Nigeria, and anybody who said it is not true should come and give his debate. Truth is truth and it doesn't recognise status and it is for the benefit of all Nigerians," he insisted.

This defence notwistanding, not long after Kwakwanso's visit to Aso Rock, news filtered out that the Jonathan-led federal government had indeed issued a query to the country's chief census enumerator.

But the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, would not hear of it. The body warned President Goodluck Jonathan against being used by northerners to sacrifice Odimegwu ahead of 2016 Census.

CAN was not only opposed to the request to remove Odimegwu but called on the federal government to withdraw the query and tender an apology to Odimegwu in the interest of fairness, arguing that "2006 census results were cooked to favour the north."

The association frowned at what it described as the politicisation of Odimegwu's comment, alleging that the criticisms were ploys by the north to blackmail President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 general elections.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of CAN in the 19 northern states and Abuja, Mr. Sunny Oibe, said the call by the Arewa Consultative Forum and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State for the removal of the NPC boss before the 2016 census because he was a southerner was misplaced.

He said: "The call by ACF on President Goodluck Jonathan to make sure that Contd on page 64

64

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

INSIGHT Contd from page 63

Odimegwu does not supervise the 2016 census is misplaced.

"The question we are asking is: which part of the north are they saying has a higher population? Since when has ACF become a political party that every time they will always dabble into politics?

"We in CAN hereby demand that the federal government should withdraw the query issued to Odimegwu with immediate alacrity. Why would the government be blindfolded by Kwankwaso?

"The government should also apologise to Odimegwu. Jonathan should make sure that nothing happens to him. We are surprised that Jonathan is allowing himself to be intimidated by the Islamic north.

"Before the 2006 census, we confronted the former chairman of NPC, Mr. Samuila Makama from Plateau State, on why religion and ethnicity are not included in census matters to be able to ascertain who is who in Nigeria and the man was sweating.

"We wanted to know which tribe and religion exist in Nigeria and that this information must be included in census data.

The man was sweating. The north then blackmailed and intimidated ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo that if the indices were not removed, they won't participate in the exercise."

According to him, although there was a census that was conducted during the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida's administration, Lagos State was given a figure more than Kano.

Oibe, however, added that, thereafter, the late General Sani Abacha came and split Kano into Jigawa and Kano states.

He said: "As at today, half of that Kano is more than Lagos. So are we saying that Lagos is not growing, meaning that it's only the core north that is growing?"

Former chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Samu'ila Makama, under whose leadership the 2006 national census was conducted has in his reaction faulted claims that the census figures were manipulated to favour the north.

He was quoted recently of saying the validation committee comprised two international census experts who were working under the auspices of donor organisations which provided much of the funding for the census, monitored the process, and endorsed the results.

Makama added: "All stakeholders were given opportunity at various fora and at a nationally televised forum at the State House on two occasions. All the stakeholders were given an opportunity to raise any queries or any concerns they might have. Secondly, the processing of the data was done transparently under the watch of our development partners.

Thirdly, the census itself was monitored by 90 international monitors from 24 countries, in addition to domestic monitors."

He also defended that the tabulation and validation of the data itself was done by the Data Validation Unit of the National Population Commission under the supervision of the United Nations Chief Technical Adviser on Census, Dr Jayant Banthias, a former Census Commissioner of India, "a country of over a billion people" and "another international figure

A

LTHOUGH numerous estimates of the Nigerian population were made during the colonial period, the first attempt at a nationwide census was during 1952-53. This attempt yielded a total population figure of 31.6 million within the current boundaries of the country. This census has usually been considered an undercount for a number of reasons: apprehension that the census was related to tax collection; political tension at the time in eastern Nigeria; logistical difficulties in reaching many remote areas; and inadequate training of enumerators in some areas. The extent of undercounting has been estimated at 10 percent or less, although accuracy probably varied among the regions. Despite its difficulties, the 1952-53 census has generally been seen as less problematic than any of its successors.

Subsequent attempts to conduct a reliable postindependence census have been mired in controversy, and only one was officially

• Kwankwaso

• Makama: Supervised 2006 Census in the data validation team was Harry Lode, UNFPA international consultant on census."

The other five members, he said, are Nigerians,including Henry Mbene, Henry Onimole, Chidi Arikwe, Usman Kolakpo, and Bolaji Akinsulue.

As he put it, "of the Nigerians in that committee, all of them are still serving at the NPC, four are southerners, excepting only Usman Kolakpo who is from Kwara State. How could these people have manipulated census figures in favour of the north?"

He charged CAN to substantiate its claim, saying, "I should challenge people making allegations of manipulation to show evidence and tell the public how the manipulation was done. At what stage was it done? If you say in Mathematics that somebody's answer is wrong, you should

be able to point at where the answer begins to go wrong."

On the issue of adding religion and ethnicity, the former NBC boss said, "In deciding what questions to ask in a census, a country looks at what questions could generate misgivings and leave such questions out. During the 2006 census, a stakeholders’ meeting was convened in Kaduna which involved a large spectrum of the Nigerian society and in which CAN participated, and the stakeholders agreed on all the variables, except two: ethnicity and religion, because there were different views on the two items. The stakeholders advised the commission to refer the matter to the federal government, and the government decided that the two be expunged from the 2006 census because of the likelihood that they would generate controversies knowing our social setup.

History of Nigerian census accepted. The first attempt, in mid-1962, was cancelled after much controversy and allegations of overcounting in many areas.

A second attempt in 1963, which was officially accepted, also was encumbered with charges of inaccuracy and manipulation for regional and local political purposes. Indeed, the official 1963 figure of 55.6 million as total national population is inconsistent with the census of a decade earlier because it implies a virtually impossible annual growth rate of 5.8 percent.

In addition to likely inflation of the aggregate figure, significant intraregional anomalies emerge from a close comparison of the 1953 and 1963 figures.

In portions of the southeast, for example, the two sets of data imply that some nonurban

local government areas (LGAs) had increased at a rate of almost 13 percent per year, while other neighbouring areas experienced a minute growth rate of 0.5 percent per year. Despite the controversy, the results of the 1963 census were eventually accepted.

After the civil war of 1967-70, an attempt was made to hold a census in 1973, but the results were cancelled in the face of repeated controversy. No subsequent nationwide census had been held as of 1990, although there have been various attempts to derive population estimates at a state or local level. Most official national population estimates are based on projections from the 1963 census.

The great improvements in transport and accessibility of most areas, in technological capability, and in the level of education

"There is no such thing as Islamic north intimidating Obasanjo to expunge the variables. People who say this don't know who Obasanjo is. He is a real general, not someone you can intimidate so easily. It's good counsel and God's wisdom that led the government on the need to expunge the two to save the country from unnecessary crisis."

Why the concern over census figures?

Over the years, there have been allegations and counter allegations of deliberate distortion of census figures for political and economic gains.

It has been severally alleged that census figures are inflated in Nigeria because they have been used as the basis for allocation of national resources. They are also used as the basis for appointments, state and local government creations and for representations at the National Assembly. It is for these reasons, according to supporters of Odimegwu, that efforts must be made to ensure that the correct census figure is known and declared.

In a telephone chat with The Nation yesterday, Chief Alfred Udang, an economist and retired civil servant, said the problem with the Nigerian census is that it is not used for tax payments as is the practice in some developed countries of the world. "Let me tell you, it is an open secret that what we have been parading as our census figures are nothing more than political documents. In my opinion and in support of Odimegwu, census figures are mere numbers alloted with political and selfish considerations.

This must change if we ever hope to develop as a country."

He argued that "if census figures are used for tax payments, a situation in which the most populous states would automatically bring in more taxes into the federation account, some states and regions claiming to have huge population will change tunes. We cannot continue to deceive ourselves. We must get our census figures right in 2016," he said.

ODIMEGWU'S CROSS While most Nigerians who spoke with The Nation said Odimegwu was right that Nigeria does not have a credible census figure, some of them said his first steps as NPC boss may be faulty. "I have deep respects for Odimegwu as a manager of men and resources. His credential as former helmsman at the Nigerian Breweries speaks for itself. But one would have expected this technocrat to be wiser. He should not have been even involved by making such sensitive comments. Kwankwanso was right when he said Odimegwu has the opportunity of correcting the wrongs without having to make condemnatory statements that would ignite ethnic and religious sentiments. It is unfortunate, but I think he must have learnt his lessons. President Jonathan must allow this erudite Nigerian to do is job," said Udang, adding, " as for religious groups trying to drag us into a religious quarrel, we must not allow this.

There is nothing wrong in knowing how many Yorubas, Igbos or Hausas are in Nigeria and how many Christains, Muslims and Traditionalists are here.

These are the data we need to plan with as a nation. It is petty and wicked to politicise these basics."

The debate continues.

throughout the country, as well as the generalised acceptance of national coherence and legitimacy, favoured the success of the fall 1991 census. It was to be conducted in about 250,000 enumeration areas by the National Population Commission, with offices in each of the country's LGAs. To reduce possible controversy, religious and ethnic identification would be excluded from the census forms, and verification of state results would be handled by supervisors from outside the state. Some analysts believe that the effort to carry out a reliable census with perceived legitimacy might become an unexpectedly positive exercise, reinforcing a sense of shared nationhood and providing a model for the attempt to overcome regional and ethnic differences.

Data as of June 1991 Source: MONGABAY.COM

Commenatry

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

65

G-20 summit: More questions than answers T

HE St. Petersburg G-20 summit will be recorded as one of the recent history's most important non-events. Nothing happened at the summit which is par for these gatherings. But the diplomatic context of this summit was material different than most others. President Obama needed action at the summit to halt the quickening erosion of his domestic and international standing precipitated by his awkward Syrian policy and his increasingly incoherent rationale for that policy. President Obama came to the fine old city hoping to gain the endorsement of most summiteers. He fell short of that aim.

The summit took place in the most inauspicious venue possible for the American. Summit host and Russian President Putin has been the most vociferous international opponent of America's Syria policy calling for military action against the Assad government for purported misuse of chemical weapons. Breaking normal diplomatic etiquette by calling America's top diplomat Secretary of State Kerry "a liar," Putin declared the rebels, aided by foreign clandestine agencies, deployed the chemical weapons so that America and other western nations would blame Assad.

Putin claimed it insane for Assad, who had gained a decisive strategic advantage in the war, to use chemical weapons.

Assad surely knew deployment of said weapons could bring American involvement in a way tipping the balance of war against Assad.

It was more probable the despairing rebels, losing ground by the day, concocted this situation to give America a colorable pretext to intervene, literally saving the rebels at the final moment of the eleventh hour, according to Putin.

As evidence of his position, Putin pointed to the UN report attributing a prior incidence of chemical weapons use to the rebels.

Despite the usual primacy of economics at such gatherings, this summit's climax came when participants discussed Syria. President Obama stated his case as did Putin.

President Obama sought to isolate Putin in his own house. It did not happen.

Summiteers divided also equally between those supporting Obama and those holding closer to Putin. America and the richest western nations craved military action. Russian and the more populous nations rejected a forceful strike against Assad.

The same dichotomy has been paralleled in American politics. The elite Washington-New York axis of political and financial power lusts for martial action as if addicted to war. Most ordinary Americans bitterly oppose war action in Syria as if tired of it.

In his post-summit press conference, Putin barely concealed gloating over the turn of the summit. He talked with the roguish look of a burglar who barely absconded with the purloined booty the moment before the detectives could apprehend him. In front of the world, he had withheld something the most powerful man in the world dearly wanted. In most cases, a thief is morally and legally in the wrong. With allegations about Assad's government culpability still unproven and with the wisdom of aerial bombardment less than certain, it remains an open question whether the thief is right this time. If this is one of those rare occasions where the thief is right, Putin might have saved the world from a nasty turn expanding the Syrian civil war into a regional conflagration or worse.

In his press conference, President Obama looked tired, somehow appearing diminished yet swollen at the same moment. Clearly, he had been stung by the considerable domestic and international rejection of his Syria policy. He assumed he could convince the world of the rightness of his dubious cause by virtue of his eloquence and by basing his war appeal on humanitarian grounds. He has been taken aback by his failure to garner support despite the intense, high-priced public relations campaign mounted by Western governments and their agents, the

Those who march swiftly to war are those who never have to fight it.

•Obama

• Hollande

BRIAN BROWNE

largest global corporate media houses such as CNN and BBC. Even critics of President Obama must feel a certain sympathy for him.

Before the world, stood a man stewing in a cauldron of his own design or, at least, one designed by the vested, penumbral interests he so faithfully has served. He struggled to construct persuasive arguments much like a drowning man clutching at straws, hoping the harder he clutched the straw might turn into the rope that could save him.

He argued Assad's purported recourse to chemical weapons was a dire breach of international law, warranting a martial reply. The assertion contradicts the predominant weight of international law. Chemical weapons use constitutes a breach but the breach is not the only pertinent legal factor. In its rush to action, the American government now behaves as if the weapons abuse is the only factor worthy of consideration. Fixated on punishing the terrible Assad, America caricatures the world as if it is based solely on one legal norm. That single norm, if viewed in isolation, would neatly place Assad on the scaffold constructed by America.

However, the world is a complexity where almost nothing can be assessed in isolation. The prohibition against chemical weapons must be read in consonance with the larger body of international law. Here, America runs afoul of the very corpus of international law it purports to protect. There are tenets of international law more established and more central to the conduct of global affairs than the chemical weapons prohibition. First, the most well established principle in international law is the restriction against interference in the internal affairs of another nation. Second, nations are disallowed from unilaterally using force against another state except in valid self defense. Third, where the law of selfdefense is inapplicable, military action must be sanctioned by the United Nations.

America can't claim self-defense; Syria poses less of the threat to it than America does to Syria. Under

established law, America has no right to attack Syrian unless approved by the world body. Reading the prohibition against chemical weapons in harmony with other legal principles leads to one conclusion. To punish Syria's purported use of chemical weapons, America can only unilaterally impose sanctions short of military action. If it seeks to legally apply a military sanction, America must gain approval from the global organization. However, since the world body rejects America's position, America has decided to ignore canons of international law that America had previously authored in order to superimpose this presently favored legal precept over the entire body of international law. Because it believes Assad's government has breached the law, America believes it has the right to distort that law for its own purposes. As such, both regimes are outlaws albeit committing somewhat different crimes.

President Obama opined that other despots will rush to deploy illicit weapons if Assad is not quickly punished. This position is nothing but dangerous conjecture clothed as statecraft. America winked when Saddam Hussein used deadly gas against Iran and against portions of Iraq's population in the 1980's. The rest of that unfortunately large club of despots did not rush to deploy such weapons. If the evildoers did not break the door to deploy chemical weapons at a time when America seemed to approve their use why would they now do so when America now seems hell-bent in opposition?

Despite the American political elite's attempts to shape global opinion by depicting its enemies as evil incarnate, these enemy states have been more circumspect in the large-scale use of military power than has been the American government. Even the most wanton leaders do not frequently embark on large-scale military operations against their populations or against other nations. They would rather maintain power by employing the more mundane, daily tools of repression. Such tactics are less expensive and less of a gamble than massive endeavors that

might backfire, squandering their regimes and lives.

Sadly, President Obama has become too slick. The danger in becoming too well-versed in the arts of verbal fabrication is that the accomplished hypocrite becomes the last person to recognize his cover has been blown. During his press conference, President Obama likened the chemical weapons incident to the Rwandan genocide. Twice, he criticized that the world watched idly as Rwanda turned itself crimson. Shame on any American leader for drawing this analogy. Either America's present crop of leaders is ignorant of recent history or they believe the world has a grave memory deficiency. During the Rwandan carnage, much of the world wanted to act in concert to halt the slide.

The UN was poised to do more. It was President Obama's political mentor, Bill Clinton, who made sure the UN remained passive. Clinton did not want to bear the domestic political costs of UN involvement in Rwanda. In that instance, the world did not prevent America from taking morally and legally responsible action. It was America that prevented a unified world from doing the right thing. Attempting to justify an illegal strike against Syria, America no tries to whitewash its sad history of tolerating inhumane atrocities where America has no economic or political interests in thwarting the nightmare.

Further trying to justify his position yet absolve himself of personal responsibility, Obama had the temerity to claim he never said Assad government use of chemical weapons was a "red line" for him which if crossed would cause him to respond with muscle. Now, Obama's tune is that the world community, America and the American congress drew this line and everyone's credibility is at stake if no response is had. Someone should do him the favor for replaying his prior statement to him. He would quickly drop this revisionary tact as few leaders have publicly assumed such personal responsibility for a matter outside the ken if his country's vital strategic interests.

Sadly, Obama has gone so far as to assert, because of this fictional red line, America's credibility and thus national security has been placed at risk. This argument diminishes the man's personal stature and that of his office.

Clearly, the localized use of chemical weapons in a suburb of distant Syria is not an imminent national security threat to America. In fact, Obama undermined his own argument in the same press conference by later saying the world would have forgotten about this issue had not his Administration pressed it to the forefront. If the issue was so compelling and important, his government would not have had to work to keep it newsworthy. In other words, Obama admitted that his government has overinflated a serious local issue to become one of artificial global importance. As tragic as the lethal incident was, it is equally troubling for the most powerful man in the world to say the death of 1000 people in a distant civil war constitutes a grave threat to his nation's security and, in fact, global security. In that case, every war no matter where is a matter of grave national security for America. In that case, America should commit half of its military to single-handedly resolve the civil war in the Congo which has consumed the lives of over 5 million Africans. However, America remains opposed to funding a sufficiently robust international peacekeeping force to resolve that perennial crisis.

Fortunately, most Americans and much of the world remain unconvinced by the hasty presidential expostulations.

Opinion polls reveal the overwhelming majority of Americans regardless of race and party oppose unilateral action in Syria. Congress seems in lockstep with public opinion. President Obama has asked Congress to approve his desire to attack Syria. Unless the beneficiary of a political miracle, President Obama will suffer a dramatic, wholly

unnecessary setback when the majority of congressional Republicans and a large minority of Democrats vote down his war request.

This is the second week I have dedicated this column to the Syrian crisis.

I have done so for two reasons. First, if handled imprudently, what is essentially a local civil war can transmogrify into something larger, more sinister, and much more dangerous. Second, I am concerned about how easily our people are taken by western media and propaganda.

Nigeria and Africa will never develop as they ought unless we can think more independently and objectively. If our collective mind is so easily moved in the direction determined by the western press and the vested interests the western media represents, we are sunk.

Last week, I received emotional comments that America was justified to seek retribution because of the civilian deaths caused by the incident. People just wanted to strike out emotionally, indiscriminately. These people uncritically swallowed that Assad's government committed the crime. That allegation may eventually prove true.

For now, it remains unproven. Thus, there should be no haste in action. In fact, the purported intelligence President Obama and his officials deem so convincing has been unable to persuade America's own Congress.

Moreover, Russian President Putin has released his own report implicating the rebels and anti-Assad foreign intelligence agencies. General Colin Powell's former Chief of Staff has implicated Israeli. An Associated Press reporter wrote a compelling piece wherein he interviewed people on the ground in the affected Damascus suburb.

Rebel fighters and relatives rebels were interviewed. Although this area is in rebel control, the rebels and others admitted that the chemical weapons were in the possession of rebel factions financed by outside intelligence agencies. These agencies supplied the weapons which were inadvertently ignited by negligent mishandling by the rebels during an untimely conventional artillery shelling of the area by Assad's forces. Why aren't these reports being seen and considered as credible as the ones America backs? These and like reports never are revealed by the western media because that media's primary mandate is not to present all or objective news but to project a subjective viewpoint promoting the interests of the vast powers behind the throne.

For the second time in less than ten years, those entrenched powerful interests have enticed the most visible, influential Black American political figure to stand before the world to promote needless war or military action. Wanting so much to belong to the global elite, both Black men chomped the bait and got hooked. First, Colin Powell lied to the world for his masters. His reward was to lose his reputation and later to be dismissed from his post. Failing to learn the lesson, Obama has allowed the puppeteers to dance him before the world, placing false arguments for false war in his mouth. This episode will likely diminish him permanently. If he attacks Syria, the world will conclude that his Nobel Peace Prize was improperly given. He will join the ranks of American warmongers no different than those of Bush Administration infamy. If he fails to carry out the attack, the entrenched interests will turn their vast wealth and media against him. They shall whittle him down before our eyes. It shall be a painful thing to watch. Again, those Black leaders who seek personal gain by giving faithful, blind obeisance to established interests move smoothly along at first. However, the powers will ultimately ask the Black leader to sacrifice himself because they don't want that leader to become an independent force.

Thus far, Black leaders have sacrificed themselves for interests not their own.

As it is with individual Black American leaders so it has been with Black African nations. When shall we ever learn?

08060340825 (sms only)

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

66

America’s blood lust and the bombing of Syria

I

N reaction to the American Secretary of State John Kerry’s assertion before the Senate Foreign Relations Commitee that Al Qaeda (in the guise of the Al Nousri Front) is not playing a leading role in the fight against President Bashar Al Assad’s government in Syria, Russia’s President Vladimer Putin said ‘’we assumed that we were dealing with decent people. Kerry lies openly. And he knows that he lies’’. My admiration for Putin has soared.

I am equally proud of the decision that the British Parliament has taken not to join in the attack on Syria. Prime Minister David Cameron has been badly humiliated and this is a great triumph for Ed Milliband, the Leader of the Opposition. Kudos to my friend, Mr. George Galloway MP, for his brilliant and stirring speech on the floor of the House of Commons on this issue. I must confess that the only speech that has moved me as much as Galloway’s in recent times was the riveting speech delivered by the Irish MP, Mrs.Clare Daly, on the floor of the Irish Parliament when she described President Barack Obama as a ‘’war criminal’’ and a ‘’murderer of children’’.

The resolution of the British Parliament gives us hope that sanity may eventually prevail in a world that has proved to be increasingly insane. Yet sadly it appears that America is as eager to go to war as ever. As the assault on Syria is about to begin please take note of the following words- the biggest mistake that President Barack Obama will make in his distinguished politi-

By Femi Fani-Kayode

cal career is to strike Syria on the false and contrived premise that Al Assad has used chemical weapons against his own people.

What we are witnessing today is the laying of the foundation and the planting of the seeds for what will eventually be World War 3. I am not suggesting that the military strike on Syria will witness the beginning of World War 3. What I am saying is that it will lay the foundation for it. I believe that the war itself will come at a much later stage and probably long after both Obama and Putin have both left office.

However, the military action that America is about to embark on in Syria will be the first step on the road to that terrible final conflict.

After they have struck Syria, nothing will be the same again and we shall finally be on that longawaited conflict-ridden slippery slope to Armageddon. And after that war has been fought and won, historians will have cause to say that the brutal, unjustifiable, indefensible and illegal attack by Obama’s America and her allies on Syria is where and when the die was finally cast. They will say that that is when the Americans finally crossed the line of no return.

Nothing describes the frightful situation that we are faced with today in the Middle East better than the words of Mr. Dmitry Rogozin, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, when he said, just a few days ago, that ‘’the west handles the muslim world like a monkey handles a grenade.’’ The events and bloody carnage that we are about to wit-

•Obama

ness being unleashed by America and her allies on Syria, a relatively small country of 22 million people, will be so brazen, so vicious, so chilling and so ruthless that for the first time in world history Russia, Iran and China will come together, finally pick up the gauntlet and muster the courage to say ‘’no more’’ to American lawlessness, manipulation, deceit, double standards and butchery. At that point there will be no going back and, slowly but surely, one thing will lead to another in the Middle East and the conflict will spread until the final conflagration comes.

Yet many have bought into and wholeheartedly accepted the American propaganda that Al Assad has used chemical weapons against his own people. It is

in the same way that they bought into the propaganda that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and chemical weapons that he was about to use against his own people and the rest of the world. They bought into that propaganda just as they bought into the propaganda that 911 was carried out by Osama Bin Ladin, just as they bought into the propaganda that Muammar Ghaddafi was a monster that was about to kill all his people, just as they bought into the propaganda that Obama was the Messiah who wanted to spread democracy in the Middle East, just as they bought into the propaganda that Hosni Mubarak had to be removed to bring stability to Egypt, just as they bought into the propaganda that Tunisia would be better off with an islamist President, just as they bought into the propaganda that Iran is evil, just as they bought into the propaganda that the Saudis are angels, just as they bought into the propaganda that Israel can do no wrong, just as they bought into the propaganda that there was no coup in Egypt, just as they bought into the propaganda that Hamas must not be recognised, just as they bought into the propaganda that Hezbollah are terrorists and just as they bought into the propaganda that Lebanon did not deserve to be stable and must be nothing more than a weak and crisis-ridden buffer-state which exists at their pleasure.

I suggest that those that have bought into all this ridiculous propaganda take the time out to listen to what the distinguished and respected American General

Wesley Clark (the man who had the distinct privilegde and honour of leading the NATO forces in Europe during the attack on Slobodan Milosovitch’s forces in Serbia and Belgrade in the 90s) said in 2007 about America’s intentions in the Middle East and about how those plans had been hatched as far back as 2001. He claimed that just two weeks after 911 America had taken the decision to remove the leaders of no less than 7 Middle Eastern countries by any means necessary in order to fully secure the Middle East. He actually listed those countries. Today, and for the last 5 years, we are bearing witness to everything that he said would happen and those things are unfolding before our very eyes.

Finally, let me make two two points. Firstly, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that it was Al Asssad’s forces that actually used the chemical weapons that were unleashed on the civilian population in Syria the other day and it could well have been the rebels that did it. The fact that Assad’s troops were also affected by those weapons tells me a lot.

No sane leader poisons his own soldiers with sarin gas. And he certainly does not do so on his own doorstep, on the day that international weapons inspectors arrive in his country and in the middle of a war which he is on the verge of winning. Secondly the fact that America and her allies have decided not to go through the U.N. Security Council on this matter makes whatever action they take against Al Assad and Syria manifestly illegal. It •continued on page 68

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

67

THE NATION ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

68

EBERE WABARA

F

WORDSWORTH 08055001948

ewabara@yahoo.com

Alert to…not on

IRST and foremost, I apologise for the irregularity of this column lately. One of the introductory lessons I learnt in journalism three decades ago in the old Daily Times is that for any newspaper to be successful, it must have a content of 60 per cent advertisement and the rest editorial. This explains why this column does not feature occasionally. It is largely the editor’s discretion which column appears! I know this delicate balance full well as an emeritus editor. So, anytime this column is absent know that this is the reason—not the writer’s inability.

Some readers still complain that they don’t understand the structure of this column. I have done the explanation innumerably such that it is becoming repetitive. Except where otherwise expressly stated or in the case of attributions, the corrections are usually bracketed.

Finally, there are endless mixed reactions to my stylistics here. A few readers say I am ‘harsh’ on my ‘victims’, while others declare that my approach is indeed their weekly tonic.

I promised a colleague of mine who confronted me at the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ conference in Asaba recently that I will re-examine my modus operandi lest I am accused of intellectual snobbery or professorial haughtiness!

Who am I? The word ‘potential’ (noun) is uncountable and means ‘the possibility that something will develop in a particular way, or have a particular effect’. (Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, 2012) Often, you hear or read ‘potentials’! It is only ‘potentiality’ that is countable (potentialities).

The PUNCH of September 6 leads the infamous category today: “LASG inaugurates new vehicles to transport food” Nigerian Tribune of September 5 also had a similar error: “Ibadan Poly FIBSU inaugurates new executive” You do not inaugurate an old body/ thing. So, yank off ‘new’!

“Join the fun, excitement and match build up on GuinnessVIP.” Fly with the Eagles: build-up/ buildup “NAFDAC alerts Nigerians on (to) toxic substance in food” Lastly from The PUNCH EDITORIAL of September 6: “…trucks

hauling petroleum products and other goods from one point to the other compounds the chaos around the country.”

Nigerian Tribune of September 5 offered readers multifarious shibboleths: “Anyone with useful (would it have been useless?) information on her whereabout (whereabouts) should please contact the nearest police station or….”

“Police arraigns (why?) suspected gay for having sex with underaged (underage) twin brothers” “Infact (In fact) your achievements within two years speaks (sic) volume (volumes).”

Nigerian Tribune Editorial comes next with one wrong entry: “As a result, most of the military leaders of yesteryears (yesteryear) are stupendously rich and consequently calling the political shots.”

“FAAN tackles runaway (runway) incursions at (into) airports” “ASUU strike action (what of inaction?): Students, parents lament” Education: just strike or industrial action/work stoppage—‘strike action’ indicates befuddled/loose thinking.

“You can literarily (literally) see and evaluate the state of the entire body by looking at the eye.”

Finally from the back page sport of NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: “Malawi, not do-or-die—Keshi” ‘Do or die’ is not adjectival here but a standalone meaning no hyphenation unlike ‘a do-or-die battle’.

Next on the line-up is National Mirror of September 5 beginning from its Views page: “…the students of the University of Lagos under (on) the platform of the Department of Philosophy.”

“Few (A few) days later he invited the department through a friend for a chat.” “…he (Suntai) wrote a letter to the state House of Assembly citing Section 190 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) indicating his interest to assume (resume) duty.”

“Eagles train under heavy downpour” The last word in the extract does not require any amplification/embellishment (heavy) as it is implied.

“NICON Luxury Abuja...its (it’s) about giving you the very best (just the best—delete ‘very’) (NATIONAL MIRROR Back Page advertisement strip) ‘Best’ is a superla-

tive word that has attained end-point intensification and, as such, cannot be qualified or subjected to any form of lexical adumbration!

DAILY SUN of September 4 published some improprieties: “Imoke commissions (inaugurates) S’South entrepreneurship centre” “Osun PDP dissociates self from party crisis…passes vote of confidence on (in) Tukur” THE NATION of September 4 circulated an avalanche of solecisms right from its front page which contained three school-boy howlers: “Sports: Enyeama, Mikel in Eagles camp” Truth in defence of freedom: Eagles’ camp “Suntai transmitted a letter to the House of Assembly and assumed office, but the acting governor and majority (a/the majority) of the House of Assembly members rejected the letter….” This way: the recuperating governor resumed his seat/place/position.

“Fed Govt assures of lower interest for farmers, others” Who did the government assure? And this: lower interest rates “Church holds eigth (eighth) convocation” Now THE NATION EDITORIAL with two kindergarten slips: “The toll regime of…N150 (sports utility vehicles….)” SUV: sportutility vehicle (take especial note of ‘sport’ and the hyphen).

“Therein might lay (lie) its infrastructure salvation….”

The Midweek Magazine of THE NATION under review disseminated two flaws: “…I think an intellectual movement is very desirable in (on) the entire continent which tries to show the uniqueness and potentials (potential or potentialities) that our traditional institutions hold….”

“Customer (Customers) decry long queues at ATMs” “Low cost (Low-cost) carrier coming” and this: “Dike returns after six months (months’) injury” “…as the newly promoted (newly-promoted) Assistant Inspector Generals of Police have (had) already undergone a two-week management course in Lagos.” Get it right: Assistant Inspectors General of Police Next week: Bayo Oguntunase replies critics.

•AUSTRALIA, Sydney : Australian Prime Minister-elect, Tony Abbott (C), his wife Margie (2nd-L) and daughters Frances (L), Louise (2nd-R) and Bridget celebrate his victory in the 2013 Australian Election in Sydney on September 7, 2013. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd conceded defeat to Abbott in Australian elections and said he will step down as Labour leader as voters punished the party for internal warfare.

AFP PHOTO / Saeed KHAN

•The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lagos Province 14, Unity Area, in a group photograph after carrying out a community service, led by Pastor Emmanuel Aiyeditan in Irede Street, Ijegun, Lagos.

PHOTO: GBENGA KUTELU

•Mr. Faruk(3rd left) State Officer Ado-Odo/Ota LGA, Hon. Aina Akinpelu, (cutting the tape), behind him is Mr Akeem Sodunke, Councillor Ilogbo ward, Mr Omotosho, new CDA Chairman of Iwajowa Igbusi CDA, Mr. Ganiyu Amusa ACDC Ilogbo Auditor I, and Mr Ajayi Adeniyi, the outgoing Iwajowa Igbusi CDA Chairman at the commissioning of 200KVA Transformer donated by Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State Governor, recently.

America’s blood lust and the bombing of Syria •continued from page 66 violates every rule of international law and it creates yet another bad precedent. Quite apart from that, South African President Jacob Zuma’s words were instructive when he said ‘’if nations were to attack other nations without going to the UN Security Council to get a mandate there would be many wars in the world’’. Zuma has hit the nail on the head.

In any case, who appointed America as the policeman of the world? Who annointed her as the spokesman for the international community? The Security Council was established to prevent precisely the type of illegal and arbitary use of power that the U.S. government is about to unleash on Syria. No country should be allowed to play God. The truth is that America has gone beserk and the power it wields today has caused many that are in positions of authority over there to be reckless and delusional. There is an evil agenda that is unfolding before our very eyes, which many people that are not discerning enough to

recognise. Many have argued that the rebels could not have launched the chemical attack because they did not have the heavy weapons, the know-how or the capabilities to do so. This is hogwash. The Syrian rebels can do anything and muster or use any kind of heavy weapon as long as their American friends and Saudi allies are ready to help them. That is the bitter truth.

The fact that the rebels are led by brutal cannibals and Al Qaeda islamists and that the American government is in an unholy alliance with such beasts tells me everything that I need to know.

Obama is ready to get into bed with even the devil and do just about anything to get rid of or discredit Al Assad, including turning a blind eye to the use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians by those rebels and then blaming it on the Assad regime.

The assumptions that many have made about what is true and what is not true in Syria are simply wrong. Yes chemical weapons were used and many people were killed but the question is who gave the order and what was

the motive for such a heartless act? In the May 6th edition of the Washington Times newspaper it was reported that Mrs.Carla Del Ponte, the former International Court For Criminal Justice prosecutor and a respected member of the United Nations Independant International Commission Of Inquiry On Syria told Swiss TV that ‘’there were strong concrete suspicions that Syrian rebels that were seeking to oust Al Assad had used the nerve agent sarin.” This lady certainly seems to know what is really going on but who is listening to her? Permit me to end this essay with an interesting contribution from Mr. David Icke. He said- ’’these genetic liars are so desperate to bomb the Assad regime into history. This is because the global plan to subvert and conquer the Middle and Near East has had its timetable scuppered by the Syrian Government’s refusal to fall in the wake of a civil war’’.

As Sir Winston Churchill once said, ’’the truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

69

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

70

THE NATION SPORT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Eaglets tackle Asari Dokubo boys

T

HE Golden Eaglets would have to be at the top of their game when a team bankrolled by former militant chief, Asari Dokubo, hit Calabar for a friendly game at the main bowl of the U.J Esuene Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Amakson Football Academy has already earned a name when it recently won the maiden NIMPET Football Competition involving 16 registered football academies within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Emmanuel Bishop Amakiri, an ex-militant, who also doubles as the financier and coach of the academy, has boasted that the code name for their mission to Calabar on Sunday is: 'Operation sting the Eaglets.'

In a conversation with the Golden Eaglets' head coach, Manu Garba (MFR), Amakiri was quoted as saying that his boys are desirous of ending the winning streak of the National Under17 team.

The Golden Eaglets remain unbeaten yet on the domestic scene after playing a total of 21 matches and their recent victim was the Enugubased First Best Farmers(FBF) Football Club who were beaten 8-3 on Thursday.

3SC fans throng Akure to cheer team

71

SPORT EXTRA Babangida eyes big signing for Taraba FC

Eagles beat Malawi, move close to Brazil 2014 T

N

IGERIA on Saturday advanced to the final qualifying rounds for the 2014 World Cup after they beat Malawi 2-0 in Calabar.

The Super Eagles finished top of Group F with 12 points from six matches, while Malawi finished on seven points.

Fenerbache striker Emmanuel Emenike shot Nigeria ahead in first half stoppage time, when he got to the end of a delightful long ball from Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi to coolly chip past the diving Malawi goalkeeper Charles Swini.

Nigeria increased their advantage in the 51st minute when Victor Moses fired home from the penalty spot after goal-

Moses, Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa

Stories from Taofeek Babalola, and Emenike on the attack from Tunde Liadi, Uchenna Ajah and Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Calabar the onset.

bound Oduamadi was upended inside the box.

Malawi were reduced to 10 men in the 53rd minute when Limbikani Mzava received his second booking for a late tackle on Ahmed Musa.

Nigeria created several other chances but goalkeeper Charles Swini was outstanding for Malawi as he denied Ahmed Musa twice and in the dying minutes of the encounter he again pulled off another great save off substitute Shola Ameobi.

Nigeria controlled the game from the kick-off with Victor

CSKA Moscow striker Musa could have given the home team the lead as early as the third minute, but he dragged his shot from inside the box well off target.

Onazi's two efforts from distance were also off target as Nigeria continued to pile on the pressure in search of the opening goal.

Malawi, on the other hand, were happy to soak in the pressure from the home team.

They kept their defensive shape and to their credit they were able to trouble the Nigerian defence on at least three occasions on the counter attack.

Nigeria's Emmanuel Emenike (C) celebrates with his teammates Ahmed Musa (L) and Emmanuel Egwuekwe after scoring during the FIFA World Cup qualifying football match Nigeria vs Malawi in Calabar yesterday PHOTO: AFP

I

N an effort to salvage the precarious position of 3SC in the Nigerian Premier League log and rally support for its week 30 match against Sunshine Stars billed for Akure Township Stadium, 500 fans would be sponsored to the venue of the match to cheer the Ibadan darling-team to victory.

This was made possible by Caretaker Chairman of Ibadan Southwest Local Government Area, Hon. Taoheed Adeleke, who in conjunction with other 10 local government councils within the Ibadan metropolis, has hired many state-owned shuttle buses to convey interested fans free of charge to Akure on Sunday.

Adeleke, while briefing newsmen in Ibadan, said the 11 local governments situated within Ibadan and its environs which he was their Chairman have come together to henceforth look into how to save the team from the relegation waters and they would start to demonstrate that from 3SC/Sunshine match.

“We can't fold our arms and be looking at a team with a high profile and rich history like Shooting Stars to be downgraded just like that.”

Wrestling Federation awards Mosan Okunola LCDA boss

A

'Malawi were tough' -Emenike

F

ENERBACHE of Turkey forward, Emmanuel Emenike, has admitted that the Flames of Malawi made the Super Eagles labour for their 2-0

Zambia's coach admits Ghana was better

Z

AMBIA'S coach, Herve Renard, conceded that Ghana were the better side after losing to the Black Stars by 2-1 in their final Group D World Cup qualifier on Friday.

The Chipolopolo, who needed a win to topple the Black Stars and advance to the final phase of the qualifiers, were blunted at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

The Zambians were down by two goals before the half-hour mark and had a consolation from Rainford Kalaba in the 72nd minute.

The defeat to the 2012 African Champions meant they finished

with 11 points; four behind the group winners, Ghana.

Renard, a former Ghana assistant coach and physical trainer, admitted their opponents were superior.

"I'm disappointed, but Ghana is a better team than us and they deserved to go through," the Frenchman said in a post match interview.

"I think we played a very good second half. We didn't believe too much in the first half.

"It is a shame, because our aim was to win the match. So, our congratulations to the Black Stars; all the best for the play-offs.”

victory yesterday in a 2014 World Cup qualifiers at the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

Emenike, who scored the Super Eagles first goal, told Sunday Sport that the Malawians had a game plan for the match.

“We thank God that we won the match and are through to next stage. The Malawians were difficult opponents; if not, we would have scored more than two goals,” Emenike said.

The Fenerbache striker is also

E

But the 'hosts' were much more subdued after the break and barely threatened as they allowed Ethiopia to attack them at will.

Salif Keita scored for CAR in the opening period what was a deserved lead after they missed two other excellent chances to score.

But soon after the break, leading marksman Saladin Said equalised for Ethiopia as the

happy to return to the team with a goal after a long spell on the sideline due to the injury he sustained at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

“I am happy to score again today. I always feel honoured to score for the Super Eagles. The goal came at the right time. I was at the right position when the ball came, I was expecting it and it came. This is a good boost for us in our fight for the World Cup ticket.”

Imoke redeems AFCON pledges

C

ROSS Rivers State Governor Lyle Imoke has redeemed his promise made to players and officials of the Super Eagles.

Imoke had pledged the sum of twenty-four million naira and a plot of land each to the team following their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations' success in South Africa.

Ethiopia in, South Africa out

THIOPIA have sealed their place in the next round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 victory over the Central African Republic in Brazzaville yeaterday.

The Ethiopians had to come from behind to secure the three points after being overrun in the first half by a lively CAR side.

ARABA FC Chairman, Tijani Babangida, is hoping to reinforce his team with some more experienced Nigerian Premier league players before the kick-off of the new season.

The former Ajax Amsterdam wing wizard who had fulfilled his mandate by promoting Taraba FC to the Nigerian Premier League believes that with four or five more experienced players , the team will settle well in the top league and plead to the government to back the team for more successful campaigns.

“When you have the opportunity to compete in the big league, all you need to focus on is to settle well and try to remain in the league for another season. Our focus again now is to sustain the momentum in the top league so that we can dream of more ambitious campaign,” said Babangida.

“I think signing more experienced players at various positions will be more ideal to our dreams. We have bigger dreams but only motivation and diligence can really help us. I believe if we are really motivated, we will remain in the league because there are no ways we will not be playing better. FC Taraba will be a team to learn in the premier league.”

Taraba FC have clinched promotion to the Nigeria Premier League with a hard-fought 1 - 0 victory over the already promoted Giwa FC on the final day of the National League.

visitors came out with a burst of energy after the halftime.

And there would be some irony to their second goal as Minyahil Teshome scored for them. It was he who was the ineligible player against Botswana in March this year that led to Ethiopia being docked three points and having to play for their place in the next round on the final day of the season.

The governor, who was part of the guests at the U.J Esuene Stadium during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier between the Super Eagles and Flames of Malawi on Saturday, released the money and the land on Friday evening to the team.

The announcement of the pledge was made at the stadium during the encounter yesterday.

According to the announcer, the governor fulfilled his pledge as a way to motivate the team for the match.

Super Eagles arrived in Calabar on Monday in preparation for the game against Malawi. Calabar has been the home ground for the Super Eagles' qualifying matches.

Continental Good Governance and Peace Award will be given to the chairman of Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Abdulrasheed Abiodun Mafe, by the Nigerian Pro Wrestling Federation (NWF).

To this end, the national executives of the NWF have visited the chairman of Mosan Okunola LCDA to intimate him of the award which he and 22 other local government chairmen in Lagos State would receive during the final ceremony of the third edition of BRF Wrestlemania in November this year.

The president of the professional wrestlers, Prince Hammed Olanrewaju Mohammed, who led the delegation, told Mosan Okunola LCDA boss that the award was being given to him based on the report of an independent assessor that did on the spot assessment of the human-faced projects executed by the chairman to alleviate the suffering of the people of the LCDA.

Angola thump Liberia to end on high

A

NGOLA thumped Liberia 4-1 in their dead runner 2014 FIFA World Cup Group J clash yesterday.

The result ensured Palancas Negras finished the pool in third place, while Liberia picked up the wooden spoon.

Both teams had been out of contention for top spot ahead of the match, but Angola still put in a fine attacking display.

W/C QUALIFIERS RESULTS CAR 1 - 2 Ethiopia S/Africa 4 - 1 Botswana S/Leone 2 - 0 E/Guinea Cote d'Ivoire 1 -1 Morocco B/ Faso 1 - 0 Gabon Niger 2 - 2 Congo Nigeria 2 - 0 Malawi Angola 4 - 1 Liberia

QUOTABLE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2013 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 8, NO. 2602

“We have exhausted all efforts to avoid the current division and factionalisation.

The PDP is stronger as a united party, but the party leadership doesn’t give a hoot about destroying the democratic principles on which it is founded just to satisfy the ego of the president. The PDP is bigger than any individual and, therefore, if they want to rebuild the party, it must return to the original objectives for which it was founded.”

— Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, advancing reasons why the new PDP was formed.

T

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not yet imploded; but it could do so in the coming months if the cracks in the party are further widened by insensitivity and mismanagement. As a few of its leading lights have warned, the crisis in the party could lead to its disintegration. It is not yet known whether those alleged by President Goodluck Jonathan camp to be behind the crisis anticipate the severity of the cracks and the turbulent course it is taking; what is, however, evident at the moment is that the disquiet felt by party leaders when the drama began is gradually yielding to panic as the disagreement worsens and spreads further afield than they initially foresaw. The president is thoroughly miffed by the crisis and is getting increasingly desperate; chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, who had long acted as a medieval tyrant, but is now talking like a modern autocrat, has become even more censorious; and other party elders have either seemed to snicker behind closed doors or chafe hypocritically to convey impression of concern.

It is hard to determine right now whether the PDP will survive this turbulence, the worst since its formation, or since the party and its leadership were hijacked by the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, and his scheming and fawning aides. What is apparent, however, is that even if it survives, the party is unlikely to retain the ferocious determination that has seen it talk and act recklessly against the constitution and public interest. A few of its leaders suggest the party will emerge from the present crisis stronger and more united. But already, its confidence has been shaken, and party bosses, like autocrats everywhere, have spoken temptingly of using the security forces against the breakaway factional leaders whom they describe as traitors and common felons.

Given the points on which the two camps disagree, and the violent rhetoric deployed by them in digging in their heels, a rapprochement would almost certainly involve a loss of face on either side, if not political suicide.

The war in the PDP may still be at its infancy, and may not yet manifest definite frontlines, but the demands of the two camps are at least candidly self-centred enough to enable a fair assessment of what the problem is and where the crisis seems headed. The breakaway faction led by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Kawu Baraje demands the ousting of the party chairman, Alhaji Tukur, the resolution of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in favour of the Governor Rotimi Amaechi faction, cessation of EFCC harassment, and the exclusion of Dr Jonathan from the 2015 presidential race. The Jonathan/ Tukur faction disdainfully declines to negotiate Dr Jonathan’s right to contest in 2015, and more peremptorily demands the dissolution of the Atiku/Baraje faction and subjection of the faction to PDP rules and conflict resolution mechanisms.

On the surface, it would seem these mutually antagonistic positions are the bane of the current PDP crisis, or civil war, as some have colourfully put it. After many interventions by top party officials and former presidents,

PDP crisis: No room for neutrality

•Bamanga Tukur

•Kawu Baraje

and perhaps some cynically disinterested discussions between the warring camps, the stalemate has remained unbroken. No one had the right to insist Dr Jonathan could not exercise his constitutional right to run for the presidency in 2015, the president’s aides and supporters said forcefully. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) could not be prevailed upon not to perform its lawful functions, others said in response to the demands of the Atiku/Baraje camp. Alhaji Tukur could not be sacked without recourse to due party process, his camp said triumphantly. As hardline as these positions are, they are, in my view, neither the cause nor the trigger of the current PDP crisis, nor yet the reasons for the trenchancy of the disagreements and the irreconcilability of the two positions. They are merely symptoms of a deeper, underlying morass that has eroded the foundation of the party and corroded the fabric that previously knit its members together.

The party has not only split temporarily, and its top leaders shown little interest in reconciliation, it is also reported, subject to final corroboration, that seven governors, about 20 senators and 57 members of the Lower House have also indicated they were breaking ranks with the Jonathan/Tukur camp. This may be unsettling and irritating to the Jonathan rerun agenda. But even if reconciliation were to be secured in the coming weeks in spite of the undeniable acerbity of the two camps, it would still not solve the structural and leadership anomalies eating up the party and making it dysfunctional.

Sooner or later the party was bound to im-

plode. That that implosion seems to be coming earlier than expected merely underscores the gravity of the contradictions within the party, contradictions that were conceived, enacted and reinforced during the Obasanjo years. Three fundamental reasons account for the severity of the PDP crisis, and may explain why the crisis may be intractable at best or insoluble at worst.

The first is that once Chief Obasanjo and his aides supplanted the moral minority that formed the core of the party, and vitiated the principles and practices that were designed to ennoble the party and make it formidable, the party began to list dangerously. Some of the party’s early chairmen were not perfect, and in fact a few of them lent themselves to be used to validate Chief Obasanjo’s unprincipled and dishonest grab for absolute power. But they at least exuded a breath of fresh air and embraced the general principles of democracy. Even in the giddy early years of the PDP, it was hard, for instance, to imagine a Solomon Lar or an Audu Ogbeh act like a proponent of electoral chicanery of the first rank similar to the flip-flopping Vincent Ogbulafor or the ingratiating Ahmadu Ali. Within Chief Obasanjo’s two undistinguished terms in office, the party transformed from a gentle and grasping conservative group, gingerly upholding its own moral and ideological principles, to an aggressive, remorseless and fanatical reactionary animated by, and even proud of, electoral fraud and all the base emotions and practices humans are capable of.

Second is the simple fact that the anoma-

Arming ‘Civilian JTF’? Nothing could be sillier

I

F not checked on time, the silly campaign to arm the ragtag militia formed by young, unarmed civilians in the Northeast to fight the Boko Haram Islamic sect could reach a crescendo and even persuade this sometimes brash government to accede to the request. Already, the Civilian JTF receives military escorts to conduct operations against members of the sect.

It has achieved some notable successes, and there is hope in government and military circles that it could do much more if encouraged.

For very sound reasons, I have never supported militias anywhere. I am unlikely to do so even now.

It is bad enough that the Civilian JTF is receiving military help to conduct police operations, itself an admission of frustration by the military and a late concession to what many of us had argued was unproven allegations of large-scale support by the Northeast people for the violent sect. But to now suggest, as Mike Okiro, former Inspector General of Police and current Chairman of the Police Service Com-

mission, does that the vigilantes be armed and kitted and placed under local police commanders is both derisory and irresponsible.

The presence of the vigilantes is a reflection of the failure or inadequacy of the country’s security system. Mr Okiro opposes state police, but his call for the arming of the vigilantes and their placement under local police commanders is nothing but a call for the decentralisation of the police. Moreover, with all the training and discipline soldiers and policemen have received, they have sometimes worryingly displayed unmitigated cruelty and carried out extra-judicial killings.

How would the country fare under armed and recognised vigilantes? In light of the activities of Niger Delta militants, openly repentant or surreptitiously active, and the Rwandan and Bosnian wars, could the Northeast vigilantes ever be successfully demobilised after the insurrection had ended?

The Northeast Civilian JTF has no doubt proven their patriotism, even displaying unu-

sual and remarkable courage under fire, and from ongoing military investigations, might have been betrayed once or twice. I applaud their courage; but I oppose the involvement of militias of any kind in security operations.

Their involvement may thrill security men now, but it is a short-sighted thrill. It will boomerang in the long run. Surely we are not so bereft of deep thinking and of carefully working our way through crisis as to become enamoured of quick fixes and dangerously flawed solutions.

What the Northeast revolt tells us is not just how inadequate our economic management is, but how anachronistic our security system has become. The revolt invites us to embark on urgent radical and comprehensive restructuring of the country; but we prefer to tinker. As the country’s leaders continue to dither, let us hope the day will not come when circumstances and other unforeseen dynamics would take the initiative from us and imperil our existence.

lies and distortions first grafted into the country’s political system by Chief Obasanjo have been underscored, for 16 years, by varying degrees of political and especially electoral malfeasances which his successors perpetrated, from the wearied but now deceased Umaru Yar’Adua, to the distracted but disguisedly ruthless Dr Jonathan. By any stretch of imagination, it is hard to remedy 16 years of unbroken filth and falsehood. Indeed, as fate would have it, since 1999, Nigeria has been gifted three gentlemen who dedicated themselves, or were dedicated by their aides, to adding to the country’s misery. The present PDP crisis is, therefore, a culmination of 16 years of misery in the party, not just a haggle over 2015 presidential poll. I do not exaggerate.

Third and most important factor exacerbating the PDP crisis is the unqualifiedly misshapen Jonathan government, which seems more adroit in worsening bad things than in bettering good things, whether they are principles, values or honour. Like Chief Obasanjo before him, he has done nothing spectacular about roads worth anyone ascribing the label of a legacy, but of course his argument will always be that he was not the architect of the decay. He has not offered the country a specific vision of what education should be, nor has he bettered what he met. Instead, he has met the decline in education with his idiosyncratic lack of honour, refusing to uphold the agreement his predecessor and himself entered into with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2009 and 2010. It would ground the country, his Information minister said apocalyptically. Dr Jonathan has done much worse, of course. Not only is he himself uninspired, he has not inspired anyone, and has had little interaction with artists, poets, scientists, social scientists, and other noteworthy intellectuals, local and international.

It is this unremitting dullness of his government that has instigated revolt against him and the party, especially when patriots recoil in horror as they contemplate another four years of the Jonathan nightmare. Alhaji Tukur, I emphasise, is a mere cipher in the disagreement. I believe that if the Jonathan government had been spectacular in many respects and charismatic in more ways than one, few brave hearts would have had the courage to rise against him: indeed, it would have been suicidal. For then we would have had brilliant and unprecedented use of men and material, the forging of a stirring national identity that transcends tribe, religion and class, and the enactment of great policies driven by farreaching visions of democracy, federalism, rule of law and public probity. Sadly for Dr Jonathan, any revolt against him now invariably acquires the distinct aura of patriotism, and rebel leaders, whether they fail or succeed, are likely to be canonised in the consciousness of the people. Rather than be chastened by the massiveness of the revolt against both his government and his person, Dr Jonathan and his doting aides appear set to go for broke by wielding state power against his opponents in absolute disregard of the constitution and elementary restraint and common sense.

But even if he were to overwhelm his opponents and the dissenters within his party, there is nothing he can do— partly because he is not capable of it – to mollify the rage against himself and his government. Worse, because the modest amount of principles and values that made the PDP to cohere in its early days have been denuded by years of incompetent rule, it is unlikely that victory over his enemies will be sufficient to snatch the party from the jaws of confusion and disintegration. I had hoped that for the sake of democracy we were on our way to a two-party system, especially with the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC). And though I concluded two weeks ago that the PDP was exhausted, I had nonetheless hoped that the muted patriots within its ranks could somehow rise up to retrieve the party from the hands of its charlatans. Now, I fear greatly that my hopes were misplaced, and that perhaps we would need to seek another party to duel with the APC, if the PDP and its leading lights cannot shake off the suicidal instinct to which their incompetence and sycophantic relationships seem to be leading them.

Published by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025, Oshodi, Lagos. Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361.

Marketing: 4520939, Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Telephone: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790.

Website: www.thenationonlineng.net

ISSN: 115-5302 E-mail: sunday@thenationonlineng.net Editor: FESTUS ERIYE