September 05, 2014

Osun poll tribunal chair removed NEWS

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•Appeal court gets petition

Newspaper of the Year

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U.S. okays Nigeria’s Ebola battle P3 Musa to keep goal scoring form P41 Clark: Lamido can’t be president P4

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 9, NO. 2960 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Qatar National Bank acquires major stake in ETI

Q •NSE chief Oscar Onyema

ATAR National Bank (QNB) acquired yesterday more than 11 per cent equity stake in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) Plc in three deals worth about N35.4 billion.

Regulatory filing at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) indicated that QNB, which has Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as its major share-

By Taofik Salako

holder, acquired about 1.77 billion ordinary shares of ETI in an off-market trade. Offmarket trade implies that the deals were sealed outside the floor of the NSE, although ETI still has to report such transactions in compliance with the listing rules at the NSE. ETI is listed on the NSE,

Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and the BRVM. The acquisition transaction, which was concluded in three deals, was sealed at N20.01 per share, more than 20 per cent above ETI’s opening price of N16.62 per share yesterday at the NSE. Besides the ordinary shares acquisition, which gives QNB 11.1 per cent equity stake in

ETI, QNB also acquired about 732.28 million preference shares. The acquisitions, the first by QNB in shares of ETI, give the Gulf bank a major inroad into the African market.

ETI is a pan-African financial services holding company and it is the parent company of all Ecobank banking brand including Ecobank Nigeria Limited.

According to the regulatory filing, the acquisition of the ordinary shares is expected to complete in three days while the acquisition of the preference shares is expected to complete shortly thereafter. NSE operates a T+3 trading cycle, implying that transactions will be fully completed three days after the trading day.

Boko Haram holds Bama as military pounds town Defence probes Cameroon’s claim of 400 soldiers’ desertion

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HE battle for Bama, Borno State’s second largest town, which was seized by Boko Haram four days ago, got hotter yesterday.

Amid heavy bombardment, the military fought to recover the town.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeshola Amosun, has relocated to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to coordinate the air strikes.

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

It was gathered that Boko Haram members have blocked all link roads to Bama.

The “push in” by troops had recorded what sources described as “modest gain” but the military was yet to reclaim the town by last night.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The insurgents were still holding on to Bama, they are still in charge.

PDP desperate to win in 2015, says Aregbesola

O

Typical of rag-tag insurgents, they are holding on to the last straws.

“But the troops are gaining upper hand through heavy air strikes. We are mostly fighting the battle in the air in Bama and Gwoza.

“The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeshola Amosun, is personally supervising the aerial battle having relocated to Maiduguri from Abuja since Friday. This underscores the

importance attached to the air strikes.

“With aerial bombardment, we are hopeful that the troops launching the “push in” will finally take over the town.

“The insurgents are feeling the air strikes, they are suffering huge losses. From intelligence report, the bombardments have become unbearable for them and they might vacate the place within the next 24 to 48 hours.

“What we need to do now is for troops to gain access by land to Bama and dominate the place. We will reclaim these two towns.”

Also yesterday, the military moved fast to unravel the circumstances surrounding the reported desertion of another 400 soldiers.

Cameroon’s military claimed yesterday that the Nigerian soldiers are seeking refuge in the country after fleeing from

battle with Boko Haram militants in Borno State.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), sources said, is trying to reach commanders at the “battle front” and may contact Cameroon for details of the matter.

Though the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, was said to have told the military high Continued on page 4

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola raised the alarm yesterday over plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to use unwholesome means to win elections next year.

He urged his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to refocus its strategy to wrest power from the PDP. Aregbesola spoke at the first APC Southwest Assembly in Ibadan the Oyo State capital. The event attracted the cream of the party’s leaders.

The governor also gave an insight into how he won the August 9 governorship election.

He said the masses, particularly women and school children, were those who defied the alleged intimidation of thousands of mostly masked security operatives who went round the state intimidating voters before and during the election.

WHEN WILL According to him, women, THE CHIBOK particularly low cadre womGIRLS en, who are naturally overKIDNAPPED looked, and school children, ON APRIL 15

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BE FREED?

Continued on page 4

•All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Pa Ayo Fasanmi (right) speaking at the event...yesterday. With him (from second right) are: Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, National Vice Chairman (South West Zone), Chief Pius Oluwole Akinyelure and Oba Olatunji Hamzat

•SOCIETY P15 •SPORTS P24 •BRAND P26 •AGRIC P38 •POLITICS P45 •CITYBEATS P60

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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NEWS

1,900 die of Ebola a M

•From left: Chief Executive Officer, Diageo Plc, Ivan Menezes, Managing Director and Chief Executive, United Bank for Africa (UBA Plc), Philip Odozua, Managing Director and Chief Executive, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Seni Adetu, and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) Oscar Onyema, at the dinner in honour of Menezes in Lagos.

•From left: Head of Lubes, Oando Marketing Plc, Lilian Ikokwu, Lagos State Deputy Chairman, Motormechs and Technicians Association of Nigeria (MOTAN), Mr. Samson Idowu, Chief Executive Officer, Oando Marketing Plc, Mr. Yomi Awobokun, Hollyhock Global Services representative, Mr. Shola Balogun and Assistant General Secretary, Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Mr. Olakunle Mosadoba during the sign-on ceremony for 100 mechanics to undergo two-month intensive training in Lagos.

•From left: Representative of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Ferdinand Agu; Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Dr Joseph Odumodu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga; President, Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Mr Kunle Awobodu and President, National Association of Blocks Moulders Association, Alhaji Rasheed Adebowale, unveiling the prototype of the new cement bag during the PHOTO: NAN National Stakeholders' Forum on Block and Allied Products in Abuja...yesterday.

•Executive Secretary, Institute of Entrepreneurs, Dr Rotimi Olawale speaking at the institute’s membership induction in Lagos... yesterday. With him are Director of Marketing and Membership, Dr Foluke Olagunju and Deputy Director , Technology Transfer Division , Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr Felicia Adeyemo.

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

ORE than 1,900 people have now died in West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

There have been 3,500 confirmed or probable cases in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

“The outbreaks are racing ahead of the control efforts in these countries,” WHO chief Margaret Chan said.

The WHO is meeting next Thursday to examine the most promising treatments and to discuss how to fast-track testing and production.

Disease control experts, medical researchers, officials from affected countries, and specialists in medical ethics will all be represented at the meeting in Geneva.

At least $600m (£360m) are needed to fight the virus, and more than 20,000 people could be infected before the outbreak is brought under control, the WHO has warned.

Ms Chan described the outbreak as “the largest and most severe and most complex we have ever seen”.

“No-one, even outbreak responders with experience dating back to 1976, to 1995, people that were directly involved with those outbreaks, none of them have ever seen anything like it,” she said.

More than 40 per cent of the deaths have occurred in three weeks leading up to 3 September, the WHO says, indicating that the epidemic is fast outpacing efforts to control it.

On Wednesday, Nigeria reported two further cases in the city of Port Harcourt.

There had previously only been one case outside the city of Lagos, where five people have died from the virus.

The outbreak is having a knockon effect as far away as Thailand, where sailors are becoming fearful of sailing to Africa, affecting shipments of rice.

Vichai Sriprasert, of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told the BBC that crews are afraid to go to Africa because of the threat of Ebola - despite evidence that infection and death is unlikely.

West Africa imports millions of tons of rice, much of it from Thailand.

The cut in demand is hitting the price of rice in Thailand and affecting farmers, he said.

“The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Port Harcourt has the potential to grow larger and spread faster than the one in Lagos,” the WHO warned.

Also on Wednesday, the first British person to contract Ebola during the outbreak was discharged from hospital after making a full recovery.

On Tuesday medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned that a global military intervention was needed to combat the outbreak.

MSF condemned the global response so far as “lethally inadequate” and said the world was “losing the battle” to contain the outbreak.

It has called for military and civilian teams capable of dealing with a biological disaster to be deployed immediately, as well as for more field hospitals with isolation wards to be set up, trained healthcare workers to be sent to the region and air support to move patients and medics across West Africa.

The Ebola outbreak in Port Harcourt could spread wider and faster than in Lagos, the WHO warned yesterday.

The UN health body said the virus’ arrival in Port Harcourt, 435 kilometres east of Lagos and home to oil and gas majors such as Shell, Total and Chevron, showed “mul-

•Staff of Ayodele Medical Group, Lagos during an enlightenment walk on Ebola....yesterday.

tiple high-risk opportunities for transmission of the virus to others”.

Until the Port Harcourt case was announced, Nigeria’s government had indicated that the virus was contained in Lagos.

Nigerian authorities are monitoring nearly 400 people for signs of Ebola after they came in contact with a Port Harcourt doctor who died of the disease but hid the fact that he had been exposed, a senior Nigerian health official said on Thursday.

Dr. Abdulsalami Nasidi, project director at Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, said there was a sense of “hopelessness” due to the lack of proven drugs or vaccines to treat Ebola that has infected 18 people in Africa’s most populous nation.

He said that more isolation wards were being opened in the oil industry hub but voiced confidence that there would not be “many cases” there.

After having contact with an Ebola patient and before his own death on August 22, the Port Harcourt doctor, named by local authorities as Iyke Enemuo, carried on treating patients and met scores of friends, relatives and medics, leaving about 60 of them at high risk of infection, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday.

The doctor’s wife, who is also a physician, and a patient in the same hospital have been infected with Ebola, the WHO said.

“Everything about this doctor was in secrecy, he violated our public health laws by treating a patient with a highly pathogenic agent who revealed to him that he had contact with Ebola and didn’t want to be treated in Lagos because he might be put in isolation,” Nasidi said.

“He treated him in secrecy outside hospital premises. When he became ill he did not reveal to his colleagues that he had contact with someone who contracted Ebola. He was taken to General Hospital, a private hospital that sees everybody.

“That is the only case that effectively escaped our surveillance network. We are paying now for it,” Nasidi said.

He spoke on the sidelines of a two-day WHO experts meeting aimed at speeding development of Ebola drugs and vaccines.

The United Nations said $600 million (Dh2.2 billion) in supplies would be needed to fight West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, as the

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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ola as WHO seeks $600m to tackle outbreak

•Some members of staff of Ayodele Medical Group, Lagos creating awareness against Ebola...yesterday.

death toll from the worst ever epidemic of the virus topped 1,900 and Guinea warned it had penetrated a new part of the country. The pace of the infection has accelerated, and there were close to 400 deaths in the past week, officials said on Wednesday. It was first detected deep in the forests of southeastern Guinea in March.

The haemorrhagic fever has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, and Senegal, and has killed more people than all outbreaks since Ebola was first uncovered in 1976. There are no approved Ebola vaccines or treatments.

An experimental Ebola vaccine that Canada said it would give to the World Health Organisation for use in Africa was as of Wednesday still in the lab that developed it as officials are puzzled over how to transport it.

Ottawa said on August 12 that it would donate between 800 and 1,000 doses of the vaccine, being held at Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

“We are now working with the WHO to address complex regulatory, logistical and ethical issues so that the vaccine can be safely and ethically deployed as rapidly as possible,” Health Canada spokesman Sean Upton said in a statement.

“For example, the logistics surrounding the safe delivery of the vaccine are complicated.” Upton said one of the challenges was keeping the vaccine cool enough to remain potent.

Human safety trials are due to begin this week on a vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline Plc and later this

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Ebola: U.S. okays Nigeria’s approach

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HE United States government praised yesterday Nigeria’s handling of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

U.S. Under Secretary of State on African Affairs, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, however, expressed concern about the spread of the virus in other West African countries.

Mrs Thomas-Greenfield spoke when she visited the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu.

She said: “I commend the Minister and his staff and the government of Nigeria on how effectively they have been working to deal with the Ebola outbreak here in Nigeria.

“They are taking all the right steps to control this. And, they are having great success here. I appeal to the minister to assist neighbouring Liberia, Sierra-Leone as they also grapple with this terrible outbreak.”

Mrs Thomas-Greenfield denied the allegation that U.S. was not ready to assist Nigeria, especially with the trial drugs.

She said: “That is not correct; I think the Centre for Disease Control has proactively supported all the countries in the West African region in dealing with the situation. It is not about ZMapp. There were six doses of ZMapp available; they were all used. What is important is how to control the spread of the disease. And, that is exactly what is being done here in Nigeria; and efforts are being made to have the same kind of success in Liberia.

“We are very concerned about the spread of the Ebola disease in Liberia, Sierra Leone and in Guinea. Efforts have been made proactively, every single day, with the support of Centre for Disease Control, WHO, medical community around, continent of African and around the world, to support the efforts to contain the outbreaks in these countries. Again, I really commend everything that

year on one from NewLink Genetics Corp.

The US Department of Health and Human Services said on Tuesday a

federal contract worth up to $42.3 million would help accelerate testing of an experimental Ebola virus treatment being developed by pri-

Funeral for Adadevoh

HE remains of Dr Stella Adadevoh who died on August 19 of Ebola will be interred next Friday.

A memorial service will hold at the Holy Cross Cathedral, opposite City Hall, Lagos by 10am before the interment.

The Nation gathered that the family has obtained the ashes of the late doctor, after her body was decontaminated and cremated by the Lagos State Government.

A Night of Tributes has been slated for Thursday by 6pm at Harbour Point Hotel, Lagos.

The late Adadevoh was the Consultant at First Consultants Hospital,

vately held Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. Dr. David Nabarro, senior UN Coordinator for Ebola, said the cost

U.S. to provide $75M to expand Ebola care centers

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By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

Obalende, where she attended to the index case of Ebola Virus Disease, Patrick Sawyer. She contracted the disease and died at the Case Management Centre in Yaba, Lagos.

The family decided to bury the ashes because, “in the future, people (society) may be taunting us and her son that his late mother has no grave. It was basically a cultural thing that informed us to decide to obtain her ashes for the burial. Committing the ashes to Mother Earth will strictly be a family affair; hence we have put up the Memorial Service and a Night of Tributes in her honour.”

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

is being done here in Nigeria to contain the outbreak.”

The diplomat added: “I think the world is doing everything possible to control this disease. There are many diseases in the world. I mentioned to the minister that we are still wary about malaria. There are more people dying of malaria in Africa than those that are dying of Ebola. We are working on all of these to try to find a way of controlling them. It is not as a result of neglect, it is a result of hard work to continue to control the spread.”

Reacting to the call on Nigeria to assist the other African countries plagued by the virus, Prof. Chukwu said: “Well, Nigeria has always been her brothers’ and sisters’ keeper. Nigeria helped and founded ECOWAS. You remember it was during Gen. Yakubu Gowon, when he was Head of States, that ECOWAS was established. And, Nigeria continues to play that leading role in ECOWAS. We are going to assist our sister nations.

“United States of America has fully been part of this battle to contain the Ebola virus disease in Nigeria.

CDC has done wonderfully well. Even if you go remotely, part of the infrastructure we have in Nigeria was because CDC worked with Nigeria to get them established. So, we are grateful to the government of United States; and the support continues to come in.

Even some of the hand-held infrared thermometers we are using were provided by the United States government.”

On the trial drug, the minister said: “The explanation has come on why that was impossible. But, we’ve done also well without ZMapp. Eight patients have been successfully managed and discharged. The point is that it is not all about ZMapp. So, we are going to assist other ECOWAS countries.”

of getting the supplies needed by West Africa countries to control the crisis would amount to $600 million.

That was higher than an estimate of $490 million by the WHO last week.

Moving workers and supplies around the region has been made difficult by restrictions by some countries on air travel and landing rights as they try to control Ebola’s spread.

“We are working intensively with those governments to encourage them to commit to the movement of people and planes and at the same time deal with anxieties about the possibility of infection,” Nabarro said.

He said the president of Ghana has agreed to allow an air bridge, or route, through the country to affected regions to move people and supplies.

Ivory Coast, which closed its borders with Liberia and Guinea last month, said on Tuesday it would open humanitarian and economic corridors to its two western neighbours.

WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan told a news conference in Washington, “This Ebola epidemic is the longest, the most severe and the most complex we’ve ever seen.” Chan said there were more than 3,500 cases across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Amid shortages of equipment and trained staff, more than 120 health care workers have died in West Africa in the Ebola outbreak.

The Liberian government has begun offering a $1,000 bonus to any health care workers who agreed to work in Ebola treatment facilities.

•The late Adadevoh

HE American aid agency announced yesterday it would donate $75 million to fund 1,000 more beds in Ebola treatment centers in Liberia and buy 130,000 more protective suits for health care workers.

West Africa’s struggling health systems have buckled under the pressure of an Ebola outbreak that has already killed about 1,900 people. Nurses in Liberia are wearing rags over their heads to protect themselves from the dreaded disease, amid concerns that shortages of protective gear throughout the region are responsible for the high Ebola death toll among health workers.

The U.S. Agency for International Development also urged American health care workers to respond to the outbreak. Rajiv Shah, the agency’s administrator, told The Associated Press that several hundred more international experts are needed and the agency will help send Americans health care workers there.

“This will get worse before it gets better,” he said. “We have a coherent and clear strategy ... but it will take weeks to months to get operational at that scale.”

The $75 million comes in addition to about $20 million the agency has already donated to fight the outbreak that was first identified in March in Guinea, and has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The killer virus is spread through bodily fluids such as blood, sweat, urine or diarrhea.

Health workers account for about 10 percent of the deaths so far.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

J

•President Goodluck Jonathan welcoming Chairman, Body of Benchers Chief Onomigbo Okpoko during the visit of senior lawyers to the Presidential Villa in Abuja…yesterday. With them are Vice President Namadi Sambo (left) and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

PDP desperate to win in 2015, says Aregbesola Continued from page 1

defied gun-wielding security operatives to insist that they would exercise their civic rights and would only vote for the candidate of their choice.

Aregbesola said with the masses and support from other APC-controlled states, the PDP, which he said, hid under the power of the Federal Government to militarise and intimidate voters against performing their civic duties or preventing them from voting for their choice candidates, would have won the election.

He said: “The PDP is determined to take our states from us.

They are ruthless opposition that will do anything to deny our people of their democratic choices. If we understand this early enough, we will see the need to stop them on their track. But if we underrate them, we will record losses. The actual winners, those who defeated the opposition in Osun, were the ordinary men and women, particularly women who refused to be intimidated. They came out even in their most dreadful form. For the first time, security operatives put on masks in broad day light in their thousands on trucks, shooting. But

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‘APC must rise up to the challenge’

ATIONAL Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Southwest, Chief Pius Akinyelure yesterday urged his party men to rise up to the challenge ahead of next year’s general election.

It was at the maiden Southwest assembly of the party held at the Premier Hotel in Ibadan.

His speech set the tone for the communiqué of the meeting as agreed upon by the cross section of the party leaders in attendance.

Chief Akinyelure said the paty was ready “to build even a greater future for our long suffering people by confronting the ills of the present to achieve a greater tomorrow.”

He roused the members to action to confront “the economic and political woes of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) that dim the stars of yesteryears, becloud the rainbows of today and dimin-

women came out to perform their duty. They sang against them and sent signals to them that they would not tolerate terror.

“We must thank and celebrate them. We didn’t prepare them for it but they did it on their own.

“Quickly following the women in the determination to exercise their rights were school children who always sang that people should vote for Aregbesola.

It was unbelievable.

“They deflated the ego of the

ish the hidden potentials of our great nation.”

The zonal leader commended the performance of the governors of APC in the zone and the courage displayed by Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) during their elections.

Akinyelure criticised the PDP for its leadership failures in fixing the economy and securing the people.

He said: “Our politics must be accompanied by clarity of message about what we stand for.

This should be articulated and communicated with an end to end story; they must reflect their impact on citizens’ well-being alongside the developmental aspirations of our communities; whilst we intensify political education and enlightenment.

people that wanted to dominate and terrorise us. Yes, our men worked but the determination of our women and the children including artisans, drivers, was high. Politicians must acknowledge them.

“We must let people know that this is what they must do.

They must refuse to be cowed, that they should vote and defend their votes. They deserve accolades for the victory of our party in the State of Osun. I will never forget them. Women that one

Continued on page 57

would think wrongly are the least in a struggle like this.”

Aregbesola said when President Goodluck Jonathan came to Osun a week before the election to campaign for his party’s candidate, he referred to APC governors as miscreants. The governor wondered if winning elections turns one to a miscreant.

But he said even beggars refused to take money from them because they were not acceptable in the state.

Continued on page 57

2015: Lamido not qualified to be president, says Clark

IGAWA State Governor Sule Lamido is not qualified to run for president in next year’s general election, Ijaw leader Chief Edwin Clark, said yesterday.

Clark spoke against the background of plans by the governor to challenge President Goodluck Jonathan for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket.

Although Jonathan has not declared his intention to seek reelection, his supporters have been campaigning for him, all over the country. He is widely expected to run.

Lamido also has not expressed his intention to vie; he has however rejected the plot to make Jonathan a consensus candidate of the PDP. Clark, who spoke at his Kiagbodo, Burutu local government area of Delta State hometown yesterday, also blamed Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi for the crisis between him and President Jonathan.

He however said the relationship between the duo would soon be settled, because “he is one of us.”

Dismissing Lamido’s presidential ambition as unrealistic, Chief Clark described President

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

Jonathan’s re-election as a valid ambition due the people of the Niger Delta.

“Lamido should not speak.

He’s not a fit and proper person to govern Nigeria.

“Apart from the fact that Jonathan has another four years, Lamido is not qualified to be president of Nigeria. One, educationally, he is not qualified.

Nigeria is made up of very qualified people; let him tell me what his qualifications are. (Mallam) Aminu Kano was the one who brought him up; tell me what his qualifications are to take over from someone who has a Ph.D, who has been a lecturer, who has been a deputy governor and a governor. The arrogance must be stopped”, he said.

Restating his earlier comments on the waiver granted former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to run for Adamawa State governor on the ticket of the PDP, Clark said the former anti-corruption Czar is not an asset, but a liability to the ruling party.

“Ribadu is a political liability, I have said that Ribadu cannot win any election”, he said.

U.S. plans security programme for Nigeria

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HE United States (US) is “troubled” by the Boko Haram menace in the Northeast its Under Secretary of State on African Affairs, Ambassador Linda Thomas – Greenfield said yesterday.

It has initiated a security programme for Nigeria and its neigbouring countries, said Thomas – Greenfield, who spoke at the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-National Commission Regional Security Working Group in Abuja yesterday.

She said: “We are very troubled by the apparent capture of Bama and the prospects for an attack on and in Maiduguri, which would impose a tremendous toll on the civilian population. This is a sober reality check for all of us. We are past time for denial and pride.

“Despite our collective efforts, the situation on the ground is worsening. The conflict has affected the lives of hundreds of

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

thousands, if not millions, of people in the Lake Chad region.

Cameroon’s military is increasingly forced to fight Boko Haram within its borders and they flee back into Nigeria without fear. The Chibok schoolgirls and others remain hostages, enduring horrible and tragic suffering. Abubakar Shekau’s bold announcement that Boko Haram is now governing a “caliphate” only adds to the perception that the security situation is steadily worsening. All of these developments are deeply disturbing, and increasingly dangerous with each passing day.

“This is a partnership in which both sides work together to identify the problem and design the solution. The United States is close to announcing he launch of a major border security programme under our Global SecuContinued on page 57

Massive offensive ongoing, says CDS

HIEF of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh shed light yesterday on military operations in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states at the National Assembly.

Air Chief Marshal Badeh told the Joint Committee on Defence that troops were conducting unlimited offensive operations aimed at stopping Boko Haram.

The offensive operations, he said, were also aimed at preventing Boko Haram from achieving its aim “to isolate and control areas around Maiduguri.”

The CDS, who led other Service Chiefs to the briefing, noted that since the declaration of emergency in the three states, the armed forces had been engaged in sustained operations against the insurgents.

The Defence chief identified the fight against Boko Haram as the greatest challenge facing the armed forces.

He urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the military but to continue to support its bid to defeat the terrorists.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence Senator George Thompson Sekibo said members of the National Assembly were worried by the scary reports they were getting concerning Boko Haram activities in the three states.

Sekibo said members of the committee would seek audience with President Goodluck

Boko Haram holds Bama as military pounds town Continued from page 1

command that there was no case of desertion, the DHQ is determined to ascertain the veracity of the claim.

A source said: “The Defence Headquarters is looking into the claim by Cameroonian Army which is yet to get in touch with us.

“So far, the GOC and other officers have claimed that no such incident was reported by troops at the battle front. We have asked them to crosscheck.

“We are trying to link up with various units and Cameroon to ascertain the veracity of a report by an international medium.

“If it is true, this is the worst form of desertion and it is wrong. If it is true, we are suspecting that the way the first desertion was reported might have encouraged From: Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja

Jonathan to find a lasting solution to the Boko Haram challenges.

Air Chief Marshal Badeh said the armed forces were involved in many internal security operations.

The challenges of religious intolerance, youth restiveness and cattle rustling, he said, necessitated the deployment of troops across the country.

According to him, in the Niger Delta, the armed forces are engaged in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, vandalism,

this batch.”

Cameroon state radio, the soldiers arrived at the Cameroonian border town of Amchide, where they handed their weapons to military officials.

Cameroon military spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck told the Voice of America (VOA) that the soldiers were accepted in the spirit of fighting Boko Haram alongside Nigerian forces.

Speaking in French, Badjeck described challenging situations in war that cause troops to flee, adding that Cameroon had demonstrated that it is a nation that assumes its responsibility to those in harm’s way.

Last week 480 Nigerian soldiers crossed over to Cameroon, ostensibly in “hot pursuit of Boko Haram militants.” Two-hundred forty-six of them have since returned

cult activities, armed robbery.

He continued: “Operation Safe Heavens’ in the Plateau is contending with the maintenance of law and order whereas in the Northwest, troops are deployed for operation to maintain the peace owing to the activities of Fulani militia.

“In other parts of the country, troops are also deployed to fight other crimes.

“In the last one month, troops have sustained on-going offensive operations both in and outside Seven Division areas of operation to shape the theatre, establish fighting positions and

to Nigeria, Badjeck said.

The DHQ said the development was a tactical manouevre but has made no comment on the latest movement of soldiers across the border.

In May, Cameroon’s Information Minister said President Paul Biya and President Goodluck Jonathan, had been communicating as part of a collaborative effort to defeat Boko Haram by sharing intelligence and allowing troops to pursue militants across borders if necessary.

Last night, the Federal Government directed massive supply of relief materials to more than 30,000 displaced persons from Bama who are in Maiduguri.

A team from the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) will deliver the relief items on today.

limiting Boko Haram freedom of movement within the area of operation and as I said earlier, the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Air Staff have been away to the theatre since last week and are yet to be back till probably next week.

“Significantly, troops are currently carrying out unlimited offensive operations aimed at denying Boko Haram freedom of action and from achieving its aim to isolate and control areas around Maiduguri.

Sekibo in his opening remarks before the briefing went into closed door said Nigerians were

worried over the frightening security situation in the country.

He asked, “Who has captured where. We are worried about the contradictions. We want to know, is the military still equipped or not to fight Boko Haram.

“What is the state of our equipment? Are you having difficulties accessing funds?

“If there are funds to buy equipment the morale of the soldiers will rise “State of Emergency is in the third stage and things are worse.

“Do we evacuate people there and go for full scale war? Was

•Air Chief Marshal Badeh

the funds released to you? We should know the problem. We at National Assembly will not rest on our oars.

A member of the committee, Senator Sanni Saleh, a retired military officer said he was going to speak based “on my experience as an insider.”

He noted that the duty of senators of the federal republic transcended the extension of state of emergency.

He said, “Our duty of oversight should ensure that high Continued on page 57

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THE NATION FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

5

NEWS

Falana gives Fed Govt seven-day ultimatum to probe Sheriff, others

F

OREMOST human rights’ activist, Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday gave the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to investigate and prosecute former Borno State Governor Modu Ali Sheriff and other alleged sponsors of Boko Haram, based on the findings of the Usman Galtimari panel.

He said if the government refused to act, he would apply to a court for a writ of Mandamus to compel the government to do so.

Falana queried security agencies for not complying with the 2012 directive of the government to investigate and prosecute the sponsors of Boko Haram.

The human rights’ activist, who made his position known in a statement, asked Sheriff to stop playing on the intelligence of Nigerians by denying his alleged link with the dreaded sect.

He said before the Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, indicted Sheriff, the Galtimari panel had raised issues of how Boko Haram emerged in Borno State from political militia in 2003 when Sheriff was the governor.

He said one of the militias in Borno State, ECOMOG, was linked to Sheriff and should therefore be investigated.

The statement said: “Yesterday (Wednesday), a former Governor of Borno State, Mr. Modu Sheriff, addressed a new conference in Abuja where he attempted to play on the collective intelligence of Nigerians by denying any link with the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

•Vows to apply for writ of Mandamus From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

“He was apparently reacting to his indictment by Rev. Stephen Davis, the international negotiator engaged by the Federal Government to dialogue with the Boko Haram sect to secure the release of the abducted Chibok girls.

“In his news conference, Mr. Sheriff claimed that he only met the late Mohammed Yusuf, the leader of the Boko Haram sect, after he had been arrested by the Army.

“As the Chief Security Officer in Borno State at the time, the ex-governor should open up on the circumstances of the extra-judicial killing of Muhammed Yusuf and his father-in-law, Alhaji Kuba.

“Mr. Sheriff should explain to Nigerians the basis of the appointment of Alhaji Buji Foi, a Boko Haram leader, as the Commissioner for Religions Affairs in Borno State.

“He resigned from the Sheriff administration before joining the Boko Haram sect. He too was extra-judicially killed after his arrest by the soldiers.”

Falana said before the revelations of Davis, the Galtimari panel was more forthcoming that there were sponsors of Boko Haram and they should be prosecuted.

He added: “Before the revelation of Rev. Davis, the President Goodluck Jonathan administration set up the Amb. Usman Galtimari panel to investigate the genesis of

the insurgency in the Northeast.

The panel found inter alia: ‘The Report traced the origin of private militias in Borno State in particular, of which Boko Haram is an offshoot, to politicians who set them up in the run-up to the 2003 general elections. The militias were allegedly armed and used extensively as political thugs. After the elections and having achieved their primary purpose, the politicians left the militias to their fate since they could not continue funding and keeping them employed. With no visible means of sustenance, some of the militias gravitated towards religious extremism, the type offered by Mohammed Yusuf.

‘It recommended that the Federal Government should direct the security agencies to beam their light on some politicians who sponsored, funded and used the militia groups that later metamorphosed into Boko Haram and bring them to justice.

‘Government accepts this recommendation and directs the National Security Adviser to coordinate the investigation of the kingpins and sponsors to unravel the individuals and groups that are involved.”

Falana also said a pronouncement by Sheriff was worth being looked into by security agencies.

He said: “In 2006, Governor Sheriff told the whole world that he was not bothered by criticisms of his

administration for non-performance because less than five per cent of the people in Borno State were literate.

“It has been confirmed that the majority of the youths who “gravitated towards religious extremism” come from the over a million children who were denied basic education by the Borno State government under Governor Sheriff.

“The ECOMOG militia group set up and funded by Governor Sheriff along with similar bodies were said to have constituted the roots of terrorism in the Northeast.”

The human rights activist demanded the prosecution of Sheriff and vowed to apply for a writ of Mandamus if the government did not act on the recommendations of the Galtimari panel.

He said: “Owing to the connection of Alhaji Sheriff with the Presidency, the security agencies have failed to implement the directives of the Federal Government, which were handed down since May 2012.

“If the directives are not carried out within the next seven days, I shall apply to the Federal High Court for a writ of MANDAMUS to compel the security agencies to investigate and prosecute the indicted sponsors of terrorism in the country.”

Falana made references to more findings and recommendations of the panel.

The statement added: “According to the panel:

Minister to deliver new terminal in six months

F

OLLOWING the traffic congestion experienced by passengers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has promised to deliver the new terminal in six months.

Unlike his predecessor, Chidoka said he would focus more on security and safety of airports.

Speaking at the airport after an inspection tour yesterday, the minister said he would prioritise projects because of fund constraints.

He promised to meet the contractors to speed up work.

According to him, “within now and four to six months, we shall get the new terminal up and running in the domestic area so that they can walk through and the sufferings passengers are going through will stop.

“Because of the structure of the airport and the ongoing rehabilitation, there is bound to be traffic. So we expect that Nigerians should appreciate and understand our challenges at this time. But we will open up more communication channels to show people what is about to happen and by the time the work is completed, passengers will travel in a comfortable atmosphere.”

Speaking about his area of interest, he said: “I have also tried to see that my predecessor did very well in the terminal buildings. So all we need is to focus and complete the work that has

It was reported that members of the sect have transformed themselves into dreaded criminal groups and were not known by various pious sounding Islamic names.

“The groups, which had hitherto employed the use of crude and locally- made arms with few automatic weapons, are now linked to highly- sophisticated weaponry and explosives imported or smuggled into the country.

Equally, their modus operandi had changed from mere confrontation with security agents to modern day terrorism with a high precision rate.

“Politicians in the country have employed the services of thugs and other groups and associations with large youth membership to intimidate their political opponents during electioneering activities. The roots of terrorism, especially in Borno, Gombe, Yobe and Bauchi states, could be traced to groups or associations, such as ‘ECOMOG’, ‘Yan Kalare’ and ‘Sara Suka’, which have links to prominent politicians in these states. However, similar to the militant groups in the Niger Delta area, the groups usually grow out of control and become a threat to the politicians that supported and financed them.

“States where sect members thrive should exercise the necessary political will to deal with this problem, notwithstanding the perceived implications to their sponsors.

“Government accepts this recommendation and directs the security agents to work with the state government to deal with this matter.”

From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

already started. But with that we want to pull our resources away from the terminal remodelling and focus more on the security and safety of the airports.

“But beyond the passengers and travel, our key focus is safety and security of the airport. While we want to make the passengers travel in a more convenient manner, we don’t want to compromise the security of the airport.”

Chidoka said he was holding talks with airline operators to ensure that they focus more on the safety of passengers and air space.

Speaking on funding, he said: “Well, there are funding constraints, but we are going to manage within the available funding to make sure that we work on the critical parts and get the critical projects up and running.”

The minister said he had ordered review of the security system across the airports.

“Our major strategy is to begin to look at the safety component of our work.

The FAA Category One provides us the opportunity to review the whole safety of our operations. So with that in mind, we are having a total review of our security system in all the airports and I have ordered the total review of the security system in all the airports with a view to making sure that they meet the global best practices”, Chidoka said.

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (second left); Prof. George Obiozor (left); Bishop, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo and his wife Bishop Peace, at the Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture at MUSON Centre, PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES Onikan, Lagos...yesterday

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Court asked to stop pro-Jonathan rallies

HE Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to restrain a group, the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), from proceeding with its nationwide rallies meant to promote President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 presidential ambition.

A party, the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), made this request in a suit it filed through its lawyer, Ipunu Emmanuel.

Named as defendants are President Jonathan, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SFG), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

HDP, which raised three questions for the court’s determination, argued that the

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

pro-Jonathan presidential campaign, being carried out

by TAN, under the guise of “rallies”, was a violation of Section 221 of the constitution.

The section states that “ no association, other than a political party shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any candidate at an election.”

The plaintiff is praying the court for an order restraining TAN from canvassing votes and holding political rallies for candidates and encouraging the unwholesome violation of the constitution relating to Section 221 and undue wastage of public funds for development and engendering insecurity, sycophancy, lawlessness, militancy and youth unrests in the country.

The party also asked the

court for a declaration that any campaign or political rally under any guise by any association other than a political party, not following the laid down rules, seeking to lure citizens to vote or directly canvassing for votes for any proposed candidate for any election is unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional and an abuse of the laws of the land.

HDP wants the court to determine: *Whether by virtue of the provisions of sections 221,229 paragraph 15 of the third schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the defendants are not under a constitutional duty to protect and enforce the law, to ensure that no association including TAN violates the law to canvass for votes for any candidates for the purpose of an election in Nigeria. *Whether the continued violation and lack of pro-

tection of the constitution by the defendants does not weaken the fabric and structure of the federation and encourage insecurity, lawlessness, looting of the treasury and federal resources under shady guises and through unlawful means to the detriment of the nation’s economy and political stability and respectability of the Nigerian nation by its citizenry and beyond endangering good governance and an orderly and law-abiding society. *And whether the violation and lack of protection of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution by the defendants is not an abuse of power and office and orderly means of political campaign and vote seeking by candidates at an election through their political party’s platform.

The case is yet to be assigned for hearing, as the court is still on annual vacation.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

6

NEWS Kogi local govt boss suspended

My sons, others are martyrs, says El-Zakzaky

From James Azania, Lokoja

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•CAN, Etsu Nupe shiites condole with Shiites

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HE Sheikh Ibrahim ElZakzaky-led Islamic Movement in Nigeria yesterday held a 40th day prayer for its 33 members, who were killed by soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna State on July 25.

Among those killed during the Quds Day procession were three of Sheikh Zakzaky’s sons.

The cleric said the killing was a blessing in disguise, explaining that they were martyred.

He said: “We are pleased that those who killed us are sons of the killers of the children of prophets. What happened to us cannot be compared to the tragedy that befell Imam Hussain (AS), in which all members of his family, including a six-month-old

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•Sheikh El-Zakzaky (right) with some Iranian scholars and others...yesterday.

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

baby, were murdered.”

Prayers were said at Dambo Film Village, where the dead were buried. The occasion was attended by prominent Nigerians and Islamic scholars from Mashad, Iran, including Sayyid Jawad Musawi and Sheikh

Hasan Muhammad.

A condolence message from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Northeast Youth Wing, signed by Evang.

Musa D. Misal, described the killings as “unfortunate” and praised Sheikh Zakzaky for his exemplary calm.

It reads: “When the news of the incident reached me, I

PHOTO: ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE

was confused. From my understanding of the Bible, this is cold-blooded murder.

However, all praises go to Allah for the manner you handled the situation and left the matter to Allah. With this, you displayed that you are the most patient among scholars in Nigeria, and we pray to the Almighty God to endow you

No automatic tickets for aspirants, says party

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has said there will be no automatic tickets for aspirants in the 2015 general elections.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the party said: “The resolution was reached at an expanded APC State Ex-

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

ecutive Council (SEC) meeting presided over by the Chairman, Alhaji Ishola Balogun Fulani, at the party’s secretariat in Ilorin.

“We urge all aspirants seeking to contest elective positions in the 2015 general

elections to declare their ambitions, as the APC will soon hold primary elections.

“There will be a levelplaying field for all aspirants.

All aspirants would be subjected to transparent, fair and credible primary elections.

The APC believes in internal democracy and the forthcoming primary elections will af-

ford our party another opportunity to prove to Kwarans and Nigerians that our unity as a party is bonded by internal democracy.

Our party will present the best brains, who will continue to steer the ship of Kwara State in the path of sustainable peace and development.”

Fintiri revokes sale of govt lodges

A

DAMAWA State Acting Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has revoked the sale of government lodges at Dougirei quarters in Yola, the state capital.

The lodges were sold by former Governor Murtala Nyako’s administration under a owner-occupier scheme.

The Supervisory Commissioner for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Bashiru Ahmad, broke the news yesterday, saying: “The state Executive Council has revoked the purported sale, which did not follow due process, with effect from September 3.”

“They houses are to remain

Tukur calls for fair play From Barnabas Manyam, Yola

as official quarters for serving commissioners, who are to pay rent, should they choose to reside in the quarters. This forecloses the issue of free accommodation for serving commissioners.

“The government viewed the sale of these quarters by the operatives of the past government at N5 million as a criminal act, which cannot be condoned by any responsible government. As we are all aware, the average cost of a plot of land around that area is about

N70 million, much less a developed one.”

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has urged politicians to ensure fair play in their activities.

He said equity and justice were important for the consolidation of democracy and peace.

Addressing delegates to tomorrow’s PDP governorship primary at a sensitisation seminar organised by the Adamawa State Executive Working Committee (SEWC) in Yola, the state capital, Tukur said lack of equity and justice

A

Professionals in UK elect officers A group of Nigerian professionals in the United Kingdom, the Progressive Solidarity Forum (PSF), has elected new leadership to pilot the affairs of the organization, following the general election on August 30 in South-East London.

Onowu Amaechi Nwaenie emerged as the Chairman, Chief Ebun Amu, Deputy Chairman and Mr. Kazeem Olasupo as the Media and Publicity Director. Other newly-elected officers include the Secretary, Joseph Adebola and the Financial Secretary, Mr. Oluwaseun Bayewu.

The chairman, who described PSF as a progressive ideological think tank and a socio- political organization, said the elected officers would steer the affairs of the organisation and prepare it for greater challenges ahead of the 2015 general elections. Nwaenie said the events of the last few months demonstrated that PSF had become very vocal and visible on issues of national interest and pledged to commit the organisation to progressive ideals and the actualisation of progressive governance in Nigeria next year.

Niger APC alleges plans to arrest leaders

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Group Political Editor

•Tukur

leads to dictatorship and imposition of candidates.

He said: “The imposition of candidates on political parties is negative to democratic principles.”

Tukur urged the electorate to elect credible leaders.

Igbo seek probe of allegations against Ihejirika GROUP, Ndigbo Lagos, yesterday urged the Federal Government to probe the allegation that a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), is a Boko Haram sponsor.

It said such an enquiry would lay the matter to rest and protect the retired general’s name.

“We, therefore, urged the Federal Government to institute a high-powered enquiry to address this obnoxious allegation and lay it to rest,” the group said.

In a statement by its Director of Communications and Strategy, Chuma Igwe, the group said the allegation made by an Australian, Stephen Davies, on Arise Television, was “condemnable.”

It said: “Mr. Davies did not adduce or suggest any single evidence to support his accusation. Curiously when in the

with more patience.”

The Etsu Nupe, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar, in a message, sent condolences to Sheikh Zakzaky on behalf of the Council of Traditional Rulers in Niger State.

He prayed Allah to grant the dead eternal rest and console their families.

IGER State All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday alleged plans by the government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to “instigate the arrest of its leaders” ahead of tomorrow’s supplementary poll in Niger East Senatorial District.

It accused the PDP of trying to foist its candidate on the people.

Niger APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, said the party was committed to credible elections in a peaceful environment.

He said: “There is a plan by the Niger State government and the PDP to arrest our leaders before the supplementary election on Saturday. In fact, we heard the state government has concluded arrangements to arrest some of our leaders. They are also saying that the APC will be held responsible for any violence.

N

Ebola: Oyo advises residents not to panic

•Military dismisses allegation against ex-Army chief

By Joseph Jibueze and Precious Igbonwelundu

same breadth he said he has knowledge of the sponsor of the Abuja Nyanya bombing, he refused to name names.

“Gen. Ihejirika has since denied this allegation. Given the lack of evidence, the nature of delivery of the allegation and the character of the accused general, Ndigbo Lagos believes Ihejirika’s traducers are playing dirty politics,” the group said Ndigbo Lagos said Ihejirika would be remembered as one of Nigeria’s most outstanding commanders who did his bit to end insurgency.

“He is not only an accomplished tactician, but also a strategic leader of a fighting force.

In his time he not only decimated the fighting capability of

Boko Haram but also built enduring military institutions to permanently checkmate insurgency in Nigeria,” the group said.

It recalled that Ihejirika not only established the Seventh Division of the Nigerian Army with headquarters in Maiduguri, he also set up new army brigades as well as counter-terrorism schools in Kachia and Jaji.

The group said Ihejirika’s detractors eight months ago called for his trial by The World Court “for being overzealous in crushing Boko Haram”, and now accuse of him of being a Boko Haram sponsor.

“The orchestration of this insidious allegation…reveals the tragic indulgence in denial, escapism by the same self-centred northern politicians who

HE Chairman of Kabba/Bunu Local Government in Kogi State, Emmanuel Funsho Otu, has been suspended for three months for alleged gross misconduct, fraud, maladministration and contract fixing.

The council’s legislative arm suspended Otu barely 24 hours after workers in the council protested against the non-payment of 10-month salary arrears.

A panel was raised to look into the allegations.

His vice would oversee the council pending the panel’s report.

The leader of the legislative council, Olorunmola Yomi Mathew, said all the 15 councilors signed the suspension order in accordance with Section 24 of the Kogi State Local Government Law (2008).

He said: “A notice of the suspension would be sent to the House of Assembly in accordance with Section 17 of the Kogi State House of Assembly Law, 2008.”

would rather create hell to rule over than serve in heaven…those who ride the tiger will inevitably find themselves in the belly of the tiger,” Ndigbo Lagos added.

Claims by the Australian negotiator that Ihejirika is among the sponsors of Boko Haram has been described as unfounded by military sources. It was learnt yesterday that the Nigerian military has no plan to investigate Ihejirika unless the Australian provided evidence of his complicity.

The military’s alleged indifference to Davies’ recent ‘revelation’, The Nation learnt, was premised on the belief that Ihejirika is on record the only exCOAS, who gave the insurgents a good fight.

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

O

YO State government has enjoined residents to stop panicking over the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). It urged them to be vigilant to curb the spread of the disease.

The government warned the people to desist from stigmatisation.

It advised them to report any suspicious case to the nearest hospital.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, spoke in Ibadan at a three-day sensitisation workshop on EVD, organised by the Office of the wife of the Oyo State Governor in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Evans Publishers.

It was held for health educators, information officers and chairpersons of the 33 local governments.

He advised the residents to take precautionary measures against the disease, saying government had put in place measures and facilities to detect and manage the disease.

“It will be appropriate, at this time, to say a few words about the Ebola Virus Disease, which has claimed the lives of many in West Africa. Seven deaths have been recorded in Nigeria.

“We have a lot of illegal borders in Oyo State. Regular checks must be carried out in the local governments where the borders are located by vigilance groups and health officers, to curb the spread of Ebola.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

7

NEWS Stop playing politics with LASU’s fees, APC tells PDP

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop playing politics with the tuition fees of Lagos State University (LASU).

Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, who said this in a statement yesterday, noted that the state government took “a hard decision to reverse the fees in the interest of the state’s 25million” residents and indigenes.

The APC noted that the decision was taken to stop the PDP from continuing to use the matter to score cheap political points.

The statement reads: “Government reversed a robust decision meant to facilitate, and speed up the building of a world class university that befits the status of Lagos so that villains will not turn out to be heroes overnight.

“PDP Lagos thinks they have found something tangible to help them sell a useless product called PDP in Lagos, but they have found nothing as the rug has been removed from under their feet.”

The APC said the PDPled Federal Government keeps about 60 per cent revenue allocations and starve the 36 states, including Abuja and the 774 local government areas, adding that Nigerians were yet to know the truth about the missing $20 billion dollars.

Osun election tribunal chair removed

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HE Chairman of Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice I. M. Bako, has been removed by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, it was gathered yesterday.

Justice Bako was removed barely two weeks after the panel started sitting.

His removal is provoking comments on why the court is always having challenges with election petitions in Osun.

Although the removal of tribunal chairman is within the power of the appeal court’s president, political motives and intrigues were suspected to be behind Justice Bako’s removal.

The three-man tribunal began sitting on August 27, 2014.

Its other members are Justice A.M. Awwalu and Justice Benson Ogbu.

Investigation by The Nation revealed that the redeployment, which was effected on Wednesday, caught Justice Bako and other mem-

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

bers unawares.

Besides the verbal notice, an official letter would be dispatched to the tribunal next week after a formal pronouncement by the court on Monday.

A top source said: “Members of the tribunal have been informed that the chairman has been redeployed to another panel based on a petition written by some people.

“We do not know the contents of the petition, but the change will be made known to the counsel to parties when the tribunal resumes sitting next week.

“I do not think the petition has anything to do with the impeccable integrity of the chairman. It might just be part of steps to serve justice judiciously.

“You know the stake is high in Osun State. Politicians will never be satisfied even if you make their relations members of election

petition tribunal.”

A source said: “Some judges at the appellate court have cultural/ marital affinity with some stalwarts of one of the parties before the tribunal.

“We just hope that the cultural and marital links will not determine who should preside over a tribunal or where the pendulum of justice will swing in Osun.

“They need to know that everyone is watching with keen development on how justice will be served in Osun as regards the August 9 governorship poll.

It was however learnt that the development has caused anxiety at the Court of Appeal.”

Another source said: “We are worried that politicians want to throw the Appellate Court into another round of crisis like the long-drawn one on the 2007 poll which created a crisis of confidence in the nation’s judiciary.

“For instance, no one has seen the petition. It is also

unclear if the members of the tribunal were availed the copy of the petition and whether the chairman was allowed to defend himself or not.

“The indications from the tribunal have shown that the members were kept in the dark about the petition. If there are issues, members of the tribunal, litigants and their counsel should know.

“When her Lordship was at the Court of Appeal in Jos, Plateau State, a petition was written against her by the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and its chairman, Lt.General Jeremiah Useni (rtd).

“The then Chief Justice of the Federation and NJC Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, queried her and she was creditably discharged and acquitted. The entire process of the phantom petition and her travails were put in the public domain.

Today, she is better for it because Nigerians can attest

Funeral for Mrs. Ojo

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HE Ojo family of Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area, Osun State, has announced the death of Mrs. Joanah Oyeleye Ojo. The deceased, 90, until her death on Friday August 22, was the Otun Ajinhinrere of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Esa-Oke. She is survived by many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren among whom is the Ondo State Correspondent of The Nation, Mr. Damisi Ojo, A Christian wake holds tomorrow while interment comes up on Saturday at her residence after a commendation service at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Esa-Oke.

Promotion exam for Ogun workers

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GUN State Civil Service Commission has conducted the yearly promotion examination for civil servants.

Commissioner 1 in the service commission, Alhaji Soji Olusesi spoke yesterday at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, venue of the exam.

He urged the workers to promote quality service delivery and to reciprocate the government’s commitment at improving their welfare and condition of service.

Olusesi, while answering questions from reporters, assured participants of prompt release of their result within six weeks.

“You know if you work, you must expect gain. They have been working in the last two, three years and now, they are expecting to move to another grade. To motivate them to put in their best, we are having the promotion examination.

“All things being equal, by the grace of God, in the next six weeks, immediately, Governor Ibikunle Amosun approves the promotion examination, they will get their letters.

“To whom much is given, much is expected.

The governor has been so kind to civil servants; he has paid them their salaries, he has given them incentives and he has given them promotion. So, we are expecting that they continue to be loyal and do their work as efficiently as possible.

to her integrity.

“All parties and stakeholders need to know what has gone wrong in Osun to have warranted the change of the tribunal chairman.”

Public Relations Officer of the Court of Appeal Hajiya Saudatu Kachalla said: “I will check with the authority.”

The National Judicial Council (NJC) last year recommended Justice T. D. Naron for compulsory retirement based on the findings of the committee that there were constant and regular voice calls and exchange of SMS messages between him and a lead counsel for one of the parties (Oyinlola) to the suit in the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal.

The calls were said to be contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers vide Section 292(1((b) of the 1999 Constitution.

•The late Mrs Ojo

•Ajimobi (right) addressing the market men, women and others

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Ajimobi gives N120m interest-free loan to traders

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has distributed N120 million to over 2,500 traders.

He said his administration would continue to ensure that trading activities were enhanced through government policies for a stable economy.

The governor spoke in an address to market men and women at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan at the distribution of cheques to beneficiaries.

Ajimobi dispelled the rumours being peddled by the opposition that his administration had been demolishing shops.

He said his administration only removed the structures of those trading by the roadsides.

The governor was assisted at the event by his deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, his wife, Florence and the Chairman of the

Oyo asks BoI to alleviate poverty

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YO State has asked the Bank of Industry (BoI) to tackle poverty and crime by providing funds for medium, small-scale enterprises and other businesses.

The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Ismail Olalekan Alli, made the appeal yesterday during a meeting with BoI’s management in Ibadan, the state capital.

He called for the bank’s support to provide loans to medium, small businesses and other business owners, especially women, traders and youth, to promote industry.

Alli observed that such plans would reduce poverty, crimes and other social vices.

The SSG said the government, in its bid state Market Advisory Council, Alhaji Dauda Oladapo.

He said the gesture was in fulfillment of his promise to the market men and women, artisans, caterers, traders and the people that his government would touch the lives of everyone.

“Trading, as we all know, is the livewire of

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

to make the state a true pacesetter to others, has been working to raise the people’s standard of living through provision of loans and capital to traders, women groups and youth.

Alli, who added that the government had also created the Bureau of Investment Promotion, disclosed that beneficiaries of the government / BoI N1 billion loans would be drawn from the medium and small-scale industries.

He added that of 155 people screened, 88 people have been recommended to access the state/BoI loans .

commerce in any given economy. Our administration is very much aware of this and is doing everything possible to make life better for the people,” he said.

On his administration’s urban renewal and environmental sanitation programmes which culminated in the removal of traders from the streets, Ajimobi

said it was done to ensure the environmental, health and safety of the people.

“We removed illegal traders only in Ibadan, said to be, before now, the dirtiest city in Nigeria. By removing illegal traders from underneath the bridges and roadsides where there were no toilets, we have reduced the incidence of cholera and

communicable diseases..

“Those trading under high-tension wires were also removed for their own self-safety while floodprone area traders, who were removed, have reduced our flood incidences,” he said.

The governor, who said that people still sell by the roadsides, added that they had only been moved away from deadly road paths.

He said he had instructed the 11 local government councils in Ibadan to build two neighbourhood markets each, adding that while many councils had completed their markets, others were at advanced stages of completion.

The governor implored market leaders to ensure that the interest-free loans go round, adding: “Our traders must ensure that the loans get to all those who need them, so as to boost their market capabilities.”

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NEWS ‘Why PDP ’ll continue to suffer defeat’

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SUN State All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its leadership will continue to suffer defeat and disgrace as long as it propagates deceit and lies about issues.

The party’s Director of Publicity, Strategy and Research, Kunle Oyatomi, spoke yesterday while reacting to the statement of INEC denying PDP’s claim that electoral officers were allegedly suspended for “helping APC to rig” elections in Obokun and Osogbo local governments.

APC, in a statement in Osogbo yesterday, said: “The PDP has again suffered the shame of being exposed as habitual liars in their mean attitude to political engagement in Osun State.

“PDP’s obsession to weave a structure of lies to

support its baseless case at the tribunal has led the opposition party to clutching at straws and fabricating stories to give a semblance of validity to the tissue of lies that are behind its bogus case against Omisore’s defeat at the August 9 gubernatorial election.

“Cases at election tribunals can only stand on the bases of fact and credible figures, not on fabrication and lies that have become the habit of the PDP. “That the current lie of the PDP against the APC and INEC has been exposed is ominous precursor to the imminent defeat of the party again at the tribunal.

“The APC therefore called on the good people of Osun never again to believe whatever the PDP says because the PDP is virtually incapable of telling the truth and therefore is untrustworthy.”

Ogun warns against fraudsters

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GUN State has warned the public to beware of fraudsters sending text messages to people, asking them to pay money into private bank account, on the Homeowners’ Charter Programme.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, said a number of fraudulent text messages were in circulation, purporting to be from the programme.

He noted that in the messages, residents were being deceived to pay certain amount of money into private accounts to obtain their Certificate of Occupancy.

The commissioner stated that home initiative was a direct programme between the state and homeowners.

Olaniyonu added that consultants and agents had no role in the collection of funds or the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy.

The programme, he added, has been a success, stressing that officials of the government are conducting inspection of property, whose owners registered for the programme.

Ibadan agog for APC, Alao-Akala, Ladoja

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BADAN, the Oyo State capital, was agog yesterday with politicians from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) trooping in for political programmes.

The city also hosted eminent personalities for the eighth day Fidau prayer for the late Madam Alimot Ladoja, mother of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja.

APC leaders from the Southwest states also besieged the hilltop Premier Hotel for their first zonal assembly while thousands of supporters of former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala converged on the city for his governorship declaration for the 2015 election.

Alao-Akala, who was the state governor between 2007 and 2011, was defeated by the incumbent, Abiola Ajimobi.

The former governor is out to battle for the PDP governorship ticket.

At the same time, dignitaries thronged the popular Ibadan Recreation Centre near Sabo area for payers for Ladoja’s mother. Ladoja was

From Bisi Oladele, Oseheye Okwuofu and Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

governor between 2003 and 2007.

The three events caused gridlocks in places such as Mokola, Parliament Road, Old Ife Road and Sabo.

Alao-Akala But, at the governorship declaration, appealed to the citizens to forgive him for his misdeeds when he was governor, pleading for his re-election in 2015.

He stated that none of his actions were deliberate or personal vendetta, adding that it was aimed at making life better for the populace.

“Inevitably, we might have offended some people in our desire to make life better for the populace or in pursuit of equity and justice. None of our actions were deliberate or personal vendetta. I therefore seek your understanding and forgiveness,” the former governor said.

Alao-Akala said he decided to join the governorship race following hundreds of phone calls, thousands of text messages and personal visitations.

He promised that if re-

elected in 2015, he would ensure an all-inclusive governance and quality leadership.

“We shall also consolidate on our previous achievements in the areas of education, health, commerce and agriculture. I make bold to state that every village and major town in Oyo State desire even development.

Hence, we shall continue with our policy of uplifting the rural areas as well as the urban centres with execution of people-oriented projects.”

He called on other PDP governorship aspirants to work with him to deliver the state to PDP in 2015.

Earlier in his remarks, a PDP chieftain, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoenia, who spoke on behalf of Ibadan indigenes, said the people were yearning for the return of Alao-Akala.

Also, political leaders and business tycoons yesterday showered praises on the late Madam Ladoja for her exemplary life and legacy as Muslim clerics offered prayers for the repose of her soul.

Dignitaries at the event included Governor Abiola

Ajimobi; his Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola; Ekiti State governor-elect, Mr. Ayo Fayose; former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel; two former Oyo governors, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo and Alao-Akala.

Others were former Senate leader, Teslim Folarin; Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; Chief Kola Daisi; a former Minister of Industry, Chief (Mrs.) Onikepo Akande; wife of the former Bayelsa State Governor, Mrs. Margaret Alamieyeseigha; Chief Shuaib Oyedokun; Elder Wole Oyelese and Professor Taoheed Adedoja.

Also present were Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi; wife of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Ayo Olaitan Bankole; Chief Sharafadeen Alli; Adebayo Shittu; Alhaja Bose Adedibu; National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeem Yasin; Dr. Saka Balogun; Sunbom Owolabi; sons of the late Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao; commissioners, caretaker chairmen and others.

Party accuses Aregbesola of evading tribunal’s papers

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SUN State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the August 9 governorship election, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, was evading service of the elec-

•Lawyers’ conduct unprofessional, says governor From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

tion tribunal processes.

The PDP Publicity Secretary, Prince Bola Ajao, told reporters yesterday that the party had been unable to serve Aregbesola with the necessary papers relating to the matter since eight days after filing its petition before the tribunal.

“From the antics, practices and the body language of the APC and its representatives, they are out to delay, prolong and frustrate due processes required to diligently prosecute this matter before the tribunal. We have even had course to complain to the tribunal about this as time is of

the essence.”

The PDP alleged that the APC and the INEC were conniving to tamper and alter some materials and documents used for the last governorship poll.

But in a reaction on behalf of Aregbesola, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration, Ajibola Basiru, said the action of the PDP’s lawyers was unprofessional.

H said: “Our response is that the legal counsel to Iyiola Omisore and the PDP are acting in an unprofessional manner. This is unbecoming of them. It is despicable that they have decided to conduct the petition of their client on the

Fayemi urges action on conference report

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KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi has called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to begin the implementation of the report of National Conference report.

The governor made the call in Ado-Ekiti last Wednesday while receiving reports of Ekiti delegates to the conference.

He said Nigeria had reached a critical point where citizens and government must act fast to prevent the danger that necessitated the conference.

Fayemi, who stressed the need for a referendum on the report, hoped that the proposals would yield results that would produce a new Nigeria.

“I hope this will go beyond just another report as we have seen many ending up as mere reports. But something tells me that we have reached a point of no return that we either do something about this or God help Nigeria. This calls for immediate attention of the National Assembly and

Nigerians of the need for a referendum,” he said.

The governor praised the delegates for giving the state quality representation at the conference.

He noted that many of the decisions taken at the conference were from the mandate given the delegate by the people at a mini-conference organised before the start of the national conference.

Fayemi highlighted such issues that were adopted from the position of Ekiti State as including fiscal federalism, devolution of power and gender equality among others.

He said there was no two-tier state, which runs a three- tier government because local government should be the business of the state government and not the Federal Government.

He added that the confab’s decision has strengthened his belief in fiscal federalism.

The leader of the delegation, Dr. Kunle Olajide, had praised the governor

pages of newspapers. Even, the Law School students know that originating processes like a petition must be served personally.

“As I am speaking with you now, the governor is out of town. He is currently in Ibadan, attending the regional meeting of the APC. Or did the PDP expect the governor to wait in his house to be expecting service from them and leave other government jobs undone?

“If the PDP lawyers are professionals and know what to do, they should stop conducting their case on the pages of the newspapers and do what is right as professionals, which they claimed to be.”

•Fayemi

for selecting the state delegation, which he said, drove the conference in a positive direction, especially in the areas of gender and fiscal federalism.

Olajide hoped the Federal Government would have the political will to implement the report to make Nigeria a better place.

The two other delegates, who came with Olajide, were the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye and Prof.

Olabisi Aina.

They also spoke on issues ranging from gender to religion.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

PEOPLE THE NATION

A SIX-PAGE SECTION ON SOCIETY

The Nigerian institute of Management (NIM) has conferred its highest professional award of fellow on 27 persons. The ceremony climaxed activities marking this year’s edition of its Fellows and Spouses Day Luncheon , reports NNEKA NWANERI

• From left: Prince Madumere; Sir Omehia and Hon Umanah

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T is a tradition that has kept the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) going. Yearly, the Institute confers its highest professional membership on selected people. This year, 48 persons were chosen as fellows, making them eligible to use the suffix, FNIM, after their names. The Institute, which has 200,000 members, instituted the award in 1963.

Twenty seven of fellows were honoured last Thursday at the Shell Hall of the Muson Centre in Lagos during the NIM Award, Fellows and Spouses Day Luncheon. The remaining 21 will be honoured in Warri, Delta State, during its conference between September 21 and 23.

The Shell Hall throbbed with activities. It was decorated in the NIM colours of blue and red. Before long, more tables and chairs were brought in to accommodate those standing behind the hall.

Everybody stood for the rendition of the National Anthem.

The NIM Code of Conduct was read by its President and Chairman of Council, Dr Nelson Uwaga. It was followed by his welcome address, in which he highlighted the Institute’s activities since his assumption of office eight months ago.

“Fellow’s upgrade is not a destination or an end in itself. I, therefore, implore the recipients not to be contented with just adding the designation, FNIM, to their names but to see it as a call to higher service to the Institute, the management profession and the nation. From this day forward, each of you is required to devote more of your time, talent, treasure and thinking to the service of the Institute and mankind,” Dr Uwaga said.

In a lecture titled: “Random Thoughts on NIM and its Fellows,” a former Director of Tower Aluminium Plc, Mr Akinbayo Adenubi urged the awardees to always wear their lapel pin, because it opened doors for a lot of other fellows in the past.

Another fellow, Chief Tonye Korubo-Owiye, spoke of how the awardees were selected.

Chairman of the Awards Committee Mrs Pat Anabor called out those conferred with awards.

The trio of Chief Timothy Adebutu; Mrs Georgina Hollist and Mrs Funmilayo Green, who are septuagenerians were conferred with Life Membership.

Four others comprising two individuals and two firms got corporate awards. They are: Mrs Rabi Sodangi, who got the Chris Abebe Award; Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Tuyo Award; Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mobolaji Bank, Anthony Award and Zenith Bank, Management Excellence Award.

Call to ‘higher service’

•Dr Uwag (left) presenting a certificate to Elijah Mohammed as Obong Inuaeyen watches

The Fellows are: Imo State Deputy Governor Eze Madumere; former Governor of Rivers State Sir Celestine Omehia; Special Adviser on Technical Matters to Akwa Ibom State Governor Etido Iyang; Chairman of Danvady Group of Companies Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong; Commodore Adesoji Babalola; former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor in Charge of Corporate Services, Suleiman Barau; Imo State Commissioner for Finance Chike Okafor; Deputy Managing Director, Domestic Bank of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Apollos Ikpobe; Mrs

Esther Obijoye of Professional Women’s Advisory Board of the American Biographical Institute; Maj Gen Salihu Uba; Publisher Pharmanews, Ifeanyi Atueyi; Ahmed Zaria; Chukwuemeka Eleh; Muiz Oseni; Alhaji Mohammed Dukku; Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Communication Aniekan Umanah; Alhaji Rasak Oyetola; Ahmed Yusuf; Obong Inuaeyen; Mohammed Musa; Chief Godwin Obasuyi; Gabbidon Meheux; Mokikan Femi and Ifiok Umunna.

More pictures on page 16

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

SOCIETY CALL TO ‘HIGHER SERVICE’

•From left: Alhaji Salihu Alkali; Mr Jimmy Dan Abubakar; Abdullahi Zari Abdulahi and Aminu Yabo

•From left: Mrs Green; Mr Jonathan Nwosu and Prof Samuel Alao

•From left: Mallam Musa; Mr Oseni and Mr Dukku

•Hon Okafor (left) and Mr Ikpobe

•Past Presidents of the Institute Dr Lugard Aimiuwu (left) and Dr Michael Olawale-Cole

• Mr Adenubi

• High Chief Folarin Willams PHOTOS: NNEKA NWANERI

The funeral of Chief Oluwole Olatunde Sowande has been held in Lagos reports AMAKA NZENWA.

Farewell to honest man M

ANY betrayed emotions as the body was brought into the church. They dabbed their eyes with handkerchiefs as the pall bearers brought in the casket amid the singing of the hymn: “Jesus lives! thy terrors now”.

It was the funeral service for Chief Oluwole Olatunde Sowande, who died on August 7. He was 85.

The event held at Bishop Irunsewe Kale Memorial Anglican Church (BIKMAC) at Olowora Olawaiye, Omole Phase II, Ikeja, Lagos.

The service began with prayer by Rev Gbenga Onayemi. The choir rendered the procession hymn as the officiating ministers filed in.

In his sermon, Rev Onayemi urged the congregation to fear God and always remember death.

He urged the bereaved children to take after their father. He described the late Sowande as God fearing, honest and trust worthy. ‘‘Papa was a man of integrity, he was honest and truthful; he lived a good life and was very active in the church. We all should learn from papa’s life,’’ he said.

During thanksgiving, family members and guests danced to the altar in celebration.

After the service, the body was moved to Ebony Cemetery at Atan, Yaba, Lagos Mainland for interment.

• From left: Mr Tunde Jinadu; Balogun Bisi Omidiora and Mrs Tinuola Akinremi

• From left: Mr Jonathan Sowande; Mrs Olukemi Omidiora and Mr Dokun Omidiora

• Mr Gbadebo Akinremi (right) and Mr Gbolahan Sowande

Reception followed at Vicsum Private School, Berger.

The reception was anchored by Elebude Alara of Radio Lagos.

The women wore purple lace; men were in white with purple caps to match.

The Alake of Egbaland, Oba

thought us the value of family and showed us nothing but love and loyalty,” he said.

In his condolence letter to the family, Oba Gbadebo said the late Sowande led a good family life and left a good legacy.

“When the deceased led the

Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, was among the eminent guests at the occasion.

A son, Tunde, described his father as a good man with a heart of giving.

“He had a good and giving heart and helped those around him. He

Sowande family on a homage to me on Tuesday July 26, he looked quite healthy and no one could have the premonition that the end was near.

It is, however, gladdening to note that he led the family well and left an enduring legacy,” the letter reads.

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SOCIETY Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was agog last Saturday for the wedding of the SecretaryGeneral, African Society for Professional Advancement in Washington, United States Abdul Rasheed Ajibade Abubakar and former Miss Zainab Olaide, reports AMIDU ARIJE.

‘He’s the finest’ E

XOTIC cars competed for space at the Emeritus Prof Theophilus Oladipo Ogunlesi Multi-purpose Hall in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, last Saturday.

Itinerant drummers made brisk bisiness singing the praise of guests as they enter the hall. Beautifully-dressed female ushers welcomed guests with warmth.

It was at the Nikkah of Zainab Olaide and Abdul Rasheed Ajibade.

It was a joyful day for the families of the late Abdul Waheed Olaide Suberu and the late Sheikh Dhikrullah Aremu Abubakar as they gathered at the venue to witness their children’s union.

The couple were the cynosure of all eyes. They were dressed in lace attires with matching pairs of shoes.

The bride, Zainab was ful of smiles. She was the toast of the day.

The groom, Abdul Rasheed, is the Imam of Luftil-Llahi International Prayer Group in Washington the United States (US) and Secretary General of African Society for Professional Advancement. His joy knew no bounds. He was busy taking pictures of his bride and himself during the ceremony.

The Nikkah was presided over by Sheikh Muhideen Ajani Bello, who, in his sermon emphasised the importance of marriage in a man’s life. He said it is one of the basic principles of Islam which makes man responsible.

He urged the couple to hold firm to Allah. The Islamic cleric said nikkah is the sunnah (practice) of Prophet Muhammad which all Muslims must follow.

Sheikh Bello prayed for the success of the union and presented the couple with their

•Sheikh Bello (left) presenting certificate to Zainab and Abdul Rasheed

marriage certificate.

Zainab described the day as her happiest, adding that her hubby is the finest man she

ever met. She said he is religious, calm and understanding.

“It is my happiest day, he

is a religious very understanding man,” she said.

The groom, a graduate of Public Policy, University of

Baltimore, United States said it was his day of joy. He described his wife as beautiful and understanding.

The first anniversary of Good Women Society, Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, Restoration Parish, Akute, Ogun State was celebrated with fanfare, writes AMAKA NZENWA

A

FESTIVAL of thanksgiving it was - dancing, singing, drama, choreography and prayer were the highpoints of the ceremony.

The first Good Women anniversary of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, Restoration Parish, Akute, Ogun State was celebrated amid fanfare last Sunday.

The parish was dedicated on February 2, 2013.

Shouts of Halleluyah, Iye, Hossanah rented the air as the new ‘Neon Sign’ of the church, with the photograph of the founder, Archbishop Isaiah Akinadewo, was dedicated.

The church was filled to capacity as members of the Good Women Society, decked in their blue and white attire, praised God for His mercies over their household, the church and the country.

The drama presentation was educative as the audience was told that any woman who refuses to respect her husband will not have the favour of God. The choreography was also superbly presented and the special song, ‘Surely, Goodness and Mercy shall follow me’, was captivating.

The event was presided over by Senior Superintendent Gabriel Akinadewo with the choristers rendering melodious songs.

Highlight of the event was when Senior Superintendent Akinadewo declared the ‘seven prayers in seven minutes’ session with the members reading seven verses in the Bible and praying on them.

Everybody was enrap-

•The women posing with cake

Good women, better nation tured.

Archbishop Akinadewo, in his goodwill message, urged the celebrators to shun vices associated with worldly women.

To him, the virtues of good women in the Bible such as Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, must be emu-

lated by all to have a good family, church and country.

Some of the speakers were Mother-in-Israel Esther Akinadewo, Prophetess Olusesi, Rev. Bukola Sipeolu, Mother Kenny Joe-Sode and Senior Lady Leader Ajayi.

They all dwelt on how a good woman will always be the crown of her husband.

Ajayi said: “Once you have a good woman, you will have a good family and a good country. No matter what, you must stand by your husband.

You must be patient and wait for God’s time the way Sarah waited for God’s time in Genesis 21:1" Joe-Sode urged the women to always behave like the Bib-

lical Esther who saved her people from the wicked Haman. “Esther was a virtuous woman who was not selfish. She saved her people from the wicked Haman.

There is a Haman in every family and with prayer, a woman can play a critical role to save her family. Once the family is saved, we will have

a good church which translates to having a good country”.

Mother-in-Israel Akinadewo, who thanked the women for sacrificing their time and resources to having a memorable anniversary, urged them to remain faithful and be kind always to neighbours.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

COMMENTARY LETTER

EDITORIAL

Ebola: Keep our schools shut!

Ebolaphobia •We need to educate Nigerians not to see every sick person as EVD victim so as to save lives

T

RAGICALLY, the fear of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country is proving to be as dangerous and deadly as the condition itself. Two sad incidents during the week, coincidentally on the same day, September 2, should justifiably heighten concern about the negative effect and potentially counterproductive consequence of the EVD crisis on the society.

When the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Peter Leslie Carter, slumped and died at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, it was perhaps the wrong moment, given the tension in the country on account of the Ebola viral challenge and the calculated avoidance of contact with others, particularly sick people, which the health emergency has tended to encourage among the populace. Carter, who arrived aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston, Texas, USA, reportedly showed signs of distress after disembarking, and clutched his chest, calling for help. An eye-witness was quoted as saying: “He was shouting help! Help! And then slumped; people did not want to go near initially because of the Ebola scare that has been in town.”

It is possible that Carter could have survived if help had reached him more speedily, although a statement by the Federal Ministry of Health, Port Health Services presented the case as an unfortunate instance of unavoidable death. As part of the unit’s response to the development, the statement said, “Efforts were made to administer oxygen, while a second doctor was called and suction applied via a suction machine to clear the airway…Subsequently, the patient suf-

fered a cardio-pulmonary arrest…Attempts at resuscitation proved abortive.”

Without doubt, this regrettable death has brought bad publicity for the country in an adverse season; and the undesirable impression was reinforced by another death in perhaps similar circumstances that suggested a critical fear-induced delay in attending professionally and properly to a sick individual.

In the second case, an unnamed man was taken by port health officials from the same airport to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos. A doctor who was on duty at the time was quoted as saying: “They rushed him to the Accident and Emergency Unit, and since he was vomiting and purging and he also had high fever, we quickly took his temperature, it was very high. We were all scared to take his blood samples because we were not wearing any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).”

The man eventually died. Revealingly, the doctor admitted: “We could not manage him effectively because of the severity of the symptoms we saw and considering the fact that he was coming from the airport. He could have been coming from an Ebola-affected country.” Even more tragic in this case is the fact that it was later established that the patient had no history of Ebola or any contact with a person who had Ebola.

It is most disturbing that the scale of panic and paranoia engendered by the climate of EVD dread has not only affected even health workers but has also seemingly paralysed their ability to provide lifesaving health services. In this connection, it is apt to consider the issue of PPE, which

possibly proved decisive in the LUTH case. It is a condemnable reflection of inadequate containment measures in such a high-profile public health institution. There is absolutely no question that the major public hospitals should be well-equipped to investigate patients with a view to determining whether they have Ebola without endangering the lives of the health personnel.

Furthermore, as evidenced by the circumstances that led to these deaths, the health authorities need to step up public enlightenment to address the unhealthy social apprehension that makes it possible for every sick person to be unfairly viewed with suspicion. The burden of dealing with mass uneasiness triggered by the July 25 death of Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who was the first patient to succumb to EVD in the country, cannot be easy; and with seven EVD deaths from 18 cases and 296 people under surveillance, the education campaign must be taken more seriously to ease the fears of the people.

‘Health authorities need to step up public enlightenment to address the unhealthy social apprehension that makes it possible for every sick person to be unfairly viewed with suspicion’

Our civil defence

•The death of Citizen Babalola allegedly caused by the security agents should be probed

F

OR an organisation with the motto: “defending the defenceless”, one would naturally expect officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to be more civil in the line of duty. But the conduct of some of its officials that eventually led to the death of a 37-year-old accountancy graduate of the University of Lagos, Babalola Felix, last month, is a sharp contrast to this motto. The civil defence men were on a mission to rid the Meckwen Bridge, Victoria Island, Lagos State area of hoodlums. In the process, confusion set in as people around fled in different directions when they saw the security operatives.

Unfortunately for Babalola who also joined the fleeing crowd, he slipped as he was running through a side of the

‘The least the Nigerian state owes Babalola and his family is a thorough investigation of this matter with a view to ensuring justice for them. We know that nothing can be done to bring the dead back to life, but when the matter is investigated and culprits prosecuted and, if culpable, punished, it would send the right signal to other people in uniform who abuse their privileged positions’

bridge, and fell into the lagoon.

The tragedy is not just that Babalola died; the real tragedy lies in the circumstances under which he died. As it is with anyone drowning against his will, Babalola struggled to live; he made up his mind to come out of the water and be arrested if it must get to that, instead of drowning. It was a hard decision he had to make in a split second to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea.

But, in what was clearly a case of man’s inhumanity to man, some of the civil defence men preferred him drowned. Not only did they prevent people from rescuing him, one of them reportedly pointed a gun at him, threatening to shoot if he tried to come out of the water.

It is sad to note that the Babalola family is a victim of everything that is bad and ugly in Nigeria. Here was a young man who struggled to send himself to school and even after graduating from the university and could not get a job, was assisted by his uncle to start selling recharge cards. A country where things work would not have left its youths to rot away the way Babalola did after going through the rigours of university education. He did not take to crime like some of his colleagues would. Now, he has died like a common criminal.

His younger sister who is a student at the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, had also sold recharge cards in the area before proceeding to the school for further studies. She is apparently financing her education with

the proceeds of the business. Then their aged mother who had eye problem and had been assured by Babalola that he would fund her treatment as soon as he made enough money to do that.

Sensing that her hope was gone, the poor woman passed out immediately she was told about her son’s death.

We wonder why all manner of people will bear arms in a country where life means so little to some of our law enforcement agents. Our security agents should be trained such that they would know the implications of their actions. It was a similar incident that set the chain of reactions that culminated in the Arab Spring in 2010, which was sparked by the first protests that occurred in Tunisia on December 18, in Sidi Bouzid, following Mohammed Bouazizi’s selfimmolation in protest of police corruption and ill treatment.

The least the Nigerian state owes Babalola and his family is a thorough investigation of this matter with a view to ensuring justice for them. We know that nothing can be done to bring the dead back to life, but when the matter is investigated and culprits prosecuted and, if culpable, punished, it would send the right signal to other people in uniform who abuse their privileged positions. We have had more than enough of police brutality; we have had more than enough of military brutality.

It would be suicidal to add that of the civil defence.

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ITH the deadly Ebola virus in our land the federal government had shifted the resumption of schools from its earlier September date to October 13. Which was the proper thing to do. But after its meeting on Wednesday the September 14, it said schools may be able to resume in September.

Since the date was moved to October 13, private school owners have continued to lobby for resumption of schools. Nigeria is a land of lobbyists. But not only them, those parents who cannot spend quality time with their children. A colleague once said “private schools are paid to let parents rest”. But while on my annual leave, I have enjoyed the “noise” of my two boys and watched both of them struggle to ride piggyback on me. They are safe here with me! But may not be if the federal government stops listening to its heart instead of its head!

The health of our children and the entire nation is going to be sacrificed on the altar of money! If those private schools’ owners were given billions of naira monthly to keep their schools shut forever, they will go to the Caribbean for holiday while praising the government.

We must know that the structure we have in privately owned schools is different from what we have in many public schools.

Many public schools in towns and some so-called cities are over-crowded ramshackle. Some don’t have seats, while some use blocks as desks! Some even have classes under a tree! Some of the children are malnourished with poor immune system. Some have ring worms on their scalp and many other skin infections. We have not talked about the ones in remote villages! These children will go back to schools when there are fresh Ebola cases! They will go back to schools when those under surveillance are on the run!

Only a morally depraved government and people can even consider that!

We are still lucky things did not get out of control.

In worst hit countries, it is not only schools that were closed but hospitals.

Commentators have cynically called Nigerians’ mode the “panic mode”. But this is what we have used to contain the virus so far. And we won’t stop being in this mode. The word is eternal vigilance. Since my children have been at home they have not had a fever.

But during school they are more prone to disease from other children, including mosquito bites. As long as fresh cases of Ebola are being reported now, if schools resume now, you are no longer in control of your children. Every time your children get back home, it’s no longer the same!

Whether we like it or not Ebola has tasked all of us and our healthcare system, and it will still have a long-term effect. We must all be ready to adjust ourselves to the situation we have in our land. We now live in perilous times!

From now till October 13, or even somewhere after that we would have known the prognosis of the new Ebola cases in Port Harcourt, and all those who are now under surveillance would have completed their statutory 21 days and we hope they would be truthful enough to tell us if they have visited other states! And those on the run would have come to their senses!

Dr Adadevoh sacrificed her life for this cause!

Anyone who dies now after Adedevoh had died will hurt her where she is. But a little more sacrifice from all of us will go a long way in ensuring that she and others who died that we may live did not die in vain.

Why the hurry to resume schools? Even the Health Minister Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu himself warned: “We have not eliminated the disease! We have not eradicated it!”

So far no child has contracted the Ebola virus. At least our tomorrow is preserved! But we can still keep them safer. With Ebola, you can never be too careful.

But if the federal government out of sentiments decides to make schools resume hurriedly and God forbids Ebola strikes again and it is traceable to schools, the blood of those who die thereafter will be on the federal government, and those selfish private school owners!

• Dr Cosmas Odoemena Lagos.

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

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: Professor Francis Suleiman Idachaba recently passed on at the age of 71.

Should we be mourning or celebrating Professor Idachaba’s transition? Going by our cultural and religious proclivities, we are expected to mourn and not celebrate the dead. I think we should both mourn as well as celebrate his transition.

Here was a man who hardly settled for anything less than the best. His knack for excellence, both in private and public engagements, is a fact that cannot be debated.

Little wonder he achieved unparalleled and matchless results in virtually all the projects he undertook during his earthly sojourn. Professor Idachaba exemplified hard work, honesty, transparency, accountability and discipline. He brought these priceless virtues to bear in every of his assignments, even in unofficial dealings.

This was a man who, against seen and unseen odds, midwifed the setting up, running and sustenance of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.

As pioneer Vice Chancellor, Idachaba didn’t only focus on physical development, he rolled out a number of beautiful academic programmes to meet the intellectual demands of students and lecturers as well. He fought hard to make the school a centre of academic excellence. Discipline and transparency formed part of his cardinal objectives. The system he operated gave no room for laziness, truancy, corruption, examination malpractice and cultism. He did his very best to fight

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Idachaba: A sage has left the stage ran to him when in troubled waters.

He had the proverbial magic wand.

As a beneficiary of his good and enduring modest efforts during his brief but achievement-laden years as vice chancellor of Kogi State University, (KSU), Anyigba, it is important that I celebrate and mourn this transformative leader.

Like a messiah, he came and rescued what was left of KSU after it fell under the sledge-hammer of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2005 following the school’s dismal performance when it submitted her programmes for accreditation. The opprobrium that

followed NUC’s action was so serious that parents threatened to withdraw their wards from the institution. It was a dicey situation.

The situation appeared complicated, hydra-headed and foggy. The then state governor’s resolve to trace the late professor to his ‘hiding’ place remained Governor Idris Ibrahim’s topmost achievement in office.

When the Idachaba train finally landed in KSU, things changed for the better. A situation formerly termed irredeemably pathetic and hopelessly configured improved considerably.

The rapid

IR: For anyone to win Presidential election in Nigeria, such person must have high votes from both the north and south. A replica of this can be seen in the last general elections.

President Goodluck Jonathan won the election not because he had huge votes from the south but because he got the number of votes that are enough to complement his impressive outing in the south, from the north. Also, Gen. Buhari lost the election not because he did have huge votes from the north, but because he did not have a number of

votes that are enough to complement his impressive outing in the north from the south.

What this implies is that whoever will emerge as Nigerian President must get support both from the north and south. Meanwhile, the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan had support both from the north and south in 2011 does not automatically mean that he will get such in 2015 and the fact that General Buhari does not have enough support in the south in 2011 did not mean he will suffer the same fate in 2015 if any or both of them have the opportunity to bear the flag

of their parties. After all, the only thing that is constant is change.

The 2015 elections is knocking door and expectedly, political parties have started making their permutations and combinations in order to emerge victorious.

From all indications, Jonathan seems to have scaled through in the PDP. As for APC, the water is not yet clear but some say it’s between Buhari, Kwankwaso, Saraki and Atiku.

The question that everyone is curious to get answer to is; who among these quartet, will be the best

years and to build hospitals for the Libyan people.

More than 50 years have passed since Britain returned sovereignty to the people of Nigeria. Yet, the federal government has not deemed it fit to demand compensation from the country which invaded our territory, stole about 90 percent of our artefacts, expropriated a significant part of our mineral resources, forced our men and women into labour and slavery, humiliated us by subjecting and reducing us into mere second class

citizens in our own lands and polluting and relegating our cultural values to the background.

The time is ripe for Nigeria to take advantage of Libya’s achievement and as a matter of utmost national importance, seek compensation from the British government.

Colonization should be punished; the countries that harmed other peoples during the colonial era should pay compensation for the damages and sufferings they inflicted. What

and banish these vices, especially cultism. It is indeed to his eternal credit that the university still remains one of Nigeria’s best tertiary institutions years after its establishment.

His track-records while at the famous Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), DFRRI, NALDA, WHO, WORLD BANK, amongst others are eloquent testimonies of the very stuff deposited in him. He was exceptionally good at breathing life into seemingly dead projects. This probably accounted for why authorities at different levels always

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• Abdullahi Yunusa, Imane, Kogi State

2015: APC should try Saraki

Colonisation: Time to demand compensation

IR: When Libya demanded compensation from Italy for its colonization, the world thought it a joke. But before our very eyes, Libya got Italy to accept the fact that it owed compensation to the Libyan people.

Italy admitted that its colonization of Libya was wrong and will never be repeated, and it promised not to attack the Libyan territory by land, air or sea. Italy also agreed to provide Libya with $250 million a year in compensation over a period of 20

transformation that KSU witnessed just within the first year of his assumption of office is a testament to his avowed commitment to excellence and competence in managing both human and material resources. He was a good leader by all standards. He paid regular and unscheduled visits to students’ halls of residence just to see things for himself. That was the extent to which he demystified his office and personality.

As a resourceful, revered and renowned teacher, his hands were all over the place. He was a pioneer in many respects, an advocate, facilitator and mentor; a professors professor. In death, Africa has lost a fine scholar, cerebral strategist, articulate thinker, astute administrator, unrivalled researcher and outstanding intellectual asset.

Africa needs is compensation, not aids. We should not be seen as poor and beggars. No we aren’t poor, the colonial authorities made us poor.

They should compensate us for all the atrocities committed against our peoples, the unlawful encroachment into our lands, desecration of our shrines, and our African values.

Now is time for us to ask and demand that all that was stolen and unlawfully taken from us be returned without further delay.

• Hussain Obaro, Ilorin, Kwara State.

candidate for the APC? Who among the four, can give Jonathan a good challenge? Who among the four has enough support from both the north and south?

In my own perspective, I see the best candidacy in Saraki. Is it a support from the north, he will get more than enough. The only thing he now needs is some votes from the south to complement his forecast good outing in the north. Can he get it?

Yes, he can. This is based on the fact that he is a Yoruba man. The Southwest is the second region with highest number of registered voters after north-west. This region has 99 if not 100 Yoruba which Saraki belongs. So, the south-westerners will give a good support to Saraki, more so that the Jonathan-led government has been viewed to have marginalized the Yorubas.

However, Saraki will record a very poor outing in the South-east and South-south. But his likely impressive outing in the North-west and South-west which have the highest number of registered voters may pave way for him. If APC gets it right, the winner of the coming 2015 presidential elections may be their candidate.

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• Jamiu Idowu Esho Eruwa, Oyo State.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 16

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COMMENTS

My truth is truer than yours (2) Email: tunji_ololade@yahoo.co.uk 08038551123, 08111845040

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YRANNY is brought to ultimate refinement in the news columns; this brings to mind that memorable jest by Norman Mailer that “Once a newspaper touches a story, the facts are lost forever, even to the protagonists.” Journalists are often the butt of the most demeaning jokes and premeditated put-downs in the social arena. Nobody thinks much of a journalist; in the eyes of big business and the ruling class, the journalist whatever his designation or job title, is the manipulable pawn and necessary evil that has to be courted and tolerated.

The descent and humiliation of the journalist however, begins in the hands of his employer; very few media today are paying fairly. Many are not paying at all and among the few establishments that pay, salaries are very poor.

Just three media houses endeavour to pay fairly and while three may claim exceptionality in this respect, the reality is known to the government, big business, advertisers and general public that the Nigerian journalist is an endangered species, haunted by his employer and tormented by the public he serves. These sad realities lead to daily exodus of skilled and promising hands from journalism and a daily influx of quacks and brigands into the profession.

This resonates badly for the Nigerian mob; the nation’s critical mob to be precise. Mob culture requires that he who would adorn the cloak of defender of the masses’ rights should be upright and flawless in character,

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professional and personal ethics.

Such admirable traits are rarely attributable to the Nigerian journalist manager and the press in general.

The Nigerian mob, like every other rabble, seeks fulfillment of tyrant fantasies; such fantasies often vary between the destruction of an unpopular government, despot or worn-out civilization. Reality however, affirms the impotence of the Nigerian mob.

The latter is continually tamed and kept on a leash by a ruling class that capitalizes on its obvious handicaps: its impulsiveness, insensibility to reason and judgment, poverty of soul and intellect, its irritability and overt sentimentality – which are undeniably characteristic of beings belonging to inferior forms of evolution, like savages and carnivores.

Despites it handicaps, the Nigerian mob conveniently picks on a scapegoat for its infinite timidity and cluelessness: the press. The journalist is expected to serve as the conscience and moral compass of the society, challenging the government and checking the excesses of the ruling class, uncompromisingly and selflessly.

As utopian fantasies go, these are noble expectations of the journalist but the Nigerian mob ignores the cultural shift of the society from conventional morality to unbridled hedonism. It assumes, hypocritically, that the press will continually give it honest and developmental news even as every segment of the society strive to unmoor the journalist from his role as a crucial appendage of the nation’s critical mob.

HE above was stoked by The Cable, the new but increasingly popular online newspaper in its analysis of the different aspirants on September 1. Perhaps the issue should be: Does the APC really want to win the presidential election next year? If they want to win, then, they must do their homework. As it appears today, there is nothing to suggest that they really, really want to win. Any party that wants to choose a consensus candidate among several aspirants must use certain objective criteria devoid of selfish interests. To do so, the APC must ponder what the key issues are right now that are likely going to influence the direction of voting next year. In my opinion, there are four key issues.

First, Nigeria has become dangerously polarized on the issue of religion caused directly by the Boko Haram phenomenon and President Jonathan’s divisive actions along those lines. This appears to be PDP’s main strategy for 2015 as the party’s bigwigs continue to associate the APC with Boko Haram without bordering to back up their assertion with any evidence. It would also appear that the PDP has enlisted the SSS in this dangerous strategy considering the fact that Marilyn Ogar, the spokesperson of the SSS has started echoing that line too recently.

Secondly, beating a sitting president has so far not been possible in Nigeria no matter how unpopular he is. To defeat particularly this one will require the mobilization of the entire country, in order to neutralize the rigging machine.

Third, Jonathan has currently been roundly branded, and rightly so, as incompetent and unfit to govern, and therefore extremely unpopular but that does not necessarily mean any APC candidate can defeat him.

Finally, the unity of the north shall also be key as this will determine whether a northern candidate can win in 2015. To defeat Jonathan in 2015, APC must field a candidate who has the capacity to unite the whole north and who can be supported by all the contending and power centres within the party. The credential of that candidate must also be such as to be able to neutralize Jonathan and PDP’s strategy of balkanizing the nation along petty religious lines in the 2015 election.

So in determining which of the APC presidential aspirants comes closest to qualifying as a consensus candidate using these criteria, let us re-examine the names mentioned by The Cable viz Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal and Sam Nda-Isaiah.

I will also examine the prospects of Rochas Okorocha and Bukola Saraki Buhari is a very well-respected former head of state; straight as an arrow. His greatest strength is that he is very popular among the masses of the far north. But history has shown that politicians with such massive following among their people are held in suspicion in other parts of the country.

Very popular politicians of old who fall into that category and never became president include Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mallam Aminu Kano and Dr. Joseph Tarka. That is the real reason why Buhari lost in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

The public, comprising big business, the government, and civil societies among other mob segments, vilify any journalist or news medium that seeks to educate and engage rather than entertain and perpetuate their biased definitions of reality.

Contemporary Nigeria embraces the emotional pageant that has turned news into paid publicity and mindless entertainment and the journalist in response kowtows to lusts and vanities of modern society. Beneath the mindless glamour and cultural decline however, an insidious reality festers in the death of hope and incandescence of tragedy.

Prevalent socioeconomic tragedies necessitate the emergence and elevation among the citizenry of the bungling and sadistic, and the beginning of a differentiation cum tyranny of social grades.

At the centre of the turmoil is the journalist whose fate is so critically bound with the country’s but he obviously does not know that hence the cluelessness, treachery and brazen recklessness that characterizes his work. Consequently, the Nigerian journalist manifests as an accident to society. He perpetually loses his grasp of the issues at stake; fundamentally hollow and benumbed to valor, he shamelessly resigns to the powers that be, blaming the tyranny of the ruling class and the proverbial ‘system’ for his inability to fulfill his professional and moral obligations to the society.

Rather than pose a challenge to the system that domesticates and enslaves him, he chooses the easiest way out and plays junkyard dog to tyrant cabals and the predatory bunch constituting the nation’s ruling class. He assumes the role of a poseur and pretends to fight for the interest of the public. This sad charade is continually perpetuated across esteemed leader-writers’ polemics in foremost

newspapers’ columns.

The Nigerian journalist today, nurtures an abiding wariness for shattering his ego and dignified notion of the press; consequently, he shuns the inclinations to function ethically and measure up to lofty perceptions he tirelessly projects of himself and the press. But really, he prefers not to face the fact that the truth as he has learnt to say it is acutely relative.

The contemporary journalist trades in all manners of truths, deploying sophistry and shades of impressive fallacies in the interest of whatever social divide fulfills his lust for relevance and survival. I am a journalist and I shamefully acknowledge that my clan and I hardly epitomize hope to our world. Not yet.

Rarely does our work signify hope, self-sacrifice or a promise of future honesty and gallantry in the interest of all. We can blame the society and advance all forms of isms and ostentatious arguments to justify our descent the steep slope of amorality and socioeconomic expediency; it wouldn’t excuse our treachery to our calling and the Nigerian citizenry.

If Nigeria chooses to exist as a land of savages, it’s our responsibility to nudge her back on to the path of humanity and progress – for only in such clime can we positively evolve and prosper. Our failure as journalists indicates severance from a progressive and moral culture while we institutionalize bigotry, lies, depravity, base sentimentality and pitiful fantasies.

The traditional, conscientious journalist is going extinct today along with true, dependable news culture because Nigeria obsesses and migrates to the pseudo-reality of the internet and reality shows. It is no doubt ironical and unabashedly hypocritical that the masses would turn around to blame the press for not fulfilling its roles to the society.

The only profiteers from the status quo are those skilled in the art of manipulation: the government, politicians and corporate establishment – but this despicable band can rarely function without the support of the journalist hence the urgent need for the Nigerian press to retrace his steps.

Journalism will thrive and Nigeria will prosper if we neglect the culture of the news spectacle to focus on progressive pursuits, like development and socially responsible journalism.

It is about time we stopped narrowing the debates and spotlight to the shenanigans and petty differences of the ruling class and instead aspire to serve as a true voice to the voiceless.

There is no magical antidote to our decline and death as a crucial part of the nation’s critical mob. Real progress will manifest in the country when we start demanding that the ruling class march in virtual lockstep with promises they make.

Whatever the tone and dialect of intellectualisation that characterizes our news culture, posterity will judge us by how truthfully we fulfill our roles as conscience and watchdog of the society.

‘Real progress will manifest in the country when we start demanding that the ruling class march in virtual lockstep with promises they make. Whatever the tone and dialect of intellectualisation that characterizes our news culture, posterity will judge us by how truthfully we fulfill our roles as conscience and watchdog of the society’

Searching for APC’s consensus candidate

By Hamza Danjuma Buhari’s case has also been worsened by the fact that his opponents have successfully branded him as a fundamentalist.

Even though there is no evidence to support this, the perception has stuck. It does not matter who Buhari’s running mate is, that perception will stick. That is why in spite of Pastor Tunde Bakare, a well-known Christian clergy being his running mate in 2011, he lost almost all of the Christian votes in Nigeria. Buhari’s supporters always brandish his over 12 million votes in the 2011 presidential election as the strongest reason he should be APC’s candidate, but they forget that of this more than 12 million votes, less than 250,000 votes came from the entire 17 states of the south and probably even less from the Christian north.

There are other reasons why Buhari may not even get the 12 million votes again. There is the Buhari fatigue. After contesting in 2003, 2007 and 2011, many people think he should not be contesting in 2015 again. Many also believe that a 70year old should not be contesting to be president especially for a man that was head of state 30 years ago.

Not many people both within the APC and outside think Atiku should be the APC presidential candidate. ( Atiku has too many baggage and if the APC presents him, it will show the party as an utterly unserious party.

Kwankwaso has done well as the governor of Kano State.

He is one of the PDP governors who crossed over to the APC because Jonathan will not be keeping his promise of not seeking a second term and therefore would be denied the party’s ticket. If Kwankwaso gets the ticket, then the 2015 presidential election will be between PDP and New PDP. Even the PDP will laugh at the APC. And many original opposition politicians will remind themselves that in 2003, they had to virtually wrestle Kwankwaso to the ground in order to replace him as the governor of Kano State. Buhari and his followers in Kano will be reminded that in the 2003 governorship election, Kwankwaso, together with Obasanjo tried to use the military to alter the peoples’ will. Kwankwaso will most certainly be a good president but giving him the ticket can break the party. He is also far from being the ideal consensus candidate.

There have been rumours of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal decamping from the PDP to the APC and contesting for the APC presidential ticket almost immediately. His candidacy could satisfy the yearnings of a large section of the country for a generational shift, but it will simply be laughable for the speaker, or anyone for that matter to officially decamp from the PDP to the APC tomorrow and the day after, he becomes the party’s presidential candidate. The speaker cannot be a consensus candidate by any stretch of the imagination.

Sam Nda-Isaiah, publisher of Leadership newspapers is not a political heavyweight. He has never contested any election and has never occupied any public office, so no one knows how he might behave in public office. But his campaigners say that also makes him the only real face of change among all the aspirants since “change” is the APC’s slogan. It is probably true that no other APC aspirant can really claim to represent change as Sam. At 52, he is also one of the youngest aspirants and therefore a representative of the school of generational shift. Being a Christian minority from the north could eliminate Jonathan’s key and pivotal support in the Christian north. Because of the activities of Boko Haram and President Jonathan’s divisive politics, no Muslim candidate would be able to receive northern Christian support. But Sam also has another critical advantage. Northern Muslims feel very comfortable with him in a way that they do not with some other Christian northerners such as Professor Jerry Gana, for instance. So Sam’s candidacy, in spite of his scanty political CV has the potential of uniting the entire north. His fresh face in politics with little political baggage and a popular south-west Muslim running mate can also deprive Jonathan of the entire south-west votes, since his candidacy can also neutralize Jonathan’s south-west Christian vote advantage.

Sam’s major problem is that he does not appear to posses the campaign war-chest like the other aspirants.( The former governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki also has age on his side and will also represent those with the thought of generational shift. He also did well as a governor so can be counted to be a good president. But he is hampered by a couple of issues. First, like Atiku, Kwankwaso and Tambuwal, he is of the PDP stock. In fact in 2011, Atiku and Saraki were presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP. The second is that he is currently under investigation by the EFCC. Even though the EFCC issue is clearly a tool of victimization of the Jonathan government against him, the APC cannot field a candidate with this unresolved problem.

The main issue against Rochas Okorocha at this time is that the APC has technically zoned the presidency to the north in 2015. It is clear that the APC has very limited choices if it really wants to win the presidency come 2015. It is obvious that the closest the APC has to presenting a consensus candidate is Sam Nda-Isaiah. Sam’s candidacy will put a lie to PDP’s label on the APC as a Muslim party, which unfortunately have been swallowed hook, line and sinker by a section of the international community. But if the APC big guns decide they are not comfortable with him, they can try their own logic. But the truth is that 2015 is probably APC’s best chance of coming to power. If they bungle this one, Nigerians will not forgive them and they will not have another chance to correct this.

• Danjuma wrote in from Hotoro Quarters, Kano.

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COMMENTS ‘I have learned to hate all traitors, and there is no disease that I spit on more than treachery.’ ---Aeschylus (525 BC – 456 BC)

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HIS column has sturdily believed that the current inscrutable myth behind the Boko Haram rebellion would be unravelled one day, but when that would happen is what remains cloudy. Blissfully, a salient layer of deceit on its operations was torn last week when an Australian exploded by revealing scintillating clues about the likely characters behind the cankerworm. Stephen Davis, a 63-year-old political geography expert may not be known in Nigeria’s public domain, but he is definitely not new to the country’s power house having served as an adviser to ex-presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and late Shehu Yar’Adua. This Australian hostage negotiator was involved, on behalf of the current federal government, in efforts to secure the release of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted in one day by Boko Haram militants in Chibok, Borno State. So, he could not be described as a neophyte in the political conflicts engulfing the nation.

No wonder that his recent interviews on Arise Television, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), THISDAY newspaper and subsequently Sahara Reporters, an online newspaper on the identity of some secret sponsors of the notorious sect is generating so much hullabaloo in the right quarters because two of the mentioned names are those of Nigerians that had held powerful positions in the past.

Davis alleged in the reports that former Governor Alli-Modu Sherriff of Borno State and a former Chief of Army staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd) are alleged top backers of the Islamist rebel group that butchered and is still abducting and slaying vulnerable Nigerians and foreigners in the north-eastern part of Ni-

‘This Davis bombshell has indeed shell-shocked Nigerians that are daily rattled by President Jonathan administration’s crass display of lack of capacity and capability to contain the Boko Haram insurrection against the nation’s collective sovereignty. So sad!’

“I have a history to protect, a reputation to promote, a heritage to maintain and an attitude to exhibit, failure is not part of us.” – Sule Lamido at Barewa Old Boys Association (BOBA) symposium lecture in Dutse Aug 30.

N many parts of Nigeria, those described as “settlers” live in fear for their lives, their property and their citizenship rights. In many parts, that is, except in Jigawa State where Governor Sule Lamido went out of his way to assure non-indigenes living in the state of their equal status as Nigerian citizens.

Lamido believes in national unity as a matter of political and ideological principle.

He said on many occasions that peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding, political stability and unity of purpose are necessary ingredients for the rapid progress of any state and of Nigeria as a whole. He told non-indigenes living in the state that their rights as Nigerian citizens would be protected as a matter of right and not as a special privilege (nepotism). Nigerians, he said, are free to live wherever they choose and their rights are guaranteed by the constitution. While this right is sometimes abridged by authorities in some parts of the country using various forms of subterfuge, in Jigawa State it is guaranteed in theory and in practice.

Lamido spoke about the incident in which non-indigenes were forced to register in some states. He said those asking Nigerians to register in their own country were sending a wrong signal that was not healthy for the unity of the Nigeria. Leadership, he also said, is about understanding the people being governed with a view to protecting their dignity, lives and properties irrespective of their religious or ethnic background.

Lamido also stated that in order to promote peace and unity in this country, every Nigerian must have freedom of movement

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Stephen Davis’ Boko Haram bombshell

•Stephenn Davis

•Jonathan

geria. In his words: “First thing to do is to arrest the former Governor Sheriff. Former Governor Sheriff has been funding this for years… There is a former Chief of Army Staff, who retired in January, rightly sacked by the president, who is another sponsor.’’

Davis was cocksure of what he said for he declared in the course of the interview that he had information on some of them “…from Boko Haram about three years ago; one of them four years ago,’’ and that “one sponsor particularly was providing money and also in one case provided six (Toyota) Hilux vehicles used for suicide bombing.” This is indeed a money-guzzling adventure in the midst of povertyravaged people of the entire north.

Worse still, he also accused an unnamed senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as another man based in Cairo, Egypt as facilitator of illicit funds and purchaser of military uniforms and arms for Boko Haram. Despite his allusion to other powerful politicians as being members of the powerful ring, he surprisingly said that no Boko Haram commander has mentioned any of the leading chieftains of the opposition All Progres-

sive Congress (APC) including Mohammadu Buhari and EL’Rufai’s as sponsors of the sect. Hitherto, wild accusations calling APC janjaweed promoters of the insurgent group by PDP henchmen particularly some APC defectors to the ruling party including security top shots went in the air. The PDP presidency has not woken up from the deep slumber that the Davis revelations threw it into and the earlier it did something effective and prompt in the interest of the stability of this nation, the better.

The Davis’ allegations are so damning for he also said that Sheriff was ‘… satisfied that he will be picked up and he has now switched to the ruling party, PDP, in the hope this will give him protection.’

This compelled the former Borno governor to threaten in his reaction to the allegation that he would travel to Australia to sue his accuser. This column dares him to embark on this option in earnest for Nigerians are waiting with baited breath.

Despite the theatrics in the responses of these alleged Boko Haram sponsors, one would expect the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to have got the strong message and for it to move against these and other elements swiftly. The Australian negotiator, despite his toil, at the peril of his life, is no doubt fed up with the tepid handling of the sect’s matter, for inexplicable political reasons, compelling him to speak out. His understanding of the problem is quite overwhelming but the angst and frustration in his voice are quite discerning over a problem that has avoidable held our president captive. He raised pertinent posers that are indeed minds agitating: Is it true that a man resident in Abuja, whose three nephews had been identified as being behind the Nyanya bus

Sule Lamido’s message of unity

By Adamu Muhd Usman and to live anywhere he chooses to without intimidation, victimization, humiliation or deprivation. Lamido more than preached mutual coexistence; he felt these people need to feel at home; he then allocated plots of lands with cash donation to all non-indigenous groups living in the state capital, Dutse.

The representative of the non-indigenous groups responded with encouraging words of his own, thanking the governor for transforming the state in the seven years of his administration. He said that indigenes and non-indigenes live in peace in Jigawa State and he assured that this will be sustained.

Lamido has given sense of belonging to all the Jigawa people; he has also opened doors for all Nigerians to come, visit, interact, transact, work and live freely without fear of threats and dispossession. In Jigawa, you will see the Igbo, Yoruba, Anga, the Ijaw, Kanuri, Idoma, Tiv, Jarawa, the Nupe and the Jukun etc. This is a clear sign of selflessness, nationality and good leadership shown by Lamido and is a confirmation that, there is peace and unity in the state. Security, peaceful co-existence, equality, welfare and good salary packages attract Nigerians to resign from their various states to come and seek for employment in Jigawa State.

Jigawa State under Lamido has now become a rallying point for all Nigerians, in fact dayafter- day, all sorts of people are trouping into the state either for visits, meetings, Busi-

ness, or even leisure. For instance just recently, the premier Barewa Old Boys Association was in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital from August 29- 31, for their 2014 Annual lecture and Dinner. Though Lamido is alumnus of the college, the choice of Jigawa State for this year’s AGM was to satisfy their curiosity over the success recorded by one of their own. All left the state satisfied that the face of Jigawa State has been transformed in the seven years by Alhaji Sule Lamido.

Throughout the meeting, the members were seen gaping with surprises that despite the lean resources of the state, Lamido was able to bring development to all sectors and the overall impact has been profound and felt by the people. They commended him greatly for his dynamic administration in which he established schools and hospitals, Jigawa State Television, constructed roads and water schemes etc. BOBA believes that, economic activities have received a huge boost and the foundations have been laid for rapid industrialisation. They saw a first class airport built by Lamido to facilitate the easy movement of goods and services and to facilitate the coming of investors who are set to cash in on Jigawa State’s rich potentials in agriculture and minerals.

The association extolled Lamido for establishing Jigawa State University at KafinHausa in order to afford state indigenes more access to higher education opportunities.

Half of eligible candidates of Jigawa origin who seek admission into higher institutions

station bomb blast that killed 77 people, was one of the financiers of Boko Haram?

Davis said that the sect, “…slip back and forth between two countries.’’ And that “they go in convoy to attack a town for about six miles in an arid land with about 60 vehicles with armed personnel without any interception by security forces; they stay for an hour or an hour-and-ahalf and get out. That is enough time to hit them.” The question: Is this not a consequence of a high-level conspiracy somewhere along the security chain? Is it true that France, UK and the US, contrary to agreement reached in Paris to assist Nigeria, Cameroun and Niger work on this matter, especially on intelligence, has done very little to assist? Davis also exposed the president’s lack of grasp of the problem ab initio, when in October 2010 the first bomb exploded in Abuja and President Jonathan prejudiced investigation by publicly declaring that MEND, a notorious NigerDelta militant group, was not responsible for the bombing. MEND had claimed responsibility and then the question: Was the president shielding MEND? Does he truly know who was responsible and had shielded Nigerians from sharing such vital information? Is the president afraid of stepping on toes of powerful elements in the Niger-Delta and the north generally?

What then is the essence of his being the commander-in-chief if he remains a lillylivered leader over all institutions in the country?

This column considers baffling how this security compromising scandals and heart rendering revelations can be happening in a country with a military service chiefs and a commander-in-chief. It is indefensible that with all the touted bogus military budgets of the country, the rag-tag Boko Haram, according to Davis, is running about six major camps in the northeast and neighbouring countries with 700 fighters reportedly inhabiting each camp? These entirely points at nothing but leadership loss of focus?

More distasteful is the revelation that the various intelligence units in the land are, according to Davis, not cooperating with one another by refusing to share information that could aid quick annihilation of the sect. This is the dilemma of a nation so endowed and yet so bereft of potent leadership and institutional strength. This Davis bombshell has indeed shell-shocked Nigerians that are daily rattled by President Jonathan administration’s crass display of lack of capacity and capability to contain the Boko Haram insurrection against the nation’s collective sovereignty.

So sad! fail to get it due to lack of opportunities, hence the very warm welcome with which Jigawa citizens received the establishment of the university.

Lamido prayed for a peaceful conduct of the 2015 elections and urged Nigerians to love one another. Some might say that these issues that he raised are self evident but they bear reiteration and emphasis from a man who saw it all due to present happenings in the country. Lamido’s message about unity of purpose should also attract more than a passing interest from Nigerian citizens. This great stalwart of the old PRP and one of the PDP founding fathers knows what democracy and citizenship with a unity of purpose look like.

• Adamu is Special Adviser to Jigawa state governor on Media.

‘Lamido has given sense of belonging to all the Jigawa people; he has also open doors for all Nigerians to come, visit, interact, transact, work and live freely without fear of threats and dispossession.

In Jigawa, you will see the Igbos, Yorubas, Angas, the Ijaws, Kanuris, Idomas, Tivs, Jarawas, the Nupes and the Jukun etc’

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

25

BUSINESS THE NATION

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

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

-Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga

MTN donates protective equipment against Ebola

Keystone Bank, NTDC partner on travel market

By Lucas Ajanaku

By Ozolua Uhakheme Asst Editor (Arts)

L

AGOS State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has commended MTN for its public spirited gesture, which he said is a tradition associated with the MTN brand, especially in matters of Education and Health.

Governor Fashola stated this while receiving Personal Protective Equipment for healthcare workers and caregivers, donated by MTN Foundation in support of Lagos State’s effort at containing the spread of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease.

The donation was made under the MTN Foundation’s Community Support Project, which lends a helping hand to communities through infrastructure upgrade such as the provision of water boreholes, transformers etc for the benefit of people. The presentation of personal protective equipment was a response by the Foundation in support of the systematic and professional approach of the Lagos State Health Team in curbing the Ebola scourge.

Governor Fashola lauded MTN’s Private-Public Partnership model, which has seen the Foundation partner with government and other stakeholders in responding to different challenges in times of need, especially given the current health challenge faced by the country. “We are indeed grateful to MTN as it has been a tradition of theirs especially in matters of health and education.

We also appreciate the health workers who in spite of the fear, worked tirelessly to bring the situation under manageable control. As much as we appreciate MTN’s gesture, we want to reiterate that the real challenge is human capacity, that is, the insufficiency of virologists and Ebola management experts,” said the Lagos State helmsman.

Shedding more light on the presentation, Chairman, MTN Nigeria, Dr. Pascal Dozie, said the gesture was in support of all that the Lagos State government had done to contain the spread of the Ebola virus since it was first discovered.

“MTN recognises the importance of collective effort and the role of the private sector in containing the spread and the impact of the disease and we take very seriously, our responsibility to provide a service that is essential in a period of national emergency as we have found ourselves. This is why we are making this donation of personal protective equipment to supplement measures to protect our frontline health workers and caregivers,” he stated.

“We have also activated a 24hour, seven-day a week helpline in conjunction with our call centers management partners where customers can get basic information on Ebola, with support from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, through the office of the Special Assistant on Public Health to the State Governor.

T

•From left: Head Innovations, CWG, Tayo Oduwole; Group Chief Technology Officer (CTO), CWG,James Agada; DirectorGeneral/CEO, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Association of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Bature Umar Masari; GMD/ CEO, CWG, Austin Okere; Regional Manager, North-CWG, Nasiru Izegwire after a meeting in Abuja.

DMO may raise N300b to support budget, infrastructure T HE Debt Management Office (DMO) is expected to raise over N300 billion this quarter to support 2014 budget and infrastructure development, analysts have said.

Currencies Analyst at Ecobank Nigeria, Olakunle Ezun, said the debt agency will raise the funds through reopening of threeyear, 10-year and a new issue of 20-year tenor.

He explained in an emailed note that the debt agency this month alone, raised N100 billion through three offerings (all reopenings) of 13.05 per cent Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) August 2016 bond; 14.20 per cent FGN March 2024 and 12.14 per cent FGN July 2034 bond. The stop rates, he said, were 11.123 per cent, 12.22 per cent and 12.389 per cent respectively.

“In third quarter, the DMO

By Collins Nweze

plans to raise over N300 billion ($2 billion) through re-openings of 3-year, 10-year and a new issue of 20-year tenor to support budget and infrastructure needs,” he said.

On the naira, Ezun said the currency’s short term outlook seems balanced and steady, but on the long term, the risk to the outlook is both on the upside and downside. “The upside risks are driven by the weakening global commodities prices and gloomy global economic outlook. The likely fiscal expansion prior to 2015 elections and reasonably strong liquidity growth continued to drive the downside risks to the naira outlook,” he said.

He explained that while the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele’s forward guidance to steer economy to a low interest rate environment showed a clear departure from that of his pred-

ecessor era, his recent statement to sustain monetary policy stance until after the February 2015 elections supports naira above upper end of interbank plus or minus three per cent of N160 to dollar.

“Nonetheless, there is high expectation that the rebased national accounts, in addition to a stable foreign exchange reserve and CBN’s tight monetary stance, would help support naira,” he said.

The DMO said Nigerian companies have in recent months, issued nine bonds worth $30.4 billion in the International Capital Market.

The Director-General of DMO, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo said the Nigerian companies took advantage of the window opened through the successful issuance of Nigerian Sovereign Eurobonds to successfully issue the interna-

tional bonds.

Nwankwo said the funds will be instrumental in helping Nigeria meet its infrastructural needs especially power. He noted that “for the first time in Nigeria’s economic history, the private sector has been enabled to access long-term funds from both the domestic and international capital markets. The successful issuances of three Nigerian Sovereign Eurobonds in the International Capital Market – one in 2011 and two in 2013 – have opened the window for Nigeria’s private sector to raise required foreign currency funds.

The DMO chief said: “They are now able to fund long-term real sector projects in agriculture, manufacturing, housing, mineral exploration and processing, infrastructure, for diversified and sustainable economic growth, towards employment generation and poverty reduction.”

Yara plans $2.5 billion gas-based fertiliser plant in Africa

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ARA International ASA (YAR), the largest publicly traded nitrogen-fertilizer seller, said it plans to build a $2.5 billion plant in west or east Africa once gas projects come onstream toward the end of the decade.

Yara has held initial talks with governments in countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Angola, Ghana and Mozambique about building a “considerable and worldclass” urea factory to produce for African and foreign markets, Chief Executive Officer Joergen Ole Haslestad said in an interview in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

He said: “We would very much like to participate in greenfield fertilizer production developments,” he said.

“This is probably three to four years down the road before it will materialise.”

Mozambique may become the world’s third-largest gas producer in 2018 after companies such as Eni SpA of Italy and Woodlands, Texasbased Anadarko Petroleum

Corp. begin output from reserves estimated at 250 trillion cubic feet. Tanzania, which has the biggest reserves in east Africa after Mozambique with 46.5 trillion cubic feet, expects that figure to exceed 100 trillion cubic feet within the next two to three years, Energy Minister Sospeter Muhongo said in February.

Joergen Ole Haslestad, Chief Executive Officer of Yara International ASA. Yara acquired Brazil’s Galvani Industria Comercio e Servicos SA for $318 million last month to expand further in South America. It bought Bunge Ltd.’s operations in Brazil for $750 million in December 2012 and OFD Holding Inc. from Omimex Resources Inc. for $425 million in November last year.

“Obviously the west part of Africa is good for Latin America where have big operations,” Haslestad said about the export possibilities from the planned fertilizer plant. “So we can take advantage of that.”

Yara, based in Oslo, plans to add to its existing seven African bagging and warehousing facilities by opening a $20 million unit close to the harbor in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital, in October. It plans a similar venture in Ghana once the economic situation improves in that country, Haslestad said.

The West African nation has turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help in rescuing its currency, which has lost 37 per cent against the dollar this year.

A decision on whether to proceed with potash extraction at Yara’s majority-owned project in northeast Ethiopia will probably be made early next year, he said. Production of sulphate of potash for export could then begin three years later from what would be a $1billion project, according to Haslestad.

“There will be resources enough for having mining operations there for the next 30 to 40 years,” he said.

The company expects to see sales grow “gradually” in Africa, which is the world’s fastestgrowing fertilizer market, he said.

HE Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Bank, Philip Ikeazor, said the bank would partner with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) to ensure successful participation in the World Travel Market slated for London this year.

Ikeazor, who stated this when he paid a courtesy call on the Director-General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbanefo in Abuja. He praised her for the Corporation’s achievements in ensuring that Nigeria, which is endowed with natural and man-made tourist sites, benefits immensely from the money-spinning sector.

Ikeazor said the appointment of Dr Mbanefo as the boss of NTDC was and intended to reposition the nation’s tourism industry, and thereby making Nigeria stand tall in the comity of tourism nations.

The bank boss noted that ‘domestic tourism remains a viable catalyst to developing tourism in any nation, stating that Dr. Mbanefo is getting it right.

Ikeazor pledged that the bank would build a befitting Information Desk for NTDC at the Dr Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala International Airport, Lagos.

“We are willing to ensure that NTDC has a befitting Information Desk at the airports in Lagos and Abuja to enable the corporation further promote Nigeria and her tourist sites.

NTDC has been doing wonderfully well in this course, and we are ready to support the course,” Ikeazor assured.

Dr Mbanefo said the corporation derives its strength from the nation’s cultural tourism assets, stressing that those assets must be promoted effectively to attract those that are interested in what the body has to sell.

She said NTDC will explore the opportunity provided by the World Travel Market to market Nigeria’s domestic tourism potentials, thereby wooing foreigners to appreciate Nigeria’s tourist sites and crowd-pulling festivals, which according to her, will empower people at the grassroots level, as well as create jobs and wealth for them.

Dr Mbanefo reiterated her commitment to promoting domestic tourism in Nigeria, while making NTDC generate good revenue for the government.

U.S. shale ambition on, says Shell CEO

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HELL CEO Ben van Beurden claims that despite a series of asset sales and costly writedowns, the oil giant is not abandoning the prospect of North American oil and gas shales.

Shell’s recent reappraisal resulted in a $2billion writedown in book value and plans for Shell to sell hun-

dreds of thousand of US acres.

He said: “Asset sales have helped the company narrow its focus on fewer projects where Shell can better compete with the smaller oil and gas companies that have dominated US shale development.

“It’s a different type of game but it’s not best left to the independents. We can play and win at it as well.”

During a conference speech at Columbia University, Mr van Beurden also proposed that the US should resume exporting oil and embrace global markets.

Any such resumption would require lifting the longstanding US crude oil export ban in force since the Arab oil embargo in the 19702 s.

26

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

THE NATION

BUSINESS BRANDS & MARKETING

e-mail: adedejiademigbuji@yahoo.com /mobile line: 08131075667

The drive for market leadership, greater brand equity, awareness and market share has pitted food seasoning brands against one another, with seasonings such as Maggi, Knorr and Royco employing every trick to winthe battle. The entry of a leading seasoning powder into the cube market may, however, set the market on fire, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

F

OOD seasoning plays a very significant role in family bonding if the right brand is used in preparing delicacies. A good meal makes the family to yearn for mummy’s food. This is because with culinary expertise, especially when the right brand of seasoning that makes people salivate is used, the meal becomes something of an experience the family relishes.

From the interpretation of some great television commercials, which though look real, some house wives have made their children to inhale the aroma emanating from neighbour’s kitchens while some have even lost their husbands to other women’s pots.

This scenario has for long been played up by makers of various food seasoning brands and have made them to understand consumers’ behavoural pattern to stay ahead of competition.

Currently, Nigeria’s seasoning market parades great seasoning brands such as Maggi from the staple of Nestle Foods; Knorr and Royco, from the staple of Unilever. These brands are leaders in their various market segments. None of them can be pushed aside in terms of brand equity, sales, consumer loyalty and quality market offerings.

Food seasonings belong to the food and beverage sub-sector of the consumer market. BGL Research and Intelligence, one of the foremost investment banking companies in Africa, estimated that the seasoning sector is worth N14.7 trillion. It also estimated that the total national demand for various types of food condiments and seasonings at 5,475 tonnes per annum.

A ValueFronteira’s Food Seasoning Report showed the market potentials maintaining a continuous growth with long list of brands produced locally and abroad competing for appreciable market share.

However, as keenly competitive the cube seasoning market is, it has continued to attract new entrants while old brands are not relenting on offering innovative products to stay ahead of competitors.

Before now, Doyin Group of Companies; Unilever Nigeria; Daily Need Nigeria Limited and Nestle Nigeria Plc were among players dominating the market. Then, Unilever’s Royco Seasoning Powder variants – one for stew and the other for soup, and the popular Maggi brand successfully caused a stir in the market. The entry of more brands, however, is unsettling dominant brands, while incursion of powder seasoning such as Onga seasoning powder with its variants has provided alternative for consumers. Yet the cube market has remained huge.

While big corporate brands such as Unilever and Nestle appeared intimidated with the level of sophistication of the technology, which drives innovation, market followers such as Doyin Group of Companies, manufacturers of Doyin cubes and Daily Need, manufacturers of Suppy brand have made little inroad into the market which has other strong brand, Knorr, that has carved out a niche for itself in the seasoning market over the years. Knorr cubes, after it was bought over from Cadbury Nigeria by Unilever, has remained a force to be reckon with.

Obviously, the brand is growing very fast beyond Unilever’s heartland of Europe, especially in Africa, Latin America, Middle East and Asia. In Nigeria, Knorr has been the taste benchmark for Unilever. Based on this, the conglomerate was committed to building on the premium credentials of Knorr. No wonder, the company said, in the past one year, it has invested in machines and a new savoury hall. This, according to the firm, ‘is to enable us to adequately supply the market and continue to give consumers premium quality cube they have come to associate with Unilever’.

The game is becoming tougher and every brand is tightening its belt to avoid a catastrophic market share slide with the entry of one of the leading powder seasonings, Onga, into the cube market. Onga had dominated the power seasoning market for 10 years and in the last two years Promasidor, owner of

Food seasoning market on fire? creating and capturing good food-momentsthe essence of the Maggi Brand. It was for this reason that Maggi was able to associate strongly with Nokia for this event.”

Nestle again entered the Lagos market to give retailers and consumers a first look and taste of the new Maggi Chicken cube. The move, according to Kellaway, was part of ongoing efforts of the firm’s brand managers to constantly improve Nestlé products and make them tastier, healthier, and affordable with better nutritional value.

Promasidor’s Onga powder joins the Cube league

• Onga uses Flavour, Henshaw, both artistes, to launch its cube format.

• Some leading cube seasonings

the brand, had gone to its Research and Development (R&D) department to create a Onga Cube. From the look of things, the leading cube brands seem prepared to welcome the power seasoning giant with a defensive marketing. Months before the unveiling of the Onga Cube, both Maggi and Knorr deepened and engaged various activations to sustain their market share and build new mindshare. Market analysts, however, said it is a reflection of fear despite the firms’ market leadership.

Fear or market insight?

On Monday, October 7, last year, Unilever deepened its campaign for Knorr to sustain its brand equity and share-of-mind among consumers through its Knorr Taste Quest Season 2, a cooking TV show. The firm’s Brand Building Director, Mr. David Okeme, said the show was expanded to increase participation hence, the need to create additional regional auditions in Lagos, Calabar and Abuja.

Three months after, it re-launched its Knorr Beef and Chicken cubes to deliver superior taste with a new package believed to be a winning concept with a compelling insight and proposition for its consumers.

NESTLE Maggi On February 17, this year, Nestle Nigeria Plc upset the market with a strategic partnership with Nokia to build more mileage for the Maggi cube, using the mobile phone to connect with Maggi offering. While Nokia is one of the leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the mobile telecommunication market category, Maggi has also been touted as the market leader in the food seasoning market category.

Experts say the partnership between the two firms is meant to deepen the market of both brands. As a way of engaging its customers through first hand experience, consumers of both brands were treated to a special night of food and photography tagged: “Eat. Shoot.Repeat”. The event was organised to showcase Nokia’s flagship brandsNokia Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320. It was also a great platform for Maggi to penetrate the market of phone users, whose exponential growth, has placed Nigeria top in the global graph for phone users.

Nestle’s, Business Manager, Culinary, Guy Kellaway, said: “MAGGI, Nigeria’s leading cooking brand, is synonymous with good food. Good food means great memories, and of course, great stories, which is why we are

‘A ValueFronteira’s Food Seasoning Report shows the potentials of the market has maintained a continuous growth with long list of brands produced locally and abroad competing for appreciable market share’

With the buoyant cube seasoning market expanding yearly, Promasidor has taken a bold step to dare dominant brands from the staple of leading companies by creating the cube form from its Onga seasoning powder.

Early this year, when Promasidor launched the product, its Executive Director, Commercial, Mr. Kachi Onubogu, said: “After almost two years of insightful and innovative work by the Promasidor team, I am happy to welcome Onga Cube into the Promasidor Nigeria family of brands.”

He remarked that the new Onga Cube comes in singles of 4gm and in two variants.

It is packaged with 50 cubes in a pouch and 24 pouches in a carton.

To sell a new value-creation for consumers and still retain its powder market dominance, Onubogu said: “Onga in cubes is a completely different formulation from the existing Onga powder because we did a complete reformulation from scratch, paying particular attention to what the consumers want in an ideal brand of seasoning cube.”

Onga is arguably the number one in the seasoning powder segment and it was introduced in 2004. The big players (and smaller brands) have launched variants of their brands, attesting to the fact that Promasidor did the right thing by pioneering the powdered segment of the seasoning market in Nigeria. However, they have hardly made any success in that category.

Can Onga upset Maggi, Knorr in cube category?

The Managing Director/ Chief Executive of Promasidor, Chief Keith Richards, said the success of the Onga brand in the powder form will be replicated in the cube market. He said this is evident considering the success of the company in other market offerings.

Analysts believe that with Promasidor innovation in making average consumers have access to milk by bringing the first sachet milk into the country, the company could upset market leaders in the cube seasoning market. This is evident in Richard’s statement: “At Promasidor Nigeria Limited, we pride ourselves in pioneering cuttingedge innovative solutions to the delight of our consumers in terms of our product offerings. Twenty years ago, we set out to improve the lives of every Nigerian with the introduction of nutritious Cowbell milk in single serve sachets that made milk affordable to every Nigerian household.

“Since then, we have continuously raised the bar of innovation with the introduction of Top Tea in round tea bags, Onga Seasoning in powdery form and flavoured milk drink: Cowbell Choco, Cowbell Strawberry, Cowbell Sweet Milk and Cowbell Coffee.

This is a true testament to our vision of providing quality products and empowering the lives of Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, as the competition intensifies, market observers are of the view that the entry of Onga into the cube market category will re-configure the market share of the leading brands and this might come with some consumers switching brands to experience the new entrant.

27

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

Brandnews

Ad spend hits N18.5b

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•Nwosu

• President Goodluck Jonathan

HE print media attracted a to tal of N18.5 billion from advertising last year, more than doubling the N9 billion it recorded in the previous year.

This is contained in the just-released 2013 Mediafacts, a key media resource for marketing experts in West and Central Africa produced yearly by MediareachOMD, a specialist media firm that provides media planning, buying, control and inventory management services.

According to Mediafacts, “due to new publication launches and increased brand activities in print media, the spends in the print media increased more than 100 per cent and thereby set a new record for the sector. In the past 10 years, the highest revenue the print media had from advertisers before now was in 2010 when advertising spend was N16.5 billion.

However, “Print medium was largely used only in Lagos and a marginal one per cent spend in the Northern region,” the report said.

Also, quarterly analysis of the total print advertising expenditure, shows that though there is almost an equal dispersion of spend across

the four quarters, there is a marginal skew in spend in the second quarter with a total value of N5.1 billion. The first, third and fourth quarters attracted advertising worth N4.2 billion, N4.5 billion and N4.6 billion.

Further, the Mediafacts revealed that the growth in the spend was primarily driven by the personal paid, corporate, banking and finance, telecoms, education, hotel, public service, motor vehicles, lager and handsets adverts.

According to the report, Globacom, Transcorp Hilton Hotel, MTN, Guaranty Trust Bank, Etisalat, Guinness Stout, Airtel, Diamond Bank, Zenith Bank and Skye Bank are the top 10 big advert spenders in the year under review.

According to the Managing Director/CEO of MediareachOMD, Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya,“besides the in-depth coverage of Nigeria and Ghana’s media markets, this latest edition of mediafacts provides deeper insight into the Cameroonian market.’’

HE Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Seni Adetu, has said the new #made of more campaign by Guinness will ignite the Nigerian spirit.

Also, he said the choice of Phyno, Olamide and Eva as the campaign ambassadors of the firm would encourage creativity.

He said: “Guinness believes that Phyno is made of attitude. Phyno is #madeofblack, because he dared to be different, standing up to pursue what he believed in; his dream and not wavering till he got it.

Phyno went where many could not succeed and has made immense impact in the music entertainment industry.”

Noting that Olamide is a bonafide game changer, he said the musical star has demonstrated not only his style of music but also the utter swag with which he delivers his lines and the passion with which he pursues his career.

“You can see and feel the raw energy when he does what he is passionate about. It is that passion we celebrate today. Olamide is definitely #madeofblack.

“Eva is also an outstanding example of what we identify with as

#madeofblack, her unique style, her courage to venture into the frontlines of a male dominated game and continue to leave an indelible mark with her bold freshness to rap, finesse and resilience, these qualities definitely makes Eva an undeniably fitting choice as someone truly #madeofblack,” he added.

The Head, Consumer Planning and Research, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Ms. Tayo Salami, explained why the campaign was developed. “As Guinness launches this new #madeofblack campaign, we are very excited about it because it provides a platform for those whose bold, go-getting spirit can serve as an inspiration to others.”

This campaign has been in development for almost two years and we have strived to create a campaign that we will reverberate with and also shine a light on a movement that has been created by a new generation of Africans whose boldness cannot be contained. #Madeofblack is not about colour; Black is an attitude,” he said.

Also, Adetu said Guinness is positioning black not just as a colour but an emblem of uniqueness for which Africans and indeed Nigerians are known for.

APCON: Stakeholders reject Fed Govt’s appointee ‘Why we adopted ambassadors’ T W

HEN the Federal Government dissolved the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) chaired by Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi and replaced him with Prince Ngozi Emioma, little did it know it was threading on an ‘illegal’ terrain.

The Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups (HASG), who met in Lagos, for the first time after the government’s action, rejected the appointment.

HASG is made of AAAN, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).

NPAN did not attend the meeting because of its litigation against APCON. The group lamented that 11 months after the three-year tenure of Akinwunmi ended on September 27, last year, the position was still without a ‘legal’ council and head.

“The delay in inaugurating a new Council for APCON has expectedly slowed down some of the operations of APCON, particularly in the area of initiating fresh regulatory policies and carrying out certain operations that require the approval of the Council,” said APCON’s Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Garba Bello Kankarofi.

President of AAAN, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, said: “In 2013, the Federal Government announced the reconstitution of federal boards of parastatals and regulatory bodies.

During this exercise, a new Council was allegedly also announced for APCON; Prince Ngozi Emioma was

Stories by Adedeji Ademigbuji

appointed as Chairman,” he said.

He said Emioma was rejected based on the Nigeria Advertising Laws, Rules and Regulations.

A copy of the Law made available to The Nation, states: “The Nigerian Advertising Laws, Rules and Regulations Act 55 of 1988 (as amended), states that a chairman shall be a distinguished fellow of the profession...

Seven persons to be appointed by the Minister, one of whom shall be from the Ministry and others from among other interests in advertising, which in the opinion of the Minister ought to be adequately represented. Thirdly, 10 persons to be elected by AAAN and two persons to represent institutions of higher learning in Nigeria offering courses leading to an approved qualification to be appointed by the Minister in rotation, so that the two persons shall not come from the same institution.”

Nwosu said the ‘council’ purportedly ‘appointed’and headed by Emioma is illegal as their appointments flouts the law.

“Prince Emioma and other members of his ‘Council’ are not qualified to be on the APCON council.

None of them fulfills the expectation of the APCON law, and are, therefore, not qualified to be members of the APCON council,” Nwosu said.

Also, Nwosu said Emioma was aware of his deficiency. One of those setbacks is not a fellow of the body, a big factor in determining who becomes APCON chair.

“But he is relying on the Act 55 Part 1 Subsection 3, which states that the council may, if it deems it fit bestow an honorary fellowship on any deserving person has distinguished himself in his calling and whose con-

‘It’s a specific professional board and we are sorting it out.

We are praying that very soon, the various issues that violate the APCON Act in the composition of the membership of the board will be resolved’

tribution is such that it is in the interest of the council to be associated with such person,” Nwosu added.

He continued: “On the part of the law, Emioma is relying on, it is important to note that the council that is supposed to confer the honorary fellowship on Emioma for him to qualify is not in place. Emioma, who is relatively unknown in his chosen profession, may not be described as distinguished as his achievements are barely known.”

Besides, the Executive Committee member of ADVAN, Kachi Onubogu, said: “There is no council in place to confer an honorary fellowship on Emioma, so he is disqualified.”

Though the media blamed the HASG for keeping quiet too long, the Executive Secretary of AAAN, Mr. Lekan Fadolapo, said the group wrote to the President and Minister of Information when the appointment of Emioma was announced.

In a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan dated June 13, last year, the group expressed their grievance over the appintment. The letter states: “We write to seek your Excellency’s support in ensuring this illegality is reversed and permanently resolved.”

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said there were mistakes in the appointments.

“It’s a specific professional board and we are sorting it out. We are praying that very soon, the various issues that violate the APCON Act in the composition of the membership of the board will be resolved,” he assured.

As industry players await the minister’s response, it was learnt that a former President of AAAN, Funmi Onabolu, has been tipped as the new APCON chairperson.

‘Prince Emioma and other members of his ‘Council’ are not qualified to be on the APCON council.

None of them fulfills the expectation of the APCON law, and are therefore, not qualified to be members of the APCON council’

Caritas, Investis partner on digital communication

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ARITAS Digital, a subsidiary of Caritas PR Limited, has signed a deal with Investis Limited, an international digital communication firm, to deploy digital corporate communication to firms in West Africa.

On the partnership, the Chief Executive Officer, Caritas PR Limited,Adedayo Ojo, said: “We are delighted with the partnership with Investis. The agreement will enable us to combine our expertise to offer clients the best in corporate and digital communication.”

He added that the agreement was a response to an independent research report which showed a sharp rise in digital products and services globally and an encouraging increase in the number of corporations investing in their overall digital corporate communication in the past one year.

“Annual Reports are no longer shared during Annual General Meetings; rather, these are deployed through IR applications to targeted investors, and sharehold-

ers with enhanced user interface for interactive engagements. The lack of these applications place some quoted companies in Nigeria in a disadvantage position,” Ojo said.

Ojo stated that the partnership has been designed to provide products and services including designing; building, hosting and managing corporate or investor websites and online annual reports, Investor Relations apps development, webcasting and social media solutions to quoted Nigerian companies listed on the London and Nigeria Stock Exchanges.

With this partnership, Caritas Digital and Investis will offer flexible solutions compatible with iPad, iPhone, and Android phones and social media for Investor Relations and Corporate Communication.

Other solutions include iPadcompatible webcasting player; social media compatible widgets with a wide range of new corporate and investor-focused iPad, iPhone and Android Apps.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

28

THE NATION

BUSINESS SHOPPING

E-mail: toniaitose@gmail.com

Sms : 07035302326 Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

As the nation battles to curtail the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Nigerians are more hygiene conscious, a development that has increased the demand for hand sanitisers.

TONIA ‘DIYAN reports.

•Shoppers inside Apapa Mall buying hand sanitizers

Profiting from Ebola Virus Disease •Stores record high sale of sanitisers, market women more enlightened

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N marketing parlance, the fear factor or “F” factor, is one of several factors that influence shoppers’ decisions. This factor, though hardly given a thought, now tops shoppers’ list. No thanks to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Indeed, since the first discovery of the EVD in Lagos last month, the “F” factor has played up on shoppers’ list, leading to the high demand for hand sanitisers. The ripple effect of this is that prices of the once unknown product has hit the rooftops. This follows the recommendations of the World Health organisation (WHO), Ministry of Health and other concerned bodies, on the efficacy of sanitisers in preventing the deadly disease.

The Ebola virus is primarily transmitted through contact with body fluids of infected persons, their skins and mucous membranes being the main routes of entry.

A statement by an online store, Kaymu, said the demand for hand sanitiser has increased by 130 per cent since the virus struck. Sales of hand washes and lotions have equally increased significantly in supermarket and departmental stores across the Lagos metropolis.

Ifeanyi Abraham of Konga online store lent credence to this when he told The Nation that since the coming of the EVD, the online store has recorded a significant hike in sales of sanitary products on its portal, Konga.com. At some point, Abraham noted, the online store ran out of sanitisers and other sanitary products unexpectedly, and had to quickly re-stock.

“The demand for sanitary products has risen greatly since the outbreak of the Ebola disease. Our hand sanitiser sale has risen to about 200 per cent since the outbreak was first reported in Nigeria. We have customers, who buy in bulk as awareness of the EVD increases daily,” he said.

Also, Jumia’s public relations officer, Tomiwa Oladele, confirmed that the outfit has recorded an 80 per cent increase in demand and sales of sanitisers since the death of the late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, who ferried the EVD to Nigeria. “We have seen an increased purchase of the item in bulk, which indicates that people are buying and keeping it at home. We have sold over 5, 000 sanitisers in less than one month and we are still counting,” she said. And with a rising demand and the need to satisfy its customers, Oladele said the online store has had to create a section to have all sanitary products in one location for accessibility to customers.

The said demand for sanitisers has also followed the law of demand and supply.

Retailers of the product have seized the moment to significantly increase the price.

For instance, an average size santiser, which used to sell for N200 before the EVD saga now sells for between N1, 000 and N1, 500, representing about 800 per cent increase. Oladele attributed the hike to the inability of producers to meet the demand for the product.

The high demand has also led to sub-standard or unknown brands flooding the market. The unprecedented rise in demand, it was gathered, has encouraged some retailers to introduce new, but substandard brands into the market as substitutes for much sought after brands, which are pre-

sumably expensive. Before the EVD outbreak, sanitary products accounted for a little percentage of the health category market sales, but it is now high on the demand chart for several weeks running.

Interestingly, the EVD has brought with it a good side- promotion of basic hygiene to prevent the transmission of not just the diseases, but other germs and bacteria related diseases. This is by observing simple habit of washing hands with soap and water, hand-wash liquids and sanitisers. People now see the importance of washing their hands and using sanitisers as necessary after a visit to toilets or touching a dirty object.

A visit to some major markets in the Lagos metropolis showed that shoppers and market women have formed new habits. Some now wear hand gloves to markets as some bankers now do when attending to their customers. Some do wear nose masks when counting money to shield them from respiratory penetration.

Forming the ‘new fad’, market women now make bowls of water and soap handy for regular use after each transaction. Some also add salt into the water- a reasoning based on the believed efficacy of salt. Besides, fruit sellers now wash their commodities in salty water before displaying them and advise their consumers to do same at home before eating the fruits.

The Palms Shopping Mall’s public relations officer, Precious Eweka, in Lekki, explained that contract staff, cleaners and security are being advised on the deadly virus and how to keep safe. The mall has also provided awareness messages on all electronic boards within the mall, in the toilets and the car park about the preventive measures to be taken, while hand sanitisers have been placed within the mall upon ar-

rival.

Shoprite’s George Ukwunna said hand sanitisers have been placed at strategic places inside the store. “We have hand sanitisers on our counters and entrance for shoppers. There are first aid boxes, in case there are minor injuries and safety point for emergency cases,” he explained.

Marketing Manager, Ikeja City mall, Eniola Ositelu, also said the mall is putting in place some preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease. He said the mall’s management distributed audio CDs at the mall to enlighten tenants and shoppers about the virus. “We have complemented that with circulating detailed information on the virus,” he said, adding: “There is provision for hand sanitisers in strategic places within the mall and it is expected to arrive before the end of the week.

He continued: “Contractors have been dully intimated about the virus and are currently putting into place measures to ensure that the mall and its environs are safe for shoppers. Preventative measures have also been placed on electronic boards within the mall. We will also use our media platforms to inform shoppers and members of the public about the Ebola virus. Our mall is safe for shoppers and it remains the choice destination for shopping, leisure and entertainment.”

At local market such as Mushin and Ketu, market leaders said they have been told to wash their hands before and after attending to customers. “The orientation given to us is that our traders must wash their hands after collecting money from customers and we have made provisions for that. We have clinic around us where we are advised to visit,”a market leader said.

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHSOUTH STATES

A BISHOP’S D AY DA

CAR CRASH

•PAGE 31

•PAGE 31 •Amaechi

•Ekarika

PAGE 29

UNITY RALL Y RALLY

WITH the loss of his right hand in a car crash, Ubong Ekarika, a native of Ibekwe Ikpanya in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, is seeking assistance from Governor Godswill Akpabio.

BISHOP Benjamin Beinmote Solomon of the Bible Pattern Evangelical Mission, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, turned 50 last Sunday. He counts his blessings and says the fear of death made him seek God’s face.

•Bishop Solomon

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

NO fewer than 20 groups have signed up for the 50,000-man rally planned for next month by the youths and students wing of the Eastern Delta People Association (EDPA). The rally is to draw support for a riverine successor to Governor Rotimi Amaechi whose second term ends next May. •PAGE 34

‘We suffer so much to collect our pension’ •101-year-old retired soldier relives his life From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

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new layouts and other areas in the capital city. People sometimes presumptuously rank Yenagoa among cities with low cost of living. It is not true. There is nothing cheap in Yenagoa. Everything is expensive.

Accommodation is expensive in the capital city. First, it is a horrendous task finding where to live in the city.

IFE, they say, begins at 40.

But, for Pa Gabriel Okon, even at 101 years, he says, life has not even begun.

He won’t mind living till he is 200, even as he is quick to say he is, however, not afraid of death.

As a very old man trying to find his way around one of the new generation banks in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, to sort out his pension issues, he arouses the interest of our reporter who after interacting with him a bit gets to know he was born on July 27, 1913 in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Later on in his Anatigha, Calabar-South home where he lives with a much younger wife, Mr Okon reveals he was in the Nigerian Army.

“Gabriel Okon is my name and I am from Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.

I was born on July 27, 1913. I was in the Army and my number was 4538 NMF,” he proudly says.

He enlisted in 1960 and was discharged in 1981.

For someone who is over a century old, he is pretty brisk the way he goes about his business without any assistance. He is also quite coherent and seems fully aware of his surroundings.

Astonishingly, Okon says even at his age he still feels so full of life and will not mind if he makes it to two centuries.

“I feel very strong and agile. I get sick from time to time, but it is just the normal sicknesses that every other person gets. I want to live up to 200 years if I can.

“As there is nothing worrying me now as you can see, I am still very well and want to enjoy my life. I don’t want to die o. I want to chop life and be satisfied.”

On whether all the life he has “chopped” over 10 decades was not enough for him, he replies: “Wetin I chop since? Abeg leave me. I have not chopped anything yet. I want to chop life to the fullest. I have not even started. I have not seen anything yet o.”

Even though he wants to live as long as he wishes, Okon is not afraid of death.

• Continued on pages 30 & 35

• Continued on pages 32 & 33

•Aerial view of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital where residents say house rent is too expensive.

Residents flay high rent in Yenagoa, Asaba, Warri, Calabar T

O a first time visitor, Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, is in a class of its own. It can be likened to other developed cities when overviewed from the popular Mbiama-Yenagoa Road, a dual carriage way that stretches to the Government House in Onopa.

But its beauty seems to disappear when one probes beyond the city’s

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa, Aiwere Okungbowa, Asaba, Bolaji Ogundele, Warri and Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

facades. In close proximity to the lineal buildings dotting the two sides of the Yenagoa-Mbiama axis are messy neighbourhoods; in fact, slums.

In such filthy and muddy creeks, which have “monkey bridges” (lo-

cal walkways erected with stick and plank), as their access roads, buildings are made of plank and covered with rust corrugated iron sheets and, sometimes, tarpaulins.

Such houses, which look more like huts, are intricately linked to one another to produce a congested and clustered settlement. Sometimes, buildings made of bricks are found in such environment.

Beautiful buildings are also found in

• YOU HAVE STORIES FOR US? PLEASE CONTACT US ON 07066954441 OR 08123521990

30

35

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

NIGER DELTA REPORT COVER

NIGER DELTA REPORT COVER

Residents flay high rent in Yenagoa, Asaba, Warri, Calabar

•Houses at Okaka GRA where Odunayo lives

•A typical neighbourhood in Clabar Municipality

•Summit Road, Asaba.

•Continued from page 2935S

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ESIDENTIAL houses are in short supply and when one is eventually found, it is always exorbi-

tant.

One of the reasons behind the dearth of residential houses is the difficult terrain of the city. It is waterlogged and it takes a fortune to build a house.

Most areas in the city must be sandfilled to raise the land above flood water before it can accommodate a building. So, many residents do not have the financial muscle to build a house.

Secondly, most people, especially politicians, prefer building hotels, which they claim are more profitable than houses. In Yenagoa, there could be more hotels than residential houses.

Lack of accommodation and dwindling fortunes of hotels, have in recent times forced owners of such hotels to convert them to residential areas.

So, people scramble for available houses allowing the law of demand and supply to reign supreme.

In some of the emerging new houses at the heart of Yenagoa, such as Amarata, Otiotio, Yenizuegene, Onopa and INEC Road, self-contained apartments go for between N150,000 to N200,000 per annum. A bedroom flat goes for between N220,000 to N250,000 per annum while two-bedroom flat goes for N300,000 to N350,000 per annum. Three bedroom flat is given out at N400,000 to N500,000 per annum.

Office spaces are difficult to come by. It costs about N700,000 to N1.5million per annum to get a space for an office.

Most of the houses are built without facilities and basic amenities, such as water and car parks. They are not fenced and there are no roads to such houses. Residents park their vehicles some kilometres away from their houses, mostly on the major roads.

Mrs. Aredea Samuel lives in an area called Ghetto. The area is lying beside the Government House and it is a very popular neighborhood. As the name implies, Ghetto has despicable and polluted environment. It is one of the slums in Yenagoa.

Apart from being mosquito-infested, it has pool of stinking water all around it. Houses are clustered and poorly built. Persons living in Ghetto have no luxury of driving their cars to their compound.

“This areas is called ghetto because the buildings here are of the same standard. This area from the look of things is reserved for the poor,” Aredea says.

It is, indeed, expected that an area like Ghetto should have low cost of living. But Aredea notes that they pay through their nose to sustain themselves.

She says: “Nothing is low. Everything is costly. The money we pay for housing here is surprising because it is the same thing others pay in normal areas.

“In this area, everything is far from us; no good water no toilets, no kitchen so it is as if we are at the end of the world,” she says.

She, however, begs owners of houses including bamboo-made houses popularly known in the ghetto as “bachers” to consider reducing their rents.

For Eric Obong, what he calls house in Yenagoa is an assemblage of plank, bound together with nails and covered with rust corrugated sheets. The weaklooking structure is supported with four pillars made of long plank. The environment is messy, slippery and dotted with pools of greenish stagnated water.

Obong hails from Akwa Ibom State.

He is in Yenagoa in search of greener pastures. But he has soon learnt that life is more difficult in Yenagoa than where he ran away from.

After settling down, Obong who claims to have read Mechanical Engineering sells dog meat popularly known as 404 in Yenagoa.

“Due to unemployment rate in Nigeria, I switched over to catering service so, I can cook any kind of food but I specialised in selling dog meat”, he says.

He adds: “When I came to Yenagoa, I saw that the activities here is not easy, especially when it comes to work. So, I decided to cook and sell. The cost of living in Yenagoa is very high com-

pared to Akwa Ibom State where l came from. Everything here is expensive.”

Obong, who has been living in Yenagoa for four years, pays the land owner for his poorly-built house, which, he says, he bought from the former builder. After reconstructing the decaying structure , he pays the land owner N44,000 yearly.

“I bought the house from the owner.

Initially, the house was in a very bad state but when I got it I repaired it in this place, I pay N44,000 a year.

“Some landlords are most times impossible. They always insist on collecting one year rent at times two years.

My house is just a room; no bathroom no toilet ,no kitchen.

“The house now is in good shape because all this place was flooded in initially, so I repaired it, but the landlord refused to pay me back. Housing here is on the high side”, he laments.

In fact, where Mrs. Tare lives and pays N50, 000 can easily be described as a dustbin. The young woman, who relocated to Yenagoa from PortHarcourt in Rivers State, with her husband only has sad tales to tell about her environment. There is a heap of refuse which emits foul odour beside her plank house.

“This environment is something else; the standard of living here is something else from my own assessment ,Abuja and Yenagoa are the same in terms of housing and transportation.

“Sincerely speaking, it has not been easy. The landlord is very much aware of this situation because he comes here to collect his tents. The environment is noting to right home about. We are hoping to move to somewhere else,” she says.

But Mr. Samson Odunayo is poles apart from the slum dwellers. He lives in an area called GRA in Yenagoa.

Though his environment is cleaner, it does not befit similar places identified as GRAs in other capital cities.

It does not have the aesthetic beauty, good planning, calmness and prestige of a typical GRA. Odunayo, a civil servant has lived in Yenagoa for over two years. He occupies a two-bedroom flat.

Though he pays N210,000 per annum,

he depends on local vendors for water.

“It was really very difficult for me to cope initially, but it’s a general sickness in Bayelsa. There is no good water in Bayelsa state.The rent is on the high side. It is too expensive.

“I have been paying such a huge amount of money in a place where there is no water so all my earnings are going to payment of rent. The government should hold a meeting with all landlords in the state and sensitise them on the need to reduce their rents,”he says.

Without mincing words, Yenagoa is a combination of city and slum dwellers. There is hardly a highbrow area without a ghetto neighborhood.

Whether in Imgbi, OMPADEC, Opolo, Down Yenagoa and even Azikoro, the marriage of convenience between affluence and poverty exist.

But rich or poor, slum or metropolis, all of them are united in their complaints that the cost of accommodation in the capital city is high.

Asaba: Residents cry over skyrocketing rent

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HEN Delta State was cre ated on August 27, 1991, with Asaba as its capital, a deluge of persons invaded the town to stake a claim in the town.

With this influx, existing facilities were stretched. The then largely rural capital city could not cope.

This state of affairs precipitated an acute accommodation problem that has remained unsolved till date.

From a small, insignificant backwater town, Asaba has grown into a bustling cosmopolitan centre spreading into neighbouring communities including Okpanam,Ugbolu, Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku and Okwe.

But with passing years, the housing problem in Asaba has not abated. It has, indeed, worsened despite the best efforts of private developers and a booming property business.

With an acute accommodation problem, rents skyrocketed, and unscrupulous estate agents had a field day maximising profits at the expense of prospective tenants.

Recently, Delta Governor

Emmanuel Uduaghan admitted that the failure of his government to providing housing for ordinary Deltans.

His words: “We have not done well in housing. I believe we should partner with private sectors, but after collecting C of O from government, they diverted the funds meant for developing property to other ends. I cannot beat my chest and say we have done well with housing.”

Many have often suffered in their quest to find cheap affordable accommodation within Asaba metropolis with many opting to live in neighbouring communities.

Often public servants commute daily to Asaba from neighbouring communities to transact business.

Asaba, thus, is reduced to a ghost town, especially at weekends, as many residents leave to spend weekends with their families in faraway towns, such as Benin City, Warri, Sapele and Ughelli.

Mr Sunny Alaino, Principal partner, Sunday Alaino & Associates believes factors ranging from poor road infrastructure, security issues and the unwholesome activities of quarks.

He said: “With what is happening in Asaba today. Investors are trying to develop properties within the Asaba metropolis to reduce the housing problem. There are certain factors in the areas of roads. Developers do not like going to areas where roads infrastructure is poor.

But Mr Alaino explains that the discrepancy in rent rates in Asaba could be traced houses that have adequate facilities like ceramics tiling for all rooms, bore-hole water, kitchen cabinet and other facilities.

According to him,’ a three bedroom flat in G.R.A goes for N800, 000 and up to N1, 000,000, while a three bedroom in Okpanam community goes for N300, 000 or N400, 000. Some of the facilities in three bedroom flats differ.

Some three bedroom flats with good finishing like ceramics tiles in all the rooms fitted with wardrobes, and kitchen cabinet.

“The truth is the level of security in G.R.A is higher and this affect rents, the difference on rent rates depends

on location.

“A bedsitter in G.R.A goes for between N120, 000 and N150, 000 per annum while in a low income neighbourhood like Cable, a bedsitter goes for about N72, 000 per annum. A two-bedroom in down town Asaba goes for N250, 000 per annum while in upscale part of town it goes for N350, 000 per annum.”

Mr Alaino disagrees with the view that houses are difficult to find in Asaba, adding that most prospective tenants often do not have enough money for the house they want.

His words: “There is no difficulty .If a prospective tenant has the money he can get a place wherever he wants to get a house. It is very easy. If you have the money a house is easy to get. The reason why some people find it hard to find a place is because they do not have enough money for the property they like to rent.”

Mr Alaino admits that quackery has impacted negatively on their business, adding that the regulatory body has mapped out strategies to check quackery.

He added: “The truth is we have some unscrupulous estate agents while we also have good ones. What the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers is that opened a body that will regulate these agents. The regulatory body has mandated that all agents should register with the body and be carried along in whatever we are doing. So that as many who want to go into the business fully can be guided by writing all the professional examinations.”

A prospective tenant, Nwangbor Okorie laments that he has been looking for a one bedroom and parlour in the last two years, but has been unsuccessful despite contracting an estate agent.

According to him due to the high cost of rent in Asaba he has had to relocate to Obulu-Okiti, Aniocha North, adding that he currently pays N76, 000 for a one bedroom apartment.

Narrating his ordeal, Okorie said he contracted only one agent but ended up with five agents who wanted to share in the commission for the house

he intended to rent.

Okorie claimed the agents insisted he paid more because the 10 per cent was inadequate. This, according to him, made lose the house because he was unable to find the extra money.

Another resident, Kelvin Osemene, said the search for a home for him was ‘hectic and horrible’ as he had to boycott the use of agents because they were untrustworthy.

His words; “When I wanted to get a house I went through an agent but I discovered that what the agents were untrustworthy, so I tried to get a home using friends. It took me over one year to find a place.”

Osemene said his desperation led him to pay bills for facilities like borehole repairs, electricity that the previous tenant left unpaid.

He said: “It is difficult to find a house in Asaba despite the outlandish rents charged by landlords. Because we need accommodation, tenants have to forgo their rights and do as they are told.

Finding a house has been a harrowing experience for me. The state government should step in and save tenants from shylock landlords.”

Warri residents worry over crazy rent

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ARRI metropolis, though not a state capital, is con sidered prosperous, especially because of the oil and gas business factor. The adverse side of this prosperity, however, reflects on the day-to-day life of those living in it.

Housing falls under the category adversely affected, especially for those who cannot claim to have a share of the wealth of the oil and gas industry.

Warri is one of the most expensive towns to live in Nigeria. This is because of the level of its development, which derived from the fact that it is one of the two centres where oil and gas activities form the core of the economy.

According to James Ufuoma, a resident of the town, Warri may be small in size, but the amount of money exchanging hands daily, in all manners of transactions, is comparatively higher than what some states see in

months. The downside of this fact is its effect on the lowly or moderately paid ordinary man, who lives in the same town with the well-paid oil worker and the rich oil thieves.

The resident with modest means has quite a lot to grapple with to live a moderately comfortable life in the town. In Warri, housing is not cheap.

The financial capability of a resident notwithstanding, rents in Warri will definitely shock tenants in some other states of the country.

From the lowliest of homes, being shacks and shanties, to some of the most tastefully constructed residencies in Warri, rent is not cheap. A house agent, Stanley Uche, gave a rundown of what it costs to secure various categories of houses in different areas of the town, offering an opinion on which area offer lenient conditions to tenants. For instance, of all the areas in the town, only Ajamogha landlords will accept to take rents lower than a year. Also, there are areas in the town where rents for the same quality and size of building go for twice the price of houses in other areas.

"Rent in areas like McDemot and Iyara areas is very cheap, cheaper than what you will have in places like First Marine Gate, Water Resources, Airport Road, New Layout in Jakpa. Also, if you go to such places as Enerhen village, you'll get cheaper accommodation; there you can get a two bedroom flat for about N20,000 or N12,000 to N134,000 per month. However, if you come to this Marine Quarters, you will see same quality and structure of house for about N25,000. In same Marine Quarters, you can get a three bedroom flat for between N30,000 and N35,000.

"The houses are also graded with their age, equipment and the materials; some houses with tiles on the floor cost more than bare floor. Houses around Airport Road, up to West End, are very expensive; the cheapest you will get is N30,000. You have those of N35,000 and N40,000, depending on the facility available in the house; those with running water, water heater, some even have standby Lister generator. They pay yearly; there are those where they pay N500,000,

N600,000 and some for N700,000. It depends on the facility provided in the house.

"One of the best areas to stay is Ajamogha, rent regime is depending on the individual landlord; some landlords give houses out for N25,000, but they will be willing to take six months' rent from you, they don't stress tenants. While other places see landlords taking two years or one and a half years, for the same quality and structure of houses in Ajamogha, the landlord will be willing to give it out for six months or one year's rent," Uche explained.

As a result of this pocket unfriendly regime, it is not surprising that some people who work in different parts of the metropolis still live as far away as parts of Ughelli, Okpe and Sapele, driving kilometres to work and back home to their loved ones.

Calabar...New status, new trouble

B

EFORE it assumed its status as a destination in the West African sub-region, it was just a backwater civil service state, where getting a roof over one's head cost next to nothing. Then in the 1990s, Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State, was barely known. It was also a small, quiet and relatively underdeveloped city with the University of Calabar seemingly the only institution that made it have some life.

But the story about rent in the city changed towards the end of the 90s when news filtered in that a Free Trade Zone was coming. Estate valuers, it was learnt, went to town sensitising landlords to increase their rent because the zone was coming in with plenty of companies and money.

Mr Anietie Effiong, who has lived in Calabar for the past thirty years, said: "I remember at the time a popular estate valuer came to me and said we were collecting peanuts. He said so much money was coming with the Free Trade Zone and we should cash in on it."

Since then, rent in the city has defied the law of gravity. With the commencement of the Donald Duke administration in 1999, with his thrust

on making the state visible on the map, through an aggressive tourism drive demand for land and housing had increased tremendously.

Calabar consists of two local government areas, which are CalabarMunicipality and Calabar-South. The former is regarded as the fancier part of town hence rent in this area is comparatively higher than in South.

With most of the fine infrastructure, perceived better security, well-constructed housing estates among others, the demand for houses in Municipality is higher despite its higher price.

The Donald Duke's administration succeeded in putting the state on the world map and making it a destination. With Liyel Imoke sustaining the drive of his predecessor having a roof over one's head no longer remains pocket friendly.

Even as rent is high, the landlords collect at least two years. That, however, has relaxed a bit and most of them have started collecting rent for one year.

Now the houses are even no longer spacious as it appears every available land is used maximally by the house owners. In many places, so long as it has four walls and a roof, even if one can cross it in three steps, it is a room.

Due to increasing traffic the city has also grown. Areas, such as Ekorinm, Asari Eso, and LEMNA Road among others which were forests have been transformed to residential areas.

An estate agent in Calabar, who gave his name as Orok, said rent was really high now and would only keep rising.

According to him, the rates are expensive, especially against the background that "there is no much money in the state like Lagos and Port Harcourt."

He said: "The rent depends on the house and location. For instance, in Calabar South, you can see one bedroom self-contained for N170, 000 per annum. You can see one self-contained at N170, 000 if it is a standard one. But in Municipality you can see the same for between 200, 000 to 230, 000, if it is standard.

"In Municipality, you will see onebedroom flat you will see it now for 300, 000 to 350 naira. If you are lucky, you see it at 250, 000 to 270, 000but it would not be standard.

"For two bed-room flat in South, you can have it for 35,000, 000 to 500,000. In Municipality, some even go for 500, 000 to 600,000. Then three-bedroom goes for N1 million for a standard one.

You can get it for 700, 000 or 800, 000 if you are lucky. It depends how standard it is. If it is three bedroom and you are the only one in the compound you can have it at N1 million or N1.2 million. If it is a three or four-bedroom duplex, you can have it from N1 million to N1.5 maybe at Marian Road, State Housing, or Ekorinm, or Asari Eso, or Federal Housing.

"Many people especially, foreigners they always prefer municipality. Foreigners don't always like Calabar South because of what they hear about the place. They prefer municipal but if it comes to indigenes, most of them don't mind anywhere so long as the location is good.

Another resident of the city, Mr Okon Bassey said: "Calabar in the 90s was the cheapest until when the news of the Free Trade Zone came. So even when the FTZ did not take off, the rent went up even before the tourism thing.

When it eventually took off in early 2001, the rent had gone up. In fact, I remember my office we were paying N50, 000 per annum for a very spacious three bedroom flat with one big store and everything inside in CalabarSouth. Now as I talk to we are paying about 500, 000."

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

31

NIGER DELTA REPORT FEATURE

Fear of death led me to Christ, says Bishop Bishop Benjamin Beinmote Solomon of the Bible Pattern Evangelical Mission, Port Harcourt turned 50 last Sunday. He used the occasion to count his blessings, writes PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA OR Bishop Benjamin Beinmote Solomon, the Presiding Prelate of the Bible Pattern Evangelical Mission, his golden jubilee celebration is nothing but an opportunity to count his blessings. It took him more than one hour on the pulpit last Sunday to narrate how faithful God has been to him, his family and his ministry.

He told the congregation that he has every reason to praise God and to rejoice.

The birthday celebration, which started by 12 pm at the Bible Pattern Evangelical Mission Hall in Rumuokuta, Obio/Akpor Local Government of Rivers State, was attended by men of God, friends, well-wishers and families of the celebrant.

The Bishop also dedicated his book titled: "Understanding the Divine Covenant".

Unveiling the book, the guest minister, Bishop Isaac Ididah, said the book is a must read. He added that if the congregation understood the importance of divine covenant no one would leave the church without buying a copy.

Bishop Solomon said he was struck with the spirit of death and never thought he could celebrate 50. He said he was the only surviving male child in his family.

He said the fear of death made him to give his life to God. His words: "The power of death was on me when I was at the age of five. To be specific, whenever good thing wants to happen in my life, the spirit of death will recur.

I find myself dying and waking up and at that point I understood that my future is at stake. That means, I must be terminated. I knew I will die

F

•The celebrant and his wife cuting the birthday cak.e. With them are ministers of God.

and my father also knew I will die. So while struggling with the strange spirit, I heard that Jesus can save.

"So, I said if the power of God upon me can do this for me, I will serve him all the days of my life. I discovered that Jesus can change all things and make a difference in my life. So, it is the fear to escape death that led me to Christ.

"Though there are different ways that God bring people to serve him because in my family the whole thing was clear that men don't survive but women can survive.

As I am talking to you in my own generation, I am the last

man standing.”

Many who were privileged to have worked with Bishop Solomon attested to the celebrant's dedication and humility.

Bishop Isaac Ididah of Delta State said Bishop Solomon is a real man of God who is serving God with all his heart.

He said: “He is my best friend. He is a man with great anointing of God in his life, and he has been described as a humble man of God. He is a sincere and easy going man, a man who has gone through the fire and refused to burn.

He came face to face with death and refused to die. He has no fear for the devil and

has sacrificed enough for his members. He is a prayer warrior for the country. I want him to continue in the good work of God and that is the only legacy.”

Pastor Author Godwin, one of the senior pastors of the church who has served the celebrant for more than 16 years, said: "He is a servant of God who has dedicated his life to Christ. He is known as a terror in the kingdom of darkness. For the past 16 years, I have been under his ministry and we have not lost any soul. That shows the kind of man he is.

I want him to continue with the good work God has

handed over to him because we are happy serving under his leadership."

Another pastor, Pastor Kinsley Egunatu, said the Bishop is a man that is cherished by all.

“Everybody in this neighbourhood loves him.

He has helped many people, especially the poor. He is our legend and this he has proven through his relationship with people,” he said.

The celebrant's wife, Rev. Elizabeth Ibim BeinmoteSolomon, said she could have made a great mistake if she did not marry her husband.

She said: “Today we are celebrating a great man of

God who is also my husband.

It has been to the glory of God; a wonderful experience living with him as husband and wife. He is one man who has laid down his life for many to live. I call him a destiny helper of our generation.

Many have received and benefited from him. He is a man with a large heart.

"A man that God called. I came into his life and I can testify about him today. I don't only see him as a pastor; I see him as a husband, mentor, leader and God's anointed. I have learnt many things from him. One thing I have discovered is that when you respect the anointing in the man of God, it is easy to receive the anointing. My husband is someone who is not afraid of failure no matter what comes his way, he is an excellent man.

"There has never been any regret. As for me, I had never believed that I will marry a man of God. It has never been my agenda. When he came, I told him that I was not ready to be called a pastor's wife but that did not mean I didn't want to serve God. Whenever I prayed, I always added it as my prayer point that God should not allow me to marry a pastor.

"But I see destiny speaking and I have to obey. My husband used to be my marriage counsellor. God has proven Himself why He brought us together and I have seen the reason why God bent my decision to marry a man of God. Without this man, my life would have been a forgotten issue."

The highpoints of the occasion were the cutting of birthday cake, book dedication and thanksgiving.

Car crash: Akwa Ibom PDP man cries for help H

E walked into Akwa Ibom State office of The Nation Newspapers on Ibanga Street in Uyo with a troubled heart.

"Reporter please, how can you help me draw the attention of the state government to my plight," Ubong Ekarika said.

Ekarika's story is pathetic.

As a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he participated fully in political and community activities.

Ekarika, who lost his right hand in a car crash, narrated his ordeal to The Nation.

Ekarika, who is a native of Ibekwe Ikpanya in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, is now walking the street with a lifeless limb as a result of the auto crash he sustained during the 2011 general elections.

The 33-year-old man ex-

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

plained that his lifeless limb had robbed him of the ability to earn a living. According to him, the lawmaker representing Mkpat Enin State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has been the one contributing to his welfare. Ekarika confessed that the lawmaker has done so much for him but cannot afford to offset the bill of sending him abroad for an artificial limb.

Hear him: "I was driving my C Class Mercedez Benz back to my village after returning the governorship election materials at the Mkpat Enin INEC Secretariat, accompanied by the Operaqtion Aduma Security Personnel, when a trailer lost control and hit my car which somersaulted about five times. My car was badly dam-

aged and I fainted instantly.

"I was admitted in Life Care Hospital in Udosen Uko, Uyo, where I spent more than one month before being referred to Stripe Hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where I spent one month and two weeks. After being discharged I was taken to Rehoboth Hospital also in Rivers State, where I again spent another four months, before I was moved to the University Teaching Hospital, Rivers State. It was there I was told that my case could not be handled in the country."

Ekarika, who was once a pipeline welder with a multinational company, said due to the loss of his limb, the company sacked him as it could no longer make use of the two hands to work as a welder.

His words: "The Company sacked me as I am no longer useful to them. The doctor told

me that I sustained some serious injuries in my chest, shoulder and suffered a fracture and dislocation in the right arm. The doctor said if I am not well treated I may not be able to use my right arm again. He also said if my chest is not well treated properly, I shall a heart-ache which may result in my untimely death.

"My Family members and I agreed to his professional suggestion, but the problem is finance. We have only managed to raise the sum of N250, 00.00 for the deposit. So, we're presently faced with the problem of raising the sum of Five Million Naira (N5million) for my transportation and medical fee to India as recommended by the medical experts."

Ekarika explained that his initial reluctance to speak to the press was not to embarrass the government. He said: "I do

•Ekarika

not mean embarrass the government or anybody by talking to the press but there has not been any other means to reach to the government. I have been a member of the PDP since 1999. The accident

which could cause me permanent disability happened while I was fighting the cause of my Governor. I expect if the party cannot help me, the governor should help me regain the use of my hand."

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33

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

NIGER DELTA REPORT FEATURE

NIGER DELTA REPORT FEATURE

‘ We suffer so much to collect our pension’

Ogieavhianwu of Avhianwu’s reign begins

Continued from page 29

H

IS words: “I am not afraid of death. It can come to anybody anytime. It does not give you notice. When God says it is your time, there is nothing you can do about it.

But I am not afraid of death. Nobody knows when they would die. When your time comes you will go.”

So what is his secret to long life and good health?

“The secret of long life is good living. You should always take care of people you come across whether they are related to you or not. Do not be wicked to people. Always show love to everybody. Be sincere and true in everything that you do. Always try to stay in peace. Be at peace with people and in your mind. Don’t harbour hatred. Keeping hatred and wickedness inside you is not good for your system,” Okon says.

On the kinds of food and drinks he takes, he says he has never placed himself on any kind of diet, ever.

“For me, I eat all kinds of food. Any food you want to mention. I eat garri, rice, beans, soup, yam, plantain, and many others. I eat everything o. I also drink everything even up till now. I drink beer, spirits and everything,” he says.

However, he advises for people seeking good health and long life, “Don’t eat anyhow. The food that is not good with your system, you should leave it. Don’t suffer for anything that would not benefit you and your body.”

Okon rues the way things are in the country and world today.

“Before, churches were not as much as they used to be today, but today the rate of wickedness now surprises me. You see people killing people over land matters, armed robberies everywhere, kidnapping, stealing, and corruption and so on.

These are the reason people are not living long anymore. Children no longer listen to their parents. People are just so full of wickedness now. The country is in a bad state. Wicked thinking also is responsible for people not living long. People are living with so much hatred. Just do what makes you happy, but don’t go against the law of the land.”

He relives how it used to be in the Army seemingly relishing every thought as they passed through his lips.

“We fought in many different places. The army was good. We were paid well, and had access to medicine and other good things. We were motivated to carry out our duties effectively,” he recalled.

But things are not so rosy anymore.

The smile leaves his eyes, but remains fixed on his lips as he says: “Since I retired, things have changed. Now, for us to even collect our pension, we suffer so much.”

His voice is wistful as he continues: “Let the government support me and others like me. We are not finding it easy. So many of us have died of neglect. Maintaining ourselves in terms of food and medicine is not easy for us. The pension they give us is too small.

“Except people like you who come here to ask how we are doing, nobody else asks about how we are doing at all. We are suffering. The pension is nowhere near enough. I hope the government will sit up to help us.

The condition is not easy.”

Recalling how he caught a bullet in the head in the Nigerian Civil War, he prays that war should never be upon the country again.

“A bullet hit me in the head in the Biafran War but I survived. I pray that this country will not witness another

•Mr Okon's home

Oshiomhole presenting the staff of office to Alhaji Jackson Etokhana, the Oghieavhianwu of Avhianwu, at his installation ceremony... on Saturday.

I

T was a display of colour and the best of Avhianwu culture and tradition spiced up with music supplied by Constance, also known as Young Bolivia, scion of the late Afemhai music maestro, Bolivia Osigbemhe. Palace chiefs from the Avhianwu Clan were not left out of the colourful occasion as they stormed the venue in their light yellow uniforms complete with red caps and beads.

The Edo town was agog last Saturday, when Governor Adams Oshiomhole stormed the sleepy community of Iraokhor with his retinue of aides and top officials of the All Progressive Congress (APC). It was on the occasion of the presentation of staff of office to His Royal Highness, Alhaji Jackson Dauda Etokhana The rains had been pouring for days up to the morning of that fateful Saturday as if to wash away all the likely impurities in the clan in preparation for the installation.The wet days heralding the D-Day had given rise to strong concerns among the people of a possible disruption of the ocassion by rains. Some persons had also dismissed it with wave of the hand given the age-long ability of the locals to keep rains at bay on such important ocassions. All these fears about rains

turned out to be unfounded as the elemental forces seemed to have been in perfect agreement with the crowning of the Ogieavhianwu, cloudy weather gave way to light sunshine. However, some still believed the locals did some abracadabra to keep the rains in check. This suspicion was fuelled when the clouds started gathering and the heavens suddenly opened up moment after the governor handed over the symbol of authority to the new Oghieavbinwu at about 3.05 pm.

Whichever way one looks at it, it was clear that the Creator of the universe, in league with the gods and ancestors of Avhianwu gave His blessing to the crowning of the new Ogieavhianwu.

Avhianwu is made up of four clans, Ivhiunone, Ogbona, Ivhiarua and Iraokhor which has subsisted for centuries but the Ogieavhianwu title was officially gazetted by the government of the old Western Region in 1962. Yet, it has no definite rulling house. The Oghieavhianwu is rotated among these four clans and HRH Alhaji Jackson Dauda Etokhana is the fifth to ascend the exaulted throne. HRH Oluwe Akphemhi from Iraokhor sub clan was the first to ascend the throne in 1963 having. He was succeeded by HRH John Alao from Ivhiunone sub

clan. When Alao joined his ancestors in 1984, the crown moved to Ogbona and HRH Alhaji Ajayi Patrick Oboarepke mounted the throne untill 2010 when he also joined his ancestors.

The immediate past Ogieavhianwu, HRH Sunday Etu from Ivhiarua sub clan who succeeded Oboarepke was crowned under some controversial circumstances; he had a brief reign as he passed on in November 2013. Following his demise, the crown had to find its way back to Iraokhor for the second time since inception.

The crown has gone round the four recognised clans in Avhianwu. So, with the presentation of staff of office to Etokhana on Saturday, the crown has started its second round trip.

It came to the turn of Iraokhor after 51 years.

However, the royal journey of the 52 years old new Ogieavhianwu, son of a Second World War veteran, started in 1987 when his people bequeathed the Egboise on him(second in command to the then clan head), HRH Oyoso Oregbemhe. Since the head destined to wear crown must surely be, Etokhana had to mount the throne of his forefathers as the Okphe-Ukpi (clan head) of Iraokhor in 1992 when

All set for Ogbia football tournament

T

•Certificate of service

•Pa Okon

war. Anybody that has seen war will never wish for it to happen again. War is not good,” he says.

The testimonial in his certificate of service issued by the Nigerian Army reads: “He has distinguished himself to be loyal, obedient, trustworthy and a very hardworking soldier. He is a good mixer and lover of sport.”

According to the centenarian, he has many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The centenarian gave further insight into his life: "My mother was a trader and my father was a sailor. My father also had an oil palm estate. They both lived till they were very old before they died. My mother died in 1970 but

my father died long before that. I cannot really remember.

"My parents were disciplinarian.

They did not condone laziness. They made sure we worked hard. They trained us to be hardworking and disciplined. That is why until today I work hard for myself to get the things I want.

I don't struggle for anybody's property. I fight for my own. That is the way I trained my children too.

"My parents had six children. I was the eldest. Three boys and three girls.

All of them are now late except one of

them, Uduak. He is the one that follows me. He is very old too. I am praying sickness does not take him from me.

"I schooled in Apostolic Primary School, Umungwa in Aba and Mission Secondary School in Aba too. But I did not finish because my father died. I had to go back and help my mother. I suffered a lot. I went into farming and that is what I did until I joined the Army. Before I came back from the army my mother died and with the help of my siblings we buried her.

"I remember my teachers back in school then. They were very strict whether you were bright or dull, they will make sure they drill you until you know.

It is not like now where teachers don't care anymore. They don't care whether their students learn or not.

They are just looking for their money.

"Now a primary 6 child cannot write a letter. It was not so before.

There are not many schools today where children are properly taught and it is sad."

HE maiden edition of the President Jonathan Ogbia Intercommunity Football Tournament is set to kick off.

The football event is sponsored by the George Turnah Foundation (GTF).

The Chairman of GTF, Ebis Orubebe, said the tournament is aimed at uniting and uplifting Ogbia youths through football.

“Our aim is to bring together the youths of Ogbia extraction through football. We at George Turnah Foundation are inclined to using football to send this message of unity.

“It is Bar Turnah’s way of bringing development to the Ogbia kingdom. GTF did a similar thing during the 2012 flood disaster when we distributed relief materials all over the Niger Delta. In the near future, the foundation has plans to distribute free school materials to all primary and secondary schools in the state. “ “Ogbia is made of up 54 communities and these 54 communities entered the first qualifying round. From the first qualifying round, we will proceed to the second and final qualifying round after which 32 teams/communities will emerge.

“After the draws, there will also be unveiling of the logo and mascot of the tournament. The overall winners of the competition will go home with N500, 000 while the runners up will pocket N300, 000 and the third place finisher, will get N200,000 as consolation prize money.”

HRH Oregbemhe joined his ancestors.

This created the royal window that culminated into his coronation as the 5th Ogieavhianwu on Saturday.

Shortly before presenting him the staff of office, Oshiomhole admonished the new Ogieavhianwu to educate his people to distinguish thieves from the real politicians who mean well for them.

He said: “We must use every opportunity to educate our people. This afternoon, your Royal Highness, I am not asking you to go and carry party cards. I only ask you and your people to distinguish politicians who will stand only when it is good for their family not when it is good for the larger community.”

He said government believes that the foundation for peace and stability requires that “we respect not only the traditional institution but we respect traditional rulers who sit on the various thrones.”

He assured royal fathers in the state that government under his watch would never interfere with traditional matters, adding that he would not sponsor anybody to write petition against any royal father and that anybody encouraging anyone to do fictitious petitions would be dismissed.

Bayelsa battles unemployment

B

AYELSA State Governor Seriake Dickson has said his administration will create jobs for the youths.

The governor noted that his government had employed more Bayelsa youths more than any other government. He stressed that about 200 forestry guards from different local government areas had recently been engaged on the basis of equal representation.

According to the governor, in order to reduce unemployment in the state, the government appointed youths into positions of trust, besides the recent recruitment of 100 graduates and 1,000 non-graduates into the Bayelsa Volunteers scheme.

Dickson, who addressed journalists at the Government House, said he had also authorised the employment of science teachers to fast track and enhance the teaching of science subjects

in all schools in the state.

“There are some employments we have authorised, and let me assure you that we have employed more youths than a lot of governments have done.

Do you know that we have employed over 200 on the basis of equality of local governments?”

Restating government’s commitment to creating jobs, Dickson said the situation was more challenging for states like Lagos and Kano with population of about 15 million, stressing that the problem of unemployment was aggravated by the dwindling resources of the state and the overbloated wage bills.

He, however, declared his administration’s intention to fight poverty and unemployment in collaboration with youths by creating wealth through agriculture and investments in relevant sectors of the state’s economy.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

NIGER DELTA REPORT BRIEFLY

FEATURE

Rivers...20 groups boost pro-riverine governor rally No fewer than 20 groups have signed up for the 50,000-man rally planned for next month by the youths and students wing of the Eastern Delta People Association (EDPA). The rally is to draw support for a riverine successor to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, writes PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA

T

HE youths and students wing of the Eastern Delta Peoples Association (EDPA), the umbrella body of Ijaws in Rivers State, believes it is time for Rivers State to have a governor from the riverine area. The upland part of the state will by next have been in charge for 16 years.

Next month, the youths and students will hold a 50,000- man rally to drum support for this cause. Twenty groups have signed to be part of the rally. Some of them are: the eastern zone of the Ijaw Youth Council, the Ijaw Project 2015, the Rivers Coalition, the Ijaw Youth Mandate, the Ogoni Alliance, the Etche Brothers Assembly, the Ikwerre People’s Alliance, the Ekpeye Assembly, the Eleme People Assembly, the Wakirike Youth Congress and the Kalabari Youth Front.

Speaking at a news conference after the inauguration of the EDPA youths and students wing in Port Harcourt, the spokesman of the wing, Mr. Kingsley Adonis Pepple, said the rally is to demand their right to produce the next governor of Rivers State.

He said the purpose of the rally is to demonstrate the unity of the Ijaws in the 2015 governorship bid and to mobilise support of all fair- minded and unity loving citizen to support the cause for the emergence of a Rivers governor of Ijaw extraction.

Pepple noted that two former governors and eight other highly respected dignitaries would speak at the rally.

He added that the rally would be peaceful.

He said: “The fifty thousand man match will hold at the historic Isaac Adaka Boro Park. This place bears meaning to all Ijaws worldwide. We are riverine and creek dwellers. We have concluded plans to organise this rally to press forward our resolve to produce the next governor of Rivers State come 2015. We spread across ten of the twenty-three Local Government Areas of Rivers State. “EDPA has already collected not less than twentyfive thousand signatures endorsing the rally and more persons are express-

•The officers of the youths and students wing being sworn-in by Jumbo.

ing support for the emergence of a Riverine Ijaw governor of Rivers State.

“Twenty groups have also expressed support and solidarity with the Eastern Delta Peoples Association.

Believe me, two former governors and eight other highly-respected dignitaries of the state are billed to speak at the unity rally scheduled for October in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State capital.”

Chairman, Steering Committee of the EDPA, Elder Lawrence Jumbo, who was at the briefing, said the EDPA is an umbrella body of socio political organisation of Rivers Ijaw communities spread across ten LGAs of Rivers State.

He said: “Our focus is to pursue the socio-political and economic integration and advancement of the creek dwellers of the State. Our leaders have agreed with us and also told us that upland people who have honourably participated twice since the advent of the current political dispensation in 1999 and fully supported by Ijaws will now allow our people in good faith to produce, occupy and serve Rivers State as governors for the permissible two terms in office. We ask for the same measure of friendship and support that we have freely given in the past, to enable a daughter or son of

our challenged locality to occupy the Brick House and give adequate attention to our plight.

“We shall be promoting injustice and exclusion if another son or daughter from the hinterland insists to occupy the seat of government in the state for another eight years, making twenty-four years of uninterrupted takeover of Brick House. We commend other organisations and groups within the riverine communities that exist across the three senatorial districts of the state, who have openly thrown their support behind Rivers Ijaws through EDPA either in spoken words, written letters and actions taken in pursuit of this worthy venture.

“We have seen different forms of manoeuvring, selling of outright lies, distortion of history and inducements to deny rivers Ijaws the same opportunity that we freely gave to our brothers in the past. Their plan is to erase us out of the political equation of Rivers State. Our leaders, sons and daughters have agreed not to reject any money or gift offered to gain their support by these agents of disunity and hatred, simply because the item can be of service to them at some point. On 2015 polls, we have resolved to support a Rivers Ijaw candidate. We, therefore,

encourage all men of goodwill, lovers of justice, equity and unity to keep pumping in the money as possible to support our economy. The vote of the people of Rivers State is not for sale.”

He added that rampant financial inducement and offer of future political offices and contracts have been used to gradually trigger extremism in the society.

Jumbo said: “Back to the era of frequent recording of politically related crimes, this is not a welcome development and we must do our best to resist violence and other vices that disrupts the peace of our people. We admonish our youths to avoid all unlawful acts. Our upland brothers held power for sixteen years creditably while the rivers Ijaws honourably offered our support in full. It is only fair and just to lend same enjoyed friendship and support to the people of the riverine communities come 2015.

“In the coming weeks and months, political parties shall commence their standard flag bearer selection processes, we, therefore, remind the national and state leaders of the respective parties to remember that a social debt is owed to the people of the River Ijaws with respect to governorship of Rivers State. It is only but fair to offset this existing social debt. A candidate of the Ijaws extraction definitely settles the civil debt owed the people of the riverine. Luckily, Rivers Ijaws can be found in the three senatorial districts of the state.

“We must at all times show our well known spirit of accommodation of others and our unity in diversity and continue to coexist in happiness. This is the most important service we owe to our people and ancestors. This will mean a big win for the people of Rivers State. It’s a consideration that will pacify all agitations, join new hands in friendship and strengthen existing relationships.

“This is a panacea that will stabilise our polity, save lives and help more of our people to live free of fears. This is the agenda that Rivers people pray and shall vote to uphold come 2015.”

Youth leaders move to break second term jinx in Bayelsa

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OUTH leaders from Bayelsa State met in Yenagoa, the state capital, have vowed to ensure that Governor Seriake Dickson break the second term jinx in the state.

The leaders lamented that since the 1999 democratic dispensation in Nigeria, no governor has been able to rule the state for a second term.

The youths said Dickson deserved a second term based on his performances and commitment to develop the state.

They cited the Yenagoa flyover, airport project, the senatorial roads and scholarship to students as some of the achievements of the governor.

“We are moving into the local government areas and all the wards to drum support for the governor. He needs to come back for more development”, they said.

The leaders who organised themselves under the Bayelsa Youth Leaders’ Forum (BYLF) said they would resist external and internal influences working against the reelection of the government.

The Chairman and the Secretary of the forum, Mr. Oborku Oforji and Mr. Okosikeme Ayibakuro respectively said they formed the group as a platform to sensitise people on the

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

need to bring back the governor.

Denying that the group was being funded by an aide to the governor, he described the pro-Dickson’s forum as a Non-Governmental Organisaion (NGO) formed after evaluating the performance of the governor.

He gave a long list of ongoing and completed projects embarked upon by the governor and maintained that Dickson deserved to break the reelection jinx in the state.

According to him Dickson’s achievements within two years have impacted positively on indigenes and non-indigenes resident in the state.

He said the governor had shown commitment in the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan by mobilising people of other geopolitical zones to support the President.

“The forum was attracted to the achievements of Governor Seriake Dickson whose restoration government is poised at delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

“We must as a people appreciate these good things by supporting the governor not just to complete his

tenure but ask that he continues a second term,” he said.

It was observed that the reelection campaigns for Dickson had begun amidst fears that all was not well between the Governor and the President.

Groups and forums were being formed and sponsored by Dickson’s key aides to identify with him and drum support for his reelection.

Though the governorship elections in the state comes up in 2016, Dickson’s camp believes that it is time to begin building a formidable political structure for the governor.

The intention it was gathered was to saturate the political atmosphere with calls for Dickson’s reelection in order to frustrate some powerful elements within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calling for his removal.

Apart from BYLF, chairmen of local government areas of Sagbama and Ekeremor had held rallies in their councils seeking support for Dickson’s second term.

Also, ex-militant leaders under the aegis of the Leadership for Peace and Cultural Development Initiative (LPCDI) took turns recently to call for the reelection of the governor.

The early campaign, our correspondent gathered, came against the backdrop of speculations that the relationship between Dickson and Jonathan was no longer cordial.

The speculation became rife following Jonathan’s resistance of entreaties by the governor to visit the state and inaugurate some of his projects.

The governor has been proposing and postponing dates for Jonathan’s official visit.

The working visit was initially scheduled for March, April and finally May but Jonathan refused to show up.

It was observed that the President shunned Dickson and rather visited Governor Godswill Akpabio in Akwa Ibom State.

The development, some said, further deepened the cold war between the governor and the president.

But Oforji said there was no problem between the governor and the President saying Dickson has continued to show unalloyed support for the President.

“The governor is following the footsteps of President Jonathan who is transforming Nigeria,”he said.

Ex-acting NDDC chief opposes zoning in Delta From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

FORMER Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Pastor Power Aginighan, has said zoning will not determine who becomes Delta State’s next governor.

He spoke at a news conference in Warri.

Aginighan urged Nigerians to take their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) serious, describing it as the key to the enthronement of faithful and committed governance.

Aginighan, who advised those who would be contesting elective positions in the state, especially the governorship, to play by the rule, also warned that those who have plans to enter any of the races for purposes of acquiring wealth overnight should forget the idea as the people of Delta would only vote for those they know have genuine passion for developing the state.

He said: "On the 2015 governorship elections in Delta State, it is my position and indeed the position of many well-meaning Deltans that those who see politics as a means of building vast economic empires for themselves should forget about the race.

Those who rely on a non-existent and unconstitutional zoning formula and expect the governorship conceded to either their ethnic group or senatorial district on a platter of gold should have a rethink.

"Only the candidate who offers the convincing promise of ensuring that the common wealth of Delta State will be reflected in the quality of life all of Deltans, irrespective of political party affiliation, ethnic background and religion, will earn the votes of the people. Deltans are all called upon to carefully examine the track records of all the aspirants in either the public service or the private sector and ensure that we do not enthrone a tyrant and a treasury looter as our governor in 2015."

Group to Delta, Edo youths: don’t vandalise pipelines From Bukola Amusan

T

HE National Coordinator of the Youth Coalition Against Vandalism(Y-CAV), Comrade Roland Odih, has urged youths from Edo and Delta states to devise means of protecting petroleum and power pipelines installations in their areas rather than vandalising them.

He spoke at a two-day sensitisation programme organised for youths from Edo and Delta states held in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

In a communique issued at the end of the workshop, Odih urged the youths to be patriotic.

He urged the youths to work with the coalition, the government and security and relevant agencies in preserving and protecting the various power projects and facilities within their domain.

He said the programme, which is in the pilot phase, is expected to span three years.

He saidthe programme was set up to enlighten youths on the hazards of pipeline vandalism.

Odih said there would be workshops and talk shows for the youths.

He said: “The programme is an innovative engagement platform geared at preventing electricity facilities and petroleum pipelines vandalism in Nigeria while also exploring areas of productive endeavours for the youths of the affected areas”he said The National Secretary of the YCAV, Solomon Adodo, urged the Federal Government to create jobs for the youths to stop vandalism.

Traditional rulers from the two states were also present at the event.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

36

NIGER DELTA REPORT COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

H

IS countenance changed. His voice went up too. But he was still his mature self.

Not the type who on account of anger will walk out an interviewer or walk out on the interviewer.

“What kind of a question is that?” Johnson Tunde Ogunsakin, the man I love to call Brother Johnson, asked.

It was at a meeting in his office in July. Yours truly had sought to know if First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan dictated to Ogunsakin how he performed his role as Rivers Commissioner of Police.

The background to the question may throw light on why it was sought in the first instance.

Ogunsakin took over in February from Joseph Mbu, now Assistant Inspector-General of Police.

Mbu’s era in Rivers was like a living hell, especially for those who belong to any group with link to Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

While Mbu reigned, Rivers was on the edge.

The police chief saw no reason to respect Amaechi. A few days before his removal was announced, he banned political rallies. Before then he had insisted permits must be sought and approved by him before anyone or group could organise political rallies.

Mbu made sure the Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI), a group which has Supervising Minister of Education Nyesom Wike as patron, enjoyed police support for its rallies. He, however, ensured the Save Rivers Movement (SRM) did not enjoy the same treatment. There were instances when his men even disrupted SRM rallies or looked the other way when militants or thugs unleashed mayhem on SRM members.

Mbu was law. He reduced the governor to almost a second class citizen in his own state.

Before Mbu was made police commissioner in River in February last year, Amaechi had worked with four other police commissioners.

There is no evidence that he complained against any of them. But just a few months after Mbu took charge, the duo began to have disagreement openly. Mbu said it was because the governor never liked him. The governor, who he described as a dictator, he said, was suspicious of his mission in the state.

Things got to a head after the crisis which engulfed the House of Assembly last year. The Senate asked for Mbu’s transfer, as the commissioner’s “relationship with the governor has broken down irretrievably”. It accused Mbu of failing in his duty of maintaining law and order in the state.

The report has harsh words for Mbu: “Mbu has refused to cooperate with the governor, Chibuike Amaechi on matters of security even though the Governor is the Chief Security Officer of the state.”

The lawmakers said there was” undue interference with the political and security structure of the state” by the president, his wife and the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It also blamed the governor for what it called

OLUKOREDE YISHAU

ABOVE WHISPERS

•A weekly intervention on Southsouth people and matters

olukoredeyishau@gmail.com

Six months in Rivers ‘

I hope your successor will learn one or two things from you. I pray that by God’s grace he will not see any merit in all the mess that was on ground before you came in. I pray he will not ask his men to tear-gas the APC or its allies and provide security for PDP and its allies. I just pray the new Rivers CP will be a man of honour who will simply do policing and shun politicking.

•AIG Ogunsakin

“high-handedness”.

The Senate’s decision followed months of unrest in the oil-rich state. The climax was the July 9, 2013 violent clash at the House of Assembly, between lawmakers loyal to Amaechi and those with links to the president. Five members in support of President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife tried to sack the speaker, who, at that time, enjoyed the support of 26 lawmakers.

At a point, Amaechi petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) seeking Mbu’s redeployment.

It was not until the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party to which the governor defected after being harassed out of the Peoples Demo-

LAST WORD

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

‘

In the coming weeks and months, political parties shall commence their standard flag bearer selection processes, we, therefore, remind the national and state leaders of the respective parties to remember that a social debt is owed to the people of the River Ijaws with respect to governorship of Rivers State __

‘

Elder Lawrence Jumbo

I

T was established to be a centre of technical and vocational education. A place where skills, practical skills as against mere academic theories, are passed on to students. Not a few were excited about what the products would contribute to the country's professional cadres. Great engineers, solid technicians and exemplary hands for the oil and gas sector were expected to be churned out by the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State.

Sadly, the institution has been irresponsibly abandoned. It is now a thick forest. Six years after its establishment, it is on the verge of going moribund.

The polytechnic was established in 2009 when President Goodluck Jonathan was the VicePresident to specialise in oil and gas studies and other related fields.

Now, administrative and academic activities are grounded at the school. Vegetation, long shrubs and grass have overgrown many buildings and facilities in the school. Some of the buildings are in disuse and are locked.

Money is simply wasting away and no one seems to care.

Academic, non-academic, senior and junior members of staff are no longer reporting for duty at the polytechnic.

"The ugly situation has left the students in a very terrible condition in the campus," a source, who pleaded for anonymity, said.

"The school clinic is locked up due to the fact that all the drugs have expired. No lectures are going on, there's no medicare and what

‘

cratic Party (PDP), threatened to shut-down the Jonathan government using its strength in the legislature that Mbu allowed the first SRM rally to hold in peace. Days after, he announced a ban on all rallies. Perhaps to ensure SRM did not have the upper hand.

Whatever Mbu did, it was believed he did on the prompting of the First Family. Jonathan and his wife Patience, I stand to be corrected, have more than a passing interest in Rivers State. Mbu could not say no to the First Family. Whatever crisis the state has witnessed in the last one year plus could be likened to the parody of the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob. Respected Professor of Law Itse Sagay said Mbu could only have

done all he did in Rivers with the Presidency’s backing.

It was against this background that I asked Ogunsakin, who took over from Mbu in February, if Dame Jonathan was teleguiding him. After asking me what kind of question that was, he went on to answer it. He said as the country’s First Lady, Mrs Jonathan, deserved respect and that he treated her with utmost respect and ensured she was safe anytime she was in the state.

“If anyone is teleguiding me, it is the IGP who posted me here,” he said.

I also sought to know what his relationship was with Amaechi.

His reply: “I wonder why people ask me this question.”

That did not stop him from answering it. He said he had a good relationship with the governor. He also said they exchanged calls when necessary. He did not forget to say that there were points of disagreements.

“But I always tell him that I was not being dictated to by anybody,” he said.

Last Friday, Brother Johnson’s time in Rivers ended after six months and some days. He was promoted Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), which makes him the second most senior police officer from the Southwest.

How did he fare? Giving the sad state Rivers was when he took over, I think he deserves some commendations even if it is for bringing calm to that state. It was hot before he came on board.

He had a good record in the Mobile Police Unit. He was outstanding at INTERPOL. He had a good outing at the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offence Commission (ICPC). His time in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was good too. He had a good time at the Special Fraud Unit (SFU). His stint in Rivers State has not been bad. Kidnappings have reduced drastically.

There was never a time he spoke ill of the governor in the open. Whatever their disagreements, he kept it away from public glare unlike Mbu who took pride in lambasting the governor openly.

Brother Johnson, here is my final take: Go well and, like I said in my first piece on you: “Ekiti, your state of origin, is known as Ile Iyi, Ile Eye. Simply put, it is the land of honour. What made you decide to join the police, going by your own account, was the honourable way an officer once handled a matter in which you were involved.

This is not the time to forget honour. It should be your watchword as you settle into your new assignment.”

I hope your successor will learn one or two things from you. I pray that by God’s grace he will not see any merit in all the mess that was on ground before you came in. I pray he will not ask his men to tear-gas the APC or its allies and provide security for PDP and its allies. I just pray the new Rivers CP will be a man of honour who will simply do policing and shun politicking.

BY MIKE ODIEGWU

The thick forest called Bayelsa Federal Polytechnic have you," he added.

There is no security in the institution, a development which has exposed the school to attacks by hoodlums.

A source told this writer that the school suffers from lack of infrastructure and social amenities. He said the administrative changes carried out in the school during the one-year nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have made matters worse.

He said the acting Rector, Emilia Bribena, who was appointed in January, sacked security personnel and cleaners without replacement.

He said: "Few days after her appointment, she dropped almost all junior members of staff in the school such as security, cleaners and labourers that were taking care of the campus.

"The school campus was abandoned for several months to the extent that it was like a hunting ground filled with grasses. All the generators were vandalised with some parts stolen.

"The worst of it all is that the school authority has not shown any care or concern about the lives and the condition of students despite the danger surrounding the students."

Something urgent must be done to reverse the ugly trend in the institution. Without this, the

objective behind setting it up will remain unachieved. And money will also have been wasted.

Being a federal institution, the Ministry of Education headed by Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau must move in immediately. All issues raised deserve attention. No stone should be left unturned.

If any one involved in the management of the institution is found negligent, heads should roll. An institution like this does not derserve to waste away when the oil and gas industry keep requiring local hands to solve some of its challenges.

The local content law requires the oil and gas operators to reserve some of their contracts for local hands and the operators have always complained about challenges in getting men and women with the right skills to fill the space. So, this is not a time for an institution set up to meet this kind of needs to become a thick forest. This is not only unfair to those who should benefit from the products of the institution, it is also unfair to Nigeria as a country.

The time to act is now and anything short of this deserves to be described as nothing but irresponsibility on the part of those who should monitor such institutions.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

37

Kaymu partners Cool FM, MCSA for entrepreneurship workshop

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•From left:Paul Akeju (Sales Manager), George Ukwunna (Store Manager), Popoola Boluwaji (Sales Admin), Gbenga Apata (Stock Admin) at the opening of Shoprite’s Park Lane Mall, Apapa, Lagos.

Branch Manager, Apapa Shoprite, George Ukwunna spoke with TONIA ‘DIYAN on the company’s latest branch in Apapa, Lagos

We do not have serious competitors

W

HAT is your unique selling point?

Our brand name, which is the “lowest price one can find always”. This is written on our items . Also, we compete with the local markets. For instance, a brand like Coca-cola sells outside for N110, but we sell lower than N100.

This indicates that we make provision for every one; low and high income earners and everyone is happy.

Tell us about your ongoing promos.

We have reduced the prices of some of our items on the shelf, which is Shoprite’s usual practise from time to time. We also give free gifts to shoppers as they make payment at the counter. Last week when this branch opened, we gave out lots of free gifts at the car park and inside the mall. I am sure everyone, who was at the grand

opening went home with something from Shoprite.

The Apapa outlet is Shoprite’s eleventh store in the country. What do you say to this?

Presently, it is the biggest supermarket in Nigeria and with its eleventh store within a short period of time, its shows how progressive the company is. It’s a wonderful achievement.

Why Apapa, considering the heavy traffic on the road?

We have chosen Apapa because it connects to major residential areas like Ijora, Ajegunle, and Surulere, nothwithstanding the traffic in this area. By opening the Apapa outlet, we are helping people, who might be stuck in the traffic going out of Apapa. We are giving them opportunity to meet with us. We wish the government could help the traffic situation here. Apapa traffic, I think, is

majorly because of the roads. From our observations, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are characterised with heavy traffic because of the flow of containers that come in, but on Saturdays, the roads are free.

Are you advising shoppers not to come on these days?

No, what am saying is that even as much as the traffic is an issue, people have different aspects of shopping. Some shop every weekend, some during the week while others shop daily. So this will help them to know how they can come to Apapa Shoprite.

What is unique with this outlet?

It is unique because it is first of its kind in Apapa. We don’t have serious competitors. Our Apapa store has everything to offer families ranging from small appliances to food and others items.

IGERIA’S leading online m a r k e t p l a c e , Kaymu.com.ng has partnered with Cool FM Lagos and Mass Communications Student Association (MCSA) of the University of Lagos, to educate students on how to become successful entrepreneurs.

The event, tagged: Kaymu Entrepreneurship Workshop, took place at the prestigious Afe Babalola Hall at the University of Lagos.

University campuses have become business havens with students partaking in one form of business endeavour or the order as secondary source of income while pursuing their studies.

The workshop attracted representatives from the organisation, who

spoke on various aspects ranging from entrepreneurship to maximizing social media. The Head of Communications, Tomiwa Oladele pointed out the importance of harnessing key personal attributes as well as technical proficiency while grooming to be an entrepreneur.

Kaymu’s Community Manager, Abiola Fabio, further emphasized the need for social media marketing and advised students to leverage on the benefits of Kaymu in order to sell their products.

According to Kaymu’s Managing Director, Evangeline Wiles, Kaymu’s partnership with Cool FM was founded out of the need to drive entrepreneurship amongst youths who lack the basic knowledge on how to compete in the Nigerian market.

New apps for online shopping

K

ONGA.com, Nigeria’s online mall recently unveiled a shop ping app for the internet online shopping platform, marking the latest step by the e-commerce giant to make online shopping convenient and accessible to everyone. Konga customers, who use iPhone, iPad and iPod, touch devices can now shop on the go with ease and discover the hottest deals on hundreds of thousands of unique items.

The free app offers a variety of features that make the shopping experience on Konga.com pleasurable.

Users can now securely access their Konga account and pay for items using their debit cards or Konga

wallet, view push notifications on the latest deals and top-selling items, add selected items to cart, order products in three steps and keep track of all orders. The Konga iOS app is a convenient, secured and fast way to access the full range of products and services on Konga.com.

With the Konga iOS app, shopping on your iPhone or iPad is beyond tempting. Konga has managed to create an intuitive UI and navigation, which makes popular categories and products quite easy to discover, with a clean presentation style for search results and item profiles. Plus it’s shop-on-the-go right from the comfort of an Apple device

Vegetable oil wins award

T

HE Nigeria Heart Foundation (NHA) has endorsed Sunola Vegetable Oil as Heart Friendly Oil. The company said the oil is cholesterol free and it contains good unsaturated fat which is good for the body. The oil is said to contain good ration of Mufa (Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids) which reduces bad cholesterol in the body and increase good cholesterol. The heart logo was received on behalf of Sunoa Foods Ltd by Mr. Tarun, Das and Manoj Nambair.

Speaking while receiving the

By Oyeyemi- Gbenga Mustapha

award from NHF Mr. Manoj Nambair said: “We are really proud to receive this award from the Nigeria Heart Foundation and promise Nigerian Consumers that Sunola will be giving healthy products to consumers in future.”

He also promised to meet the nation’s needs. “Sunola is indigenous oil. Sunola has been producing Soya bean oil for about 30years in Nigeria. NHF is recognized by NAFDAC.”

Jumia takes shoppers to London

J

UMIA is giving shoppers, who purchase the latest LG’ Smartphone on its website, a trip to London. The LG G3 is exclusive online to Jumia.com.ng and the firm has also promised to give free accessories with the phone. The LG G3 has proved itself making sure it surpasses rival Smartphone brands with the enormous 5.5inch quad HD display screen, which is one of the big selling points for the LG G3 phone. The new Smartphone also

comes in 4.4.2 android OS, 16gb Inbuilt storage space, Removable 3000 mAH battery & a quad-core snapdragon processor. The killer feature for the LG G3 is its 13-megapixel camera with auto-focus laser than can take fast pictures and capture great moments, also with the selfie camera for social experience. The LG G3 has been compared to other Smartphone launched this year from Samsung and other brands and still stands out with high ratings and reviews.

From left: Onakoya, Egbuchunam, Bala Yesufu and Olatunde Onakoya

Lanson fetes tennis masters in Lagos

I

T was an evening of champagne, ala carte delicacy and networking amidst endless toasts, hugs and perks as veterans, grand masters and tennis players converged on the Lagos LawnTennis Club (LLTC) Race Course, Onikan, to share brighter moments with Lanson Champagne at an exclusive Wimbledon fiesta.

Last weekend, tennis players known for master strokes and volley spins observed a momentary recess from the tennis courts with vintage champagne and premium French wine flowing in all the reception areas and the main bar manned by House of Lanson’s trade brand executive, Tunde Alade.

Lanson Champagne has been associated with Wimbledon Tennis since the 1970s and it is established as the

official champagne of the world class tournament in London, United Kingdom.

The VIP Wimbledon Champagne banquet heralds the prestige tournament in Nigeria, which was held last June in London, but this epoch event had to be shifted as a result of the Ramadan fasting to afford a special brand exposure and consumer engagement with members and invited guests at the club.

According to Lanson Champagne brand custodian and exclusive agent in Nigeria, Chief Olatunde Onakoya, “Lanson is a proud to be associated with Wimbledon Tennis Championship as the oldest tennis tournament in the world. This is underscored by Lanson’s strong partner-

ship with Lagos Tennis Club to share happy moment of this year’s Wimbledon Tennis and to celebrate Lanson’s unique style and prestige inspired by over two and a half centuries of passion and champagne tradition. It serves perfection, elegance and value across the world. The Lanson taste has always stood out for its incomparable fruitiness, power and freshness, which give all connoisseurs and aficionados exceptional aromatic depth and delicious experience on the palate.

Meringo production crew was at its best dishing out old school music, hip hop and raps to serenade the creme de la creme, which included Group Captain Ita Ikpeme (rtd), Barrister Sam Egbuchunam, Kolade Olutekunbi, captains of industry and top flight professionals.

•Indian shoppers checking for sanitisers

38

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

THE NATION

BUSINESS

AGRICBUSINESS

A

ROOFTOP in United Kingdom (UK) is probably the last place, Director Africa Region, Cassava Adding to Africa(CAVA), Dr Kola Adebayo expected to see a farm.

He saw a building burst forth with a burgeoning roof top crop of fruits and vegetables. The farm boasts of a diverse crop of vegetables. Tomatoes, cucumbers, egg plant, green beans and other vegetables hang from dozens of plants set in rows of tubing.

For Adebayo, people don’t need to live in the countryside to grow vegetables. Plants can flourish in the middle of the city, everywhere from community gardens to the roof-tops and balconies of homes.

Urban farming is becoming a serious business in many cities around the world. It is interesting to see how roof top farms have extended its influence from a ‘vacant-lots-only’ phenomenon to a ‘rest-of-the-city’ phenomenon.

Widely travelled , Adebayo said roof -top farms provide an example of a systematic approach to rethinking urban landscapes for more productive means.

UK and major cities such as Havana, Tokyo, Montreal, Rotterdam, New York, Washington, Netherland, Seoul, Mainland China, Denmark, Belgium, Canada,The Netherlands, Ireland,New York City to Chicago, Venezuela to Lima, Hong Kong and Cape Town have become exemplary models of this new selfprovisioning, a precedent that demonstrates opportunities for the transforming urban agriculture. Roof top gardens and farms now appear atop restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, senior housing, rental housing, condo towers, old industrial buildings, schools, university buildings, community centers and office towers.

For instance, in Hong Kong, a growing number of organic fruit and vegetable plots are being created on top of skyscrapers and other spare rooftop spaces.

Practically speaking, Adebayo said rooftops would provide space for food production in places such as Lagos and other cities when no groundlevel landscape is available.

Considering space challenges, Adebayo said urban growers in Lagos can take roof top farming seriously, and transformed underused top spaces into exceptionally productive spaces.

According to him, organic agriculture is a growing trend in big cities.Not only because people want organic food, but also because it shortens distances and generates income.

The beauty of urban farming, according to him, is that it not only produces an abundance of organic, locally grown food, but also has a social, economic and communal impact.

Roof top farming, he noted has the potential to become a national green evolution, improving the economy, sustainability and health of urban communities.

As with ground urban agriculture, he said food grown on roofs is as fresh as it comes. Produce is generally grown using chemical-free or even organic practices, which is great news because avoiding exposure to chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers further contribute to a healthy body.

Since farms are valuable in densely occupied cities where space is at a premium, the experts noted that ongoing building construction designs were going to support roof top agriculture.

This is because owners of residential buildings will benefit economically, by converting underutilised roof space into garden plots.

A former chairman, Lagos State Chapter, Nigerian Institute of Architects, Mrs Bimbo Ajayi said green roof gardens can deliver locally sourced foods that help protect the environment by minimising the use of pesticides, fossil fuels, and other re-

e-mail: agrobusiness@thenationonlineng.net

The roof is now the field Is agriculture a rural activity? Not any more. A new breed of urban farmers are exploring unimaginable spaces to practise agriculture. Roof-top farms, window-box herb gardens and parkland vegetable patches are taking root in major cities. This may be the way to go in the next few years, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

•Roof top farming

•Adebayo

•Pearson

sources to grow and transport food to market from larger commercial farms. In addition,she said green roofs can also improve the urban environment by insulating buildings against energy loss, managing storm, improving air quality, and providing places for recreation.

For these good reasons, she said roof tops farms are steadily gaining attention for its commercial and social opportunities.

This, however has had a major influence on the development of architecture as a tool in urban food security, community development and climate change adaptation.

According to Mrs Ajayi, architects can work with building owners and developers to unlock value in their sunlit roofs by developing a model for roof top farms to enable them

supply local markets and consumers with fresh produce.

For her, anyone with some flat roof space and an interest in growing food without garden space on the ground— could use the roof top to plant vegetables.

According to her, any competent architect can design a system that can be adapted easily on top of nearly any type of roof.

Mrs Ajayi said roof top farms would thrive in Nigeria as the architecture is generic; it is not difficult to be designed by any architect. In other words, it is a generic building for a specific need: to to grow food on top of a building.

According to her, the common, large, flat, homogeneous and unused industrial roof tops offer great possibilities to install urban farms and provide food

‘Besides the obvious benefits of providing local and healthy eating options, rooftop gardens, have tremendous environmental benefits as they can lower building temperatures, which in turn reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions’

Mrs Ajayi within the city.

Besides the obvious benefits of providing local and healthy eating options, roof top gardens have tremendous environmental benefits as they can lower building temperatures, which in turn reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

When there are many green roofs in urban areas, she said they can reduce air pollution and heat stress.

Another benefit of green roofs is reducing rain run-off which helps prevent sewage over-flow events and flooding.

A lecturer in Fine Arts Department ,University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Dr Anselem Nyah said roof top farms must be designed in such a way that empowers vegetables to grow organically on generic flat roofs.

He said builders have to design unused roof tops to ensure the load capacity of the roof can support the average weight of farms tank.

According to Nyah, buildings hosting roof top gardens should have a structure with a base system and growing medium.

The farm utilises a mixture of compost and rock particulates, which is lifted onto the roof following engineer approval. The combined materials are

light weight, allowing for proper air circulation and water retention. The system also cools the lower part of the building.

He said roof tops can be structurally built to handle the soil, water, and plant loads expected during farming seasons.

Nyah said the owner has to bring soil up to the roof and install it on top of several layers of roof protection before they can start planting anything.

Urban roof top farming is thriving in cities such as Brooklyn and Montreal, but it is not yet popular in Nigeria. But experts say this will change in no distant future.

Nigeria’s agric sector is fast becoming the toast of global investors fewer than 3000 of them are planning to invest in the sector.

The businesses, industries and other investors would be joining Nigerian and international policy makers, agribusiness leaders, farmers, technologists and investors in Lagos in November for Agra Innovate, a ground-breaking exhibition and conference being organised by the convener of the largest agric exhibition in Brazil, Informa.

Managing Director, Afrocet Nigeria Ltd, Bryan Pearson, said the investors, most of whom have signified interest in participating at Agra Innovate, would be coming with an array of solutions and innovation in agriculture that could jump start the sector to a much higher level.

He said the introduction of roof top farms is one of the solutions that experts will address at the forum.

Spurred by consumer demand for fresh, local produce, and aided by new technology, he said entrepreneurs are leasing rooftop space for commercial agricultural operations in the heart of bustling cities.

Pearson, said city-based rooftop farms harness the potential of food crops and fulfill a vital role in enhancing the delivery of sustainable food stocks and agriculture.

This is critical for a nation struggling to overcome food shortages and rising food costs.

He believes roof top agriculture enables and empowers people to make their communities healthier, more enjoyable places to live.

According to Pearson, taking roof top farming model to the next level will profit the economy. That is why it has to be discussed extensively by national and international agricultural policy makers, agribusiness leaders, farmers, technologists and investors during the exhibition and conference.

Africans are buying into the idea.

Kenya is an example for Nigerian farmers. Behind overlapping shanties and over crowded streets, is a novel roof gardening project in the Mathare slums of Nairobi that has been feeding over 109 households. It also provides income to slum women struggling to make ends meet.

The gardens are mounted on top of small structures, some measuring 10 by 10 metres, which are the standard structures in the area, accommodating on average about five family members.

Kwa Karioki is a small village in Mathare slum which residents have extended their farming gardens to roofing of their shanties in a bid to reap extra cash and fresh nutrients for their families.

Planted in assorted jerry cans, vegetables cultivated by farmers in this area are enough to feed the village and even get consumed in the neighbouring leafy suburbs of Muthaiga.

Elizabeth Nyaberi 42, who pioneered this form of farming, is optimistic that if people would turn their roofs into gardens, food security can be realised.

Practised by 109 households within the informal settlement, this form of farming has saved families a burden of spending at least Sh20 on vegetables every day, an amount hard to come by.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

AGRICBUSINESS ‘Agric can bail out Nigeria’ For Nigeria to attain a virile economy, the President, Jonathan Trust Foundation (JTF), Mr. Abiodun Dada, in this interview with JOHN OFIKHENUA, advocates that the primary assignment of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) be farming for the country to create more jobs.

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ROM your point of view the president seems to have done all. Is there any need for his re-election ?

The main strength of every economy in modern time lays on the accessibility to uninterrupted power supply. We acknowledge the huge step that has been taken in this area. After the 2015 elections you will see improvement in all the areas of the economy.

We will start to see the positive impact of the privatisation of the Power sector. More and more companies, local and foreign will invest in power generation, transmission and distribution. The foundation has already been laid.

Nigerians should expect to see major improvement in the Agricultural and Mining Sectors of the economy. Our past was Agriculture and Mining and so is the future of this country. These two sectors are capable of employing millions of Nigerians and also generating foreign earnings for the government through export. Imaginging if we stop posting our NYSC members to government and private establishments where they are underutilised and put them into farming. If we create NYSC Agricultural Scheme and the state government allocates hundreds of hectares of land to scheme in their various local government council for farming where every corps member will carry out their national

primary assignment, what impact do you think it would have on food production? Some corps members will even take to farming after completing their service thereby creating jobs. This will reduce the dependence on what more? the government for job creation. This administration from 2015 will create entrepreneurs that would employ Nigerians and drastically reduce the unemployment rate in the country. It worries me to see how an important ministry like the Ministry of Mines has been underfunded. This is a ministry through which millions of our youths can be employed. One out of every ten jobs in Canada is directly or indirectly associated with mining. The same situation is obtained in Australia and South Africa. Ghana, Botswana and Brasil are some of the countries whose economy relies heavily on mining. With proper funding of the sector, the government will not only create jobs but also ease the agitation for resources control. This is a country where solid minerals are everywhere. Look out our steel industry, what is happening to Ajaokuta steel complex, neglect and controversies. The administration of President Jonathan is working to get the Ajaokuta Steel back on track. Tens of thousands of Nigerians would be employed by the time the Ajaokuta Steel is up and running.

Flour Mills to invest in rice production

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LOUR Mills of Nigeria (FMN) will soon invest in the production and processing of locally grown rice through the participation of local farmers and other stakeholders in the supply chain.

The company’s Group Managing Director Paul Gbededo, spoke in Lagos.

“Nigeria consumes about 4 million metric tonnes of rice and we need about 1 million acres of land to achieve that. We want to start aggregating by involving others in the supply chain,” said Gbededo.

FMN, which used to produce wheat-based products, initially began its rice business in 2009 by importing par-boiled rice into Nigeria.

In 2010, the company constructed a rice mill which had the capacity to process brown rice to par-boiled rice.

“We are commissioning and improving our capacity utilisation.

Our new investments and projects

are reaching maturity.”He further stated that the production of rice was affected by the tariff on its import as imported rice was cheaper than rice produced locally. He said that the increase in import tariff would also enhance its profit margin.

Gbededo continued: “We are commissioning and improving our capacity utilisation. Our new investments and projects are reaching maturity.

“We would start production at the 350,000 metric tons per annum edible oil processing company in Ibadan by the end of this year, our snack business is reaching maturity with the completion of Golden snack facility in Agbara, the $250m Golden sugar investment, our oil palm processing, all these investments would start impacting on the bottom line moving forward.”

FMN saw a 22.45 percent appreciation in its profits for last year.

Ecobank, Eleni sign deal

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COBANK Transnational Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with commodity exchanges developer Eleni LLC, to establish a co-operative for promoting and accelerating the development of Africa’s agricultural sector Ecobank’s Group Chief Executive, Albert Essien, and CEO of Eleni, Dr Eleni Gabre-Madhin, signed the deal during the AfDB’s Annual General Meeting(AGM) in Kigali.

The partnership is aimed at realising a shared vision to transform Africa’s competitiveness in global commodity markets, enhancing value addition and processing in the domestic economy and enhancing food security. The partnership will look to build on the synergies between Ecobank’s unrivalled panAfrican presence and its commitment to financial inclusion and eleni’s successful track record of creating and operating commodity exchanges in Africa, with projects in Ghana, Cameroon, Mo-

zambique, and Nigeria.

Ecobank announced that it was a key investor in the establishment of the Ghana Commodity Exchange, Eleni’s first major foray in West Africa.

“As well as increasing market transparency and reducing transaction costs, commodity exchanges play a crucial role in the monitoring and assessment of risk,” commented Essien.

“Instruments such as warehouse receipts reduce uncertainty and improve access to finance across the value chain. We look forward to collaborating further with Eleni to enhance Africa’s agricultural financing capabilities.”

“We are very excited to be working with one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, with a solid pan-African focus, as this opens up a tremendous opportunity to establish the leading platform for commodity-related payments and transactions across the continent,” Gabre-Madhin added.

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‘Naira depreciation affecting agro exporters’ C ONTINUED depreciation of Naira against the United States dollar is creating a challenging environment for agro exporters, the President, Association of Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Dr Femi Egbesola, has said.

This is as a result of the increased costs of operation involving international shipping companies, which services are dominated in foreign currency.

He said many exporters are facing challenges of logistics.

In case of international shipments of agro commodities, he said they need to pay the shipping charges in US dollars and hence, additional amount has to be paid for the same shipments, making export business less profitable for the companies.

On the export front, he said Nigerians were competing with exporters from other countries where their currencies make the price they receive for their produce competitive.

Stories by Daniel Essiet

Egbesola added, however, that local exporters were faced with high freight costs denominated in foreign currencies, subsequently hitting their profit margins.

Calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) to do something on the value of the Naira, the ASBON chief said local agro exporters stand the risk of losing international customers to competing exporters from other international markets.

He said agro exporters are forced absorb the increase in freight charges and work with lower margins, adding that in event of failure or capability to absorb such additional freight costs, the exporters and importers may avoid/abstain from international trade.

With the government encour-

aging more Nigerians to get into exports, he noted, that the government needs to do something to boost the naira as its continued depreciation could lead to an overall decline in trade volumes from Nigeria that would prove to be challenging for the shipping and freight forwarding companies.

For the shipping companies that focused on industries, a decline in international trade volumes would result in idle capacity or shipments with not-fully loaded ships, resulting in lower revenues as well as higher operational costs per customer consignment.

He called on the government to provide more incentives to boost agriculture production and promote livelihood security for a large number of farm families.

According to him, farm productivity and profitability will be greatly helped if there is improved support to reinvigorate farming tradition as it is a means to sustainable livelihood.

Dairy farm coming

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DAIRY farm will be built in Nigeria, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NigerPars Nigeria Limited, the Iranian Research Organisation for Science and Technology (IROST) and the Holstein Association of Iran.

The high-tech Holstein Farm Project (HOLFA) will attract $100 million in foreign and local investments.

It will also have the capacity to milk up to 6,000 cows and provide meat packing services.

Once a location for the verticallyintegrated facility has been selected, the facility will be built in

four phases and will attract US$100million of foreign and local investment.

“The HOLFA facility will produce milk, butter, cheese and yoghurt to the highest international quality standards and production consistency,” said council member of IROST and President,Holstein Association, Iran, Mohammed Sanjabi. “We will have products for non-refrigerated long-life, and refrigerated warehousing, transportation and logistics so that children should be able to enjoy the nourishment and health benefits that fresh milk offers,”he added.

Sanjabi said the project would

create direct and indirect employment for 3,000 Nigerians who will be trained by specialists from IROST. NigerPars Nigeria chairman Kouros Jahangiripoor said “NigerPars is very excited to bring the world’s best technology in industrial-scale dairy farming to Nigeria, including arranging the financing and all the contractual details.

“IROST and the Holstein Association of Iran already have 12 projects throughout Middle East and Central Asia, with the cattle specifically groomed for the ambient climatic conditions.”

•Adesina at the company’s factory at Agbara, Lagos.

Govt partners Nestlé on energy foods

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HE Federal Government is partnering with Nestlé on the manufacturing and processing of agricultural raw materials, such as maize, sorghum, millet and soybeans, into high-energy nutritious foods.

It aims at tackling high incidence of malnutrition and ensuring healthier children.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nestlé Nigeria, Mr Dharnesh Gordhon, broke the news when the Minister visited the Nestlé factory in Agbara,Ogun State.

Adesina probed Nestlé for the state-of-the-art technology in its Agbara factory.

He was impressed with the breakthrough technology for processing maize and millet into Nestlé all-family cereal, Golden Morn.

He said Nestlé’s commitment to responsible sourcing of agricul-

tural raw materials, which has resulted in purchase of over 32,000 metric tonnes of grains from local Nigerianfarmers in 2013 alone,is a clear example of business supporting farming and promoting it as a livelihood of choice that offers an attractive income.

Nestlé will collaborate with the government to establish farmers group to grow grains such as maize, millet, sorghum and soybeans for the company at the right volume, price and quality.

He added that Nestlé was an ideal partner for the Transformative Partnership for High-Energy Nutritious Foods, which was launched at the last World Economic Forum in Abuja.

In his own remarks, Gordhon lauded the federal government for their agricultural transformation agenda which is aimed at growing the agricultural sector and creating wealth.

He assured the Minister that the company would support the

Transformative Partnership for High-Energy Nutritious Foods project.

He added that the initiative was in line with Nestlé’s global commitments to help increase consumption of whole grains and to help reduce the risk of under-nutrition through micronutrient fortification. These initiatives are of the company’s approach to business, which it calls ‘Creating Shared Value’. This is based on the belief that for a company to be successful over the long term and create value for shareholders, it must create value for society.

One of the firm’s strategies to increase consumption of whole grains is by re-formulating and redesigning products based on scientific insights. Nestlé has announced a major pledge to improve the welfare of the farm animals in its supply chain, following the signing of a partnership agreement with NGO World Animal Protection.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL Nigeria-Netherlands Economic Forum holds Sept 15

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HE maiden Nigeria-Netherlands Economic Forum wil hold in the Hague Netherlands from September 15-17.

It is being organised by The Netherlands-African Business Council (NABC) in collaboration with KLEEF & VTS Nigeria.

The forum, with the theme: “Bridging the Dutch and Nigerian private sectors” aims at creating a platform for the Dutch and Nigerian private sectors to strengthen the economic relations as well as to promote new and sustainable business interests for both countries In a statement in Abuja, the NABC Chapter President in Nigeria, who is also thep promoter of the forum, Chief

Cliff Ogbede, the aim of the summit which will hold yearly, would showcase Nigeria as a new frontier for investments, particularly given that Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa with impressive growth forecast.

He added that it would encourage Dutch/Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of the new Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF) which is in excess of about 700 million euro, earmarked by the Dutch government to support Dutch SME’s.

Ogbede said: “We have received commitment from over 145 Dutch investors who are interested.”

LCCI urges partnership with Germany

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HE Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Federal Government to study the curriculum of ongoing Dual Vocational Training Partnership With Nigeria (DVT PWN), initiated by the German government for support and approval.

The two countries, acting under the aegis of Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria (DGICN) and Industrial Training Fund/Industrial Skill Training Centre (ITF/ISTC), a few months ago, signed Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) on the deal.

The MoU was witnessed by German Consul-General, Michael; Head, DGICN, Andre Roenne; Head, International Business Affairs, Chamber of Commerce (CCI), GiessenFriedberg, Robert Malzacher, among others.

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ponent of the exercise and espousing the intrinsic benefits of empowering the youths with the requisite skills that would later enable them make a living for themselves.

Danjuma said the initiative would help them become responsible citizens.

Finance and Administrative Manager, Lintex International Limited, Ms. Panmwa Sim Bewaran, said Lintex is partnering with PINE as consultant and contractor towards making the programme realisable.

“The initiative binding both parties includes, bagging of 500,000 bags of rice in six Northeastern states on entrepreneurial skill training in sealing of the bags of rice,” she said.

tion of the region’s emergence and path to sustainability in these markets’’. She listed this year’s addition as Pro-Plas West Africa, Print Expo West Africa, FoodPro West Africa, Pro-Label West Africa and the launch of Digital Print Expo West Africa.

Its Project Director/ Commercial Sales Chief, Mark Anderson, said the event gave participants the opportunity to showcase their equipment and technology to the region. He said the more exhibitions held the better as they would impact on the economy in the long run. He noted job creation as an advantage.

The firm’s Sales Agent (West Africa) Joju Adekanbi scored the expo high, saying more exhibitors attended compared to that of 2012..

Dana launches promo for business class ANA Air has introduced a special promo fare of N27,000 for one-way business class seats on its domestic routes to herald the 54th independence anniversary of the nation.

Its Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Obi Mbanuzuo, who announced the offer, also said the economy class seats were still being sold at online fares beginning from N9,000.

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fighting doesn’t stop in the coming months.

The IMF now expects Ukraine’s economy to contract by 6.5 per cent this year, down from its previous forecast of five per cebt, before rebounding one per cent next year.

But prolonged war with separatists and Russian forces could cause the economy to shrink by 7.3 per cent this year and 4.2 per cent next year, the IMF estimated in what it calls an adverse scenario.

There are no signs of the conflict subsiding, however, as Western nations prepared to ratchet up sanc-

tions against Moscow for its military incursion into eastern Ukraine.

Nikolay Gueorguiev, the fund’s mission chief for Ukraine, said the $19 billion estimate is designed to show the potential costs of the war on the country, but shouldn’t be seen as new bailout needs. Some of those costs could be met through additional budget belt-tightening and a buildup of foreign currency reserves.

But the IMF has warned from the beginning of the bailout program that other lenders, such as the U.S. and Europe, may need to provide additional financial support to prevent a collapse of the Ukrainian economy if hostilities endured.

By Biodun-Thomas Davids

Propak West Africa expo ends N exhibition on packaging, food processing, plastics, labelling and print in West Africa has ended in Lagos.

The expo titled: Propak West Africa, opened on Tuesday, at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Victoria Island with over 30 exhibitors. They included Chellarams, KGA AGFA, Heidelberg, Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC. But some of the exhibitors, it was learnt, pulled out at the last minute, for fear of contracting the killer disease Ebola.

The Managing Director, Montgomery West Africa, Tori Abiola said this year’s event was a success compared to that of 2012. Ms Abiola, who described the expo as ‘’the excitement of a follow up show’’ to that of the previous one, said ‘’the growth of the packaging and printing industries is a positive indica-

KRAINE could need additional financing worth $19 billion next year if fighting in the country’s eastern region continues through next year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in its latest review of the emergency bailout.

The conflict between Kiev’s forces and pro-Russia rebels in the eastern region of Ukraine, where the country’s manufacturing is centered, is forcing the economy deeper into recession and raising potential rescue costs.

The IMF reduced its growth outlook for the country, warning that a sharp economic contraction could continue into next year if

Major stakeholders involved in the partnership include: LCCI Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OGUCCIMA), Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA) and Nigerian German Business Association (NGBA) Director, Business Education Services Training (BEST), LCCI, Mayowa Lanihun, said the training was capable of improving employability of workers and boosting productivity.

“The dual vocational training will improve employability and productivity in Nigeria because it does not only teach theory but also in-depth practical training,” he stressed.

Fed Govt empowers 500 youths in Northeast HE Federal Government is empowering over 500 youths on skill acquisition in Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Yobe, and Maiduguri states in Northeast.

The initiative, being handled by the Presidential Initiative for the Northeast (PINE), would use the opportunity to train the youth on rice re-bagging.

Programme Development and Implementation Associate, Mr. Mohammed Danjuma, said the exercise was designed to provide skills acquisition and empowerment opportunity for over 500 youths.

“These youths will not only be empowered with new skills and equipment, they will also be temporarily employed for the duration of the rebagging exercise, “he said.

He said PINE would boost the com-

Ukraine may need $19b financing, says IMF U

He said the business class promotional offer was conceived to allow guests to experience comfort of the business class cabin at reasonable fares, as they have the option to upgrade their economy class ticket to business class upon paying an additional N9,000 at the counters.

“We will continue to offer various forms of incentives to the public to improve the volume of air transport patronage in Nigeria,” he said.

• Some youths receiving training on rice re-bagging at one of the centres in Gombe.

US. auto sales strong, led by Ford, Chrysler

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HE United States’ auto sales were unexpectedly strong, led

by Ford Motor Co, Chrysler Group and Nissan Motor Co, which easily beat analysts’ estimates as the industry is seen reaching volumes not seen since before the recession.

Ford sales were up 0.4 per cent, while Chrysler, a unit of Fiat SpA, showed a 20 per cent gain, the automakers reported.

Nissan was up 11.5 per cent. Analysts looked for gains of 11.8 per cent for Chrysler and 2.8 per cent for Nissan, and a decline of 1.9 per cent for Ford.

General Motors Co said August

sales fell 1.2 per cent, narrowly missing expectations.

Chrysler forecast a stronger-thanexpected month for the industry, up three per cent, versus analysts’ estimates of a rise of only 0.1 per cent.

Auto sales are an early indicator of consumer demand as the industry accounts for one-fifth of all U.S. retail spending.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected monthly industry auto sales of about 1.5 million new vehicles, and a seasonally adjusted annualised sales rate of 16.6 million.

It would be the sixth straight month

showing an annualised rate above 16 million, a level reached only twice in 2013.

Research firm Edmunds.com pointed to two trends affecting August sales: A higher percentage of zero-interest loans and gas prices falling to their lowest in four years.

Incentive spending by the industry last month also climbed from a year ago, to an average $2,772 per vehicle, but declined slightly from July, according to research firm TrueCar.com. Virtually all major automakers except Nissan boosted discounts from a year ago.

Smile Communications deepens broadband services MILE Communications Nigeria Limited said it is committed to deepening broadband internet services in line with Federal Government’s goals of growing the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through information communication technology (ICT).

It said it could only do this by introducing innovative services which would redefine the data experience of its customers.

Speaking in Lagos, its Chief Corporate Services Officer, Ms. Lee-Ann Cassie, said the firm is expanding its footprint across the country, promising to take its services to all the nooks and crannies of the country.

She said the firm has introduced a range of new products to change the experience of its data users One of the products of the firm, according to her, is SmileON that helps customers stay online even when their bundle is at zero level. It ensures that customers connected to the Smile network remain connected when their data bundle runs out within that bundle’s validity period.

Other products are built around customer’s personal portal, such as MySmile portal, from where the customer can select data speed of the Smile service and can alternate such speed at will. There are also series

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of customer tips available on the website or on the Smile Facebook pages,that will help customers manage their data usage.

Another unique product is the Smile Super-fast Internet connection, which provides customers with high definition, when on another data service provider’s network that has low data speed. This means that with Smile Super-fast Internet connection, customers will always get standard high definition, when on another service provider’s slow network.

On the same portal page, customers can select to disable access to high data sites, and they can also deselect at any time.

SmileON becomes available automatically if a purchased bundle depletes before the end of its validity period.

She emphasised that SmileON would be available until the end of that bundles validity period or until the allocated usage allowance is depleted during the validity period.

She said this was done to sustain customers until another bundle is purchased within 30 days.

SmileON, she further said, also allows access to unlimited sites and applications and extends to banking and news services, browsing, email, social networking, Skype

voice calls, messaging, government sites, Wikipedia among others.

On the likely prime beneficiaries of the unique service offering, Cassie disclosed that “all customers who purchase 5GB or larger data bundles per month are automatic beneficiaries”.

She said all customers using SmileON, are allocated the use allowance for the SmileON product on the following basis: For a 5GB bundle, there is a SmileON allowance of 1GB with a validity period that starts from when the bundle depletes and valid to the end of the bundle validity period.

A 10GB bundle ensures a 2GB SmileON allowance which starts from when bundle depletes and valid to the end of the bundle validity period. Any bundle from 20GB and above attracts a 2GB SmileON allowance with validity that spans when bundle depletes and valid for 30 days within the validity period of the bundle.

Cassie explained that “should a customer attempt to use a site application not available on SmileON, that customer will be directed to the web page notifying him or her that there was a trial to access a site that is unavailable.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

ONDO POLITICS Hon. Isaac Kekemeke, a lawyer, is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ondo State. In this interview with DAMISI OJO, in Akure, the state capital, former Secretary to the Government (SSG) spoke on the party’s chances in next year’s elections.

Kekemeke: PDP, LP are dead in Ondo H

OW did you emerge as the APC chair man in Ondo State?

It was a keen contest. I had 499 votes; my closest rival had 497, followed by an aspirant with 136 and another had 10. I have received delegations from almost all the local government areas with some other interest groups who pledged their support. Upon receiving these delegations, we gave them our vision and mission and told them that the congresses were over. We are now aiming at changing our status from an opposition party to a party in power; from a party outside of government to a party in government; from the street of Akure to Alagbaka Government House; from the streets of various local government headquaters to their secretariats and our new vision is to build electorally prosperous APC in the state.

Now that you are the chairman, how would you sell your party to the people?

I think there is a number of reasons why people should vote for us. First is that our party has a manifesto. The manifesto is people-centered; the manifesto is about impacting on the lives of the ordinary Nigerian. The manifesto is about social welfare. The manifesto is about heath. The manifesto is about education. The manifesto is about the development of infrastructure. The manifesto is about providing security. The manifesto is about power so that individuals can thrive. In fact, it is about the fact that government exists only for the people. And that’s what APC governors do all over the country, building roads, providing security, quality education, health services, caring for the elderly, providing jobs. This is all our party is about.

The second reason is that I do not think that any non-partisan Nigerian will want our country to run the way it is running for another four years.So, for anybody who is not a partisan person, for anybody who is not taking immediate benefit from this government, I think it is al-

‘Here in Ondo State, the Labour Party is dead. Our Iroko leaves have continued to wither because there is no more water to supply the Iroko tree. It’s just a matter of time to get him off there. The administration in the state is already deteriorated. The PDP is in coma. The only living party is the APC’ • Kekemeke

most unreasonable to say we should have another four years of what is happening in our country today. That is a compelling reason why I think people should vote for our party. At least, let’s have change. Let’s move on. The PDP has done its best for almost 15 years. Let them get out.

Many people believe the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN )performed woefully in the last governorship election in Ondo State due to some reasons. What is your plan ahead of next year’s and 2016 elections?

The ACN lost because it didn’t have structures here and that they started late, and maybe, a

number of other factors. Don’t forget the APC has new people from the PDP, new people from the Labour Party and new people from the legacy parties. It is now a mega party. What we will do differently is that we have started to build our structures. We will mobilise the people. We will run an organised campaign. We will be transparent with forms. And of course, the process of picking our flag bearer will be decided according to the constitution and the guideline of the party. We are going to do a number of things differently. We have many more people now; we have much more com-

mitment than before.

How can you rate APC governors, particularly in the Southwest? Do they deserve second term?

The philosophy of our party is the well-being of the people. You can almost be sure that, rather than becoming non-functional, I know they will gear up and want to work hard. I think there is an unsaid desire to leave a legacy for posterity and for generations to come. That’s the difference between those who served under the APC and those who served under the PDP who are just about power and power alone.Our governors are performing everywhere apart from the Southwest and they deserve second term.

What are your chances of winning elections in Ondo State?

Our chances are high. Our party has become a destination of choice for many people in other political parties, for many people in the government, both at the state and the federal. I receive calls. I hold meetings almost every other day with people in those parties, expressing their desire to join and team up with us. Here in Ondo State, the Labour Party is dead. Our Iroko leaves have continued to wither because there is no more water to supply the Iroko tree. It’s just a matter of time to get him off there. The administration in the state is already deteriorated. The PDP is in coma. The only living party is the APC. So, people are coming and we are trying to put our house in order. We will take over government. We will get united. We will expand and we will win.

I am appealing to the citizenry in the state to keep faith with the APC for the betterment of the people and the country. We are embarking on mobilisation tour to all the 18 local government areas to sensitise people on the need to embrace the progressive party that has a people-oriented programmes.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ceased to be the ruling party in Ondo State in 2008 when power shifted to the Labour Party (LP). Its efforts to bounce back in 2012 hit the rocks. Now, Hon. Ebenezer Alabi, the Chairman of the crisis-ridden chapter, says it will bounce back in next year’s polls. He spoke with Correspondent DAMISI OJO in Akure.

Alabi: PDP ‘ll bounce back

•Alabi

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HAT Is the state of affairs in the Ondo State PDP now?

Since we lost our foremost leader, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, we have been intensifying efforts to rebuild the party in Ondo State.After his demise, we believe it is time to ensure that the party should not die naturally. Hence,the serious reconciliation we are embarking on. We preached to our people on the need to sink our differences. Honestly, we were able to bring on board estranged members and we are waxing stronger every day. The result of the inconclusive Ilaje/Ese-Odo by-election was as a result of the disunity in the party.Now, we are having a very formidable and strong PDP in Ondo State that is battle-ready to take over government.We have been receiving people into our fold on daily basis. That has shown that the reconciliation is working. We are trying to sustain the unity and

to further the reconciliation because we still have one or two people who are still aggrieved with the party. We are reaching out to make sure that all of us are under the umbrella before 2015 elections.

What about aggrieved members who believed thay have been betrayed by the party leadership?

It is true that most of them are still very angry and that one is manifesting in the way they treat some leaders in social outings and, at times, political gatherings. But, we are trying to preach to our people, especially the youths, that we should allow yesterday to belong to the past. We should forget what happened in the past because, if we still hold on to what some people did in the past, we will not make any breakthrough in the forthcoming elections. The PDP is a very strong party.

We realised that it was the division among us that actually made us to lose elections. Now that we have realised our mistake and we are correcting them on daily basis, I will still plead with our youths that they should allow the party to forge ahead with the people coming on board because everybody is important as far as this party is concerned.Our past political office holders have a lot to contribute to this party and we are making them to contribute and to rebuild the party to an enviable status. I will keep appealing to them to forget the past and look into the future in the overall interest of the party.

Recently, people from other parties defected to the PDP. What was responsible?

The reconciliation effort of the party is one of the factors that actually encouraged people to start moving into the party. In the past, when we were divided, they believed that nothing could come from the party because of the division. But today, when they have seen the unity in the party, peo-

ple are coming on board. Secondly, people can now compare and contrast the achievements of the PDP in the past with the present administration. They can assess the two administrations and appreciate the life-changing programmes that the PDP embarked upon under the leadership of our late leader, Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

Today, they can see the number of roads that we tarred. They can see the impact in all the communities in terms of the structures we put in place; the schools, the hospitals and so on and so forth. Today, they can tell what is cosmetic from what is actual project that will make impact on the life of people. So, having seen the past administration, having assessed what the PDP did in the past and what the PDP is capable of doing, many people are moving to the party in Ondo State.

The trend is the same in other states of the Southwest. They have seen that these people did not do miraculous projects that are actually different from what we were doing when we were there. Today, we are the toast of the people, especially in Ondo state because of what we were able to achieve when we were there.

Some people are saying that Ondo PDP has hope now that the party has bounced back in Ekiti...

I don’t know why some people hold that opinion about the outcome of the Ekiti governorship election. Ekiti was created out of the old Ondo State and whatever happens in Ekiti automatically translates to what happens in Ondo state.

Following the victory of our party in Ekiti State,many people have moved over to the PDP in Ondo State because of the outcome of that election. In other states in the region, people are also moving to the PDP because there is this

bandwagon effect. It’s like the Southwest usually thinks along the same line.

What do you think is responsible for this?

I can say a lot of factors are responsible for the resurgence. The last congresses and convention of APC created problems for the party. That’s why most of them are now defecting to the PDP. We don’t impose candidates in the PDP; we always provide a level-playing ground for aspirants and whoever wins becomes the candidate of the party.

A lot of us also believe in the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan because what he did in the Southwest cannot be compared to what we have been seeing in the past. Look at the roads. For example, in the past, it was very difficult for people to travel from Lagos to Benin; they would be stopped on the road for days. But today, contractors are working on the road on daily basis. See what’s happening to the IbadanLagos expressway. Repair work is going on in the axis of Akure-Ilesha-Ife too.

What is the chance of your party in the next general elections?

The chances of Ondo PDP are very bright, judging from what we can see on ground today. Not a single person has left PDP. In the last governorship election, the PDP came second and the APC came third. Since then, like I said, nobody has left the PDP. If you look at the percentage of our performance in the election and the number of those who have moved to the party and who are still joining us, you will know that the coast is very clear for the PDP to win in Ondo State.

What is the implication of Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s defection to the PDP? Already, a seven-man committee is negotiating his defection.The Party would welcome him, if he comes.

THE NATION FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

46

POLITICS

‘APC ‘ll not condone rigging in Niger East’ T

HE Conference of All Progressives Congress Pub licity Secretaries (CAPS) has reflected on the senatorial by-election in Niger East District, alleging that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was planning to rig the poll.

Rising from its two-day meeting in Lagos, the association said malpractices could deprive constituents their right to freely choose their representative in the Upper Chamber.

In its communique, CAPS alleged that the election was postponed in some councils when it was discovered that the APC candidate was in early lead.

It said: “CAPS reviewed the socalled ‘inconclusive’ senatorial election in the Niger East Senatorial Zone and observed with dismay a plethora of spurious developments. It is the right of the people of Niger East to freely choose their senator.

“We hereby urge them and the entire people of Niger State to be vigilant and forestall the collusion between the PDP and key officials of the INEC to rob the people of their free choice of an APC candidate, which is now about to be truncated, as was done in Ekiti and Anambra states.”

Thirty four publicity secretaries were present at the maiden meeting, which aim was to explore modalities for repositioning the party, ahead of next year’s elections. A chairman and six zonal co-ordinators were elected to run the affairs of the conference. They are the Chairman, Joe Igbokwe;

L-R: Hon. Sanni Eshilokun, Otunba Ajomole, Hon. Raji and and Igbokwe at the conference.

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

By Emmanual Oladesu

North Central Co-ordinator Mr Vatsa; Northeast J onathan Cordinator Rev Phineas Padio; Northwest Coordinator Yahaya Bashir; Southeast Coordinator Okelo Madukaife; Southwest Cordinator)Mr Sola Lawal; and Southsouth Coordinator Hon. Fortune Paneb Reflecting on the Osun State governorship , the conference hailed the people for defeating the PDP, which it described as the party of political predators, urging the chapter to sustain the tempo in next year’s polls.

CAPS added: “ Elections have increasingly become militarised, even to the point of deploying masked security personnel to intimidate and humiliate the electorate. Elections should be carnivals, not war rehearsals and the INEC must give flesh to its rejection of militarised elections in exchange for civil elections.

“The recent distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) and Continuous Voter registration in some states manifested all the indices of failure. The conference advises INEC to raise its act, take firm corrective

measures and stop indulging in ostrich pride, while monumental challenges lie ahead.

“The conference calls on all stakeholders in the nation, particularly the National Assembly, to, as a matter of utmost urgency, return the recommendation of the Justice Uwais panel on electoral reforms to the front burner, particularly as it affects INEC deriving its funding on first line charge, drawn from the Federation Account and independent operatives appointed by the National Judicial

Commission to guarantee some measure of independence from political interferences.”

The association also decried the gale of impeachments instigated by the PDP, saying that it is a bad omen. While congratulating Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al Makura for surviving the threat, it advised the House of Assembly to refrain from distracting the attention of the governor.

It added: “In Enugu State, the PDP has thrown the instruments of governance to the swine by the governor, who instigated the impeachment of the deputy governor, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi, for running a poultry farm, yet turning round dramatically to deploy the impeached public officer as the Deputy Director in the State Civil Service. Meanwhile, the ailing governor and impeacher-inchief still runs a farm. Where are the standards? Our nation must be allowed to degenerate into a mushroom society under the careless watch of the PDP. “The PDP, having forced an illegal impeachment on Adamawa State, is now seeking to employ every crooked machinery to return the state to the path of retrogression. The APC is however, prepared to set the people pf Adamawa free.

“CAPS hereby demands the suspension of the ‘state of emergency’ in Adamawa State, which has the barest minimum of insurgence ,or at the least, lift the dusk-to- dawn curfew from this week to rid the electioneering atmosphere of fear or encumbrances and pave the way for free and fair elections.”

‘Lawmakers should not be contractors’

By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

• Fafunmi

A

MEMBER of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi, has identified quality representation as the task of the legislature. He said project execution is the main assignment of the executive.

Fafunmi, who flayed the rate at which legislators chase contracts, said when lawmakers give scant attention to their primary assignment of mak-

ing laws that would strengthen the executive, its ability to deliver dividends of democracy is impaired.

He said Lagos State House of Assembly is an exception, saying that it has blazed the trail in law making in aid of good governance.

Fafunmi, who is eyeing the House of Assembly for the third time, said his people would reward his hard work with another chance.

The legislator from Ifako/Ijaye Constituency 1 spoke in his office to reporters on his stewardship and ambition.

He said: “Given the rate of development in Ifako-Ijaiye in the last seven years and the quality of my contributions, which have seen the government responding positively to the needs of members of his constituency, I have no doubt that the people will reward me with another term.”

Fafunmi said he has atteacted dividends of democracy to the constituency in the last eight years.

He said his -re-election would enable him to complete some of the on-going and unfinished pro-

‘Law making is a great assignment that is better handled by people who have the requisite experience. This was why law makers have no limitation to their tenure’ grammes.

Fafunmi stressed: “My achievements in the last eight years include the best constituency office by any state legislator, the provision of two luxury buses for free bus ride to school pupils in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area, distribution of free WAEC and JAMB/UTME forms to over 600 students, facilitating bursary and awarding scholarship for indigent students, and the training of 2,000 youths in ICT, and another 600 tailors at fashion institute. The ICT Centre and the Fashion Institute are inside my Constituency Office building.”

Fafunmi also listed the construction of two major arterial roads, the Iju-Ishaga-Agege Road and the College-Jungle Road, within the council, by the government among the major achievements he has brought to the area.

He said these projects were sited

in the area, following constructive engagement with the executive. He said, if re-elected, he would bring his wealth of experience to bear on legislative governance.

He said: “Anyone who knows Ifako-Ijaiye seven years ago would marvel at the rate of development in the same local government today.

We have brought all these to bear by adequately lobbying the government to give some attention to our gapping needs. We have brought government to attend to two of our arterial roads and the third one would have been delivered but for the contractor who could not deliver.”

Fafunmi denied muscling youths in his constituency, saying there was no iota of truth in the allegation. He said those behind the petition to party leaders had come to apologise for peddling the wicked rumour.

He said, as an indigene of the coun-

cil, he would continue to pursue the development and empowerment of the youths.

The lawmaker added: “I don’t see how I should be distracted by the petition emanating from a group of four disgruntled youths who have even come to apologise to me for embarking on the failed enterprise. I can’t be rattled by such antics, as long as my people are satisfied in my ability to adequately represent them and my leaders continue to repose their confidence in my ability to deliver.”

Fafunmi, who is also the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee, said his committee is building capacity at the council level to ensure that councillors know the nitty-gritty of budgeting to enable them put together achievable and realisable budgeting framework.

He said councils cannot achieve any programme or project because, if they operate unrealistic budgets.”

Fafunmi added: “Law making is a great assignment that is better handled by people who have the requisite experience. This was why law makers have no limitation to their tenure.”

Ekiti PDP women back Jonathan for second term

E

KITI Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Coalition 2015’ has urged the party to field President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate for next year’s election.

At a rally in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the group also asked the President to declare his re-election bid in the national interest.

PDP women leaders from the Southwest witnessed the rally, which was addressed by the leader of the group, Mrs. Bolajoko Oriire Olapeju.

She said: “ The efforts of Presi-

dent Jonathan since he assumed office in 2010 proved that he eminently deserves a second term and he deserves our support.”

Olapeju described the group as “a pressure group driven by the desire to join the teeming groups to support the re-election of President Jonathan in flying PDP’s flag in the 2015 general election.”

Urging women to support the President, she said the number one citizen has appointed more women into the Federal Executive

Council (FEC) more than his predecessors.

She said: “The good works of the President are felt all over the country, in spite of the activities of enemies of progress.”

Olapeju added: “We are in Ekiti to enlist your support in this crusade to ensure victory for our President and our great party.”

Also speaking, the group’s leader in Ekiti, Mrs Modupe Orubuloye, said women delegates had come from 16 councils to drum support for the President’s bid.

She said: “They are resolute in their support for another term for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.”

Olapeju said the group’s activities cut across party lines because “President Jonathan’s good works cut across party lines and he has impacted positively on all and sundry.”

She added: “Women must not be deceived and they must not allow themselves to be deceived because the President has done very well for Nigerians and the Nigerian women.”

• Dr Jonathan

THE NATION FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

47

POLITICS All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Dr Leke Pitan spoke on his manifestos, zoning and other issues. LEKE SALAUDEEN met him.

‘PDP can’t beat APC in Lagos’ H

AS the APC zoned its governorship ticket to Lagos East where you come from?

The party has formally announced that. A decision to that effect had been taken by the party leaders, stakeholders and the party executive and it was announced by the state’s publicity secretary that the party’s flag bearer would come from Lagos East. However, I don’t want to rely on that. Rather, I am standing on the fact that I am qualified by merit, not because of where I come from.

What motivated you to join the governorship race?

It is the goodwill of the people that cut, across the state. I have gotten a lot of encouragement from party stalwarts and well wishers. Having served under the administration of former governor Bola Tinubu, they are convinced that one is capable of piloting the ship of Lagos State.

The APC manifesto is in tandem with what the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the Action Congress (AC) offered during the Tinubu Administration in Lagos State. For the sake of continuity, they think it is better to put forward a tested person; someone they have worked with for a very long time.

What are your antecedents in politics?

I was a member of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the Second Republic and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the botched Third Republic. When I was the National President of National Union of Lagos State Students, I played a role in the administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande. It may interest you to know that I was a party to the formation of the Afenifere group headed by late Chief Adekunle Ajasin during the military regimes of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen. Sani Abacha. Though I was the youngest of them all, I used to attend meetings in Owo along with Alhaji Olatunji Hamzat, the late Ganiyu Dawodu and Chief Taiwo as Lagos delegates. I was also involved in the formation of the defunct AD. For me, politics is hereditary. My father was a councillor two times representing Agbowa. He served as a councillor in Lagos Island under the late Ganiyu Dawodu and Prince Tajudeen Olusi.

Is your free health programme in furtherance of your political ambition?

I am a believer in free healthcare for the people. Probably because of the economic situation in the country, many cannot afford to patronise private clinics. The programme will help win more members for our party. It helps further to reconnect the party with the people. There is need to mobilise members and unite them after the fall out of party congresses in the state. The process of healing starts from there. It is an avenue for people to dialogue and resolve whatever political differences that exist. Though the programme gulps a lot of money and resources, but the joy of it is that we are able to give to the people what they need.

Apart from surgery and medication, we offer them health talk on preventive measures against the dreaded Ebola virus. Besides, bank officials especially Micro Finance Bank, are always with us to educate them on business investment and available loan facilities to boost their trade. Similarly, our lawyer friends also collaborate with us to offer free legal services to the participants.

We have covered nine out of the old 20 Local Government in eleven outings. We will cover all local governments and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in the state.

Are you disturbed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s boast that they will form coalition with other parties to wrest power from the APC in

• Pitan

2015?

I am not disturbed. I feel challenged. It will make us to prepare better, to make sure they don’t succeed. I am the type of politician who will not underrate or denigrate the opposition.

My belief is that in politics we are free, within the ambit of law, to use whatever strategies that we want and to also deploy them. If they are talking of coalition, it means they have admitted that they can’t do it alone and that is an expression of the APC might. I can assure you that the APC will retain Lagos State in 2015. We will ensure that we put the right step forward. We will showcase all we have done since 1999. It will engender confidence in whatever we promise the people. If we present the right candidates for all elective offices, the corollary is that the PDP will be ignored.

As a former commissioner in Lagos State, what are your imprints?

I served as Commissioner of Health and Education under former Governor Tinubu. I introduced free milk for school children. It didn’t cost government one kobo. All I did was to approach milk producing companies who embraced our programme and supply school children milk without government paying. We created eye bank in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) that makes it possible to carry out eye transplant in the hospital. This was first of its kind in the country. We introduced free heart surgery in 2003. What I did, to achieve this, was

‘I can assure you that the APC will retain Lagos State in 2015.

We will ensure that we put the right step forward. We will showcase all we have done since 1999. It will engender confidence in whatever we promise the people. If we present the right candidates for all elective offices, the corollary is that the PDP will be ignored’

that I invited my classmates in the United States who are experts in the field to come and do it for us free of charge. A ward in LASUTH was converted for heart surgery. Limb Deformity Corrective Surgery Programme started during my time and it was also free. Ambulance service was introduced during my tenure to save lives.

In education, we created 25 annexes for the five Technical Colleges in the state. It gave the graduates of the annexe the opportunity to sit for the National Board for Technical Education (NABTE) Modular Examination as qualified artisan.

Is it true that the APC leadership has endorsed a particular aspirant as governorship candidate?

It is a rumour. Party organs have repeatedly refuted it. Endorsement is an anomaly that does no good to democracy. Any aspirant who relies on imposition lacks value of his own. I will not advise any aspirant to rely on imposition because it belittles the person. It is not the best strategy.

Will you support consensus candidate?

Nobody will go against consensus in its true sense. The leaders can arrange for the coming together of all aspirants to rub minds. It is not one sitting affair. The party elders would moderate such meetings. The aspirants should put the interest of the party above all other things and the need to win the election. From there, they can start lobbying among themselves. From such consultation, the number of aspirants may reduce to two or three. Even where they come up with a consensus candidate, we still have to go for primaries.

What impact would you make, if you become the governor of Lagos State?

The cardinal objective of my programme is human capital development. It is a loss to the society to leave the youth lying fallow. There will be a paradigm shift in government financing. We shall give priority to security, health, education and human development. It will not distract us from the environmental programmes and the giant strides Governor Babatunde Fashola had made in provision of infrastructure.

I must place on record that Fashola has done extremely well. His administration is a build up on the foundation of good governance laid by our leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

To enhance the standard of education, the youths will be employed to assist in teaching during holiday period. Students of Colleges of Education will be given incentives by paying them stipends. Those pursuing degree programmes in Education would be paid special allowance to encourage them. Teachers’ remuneration would be reviewed. Once the educators are put in proper perspective, they will be more committed to their profession.

Do you have the financial muscle to undertake electioneering campaign?

I rely on well-meaning Nigerians whether rich or ordinary folk like me and you to contribute in their various ways. The welfare of the people is my priority. I have been caring for the grass root in many ways. Some professional groups such as Nigeria Medical Association, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners and Nigerian Women Medical Association have been supportive of our free health programme we are currently undertaking all over the state. Some find it easy to put down cash, while others find it easy to put in efforts that could be more valuable than cash. I can go on and on telling you various possibilities; different things that could happen. It is that collective effort that we must bring to bear this time around and let it tell on the system, so that we can now say, we are part of it.

Yagba-Kogi to support APC in next year’s elections

T

HE Yagba-Okun people of Kwara State have urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone its Kogi West senatorial ticket to the Yoruba-speaking bloc.

TheYoruba-speaking people are inthree local government areas of Yagba West, East and Mapa/Amoro.

They have alleged marginalisation, poiting out that none of its indigenes has enyoyed the slot since the creation of Kwara State in 1991.

Reiterating their support for the APC, they said the zoning of the slot to the three councils will give them a sense of belonging.

In a statement in Ilorin, the state capital, stakeholders from Yagba Federal Constituency pointed out that Col. Tunde Ogbeha (rtd) from Koton Karfe/Lokoja area represented the

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

district between 1999 and 2007 and Senator Smart Adeyemi from Kabba/Bunu/Jumu constituency has represented the district from 2007 till date.

It added: “Senator Ogbeha served two terms and Senator Adeyemi is in his second term.

Both are of the PDP. For the sake of justice, equity and fairness, it is our turn to produce the next senator for the district.”

The people lamented that the two PDP senators have not represented their interest in the Upper Chamber, urging the APC to come to their rescue.

They said they have confidence in the senatorial aspirant, Mr. Samuel Aro, who is contesting in the APC.

The statement stressed: “It is our firm belief that, of all the politicians aspiring to occupy the seat in the next legislative dispensation, Mr. Samuel Dele Aro of the APC from Odo-Eri, Yagba West Local Government Area, possesses the requisite experience to give the district in general and Yagba people in particular quality representation.

“Having served as a member of the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011, he is eminently qualified to represent the district appropriately and with aplomb too. He didn’t disappoint us as a member of the then House of Reps.

“Our people are also convinced that it is the APC, the party of the progressives, that can lead us out of the current socio-economic and political predicament that has been our lot.”

Group canvasses support for Marwa

A

SOCIO-political group, the Democratic Young Patriots (DYP), has called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delegates in Adamawa State to elect former Lagos State military administrator, Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, as the governorship candidate for the by-election.

The group said the retired soldier will defend the interest of the state and the Northeast.

In a statement in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), by its National Coordinator, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, the group described Marwa as a competent candidate.

Atoye pleaded with President Goodluck Jonathan to show more interest in the election because of the security situation in the North east.

He said: “As young patriots committed to democratic ideals, stability and prosperity of Nigeria, we wish to appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to show greater interest in the Adamawa State governorship election and be guided by the challenges confronting the North-east and the nation at large. Our dear President, Adamawa is too strategic for leadership experimentation. We therefore, urge you to consider the cost of insecurity in the Northeast and the overall interest of the nation.”

Atoye said Marwa has the track record and capability to evolve security strategies that will complement the Federal Government’s efforts in the zone.

He added: “We present to you, Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), a leader with proven trackrecord for good governance and security strategy.

Hong confident of victory

F

ORMER Minister of State for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Dr. Idi Hong has said he is sure of getting the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The position became vacant, following the impeachment of former GovernorMurtala Nyako. The PDP primaries is expected to hold on Saturday.

Hong said that he has a bright chance at the shadow poll, assuring that he will get an overwhelming endorsement.

He described himself as the most qualified aspirant, urging delegates to vote for him.

The former minister, who spoke in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said: ‘‘I have no fear whatsoever as I have a clean bill of health because I have met all the requirements of the party and that of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’’

He described himself as a loyal party chieftain, whio had resisted the temptation to jump ship.

Hong added: “My commitment to the party is unquestionable as a grassroots politician that has done his best for the party. I have the kind of following that is needed to win the by-election billed for October 6.”

Other aspirants include the acting governor, Ahmadu Fintri, Buba Marwa, Nuhu Ribadu and Ahmed Gulak .

Hong expressed confidence in his own credentials, saying he is not bothered by the credentials of the other contestants.

He promised to develop the state, if elected as the governor.

Hong said:”I am on a rescue mission to save the soul of the state, which has been badly battered by maladministration.”

• Hong

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

48

SOCIETY It was double celebration for the Chief Executive Officer of Midas Parties, Mrs Oluwakemi Alfonso, who turned 40 last Saturday, and launched Midals Play House in Magodo, Lagos. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI was there.

How to Manage Difficult Conversations (2)

Sweet 16 at 40

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I

T was an afternoon to cherish. Friends and family members came to share in the joy of Mrs Oluwakemi Alfonso, Chief Executive Officer of Midas Parties, who turned 40 last Saturday. She also launched Midas Play House for Children in Magodo, Lagos.

Mrs Alfonso looked radiant in a red net skirt and blouse lined with gold. She clutched a gold purse, wore a gold sandal and gold beads on her neck. Her pair of glasses complemented her beauty.

She hardly sat down as she moved round, attending to her guests and making them comfortable.

The ceremony started with prayer by Mrs Joke Akinrinde. The duo of Muna Emmanuel and KachyOnyeah Biclonwu anchored the event.

Chairs, on carpet grass inside the compound were set around tables under a canopy.

The chairs were covered in white while the tables in red.

The waiters moved round taking guests’ orders for food and drinks.

The masters of ceremony (MC) introduced the celebrator and called on some people to talk about her.

Her father who is a columnist with The Nation, Dr Femi Orebe said his daughter is his darling and pride. He described her as a wonderful, trust worthy, hardworking, responsible and decent girl.

“She never gave us any problem right from child hood till date and I thank God for her life” he said.

Her mother in-law, Mrs Oluremi Akinola-Aguda, a retired lawyer, described her as a precious daughter.

Mrs Mabel Adedayo, a businesswoman described the celebrator as a good friend.

Dr Olusegun Akinwotu said Mrs Alfonso is a pioneer who makes her environment lively.

A friend, Ronke Adeniyi described her as a strong and friendly woman, a source of inspiration who never gives up.

“Oluwakemi is someone that encourages you and puts you back on track whenever you are down”, she said.

Her husband, Kunle, a Creative Director, 141 Worldwide Limited described her as a wonderful wife and mother.

“You have made me a better person, you have always been there for me and i am glad to have you as a wife”. They sealed it up with hugs and kisses.

After the effusive remarks, she cut her white cake which was decorated with gold dots.

She posed for photographs with her husband, family members and friends.

The celebrator said she is excited, happy and grateful to God for her birthday and the

COMMUNICATE YOUR IDEAS

• The celebrator, Mrs Alfanso and her husband, Kunle

•Mrs Akinola-Aguda

•Dr Orebe and his wife, Atinuke

• Prof Ayo Ogunye

• Yemi Orebe (left) and Mrs Akinrinde PHOTOS: ABIODUN ADEYEWA

launch of Midas house which is a sub company of Midals Parties. “For me, 40 is the new 16 and I feel fulfilled as a woman and mother”.

She said Midas Parties is a company that is into outdoor events for children and birthday parties and related ceremonies.

“Unfortunately in Nigeria you don’t find a lot of places like this, where children can come, play and have fun.

There is no place where parents can drop their children knowing that they are in safe hands.

“I have always been into children right from when I was young even before I married my husband and had my own children. I have always been into helping aunties baby sit their children, I just love children because they are special gifts from God and there is so much to learn from

them.

“Personally, I go everywhere with my children wherever am going if they can’t come in with me they sit in the car with the nanny and the driver because it is not always safe to leave them at home, so to have a place I know I can drop my children and know that they are fine is a thing of joy for me,” she said.

ELCOME to the month of September. I pray that the month will deliver to you your great expectations and desires for the year 2014. If you have achieved the goals you set at the beginning of the year, congratulations, but don’t stop trying to do more. If you have AMODU LANRE OLAOLU not done too well, you should review your written goals and (Ph.D) sospeak2lanre@yahoo.com. commit to them. If you have 07034737394 not done anything about the @lanreamodu goals you wrote in January, or you didn’t even write any, don’t be discouraged, a lot can still be achieved in four months. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “if you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”. Perhaps you don’t think you are making as much progress as you would have wanted but the question is, “are you still where you were in January?” If the answer is no, then you have something to be grateful for. Just make sure you keep moving.

Last week, we discussed about having difficult conversations.

When conversations are over-charged with emotions, they mostly become difficult to manage. Sometimes you dread having some discussions and you wish you can avoid them. However, avoiding difficult but necessary conversations can be misleading, unfair, affect other people’s productivity and efficiency, and it can also kill morale. If we hate to have difficult conversations, yet we must have them, how then can we make them less awkward and more effective? Here are a few suggestions: • Prepare yourself psychologically: we cannot overemphasize the need for you to be confident when having this kind of conversation. You need to prepare your mind ahead. It is very important for you to take charge of the conversation otherwise you will find yourself on the defensive. Even if you are about to confess that you made an error or you are answering for a poor business decision, you should be in control. One of the major ways to do this is to state that you are aware of your error, claim responsibility and explain what you are already doing or hope to do to remedy the problem. What you have done is to play the judge in your own case, which most people won’t do.

However, this works better if you come clean before your error is discovered or if you have not spent all the time defending your action until you realise that there is no escape route.

• Don’t make it personal: this is particularly important if you are performing an official assignment. Do you remember our little story from last week’s article? Mr. Charles had to break the news of termination of employment to Mr. Smart, who was a company driver in his late 50s, with an ailing wife and nine children. There are two extremes to breaking the news: one person may do so without any consideration at all, after all, it is another person’s job that is being lost, while another individual may have too much sympathy. The best approach is to find a balanced position. While you must deliver the message because you have been instructed to, you can still show that you care.

Nevertheless, you must detach your emotion from the conversation so that you don’t take on unnecessary emotional burden. See your office (i.e. Chief Personnel Officer) as the one to deliver the message and not your person (Mr. Charles); that way, you will separate your personal emotion from your job responsibilities.

• Drop hints: one thing you should try to avoid when having a difficult conversation is sudden outpouring of emotions.

When you break unpleasant news suddenly, that is exactly what you will get. So, attempt to drop hints so that the other party can start to figure out the direction of the conversation before you conclude. You can do so by asking subtle questions that can lead to your conclusion. As the individual responds to the questions, he or she will also be trying to think ahead of the discussing. That will at least make the realization gradual. You may also send a message (i.e. email, SMS) with a subtle suggestion of what the discussion will be about.

The main aim is to avoid sudden reactions.

• Don’t prevent reactions: while it is a good idea to avoid sudden outpouring of emotions, we cannot prevent the expression of emotions altogether. When it is sudden, it tends to be excessive, but there is no way a difficult conversation will not be emotional. Never attempt to prevent the other person from speaking or expressing his/her emotions. While that is exactly what you were dreading in the first place, it is still safer that those emotions are expressed rather than bottled in.

What you should do is that after you have stated your point, wait patiently until the other person has finished venting his/ her anger. If you don’t interrupt, perhaps he/she will soon become exhausted and calm down for you to give further explanation. When the conversation involves your personal relationship with people, it is advisable that you try to rebuild the relationship if you can. Consequently, wait for a while for the emotions to calm, and then go for a follow-up conversation.

Since every conversation is unique in itself, you may have better ideas of how to deal with difficult conversation. Please send me a message so that we can also explore your ideas and learn from them. Have a great weekend.

Dr. Amodu teaches at the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University, Ogun State.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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SOCIETY The remains of Pa Samuel Adekunle Soyebo were interred at his Iperu Remo, Ogun State home town last Friday, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO.

‘Jesus is calling me’

“F

EW days before he died, he alerted his family he was ready to go that Jesus was calling him. The late Pa Samuel Adekunle Agbolade Soyebo’s widow Busola and daughter a Pastor Olubunmi Obadan were shocked by his statement. Four days after his premolition of death came true as he died peacefully in his Ibadan Oyo State home, according to Pastor Obadan, in her tribute to him.

Pastor Sopyebo’s remains were burried in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State last Friday. The funeral followed a wake keep at his Ibadan home the previous day. He was 72.

Dignitaries thronged the ancient town as the road leading to the Kesington Adebutu Civic Centre on Ilishan Road, witnessed heavy human and vehicular traffic. Petty traders and road side hawkers made brisk business.

Indigenes beheld the long line of exotic cars gliding into the town.

Guests looked splendid in the traditional attires of Buba, Iro and Sokoto. Male children of the deceased wore chocolate aso oke agbada. Pastor Obadan, the eldest child wore a light-yellow Buba with chocolate Aso Oke, Ipele and gele (headgear). She was with her husband, Pastor Godwin Obadan. The widow, was in blue lace Iro and Buba with a matching gele (headgear).

Most family members arrived earlier in the town for the event.

His remains were brought by pall bearers in aso oke amidst singing and dancing.

After the service, his remains were taken for interment.

The dust-to-dust rites were performed by his children and immediate family members after the casket was lowered into the grave.

The train returned to the civic centre for the reception.

Expressing joy on how her father passed on, Pastor Obadan said; “I had been in Ibadan to visit Dad. On the third day, I went to his bedroom, sat by his bed side to say I was returning to Lagos. He said in Yoruba, “Bunmi, Jesu npe mi ki n maa bo n’ ile. (Jesus is calling me home). I was shocked and said, “Daddy, are you sure of what you are saying or just wish to die?” He said he was sure of what he was saying that Jesus was calling him to take him home, and that angels were already around to take him.

“I said, “ok. Jesus is calling you; but do you personally want to go?”

He said, “Yes.” At first, I protested.

But he said, “Bunmi, please, release me.” His next birthday was about a week away. I was worried, confused and, maybe, afraid. But I said, “Well, Dad, I can’t tell you not to heed the Master’s call’; you can answer the call of the Lord.” He was very glad and felt relieved. He expressed joy that I had released him. He prayed for me.

“I called my mum and told her what was happening. Mum came and asked him if it was in his dream, that he saw Jesus. He said it was not a dream and that the Lord actually appeared to him and said He wanted him to come home.

Of course, mummy rejected this.

Then Daddy said in Yoruba,”E ma

•The widow, Mrs Soyebo

•Pastor Godwin Obadan and his wife, Pastor Olubunmi

•Oluyemi Soyebo and his wife, Busayo

•Mobolaji Soyebo and his wife, Mojisola

•Grand children of Pa Soyebo (from left): Oluwaseun Obadan; Oluwagbeminiyi Obadan and Oluwafeyikemi Obadan

•Niyi Soyebo (left) and Wole Soyebo

•Mrs Olaitan Oke (left) and Mrs Ebunola Ayeni

•Pastor Joseph Aladeokin and his wife, Rachael

se soro bayii bi awon alaigbagbo ti ko ni ireti lehin iku”. That is, “Do not talk as people who are not born again and so have no hope of eternal life”. With this, mummy gave in. Daddy then prayed for his wife.

He appreciated her love of about 50 years and encouraged her again not to sorrow as non-Christians, who have no hope of eternal life.”

According to Pastor Obadan, the late Pa Soyebo prayed for his children before his departure. “He gave instructions on what we should do after his departure – that we should entertain his neighbours

to have seen my dad going to heaven this way,” she said.

Iperu-Remo is near Ode-Remo, the town of the late Oba Funsho Adeolu of the defunct Village Headmaster series on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) network. It is one of the most populous towns in Ikenne Local Government Area of the state.

The agrarian community, founded between the 13th and 14th centuries, became popular in the mid-19th Century when several small towns united to defend themselves during the inter-tribal

and friends in Ibadan, but bury his body in Iperu. He told me when he sleeps it may be his last – that he may not wake up. I hugged him and bade him good night. He did not go with the Lord that day. Four days later, July 30, he ate his meal and was on the chair in the living room, resting and just slept in the Lord. My mum said before he slept, he kept on talking of his new house. He was smiling and saying, “Ile mi titun, omi iye....” My new house, water of life....” It is with mixed feeling missing our dad, but I am the happiest woman on earth

PHOTOS: ADEJO DAVID

wars, which ravaged Yoruba land.

Iperu controlled the trade routes between the ports in the Niger Delta and the Yoruba mainland until the British occupied the area at the end of the 19th Century.

The town with its underlay deposits of limestone used in cement production is a home for Agricultural products such as cocoa and kola nuts, which formed the mainstay of the defunct Western Region economy. The town is reputed as one of the largest kola nut collecting centers in the country.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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SOCIETY The remains of former Chief Programme Officer, Federal Ministry of Health, the late Dr Ayotunde Akinpelumi, have been interred at his Mowe, Ogun State home. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports.

‘I will forever miss you’

E

VERYWHERE became lively when the generator came on at 10:45am.

The priests and choristers came in through an adjoining office. In no time, family members, friends and sympathisers filled the hall; some sat outside.

It was the funeral of Dr Ayotunde Akinpelumi, former Chief Programme Officer, Federal Ministry of Health, at St Matthew Anglican Church in Ogunrun, Mowe, Ogun State, last Friday.

Akinpelumi was a consultant to a malaria consortium, Support to National Malaria Programme (SuNMaP) in Abuja. He died at 58.

He is survived by his widow, Omokehinde and three children, Omoniyi, Korede and Omobonike.

The service began with a prayer by Canon Israel Adedapo, the Vicar of St Peters Church in Loburo, Ogun State. The congregation stood as Akinpelumi’s remains were wheeled into the church in a casket.

Reading sentences from the programme, Canon Adedapo led the body into the church. The priests led the way, followed by the choristers and the casket and the family members.

The priests, in white robes and purple mufflers took their seats on the stage; the choristers in red robes sat on the right side of the hall. The casket was placed on a stool and the family sat on the left side of the hall.

The choristers led the singing of the hymn, “Jesus lives thy terrors now”. Canon Adedapo read Psalm 90 and Venerable John Sofoluwe read from Revelation 7: 9-17, after the rendition of the hymn, “O God of Bethel”.

In his sermon, Canon Adedapo described the late Akinpelumi as an easy going man, a generous giver and a father to many.

He told the congregation that death is not a respecter of persons, class or tribe. Death is inevitable and it would come at some point, he said.

He urged them to examine themselves, asking: “Where will you spend your eternity, heaven or hell?”

“One day is coming when people will gather like this to mourn you, what will be said of you?” the cleric asked.

“Many of you are afraid of shaking people because of the fear of Ebola virus. Before now, it was the fear of HIV/AIDS. Then, Lassa fever and now it is Ebola; very soon, Ebola will fade off and another will come to instil fear in you; stop living in fear because it is not only Ebola that kills. Live a life to please God so that, at the end of time, you will be in eternity,” he said.

After the sermon, prayers were said for the deceased and his family. The widow and her children led the congregation to give thanks.

The service ended with the recession hymn: “On the resurrection morning.”

The Badeji Group pall bearers carried the brown casket around the hall before taking it to the graveside where Canon Adedapo prayed for the repose of Akinpelumi soul. He led the widow and her children to perform the dust-to-dust rites. The faces of the widow and her children were swollen from weeping; they tried to withhold the tears from running down their cheeks.

•From left: The widow, Omokehinde and her children Omoniyi; Omobonike and Korede

•From right: Prof Mokuolu; Dr Olayinka; Mrs Regina Maxwell; Dr Maxwell and Assistant Director, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Abuja, Mr Tim Obot

•Mrs Oluwatoyin Omokorede and Mr Akinjinsola Akinpelumi

Omokehinde described her husband as a soul mate and friend, a father, a source of encouragement, a firm, strict and principled man.

She said he was an epitome of simplicity, humility and truth who served humanity.

Recalling how he fought to earn his Masters amid difficulties, she said he was a silent achiever and an organised person.

“Hearing your demise left me speechless and devastated. Your death has taught me to live everyday as though it is the last and I will forever miss you and you will re-

main evergreen in my heart,” she said.

Korede relived the experience of going to the market and cooking together with his dad in Abuja, saying, the memories will forever remain in his heart.

He said: “I am amazed at the high level of doggedness, dignity and commitment you exhibited while you were alive. I am forever grateful for the affectionate kisses on my fore head, the love and care, even the chastisement and the rebuke.

Korede described his father as a jovial man who expressed his love

•Mrs Bimpe Uchebenu

to all equally.

“You added to my success; you were a man that will always extend a hand to those you are not expecting returns from. I will miss your words of advice, the times we spent together watching football and moving into long discussions” he said.

Omobonike said: “Aside being a father, dad was also a teacher; he was someone that led by example; he lived a life filled with core values, he corrected in love and laid down good legacy for us the children to follow.”

A professor of Paediatrics and Di-

•Fatima Adebanjo

rector, Centre for International Education, University of Ilorin, Olugbenga Mokuolu, said the late Dr Akinpelumi was an adorable personality.

Mokuolu said: “One thing that strikes you when you are around him is that he has a very simple disposition; he makes very complex task to look simple. I can’t remember when last I saw him frown, he relates well with everyone around and he lived a quality life,” he said.

Country Director to SuNMaP Dr Kolawole Maxwell described Akinpelumi’s death as “great loss’ to the company.

“He is one of the very committed and dedicated people we have in the company. He was loved by all; he was kind” and accepted everyone to himself.

A secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, Fatima Adebanjo, described the late Akinpelumi, as a nice and kind-hearted man, who derived pleasure in making them happy.

Programme Director, SuNMaP Dr Folake Olayinka said the deceased was a professional to the core. She said he was always ready to bring out the best from every task he was given.

“He had worked with so many international organisations and contributed well to this country in the area of health, specifically on malaria,” she said.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 2014

COMMENTARY

FEMI ABBAS ON

“Conscience is an open wound. Only the truth can heal it”.

By Sheikh Uthman Dan Fodio

T

RUTH is like gold which, in its raw form, may look like any ordinary mineral. It however stands out of the pack particularly after it has been melted. Taking it through the fire of a goldsmith, therefore, does not diminish its value. It rather enhances it.

Besides truth, two other major phenomena of life are generally taken for granted by virtually all human beings.

One is privacy which is natural and of necessity. The other is secrecy which is artificial and devilish. Professional journalists often report the one with caution and the other with passionate disdain. Thus, while privacy enjoys the protection of the law, secrecy often incurs the wrath of the law.

That is why any attempt to pry into other people’s privacy is often described as an invasion of privacy. In a nutshell, every secret tends to be a can of worms that is ardently guarded against exposure by its custodians.

The above assertion is now vividly applicable to the evil carnage called Boko Haram in Nigeria which has become a frightening spectre to all citizens. The current restive situation in the country which makes the continuity of the entity called Nigeria seemingly uncertain is a confirmation of an Arab prophetic maxim rendered into a poem many centuries ago.

It went thus: “This is the time we had been warned against in the admonitions of Ubayyi Bn Ka’b and Abdullah Bn Mas’ud; a time in which truth would be rejected in its totality while falsehood and evil machinations would be audaciously held aloft; should this situation be allowed to thrive without check; there may no longer be any cry over the death of a beloved person or joy over the birth of a new baby”.

Given a landmark revelation, last week, about Boko Haram and its alleged sponsors, the time in reference in the above quoted poem seems to have come to quarantine Nigeria in the enclave of the Lucifer. The revelation was made through a popular television station in London by one Dr Stephen Davis, a 63 year old experienced Australian international negotiator who was allegedly hired officially by Nigerian government to negotiate with Boko Haram on the release of about 276 school girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in Chibok, Bornu State. The innocent girls were abducted in their school premises on April 14, 2014, the following day that some heartless evil agents of the same insurgents bombed the crowded Nyanyan motor park in Abuja sending 77 innocent citizens to early graves in ‘hot blood’.

Frightening revelations

Davis, a former Cardinal of the Anglican Church, decided to blow the whistle this time around when he discovered that his contracted mission had become frustrated after meeting a brick wall. And that answers the most likely question that Nigerians may ask about the revelation: ‘why now?’

Advancing his reason for coming up with the revelation now, the father of three children (all girls) said he could not imagine any of his children going through the agony to which the abducted Chibok girls were being subjected by the Boko Haram insurgents. He said that feeling was one of the reasons for accepting the negotiation contract in the first place. (Let us accept that fact for the purpose of argument). He regretted the length of time which the innocent Chibok girl have unnecessarily spent in the devil’s gulag and blamed it on the initial lackadaisical attitude of the government to the dangerous trend.

In his narrative, Davis who had spent about four months in Nigeria pursuing the sensitively dangerous assignment disclosed that his frustration began when his rescue success was truncated 15 minutes before realisation last April. He gave a vivid narration of what transpired between him and the insurgents saying he would have succeeded in rescuing the first batch of 60 of those girls if the devilish insurgency body called Boko Haram had been united in one camp at that time as it is now. But, according to

femabbas756@gmail.com 08115708536

The Boko Haram scandal

•Davis him, the body was divided into three different uncoordinated camps each struggling to assume the leadership of the sect based on the power generated through funding and supply of weapons.

By his narration, Davis had completed his negotiation with one of the camps reaching a final agreement to release the 60 girls in the custody of that camp. But just 15 minutes before the release, another camp fortuitously stormed the place where the girls were kept and wielded them away. The thought, according to him, was that he (Davis) would commence a new negotiation process with the invading camp with a view to benefitting from any money involved. At that point, Davis gave up the hope of any success of his mission and left the country with a hint to the government that no such mission could succeed unless the sponsors of the Boko Haram insurgency were arrested and tried with a view to cutting off the source of funding the group. It was shortly after he left Nigeria that the different camps of Boko Haram united into a single camp under a single leadership. And that is what gave it the power to dare the Nigerian troops and acquire territories now designated Caliphate.

Bokoharamgate

In what may be termed ‘Bokoharamgate’ Davis alleged that the group’s funding largely passes through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which technically makes it a legitimate transaction since it evades any suspicion.

He asserted that some politicians and military men were solidly behind the rebellious insurgency called Boko Haram in the Northeast of Nigeria and even mentioned some names including those of a former Governor and a former Chief of Army Staff as forces behind it. (An interesting aspect of his disclosure is his exoneration of a former Presidential aspirant, General Muhammad Buhari and a former Minister of the federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai. The duo had been labeled the godfathers of Boko Haram by fellow politicians).

According to Davis, one of the biggest suppliers of arms and military uniforms to Boko Haram is a Nigerian who lives in Egypt and receives money sent by political sponsors from Nigeria. He emphasised that the legal transaction of the funds is carried out with the help of the CBN. He added that the said official is a relative of three suspects of April 14 Abuja bombings

that took 77 lives of Nigerians. In his words: “Meanwhile, the CBN official who handles the funding is an uncle to three of those arrested in connection with the Nyanya bombings. The three boys lived with him. They were arrested by the SSS (Department of State Security) after the bombings but they do not seem to have been interrogated about their uncle in CBN. Or if they have given up information about their uncle then the SSS has not moved against him… Also, a senior official of CBN, who recently left the bank, was very close to Sodiq Aminu Ogwuche, the mastermind of the Nyanya bombings who also schooled in Sudan. Boko Haram commanders said Ogwuche’s wife used to visit the top official in his office, at the headquarters of the bank, in Abuja before the Nyanya bombings”.

The powerful cartel

Davis who holds a PhD in political geography believes that “the political sponsors of Boko Haram are very powerful because they supply the finances and the arms. Until they are cut off from the group, those girls will not be released.

We are talking of about 200 Chibok schoolgirls, but there are over 300 other girls that have been kidnapped. There are many young men that they also kidnapped and turned against their families. They asked them to go and slaughter their family members and they are doing it.

Nobody is talking about those ones. They are the new child soldiers.”

The expert mentioned repeatedly that the first thing to do to enable the release of the abducted children was “to stop the bagman who supplies weapons and military uniforms. We know his name, location and associates. If the man is stopped, the slaughterers, the ritual arm of the group, would be demobilised. The girls can be released afterwards. This man controls those ritualists.”

If the above narrative is considered startling, then one can imagine the revelation that he (Davis) had hinted Nigerian government of the involvement of a cabinet Minister, some years back, when a former President (not Yar’Adua) was in the saddle. He said he hinted that former President that a particular Minister from the South-South in his cabinet was involved in the funding of Boko Haram and advised him to investigate the man, get him arrested and tried in a court of law.

But, according to Davis, the ex-President rejected the advice on the excuse that such a trial could bring down his government.

Genesis of Boko Haram

It would be recalled that Boko Haram (Western education is forbidden) is not the actual name of the group that is now rebelling against Nigeria in the name of Islam. Its real name is ‘Jam’atu AhlisSunnah Lid-Da’wah wal Jihad’ meaning: ‘Sunnah Congregation for Preaching and Strife’. The Group became known as Boko Haram because of its condemnation of Western education which it claimed to be the main cause of corruption in Nigeria.

The name Boko Haram was given to the group by members of the public who were amazed by its strange preaching.

Founded as a splinter fundamentalist Sunni group in 2002, the first leader of the group was Muhammad Yusuf, a Yobe-born cleric who resided in Maiduguri, Bornu

State, where the dreaded Islamic group was founded. For the first seven years of its existence, Boko Haram was peaceful and forthright in its clerical activities except that it did not enjoy the cooperation of some other Islamic organisations in the region due to its method of preaching which was deemed abhorrent to others.

Its violence tendency began in July 2009 when it had an encounter with Nigeria Police. Due to frequent complaints about the preaching methodology of the group, the Nigerian security agents began to monitor it with an eye of suspicion. And on a particular occasion when the group was returning from a cemetery where it went to bury the remains of one of its members who just died, its members were accosted by the Police who accused the sect of staging a public procession without official permit. Some members of the sect were arrested including their leader (Muhammad Yusuf) who was later shot dead in Police custody. The spontaneous reaction of the other members of the group led to the killing of about 700 of them by the Police.

Ever since, there has not been any respite in the relationship of Boko Haram and the Nigerian Police. With the death of Yusuf, Ibrahim Shekau, his deputy, assumed the leadership of the sect. And under his leadership, the group continuously improved on its operational capabilities killing and maiming innocent lives and destroying all factors of progress in north-eastern part of the country. It was for the purpose of stopping that spate of destruction that some well-meaning Nigerians including this columnist have severally called for negotiation and possible amnesty for the insurgents. But some elements who had vested interest in a hidden agenda felt otherwise and the President accepted their opinion. Today, we can all see the result.

If the current regime had adopted the late President Yar’Adua’s method of amnesty, perhaps the situation would not have reached this stage and so many lives would not have been lost. If Davis’ revelation is shocking those who are familiar with Nigerian security system will discover more shocking news in the fact that the last time that Nigeria really upgraded her military arsenal was 1982 when President Sheu Aliyu Uthman Shagari was in power according to privileged information.

And if this is true what has been happening to Nigeria’s annual defence huge budgets for the past 32 years?

Since 2011, Boko Haram has consistently maintained a steady rate of attacks striking a wide range of targets. Its trained agents have attacked politicians, religious leaders, security forces, traditional rulers and civilian targets. The tactic of suicide bombings adopted in the two major attacks in the federal capital territory on the police and UN Headquarters was new to Nigerian security and alien to the familiar mercenary culture in the West African subregion. In Africa as a whole, it was only in Somalia that such tactic had been used by As- Shabbab and to a far lesser extent.

And since early 2013, Boko Haram has increasingly operated in Northern Cameroon as an extension of its skirmishes along the borders of Chad and Niger. Such operations have been linked to a number of kidnappings, often reportedly in association with a splinter group called Ansaru, thereby drawing wider international attention to them.

Questions

With the above revelations coming from a federal government’s contracted expert why has the government not swung into action? And with the current situation in which Boko Haram seems to be waxing stronger, what next is in the plan of the Nigerian government for taming the monstrous shrewd? For how long are the kidnapped innocent girls expected to remain in the custody of the brutal insurgents called Boko Haram? And by the way, when will Mr President visit the region as an encouragement to Nigerian armed forces who are fencing off the Boko Haram further incursions into Nigerian? Should their efforts as well as the lives of thousands of the victims of that obnoxious insurgency be in vain? There may be other questions for the government to answer on this highly embarrassing situation. Some of such questions may be raised in this column in the near future. God save Nigeria.

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MONEYLINK

UBA bags award

Council faults global ranking

T

HE World Economic Forum (WEF) 2015 Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) which put Nigeria at 127 out of the 144 countries assessed has been faulted by the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN).

NCCN’s Chief Executive, Chika Mordi said it is increasingly clear that a perception gap exists between the way some ranking agencies view Nigeria and the reality on ground, adding that some of them fail to achnowledge the steady improvement in the economy.

He said the agency recognises the fundamental importance of continuing in its mission to improve Nigeria’s international competitiveness and address constructive portions highlighted in the index.

The NCCN boss said it has started taking steps to redress this misalignment between perception and reality both internally and externally.

He said: “For example, Nigeria’s foreign direct investment (FDI) remains the largest in Africa. A recent Wall Street Journal list of multinational CEOs ranked Nigeria first among

Stories by Collins Nweze

emerging market investment destinations. The country also outperformed peers like South Africa and Ghana in macro-economic stability, this is reflected in stable exchange rates, single digit inflation, fiscal restraint, low debt levels and lower poverty levels.”

He lamented that the most disturbing aspect of the report was the appraisal of security situation in the country. According to him, Nigeria’s security situation was one of the main reasons cited for the drop in rankings, meanwhile, Ukraine scored higher than last year and its security position is adjudged to be “localised.’

To put the situation in context, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean region and a full-scale civil war is raging in most of East Ukraine with Russia as a proxy combatant. It is confounding that while the Ukranian economy — which required an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bail-out is buckling under the cost of the crisis, gas shortages and limited commercial flight-is deemed improved, Nigeria, with its truly localised crisis in portions of three of

thirty six states and a commercial capital isolated from the crisis, is down graded for security reasons.

Moreover, the underlying analytical framework of the GCI is based upon lagging indicators that do not reflect one of the most fundamental changes for the country: the rebasing of our economy.

He said: “It is instructive to note that Nigeria’s rebased GDP, which the WEF report declared as Africa ’s largest economy, was not used in their computations with negative consequences for our scores. While we respect the WEF, we are deeply concerned by the assertion that Nigeria had poorer public financing in the 2013 to 2014 survey period. This is in direct conflict with the reality of fiscal restraint, solid macroeconomic essentials and more diversified government revenue.”

He said the NCCN is developing its own ‘National Competitiveness Report” with input from leading competitiveness index designers. The report will provide greater insight into the path to improve competitiveness in Nigeria.

•Oduoza

T

HE innovations by United Bank for Africa (UBA), in providing convenient banking platforms for individuals and businesses have received global endorsement and recognition.

The bank has been named the “Best Transaction Bank” from Africa in 2014 by UK based magazine The Banker. The honour was hinged on the lender’s e-banking platforms that have positively

AfDB releases North Africa’s report

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HE African Development Bank (AfDB) North Africa 2014 report which focuses on inclusive growth, providing an overview of the lender’s activities in the region has been released.

This year’s report focuses on the pressing need for inclusive growth and development, as demonstrated by the uprisings experienced in several countries in the region in early 2011.

The report includes a brand new indicator, which measures the extent to which growth may be con-

sidered inclusive. The five countries in the North Africa region include Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt posted below-average performance figures.

Tunisia was the highest-ranked country in the region, followed by Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Algeria respectively.

A statement from the bank said despite improvements in the North African economies, both in real terms and in comparison with other developing nations, the report reveals deepening inequalities between social groups as it concerns

the labour market and regional variations.

Furthermore, these very same inequalities are recognised as the main obstacles to inclusive growth.

Genuinely inclusive growth would help to deliver fairer distribution of wealth between age groups, social classes and regions in these countries.

The report also reveals the existence of a two-tier labour market in the region, with a marked rift between the formal and informal sectors. Less than 50 per cent of the

working-age population is employed in the formal labour market, and the unemployment rate across the region stands at around 10 per cent – considerably higher than the global average.

Furthermore, people in the 15 to 24 age bracket are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults aged 25 and over.

The unemployment rate is especially high among young, educated people and women. Indeed, women are twice as likely to be unemployed as men.

DATA BANK

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

Offer Price

AFRINVEST W. A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGE FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND

168.45 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.69 1.39 1,676.09 1,118.84 121.30 121.16 1,117.51 1.2522 1.2926 0.8969 1.0756

• UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

Bid Price 167.01 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.69 1.33 1,676.09 1,118.03 120.45 120.30 1,116.70 1.2435 1.2926 0.8795 1.0756

SYMBOL

CHANGE

Foreign Reserves Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

2.62

2.88

0.26

IKEJAHOTEL

0.84

0.92

0.08

FIDSON

3.42

3.59

0.17

NNFM

19.95

20.94

Amount Sold in ($) 346.43m 398.77m 349.67m

Currency

Buying (N)

Selling (N)

$39.6b

US Dollar

154.73

155.73

$110.44

Pounds Sterling

256.465

258.1225

Money Supply (M2)

N15.9 trillion.

Euro

204.1662

205.4857

0.99

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Swiss Franc

168.8455

169.9367

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

Yen

1.4876

1.4975

CFA

0.294

0.314

234.7445

236.2616

Yuan/Renminbi

25.1466

25.31

0.95

0.99

0.04

INTBREW

28.01

29.00

0.99

PZ

35.00

35.95

0.95

ETI

16.62

17.01

0.39

LIVESTOCK

3.14

3.20

0.06

DIAMONDBNK

6.00

6.11

0.11

LOSERS AS AT 04-09-14

C/PRICE

Amount Offered in ($) 350m 400m 350m

CBN EXCHANGE RATES September 2, 2014

12.0%

PREMBREW

O/PRICE

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Monetary Policy Rate

C/PRICE

SYMBOL

Transaction Dates 27/08/2014 25/08/2014 20/08/2014

8.3%

O/PRICE

NPFMCRFBK

RETAIL DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM (RDAS)

Inflation: July

GAINERS AS AT 04-09-14

changed the way businesses manage their cash flow, payments, collections, liquidity, trade and value chain management across their business operations in Africa.

According to the magazine, the judges were impressed by the bank’s clear demonstration of the improvements made to its transaction services business. Transaction Banking Editor of the The Banker magazine, Jane Cooper further said “the judges looked at entries that demonstrated a clear strategy, as well as improvement and progress in the last 12 months. Investment in technology was not the deciding factor, but rather improvements that are of real value to the bank’s customers“.

Chief Executive Officer, UBA Group, Phillips Oduoza welcomed the announcement, noting that the endorsement validates the concerted efforts to ensure the bank’s customers across the continent, are offered the best and most convenient solutions that are most critical to their business processes.

He said: “Our U-Direct Corporate offers a single platform solution for cash management to assist businesses and government in Africa to make payments, collections, manage cash easily, and even do trades. It has been well received because of its flexibility, automation, ease of doing business and cost savings. A unique aspect of this product is that it allows busy executives to approve requests and view balances on their mobile devices.”

CHANGE

LEARNAFRCA

1.62

1.47

-0.15

ROYALEX

0.60

0.57

-0.03

ETERNA

4.25

4.04

-0.21

UPL

4.18

3.98

-0.20

16.5%

NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

WAUA

Rate (%)

Rate (%)

Overnight (O/N)

10.500

10.500

Riyal

41.2558

41.5225

1M

12.175

12.101

SDR

235.0039

236.5227

3M

13.328

13.225

6M

14.296

14.-85

FOREX RATES

BERGER

9.00

8.60

0.40

VONO

0.95

0.91

-0.04

R-DAS ($/N)

157.29

157.29

CORNERST

0.53

0.51

-0.02

Interbank ($/N)

162.75

162.75

MAYBAKER

1.59

1.53

-0.06

SKYEBANK

2.80

2.70

-0.10

Parallel ($/N)

167.50

167.50

CADBURY

56.87

55.08

-1.79

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

Rates

T-bills - 91

10.00

T-bills - 182

10.07

T-bills - 364

10.22

Bond - 3yrs

11.37

Bond - 5yrs

11.41

Bond - 7yrs

11.86

56

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

NEWS Massive offensive ongoing, says CDS Continued from page 4

standards must be maintained in addition to acquiring all necessary equipments required to maintain a strong force.

“When the Chief of defence staff was appointed in January, the service chiefs made a categorical statement that within three months they would crush Boko Haram.

“But unfortunately, what we are seeing is a complete deterioration of the situation, so it is incumbent on us to find out why that deterioration.

“We have heard about our soldiers’ mutiny, it is also our responsibility to find out why that is happening.

“For us to understand why that is happening, we need to go back to the Gen. Babangida era.

“After the 1990 Orkar coup, the federal government systematically and comprehensively disarmed the military. All the tanks, all the artillery guns were disarmed and locked up.

“All the aircraft were packed in Ilorin and other places. Fly-

ing stopped, training stopped to ensure regime security not national security. All the good officers of the Nigerian army were hounded out of the military.

“And there was over concentration of power at the centre which was the army headquarters. Prior to that, General Officers Commanding used to have training and maneuver grants.

“They had the power and responsibility to train their troops and battalions and to ensure an efficient logistics and service support system. All that stopped.

“Everything was from Army headquarters, everything was from Air Force Headquarters, everything was from Naval headquarters.

“The attendant result was decay. Training was no longer going on at the battalion level, soldiers lost their skills and since then, no additional military equipment was purchased for the Nigerian Army.

“Even things as little as machine guns were in short supply, ammunition was in short sup-

ply.

“Also, after some time the fighting doctrine of the Nigerian Army was changed. We were essentially British brought up.

That means we knew how much materials we had, the tasks before us and so on.

“But along the line during the Obasanjo regime, General Obasanjo brought Americans here and our doctrine approach was change to warfare.

“I make bold to tell you that up till today nobody understands that. I know it is a strategic concept of warfare but in Nigeria we are applying it to the operational and tactical level.

“It has created a lot of confusion within our army. Apart from that, our involvement in foreign operations and the kind of training we give to our soldiers for operations was a kind of defensive posture.

“You don’t kill until you are killed, you don’t attack until you are attacked. That also helped to change the orientation of some of our soldiers.

PDP was promoting “a retinue of rogue regimes that negate the fundamentals of the egalitarian political heritage of the Southwest democratic space” in the zone.

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi urged the party to leverage on its intellectual base to sustain and improve on the achievements recorded in Southwest states.

In its eight-point action, the communique issued at the end of the meeting, said the APC in the zone resolved to re energize the party through alliances, work in line with the fact that leadership is not about taking people to where they want to be but where they ought to be and that the party had demonstrated rare performance in governance that meets global standards in the states under their control.

The party also urged its members not to revert to the culture of pedestrian politics where appeal to base and banal instincts is the rule because of slight setback. It also resolved to energise younger people and the masses by embarking on mass mobili-

sation and sensitisation of the people as done during membership drive.

The APC in the zone also resolved to give the 2015 elections “all that is legally necessary, realising that Nigerians are dealing with tricky and devilish people in power” and that it must review its strategy and redouble its efforts since the PDP has turned ruthless and ready to snatch power through a civilian coup.

To achieve the above, the party resolved to build a formidable, modern regional secretariat equipped with the latest information technology for swift , smart and decisive response to the challenges of the party.

It saluted the exemplary courage of the women in Osun State in standing up to the terror tactics of the PDP. The party reiterated its commitment to regional integration being midwifed by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) commission and urged the leadership of all the states in the zone to be committed to the project.

It also reiterated its commitment to true federalism.

PDP desperate to win in 2015, says Aregbesola Continued from page 4

Aregbesola advised his party men to review their strategy if the party is serious about winning future elections, saying the PDP would stop at nothing to win elections.

Our policies and programmes must be geared towards mobilising and educating the people.

From the leadership to the lowest level of our party, we must inspire the people. The only ones they cannot defeat are the people. They arrested close to 1,000 of our leaders the night before the election. They even attempted to enter my house at Government House at about 1:30 am on election day.

Warning of what is ahead in next year’s election, he said.

“The real stake in Osun is ego but in Lagos State, it is going to be for both ego and materials.”

The PDP took electoral contest as a war. But It was all well that ended well.” He said.

National Vice Chairman of the party in the Southwest, Chief Pius Akinyelure, said the APC was making history by initiating the first zonal assembly.

Akinyelure alleged that the

‘APC must rise up to the challenge’ Continued from page 4

“We must energize the younger people in the South West, we must underline the difference between us and them, we must

create a movement that will put light at the end this long, dark tunnel, we must give energy to the toil worn populace, we must energize the masses and make

them the pilot of their own destiny, so that Nigeria can reclaim her lost glory at home and in the comity of nations.”

U.S. plans security programme for Nigeria Continued from page 4

rity Contingency Fund, which will include Nigeria and its neighbours Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.

“We continue to provide technical training to military and police forces engaged in the fight against Boko Haram. As an important part of this effort, we are pleased to provide advanced

training to a Nigerian infantry battalion. We applaud the motivation of this unit and the progress it is making. It is critical that the investment in this unit be properly maintained and utilised upon deployment, with clean supply chains and adequate supplies, a strong chain of command, and missions and values that address Nigeria’s counterterrorism threat and

keep civilians safe. The reputation of Nigeria’s military is at stake. But more importantly, Nigeria’s and its children’s future is in jeopardy. Failure is not an option.

“Security is a multidisciplinary endeavour that requires engagement by all aspects of federal, state, and local governments, as well as civil society in a coordinated effort.”

praised their efforts.

Addressing over 10,000 civilian JTF members, local hunters, retired soldiers and other paramilitary men at his palace, the monarch lauded their efforts and appealed to them to always follow the directives of the military and other security agencies while discharging their duties.

He said the emergence of the Civilian JTF had assisted in dislodging the sect out of Maiduguri and its environs.

“I want to to thank you for this visit and the effort you are collectively and voluntarily

doing in order to fight Boko Haram who are bent in, not only destroying our social and economic structures, but also killing innocent lives of our citizenry. I want to also appeal to you that you should desist from politics, religious or ethnic considerations while discharging your duties to your fatherland. In anything you are doing, you must make sure that you consult all other security agencies so that you work hand-in-hand to end terrorism that have been destroying us as a nation.” the Shehu pleaded.

Civilian JTF ‘ready to battle Boko Haram’

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HOUSANDS of youths, who are members of the Civilian (JTF) yesterday protested the Boko Haram siege Borno State. They expressed their willingness to battle the sect.

The youths held a peaceful protest at the Ramat Square Ground. They marched to the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar IbnGarbai Elkanemi.

The Shehu urged them to always abide by the rule of law in the course of discharging their civic responsibilities. He

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

60

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 08078425391

Elevator accident victim seeks N20m compensation from hotel

Police clear businessmen

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•‘We did our best for him’

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26-YEAR old security man, Emmanuel Abah, has written to his former employers, Lagos Travel Inn, demanding N20 million compensation for injuries sustained in an elevator accident.

He is claiming that the hotel abandoned him after the accident.

But, the hotel is denying his claim, saying that it did all it could to help him medically and financially.

Abah said he was employed as a security officer on March 2, 2012, adding that his appointment was confirmed on February 19, 2013.

He said discharging his duties on November 13, 2013, he was involved in an accident that incapacitated him.

According to him, he was carrying some dirty bed sheets and a cleaning equipment to another floor, and as he was about to enter the elevator, it allegedly malfunctioned.

In a August 6 letter to the hotel’s chairman, his lawyer, Mr Daniel Onwe said: “In the course of our client faithfully discharging his duty, he was trapped by the leg and nearly pulled apart by a malfunctioning elevator in your hotel. It was by sheer providence that he narrowly escaped death. However, his

By Joseph Jibueze

foot was crushed, leaving him with a permanent disability.”

Abah admitted the hotel gave him N50,000 to treat his injury, and also paid his salaries while he was receiving treatment in his hometown.

He said he was charged N150,000 for the unorthodox treatment, adding that his uncle paid N110,000.

He said when he returned to Lagos on July 1 and resumed work, he was redeployed to the laundry section, but was shocked when he got a letter terminating his appointment, and his “entitlements” paid.

“It is obvious this (termination) is because of the disability he sustained in the course of his employment in your company,” Onwe wrote, adding that his sack without compensation for the accident was not only unfair, but “flagrantly violates” relevant laws.

“Be that as it may, we are in no way insinuating that you reinstate our client against your will…However, since our client has sustained permanent disability in the course of working for your company, and as a result of the malfunctioning and unsafe

•Abah after the accident

elevator in your work place, the law demands that your company compensates him.

“This is more so in the light of the fact that in his present condition, the chances of his working and fending for himself has been largely minimised. Accordingly, we have our client’s instruction to demand from you and your company, and we so demand, the sum of N20million. Take notice that if you fail to accede to our demand, we will explore all the available means to seek redress for our client…,” Onwe said.

In its reply, the hotel, through its lawyer R. O. Okwudili, said the elevator did not malfunction, but that the accident was Abah’s fault. “Your client (Abah) had an accident when out of his own negligence, he

wrongly operated and abused the elevator,” the hotel said.

Travel Inn said it took Abah to a hospital with a commitment to pay his medical bill, but that Abah chose native healing despite the hotel’s and doctors’ advice to the contrary. The hotel added that Abah’s family took him to an “undisclosed destination” and he continued to receive salary for seven months.

“On 1st July 2014, your client showed up purporting to resume duty and in his letter of appreciation, he casually asked for a loan of N40,000. While the loan application was still receiving attention, your client began to manifest nonchalant and lethargic attitude to work which was intolerable to the management of our client (Travel Inn). Accordingly, your client was removed from his job,” the lawyer wrote.

However, Abah told The Nation yesterday that he was never issued with any query, and that he believed his appointment was unfairly terminated without adequate compensation. He said he deserves recompense for the incapacitation, adding that he has been unable to find work due to the effects of the accident.

“They should compensate him so that he can pick up the pieces of his life,” Onwe added.

Contacted on phone, the hotel’s Financial Controller, who identified him as Deola, said: “As I’m talking to you, he (Abah) has brought a letter from a lawyer. The company has asked its lawyer to respond.

“I’m the Financial Controller and I can tell you we have information to back up everything that happened. For every staff that is laid off, we follow the due process in labour law.”

Ebola: Lagos to provide 600 schools with pipe borne water

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O curtail the spread of Ebola among pupils, the State Government has directed its water corporation to connect about 600 public secondary schools to its mains for water supply.

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said yesterday during a sensitisation on Ebola for principals and head teachers of public primary and secondary schools and proprietors of private schools that the measure would help prevent the spread of the disease.

She advised education stakeholders to inculcate in pupils the basic universal precaution of frequently washing their hands in the fight against the virus.

Mrs Oladunjoye was represented by her Permanent Secretary; Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo.

She stressed the need for principals to be proactive in safeguarding the children in their care against Ebola which has killed eight persons in the country.

Mrs Oladunjoye said: “As a responsive and responsible government, the state has deemed it fit to put together this sensitisation exercise in order to guard against the spread of the virus particularly among our students. And for us to achieve overall success in containing the virus, it has become imperative for us to organise this sensitisation programme to educate ourselves so that whatever

By Basirat Braimah

knowledge we garner can be used to stop the spread.”

The maintenance of personal and environmental hygiene and regular hand washing by students will go a long way in reducing the risk of infection and transmission of the disease, she said.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris said the importance of the exercise for key stakeholders in school health management cannot be overemphasised.

He said: “By their nature, children especially the young ones, are very social beings that exhibit unhindered, innocent and almost carefree social interactions among one another such that limitations in contacts prescribed as a pillar of the Ebola containment strategy is observed more in breach rather than compliance in these ones. It is for this reason that I align with the State Ministry of Education for organising this sensitisation meeting involving the key relevant stakeholders in school health management”.

The severity of Ebola, he said, necessitated extreme and aggressive measures to halt the spread.

Some of the affected countries, he noted, had declared state of public emergency, restricting public gathering including closure of schools.

Idris urged the public to imbibe the basic hand washing techniques in the fight against Ebola.

By Jude Isiguzo

WO businessmen, have been cleared by the police of fueling crises in some boundary communities in Lagos and Ogun states.

Alhaji Mutairu Owoeye and Chief Hakeem Alabi were cleared by a team led Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) A. Mammah following their investigation.

The team did not find proof of the allegations of murder and unlawful possession of arms against them.

The team from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit noted that the crises were caused by series of petitions which had taken the warring factions from Imota Police Station in Ikorodu to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) at Panti, Yaba, Lagos Mainland and the IGP’s office.

The communities are Adeekun Lambo, Lasunmon, Teele, Ewujebe, Ilu-Oloye, Ewumi, Oke-Arobi, Illisa oba, Lire and Aro Ofoly. Others are Salagberu, Tile-Tile, Igboasoro, Oke-Ibu, Oloride in Ogun state and Jaajo, and Oke-Agbo in Lagos.

The team was raised following a petition sent to IGP by the Association of Communities against Terrorism in Lagos and Ogun State (ACATLO), accusing the businessmen of murder and unlawful possession of fire arms.

In a related development, operatives investigated another petition by the Baale of Oke-Agbo, Chief Jimoh Ekundayo Ashafa accusing some hoodlums of invading his community.

The IG directed a team of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), led by Adewale Nureni, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to investigate the allegation.

Six of the hoodlums were arrested and arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court on a fivecount charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, belonging to the outlaw Aiye confraternity, armed robbery and murder.

Church celebrates

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LL roads lead to the Atunbi Mose C&S Church (The Holy Temple of God, El-Shadai Parish), Bakin-Ikun, Kaduna Road, Suleja in Abuja on Sunday as it celebrates its 15th Founder’s Day anniversary.

Prophet Gbenga Ogundele, who doubles as its founder and minister-in-charge, said the ceremony was primarily put together to thank God for using the church as a huge blessing to humanity.

The cleric, who also chairs the northern region of the church, said he had lost count of the number of people that had gained from the spiritual gift of the church, adding that God had been using it to hold the nation.

“Apart from eating and drinking, the celebration will be used to praise God for his love for the church. It has continued to wax stronger in spirit. We will offer fervent prayer for worshippers, Nigerians and our troubled country because we need prayers at this point in time to rescue our nation,” he said.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

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NEWS

FOREIGN NEWS FIRST SOUTH WEST APC MEETING IN IBADAN

•One-time Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Wale Edun (right); Prince Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni and Alhaji Mutiu Are at the first Southwest All Progressives Congress (APC), summit at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan, Oyo State...yesterday.

•Lagos State APC Chairman, Henry Ajomale (left); former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sarah Sosan and Senator Ganiyu Solomon

Woman ‘beheaded’ in Edmonton garden

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WOMAN is thought to have been beheaded in the garden of a north London house.

The victim was found at an address in Nightingale Road, Edmonton, at about 13:00 BST, police said.

Officers discovered her collapsed in a back garden and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody. Detectives said there is no suggestion the killing had a terrorist motive. A Taser was used during the arrest of the man and a firearms officer is believed to have suffered a broken wrist. Police said they were initially called to reports of a man armed with a knife and eyewitnesses said he had attacked a car.

Speaking at the scene of the attack, Cdr Simon Letchford said: “Officers had to do everything they could to make other people safe and evacuate houses and put their lives on the line to make sure this individual did not cause further harm,” he said.

T •Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (left) and Alhaji Rasaq Muse

•Oyo State Chairman Akin Oke

•Senator Ajayi Boroffice

NATO summit: Alliance ‘stands with Ukraine’

HE Nato military alliance, at its summit in Wales, has said it “stands with Ukraine” in the face of Russia’s “destabilising” influence.

Nato also called on Russia “to pull back its troops” from Ukraine and end the “illegal” annexation of Crimea.

UK government officials say fresh EU and US sanctions will be announced against Russia on Friday.

Separately, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and rebel leaders said a ceasefire could be agreed on Friday.

Some 2,600 people have died in fighting between Ukrainian troops and rebels. Ukraine’s military says 837 its soldiers have died since the conflict erupted in April.

In a statement delivered by Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the alliance also called on Russia “to step back from confrontation and take the path to peace”.

Iraq strikes ‘kill top IS members’

I •Senator Ayo Fasanmi (left) and National Financial Secretary, Alhaji Tajudeen Ola Bello

•Former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Iyiola Oladokun (left) and former Osun State SSG, Sola Akinwunmi PHOTOS: FEMI ILESANMI

RAQ’S defence ministry also said a top aide to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed in a strike on Mosul, but neither death has been confirmed.

Separately, IS fighters were reported to have kidnapped 40 men from a town in northern Iraq on Thursday.

The group has taken over swathes of Iraq and Syria in recent months. Iraqiya TV quoted defence officials as saying Abu Alaa al-Iraqi, head of the IS military council in the city of Tal Afar, had died in an air strike.

Earlier reports on social media had suggested that al-Baghdadi himself had been killed in a separate strike on Mosul.

But the defence ministry said intelligence suggested the strike had killed one of the leader’s senior aides instead.

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NEWS Why we organise small arms firing exercise, by Navy

By Precious Igbonwelundu

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HE Navy has said its Small Arms Firing Exercise (SAFEX) will improve personnel weapon handling skills.

The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Sanmi Alade, spoke on the programme yesterday at the end of his command’s three-day exercise at the Army Shooting Range in Owode, Ogun State.

The FOC explained that the SAFEX is an annual event the Navy attaches a lot of importance to.

Alade said his command organised the training to enable it select the best marksmen to represent it at the Navy’s national SAFEX in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, this month.

He said: “This exercise has nothing to do with Boko Haram; it is an annual practice for the Navy. The three days we spent here have enabled us to select enough marksmen to make a formidable team that will represent the command at the NN SAFEX later this month.

“The WNC has come out tops in the past years at the NN SAFEX and we expect nothing less again.

“Beyond selecting the best team to represent the command at the NN SAFEX, the exercise afforded us the opportunity to improve on our small weapon handling skills, which is expected of every military personnel.”

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) DirectorGeneral Patrick Akpobolokemi said the exercise developed naval personnel’s intuitive response during battles.

Represented by the Deputy Director, Training, Captain Sunday Omoren, the NIMASA chief urged the military to join forces with security agencies to curb insurgency.

He said: “The exercise is another confirmation of the enduring strength of our military, which is always prepared to fight any aggression.

“I urge the military not to rest on its oars, especially at this critical moment in the history of our country. It should work as a team to combat the threat of insurgency bedeviling the nation.”

The highpoint of the exercise was the Navy’s Agusta helicopter firing demonstration. Three General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) were fired from 400 miles at sustained fire roll of 1,000 rounds per minute.

AGSI old students meet THE quarterly alumni meeting of the ‘72/’76 set of the Anglican Grammar School Igbara-Oke (AGSI), Ondo State, will hold on September 13 at Plot 5, Block XX1, D. O. Fagunwa Street, Ijapo Estate, Akure, the Ondo State capital.

It will begin at noon.

Members are enjoined to be punctual and pay N2,000, their meeting due, to First Bank, Account No.: 3038511650 of Mr Adu Rufus.

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

Fed Govt launches erosion project for Southeast

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HE Federal Government launched the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) yesterday to curb gully erosion in the Southeast.

The NEWMAP is expected to be implemented in Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Cross River and Edo states.

Environment Minister Mrs. Laurentia Mallam spoke in Abuja at the launch of the project.

Mallam said the government was committed to saving the region from gully erosion.

She said: "I want to call on Nigerians to support this project. We should not play politics with it. What is happening in the Southeast is a pathetic story. Those of you who have not gone there will not understand. Those who stay there and those who travel there know what is there.

"The people do not have sufficient land to do their

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‘Obi instrumental to erosion control’

FORMER Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, has said former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi was instrumental to the creation of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).

Under the project, the World Bank will finance the control and management of erosion in some states.

The former minister recalled how Obi almost single-handedly pushed for the project, even when his colleagues were lukewarm.

Odey spoke yesterday in Abuja at the official launch of the project at the Transcorps Hilton.

He urged communities to key in into the project.

The World Bank Country Director Marie Francois Marie-Nelly said there was need to seriFrom Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

farming, carry out their economic activities properly because of land degradation and erosion. I want to call on the commissioners to be sincere with this project. We should

ously tackle erosion in Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Edo and Cross River states.

She called for ownership and domestication of the project, especially in the affected states.

The World Bank chief hailed those implementing the project for their innovation, which emphasises reclamation and control.

Marie-Nelly said: “I have visited Edo and Anambra states. Under Peter Obi, I was pleased with his commitment, which he demonstrated by being the first to pay the state’s counterpart funds of N500 million for the project. Ebonyi, Cross River and Imo states have also paid theirs.”

Environment Minister Mrs Laurentia Mallam said erosion had caused havoc in several states and deprived the people of arable land.

not allow this project to fail."

NEWMAP's National Coordinator Chikelu Nwune said the project would be funded through an eight-year Strategic Investment Loan comprising $500 million International Development Association

(IDA), $8.59 million Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) and a Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant.

Nwune said the Federal Government and the affected states were expected to provide the counterpart funding

for the project.

He said: "The credit is $500 million, which is the International Development Association money. We also have an associated grant of $8.59 million; this is coming from the Special Climate Fund as well as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant.

"We expect contributions from the government. By government, we mean the Federal and participating state governments, which are expected to contribute within eight years of the project $150 million.

"That is the financial arrangement for now. We expect that as we make progress money is going to flow in, especially grants from international development agencies. This is the financial arrangement on ground."

Expert urges govts to pay pensioners From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

A

•Chief of Staff Officer (CSO), Western Naval Command (WNC), Commodore E. E. Etifit (left) discussing with Captain Omoren at the command's Small Arms Firing Exercise (SAFEX) in Owode, Ogun State.

PHOTO: PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU

T

‘Blame Onitsha leaders for MASSOB’s crisis’

NATIONAL officials of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have said the group’s members in Onitsha should be held responsible for any crisis in the area.

This came in the midst of the controversial sack of its National Director of Information, Uchenna Madu, by the national leadership.

In a statement yesterday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Madu said the crisis in the group would not derail it from actualising its struggle.

There has been a leadership crisis in the group for several weeks.

The crisis led at a gun battle at MASSOB’s headquarters at Okwe where four persons were killed and several others

A

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

injured.

In yesterday’s statement by Madu, MASSOB said the Onitsha regional administrators and their zonal leader should be held responsible for the crisis in the movement.

This, it said, was because they allegedly incited the security men who caused the death of its members.

The statement said the allegation was that MASSOB’s security men at Okwe in Okigwe planned to assassinate their National Leader, Chief Raph Uwazurike.

It said the members were directed to dislodge MASSOB’s national security men at Okwe to take over the place and

be rewarded for it.

Although Uwazurike denied the allegation, it was learnt that some members were settled with cash over the alleged plan.

It was also learnt that Uwazurike did not attend last Sunday’s planned meeting in Owerri, the Imo State caoital, because he was out of the state.

The statement said: “We are still MASSOB. What we are doing now is nationalising Biafra, which has been our major concern.

“The current crisis will not deter us from carrying out our aim. We have taken the struggle to a higher dimension.

We are now restoring the confidence of Ndigbo again.”

Court restrains lawmaker from parading N Abakaliki High holding herself out to the herself as Ebonyi Speaker orpublic Court ordered yesteras the Speaker of Ebo-

day a lawmaker, Mrs Helen Nwaobasi, from parading herself as Ebonyi State House of Assembly Speaker.

This followed a motion filed

by Speaker Chukwuma Nwazunku, praying the court to restrain Mrs Nwaobasi from parading herself as the Speaker.

In her ruling, Justice Ken Chinyere Eze, held that the court had the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

Chief Mogbo Anthony, the counsel to Mrs Nwaobasi, said

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

But the court ordered the parties to return to the status quo, pending the determination of the substantive suit on September 21.

Addressing reporters after the court ruling, Chief Mudi Arenede, the counsel to Nwazunku, said there were two rulings by the court.

The lawyer said the first was

on the jurisdiction to entertain the matter and the plaintiff’s application.

He said: “If you remember, the learned SAN, who is representing the pro-impeachment group, argued that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain this suit... But the court determined it today and said it has the jurisdiction.

“Most importantly, the second arm is that the court has given an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Mrs Nwaobasi from parading

nyi State House of Assembly until the substantive suit is determined.”

Arenede hailed the court for its ruling.

The lawyer noted that the ruling would enable him to the challenge Nwazunku’s “impeachment”.

Anthony said he would liaise with his client on the next action to take.

The court adjourned the matter till October 14 for further hearing and to enable the defendants file their papers.

N academic, Prof Shafaudeen Olagoke, has urged the Federal and state governments to pay pensioners their dues at the right time to save them from hardship.

Olagoke spoke yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, at a lecture, titled: Gerontology and Management Techniques, on the 57th birthday of the Grand Amirah of Shafaudeen In Islam Worldwide, Alhaja S. F. Olagoke.

The expert said many pensioners, who had served the country meritoriously, died broken-hearted because the government did not pay their dues at the right time.

The founder and Spiritual Head of Shafaudeen In Islam Worldwide noted that it is callous of politicians to promise to make life better for pensioners during their campaigns but forget them after winning elections.

He urged children to be attentive to the health of their retired parents, who he said nurtured them to maturity and success.

Ex-The Nation staff loses dad

P

A Emiloju Kalejaiye, the father of a former The Nation on Sunday Head of News Desk, Alex Kalejaiye, is dead.

The late Pa Kalejaiye hailed from Odo-Nla community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

He was 85.

The late Pa Kalejaiye was a community leader and philanthropist.

He is survived by two wives, children and grandchildren, including Alex, a journalist and politician.

•The late Pa Kalejaiye

THE NATION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

63

NEWS DSIEC bars four parties from council poll

T

HE Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) has barred four parties from the October 25 local government election.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Moses Ogbe, spoke yesterday on the development in Asaba, the state capital.

He said 15 of the 26 registered parties would participate in the election.

Ogbe said the date for the poll would not be shifted, adding that of the 15 parties that registered their participation, 11 met the commission’s guidelines.

The REC said the four parties were delisted be-

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

cause they were unable to meet the mandatory dates for submission of forms DSCF 001 and DSCF 002 for their candidates.

He said three of the commission’s 25 chief electoral officers, who flouted its regulations had been recalled.

According to him, the erring officers would be sanctioned.

Ogbe said logistics for the smooth take-off of the election was in place, adding that ad hoc workers and election monitors would be recruited.

Experts urge development of policy on ceramics

E

XPERTS at the justconcluded two- day first International Ceramic Trade Fair, with the theme: "Reviving ceramics manufacturing business in Nigeria for wealth creation and employment generation", have urged an appropriate policy that would drive the sector.

In a communiqué at the trade fair organised

by Epina Technologies Ltd, in collaboration with Moyo

By Okwy lroegbu-Chikezie

Konsult Ltd and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), they sought a mapping policy that would protect mineral deposits, which were the primary products of the ceramic industry.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama, who delivered a key note speech, said the ministry would work with the universities, researchbased centres , key ministries and the private sector to develop emergent technologies to attract financing institutions, foreign direct investment and youths to embrace ceramics science, engineering and technology as a career.

Participants agreed that the sector holds the key to massive rebound of the economy and youth employment.

•Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi addressing traditional and religious stakeholders on the fight against the Ebola

Virus Disease (EVD) at Government House, Port Harcourt.

Bayelsa youths protest ‘unfair’ policies

A

NGRY youths from Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, barricaded the entrance to the federal university in the area yesterday.

The youths accused the university management of refusing to give admissions and jobs to the indigenes.

It was learnt that the protest, which started at 8am, forced the school to close down.

The aggrieved youths were also said to have disrupted the examinations for pioneer and 200-level students.

It was also learnt that armed security operatives, including troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, stopped the youth from attacking the institution.

They alleged that the community had not benefited from the university since it

•Grouse over varsity jobs, admission quota From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

was established.

“We demanded that 319 names agreed by the community should be employed. We also demanded the admission slots from the university and for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the community on employment and admission,” they said.

But Vice Chancellor Prof.

Mobolaji Aluko said the university always employed and admitted indigenes and gave them preference within the ambit of the law.

He said: “Community pressure will come up and we have handled them well. But we don’t want to be compelled and the academic activities of the students dis-

rupted.

“It is not the protest by the youths that forced us to listen but the need to sustain our community relations policy and to prevent community and student clashes.”

Aluko explained that the institution had employed 1,300 and had a student capacity of 1,040.

Of those employed, he said the indigenes of various communities in the state were 760 with Ogbia and Otuoke community having 350 and 150 persons.

The vice chancellor said the school had entered into an agreement with the community through the Paramount Ruler, Obanema of Otuoke.

He said: “We have agreed to engage the indigenes,

based on the increasing requirements of employment in the next few months.

“The names submitted for employment were without requisite qualifications. So, we asked them to attach to the names their qualifications and we will conduct an interview to affirm their competence.

“We have informed them that we must be careful about fulfilling the Federal Character provision. It is possible we will increase our employment quota by 25 per cent because of our increasing needs. But we must follow due process.

“We have also insisted that the admission slots given to the community and others must be in compliance with the provision of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB).”

Delta police arrest kidnap ‘kingpin’

T

HE Delta State Police Command said yes-

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

terday it had arrested a suspected kidnap kingpin allegedly linked with the abduction of the wife of a lecturer of the Delta State University (DELSU), Mrs. Roseline Okolie.

The victim’s husband lectures at the Department of Physics.

Mrs Okolie was abducted last month at Ubiaruku, Ukwuani Local Government

Area and rescued by the police.

Police spokesperson Tina Kalu said the police trailed the suspects to Utagbe-Uno community and arrested Chwuneku Okpala, aka Hawkins.

She said the items recovered from the suspect included a motorcycle, two single and one double-barrelled guns and two handsets.

The suspect confessed to kidnapping of another woman, Mrs. Anigala Patience and Mrs. Okolie, the police said.

Kalu said the suspect was helping the police in their investigation while efforts were on to apprehend other members of the gang.

Also, the police said they arrested three suspected robbers who stole a Honda CRV car with registration number (Lagos) EPE 459 AX and jewelleries.

The police spokesperson said the police were on the trail of the suspected gang leader, identified as Israel Saturday Okoh.

Kalu said the vehicle was recovered at Owa-Oyibu, Ika Northeast Local Government Area through its tracking device.

She said three suspects were arrested.

Kalu named the suspects as Donald Epus, Paul Oseji and Oseji Michael.

Rivers/Bayelsa MASSOB backs Uwazurike’s leadership

M

EMBERS of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in the Rivers /Bayelsa State command have declared their support for their embattled leader, Chief Raph Uwazuruike.

The command threatened to cause a crisis in the Southsouth, if anything happens to Uwazuruike.

The Sagbama, Bayelsa State, Regional Leader of the group, Commander Obinna Nwosu, spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, when he led a joint meeting of the command.

The MASSOB leader said the command was meeting to publicly declare its support for Uwazuruike’s leadership.

•Threatens to cause mayhem if police harass leader From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

The group alleged that some politicians wanted to hijack MASSOB by creating a faction and cause problems among its members.

But Nwosu told reporters that even if there were a million MASSOB factions, the Bayelsa/Rivers command would always support Uwazuruike’s leadership He warned the police to stop arresting Uwazuruike or declaring him wanted over matters he knew nothing about.

Nwosu also urged politicians to desist from upsetting the organisation, adding that MASSOB had built a structure that could not be demolished.

He said: “We want politicians to stay away from MASSOB. What happened on August 20 at our national headquarters was a family problem that did not attract any outsider. We have our peculiar way of handling issues affecting the organisation.

“Nobody can trap our leader down.

We are warning the police to steer clear from Chief Uwazuruike. We will not be happy to hear of his arrest or being declared wanted. This is because an arrest on him is an arrest on the Igbo.

“Don’t forget that our dream is to actualise Biafra, which is the last hope of every Igbo man. MASSOB is not a political party but an organisation that stands to liberate the Igbo people. We will cause upheaval, if anything happens to Uwazuruike.”

TODAY IN THE NATION

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.9 NO.2,960

‘This Davis bombshell has indeed shell-shocked Nigerians that are daily rattled by President Jonathan administration’s crass display of lack of capacity and capability to contain the Boko Haram insurrection against the nation’s collective sovereignty. So sad!’ MOBOLAJI SANUSI

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

K

EEN watchers of Nigeria’s political environment must have observed that the Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, has for sometime now been pressed between a rock and a hard place. Let’s call his situation a state of siege but that does not properly capture the governor’s agonies. In fact certain situations are better relayed in vernacular in order to grasp their full import. Yoruba would simply but quite profoundly describe Amosun’s ordeal as idamu and Igbo would call it nkpagbu! Having got on this stormy ride (oko idamu) almost from the first day in office, the matter may well be said to be coming to a head as election approaches.

Having endured for so long, the governor raised a plaintive cry last weekend, granting interviews in nearly all national newspapers in the land. It is half lamentation and half testimony of his travails and triumphs in office these past three years plus. You cannot help but feel his pain; especially so knowing that his troubles are in-house – a fratricidal fight if you like. It is a deadlier, more delicate kind of fight.

It is like a dangerous insect perched on your manhood, you would swath it with utmost caution lest you destroy your very essence.

This column feels for Governor Amosun; he must live daily with the fear that the rug is being pulled from under his feet.

His media performance during the weekend did not stop the internal haemorrhaging in his political family of the All Progressives Congress (APC). On Monday, it was reported that another member of his state’s House of Assembly, Adijat Adeleye-Oladapo, had defected from APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There were reportedly, about 2,000 APC defectors during Adeleye Oladapo’s reception in Ijebu-Igbo. Her move brings to five the number of the 26-member House that has decamped from Amosun’s ruling house. Also, his three senators and several House members are said to have shown him their back sides.

One has not had cause to visit Abeokuta since Amosun took power in Ogun State but the story emanating from there is that he is not by any means a laggard. Indeed he is lauded as a great governor who not only thinks on his feet but who is also quick to the trigger. Well I took all that with a pinch of salt until I visited Ota early in the year and I could not find my way around any longer in a place I was familiar with.

The upgrade of Ota town is the type I have never seen done anywhere in Nigeria before. Hundreds of ancestral houses must have been bulldozed; the width of the roads, their aesthetics and quality are simply breath-taking. To think that just one road in Ota was fiddled with for over five years

RIPPLES

NO MASKED MEN IN 2015-Jega

Nice move. We are tired of BOKO HARAM LOOKALIKE!

STEVE OSUJI

EXPRESSO

steve.osuji@yahoo.com

Gov Amosun’s plaintive cry

•Amosun

•Aremo Osoba

by the previous government; to think that hundreds of ancestral homes, including shrines could be cleared in a matter of months and an ancient town rebuilt in what seemed like the speed of light is a testimony to courage, acuity and vision. But for me, the beauty of a revamped Ota is not the aesthetics of the fresh, glistening dual carriage boulevards; the higher beauty is in the art of executing a beautiful job from thought to finish seemingly, at the speed of light.

Amosun’s interview is interesting and thought-provoking; it reads like the lamentations of an unappreciated man. But of particular note is the question about Chief Olusegun Osoba, elder-statesman, chieftain of APC and two-time governor of the State.

What is the relationship between him and Osoba, he is asked? Osoba is his leader and remains so and indeed, there is no contest between them, he surmises.

Why is it difficult to carry Osoba along, Amosun is asked? “I don’t know what you mean by carrying him along he starts…”The Osoba people dominate the current APC executive in Ogun State. They constitute 71 per cent of our executive committee… I am

a peace lover and I will continue to reach out to all those who feel aggrieved…”

Amosun pleads.

Amosun’s woes are typical of the power plays between godsons turned governors and overbearing godfathers. But the bitter truth is that a governor is the head and leader of a state and there can only be one at a time. And a godfather must learn to be both an elder and statesman. Chief Osoba must extract himself from his Oke Mosan fixation and play the field at the national level; he ought to be a stabilising hand of a fledgling APC especially at this critical time in the life of the party. Surely he doesn’t want to be remembered as the Abeokuta champion but one of the grandee democrats who helped to establish a quality alternative party for Nigerians. One feels diminished seeing such retrograde antics as setting up a counter party to APC, (Action Group!) and such other infantile act as Egbe matagbamole! (Awon agba na won gbodo f’ara won wo’le!) to harangue and beleaguer a sitting governor. Finally, when the child acts childish, the elder must act elderly; that’s a Yoruba adage.

F

OR the uninitiated, DPR stands for the Department of Petroleum Resources. It is one of the numerous units, departments and subsidiaries of Nigeria’s shambolic petroleum sector that has become a shadow of itself.

To make a bad case worse and in the awkward and cunning manner of Nigeria’s oil bureaucrats, DPR is deliberately a misnomer. Why is the chief monitoring arm of Nigeria’s oil sector tagged Department of Petroleum Resources instead of Department of Petroleum Monitoring?

Well DPR may be ambiguous but its name is not really its bane; this most important department in Nigeria’s oil mix has simply gone south, the way of most government businesses in Nigeria. In its heyday and in our saner era, DPR was an institution dreaded and revered at once in the industry. It was always headed by Nigerians of steel and professional integrity and when they spoke, Nigerians listened. Today, Hardball confesses that he does not know the head of DPR and whoever he might be must be happier being Mr. Anonymous.

Those days, we were comforted knowing that there was a DPR watching over our oil assets. Today, you can’t vouch there is DPR

HARDBALL

Wetin DPR dey do sef? and you never know what it does. In fact, Nigeria’s oil and gas industry could be said to have stumbled fatally upon the demise of DPR. Today, Nigerians hear about DPR when they announce that they have shut one hapless fuel station or the other. Today, DPR can safely be called the Department of Dispensing Stations.

Sadly, in spite of its inane exertions pursuing poor petrol attendants, to find a ‘true’ petrol dispenser in Nigeria is akin to finding a virgin in a maternity ward.

The most telling indictment of the DPR today is the refrain across the country that Nigeria does not know the quantity of crude oil it produces. Everyone says that the DPR does not have modern or adequate meters to carry out that basic but albeit, crucial task. Nigeria’s oil industry is in such state that we are in the age of brazen oil theft. Nigeria is today like a banana republic that cannot guard and monitor its strategic asset; brigands from all over the world simply converge on the Niger Delta to

Hurray, Arthur Eze regains his sense of smell!

I

T is utterly discourteous and outright uncivil (if not uncouth) that you invite a man to celebrate with you and he chooses that moment of joy and felicity to cast aspersions on you – using a microphone!

What it means is that such a fellow is full of ill-will and he is not worthy of the friendship and company of decent people. Why, if he were your friend, he could have passed his odious message in a thousand quiet ways and achieved even better result if he desired result and not an opportunity to malign.

This was the scenario last week in Umuahia during the celebration of the 23rd anniversary of the creation of Abia State. At the grand occasion, a billionaire business tycoon was quoted on the front page of a national newspaper to have said that the state stinks.

Hear him: “Abia is stinking… right from the Abia Tower in Umuahia, the rot hits you.

Abia State is now the dirtiest in the country.

Garbage everywhere, along with bad roads.

The people are really suffering and you see it in their faces. Are there no elders in Abia again? What are the senators, the members of the House of Representatives and other elected people doing…?”

It sounds implausible that Chief Arthur Eze, who is naturally taciturn would speak in this manner in a public gathering but the statement was yet to be rebutted at press time. For those who have visited Umuahia recently, it surely cannot be described as the dirtiest city in the country, far from it. Having returned from the city recently, the fact is that there is hardly any garbage or potholes to be found on the city’s roads.

There is no doubt that this statement ascribed to Chief Eze must be one of such ongoing propaganda designed to malign the governor. Watchers of Abia politics would know the source of the barb. There is no doubt that there is no love lost between the Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, and his predecessor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu. It is a fact that Governor Orji has done much to move Abia State away from an inglorious past that is better forgotten. The truth is that he has done more for Abia than all past governors put together. His performance surely does not go down well with his estranged godfather.

But if indeed Chief Eze made the remarks credited to him, one would consider it quite salutary and good for the people of the Southeast because one never knew the chief to have been capable of perceiving foul odors. Judging by his business and politics, one could have sworn he had no sense of smell. This may well be a sign of great things to happen to Ndigbo.

•For comments, send SMS to 08111526725

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above ‘take’ oil. That is the impression out there.

This indictment has gone on for many years but DPR never deemed it fit to respond; prove or disprove this ‘street talk’. Apparently, it could not be bothered and in the manner of most government agencies, it does not owe Nigerians any explanation about its operations; in fact, the less Nigerians know about our oil(y) business, the better it seems for DPR. Hardball was, however, jolted when it came out that DPR is actually worried about misconceptions of its functions by the public. In media reports, we learnt that DPR held a stakeholders’ parley in Lagos where it was revealed that it faced challenges bordering on under-staffing, under-funding, lack of working tools and public misconception of its functions, to name a few. In spite of this, DPR insists, it remains committed to its key functions of monitoring all petroleum industry operations or activities being carried out under licences and leases in the country… Well, now that Hardball is wiser, it is safe to reverse oneself and ask: wetin DPR no dey do sef, abi?

•This piece was first published on Monday, July 7, 2014.

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Editor Daily:08099365644, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790. WEBSITE: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO