September 14, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

•Fleeing ‘robbers’ drop nine guns, 42 cartridges P52 •SON confiscates N4 billion substandard products P5 •More Boko Haram suspects surrender, says Army P6 •AGF insists on tomorrow’s deadline for Single Account PP44 •Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3337 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

Our meeting Page 8 with Aregbesola,

by Ife chiefs NEWS

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

How UNILAG girl died, by sister

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JU Anekwe, sister of the 300-level Accounting student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) who was electrocuted last Tuesday, relived at the weekend the last moments of her sister, Oluchi.

They were together during the incident in Akoka, the university campus. Uju is a 200-level student of Medicine in the university.

Their father, Basil, recalled how he received the tragic news.

Uju, who was injured in the incident, came down from the family’s apartment with her friend. She walked gently, limping on

By Wale Ajetunmobi

her left leg. She had bruises below her nose and on her right arm.

She said: “It had been long that I visited her on Akoka campus, since I moved to the College of Medicine in Idi-Araba. That Tuesday, I visited her and she told me to meet her at the University Chapel, because she was attending a Catholic mass. I saw her bag full of books. She was supposed to write ICAN exam next week.

“We left the chapel to New Hall to buy popcorn. When we got there, the vendor was reparing the popcorn maContinued on page 6

•Mr Anekwe being consoled by a sympathiser...at the weekend.

•INSIDE: 2,765 BDCS MEET CBN’S CAPITAL BASE REQUIREMENT P25 POLICE STOP MASSOB P49

Alleged N1.7b fraud: EFCC arrests Lagos businessman Firm loses fortune in phoney deal

Six Nigerians among Saudi tragedy victims

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

S

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UTDOOR giant Afromedia is battling to handle its most difficult brief ever — how to retrieve a fortune invested in a phoney deal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is helping.

The anti-graft agency has arrested a Lagos businessman, Alhaji Mohammed Gobir, for allegedly defrauding the foremost outdoor advertising company of cash estimated to be N1.7 billion in various currencies.

Gobir was picked up at his Ikoyi home and put in detention.

A source in the commission said: “The mega heist allegedly fetched Gobir $3,500,000, N514,457,151.87, $2,102,740, and 51,000 pounds sterling at various times.

“Gobir, a 55–year-old father of two, was picked up by EFCC operatives early Saturday at his Ikoyi residence and is still being interrogated at the Lagos office of the anti-graft agency.

WILL THE “The suspect allegedly CHIBOK GIRLS EVER defrauded the advertising RETURN? Continued on page 6

?

•Gobir

IX Nigerian pilgrims are among the 107 people killed in Friday’s crane collapse at Mecca’s holy site Ka’aba, Saudi Arabia.

Kaduna State Task Force on Hajj spokesman Saidu Adamu yesterday confirmed the death of a member of the state’s delegation.

National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) confirmed the death of five other Nigerians.

It named the dead Kaduna pilgrim as Alhaji Adamu Shuaibu Kargi from Kubau Local Government Area.

Federal Government officials had on Saturday said no Nigerian died.

Gombe State Amirul-Hajj, Abdullahi Mai-Kano, said four women pilgrims from the state were missing after the incident.

According to him, the four pilgrims were from Akko, Dukku and Nafada local

From Blessing Olaifa, Kaduna

governments areas of the state.

Mai-Kano said the pilgrim was injured in her head, but had been treated and discharged.

He said the four pilgrims were declared missing after a thorough verification and bed checking in the three houses accommodating the state’s pilgrims.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia had earlier on Saturday confirmed that 107 people died.

The spokesperson for the Saudi presidency on the Affairs of the two holy mosques, Ahmad Al-Mansouri, said at “least 107 people were dead and another 238 were injured.

Also yesterday, the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board said 4, 478 of the 5, 602 intending pilgrims Continued on page 6

•SPORTS P14 •JOBS P31 •CEO P33 •MOTORING P35 •POLITICS P37•FOREIGN P46

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

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NEWS

China’s soaring business empire in Nigeria

•Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya (middle) presenting the Bank of the Year and the Community & Social Responsibility (CSR) awards to Group Head, Strategic Brand Management, Access Bank Plc, Amaechi Okobi at the BusinessDay Banking Awards at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos...at the weekend. With them is Head, Internal Communications, Access Bank Plc, Oge Kasie-Nwachukwu.

With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) projected to hit $19.23 trillion this year, surpassing United States’ $18.29 trillion, China has become a counterforce to U.S. monopoly of the global economy. Much of its soaring economic power is drawn from the activities of a horde of Chinese businessmen and entrepreneurs, who have ‘invaded’ the Nigerian market, swelling its trade volume with Nigeria by $18.1 billion (about N38.01 trillion). Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports that despite Nigeria being the toast of Chinese investors and businessmen, there are still grey areas in the blossoming relationship.

I •From left: Lagos Liaison Manager, Ashaka Cement Operations, Salisu Sayaya; Country Health & Safety Manager, Lafarge Africa Plc., Tukur Lawal; Managing Director, Concrete, Aggregates & Ready Mix, Lafarge Africa Plc, Loren Zanin and Country Road Safety Manager, Tim Oseghe, with the Nigeria Safety Award for Excellence Hall of Fame in Lagos PHOTO: ADEOLA SOLOMON

•From left: Acting Regional Manager, Northwest Region, Diamond Bank Plc., Kuburat Amodu-Ode; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Feedtech Nig. Ltd, Kaduna, Leye Olayande; Head, MSME Propositions & Agrifinance, Diamond Bank Plc., Lois Sankey and Managing Partner, EdgEcution Global Resources, Bankole Williams, at the 59th DiamondBusinessXpress Seminar in Kaduna.

•From right: Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC), Mr. Boboye Opeyemi; Chief Finance Officer, Oando Marketing Plc., Mr. Adegboyega Bello; Assistant Corps Marshal, (FRSC), Mr. Nseobong Akpabio and Distribution Manager, Oando Marketing Plc., Mrs. Funke Odufuye, at an interactive forum on operational safety standards with Oando Marketing Plc.’s transporters in Lagos.

T is not for nothing that the dragon is the symbol of strength and enterprise of the Chinese nation. Like the mythical monster, known for its fierce, protective and ravaging attributes, the Asian Tiger, as China is popularly called, has been ravaging the globe, especially the developing African continent in search of trade and investment opportunities. The search, no doubt, has paid off.

China, for the first time, surpassed the United States (U.S.) as the world’s largest economy in 2014. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) soared to $17.63 trillion ahead of U.S. $17.42 trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to the records in terms of purchasing power, China accounts for 16.5 per cent of the global economy, compared to U.S.’ 16.3 per cent. The Asian giant has also been tipped by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to hit a GDP of $19.23 trillion before the end of this year, surpassing U.S.’ projected GDP of $18.29 trillion.

With a population of 1.36 billion people, the largest in the world, China has to its credit the highest global economic growth rate in the last three decades, averaging 10 per cent annually. Yet, the ‘rampaging monster’ is charging on, drawing its greatest strength for her impressive growth rate, arguably, from her trade and investment exploits in Nigeria.

From oil & gas to construction; power to Information and Communications Technology (ICT); manufacturing to education; healthcare to hospitality; transport to aviation; textile to defence and trading and general merchandising, China is spreading its tentacles in Africa’s most populous and largest economy.

The Nation learnt that close to 300 Chinese companies are currently operating in various sectors of the Nigerian economy. The activities of these companies have seen the volume of trade between China and Nigeria growing from less than $2 billion in 2000 to $18.1 billion (about N38.01 trillion in 2014).

According to the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Gu Xiaojie, the figure represents 30 per cent increase over that of the preceding year. The envoy, who spoke at an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja, said bilateral relations between Nigeria and China had been growing in “leaps and bounds.”

The ambassador’s position was cor-

roborated by National Coordinator of the Nigeria-China Business Council (NCBC), Chief Matthew Uwakwe, who said the volume of trade transactions between both countries has grown from $3.4 billion to over $10 billion between 2009 when the Council started and this year (a period of six years).

The NCBC, which is under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, was established six years ago to promote bilateral trade relations between both countries and grow infrastructural expertise in Nigeria.

When The Nation visited the Council’s Lagos Office on Samuel Olabode Street, off Isheri Road, an official could not hide his excitement over what he described as “a business relationship skewed in favour of Nigeria.” To support his assertion, the official, who pleaded for anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, said nine Nigerians are currently undergoing training in China in the area of pre-paid meter installation and maintenance.

He said on completion of the programme, the lucky Nigerians, to be trained free for two months, are to be engaged by SkyRun Electric Smart Metering System and Solutions (Nig.) Limited, a $500 million pre-paid meter/electronics manufacturing firm operating in the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ).

As Uwakwe earlier explained, the youths were sent to China to sharpen their skills in modern technology, regarding energy and prepaid meters.

“The training is to improve their skills in modern technology,” he explained, expressing hope that when they return, “the problem of prepaid meters will be reduced.”

Immediate Power Minister Prof.

Chinedu Nebo is also hopeful. He said establishing the metering company in the country will enhance revenue generation of the distribution companies (DISCO’s), thereby curtailing the menace of estimated billing as being experienced by electricity customers in many parts of the country.

“As we increase electricity consumption rate, we also have to produce more meters to meet demand.” he said, lamenting that about 60 per cent of customers are not metered hence, manufacturing meters locally will significantly close the metering gap and create employment opportunities to unemployed youths, besides enabling investors to re-coup their investment as planned.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

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NEWS CHINESE BUSINESS INTERESTS •Oil & gas • Power • Manufacturing • Health • Transport • Aviation • Trading •President Xi Jiping

•Ambassador Xiaojie

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•President Muhammadu Buhari

SkyRun has been in Nigeria in the last 10 years. Its plant will is billed for inauguration in the last quarter of the year. The company has over 500 indigenous workers on its payroll an its Calabar site, where it is currently manufacturing a single-phase and three-phase Smart Meters. The meters will significantly boost the revenue base of DISCO’s operating in Nigeria.

The NCBC official, who spoke with The Nation said many DISCOS’s have been placing order for pre-paid meters for their customers. An array of pre-paid meters displayed at NCBC’s office bears testimony to China’s resolve to play a leading role in Nigeria’s power sector post-privatisation.

Running a ring round the power sector The power sector is one of the areas receiving Chinese investors’ greatest attention, a trend that is hardly surprising. China is aware of the huge unmet demand in Nigeria’s electricity market and is determined to fill the gap. For instance, access-topower is currently limited to approximately 40 per cent of Nigeria’s esti-

Our aim is to help the nation in the areas of infrastructural development and the mechanisation of its manufacturing process, develop the energy sector to boost manufacturing and other forms of businesses. It’s a winwin situation as it provides opportunity for massive employment generation. This is one area we learnt the government is working hard to bridge. There will be no case of dumping of fake and substandard goods as we will set up our manufacturing plant

‘

mated 170 million people and electricity supply has is still below 600 Megawatts (MW) for a suppressed demand estimated at 10,000 MW. The Federal Government’s target is to achieve up to 75 per cent access to electricity by 2020 by connecting an average of 1.5 million households annually.

The huge electricity supply gap has created a market too lucrative and tempting for Chinese investors to ignore. In July, for instance, a Chinese public utility - the State Grid

Corporation of China (SGCC) - offered to inject a whopping $12 billion into the electricity sector in an ambitious investment programme in the second phase of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).

SGCC, arguably the largest stateowned electricity utility company in the world, has offered to invest the money in two tranches, starting off with an initial payment of $8 billion and additional $4 billion later. The payments will be equity and loan participations in electricity transmis-

•Construction • ICT •Education • Hospitality •Aviation • Textile • Defence

sion projects for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).

According to a status report on Nigeria’s power sector presented by the NDPHC to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, SGCC made the offer in consortium with its other partners, CET Power and Westron. Under the programme, the NDPHC will commit about $600 million to the transmission project. Presenting the status report to the government, NDPHC’s Managing Director James Olotu said the transmission projects are 15 of the 114 that will not be completed in the first phase of the NIPP due to intractable way-leave issues and cost escalations.

They have, however, been transferred to the second phase of the NIPP for consideration and approval by the board. It is these projects and a couple of others that SGCC and its other partners have indicated an interest to fund. The status report showed that within the prevailing transmission challenges of the power sector, SGCC’s funding portfolio in the sector could rise to $18 billion if the government resolves inherent challenges in projects’ financing in the transmission network, vis-à-vis the country’s power sector.

That is not all. The largest coal to power company in China is interested in coming to invest in Nigeria.

Many big companies who are into power generation and transmission have indicated their interest in investing in Nigeria. A Chinese firm and two local investors have since con-

cluded arrangements to inject $10 billion (about N1.99 trillion) into the manufacturing of lighting equipment and accessories to boost electricity supply in Nigeria.

Under the deal, seen by energy experts as the wedge for solar energy adaptation in the country, HongyeSinari Group, Niger-Sino Industries Limited and Hamaded Logistics will build a solar energy accessories’ plant, which, when operational, will serve industrial and housing estates, schools, hospitals and malls.

The investment, according to the Director, Energy Generation, Hongye-Sinari Group, Mr. Xu Rongchang, will bail Nigeria out of its power problems.

Addressing members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos, Head of the Chinese delegation, Mr. David Yang Xoaohua, said the Chinese firm has branches in over 100 countries with over 5,000 workforce, and investible fund of over $10 billion. He said with such enormous funds, the company, which is also into the manufacture of agricultural equipment, needs clear rules of engagement, an enabling environment and a good legal framework that protects investors and investment.

Xoaohua added that after a careful study, the firm has come to the conclusion that Nigeria, being the largest economy in Africa, remains the best place to invest with high returns on investment. Noting that the companies specialise in the manufacture of lighting equipment and accessories; solar energy, he affirmed China’s commitment to a significant role in the energy sector.

He said: “Our aim is to help the nation in the areas of infrastructural development and the mechanisation of its manufacturing process, develop the energy sector to boost manufacturing and other forms of businesses.

It’s a win-win situation as it provides opportunity for massive employment generation. This is one area we learnt the government is working hard to bridge. There will be no case of dumping of fake and substandard goods as we will set up our manufacturing plant.”

Local firms set to drill gains from oil reforms T

HE news that the new helmsman at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, has taken the bull by the horns by signing on an international audit company to review the contracts between the NNPC, its subsidiaries and the oil companies, is a good omen for the nation’s troubled oil sector.

It falls in line with the pledge of President Muhammadu Buhari to clean the sector and give it a new direction so that it can serve the long term interests of the Nigerian people.

It is regrettable that despite huge crude oil and gas deposits, the country is yet to get on top of the management of this critical resource to address the challenges of power generation and industry. Clearly, the election of President Muhammadu Buhari, a former Petroleum Resources minister, has put in place a round peg in a round hole, a man historically and mentally fitted for the task of revamping the oil sector.

His first move was to bring Kachikwu, an internationally exposed and renowned top brass of the multinational oil company, Mobil, to work with him on the task of transforming the oil sector from a parasitic institution to an elixir that would breathe new life into the nation’s populous consumers.

When the refineries were built, the strategy was to reduce the reliance of Nigeria on the imports of petroleum products, develop local capacity and take advantage of the numerous by-products of crude oil. The hope of a vibrant petro-chemical industry that would be the foundation of the country’s industrial and agroallied sectors was built on the expansion of the refineries and increase in value-added.

Unfortunately, the leadership of the country until May 29, 2015 could not rise to the challenge of implementation, even when the vision seemed to be apparent and the urgency seemed so pressing. Forty-five years after the

NEWS ANALYSIS

By Ladapo Kolade

import substitution strategy was unveiled, it has taken a key operative of the generation of the 70s to lead us back to the Promised Land.

In recent interactions with indigenous oil companies, President Buhari declared that his administration would support them in the implementation of his reforms, re-kindling hope of the revival of the indigenisation culture that his generation spearheaded with the Indigenisation Law that put many commercial sectors in the hands of Nigerians and gave the economy a truly Nigerian face.

According to the President, “we have the manpower for a more effective participation in our oil industry. We will give you all possible encouragement. You certainly won’t be ignored under my leadership.”

Industry sources believe the cleansing of the oil sector should position the indigenous oil companies to play greater role in determining how the oil sector would help in ending the years of misery of the millions of Nigerians who seek jobs and dream of setting up their own small scale industries.

The auditing of the Strategic Alliance Contracts (SAC), should aim at ensuring that there were no sacred cows and under-the-table deals in the contracts signed to date. The SAC, is by its definition, a distress call from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to private companies for assistance. Under its terms, there is a clear admission that NPDC devised the SAC because it lacked the required funds to fund the petroleum operation costs and provide the technical and professional skills needed to produce oil and gas in contract areas.

A regular clause in the agreements states that the “government, in considering the huge capi-

tal outlay and other resources required for petroleum operations has approved NPDC to enter into strategic alliance for the provision of funding and technical expertise”. Considering the fact that many of the companies have paid entry fees running into millions of dollars, it is important that the on-going audit recognises the risk of time and value of the operations and the need to ensure that a level playing field is achieved in favour of indigenous companies.

It is therefore gladdening that very reliable sources at the NNPC have assured that the exercise is not meant to witchhunt any company but to ascertain the state of the contractual agreements, fine-tune where necessary and ensure that there is value for money, performance and excellent benchmarking. This also means partners in the SAC must be ready to meet their obligations and ensure that the country does not lose money due to lack of diligence in enforcing the contract terms.

Considering the challenges of benchmarking, it is obvious that many indigenous oil companies do not have the same years of experience as their foreign competitors and a bench mark that refuses to recognise this fact may work against the President’s obvious determination to grow the indigenous petroleum sector to international stature.

Similarly, the current crude oil price regime and the dynamics of the financial market indicate that the expectations which underscore the negotiations have headed downwards. This raises the possibility of reviewing the entry fee to suit the current climate of the market and ensure that crude oil and gas production service the refineries and the local industry.

As it walks on the tight rope of national economic stability and international investors’ confidence, the Buhari administration must not be torn between a citizenry, whose high expectations of a Messiah that has come to put the coun-

try in good shape and an international community watching silently and studiously, the opportunities that the new reforms promise.

Both the local and foreign stakeholders must meet at a point where needs meet feeds and reforms call for cocktails.

The oil reforms are already registering visible impact. The responsive management of Dr. Kachikwu has been able to ensure that the Kaduna Refinery, which was comatose, has been repaired and now operates at 60 per cent installed capacity.

Similarly, there is good news from the New Port Harcourt Refining Company. Despite the on-going Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) to overhaul its Fluid Cracking Catalytic Unit (FCCU), the refinery reported production of 39 million litres of petrol in July. The return of the Warri Refining and Petochemical Company to full production following the conclusion of its TAM will increase its contribution to daily production from its current 30 million litres.

No doubt, for a country with estimated crude oil reserves of 35.3 billion barrels lying pretty in over 159 oil fields and 1,481 wells, and a daily production of 2.2 million barrels per day at the peak of its capacity, the Buhari administration has only stepped on to the throttle on a journey of economic stability.

The indigenous oil companies must respond positively to the pledge of Mr. President by investing in the vision of the administration to make the petroleum sector serve the citizenry.

In this regard, the utilisation of our 187 trillion feet gas reserves not only for export but to be piped to gas stations so that more cars can run on Liquified Natural Gas (NLG) must come under the Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAG) model.

As it is said by philosophers, the past is a story told, the future of our petroleum sector can still be written in gold.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

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NEWS

TSA: AGF insists on tomorrow’s deadline for accounts’ closure

The Nation man Akioye wins Global Fellowship

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N Assistant Editor at The Nation, Mr. Seun Akioye, has won the Climate Change Media Partnership Fellowship (CCMP) 2015. The CCMP is being run by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. The fellowship will enable him to cover the 21 st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France from November 30 to December 11.

Of 100 applications received globally, 20 journalists from around the world were chosen. In choosing Akioye, the organisers said they were impressed with his experience and focus for COP21, which distinguished him from other applicants.

With the fellowship, Akioye will join a prestigious but restricted list of in-

•Akioye

ternational environmental journalists working towards accurate and sustainable reportage of climate change issues.

Formed in 2007 by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN), Panos London and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the CCMP has been supporting journalists to gain a multifaceted understanding of climate change’s global impact, through the coverage of the UN climate summits.

HE Accountant- General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, has said there is no going back on tomorrow’s deadline to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to close all Federal Government accounts with commercial banks.

He said the directive is in line with the new Treasury Single Account( TSA).

The directive was contained in a statement by the Deputy Director( Press) of the OAGF, Mrs. Kenechukwu Offie.

The statement said: “The Office of Accountant- General of the Federation hereby reassures all Ministries, Depart-

ments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as the general public that the September 15, 2015 deadline for the closure of all accounts of Federal Government MDAs with the commercials banks is realistic, achievable and will not be shifted forward.

“This is to correct speculations making rounds in some quarters of the media, that the deadline may not be feasible.

“The Accountant-General of Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris emphasizes that Implementation Guidelines have been developed and will soon be made available to all interested parties and the general public.

“The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, in line with its statutory mandate and directives by Mr. President on the TSA, will continue to provide all necessary information and technical support to all MDAs, Banks and the general public to ensure a smooth, seamless and transparent implementation of the TSA/e-Collection policy.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had set a deadline of Tuesday, September 15 for full compliance with his directive that all revenue due to the Federal Government or any of its agencies must be paid into the Treasury Single Ac-

count (TSA) or designated accounts maintained and operated in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), except otherwise expressly approved.

A circular to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, urged the MDAs to ensure strict compliance with the deadline to avoid sanctions.

The circular said a number of MDAs were yet to comply with the August 7, 2015 circular, which conveyed President Buhari's original directive on the payment of all Federal Government revenue into a Treasury Single Account.

NBA to release guidelines for judges

By Robert Egbe

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HE Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) will, next month, launch guidelines for judges in the exercise of their discretion in sentencing and bail matters, the President of the association, Augustine Alegeh, has said.

Alegeh told The Nation that the guidelines were inspired, among other things, by the exercise of discretion by Justice Abubakar Talba of an Abuja High Court in the 2013 case of the police pension fund offender, John Yakubu Yusuf.

Yusuf pleaded guilty to conspiring with six others to steal about N23 billion from the Police Pension Fund and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with an option of N250,000 as fine on each of the three counts, by Justice Talba.

He later paid N750,000 and walked home free The NBA chief said the guidelines would help judges in deciding what an accused person deserves in cases where the law gives them wide latitude in sentencing.

"What we have done at the NBA is that we have prepared documents which we call 'Sentencing guidelines'", the NBA chief said. "We have also prepared another document called 'Bail Guidelines'.

"We have these documents and sometime in October they will be released as the NBA's position on how to deal with those matters."

The NBA chief made reference to the practice in America where there are several criteria for determining the applicable punishment for different grades of the same offences "In other countries, what they have done with judicial discretion is that they have restricted that discretion by having what is called Judges' Guidelines," Alegeh said.

"In the Florida Gun Laws for example, the punishment for owning a gun without a licence is different from the punishment for shooting that gun. And if you shoot the gun and the man is injured, the punishment to be applied by the judge is different than if the man is dead."

He added that the NBA guidelines would toe similar lines.

"Our guidelines divide offences into different categories, such that even if the law says give a man a minimum jail term of six months, for offences between so and so you can give six months; for this gravity you can give 12 months.

Guidelines on how the judge is to exercise that discretion.

"But if a judge can give you six months and six years, it is so wide. So, for us there are things we can do with our law."

On the Police Pension Fund case, Alegeh said the NBA's position remained the same, that the judge did not break any law.

"The judge in Abuja, with respect, we disagree with the exercise of his discretion, but there's nothing in our law books that says what he did is wrong," he said, "The only thing we need to do is to guide the exercise of that discretion."

He continued: "And we have looked since that time and nothing has been done, so, we are going to release in October, the NBA's position on sentencing guidelines and bail guidelines."

Alegeh added that Nigerian courts of superior jurisdiction have since amended their prosecution guidelines.

He said: "You must also understand that the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have both amended their rules of practice in respect of prosecution in cases of fraud, terrorism, kidnapping and the like.

But we are not feeling the impact now because the cases that we hear of are the cases that were brought under the old rules.”

•From left: Peterside, Kogbara, Amuka-Pemu and Kogbara’s mother in Port Harcourt...yesterday.

Kidnapping must be tackled head-on, says Peterside

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HE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said kidnapping must be curtailed.

He spoke yesterday when he visited the home of Donu Kogbara, the kidnapped Vanguard columnist who was released on Saturday by her abductors.

Peterside, who was accompanied on the visit by three former commissioners and seven former elected local government chairmen in Rivers State, met the publisher of Vanguard, Mr. Sam Amuka.

He said he was at Kogbara’s Port Harcourt home to rejoice

•MOSOP happy with Kogbara's release with her and her family on her release and safe return, thanking God for delivering the columnist from her captors.

The APC chieftain called for a more decisive approach towards tackling kidnapping, adding that security was essential to growth and must be taken seriously.

In a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Sylvester Asoya, Peterside said: “Security is critical to development, therefore kidnapping and all forms of threat to society’s peaceful existence must be tackled head-on.

“For me, the starting point is the economy. We must re-

build our economy so as to pave way for employment opportunities for every idle hand, not just in the Niger Delta but in every part of the country.

“As a people and government, the security and wellbeing of our people should be the barometer for measuring our success. It is only when we have sufficiently addressed the issue of safety that we can confidently say that we are truly on course.

“For that reason, those in authority, particularly security agencies must redouble their efforts towards tackling crime and its perpetrators. This pre-

vailing climate of fear in some parts of our country must cease.”

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) yesterday described Kogbara's release as a welcome development.

In a statement by its President, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, MOSOP said Kogbara did not deserve the inhuman treatment from the kidnappers, who blindfolded her and kept her in solitary confinement and later handed her over to a fisherman on the high sea, who moved her in a canoe to the waterfront of Borikiri, Port Harcourt.

Nigeria facing trying times, says Senator Tinubu

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HE difficult times Nigeria is going through will not last if everyone contributes towards making a difference, Senator Oluremi Tinubu said yesterday.

She spoke in a keynote address at the Women of Vision International Conference organised by the Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM) International, with the theme: “Go! Make a difference.”

“The theme is very apt at this point in time in our nation Nigeria. There is no better time for such charge than now…

These are indeed trying times, with the present economic atmosphere which is not only in our nation but quite global,”

By Joseph Jibueze

she said Mrs. Tinubu, represented by an aide, Mr Agboghoroma Emiko, urged the women to imitate the Biblical Zarephat who used her last meal to feed a man of God. “This is for us to know that no matter what state we are in, we need to get up and make something out of life – it is a command to use whatever you have and allow God to turn it around to make you a blessing.

“This is the time to launch out in faith and go out there with whatever we have because there is no one God cre-

ated empty…My advice is for us to take what we have, launch into the deep in faith and go make a difference,” she said.

CPM’s National/International Coordinator Rev. Mercy Ezekiel urged the women to put Christ first in their lives.

“Without Jesus you cannot make it in life,” she said. According to her, women of faith should see themselves as “unstoppable moving trains”.

General Overseer of the Solid Rock Chapel, Rev Christy Tetteh, in a sermon, said no one should feel too “sophisticated” to make a difference no matter how little, urging the conferees to return home as changed people.

“It does not matter your status in life. Go back a changed woman. Let your husband see the changes. Begin to change things in the house – that towel your husband has been using for years, change it.”

CPM’s General Overseer Rev Obiora Ezekiel prayed for the women’s safety, saying: “No demon will stand in your way.

You’re marked with mercy and goodness.”

The week-long event featured a march pass by delegates, seminars in entrepreneurship and skill acquisition, drama, quizzes, among others.

Awards and prizes were also given the to the best performers.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

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NEWS

Abiola deserves GCFR, says son

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HE presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola Abiola, deserved the highest national honour as compensation for his sacrifice for the country, his son Kola, said at the weekend.

According to him, Abiola, who died in detention following his declaration of himself as president, could only be compensated with the award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) as a mark of honour.

“He won the election but he was denied and he died in detention. The award of GCFR which is given to only presidents is what can really show the nation’s appreciation for his sacrifice,” Mr. Abiola said at a reunion meeting of the exstaff of Concord Press Limited in Lagos at the weekend.

The late Chief Abiola was the publisher of the Concord titles.

His son spoke of plans to bring back Concord, adding that a documentary on the life of the Bashorun of Ibadan and the 14th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland would be produced soon to properly situ-

ate his place in history.

Mr Abiola said Concord remained a major legacy of his father.

The call is the latest from Nigerians who are seeking the government’s recognition of Abiola’s role in Nigeria’s democracy. Abiola died in 1998.

The Concord group, which dominated the scene in the 80s and 90s, was founded by the late billionaire business mogul in 1980. It published National Concord, Sunday Concord, Weekend Concord, African Concord Magazine and a host of vernacular and community newspapers.

Friday’s occasion was also used to honour ex-Concord employees, who were recently appointed or elected into public positions.

Among those honoured were Secretary to Lagos State Government Mr Tunji Bello and spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina.

Also honoured were Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) President Waheed Odusile, one of his predecessors and House of Representatives member Mallam Sani Zorro; Group Public Affairs Manag-

•Mr Bello (right) receive his plaque from Mr Abiola (middle) and Dr Abiola...at the weekend

er of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mr Ohi Alegbe, Senior Special Assistant (Media) to Niger State Governor, Mr. Jide Orintunsin and Managing Director of The Sun Mr. Eric Osagie.

Another of the late Abiola’s sons, Deji, attended the ceremony, which was presided over by Dr. Doyin Abiola,

the former Managing Director of Concord and wife of the late politician.

Dr Abiola, admonished members of the “Great Concord Press Family” appointed into public offices to use their offices in enhancing greater public good rather than enriching themselves.

According to her, this

would help in rating high the journalism profession and making Nigeria an enviable country among the comity of nations.

She bemoaned the decline in public and moral values in the country, adding that only a great and sincere effort could bring back the country’s glory.

PHOTO ADEJO DAVID

The event was attended by former Deputy Managing Director Stanley Egbochuku, Mr Mike Awoyinfa, Lisa Olu Akerele, Alhaji Liad Tella, Mr. Kunmi Olayiwola, Mr Louis Odion, Mr Lanre Arogundade, Mr. Jonas Agu, Mr Aliu Mohammed, Mr. Goke Odeyinka, Mr. Mojeed Jamiu, among others.

Buhari: why the war against corruption must go on

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HE President Muhammadu Buhari administration yesterday reiterated why there will be no let-up in its fight against corruption.

“It is a fight for the soul and substance of our nation, a moral battle for virtue and righteousness in our land,” Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday.

He spoke in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, during the second plenary meeting of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

The ceremony was also attended by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

Osinbajo, who attended the first plenary meeting during the electioneering campaign,

From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

represented President Buhari yesterday.

Apart from barefaced theft of public funds, corruption has also been cited as the main reason for poor policy choices, the prevalence of poverty in the midst of plenty and waste of resources in the country.

Buhari said: “Corruption in our country is so endemic that it constitutes a parallel system.

It is the primary reason for poor policy choices, waste and, of course, bare- faced theft of public resources.

“It is the main reason why a potentially prosperous country struggles to feed itself and provide jobs for millions.

“The hundreds of thousands of deaths in the infant, maternal mortality statistics, the hundreds of thousands of annual deaths from preventable diseases are traceable to the greed and corruption of a few.

This is why we must see it as an existential threat. If we don’t kill it, it will kill us.”

On security, the President said: “We are on course to militarily rout Boko Haram and make them incapable of taking and holding territory.”

He added that suicide bombings in some parts of the Northeast were the desperate acts of the terrorists to create a sense that they are still in play.

He noted that “with vigilance and good local intelligence, we will make those

cowardly acts practically impossible.”

On the economy, the President told the Bishops: “We must change the paradigm of thinking about our economy and the ultimate good of the majority. While we create an enabling environment for free enterprise, we must reason, plan and budget with the understanding that almost 2/3 of our people are extremely poor, and must be helped first to survive and then to fully participate in the economy of the nation.

“We must create safety nets for the very poor and vulnerable while ensuring that social spending is also a direct investment in the economy.

“We must invest substan-

tially in relevant education, teacher training and vocational and entrepeneurial training.”

The President praised the bishops, noting that he had “always been impressed with the social consciousness exhibited by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference”.

He also recalled that their “bold critical interventions at various crucial moments in our national journey have helped to caution, admonish and ultimately stabilise the polity”.

“This is as it should be. This nation belongs to us all; leaders in every sector owe it to this generation to contribute in building a good society.”

He asked for prayers adding: “for us elected into govern-

ment, we have since set about the daunting tasks before us, with vigour and commitment in the full assurance that by the grace of God our country will become safe, secure, prosperous and virtuous”.

President of the Conference, Most Rev. Igantius Kaigama, the Archbishop of Jos, praised the Buhari administration’s commitment to the fight against corruption and praised the formation of a Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption.

According to him, “the President is dead right that if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us.”

He also prayed that God will give Nigeria a new heart.

SON confiscates substandard products worth N4b, says Odumodu

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HE Director-General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu, has said the agency has seized substandard products worth four billion naira since the beginning of the year.

Odumodu said the prevalence of sub-standard goods had reduced from 85 to 40 per cent with the launch of the National Coalition on the Zero Tolerance Campaign.

He said when he assumed office, he was confronted with an organisation lacking in capacity and a market that was saturated with fake and substandard goods.

He commissioned a baseline study, which showed that the prevalence of sub-standard goods was as high as 85 per cent while the level of awareness about their hazards was almost zero per cent.

Through a six-point agenda, including consumer protection and engagement, improving the competitiveness of local products, aggressive

By Joseph Jibueze

conformity assessment, global relevance and capacity building, improvements have been made.

Following the amendment of the SON Act, the agency now has powers to arrest, prosecute and jail purveyors of fake and sub-standard products.

SON, in a statement by its Director/Head of laboratory Services, Mr. Louis Njoku, said the six-point agenda was designed to help industries build their quality assurance infrastructure while complying with SON’s zero tolerance against fake and sub-standard goods.

“These and other measures stabilised the market and reduced the prevalence of substandard goods from an initial level of 85 to less than 40 per cent in less than three years, and raised the level of consumer awareness from almost 0 to as high as 65 per cent.

“Now, the agency’s ‘operation flush’ promises to reduce

the level of sub-standard products to one per cent by the end of 2015,” the statement said.

Under Odumodu, SON has granted country-wide ISO certifications, the ISO 9000, to several firms and public institutions and has enumerated many more standards in the market, especially for local produce.

SON is spearheading the formulation of a National Quality Policy and is also fasttracking the establishment of National Quality Infrastructure.

“In line with this objective, SON midwifed the inauguration of a committee on establishing a National Accreditation Body. This was done in May 2013 in Lagos. The agency secured international accreditation of its food technology test laboratories in Nigeria. The set objective of all these efforts is for Nigerian-made products to meet global competitiveness,” the agency said.

It added that an aggressive enforcement regime has curtailed the negative activities of

importers and manufacturers of fake and sub-standard goods.

The statement added: “SON offers free certification for SMEs in the country in order to prepare them for export and put an end to Nigerian goods being rejected in the international market.

“Now, Nigeria’s local products would henceforth enjoy high patronage at the global market, following the recent accreditation by International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (ILAC)’s unprecedented testing and certification of SON food laboratories.”

It said a new ultra-modern, world class laboratory facility is nearing completion in Ogba; Lagos, which was inaugurated on October 3.

It also embarked on standardisation of cement as a means to stop building collapse. “The inclusion of labeling, date of manufacture, expiration and other measures will enable SON’s officials towards effective monitoring,

enforcement and flushing out of all quacks in the sector.

“However, one of the multi-national cement companies operating in Nigeria obtained a Court order restraining SON from enforcing the new cement grade standards.

“Standardisation exercises in the cable sector have promoted at least N20 billion worth of investment in cable manufacturing in the country.”

SON said it also pioneered a National Quality Policy aimed at establishing the appropriate framework for the development and publication of national standards and to reposition the country among the top 20 industrialised nations of the world.

SON has also integrated its e-Certificates with Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) for processing Form ‘M’ and Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR). The essence, it said, is to facilitate trade by eliminating direct contact or visits to SON office for certification processing.

It constructed the National

Metrology Institute (NMI) in Enugu. “The NMI is one of the missing quality control links required to house the national primary standards for Nigeria and regulate the operations of enterprises and corporations so that measurement systems used for commerce in Nigeria are not subject to abuses and exploitation.

“After several laboratory analyses, the agency’s enforcement unit has made a public evacuation and destruction of several products ranging from tyres, electrical equipment, diapers, phones, shaving sticks, cables and bulbs, among others.

“Following SON’s Operation flush drive to ensure substandard, fake, adulterated and counterfeit products are completely flushed out of the nation’s economy and markets across the country, the impact of SON’s activities under the leadership and watch of Dr. Odumodu is positively felt in the nation,” the statement added.

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

NEWS Alleged N1.7b fraud: EFCC arrests Lagos businessman Continued from page 1

•From left: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President Catholic Bishop of Nigeria Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, during the Catholic Bishops Conference in Port Harcourt...yesterday.

Chibok girls ‘now Boko Haram fighters’

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HE hope of recovering the abducted Chibok girls yesterday dimmed further with the declaration by a returnee from Boko Haram camp.

Twenty-one-year old Tabitha Adamu, one of the women freed from the sect’s camp and handed over to the Borno State Government last week, said the girls had turned to Boko Haram fighters.

Tabitha, who is expectant for one of the sect’s commanders who forcibly married her, said she mingled with the girls at various times in the sect’s camp.

According to Tabitha, she was taken from Bayan Dutse in Gwoza Local Government Area, when the insurgents invaded her village.

She said: “They killed my father and brother. They took me along with my mother but at some point we were separated. Since then, I’ve not set my eyes on my mother. When he (Abu Kabir, my Boko Haram husband), wanted to marry me, he gave the women who were taking care of us N5,000 as my bride price.

“Before the marriage, I was asked to convert to Islam. I did so because many who refused were killed and they

gave me a name (Samira). I answered the name but I know my true name is my real name. When we were rescued I told the soldiers that my name is Tabitha.

“They asked me if I am one of the wives of the Boko Haram and I told them my story. They felt for me and they treated me well.

“Many people asked me since we were liberated, particularly about the pregnancy. I don’t know the right answer to give because I actually do not know what to do. It has happened. I don’t know what the authorities would do about it but I think it is too

late to abort it. But my prayer is that I give birth safely.”

Tabitha said she completed her secondary education and earned a certificate in computer appreciation in Maiduguri before moving to join her parents in Gwoza, at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency.

According to her, now that the government has promised to help her, she would be looking for a good future when she finally gains her freedom after the government might have trained her in a trade.

F

•‘More terrorists surrender’ lay down their arms.

He said the ground troops had also adopted routes blocking strategy in a bid to ‘constrict and snuff out” the Boko Haram terrorists from their hideouts.

“Many of the terrorists that willingly surrendered painted images of mass panic and hysteria among their erstwhile colleagues.

“They said their colleagues

are feeling the noose tightening on their necks with the relentless efforts of troops and renewed vigour in the operations inspired by the personal leadership of the Chief of Army Staff.

“Terrorists also seem to have an inkling of what happens to surrendered suspects as regards screening and deradicalisation of innocent ones among them,’’ it said.

of Afromedia followed Gobir to London on a business trip.

The source added: “On one good day after the suspect had collected several amounts of money and made several trips to the UK to meet with the purported investors, the group managing director of Afromedia accompanied him to the UK for another round of meeting ostensibly to close the deal.

“But as soon as they landed in the UK, Gobir made a telephone call in which his travel companion overheard him scream aloud, saying his assets were seized by UK anti-money laundering authorities.

“He even showed the GMD an email sent to him for the alleged seizure.

“The suspect confessed to the MD of Afromedia that his money( $250,000,000) was seized by the British authorities five years earlier for alleged money laundering and that he was currently financially handicapped and he needed a bailout of $3,817,000 to get the European Union Money Laundering Waiver Certificate.

“The suspect later presented a “waiver certificate”, to the company and promised to pay them the monies he had collected.”

The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren who confirmed the arrest, said investigation into the scam continued.

Six Nigerian pilgrims among 107 dead in Saudi crane collapse ‘’This brings the total of our intending pilgrims so far airlifted to the Holy land to 4, 478, while the remaining 1, 124 are still on ground waiting for their flights,’’ he said.

Badamasi expressed optimism that the remaining pilgrims would be taken to the Holy land before the Sept.

17 deadline. ‘’We are appreciative of the commitment of the airline as it has kept to its promise and flight schedules since the commencement of the exercise’’.

He, however, called on the

Continued from page 1

Army: we’ve tightened noose around Boko Haram OLLOWING persistent pounding, many Boko Haram suspects have been surrendering to troops in the frontline, the military declared yesterday.

The Air Force has been consistently bombing the terrorists’ positions while the ground troops are moving in.

Acting Army Director of Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, in a statement yesterday, said more terrorists had also indicated willingness to

company through a phoney investment deal.

“The suspect was allegedly introduced to Afromedia sometime in 2008 by their private placement consultants, Synergy Capital Advisory Limited, as a high networth investor who was willing to inject N1,000,000,000 into the company, through the acquisition of shares.

“Based on his touted pedigree as potential investor, Gobir cozy up to the management and in no time became chairman of the Business Development Committee of the board of directors of the company, a position which he later used to defraud the company.

“Having earned the trust of the company owners, Gobir started demanding large amounts of money, which he termed as business expenses to international consultants, Royal Exchange Burue in the United Kingdom in order to facilitate and secure investments from his bank in the UK, Natwest Bank London.

“The company gave Gobir $1,000,000 in cash and paid for his travel expenses on a first class return ticket to UK where he would meet with the purported investors, which investigation later showed never existed nor were the meetings ever held.”

The commission said the fraud was uncovered when the group managing director

The statement said the Nigerian Army, in conjunction with the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies, would continue to employ effective strategies to bring the insurgency to a speedy end.

It said the military would continue to receive surrendering suspects and assured innocent ones among them that “to surrender is the only option open to them”.

from the state had been flown to Saudi Arabia.

Alhaji Nuhu Badamasi, the Public Relations Officer of the board, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano that the intending pilgrims were flown to the holy land through the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in nine flights by Max Air. According to him, the airline made its ninth flight with 530 pilgrims yesterday around 7. 30 a.m. with officials of the board.

Continued on page 8

How UNILAG undergraduate died, by sister Continued from page 1

chine. We told him we would come back. We stopped nearby the popcorn vendor to buy 3-in-1 bracelets. Then, I told her to let us wait for the popcorn but she said she was going back to church for Catholic students’ meeting. It was a few minutes past 7pm.

“We came out of New Hall gate and standing on the road. I told her we should go to her room but she was adamant, saying I should give her one of the bracelets that we bought a moment earlier.

As I was about opening my bag, I heard a loud bang and we were thrown apart. All I could remember at that moment was that I was shouting and screaming for help.

“I noticed electric sparks of white blue light. It all happened within microseconds.

I initially lost consciousness.

When I regained my consciousness, I saw people running away from us. I tried to

stand up but I could not, because I was still feeling electrical shock in my body. As I turned, I saw my sister (Oluchi) with the electric cable around her leg.

“I don’t know where I got the energy; I got up and screamed for help. Nobody came to our rescue. One man came later and he singlehandedly pulled Oluchi away from the cable. Others came and stopped a taxi and rushed her to the Medical Centre within the campus. I joined another taxi.

“When we got there, we didn’t receive immediate attention until 30 minutes after.

She could have stayed alive a little longer if the doctor had attended to her. The doctor did not even show sympathy and care. They only offered to give me a drip but they left my sister unconscious.

“As a medical student, I knew my sister needed urgent attention, but the people

in the clinic seemed helpless.

I told them I would not allow them to give me the drip until they attended to my sister.

Later, one of the nurses brought two tablets of Panadol. We stayed for some time before they brought an ambulance to take my sister to LUTH.” Uju blamed the school for not providing facilities at the clinic, saying: “The Medical Centre does not even have a toilet roll. What does the school provide for the Medical Centre to cope with emergency?”

Anekwe, a senior employee at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said: “Oluchi’s life could have been saved. When they brought out her body, I checked it and I discovered that the only stiff part was Oluchi’s left arm where the electric cable struck her. Every other part was moving freely. And this shows she was left to die because the

nurses and doctors, who attended to her, did not know what to do when she was rushed to school clinic and LUTH.” On how she learnt about the incident, Anekwe said: “I got a call from my first son, telling me Oluchi was seriously sick. I did not believe him, because Oluchi and her sister came home at the weekend. We all went to church together and she was lively.

She returned to school on Sunday and I promised to send N30,000 to her for upkeep.

“On Tuesday evening, I withdrew the money from ATM, with hope that I would ask somebody to deliver the money to her on Wednesday before I left for work. I got the call from Chinedu, who asked me to come back home, that Oluchi had been admitted. When I got home, Chinedu took me in his car and headed for LUTH. “As we entered the LUTH

gate, he did not take me to hospital but he drove to mortuary area, where I saw Nkem and my wife’s sisters.

I asked what they were doing there, but none of them replied. It was then I knew tragedy had hit my household. The N30,000 I wanted to send to Oluchi was paid at the mortuary. While this was happening, my wife did not know what was going on…”

Anekwe criticised UNILAG for not equipping its health centre with good facilities and competent medical personnel. He said the late Oluchi was not attended to for more than 20 minutes after she was rushed to the clinic.

He said: “I was told the doctors were asking for Oluchi’s medical card before she could be attended to. As doctors, are they not to save lives first?

If they had attended to my daughter and told me the medical bill is N2 million, I would look for the money and pay it, because her life is

more important than money.

“But, they did not attend to her. No effort was made to revive her and no medical test was conducted on Oluchi before she died. When they wanted to transfer the body to the mortuary, a doctor wrote on a plain sheet and gave Nkem to take the body to the LUTH morgue. Nkem rejected it because the note contained a statement that indicated that Oluchi was brought in dead. This was to cover their inaction that led to the death of my daughter.”

Although the family accused the UNILAG management of carelessness, Anekwe said there would not be any legal action against the school and Eko Electric Distribution Company (EKEDC) – owners of the cable that fell Continued on page 8

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

NEWS Grants for Ondo schools

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NDO State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has said secondary schools will be paid running grants this week.

Mimiko made the promise at a workshop for headteachers by the Ministry of Education.

The governor, who hailed the teachers’ patriotism, assured them that a minimum of one term running grant would be paid to schools next week.

He said: “I can assure you that from this week a minimum of one term running grant will be paid.

“Arrangements will be made on how to pay the subsequent ones.”

Mimiko said his administration had provided a world-class training institute at Ilara Mokin for training and re-training of workers.

He said there was need for the government to implement the Land Use Charge to increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

The governor called for the teachers’ collaboration to increase the state’s IGR.

DSS: APC condemns Fayose’s outburst

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has berated Governor Ayo Fayose for his outburst on the search of the Akwa Ibom State Government House by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The party, in its reaction to Fayose’s advertorials, maintained that the constitution provided no immunity for any Government House.

It said only embassies, high commissions and other diplomatic missions enjoy diplomatic immunity.

Its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement yesterday said the DSS operatives acted in the nation’s interest.

Olatunbosun said: “Let us educate Fayose that a Government House is not the same as an embassy or for-

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

eign mission that enjoy physical immunity from security activities by local armed forces.

“While a governor enjoys immunity from physical and body security search, the same cannot be said of the Government House because no law in the constitution says the Government House should be a breeding ground for insurrection and insurgency.

“We suspect Fayose as an accomplice in the Akwa Ibom arms stockpiling saga, otherwise there is no reason for him to be edgy and agitated in his response.”

The APC spokesman berated the governor for trying to whip up public sentiment against DSS operatives, who performed their legiti-

mate duties to secure the country.

“No amount of blackmail would stop security agents from performing their legal duties against violent and corrupt governors.

“We know why Fayose is blackmailing DSS. Ekiti Government House is home to thugs and criminals. They were used during the last elections to attack the opponents.

“We call on DSS to be alert to its responsibilities of maintaining internal cohesion and security integrity across the country and should comb everywhere, including Aso Rock, if need be, to ensure that no one constitutes himself into a security risk.”

Urging Ekiti people to be wary of Fayose’s inciting statements, the APC spokes-

man said: “Our party urges Ekiti people not to fall for Fayose’s attempt to use them as cannon fodder to preserve his illegal activities in government.

“Fayose has kept all his children abroad while he incites and distributes weapons to the children of the poor to fight to defend his illegalities.

“Fayose cannot survive in a society where the law works, that is why he keeps armed criminals permanently in the Government House for use to keep himself in power without opposition.

“The Akwa Ibom example has put the governor on edge and so he is trying whatever he can to discredit the DSS and pre-empt the security agency from interrogating his illegal activities.”

Alaafin praises Ajimobi From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

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HE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has described Governor Abiola Ajimobi as a man committed to the wellbeing of the people.

The monarch spoke at the grand finale of the Oranyan festival in Oyo town.

He said the governor’s devotion made the free medical services possible.

The monarch said his desire to ensure that the annual festival was not a cultural jamboree led to the free medicare mission, which was sponsored by two indigenes living in the US, Bode and Aanu Esuola.

Oba Adeyemi said their company, Community Dentistry on Wheels, donated a $300,000 mobile hospital and organised three-day free medical services.

He said: “After a visit to the USA to assess the facilities, I met with the governor to discuss the matter and solicited his support. ‘’What amazed me was his sincerity of purpose in providing all the needed logistics, including accommodation, feeding, mobility and security.

“The governor was so excited that gave N4million to support the Oranyan festival.’’

T

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (middle); National President, Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA), Dr. Muhammed Tumala (second left), Consultant to Nigerian Statistical Association, Prof. Peter Osanaye (second right), Fellow of NSA, Dr. Sere Ejembi (left) and former Senator, Ekiti Central, Babafemi Ojudu, at a dinner at the Government House, Osogbo… at the weekend.

Osun not paying N20b to contractor

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HE Osun State government has called on residents to disregard the lies being peddled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to discredit Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

A statement by the Director of the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, said the PDP and its allies were manipulating the people.

It reads: “The latest of the PDP’s falsehood is the allegation that the Aregbesola administration has paid N20billion of the N34.988billion bailout fund to a construction company, Slava Yeditepe, handling the Oba Adesoji Aderemi Second By-Pass Road.

•Payment of workers’ salaries to begin “Nothing could be more ridiculous. The construction of the Adesoji Aderemi Road began in July 2013 at a cost of N14.5billion and this was publicly announced.

“What then would be the reason for the payment of N20billion to the contractor in 2015?

“Secondly, the PDP shot itself in the foot last week when it accused Aregbesola of fixing the bailout funds in a deposit account.

“If its claim was true, how then was the governor able to pay N20billion to Slava Yeditepe? This stands logic in the head. This does not show good thinking on the

part of the PDP and its allies.

“There can be no other rationale behind these spurious allegations other than to incite workers against the government.

“The PDP said the state received the bailout funds two weeks ago. It was apparent that this was a calculated attempt to set workers against the government.

“If not outright mischief, how could the PDP accuse Aregbesola of having collected the funds two weeks when in actual facts, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), just three days before then, confirmed its release

of the funds to the states?

“This is why the public must be wary of the antics of this party and its co-travellers.

“Whether the PDP and its allies in the evil plot realise it or not, Osun people are much more sophisticated and more discerning.

Such lies are too cheap for them,” it added.

The statement assured that the government will begin the payment of salary and pension arrears.

It thanked the people of Osun for their resilience, perseverance, and for resisting the temptation to be used to destroy the peace and progress the state had always enjoyed under Aregbesola.

Boroffice: Mimiko desperate for relevance

HE senator representing Ondo North, Robert Ajayi Boroffice, has described Governor Olusegun Mimiko as an accidental critic, desperate for relevance.

Boroffice said the governor “an exemplar of bad governance” cannot advise the Federal Government on sound economic policies.

The senator, who was re-

By Seun Akioye

acting to the governor’s statements during the sixth Gani Fawehinmi Annual Memorial Lecture in Akure, said the governor was using the programme to promote antipeople policies, which the late Fawehinmi fought against.

“Governor Mimiko is an emerging accidental critic, who is desperate for

political relevancy and has persistently fired shots at President Muhammadu Buhari even at the slightest chance since there is virtually no on-going activity or project in Ondo State.

“He is advised to reflect on his new found role because it is absurd, hypocritical and likewise nonsensical for a renowned exem-

plar of bad governance to advise the Federal Government on sound economic policies,” Boroffice said.

He said Mimiko was a beneficiary of the President’s sound economic policies.

“Nigerians now testify to the significant improvement in power supply.

“The Federal Government has unveiled an economic blueprint that plac-

es more emphasis on investment in people, education, job creation and social sectors to reduce poverty; diversification of the economy in agriculture, technology, manufacturing and entertainment; national school feeding scheme and the conditional cash transfer to N25 million poorest households in the country.”

New tribunal panel in Ondo From Damisi Ojo, Akure

A NEW tribunal panel has been constituted to hear the petition by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and two of its candidates in Akure South (Festus Aregbesola) and Ilaje II (Gbenga Edema).

This followed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure, which ordered the Court’s President to set up a new panel to hear the petitions afresh and set aside the dismissal of the petitions by the Justice Anthony Ogarled tribunal.

The Appeal Court held that it was usurpation of the power of the court for the tribunal to reverse its ruling without a successful appeal.

The tribunal raised an objection to the petitions and thereafter dismissed the petitions without hearing the substantive petition.

But the Appeal Court ruled that the application for pre-hearing by the petitioners’ counsel, Charles Titiloye, was properly filed under the Electoral Act and the petition ought not to have been dismissed or held to have been abandoned.

It also ordered the accelerated hearing of the petition before the new tribunal.

But the tribunal could not sit on Friday because it did not meet the required quorum of three judges.

‘Ogun pilgrims safe’ THE Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board has said no pilgrim was affected in the crane that crashed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, last Friday.

The Amir-ul-hajj, Alhaji Rasheed Raji, made the confirmation in an interview with the pilgrims and board members in Saudi Arabia.

Raji said all the state’s pilgrims were hale and hearty, noting that medical experts were on ground to take care of them.

The Board Chairman, Dr. Ishaq Yusuf, urged the pilgrims to carry out their rites/assignments dilligently.

Speaking in Mecca, Yusuf warned them to shun all vices that could bring disgrace to the state.

The Olu of Itori, Oba Abdulfatai Akamo, who is a pilgrim, advised the pilgrims not to allow the shock of the incident dampen their spiritual morale.

He urged the people to continue to support the pilgrims in praying for the unity, stability, and tranquillity in the state and the country.

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NEWS Six Nigerian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

Our meeting with Aregbesola, by Ife Traditional Council

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HE Ife Traditional Council yesterday clarified their last week’s meeting with Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife. They expressed misgivings over reports on some national dailies.

Speaking at a meeting held at the Ooni of Ife’s palace in IleIfe yesterday, Chief Ijaodola, the Lowa of Ife, said: “Indeed, it is true that we held a meeting with the Osun State Governor, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, in his office in Oke-Fia, Osogbo, last Friday”. According to him, the meeting was held on the governor’s invitation.

The meeting, Chief Ijaodola said, was earlier scheduled to hold before last Friday, but some traditional engagements involving the Chiefs made it impossible.

According to the chief , 13 of the 16 Traditional Chiefs

attended the meeting. Two of the 16 chiefs were said to be indisposed. One of the chiefs, the Akogun, is dead.

The House of Oduduwa, as the Ife Palace is known, has 16 chiefs comprising eight on the left and eight on the right, that is, eight Inner and eight Outer Chiefs, forming the Traditional Council.

Chief Ijaodola said, apart from the governor, who was the convener of the meeting, the Osun State government was also represented by four other top officials, namely, Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the Chief of Staff (COS), Mr. Mufutau Oluwadare, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as, a representative of the Justice Ministry.

According to Chief Ijaodola,

the meeting, which was held behind closed doors, was presided over by the governor.

Opening the meeting, Chief Ijaodola said, the governor told the gathering that the state government had, in recent time, been inundated with security reports that tension was building up in the ancient city of IleIfe following the demise of the immediate past Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuwade and urged the Ife Traditional Council to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

Oba Sijuwade joined his ancestors after a brief illness, at a highbrow hospital in London, on Tuesday, July 28. The announcement of his death by the media caused controversy with the Ife Traditional Council maintaining that the first class monarch was still alive and that if anything had happened to him, it was the responsibility of the Traditional Council to make

the news public and not that of any other person through whatever medium. However, his transition was later made public when the Ife Traditional Council alongside members of the Sijuwade family including Tokunbo, his first son, finally broke the news to the Osun State governor at the Governor’s Office in Osogbo on August 12. The remains of the departed monarch have since been buried at the Ife Palace.

Chief Ijaodola said the governor touched on the succession plan to the stool at the meeting. According to him, the governor told them point blank that “the choice of a new Ooni, is the sole responsibility and prerogative of the Ife kingmakers” and that he, the governor, has no candidate for the vacant stool and so he will not impose any candidate on the kingmakers. According to Chief Ijaodola, the governor later requested the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs who had come to the meeting with a file on the Ooni’s succession issue, to brief the gathering on what the law says .

After the Permanent Secretary’s briefing, Chief Ijaodola said three members of the Traditional Council including himself spoke and at the end of the meeting, the council chiefs assured the governor that they were capable of maintaining peace in the ancient town. He also said that they told the governor that, though they had noticed an influx of some shady characters into the town in recent time, they were not folding their arms. According to Chief Ijaodola, the Traditional Chiefs, therefore, implored the governor to beef up security in the ancient city as a way of forestalling the occurrence of any untoward development. Chief Ijaodola said since that Friday’s meeting, the government has swung into action as an increase in security presence had been noticed in the town.

On the successor to the Ooni, Chief Ijaodola said the Ife Traditional Council would today (Monday) address a news conference in the ancient town on the issue.

Apart from Chief Ijaodola, yesterday’s news conference at the palace was attended by seven others. They are Chief Adekola Adeyeye, the Jaaran of Ife, Oba Sakaniyawu Adewusi, the Obaloran, Ilode Quarters, Ife, Oba Zacheus, the Wasin of Ilare Quarters, Ile-Ife, Oba Jimoh Arifayo Awe, Arode of Ile-Ife, Oba Arasanmi, Erebese of IleIfe, Oba Adebowale Olafare, the Lowate of Ile-Ife and Idowu Salami, the Traditional Secretary to the Ooni of Ile-Ife.

•Sultan Abubakar Continued from page 6

remaining pilgrims to cooperate with the board to ensure the success of the airlift.

NAN recalls that the airlift of the state’s intending pilgrims commenced on Sept. 5.

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Jama’atul Nasril Islam, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has commiserated with authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia over the deaths due to the collapse of cranes on the holy mosque in Makka.

In a statement signed on behalf of Sultan Abubakar by the JNI’s Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu , the royal father described the death of the 107 pilgrims as a great tragedy to the Muslim ummah (community).

He said:”This is indeed a great tragedy to the Muslim Ummah specifically and the entire world generally.

“This is a pointer to us that death is inevitable.

“Therefore, we should be conscious of our actions and inactions, because death may descend anywhere, anytime.

“We commiserate with the Saudi authorities, especially the custodian of the two holy mosques at this moment of grief over this tragic event.”

The Sultan also expressed concern over the kidnap of his deputy, Sheikh Adam Abdullahi Idoko by unknown gunmen.

Sheikh Idoko is the Vice President of the JNI and Chief Imam of the University of Nsukka, Enugu State.

While condenming the incident, the Sultan urged the government and security agencies to do everything possible to rescue the Islamic scholar.

His words: “While congratulating the Ummah, JNI is also perturbed over the kidnapped of Sheikh Adam Abdullahi Idoko.

“Indeed this ugly incident is strongly condemned by the JNI. “The JNI appeals to the government and security agencies at all levels to do everything humanly possible to rescue the distinguished Muslim scholar, hale and hearty, from the hands of the criminals.”

‘How UNILAG undergraduate died’ Continued from page 6

on the girls. He wondered why the university did not remove the cable after weeks of complaints by students living in the New Hall hostel.

He said it was wrong for the school to allow EKEDC to run cables not meant for the hostels across the campus.

Anekwe said: “We will not take any legal action against the school and the power company that owns the cable.

I don’t want any compensation from them. If UNILAG management approaches me for compensation, I will ask

them to give me my daughter or go to hell with their money. I don’t want their money; I want my daughter.

“It would be wrong if UNILAG usually pays compensation for such carelessness. As a parent, I will never accept any offer, whether money or material, from the people who watched my daughter to die. If they are thinking of compensation, let UNILAG use the money to equip its clinic and hire competent medical personnel.

The people presently in their clinic are killers.”

Ezekwesili to deliver Foursquare diamond jubilee lecture

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PUBLIC lecture to mark the Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria holds in Abuja on Thursday at the National Christian Centre.

It will be delivered by former Minister for Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, will speak on the topic ‘The Role of the Church in Nation Building.’ It will be chaired

by House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Rev Felix Meduoye, will lead the District Overseers, Zonal Superintendents, pastors and members of the church, to welcome dignitaries and invited guests from all walks of life.

The lecture is second in the series of such events to mark the 60th anniversary of the Foursquare Gospel Church, which was established in Nigeria by the missionary, Rev Harold Curtis, and his wife, in 1955.

The international arm of the church had been founded in 1923 in Los Angeles, United States of America, by traveling evangelist, Aimee Semple

McPherson. The maiden lecture marking the Diamond Jubilee had held in Lagos in May, and it was delivered by Professor Niyi Agunbiade, Vice Chancellor of McPherson University, Ogun State.

The Diamond Jubilee Anniversary will be concluded in November with a special National Convention, which will attract delegates from different parts of the world, including the International President of the organization, Dr Glenn Burris Jnr.

•Mrs Ezekwesili

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015 9

NEWS

Abia disengaged workers deny reinstatement S OME of non-indigene workers disengaged from the Abia State civil service by the Theodore Orji-led administration in 2011 has debunked claims by the Ikpeazu-led administration that they were recalled by his administration.

The workers under the aegis of Abia Disengaged NonIndigenes Workers (ADNIW), warned the state government and politicians to stop politicising their condition.

About 4,000 non-indigene workers were on October 1, 2011, disengaged from the state’s civil service.

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Mr. Godwin Adindu said about 102 of the workers (teachers) were reinstated by the Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB), adding that 63 others had

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

been cleared for reinstatement.

But in a statement by Ihejirika I. and Unogu U., leader and secretary of ADNIW said the CPS’s claim was false.

ADNIW said it was disheartening for the government to play wicked politics with the issue when it should have acted against its predecessor’s innocuous policy.

According to them, they made several representations to the government to rescind the decision without success, before writing to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Officials of the SEMB also told the workers that the “reinstatement was on radio and

no memo had been sent to them in that regard”.

The statement reads: “We members of ADNIW state that the claim by the state government that disengaged non-indigene workers in Abia State’s public and civil service had been recalled is false.

“Should government be given the benefit of the doubt and its claim taken on its first value, if 102 of the disengaged workers had been recalled, which is invidious, what happens to the rest?

“The over 4,000 workers were sacked the same day, why is government claiming it recalled that number if they are serious? Nothing will rest the issue except total recall”.

Ugwuanyi laments poor hospitals in NUGU State Governor Southeast Enugu-Ezike.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has He said: “I am convinced that

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decried the poor state of hospitals in the Southeast.

He lamented that the illequipped hospitals could not meet the health demands of the people.

The governor spoke when the management of Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, Chevron Oil Company and Agbami co-ventures, visited him at the Government House in Enugu.

Ugwuanyi said when completed, the diagnostic centre

From Chris Oji, Enugu

being built would reduce the people’s craving for foreign medical attention.

He appealed to the group to help the zone by establishing a befitting hospital to promote health care delivery.

Ugwuanyi also requested the group to establish a modern library to facilitate learning and encourage research, even as he hailed them for building a chest clinic complex at the District Hospital in

you are a worthy partner that has touched our hearts and the lives of our people. May my good Lord reward you.”

Representative of Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, Mr. Stan Otuonye said the group was in Enugu to inaugurate the chest clinic complex it built at the Ogurute District Hospital.

Otuonye noted that the group had built 24 chest clinics in different parts of Nigeria.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

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NEWS

CPC investigates FCMB for alleged N1.86b excess charges

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HE Consumer Protection Council (CPC), has asked the management of First City Monument Bank FCMB) Plc to appear before it to answer to allegations by the Bauchi State Government, accusing the bank of charging N1.86 billion excess interest on its account.

A statement by the CPC yesterday said the state government sent the petition to the Council after the Central Bank of Nigeria declined further adjudication on the case through a letter dated July 15, 2015 to the petitioner, asking it to “seek alternative means of redress as the case is hereby deemed closed.”

Tata Motors, Total Lubrifiants sign partnership agreement

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ATA Motors and Total Lubrifiants, have signed an agreement to supply high performance Total branded lubricants, across the Tata Motors’ sales and service points in the International Markets.

Total Lubrifiants with its global presence, operating in 150 countries, would support the Tata Motors service network and its customers to provide latest generation lubricants to enhance performance of Tata Motors Commercial vehicles.

Regarding the partnership, Global Head - Customer Care, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, Sanjeev Gard, said: “Through our partnership with Total Lubrifiants, we at Tata Motors are committed to providing our customers with superior quality branded lubricants, developed specially for Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles.

“This will enable our customers to enhance the performance and lower the overall costs of operating the vehicles. We at Tata Motors are committed to offering our customers with world-class product and services”, Garg added.

Also, the Vice President Total Lubrifiants, France, Phillipe Charleux, said: “This agreement is the demonstration of the excellent relationship established between both companies. It also illustrates our commitment to sustainable growth in the global market place and in developing world class products and services to best satisfy our customers’ expectations.”

Through this partnership, he stated, Total Lubrifiants will be involved in enhancing the skill of the Tata Motors network and jointly support the modernisation of Tata Motors workshops across the globe.

Total is one of the largest integrated oil and gas companies in the world, with activities in more than 150 countries. Total markets lubricants in 150 countries and employs close to 5,000 people. It operates 45 production plants with annual sales of almost two million tons in 2014.

Tata Motors is India’s largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues totaling about $34.7 billion in 2012-13.

By Olatunde Odebiyi

The statement, signed by the Head, Media, CPC, Abiodun Obimuyiwa, said the Council waded into the lingering disagreement between the bank and its consumer with a letter, dated August 20, 2015, requesting the bank to respond to the allegations contained in the complaint within seven days.

The Council said the bank has not responded to the letter as at the time it issued the release.

The statement said: “The state government had alleged that the bank, without any prior information, charged 21 per cent interest rate per annum on two loans of N10billion and N3billion, which the bank granted it on 22nd January 2009 and 15th June 2011 respectively, both

at the rate of 13 per cent interest per annum, and that this has resulted in excess interest charges on its account, amounting to N1,864,188,594.78 as at February, 2014.

“The Council’s letter also stated that the state government further alleged that a review of its account with the bank showed inconsistencies in the application of interest rate with the rate going up as high as 54.46 per cent in some cases.”

The CPC said, in its letter to FCMB, that the allegations are weighty and amount to exploitation of the customer contrary to the Consumer Protection Council Act Cap. C25 Laws of the Federation 2004 and other enactments for the protection of consumers.”

But when contacted, an official of the bank said he was

not aware of the development. He requested that his identity should be veiled, saying that his comment on the matter at the moment cannot be said to reflect the position of the bank. “Honestly, I am not aware of the development,” he stated.

Meanwhile, in a notice of investigation, dated September 3, 2015, the Council has required officers or representatives of the bank “with sufficient knowledge of the facts surrounding the alleged violations to attend and testify before the Council on the 17th of September 2015.”

According to the CPC, the bank’s representatives “are required to bring along print-out of the customer’s statement of account, loan agreement and/or any relevant documents, invoices, contracts, agreements, records or information that

will assist in responding to the aforementioned concerns.”

The Debt Management Agency of the Bauchi State Government, through its consultants, 3M Consulting Limited, had brought the issue to the notice of the Council, stating that “in recognition of the role of the Consumer Protection Council, we deemed it expedient to present this petition and seek the guidance and assistance of the CPC on this matter.”

The state’s Debt Management Agency alleged that it decided to bring the issue before the Council because several attempts at reconciling the account with the bank had failed, pointing out that the CBN had also declined further adjudication on the case, advising the state government to seek

alternative means of redress.

The state government, therefore, pleaded with CPC to intervene on the issue “as it originated from a bank-customer relationship and its non-resolution creates a confidence risk among the banking public and consumers at large.”

“The Council’s action is in line with the dictates of its mandate, which empowers it to provide speedy redress to consumer complaints, ensure that consumers’ interest receive due consideration at appropriate forum and provide redress to obnoxious practices or the unscrupulous exploitation of consumers by companies, firms, trade associations or individuals,” the statement said, adding that “the Council is mandated to implement any enactment whatsoever for the protection of consumers in the country.”

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NEWS Crude oil a pain to economy, says NEXIM boss

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HE discovery of crude oil has been described as a great pain on Nigeria’s economy, the Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Robert Orya, has said.

Orya, who spoke over the weekend in Abuja at a forum tagged, ‘Business Talk In Summer’ organised by an Abuja based radio stationCool Wazobia FM, said whereas other oil producing nations make good use of their oil proceeds to diversify their economy, Nigeria uses its oil proceed to kill other thriving sectors of the economy.

He lamented that the agriculture sector with all its potentials to transform Nigeria economically, has been neglected because of the existence of cheap monies from the sale of crude oil.

Orya warned that Nigeria will find itself in a fix should her oil dry up. The NEXIM bank boss noted that, Nigeria, essentially is an agrarian economy with oil producing capabilities has turned a lazy country because of cheap income from oil sources.

He said: “Prior to rebasing

NCAA to register aviation fuel marketers

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

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IGERIAN Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it would commence the registration of all Aviation Fuel Marketers very soon.

As part of preparations for the registration , the Aviation Regulatory authority said said it has initialled all modalities and prerequisites concerning the exercise with aviation fuel marketers .

Disclosing this at the weekend, its Director General, Captain Mukthar Usman, said all existing aviation fuel suppliers would be required to register and regularise their operations with the NCAA .

He said new entrants would file fresh application with the same requirements.

This action is not unconnected with the recent controversy and cross allegations concerning the Jet A1 supply and usage by the airline operators.

Usman charged relevant departments and officials of the Authority to quickly hold a meeting with the marketers and stakeholders to sensitise them on the guidelines and requirements for registration prior to the exercise.

He said :” To register as an aviation fuel supplier, an application should be written and addressed to the Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The application shall be signed by the lead promoter or Chief Operating/Executive Officer of the company and the airports/terminals where it intends to operate.

Cassava: World Bank boosts mechanised farming in Kogi

From Nduka Chiejina

of Nigeria’s economy in 2014, Agriculture contributed over 40 per cent of GDP, but with the rebasing, the Agric Sector now accounts for about 20 per cent, not because of lower productivity, but because other emerging sectors have diluted the contribution of Agriculture”.

He stated that despite the fact that 93 per cent of our revenue comes from oil, it is an area that we should have used what we are getting from there to develop the non-oil sector.

“It is the non-oil sector that determines the rate of our economic growth and not oil. If we had used that money to develop agriculture, agroprocessing and to developed solid minerals, Nigeria will

T •Orya

not have the magnitude of challenges it has today.”

To address some of the problems militating against development of agriculture sector, Orya advocated the promotion of private investments through suitable incentive measures, like tax holidays and other fiscal measures to encourage investment in agriculture.

HE World Bank under FADAMA III Additional Financing has moved in to assist cassava farmers in Kogi State in the areas of land clearing and preparation, which have been the major challenges facing cassava farmers.

Disclosing this at an interactive session in Lokoja, the Kogi State FADAMA Project Coordinator, Paul Ogunmola, informed that Kogi State as the largest producer of cassava in Nigeria, has been selected for participation in the FADAMA III AF due to “prompt payment of counterpart fund, government willingness to buy into FADAM projects, as well

as general cooperation of beneficiaries.”

Under the arrangement, FADAMA III AF in conjunction with the State Government, provide tractors and allied equipment for the clearing, preparation and ridging of farm lands that will be used for planting of Cassava. About 5, 000 hectares of land will be covered under the ongoing project that will end in 2017.

Selected service providers are already assisting farmers in various areas on a 50-50 cost sharing ratio.

The project has not only boosted mechanized farming, It has also provided improved cassava cuttings whose yields are several times higher than those the

farmers were used to. For example, the Coordinator informed that over 30, 000 metric tons was harvested from one hectare of land early last month at Oghale, Kogi State. This was against the ten to twelve metric tons farmers were harvesting from one hectare in the past.

He further stated that the project has introduced the “novelty” of looking for offtakers: Before there used to be a glut, but now under the FADAMA III AF, before the farmers even produce, we go out of our way to source for would be off-takers. This has endeared the project to farmers who were initially skeptical because of past negative experience arising from post-harvest waste.”

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

NNPC’s recovery drive • Every dime owed the country must be recovered

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HE news that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has begun the process of recovering billions of dollars in outstanding obligations by its Joint Venture partners and other players in the industry should ordinarily gladden the hearts of every Nigerian. A report submitted to the President detailing activities since the new management took over says that the corporation has begun the process of recovering over $7 billion in over-deducted tax benefits from JV Partners (JVP) on major capital projects.

Among other highlights, the report also referred to the on-going work by a reputable international accounting firm to ascertain the exact amount due to the federation from the Strategic Alliance Contracts entered by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) involving an outstanding $2.46bn; the reconciliation of the crude oil for refined products swap contracts said to have yielded an outstanding $420 million in favour of NNPC, of which only $277m has been recovered in lieu of products although recovery effort is said to be on-going.

In all, NNPC’s Group Managing Director (GMD) Dr. Ibe Kachikwu touched on the performance measurement and value-for-money review embarked on by the corporation covering the period between 2008 and 2013 as raising great prospects of raising more cash into the national kitty.

These initial steps are certainly important, both from the point of view

of the on-going efforts to reposition the national oil corporation and the need to boost the accruals into the treasury. The reality however is that the report – largely statements of intentions – is not nearly enough if the outcomes of similar findings in the past are anything to go by. Nigerians expect to see the Federal Government move swiftly to recover every dime.

If merely by the current state of the national treasury, any form of dithering by any of the debtors to promptly remit those funds already established as accruing to the NNPC, and by extension the federation account, would not just be intolerable but smack of acts bordering on economic sabotage. In the circumstance, it would not be out of place for the Federal Government to consider all possible options to ensure that the funds are paid without further delay.

Howbeit, we recognise that these activities are merely a tip of the iceberg, given what is required to clean up the corporation’s Augean stables. They are in fact tangential to the main layers of investigations going on. Here we have in mind the investigations being undertaken at the behest of the ad hoc committee of the National Economic Council (NEC), the forensic audit ordered by the NNPC itself, and other sundry investigations being undertaken by the National Assembly. The issue really is that nothing stops the Federal Government from collecting its dues from either the JV partners or those found to have reneged on their primary obligations

under the nebulous Strategic Alliance Agreements even as these investigations go on.

It bears stressing that the efforts, far from being a closure, are only the beginning of the long process to unravel the mystery accounting that has surrounded the operations of the NNPC; we see it as part of the wider efforts to check impunity in the nation’s public life and to ensure that proven cases of crime are deservedly punished. At the end of the exercise, Nigerians expect not only to see a rebranded NNPC but also a transformed and truly sanitised oil industry in which actors not only play and are seen to play by the rules, but one in which grave infractions are visited with serious consequences.

The NNPC obviously still has a long way to go in this regard just as all eyes are on the Kachikwu-led management to see how well it would deliver on its current mission to clean up the rot in the industry.

‘The reality however is that the report – largely statements of intentions – is not nearly enough if the outcomes of similar findings in the past are anything to go by. Nigerians expect to see the Federal Government move swiftly to recover every dime’

A troubling raid, and an intriguing ‘stockpile’ •DSS’ raid on Akwa Ibom Govt House raises many fundamental questions

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AST week’s raid by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) on the Presidential Lodge within the Government House Complex in the Akwa Ibom State Capital, Uyo, has set off across the country reactions ranging from outrage to renewed questioning about whether Nigeria is a federation or, for all practical purposes a centrally-administered state pretending to be a federation.

The DSS said it carried out the raid following credible intelligence that the house served as a dump for unlawful weapons. The raid reportedly yielded some arms and Improvised Explosive Devices but, more dramatically, what the operatives called a “stockpile” of U.S. dollars.

In the public imagination, that term conjured up an enclosed space of no small dimension, chock-full of banknotes rising from floor to ceiling.

What the pictures reportedly taken from

‘The Federal Government has overall responsibility for security, and the Criminal Code has overriding jurisdiction. But it must exercise its powers mindful of the constitutional imperatives of federalism, even in a defective federation like ours’

the scene show is less dramatic, but it is troubling that the bundles and bundles of 100 U.S. dollar should lie outside the banking regulations.

Who owns the arms and the money?

Who stored them there, and for what purpose? How did they get there? Were they in proper custody?

A detailed investigation will have to be conducted to answer these questions conclusively.

There are even more fundamental questions that should be addressed.

The DSS says the raid was backed by a search warrant. Under what circumstances was the search warrant granted?

Did the DSS show probable cause for seeking the warrant? If the answer is in the affirmative, were reasonable alternatives considered as the law requires?

These questions are not academic.

The DSS has often tended to strike first without carrying out the necessary investigation, hoping that a raid would yield evidence on which a successful prosecution could be grounded. In a democratic society, the law takes a dim view of such conduct, regarding it as nothing but a fishing expedition.

At other times, the DSS has lent its authority to purely partisan exploits, such as when it staged a dramatic raid of questionable legality on the Opposition (as it then was) All Progressives Congress’ (APC) Data Centre in Opebi, Lagos, subjected the operators, including a pregnant woman, to physical abuse, and claimed to have uncovered equipment for cloning voters’ cards that the APC was going

to use to rig the impending general election.

Yet, in the face of such apparently damning evidence of electoral skullduggery articulated dramatically at a news conference by DSS spokesperson Marilyn Orgar, since defenestrated from the agency, no prosecutions were brought.

The staffers and senior party officials lived under a cloud of suspicion. Perhaps that was the real purpose, to help the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) portray the Opposition as a party sworn to electoral malfeasance.

That misadventure undoubtedly informs the charges now being made that the recent DSS raid on an annex of Government House, in Uyo, seat of power of a government led by the Opposition PDP, may have been instigated by the APCcontrolled Federal Government.

The Federal Government cannot dissociate itself too soon or too vehemently from this incident.

The raid has also been characterised as yet another assault on the federal principle. Whether an agency controlled wholly by the Federal Government has or should have the prerogative to launch a raid on a facility or premises of a state governor is a matter yet to be resolved to every party’s satisfaction.

The Federal Government has overall responsibility for security, and the Criminal Code has overriding jurisdiction. But it must exercise its powers mindful of the constitutional imperatives of federalism, even in a defective federation like ours.

Ministry of National Re-orientation?

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IR: Nigeria has remained undeveloped not because she does not have institutions and resources and some measure of capacity, it is because of mismanagement of the people’s resources. The parent of that mismanagement is indiscipline. Corruption is a direct child of indiscipline. Indiscipline has grandchildren, great grandchildren etc. But Corruption is the most progressive and flamboyant child of indiscipline.

There is need for the creation of a Ministry of National Re-Orientation (MNR). The creation of such a ministry is borne of the need to sustain the fight against indiscipline. If this is not done, who will continue this all important social fight after Buhari has left office?

It will be the continuous responsibility of the ministry to insist that Nigerians do the right things in the right ways. We recall that in the 2015 elections, Nigerians agreed that corruption had eaten too deep into our blood and institutional systems and that it was time to check it. There is therefore every need to flush corruption out of our blood and institutional systems.

In this regard, it will be the duty of the ministry to design subtle ways and means to make Nigerians hate and avoid corruption without coercion. It will also be its responsibility to regularly enlighten Nigerians on government’s policies, programmes and decisions. Such enlightenment should be to explain to the public the reasons and means of achieving government policies. Through this means, government will be able to provide detailed political, social and economic explanation for its actions. Presidential Media Advisers may not be able to do this.

With the ministry on board, what happens to the existing National Orientation Agency (NOA)? NOA and all such similar government-owned agencies should be dissolved and absorbed by the ministry.

Given what Nigeria has suffered to indiscipline, a Ministry of National Re-Orientation should be the most important ministry.

I therefore do not have any doubt that if it is created and it does well, even after Buhari, indiscipline and all its tentacles would have been uprooted from their strongholds in Nigeria so that the country will have strong relief. That will be the forerunner for change and true progress.

•Okachikwu Dibia Abuja.

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

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18

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPRTEMBER 14, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

S

IR: The Nigerian youth is socially amputated at many levels by the devious objectives of a clandestine government who has no plan for the growing population. At another end, he creates some of his problems as he directs his energies to unproductive ventures like restiveness, hooliganism, cultism and stealing.

One of the burdens of the youths of this generation is the passive attention they pay to the workings of governance, economic theories, national income and budget system. The Nigerian youth is buried in sports and entertainment. He knows everything about the football clubs in the world and what they are worth financially but doesn’t understand the importance of the nation’s GDP. He is usually at a loss when he listens to the Minister of Finance reeling out tools for economic analysis. It is difficult for the average Nigerian youth to question their leaders because their knowledge of the working of government is shallow.

It is this failing that makes the youth easy tools for the political class to use. They use them for political thuggery and the females are constantly dragged in for sexual expeditions. It is truly a society that works against itself. The leaders whose responsibility is to protect the citizens have turned against the very ones they should care for. It is so because the youths have failed to question their leaders; they don’t

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Youths and the future have the courage to demand for justice. The youths will remain subservient to their leaders as long as they remain dormant in the face of extreme social injustice.

This generation of youths wants instant wealth and it really doesn’t matter how they get it. They had gone to school with the belief that life will show them the side of fortune. Now they are out of school only to discover that there are 18 generations of unemployed graduates in Nigeria struggling for job

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The state and federal government must collaborate to curb this social malady before it gets out of hand. Employment is the critical issue that must be tackled first. The youths must be gainfully employed to enable them get busy doing things that will enhance the image of the country.

Proper attention should be paid to the educational sector to bring about innovation in the system.

No country can make any headway while its educational sector suffers

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•Evans Ufeli, evanylaw@yahoo.com

Dealing with quack doctors IR: The recent arrest of a fake medical doctor in the employ of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, has raised concerns over the seeming invasion of the medical profession by quacks. The suspect, Martins Ugwu, who is already facing trial, had allegedly worked in the health ministry for the past nine

S

The Mecca tragedy IR: September 11 is a day in which the world remembers the horrific attack on the World Trade Centre and how people lost their loved ones in this mind blowing and senseless attack.

Fourteen years after on the anniversary of 9/11, analysts, political commentators or enthusiast, conspiracy theorists and deep thinkers would question what happened on Friday, September 11, 14 years after the World Trade Centre which Bin Laden was accused of being the mastermind.

On the fateful day, a crane fell on Muslims who were performing Tawaf, a religious act of worship in Islam. Over a hundred people died in that incident and the crane is said to be owned by the Bin Laden con-

placement.

The Nigerian political leaders have long hijacked the political terrain and locked it against the youths but the youths are still told they are the leaders of tomorrow. It is this deceit and delusional practice that has made the youths to lose hope in the system. The desperate ones take to crime; like taking a sword against a sea of trouble. The very contented ones find themselves deluded, gasping for breath under the weight of poverty.

setbacks of all sorts ranging from lack of funding to lack of qualified manpower.

Lastly, the youths must read to expand their intellectual horizon, develop strategies and ideas. The energy channeled towards football information should be spread across bigger economic and national concerns for the purposes of getting a grasp of the workings and distribution of economic resources.

If their knowledge is sharpened on the proper functioning of government and the dynamics of policy making, they can raise requisitions and criticize government intelligently when government policies contravene the laws of the land. We must develop the strategies to achieve economic justice and expand the aspiration of nationhood.

struction company which is said to be the second biggest construction company in the world.

Is it a coincidence that a crane owned by the Bin Laden Family fell and killed people in the holiest of places on the anniversary of the 9/11 attack?

Analysts, political commentators or enthusiasts, conspiracy theory thinkers and deep thinkers will analyse and speculate about this incident for years.

May God grant the families who lost loved ones the strength to bear the loss. My hope is for this world to experience peace. Tragedies and various violent acts only bring tears.

•FolawiyoOlajoku Osogbo, Osun.

years undetected using the certificate of his friend, Dr. Davidson Daniel George. He had already risen to the position of chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) chapter of the Ministry of Health before he was caught.

This is not the first time that an unscrupulous person would impersonate a medical doctor in the country. Some male nurses have posed as doctors and actually worked as such in government and private medical facilities before they were detected. In the same vein, some medical students who failed to graduate from medical schools have been known to parade themselves as doctors and work in some hospitals in the country, doing more harm than good to the nation’s healthcare delivery system.

The prosecution of this impostor should be seen to its logical conclusion. Anyone who may have aided and abated this criminality should be apprehended and prosecuted alongside the main suspect. It is ridiculous that Ugwu worked in the health ministry and was not detected for nine long years. There are likely to be other fake doctors in our hos-

pitals. There may also be fake pharmacists, nurses and midwives. There is hardly any profession in Nigeria that does not have its fair share of impostors.

They can be found in law, engineering and journalism, amongst others.

Pragmatic strategies need to be adopted by relevant authorities to flush dusuch people out of the system. The craze for paper qualifications and white collar jobs in the country seems to be the driving force for this type of criminality. The general high level of graduate unemployment might also be a factor.

It is good that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), a statutory body in charge of registration and discipline of qualified medical and dental doctors in the country, has commenced the verification of all medical doctors employed by the Federal Government to check this ugly development. The MDCN should go beyond this because if the problem is not properly tackled, it could erode the confidence of the public in the nation’s healthcare system. Beyond the verification of qualified doctors,

we recommend routine checks on all health institutions in the country, whether public or private. Let the council beam its searchlights on all states and local governments in the country to fish out fake doctors. It should speedily conduct the audit and release a register of qualified medical doctors in Nigeria. If this is done, it will be easier to detect quacks in the system.

The council should also partner with NMA in its efforts to track down quacks. This should go beyond operation “show your certificates.” Medical colleges should consider starting the embossment of pictures of qualified medical doctors on their certificates as a way out of this quagmire.

We say this because medical practice, which deals with human life, is too important to trifle with. The invasion of the hallowed medical profession by quacks portends great danger for healthcare in Nigeria. Everything must be done to save Nigerians from persons who disguise as doctors and other medical professionals.

•Ayo Adesugba, Abuja.

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

COMMENTS

A

S a metaphor for the journey of life, the road is both interesting and intriguing. Two notable writers were fascinated enough to focus on the road: Nigerian Nobelist Wole Soyinka created a 1965 drama titled “The Road”, while American novelist Jack Kerouac produced a 1957 novel titled “On The Road”.

Between August 19 and 22, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway occupied my thoughts. I found myself thinking about the long road on my way from Lagos to Osogbo, Osun State, to eyewitness the celebration of Susanne Wenger’s centenary, the Osun-Osogbo Grove’s 10th anniversary as a World Heritage Site and the finale of the Osun-Osogbo Festival. On my way back to my base, after a stopover at Gbongan to take part in a celebration of the departed parents of a literary mentor, I used the same long road.

The ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway complicated my journey to and fro, which set me thinking about this important road and its complications. It is two years since the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan in July 2013 rearranged the reconstruction, following a N167 billion contract, awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Reynolds Construction Company Limited. Under the new arrangement, two sections of the expressway will be reconstructed: Section I (Lagos to Sagamu Interchange) and Section II (Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan).

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which dates back to 1978, is 127.6-km-long, connecting Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, and Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic capital. Importantly, the road is not only a main link to the northern, southern and eastern regions of the country; it is the busiest interstate road.

Understandably, its connective capacity has implications for road improvement and development, which explains public concern about its state. The news that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc will resume major repair work on the expressway by the end of September, after a worrying break that lasted some months, raised more questions than answers.

The pause was caused by financial difficulties allegedly connected with the Federal Government’s funding performance.

It is unclear whether the problematic funding issues have been resolved and how, considering that a new central administration under President Muhammadu Buhari is in charge.

It is noteworthy that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has been a road of controversy, especially following the Jonathan administration’s 2012 termination of a concession agreement with Bi-Courtney Highways Services Limited (BCHSL), which was supposed to reconstruct and manage the toll road.

The past government alleged that the company failed to make progress on actualising the objective of the concession four years after the agreement signed with a preceding administration.

According to Bi-Courtney, “We are in court because the alleged cancellation of the concession did not follow due process. Apart from that, the so-called contract involving the two new companies handling the project was awarded arbitrarily without a bidding process.” The company said: “BCHSL won the concession to reconstruct and manage the

T

HE opportunity to be heard is a remarkable difference from what happened few weeks back when we all dressed to our various offices only to be told by our employees that our businesses has been decreed out of existence by the CBN. Not only were the channels of communication wrong, the powers to technically ban those 41 items were highly questionable. Such is the impunity and hostility that has beclouded our business environment and inhibited its growth. Today we live in an economic environment of confusion, policy summersaults and inconsistencies.

In most cases, you see yourself standing face to face with, and against the law. We have gotten to a level where our law and the constitution say one thing, and our operators say a different thing.

The Free Trade Zone is a creation of statute. Its activities are governed by Decree No 63 of 1992. Going by the provisions of this Decree, business enterprises within the zone enjoy some incentives and exemptions.

Some of these incentives include exemption from all federal, state and Local Government taxes, duties, levies, VAT and foreign exchange regulations. This is clearly written in Section 26A of the decree setting up the free trade zone. By law, the free trade zone and the CBN are institutions of coordinate jurisdiction. Free Trade Zone enterprises are in theory, regarded as a country within a country. The CBN therefore has no legislative authority over the zones. The CBN in realization of this had washed its hands off the fiscal responsibilities of the zones until this recent attempt on the annexation and colonization of the zone. The status confers and imposes certain restrictions as well as obligations on mode, module and medium of exchange. For instance, companies within the zone are incentivised to import foreign currency of any amount and export 100% of same. They are exempted from the buying of forex from the CBN, among others, thereby affirming their quasi autonomy. This suggests that the only avenue open to the operators for the sourcing and procurement of forex was the free funds, or the BDC’s. Depositing and withdrawal of dollar cash was a way of life and has never been under the sledgehammer of the CBN. But the dollarization policy which is now being enforced across board and borders has laid comatose the operation of the Free Trade Zone, as the only foreign exchange window open to operators had been shut, padlocked and the key flung into the ocean.

The immediate dire consequence of this unfortunate, ill-conceived policy is the suffocation of investments within the zone leading to business closure by investors and foreclosures by banks and other lending institutions. The fall out of this would be litigations arising from breach of contracts, mass retrenchment of workers, loss of revenue by government and loss of face in the international community, and of course, the short circuiting of technology transfers – which is a cardinal factor for the setting up of the Free Trade Zone.

Why would CBN ban 41 items in the guise that they do not have sufficient dollar to fund their imports only to turn around to ban deposit of the same currency in our banks as a result of excess dollar?

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Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: The road ahead toll road for 25 years. It’s a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) arrangement. According to the concession agreement, the road will be expanded to 10 lanes from Lagos to Sagamu and six lanes from Sagamu to Ibadan. Because of this expansion, structures that fall within 60.35 metres from the median on both sides of the road will be demolished, and government will compensate owners of the affected properties.” The company proudly argued that it rebuilt the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA2) in Lagos “against all odds”. “It is the first airport in Africa to be owned by a private company on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis, the first of its kind in Nigeria, and it was delivered far ahead of schedule,” Bi-Courtney said.

The company’s response to the allegation of non-performance blamed work delay on the Jonathan administration.

In the period of three years and six months that the company had the concession, it was slowed down for two years and 10 months. According to the company, the design process which was expected to be completed within four months took 18 months as a result of bureaucratic bottlenecks at the Ministry of Works. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) corroborated Bi-Courtney’s position.

To cut a long story short, it would appear that the announced cancellation of the concession by the Ministry of Works on November 19, 2012, was the culmination of a chain of untidy and unprogressive manoeuvres that suggested behind-the-scenes influence. While the delay lasted, BiCourtney said, “We were advised by the ministry not to do any serious works on the road other than palliatives”. Before the concession was terminated, the company claimed it “had completed the patching and overlaying of bad portions of the highway, preparatory to full-scale reconstruc-

tion”.

It is interesting to note that the ongoing contract involving Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Reynolds Construction Company Limited is fundamentally different in nature and not a concession as was the case with Bi-Courtney. The implication is that the federal government is expected to fund the road rehabilitation and operate the toll road.

Of course, it is open to debate whether adopting the concession model for the rehabilitation of the expressway promises greater socio-economic benefits than the old way of doing things. However, the attraction of the Public-PrivatePartnership (PPP) approach, which the concession concept represents, cannot be reasonably discounted in a modern economy, considering reported examples in Western Europe and the U.S. where private investors are involved in infrastructure development based on concession agreements.

The PPP appeal is interestingly reinforced by a recent report: “Contractors handling over 184 federal road projects have abandoned the various sites due to lack of funding from the Federal Government and the huge debt owed them by the Federal Ministry of Works.” The Lagos-Ibadan dual carriageway was listed among the roads affected by the funding problem. According to the report, “The contractors said they were owed over N600bn, adding that although part of the sum was owed by state and local governments, over 80 per cent of the amount was owed by the Federal Government.”

This kind of abandonment seems less likely under a concession arrangement that requires the concessionaire to raise funds for the concerned project, rather than wait for government funding that may make a mess of the project, particularly in the context of dwindling government revenue.

Certainly, there is a price to be paid. But if PPP works for infrastructure development, the socio-economic benefits may well be worth the price.

‘However, the attraction of the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) approach, which the concession concept represents, cannot be reasonably discounted in a modern economy, considering reported examples in Western Europe and the U.S. where private investors are involved in infrastructure development based on concession agreements’

CBN dollar policy, cement and free trade zones

By Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba As the CBN continues to reap from where they did not sow with regards to foreign exchange regulations within the Free Trade Zones, one needs to remind them of the ripple effect of their actions.

Secondly they need to observe the thin line that separates the various organs of government as contained in the principles of separation of powers.

When the CBN cannot give long term loan to a young graduate to buy equipment and commence the production of toothpick, why would they stop the same boy from importing N10,000 toothpick from China where the investment climate is not only conducive but predictable? To do otherwise is impunity and starvation.

To put up an average cement plant of one million to two million metric tonnes one requires a capital outlay of about $300 - $400 million. This used to be an average of N50 billion to N60 billion. To accomplish this, using the current exchange rate, an intending investor needs an average of N80 billion. It does not stop there: The ugly side of it is that as long as this policy remains, no Nigerian can ever invest again in the cement sector. How, you would ask?

To put up an investment of this magnitude where banks’ lending is on short-term and double digit interest rate is practically impossible in an economy of today. Let us agree that you get a willing bank to help syndicate the financing, you would be required to put down an equity contribution of about 30%. This translates to about N24 billion. The implication is that you require 10 banks to syndicate your equity alone, and another 20 banks to syndicate the remaining 70%. This is impossible. In addition you need to have your market share and popularize your brand before any bank can take this huge risk on you. What is possible is what has been the practice where backward integration policy was designed for new entrants. These new entrants had attracted an investment of over $20 billion tied to various strategic trade partnerships. These investments are threatened by this dollarization policy.

As a member of the Presidential Committee that produced the 2009 cement policy, our recommendation was that new entrants should be encouraged to embark on backward integration with some government incentives. This was how Lafarge, Dangote, Unicem, Flour Mills etc started. They formed strategic trade partners who signed technical and business agreements towards local investments. This is how the near success story we have today in

the sector If we have a success story in cement, why are we buying a bag of cement at N2000 in 2015? In Asia, a bag of cement sells for as low as N350 a bag; in Europe it sells at N500 a bag; in neighbouring West African countries a bag of cement sells for between N1200 and N1400 a bag. When the lie of Nigeria being a net exporter of cement was told by several persons, in several quarters, including the former coordinating minister of the economy, some of us who know covered our faces in shame.

In a recent survey, the World Bank predicted Nigeria’s cement consumption to be 45 million metric tons. Mind you, consumption is different from demand and supply. With a total installednot production capacity of cement at over 20 million, Nigeria still has a huge demand gap of between 15 – 20 million metric tons.

The reality of this deceitful situation will soon hit us when government solves the insurgency situation in the North-east and commences rehabilitation works; moves to fill the over 15 million housing deficit, tackles our huge infrastructural decay; and starts the cement – base road construction, by then, existing cement plants would have started growing old, I bet you, Cement may sell as high as N3000 in this country.

In my honest opinion, government needs to open the cement space for investors of all sizes to come in. Monopoly should be discouraged. A limit should be set as to maximum investment an individual can invest in any sector of the Nigeria economy to create room for others’ participation. This would also ease credit tension and whittle down risk appetite of banks and other lending institutions.

This what countries like China and India have done. In China, you have over 9000 functional cement plants and over 800 in India. China for instance, manufactures over 2.42 billion tons of cement per annum, representing 58.6% of global production. In reality Nigeria produces a little above 25 million. What the government of these countries did was to liberalize investment in the sector, encourage and incentivise investors.

What the CBN Governor has done with the recent foreign exchange restriction on cement and 41 items amounts to a ban and criminalization of businesses.

Governments world-over encourage investments; you don’t decree, you don’t frustrate, you don’t criminalize. A toothpick importer of today may be a Bill Gate or another Dangote of tomorrow.

Being a paper presented by Ochiagha Ufomba at the Focus Group Discussion on Impact of CBN Foreign Exchange Policy organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce at Oriental Hotel Lagos.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

20

COMMENTS

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HE euphoria that marked 100 days in office of previous administrations especially with the change of leadership at the centre was certainly lacking in the one that has just passed by. This is without prejudice to the various assessments in the media of the first 100 days of the Buhari regime and other highlights by some state governments.

It is not clear, the chain of events that brought about the low morale in the celebration of that event.

But, there is a widely held belief that it was not unconnected with the imprecise stance of the Buhari administration on what that days held for the nation. Before then, controversy had arisen regarding the promises the president was purported to have made in his first 100 days. To this, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu was quick to add that the president never made such promises when the question was put to him at Chatham House.

For him, “we prefer to talk about milestones instead of achievements; whether the milestones represent achievements or not is left for the people to judge”. Though a few state governments still went ahead to showcase what they considered their achievements, it was palpable that a new thinking had been given to that event especially given the flurry of activities that marked it in the past.

It is now obvious that a new perspective has been given to an event which before now, easily passed as a veritable yardstick for measuring the success of new leaders. It was then thought that the tone and direction of a new government can be successfully set within the first 100 days and those who showed high promises within that timeframe are more likely to perform well during the rest of their tenure.

That had been the reason for the mad rush to execute and commission projects within the first 100 days by our governments especially at the state levels. The same reason accounts for the high level of public interest in such occasions. Whether the assumptions that underline these conclusions are borne out of empirical evidence or mere conjecture is a different ball game altogether. But one thing that stands out clearly, is that it will no longer be business as usual in the way such events were in the past, seen in this clime. There is beginning to evolve a new thinking on the heuristic value of the first 100 days; and whether the copycatting

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Emeka OMEIHE 08112662675 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

100 days assessments and stereo-typing we had been used to were adding real value. These are the issues now before the public domain. We shall return to them shortly.

The history of some world leaders accounting for their stewardship after 100 days in office is traceable to President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States of America (US). He was reputed to have introduced the concept in 1933 at the height of the great depression to instil hope in the American people. Conceived this way, the concept would aptly be seen as a child of circumstance.

It evolved during a crisis situation and was meant to address the exigencies of the period.

Americans needed to be given hope; they needed quick-fixes. And Roosevelt had to evolve that concept to keep hope alive. He needed to come out with sundry legislations and policies to reaffirm confidence in the capacity of that country’s survival. It was a child of serious emergency that drew justification from the exigencies of the emergency situation.

But the concept has since undergone some metamorphosis and is generally used for direction setting, highlighting accomplishments and setting the tone for moving forward. It is now applied as a parameter for a clearer picture of an administration’s policies and programmes. The extent to which this direction setting and showcasing of hurried accomplishments within 100 days can go in determining the eventual success of governments remains largely a moot issue.

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, historian David Greenberg summed his argument on the first 100 days thus: “the first

NDOUBTEDLY, Jeremy Bentham’s (1748 – 1832) utilitarian theory is peradventure the most appropriate for a dispassionate appraisal of new education policy in Oyo State. The British immortal philosopher postulated that measuring public policy is best anchored on the “greatest happiness principle”. That is in his “utilitarianism”, public policy should be targeted at the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people in any human collectivity.

By happiness, he understood a predominance of ‘pleasure’ over ‘pain’. In essence, each policy has its own pro and cons. The beauty of any policy is that larger members of the society targeted by the policy should be satisfied by it. A public policy no matter how robust may not be wholly acceptable to all but large chunk should have heave a sign of relieve with public policy aimed at achieving public good.

It is within that context that this piece explicates Oyo State’s policy thrust on education. There are eight major rubrics in the policy as enunciated by the state government. Out of the eight, two are very contentious by the irreverent critics of Ajimobi administration cum the opposition elements in the state. They are the introduction of a thousand naira development levy in public secondary schools and outright stoppage of payment of WAEC registration fees. These two elements appear like a policy shock to the down-trodden more so in a state which is reputed to be the intellectual capital of Nigeria.

The fundamental question is why the need to re-jig education sector? It is an open secret so to say, that the sector is nothing to write home about. It takes a courageous and patriotic governor to attempt a general overhaul. This is what the Senator Ajimobi-led administration seeks to do. The empirical analysis below suffices to explain why the new policy is imperative.

It is instructive to note that between 2007 till date, the state government has expended a total sum of N3.2 billion naira on public examinations. With that, the highest pass rate ever was in 2011 with 20.55%. In 2007, 52,551 registered for WASCE with entry fee of N3,250.00 per candidate. Government paid a total sum of N170,790,150.00. Only 3,706 could manage to get five credits and above. Percentage pass was 7.05%! Government lost N158,745,650.00. In 2008, 55,878 candidates registered with entry fee of N3,500.00. Just 5,608 could get five credits and above with 10.04% pass rate. Government forfeited N175,945,000 on the failures. In 2009, the bad trend continued. Out of 52,484 that registered, the pass rate was 14.11%. In 2010, 52,448 candidates registered and only 7,357 could manage to pass, that is,

100 days is really important but in a better world, it wouldn’t be”. For him, it is better world leaders are not judged so much on their early accomplishments. They should be given time to make mistakes and learn, they could focus on long term vision and do not have to worry about tactical manoeuvring.

Unfortunately Greenberg lamented, new leaders have to live in the world they inherit. And it is in this context that what new leaders do in their early days has a disproportionate impact on all that follows.

The above brings to the fore the inherent dissonance in the value of the first 100 days in office by leaders. Greenberg did not say explicitly what constitutes a better world. But when that construct is paired with his other idea that new leaders living in the world they inherit must be conscious of what they do in their early days, he can be better understood. He may have had in mind a more developed and more structured country; where there exist more organized ways of statecraft as against one still is in a state of flux.

This is more so given the coincidence in the evolution of the concept with the great depression in the US. It would therefore seem justifiable why such agenda setting and benchmarking is relevant in a country like Nigeria. Because there are yet to be well established and ordered ways of conducting government affairs leading to monumental corruption, it may not be out of place for leaders to drive a solution in their first 100 days in office. But that is definitely not all there is to it. There is no guar-

antee that a government that seemingly started well within the first 100 days, may not totally derail thereafter.

Beyond this however, is the larger danger in the way the event has been applied on these shores. The theory of incremental change derives its strength from the principle that there is really no new policy; as every policy is an addition to an existing one.

What we have seen overtime in the application of the first 100 days concept has been the jettisoning of some well thought out policies and programmes by new leaders for make-shift and impressionistic ones. The issue of continuity is thrown overboard as all that appear to count is the imperative of the 100 days’ show. Not surprisingly, questionable and ill-conceived projects have been randomly embarked upon to satisfy the spur of the moment. But as soon as the event is over, nobody cares to ask the overall impact and value of such hurried projects in the final performance rating of governments (federal or state). That is the real issue we have to contend with in our peculiar situation. Buhari appeared to have set the right tone (irrespective of extant controversy) on the way we should look at the first 100 days celebrations.

The direction of his government on corruption and insurgency in the north-east are not in doubt; though issues of the economy are still largely hazy.

But it will be inherently foolhardy to nurse the feeling that all it takes to know a good government is what it does within the first 100 days. A government should be allowed time to stumble and possibly recover from it even as success in its early days is equally relevant in enhancing the outcome of its final rating. So, we need to take a new perspective of the type of value we ascribe to the performance of leaders within the first 100 days.

‘A government should be allowed time to stumble and possibly recover from it even as success in its early days is equally relevant in enhancing the outcome of its final rating’

Why Oyo education needs re-jig By ‘Gbade Ojo 14.03% pass rate. By 2011 when this administration came on board, 60,000 candidates registered, 12,327 passed with five credits and above which translated to 20.55% pass rate which was to be the highest ever!

With population explosion and desire for education, more candidates registered in 2012, with as many as 67,786, the highest figure since 2007 which is under our purview, but 9,973 only too could pass WASCE at 14.71% pass rate. In 2013, 55,432 registered with 10,285 securing five credits and above, i.e. 18.55% pass rate. The story was not really different in 2014 and 2015 with 54,862 and 59,945 respectively registered with WAEC. Nevertheless, if between 2007 till date, Oyo State WASCE candidates have not recorded 25% pass rate talk less of 50%, automatically, the sector requires general overhaul. To do this, the state government took a holistic view of the situation. This is done by targeting students/pupils, parents, teachers and infrastructure. Long before the 2015 elections, a total of 5,300 teaching and non-teaching staff were recruited to redress the anomaly. But the sector requires well-thought out policy beyond mere recruitment of teachers.

In its quest to reposition and further enhance quality education through concerted efforts of all stakeholders in Oyo State, the administration of Governor Ajimobi in his second term has taken some bold measures. Few of them include enforcement of 80% attendance for all students to ensure good performance in external and internal examinations. Students who fail to make 80% attendance may not be eligible for promotion examinations.

Still targeting students and pupils, automatic promotions in all public secondary schools have been cancelled forthwith. Promotion is, henceforth, to be based on merit.

This is to ensuring that quality products are graduated from public schools. Not only that, extra-mural classes will be re-invigorated for JSS 3 and SS3 students in all public secondary schools to add quality time to the teaching period.

Nevertheless, the state government, having properly carried along all the stakeholders in education sector most especially Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPS) and Asso-

ciation of Heads of Primary Schools among others decided to involve the parents effectively in the care of their children and wards. Hence, a sum of N3,000.00 education levy was agreed upon by all which could be paid per term on a thousand naira instalment basis, to compliment government efforts vis-à-vis provision of teaching aids and infrastructural facilities. Parents and guardians too are to equally bear the burden of payment of WAEC registration fees. No doubt, with the involvement of parents, they should be more passionate about what the future of their siblings is in their educational pursuit.

Back to the students, government also makes it mandatory that they pass mock examinations to be conducted on final year students to ensure that only serious and quality students are presented for final external examinations. The state government also directed that the use of GSM phones be banned during school hours. Much as GSM has value for learning, the abuse is prevalent among the students and pupils.

Perhaps the hallmark of the policy thrust on education is the desire to by the government to partner effectively with the interested stakeholders who may desire either to take over completely the running of their schools, that is, old boys and girls or missionary founded schools including community schools where the communityowner is keenly interested. It is high time for the government to promote the participation of more investors at the secondary school level so that better products get to the tertiary level.

In the final analysis, government cannot afford to be complacent in the education sector. The rot over the years is now telling with debilitating concomitant effect on the sector. It is pathetic that the rate of failure is ‘criminally’ high. The negative effect is that more products of private schools get admitted into tertiary institutions. This is very dangerous for the society. It may lead to social stratification whereby the children of the poor may not be able to compete with the affluence in a society that needs to pursue egalitarianism on virtually all facets of the society. At the end of the day, if implemented with the needed zeal, the policy will definitely lead to the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people.

•Dr. Ojo is the immediate past Special Adviser to Oyo State Government on Political Matters.

21

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

THE CEO

JOBS

‘Our metering scheme’ll address estimated billing’

5,000 jobs coming from GE’s facilities in Onne, Calabar

- P. 37

- P. 35

News Brief

‘Why power supply is still erratic’

Check Gulf carriers’ predatory practices’ AN Air France/KLM chief has accused Gulf carriers Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways mount of predatory practices, warning that if they are not checked, they could dominate the global airspace and challenge the status quo.

–Page 26

By Akinola Ajibade

P

Group toAmbode: regulate agency commission LAGOS State Governor Akinwumi Ambode and estate agents have been urged to come up with a fixed “agency fees” for operators in the property industry.

–Page 26

‘Establish safety commission’ THE Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON) has advised the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, to take a cue from Lagos State government and establish Akwa Ibom State Safety Commission.

–Page 26

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil Cocoa

$54/barrel $2,686.35/metric ton

Coffee

¢132.70/pound

Cotton

¢95.17pound

Gold

$1,396.9/troy

Sugar

$163/lb RATES

Inflation

8.4%

Treasury Bills 10.58%(91d) Maximum lending 30% Prime lending Savings rate

15.87% 3%

91-day NTB

15%

Time Deposit

5.49%

MPR Foreign Reserve

13% $34.5b

• From left: Chairman/Chief Executive, Phillips Consulting Ltd, Foluso Phillips; Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia; Chairman, Heirs Holdings and Director Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), Tony Elumelu; and Vice President, CCA, Ambassador Robert Perry, at a round table with members of the CCA in Nigeria at Heirs Place, Lagos.

Absence of guidelines delays full TSA compliance T HE absence of the im p l e m e n t a t i o n guidelines to guide Ministries, Departments and Agencies is delaying the full and final take off of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), The Nation has learnt.

President Muhammadu Buhari had given a September 15, 2015 deadline to all Ministries Agencies and Departments (MDAs) for the full compliance with his directive for all government revenues to be domiciled in the TSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

However, investigations

by The Nation have revealed that the MDAs are waiting for the implementation guideline from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF) and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to guide them on how to make making the remittances.

An official of the federal ministry of finance who spoke to The Nation confirmed that they were waiting for the guidelines from

From Jide Babalola (Asst.

Editor) and Nduka Chiejina (Asst. Editor)

the Head of Service. The finance ministry official said there were a lot of questions that needed to be answered by the Head of Service like how long it will take revenue generating agencies that deal directly with the public to remit their revenues to the TSA and if such revenues that come directly from the public should first go to the banks or if the public should now take cash to such agencies and departments thus by-passing the banks.

The Finance ministry official said they were ready to comply with the President’s directive, but that the delay in the release of the guideline was holding MDAs back.

It would be recalled that shortly after the order by the Presidency for all MDAs to remit all revenues to the TSA,

the Head of Service of the Federation Mr. Danladi Kifasi had instructed all MDAs to carry out the order and await further instructions (guidelines) concerning the TSA. The spokesman of the Head of Service Haruna Rasheed Imrana, said they have already released the guidelines and that all accountants in all the MDAs know how to go about remitting their revenues to the and any MDA still in doubt should get in touch with the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

Haruna Rasheed Imrana noted that “some MDAs have started complying with the directive meaning that the guideline has been released.”

Accountant-General of Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris said: “Implementation Guidelines have been developed and will soon be made available to all interested parties and the general public.”

The Office of the AGF in a

statement also reassured “all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as the public that the September 15, 2015 deadline for the closure of all accounts of Federal Government MDAs with the commercials banks is realistic, achievable and will not be shifted forward.”

Spokesperson for the Office of the AGF Mrs Kene Offie in the statement noted: “The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, in line with its statutory mandate and directives by Mr. President on the TSA, will continue to provide all necessary information and technical support to all MDAs, Banks and the general public to ensure a smooth, seamless and transparent implementation of the TSA/eCollection policy.”

An official of the OAGF disclosed to The Nation that over 700 MDAs have keyed into the TSA initiative and are ready to make the final migration to the TSA but we’re waiting for the implementation guidelines.

OWER supply is yet to stabilise because of the huge debts owed gas producers and suppliers by the owners of turbines, decline in the production of gas, and poor distribution channels, the Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Oil Limited, Thomas Dada, has said.

He said at a forum that power firms were owing gas producers and suppliers huge debts, adding that the problem made it difficult for power generation companies (GENCOs) to access gas for production.

He said gas is still a major problem in the industry, in despite the relative improvement in power generation and supply in the country.

Dada cited poor gas distribution channels and low production as some of the problems in the industry.

He said: “If you ask the gas producers and suppliers how much they are being owed by owners of gas powered plants, they would tell you that it. is a lot of money. Given this, one would realise that gas problems cut across stakeholders in the value chain. By this the problem is from producers to suppliers to the power plants that could not access the product for production due to pipelines vandalism and other infrastructural problems.”

Also, the Chief Executive Officer, Egbin Power Plant, Mr Dallas M. Peavey, said gas remained a major problem in the sector, in spite of the relative improvement in power generation and supply in the country recently.

He said Egbin plant has not been able to meet the required capacity because of gas, despite that it increased its electricity generation from 300 megawatts to 500 megawatts (Mw).

TCN eyes 30 projects to increase wheeling capacity

A

S power generation improves and ex pected to continue to increase, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has marked 30 critical projects to expand its wheeling capacity to 8,000 megawatts (Mw) from its current 5,300Mw. Its Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Rasheed Tambuwal, told The Nation that the TCN has over 130 projects ongoing but chose 30 out the number to equip the transmission network

• Privatisation not yet on table

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

for more generation.

He said: “We have over 130 ongoing projects from 2002 but some of them were stalled due to lack of fund.

Out of those we have identified about 30 which are critical for us to be able to reach the evacuation capacity that we need over next coming years. These are the projects that we

have articulated for immediate funding. We are still working with the government. We are putting in our request, so that these critical projects are properly funded.

“We are not waiting for investors because that will take time for them to come and fund the projects. We are looking inwards from whatever source to be able to get enough money,

which I said is a minimum of N15 billion in a year to be able to get the few selected critical projects to proceed to where we would be able to wheel the power to customers.”

He also noted that the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) has done some transmission projects, commission and handed them over to TCN. “NIPP is also responsible for generation, transmission and distribution.

On the transmission aspect, they

execute those projects, commission and hand over to us. We have a way of paying back. We have not started paying back but it is a project that is being funded by the three tiers of government, we are looking at ways of getting them paid back.

“But now we are working in good harmony with them. All the projects they have been executing in transmission, we are taking over and we are running them,” he said.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

22

BUSINESS NEWS

Check Gulf carriers’ predatory practices, Air France chief urges

A

N Air France/KLM chief has accused Gulf carriers Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways mount of predatory practices, warning that if they are not checked, they could dominate the global airspace and challenge the status quo.

Its Commercial Director, Mr. Arthur Dieffenthaler who spoke in Lagos, however, said the carriers’ activities were stepping up competition in the global air industry.

He spoke against the backdrop of agitations by American carriers, adding that Gulf carriers be restricted in their operations in the North America.

This position is not sup-

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

ported by the European Union (EU), which canvasses liberalisation of operations by airlines.

He said the arrival of Gulf carriers in the last decade has changed the services to air travellers by airlines.

Dieffenthaler said Middle East carriers - Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways could grow their operations in phases like any airlines, if there is a level playing field in bilateral policies.

He said the existence of Gulf carriers has brought competitiveness to the airline business.

He said: “There is difference between the position

canvassed by American carriers and that the EU. Why American carriers are canvassing restriction, the EU is insisting on liberalisation for all players.

“The only thing I can say about that is that to my knowledge, there is need for a careful look at the positions being canvassed if there is a level playing field. The US carriers are putting their feet on ground.

“For the EU, I think it is a little bit different, but that leads us to the question, ‘are we playing the game by the same rules?’ And if not, ‘can we continue on that?

“But, for me and from the airline perspective, Gulf carriers are the new kids on the

block, they have a clear strategy, which is different from what other airlines used to have and we have to accept that reality.”

He said there could be possibilities for partnership with any Nigerian carrier for the distribution of passengers, which would depend on the interested carriers meeting some technical , operational and safety standards.

He said: “So, at this point in time, we don’t have it and I’m not saying we would have it next year, I don’t know when we will have it.

But definitely, we would be interested to partner with the local airlines in the country.”

Nigeria needs security policy, says expert

A

RISK mitigation and security expert has called for a policy to regulate the operations of security management companies and security equipment manufacturers.

He regretted the lack of coordination and non-conformity to standards by the security outfits in terms of service delivery and product manufacture.

Managing Director, Risk Control Services, Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Olufemi Ajayi, spoke during the presentation of ISO 9001: 2008 by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on its product that screens the background of graduates from the tertiary institutions, with records in some cases covering over 20 years.

He said the service has replaced the strenuous procedure organisations go through to validate the academic records and qualifications of its intending and existing work force.

He said his firm created the only extant and most robust information database to assist manufacturers, service industries, banks and financial institutions to run their outfits with competent and non encumbered staff.

He said: “We invested our shareholders funds at the inception to create the only existing and most robust information database of graduates from many of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions with our

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

records in some cases covering over twenty years; all accessible at the click of a button. This service has replaced the laborious process organisations hitherto go through to validate the academic records and qualifications of its intending and existing employee work force.

This is an industry first.”

Ajayi called for a policy to regulate the security firms, noting that most of them are only providing guards, which ranks least in the hierarchy of resources protection without any forensic aptitude on risk identification and mitigation.

“We continued with this differentiation strategy to drive a reformative manpower development programme in the private security industry by establishing a security training academy, Risk Control Academy, aimed at developing a new set of security professionals adequately equipped and with the right mentality to understand and tackle the constantly evolving threats to companies operations. After a rigorous examination and audit of our facility and curriculum, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the body that regulates polytechnics and colleges of education, gave the Academy a license and two of our programs – Security Management & Technology, and IT Networks & Electronic Security were accredited,” he said.

‘How Buhari, others restored investors’confidence in economy’

T • From left: Chief Executive Officer, WAKANOW, Obinna Okezie; Group Head, Strategy and Communications, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Shina Atilola and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Camel Energy Limited, Suleiman Yusuf, at Sterling Bank’s ‘Get Ready For Work’ programme in Lagos…weekend.

Group urges Ambode to regulate agency commission L AGOS State Governor Akinwumi Ambode and estate agents have been urged to come up with a fixed “agency fees” for operators in the property industry.

During an interview, the Chairman, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, Mr. Bolarinde Ajayi, said the call became necessary in view of indiscriminate fees being collected on property sales and rents by estate agents.

He also called for the regulation of the sector, insisting that this had become necessary to bring sanity into the estate agency sub-sector.

“There is no uniformity at the moment. We have different types of agents here. The pro-

By Muyiwa Lucas

fession is not what is picked on the road as it is being touted; it is a profession that requires training and that is what we want to do and get estate agents properly grounded and instil code of conduct that will make them practice professionally,” he said.

Ajayi explained that the need for regulation and professionalism made the NIESV to establish the Association of Estate Agents of Nigeria, which aims at absorbing all estate agents in , not only to regulate, but also to train them and imbibe in them professionalism and eth-

ics of estate agency practice.

The association, under NIESV, he explained, is regulated by the “scale of charges” approved by the Federal Ministry of Lands and Housing.

The NIESV’s former vice president argued that it was more appropriate to base such fees on percentage of the transaction, rather than on what obtains at present, which he contends breed serious disparity.

He argued that it should be made a rule as this would put a stop the ambiguity that is ravaging the industry. NIESV, he said, encourages its members to charge 10 per cent on rent transactions and 10 per cent on

property sales. These fees, he added, is paid by any one who instructs the agents to execute such deals, or shared by both sides to the transaction.

He warned agents, who charged both parties for the same transaction to stop and be be transparent to their deals.

“When you are talking of scale of charges, then fees to be charged have to be made a law and it has to be made operative by everybody on a level playing ground. We, as NIESV, have given suggested what to charge professionally, but that is our view as a stakeholder in the industry. So it is left to the agents and Lagos State government to decide on what they feel it should be in the state,” he reasoned.

Institute advises Akwa Ibom govt to establish safety commission T HE Institute of Safety Professionals of Ni geria (ISPON) has advised the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, to take a cue from Lagos State government and establish Akwa Ibom State Safety Commission.

Its state Branch Chairman, George I. Akalonu, gave the advice during the institute’s induction, merit awards and fund raiser.

He said since the body is chartered with statutory responsibility to control the loss of lives, properties and dam-

From Uyoatta Eshiet, Uyo

age to the environment as a result of mishaps, the state government would be doing the citizens great good by establishing the commission.

At the event, which took place in Uyo, the state capital, special awards were conferred on individuals who contributed to safety in their organisations.

According to Akalonu, the call became necessary to accommodate the safety needs of the various manufacturing, con-

struction, oil and gas and agroallied industries in the state and to prepare a safe environment for the numerous other industries that will be established as a result of the governor’s industrialisation drive.

The chairman said the call for the establishment of the commission was borne out of the need to have men and women with a vision to save lives and properties; protect the environment; spot hazards and disallow them from harming the people and make the people

prosperous through accidents prevention and hazards control.

“That is the vision of ‘ zero harm’ which is the summary of what our work entails,” he said.

Akalonu said the safety commission would help to provide oversight functions on government projects and others that require ‘eagle eyes’, knowledge and skill of a safety professional.

“It is working in Lagos and, therefore, will equally work here if properly replicated and resourced with the right calibre of Safety Professionals with ISPON guidance,” he insisted.

HE peaceful transfer of power to President Muhammdau Buhari has been identified as one of the major reasons investors’ confidence in the economy has improved.

Others factors, such as the rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and rising middle class have also given a new fillip to the economy.

Senior Consultant, Europe Middle-East and Africa for Kroll, a world’s leading business intelligence and risk consulting firm, Mark Simmonds, who spoke at the weekend, said these factors, however, have placed Nigeria at top position in Africa ahead of South Africa, and also propelled a vibrant entrepreneurial workforce of at least 73.4 million by first quarter of this year.

He said the growth has helped clients navigate

By Adedeji Ademigbuji

through investment opportunities.

“More and more investors looking for sustainable growth in an emerging economy are adding Nigeria to their portfolios, as the country’s economy is becoming a popular destination for value-driven investments,” he noted.

Though he noted that the country also has its own unique challenges, such as weak currency and a low oil prices which affect government revenues, making investors yet remain cautious about investing in the economy.

“These and other factors present local and international investors with a complex set of challenges and opportunities that require expert guidance to surmount,” he affirmed.

‘Data management crucial to agric productivity’

T

HE Director of Studies, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute(ARMTI), Dr Olufemi Oladunni, has urged the government to improve the quality and quantity of its data on agriculture and rural areas if it is to continue meeting the demands of a growing population.

Speaking with The Nation, Oladunni highlighted that the data was vital for effective planning and strategy, stressing that the accuracy and quality of agricultural statistics, has become a key priority as the government strives to develop more effective policies to tackle its food security problems.

While the National Bureau of Statistics( NBS) is taking steps to improve on the situation,Oladunni said the

By Daniel Essiet

agric sector need an industry specific data that is timely, accurate, and reliable that can be used by decision makers to develop policies, programs and investments that improve people’s lives.

According to him, reliable statistics are vital in tracking country needs and achievements and that accurate government expenditure data are needed to track the country’s commitments and expenditures on agriculture.

He said the relevant authorities must find better ways to collate agricultural data as attempts to use figures to better predict the future of farming failed because the available statistics were either unreliable or not detailed enough to be useful.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

23

ISSUES The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector has been described as critical to the economic growth of any country. Its potential to create jobs, boost production and reduce poverty has been globally acknowledged. But the sector's capacity to do so in Nigeria has been limited by its inability to secure credit from Money Deposit Banks, a development that has created a huge financing gap of N9.6 trillion. Assistant Editor OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE looks at the various innovative financing options, technologies and products that could bridge the gap and reposition the sector.

Bridging MSMEs’ financing gap

• Bank of Industry.

M

ICRO, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the world over, drives the growth of the economy, but Nigeria with its population of over 170 million has not been able to tap the benefits of the sector. This is due to lack of access to funds by operators in the sector. Operators believe that if the required funds are accessed, the economy will experience substantial growth much more than what obtains now. Besides, with the growth of the sector, unemployment at all levels will be reduced. The funding requirement of the MSME sector is in deficit of N9.6 trillion.

However, in recent years, the Bank of Industry (BoI) has striven to address the issue by entering into agreement with some Money Deposit Banks (MDBs) to buoy credit advancement to entrepreneurs in MSMEs. BoI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 10 SME-friendly banks. The banks were carefully chosen to partner with BoI in the financing of its SME customers. The banks are Access Bank, Diamond Bank, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, First

Bank, First City Monument Bank, Skye Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and United Bank for Africa.

Under the arrangement, BoI and the banks will collaborate in the provision of long-term loans to qualified SMEs based on BoI's Risk Acceptance Criteria (RAC) and the provision of working capital to the SMEs by the banks also based on their individual RAC. BoI Managing Director Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa said: "The synergy that has evolved

between BoI and the SME-friendly banks is unprecedented. It will undoubtedly foster greater access to finance for SMEs, financial inclusion for Nigerians and engender wealth and accelerated job creation for Nigerians.

"It is also our expectation that the SMEs that will benefit from this partnership will be good corporate citizens and meet their financial obligations to the partnering banks. This will stand them in good stead for consideration for larger loan amounts with the hope that

‘

The BoI is also exploring other alternative modes of funding such as continuation of sector-specific " intervention funds by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Agriculture, Solid Minerals and others; managed funds from various state governments and foundations; long-term loans at very low interest rates from multi-lateral/ international development institutions

’

they will in the near future metamorphose into large enterprises."

To address the challenges of poor packaging of loan requests and non-bankable business plans, which are believed to be responsible for the low level of financial support to the sector, BoI in fulfilment of its mandate of providing long-term finance and business support services to large, medium and small projects, signed a service agreement with 122 Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs).

At the signing of the agreement in Lagos, Olaoluwa said the BDSPs would collaborate with BoI to identify credible SMEs that require finance. They would also develop bankable business plans and proposals for SMEs to facilitate their access to finance, including providing post-finance services such as mentorship, handholding, financial advice and inculcation of best practices among others.

However, in doing so, BoI is aware of MSMEs' age-long poor record keeping and weak financial management, which make • Continued on page 24

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

24

ISSUES

‘

Bridging MSMEs’ financing gap

Nigerian businesses cannot " be built on debt alone. It has long been part of the bank’s vision to find ways to provide needed equity capital and business advice to promising Nigerian businesses

•Continued from page 23

it difficult to evaluate their financial performance and invariably. They inhibit their ability to access loans from banks or attract investors. This was why the bank has since repositioned its systems, processes and services by riding on the back of robust technologies and products. This was in the hope of taking advantage of the new digital and mobile world to offer its customers the benefits of speed, mobility and convenience that come with it.

Addressing the issues BoI's chief, Olaoluwa, has never hidden his intention to turn things around at Nigeria's foremost development finance institution. On assumption of office on May 19, last year, he resolved to use the bank as a vehicle to drive Nigeria's industrialisation by focusing on the MSMEs sector. This is because of his belief that the sector is the engine of economic growth on account of its potential to create jobs, boost production and reduce poverty.

To unleash the industrialisation drive, the bank under Olaoluwa's watch, unveiled a number of innovative financing options, technologies and products to position the MSME sector to play its catalyst’s role in industrialisation. Some of them included seed and angel funding, value chain finance, venture capital and crowd funding, among others.

The BoI is also exploring other alternative modes of funding such as continuation of sector-specific intervention funds by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Agriculture, Solid Minerals and others; managed funds from various state governments and foundations; long-term loans at very low interest rates from multi-lateral/international development institutions.

Just last week, BoI partnered Grow Africa Equity Partners Limited to raise a $60million Venture Capital Fund (VCF) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The VCF aims to provide equity capital, along with strategic and operational support to early stage and fast growing businesses involved in technology, agriculture, consumer goods and services sectors.

Under the arrangement, BoI made an investment commitment of $6million to aid provision of equity capital for fast growing businesses. "Nigerian businesses cannot be built on debt alone. It has long been part of the bank's vision to find ways to provide needed equity capital and business advice to promising Nigerian businesses," Olaoluwa said.

He explained that the partnership with Grow Africa is one of the avenues for realising this vision and that the bank remains committed to the pursuit of its core mandate of providing long-term financial support to small, medium and large companies/projects in Nigeria's key sectors, adding that the investment commitment was informed by the track record of Grow Africa's partners, the developmental impact of their existing portfolio and their strong pipeline for potential new investments.

The Chairman of Grow Africa Equity Partners Limited, Adedotun Sulaiman, noted that with the right type of support, Nigerian businesses can become global leaders. Sulaiman, who also chairs the Boards of Interswitch, SecureID, IDEA, New Horizons and others, said: "Over the past 10 years, I have provided capital and advice that have helped several businesses grow from ideas into multi-billion naira industrial leaders. Through this partnership, I hope to see many more entrepreneurs realise their dreams of creating leading companies and delivering massive value to Nigeria."

For instance, BoI in partnership with Kinesis Consulting Limited developed an SME Accounting Application (SAAPP), which allows users keep proper records of transactions and generate requisite financial statements.

SAAPP, The Nation learnt, is a user-friendly, simplified and menu-driven accounting tool that does not require formal accounting knowledge by the entrepreneur. With the software, SME customers will be empowered with business information on their mobile phones.

•Olaoluwa

•Duro Kuteyi

Because of its unique features and benefits, the application enjoys the buy-in of operators and stakeholders. For instance, SAAPP will allow BOI SME customers to easily generate basic financial statements such as balance sheets, which report on the SMEs' assets, liabilities and ownership equity; profit & loss accounts, which report on the SME's operation in terms of income (sales), expenses and profit or loss; cash flows such as SMEs' operating, investing and financing activities.

One of the key features of SAAPP is the integrity of the financial statements generated on it. Once financial statements have been prepared, they cannot be altered at will. Consequently, it is the same statements that will be produced for submission to the tax authorities, statutory government agencies and financial institutions. The App also contains a link that enables the SMEs mail their financial statements directly to BoI. The App is programmed for installation on a maximum of three devices per business entity and is available at a pocket-friendly price of N20, 000.

BoI has also gone a notch higher, unveiling an online loan application portal for the convenience of its prospective SME customers.

With the portal, customers no longer need to come physically to the bank to submit their loan applications. This has the advantage of shortening the bank's loan processing TurnAround-Time (TAT). The portal has document uploading capability as well as allows the loan applicant select the preferred BoI state office location where the application will be processed. The online loan application portal can be accessed on the Bank's website.

Many operators and stakeholders, who spoke with The Nation said through the use of these innovative strategies, BoI has been able to enhance access to some of the sector-specific intervention funds. The bank is charged with administering the several sector-specific intervention funds and schemes introduced by the Federal Government in the hope of breathing life into dead or dying key sectors of the economy, particularly the industrial sector, which is recognised as holding the key to sustainable economic growth.

The expectation was that government through BOI would leverage on these special intervention funds to address the dearth of long term investible funds required by manufacturers and industrialists particularly MSMEs to transform the industrial sector into a vibrant and globally competitive one capable of guaranteeing bountiful returns to all stakeholders and the economy.

With BoI's online loan application portal, local designers seeking for funds for expansion now have a seamless way to access the recently launched N1billion Fashion Fund for players at the micro, small- and medium-scale levels. The Fashion Fund joins two other SME funds recently launched by the bank namely, the N5billion Cottage Agro Processing Fund and the N1billion NollyFund.

Olaoluwa explained, the Fashion Fund is in

fulfillment of the bank's commitment to develop special funds and credit products to deepen penetration of and enhance support to specific SME clusters. "We see an opportunity to support Nigeria's leading fashion businesses to increase their production volumes and quality, thereby making them more competitive in both the domestic and international markets," he said.

The BoI boss observed that African prints, known as Ankara fabrics, have become very popular in the fashion world due to the ingenuity and industry of Nigerian designers such as Dakova, Frank Oshodia, Tiffany Amber and Deola Sagoe, among others. He said amazing designs are now created using local fabrics and are featured in both local and international fashion shows.

He added that many Nigerian Fashion designers have received training in some of the best fashion schools in the world, and therefore have the intellect, talent, creativity, skills and drive to take Nigeria's fashion industry to the next level on the global fashion stage. According to him, the growth in Nigeria's urban population, the macro-economic environment, increasing purchasing power of the emerging middle class and a strong appetite for consumer goods are positive factors in favour of a flourishing fashion cluster.

However, these funds are the latest addition to the long list of similar funds intended to give the industrial sector the required push.

Some of the earlier special intervention funds that have been introduced, targeting one segment of the industrial sector or the other include the N100 billion Cotton Textile and Garment (CTG) Fund, for the revitalization of the CTG industry along the entire value chain; N10 billion Rice Intervention Fund, to ensure Nigeria attains self sufficiency in rice production; and Africa Development Bank (AFDB) $500 million Line of Credit, for the development of export-oriented Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Others are: Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMWASD) N90 million Business Development Fund, to provide soft loans to women entrepreneurs; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) N220 billion Intervention Fund, for Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs); National Automotive Council's N16.91 billion Fund, for the development of the automobile industry subsector; and N2 billion Sugar Development Council Fund, to ensure Nigeria attains self sufficiency in sugar production by 2020.

‘

"

How to check the high mortality rate of MSMEs Olaoluwa identified financial illiteracy, poor technological skills as the reason behind the high mortality rate of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). To check the failure rate, the bank, he reiterated the reason behind the accreditation of some BDSPS to help some startups in packaging their documentation such as

A survey conducted by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) showed that there are 17.28 million MSMEs in Nigeria employing 32.41 million people and accounting for an estimated half of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

’

’

feasibility studies and doing business plan that can enable them obtain loan from the bank.

"We not only want to support SMEs in terms of financial, but also in imparting knowledge to help the businesses grow. We upgraded our banking application from Equinox to a more robust version called Rubikon, which provides a strong platform for the automation of our processes to deliver improved services to our customers.

Why MSMEs are critical The consensus of experts and stakeholders is that the future of Nigeria lies more on the leveraging of MSME's. The sector, according to experts, is strategically positioned to provide up to 80 per cent of jobs, improve per capita income, increase value addition to raw materials supply, improve export earnings and step up capacity utilisation in key industries. This was why BoI focused on providing innovative, dynamic and wide range of financial services to the sector.

The bank believes that increased integration of these smaller businesses into the mainstream economy will provide a creative solution to Nigeria's crisis of unemployment.

MSMEs generate employment opportunities per unit of capital investment because they are generally more labour intensive. The bulk of Nigerian businesses fall within the small scale businesses, which account for over 90 per cent of all companies in the country.

A survey conducted by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) showed that there are 17.28 million MSMEs in Nigeria employing 32.41 million people and accounting for an estimated half of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, access to affordable finance remains one of the major challenges inhibiting the MSMEs' growth and development.

According to the CBN, only 4.2 million MSMEs have access to finance. CBN Assistant Director, Development Fund Department, Mr. Jonathan Tobin, said because of banks and other lending institutions' aversion to lending to small businesses in the informal sector, about N9.6t is needed to bridge the financing gap in the MSMEs sector.

Tobin, who spoke last week in Abuja at a workshop on Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF) organised by the Banker's Committee of the CBN, said from 2002 till date, lending by Money Deposit Banks to the sector has reduced significantly, requiring N9.6trillion to bridge the gap.

The BoI chief, however, was not unaware of this, which was why he prioritised the need to address the imbalance caused by Money Deposit Banks' aversion to financial inter-mediation for industrial firms and small businesses through the roll out of various financing options and interventions.

In doing so, however, he has consistently argued that the problem of many SMEs is not access to cheap funds as claimed by many existing and intending small businesses, but the inability of such entrepreneurs to develop and defend bankable projects. He also identified poor packaging of loan requests as being responsible for the low level of financial support to the sector.

He said it was in recognition of these challenges, and in fulfilment of BoI's mandate of providing long-term finance and business support services to the sector, that the bank engaged the services of BDSPs and introduced other techsnologies and innovative financing strategies and products tailored to the needs of operators in the sector.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

25

MONEYLINK

2,765 BDCs meet CBN’s capital base requirement

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), at the weekend, confirmed that 2,765 bureaux de change (BDCs) have complied with new N35 million capitalisation requirements and another N35 million cautionary deposit for operators.

The apex bank had also stated that interest would now be paid on the mandatory cautionary deposit based on banking industry savings account rate.

The list of the confirmed BDCs was released by CBN’s Financial Policy and Regulation Department in a circular entitled: “Updated list of confirmed Bureaux de Change in compliance with new requirements.”

The CBN had in May, published a list of 2,618 licensed BDCs which it said had complied with its new capital requirements of N35 mil-

Stories by Collins Nweze

lion as at July 31, 2014.

There were 3,208 registered BDCs in the country before the expiration of the deadline on July 31 for operators to recapitalise. The CBN had in June announced a new minimum capital requirement of N35 million for the operation of BDCs in the country, up from the N10 million it was previously.

In order to ensure that the foreign exchange dealers comply with the new capital requirements, the CBN had extended the deadline to July 31, 2014 from previous July 15 timeline.

The regulator had pointed out that on the expiration of the deadline on July 31, 2014, that it would cease to fund any BDC that failed to comply with the new requirements, adding that “only BDCs

that meet the new requirements would qualify to be engaged as agent by the licensed international money transfer operators for inward and outward transfer business in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that CBN had in a statement in June 2014, revised upward the minimum capital requirement for Bureau de Change (BDC) operations in Nigeria from N10 million to N35 million.

CBN said it introduced the new requirements in a bid to correct observed deficiencies in the operation of BDCs in Nigeria, which it noted had led to gross inefficiency and sharp practices in the foreign exchange market, rent-seeking, depletion of the external reserves, financing of unauthorised transactions and dollarisation, among others.

The apex bank noted that while

GTBank’s SME MarketHub empowers female ing the winners of this year’s EnME MarketHub has entrepreneurs trepreneur Showcase. partnered with She Leads

S

Africa to support African women entrepreneurs. The groups have also announced the top six finalists for the 2015 She Leads Africa Entrepreneur Showcase holding this month in Lagos.

Now in its second edition, the initiative, sponsored by GTBank is aimed at beaming a spotlight on women who are driving Africa’s growth through leadership, commerce and innovation by providing a veritable platform for young female entrepreneurs to grow their businesses across Africa and compete for $10,000 in cash prizes, direct access to investors and international media exposure.

This year, applications were received from over 400 startups in 20 countries before six finalists (i.e.

Beauty Rev NG, Heat Free Hair, Heels In the Kitchen, InstaHealth,

Kamokini and Omolata) were selected to pitch their businesses to a panel of leading business personalities including Segun Agbaje, Managing Director of GTBank plc; Tunde Folawiyo, Managing Director of Folawiyo Group; Huda Al Lawati, Abraaj Capital Midle East and North Africa Chief Investment Officer; Acha Leke, Director, Mckinsey & Company; Mo Abudu, Founder of Ebony Life TV. According to Mr. Yasmin BeloOsagie, co-founder of SLA, “We are very excited about the judging panel for this year’s She Leads Africa Entrepreneur Showcase. The panel is made up of established and well-respected individuals from the consulting, media and finance sectors. Each judge’s professional insight and experience will play an important role in decid-

Commenting on the development, Segun Agbaje, Managing Director/CEO of GTBank said: “empowering SMEs across Africa remains pivotal to the sustenance of growth and development in emerging economies across the world. It is for this reason that using our SME MarketHub platform, we have strategically targeted this sector to provide opportunities and create value for all our customers. He further stated that “SME businesses listed on the GTBank SME MarketHub can take advantage of the “She Hive”, a one week training programme sponsored by the SME MarketHub of the bank to train small business owners on capacity building, business ethics and global best practices. Tickets for the pitch competition are available on the SME MarketHub.

the capital requirements for all other CBN-regulated entities had been reviewed upward over the years, that of the dealers in the sub-sector of the forex market had remained the same.

CBN also reviewed the mandatory cautionary deposit for BDCs to N35 million, adding that the fee shall be deposited in a non-interest yielding account in the CBN upon the grant of approval-in-principle. In addition, while the application fee was raised to N100,000, the licensing fee to N1 million, the annual renewal fee for the forex dealers was also increased to N250,000.

All existing BDCs and those currently operating with a final ap-

•CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele

proval letter were expected to comply with the new mandatory cautionary deposit requirements.

FCMB wins Most Customer Friendly Bank award

F

IRST City Monument Bank (FCMB) has added another feather to its cap having emerged the “Most Customer Friendly Bank” in the country, at the yearly BusinessDay Bankers Awards at the weekend in Lagos.

The bank, which recently refreshed its brand with unique and differentiating identity, was voted after a rigorous process where several parameters were considered by the award team.The bank during the citation, was said to have also resolved the highest number of customers’ complaints, relative to total complaints recorded in 2014 financial year.

In a statement by the BusinessDay group, the award was introduced in 2013, by the nation’s premier financial newspaper to reward excellence, achievements and recognise contributions made in the banking industry, and ultimately the

economy.

The publication further said that “since its introduction, it has engendered a healthy competition among deposit money banks in Nigeria, with a view to promoting the development of the banking sector in Africa’s largest economy”.

Reacting on the awards, the representative of the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of First City Monument Bank Limited, Mr Ladi Balogun, Adam Nuru, who is the bank’s Executive Director, Business Development said: “We are happy to have come tops in the Most Customer Friendly Bank Category of the Awards by the BusinessDay Group which is a very credible and highly respected professional organisation. ‘’It is a testimony which confirms our unequalled commitment in offering exceptional quality service to our teeming customers and the public.”

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS 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 FIDELITY NIG FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

116.27 29,885.82 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.68 1.39 1,846.31 1,089.37 107.43 121.18 1.2457 1.3572 0.7762 1.1739

125.82 29,885.82 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.67 1.33 1,846.31 1,089.28 106.92 120.30 1.2393 1.3572 0.7637 1.1739

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

CHANGE

GUINNESS UBA TRANSCORP PZ BERGER LIVESTOCK MAYBAKER TRANSEXPR OKOMUOIL FCMB

138.05 3.55 2.19 26.00 9.05 1.62 1.24 1.26 25.99 2.31

152.19 3.85 2.30 27.30 9.50 1.70 1.30 1.32 27.12 2.40

10.24 8.45 5.02 5.00 4.97 4.94 4.84 4.76 4.35 3.90

`

LOSERS AS AT 10-09-15

O/PRICE

VONO FO STANBIC UAC-PROP ETRANZACT VANLEER TOTAL FIDSON HONYFLOUR CHAMPION UNITYBNK

0.98 234.99 23.66 7.85 2.22 10.91 150.50 3.36 2.75 4.75 1.35

C/PRICE 0.90 223.25 22.48 7.46 2.11 10.37 143.62 3.21 2.65 4.60 1.31

Inflation:April

8.5%

Monetary Policy Rate

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

$28.2b

Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$67.91

CHANGE -8.16 -5.00 -4.99 -4.97 -4.95 -4.95 -4.57 -4.46 -3.64 -3.16 -2.96

FOREX RATES (NairaVs Dollar) May 28, 2015 Interbank ($/N)

199.00

$1

Black Market ($/N)

215.00

$1

London Inter-bank Offered Rates (LIBOR)

Money Supply (M2)

GAINERS AS AT 10-09-15

SYMBOL

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

Tenor

16.5%

12-02-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 13-02-15

Overnight (O/N)

14.683

76.583

1M

15.033

15.977

3M

15.809

17.177

6M

16.493

17.908

Tenor 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months

May 27

May 28

Rate)%

Rate (%)

0.1735 0.2147 0.2615 0.3841 0.6709

0.1715 0.2108 0.2626 0.3857 0.6744

Nigerian Stock Market Indices 27 May Statistics 5 May All Share Index 34,649.3 29,383.93 Mkt Cap (NGN’bn) 11.8 9,804.36 Deals 3,385 3,714 Volume (mn) 564,28 377,75 Value (NGN’mn) 6,087.80 6,568.66 GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Transaction Dates 03/02/2015 3/12/2014 1/12/2014

Amount Offered in ($) 500m 400m 350m

Amount Sold in ($) 499.93m 399.97m 349.96m

Tenor

Feb. 13, 2015

Rates

T-bills - 91

12.44

T-bills - 182

13.85

T-bills - 364

13.92

Bond - 3yrs

15.92

Bond - 5yrs

17.22

Bond - 7yrs

16.59

efiele

26

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-09-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-09-15

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

27

EQUITIES

Cowry Asset concludes N3b Zamfara bond underwriting

C

OWRY Asset Management Limited has completed full payment of its N3 billion underwriting commitment under the N7 billion Zamfara State Government Bond.

The N3 billion paid by Cowry Asset represents 42.86 per cent of the total value of the bond issue, the highest by any of the three underwriters to the bond issue.

The N7 billion Zamfara State Government SevenYear Fixed Rate Development Bond was the first tranche under the N30 billion Zamfara State bond issuance programme.

The net proceeds of the bond issue would enable the Zamfara State Government to deleverage and reposition its finances towards deliver-

Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

ing further dividends of democracy to its citizens.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the weekend confirmed that Cowry Asset has “satisfactorily fulfilled its underwriting commitment in accordance with the provisions of the Investment and Securities Act 2007 as well as the Rules and Regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission”, referring to the full payment of the N3 billion underwriting commitment.

Commenting on the completion of the underwriting, managing director, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, said the N3 billion

underwriting underlined the financial capacity of Cowry Asset at a time that several financial institutions are struggling to meet regulatory capital.

He noted that the participation of Cowry Asset as a major underwriter in the Zamfara State bond was another illustration of the commitment of the firm as an indigenous partner in the quest for development of the Nigerian private and public

sectors.

“Cowry Asset has been involved as financial advisers, issuing house and underwriter in several fund raising exercise in the capital market for both public and private companies and governments through public offers, rights issue, private placements, corporate and government bonds. The company provides advisory services and funding to support the growth of Nigerian com-

panies and development of the economy,” Chukwu said.

He added that Cowry Asset has demonstrated competence in marketing capital issues with her extensive distribution network and team of experts who provide solutions to both issuers and the investing public.

Cowry Asset, a full-service investment banking firm licensed by SEC as an issuing house, financial adviser, underwriter and venture capi-

tal manager, has been a major player in the Nigerian capital market for nearly a decade. It also has subsidiaries in consulting, securities trading and real estate.

Some of the recent capital offers undertaken by Cowry Asset include the N30 billion Fidelity Bank subordinated unsecured fixed rate bond issuance 2022 and the N8 billion first tranche Cross River State Government fixed-rate seven-year bond issue 2022, among several others.

Guinness Nigeria rallies on N4.8b dividend, Diageo’s acquisition

G

UINNESS Nigeria Plc, one of the oldest listed companies in Nigeria, recorded the second highest gain at the Nigerian stock market last week as investors reacted positively to the proposed distribution of N4.8 billion to shareholders as cash dividends and announcement of a N41 billion bid by Diageo Plc to acquire additional shares in Guinness Nigeria.

Shareholders would receive a dividend per share of N3.20 for the immediate past business year ended June 30, 2015.

Diageo Plc, the parent company of Guinness Nigeria Plc, last week said it has launched preliminary discussions on a bid to acquire additional equity stake to increase its majority controlling stake in the Nigerian subsidiary to 70 per cent.

In a regulatory filing at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), directors of Guinness Nigeria said Diageo has approached the board with an intention to make an offer to increase its equity stake in Guinness Nigeria from 54.3 per cent to a maximum of 70 per cent. Diageo will maintain Guinness Nigeria’s listing on the NSE. Guinness Nigeria has notified the NSE of Diageo’s approach.

In a deal estimated at about N41 billion, Diageo, through its wholly-owned subsidiary-Guinness Overseas Limited; plans to purchase up to 236.18 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each in Guinness Nigeria at a maximum price of N175.

With the announcement of the dividend recommendation and the Diageo’s proposed bid, Guinness Nigeria’s share price rose by 18.9 per cent or N24.19 to close the week at N152.19 per share.

Guinness Nigeria’s performance is significantly above average week-on-week return of 0.60 per cent recorded by the benchmark index for the stock market.

The audited report and accounts for the 12-month period ended June 30, 2015 showed that the brewer of Malta Guinness recorded nine per cent increase in sales, although cost headwinds impinged on the net earnings.

Managing Director,

Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Peter Ndegwa, said the results reflected strong volume growth on the back of yearon-year impressive performance of the company’s innovation and value brands.

“We delivered a nine per cent increase in net sales during the year in a tough trading environment largely driven by the growth in our RTD category and value beer segment. Our gross profit •From left: Managing Director, NPF Microfinance Bank Plc, Mr. Akinwunmi Lawal; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock also grew by nine per cent,” Exchange (NSE) Mr. Oscar Onyema, and Chairman, NPF Microfinance, Azubuko Joel Udah, Deputy Inspector-General (rtd), Ndegwa noted. during the visit of the NPF Microfinance Bank’s board to the NSE Turnover rose from N109.2 billion in 2014 to N118.5 billion in 2015. Profit before tax stood at N10.8 billion in 2015 as against N11.7 billion in IGERIAN equities Guinness Nigeria followed Products (ETPs) valued at also suggests that the level 2014. Profit after tax also stabilised and ended with a gain of 18.90 per cent N695,885.40 million ex- of domestic institutional inclosed June 2015 at N7.79 bilthe week with a mod- to close at N152.19. Okomu ecuted in 17 deals compared vestors’ participation in the lion compared with N9.57 billion in 2014. Earnings per est gain of N56 billion, riding Oil Palm Plc rose by 14.19 per with a total of 11,357 units market is higher than comshare thus stood at N5.18 and over the initial knee-jerk re- cent to close at N27.12. Evans valued at N5.868 million monly acknowledged. NevN6.36 in 2014 and 2015 re- action to the decision of JP Medical chalked up 12.50 per transacted in 24 deals two ertheless, we expect borrowspectively.

Morgan to exclude Nigerian cent to close at 72 kobo while weeks ago. A total of 3,675 ing cost of government to Ndegwa attributed the de- sovereign bonds from the Costain (West Africa ) rose units of Federal Government rise at the next auction as pressed bottom-line to recent JPMorgan Government Bond by 12.28 per cent to close at Bonds valued at N3.611 mil- subscription level may lion were traded last week in likely reduce while invessignificant investments in Index-Emerging Markets In- 64 kobo.

Total turnover stood at 1.41 eight deals compared with a tors will seek additional the company’s products and dices (JP Morgan GBI-EM Inbillion shares worth N13.51 total of 3,489 units valued at premium to compensate for marketing framework. dex) by the end of October.

“During the year, we conAfter the JP Morgan an- billion in 19,950 deals last N3.674 million traded in the increased risk percepand liquidity,” tinued to invest significantly nouncement on Tuesday, week as against a total of 2.44 similar eight deals two tion Afrinvest Securities stated. behind our brands and our quoted equities lost N312 bil- billion shares valued at weeks ago.

According to analysts, a fur“While we observed a route to consumer expansion lion on Wednesday and mod- N21.07 billion that were and these, together with the erated with a loss of N18 bil- traded in 22,736 deals in the knee-jerk reaction in the Ni- ther impact is expected to be high interest environment, lion on Thursday. The market previous week. The financial gerian capital market since felt as the exit of foreign inhave driven a profit before tax rallied N92 billion on Friday services sector led the activ- the announcement, we expect vestors is expected to increase decline of nine per cent,” to fully neutralise the mid- ity chart with 1.16 billion this to stabilize in the me- government’s dependence on Ndegwa said. week meltdown, closing the shares valued at N8.63 bil- dium to long term as we domestic investors thereby Chairman, Guinness Nige- week with a modest gain of lion traded in 11,999 deals; await policy direction from narrowing the pool of funds representing 82.24 per cent the Buhari’s administra- in the bonds market. Ultiria Plc, Mr. Babatunde Savage N56 billion. said the company has been The benchmark index at the and 63.90 per cent of the to- tion,” Afrinvest Securities mately, this may increase the risks of government borrowwell-positioned to take ad- stock market, the All Share tal equity turnover volume stated at the weekend.

Afrinvest Securities pro- ing crowding out private secvantage of improvement in Index (ASI) of the Nigerian and value respectively. The the Nigerian economy.

Stock Exchange (NSE), re- conglomerates sector fol- jected that cautious trading tor investment due to higher “The current economic en- corded average week-on- lowed with a turnover of would pervade the market borrowing cost.

“The financial market sentivironment is challenging for week gain of 0.60 per cent to 87.04 million shares worth for most of this week as the all companies but we look close at 29,689.08 points as N474.66 million in 946 deals. United States Federal Re- ment is still likely to continue forward to an improvement against the week’s opening The third place was occupied serves’ highly anticipated to feel the impact of this news in the operating environment index of 29,511.08 points. Ag- by the information and com- September FOMC meeting flow as the domestic investor and are positioned to take gregate market value of all munication technology sec- is scheduled for 16th and sentiments will seem to be the advantage of improving con- quoted equities on the NSE tor which recorded a turn- 17th of September amid un- new major force driving the sumer confidence that may rose from N10.148 trillion to over of 49.82 million shares relenting instability in crude Nigerian fixed income market occur as a result,” Savage said. close at N10.204 trillion, rep- worth N28.9 million in 50 oil market as Saudi rejects whilst the equities market calls to defend market price. may still continue to enjoy a Guinness Nigeria doubles resenting an increase of 0.54 deals.

The trio of United Bank for Analysts at Afrinvest Secu- mix of foreign and domestic as one of the oldest compa- per cent. Average year-tonies in Nigeria and one of the date return remained nega- Africa Plc, Zenith Interna- rities however noted that sentiments as Nigerian equitional Bank Plc and Diamond the JP Morgan’s exclusion ties still remains in the MSCI oldest listed companies on tive at -14.33 per cent. the Nigerian Stock Exchange Price trend analysis showed Bank Plc were the most ac- could lead to further depre- (Morgan Stanley Capital In(NSE). Guinness Nigeria built a stable but tight market situ- tive stocks, jointly account- ciation in the capital market dex) for frontier markets,” its first brewery in Ikeja in ation as bargain-hunting ing for 588.314 million but this may not be signifi- Afrinvest Securities stated.

Analysts pointed out that 1962, and currently has facili- combined with intermittent shares worth N4.667 billion cant.

“We imagine that the mild with a weight of 1.5 per cent ties in Ogba, Benin City and profit-taking transactions. in 4,235 deals, representing Aba. It was listed on the NSE There were 32 advancers 41.77 per cent and 34.55 per reaction that greeted the JP out of $183.8 billion in the inin 1965. Guinness Nigeria is a against 37 decliners while 121 cent of the total equity turn- Morgan’s announcement dex, $2.8bn worth of foreign member of Diageo Plc; which stocks closed flat. Trans Na- over volume and value re- suggests that the risk had al- holdings of Nigerian governready been priced as most ment bonds is expected to exit is listed on both the London tionwide Express recorded spectively.

Also traded during the risk-averse foreign inves- the market, but this is signifiStock Exchange (LSE) and the the highest gain, in percentNew York Stock Exchange age terms, with a gain of 23.36 week were a total of 1,526 tors may have already exited cantly lower than a total of $8.0 (NYSE). per cent to close at N1.32. units of Exchange Traded the market before now. It billion in September 2014.

Equities record modest gain after JP Morgan’s scare

N

mac 27 Business pages Akpan folder as moneylink 14-09-15

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

28

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

America producer prices data point to tame inflation

U

NITED States producer prices were flat last month, pointing to benign inflation pressures that could weigh on the Federal Reserve’s decision whether to hike interest rates next week.

The unchanged reading in the producer price index last month followed a 0.2 percent gain in July, the Labour Department said on Friday. The drag on producer prices from lower crude oil prices and a strong dollar was offset by an increase in profit margins for apparel, footwear and accessories retailing.

In the 12 months through August, the PPI fell 0.8 percent after a similar

decline in July. It was the seventh straight 12-month decrease in the index.

Tame inflation despite a rapidly tightening labour market poses a dilemma for Fed officials who are contemplating raising rates for the first time in nearly a decade.

Though job openings are at a record high and the unemployment rate is at a 7-1/2-year low, wage gains have been lacklustre. That has helped keep inflation well below the Fed’s two percent target.

The U.S. central bank’s policy-setting committee meets on Sept. 16-17.

The likelihood of a lift-off in the Fed’s

benchmark overnight interest rate has been diminished by recent financial market volatility, which was sparked by concerns over China’s economy.

U.S. stock index futures extended losses after the PPI data, while the dollar added to gains against a basket of currencies. Prices for U.S. government debt rose.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the PPI dipping 0.1 percent last month and falling 0.9 percent from a year ago.

Producer inflation is likely to remain muted in the near term after a report on Thursday showed import prices fell 1.8 percent in August, the

largest drop since January.

The index for final goods fell 0.6 percent last month, with a 7.7 percent decline in gasoline prices accounting for nearly two-thirds of the drop.

There also were decreases in the cost of jet fuel, grains, light motor trucks, and iron and steel scrap.

Wholesale food prices rose 0.3 percent in August as the impact of an avian flu outbreak early this year continued to linger. Food prices slipped 0.1 percent in July. Wholesale chicken egg prices rose 23.2 percent last month after falling 24.2 percent in July.

The volatile trade services component, which mostly reflects profit

margins at retailers and wholesalers, shot up 0.9 percent in August after rising 0.4 percent in the prior month.

Almost half of the increase in August was attributed to a 7.0 percent surge in margins for apparel, footwear and accessories retailing.

A key measure of underlying producer price pressures that excludes food, energy and trade services edged up 0.1 percent in August after rising 0.2 percent in July.

The dollar’s 17.5 percent rise against the currencies of the United States’ main trading partners since June 2014 is restraining gains in the so-called core PPI.

U.S. oil to get squeezed

T

HE Saudi-led cartel’s master plan to pump record amounts of oil in order to squeeze other producers out of the market appears to be working.

“The strategy...appears to be having the intended effect of driving out costly, ‘inefficient’ production,” the International Energy Agency in its monthly oil market report. The IEA monitors energy market trends for the world’s richest nations.

The agency said OPEC’s rivals such as the U.S. and Russia will see the biggest decline in oil output next year since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Non-OPEC production will drop by nearly 500,000 barrels a day in 2016, the agency said. It singled out the U.S. shale oil industry as the biggest loser, forecasting that output will fall by 400,000 barrels a day next year.

By contrast, demand for OPEC oil is

CPC beams searchlight on hospitality firms

•From left: President of National Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) Mr. Chikwe Edoziem;, Head, Corporate Banking Skye Bank Plc, Mrs. Funmilola Oketogun and President-elect, NAPE, Mr. Nosa Omorodion, at the NAPE monthly Technical/Business Luncheon sponsored by Skye Bank in Lagos.

MedView kicks off direct flights to Jeddah

T

HE Federal Government has designated Med-View as flag carrier to Saudi Arabia. As a result, the airline has commenced flights to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The four-weekly flights are sequel to the approval the firm secured from the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority (GACA).

The Managing Director of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, said the flights would be routed through Lagos-Abuja-Jeddah and LagosKano-Jeddah.

This is just as the schedule released by the airline coincides with the this year's Hajj airlift to accom-

modate international passengers who will not be on the platform of the states' Pilgrims Welfare Boards for the pilgrimage, and others not on pilgrimage.

The flights, which started on September 6, according to Bankole, will run throughout summer.

The GACA, Bankole said, has also okayed the winter schedule for the weekly flights.

He said the airline will serve the routes granted it by the Federal Government. They include London, Dubai, Dakar, Accra, Monrovia, Libreville, Doula.

He said the airline has continued

to maintain its over 10 years'trackrecord of hitch-free operation in the airlift of pilgrims, saying: "In the 2015 Hajj we operated with much more modern equipment that have business class seats for officials of pilgrims boards from the various from stated that were allocated to us by NAHCON." Med-View airline airlifted pilgrims from Southwest, Southsouth, Southeast states and Borno.

Meanwhile, a source said the airline was rooting for the Lagos-London route, but details were being kept under wraps until the arrangements had been concluded.

Weak UK construction data adds to signs of HE amount of new housing tive immigration rules for making built in Britain fell for the first cooling growth it hard to attract skilled building

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time in more than two years in July, despite rising house prices, driving a broader decline in construction that adds to signs that the country's economy is slowing.

The official figures on Friday contrast with bumper profits reported by house-builders and follow weak manufacturing figures which have raised questions about whether growth is cooling as the Bank of England comes nearer to raising interest rates.

House-building in July was 2.5 percent lower than a year earlier, the first fall since March 2013, and the slowdown looks set to continue with the volume of orders for new housing at its lowest since early 2013.

Private commercial work, such as building shops and offices, also fell, and overall construction output in July was down by 0.7 percent on the year, the first fall since May 2013 and bucking economists' expectations for a 0.6 percent rise.

"This indicator continues the theme of disappointing data for Q3, which includes weaker (purchasing managers') surveys, disappointing industrial production and tentative evi-

dence that retail sales were soggy," said Alan Clarke, head of European fixed income strategy at Scotiabank.

Britain's economy has been growing rapidly over the past couple of years, chalking up an above-average 0.7 percent expansion in the three months to June, but most economists expect a modest slowdown in the third quarter of 2015.

At the same time, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has said that the decision over when to raise interest rates for the first time since 2007 is likely to come into sharper focus around the turn of the year.

A survey published by the BoE on Friday showed that nearly half of Britons expect interest rates to rise in the next 12 months, the highest proportion since May 2011.

Some BoE policymakers worry that even though inflation is near zero at the moment, it could rebound rapidly due to limited spare capacity in the British economy, pushing annual price growth above its 2 percent target in the next couple of years.

Following the construction data, one industry expert blamed restric-

workers from outside the European Union.

"There is a chronic housing shortage and although we welcome government plans to build 200,000 new homes by 2020, there is no chance of that number being built unless desperate skills shortages in the industry are addressed," said Michael Thirkettle, chief executive at consultants McBains Cooper.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors forecast on Thursday that house prices would rise 6 percent this year, twice its previous estimate, largely due to a lack of housing.

The weak ONS data contrasts with a more upbeat picture painted by industry surveys and results from housebuilders -- both of which reflect the performance of larger players in the industry than the ONS survey, which covers more small firms.

A series of British housebuilders have posted large profit rises in recent months with the largest builder by volume, Barratt, saying on Wednesday that it had seen a strong start to the new financial year with a 32 percent rise in forward sales.

expected to rise.

The Paris-based agency said the price collapse is closing down high cost wells from Texas, to Russia and the North Sea. Oil prices plummeted to six-year lows in August, as concerns grew over the health of the global economy, especially in China. Meanwhile, the world’s oil glut grew even larger as OPEC countries led by Saudi Arabia continued to pump at record levels.

OPEC supply is likely to grow next year. Iran is gearing up to boost supplies and reclaim its place in the market once trade sanctions are lifted following its nuclear deal with the West.

But the agency said there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It predicted demand for oil will grow in 2016, helping to reduce the global glut, and leading to a more balanced market towards the end of 2016.

HE Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has beamed its search light into the operations of a Nigerian hospitality company, VIP Express Tourism Limited, following complaints alleging gross abuse of consumers' rights.

The Council's action was informed by the number of complaints against the company, some of which alleged that the company reneged on its terms of agreements with consumers on their subscriptions to its hospitality packages.

VIP Express Tourism Limited is into hospitality business through which it enlists subscriptions from members of the public for their future holiday investments with the promise of facilitating subscribers' holiday destination desires after their completion of agreed payments.

According to some of the complainants, VIP Express Tourism Limited, which has affiliates in South Africa, allegedly reneged on the agreement to provide the desired holiday destinations to them upon

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completion of their subscription payments, while some others accused the firm of misleading them with mis-representation of facts.

Other allegations against the company included exertion of undue influence on their subscribers, making them to sign documents immediately after presentations without proper perusal and understanding of the terms as well as accompanying intending subscribers to homes to pick cheques late at night, among others.

The Council few weeks ago began investigation into the allegations and has taken responses from the company on the consumer complaints against its operations and activities.

CPC, in continuation of the investigation, has summoned the company's Chief Executive Officer and two others, identified as Owoseni Samuel and Isaac Omagbemi to further answer enquiries about the allegations contained in the consumer complaints.

SoftBank chair mulls taking firm private

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OFTBANK Group Corp Chairman Masayoshi Son considered taking the Japanese telecoms group private through a management buyout before scrapping the plan at least three months ago, Bloomberg reported.

The billionaire entrepreneur came up with the buyout proposal as he sought greater management freedom and as SoftBank’s share price slid, Bloomberg said, citing unnamed people with direct knowledge of the plan. Son’s deputy, President Nikesh Arora, was aware of the plan, Bloomberg cited one of the people as saying.

A SoftBank spokesman declined to comment. Shares in the company, with a market value of 7.88 trillion yen ($65.2 billion), were down 0.5 percent, while the broader Tokyo

market was flat.

The report said Son had held talks about the buyout with an “overseas partner” but couldn’t agree on financing conditions. He then also turned to at least one lender before abandoning the plan, Bloomberg cited the people as saying.

Son said early in August that he had doubts about prospects for unit Sprint Corp earlier in the year, but that he had overcome such doubts as the U.S. carrier showed signs of improvement. SoftBank announced a near $1 billion share buyback in August, a move Son attributed to renewed confidence in Sprint.

SoftBank bought Sprint for more than $20 billion in 2013. Son is the biggest shareholder in SoftBank with a 19.3 percent stake.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

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BUSINESS AFRICA FCMB wins most customer friendly bank award

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AGOS Nigeria; September 11, 2015: One of Nigeria's foremost financial services provider, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has added another feather to its cap having emerged the "Most Customer Friendly Bank" in the country, at the prestigious annual BusinessDay Bankers Awards held on Friday, at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. The Bank which recently refreshed its brand with unique and differentiating identity, was voted after a rigorous process where several parameters were considered by the Award Team. > The bank during the citation was said to have also resolved the highest number of customers' complaints, relative to total complaints recorded in 2014 financial year.

In a release by the BusinessDay group, the Award was introduced in 2013, by the nation's premier financial newspaper to reward excellence, achievements and recognise contributions made in the banking industry, and ultimately the nation's economy.

The publication further opined that "since its introduction, it has engendered a healthy competition among deposit money banks in Nigeria, with a view to promoting the development of the banking sector in Africa's largest economy".

Reacting on the awards, the representative of the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of First City Monument Bank Limited, Mr Ladi Balogun, Adam Nuru, who is the Bank's Executive Director, Business Development said "we are happy to have come tops in the Most Customer Friendly Bank Category

of the Awards by the BusinessDay Group which is a very credible and highly respected professional organisation. It is a testimony which confirms our unequalled commitment in offering exceptional quality service to our teeming customers and the Nigerian public".

"At FCMB, we pamper our customers who have made us who we are today. We go the extra miles to satisfy them. FCMB will continue to invest in customer experience while providing simple, helpful and reliable banking that is driven by excellent technology and inclusive lending practices," Mr. Nuru submitted.

The CEO dedicated the award to all employees and explained that the Bank has launched several simple, friendly, innovative technology-driven customer-centric offers and mobile banking applications to facilitate speedy access to solutions via self-service, even while on the go. These products and services he enthused, address customers' needs across segments and demographics including the youth segment.

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) is a member of FCMB Group Plc, which is one of the leading financial services institutions in Nigeria with subsidiaries that are market leaders in their respective segments.

Having successfully transformed to a retail and commercial banking-led group, FCMB expects to continue to distinguish itself by delivering exceptional services, while enhancing the growth and achievement of personal and business aspirations of its customers.

Close Up supports youths

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HE yearly United Nations International Youth Day aimed at sensitising and empowering youths has been commemorated in Lagos, with Closeup Naija Herbal, from Unilever Nigeria Plc as one of its sponsors.

This event, which held at University of Lagos, and was graced by dignitaries.

The participants were educated on the brand and its features: A brand made in Naija and for Naija with natural ingredients, such as Aloe Vera, and Mint which have anti-

germ benefits and leaves your mouth herbal fresh all day, and Lemon extracts which gives you a shiny white smile needed to give the confidence to get closer.

The brand further engaged the youth at a vox-pop session that tested their knowledge on the brand as well as an on ground play of I Love Nigeria, a new TV game show,

by Close-up, that tests knowledge of Naija languages, music, sports, history, great icons, popular culture and heritage through a series of fun and exciting games.

•From left: Managing Director, Heritage Bank Limited Mr Ifie Sekibo; Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Ms Sally Mbanefo; President/ Chairman of the Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, Otunba Debola Osibogun and Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, during the 9th Annual Banking and Financial conference of the CIBN in Abuja.

‘Erratic power supply costs Nigeria $100b yearly’

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IVE minutes into Frank Edozie's presentation on the challenges facing Nigeria's power industry, the electricity cut out in the Jasmine Hall at the upmarket Eko Hotel in Lagos.

"Very timely," Edozie, a former power ministry adviser and a senior consultant to the U.K.-funded Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility, said over the low muttering and laughter of an audience of more than 100 people.

"We probably ran out of gas."

There's no end in sight to the daily blackouts that the government says are costing Africa's largest economy about $100 billion a year in missed potential and that President Muhammadu Buhari calls a "national shame." Gas shortages, pipeline vandalism, inadequate funding, unprofitable prices and corruption mean fixing the electricity cuts two years after a partial sale of state power companies to private investors won't be easy.

Generated output has never risen above 5,000 megawatts (Mw), which is about a third of peak demand, and if it did the state-owned transmission system can't deliver any more than that before it starts breaking down. South

Africa, with a less than a third of Nigeria's population of about 180 million, has nine times more installed capacity and it too is grappling with blackouts.

Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, ranked the worst of 189 countries after Bangladesh and Madagascar on the ease of getting electricity connected to businesses, costing almost seven per cent of lost sales each month, according to a 2015 World Bank Doing Business report.

The power bottleneck comes on top of slump in oil prices and currency that are threatening Nigeria's role as a destination for investors. Economic growth slowed to 2.4 percent on an annual basis in the second quarter from 6.5 percent a year earlier.

About two-thirds of Nigeria's people have no access to electricity, and at the current plant commissioning rate, supply will barely meet 9,500 megawatts by 2020, according to a 2014 World Bank project document. Demand is expected to increase 10 percent each year. Buhari's party promised before he won power in March's election to generate 40,000 megawatts within four to eight years.

For years the industry's poor performance has spawned jokes about the former state electricity company's name. Nigerians called the National Electric Power Authority "Never Expect Power Always," and when its name was changed to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria a decade ago, they mocked it as the "Problem Has Changed Name."

Hopes that the power situation would improve after former President Goodluck Jonathan partially sold off 15 state generation and distribution companies for more than $3 billion to private investors two years ago have been dashed.

The buyers included locally owned companies such as Forte Oil Plc, Sahara Group and Transnational Corp. of Nigeria Plc, along with foreign technical partners such as Korea Electric Power Corp.

They found the companies they bought weren't financially viable, and the distribution firms mounted with debt started hemorrhaging cash. Last year, "the financial flows in the sector came close to collapse,'' the U.K.'s Department for International Development said in a December 2014 report.

AIME advises Buhari to tackle insecurity for productivity

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FIRM Global Media Communications Networks, AIME, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the issue of insecurity in the country, adding that a peaceful environment will foster productivity and for life for the citizens.

It said ensuring security will also create the enabling environment for productivity across the African continent, stressing that Nigerians must embrace peace among its ethnic

groups in the country which will add value to economic growth.

AIME is an African international company that works, answering the questions threatening peace and productivity through its laudable programs. Its Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Emenogie Israel, said looking at the world today, peace is a social responsibility that should be guided by all men.

"We see that this responsibility has failed by most people but we at

16 air traffic controllers get radar training

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HE Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has trained another batch of 16 Air Traffic Controllers in Area Airways NonRadar course at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

The three-month course drew participants from airports nationwide.

Titled: ACC 34, the training was designed to equip Air Traffic Controllers with the ability to control traffic caused by radar failure.

NAMA Managing Director, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, who was represented at the graduation in Zaria by the Director of Operations, Mr Uzomafyneboy, congratulated the participants on "studying hard to achieve success in flying colours".

In a statement, he said NAMA would "continue to give priority to training and retraining of staff, especially in operations to effectively man the sophisticated air traffic management infrastructure deployed by the agency."

Forty ATCs had early this year been rated by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) while 12 ATC cadets graduated from the NCAT and went their practical training.

Another 17 Air Traffic Engineers graduated from the same institution after undergoing a three-month course on handling communication navigation surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM ) as well as Information Communication technology equipment.

AIME sees responsibility as a beauty to promote peace as a potential for social development in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. AIME is driven by passion to deliver on its commitment. Our people are dedicated to providing quality offerings, unparallel services and responsiveness. We are committed to working together with partners to deal with problems in an open and honest manner relating to conflict and ensuring stability of a global economy.

“However, we are a major player in the industry as also very relevant in the African market, our consistency and our stylish research reporting had endeared eminent people trailing our pathway," he said.

Israel noted that that the rate of productivity is increasing at a faster rate in poorer countries than in richer ones. "This is what we have seen in East Asia over the past decades. In Africa this has not been the case. The continent is not catching up, due to

three impediments to productivity growth: poor governance, poor education, and the highly restrictive nature of economic transactions in most African countries," he said.

He stated that poor governance and highly restrictive economic environments create a disincentive for the necessary investment to increase the number of high productivity jobs and workers. According to him, poor education also locks the workforce into a low level of productivity.

Lafarge Africa wins Best in HSE Practice award

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AFARGE Africa Plc has won the Best Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Practice award in the Manufacturing sector at the Nigeria Safety Award for Excellence Hall of Fame 2015.

Also known as 9Ja Safe Awards, the event, held at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos.

According to the organisers of the awards, Lafarge Africa made an exceptional and outstanding contribution in HSE towards national development, achieved ground-breaking innovations in HSE and also made outstanding contribution to its environment.

Managing Director, Concrete & Aggregates Readymix (an arm of Lafarge) Mr. Loren Zanin received the award for Mr. Peter Hoddinott, the Group Managing Director/Chief Ex-

ecutive Officer of Lafarge Africa.

Others with him were Mr. Tim Oseghe, Country Road Safety Manager; Salisu Sayaya, Lagos Liaison Manager, Ashaka Cement Operations and Engineering Tukur Lawal, Country Health & Safety Manager. Lawal was a nominee in the Health and Safety Champions category.

Receiving the award, Zanin praised the organisers of the awards for raising the standard of health and safety through the initiative.

He said: "We are very thrilled to be part of the evening. We are not doing health and safety because of awards, but we strongly believe in health and safety that is why we look after our workers and we ensure that families of our workers have safe working places. Awards

are nice but what is more important to us is being a good health and safety provider always. Every organisation has got the responsibility to look after its workers and we are doing what we know is morally right.

"With this award, the management board of Lafarge Africa Plc. has been given recognition because we are going in the right direction when it comes to health and safety, which shows we are committed to what we are doing. ‘’This award, therefore, stands a big uplift to our people because we are being recognised as leader in health and safety in Nigeria. We are proud of that. We urge all Nigerians never to stop thinking about health and safety at work, on the road and at home.

Health and safety is 24 hours a day."

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

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THE NATION

BUSINESS INSURANCE

Rewane, others list growth options for insurance sector The need to grow the insurance business in Nigeria and boost the economy is receiving greater attention with operators. Experts have, however, proffered solutions for growth opportunities in the insurance sector. OMOBOLA TOLU-KUSIMO writes.

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ROWTH in the insurance sector may remain positive and will likely be driven by automotive policy, oil and gas and the housing sector with opportunities estimated at $105.24 billion.

Experts said the estimate is possible if the sector grows at par with South Africa’s 12 per cent of GDP in the next four years.

Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, at an insurance conference in Abuja, listed other sectors that will drive growth as agric, telecom, financial services and manufacturing.

He said, according to Ernst & Young, diminishing economic growth will likely affect demand for life and non–life insurance products, while stronger capital requirements will act as catalyst for consolidation of smaller insurers.

He said changing regulatory environment will encourage investment in real estate with cross border sales expected to commence in January, 2016.

Rewane said the collective investment scheme will expand further, resulting in improvement in data controls, prompted by newer and stricter regulations.

He listed critical events to watch out for as the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in July and September, the likely shake up in regulatory appointments, passage of a supplementary budget and the World Bank meeting in Peru.

He said with inflation rate at 9.2 per cent from 8.7 per cent, the insurance industry in Nigeria has

•DG, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Kola Ahmed

•Rewane

•Ladipo-Ajayi

underperformed in terms of economic growth, adding that its profitability and size has been suboptimal.

He said: “Relative to the financial services industry and global peers, the industry has been subject of new capital requirements and capacity rules.

“The insurance industry in Nigeria has underperformed the economy in its growth, while its profitability and size has been suboptimal. High inflation increases the cost of future claims on current policies and erodes asset values, while increased inflation makes higher interest rates more likely. This implies that value of total assets under management could drop. In the 2008 financial cri-

sis, insurance companies were some of the biggest losers,” he said, pointing out that sensitivity of interest rate risk varies by line of business and market.

“For life insurers, it affects savings products where investment returns are major sources of profit, while higher interest rate encourages savings.

“For non-life insurers, if interest rates reduce, they could react by raising premiums to maintain profitability.”

On exchange rate risk, Rewane said a devaluation increases the risk that the assured will face higher replacement cost, increases the risk of non-payment of future premiums as disposable income falls, while pre-

mium on foreign re-insurance will become higher.

Citing an example with the Singapore insurance sector, he pointed out that the country is one of the most developed insurance markets in Asia with 161 registered insurers and reinsurers.

He listed Singapore’s insurance challenges as “regulatory, addressing insurer solvency, capital and risk management have been changed, new rules could swamp the industry with costs and compliance, longstanding strategic positions maybe altered and costs, prices and returns could soon become unsustainable if changes are mismanaged”.

“Global insurance challenges in 2015 according to Ernst & Young are rising competition, soft pricing conditions, tight profit margins, low interest rates will make savings product difficult to manage, Cybercrime, data insecurity and lack of experienced talent due to higher mo-

bility and increased competition.

According to Ernst and Young, the focus of insurers in 2015 is technology”, he added.

Swiss Re’s Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East and Africa, Frank O’Neill while speaking on how to increase the contribution of insurance to the economy, said education and tailored products, ie takaful will be of great help. He said tailored products and distribution channels (mobile, micro), capacity building: expertise building, supervision, industry action, regulators, education.

“Many factors drive demand and supply of insurance. These include economic growth, wealth, trust in insurance, price of insurance religion; culture, education, property rights; legal certainty among others.

“Foreign reinsurers can help to develop the insurance sector in emerging economies”.

Managing Director, LASACO Insurance Plc, Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi on his part said insurers need to do a lot more to bring some of the provisions of the law in line with international best practices and strengthen the market.

He said that the six compulsory insurance namely; Motor Thirty party liability; Employers Liability; Employers Compensation; Occupiers Liability; Builders liability and the Lagos state Building Control Law 2010 and Health Care Professional indemnity Act all exist on paper.

He noted that NAICOM has tried to harness these in the Market Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI) and made it compulsory.

The Commission, however, is not in a position to effectively to enforce the laws as is common in developed countries. It is left to the industry to take up the challenge from here, he said.

STI Rights Issue yields 64% success rate

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•Chairman, Standard Group, Alhaji Ahmed Salawudeen (middle) inaugurating Ahmed Salawudeen Gymnasium Complex at Insurance Brokers House, Yaba, Lagos, With him are his daughter, Zainab (left) and President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu.

Typhoon Etau slams Japan, widespread damage seen

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IGNIFICANT flooding in Japan this week from torrential rainfall exacerbated by Typhoon Etau has caused widespread damage to property and infrastructure, according to Boston-based catastrophe modeler AIR Worldwide.

The typhoon made landfall on the Chita Peninsula on Wednesday. No damage estimates have been issued.

The flooding extensively damaged houses and vehicles and overwhelmed the drainage pumps for the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, result-

ing in leaks of hundreds of tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, AIR said Thursday in a statement.

“A senior scientist at AIR, Kevin Hill, said in the statement: “Etau did not cause significant damage near the landfall location from wind or precipitation, but it has produced prodigious rainfall and flooding several hundred kilometers to the east of where it tracked across Honshu.

“After completing extratropical transition, the remnants of Etau produced very heavy rainfall to the north of Tokyo, in a distinctive north-south ori-

ented band.”

AIR noted that water damage to machinery and building contents drives most flood-related loss.

“Although wind damage is typically automatically covered under standard fire insurance policies in Japan, flood damage is not, despite the fact that Japan regularly experiences ‘wet’ storms that deliver extreme precipitation and flooding that contribute substantially to damage,” said AIR. It added that take-up rates for flood insurance are relatively low in Japan.

•Culled from Business Insurance

HE capital raising process via a Rights Issue exercise by Sovereign insurance Plc (STI) has recorded a gross proceed of N734.5 million representing a 64 per cent success rate, Chairman of the Company, Chief Ephraim Faloughi has said.

Faloughi made this known to shareholders of the company at the 20th Annual General Meeting held over the weekend in Lagos.

According to him, the success on the offer would reflect in the Company’s paid up capital in the financial year end 2015.

He said that riding on the strength of your approval at the last AGM for the Company to embark on appropriate capital raising process, the Directors have moved into action and have opened and closed the issuance of shares to existing shareholders at a ratio of one for three ordinary shares already held at 50 kobo per share.

He however said the company recorded a decrease from N929 million to N294 million in its Profit after Tax in its financial year end December 2014.

He explained that the decrease in PAT year on year was as a result of N582.9 million prior year adjust-

ments on claims reserve passed on its 2013 accounts.

He said: “This adjustment reduced the value of claims charged against the profit for the year and consequently increased the Profit before Tax for 2013 from N274.8 million to N857.8 million.

“The adjustment was however deducted from the retained earnings and did not affect Total Equity as detailed in the statement of changes of equity.

“Gross premium for the year under review stood at N7.2 billion, a performance that represents 16 per cent over the sum of N8.6 billion recorded in the previous year.”

Faloughi stressed that despite the result, the future of the Company is bright particularly with the implementation of a new business model and deployment of competitive strategies to control better market share and improve their profit level.

He appealed to shareholders to be patient as the Company’s result noting claims payment as the reason for reduction in the results.

Claims payment should be priority for investors and shareholders.

It is better to keep our good name rather than not paying claims to policyholders, he said.

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS JOBS

General Electric (GE) facility in Onne, River State.

In these days of high unemployment, some people are getting jobs. General Electric (GE), a foreign conglomerate, says only those with uncommon abilities can get jobs in the oil and gas industry, where it has set up two facilities in Rivers and Cross River states for the use of local and international operators, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE.

5,000 jobs coming from GE’s facilities in Onne, Calabar N O one is in doubt that the global oil market is expe riencing a downturn, with attendant job cuts in the downstream and upstream of the industry. Despite this scenario, some operators are navigating the environment to see how to turn it around to enhance their productive capacity and create jobs from it.

Some foreign players are exploring opportunities in their countries of operation to help create job opportunities. The operators include Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), Korea, which partnered with LADOL Integrated Logistics Enterprise (a local operator) in order to build a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in Lagos, and General Electric (GE).

Of note is General Electric, an American conglomerate that has presence in four continents,

namely Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. The firm has investments in South Africa, Algeria, Angola, Kenya and Nigeria, where it has been operating since the 1930s. With portfolios spanning power and water, oil and gas, transportation, health and maritime sectors, General Electric has employed over 150,000 workers in 130 countries including Nigeria.

Not done, GE is planning to create more jobs in Nigeria, through its oil and gas facilities in Onne, Rivers State and Calabar, Cross River State.

The projects have not only reached advanced stage, but have the capacity to create jobs.

The projects are going to provide job opportunities for thousands of people in the country.

The Chief Operating Officer, Gen-

eral Electric, West Africa, Uzochi Nwagwu, corroborated this, saying a total of 450 direct jobs and 4,500 indirect jobs are expected from the two facilities when completed.

He said the facility in Onne would create 250 direct and 2,500 indirect jobs, while the one in Calabar would add 200 direct and 2,000 indirect jobs, adding that more jobs are going to be created in the future when the firm expands the production capacity of the facilities in order to meet the growing demands of its customers.

Those to be employed in the facilities are skilled and unskilled workers. The skilled workers required to work in the plants are graduates, with background in Electrical and Electronics, Civil, Automotive, Mechanical, and Petrochemical Engineering. Others are graduates in dis-

ciplines such as Marine Engineering, Geophysics and Geology. Those, who studied humanities and social sciences would also get jobs, as GE is going to employ workers such as accountants, auditors and others.

The unskilled workers are those within the low-level management bracket, and they include office assistants, drivers, security men, painters, fork lifters, among others. This category of workers are supposed to possess certificates such as West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE), Technical College Certificate, and at best, Ordinary National Diploma (OND).

Nwagwu said people, who are ready to learn and adapt to the company’s operating system, would get jobs. He said the jobs are technical, demanding and rewarding, adding

that workers should be ready to put in their best to get the jobs done.

He said the oil and gas sector is technology-based, a development, which he said informed the decision of General Electric to try and employ people, who are painstaking and thorough.

He said: “From experience, we observed at General Electric that graduates with science backgrounds are most suitable for jobs in the oil and gas industry, because they are technically sound. We know that after training them locally and internationally, they are going to deliver. GE is going to give priority to the unemployed Nigerians, in line with the local content policy, introduced by the Federal Government,to develop local capacity in the country.’’

•Continued on Page 32

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JOBS

5,000 jobs coming from GE’s facilities in Onne, Calabar •Continued from page 31

Concerning the Calabar facility, Nwagwu said workers, who foot the bill, are going to assist in the refurbishment of Subsea wellheads, repairing and servicing of turbo machinery, fabricating metal and other components used in the facility.

He said workers, who get employed at the Onne facility, would help in the refurbishment of offshore equipment and provide technical management services, among others.

According to him, General Electric has earmarked millions of dollars for training in Nigeria and beyond, with a view to developing the capacity of its workers, make them compete with their counterparts abroad and build their careers.

Also, the Operations Manager, Onne oil and gas facility, Kenny Yaks, said job prospects in the facilities located in Onne and Calabar is high, adding that people, who are technically proficient would get jobs.

He said those, who would repair and service subsea wellheads must not only be adept technically, but must keep up with the developments in the global oil and gas industry.

Yaks said GE has started training workers in the facilities, adding that more people would be employed and trained as time goes on.

Workers, according to him, would be given in-house training first, and thereafter sent to schools abroad for further training.

Some workers, who spoke to The Nation, said the training has positioned them to meet up with the challenges in the oil and gas sector.

A member of staff of General Electric, who identified himself as Ubinedet Okonubim, said he had undergone training locally and internationally, adding that the training has deepened his knowledge of oil and gas operation.

He said he was trained in Nigeria and Brazil, stressing that the training has helped in building his competence level.

He said the curriculum, used by Nigerian Universities, does not favour practical educa-

• GMD, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu

• Nwagwu

tion, stressing that engineering graduates are lacking skills that would enable them get jobs.

Okonubim, a graduate of Computer Science from Rivers State University, said he would not have been able to perform optimally, if he had rely only on what he studied in school.

“Nigerian graduates do not have enough practical experience when it comes to engineering. This is the reason why many engineering graduates in the country, cannot compete favourably with their counterparts abroad. Besides, engineering graduates could

not get jobs because they lack the necessary skills. Employers are not ready to spend extra money on training of workers today. To provide engineering students with the required skills, curriculum developers in the universities and other tertiary institutions provide curriculum that would give students enough practical exposure.

Okonubim, an indigene of Akwa-Ibom State, said it would be difficult for engineering graduates to work in oil and gas companies, if they do not have practical knowledge of what they

studied.

He said the educational system in Brazil is structured in such a way that high school levers would earn two-year practical experience in reputable companies first before going to the university for a two-three year-course, adding that the idea has helped the country to produce technicians and other workers.

Diepriye Boyle, is another staff, who believes that people must have technical expertise to work in the oil and gas companies. He said there is a disconnect between what schools and the industry, urging prospective and existing workers in petroleum sector to go for courses that would enable them handle equipment well.

Boyle, an electrical and electronics graduate from University of Benin, said he was able to work in the Control and Maintenance Department of GE facility in Onne, because he had undergone training in the country.

Also, Bright Samuel Odien, who just returned from UCSI University, Malaysia, where the other workers of Genera Electric went for a course, said what he does in GE is more of an inclusive engineering. He said his experience has helped him to work on hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical equipment that are installed in GE ‘s facility in Onne, Rivers State.

According to him, engineering students spend the first two or three years acquiring theoretical experience, arguing that such students would find it difficult to fit into highly challenging and technology-based industry such as oil and gas.

He said he works on Subsea wellheads and other equipment acquired by GE, adding that he acquired the knowledge from the school he attended in Malaysia.

Sharing the same views with Odien, was the Operational Manager in the GE’s oIl and gas plant at Onne, Rivers State, Kenny Yaks. He said only those who display high level of skills can work in the global oil market, stressing that operators are looking for workers who are proficient technically.

EMPOWERMENT CLINIC

Overcoming unemployment with L your CV (II) AST week, we said in the education sub-segment, you list education in the reverse chronological order. We added that you should set degrees apart to make them easily visible and put in boldface whatever will be most impressive.

Education …List selected course work if this will help convince the prospective employer of your qualification for the target job. You can include advanced training, but be selective with the information, summarising the information and including only what will impress the prospective employer. If you are working on an uncompleted degree, include the degree and, in parentheses, the expected date of completion.

If you did not finish college, start with a phrase describing the field studied, then the school, then the dates.

Professional affiliations Here, you include only those that are current and will be relevant and impressive. This is a good section to include your membership of a group targeted for special consideration by employers, if you belong to one.

Civic/community leadership and publications This segment can be included if the leadership roles or accomplishments are related to the target job and can show skills acquired. For instance, a treasurer of a community, who has had a lot of achievements in this position, can include such accomplishments in his or her CV if he or she is seeking a job in a corporate organisation as a finance

By Goke Ilesanmi

manager. So also can a successful Sunday School teacher in a church include his or her achievements while looking for a teaching appointment in a school. But, you need to be careful as far as the inclusion of political affiliations is concerned, as they could be a plus or minus with an employer. Only published works should be included and summarised if they are many.

Personal interests/hobbies This segment has advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: It can indicate a skill or area of knowledge which is related to the goal like “playing football”, for somebody looking for a job as a Physical Education teacher; or “travelling and networking”, for somebody looking for a job as a marketing or sales manager. It can show well-roundedness, good physical health, or knowledge of a subject related to the goal. It can create common ground or spark conversation in an interview.

Disadvantages: It may be irrelevant to the job goal and curriculum vitae purpose, and therefore may be meaningless. You probably should not include a personal interests segment. Your reason for including it is most likely that you want to tell your prospective employer about yourself. But do not forget that your CV is an advert of a kind.

References Put “References available upon

request” at the end of your CV. Prepare a separate reference sheet and bring it to the interview if or when it is requested by the prospective employer. So do not include references as part of your CV. Recently, a young man that came to prepare his CV in our office narrated how he had earlier applied for a job in a particular company with his old CV on which he included his references. Unfortunately, the manager collating the CV just saw the name of a lecturer that had allegedly failed him (the manager) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as one of the applicant’s references.

He deceptively asked the young man if the lecturer was his uncle.

Thinking that the cheerful facial expression of the manager meant that the lecturer had done him a favour before, the young man quickly answered “Yes”.

Immediately, the manager threw his CV away on the excuse that his lecturer-uncle was a wicked man that had “deliberately” failed him in his course at UNN. If the young applicant had not included references on his CV, he would not have been disqualified at the point of submission.

Three types of CV Chronological CV The chronological CV is the most traditional structure for a CV. The Experience section constitutes the major focus as we do in Nigeria.

Each job or the last several jobs are described in some detail and there is no major section of skills or ac-

complishments at the beginning of the CV. This structure is primarily used when you are staying in the same profession, in the same type of work, particularly in very conservative fields like law and the academia.

However, it is recommended that the chronological CV should always have an objective or summary, to guide a prospective employer. One of the advantages of a typical chronological CV is that it may appeal to older, more traditional prospective employers. It also makes it easier to understand what you did in what job. The disadvantage is that it is much more difficult to highlight what you do best.

Functional CV The functional CV highlights the major skills and accomplishments right from the beginning. It helps the prospective employer to see clearly what the applicant can do for him or her, rather than having to read through the job descriptions to find out. It helps target the CV towards a new direction or field, by lifting up from all past jobs the key skills and qualifications to help prove you will be successful in this new direction or field. Actual company names and positions are in a subordinate position, with no job description under each.

The functional CV is a must for career changers, but is very appropriate for generalists, for those with divergent careers, for those with a wide range of skills in their given profession and for students.

But this type of CV has its own advantages and disadvantages. It will help you most in reaching for a new goal.

It is a very effective type of CV, and is highly recommended. One

•GOKE ILESANMI of the disadvantages is that it is hard to know what the applicant did in which job, which may be a negative to conservative interviewers. We will continue next week.

PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated here for details.

GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425 Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

33

THE CEO The management of Ikeja Electric Plc was at the headquarters of Vintage Press Limited, publisher of The Nation newspapers, on a visit. The power distribution company’s Managing Director, Mr Abiodun Ajifowobaje, during the visit, spoke on a wide range of issues in the power sector and the menace of pipeline vandalism. EMEKA UGWUANYI and AKINOLA AJIBADE were there.

W

HAT is your company doing to address the me ter problems in your net-

work?

The challenges are many. However, the two major problems, which power firms are experiencing, are scarcity of meters and failure to meter all the consumers. At Ikeja Electric, we identified the problems immediately; the current owners took over the unbundled assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in November 2013. Since then we have been trying to proffer solutions to the problems in order to satisfy our teeming customers. We are doing this, in line with our goal of becoming a customer-centric or focused institution. In order to address the meter problems, we have conducted a pilot scheme with 2,000 customers. The customers were randomly selected from the six business units in the company Abule-Egba, Akowonjo, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Oshodi and Shomolu. The two months pilot scheme ended in August and the aim was to determine how quickly the overall implementation of our metering programme would be, and also discover the loopholes and at the same time address them.

We have invested $160 million on meters to meet the needs of 300,000 customers that we are targeting for the metering programme. In many areas or localities, we have introduced an idea known as ‘Energy Accountability’ to make customers accountable for the units of energy they consume, and we are checking sharp practices such as tampering or bypassing of meters, among others. By and large, we have gone far in addressing the problems outlined above and that will address the problem of estimated billing.

Why is it that many consumers are yet to get meters, in spite of the efforts you have made to address the problems?

Solving problems associated with manufacturing and provision of meters is not one day job. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) knows this, hence its decision to give the 11 Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) a five-year mandate to supply meters to their teeming customers. The five year covers 20132018, when we consider the fact that DISCOs took over in 2013. All the power distribution companies are required to meet the metering needs of their customers within the stipulated period. We are working within the timeframe given by NERC. In fact, Ikeja Electric has shortened the five years to three years in order to provide meters to its customers early enough, and avert a situation where they would continue to pay estimated bills.

And to make good our promise to provide meters to our customers, we have concluded plans to do a massive roll out this September.

How prepared are you to meet the meter demand of your customers in the next three years?

We hope to supply meters to customers on our database within that period. We have done our home work well in this regard, and we would not disappoint our teeming customers, who are waiting patiently for us to solve their metering problems. We have promised to satisfy our customers by attending promptly to issues they brought to us. We would ensure that we do whatever they request for. That is if their requests are within our powers. We want our customers to be free with us, ask us what they need, and we would

• Ajifowobaje

PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI

‘Our metering scheme ‘ll address estimated billing’ attend to them. Those needs we can meet immediately, we would not hesitate to give them. Those ones that we cannot meet, we would explain to them why it would not be possible for us to meet them. For instance, if a customer, who is looking for a meter, says he cannot exercise patience and wants to jump the queue, we would accommodate him or her.

Since we have promised to be customer-centric, we would try as much as possible to respond to the needs of our customers, but such customer will pay for the meter and the cost gradually deducted from his/her bills.

What are the sanctions for customers who tampered or bypassed meters?

There are different sanctions for meter tampering offenders. The first sanction is that customers who tampered with meters will pay a fine of N50,000 into designated financial institutions. The second sanction is jail term. People found bypassing their meters would be arrested and handed over to the

Police for prosecution. We are working with the law enforcement agencies such as the Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest, prosecute and charge those who tamper with meters to court. We believe that when meter bypassing offenders are jailed, they would serve as deterrent to others that want to commit the crime.

Before applying sanctions, has your organisation warned customers on tampering with their meters?

We have employed different methods in order to stop people from tampering with meters. The methods include organising forums, and sending our officials to enlighten consumers on how to use their meters (prepaid or analog), credit their bills in the event that they are using prepaid meters, among carrying out other activities.

What are the modalities for implementing the idea known as Energy Accountability?

Ikeja Electric has deployed what

it referred to as AMR Infrastructure in order to ensure that customers are responsible for the units of energy they consume. Through this, every operation of the meters installed in the homes and offices of our customers is recorded and known to the management of Ikeja Electric. For instance, if customer A bypassed his meter, there would be a signal to that effect, and the company would know immediately. Also, if a customer has not paid his bills by way of crediting his meter, the management would know. We carried out a pilot study to detect customers, who bypassed their meters. The study revealed that as early as 6.00 am, 10 customers have tampered with their meters because we saw everything that happened on the meters in the system installed in our office. This is a futuristic metering system introduced to check some fraudulent practices. More worrisome is the fact that people, especially Nigerians are fond of disobeying laws made to check fraudulent practices.

Beyond detecting fraudulent cus-

tomers, what other things is Energy Accountability going to achieve?

By energy accountability, we want to make sure that consumers pay for every unit of energy they consume. We are not just giving power or electricity; we want to make sure that consumers pay for every second of energy consumed.

The Global Satellite Mobile (GSM) operators such as MTN, Airtel, Glo and Etisalat charge subscribers every second they make calls with their phones. That is what we want to happen in the power sector. We want to be fair to our customers, while at the same time our customers should be fair to us. It is a case of consumers using our power and paying us our money.

How much do distribution companies (DISCOs) charge for prepaid meters?

The DISCOs are not required to charge any fees before giving meters out to consumers. All the meters are free. We are not taking a •Continued on page 34

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

34

THE CEO

‘Our metering scheme ‘ll address estimated billing’ •Continued from page 33

kobo from anybody. If any of our officials goes out to demand money from consumers, who want meters, that person is a thief. We say the meter is free because any money you pay to obtain a meter, we would pay you back over a period of time, usually 30 months. A single phase meter costs N30,000, while a double-phase meter costs N50,000. If a customer bought a single-phase meter at the rate of N30,000, what we do is that we deduct 38 per cent of N30,000 for two and half years (30 months) to cover his fixed charge. What this implies, is that such a customer would not be paying fixed charge for 30 months.

What is the timeframe for giving out meters to applicants or consumers?

We only give out meters to consumers whose areas or localities have been metered by our company, based on the Advanced Metering System introduced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). For instance, we at Ikeja Electric would finish our metering system in 2017. If a customer wants his meter in 2017, it shows that the customer would continue to get estimated bill.

Why has Nigeria not been able to improve power supply, using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, coal and biomass?

The country depends on two traditional sources of generating power, the gas power plant or turbines and hydro or water. While hydro plant is the cheapest means of generating electricity worldwide because water, which is the major ingredient, required to generate the power is free, the gas powered plant is not. Findings have shown that the cost of setting up three hydro plants would provide one turbine. Altogether, the two are veritable means of generating electricity since they can provide thousands of electricity megawatts (Mw) needed to move the economy forward. They function optimally by generating the quantum of electricity megawatts that would bring the desired socio-economic growth provided there is no infrastructural gap.

Should the Federal Government not be thinking of generating power through renewable sources since gas and hydro plants have not been able to generate enough power due to pipeline vandals?

It is not proper for the government to use renewable energy as the major means of generating electricity, when one considers the fact that they produce minimum megawatts of electricity. Besides, each of the renewable energy sources has its own drawbacks. For instance, one needs acres of land to generate one megawatt of electricity, through solar. Also, when a man installs solar power in his house, he cannot use it to power his electrical equipment such as fridge, freezers, and air-conditioners. Based on this, it is not economical to use solar energy.

Is the same thing applicable to other renewable energy sources?

Yes, all the sources of renewable energy have one problem or the other. For instance, wind generates few megawatts of electricity, aside the fact that it not predictable.

Wind is a natural product, and as such, it is unpredictable. Wind can provide electricity, let say for five hours, and refused to work in the next two or three hours. The moment the wind stops, this means that it would take some time before one can access power. Even, Japan that has the biggest wind power cannot generate huge volume of power from wind. The biggest transformer installed for wind energy is about 20 KVA, and how

• Ajifowobaje

• Ajifowobaje

• Ajifowobaje

PHOTOS: RAHMAN SANUSI

‘The DISCOs are not required to charge any fees before giving meters out to consumers. All the meters are free. We are not taking a kobo from anybody. If any of our officials goes out to demand money from consumers, who want meters, that person is a thief. We say the meter is free because any money you pay to obtain a meter, we would pay you back over a period of time, usually 30 months’ much electricity would that provide for a country like Nigeria with 170million population? This is a question we must ask ourselves.

Like any other natural product, wind is unpredictable. I can install wind energy here, and in the next five to six hours, the light would

stop due to weather.

But institutions, such as the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Katsina State Government, use wind to power part of their areas.

Cuts in: That is not true. I have been to the Redemption Camp in

Mowe, Ogun State and I can tell you authoritatively that 75 per cent of the electricity used in the Camp is from the gas powered plant. Under the rural electrification scheme, introduced by the Federal Government, in order to light the rural areas, wind equipment were

installed in Katsina State because the state enjoys wind a lot. But the equipment stops working the wind stops, and that is the end of accessing electricity through that means. The issue of using wind energy for 10 hours, 20hours is not possible.

What about using coal and biomass to generate power?

To produce one or two megawatts of power from biomass, you need to pack all the wastes in Lagos to get that figure. And that may take you three months or more to do.

What I would use to produce one megawatt of power from biomass would produce 10 megawatts of hydro or gas power. The same thing is applicable to coal. The cost of building one or two coal power plants can get you one big gas plant.

When you consider all these, you realise that the renewable energy sources are not economical, besides the fact that they provide small quantum of electricity megawatts that is barely enough to meet the energy demands of a country like Nigeria.

How come South Africa generates over 40,000 megawatts of electricity, relying on coal to generate the bulk of the power it consumes?

Truly, over 60 per cent of power used in South Africa is from Coal.

The country started generating electricity from Coal when it was cheaper and easier to do. I’m talking about decades ago, precisely in the 50s. But it is not possible now.

Cost of generating power through Coal has gone up considerably. If you go to South Africa now and you tell them to set up a Coal power plant, the first question they would ask you is whether you are crazy or not. They would tell you that it is not economical to generate electricity through Coal, despite the fact that they have Coal in abundance. It would be better if we concentrate on how to improve electricity generation through hydro and gas, than generating power from renewable energy sources, that we do not have the required expertise for.

What is your take on the differential costs of gas?

This is a free economy where you sell your product to the customer who can give you the right value.

For instance, if you have gas to sell and the law says that I s must sell to customer A at $50 per cubic feet and customer B at $46 per cubic feet.

Let’s say Customer B is not ready to pay even if I bring the price down from $46 to $10, while Customer A paid me for 12 months at a go, is there anything wrong in selling to such a customer. That is exactly what is happening in the sector.

What is the cause of pipeline vandalism?

I do not know exactly the causes of pipeline vandalism. In the olden days, gas was flowing well and the turbines were accessing it for generation. Then power was stable.

During that period, when Electricity Company switches off power, it would restore power few minutes after. That is why you can hear children and adults shout ‘Up NEPA’ the moment there is light.

But today gas is no longer flowing, making you and me wanting to find out the cause. Some people alleged that companies that were importing generators into Nigeria were given vandals money to break gas pipelines. Others said the people residing in the riverine areas were behind the criminal activity.

I do not know what causes pipeline vandalism. But what I know is that without smoke, there would be no fire. I do not know what people would gain from breaking gas pipeline because gas is air. If it is crude pipeline, I would say they can sell it and make money from it.

35

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

BUSINESS

MOTORING

•

The new Range Rover Sentinel retains Land Rover’s huge breadth of capability and uncompromised levels of luxury and refinement. Though, available to order in sub-Sahara Africa markets, the Sentinel will make public debut at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) Show starting tomorrow at Excel, London, United Kingdom, reports TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO.

Range Rover Sentinel: supreme comfort, all-terrain capability T HE new Range Rover Sentinel is the first luxury armoured vehicle to be fully engineered by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), hand built at its Oxford Road facility, providing the highest levels of protection a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) can offer against a wide variety of attacks.

The Sentinel is based on the standard wheelbase Range Rover Autobiography. It delivers the supreme comfort, command driving position and all-terrain capability of the Range Rover, while providing peace of mind - thanks to outstanding occupant protection and, outwardly, looking identical to the standard model.

This mobile fortress is designed to withstand the most damaging and targeted of threats including penetration by 7.62mm high velocity, armour piercing incendiary bullets. This exceptional vehicle delivers lateral protection against up to 15kg Trinitrotoluene (TNT) blasts and defence against DM51 grenade explosions from both beneath the floor and above the roof.

At its core is a specially developed six-piece armoured passenger cell, made of super-highstrength steel, providing world-class protection from attack. The standard glass has been replaced by multi-laminated armour privacy glass of optical quality, providing excellent clarity for the driver and occupants, while also delivering bullet protection.

The Range Rover Sentinel is fully certified to VR8 standard against ballistic threats by QinetiQ, an independent organisation that was

formerly part of the British Government’s Defence Establishment Research Agency.

Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, John Edwards described the Sentinel as one of the most extraordinary Range Rovers ever produced.

According to him: “It has been expertly engineered by Special Vehicle Operations to provide class leading levels of protection to occupants against extreme attack, whilst retaining the Range Rover’s luxury and refinement with off road capability.”

Sentinel retains the plentiful legroom of the standard model that comfortably seats two fullsize adults in the rear. A payload of up to 650kg can be carried - thanks to revised dynamic stability control and ride stability control systems. The command driving position found in all Range Rover vehicles remains, giving the driver a clear and un-obscured view of the surroundings, particularly useful in the event of an attack.

The suspension has been up-rated to ensure Range Rover’s legendary ride comfort and handling are retained, yet still delivers precise on-road dynamics to allow occupants to escape attack. The Sentinel has undergone the same testing as a standard production vehicle and retains the outstanding off-road capability for which Land Rover is famous.

The Sentinel has an anti-tamper exhaust, a

self-sealing fuel tank, auxiliary back-up battery and a split charging system. The 100mm opening in the driver’s window for document delivery ensures the vehicle is secure. The load space features anti-smash protective glass ensuring the cabin remains a safe house.

When it is time to leave in a hurry, run flat inserts in the tyres – fitted to special 20-inch split rim alloy wheels – allow the vehicle to be driven even if the tyres are deflated. This system ensures that however determined the attack, the Range Rover Sentinel can use the considerable performance of its 250kW 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine in conjunction with a specially-calibrated ZF 8-speed automatic transmission to escape. In addition, 380mm front and 365mm rear ventilated disc brakes, both with high-density pads, ensure impressive stopping power when needed.

If the worst happens and the main doors are blocked by an accident or an attack, occupants can leave the vehicle via the Emergency Escape System behind the rear seats. Despite this special security feature, the basic design is uncompromised and the Range Rover Sentinel is still equipped with the elegant split-level tailgate of the standard production vehicle.

Optional protection features include under floor and under bonnet fire suppression systems, a customer configurable siren system, emergency service lights and an external

speaker system to address people outside the vehicle from the safety of the cabin.

The Range Rover Sentinel is unmatched in capability and protection by any third-party conversion. Externally, it is discreet and almost identical in appearance to the vehicle from which it is derived, with few visual clues as to what lies beneath the skin.

A full driver-training programme is also provided to ensure drivers are capable of handling the vehicle to maximum effect in the most challenging circumstances.

Despite the huge levels of security offered by the vehicle’s armour and occupant protection systems, the Range Rover Sentinel remains a Range Rover to the core. It delivers the same exceptional levels of luxury ride and comfort as a conventional Range Rover Autobiography.

Customers can still choose from an extensive range of exterior paint colours; and Ebony, Ivory or Dark Cherry interior colour ways with leather headlining an option. A range of bespoke options is available on request.

Standard Range Rover features such as Blind Spot Monitoring, Closing Vehicle Sensing and Surround Camera Security incorporating T-junction view also lend themselves perfectly to the duties this very special Range Rover is designed to perform.

The Range Rover Sentinel is fully EU Homologated, available in the UK, Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East with VR8 level certification. It will be available in Land Rover’s key sub-Sahara Africa markets, and customers can visit their nearest Land Rover dealership to register their interest.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

36

MOTORING

KIA strikes strategic partnership with Uber

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ITH the growing popularity of urban culture and prevalence of hailing cab service in the metropolitan cities, Kia Motors Nigeria has entered into strategic partnership with Uber to provide lead generation software connecting riders to drivers in the area. The partnership is directly in line with the commitment to making the people become an Uber investor with an affordable state-of-the-art Kia model range.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria has remained one of the commercial hubs of Africa with an estimated population of over 180 million. As the most populous African country in the world, the need to provide a seam-

Stories by Tajudeen Adebanjo

less means of transportation system to meet the requirements of the public is germane and this has galvanised the strategic partnership between Kia and Uber.

Globally, over 100,000 partner drivers are currently operating on Uber’s network. Uber is not only changing the way people connect with their cities, but also creating thousands of investment and work opportunities along the way.

To make this a success in Nigeria, Uber is leveraging the low maintenance cost of Kia vehicles to increase the adoption of its services in the cities in which it has presence across the country.

“In a bid to provide a stress-free transportation and provide invest-

ment opportunities for our teeming customers, we have deemed it necessary to partner with an internationally acclaimed technology company, Uber, which gives optimum value to customer satisfaction and a maximised return on investment for investors. The company has remained at the fore in creating a technology platform that is customer-focused,” Managing Director, Kia Motors Nigeria, Jacky Hathiramani said.

Hathiramani added: “Uber’s technology continues to transform the way millions of people move around their city and our partnership with the company is to give people the best-in-class Kia model range that gives exhilarating experience to passengers on the go.”

Uber is focused on building a service for hundreds of millions of Nigerians and creating investment opportunities. Premised on this, Kia’s leadership and experience in the auto industry will be crucial in helping the technological company accomplish their goals.

As a part of the deal, interested Uber investors who do not want to make an outright purchase of the vehicle can avail the offer of an accessible financial scheme powered by Access Bank that gives 10 per cent equity contribution, competitive equated monthly instalment as low as N95,000 monthly, special pricing and flexible repayment tenure of up to 48 months.

FERMA kicks off Northeast roads’ repairs

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HE Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Dauda Kigbu, has kicked off a special intervention programme for five Northeastern States (Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe states), under the umbrella of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), with Bauchi State as the operational headquarters of the taskforce.

The programme, which was launched in Bauchi by the Permanent Secretary, is to address the dilapidating state of road infrastructure in the region because of security challenges.

Kigbu said: “This presents our modest contribution for the ravaged area and the people will be happy. The Northeast in particular is facing serious security challenges and these challenges have impacted a lot on the infrastructure therefore we need to complement the government’s work by bringing in our team to fix the road infrastructure to improve the free movement of people, goods and services”. The effort of the agency is to bring succour to the people of the region. The activities of the insurgence have created hitches in repairs operation.

Hence, road network is characterised with blown up bridges, washouts and multiple potholes.

FERMA Managing Director Gabriel Amuchi, at the flag-off ceremony said: “This is done to minimise the total collapse of road

• Kigbu, Amuchi and other officials inspecting FERMA maintenance work on Akwanga - Jos road

network in the zone. We have inaugurated a task force to concentrate on recovering the road in the North Eastern areas that are safe to ensure that we do not get to a level of total breakdown of communication, movement of goods and services.

The committee comprises of 12

members, headed by Mr Garba Mubi, Executive Director, Roads Maintenance Management Services (RMMS), tagged ‘Special Task Force on Highways Maintenance in North East Zone’.

The Permanent Secretary urged the taskforce to be prudent in the management of resources as it is

the only condition for which additional resources will be provided.

In addition, the Permanent Secretary inspected FERMA’s maintenance repair works in Nasarawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau States respectively.

Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.7m Ram trucks

F

IAT Chrysler Automobiles is recalling about 1.7 million Ram pickups.

According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, the company is recalling recent-model trucks to check or repair wiring harnesses, steering components and airbags.

The recalls affect the Ram 1500

•Continued from last week

T

HE usually unresolved controversy between the drivers and their employers on brake management, load management, speed management and road worthiness of vehicles.

5.

Lack of in-depth knowledge of the components, workings, effects and dangers of alcohol, energy drinks, cannabis, and other forms of psychoactive drugs (including some categories of prescription drugs) as well as the effects of sex – in – transit and the use of sex enhancement drugs on driving.

If FRSC, state governments and driving schools in Nigeria buy one million tankers and other articulated vehicles for the training of drivers, it will not solve 10 percent of the problems.

Rather, it will result to a waste of resources unless the above –

as well as larger trucks.

Three separate recalls were issued, the largest of which involves around 1.1 million pickups sold in North America, according to the report. The recalled trucks could have a wiring harness in the steering wheel that wears out, causing the truck’s airbag to go off.

The wiring issue affects 20122014 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups and 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs, according to the report.

FCA has said they’re aware of two injuries caused by the issue.

About 190,337 Ram heavy-duty trucks were recalled for steering

component issues. That recall affects 2013 Ram pickups, 2014 Ram 2500/3500 pickups and 3500 Chassis Cabs.

The third recall is for 2014 and 2015 Ram 1500 Quad Cab pickups to check the side-curtain airbags.

Repairs to recalled vehicles will not cost the owners.

Apollo Tyres wins Asian CSR awards

A

T an award ceremony held recently in Bangkok, Thailand, the Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) announced Apollo Tyres as the winner of the ASIAN CSR Awards 2015 under the Health Enhancement category. Apollo Tyres was chosen as the category winner from 134 entries from 12 Asian countries. Thailand’s former Deputy Prime Minister, Pridiyathorn Devakula, presented the award to Apollo Tyres Ltd President and Chief business Officer, Sunam Sarkar.

Apollo Tyres has been awarded for the continued and meaningful engagement with its stakeholders and adopting a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for the implementation of its HIV-AIDS initiative, including sexually transmitted infections (STI).

From customers to employees, to the supply chain partners – up and downstream – the company has invested substantial resources in the wellbeing of all its stakeholders. For ensuring longevity and widespread benefit of this initiative among the target population in India, Apollo Tyres has entered into strategic partnerships with government bodies, as well as, listed companies.

“Our first Health Care Centre was established in 2000 at a large transhipment hub on the outskirts of Delhi,” Sarkar said.

“At that point of time, this Health Care Centre looked at the awareness and prevention of HIV-AIDS and general health within the commercial vehicle community. Over the years, this initiative has grown to 25 community focused Health Care Centres in India, each of which treats nearly 200 patients per month.”

In the 2014-15 fiscal year, Apollo Tyres’ Health Care Centres treated over 3,305 patients for sexually transmitted infections and over 54,168 patients for general health issues; while over 39,990 people underwent counselling on HIV-AIDS; 15,458 underwent voluntary testing for HIVAIDS, of which 111 were tested HIV positive. Since launch of the HIV-AIDS awareness and prevention initiative, team Apollo has reached out to 2,701,978 people under this initiative.

Apollo Tyres Health Care Centres are staffed by doctors, paramedics, counsellors and outreach workers. They provide consultation, STI and HIV-AIDS testing and treatment and counselling services to those working in the road transport industry.

Tanker drivers and training need assessment mentioned challenges are adequately and effectively addressed.

I also want to suggest that all the transport companies that are operating fleets of articulated vehicles should be allowed to use their experienced drivers to train the newly employed drivers on how to drive or operate the vehicles as they have been doing in the past. They should also have driving range. The popular training system hitherto used includes accompanying the new drivers in journeys for hand – on training which is good. To become trailer drivers, they must have known how to drive smaller vehicles like buses with reasonable driving experience.

All the articulated vehicle owners must however be compelled by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and state governments

to send all their drivers to FRSC – accredited driving schools for mandatory capacity building training programmes where they will be deeply taught the above – mentioned topics among others and issued with “Certificate of Competence” by the driving schools (to be renewed annually).

Arrested traffic offenders should be fined and promptly sent to driving schools for correctional training programmes without any iota of compromise.

Driving schools however need to complement their training with computerised simulators designed for drivers of articulated vehicles, videos and other relevant driver education resources to enhance the effectiveness of their training programmes. Driving schools will surely be able to do this if their

training opportunities currently being hijacked by the FRSC and some state government agencies are totally left for them to run.

What is much more needed now is a result–oriented stakeholders forum which will include the Ministries of Transport (Federal & State), FRSC, VIOs, Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria(the Umbrella Body of the Driving Schools in Nigeria], Transport/ Haulage Companies and the various Transport Companies to proffer the short–term and long-term solutions to the challenges. The previous exclusion of driving schools from the stakeholders’ meetings is a very costly error which needs to be promptly corrected to achieve the desired goals.

Without any iota of doubt, I am very confident that these prescrip-

Jide Owatunmise Registrar /Chief Executive, Professional Driving and Safety Academy

tion will drastically reduce and eventually eliminate the accidents involving the Drivers of articulated vehicles in Nigeria.

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MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

KOGI PDP PRIMARIES

Kogi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set for governorship primaries in Lokoja, the state capital. Governor Idris Wada is a major aspirant. Alhaji Isah Echocho and Mr. Moses Amoto are also in the race.

Whoever becomes the flag bearer will face the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, former Governor Abubakar Audu, at the poll on November 21. Correspondent JAMES AZANIA writes on the importance of the shadow poll for the ruling party.

• Wada

• Echocho

• Amoto

Wada, Echocho, Amoto battle for Kogi PDP ticket T

he stage is set for the Kogi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries. No fewer than 717 delegates will converge on Lokoja, the state capital, for the exercise. The delegates are from 239 wards. The shadow poll is very critical to the survival of the ruling party.

If the exercise is successful, the party will go for the November 21 election as a united fold. If it is trailed by post-primary crisis, it may lose its grip on the state on poll day.

Since 2003, the PDP has been in control of Kogi State. But, during the last presidential and National Assembly electuions, the party’s fortune was on the decline. Many thought that the PDP has lost its popularity. However, it bounced back during the House of Assembly elections.

Three chieftains are battling for the ticket. They are Governor Idris Wada, Alhaji Isah Echocho and Mr. Moses Amoto.

Opinion is divided on the chance of Governor Idris Wada at the primary election. According to party chieftains, the governor may not defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, former Governor Abubakar Audu, during the election. Thus, according to a source, efforts are being made to swing the votes towards the direction of Echocho.

But, another source said that the governor is firmly on ground in the party.Wada’s loyalists swept all the party offices during the recent congresses. This has made his opponents to return to the drawing board.

The governor’s opponents have described him as a political neophyte. But, they also behave as neophyte during the congress by failing to mobilise their supporters for a show down with the governor during the controversial congresses.

Echocho: Many believe that Echocho has a date with history at the shadow poll. He was an aspirant in 2011. But, he was defeated by former Governor Ibrahim Idris. The primary generated controversy. Echocho went to court. But, he failed to dethrone Idris as a candidate.

A party source said Echocho enjoys the support of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC). In fact, following complaints by him, the delegates ward congress was cancelled.

Last week, protesters stormed the PDP Secretariat to denounce the behaviour of the congress committee. The protesters carried placards. Some of read: ‘We want a credible congress,’ ‘No result sheet at venue,’ ‘Release our hijack material.’

The Public Relation Officer of the Echocho Campaign Organisation, Adamu Ahmadu, who led other protesters, said the conduct of the ward congress was not only shrouded in secrecy, but it was also marred by malpractices.

“Materials were not seen at the polling venue. People were

doing nothing. We are going to write a petition to this effect and we hope the national body will hear our plea.”

The Chairman of the Ward Congress, Hon. Leo Ogor, who pleaded with the protesters not to destroy the party’s property, promised to investigate their allegations.

He said: “We will take the complaint to the appropriate authority. We will also verify it with the returning officers on the field. We are still waiting for the result of the congress. But, we will attend to the grievances.”

Echocho won the January 9, 2011 primaries. But, according to party sources, he was not the choice of Idris, who has anointed Wada as his successor.

For four years, the post-election litigation lingered in the court, until the Supreme Court decided the case in Wada’s favour. However, the bitter rivalry has persisted because there was no reconciliation between Wada and Echocho.

Echocho has a formidable structure. He also has the backing of many party chieftains. His supporters include Senator Smart Adeyemi and billionaire businessman Chief Jide Omokore. Those supporting him believe that he was shortchanged in 2011.

However, some factors may work against him. Die-hard PDP supporters have accused him of inconsistency, saying that he hobnobbed with the opposition. Also, after 2011, he returned to his shell. Thus, some people believe that he is battling with a waning popularity. In fact, it was speculated that Echocho would defect to the APC in September last year. many of his associates left the PDP for the party, shortly before the general elections. But, he stayed back, to the consternation of his supporters. A party source said that Echocho refused to defect because it was clear that Prince Audu will emerge as the APC candidate.

Wada: Wada has the advantage of incumbency power. Besides, his predecessor, Idris, is mobilising support for him. The former governor, who has an axe to grind with Echocho, has led other major stakeholders to endorse the governor for a second term. But, a source hinted that Idris may be playing the Ostrich, because he also has grudges against Wada.

Major supporters of the governor include Senator Tunde Ogheha, Chief Abiodun Ojo and Chief Olusola Akomode. They have influence over many delegates in the Kogi West Senatorial District. Furthermore, they are supporting Wada in the spirit of power shift. “They are supporting Wada on the basis that he has only four more years, after which they will push for power shift to other zones,” said a source.

Observers are of the view that the Echocho camp may not be

able to withstand Captain Wada during the primary. Already, there is a propaganda against Echocho. Critics have labelled him as an enemy within.

“How can a politician who has the plan to contest election abandon the party for almost four years and come thereafter to seek election on the platform of the same party he had abandoned? If the national body of the PDP make a mistake of manoeuvring the ticket for Jubrin Isah Echocho, then, the party will end up creating advantage for the opposition to take over the state,” said a party chieftain.

A PDP chieftain, Alhaji Sadiq Momoh Obari, said the governor will win at the primary. He said Wada’s prudent management of resources, particularly the payment of workers’ salaries, despite the dwindling financial allocation, will swing the pendulum of victory to his direction.

He added: “Despite the paucity of funds, the state under Wada has embarked on some legacy projects, including the Korea Partnership Centre for Vocational Training, the University Teaching Hospital Anyigba, the 500 housing units in Ganaja village and the Diagnostic and Imaging Centre in Lokoja”.

According to him, Wada deserves a second term to enable him consolidate on his achievements. However, he called for a free and fair primary to prevent crisis.

His words: “What we need now is free, fair and transparent primaries. Any attempt by the national body to be biased will spell doom for the party. Kogi State is the only PDP state standing in the North Central of the country, if the party wants to hold on to it, there must be sincerity and a level playing ground for the contestants. We all witnessed the APC primaries in Kogi where the conduct cannot be questioned in all ramifications.”

Amoto: The third aspirant, Amoto, is not a political giant. Little is known about his antecedent. He is an Ebira-born businessman. In the past, he has expressed interest in the position.

But, he never went beyond purchasing the nomination form.

After that, he disappered from the scene.

Uncertainty: But, will the primary hold today? There is nothing on ground to suggest that the exercise will hold. As at 2 pm yesterday, delegates have not been sited in the capital. The accreditation of reporters has not been done. Observers have not arrived.

The PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bode Ogunmola, asked reporters to check back at the secretariat, indicating that further directive was still being awaited.

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POLITICS

I strongly believe that everybody regardless of ethnic or ‘religious coloration has an inalienable right to aspire for anything including power shift ’

Kogi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant Alhaji Jibrin Isah Echocho speaks with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE on his ambition and other partisan issues.

‘I ’ll add value to Kogi’

H

OW prepared are you to clinch the Kogi State governorship in the event that you emerge the standard bearer of the PDP? I have stated previously that I am in this race to win and considering the fact that the will to win is worthless without the will to prepare, I can tell you without hesitation that I am prepared. I strongly believe that the best preparation for success is to be more strategic and that is what I have been doing since 2011 when I first signified my intent to vie for the governorship of Kogi State. I realised very early in the race that a winning strategy that is based on issues and the realities on ground is essential for a successful campaign. I thereafter constituted a very vibrant team that understood that whoever will emerge as the flag bearer of the PDP must be one who can demonstrate to the party that he can easily win the governorship for the party.

This understanding and the simple message of ours which has resonated with the leadership; and likewise supporters will see us through at the primaries because at the end of the day it is the interest of the party, not the interest of a few that matters. This is especially important because as it stands, Kogi is the last man standing in the North Central.

But you are contesting against an incumbent governor...

Well, the incumbent governor is a friend and a brother. He is someone I have tremendous respect for and a fine gentleman that respect the views

and aspiration of others. I want to believe that my aspiration didn’t just come out of the woods. There was a history, and a history that every well-meaning kogities and friends of Kogi State understands and respects, including the incumbent governor.

And mind you times have changed.

The issue of power shift is another burning issue. What is your take on that?

I strongly believe that everybody regardless of ethnic or religious coloration has an inalienable right to aspire for anything including power shift. And Kogi state can’t be an exception. The call for power shift is legitimate and it must be respected.

But who am I to say no to the legitimate agitation of my brothers and sisters from the West and Central? I believe when the time is right it will come to fruition.

Why do you want to govern the state?

I am in the race because I strongly believe that I can add more value to governance in Kogi State at this particular time in our history than anyone else. Governor Wada has done well in my estimation, but I believe more can be done and a lot still needs to be done to actualise the Kogi of our dream. We need a new spirit of self-assurance, hope and optimism.

We urgently need a revitalised economy that is diversified and less dependent on the monthly allocation. There Is need for new vigour.

I believe it’s time for new ideas to accelerate the process of diversification because time is running out. Oil

I am a loyal party man. My conduct since 2011 suffices as an example. My ambition is not premised on personal reasons. It’s not about me, but about the state prices are already falling due to the development of shale oil technology that has opened up new sources of energy supplies. We need a new security arrangement to secure our society and provide the enabling environment for the growth of the private sector especially the small and medium scale enterprises. We need to restore people’s faith in governance by running a more open, accountable and ethical government; and strengthen institutions of government such the civil service and local government administration.

In 2011, what really happened?

2011 was a fantastic year for our party because we won the elections.

In my opinion, what happened was simply a breakdown in communication and nothing more. And all the parties involved have moved on to the glory of God and we are one

•Jibrin

strong, happy and an indivisible family.

In some quarters, it’s believed that former Governor Ibrahim Idris was responsible for your being denied the ticket of the party.

That isn’t correct. There was a breakdown in communication along the line. There was nothing personal or untoward about what happened.

Things happen and our ability to move on stands us out of the crowd.

What’s your relationship with the former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Idris?

A very cordial relationship I have with him.

It’s a said in some quarters that since you are in-laws with the candidate of the APC candidate, Prince

Abubakar Audu, he might be the one sponsoring your candidature.

What do you have to say?

This isn’t a question but rather an insult in my estimation. How can the candidate of the APC sponsor or influence me? Let me clear the air on this. For the fact that my daughter is married to his son does not mean that we agree politically or share same political ideology. I also believe that our kids have their lives to live and we parents shouldn’t interfere unnecessarily. They saw themselves; they liked themselves and decided they want to be husband and wife. So you expect me to say no because the husband is the son of Prince Abubakar Audu? That would have been quite unfair. It’s their life and they have a right to freedom of choices. But to say because my daughter is married to Audu’s son and therefore he is behind my candidature is an insult.

There is no such thing and there won’t be any such thing.

Do you think you still have that state-wide acceptance that you had in 2011?

Without trying to sound immodest, I think that acceptance is still there, that is if it hasn’t tripled because four years is a long period.

If you fail to get the party nomination, what should your supporters expect?

I am a loyal party man. My conduct since 2011 suffices as an example. My ambition is not premised on personal reasons. It’s not about me, but about the state. I am in the race to add value, to serve humanity and to bring to fruition a new Kogi. So if I don’t get the party nomination, God forbid, the world won’t come to an end.

House of Representatives member Hon. Dickson Tarkighir spoke to reporters in Lagos on why he petitioned the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission over the attack by soldiers in the North Bank community, Makurdi, Benue State and other issues. MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE was there.

‘My duty is to defend my people’

Y

OU recently led community leaders of North Bank Ward 2 to the National Human Rights Commission Headquarters to submit a petition; what was your mission?

I was at the Human Rights Commission headquarters with some leaders of the affected area, to submit a petition to the Executive Secretary of the Commission, in connection with the attack by soldiers from Nigeria Army School of Military Engineering (NASME), a military formation in Makurdi on the North Bank community which falls under my constituency. This is a matter of great concern to me, especially as it is a demonstration of utter disdain from a few misguided elements within the military. It is a painful experience. This is an attack that the world should condemn in its entirety.

This horrendous violation of my people’s fundamental human rights is very provocative. But, instead of taking the laws into our hands, we have taken steps at handling such violations or complaints arising there from. We have led protest to the agency that is responsible for the protection against violation of human rights because we want Justice and so we were there to seek Justice by reporting this incident.

What led to the attack on the North Bank community by soldiers?

On the 14th day of August 2015, some soldiers from NASME barracks embarked on a reprisal attack on North Bank 2 Community. This reprisal attack is understood to have been triggered by an altercation earlier in the day between a soldier

named Private Innocent Okoro and three other young men in the community over a lady. This reprisal attack carried with it the hallmark of a lawless society as some soldiers displayed total disregard for civil authority in the pursuit of justice and instead, descended on an entire community at the dead of the night beating inhabitants of the area, setting over 200 cars ablaze while shattering glasses, doors and windows of more than 100 houses they hadn’t the time to set ablaze. This sordid act lasted up to the early hours of the next day and left in its aftermath, charred remains of burnt cars, hundreds of injured residents of the area in hospitals, broken windscreens of cars , punctured tyres of vehicles, and hundreds of people in tears wondering what wrong they had done.

Was there any documented evidence presented to the Commission and how many lives were lost in that incident?

We presented two albums containing photographs of the attack on the community; we also have CCTV footage of the attacks as well as an ID card of one of the soldiers, who lost it in the course of the attack. All of these, we believe, will aid the team of NHRC investigators that would be visiting the community. On the death toll, we are lucky and happy too that

no life was lost, even as over a hundred residents of the area were hospitalised.

What was the response of the Benue State government over this incident?

The Benue State Government was very proactive. I must commend the efforts of our governor, Chief Samuel Ortom who visited the area twice; provided succour to victims of the attack. He set up a committee to look into the remote and immediate cause of the attack while suing for peace.

Let me also quickly add that the Senator representing the zone, Senator George Akume also visited the victims and expressed his sympathies while suing for restraint and calm by the people over such an unnecessary provocation. The aftermath of this incident has received the highest levels of solidarity from our leaders who have all come out to condemn this act.

What were your prayers in the petition? Well, having personally visited the attacked community and taken stock of the amount of damage visited on my people and knowing that this is not the first time this kind of attack has occurred, we were strongly guided in the way that we would approach this and what demands we believe would ensure that a repeat is averted. Therefore, we have asked for

This is an attack that the world should condemn in its entirety. This horrendous violation of my people’s fundamental human rights is very provocative

a full fledged investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the violation of the human rights of my people by soldiers of NASME and to fish out and ensure the prosecution of all culprits involved as well as demanding for compensation to victims of this dastardly act. Soldiers from this same barracks have attacked the North Bank community at least six times now. It would be recalled that this barracks was to be relocated to Abia State by the then Chief of Army Staff Lt General Azubuike Ihejirika , but we pleaded with the authorities and they accepted our plea that the barracks remain. It’s quite an irony that this love is not reciprocated in this case as the soldiers chose instead to visit mayhem on the host community.

We want to be assured that this is going to be the last time soldiers will attack our people because we are ready to take this matter even to the International Criminal Court (ICC), to seek redress if nothing substantial is done in terms of prosecutions and compensation.

Are you confident that case will get justice?

We have presented our case; we strongly believe that this has to stop especially as we now have a new government in place that has preached and promised change and refined ways of doing things. We believe that the Nigerian military particularly soldiers of NASME Barracks have crossed the line and there is need for this to be made clear and for it stop.

You are aware that Boko Haram started it’s widespread violence because one of their leaders was killed

•Tarkighir

and they believe he didn’t get justice and you can see the outcome today in the country. It has led to insurgency. We are not going to resort to that though but the point has to be made about what likely end these kinds of actions can lead to. On our part, we opt for respect of the law and due process. This is why we went to the National Human Rights Commission because we believe we would get justice there.

How will you describe Governor Samuel Ortom’s 100 days in office?

It has been impressive. The governor’s outing so far, portends the arrival of good things to Benue. Within 100 days, the governor ensured the renovation of structures and accreditation of programmes at the School of Nursing and Midwifery Makurdi.

Let me also use this medium to commend the governor for tackling insecurity in the State particularly for restoring peace between Tiv and Fulani herdsmen as well as his Amnesty Programme, where arms are being surrendered by those who owned, possessed and used them illegally.

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FOREIGN NEWS

Germany implements border controls amid migrant crisis

G

ERMANY will institute temporary border controls as Europe struggles to cope with a massive influx of refugees, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said yesterday. The focus of these border controls will be along Germany's border with Austria, he said.

Nearly 30 people almost half of them children were found dead off the coast of the Greek island of Farmakonisi yesterday, the Hellenic coast guard said.

At least 125 people were aboard a wooden boat that capsized in the Aegean Sea, coast guard duty officer George Tsapras said. The coast guard rescued 68 people, 29 others swam to shore, and another 28 died.

Search and rescue efforts were ongoing, Tsapras said.

It is unclear if those on the boat were refugees or migrants, as their nationalities and points of origin have not yet been identified, Tsapras said.

It's the latest tragic incident as migrants and refugees fleeing war and unrest in Syria and

other countries seek protection in Europe.

European leaders have been struggling to cope with the massive influx of people pouring across Europe’s borders in recent weeks.

Last week, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker set out proposals for mandatory quotas for EU countries to take in 120,000 refugees who were already in Italy, Greece and Hungary, on top of plans made in May to relocate 40,000 from Italy and Greece.

EU member states must still agree to the European Commission’s proposals, which are backed by Germany. Their interior ministers are due to meet Monday in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss the issue.

As many as 10,000 migrants are arriving in Germany per day, according to German Interior Ministry spokesman Tobias Plate. Officials throughout the country have been asked to assist with registration and accommodation needs, he said Saturday.

Four thousand German sol-

diers are on standby to help manage the refugee situation if needed, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

In another incident Sunday, more than 40 migrants were discovered alive inside a refrigerated truck in northwest Austria, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the German border.

A total of 42 people were inside the refrigerated truck belonging to a Finnish flower transporter, police spokesman Bernd Innerdorfer said.

Police discovered the truck, which was being driven by two Iraqi nationals, at a gas station the city of Aistersheim.

The drivers were arrested and charged with human smuggling.

Five women and eight children were among those rescued. All of them were in good health, did not require any medical attention and were transported to a refugee detention center in the city of Linz, Innerdorfer said.

The migrants are believed to be Syrian and Iraqi, police said, but their identities were not immediately confirmed.

UK: Jeremy Corbyn is new Labour leader

J

EREMY Corbyn has won the Labour leadership contest with almost 60 per cent in the first round of voting. The landslide victory saw him take 251,000 of the total 422,000 votes cast. He won the most support from members, registered supporters and affiliated members alike.

In his victory speech, Mr Corbyn said: "During these amazing three months, our party has changed. We have grown enormously, because of the hopes of so many ordinary people for a different Britain, a better Britain, a more equal Britain, a more decent Britain. They are fed up with the inequality, the injustice, the unnecessary poverty. All those issues have brought people in in a spirit of hope and optimism."

Mr Corbyn also revealed he is planning a shake-up of Prime Minister's Questions to allow other Labour MPs to ask questions in his place sometimes. He told the Huffington Post: "I want prime minister's Question Time to be less theatre, more fact, less theatrical, more understandable. I think it's very exciting for political obsessives, it's utterly boring for most of the population, who think it's an utter irrelevance. I will be trying to conduct my part in prime minister's Question Time on

• Newly elected Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attending a pro-refugee march in central London following his victory yesterday PHOTO: LNP

the basis of the questions and also share out a lot more stuff in within the parliamentary Labour party. I'll obviously be there and do all the things that I'm asked to do. But we've got a lot of very talented people within the parliamentary Labour party. They can call ask questions, they can all do things, let's share it all out a bit. It won't all be me everywhere all the time."

He reasserted his message that Britain does not need nuclear weapons - ahead of a plan to persuade his party to back his controversial stance.

Thousands of people packed out Parliament Square for a pro-refugee rally at which Jeremy Corbyn received ecstatic

screams and cheers as he defiantly proclaimed: "We are all humans. We must spend our resources on helping people, not hindering people. None of this is easy.

But surely we have the principle that we are all human beings on the same planet and we all want the next generation to be better off than we are."

Tom Watson won the deputy leadership contest.

After the third round of voting, Mr Watson was announced as deputy leader with 198,962 votes. In his victory speech, he said: "Only Labour can speak for the real Britain. We can win in 2020."

Egypt gov’t resigns over corruption inquiry

E

GYPT's government has resigned and the country’s oil minister has been asked to form a new cabinet within a week, the office of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has said.

No official reason was given for the government’s resignation.

However, a senior source was quoted as saying the aim was to reshuffle the cabinet following a corruption scandal.

Last Monday, Egypt's agriculture minister was arrest-

ed in connection with the corruption inquiry.

In a statement, the presidency said Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab had delivered the government’s resignation to President Sisi who accepted it.

It said the president had asked outgoing oil minister Sharif Ismail to form the new cabinet within a week.

The outgoing government is to play a caretaker role until then, the statement said.

A senior government official quoted by AFP news

agency said the reshuffle was to “pump new blood” into the government following the arrest of agriculture minister Salah Helal.

Shortly before his arrest, Mr Helal had resigned on the orders of President Sisi.

Reports said the arrest was in connection with allegations that officials took bribes to help businessmen illegally acquire state land.

Mr Sisi has promised to make the fight against corruption a focus of his administration.

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NEWS

MASSOB stages anniversary march in Ebonyi

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HE Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) yesterday staged a march in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, to mark 16 years of the struggle.

The group called on the international community to intervene in its suffering in the hands of the Nigerian government.

Addressing reporters, MASSOB’s zonal leader in Ebonyi North, Gideon Iloke, said the celebration was to thank God for sustaining them in the struggle, which, according to him, had not been easy, espe-

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki, Okodili Ndidi, Owerri, Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

cially in the face of Federal Government’s intimidation and harassment.

On the progress made in the struggle, the MASSOB leader held that the 16 years had been a journey of pains and tears, but with the help of God, they were able to register their case with the international community on marginalisation in the hands of the Nigerian government.

The Movement’s leader in

•Police stop group in Aba, Owerri Ebonyi South, John Nwifuru, hailed the resilience of members in withstanding the intimidation and harassment since the struggle started.

Nwifuru, who lamented the neglect of Ndigbo, said that was the reason for the formation of MASSOB. According to him, successive governments failed to address the situation.

Nwifuru, who led his members in a victory march across major roads in Afikpo enjoined

members to remain focused and never relent as they had progressed in their quest to self determination. He hailed the undying spirit of the MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike in sustaining the struggle.

“I want Ndigbo to rejoice because Biafra has come to stay, and it is high time we started to celebrate our freedom from the dictatorial leadership of the Nigerian government which was the main reason Biafra sought self determination under our late

•Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (third left) with representatives of Star Deepwater Petroleum Ltd., Mr. Stan Otonye, (third right) Petrobras, Meg Irozuru, Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Gabriel Ajah (left) and the representative of Statoil Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Okey Umeokafor (right) when the firms visited him at the Government House, Enugu...at the weekend

Foundation donates N30m equipment to UCH

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HE Olajumoke Akinjide Foundation (OAF) has donated equipment worth millions of naira to boost healthcare delivery services at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

They included wheel chairs, electric beds, walking aids, paediatric examination tables, dental examination chairs, operating tables, trolleys, blood donor chairs, resuscitation beds, consumables, thermometers, among others.

The Chief Medical Director,

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

Prof. Temitope Alonge, receiving the equipment from the chairperson of OAF, Mrs. Modupe Akindeko, said: “This is the second batch of donation from OAF”, adding that it would address shortage of medical equipment.

She said: “The four months strike by the doctors has paralysed our financial activities. We can’t even buy the needed equipment. But with

this gesture, healthcare delivery will be provided. For instance, we were just thinking of raising money to buy the operating table, which costs N5million, but OAF has donated four to us.

“The foundation is meeting the needs of this hospital.

Many politicians donate to where they can benefit, but this foundation and its founder, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, are committed to humanity.”

Mrs. Akindeko said OAF,

which was established in August 2005, would give back to the society and meet its needs.

She said the foundation had impacted on lives through health, agriculture, capacity building, provision of potable water, and relief material to flood victims and building of classrooms.

Mrs. Akindeko said they were assisting the government in health and education, adding that such gestures would make the country a better place to live in.

Institute inducts 750 animal scientists

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HE Nigerian Institute of Animal Science inducted at the weekend 750 young graduates from 32 universities after passing the Graduate Animal Scientists.

The institute also conferred the titled: ‘registered animal scientists’ on 157 members.

President of NIAS, Prof. Israel Adu, spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, at the fourth joint annual general meeting of the Animal Science Association of Nigeria and the sev-

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

enth annual general meeting (AGM) and induction of Nigeria Institute of Animal Science.

Adu, in a statement in Abuja, said that the amendment of the institute’s Act has given it enforcement powers and clearly defined the regulatory role of the institute.

He said: “The institute shall be inducting into its corps of Graduate Animal Scientists

(GAS) 750 young graduates of animal science from 32 Nigerian universities who passed the GAS qualifying examination out of 1428 who sat for the examination.

“157 animal scientists will be inducted and formally conferred with the title, registered animal scientists and induction of 25 associate animal scientists.

“Furthermore, the institute will be strengthening the implementation of its enabling

Act No 26 of 2007 by inducting for the first time Fellows of College of Animal Scientists of Nigeria (FCASN)” Earlier in his address, the President, Animal Science Association of Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Adeoye, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to give attention to the profession.

Adeoye said that Nigeria could earn a lot in foreign exchange if it develops the leather industry.

Rival groups clash over worship centre

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HERE was tension at the Assemblies of God Church on Mount Street, off Agbani-Road, Enugu State, as rival groups clashed over access to the church.

The church had been locked on police orders following a disagreement on the alleged transfer of a new pastor two months ago. To avert a clash, factions were told to hold their services in the compound.

Consequently, the compound was divided into two; the groups erected canopies and hold parallel services.

It took the intervention of the senior pastor, Rev. Amaechi Agbo, who leads a faction, to stop angry members from disrupting the service of the oth-

From Chris Oji, Enugu

er group.

The faction has vowed not to allow “strangers” take over their place of worship. The group recognised Dr. Chidi Okoroafor, said to have been ordained the new general overseer, as their leader.

Agbo said trouble started on July 19 “when a member, claiming to be a lawyer but championing illegality and unlawfulness, imported Nathan Udeze to overthrow me.

“We reported to the police and went to court; the police advised us to lock the church and we did. We started worshiping outside and they sought court order to open the

church.

“They did not allow the court decide before coming last Monday and broke the school’s entrance. Today (Sunday), they broke the church’s entrance, contrary to the agreement we reached with the police to wait for the court to decide.”

Expressing anger at the police handling of the matter, Rev. Agbo said: “I called the DPO to inform him that these people have broken into the church, he urged us to maintain peace and told me to see him by 2pm. I don’t know what he meant by that; these people broke into the school and today, into the church and the police are watching them”.

On the claim that he had been transferred, he said: “I am still

in charge of this place; I came here on April 12 , 2013 and till date, I remain the senior pastor.”

“We are shocked at what happened today; if we had gone inside, there would have been bloodshed. I thank God that my members refused to confront them in the face of such provocation because something terrible would have happened here today.

“We are calling on law enforcement agencies to do the needful and avert trouble,” Rev. Agbo said.

But leader of the second faction, Rev. Paul Nathan Udeze, said he remained the authentic priest in charge of the church.

He denied forcing his way into the church.

warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.”

Leader, Ebonyi Central, Moses Eze said: “This is the 16th year of our vicissitudes of sweat and tears on our road to freedom. We salute our heroes past, who paid the supreme sacrifice for the liberation of the Igbo nation and we remind our members that the struggle continues; we will never go back even as we still maintain our non- violent approach to our struggle.”

Members of the movement were arrested in Imo State when the police raided several churches where special services were held to mark the movement’s 16th year anniversary.

National Director of Information, Chris Muocha, said the police disrupted the ceremony in Owerri, Onitsha and Abakaliki, alleging that some members were harassed by security men, while others were arrested and taken to unknown destinations.

According to him, “the police and Army disrupted the thanksgiving service everywhere. 11 persons were arrested inside the Catholic Church in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Govern-

ment Area of Anambra State, and at Mgbidi in Oru West in Imo State, five persons were arrested.”

Security was tightened in Aba as member marked Biafra day yesterday. Security operatives, including policemen, were stationed at strategic places as the celebration held.

Police patrol vans, including an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), was stationed in front of Christ the King Catholic Church Cathedral (CKC) on Asa road.

Sources within the security agencies said they got intelligence that the group planned to celebrate at the CKC with a rally.

But the presence of security officers seemed to have foiled the celebration.

Authorities of MASSOB could not be reached for comments on the aborted celebration.

Roadside markets held and residents went about their businesses without harassment.

Commissioner of Police Joshiak Habila said they took such measures to guarantee the safety of Aba and its residents.

Unconfirmed reports, however, said the group, having got intelligence about the police presence, rescheduled the celebration to an interior part of the town.

Calypso’s ‘Skuki and Friends’ tour climaxes at Unilag From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

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HE Skuki and Friends Campus Concert, organised in partnership with Calypso Coconut Liqueur, came to a climax last Wednesday as the tour hit the University of Lagos.

The show held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the university’s sport complex.

The show, tagged “Skuki and Friends”, witnessed a large turnout of students and other bigwigs in the entertainment industry who added glitz to the evening. Participants enjoyed Calypso cocktails, loads of goodie bags and a special free makeover for the ladies.

This event marked the grand finale of the first phase of the campus tour which had been staged in other university campuses.

Artistes at the Unilag concert included Skuki, Sheliroy, Adekunle Gold, CDQ, Chidinma and Kiss Daniel.

Brand Manager, Calypso Coconut Liqueur Ms. Alabata Joy said: “We felt there is commonality between the audience that will love to come and watch the Skuki show and our target audience. So we envisioned that a campus tour sponsorship will be a good platform to engage, interact with the students and give them a good treat,” she added.

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

NEWS Boko Haram hits four police stations in Gombe

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USPECTED Boko Haram insurgents have destroyed four of the five police divisions under the Bajoga Area Command of Gombe State in the last one year, the Area Commander, Abimbola Sokoya, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), has said.

Sokoya spoke at Bajoga in Gombe North Senatorial District during an inspection and assessment tour of the area command’s headquarters by the new Police Commissioner Austin Iwar.

He said: “Our challenges are not hidden. The visits of insurgents to our communities were quite devastating.

But thank God that we can shout. It is by His mercies that we were not consumed.

“Out of our five divisions, we lost four stations to inferno orchestrated by the despicable acts of insurgents.

“If we estimate the cost of the lost property, the loss of our gallant officers and men is incalculable.”

The area command said none of the divisions had been rebuilt.

He urged the state government, through the new police chief, to help “rebuild the stations as well as renovate the area command’s headquarters, which is almost collapsing”.

Sokoya added: “Manpower depletion is a big challenge. Many of our men have found their way out of the area command. We are pleading that our strength

From Vincent Ohonbamu, Gombe

should be strengthened.”

Iwar, who called for a minute’s silence in honour of fallen officers and men, commiserated with the area command.

The police chief urged the officers and men to remain strong since the war against insurgency would soon become history.

He urged them to establish a robust relationship with their communities as part of efforts to drive the police/public partnership.

To the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), Sokoya said: “You should spend 80 per cent of your time outside your offices and 20 per cent in the office. In like manner, deploy 80 per cent of the workforce to the field and retain only 20 per cent in the offices.”

Plateau gets panel to resolve T Fulani, Berom crisis HE Plateau State Government has set up a 14-man committee, seven each from the warring Berom and Fulani communities, to reconcile their differences and ensure lasting peace.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Jos, the state capital, Governor Simon Lalong said: “We decided to select seven representatives from each of the groups to enable them resolve their differences. The peace committee is already working and it has gone very far.”

The governor said the committee was at the behest of the warring groups after meeting with them separately and collectively.

He said: “We met the two groups separately, listened to them, before we met them together, where we gauged their feelings toward each other.

“From what they said, they

appeared to have resolved that government should allow them to work out a peace process from among themselves without any external interference.

“They have poured out their minds, and you will be surprised at how open they have been to each other.

“Honestly, they all want to live in peace. They are tired of the violence and want to live peacefully because they have seen and felt the consequences of the lingering violence.”

Lalong said government’s involvement in the peace talks had been supervisory.

He said: “The committee is chaired by a government representative. The secretary is also a government representative. We did that to free the

atmosphere for the talks to proceed without distractions over who should chair or lead.

“We also believe that such stance had smoothened the flow of the talks because they feel equally treated and are confident that no one is being treated as a minority in the talks.”

The governor urged the warring communities to embrace peace, adding that the consequences of the instability had been very disastrous to all groups.

Lalong said: “They are farmers and herdsmen who need freedom to enter the bushes to farm and graze without the fear of being attacked or ambushed.

“The restrictions to cattle movement and distractions from farms have brought un-

told hardship to them and they appear anxious to put that experience behind them and embrace each other.”

The governor said the government was ready to parley with any group or community to ensure the return of peace on the Plateau.

He noted that peace was crucial to the state’s development and growth.

Lalong said: “We want a better state. We want to grow as a people and we want development projects.

“We also want our Irish potatoes and poultry farms to flourish and buyers to come in from inside and outside the country. We can’t get such dreams to reality if there is no peace and if the impression is created that Plateau is not safe.”

Audu pledges power rotation for Okun, Ebira in 2019

•Audu

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OGI State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship

candidate in the November 21 election, Prince Abubakar Audu, has pledged to support the Ebira and Okun ethnic nationalities for a power shift in 2019.

Audu restated his commitment to Kogi Tripatrite Agreement signed in 1991.

The agreement was a power rotation mechanism among the Igala, Ebira and Okun.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja by his Media Office, the

Kogi poll: APC candidate names campaign council

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OGI State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the November 21 election, Prince Abubakar Audu, has said the party will defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Comrade Isa Daniel, from Dekina Local Government Area, has been named the director-general of Audu’s campaign council.

Alhaji Ibrahim Isah Atodo (aka YISAB) was appointed the youth coordinator.

Other members of the council include former PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) member, Hajia Halimat Alfa, Alhaji Linco Ocheje and past and serving senators as well as House of Representatives From Dele Anofi, Abuja

APC candidate noted that this would ensure peace and mutual understanding for power rotation.

The former governor recalled that it was the challenges of political domination and neglect of the Igala in Benue State, the Okun and the Ebira in Kwara State that led to agitation for the creation of Kogi State for the three groups, which had lived together peacefully under Kabba Province for over 70 years.

He said: “I have told Kogi residents that when we mutually met at Engineer Sule’s house in Okene, in 1991, the three groups – the Igala, Ebira and Okun – met and said

From James Azania, Lokoja

and House of Assembly members.

At the inauguration of the campaign council at the weekend in Lokoja, the state capital, Audu said PDP was dead in the state.

The former governor noted that the party’s funeral rites would be performed on the day of the governorship poll.

He urged APC loyalists and supporters to return to their wards and polling units and ensure the party’s clear victory in the election.

Audu said APC was poised for victory.

The former governor hailed APC leadership for conducting free, fair, credible and transparent primary.

He described the primary as the best ever organised by any party in the country.

Audu praised his co-aspirants for the courage and maturity they displayed during the primary.

The APC candidate said the primary was a family contest, adding that there was no victor and no vanquished.

He assured that if given the mandate, he would restore the state’s lost glory.

Audu pledged that Kogi under an APC government would witness accelerated development.

APC Chairman Haddy Ametuo congratulated Audu on his victory.

He urged him to carry everybody along.

they believed in power rotation.

“When God, in His infinite mercy, spoke to the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, to create Kogi State, we have a destiny in our hands. It was only fair to allow the Igala to have the first shot. For that, the reason adduced by the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi was that the component that came from Benue State, that is, the Igala, had never had the opportunity to produce the governor. But the second component from Kwara State, comprising the Ebira and the Okun, had had the opportunity in the late Adamu Attah, who was a Second Republic Governor of Kwara State.

“On that premise, it was

agreed that we give it to Igala. Further, after the Igala, it was agreed that the governorship seat should return to the other components – the Okun and the Ebira – who should meet to determine the next person to have the seat after the Igala.

“I am the first beneficiary of the agreement. Thank God, I am still hale and hearty because most of those who reached the deal in good faith on behalf of our people are late. When we returned to democracy in 1999, I was uncompromising and firm in my intention to implement the 1991 agreement. But I was blatantly rigged out. That, of course, stultified development of the state in all facets.”

Tambuwal seeks Fed Govt’s help for flood victims

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OKOTO State Governor Aminu Tambuwal has urged the Federal Government to resettle some villages ravaged by flood.

The affected communities are in Tangaza and Gudu local government areas.

The governor, who visited Sakkwai and Kutufare villages in both local government areas yesterday to sympathise with them, noted that the damage the flood caused was unprecedented.

Tambuwal said his admin-

From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

istration would assess the damage the flood did to homes and farmlands, adding that many victims had been camped at government approved sites across the state.

The governor directed the road maintenance agency to repair the road linking both local government areas, which had been submerged by flood.

He cautioned the residents

to desist from acts that could block the waterways.

Tambuwal advised the people to pray against a recurrence of the floods to prevent further destruction of property.

The governor was assisted round the affected areas by the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Hassan Maccido, who said the flood destroyed over 152 houses and many farmlands.

51

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

NEWS

Mob lynches suspect as ‘robbers’ steal N3m from tricycle passenger A MOB at the weekend apprehended three of a four-member robbery gang at Ox-Bow Lake, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

One of the suspects, identified simply as Jeff, was reportedly lynched; the others had been beaten up before a police patrol van arrived and took away the suspects.

Jeff, it was learnt, was among the suspected robbers who shot a commercial tricycle (Keke NAPEP) operator and dispossessed his two passengers of N3 million.

The hoodlums were said to have accosted the tricycle operator, shot him in the head and collected the money from his passengers, a couple, returning from a bank.

The gunshot reportedly attracted workers at nearby building sites.

•Hoodlums shoot Keke NAPEP operator From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

Some residents were said to have run to the scene and chased the hoodlums.

A resident, who spoke in confidence, said: “The robbers had one gun. The mob moved closer and apprehended three of them. They were almost beaten to death before the arrival of a police patrol team.”

It was gathered that Jeff died while the police were conveying him to the hospital, following the injury he sustained from the beating.

Police spokesman Asinim Butswat, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP),

urged the public not to take the law into their hands.

He said: “On September 12, at noon, four armed young men - Aya Victor (23), Ebi Godwin (20), Ejike Igwe and Jeff (surname unknown), drove a Volkswagen car with registration number AL 305 AGU and blocked a tricycle that was carrying Mr and Mrs Eric Oyibodokoye, at Oxbow Lake, Swali, Yenagoa.

“The suspects shot the tricyclist in his head, collected the N3 million from the occupants and zoomed off.

“Policemen were alerted and three members of the gang were arrested by the residnts, but were appre-

hended beaten up before the arrival of the policemen. The tricyclist and the suspects were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, for medical attention.

“One of the suspects, Jeff, later died. His body has been deposited at the same hospital for autopsy. The fourth suspect was trailed and arrested at Swali community in possession of a locally-made pistol and N144,500, part of the stolen money.

“The public is advised to continue to support the police in fighting crimes. But they should not take the law into their hands by beating suspects. Investigation is ongoing.”

UNEP report: why implementation is stalled, by Shell

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HREE years on, the report of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) on assessment of the environment and public health impact of oil contamination in Ogoniland in Rivers State and the options for remediation, is yet to be implemented.

This followed stakeholders’ non-compliance with the project.

The independent assessment by UNEP was conducted at the request of the Federal Government to create a sustainable remediation of the polluted area and stem militancy in the region. But since release of the report in August 2011, much has not been done to implement its

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

recommendations.

But the General Manager, External Relations, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Igo Weli, told reporters in Lagos that the UNEP report implementation was paramount to the company.

He regretted that other stakeholders were not working on the responsibilities assigned to them.

The Report recommended 76 actions, with the Federal Government getting 50, Shell 22 and the community four.

Weli noted that the most important of all the actions are those assigned to the community, including the taking of a proactive stand against

oil theft and illegal refining to stop spills and environment degradation and allowing access to clean-up spills.

There had been no progress on the actions, he said, adding that the implementation of the recommendations would make no sense or achieve any result with continued spills and illegal refining.

Weli said: “Oil production in Ogoni by SPDC was stopped abruptly in 1993, due to access denial. Facilities were vandalised, accompanied by fires and oil spills.

Oil theft and illegal oil refining have, in addition, led to significant environmental impact. But SPDC is committed to remediating the envi-

Amnesty students protest unpaid fees

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BOUT 2,000 Niger Delta students of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) studying in the United Kingdom (UK) and other parts of the world have protested the non-payment of their tuition fees, intraining allowances and accommodation fees.

The students, in a statement yesterday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, said their condtions had worsened since the appointment of the substantive Coordinator for the PAP, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh.

The statement by their coordinators in Swansea University, UK, Mr. Elliot Yibakeni and Emomotimi Ziprebo of Birmingham City University, UK, noted that the Federal Government’s indifference to their plight had frus-

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

trated them.

They said: “We are protesting on behalf of the over 2,000 abandoned and dejected Nigerian students of Niger Delta extraction studying in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world under the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

“Sadly, since the appointment of Coordinator for PAP, Brig.-Gen. Boroh, nothing has changed for us; rather, the situation is becoming more precarious each passing day.

“We wish to tell Nigerians and the international community that as we speak, Niger Delta students are frustrated and disillusioned because of uncertainty with re-

gard to the prolonged delay and non-payment of tuition fees, in-training allowances, accommodation fees and other stipends that will aid our stay in foreign lands.

“We are now the butt of jokes around the world, especially in the UK, and we have practically turned refugees and laughing stock in our cities, where the institutions are. We have just received the news of the death of one of our fellow students in the University of Belarus due to the present hardship faced by the students.”

The students claimed that some of their colleagues on the Amnesty programme in Malaysia were being arrested and subjected to inhuman treatment because they could not meet their obligations.

Cross River APC leaders woo Ndoma-Egba

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OME leaders of the Cross River All Progressives Congress (APC), led by the Vice Chairman of Central and Chairman of the Stabilisation and Mobilisation Committee, Mr. Cletus Obun have visited former Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba.

They urged him to join the party. Obun said APC and Cross River State needed his character, integrity, personality leadership and father figure in the party.

They urged him to ignore media attacks on his speculated membership of the party because the attacks were not from the APC but allegedly by those they called sponsored hirelings of the opposition party.

Obun said the visit was nec-

essary because APC and the state needed Ndoma-Egba to benefit from his political strength in the state and at the Federal levels.

The spokesman noted that no the decision was taken at a resolution of an enlarged stakeholders and State Executive meeting of the party in Ikom, Cross River State.

According to him, APC agreed to go on a serious membership drive to increase its members ahead of the forthcoming local government elections in the state.

Obun said Ndoma-Egba was targeted among those to be wooed into the party.

The spokesman said the elderswanted to take advantage of the ill-treatment meted out

to him by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the APC. He said Ndoma-Egba’s movement to APC would be an historic duty because his experience would enable the party to develop further.

Another member of the delegation and former Minority Leader and only APC member in the Cross River State House of Assembly, Alex Irek noted that ‘’because we know where the sponsorship is coming from, the party mandated us to come and plead with you to come fast”.

According to him, NdomaEgba’s defection was long overdue because APC members were already waiting for him to join the progressives.

ronment, if only the community will cooperate. It makes no sense to clean up while fresh spills and illegal refining continue unabated.”

He said 22 actions were recommended in the report for the operators to carry out.

These include reviewing the procedures for clean-up and remediation, developing asset integrity management and decommissioning plans for Ogoniland and contributing to an Ogoni clean-up fund established by government.

Weli said 16 actions had been completed, five were ongoing, such as relocation of right of way (RoW) encroachers, among others.

Senate power probe gets petition

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HE Senate ad hoc committee investigating alleged sharp practices in the Power sector has received a petition accusing the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, of diverting the N3.5 billion meant for the payment of beneficiaries of the National Power Sector Apprenticeship Scheme (NAPýSAS).

The petition was submitted to the committee’s Chairman Abubakar Kyari.

The petitioners claimed that the ministry recruited 7,200 youths for the apprenticeship scheme, which was expected to last six months but was stopped abruptly.

They also claimed that each participant of the scheme was expected to be paid N20,000 monthly stipend for six

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor, Abuja

months, after which they might be absorbed into the sector.

According to the petition, this was not to be, following the failure of the permanent secretary to implement the programme to the fullest, even after N3.5 billion had been budgeted for the programme..

The petitioners are asking the committee, among others, to investigate their allegation.

The petition was signed by the leaders of the participants in the training scheme, Onyemelikeya Chukwuma and Balogun Tirimisiyu, who are the Co-Presidents Solar and Metering.

They urged the Senate to address their prayers.

OPS nabs 19 suspected oil thieves, three vessels

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HE Operation Pulo Shield (OPS), which removed the Joint Task Force (JTF) from its name, at the weekend, arrested 19 suspected oil thieves and three barges for offences of oil theft in the creeks of the Niger Delta.

The Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC), Lt.-Col. Isa Ado, said the three barges were seized by the OPS troops of Sector 2 patrolling Alakiri creek and Ikwete waterside of Rivers State.

He said the barges were filled with Automated Gas Oil (AGO) suspected to have been siphoned from the Pipeline Products Management Company (PPMC) pipeline

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

at the Imo River.

Though he said no suspect was arrested during the operation, Ado added that the troops intercepted two tankers loaded with AGO and six Gulf cars conveying illegally refined products.

He named other items recovered during the patrol as a bus loaded with stolen products and five speedboats.

The barges, the spokesman said, were in the custody of OPS while the other equipment had been destroyed.

Ado said troops at Makoba waterside arrested 13 suspected oil thieves operating with 24 locally-made boats filled with illegally refined AGO.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

52

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Fleeing ‘robbers’ drop nine guns, 42 cartridges

•The ammunition recovered ... yesterday

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HE police operatives yesterday recovered nine pump action guns and 42 live ammunition from two fleeing suspected robbers in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.

The weapons were recovered by men of the Area E com-

By Precious Igbonwelundu

mand led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (APC) Frank Mba. It was learnt that the weapons were found in a bag abandoned by a fleeing motorcyclist

and his passenger, around Seventh Avenue in Festac, during a chase by a patrol team.

The Nation gathered that patrols have been intensified around the neighbourhood to curb crime.

A source said the incident oc-

curred about 12midnight.

The patrol team, he said, sighted the motorcycle, which was unregistered and pursued it.

According to him, the police were suspicious because the passenger carried a sack.

“We moved forward in pursuit of the bike and as soon as they sighted us, they ran away, abandoning the motorcycle and the sack. We could not shoot because we did not know what was in the sack. But when the sack was searched, we found nine pump action guns and 42 live cartridges,” he said.

The state command’s spokesman, Joe Offor, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the cartridges were 42.

He said: “At about 11:15pm on Sunday, Anti-Robbery policemen in Festac found a bag abandoned by suspected robbers at Seventh Avenue, which contained nine pump actions and eight live cartridges.

“The fleeing suspects also abandoned an unregistered motorcycle. Investigations are ongoing to fish out the culprits.”

Ambode gives 49 transformers to rural communities

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O V E R N O R A k i n w u n m i Ambode has given over 49 new transformers to rural communities in Lagos State as part of his administration’s policy to light up those places.

The transformers, he said, would reduce the challenge of unsteady power supply which is crippling businesses and making life unbearable for inhabitants of those areas.

“In my inaugural speech, I pledged my total commitment to run a government that will implement programmes that will make life more meaningful, easier, and happier for our people, Today, we are handing over these transformers as a demonstration of that pledge,” he said.

The governor, represented

by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Jafar Sanuth at the ceremony, said

Be civil to motorists, LASTMA GM tells men

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AGOS State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) new General Manager Mr Bashir Braimah yesterday urged his men to be civil to motorists.

The officers, he said, should always work within the law.

Braimah was addressing senior officers at the authority’s Oshodi, Lagos headquarters.

He reaffirmed his commitment to professionalism

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

through human capacity building, saying competence, commitment and concerns should be the personnel’s watchword.

The LASTMA chief urged officers to devise scientific methods of unlocking traffic gridlocks and refrain from the old practice of chasing vehicles.

“Gone are the days of impunity, indiscipline and extortion of money from mo-

torists. All negative vices capable of damaging the image of the government should be done away it,” warned Braimah, who before his appointment was Director, Home Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture.

According to him, LASTMA will achieve a lot when its officers are dedicated to duty.

When traffic flows, he said, motorists would burn less fuel, save energy and time, adding that insecurity would

be eliminated.

This will have a multiplier effect on the state economy, because savings will lead to investment, he said.

Braimah remind his men that Lagos is the economic hub of Nigeria and West Africa thereby making it imperative for traffic management to be in line with best global practices.

Braimah replaces Babatunde Edu, an engineer, who held the post.

•Braimah

By Oziegbe Okoeki

his administration would begin the connection of the transformers to the national grid in two weeks under the first phase, adding that the second phase would involve the procurement and installation of over 50 transformers to be distributed to rural communities in Epe, Badagry, Ibeju Lekki and Ikorodu.

The transformers connection to the national grid would improve power supply, create an enabling environment for job creation and reduce migration from the rural to urban areas – Ambode said, adding: “This will also create employment for our unemployed youths in these areas as small scale businesses can now function properly with the installation of the transformers. With the provision of the transformers to these communities, it will improve the economy of the communities, especially those (residents) who are in one way or the other depending on power supply as the only means of their livelihood.”

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Affairs Alhaji Tajudeen Quadri said the transformers would improve the standard of living in rural communities.

Quadri, immediate past chair of the Community Development Committee, promised that the transformers would be used judiciously and protected from vandals.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

53

NEWS

Ekiti bans manual labour at school hours E KITI State government has outlawed manual labour by pupils of public primary and secondary schools during school hours.

The academic session starts today.

In the past, pupils used the first week to cut grasses and clear bushes on the premises, which made many of them to stay away.

A statement yesterday by

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Jide Egunjobi, said academic work was expected to begin on resumption day, adding that “there will be no cutting of grasses, except during

break or after school hours.”

The statement said public schools had been directed to engage in agriculture, noting that holding of inter-house sports must not extend beyond first term.

Stressing that the government had increased the war against truancy, cult activi-

ties, lateness and examination malpractices, the statement said it had directed schools to complete JSS3 and SSS3 syllabuses by the end of second term to ensure revision in third term.

The commissioner urged stakeholders, including parents, guardians, teachers and pupils to complement government’s efforts at restoring education to its pride of place.

Amosun, El-Rufai extol Adelabu’s virtues

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GUN and Kaduna State governors Ibikunle Amosun and Nasir El-Rufai have extolled the virtues of the late Ibadan politician, Adegoke Adelabu.

They spoke on the occasion of his centenary birthday.

Felicitating with the Adelabu family of Ibadan and the Yoruba, the governors, in letters to the ceremonial committee, described the late politician as a gift to the nation.

In a letter to the Chairman

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

of the Adelabu Centenary Birthday Planning Committee, Oloye ‘Lekan Alabi, by the Chief of Staff to Governor ElRufai, Mrs. Hadiza Usman, she expressed the governor’s “inability to attend this remarkable celebration due to pressing official engagements, but wishes a fruitful celebration.”

In his letter, Amosun said: “The fact that ‘Penkelemesi,’ as Adelabu was fondly called,

PDP chieftain Ogundokun loses wife From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

A

leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Abiola Ogundokun, has lost his wife, Alhaja Ramota.

Aged 71, the deceased, who died in her home at IsaleAafa, Ibadan, Oyo State, after a brief illness, has been buried according to Islamic rites.

She is survived by Chief Ogundokun, children and grandchildren.

died over 57 years ago has not erased his memory from the minds of the people.

“This is not unconnected with his positive influence and contributions to the socio-political development of the old Western Region and Nigeria.”

He added that there was no other period to celebrate one of the titans and architects of nationalism than now when the Southwest was in collaboration, cooperation and political alliance with other geopolitical zones.

Chief Uzo Okpara (Omekannaya), son of the late premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr. Michael Okpara, in his congratulatory message on behalf of the Okpara family, said the late Adelabu was a political associate of his father. He described him as a detrabalised and a forthright politician, who

struggled for the independence of the country.

Okpara prayed God to bless and keep the deceased’s family.

Adelabu was the first African manager of the United Africa Company (UAC) in 1936 at the age of 21 and the country’s first federal minister of Social Services and Natural Resources in 1954 at the age of 39. He was a prodigy, whose academic record at the Government College, Ibadan remains unbeaten 80 years after he graduated from the college in 1935.

Adelabu was the leader of the opposition in the defunct Western Region House of Assembly and the first chairman of the defunct Ibadan District Council.

He died on March 25, 1958 in an accident at Ogere Remo in the present Ogun State, at 43.

•From left: President, ICAN, Otunba Olufemi Deru; winner of Heritage Bank car, Mr. Emmanuel Isibor; Group Head, Commercial Banking, Heritage Bank Ltd; Mr. Lekan Busari; and Chairman, Accountant Conference, ICAN, Mrs. Comfort Eyitayo, at the presentation of a car donated by Heritage Bank to the winner at the conference

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From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

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HE Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, has said Abeokuta was not among the cities considered as the Ogun State capital by the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, when it was created in 1976.

He said it was Gen. Muhammed’s deputy, the then Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Lt.-Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, an Egba man, who used his position to bring the Ogun State capital to the town.

The monarch spoke at the weekend at the turbaning of Princess Khadijat Adebisi Edionsere (popularly called Cash Madam), as the first iya suna of Ogun State by the Muslim Council.

Adetona, a former chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas, however, noted that he saw nothing wrong in ex-President Obasanjo’s action, saying he only proved “to be a true son of Abeokuta.”

The royal father, who is the president of the Ogun State Muslim Council, hailed Governor Ibikunle Amosun for his developmental projects, urging the people to support him.

His words: “It is good to use your position to positively affect your people. When Ogun State was to be created, Abeokuta was not the city recommended as the capital. But because Obasanjo was the second-in- command, he took the capital to Abeokuta. I don’t condemn his action, I am only saying our people should learn from that.”

Airlines owe Immigration $1.170m at Lagos airport

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IRLINES operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, are owing the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Airport Command.

The command said 3,102 Nigerians were deported between January and last month for immigration offences.

The Comptroller of Immigration, MMIA Command, Mrs. Chizoba Dibi, who addressed reporters in Lagos at the weekend, regretted the debts, saying efforts to recover them had proved abortive.

Thirty commercial airlines operate in and out of MMIA daily. This is besides the numerous private aircraft that operate at the terminal.

She recalled that the former Minister of Interior, Mr. Aba Moro, in two letters dated February 19 and April 26 conveyed approval of the command to withdraw pas-

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

senger clearance from the highest debtor, to act as a deterrent to other airlines.

Mrs. Dibi said she hoped that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would give the same approval to the command to recover its debts.

As at the end of last month, she said the command processed 665,450 arriving passengers and 755,817 departed through MMIA within the period.

Mrs. Dibi added that the command refused 353 Nigerians from departing the country. One hundred and forty seven foreigners were disallowed from entering the country.

The comptroller said 3,102 regular deportee-Nigerians were received within the year and that the command also received 508 special deportees, while five foreigners were deported.

Ogboru presents sole candidate From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

T

HE Ogboru Ruling House of Ife has presented to the kingmakers, a United Kingdom-based oil magnate, Prince Adeagbo Adefarakan, as its sole candidate for the Ooni

Ooni: Aspirant urges kingmakers to be firm N Ife prince aspiring to the Ooni throne, Prince Adetunji Aderin, has urged kingmakers not to be influenced by money and politics in picking the monarch.

Addressing reporters at the weekend in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the great grandson of Oba Aderin Ologbenla said it would be wrong to disallow a candidate of the Giesi Ruling House, from where he hailed, from mounting the throne.

He said by right, the ruling house should be allowed to ascend the throne.

Aderin, a graduate of Economics from the then University of Ado-Ekiti and an Associate Member of the Association of Business Executives, United Kingdom, said besides being his right by birth, he felt compelled to offer himself to help in the development of his town.

He said: “As the great grandson of a warrior-king, it will be a disservice to the legacy of my ancestor, Aderin Ologbenla, who reigned from 1880 to 1893 as the last Ooni from

‘Obasanjo influenced Abeokuta as Ogun State capital’

Ogunwusi joins race From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

PRINCE Adeyeye Ogunwusi from Ojaja Compound in Giesi Ruling House has signified his intention to occupy the Ooni seat.

Spokesman for the family Prince Olalekan Ijiyode, who addressed reporters at the weekend, said Ogunwusi was chosen by the compound because of his credentials.

Saying the candidate had the wherewithal to occupy the Ooni throne, he said: “Prince Ogunwusi is the popular candidate from the Ojaja Unit of the Giesi Ruling House to emerge as the next Ooni. He is capable of occupying the exalted stool.

He has what it takes to become our next king. So, he remains the best candidate for the highly-revered throne.

“Prince Ogunwusi understands the nitty-gritty of the culture and tradition of Ife. He has the resources, he is wellexposed, highly-educated, financially-buoyant and peopleoriented. To the best of the knowledge of the Ojaja Unit of the Giesi Royal Family, he fits the throne.”

Ijiyode faulted a claim that the selection process should not be subjected to rotation, saying the arrangement had always been by rotation.

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

the Giesi Ruling House, if I don’t join the race.

“According to the rotational procedure, which requires each ruling house in a particular order to produce the candidate for the Ooni, the Giesi

Ruling House was meant to be next in line, but Omooba Adeniran Aderin was denied his place in history and the Ogboru Family, who should have come up after Giesi Family, ended up producing the Ooni through the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, whose father reigned from 1894 to

1910 after Aderin Ologbenla.

“So, the rotational cycle from Aderin Ologbenla 18801893 (Giesi Ruling House), to Adelekan Olubuse I 1894-1910 (Ogboru Ruling House), to Ademiluyi Ajagun 1910-1930 (Lafogido Ruling House), to Adesoji Aderemi 1930-1980 (Osinkola Ruling House) should ideally have been Giesi again in 1980, but was given to Ogboru Ruling House, thereby denying the Giesi Ruling House the chance to produce an Ooni since 1893 when Aderin Ologbenla passed on.

“It will be sheer injustice for anyone outside the Giesi Ruling House to be the next Ooni and the kingmakers are aware of this, despite the attempt of some to suggest otherwise. The throne of the Ooni is not such to be politicised or monetised, as the Giesi Ruling House has been shunned for too long. The time is ripe for it to take its rightful place. What is mine is mine and it will be wrong not to fight for my right or allow the hard work of my forefathers to be wasted.”

stool.

Addressing reporters in Osogbo yesterday, Prince Adefarakan said the leaders of the ruling house sent a letter of recommendation to the Ife kingmakers last Wednesday to recommend him as the only candidate of the house.

He said contestants in the family signified their interest, but the leaders unanimously presented him as the only candidate.

Adefarakan said: “The Ogboru Ruling House has presented me to Ife kingmakers as the sole candidate of the family for consideration as the next Ooni. The letter of recommendation, in which I was presented to the kingmakers, was signed by the Head of Ogboru Ruling House, Prince Adenekan Olubuse; the Loogun of the house, Prince Alade Adefioye; the Secretary, Prince Pade Adelekan and Prince Adegbemiga Adefarakan.”

Lafogido Ruling House urges review of contestants’ lineage

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S the selection process of the Ooni starts, the Lafogido Ruling House has faulted the Chieftaincy Declaration of 1976 by the Justice Ademola Commission, claiming it erred in its conclusion on issues regarding the true royal families.

The declaration, which was a review of the 1957 declaration, was gazetted in 1977 by the government of the old Oyo State.

In a statement by the Head of the ruling house and Sooko Walomo of Ife, Prince Adeleke Adewoyin, the family faulted the commission’s position, saying its members tried to twist the history of the

By Wale Ajetunmobi

ancient kingdom.

The house, Adewoyin said, was marginalised in the chieftaincy reviews since the reign of Ooni Lajamisan.

According to him, the rotational system was introduced during the reign of Ooni Lajemisan, who, he said, had two children - Lajodogun and Lafigido.

Adewoyin said: “The Lajodogun Ruling House was further split into Ogbooru, Osinkola and Princess Moropo, who had a son named Giesi. Despite that Lafogido had eight children, the family remains an entity.”

54

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

55

TODAY IN THE NATION

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

‘A government should be allowed time to stumble and possibly recover from it even as success in its early days is equally relevant in enhancing the outcome of its final rating’ EMEKA OMEIHE

VOL 10 NO 3337

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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HESE are no easy times. But life sometimes needs times like these to turn us on to our greater gifts. But are we ready?

The price of oil has plummeted. States have to borrow to pay their bills. No one is asking for some things we took for granted.

We are not speaking about the emergency on power, the construction of infrastructure, the rebirth of education, or the shrewd touch on health care. The first question is, where is the money?

So, the lean times are here. The irony, though, is that a counter-narrative to the lean times still tells us that while reason agrees about the lean times, the emotions say something else. The head is cool, but the heart boils.

Reason tells us that this is no time for extravagance, or the showy moment to boast about a revolution in health care, or a swagger over infrastructure achievements.

When the footloose era of Jonathan dawned on us, it took a while before we knew we had fallen into a prodigal boom.

The Biblical fat years came in all their phony glories. It was not a time of investment, but of consumption.

The Bible itself says: “In times of prosperity, rejoice. In times of adversity, consider.” Well, it’s time to consider. Time to see how we can fly out of these woes of little money, plenty of poverty. It’s time to forge new strategies, new ethos, new ethic.

But the story from states about unpaid salaries only warns us that we heard the sermon on the mount, but we have not felt it yet. The head has not met the heart, and the chasm between reason and emotion is the reason workers are at odds with their chief executives.

Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, struck a courageous note. He has shown that given the state of the finances, the state cannot afford what it took for granted. It has to cut its budget according to its inflows. That is the fact of life. When there was money, the state could afford a lot of bills, pay salaries, WAEC fees, et al. Now, in spite of the about N26 billion it received recently from the federal-backed loans, it still cannot meet up with its entire backlog.

He says the government will step up means of boosting revenues. Workers, who now show the side of emotions, are not quite impressed with the sermon from the mount.

Salaries have to be paid because the children must eat, the roof over the head must not cave in and when a child squeaks with typhoid fever, an unpaid salary will not jolt the patient to life. Homilies such as the call for belt-tightening do not turn into miracles.

So, there. When PMB took over, we started gradually to peep into the real issues.

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchnation@gmail.com 08054501081(sms only) Twitter: @samomatseye

•Winner, Informed Commentary (DAME)

Lean is here

‘

•Governor Ajimobi The rot of Jonathan’s sewers came to an opprobrious light. The nation could have caved under if he won the election. Those who voted in PMB, voted for change. It was a clamour with high emotional decibel. But what did change mean. For some it was the ouster of the GEJ. To some others, it was a fulmination against the Niger Delta upstarts. To others it was to bring in a northerner. To a few conscious advocates, it was to usher in a revolution in ethics and economy.

Few reflected that such a change carried with it many long hours of discomfort. But we had started to see the discomfort before the end of the GEJ era. Some states could not pay salary because they were blindsided by two factors. One, the idealism of worthy projects that they thought could go on with the dollar. Two, the squalor of corruption at the centre that made the idealist look like a spendthrift.

Suddenly, it was not about building a school or a health clinic. It was about paying civil servants. Translation: governance has shut down.

RIPPLES

2019: JONATHAN, PARTY LEADERS MOVE TO REVIVE PDP–News

REVIVE whaaat?.... I dey LAUGH ooo!

S

ACKED Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, if he has any sense of humour would be sniggering wherever he may be now, saying something like: “Oliseh, I dey laugh o!” Of course, this is the famous line created by our waggish former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (aka Baba) when he publicly mocked his estranged vice president’s intention decamp from the then ruling party and run for presidency. “I dey laugh o!” has since earned its eminent place in Nigeria’s political lexicon.

Opportunity is ripe for immediate past national football team gaffer, Stephen Keshi, to throw Baba’s famous barb at his successor, Sunday Oliseh. And the reason is obvious.

Oliseh earned his pips as one of the great players and captains of the national football team (aka Super Eagles). He is also one of the few graduate footballers Nigeria has produced over time. An elite footballer if you like, he was a good player in his heyday; he was Nigeria’s captain; he scored a memorable World Cup goal against world football giants, Spain.

He is well spoken and very good looking (eat your heart out Hardball!) and to top it

The irony is that in that decade, governments have been in a fury of hiring to boost their image as sensitive organs. That socalled generosity has now held them captive. We hired to feel good, but now we have to fire to feel good. It’s like constipation. We enjoyed the meal, but now we need the physician

’

If we want change, and we are bogged down with the exigencies of paying sala-

ries and doing nothing else, it means two things. One, the civil service is not productive enough to make the state rich or live above water. Two, that if we stay that way, we are headed to paralysis and we shall mope at the decay in all sectors.

We cannot remain so. But there lies the challenge. How shall we allow the civil service to hold the majority of workers and citizens in the states to ransom?

To keep the workers is to keep the states down. But to screen the workers and weed out the dead woods? That makes reason triumph. But what of emotions? In his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde wrote that man is not a rational creature.

We are all emotional beings, he asserted.

That is why workers are saying they cannot lose any of their staff.

The irony is that in that decade, governments have been in a fury of hiring to boost their image as sensitive organs. That socalled generosity has now held them captive. We hired to feel good, but now we have to fire to feel good. It’s like constipation.

We enjoyed the meal, but now we need the physician.

President Buhari has been showing signs of plugging loopholes, and staving off corruption.

Healing will take time, and unless we start a conversation about how to fight off the fat in the system, then it is like looking for change without accepting the consequences.

During the age of revolutions, it is called revolutionary remorse.

Change in a society like ours is tricky.

What is inevitable though is that we cannot sustain a bloated bureaucracy that deprives most people the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Building good roads, good hospitals and sound educational institutions creates room for productive citizenry. Where all the money goes for salaries alone is a pain. Governor Ajimobi put in words what PMB is translating into action. I wonder how we can do this without civil eruption?

NO GREEK GIFT FROM J.P. MORGAN

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ECENTLY, the international mogul JP Morgan decided to delist Nigeria from its government bonds. The reason is that the new Central Bank regime on foreign exchange transactions does not favour its own light of good capitalism. It has created a set of chain reactions and the stock market has turned a little giddy.

But I am happy the CBN is not yielding to the shark of a bank.

J.P. Morgan and its types come from a culture of due process and transparency. But it is a bank that knows how to trick governments and naïve citizens. Was it not the same bank that was fined close to $20 billion for a series

of unethical and unprofessional conduct? It paid a major role in swindling Americans in the mortgage scandal a few years ago, and paid $13 billion in fines. It also paid $1 billion over the “London Whale scandal” and $6 billion over the manipulation of a felon called Bruno Iksil. It paid $2 billion for allowing Berne Madoff swindle innocent American investors. It was in cahoots with companies, such as Goldman Sachs to tease Greece into its crisis by crafting a system to hide its debt while profiting by it. Now, Greece is suffering alone.

If JP Morgan cannot live with transparency in Nigeria, we can live without their geeks. We abhor another Greek gift

is not the opinion of HARDBALL •Hardball the columnist featured above Oliseh: Coaching tips from Hardball up, he is a FIFA graded coach, a FIFA technical huncho and here is the clincher: he is a highly rated football analyst. Everything seems so complete in him one could say he is as rounded as a football. It happened that during the 2013 African Nations Cup (AFCON) tournament which Nigeria eventually won under Keshi’s tutelage, Oliseh made his mark as an analyst and he rifled Keshi so much that at a point he called to question his technical competence.

As coach of the Super Eagles now, Oliseh has done two disappointing outings if truth must be told. His very first against Tanzania in the AFCON qualifiers, was a better forgotten match that ended goalless. Against a hapless Niger Republic, the Eagles were shambolic and wingless.

So what is happening to the golden boy of Nigeria’s football, Sunday Oliseh, he is already on the verge of flopping by not qualifying Nigeria for AFCON. If only Oliseh would hearken to Hardball’s words; and this has been said here umpteenth time: old eagles don’t fly much! Let the truth be

told; what is the average age of the team Oliseh is using to prosecute his AFCON? 30?

35? 40 years?

Oliseh has been in the system and one is surprised at his naivety. Apart from one or two, most of these players in Oliseh’s last two matches have passed prime football age. For instance, watch Emmanuel Emenike with the ball: all he wants to do is to fall. He does one burst of a short run and he breathes with his mouth as if he is going to pass out.

Why have we all chosen to live a lie?

Why is it that a country that wins laurels in under-age competitions can’t play at the senior level? Why is it that hardly any junior player graduates to the senior? Why is it that a country that beat the entire world in the Junior World Cup in 2013 cannot produce a national team? It is because we are living a lie. The day we convert that socalled U-17 world beaters to our Super Eagles, that day our football will come back to life. Otherwise, Oliseh and even the best coach in the world will fail woefully.

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Editor Daily:08111813080, 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 ISSN: 115-5302 Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO