The Nation September 15, 20111 by The Nation

Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

Cholera: Oyo confirms 11 dead NEWS

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•Hospitals attending to 945 cases

Falae’s son, 15 others for commissioner NEWS

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•Ondo Governor sends list to House

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VOL. 7, NO. 1884 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

UN names 21 dead Abuja office bombing victims Memorial service today at scene of incident

F the 23 people who died in the August 26 United Nations (UN) House, Abuja bombing, 21 were named yesterday. UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Daouda Toure reeled out the names at a press conference in Abuja. In all, 11 UN officials and 12 non-UN officials were killed. But the UN has not been able to identify two of the 12 dead non-UN officials. The 21 identified dead include 14 men and seven women. The dead 11 UN officials and their designations, according to Toure, include Ms. Rahmat Abdullahi (Registry Clerk, UNDP),

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

Mr. Musa Ali (Zonal Logistics Assistant for the NorthWest Zone, WHO), Mr. Johnson Awotunde (Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF), Dr. Edward Dede (National Professional Officer, WHO), Mr. Elisha Enaburekhan (Driver, UNAIDS). Others are: Mr. Ahmed Abiodun Adewale-Kareem (Shipping Assistant, UNICEF), Mr. Iliya David Musa (Receptionist, UN Common Services, UNDP), Mr. Ingrid Midtgaard (Associate Expert, UNODC)), Mrs. Felicia Nkwuokwu (Receptionist, UN Common Services, UNDP), Mr. Stephen

Abdulmutallab shouts ‘Osama’s alive’ in court

THE 21 VICTIMS •Ms. Rahmat Abdullahi (Registry Clerk, UNDP) •Mr. Elisha Enaburekhan (Driver, UNAIDS) •Mr. Musa Ali (Zonal Logistics Assistant for the North-West Zone, WHO) •Mr. Johnson Awotunde (Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF) •Dr. Edward Dede (National Professional Officer, WHO) •Mr. Ahmed Abiodun Adewale-Kareem (Shipping Assistant, UNICEF) •Mr. Iliya David Musa (Receptionist, UN Common Services, UNDP) •Mr. Ingrid Midtgaard (Associate Expert, UNODC) •Mrs. Felicia Nkwuokwu (Receptionist, UN Common Services, UNDP) •Mr. Stephen Obamoh (ERT Radio Operator, UNDP) •Mr. Abraham Osunsaya (Administrative Assistant, WHO) •Mr. Sunday James Ebere (Shipping Agent, Balast Agency) •Mr. Abiodun Adeseye (Julius Berger) •Ms. Caroline Micheal (Guard) •Mr. Ndubisi Bright (Hospitality Industry Consults) •Mr. Paul Waziri (Nigeria Cleaning Services) •Ms. Kate Demehin (Federal Ministry of Health) •Mr. Sunday Omelenyi (Guard) •Mr. Yakubu Garuba (Guard) •Ms. Patricia Ekweringe (Travel Agent) •Ms. Joy Audu (Nigeria Cleaning Services) Obamoh (ERT Radio Operator, UNDP) and Mr. Abraham Osunsaya (Administrative Assistant, WHO). The 10 identified dead non-

UN officials include Mr. Sunday James Ebere (Shipping Agent, Balast Agency), Mr. Ndubisi Bright (Hospitality Industry Consults), Mr. Paul

Waziri (Nigeria Cleaning Services) and Ms. Kate Demehin (Federal Ministry of Health). Others are: Ms. Caroline Micheal (Guard), Mr. Sunday

FAYEMI AT THE NATION

Continued on page 2

There is no ‘conspiracy against the national minimum wage ... There were issues; 14 governors were not part of the decision that produced the National Minimum Wage that was announced by the President because we were not part of the negotiation that culminated into it.

HE trial of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab promises to be dramatic, going by yesterday’s courtroom

scene. The 24-year old Nigerian student, who is accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound jetliner on Christmas Day 2009, showed up for jury selection in a foul mood. “Osama’s alive,” Abdulmutallab shouted as he entered the courtroom. “I’m forced to wear prison clothes,” he said. Abdulmutallab, wearing khaki prison pants, a white T-shirt and a black skull cap, refused to stand when U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds, who was in another room with prospective jurors, asked him to stand with others in her courtroom several floors away. While Edmunds briefed jurors about the allegations against him, Abdulmutallab hollered “jihad” and stared at the ceiling when she told jurors about the alleged plot to blow up the plane with a bomb in his underwear. In September, Abdulmutallab fired his government-appointed lawyers and suggested that he wanted to plead guilty to some charges. He has said nothing about a plea Continued on page 2

Omelenyi (Guard), Mr. Yakubu Garuba (Guard), Mr. Abiodun Adeseye (Julius Berger), Ms. Patricia Ekweringe (Travel Agent) and Ms. Joy Audu (Nigeria Cleaning Services). A memorial service will be held in front of the UN Building this morning, Toure said, adding: “These men and women lost their lives contributing to improving the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians across the country. “We will never forget them as individuals. Nor shall we forget the passion, commitment and courage with which they proudly served the mission and ideals of the United Nations.” Of the 116 injured people, who are receiving treatment, 64 are members of the UN officials; 36 are non-UN staff and 16 persons yet to

•Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi speaking ... yesterday. Story on page 6.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

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•POLITICS P17 •SPORTS P24 •EDUCATION P25 •NATURAL HEALTH P42

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS

•From left: Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, American Civil rights activist, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rivers State Governor and Chief Host, Rotimi Amaechi and Festival Director, Mrs. Koko Kalango of Rainbow book club at the opening of the 2011 Garden City Literary Festival in Port Harcourt ... yesterday. Continued from page 1

be identified. Toure said 17 are seriously injured victims, including 12 UN members and five nonUN officials who have been evacuated to South Africa for specialist treatment. According to him, the condition of those evacuated to South Africa has improved. Toure added: “We are also aware that one victim who was at the UN House, has been privately evacuated to the United Kingdom. The UN, in collaboration with the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has also facilitated the travel of accompanying family members of the evacuated persons to South Africa.”

•Mr Toure speaking ... yesterday. With him are WHO Representative Dr David Okello and Mr Scot (right) PHOTO: NAN

UN names 21 dead Abuja office bombing victims “Since 26 August, the UN Country Team has focused its attention on securing medical care, counseling and other essential needs for staff members and their relatives,” he said. Stressing that the UN will continue its work in Nigeria, Toure said: “The United Nations has a long term commitment to remain in Nigeria and continue its work to improve the lives of the vulnerable people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms. We are looking forward to increasing our support and not the contrary.”

On compensation, he said: “For the UN staff, what will come to play is what is called the Malicious Act. On the non-UN staff that were working for specific companies, the insurance in their companies will come to play. And the assurances we get from the government for those who are not in the categories, government has extended hand of support to them, including helping them financially while they are on their hospital beds. That is what we can say for now.” Ruling out the possibility of discovering more dead bodies at the UN House,

Toure said: “We know if there is still somebody buried under the rubble, there would be signs like smell. The building is clean to a large extent and where the casualties occurred has been cleaned up. We are not aware of any request for anybody who has been missing.” Asked about the state of the investigation, Toure said though the UN is closely following it, the world body had not been officially informed of arrests. While discouraging investors from leaving Nigeria because of the blast, Toure said the UN is still looking for a

Abdulmutallab shouts ‘Osama’s alive’ Abdulmutallab was later in court introduced to a second man since. Continued from page 1

Anthony Chambers has said that a plea is unlikely. “We will challenge everything,” Chambers, his legal adviser, said earlier this year, noting his client has a full understanding of his situation. Abdulmutallab is the son of a respected businessman, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, who warned the authorities about his son’s strange ways before the incident. An FBI agent yesterday traced the radicalisation of Abdulmutallab before he allegedly tried to blow up an airliner over Metro Detroit. Abdulmutallab became radicalised by studying alQaeda on the Internet and by listening to al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, Special Agent Timothy Waters said in his testimony during a pretrial hearing in the terror case. Waters spent 50 minutes questioning Abdulmutallab at the University of Michigan Hospital following the attack.

Prosecutors are having Waters testify to combat defence claims that Abdulmutallab should not have been questioned by federal agents while under powerful pain medication at the hospital. Chambers is trying to block statements made by the suspect because agents did not read him his Miranda rights. The testimony also shed light on the innovative bomb Abdulmutallab is accused of trying to use to destroy the plane. Abdulmutallab told Waters it was built by a bomb maker in Saudi Arabia. At some point, Abdulmutallab left his home in Nigeria, travelled to Yemen and studied at an institute. He later drifted from mosque to mosque before meeting a like-minded individual at one particular mosque, Waters testified. “Based on my experience, (Abdulmutallab) was being vetted” by al-Qaeda, Waters said.

and eventually moved in with the individual. “He stated they would sit for hours, talk about alQaeda, attacks on the United States and support for Osama bin Laden,” Waters testified. Abdulmutallab was sequestered from other people while in Yemen. In November 2009, a man approached Abdulmutallab, indicating he had built a bomb that could bypass airport security and be used to blow up an airliner, Waters said. Waters said news of the attack launched a full-scale effort to thwart any other attacks that might be underway. Waters spelled out the race to glean as much information as possible from Abdulmutallab, and explained the decision not to read him his so-called Miranda rights. “Clearly, there could have been other flights in the air,” Waters said.

From Bisi Olaniyi and Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

to come to the gate to speak with you.” The commission’s spokesman, Toye Abosede, said: “I am very sorry for not being able to speak with you since morning. “ I’m also sorry about the situation in our office. I am on my way out for an important matter. “Please, on the dissolution of the board, no comment. I am a civil servant. President Goodluck Jonathan has taken a decision. We are awaiting further directives.”

It was gathered that the protesters started gathering on Tuesday night immediately they heard the news of the dissolution. Their leader said the youths were shocked about the President’s ‘unpopular decision’. He said despite the ‘minor’ disagreements between Ugwoha and some members of the board a lot of achievements were recorded. Mixed reactions have continued to trail the dissolution. A visitor at the NDDC gate, who identified himself as Preye, from Bayelsa State, described the board’s dissolu-

Nigerians in Libyan army face uncertain future

•Abdulmutallab

The intelligence community had heard of similar devices that could evade airport security and previous history — like Sept. 11, 2001 —- indicated that terror attempts came in waves. “In my mind, I’m thinking they have this new device … they’re not going to use it one time,” Waters said. Those thoughts then sparked a race to the University of Michigan Hospital, where Abdulmuttalab was being treated for burns.

Soldiers, riot policemen stop protest at NDDC OLDIERS and anti-riot policemen yesterday prevented youths from protesting at the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The youths were protesting Tuesday’s dissolution of the commission’s board and the sacking of Managing Director, Chibuzor Ugwoha. A soldier, with no name tag, said: “No journalist will be allowed into the premises. We can only allow you to stay and observe. “The only option will be to call whoever you want to see

central temporary office where its scattered staff could be operating. Also speaking at the news conference, Dr. David Okello, the WHO Representative, said: “The medical care we have been receiving in Nigeria is exemplary. Out of 80 victims taken to the hospitals, nobody died. The measurement of death… is when the person dies within 24 hours of taking him there.” The UN Chief Security Adviser, Mr. Sorrien Scott, maintained that Nigeria is still championing the investigations into the explosion. Mr. Touré paid tribute to

tion as unfortunate. A lady, Iniobong, from Akwa Ibom State, described the dissolution as long overdue but said Ugwoha and members of the board should have been spared. A youth leader, Marvin Yobana, said the dissolution would neither solve the problems at the commission nor address the developmental challenges of the region. The Niger Delta Contractors Association (NIDECA) said it was happy that the President listened to their plea “to speak up on the crisis and implement to the letter the recommendations of the Steve Oronsanye-led panel.”

those who died, saying they “devoted their lives to improving the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians across the country”. “We will never forget them as individuals. Nor will we forget the passion and courage with which they proudly served the mission and ideals of the United Nations.” Top UN officials have stressed that the attack will not dissuade the Organisation from continuing to carry out its work in Nigeria. Secretary General Ban Kimoon also announced that the UN would conduct a global threat review, in a bid to improving security conditions for staff worldwide

ECURITY agencies have been placed on the alert against fleeing loyalists of the embattled Libyan strongman, Muammar Gaddafi. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and other agencies are involved in the blockade operation against Gaddafi loyalists who may want to flee into Nigeria. The government’s action became necessary, following the revelation that some Nigerians are Generals in the troubled Libyan Armed Forces. But the fate of such Generals remains unknown, considering the rapid loss of ground by the Gaddafi camp. The loyalists of the deposed dictator, it is said, prefer to seek refuge in Algeria, Niger and Chad. In line with its pre-emptive plans, the government specifically ordered that security surveillance against Gaddafi’s loyalists should be intensified in some Northern states, such as Borno, Katsina, Kebbi, Yobe, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kano. A source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said security agencies have mounted surveillance in border towns and cities with Nigeria, such as N’Djamena, Zinder, Maradi, and Dosso, among others. The source said: “From intelligence reports, no one doubts the fact that these Gaddafi loyalists may be hiding in some desert enclaves not far away from Nigeria. But we are up to the task. “We are all engaged in a total blockade operation against Gaddafi’s men. It is a 24/7 mandate. “Besides the Immigration

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Service, all military formations close to Niger and Chad, in particular, have been reinforced to checkmate the incursion of Gaddafi’s men. “I think there is no cause for alarm in any way as far as checkmating Gaddafi is concerned.” NIS spokesman Joachim Olumbah, a Chief Superintendent, said: “So far, we do not have any reliable information that is indicative of the infiltration of this country by Gaddafi’s loyalists. “If there is any such development, we would get to know in less than five minutes. “But we have been asked not to be caught unawares. The Immigration Service and all security agencies are on the watch-out for these loyalists of Gaddafi. “All our men and security agencies have been placed on the alert and asked to be more watchful of movement in and out of the country.” A diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “It may interest you that we have some Nigerians, from the Northern part, in the Libyan Armed Forces. They have even attained the status of General. “Although some of these Generals might have naturalised, they are still in touch with their roots in Nigeria. “This discovery might have caused some anxiety over alleged infiltration of Nigeria by Gaddafi’s loyalists.” On the fate of the Generals, the source added: “The Transitional National Council of Libya will determine that; it is an internal affair.”

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THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS

•The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan (above) has witnessed an upsurge in the number of cholera cases in recent times. It is believed that the upsurge is not unconnected with uncleanliness probably promoted by the recent flooding in the ancient city (see picture on the right side above). Many of the patients of the Oyo and Bauchi cholera outbreak look emaciated (see picture on the right side below) having lost a lot of body water through stooling and vomiting.

Oyo and Bauchi states are thousands of kilometres apart. But the two states, in the last few days, have been bound by unabating cholera outbreak, which has left no fewer than 30 persons dead. AUSTINE TSENZUGHUL (Bauchi) and OSHEYE OKWUOFU (Ibadan) report.

Oyo, Bauchi: Bound by cholera outbreak T

HE wards of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Jericho Hospital, also in Ibadan, and Boto General Hospital in Tafawa Balewa Local Government of Bauchi State are crowded with cholera patients. Many are believed to be holed up in their homes, dying of inability to go to the hospital due to lack of money. In Oyo State, 11 people are said to have died. There are 945 reported cases across communities in the state.Seventeen have died in Bauchi State. Not a few are said to be dying. The epidemic broke out in Bauchi a fortnight ago. Three communities in Tafawa Balewa Local Government are worse hit. The affected communities are: Yola-Nora, Wuro-Nage and Boto. Six persons have been reported dead in Yola-Nora. WuroNage has lost eight. Three have died in Boto. Several others are in hospitals. In Oyo, where it also broke out some two weeks ago, the people of Ido Local Government Area were hit hard. The problem is soserious that the Jericho Hospital has run out of bed space for the patients. Many are just hanging around the hospital without beds to rest their heads. UCH alone has recorded about 50 cases. The Nation learnt that samples taken at the UCH show that all the zones in the state are affected. But only those who report at UCH are being treated and properly treated. Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist of the Department in the Medi-

Govt confirms 945 cases

HE Oyo State Government yesterday confirmed 945 reported cases of cholera across communities in the state. It also confirmed 11 deaths among victims. The cases were recorded between June and September. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Lateef Olopoeniyan, spoke with reporters on the outbreak of the epidemic in Ibadan yesterday. He was joined with his Information counterpart, Mr Bosun Oladele, who confirmed that the flooded areas in the state have been fumigated to prevent an outbreak of epidemic. Oladele added that medical teams would begin to move round the state twice a month to offer free medical services to residents. According to Olopoeniyan, 67 percent of the cases were reported in Saki East and some areas in the northern parts of the state. In Ibadan, the state capital, 280 cases have been reported with others scattered across other parts of the state. Stressing that not all cases could be regarded as cholera until scientifically confirmed, the commissioner said 36 stool samples had been sent for analysis to confirm if they are cholera. He said: “A true case of cholera requires clinical sign, serological test and positive stool culture. Of the 36 stools tested 94 percent was positive serologi-

cal Microbiology, UCH has described the cholera situation in the state as ‘very, very severe.’ The Chief Matron, Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Florence Popoola said scores of people infected with cholera are lying down at the Jericho Hospital without any more bed space.

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

cally while 55.6 percent were both serological and culture positive showing the true cholera cases in the state.” He said only 11 cholera-related deaths have been reported as against higher figures in some media. Aside fumigating different parts of the state to prevent an outbreak of epidemic, the commissioner explained that the state has also taken steps to contain the epidemic. They include prompt response in affected areas, institution of infectious control measures in all state-owned health facilities, maintenance of active surveillance, distribution of intravenous fluids, drugs and supply of medical materials to both private and public health facilities. Other steps include media campaigns on personal hygiene, pot chlorination of wells by councils, introduction of weekly environmental sanitation until the state becomes clean, cholera alert messages to all local governments as well as collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and support from partners such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The commissioner assured the public that it was in control of the situation and implored them to report any suspected case at hospitals.

Mrs. Popoola said: “I took an emergency cholera related case to the cholera unit of the Jericho Nursing Home last night, but when I got there, the situation was terrible. There were many who were brought in for treatment, but there was shortage of personnel and lack of bed space to admit the patients because

the place was overcrowded with people infected with the disease.” A senior officer at the UCH, who is a member of the team raised by the management to monitor cholerarelated cases and other water-borne diseases, said the available data gathered so far at UCH suggests that the scourge is spreading.

Agency teaches communities sanitation techniques

HE Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) has provided potable water and sanitation techniques to communities to boost water supply and reduce water-borne diseases in the rural areas. The agency’s Project Manager, Malam Garba Magaji, told the

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Bauchi that through the use of enlightenment programmes, the rate of water-borne diseases, such as cholera, which is ravaging parts of the state, had significantly reduced. The agency, he said, had also provided boreholes, wells and hand pumps to the communities.

Magaji said: “In areas where it is difficult to sink boreholes or wells, we provide the communities with the technology that allows sourcing of rain water through water harvesting or making water from available streams safe.’’ He said the agency had facilitated the digging of pit latrines to avoid open defecation

and contamination of water or food stuff. The Project Manager said it had promoted hand washing with soap or ash after using toilet, eating or attending to babies. Magaji described people’s response to the services provided by the agency as “generally positive”.

“From our own hospital point of view, it is very severe. This is because we see an average of two cases per day in the clinic, while in the laboratory, we have an average of one case per day. That is very high,” he said. He added: “Before people are brought to the wards, we have people in the entry and emergency unit which are the entry points to the hospital. We also have in the Medical Out Department (MOD), Children Out Department as well as the General Out Department. Those are the entry points in UCH. “Anybody that comes in with cholera-related cases is being promptly attended to. We also take samples. Once we do the laboratory diagnosis and we establish that it is cholera, we take care of him or her. By so doing, we prevent that person from going back to infect other people in the community. “After the treatment, we still ensure that the patient is totally clear of the bacterial before he is released back into the community.” A member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Iliyasu Zwall said the epidemic is worrisome. He said: “I was informed by a medical officer at the Boto General Hospital during a visit to three wards in the hospital that have been reserved for gastroenteritis victims. “I cannot give the exact number of casualties in the three affected communities because the number keeps increasing every hour. “It is disheartening to note that the cholera outbreak is spreading across the state without adequate measures to contain its spread.” The legislator attributed the spread of the disease to lack of potable water. According to him, most people at the grassroots drink from the streams. Zwall said besides Tafawa Balewa Local Government, Warji and Toro local governments are also affected.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS ‘Gaddafi still in Libya’ MUAMMAR Gaddafi is still in Libya and in good spirits, with a powerful army behind him, the ousted leader’s spokesman said yesterday. “The leader is in good health, in high morale and of course he is in Libya,” Moussa Ibrahim told Reuters via a crackling satellite telephone line. “The fight is as far away from the end as the world can imagine. We are still very powerful, our army is still powerful, we have thousands upon thousands of volunteers. “We have huge areas of Libya under our control on the northern coast, in the western areas of the country and the whole south belongs to us. We are gathering our forces and we will liberate every single Libyan city.”

Bankole meets Yar’Adua’s mother, Turai From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

EX-SPEAKER Dimeji Bankole yesterday evening met with the ailing aged mother of the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua. He also had a closed session with the former First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar’Adua. Although the motive behind the sudden shuttle to Katsina by the ex-Speaker was sketchy, investigation showed that the ex-Speaker had some private talks with the matriarch of Yar’Adua’s family. A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The exSpeaker met separately with the mother of the late President and the ex-First Lady. “It is difficult to say exactly what transpired but the two sessions lasted for 20 minutes.” But the surprise visit drew curiosity as it came barely 48 hours Wikileaks’s report that the ex-Speaker, Senate President David Mark and Turai were getting $30million monthly from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) during Yar’Adua’s tenure.

Senate, House get constitution review committees

IVING up to its promise to make the review of the 1999 Constitution a priority, the Senate and the House of Representatives yesterday raised committees on the review. The Senate raised a 47member committee to review the constitution. Senate President David Mark announced members of the committee picked from across the states and the geopolitical zones in plenary. Mark’s deputy Ike Ekweremadu was named the chairman of the review committee. The Senate had, in his address on Tuesday, noted that constitution amendment remained one of the top priorities of the seventh Senate. He said: “Our success in the Electoral Reforms is now obvious and has been widely acknowledged after the 2011 general election. I congratulate members of the sixth National Assembly, for breaking the jinx of constitutional amendment in Nigeria. “The onus is therefore on us to build on this success. We shall endeavour to produce a workable constitution that will stand the test of time.” He added that Nigerians expected the National Assem-

bly to revisit some fundamental issues, such as state creation, the local government system, devolution of powers, revenue allocation, state police, State Independent Electoral Commission, uniform minimum wage, joint account and other contentious but important issues.. In what was considered as a template for the committee, Mark asked “should we allow state police? Will it enhance policing duties and reduce criminality in the country? “Is the current revenue formula equitable? Will a change in favour of the States enhance the deliverables to the people? “Should power distribution be on the exclusive legislative list? Shouldn’t states that invest in power generation be allowed to distribute? “Is it necessary to create new states? Will it bring government nearer to the people and address cries of marginalisation? “How effective are the local governments? Should they be made to function in-

dependently of the states? “Is the Joint State/Local Governments Account still necessary?” He also hinted that in the course of pursuing their legislative agenda, “we will most likely review the Electoral Act 2010, especially now that primaries and elections were over and the tribunals were addressing the aftermaths of the elections in accordance with the Electoral Act. Other members of the committee include: Uche Chukwumerije (Abia), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Mrs Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos – South West), Victor NdomaEgba ( Cross River ), Senator Barnabas Gemade ( Benue), Chris Anyanwu (Imo), Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom), James Manager (Delta), Abdul Ningi Ahmed (Bauchi), Christopher Nwankwo (Enonyi), Ganiyu Solomon (Lagos) , Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Bello Mohammed Tukur (Adamawa), Henikien Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), Odion Ubgesia (Edo), Anthony Adeniyi (Ekiti), Ayogu Eze (Enugu), Ayoola Agboola (Oyo – Special Interest), Zaynab Kure (Niger –Northcentral), Nkechi Nwaogu (Abia –Southeast) and Philip Aduda (FCT).

Others are: Ahmed Rufai Sani (Zamfara), Umaru Dahiru (Sokoto), Nenadi Smart Adeyemi (Kogi), Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara), Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed (Kaduna), Senator SuliemanAdokwe (Nasarawa), Senator Ahmed Zannah (Bornu), Joshua Lidani (Gombe), Bello Hayatu Gwarzo (Kano), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Dahiru Kuta (Niger), Abu Ibrahim (Katsina) Adegbenga Kaka (Ogun), Sola Adeyeye (Osun) Abdulaziz Usman (Jigawa), and Helen Esuene (Akwa Ibom – Southsouth). They include: Mohammed Sani Saleh (Kaduna -Special Interest), George Akume (Benue – Special Interest), Aisha Alhassan (Taraba – Northeast), Boluwaji Kunlere (Ondo), Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo) Magnus Abe (Rivers) Abubakar Tutare Umar (Taraba) Alkali Jajere (Yobe) and Usman (Kaduna – Northwest). House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal announced a 44-mmeber adhoc committee that will undertake the task. “The tradition has always been that the leadership will be part and parcel of the constitution review committee,” he said. The House also constituted

a 44-member Committee in 2009 to review the 1999 Constitution. Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha will chair the committee that has representatives from each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Other members, are: Ishaka Bawa (Chief Whip); Leo Ogor (Deputy Leader); Abdulrahman Kawu (Minority Whip); Samson Osagie (Deputy Minority Leader); Femi Gbajabiamila (Minority Leader) and Farouk Lawan. Others are: Eziuche Ubani, Ganama Kwaga, Saviour Udoh, Uche Ekwunife, Yakubu Dogara, Dickson HenrySeriake, Christana Alaaga, Mohammed Monguno, Chris Eta, Akpodiagaga Emeyese, Christopher Omo Isu, Patrick Ikhariale, Opeyemi Bamidele, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Isa Dobi, Yusuf Swa, Jerry Alagboso, Adamu Hassan, Ibrahim Bello, Farouk Bello, Aminu Tukur, Aminu Koko, Abdulrhaman Badamasiu, Rafiu Ibrahim, Jide Akinloye, Ishaq Kana, Adeyemi Adetunji, Akinlaga Joseph, Ajagbe Tajudeen, Innocent Tirsel, Chinda Ogundu, Shuaibu Gobir, Ibrahim El-Sudi, Goni Bukar Lawan and Ibrahim Gusau.

Sambo seeks good governance

•From left: Saraki, Sambo and Goje…on Tuesday night.

562 UNIJOS students expelled

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor, Dele Anofi, and Sanni Onugu, Abuja

HE University of Jos has expelled 562 students for various offences since inception about 30 years ago, its Registrar, Mr Jilli-Dandam Danjuma, said yesterday. Danjuma told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that the institution also suspended 104 students during the period for offences, ranging from cultism, examination malpractice, presentation of fake documents to secure admission and fighting. He identified the 2008/2009 academic session as the worst as 101 students were affected, while no student ran foul of the law in the 1992/1993, 1994/1995, 1998/1999 and 2000/2001 academic sessions. The registrar, however, said that the university recorded its glorious moments with 81 emerging as First Class graduates since inception. The 1985 and 2007/2008 academic sessions recorded the highest number of First Class graduates with eight each, he said. According to him, only one First Class each was recorded in the 1979, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1992/1993, 1997/1998 and 2002/2003 graduating sessions. Danjuma said the university had produced a total of 286 professors so far, describing the feat as “very good”. He expressed satisfaction that the institution had become a centre of excellence having been rated by WEBOMETRIC, an internationally recognised global university ranking agency, as “one of the best universities” in Nigeria. “We have been able to, within our limited resources, moved four faculties — arts, education, management and social sciences — to the Naraguta Campus, which is the permanent site.”

PHOTO: NAN

ICE-PRESIDENT Namadi Sambo has challenged political office holders to always exhibit the virtues of good governance. Sambo spoke in Abuja on Tuesday night at a dinner organised in honour of former governors of Gombe and Kwara States, Alhaji Danjuma Goje and Dr Bukola Saraki. He said: “Dr Bukola Olusola Saraki (Sai Bukky) has left an indelible mark in the annals of governance and politicking in Kwara State history to which his successor is trying hard to attain. “Alhaji Danjuma Goje, the immediate past governor of Gombe State, popularly referred to as the ‘Bulldozer, ‘has earned his sobriquet from his admirers for the wonderful transformation of Gombe.”

Tinubu dismisses link with al-Qaeda, terrorism

ORMER governor of Lagos State and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has dismissed as wicked and preposterous a claim by some online publications, that he and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar allegedly brought terrorism to Nigeria. He said the reports purportedly sourced from Wikileaks, entitled “Terrorism: Atiku & Tinubu Brought Al Qaeda to Nigeria” must be seen for what they are: “a figment of the imagination of persons behind them and a tissue of lies possible only from political desperadoes, who are agents of Nigeria’s ruling party.” “This claim is not only harebrained, it is patently stupid, for everyone who knows my track record in using the court system to mediate oth-

erwise explosive disputes that could lead to a disruption of the peace,” the former governor of Lagos said through a statement by his media office in a reaction to the on-line piece. He declared that the illogicality of the story is so patent it should have been ignored, but said he only responded because such accusations, if unchallenged, could form a basis for nefarious activities by ever-plotting political opponents. His words: “Let me make it absolutely clear: there is no iota of truth in the story: not because I say so, but because my profile as a fighter through the judiciary is so clear it is almost self-evident. No reasonable person, aware of all the facts on the ground would give the story any credibility. This is the handiwork of mischief makers and polit-

ical blackmailers. “ I have a deep rooted cordial relationship with religious organisations in Nigeria. I believe in the secularity of the country. I will not join or support any group, party or individual who seek to access power through violence or undemocratic means”. Dismissing the reports as lies fed to one Dr. Ukandi Damachi by PDP leaders, Tinubu said: “Most importantly, it has again revealed the level to which the ruling PDP is willing to descend in its attempt to drag down political leaders who do not share their views about how to run this country properly. This fits into the larger smear campaign and attempts at political lynching commenced upon by political opponents and detractors of Asiwaju Tinubu. Punching holes in the alle-

gation of a link with al-Qaeda or any similar group, his media office said: “In 2005 when a similar allegation was made to link him to supposed terrorist groups, the charge failed to stick. Then, Asiwaju vehemently denied the allegation putting it down to the ruling party playing the dirtiest tricks with the most sensitive of security issues. The recent Wikileaks revelation falls within this same script. The statement reads: “Indeed, in the said diplomatic cable, the embassy viewed the information supplied by PDP leaders through Dr. Ukandi Damachi about Tinubu’s AlQaeda connection with scepticism. We view these charges with a dose of scepticism. ” Any attempt to question my democratic credentials at this point will end in futility.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS Most suspects are known to blame the devil for crimes they committed. But not John Chinedu Akpangbo, who killed a co-worker, Emeka Odo in Kano on Tuesday. Akpanagbo, not only admitted doing it, but said he would do it again under similar circumstances, reports KOLADE ADEYEMI

‘No regret killing my co-worker’

HOSE feeling that John Chinedu Akpangbo was mentally unstable when he killed a co-worker and kinsman, Emeka Odo, early Tuesday got it all wrong. The 22-year-old local restaurant attendant from IsUzo Local Government Area of Enugu, Enugu State, is not blaming the incident on the devil. Akpangbo, who has not shown any remorse over the murder of Odo, said his action gave him the fulfillment of his life. He has no regret killing the deceased at 30, Burma Road, Sabon Gari area of Kano, Kano State. Akpangbo, who spoke with The Nation at the Nomansland Police Station, where he is being detained by detectives, narrated how he fed himself to satisfaction before going to bed on the fateful day. According to him, before he and Odo went to bed, he had warned him never to threaten him again but he was adamant, so he was left with no choice than to eliminate him, “because I was fed up with his persistent threats.” He woke up at about 12.30 am, smoked a stick of Benson & Hedges cigarette, relaxed for a moment and sneaked out of the restaurant to pick a digger inside the compound, then dashed back to the restaurant, where Udo was fast asleep and struck the deceased on the head once. After the deadly strike, Akpangbo said he stood

there to ascertain that Odo was dead before dashing out of the local eatery to collect the keys of the gate from a neighbour, whom he identified as Kaka, opened the gate and escaped. His words: “I killed him because he threatened me when he was alive. We were working together. We were serving together in the local eatery. He threatened my life with a weapon. I warned him several times to desist from scolding me, which he resisted. From then on, I started nursing the animosity to eliminate him. “Following persistent threats to kill me, that was when I made up my mind to kill him. So, that night, I got the digger inside the compound, raised it up and hit him once on his head and waited to ensure he died. It was about 12.30am.” Responding to a question on how he felt after committing the crime, Akpangbo said: “I felt just like you are feeling.” He said he had no regret, boasting that if someone else threatened him the way Odo did, he would kill such a person. “If I go back to my place of work, I will have some peace of mind, because Emeka is no more,” he said. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Superintendent Shu’aibu Bello, who gave details of how the assailant was arrested, said the police arrived the scene of the incident at about 6.30am, inspected the area, asked ques-

HE alleged threat by members of the dreaded Islamic sect Boko Haram to attack the University of Ibadan (UI) led to a protest by students of the institution yesterday. The protest led to the distruption of the ongoing second semester examination. The students complained that the university authorities did not inform them of the threat as well as steps being taken to protect them. The protest, which was led by leaders of the Students’ Union Government, started around 8:30 am. They moved from one faculty to another to disrupt the examinations. The angry students also complained that it was impos-

US envoy in Tripoli hails new rulers

•Akpangbo

‘ I killed him because he threatened me when he was alive...So, that night, I got the digger inside the compound, raised it up and hit him once on his head and waited to ensure he died ’ tions and with the help of intelligence, traced Akpangbo to Gazawa and arrested him in the home of his relative within two hours. The owner of the restau-

rant, Mrs Caroline Chukwulobe told The Nation that she was still in shock. Akpangbo was at his sister’s place at Gazawa when he was arrested.

SENIOR United States diplomat visiting Tripoli yesterday said Washington was encouraged by the increasing control Libya’s interim government was exercising over security forces and would reopen its embassy in the capital soon. In a statement, Jeffrey Feltman, the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, also said the U.S. was committed to continuing military operations with NATO as long as they were needed to protect Libyan civilians. “The U.S. and our international partners have an enduring commitment to supporting the Libyan people as they chart their country’s future,”

Feltman said after meeting the head of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil. “This includes working with NATO and our coalition partners to continue operations to protect Libyan civilians until they are no longer under threat. “We remain encouraged by growing command and control over security and police forces. We understand that this is a difficult task. Libya’s interim leadership is solidifying the steps and integrating militias under one civilian authority.” He added that the U.S. aimed to open a fully functional, fully staffed embassy in Tripoli.

Snake bite centre treats 30,000 patients in 12 years

• The late Aikhomu's body leaving NNS Quorra after lying-in-state in Lagos… yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

dole with his family, and call on the Federal Government to immortalise him, were

sible to continue the examination without electricity supply, which they said hindered them from preparing well for the examinations. Following the disruption, the university yesterday suspended the examinations. It said the examinations would continue next Monday. There was confusion as some of the students, who had reported for their examinations, were stunned by the protest. They were apprehensive that the warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) could affect the examination, thereby threatening their graduation.

HE National Old People Association, Lagos has called on government to find a solution to the increasing insecurity of lives and property in the country. Chairman of the group, Primate Ayoola Omonigbehin explained that it had got to a stage that Nigerians could not distinguished between genuine and fake law enforcement agents. He said the situation had degenerated to the level in which illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries flock the country with the aid of fake law enforcement agents. Omonigbehin said: “All security apparatus must rise up to the occasion, all landlords harbouring criminals should be charged alongside with them because if they have no safe place to keep their head they will not indulge in such acts that contravene the law.”

•Body arrives in Benin today

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Osagie Otabor, Benin

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

Senior citizens urge govt to arrest insecurity

Senate asks Fed Govt to immortalise Aikhomu HE Senate yesterday adopted a resolution urging the Federal Government to immortalise late military Vice-President Admiral Augustus Aikhomu. Aikhomu, also a former Chief of General Staff, died on Wednesday, August 17, at the age of 72. The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Odion Ugbesia (Edo Central) and co-sponsored by Senator Ehigie Uzamere (Edo South) and Senator Domingo Obende (Edo North). Ugbesia described Aikhomu as a man of many parts, who worked hard for Nigeria. He said as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the late Aikhomu contributed to the growth of the party. Aikhomu, he added, was “a generous loving family man, an unrepentant advocate of social justice, peace and dialogue.” Ugbesia’s requests that Senate observe a one minute silence in honour of Aikhomu, send a delegation to con-

Boko Haram threat: UI students disrupt examination

unanimously adopted. Remains of the late Aikhomu will arrive Benin City, Edo State capital today for final burial rites. Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, is ex-

pected to lead other top military officers to accompany the body to Benin from Lagos. The body will be taken to Irrua, Esan Central local council for interment.

EDICAL Officer in charge of Snake Bite Treatment and Research Centre, Kaltungo in Gombe State Dr Abubakar Ballah has said the centre and its two affiliates have treated more than 30,300 snake bite patients since its inception in 1999. Ballah spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaltungo on Wednesday. He said Kaltungo, the headquarters of the centre and the Comprehensive Health Centre (CHC), Zanko, Langtang North Local Government in Plateau State, had treated more than 15,000 cases each. According to him, the small centre in Bambur village of Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba, which commenced treatment of cases in 2009, has treated more than 300 cases. The medical officer explained that following clinical trials of the drugs from 1994 to 2008, the anti-snake venom, Echitab, which was produced in Wales, U.K., had been found to be potent for the treatment of snake bite in Nigeria and the West African sub region. Ballah explained that Echitab G is used to treat patients of carpet viper snakes only, while Echitab plus is used in the treatment of carpet viper, cobra and puff adder species of snake. He said the Kaltungo centre treated an average of 2,000 patients annually and that in 2008 to 2009, about 2,700 patients were treated from the centre. Ballah said the Kaltungo centre treated patients from Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Borno and Wase Local Government of Plateau, parts of Jigawa and Abuja. He said the Zanko centre treated patients from Plateau, parts of Taraba, Nasarawa, Benue and Abuja. He explained that the small centre in Bambur was established because the area was an infested one and there was need to reduce the distance from the area to Kaltungo.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS Search for HOS begins From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

HE search for the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOSF) has begun in earnest, it was gathered yesterday. The current HOSF, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi is expected to retire at the end of this month when he would have reached the mandatory retirement age. Afolabi assumed office in November 18, last year to replace Mr. Steve Oronsanye. Already, permanent secretaries have been asked to submit their comprehensive resume and also a paper document stating their strong points and why they should be considered for the job. The Nation also gathered that the next HOS will emerge purely on merit as against the old order of seniority. In shelving the hierarchy criterion, the government, it was learnt, would be looking at competence and capability to deliver in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda. It was also gathered that the adoption of a new order might not be unconnected with the President’s resolve to rebuild the civil service as he recently stated that the administration will begin to see how “we can manage an efficient, productive civil service, that will lead to the transformation of our dear country.” He also spoke on discipline in the service, which according to him is currently lacking.

Fayemi stresses need for dialogue on minimum wage E

KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday revisited the minimum wage debacle, which has ruptured relations between labour and state government, and absolved the Governors Forum of any conspiracy. He explained that governors were not opposed to the payment of the N18,000 wage to civil servants, stressing that the forum only sought an understanding to pay the wage in a manner that reflects the peculiarities of each state. Fayemi said: “There is no conspiracy against the national minimum wage. It has not received the most necessary critical analysis by the media and politicians. But we are also bound by the agreement of the Governors Forum with the Nigeria Labour Congress that it should be paid in a manner that reflects the realities and peculiarities of the state.” The governor spoke on a number of national issues when he visited the Lagos head office of Vintage Press, publishers of The Nation titles. They included the constitution amendment, establishment of a federal university in Ekiti, proposed local

•Ekiti Governor says subsidy only profits few racketeers

By Emmanuel Oladesu Deputy Political Editor

government elections, Southwest economic integration, petroleum subsidy and challenge of governance. He was received by the Managing Director, Mr Victor Ifijeh, Chairman of Editorial Board, Mr Sam Omatseye, Director of Publications, Mr Soji Omotunde, and other senior editors. Fayemi was accompanied by his aides; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Funminiyi Afuye, Chief Press Secretary Olayinka Oyebode, Senior Special Assistants on Media; Odunayo Ogunmola and Sayo Ifedayo. The governor thanked ‘The Nation’ for promoting the cause of liberty and rule of law, admonishing it never to abandon the enterprise of sticking to constructive criticisms of government activities. He also urged the media to shun the temptation of

hallowing those in authorities, warning that they could fall into the trap of mediocrity with their swollen heads. Fayemi lamented that facts about the minimum wage have been twisted, adding that considerations for the payment of the new wage should be accompanied with equal considerations for meeting the obligations of governments to the people in other sectors. He said: “There were issues. 14 governors were not part of the decision that produced the National Minimum Wage that was announced by the President, because we were not part of the negotiation that culminated into it. That does not mean that government is not a continuum or that we cannot inherit assets and liabilities. N18,000 is not too much, but payment should reflect the reality in the various states and zones. “The minimum wage principle, which was pioneered

by United Kingdom, is to protect the interest of workers that are not tenured or workers in the lowest cadre. The governirs do not have problem with Levels 1 to six coming to that level. Where it breaks down is where 100 percent increment is replicated for Level Nine to 17. Labour did not want to compromise that. “In Ekiti, I brought NLC chairman to the Fiscal Allocation Committee meeting to see the financial situation of the state. After two meetings, the NLC chairman refused to come again. He said it was not his job to come to that meeting and that I as the governor should look for the money to pay the minimum page. “What exactly constitutes minimum wage? In Ekiti, we have the policy of reducing tuition for students, who are children of workers. Before, they paid N250,000 for tuition and they now pay less. Where should that social benefit be reflected? We provide free health, free education , social security for the elderly. There is 200 percent cut from tuition. We need a holistic debate on this issue. It is not that governors does not want to pay. There is a difference between a case of “won’t pay and can’t pay”.

Climate change summit holds Sept 20

ORE than 200 stakeholders in the environment sector from across West Africa are due in Lagos on September 20 for a three-day summit. Their mission is to chart a common front to face the global challenge of climate change and prepare for a UNFCCC COP 17 meeting in South Africa. At the summit tagged: “African Mayoral Climate Change Declaration West Africa,” billed for the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, participants are expected to share experiences on their peculiar and local climate change challenges. Expected are: community leaders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government agencies, scientists, technical experts, development partners and business groups. Speakers from related disciplines have been scheduled to deliver lectures on the summit themed: Building Climate Change Resilient African Cities: Climate proofing Africa on the road to COP17. The summit, which has Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola as host, is being organised by the state government through its Ministry of the Environment in collaboration with ICLEI.

•Ofem Itabi, winner of N1,000,000 prize in the StarTimes Activate & Win Promo (left) receiving his cheque from Eric Xue, Chief Operating Officer, StarTimes Overseas Business Unit at the grand finale at the NTA, Lagos Network Centre, Victoria Island...last weekend. With them is Mr R.A Yusuf, Chairman, Board of Directors, NTA-STAR TV Network Ltd

Lagos restates commitment to security By Yinka Aderibigbe

AGOS State government has restated its commitment to the protection of lives and property, even as it asked residents to go about their lawful duties without any fear of terrorism attacks. Making the promise was the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba after his investiture with a special recognition award by the Ijebu Muslim College Old Students’ Association, (IMCOSA), at the Banquet Hall of Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. He said owing to its sensitive nature, the government would not be divulging all the security precautions it has taken to prevent bomb attack in the state other than to assure residents that everything is under control. Ibirogba described the bomb scare at Ikeja, the state capital last Wednesday, as hoarse and assured residents that the state’s security council had met on the development and mapped out appropriate strategies to contain any threat to lives and properties. He said: “Security issues are not matters you can begin to unveil in public. Governor Babatunde Fashola would however want to assure all Lagosians that Lagos is safe. This is a state where you have the largest concentration of people in the country’’. With about 18 million people living here, you will agree that the state provides a peculiar complex environment. But we are happy to say that despite all these challenges, there is no security problem in Lagos State.” On the perception of a drop in the work rate of the administration in the last 100 days, Ibirogba allayed fears of residents, stressing that a number of projects are being commissioned silently by the government. “The perception that the government has gone to sleep on its activity is incorrect. What may give such an impression is that the government is taking projects down to the communities now. On roads which affect our people more, attention has shifted to rehabilitating all community roads, and soon we are going to cover all roads in the state,” the government’s spokesman said.

FEC okays N5.4b to tackle erosion in Southeast

HE environmental degradation in the Southeast got the attention of the Federal Government yesterday. The Federal Executive Council approved a N5.4billion contract to tackle the menace. The Ibrahim Bunu Presidential Monitoring Committee on Federal Government projects briefed the FEC for three hours on the environmental degradation prior to the approval of the contract. Briefing reporters at the end of the council meeting, Minister of Information Labaran Maku alongside his Water Resources counterpart Sarah Ochekpe; Ministers of Communication Technology Mrs. Omobola Johnson and Environment Hadizah Mailafya said erosion has become a major concern to local, state

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

and Federal Governments. He said the approval was necessitated by the attendant destruction of lives and properties and negative impact of erosion on the socio-economic lives of the people. Earlier this week, leaders from the region had visited the President lamenting the environmental situation of the zone and called for his intervention. Breakdown of the projects for which contracts were awarded are the Sakamor/ Nwangene flood control and dredging works in Anambra State in the sum of N1.230,015,404.31billion, with 18months completion periods; Nanka recent landslide control works in Anambra State in the

sum of N1,111,456,582.53billion, with 12months completion period and the Obinagu/Akpulu/ Enugueze-Umunneobagu erosion control in Enugu State in the sum of N1,482,687,008.88b with completion period of 15months. Also to be tackled is the channelisation of Iyi Okwu and Iyi Udele stream in Ebonyi State in the sum of N1,544,233,440.75b with a completion period of 14months. Another approval granted was for the provision of 100 personal computers for schools including 1 unit of server, broadband internet connections with one year guaranteed bandwidth payment, provision of alternative power supply using 5KVa solar power to power donated equipment,

refurbishment and securing of equipment storage room, provision of wireless mesh and charging platform for each of the 387 selected schools (i.e 9 in each state, three in FCT and additional 10 in each geopolitical zone). The contract sum for this is N6.449 billion. The objective, government said was to create a generation of Nigerians with a broad base of theoretical and practical knowledge of ICT on which they can leverage when they step into the labour market. The project has a completion period of 36weeks each. Mrs. Johnson said the funding “is coming from the universal service provision fund which is a percentage of the revenue of the GSM telecoms company. A breakdown of the contract shows that the contracts were

awarded to Messrs Zinox Technologies Limited-70 Schools, in the sum of N1, 166b, Messrs Edtek Learning Services Limited-60 schools in the sum of N999,9million, Messrs MDS Technologies-60 schools in the sum of N999,9million, Messrs Chips, Bites and Bytes Limited-60 schools in the sum of N999,9m, Messrs Dialogue Global Link Limited-42 schools in the sum of N666,6m and Messrs Sidmach Technologies-40 Schools in the sum of N666,6million. Maku also said FEC approved the variation order for the upgrading of the hydropower component of the ongoing construction of the Kashimbila Gamovo Multipurpose Dam, in the sum of N17, 693,609,333,15billion, with 36 months as completion period.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS Angry residents attack policemen, reporter in Ibadan From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

ANGRY residents of Mobil Petrol Station area of Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday attacked policemen and a reporter after a trailer lost control and crushed a motorcyclist, Musibau Adagbada, to death. The trailer, marked (Kano) XA428ABS, was coming from Challenge but the driver it reportedly lost control after its brakes failed. The two passengers on the motorcycle were also said to have sustained injury. The accident occurred when traders were running helterskelter to evade arrest by local government officials. The policemen allegedly stopped Adagbada and his passengers in the middle of the road, unaware of the oncoming trailer that had lost control. Eyewitness said some residents, who wanted to escape arrest by the local government officials for trading on roadside, went for the trailer driver who was shielded by the policemen. This infuriated the residents, who reportedly attacked the law enforcement agents until they were dispersed. The policemen later returned with an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and tear-gassed the crowd, who destroyed their van. They also attacked a reporter of The Sun, Gbenga Adesuyi, who was in the area to investigate the incident. He was mistaken for an agent of government, which they accused of sacking them from where they earn a living. Police spokesman Femi Okanlawon, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), confirmed the incident.

‘Plot against Tinubu, Lagos Speaker‘ll fail’

HE Centre for Credible Election and Good Governance has described the recent action of the Code of Conduct Bureau against the former Lagos State governor and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as a grand plan to topple democracy in the Southwest and discredit the overwhelming popularity of the current leaders of the zone. The group berated the Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) for entertaining fictitious petitions against the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji. Addressing reporters yesterday at the International Press Centre Ogba, Lagos, the General Secretary of the group, Ismail Olawale noted that using the anti-graft agencies, whether the EFCC or the Code of Conduct Bureau, to terrorise political figures in Lagos State is a strategy of destabilisation that would fail like a pack of cards. Expressing support for a genuine anti-corruption crusade, Olawale urged the media, popular democratic forces and Lagos residents to discountenance the purported petition and remain vigilant to defend democracy being spearheaded by Asiwaju Tinubu. The spokesman also urged the residents to support Ikuforiji whom it said has become the voice of change and transformation in the state. He said: “We must never fall into the trap and propaganda of the enemies of de-

Ekiti ACN warns PDP, Jonathan over campaign against Asiwaju

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ekiti State yesterday criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan for standing against the rule of law, justice and democratic ethos that could move the nation forward. The party particularly noted that Nigerians should not be fooled by the PDP’s orchestrated media hype about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s personal account. Speaking with The Nation in Ado- Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, ACN state Chairman Chief Jide Awe said: “Whoever alleges must stand in the case. Up till now, Nigerians have not been told when these purported accounts were opened or where and how much money was contained therein.” He said another burdensome question is why it is now that Tinubu’s account should be an issue when the matter had been prosecuted by a competent panel some times ago. Awe said: “Our belief is that I hope we are not right by saying this issue is closely related to Justice Ayo Salami’s case. “We believe it is an attempt to malign By Tajudeen Adebanjo

mocracy hiding under antigraft agencies to launch political terrorism in Lagos and, by extension, the entire Southwest. Vigilance is the eternal price of liberty. “The pivotal role played by the Lagos State Government in the ascendance of the progressive forces is obvious to all and sundry. The tremendous achievements of the Lagos State Government in growth and development, provision of infrastructural facilities and the delivery of democratic dividends are products of the strategic framework laid by Asiwaju

From Damisi Ojo, Ado-Ekiti

Tinubu’s character and possibly shut him out of circulation by the powers-that-be. This will thereafter pave the way for all sorts of nefarious activities.” The ACN chairman said the stab on the back of the Judiciary by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) and President Jonathan was still oozing fresh blood. He said: “We believe he (the President) should heal the wounds rather than add to the injuries of the nation’s judicial system.” Awe flayed the ruling PDP administration for its inability to tackle insecurity in the nation, saying: “We, the leaders of ACN in Ekiti State, will soon meet with President Jonathan to convince us and the nation that he is capable of leading this country. We need a confirmation. “With persistent Boko Haram bombings and wanton destruction of lives and property in Jos, these are pointers to the fact that all is not well in the nation.”

Tinubu and later consolidated by Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN). This framework has become a model and standard for the repositioning of the Southwest politics, which culminated in the victories recorded by the ACN throughout the Southwest. “The aftermath of the April elections forced the reactionary opposition to realise that it is not business as usual, as it cannot win under credible elections; the evil agenda to destabilise the Lagos State Government has been perfected, using anti-graft agencies as a shield. “The first step by the op-

position is to destabilise the Lagos State House of Assembly through malicious, unfounded, and unsubstantiated allegations calculated to smear and ridicule the symbol of the House of Assembly Speaker, Ikuforiji, knowing well that the Assembly has been the fulcrum and stabilising force behind the achievements of the state government. “The seriousness attached to the petition of the unknown body and the subsequent media hype given to it shows that there is a hidden agenda, especially when the EFCC has failed to take concrete steps on proven allega-

tions against the opposition as published by Wikileaks with credible sources. “The allegation that the Speaker of the Lagos Assembly misappropriated N7 billion lacks evidential facts. The Assembly had not received up to N7 billion at the time of the petition and the amounts received were meant for the running cost of the Assembly, including the total expenditure of the House for the bureaucracy of over 600 workers, lawmakers, logistics, publicity, stationery and maintenance and travels (local and overseas). “If the allegation of a criminal record as an ex-convict is true and affirmed by the competent court of jurisdiction, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Athairu Jega, known for his moral uprightness and principle, no matter whose ox is gored, would have stopped Ikuforiji from contesting the April election. Also, he would have been dealt with by former President Obasanjo since 2005.”

Ogele hails Ikeja NBA By Yusuf Sanusi

UMAN rights lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele, has praised the Ikeja branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) for its peaceful demonstration over the suspension of Court of Appeal President, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, yesterday. He said it is worthy of emulation. In a telephone chat, Ogele said: “It is the time for all local branches of NBA to embark on this form of demonstration by virtual lawyers’ court. “It is mandatory to fight any form of injustice in this country, no matter where the injustice comes from. It is equally a demonstration against the pollution of the rule of law.”

Ogun inaugurates Truth Commission THE Ogun State Government yesterday inaugurated a truth and reconciliation commission to redress past wrongs and ensure peaceful coexistence among the residents. Known as the Ogun State Truth Commission, the fiveman panel is to investigate human rights abuses between January 2003 and May 29, this year. At the swearing-in of its members, Governor Ibikunle Amosun lamented the alleged maiming and killings of some residents over their political affiliations. He said: “Today’s event is, therefore, symbolic because it is aimed at acknowledging the wrongdoings and ensuring justice for those who died or suffered injuries during the period. It is also to prevent a recurrence.” The commission is headed by Justice Pius Aderemi, a retired Supreme Court Justice. Other members are: Justice Abdullahi Mustapha (Rtd.), Justice Dolapo Akinsanya (rtd.), Bamidele Aturu, a rights activist and Tunji Onabanwo, a nominee of the state branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). The commission is expected to complete its assignment and submit its report on or before December 13.

•Tinubu

•President Goodluck Jonathan (right); visiting Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Michael Bear (middle); and the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Andrew Lloyd, at the State House in Abuja...yesterday

Ex-auditor-general, 40,000 pensioners in payment ordeal

O fewer than 40,000 pensioners, including the former Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) Ademola Oluwole Osoba have been facing pension payment problems for over a year, it was learnt yesterday. Osoba, who recounted his ordeal and that of his colleagues to reporters during the Nigeria Union of Pensioners’ (NUP) National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, said: “There are about 40,000 of us who have not been paid. I know a women, she served with prisons, I think she was on

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

level 10. She retired in 1998 but has not had a kobo and there are several like that.” He noted that it was due to the method of operation of the office of the Head of Service of the Federation. Osoba said: “After the verification exercise in June last year, they gave us cheques for one month pay; then July and August were paid in the usual manner. But I have not earned a kobo since September till now.” The former auditor-general joined the federal civil

service on August 23, 1948 as a Customs officer and rose to the position, from where he was retired on December 10, 1984. His cousin assisted him with a legal service in the court that ordered that he should be paid for the rest of his years of service till March 31, 1989, when he turned 60. Osoba said: “I joined the service on August 23, 1948, as a Customs officer. I went to the university in 1957 and came out in June 1960. On August 30, 1960, I was transferred to the Audit on promotion as Auditor Grade 2.

I stayed there till December 1984. Meanwhile, I had several promotions but the last one was my appointment as Auditor-General of the Federation, with effect from May 1, 1984. “Surprisingly, I came to the office on December 12 or 14 and found a letter addressed to me by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service Commission that I had been retired with effect from December 10, 1984 in the public interest. But after that, a cousin of mine, who is lawyer (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN),

said we had to go to court. And we went. I had judgment given to me and they (government) had to pay me for the rest of my service until I was 60 on March 31, 1989.” Asked how he has been coping, Osoba said: “I have been managing to cope through friends, relations and leaving myself in the hands of God.” Osoba who is now 82 noted that the solution to the unending delay of pension payment can only be solved if normalcy is restored in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS Ogun may reduce state-owned tertiary institutions

HE Ogun State Government may reduce the number of state-owned tertiary institutions. Commissioner for Education Segun Odubela said a reduction was imminent, unless the newly inaugurated visitation and fact-finding panel advised otherwise. The panel was raised to appraise the schools. Odubela spoke to reporters yesterday at his office in Abeokuta, the state capital. Ogun has 10 higher institutions, incuding; two universities, a College of Education, five polytechnics and a College of Health Technology. Of the lot, ex- Governor Gbenga Daniel established six, including the Tai Solarin University of Education, which was upgraded from College of Education to a university in January, 2005. Odubela described the number of state-owned higher institutions as “huge.” He said, in the last 100 days, the state government had spent N1.6 billion on the education sector, including subventions to the 10 tertiary institutions and paymentt of arrears owed the West African Examination Council (WAEC) by previous administrations. Odubela said: “This number is huge, but we dont want a situation where we will take a

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

decision without bringing in experts to look at things and make recommendations. That is one of the reasons the panel was set up. “They will examine the reasons those schools were set up, whether they are meeting those needs and whether they are good schools?” He criticised the manner the Daniel-led administration handled the return of some public secondary schools to their original owners - the missionaries, saying due process was not followed. Odubela said: “At the time the immediate-past administration got that Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), where they agreed to handover those schools, they did not consider the law, which is still in existence. “That law has not been amended or repealed and an MoU cannot supercede a law. “The past administration did not take a lot of things into consideration. “If you just agree with the way it was done, almost about 30,000 students will be roaming the streets because they will not be able to afford the fees that will be charged by those missionary schools. “Definitely, we still have a legal hurdle to cross.”

‘Nigeria needs prayers to stop terrorism’

HE National President of The Apostolic Church (TAC), Nigeria, Pastor Gabriel Olutola, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to call for a national day of prayer. He said Nigeria needs prayers to overcome the spate of bombings and killings across the nation. Olutola spoke to reporters yesterday at the opening of TAC’s Second African Zonal Leadership Conference in Lagos. He said: “The space between the problem of incessant bombings, killing and kidnapping and the solution is the distance between President Jonathan’s knee-cap and the floor. He needs to be prayerful to govern this country hitch-free.” Olutola said the conference, themed: “Contending for the Christian faith once delivered,” was aimed at upholding the Christian faith in Africa. He said: “The contention became a necessity in the face of false teachers, apostles, prophets and even false brethren, disseminating strange doctrines that are spreading like wild fire in the bush. “These are found among religious leaders of our time; hence, the need for contention for serious minded Christians becomes the duty of the moment.” The National President of TAC, Cameroun, Pastor Paul Eyong, urged Christians in Africa to be spiritual soldiers to overcome the characteristics of the end-time. Eyong said: “It is mandatory for every Christian to know why he or she was saved and be ready at this point in time to defend the Christian faith. “Howbeit, the Christian contention is not a war of guns, bombs and ammunition used for worldly military operations; rather it is a spiritual warfare that should engage believers’ focus and active participation.”

Church holds revival

HE Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, Temidire Parish (Agbo Jesu) in Ikotun, Lagos, will hold a three-day revival, tagged “Wakati Ogo Mi De,” between

Monday and Wednesday. The revival will focus on deliverance, salvation, healing, marital issues, fertility, employment and business liberation.

80th birthday lecture today

HE 80th Birthday Lecture in honour of a former Presidential Adviser, Otunba Olu Adebanjo, will hold today at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Lagos. The theme of the lecture, to be delivered by Professor Adele Jinadu, is “Strengthening Nigeria’s Federalism.” Ex-Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba will chair the ceremony, while Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, are the special guests of honour.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun (right) congratulating the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Michael Adedotun Gbadebo, during the Alake’s 68th birthday thanksgiving service in Abeokuta, the state capital... yesterday

Falae’s son, 15 others make commissioners’ list

NDO State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has sent a list of 16 commissionernominees to the House of Assembly for approval. Names on the list include that of Mr. Deji Falae, son of a former Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae; and three ex- commissioners, Akin Adaramola; Remi Olatubora and Yekini Olanipekun. Mr. Tayo Akinjomu; Mr.

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

Tayo Oluwatuyi; Mrs. Yinka Alabi; Mr. Igbekele Dawodu; Mr. Kayode Akinmade and Dr. Dayo Adeyanju. The others are Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo; Mr. Nicholas Tofowomo; Mr. Sola Ebiseni; Mr. Ademola Olorunfemi; Mrs. Margret Akinsuroju and Mr. Taye Akinyele. The nominees will be screened by the Assembly

today and tomorrow. Successful candidates will be sworn in on Monday. Majority Leader Ifedayo Akinsoyinu confirmed that the list has been received by the Assembly yesterday. Akinsoyinu said: “The list is with us, it will be read by the Speaker tomorrow (today) during our sitting.” Four local government areas, including Ose, Okitipupa and Ese-Odo, are

yet to have a representative in the proposed executive council. Mimiko had, in July, dropped all members of the state executive council and reappointed Mr. Adegboye Adegbenro (Ministry of Works); Mr. Yele Ogundipe (Ministry of finance); Mr. Clement Faborode (Ministry of Development) and Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) (Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice).

Ondo teachers begin strike on Monday

HE Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in Ondo State will, on Monday, begin an indefinite strike. ASUSS is protesting the non-payment of the 27.5 per cent professional allowance for July by the state government. The new academic session, which was to begin on Monday, has been suspended until government reaches an agreement with the union leaders.

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

In a statement, the union’s Chairman, Mr. H.D. Adebiyi, and Secretary Mr. Jide Ayeni said the association rejected July salary vouchers sent by the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) because the 27.5 per cent was not reflected. The union said effort to improve the welfare of teachers in the state has failed.

The statement reads: “Following this development, the state leadership of ASUSS has been inundated with a series of enquiries and calls from secondary school tutors and principals alike, seeking clarification on TESCOM’s action. “Our visit to TESCOM and the Head of Service, in the company of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), yielded no fruit, as we were not given any substantial reason for the directive to suspend

or withdraw our professional allowance. “It is therefore impossible for tutors to accept the unfair decision, with no justifiable reason, to unilaterally violate an official and subsisting agreement freely entered into between teachers and the state government on the implementation of Teachers’ Professional Allowance (TPA). It urged the government to have a rethink.

Fayose returns to PDP

ORMER Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was given PDP Card No. 4619857 and Ward Registration No. 841 at the party’s secretariat in AfaoAraromi ward by the Ward Chairman, Chief Olaiya Abiola. Fayose also declared his intention to contest the seat of the party’s National ViceChairman next year. Lamenting that no Ekiti PDP member had ever been elected into the position, he said he has the wherewithal to occupy the seat. Fayose said: “Osun State has occupied the position three times, but no Ekiti man has ever been elected as even National Secretary. It is time for us to fight for our own fair share in the PDP and this we are going to achieve if we are together.” He said he returned to the PDP to restore its glory in

From Damisi Ojo, Ado-Ekiti

Ekiti and the Southwest. Fayose left the PDP in a controversial manner, shortly after the 2009 re-run election, where he worked against former Governor Segun Oni, who was then the party’s candidate. He said he left the party following the way he was treated before the re-run and only returned because his people pleaded with him to do so. Fayose said: “My people took the pains to look for me in Afao Ekiti and Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, not minding the risk. I am doing this to reciprocate their gesture. “God has given me a rare opportunity and grace to be sought after by my people. I am not God and I will never play God.” He promised to work peacefully with Oni and other stakeholders to rebuild the party. Fayose urged PDP mem-

•Fayose displaying his card...yesterday

bers to shun the politics of bitterness and forget past grievances. The ex-governor resigned his membership of the Labour Party (LP) on September 12, in a letter to the par-

ty’s National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu. The receipt of the letter was acknowledged by a top member of the National Working Committee of the LP, Mr. Mohammed Salami.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS 11 die in Edo road accident ESS than one week after 11 persons died in a road accident on the Benin-Lagos road, another accident on Monday claimed 11 lives, leaving four others injured. The accident involved a 16-seater bus and it occurred at the Benin byepass. Both accidents involved the Peace Mass Transit Bus Service. Eyewitnesses said the 16seater bus travelling from Enugu to Lagos ran into a stationary trailer. Coordinator of the Save

•Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan (second right) with Special Adviser (Legal Matters) Andrew Odum (left); newly appointed commissioner Kenneth Opara (second left) and Special Adviser on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sunny Ofili, after taking their oaths of office at the Government House, Asaba… yesterday

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

corded in the Southsouth, Southeast and Southwest among others during the election could not have been factually carried. He said: Seventy-eight per cent of the votes allegedly cast in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers and Imo states were unlawfully manipulated to the advantage of President Jonathan, his Vice Namadi Sambo and the PDP. The summation of votes as shown in form EC8A used to conduct the presidential election is not a true reflection of the ballot papers issued in most polling units across the states of the Federation. “The statistical analysis of some of the affected polling units revealed that the summation of un-used ballot papers which should have added up to give the summation of the ballot papers issued does not add up to the issued

ballot papers which has the implication that the ballot papers were manipulated by INEC to favour the PDP for the purpose of conferring undue election advantage on President Jonathan and Vice President Sambo.” Okechukwu maintained that “INEC through one of its Directors Emmanuel Umeger on the Nigeria Television Authority Programme, Nigeria Decides anchored by Mohammed Kudu Abubakar on April 26th 2011 at 4.30 pm in which Prof. Azinge, SAN and Dr. Hamalai were in attendance, admitted in response to a question that it has not been the practice with the Commission to supply ballot papers demand of a polling unit in excess of 75% of registered voters. “When the petitioners caused a comparative analysis of the voters stated in INEC register issued to the petitioner by INEC viz a viz

the number of registered voters stated by the Commission in form EC8 series of the corresponding wards in the local government areas in Nigeria to be done and it was discovered that there were substantial differences the effect of which substantially affected the result declared by INEC. I shall rely on the national voters register for the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and INEC form EC8 series” he added. In his own deposition on oath Dolapo Teller Atomi, the CPC appointed Supervisor and Collation Officer in Rivers State, said by his own assessment and reckoning the turnout of voters for the presidential election was less than 50%. He said he did not witness any declaration of result at the centre where he voted or at the collation centre.

Ijaw, Bini communities quarrel over land

COMMUNAL war is looming in Edo State between Ijaw settlers and the Bini. The Edo people have threatened to retaliate attacks from the Ijaw who settled on their land in Ovia Northeast Local Government. The notice of the attack was handed down to the government yesterday by the Enogie of Obazuwa, Prince Edun Akenzua, who warned that they would retaliate if the Ijaw refused to co-exist peacefully on Benin land. Akenzua told Governor Adams Oshiomhole that the Ijaw had attacked and invad-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

ed communities inhabited by the Bini. He said the Ijaw also drove some of the inhabitants out of their communities and destroyed their property. Akenzua said they are now laying claims to the Benin communities of Agbonmoba, Ozomu, Igbobi, Ekete, Ite, Orogo, Ewudu, Ekehuan, Okomu and Gelegele. The monarch said court judgments have shown that the Ijaw were settlers in Benin. Akenzua said the latest acts of aggression took place

on June 3 when the Ijaw attacked a community and abducted three men, who were surveying a piece of land donated to the government for a proposed model secondary school. “Your Excellency, for nearly 50 years, the Ijaw have perpetrated various forms of provocation against the Bini. “We are finding it difficult to restrain ourselves from retaliating. “If their provocative acts and militancy continue, we will have to defend ourselves and our land.” Oshiomhole said he would

report the matter to President Goodluck Jonathan. He thanked the people for not reacting in a way that would lead to a bloodbath. The governor assured them that his administration would ensure that no part of Benin will be ceded from the Oba’s control. “Those who want expansionist ambition should be discouraged. “The authority of the Oba of Benin over land and indeed Edo is unquestionable. There are enough crises in the country and Edo does not wish to join the league of those in turmoil.”

Southsouth governors urge implementation of OUTHSOUTH goverter, posting of warning signs UNEP report nors have called on the at impacted sites and public

Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland. The states are to initiate actions that will permit them to participate in the regulation of the oil industry’s activities, that impact on their environment. These were contained in the eight-point communiqué in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, after a meeting of Southsouth Commissioners for Environment on the UNEP report.

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

The communiqué was signed by environment commissioners from Rivers (Nyema Weli), Delta (Frank Omare), Bayelsa (Robert Enogha) ; Cross River (Edward Ogon), representatives of Akwa Ibom and Edo states commissioners for environment and the Director-General of the BRACED Commission, Joe Keshi. BRACED is an acronym that represents Bayelsa, Rivers,

Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta states. The communiqué reads: “The UNEP report on Ogoniland has established a model that will guide the clean up, remediation and restoration of polluted environment in the Southsouth states. “States are to come up with inventory of impacted sites for further actions. “The Ogoni case identified emergency measures, which the states should immediately address: the issue of clean wa-

awareness campaign on the dangers of activities that have adverse impact on the environment. “States are to establish environmental protection fund for monitoring, capacity building and other pollution control measures.” It was also stated in the communiqué that the BRACED commission should be empowered to stimulate, catalyse and coordinate the actions relating to the protection of the environment in the affected states.

Accident Victims of Nigeria (SAVAN) Eddy Ehikhamenon said the dead and the injured were taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Ehikhamenon said the transport company initially refused to release the travellers’ manifest. He said threats were made before the manifest was released. SAVAN has published the identities of the dead on Facebook.

New panel to hear appeal on Akwa EARING was stalled Ibom poll yesterday in the ap-

Ballot papers manipulated by INEC H to favour Jonathan, tribunal told HE Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, yesterday heard how ballot papers were allegedly manipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to favour President Goodluck Jonathan in the April 16 election. The Court also heard how ballot boxes were allegedly seized by agents of the PDP and taken to an unauthorised location where they were stuffed with ballot papers, in favour of Jonathan, the PDP. In his statement on oaths which was admitted in evidence by the tribunal the Governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in Enugu State, Osita Okechukwu criticized the number of recorded voters on the election day. According to the witness, the over 80% turn out of voters claimed to have been re-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

peal filed against the nomination of Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the April 26 election. Frank Okon Daniel is seeking to set aside the judgment of Justice Abdul Kafarati of an Abuja Federal High Court, which validated the party’s primary held on January 9, where Akpabio was nominated. But the matter could not hold owing to the posting of justices to new divisions by the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dalhatu Adamu. The counsel to the appellant, Lasun Sanusi (SAN), who led seven other lawyers, was informed by the court registrar that 16 cases, including the appeal by

From Kamarudeen Ogundele and Ifeoluwa Ojo, Abuja

Daniel, would be heard by a new panel. The case has been adjourned till October 4 . The respondents are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP and Akpabio. Daniel had, in his brief of argument, complained about his unlawful exclusion by PDP in the Akwa Ibom primary election conducted on January 9. The appellant, therefore, urged the court to exercise its powers under the provision of Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act. In the judgment under contention, Justice Kafarati said the evidence brought by Daniel to argue his case were mere assertions.

Sylva swears in commissioners

AYELSA State Governor Timipre Sylva has sworn in 12 commissioners. He said they were carefully chosen and urged them to focus on inaugurating projects. The commissioners and their portfolios are Nathan Egba (Information); Kesiye Frank-Oputu (Special Duties Governor’s Office); Bekes Etifa (Youths, Employment and Conflict Resolution); Kuroakigha Francis (Water);

From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

Gimbra Pamowei (Gender Development); Maxwell Okoh (Energy). Others are Olaitari Ikemike (Commerce); Benson Dadiki (Health); Powell Godknows (Local Government and Community Development); Christiana Ebeli (Special Duties); Tuwemi Asuka (Education) and Emomotimi Kpou (Special Duties).

Foundation to celebrate anniversary

HE O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation has said it would hold a fourday event to mark its 10th anniversary. Activities will start on Saturday with a mini- medical mission to Biokpo Recreational Centre for the Elderly, Abonnema, Rivers State. On Monday, a lecture entitled: “Palliative Care, Current Concepts and the Rural Aged” will hold. The speakers are Prof. Aniekan

U. Ekere and Dr. Emeka Sam Momah. A special evangelism for people above 70 will hold on Wednesday at Alfred Diete Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt. The ministers for this programme include: Pastor David Ibiyeomie, Pastor David Lawson and Pastor Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs. There will be an Advocacy Roundtable on Friday. Chairman of the event is Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS Three robbery suspects killed in Bauchi From Austine Tsenzughul, Bauchi

THE Bauchi State Police Command says it has killed three members of the gang that robbed the Misau branch of a bank. The gang had, last Monday afternoon, attacked the Misau Police Station and the bank in Misau, Misau Local Government Area. Six people, including five policemen and two civilians, died in the attack. The hoodlums burnt the police station, freed the suspects in police detention and robbed the bank of N19.2 million. The hoodlums’ action forced the police to launch a manhunt for them. Police Commissioner Ikechukwu Ayo Aduba spoke with The Nation on the killing of the suspects. He said: “Investigation on the attack on the bank and the Misau Police Station has confirmed that three of the kingpins of the bandits were killed in the course of self-defence by police during the attack.

Kwara Assembly tribunal nullifies PDP’s petition against ACN candidate T HE Kwara House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ilorin has dismissed the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the victory of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Hassan Oyeleke. Oyeleke is representing Essa/Shawo Constituency in the Assembly. PDP and its candidate in the April 29 House of Assembly election, Alhaji Moshood Kolawole, challenged the declaration of Oyeleke as winner. In his judgment, tribunal Chairman, Justice Bitrus Sanga held that Oyeleke scored the highest lawful votes cast in the election in the constituency. On the first issue in the petition, the chairman said the failure of the respondent to pay tax for three years, exceeding the period of election, was not a requirement to disqualify him for an election. Justice Sanga said: “Tax payment was not a requirement for qualification or disqualification to contest any elec-

•PDP: we’re appealing verdict From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

tion because no provision of the Constitution or the Electoral Act stipulates it. “We hereby hold that the petition cannot succeed on account that the respondent did not pay tax for the three years exceeding the time of the election.” On alleged irregularities, the tribunal ruled that the petitioners had failed to prove their case beyond any reasonable doubt. It held that the petitioners’

allegation that exercise books were used to write the names of voters in the absence of voters’ registers, was not substantiated. “The petitioners failed to address where the tribunal would believe that there were irregularities. Why were witnesses not called from these polling units, who suffered irregularities? Why were objections raised where the party lost and not where it won?” the tribunal queried. It declared that “having

scored the highest number of lawful votes in the April 29 Kwara House of Assembly election in Essa/Shawo Constituency, the candidate was duly declared elected and the petition is hereby dismissed.” Counsel to the respondents, Hussein Buhari, described the judgment as “erudite and in the right direction”. Counsel to the petitioners, Prof Jimoh Ijaodola, said the judgment was the tribunal’s view. He said: “I still believe that tax is a requirement for an election. They have not dwelt

much properly on the legal issue contained in Section 85(4G) of the Evidence Act, which was cited before them. It is an exciting law which they ought to have taken judicial notice of. “Parts of this existing law form part of the Constitution, which they did not dwell much on. They erred in law to say that tax is not a requirement for election. How can person who does not pay tax contest for an election in Nigeria? “Certainly, we are challenging the judgment. We believe we won and we are challenging the judgment at the Court of Appeal.”

Labour accuses Kwankwaso of plotting to intimidate workers

HE Deputy National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Kiri Mohammed Shuaibu, yesterday

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

accused the Kano State Government of threatening to use political thugs to intimidate Labour leaders for demanding the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government. For this, Labour leaders have threatened to ground government activities if the Rabiu Kwankwaso administration remains adamant on the issue. Addressing reporters in Kano, the NLC Deputy President and officials of other affiliated bodies, including Nigeria Civil Service Union, National Public Joint Negotiating Council, among others, noted that the ongoing impasse between the state government and Labour would linger so long the gov-

ernment refuses to implement the minimum wage. Shuaibu said: “The congress’ secretariat is in receipt of a complaint that the state government has chosen to use political thugs to intimidate Labour leaders for carrying out their civic responsibility as entrenched in the Constitution and the recent Labour law.” “Congress, on the receipt of this information, is constrained to bring before the media and the public that the use of political thugs to intimidate Labour leaders is not an alternative to the payment of the N18,000,00 minimum wage.” The Labour leader urged the government to stop intimidation and use dialogue as the better alternative to resolve the impasse. He noted that the Federal Government did not resort to

•Kwankwaso

using the Police and the military to implement the new wage regime. Shuaibu urged the government to dialogue with Labour to resolve their differences on the matter. He said: -”The national secretariat is keenly watching the unfortunate use of hoodlums by the government to intimidate Labour leaders as we prepare to hold a Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Kano, where all affiliate unions will converge to slam appropriate action against the government.”

PDP collation agent confesses to not HE Peoples Democratic signing form EC8B Party (PDP) collation agent for Shinawu/Tun-

buyal Ward in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, Halidu Sulayman, told the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ilorin that neither he nor any other party agents signed Form EC8B. Form EC8B is the result sheet for any particular electoral ward. Sulayman said he was so excited at the outcome of the poll that he forgot to sign the result, adding that he could not recall seeing any other party agent signing the document, as required by law. He was the 16th witness to the first and second respondents – Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his deputy, Peter Kishra - whose election is being challenged by the Action

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN). Sulayman had claimed in his statement on oath that the election was free, fair, and credible, saying Independent National Election Commission (INEC) officials conducted proper accreditation in adherence to the 2010 Electoral Act, as amended. Confronted with the Form EC8B for the ward, the witness was asked to tell the court whether he knew Oni Adesola Odunayo, whose signature was on the document and Sulayman identified him as a PDP stalwart in his ward. Another witness, Mohammed G. Mohammed, claimed in parts of his statement on

oath that he simultaneously worked at Wards 1, 3, and 4, where he insisted election was free and fair as he personally witnessed accreditation and voting in those areas. During cross-examination by ACN counsel, Charles Edosomwan (SAN), Mohammed was asked whether or not he worked in the three wards where he claimed election went smoothly. The witness said he only worked in Ward 4 (with 13 polling units) where he said there was accreditation and voting. Mohammed, witness 15, also claimed in Paragraph 6 of his deposition that ACN polling agents did not sign the results in the units where they lost.

Benue tribunal: ACN candidate tenders voters’ register

HE Benue State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate in the April governorship election, Prof Steven Torkuma Ugba, yesterday tendered Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voters’ register from selected local government areas. Tribunal Chairman, Justice Munir Ladan, had admitted INEC voters’ register from Ukum, Guma, Apa, Konshisha and Kwande local governments.

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

There was an argument between counsel to Ugba, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who appeared with Lagos lawyer Femi Falana, and Justice Ladan over the admissibility of the voters’ register for Mbayenge Ward in Ukum Local Government Area. Counsel to Governor Gabriel Suswam, D.E Denwinge (SAN), said Page 40 of the document bore no INEC stamp. This meant it was not certi-

fied, he added. Akeredolu offered to withdraw the document but the tribunal chairman overruled the lawyer. This angered Akeredolu, who said Justice Ladan’s action has no place in law. It took the intervention of counsel to Suswam, D.C. Dewinge, who pleaded with Akeredolu and Justice Ladan for calm, to save the situation. Dewinge had to withhold the microphone to placate Akeredolu.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

With the launch of Nigerian-owned communications satellites, the revenue made from Nigeria on bandwidth from other countries will be retained in Nigeria and used for our development. -Prof Ita Okon Bassey Ewa, Minister of Science and Technology,

Naira loses 27k at WDAS, 70k at Interbank

Cash crunch hits Enugu as banks join strike

By Collins Nweze

ANKS in Enugu yester day shut down in line with the directive of the organised labour, which had called out civil servants on an indefinite strike over the new national minimum wage. The leadership of labour had last Tuesday went round banks, which opened for business and asked them to discontinue their operations or face picketing from labour. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who went round Enugu metropolis, said the banks complied by closing their offices. The banks include FirstBank, Diamond Bank, Oceanic Bank and First City Monument Bank on Okpara Avenue and the Garden Avenue. However, in most of the banks, customers resorted to the use of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to access their cash. Mr Sunday Ugwu, a civil servant, said he had already run out of cash due to the closure. “For now, I don’t know what to do than to locate any ATM machine,’’ he said. Mr Richard Odoh, a trader, who visited Diamond Bank, said if not for the availability of ATM, people would have found things difficult.

HE naira yesterday weakened to N153.54 to dollar, from N153.27 recorded at Monday’s close, losing 27 kobo at the official market (Wholesale Dutch Auction System). The demand for the dollar surged to $510 million, while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sold only $350 million at N153.54 to the dollar at the bi-weekly auction. The regulator had sold $350 million at 153.27 per dollar at Monday’s auction. At the interbank market, the naira closed at 156.20 to the dollar, its weakest since August 8, compared to 155.50 to a dollar on at previous auction. The day’s low was $1 to N155.37; the day’s high was $1 to N156.35. Traders said strong demand for dollars from petroleum importers and contractors handling power projects is forcing the apex bank to allow the naira to depreciate at the biweekly auction. “The market usually takes its cue from the official window and once the naira depreciates at the biweekly auction, the market follows (in the) same direction,” one dealer said. Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sold $350 million, which was slightly lower than the $362.74 million demanded and $400 million sold at the previous auction. Traders said Chevron sold about $84 million to some lenders on Tuesday, but it was not enough to support the naira. “We are expecting further depreciation of the naira in the coming days as demand for the dollar remains strong, while inflows from oil companies are ebbing,” another dealer said. The naira, which is exchanged at N148.18 at the beginning of this year, has lost N5.36. It has also depreciated by N7.80 at the black market, where it trades at N162 per dollar as against N154.20 to a dollar in January.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$118.7/barrel Cocoa -$2,856/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,161/troy ounce Rubber -¢146.37pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N6.76 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion RATES Inflation -9.4% Treasury Bills -7.08% Maximum lending-22.42% Prime lending -15.84% Savings rate -1.42% 91-day NTB -6.99% Time Deposit -6% MPR -8.75% Foreign Reserve $34.87b CFA EUR £ $ ¥ SDR RIYAL

FOREX -

0.281 215.1 245.00 153.16 1.5652 243.2 40.57

• Chairman, FirstBank of Nigeria Plc, Prince Ajibola Afonja (left); Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Mrs. Remi Odunlami; Nobel Laureate and Microfinance expert Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Group Managing Director/CEO Mr Bisi Onasanya at a breakfast meeting, after the bank’s international conference on micro financing in Lagos.

Senate to probe NNPC over N771b fuel subsidy T

HE Senate is set to in vestigate how the Nige rian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spent N771 billion on fuel subsidy. The fund spent by the Federal Government between January and August this year, is far above the N240billion allocated for that purpose in the 2011 Appropriation Act. This is contained in a motion to be moved by a former Governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki at plenary today. The Federal Government has so far spent N931billion this year on fuel subsidy. The motion, which is contained in the Senate notice paper, stated that N771billion is 700 per cent above the budgeted sum. Saraki contended that if the

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

current rate of expenditure is allowed to continue, N1.2 trillion would have been spent by one agency of government as at December, this year, which would exceed the total capital budget of N1.1 trillion for the 2011 fiscal year. Saraki planned to seek Senate’s permission to set up a committee to investigate how the funds were sourced, saying he feared it may have been misappropriated. He further expressed worry that the first three months of the year, both NNPC and Independent Marketers did not exceed N62billion monthly, but wondered that within the last three months, figures have ranged between N159 billon and N186 billion. The notice reads in part: “A

motion to investigate the current fuel subsidy management and consider the challenges it pose to the implementation of this year’s budget. “The Senate notes that the Federal Government operates a fuel subsidy scheme to make petroleum products available and cushion the effect of the true market prices of petroleum products on the populace. “Recognising that the fuel subsidy scheme is a long standing government palliative action to help the Nigerian masses, this motion does not aim by any guise to remove the fuel subsidy. “Recognising in the meantime, the need to make the scheme more transparent, corruption free and competitive within an appropriate legislative framework and in

compliance with the Appropriation Act.” It further added that the Senate, “notes that in furtherance to the implementation of the fuel subsidy,an amount is budgeted in the Appropriation Act. In 2011, the sum of N240 billion (N20billion monthly) was allocated. “Note that the N20billion monthly allocated, N11.2billion was allocated for Domestic Fuel Subsidy (NNPC) and N8.8billion for Domestic Fuel Subsidy (Market) as stated in the Appropriation Act 2011. “Observe that although N20 billion was set aside for subsidy monthly in the Appropriation Act 2011, in August 2011, the total figure expended was N165 billion of which NNPC was N88 billion and Independent Marketers was N77.7 billion.

Banks are recovering, says Sanusi

HE Governor of the Central Bank of Nige ria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has said the dramatic drop in the levels of non-performing loans and the structured growth of the banks in capitalisation, capital adequacy and liquidity ratio, are restoring confidence in the economy. Sanusi, disclosed this yesterday, in Abuja, at the second day of the three-day Strategy Execution Master Class, being facilitated by Dr. Robert Kaplan of the Palladium Group. The banks, he said “are on the road to recovery and I have no doubt that we have put in place the relevant measures to grow the banking sector along the lines of international best practices.” Sanusi, said the CBN is

• Over 90% drop in ATM fraud recorded From Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor (Abuja)

deepening the yield curve in the financial markets and the level of transparency and efficiency in those markets is rising dramatically. “Serious investors are coming back to the Nigerian market,” he added. The FSS 2020 programme, he explained, is a holistic programme, which vision is to make Nigeria one of the safest and fastest growing economies, among the emerging markets. To this end, he said, the CBN plans “to create a financial system that is surplus to domestic requirements and also create a Nigerian International Financial Centre

(NIFC).” He said: “When the FSS2020 programme was launched, its diagnostic phase saw about 150 experts from across the financial system coming together to craft a road map for the financial sector reforms. At the end of the exercise, we agreed that we should set up a financial system that would make Nigeria, Africa’s financial hub.” He said the FSS2020 initiative is, arguably, the most comprehensive financial reform programme going on in the world today. A development that has seen the various sectors of the economy showing “tremendous improvement, in spite of the adverse impact of the global financial crisis that has been on since late 2008.”

He said said Automated Teller Machine (ATM) fraudrelated cases have dropped by over 90 per cent since the adoption of the Financial System Strategy (FSS) 2020 initiative. The three-day Balanced Scorecard event is part of that process. It is an event that brings together the captains of the financial system to enable them to revalidate their process of strategy execution and make necessary refinements. Prof Kaplan is a renowned authority on strategy management and execution. As cocreator of the Balanced Scorecard concept, he has been at the forefront of making it the choice tool for strategy execution in many parts of the world.

NAMA rakes in N600m from ‘pay as you go’ By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

HE Managing Director of the Nigerian Air space Management Agency (NAMA), Ibrahim Auyo, said yesterday that the agency realised over N600 million from its “pay as you go platform”, which it introduced last year. The revenue was generated from the huge debts incurred by both domestic and foreign airlines for the services rendered by the agency. He called on workers of the agency to sustain their efforts on the system, which was introduced on September 1, 2010. “The latest is that the airlines are really paying and we have quite a lot of money paid by our commercial airlines. We are doing everything possible to make sure that no more outstanding is incurred between us and the airlines,” he said. Auyo, who spoke after a brief reception organised by staff of the agency, who had just returned from medical check-ups, said he was overwhelmed with the support he had been receiving from the workers. He said with the support of the workers, the agency would continue to “go higher and higher”, stressing that already the Nigeria airspace is the safest in Africa.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

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

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

1. 2. 3. 4.

Arik Aero Arik Aero

1. Arik 2. Aero 1. 2. 3. 4.

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

LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

12.15 12.45 09.10 11.00 11.10 16.20

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

08.40 08.40 14.55 15.10 17.40

1. 2. 3. 4.

Arik Aero Arik Aero

LAGOS – WARRI 08.15 11.50 11.55 14.55

09.1 12.50 12.55 15.55

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

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

08.50 09.45 09.40 14.00 15.45 19.55

LAGOS – OWERRI 07.20 14.00 16.30

08.30 15.10 17.40

LAGOS – UYO 10.35

11.35

1. IRS 2. Arik

LAGOS – MAIDUGURI 11.15 13.15 15.50 18.00

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

• GDP rises to 7.72% From: Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

“Nigeria was able to maintain its strong growth trend despite a challenging global economy. From a total of 70 countries that have so far published their Q2 2011 GDP results as of today, only three countries, China (9.5 per cent), Turkey (8.8 per cent) and Estonia (8.4 per cent) grew faster than Nigeria, with India growing at 7.70 per cent, South Africa (three per cent), Indonesia (6.5 per cent) and Brazil (3.1 per cent).

“This means that Nigeria is still making progress towards the Vision 20: 2020 goals of being among top largest economies in the world by GDP by 2020,” he said. Despite the growth, Kale said the structure of the economy remained largely unchanged as all sectors contributing to GDP had experienced relative stability. He said the growth was driven by the non-oil sector, which expanded 8.82 per cent. Crude oil production rose to an average of 2.45 million barrels a day in the second quarter, compared with 2.35 million barrels a year earlier, boosted by less violence in

08.00 18.00

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

oil- producing areas, Kale said. He said: “Seven sectors grew in double digits in Q2 2011 including telecommunications (33.9 per cent), hotels and restaurants (12.15 per cent), building and construction (11.99 per cent), solid minerals (11.79 per cent), wholesale and retail trade (11.48 per cent), business and other services (10/92 per cent) and real estate (10.42 per cent).” Experts at Standard Chartered Bank Ltd have, however, said even though there is an improvement in headline inflation in months ahead the possibility of an increase in the benchmark interest rate cannot be ruled out owing to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria’s (AMCON) decision to increase debt issuance.

Labour seeks SGF’s assistance on pension • 40,001 pensioners in payment ordeal From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

1. Dana

IGERIA’s inflation rate fell for a second month to 9.3 per cent, the lowest level in more than three years, from 9.4 per cent a month earlier. The Chief Executive of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Dr. Yemi Kale , who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, also said Nigeria recorded a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 7.72 per cent in the second quarter of this year. He said inflation figure for August had dropped to 9.3 per cent from 9.4 per cent recorded in the preceding month. Kale said the current GDP growth was remarkable because only three countries out of the 70 that have published their Q2 GDP growth rate surpassed that of Nigeria.

08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40

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

1. Arik 2. Arik 3. Arik

Inflation rate slips to 9.3%, says Statistics Bureau N

• From left: Nwonu Justice, Onyekwere U. Justice and Chinadu Joseph, winners with their cheque of Star TV Game show organised by Nigerian Breweries, at LTV 8 Ikeja, Lagos. PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

NAC seeks waivers for local manufacturers

HE National Automotive Council (NAC) is seeking waivers for investors in the automotive industry to import Fully Built Units (FBU) of vehicles at a concessioned import duty for a limited period. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has also set standard for imported armoured vehicles used by financial institutions and other vehicles that will be imported into the country. NAC’s Director-General, Alhaji Aminu Jalal, disclosed this in Abuja after a meeting with stakeholders on the revival of the automotive industry. He stressed that there would be a level playing field for players in the industry if the waiver is granted. Jalal said: “We want an industry wide incentive. What we also did was to use the cement template to develop the industry; people who have invested and who have an assembly plants should be allowed for a limited period to import Fully Built Units at concessionary import duty while we vamp up production. So, it’s one of the factors, which we are recommending to the government. “Our recommendation is for industry wide. It is for everybody who has

• SON sets standard for armoured vehicles From Tayo Owolabi and Franca Ochigbo, Abuja invested in the sector. It has to apply to everybody.” In a comminque released after the meeting, the Council implored the government to issue a directive to all its ministries, departments and agencies to source their automotive needs from local assembly plants. According to them, patronage of locally made vehicles “would create an enabling environment that would bring in more investments into the sector and further encourage local assembly/manufacture of vehicles.” In a related development, the Director-General SON Dr. Joseph Odumodu has said the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CZ consultants on the importation of standard armoured vehicles into the country was not for fake products alone, but also for imported cars, armoured vehicles and bullion vans used in financial institutions. He said: “It is true that Nigerians know that SON is doing a good job by ensuring standards, but what they

do not know is that all kinds of vehicles including armoured vehicles are part of SON’s job to ensure they carry quality and NIS standard mark. “SON is going into partnership with Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Police, Army, VIO, SSS other security agencies to ensure standards in vehicle inspection and importation. “This journey started over four years ago, the process was started by my predecessor, Dr. John Akanya. It’s been a very long journey that transited people within the security network of Nigeria but we thank God that today, we have come to the end of it. “All we are trying to do is ensure the lives of our policemen are not put in jeopardy in containers that appear like armoured vehicles. We are using this opportunity to, once again, express our zero tolerance to substandard products and we don’t care what kinds of products they are, whether they are bullion vans or armoured vehicles ,personnel carriers of whatever, because Nigerians are not less human than other people in other part of the world.

HE Nigeria Labour Con gress (NLC) yesterday an nounced its readiness to meet the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim over the review of the minimum pension in the next few weeks. This is coming on a day it was learnt that no fewer than 40,001 pensioners including the former Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) Ademola Oluwole Osoba have been grappling with pension payment hassles for over a year now, it was learnt yesterday. NLC National President, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, who disclosed this to journalists at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Abuja, said it is constitutional that the minimum pension be reviewed on the adoption of a new minimum wage or every five years. NLC’s Head of International Desk, Comrade Uchenna Ekwe, who represented Omar, explained that the battle for the review has been enormous for the congress to grapple with. He added that the National Salaries and Wages Commission has been proactive as far as the review was concerned. Despite the commission’s efforts, the congress has realised that it has to intervene at a higher political office, hence the resolve to meet the SGF over the matter, he added. He said: “We are pushing on getting an audience with the Secretary of Government to move it a little up. So that probably, the political heat that is needed to get this issue of minimum pension resolved should come in place. Of course, the law is favourable to this pursuit because the law is clear. The law stipulates that whenever there is a wage review, there will be a review in the pension. And if that doesn’t happen, every five years that should happen.”

Minister assures of cut in price of aviation fuel

HE Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah-Ogiemwinyi, said in Abuja yesterday that the Federal Government was making efforts to reverse the high cost of aviation fuel. Oduah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the government was determined to ensure a reduction in the price of aviation fuel to make air travel cheaper and affordable. “We constituted a committee and it was basically to help us resolve the issue of high cost of aviation

fuel and we are collaborating with the Ministry of Petroleum to allow us to bring in directly aviation fuel or bring in aviation fuel specifically for aviation industry. “And that, in turn, will reduce the cost that you pay for your air fare. Again, if airlines are efficiently operating, they are going to have competition and when you have competition, it will provide you with huge, huge reduction of what you pay on your air fare. “But, most importantly, is that when the aviation industry be-

comes vibrant and you have airlines with their loan chain result, which is one of the things we are trying to see, how they can work with long term loan as opposed to resolving these difficulties that they are encountering, I think that will greatly reduce the cost of air fare,’’ she said. Odua said the government would ensure that the industry becomes vibrant, adding that her dream was to make air travel the cheapest mode of transportation at the end of her administration.

She said the Federal Government would also help the airlines to get sustainable loans that would help their operations. The minister said the ministry’s efforts in the aviation industry had started yielding results, citing the recovery of debts owed by the airlines and revamping the airports to make them meet international standards. Oduah enjoined Nigerian airlines to co-operate with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to attain industrial growth.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

INDUSTRY

20 firms to invest N1.52t in non-oil sector

OLLOWING President Goodluck Jonathan’s appeal to industry stakeholders to invest in the economy, 20 companies have signified their intention to invest N1.52 trillion in the non-oil sector. This is expected to materialise within one year The Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, disclosed this while briefing reporters on Jonathan’s 100 days in office on Monday. Venue was the National Press Centre, Radio House, Abuja. He said the ministry would work with the companies to realise their expansion programmes. Aganga said about N34 billion investment commitment was se-

Stories by Toba Agboola

cured from 18 companies in the agribusiness and agro-industries sector. He said his ministry was working with the sector on a policy that will lead to significant investment and create jobs in the next few months. Aside the companies, Aganga said they had met over 30 investors, including those from the United Kingdom and Australia, interested in developing selected sectors, such as health, manufacturing, agriculture, oil and gas and mining, among others. He said: “In the mining sector, for instance, we have a proposal that

Lagos Chamber tasks govt on industrial clusters

can lead to an investment of $100 million immediately, and $3 billion to $4 billion of investment in the short to medium term.” He said plans have been finalised to reactivate the Nigeria/Australia Business Council to act as a catalyst for trade and investment. The Council will be launched during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Australia next month. Aganga said investment desks have been created at Nigerian embassies. In addition, the ministry is working with its Foreign Affairs counterpart to develop a commercial objective for the embassies, he said. According to the minister, to ensure that the ministry and its parastatals buy into this new strate-

‘In the mining sector, for instance, we have a proposal that can lead to an investment of $100 million immediately, and $3 billion to $4 billion of investment in the short to medium term’ gic direction, the ministry will launch its interactive web portal to serve as an investment information corridor for prospective investors and to showcase the enormous investment potential of the country. Also, the ministry is reviewing all trade bilateral and multilateral

agreements to identify the opportunities, which have not been explored in the past, Aganga said. He said a committee has been set up to review Nigeria’s trade policy in line with the commitment to create a friendly environment for business and investment. The last review was in 2002. Some of the existing trade rules, regulations and practices are outdated, and this has often resulted in the ad-hoc and, sometimes, conflicting approach to implementationm ge added. Aganga said with the reform of the investment sub-sector, it was possible for genuine investors to be granted multiple entry visas in their home countries or at the point of entry.

•Raises alarm on expatriate quota abuse

HE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Federal Government to focus its attention on developing the business cluster initiative, which it started some years ago. Besides, the chamber also expressed concern at the rate expatriates, especially from Asia, are flooding into the country, taking over jobs in areas where Nigerians have competence. Speaking with reporters, LCCI President Otunba Femi Deru said the business community was yet to get adequate feedback from the government on its plans to ensure that there are business clusters in the country. He said: “It has taken a long time for action to be taken. We want the Ministry of Trade and Investment to work towards ensuring that the clusters are completed and ready for industrialists. The chamber’s Director-General, Mr Muda Yusuf, said this has become a matter of importance because of the high rate of unemployment in the country. “At the heart of this predicament is the flagrant violation of the expatriate quota policy made possible with the collusion of some unscrupulous officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service,” Yusuf said.

He attributed the menace to corruption in the Immigration Service, saying it creates room for expatriates to take up jobs Nigerians should be doing. According to him, the Federal Government’s policy of employment creation will be difficult to realise with the development. “If we are really serious about tackling unemployment, we should put a stop to their influx. “There should, in fact, be an audit of companies to ensure compliance with extant rules and policy on such matters,” he said. The chamber had, in the past, raised similar alarm, urging regulatory agencies to take their duties serious. According to Yusuf, the situation in most cities is that the expatriates have gone to the extent of competing with market women at the retail level, thereby crowding them out. He, therefore, called on the Nigeria Immigration Service to put its house in order. Yusuf said Nigeria should balance its economic liberalisation with the imperative to create jobs for the teeming youth, adding that appropriate lessons should be drawn from recent experiences around the world triggered by rising unemployment.

From left: Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Obong Nsima Ekere; Governor Godswill Akpabio; MD, EcoBank Nigeria Plc, Prince Offiong Mba; Paul Usoro (SAN) and Executive Director, Zenith Bank, Mr Udom Emmanuel, during the Breakfast meeting with captains of industry from the state.

SON set to sanitise steel sector

HE steel sector is being monitored closely in line with the plan by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to sanitise the sector. The move is against the backdrop of SON’s zero tolerance for substandard products as recently declared by its Director-General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu. The crusade is already receiving accolades from Nigerians from difference walks of life, and one area where many expect Odumodu’s intervention is the building and construction industry, which has recorded many cased of building collapse in recent times. Odumodu told reporters in Lagos that manufacturers have been mandated to inscribe SON identification mark on their products. He said the development was to put such manufacturers in check as well as ensure the products are easily traced in case of building failure. “This development will leave companies still rolling out substandard products in the lurch. “ The steel sector has been under the monitoring and surveillance of SON. We want to instill the habit of efficiency required to build our economy in manufactures,” he said. Odumodu added that those that have met the requirement in terms of product identification would be

given certificate today, in Lagos. He noted that the focus on the sector will also increase production which can lead to more employment and contribution to the GDP According to him, the next line of action is ensuring that imported steel meet the best standards. He said the development would improve confidence in the sector, patronage and enable operators explore ECOWAS markets. Odumodu also said SON would commence the exercise by collecting various building materials at construction sites for test to tackle the building collapse menace “We are taking a holistic approach to ensure that people do what is expected of them. “We will be talking with engineers, architects and artisans, among others, to address the issue,” he said According to him, it’s surprising that SON is always the first to be blamed when there is building failure, saying it is not right. “There are many things that could be responsible for the menace. It is either construction defect and the use of quacks, among others. “If the materials are top quality and the necessary rudiments are not followed, then there will be a problem. Assuming a bag of cement, which is supposed to produce 40 blocks, was over mixed

•Anambra State Governor Peter Obi (left) presenting an award to Odumodu during the celebration of the 20th

anniversary of the state in Awka. with sand to produce 60 blocks then, there is bound to be a problem on the long run,” Odumodu said. To SON, the ongoing sanitisation to rid the country of substandard products will boost industriasation. Odumodu said the cleansing would would enable industries to thrive. He said SON was paying adequate attention to the manufac-

turing sector, with special focus on big companies, small and medium scale entreprises (SMES), to boost export. Its Director, Eastern Zone, Mr Bede Obayi, said SMEs are a veritable tool for economic development. “SON is placing high priority on the development of SMEs as a veritable vehicle for promoting poverty eradication, job creation, rural development and sustain-

‘The problem we have with most operators is the failure to present their products for test. They rather prefer to produce and put on the market shelves’

able livelihoods,’’ he said. According to him, most of the SMEs’products can easily meet the required standard if they are subjected to necessary parameters and analysis. “The problem we have with most operators is the failure to present their products for test. They rather prefer to produce and put on the market shelves,’’he said. Obayi said that subjecting such products to test could even reduce the production cost, have a comparative niche and attract right pricing. “ We have discovered several instances where some products were even over-laced with expensive chemical whereas the cheaper one can serve the same purpose,” he added.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

INDUSTRY Nokia Siemens opens office in Nigeria

•From left: Technical Director,Vitafoam, Mr Joel Ajiga, Actress/Radio Broadcaster, Mrs. Gloria Young and Sales and Marketing Director,Vitafoam, Mr Peter Folikwe, at the grand draw of the Vitafoam’s Next Level Promo, in Lagos.

Africa’s investments in manufacturing to hit N31.3tr by 2020

HE investment in Africa’s manufacturing sector is expected to hit $204 billion (N31.3 trillion) by 2020, a United States-based company Frost and Sullivan, has said in its report. Also, world manufacturing output is expected to be lower this year than last year, despite high growth rates in developing countries. According to the firm, manufacturing and agriculture will turn the continent around given its abundant raw materials and improved infrastructure, education, research and development. It states that the potential market size in Africa in 2020 for water-related technologies, including sanitation, water infrastructure and chemicals, is estimated to be $700 million. The market for oil and gas technologies, which will cover infrastructure needs, extraction chemi-

Stories by Toba Agboola

cals and rehabilitation, is estimated to be a staggering $3.6 trillion by 2020. The estimated African market size in 2020 is estimated at $50 billion in the agricultural sector, $800 billion in the energy sector, $204 billion in the manufacturing sector and $400 billion in infrastructure development. It added that drivers for the development of the agriculture sector will include an increase in the use of fertilisers, genetically modified seeds and drought resistant crops. The report said that increased beneficiation would take place in mining, oil and gas, agriculture and manufacturing. Frost & Sullivan also stated that renewable energy development is primarily being driven through the electrification of remote communities and that the demand for in-

creased access to electricity will decentralise power project development and promote multiple generation technologies. The study disclosed that major renewable energy projects would occur in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco. A quarterly report by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) states that world manufacturing output rose by 5.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2011, compared to 7.4 per cent in the first quarter. The Vienna-based agency said if this trend continues, the overall growth of manufacturing value added (MVA) this year is expected to be 5.2 per cent, which is slightly lower than in 2010. The report also noted that developing countries have maintained higher growth rates of manufacturing production, increasing by 11.1 per cent, and their MVA is expected to grow by 8.4 per cent this year.

Knowlege-based model, criterion for HE London School of Economeconomic growth ics (LSE) Alumni Association of

Nigeria has said for the country to achieve economic growth and its Vision 20:2020, it has to apply a knowledge-based economic model An alumnus of the school,Mr Stanley Agwuh, said according to the World Bank's knowledge Economy Index (KEI), most of the Scandinavian countries have developed their economy through this model saying Nigeria cant be an exception. Agwuh, a guest lecturer at the schools pre-departure event for offer holders and send-off reception, affirmed that the model is key to achieve the country's 20;2020 set target. He said the Scandinavian countries are leading the pack because they have

By Ajose Sehindemi

invested on human capital emphasising that this is the right way if the country wants economic growth. He called for more investment in learning, saying that it is the only way Nigeria can achieve the model. According to him, the world economy is going in an unprecendented change from mass production system where the key source of value was human labour and natural resources to a new era of mediated production where the key component of value creation, productivity and economic growth is knowledge. He said the emergence of a knowledge-based economy will

go a long way in transforming many sectors in the country thereby driving growth and development. Also speaking at the event, chairman of the occasion, Mr Muhammed Alkali, said the problem of human capital in the country is due to the fact that the nation has not utilised and deployed its human capital resources in the way it ought to. Alkali, an Executive Director, Bank of Industry (BOI), said knowledge and learning are linked to human capital in one way or the other, adding that it depends on how we want to utilise our human capital resources for the good of the society.

Institute to link with industry

FRICAN Institute for Applied Economics (AIAE) has started a project on Linking University Research and Industry in Nigeria (LURIN). LURIN, an is a project geared towards the development and implementation of a programme for fostering and establishment of sustainable institutional arrangements for linking university research and private enterprise (agriculture, industry, business and others). A statement by Mr. Sola Oluwadare, the Communications Manager of AIAE stated that the Research Consultation seminar to herald the project was held recently at

the Princess Alexandria Unity Hall and Theatre, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The collaborating institutions for project are University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); African Technology Policy Studies Network, Nairobi (ATPS); Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, (ATBU) and Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO). There are indications that other universities in Nigeria will still join. The Executive Director of AIAE, Prof. Eric Eboh, said the objectives of the programme include; exploring of global best practices in linking university research, innovations and in-

dustry and the implications and lessons for Nigeria, increase understanding and appreciation of the weaknesses, gaps and challenges in the existing systems of linking university research, innovations and industry in Nigeria and define actionable steps, timed schedule and shared responsibilities for the implementation of the institutional arrangement, among others. According to him, the Chairman at the seminar, Engineer Chris Okoye, who also represented at the Organised Private Sector (OPS), commended the Institute for the project, saying it would enhance the local content initiative of the Federal Government.

OKIA Siemens Networks, the global telecommunications giant, has announced the opening of their new office in Banana Island of Lagos. According to the Head of Africa Region, Nokia Siemens Networks “Nokia Siemens Networks has a vision in Africa of ‘Internet for every African’and Nigeria is an important country in this vision.” He said this is part of the company’s renewed focus on Africa, Nokia Siemens Networks restructured and separated its Africa operations at the beginning of the year. “The African market is growing at a strong pace and we felt the need to provide additional focus to support this growth. “Our new office in Lagos will serve as an integral part of our strategy to strengthen our operations in the continent and deliver superior services to our customers,”says Dimitri. Dimitri Diliani also announced the

new Country Director for Nigeria and the Head of Sales for the MTN Group in Africa, Raphael Udeogu. A Nigerian national with more than 23 years experience and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and Business Administration from the United States, Raphael joined Nokia Siemens Networks as part of the company’s acquisition of the wireless network. The event was attended by Dimitri Diliani, Head of Africa Region, Nokia Siemens Networks; Mrs Lolia Emakpore, Director, Policy and Competition, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC); Mr Adebiyi F. Mabadeje, Commissioner, Science and Technology; Mr Tokunbo Fashola, consultant to the Governor, ICT; Mr Walter L. von den Driesch, Consult-General, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany; Ms. Arja Koski, Representative of Ambassador of Finland; among other dignitaries and company executives.

Vitafoam rewards loyal customers

ITAfoam Nigeria has rewarded some of its loyal cus tomers in their next level promo which started July 11, 2011 . The promo, which ended on Friday, saw some lucky winners going home with some gifts ,such as generating set, black berry, mini-computer and ipad so on. The star prize was a seven night cruise across the world. Its Marketing Manager, Mrs. Ellen Karierel, said the aim of the promo to appreciate their customers, adding that it will be yearly soon. “This promo is our way of saying thanks to our loyal customers and as well encourage them to continue to patronise us. This is going to be a continuous thing, but it can come in another dimension next year ,” Karierel said. She said prizes were available for all customers, no matter his or her

By Olaide Adeyanju

level. She said: “This is a pan-Africa promo, which cuts across all regions of Nigeria. And we want to assure our customers that whatever level you are, Vitafoam has a product suitable for you. “Whenever any customer buys a product worth N20,000, he gets an instant jumbo pillow and qualifies for the grand draw, which is a cruise to a country in Europe.” “We have been contacting them as they win, and you cannot imagine the joy they express upon hearing that they have won a product from the ongoing Next Level Promo.” She enjoined Vitafoam customers and others to continue patronising the brand, adding that the firm would continue delivering quality services to Nigerians.

Firm introduces digital marketing WEBLIQUID Nigeria, a leading international digital marketing and advertising consultancy based in New York and Lagos, is partnering with Phillips Consulting Limited to offer the Nigerian market viable opportunity for professionals to catch up on digital marketing in Nigeria. Its founding Partner, Mr David Shiell, made this known during a briefing. Shiell explained that people’s ability to communicate, do business, and socialise is being driven by the power of technology, which serves as a funnel that exist through, which brands and individuals can intimate clients and the public about what they are doing. This, he stated, is different from tra-

ditional advertising which is linear and does not give room for a 2- way communication process. He stressed that the company has “the ability in digital marketing to segment the market that has never existed in human history. ‘’We can re-segment, re-target, we can post topics that are important to you, which is different from someone putting a poster or handbill, which does not have the inherent ability to elicit and monitor feedback. “Digital and e-commerce evolved due to the need for communication, distribution, commercial technology, and client’s need to help in addressing the issue of online marketing not just putting up an advert online but engaging the target market in the process.”

NEPZA partners firm on FTZ conference

HE Nigeria Export Process ing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and Century 21 Systems Limited are planning to host the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) conference and exhibition tagged: ‘FTZ Nigeria 2011.’ With the theme ’FTZ Market Outlook for Nigeria: Opportunities and Challenges’ , the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, will deliver the keynote , address on The Outlook for FTZ: How are the dynamics changing’ at enhancing their capacity to create jobs, generate wealth and contribute significantly towards the nation’s economic growth and development. Speaking on the event, the Managing Director of NEPZA, Dr. Sina Agboluaje said the yearly conference and exhibition promotes a conducive business environment for small, medium and big businesses by building sustainable public and private sector partnerships for the

growth of the Nigerian economy and the zones. The Chief Executive of century 21 Systems Limited, Mr. Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, said FTZs in Nigeria could potentially bring in up to $120 billion in investment as the economic multiplier of developing an FTZ are already proven. According Odusola-Stevenson, this year’s event will be complemented by an international exhibition, which will be held under the same roof, allowing participants to visit both the presentations and the exhibitions. “It is expected to drawn over 1,000 participants from sectors such as banks, insurance, ICT, oil and gas, maritime, real estate and manufacturing”, he added. The FTZ two-day conference offers insightful knowledge sharing, leadership networking and interaction with industry players.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

INDUSTRY

Lagos assures industries of incentives, support L AGOS State government has said its commitment to the provision of a peaceful and conducive environment for business growth in the state. This statement was made by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Commerce and Industry, Mr Oluseye Oladejo, during a visit to manufacturing companies in Ilupeju, Ikeja and Ikorodu areas. Oladejo was quoted as saying that he embarked on the tour to foster and strengthen the relationship between the government and manufacturing industries as well as knows their needs.

Stories by Toba Agboola

He noted that the state government had being support of businesses through most of its policies, including the streamlining and harmonisation of taxes, provision and maintenance of access roads and establishment of Free Trade Zone at Lekki and Agro-allied industrial parks at Ilara and Imota. While calling for co-operation from operators, Oladejo said the state was already collaborating with the Federal Government on provision of stable electricity to revitalise moribund and crippled companies that had been operating

Blueprint to assist industrialists, says BoI

HE Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mrs. Evelyn Oputu, has expressed the hope that the economic blueprint by President Goodluck Jonathan would ameliorate the challenges of manufacturers in the country. Oputu, while on a courtesy visit to Innoson Group in Enugu State, said the administration has developed policies, which, if effectively implemented, would reduced the cost of production in the country. She, however, lamented the huge production cost being incurred by Innoson Group, manufacturers of plastics and motor vehicles products, especially in energy and poor road network, saying that such expenses would always reduce its production capacity. The BoI boss, therefore, urged the management of the company to continue to maintain the quality standard of its products to ensure continued patronage. “We are seeing a company with energy dedicated to place Nigeria on global economic reckoning. The company’s giant stride in the midst of harsh economic environment is a great lesson to other manufacturers. I’m very proud of Innoson’s achievements,” Oputu said. Speaking also at the event, Executive Director of BoI, Lawrence Osayemeni, said: “We have seen the management of the company and their ‘Industrial Vision. What the company has proved with our fi-

nancial aide is great. It shows its depth of knowledge in terms of what to do with money. “Our relationship with Innoson is solid and worthwhile. This is a company with good track records in business. “Despite the obvious lack of amenities, it was able to make impressive impact in the lives of people by employing up to 4,000 people. This shows the company’s tenacity of hope and we are proud to associate with Innoson.” In his response, the Managing Director of Innoson, Innocent Chukwuma, promised to maintain the existing good relationship with the bank, adding that manufacturing in Nigeria could only be possible with the assistance of Bank of Industry. “To go into manufacturing is motivating, but actualising it can only be possible through the Bank of Industry. They are my partners in progress, always ready to answer me each time I call on them. Whenever I discover a new product, BoI is willing to assist me in getting it done. “The potential here are enormous. We still have opportunities yet to be tapped. “Our population is a great advantage to capitalise on. Any quality product in Nigeria can excel. It is just a matter of time and proper marketing.”

on generators to power their plants to reduce the cost of production and to boost employment opportunities for the teeming youths and graduates. The firms visited included Orange Drugs Limited, Celplas Industries, Guinness Plc, Sankyo Steel Mills and Eruka Steels. Another statement by the ministry also cited the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Olusola Oworu, as reiterating the

determination of the Lagos State government to use advanced technological values and know-how to attract investors and ensure the survival of businesses in the state. Oworu gave the indication when she paid a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mines and Agriculture to solicit their co-operation and support in the discharge of her duties. The commissioner was quoted as saying that the state government

was executing judicial reforms, security transformation and land reforms to ensure the security of lives and property in the state as well as create an enabling environment for business growth. He said the Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola’s administration was willing to work with NACCIMA and other stakeholders to solve the major problems militating against the survival of businesses in the state.

‘The commissioner was quoted as saying that the state government was executing judicial reforms, security transformation and land reforms to ensure the security of lives and property in the state as well as create an enabling environment for business growth’

•From right: Mr Ortom, Alhaji Aliyu and Dr Mohhammed, at the event.

Firm attributes poor results to economy

TN Cocoa Processors Plc recorded a lull in its business ac tivities in the 2010 business year. Its Chairman, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, stated this during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos. This, according to him, was as a result of some factors beyond the control of the company. He said the business environment was characterised by poor infrastructure, particularly epileptic power supply, bad roads, inadequate water supply, rising cost of petroleum products and insecurity. Osunkeye said these myriads of problems almost obliterated the gains of the past. The Chairman said the last two years were quite challenging for every sector of the economy, particularly in 2010.He said there is pressure on the economy during the year and that this was brought about by the recapitalisation policy in the banking sector. This, he said, led to disruptions and increase in cost as the business environment experienced a near total withdrawal of credit by banks. He complained that the high cost of doing business did not only take its toll on the economy, but also had adverse effect on the company’s pace of expansion. “The adverse environment affected our compa-

By Uyoatta Eshiet

ny’s operational cost and profit margin,” he said. The financial performance in was a reflection of the difficulties the company experienced in the year, he added. ‘The decline in profit after tax is as a result of the monumental disruption of the general operations of the company occasioned by breakdown of our equipment. “We were not able to meet up with demands of our suppliers because of the difficulties we encountered during the year under consideration,’ he said. The result presented shows that the company recorded declines in all sectors except investments. The total turnover stood at N1.197 billion down from N1.361 billion recorded in 2009, showing a decline of 12.1 per cent. Profit before tax declined by 75.49 per cent, from N259.7 million in 2009 to N63.6 million in the year reviewed. Similarly, the profit after tax declined by the same percentage. The company’s shareholders’ funds depreciated by 5.40 per cent, from N2.389 billion in 2009 to N2.260 billion in the year under review.

•From left: Head, Africa Region, Nokia , Siemens Networks , Mr Dimitri Diliani; Head of Marketing and Communication, Nigeria, Ify Isiguzo; Country Director, Mr Ralph Udeogu and Head of Marketing and Communication-Africa, Mr Abdallah Harati, Nokia Siemens Networks, at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos.

Fed Govt set to restore normalcy to Savannah S part of its economic transformation agenda, the Federal Sugar company job creation and opportunities the

Government is set to restore normalcy in the Savannah Sugar Company , Numan Adama State. The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Chief Samuel Ortom, gave the assurance during the presentation of the fact finding committee on the closure of Savannah Sugar Company, by its Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu, who is Etsu Tsaragi, to the Minister in his office in Abuja. Receiving the report, the Minister stated that the key recommendations in the report will be carried out with involvement of all

stakeholders in Adamawa State giving the assurance that action will be taken immediately. He said the company has been a veritable tools for job creation and that Federal Government will not allow investment in the company to fail. “In the shortest possible time, we will take action and we will not allow our investors to begin to regret why they invested so much in the Savannah Sugar company . “At a time like this when our government promised Nigerians

company is a veritable tool for fulfilling Mr President’s Transformation Agenda of job creation,” Ortom said. The Minister said the government will do everything possible to protect the assets and investments of the company by swinging into action to restore normalcy and production. In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Abubakar Mohammad, thanked the Minister and the Committee for the prompt action taken to look into the problems in Numan adding that the ministry will not allow the investment to waste.

THURSDAY, SEPTEM BER 15, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Enugu North is the most populous senatorial zone in Enugu State. It decides who wins coveted seats in the state, but has been shut out of the stage in recent years. Three months after the general elections, political, business and cultural leaders of the zone are strategising on producing the next governorship. Correspondent CHRIS ORJI reports all the moves and plots.

Enugu North political giants review 2011, bid for 2015 T

HERE is an unsigned pact in Enugu State. In a bid to carry everybody along, the next governor of the state is expected to come from the Enugu North (Nsukka) senatorial zone. The position is informed by the fact that the two other zones, Enugu East and West have taken their turns in the governance of the state. Yet, if politics is a game of numbers, Enugu North towers above the other two zones put together. In old Anambra State and old Enugu State, the zone was a senatorial entity with seven local councils. Although one of the local councils was ceded to Enugu East for administrative convenience, that local government, Isi-uzo, remains culturally attached to Nsukka zone. What is now known as Enugu East and West constituted, before the excision of Abakiliki to Ebonyi State, one senatorial entity. The only time Enugu North was at the centre of power was during the Babangida botched transition to civil rule programme when Dr. Okwesilize Nwodo had a stint as the governor of old Enugu state. That was for a short period of only 20 months. Since then, a number of governorship aspirants have attempted to claim the governorship for the zone. They failed as the people could not speak with one voice Among them are Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, Mr. Okey Ezea, a lawyer and Dr. Dan Shere, who served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) during the Nnamani administration. Ayogu has consistently contested the governorship on the ticket of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Prior to his entry into the race, he had served as the Minority Whip in the House of Representatives. Another serious contender for power from the zone is Ezea. But the problem of Ezea is that he is seen as politically inconsistent. He started his adventure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ended up in an almost obscure party in Enugu State, the Labour Party (LP). He also had a brief romance with the Ebeano structure, but he retreated when he saw that the structure would not automatically hand him the governorship ticket. Already, Ezea has declared interest in contesting the seat in 2015. But his main problem now, and it has been so, is the platform. If Ezea were to be the candidate of the PDP, his clinching the governorship would have been a foregone conclusion. This is because he has a personal structure that has been in place for years. More importantly, he has a heavy war chest to prosecute the battle and could therefore oil his machinery at all times.. As for Dan Shere, mother luck has not been fair to him. He was, at a point, seen as the natural successor to the Ebeano chief, former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani. He missed that opportunity just by stroke of twisted fate. According to analysts, it still cannot be explained how Sullivan Chime became the chosen one, anointed by Nnamani for the 2007 poll. Shere, a medical practitioner and a gentleman, contested the 2015 governorship election on the platform of the People for

Dan Shere

Ayogu Eze

Okey Ezea

Experienced politician. Former Secretary to the State Government. Key official of Ebeano structure. Contested the 2011 poll on PDC platform.

Two-term Senator. Former aide to ex-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani. Draws strength from the Sullivan Chime administration. Highly connected in Abuja.

Well known throughout the state. Cerebral and Urbane. Experienced politician fought the governorship battle in 2007, 2011. Rich. Early starter for 2015 race.

Weak point: Disintegrating platform; poor funding.

Weak point: Labour Party Weak point: Poor inde- non-existent in the state. pendent funding.

Democratic Change (PDC), the adopted party of the Ebeano group. Although that was done to compensate him by Nnamani, unfortunately, the party was not a match to the PDP in the state. It is not clear whether Shere would still contest the governorship, as there are speculations that he could be on his way back to PDP. One area where the pendulum swings wildly is politics. There have been changes since the last general elections. New kids have appeared on the block. In the past dispensation, the pathfinders of the zone were the Nwodos, Itanyis and the Abangwus and in the current dispensation, the Ezeas, Ayogus, Okoros and Ajogwus. Okey Ezea, Fidel Ayogu as well as the Nwodo brothers are still in reckoning. One major factor dictating the movement of power is generation change. The talks of the town in the zone now are leaders like Senator Ayogu Eze, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Dr. Patrick Asadu. Led by Ayogu Eze, the pack of National Assembly members are making things happen

in the zone. The group now commands the largest following. It will take the Nwodos, who hitherto maintained dominance of the scene more than a million foot soldiers to crush the growing popularity of the Ayogu Eze group. It is fairly safe to predict that the governor for 2015 is likely to emerge from the Nsukka cultural zone with this group having the upper hand in the choice of the man to rule and reign in the coal state. This may not go well with Ezea in particular since he has what it takes to confront even a giant at the poll. Since politics is highly unpredictable, Ezea cannot be ruled out. As stated earlier, Ezea is the only aspirant known today for the 2015 governorship contest in the state. And apart from Governor Sullivan Chime who controls the PDP structure in the state, he is the only one with a formidable structure. The combination of his structure and that of the PDP would ensure that no other candidate rears his head from another party for the 2015 contest. Only time will tell whether Ezea

could reconcile with the PDP and Governor Chime and eventually pick the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ticket for the 2015 governorship contest in Enugu state. One other factor that could count in the power game of the coal state is the creation of states with the Enugu North zone canvassing for a separate state, Adada. In the event of creation of the state before the 2015 elections, the political equation in the zone is likely to change, significantly. It is noteworthy to say here that the creation of that state is more important to most people of the zone than the governorship seat of Enugu state. A committee for the creation of Adada state was put in place by Governor Sullivan Chime at the beginning of his first tenure. This is one factor expected to bring the people together. But, no one can say if more states could be created by the 7th National Assembly. The future is yet uncertain, but the giants of Nsukka remain hopeful that 2015 is their year.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEM BER 15, 2011

POLITICS

‘Ekiti deserves special federal attention’ Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the steps taken recently by Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi to fight the infrastructure battle by drawing the attention of the Federal Government to the dearth of amenities in the state.

KITI State was a disadvantaged state from its inception. Un-like states that were created before it, the defunct Federal Military Government did not release any take off grant when Ado-Ekiti was named the capital. In fact, the former chairman of Ado local government had to vacate his office so that it could serve as temporary secretariat for the first military governor posted to the state in 2006. Federal infrastructure in the agrarian state is at a low ebb. Until Governor Kayode Fayemi went to Abuja last year to sensitise the Federal Ministry of Works to the ‘federal pot holes’, many of the roads were impassable. Although Ekiti is richly endowed in vast human resources, it is not an industrial hub. It is a civil service state writhing in pain of abysmal internally generated revenue. Miffed by the dearth of infrastructure and lack of federal presence, Fayemi repeated his visit to Abuja recently to engage the federal establishments. This, he said, was in a bid to elicit assistance for the transformational agenda of his administration. The visit of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governor to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal government marked a new phase of intergovernmental relations in a supposedly atmosphere of cooperative federalism. When the governor assumed the reins last year, he was confronted by the N40 billion debt, which has made nonsense of the monthly revenue of the state. To free the state from the shackles of poverty, he designed an eight-point agenda, which touches all facets of human life. Though he has recorded a lot of achievements in all the sectors in the past eight months, he believes that the state must get the attention it deserves from the federal government. Following the interface with the various ministers and heads of federal government agencies, Fayemi was able to convince the federal authorities that Ekiti had been marginalised for too long. The visit which took him to President Goodluck Jonathan and some ministers recorded some goodies for the state. For instance, at the Ministry of Defence, Fayemi succeeded in getting the commitment of the Nigerian Army to locate an Army unit in the state. The Chief of Army Staff, General Iheriejika, said his men would soon be in the state to begin site survey of the land, where the army barracks would be sited. Fayemi and the Army Chief also discussed security in the state and how the Army could assist in this regard. Before then, the governor had visited an

indigene of the state, who is the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd).His mission was to ensure that Ekiti indigenes got a fair share in the proposed recruitment into the police. The governor also got the minister’s support for his efforts at reducing crime to the barest minimum in Ekiti. At the Ministry of Water Resources, the governor told the minister, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe that the ministry’s ongoing water dam project at Ogbese did not include water treatment plant. He told the minister that the dam would not serve any purpose without a water dam. Fayemi got the minister to extend the project to include the water treatment plant. He also got a commitment on early completion of the project from the minister. Fayemi also visited the Ministry of Finance, where the Minister of State promised to do everything within her power to support the N25 billion bond being proposed by the state government. The facility would be used for the development infrastructural facilities, particularly road and agriculture. The minister promised that her ministry would guarantee the bond to enable the state realise its goal. On road rehabilitation, the Minister of Works promised that the federal government would recover the money spent by the state to dualise Ado-Ekiti-Ifaki multibillion road project. He also assured that the fund spent on the rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti township road, which was part of the 348 km of federal roads in the state, would be refunded. Fayemi said that, if the money is refunded, it would be used for developmental activities. Both the Minister and the governor agreed that heavy duty vehicles, which now ply Ekiti roads to link Abuja, were doing a lot of damages to the road. The minister said that weigh bridges would be constructed at Efon Alaaye, which is the gateway to the state, and Omuo-Ekiti to ensure that the vehicles do not carry more load than required. Fayemi agrred that the measure would prolong the life span of the roads. At the Ministry of Education, the minister, Prof. Ruqqayat Rufai, approved the governor’s request for the merger of senior secondary schools and the junior secondary schools, which hitherto were separated in different schools in the state. Fayemi was of the view that the mergers would ensure efficient management. Beyond this, the minister and the governor reached an agreement on the need for the state to access its N 2 billion fund at

• Fayemi

Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and Education Trust Fund (ETF), which has been lying fallow. The ministry, through the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC), acknowledged the new law merging the three existing universities in the state into the new Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. Fayemi was told by the NUC to ensure that the new master plan for the university included the process of incorporating the defunct University of Science and Technology, Ifaki and University of Education, Ikere-Ekiti. The location of the federal fniversity in the state was discussed with the Education Minister and President Jonathan. Fayemi said an agreement would soon be reached to enable the university take off in earnest. Though, he was not ready to divulge the agreement reached, he said the state and the federal government would reached an understanding that would be satisfactory. Hitherto, the establishment of the university has been emeshed in controversy as the state government insisted in siting the institution at Ikole, which was the first site announcecd by the federal government, as against Oye-Ekiti, later announced by the Federal Executive Coun-

cil. Now, Efon-Alaaye, which has extensive land, is pleading with authorities to site the tertiary institution in the ancient town. Fayemi said in the next two weeks, the site of the university would be made known. The governor’s visit to the Ministry of Environment was equally rewarding as the ministry approved some projects to boost flood and erosion control. The ministry also approved waste management initiatives for the state. At the Agriculture Ministry, the minister, Mr Akin Adesina, assured the governor that the on-going 100,000 tone-silos project sited in the state would be completed in three months, adding that an Export Condition Processing Centre would soon be sited in the state. Fayemi contendsthat the centre would aid the construction of an air strip, which is being planned for the state by his administration. However, he said the issue of airport for the state is not on the priority of the his administration. The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, assured the governor that investors seeking to invest in agro-allied industries would be asked to look the way of Ekiti State. The minister has affinity with the state, having attended the same secondary school, Christ school, Ado-Ekiti, with the governor. At the Ministry of Mines and Steel, the governor exposed the natural endowment of Ekiti. He said a team from the ministry would be in the state to assist in the development of solid minerals. Also, the governor said an Irish team of investors were in the state in respect of Road Materials Company (ROMACO). The investors would turn around the moribund company to go into commercial production The governor visited the office of the Accountant General of the Federation where he was told that the slots for the state have not been filled. He received assurance that more indigenes of the state would be recruited into the federal civil service. Fayemi, who undertook a review of the visit with reporters, declared that more attention would be paid to the state in the next couple of months. He said his administration would work with all federal agencies to ensure that the state get its fair share of the national resources. The governor praised the President for appointingthe technocrats as ministers, stressing that it showed that Jonathan Administration was interested in moving the nation forward. He said many Nigerians were not aware that the present crops of ministers are the best interns of skills and technical know-how.

Senator tasks govt on abandoned projects By Emmanuel Oladesu

• Usman

ENATOR Abatemi Usman (Kogi Central) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to complete the abandoned projects in his district to boost youth employment. He implored the federal government to revisit the Ajaokuta Steel project, which has become an eyesore. The senator has held meetings with the Minister of Mines and Steel,

Mohammed Sada, his colleagues in the National Assembly and major stakeholders in the steel sector, on how to complete the steel project, which has the capacity to engage over 100, 000 Nigerians when completed. During his visit to Ajaokuta Steel Company and National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), Usman said the company would boost the economy of the country, if completed before 2015. The senator said he was encouraged to canvass support for the completion of the project because of the public perception that President Jonathan has demonstrated commitment to the rapid industrialisation of the country. He said: “If the steel sector is properly developed, it will conveniently rival the oil sector. Nigeria, for the

past nine years, has spent over N2.1 trillion to import steel into the country. This shows that the country would have saved a lot of money, if the Ajaokuta Steel Company was working. So, Ajaokuta Steel project is a must-do deal.” The senator argued that the number of uncompleted projects across the country underscores the nation’s underdevelopment and loss of focus and foresight on the part of those charged with the implementation of the projects. A failed project aptly translates into the failure of governance, he added. Thel contract for the implementation of the steel project was signed between the federal government and Messrs Tyajzhprom Export (TPE) of the defunct USSR on July 13, 1979 during the regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo as Military Head of State. It was originally pro-

grammed for completion in 1986. But a combination of factors including policy inconsistency and massive corruption was responsible for the failure to meet the deadline. The country’s comatose steel industry seemed to have become one bottomless drain pipe on our national coffers. Upon assumption of office in 1985, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) visited the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and in 1986, he signed a new protocol agreement on the Project with the same TPE, rescheduling its completion date to 1989. This cut-off date was equally never met and operations at ASCL and NIOMCO had to be halted in 1992. Amazingly, the project was said to have reached 98% technical completion before work on it was stopped. With the gigantic amount of about $5 billion said to have already been

‘The senator argued that the number of uncompleted projects across the country underscores the nation’s underdevelopment and loss of focus and foresight on the part of those charged with the implementation of the projects. A failed project aptly translates into the failure of governance’ ‘

spent on the project, which requires about $650 million for it to become operational, enlightened Nigerians, have argued in line with the position of Abatemi-Usman that it would make much sense for it to be brought to finishing point. The Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman, for instance, had in the course of the last ministerial screening on the floor of the Senate wept for Nigeria. He was responding to a question on the Ajaokuta Steel Company raised by the young engineer -urned politician, who appears to have become a champion for steel development in the country. The minister lamented that, in spite of the huge amount of money expended on the scheme, there was nothing on ground in the steel firm to show for it. A PowerPoint presentation by an official of ASCL during the visit of the 40-year-old lawmaker to the Company painted a pathetic picture of the position of Nigeria in steel production among some countries of the world. It showed Nigeria as the least in the ranking of 41 countries according to the volume of steel production as at 2008.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION Comments

EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

It is time to weigh what we have lost in the past 10 years

Chat is good... • But the presidential media parley must tell Nigerians more

T is good news that the presidential media parley with senior journalists which was made popular by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is back. Usually held monthly, the interview which runs live on national television is at once a test of the President’s poise, composure, elocution and hands-on knowledge of everything about current issues and the polity he sits atop. The unrehearsed monthly chat is designed to present the President a platform to talk extempore, without the benefit of a prepared speech, to a large section of the population about front burner issues as well as key policy programmes. More importantly, it is the best opportunity by a President to project his character, his essence and even his presidential power and glory to his people. On the

‘The more the people know about their president’s mindset on issues, including his body language and unspoken words, the better. It is also expected that this being the first, the President will continue to improve in subsequent editions of the show; particularly in striking a presidential poise, in his elocution and most importantly in handling headline national issues’

other hand, it offers the people the most untainted template to contemplate their number one and try to piece together the stuff he is made of. This media chat of President Goodluck Jonathan’s last Monday was his first since coming to power, fielding questions from an array of well honed editors as well as coming under the glare of a million eyes of his very roused and excited country men who want to hear it from the horse’s mouth-especially the cataclysmic events of the past few days. Unfortunately, most of them went to bed Monday night frustrated, deflated and perhaps angry. The President failed once again to rise to the stage. For instance, at a period when violence and cold-blooded killings in some parts of the country had seized public space and security of lives and property has been breached, perhaps to levels not known since the civil war, most people expected the President to reassure them or at least pump his fist and talk tough. But that was not to be. Hear his response to the apprehensions of the people: “I, as the current President of this country, do not agree with the insinuation that this country will disintegrate... we will not disintegrate. And I can assure you that between now and 2015, Nigeria will remain a single entity” . That, to say the least, is cold comfort. What happens after 2015? What concrete,

well- thought-out steps are to be taken to stem the increasing tide of violence and insecurity in the land, people did not hear any such things. All through the two-hour long programme it was the same lacklustre performance, lack of colour and panache that has dogged the Goodluck Jonathan presidency. Nothing to inspire or wow the viewing citizenry. No element of rigour in policy articulation or even enunciation. All the pressing national issues like power supply, job creation, crisis in Jos, the judiciary – no points were driven home to make the citizenry elated. The same old drivel. But then again, better this than nothing. The more the people know about their president’s mindset on issues, including his body language and unspoken words, the better. It is also expected that this being the first, the President will continue to improve in subsequent editions of the show; particularly in striking a presidential poise, in his elocution and most importantly in handling headline national issues. One expects that he brainstorms issues with his team and gets deeper grounding so that he speaks with deeper conviction and assuredness. His frank disposition and laying things bare could well be a virtue if it does not take the place of the requisite rigour and efforts in dealing with the affairs of state.

United in sorrow • On Sept 11, most of the world came together to mourn a dark, bloody day

T was a commemoration that demonstrated a near universal awareness that those values that unite humanity as a common species are far stronger and more resilient than the racial, religious, political and geographical boundaries that demarcate the peoples of the world. On September 11, this year, the world virtually stood still in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the vicious terrorist attack against the United States that left nearly 3,000 victims dead. It was an attack on one nation. But the impact resounded worldwide. In the global village that the world has become, it was inevitable that, in that fateful day’s terrorist attacks on carefully chosen targets, several countries, including Nigeria, lost their citizens resident in the United States. The Nigerian was Godwin Ajala. One of the century’s most atrocious acts of volence ironically served to reinforce the fundamental oneness of the human family. This much was reflected in the worldwide activities to remember and honour the memories of the victims of what has now become known as 9/ 11. In the United States itself, the political class momentarily put aside the characteristic bickerings of a preelection year to demonstrate a common commitment to the security of the country and the safety of the citizenry. President Barack Obama and First Lady Mitchele, as well as former President George W. Bush, who was in office during the attacks and his

wife, Laura, were among those who gathered at New York’s ground zero to listen to names of the victims read out aloud. It was under Bush, a Republican President, that the United States launched the war against terror which resulted in the ousting of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and that of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Despite his administration’s commitment to scaling down military engagements in both theatres, the Obama administration remains focused on the war against terror as reflected in the May assassination of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader principally held responsible for the 9/ 11 barbarity. Even as the names of the 2,977 victims of 9/11 were solemnly read, there were pauses of momentary silence at exactly 9.03am, 9.37am, 9.59am, 10.03am and 10.28am, the specific times that various flights were deliberately crashed into designated targets in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Former President Bush’s reading on the occasion, of a letter written by President Abraham Lincoln to a woman who lost five sons in the American civil war shows a country capable of preserving and evoking the powers of historical memory to address current realities. And to preserve their identities for history, the names of the nearly 3,000 souls that perished in the attacks are etched in bronze on the 9/11 memorial officially opened to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragedy. The mourning was, of course, not limited to the United States. In Britain, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, joined the

Prime Minister, David Cameron, and his deputy, Neil Clegg, among others in laying a white rose for each of the 67 British victims of the attack. In Sydney, Australia, firefighters held a moment of silence for their professional colleagues who perished in the disaster. In Paris, 200 people gathered at the site of two towers about 80 feet tall, representing the World Trade Center, with large canvasses displaying the names of victims of each tower. Even as millions mourned, however, a group of protesters set fire on the U.S. flag outside the American embassy in London while observing a minute’s silence to mark the moment the first hijacked airliner hit the World Trade Center. The task of achieving an open and democratic, yet secure world remains a daunting challenge. We join in paying tribute to the dead.

‘Even as the names of the 2,977 victims of 9/11 were solemnly read, there were pauses of momentary silence at exactly 9.03am, 9.37am, 9.59am, 10.03am and 10.28am, the specific times that various flights were deliberately crashed into designated targets in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania’

GREAT city falls silent for a minute. A violinist performs in front of a gathering of people whose heads are bowed. Presidents, past and present, search for the right note of solemnity in their addresses. At the newly opened Memorial Plaza the families of the dead file in, some running hands over the names fo husbands, fathers, sisters; all those abruptly curtailed lives, now commenmorated in dark bronze. There was a sense of history being made, and at the same time being laid to rest, in New York yesterday - as if in paying tribute to the victims of 9/11 America was taking leave of an event so sieismic that it has left an imprint on all our lives. Inevitably, in the protracted build-up to the anniversary, we have heard agonised debates on whether we have learned the right lessons from this terrible, extraordinarily symbolic, attack. Only the passage of time can answer that definitely but it is probably safe to say not quite, or not always. It is good that our bland indifference to the Arab world, then safely ruled for the most part by compliant kings and dictators, has gone. Bad that it has given way to a neurotic obsession with the threat of Islamist terror; and to an almost casual enthusiasm for using force to change regimes deemed hostile to Western interests. Before the planes hit the twin towers it would have seemed inconceivable that Western troops would be charging around Afghanistan and Iraq in the name of the open-ended “war on terror” to which George Bush and Tony Blair rushed to commit us in the aftermath of the atrocity. And without diminishing the horrible scale of the death toll in America, no retrospective of the subsequent decade should neglect to include the much greater death toll that has occurred as a direct result of those invasions. They include at leasat 100,000 dead in Iraq, accordnig for that almost innumerable list of casualties of Mr Bush’s and Mr Blair’s display of machismo in the Middle East. Other casualties of the West’s response to 9/11 are not measurable in terms of human dead. They start with alienation from America of popular opinion in the Muslim world, and Pakistan especially, where opposition to the endlessseeming military conflict on its borders in Afghanistan has turned a long-time US ally into a bastion of anti-American feeling. Then there are the casualties in our own country. Apart from the deaths of servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan there have been less easily quantifiable losses: the erosion of civil liberties; the imposition of numerous, immiserating restrictions on travel; our acquiescence to what might be called a surveillance culture. Some describe all these losses as wholly justifiable casualties of an ongoing civilisational conflict between the West and radical Islam, each seen as a homogenised, irreconcilable force. It’s us or them. That was the tenor of Mr Blair’s remarks on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday, when he defended his role in shaping the US-led military response to the attacks on New York and Washington. Many other fell that he and Mr Bush acted as recruiting sergeants for the same forces that they said their actions were intended to repress. Yesterday was not the day to air those disagreements. But it is a debate that will and should continue as we emerge from under the long shadow of that longest day. – The INDEPENDENT

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THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

“keep FETCHING, men... we are bound for the PROMISE LAND ‘LATER than SOONER’.”

IR: A government that cannot defend its citizens has lost the moral authority to demand their obedience and regard. It is the duty of any constituted authority to give undiluted attention to the security of citizens, and it will in turn naturally command their unwavering loyalty. The recent killings and maiming of innocent people in Jos is to say the least despicable and deplorable. Many families have been sent to their early graves by some agents of darkness whose aim is making the state ungovernable. What is disturbing is the modus operandi of this devil advocates where a family is targeted and completely wiped off, bringing an end to a particular generation. A case of genocide or ethnic cleansing you may say. As at last count, more than 30 people have been killed and many more injured. This number will continue to grow if nothing is done to nip the ugly trend in the bud. Not quite a few believe that the ugly development is as a result of the historical hostilities between

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Stop the genocide in Plateau the native of Jos and the settlers. To them, it is a battle of supremacy between the two ethnic groups for the soul of Jos. Yet, others contend that the sad incidence is not unconnected with political calculus of the state where some political scoundrels and charlatans are taking advantage of its fragile peace to flex their political muscles. But be that as it may, the current development is most condemnable by all right thinking citizens. Sadly, the government whose duty is to defend its citizens has run out of ideas on how to end the circle of impunity. Attempts by the government to salvage the situation have only brought about its aggravation. As a result, the people of Jos, especially those at the

Barkin Ladi local government are living in fear of unknown as anyone could be a victim at anytime. One just needs to listen to the chairman of Barikin Ladi local government, Hon. Emmanuel Lomang to appreciate the seriousness of the situation: “We have been pushed to the wall and unless something is done by the government, the youths cannot sit back and watch families wiped off”. “The attackers”, he added, “have changed their mode of attack to pure acts of genocide; an ethnic cleansing where a family is targeted and wiped out…”. If a Chairman could be so helpless about the plight of his people, one can only imagine the agony and the

level of frustration the people would be enduring. But the hard fact is that the obvious inability of government to defend the weak and the innocents’ people will only encourage one thing- more killings; and the natives would have no choice other than to resort to self-help. The way to go is for government to step up to the plate by thinking out of the box. Half-measures would not do. Security of lives and property must be seen as a right of all, and not as the exclusive preserve of few; those fanning the embers of disunity and their sponsors must be identified and prosecuted according to the law. Their sympathizers at the corridors of power must be punished to

MDGs: UN summit risks becoming another footnote IR: After years of prioritising diseases of poverty such as HIV and malaria, the UN has finally realised that “non-communicable diseases” such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease are now the biggest health problem facing developing countries. This will be the topic of a major UN summit in New York on September 19 and 20. Up for discussion are new targets and funding. This is not the first time the UN has proposed a grand initiative to tackle disease. In 2000 the UN created the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a series of global targets to reduce disease and poverty. Over a decade on, what lessons do the MDGs hold for this new generation of summiteers? “Without global goals or targets, this is not going to fly. What gets measured gets done,” Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization told a pre-summit meeting in April. WHO wants the UN to agree to a target of 25 per cent fewer preventable deaths by 2025, and detailed targets

covering everything from salt consumption to breast cancer screening. The MDGs show the need for caution, particularly when applying targets to developing countries. In most such countries, the quality of health data is patchy in the extreme. Causes of death are rarely registered, and the incidence of diseases such as malaria is only vaguely understood. Politicians too often succumb to the temptation to sign up to targets that sound good in the conference hall, but have little chance of actually being achieved. The MDGs fall into that category, with 48 of the world’s poorest countries totally off-track as the 2015 deadline approaches. Other failed health plans include the Roll Back Malaria target of reducing malaria deaths by 50 per cent by 2010, and the WHO ‘3 by 5’ target of putting 3 million people on AIDS treatment by 2005. These kind of catchy targets offer no real accountability, as there are no sanctions for failure – the health agencies simply move on, setting up a new target for a new problem.

But continually missed targets can breed cynicism, undermining public support for global efforts to tackle poverty and disease. Money is not necessarily the issue, either. Foreign aid for health has more than tripled over the last decade, rising from $7.6bn in 2001 to $26.4bn in 2008. Corruption remains a major problem: The Global Fund for Aids recently announced it will stop funding for Nigeria and Djibouti over apparent fraud worth $474.6m and $20m million respectively. Even now, less than 50 per cent of people have access to basic medicines in many parts of Africa, as public health systems creak under the combined weight of corruption, mismanagement and brain drain of medical personnel. The USA and its European allies are facing a massive debt crisis. As such, is it feasible to continue the old way of handing money to health ministries in developing countries in the hope that public health infrastructure will improve enough to deliver the treatments and interventions necessary to

tackle diabetes, heart disease and cancer? Instead of re-treading the old path of attempting to fund increases in capacity in local public sector health provision, why not try to harness the private sector, which already provides the majority of healthcare throughout Africa and Asia? Experiments have long been taking place using public money to provide access to quality private sector healthcare for the poor, via methods such as contracting and franchising. Framed correctly, these partnerships can improve both the quality and capacity of health services, something that will be vital as the numbers of people suffering from non-communicable diseases grows. Without such bold thinking, the UN summit risks becoming yet another historical footnote. • Thompson Ayodele, Initiative for Public Policy Analysis, Lagos, and, Philip Stevens, Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, New York.

server as deterrent to others. The agitation for the establishment of state police should be addressed now, as this would improve, in no small measure, the security situation of the country. This is necessary because there have been cases where state governors complained over the security arrangement as not being under their control. A good illustration is when the Governor of Plateau State accused the military of complicity and bias in dealing with the crisis. This writer would like to appeal to the different ethnic groups to sheathe their swords and stop the carnage by giving peace a chance. Organized killings would not only aggravate the situation, it would further push the country to the brink of dissolution and division. We all owe the future the duty to keep this country together, if not for our own sake, but for unborn generations. Alatise Taofeeq Nasir Faculty of Law University of Ilorin

Bash Ali’s Guinness World record fight

IR: I read with amusement Mr Bashiru Ali’s letter to President Jonathan on his proposed Guinness World Record Boxing fight which he wants the government to sponsor. As much as I do no object to government sponsoring sporting events, I am not convinced of this fight especially if we consider the character involved. If it is true that such an event will bring in such a huge profit why is it difficult for Bash Ali to sell the promo to the business community who will jump at the idea for half of the profit margin? For God sake let Bash Ali make peace with himself and retire to his village and enjoy the millions of US dollars in his bank account as he claimed some years ago. He should stop bringing this country to ridicule. Everything about sport is with the ministry of sport and not ministry of Niger Delta affairs. • A.O. Sule-Odu. Sagamu, Ogun State.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

Nigeria and the curse of elections – 2

N spite of this limitation Hugh Clifford conceded four elected representatives to Nigerians in the Legislative Council elections in 1923 with three representing Lagos and one Calabar. Thus began the long journey of electoral politics in Nigeria. The Legislative Council was inaugurated in 1923. The political history of Lagos during the period 1923-1938 centred on the quinquennial elections for the Legislative Council and, the triennial elections for the Lagos town council. The elections were fought on the perennial question of the House of Docemo (Dosumu) and the status of the Oba of Lagos. Electoral politics was dominated by Herbert Macaulay, founder of the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP). Its candidates were victorious in the election of 1923, 1928, and 1933. This party remained the dominant force until 1938. The lone candidate from Calabar was elected on the platform of the Calabar Improvement League (CIL). One thing is clear and this is that elections were generally fair. If not, the British would have done everything to stop Herbert Macaulay’s party from winning. Their leader had been jailed twice by the British for minor infractions of the law, and they could have used this fact to outlaw his party. Furthermore, younger elements were becoming frustrated with Herbert Macaulay’s obsession with the status of the Oba of Lagos to the detriment of what they considered much more fundamental such as the status of Nigeria itself. Although the party was most of the time seized with how to restore the Obaship of Lagos to its rightful place, by the 1930s, branches of Macaulay’s NNDP began to spring up especially in Yorubaland. Dr C.C. Adeniyi-Jones, the President of the party and one of its representatives in the Legislative Council from 1926 to 1938 began to raise issues that struck at the very basis of British colonial rule in Nigeria. The fate of political parties was however tied to constitutional changes in Nigeria particularly after the Second World War. However, in the inter war years many currents of political nature had swept into Nigeria. The 1930s in particular witnessed the formation of the Nigerian Youth Movement formed by Samuel Akinsanya, Ernest Ikoli, Dr. J.C. Vaughn and Hezekiah Oladipo Davies in 1934. It was previously the Lagos Youth Movement until 1936. Gradually this movement challenged and eclipsed the older Nigerian National Democratic Party. The contest between the NNDP of Macaulay and the NYM of the younger people was marked by mutual recrimination and bitterness. The NYM was joined by Nnamdi Azikiwe, American educated journalist with degrees from Lincoln and Howard and higher degrees from Ivy League universities of Columbia

T was at the Council of State meeting in Abuja, last week, that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen Owoye Azazi, broke his silence on the worrisome state of security in the land. What he said was not what many expected to hear from a man charged with national security. At a time that Nigerians feel highly insecure at every second, every minute and every hour of the day, Azazi’s unassuring statement added to their anxiety. Rather than speak the way he did, it might have been better if Azazi kept quiet. What he is saying in effect is that we all are on our own when it comes to security matters, with the exception of those in power. Hear him : ‘’This morning, I was asked to brief the country on security issues all over; problem in the Niger Delta, crisis in Jos, kidnapping in parts of the country, but the focus was on what was considered topical at this point. Explosives everywhere, especially Police Headquarters, United Nations (UN) building. Although there are claims as to who was responsible, the important thing is that we as a nation should realise that we are facing challenges that are relatively new to us. The problem is that we were not as a nation prepared for this new level of terrorism’’. Is it not a shame that despite terrorist acts all over the world, our security apparatus felt that there was no need to take any preemptive measures at home to guarantee our safety?

and Pennsylvania. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the first Igbo man in modern Nigeria to earn a degree from any university and he was thus seen by his people as their tribune and champion. He rose to the occasion by championing their cause by founding newspapers that eulogised their achievements and their credo of political republicanism. With the combination of Azikiwe and H.O. Davies who had newly graduated from the London School of Economics as a lawyer, the NYM became a potent force in Nigerian nationalism with branches far and wide in the country. The emphasis of political agitation for the first time shifted from Lagos issues to such an issue as the right price of Cocoa in 1938 following attempts to depress the producer price by some European monopolies in West Africa. The election of 1938 in which the NNDP was worsted was therefore fought on economic issues rather than on political issues of the Lagos Obaship institution. Of course embedded in the Cocoa crisis were larger issues of political economy of a dependent and peripheral colony in the British Empire. The solid consensus of political activists soon broke asunder in 1941 when there was a vacancy in the Lagos Legislative Council following the resignation from the Council by Dr. K.A. Abayomi on his appointment to the Governor-General’s Executive Council. Two candidates from the NYM showed keen interest. One was Samuel Akinsanya, foundation member of the NYM and Secretary General of Nigerian Motor Transport Union, while the other was Ernest Ikoli, also a foundation member and President of the NYM and editor of its press organ the Daily Service. The rank and file seemed to have favoured Akinsanya who was also Azikiwe’s candidate and was therefore supported by members of the Ibo National Union. Ernest Ikoli on the other hand was supported by the grandees of the NYM including the up and coming Ibadan based Obafemi Awolowo among others. There was no election and Ernest Ikoli by acclamation was returned as candidate of the NYM and he subsequently won the 1941 election. This led to schism within the NYM. Azikiwe accused his opponents of tribalism, and left the party followed by many including his Igbo compatriots. Samuel Akinsanya left politics entirely to become a traditional ruler in Isara as Odemo. This marked the beginning of bitterness in electoral politics in Nigeria and presaged the bitterness between Azikiwe and Awolowo in subsequent years. The Akinsanya crisis was the first major manifestation of tribal tension that affected all subsequent efforts to achieve unity in Nigeria. The crisis was rather complex. Most of the established leaders of the nationalist movement

in Lagos resented the brash American journalistic campaign of Azikiwe and his West African Pilot and other regional papers of the same hue and o r i e n t a t i o n established by Azikiwe. Azikiwe’s entry into Lagos politics was seen as the attempt of a par Jide venu, upstart from Osuntokun nowhere, taking over leadership of a movement whose provenance he knew little of. Akinsanya was also resented as an Ijebu against whom some other Yorubas nursed animus because of their formidable economic position astride the North-South trade route from which they had historically benefited. The electoral crisis of 1941 was therefore caused by a conjunction of latent and immediate reasons that were to have reverberation in electoral politics of Nigeria for years to come. The result of the crisis was the destruction of the NYM as a formidable force in Nigerian politics as witnessed by the departure of Azikiwe from the NYM; H.O. Davies took a government appointment, as previously indicated Samuel Akinsanya became Odemo of Ishara and the NYM became moribund except for the Ibadan branch whose light flickered on under Obafemi Awolowo a minor produce buyer until 1943.

‘The solid consensus of political activists soon broke asunder in 1941 when there was a vacancy in the Lagos Legislative Council following the resignation from the Council by Dr. K.A. Abayomi on his appointment to the GovernorGeneral’s Executive Council’

These troubled times Can we blame Azazi and his cohorts? Since they are safe, they don’t give a hoot about the security of other Nigerians. For all they care, other Nigerians can be killed or maimed by the bomb throwing Boko Haram members. That is our leaders for you; highly uncaring and self-centered. With what is happening around the country today, a caring government would have taken measures to safeguard the people to ensure that they come to no harm. From all indications, Nigerians are on their own. Anyone, who wishes to protect himself and his family, has to provide his own security. This is why many people have resorted to the use of OPC and private security guards to protect themselves. The police and the soldiers are for those in power and others who can pay for their services. Many Nigerians are today not feeling the impact of government because it is too far from them. We sleep at night with our eyes wide open, while they are guarded by a contingent of security men. While we care about their security, they don’t bother about our own safety. Look at what is happening in Jos; see how the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has seized the nation by the throat. Jos, the once peaceful tin city, has become a killing field. The city has been burning, literally, since 2001 and 10 years on, there seems

‘People should not hide under religion to commit crime and think they can go scot free. If they are not brought to book, we will be setting a bad precedent. Inasmuch as I want a peaceful way out of the Boko Haram threat, we cannot afford to gloss over its members’ mindless acts in some parts of the country. We want peace but then there must also be justice’

to be no end in sight. What can we do to stop the Jos carnage? Is the situation beyond redemption? The situation is redeeemable only if we can be honest and frank in handling the matter. Some people were arrested in the past over these frequent crises. The suspects, many believed, would be made to face the law. But what happened? They were let off the hook because they had godfathers. Perhaps, if these people had been brought to justice we will not find ourselves still in this situation today. We cannot fold our hands and watch while some of our compatriots are killing themselves without a care in the world. This barbaric act must stop. But how do we stop it when nerves are still frayed? As I write this on Tuesday night, I won’t be surprised if in the early hours of Wednesday, my phone buzzes with a message coming in on fresh killings in Jos. The killings usually happen in the wee hours of the night when people are fast asleep. We can stop these killings by cracking down on the perpetrators who seem to believe that they are above the law. There is no doubt that the situation has become so messy that it is now a bit difficult to distinguish between the attacker and the victim. The natives are blaming the settlers; the farmers are accusing the cattle rearers and the christians are blaming the muslims and vice versa. Both sides have their own share of the blame. Since the killings began, no side can say it has not killed whether in self defence or in vengeance. This is why the crisis is escalating. If in anger we continue to practise the Mosaic

principle of an eye for an eye, soon we will find ourselves in a situation where all those feuding in Jos will become blind. As the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, moves to quell the Jos crisis in line with the presidential mandate given him on Monday, he should bear in mind that an all-out military action may not help matters. He has to adopt the carrot-and-stick approach. We need to face reality because the military too cannot absolve itself of blame from the Jos mayhem and related criminal act. Who masterminded the kidnap of the father of Mikel Obi? Some members of the military, of course. So, Petinrin has to do a balancing act in discharging his duties; otherwise, he may end up being accused of stoking a crisis he was mandated to stop. In the last 12 days, close to 100 people have been killed in Jos, most of them members of the same family. It is likely that their survivors may wish to seek revenge, but let us appeal to them to leave vengeance for God. This is why I am praying that Petinrin does not go there and play the soldier, or else, everything will go out of keel. Things are already out of joint anyway. What he is being asked to do is to ensure that, henceforth, we don’t hear of fresh killings again. Can he do it? I pray he succeeds. As for Boko Haram, the sect members appear to be waging a war against their country. Their grouse, they claim, is against western education. Good. If that is true, why don’t they simply withdraw their children from the so-called western schools and provide them with whatever education they deem suitable. But

Lawal Ogienagbon lawal.ogienagbon@thenationonlineng.net

the matter is not as simple as that. There is more to their grievances that we have not been told about. Don’t they think it is time they came out with whatever the problem is so that a solution can be found to it? The recourse to criminality will not help their cause, rather it will alienate them from the very people, who should show sympathy for them. Already, they have committed so many criminal acts which no government will close its eyes to. Was there a need to bomb the Police Headquarters? Was there a need to bomb the UN building? These are not acts which a group that is against western education should be engaged in. These are criminal acts punishable under the law. People should not hide under religion to commit crime and think they can go scot free. If they are not brought to book, we will be setting a bad precedent. Inasmuch as I want a peaceful way out of the Boko Haram threat, we cannot afford to gloss over its members’ mindless acts in some parts of the country. We want peace but then there must also be justice. Otherwise, we will only be left with peace of the graveyard. These frightful times shall come to pass. SMS ONLY: 08056504763

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

OVEREIGNTY is dead. Perhaps those who didn’t believe our leaders are just pawns in the hands of imperialist powers long after the publication of Peter Wright’s autobiography-‘The Spy Catcher’ which catalogued the activities of CIA and M15 some 50 years back, can now wake up from their illusion. WikiLeaks unflattering celebration of our leaders’ nakedness has brought that point home more vividly. Shell was only out to humour us when its executive claimed the multinational knows everything ‘about key decisions in government’ Why will a multinational owned by those who can from their base in the US analyze the soil content on which Aso Rock presidential villa is built be hesitant in monitoring a government they painstakingly installed? Therefore long before the emergence of Julian Assange along with his Chinese dissidents, and their terror machine, WikiLeaks, imperialist powers had surreptitiously taken over the affairs of government in most post-colonial states through multinationals like SHELL, UAC Lever Brothers and a host of others. With the support of willing and greedy elites, they effortlessly shuffle African leaders like a pack of cards. They are sacrificed whenever there is a general discontent and social upheavals which are often the consequences of the harsh economic policies they impose. The system takes care of those who disagree with their world view through a contrived intra-elite struggle or through outright assassination. In Ghana, Nkrumah was not their choice. He was brought from prison after Ghanaians had stubbornly voted him prime minister against the British preferred candidate. Nkrumah died in exile. In Congo, beyond Patrice Lumumba’s rhetoric, he had only about four years of formal education. He was labeled a communist and the imperialist powers supervised his execution while replacing him with Mobutu Sese Seko who enlisted in the military as a cook. For over 30 years, Mobutu was the darling of the imperialist power that exploited the wealth of Congo, the most mineral-endowed nation in the world to the detriment of people of the country. In Nigeria, the imperialist power resolved as far back as 1934 that Nnamdi Azikiwe could not become Nigeria post-independence leader because of what they catalogued as his personal failings. Obafemi Awolowo who after death, British politician claimed would have been a successful British Prime minister was labeled communist, a label that carried a death sentence in the cold war era. Tafawa Balewa the

Wikileaks and nakedness of our leaders representative of non-agitators from the north was British favourite. It is no more news that Britain preferred Ibrahim Babangida to Mohammadu Buhari on account of his structural Adjustment Programme that started the era of devaluation of our currency and the beginning of the exodus of our human resources, from intellectuals, doctors to engineers to the West in manner akin to ferrying of the best able men to plantations under a globalised economic model called slavery. We now know Obasanjo is the preference of the West after throwing our most prized economic resources – our population to importation of all our needs from outside. He became a regular visitor to George W Bush of US and Tony Blair of Britain. Of course, Yar’Adua and President Goodluck Jonathan fit into the West’s idea of archetypal good African leaders. WikiLeaks has merely told us the obvious. We know even without the West reminding us, that our leaders are a greedy bunch. This has been aptly demonstrated by the mess they made, first, of the West-imposed privatization and commercialization of public enterprises and our elite creation, the monetization of land mark properties like federal secretariats, legislators’ residential apartments, presidential mansions and other choice properties. The West may not openly identify with this barefaced stealing, but they have nothing to lose since some of the monetized properties will have to be replaced. The replacement will gulp a big chunk of the annual budget of a nation that imports virtually all building materials from steel to marbles directly or through local monopolists

As Nigerians, we know even without WikiLeaks revelations, the contempt the western nations have for our leaders; that PDP lacks most ingredients most political parties share and that PDP is ‘an agglomeration of interest groups’ without an ‘ideological consensus’ Beyond all this, if WikiLeaks and its major adversary, the West must be told, we know PDP was and still is a ‘house of scandals’. We have their indicted past political party leaders, indicted past Senate Presidents and Speakers of the National Assembly; indicted ex-ministers, some convicted PDP ex-governors as our evidence. More than the West who now pretend to love us, we know PDP is an arena where retired military Generals are locked up in a deadly war of attrition with ex Abacha politicians who once publicly proclaimed ‘Abacha today, Abacha tomorrow, and Abacha for ever’. If according to WikiLeaks, the American establishment dismissed Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, former Attorney General/minister of justice as a ‘thug’, it is their word. As Nigerians we don’t need outsiders to remind us of Aondoakaa’s war against EFCC and its former Director General, who was arrested on his graduation day for improper dressing and subsequently forced to seek refuge outside the country. We are also aware of the widely publicized allegation that James Ibori, now undergoing trial in Britain, secured relief from an Asaba High Court by virtue of being Aondoakaa’s former client. We don’t know if such actions, even if they are true, define a thug. Don’t we all know what was going on in the oil sector, long before Shell’s regional executive

Vice President for Africa, Ms Ann Sanders’ declaration that corruption in the oil sector is worsening and that ‘very interesting people who are not in the oil sector’ were lifting oil? We could not have easily forgotten the bitter court battle over oil commission between the late Coomassie and Alhaji Tofa, the NRC presidential candidate in the 1993 election. Above all, I think WikiLeaks and its sworn enemy, the American establishment can keep their views of our president to themselves. We knew from the onset that President Jonathan was weak and indecisive. We knew before his election, that a president, who for short term political gains, could not discipline Ayoka Adebayo, an INEC commissioner of “go to court fame’ after her disgraceful outing in Ado Ekiti, would need a threat from America to remove Maurice Iwu after his conduct of the worst election in our nation’s history. His deft maneuvering to secure his party’s ticket to run for office despite his party’s zoning policy that weighed heavily against him has prepared us for his recent resort to self help by cleverly easing out an independent minded President of the Appeal Court that may likely preside over an election petition against him. We could also not have easily forgotten that Turai Yar’Adua, CSO Yusuf Mohammed Tilde, Tanimu Yakubu, Yar’Adua’s chief economic adviser and others, were the people running the country during the last days of Yar’Adua. Our lamentation about the celebration of the nakedness of our political leaders in my view stemmed from a wrong assumption that they in any way were different from our traditional rulers that supported slavery as an economic model. Leaders who still think industrialised societies care about us, who cannot see that international economic relations are driven purely by Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest, who wholesomely embraced globalization, like their forebears serve only the West.

‘Don’t we all know what was going on in the oil sector, long before Shell’s regional executive Vice President for Africa, Ms Ann Sanders’ declaration that corruption in the oil sector is worsening and that ‘very interesting people who are not in the oil sector’ were lifting oil?’

VIEW FROM THE FOREIGN PRESS

NEW administration should herald a new dawn. That is what President Jonathan and his handlers call “fresh air”. Which other state in the federation would have needed fresh air other than Kwara State? This is Kwara State that had been under democratic dictatorship for close to four decades. This is a state whose fate for eight years was only determined by one family; a state living under a spell or a curse. In the 2011 general elections, opportunity presented itself for a qualitative change in the political leadership of the state. It was an opportunity mishandled by members of the political class opposed to continued dominance of the political space by the Saraki dynasty. The battle for the soul of Kwara in the general election of 2011 was between ACN and PDP, between breaking of new ground and maintenance of old order, and between change and continuity. We allowed continuity agenda to manipulate itself into the political leadership of the state again. We now must reap the fruits of continuation of poor leadership. With fanfare we have in this country elevated the first 100 days of tenure to an assessment sheet. Drums are usually rolled out; mass media are captured for congratulatory messages. In tenure of four years, we have more than 100 days in 14 places. Why some governors want to be assessed on the first 100 days I do not know. But I agree that, we can know the vision and policy direction of an administration within the first 100 days. Alhaji Abdul Fatah Ahmed, the 19th governor of Kwara State and successor to Bukola Saraki, did not package and market to the people of the state a new philosophy of how to govern. On bill boards and speeches, CONTINUITY was his programme, his mantra. What therefore we saw in Governor Bukola Saraki, is what we should expect in Governor Fatah Ahmed. And as the latter is a poor caricature of the former, we shall be in for a poorer leadership in the state. Specifically, in a state of over one and a half million peasant farmers, Saraki imported 14 farmers from Zimbabwe to farm for us and neglected millions of peasant farmers. Under Fatah, that neglect of peasant farmers must be expected to

Kwara’s legacy of poor leadership By Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo continue. Our money shall soon continue to be spent to sustain misplaced priority projects like school of aviation, football academy, metropolitan plaza etc. These are the contents of continuity agenda. Between Governor Fatah and Saraki there is a synergy of poor preparation for office that borders on an ignorance of the magnitude of assignment leadership imposes on them. Shortly after his election in 2003, Saraki dispatched his commissioners to their local government areas of origin to ask for their preferred projects that government must execute for them. In an article then, I accused the governor of presenting his manifesto to the people after election. This governor too, in the same tradition did not offer anything other than this continuity agenda. It is after election that he now thinks of creating 2000 jobs. That was never part of his initial thought as I believe he is forced to do this token as a result of what is going on now in Ekiti, Oyo, Osun and indeed other states of progress. Rauf Aregebesola in Osun State within 100 days created 20,000 jobs. Governor Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti State created 5,000, while Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo talks of 10,000 jobs. In Kwara 2000 jobs among more than 500,000 unemployed or underemployed youths is not qualified to be called a drop of water in an ocean. Yet that is part of the celebration of 100 days. In July, our new helmsman also organized a policy retreat at Radission Blu Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The purpose was to establish policies which should drive governance in the next four years. Mrs. Ifueko Omogui-Okauru , chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), speaking on state funding and internal revenue generation options, identified challenges before the governor on internally generated revenue as “weak internal tax system, low IGR profile, to the neglect of internal revenue opportunities,

weak local economy as leakages in the system”. She challenged local government councils to find creative ways of generating revenue at the local level. This woman further advised the governor to focus on taxation to raise more revenue. Policy retreat, economic or education summit of these people have never worked and can never work as they are not rooted in solid understanding of objective reality of Kwara environment and situation. For the eight years of Saraki as Governor of Kwara, internally generated revenue did not amount to more than 20% of the total revenue of the state. That was the situation he met and that was the situation he left. Yet the present governor was for the better part of that tenure, the Finance Commissioner. We should brace up for a continuation of a poorer edition of what used to be. If the government for some years boasts of monthly half a billion naira internally generated revenue, the bulk of this comes from sales of land. When Omogui-Okauru advised that the state should “focus on taxation to raise more revenue”; what aspect of the state economy will be taxed to raise more revenue? Is it the manufacturing sector whose mortality rate in the country may be the highest? Or, the building industry, which for some years now, remains the preserve of the tiny but powerful elites in government? Or is it the people of Kwara State, who for these years have never been mobilized for productivity? There is a correlation between government motivations of citizenry for productivity and people’s commitment to taxation policy. If you cannot motivate people to work and produce, taxation by government is seen as unjust, wicked and untenable.. If for eight years Kwara State’s internally generated revenue could not climb higher than 20% in the economic ladder, it shall predictably be so in the next four years under

this continuity agenda. The core of continuity philosophy is that billions of naira come to Kwara State from federation account monthly, why motivate Kwarans for productivity? For the three months of May, June, and July, Kwara State government earned from federation account a little over sixteen billion (16 billion) naira. The federal revenue for the month of July shared in August, gave close to N11billion to Kwara State. As we celebrate “100 days of success”, we used the bulk of this money to fill potholes, repair water works and boreholes and sink motorised and hand pump boreholes. The road that are being patched are as a result of shoddy works of the immediate past administration and the boreholes whether now sunk or repaired shall cease to perform shortly after commissioning. That has always been the experience here. Part of the achievements of 100 days in office is to send hundreds of Kwarans and nonKwarans to Umrah for prayers. If all that our government of continuity can do is to send people to Umrah, Holy pilgrimage to Mecca or Jerusalem, how will that grow the economy of the state as sermonised by Professor Ken Ife, a World Bank/ ECOWAS consultant at the policy retreat summit in Lagos? These people are only in the habit of gathering experts to talk, they are wanting in the implementation of consultants’ opinions. Mrs. Omogui-Okauru gave one opinion which the facilitators of the retreat knew they never can buy. She challenged Local Government Council to find “creative ways of generating revenue at the local government level”. She was perhaps unknowingly talking to a group that had paralysed developments at the Local councils for the past eight years. And just because we are into continuity agenda, deductions of local government funds that cripple developments in the 16 councils continue as usual. If how we start a race has a bearing on how we end it and if the foundation of a house has bearing with the strength of the whole structure, the future of the continuity agenda is hopeless for the people of Kwara State. • Oyedepo is an Ilorin-based legal practitioner.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NATION SPORT

NFF shuns Siasia, Enyeama row T HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will not dabble into the much publicised fallout between Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. Enyeama was dropped from the

Nigeria squad that beat Madagascar 2-0 in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on September 4 after he protested against the team’s travel arrangements. He also missed the 3-1 friendly defeat to Argentina in Dhaka,

YSFON president, Ojulari dies at 63

HE National President Youths Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), Alhaji Jamiu Tunde Ojulari is dead. Aged 63, the deceased was born into the family of Elemosho, Oke-Ode, Ifelodun local government area of Kwara state. The late sports administrator died in his home, Ilorin, the Kwara state capital at about 8.30pm on Tuesday having taken ill for about one month. The cause of his death is not known but late Ojulari might have died from diabeties or high blood pressure related aliment. He was interred at his Ilorin home yesterday according to Islamic rites. Sports administrators, aficionados, friends, relations as well as professional colleagues attended his burial ceremony. Married to two wives, Khadirat and Sherifat, with three children Abdul Rasheed, Waheed, Silifat survived the late YSFON president. He was the pioneer chairman of Kwara state branch of YSFON

•Buried yesterday From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

which he founded in 1980. Elder sister of the deceased, Hajia Binta Dikko said her late brother was large-hearted and accommodating. She prayed that Allah would forgive his sins. Hajia Risikat Bello Alarape the last born of Ojulari’s mother said “I lost a darling, a sweet heart. I have lost everything in life. My very loving and kind Tunde is gone.” Reacting to his death, the Vice President, YSFON, Alhaji Mustapha Allah-Dey amidst tears, described his death as sudden and painful. Allah-Dey, former member, Kogi state House of Assembly, added that “I’m expected to be in Lagos according to him. Last week I was here and he said I would be travelling to Lagos today, Benin next week and straight to Akwa Ibom state. I never knew it was a farewell message.”

Bangladesh on September 6. The Lille Metropole goalkeeper has since apologised to the coach and his teammates but Siasia was quoted in a local website on Tuesday saying that even though he has accepted the apology, it was now left for the NFF to decide the fate of the player. “I have received and accepted his apology,” said the Eagles handler. “It was very unfortunate that the incident happened before our departure. I dropped the player because I was afraid of his state of mind before such an important match. “But it is now left for the federation to decide on his future with the team,” Siasia said. Siasia has a well-documented history of falling out with big players in his teams. He has had spats with John Mikel Obi, Osaze Odemwingie and Dickson Etuhu who has vowed never to play for Nigeria as long as Siasia remains in the saddle. The NFF has, however, differed with the coach on the issue insisting that the matter is within his purview. Spokesman of the NFF, Ademola Olajire said "the Federation is too busy to get involved in petty issues like that." “That is not an issue for (the NFF) to dabble into. The federation is too busy for that. “It is left for the coach, the players and other members of the team to decide whether or not they still want Vincent (Enyeama) in the team,” Olajire told SuperSport.com.

Keshi targets returnasTogoCoach N

IGERIAN-BORN football manager Stephen Keshi has applied to coach Togo national team, five years after he historically qualified the Sparrow Hawks for their

first ever World Cup at the Germany 2006. The 49-year-old former Super Eagles captain returned to coach the team in 2007 before leaving to manage Mali

between 2008 and 2010 and then returning to Togo for a brief spell early this year. Togo are currently without a head coach after Frenchman Thierry Froger

•Ajani Ibrahim

Ijebu Ode and their environs to turn out in large numbers to support Sunshine Stars as they move to the last four of the competition in style. The match against JSK is a do or die affair and we are not taking anything for granted at all. We left for Abeokuta for close camping exercise. We are motivated to win the match for Nigerians and most especially our soccer-loving governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko who has been our pillar thus far. We will throw all within our armoury out in our bid to get a very good result on Saturday.” Ajani’s four goals were scored against Tiko United of Cameroun, USFA of Burkina Faso, DC Motema Pembe of the DR Congo and the face-saving equalizer in their 1-1 home draw with MAS Fez of Morocco. Meanwhile, the Executive director, Ondo State Football Development Agency, Mike Idoko has also declared the Match Day 6 tie with JS Kabylie of Algeria as a Cup final which he expects Sunshine Stars to surmount if they want to gladden the heart of

Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko for his generosity to the team. According to him, “ The match is like a Cup final. The governor promised the players that he would have dinner with them if they qualify for the semi final and that if they book a passage to the final he will be there live in both matches. Before the match against Motema Pembe in Congo DR the governor phoned every member of the team and he told them to ensure that they strive for the best result on offer since they are representing not just Ondo State but Nigeria as a whole. He told them he would host them to a dinner and this has been fixed for after this match against JS kabylie on Saturday. Governor Mimiko said that he would celebrate Sunshine Stars and that he is their number one supporter and that he doesn’t have any other team besides Sunshine. Even at Federal Executive Council Meeting he is always proud to say that Sunshine is his favourite club and that he would ensure he turns it to a marketable brand. The Sunshine Stars of Nigeria’s Saturday opponent in the CAF Confederation Cup tie Algerian side, JS Kabylie arrived Nigeria yesterday ahead of the match billed for the Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu Ode. The North African will try to avoid another loss in Nigeria after Sunshine dimmed them 2-1 in Algiers when it was first played some weeks back courtesy of goals from Sunday Emmanuel and Atanda Sakibu.

Samsung Soccer Championship kicks off today in Lagos

S part of its corporate social responsibility, Samsung Nigeria Plc is staging a threeday socceer championship with eight teams expected to jostle for honours starting today. Speaking at the press briefing to unveil programme for the company's week, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Nicholas Shin said the competition was part of the company's CSR to nurture youths to reach their full potential in football. "Samsung is very passionate about

ANO Pillars Coach, Ladan Bosso is optimistic that the Super Eagles’ 2-0 victory away to Madagascar and 1-3 loss to Argentina in the Bangladesh friendly are the main ingredients that would propel the Nigerian team to victory against Guinea come October 8, 2011 in Abuja. “I am happy that Samson Siasia won the match against Madagascar and also made use of make shift team to prosecute the Argentina friendly. As a coach there are many positives in the two marches that will be handy to beat Guinea in Abuja for the Africa Nations Cup ticket. “Firstly Siasia has done well despite

•Ondo Government promises club goodies •As Algerian club arrives Nigeria From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

football and the importance of grassroots football development to sharpen youths' technical ability. As part of our CSR, the grassroots football competition is Samsung's contribution towards nurturing the youths to reach full potential in football," he said. The invitational grassroots tournament will be played in two cities - Lagos and Port Harcourt with Lagos kick-starting the tournament today. In the draw conducted yesterday, Tosban FC of Bariga will confront Daniel Olukoya FC of Yaba, while the

second match will be between Junior Milan FC and Colins Edwin FC of Lagos Island. In other matches scheduled for today, Cliques Sports Academy will face Surulere Grassroots FC, while RistonNego FC of Mushin clash against Bright Star FC of Apapa. Winner of each match will confront one another in the semifinal clash tomorrow while the third place and final matches hold on Friday. Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

Utaka begs for more action

DENSE striker Peter Utaka has asked Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia for more playing time so he could reproduce club form for country. The highly-rated Utaka told MTNFootball.com that his goals for the Eagles have suddenly dried up while he continues to score freely at his Danish club because he has not enjoyed much playing time with the national team. “You will see that I have not been given much playing time in the team of recent. The last time I played against Argentina I think I played like five, 10 minutes,” he revealed “There is a big difference starting a game or having like 45 minutes to play than coming in as a substitute for the last five or 10 minutes. So there is no way you can just settle down in time to score goals in such limited time. “It’s not that easy at this level to get goals in a few minutes of play. Those other players who have enough time to play have warmed up and could get the goals than me who has just been introduced for the last 10 minutes. He added: “But I can’t blame the coach (Samson Siasia) because he has at his disposal a lot of strikers for any match. I just need to wait for the time I will get enough playing time to start scoring again. “I am even very grateful to him for picking me for the national team. But I am pleading for more playing time and I won’t disappoint him.”

The prolific Utaka, who has scored four goals since he made his international debut in March 2010, returned to scoring ways with his club at the weekend. “I came home from the national team after our matches in Madagascar and Bangladesh and played for Odense on Saturday just a day on returning to the club. I came in the second half to play 45 minutes and we won 3-1.

“I came home on Friday and on Saturday we had to play and the coach told me that since I had a hectic and stressful journey I have to start on the bench. We were a goal down when I entered. I then created the first goal, scored the second and also had a hand in the third goal. “The more time you have to play gives you the more chances to score goals.”

conducted Wednesday afternoon by a new electoral committee. An Abuja High Court recently ruled for a re-run of the NPL elections. The immediate task for Baribote is to ensure a resolution of the dispute over the title sponsorship of the NPL as well as the vexed issue of the revenue due the league from their various sponsors and partners. Baribote will also have to work overtime to return public and corporate confidence in the NPL after a long-drawn squabble over their leadership, which was dragged to court against FIFA statutes. The 2010/2011 league season still has four rounds of matches to be played after it was temporarily halted without any notice as a result of international engagements of several of the clubs as well as a clash with Federation Cup matches.

Baribote is new NPL boss AYELSA United chairman Victor Rumson Baribote has been elected unopposed as chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL). Baribote led a dogged fight for over a year to unseat Davidson Owumi, who an arbitration panel ruled was not eligible to contest for the NPL polls. Fifteen of the 20 clubs from last season’s NPL were in attendance at Wednesday morning’s vote ordered by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Abuja. The absentees were Gateway FC, Sunshine Stars, 3SC, Enyimba and Warri Wolves. Also elected Wednesday was Mohammed Abdulazeez of Ranch Bees of Kaduna as Chairman of Chairmen of the NPL. The NPL board announced Tuesday that the elections will be

Eagles look good for Nations Cup ticket —Bosso

Tie with JS Kabylie a must win- Sunshine Stars UNSHINE Stars FC Striker, Ajani Ibrahim has declared the club Saturday’s CAF Confederation Cup encounter with JS Kabylie of Algeria as a do or die affair for the Mimiko Boys if they wish to build on their impressive results in the second rated African club competition which they are marking their maiden appearance. Ajani who has netted four goals for the Nigerian reps told NationSport that all the players in the Ondo Government sponsored team know what is at stake on Saturday and they are hoping to get a good result against the whipping Boys of the Group. He assured soccer-loving people of

stood down in the wake of the team’s elimination from the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Indigenous assistant coach Tchanilé Tchakala handles the team in the interim and is also one of the top favourites for the post. “We have received a multitude of applications from around the world. Among the serious candidates, one can find Europeans and Africans,” Togo Football Federation (FTF) spokesperson Amavi Patatu said today in Lome. “In this lot, is obviously the name of the current interim coach of the Hawks, Tchanilé Tchakala, and former coach Stephen Keshi who led us to our first World Cup,” he said. The return of Keshi stirs mixed feelings in the West African nation, with fans divided on whether to adventure with the interim coach, bring in a new hand or give the Nigerian another chance. “Keshi is a great coach, he has done a lot of things for us here in Togo, but I don’t think many Togolese will be enthusiastic about his return because there is the general feeling here that Keshi has done his best and has nothing more prove,” Joachin Anani, a Lomebased sports journalist journalist told SuperSport.com. “Despite what some people feel or say, there is one evidence – Stephen Keshi is the only coach that has brought a revolutionary change to our football, so I think it’s better to deal with the devil you know than the angel you haven’t seen,” Hypolith Ajoura, an Abidjan-based Togolese and member of the Sparrow Hawks supporters club said.

•Peter-Utaka

From Patrick Ngwaogu, Abuja the little crisis in the team before the match and still went ahead to win the match and now brightened the chance of Nigeria to be in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. I am also happy that the misunderstanding has been resolved in the team. “The match against Madagascar brought out the best in some players that were not really in the fist team like Dele Aiyenugba and Elderson Echiejile while mostly understudy players in the team that were paraded against a very strong side Argentina proved themselves in the match and

NIGERIA/GUINEA TIE

Okoronkwo expresses optimism

S Amiesimaka Sports Complex will attract high profile events —Rivers Sport boss T HE Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Barrister Fred Mbombo Igwe has noted that the Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka sports complex will attract high profile sports competitions after completion. Speaking during his first facility tour to the venue after about one month in the office, the commissioner said that there are already offers coming from various sporting federations in the country who wish to use the place to host sporting events and this he called 'the product of the 17th national sports festival'. Fielding questions on how to ensure that the complex is properly put to use, Barrister Fred said that the state government will not hesitate in granting the use of the facility to those that would require its use. "They will come naturally when they know that there is a facility like this. We already have similar offers from different federations of sports at the national level to use it to host one event or the other and that is the product of the 17th national sports festival. "This is one of the best sports complexes in Africa and they will want to make use of it. We will not need to beg them, they

•Say Complex Might be Ready for Dolphins' CAF Games From Florence Nkem Israel, Port Harcourt will be begging us to host event here and why not? we will simply oblige them and the stadium will be busy. "So you can't put a structure like this on ground without thinking of how to maintain it and what we will do is to suggest to the state government maintenance strategies because we cannot sustain this place without maintenance". Speaking further on the level of work done at the site and the possibility of Dolphins playing continental games at the venue, the commissioner eulogizing the Rivers governor for the complex said all it takes is to drive the contractors to work harder and it will be actualized. "The job is magnificent and I did not expect anything less from the state governor because he is a man who is not afraid to undertake any project. The level of work done so far is impressive; all we need to do is to drive them to work faster

because we are in a hurry to deliver this to the world. "Naturally, when people are driven, there is always an increased speed but after the purpose is achieved, there is a natural tendency that there will be relaxation. All we need to do is to drive the contractors and the strategic things will be done. "It’s a world class sporting arena. It’s a complete sports complex built to take care of all the various sporting events. If you also know that we used this stadium for the 17th national sports festival then you will also know that Dolphins continental games is achievable; but at the end of the day, the Sports Ministry and His Excellency will sit down to determine where Dolphins will use but we will be much happy that we use this complex as a means of showcasing Nigeria to the world, at least that we have arrived in terms of sporting facilities", said the sports boss.

UPER Eagles striker Solomon Okoronkwo has expressed optimism on the ability of the Senior national team to pick the sole ticket in the Group B qualifiers of the Africa Nations Cup. Speaking with NationSport from his Norway base, the former Junior International said the Guineans does not have what it takes to stop Nigeria from making it to the most glamorous competition in Africa holding in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year. According to him, "Nigerians should be rest assured that we would pick that ticket. The most stiffer task was winning in Madagascar which was what we have achieved. The task in Abuja is that which must be accomplished, and we have no option than to do that for Nigerians, who have been so supportive to us". Speaking further, the Aalesund FC of Norway striker said " we as players have no option than to make Nigerians happy, and we have resolved to make just that when we meet the Sylis stars in Abuja. I want to tell you that whenever I put on the national colours, I feel the passion of all Nigerians always. That is why I work extra hard whenever on national assignments, I don't think I can be where I am today, if not for Nigeria, so I must be ready to serve the country at whatever level when called upon. I don't think I have any other country to my own if not Nigeria". On why he did not live up to expectations in the match against Argentina, the China Olympic Silver

From Patrick Ngwaogu, Abuja medalist said "I did put in my best in that match, only that it may not have been visible to those watching. I never wanted the Argentines to overwhelm us in any department, so I was withdrawing very deep to the midfield and defence to help out. That was why it seems that I was not so visible in the game. But I thank God, the Coaches really appreciated this". He promised to continue to make his services available for the country whenever called upon Solomon Okoronkwo won silver medals in both the U-20 World cup in 2005 and 2008 Olympic Games in China.

•Okoronkwo

have now stake a bold and a very strong claim to the first team shirt in the team. “This is good and I would say it is a very good headache or problem for Siasia as regards selection. The coach is now faced with the problem of having many good players at his disposal for selection. So I believe Guinea is in trouble come October as a result of healthy competition in the Eagles fold now. Sincerely speaking I commend Siasia for a good job done so far in the team The orientation in the team is different now because there is dedication, commitment and fight for a regular team shirt in the Eagles now which is good for the country. “I strongly believe that Guinea will fall when they visit Abuja for the last leg of the Africa Nations Cup qualifier. “I will also stress that fatigue and jetlag were responsible for the Eagles 1-3 loss to Argentina because the Nigerian lads played a good match

against the World best player Lionel Messi led Argentina. I am also using this medium to urge Nigerians to support Siasia in this assignment to pick the Nations Cup ticket which I believe will help Nigerians a great deal since football has become a great passion to everybody in the country”, Bosso pleaded.

•Bosso

Heineken Launches New UCL Campaign •A season full of spectacular moments

REMIUM international beer brand Heineken yesterday in Lagos announced the launch of its new campaign for the ongoing UEFA Champions League season, titled ‘Legendary Football’. The eagerly awaited campaign, centered around two new films featuring UEFA Champions League legends, which aims to showcase how the UEFA Champions League, the world’s most prestigious and high-profile club competition, and Heineken, the world’s leading premium beer brand, combine to create spectacular artistry that fans around the world can enjoy. Starring five highly-respected footballers, Gianluigi Buffon, Rene Adler, Patrick Vieira, Clarence Seedorf and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who between them have played over 350 Champions League matches, and Heineken’s ‘’ Legendary Football’ aims to highlight the ‘stage’ of magical moments that UEFA Champions League and football legends create. Last night, (Wednesday 14th Sept 2011) at a crowded media briefing at the Heineken Champions Planet House, the Marketing Director Nigerian

Breweries, Mr. Jacco Van der Linden said: “As a long-term partner of the UEFA Champions League, Heineken understands the magic of the tournament and the masterpiece moments which make it so special. Legendary Football captivates the excitement of the very best that club football has to offer and the enjoyment of these high standards is something that Heineken has in common with football enthusiasts”. The most high-profile edits of the films are two 30 seconds television advertisements, supported by a series of break ‘bumpers’ that will be broadcast in over 180 countries worldwide. The ‘Opera’, the first of the two endorsements, revolves around a compelling moment as AC Milan’s stand -in-captain, Seedorf, lines up to take a shot at goal keeper Buffon, filmed in the stunning setting of a beautiful European opera house. The second video, ‘Pantheon’, takes place in the more historical, spectacular setting of an ancient Roman gladiatorial ring, where Vieira and Van Nistelrooy compete to win a header at Adler’s goal.

THE NATION

EDUCATION

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com

email:- education@thenationonlineng.com

Over the years, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has created a reputation for itself. This reputation suffered a setback, with its controversial release of two conflicting results for the May/June 2011 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) last month. WAEC has tried to explain how this self-inflicted burden came about, but pupils, their parents and teachers do not believe its story. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA reports.

•Candidates writing a WAEC-conducted examination

WAEC’s conflicting results: An error or a deliberate act? F

OR years, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) ran a seamless operation. It conducted examinations and released results without fuss. WAEC results are recognised worldwide because of the integrity of the body. Those who tried to fake its results in the past had a sad story to tell as they were found out. Because of the body’s reputation, many have come to believe that nothing can go wrong with its system. How wrong they are. Last month, WAEC’s integrity was shaken. It released conflicting results of candidates who sat for the May/June 2011 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). Since the incidcent, WAEC has been under fire. The Federal Government, worried by the development, has vowed to get to the root of the matter. On August 10, WAEC released the first version of the results after the Head of National Office (HNO) in Nigeria, Dr Iyi Uwadiae, said in Abeokuta, Ogun State, that it was ready. But a few weeks later, there was an outcry over the posting of another set of results on WAEC’s website. On checking the website, many candidates discovered that their results had changed. A candidate with centre number

•Stakeholders lash out at exam body 4240501 and number 023 said in the first results, he made C6 in English and C4 in Mathematics, but in the second set, he was given D7 in English and C6 in Mathematics. Many candidates thronged WAEC, Minna office in Niger State, to ascertain which version of the results is authentic. For some candidates, the first results were better and for others, the second results favoured them. Yet, others were graded in subjects they did not sit for. This prompted WAEC to shut down its website to avoid further embarrassment. WAEC’S Director, Public Affairs, Mr Yusuf Ari, said in an August 31 statement that the discrepancy was the result of errors traced to workers while updating results. Part of the statement reads: “The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) May/ June 2011 results were released on August 10, with some pending/outstanding results. “Subsequently, there was a need to update some outstanding results. However, due to human error that was traced to some workers, the result update altered the already released results.

“The Council wishes to allay the fears of stakeholders and assure them that WAEC does not ‘upgrade’ results as has been reported. The results remain as they were released on August 10. “The Council hereby informs the public that the May/June 2011 WASSCE results can be accessed on the website or from the hard copies of results sent to school. “The Council also wishes to state that officers connected with the error would be appropriately sanctioned.” When Uwadiae appeared before the Minister of State for Education, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, he admitted the defect, saying an investigative panel was working to get to the root of the error, which was said to have been caused by some yet-to-be-identified workers. He upheld the first results released on August 10 as authentic. Who are the unidentified workers and what error did they commit, which altered legion of candidates’ results? When our reporter visited some public and private schools in Lagos, many teachers kicked against what they described as a “baseless excuse”

by WAEC. They said if WAEC desired to be above board, it was high time it fished out the racketeers in its fold. During an interactive session with teachers in a public school in Ojo last weekend, the doctoring of results by some unscrupulous WAEC officials took the centre stage. The teachers argued that WAEC needed to weed out bad eggs in its fold, if it must survive its present ordeal. It remains to be seen how WAEC intends to get out of this problem, amid claims by candidates, teachers and educationists that such alterations had occurred in the past. According to them, it was on a smaller scale involving those who could pay. Though this is the first time the problem has got to the public domain, the teachers claimed it was not the first time such was noticed. They added that the alleged perpetrators do not influence the two compulsory subjects: Mathematics and English, but complementary subjects that candidates desperately need. “We’ve always seen them do it (alteration of results) over the years,” said a source. “But it’s like this time around, luck ran out on them that was why the bubble burst. God ac-

tually wanted to expose the racketeers that perpetrate these things in the Computer Room. Otherwise, how can an error which occurred in the result of a candidate online affect thousands of others. Such a mistake is too expensive for a computer to make. They are talking as if operating a computer is their exclusive right. Everybody knows how to operate a computer, even a six-yearold child. So, what are they talking about? If they want to substantiate their claim, let them bring out a computer in public before everyone of us and explain how the errors occurred.” The teachers claimed that candidates can undertake such alterations from the WAEC Computer Room, but warned that “the venture is extremely difficult as the candidate needs to know someone, who knows someone...who knows the right ‘materials’ that can alter results in the Computer Room”. They added that many candidates are often swindled in their desperation to shop for the right person. However, if successful, the results are adjusted online. “So, by the time the results are released online, the subjects earlier •Continued on Page 26

•BABCOCK, AUCHI POLY LEAD WEB RANKING - Page 27 • ‘DISTANCE LEARNING IS THE FUTURE’ - Page 38

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDUCATION A Christ’s School alumnus, Okanseye Ajetumobi, writes on the significance of returning to his alma mater for a visit.

Imperatives of Home Coming: Christ’s School experience

VERY institution has characteristic culture and traditions which kind of make the setting of colleges to be different from one another. What makes the conventional practices in one clime to be unique is the extent to which the phenomenon has positively impacted on the the respective constituencies. In other words, if an establishment has achieved the desired result deploying a structured tradition, is a different ball game. Nonetheless, this implies and underscores the fact that every system works! This brings into perspective the concept of homecoming which is a lasting tradition associated with High Schools and Colleges, predominantly in Europe and America. Home Coming (HC) is a periodic opportunity for interested alumni to return to their old school largely at secondary school level, while it is not uncommon at University level as well. In America, for example, it is always a week long activity, tagged school spirit week. At secondary school level, it is all fun without scheduled meetings; whereas at university level, it is a mix of fun and strategic sessions for participating alumni. Typically, reunions of old classmates and schoolmates are held around the time of such event to bring together as many old students as possible. Christ's School Ado-Ekiti (The School) is one of the oldest, privileged and highly respected Schools in Nigeria. Its establishment was pioneered in 1933 by Archdeacon Dallimore, who tended the school till 1944, when he left. Venerable Dallimore was then called High Master by the colonial government, the nomenclature for head of middle schools. The school was then called Ekiti Middle School until the Governor General of the federation of Nigeria, Governor Burdillon changed the name to Christ’s School in 1947 when he was on a working visit to the old Ondo province. This was the year Canon L Mason became the Proncipal. Over the years, the institution means a lot to those who have passed through the School and allowed the lasting values of the school to pass through them. It means different things to various constituencies, yet one common denominator is the fact that an average old student is ever proud to say I attended Christ's School. This is why at every opportunity the signature greeting of 'up school' becomes handy when old students fraternize irrespective of class or set. As a matter of fact this comraderie often draw admiration from people

•The drive-in to Christ’s School on the crest of ‘oke agidimo’. The semi-circular building is the School Library upgraded by some alumni

and jealousy in some quarters. The School for an example can be classified as my 'family School'. My father was among the early students in 1936 with registration number 36/060. My older brother was there in mid 1970s, likewise my younger sister gained admission in 1978/79 session about the same time I did my Higher School Certificate course. God willing, if the alumni in conjunction with Ekiti Anglican Diocese succeed in getting the school back to the Church of Nigeria, Ekiti Diocese (Anglican Communion), I will encourage one of my children to attend the school and make it three successive generations of Adetunmbis who attended the school. The school runs in many families, mine is not an exception. For the past five years, there is a robust e-forum, christschoolhsc7881@yahoogroups.com for two HSC sets, which is an expanded platform to accomodate every alumnus who was in the school within that period as part of an ongoing strategic networking forum. When I received a call from Mr Olabisi Olawole a.k.a. Sinbad, my

senior in the school and onetime president of Christ's School Alumni Associstion (CSAANA), Atlanta Chapter, inviting me to anchor the coordination of the Planning Committee for the fourth HC, naturally with gladness of heart I accepted the bounden duty. It is the fourth Homecoming initiative of the Platinum Club, an initiative promoted by CSAANA. The president of the Atlanta Chapter during 2011 HC is Mrs Wura Ajibade (nee Ajayi). Like the typical Homecoming and in tune with the earlier held ones, it is going to be interactive. It will provide avenue for the international meeting of various old students worldwide. Other members of the fourth Homecoming Central Planning Committee are Professor Temitope Ojo, Akin Areola, Dr Gboyega Adesokan, Taye Seriki, Alfred Ologuntoye, Kayode Afolabi, Gbenga Alaketu, Rev Muyiwa Awe, Mrs Toyosi Omope, Mrs Mujidat Ladipo, Mrs Foluso Ojo, Mrs Funke Falodun, Tunde Aina, Sanya Haastrup, A Ogunfeibo and Gbenga Ajayi. This is with the privilege of having eminent advisers among the elders of the alumni.

‘The essence of the spirit week is to pump up all ranks of participants to showcase the school's pride and team spirit. Homecoming also provides an avenue for fund raising’

Sporting events feature in typical HC. Soccer, which happens to be one of the areas the school excelled in the Principal's Cup football competition of the old western region, will feature in 2011 HC. The planned Spirit Week will include a kind of pep rally, a day before the soccer match to rev students up. It is one opportunity for old boys to replicate the traditional evening football set played around Babamboni, Mason, Harding and Dillimore blocks in those days. The essence of the spirit week is to pump up all ranks of participants to showcase the school's pride and team spirit. Homecoming also provides an avenue for fund raising. Christ's School has its own share of dilapidated school buildings and accessories. The last time I was in my block in Babamboni House, it was shocking to see the extent of the poor state of infrastructures. Also the low point during pre-Homecoming visit to the school on September 1, 2011 was the uninspiring state of some of the classes though quite a number of the very old structures maintained the vintage looks and are spirit lifting. Through efforts of some old students, few dormitory blocks have been brought up to standard. HC this year should provide an avenue to take stock and explore 'fund raiser' windows of opportunities. In some instances where HC is marked, a day is set aside as the celebrity day for a select of admired citizens for what they contribute to

the society such that children could have opportunity to interact with them and ask questions. This year’s Homecoming is structured to celebrate the old students who have done the Alumni proud. In this category are old students who got federal and state government appointments on merit and others who have excelled in their careers. Those who made the 2011 HC recognition list include Dr Segun Aganga, Minister of Trade & Investment; Prof Bolaji Aluko, Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Otuoke and Dr Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State Governor among others. Generally, the priority of the fourth HC is to rev up harmony among alumni, raise endowment fund, network for empowerment among alumni and strategise on how to effectively facilitate the return of the school back to the mission. In essence, alumni should be able to come together and constitute a team to work with the Anglican Diocese. Essentially ours is a customised Homecoming by replicating a typical Homecoming in the contemporary world and adapting it to suit our culture and the reality of our environment. In all, this HC should be fun, build vibrant team, facilitate harmony among alumni, be progressive, raise funds and nostalgic in the final analysis. The climax of the fourth Homecoming starts with a Banquet on the evening of Saturday October 15, 2011 and ends with thanksgiving service at the School Chapel on Sunday October 16, 2011 at 9am. Christ's School is a phenomenon and an institution which stood out in the colonial days and was a force to reckon with in the old Western Region. It is no gain saying that such institution that drew children of elites across the nation has influence far beyond the host community and state. Consequently, an all inclusive alumni association must be managed distinctly by conducting their affairs such that it will not only set pace for other schools but constitute the magnet that will draw all ranks of old students together in harmony. Indeed in the spirit of the school anthem, Christ is our corner stone, on His alone we build, students and alumni world wide just have to 'walk the walk' it is the minmum we can give back in returns to the grace of the goodwill of the school which we all enjoy as a going concern. Up School!! Long live The School Long live Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti

WAEC’s conflicting results: An error? •Continued from Page 25

failed must have been adjusted,” another source added. An educationist, Dr Anthony Ashinwo, said the development has validated what his students usually tell him but he never believed. “I’ve heard of result alteration in the past from my students. Some students believe so much that results can be altered simply because they can settle at the computer unit, but I’d always felt it’s not possible. “What WAEC needs is not an inquiry because I’m afraid it will be frustrated by its officials who have been profiting from the racket. What they need is to invite external members to conduct a flow charting. It needs to start from the examination hall, to collation centre and other units to find out where the leakages are. If there are loopholes, then they should discontinue the method they are using and adopt another one,” he said. Ashinwo, the publisher of Edutimes,

which organises the annual education award one of which category is the Best Candidate in the WASSCE, lamented that in the past three years, he had repeatedly made overtures to WAEC to forward the name of the best candidate each year to him, to no avail. “Over the last three years, I have been asking WAEC to send me the name of their outstanding candidate for me to authenticate and defend the result before the world. They (WAEC) will ask me to pay N15,000 which I’ve done for three years now. Yet, at no time did they give me the result. If they don’t have anything they are hiding, why are they turning down my request every year? At a point, I wanted to sue them because I have all the receipts with me,” he said. Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, Dr Sijibomi Olusanya shares Ashinwo’s sentiment. He said: “It is possible that such a

thing is happening, yet it is difficult to confirm since no one has been caught red-handed. However, I will urge the panel to do a thorough job. If the panel is not serious, nothing will come out of the investigation. I will also advise government’s involvement in this issue to get the whole truth.” However, the Provost, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Otto/Ijanikin, Mr Olalekan Wasiu Bashorun, called for caution, saying WAEC should be given more time to complete its investigation. “I don’t think WAEC can do such a thing. We have known them for many years. However that does not rule out the fact that some of their officials cannot compromise. But wherever the fault lies, let’s give the panel it set up enough time. I believe we will all see the light,” he said. •Additional report by Kofoworola BeloOsagie

“Don’t mind the flood, son ... here comes your ‘school bus’!”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDUCATION

Babcock, Auchi Poly lead web ranking

•The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Hon. Babatunde Olukoga (third right) with Prof Olu Akeusola, newly-appointed Provost of the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Noforija-Epe (third left), and other principal officers of the institution when Olukoga inspected the institution’s facilities.

Minister inspects NTI’s facilities

HE Minister of State for Education, Chief Ezenwo Wike, yesterday challenged the National Teachers Institute (NTI) to refocus its attention on teacher-training and improve its study centres across the country to meet international standards. The Minister also said henceforth, the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, will screen resource persons recruited by the institute, as government is concerned with the quality of those who train the nation’s teachers. Inaugurating the institute’s rebranded Computer Centre, the Minister said the ministry is also concerned about the quality of the environment where teachers are trained, adding the NTI must take concrete steps to improve on its study centres. Though he was impressed with the facilities at the institute in

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

Kaduna, Wike said he was going to inspect study centres in other states to ensure that they are suitable. “I want to see the centres where teachers are trained. I have seen this place and it is condusive for learning. But what is the state of the study centres? I have told the Director-General that he will accompany me on Thursday to Port Harcourt to inspect the study centre there and see what is on ground. “I am happy with the facilities here. But having provided these facilities, the next thing is that we want to know the trainers even before they start the training. We will evaluate them to know who they are and their background”. Speaking on the occasion, Kaduna state Governor, Patrick Yakowa announced that the state government is partnering with the NTI Teacher

UBA Foundation launches essay competition

HE UBA Group has begun accepting entries for its national essay competition for secondary school pupils. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Foundation, Ms Ijeoma Aso, said at a press conference in Lagos that the ‘UBA Foundation National Essay Competition in Nigeria ’will avail senior secondary schools pupils the opportunity to win prizes in form of educational grants. The pupils are to write on the topic Me and My Career. The deadline is next month, after which three prominent professors would assess the essays and the best three essayists would be rewarded with scholarships in Nigerian universities. Ms Aso explained that the competition, which is coming on the heels of the Foundation’s ‘Read Africa’ initiative, was conceived to promote creative thinking and develop intellect among Nigerian students. “We see it as a natural step to the ‘Read Africa’ project, where we gave out books to schools in Nigeria and Africa. This will test their intelligence and ability to think creatively. Winners shall enjoy educational grants to cover their tuition fees in Nigerian Universities and will be enrolled in our UBA Scholar’s programme,” she stated. Also speaking the Deputy Man-

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

aging Director (Designate), UBA, Mr Kennedy Uzoka, said the essay competition falls within four focus areas of the Foundation, namely Education, Economic Empowerment Environment and Special project. “Though we are beginning with Nigeria as the first Phase, we will implement this in all of the 18 other countries in Africa where we have presence as our way of contributing to the educational development of those countries and encouraging secondary school students to strive for the best in life”. Stressing the need for the educational empowerment of the youth, he said “UBA is in constant search for talents and to ensure we get the right hires we must continue to impact positively on our educational system through a number of investments and this is one of such” he said. In his remark, the Principal of Kings College, Lagos, Otunba Oladele Olapeju expressed delight even as he urged other stakeholders to emulate UBA’s best practices especially in developing the education sector. He said “this gesture would go a long way in improving the communication skills of our students. We are ready to cooperate with the group to make this project a success. This project is bound to lead to quality assurance in the education sector”.

Professional Development programme to improve the quality of teachers in the state. The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Mohammed Usman, said the TPD programme is cosponsored by the state government and the World Bank and aimed at empowering the teachers with new a approach of teaching through peer mentoring and support from seasoned teacher educators. At the moment, the programme is operational in two local government areas of the state, while plans are on to expand it to the 23 local government areas of the state. The Director-General of the NTI, Dr Aminu Ladan Sharehu told the Minister that on his assumption of office, the present management met a dilapidated computer centre with crammed computers and dysfunctional equipment and gadgets, adding that the situation affected its students, some of who dropped out mid-way into the programme. He disclosed that the institute was determined to transform the institute in tandem with the vision of a new Nigeria in line with the resolve of President Goodluck Jonathan to transform the nation and assured that with the computers installed at the computer centre, student results will be released within two months.

ABCOCK University, Ilishan-Remo in Ogun State and the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, are celebrating their positions in the latest ranking of Webometrics ranking of the top tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Joshua Suleiman, said the university was recently ranked as the foremost private university in Nigeria. The research adjudged Babcock’s website as the most active, visited and popular of all private universities in Nigeria. Besides, Babcock’s website was ranked the 12th most frequently visited of all the 117 Nigerian universities. Only 78 Nigerian universities made the ranking. On its part, Auchi Polytechnic was one of the 19 institutions in Nigeria made the list of globally competitive institutions. A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Polytechnic, Mr M.I. Oshoubugie said the institution is the only polytechnic in the country ranked amongst the 19. The other 18 are universities.

Placing 11th on the list, the Polytechnic had 10 universities, mostly of the first generation, ahead of it while it led nine others. Since 2008, the Polytechnic took decisive proactive measures to ensure members of staff and students compulsorily acquired necessary Information and Communication Technology skills to bring them up in line with contemporary teaching and publishing practices. With the MDGs funds and partnership with private corporate institutions, the Polytechnic was able to train 850 staff, facilitate ownership of personal computers and deployed IT infrastructure on campus. This raised computer application from five per cent to 80 per cent in three years. This has enabled staff and students to get on the computers giving and submitting assignments. Commenting on the ranking, the Rector of the Auchi Polytechnic, Dr Philipa Idogho, noted that it is cheering news. However, she said ranking among the best is not the real issue, but remaining at the top. She pledged that the Polytechnic Management will do what is necessary to maintain its prime status.

Fountain Varsity to graduate 159

NE hundred and fifty nine students will graduate at the maiden convocation of the private Islamic university, Fountain University, Osogbo, on Saturday. Addressing a pre-convocation press conference on the university campus in Osogbo, on Monday, the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Hussein Oloyede, said four eminent Nigerians would be conferred with honorary doctorate degrees in various disciplines. Grand Khadi, Dr Sheik Ahmed Lemu, who will be formally installed as chancellor of the university, will be conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.), while the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the university, Prof Lateef Salako, will bag an honorary degree of Doctor of Science (D. Sc.). Others are former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who will be awarded an honorary degree of Doctor Public Administration (D. PA) and the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MITV, Alhaji Muritala

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Busari, who will be conferred with an honorary degree of Business Administration (D.BA). Of the 159 graduates from the two Colleges of Management and Social Sciences and Natural and Applied Sciences, 12 bagged first class 46, made second class upper 76, second class lower; and 25, third class. The vice-chancellor also all the nine progammes of the university founded in 2008 by the Nasrul-LahiIl-Faith Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) were accredited in the 2009/2010 session by the National Universities Commission (NUC). The institution also enjoys accreditation of professional bodies. “Fountain University, Osogbo was also successful with the 2011 Accreditation Exercise carried out by the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) in our Accounting programme. This achievement is a very rare feat on a first visit,” he said.

•From left: Dr Wesley Okiei, lecturer at the University of Lagos; Dr Oluseyi Aweh, lecturer at the University of Ibadan; Mrs Ronke Bello, Deputy National Co-ordinator SchoolNet Nigeria and Mr Segun Fayose, Head, Corporate Communication, MultiChoice Nigeria, during the judging of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards Competition, at Protea Hotel, Maryland, Lagos

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDUCATION FUTA FILE

Brazilian Varsity partners on research THE Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, is set to collaborate with the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), in research and innovation. Professor J. B. T. Rocha of the Brazilian University, on a courtesy call on the FUTA Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adebisi Balogun, said the university deserved such collaboration as it had demonstrated great zeal for science given the various researches that members of staff of FUTA have conducted in Brazil. Rocha hailed the existing cordial relationship between his institution and some FUTA lecturers in the School of Science who have conducted researches in the Brazillian University’s laboratories.

Don donates books PROFESSOR Felix Aromo Ilesanmi of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning has donated 26 titles to the University Library, of which 22 are books and four journals. Ilesanmi is on Sabbatical Leave from the Federal University of Technology, Yola.

VC lauds workers’ co-operation THE FUTA VC, Prof Balogun has expressed appreciation to Deans of Schools, Directors and Heads of Departments and Units for their support torward the general development of the university. Balogun, speaking at a dinner organised for the out gone and the newly-elected deans, directors, heads of departments and units, said the progress recorded by the university is a reflection of workers’ commitment and dedication to the cause of the institution. He said that the quest to see FUTA compete in the premiership race with first generation universities is a collective responsibility which all must embrace and support. He said leaders at all levels should demonstrate good moral, character and personality worthy of emulation by the followers. The Vice-Chancellor, who described the Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments and Units as elderstatesmen, reminded them that the responsibility of developing their schools, Departments and Units rests solely on them.

Plateau officials to inspect private school T HE Plateau State Education Commissioner, Hon Nanle Dashen, is unhappy about the condition of private schools in the state. He has, therefore, asked proprietors of such schools to upgrade their facilities. This is the first step in turning around their fortunes. The second step, according to him, is the deployment of officials, of the ministry to inspect the schools to identify those lagging behind and sanction them accordingly. He said these are parts of government’s efforts to reposition the sector in compliance with Governor Jona Jang’s declaration of a “state

From Marie-Therese Peter, Jos

of emergency in education.” His words: “Some schools have been operating in unconducive environment without the specified equipments, both human and infrastructure. The state government has concluded arrangements to partner with some educational agencies to establish well equipped libraries in all public schools of the state as a means of encouraging reading by students”. The government, according to him, will place emphasis on training and re-

training of teachers to ensure qualitative education for students. Speaking on the ongoing screening of primary schools teachers, he denied allegations that the exercise was aimed at retrenching teachers. Meanwhile, the effort by the Ministry in repositioning primary education in the state, is said to be on paper as the State Chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers [NUT], Comrade Gunshin Yarlings in a press text made available to reporters in Jos, lamented the negligent of the primary education by government.

The statement said: “We, in the NUT, with much grief, anger and regret wish to say that thing are not as they should be on the Plateau educationally. For instance, there is noticeable marginalisation of especially primary school teachers by the Ministry of education through their being denied career progression.” The statement added: “It is also a fact that most appointments of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Secretaries of Local Government Education Authorities are drawn from the Ministry of Education, thereby relegating even the most qualified ones from the primary school sub-sector.”

•Dashen

Facebook reunites old students

T was an exciting time last Saturday when old students of Queen Elizabeth Girls School, Ilorin, Kwara State, gathered at the home of an alumnus at Gbagada Estate, Lagos, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their school. The about 30 girls in attendance cut across various sets that graduated between 1994 and 2000. The girls were so excited about meeting many years after leaving secondary school. They chatted about the fun they had while in school, their jobs and families. They ate, drank and danced in a pleasant atmosphere they wished would not end. However, they also had time for serious talk. The old girls decided to register their association with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as a first step towards giving back to their alma mater. They also elected an executive committee to steer the affairs of the young association and reach out to those not represented at the reunion. Miss Medinat Jimoh, who was elected president because of the role she played in mobilising the old girls for the reunion, promised to serve the association relentlessly. The old girls described Miss Jimoh as the brain behind the gathering, using the social networking site, Facebook, to call for meetings, raise funds, and appeal to the old girls to participate. “I appreciate you all for finding me worthy of this position. I promised to serve you faithfully and take this association to the promise land,” she said, as she solicited support from the mem-

•The old girls at the reunion By Seun Olalude

bers. Also elected to serve with Miss Jimoh were Mrs Favour Akinrodoye (Vice-President), Ms Monsurat Laaro (Secretary/Public Relations Officer), Mrs Bukola Badmus (Welfare Secretary) and Mrs Biodun Oladipo-Olalandu (Treasurer). Speaking on the essence of the reunion, Mrs Badmus said the event was organised

to support the school which has contributed to their successes today. “The school has blessed us so much. We have been thinking of how to come together to help the school but the Facebook made it happen. We started from there and we chose a date for the reunion. It is all about supporting this great school which groomed young girls into leaders in various fields of endeavours,” she said.

‘The school has blessed us so much. We have been thinking of how to come together to help the school but the Facebook made it happen’

She said the association will see to the development of its members. “One of the many reasons we have come together is to promote our members, we have many of us who are doing well in their careers. We think we should support ourselves by patronising each other’s businesses. Mrs Akinrodoye, known as Oiza Emmanuel back in school, said the school taught her to be good. She said: “When I first came to the institution as a junior pupil, there were a lot of seniors who loved exercising power. Because of that, I got tired of the school and I sneaked out with day student on a Friday because I was a boarder. The school got to

know and I was suspended for two weeks, I was happy to be suspended because I was tired of the seniors that made me to determine that I would also do that to my juniors when I got there. But the opposite was the story because I could not do that. I was made the house captain but I enjoyed my service and the girls loved me because I was nice to them. I learnt a lot from it – that is why I cannot forget the school that has made me.” She urged Federal Government and stakeholders to invest in public schools “These schools have really blessed us and it should continue, the government should please intervene by redeeming the glory of the schools,” she pleaded.

Ilaro Polytechnic hosts 60 registrars

HE Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State is hosting the 56th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Registrars of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria (COREG), which opened yesterday. No fewer than 60 Registrars of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in the country are attending the two-day meeting. In an interactive session preceding the meeting, the

By Dada Aladedokun

Registrar of the Polytechnic, Mr Clement Amoo Adeosun, said the meeting held quarterly and rotated among member institutions, is to avail top administrators the opportunities of exchanging, ideas and sharing experiences towards effective management of their institutions. He pointed out that discussion for the two-day meeting would include the need for the

Federal Government to review the objectives for establishing polytechnics in order to remove the disparity between them and the universities. He said the meeting would also evolve strategies on how administrators would be made to lend their professional voice and skills to ensure that polytechnics focus more on skills development and improved service delivery.

The COREG was established in 1978 to promote good working relationship between the Registrars and Rectors of their institutions, as well as seek cordial relationship with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Scholarship Boards and COHEADS, and other key players, to move polytechnics forward.

A night to remember

Coping with married life in BUK Page 34

Page 31

*CAMPUSES *NEWS *PEOPLE *KUDOS& KNOCKS *GRANTS

THE NATION

CAMPUS LIFE

0805-450-3104 email: ladycampus@yahoo.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

email:- campuslife@thenationonlineng.net

Eleven years ago, the National Universities Commission (NUC) banned satellite campuses, especially those far from their parent institutions. However, this report by EMEKA ATTAH (Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State) reveals that the centres are anything but gone.

“G

OOD morning students.” “Good morning, sir,” the class responded. He adjusted his trousers, held together with a worn out belt, and continued: “Today, we are going to discuss vowel system in English. All the vowels of English are oral sounds while most of the consonants are also oral.” A student raised his hand, probably to ask a question, but he cut him short and continued: “Ehen…, that reminds me. Your class rep told me that only five people among you has (sic) paid for the handout I’m producing. Let me warn you - of course you know, but I still have to repeat it again for emphasis - if you didn’t (sic) pay to collect your own handout, you has (sic) automatically failed my course. You can ask others before you, I don talk my own o.” His wrong grammatical expression jolted this reporter, who sat at one corner of the “classroom”, an open space under the scorching sun, observing proceedings. Welcome to the Institute of Ecumenical Education, Thinkers Corner, Enugu, Onitsha Study Centre at Irene Menakaya Primary School, Inland Town. This is the latest business in town, a money spinner that yields profit like oil. It is the business of running a tertiary institution as satellite campus. The basic requirements for this business include a nice office space, some assistants with computers, catchy handbills and a cooperative proprietor of a private primary/secondary school, who will give out his premises for a fee after school hours; at weekends or on public holidays. The next stage is get some “graduates” with “Toronto” university certificates who possess public speaking skills and settle a vice-

•A building housing the administrative unit of many of the illegal institutions.

Despite ban, illegal varsities thrive chancellor who needs extra income. Alternatively, choose the name of an institution far away from the town where the illegal satellite campus is sited and pronto, XYZ University, ABC Study Centre is born. Frustrated JAMBITES (admission seekers) and workers often enrol in such illegal institutions in large numbers. In 2000, the Federal Government banned satellite campuses. The then Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Placid Njoku, said the action became necessary to sanitise the system against commercialisation of higher education and abuse in the award of certificates. Institutions operating such aca-

demic programmes were directed to stop and seek ways of integrating the affected students into their main campuses. Though many of the centres appeared to have complied with the directive, investigation by CAMPUSLIFE showed that satellite campuses continue to thrive. For four weeks, this reporter traversed parts of Anambra and Delta states in search of illegal (satellite) campuses. The findings are amazing. Some years ago, there was an illegal institution known as Atlantic International University, Okija, in Anambra, which offered degrees and other remedial programmes. The operators told applicants that the institution was affiliated to a

university in America. Prospective students paid between N70,000 and N150,000 on admission. Acting on a tip-off, an NUC team stormed the centre and closed it. A former student, Miss Nkem Agbo, said she was already in 300Level at the “university” when the NUC hammer fell. She has been unable to further her education since. According to her, she is now a married woman, “a full-time housewife with two children”. When CAMPUSLIFE visited Umuohu Okija, where the defunct “university” was sited, its gate was locked. A security man told this reporter that the owner of the property has transformed the centre to a proposed university to be known

as Legacy University. Work was at an advanced level and some students were seen a few meters away, milling around. On enquiry, one of them who identified himself simply as Stanley, said while waiting for NUC approval, “our school has transformed into Unity Model College in affiliation with Bayero University Kano.” Admitting that he understood the risks involved with such arrangements, he added: “I cannot continue to wait forever to gain admission through JAMB; that was why I joined them here.” In Onitsha, the commercial nerve •Continued on page 31

•Suspected student robbers lynched - Pg32 • Mixed reactions to varsity’s name change - Pg33

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE

Cry, our beleaguered campuses

HEN I read the news report sent in last Sunday by Gilbert Alasa, our correspondent at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), about a bomb scare, following a notice from the Boko Haram sect on that campus, I dismissed it as one of those bogus rumours students are wont to manufacture. But as I read further and saw the reaction of UNIBEN’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Harrison Osarenren, I knew this was different. Then, by Tuesday, when The Nation and other major dailies ran the report – this time with the addition of the University of Ibadan (UI) and 18 others on the list of those to be attacked – it became clear that something must be done. A colleague had argued that, no thanks to recent displays of the Boko Haram group, mischief makers had been having field days sending out fake text messages of planned attacks to cause panic. Lagosians have been worse hit by such SMS, with the Third Mainland Bridge being the main target of the planned bombing. For everyday such texts are sent out, the traffic on other roads have been doubly remarkable, as only the daring and those who didn’t get them take the bridge. Thus, according to the guy, the current bomb scare on campuses could be the handiwork of naughty people. Maybe this is true, but it does not assure anyone nonetheless. According to the Tuesday reports and what I gleaned from my students across some of the 20 campuses and even those not listed on the email purportedly from the fundamentalists, many students have left the hostels. Not a few are afraid of attending lectures too; mostly affected are the large classes in the big lecture theatres.

channel in the name of security votes, but our security agencies are among the world’s ill-equipped. Now, we have real security challenges, and we do not have even the basic tools to manage them. Rather, those who manned the security votes all these while are wallowing in obscene wealth which does not - for all their high walls, bulletproof gates and cars - insulate them from the danger others face. On Monday night, President Goodluck Jonathan said his government was working on “changing the security architecture of the country”. This change, he assured Nigerians,

Pushing Out with

Ngozi Agbo 08054503104 (SMS only)

•campuslife@thenationonlineng.net •ladycampus@yahoo.com Prayer sessions at the campus fellowships have intensified with many recording larger turnouts than usual. The Igbo say that it is only the tree that hears it would be cut and remains standing at the same place. Thus, people are reacting normally. The self-preservation instinct is inbuilt in man. But it is noteworthy that none of the students I spoke to expressed confidence in the “heavy” presence of armed military and police men, at their gates. They told me that there are other entrances to the campuses through which anyone could gain access. Then, one made an interesting point. He said: “If anyone really wants to bomb anywhere in this school, what makes them think the persons have not since brought in the explosives or are not already here working on them. It is only God Who will save us”. True. But not totally true. I say this in the sense that, yes; God saves, but He works using men. And only those men who have taken the pains to use their God-given abilities well – in other words, conquered their earth – can be so used. Regrettably, in Nigeria, many of us do not bother with conquering anything except bread and butter, and the even baser urge of rubbing that in on our less-fortunate neighbours and countrymen. Jesus Christ declared that man does not (should not and cannot) live on bread alone, but by God’s Word. But here, we have lived so long on bread “alone” that the chicken has come home to roost. Over the years, billions of Naira (some insist Dollar) have gone down the “bread alone”

would bring current security changes under control. Now, save the word “architecture”, the rest are words we have heard many times before now. I know Jonathan did not start the rot we have in many areas, worst being the erosion of values in the average Nigerian, but he needs to understand that we are impatient to see positive changes. We want to see things being done. We have been around the talk mountain too long; we need actions. Besides, no one forced him to become President; he campaigned (if you like, begged us) to vote for him. And so far, he has not done well. Hearing him say, at the site of the bombed UN building two weeks ago, that being that terrorism had been in other countries for long, that it was now “the turn of Nigeria” to experience it, was about the worst thing any leader could say at a time the people needed all the encouragement they could get. If we were proactive, we would have taken steps even before now to beef up things on our campuses. At the time the University of Maiduguri was evacuated no thanks to a similar threat, someone remarked that the universities must be protected as they represent, to the warped Boko Haram mind, the embodiment of western education which it considers “evil”. But obviously this was not taken seriously. Thank God it is a scare we are contending with now; may we never see the actualisation. Our universities and students have been relentlessly abused; the government must

ensure it does not get worse than this. Ciao

Again, ASUU warns Talking about relentless abuse of our ivory towers, government’s continued refusal to honour an agreement it reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is one of those at the top of the list. The union has, again, given notice of strike. It says it will embark on a one-week warning strike starting from September 26. President Jonathan, the buck stops at your table. This is the truth. I rest my case.

3rd CAMPUSLIFE Annual Awards

Entries are now being received, from our correspondents, for the 3rd Coca-Cola/NBC CAMPUSLIFE Annual Awards. Award Categories: There are eight prizes up for grabs. The first seven are: Culture Report Prize, Investigative Report Prize, Entertainment Report Prize, Campus Politics Report Prize, Campus Personality Profile Prize, Opinion Writing Prize and Campus Sports Report Prize. The last and overall, CAMPUSLIFE Reporter of the Year, will be awarded by the judges on the correspondent whose entries make the most impression on them. Eligibility: Entries must be sent in by the particular writer who authored the article. Articles must have been published between September 2010 and August 2011. Deadline: Nominations will be received between September 8 and 30, 2011. Guidelines: • For each category, only ONE entry will be allowed from each nominee • A nominee can apply for all categories. • No nomination sent after close of work on Friday, September 30, 2011, will be accepted. • Each entry, with the title and date of publication as well as category on it, should be sent to ladycampus@yahoo.com. The email must have as title: 3 rd CAMPUSLIFE Awards. A panel of judges, made up of senior editors and journalism teachers, will decide the winners. The Awards ceremony will hold in November; the date will be announced. Good luck to all our correspondents.

‘Student-leaders are not self-centred’

Endurance Nkwa is in 400-Level Mechanical Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna). An aspirant to the leadership of the Niger State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students/Joint Consultative Council (NANS/JCC), he shares his dreams for the body with FAITH OLANIRAN (500-Level Biochemistry).

•Endurance

HY are you running in this election? I am inspired to run because I am passionate about leadership. I have always wanted positive change anywhere that I have found myself in life – change that leads to tangible development. This time, I believe it is mine to contribute to the development of our students. What do you understand by unionism? Does it have any benefits? For me, the word “unionism” means the coming together of people of like minds to achieve stated objectives – they must act as a unit. Yes, it has benefits: it enables you to know your right; to stand against injustice in our society; to act as a pressure group, persuading others to act in unison. What are the challenges facing students unionism in Niger State? They are many, including lack of finance. In recent times, the association couldn’t carry out

its activities as there was no structure for collecting dues from various campuses in order to carry out our programmes. Then, there is division of interest. An example is in the area of elections: students seem to support money politics. Also, the association has been unable to send out necessary information to the various institutions in the state. What do you think are the solutions? In the aspect of finance, I shall ensure that I will collaborate with NGOs, the state government, school managements and corporate bodies to sponsor our programmes. I will organise a programme that will orientate students on the adverse effect of money politics, sentiments, tribal and religious politics. I will make sure that I produce a weekly or monthly bulletin as source of information to students, launch a website for the association, do a magazine, as well as work at a TV and radio programme where students can channel the challenges that affect their campuses through SMS. The bulletin/magazine will be a source of revenue for the association. What are your plans for the future? I want to be one of the future leaders that will fight against corruption. I’m also working at establishing an organisation that will be centered on orientating the youth on skills acquisition for self reliance that will limit the unemployment rate in our nation. What would you want to be remembered for? By the time we leave office, we will like to be remembered for our service to humanity and for bringing sanity to NANS/JCC. Student-leaders have been accused of being self-scentered, like what is obtainable outside campuses. What is your take on this? Student-leaders are not self-centered; students’ contribution towards the growth of our nation cannot be over emphasised. Student-leaders are the only activists who will fight for their fellow students’ right. Later he/she will be expelled or suspended because he is kicking against oppression from the school management, so I will defend student-leaders anywhere.

•The pounded yam eating competition, going on.

Ekiti students mark Iyan festival

HE Federation of Ekiti State Students Union (FESSU), the Federal Polytech-

nic, Offa (FEDPOLY OFFA) chapter, has marked the annual Iyan Day, with cultural activities and Iyan (pounded yam) competition. At the event, the association leaders for the 2011/2012 session were inaugurated. Outstanding student, who contributed to the development of the union were also honoured. Other activities were Iyan competition, presentation of awards to the winners of interlocal government football competition,

From Akinola Oluyi OFF

launch of the union yearbook and a beauty pageant. In attendance were the representatives of the Chairman of Ekiti State Progressive Union, Mrs. Owolabi Yemisi; the Secretary, Mr. Israel Ogunmolade, and the Students Union Government (SUG) President, Jimoh Ismail, among others. Winners of the contests are Funke Olajide, in ND 1 Banking and Finance, who became Miss Ekiti, and while Gbenga Akinsuyi, in ND 1 Computer Technology, who won the Iyan contest.

Lawmakers hold inaugural sitting

HE Students’ Representative Council of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA) has held its inaugural sitting for the 2010/2011 academic session. The event, which took place at the Relaxation Centre, was attended by members of the Students’ Executive Council (SEC) and external observers. According to the Deputy Speaker of the house, Mr Olugbenga Adeyanju, various issues were discussed including accounts of stewardship of the SEC members. Rendering his account of stewardship, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Opeyemi Akinode, said he consistently released a bulle-

From Imoleayo Oyedeyi AAUA

tin tagged “The Update”, where latest information from the union is available for students. The General Secretary, Henry Ashogbon, said, among other things, that he facilitated the release of 56 students held by the Akungba police station. This, he said, was in addition to ensuring better relationship with the Akungba Youths Association “which has reduced bickering with the locals”. It was gathered that others who could not render their stewardship, including the President, would do so at an adjourned date.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE

A night to remember “Adult” students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) left their classrooms and workplaces to dance away the stress of academics. OLAWALE AJETUNMOBI and IDRIS AKINPELU (200-Level Business Administration) capture the moment.

AST Friday, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) was agog as students of the Distance Learning Institute (DLI) held their 2011 award night. The students, under the auspices of DLI Students Association (DLISA), who jammed the UNILAG Sports Centre, venue of the event, were decked out in attractive dresses. DLI is a programme for workers, who seek to combine work and study without going through the rigours of regular academic process. The DLI students are usually older than regular students. In twos and threes, the students arrived amidst felicitations , despite the death of one of their female colleagues penultimate week and the forthcoming examination. “Do you want me to die in classroom after about four weeks of serious lectures?” asked Oluwakemi Ajayi, a 200-Level Accountancy student. “I need a break if I don’t want to end up in the grave,” she added. The expansive basketball hall, venue of the dinner, was well lit. A red carpet was laid at the entrance of the hall. Students scrambled for a shot in the photo shoot that took place on the red carpet, and many of them were disappointed when the cable of the light source was mistakenly unplugged by one. It took time to restore the light. By 7:50pm, the programme started with the introduction of guests including the Deputy Director of DLI, Mr. M.P Kuton, who represented the

Director. Other dignitaries were Mr. Tunji Jaiyeola, the manager of UNILAG Branch of EcoBank; Alhaji Abdulsalam Ajayi, a philanthropist; Mr J.A. Akinwara, a lecturer in the Department of Business Administration; Mr J.E Odubu, chief accountant of DLI and Mr Tunde Oniya, a supervisory councillor in Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area of Lagos. The programme, however, took a rowdy turn when Shola Sax, a saxophonist and student, recited the first stanza of the national anthem with his saxophone. The students admired the feat and went wild appreciating one of their own. Not done, Shola also performed Oleku, a song by hip-hop artist, Ice Prince; and Kokoroko, by the duo of Keffi and Timaya. A rapturous applause greeted the performance as some of the students took the stage with their partners to dance. Also, MC Aburo and other artists from UNILAG, including a choreographic group, showcased their talents to the excited audience. The students described the event as unprecedented in the history of the programme and gave kudos to their union leaders and organising committee for “a social event wellplanned”. Kuton said he was happy to be in the midst of the students, “many of whom are chief executive officers of businesses and professionals in many fields.”

•Gaily dressed DLI students at the event.

He said if he were to be a student again, he would prefer to enrol for DLI programme rather than being a regular student. Kuton craved the indulgence of the students to observe a minute silence in honour of one of them, Faidat Yusuf, who died two weeks ago in an accident at Yaba, on her way to school. The ceremony reached a crescendo when Eedris Abdulkareem, a rapper, emerged from behind the hall and took the microphone to thrill the students with Jagajaga, a controversial song that resulted in an altercation between the hip-hop act and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who rained invectives on Eedris parents. Eedris also entertained the students with some of his old songs like Shade. The event ended with presentation of awards to deserving students, lecturers and corporate institutions. In a chat with CAMPUSLIFE, the DLISA President, Sheriff Sulaiman, said the aim of the programme is to help students manage the stress of

•Eedris performing

combining full-time work with studies. Peace Anwuacha, in 200-Level Business Administration, said: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” as the saying goes. I just have

•Some “students” recieving lectures in an open space, at one of the “campuses”.

Despite ban, illegal varsities thrive •Continued from page 29

centre of Anambra State, the business of satellite campuses and illegal degree mills booms. Oguta Road, a popular street near Upper Iweka, can be regarded as the unofficial headquarters of such institutions in the city. A twin three-storey building, popularly known as Umeco House, contains the liaison offices of about four of such institutions: Abia State College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, Onitsha Study Centre; Imo State University, Owerri, Onitsha Centre; London University of Science and Technology, Onitsha Satellite Centre; and Abia State University, Uturu, Onitsha Study Centre. Investigation showed that Imo

State University, Onitsha Centre, is owned by a book publisher and cyber café operator. The students pay about N65,000 per session. The former Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) is a staff member of the Nigeria Prisons Service. He recently floated his own “university” under the same name at Asaba, the Delta State capital. Insiders claimed he started his own after seeing the type of money generated by the Onitsha proprietor. The Proprietor of Abia State College of Education Technical is a private primary/nursery school operator at the Awada area of Onitsha. Prospective students in search of certificates troop to the shanty school to receive lectures. A few metres away from Umeco building, on Oguta Road, opposite Christ the

King College (CKC), is God’s Mercy Institute of Technology and Management. The place is simply a computer training centre yet the owner claims to be affiliated to Edo State Institute of Technology and Management, Usen and Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic (no location indicated). This reporter posed as a prospective student frustrated by many years of writing JAMB and approached the proprietor, a middle aged woman. After explaining his “predicament”, she told him: “Your problems are over”. She handed this reporter a handbill, saying she admits both awaiting result candidates and those who failed WASCE provided the person is ready to pay the right fee and make effort to retake the exams be-

fore graduation. She also claimed that she mobilises students for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme and facilitates collection of exemption letters for those above 30 years. The reporter also visited the lecture centre at Amafor Civic Centre (open hall), Nkpor, where some students were receiving lectures under a Melina tree. Another illegal institution also spotted in Onitsha goes by the name - All States College of Education, Akure, Ondo State. Their operational office is at Elite Creative College, 1A, Pond Street, Housing Estate, Fegge. The receptionist told this reporter that the college admits awaiting result candidates. At about eight study centres visited, many students confirmed that they are aware that the NUC banned satellite campuses but are torn between the choices of “if the desirable is not available, the

to come to this dinner to relax my brain. It has been a week of many activities.” One of the awardees, who won the Best Overall Class Governor, Oladapo Akinduro, in 300-Level Accounting, thanked his colleagues. available becomes the desirable”. One Kelechi Ohagwu said she spent four years writing UTME without success. “I’m 23 years old now; JAMB has ‘jambed’ me for the past four years and I cannot continue to wait. I’ve been assured that my result will be computed immediately we finish our degree exams here, so why should I continue waiting for admission till God knows when?” she queried. Many students, especially the young ones, who enrolled for these programmes, did so out of frustration. According to the JAMB Registrar, Prof Dibu Oyerinde, of 1,375,642 candidates who took JAMB the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) last year, about 340,000 could not secure admission. 0This year, 1,493,603 students took the UTME, which is about 117,961 more than last year’s figure. According to analysts, only about 40 per cent of this number shall gain admission because of the limitation of NUC quota and carrying capacities of the institutions. When CAMPUSLIFE called the office of the NUC, an unidentified woman said the Director of Academic Planning, Prof Lawal Alhassan Dichi, who would comment on the matter, was not available. However, information at the desk of NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Julius Okojie, showed that the commission has been publishing the list of illegal universities and satellite campuses in its weekly bulletin and in some national dailies. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Joe Ahaneku, described the proliferation of satellite campuses as one with adverse effects on education. He called on the NUC, the academia and the media to “join hands to expose people behind such practices so that education at the higher level is not abused anymore.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE Red Cross trains students

HE Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), University of Calabar, has held basic life support training and workshop for secondary school students. The training took place at the university’s secondary school. The base commander, Promise Owai, said: “The exercise is aimed at training students on basic first aid skills, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), recovery position and casualty handling, among others. It is also to recruit students’ first aiders for school units of the Nigerian Red Cross Society.”

•Some members of the “bullion class”at the event.

T the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, final year students of Social and Management Science (SMS), known as the Bullion Class, have organised a seminar tagged “Beyond School Certificate” (BSC). It was aimed at enlightening students on life after school. Mr Abiodun Fijabi, a guest speaker, said the ability to gener-

OOU students hold seminar From Modestus Diko OOU

ate novel responses to problems and challenges comes through creativity “which comes with a vision which needs to be seen ahead”. Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE,

Shittu Abdulli, a member of the class, said the event was long overdue. “This seminar will definitely go a long way in promoting and enhancing the future of students; it is a nice concept”. There was a musical performance by the OOU All-Stars.

Graduates urged to be good ambassadors

HE Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof James Epoke, has charged graduates to be good ambassadors. He gave the charge during the eighth induction and oath-taking of the 2009/2010 Medical Laboratory Science students held at the conference hall. The Vice-Chancellor, also a medical laboratory scientist, advised them to jealously guard the ethics of the profession by conducting themselves

From Emmanuel Shebbs and Isaac Mensah UNICAL

excellently in their career. While presenting the inductees with provisional practising licences, the Registrar of the Medical Laboratory Science Council Nigeria, Prof Anthony Emeribe, reiterated the council’s determination to reposition the profession according to international standards. The Dean, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Prof John Mildred, said

the MLS Department has recorded tremendous achievements. The chairman, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Cross River State chapter and Acting Head of the department (MLS), Dr. Paul InyangEtoh, advised the inductees to refrain from activities that would bring the profession to ridicule. One of the new inductees, Andrew Ewa, said: “Today is a memorable day in my life. The past five years were not easy, but thank God we scaled through”.

HE Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, (AAUA) chapter of Rotaract Club has held its 10th investiture and installation. The event witnessed the launch of new projects, induction of new members and decoration of the new President, Olaoluwa Olugbodi. In his lecture entitled: “Rotaractor and entrepreneurship”, the guest speaker, Mr Alaba Quadri, said the club was being funded to render selfless service to humanity. He shed more light on the club and Rotary Club Internationl, the parent club, saying: “Rotaract is a project of Rotarians under the supervision and sponsorship of Rotary.” In his valedictory speech, the outgoing President, Ralph Ajimatokin, listed his achievements. He said: “We donated treated mosquito nets to charity homes; distributed writing materials to some orphanages

Poly ranked first

WO students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), were lynched last Thursday, following their failed attempt to snatch a motorcycle. The suspects were identified as Okechukwu Nwosu and Martins Chibuzor, said to be 100- Level students. According to eyewitnesses, the students boarded the okada about 9pm to Ihiagwa, a neighbouring community where many students live. On getting to their destination, they were said to have brought out a pistol and ordered the motorcyclist to surrender his bike. The suspects took off immediately with the motorcycle. Their victims quickly alerted Ihiagwa Vigilante men about the suspects. The guards were said to have mounted checkpoints on all routes

From Gerald Nwokocha FUTO

in the community. On getting to one of the checkpoints, the suspects were immediately arrested and whisked off to the vigilante office at Ihiagwa market square The arrest attracted villagers and students. When the owner of the motorcycle was contacted, he confirmed that the students robbed him at gun point. The students, who initially denied, later confessed to the crime. The students said they needed to pay their school fees “since exam is around the corner and the school management has said no school fees, no exam.” They said it was their first crime and blamed the devil for their pre-

dicament. They also pleaded with the vigilante men not to hand them over to the police but to settle the matter in their office. But the vigilante insisted on handing them over to the police the next day, since it was a criminal case. Ihiagwa residents woke up the next morning to see the suspects being beaten and dragged to the T-junction between Eziobodo, Emeabiam and Ihiagwa near the Magistrates’ Court. Thereafter, the vigilante men brought out tyres and petrol. They set the students ablaze. Some Ihiagwa residents and students described the attitude of the vigilante group as callous, stressing that the suspects did not kill or shoot anyone in the robbery. They wondered why they were students, burnt.

From Dayo Ojerinde AAUA

in Lagos and Akure. Despite various challenges, we won the best club among other awards”. Olugbodi, in his acceptance speech, said: “We serve because we know it is our call, duty, commitment and responsibility. We know what we are capable of doing and we feel it is our obligation to live up to our potential.” He sought the support of members to make his tenure successful. “I know that service to humanity is sacrifice; we count on every one of you to help us to actualise these projects by making mankind our business and putting smiles on the faces of individuals, schools and communiies.” The university Librarian, Mr Williams Akinfolarin; Mr Olusegun Ajimatokin, Olu Fawehinmi and a former president of the club, Temitope Olaleye, attended the event.

Varsity battles Boko Haram scare

Suspected student robbers lynched

Participants, he said, were acquainted with basic life support knowledge to manage emergencies before referral to a hospital in any eventuality, and that the NRCS was worried about safety. Delivering a lecture on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the facilitator said CPR is a mechanical way of restarting the heart after heart-failure which may be due to respiratory system failure or fainting. The lecture was followed by practical demonstrations using Mannaquins to aid better understanding. A participant, Henry Okon, expressed appreciation to the club for the gesture, saying: “The training was delightful. I can now handle some first aid treatments on casualties.”

Rotaract installs leaders

HE University of Benin (UNIBEN) has expressed concern over rumour threats of attack of its two campuses by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram. Last week, intelligence reports had it that elements within the campus were working with external persons to foment crisis. Sources claimed UNIBEN is listed among other federal institutions marked for attack by the extremist group. A statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr H. O. Osahrenren, condemned the plan warning that security personnel have been informed. A source

•The suspected robbers being burnt.

From Isaac Mensah and David Maduagwu UNICAL

TUDENTS of the Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State have expressed delight over the ranking of the institution as the best in Nigeria. It was placed 11th behind first 10 universities; thus coming up as the best polytechnic. According to a source, who pleaded anonymity, the ranking was based on a study of the qualitative aspects of construction and use of information resources, structures and technologies on the web for proper, efficient and effective academic growth and management. The Rector, Dr. Philipha Idogho, said

From Gilbert Alasa UNIBEN

at the security division told CAMPUSLIFE that there was no cause for alarm as the situation is under control. When CAMPUSLIFE visited the main and anatomy gates, security personnel were seen searching cars and students’ hand bags. The scare has become a prayer point at many campus fellowships. Students have been urged to go about their activities without fear and to report any suspicious movement. From ‘Tosin Ajuwon AUCHIPOLY

the development was “welcome”, as it added another feather to the institution’s cap. She said: “We are dedicated to carrying out stated goals and we will strive to remain at the top”. Fredrick Oshiogbule, a student of Arts and Design, said the institution has helped him to do things with his hands and brain which are now earning him profit even as an undergraduate. Meanwhile, a cross section of the students who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE urged the management to introduce the online result check system.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE VC parleys with students

•Some of the artefacts on exhibition.

HE Redeemed Christian Fellowship (RCF), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) chapter has held an exhibition on academic innovation and artistic creativity. It was part of activities marking the group’s academic seminar. The father of the day, Pastor Femi Ebunoluwa, told the participants that their forays in the various departments of the school, despite not being their personal choice, was God’s work and His will for their lives. He urged them to always seek to discover their divine purposes. Members told CAMPUSLIFE that they had an exciting time before the display of talents, there was a recitation of poems and

Fellowship holds exhibition From Oluwaseun Oke LAUTECH

quotes by participants and a spelling competition between women. The main programme started with Pastor Ebunoluwa leading a procession to the stands of the exhibitors. The health benefits of raw tomato were highlighted by O. Olamide, a 500-Level Chemistry student. At her stand, she demonstrated the extraction process of all the nutrients in ripe and unripe tomatoes. There were also a display of softwares for hospital data

and record management in Yoruba and English; and another for computer-based library catalogning and information database. Other displays were paint making within 10 minutes, local production of pounded yam flour, artworks and building designs. A model of the RCF church building was displayed. A drug, claimed to cure HIV and diabetes, was also presented. The presenters, three students, said they received inspiration for it through divine revelation. After the exhibition, there was an inter-fellowship debate.

HE Vice-Chancellor VC of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof Tale Omole, has held an interactive session with students on the agenda of his administration. The meeting was attended by principal officers, deans and heads of departments, hall management staff and students. After the VC spoke on the challenges confronting the 49-year-old institution and how he hoped to confront them, the Registrar, Dr. Ayo Ogunrunku, who moderated the event, called out six students to ask questions. Asking the first question, Babatunde Kessington, in 400-Level Political Science, surprised all by kneeling down to beg the VC to recall suspended student union leaders. His question drew applause from students and principal officers. Responding, Prof Omole expressed delight that there were “such orators whose prowess could prompt one to make a spur-of-themoment decision in OAU”. On the suspended students, he said the case has gone beyond the school since it is criminal in nature because of the kidnapping of the school’s security team. According to him, “there is no responsible administration that would be punitive but when an infraction is committed in any society with rules, there are sanctions.”

S part of measures to prepare graduates for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, the NYSC, in collaboration with the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi (AUCHI POLY), has held on orientation for students of Higher National Diploma (HND). The Rector, Dr. Philipa Idogho, represented by the Deputy Rector (Administrative), Dr. E. Eshiotse, said the orientation was to prepare the students for challenges. “We have never received negative reports about our students from the NYSC on their compo-

NYSC prepares students From Tosin Ajuwon AUCHI POLY

sure and none has ever embarrassed us at the camp.” Addressing the students, NYSC Director of Mobilisation, Alhaji Abdulwahab Obomeile, said the scheme was established to make the youth know the country better and for them to be able to contribute to its development. He said the service is also to make the youth self-reliant and united,

adding that it is only through peaceful co-existence that economic development and growth could be guaranteed. He urged them to stick to the guidelines, adding that indiscipline attracts severe punishment. The Dean of Students Affairs (DSA), Mr. George Umoru, admonished NYSC prospective corps members to face the future with courage. He said those calling for the scrapping of NYSC are against the nation’s unity and development.

Ibadan students elect leaders BADAN students in tertiary institutions, under the umbrella of Federation of Ibadan Students Union (FIBSU), have elected leaders to pilot the affairs of the union for the next one year. The election took place at Ibadan House, Oke Are. Tunmise Adeagbo, a Medicine and Surgery student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), was returned as president. Kabirat Ogundayo, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa,

From Musiliudeen Adebayo IBADAN

is the vice-president; Isiaq Jamiu, a student of Radiography at UNILAG, Registrar. Others are Morufat Salam (Treasurer); Wasiu Ojekunle (Financial Secretary); Adebukola Adepoju (Welfare Director); Olalekan Lawal (Social Director); Latifat Olawunmi (Social Director); Olalekan Olawale (Sport Director); Oladimeji Boladale (Chief Whip); Saheed Anofi (PRO);

Abidemi Shitu (PRO II). The outgoing President, Abiodun Majekobaje, described the exercise as transparent, free and fair. “The election results have been pasted and accepted by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), the apex socio-cultural group in Ibadan.” Tunmise, the president, promised to improve the lot of members. He sympathised with the recent flood victims in Ibadan.

While responding to the questions by Afolabi Olushayo, in 300Level Educational Foundation and Counselling, Omole said to tackle the challenges in accommodation and Information Communication Technology (ICT), students would have to pay more as the allocation from the Federal Government was not enough. He promised that expenditures would be posted on the internet to be easily accessed by all, adding: “I don’t want history to be harsh on me.” Promising that lecture theatres will be refurbished, Omole admonished students to be wise by seeking information. He tasked all on cleanliness: “It is the nature of pigs to be dirty; not of humans.” Students were also given numbers to call when there are issues bordering on security, electricity, water, lawn maintenance and ambulance services. The event lasted for almost three hours. Olaneeno Olateru-Olagbegi, a student of Mathematics and Integrated Science Education, said the new VC would be considerate if students can co-operate. “The way he handled the students was commendable. He was soft when the occasion demanded and blunt when needed,” he said.

Mixed reactions to varsity’s name change

•The graduating students listening at the event.

From Hannah Ojo OAU

TUDENTS and staff of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, have expressed divergent opinions on the change in its name. Founded in 1986 and named Obafemi Awolowo University of Ado-Ekiti by the old Ondo State government, the institution’s name was later changed to Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti (OSUA). After the creation of Ekiti State in 1998, the name became University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD), which it bore until the Dr. Kayode Fayemi-led administration changed it to EKSU, The new name, CAMPUSLIFE learnt, was part of the proposals reached at a recent education summit. It also saw the sacking, earlier, of the heads of the three stateowned institutions (UNAD, University of Science and Technology, Ifaki and University of Education, Ikere) and their merging into EKSU. While some welcomed the new name, many said they preferred the old one. Akhere Odion, a student, said: “Changing of the school name is totally unwelcome because UNAD has the same pronunciation with federal universities and this has given us some degree of succour. The name - UNAD - has a national outlook compared to the name EKSU.” A student, who spoke on condi-

From Olatunji Awe EKSU

tion of anonymity, said: “We have been asked severally if UNAD was a federal school. Many had accorded us the respect given to federal universities.” Juliana Adebekun said: “Everybody who becomes governor in the state will always want to rubbish the work of his predecessor, especially when they are from different political parties. The governor only wants to show that it is during his time that the institution got a name that has state outlook.” Others see the name as a welcome development. Ade Adenrele said: “The change of name is a welcome idea. The former name made it look as if Ado-Ekiti was the owner of the institution but the new name shows it belongs to Ekiti people.” The Students Union (SU) President, Olalekan Shittu, said: “The merger and change of name would affect students. We urge the government to start putting the necessary things in place to alleviate this.” The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), EKSU chapter, Dr. A. Adeleke, said: “The institution has only changed its name and not the standard. The government should pump in more funds to achieve the dream of a world class university.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE An actress and a sickle cell activist were among those who gathered at the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu campus, to celebrate and empower female students. ADENIKE ASHOGBON (HND II Mass Communication) was there.

•Ms. Adesola (4th left) and Ms. Awoyemi, flanked by some of the “female ambassadors”.

HE Lagos State Polytechnic Students Union Government has held a event to appreciate what it called “the giant strides of female students on campus”. The students were termed “Lady Ambassadors”. The initiative was targeted at celebrating girls who have made marks in academic and social life. The aim, CAMPUSLIFE learnt, is to encourage and raise them as “agents of change in their institution, family, peer groups, communities, organisations and the society at large”. Raji Adenowo is the female vice-president of the SUG. She said: “This event is targeted at the womenfolk, to appreciate their contributions on the campus aca-

•A cross section of the students at the workshop.

Honour for ‘female ambassadors’ demically and social wise.” Working around the theme: “Charting a new course for women as ambassadors”, the event, which took place at the Engineering Lecture Theatre was attended by 230 students who had free genotype and malaria tests, courtesy of the Sickle Cell Advocacy Management Initiative (SAMI) and the Humanity Family Foundation for Peace and Development (HUFFPED). A Yoruba film actress, Ms. Bukola Awoyemi (Arugba), delivered the first presentation. She gave an insight into the true Af-

rican woman. Her presentation cut across the dress sense and the attributes of a woman. These include discipline, hardwork and an unrelenting spirit to make a positive impact in her immediate environment. Ms. Toyin Adesola, chief executive officer of SAMI, spoke on “Choices (you make) as a female”. She said at 45 and living with sickle cell anaemia, she was living a full life as a woman of worth, independence and guts. LASPOTECH Registrar Princess Adetope Kosoko while applauding the contributions of the speak-

ers, urged them to hold on to the things they know how to do best. There was a session featuring students who are entrepreneurs in various spheres; giving them an avenue to show their skills. Juliet Agboye, a student of Mass Communication and a hair stylist, showcased her skills, making the hair of the students who won in dance and quiz competitions. At the end of the event, certificates of participation were presented and awards given to outstanding students. Faculty best students, girls, were also

A growing number of female students at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK) are wives and mothers. IBRAHIM SULEJA (400-L Mass Communication) writes on their challenges.

Coping with married life in BUK

Sale of alcoholic drinks banned From Tosin Ajuwon AUCHI POLY

THE Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State, has warned shop owners in the hostels to desist from selling alcoholic drinks. According to a statement by the Security Unit, signed by the Liaison Officer Zone 1, Mr. Larryking Inobembe, anyone found violating the order will be sanctioned. The ban, according to a source, is to check indiscipline, especially among male students. Some students expressed delight with the ban, adding that it was a welcome development since most joints in the hostels have created fear in students. In a related development, the management has directed that the hostel gate be closed between 10pm and 5am daily.

T the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), many female students are married. While some were married before their admission, others wedded in the course of their programmes. As Nigerians are not known to delay child-bearing after marriage, many of these students are already mothers; some with as many as three children. As a result of this, a common sight on campus is female students clutching their babies. This is also common in class, as they grapple with lack of nannies and their lectures. One of them, a 300-Level student who did not want to be named, said the challenge is compounded by the fact that many husbands are not excited by the idea of their wives being in school. “They believe that once they have married you, your place is at home, as a full-time housewife,” she said. “This is the case even when the man made an agreement with the girl’s parents before the marriage that she would go to school or that she would be allowed to finish her programme, if she was already a student before the marriage.” In corroboration another married student, in 400-Level, said:

honoured. While thanking particpants for their time and contributions, the organiser, Raji, said: “I believe that if one can feed a woman, one has fed a nation. This event was planned with the aim of investing in the lives of all female on campus and showcasing ladies that have stood out as ambassadors in their spheres. I appreciate our Registrar, Princess Kosoko, who doubles as a role model for LASPOTECH girls, Ms. Adesola of SAMI and Miss Awoyemi, Nike Ashogbon, an award-winning student-journalist and also a student of this institution. Go and remain great ambassadors”.

•Some BUK female students.

“When the girl or her parents insist, the man grudgingly gives in; but does not bother to help the wife with the challenges. Rather than understand and help, he poses an obstacle at every turn, which really affects the woman emotionally.” A related challenge for these students is lack of competent and professional care for their children in daycare centres or lack of the wherewithal to send their babies there. Most of the nannies employed by the students are under-aged, and cannot take good care of the babies; this also affects the mothers who though may be in class, but are distracted by concern over the welfare of their ba-

PHOTO: IDRIS ABUBAKAR

bies. “So, it’s either they begin to miss classes to spend more time with their babies, or they carry them to school. But, in either case, their academic life suffer terribly,” said the 300-Level student. While other students are usually more helpful and accommodating towards the student-mothers and their babies, they would want an end to the distractions that usually come from the babies when they are brought into class during lectures. The students believe that things would be easier for them if the BUK authorities can establish a daycare centre on the campus. “Most of the students do not have relatives who can take care of the

babies for them and, even those who have, the inconvenience of going back and forth to pick or drop the children takes a toll on the student. But where there is a daycare centre on campus which is affordable, the students would be more relaxed,”said Mustafa Abubakar, a student. He added: “The wife is responsible for running the house. For most married female students, even when in lectures, taking notes, writing tests and assignments, the chores they left at home are always at the back of their minds. I salute all married female students of Bayero University, Kano for their tenacity and hardwork.”

VC visits hostel From Chiazokam Orji FUTO

THE Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Prof Cyril Asiabaka, visited the students hostels. The VC, who came with an entourage comprising all principal officers, inspected facilities in the hostel, such as toilets, kitchens and bed spaces. The VC expressed concern over power and water supply, promising that steps would be taken to restore normalcy. Students who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, were happy with the visit.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE

Remembering Gani

By Nurudeen Yusuf nytemilolaesqdcox@gmail.com

IFE is not about how long but how well one lives. Some people live a life full of passion but with years of regret, especially about the community in which they lived. Some we wish never die; while we wished some were never born. In recent times, lots of adjectives have been used to describe this great

man simply called Gani by many - young and old, rich and poor. He has been called “names such as “a man of history” “legend of all time” “martyr” an iconoclast; a jurist par excellence” the voice of the voiceless” “a moving library” “an enigma” a quintessential jurist” and many more. Indeed, only very few men rank in the category of Chief Gani Fawehinmi in history. Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, Alaafin of Oyo said of him “Since 1965 when the people’s lawyer started legal practice, Fawehinmi has done more than any other person, dead or alive in the struggle for the emancipation of the poor (in Nigeria)”. To me, it is very painful that I had no personal encounter with the enigma before he passed on. But I am addicted to reading his profile in collections and magazines. It was his philosophy that

inspired me into studying law. Gani built upon his God-given talent to become a freedom fighter who fought effortlessly. He was a thorn in the flesh of the military governments and all he saw as representatives of tyranny. During the years of the military, Gani, the “Mr. No-one knows tomorrow” always had a bag containing a tooth-brush, tooth paste and personal effects need for his upkeep because he did not know where he would spend the coming hours. In fact on Friday, May 29, 1992 when armed security men stormed his Anthony Village Law chambers and demanded to take him away, he said: “I am not surprised because I have always had a premonition that the agents of the Gen Ibrahim Babangida would soon come for me. I am taken away today Friday May 29, 1992. Even if they kill me, my spirit will continue to fight for the oppressed.

Surely, there is an alternative to poverty and there is an alternative to oppression which Babangida has subjected this country to. I crusade for that alternative. If I have to die, it is a noble death. I have no regret”. He instituted scholarship programmes for poor and indigent students. These and other of his many contributions to education made students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) to confer him with a special award of “Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM)” while the legal establishment denied him the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title. Not for the cause of his family but for the masses he was arrested, detained and charged to court times without number. His international passport was seized severally; his movement was always almost monitored. The God anointed activist unlike others

who in the name of activism accepted appointments from governments after many years of suffering, never betrayed the people. On many occasions, he turned down the government’s offer of a national award. Two years after his death, he would still be remembered for his ideas and convictions. His agitations, principles are panacea to Nigeria’s multi-faceted problems. Perhaps, Jose Marti had Gani in mind when he wrote: “A great man does not look round to see on which side to live better but rather on which side duty lies”. And for those who think Gani was controversial, let me remind them of these words “History does not record the achievements of any great man of vision and dynamism without some comments of controversy”. Sleep on Gani at the right hand of Allah. I wish you Aljianat Fridaus. Sleep on Gani Fawehinmi, a martyr, legend and institution; my hero and inspiration. Nurudeen, 100-Level Islamic Law, LASU

Human resource availability in Nigeria

EOPLE are quick to quote how rich Nigeria is in natural and human resources. One only needs to look critically at the scope of things in the nation to know that such statement is baseless. Either you choose to use the universities as a case study or the wider society, you would arrive at the same conclusion. The reality is sharply opposed to the claim of bogus availability of human resources. What of the majority of our educators whose qualification is certificate and not qualification and ability to deliver quality service? I was listening to a teacher sometime ago as he categorised the process of knowledge acquisition into three stages. He described the first level as awareness; the second, was un-

derstanding and the third level mastery. You would have attained, at least, the level of understanding in any field of endeavour before it can be of any significance to you. In the realm of teaching and learning, you would have understood a cause or an idea before you can bring your student to the level of awareness. Regrettably, the majority of Nigerian educators are floating at the second level – understanding. The import of this is that they are only able to bring their students to the level of awareness, and such knowledge does not last, rendering it useless. Very few indeed of our educators have achieved the level of mastery. This group of educators is capable of raising

their students to the level of understanding which is relevant to personal and societal development. Now compare the situation in developed countries where you have about 40 students to a professor to the situation in Nigeria where there could be as much as 200 students in a class being thought by a professor. How does this translate into richness in human resources for the country? The United States Federal Reserve Chief, Ben Benanke, in his book, Principles of Economics, analysed the importance of quality education. We need to realise the dearth of human resources in Nigeria and begin to make conscious effort towards acquiring human resource capacity relevant to national devel-

opment. There is no better means of acquiring human resource capacity than through education. The government, therefore, needs to increase funding to the education sector. The implication of all these is evident in the wider society. The majority of the graduates of Nigerian universities are restricted by several factors, thus incapacitated to deliver knowledge to others. Or is it for sheer contempt for “our own” that our government prefers to rather employ the services of the Chinese or the Indians when it comes to execution of major engineering, technological and medical projects? Maliki, 400-Level Geology, ABU Zaria

Cheating one’s way to success

By Betty Ubani bettydeboldeva@yahoo.com

HE quest to become a student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is very challenging. Candidates make OAU their choice of institution based on personal perception. While some think about the cheap school fees, others look at the structural aspect of the university. There are those who also settle for the institution because they have someone to help them secure admission. No matter the reason, it is true that many are calledm but few are chosen. Over the years, OAU has followed a well-defined process in

VERYONE finds himself in a certain environment, in a certain physical condition, in a certain mental state, with certain abilities and opportunities, and with certain obstacles and limitations. We find ourselves individually and in our own respective worlds. Things within our worlds become

selecting qualified candidates for admission. The cut-off mark for every candidate remains 200. But this does not deny the fact that there are flaws in the process. According to records, the institution registers about 40,000 candidates for post-UTME test. The OAU admission processes are in these areas; the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), pre-Degree, and Direct Entry (DE). Of the over 40, 000 candidates who sat for the exam, some 5, 000 will eventually become freshmen in the institution come next session. However, some lecturers have slots for their special candidates. It is a fact that most times, some lecturers decide who gains admission and who does not. It is a fact that not everyone who chooses OAU will gain admission irrespective of the candidate’s score. However, it was not surprising to gather from an impeccable source that a lecturer crossed out the name of a candidate who scored 270 and replaced him with a candidate who scored 200 for admission. The reason is best known to him. But we can guess why. This sounds interesting but it could happen to anybody.

Being a student of OAU for more than two years now affords me an opportunity to appreciate what some unfortunate candidates go through. One of the graduating students of Civil Engineering once noted that admission process in OAU is based on “who you know” to the detriment of merit. This explains the reason for a thousand and one tutorial centres in and outside the campus and even outside Ile-Ife. The rate at which people are looking for money in this present age has pushed many into grabbing with two hands anything that can fetch the cash, not minding who gets hurt. So, collecting money from people who fall prey and promising them admission is easy. To some of the candidates, it is going to be the survival of the fittest. Some will be favoured while others will try again later even after “sorting” heavily in cash or in kind depending on the gender of the prospective candidate. Admission or no admission will not prevent those who will smile to the bank from doing so. “Delay is not the denial of destiny, and “don’t give up” are some of the sayings deployed by some people who have severally been denied admission into tertiary in-

stitutions to console themselves so much so that this maxim has become trite. At the same time, seeking admission should be done cautiously. Most times, being desperate makes a candidate vulnerable to making unhealthy decisions. How can I explain what I witnessed at my off-campus residence three days to the last postUTME test? The candidates were already in possession of the answers to the questions they had not seen. Who knows if what they had was authentic or fake? On the day of the exam, I saw many candidates that, I am sure, came to write the exam around my house, still relaxing. It was later I learned that their mercenaries had gone to sit for them. I think something should be done to stop every illegal tutorial centre. The forge registration numbers for candidates. OAU has zerotolerance for examination malpractices; it is an institution of culture and excellence. Offenders get what they deserve. But who do we blame for the mess that endangers our collective future? Or who do we blame for a final year student who was expelled for using fake O’Level results to gain admission? What-

Success is dependent on attitude From Ndifereke Bassey ndifreke_ekwere@yahoo.com

our environment which try to influence our actions and reactions, by trying to influence our thinking, through the images and

imaginations they create in our minds. Success is not a game of chance but a product of hardwork and it is the ability to get along with some people and ahead of others. The origin of our success or failure is

our minds. This is because when we think and plan well about something, we generate good and positive thoughts which lead to positive feelings that produce positive actions and reactions that lead to success. But when one fails to

By Maliki Andas maliki20@rocketmail.com ever condition that prevails in any society reflects the character of the people. Education holds a great key for anyone who craves to impact on the society positively and effect a change that is rewarding. Therefore, it should be given the right priority and not made a distraction. On this note, I would like those involved in the admission struggle to remember that OAU is just a phase. Instead of getting stuck, they should use their time of waiting to build other areas of their lives. Those who gain admission through the back door always, at last, quit through the same way. Again, parents or guardians should give everything in directing and teaching their children not to cut corners. Teach them how to believe in themselves and knowing things for themselves. Let everyone be aware that fake tutors are now working as rampaging lion looking for whom to devour. Finally, my advice to those looking forward to gaining admission – if you don’t target, you don’t score. Again, if you don’t discover, you won’t recover. All the same, you should keep faith, set priorities right and God will give you the best. Betty, 300-Level Dramatic Arts, OAU plan about something, then he is planning to fail. Success depends on our ability to think, plan and programme ourselves towards what we want to do. Hence, as students or people, our success or failure is a function of our attitude. However, what we are, •Continued on page 36

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE

Unbeatable study secrets ITTING in front of the class, answering all the questions in a class session, raising your hand at any opportunity, being close to your teacher and being the envy of your class are all nice things, but in the final analyses they mean nothing if you cannot back it up with good grades and relevant points to move you to the next class. Result oriented students should take an interest in what we are about to share, because grades and not perception is key in the result sheet. We believe that the results that students have are a direct result of their study skills. Permit us here to share some of our study secrets with you, because believe it or not, at Fidelity, learning and studying never stops. Before revealing our secrets however, let us dispel some of the myths associated with studying. Studying must be difficult to be remembered: If this is true, how come you remember your favourite song and favourite movies so easily? Was it tortuous to learn them? You need to be intelligent to study well: Not necessarily. It is an advantage; however anyone who learns his study pattern can do well even with an average IQ. Again who teaches the dull people around us the names of places and lyrics of songs? Okay, now back to our matter of discussion. Here are some of our secrets Two for one principle: For every one hour class, the materials or study content should be revised for at least two hours to give you an advantage over your classmates. This is tiring but critical. Push yourself. It will save your time in the long run and keep study materials fresh Law of repetition: If you can achieve number 1 above, then you can achieve this. The law of repetition allows the student to remember with ease what he has read over and over again. Take time out till you achieve almost 100percent success. Use past questions: Always use past question papers. It allows you to get a glimpse into the mind of the examiners. It also helps you test how much ground you have covered. Studying is not and will not be effective if you do not have a means of testing it. The past questions serve this purpose. Group review: Coming together periodically to study the toughest aspects of the subject helps you get multiple input. This strategy is very effective but can also be prone to abuse as participants can easily get distracted and begin to discuss other matter e.g. foot-

On and Off Campus

By Uche Ogbonna

uche.ogbonna@fidelitybankplc.com

ball, fashion or movies. This must be guarded against. Keep the group small. Max of five people and the study time should be brief, two to three hours. Immediate review: This suggests that immediately after a class do well to read through the notes. This should not take up to 30 minutes but it has a far reaching effect. As you review, the mind would still be fresh and would still retain the areas of emphasis made by the lecturer. This immediate review will further embed them in your memory. Take notes: Carry along notebooks and pads on which you may jot down stressed points that the lecturer makes. Taking notes in your own words is a very effective way to engage your mind in the study process and the mind usually finds it easier to reproduce what it has created. Hence notes in your own words will be easier to remember than texts from books and handouts. Other random strategies: Too many people battle to study well because they eat heavy meals and send their body into a “rest” or “idle” mode and the body begins to prepare for sleep and not study. Whenever you plan to study, ensure that you do not eat heavy. Eat small bites and this will help you stay focused. Drink lots of water as this helps you stay awake and the periodic need to use the toilet helps break the monotony of study. From time to time you may need to take a walk to refresh yourself. Choose a study shrine. Doing this helps intensely as any time you get to this place at this time your mind and body automatically resets itself for the task of studying. Finally, when studying, start the toughest study work when you are fresh. Give it the best of your mind and ability. Never revise a tough subject when tired. It will only frustrate you. There are many more secrets and we will keep exploring them as time and opportunity permit. However please try these and let us have feedback from you on this topic. Share your own study secrets by mail to marketing.communications@fidelitybankplc.com and uche.ogbonna@fidelitybankplc.com Do you have a Fidelity Flex account? Enjoy your day.

By Solomon Izekor 08061522600

•Some of the students, spotting secondary school girls’ uniform.

Graduating students count days INAL year students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso have begun counting the days. The general class of 2011 graduating students took LAUTECH community by surprise as they embarked on “awareness” one of them described as “never seen before in the history of the school.” The students, dressed in secondary school uniforms, moved round LAUTECH to announce their impending graduation. They chanted: “We are leaving the stress in the next couple of weeks.”

From Seun Oke LAUTECH

The students stopped at LAUTECH Senate Building and held an assembly. They sang the national and the school’s anthems and other primary school poems before they were addressed by a colleague, who posed as secondary school principal. However, some final year students remained sober during the rally, while some did not join the procession at all. CAMPUSLIFE spoke with Funmilayo Afolabi, a Biology student, who did not participate in the “awareness,” said: Not all of us are certain of eventually ‘logging out’ at the end of the exams.”

Students honour lecturer

HE graduating students of Mass Communication, University of Jos (UNIJOS), have honoured a lecturer, Dr John Galadima, for playing a fatherly role in their lives. The event, which held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, was attended by students, who trouped to the venue to show gratitude to the lecturer. The class representative, Esther Nyam, said her mates were fortunate to have Galadima as their “super eagle”, saying they could not have asked for a better level co-ordinator throughout their programme. Presenting the award, Clement Gyang, said the venue had to be shifted at the last minute because of the state

From Esther Mark UNIJOS

of security in Jos. Galadima, while thanking the students for the honour, pointed out that it was rewarding to see his students appreciate his efforts. This he said would propell him to remain dedicated. Galadima explained that since 1991 when he began his career as a lecturer, no set of students had honoured him, describing the award as a “treasured honour”. He advised the students to always keep in touch as they graduated from the institution, saying “this honour would mean nothing if you don’t always keep in touch to communicate your progress in life”.

Success is dependent on attitude •Continued from page 35 what we do determines in what condition, circumstance and environment we shall be placed. For us to determine where we will be placed, we must change ourselves and actions by changing our thoughts. The major cause of failure ranges from personal attitude to negative environmental influence. Here, personal attitude includes inefficient planning, procrastination, loss of focus, inefficient time and financial management, negative influence from friends, family members, social groups, campus environment and the society at large. However, for us to overcome these so as to become champions of our time; we should efficiently plan everything we want to do, ensure proper time and

resource management. We must avoid every distraction that leads to procrastination and loss of focus. Besides, we should try to master everything in our individual lives because the principle of our being contains the possibility of complete mastership. Since the realisation of this principle produces the attitude of self-supremacy, every original thought that our minds create will, to a degree, change us and remake us according to what we inwardly desire to be. Finally, success is all about creating or recreating ourselves in addition to God’s grace that is already available. It is only the creative power of thought that is employed in the construction and reconstruction of a man; for this reason we are as we think. Hence, students should remember that, proper preparation prevents poor performance. Therefore, our success is an attribute of our attitude. Ndifereke, 300-Level Mechanical Engineering, UNIAGRIC, Umudike

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDUCATION

Plateau varsity matriculates 400 pioneer students

LATEAU State University has opened, with the matriculation of its 400 pioneer students. The university, which was established on March 7, 2005, opened its doors to students two years later.However, because of some problems, Governor Jonah Jang, acting on the report of a committee set up to investigate the foundation of the institution, suspended academics to allow for due process. It was re-opened in October, last year when the school authorities started fresh admission

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

of students after a former vice-chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof Nenfort Gomwalk, was appointed Vice-Chancellor. Gomwalk, speaking at the matriculation expressed gratitude to the Jang administration for properly re-establishing the school. Describing the event as momentous, the VC told the students:“That you have been found worthy to be admitted into our programmes after a painstaking process of examination should spur you to remain focus and committed to the ideas of

your studies. As I welcome you into the university community, this matriculation ceremony also marks the formal induction into this institution, he said. The VC added that 50 of those admitted are undergoing remedial programmes. “We finally arrived at the list of 350 undergraduates, the number approved by the National Universities Commission because of our limited facilities. In addition to these and due to the high demand by applicants, we had to introduce the remedial programme for science-related courses where we are

also starting with 50 pioneer students,” he said and urged them to be focused and law abiding. “The primary objective of your coming into this university is to study and eventually graduate having been found worthy both in character and learning. You must, therefore, be mindful of your code of conduct as many challenges lie ahead of you in the pursuit of your studies. As you settle down, you must exhibit loudly and unequivocally your desire to excel and make Plateau State University proud at the end of your studies,” he added.

UNIOSUN hosts workshop

OP scholars from Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham and Sheffield universities in the UK are attending a writing workshop for young African scholars organised by the 2011 African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK) at the Osun State University Main Campus in Osogbo. The workshop which is aimed at enhancing academic links between British and Nigerian universities, and increasing representation in British journals of works by scholars based in Nigeria ends tomorrow. It is also to bring together Nigerian and UK-based journal editors to discuss shared interests and problems, and explore possibilities for future co-operation. UK editors represented at the event include: Journal of the International African Institute, Journal of Modern African Studies (JMAS) and Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE). Editors of four leading Nigerian journals namely, Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria (JHSN), Lagos Historical Review (LHR), Journal of History and Diplomatic Studies (JHDS) and African Nebula (AN) are also participating in the three-day workshop. To achieve its stated objectives, 37 scholars drawn from 23 Nigerian universities were offered travel fellowships by the ASAUK to participate in the workshop.

New head for UNN Mass Comm

ROFESSOR Ike Ndolo has been appointed the Head of Mass Communication Department University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). Before joining UNN, he was recruited by Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) from Howard University, United States where he was an Assistant Professor. At ESUT, Ndolo headed the Mass Communication Department for five years, and was Director of ESUT Business School, Lagos and Enugu for seven years, before becoming the Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences for five years. Ndolo is a graduate of University of Houston (BA, Radio-Television-Film), Texas Southern University (MA, Broadcast Management) and Howard University (PhD, Mass Communication). Ndolo is also an alumnus of the Anderson Business School of University of California Los Angeles (Strategic Leadership Institute), member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and a registered practitioner in advertising. His broadcast experience spanned over 15 years with radio and television stations in the US. He has presented scholarly papers at national and international conferences and workshops.

BIU FILE Graduate tops at Law School A BENSON Idahosa University (BIU), Benin City, Edo State Law graduate, Miss Joy Eghonghon Oboh, made first class in the final Bar Examination of Nigerian Law School. Speaking on the feat BIUActing Vice-Chancellor Prof Johnson Oyedeji, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, said Miss Oboh’s sterling performance was in line with the university’s strategic vision of becoming one of the 10 best in Nigeria within the next four years. “For her to have made First Class in Law School has shown that our university’s Law programme conforms to the highest legal educational standard comparable to the best in business in Nigeria,” he added. He commended the effort of all the staff of the Law Faculty of the university for their diligence, focus and discipline in making the Faculty one of the best in Nigeria.

DVC inducted into US Academy

•From left: Acting Executive Director, Kasher Consulting, Dayo Oluwole; Director, Brume Foundation, Jite Brume; Veronica Enebeli Kachifo; and Co-ordinator, Barack Obama American Corner, during a lecture to mark Internatinal Literacy Day, at Ovie Brume Youth Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Graduates get safety lessons

OVERNMENT has been urged to simplify all the emergency numbers used in the country to contact the police, fire brigade and allied organisation. Reducing the numbers from 11 digits to three would make it easier for people to remember and call in an emergency. Mrs Fayo Williams, a First Aid expert and Managing Director of Rely Supply Limited, made the call at a seminar on Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) organised by Finsbury Heinz Limited for students and fresh graduates. Other resource persons at the event were Adeniran Oshobu, a United States-based Pipeline Engineer and Safety Expert; Mr Lucky Onoigboria,

By Wale Ajetunmobi

an Energy Consultant, and Commander Muslim Adigun, of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). Mrs Williams, who delivered a lecture on mechanism of first aid, said many Nigerians and medical practitioners lack basic understanding of first aid, adding that many deaths can be prevented if people who offer to help accident victims have knowledge of the subject. She cited an example of last month’s bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja where some deaths could have been prevented if first aid was given to the

victims before they were taken to the hospital. “You can all see what happened in Abuja last month after bombs exploded in the UN building. Instead of giving necessary first aid to the victims on the spot, the socalled aid workers with the help of surety agents were transferring people to various hospitals,” she said. The Managing Consultant of Finsbury Heinz Limited, Mr Jamiu Badmos, said the seminar was part of lectures organised for students and graduates to get knowledge on business in safety and boost the participants’chances in the labour market.

•From Left: Mr. Victor Olomu, Customer Relationship Manager, MTN; Mr Ater Simon Ayangalumun, 200-Level, Plant Science Technology; Miss Ibekwe Blessing, 200-Level, Biology Education, both students of the University of Nassarawa and Mr Muyiwa Fashola, Business Analyst, Customer Experience, MTN, at the company’s Customer Forum, at the university.

THE Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, Prof Ernest Izevbigie, has been recognised as a pioneer in his field along side other researchers at last induction into the National Academy of Inventors in the United States. Izevbigie, a Professor of Molecular Biology from Jackson State University, has earned two patents, including one for a formula he created from a Nigerian herbal shrub called Veronica amygdalina, or bitter leaf. Izevbigie’s research led to the formation of the Jackson State University initiated company EdoBotanics, which sells dietary supplements to boost the immune system and help with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. The Federal Government recently gave the company approval to manufacture and sell the dietary capsules locally.

NIMN endorses varsity centre THE National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), a professional body for the practice and regulation of the marketing profession in the country, has accredited BIU as a study and examination centre. In effect the university can run the Professional Postgraduate Diploma, which leads to professional certification in Marketing. Students in Benin and its environs will longer have to travel to Lagos to write professional examinations. Presenting the plaque of the institute, which signifies the beginning of the partnership, Chief Lugard Amiuwu, NIMN President Chairman of the Council, said the choice of the university as an accredited study and examination centre for the south would help in raising world class marketing professionals who are very scarce to find. He said that the founder of the university, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, was known for excellent results in everything he touched and to remember his contributions, every one must support the university. Responding to the NIMN president’s speech, Bishop Feb Idahosa II, President of the university, reiterated the commitment of the institution to partner with first rated professional chartered bodies in Nigeria and overseas to raise the bar for professional practice.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDUCATION EKSU FILE

SCHOLARSHIP

Units to boost IGR THE Ekiti State University (EKSU) plans to increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to complement its subvention. The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dada Adelowo, addressing senior staff of the university said he would encourage various units to accomplish the task. He proposed that the University Library set up a bindery section, while the Health Centre offer laboratory and x-ray services to generate funds. He also suggested the established of conference centres, quarry enterprises, a bookshop, water packaging firm, among others.

Screening for part-time students QUALIFYING examination for candidates into Part-Time Programmes (PTP) for the 2010/ 2011 Academic session will take place on September 22. Prospective candidates have been warned to avoid impersonation or cheating during the examination as any one caught will be handed over to the Law enforcement agents.

APPROACHING DEADLINES The Norwegian Government Scholarship for Master’s and PhD Students from Developing Countries, Norway September 3, 2011 The Norwegian Government funded Quota Scheme Scholarship for Master’s and PhD Students from Developing Countries at universities and university colleges in Norway Study Subject(s):Courses offered by Quota Scheme Course Level:Master’s and PhD, Professional/Bachelor’s degrees. Scholarship Provider: The Norwegian Government Scholarship can be taken at: Norway Eligibility: As a student, you must apply directly from your home country. You must have stayed at least one year in your home country directly prior to the planned course of study at the Norwegian university /university college. To be eligible to apply for the Quota Scheme, you must be able to find your home country on this list. Students usually apply for degree programmes that serve as a continuation of their studies in their home country or for courses which can be a joint part of a degree programme in their home country (joint degree or sandwich programmes). Most of the programmes offered are at Master’s or PhD level, but the Quota Scheme also offers certain Bachelor’s study programmes. All candidates should typically have the following basic qualifications: * Secondary school certificates * Minimum two years of higher education from their home country Some exceptions apply for certain professional educational courses at Bachelor’s level. Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes Scholarship Open for Students of Following Countries: Developing Countries Scholarship Description: The main objective of the Quota Scheme is to contribute to capacity building through education that will benefit the home country of the students when they return. The Quota Scheme is also intended to strengthen relations between Norway and the selected countries and thus contribute to internationalisation at Norwegian institutions of higher education. Most universities and university colleges in Norway participate in the Quota scheme. The institutions involved are allocated a certain number of students under the programme each year. The scheme normally includes courses at Master’s and Ph.D. level in addition to certain professional/ Bachelor’s degrees. Most of the Norwegian institutions offer courses and educational programmes in English. How to Apply: Online Scholarship Application Deadline December 1, 2011 September 2, 2011 The Reserve Bank of New Zealand offers International Scholarship for Honors, Masters or final year of PhD students at a New Zealand university- 2012 Study Subject(s):Economics, Finance and Banking Course Level:Honors, Masters or final year of PhD study Scholarship Provider: The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Scholarship can be taken at: New Zealand

Eligibility: -We welcome applications from international students, provided you are legally entitled to work in New Zealand. -Applicants must have relevant degree in relative field. Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes Scholarship Description: The Reserve Bank of New Zealand offers two scholarships each year to students who are majoring in Economics, Finance or Banking and who are entering their Honours, Masters or final year of PhD study. Students must have attained at least a B+ average and be studying full time over the academic year. How to Apply: By Post Scholarship Application Deadline: January 18, 2012. Reserve Bank of New Zealand University Scholarships for September 2, 2011 The Reserve Bank of New Zealand offers International Scholarship for Honors, Masters or final year of PhD students at a New Zealand university- 2012 Study Subject(s):Economics, Finance and Banking Course Level:Honors, Masters or final year of PhD study Scholarship Provider: The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Scholarship can be taken at: New Zealand Eligibility: -We welcome applications from international students, provided you are legally entitled to work in New Zealand. -Applicants must have relevant degree in relative field. Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes Scholarship Description: The Reserve Bank of New Zealand offers two scholarships each year to students who are majoring in Economics, Finance or Banking and who are entering their Honours, Masters or final year of PhD study. Students must have attained at least a B+ average and be studying full time over the academic year. How to Apply: By Post Scholarship Application Deadline: January 18, 2012. September 1, 2011 ESED Masters scholarhip in the field of Sustainable Energy Development for Applicants from Developing Countries Study Subject(s):Sustainable Energy Development Course Level:Masters Scholarship Provider: Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership Scholarship can be taken at: Home Country or abroad Eligibility: To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, students must plan to undertake studies at the Masters level in areas directly related to sustainable energy development be citizens of the developing countries and territories identified for OECD official development aid in the DAC List of ODA Recipients Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes

•Prof Adelowo

‘Distance Learning is the future’ Newly-appointed Provost, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija, Epe, Lagos, Prof Olu Akeusola, is also the Secretary, Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Education. He spoke with JIDE ORINTUNSIN on his plans for the college.

AGOS State Government placed high premium on your appointment as the Provost of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education. What is your vision for this specialised institution? I am coming to the college not to retain and continue the National Certificate of Education (NCE) programme alone. I have not even come to upgrade the institution to the University of Education as people are thinking. I am from NOUN(National Open University of Nigeria), the first open distance learning institution in Nigeria and West Africa. My mission is simple. Since the college is the first primary college of education in the history of this country and second in Africa, I want to transform it into the first state-owned university of Open and Distance Learning. My vision is to pilot the institution to becoming Michael Otedola Open and Distant Learning University. That is our vision and mission and we have started. We want to keep discussing and negotiating. We have contacted our Governing Council and we are going to Abuja to talk to the National Universities Commission (NUC). We are going into the project gradually, while we do the NCE. We are of the opinion that within the next three or four years,

at least before the beginning of my second tenure as Provost, we should have attained the status of a full fledged university of ODL. This is a laudable but capital intensive vision. How will you sustain its funding? For that, we don’t have a problem. We have a government in Lagos that is sensitive to its responsibility. Mr Fashola’s administration’s several interventions have assuaged the sufferings of tertiary institutions in the state. We are still collecting funds for capital projects and other special interventions. Aside this, it is cheaper to organise and fund an ODL university than the conventional ones. In conventional system, everything must be on the ground, but in ODL, it is a kind of inter-face between the students and the instructor. It is cheaper because the cost of running it is as low as about 20 per cent of what is needed to run a conventional institution. Above all, we are not envisaging problem, because we have a responsible and responsive government in Lagos. We expect government will increase our funding, because they know what we are doing. In view of the attention we are placing on the project, we are equally not depending solely on government. We are rejuvenating

our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) mechanism. We are expanding this in such a way that what we are learning from here will be able to carry the financial burden of this project. ODL is ICT-driven and ICT requires a lot of funds. How do you intend to go about this? In tertiary education, the goodwill of chief executive officers is very important. As a professor of international repute, the goodwill with some international organisations will be handy. On my appointment as the Provost, I went to my base, discussed with my Vice-Chancellor, Prof Vincent Tenebe, who assured me of total support from NOUN. I also went as far as Ghana, to meet with Prof Olu Jegede, the first Vice Chancellor of NOUN and now Executive Secretary of Association of African Universities. It is through him that any university in the continent can assess African Union (AU) fund, and he has promised to support our vision to the tune of about N1 billion, if we are focused. We are going to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). As a visiting professor to four other universities, I have started to contacted a lot of my friends in other organisations, and they have promised to assist us. All we need to do is follow up, with some letters and visitations.

•Akeusola

As someone who has been in the education sector for some decades now, what is your take on the general assumption that standard of education is falling? The standard of education in the country is not falling, neither is it static. We are only expecting too much from our students. In the 80s what we have as curriculum for secondary schools is what is being thought in primary school; while what graduates of those days did in the university is what the secondary school students are doing now. There was no computer in my generation during my secondary school days. But today, what my 14year-old son will do with computer will marvel you. If the standard of

education is falling, what do you have to say about the inroad of computer? The problem of education in Nigeria is not falling standard. We are asking for too much from these children. Let me shock you; my PhD thesis of 10 years ago is now being discussed at undergraduate level. Another factor affecting the system is the issue of our education curriculum. Our subjects’ curricular are not prepared by specialists. Our curriculum is not environmental and community sensitive. We like to borrow ideas, or jump into or rush into a system. The children are the one to suffer it, because some of the curricular are not adequately evaluated. We just copy from other systems. People planning our curricular pick from America, Britain and Asia; they merge all and at the end of the day, what we have is catastrophic. Our curriculum design is not in consonance with our societal needs. It is not the standard of education that is falling, but the standard of education planning, supervision and execution. This should not be placed at the doorstep of students but government. Do we have enough Colleges of Education in the country to take care of the rising number of students in our primary and secondary schools? We don’t have and that is why I was amazed when some people were going about with the rumour that NCE education would be scrapped. I want to say as the National Secretary of the Committee of Provosts in Nigeria and rightly quoting my National President, the NCE education will not be scrapped. NCE have come to stay, COE have come to stay, and the only thing we are going to do is to work hard in ensuring that we are empowered to award degrees so that we will be able to help students.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDUCATION

St Saviours School is 60

•From left Mr Awofisayo Oladipupo, Deputy Director, Academic Planning Unit, Adeniran Ogunsaya College of Education, Otto/Ijanikin; Mr Bashorun Olalekan, Provost; Prof Muhammad. Junaid, Executive Secretary, National Council for Colleges of Education,( NCCE); Mr Bola Disu, Registrar; AOCOED and Dr. Abdulkareem Yunusa, Ag. Director, Academic Programmes, NCCE during a courtesy visit to NCCE in Abuja.

MTN rolls out Football Scholarship

VER heard of where aspiring youths who want to make a career out of the round leather game will be subjected to writing examinations? That is one hurdle some, pupils must cross henceforth However, great rewards await those who succeed, courtesy of a new package tagged MTN Football Scholarship. MTN, which launched the initiative at White House Ikeja, wants youths to seize the opportunity. Its External Communication Manager, Mr Andrew Okeleke, said the initiative will help in discovering intelligent youths who can combine football and education at the tertiary level on scholarship. Okeleke said the aim of the initiative is to help youths realise their dream of furthering their studies via scholarships while also playing professional football in universities in the United States of America. He said MTN is already partnering with some universities in the US – with some of the institutions planning to send scout coaches to Nigeria to identify such talents. To participate, potential contestants aged between 16 and 20 only

By Adegunle Olugbamila

need to send an SMS, stating their name age and location. Kelvin Orifa, MTN Youth Segment Manager, said the idea was to rekindle the hopes of many indigent youths, who thirst for a sound education and a worthy football career. He said: “The project is for that young man who lives in Warri who plays football but does not also have access to get into the university because his parents don’t have the means. The programme is here to balance the Millennium Development Goals towards education and also foster the skills in our youths for football. This scholarship exists, but a lot of people are not aware of that, and so with the MTN programme, you can access international scholarships. You will agree with me that the best of talents in terms of soccer do not usually have education background. But with education, you can manage your business and life after a fulfilling football career. Fola Fowose, Harvard Business School undergraduate and project

Space walker counsels on science and technology

HEN Dr Bernard Harris posed with pupils of Adrao International School, Victoria Island (VI), Lagos, after speaking about his career as the first Black American to walk in space, one of the pupils, Zainab Otiki, asked for a handshake. “I will never wash my hands,” she quipped to a friend as she walked back to her seat. Her statement was no surprise, given the exciting stories Harris shared with them about life in space. Many of the more than 200 pupils who participated in Dr Harris’ first session at Oriental Hotel, VI, learned a lot about space and what astronauts do. However, beyond space and his successful career as a medical astronaut, Harris underscored how the pupils could become the rock stars of science and technology. Harris visited Nigeria with members of his team, the Harris Foundation, in collaboration with ExxonMobil Foundation to address first, secondary school pupils and teachers, and afterwards, stakeholders on the opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and how it can aid development. To demonstrate the possibility of pursuing potential high flying careers in STEM, Harris introduced

consultant, said the intending talents will go through various stages before 30 of them are shortlisted for the scholarships. He said the auditions will kick off in eight cities with a knock out series leading to quarter finals stages. Participants who, survive up to the knock out stages, will the write a mock exam while successful ones among them proceed to the academy where they will get intensive academic training for a month. Ex-football International, Segun Odegbami, a role model for the initiative, lauded the programme and said it would boost sport. “We are also using sports as in business to sustain sports economy; and its contributions to the country. Sports economy is very bad in this country, and our youths should be informed about the opportunities that exist within sports so that they won’t all be engineers, doctors, lawyers,” he said. Chief Executive Officer, PPM outfit, Ghandi Olaoye, said as a pilot project the initiative would take off in the Southwest with focus on males. He, however, assured females of participation in subsequent editions. Joe Erico, ex-Nigerian Coach, who represented the coaching crew, pledged that the coaches will live up to expectations in choosing those that will make Nigeria proud.

O commemorate its 60 years of existence on the educational landscape, St. Saviour’s School, Ebute-Metta, Lagos has lined up activities for its jubilee celebration. At a briefing, the Chairman of the Jubilee Planning Committee, Mr Wale Kasali, said the event would have started late last year but was rescheduled because of the elections. To kick off the celebration last year, the school donated furniture to public schools in Lagos State, organised a dinner to raise funds for the construction of a new resource centre in the school held a concert staged at the MUSON Centre, among other activities. The celebration will now continue with a Jubilee Thanksgiving Service at the school premises on September 24. There will also be a jubilee walk, release of balloons, treeplanting campaign and installation of litter bins at strategic positions at the Railway Compound, Ebute Metta, where the school is situated on Independence Day. On October 8, members of the school’s Board of Management will celebrate with the pupils at the

By Temitope Fatuase

Banilex Event Centre, Sabo-Yaba, Lagos. To crown the events is a three-inone celebration, a Jubilee ball, launching of an endowment funds and Award night on October 22, and an American auction - where items will be sold to raise fund for the resource centre at the External Ballroom of the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The Chairman, Board of Directors, Deacon Tom Ogboi, said 60 successful years of nursery and primary education in Nigeria is worth celebrating. “St. Saviours School has been in the vanguard of growing quality education at the primary school level for 60 years. We would like the government to learn from us how education is supposed to be handled. We have to celebrate because our standards have gone higher over the years. All our alumni everywhere are doing well. We build a good foundation for children at the primary school level,” he said. St. Saviour’s School was founded by the Colonial Church School Trust and it opened on April 23, 1951.

Foundation unveils ‘100 books challenge’

UPILS attending public schools in Victoria Island Lagos State have been challenged to read 100 books in 365 days. The “100 Books challenge” was unveiled by the Ovie Brume Foundation (OBF) in collaboration with the Barack Obama American Corner and the Literamed Publications, publishers of Lantern books during a ceremony to mark the International Literacy Day at OBF Lekki office. Literamed Publications donated 50 different story books to the OBF to mark the event. The representative of OBF, Mrs Dayo Oluwole, told the participants the story of the late minority rights activist Ken Saro Wiwa She said: “Ken Saro Wiwa was an educated man who used his pen to fight for the peace of his fatherland. Don’t wait to carry gun or join people who do that, but through your pen and book you can change the world. Know the power in pen

By Seun Olalude

and use it but to know this you must be educated.” She, therefore, urged the pupils to inbibe the culture of reading and writing to change their world for the best. Barack Obama American Corner Co-ordinator, Mrs Lois Ekeleme, said the event was organised to encourage pupils’ interest in reading and writing. “We realise that we are not reading anymore. Reading has been a challenge facing the youths of today. We formed the programme to boost interest in reading and writing. This event hopes to do this through the 100 books challenge. “One hundred different titled books are available for our pupils to read through the year. Each pupil would have to read two books in a week and 100 books in a year starting from this month to September next year. We are starting with the schools on Lagos Island.”

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

four young geologists in the employ of Mobil to the pupils to tell their stories. The rock star quartet of Cordelia Orjih, Ijeoma Okoye, Dunstan Ananyi and Olukayode Samuel told of how their love for sciences in secondary school led to their choice of geology despite contrary opinions of their families. “I loved geography in secondary school and my Dad advised me to do what I loved so it doesn’t feel like work,” said Cordelia, a graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and the University of Manchester, UK. To achieve same success, the rock stars told the pupils to be focused, work hard, dare to dream and be determined. Dr Harris also told how watching the first man on moon as a 13year old made him realise the importance of education if was ever to be like the astronauts. “When I was your age, I was fascinated with science and science fiction. When I was 13, I saw humans land on the moon. I realised that I wanted to be an astronaut. I realised I need to have education, science education,” he said. Fielding questions about space, Harris told the pupils that it takes

•From left: Mr Truman Bell of ExxonMobil Corporation; Dr. Prince Okorie, President, Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and Dr Harris, during the presentation of $20,000 support to STAN by Harris Foundation at the event

eight and-a-half minutes for a spaceship to get to space and 45 minutes to return to earth; a spaceship can go round the earth in 90 minutes and occupants would witness sunrise and sunset every 45 minutes; and that it takes four days to get to the Moon, and one

year to Mars. During a second session with stakeholders in science and technology, Dr Harris urged teachers, parents, policy makers in education ministry, units and science and technology departments to seek ways of helping students to

develop interest in science subjects. He also presented a donation of $20,000 to the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) to help in improving the capacity of science teachers to deliver quality tuition.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EDUCATION

Osun to introduce e-learning

LANS are underway by the Osun State government to kick off electronic learning in its public schools with Governor Rauf Aregbesola, pledging to overhaul the school system to meet international standard. Speaking at the opening of a three-day workshop on Content Development and Capacity Building for Senior Secondary School Teachers, at the Osogbo main campus of the Osun State University, Aregbesola said the step would help make teaching and learning innovative, interesting, stress-free and technological based. He said embracing e-learning would help public secondary schools to overcome lack of quality among its products, saying that the era of preparing voluminous lesson notes by teachers and students carrying of many books by pupils would soon be over. Lamenting the level of poor performance by secondary school

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

products, the governor said only professional teachers could guarantee functional education system. He, therefore, asked head teachers to take advantage of the workshop to enhance their subject delivery. Aregbesola assured them that the government would continue to help teachers to improve their knowledge and skills to deliver learning content more effectively. “You are expected to return to schools to implant, in the students, confidence, persistence and emotional resilience aimed at ensuring their attaining the peak of their achievement, social, emotional and behavioural well-being,” he said. Also, the Deputy Governor, Otunba Grace Laoye-Tomori, said high level of decadence, lack of adequate teaching and learning process, coupled with other social prob-

lems in the sector forced the administration into action since its inception late last year. She stated that the present administration is already addressing the situation. The deputy governor maintained that the essence of the workshop WAs to impact positively on the quality of education in the state, saying that the government believes that it actions would bring about a paradigm shift soonest. She called on stakeholders to work towards achieving the state government’s objectives in the sector, saying the state would move along the rest of the world in using education to solve its socio-economic problems. “We should all join hands to revive the sector from its present moribund status to a realistic and functional education that is relevant and capable of addressing the socio-economic problems of this great nation,” she added.

•A cross section of participants

Fashola, others counsel summer school participants T HE curtain has been drawn on the six-week summer holiday programme of the Lagos Empowerment And Resource Network (LEARN) at the Eko FM, Lagos. The 4,200 secondary school participants were reminded to make use of the new skills they have gained. In addition to academic activities at the seven centres where the summer school took place across the six education districts of the state, the pupils learnt vocational skills (such as catering, barbing, hairdressing, gele tying and make up), sexuality education, leadership skills and ethics, and got the chance to go on field trips. The wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola, initiator of LEARN, told the pupils to share what they learnt with others as required of future leaders. “You have been able to manage yourself well during this programme. You did some core subjects, learnt some skills and learnt to play games. You were able to do at least three things, meaning you can do anything. We don’t expect you to keep everything you have learnt during these holidays. Carry on doing what you learnt,” she said. One pupil who will be happy showing off his newly-acquired cooking skills is 14-year-old Olatokunbo Quadri.

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

The SS2 pupil of Government Senior College, Victoria Island, enrolled for the catering class to save him from the constant embarrassment of being the only one of his three siblings unable to prove himself in the kitchen. “I learnt a lot, especially in my catering skill class. At home, they used to tease me that I don’t know how to do anything in the kitchen. We are three boys. But now I have learnt to cook Okro soup, ewedu, fry chin chin and bake cake. I cooked okro soup and made eba for my family. I thank God Mrs Fashola helped students to get busy during the holidays,” he said. The Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs Omolara Erogbogbo, her counterpart in the

Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development, Mr Abiodun Junaid, and the Managing Director, LASACO Plc, Olusola LadipoAjayi, also enjoined the pupils to make use of their skills. In her keynote address, Mrs Orelope-Adefulure applauded Mrs Fashola for the LEARN initiative through which she is empowering the children of Lagos State and for investing in and preparing the youth for the future. Beyond the summer training, Mr Junaid said the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development would provide the young ones with centres to learn vocational skills daily. “We are buying into this project. Apart from the summer holidays, we will have these trainings in some of our youth centres,” he said. The event also featured a documentary about LEARN activities, and presentations by the various centres displaying skills they learned during the summer school.

‘I learnt a lot, especially in my catering skill class. At home, they used to tease me that I don’t know how to do anything in the kitchen. We are three boys. But now I have learnt to cook Okro soup, ewedu, fry chin chin and bake cake’

EDUTALK

with

Significance of literacy to progress

HE theme of the World Literacy Day celebrated Thursday last week was, “Literacy for Peace”. Kofoworola I attended a roundtable organised by the U.S Public Affairs section during which a participant drew our attention to the fact that Kofosagie@yahoo.com the masterminds behind many ter08054503077 (SMS only) rorist attacks experienced worldwide were well-educated people. He is right. If indeed literacy is the hallmark of development and it has become difficult to enjoy the best of today’s world without spending time in the four walls of a classroom, then we must ensure that getting people educated serves society for good. A little adjustment on our part during our daily activities at home, work or play would go a long way to impact society positively and show that those who are enlightened are indeed different. Sadly, this is not the case. Many educated people among us still do things that make us question whether they are literate. Indeed some people say there is a difference between being literate and being educated. But I think the difference, if any, is superficial. The more important difference that we should be concerned with is between literacy and illiteracy. Anyone that is literate should not litter our roads with plastic bottles, or any other form of waste – especially thrown out of car windows. Amazingly, these same literate people join the ignorant to accuse the government of neglect when floods overtake their areas, without taking cognisance of the role they played in blocking the drains and other water channels with refuse. Literate people will not hold up traffic because they want to patronise a roadside vendor, drop someone or greet a friend in another car. Literate people should not jump queues, seek favours from public officers to undermine the law, arm uneducated or unemployed youths with weapons to rig elections in their favour; vote for people with questionable integrity; or steal money from public coffers. Truly literate parents will not pay tuition fees and afterwards support their wards with money to perpetrate examination malpractice. On the contrary, they will make out time to help with home work, attend school functions, and know what is going in their children’s lives. Educated parents will not condone their wards being rude to teachers, drivers or domestic hirelings; or indulge them with too much television, food, money and other frivolous pleasures. Literate parents will take time to instill values in their wards – teaching them that there is virtue in hard work, honesty, patriotism, and being kind to people. Literate parents will teach their children their local language. Yes, their mother tongues. Many parents today do not realise that children have the unique ability to learn many languages, especially from a tender age. It is a lack of knowledge that makes educated parents of today limit the language experience of their children for fear they would not grasp the English Language. When I ask those parents whose parents spoke Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or any other language to them when they were young how they got to learn English, they have no answer. Yet, they fail to pass on their language(s) to their young ones. It is an unfortunate situation literate parents should correct.

Belo-Osagie

‘Anyone that is literate should not litter our roads with plastic bottles, or any other form of waste – especially thrown out of car windows. These same literate people join the ignorant to accuse the government of neglect when floods overtake their areas, without taking cognisance of the role they played in blocking the drains and other water channels with refuse’

From my Inbox Re: The Nigerian Factor (Thursday, September 08, 2011) The Nigerian factor goes beyond what you wrote. How do you explain that in a competitive examination some people who fail are given chances because of quota? How do you explain that in a free and fair election, those who fail decide to make the place ungovernable? Or instead of prosecuting the sponsors of a crime, government will arrest miscreants. 080385714—. Re: Students’ visa palaver? Permit me to respond to the comment by Olowo Ayo who said “Government must regulate these embassies not to oppress us in our land”. Even though government has been absolutely irresponsible in playing the ostrich while our people continue to be humiliated at the embassies where they troupe to seek visa, our people too are irresponsible and foolish. By desperately trouping to these embassies they show that they don’t have a country or prefer the foreign ones - those who have need and those who don’t. Why? Tsuwa M.A., Bauchi.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

THE NATION

NATURAL HEALTH E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

Split in alternative medical association T

HERE appears to be a split in National Complementary and Alternative Medical Association (NACAM). Members are devided over the decision of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to reposition alternative medicine practice. A faction is protesting the ministry’s and MDCN’s decision. But, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of NACAMA rose from a meeting in Abuja, condemning the faction’s position. In a communique signed by its President, Dr Oluwole Bankole, National Vice-President Dr Isaac

•Divided members in verbal warfare By Wale Adepoju

Ayodele, Vice-President (Southwest), Dr Samuel Fafure and 25 others, the association berated the faction members for using the media and sending letters to the ministry, MDCN and the Presidency under the guise of the Alternative Medical Practitioners Stakeholders and later as Caretaker Committee Members. NACAMA reiterated that the errant members were not representing its interest, adding that Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (CAM) is a statutory Medical Practice established by Decree 78 of 1992 called Medical and Dental Practitioners (amended) Decree No. 78 of 1992 or MDCN Act Cap M8 laws of the federation. NACAMA restated its support for MDCN in the regulation and standardisation of conventional and complementary and alternative medicine practice. It said it has expelled them. It also disclaimed publications by the members, including what it described as embarrassing utter-

ances against the ministry and MDCN. NACAMA advised the public and government establishments to stop doing business with them on its behalf. But, the President of the faction, Prof Joseph Akpa, said the Executive Council of NACAMA had been suspended for improper conduct. “Moreover, their tenure has ended,” said Akpa. “It was published in a national paper this year that they were suspended,” he added. In a telephone interview, the

Deputy National President of the care taker committee, Dr Amadi Godspower, said the tenure of the so-called NACAMA executive has expired, adding that they have been in the office for about three-and-a-half years.“We passed a vote of no confidence on them because of false certificates that some of them presented among other issues. The Lagos State chapter also passed a vote of no confidence on them. But, according to our constitution, only meetings convened by the General Assembly is binding. And we are law abiding and unshakeable in our quest for the right things to be done and getting credible people into office,” he said.

‘How to improve herbal medicine’

•Okujagu

RADITIONAL medicine practice and products can be developed to to the standard of orthodox medicine, the Ministry of Science and Technology has said. Accordig to the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), a parastatal in the ministry, for this to happen, the practitioners and other stakeholders must improve on their products. The agency gave the charge as part of activities to mark this year’s African Traditional Medicine Day ((ATMD). The theme was: Conservation of medicinal plantsAfrica’s heritage. According to its Director-General, Tamunoibuomi Okujagu, if natural products are well-manufactured and wellpackaged, more people will feel more

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha and Risikat Ramoni

comfortable using them. Then, demand for same will increase, and can be used as more often as the orthodox medicine, he added. Okujagu implored practitioners to explore available avenues to prove the efficacy and safety of their products. He also encouraged them to improve on packaging and presentation of the locally produced herbs and roots to gain acceptance, adding that ginseng and other Asian herbs are now common products in the world. He said the agency has acquired land in Delta and Niger states to grow, domesticate and cultivate medicinal herbal plants.

Traditional doctors get deadline on registration

NREGISTERED alternative and traditional medicine practitioners in Lagos State have till the end of this month to register with the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB) or face the music. The Registrar of the Board, Dr Bodunrin Oluwa, said at the expiration of the deadline, any unregistered practitioner would be regarded as a charlatan. Oluwa said the regulatory body noticed recently that some practitioners were involved in professional misconduct. Some, he said, were discovered in Ikorodu, Igando, Ipaja and Ojo, all in Lagos. The practitioner were fished out following the alarm rate of deaths traced to their centres. Many of them, he said, are operating without certification by LSTMB. Oluwa, who spoke to The Nation, said the culprits include faithbased groups which are also categorised under traditional or alternative medicine. “Their failure to identify with the board is preventing the Board from effectively monitoring their activities,” he added. Oluwa said some defiant practitioners and organisations even discouraged the informed from registering with the Board, adding that the unscrupulous practitioners even tell such that there is

Cholera natural remedies, treatment

By Wale Adepoju

no need to register or revalidate their Certificates with the regulatory agency. “This is wrong. We are not complacent in our discharges with statutory responsibilities. We have set our records and set the deadline. Any defaulter will be severely dealt with and will serve as a deterrent to others. He said the registration of practitioners with the Board is simple and explained: “What is required is the taking down of vital information of the practitioners. Thereafter, we, the regulators, take them through a two-week rudimentary or preparatory training before the major training. The training involves grounding them in the dos and don’ts, the ethics, especially when to refer a patient. They must go through all these sessions before they can be listed as qualified practitioners. “The programme comprises six weeks orientation programme that involves training in anatomy, physiology, primary health care, data and record keeping, investigation and examination of patients, among others. It involves every arm of traditional medicine. After the training, they will then go on for further trainings for two months in their areas of specialty,

Okujagu said about 85 per cent of Africans, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and most of Asia, utilise traditional medicine as it is the major source of health care available, accessible and affordable to them. He estimated that herbal medicine has an annual turnover of $10 billion Asian, European, African countries, among others are using them. The Federal Government, he said, is working on the development of traditional medicine through policies and guidelines. He urged the government to consider the Bill for the Establishment of a Traditional Medicine Council without further delay, asking individuals and institutions to give traditional medicine more attention, as they are good as orthodox medicine.

•Oluwa

such as bone setting, midwifery, traditional psychiatry, spiritual faith healing among others. The Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) go to any of the General Hospitals closest to them for another six weeks for more training.” Other activities of the Board, he said, include premises inspection to know if a practitioner has the necessary resources. This also enables them to know genuine practitioners and charlatans. The LSTMB, he said, is challenged by inadequate staff and vehicular problem. “At the moment, the board only has a bus to go round the entire state. This makes enforcement and monitoring difficult,” Oluwa said.

HOLERA is one of the most violent and devastating dis eases known to mankind which still sadly carries a very high mortality rate despite sciences best efforts to eradicate it. It is an infection of the lower bowel area and is carried in affected or dirty water. It is particularly prelevant during the monsoon season, so if you live in a region prone too such weather conditions you should take extra precautions against the disease. Symptoms of cholera: •Mild diarrhea followed by violent purging such as excessive vomiting and a general nauseous feeling. •The sufferer will also have a raging thirst and will feel restless within themselves •The blood pressure will also fall which will give extremely painful cramps in the internal system and in all likelihood will lead to full body and physical collapse.

Ayurvedic causes of cholera In the Ayurvedic philosophy a disease such as cholera is caused by a visitation of external force into the body that causes a great aggrivation of the doshas. This allows the negative amas to build up with compromises pitta. The pitta needs to be healed in order to re-balance dosha. In order to achieve this the digestive system must be de-toxed and purifiedthus allowing the intestinal region afflicted by cholera the chance to heal

and be able to function again properly. Ayurvedic remedy as prevention and cure for cholera. A simple lemon is highly effective in preventing cholera. A regular intake of its juice, either by itself or mixed in with other liquid gives the body the nutrients needed to fight off the negative amas, to purge the intestine and to keep it healthy. An outbreak of cholera very often takes the form of an epidemic, so if you are caught up in one it becomes particularly vital you keep up your lemony intake to ensure the deadly bacteria does not spread to you. Cucumber juice also helps alleviate the suffering of cholera. You can simply liquidise the cucumbers’ leaves and drink it straight. Not only does it quell the symptom of raging thirst but also replenishes the internal acid needed to fight the cholera virus. Generally, it is important to revive acidity in order to purge the negative toxin and any liquid that does this is highly recommended to ingest.

Ayurvedic diet for Cholera As the digestive system is compromised to such an extent that during an outbreak of cholera solid foods can not be ingested properly, then liquid and liquid food are the only options available to the sufferer. •Source: www.ayurvedic-medicines.com

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NATURAL HEALTH

Dr Clark offers electrocution cure for disease (5) Before we bid Dr. Holda Clark bye for a while, let’s pay the tree man a brief visit. Mr Oyeniyi Azeez, who invited my attention to him months ago thought shrubs and trees were growing on his skin. I disagreed purely on spiritual grounds, and I was right. The human body and shrubs or trees are different Creation species. And, in Creation, one species does not evolve or devolve into another. A specie can evolve to its highest possible potential or devolve to its lowest kind. This principle solved for me about three decades ago the so-called confusion about Darwin’s theory of evolution. The human body and its human occupant, the human spirit, are different Creation species. The body evolved from the animal while the self conscious man evolved from the human spirit seed grain. Many events are connected with this for the purpose of man’s spiritual development on this earth from unconsciousness to consciousness and perfection within the bounds of the capacity of human spirit. We must leave this terrain for another day.

Few people are free of warts which can be found on the fingers, forearms, elbows, face, knee, anus, on the voice box (larynx) causing coarseness, in the cheek, on the lips, in the urethra in men, around the vagina, penis, in the groin and even on the scrotum, under the toes and on soles of the feet. Dr. Clark’s the CURE FOR ALL DISEASES gives two case histories on this subject. One was that of GUY LAIRD, aged 11, who had warts on his lips and fingers which he got from feeding three outdoor dogs. His liver was full of worms and his bladder of cysts. Dr. Clark thinks the presence of the solvent benzene attracted them. “He stopped using tooth paste,” she recalls, and electrocuted the parasites, with all but one of them coming off without bleeding. He changed his job after.

HAT we see in the pictures above are men troubled by WARTS. Many people have warts. If you look into the mirror, you are likely to find a few growing on your face or on any other part of the body. Some women suffer from vaginal warts. These are growths which may block the passage. They may not be dangerous. But they may also be, growing into cancers, because they harbor viruses, a cause of cancer. This wart is sexually transmitted through oral, anal or vaginal intercourse. Highly contagious, it may also be picked from infected towels or things like that. Caused by the human papilomavirus, it may occur as a single growth or come in a cluster of many and take the shape of cauliflower. Some of the symptoms of vaginal wart include excessive vaginal discharge, sudden vaginal bleeding, and discomfort during sexual intercourse and burning sensation around the woman’s secret place. In the case of the men above, warts grew on their skin and got out of hand. One of these men is Dede Koswara, an Indonesian who had six kilogrammes of warts (the size of a two months old baby) removed from his body. But his condition worsened. According to a report on him in the internet, “those (warts) that were removed are growing again and started to reappear after I returned home” Dede’s body, according to a Discovery Channel documentary on him, cannot stop the warts form growing, and they have dug into his body with long roots. The warts have baffled his doctors for more than 20 years. Although 95 per cent of the warts were removed, enabling him to hold a pen and use a cell phone, they regrew so ferociously that he would now require two surgeries every year for the rest of his life to keep them in check. This makes it possible for him to feed himself, get a job if possible, and “meet a girl and get married. Meanwhile, dermatologists are exploring the possibility of giving high doses of Vitamin A in the belief that it will boost his body’s immunity against HPV. The tree man is a growing tribe. In 2007, another was discovered Ion Toader, a Romanian farmer, had heavy growths in this hands. In 2009, another tree man from Indonesia was introduced to Dede in a Discovery Channel documentary entitled: “TREE MAN MEETS TREE MAN” Yet, another Indonesian resident in Holland was discovered. Doctors shrank his growths with radiation, and he developed cancer after wards. As an internet soure captions the photograph of Dede: “This man has hands and feet that look like contorted tree branches. For 20 years, he has lived like this. He has warts all over this body that look like the moss that forms on trees in the forest. The growths on his body make up over 12 pounds of his weights and he only weights 100 pounds. After only a few steps, he would become tired because of the density of the growths. It is believed that this defect was caused by an HPV virus. There are two types of HPV. The first one can cause cervical cancer and the other can cause warts on the skin. This is what the doctors feel he has. The

warts started to appear after he received a cut on his skin as a teenager. It has become (sic) out of control since then. The skin has infection happening and bugs living in the skin. He has a weak immune system and the virus took over because of it” This is frightening For who doesn’t have bugs living under the skin? After reading last week’s column, one reader telephoned me to express his gratitude. He said he had an operation to remove a worm deep within his skin. That column revealed Dr. Holda Clark’s clinical case studies in which she found worms ( flukes) to be the cause of many major diseases. Flukes ravage the liver to cause cancer anywhere in the body. The liver detoxifies the blood. Once flukes have got it out of the way, poisons accumulate in the body, destroying the weakest organs. In the lungs, flukes cause cancer; in the pancreas, diabetes; in the spleen, anemia. Only by killing them with a frequency machine or through some depoxifying method in both does the body know peace. Dr Clark shows how flukes are led to special orgasm by certain poisons haboured by them. Thallium, a toxin in lipstick, is found in the breast. So are chemical poisons in hair shampoos and dyes, leaking refrigerator gas, like asbestos from the worn belt of a washing machine, contribute their own deadly quota as does the fumes from a kerosene lamp. Some people are lucky they can detoxify and get rid of these things but many people are not so lucky. After giving instructions on how to use the frequency generator to electrocute warts on the skin and in the organs, Dr Clark says: “In a few days, one or two of your warts will begin to shread. After a week, you may lose one or two completely, and find out that several more have become smaller. The remained are unchanged continue to identify and kill them. Notice that they are not necessarily gone from the pancreas or other organ at the same time as they are gone from the skin. Perhaps warts are not the benign entities we have believed them to be. They may, in fact, ride into the body on some common bacteria like salmonella or common parasite like pinworms or tapeworm stages. Zapping doesn’t reach all the viruses in a warts either. It takes repeated zappings to start the shredding and gradual killing of warts.

EOR GIANNA MILLS, a music teacher in middle age, broke out with about 30 warts. Months later, she tested positive to bone cancer. “She cleared up her cancer and killed her virus and bacteria with frequency generator.” Says Dr. Clark, and “nearly all her warts disappeared.” But she picked new warts she was unable to eliminate from reinffection by her indoor pet with tapeworm stage parasite. Dr Clark devotes a section of her book to “tapeworm stages” for good. Reason. Until I read it, I could certify myself as free of tapeworm since I avoid, like a plague, the well-known carriers of this terrible parasite. Dr Clark say’s tapeworm stages (egg laver etc) are in every animal, including fish. Tapeworms shed their eggs onto the earth in the stool of their host. Animal liking dust and dirt or nibbling vegetation pick them up “dog and cat tapeworm are most prevalent”, says Dr. Clark. Cow, sheep and pig have their own fair share. So, as she adds: Whatever animal species you live near or once lived near, you probably swallowed some of its filth and some tape eggs. The egg hatch in your stomach and the tiny lavae burrow into a neighbouring organ without any consideration that this is your stomach wall or spleen or muscle. The larvas plan is not to grow into a long worm. That can wait the larve must simply survive until you can be conveniently eaten”. Tapeworm stages, like warts, may cause no adverse symptoms. but when they die or the cyst in which the body imprisons them is broken, their viral and bacterial parasites pour into the blood, causing trouble. The wart itself is no more than a cage in which the body imprisons viruses and bacteria which may harm it. Therefore, says, Dr Clark, while killing off warts, virues and bacteria must be simultaneously eliminated. Many anti-parasites herbal remedies are appearing on the market now. While Vitamins A and E, selenium and zinc build immunity, aloe vera, Astragalus, black walnut, sufur - containing amino acids, such as L-cystine are helpful too, in various ways. Interest is shifting, however, to antiparasite proprietary blends. In this category are in Olivir 75, which targets fungi. There are from the Amazon basin, Amazon A-F, targeted also at Candida. Amazon A-P targets the worms while Amazon A-V battles viruses. There is, also, Parashield. All these, and more, are increasingly used in the therepies of cancer, HIV-AIDS, parasites problems, including asthma, diabetes, anaemia, candidiasis, worms etc. When we remember that worms and staphylococcus for example, can reside in the heart, we should know that no stone should be left unturned in the battle against them. As Dr. Scott- Mumby said last week, we shouldn’t let them see our bodies as a five-star hotel As motivation for this, look at the photographs on this page again and remember that this condition started off with a little cut on the skin which provided entrance of HPV. It could happen to anyone here.

Dr Clark offers electrocution cure for disease (4) •The concluding part of Dr Clark’s fourth edition

HE insulin shot itself may be polluted with wood alco hol. This is an especially cruel irony. The treatment itself is worsening the condition. I have experienced this with many diabetics.Their blood sugar levels keep rising despite the best of therapies. Could they be consuming methanol – polluted substances which encourage the proliferation and damaging effects of Eurytrema? Dr Clark found, also said, that all diabetics carry a virus. “HA virus,in their pancreas.” She says it grows in the skin as a wart, but spreads widely in the body to say the spleen, liver and, of course, the pancreas. It disappears with the disappearance of the pancreatic flukes. She suggests that diabetics avoid complicating allergy from gluten. She gladdens my heart with the assurance that fenugreek, which I often suggest to diabetics, “ has been reported to greatly benefit (even cure) diabetic cases.” She wonders if they are “a specific fluke killer, virus killer or neither?” wood alcohol, she says, also accumulates in the eyes, “and there is a connection

between diabetes and eye diseases.” Her case studies included the following. “ROBEAT GREENE, 65, had been on insulin five years already, getting two shots a day (25 in each) and even this was not controlling his blood sugar which was 288 in the morning. He was raised to 30 units without much improvement. His legs and feet were too painful to walk without a walker to lean on.He had Loa loa in his pancreas (This is another example of a parasite going to the wrong location, this time the pancreas instead of the heart. I believe the solvent makes this possible.)Also mumps virus, HA wart virus, mycoplasma, flu virus, chicken pox virus, Adenovirus and shigella, all making their home in his pancreas! This was possible because he had wood alcohol accumulated there, from drinking various beverages and using artificial sweeteners. As soon as he stopped this practice and killed everything with a frequency generator, his blood sugar fell below 100 in the morning and he had to reduce his insulin to 20 units. He was also on chromium 200 mcg, (two, three times a day). Meanwhile, he cleared 2,000 stones out of his liver. He could now walk well and decided to

e-mail: femi.kusa@yahoo.com or olufemikusa@yahoo.com

take a part time job. The whole process took one year.”

HERE are many more interesting case studies that space does not permit a mention. I came off this section of Dr Clark’s THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES reassured that Revivo tea from China (there’s a brand From South Africa on the internet as well), should do a good job killing the viruses, especially when combined with Flo Essence from Canada and Omega Wash from Britian. Users many feel nauseated and sickly in the first few weeks because of a “die off effect.” As the viruses die, their remains and poisons pour into the blood, giving the liver a hell of a job .Protect the liver beforehand with Milk thistle and Maria Treben bitters, which is non- alcoholic and one of many reasons why I prefer it. The fungi and bacteria can be handled with Parashield, Oliver and their kindred from the Amazon basin. I conclude by returning to the nine-week series entitled DETOXTY TODAY… DEATH BEGINS IN THE INTESTINES and suggesting now: DEWORM TODAY…WORMS MAY BE CRAWLING ABOUT IN YOUR LIVER OR BRAIN.

Tel: 08034004247, 07025077303

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

e-Business Beating SIM registration hassles T he operations of telecom firms are suffering because of the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card registration. But the firms are not taken things lying low. They are making the most of the situation to boost their subscriber base and increase revenue through promotional campaigns, ADLINE ATILI reports

HEN the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed operators to begin registration of subscribers, it did not envisage a lull in subscriber growth and decline in teledensity. The commission officially started the second phase of the exercise in March. At the flag-off, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Eugene Juwah said: “Today marks a major step taken by the NCC, to bequeath to our dear nation, an important tool, a pool of data that will assist other agencies of government, especially the security agencies, and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in carrying out their job in the national interest. “The importance of SIM card registration cannot be over-emphasised, especially at this time of our social, political and economic development and the need to mitigate the current security challenges perpetrated through the use of mobile phones.” Juwah said the commission took the initiative at the behest of the security agencies, which noted that the manner mobile phones were being acquired and used without proper identification is one of the causes of increased criminal activities nationwide. Some of the operators were not excited about the idea, complaining that everywhere SIM card registration is done; there is always decline in the purchase of SIM cards. Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Steven Evans, forecast that there would be a decline in subscriber growth during the period. True to his words, the nation reportedly lost about 500,000 lines in two months when the second leg of the exercise began six months ago. Latest subscriber data from NCC showed that, from March ending, when subscriber base stood at 90.9 million, the figure plummeted to 90.5 million at the end of April with a further fall below this figure in May. Evidently, 462,243 lines were lost between March and May. This development caused corresponding fall in teledensity from 64.98 to 64.65 in the same period. Experts attributed the fall in subscriber base for the first time since the advent of the Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) revolution in 2001, to the ongoing SIM registration, which set in a slow process of acquiring new SIM cards and retrieving old/stolen/damaged ones by subscribers, as they are expected to be registered before activation. NCC threatened to sanction any operator who sells pre-registered SIM cards, directing them to put them in ‘re-

ACTIVE CONNECTED LINES MARCH 2011 TO JULY 2011 July

June

Mobile (GSM) 84,680,006 Mobile (CDMA) 5, 309,899 Wired/Wireless 844,524 Total 90,834,429

May

April

March

84,093,173 83,746,144 83,643,903 83,857,798 5,558,612 5,836,169 5,985,163 6,128,661 881,393 925,238 957,719 983,335 90,533,178 90,507,551 90,586,785 90,969,794

SOURCE: NCC ceive-only’ mode until after registration is completed. But operators are not folding their hands watching their source of revenue dwindle; they have come up with the idea of encouraging existing subscribers to get their SIM cards registered and enticing new ones into buying and registering their SIM cards, even if it is a burden to them. The idea is, SIM registration promo, through which the Telcos hope to kill three birds with a stone. First, the promo will enable them to carry out the NCC SIM registration directive with ease; second, it will further grow their subscriber base; and third, it will enhance their revenue. Etisalat Nigeria in June launched the first SIM registration promo tagged, 9ja Free Credit Promo, designed to reward •new and existing customers who register or have registered their SIM cards, with 30 per cent bonus credit to call any network. According to the Chief Commercial Officer of the company, Wael Ammar, “To enjoy the offer, new and existing subscribers must have their Etisalat SIM cards registered. New subscribers to the network are, however, required to dial 200 to activate their SIM cards before registration. “All registered customers will have all their recharges monitored and will be rewarded with 30 per cent of total recharges as free airtime up to a maximum of N10,000. “The reward can be used to call and send SMS to all networks in the country. For newly registered subscribers, the first recharge made after SIM registration kicks off a 30-day monitoring cycle for recharges after which a 30 per cent bonus will be given.” According to him, the free credit promo is the company’s way of supporting the NCC’S drive to register all lines in Nigeria by motivating customers to get their SIM cards registered and get 30 per cent bonus on total recharges. Barely a month after the launch of the free credit SIM registration promo, the

Telco reported a surge in subscribers seeking to register their SIM cards at its outlets across the country. Evans said last week that Etisalat’s subscriber base has hit nine million. He noted that though the mandatory SIM registration slowed down growth at the beginning of the year, business picked up with promotional campaign to drive registration. He said: “The main way that we’ve been growing our subscriber base is through promotions, innovations, customer focus and our good quality network. We are encouraging people to come and try Etisalat though there are a lot of people with multiple SIMs in the market. “By trying our network and getting good quality service, hopefully, those customers will stay with us and eventually, we’ll become the main SIM that they use more that those of the other operators that they’ve got. That is why we’ve invested a lot of money to build our network to deliver good quality service. We have also invested on promotions. “The main promotion we are running at the moment is the SIM registration promo. It’s a really big promotion and people love it. It is driving the growth of our subscriber base. We now have nine million active subscribers and the number keeps increasing by the minute.” The following month, Globacom also put up a SIM registration offer of N20,000 worth of airtime and trips to Manchester or Dubai. The company’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Mohamed Jameel, said the campaign was aimed at expediting the pace of the ongoing SIM registration through special incentives to encourage existing and new subscribers to register their SIM cards. He said customers who comply and immediately register their SIM cards would be rewarded with fantastic prizes during the duration of the campaign. Already, 17 winners have won N1 million each in the daily draws of the pro-

‘The SIM registration promo shows the height of innovation of telecom operators; that is commendable. However, they may have us believe they are speeding up the SIM registration process and doing the subscribers a favour, they are profiting through it’

motion; 10 other subscribers have won all-expenses paid trip to Dubai; nine others have won free trips to the United Kingdom to watch the home matches of English Premier League champions, Manchester United. In addition, 100 subscribers have won N20,000 worth of free airtime. Last week, MTN launched a N1billion reward scheme to commemorate its 10 th anniversary, tying it to the ongoing SIM card registration. According to the company, to qualify for the reward all a subscriber needs to do is register his SIM card; recharge his phones with any amount of credit and subscribe to one of MTN’s new value proposition packages. General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Kola Oyeyemi, said the plan is aimed at showing appreciation to subscribers for their loyalty in the past 10 years while encouraging them to register their SIM cards. He said: “The reward package will allow 10 people to win N10million at each draw for 10 days. Another 900 people will win N100,000 each and there will be N10m illion worth of instant cash prizes to be won during prize presentation ceremonies.” MTN said to ensure that consumers across the length and breadth of Nigeria are aware of the exercise so they can benefit by participating, it is embarking on a major national enlightenment campaign to prompt consumers to register their SIM cards now and win rewards from the Telco. Airtel has also been sending SMSs to its subscribers to register their SIM cards and win a gift but ignore if they have already registered. An industry analyst, Kehinde Dada, said though the operators may be carrying o ut the wishes of the NCC, they were steadily making tidy profit for themselves and growing their subscriber base. He said: “The SIM registration promo shows the height of innovation of telecom operators; that is commendable. However, they may have us believe they are speeding up the SIM registration process and doing the subscribers a favour, they are profiting through it. “You notice that it is not only by registering your SIM card alone; you also get to recharge a certain minimum amount for a certain period to qualify to win. Though this is perfectly legal, I think operators should make the process stress-free. Lines should be unbarred promptly after registration, network quality improved upon to handle the volume of traffic the promos are expected create and the prizes duly given winners.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

e-Business

Group promises to create one million jobs in five years

HE Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) has promised to create one million jobs in five years. Its president, Mr Demola Aladekomo, said at the inauguration of the new executive that in most developed countries, the Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry is one of the largest employers of labour. He urged federal and state governments to embrace the use of ICT as tool for job creation. Aladekomo added that the society under his leadership would impact the nation by improving ICT service delivery, education and infrastructural development. He said to achieve this, the society would engage in strategic partnership with government agencies with a view to enhancing productivity of govern-

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ment Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and providing enabling environment for corporate organisations that are manufacturers of ICT products and services to create more ICT-related jobs. He added that NCS would partner with multinational corporations such as IBM, HP, Dell, Microsoft, so that they can set up assembly factories and manufacturing plants in the country so as to provide employment opportunities for our individual members as well as better business opportunities for our corporate members. He said further: “In addition to creating jobs for our teeming youths using ICT, we shall champion the es-

tablishment of incubation centres and knowledge parks where young and upand-coming ICT professionals can go to sharpen their skills. “This is aimed at training young professionals to compete effectively in the global ICT market or grow to become entrepreneurs and employers of labour. “We shall also introduce ICT job fairs. This would either be annual or bi-annual designed specifically for indigenous ICT professionals to showcase their works to international audience. “We will establish a committee to pursue this and also help with implementing recommendations.” He said a committee would be set up to look into legal framework for implementation and submit a report to the National Assembly within a month.

• From left: Customer Relationship Manager, MTN, Mr Victor Olomu; an MTN customer, Miss Hafsat Hussain; Senior Manager, Planning and Customer Management, Mrs Odunayo Sanya at an MTN customer forum in Abuja.

ICT software to aid examination success developed R

EVOLUTIONARY educational software, BrainFriend, has been developed to aid students in preparing for certificate, matriculation and job placement examinations. The software, developed by Cinfores Limited, an ICT solutions firm, is a self-preparatory tool designed to improve the academic performance of students and eradicate examination malpractices. At its launch in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Cinfores Managing Director, Asawo Ibifuro said that the application, if deployed, would promote e-learning as it contains useful e-notes to enable users to prepare for all tests. According to him, the software was designed to aid pupils in Universal Basic Education 1-9 and

senior secondary school as well as post secondary school students in their examination preparations. Solutions and explanations to questions, e- notes, latest Nigerian national curriculum and record-keeping of test scores, among others, are some of the features of BrainFriend. He said the benefits of the application include minimising examination malpractice; aiding in evaluating students’ continuous assessment and electronic tests, assisting graduates seeking employment prepare for job tests and generally promoting learning and teaching of modern technology. Ibifuro added that the software also helps teachers in evaluating

level of preparedness of students for examinations and in preparing lesson notes on various subjects, while gaining access to the national curriculum as a guide in teaching. Ibifuro noted that the educational sector has become embattled with declining academic performance of students. “The standard of academic performance of students in the yearly matriculation exams is disturbing. Results of the just-concluded Senior School Certificate and matriculation exams showed an alarming 70 per cent failure. Even with the efforts of the Nigerian government to arrest the situation, it is yet to meet up with its counterparts globally.”

Panasonic opens Apapa service centre

ANASERV Nigeria Limited, the authorised service agents for Panasonic products has opened its sixth and largest sales and service centre in Apapa. According to the company, this is in part to demonstrate its commitment to Nigerian consumers as well as attain greater market penetration by reaching out to consumers. At the opening of the sales and service centre, Promoter, Panaserv

Nigeria Limited, Mr Bhojraj Rupani said the initiative underscores the company’s belief and abiding faith in the Nigerian consumer and the country’s future. He said it is also part of resolve at market dominance and the need to be close to customers all over the country, adding that the goal is to enhance after-sales and service experience of consumers. The centre, equipped with stateof-the art diagnostic tools for product maintenance, is manned by

seasoned engineers and technicians who are well-trained in Panasonic centres in Malaysia and Dubai. Rupani noted that the service centres are equipped with an array of diagnostic and specialised equipment, jigs and tools, installation and trouble-shooting kits. He said customers can rely upon the expertise of engineers trained by experts at the Panasonic Corporation, and are assured of genuine spare parts for the products purchased.

GADGET TREND Nokia low-priced phones launched

OKIA has announced the launch of the Nokia 101 and 100 phones, its most affordable phones to date, continuing its commitment to connecting the next billion consumers with mobile devices. The phones, with modern and attractive designs, come with a range of practical and fun features with access to information and entertainment. According to the company, the Nokia 101 is Nokia’s fifth dual SIM device in the last three months and is the most affordable to date. The dual SIM functionality of the phone enables users to connect to two different networks to receive calls and messages. The Nokia SIM manager allows users to select which SIM card to use to make a call or send a text message, helping them manage costs and maintain network coverage without the need for several phones. In addition, the SIM manager allows users to store the settings of up to five SIM cards on the phone, and to personalise them by assigning names and logos for each SIM setting. Nokia 101 and Nokia 100 at a glance According to the Executive Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia, Mary McDowell, in addition to an FM radio, the Nokia 101 features an integrated MP3 player and a 103 phon loudspeaker, and provides support for up to 16 GB micro SD memory card, allowing users to carry their entire music collection with them.

“The Nokia 100 is perfect for people looking for durability and simplicity as well as affordability when making calls and sending text messages. The Nokia 100 is Nokia’s most affordable colour display phone, and people can enjoy its new attractive grid-based menu system with fun and easy-to-read icons.” Furthermore, the Nokia 100 features an FM radio, enabling users to tune in to their favourite music stations, whether on-the-go or at home. Both the Nokia 101 and Nokia 100 offer Nokia Life Tools, providing instant access to locally-relevant information on healthcare, education, agriculture and entertainment. McDowell said: “We recognise that for many of the next billion people, a phone purchase is an investment. People are looking for a phone that offers great features but also one that is dependable. When paired with powerful and locally relevant services such as Nokia Life Tools, the Nokia 101 and Nokia 100 offer a unique experience that is simply unmatched in their markets at these price points.” The Nokia 101 will be available in the third quarter of 2011 in phantom black and coral red colours, while the Nokia 100 will be available in the fourth quarter of 2011 and comes in a range of vibrant colours including legion blue, festival pink, ocean blue, phantom black and coral red.

MTN launches 10-10-10 reward scheme

O say thank you to loyal consumers on its 10th anniversary, MTN Nigeria has launched a whopping N1 billion reward scheme. It has also introduced a revised tariff plan to deliver great value to its teeming consumers. According to the company, to qualify for the give-away, consumers need to register their SIM cards, recharge their phones with any amount of credit and subscribe to one of MTN’s new value packages. General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Mr Kola Oyeyemi, said the reward scheme is aimed at showing appreciation to the company’s subscribers for their loyalty in the past ten years while encouraging them to register their SIM cards. He said the package will allow 10 people to win N10million at each draw, every 10 days, with another 900 people winning N100,000 each. He added that there will be N10million worth of instant cash prizes to be won during prize presentation ceremonies. He added: “As part of this bumper reward package, subscribers are getting enhanced value from a new tariff plan which offers call services for as low as 15kobo per second. This adjusted tariff plan features the Funlink Reloaded and Super Saver plans. “With the new Funlink Reloaded, consumers get a better deal of 15kobo per second during

off peak hours compared to the current 17kobo per second. Subscribers on the Super Saver plan get reductions on their call cost to N10 from N12 from the second minute. They also get rewarded with free airtime and paid holidays among other benefits MTN will delight consumers with delightful packages every Y’ello Friday. This includes freebies like voice, data, SMS, lifestyle benefits and exclusive parties.” Oyeyemi explained the rationale behind introducing the reward scheme: “We have given very deep thought to how to delight our consumers on our 10th anniversary while at the same time encouraging them to register their SIM cards such that there is a win-win situation for all parties. That is how we struck upon the idea of ‘The Big Reward.’ He further said MTN will, from this weekend, rouse ten cities in Nigeria with the MTN Power of 10 Concert, a 10-city, 10-artiste and 10-concert initiative celebrating MTN’s decade of mobile telecommunications services in Nigeria. The concert is expected to debut this Friday in Makurdi and Sunday in Enugu. Thereafter the tour will berth in Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Calabar, Ilorin, Abuja, Benin, Ibadan and

Owerri. He said the concerts will feature some of Nigeria’s best known pop music acts, including D’Banj, Naeto-C, Adewale Ayuba and M.I.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

e-Business

Production Team: Femi Jolaolu, Lekan Hammed, Yomi Oseni, Ugo Ananaba, Mustapha Sulaimon, Dare Ojo, Lanre Malik Marketing: Adeline Atili, Nkechi Nwabaogu, Kemi Makinde, Lillian Nsi-Enodien, Mariam Adeyanju Edited by: O’seun Ogunseitan

Pls. send Questions to oseun2@gmail.com or text to

080 5511 9009

Creating multi-booting computer installations (1) Running Windows 7, XP and Linux on a PC G OOGLE Corporation’s Chrome Operating System (OS) made available in Nigeria recently by PCUser2User, offers yet another reason to consider installing more than one OS on personal computers. Just what do you do if the Windows installation on your PC refuses to boot. I mean: You switch on your PC and it starts off, then suddenly shuts down and keeps restarting and shutting down - a common experience with PC Users. Worse still. The problem started just when you needed to quickly print out a product brochure already converted into a PDF and a cover letter to an invoice on the computer as a Microsoft Word documents. You have less than 20 minutes to get this done or the payment until another 30 days. Of course, you can get on another computer and print what you want to print. But the documents you want are on a computer that will just not start, so you really cannot copy the documents for printing on another machine. What do you do? You definetely cannot reinstall your Windows and Microsoft Office and still get the documents printed all within 30 minutes. If your computer multi-boots and has another partition in which you installed Windows XP, as most PC users were forced to learn to do because of the instability of Windows Vista chances are you may be able to print out your documents by booting into the Windows XP partition. But this is if, and only if, you actually installed and have a duplicate of all the applications you had in the Windows Vista partition, in the Windows XP partition. For example, if you did not

By O’seun Ogunseitan

install the same version of the Microsoft Word, a lower version of Word will not open documents created by a higher version. You must have a higher version of Word to be able to open the lower version, if they are not the same version. Even at this, you will be lucky if the software glitch, virus or other bug that grounded your Windows Vista installation does not ground your alternative Windows XP partition. This is where the new Chrome OS from Google comes in very handy. It is based on Linux, a totally different kettle of fish,

in the world of computer Operating Systems. Linux sees hard disks in a totally different way, compared to how Windows sees hard disks. This makes it totally impossible for most software glitches that would ground Windows OS at boot, to have any impact on your Linux installation. Additionally and very convenienlty for PCUsers, Google’s Chrome OS installation from its single disc, contains more than 100 other installable applications, including Microsoft Word-compatible Libre Word inside a Libre Office Suite, which not only reads Portable Document format (PDF) files, but also writes hundred per cent Acrobat-compatible PDFs.

Pains and gains of PC multi-booting file copies, critical. Updates of work •The spliting of hard disc space, to files may become an unending cycle as create a new partition for the newer and better updated files, may be alternative OS is not attractive and regularly over-written by older updates. inconvenient for PCs with small-sized hard discs • In the case of Windows, there may be OS compatibility issues with many • Accidental choices of an undesired applications. Operating system in the startup menu of a multi-booting PC, almost always •An alternative OS partition is however, demands a time-wasting restart of the like a live disc and data recovery computer before the correct OS choice partition, on a working computer. can be made. •A bootable alternative partition on a •It can be confusing remembering which hard disk, allows for a safe backup of OS partition particular works were files in the event of a need to reformat a done in, making the tracking of work partition and reinstall the OS.

The 3,000 Most Important English Words™& other Free downloads at

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I am of the opinion, that no computer is complete, unless it has more than one Operating System installed. Normally, if you are using Windows, you are missing the relatively higher security of Linux. If you are a die hard Linux fan and the word ‘Windows' makes you uncomfortable, you are missing access to the billions of nice software applications you can't run anywhere else other than in Windows. Here is a, step-by-step guide for you to make your PC a multi-booting digital heaven. Please note however, that some instructions given here, though, nondestructive in nature, and your data will remain safe, still, some inadvertent move may make your PC un-bootable state and non-starting. Continue, only if you think you know what you are doing! I here disclaim any liabilities on account of your experimentations. Creating multi-booting computers

Step 1 - Write down your Disk stats: You need at least two partitions in your hard disk for a true dual-boot machine. For a truly multi-booting machine, you need as many partitions for as many Operating Systems you want to install. Even though, there are work-arounds to the actual installation of multiple operating systems in single hard disk partitions, the discussion for now is limited to actual installations of multiple OSes. There are many Virtualisation software which offer alternative OS platforms on single compuers without the need to actually insall the alternative OS. If you already have one or more free Partition, you can skip to next section, otherwise read on: Step 2 - Create additional partition for additional OS If you do not have at least one free partition for an additional OS, then you need to create one. If you have only one hard disk installed, then it is a good idea to buy another one with fairly large capacity - say, 250 GB and partition it into three or more to use for your new OSes. If you have fairly large amount of free space available in your existing Windows installation and you do not want to buy another one (or have already installed a second hard disk!), then you can create a partition in the free space. To create a partition from a Dos or Windows free space, you can use a free partition utility like FIPS available on many of the utility discs like Hundred Software Tools or Ultimate Boot Disc from PCUser2User. If you want to create additional partition in free space available in a Windows machine, then first defragment it and then use FIPS. It is simple in use, non destructive. Your data generally remains safe if you handle it wisely. Step 3 Install additional OS in new, empty partition Having created an empty partition for an additional Operating system. Install additional operating system in this empty partition the same way you would install the OS, but be careful to choose the empty newly created partition, so that you will not wipe out the old partition and its data!. If you are installing one of the Linux OSes on an existing Windows installation, Grub/Lilo boot-loader of Linux will easily handle booting Windows through the master boot record (MBR). It is however, a good idea to install the Linux boot loader in the first sector of the root partition where Linux is being installed.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

e-Business

Tasks before Communications Minister

ERHAPS, more than any other ministry, the new Ministry of Communication Technology most personified President Goodluck Jonathan’s innate desire to enlist Nigeria in the Knowledge Economy. The President could add the successful launch of two additional satellites: NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X to his rising profile as the most ITcompliant President this country has had so far – though his Facebook page, once very active before the April polls, appears to have gone on recess. The new ministry indicates that government is ready to broaden its economic agenda beyond crude oil and begin the process of re-engineering Nigeria’s development the same way the leading countries in Asia have opted to enter the new Knowledge Economy. With massive investment in ICTs and success stories in the deployment and integration of ICT tools to their national economies, China and India have proved the point: developing countries can leapfrog their economies by focusing on ICTs. China and India combined with a population in excess of two billion offer the biggest green market for new technologies. India is a leading force in software applications and China provides about the most powerful competition to the entire west (US and Europe) in terms of ICT output. That is why Mrs Omobola Olubusola Johnson, the new Minister of Communications Technology has a great burden resting on her shoulder. She has been hired to create the right synergy for which Africa’s biggest market of 150 million people

could leapfrog her economy. Mrs Johnson is heading a new ministry, the fruit of a long struggle by stakeholders to have a government administrative centre completely dedicated to the re-configuration of Nigeria’s economy and national life through concerted and sustainable ICT policy thrust. It was a struggle getting this ministry established. It would be a greater struggle still to achieve the objectives for which the ministry was established. There would be convictions to sell and doubts to dispel over the credibility of the ministry itself and its new boss whom many diehard stakeholders consider an outsider. Mrs Johnson accepted this much in her first interaction with the media in Lagos. “This Ministry was birthed out of years of canvassing by key stakeholders for a supervising Ministry to co-ordinate, facilitate and drive the development of the ICT sector.” She has also recognised the need to take all stakeholders along as she guides government agenda on ICT. “The Ministry of Communications Technology is a new Ministry and as with all things new, awareness building, information dissemination and opinion forming are critical. As such, the media will play a critical role in the success of this Ministry.” The media is only a part of a whole. Mrs Johnson will have to bring to the sector, an inspiring sense of leadership and committed vision that will include not exclude, green ideas, original and objective thinking that would be decisive in the years ahead to gauge her tenure and ultimately, the destiny of Nigeria’s ICT mission. As she herself has itemised, her

mandate include but not limited to: •Facilitating universal, ubiquitous and cost effective access to communications infrastructure that of course includes a national fibre optic backbone Ï% Promote the utilisation of ICT in all spheres of life to optimise the communications infrastructure – digital content, domestic software applications, the delivery of private and public services i.e. e-business and e-government Ï% Promote and facilitate the development of the ICT industry and in so doing, increase the contribution of the ICT industry to GDP Ï% Deploy information and communications technologies to drive transparency in governance and improve the quality and cost effectiveness of public service delivery. If she can achieve half of the set mandate in the conceivable years ahead, she would have set the tone for how Africa’s biggest ICT market would play in the Knowledge Economy. With over 90 million mobile phone subscribers, over 27 million Internet users or about the population of neigbouring Ghana and two other ECOWAS countries combined, some army of software applications builders and a host of other ICT entrepreneurs, Mrs Johnson faces a formidable challenge as minister on a mission. If she succeeds above 75 per cent, she would also have helped to increase the depth of ICT in our national economy from the current 3.5 per cent of GDP, compared with 10 per cent for South Africa. Despite all that noise about Nigeria’s ICT revolution, ICT still plays a near insignificant role in our national economy. It is the new minister’s task to increase the tally. Hers is to

Matters e-Rising Segun Oruame segun@segunoruame.com

increase the degree at which ICT is successfully integrated to all facets of the economy. The good thing is that she is going to apply government policies in an industry that is yearning for quick growth. Mrs Johnson would be engaging an industry that is already contending with the challenges of convergence, the emergence of mobile money that is collapsing the boundaries between the financial sector and the mobile telephony with Internet sector; she would be addressing the challenges posed by the erasure of border lines between broadcasting and mobile telephony with Web applications. The issues are as plentiful as they are contentious. She would have to apply a pragmatic policy thrust to answering so many questions including how to move Nigeria’s ICT sector from being 100 per cent import-dependent to less than 60 per cent. Fortunately, the minister comes with an admirable pedigree in the private sector and a formidable credential that lends her readily to the job. Hopefully, this would help her to build a Ministry not shackled by the overload of bureaucracy and the consequent incompetence. She must not allow herself the ‘mis-luxury’ of the delusion that comes with occupying government’s position in Nigeria. She has history to make. If she wants an inspiring guide, she has China and India to look up to. She could either end up as the min-

ister who came like others– big space, large airs but no oxygen. Or, she could remind us that Singapore is also a country run by humans. Therefore, she would work, think and lead— and make us have hope that Nigeria could also be a Singapore. Under her, the new Ministry will be implementing government policies through the agencies that are now under her portfolio. They include: the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone and the Nigerian Postal service (NIPOST). This new minister already has a challenge. Part of it includes the issue of duplicity. Both NIGCOMSAT and Galaxy Backbone are in the connectivity and bandwidth delivery business. The Honourable Minister would have to bring her background to bear to cut down on waste and achieve a greater sense of efficiency. It is no smooth road for Mrs Omobola Olubusola Johnson. But she has time and prosperity on her side to work and work well. If she succeeds, she would have made her own unique mark and added to the desired success that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan aspires for. Indeed, this Minister has only one option: To succeed.

Switch to .ng domain name, firms told

HE Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), a body responsible for managing Nigeria’s identity on the domain name space, .ng, has urged firms to switch to the .ng country-code Top Level Domain. A country-code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country and identifies Websites related to that country. A cc-TLD gives a country its own Internet identity, boosts the visibility of that country on the Internet and promotes the development of electronic commerce within the internal market of that country. According to the Chief Operating Of-

ficer of NiRA, Mr Ope Odusan, a wider adoption of .ng will help improve the country’s image on the Internet space, build local content, ensure content security, create jobs, and arrest capital flight to foreign service providers. Odusan stressed that one of the unique features of the nation’s cc-TLD is the ease of use, adding that registrations could be done online via any of NiRA’s over thirty accredited registrars listed on the association’s Website. He said: “A wider adoption of the .ng

domain name will help improve Nigeria’s image on the Internet, build local content, ensure content security, create jobs, and most importantly, arrest capital flight to international Internet Service Providers.”

Firm launches portal for financial services

ROSHARE Nigeria, a research company, has launched a portal to deepen knowledge base of the capital market and also meet the needs of stakeholders in the financial market. In a statement by the company, Head of Administration, Queen Omozokpai said the project started in 2009 in the wake of the meltdown in the Nigerian financial sector as a result of crises in the global financial market. •From left: Specialist, High Value Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mrs Rahila Isa-Oni; Chief Executive Officer, Mr She noted that the crises provided the teven Evans and Business Manager, Telsis, Mr Tom Keane at an event in Lagos. foundation for the restructuring of the

Globacom introduces new tariff, BlackBerry packages

LOBACOM has introduced an all-winner bumper package, Yan-Me-More, in which subscribers on the network can talk for 15kobo per second. Group Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mohammed Jameel said Yan-Me-More was introduced to make life more interesting and convenient for the people. “This is an anniversary gift to Glo subscribers and indeed all Nigerians as the network marks its eight anniversary. With Glo YanMe-More, calls are charged at 15kobo per sec and subscribers also get to enjoy unlimited free calls ev-

Stories by Adline Atili

eryday, from midnight till 5am. “In addition, callers on Yan-MeMore can earn up to 20 per cent bonus on recharge, just as they will enjoy the possibility of N9 per minute on all International calls. Calls on-net cost only 55kobo per second in the first minute and 15kobo per second from the second minute. Off-net calls, however, cost 25kobo per second.” Jameel explained that to migrate to Yarn-Me-More, subscribers are required to dial *100*10*# to enjoy the offer.

Globacom has also introduced the BlackBerry Social and BlackBerry Complete packages. The new plans are richer in offerings and are created for users of specific features. The Complete Plan has BlackBerry Mesenger (BBM), BB Mail, Social Networking and Instant Messenger Apps, Internet Browsing, Apps World and one email ID, while the Social Plan has BBM, BB Mail, Social Networking, and Internet Browsing and Apps World. Jameel said the packages were introduced to accommodate the needs and convenience of

customers who could not afford the cost of the full BlackBerry bundle. He said: “What we have launched is indeed the very first of the packages. The N75 charged for a full day benefit on the BlackBerry Social is N25 less than the prevailing market rate. The monthly plan of N1,200 is N300 less than what obtains currently. In the BlackBerry Complete, the subsisting rate of N1,500–N2,000 has been crashed to N1,400, while subscribers on the weekly plan will pay just N400, down from N600 offered by competition.

market, especially in the way information is gathered, processed, stored, delivered and used in the newly restructured market. Ms Omozokpai said the company embarked on the project in consultation with key stakeholders in the market, to deliver an information portal that would recognise key signposts of the new emerging market which are: analyst, regulator, economy, share support and investor relations services, investment community and Web television and news services. She said:“The market believes that inconsistency is now the new consistency as competence and confidence get a thorough makeover where risk and regulatory control become the market watchword. The financial economic landscape has been altered permanently along value lines. Consequently, intelligent information will not be determined by news media cycles but short, data-backed and context relevant alerts.” The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Olufemi Awoyemi said: “In today’s competitive market economy, the ability to go ‘outside the box’ and use an unconventional approach to solve new situations is critical for success. This will usher in a new vista of information access in today’s competitive market to enable players and investors identify new ways to stand out in the crowd and be the new leader.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

MONEY LINK

HE Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has col lected about N73.64 billion from contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) as at July, 2011, from which N72.4 billion has been disbursed for housing financing, the bank said in a statement. “Under the NHF Scheme which started in 1992, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has been able to collect N73.64 billion from contributors as at July, 2011, while N72.4 billion has been disbursed for housing finance, also as at July 2011,” FMBN said in a ststement. It said about 16 million housing deficit, which requires about N56 trillion to redress, are also being

FMBN pools N73b for National Housing Fund Stories by Collins Nweze

considered going forward. The bank has therefore implored the House of Representatives to enact necessary legislation to facilitate the creation of mortgages in the country. This, it said, would increase the rate of housing delivery to the citizenry. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Gimba Ya’u Kumo, said there are six bills awaiting the attention of the lawmakers, some of them since 2006. They include a bill for an Act to

Bank eases school fees payment

tries where Ecobank is represented,” he said. Ogbalu, said the product was designed to save the customers from the risk of carrying cash, as well as facilitate easy payment for goods and services across Nigeria. It also enables easy payments across African borders without the hassles of sourcing for foreign exchange as the payments are made in the local currencies of both the transfer and the receiving countries. “True to its record on compliance, Ecobank ensures that the exchange regulations of the various monetary zones are respected and that the Know Your Customers (KYC) principle is strictly adhered to in order to guide against money laundering,” he stated

COBANK Nigeria plc, has ahead of the new school year, encouraged the use of its rapid transfer system needed to ensure easier transfer of funds by parents and guardians for the payment of school fees. The product is available to both customers and non-customers and facilitates easy transfer and access to funds across the country as well as enabling money transfers to and from any of the 30 African countries. Announcing the commencement of a promo meant to create awareness for the product, Head, Cards and eProduct, Mike Ogbalu, stated that the “School Time Again” promo provides a special window for parents to pay their children and wards school fees and other necessary upkeep allowances with the Rapid Transfer. He observed that the Rapid Transfer is a ‘send and receive’ money transfer product available in all Ecobank branches in Nigeria. “It is aimed at facilitating easy transfer and access to funds across the nation and in all coun-

provide for the repeal of the FMBA Act 1993 and to make comprehensive provisions for the reestablishment of the bank and its Board of Directors. There is also the Mortgage Institutions (Amendment) Bill for the licensing and operations of mortgage institutions in the country as well as a bill to provide for the amendment of the Insurance Act 2003. Next is the bill to amend the Trustee Investment Act that will facilitate the investment of trusts and other funds in Nigeria in lo-

cally-issued securities. Also included, is a bill to enact the residential mortgages Act to modernise aspects of the law relating to residential mortgages in the FCT as a model for state governments; and a bill to enact the residential mortgages (Tax Relief) Act to grant tax relief to mortgage borrowers and therefore encourage Nigerians to take up mortgages, he added. Kumo, said the passage of the bills will ease mortgage and property transactions and streamline the registration and enforcement

Deloitte identifies hitches to IFRS

HEAD of the 2012 report ing date for listed and significant public entities, Akintola Williams Deloitte has identifies responsibilities and challenges of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) project team. The IFRS project team is usually made up of the steering committee, the technical accounting committee, other team members, and the external consultants/advisors. Deloitte said with the business world becoming more global, the need for a global financial reporting language like IFRS has been developed primarily to meet the information needs of shareholders, lenders

and other investors. The firm added that the potential challenges of IFRS project team are coordination of efforts across multiple business units/ locations, lack of organisationwide buy-in, changes to the control environment may not be fully anticipated among others. “Nigerian companies have and will continue to raise capital from domestic and global markets. Market expectations and competitive pressures call for more transparency and better disclosures by Nigerian companies. Nigerian subsidiaries of multinational companies already report under IFRS,”

HANA’S economy may expand by 20 per cent this year as the start of oil production for export, along with high prices for cocoa and gold, boost revenue, according to the World Bank report.

“First-quarter growth was 23 per cent and oil, gold and cocoa have since enjoyed very high prices on the international market,” Dante Mossi, senior operations officer of the World Bank’s office in Ghana told Bloomberg.

The Washington-based lender’s forecast is higher than its earlier projection of 14 per cent, which was made in June and was in line with the Finance Ministry’s own 14.4 per cent estimate announced in July.

Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 14-9-11 SYMBOL DANGCEM UNTL PZ UNITYBNK JAPAULOIL BAGCO ECOBANK WAPCO AIICO TRANSCORP

O/PRICE 99.99 0.63 28.76 0.53 0.86 1.77 2.74 42.55 0.66 0.82

C/PRICE 104.98 0.66 30.00 0.55 0.89 1.83 2.80 42.21 0.67 0.83

CHANGE 4.99 0.03 1.24 0.02 0.03 0.06 0.06 0.66 0.01 0.01

LOSER AS AT 14 -9-11 SYMBOL GTASSURE REDSTAREX FO DANGFLOUR PHARMDEKO HONYFLOUR FCMB MAYBAKER ACCESS

O/PRICE 1.00 2.40 12.82 6.82 3.87 3.49 4.57 3.98 2.25

C/PRICE 0.95 12.18 6.48 3.68 3.32 4.35 3.79 5.00 5.20

Amount

Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS

Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Ghana became Africa’s newest oil exporter in December, when production began at the offshore Jubilee oil field, which is operated by United Kingdom-based Tullow Oil Plc (TLW), the explorer with the most licenses in Africa.

DATA BANK

Tenor

OBB Rate Call Rate

Deloitte stated. Akintola Williams Deloitte is a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a professional services organization that provides audit, tax, consulting, financial advisory and enterprise risk services. “IFRS is driving the revolutionary world of accounting with over 100 countries either requiring or permitting its use. There is no doubt that conversion to IFRS is a huge task and a big challenge. Its revolutionary impact requires a great deal of decisiveness and commitment,” Deloitte said.

Ghanaian economy to grow by 20%, says World Bank

FGN BONDS

NIDF NESF

of liens on mortgaged property in the event of loan default. He added that the employment generation and wealth creation potential of housing and homeownership are enormous. “If we can jumpstart the housing sector in Nigeria and attain its GDP contribution target of 15 per cent under the Nigeria Vision 20:2020 Project, incidences of corruption, widespread poverty and mass unemployment that we are battling with today will undoubtedly reduce significantly,” Kumo remarked.

Amount

Exchange

Sold ($)

Rate (N)

Date

450m

452.7m

450m

150.8

08-8-11

250m

313.5m

250m

150.8

03-8-11

400m

443m

400m

150.7

01-8-11

EXHANGE RATE 26-08-11 CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD

147.6000

149.7100

150.7100

-2.11

NGN GBP

239.4810

244.0123

245.6422

-2.57

NGN EUR

212.4997

207.9023

209.2910

-1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

Bureau de Change 152.0000 (S/N)

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

Parallel Market

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NSE CAP Index

NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N)

13-09-11 N6.7026tr 21,018.52

14-09-11 N6.760tr 21,199.16

% Change -0.87% -0.86%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

(S/N)

153.0000

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

Aug ’11

MPR

6.50%

8.75%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 9.4%

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 117.83 107.46 0.79 1.02 0.96 1,628.78 8.70 1.39 1.87 7,730.72 193.00

9.08 1.00 117.53 107.10 0.81 1.02 0.95 1,625.40 9.14 1.33 1.80 7,487.67 191.08

ARM AGGRESSIVE KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY THE DISCOVERY FUND • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED

CHANGE 0.05 0.12 0.64 0.34 0.19 0.17 0.22 0.19 0.25

• STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

Rate (Previous) 24 Aug, 2011 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 26, Aug, 2011 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous

Current

04 July, 2011

07, Aug, 2011

Bank

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

Movement

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS Immigration graduates 193 inspectors From Emma Mgbeahurike, Owerri

ONE hundred and ninety three Inspectors of the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) have graduated from their basic training course. The 17th Inspectorate Basic Course ended on September 9 with a parade at the Nigerian Training School in Orlu Local Government of Imo State. Comptroller-General of the Immigration Service, Rose Uzoma,urged them to be committed to their duty, pointing out that erring officers would not escape sanction. The immigration chief enjoined them to justify the confidence reposed in them. Uzoma spoke of planned collaboration between the NIS and other security agencies to strenghten national security. She advised the graduands to apply the knowledge acquired during the training to overcome security challenges.

Drama as court reassigns trial of PDP chieftains

MILD drama played out yesterday at the Magistrate Court III Onitsha, Anambra State, as the trial of the two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Benji Udeozor and Chuks Okoye, who are standing trial for forgery, assumed a new dimension with the transfer of the suit to another Magistrate Court. The Suit, MO/118c/2011, suffered a setback as the court did not sit following the absence of Magistrate C.F Nweze who was reportedly attending an emergency

From Adimike George, Onitsha

meeting with the Chief Judge of the state. Addressing reporters at the court premises, Prosecution Counsel Rotimi Jacob said the court registrar drew their attention to a petitioned by the defendants on Tuesday for the transfer of the case which was acted on the same day and reassigned. He decried the manner the case was transferred, adding: “We were surprised this morning to be told that the

case has been transferred to Magistrate Court 1 without any notice served to that effect.” Jacob said the application was written on Tuesday to the Administrative Chief Magistrate, who acted on it the same day and assigned the case to Magistrate Court I where she presides. He said the development will not allow for free trial of the case. Jacob also said the application was written by the second defendant on behalf of himself and the first defendant, adding that their reason for the

transfer application fell short of merit and legal practice and should not have been consented to. He said since the trial commenced, none of the defendants has appeared in court, adding that the transfer is another way of stalling the trial by the defendants. He vowed that legal means would be exploited to challenge the transfer of the case which he said did not follow laid down procedures. In the application letter signed by the second defendant, who did not appear

Enugu PDP meets aspirants From Chris Oji, Enugu

Ajimobi pledges security GOVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has assured the people of the state of provision of adequate security to protect lives and property. He gave the assurance in Ibadan yesterday while receiving the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Saidu Daya, who paid him a sympathy visit in his office. Ajimobi reiterated the determination of his administration to provide necessary support to the police in terms of equipment and other logistics to aid them in the discharge of their duties. “We will give the necessary support required for effective policing in Oyo State. Your requests are huge but they are surmountable and achievable, and I want to assure you that we will consider them and provide them for you,” he said. Reacting to the condolence message of the AIG on the recent flood disaster in Ibadan, the governor attributed the incident to the failure of past administrations to fashion out good urban and regional planning for the state.

MTN subscribers besiege service centres BARELY one week after the announcement of MTN’s N1 billion customer reward package,thousands of people have besieged the MTN Registration Centres in compliance with the Nigerian Communication Commission’s (NCC) directive to register their SIMS. The huge turn out at the company’s registration centres has been described by an official in the Opebi, Lagos MTN Service Centre, as ‘unprecedented.’ The official, who did not want his name in print, said the numbers have jumped from an average of 200 to 400 daily.

in court at the last proceeding for alleged ill health, Benji Udeozor, accused the presiding Magistrate of bias in the manner the case was being handled. He said: “On September 1, the prosecution tendered a defective fiat and not minding the said defective fiat, the learned Magistrate proceeded with the case without asking the prosecution counsel to obtain a valid and regular fiat which is the authority that empowers the prosecution counsel to prosecute the case.

•Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole (left); HRN Edun Akenzua, the Ogie Obazuwa; and Chief Sam Igbe, the Iyasere of Benin, at a meeting of enigies, senior chiefs and elders of Benin Kingdom with the governor at the Government House, Benin... yesterday.

Way out of leadership crisis, by Achebe, Anyaoku, Jackson F

ORMER SecretaryGeneral of the Commonwealth Emeka Anyaoku, African-American human rights activist, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and foremost literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe have offered recipes for the leadership problems plaguing the country. They spoke yesterday at this year’s Garden City Literary Festival in Port Harcourt, Rivers State canvassing for fairness and equity as they hinged the growth of the nation’s economy on

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

the appreciation of the power of the words. Anyaoku said the country’s quest for development would be difficult if it is not inspired by intellectual expressions. According to him, practitioners of literature and politics live in their different habitats. He added that politics needs literature because the two reinforce each other. “Good pol-

itics of democratic governance creates the infrastructure and environment where literature flourishes. But politics would be hollow if it is not inspired by intellectual expressions,” he said. Prof. Chinua Achebe said any society that refuses to read would lack imagination. Achebe, who spoke on Literature and Ethnicity, via video presentation noted that the absence of imagination brings alienation of the people.

He observed that Nigerian leaders care less for their people and opt to buy intellectuals. He berated Nigerian leaders since independence for corruption, conflict and violence, saying leaders have always sacrificed merit for mediocrity. The Rev Jesse Jackson said Nigeria’s stability and growth are huge things to the world, saying ‘literacy, as the Garden City Literary Festival is promoting, is the key to liberation and that those who have a strong mind bring strong change.

Abia launches road map for physical planning

N its bid to find a road map to address building collapse and wrong town planning, the Abia State government has organised its first Physical Planning and Development Stakeholders Summit. Governor Theodore Orji said the summit would lay a solid foundation for stable economy and infrastructural development of the state. Orji said the summit would help to stop the constant demolition of illegal structures and buildings in the state.

From Ugochukwu Eke, Umuahia

He said: “The Task Force on the Demolition of Illegal Structures in the state was formed to ensure that the master plan of the state is maintained and to avoid collapse of buildings as a result of wrong planning. “To achieve good result and maintain both the aesthetic value and the master plan of the state, some buildings on the waterways and others illegally built must

give way, irrespective of who owns what.” Orji said the summit would enable the state to avoid the demolition of illegal buildings in future, as there will no longer be illegal structures and buildings on the waterways for government to demolish. He urged major stakeholders and experts in the planning industry to proffer solutions that would help the state to achieve proper planning, adding that there would facilitate the infrastructural de-

velopment of the state. Commissioner for Urban Renewal, Emeka Nworgu, and the state would tackle the physical planning and development challenges affecting it. Nworgu noted that flooding, waste management, shortage in the housing sector, dilapidated structures, and blighted environment have given rise, “to our urban centres degenerating into slums and we need to arrest the situation before it becomes too late.”

Governors’ peer review begins in Anambra

NAMBRA State was agog yesterday as the first Governors’ Forum peer review mechanism initiative was hosted by Governor Peter Obi. The event took place at the expansive Women Development Centre in Awka, with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State in attendance in attendance. Chairman of the Governors’ Forum and Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi was absent. He said Ekiti and Jigawa, among others, had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). He said other states would soon join. Uduaghan described Anambra as the biggest economic centre. He commended Obi, adding that it is because of Onitsha that Asaba, the Delta State capital, is being appreciated today.

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

He said both Delta and Anambra States had before now decided that they should work together to achieve better results for their people, adding: “when we exchange ideas, we become better governors and that is the aim of this initiative,” he said. Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, said the purpose of governance is to improve the well being of the people, adding that the peer review mechanism should equally measure the output also. Obi said the peer review would help achieve a better Anambra State. “We are here to build Anambra State and everybody should take it up as a challenge,” he said.

NUGU State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)yesterday had an interactive meeting with local government chairmanship and councillorship aspirants, even as the party raked in N168 million from the sale of election forms. The meeting held at Nondon Hotels in Enugu was presided over by the state chairman of the party, Vita Abba. There are 220 chairmanship aspirants for the 17 local governments in the state and each collected the form for the local government election slated for December at a sum of N350, 000. This amounts to N77 million while the 1,330 councillorship aspirants for the 260 seats in the state each collected the form for N70, 000, each which amounts to N91 million. Addressing the aspirants at the meeting, Abba said there was need "for wider consultations amongst our party stakeholders at their various local governments so as to prune down the number of aspirants and possibly arrive at a consensus candidate." Abba urged aspirants to respect the decision of the party and assured of free and fair primaries for the council elections. The party chairman expressed the need to maintain the unity of the party and for each local government to adopt and respect a zoning arrangement that would guarantee peace, equity and justice.

Rap artiste dies POPULAR rap artiste Obiajulu Nwaozor (aka MC Loph Crooner) is dead. He died in an auto-crash on Benin- Ore Express Way on Tuesday night as he was travelling for his traditional marriage. Practicing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) President, Preddy Wise, confirmed the death of the artiste and his wouldbe wife. He described Crooner’s death as painful and unfortunate.

•Mark

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 14-09-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 14 15

Quotation(N) 0.50 7.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,000,000 1,000,000.00 3,548,970 24,841,793.00 5,548,970 25,841,793.00

Quotation(N) 1.95 5.66

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 4,000 7,800.00 332,515 1,913,952.75 336,515 1,921,752.75

Quotation(N) 0.50 1.30

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,468,536 734,268.00 140,385 178,338.10 1,608,921 912,606.10

Quotation(N) 5.00 3.88 2.80 4.35 2.00 10.30 0.50 12.88 9.50 0.70 1.15 5.20 1.47 3.96 2.09 0.55 0.65 12.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 7,046,040 35,477,650.36 490,658 1,904,377.14 463,982 1,249,738.25 693,141 3,026,443.55 7,858,755 15,653,580.17 5,813,154 60,684,473.27 28,000 14,000.00 16,664,869 215,990,625.55 8,792,138 83,501,413.50 1,858,708 1,301,095.60 96,413 110,874.95 763,859 4,029,090.29 1,012,373 1,465,678.37 13,634,147 54,559,901.89 1,147,023 2,397,278.07 3,467,745 1,898,543.30 2,765,295 1,835,573.19 5,176,476 64,718,812.01 77,772,776 549,819,149.46

Quotation(N) 220.00 6.06 84.01

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 685,009 151,084,654.69 2,000 11,520.00 1,434,067 120,522,854.74 2,121,076 271,619,029.43

Quotation(N) 19.31 7.36 104.98 43.21

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,219,728 23,504,498.24 52,790 373,928.90 1,105,058 109,608,358.45 246,274 10,636,835.86 2,623,850 144,123,621.45

Quotation(N) 9.41 25.50 1.14

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 52,928 490,452.48 39,450 978,534.50 25,000 28,500.00 117,378 1,497,486.98

AIR SERVICES Company Name No of Deals AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC 1 NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC 35 Sector Totals 36 AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 14 16

Company Name ACCESS BANK PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC FINBANK PLC GTBANK PLC STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC. OCEANIC BANK INTERNATIONAL PLC SKYE BANK PLC. STERLING BANK PLC UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 162 29 33 30 83 487 5 464 50 8 9 198 26 233 28 31 38 280 2,194

Company Name GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 103 1 134 238

Company Name ASHAKA CEMENT PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 75 9 68 22 174

Company Name BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC DN MEYER PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 14 13 4 31

Company Name COURTVILLE INVESTMENTS PLC RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 14 16

BANKING

BREWERIES

BUILDING MATERIALS

CHEMICAL & PAINTS

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Quotation(N) 0.50 2.28

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 500,000 250,000.00 399,500 910,860.00 899,500 1,160,860.00

Quotation(N) 30.00 0.83 39.75 27.00

Quantity Traded Value 435,607 5,736,800 248,177 1,236,952 7,657,536

Quotation(N) 0.50 3.32

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 14,000 7,000.00 26,733 88,753.56 40,733 95,753.56

NSE recovers on cement stocks, earnings outlooks

HE Nigerian Stock Ex change (NSE) struggled again to the positive side yesterday, but investors remained cautious on the sustainability of the market recovery. The main indices at the NSE rode on the back of a strong recovery by cement manufacturing stocks in spite of a largely negative pricing trend. The All Share Index (ASI) rose by 0.86 per cent from 21,018.52 points to 21,199.16 points, while total market capitalisation of equities recovered to N6.760 trillion as against N6.702 trillion recorded as opening value. The market recovery was however berthed on strong recovery by Dangote Cement, the most capitalised company on the NSE, which recorded nearly the highest maximum allowable percentage gain of five per cent to close at N104.98. Two other cement stocksLafarge Wapco Cement and Ashaka Cement, gathered 66 kobo and one kobo to close at N43.21 and N19.31 respectively. Besides, PZ Cussons Nigeria added N1.24 to close at N30 per share. With the gain from Dangote Cement, the NSE 30 Index improved from 944.36 points to 949.71 points. However, all other sectoral indices depreciated reflecting the general mood of the

of Shares (N) 13,083,305.27 4,605,641.29 9,865,485.17 33,324,383.75 60,878,815.48

CONSTRUCTION Company Name MULTIVERSE PLC ROADS NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 4 5

market. The NSE Food and Beverages Index dropped from 707.28 points to 703.38 points, while NSE Banking Index slipped from 303.69 points to 299.96 points. Also, NSE Insurance Index declined from 144.11 points to 143.43 points, while NSE Oil and Gas Index closed at 250.46 points as against its opening index of 251.82 points. Petroleum-marketing companies dominated the top losersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list with Forte Oil recording the highest loss of 64 kobo to close at N12.18 per share. Oando followed with a loss of 35 kobo to close at N28.15. Dangote Flour dropped by 34 kobo to N6.48, while Access Bank and Skye Bank lost 25 kobo each to close at N5 and N5.20 respectively. First City Monument Bank dropped by 22 kobo to close at N4.35 per share. Meanwhile, full and quarterly forecasts submitted by several companies yesterday showed good earnings outlooks with Cadbury Nigeria expecting pre and post tax profits of N2.14 billion and N1.54 billion this year. According to the confectioner, total sales for the 2011 could be about N33.77 billion while gross profit could be about N9.4 billion.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 14-09-11 N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC STACO INSURANCE PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC UNIC INSURANCE PLC. INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

Quotation(N) 2.18

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,000 4,160.00 2,000 4,160.00

Company Name C&I LEASING PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 4

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 73 73

No of Deals 11 29 74 50 82 8 33 39 1 327

Quotation(N) 43.00 16.16 6.48 9.25 78.99 3.32 4.00 401.00 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 21,717 980,522.55 124,647 1,955,168.84 2,043,977 13,244,970.96 1,434,124 13,152,571.53 675,510 51,792,695.35 71,250 236,550.00 830,224 3,327,232.88 85,760 34,342,451.80 100,000 50,000.00 5,387,209 119,082,163.91

HEALTHCARE Company Name No of Deals EVANS MEDICALPLC. 3 FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC 3 GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC 10 MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. 2 NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC 6 PHARMA-DEKO PLC 1 UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC 27 Sector Totals 52

Quotation(N) 0.94 1.49 27.00 3.79 1.21 3.68 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 59,200 53,280.00 1,206,345 1,797,454.05 11,473 309,771.00 1,710,413 6,482,465.27 80,100 92,115.00 107,000 393,760.00 9,966,930 4,983,465.00 13,141,461 14,112,310.32

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name CAPITAL HOTEL PLC TOURIST COMPANY OF NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 1 3

Quotation(N) 7.50 4.32

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 50,780 381,084.00 20,000 86,400.00 70,780 467,484.00

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION INDUSTRIES PLC B. O. C. GASES NIGERIA PLC FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 3 2 12 21

Quotation(N) 10.70 6.90 0.50 5.70

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 100,000 1,017,000.00 5,627 38,826.30 100,000 50,000.00 169,329 963,477.90 374,956 2,069,304.20

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Company Name CHAMS PLC STARCOMMS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 1 3

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 3,520,000 1,760,000.00 2,155 1,077.50 3,522,155 1,761,077.50

Quotation(N) 0.67 1.05 0.50 2.51 0.50 0.95 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 3,737,231 2,491,365.34 1,234,000 1,281,700.00 100,000 50,000.00 75,500 184,810.00 350,000 175,000.00 12,131,700 11,981,293.00 20,990,000 10,495,000.00 5,200 2,600.00 273,901 136,950.50 50,000 25,000.00 670,000 335,000.00 368,000 184,000.00

INSURANCE Company Name No of Deals AIICO INSURANCE PLC. 43 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC 11 CORNERSTONE INSURANCE CO. PLC. 5 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC 6 GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC 4 GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC 39 GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. 2 CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC 1 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC 2 LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. 1 LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. 12 LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC 8

0.50 0.50 1.57 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

9,392,581 100,000 10,000 100,000 13,952 3,990,800 1,152,158 636,052 2,950 55,384,025

4,696,290.50 50,000.00 15,000.00 50,000.00 6,976.00 1,995,400.00 576,079.00 318,026.00 1,475.00 35,051,965.34

Quotation(N) 0.98

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 514,991 509,691.18 514,991 509,691.18

Quotation(N) 0.89

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 6,437,131 5,588,763.49 6,437,131 5,588,763.49

Company Name ASO SAVINGS AND LOAND PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

MARITIME

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

11 1 2 1 3 10 10 1 1 174 LEASING

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name CUTIX PLC Sector Totals

Also, Presco Plc indicated that it expects total sales to be about N7.8 billion, while profit before tax could be about N2.3 billion by the year ending December 31, 2011. Net earnings distributable to shareholders would be about N2.15 billion, according to the estimates provided by the board of the agricultural company. Similarly, Japaul Oil and Maritime Services estimated that turnover would be N10.1 billion while profits before and after tax are expected at N2.48 billion and N1.98 billion. The board of Access Bank has also indicated that the bank might net about N2.78 billion as distributable posttax profit within the fourth quarter. According to the estimates, gross earnings would be N23.45 billion while profit before tax is expected at N3.65 billion. Meanwhile, turnover at the NSE stood at 186.89 million shares valued at N1.25 billion in 3,906 deals as against 171.69 million shares worth N3.14 million traded in 4,237 deals in previous trading session. Financial services sectors remained the most active with banking sector leading with a turnover of 77.77 million shares worth N549.82 million in 2,194 deals. Insurance sector trailed with 55.38 million shares valued at N35.05 million in 174 deals.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

CONGLOMERATES Company Name No of Deals PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC 46 TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC 67 UAC OF NIGERIA PLC 37 UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC 50 Sector Totals 200

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

MORTGAGE COMPANIES Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 150,000 75,000.00 150,000 75,000.00

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Company Name CRUSADER NIGERIA PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 3 4

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 500.00 1,000 27,384 13,692.00 28,384 14,192.00

Quotation(N) 1.83 12.71

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,105,500 1,914,470.28 42,917 518,437.36 1,148,417 2,432,907.64

PACKAGING Company Name No of Deals NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC 36 BETA GLASS CO. PLC 4 Sector Totals 40

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC CONOIL PLC ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. FORTE OIL PLC MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. OANDO PLC TOTAL NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 7 19 1 70 8 135 4 247

Company Name ACADEMY PRESS PLC. UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 5 8

Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 4

Company Name UNITED NIGERIAN TEXTILES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 4

Quotation(N) 0.50 63.86 34.36 5.39 12.18 148.00 28.15 203.32

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 21,800 10,900.00 2,161 132,374.32 31,749 1,088,394.50 1,220 6,258.60 415,390 5,060,090.20 9,983 1,410,623.60 1,276,421 36,383,186.33 3,279 633,371.64 1,762,003 44,725,199.19

PRINTING & PUBLISHING Quotation(N) 2.60 3.60

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 5,100 12,597.00 75,600 278,768.00 80,700 291,365.00

Quotation(N) 17.35

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 6,300 105,200.00 6,300 105,200.00

Quotation(N) 0.66

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 121,932 80,475.12 121,932 80,475.12

REAL ESTATE

TEXTILES

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name No of Deals ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED 10 Sector Totals 10

Quotation(N) 12.07

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 18,442 222,975.16 18,442 222,975.16

Overall Totals

3,901

186,878,141

1,284,465,102.26

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NEWS ‘NAFDAC is on course’

HE National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is on course and should not be distracted by self-seeking professional bodies, the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), said yesterday. The association’s National President, Dr. Charles Chukwudike Ibe and the Publicity Secretary, Dr. Segun Makanjuola, in a joint statement in Lagos urged other professional bodies under the control of NAFDAC to allow the Director-General of the Agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, to do his work, because as they said, he is determined to bring tremendous revolutions into the operations of the agency. The association was reacting to a publication in the media, credited to the Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Lagos State, Mr Akintunde Obembe, alleging that NAFDAC breached the provisions of the National Drug Policy 2005 in the registration of veterinary drugs. The NVMA described the allegation as a misrepresentation of facts and blatant show of ignorance of the provisions of the law as contained in the Pharmacy Act. It said: “As veterinary surgeons, our areas of operations are clearly defined in the Animal Disease Control Acts of 1988 and the Veterinary Act 2004 CAP V3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. Similarly, the operations of the Pharmacist are contained in the Pharmacist Act and the Poisons and Pharmacy Act. Perhaps, the chairman may wish to be reminded that veterinary drugs are not in any way identifi’’.

Workshop for African scholars

HE curtain will tomorrow fall on a three-day writing workshop which began at the Osogbo main campus of the University of Osun (UNIOSUN). Tagged ’’2011 African Studies Association of the United Kingdom (UK) (ASAUK)’’, the workshop was being staged for African young scholars. The workshop is aimed at enhancing academic links between British and Nigerian universities, and to increase representation in British journals of work by scholars based in Nigeria. It also has a plan to invite Nigerian and UKbased journal editors to share interests and problems, and to explore possibilities for future co-operation. The workshop will bring UK editors representing Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Journal of Modern African Studies (JMAS) and Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE) to UNIOSUN. Four leading Nigerian journals namely, Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria (JHSN), Lagos Historical Review (LHR), Journal of History and Diplomatic Studies (JHDS) and African Nebula (AN) will also be participating in the 3-day workshop. To achieve its stated objectives, 37 Nigerian scholars drawn from 23 Nigerian universities have been offered travel fellowships by the ASAUK to participate in the workshop.

Jonathan calls for stronger Nigeria-UK ties RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday called for the maintenance and further strengthening of the historical relations between Nigeria and Britain for the mutual benefit of both countries. He made the call when he received a British business delegation led by the Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Michael Bear. According to a statement from the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, the President urged both countries to make greater efforts

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

to renew the longstanding relationship and make it more functional. Receiving the Mayor who said he had come with a delegation of British investors and businessmen to follow up on bilateral agreements concluded during Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent visit , President Jonathan noted that the Prime Minister’s visit had been “very significant and fruitful”. The President has invited British investors to support

his administration’s efforts to diversify the Nigerian economy and create greater employment opportunities for its youthful population, saying that more sectors of the economy previously run exclusively by government were being opened up for private sector participation. He said: “A high population of unemployed youth could be dangerous anywhere in the world. We are therefore working very hard to create more jobs by expanding our economic base through increased investment in infrastructure, man-

ufacturing and commercial large-scale agriculture.” The Mayor had earlier told the President that he was in Nigeria with his delegation to pursue the realisation of the agreements reached during Mr. Cameron’s visit to double bilateral trade between Nigeria and Britain within the shortest possible time. “We are here to move things forward. We have confidence in your reform programme and are willing to help you in any way that we can,” Bear told President Jonathan.

•Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and the Permanent Representative to the AU Commission, Ambassador Bulus Lolo (left) with President of Ethiopia, Mr Girma Wolde-giorgis, when he presented his letter of credence in Addis Ababa...yesterday

Institute seals unregistered offices HE Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) yesterday sealed three unregistered printing/publishing companies in Lagos. The companies shut down are Arizona Digital, Ajao Estate; Vista International Plc, Surulere; WhyCross Prints Nig Ltd, Shomolu. According to CIPPON President, Mr. Muhammed Lawal, who led the physical enforcement, the offices were shut down owning to failure of compliance to register. Lawal said that the sealed offices will not be opened until they register with CIPPON secretariat. “What we are witnessing here today is the physical enforcement of our Act. Despite various correspondences sent

By Abike Hassan

to their offices, they have failed to comply to our orders. We are hereby shutting down activities pending when they comply”, he said. “Once they register in our secretariat, we will open their companies and allow them resume business activities. It is that simple. We are not here to permanently paralyse their business but to bring them all under one umbrella”, he said. The managëement and workers of some of the companies visited by CIPPON tried to resist the shutdown. The management claimed to be aware of the correspondences sent to their offices but needed more time to comply.

Panel on fake drugs From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

O check the streaming of fake drugs into the health facilities in the country, the Federal Government has inaugurated a committee on the National Drug Distribution guidelines. Inaugurating the committee yesterday, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Ali Pate lamented the chaotic nature of drug distribution in Nigeria. According to him, the purpose of setting up the 16 – man committee was to re-examine the guidelines and address certain issues that were raised in respect of the guidelines. He said: “The chaotic nature of drugs distribution system of Nigeria has remained worrisome to the pharmaceutical sector and the entire health care system. This is because of its negative impact in the health care delivery system. For example, entry of fake drugs into the health facilities, diagnostic and treatment failures, loss of confidence in the healthcare services of Nigeria, preventable death among others.” “However, government has not relented effort towards ensuring that the drug distribution system is sanitised. One of the strategies adopted by the Presidential Committee on the Pharmaceutical Sector Reform (PCPSR) to achieve this was the development of the national drug distribution guidelines.” “According to the guidelines, states are to establish drug distribution centers while the private sector is to establish Mega drug distribution centers.” The committee, which is headed by Pate also has the National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) , A. Okwor, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. P. Orhii, the Director NIPIRD, Dr. O.O. Kunle, Managing Director Neimeth Pharmaceuticals, E. Ekenno, and the Director, Food and Drug Services, Mrs. M. Okpeseyi as members.

Magistrates to check abuse of remand orders

AGISTRATES have agreed to review remand orders after three months only once, it was learnt yesterday. The Executive Director of Rights Enforcement and Public Law Centre (REPLACE), Mrs. Felicitas Aigbogun-Brai, made this known at a media interactive session attended by the President of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Bulus Nyiputen, yesterday in Abuja. The decision to enforce Section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution is to check the level of impunity under which suspects are detained without trial by law enforcement agencies. Nyiputen said the magistrates are worried at the situation which has increased the population of

•Blame Police, others for prison explosion From Kamarudeen Ogundele and Ifeoluwa Ojo, Abuja

awaiting trial persons in the prison. According to available statistics, the medium security prison in Lagos with capacity for 704 inmates, has 123 convicts and 1,917 awaiting trial persons. The medium security prison, Ikoyi, with 800 capacity is home to 124 convicts and 1,633 awaiting trial persons. Lamenting the situation, Senior Legal Adviser with Open Society for Justice Initiative (OSJI), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu said: “If you gave a fraction of the money budgeted for prison decongestion to legal aids, it will

make a lot of difference. You will change the parameters and language of fighting crime in this country”. Nyiputen said the enforcement of the constitutional provision will restore sanity in the criminal justice delivery system and make law enforcement agencies to be diligent in their investigations within the stipulated time. Mrs. Aigbogun-Brai said REPLACE which was founded in 2006, was able to release 2,524 people unlawfully detained in the 2010 legal year. She said non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) strive to serve the society and guarantees the creation of conducive envi-

ronment to the attainment of the highest levels of career and professional development in the human rights field. Her words: “The Police Duty-Solicitor Scheme (PDSS) is an initiative which provides basic legal services to persons arrested and detained in Police stations pending completion of police investigation or arraignment before a court. “The PDSS is currently being implemented in six states across Nigeria: Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Kebbi, Ondo, Sokoto and its headquarter in Abuja. “Any person who is arrested and is taken to any of the police stations under

this scheme will have access to a duty-solicitor. Any person, who is also detained in a prison in any of the states where the duty-solicitor scheme is being implemented, may request for a lawyer from the legal aid council or a duty-solicitor.” To confront the issues, Mrs Aigbogun-Brai said the organisation has a plan to place a lawyer in each of the 5000 police stations across the federation. “The organisation is ready to provide jobs for the youths who are without a job and make sure there is safety and security in the nation.” She implored the government, NGOs media practitioners and everybody to join hand with the group provide a conducive environment for all.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

FOREIGN NEWS

Three generals dead as Angola Air Force plane crashes A

•Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos

PLANE crash in Angola has killed 26 people, including three army generals, a government official has announced. Luis Caetano, the spokesman for the Huambo provincial authorities, said the military aircraft crashed after leaving Huambo city airport. He said six people had survived the crash, including the pilot and co-pilot. Correspondents say the

aircraft was a relatively new Embraer jet purchased by the army to transport top officials. Initial reports said that there were 36 passengers on board, but Mr Caetano told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme the number was 32. He said the aeroplane di-

US worried over unsecured weapons in Libya

HE potential proliferation of weapons in Libya after six months of civil war is a “key concern” for the United States, a senior American official said yesterday. The conflict that ended Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year rule and sent the former dictator into hiding also threw open the gates to his regime’s extensive armories. The country’s new leaders, who are struggling to establish a government, have failed to secure many of the weapons caches. Witnesses have watched looters, former rebel fighters or anyone with a truck carry them away. US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffery Feltman told reporters in Tripoli that Washington already has people working with Libya’s new rulers about the possible proliferation of shoulderfired missiles, as well as dangerous chemicals like

mustard gas. “This is certainly an issue we are concerned with, the Libyan officials are concerned with, because it poses potential risks not only to Libyans, but to the region as a whole,” said Feltman, who was in Tripoli for talks with the former rebels’ National Transitional Council. Journalists and human rights groups have discovered huge weapons depots around Tripoli since the former rebels swept into the capital Aug. 21. Many of the sites are poorly guarded and have already been looted of mines, mortars and even shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles designed to bring down airplanes, helicopters or drones. The greatest concern, however, is the proliferation of unconventional weapons, such as mustard gas and other chemical agents.

Despite worries about other weapons, Feltman said “to the best of our knowledge” stores of mustard gas “are containerized in bulk form accountable to the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), and we believe from monitoring that they are where they are supposed to be.” Last week, the UN chief weapons watchdog said Libya’s remaining chemical weapon stockpiles are believed to be secure. Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the OPCW, said his inspectors left the country in February when the uprising started and will return “when the conditions allow us.” He added that he had heard from sources that the “remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons are secured.” He did not identify his sources.

Swaziland’s financial crisis shuts schools

OST schools in Swaziland are shut because of the financial crisis that has hit the government, the head of the Swaziland Principals Association says. Charles Bennett told the BBC teachers were boycotting classes at the start of the new term because the government had failed to pay money for school fees. More than 60% of Swazi school children are poor or orphans, Mr Bennett said. The government has not yet received a $355m (£218m) loan promised by South Africa to help it pay bills. The crisis has triggered widespread protests in Swaziland, which is ruled by an absolute monarch, King Mswati III. Last week, opposition supporters burnt images of the king in the second city, Manzini - a rare and punishable offence in a country where the monarch is revered, analysts say. Mr Bennett said the government owed schools nearly $11m and services had been cut because of the failure to pay bills.

•Monarch berates IMF A protester burns a cloth with an image of King Mswati III in Manzini last week The opposition wants an end to the absolute rule of King Mswati III “There is no electricity... no water,” Mr Bennett told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme. “The feeding programme which covers most of the pupils - doesn’t exist because there is no money to buy food.” Mr Bennett said more than 60% of pupils did not pay school fees because they fell in the category of “orphans and vulnerable children”. “We might be running out of material, such as paper for exams and chalk,” Mr Bennett said. Pat Muir, principal secretary in the education ministry, appealed to teachers to call off the boycott, the Times of Swaziland newspaper reports. The money would be paid to schools by Thursday, he said, according to the report. Last month, the University

of Swaziland failed to open for the new academic year after the government failed to provide money for student fees. Swaziland’s king says the International Monetary Fund should be helping his impoverished country, not calling for budget cuts. In a speech yesterday, Mswati III complained about IMF calls for cutting civil service salaries. He says, “How can you do that, when you know that some of the civil servants are bread winners for large families?” Mswati, who critics complain lives lavishly, said, “What we want is that the IMF hear our side ....” IMF spokesmen did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement last month, fund experts expressed concern about the kingdom’s deepening crisis and its failure to meet IMF targets to stop borrowing from the central bank and cut wage and capital spending in favor of funding education and health.

Sudan appoints Darfuri Youssef vice-president

UDAN’s president has named a politician from Darfur, Adam Youssef, as his vice-president, the staterun Suna news agency says. One of Sudan’s two vicepresidency roles became vacant in July when Salva Kiir gave up the position to lead newly independent South Sudan. Mr Youssef comes from one of Darfur’s Arab ethnic groups and recently joined President Omar al-Bashir’s party.

Mr Bashir denies accusations of war crimes in the western Darfur region. The United Nations says some 300,000 people have died during Darfur’s eight-year conflict between black African rebel groups and Arab militias in Darfur. The government says this figure has been exaggerated and the true figure of deaths from the conflict is 12,000. Some rebel groups in Darfur have rejected the appoint-

ment of Mr Youssef as symbolic. “He is part of the Arabisation of Darfur. He won’t make a difference,” el-Tahir el-Faki, a senior official in the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) told Reuters news agency. Jem and another rebel group the Sudan Liberation Army have rejected a recent peace deal signed between Khartoum and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) - an umbrella group of rebel factions.

vided when it crashed and 26 bodies - 20 men and six women - had been recovered from wreckage. People in the front of the aircraft survived, but those passengers in the back died as that section caught fire, he said. One of the survivors has suffered bad burns and was being treated in hospital, Mr Caetano said.

He said the pilot, who had spoken to Angolan TV, seemed confused but insisted that he had complied with all instructions from the control tower. Portugal’s Sol newspaper quoted a survivor in hospital as saying that the accident happened so fast it was difficult to know what the problem was, but the pilot seemed to be aware that there was a technical fault. Portuguese news agency Lusa said the accident happened at about midday local

time (11:00 GMT). The plane, bound for the capital, Luanda, took off from Huambo’s Albano Machado airport, which was only re-opened by the president last month after undergoing renovations. Since 2002, Angola has been striving to tackle the legacy of a 27-year civil war that ravaged the country after independence. It is one of Africa’s major oil producers, but two thirds of the people remain in poverty.

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

NATION SPORT

EUROPA CUP...EUROPA CUP...EUROPA CUP...EUROPA CUP...EUROPA CUP...

Pulis considers big changes for Kiev trip

Redknapp bemoans S Spurs injury woes H

ARRY Redknapp says the Europa League has given him a selection headache with an injury ravaged squad. Tottenham face PAOK Salonika, who finished fourth in the Greek Super League last season, on Thursday before a key Premier League clash with Liverpool at the weekend. Redknapp already said his Europa League selections would be based around how important the following league game is. William Gallas, Michael Dawson, Vedran Corluka,

Steven Pienaar, Rafael van der Vaart, Tom Huddlestone and Aaron Lennon all missed Saturday's game against Wolves, leaving the Spurs boss to pick from the bones of his squad. "The whole situation is a nightmare," said Redknapp. "I have no idea what team I will be able to play. "I will sit down on Tuesday and see who I can take out to Greece. It may well be a chance for some of the fringe players to take their chance. "I really don't know who will be ready for Liverpool."

TOKE boss Tony Pulis is considering major changes to Stoke's side that faces Dynamo Kiev on Thursday as he eyes Sunday's game at Sunderland. The Potters face a daunting travelling schedule with their game at the Stadium of Light coming just three days after their Europa League clash in the Ukraine and Stoke could leave several players behind in England to ensure they are fresh for the weekend action. Stoke will attempt to equal a 106-year record on Sunday by going unbeaten in the first five matches of a top-flight season and assistant manager Dave Kemp admitted Thursday's game has thrown up a fresh set of problems the club has not had to face before. He explained to thisisstaffordshire.co.uk: "We hope to touch back down in Manchester at about one in the morning because we will be gaining two hours on the time difference. "That should mean we can get the players home to their own beds for a decent night's sleep, then they will have Friday off before we get going for the Sunderland game on the Sunday.

•Redknapp

Grygera raring to get going Z

DENEK Grygera is dreaming of more Europa League glory nights after being on the wrong end of arguably the greatest result in Fulham's history. Grygera was part of the Juventus side that led 4-1 on aggregate at Craven Cottage in a last-16 tie a year and a half ago before being stunned by one of the most unlikely comebacks ever seen in European football. The defender, who joined Fulham on transfer deadline day, admitted he would "never forget" the atmosphere that night and revealed he was hoping to experience it again, starting in Thursday's opening Group K clash with FC Twente. He told his club's official website: "Fulham turned a lot of heads when they knocked Juventus out of the competition and I've taken an interest ever since - when you are involved in a game like that it is only natural. "I've played a few times against English teams over the years and, every time, I have been struck by the atmosphere in and around the grounds, and Craven Cottage was no different. "Even though it is small in comparison to some, the

FIXTURES PAOK v Tottenham Shamrock Rovers v Rubin Kazan Copenhagen v Vorskla Hannover 96 v Standard Liege Hapoel Tel-Aviv v Rapid Bucuresti PSV v Legia Warsaw FC Zurich v Sporting Lisbon Lazio v FC Vaslui Besiktas v Maccabi Tel Aviv Dynamo Kiev v Stoke City Paris St Germain v Red Bull SK Slovan v Athletic Bilbao AZ Alkmaar v Malmo FF FK Austria v Metalist Kharkiv Birmingham City v Braga Club Brugge v Maribor Atletico v Celtic Udinese v Rennes FC Steaua v Schalke Maccabi Haifa v AEK XI Fulham v FC Twente Wisla Krakow v OB Odense Anderlecht v AEK Athens Sturm Graz v Lokomotiv

atmosphere was fantastic and made for a great setting. "It was a difficult night for those on the losing side but, of course, it was a special night for Fulham. "It's not often an Italian team concedes four goals - you rarely see that happen. "But Fulham played the better football, showed more fight and, in the end, were the team that deserved the win. "It's funny how things work out. It shows that in football you just never know what will happen. "I'm very happy to be opening a new chapter in my career and hopefully I can share similar lasting memories with the fans. "This is a country that loves its football and I'm always impressed by the way the game is played and the manner in which the fans follow." Grygera became the seventh of 10 new arrivals this summer, joining John Arne Riise and Pajtim Kasami in making the move from Serie A. "You can see that football in England is different to football in Italy," said the 31-year-old, who will be hoping to make his debut on Thursday. "It is a lot more physical over here and, in my opinion, the game is played at a higher level, although in Italy it is arguably more tactical.

•Brown

•Pulis

"We did it differently after the game in Switzerland against FC Thun by staying after the game and then flying to Norwich. "But we don't have the same training facilities to work with in Kiev this time and it's a much longer journey, so that's why we are doing it this way to try and keep the players as fresh as we possibly can."

Schalke to rely on rookie keeper Captain: We'll give everything against Atletico

COTT Brown insists there is a huge desire within the Celtic squad to prove they belong on the European stage during this year’s Europa League campaign. On Thursday, the Hoops face a demanding test in their opening tie of the group stage with a trip to big-spending La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid. And the skipper revealed the excitement was building among the players ahead of the game, along with a real determination to make an impression on the tournament. “It’s definitely going to be a tough one but we want to be in Europe and play in big games like this,” he said.

“It’s going to be a big game for us, especially going over there for the first game. We’re going to take it as it comes. Whatever happens happens, but we’re going to treat it as one our biggest games of our season so far. “Atletico signed some quality players but we’re a quality team as well. We’ll need to defend strongly from the first minute and then see where we go from there.” The Celtic skipper sat out the 4-0 win over Motherwell on Saturday following a recurrence of ankle injury picked up on international duty and is facing a race against time to be fit for the Atletico game. Three days after the clash in Spain, the Hoops will travel to Ibrox for the first Glasgow derby of the campaign. Naturally, Brown desperate to be involved in both matches. “I did it during the Scotland game and I’ve been playing with a tender ankle for the last couple of weeks and it’s maybe just got the better of me in the last couple of days," he said. “It’s something totally different from what I’ve had in the past so it’s nothing to worry about. I’m getting very close to being fit and I think I’ll be touch and go for Thursday, but I'll be fine for Sunday. “I’m desperate to get back in for Thursday as well but we will just wait and see how my ankle is. I’ll try training tomorrow and Wednesday and take it from there.

OALKEEPER Ralf Fahrmann is an injury doubt ahead of Schalke's UEFA Europa League clash with Steaua Bucharest on Thursday, leaving only a rookie 21-yearold available to coach Ralf Rangnick. Fahrmann picked up an ankle injury during Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg and may even miss next Sunday's clash with Bayern Munich. Lars Unnerstall, who moved to Schalke as an 18-year-old from third-division side

Munster in 2008, and became a regular in their reserve team last season, is now on standby for his debut. After being promoted to number two ahead of veteran Mathias Schober by Rangnick this summer, he would be the man to step in should Fahrmann not recover. Fahrmann became Schalke's first-choice goalie in July when he returned from a loan spell with Eintracht Frankfurt to fill the void left by Manuel Neuer's move to Bayern Munich.

•Rangnick

THE NATION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

SPORT EXTRA

ALL AFRICA GAMES

Okagbare wins gold in long jump •Osayomi, Abinuwa, Asunmu for 200m semi-final today •As Metu pulls out

Stories from Akeem Lawal and Stella Bamawo, Maputo

Mozambique government responsible for hike in hotel rates

Wednesday evening despite a hamstring injury. Okagbare's jump of 6.50m was considered a welcome relief by the President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Solomon Ogba. Meanwhile, Nigeria's Oludamola Osayomi,

LYMPIC bronze medallist, Blessing Okagbre has won a gold medal in long jump on

HERE are claims across Mozambique that a directive from the Mozambique's Ministry of Tourism on August 1 to all hoteliers in the East African country was responsible for the inflation of hotel rates which skyrocketed days to the commencement of the All Africa Games which is holding in various centers across the city. In most hotels, there are written notices on the walls of the rooms that the inflation of hotel rates was as a result of a directive hence customers should please bear with the management. Meanwhile, Mozambicans are cashing on their gains as the 10th edition of the All Africa Games draws to a close. The Games which will be rounded off on September 18, was well attended by fifty countries out of the fifty-four countries across Africa that indicated interest in the Games. Transporters across Mozambique were most impressed as they were able to run their meters all through the day as they were busy with the commuters who could not find their way to the various venues which were far apart. Prices were doubled and negotiating prices was very difficult as most visitors could not communicate in the lingua franca of the country, i.e. Portuguese.

Endurance Abinuwa and Gloria Asunmu are expected to add to Nigeria's medal table as they run in the women's 200m today at the Estadio Nacional in Zimpeto after qualifying from a keenly contested heat which was watched by a large number of spectators. However, Nigeria has been unable to present any male athlete in the Men's 200m

I’ll reclaim my gold – Iworima

HE 2006 Commonwealth Games women triple jump silver medalist, Otonye Iworima has assured Nigerians of reclaiming the gold medal striped off her, in today’s re-jump final inside the Estadio Nacional, Maputo. Iworima had seen her 14.47m

for medals won so far in the various sports at the on-going 10th All Africa Games. The cash rewards were presented at the Games Village in Maputo to the athletes and officials who

As at Wednesday 14/09/2011 Country

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 17 21 22

South Africa Nigeria Tunisia Egypt Algeria Kenya Senegal Zimbabwe Cameroon Mauritius Angola Ethiopia Seychelles Botswana Ghana Mozambique Congo Uganda Mali Namibia DR. Congo Lesotho ST & Principe

Gold 56 18 15 12 9 6 5 4 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Giggs rescues point for Utd

YAN GIGGS salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw with Benfica as Manchester Utd kicked off their Champions League Group C campaign at the Estadio da Luz. Oscar Cardozo's brilliant first-half effort had given the Portuguese side a deserved lead in Lisbon but Giggs hit back with an equally impressive strike just before half-time. Giggs's goal - which saw him become the oldest scorer in the Champions League was the undoubted highlight of an otherwise lacklustre performance from the

•Okagbare

ALL AFRICA GAMES TABLE

Rank

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Premier League champions, although the dropped points in a group also containing FC Basel and Otelul Galati will not be of too much concern to Alex Ferguson. UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

RESULTS Man City 1-1 Napoli Villarreal 0-2 Bayern Lille 2-2 CSKA Moskva Inter 0-1 Trabzonspor Basel 1-1 O’Galati Benfica 1-1 Man United D’Zagreb 0-1 R’Madrid Ajax 0-0 Lyon

Free Air Nigeria flights for Bankers Games winners

jump which earned her the gold medal cancelled, after protest by Algeria, alleging that the jump was faulty. But after a technical meeting by the organisers, the Algerian was awarded the medal, but this did not go down well with the Athletics Federation of

NSC doles dollars to Athletes

HE National Sports Commission (NSC) has splashed a total sum of $50,250(fifty thousand two hundred and fifty US dollars in bonuses to Team Nigeria athletes and officials

after Obinna Metu pulled out of the race due to injury. Metu who is one of the fastest men in Nigeria, had aided the team in getting a gold medal in the Men's 4x100 race on Tuesday. He had been nursing an injury before the championship proper but, however, ran well in the heats before he opted out of the semi-final race that will be run later this evening.

Silver

Bronze

Total

38 20 18 7 18 7 3 6 1 2 3 2 4 2 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

33 23 9 8 20 12 11 1 8 6 6 2 6 5 5 5 5 2 0 0 3 1 1

127 61 42 27 47 25 19 11 13 11 11 6 11 8 6 7 6 3 1 1 3 1 1

won medals in: Athletics, Badminton,Para-Athletics, Para-Swimming, Basketball, Boxing, Canoeing, Karate and Table-Tennis. It will be recalled that prize monies were introduced by the National Sports Commission for different categories of medals won at the Maputo 2011 Games as incentive, not only to spur the athletes to put in their best and win laurels for the nation, but indeed to further boost the morale of Team Nigeria. The first set of beneficiaries were paid their cash rewards by the minister and chairman of the National Sports Commission(NSC),Yusuf Suleiman last Thursday 8th September,2011 at a presentation ceremony in Maputo, Mozambique. In line with the approved bonuses by the Sports Commission, the latest set of Team Nigeria medallists got $1500 for gold in the individual category and $2000 for doubles; silver medalists got $1000 while those who won bronze went home with $750,respectively.Coaches in these same sports were equally rewarded with cash bonuses.

Nigeria (AFN), who immediately protested the decision. This, however, led to the cancelling of the jump final by the organisers and a new date of September 15 (today) fixed. In a chat with NationSport, Iworima, who said she was optimistic of repeating the feat recorded last Sunday. “I’m not under any form of pressure but looking forward to a good jump on Thursday”, the Algiers 2007 bronze medalist said. “I had continued with my training believing that nothing happened. They are just helping me to keep it (gold medal) till Thursday and I will collect it when I’m through. I came here for the gold medal and I’m going back home with it”, she said.

INNERS in the 2011 Nigeria Bankers Games will receive complimentary air travel tickets courtesy of Air Nigeria, the nation’s flag carrier which signed up with games’ organisers MediaVision as the Official Carrier of the Nigeria Bankers Games. The games for which the prizes have been staked include football, table tennis, athletics and debutants, Chess and Scrabble. Announcing the deal, Fela Bank-Olemoh, the Chief Executive Officer of MediaVision, said the event provides a veritable platform for Air Nigeria to further strengthen and open new business relationships with the Banking sector which constitutes a sizeable block of air services consumers. “As the “Official Carrier” of the tournament, Air Nigeria will support the games with complimentary tickets for

winners of different sporting categories as well as help facilitate transportation of participants from all the regions to Lagos. This partnership will make the airline’s route network more accessible throughout the games, as well as provide ease of connectivity to all”, remarked Bank-Olemoh. Speaking at a brief contract signing ceremony, Olumide Odebiyi – Commercial Director, Air Nigeria said "We value ourselves as a socially responsible citizen and thus, we do not shy away from platforms like this because it is a way of strengthening relationship between Air Nigeria and Corporate Nigeria" The Nigeria Bankers Games which started on Sunday September 4th will enter Match Day 3 this weekend and will end on Sunday October 9th at the UNILAG Sports Complex, Akoka.

LONDON 2012 QUALIFIERS

Falcons to get three weeks camping for Cameroon

EARING up for the all important London 2012 qualification match against Cameroon, Super Falcons coach, Eucharia Uche has assured that her girls will be having a three-week camping for preparation. This decision according to sources must have been necessitated by the fact that the home based in the team are all involved with the Challenge Cup and the Super Six competition for their various clubs. “I am optimistic falcons will get up to three weeks camping before jetting out to Cameroon to honour the return leg of the London 2012 Olympics qualifier against the Lionesses which comes up on the 22nd of October,” Uche revealed. She further noted that she has informed the Chairman

By Innocent Amomoh Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barr. Chris Green of her intension to call the girls to camp as soon as the challenge cup is over. “ I have already spoken with chairman technical committee and the technical department but I am afraid the camp will be delayed for another two weeks because the girls are involved in challenge cup as well as Super six matches with their various clubs. “We have to wait for the girls to round up their challenge cup matches and we will head straight to camp. This is good for us because the girls will resume camp very fit” “The girls will resume camp

immediately the challenge cup final is played on the 28th of this August,” she emphasized. Having allowed the Cameroonian pick a vital away goal in Abuja, the Falcons, have a lot to do when they confront the Cameroonians for the return leg to clinch the sole ticket for the quadrennial event. Super Falcons qualified for the last three Olympics in Beijing(2008), Athens(2004) and Sidney(2000). Next year Olympics in London will take place between July 27th to August 12th 2012. Meanwhile, coach Uche is expected in Abuja this weekend to watch the challenge cup and super six matches. “Going to watch the girls play will afford me the opportunity of discovering new girls for the national teams,” she said.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF

Tomorrow in THE NATION ‘Now that we all, (yes, we all Nigerians) have bathed in baby blood, that we have had our fill of an infanticidal repast, perhaps we can now seek peace?’ STEVE OSUJI FREEDOM VOL. 6, NO.1,884

C OMMENT & D EB ATE EBA

•This is a paper delivered at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, on August 10.

DAPO FAFOWORA

FROM THE SUMMIT

•Continued from September 1

HIS is nearly the total sum of internal and external borrowings required to bring the budget into a balance. What this means is that, essentially, we are borrowing to maintain our vast bureaucracy which will require an annual debt servicing of nearly N600 billion in the next few years. Certainly, this is no way to run a country, or any economic enterprise for that matter. It is a prescription for financial disaster and national bankruptcy.

What should be a realistic size and cost of governance? All the governments of the federation must jointly address the critical problem of an over blown bureaucracy and the vastly increased cost of running such a huge bureaucracy on which we could be spending as much as 80% of our total resources as claimed by the Anya Committee’s Report. The states governments are no less profligate in their expenditure on general administration. The practical result of this huge cost of governance is that only an average of 20% of the nation’s total financial resources is spent on capital projects. The capital projects are, thus, poorly funded. In most cases, they are abandoned, or uncompleted due to paucity of funds. This is a prescription for the sustained underperformance of the economy and its sustained growth. What the situation calls for is a comprehensive staff audit and job evaluation to determine the right size for the federal civil service without any adverse effect on efficiency in the service. At the comparative level, very few countries match the cost of governance, particularly the cost of general administration in Nigeria. The United States, the largest economy in the world, with a GNP of US$ 13 tr. per annum, has a federal cabinet not exceeding 20, less than half that of Nigeria. The cost of general administration represents less than 10% of the federal budget of the US. Contrast that with the figures in Nigeria ranging from at least 60% to as much as 80%. The rich countries spend on the general administration of their countries an average of only 10%. China and India have the largest bureaucracies in the world. But their average annual expenditure on general administration is only 12%. (10) On the other hand poor countries, which can ill afford to do so, tend to spend a lot more in the running of their countries. Of course, this is all relative to their GDP. But the structure of demand shows that in poor countries the public sector is dominant and takes the lion’s share of all public expenditure. As a matter of fact this trend accounts largely for the painfully slow

dapo.fafowora@thenationonlineng.net

Public service and cost of governance

•President Goodluck Jonathan

economic growth of poor countries such as Nigeria. Data for comparative size and public expenditure on the public service in other African countries are not readily available. But the annual World Bank reports have shown that public expenditure in Nigeria as a share of total expenditure, or the GDP, has consistently been the highest in Africa. (11) Yet, big governments do not necessarily translate to good or effective governments. On the contrary there is overwhelming evidence that the bigger the government is the higher the probability of wasteful spending and large scale public corruption. In 2003, during President Obasanjo’s administration, a staff audit showed that there were 1.2 million federal civil servants, 1,500 political office holders (Ministers, special advisers and special assistants), 470 federal legislators and over 1,500 judicial officers. As part of his cost cutting measures, the Obasanjo administration reduced the number of federal ministries from 22 to 16 by merging some of the ministries. But his successor, President Yar’Adua increased the number of ministries from 16 to 29. With regard to the size of the federal civil

RIPPLES I’M NOT AWARE OF ANY INFLOW OF FUNDS FOR TERRORISM - Sanusi

... then SHINE YOUR EYES

service of 1.2 million (12) (possibly as high as 1.5 million now) several attempts have been made in the past few years to reduce both the size and cost of the federal civil service. But these efforts have been largely unsuccessful for reasons ranging from a lack of commitment on the part of the successive federal governments to the practical difficulties of achieving the objective. A more holistic and comprehensive approach involving all the stake holders, including the states, is necessary to fully address this complex problem of rising costs in the general administration of the nation. For instance, the President is obliged under the 1999 Constitution to appoint not less than 37 cabinet ministers, one each from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Unless this constitutional proviso is changed, he cannot unilaterally reduce the size of his cabinet. In the context of the Nigerian political system it will be difficult to amend the Constitution with a view to reducing the number of cabinet ministers that the President is obliged to appoint. Yet, this is necessary if the cost of running such a big cabinet and huge bureaucracy is to be reduced.

Recommendations There is now a broad consensus in the nation that the size and cost of the civil service is unsustainable and that it should be reduced considerably as it represents a major constraint on the nation’s economic growth and development. The practice of treating the civil service as some other form of political, ethnic, and religious patronage is one that we need to jettison. What we need is a slimmer and more efficient civil service than we now have. There is no reason why public expenditure on the civil service should exceed 10%. But to avoid unnecessary disruptions in the civil service, the process of staff reduction should be gradual and handled fairly. In conclusion, the following measures for reducing both the size and cost

HARDBALL

ELSON Mandela may be 93, but that is no reason to wish him dead. It is not certain where rumours of his death came from, nor what prompted it, however, it is reassuring he has been confirmed by South African authorities to be alive. On the contrary, it was his exwife, Winnie Mandela, who was admitted to a health facility for surgery in her ankle. Doubtless the world awaits Mandela’s glorious passing, for he has done tremendously well for himself, South Africa, and the continent itself, but no one can hurry the process of natural death. His longevity is indeed surprising. He was held in prison for 27 as a political prisoner under harsh conditions, and he even suffered health crises, one of which led to a prostate operation. Perhaps he and many of his supporters never expected he would come out of prison alive, let alone become president of a newly independent South Africa. But he beat all odds to leave jail still in good

of general administration in the nation are strongly recommended; i.Constitutional amendments should be introduced urgently to reduce the size of the federal cabinet to not more than 18 to be appointed from the six geopolitical zones. In this regard the President and state governors should take the initiative in bringing about the necessary constitutional amendment for the reduction of the number of Ministers in the federal government. The approach to the issue has to be bi-partisan. ii.There should be a limitation on the number of special advisers and special assistants serving in the government. It is estimated that over 300 are currently serving in those capacities now. This number should be reduced considerably. iii.There should be a merger of the MDAs to reduce the cost of governance. There is far too much duplication of functions in the federal bureaucracy. iv.The Fiscal Responsibility Act should seek to enforce budgetary and fiscal discipline in public expenditure. Appropriate legislation should be introduced limiting the size of the recurrent budget. Savings accruing from this exercise should be transferred to the capital budget. v.The balance of public expenditure should be in favour of capital and not recurrent expenditure. The ratio should be at least 60 to 40. vi.The cost to the Treasury of overheads should be reviewed and reduced by at least 40%. vii.The pay and allowances of the federal and states legislators should be reviewed downwards by at least 40%. viii.There should be a regular (preferably quarterly) auditing by the Auditor General of the Federation of all public expenditure. ix.The Accountant General of the Federation should be under a constitutional obligation to publish quarterly expenditure of the Federal Government. x.The Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly should be strengthened to enable it discharge its oversight functions on public expenditure more efficiently, and xi All the governments of the federation should be made to depend less on the sharing of the federally collectible revenue and more on their internally generated revenue. If fully and faithfully implemented, these measures will go a long way in reducing the overall cost of governance in Nigeria. Our yearly financing gap has been estimated at US$10 billion. Most of this will have to be generated internally. More financial resources will be released for capital expenditure as a result of these cost cutting measures. •Concluded • For comments, send SMS to 08054503031

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Who wants Mandela dead? spirits and fine health. And when he spent only one term in office – the socalled Mandela option recently recommended to a few obdurate African leaders – though he was qualified to spend two, he raised apprehensions about his health. However, not only did he leave office in 1999 after spending four vigorous foundation-laying years in office, he has stayed alive for some 12 additional years. The end of this great African and world statesman may be near, but when it comes, he and his family will have the satisfaction that he lived life exceedingly well, highly favoured and stupendously gifted. There is little need to speculate

•Mandela about his death. He already expects it, so too do we. Instead of grieving, it will simply be another excellent opportunity for an outpouring of appreciation by Africans and the rest of the world.

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