The Nation September 2011

Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

News Outrage over Tinubu’s Code of Conduct Tribunal trial P6 Sport Eagles star Taiwo escapes red card in league clash P24 Business Sanusi wins African Central Bank Governor Award P11 http://www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 7, NO. 1895 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

$550m World Bank cash coming for agric N •Dr. Okonjo-Iweala

IGERIA is negotiating a $550million financing to boost agriculture and fix some of its environmental challenges, Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has said.

The minister, who dropped this hint in an interactive session with reporters in Washington DC at the

From Ayodele Aminu, Washington DC

World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting, said the Bank’s response had been quite encouraging.

The deal will be finalised when a new World Bank country director arrives in Nigeria.

Said Mrs Okonjo-Iweala:

“We have an ambitious programme to create jobs.

One of the several priorities is agriculture. We have a very detailed plan for investment in agriculture. One of the things we did here in Washington was to start negotiating for extra financing from the World Bank. And we are in discussion with

them to see if they can advance about $500 million to support the sector. And also environment because we see agric and environmental issues desirous of having support. So also we entered into discussion of $50million to support the work of the environment and $500 million for agriculture. It is not con-

cluded, but it is looking quite positive and we are very happy with what is happening. We will conclude it when we get to Nigeria and the new country director arrives.”

Besides, the minister said some investors are Continued on page 4

Jonathan to critics: I’m no Pharaoh or army general ‘

Some others will want the President to operate like an army general, like my Chief of Army Staff commanding his troops. Incidentally, I am not a lion; I am not also a general. Somebody will want the President to operate like the kings of Syria, Babylon, Egypt, the Pharaoh, all - powerful people that you read about in the Bible. They want the president to operate that way, the characters of the Goliath. Unfortunately, I am not one of those.

’

President speaks at 51st anniversary service CPC: he relies on luck

I

T was a routine church service – to commemorate Nigeria’s 51 st Independence Anniversary. But, for the President, it was more – an opportunity to reply critics of his administration.

Dr Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday he would not employ the maximum power in the discharge of his duties.

He said he does not have the character of a ruthless leader or that of a Commander-in-Chief that would make things happen the way some would have wanted. He believes he can transform the country without

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

exhibiting the traits of a lion king or that of “a Goliath”.

President Jonathan was apparently reacting to criticisms that his administration is slow in tackling social and economic problems, even as it directs its energy in the wrong direction.

Among such problems are security, including the Boko Haram challenge, unemployment and the crisis in the judiciary.

He blamed the nation’s woes on

certain politicians, who he did not name, for the nation’s, saying they do not want Nigeria to progress.

The President spoke in Abuja during the church service, which was held amid tight security. Many people were turned back and for the few who were allowed inside the National Christian Worship Centre, also known as the Ecumenical Centre, it was a long walk to the service – no thanks to the heavy security.

Jonathan praised the church for praying for the success and stability of his administration and prom-

ised: “We will conquer the Goalith of our time.”

“I thank you for your prayers. It is because of it we are even seeing what we are seeing today. You have been praying for us and my request is for you to continue to pray for the government.

“You have been praying for us, but others will not even want us to move an inch, especially those of us who are politicians. But, one prayer I will continue to request because if you listen to Nigerians or read their statements - some Nigerians still want the President of

this country to be a lion or a tiger, somebody that has that kind of strength and force and agility to make things happen the way they think.

“Some others will want the President to operate like an army general, like my Chief of Army Staff commanding his troops. Incidentally, I am not a lion; I am not also a general.

“Somebody will want the President to operate like the kings of Syria, Babylon, Egypt, the Pharaoh, Continued on page 4

•JOBS P15 •CEO P17 •SPORTS P24 •POLITICS P25 •CITYBEATS P31

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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NEWS

Rape: A crime whose victims Police records are replete with statistics and sometimes names of armed robbers, car snatchers and murderers.

But, they are largely silent on rape cases because the victims are afraid of stigmatisation, writes Assistant Editor (News) OLUKOREDE YISHAU

I

T is not an act of love. So, it usually does not take too long.

No foreplay. No kisses. No petting or necking. Just plain violent sex in dark corners, which leaves sorrow, tears and at times blood in its trail. Neither the victims, nor the ‘victors’ are bold enough to narrate the experience without watching their back.

Welcome to the world of rapists and their victims. In the last two weeks, there has been anger in the country and beyond over a 10minute video on the internet, where a girl was raped by five men in a students hostel believed to be somewhere in Abia State.

The Executive Director of a women’s rights group called Project Alert, Josephine EffahChukwuma, said: “The perpetrators go further to record it and circulate it. It shows for me that they’re daring society to take action on it. It shows that there’s a high level of impunity.”

The video does not reveal the faces of the men, neither does it clearly reveal the face of the victim, who was mentioning the first names of her assailants, who laughed at her plea to be freed or killed.

It is common to see women and men come out to identify themselves as Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Many have openly admitted being cancer survivors. These two set of people have faced or are facing debilitating health conditions. Still, they have found the courage to break the silence and say they would not allow stigma to make them die in silence.

But this stigma, which PLWHA and cancer survivors have overcome, experts said, has continued to make rape victims, which is not a health challenge, live in silence, preferring instead to reveal their secret to their wet pillows. There are also instances where victims have committed suicide as a way of escaping from stigma.

According to police statistics on a website called Nigeria Police Watch, only 1952 rape cases were recorded in 2009. However, an Amnesty International report said the figure is believed to “be sporadic, piecemeal and inconsistent” in a nation of 150 million people. Sadly, another Amnesty report, entitled ‘Rape - the Silent Weapon’, accused policemen and other security forces of also being guilty of raping girls and women.

This was corroborated last year by the Open Society Justice Initiative, which accused the police of committing rape, particularly of sex workers.

Effah-Chukwuma blames the refusal of victims to report the abuse on the society. She said: “Why should I come out and

speak of my victimisation when I’m going to receive secondary victimisation? The whole society blames (the victim).”

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Chidi Odinkalu, who said most rapes in Nigeria go unreported, toed the same line as Effah-Chukwuma.

He said the government has failed to establish structures that would encourage victims to boldly come out.

He said: “We’ve not provided a caring and thoughtful enough institutional frameworks to enable victims of rape to come forward.”

For the Executive Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, government has been lacklustre about the matter.

She said: “There is still a lot of hush-hush around it in Nigeria.

That’s why the problem is as bad as it is. But all that’s happened in the past three months shows that rape and sexual violence is a major issue.

“Nothing has been put into action. Our laws are still not clear.

The woman who wants to report rape does not have the confidence in the justice system in Nigeria.

The police are not accountable to the people. There is a lot of impunity on the issue of rape and sexual violence in Nigeria. The Nigerian government has failed to protect women. We need to hold it accountable. There is a need for immediate steps to create laws and institutions that protect women.”

She said the country could learn from reporting mechanisms and laws pioneered by Liberia.

President of the activist network, Women Arise, Joe Okei-Odumakin, , said rape is on the increase because perpetrators have no faces.

She said: “Impunity is on the rise because of our inability to bring the perpetrators to book. Rape and sexual violence have become a regular occurrence, a norm in Nigeria.

Women don’t think they will be believed. So, they won’t openly give their side of the story.”

One other factor, which has contributed to rape, said the founder of Media Concern Initiative for Women and Children (MediaCon) Princess OlufemiKayode, is family intervention, which she describes as a huge setback. According to her, many families still have the wrong impression that the girl child would not be able to marry when she becomes older if her status is public knowledge.

“Family name and honour supersede the needs of the child victim,” she said.

But no matter the failure of the society to protect victims, the case of Oba Bukola Ali, who is on trial for the rape of a youth corps mem-

‘Abia rape case a hard nut’

A

BIA State Police Commissioner Bala Hassan yesterday said resolving the alleged gang rape of a girl by five men is difficult.

Hassan, in a telephone interview with The Nation, said it has not yet been ascertained that the two suspects arrested on Saturday are the culprits.

Hassan said one of those arrested shares a first name with one of those mentioned in the rape video. He said the other person arrested is the roommate of one Zacky, one of the names mentioned on the tape.

The commissioner said those arrested are students of Abia State University, Uturu.

His words: “If they say the

From Ugochukwu Eke, Umuahia

name is Emeka, they should have told us the surname of the said Emeka as there are so many people bearing the name Emeka.

If the surname had been provided, it would be easy for us to run a trace on such names, and this situation is giving us a hard time to solve.”

He vowed that the police will un-earth those behind the act.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Abia State University, Acho Elendu, said he was not aware of the arrests and expressed hope that the police would successfully get to the root of the matter.

Force CID takes over rape case against inspector

F

ORCE Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) has taken over investigation into allegation of rape against an Inspector of Police attached to Maradun Local Government Divisional Police headquarters in Zamfara State, Abdullahi Ibrahim and a civilian Aliyu Ibrahim (alias August).

The two are being investigated for allegedly raping a 15year-old girl.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Assistant Superintendent of Police Sanusi Amiru confirmed the transfer of the case in a telephone interview with The Nation yesterday.

“The case has been transferred to the Force CID, Abuja for thorough investigation,” he said.

Asked what has become of the suspects, he said: “They too have been transferred to FCID, Abuja where they are being detained.”

On September 14, their identities were revealed to the public after the victim’s father broke his silence. The victim is a niece of the Emir of Maradun, Muhammad Garba Tambari. A petition was filed by her father and the Emir’s brother, Muham-

By Olukorede Yishau and Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

madu Bello Maradun.

In the petition sent to the governor, the Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Muhammadu appealed for justice in the matter.

The alleged rapists were said to have carried out the act when the girl was on her way back from a Sallah outing.

The victim was said to be in the company of a female friend when they were stopped at about 630pm by the inspector who was on guard duty at the divisional police station in Maradun.

The victim’s father said the officer ordered the young girls to follow him to a secluded place.

“After reaching a bushy area, the girls sensed danger and tried to escape but in the process, my daughter fell down and was caught by the policeman,” he said.

After she fell, the inspector was joined by Ibrahim who helped him to pin the girl to the ground as they took turns to rape her.

He added that whenever she attempted screaming, the policeman used his rifle to hit her in the mouth.

What the law says Sections 358 and 359 of the Criminal Code say that punishment for rape and attempted rape are life imprisonment and 14 years imprisonment respectively, with or without caning. ber, shows what breaking the silence can achieve. The corps member had, through a letter to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), revealed how the Alowa of Ilowa in Obokun Local Government area of Osun State took advantage of her.

The 23-year-old identified as Helen Opara said: “I was raped by the Oba Bukola Ali of Ilowa on Friday, March 25. On my way from my place of primary assignment, the Oba gave me a ride and told

me that he wanted me to be a computer facilitator for the schools in the community”. She said the oba implored her to accompany him to Osogbo where he wanted to do a follow up work on the computer programme. “The Oba said I should not worry. He said he would bring me back home and eventually we arrived at his residence in Osogbo where he entertained me.

“It was getting late and I wanted to go home. Suddenly, he start-

ed caressing me and I got up, begging him to allow me to go home.

The monarch turned down my pleas.’’

After this, the Oba locked the door, stripped her naked, soaked her clothes in water and committed the rape for which a Magistrate Court is trying him. He has been remanded at the Ilesa Prisons and attempts by his lawyer to get him out of the prisons on the ground that he is diabetic failed.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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NEWS

love to remain anonymous

• Clockwise from top: A rally against rape staged in Lagos to draw attention to the malaise; Oba Bukola Ali, who is standing trial for raping a youth corps member; IGP Ringim whose men have been accused of also raping girls, especially sex workers; antirape activists: ChukwumaEffah, AkiyodeAfolabi and Okei-Odumakin.

The woman who defied sexual abuse stigma

H

ER name is Princess Olufemi-Kayode. She is a columnist, a journalist and communication development expert. She is one of the few Nigerian women who have not allowed stigma keep them mourning after sexual abuse. As a teenager, she was sexually abused. Despite her open admission of being a victim of rape, she is happily married, with children.

Olufemi-Kayode’s experience made her realise the impact of the consequences of rape on victims. This led to her raising public awareness and seeking institutional support to meet the needs of

By Wale Adepoju

abused children.

She founded Media Concern Initiative - for Women and Children aka MediaCon, a nongovernmental organisation in 2003, to carry out sensitisation/ education of the public on preventing Child Sexual Abuse.

In 2007, her efforts in this regard were recognised and she was awarded the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship by Ashoka for Public Innovators, an international organisation based in the United States. Her efforts also led to her becoming a recipient of the University of Western Cape, South Africa 2010 Honorary Doctorate.

Award in Public Health.

Olufemi-Kayode believes that one other factor, which has contributed to rape cases going unpunished is the refusal of the families of victims to see the cases through. She said even when no financial cost is involved in trying rape cases, families discourage litigations because of the wrong impression that the girl child would not be able to marry when she becomes older if her status is public knowledge. “Family name and honour supersede the needs of the child victim,” she said.

She added:“The lack of knowledge of the short and long term consequences of sexual

abuse and understanding of the dynamics of sexual violence has helped abusers to an enabling environment. Most adults do not have this information or knowledge and that affects plans for prevention and crisis response provision. To adult survivors, I say: forgive yourself and your abuser (s). Healing is a process, so take a step at a time.”

Olufemi-Kayode added that her husband has been of immense help. “My husband is my ‘pay back.’ My God paid back the years that the canker worm, palmar worm and all the worms had eaten. No man could have fit the trousers. He is my best friend, partner and chief supporter,” she said.

•Olufemi-Kayode

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

NEWS

•Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (left), receiving the Central Bank Governor of the Year award for Sub-Saharan Africa from the Editor of Emerging Markets, Taimur Ahmad in Washington DC ... at the weekend

•From right: President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife Patience, Senate President David Mark, his wife Helen, Minister of State for FCT, Chief Jumoke Akinjide and Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Patrick Moro singing at the 51st Independence Anniversary service at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja ... yesterday.

PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

Outrage as Bayelsa security outfit is disbanded

T

HERE is outrage over the dissolution of Operation Famoutangbei (OFT), a special security outfit established by the government of Bayelsa State about two years ago. The agency handled special security matters before it was disbanded

by Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim.

King Joshua Igbagara, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, described the dissolution as “unfortunate”.

He recalled that the outfit’s establishment led to reduction in crime.

“The OFT salvaged lives and property in this state.

Before now, people couldn’t go to bed safely; cult killings were rampant. The OFT came to save the state from these

From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

odds,” he said.

Igbagara said if the news of the dissolution is true, it will be a minus for the security situation.

“If it is really dissolved, it is a setback in the security apparatus of the state,” noted the traditional ruler.

In Igbagara’s view, “There may have been some complaints against OFT; these problems must have come from people abetting crimes in the state”.

Special Adviser to Governor Timipre Sylva on Security Matters Chief Richard Kpodoh, who was the caretaker of the outfit, expressed shock at its sudden dissolution. He described the action as politically motivated.

Kpodoh expressed dismay that an outfit established by the state Security Council to save lives and property could unilaterally be dissolved by the Inspector General.

Describing the IG’s action as ill-informed, Kpodoh said Ringim, a former Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State, ought to have appreciated the security situation, which informed the establishment of the OFT. Kpodoh said the OFT had reduced to the barest minimum bag and car snatching, especially around banks in Yenagoa.

“The outfit is just for quick response; it didn’t do stopand-search. If the Police are doing what they are supposed to do, there will be no need for the OFT.”

Kpodoh also accused politicians of being behind the dissolution.

“Those clamouring for the dissolution of the OFT are the politicians who want to bring bad boys into the state to cause problems,” he said, adding: “All the criminals that were chased out are now back.”

In the security chief’s view, the ban is an injustice against the state when “similar outfits are in other places but not touched”.

“I pity the people because criminals are back, a few weeks after the OFT was dissolved,” Kpodoh added.

Hon. Jonathan Obuebite, a member of the House of Assembly representing Nembe I, said the “the Inspector-General of Police has compromised the security of Bayelsa

State.

HE said: “No Bayelsan has come to complain about OFT excesses to me or to the Assembly. OFT has brought sanity. Before now, people could not comfortably move about, people were robbed, but now the OFT has taken care of all these.

“As a member of the state Assembly, I’m in a position to tell the people about it.

“We are totally against the dissolution. The IG was not properly informed about the situation here, he should have looked at both sides of it before taking the decision, which is against the yearnings of the people. We are pleading that he should rescind the decision.”

all - powerful people that you read about in the Bible. They want the president to operate that way, the characters of the Goliath. Unfortunately, I am not one of those.

“But God knows why I am here, even though I don’t have any of those attributes, or these kinds of characters I have used as an example. But through your prayers, God placed me here. The only thing I ask you to do for me, and that is the prayer I pray every time, is for God to use me to change this country.

“I don’t need to be a lion. I don’t need to be Nebuchadnezzar. I don’t need to operate like the Pharaoh of Egypt. I don’t need to be an army general but I can change this country without those traits.

“You know these days for you to be an intellectual and for people to listen to you, you have to abuse government. Somebody was asking, is Nigeria on an auto pilot?

Meaning a plane without a pilot and I say Nigeria is being piloted by God himself.

“It is not going to be easy, but with God using you and

In his sermon entitled: “A mighty fortress is our God”, Rev. Yusuf Turaki, former head of ECWA Church, Jos, said the events in the country were indications that the nation has been relying on man’s strength, hence the sun is setting on us”.

He urged Christians to fight back with hope, faith and love, adding that this is the only means through which they can conquer those who seek to destroy them.

Rev. Turaki listed “four Goliaths” that are militating against Nigeria’s progress.

He said Nigerians must conquer ethnicity, if the nation must grow.

Continued on page 7

Continued on page 11

Continued on page 7

President relies on luck, says CPC

C

ONGRESS for Progressive Change (CPC) National Chair Prince Tony Momoh last night criticised the President for relying “on luck” instead of proper planning to rule the country.

Reacting to the presidential speech at the church in a telephone interview, Momoh said: “Leaders try to channel their energy for better results. But we have a President who is preoccupied with waiting for luck. There us, we will get to where we want to go.

“I just got back from the United States (US); the President of America is like the President of the world because it is the most powerful country. In most cases, if you go for UN General Assembly; if you are to speak immediately after the US President, then you are in trouble. Immediately he speaks, about two thirds of the hall will leave because everybody wants to listen to the President of America.

“When Obama spoke during the Security Council meeting outside the General Assembly, he commended Nigeria, but back home, we are being abused. When the President of South Africa and

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

is nothing like goodluck in creation – goodluck has to do with chance.

“It is good to pray, but prayer has a meaning only when it involves working. If he stays in one place and expects that things will turn around, he will remain there forever.

Inactivity is not the root to transformation,” he said.

Gabon spoke, they commended Nigeria, but here, we are not being appreciated.

But what I can assure you is that Nigeria is on course and with your prayers and the guidance of God, we will surely get to the destination we are going.

“It is not going to be easy because just like Rev. Yusuf Turaki said, there are Goliaths everywhere, very terrible Goliaths; the ones that can even kill their father and mother and even their children in order to stop government are willing to do it.

So, we have these terrible Goaliths that are trying to frustrate us; but, surely with God, we will conquer them.

“I remember one of the sermons Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

gave here; he said every Goliath has an exposed forehead. All the Goaliths that are stumbling blocks to the development and growth of this country, God will expose their heads for the stone of David.

“Brothers and sisters, we are celebrating Nigeria at 51 after the independence, but as a nation we are 97 years old because Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914. In 2014, we will celebrate the centenary, our 100 years of existence; we will do a big ceremony. Today, we are celebrating 51 years of independence. Definitely, Nigeria is moving and, with your prayers and God’s guidance we will get to where we want to go.”

Continued from page 1

interested in building the second Niger Bridge through a public private partnership (PPP) scheme.

She went on: “We just had an interesting meeting with both International Finance Corporation (IFC) – the private sector arm of the World Bank – and with the representatives of a group of investors who are interested in public private partnership project in Nigeria. Specifically, they are interested in financing and investing in the second Niger Bridge. This is very promising and we had discussions with them about the next step and IFC will be coming to manage this operation. It could turn out as one of the best private sector partnership ventures that Nigeria would do and it will set an example that Nigeria is capable of delivering a clean approach to PPP. And this will unlock investments in other PPP. We tend to get into discussion with the Minister of Trade and Investment and colleagues in the economic management team. And, of course, present to Mr President what we have done and then take it from there.

We had discussions with the Minister of Works before coming to Washington and we plan to reconvene and share what we have done,” she said.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala is the coordinating Minister of the Nigerian Economy.

On the alleged frosty relationship between her and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, she described the relationship as cordial.

Her words: “The governor has spoken, but people are looking for contention; they are not going to have it.

‘I’m no Pharaoh or army general’ Continued from page 1

$550m World Bank cash coming

•Prince Momoh

ADVERT HOTLINES: 01-280668, 08070591302, 08052592524 NEWSROOM: LAGOS – 01-8962807, ABUJA – 07028105302 COMPLAINTS: 01-8930678

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

NEWS NEXT stops publication NEXT, a newspaper run by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, stopped publication yesterday after two and a half years.

NEXT, printed in Lagos, did not appear on the newsstands weekend.

Publisher Dele Olojede, a former foreign editor for New York’s Newsday, said NEXT was “losing a lot of money” and decided to stop its print edition to reevaluate its finances.

Olojede said it was possible the newspaper could begin publishing again. The newspaper’s advertising dwindled in recent months, forcing it from publishing six days a week to only on Sundays.

The newspaper’s crusading political stance also hurt advertisement sales, as the salutatory advertisements heaping praises on politicians and the country’s elite that fill other publications never made it into its editions.

“In this environment, where the government still occupies a disproportionally and distortionately large role in the economy, it has a ripple effect — said or unsaid,” Olojede told The Associated Press. “The result is we’ve had a very tough time getting business.”

Lagos ACN begins council polls campaigns

By Emmanuel Oladesu Deputy Political Editor

LAGOS State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) will begin its campaigns for the local government elections next week, it was learnt yesterday. Also, the party is publishing the list of its chairmanship candidates and their running mates today.

National Party Leader Senator Bola Tinubu, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Chairman, Otunba Oladele Ajomale will lead the campaign train across the three senatorial districts and five divisions in the state.

Ajomale said an all-embracing campaign committee would be set up, adding that ACN would campaign based on its achievements in the state and local governments.

Grassroots leaders of the party will also conduct campaigns across the preexisting 20 local governments and additional 36 local council development areas.

Yesterday, there was tension among the candidates, following the nonrelease of the list of the candidates. Party leaders told our correspondent that they were vetting the claims of aspirants after it received petitions that some chairmanship aspirants tendered controversial credentials.

In a petition forwarded to the Vice-Chairman, Lagos West District, Cardinal Odunmbaku, by a party chieftain, Mr Fasasi Adedayo, it was alleged that the chairmanship aspirant, Adigun Adebayo, tendered a questionable secondary school certificate. The aspirant denied it, that political detractors were jealous of his popularity.

Editors: high cost of governance avoidable

E

DITORS have urged governments to reduce the cost of governance.

They spoke at the seventh All Nigeria Editors Conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Benin City, Edo State from September 21 to 24, 2011.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the Conference, it was resolved that: “All democratic institutions, organs and machinery should be strengthened by all stakeholders to achieve the desire of sustainable democracy. That Poverty, illitera-

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

cy, injustice and fraudulent elections constitute great threats to our democracy and the state should strive to exterminate them.

“There was an appreciable improvement in the conduct of the 2011 elections and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is urged to strive to achieve best practices in the electoral process.

“The local government as the third tier of government should remain but must be

strengthened by expunging the vexatious sections of the constitution that list them while the states should be given full powers to legislate on the structure, composition and administration of council areas.

“The high cost of governance in Nigeria, which invariably hobbles the deepening of democracy in the country, is avoidable and all tiers of government should work assiduously towards reducing it drastically.

“Insecurity is a major threat to the nation’s democ-

racy and the general well being of the polity. The President and the security agencies should tackle insecurity urgently and protect lives and property. Dialogue should be employed where necessary while criminal breach of security should be punished.

“Indigene/settler dichotomy, which stokes the fire of ethno-religious violence is against our constitution. Residency should determine the rights and privileges of the citizens.

“The editors should always

probe beyond the advertised purpose of any policy initiative to ensure that they are in the interest of the people.

“The editors should be in the vanguard of promoting national unity and integration. They should deny access to those who seek to use the media to fan embers of ethnicity and divisive politics.

“The Guild also noted the transformational programmes of Governor Adams Oshiomhole and urged the governor to keep it up and hail him for hosting the conference.”

Bash Ali threatens to sue Orubebe •Demands N2b damages

R

•Governor Adams Oshiomhole displaying a plaque presented to the state government for hosting the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ conference...last Saturday. With him is the President of the Guild, Mr Gbenga Adefaye.

Falana seeks trial of Boko Haram promoters

L

AGOS lawyer Mr Femi Falana yesterday called for investigations into the claim of one of the leaders of the Boko Haram Islamic sect Ali Tisau that some prominent northerners are behind the group.

Falana, in a statement, said the involvement of northern governors in allegedly promoting terrorism must be probed.

The statement reads: “Alhaji Muhammed Hassan, a former minister and a senior lawyer had cause to report the extra judicial killing of innocent people in Gombe State to the Inspector-General of Police in 2009. The illegal killings were traced to a militia, called Kalare, set up and funded by the state government.

Alhaji Hassan submitted to the police authorities names

of 70 persons, who were brutally murdered by the Kalare within a period of four years.

The list of the casualties was also submitted to the Office of the National Security Adviser.

“The police investigated the allegations and confirmed that the killer squad had also perpetrated other serious crimes. Some of the suspects were charged to court for armed robbery, culpable homicide, rape and sundry criminal offences but those cases were terminated by the Attorney-General of Gombe State who usually filed a nolle prosequi and thereby promoted impunity in utter betrayal of his oath of office.

“As if that was not enough Alhaji Hassan was dragged to a Magistrate Court, where he was charged with giving

false information to the police.

On the directive of the state government, his bail application was refused. The former minister was detained in prison custody for several days before regaining his freedom. As soon as the frivolous charge was dismissed, Alhaji Hassan instruced us to file a case at the ECOWAS COURT against Governor Danjuma Goje and the Federal Government over the illegal killing of innocent people by the Kalare.

“Although the plaintiff died a couple of months ago after a sudden illness, we have resolved to pursue the case of Alhaji Muhammed Hassan v Ahaji Danuma Goje & Anor suit no ECW/CCJ/APP/03/10 to a logical conclusion in the ECOWAS court as it pertains to the unlawful killing of 70 Nigerians. Since the Boko Haram

leader, Malam Ali Tishau mentioned the KALARE as one of the groups which had dissolved into the Boko Haram sect, the Federal Government should take urgent steps to study the involvement of northern governors in the emergence of the dreaded sect.

“We are not unaware that the northern governors decided last week to abolish such illegal outfits. But since the killer squads have merged with the Boko Haram sect, the governors are no longer in a positon to abolish them. Other serious disclosures contained in the interview of Mr Tishau aired by the AIT last week should be fully investigated without any further delay. Those who have directly or indirectly aided the terrorist society should be brought to book.”

US envoy urges inter-religious dialogue to curb violence

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HE US Consul-General in Nigeria, Mr Joseph Stafford, has urged religious leaders in the country to be united in the fight against religious violence and terrorism.

Stafford said it is by speaking up against religious violence and extremism that they would be able to fulfil their calling and build a safer and more secure world.

The Consul-General spoke in Lagos at the weekend during an interfaith programme, organised by the Public Affairs Section of US Consulate General in Lagos to mark the International

By Toluwani Eniola

Day of Peace.

He said the International Day of Peace has shown the commitment of the UN to increase international peacemaking efforts to motivate citizens throughout the world.

Stafford, who restated the US commitment to promoting peace in Nigeria, said inter-religious dialogue would help attain enduring peace and security.

He said: “Acts of intolerance aimed at religious communities should find no home in Nigeria or anywhere in the world. Nige-

rian religious leaders should speak up against religious violence and denounce derision, misinformation and outright bigotry, regardless of their faith.

Silence is not an option.

“All Nigerians must also resolve to build a more united, prosperous and peaceful nation for future generations. All relevant sectors, institutions and individuals must rise to the occasion and contribute.”

The programme, entitled, Promoting peace through inter-religious dialogue, attracted religious and community leaders.

President, Christian Wel-

fare Initiative ArchBishop Magnus Atilade said ethnic, religious differences are not excuses for violence. He said people must develop mutual agreements to reconcile their differences and take action to resolve the diverse or conflicting issues that may arise.

Atilade said religious leaders must seek avenues for dialogue to promote understanding and mutual respect to ensure sustainable peace.

Dr Kabir Paramole, another speaker, said Islam does not encourage religious violence but teaches peace and unity.

ENOWNED boxer Bash Ali has threatened to sue Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Elder Godsday Orubebe over defamatory comments made about him.

In a letter by his lawyer to the minister, Ali said he would proceed to court if after seven days Orubebe fails to pay him N2 billion for alleged defamation.

The letter reads: “Following the desire of our client to organise and host the Guinness World Record fight in Nigeria, your ministry and indeed your humble self was contracted to facilitate this fight with your good office, an international fight which would put Nigeria into global limelight and bring enormous financial benefit to the country through pay per view television audience in over one 132 countries.

“Our concern here is not with the politics of corruption, where $5,000,000 was demanded by some corrupt officials of the $14,200,000 boxers purse, because that will be taken care of at the right time.

“However, what we are concerned about here is the defamatory text messages sent to our Client by you which has been published in several newspapers.

“As a person occupying such an exalted position, we know that you are aware of the legal implications of these defamatory text messages before you typed and sent them. Therefore, we are, by this letter asking you to deposit the sum of N2,000,000,000 into our office and publish a retraction and an apology of the text messages in four national dailies within seven days of the receipt of this letter or we shall go to court without further reference to you.”

•Ali

6

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

NEWS CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL’S TRIAL OF TINUBU

Plot by PDP, Jonathan to foist one party state, says CNPP

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HE Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) yesterday described the trial of former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an agenda by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan to turn Nigeria to a one-party state.

Amid tight security, Tinubu was arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) last Wednesday. But the matter could not go on as the prosecution served the defence a new charge, shortly before the session.

According to a statement, the CNPP said: “We will never condone corruption or breach of the law of any hue, nor shield any corrupt official. However, after a careful analysis of the CCT’s arraignment of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on September 21, at Abuja, we came to the inevitable conclusion that the trial is an extension of the old play book of the PDP to foist a one party state and rule Nigeria forever.”

The party said the trial was politically motivated, selec-

•Tinubu

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

tive and tailored to stop Tinubu and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the forthcoming governorship elections.

The statement signed by CNPP National Publicity Sec-

retary, Osita Okechukwu said: “For the past two weeks, the Federal Government announced plans to charge the former Lagos State Governor, Aiswaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for allegedly operating foreign accounts while in office. As usual, the trial has been conducted on the pages of newspapers by the office of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation.

“It was only in court that the charge was hurriedly amended and served on him, contrary to the law which requires personal service of a charge before the date fixed by the court. This means that the Federal Government is still fishing for evidence with which to nail the ACN leader.

“Without prejudice to neither the case nor even challenging the competence of the charges and the jurisdiction of the CCTin this matter; we make bold to say that the trial is politically motivated, selective and tailored to stop Aiswaju Bola Tinubu and by extension the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

ACN leader ‘ll be vindicated, says lawmaker

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FEDERAL lawmaker representing Oredo Federal Constituencyin the House of Representatives, Razak Bello-Osagie has expressed the hope that former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu will be vindicated at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Bello-Osagie, who described Tinubu as a true democrat, said there was nothing to fear as Tinubu has done much in deepening democracy in the country.

He spoke with reporters at the Seventh Annual Guild of Editors conference, held in Benin City, Edo State capital.

His words: “Yes, not a few people from across the lines have come out to say that Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s arraignment smacks of political immaturity and intolerance, but do not forget too that Asiwaju called on the Code of Conduct Bureau, reminding them if they had forgotten about his so-called case.”

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

Bello-Osagie, however, said the National Assembly will give Nigerians laws that will enhance their standard of living and bring dividends of democracy nearer to the people.

He said: “The 7th Assembly is desirous of a transformation agenda that will add value to the quality of our people. Politics is about the development of our people and environment.

Our reformation agenda is centred essentially on constitutional amendment when desirable, electoral reform and those other menu on the agenda that will put us back in the pride of place as a country and uplift the lives of our people. For us around the National Assembly, it is a matter that touches all of us.

“We are looking at the matter of probity, accountability because to whom much is given much is expected. We are products of a credible election.”

‘PDP wants to silence major opposition’

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EPUTY Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rotimi Abiru has described the on-going trial of the former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT)) as a way to silence the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The trial, Abiru alleged, was an attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)led Federal Government to

By Oziegbe Okoeki

cage the national leader of the ACN, with a view to stopping him from championing the cause of the masses.

The lawmaker, who spoke at the weekend, expressed confidence that Tinubu will come out of the allegation of operation of several foreign accounts while in office unscathed.

The Deputy Chief Whip said the allegation against the former governor is “nothing

but a total lie”. He said: “It is unfortunate that after four years the man left office, it is now they realised that he operated foreign accounts while he was in office.

“All what they are doing now is to silence the man who has been championing the cause of good governance; this is a man that has been championing a viable opposition in Nigeria. He has also been championing the cause of the masses’’.

‘It’s an exercise in futility’

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OR a federal lawmaker from Osun State, Ajibola Famurewa, the spirit of the opposition will not be dampened by the arraignment of the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Famurewa (Atakumosa East and West) of the House of Representatives, described as an exercise in futility the trial of the former Lagos State governor four years after he left office for operating foreign accounts.

Speaking with reporters in Osogbo, the Osun State capital yesterday, Famurewa alleged that the ruling party is only plotting to cripple the opposition of which he said Tinubu unarguably remains leading figure and rallying point.

Maintaining that Tinubu would come out victorious in the charges preferred against him,

For Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

the lawmaker said there were many questions begging for answer on the case.

His words: “Our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is unshakeable as ever. He has no skelton in his cupboard. The allegation that he was operating foreign accounts while in office as governor is false and is targeted at harrassing and intimidating the opposition.

“No doubt, the rising political profile of Asiwaju Tinubu is a source of worry to ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its agents.’’.

The PDP is only trying to disorganise the opposition by attacking its leading figure and soul of the progressive movement in the country by withdrawing from circulation. But their plot has failed.”

ASUU begins strike today CADEMIC activities will be grounded in all public universities from today.

University teachers will embark on a one week warning strike, Academic Staff union of Universities, (ASUU) said yesterday.

Its President Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, said the strike is to force government to implement the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement.

The strike, Prof. Awuzie said, is to remind the government that the agreement, which would see professors retire at 70 instead of 65, improve funding to universities, allow for increased autonomy and academic freedom, is yet to be implemented two years after it was signed.

Awuzie said the meeting with the Ministers of Education and Labour and Productivity last Thursday was not fruitful, adding that the lecturers have been patient enough.

“I don’t think that anything has changed.

The union says do this and that and the government has done nothing. The union says they have been patient for two years. If they have implemented the agreement, there would be no need for strike,” he said.

Should the government fail to act at the expiration of the strike, he said the union would meet to decide what action to take.

“It is a warning strike for one week. If after the warning strike nothing happens, the union may reconvene and what they would say I don’t know. The union will reconvene to take a drastic action,’’ he said.

In a communiqué issued after its National

A

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie and Damisi Ojo, Akure

Executive Meeting (NEC) and signed by the zonal coordinator, Ilorin zone, Dr. P.A Enikanselu, ASUU said after almost two years of prolonged negotiation, the union signed a workable agreement with the Federal Government on the renegotiated 2001 FG-ASUU agreement but has not been implemented since.

Besides, the agreement on the retirement age of academics from 65 years to 70 years for those in the Professorial centre has not been implemented since January 1, 2009.

“Also data needed for proper budgeting for the implementation of the earned allowances have been submitted by the Vice-Chancellors but the Federal Government has refused to play its part.

“The poor facilities in our laboratories, libraries and students’ hostels has remained to date, the capital budget of the various universities have been drastically reduced leaving the campuses with abandoned projects”, the statement added.

ASUU appreciated the likely consequences of the warning strike on the students and various universities academic calendars, stressing that it was a product of necessity aimed at gradual recovery of the university system from decay.

The communiqué appealed to stakeholders and friends of the university system to prevail on government to join ASUU in restoring sanity and sound university education in the country.

Akanbi calls for overhaul of NJC

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HE pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd) has canvassed an overhaul of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

He said this would put an end to the simmering crisis in the top echelon of the nation’s judiciary.

Justice Akanbi, in an interview in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital said: ‘’To achieve this, a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria and two or more retired justices of the Supreme Court of proven integrity should be put in place that would work on the re-organisation of the NJC.”

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

The retired Appeal Court president added that the current situation in the nation’s judiciary was unbecoming, stressing that this should be addressed without further delay to restore the past glory of the judiciary, he said. ” I want to say that once the top is rotten, there is no doubt that the other units within the system will also follow suit and this is uncalled for at this moment of the nation’s democracy.”

Akanbi noted that “the question now is about integrity and once that is addressed, there would be a change in the entire judiciary.’’

Why Nigeria ‘ll remain united, by Mark •One dead in Senate President’s convoy

S

ENATE President David Mark has reiterated that the nation’s indivisibility is not negotiable irrespective of the security and other challenges confronting the country.

Mark believes the benefits of a united nation far outweigh the reversed order.

His Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh said Mark spoke when he led members of the 3rd Regular Course of the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) Alumni Association 1967 set on a courtesy visit to Oba of Benin, Erediauwa 11 , in his palace on Friday.

He stressed the need for government and Nigerians to brace up to the challenge of nationhood.

Mark noted that since Nigerians have accepted democracy as a way of life “we must do our best to perfect the process so that we can all reap the dividends of democracy”.

The Senate President was quoted as saying: “The unity and progress of Nigeria through a democratic process is the desire of all citizens; we must therefore provide a suitable environment for democracy to thrive”.

He reiterated the resolve of the 7th National Assem-

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

bly to commence immediately the process of amending the 1999 Constitution to correct the imbalances and promised that traditional rulers would be given a place of pride in the proposed arrangement.

Mark noted that his colleagues who have served in various military formations have continued to contribute their quota to the unity and development of the country.

Replying, Oba Erediauwa thanked the delegation for their continued contribution to nation building, urging them not to relent in their endeavours.

Meanwhile, one person died yesterday when a heavy duty truck ran into the Senate President’s convoy in his hometown Otukpo, Benue State. According to a statement by Mumeh, an inspector, Hon Abah and a driver died in the crash.

It said two others were injured. Mark was not in the convy at the time of the incident, the statement said.

The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Benue State, mortuary. The injured, Corporal James Ogwuche and

•Mark

Constable Rasheed Quadiri, are being treated at the same hospital.

It said that the convoy which was Abuja bound had barely departed when the truck loaded with cement with registration number Jigawa, XC 900 GRK, rammed into the convoy.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), helped to evacuate the victims to the hospital while the driver of the truck was said to have fled into the bush, it said.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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NEWS ‘Nigeria celebrating poverty at 51’ From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

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HE Methodist Archbishop of Remo, Ijebu, Yewa and Egba (RIYE), the Right Rev. Luke Odubanjo, yesterday expressed concern over the stunted growth of the nation’s life, saying: “Nigeria is a prodigal nation celebrating poverty at 51 years.”

In a sermon at a service to mark Nigeria’s 51st Independence anniversary at the Cathedral of St Peter’s Ake, Abeokuta, Odubanjo said the paucity of vision, deceit and self centeredness of the nation’s leaders and politicians have obstructed Nigeria’s ability to exploit its vast potentials and cater for its citizens maximally.

He said: “At 51, we are far away from the dreams of our fore fathers. We are celebrating poverty in a nation where we have more than enough.

May God forgive us. Nigeria is a prodigal country crawling at 51. There is deceit in our nation.

“We have bad leadership, electoral malpractices, unemployment, bad roads, importation of food in an area where we are rich. We need to go back to the basics as a nation so that we get to where God destined us to be. From Abuja to Abeokuta, let Nigerians enjoy the goodies God has given them.”

The service was organised by the Ogun State Government.

Boko Haram is ethno-religious crisis fuelled by poverty, says FRSC chief T HE Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, has blamed the series of bombing by BokoHaram and the ethno-religious crises in the country on poverty, unplanned population and absence of social safety net.

He said these are the real challenges facing security in Nigeria.

The FRSC chief, in a presentation to participants of Course 33 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State, said the resolution of the crisis depends on the transformation of the people.

The Corps Public Education Officer, Nseobong Akpabio, said Chidoka delivered a paper entitled: Perspective on the Management of Eth-

•Military action won’t end Jos crises, says NIM chief From Augustine Ehikioya and Kamarudeeen Ogundele, Abuja

no-Religious Pluralism in Nigeria.

Chidoka said the non-resolution of the crises have made the people to resort to the primordial sentiments of ethnicity and religion to locate their consciousness.

Stressing that ethnicity and religion in their true meanings should not be agents of violence and distrust, the FRSC Corps Marshal said it is their negative manipulations that the elite use to achieve their parochial sociopolitical ends when they lose

out politically and economically.

Chidoka said: “Religion, in its true sense, provides the necessary basis to support human journey on earth and has potential to become the proverbial philosophical stone.

The transformative capacity of religion is widely acknowledged.

“In an ideal world, religion ought not to breed conflicts; rather, it should provide the compass to navigate the complexities of life. Islamic intellectuals led the world in the development of the Arabic numerals in the foundation of modern Mathematics, and it was a Christian cleric, Nick-

laus Copernicus, that proved that the world is not the centre of the universe.”

NIPSS Director-General, Prof Tijani MuhammadBande said: “We have seen from what is happening at FRSC, under the current leadership, that it enjoys enormous goodwill of Nigerians.

It is, however, not surprising because the corps represents the true vision of a new Nigeria.”

The deployment of military in Jos, the Plateau State capital, and against the Boko Haram sect in Borno State may not offer a lasting solution to both problems, the President of Nigerian Insti-

Falae urges Fed Govt to tackle unemployment From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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ORMER Secretary to the Federal Government, Olu Falae, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to put in place economic policy that would give indigenous industries the impetus to grow.

Besides, Falae, the presidential candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP) in the 1999 election, also wants the Federal Government to address high level of unemployment in the country.

The elder statesman spoke at a forum organised by the Ondo State Millennium Group in Akure, the state capital.

He said efforts must be geared towards making the nation vibrant in the education sector.

At the forum were professionals, traditional rulers, academics and politicians, including the leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Rueben Fasoranti; Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko; and the Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida.

•From left: The celebrator, Mr. Sunmi Smart-Cole; Chairman, Lisabi Mills, Oloye Violet Ladipo; Publisher, Vanguard , Mr Sam Amuka; and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, at the 70th birthday service for Smart-Cole at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos...yesterday

Awolowo my inspiration, says Aliyu

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HE love and undying passion of the late sage and first Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, towards free and affordable education were the major inspirations behind the free education policy in Niger State, Governor Babangida Aliyu has said.

The governor also praised the legal luminary Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), likening him to Awolowo for his love for education.

He noted that the love Babalola has for education spurred him to establish the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD).

Aliyu said free education is possible nationwide if governments at all levels can

Outrage over outfit Continued from page 4 Hon. Daniel Igali representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 3, plans to raise a motion to condemn the dissolution of the OFT. “With Operation Famountamgbei, I can open my doors and sleep well, but now that it has been banned, fear of insecurity has returned,” Igali noted.

Igali also said the dissolution has given reason for the need to establish state police.

“These are some of the rea-

sons why some of us are clamouring for state police because of the peculiar situation in the state; we need a special security outfit like OFT to deal with the menace of cult groups,” Igali said.

Comrade Ebikibina Miriki, the National Youth Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) suggested that the government should convene “a stakeholders meeting irrespective of political inclination or class, religion or ethnicity” over the matter.

•Praises Afe Babalola for education quality From Adegunle Olugbamila, Abuja

check excesses and if true federalism could be adopted instead of the present defective federal system the country operates.

The governor spoke at the weekend when he chaired the inauguration of the new leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

ABUAD won the award of the Most Progressive, Dynamic and Fastest Growing University Nigeria.

The university was the only higher institution that won an award at the event.

Continued from page 4 He described the underdevelopment of our power system as the “Second Goliath”, saying: “For the past 50 years, we have not been able to develop Nigeria to its full potentials. We have failed to develop or have transformation leadership.”

He said the third Goliath is underdevelopment of national ethical system, adding that the constitution has no place for Christianity. To him, the fourth Goliath is destructive ideological religion.

Aliyu said he was impressed that ABUAD is the only university in Nigeria registered as a not-for-profit institution, noting that this was borne out of Babalola’s generosity and determination to offer quality education to Nigerians without aiming at profit.

The governor also said the free tuition, which he enjoyed from primary up to tertiary level, was another reason he introduced free education in Niger State.

Aliyu said the seed of affordable education, which the late Awolowo planted in his lifetime, has empowered and liberated the Southwest from material and intellectual poverty.

He said: “I’ve always respected our founding father, Chief Awolowo, when he introduced free education policy in the then Western Region. Chief Awolowo foresaw education as the future.

This was why he was so passionate about free education for his people, and he implemented it to the core. And his region, the Southwest, is better for it today.

“I’m also impressed with what Babalola is doing in ABUAD. It shows commitment and determination on his part to give quality education. I also understand that ABUAD was established as a not-for-profit institution...”

Jonathan to critics: I’m no Pharaoh or army general “When a religion turns into ideology, what you see is the end justifying the means,” Rev. Turaki said, adding: “But there is hope for Nigeria and Jesus is the hope, He has established his authority over the world including Nigeria.”

He urged leaders to be courageous to build a nation in which everybody will have a sense of belonging.

Prayers were said for the

President, the legislature, the judiciary, the church in Nigeria and Nigerians.

At the service were Senate President David Mark, who took the first reading from the book of Psalms 46:9-21, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim, First Lady Patience Jonathan, ministers, service chiefs, traditional rulers and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

tute of Management, Dr. Sally Adukwu-Bolujoko, has said.

She said the military and political committees set up by successive governments would only scratch the surface of the problems.

Mrs. Adukwu-Bolujoko addressed reporters in Abuja at the weekend in commemoration of this year’s annual National Management Conference/50th anniversary celebrations.

The NIM president noted that the government needs to tackle the social factors that lead to the defiance and sectional unrest in the country.

She said: “We need to be proactive to begin to nip in the bud social factors that expose us to development of defiant problems. We will do that through education. Education is a proactive tool; it is a tool for social reengineering. We need to empower people to think rightly on their own. If we leave a people without good education they will often resort to negative activities. Any bored mind will invite evil, proactive mind will invite good values.”

“I believe our sociologists, our criminologists, our anthropologists, our historians should be brought into the problems in jos and they will thru research and enquiry solve that problems by giving solutions that will go into the tenets of that problem. Political committees and the military will only scratch the symptoms and the manifestation but researched investigation will lead us to actions that will go to the root of the problems; the genesis of the problems.

Plateau PDP secretary dead From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

THE Plateau State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Daniel Dakim, is dead.

The politician died at the weekend of an undisclosed illness.

Though the party is yet to issue a formal statement on his death, PDP chairman, Dr. Haruna Dabin, confirmed the death to The Nation on phone.

He said the party’s Publicity Secretary would soon issue a statement on Dakim’s death.

Scores of sympathisers have been thronging the home of the late secretary at Rayfield, near Government House, Jos. A family source, who spoke in confidence, said the late Dakim died in a private hospital in Jos on Saturday evening.

The source said: “We are shoked by his death. We never expected this now because he was able to survive a serious accident seven years ago and we least expected his death after the accident. “But who are to question God? We can only wish him peace in heaven.”

The late Dakim was elected the PDP Secretary alongside former state chairman, Prof Dakum Shon, in 2008.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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NEWS Rebuild bridges, homes for flood victims, pleads Olubadan From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

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HE Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana, has urged corporate organisations and governments to assist victims of the August 26 flood by providing infrastructure.

He said instead of donating food and other perishable items, donors should provide accommodation for displaced persons, reconstruct damaged bridges and sink boreholes to ensure supply of potable water.

Oba Odulana spoke at the weekend while receiving the management of Guinness Nigeria PLC, who were at his palace to donate relief materials to flood victims in Oluyole Local Government Area.

He said the provision of infrastructure would ameliorate the people’s suffering.

Speaking through one of his chiefs, Olufemi Olaifa, the monarch said: “We sincerely appreciate your concern and love for us. However, like Oliver Twist, we are appealing that instead of donating bags of rice, beans or clothes that would soon fade away, corporate organisations such as yours, government at all levels and well meaning individuals, should assist in the building of collapsed bridges to provide access roads to our people and the construction of houses, no matter how small, to house our people who are displaced.”

Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Sesan Sobowale said the company has, in several ways, imparted positively on the lives of people.

He said: “Today, we have over 19 water projects in Nigeria, seven of which are located in western Nigeria. We have one located at Owode, which is presently undergoing renovation.

The Owode Water of Life project serves over 100,000 people in that community with potable drinking water.”

Lagos clamps down on unpainted commercial buses

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HE Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental Offences has started enforcing the ban on commercial vehicles that are not painted in the state’s approved colours.

It’s Chairman, Supol Bayo Sulaiman, led the enforcement team on the Ketu/Ikorodu road at the weekend.

Sulaiman said 17 buses were impounded, adding that three of them were owned by the Students Union Govern-

What Nigeria must do to remain one,

by Fayemi E

KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi at the weekend said the nation’s leaders must do more, if Nigeria must remain one.

Fayemi spoke at the Emmanuel Anglican Church in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during a service to mark Nigeria’s 51st and Ekiti State’s 15th anniversaries.

Congratulating Nigerians for staying together despite various cultural diversities, he said all hands must be on

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado Ekiti

deck to “manage our unity in diversity.”

Fayemi said the challenges the country is facing at the moment are a part of life and urged leaders at various levels of government to ensure that every Nigerian is carried along in policy making and

governance.

He said: “We must always ensure that every one in this country has a sense of belonging and that the nation serves the interest of its citizen, rather than treat some of them as subjects.

“Those of us saddled with the responsibility of nation building have to give everything we have to make sure

that we make a difference in the lives of our people.

“What makes a nation great is not election or the so-called democracy; it is our commitment to truth, service, hard and sincere work. These are vehicles on the sure path to greatness.”

Presiding pastor of the church Venerable Francis Bankole identified deceit as Nigeria’s major problem and called for a change in attitude.

Oyo trans-national border market to create 5m jobs

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OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi and the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, have said the pilot transnational border market to be opened in Okerete, Saki, Oyo State, would create five million jobs.

The market is being undertaken by the Federal Government in partnership with the state. It is a pilot for the same project in five other geo-political zones in the country.

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

Ajimobi and Aganga spoke at the weekend while signing an agreement for the market in Ibadan, the state capital.

Ajimobi visited the minister last month to seek the immediate take-off of the project.

Aganga hailed Ajimobi’s commitment to speed up the signing of the agreemet and

said the market would boost the state and country’s economy.

He said: “This Trans-national Border Market project, when fully implemented, is expected to create more than five million direct and indirect jobs, increase revenue for the government and create wealth for Nigerians.”

Ajimobi said his administration has begun the repair of roads and other infrastructure in preparation for the market’s take off.

He said the partnership between the federal and state governments is a good example of how tiers of government can collaborate for the benefit of the citizens.

Ajimobi said the project would take-off by middle of next year.

The signing was witnessed by the development partner, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and some consultants.

By Miriam Ndikanwu

ment of the Lagos State University (LASU).

He said the ban would curtail criminal activities perpetuated with indiscriminately painted commercial buses and eliminate the ‘one chance’ menace.

Sulaiman said owners of impounded vehicles would be charged to court, fined and made to paint the vehicles before they are released.

Ondo Assembly to screen commissioners-designate today From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE Ondo State House of Assembly will, today, screen the 16 commissioner-nominees, whose names were sent to the Assembly last week by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

The name of Mr. Deji Falae, son of a former Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae, was on the list.

Mimiko had, in July, dropped all members of the Executive Council and reappointed Adegboye Adegbenro (Works), Yele Ogundipe (Finance), Clement Faborode (Community Development) and Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) (Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice).

Among those to be screened today are three former commissioners. They are Akin Adaramola, Remi Olatubora and Yekini Olanipekun.

Others on the list include Kayode Akinmade, Tayo Akinjomu, Tayo Oluwatuyi, Mrs. Yinka Alabi, Igbekele Dawodu, Dayo Adeyanju, Lasisi Oluboyo and Nicholas Tofowomo.

The rest are Sola Ebiseni, Ademola Olorunfem, Mrs. Margret Akinsuroju and Taye Akinyele.

Four local government areas, including Ose, Okitipupa and EseOdo are yet to be represented in the proposed executive council.

Kudirat Abiola Centre holds fund-raising Wednesday

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HE Kudirat Abiola Initiative for Democracy (KIND) will hold a fund-raising luncheon on Wednesday at the Civic Centre on Victoria Island, Lagos.

The luncheon is to raise funds for the construction of the “Kudirat Abiola Women’s Centre” in Abuja and mark the 60th posthumous birthday anniversary of Nigeria’s heroine of democracy, Mrs. Kudirat Abiola.

The National leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, will chair the event, while Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, are the chief hosts.

Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Adams Oshiomole

By Dada Aladelokun

(Edo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) are the special guests of honour.

Also expected is the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who is a member of KIND’s board.

The proposed Women’s Centre in Abuja will promote women and girls seeking to contribute their quota to democracy and nation-building.

KIND was founded 14 years ago by Hafsat Abiola in honour of the memory of her mother,who was assassinated for her role in the agitation for the revalidation of the mandate given to her husband, the late Bashorun MKO Abiola in the June 12, 1993 presidential elections.

•Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi (left) receiving a document on the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) from the Chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Hon. Wale Oshun in Ado-Ekiti... at the weekend. With them is the member representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Babafemi Ojudu.

Lawyer threatens to sue NBC over Ondo radio programme

H

UMAN rights lawyer Dr. Tunji Abayomi has threatened to sue the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for preventing a programme, Oja Oro, from being aired by Adaba FM, a private radio station in Ondo State.

In a letter to the management of NBC, Abayomi said the suspension of the progamme was unlawful.

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

Abayomi said the programme, sponsored by the major opposition party in the state, addresses issues that affect the people and checkmates the government.

He gave NBC a seven-day ultimatum to reverse its decision.

The letter reads: “In view of this, we request that you

direct your zonal office in Benin to immediately withdraw its direction, which is viewed to have been brought about by the wrong complaint of the Ondo State Government.

“We warn that should this fail, we will sue NBC and the Ondo State Government as joint allies in the violation of the fundamental rights of the people of the state. We hope you will, in keeping with sec-

tion 2(i)&(g), reverse the directive forcing the withdrawal of Oja Oro. “Please try and do so as a constitutional imperative within seven days, because if you stop Oja Oro from being aired, you strengthen the oppressive hand of government and assist in the infringement of the freedom of expression. That is not part of your power or duty under Section 2 of the NBC Act, 1992.”

Accord /ACN pact’ll work, says Ladoja

E

X-Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja is confident that Governor Abiola Ajimobi will implement the agreement between the Accord and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) before and after the April elections.

Ladoja, who is the leader of the Accord, spoke to reporters after the Award/Dinner in commemoration of the World Literacy Day, organised by the Reading Awareness Society for Development in Africa (RASDA).

Some ACN lawmakers in

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

the House of Assembly were said to have been frustrating the governor’s attempts to implement the agreement, as reflected in the rejection of three Accord commissionernominees by the House.

Some Accord nominees for local government caretaker committee chairmanship were said to have suffered the same fate as the House.

Ladoja said, so far, Ajimobi has not derailed from the agreement.

He said: “As a shipper, I know what oral agreement means. It means more than a written one. I believe the governor will not fail in honoring the agreement he had with the Accord.”

The ex-governor’s wife and RASDA President, Mrs. Ladoja, decried the dwindling reading culture among students.

She said the TV reality show, “Read to Lead Africa,” was to encourage reading by Nigerians, so as to eradicate ignorance and mediocrity in our society.

Ladoja, who was the special

guest of honour, said: “If we must be at the apex of our Godgiven endowments, we must be well educated.”

Dignitaries at the event included Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, who was represented by the Director of the Ministry of Education in Lagos, Mr. K. O. Adefioye; exOyo State Head of Service Mrs. Bola Obileye; former Director, Distance Learning Centre of the University of Ibadan, Professor Francis Egbokhare and Chief and Mrs. Emiola Adesina of Ubuola Memorial Schools, Ibadan.

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

NEWS PDP ‘ll reclaim Edo, says Anenih •New exco for state PDP

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HE Chairman of the Nigeria Ports Authority, Chief Tony Anenih, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would reclaim Edo State, next year.

Anenih said the party was through with talking and would work to unseat the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

He spoke at the party’s delegates’ conference and election of new party executives.

The NPA Chairman said: “reclaiming the state for PDP is a task that must be done.”

Anenih urged the new leadership to ensure that a PDP governor is put in place in Edo by July 14, next year.

He said: “I am happy to see the unity of our mem-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

bers. And now that a new exco has been put in place, we must all now go out to work hard night and day.

“We will not talk much but it is a task that must be done. We don’t run parties on the pages of newspapers.

We will work until the ACN governor is removed through the ballot box next year.”

The elected officers include: Dan Orbih (Chairman); Lucky Imasuen (ViceChairman Edo South); Mrs Lucy Omagbon (Women’s Leader); Matthew Urhohide (Publicity Secretary); Felix Utobor (Secretary); Bisi Idaomi (Assistant Publicity Secretary) and Johnson Abulagba (Vice Chairman Edo North).

Tambuwal hails Akpabio From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

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PEAKER of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal has hailed Governor Godswill Akpabio for his developmental projects in Akwa Ibom State.

Tambuwal, who was in Uyo, for the 24th anniversary of the state’s creation, lauded the governor for executing 712 development projects in 12 months.

His words: “For any government to execute 712 projects in 12 months is worthy of commendation.

“I join others in commending the government for the good works done in the past years. I join many people in celebrating the uncommon transformation of the governor.”

Tambuwal also lauded Akpabio for the maintenance of peace and order in the state.

During the ceremony, Tambuwal was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Obong Ufan Akwa Ibom (Friend of Akwa Ibom) by the Council of Chiefs led by its Chairman, Edidem Ime Udo Usoro.

Akwa Ibom Council of Chiefs sworn in KWA Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday swore in Okuku Ime Udousoro Inyang as the 24th chairman of the state’s council of chiefs.

The event was held at the Government House, Uyo. The outgoing chairman, Okuku Uma Umo Adiaka, handed over the instrument of office to his successor, Okuku Ime Udousoro Inyang.

Akpabio also administered oaths of office and allegiance on Obong Nathaniel James; Obong Christopher Paul Ukpe; NtoeUdo Effiong Akpan;

A

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

Edidem Manasseh Simion Akpan and Obong Victor Noah Umo as rulers of Eket, Abak, Ini, NsitIbom, and Ukanafun local governments.

He urged the monarchs to end interethnic disharmony and rekindle the flames of teamwork.

The governor thanked them for the love shown to Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and his wife, Margaret, who were conferred with the title of Eduek AkwaIbom and Mkpo Idara by the council.

‘Nigeria has redeemed its image’ From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

KWA Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio has hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for restoring the nation’s battered image in the international community.

Akpabio, who spoke to reporters in Kano at the weekend, urged Jonathan to sustain the confidence of the international community through effective foreign policy formulation.

The governor praised the President for giving a good account of himself and of the country before the United Nations’ General Assembly.

According to him, the President has in the last 100 days in office, improved the image of the country before the international community. Akpabio said his speech at the UN General Assembly was an impetus that would further solidify the rising image of Nigeria.

“I believe the President is doing very well, and that was why the whole country came together to vote for him.

“His humility, his disposition to governance is outstanding.

“You know, the President is approachable, and he is also kind-hearted and very humble, and these are qualities that would continue to attract foreign ambassadors or the international community to our country.”

A

Fed Govt awards N4.5b Bayelsa water project T HE Federal Government has awarded a N4.5billion contract for the rehabilitation and expansion of Central Ogbia water supply scheme in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, to NAIRDA Company Limited.

The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, spoke during the flagging off and foundation laying of the water scheme in Otuoke.

She said: “The project will supply water to 14 surrounding communities with a projected population of about 120,360 by 2020. This is in ad-

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

dition to the university sited within the area.

“The objective of the project is to rehabilitate and expand the existing water works through the construction of a new Ogbia Regional Scheme.

“The project is in fulfilment of the transformation agenda of the present administration and the mandate of the ministry to pro-

vide water to the people.

“Feasibility studies were conducted by the consultants and the designer of the project, before the implementation of the project took off.”

The minister solicited for the cooperation, collaboration and assistance of the state government towards the implementation of the project.

Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva thanked the Federal Government for as-

sisting the state in the provision of water to the people.

He pledged the state’s support and assistance for successful completion of the project and requested for more projects in other communities.

The Managing Director of NAIRDA Limited, Guy Peleg, promised to deliver thw project on time.

The new scheme will provide 15 million litres of water per day and will guarantee adequate water supply to the communities till 2020.

The project will be completed in 18 months.

Sylva honoured in Geneva

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AYELSA State Governor Timipre Sylva has said nations would only exist in peace and harmony once citizens are empowered through freedom, knowledge and development.

The governor spoke during the conferment of an honorary doctorate degree in International Relations on him by the University of Business and International Studies (UBIS), Geneva, Switzerland.

He said his administration has pursued peace “with the weapon of development.”

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Doifie Ola, quoted the universi-

ty as saying Sylva was picked for the honour because he has “demonstrated outstanding commitment to elevating the educational standards of youths in Bayelsa State.”

Sylva said: “My acceptance of the award is accentuated by the significance of the country it is coming from, and the area of study chosen.

“Switzerland has come to be known internationally as a bastion of peace.

International Relations is concerned with how to foster peace and harmony among nations.

“And, I happen to be a man who believes in peace, peace as a key ingredient in development.”

•Sylva ...at the ceremony

Re: Oshiomhole’s political psychology Continued from Back page

“The starting point in a democracy is that the people should be able to choose who they want, because I’ve argued somewhere, I think it was at the Nigeria Bar Association Conference, when people commission toilets, they commission refurbished 504 car, they announce that these are dividend of democracy. I argue that this is not it, because even dictatorship delivered on development to some extent. After all, the third Mainland Bridge wasn’t a dividend of democracy. I think what substantially distinguishes democracy from dictatorship is not just the deliverables; it’s the way in which decisions are taken and the role of the people in that process. Because at some point in life, men and women don’t want to be spoon fed, they want to choose what they want to eat, they want partake in the preparation. So I think democracy is more about the processes through which leaders emerge.

“How do we deepen democracy therefore, I think once we are done with the formalities of the elections and managing the process, the real challenge for me begins after the election in the context of deepening democracy. Because, first we must appreciate that elections is a means to an end, it’s not an end in itself.

What is the end, the end is development, delivering to the people, addressing the welfare of the people, that is what all of this about. And

what makes democracy superior to all other forms is that if the people elect a thief, or even someone who probably is not a thief but simply not a performer by reasons of the fact that he is able to deliver on the development agenda or improve on the lives of the people, then the people at regular intervals can review his activities and decide to recall, when they are satisfied, decide to re-elect, whereas in other systems, good or bad, you are there.”

The Governor said more on the qualities and beauty of democracy at the NGE conference. It is therefore a

wonder where Akinlotan got his views from.

While we are not surprised at this ill-researched and badly written article by this armchair critic, we make bold to state that the speech of Governor Adams Oshiomhole extolling the beauty of democracy, the commendable roles played

by President Goodluck Jonathan and INEC under the watch of Prof Attahiru Jega at the last elections elicited a rousing ovation from all editors among whom were President of the Guild, Mr Gbenga Adefaye, MD of the News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs Oluremi Oyo, Mr Ray Ekpu

of Newswatch Magazine, the irrepressible Uncle Sam Amuka, Publisher of Vanguard and even Mr Victor Ifijeh, MD of The Nation, among other senior editors who were at the conference.

The INEC Chairman was also represented on the occasion by an INEC Commissioner, Mr Adedeji Soyebi.

We reject article of Mr Idowu Akinlotan in totality and make bold to state that the views he expressed in the said article were his only and were not the views expressed by Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

10

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

OPIC board approves $250m investment in Union Bank

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HE Board of Directors of the Overseas Private I n v e s t m e n t Corporation (OPIC), the United States government’s development finance institution, has approved $250 million in financing for two American firms helping to revitalise Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. A statement from OPIC said the project will result in better management and new technology to enable Union Bank to reach the unbanked segments of the Nigerian population.

Union Bank was one of eight banks to receive a capital injection from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) following the global financial crisis in 2009. Early last year, the CBN auctioned the right to recapitalise and restructure the banks; a consortium of investors that includes the American sponsors, African Capital Alliance and ABC Holdings won the bid to recapitalise Union Bank on a plan to improve its corporate governance, risk management, credit standards and customer service.

The US sponsors, Keffi Group Limited and Discovery Global Citizens Capital Partners, and their consortium, according to the statement, will use the OPIC financing to introduce new financial products, including mobile banking technology that will enable Union Bank to reach unbanked segments of the population, thereby increasing the availability of credit in Nigeria.

The project will establish an objective performance evaluation system to create opportunities for advancement, identifying needed training and tying staff performance to rewards.

We are not growing the agricultural and manufacturing sectors of the economy. Many manufacturing firms have closed down in the past few years due to numerous challenges.

–Prof Pat Utomi, Director, Lagos Business School (LBS)

Sanusi wins African Central Bank Governor Award C

ENTRAL Bank of Nige ria (CBN), Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has, for the second consecutive year, has been named Central Bank Governor of the Year in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The award was presented by the global business magazine, Emerging Market.

Sanusi’s award in Washington DC came a day after two Nigerian bankers (Evelyn Oputu, chief executive officer of the Bank of Industry) and two banking institutions (First Bank of Nigeria Plc and Stanbic IBTC) won international recognition for their achievements in banking during the financial year. The awards were presented by the Africa Banker magazine.

These awards are yearly events held alongside the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank annual meetings and attended by Central Bank Governors, Finance Ministers and Bank Chief Executive Officers from across Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Asia.

The Editor of Emerging Mar-

From Ayodele Aminu, Washington DC

kets, Taimur Ahmad, said the awards recognise and honour the leading policy makers in each region as adjudged by the editorial team taking into account the views of leading regional experts. He said Sanusi was recognised for the second year running “for his strong policy track-record and continued bold reforms in monetary policy over the past year.”

“The CBN, under Governor Sanusi’s stewardship, has consistently been ahead of the curve.Governor Sanusi has also continued to push through a radical financial sector reform agenda, while having the courage to draw attention to corruption and misuse of funds,” Ahmad said.

Sanusi attributed his award to the collective efforts of his CBN colleagues, the support of the Federal Government and the law makers of Nigeria. He acknowledged that the reform process has been challenging, affirming that all the

banks will be fully recapitalised by the end of September 2011, thus drawing a line under the banking crisis in Nigeria.

“We have done all of this without losing any depositors’ funds,” Sanusi asserted.

“Furthermore, the banks themselves are paying for the bail-out and the reforms, not the taxpayer.”

He called for better preparedness for the inevitable repercussions for Africa.

He noted that the Nigerian banking reform experience could provide some lessons for Europe, which continues to grapple with their financial crisis while bankruptcy looms for many of its countries.

In a related development, FirstBank won the “Most Innovative Bank of the Year’; Stanbic IBTC Bank picked up “Deal of the Year through its Golden Sugar Refinery Project financing”, while Evelyn Oputu, CEO of the Bank of Industry and one of the most respected businesswomen in Africa and inter-

nationally, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. She set a new record for being the first woman to receive this particular accolade.

Chairman/Managing Partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) that bought UK’s Gatwick Airport for £1.51 billion from the British Airports Authority, Mr Adebayo Ogunlesi, also got recognition from the same Publication.

Present at the Emerging Markets event, which held at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel, were about 300 guests.

They include a former Minister of Finance Mansur Murtar and Minister of Finance/Co-ordinator of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala.

At the Africa Bankers awards were Ms Arunma Oteh, Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); Jean-Louis Ekra, President of Africa ExportImport Bank, and Arnold Ekpe, chief executive officer of Ecobank.

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

-N6.747 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion

RATES Inflation -9.3% 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

• Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Bank Limited (right), Mr Ahmed Kuru and Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, when Kuru paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Calabar

NDIC chief defends bridge bank option

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HE Managing Direc tor/ Chief Executive of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, has said the bridge bank option in resolving the crisis in the nationalised banks was the best strategy.

Alhaji Ibrahim, said the .gains achieved by the Corporation to rescue the depositors of the three erstwhile banks (Afribank, Bank PHB and Springbank), far outweighed the costs.

Speaking at a recent public lecture entitled: Boundary Spanning Leadership, organised by the Financial Institution Training Centre (FITC) to mark its 30th Anniversary, Alhaji Ibrahim, described the ‘bridge bank’ option as a ‘highly successful in-

From Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor (Abuja)

novation that made the trauma of bank failure resulting in deposits and job losses as a thing of the past.

The NDIC boss maintained that the establishment of the three bridge banks; Enterprise Bank Limited, Keystone Bank Limited and Main Street Bank Limited, and their sale to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), which swiftly recapitalised them without recourse to the national treasury, made the resolution option a reference point in the world, saying, “there are few examples of such a successful bridge bank innovation all over the world.”

While emphasising

depositors’protection as the primary focus of the Corporation,Alhaji Ibrahim, pointed out that NDIC has provided good leadership on the issue, adding that the integrity of the Corporation has been underscored by transparency, credibility and clarity that has been the hallmark of its bank examination reports.

This position, he argued, has been widely acknowledged by stakeholders within and outside the banking sector, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), promising that the NDIC would continue to constructively engage stakeholders to work towards a stable and vibrant financial system.

He observed that professionalism and training

needed to be improved on in the banking industry.

The NDIC head, who is also the Vice-Chairman of FITC Board, charged management of financial institutions to rededicate themselves to the ideals of staff development.

In recognition of NDIC’s achievements, the FITC honoured the Corporation with The Most Supportive Corporate Organisations Award. While presenting the award, FITC Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer, Dr.Lucy Surhyel Newman, said NDIC has, over the years, remained consistent in partnering with FITC. She said the support received from the NDIC has largely been instrumental to the 30-year success story of the FITC.

$550m World Bank cash coming • Continued from page 4

When I came in, I said that we have the good intention to drive the economy. We have an idea of where we want to drive the economy. And you can see the relationship is extremely cordial. But, just like any other jurisdiction, you have your normal monetary policy and fiscal policy tension that takes place. The Chief Economic Adviser can testify to it that it exists everywhere.

“However, apart from that, we have a remarkable meeting of minds in terms of the goals for the economy. He is quite focused on the real sector and we want to work with him and he has been concerned with the fiscal policy; we want to work on it.”

On job creation, Dr Okonjo-Iweala said the government was looking at both skilled and unskilled areas to generate gainful employment, but needs various approaches to address different categories.

She said: “I am very happy to announce that Mr President will soon announce a programme targeted at skilled population, called Youth Enterprise Programme.

This would be launched within a couple of weeks to try and launch business enterprise competition asking our youths to create enterprises. If they have innovative ideas about how to expand and employ more people, we would run a competition to support those ideas. We will support those ideas by working with banks.

“We are also working with the Ministry of Youths and ICT. This is going to go live on the web and use all the modern tools to encourage participation. We are in partnership with the Lagos University and the World Bank. It is really a consortium to try and launch this across all the zones and to get all these ideas. Hopefully, at the end of the day, we can get about 600 proposals, which can be supported and financed and that will create the jobs. We are targeting several thousand jobs out of this. This is a very interesting programme and part of the N50 billion set aside in the budget will go to the financiers.

“We are also looking at public works programme for the unskilled and we are still working to finance that. We are also looking at women and will also launch for the women in various categories.”

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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BUSINESS NEWS Flight Schedule

Fed Govt awards N4.5b Bayelsa water project

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.

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08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40 08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20 12.15 12.45 09.10 11.00 11.10 16.20

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.

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LAGOS – MAIDUGURI 1. IRS 11.15 13.15 2. Arik 15.50 18.00 LAGOS – ILORIN 1. Overland 07.15 2. Arik (M/T/TH/F) 17.30

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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

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

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• Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amma Pepple (right), speaking during the opening of FMBN-funded Co-operative City Gardens in Abuja, last week. With her is Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, Managing Director/CEO, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, .

Foreign investors, others besiege DMO for Sovereign Bond FOREIGN investors, banks and fund managers have besieged the Debt Management Office (DMO), seeking engagement with the body.

The DMO was inundated with requests to make presentations in the investment forum at the World Bank Annual General Meeting last week, in Washington DC, where other African countries– namely, Ghana, Tanzania, Cameroon, Kenya and Gabon– will be participating and learning the success story of Nigeria’s Sovereign bond issue.

International financial institutions, such as Citibank, BNP Paribas, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, Standard Chartered Bank as well as Exotics, plus six other group of investors, sought to make presentations to the DMO at the meetings .

In a letter dated September 13, addressed to the Director-General of the DMO, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, Citibank’s Managing

From Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor (Abuja)

Director, Public Sector Group, Africa, requested the DMO to address the bank and “a group of approximately 12-15 investors during the World Bank AGM in Washington DC. Recognising that Nigeria has a positive story to tell since its debut bond issue, Citibank said DMO is expected “to give details about Nigeria, including macro-economic trends on the country, and in particular the most recent trends and changes, which had occurred, since Nigeria issued its debut bond in January this year”.

According to Citibank, “it is heartening to note that Nigeria has a positive story to tell since its debut bond issue.The elections proceeded smoothly and were widely adjudged to be relatively free and fair by the international community. The new administration under President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has been sworn in, with

a strong Economic Management Team under the ex-Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala”.

It continued: “Furthermore, with strong oil prices, production back to over two million barrels per day, inflation down to single digits, there are several positive trends within the economy. Nigeria’s Sovereign Bond has responded well, currently trading at historic low yields despite recent market volatility”.

In January, the DMO issued $500 million Eurobond, which was oversubscribed by global investors as a demonstration of their confidence in the Nigerian economy.

Forecasting a rise in foreign investment into Nigeria, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, observed: “This single transaction clearly puts Nigeria on the global map. We now have a transparent and internationally observable benchmark against which international investors can accurately price risk.”

Comply with procurement process, IFRS urges T

HE Executive Chairman, Fed eral Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs. Ifueko OmoiguiOkauru, has urged registered contractors with the FIRS to ensure adherence with the rules and regulations guiding public procurement process.

Okauru, who spoke at the weekend at the opening of a one-day interactive session with FIRS consultants and contractors, said there is the need for good and quality service delivery, professionalism and high ethical standards in the procurement process, among stakeholders.

She assured that FIRS would be fair and just to stakeholders,

From Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor (Abuja)

while ensuring compliance with the rules and regulations of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in the award and implementation of contracts.

Mrs. Omoigui-Okauru, acknowledged that there has been challenges confronting contractors and service providers, but assured that the service is already working to improve the situation. She advised stakeholders to play by the rules, to instill confidence in people as

well as communicate any processes that would necessitate delays in their projects execution.

She stressed the need for further enlightenment of bidders on the procurement as it has been observed that some bidders do not satisfactorily complete bid documents, saying some even forget to sign the bids, leading to automatic disqualification of such bids.

She said: “Some still believe that it is business-as-usual, when a Chief Executive or Director would award contracts to favour contractors without following due process and the regulations of public procurement.’’

Shell cuts production in Rivers, Abia over oil theft

T

HE Shell Petroleum Develop ment Company (SPDC) has shut in 25,000 barrels of crude oil daily from its Imo River Field in Rivers and Abia states in the Niger Delta, in view of recent upsurge of sabotage incidents, including oil theft, illegal bunkering and refining, with negative impact on the environment.

The shut in, according to the oil firm, will continue until the pollution is addressed and solutions are found to the menace of illegal bunkering/refining and oil theft in the affected areas and other parts of the crude oil and gas-rich region by the Federal Government.

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

The Anglo/Dutch oil giant’s VicePresident, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) and Corporate Affairs, Mr Tony Attah, disclosed this in Port Harcourt yesterday, in an interactive session with reporters, after overflying in helicopters, the illegal refining sites in Rivers and Abia states.

In Rivers State, Imo 2 and Nkali are affected, while in Abia State, Imo 1, 3 and Isimiri in Ukwa West Local Government Area are also affected.

The operation is within OML (Oil Mineral Licence) 11 and 17, a distance of 30 kilometres from Port

Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

Five flow stations: Imor-1, 3 and Isimiri (Abia state) and Imor-2 and Nkali (Rivers state), as well as one Associated Gas (AG) Compressor Station at Imor-1, with 3 boosters at Imor-2, 3 and Nkali are also affected.

Attah said: “The scale of crude theft is unprecedented in the area. In September alone, we discovered 16 illegal bunkering points within Imo River Field “Besides revenue loss to government and other stakeholders, significant portions of the stolen crude are spilled, blighting large swathes of the ecosystem.

HE Federal Government has awarded a N4.5 billion con tract for the rehabilitation and expansion of Central Ogbia water supply scheme in Otuoke, Bayelsa State to NAIRDA Company Limted.

The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, disclosed this during the flagging off and foundation laying of the water scheme.

She said: “The project will supply water to 14 surrounding communities with a projected population of about 120,360 by 2020. This is in addition to the university sited within the project area.

“The objective of the water project is to rehabilitate and expand the existing water works through the construction of a new Ogbia Regional Scheme.

“The project is in fulfillment of the transformation agenda of the present administration and the mandate of the Ministry to provide water to the people.

“Feasibility studies were conducted by the consultants, Fibow Petroleum and Environmental Engineering, an indigene of the state, who has an in depth knowledge of the project and also the designer of the project, before the implementation of the project took off.

“Studies conducted and further interactions with the state officials indicated that surface water from the nearby river contain pollutants due to industrial activities, particularly from oil spillage. That is why the choice of underground water source for the proposed project with comprehensive iron removal plant was therefore adopted,” she stressed.

The Minister solicited for the cooperation, collaboration and assistance of the State Government towards the implementation of the project. While requesting for state government official’s active supervision and monitoring of the project to ensure that the project is executed according to specification and within the agreed period of time.

CSR: Dangote donates N524.7m

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RESIDENT of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has donated N524.7 million and relief materials worth millions of naira to the needy in the last one month.

States that have benefited from billionaire’s largess include Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Oyo and Lagos states.

Specifically,Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda commended Alhaji Aliko Dangote for identifying with the people. He described him as his intimate friend who has the heart of human kindness.

He said the Dangote Group has spent billions of naira in humanitarian services in Nigeria and baroad and should be lauded by the Federal Government.

The Governor revealed that Dangote had signalled interest to partner in the resuscitation of one of its major dams pointing out that Bauchi State had become a home to about 500,000 displaced persons spanning over 10 years, and owing to ethno-religious crisis in the country.

He urged each family which got the Dangote’s N100, 000 to use it judiciously and not spend it on marrying more wives.

“This gesture by Dangote is not the first of its kind, he did the same in 2010 in Plateau State,” he said.Commenting on the donation of N60 million to the Oyo State Government, Governor of the State, Senator Isiaka Ajimobi described

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 2011

13

ISSUES

•Gross premium income chart

Insurers are up in arms against fake operators who are threatening the vehicle insurance business.

While the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) believes it should be executed by professionals, the quacks are hell bent on sustaining their grip on the business CHUKS UDO OKONTA writes.

Insurers, fake operators battle for S vehicle insurance TEMMING the activities of quacks remains a nightmare for stakeholders in the insurance industry. Over the years, various measures have been taken to weed out quacks, who control a significant slide of all classes of insurance, such as motor vehicle and marine. But the efforts have yielded little or no result.

According to a survey by One-Stop Claims Shop for Motor Vehicle Insurance (OSCAR), an agency charged with ensuring insurance awareness, about 90 per cent of vehicles on the roads are not properly insured. This, therefore, means that only 10 per cent of vehicles have genuine insurance policies.

The nation’s law requires all vehicles to have, at least third party insurance, to provide succour to accident victims or vehicles owners in the event of theft, accident or fire. Commercial vehicles are also required to have a cover for their passengers. The penalty for noncompliance includes a fine of N250,000 or one year imprisonment.

Investigation by The Nation showed that the industry loses close to N100 billion annually to quacks who issue motorists fake certificates just to beat examination by police and other security agencies.

It was also gathered that insurers’ attitude to claims settlement, poor awareness and visibility are contributory factors to the dominance of quacks in the motor insurance business.

To reduce illicit activities in the industry and boost premium income, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has commenced the arrest of quacks.

The commission, last month, in Abuja, arrested seven illegal insurance operators including an officer of the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO).

The raid, led by the Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel, took the team to the VIO head office, Mabuchi Abuja.

Before the arrest, officials of NAICOM bought fake third party insurance policies from the illegal operators who issued Motor Vehicle Insurance Certificates and receipts for N2,000 although the receipts reflect N5,000.

Daniel, during the raid, lamented the proliferation of illegal insurance operators across the country, noting that most of the illegal operators have duped thousands of unsuspecting Nigerians while registering their vehicles at various licensing offices.

He said the arrested illegal operators would soon be arraigned in accordance with the provisions of the Insurance Act passed by the National Assembly.

“We arrested six illegal insurance operators and a senior VIO officer, who is a kingpin for the illegal activities, and they have been handed over to the police and

soon they would be arraigned accordingly.

“The exercise is a regulatory matter. As you know, NAICOM is the only regulator of insurance industry in Nigeria and it is our duty to ensure that the interest of the insuring public is protected,” he said.

Daniel also urged Nigerians to always patronise licensed insurance companies, agents and qualified brokers whenever they want to purchase insurance policy, stressing that the insurance policy is to guard against unforeseen occurrences.

The NAICOM boss said any licensed insurance companies who fails to pay insurance claims to insured parties would be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of the Insurance Act. He, vowed that “the commission will leave no stone unturned to sanitise the industry and restore public confidence in the industry,” stressing that the “exercise will continue as long as we still have these people in operation, we will not stop.”

• Continued on page 14

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

14

ISSUES

Insurers, fake operators battle for vehicle insurance • Continued from page 13

Citing the law, Daniel said no person shall transact business as an insurance agent unless he/she possesses a certificate of proficiency issued by the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and duly appointed by an insurer and licensed according to the Insurance Act 2003.

His words:“A person who transacts business as an insurance agent without having been duly appointed commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or to imprisonment of three years or both and, in addition, the court may make an order requiring the person to refund any sum collected by him/her.

“Any insurer who knowingly or recklessly transacts any insurance business with any person mentioned in subsection (4) of the Insurance Act commits an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N100, 000 and the court may make such additional order as to the refund of the sum involved as specified under sub-section (4).”

He warned that any insurer who knowingly or recklessly transacts business with a fake operator is liable to a fine of N500,000 or jailed term. In the case of a firm or other combination of persons, each officer of the firm would be fined N250,000 or imprisonment for two years or both.

Daniel noted that the industry is working on an initiative to curb fake certificates and increase the industry’s premium income. He also hinted that the industry would soon do away with paper certificate.

“Across the globe, paper certificates are no longer relevant. This is why we will soon introduce electronic cards that will be easily identified by security agents. The card will make it difficult for those counterfeiting insurance policies to remain in operation,” he said.

The commission also moved to Lagos, where six suspected fraudsters were arrested at the Ikeja licensing office.

Those arrested included two employees of the State Internal Revenue Department. The perpetrators were said to be in possession of fake insurance certificates of several insurance companies.

The fake certificates were recovered from them and they were handed over to the Police at Area F for further interrogation.

The raid was led by the National Co-ordinator, Market Development and Restructuring Initiatives (MDRI), Mr Adamu Balani, who said the exercise, would be continuous.

He said the actions of fraudsters were tarnishing the image of the industry. To stamp out this practice, he urged the insuring public to deal directly with insurance firms for all their motor vehicle insurance certificates and related matters.

Commenting on the raid, Mr Tabi Olugbenga, an insurance consultant, advised NAICOM to speedily kickstart the planned electronic certificate, stressing that once this is in place, it will be very difficult for fraudsters to perpetrate their infamous act.

He also appealed to government whose facilities are being used by fraudsters to keep a close watch on them and dismiss erring officials. He condemned a situation where supposed workers of the Lagos State internal revenue could get themselves involved in such a mess that tarnishes the image of the state that the governor has spent so much time and resources to build.

In spite of the NAICOM efforts, investigation by The Nation revealed that the syndicates have resumed their activities at the Ikeja licensing offices in Lagos.

Industry watchers are of the belief that arresting and prosecuting the criminals may not yield the desired result.

They suggested that the proposed electronic licence by the Nigerian Insurers Association be pursued vigorously.

Director-General, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mr Sunday Thomas, who is leading the team on the vehicle electronic licence, said the initiative would soon come onstream.

He said the paper insurance certificate has given quacks the opportunity to fake the policy.

Thomas said the digitalised certificates, will enable the industry to develop data to ascertain the level of businesses underwritten by operators and aid research.

He said it was worrisome that the industry had no data of businesses undertaken by operators, adding that it is difficult for the industry to ascertain what it is losing annually to fake insurance operations.

“The data base of the insurance industry is in the front of the NIA. Before the first quarter of next year, we are going to do away with all paper documents. A lot is being done by the NIA and the regulator is interested in the project and we are doing all we can to reposition the industry,” he said.

President, Lagos Area Committee of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr Tunde Oguntade, said brokers would align with other

•Daniel

•Thomas

•Gross premium income chart

stakeholders in the industry to sensitise the public on the benefits of and penalties attached to the electronic certificate.

“What we have decided to do at the NCRIB Lagos Area Committee is to get on the streets and the ports on a given day, with the help of Lagos State Motor Authority (LASTMA),Vehicle Inspection Operation (VIO) and the Police. We are going to assist them to identify fake licences.

Not just motor insurance certificates but marine as well.

“We are going to ensure that every motorist is stopped

and the papers are checked to ensure that they are valid papers. There is a law that says if you have fake insurance, you would go to jail for six months or pay a fine of N20,000.

We are going to explore the possibility of enforcing that law. Also, we are going to get the government to appreciate that insurance is a tool to alleviate poverty. We would make them appreciate, as institutional investors, that the death of insurance means a total collapse of the economy,” he added.

‘A person who transacts business as an insurance agent without having been duly appointed commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or to imprisonment of three years or both and, in addition, the court may make an order requiring the person to refund any sum collected by him/her’

R

JOBS THE NATION

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

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

15

• Musa Abulab using a diagnostic software on a car

Auto repair goes hitech Mechanics have become sophisticated. In place of spanners and other tools of their trade, they now use computers. Computer and other state-of-the-art gadgets have become the vogue in auto repair. It is a sign of the times and many mechanics are joining the growing train. Those yet to do so are losing their clients. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

T

ODAY’S cars come with advanced technology. This means that even the simplest of tasks is computerised.

Thus, servicing or repair of cars, which are essentially ‘computers on wheels’, has become a challenge.

According to United Kingdom-trained auto specialist, Mr Okoi Arikpo, cars built in recent years have a multiplicity of microprocessors, starting with the engine management system, through the vari-

ous safety devices and even dedicated modules for the driver’s seat and the radio.

Modern day vehicles, he said, now utilise computers and other sophisticated electronic gadgets. For this reason, auto engineers need to acquire skills in electronic automotive diagnostics.

Sophisticated computers and electronic systems, he said, control vehicle functions, so technicians need the requisite knowledge and training to repair the vehicles.

According to him, new cars have hundreds

of sensors, all reporting back to a control module. There’s a plug somewhere under the hood or in the dashboard that connects to the dealer’s multi-thousand dollar diagnostic computer. It probes all the controllers, reports their status, and allows a mechanic to adjust things by entering a code or a value in a field rather than by turning a screw.

To diagnose problems, Arikpo said workshops have the most up-to-date diagnostic equipment and the technical knowledge to

apply the appropriate repair solution.

In addition, technicians have to employ diagnostic scanners to determine whether parts are functioning properly and then isolate the questionable part or system to conduct further tests.

With diagnostic tools, he tests the automobile’s major systems. From his findings, he performs the necessary repairs. The most challenging aspect of car • Continued on page 16

16

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

JOBS

Auto repair goes hitech •Continued from page 15

repair is diagnosing the problem.

To him, speed and accuracy in diagnosis are crucial if the mechanic intends to keep long-term clients.

He examines the engine to see if his initial assumptions are correct.

He can tell a lot by using his eyes, ears, even nose, as he searches for problems and potential hazards.

But electronic diagnostic equipment is useful when dealing with bullet proof cars and newer models of Mercedes Benz.

At big auto marts, such as Lanre Shittu and Carlink, The Nation gathered that computers are increasingly being utilised.

In carrying out repairs, technicians print the results during diagnostic test and compare them with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

When there are variations between the tests and manufacturer’s recommendations, more tests are conducted.

In view of new challenges, Arikpo recommends downloading updated diagnostic software to get access to service information from auto manufacturers through the internet.

The designs of cars change yearly.

As a result, the job requires more preparation than ever before.

Car Diagnostics Consultant Alhaji Lukuman Garu said there are a wide range of diagnostic testers for fault-finding, information and system repairs.

Garu, who is the chief executive, Garutech Nigeria Limited, said

most 2005 model cars need diagnostic softwares to fix them.

Though diagnosing the source of a problem quickly and accurately requires good reasoning ability and knowledge of automobiles, Garu, said mechanics who attempt to do it manually, find their jobs challenging because of the integrated electronic systems and complex computers which run vehicles and measure their performance.

He said technicians must have a broad base of knowledge about how vehicles’ complex components work and interact, as well as the ability to work with electronic diagnostic equipment and computer-based technical manuals.

According to him, the growing sophistication of automotive technology now requires workers who can use computerised shop equipment and work with electronic components, while at the same time maintaining their skills with traditional hand tools.

For this reason, he said most workshops provide updates to technical manuals and unlimited access to manufacturers’ service information, technical service bulletins, and other databases that permit technicians to keep current on problem areas and to learn new procedures.

According to him, integration of computers in automobiles means mechanics must be familiar with complicated new systems. As computers become more integrated into car engines, engine problems are diagnosed with computers and

• Garu

software.

He said car manufacturers now produce diagnostic softwares.

The primary purpose of a car diagnostic software, he explained is to provide the mechanic with accurate information to assist in the troubleshooting process.

The diagnostic tools read error codes with the vehicle system. For instance, he said a star diagnostic software will read error codes from a Mercedes Benz’s onboard computer system to identify potentially areas for mechanics to check.

He said car diagnostic tools come

• Arikpo

with a lot of features and brands, depending upon their price.

For this reason, he said his company has designed provide training solution for technicians using automotive electronic tester and associated diagnostic software.

His company has been at the forefront of the automotive after-market diagnostics sector and is positioned at the very pinnacle of the after-market diagnostic tool market.

He said his company provides a high-level software-based automotive diagnostic tool that enables

vehicle technicians to repair a range of car brands.

The software handles premium brands such as BMW, Mercedes Benz and Toyota. Within the broad landscape of the mechanical industries, the so many indirect and ancillary opportunities for job creation have been created.

Garu, said he is training non mechanics to become diagnostics consultants.

According to him, the graduates will provide services to small mechanical workshops who cannot afford diagnostics facilities.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Stanbic IBTC restructures management

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TANBIC IBTC Bank Plc has effected changes in its top management.

Mr Obinnia Abajue is Head of the Personal and Business Banking division. He succeeds Mr Jacques Troost, who is taking up another role within the group.

The appointment takes effect next month.

Dr. Demola Sogunle will replace Abajue as substantive Chief Executive Officer at Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, while

Mr. Steve Elusope, a former financial controller, is the Executive Director of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited.

Mr Wole Adeniyi, who headed the Business Operations Department, is now the Head, Business Support, succeeding Marna Roets, the erstwhile Executive Director of Business Support, who is taking up a new appointment within the group.

Abajue, who played an active role in the growth of the Stanbic

IBTC Wealth Group, is coming to the Personal and Business Banking at a time the bank is widening its presence in the retail segment of the market through strategic branch and product expansion, especially with the recent acquisition of a mobile payment licence, which will enable the organisation to provide cashless services to the unbanked population.

Stanbic IBTC’s Chief Executive Officer Mrs. Sola David-Borha,

said the appointments will strengthen the current upswing in operations as the bank continues its network expansion, with the introduction of new products, geared at providing a variety of products and services to its growing customer base.

“We believe that we will realise significant benefits from these alignments and remain on track to maintain our strategic growth in 2011 and beyond,” Mrs. DavidBorha said.

• Abajue

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Seven strategies to customise each and every resume

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HE grand strategy is to create a Master File, including everything you may have to offer to any employer. Already, it sounds daunting, but don’t let this be a roadblock! It’s just the on ramp. Start entering and keep entering as you think of other information that might interest an employer. This will never be “final” since it’s a living document, growing throughout your career and/ or your current job search. . You never delete anything from the Master File but you are always adding to it.

Here is how to do it: 1. Format your existing resume to your advantage before you start to add things. If you’ve worked in one profession your whole career and steadily advanced, a chronological resume can be a winner. If you haven’t had that kind of career, consider a functional resume or a hybrid so you can focus attention on what you bring

By Olu Oyeniran

to the job instead of your work history.

2. Add a summary - a paragraph that gives an overview of who you are professionally. This can be long and include more than you would ever send for any individual opportunity. Don’t edit as you go. Just get every high level statement about you that you can offer into your Master File. If you wind up with 100 pages it doesn’t matter. No one but you will ever see it all.

3. Add as many general objectives as there are for what you know you can do well. You should be able to think of several positions that you’re qualified for and several industries where you have something to offer. Objectives are theirs, not yours. Each one is a Job Title in an industry.

Example: General Manager for a pharmaceutical manufacturing company.

4. Show your skills. Use the keywords and search engine terms that you know employers are looking for. Showing them near the top of the resume will keep you from landing in the reject pile. Using the terms the company is looking for will keep you in the running whether your resume is being reviewed by a human or a machine. The skills that will stay in your customised resume are the ones that support the objective you use.

5. List your accomplishments in concise, bulleted paragraphs - two to five lines. This is the part that differentiates you and shows that you do more than just meet expectations. Start with the most powerful verb that fits and then mention the results, showing the numbers in as many situations as possible. After that you can elaborate about how you did it.

Example: Decreased costs 40per cent for a large packaging machinery company by performing gap

analysis in three days and implementing the highest priority changes over a two month period.

6. List your job experience as oneliners. Start with your job title because you are the product, not the companies you worked for or the dates and places that you worked for them (except their name will confer on your chances great advantage. Follow your position title with the company name and location. Put the from and to dates out at the right margin. List your present or last job first and work backward.

7. List your education. If you are a recent graduate, show it right after your objective. A recent degree will explain light experience and avoid unreasonable expectations. If you have relevant experience from your jobs as you went to school, the recent degree will show you to be a real go getter with your eye on the prize. Most of the time, the degree is a company requirement for a position

and it can go at the end.

Thereafter: When you find a position that interests you, it’s a simple matter to turn a copy of your Master File into an excellent example of relevant clear, concise communication by deleting everything that does not apply from the copy of the Master File. Time and time again You will get more interviews and you get interviews for the kinds of jobs you want. The hidden benefit in this process is that you will remember how good you are.

This presentation leaned heavily on an article by Joy Montgomery entitled: 7 Tips to Help You Customise Every Resume\ in www.ezinearticles .com.

Olu Oyeniran is the Lead Consultant, EkiniConsult & Assoiciates.

Website: www.jobsearchhow.com E-mail: oluoyeniran@yahoo.com Tel 08083843230 (SMS Only).

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

17

THE CEO Tax collection is not an easy task, and Mr Babatunde Fowler, the Chief Executive Officer, Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), knows this too well. It has been a tugof-war for him and his men to get individuals and corporate bodies to pay their taxes.

The books, however, show that they are doing a good job. From an average of N3.6 billion in January 2006, the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) shot to N15 billion monthly last year. In this interview with COLLINS NWEZE and MIRIAM NDIKANWU, Fowler speaks on LIRS efforts to improve the state’s revenue base

‘Banks, airlines, telecom firms are tax cheats’ T

HE success of Lagos State revenue drive has motivated other states to pursue tax payments with increased vigour. What is the story behind the success?

We have to thank God. But there are people who were instrumental to the success being recorded in the state. This dates back to the tenure of former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He knew that the state was not generating enough revenue, even though it has the potential to generate more. So, he looked inward. The State Executive Council (SEC) then set up a board with the objective of realising the full potential, in terms of revenue generation.

The board came into existence in November 2005. Then, the state was generating an average of N600 million monthly.That same year, when the new board came in, it rose to N3.4 billion month.y. Now, the state generates a little over N16 billion, according to the commissioner of Finance.

How did you raise the revenue within such a short time?

We, first of all, educated the taxpaying public, both in the informal and the formal sectors, on tax laws. They were educated on the need to pay taxes and we made it transparent and convenient for them to pay.

On transparency, we asked tax payers to pay to banks so that officials will not come in between the payment. Once the payment is made to a bank, you have evidence by teller and official receipt to show that you have paid your taxes. The payments are now captured on computer whereby you can run history about your payment. So any payment you make to Lagos State, be it for land or personal income tax or fine, once you key in your identification number, it will give you the history of your tax payment.

What other measures have made tax payments easier in the state?

At any point in time, tax payers can verify that the taxes being paid actually goes into government’s purse. We have also expanded the number of outlets where taxpayers can pay into banks. We spoke to the banks and told them that they have to make all their branches receiving points for payment.

Within Lagos, we have over 1,000 bank branches that receive taxes and levies. So, within five or 10 minutes walk from your

• Mr Fowler home or office, you will find where you can pay your tax.

We also had interactions with various groups – professionals, market women, artisans – to know what was stopping them from paying taxes. We tried to encourage them. For instance, if the market women said they don’t want to leave their shops

to go and pay taxes, we send people with pre-loaded machine and once they make payment, they are given receipt immediately.

Did you educate company staff on tax payments?

We also met with company executives who organised their staff to learn how to

fill their tax forms and we moved our men to explain the system to them. That way, they saw revenue officials and themselves as one family working towards one goal.

At this point in time, if you look at Lagos, everyone can see what tax payers’ money • Continued on page 18

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

18

THE CEO

‘Banks, airlines, telecom firms are tax cheats’ • Continued from page 17

has been used for and they are appreciating it. So, people have realised that the more they pay, the better services government will provide for them, in terms of infrastructure and schools, hospitals and other services we all expect government to provide.

Which sectors give you the highest returns?

When you are dealing with tax administration, it is not the volume of cash that is important; it is the level of compliance. It is better that you are paying your taxes 100 per cent even if it is N10 than someone who paid N100 when he or she should have paid N1,000. To answer your question, we do get a lot of revenue from oil and gas sector, we get a lot of taxes from the telecom sector and, thirdly, we get a lot of taxes from the banking sector.

What do you think about the criticism trailing the use of tax consultants?

Let me, first of all, explain what a consultant is and what the consultants have done for the Lagos State government. I will first of all talk about tax audit. Now, based on the number of organisations that we have in Lagos State, if we are going to carry out an annual tax audit, that is, to confirm that they have paid the proper amount of taxes to the government as when due, we will have to recruit no fewer than 3,000 workers to do that.

But it is not only the issue of recruitment that is germane; you also have to train these staff to get them ready for that assignment. So, as a stop gap, we use the services of consultants to gather data from organisations and that data is brought into LIRS. What do you do with the data when they come?

After the data are collected, we do an assessment. But, apart from that, to also protect the tax payer, we attach a member of staff in our audit department to the private consultants to ensure that they deliver the service properly; they are courteous to taxpayers and ensure that the information they bring back is genuine.

The taxpayer is protected by law and has a right to object to the assessment if they disagree with it. Soon, we will get to a stage where we have enough trained personnel to carry out this audit and information gathering.

Despite the successes enumerated, are there sectors giving you challenges in terms of compliance?

In terms of compliance, we do have issues with organisations, such as banking, multinationals, airlines and telecommunication firms. These group account for about 50 per cent of the unremitted and under-remitted taxes. In the last two years, the state government has generated about N20 billion from under-remitted and unremitted taxes, and those sectors accounted for close to 49 to 50 per cent.

On compliance, we have the informal sector where they don’t keep accurate records, they are improving. Many of them are paying but they are not paying the correct amount. But it is a gradual process. However, we are governed by law and, therefore, have to be able to, logically, do an assessment that is fair and admissible in court if the need arises.

How do you ascertain that tax payers disclose their actual income?

We have this audit process for those in organised private and

public sectors where we keep records. We also send people to gather data. We analyse them and finetune, where they are required. For example, if you say you employ an expatriate because of his specialised skill and you tell me that you pay him N1.2 million yearly and another expatriate within the same industry in another organisation, performing almost the same duty is being paid N12 million per annum, we ask you to explain why an expatriate performing the same duty is being paid X or Y amount.

It also relates to individuals. For example, if a helicopter pilot for a local company is being paid N250,000 per month and another expatriate within the same industry in another organisation performing the same duty is paid N1 million, we will question the disparity. So, we have all the information to determine what the actual amount should be.

Once an assessment has been concluded and payment is expected but was not made within that prescribed time, after the meeting with the client to object and the client did not object, the next step is that the file is sent to our legal department which will write a letter of notice with an intention to restrain. This means an intention to stop that organisation from carrying out its business if it does not pay. Once that has been done, the file is sent to our enforcement department which will go out with a letter authorising them to shut down the defaulting company until it pays.

But we have not seen any bank shut down by LIRS? Well, because of the nature of that industry, when banks are closed, they try and rectify the situation immediately. But, within Lagos, every year, we have had to seal off one or two banks. This year, we have sealed off two banks.

How have you been able to checkmate organisations that deduct tax from employees but fail to remit to the government?

Usually, through the audit process, we are able to detect this and even if it is not discovered immediately, we have had to advertise in the dailies asking individuals who have not received their tax card and whose organisation has not been able to show evidence of remittance of their taxes to write us a confidential letter.

And we will keep that confidential, do an investigation to find out what happened and ensure that they have their tax card. So, we do have a separate unit and also a director in my office that ensures that every taxpaying individual gets a tax card.

Let’s look at the Hotel Occupancy Law and multiple taxation.

What is the situation at present?

Let me explain multiple taxation: Multiple taxation is where one individual or an organisation is being taxed for the same purpose by two or three levels of government. Now, within Lagos,

• Mr Fowler we do not believe that there is multiple taxation. The particular issue you are referring to has to do with hotel occupancy and that is in court. So, I will not say too much about it. However, I will give you an overview of the situation.

There was a law passed and approved that event centres, hotels and people in the hospitality business should charge individuals for usage. They collect five per cent tax and remit same to the state government. Now, that five per cent tax is not Value Added Tax (VAT) but a separate tax for a separate purpose. Some called this multiple taxation but it is not.

However, of the 1,900 registered organisations within the industry, at least 1,700 are paying that tax.

From all indications, people are paying taxes. How do you spend

the generated revenue?

I think the government with the co-operation of Lagos residents has done a very good job in spending the revenue generated for the improvement of the state. Now, any time the government wants to operate a budget, that budget is sent to the House of Assembly and the Assembly comprises representatives from various constituencies. Once they approve it, they are acting on behalf of the residents of the state.

Once the executive carries out that contract to the satisfaction of the people, then we can say that revenue generated is being used for the benefit of the people.

What is the future in terms of revenue generation?

We do not have a magic number that we are looking at. We are trying to get to the point

‘In terms of compliance, we do have issues with organisations, such as banking, multinationals, airlines and telecommunications firms. These group account for about 50 per cent of the unremitted and under-remitted taxes’

where residents are 99 per cent tax compliant. This means, that they are paying what they should pay as when due. And with the money generated, the government is providing services to the people.

Are you comfortable with the Federal Government collecting VAT? That is also in court, the cards are being straightened out, and the position of the state is that the Federal Government should not collect VAT. What the Federal Government actually does is that it asks states and other organisations to collect taxes and send to the federal purse. The money is then shared among all the states of the federation. But, in a situation where, for example, a state generates 50 per cent of the VAT and when it comes to sharing, that state gets 12 to15 per cent of the money, why can’t the state collect VAT, especially when the services given impact negatively on the state?

Do you have examples to show for that?

Yes! there are. For instance, if you import things through Apapa Port, then we have trailers going in and out of the port, the accidents that may occur, spillage of petroleum product on the road, road damage and so on, have to be addressed by someone. So, it becomes an expense for the state to clean it up.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION COMMENT

EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

Bi-Courtney tales

WEKU Adoboli, the UBS trader who is alleged to have lost the Swiss bank #2 billion) in unauthorized trades, was charged yesterday with fraud. If found guilty, he will inevitably be considered alongside the other young traders Nick Leeson, who brought down Barings Bank in 1995, and Jerome Kerviel, who was jailed in 2008 after losing Societe Generale #4.9 billion.

Possibly because of word association between “rogue trader” and “lovable rogue” young bankers who lose scarcely imaginable sums in fraudulent trades sometimes attract a misplaced aura of romanticism. Yet crooked dealing is as reprehensible in the financial markets as it is in the high street. It requires keeping false records and constant deception. It is not a victimless crime: banks need to recoup the losses from shareholders, employees and customers. These things distinguish fraudulent trading from the normal business of investment banking. Yet one characteristic of UBS’s loses has much wider relevance.

Mr Adoboli’s alleged trades went undetected by his employer despite his huge losses. It is likely that the very complexity of the deals made them opaque.

In that respect, they are a microcosm of modern finance. Very few people properly understand the subject. They plainly do not include the senior managements of some investment banks. That obscurity makes the financial markets unstable and puts the world economy at risk. This effect is well known as it has already produced the greatest economic disaster of the postwar world.

Mr Adoboli traded in complex financial products.

The discipline of creating these product is known as financial engineering. The bankers who devise them use complex mathematical models.

Contrary to the widespread view that finance is parasitical on the real economy, financial engineering has an important benefit. It allows companies and retail customers to manage the risks that they are exposed to. A derivatives contract might, for example, enable a British company with a plant in the US to protect itself against adverse movements in the exchange rate. A retail customer who takes out a fixed-rate mortgage is also benefiting from financial engineering. Complex financial products enable customers to diversify away their risks, so that those risks can be borne (for a fee) by institutions better able to shoulder them.

That, at any rate, is the theory. And it is worth recalling that when Enron, the Houston-based energy trader, collapsed in 2001 when its operations were exposed as fraudulent, the parceling out of risk across the financial system did succeed in stabilizing the markets. With the benefit of hindsight, however, it is obvious that the system carried the seeds of its own destruction.

The financial crisis of 2007-09 is commonly attributed to the greed and stupidity of bankers.

That is a misleading caricature. The true reasons were that interest rates were kept too low for too long, and bank regulation was inadequate. But there was also an intellectual fallacy.

Banks believed that the development of complex financial instruments had reduced the risks of lending. Hence loans were made to uncredit-worthy borrowers, and then packaged up into complex securities. These financial instruments then, instead of containing risk, spread contagion across the world banking system. The wholesale lending market, in which banks lend money to each other, froze, because no one could properly value the securities that they held on (and sometimes off) their balance sheets.

If a junior trader at an important bank exceeded his trading limits and escaped detection, there must be a suspicion that this problem of complexity remains. Scrutiny within banks and regulation outside need to be expert, without squeezing legitimate business. There are grounds for fearing that that balance has not yet been attained.

– The London Times

A familiar symptom

•Officialdom, law suits, etc. mar Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project

T

HERE seems little hope that re-construction work on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, one of the busiest highways in the country, awarded to BiCourtney Highway Services as a concession contract on May 26, 2009, will start anytime soon. The Federal Government had awarded Bi-Courtney the N91 billion contract to renovate, expand, modernise and maintain the 105-km road for a period of 25 years, within which the company is expected to recoup its investment.

It has, however, been one tale after another by Bi-Courtney over the last two years on why the project is yet to commence, and Nigerians continue to be exposed to the hazards of travelling on the deplorably hazardous road with tragic consequences. The latest complaint by Bi-Courtney is that at least 55 land own-

‘What has become apparent is the need for all relevant parties to appreciate the importance of this road, both to the national economy and safety of lives. It is time to stop telling tales and giving excuses. They should return to the drawing board so that work can start on this unduly delayed project’

ers and businesses located along the expressway have instituted different suits against it to prevent any part of their property being taken over in the bid to construct the road.

The company’s spokesman, Mr. Dipo Kehinde, recently told the press that BiCourtney had waited in vain for the Federal Government to clear the affected properties in 2010 with payment of necessary compensations to the owners so that it would have the Right of Way for re-construction work to start by next month. It was when the requisite action in this regard was not forthcoming that Bi-Courtney directly wrote the property owners, a move that resulted in the plethora of court cases it now has to contend with.

It is most shocking, to say the least, that a project of this magnitude could have been conceived and awarded without adequate preparation made to remove properties obstructing the Right of Way and compensating the owners. Indeed, such compensation costs ought to have been built into the value of the contract ab initio. This kind of tardiness and lack of thoroughness in handling such a major project is utterly condemnable.

One consequence of the delay in commencing the project proper is that BiCourtney is forced to expend huge amounts on palliative repairs of portions of the road ahead of full re-construction.

For instance, the company claims to have spent N150 million on such repairs in the

last 40 days, just as it had to do last year.

Such unplanned expenditure will inevitably result in avoidable increases in the overall cost of the project. This is certainly not the most efficient way to utilise scarce resources within the context of competing needs in diverse sectors.

Bi-Courtney has also complained of lack of cooperation by the Lagos and Ogun state governments. For instance, it says Ogun State has disallowed the installation of an asphalt/bitumen plant it imported from Singapore at a cost of $6.5 million for the project. Again, this raises questions about how effectively all relevant stakeholders were properly briefed and carried along right from the inception of the project. The lesson here is that states through which federal roads pass must be involved when planning their reconstruction so that such states are sensitised on time to issues affecting them.

Another cause of delay, according to BiCourtney, is the frequent change of ministers. It says five ministers have been appointed since it was awarded the contract with each new one “giving different procedures and ways”. This is rather strange. After all, the ministers may be different but the government has remained the same.

What has become apparent is the need for all relevant parties to appreciate the importance of this road, both to the national economy and safety of lives. It is time to stop telling tales and giving excuses. They should return to the drawing board so that work can start on this unduly delayed project.

Palestinian statehood •US veto of Palestine’s proposal will not douse the fire RESIDENT Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine last Friday sought full recognition for Palestinian statehood before the UN Security Council. Unfortunately, the fate of this nationalistic dream might be impeded by objections from two countries, Israel and the US that have deployed subtle diplomacy to sway global support against the move.

President Barack Obama has delivered an address that underscored his unwavering support for Israel. He did this through a 35-minute speech that was not interrupted even once by applause from the diplomatic audience, a rarity for a president that is often celebrated abroad.

Obama made it known that “Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N. Ultimately, it is Israelis and Palestinians, not us, who must reach agreement on the issues that divide them- on borders and on security, on refugees and Jerusalem.”

We recollect that the State of Palestine was officially proclaimed in exile in Algiers on November 15, 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) National Council (PNC) adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence that designated Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine despite Israeli control.

The 1974 Arab League summit designated the PLO as the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and reaffirmed their right to establish an independent state. The PLO has had ob-

P

server status at the United Nations as a “non-state entity” since November 22, 1974, and this entitles it to speak in the UN General Assembly, devoid of voting right.

After the Declaration of Independence, the United Nations General Assembly officially “acknowledged” the proclamation and voted to use the designation “Palestine” instead of “Palestine Liberation Organisation” when referring to the Palestinian permanent observer. Despite this, the PLO does not participate at the UN in its capacity as the State of Palestine’s government.

Through the Oslo Accords of 1993, Israel acknowledged the PLO negotiating team as “representing the Palestinian people”, in return for the PLO recognising Israel’s right to exist in peace, acceptance of UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, and its rejection of “violence and terrorism”. But the issue of Jerusalem remains a fundamental cog in resolving differences between the two states.

US veto can only grant the Palestinians provisional borders as a starting point for resolving the outstanding questions of the fate of Jerusalem and the “right of return” of some 5-6 million Palestinian refugees. What this translates to is that Palestine will be granted precisely the ‘Roadmap for Peace’, a plan it once rejected in 2003.

The rage on both sides creates serious challenges. The issue of Palestine insisting on having its capital in Jerusalem re-

mains knotty as it is complex since Israel may not want to shift ground too. This lends credence to the argument of the Abass’ proposal as dead on arrival. Nevertheless, the US must listen to its citizens as a paltry 21 per cent of Americans objected to moves to grant the Palestine statehood status.

Egypt may be chummy with the US but other Arab countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, among others, are more Islamic, democratic and generally antiIsrael. Vetoing of the move will definitely lead to further anti-American feelings in the Arab region. The reality is that it is high time for due consideration to be given to the clamour by past and present leaders to upgrade the status of Palestine.

‘The rage on both sides creates serious challenges. The issue of Palestine insisting on having its capital in Jerusalem remains knotty as it is complex since Israel may not want to shift ground too. This lends credence to the argument of the Abass’ proposal as dead on arrival. Nevertheless, the US must listen to its citizens as a paltry 21 per cent of Americans objected to moves to grant the Palestine statehood status’

K

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye

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• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

S

IR: Many of our public institutions today, are a shadow of the conspicuously professional and regulatory roles they used to play in the past. Gone are the days when the vehicle inspection unit of Lagos state was the back bone of government efforts to create a level of sanity in the transportation system. The unit had a number of testing grounds where those who wanted to obtain driving license, must first prove themselves that they knew traffic rules and could competently handle the categories of vehicles they were seeking to obtain authority to drive on the Nigerian roads. Because there was no shortcut to obtaining a driving license, everyone who sought to obtain one, would then first of all prepare himself to know all the traffic rules, road signs and symbols; and good driving practices.

Today things have changed.

Nobody is subjected to any tests before obtaining a driving license again. With money in your hands you can obtain a driving license for your dog. With little tips here and there, you can convert your old Volvo car to carry the load capacity of a three-ton truck. With money in your hand, you will get a standing salute and even an escort from the road traffic officials who should call you to order when you misbehave on the road.

The only set of people that don’t seem to get away with the ruthlessness of the VIO, are those who are naïve enough to stick to their anti-corruption principles on the roads. The moment the VIO knows that nothing would fall off from such person, he would put on his garment of authority, look around to think of the heaviest offence to charge him. For the one who remains adamant not to give a bribe, and agrees to be taken to the station, hoping he will get a superior officer who is more rational to speak to, he discovers there is no one with a thinking cap

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Regulatory decay: the case of Lagos VIOs to relate with at the station.

Having been charged unduly for an offence that should ordinarily have commanded a caution, you are asked to go and pay an outrageous fine. Then you discover that just as you are parking your car, a vulcanizer (not an official of the ministry) steps forward to demand for your keys, if the steering was not seized from you before you got to the station.

Irrespective of what time of the day or week, you are asked to go and pay into a GT Bank in Alausa. If you find your way into any other GTB other than the designated one, you are told you must go to a particular branch. Having paid the fine, your records must be checked to know if you are a tax payer. Where you are not, you go through tax assessment, negotiation and payment.

If you were originally sanctioned because you had a cracked windscreen, a broken head lamp, trafficators or a badly dented body, you will be told to go and buy the component before you can take your vehicle away. If it is for road worthiness, you will be made to pay for it at their price which is usually twice the official rate. This amount, you will pay at the VIO station without a receipt, and you then begin to wonder why you couldn’t have paid the first fine there if they have an accounts department.

When you think you are done, you are told you still have a demurrage to pay for the number of days it has taken you to recover your vehicle.

Then you must settle the vulcanizer whose business it is to deflate the tyres of your vehicle and to

mobilize it again once you have evidence that you have been issued a gate pass. Finally you must settle the gate man to take your vehicle out of the stronghold; or would you because of a N100 tip, decide not to take your vehicle out again, having paid official and unofficial fines amounting to anything between N10,000 and N100,000?

Who will save us from the VIO and the antics of Lagos traffic officers for that matter? The experience of the average legitimate road user in Lagos state in the hands of these self serving officials is pitiable and unacceptable.

Lagos State government needs to come up with a more workable programme that will cause less disenchantment to the public.

• Bode Omonaiye Lagos

Spare OOU of planned strike

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IR: Recently, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, announced its plans to embark on a week-long strike due to the inability of the Federal Government to fufil its part of the agreement reached in 2009.

In as much as I support the decision of the association, I still feel Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, should not join the strike.

The school has gone on too many strikes in the last couple of months, which has really slowed down academic activities in the institution.

This time, ASUU should show understanderstanding for the plight of the students.

God bless you all.

• Shobowale Lanre OOU Ago Iwoye, Ogun State.

Tinubu’s trial: forward into an inglorious past?

S

IR: The political trial of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the wild allegation of his purported operation of foreign accounts when he was a governor of Lagos between 1999 and 2007 can simply be likened to the political persecution of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1962 when the reactionary wing of the political class of the Yorubas aligned with the ultra-reactionary Sardauna-led NPC federal government.

It is regrettable that Awo’s newspaper is the current megaphone of the persecutors and oppressors of Tinubu and other progressive poli-

ticians in Nigeria. Tribune has unashamedly and sensationally serialized the glorification of arbitrariness and autocracy and waged an imaginary war against the opposition parties just because the paper hates the unstoppable profile of Tinubu and because most of them had been beneficiaries of the PDP impostors in Yorubaland.

President Jonathan was among the 15 governors being investigated in 2006 and allegedly indicted by the CCB; what has happened to the other case files that it is only Tinubu’s case file that was dusted and singled out for trial by Mohammed Adoke, the

Attorney General when Jonathan’s file and others are still untouched?

Public perception of this trial is that of intimidation, harassment and victimization by the PDP, but we all know that it is wild goose chase that will lead to nothing. PDP must know that ACN is not and can never be deterred by any form of blackmail. Instead of confronting myriad of challenges security, infrastructural decay, joblessness and comatose economy frontally, Jonathan has chosen to use institutions and agencies of the state to chase shadows. This is reminiscent of the dark days of Abacha when

the former and his goons were riding roughshod on Nigerians; when Abacha’s men like the maverick, unprincipled, opportunistic and garrulous politicians like Ebenezer Babatope were rationalizing and justifying the unjustifiable brutalization and brutalities of the rampaging Abacha as he is currently rationalizing stupidity, oddity and absurdity of all shades just because of crumbs of his master’s table.

Indeed, it is a cascade to an odious past.

•Akinrolabu B. Omonitan, lkeji-lle ljesa, Osun State.

21

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

If this is a curse

A

NOTHER independence anniversary is here. What else can one say that has not been said? Have we as a nation moved away from where we were many years ago?

Do we now have the right leadership ready to effect fundamental developmental changes? Is the life of an average Nigerian better off that it was 51 years ago? Is there any ray of hope for a better tomorrow?

After much ponderings, I was at frustrating loss as to what to write again that has not been written. But it happens that as I was in the process of compiling some of my old write ups for public presentation at my wife’s golden jubilee celebration and my own 3oth year in journalism next Sunday, I came across a column I wrote almost two decades ago. Going through it I could see the semblance of our dilemma as a nation today.

That was exactly the circumstances last year when I republished, word-for-word what I wrote on Nigeria at 35 for the nation’s golden jubilee. Pitiably, our story has been like that of a steering wheel that is just rotating without moving forward. Same grumblings and murmurings.

Could Nigeria’s unrelenting socio-economic predicament be a result of a curse? With a new administration in power, why are the enemies of progress still dominating by diverting the crucial focus from national growth and development to struggling with unwarranted security gridlock? Instead of making life more livable for the largely downtrodden citizenry, why the sleeplessness over Boko Haram harassments and wasteful distractions in the once accommodating Plateau?

Fifty one years after flag independence, why are we still living in darkness despite the enormous resources sunk into the sector? Why are graduates loitering in search of job and people living in abject penury in a vast nation with

‘As long as the western manipulators are satisfied and the local elites feel good with fat foreign accounts, to hell with a forsaken country called Nigeria. All other concerns and utterances are cosmetic balms to soothe the over-sucked masses’

enormously endowed human and natural resources? All these are removable affliction curses whenever we are ready as a people to stop crawling and start flying. The destiny of Nigeria is in the hand of Nigerians.

Reproduced below was a piece I wrote when the nation turned 32. Just replace the then party primaries with last April’s general elections, we are still largely where we were: “Thirty two years of flag independence and still counting.

We’ve been assured that this would be a modest celebration, that’s fitting. There’s surely no cause to roll out loud drums. It would not be to celebrate our collective disaster as a people unable to organize and steer the ship of state effectively and positively. Nor would it be for the palpable dishonesty and crushing corruption suffocating our collective aspirations.

There’s nothing to hallow in a nation that has turned majority of her people to paupers due to the mismanagement of a land potentially flowing with milk and honey.

“The handful Nigerians benefiting from the confusion of the past 32 years might not be honest to admit it that independence has meant the continued economic and political subjugation of the nation. Successive policies have been as colonial in inspiration and orientation as when the British were here. As long as the western manipulators are satisfied and the local elites feel good with fat foreign accounts, to hell with a forsaken country called Nigeria. All other concerns and utterances are cosmetic balms to soothe the over-sucked masses.

“Now we all know why they insist there’s no alternative to Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). In the midst of aggravating poverty and misery, more idle millionaires are being created. Notwithstanding that the nation’s debt kept mounting, the American Newsweek magazine recently estimated that $34 billion is the sort of meager bill to be picked up by few Nigerians. Yet the nation is being strangulated because of it. Such insensitivity.

“Thirty two years have meant a warped social value. So long as you erect an out-of-the-world edifice with extra-tall fences, install a showy satellite dish, you can as well shut yourself off the junk that is Ajegunle, Ijan and Panteka. So goes the new mentality. Whatever is good and trendy for the West is imitated without consideration for the reality of our squalid environment. But there we continue to miss the road to genuine independence.

“The West must be laughing its head off at our copycat mentality. We see them practice their own democracy. And of course they told us that it is good. So if it works for them, then it must work for us, forgetting butter no be as of necessity, monkey food. Now we can see the mess being made of a hitherto beautiful system. It didn’t work in the Second Republic and there are ample signals that the Third Republic might as well be a bigger disaster.

“Already the foundation being created is wobbly - ridden with insincerity, corruption and cover–ups. Money is name of the game. But nobody is questioning the source and basis for

the massive extravagance going on. The level of the people’s poverty, accentuated by SAP of course, is such that they’ll fall over one another to queue for a candidate just because of N50. To them, it might just be a way of sharing out of the now over-eaten national cake. It doesn’t matter if they would be forced to vomit it including the one not consumed – tomorrow. What matters is the survival of today.

“Even now, the primaries are over. Fashioned after the American way of choosing presidential candidates, it was as if the nation was on to discarding the old way of imposing candidates. Since we are all to be co-founders and co-joiners, the parties were supposed to provide equal platforms for both the wretched and the privileged. But what have we seen?

A total subversion of the intentions. And the umpires are pitiably throwing up their arms in defeat.

“The parties have been hijacked not just by moneybags, but more by those who could by no means legitimately account for the source of the enormous fund being pumped into the realization of their ambitions. Some, especially the leading ones seem to be spending from an inexhaustible vault. It is even said that one of them is so sure of the ticket because of the machinery fully at his disposal, that he is able and indeed ready to buy the presidency – in other words, the nation cash down.

“It was reported of the same aspirant (candidate) that it’s needless talking much on what he’ll do to the much-abused economy since his own solution is to spread the money now to ensure as much amala and ewedu as possible in the stomach.

All other things: dogon turenchi.

“The scandal has assumed a vicious proportion never experienced before in this country. The fear is that one way or the other, the money being spent today will be recouped if and when the spender eventually gets to power. The victim: national treasury.

“A nation that is not ready to learn from the pitfalls of the past is one existing on borrowed time. It might, sooner or later exhaust all the grace earmark for it. In the catastrophic free fall that would follow, not even those who presume they are enjoying today would be spared. They might initially escape to Europe and America to enjoy their loot. That could only be temporary. And even then they must occasionally still be nagged by the fact that a Nigeria once existed with all the promises and potentials of being a great force but was ruined by the greed and insensitivity of those who hijacked its leadership.

“The rigging that characterized the parties’ presidential primaries has put to shame the land and moonslides of 1983.

The people have mortgaged their votes for sentiments today at the risk of tomorrow’s starvation. If all goes according to promise, a president will emerge who in January will take over from the present administration. If that man happens to be the one who has bribed and rigged so much in his desperation to grab power, then the nation’s independence would have continued to be meaningless.”

SOS to President Jonathan on delayed pensions

W

E would like to believe that your government is a listening one and not insensitive to the horrible plight of pensioners in this country which appears isolated from civilized governments around the world, including your African neighbours. How many times have you received memos on the above matter, from 2007 to date? How many times have you showed concerns about the plight of pensioners who had served their country for many years, looking forward to peaceful retirements with prompt payments of their gratuities and pensions as it is done in civilized countries?

Were you ever aware of several publications on the routine premature deaths of retirees whose plight has been wickedly ignored by a government that should exist for the common good? Are you aware that other nations read about the attitude of Nigerian government to pensioners in Nigeria? If you are not aware, why are you not? If you are aware, why your noticeable silence?

It is known that the wicked government attitude to the plight of pensioners has been going on before your presidency. But with your slogan of transformation and all that, nothing has changed; or is it that you never intended that your regime could make a difference? I don’t believe so.

In 2007, under the regime of your predecessor, the government promised loud and clear that it would not just pay gratuities of pensioners, but would also pay their pensions regularly as at when due, i.e. monthly. After I had written a memo to you as Acting President in the Nation of March 18, 2010, the office of the Accountant General of the Federation in the Federal Ministry of Finance came up with a belated advertisement in the Punch of 31 March, 2010 (pp 70-71) promising to “pay pension arrears to verified pensioners of parastatals under federal ministries of education and health” from 2007, while pensioners were directed to “confirm remittance of their pension arrears in their banks as from Wednesday, 7th April, 2010”. This directive turned out to be a RUSE as no payment was made into anybody’s bank account for six months! When something was done much later, it was a reluctant payment of half of pensioners’ arrears after the present writer castigated the office of the Directorate of Pensions, the Head of Service and the Accountant General of the Federation for their conspiracy of silence. I even challenged the presidency for refusing to call these officers to order, wondering precisely where the fault was – with the Head of service, the Directorate of Pensions, the Accountant General or the President.

Yet, since 2010, the remaining half of pensioners’ arrears

By Moses Makinde has not been paid. The universities and the parastatals knew exactly the amount in default. The questions now are the following: Do we have a government in this country, and if the answer is yes, when will the government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan wake up from its permanent slumber even when the whole world is aware of what is going on through the internet? Things like these have made Nigeria a laughing stock in the international community.

Just imagine these scenarios. When the federal government defaulted in its promised payment of pension arrears in 2007, the pensioners staged a protest to the deaf ears of the government, the National Assembly and the Nigeria Labour Congress. Both the National Assembly and, surprisingly, the NLC have never bothered to show concerns about the plight of pensioners simply because the former usually get their gratuities euphemistically called severance allowances, even just after two to four years of “services” to the nation, and the NLC because they are not yet involved in collecting gratuities and pensions, forgetting that one day they too would join the pensioners and begin to experience the same plight of the current pensioners.

Some months ago, a pensioner appeared on a television programme with piles of documents to show how the pension officers dupe pensioners. They usually ask for papers that had once or twice been submitted and bank accounts already in their possession. It was alleged that pensioners’ funds were always fixed in order to steal the interests over a period of time while the owners of the funds languish in poverty and some die as a result of neglect. When they feel like paying, they send pensioners’ money in the south to different banks in the north, thus delaying payment and allowing for more interests to accrue on pensioners’ funds.

Just recently, there was a programme on the T.V which talked about the high level of corruption going on in the “pension house of horror” where 200 million Naira (N200m) was found in a Grade Level 4 officer’s bank account after her death, and also about some officers now being chased by the EFCC over more than 2bn naira stolen from pensioners’ funds. The programme also talked about the conspiracy of endless verification and trading with pensioners’ funds.

About six weeks ago, pensioners from one of the South west states who had gone to Abuja several times this year in connection with their pension arrears were told to cough out N5,000 each before their matter could be entertained for an-

other exercise. Of course, the poor pensioners not only contributed money, as usual, as transport for their representatives’ trip to Abuja, but also went with a huge sum of money collected from the N5,000 unofficial levies without which their matter would not be considered. Just imagine that! Even after the payment of the levies, nothing has come out of Abuja.

Now, your government should investigate this ugly matter and put a stop to the habit of bribes before payment of pension arrears.

We hope that by this write-up the. President would get involved in the prompt payment of pension arrears while the Federal Government should pass a bill to this effect. As suggested in the TV programme under reference, the bill should consider about 20 credible people from the Presidency, Central Bank, Auditor General’s office, the Army, Media Organization, STV, NGOs and the Civil Society to take over and monitor payment of pension arrears in this country. Enough is certainly enough, Mr. President.

• Professor Makinde is of Philosophy department, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria

‘Both the National Assembly and, surprisingly, the NLC have never bothered to show concerns about the plight of pensioners simply because the former usually get their gratuities euphemistically called severance allowances, even just after two to four years of “services” to the nation, and the NLC because they are not yet involved in collecting gratuities and pensions, forgetting that one day they too would join the pensioners and begin to experience the same plight of the current pensioners’

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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EDITORIAL/OPINION

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N just a few days from now, Nigeria will be 51 years old as an independent country. As should be expected, the occasion affords another golden moment for introspection and sober reflection on the nation’s journey so far. An occasion like this provides a good opportunity for us to re-examine the promises independence held for our nation and whatever progress has been recorded in that direction thereafter.

It was the general expectation that independence would bring forth a land of freedom marked by general prosperity by the citizens.

The expectation was that the exit of the white man would not only bring to an end their domination and exploitation but more importantly, liberate the creative energies of our people for the good things that were to follow. This optimism was further given fillip by the campaign strategies of the nationalists who promised a land of milk and honey marked by freedom from oppression, freedom from insecurity; intimidation and harassment.

Fifty-one years on, where does the nation stand on these promises? To what extent have these alluring promises been realized? Can we reasonably maintain that we have fared better on these indices than was hitherto the case during the years of colonial rule?

In other words, have we been able to build a united Nigeria where the constituent units are free to pursue their affairs without let or hindrance? What of citizenship rights, duties and obligations? Does the central authority still compete with the primordial units for the control of the citizen’s loyalty? Depending on the way these posers are resolved, what is their effect on the onerous task of forging a common sense of belonging among the disparate entities that make up this federation?

What is their effect on mutual trust, suspicion and fear?

These searing questions are only relevant to the extent that they act as pathfinders to the contradiction that has become Nigeria at 51. Contradiction yes because at 50 last year, the attempt to celebrate the golden anniversary of the ‘nation’ was punctuated by bomb blasts which left many dead and sounded the warning very unambiguously that all is not well with the nation.

Since then, the matter has taken the worst dimension with the bombing of the United Nations Building a couple of weeks ago leaving in its trail more than 25 people killed and several others wounded. There have been

Emeka OMEIHE 08058105720 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

In fear at 51

other incidents of bomb attacks, among them the suicide bombing of the Nigerian Police Headquarters in Abuja Before the dangerous dimension of suicide bomb attacks, sectarian violence had been rife in several northern states and often results in the loss of lives and property of non indigenes. These have tended to raise questions regarding the propriety in touting one Nigeria and a united nation when very often, the impression is given in those sections of the country that other citizens are not wanted.

Many of those who could no longer contend with that mess have since relocated.

At 51 therefore, we cannot but raise questions regarding the progress if any, in approximating the expectations of our founding fathers. We cannot but reflect on whether it was a shortsighted idea for our forefathers to have worked relentlessly towards a united nation where the constituents will be better disposed to realize their collective aspirations.

This is more so given the disconcerting signals that constantly challenge our collective will to live together.

It was perhaps, on account of such frustrations that the deposed Libyan strongman Moamer Gadhafi sometime last year, prescribed the balkanization of the country into two. For Gadhafi, the splitting of Nigeria into Christian south and Moslem north was the necessary tonic for peace and stability of the country. Expectedly, this prescription generated a lot of anger in Nigeria and some people even called for his head. But even in the face of that anger, there were others who were able to read in between the lines about the apparent frustrations that led Gadhafi into such a proposition.

Gadhafi may have had a hazy understanding of the geo-political configuration of Nigeria. He may have thought that only Moslems inhabit the northern part of the country while the south is homeland to Christians. To that extent, his prescriptions may have been utopian. But the pertinent point raised by him about the increasing religious intolerance in the country and the dangers it posed for co-habitation can only be ignored at a great risk. What he saw from his far away Libya were constant flashpoints of religious riots in the north leading to losses in both human and material terms. Perhaps, he had thought that the best way to stem this slide to the precipice was for the two sides to stay apart. He may have been wrong. But the fears and frustrations that led him into such a prescription are very palpable.

It is therefore not enough to call Gadhafi names. It is also not enough that Nigeria has taken position against him in his current travails. What should make sense to us are positive steps taken to stave off the sources of those damning predictions. For as long as such negative manifestations continue to rear up their ugly heads so long will those negative predictions subsist.

But Gadhafi is not alone in this. A former United States of America U.S ambassador to Nigeria had also expressed doubts about the survival of Nigeria as a nation. These are the issues to ponder as we mark the country’s 51st independence. Fears about the capacity of Nigeria to survive as a nation have today been further reinforced. The killings in Jos which take the coloration of ethnic cum religious conflicts, the recurring distractions of ethnic militias and militants as well as the

threat posed by the Boko Haram sect combine to unleash the feeling of insecurity on the nation. The matter is such today that questions are being raised by well meaning people on the prospects of Nigeria surviving the systemic stress that constantly emanate from these conflicts.

Today, it is no longer outsiders drawing our attention to the prospects of an impending doom. Many well meaning Nigerians are themselves having that fear and have spoken out. At 51, it is sad a thing that instead of counting the gains recorded in the area of national integration, there is a negative relapse to those primordial proclivities that held sway before independence. Instead of a Nigerian, what we see on the ground today, are individuals who lay claims to their ethnic and religious cleavages and are prepared to pursue them to very dangerous dimensions.

The confusion arising from such attachments in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society as ours are better imagined. The matter is not made any easier by the near helplessness of the government in decisively tackling these problems. The recurring crisis in Jos has defied the government despite the fact that it primarily exists to protect lives and property. So would seem the Boko Haram menace. Nigerians now live in a perpetual state of fear and it remains uncertain if respite will be forthcoming. How long can we go on this way and still survive as a nation? This is the raging fear and the mental state of the average Nigerian as we celebrate the 51st independence anniversary. But all hope is not lost as the government could still muster the necessary political will to stem the tide and restore hope and confidence of all in a united federation.

‘At 51, it is sad a thing that instead of counting the gains recorded in the area of national integration, there is a negative relapse to those primordial proclivities that held sway before independence’

VIEW FROM THE FOREIGN PRESS

I

MAGINE if a city of almost four million people disappeared every year. A Los Angeles, Johannesburg, Yokohama. It would be hard to miss.

Yet it goes largely unnoticed that almost four million girls and women “go missing” each year in developing countries when compared to their female counterparts in developed countries. About two-fifths are never born; a sixth die in early childhood, and more than a third die in their reproductive years.

High mortality rates are just one of many barriers to equality between men and women, as argued in the World Bank’s new report. Equality is not just the right thing to do. It’s smart economics. How can an economy achieve full potential if it ignores, sidelines or fails to invest in half its population?

The world has taken significant steps over the past 25 years toward narrowing the gaps

‘Talk to Julian Omalla. This Ugandan business woman had trouble getting a loan in 2007. She was not alone.

Ugandan women owned nearly 40 percent of registered businesses, our research showed, but got less than 10 percent of commercial credit.

Since Omalla gained access to credit, thanks to Uganda’s DFCU Bank and the World Bank’s private sector arm the IFC, her food and beverage company has thrived. Today it employs hundreds of people’

Empowering women powers nations

By Robert B. Zoellick between men and women in education, health and labor markets.

Today, girls and boys participate equally in primary education in most developing countries; a third have more girls in secondary school than boys. At the university level, women now outnumber men in more than 60 countries.

Women are using their education to participate increasingly in the labor force, diversify their time beyond housework and childcare and shape their communities, economies and societies. Women now make up more than 40 percent of the global labor force — including a large share of the world’s entrepreneurs and farmers.

This pace of change has been remarkable: For example, what took the United States 40 years to achieve in increasing girls’ school enrollment, Morocco did in a decade.

Other dimensions of equality, however, portray a more disturbing picture.

Girls who are poor, live in remote areas or belong to minority groups still cannot attend school as easily as boys. Women are more likely than men to work in low-paying occupations, to farm smaller plots and to manage smaller firms in less profitable sectors.

Whether workers, farmers or entrepreneurs, women earn less than men: 20 percent less in Mexico and Egypt; 40 percent less in Georgia, Germany or India; 66 percent less in Ethiopia. Women —especially poor women— have less say over decisions and less control over household resources than men. Women’s voice and representation in society, business and politics is significantly lower than men’s — with little difference

between poor and rich countries.

Leveling the playing field for women would offer huge potential.

Talk to Julian Omalla. This Ugandan business woman had trouble getting a loan in 2007. She was not alone. Ugandan women owned nearly 40 percent of registered businesses, our research showed, but got less than 10 percent of commercial credit. Since Omalla gained access to credit, thanks to Uganda’s DFCU Bank and the World Bank’s private sector arm the IFC, her food and beverage company has thrived. Today it employs hundreds of people.

Much more can be done to stop women from being economically marginalized.

Equalizing access to fertilizers, and other inputs for female and male farmers, for example, could increase agricultural yields in much of Africa by 11 percent to 20 percent.

Removing obstacles to women that block certain sectors and occupations could raise output per worker by three percent to 25 percent — depending on the country. Legal reforms that would allow women to own land and businesses, or inherit property, can free them to become economic agents of change.

Putting resources in the hands of women has shown to be good not just for them, but also for their children. It increases a child’s chances of survival, health and nutrition and school performance.

Empowering women to use their talents and skills can boost countries’ competitiveness and support growth —a valuable, under-used resource in an uncertain global economy. During the 2008 financial crisis, women’s incomes helped keep many fami-

lies afloat —hence the importance of ensuring that women’s productivity and incomes are not held down by market or institutional barriers, or overt discrimination.

This challenge is not just about developing countries. Around the world, one in 10 women will be sexually or physically abused by a partner, or someone she knows, over her lifetime.

The World Bank’s new report calls for action in four areas: • addressing human capital issues, like the higher mortality of girls and women, through investment in clean water and maternal care and persistent disadvantages in education through targeted programs; • closing the earning and productivity gaps between women and men — by improving access to productive resources; water and electricity, and childcare; • increasing participation by women in decisions made within households and societies; and • limiting gender inequality across generations, by investing in the health and education of adolescent boys and girls, creating opportunities to improve their lives and offering family planning information.

We have seen that focused policy attention can make a difference. Sustainable solutions are best grounded in partnerships including families, the private sector, governments, development agencies and religious and civil society groups.

Even in the most traditional societies and poorest villages, I have seen that when women gain opportunities to earn more for their families, it quickly overcomes men’s suspicions — or even initial hostility.

But people often need a project that sparks a changed outlook. The poorest countries can accomplish much more with financial help.

The World Bank will invest, in part, because the economic payoffs are large.

Gender equality is the right thing to do.

And it is also smart economics.

• Robert B. Zoellick is the president of the World Bank Group. Their new report, “World Development Report: Gender Equality and Development,” was released last Monday.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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41

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

Egbunike rues decline in athletics

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IGERIA’s long lasting 400 meters record holder Innocent Egbunike has expressed disappointment that his 27-year record in 400 meters is still standing till date.

Speaking in Abuja, the Olympic bronze medalist said the country has all it takes to produce the likes of Usain Bolt within a short period.

Quoting his words, the former

•Says 27-year record still standing From Patrick Ngwaogu, Abuja African record holder said “there is a problem with that. The dream of every father is for their children to surpass whatever achievements they have. If you look at the 2000 Olympics record,

Group opponents are no threats—Oduamadi

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ESPITE grouped in a somewhat difficult pool B alongside Morocco, Algeria and Senegal, Dream Team V talismanic attacking midfielder and AC Torino of Italy player, Nnamdi Oduamadi has stressed that he saw no threats in the combine forces of their opponents in the Olympics playoff in Egypt in as much as the players play to the instructions of Nigeria Under 23 technical crew headed by coach Austin Eguavoen.

Speaking exclusively with SportingLife from his base the former Golden Eaglets invitee exuded confidence that Nigeria would pick one of the tickets to the Olympics Men’s Football Event as a consolation for Under 23’s inability to secure a berth in the recently held All African Games which was won by Dream Team V conquerors, Black Meteors of Ghana.

He enthused that a berth at the Olympics next year would be readily assured if the players and the technical crew work harder and ensuring that preparation for the Play off suffers no hitches at all.

According to the AC Milan on loan star,”We are going to pick a ticket to the Olympics. We still need to work harder for that to become a reality. I can assure you that we don’t have any

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri problems at all with our opponents; we just have to work harder on our own and concentrate on our coaches’ instructions. I will call it a balanced group. Morocco, Algeria and Senegal will give us a good run for our money and we are ready for the challenge.”

Oduamadi confirmed that though he has not been contacted on how the preparation would look like he was optimistic that within the next few days he would be reached and most especially now that the draws have been made.

“No I have not really heard anything from our officials but I am sure by this week I would be communicated just like the rest of the players would be also. It is then we shall know the plans of the team and how to go about it for the sole aim of ensuring that Nigeria is among the nations contesting for the Men’s Olympic Games Gold Medal in London next year.” Oduamadi concludes Nigeria qualified for the Eight Nations playoff after defeating Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania in the qualifiers and the team will be seeking another berth in London next year to improve on the silver medal won by Samson Siasia inspired Dream Team 1V at the 2008 Olympics in China.

I coached our 4 x 400m team that broke our African record, my goal is that if such an opportunity comes again, I would be able to make that record, by producing athletes that would break that my long standing record. If I coached an American who now holds the ninth fastest time in the world, but when he came to me one year ago, his record was nothing to write home about, I believe we have athletes here that can do better.

“All it would involve is to go back to the nitty –gritty of the whole thing and we would be there. Again we have to make sure that our athletes go back to get the education. It is not all about running, you must combine it with education. Because I believe education is power,” he said..

Egbunike also emphasised that upcoming athletes should cultivate the patriotic urge that propelled him to break the African record in the past “the major thing that propelled us those days was the interest of the country. I remember vividly that in Kenya 1987, President Arab Moi said that Innocent was not Innocent at the All African Games in Nairobi. He saw the way I ran the last race of 4x 400m, against his countrymen before making that statement. But while on the track, the interest of the Nigeria was very paramount in my mind. I know very well that before that event, I was sleeping on the floor, but I did not allow it deter me instead it propelled me into doing better and winning the 400 meters and 4 x 400 meters gold medals. I didn’t complain because I was there to represent my country, and we must give our best”.

He ruled out that possibility of athletes complaining of lack of facilities, saying that the country is now blessed with a lot of facilities that can produce world beaters in the nearest future.

Osaze to rekindle goal scoring form

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EST Brom striker Peter Odemwingie has vowed to prove he is not a one-season wonder as he closes in on a return to full fitness.

The Nigeria international believes he is close to full fitness and sharpness after suffering a pre-season ankle injury in a friendly at Bristol City.

Odemwingie followed up his 120 minutes action against Everton in the Carling Cup on Wednesday with another full appearance during Saturday’s goalless home draw with Fulham.

He scored 15 goals in his debut campaign for the Baggies and believes

•Osaze

he is more of a marked man now, but is determined to show he can score in the Premier League season after season.

Odemwingie said: “Is the full sharpness there? It is getter better. It was coming more against Fulham and hopefully there are no more setbacks.

“At Everton I got two good kicks on the ankle, against Fulham on the Achilles. English football is not easy. It is sometimes tough.

“Defenders pay more attention. They will not be under-rating my abilities after last season.

“But I am very motivated and the excitement of playing in the Premier League is still there.

“Even though I had a good season last season, I am not still satisfied and hopefully I can build now my confidence, get back to good physical condition and start scoring again.”

Albion remain in the relegation zone despite moving off the bottom but Odemwingie feels there were encouraging signs during an improved second-half showing.

He said: “I think the second-half performance was very promising. We were very nervous, having lost lately, being last in the table.

“It puts you under some kind of pressure. We can’t relax and just play.

“But the motivation we showed in the second half is what impresses me personally and I think that performance gives us hope that we are just temporarily down the table and we belong somewhere else.”

Manager Roy Hodgson was happy with Odemwingie’s second-half show and that of his striker partner Shane Long after reverting from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 formation.

He said: “Players have bad games.

Peter played 120 minutes in the week and didn’t have a good first half against Fulham.

“I think he was trying too hard, he was trying to make everything work almost single-handedly.

“I asked him at half-time to play a bit simpler and be a bit less hard on himself and he seemed to do that - and it was the same with Shane Long.

“Both had good second halfs and poor first halfs.”

Fulham boss Martin Jol was pleased with the way his side overcame the loss of strikers Bobby Zamora and Andrew Johnson through illness to earn a point.

They are still seeking a first league win but only a fine point-blank save from West Brom keeper Ben Foster to deny substitute Bryan Ruiz kept the score goalless.

LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS

Taiwo escapes red Quadri targets biggest upset N card in league clash N

IGERIA international Taye Taiwo was lucky not to be dismissed on his official debut for Italian champions AC Milan in a 1-0 win over Cesena.

The left back was first booked in the 34th minute and must have been grateful he did not pick another yellow just before the break for a

dangerous-looking tackle on Roberto Guana.

Taiwo, who was a free agent from French club Olympique Marseille in the summer, played for 51 minutes before he was replaced by Gianluca Zambrotta.

Overall, the Nigerian defender posted a decent shift as he defended

LONDON 2012 WOMEN’S OLYMPICS QUALIFIERS

Eucharia allays fear over Falcons •Says Cameroun can’t stop Nigeria

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HE chief coach of the Super Falcons, Uche Eucharia has assured Nigerians that the senior female national team would cross the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroun inspite of the Central African All African Games Gold Medal a feat she attributed to the inability of six times African Champions to feature at the Africa’s mini Olympics which took place in Mozambique recently.

The Black Princesses of Ghana pipped the Falcons 3-2 to the African Zone 3 All African Games Qualifiers just the way their Male counterpart, Black Meteors ended the Under 23 dreams of participating in the Games too in 2007 and 2011 and Nigerians are becoming anxious to know the fate of the team owing to the initial leg slender lead ahead of the second leg cracker but coach Uche has urged the country to get behind their representatives as their prayers and support would be crucial at this point in time.

Her words, “Cameroun was the All African Games Gold Medalist and that happened because Nigeria was not there. I have consistently stated that no African country is a pushover the bridge between us and the rest of the teams in the continent is closing up by each passing day and what we have to do to keep relevant is to ensure that we are about two steps ahead of others. Cameroun’s victory at the AAG has nothing to do

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri with the Olympics Qualifiers.

“I ask Nigerians to keep praying for us. This is time to support and pray for us and not time to castigate and criticize the team. National team is our team and it does not belong to an individual or certain group. It is time to show the support they have for Falcons in their quest to qualify for the Olympic Games.”

Coach Uche also has kind words for the Super Falcons players that participated in the just concluded Super League for lifting up to the billings and justifying their place in the national team and singling out Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt which have most Falcons players for their brilliance while the tournament lasted at Abuja.

She pledged to give all the players equal opportunity to prove their worth while highlighting that the technical crew is already making a compilation of the new players discovered at the Super League and will add it up with those ones to be noticed during the concluding rounds of the Challenge Cup which takes center stage this week before taking a cursory look at those that will be invited among them.

Joel Obi doubtful for Moscow trip N Tuesday, Inter Milan face CSKA Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow in the UEFA Champions League. Ahead of the game, Claudio Ranieri might have to do without the services of his Nigeria international Joel Obi. The super talent picked up a muscular problem against Bologna on Saturday, after suffering a blow to the left hip, and is questionable for the second round of matches in the Champions League.

Speaking to Inter Channel after the game on Saturday against Bologna, Claudio Ranieri hopes Obi’s injury is not too serious.

Ranieri said: ‘’The injured? do not know who I can recall, though I hope not to lose Joel Obi for Moscow because I don’t have Muntari available for the Champions League.“

Ismaily to invalidate Owoeri’s USA deal

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IGERIA international John Owoeri has surfaced in the United States to continue his career with the Columbus Crew, the official website of Ismaily reported on Saturday.

The Netherland 2005 star is rebelling at the Egyptian club because they owe him some money. The former Heartland star issued an ultimatum to Ismaily to pay him the sum of US$50,000 (=N=7.5 million) before returning to the club. That expired September 20 with Ismaily refusing

to honour the financial obligation.

Colombus Crew have contacted Ismaily so that Owoeri could be issued with a temporary International Transfer Certificate. But Ismaily say they will safeguard the rights of their player, and only Fifa can terminate the player’s contract.

All the documents showing Owoeri’s is contracted to Ismaily will be sent to Colombus Crew.

Normally, FIFA has a maximum of 60 days to resolve players’ dispute with their clubs.

•Wants more support for t/tennis in Nigeria

By Innocent Amomoh

because I know that winning the singles title is going to be tough and it was not that I did not believe in myself but I knew that it was dicey. I really thank God for making my main goal became a reality and I am also appreciating what God has done for me by claiming bronze medal after becoming the last man standing for my country. I am a fulfilled man in Maputo.”

He added: “Having qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games, my target is to perform beyond the expectations of Nigerians and to also cause the biggest upset during the games by making it to the top place in the singles event.

To perform better in London, Segun Toriola and I need to be playing competitions on regularly basis and two months before the Olympics, we should go to China for training tour so that we can learn several tactics from the Chinese players. If China is not possible another favourable environment to improve rapidly is the Werner Schlarger Academy in

Austria.”

On the dominance of Egypt over Nigeria in Maputo, Quadri said: “Two things gave them (Egypt) edge over us.

Firstly, they are serious about youth development and it was through this they discovered Assar Omar, the winner of the singles event and most of their junior female players who now made up their senior national team were products of the programme. Also, they ensured that they attend international competitions to expose and test their players.

“Most times they go for training tour to China on regular basis to the extent that before the Maputo games they were in China for two months preparing for the championship. All these gave them opportunity to be ahead of us. For me I felt so bad when we lost to the Egyptians in the team final because it was a disgrace that we lost 3-0 in the presence of our Sports Minister.

“We lost because they (Egypt) are

T

•Ighalo

•Quadri

CAF approves NFF’s coaching course HE Confederation of African Football has given the Nigeria Football Federation the go-ahead to conduct the CAF License ‘C’ coaching seminar starting on Monday, 26th September.

FIFA Technical Advisor and NFF’s Technical Consultant, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde disclosed this after a CAF Technical Committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt on Friday.

The CAF License ‘C’ coaching seminar, which will last for 14 days, will take place at the FIFA Technical Centre, Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja and will precede the License ‘B’ course which will take place in a few weeks’ time.

CAF has stipulated that any Head Coach who would sit on the bench during the 2012 African Cup of Nations finals, taking place in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in January/February, must hold the minimum of a ‘B’ License.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

O

•Uche Eucharia

well and was always willing to join the attack although at times he did not look very comfortable on the ball in front of 41,000 fans.

He was rated by the media between six and seven points out of 10.

An early goal by skipper Clarence Seedorf earned a Milan side, which made four changes from the team that drew with Udinese in midweek, their first win of the new season.

An ankle injury which sidelined him for about three weeks had delayed his Milan debut.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said he expected more from Taiwo going forward.

“Taiwo was playing his first game in a long time, so when attacking he often got his timing wrong, while in defence he was either too tight or too wide, but he didn’t disappoint me,” remarked Allegri.

Milan are eighth in the standings with five points from four matches.

IGERIA’s only survivor in the table tennis men’s single event at the just concluded All Africa Games in Mozambique ahead of the 2012 Olympics, Aruna Quadri, has boasted thar he has what it takes to cause one of the biggest upsets at quadrennial event.

The All Africa Games bronze medalist, who is the first Nigerian to qualify for the table tennis event of the 2012 London Olympic Games, however, called for more support for table tennis considering the performance of the team at the All Africa Games in Maputo.

The Oyo State-born star, who made his debut at the games in Maputo, said he was a fulfilled man achieving his target of berthing in London and that his focus at the Olympics was to make it to the top place in the singles event.

Quadri and Segun Toriola will represent Nigeria at the 2012 London Olympics after they both made the continent’s 12-man list released after the Maputo games by the Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF).

He said: “I had two aims to achieve before the games started which were to qualify for London 2012 Olympics and also to win the singles title. To qualify for the Olympics was my main target

more exposed than us. They had featured in various international competitions before the games while Segun Toriola, Monday Merotohun and I featured in just two competitions of which we even sponsored ourselves. I think we really need the help of sports ministry to retrieve the lost glory from the Egyptians. This can be done if we are sponsored to more international competitions most especially the younger players.”

NFF’s Technical Director, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme confirmed at the weekend that the License ‘C’ programme will be for an aggregate of 120 hours, and will involve 80 coaches from across the length and breadth of the federation.

Forty per cent of the programme will be for theory, and the remaining 60 per cent for practicals. The last three days of the seminar will be for revision and examinations.

Chief Onigbinde, a two-time Head Coach of the Senior National Team, will be the lead instructor, with Coaches Paul Hamilton, Kashimawo Laloko, James Peters and Amodu Shuaibu also to be involved.

Former FIFA referee Linus Mba, medical expert Dr. Akin Amao and former NFF General Secretary and CAF instructor Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba will also teach the trainers, alongside NFF Technical Director Emmanuel Ikpeme.

EIGHT NATIONS OLYMPICS SOCCER PLAYOFF

Nwosu predicts difficult road for Dream Team V

F

ORMER Green Eagles’ striker, Henry Nwosu has described the Dream Team V African Zone Olympics Qualifying play off Group B opponents as threats to the Nigeria Under 23 quest to book a place at the London 2012 Games and has recommended intense preparation as the only route for the country representative.

Speaking shortly after the draw which pitched Nigeria against two North African sides: Algeria and Morocco and fellow West African neighbour, Senegal, Nwosu stated that without well programmed preparation the three countries paired alongside the Olympic Eagles have proven track records in under-aged competitions and could make qualification quite difficult for the Dream Team if necessary steps were not taken to curtail their onslaught.

“This is a very tough group and I think qualification from this group will largely depend on how prepared the players and the coaches are before the play off begins. We will be shooting ourselves in the leg if we failed to utilize the time left before the play off begins well. These countries have rich track record when it comes to youth competitions and I see them stretching us to the limit.”

Nwosu, who was the youngest

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri member of the 1980 African Cup of Nations victorious Green Eagles team nonetheless hailed the composition of the draw arguing that it was better for Nigeria representatives to qualify from a seemingly difficult group and really get the toughness of what the actual Olympics will look like than getting there on a platter.

The former Under 17 coach in all expressed no doubts that the Dream Team V would grab one of the three direct tickets to London 2012 while admonishing Nigerians to pray for the team in order for the country’s flag to be hoisted at next year’s Olympic Games.

Host Egypt, Cote d’ Ivoire , South Africa and Gabon are the four countries in the other Group.Three teams will represent Africa at the men’s soccer event of the Olympics in London next year.

The fourth-placed side will face Asian nation in a playoff match to determine their fate before the Games.

Nigeria lost the last Olympics Gold medal to Argentina after Angel Di Maria’s 50th minutes long range chip confined the Dream Team 1V to silver medal at the 2008 edition in Beijing, China.

25

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

• Senators brace up for work at inauguration.

Committee composition unsettles Senate W

ITH the inauguration of the 7th Senate on June 6, focus of public discourse shifted to the composition of standing committees of the upper chamber. Composition of standing committees may have come into sharper attention because of the leading role that the upper chamber of the National Assembly is expected to play in the scheme of things in the country.

The need to rebuild the image of the National Assembly which took a great bashing since the return to democracy due mainly to many unresolved scandals and the need to build a more focused Senate, one which will be more productive in terms of legislation and oversight of the executive may have also contributed to the anxiety that trailed the composition of the committees.

In general terms, the expectations of Senators and other Nigerians crystallized around the need to build a new Senate that will deliver substantially the needs of Nigerians.

The expectations ignited a robust discussion and even anticipation of the sort of committees the presiding officers of the upper chamber will come up with.

With the composition of the committees on September 15, the stage may have been set for the 7th Senate to hit the ground running. Committees are the hub, the engine and the soul of any parliament.

Senate President, Senator David Mark, recognised the expectation and promised to work on a new image for the National Assembly in view of the increasing maturity of democracy in the country during his inauguration as the Senate President. He promised to continue with, and even deepen the collegiate leadership style, which he said was the hallmark of the 6th Senate. Apparently to reciprocate the huge support he received from the Senators when he emerged President of the Senate for the second time, he promised to be honest, transparent, fair, as well as ensure equity and justice in the affairs of the Senate.

He has since continued to underscore the fact that Nigerians expect the Senate to be focused, calm, but intense in its determination of issues that bother them and has promised to bring that to bear on his leadership of the Senate.

Like everything in politics, the composi-

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

tion of committees did not go without politicking as Senators clandestinely took steps to position themselves for committees of their choices. Some Senators are said to have commenced lobby for some committees immediately it was obvious that Mark would clinch the position of Senate presidency.

The lobbyists, some who are seen as Mark loyalists, are said to have recruited others to back Mark in his quest to return as Senate President. While some Senators were said to have perfected their game plan to acquire some juicy committees, Mark was reported to have guarded against subterranean moves but a few to cajole him into succumbing to their whims and caprices in the choice of committees.

It may not have been a costly gamble especially with the absence of any strong opposition to Mark’s aspiration. When Mark therefore emerged first among equals in the upper chamber, Senators who played pivotal roles in watering the ground for him to cruise home easily may have received their rewards in committee appointments.

The comradeship that pervaded the Senate chamber after the announcement of list of committees may be a sign that Mark has successfully weathered the storm of composition of standing committee which used be one of the banana peels dreaded by past presiding officers of the Red Chamber.

Though some of the committees of the upper chamber in the 6th Senate were said to be in comatose as though they never existed, the current composition is seen by some

• Mark observers as a fair deal. Some watchers of Senate politics agreed that the presiding officers tried to put round pegs in round hole Notwithstanding, with its unimpressive showing in the ruling party at the general election, the South West geo-political zone appeared to have lost out in the sharing of Senate committee.

Out of 56 standing committees, the zone got four chairmanship slots, the South East got 10 slots, the North Central received 12 slots, North West got nine, North East re-

‘I addressed a press conference where I said that I am a democrat, law abiding and also a team player as a politician. And that since there was this Senate decision categorizing the Senators into ranking and rankless, since I belonged to the rankless group I will not be qualified to contest the Senate presidency and that I support the present Senate President 100 per cent’ - Senator David Mark

ceived eight, South South got the highest number of chairmanship positions with 13 slots.

Mark with his position as Senate President retained the chairmanship of the powerful Selection Committee with Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeremadu as vice chairman; Suleiman Adokwe a second time Senator from Nasarawa State clinched the chairmanship of the juicy Senate Services Committee with Senator Christopher Nwankwo as vice chairman; Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom) who crossed over from the House of Representatives after 12 years in the House, retained the chairmanship of Senate committee on Rules and Business. Enang was chairman House committee on Rules and Business for eight years.

Smart Adeyemi a second time Senator representing Kogi West elected emerged chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with Senator Domingo Alaba Obende a first time Senator as vice chairman; Adeyemi appointment as FCT committee chairman is widely seen as one of the best decisions taken by Mark due to his principled stands on issues that border on goings-on in the FCT. Enyinnaya Abaribe who represents Abia South in the upper chamber emerged chairman, committee on Media and Public Affairs with Senator Bello Tukur as vice chairman. Abaribe is a second time senator while Tukur is a first timer.

Uche Chukwumerije, a third time Senator clinched the position of Senate Committee on Education with Senator Olusola Adeyeye as vice chairman; Senator James Manager, a third time Senator emerged chairman of the powerful Niger Delta committee while Senator Bukola Saraki clinched the chairmanship of the committee on Environment and Ecology.

Senator Ayogu Eze a second time Senator got chairman of Works committee while Helen Esuene, a first time Senator clinched the chairmanship of Women Affairs committee. Senator Bassey Out who crossed over from the House of Representatives after 12 years in the House got Finance committee chairman while Senator Paulinus Igwe who also moved from the House to the Senate got the chairman of Police Affairs committee.

• Continued on page 26

26

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

POLITICS

The tasks before us, by Interior Minister

D

RUM his favourite music into his eardrum at the moment, chances are that Minister of Interior Comrade Abba Moro will shock whoever expects him to wear a bright face and do a dance. Reason: His heart is burdened with the grim insecurity challenge in the country.

An implacable labour activist and community/grassroots development crusader, his uncommon passion and commitment to the current task in his hands were bold on his face while his chat with The Nation lasted in the week.

“The security challenge facing the nation is the main focus of the Ministry of Interior. The ministry has the responsibility over the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), an organisation with direct control over the nation’s border posts. The Prisons Service, Fire Service and the Civil Defence Corps are some of the government agencies directly under the supervision of the ministry. The influx of illegal aliens into the country through the border posts, especially in the north, has been linked to the spate of bombings in the country. Some of the foot soldiers of the groups committing the crime are believed to be citizens of neighbouring countries. Certainly, this cannot continue,” he blew hot.

Apparently expressing his conviction in his current task, he said: “We are doing a comprehensive assessment of the border posts with a view to revitalising them. We are identifying all regular and irregular border posts because criminals won’t pass through legal posts.”

The capacity of border patrol officials, he also hinted, is being strengthened for better performance. “Efforts are also ongoing to stop corruption at the border posts which allow the influx of illegal aliens,” the minister said.

Of course he sees enough sense in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) treaty which allows for movement of people across the borders in the member-states; but he has a reservation: It should not be reason for the coming into the country of people of questionable character.

Disclosing that the prisons were also receiving the full attention of his ministry, Moro reinstated his advocacy for a return to the prison’s reformative role. Some of the prisons, he said, are now to be built up to international standards, citing the example of the Enugu prisons which was built in 1915.

He said the increasing number of criminals nowadays had contributed to the overcrowding of the prisons, lamenting that the slow judicial process had ensured that more ‘awaiting trial’ people other than convicts are in the prisons.

By Dada Aladelokun, Assistant Editor

The minister said he had has taken it upon himself to work with the Ministry of Justice and all relevant agencies of government to make the prisons better.

Despite the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and some other countries to exchange prisoners, he said: “Our prisoners are unwilling to come home because of the poor state of our prisons.”

Unlike before, he said that The Civil Defence Corps would now to bear light arms as it obtains in civilised societies, revealing that President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the proposal.

That Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world without a coordinated Fire Service policy worries the minister. This, he said he was poised to reverse by seeing to the establishment of a Fire Service Commission to clean up the system and enable the Federal Fire Service to “work in a concert with the fire services in the states to be able to function effectively in emergency situations.”

On Nigerians’ expectations from the Jonathan-led government, he sought for caution because according to him, there cannot be miracle in just a few months.

Affirming that the President was working hard to actualise his transformation agenda, Moro added that the mission could only actualise in an atmosphere of peace.

He allayed people’s fear on the state of the nation’s economy, saying that with his experience as a local government chairman, he understands that poor economy leads to violent reactions, adding that the government was working hard at fixing the economy and create more opportunities for people.

‘The security challenge facing the nation is the main focus of the Ministry of Interior...The influx of illegal aliens into the country through the border posts, especially in the north, has been linked to the spate of bombings in the country. Some of the foot soldiers of the groups committing the crime are believed to be citizens of neighbouring countries.

Certainly, this cannot continue’

Committee composition unsettles Senate • Continued from page 25

• Moro Moro was born in 1958 at Odessassa, Ugbokolo, in Okpokwu Local Government Areas of Benue State. He was at the University of Lagos between 1977 and 1980 where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree (Hons) in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration later. He was to later obtain M.Sc. in Administration from University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1988.

Moro has been involved in the academia, politics, labour activism and public service. He was a teacher in secondary schools, Lecturer, Head of Department and Dean in a polytechnic, Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council of universities, Chairman, Governing council of a College of Education.

He served as Principal Legislative Assistant, Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation between 1981 and 1983 before joining the Benue State Polytechnic as a lecturer. He was at different times Head of Departments of Public Administration, General Studies and Dean School of Business/Administration Studies.

He served as Chairman of the Polytechnic Senior Staff Association (BENPOSSAN) and as Deputy National President of POSSAN between 1985 and 1987 and as President in 1987.

He was elected Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government in 1998 and 2004. In between the period, he was appointed caretaker chair of the local government.

In 2007, he was the Benue State Coordinator of the Yar’Adua/ Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation and Director General of David Mark’s Campaign Organisation in the April general elections.

He was also Pro-Chancellor/Chairman Governing Council of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and later the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. He holds the title of Ogigo Mebe K’ Idoma (mirror of Idoma kingdom).

•Dr Folayan, Hon. Omotayo Kolawole, Chief Paul Oyeyemi and Hon. Bode Adetunji Chairman of Ekiti State water Board at the political rally.

Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) was assigned to Senator Andy Uba with Senator Alkali Jajere as vice chairman, while Senator Bukka Abba Ibrahim, a third time Senator emerged chairman committee on Housing. Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, a first time Senator clinched chairman committee on Industry with Senator Ibrahim Musa as vice chairman. Employment, Labour and Productivity committee was assigned to Senator Wilson Ake as chairman with Senator Oluremi Tinubu as vice chairman. Ake was first elected into the Senate in 2007.

Federal Character and Inter Governmental Affairs committee went to Senator Dahiri Kuta, a second time Senator from Niger State , with Senator Christopher Omoworare as vice chairman, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu a second time Senator from Abia State emerged chairman committee on Gas with Senator Ahmed zannah as vice chairman. Senator Magnus Abe a first time Senator from Rives State emerged chairman, committee on Petroleum (Downstream) with Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje as vice chairman.

Goje had since dismissed insinuation that his position as vice chairman of Petroleum committee is unbefitting as a non issue.

Goje who represents Gombe Central specifically said he has no issue with Mark over his appointment as vice chairman of a committee.

Hear him, “I addressed a press conference where I said that I am a democrat, law abiding and also a team player as a politician. And that since there was this Senate decision categorizing the senators into ranking and rankless, since I belonged to the rankless group I will not be qualified to contest the Senate presidency and that I support the present Senate President 100 per cent, Senator David Mark.

“But since the announcement of committees on Thursday , a lot of people across the country, some of whom have come to me, some are pressmen some are not pressmen, people from all shades of opinion from various background from across the country come to say, ‘why Goje, why are you not even entitled to be a chairman of a committee?

“I did not answer them; I use this opportunity to answer it. I was not elected as a senator to come here and do one specific job and I am elected by people from my constituency to come and serve as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“As a member of the House of Assembly in the Second Republic as a young man I worked. As a politician I contested election in 1998 for the Senate, I won but I could not be sworn in. I was in the public service of the state. I worked as a state local government executive, as administrator in the state government, as administrator in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and as a minister and then as a governor.

“So whatever job is assigned to me that is what I do. So if I have been assigned the job of a vice chairman of Petroleum Committee (downstream,) I will do it to the best of my ability. That is supposed to be the attitude to be exhibited by any good person.

“I am fully satisfied with what has been assigned to me given my position as a new Senator and I will do my best. I will support my chairman, I will support my committee, I will support the Senate, I

will support the Senate President to the best of my ability throughout my stay here as a senator in this 7th Senate,” he said.

According to him as a Chief Executive of a local government, Chief Executive of a ministry “and now if as a senator I am supposed to be the vice chairman of a committee so be it, I am happy with that and I am going to do my job as a vice chairman of that committee.

“Not everybody will be chairman. We are 109 senators and there are only 56 committees. There cannot be 109 chairmen. Some will be chairmen, some will be vice chairmen, that is the tradition of the Senate and we respect it,” he said.

Senator Ademola Ayo Adeseun who was Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation in the sixth House got chairman Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions while Senator Olugbenga Obadara became chairman committee on Privatisation.

Adeseun and Obadara are Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Senators. Senator Robert Ajayi Borofice, a Labour party Senator got chairman Science and Technology committee. The powerful chairman committee on Appropriation went to Senator Ahmed Maccido a second time Senator from Sokoto State . Maccido has Senator Sunday Ogbuji as his vice chairman. Aviation Committee has Senator Hope Uzodinma, a first time Senator as chairman while the Foreign Affairs committee has Senator Matthew Ifeanyi Nwagwu as chairman.

The National Planning committee has former Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Barnabas Gemade as chairman with Senator Olufemi Lanlehi as vice chairman. Senator Gilbert Nnaji heads committee on communications. Nnaji is a former member of the House of Representatives. Committee on Co-Operation and Integration in Africa and NEPAD is assigned to Senator Simeon Ajibola as chairman while Defence and Army committee is headed by Senator George Sekibo.

Culture and Tourism committee is allotted to Senator Hassan Barata as chairman while committee on Trade and Investment is headed by Senator Odion Ugbesia. Ethics, Petitions and Privileges Committee is allotted to Senator Ayo Akinyelure as chairman while committee on MDGs was assigned to Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume who crossed over to the Senate from House of Representatives.

Opposition political parties got 11 chairmanship positions which is considered reasonable by some observers.

• Ndoma-Egba

SERVICE

PROGRAMME

HEALTH

Philanthropist lights up community

Aregbesola to boost healthcare

1,600 get free eye treatment

Oyo

29

Osun

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

30

Ogun

36

Email: news_extra@yahoo.com

Page 27

•Hon. AbdulRasheed Mafe, Mosan-Okunola LCDA (middle) distributes transformers to communities HIEF Tajudeen Fashiro, the baale (traditional ruler) of Okunola in MosunOkunola Local Council Development Area, Lagos could not conceal his excitement when Newsextra met him. In three years, his domain has changed, he said.

The council boasts a modern health facility with motivated medical personnel.

Schools that had deteriorated have received a new lease of life. Bad roads have been smoothened up and commuters no longer have to gnash their teeth.

The development has earned the council chairman chairman Hon AbdulRasheed Abiodun Mafe praise.

“Before he (Mafe) came into power, our healthcare facilities were bad,” said Chief Fashiro. “We did not have a good road network; our people could not access the dividends of democracy. But since he became chairman, all the things we asked for have been provided.

“He provided means of transport for all

C

‘Our council now has new face’ A standard health centre, rehabilitated schools, a network of roads as well as improved electricity supply are some of the facilities that have inspired joy among residents of Mosun-Okunola Local Council Development Area, Lagos in the last three years, reports TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO the traditional rulers in Mosan-Okunola. In the past, we all mounted motorcycles popularly called okada to our place of meeting with other monarchs; now all the baales in the council area are happy and are behind him.”

Mrs Olubunmi Bolasire, a resident of another local council, was even more excited.

Pregnant and unable to pay the huge fees demanded at the health facilities in her area of residence, she headed for Mosun-Okunola where she said dedicated medical staff at-

tended to her, and at an affordable fee.

Mrs Bolasire was the first woman to put to bed at the Rauf Aregbesola Medical Centre, as the council health centre is called.

“I always say that the people of MosanOkunola are lucky to have such a man as chairman,” she told Newsextra.

The hospital was built by the Mafe administration. The two-storey building is equipped with a gigantic stand-by generator, an ambulance and modern medical accessories.

“I feel great to be the first woman to deliver a baby at the new hospital. It is a rare privilege,” she said.

Osun State Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated the centre. On that occasion, he said the hospital which handles both primary and secondary health challenges, is a testimony of their dream eight years ago.

•Continued on Page 28

HIV: Ekiti tackles mother-child transmission

T

•Erelu Fayemi

HE Ekiti State Action Committee on HIV/AIDS (EKSACA) has established six centres across the 16 Local Governments in the state for the prevention/curbing of transmission of the dreaded ailment from mother to child.

This was made known by the Chairperson of the State Action Committee on AIDs, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who during an advocacy visit to the State Assembly recently, disclosed that although Ekiti State had the lowest national HIV/AIDS prevalence, efforts were still being geared at making the malaise history in the state.

She observed that the need to prevent mother to child transmission was necessary not only because the unborn should not be made to suffer consequences of actions of the living but as further affirmation of the sanctity of human soul.

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado Ekiti

Erelu Fayemi remarked that prevalence rate in the state had dropped from 3.2 per cent in 2001 to 1.4 per cent in 2010, calling on various non-government organisationa in the country to partner with the government to form a National Aids Coalition to drive the prevalence further down.

Mrs. Fayemi solicited the support of the state assembly towards strengthening ongoing efforts on effective prevention and treatment of the disease and on policy formulation in areas like violence against women, anti-stigma and other issues around the dreaded ailment.

However, according to the Ekiti State Aids Control Agency (SACA), has disclosed a sum of five million US Dollars had been earmarked for a four-year period to prosecute the second

phase of the world Bank sponsored HIV/ AIDS Programme Development Project (HPDP) that was recently flagged off by Governor Kayode Fayemi.

It was gathered that about 72 screening centres where people can go for HIV/AIDS tests free of charge were available in the State and that people who are positive can access anti-retroviral drugs at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado Ekiti; Specialist Hospital, Ikole Ekiti; Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti; and St. Gregory Hospital in Ado Ekiti.

SACA Project Manager in Ekiti State, Dr Charles Doherty who addressed journalists recently said the flagging off of the phase two of the HPDP four-year action programme had started, noting that the current ranking of the state in HIV/AIDS prevalence could still be improved upon.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

28

‘Our council now has new face’ •Continued from Page 27 Aregbesola praised the council boss for keying into the vision behind the creation of the LCDA. “We told the world then that government would be meaningful and have more impact on the people if it is closer to them. This is one of many examples and I am sure it will not end with this centre,” he said.

He hailed the vision and doggedness of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the 37 LCDAs in 2005, describing the health centre as another feather on Tinubu’s cap.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Femi Olugbile, described Mafe’s effort as a right step in achieving the goal of the administration, which is to have a health centre in each ward of the state.

If people have easy access to good health care, he said, it will reduce the level of poverty in the state and ensure a healthy nation.

Mafe said his administration has displayed unusual determination and commitment to improve the quality of life in the council.

“This administration places high premium on wellness of our people,” he said. “We had earlier equipped our Primary Health Care centres and made them function to meet modern health care challenges. They are now rendering 24 hours services to the people.”

There are other laudable projects executed in the council. Patrol vans have been provided for the police and a police post has also been rehabilitated while working tools have been donated to the law enforcement agents.

Primary schools wear a new look in the LCDA as new blocks of classrooms have sprung up in several parts of the council.

Young people are also encouraged to study, with forms provided free for candidates of the General Certicate of Education (GCE) and and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Skill acquisition is equally stimulated, while the aged and the physically challenged have been empowered to lead productive lives.

The council also joined other local governments to procure 104 patrol vans to the state police command which were handed over at an elaborate occasion.

The security initiative taken by the authorities of Mosun-Okunola

LCDA has boosted crime fighting, although the police are still requested to continue their surveillance, not ignoring schools which hoodlums convert to hemp-smoking hideouts.

No fewer than 500 students have been assisted by the council. Apart from constructing classrooms with terrazzo flooring at African Church Primary School, Akinogun and Abesan Estate Primary School, the council has distributed furniture to schools.

Tricycles, motorcycles, grinding machines, hair dryers, sewing machines, among others, have been provided for people to help them fend for themselves.

The Baba Oloja or market leader of Mosan-Okunola LCDA Alhaji Akanbi Babatunde described the Mafe administration as one which has benefited the young and old especially in the area of empowerment, education, health and the market men and women who now operate under a conducive environment.

Babatunde hailed the council boss for meeting the people’s need by building a new market at Gowon Estate.

He said: “The market formerly known as Gowon Market is now called Rauf Aregbesola Model Market, the chairman also rehabilitated the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Model Market. We are fully behind Mafe. He has a listening ear and it was through him that traders at Abesan Retail Market got good borehole water which now serves the market. He also keeps tabs on the activities in the market for development.”

On road rehabilitation, the council has constructed over 25 drainages. Similar actions were carried out at Gowon Estate. Roads in Odemuyiwa and Fadipe streets, some areas in Shagari and Abesan Estates also witnessed rehabilitation and resurfacing.

Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDA), Mr Adewale Ogunronbi lauded the aesthetics at the entrance and strategic parts of the estates.

Ogunronbi said the three estates Abesan, Gowon and Jakande under the council have witnessed a developmental reformation.

“The council boss, having lived in the community for long years, knows where the shoe pinches,” he

A

said. “He has really done well to complement the effort of the state government in the areas of road rehabilitation, beautification exercise and construction of new culverts,” he said.

Immediated past chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), MosanOkunola chapter, Femi Oladapo

•Princes Opeyemi Akindele, vice chairman, Mosan-Okunola LCDA with beneficiaries of the council’s free GCE form project

Man petitions chief judge N aggrieved businessman, Mr Rotimi Onadipe, has petitioned the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Badejoko Adeniji over a ruling given in a case of fraud at a branch of Skye Bank in Ibadan.

He was defrauded of $3,300 in 2009 in a Western Union money transfer. On reporting to the police, the Oyo State Police Command launched an investigation into the allegation. It later took two female members of staff of the bank to a magistrate court after a thorough investigation.

But the magistrate ordered a reinvestigation of the transaction while at the same time discharging and acquitting the accused.

In the petition, which was copied to the Legal Aid Council, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the state Judicial Service Commission as well as the Centre for Human Rights and Ethics in Development, Onadipe alleged that the magistrate handling the case showed enough reason to believe that she was biased against him by ordering a re-investigation of a charge already established by

•The medical centre

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

the police after a thorough investigation.

He said the magistrate’s ruling is strange in law. Onadipe referred to the multiple discrepancies between dates and other information in the Certified True Copy of the ruling and the documents used to argue the case in court, adding that they all fuel his suspicion that the magistrate may have frustrated the case to favour the defence counsel.

Seeking the intervention of the Chief Judge in the case, the businessman explained that he had gone to withdraw a sum of $3,300 sent to him by his customer in Malaysia when he was told that the money had been withdrawn in another bank just 10 minutes after he gave the secret number needed to complete the transfer processing.

Onadipe alleged that utterances of the magistrate, her actions and the many disparities in the information contained in her ruling against those on the actual documents used in the case showed that

there is a “very strong relationship” between the magistrate and the defence counsel.

The businessman further explained that Skye Bank had already agreed to refund his N620,400 before the defence counsel terminated the move and asked the bank to go to court over the fraud.

Based on these allegations, Onadipe raised a five-point conclusion about the magistrate and the case for which he sought the intervention of the Chief Judge.

It read in part: “I do not believe she wrote down exactly what transpired in the court since the beginning of the case in her court. I believe some of the exhibits tendered before the court might have been tampered with.

I do not believe that the Certified True Copy of the ruling she released is the same as the copy she has in her office.

I believe her statements coupled with her action after she read the ruling was intentional as to make sure the case did not see the light of the day and justice would not be achieved eventually.”

A

NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation, PEER Group Initiatives has concluded plans to start a six weekend Productivity, Empowerment, Excellence and Responsibility (PEER) training programme for 50 youths in Shomolu area of Lagos State. The programme is billed to start on October 1, 2011.

The Executive Director of PEER Group Initiatives, Salu Adepeju made this known in a release made available to Newsextra. He said that the programme is aimed at empowering community youths with skills and information that will help them address the prevailing crime and other negative concerns in the area. “ W e want to address the prevailing social ills perpetuated by youths within our community by training them on increment a n d

said without the ingenuity of the council chief, the last July 10 flood would have had a devastating effect on the inhabitants.

“The construction of drainages at various communities assisted in reducing the negative impact of the flood on the residents. You can imagine what the number of casualties would be if the drainages and culverts are not in place,” he said.

This, he said, would complement efforts of Governor Babatunde Fashola and the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello to make Lagos a comfortable city.

The Iya Oloja or female market leader, Alhaja Muinat Alabi, also gave Mafe a pat on the backs.

“Our children have benefited from this present administration, not to talk of the marketers. We have benefited so much through empowerment programme,” she said.

Mafe said his vision is to serve the people and leave a good legacy, adding that he came with a 10-point agenda to serve the people.

“Initially,” he said, “we had the challenges of funds but with the cooperation and support of our people, we have been able to overcome such challenges. We thank the state government for its support. We have embarked on various projects across the council area and this has made us fulfil our electoral promises; we have also embarked on various ways to increase our Internal Generated Revenue (IGR). Before I assumed office, the IGR was between N8m and N10m, but we have increased it to about N20 million, and with it we have been able to carry out most of these projects.”

NGO trains 50 youths

By Adeola Ogunlade

change in personal output, giving them more control over their own lives or situation, achieving goodness and making them serve as catalyst for a desired change and responsibility”.

Adepeju asserted that the realisation of the nation socio-economic development can be effective when Nigeria youths are reliable, skillful, knowledgable and exhibit goodly character in all sphere of lives

THE NATION

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

Philanthropist donates to Ibadan community JIA, a sleepy community on the outskirts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has bidden farewell to darkness as a philanthropist, Mr. Seyi Makinde, donated a 65 megawatts turbine rural electrification power plant and a borehole to light up the community.

Makinde, who contested as a senator in 2007 and 2011, hails from the community.

Speaking at the inauguration, the philanthropist, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Makon Engineering Services Ltd, said he was motivated to donate the project in honour of his parents and in order to make life worth living for residents in the community.

He added that no society can make any meaningful progress without electricity.

The special guest at the occasion was Senator Rasidi Ladoja, a former former governor of the state. Ladoja lamented the exportation of local resources that could be used to develop the country and provide jobs for the masses.

The ex-governor, who is also an engineer and a business mogul, said development would continue

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From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

to elude the country for as long as its leaders prefer exporting natural rather than use them to develop local wealth as well as create employment for citizens.

The former governor insisted that poverty would continue to reign in the land until the natural endowments of the country are used for the upliftment of the people.

He said the Federal Government has no excuse for its inability to generate adequate power supply from the abundant deposit of gas and coal in the country.

His words: “But every now and then, we are told that these commodities are good for foreign earnings while our own people are suffering. Yet, all earnings made from these commodities, including oil, have taken us nowhere but rather end up in private pockets.”

Ladoja commended Makinde for the donation to his ancestral home.

He explained that the use of turbine to generate electricity is still new even in many developed countries.

“Apart from this project, I know

•From left: Chief Lekan Balogun, Chief Omowale Kuye, Chief TA Akinyele And Mr. Seyi Makinde at the inauguration of the rural electrification and borehole facility in Ajia village, Ibadan of another place in Lagos where turbine is used to generate power.

Even, it is only in America that turbines are used to generate electricity. Britain and other European countries are yet to buy into it”, he added.

The Chief Host of the occasion, who is also a former Director of Budget at the Presidency, Chief Theophillus Akinyele, lamented the apparent neglect of the rural communities by both the Federal and state governments, which has led to

massive migration to urban centre.

Akinyele called on the Federal Government to ensure even distribution of infrastructural facilities such as roads, electricity and potable water, to make life meaningful to rural dwellers.

Lagos settles rift among youths

By Miriam Ndikanwu

•Dr Badru

Y

OUTHS across the various local councils and development areas in Lagos have sought an end to the unending rift in the state youth council.

The event which held at the National Youth Council Centre, Yaba, was convened by the state Ministry of Youth and Social Development.

Welcoming the youths to the fo-

rum, the Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola, Dr. Dolapo Badru, said the meeting was long overdue as issues bordering on the continued coexistence of the youths in the state cannot be overlooked.

Badru scolded them for not keeping to the time slated for the meeting, saying that such acts do not portray them as future leaders of the nation.

“I must express my disappointment at the conduct and manner in which most of you turned out at this meeting, and it is as a result of that that I will set aside my speech to speak with you one on one because I believe that the issue at hand requires us to actually dialogue and put an end to the challenges that have rocked the youth council.”

Badru explained that one of the policy thrusts of the current administration was to create an environment that is conducive enough to the promotion of mutual understanding, co-operation and a regular flow of ideas and views for harnessing energies of our people towards productive and gainful ventures.

Addressing the youth on the protracted crisis, he said: “It is a well known fact that the crisis has led to accusations and counter-accusations with all forms of mudslinging and character assassinations being the order of the day among our youth.” He admonished them to embrace peace and direct their energies and skills towards productive activities that would make them become responsible citizens now and in the future.

“Let me appeal to you all to sheath the sword and chart a new course that would return the glorious days of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, I implore you all to be worthy role models who will not only exhibit the good qualities of volunteerism but also act your roles as agent of change in the society,” he said.

Badru enjoined them to be cautious and shun negative peer group influences as well as offer constructive criticisms that can lead to positive development of the society, whenever necessary.

He advised the youth in the state to always be time conscious in all they do, stressing that it is not enough to do the right thing.

From right: Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Group Managing Director, O’Odua Investment Company Limited, Mr Adebayo Jimoh; Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Titi Laoye-Tomori and Alhaja Bola Jimoh during the award presentation to Mr Jimoh at the 9th Annual Osun State Honour and Award ceremony in Osogbo, Osun State

“To become a successful future leader, the youth must always keep to time as punctuality is the soul of business,” he said.

The Special Adviser and official of the Youth and Social Development watched as observer as members of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, (Lagos State chapter) dissolved the caretaker committee and put in place a five-man Congress Planning Committee that will supervise their upcoming election.

The Special Adviser told intending candidates to ensure that they submit only original credentials because the documents will be forwarded to the State Security Services (SSS) for thorough scrutiny, vowing that any of them who

presents any fake document will be prosecuted.

He said this has become necessary in order to curb sharp practices among the youth so that they will be imbued with proper orientation and values which they will need to become successful leaders in future.

Members of the constituted election planning committee are Hon. Olalekan O. James as chairman, and Hon. Bilkis Ayegbola, as secretary.

Other members are Hon. Ogunmodede Titilayo, Hon. Prince M.D. Adeeso, and Hon. Moruf Bello, Mr. Abdul-Razak Lawal (representative of the Office of Youth and Social Development) and Alhaji A.O. Alapafuja who would act as adviser to the committee.

Council moves to prevent cholera outbreak

W

ORRIED by reported imminence of cholera outbreak in Oyo metropolis, the Oyo East Local Government has begun clearing of refuse and drainage in the area.

It has also concluded arrangements to construct about 15 public toilets, as well as fumigate all public deep wells across the 10 wards in the area.

Already, environmental health officers have stepped up efforts on public health education and promotion, with a view to nipping in the bud any possible outbreak of the epidemic.

Conducting reporters round during the environmental sanitation exercise, the Caretaker Chairman, Hon. Taiwo Quasim, said that henceforth, landlords would be compelled to provide toilet facilities in their houses, adding that failure to comply with the directive

From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

might attract appropriate sanctions.

“Health, they say, is wealth, hence the determination of Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration to ensure healthy environment. The good gesture needs not only to be emulated, but appropriate steps should also be taken towards saving lives of our people from being endangered as a result of ignorance and lack of proper awareness by the past administration.”

Hon. Quasim further hinted that all collapsed bridges would be reconstructed, while drainage would be constructed along the township roads to prevent flood in the area.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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Osun to lift healthcare

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•Governor Aregbesola

SUN State Government has said it is committed to provision of adequate healthcare to the people.

One way of ensuring this is training of medical personnel in its hospitals.

The newly appointed Chief Medical Director of the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Femi Fadiora stated this while addressing journalists in Osogbo, the Osun State capital recently.

He said that two of the beneficiaries are from the teaching hospital and are currently on training in Germany, while the other five specialists are from the state hospitals.

According to him, since the inception of

‘Youth employment will bring development’

E

KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi has described youth employment as a major catalyst to development in Nigeria.

The governor said this during a meeting with the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Ambassador Ahmed Al-Gazali, in Abuja. He said that crisis of governance is unavoidable in a society with skilled and trained but unemployed youths who have spent many years in school with the hope of a job.

While disclosing that the Ekiti State Government is training young graduates on leadership and entrepreneurial skills that would make them employable, Fayemi said the state has resolved to change from being the “civil service state” by encouraging young people who have visions for self-employment to go into agriculture, agroallied services and tourism among others because of its high population of young educated people.

The governor who had in August given a loan of N21 million to 20 young graduates of entrepreneurial programmes, trained in different fields, said human capital development is one of the cardinal programmes of his administration.

This is why government has recruited 5000 youths into various sectors in the state under its Youth Employment Scheme.

Ekiti Fayemi said his visit to the commission was to “pull the strings” for Ekiti indigenes who are seeking employment into the federal civil service because “brilliance and competence may not be the only qualification for employment”, especially with few Ekiti indigenes in the federal service.

He said he knew that the commission is sensitive to quota system but the state government would always insist on fair treatment to Ekiti indigenes in the federal service.

The governor added that his effort did not mean that Ekiti indigenes are scared of public examinations to enhance their promotion and appointment, even as permanent secretaries were subjected to an examinations in appointing the Head of Service in the State.; Replying, Ambassador Al-Gazali, said youth employment remained one of the biggest challenges to the country as youth restiveness has become the order of the day following the lack of employment of young graduates who believed they have the qualifications for them to be employed.

Ajimobi seeks support of law enforcement agencies

Osun the new administration, the institution has survived the crisis period to retain its status as the best state teaching hospital in the federation.

He pledged the readiness of the institution in helping the administration to realise its healthcare agenda by engaging in research that would be of benefit to the health sector in the state.

Fadiora also promised to ensure that the institution commences the production of drug in addition to the production of oxygen.

This, according to him, would commence the moment the institution gets the next grant. He commended the efforts of the Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola in ensuring that the hospital regained its lost glory within the shortest possible time.

“We thank the leadership style of Mr Governor which ensured that we retain our standard and in making sure that our students commence their academic training at the appropriate time.

“I also want to make it clear that the decision of the governor to approve the new salary scale for medical doctors has helped us to attract the best hands in the profession to come back to the teaching hospital and commence consultancy services,” he added.

Similarly, the Commissioner for Youths, Sport and Special Needs, Mr Stephen Kola-Balogun has restated the governor’s commitment to the welfare of every citizen irrespective of their status.

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YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has sought the support of the military and para-military agencies in his effort to develop the state in an atmosphere of peace.

A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Dr Festus Adedayo, said the governor sought the help in his message of peace and goodwill at the 2011 International Day of Peace/Veteran Walk in Ibadan.

Ajimobi, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, also charged residents of the state to assist his administration in its task at sustaining the current peace in the state, adding that they could do this by being law-abiding and upholding the rule of law.

The 10-kilometre Walk, which began in

•Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi (left) with the Chairman, Executive Group, Dr Ayodele Oyinsan during the governor’s interactive session with captains of industries in Lagos

FCTA to spend N21m on fishing festival

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HE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is to spend about N21 million on the annual fishing festival slated for first week of December. The festival will take place at Yaba Fishing village in Abaji Area Council of Abuja.

The Secretary for Agriculture and Rural

Council chief seeks support of voluntary HE Chairman of Mushin Local agencies Government Area, Hon Olatunde

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Adepitan, has called on philanthropic organisations to partner with the council for rapid growth and development. He was speaking when members of the Rotactor Club of Mushin paid him a courtesy visit.

Rotary Club from which the Rotactor emerged is a humanitarian organisation that gives selfless service. It has the motive of inculcating refined cultural values in the people through cleaning of public places. He charged the members of the club to visit market places in order to have useful dialogue with the leadership of the various markets in Mushin Local Government.

Speaking further, Adepitan said the monthly environmental sanitation must be fully embraced by the people, irrespective of age, sex, tribe or social class. He said: “Rotaractors are the youth wing of the Rotary Club of Nigeria. Majority of those who play football instead of helping their parents to clean the environment during environmental sanitation exercises are youths like you. It is important that you turn the attention of your colleagues to obey the law of the land.”

He said that from time to time Mushin Local Government gives out free exercise books to

Lagos pupils in the primary schools, distributes free G.C.E. forms to more than 150 youths yearly, organises free G.C.E coaching classes at three designated centres within the council, organises football competition, sponsors youths with genuine traveling papers to study abroad and empowers youths through computer training programmes.

He further disclosed that several primary schools have been renovated and constructed as part of the council’s determination to reposition the education sector. Such schools, he said were Odu-abore Memorial Primary School; Akodu Primary School, St. Jude’s Primary School; Dosumu Primary School, L.A. Primary School Megbon, Aiyelabowo Primary School, Mainland Primary School and Several others.

The President of the Rotaractor Club of Mushin Mr. Ibukunmi Esther Ogunsola expressed his appreciation to the chairman for the good work he is doing.

•The Chief Environmental Health Officer, Mushin Local Government Area, Mrs Iyabode Oladaiye; President Rotaractor Club of Mushin, Miss Esther Ogunsola; Hon. Adepitan and the Supervisor for the Environment Hon. Olajide Lukman at the presentation of Rotaractor Bamareffe

•Prof Ogaba Uche (left) greeting Otunba Abdul-Lateef Owoyemi at the Lagos Zonal Seminar of Rosicrucian Order (AMORC) at Airport Hotel Ikeja Lagos. With them is Dr Kenneth Idiodi, President, National Board of AMORC in Nigeria

Council chief seeks corporate assistance

T

HE Chairman of Iru-Victoria Island Development Council, Lagos State, Hon. Abayomi Daramola, has said leaders should consult their people before embarking on developmental projects.

Daramola, who spoke to Newsextra, noted that leaders who assumed they understand their people’s need may not guess right after all, advising them to find out first before taking action.

He said: “The local government as the third tier of government is the government of the people. You have to get closer to the people’s domain, ask them what they want because grassroots governance is not the one you sit in your office and run.

The chairman explained that during his first term in office, he reached out to his people and carried them along in his programmes. He promised to do more of this as that is only way democracy could subsist.

He noted that politics was a serious business which should not be in the hands of visionless people who masquerade as leaders. According him, honesty, loyalty and humility are the benchmark a politician needs to make his mark.

He said though his administration has put its best to ensure development,corporate organisations are urged to key into the development programmes.

He said that his second term would seek better understanding with corporate organisations in the development of his council.

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Lagos

By Musa Odoshimokhe

Daramola said: “I have not seen much of the impact of corporate social responsibilities from the companies within. I think there is a law that prescribes that social responsibility be carried out by companies within their immediate environment.

“In 2009 when we came into office and after one or two projects, I went out to meet almost all the corporate bodies within the council to intimate them with our plans.

Meanwhile, the council had constructed some classrooms in Victoria Island Primary School, two or three boreholes and other projects at the other side of the council secretariat “We made them realise that the council cannot do it all alone but t h r o u g h collaborative efforts.”

“We are not asking for cash but their contribution to physical development, for instance look at what Zenith Bank did at Ajose Adeogun, you could imagine how the road would have been if not for the effort of the bank.

•Daramola

From: Bukola Amusan, Abuja

Development of Federal Capital Territory, Mrs Olvadi Bema Madayi who disclosed this while briefing the FCT Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide on the arrangements being made so far, said the festival had been captured in the 2011 FCT statutory budget.

She said that some fishermen from Abuja are already being dispatched to Kebbi State to go and understudy how the popular Argungu fishing festival is being organised as well as to sharpen their fishing skills even as she noted that about 1000 fishermen from within and outside FCT are expected to participate in the festival.

The secretary, who said she and her team came to solicit for the support of the FCT Minister of State towards hosting a successful festival, noted that Abuja is endowed with huge natural fisheries resources, adding that the festival was being organised with a view to harnessing such huge fisheries resources.

She stressed that the festival which was last celebrated in 2006 is being revived to promote fishing and tourism in the FCT also lamented that previous efforts to host another festival since 2006 have proved abortive.

Her words: “We are still counting on the private sector to come and contribute because we want them to feature in the fishing festival. The festival would feature fish summit, fish exhibition, boat regatta and competition. The winner would go home with a cash prize of N50, 000 and other fishing tools, the first and second runners up would also get N30, 000 and N20,000 respectively with fishing tools”.

She disclosed that a resort is currently being planned at the village so as to attract the world focus to the nation’s capital.

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From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

front of the Government House, Agodi, took the deputy governor, members of the state executive council, permanent secretaries, heads of departments and agencies as well as representatives of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Customs, Immigration as well as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) through major streets in the state capital.

The governor noted that the efforts by Nigeria at sustaining peace within herself and bringing peace to all nations was too obvious to be ignored, recalling that the country had, on a number of occasions, participated in global peace-keeping in other African countries.

•Ajimobi “Before now, some members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) had terrorised the state unabated. We, however, thank God that peace has returned to our state,’’ the statement said.

Amosun tasks media on accurate reporting

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GUN State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has urged the media to pay more attention to issues that could foster greater unity and development and eschew sensational news reporting which can heat up the nation’s polity.

Senator Amosun said journalists in Nigeria should see themselves as part of the re-branding process of the country, adding that since they were the mirror with which the society is perceived, it behoves

NYSC tasks public relations officers From: Bukola Amusan, Abuja

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HE Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC scheme, Brigadier General Nnamdi OkoreAffia has charged public relations officials of the scheme in all the states of the federation to seek ways of redeeming the battered image of the scheme.

The DG said the need to redeem the image of the scheme was necessary following the bad impression created following the killing of 10corps members in Bauchi State during the last general elections.

Affia, who spoke at the opening of a workshop for public relations officers in Abuja said”the killing of 10 precious corps members led to hard-biting criticism from the public that queried the existence of the scheme” He said the scheme has remained a dominant skilled manpower provider to the nooks and crannies of the country for the past 38 years.

‘Why Jakande will remain a model’ AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola has reflected on the ‘Jakande years’ in the state, saying that the elder statesman would forever remain a role model. He said all Nigerians who have a sense of history would always regard the tenure of the former governor as a reference point.

Fashola paid tribute to Alhaji Lateef Jakande at the National Union of Lagos State Students (NULASS) week held in his honour at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. The governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Southwest Integration, Rev. Tunji Adebiyi, delivered a lecture titled: “A leader and not a ruler”.

He described Jakande’s tenure as a worthy example and bench mark for determining a good leader, in contrast to a ruler, adding that he was committed to service and improvement of the well-being of the masses, the downtrodden, disadvantaged and underprivileged, who constitute the majority in the society.

Fashola recalled that Pa Jakande thought and dreamt of lofty ideas, which he implemented faithfully, pointing out that his focus, courage of conviction and legacies were worthy of emulation.

He added: “He left a good name while in office. He left a legacy of what hard work is all about. He built 14 housing estates, established

Oyo

Lagos

Ogun From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

on them the responsibility of ensuring accuracy, balance and fairness in reportage of events always.

The governor made the call while declaring open the national conference of the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE) at the Covenant University in Ota, Ogun State.

He was represented at the occasion by the Deputy-Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun.

He reiterated the unwavering commitment of the present administration towards the development of the state, assuring that the state government would continue to support all genuine efforts from individuals or groups aimed at fulfilling the aspirations of the people.

He noted that the theme of the conference Media terrorism and political communication in a

multi-cultural environment, was apt and timely given the spate of bomb attacks and killings across the country and asked participants to evolve proper information management systems.

According to him, this would help to ensure that media practitioners did not end up projecting the country and the people to the outside world in a negative perspective.

Amosun also expressed the confidence that the discussions at the conference would generate new and more effective ways in communication management which would not only strengthen the security apparatus but the democratic processes of the nation.

Also, the Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Prof. Aize Obayan, said the conference would deliberate on ways of resolving all the age-long crises in the country and proffer recommendations to the government .

Group moves against youth unemployment

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EEPLY worried by the worsening malaise of unemployment in Ekiti State, Ugbimo Ure Ekiti, a distinguished group concerned about the prosperity of the state, has held a seminar to preach self-employment among the youth.

Discussants and other participants, notably renowned professionals, harped on the need for self-employment by the youth as the only easier alternative to white-collar engagements that had become a rarity in the country.

Dr. Oni Abimbola, Coordinator, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Ekiti State, presented a paper at the forum. She noted that courage, determination, fortitude, vision, persistence and faith were essential ingredients of gainful self-employment.

She observed that the unemployment problem had remained largely knotty owing to availability of ‘limited industries’ and ‘lack of vision’ on the part of Nigerian leaders who failed to look towards vocational education, thus prompting school leavers to see alternatives in robbery, kidnapping and prostitution.

Speaking on the occasion, the state Governor Kayode Fayemi recalled efforts by the state

Ekiti From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado Ekiti

government to empower the youth through various empowerment and employment programmes, noting that although it is traditional for graduates of higher institutions to look on to the government for jobs, the government could not do so owing to financial impediments.

Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, the group’s President, said the group organised the empowerment forum to assist Ekiti youths in their bid for self employment. “There are several people in our communities that still get to the pinnacle of their various professions despite serious challenges.”

Adelusi-Adeluyi maintained that Ugbimo Ure Ekiti is a non-political group which serves as a voice of moderation and moral authority for the overall development of the state. The membership of the group which is currently limited to 22, according to him, cuts across various spheres of life. He urged the political leaders of the state to desist from using the youth as political thugs.

By Emmanuel Oladesu

many primary and secondary schools, which produced students who are today doctors, engineers, lawyers, scientists and successful personalities in various fields of human endeavours. One of his educational achievements was the establishment of Lagos State University (LASU)”.

The governor said that Jakande is a practical man who laid solid example of discipline, which predisposed him to sending his children to public schools of the period.

Fashola stressed: “One of the unforgettable legacies of Jakande was his educational policy of constructing many functional classrooms that increased and expanded the available space for admission of many more students. This led to the abolition of the shift system, whereby students attend school at different times in the morning and afternoon because of the large number of students who desire and require education’”.

The governor also praised Jakande for establishing the present secretariat of Lagos State at Alausa, Ikeja to accommodate the increasing number of civil servants and political office holders. He said, despite being the governor, he was simple and accessible.

•From left: Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi, Sir Omotoso and Dr. Kolade discussing at the event

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

CITYBEATS THE NATION

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E-mail:- ynotcitybeats@gmail.com

•From right: Mbassi, Fashola, Brand and another guest, during the signing of the African Mayoral Climate Change Declaration in Lagos PHOTO: MOSES OMOSEHIN

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O Musa Hassan, a commercial driver, who lost his son to the July 10 flood in Lagos, the words climate change may not make any meaning; yet, since that day, he has been living with the pain and realities of the disaster.

Many Lagosians, like Hassan, were rendered homeless by the flood that trailed the 16-hour downpour, while properties worth billions of naira were destroyed.

The flood, caused by excessive rain and rise in sea level, is a direct consequence of climate change.

Climate change, which has also led to hike in the prices of food items and drastic reduction in food production in some regions has exacerbated ailments, such as malaria, meningitis and waterborne diseases, especially cholera.

Lagos is not an exception.

As part of plans to nip the menace in the bud, the Lagos State Government has joined other West African states to adopt the African Mayoral Climate Change Declaration, aimed at recognising

Taking climate change message to grassroots

By Toluwani Eniola

the role of local governments in international climate change debate and implementation.

Local government chairmen and community leaders are expected to implement the policies in their communities through continuous advocacy and partnership.

One of the gains of the conference is that community leaders, mayors and diplomats who have taken a collective stand-point to address climate change, which will be pursued at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC COP-17) scheduled for Durban, South Africa,

Govt tows abandoned vehicles

TO avert any untoward development, the Lagos State Government has started massive evacuation of abandoned vehicles from the streets.

Sources said the government took the step against the backdrop of the spate of bombing in parts of the country.

The Chairman of the Committee on Abandoned and Disused Vehicles, Olubisi Adedokun, led inspection team and other top officials to some parts of the street.

No fewer than 50 disused vehicles were towed from the road.

The exercise, which is said to be continuous, is aimed at freeing the roads from the menace constituted by such abandoned vehicles and to further reduce exposure of the state to vicious bomb attacks.

in November, now have better opportunities of seeking funds from donor agencies and international bodies.

The conference, organised by the International Counci for Local Environmental Initiative (ICLEI) and the Lagos State Government, provided a platform for local authorities to exchange ideas and strengthen their knowledge of local climate action.

An outcome of the conference is that local government chairmen and other community leaders pledged to continue advocacy, monitoring and partnership to curb climate change and promote participatory urban planning, management and

governance.

Others are promotion of environmentally-soundbasic urban infrastructure and services and strengthening finance systems According to the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, the expected outcome of the conference portends victory for cities as the burden of tackling climate change becomes a joint challenge.

Bello explained that climate change has become a global challenge because of the vulnerability of African cities.

He said: “The Lagos State government has realised the dangerous

long-time effect of climate change and we have continued to handle issues relating to the environment with zest and courage because the environment is the superstructure on which other sectors rest.

“The pollution in Spain or Germany can come to Africa. It has no limitation.If there is oil spill in Akwa Ibom State, it may extend to Namibia because of the flow of water.”

In a communiqué issued after the conference, the delegates agreed to encourage African cities and local governments to continue to seek new and additional knowledge in-

•SEE PAGE 32

Foundation moves to fight breast cancer

Govt to CDAs: report suspicious movement

A foundation, Pink Pearl, has begun a campaign on regular breast and cervical checks to stem deaths from cancer.

Its founder, Mrs Orode Uduaghan, said cancer can be managed if detected early. She said the public needs to be well enlightened on breast cancer prevention, control and management.

She said the Foundation has put in place programmes that would enlighten the public. Uduaghan said: “Individuals and groups would be taught the basic information on breast cancer, particularly its effects, treatments and healthy tips on how to avoid the disease.

The most significance effort to reduce the death rate from cancer is through early detection.”

LAGOS State Government has told Community Development Associations (CDAs) to report any suspicious movement in their localities.

The measure, according to the Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr Cornelius Ojelabi, is necessary following the growing insecurity in the country.

Ojelabi spoke while presenting 4.5 KVA generating sets to six rural communities, to provide them light and enable them to pump water.

According to the commissioner, there is no longer safety anywhere, not even in churches and mosques as gross insecurity grips the nation, adding: "We want to call on you to be security conscious.”

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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CITYBEATS

Youths for training

By Adeola Ogunlade

A NONGOVERNMENTAL Organisation (NGO), Peer Group Initiatives, is to start a six-week Productivity, Empowerment, Excellence and Responsibility (PEER) training for 50 youths in Shomolu, Lagos, on October 1.

Its Executive Director, Salu Adepeju, made this known in Lagos,saying the programme is aimed at empowering youths with desirable skills.

He said: “We want to address the prevailing social ills perpetrated by youths in our community by giving them more control over their own lives or situation, achieving goodness and making them serve as catalysts for change and responsibility.”

Adepeju said the nation’s socio-economic growth can be more effective when Nigeria youths are skillful, knowledgeable and exhibit godly character in all spheres of life.

Students get bursary

By Wale Adepoju

EIGHT students of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL) have been awarded bursary by the Horatio Oritshejolomi Thomas Foundation.

According to the Chairman of the Foundation, Mr Victor Thomas, the award is to assist students whose performances are above average but have financial difficulty to compute their courses.

He spoke at the presentation of the bursary to the students.

Thomas said: "It will continue annually until they graduate. It is a gesture funded by me for the Foundation. The students received between N25, 000 and N50, 000.”

He said the students were selected through interviews, adding that: “If the students in that category don't collect the funds, it may be difficult for them to continue their education.”

The beneficiaries thanked the Foundation for the gesture.

A beneficiary, Mr Olufemi Osunlusi, a 300Level student, said the bursary would take care of my education. "But the money was spent before I received it because it came to knowledge of my fellow students that I would receive the money," he said.

"I try to study well but I sleep a lot," he added.

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Taking climate change message to grassroots •Continued from page 31 cluding the best available scientific,economic and technical information on climate change and its impacts.”

Of note is the need for local understanding.It also emphasised the role of women, the youth and other vulnerable groups in the implementation of plans on climate change.

Delegates also agreed to encourage African cities and local governments to participate actively in international and national conferences, including COP 17/ CMP 7.They requested national official delegations to include representatives of councils and civil society.

The said West African countries should ensure inclusion of mayors or local government chairmen in national negotiation teams, with their capacity appropriately developed for negotiations.

Other issue to be pursued is the meeting between the

President of COP 17/CMP 7 and representatives of African LGAs and cities.

The delegates agreed to support and encourage adequate decentralisation of climate change processes in support of local adaptation to enhance the resilience of cities. The mayors and local government chairmen also agreed to meet, from time to time, to share experiences and best practices in climate change.

Speaking on how to implement the agenda , Bello said: “Residents must co-operate with the agenda. They must be well enlightened and stop the indiscriminate dumping of refuse.They should

encourage others to manage waste from their house.

Cleanliness is next to godliness.Exhibiting good health habit can help to reduce the effects of climate change.

“The expected outcome of this conference is that by collaborating with other parts of the world we are reducing the burden of climate change.

When the responsibility becomes a global challenge, it becomes easier. We cannot solve the problem alone “We have come to realise our vulnerability.We believe in synergy in identifying and tackling climate change.

“Thus,our annual tree planting programme and

‘

The expected outcome of this conference is that by collaborating with other parts of the world, we are reducing the burden of climate change. When the responsibility becomes a global challenge, it becomes easier

’

Govt seeks stakeholders’ support for tenancy law

various sanitation and antipollution strategies are still being pursued vigorously. In the last four years, the government has planted over three million trees alongside our beautification and Operation Green Project.

“The World Bank, as part of its Nigerian National Climate Change response strategy, is carrying out the Lagos State Climate Change Risk Assessment. Similarly, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is providing support for the development of climate change policy for the state in addition to the Annual States Climate Change Policy Dialogue which Lagos State hosted in December 2010.”

One of the speakers, Mr Jean Pierre Mbassi, urged community leaders to pursue multilateral partnership with civil society groups to make their voices heard.

Mbassi,who is the Secretary General,UCLGA, said local government leaders needed to foster strong ties for further impact.

Former Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment Dr Muiz Banire, who praised the organisers, said less than 20 per cent of Lagosians understood what climate change really means.

“One of the solutions is the need for the development of a strong mechanism for education. Don’t be surprised that an average resident doesn’t understand the meaning of climate change. This ignorance affects the intervention plans of the government as unhealthy habits have further compounded the menace of climate change. Besides, African countries need to understand the process of obtaining international aid. We must break this barrier,” Banire said.

The Executive Director, ICLEI Africa, Mrs Kofie Brands, stressed that climate change will continue to impact virtually every aspect of human life.

She said ICLEI has developed an Adaptation Database and Planning Tool (ADAPT), an online interactive tool, to facilitate the building of resilience to climate change at the local level.

H

E is law abiding and keen on operating within the ambit of the law. But he didn't think this particular law could work and he minced no words in speaking out at a stakeholders’sensitisation programme to drum support for the new Lagos State Tenancy Law. Mr Olusola Enitan, an estate valuer, said the law would add to the burden of the poor.

Enitan, who represented the National President of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr Bode Adediji, said: "The social implication of this new law is that tenants are going to be worse off, as the cost of accessing funds for building houses for the people has increased.When this happens and there is no corresponding supply in the housing stock, the cost is going to be borne by consumers, who would have to pay more. The same tenants who the government seeks to protect will be worse off as a result of the ripple effect of the law."

Enitan said if the law is meant to set standards as claimed by government, there should be no exemptions. He claimed that there is capital flight as financial institutions, capitalising on the exemptions of some areas from the law by the government, have started focusing

•A cross section of stakeholders

By Yinka Aderibigbe

on the exempted areas, to the detriment of the Mainland.

"Our experience in the industry, at present, is that banks are no longer willing to support developers on the Mainland. They are rather advising their clients to go and get land on the Island, if the purpose is to build for letting.”

A landlord, who does not want his name in print, sought to know if government would be prepared to set up a financial institution that would address the plight of landlords. A pensioner, Pa Anthony Olaosebikan, also wanted to know the place of retirees who rely on rents on their properties to cater for their needs in retirement.

Earlier, the AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye, said though landlord/tenant relationship is captured under private contracts, government needed to intervene and the law is meant to regulate practices that have often led to disagreements between the two parties.

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PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA

He said the new law prohibits the collection of more than a year's advance payment from any new tenant while an old tenant is to either pay monthly, or not more than six months in advance.

On recovery of property, he said the encumbrances which tenants relied upon in the past have been removed. A yearly tenant need not be given six months quit notice on the anniversary of his tenancy, but could be served within any six months, while any yearly tenant who defaults would only be given seven days quit notice, the same way a monthly tenant or anyone paying six months would.

He added that Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Lekki, were exempted in the law because of the peculiarities of the house rent in those areas, adding that the law also grants the governor power to exempt other areas from the law as may be demanded by their peculiarities. To critics who wanted the government to

build more houses before putting in place such a law, Ipaye said such people are standing logic on its head.

“We cannot say there should not be any law against stealing until the government has provided everyone with a job. In the same way, this law is put in place to regulate conduct in landlord/tenant relations and we cannot wait until such a time when government provides houses for all before doing so.”

He assured critics that government is improving on the housing stock through the Lagos State Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme, (HOMS), adding that government is building houses across the state and these would be sold to the public on mortgage.

The Commissioner for Housing, Mr Bosun Adedeji Jeje, re-emphasised the government’s commitment to providing affordable houses to all Lagosians.

He added that the government, last week, delivered 336 units of houses at

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Odoragunshin in Epe and that soon, others would be inaugurated at Iloro, Ojokoro and Ajara. He urged interested persons to download the form from: www.lagoshomgov.org.

Jeje said on the payment of N10,000, anyone could own a house, stating that the full payment would be spread over a minimum of 25 years.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, said the tenancy law was enacted to "give our people a new lease of life.

In making the law, the people were involved Jeje said.

He said: “Let me assure you that the law is meant to help you and government will always ensure that it does your wishes at all times.”

He said where necessary, the government would not hesitate to amend the law if found lacking.

The event, which held at the Blue Roof of the LTV, was attended by civil society groups, representatives of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and other professional bodies, such as the Nigeria Institute of Builders, (NIB) and Nigeria Institute of Architecture (NIA).

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

33

CITYBEATS FROM THE GRASSROOTS

T

Monarch warns perpetrators who participated in HE Ojora of Ijoraland, of violence leaders the protest called for urgent Oba Fatai Aromire

Oyeyinka, has warned perpetrators of violence in Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area to desist or face the law.

The monarch sounded the warning while addressing placard-carrying residents of the community, who stormed his palace to protest violent attacks by factions of transport unions and miscreants.

He said: “The violent attacks have been on for about three years and I have tried to broker peace between the feuding factions without success.

“The last time, I invited the perpetrators for peaceful settlement of the matter, they were recalcitrant. I warned them then, to desist from perpetrating violence and to stop disturbing the peace of the community. But it was a surprise that moments after they left my palace, they engaged each other again and started shooting sporadically.”

By Kunle Akinrinade

Oba Aromire said the incessant violence in the community was politically motivated. He warned that anyone caught by the law enforcement agents would be dealt with.

His word: “I want to believe that the violence has political undertone, especially now that the Lagos council poll is around the corner. But, henceforth, I have told the police to ensure that anyone caught is not released to political godfathers or influential members of the community.

“In fact, any of my chiefs or Baale that may try to secure the release of anyone caught should be detained to serve as deterrent. Any landlord whose children are caught perpetrating violence stands the risk of losing his residency because I can no longer condone lawlessness in my domain.”

Some of the community

action against incessant violence in the council as people now live in fear.

One of the leaders of the protesters, Elder John Afolayan, said: “We are protesting the orgy of violence that has engulfed our community for some time now because our lives and those of our children are no longer safe. Recently, a girl was raped by hoodlums and she is now lying critically ill in a private hospital.”

“The Chairman of ApapaIganmu LCDA Dr. Adesola Adedayo, has done all he could to stop these people from their nefarious acts, but they have turned deaf ears to his plea. They have continued to foment trouble in our community despite the effort of the council area to broker truce among the warring factions of the Keke Marwa Operators, who are sponsoring hoodlums to unleash terror on this community.”

AMORC chief backs calls for sovereign national conference RESIDENT, National Board of AMORC in Nigeria, Dr. Kenneth Idiodi, has urged the National Assembly to convene a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to curb the lingering socio- political impasse in the country.

Idiodi said the SNC would help to sustain unity and promote peace.

He spoke in Lagos during a public seminar entitled: National Integration for Global Relevance, organised by the Lagos zone of the Rosicrucian Order.

The seminar, which was well attended featured lectures on national issues and solution to them.

Idiodi said ethnic groups in the country need to have sense of belonging to ensure social stability and promote peace.

He said : "The SNC will further help the nation to clarify its existence and foster understanding among the various ethnic groups in the nation. It is very good and should not

P

By Biodun-Thomas Davids

be discouraged.

“Another way to enhance national integration is the effective management of information and proper education.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) must embark on aggressive enlightenment on social problems, especially at the grassroots.

An ex-president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Otunba Abdul Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi, urged political leaders to be more committed to their duties and be selfless. He stressed that leaders need to have strong political will to initiate and implement good policies that will change lives.

Director of Research, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof Ogaba Oche, urged leaders to be well enlightened on global issues.

‘

Another way to enhance national integration is the effective management of information and proper education. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) must embark on aggressive enlightenment on social problems, especially at the grassroots.

’

The Country Director and Chief Executive Officer, Action Aid International Nigeria, Dr Hussaini Abdu who spoke on the topic entitled: Aligning Nigerian Development Platforms for National Integration, advised political leaders to look ahead and plan the economy on sound ideals and principles to ensure sustainable development.

NGO urges anti-graft body to assert authority The respondents want HE interference by

T

•A cross section of the protesters

M

EMBERS, leaders and elders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Igoke community in Agbado/ Oke-Odo, are kicking against a purported plan by some power brokers to impose the incumbent councillor for Ward B, Hon Adebayo Akala on them.

In a petition sent to the party's secretariat at Agbado/Oke-Odo by members of Igoke Stakeholders, they said they are displeased with the nomination process whereby the incumbent was excluded from the primary only to be given the ticket to fly the party's flag in the forthcom-

'We say no to imposition'

By Bidemi Bakare

ing council election.

The group said the recent primary saw the best two candidates emerge from Igoke. They wondered how the incumbent, who didn't participate in the election, could clinch the party's ticket. The group averred that the party at state and national levels provides that an incumbent should be returned only if his/her performance is acceptable to the people.

"In the case of the incumbent in question, the people

of the ward rejected his candidacy and the ward executives were not disposed to his selection either," the statement argued.

Besides, the group alleged it is on record that throughout his tenure, the incumbent councillor did not visit the community or attract any development to it.

It, therefore, requested the party to prevail on those concerned to follow the path of honour and do what is right to uphold the motto of the party, which is justice, peace and integrity.

government in the

activities of the anti-graft agencies is hindering their performance, a university teacher, Prof Etannibi Alemika, has said.

Alemika of the Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Jos spoke at the briefing of Cleen Foundation on the outcome of the survey conducted on National Criminal Victimisation and Safety.

•Joseph

R

ESIDENTS of Apapa Local Government have been urged to be security-conscious and collaborate with the gov-

ernment and security agencies in ensuring safety of their lives and property.

The Chairman of the council, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph, speaking with CityBeats the worrisome spate of bombings and killings in the country by the Boko Haram sect contended that it was time the activities of the sect attracted concerted efforts of all security stakeholders in the country He said: “It will be too dangerous not to take the

issue seriously. We cannot fold our arms while innocent lives are being wasted.”

“Of course, all the tiers and arms of government in this country are working round the clock to arrest the ugly development; however, we as a people cannot leave everything to the government. We must be vigilant besides ensuring our peaceful coexistence through religious tolerance.”

"Religious, political and traditional leaders in this country," he said, "must be

He said respondents observed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practice and Related offences Commission (ICPC) were vulnerable to g o v e r n m e n t ’ s interference.

He explained that respondents urged better training for the anti-graft personnel.

the establishment of anticorruption courts with power and autonomy that will make them carry out their statutory responsibilities without hindrance, he said.

However, the Executive Director of Cleen Foundation, Innocent Chukwuma, suggested that democratic culture should be embraced while the agencies should be given a free hand to perform their jobs.

Cleric urges govt to concentrate on agric we would have created a LAGOS-based

A

public affairs commentator and cleric, Prophet Funmilade JoelSekunderin, has urged Governor Babatunde Fashola to focus more on the agricultural sector to fast-track job creation.

Harping on the need to

Council boss tasks residents on security

By Dada Aladelokun

By Musa Odoshimokhe

involved in the ongoing search for peace and stability because we cannot afford to allow things get worse. There cannot be development in an atmosphere of strife and fear."

Meanwhile, no fewer than 500 primary and secondary pupils have benefitted from the holiday coaching organised by the council.

Counselling some youths after the event, the council boss advised them to be of good behaviour so that they could grow up to become custodians of the future of their fatherland.

By Yinka Aderibigbe

diversify the economy, the cleric said time had come to reduce the nation’s over dependence on oil by tapping into the huge opportunities in the agricultural sector.

According to Prophet Sekunderin, the continued dependence of the country on oil and imported goods is one of the main sources of erosion of our foreign reserves.

"If each state and local government focuses on one sector of agriculture where they have comparative advantage,

Low productivity and poor technology hinder food production

huge pool of job opportunities and poverty, hunger and other social maladies would be reduced," he said The cleric further stated that the agricultural sector a reform to boost food production, and a road map on agriculture, while the government should grant the private sector wide audience to develop agricultural services in the spirit of public -private partnership (PPP). He added that political will from the government was needed to ensure food security.

According to Prophet Sekunderin, poor funding, lack of access to finance, low productivity and poor technology, among others, hinder food production, hence, the conditions for accessing agric loans should be relaxed for small farmers and freshers, for them to grow.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

34

CITYBEATS H

E looks worried and downcast. Like other traders, Nicodemus Uzoegwu is still counting his losses over the demolition of the Yaba market by the Lagos State Government Task Force.

Commercial activities at the market, a major hub of cheap second-hand clothes, shoes, and books, popularly called Okrika in Lagos, ended on August 26. The closure followed a clash, a week earlier, between the traders and the men of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Brigade.

CityBeats gathered that a hustler,one of the dozens that used to help traders to get customers at the market, was arrested by officers of KAI for flouting environmental law. He was reported to have been hit by a vehicle while trying to avoid arrest. This sparked a fight as other traders stormed the KAI office in anger.

The traders'hope that the market would be opened after a series of meetings with government was dashed on September 11, when bulldozers stormed the market and pulled down the shops and stalls. Some defiant traders were arrested.

The market, which served over 50, 000 traders, now wears a new look as obstructions on the rail lines have been removed making movement for commuters easier. However, it has rendered the traders jobless as many now roam the streets for alternatives.

When CityBeats went there last week, some of the traders gathered in groups discussing the development.

Some were seen picking things from the ruins.

Nicodemus said: "To be honest, where to go is a problem now. I have a family that have to cater for. I know how much I have lost since my shop was demolished. I am frustrated. I don't have any other place to stay.

I have been here for two years. My family is hungry.My children have resumed school and I need money to offset their bills. I am still confused about where to pitch my tent again," Ogbonna Ugwuoso, another trader, criticised the government for the demolition. He claimed the traders were neither informed nor given quit notice.

He said: "I have three children and a wife. It has been very hard for me because to eat is a problem now. I have since the demolition , left my goods at home. I can't bring them here because I don't want to be arrested. ""The last discussion we had with government was that if the Tejuosho Market is completed, we would relocate there. But as you can see, the Tejuosho market is not ready yet. They have to make alternative because there is no where we can go.”

John Oamen, who has been

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The worsening of flooding in Lagos was as a result of global warming. This had been predicted earlier, that, there will be heavy rainfall this year and this has to do with global warming.”

The Chief Meteorologist, NIMET, Mr Abayomi Akinkunmi Oyegoke, speaking on the incessant rainfall in the state.

Yaba traders lament market demolition

By Toluwani Eniola

in the market for nine years, described the demolition as a shock and bad news.

His words: "Even if the government has a good reason for demolishing our shops, they should at least provide us with an alternative. There are other ways to beautify the rail lines rather than pulling down the shops. I am appealing to the Lagos State government to consider the masses. Many people have lost their jobs because of this."

Ikechukwu said : "In every market in Lagos, we have hustlers who find customers for us. They are the ones who create problems and harass people. It is not the traders. There is no way a trader would go and fight customers outside and leave his shop. Some Lagos State University (LASU) and University of Lagos (UNILAG) students are among the hustlers. When they bring buyers, they will tell you to settle them. The traders give them commission based on the number of buyers they get.

"This market is made up of more than 50,000 traders.

This market has been their mainstay. Where will they go now? The demolition has affected me in a lot of ways.

Many of us are idle. This market serves many people.

“ However,Mr Alara Akintoye, a Yaba resident, said the traders got what they deserved.

"There have been many cases of sexual harassment here. At least, the demolition has stopped those hustlers and Agberos who usually harass girls at will.They should comply with simple regulations ," he said.

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, described the Yaba market as an illegal market and that the demolition was in line with the master plan.

He said the crisis and demolition were coincidental. He said: "The fact that they have been doing business there doesn't mean their activities were legal. A thief is a thief no matter the time caught. The traders built stalls on drainages, displayed wares on the road, and caused traffic snarl. That is why the market was demolished.”

Despite the strict enforcement against trading in the market, some defiant traders still displayed their wares in shielded places. The hustlers, who allegedly brought the headache were seen prowling around for customers.

“Bros, which one you want. I get Chinos, plain trousers,” they were heard whispering to passers-by.

•Ogbonna

•Nicodemus

•Ikechukwu

•A trader sorting materials from the rubbles

PHOTOS: TOLUWANI ENIOLA

Lagos Assembly donates medical equipment to LASUTH

L

AGOS State House of Assembly has donated medical equipment to the Burns Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital

By Oziegbe Okoeki

(LASUTH), Ikeja.

Presenting the equipment to the management of the hospital, the Deputy

Speaker, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, said the donation was in appreciation of the efforts of the hospital toboost the treatment of burns patients and reduce

untimely deaths at the hospital.

Taiwo said the House was impressed by the treatment of patients brought to LASUTH, stating that the donation was informed by the treatment of a member of the House, Hon. Rotimi Kazeem, who had third degree burns a few months ago by the hospital.

"A few months ago, one of our colleagues was brought here for treatment and we appreciate the way and manner he was attended to, and we felt that we should donate to the hospital that is why we are here today",

‘

A few months ago, one of our colleagues was brought here for treatment and we appreciate the way he was attended to

•Hon Taiwo( centre) handing over some of the items to Prof. Wole Oke, while Adeyeye, Dr. A.A. Kalejaiye, Abiru and Kabir watch

’

Taiwo said.

LASUTH Chief Medical Director (CMD) Dr. Wale Oke commended the House for donating the equipment, saying the items would go a long way in saving lives. He promised that the equipment will be judiciously used.

Donated were :oxygen concentrator, oxygen cylinders, operating dermatone, 50 packs of sodium bicarbonate injection, 50 packs of potassium chloride injection, 120 packs of metro infusion, 100 pieces of pillow case, 50 mackintosh, 50 pieces of bedline, 100 pieces of bedsheet.

Others are: surgical gloves, pink and green canula, D/line, N/saline, D/Heantruxin, augumentin injection, damazine cream, exam glove, face mask, guaze roll, sufrattle and plaster, among others.

Taiwo was accompanied by the Leader of the House, Hon. Ajibayo Adeyeye; Deputy Chief Whip Hon. Rotimi Abiru; Hons. Kabir Lawal, Suuru Avoseh, Segun Olulade, Muyibat Adeyemi, Kazeem Alimi and Yishau Gbolahan.

SEND YOUR STORIES AND PICTURES TO CITY BEATS at ynotcitybeats@gmail.com OR SEND AN SMS TO 08033054340

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

36

We discovered that a significant percentage of the beneficiaries were suffering from ‘long and short-sightedness’ due to old age…They all presented general complain of poor vision, of not seeing far or near object clearly which resulted from normal ageing process of the eyes

1,600 get free eye treatment in Ogun

N

O fewer than 1,600 people have benefited from free eye testing, treatment and distribution of eye glasses carried out by separately by Abeokuta North and Ijebu North Local Governments of Ogun State.

It was all joy and celebration for people with various eyes disabilities in these two local governments.

The programme was initiated by Governor Ibikunle Amosun in a bid to give sight to people having challenges with vision.

In Akomoje, the Headquarters of Abeokuta North Local Government, 800 people including 63-year-old Adisa Yusuph, who thronged the venue for the free eye care tagged “ Jigi Amosun” when it was flagged– off by the council chairman, Hon. Kamil Kolawole Akinola last week.

Mr Yusuph was diagnosed of blue vision which causes watery secretion around the left eye. He told Newsextra that he has been suffering from the problem since three years and could neither see nor read without difficulties.

But after he was attended to by Dr.

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

Lateef Momodu of Momoh Optometry Clinic, one of the resource experts for the exercise, Yusuph said: “I can now see and read with my left eye.”

In a chat with Newsextra, Dr Momoh said: “We discovered that a significant percentage of the beneficiaries were suffering from “long and shortsightedness” due to old age.

“They all presented general complain of poor vision, of not seeing far or near object clearly which resulted from normal ageing process of the eyes. There is nothing that can be done about it. When they arise, we try to see if glasses can help,” Momodu said.

The Abeokuta North Local Government chairman, Hon. Akinola who ceremoniously dispensed eye glasses to few of the beneficiaries, told the people to avail of themselves of the opportunity ‘Jigi Amosun’ project offered so that experts can examine their eye complaints and recommend solutions at no cost to them.

•Dr Uche Ejere Uche, testing eye patients in Ijebu North LG Headquarters in Ijebu - Igbo

•The patients for treatment Noting that the exercise is a continuous one, he said it is not only eye problems that would be addressed as people with hernia, appendicitis among others will also be treated and surgery carried out on them where necessary.

According to him, health is wealth dictum is taken seriously with the encouragement of the people through sensitisation to keep their environment clean with proper sanitation, refuse disposal and drainage clearing.

Also in Ijebu North Local Government, home to the Deputy Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, and Senator Gbenga Kaka representing Ogun East Senatorial District, a total of 823 persons, including 64-year-old farmer, Mr. Ramoni Ogunfowokan, benefited from similar exercise.

At the Secretariat in Ijebu–Igbo Headquarters of Ijebu North Local Government Area, glasses and drugs were provided free to residents with three experts in eye care–Dr Uche Ejere Uche, Dr. Kehinde Samson and Dr. Olusola Olamide, on ground to examine, test, and prescribe drugs and glasses to the beneficiaries.

The Transition Committee Chairman for Ijebu North , Mr. Kunle

Ogunlana, while flagging off the Jigi Amosun initiative, said: “It was not meant for the distribution of free eye glasses only but also to conduct tests for people with disabilities and eye problems in all areas.”

Enumerating the achievements of the Transition Committee in the last 100 days, Mr. Ogunlana said he repaired and asphalted the Ijebu North stretch of the Ijebu – Ode – Ibadan Highway, rehabilitated public toilets in Atikori Market, Ijebu – Igbo and Ago – Iwoye Motor Park with water system to ensure proper sanitation of the facilities.

The council secretariat, he said, was also connected with water system, adding that the opinion of royal fathers are being sought to know what the people’s needs are.

“We have engaged in serious consultation with our royal fathers, all interest groups and stakeholders in a bid to ascertain the type of projects which shall be most beneficial to our people,” he said.

He noted that the routine awareness and sensitisation programme of the council has helped to improve the environment, making the area cleaner than they met it.

Silted drainage which contributed

to last month’s flooding that left at least two persons dead in Ijebu – Igbo and Ago – Iwoye, he said, are now cleared while refuse are disposed of as soon as it is generated by residents.

He hinted that skill acquisition project in the areas of hairdressing, barbing, and tailoring, among others would soon be held for unemployed young men women at the expense of the government.

This, he explained, would equip the prospective beneficiaries with the vocations they need to earn a living.

In the area of education, the administration has provided free learning materials- chalks, exercise books for the 102 primary schools in the local government. Holiday coaching classes were equally held free of charge for the secondary school students at all levels – JSS1- SSS111, in Ijebu North.

According to him, seminar would soon be organised for English and Mathematics teachers in primary schools to update and enhance their teaching skills in the two subjects so that pupils learning under them could get the best, adding that a good number of schools in the area have been indentified and marked for rehabilitation.

Engineers urged to be creative

C

IVIL Engineers in Lagos State have been reminded of the need to be creative and innovative to enable them to explore the ever-growing opportunities within their profession.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Wasiu Olokunola stated this at a lecture organised by the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers, Lagos State chapter.

Olokunola, who was the guest lecturer at the event advised the engineers to explore the sea shores to adequately develop the profession beyond road and bridge constructions.

According to him, most civil engineers shy away from coastal engineering, which is the aspect that deals with the management of coastal areas in terms of sea defence and coastal protection against flooding and erosion.

In his presentation, entitled, “Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Civil Engineering Profession,” Olokunola said that the art of land reclamation and coastal erosion control may be capital intensive for young civil engineers but they could make moderate living.

He explained that Lagos coastal area would require the service of

By Miriam Ndikanwu

civil engineers who would be bold and enterprising enough to convert some of the lagoons and sea shells to money.

He stated: “The lagoon shells are wasting away. These are good sources of calcium for the pharmaceutical and poultry industries which the state will need enterprising engineers to tap into.”

He further said that the civil engineers had the best knowledge to establish petty leisure business within the coastal area for tourist purposes and that they could venture into dredging operation, which he described as a very profitable venture in the state at present.

Olokunola bemoaned the habit of seeking white collar jobs among engineers, calling on them to be creative, especially in Lagos State where there are many opportunities.

According to him, the state generates heavy tons of plastic and nylon wastes every day. This, he said, could be recycled by engineers to make money.

He said, “Instead of waiting to be employed by government, I think our engineers can tap into this avenue to make wealth.”

•Engineer S.David, Permanent Secetary Lagos State Ministry Of Works and infrastructure, Engineer Olatunde Olokunola and chairman of the occassion Engineer HOB Lawal

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

MOTORING

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THE NATION

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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

0803-4693-984 tajudeen1423@yahoo.co.uk

email:- motoring@thenationonlineng.net

For teeming lovers of Touareg brand of Volkswagen SUV, its versatility and comfort cannot be compromised. Its 2012 model according to them, upholds the German philosophy of ruggedness and beauty-a cutting edge that is unbeatable.

SEYI ODEWALE reports.

•Volkswagen Touareg

Touareg: the emerging road master T

HE Volkswagen Touareg is one big SUV posh that can cut it in the muck.

Its seats are large, the engines sound a long way away and has alot of luxury. The only problem is its shuddery ride.

Concerning its performance there are choices to be made.There's a choice of threelitre V6 and 4.2-litre V8 diesels and VW's first-ever hybrid, a 3.3-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine producing 330bhp hooked on an electric motor generating 45bhp.

The hybrid doesn't trouble the smallest diesel on running costs, but what it does do is hand you a V6 petrol version with V8 performance and a sub 200g/km CO2 figure.

It's perfect for diesel haters, who though are missing something because the V8 diesel engine is only fractionally more expensive, and it's a powerhouse. With 340bhp and 590lb ft of torque, it more than makes up for the absence of the V10 diesel. The 062mph time of 5.8 seconds is 1.6 seconds up on the V10. It's impressively quiet at all speeds and you never get any diesel clatter in the cabin. There's also a new eight-speed automatic gearbox, and it's a good fun. It never feels like it's hunting around for gears and it's so smooth that you don't notice all those changes.

Talking about quality, nothing can fault its cabin: Volkswagen quality reigns supreme.

With an on air suspension, optional on all models, the V8 rides superbly. If one wants to do much off-roading with the Touareg one will need the air system because of the versatility it gives. One can raise it up by 78mm from a normal 'road' setting.

However, it is unusual in this day and age of massive SUVs that Volkswagen has shied

•Its dashboard

away from adding an extra row to its seats.

The Touareg remains a five-seater with plenty of comfort and it is roomy to sit five adults and a 580 litres, while the boot is 80 litres larger than the old model. There's also a button in the boot to lower the rear for loading in this mode, there are hatchbacks out there with higher boot sills.

It is equally very useful when it comes to

fuel efficiency. It is a bit more economical and eco-friendly. The V6 diesel manages 38.4mpg, the V8 diesel does 31.2mpg and the hybrid achieves 34.6mpg. It is an impressive stuff to say the least.

Added to it is the passing of the CO2 Committee test, which any SUV or 4x4 hardware, is usually subjected to. The vehicle builders took a German outlook on life to come up

with this arrangement and one can not deny the effectiveness of the outcome. The CO2 Committee vetted all the car's build processes, making the new Touareg 220kg lighter than the last one - 10 per cent of the weight.

Five per cent has been dropped out of the body, 21kg has been shaved from the transmission, even the electric parking brake has saved 3kg.

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

MOTORING

Abuja Motor Fair holds October 12 T

HIS year’s Abuja International Motor fair will parade an array of automobile brands, such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault, Great Wall and Chevrolet the organisers of the yearly event has said.

The event, which is scheduled to hold between October 12 and 20 at the Eagle Square, according to BKG Exhibition Managing Director, Mr Ifeanyi Agwu, this year’s organiser, the CFAO Motors, would be coming with a wide range of collections.

The motor company, Agwu said, has over the years demonstrated constituency in providing relevant, dependable and affordable vehicles to all sectors of the nation’s market.

CFAO group has Alliance Autos, which specialises in Nissan and Renault brands; Intermotors is in-charge of Chevrolet brand while CFAO Motors Nigeria Ltd., distributes Mitsubishi and Asian Wall CICA has the Franchise to source from China, Great Wall automo-

Stories by Seyi Odewale

biles and DFAC-Light and Heavy trucks.

Products to be displayed

by CFAO Motors Nigeria Ltd would include Mitsubishi Lancer; ASX Outlander and Pinero 1,300. Intermotors is expected to attend the show with Chevrolet range of cars like Aveo; Optra and Epica to the delight of their customers.

The organisers,have therefore, advised auto firms, banks and stakeholders to send quality representations to the fair as it would help to make a lasting impression on customers and visitors.

Agwu also urged governors to take advantage of the fair to attract investments to their states. According to him, the BKG would collaborate with Senexpo of Turkey, to make the event memorable.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Agwu said, would grace the event and he would be accompanied by some governors. “This partnership is going to help everybody,” he said.

•From left: Mrs Mariam Marsha, Archbishop Sunday Ola Makinde, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN); Alhaji Abdul Raman Ahmed and Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Transport, Mr Oluseyi Coker, during the mentorship and leadership workshop for Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) personnel by LASTMA, at Ikeja Lagos.

PHOTO: OMOSHIN MOSES

BriscoeFord promotes campaign to support host community F

ORD,Motor Company has urged its volunteers to contribute to the needs of their host communities.

This scheme, according to the motor manufacturers, is aimed at making the world a better place for all. These include feeding the hungry, renovating schools and infrastructure, providing shelters, planting of trees to protect the environment and water resources.

BriscoeFord, one of Ford Motors’ volunteers in Nigeria re-

cently embarked on an awareness campaign to sensitise residents of Onigbongbo Local Development Council Area on the menace of malaria BriscoeFord General Mnager, Mr Oseme Oigbagbe, said the company decided to focus on Maryland Clinic under the Onigbongbo Council area because it fell with the company’s host

community.

“We are embracing our role as citizens of the global community and sharing our time to make a difference in the Lagos Mainland area. We are committed to making the world a better place by helping to improve people’s communities where they live, work and play,” he said.

BriscoFord, according to Oigbagbe, would be upgrading the identified health centres with new Plasma Television, water dispensers, fans and other comforts. Pep talks, he said, would be given to patients on malaria preventions.

About 13,000 Ford employees and retirees volunteered 45,000 hours in 41 countries on six continents and their efforts touched more than 1.5 million lives.

Hyundai introduces trucks, buses

H

YUNDAI Motors Nigeria limited has introduced multipurpose Hyundai HD series special vehicles as part of its efforts to boost the acquisition of valuedriven commercial vehicles in Nigeria.

Speaking at a ceremony to unveil the vehicles, Managing Director, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited, Mr Pavir Singh, said: “We cannot continue to fold our arms and watch stakeholders in the haulage, construction and essential services’ business lose precious man-hours and money to unproductive and dilapidated trucks that make business a harrowing experience.”

Speaking further, he said: “At one of our meetings with Hyundai in Korea, we defined our mission clearly that the time has come to support the efforts of the Federal Government to rid the cities and highways of rickety and dilapidated trucks that add zero value to the supply chain.”

He explained that the addition of Hyundai commercial vehicles to its passenger car division was a sheer routine that would not affect service schedule or alter the work of its workshops nationwide.

According to him, at inception, the company integrated the commercial arm of Hyundai into the after-sale and workshop agenda, adding: “Our new Hyundai diagnostic tool which is built into the panasonic’s Tough-book can offer diagnosis 24 hours via wireless communication and interestingly, update parts without wired connections.”

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PERSONAL FINANCE

Email: taofad2000@yahoo.co.uk

Investor’s Worth

Dividends of an astute investor

D

R. Mohammed Hassan Koguna is one of the icons of the business community.

An accomplished entrepreneur, he has either chaired or served on the boards of not less than seven quoted companies and has been credited with many turnarounds in several companies.

Wherever Koguna offers his boardroom acumen, he also stakes his money in such a way that as the fortune of the company improves, his returns also improve.

A shareholder-friendly corporate manager, Koguna has also benefitted from the good dividend payment policies of the companies.

These have ensured that even in retirement, he had voluntarily stepped down from many board appointments on becoming a septuagenarian, his portfolio has continued to deliver mouth-watering dividends.

For instance, his investment in Red Star Express, where he still serves as chairman, has turned in an average of N58.3 million yearly in the past two years.

Koguna holds about 33 per cent equity stake in Red Star Express, an integrated logistics company with a market value of about N1.5 billion.

He is also known to hold substantial shares in the three companies within the UAC of Nigeria Group, including UACN, CAP and UACN Property Development Company.

A highly respected specialist in insurance brokerage, Koguna also holds appreciable stakes in many insurance companies.

Koguna had commenced his professional career at the United African Company (UAC) in 1955.

He rose to the position of General Manager in UNIC, a subsidiary of UAC, before retiring into private practice.

Beside the successes of his private insurance brokerage firm, Koguna Babura Insur-

These have ensured that even in retirement, he had voluntarily stepped down from many board appointments on becoming a Septuagenarian; his portfolio has continued to deliver mouth-watering dividends

T

•Koguna

ance Brokers Limited, and his private investment companyKoguna Babura & Co Limited, Koguna had chaired the boards of CAP Plc, Costain West Africa and UNIC Insurance.

He also served for several years on the boards of UACN and Continental Reinsurance.

Noted for his commitment to best practices and corporate governance, Koguna was a council member and vicepresident of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as well as president of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB). He is a director at Citibank Nigeria Limited, a member of Citigroup.

With more than N100 million in passive incomes from a single investment during economic recession, Dr. Koguna has built a formidable portfolio that spins money irrespective of the situation in the secondary market.

Ask a Broker

A

SHARE capital repre sents the probable or existing core capital and shareholders’ interests in a particular company. It is denoted by its dormant or active value.

The authorised share capital, the dormant value of share capital, means the maximum value of shares that a company can legally issue to its shareholders as authorised by them and in line with relevant regulations and laws.

What is share capital?

The paid-up share capital or issued share capital represents the number or value of a company’s authorised share capital that has been issued to shareholders either through payment of cash - initial offer, supplementary offer, rights etc or by capitalisation of reserves through bonus shares.

To increase its share capital or issue any portion of it,

a company needs the approval of its shareholders and such alteration must be registered with the corporate affairs registration agency.

Paid-up share capital is important in knowing many performance indices, including net assets per share, earnings per share, dividend per share, price to book value ratio and many other technical and fundamental indicators of the inherent value of a company.

Ways and Means

What to consider before buying mutual funds

A

MUTUAL fund is a collective investment scheme that pools funds from many people and invests such pool in previously agreed investments.

Each investor is a coowner, otherwise known as unit holder, of the fund.

Mutual fund usually has a professional fund manager who oversees the value creation functions of the fund and a trustee that ensures that the underlining agreements setting up the mutual fund are adhered to.

Other professional parties include the registrar that keeps custody of the register of members of the funds.

There are some 26 mutual funds quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Most mutual funds on the NSE have showed more resilience and resisted the sluggish market situation at the stock market but returns

on many pools of investments also fell below average market benchmark.

While the nature of a mutual fund may create defining peculiarities that set it apart from other funds, there are factors that could serve as guides to investors in deciding on a mutual fund.

As part of disclosure requirements, mutual funds are required to explicitly state most of these considerations, but in the absence of any, an investor reserves the right to ask question and seek clarification before making any commitment.

One of the red points to watch out for is the cost outlay of the fund. A professional fund manager charges fees to manage the mutual fund. An investor needs to consider the extent of professional fee as well as other expenses in relation to returns.

Delegation of shareholding rights and authorities (1)

Also, investors need to consider the age and size of the fund to make reasonable comparison with other similar funds as well as market performance.

The age and size of the fund will paint a vivid picture of its performance track record.

Is it a stable growing fund or a fluctuating fund? This will also enable the investor to measure the volatility of the fund. Highly volatile funds come with higher risks and may turn into traps in a declining market.

It is also important to consider how the mutual fund fits into the portfolio structure of the investor in terms of diversification,sectoral allocation, and cash flow, among others.

Investors also need to consider the fund manager’s investment strategy and risks therein in line with their own investment horizons and risk appetites.

HE underlining concept that determines the risks and rights inherent in shareholding is the concept of ownership. This confers the right to participate in the determination of all affairs of the entity and to take responsibilities for the gains and losses.

An institution or a person in whose name a shareholding is registered is duly recognised as the person with the prima facie authority to take decisions on the shareholding.

He exercises all rights relating to the shareholding including voting, collection of cash payout and scrip issue and many others.

Also included is the right to delegate his authority to another person or persons for specific function or administration.

The right to delegate enables the shareholder to participate in the affairs of his company, especially when crucial issues, such as voting on business combination, appointment of director, restructuring or reconstruction of the share capital, raising new debt or equity capital, among others, are on the table.

Since public limited companies run on the principles of representative government and collective responsibility, the right to participate in major decisions, and the adjoining right to delegate, is major risk mitigation for an investor.

The weight of this is further illustrated by the fact that a shareholder who fails to exercise his right during a decision process cannot turn round to absolve himself or claim damages where such decision eventually hurt his shareholding.

This accounts for the strenuous debates on mergers and acquisitions in many advanced markets.

It also accounts for the many cases of mergers and acquisitions, both friendly and hostile, since the acquirer usually targets the votes of all shareholders, whose majority can override vetoes by block shareholdings.

The exercise of voting right, which can be delegated, is a major check and balance and performance evaluation instrument in corporate management.

It makes directors and management to sit up and work more assiduously for the benefit of the shareholders.

Unfortunately, the Nige-

By Taofik Salako

rian environment is yet to fully reflect this. However, the forthcoming extra-ordinary general meetings for the business combinations by banks provide shareholders the rare opportunities to activate and, thereafter, sustain their interests in the management of their companies.

Delegation of authority can be done personally or by the court of law acting in overall interest of the shareholder. Personal delegation usually takes the form of Proxy and Power of Attorney while the court can issue a Protection Order.

Proxy: A proxy technically refers to the document officially appointing a person to act on behalf of another in a specific function and the person so appointed. In this instance, it refers to a person appointed by a shareholder to attend a general meeting of his company and exercise his rights, especially voting right, at the meeting.

A proxy may or may not have shareholding interest in the company. All public companies usually send proxy forms alongside their reports or notices ahead of any general meeting to their shareholders.

A typical proxy form usually contains two parts: the authorisation and admission. The authorisation part of the form contains the name and signature of the shareholder, the name (and sometimes the address) of the proxy, the date of appointment of the proxy and a yes-or-no table to indicate the specific voting instruction(s) of the shareholder.

In the case of joint shareholders, any of such shareholders may complete the proxy but the name of all joint shareholders must be stated. Where the shareholder is a corporation, the proxy must be under its common seal or alternatively under the hand of some officers or attorney duly authorised to act to do so.

Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy will vote or abstain from voting at his discretion. As a general practice, most companies include the name of a director or two on the proxy form as probable proxies for shareholders who may wish to delegate his voting right to a board member.

It is required by law under Stamp Duties Act, cap 411- Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, that any

instrument of proxy to be used for voting by any person entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders must bear Stamp Duty at the appropriate rate and not adhesive postage stamps . It is an offence to issue a proxy without Stamp Duty while voting by such proxy is null and void.

Also, it is required that the authorisation part of the proxy must be deposited at the office of the Registrar of the company not later than 48 hours before the time of commencement of the meeting.

The admission part of the proxy is torn off and retained as admission card to the general meeting.

The admission card usually includes name (and sometimes address) and number of shares of the shareholder. A proxy is expected to sign the admission card in the presence of the Registrar at the venue of the general meeting.

At the meeting, a proxy is entitled to the rights of the consenting shareholder including right to seek and receive clarification.

Unfortunately, many shareholders, especially institutional shareholders, with the wherewithal to delegate knowledgeable representatives to participate in proceedings at general meetings are usually reticent and unconcerned, leaving crucial decisions to uninformed or half-informed crowd of rent-seeking shareholders.

This has been the bane of the corporate failures and mismanagement in Nigeria and other jurisdictions.

With the huge losses that have resulted from poor corporate management, particularly the bitter pills of the recent nationalisation of three companies by government while protecting all other stakeholders, shareholders now need to be more active in the management of their companies.

The right to proxy enables minority shareholders to group their decisions and exert pressures on decision-making.

Besides, proxy provides professional fund managers and investment advisers opportunity to influence corporate decisions, which will impact on the fundamental performance of the company and, subsequently, the stock market valuation, which is usually the major concern of fund managers and investment advisers.

‘The admission card usually includes name (and sometimes address) and number of shares of the shareholder. A proxy is expected to sign the admission card in the presence of the Registrar at the venue of the general meeting’

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

48

CAPITAL MARKET

Investors spend less on more shares

L

AST week, the volume of transaction was N 6.02 billion with the volume of transactions put at 0.80 billion shares as against the trading of 0.62 billion shares worth N 7.43 billion a fortnight ago.

This simply means that less is spent on more shares last week, the worth of activities last week fell tremendously and its resurgence requires stringent market re-orientation to restore investors’appetite.

The banking sector claimed 65 per cent of the total volume of transaction that exchanged hands at the stock market last week. Contribution shows that traders exchanged 0.52 billion units’ worth N3.53 billion in 8,277 deals as against 0.36 billion units valued at N2.77 billion in 8,881 deals a fortnight ago.

This pointed out that the banking stocks were passively traded at the exchange compared to 37 per cent the penultimate week, returns on banking volume rose by 28 per cent and the value of money spent on banking stocks stood at 58.64 per cent.

The Conglomerates sector occupied the first runner up with 53.70 million units worth N 158.18 million in 877 deals.

On average evaluation, the Conglomerates sub-sector accounted for approximately 6.68 per cent of the total activity and 2.62 per cent of the total funds invested at the Exchange during the week under review.

Market activities yielded bearish returns, as market indices fell by 2.14 per cent at the Exchange last week; further decline characterised market activities as the bearish was noticed a fortnight ago.

The bearish return is attributed to the price crash of some stocks. Overall market performance determinants i.e. the Market Capitalisation, All share Index and the braIndex® fell by 2.07 per cent, 2.14 per cent and 1.79 per cent in support decrease of 0.88 per cent, 0.91 per cent and 2.66 per cent recorded a fortnight ago.

Transactional volume shows that Insurance sub-sector’s performance improved by 0.97 per cent last week.

The total weekly value of stocks in this sub-sector stood at N39.62 million.

Shares of Fidelity Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, and First Bank of Nigeria Plc were the toast of investors as they were actively traded in terms of volume and total investment.

The Market capitalisation which measures the share price movement fell from N 7.02 trillion a fortnight ago to N 6.60 trillion last week; the All Share Index also fell to 20,705.15 from 21,158.25, representing a 2.14 per cent drop on weekly assessment.

Apparently, the braIndex® also fell by 1.79 per cent.

All the three market indicators fell last week showing that overall activities in terms of volume and fund invested may decrease noticeably.

The sharp drop in returns on both benchmarks was less than three per cent and attributable to the recent decrease in share prices of some stocks.

On a year-to-date basis, both benchmarks - the NSE All-Share Index and the braIndex® - showed losses of 8.03 per cent and 10.72 per cent.

Stock Market Sectoral Performance Investors in the stocks of Fidelity Bank Plc exchanged 100.88 million units in 430 deals worth N 208.34 million. The average number of deals remained well over 86 deals per day during the week. Access Bank Plc was second with 81.24 million shares worth N 434.51 million.

In the Conglomerates sub-sector, Transnational Corporation Plc led

Table 1: A Five-Day Moving Average Data of the Market Indices Change(%)

Market Capitalisation (%)

All-Share

Average Weekly Depth

(1.77)

(1.76)

(1.83)

Year To Date (YTD)

(8.09)

(8.03)

(10.72)

Month To Date (MTD) Week To Date(WTD)

(7.25) (2.07)

(7.23) (2.14)

(6.77) (1.79)

Values

Market Cap(trillion Naira)

All-Share Index

braIndex®

As of closing on September 22, 2011

6.60

20, 705.15

13.65

Source: NSE & bra Limited Table 2: Stock Market Summary Statistics for the week ending Sept. 22, 2011 Period Market Capitalisation (Trillion) 15/09/2011 6.74 16/09/2011 6.73 19/09/2011 6.63 20/09/2011 6.65 21/09/2011 6.65 22/09/2011 6.60 Source: NSE & Bra Limited

All-Share Index (Base Points) 21,158.25 1 21,106.67 20,811.08 20,875.32 20,868.21 20,705.15

braIndex® (Base Points) 3.90 14.10 13.93 13.82 13.81 13.65

Table 3: Statistics on Weekly Sectoral Contribution Sectors Banking Conglomerates Food, Beverages and Tobacco Telecommunications Insurance Source: bra Limited

% of Total Trading Net Worth 58.64% 2.62% 8.48% 0.93% 0.65%

Trading Net Worth(in Naira Millions ) 3,535.20 158.18 511.76 56.16 39.62

Figure 1a: The All Share Index and braIndex® Performance at a Glance

Source: BRA Computation

Source: BRA Computation

with 49.91 million shares worth N41.28 million. The sectoral volume amounted to almost 53.70 million units and constituted over 6.68 per cent of the sector’s trading volume.

Companies Appraisal Fidelity Bank Plc is the most active company in the Banking subsector with 100.88 million units, followed by the Access Bank Plc. Access Bank Plc been the first runnerup closed the week at N434.51 million in 568 deals.

Among the most active companies in the Conglomerates sub-sector were Transnational Corporation Plc, PZ Cussons Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, U.A.C of Nigeria Plc and A.G.

Leventis Plc. In the Insurance Industry, Continental Reinsurance Plc claimed to be the most active company in the sector.

The Food, Beverages and Tobacco industry was also active in terms of the market value. Dangote Flour Mills Plc, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc and UTC Plc were some of the most active stocks in the sub-sector. Last week, shareholders of Guinness Plc, Dangote Flour Mills Plc, NCR Plc, Ikeja Hotels Plc and Unity Bank Plc saw the value of their investments earning profit less than five percent while investors in U.A.C of Nigeria Plc, Chellarams Plc, U. A. Property Plc and Oando Plc made less than five per cent loss on a daily basis.

Points to note: The weekly stock market analysis reports the current position of the outlook of the stock of the companies listed on the Exchange and the aggregate market. The NSE closed the 38th trading week on a bearish note.

The movement shows clearly that the bearish returns may persist in coming week activities as predicted a fortnight ago.

Historical analysis of trading volume shows that in the new week, the Banking, Insurance and Conglomerates stocks are likely to continue to be the toast of investors.

Disclaimer This report has been prepared for information purposes only and for private use. Whilst reasonable care had been taken in its production, bra Limited does not guarantee the correctness of its contents nor does the company accept liability for any loss arising from a reliance on its contents.

Kindly note that our suggested recommendations and other tactical actions are based on bra Limited best estimates which are guided by generally available information and our Proprietary Tools.

This is not an invitation or a solicitation to deal in any stocks and we do not guarantee the future outcome of such recommendation.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

49

CAPITAL MARKET Bond and Money Market Review

T

HE bond market segment shows an improvement in activities as market index increases by 0.16 per cent and capitalisation rose by 0.20 per cent to hit N1.853 trillion from a lower value of N1.850 trillion recorded in the penultimate week.

There is about 0.05 per cent rise in value on daily assessment. A fortnight ago, the market appreciated noticeably by 0.02 per cent.

The weekly improvement was as a result of the increase in prices of most short and long term instruments, which serves as the major driving force of the overall market performance.

The FGN bond Index began the week at 1,522.82 and closed at 1,525.26 points, increasing by 244 basis points in support of a rise of 573 basis points a fortnight ago. It ended the week at 1,525.26 points.

Average index stayed at 1,523.96 points, compared to 1,520.11 points the previous week.

The 30-day and 60-day and 90day indices rose by 0.04 per cent, 0.00 per cent and 0.04 per cent to claim 12.54 per cent, 12.83 per cent and 13.16 per cent respectively.

The volume of market transaction increased from N1.850 trillion to N1.853 trillion, while the index on the other side close at 1,525.26 points, as it started the week with 1,522.86 points. Market capitalisation closed with N 1.853 trillion to end last week transaction as against N 1.850 trillion observed in the penultimate week, the daily changes in the index increased slightly to close the weekly observation.

Index movement represents a noticeable increase in the market performance supported by the changes on daily examination as it also increased slightly due to slight increase in price of some short and long term instruments, these price changes in cited instruments are the major drivers of the market performance a fortnight ago.

Among the 15 traded bonds, most of them have their price unchanged while some have their price increased trivially throughout the last week trading. Surprisingly, the prices of short term instruments witnessed appreciation towards the end of the trading week.

The top price gainer was the 20year bond, 15 per cent FGN Nov 2028, which appreciated by N0.13 to close at N121.88. However, the 5-year bond, 10.50 per cent FGN March 2018 which also decline by N0.16 to end the week at N100.34.

Figure 1 illustrates the year-todate change in the bra FGN bond Index. The bra FGN bond index is a market value weighted index and is designed to measure the performance of the Nigerian investment-grade fixed income market.

Although the index remained flat during most of January and February as seen, it recorded a sharp drop in March as investor outlook turned negative in the bond market in anticipation of elections.

The FGN index recorded its biggest decline (108 points) in March losing roughly seven per cent of its value. We observe the stabilisation of the declining trend in April and a gradual recovery in May and June.

The month of July follows this recovery trend with index values reaching their March levels. The index stabilised in August closing at 1,512 points on August 26 flat compared to 1,517 points on July 30.

Last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sold foreign exchange worth $350 million to authorized dealers at the Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS) window as against $350 million a fortnight ago.

Bulls dominate Bond market Table 4: Key Statistics of Market’s Stock Performance as of Sept. 22, 2011 S/N

Company Name

Share Price Gain (‘N)

% of Shares’ Gain by Investors

TOP FIVE GAINERS BY PRICE 01

Dangote Flour Mills Plc

6.40

4.91%

02

Ikeja Hotels Plc

1.71

4.90%

03

NCR Plc

4.75

4.85%

04

Unity Bank Plc

0.68

4.61%

05

Guinness Plc

221.51

0.57%

37.07

-4.99%

TOP FIVE LOSERS BY PRICE 01

U.A.C of Nigeria Plc

02

Chellarams Plc

20.80

-4.97%

03

U.A.C – prop. Plc

14.74

-4.96%

04

Oando Plc

25.30

-2.69%

05

WAPCO Plc

42.50

-1.62%

Source: NSE and bra Limited Indicator Turnover Value Deals FGN Bond Index Market Capitalization Index Weekly Returns (%) Index Year-to-Date Returns (%) 1-Month Returns (%) 3-Month Returns (%) 12-Month Returns (%)

CurrentWeek 197.8 million N160.43 billion 1,301 1,525.26 N1.853 trillion 1.75 5.37 0.64 4.48 3.96

PreviousWeek 192.8 million N157.84 billion 1,296 1,522.82 N1.850 trillion 1.74 5.32 0.61 4.45 3.91

% Change 2.59 1.64 0.16 0.16 0.57 0.93 4.91 0.67 1.28

Source: BRA Figure 1: FGN Bond Index

Source: FMDA

Figure 2: Nigerian T-bill Primary Market Auctions

Primary Market Auction

Source: Financial Markets Dealers Association The dealers had demanded $506.5 million before the auction while the actual amount offered stood at $350 million.

The over-the-counter bond market notched up by 2.59 per cent last week, yielding N160.43 billion with a turnover of 197.8 million units in 1,301 deals.

The amount compared favourably with the N157.84 billion invested on 192.8 million units in 1,296 deals a fortnight ago.

The activity was boosted by the 20-year bond, due in July 2030 with 10 per cent coupon rate. It

traded 41.95 million units valued at N31.30 billion in 316 deals. This was followed by the three-year bond, 5.5 per cent FGN February 2013 which traded 33.55 million units valued at N30.04 billion in 281 deals.

Sixteen of the available 34 FGN bonds were traded during the week, compared with 2 the previous week.

In the NTB Primary Market, there were three new issues of NTBs with three, six and 12 month maturities.

The yield ranged from 7.34 per cent to 9.35 per cent yearly.

These rates are slightly up from

the previous month’s auctions when the true yield on the threemonth issue was 6.91 per cent and the yield on the six-month issue was 8.1 per cent.

We observe the real interest rate on Nigerian one year T-bills equal to or near zero, which could be a deterring factor for investors in the region.

Nigerian Yield Curves In terms of long term bonds, there were three issues of FGN Bonds with maturity dates ranging from three to five and to 10 years for a total amount of N70 billion. The yields

on these bonds ranged from 10.75 per cent on the three-year bond to 11.19 per cent on the five-year and to 11.39 per cent on the 10-year one. The same yields were 10.25 per cent on the 3year note and 11.69 per cent on the 10-year one a month ago.

The increases in the FGN bond yields suggest a decline in investor demand for the Federal Government Nigeria (FGN) debt in the short term but an increase in the long-term notes.

Figure 23 shows the volume of the NTB and FGN Auctions in the Primary Market

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

50

LABOUR

Nigeria has wage policy, says Salary Commission chief T HE Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Mr Richard Egbule, has said.

In a publication by the commission entitled: The current public service salary administration regime and key issues, Egbule said there is a regulatory framework mandating the commission to administer staff salaries except for some specialised officers.

He listed the officers as those covered by Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries, Allowances, etc) Act. “The current policy places the

Stories by Dupe OlaoyeOsinkolu

NSIWC in the central role of regulation of salary administration system in the Federal Public Service,“ he said.

He said the mandate was derived from the provisions of the NSIWC Act, CAP N72, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Egbule said the law empowered the commission to “examine, streamline and recommend salary scales applicable to each post in the public service.

“In addition, the commission is to examine areas in which rationalisation and harmonisation of wages, salaries and other con-

ditions of employment are desirable and feasible.

“Furthermore, it is to examine the salary structures in the public and private sectors and recommend a general wages framework with reasonable features of relativity and maximum levels which are in consonance with the national economy.“ According to Egbule, another important factor in wage fixing and review is the issuance of government circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The reference number of the circular is SGF/OP/I/S.3/II/ 74, dated August 3, 2000 as well

as the follow-up circular with reference number SGF/OP/I/ S.3/VII dated May 25, 2007.

He said those circulars made it mandatory for all establishments in the public service to obtain government approval for all pay-related reviews through the NSICS. Egbule voided the impression in some government agencies that they had the enabling law to fix the salaries of their staff, adding that the OSGF had made clarifications on such ideas.

“There has been an issue arising from the provision of the establishing law of certain government agencies stating that the

Kaduna Assembly intervenes in labour, govt face-off

T

HE Kaduna State House of Assembly has resolved to intervene in the face-off between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the government over minimum wage implementation.

Speaker, Mu’azu Gangara, at an emergency session, said a nine-member ad hoc committee has been constituted to resolve the dispute.

He said Deputy Speaker Matoh Dogara would lead the panel, while the chairmen of eight other

relevant standing committees are members.

The other members are from the committees on education, finance, judiciary, establishment, economic planning, public petitions, security and information.

The resolution followed a motion by Mr Philemon Gidanmana (PDP-Makera), which was seconded by Alhaji Bala Ayuba (CPC-Tudun Wada).

The legislators said the crisis was capable of grounding the state and exposing citizens to

avoidable hardships.

Malam Mohammed Ali (CPCKawo) said there was no need for the government to drag its feet because the issue was already a national law.

While describing the N18, 000 minimum wage as a “slave wage’’, Ali suggested that the Office of the Head of Service should furnish the House with details of the matter within one week.

Mallam Mustapha Bawa (CPCZaria City) flayed the delay tac-

tics adopted by the government and advised it to implement the policy to prevent a workers stroke.

Bawa the N18, 000 wage would not settle the cost of living of even a bachelor in a month.

Mr Irmiya Kantiok (PDPZonkwa) called for dialogue between goverment and labour in the interest of the people.

The NLC has picketed the state secretariat and other government offices in Kaduna metropolis to enforce its strike.

• From left: Mr. Peter Folikwe, Executive Director,Vitafoam Plc, Olori Adefunmi Ogunleye, Business tycoon, Hon. Prince Adesoji Adegoke,former Commissioner, Civil Service Commision, Osun State, Overseer Anthony Adebayo Olayinka, Vitafoam Key Distributor/Comfort Center Operator and Dr. Dele Makanjuola, Managing Director/CEO Vitafoam Plc, at the unveiling of an ultra-modern Comfort Center at Ile-Ife, Osun State.

K

WARA State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has pledged to tackle youth unemployment.

He made the promise at the recent launch of the Kwara Bridge Empowerment Scheme (KWABES) in Ilorin where he presented employment letters to 2,000 youths.

The governor said the youths were selected from the 28,000 unemployed captured during the registration of unemployed youths in the state.

According to him, the scheme was introduced to capture the data of unemployed youths for employment after National Youth

Kwara employs 2,000 youths Corps service within 365 days.

He said others that could not be absorbed would be trained in essential skill acquisition and entrepreneurship, to be supported with soft loans, to establish small and medium scale enterprises.

The governor said the state was ready to partner with the Federal Government to support and encourage youth involvement in small scale enterprise towards self-employment.

According to him, part of the partnership will cover human capacity building and development

as well as establishment of acquisition centres to train and impact skill on the youths.

Ahmed explained that some of the youth employed through the scheme would be posted to both public and private organisations while the government would pay their salaries.

He called on the Federal Government to provide additional assistance to the state, to generate more employment opportunities and arrest youth restiveness.

Earlier, the Commissioner for

Youth and Sports, Dr Amuda Kannike, said that the scheme started on June 27, with the registration of unemployed youths and had captured 28,000 of them from the 16 Local Government Areas.

Kannike explained that the scheme was one of the diverse measures devised through concerted efforts by government to enhance the well-being of the youth.

The Commissioner stressed the need for youths to examine further options that would help them to achieve total poverty eradication, full employment, social security and integration.

board of the organisation can determine the remuneration of its personnel.

“Some of such organisations have attempted to interpret that to mean independence to fix salaries and other remuneration.

“The clarification by the abovereferred circulars of the OSGF has, therefore, provided stabilising guidance, which all sections of the public service have accepted.“ he said.

The publication is intended to clarify issues on the policy and practice in salary administration in the Federal Public Service of Nigeria.

Sokoto to punish absentee workers, late comers

H

ARD times, henceforth, await absentee workers

and late comers in the Sokoto State civil service.

The head of Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Wali, said the government is determined to sanction absentee workers, late comers and those who close earlier than the official closing time.

He added that his office had already compiled a list of all the offending workers.

“We have been dangling the carrots. We have been magnanimous enough not to wield the big stick, but now, there is no going back.”

Wali said the decision to reprimand the affected workers was taken at the end of his recent unscheduled visits to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

He explained that in spite of government’s commitment to staff welfare, some were in the habit of not reciprocating the gesture.

“My findings during the unscheduled visits were quite appalling and discouraging. Government will no longer condone such unpatriotic acts by any worker.

“To whom much is given , much is expected. The workers have never had it so good under the current PDP-led administration since May 2007.”

Wali regretted that it was discovered that some of the workers were only reporting to their duty posts toward the end of every month when salaries were due for payment.

“Others do come, greet their bosses and leave, while others stay and leave earlier than the official closing time. Such gross indiscipline and disloyalty will no longer be tolerated by the government . There must be efficient service delivery by every worker.”

• Sokoto State Governor, Wamakko

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

51

52

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 23-09-11

•Dangote, FBN, Zenith, UBA lead decline

2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 7

Quotation(N) 7.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 24,500 174,300.00 24,500 174,300.00

Quotation(N) 1.95 5.68

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 777,950 1,536,667.50 206,068 1,118,120.27 984,018 2,654,787.77

Quotation(N) 1.33

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 92,256 119,991.05 92,256 119,991.05

Quotation(N) 5.21 3.61 2.53 3.95 2.06 9.28 12.00 8.93 0.70 1.15 4.98 1.33 3.59 2.09 0.71 0.68 11.90

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 5,094,862 26,540,693.66 675,802 2,439,647.22 203,899 516,115.87 11,461,961 45,770,681.25 14,764,810 30,185,088.08 13,227,793 125,977,885.96 22,525,476 269,906,196.04 13,784,186 124,137,297.65 3,972,195 2,780,536.50 588,500 676,775.00 999,935 5,007,078.42 2,119,604 2,789,086.87 8,225,665 29,746,983.91 215,161 449,686.49 9,236,913 6,351,258.31 1,012,354 689,024.23 54,124,845 662,734,634.95 162,233,961 1,336,698,670.41

Quotation(N) 221.51 84.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 344,563 77,456,087.96 832,718 70,355,958.93 1,177,281 147,812,046.89

Quotation(N) 17.70 7.30 95.00 40.42

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 280,177 4,957,802.68 31,400 217,966.00 4,052,184 384,992,356.00 855,487 34,652,567.43 5,219,248 424,820,692.11

Quotation(N) 9.38 19.76 1.14

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 3,000 27,173.82 266,060 5,260,160.70 38,329 42,495.06 307,389 5,329,829.58

AIR SERVICES Company Name AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 10 28 38

AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 14 14 BANKING

Company Name ACCESS BANK PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA 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 101 12 11 84 105 500 460 68 27 11 37 24 226 11 62 13 306 2,058 BREWERIES

Company Name GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 99 79 178 BUILDING MATERIALS

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

No of Deals 44 9 22 60 135 CHEMICAL & PAINTS

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

No of Deals 4 30 3 37

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 8 8

Quotation(N) 2.22

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 253,500 566,963.00 253,500 566,963.00

Quotation(N) 30.00 0.82 37.07 28.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 809,143 24,276,600.23 11,412,977 8,902,875.17 148,291 5,319,232.37 286,436 7,778,052.85 12,656,847 46,276,760.62

Quotation(N) 49.64 4.43

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 276,833 13,322,746.83 51,000 225,930.00 327,833 13,548,676.83

CONGLOMERATES Company Name PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC OF NIGERIA PLC UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 46 67 39 50 202 CONSTRUCTION

Company Name JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC ROADS NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 32 2 34

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 TANTALIZERS PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 9 28 177 55 53 5 21 31 1 4 384

Quotation(N) 45.50 15.20 6.67 8.55 72.95 3.16 4.48 401.00 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 16,409 746,609.50 310,235 4,720,739.90 5,239,377 35,194,869.97 984,249 8,597,045.91 497,874 35,649,942.97 38,225 115,277.25 125,651 550,361.56 182,298 73,117,417.88 20,000 10,000.00 101,500 50,750.00 7,515,818 158,753,014.94

Quotation(N) 0.86 1.34 27.00 3.25 1.05 3.68 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 120,972 104,910.29 68,000 91,120.00 439,768 11,878,495.00 230,688 743,490.80 100,000 100,000.00 912,500 3,355,000.00 2,000,000 1,000,000.00 3,871,928 17,273,016.09

Quotation(N) 7.50 1.79 4.32

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 972,050 7,290,375.00 793,060 1,416,103.80 300 1,233.00 1,765,410 8,707,711.80

HEALTHCARE Company Name EVANS MEDICALPLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 5 4 10 13 13 4 2 51

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

No of Deals 6 15 1 22

Nigerian stocks crash to lows

T

HE Nigerian stock mar ket crashed to its lowest ebb this year at the weekend as most resisting highly capitalised stocks joined scores of other stocks at the lowest rung of the pricing ladder, rounding off losses during the five-day trading week to N289 billion.

From banking to building materials, food and beverages and petroleum-marketing sectors, market leaders slumped to their lowest valuations under a deluge of open sale orders as investors scurry to improving fixed-income securities.

While the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was touting an end to the banking crisis, most banking stocks fell to unimpressive lows including the three biggest lenders. Also, Dangote Group was the major non-bank drag on the stock market performance as the leading stocks within the group plummeted to their lows. Another conglomerate, UAC of Nigeria Group also saw remarkable decline in the group valuation as two of the three stocks within the group fell to their lowest prices.

With nearly 90 per cent of stocks in the insurance sector stagnated at the nominal 50 kobo value, the decline to the lowest valuations by the two leading resisting stocks within the sector- Custodian and Allied Insurance and Prestige Assurance, and the scores of other nominal-valued stocks strewn across the sectors painted the widespread of the unyielding recession at the stock market.

The All Share Index (ASI), the benchmark value index that measures general price changes at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, depreciated by 4.28 per cent from its opening index of 21,106.67 points to 20,202.50 points. Aggregate market capitalization of all equities dropped from N6.731 trillion to N6.442 trillion, a similar pattern with the ASI which confirmed that the decline was driven by price depreciation rather than delisting or reconstruction. The NSE 30 Index depreciated by 4.51 per cent to close at 907.34.

Banking stocks were the hardest hit as the biggest banks slumped to their lows. First

No of Deals 1 12 13

Quotation(N) 6.90 5.70

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 23-09-11 Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,000 13,800.00 2,526,324 15,135,400.60 2,528,324 15,149,200.60

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

No of Deals 2 2 4

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 4,122,400 2,061,200.00 426,954 213,477.00 4,549,354 2,274,677.00

INSURANCE Company Name No of Deals AIICO INSURANCE PLC. 28 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC 31 CORNERSTONE INSURANCE CO. PLC. 1 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC 15 GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC 4 GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC 30 GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. 1 CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC 1 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC 1 LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. 5 LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC 2 N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. 4 NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. 2 OASIS INSURANCE PLC 8 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. 2 REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC 2 STACO INSURANCE PLC 1 STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC 3 UNIC INSURANCE PLC. 2 INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INSURANCE PLC 1 Sector Totals 144

Quotation(N) 0.67 1.07 0.50 2.41 0.52 0.99 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,084,474 728,720.81 3,756,199 3,768,938.32 200 100.00 1,630,750 4,013,402.50 12,525,000 6,512,575.00 2,120,155 2,108,677.45 200,000 100,000.00 200 100.00 20,000 10,000.00 191,700 95,852.00 400 200.00 41,700 20,850.00 400 200.00 345,000 172,500.00 4,400 6,292.00 400 200.00 1,000 500.00 11,354,155 5,677,077.50 1,200 600.00 200 100.00 33,277,533 23,216,885.58

LEASING Company Name C&I LEASING PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

Quotation(N) 0.94

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 20,000 18,000.00 20,000 18,000.00

No of Deals 42 42

Quotation(N) 0.78

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,346,277 1,866,977.46 2,346,277 1,866,977.46

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Company Name CRUSADER NIGERIA PLC. NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC

No of Deals 1 21

ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N) 0.50 1.08

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 200 100.00 1,060,443 1,144,778.44

2 24

0.50

50,200 1,110,843

25,100.00 1,169,978.44

Quotation(N) 1.74

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,841,529 3,196,725.13 1,841,529 3,196,725.13

PACKAGING Company Name NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 35 35

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name 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 9 12 59 22 13 151 12 278

Quotation(N) 63.86 33.00 5.38 10.46 148.00 24.40 203.32

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 21,804 1,322,848.68 56,708 1,851,342.00 1,720,025 8,668,729.16 185,091 1,971,520.50 72,868 10,413,584.30 1,743,313 42,485,980.35 9,961 1,958,384.76 3,809,770 68,672,389.75

PRINTING & PUBLISHING Company Name ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LONGMAN NIGERIA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 3 6 11

Quotation(N) 2.60 4.84 3.80

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 3,200 7,904.00 7,867 37,761.60 117,519 446,889.63 128,586 492,555.23

Quotation(N) 14.01

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 834,372 11,689,729.22 834,372 11,689,729.22

REAL ESTATE Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 37 37

ROAD TRANSPORTATION Company Name ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 7

Quotation(N) 0.52

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 766,073 384,412.96 766,073 384,412.96

Quotation(N) 0.72

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 52,000 37,440.00 52,000 37,440.00

TEXTILES Company Name UNITED NIGERIAN TEXTILES PLC Sector Totals

MARITIME Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

Bank of Nigeria crashed to a low of N9.28 while Zenith Bank and United bank for Africa dropped to N11.90 and N3.59 respectively. Other banking stocks at their lowest valuations included Diamond Bank, N3.61; Ecobank, N2.53; First City Monument Bank, N3.95; Skye Bank, N4.98 and Sterling Bank, which opens today at a low of N1.33 per share. Altogether, the NSE Banking Index depreciated to 281.44 points.

Dangote Cement Plc led the group of highly capitalized nonbank stocks on their lowest valuation at a low of N95 while Dangote Sugar Refinery dropped to N8.55. Most analysts expected further declines in shares of Dangote stocks, which have mostly struggled with declining fundamentals in recent years.

Other leading stocks opening today at their lows include Ashaka Cement, N17.70; CAP, N19.76; Cadbury Nigeria, N15.20; Honeywell Flour Mills, N3.16; Fidson Healthcare, N1.34; May and Baker Nigeria, N3.25; BOC Gases, N6.90; Custodian and Allied Insurance, N2.41; Prestige Assurance, N1.50; UACN Property Development Company, N14.01; Japaul Oil and Maritime Services, 78 kobo and Nigerian Bag Manufacturing Company, which opens today at a low of N1.74 per share.

Petroleum-marketing stocks have particularly been major drags to the stock market performance as the free fall in the market price of Oando sank to a low of N24.40. Forte Oil, another beleaguered oil stock, dropped to a low of N10.46 while MRS Oil Nigeria slipped to a low of N63.86 per share.

The NSE Oil and Gas Index depreciated by 10.97 to close at 237.23 points while the NSE Food and Beverages Index depreciated by 19.94 points to 685.22 points.

Turnover last week stood at 1.056 billion shares worth N8.36 billion in 18,774 deals as against a total of 809.75 million shares valued at N8.89 billion traded in 19,377 deals in the previous week.

Banking subsector was the

most active with a turnover of 683.55 million shares worth N4.88 billion in 10,334 deals.

Insurance subsector occupied a distant second position with a turnover of 84.98 million shares valued at N67.15 million in 494 deals.

Most analysts said they expected the downtrend at the stock market to persist citing what some had described as the narrow-minded monetary policy of the CBN. “Thisweek,given thepersistentupbeat in the fixed income segment strengthenedby the recent hike in benchmark interest rate, the equitiesmarket outlook tiltsmore in favour of the bears despite attractivevalueoffers, “ analysts at Cowry Asset Management said.

“We expect the market to remain bearish due to the MPC’s rate hike and concerns about the global economy. However, we note that the current prices of select stocks in the market offers opportunities to investors,” FSDH Securities stated in its outlook for the equities market.

The Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited summed up analysts’ opinions thus: The most obvious question is when will the market stabilize? Even the best stock pickers are not able to answer this question. The increase in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 9.25 per cent has further made fixed income securities look attractive in the light of the real positive returns they offer.

However analysts agreed that the stock market now more than before offers good investment opportunities for investors with long-staying power noting that several stocks are at an all time most attractive valuations.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of CBN had last Monday announced its fifth Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) hike in 2011 as it increased the benchmark rate by 50 basis points to 9.25 per cent per annum. MPC also unanimously decided to maintain the asymmetric corridor of +/-200 basis points around the MPR and retain the current Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) of 4.0 per cent.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

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

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

No of Deals 1 1

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Sector Totals Overall Totals

No of Deals 21 21

Quotation(N) 11.67

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 871,432 10,194,802.43 871,432 10,194,802.43

3,786

248,566,082

2,301,100,234.89

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

53

MONEY LINK

T

HE Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has said the country needs about N56 trillion to remedy the nation’s housing deficit of 16 million units.

This comes at a time the bank is financing the development of 272 housing units in Abuja to the tune of N1.83 billion under the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme. The scheme is meant to provide affordable shelter for the masses.

The housing estate called Cooperative City Gardens at Sabon Lugbe, Abuja, is being devel-

FMBN targets N56tr for mass housing projects

By Collins Nweze

oped by El-Salem Nigeria Limited, a private estate developer.

Managing director/CEO, FMBN, Gimba Ya’u Kumo, confirmed that the first tranche N746m of the fund has been disbursed to El-Salem at the commissioning of the first phase of the project in Abuja last week by the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms.

MPR hike pushes interbank rate to 11.7%

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rate.

With the hike in the apex bank’s rate and its retention of 200 basis corridor around it, its Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate now stands at 7.25 per cent, while its lending rate is now at 11.25 per cent. Overnight placement closed higher at 11.75 per cent from 10.75 per cent previously, while call money jumped to 12.0 per cent from 11.0 per cent last week.

The market opened on Friday with a negative balance of about N225.80 billion ($1.43 billion), encouraging many banks to borrow funds from the CBN to cover their positions.

"Most banks are turning to the CBN's discount window to cover their positions, instead of aggressively using the interbank market and this has limited the impact of the negative balance on the mar-

HE interbank lending rates climbed to an average of 11.66 per cent last week from 10.75 per cent the previous week after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hiked its benchmark rate by 50 basis points to 9.25 per cent.

The CBN, a week ago, raised its benchmark interest rate for the fifth time this year to 9.25 per cent to tackle future upward inflationary pressure and expectations of continued high government spending.

Dealers said the market balance is in the negative with more banks now borrowing from the Central Bank's discount window, using their treasury bills and bonds holdings as collateral.

The secured Open Buy Back (OBB) rose to 11.25 per cent, up from 10.50 per cent last week and at par with the new CBN's benchmark lending

Ammal Pepple.

Kumo commended the efforts of El-Salem Nigeria Limited in delivering the first phase of the project, noting that housing projects like this complement the determination of the Federal Government to provide decent and affordable houses to all Nigerians.

The FMBN managing director reassured contributors to the NHF scheme that the project is

yet another proof that the NHF scheme works.

“FMBN is willing to provide affordable mortgage loans to interested (NHF) contributors to purchase houses such as these that we are financing in every part of the country,” he said.

Under the NHF Scheme which started in 1992, the FMBN has been able to collect N73.64 billion from contributors as at July, 2011, while N72.4 billion has

G

ROFIN, world’s leading multi-national financier and advisor to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has unveiled a property finance offering for small businesses in the country.

The offering is expected to provide flexible finance option for business owners wishing to build, complete, refurbish or purchase property once they have a strong and viable business plan. Such act, is meant to support such businesses to maturity..

Chief Executive, Guido Boysen, explained that it has been widely documented in SME research that the primary cause of small business failure lies in the lack of access to finance and poor management skills necessary to grow the business. This prompted, the firm, to develop a product that assists SMEs secure flexible finance for their businesses.

been disbursed for housing finance also as at July this year.

There is a total approval of N140.3 billion housing loans since inception of NHF. The relatively low disbursement level is largely due to the inadequacy of available funds to meet the teeming housing needs of Nigerians.

Nonetheless, the Bank has financed not less than 57,794 housing units within the period.

GroFin launches property finance for small businesses According to a statement from the company, Boysen, said: “Our new product supports flexible finance for business owners wishing to build, complete, refurbish or purchase property as part of a strong, viable business plan.

While property finance exists in Nigeria, GroFin is bringing a unique offering to the market that is specifically tailored to the SME sector”.

To make its work easier, the company recently redesigned its website to offer potential clients a new experience, including an interactive online enquiry and application process. He said the firm has witnessed among our clients, the drastic increase in business

due to the acquisition or upgrade of a property it funded.

Unlike other property finance, this product is exclusively available to entrepreneurs and particularly addresses a property in the context of a client’s business plan, risks and the ability to create value for the business.

“We will provide finance to an entrepreneur wishing to purchase a building as part of his desire to grow a business. We will complement this finance with additional support to determine whether the project will succeed or not.

We also design schemes to mitigate any risks that might arise in the course of the business,” he said.

Firm introduces consumer credit scheme for societies

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By Ajose Sehindemi

FIRM, Quality Life Im provement Plan (QLIP), has introduced Valuecard, as a means of providing credit to customers wishing to purchase goods through e-payment.

The QLIP is a consumer credit

and empowerment program initiated to empower consumers purchase goods and services produced by local industries and others.

Speaking at the inauguration,

QLIP Chairman, Remi Abdul, said the scheme was initiated to give credit to consumers, who pay back under an agreed term after securing the loans.

He said the product will enable co-operative societies, unions

and associations to acquire electronics, household appliances, cars, mortgages, healthcare, life assurance and education endowment, among others.

He said QLIP partners with the

FGN BONDS

DATA BANK

Tenor

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 OBB Rate Call Rate

7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 23-9-11 SYMBOL ROADS OKOMUOIL ETERNAOIL NPFMCRFBK IKEJAHOTEL NAHCO UNITYBNK UNTL DANGFLOUR ABCTRANS

O/PRICE 4.22 18.50 5.13 1.03 1.71 5.44 0.68 0.69 6.40 0.50

C/PRICE 4.43 19.42 5.38 1.08 1.79 5.68 0.71 0.72 6.67 0.52

CHANGE 0.21 0.92 0.25 0.05 0.08 0.24 0.03 0.03 0.27 0.02

LOSER AS AT 23-9-11 SYMBOL CADBURY DANGCEM DIAMONDBNK VITAFOAM CAP DANGSUGAR FO FIDSON SKYEBANK UAC-PROP

O/PRICE 16.00 100.00 3,80 6,00 20.80 9.00 11.01 1.41 5.24 14.74

C/PRICE 15.20 95.00 3,61 5.70 19.76 8.55 10.46 1.34 4.98 14.01

Amount

Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS

NIDF NESF

Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, lending institutions, Credit-rating companies, Insurance underwriters, Manufacturers, as well as other relevant stakeholders to facilitate credit.

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%

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 0.94 1,628.78 8.65 1.39 1.87 7,606.98 193.00

9.08 1.00 117.53 107.10 0.81 1.02 0.93 1,625.40 8.23 1.33 1.80 7,368.81 191.08

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 0.80 5.00 0.19 0.30 1.04 0.45 0.55 0.07 0.26 0.73

• 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

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

54

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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NEWS FERMA sets up surveillance team From Yomi Odunuga, Abuja Bureau Chief

THE Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has set up a surveillance and monitoring unit to checkmate the activities of road users and report identified lapses to the authorities.

Managing Director of the agency, Gabriel Amuchi , said the unit has become necessary, following findings that most federal roads go bad oweing to the absence of an effective surveillance system.

Amuchi, who spoke in Abuja at a meeting with the agency’s zonal directors and engineers, said there has been a gradual improvement of the country’s roads since FERMA came on board.

He said: “This new management would implement a proactive maintenance regime which will closely monitor all federal roads and report promptly. They will cover roads that are in fairly motorable conditions and our emphasis would be on the massive patching of roads.”

Boko Haram: Jonathan, security chiefs to meet

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FTER a week of international politics, President Goodluck Jonathan seems set for a meeting this week with security chiefs.

On the agenda, sources said, is Boko Haram – the Islamic fundamentalist sect which has claimed responsibility for some bombings in the North.

Besides, a presidency chief is believd to be thinking of suggesting that InspectorGeneral of Police Hafiz Ringim be removed.

The President is not comfortable with discordant tunes from security chiefs on the management of the Boko Haram crisis.

A source said: “The President has always insisted on the

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

need for synergy among all security agencies, but there seems to be a few gaps or lapses in their coordination.

“The interview granted by a Boko Haram member, Ali Tishau, has exposed the extent of the poor networking by security agencies. The way they are shifting blames does not help the situation.

“The review meeting will enable the President to take stock and give directives as the Commander-in-Chief.”

It was learnt that the Boko Haram menace has created a crisis of confidence among some members of the top echelon of the nation’s security apparatchik, especially between National Security Ad-

viser (NSA) Gen. Owoye Azazi and police chief Ringim.

But the North is opposed to any move to replace Ringim under any guise.

Another source said: “All is not well between the Office of the NSA and IGP since that bomb explosion at the Force Headquarters.

“The relationship became frosty with the escape of Tishau from interrogation custody at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). The same Tishau was earlier arrested by the police and handed over to the DIA on July 7 by the IGP after a formal request.

“The NSA felt the process was not too tidy as his office was not properly informed.

‘No regret killing my co-worker’

The IGP is insisting that a sister security organization demanded for Tishau.”

“Northern leaders, who are already aware of the development, are said to be opposed Ringim’s removal.

The Federal Government is still pushing ahead with its appeal against a judgment in favour of Baba Fugu, who was the father-in-law of the slain Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf.

A Borno State High Court last year, awarded N100 million compensation to the late Fugu’s family and ordered that his body be exhumed and released to the family.

The order applied to both the Federal Government and Borno State, which filed an ap-

‘Disaster management weak in Borno, Rivers’

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Kashamu: I’m still in PDP A CHIEFTAIN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Prince Buruji Kashamu, has dismissed as a rumour reports that he has defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Kashamu , in a statement, said allegations in a newspaper that he sold the PDP to the ACN in the state were baseless and false.

The politician said the purchase of 29 vehicles from Island Auto Limited, by the Ogun State House of Assembly was ‘a strict business transaction and has no political leaning’.

Kashamu, who is the founder of Omo-Ilu Foundation and frontline financier of the PDP in the state, said some dishonest party members have seized the news report to back up their claim to relevance in the party.

He said nothing would make me defect to the ACN at this time that our party needs committed members to reinvent and reposition the party for the successes ahead.

“Beside their inability to draw a line between a strict business transaction and political leaning, what should explain the idiocy of those claiming I have been bought over is the fact that Island Auto and other companies that belong to me have been transacting business with the Lagos State government long before now. Again, their stupidity is further exposed when their latest lies is viewed against past offers that had been made to me to leave the PDP which I rejected.

“If I have not been discouraged by results of the last elections and have morally and financially supported every candidate of the party who felt cheated in the elections, there is no basis for anyone to fear that I have shifted my allegiance to the ACN,” Kashamu added.

peal at the Court of Appeal in Jos. Although former President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to broker peace with the son of the deceased, Babakura Fugu, the move suffered a setback following the killing of Babakura.

A source in the Ministry of Justice, who pleaded not to be named, said: “We are not withdrawing the matter yet; it is still before the Court of Appeal. Go and check our records; we have not received any notice of out-of-court settlement from the Fugu Family.

“So, we are still pushing ahead with the case, until we get to any bend that the government thinks otherwise.”

From left: Former Vice-President Alex Ekueme, his Wife, Helen; Senator Jim Nwobodo and Archibishop, Metropolitant and Primate of All Nigeria, Rev. Nicholas Okoh, at the Consecration Ceremony of Bishops at the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church in Lagos...yesterday.

Anambra Assembly to suspend recess over strike

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NAMBRA State House of Assembly may suspend its over one-month old recess following the strike embarked upon by civil servants in the state.

House Committee Chairman on Political, Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters Anselm Dunu dropped the hint yesterday at Ichida, Anaocha Local Government.

The lawmaker representing Anaocha II State Constituency has initiated a New Yam competition for the six

•Cleric calls for caution communities in Anaocha II Obeledu Ichida, Aguluzigbo, Akwaeze, Neni and Nri. Dunu said the competition which ended yesterday would encourage farmers and reduce crime.

“I want my people to go into agriculture. Before the oil boom, the main stay of the economy of this country was agriculture. There was no hunger. We were known for rubber, groundnut, cocoa, maize, oil palm and others.

“The youth should go into agriculture. I want my people to understand that it is the focal point of this competition.”

Anglican Bishop of Awka Diocese, The right Reverend Alex Ibesim has called on the Organised Labour to suspend its industrial action.

The Bishop spoke during a Eucharistic service for the 51st Independence Anniversary celebration at the Cathedral Church of St. Faith in Awka.

Ibesim enjoined Labour

Leaders to embrace dialogue and return to the negotiation table to resolve outstanding issues with government in the interest of the state.

He regretted that after 51 years, the country is still faced with the challenges of unemployment, insecurity and corruption.

Bishop Ibesim pledged that the church will continue to pray for the success of the Obiled administration.

Governor Peter Obi said his administration had implemented the new minimum wage.

100 Nigerians arrive from Libya

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ORE than 100 Nigerians, fleeing war-torn Libya, have arrived in Kaduna through Nigeria’s North African neighbour, Niger Republic.

Sources said the Kaduna State Government was aware of their presence.

“We are aware that some of them have decided to cross over to the state while many of them are still in Niger,” a government source, who spoke in confidence, said.

The Nation learnt that the returnees arrived in Kaduna Friday afternoon aboard two luxury buses belonging to indigenous transport companies, Mbanefo Motors Nigerian Limited.

The buses were marked (Imo) XA 415 TKF and Lions Motors Nigeria, marked (Anambra) XH 830 NSH. The returnees, being accommodated at the zonal office of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Independence Way, Kaduna, looked exhausted and unkempt. They were placed under security watch within the premises. Documentation went on along with some members of their families, including children.

Officials of the service were not forthcoming with information on the returnees. A source said they were still trying to get clearance from Abuja and liaise with other security agencies before addressing reporters on the development.

One of the returnees said they left Libya two weeks ago and

From Tony Colins and Tony Akowe, Kaduna

have been wandering in the desert for the past three weeks before they were apprehended by the Immigration officials at the Nigerian-Niger border.

He said: “We left Libya about two weeks ago wandering in the desert before our arrest and subsequent conveyance here (Kaduna) from the Niger-Nigeria border”.

But a source said: “We are yet to ascertain whether they are Gaddafi’s fighters. But we know they are Nigerians from Libya.

They came in through the Niger-Nigeria border. As I am talking with you now, another set are at the Kaduna toll gate coming.

“What we want to do now is to keep them in our custody and awaits directives from government on the way forward. We don’t have money; certainly, the state will cater for them until further directives.

“Right now, high level security meeting is going on at the Government House and our zonal comptroller has gone there.”

A Spain-based Hausa radio station, Hamada Radio International, had reported that some Gaddafi loyalists have crossed over to parts of Northern Nigeria.

The radio station also reported that more than 200 Nigerians were arrested in Libya by the TNC, while about 20 others were executed for supporting Gaddafi as mercenaries, a report that the Nigerian government has denied.

TAKEHOLDERS on Emergency Management in Nigeria have attributed the recurring natural disasters in some parts of the country to lack of legally backed and functional State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in the states to enforce regulations, standards and codes in managing such tragedies.

Emergency managers across the country spoke at a one- day consultative meeting organised by National Emergency Management Agency in Yola, Adamawa State.

They said of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), only 26 states have legally backed State Emergency Management Agencies, adding that some of them do not have requisite funding, equipment and personnel to manage disasters without the intervention of the National Emergency Management Agency in Abuja.

States like Borno, Plateau, Rivers and Federal Capital Territory do not have legally-backed State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) to manage disasters.

The participants said there is lack of technical capacity to manage damage and need assessment just as relevant security agencies and community based organisations are not adequately involved in relief distribution.

They recommended that the 10 states and FCT that are yet to establish SEMAs backed by law should do so and that the governments should allocate substantial per cent of money derived from the ecological fund to SEMAs for emergency/disaster management.

They urged stakeholders and communities affected by the disaster to be carried along in the distribution of relief materials and encouraged states to strategically stockpile relief materials for prompt intervention.

They hailed Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State and the Director- General of NEMA Muhammad Sani-Sidi for attending the consultative meeting.

The states without legallybacked State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) as a statutory requirement are Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, FCT, Katsina, Kwara, Plateau, Ogun, Ondo and Rivers.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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NEWS ‘Why I filed notice of appeal’ From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in Benue State in the last elections, Onjeh Daniel Donald, has explained why he filed a notice at the Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division, over the judgment of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

The tribunal had dismissed his petition against the election of Hassan Saleh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Addressing reporters after filing the appeal at the weekend, Onjeh, a former President of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) and West Africa Student Union (WASU), said despite the temporary setback, he still believes in the judiciary to reinstate his victory.

He said: “I filed the Notice of Appeal because I was dissatisfied with the decisions of the tribunal. The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Anselem Nwaigwe, erred in law when he held that my case was incompetent and a preelection matter.

“He misapplied Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, which he heavily relied on in delivering his judgment, to arrive at this conclusion. He should have taken cognisance of the distinction between a candidate and an aspirant properly appreciate who among the duo the provision enjoins to seek redress arising from the electoral dispute at Federal and State High Courts.

“Section 133 of the Electoral Act makes it clear that once an election is conducted, the jurisdiction to adjudicate an electoral dispute is that of the Election Petition Tribunal.”

Plateau ACN decries Tinubu’s trial

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HE leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Plateau State has described the trial of its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal as political victimization.

It said this is not good for the growth of democracy in the country.

Speaking with The Nation in Jos at the weekend, the party’s Chairman, Chief Amos Gizo, noted that such

From Marie-Therese Peter, Jos

a tactic, which is aimed at stifling the ACN, would not succeed.

He said it would instead give the party more popularity and open the way for it to excel in future elections, especially in Plateau State, where the local government election has been scheduled for December.

Gizo wondered why Tinubu’s trial did not come before now or even when he

was governor.

He said: “We, in the ACN and, indeed, everyone knows that what is happening to Asiwaju is political victimisation. This does not augur well for our democracy and it will not succeed.

The party’s popularity will soar and in Plateau we will win many local government areas as the public knows the truth that our Leader is being victimised as he seeks to put right the many years of deceit by the ruling par-

ty. Why was he not tried four years ago?”

Gizo urged ACN members and supporters not to resort to violence, saying the party is not known for incivility.

On the forthcoming local government election in Plateau, he said: “We are enlightening the people at the grassroots towards the election. ACN is a peaceful party and people know that we can deliver. We are going to court to stop the Plateau State

Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) from conducting election in Langtang South and Wase local government areas because the chairmen will have to complete their three years in office. We are also going to file a fresh case against the government to ensure we reclaim our mandate, which had been hijacked by the state government.”

He debunked a rumour that he was removed as the party’s state chairman.

Kogi PDP governorship ticket: ‘No one can annul my mandate’

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HE winner of the January governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Mr. Jibrin Isah Echocho, yesterday said his mandate remains intact, despite the purported election of a new candidate by the party last Thursday.

He also said he would soon begin his campaign in the next few days.

Following a fresh directive by the National Secretariat of the PDP, Capt. Idris Wada, last Thursday emerged the new governorship candidate of the party in a primary boycotted by five aspirants.

But Echocho said he is still the authentic candidate of the party, based on the January 9 primary.

In a statement in Abuja, through his Media Consultant, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, Echocho said he remains the PDP flag bearer for the December governorship poll.

The statement reads: “The winner of the January 9 PDP primary in Kogi State, Alhaji Jibrin Isah, has said he remains the authentic, valid and lawfully nominated

Adinoyi-Ojo seeks cancellation of primary

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GOVERNORSHIP aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo has called for the cancellation of the party’s primary held last Thursday in the state.

In a petition to the party’s Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Adinoyi-Ojo alleged manipulations and malpractices in the primary.

The aspirant,who said he announced his withdrawal from the race at a press conference held at noon on September 22, accused the Samaila Sambawa-led primary election committee of colluding with Governor Ibrahim Idris to foist a flawed primary on party members.

He said: “Until my withdrawal from the primary at noon on September 22, I had not seen the delegates list. I had no idea whether the names in it were those of real people or ghosts.

“I had no idea of those who were chosen to represent my ward. The list of delegates, time and venue of the primary election ought to have been displayed at the state party secretariat at least 48 hours before the election in accordance with our party rules and regulaFrom Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

governorship candidate of the PDP for December 3rd gubernatorial elections.

“By the provisions of the

By Eric Ikhilae

tions. This was not done.

“Even while accreditation was going on, the delegates list was being doctored to purge it of people whose loyalty to the official aspirant was in doubt.

“From the foregoing, it is quite obvious that the September 22 gubernatorial primary election could not be said to have met the minimum standard of free and fair election.

“The entire process leading to the so-called primary election had been designed, manipulated and rigged to produce the state government’s anointed aspirant as the party’s candidate in the December 3 governorship election.

“The exercise lacked credibility, transparency and fairness. If our great party is serious about winning the coming election in the state, it should conduct a fresh ward congress and a more credible gubernatorial primary outside the state as soon as possible.”

“Any attempt to foist an unpopular candidate on the people of the state can cost the PDP the loss of Kogi State in the coming election,” he said.

electoral guidelines for Primary elections 2010 of the PDP which is the guideline still in force and with particular reference to Article 23 in Part iv, his nomination remains sacrosanct and un-

tampered with as he (Jibrin Isah) is alive, hasn’t withdrawn from the PDP and indeed remains an active member and he is not in any way incapacitated.

“He averred further that, it is even instructive to refer to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010(as amended) and the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(as amended) wherein no provisions either expressly or by implications are found stating that nomination of a candidate for an election lapses where for any unforeseen circumstances the date of an election is shifted by a reason of supervening event as in Kogi State where the date of

the election had to be shifted by the reason of the court on the tenure of the incumbent Governor.

“Furthermore, we can’t but refer to the preamble of the electoral guidelines which clearly stated in paragraphs (i) and (ii) quoting copiously from Section 87 (i) (a) and Section 33 of the Electoral Act thus: (i) Candidates of political parties will only emerge through primary elections dully conducted and monitored by INEC (ii) Political parties are NO LONGER allowed to change or substitute candidates whose names have been submitted to INEC, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate”.

Echocho described the purported September 22, 2011 primary election as a “stage play.”

The statement added: “It is therefore not surprising that, what was designed to be a celebrated and televised primary election on the 22nd September, 2011, was nothing but a stage play that reminds one of Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest, doctored and stage-managed by the leader of the party in the state so as to mislead the unsuspecting public.

“No wonder, credible politicians and leaders of our great party withdrew from the contest because of its illegality and some refused to give it credibility by making an appearance.”

“Isah enjoined his supporters to remain steadfast as his programme for rallies and electioneering will be rolled out in few days.”

‘Violence has exposed poor leadership in North’ From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

A

GROUP, the Middle Belt Dialogue (MBD), has said the violence in the North would deprive the region’s political leaders the opportunity to rule in the future unless they resolve it soon.

The group, comprising the minorities in the region, made the submission when its leaders addressed reporters in Jos, the Plateau State capital, at the weekend.

Its Plateau State Coordinator, Aminu Zang, said: “The failure of the political leaders in the North to prevent the postelection violence in April, this year, as well as the menace of the Boko Haram and increasing bombings in the North, are a confirmation that the region is bereft of leaders.

“It is lamentable that the region, known in history to command respect and leadership values, is now a shadow of itself, despite the presence of a galaxy of former presidents, ministers and ambassadors.

“The high rate of violence in the region persists and the resolve of the northern leaders to look the other way is becoming a national and global embarrassment as well as a show of shame. This development is capable of depriving the region the opportunity of ruling this country in the future, if they maintain their carelessness over the security situation in the region.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

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Drogba shines in Blues return

D

IDIER Drogba was a delight to watch as he scored his return from injury for Chelsea, notching his side's fourth in Saturday's 4-1 win over Swansea City.

The Ivorian international replaced Nicolas Anelka on 78th minute at Stamford Bridge, having missed three weeks of action following a collision with John Ruddy in the 3-1 win over Norwich City.

Having failed to get on in the Carling Cup clash against Fulham in midweek, Drogba's opportunity was limited to the final 12 minutes of the match, but he took little time to make his mark for Andre VillasBoas' side.

"I was really happy to be back on the pitch with my friends, with my people as I always call them, and the way the fans were supporting me was fantastic," Drogba told the official Chelsea website postmatch.

"I expected to come on and play on Wednesday but it was perfect to come on and score in this game, but I want to look at the team's performance. We were one man down so it was difficult but we played really well.

Wenger happy with 'deserved win'

A

RSENAL boss Arsene Wenger has welcomed his side's convincing 3-0 Premier League win against strugglers Bolton.

After registering their worst start to a campaign for 58 years much pressure was on the Gunners to perform against Owen Coyle’s side.

However, after a fruitless first half, Arsenal rose to the challenge, with a Robin Van Persie brace – his 99th and 100th goals for the club – capped off by a late Alex Song effort securing Arsenal’s second win of the domestic campaign.

For Wenger, the result was no less than his team deserved after dominating the game, especially after David Wheater’s second-half red card.

“It was a question of nerves at the start of the game,” said Wenger in his post-match comments.

“But we had patience and intelligence and I think we controlled the whole game.”

“In the second half I couldn’t see Bolton scoring a goal. They went down to 10 men and that made it

even more difficult for them.”

Frustration was palpable at the Emirates after a first half in which Arsenal controlled possession but found decent efforts on goal hard to come by.

Within a minute of the second half commencing though, Van Persie broke the deadlock, striking at the near post to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen and from there on Arsenal eased to victory.

“I felt in the first half we were impatient,” said Wenger.

“We didn’t move the ball quickly enough, our midfielders came a bit deep and as we were man-marked that exposed us.

“In the second half, maybe because [Bolton] were fatigued, our midfielders played high up and right away we became more dangerous.

“We had plenty of opportunities, it is a deserved win that is welcome for us. We cannot drop too many points anymore.”

With Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby long-term absentees, Wenger may have cause for concern for the health of Theo Walcott, after the winger

limped off in stoppage time.

“I thought it was a classic hamstring, but it is not,” said Wenger “He felt a sharp pain in his knee, and the moment he is with the doctor. He will have a scan tonight.”

L

• Lucas

squad's confidence after successive Barclays Premier League defeats.

Having lost to Stoke and Tottenham, the Reds laid the foundation for their 2-1 win over Mick McCarthy's side with a morale-boosting midweek Carling Cup win over Brighton.

However, that would have counted for nothing had they not picked up three points at Anfield on Saturday, especially with tough matches at Everton and home to Manchester United to follow.

"It was an important win, especially after the defeat against Spurs," said the Brazil international.

"It was a heavy defeat at

put the Blues in control against their Welsh opponents, before the Spanish striker saw a controversial red for the west London side.

Brazilian Ramires added further to the Chelsea lead before Ashley Williams set-up a potential grandstand finish, only for Drogba to secure the win late-on.

Mancini targets £50m Brazilian superstar

M

ANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini wants his club to derail Real Madrid’s signing of Santos striker Neymar, according to the Mail on Sunday.

The 19-year-old Brazilian superstar is expected to cost in the region of £50m and Mancini has been telling City's management for the past 12 months that Neymar is the best young player in the world.

He has reportedly told the club if they are serious about competing with the likes of Madrid and Barcelona, they must use their financial muscle to attract elite players of his calibre.

City’s coach and Mancini confidante Attilio Lombardo, has been to South America on a scouting mission to scope out the best young talent on the continent. He has reported back that Neymar could be as important to City as Wayne Rooney at Manchester United.

Recently departed City Chief executive Garry Cook had well known differences of opinion with Mancini over targets and it remains to be seen if Mancini’s views carry more weight these days.

• Mancini

Redknapp wants pamanent deal for Adebayor

T • Wenger

Win vital for confidence — Lucas

IVERPOOL midfielder Lucas Leiva knows the victory over Wolves was important to prevent further erosion of the

"We are progressing. We made a lot of changes in the summer with a new manager coming in and it was very interesting the way we played against Swansea, and the second half we had at Manchester United was very interesting as well, so I think we are going to keep progressing."

Fernando Torres and Ramires had

Spurs (4-0 - in which they had two men sent off) and it was important to win in the Carling Cup and get three points in the Premier League which gives us chance to be close to the top four.

"Of course against Spurs everyone could see the situation of the game when we lost two men and it is always difficult to come back.

"Against Stoke we didn't deserve to lose because we played very good football but when you have two defeats in a row the confidence gets low.

"We spoke before the game against Brighton that we needed to win, get back on track and go into the next round and come into this game with confidence and win and that is what happened."

OTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp wants to sign Emmanuel Adebayor on a permanent basis after the on-loan striker inspired Spurs to a 2-1 win at Wigan.

Adebayor was instrumental in his side's blistering start to the Premier League game, setting up Rafael van der Vaart's third-minute opener before Gareth Bale headed the second after 23 minutes.

Adebayor continued hunting for a goal of his own until the final whistle, despite Mohamed Diame reducing the deficit for Wigan, who had Steve Gohouri sent off.

Redknapp said of the player he borrowed from Manchester City: "If he keeps going like he's going I'd love to keep him around. He's been excellent so far. But the wages will be the problem because he's not cheap."

Redknapp had expected his side's stunning start to the game to fade, as recent injuries caught up with a number of players, including the recently returned Van der Vaart and Sandro.

Redknapp added: "It was complete domination in the first half and we could have come in three or four ahead. I said the only way they'd get in the game is if we did something stupid.

"We gave a sloppy goal away trying to play it in the box, got punished and it changed everything.

Our 'keeper didn't have much to do, but it was still too close for comfort in the end."

Redknapp revealed Jermain Defoe had been ruled out this morning after falling ill at the team hotel, while Benoit Assou-Ekotto was a late selection after recovering from a virus.

Redknapp said: "Jermain was ill overnight so we sent him home. He had a temperature and was really ill.

Benoit felt better this morning and he came up today by car to meet us."

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez said "soft goals" had cost his side, but hailed the spirit shown by his side in the second half.

Martinez said: "It doesn't matter how well Spurs played in the first half, the frustration was that the two goals were soft - but I couldn't be prouder of the second-half performance with 10 men.

"We looked like a team that could get something out of it and I'm disappointed we didn't get a result, but it was a fantastic reaction and the players deserve credit.

"It's important that you regroup and have a real reaction. If you've got real character you do that, if not you fold and you concede four or five and allow the opposition to have an easy afternoon.

"I didn't think that was the case in the second half, we were really bright and stopped Spurs having the momentum."

61

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS)

SPORT EXTRA

GUS 8 records first evictee

FEDERATION CUP

Heartland beats Enyimba 1-0 in final H ...As Ocean Boys finish third N

E A R T L A N D Football Club of Owerri last night won their first Federation Cup title in the last 18-year at the Teslim Balogun stadium after defeating Eyimba football club of Aba 1-0.

The Naze Millionaires got the only goal of the game through a 40th minutes effort by skipper Chinedu Efugh who scored after a goal-mouth scramble.

Although the Peoples

By Olusoji Olukayode

Elephant tried to level score, the Owerri lads who were resilient especially at the back, warded off all efforts by the opponents.

Meanwhile, Heartland’s captain Chinedu Efugh emerged the Most Valuable Player of the match after giving a good account of himself in the tough match.

For Enyimba, it was

•Heartland players celebrate with their coach after their FA Cup win, at the Teslim Balogun stadium, yesterday

heartbreak for the second year on the spin, after they

lost to Kaduna United in last year's final.

IGERIA Premier League (NPL) side, Ocean Boys claimed the losers' final of the Federation Cup on Sunday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

The Divine Warriors defeated city rivals, Bayelsa United 7-6 on penalties after open play ended 2-2.

Martins Okpose got the lead for Bayelsa United inside 10 minutes before the impressive Emmanuel Enize got the first of his brace 11 minutes later.

Enize turned his marker inside out to side-foot pass Femi Thomas in goal for Ocean Boys.

And within six, Enize at the

far end touched the ball into an open goal after a low cross from Eddy Ongolo on the left channel.

But Bayelsa United’s captain, Tarilaye Nwankwe, converted from the spot to put both sides on even terms.

Ocean Boys' head coach, Samson Unuanel made a tactical change bringing on substitute goalkeeper, Iboro Akpakpan for Thomas before regulation time ended 2-2.

Goalkeeper Sule Mohammed turned out the villain as he missed Bayelsa United's fifth spot kick.

Ongolo made sure Ocean Boys won the losers' final at the expense of their rivals.

Dolphins’ defender reassures on league title •Says Dream Team V will qualify

D

OLPHINS of Port Harcourt and Olympic Eagles hard tackling defender, Austin Festus has re-echoed the confidence of the Garden City team to end this Nigeria Premier League (NPL) season as winners despite strict resistance from Sunshine Stars of Akure and the rest who are obstacles to their

Egypt signs coach Bob Bradley

F

ORMER United States coach Bob Bradley has signed a contract to take over the Egypt national team

Peter Utaka disclaims twitter account

O

DENSE BK of Denmark and Super Eagles Striker Peter Utaka has warned that he does not have any official twitter account yet.

The Younger brother of John Utaka who is currently a member of the Samson Siassia led Super Eagles has discovered an impostor is operating a twitter account with his name and quickly wish to draw the attention of the National team Coach and the football authority to this latest development in order to avoid twitter related issues like the one that saw Peter Osaze Odemwingie out of the Team for sometime.I have no official twitter account yet and want to inform the general public not to pay any attention to any tweets from any twitter account with names similar to mine as I am not even planing to open a twitter account yet. The player has decided to stay away from the fast growing social networking site beacuse he feels it has caused so much problems between players, coaches and even club Authorities.

Utaka isexpected to be part of Samson Siassia's team that will take on Guinea in the All inportant Afcon Qualifier coming up in Abuja on the 8th of october.

on Saturday, charged with reviving the fortunes of a side that recently failed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations.

The 53-year-old Bradley agreed a deal worth $37 000 a month until after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"I'm proud to take over as coach of Egypt," Bradley said at a news conference. "I'm looking forward to dealing with the players."

Bradley's first match in charge is a friendly against five-time world champion Brazil in November.

Longtime coach Hassan Shehata stepped down in June after Egypt collected two points from four African Cup qualifiers and a subsequent loss to Sierra Leone confirmed Egypt's failure to qualify for a tournament they have won on the last three occasions.

The record seven-time winners will not feature at the continental championship for the first time in 33 years.

Bradley was fired as US coach in July after more than four years in charge and replaced

by Jurgen Klinsmann.

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri eventual emergence.

Festus who plied his trade with Bendel Insurance between 2007 and 2009 before joining Dolphins’ opined that the Rivers State sponsored team would regain the leadership of the NPL by the time the league restarts again very soon and he has admonished their Port Harcourt supporters and those outside the State to relax as the league diadem remains their sole property.

“Dolphins position on the league table now is just temporary by the time the league re-opens we shall claim back our due position and shame our opponents. We are not in any way moved by the struggling of our competitors we are going to concentrate on our games and hoping that we win our remaining matches including the tie against Sunshine Stars so as to make our league ambition a possibility.” Festus said.

RON TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

700 players to fight for honours •With N1m up for grabs

A

C h r i s t i a n organisation, Believers Love World, otherwise known as Christ Embassy, has taken a bold step to reach out to the Nigerian public with the word of God through the game of table tennis.

According to the coordinator of the programme, Deacon Ayo Olufemi who paid a courtesy call at the corporate headquaters of The Nation newspaper in Lagos, the church through its pastor, Christ Oyakhilome is to organise a national Open table tennis competition tagged "Reach Out Nigeria Table Tennis Competition" which kicked off on September 25 and will end on September 30 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.

"Table Tennis to us in Akwa

By Innocent Amomoh and Olusoji Olukayode Ibom state was chosen by our Pastor Emeka Nnabuko, and he made the choice out of the reservation that table tennis used to be a darling sports in Nigeria, more loved than football at a time. Also that it is a sport that has earned Nigeria international recognition in the past and that in recent times we have seen a reversal in the fortune of the game in Nigeria and we decided it is an area we could do something to reverse the trend" he said.

He revealed that the competition will witness a total number of of 700 pin pong players fighting for honours in different categories at the tennis competition with N1 million also up for grabs as

prize money.

Speaking on the main aim of putting together the six-day championship, he said:"The main thing behind Reach Out Nigeria is the resolve to think of doing something for Nigeria and not thinking of what Nigeria can do for us. We realise that the word of God is a change agent that God uses to change men. It can change a man from good to better, and from better to best.

"God has no other raw materials, strategy to change any community, any man to do anything on earth outside his word.

So His word is still the same that is what is packaged in the Rhapsody of Realities. Reach Out Nigeria is actually with the Rhapsody of Reality. So all these are carriers agents for the campaign."

Kehinde Fadojutimi, handing over his bandana to Bob Manuel Udokwu

The eighth edition of the popular Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS) has recorded its first evictee, with Kehinde Fadojutimi, a serving Youth Corps member failing in the first test of physical fitness. Not only did the irony of the exercise prove other male contestants less capable, it saw a female taking an overall lead in the competition.

The previous night could be best described as cold, after the contestants spent their first night in the jungle under the leaky roof they prepared for themselves. They however brazed up for the first task with hunger apparently biting hard, as no food had come their way. After taking instructions from coanchor, Bob Manuel Udokwu, the first batch of 10 contestants appeared set for the first assignment; but one of them must quit the scene for others to continue.

The contest seemed fairly simple enough: with a chain tied from their wrist and running towards some drums of water placed on stilts nearby, the contestants were required to hold up their hands for as long as possible, as dropping their hands would cause the chains to tug at the drum of water, tipping it over and sending water gushing over the contestants.

25 year-old Kehinde Fadojutimi, a male contestant from Ondo state who appeared to be the fittest of the contestants was the first to drop his hand. He was followed by Franklin Inegbedion and then Kelvin Durst, before Samuel Lazarus joined the list of men to lose out. Alvin Ilenre became the lone man remaining, but his endurance could not hold out as he also dropped his hands.

Thus it became a contest for the ladies. As time went on, you would think the contest would end in a tie between the five ladies. Then Promise Ojiegbe dropped her hand, and she seemed to have affected the others, because in what seems like a quick succession, Anastalsia Azike and Oladunni dropped. In no time, Elizabeth Adu gave up. Thus Geraldine, who seemed the least popular among the 10 contestants, became the winner of the first task. So as Kehinde Fadojutimi was shown the way out, Geraldine was rewarded with lots of food stuff which she generously shared with the rest of the contestants. Even though there was enough food stuffs at the disposal of the contestants, they chose to eat cassava flakes because of their inability to start a fire to cook their meals.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

62

FOREIGN NEWS Nigeria backs Palestinians’ state bid FOREIGN Minister Olugbenga Ashiru has reiterated Nigeria’s decision to support Palestinians’ bid for United Nations membership as a sovereign state.

Ashiru told Nigeria journalists covering the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York that Nigeria prefers “a solution whereby two states, Palestine and Israel, will live peacefully side-by-side”.

“It has always been the consistent policy of the government of Nigeria that we prefer a peaceful solution to the problem in the Middle East. We prefer a solution whereby two states - Palestine and Israel - will live peacefully sideby-side.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas hands over a formal letter to be admitted as a state to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon during the 66th UN General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York, September 23, 2011. AFP PHOTO He said Nigeria recognised the state of Palestine since 1984 and that its ambassador had been resident in the country since then.

“In fact there was a time when the ambassador, for 15 years, was the Dean of the diplomatic corps in Nigeria.

“Our stand and policy is very clear and there is no change in our position.”

IMF warns on funding levels if crisis worsens

Saudi King grants voting rights to women

S

AUDI King Abdullah announced yesterday that the nation’s women will gain the right to vote and run as candidates in local elections to be held in 2015 in a major advancement for the rights of women in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom.

In an annual speech before his advisory assembly, or Shura Council, the Saudi monarch said he ordered the step after consulting with the nation’s top religious clerics, whose advice carries great weight in the kingdom.

“We refuse to marginalize the role of women in Saudi society and in every aspect, within the rules of Sharia,”

Abdullah said, referring to the Islamic law that governs many aspects of life in the kingdom.

The right to vote is by far the biggest change introduced by Abdullah, considered a reformer, since he became the country’s de facto ruler in 1995 during the illness of King Fahd. Abdullah formally ascended to the throne upon Fahd’s death in August 2005.

The kingdom’s great oil wealth and generous handouts to citizens have largely insulated it from the unrest sweeping the Arab world.

But the king has taken steps to quiet rumblings of discontent that largely centered on

the eastern oil-producing region populated by the country’s Shiite Muslim minority.

Mindful of the unrest, which reached Saudi Arabia’s doorstep with street protests and a deadly crackdown in neighboring Bahrain, King Abdullah pledged roughly $93 billion in financial support to boost jobs and services for Saudis in March.

Seizing on the season of protest in the Arab world, Saudi women’s groups have also staged public defiance of the kingdom’s ban on female driving. Saudi authorities went relatively easy on the women, who took to the roads earlier this year and

T •King Abdullah

gained worldwide attention through social media.

Abdullah said the changes announced Sunday would also allow women to be appointed to the Shura Council, the advisory body selected by the king that is currently all-male.

Libya’s NTC troops renew assault on pro-Gaddafi Sirte

L

IBYA’s interim government forces are renewing their attack on Sirte, one of the last pro-Gaddafi strongholds.

National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters have surrounded the city and Nato warplanes are reported to be blasting targets inside.

It comes a day after NTC troops launched a surprise assault on the birthplace of the ousted Libyan leader, taking them close to the city centre.

Meanwhile in Tripoli, Libyan officials say they have found a mass grave.

The site is believed to contain the remains 1,270 people killed by Col Gaddafi’s security forces in a massacre at Abu

Salim prison in 1996.

And in the southern town of Ghadames, on the border with Algeria, NTC soldiers repelled an attack by around 100 pro-Gaddafi forces and Algerian and tribal “mercenaries”, officials said.

At least eight NTC soldiers were reportedly killed in the attack. Military spokesman Ahmed Bani told a news conference they had information the attackers were related to Col Gaddafi’s son Khamis.

Troops were reported to be setting up new roadblocks and checkpoint, posting snipers at various key points and cleaning their guns in preparation for a final assault on Sirte.

Nato planes could be heard

buzzing overhead. The alliance confirmed it carried out several sorties on Saturday around Sirte and said it had hit several military targets.

Fighter Ahmed Mohammed Tajuri in the west of the city told AFP they had been ordered to leave downtown Sirte on Saturday evening “because Nato has a mission to do there”, without giving more details.

One fighter on the east of the city told the AFP news agency that they had been told by their commanders to keep their guns ready.

“We expect fierce urban battle once we fully enter Sirte,” Maatiz Saad said.

The BBC reporter with the

anti-Gaddafi forces in the east of Sirte, said the troops are advancing steadily and cautiously towards Sirte.

They appear to be intent on taking and holding the farms and dusty villages on either side of the main coastal road making sure there are no proGaddafi forces remaining to call in rockets or slow the main advance further, he says.

Our correspondent has seen a number of civilians fleeing from Sirte who are clearly shaken and nervous, not knowing if the NTC troops have come to liberate or persecute them. Some appear to be unaware that Tripoli fell more than a month ago.

NTC fighters tried to push

HE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned it may not have enough money to bail out larger eurozone countries if the debt crisis were to spread.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde says the global lender can meet its current obligations but this could change if the crisis worsens.

Publicly, world leaders have said there is “no plan” for a Greek default.

But reports suggest leaders are working on a plan to allow Greece to default on its debts and remain in the euro.

It is believed that policymakers feel they need to concentrate on recapitalising banks and boosting the funds of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).

BBC business reporter says that the plan to increase the EFSF’s financial firepower could see the money available to bail out EU banks and member states rise from 440bn euros ($596bn; £385bn) to about 2 trillion euros.

He added that the plan could also enable the European Central Bank (ECB) to buy more Italian and Spanish bonds to prevent those two countries needing a full bailout.

Meanwhile, Antonio Borges, the head of the IMF’s European department, has urged the ECB to play a bigger role in fighting the crisis.

“It is very important that we see a combination of the ECB and the EFSF,” said Mr Borges.

Nigerians in Libya safe, says minister

N

IGERIA’s foreign minister Gbenga Ashiru has assured the safety in Libya.

Ahiru said: “We, as a government, have done everything humanly possible to protect the Nigerians. I’ve spoken with those Nigerians there and they assure me they’re safe.

Many of them chose to remain there. We contacted the TNC in Addis Ababa to ensure the safety of the Nigerians. Less than 200 Nigerians still remain there.

I’ve called several times they tell me they’re fine.

I asked about those arrested, he said they’re free.

By and large, they’re safe.

He assured me and of course

PUBLIC NOTICE ATANDA

I, formerly known and addressed as Micheal Oluwaseun Atanda, now wish to be known and addressed as Micheal Oluwaseun Atanda Oyebi. All former documents remain valid.The general public should take note.

ATANDA I, formerly known and addressed as Isreal Imole Atanda, now wish to be known and addressed as Isreal Imole Atanda Oyebi. All former documents remain valid.The general public should take note.

From Adeola Fayehun, New York

the TNC assured us that Nigerians remain their friends and they have no intension to harass any Nigerian there.

A stable Libya is in the interest of Nigeria.

Asked if Gaddafi comes to Nigeria, would he be granted visa?

Ashiru said: “I don’t think so. He can’t come to Nigeria for obvious reasons.

“We have announced a new visa policy to make it liberal for investors to come to Nigeria. We’ve told them the minimum is 1 year for

businessmen. UK and US we have said we’ll give you from 5-10 years.

UK has been giving Nigeria 5-10 years visas before.

We’re now reciprocating.

We’re also willing to negotiate with other countries too. It will be on reciprocal bases.

On Nigerian jailed abroad, Ashiru said: “Prisoners will have the agreement that they can be returned to Nigeria to finish term. The prisoners must agree but if they say no, there’s nothing we can do.

We’ll continue to negotiate with other countries. That is what we’re doing so far.

Anti-Wall Street protesters arrested in New York

A

T LEAST 80 people have been arrested during an anti-Wall Street march in New York’s financial district.

Several hundred people took part in Saturday’s march, which was intended to draw attention to “corporate greed and corrupt politics” in the US. Participants carried banners

LOSS OF DOCUMENTS This is to inform the general public of the loss of Offer of Statutory Right of Occupancy in respect of Plot No. 2163 of approximately 625.95 Sqm in Cadastral Zone FO1 of Kubwa in FCT, covered by Right of Occupancy with New File No. FCT 20938 and Old File No. FCT 812, dated the 25th day of January, 2006 to Musa Tanko of No. 129, Zone 2, Dutse Alhaji, Bwari, Abuja, Nigeria.

All efforts made to trace the said missing document proved abortive.

If found, please kindly return to the nearest police station or to the named above. Tel. No: 08023273231.

supporting a range of other issues, including healthcare reform, an end to US wars and the scrapping of the death penalty.

The march came after a week of protests by the Occupy Wall Street campaign.

The loosely organised group says it is defending 99% of the US population against the wealthiest 1%, and had called for 20,000 people to “flood into lower Manhattan” on 17 September and remain there for “a few months”.

Protesters, who are mostly young, initially numbered some 1,500 but their numbers had fallen to about 200 by Saturday’s march.

There was a heavy security presence in the district, with police deploying nets to block off major roads including Fifth Avenue and to protect the New York Stock Exchange.

THE NATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

63

WHO SAID WHAT

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.7, NO. 1,895

‘I am happy to see the unity of our members. And now that a new exco has been put in place, we must all now go out to work hard night and day. We will not talk much but it is a task that must be done. We don’t run parties on the pages of newspapers’ TONY ANENIH

C OMMENT & D EB ATE EBA

I

RIPPLES ASUU ASKS NIGERIANS TO BEG FED GOVT OVER 2009 AGREEMENT–News

Which AGREEMENT?...if GOVT says YES, it means NO

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchsam@yahoo.com 08054501081(sms only) •Winner, Informed Commentary 2009 (D.A.M.E) •Columnist of the Year 2009 (NMMA)

A biography of fear

‘

So who would say Jonathan did not know that his party wanted to ‘nail’ Tinubu? Who can say he had any twitch of conscience since he was listed and yet he ignored his own potential culpability and decided to go after another man? Can he say he did not do it out of fear of the Asiwaju?

‘

N the twilight years of the Obasanjo regime, I had an encounter with an EFCC high roller, and we were immersed in the question of corruption, a natural forte of the person and the institution. He raved about the activities of the body, and to buttress the triumphs of the agency he reeled out a sheet of paper listing exgovernors and their accounts outside the country.

With a nimble pair of eyes, I identified names and the accounts, and he also showed me that of the then Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I raised the matter with another fellow in the agency with a comparable understanding of the matter.

He was shocked.

The second fellow said the EFCC obtained that piece of information from an international agency that was not sure of the status of those accounts. He wondered why anyone at the EFCC could unveil the information to me. I wondered too. In my curious nature, I investigated further and the accounts of Tinubu reminded me of the account I had operated in Canada years ago when I was a journalism fellow at the University of Toronto. Although I still had money there, I could not maintain or operate the account.

Yet, not long after my encounter with the EFCC operative who unveiled those accounts, Obasanjo asked Ribadu’s EFCC to make public the accounts. We know that it was not Tinubu alone in that list. There were others, including now President Goodluck Jonathan, whose names were mentioned, and why are they not asked to answer?

There is a clear background to this, but the word that sums everything up is fear. It began when he was governor, and he had this relationship with Obj and his PDP that OBJ did not like. Obj wanted so much to be the Yoruba leader and dwarf the phenomenon of Awolowo. No one gave him any credit even though he was head of state. Awo never rose to that position, yet Awo towers over him by a million miles.

Obj never in his eight years in office ever gave Awo credit, and resisted any effort to immortalise Nigeria’s most important historical figure.

Abiola also became more important than him, and his decision never to recognise June 12 when he was in office was part of the historical calculation to pull him down.

Now, another personage was on the rise in the Southwest, and Obj did not want him to overshadow him. Hence in the run-up to the 2003 election, he wanted to foist his control over the region. The only person he could not con was Governor Tinubu who would not enter a pact with him. He overran the Southwest, but Tinubu upheld Lagos.

He sought his revenge in 2007, with all his Southwest cohorts. They won the elections in 2007 by subterfuge. The subterfuge with its accompaniment of

•Tinubu

roguery and brigandage failed woefully as Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) swept to power in Lagos. This is in spite of the swear words of the PDP and boasts of tsunami and do-or-die battles.

Tinubu was described in those days as the “last man standing,” a description of his ability to best his opponents and the machinations of the PDP elite in the centre and the Southwest. Yar’Adua’s victory meant that the PDP elite could not dig into the files of mischief to pursue an illegality. Yar’Adua was not energetic but he understood when his lieutenants put the law in the service of injustice. Tinubu’s enemies lived in petrified patience.

Enter Goodluck Jonathan. It was easy for President Jonathan to enlist in the witch hunt. He was the front runner in the fight in

Ekiti State to entrench Segun Oni, the former governor with the phony Awo cap. He was the shadow prodding Resident Electoral Commissioner Ayoka Adebayo who found dubious comfort in divine conscience. He was the linchpin of that electoral fraud. He was beside former speaker Dimeji Bankole when he played false minstrel about deploying soldiers for the elections. So who would say Jonathan did not know that his party wanted to ‘nail’ Tinubu? Who can say he had any twitch of conscience since he was listed and yet he ignored his own potential culpability and decided to go after another man? Can he say he did not do it out of fear of the Asiwaju?

But when Yar’Adua reigned we started to see democratic earthquakes beginning from Edo State. Ondo State followed. Then Ekiti

and the last was Osun State. In the last governorship elections, Ogun and Oyo fell.

The walloping was complete. The fear of Tinubu reminded me of what Ghandi said in his heydays: “The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but it is fear.”

They lost the whole of the Southwest and now they are afraid how far this man will go. In the midst of this was the Salami saga, and the now retired Katsina-Alu and the irresponsible cabal at the NJC. If they can through illegality oust Salami, how far can the present administration under meek Jonathan not go? It is fear mixed with desperation.

Salami was pursued out of fear for Asiwaju as well as out of fear of the CPC. They are afraid to meet Salami on the way to judicial confirmation of Jonathan’s electoral victory. So they are afraid that Salami would let Nigerians know what many poll riggers did, especially in the Southeast and Southsouth: that the Jonathan victory was not as emphatic as some think.

So, Salami had to be swept away. They also wanted to attack Speaker Tambuwal, whose steady demeanour and political calculation made him humble Jonathan’s and Obj’s candidate from the Southwest. So, since Tinubu is the man who is reportedly the firestorm of this elite frustration, why not get rid of him and put him in silence. This is not new. Remember a man called Awolowo? That was what they did to him, and they subverted the majesty of the law in the so-called treasonable felony. In the end, Awo dwarfed all of them in history.

The plotters fell into the roll call of infamy, especially his kinsmen.

Abuse of the law is not new. As Thoreau said, “the law never made anyone a whit more just.” Because of the finality of law, they have now tried to appeal to a barbaric byway: manipulation of the instruments of justice. Now, they have to prove that he maintained an account or operated it just like my case in Canada. And why would they not say that it was about 30,000 pounds?

Why are they silent? In other cases, they are often quick to shout the billions in their charges.

“You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you,” wrote Eric Hoffer, the longshoreman philosopher who wrote the classic The True Believer. He understood the nature of the man of belief whom they must destroy, and that is what is going on.

They are buoyed by fear. They are like zealots with fear in their eyes.

If they must pursue seven more years in 2015 and pillage the economy, it must go on without opposition. And what other way to be law unto themselves but to subvert the law!

RIGHT OF REPLY

Re: Oshiomhole's political psychology

O

UR attention has been drawn to an article on the back page of The Nation on Sunday, September 25, under the title Palladium by Idowu Akinlotan with headline “Oshiomhole’s Political Psychology” which totally twisted and misquoted the speech given by Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Thursday, September 22, at the seventh All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Benin City, Edo State.

The author of the said article wrote, and I quote “having stayed in office for a few years, it is curious that the governor severely limited his appreciation of democracy dividends to material improvement of the people”.

He continued: “The festivals of elections, which he seemed to talk down on, is one of the most beautiful exercises in all of democracy. It may not be quite as beautiful as most of us want it, because of the violence that accompanies it in Nigeria, but it is nonetheless a remarkable festival not to be exchanged for anything else. When Oshiomhole talked of his fear of something happening to our democracy, he was probably referring to a violent overthrow of civil rule, either by people power

By Peter Okhiria or military power. If it happens by people power, there is no talk of people rising up to defend it, for the people would have spoken.

But if he means military coup, the governor would be downright unrealistic to suggest the people would shrug their shoulders in indifference.”

One wonders where the author got his conjectures and his conclusions on the article from as there was never a mention or reference to “military coups”, “violent overthrow of civil rule” or “festivals of elections”.

If Idowu Akinlotan was absent at the Editors’ Conference, the opening ceremony which he seemed to be referring to was beamed live to the Nigerian and International audience on television, so he could have got his facts right by simply watching the TV from the comfort of his room.

For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said at that conference, and I quote: “I believe the last elections reflected the qualities of two main characters, that of the President and Commander-in-Chief, President Goodluck Jonathan and that of

Professor Attahiru Jega. I believe that these two personalities can well claim the credit for the substantial improvements in the conduct of the last elections compared to the ones before them. As Prof Jega said in his address, those elections were not perfect, we still had problems of rigging, but it won’t be right to suggest that those rigging were ordered from Abuja, the way they were done in 2007.”

He continued: “the theme of this conference ‘Deepening Democracy: The role of the Editor”, I thought is very interesting. When I was in the NLC, at several fora, we talked about deepening democracy and for me, this is in appreciation of the fact that the mere need to have election and people to vote is not enough for us to beat our chests and say that Nigeria is a flourishing democracy, I think we have started the process, but there is a lot we need more to do, not only to deepen it, but also to internalise the core values of democracy and to ensure it grows from strength to strength.

•Continued on page 9

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