Theniche july 10 , 2016 by TheNiche

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July 10, 2016

Vol. 2 No. 47

SGF’s comment on Senate’s forgery case absurd, says Nwabueze

What next after the last pay cheque? PAGE 2»

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SUNDAY WEATHER

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Lagos - 32oC

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Abuja - 31oC

PortHarcourt - 23 C o

Nepotism: Nigerians berate Buhari Dangerous for national unity – Balarabe Musa, Ubani

President’s action is itself corruption – Ikedife, Yerima

Junaid has a right to his opinion – Presidency

Buhari By Daniel Kanu, Ayo Bada, Ishaya Ibrahim and Henry Oduah

POLITICS

Nigerian economy dead, says Usani, Niger Delta Minister

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Buhari for planting his relatives in the centre of power in Aso Rock to devise policy for the entire populace, as reported by TheNiche on June 26. Some reacted in anger, some in disappointment, and some in disbelief. Some, however, argued that the president can appoint whomever he feels can do the job, provided the appointee is capable. The first salvo was fired by Junaid Mohammed, a Russian trained medical

INSIDE THIS ISSUE POLITICS 15» JUDICIARY 25» LIFE 31» FAITH 40» BUSINESS 51» SPORTS 59»

doctor and Second Republic lawmaker, who accused Buhari of appointing at least seven relatives in strategic positions in the Villa, besides making Northerners the heads of all paramilitary agencies. “He (Junaid) has a right to his opinion,” wrote Buhari’s Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, in a text message to TheNiche in reply to a request for his comment on the matter. Information Minister, Lai Moham-

med; and Buhari’s Media Assistant, Garba Shehu; both did not answer calls to their telephone lines or reply to text messages. Other Nigerians are, however, forthright in their views, as expressed below: Balarabe Musa (former Kaduna State governor)

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ENTERTAINMENT

‘I pray to soar in the coming months’

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Brexit costs Nigeria N23.5b in foreign reserves

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What next after the last pay cheque?

Many families are going through harrowing times. Banks have sacked over 10,000 workers in recent months. Media houses are reducing staff levels; The Guardian has fired hundreds of personnel in the first tranche, Vanguard has compiled a list, and other companies, from construction to food production, are toeing or plan to toe the same line as a consequence of the economic hardship. As breadwinners return home with sack letters instead of loaves of bread, Reporter MMEDARAMFON UMOREN researches businesses they can fall back on.

he headl i n e s : Fist Bank s a c k s 1 , 0 0 0 workers. Eco Bank 1,700. Access Bank 1,600. Diamond Bank 200. Employees in these and other banks are jittery. Across economic sectors, even where there is job security for the time being, salary may not be regular. The downsizing and rightsizing by companies is in a bid to stay afloat. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Standard Chartered Nigeria, Bola Adesola, made the position of the Bankers’ Committee known in a press briefing at the end of their meeting on June 9. She said: “Banks in the country are looking at ways to ensure that we minimise exits from our institutions. There will always be exits if there is fraud and so forth; people will exit institutions. “Banks understand the implication of people not being in employment. So, we noted the market sentiments and going forward will be difficult but there will be reasons why people will exit not just in the banking industry but in telecoms and other industries. “It is something that we

"I’ve decided to go into business rather than stay idle. My family needs to survive so I'm considering farming. I have a land already; all I need do is prepare for the next planting season and progress. “I know it won't yield immediately but when it does, it will be worth it." will manage.” Back in the labour market A sack letter sends many back to the historical ranks of the unemployed, in search of a new job. Some who have the wherewithal travel out of the country for greener pastures. However, there are many business opportunities one can venture into for a new start with benefits collected from the last employer. On can go solo in business or partner with someone trustworthy. Agriculture A source who pleaded anonymity said it has not been easy for him since he was sacked last year. "I haven't been able to secure another job, but I’ve

decided to go into business rather than stay idle. My family needs to survive so I'm considering farming. I have a land already; all I need do is prepare for the next planting season and progress. “I know it won't yield immediately but when it does, it will be worth it," he said. Agriculture is a vast sector anyone may delve into. It includes: Animal farming – poultry, fish, pig, cattle, snail, et cetera. Crop farming – cassava, cocoa, cocoyam, yam, maize, cocoa, plantain, banana, apple, ugu leaf, water leaf, fluted pumpkin, tomatoes, pepper, rubber, et cetera. Some of these crops can be exported to other countries to earn foreign exchange. Lagos State Chairman of

the Agriculture and Allied Employers Union of Nigeria (AAEUN), Lanre Oyenubi, insisted that "we have to go back to the basics – agriculture. It is agriculture that can give employment to 90 per cent of Nigerians. “Even when you want every other industry or sector to grow, you need agriculture because agriculture is the link. There is a link between agriculture and every other industries. “Take for instance, manufacturing. The raw materials required for the manufacturing sector depends on agriculture. And as such, without the agricultural sector, there is no way the manufacturing sector can develop or thrive. “And if the manufacturing sector cannot develop, there is no way the economy can move forward. “As a result of this, agriculture can gainfully employ 90 per cent of Nigerians if the right infrastructure is put in place." An unemployed young man, Hamid Momoh, also affirmed that agriculture should be the main focus in Nigeria and he has gone into cocoa business. "The demand for agricultural produce is high, especially now that the economy is in a crisis. I have just begun transporting cocoa from Ondo to various parts of the country. It's not so

much, but with time, it will get better," he enthused. Rachael Kayode, a trader, has also decided to venture into agriculture. "I consider agriculture as the backbone of the economic system of a given country. It provides job opportunities and is the key development agent of a nation. For me, ‘No Farmer No Nation’ “I served [in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC] with the Federal College of Agriculture and my role was that of a farm supervisor. I'm interested in working as a farm manager so as to acquire capital to set up my own farm," she disclosed. Export prospects There is a large number of Nigerians in countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Cameroun, Ghana, Gabon, Congo DR, and others who want Nigerian food items. Nigerian Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) Executive Director, Adenike Olufolaji, in a paper presentation, listed export crops to the European Union (EU) to include okro, egg plant, pepper, ugu leaf, plantain, pawpaw, ogbono, banana, mango, ginger, garlic, nutmeg, scent leaf, and curry leaf.

Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) President, Sam Ohuabunwa, said Nigeria is yet to enjoy the benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). He warned that the country risks not tapping the growth opportunities in the American legislation due to lack of effective support for export. “There is a need for capacity building in customs regulations and operations and policy reforms that will develop the private sector to produce products that meet international trade and export standards,” Ohuabunwa counselled. An industrialist, Gregory Egbe, argued that “AGOA was a good initiative. Nigeria failed to tap from it substantially as it ought because our productive base was nothing and our export commodity was mainly oil and gas. “The oil madness and the easy money that was coming from it made us not to develop the industrial base, especially exportable commodities listed under AGOA in a competitive manner, despite a series of workshops and export tutorials for other non-oil commodity exporters who wanted to participate in the AGOA trade window. “Some other African countries that did not have

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oil did well unlike Nigeria.” Egbe stressed, however, that Nigeria still has another AGOA tenure to recover lost ground. “AGOA has graciously been extended. That gives Nigeria another opportunity, especially now that the present government’s new agenda is to ginger productivity and re-create import substitution. “What the government should do is to vigorously implement the Export Credit Guarantee Scheme (ECGS) which implementation has not efficiently helped product exporters, especially in the area of standard. “Nigeria’s present quest to deepen commerce with China, which automatically results from the currency swap arrangement between the two countries, should not blind us to the opportunity that still exists in AGOA.” Mike Nwaneri, former coordinating director of Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, a department in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), confirmed that the e-platform for exporters complies with international requirements. “Fruits and vegetables, including live cut flowers and plants, require specific conditioning/monitoring

"The demand for agricultural produce is high, especially now that the economy is in a crisis. I have just begun transporting cocoa from Ondo to various parts of the country. It's not so much, but with time, it will get better." because consumers pay more attention to quality, safety, packaging. “This is where Nigerian exporters are yet to utilise the opportunities and facilities available in cargo aviation at major airports,” he said. At a seminar on Fresh Produce Export, a official of DHL said most times, international cargo carriers leave Nigeria virtually empty after coming in laden with goods. Cargo planes, he noted, are well equipped to handle goods that require refrigeration and controlled atmospheric conditions to get them in good quality to consumers abroad. Meeting standards Primary commodities Nigerians export include garri, vegetables, rubber products, local fabrics, and

packaged beef. Most do not meet international health and safety standards. Acting Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Paul Angya, said SON has started to encourage local production and introduced MANCAP certification. MANCAP means Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme. Said he: "The certification is aimed at ensuring that all locally manufactured products conform to relevant Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS), before they are presented to consumers. “Every manufacturer in Nigeria is expected to get the certification before they push their products into the market and there are sanctions for defaulters. "We insist that products manufactured in Nigeria must meet acceptable global standards. It is part of what we have been doing and we are still doing it – building the capacity of operators in our local industries. “We have identified small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the engine room of economic development. So, we have structured projects of offering technical assistance and certification to SMEs." Small scale enterprises Other businesses the unemployed can go into include fashion designing, beading, wireworks, clothe

accessories, cake baking, event planning, decoration, rental services, buying and selling goods, bag making, and shoe making. Beauty Godwin, who learnt bead making during her NYSC service year, said she will open a shop to sell her works through physical purchase or by order. "That way, I'd be able to take care of my basic needs

“Fruits and vegetables, including live cut flowers and plants, require specific conditioning/ monitoring because consumers pay more attention to quality, safety, packaging. “This is where Nigerian exporters are yet to utilise the opportunities and facilities available in cargo aviation at major airports.”

and not keep waiting for a white collar job," she enthused. Dikans Udom, director of design at Obufaa Furniture Interior Design Decor, said it was not easy when he began, especially since it was a new venture in Uyo, but he continued because he had a vision which he needed to bring into reality and today, it is a success. The federal government has created different opportunities for the unemployed to gain experience. 500,000 government teaching jobs Through the N-Power Teacher Corps Programme, the federal government will engage and train 500,000 young unemployed graduates. It is a paid volunteering programme for two years. The trainees will get computing devices that will contain information for their specific engagement as well as for continuous training and development. Police to recruit 10,000 The police also plan to enlist 10,000 officers and men. Police Service Commis-

sion (PSC) Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, said there would be no compromise as selection and collation would be done electronically. Among the recruits would be cadet assistant superintendents of police (500), cadet inspectors (500), specialist officers (1,500), and constables (7,500). Online services for a fee There are various services one can render online for a fee. Dedicating time to satisfying an employer would attract a referral to others who need a reliable hand. These services include • Content writing • Report writing • Article writing • Virtual assisting • Editing • Blogging • Website design “It was rough when I began and I was going through tough times. But one can't succeed in anything without investing time. “Patience also pays. Whatever an individual sets out to do should be worth it, so I continued, and now I have so much to do," said Amaka Nduka, a freelance writer in Port Harcourt.

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News

SGF’s comment on Senate’s forgery case absurd, says Nwabueze • Accuses FG of violating principle of separation of powers, undermining Constitution By Ikechukwu Amaechi

onstitutional lawyer, Ben Nwabueze, has taken a break from retirement to rail at the executive arm of government for trying Senate principal officers in court over an allegation that, even if it were true, is an internal affair of the Senate. He used the words “absurd” and “incompetent” to describe the comment by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Lawal Babachir, that Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, do not personify the Senate. Saraki, Ekweremadu, and two other senior staff of the Senate bureaucracy are facing criminal charges for allegedly forging Senate Standing Rules in the build-up to the inauguration of the Senate on June 4, 2015 and their emergence as principal officers. Lawal issued a statement penultimate week accusing “the two leaders of the Senate” of creating the “erroneous impression that by their arraignment, it is the entire Senate and indeed, the legislative arm of government that is on trial.” He accused them of trying to hoodwink Nigerians into believing “that their prosecution is in utter disregard by the executive arm of government for the constitutional provisions of separation of powers and that preferring the forgery case against them is a vendetta exercise. “It is important to emphasise that this case involves only the four accused persons and should not be presented to the unsuspecting public as involving the entire Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Babachir claimed that a case of alleged forgery cannot be preferred against an institution but against individuals. “To bring the National Assembly (NASS) as a body into this court case is totally unwarranted. It can only be for other purposes and reasons outside the investigation and legal proceedings.” But Nwabueze told TheNiche in an interview in Lagos that Babachir’s comment

was “the height of absurdity and totally incompetent” and betrays “the degree of ignorance that should not be associated with the high office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.” Nwabueze, 84, the oldest Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the absurdity of Lawal’s take on the sage so upset him that he was provoked into coming out of retirement. He advised federal lawmakers to collectively confront what he called incipient dictatorship to save Nigeria’s democracy. “I urge members of the National Assembly to keep away partisan politics in all this. This matter transcends partisan politics. It is our democracy, our Constitution that are in danger. “They should appreciate this and come together to try and prevent the looming danger.”

Senate president personifies Senate Predicating his position on four issues, Nwabueze said: “The first one is the claim by the SGF that it is the individuals and not the Senate that are involved. This statement is the height of absurdity and totally incompetent. “It is incompetent because he does not understand that the Senate is an abstraction. It is a legal person but without a body. “It is personified by the Senate president and deputy Senate president. They are the alter-ego of the Senate like it is in any company. “The managing director of a company is its alter-ego because it is an abstraction, a legal person without a body.” Insisting that his position is established by authority, Nwabueze called the celebrated speech of Lord Haldane in Lennard’s Carrying Co. v. Asiatic Petroleum Co Ltd in 1915 in which a company which owed a ship was seeking to take advantage of the limitation of liability under Section 502 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894. “In a case where the managing director of a company is being prosecuted for a criminal offence committed by the company and the matter was fought all the way to the highest court in Britain, the House of Lords and the Lord Chancel-

lor, Lord Viscount Haldane L.C. said in delivering the judgment of the court in the case involving Lennard’s Carrying Co. v. Asiatic Petroleum Co. Ltd. in 1915: “My lords, a corporation is an abstraction. It has no mind of its own any more than it has a body of its own; its active and directing will must consequently be sought in the person of somebody who for some purposes may be called an agent, but who is really the directing mind and will of the corporation, the very ego and centre of the personality of the corporation.” Nwabueze argued that Babachir’s assertion flies in the face of the ruling, which became known as the “Organic Theory.” “The Senate president and the deputy Senate president are the alter-egos of the Senate. Just like the corporation or a company, the Senate is an abstraction. “It is a legal person but an abstraction. It has no body and no mind and the body of that abstraction called Senate is the Senate President. “Who are really the directing minds and will of the Senate? They are the Senate president and deputy Senate president. They are the alteregos, the personification of the Senate. “So, to say that the whole Senate is not involved is complete nonsense. The man (Lawal) simply doesn’t understand what the legal position is. And that is why I said it is an absurdity. It is an incompetent statement coming from the SGF. “It shows that they don’t understand anything. If he can sit there and make this kind of statement, without understanding the implication, that is unfortunate. The Senate president, his deputy and, indeed, the clerk of the Senate embody and personify the abstraction called the Senate. So, you cannot divorce the two. “The Senate president is the Senate and if you drag him to court, you are dragging the Senate to court. He is the personification of the Senate. So, this is not the kind of statement that the public should be fed with by somebody who occupies the position of SGF.”

“The Standing Rules were adopted to regulate the proceedings. So, it is the internal affairs of the Senate. “So, what is the business of the executive claiming that it was forged? If there is forgery of the rules, it is for the Senate to say, not for the SGF. “It is for the Senate to say our rules have been forged and for the senators to say what sanctions to impose on those who forged the rules.”

Nwabueze Absurdity of forgery allegation Nwabueze said the second absurdity in Babachir’s claim is the forgery allegation itself. He insisted that the allegation in itself does not make sense. “What will the international community say of us? That the president of the legislative arm of government is being prosecuted in the court for forgery of all offences? “This is really something that should not be said of Nigeria, the leading light in Africa, that the president of our legislative arm of government is being accused of forgery. Does it make sense? “And Lawal says it is about individuals. Can an individual really be involved in the forgery of Senate Standing Rules? Have you ever seen it? Ninetyeight percent of Nigerians have never seen it. They have no access to it. “And so, the question of anyone, any private person, forging the rules cannot make any sense. It is not possible. “Saraki and Ekweremadu can only be said to forge the Standing Rules in their capacity as president and deputy Senate president. That is the only

capacity that it will make sense or while acting in that capacity. “So, how can the SGF now claim that they are being prosecuted in their private capacity for an offence they could only have committed in their official capacity? “So, what they did in their capacity as president and deputy Senate president cannot be divorced from the Senate. They did so as presiding officers of the Senate. “So, don’t tell us that the Senate is not involved. The individuals didn’t act as private persons. They acted as Senate president and deputy Senate president and clerk of the Senate. “To say otherwise is an absurdity which so upset me. It provoked me into coming out of my retirement. “How can anybody make this kind of incompetent argument that betrays his ignorance and that of the executive? That statement should never have come from the SGF.”

Principle of separation of powers Nwabueze also questioned Babachir’s contention that Saraki’s prosecution by the executive for an action he purportedly took in his capacity as a presiding officer of the Sen-

ate does not rub off negatively on the principle of separation of powers. “That shows he doesn’t understand what separation of powers is about. What are the implications of separation of powers? What are the incidents of separation of powers? “They don’t understand and they don’t care. They don’t take the trouble to understand what it all means, the fundamental principle of our law.” Nwabueze argued that the executive arm of government has contravened Section 5 of the Constitution by the arraignment. He cited the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Humphrey v. United States (1934) to buttress his point. The ruling said: “The fundamental necessity of maintaining each of the three general departments of government entirely free from the control or coercive influence, direct or indirect, of either of the others, has often been stressed and is hardly open to serious question. “So, much is implied in the very fact of the separation of the powers of these departments by the Constitution, and in the rule which recognises

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News

Ishaya Ibrahim Acting News Editor 0807 204 0241 iib1000@yahoo.com

Nigerians berate Buhari over nepotism

Junaid By Daniel Kanu, Ayo Bada, Ishaya Ibrahim and Henry Oduah

epotism by anyone in public office, particularly the president, is dangerous, more so in a Nigeria of 350 ethnic groups who have never really blended into a nation since the amalgamation of the North and South in 1914. This sums up the views of those who criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for planting his relatives in the centre of power in Aso Rock to devise policy for the entire populace, as reported by TheNiche on June 26. Some reacted in anger, some in disappointment, and some in disbelief. Some, however, argued that the president can appoint whomever he feels can do the job, provided the appointee is capable. The first salvo was fired by Junaid Mohammed, a Russian trained medical doctor and Second Republic lawmaker, who accused Buhari of appointing at least seven relatives in strategic positions in the Villa, besides making Northerners the heads of all paramilitary agencies. “He (Junaid) has a right to his opinion,” wrote Buhari’s Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, in a text message to TheNiche in reply to a request for his comment on the matter. Information Minister, Lai Mohammed; and Buhari’s Media Assistant, Garba Shehu; both did not answer calls to their telephone lines or reply to text messages. Other Nigerians are, however, forthright in their views, as expressed below: Balarabe Musa (former Kaduna State governor) “If it is true, it is not right. If it is true, it is dangerous in terms of national unity. But I have to find out if it is true.” Dozie Ikedife (former Ohanaeze Ndigbo president general) “In choosing your personal or close staff, you go for those that you can trust, those who will watch your back. “Those who cook his food, polish his shoes, and take care of what he puts on; those who are taking care of his inner concerns or personal issues must be those he must trust with his life, and I have no problem with that, I mean choosing his relations.” “But allowing his appointments to be lopsided and denying people what is also due to them is part of corruption and I condemn it. “Look for instance the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) issue. We have not less than two oil producing states in the South East, [yet] you removed Ibe Kachikwu [as NNPC group managing director] and appointed another Northerner [in his place]. “Is Buhari saying that there are no capable people from Igboland that could be accommodated for replacement?” Shettima Yerima (Arewa Youth Consultative Forum leader) “Before Junaid said this, I was the first to raise the alarm. I said appointments in this government are lopsided. This act alone has portrayed the gov-

Yerima

Ubani

ernment to be corrupt. “Let us not be too sentimental. The president is not the president of his family. He is the president of Nigeria, and every section of the country has the right to be given appointments. “He is not the president of only the North. He is the president of the country called Nigeria. No matter how he feels about moving the country forward, he must consider not only his family, and not only people from the North. “With this act, he has already compromised the unity of our country. You cannot say the unity of the nation is non-negotiable, and then you are treating other parts of the country as second class citizens. “Even within the Northern context, a lot of people are marginalised. If at this level the youth who are more than 60 per cent of those who worked to put him there are not considered, it means something is wrong. “The South South people have formed an organisation that they want to go on their own. MASSOB is talking. The Fulani is one problem we have. The Boko Haram issue is not over yet. “There is crisis all over the land. We can’t move the country forward with this crisis. “Buhari should not see himself as the alpha and omega of fixing Nigeria’s problems. And he should not see himself as the most patriotic Nigerian. It’s a team work. And a team must work together to move the country forward.” Monday Ubani (former Nigerian Bar Association chairman, Ikeja branch) “I am not too sure of the fact. If they are related to him (Buhari) by blood, then the president has to be a bit sensitive because Nigeria is too big. “I heard the president clearly when he said Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable. What will cement the unity of this country is when every ethnic group is carried along, when every tribe is involved in governance. “If every tribe is involved in governance, it will make them feel that Nigeria belongs to all of us. “If I become the governor of Abia State tomorrow by the grace of God, I will be very careful in appointing my relations into government, because the state is so big to have only one family having seven members in strategic positions.” Femi Falana (human rights lawyer) “I don’t engage in intra-class feud over sharing of positions by ethnic factions of the backward ruling class. Have these appointments improved the living conditions of the masses in the North? “When [former President Goodluck] Jonathan chose the army chief, naval chief, IGP, DG SSS, et cetera, from the South, were the Southern masses favoured? “Why is Buhari not criticised for not appointing poor and disadvantaged people from the North, including women, physically challenged persons, beggars, internally displaced people, young and unemployed persons? “[Former President Olusegun] Obasanjo ruled the country for eight years. Jonathan was in power for over five years. Apart from enriching a few Southern business tycoons, were the Southern masses not pauperised? “[Former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde] Fashola is holding three ministerial positions.

Falana What advantage have the ministries conferred on Yoruba people? “Let the debate be on job creation, poverty abolition, access to education, health, good roads, regular electricity supply and efficient service delivery. “Which ethnic or religious group has not been represented in the mega looting of the treasury?” “All the same, I have challenged those who are interested in the subject to seek to enforce Section 4 of the Federal Character Commission Act. That is the body empowered to correct the seeming lopsidedness. “It may interest you to know that the NNPC Act provides for a six-member board while the president has appointed nine members. And the appointment shall be made by the Federal Executive Council and not by the president! See Section 2 of NNPC Act.” Deji Elumoye (Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos Council chairman) “We need to be very careful about this issue. Can we really prove that the allegation is true? Am not too sure if the allegation is true. “Personally, if the appointments are on merit, there is nothing bad in that. If the appointees really merit it, so be it. Some of the appointees must have the pedigree of being sound and of unquestionable character. “And anyway, it is normal in every set up. You cannot expect someone appointing his enemies in official capacity. I know of two of them that have been with him since the last 30 years or so and he must have had a good knowledge of them before the appointment. “But if there is enough proof or evidence to show that most of those he has appointed are his relatives or close pals, then it is bad and it should be condemned. “I will clamour for such people’s sack because it is not good for the development of the country. “I need to be fair, objective and be on the part of truth as a journalist.” Sesan Olanrewaju (former Somolu Council chairman and transport adviser to former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola) “We are in a precarious situation and what we should be after now is the result. We should not allow issues like this to distract us from achieving the set goals. “Let us look at the good things PMB is doing and allow him to face the challenges ahead of him. We should not give him room to give us excuses why he has not been able to achieve the set goals. “He just completed his first year, let us continue to monitor him and see the results of the change he promised. “Constitutionally, it is wrong but we should not allow that to deter us from helping the gov-

ernment to achieve results, good results for that matter.” Debo Adeniran (Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders executive chairman) “Where the appointees come from is not what matters but what they are capable of doing. We have had experiences in the past where people just got into offices with the view to enrich their own pockets. “What we want is quality people and if those are the people he is sure that he can work with, those who will not squander the resources of the country, I don’t see anything wrong in that. I think the appointment has been fair enough. “The statutory appointment which is supposed to be spread over the 36 states is the appointment of ministers. I think he has satisfied that. But when it concerns his personal security he doesn’t have to observe federal character. “The president can only be faulted if his appointees fail to live up to expectations.” Fred Agbaje (constitutional lawyer and human rights activist) “Appointment should be based on merit. I don’t believe in this idea of federal character of a thing because it tends to promote mediocrity as against meritocracy. “If the president appoints anybody whom he knows is capable to do the job, I have no quarrel with that. “That is the personal opinion of Junaid Mohammed. If you are the president today, won’t you appoint your father if he is qualified?” Junaid Mohammed’s disclosures In the story published in TheNiche on June 26, Mohammed said: “There are many people who are [Buhari’s] own cousins in the presidency. In my own understanding of history and politics, this is what you call nepotism. “And if you are against corruption, you cannot be nepotistic. So it is really a contradiction for Buhari to have for example a nephew of his, the son of his elder sister, as the minister for water resources. “He has another niece of his, the elder sister of the minister for water resources, who is now a national commissioner in INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission). “They are trying to bury their tracks. But he nominated her even before he became president when [former President] Goodluck Jonathan asked him to nominate somebody to represent the North West (in INEC) and he chose that woman. “And then this nonentity, Mamman Daura, virtually runs the government. He has a veto power. There have been instances when Buhari gave written approvals for things to be

Buhari’s relatives in Aso Rock Name Position Relationship Mamman Daura Principal adviser Buhari’s elder brother’s son Abba Kyari Chief of staff Adopted son of Buhari’s nephew Hadi Sirika Water resources minister Buhari’s elder sister’s son Amina Zakari INEC commissioner (North West) Buhari’s elder sister’s daughter Lawal Abubakar Aide de Camp Married to Buhari’s niece Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State, Trade, Industry Buhari’s nephew’s in-law Kabir Daura President’s personal assistant Buhari’s nephew’s son

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News SGF’s comment on Senate’s forgery case absurd, says Nwabueze Continued from PAGE 4 their essential co-equality. “The sound application of a principle that makes one master in his own house precludes him from imposing his control in the house of another who is master there … the independence of each department requires that its proceedings ‘shall be free from the remotest influence, direct or indirect, of either of the other two powers. “This is the implication of the principle of separation of powers. Prosecution in itself is a coercive process. You want to use the coercive power of the courts to influence the proceedings in the Senate. “You want to send the Senate president and deputy to prison for forgery if this prosecution succeeds. That is what they are trying to do. “Can you really imagine this, in a system where there is separation of powers, where the implication includes that you must not impose your control or influence, even the remotest influence, on the other, and we maintain the principle of

co-equality? “You cannot use coercive influence and the most visible, concrete coercive influence is prosecution in the courts.”

No comparison with former House Speaker Salisu Buhari’s certificate forgery Nwabueze also said it was wrong to equate the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules with the certificate forgery by former House of Representatives Speaker, Salisu Buhari. “They are completely different issues. We are talking about forgery of the Standing Rules of the Senate, not the standing rules of the executive. Whatever your rules may be, keep your rules. That is the spirit of the principle of separation of powers. “Standing Rules is for the regulation of the proceedings of the Senate. Section 60 of the Constitution gives the National Assembly – the Senate and House of Representatives – power to regulate its own proceedings.

“It is in pursuant of this that the Standing Rules were adopted to regulate the proceedings. So, it is the internal affairs of the Senate. “So, what is the business of the executive claiming that it was forged? If there is forgery of the rules, it is for the Senate to say, not for the SGF. It is for the Senate to say our rules have been forged and for the senators to say what sanctions to impose on those who forged the rules. “The Senate can then resolve, since it is the senators that elected the president and his deputy and appointed the clerk; so it is for them to say, no, we voted you in and we will vote you out for forging our rules assuming that there has been forgery. “It is not for the executive to dictate what is to happen there. That is a flagrant breach of the Constitution, of the principle of separation of powers caused by ignorance because this man (Lawal) does not understand. “That is why he made the incompetent, absurd statement.”

On attorney general’s powers to prosecute Nwabueze added: “Then the fourth aspect of this whole matter is the statement made by the Attorney General [Abubakar Malami] that he is empowered under Section 174 (1) of the Constitution to undertake and initiate criminal proceedings in any court of law, faulting the argument of the Senate that what transpired was an amendment. “But Section 5 (1) of the Constitution says that, ‘Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive powers of the federation shall be vested in the president and shall extend to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution.’ “All laws made by the National Assembly shall extend to the maintenance and execution of the Constitution. “The execution of the laws of the Constitution which includes prosecution under Section 174 (1) means that the AG is merely an instrument of the

president. So, prosecution is part of the executive power vested in the president by Section 5. “But how can people lose sight of the fact that that power, as enormous as it is clearly stated to be, is still subject to the provisions of the Constitution? “It is subject to the separation of powers. You must exercise that power of criminal prosecution subject to the provisions of the Constitution, including particularly the separation of powers with its incidents and implications. “You cannot because Section 174 says you can initiate criminal proceedings against people do it in disregard of separation of powers. “You must exercise it subject to the separation of powers, subject to the co-equality between the arms of government, subject to the freedom of each arm of government from coercive influence and control. “It is at variance with the constitution if you think you can just drag the Senate president and deputy Senate president to court because you

have powers to prosecute.”

IGP has nothing to do with it Nwabueze also knocked Babachir’s claim that he acted on the recommendation of former Inspector General of Police [Solomon Arase] wondering what the IGP has got to do with it. “What is coming out from the executive arm is ridiculous and absurd.” Nwabueze said Nigeria is in the grip of dictatorship but averred that the people have themselves to blame for refusing to learn from history. “An incipient dictatorship is here through the perversion of the Constitution. We forgot what [former President Olusegun] Obasanjo did to us and God saved us. “And yet we elected a former military commander, a former head of the federal military government president. We have no right to complain. We should have known that this is what was coming and it has come. It is only beginning to unfold.”

Kogi accuses Labour of insincerity over strike By Our Reporter

group of Kogi State Civil servants has accused organised Labour of extending the industrial action embarked upon two weeks ago in spite of government meeting the terms of the agreement. Group leader, Cyril Ukwenya, said the government has agreed that all workers on compulsory leave will be recalled and also publish dates and schedules of payments of all outstanding salaries and leave bonuses. He also disclosed that the government has resolved that no genuine worker will be laid off as those who complain of omission will be attended to directly by the Office of the Governor. "Salaries of LGA teachers and pensioners will be returned to

SUBEB and the Bureau of Local government pensions," Ukwenya said, and urged civil servants to disregard Labour leaders. "During the last administration of Idris Wada, the Ministry of Science and Technology proposed to supply laptops to all the teachers in the state, so as to boost their teaching skills but the Labour leaders, getting to know about this, saw it as an opportunity to make money on all workers and eventually hijacked the idea by convincing the governor who gave them approval to go ahead. “These said laptops were given to workers at the rate of more than 300 per cent of the market price.” Ukwenya also disclosed that monthly union dues deducted from workers’ salaries for Labour's account is about N50 million. "The present Labour leaders

have been in office for about seven to eight years now. If we go by the above exposition, this means the union dues of workers deducted to labour is approximately N4.6 billion. "Is there anything on the ground to show for this N4.6 billion they have collected from the hungry and heavily indebted workers of Kogi State? "It is an open secret that every Labour leader is richer than a serving commissioner." Ukwenya said the bailout fund is a loan facility sourced from Zenith Bank and Access Bank, using the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a guarantor. "It is not transferable and cannot yield interest as maliciously purported by the Labour leaders. Money cannot be withdrawn from the holding banks for any purpose other than crediting the salary accounts of workers.”

Bello

Court to hear Lagos journalist's suit against Customs Sept 29 By Ayo Bada

Senior Correspondent

Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed September 29 to hear an application to re-list a suit by a journalist, Yomi Olomofe, against the Nigerian Customs Service (NIS) over alleged assault and rights infringement. The Lagos Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) filed the suit on behalf

of the Badagry-based journalist, seeking enforcement of his fundamental rights to life, freedom of expression, and the press. Joined as respondents are Customs officials Muhammed Ndalati; Emmanuel Nkemdirim, and Ibrahim Turaki. The suit was filed following severe assault and beating Olomofe allegedly received in the hands of Customs officers and some hoodlums allegedly hired by them. TheNiche learnt that the suit, filed in January, had been

fixed for mention on February 22 and March 17, but moved to June 16. On June 16, after the case was called, counsel to respondents informed the court that Olomofe was absent, and called for the dismissal of the suit, and Justice Abdulazeez Anka struck it out. However, Olomofe’s counsel, Giti Ogunye, re-filed the suit on June 17 and served the court processes on the respondents. When the case came up for mention on Monday, July 4,

Ogunye informed the court that he duly served the court's processes on all respondents and was ready to proceed with his application. Counsel to the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth respondents, G.U. Badejogbin; and counsel to the sixth, seventh, and eight respondents, I.C. Ifediora, confirmed service. Badejogbin said he was prepared to go on with the hearing in spite of being served with the processes late, but Ifediora insisted that the suit was not ripe for hear-

ing. According to Ifediora, the suit was re-filed on June 17, a day after it was struck out, and Olomofe had to wait till June 29 before effecting service of the processes on him. He submitted that the case was not yet ripe for hearing adding that he would ask for cost. Anka adjourned the case until September 29 for hearing of the motion to re-list the suit. He did not to make any order as to cost. Olomofe is asking the court

to • Award him N500 million as damages against the NCS for assault at its Seme border post near Badagry on June 25, 2015. • Declare that the respondents infringed on his right to life as guaranteed by Section 33 (1) of the Constitution. • Declare that the assault done to him in the course of discharging his professional duties and obligations constituted an infringement on his rights to freedom of expression and the press.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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News Extra The Week Ahead Portugal battles France in EURO 2016 final

Oshiomhole threatens public march against BEDC over outage

Portugal battles hosts France today, Sunday, July 10 in the final of the UEFA EURO 2016 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. Kick off is 8pm Nigerian time. Portugal beat Wales 2-0 in the semifinal, and France defeated World Champions Germany with the same margin.

Dasuki’s trial resumes July 11 The plea for the consolidation of cases against former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, will be addressed in court tomorrow, Monday, July 11. Dasuki is accused of diverting N13.6 billion public fund meant for arms procurement. Several individuals and firms have been named since his trial began.

Saraki, Ekweremadu face forgery trial July 11 The trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, and two others over alleged forgery of Senate Standing Rules continues tomorrow, Monday, July 11. They are accused of forging the rules in their election as Senate principal officers. The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has granted them bail.

Court decides on Oyo, Labour suit withdrawal July 12 The Ibadan Division of the National Industrial Court (NIC) will rule on an application filed by the Oyo State government in the suit to stop the ongoing workers’ strike. The government sought the leave of the court to withdraw the motion seeking the court’s injunction to stop the strike. The industrial action on June 13 in protest against non-payment of salary for over five months.

Senate resumes sitting July 12 The Senate is expected to resume plenary on Tuesday, July 12. An overwhelming number of senators had earlier rejected a move to get a Senate president pro-tempore in the absence of Busola Saraki.

Soyinka clocks 82 July 13 Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, will be 82 on Wednesday, July 13. To mark his birthday, 82 students will compete in essay writing in the 2016 edition of the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange in Abeokuta.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as Nwakanma Jacinta Onyekachi , now wish to be known and addressed as Nwakanma Jacinta Chizoba. All documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Oshiomhole By Titus Oise

Special Correspondent, Benin

do State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has threatened to join street agitators and to also revoke the certificate of occupancy of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over its “arrogance” of using mass disconnections to silence protest against poor service. He had a meeting with BEDC officials at Government House, Benin City, where he decried indiscriminate power disconnection and exploitation of consumers through exorbitant charges. His words: “We have had a couple of conversations with you, with your managing director, and your senior management, over the unacceptable deterioration of the services that you provide as a distribution company; and the prohibitive charges that your company imposes on the people of this state; and even the arrogance with which you respond when consumers genuinely raise concerns about growing darkness and rising bills. “It is absolutely unacceptable in a civilised society that because you are a private monopoly, you resort to tactics which are meant to destroy the economy of this state and make life miserable for families and create such confusion that, if not arrested, you will not be able to survive in this state.” High tariff without power supply Oshiomhole said in different parts of the state when protesters raise concerns which BEDC cannot fault, “namely that you do not invest in the provision of transformers, and therefore in many cases they are in the dark for weeks, for months, some of them nine months, and even the few places you provide light,

“When I hear, as you have often done, that you have shut down in Igarra, in different parts of the state, including Benin area and Esan area, because people protested in a manner that you don’t approve of, you resort to abusing your power by disconnecting them.” maybe three hours a day, you charge bills that are as high as 30 hours a day, and when they protest, you arrogantly disconnect them. “The traditional ruler in Auchi tells me you have shut down supply to that area, and all the businesses there, hotel owners have come to complain. In different parts of Edo South, Edo Central, the story is the same.” He disclosed that as governor, he has continued to appropriate public funds to provide facilities that ought to be provided by BEDC, insisting that “the government has no business buying transformers which is part of the cost which a distribution company should take on board. “We take taxpayers’ money to buy these transformers and with or without power supply, you collect exorbitant rates. “When I hear, as you have often done, that you

have shut down in Igarra, in different parts of the state, including Benin area and Esan area, because people protested in a manner that you don’t approve of, you resort to abusing your power by disconnecting them. “If you abuse your power like that, and I will respond the same way, I have the power to revoke your certificate of occupancy of the property that you own in Edo State, and you will not be able to do business in this state without the approval of the Edo State Government. “The federal government can sell or auction or dash to you its facility, but I remain the custodian of the land in this state, and I have powers to revoke all your properties so that you don’t work from the assumption that the state is helpless. “We are not helpless. We have tried to accommodate you; I have appealed, I have

“This is the worst side, the ugliest face of private capital monopoly. Our people are completely fed up, and you are destroying the economy of this state. “The next time the guys are on the streets, I will join them. What I will do with my privileged office, I will do it because enough is enough ….”

sermonised, I have held meetings with you at the highest level, I don’t know how many times now. “The civil society people who serve as the conscience of our people have taken time out to engage in as much as any provocative man can do what qualifies for a peaceful, non-violent protest, and the response of your company has been very arrogant.” Worst side of private capital monopoly “I just called you today to tell you that I have had enough. I am right now ready, for every misbehaviour you do, I will respond correspondingly. Even your property in Benin, I can revoke the certificate of occupancy, and you will have no land to do business. “This is the worst side, the ugliest face of private capital monopoly. Our people are completely fed up, and you are destroying the economy of this state. “The next time the guys are on the streets, I will join them. What I will do with my privileged office, I will do it because enough is enough …. “Let me say this, if other people accept what is wrong, Edo people will insist on what is right.” BEDC blames shortage on power generation State BEDC Head, Fidelis Obisai, blamed insufficient power supply on shortage of generation. “Our installed capacity, our equipment on the ground to deliver power to the people of Edo State is at least minimally 12 hours a day. “We receive power from the generation company before we can deliver. The generation level is falling by the day,” he said. “The issue about disconnection, we don’t disconnect people indiscriminately. We disconnect people who are owing, who are indebted to the company.”

TheNiche July 10, 2016

Notes

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From

Nnanna Okere okere_nnanna@yahoo.com +358 4684 74258

Finland

New Euro 50 note to be in circulation next year

ash-carrying members of the public can look forward to flashing a newly-designed Euro 50 note from next spring. The Eurozone’s re-designed 50-euro note was launched by European Central Bank (ECB) officials last week. The ECB will begin printing the new bills later this year and will put them into circulation from April 2017. The new note is the second in the currency series to be re-designed. A new Euro 5 bill entered circulation in February 2013.

The upgraded design should make the bill safer to use, say ECB officials. Merchants can verify its authenticity by the appearance of a hologram representing the face of Greek mythological figure Europa in a transparent window in the upper corner of the note. Users can also see the hologram from both sides of a genuine bill. It carries a watermark of the same image. The front sports an iridescent green numeral which changes colour to dark blue as it moves. A light strip appears to move as the bill is tilted up and down. The Euro 50 note is the most-

used piece of paper currency in the Eurozone, according to the ECB.

More than nine million of it is in circulation, 45 per cent of all euro bills in use.

Finland to seek EU aid to assist ex-Microsoft workers

Lindstrom

inland plans to apply to the European Union (EU) for money to support Microsoft employees who are laid off in the country. Justice and Employment Minister, Jari Lindstrom, announced that an application will be lodged with the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), an EU organ which provides grants in instances where over 500 people are made redundant by a single company as a result of globalisation. Microsoft announced it has shut down its product development operations in Finland, with the loss of 1,350 jobs, part of a string of lay offs by a company which bought struggling former mobile giant Nokia in 2014.

“Services for laid off staff are already being set up immediately, in coordination with the firm’s own support operations and public operations,” Lindstrom said. The EU is expected to reach a decision on the application within six months of submission. Finland has other requests for money pending with the EGF, relating to previous Microsoft sackings. The EGF can fund up to 60 per cent of projects which help axed workers find another job or set up their own businesses. Microsoft is restructuring its mobile phone business, which has resulted in thousands of its staff being fired globally.

Finland and Cuba reach agreement on debt adjustment

bilateral agreement between Finland and Cuba relating to an outstanding payment of EUR 2.95 million payable to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs by Cuba has been signed by both countries in Havana. The agreement concerns the

rearrangement of Finnish development aid granted to Cuba in 1973 and 1976. It was signed by Secretary of State, Peter Stenlund, from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Vice President of the Cuban Council of Ministers, Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz. The agreement was a part of the

debt adjustment, negotiated within the Paris Club in December 2015, which ensures Cuba pays off its loan of EUR 2.95 million and the contractual interest of about EUR 300,000 within 18 years. The agreement will contribute to the promotion of trade between Finland and Cuba. Another bilateral agreement

relating to an outstanding payment of EUR 37.8 million to the State Guarantee Fund by Cuba was signed in Havana earlier this year. It had accrued from export credit guarantees granted 30 years ago. Finnvera has now made guarantees available for small export transactions with Cuba.

Refugee hands in €150,000 found in wardrobe

refugee from Syria found €150,000 in a secondhand wardrobe he bought. But keeping it for himself would have been a betrayal of his religion, he said. Muhannad M. found the money shortly after he had moved into his new flat in Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, police report. He was able to kit out his new pad thanks largely to money donated through charities, and one of the new furnishings he bought was an old wardrobe. When the 25-year-old cleaned out the wardrobe, he noticed that there was a hidden compartment inside, where two sheets of wood had been screwed together. After he pulled it apart, he was amazed to find savings books worth €100,000 plus €50,000 in cash. “They were all new €500 notes. I thought it was fake money,” he told national newspaper. So he researched online how

to tell real bank notes from fake ones and came to the conclusion that this was the real deal. But rather than keep the cash for himself, he informed the migration authorities, who in turn let the police know. “I am a Muslim. I’m not allowed to keep this money. My religion forbids it,” he explained. “Allah would never allow me to finance my own interests with someone else’s wealth.” “This young man has acted in an exemplary way and deserves great respect,” a police spokesperson said. “It sometimes happens that smaller amounts of money are handed in. But this kind of money is the absolute exception.” Muhannad arrived in Germany in October 2015. The rest of his family are still in Syria, where a civil war has destroyed large parts of the country since it broke out in 2011. The young communications student from Homs isn’t going away completely empty handed,

though. He will receive a finder’s fee of 3 per cent of the value of the money.

Muhannad and the wardrobe

There are more Euro 50 notes in use than there are 5, 10 and 20 bills combined.

The ECB estimates that some 338 million people in Europe use the euro.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities enters into force in Finland

he Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol has entered into force in Finland, after the country deposited its instrument of ratification with the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon. Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister, Timo Soini, said the entry into force of the Convention and its Protocol was a significant step in strengthening the status of the rights of persons with disabilities, and underscores obligation to promote these rights. He explained that it is particularly important that persons with disabilities are engaged in and heard in matters that concern them. His words: "It is essential to take care that the most vulnerable are also heard both in Finland and in other countries. “The work of the coordination group for international disability policy under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is one way to strengthen the participation of persons with disabilities in the preparation of Finland's foreign and security policy." Finland has discussed the rights of persons with disabilities in, for example, the UN and the OSCE. It also provides financial support to, among other things, the UN Partnership to Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) and the activities of the Special Representative to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. "The Convention entered into force and the work will continue on the same lines as the close partnership with Finnish and international disability organisations and associations," Soini disclosed. In a related development, Finland's Aid for Trade has produced good results especially in sectors in which Finland has competitive advantages. Examples of these include water, energy, environment, information communication technology (ICT) and innovations, as well as forestry and fisheries. Finnfund's (Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation) investment portfolio shows good results particularly when measured by employment creation.

Soini Instead, the impact of the business partnership support provider, Finnpartnership, has remained limited. This is concluded in an external evaluation of Finland's AFT, completed recently. Based on the evaluation, Finland's AFT projects have stimulated private sector activities in partner countries, but Finnish companies' participation in business activities in these countries is still at a modest level. Finland's AFT Action Plan (AFT-AP) has not provided guidance to the practical implementation of projects. There is room for improvement in projects' coordination as well. "I agree with the findings of the evaluation in that the participation of private sector actors and interaction between stakeholders engaged in AFT work must be strengthened," disclosed Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Lenita Toivakka. "It is also very important to ensure that the Finnish embassies have sufficient resources for the promotion of economic cooperation in those partner countries in which development cooperation will gradually be replaced by other forms of cooperation." The evaluation assessed Finland's activities on the basis of the AFT-AP, prepared in 2012. Case studies on Finnfund and Finnpartnership were also included in the evaluation. The evaluation was assigned to Finnish Consulting Group (FCG). The international evaluation group consisting of four members was led by Frans van Gerwen.

TheNiche

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PhotoNews

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode; his wife, Bolanle; and Women Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), South, Kemi Nelson; during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside, flanked by Chairman, Board of Trustees of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chidiebere Enelamah (left) and the Deputy National President of the Association, Increase Uche, when its members paid a courtesy visit to the DG at the Head Office of the Agency in Lagos.

L-R: Lamidi Ajadi; Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ishmael Alli; and Abdulrasheed Omookuorun, during prayers at the Eid ground, on the occasion of the Eid el-Fitr, at the Agodi Prayer Ground, in Ibadan.

Governor Ayo Fayose, addressing his supporters in Ado Ekiti

July 10, 2016

Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (middle); Winner of the 2016 Spelling Bee Competition and One-Day Governor of Lagos State, Master Olaseinde Olufemi (left); and OneDay Deputy Governor, Master Komolafe Kehinde, when the 2016 One-Day Governor and his Cabinet members paid a courtesy visit to the governor's wife at Lagos House, Ikeja.

Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, flanked on the immediate right by Emma Adaelu, Leader, Nzuko Ohanaeze Ukwa la Ngwa when he led other members of organisation on a solidarity visit to the governor in Umuahia.

L -R: Chief Executive Officer, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; President, NSE, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; and Deputy Chairman, Media and Publicity, House of Representatives, Gaza Gbefwi, at Closing Gong Ceremony at the Exchange.

Imo State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere (left), commiserating with PDP chieftain, Oliver Biaduo, during his father's burial.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

Diplomacy

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Amb. James Entwistle as Nigeria’s favourite guest United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, whose tenure ends this month, has demonstrated amazing knowledge of Nigeria’s social condition that enables him to render the best diplomatic service to Nigeria in recent years, writes Correspondent, SAM NWOKORO

he disposition of a diplomat in relation to issues and events in his country of primary assignment reflects more of his country’s ideals than his personal judgement. Hence the selection and posting of diplomats are issues of grave concern. That is also why ambassadors are supposed to possess extraordinary capacity to judge right, see beyond the immediate happenings around, and know more about their places of designation, much like a native than a foreigner. It is safe to say, without fear of contradiction, that the United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, has been a shining example of the very character of Washington: dignity of the human being, plurality, freedom, openness, unflinching recognition of the human capability to create the type of world it desires – provided there is the will to commence the move. Other ennobling qualities Entwistle has manifested in public service since 2013 when he resumed duties in Nigeria can be summarised in the following: effective communication between Washington and Africa, especially Nigeria; result-oriented engagement with the civil society; identification with the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian peoples; and his successful articulation of the needs of his hosts, which has in practical terms reflected through effective and measurable responses from

Washington. Other worthy features of Entwistle’s tenure include his being able to maintain a cordial middle-of-the-course approach in relating with authorities in the land alongside the numerous opposition blocs in Nigeria; his homely-tuned utterances often delivered in tunes that hardly hurt, having been able to steer clear of Nigerian politics as all diplomats are wont to; and demonstrating an inspiring and disarming Nigerianess in all his social engagements with all the peoples and authorities that matter in Africa’s most populous country. The U.S. envoy has always identified with Nigeria’s developmental aspirations. Which is why he is always on hand whenever he is invited as guest in any public function that has to do with economic development of the country. Effective mediator Ambassador Entwistle’s engagements throughout his tenure in Nigeria served Nigeria’s interest more when compared with those of his predecessors. The only U.S. envoy that ever delivered a service profile in Nigeria close to this is former diplomat, Walter Carrington, who served during Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha regimes of the late 1980s and 1990s when Nigeria was struggling to disentangle itself from the grip of military dictatorship. The 1993 presidential election, acclaimed as the most credible in the

annals of Nigeria’s elections, was reportedly won by business mogul, Moshood Abiola. But its annulment by the Babangida regime threw the polity into a seemingly indefinite stateless spin. While trying to talk sense into the military then, Carrington had running battles with the military and was frustrated out of Nigeria. That was the period Nigerians appreciated Washington’s good intention for Nigeria. It was one of the most memorable periods of Nigeria-U.S. bilateral courtship. Today, Entwistle has elevated and

broadened the scope of relations between Aso Rock and White House, especially at this period when Nigeria’s economy is facing challenges. Under James’ tenure, partnership between both countries deepened by more than 60 per cent from when his predecessor left. He has redoubled, on various fronts, partnership programmes of his predecessor and executed new ones. He has also offered effective supervision on some critical programmes crafted in Washington which Nigeria needs for accelerated development.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Diplomacy

This has earned him accolades from various important personalities in Nigeria. A reach-out buddy Not many a diplomat have the time to listen to every minute matter. Some bother only about matters of state versus state, though the level of activities determines the volume of communication and degree of social engagement. Those who know Entwistle say he has this knack for reaching out to people, especially those disconnected from government’s impact. By this all-embracing engagement approach, he gathers quite a good dossier about Nigeria’s social condition and the appropriate intervention or engagement programme required. Perhaps, that is why he receives invitations frequently to grace one public function or another. It is not unusual to spot the diplomat in the midst of the youth, the aged and rustic fellows from the hinterlands discussing very intimate and mundane issues such as how the teacher behaves or flogs pupils at schools, why Nige-

rian spouses fight in the homes, why the price of tomato has gone beyond the reach of the common man, those infinitesimal matters. He is seen in town hall meetings, youth fora, roundtables on any imaginable state policy that agitates those affected. That, to a large measure, is a statement about the acceptability of the ambassador by his hosts. They always want to confide in him every detail because they trust him. And it is not easy to curry the trust of any Nigerian, educated or not. Entwistle is known to have influenced most of the recent assistance to Nigeria in the fight against insurgency, in the fight against malaria outbreaks, in the campaigns against sickle cell, cancer and the need to improve on Nigeria’s electricity. He has helped connect many Nigerian youths and entrepreneurs to sundry global partnership programmes to help them hone their skills and gain more exposure to various self and group empowerments. Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Africa, especially Nigeria, have benefitted from various offers from U.S. government or its agencies aimed at deepening development in the country. Human rights advocacy, democratic values and practices and various kinds of advocacy grants have been extended to many more groups and in fairly increased rations since the coming of Entwistle. Unlike any other diplomat, the current vandalism of key U.S. investments in some parts of the country would have engendered trouble in Abuja/ Washington ties, but the envoy understands the issues involved and has maintained statesmanlike candour, advocating peaceful resolutions and dialogue between Nigeria and various agitators. Apart from the diplomat’s show of concern and practical involvement in various social problems in the country: from healthcare to infrastructure, democracy, good governance, security,

and civil society, Entwistle has, more than in any sector of Nigeria’s growth need, been of immense help to the bringing about of the Power Africa Initiative (PAI) from U.S. President Barack Obama. He understands that is at the heart of Nigeria’s developmental trajectories. Since the launch of the initiative in 2013 as soon as he assumed office, the project has been in the front-burners and, recently, some electricity companies got grants from Washington to improve on their generation and distribution capacities. Entwistle, during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in support of the Abuja, Benin and Eko distribution companies under the PAI, revealed: “More than 700 million in Sub Sahara Africa live without access to electricity. According to World Bank, only 24 per cent of the population has access compared to 40 per cent in other low-income countries; 37 countries in Sub Sahara Africa have national electrification rate below 50 per cent, including Nigeria. Countries with electrification rates less than 80 per cent of the population consistently suffer from low income per capita than countries with higher rates. “As an unfortunate result, millions of households rely on expensive, polluting and often unsafe power sources. Today, low rates hamper Africa’s development.” He assured that Washington was determined “to increase power capacity by 30,000 megawatts while pushing for the creation of 60 million new connections to double electricity access”. The PAI will also play a critical role in ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services, and by 2030, at the end of the Sustainable Development Agenda (SDA), Washington hopes to increase the share of renewable energy sustainability under the PAI as articulated under the United Nations 2030 SDA. There is overwhelming view in Nigeria’s electricity industry that if only

Washington is able to bring this to a conclusive execution, even if she does nothing further in Nigeria’s chaotic growth plans, it would be very worthy. Honed diplomat Entwistle was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria on October 28, 2013. From 2010 to 2013, he had served as U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As a member of the Senior Foreign Service (Career Minister), he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, from July 2007 to June 2010. From 2003 to 2006, Entwistle served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with simultaneous accreditation to Maldives. He joined the Foreign Service in January 1981. He served in Yaounde, Douala (Cameroon) and Niamey (Niger Republic) from 1981 to 1986. From 1986 to 1990, he was a watch officer in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the desk officer for Kenya and Uganda in the Bureau of African Affairs. From 1991 to 1994, he headed the Refugee Assistance Unit at Embassy Bangkok, with extensive travel to Cambodia. After serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangui 1994-95, Entwistle worked in the Bureau of Consular Affairs in the Department until his assignment as Counsellor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 1999 to 2003. A graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina, Entwistle speaks French and Thai fluently. He is married to Pamela Schmoll, and they have two children. With the indication that his tenure as U.S. envoy to Nigeria ends this July, friends whose lives he has touched have been planning series of worthy send-off in recognition of his impactful engagement with Nigerians and their government these past years.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Civil Society Platform

Ford Foundation Grantees/CYFI Fellows showcase projects

Innocent Chukwuma, Meghan Luckett and Patrick Cunningham at the group presentation by Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative Fellows/ Alumni Ford Foundation Grantees' and the Ford Foundation held at Ford Foundation Corporate office, Lagos

The 2016 edition of Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative Fellows/Alumni Ford Foundation Grantees convened recently at the Ford Foundation Lagos office for presentation of their pet projects and feedback. Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, captured the event.

ord Foundation, in collaboration with The Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI) – a project of the United States Consulate General in Lagos – recently assembled the CYFI fellows/ Ford Foundation grantees at the Ford Foundation Corporate office, Ikoyi, Lagos. CYFI fellows and alumni were to engage in a vigorous discussion with Ford Foundation grantees who may be interested in mentoring or offering internship to the highlyinspired young fellows. According to CYFI Programme Director, Patrick Cunningham, the dynamic youth-based initiative was launched in 2011 by the U.S. Consulate General, Lagos, to bring together Nigerian youths of exceptional vision, skills and experience to design and implement projects that would have positive impact on the society. CYFI Board of Directors, in conjunction with the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Consulate General, Lagos, he said, select fellows who demonstrate exceptional vision, skills and experience, and group them into teams based on interest. The teams, he added, would then develop and implement their own youth engagement projects during the one-year fellowship. In addition to working with their teams to bring their project into fruition, CYFI fellows have the opportunity to attend various networking

events, round-tables and fora on relevant social issues hosted by the U.S. Consulate General. “The Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative seeks to develop a select group of young Nigerians into ethical and impactful leaders by connecting them with mentorship, networking, training and funding opportunities over the course of an intensive fellowship year. “The CYFI fellowship is built around year-long social innovation projects that are designed by fellows and supported by the U.S. Consulate and private partners. Following successful completion of their projects, fellows remain involved with CYFI and the U.S. Consulate through the CYFI Alumni Program. “Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, after whom the CYFI was named, was a champion of civil liberties, democracy and closer ties between the U.S. and Nigeria,” Cunningham said.

In her welcome remarks, Meghan Luckett of the U.S. Consulate said CYFI is a project of the Consulate which oversees the funding and application of the take-off grants to the grantees, and ensuring that they develop viable project ideas that would impact positively on the society. Ford Foundation’s representative for West Africa, Innocent Chukwuma, told TheNiche that CYFI is a way of contributing to the empowerment of the teeming population of young people in Nigeria. Various estimates put the number to between 82 million and 100 million very vibrant, willing and able youths who lack the opportunities to self-actualise and contribute to the development of the country. Carrington was United States ambassador to Nigeria during the time of Sani Abacha. He contributed a lot to the development of civil society in Nigeria.

Benefits Some of the benefits derivable from CYFI include: executing concrete, youth-oriented solutions to issues that concern them; accessing U.S. government resources and contacts; catching the attention of American and Nigerian leaders in the public and private sectors; working alongside talented and motivated peers with diverse backgrounds, but similar visions, and participating in CYFI alumni programmes.

Recruitment of the fellows TheNiche checks reveal that the fellows are recruited through a very competitive process. According to Chukwuma, over 1,000 people applied for the 2016 edition, and about 20 were selected. The actual recruitment is done by the U.S. Consulate after advertising for the vacancies asking young people with certain age to apply. The applications are scrutinised to identify the best.

Empowerment This weekly gathered that N1 million is allocated to each team for its pet project to enable the teams implement their ideas within the fellowship period. They also ask for funds from corporate organisations and contribute their own resources to the actualisation of their projects. For Ford Foundation, it is a privilege working with young people as future leaders. The Foundation provides the platform to develop the resources of development which are the people because “if you do not develop them, then you will not tap into them”. In the process of developing young people by organising such a forum, Chukwuma said: “Our partners and grantees who are at the forefront of social change in Nigeria and those very experienced in the social change will listen to their pet project ideas through questions, comments and clarifications, help in firming up the ideas by asking them questions that enable them to deeply think about the ideas and the risks they are going to face.” The projects At the event, five groups of visionary young Nigerians made presentations of their pet projects. After each presentation, the grantees commented on the project ideas and suggested how to improve on them. Team A’s project was on photography of Makoko, a riverine area of

Ebute-Metta, Lagos. The concept is that the environment would be lucrative for photography business, given the natural endowments that abound in that area. Team B dwelt on education of the low-income group from Ajegunle, Lagos. The survey showed that a lot of people do not go to school. More importantly, the government of the area does not pay much attention to dilapidated school infrastructure. Team C based its project on good governance at the grassroots, and Takwa Bay community is the choice area. Government’s neglect of the area was brought to focus, despite that they pay tax. Known as Awoye Health Initiative, Team D anchored its project on health in Oworonsoki, Bariga area of Lagos State. This team trained about 10 community members on primary health care. For Team E, a Remand Home in Port Harcourt was its project. It educated the inmates of the home on social behaviour, career development and skill acquisition, so that they will be useful to themselves and the society at large when they come out. With the skills they acquired, they can easily be rehabilitated and assimilated into the society. At the end of the programme, the teams would have gotten not just expert feedback but have gone through experimental learning and would have gotten ideas of what it looks like when it is done.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Civil Society Platform

Why so much rape in Nigeria today?

By Sandra Eguagie

ape is a conscious process of intimidation wherein perpetrators keep victims, women and children especially, in a state of constant fear. Rape devalues the victim. It is a crime which stigmatises the emotions, a crime of insult, oppression and revenge that needs to be punished because a rapist is a criminal and all crimes and their beneficiaries must be punished. Rape and other forms of sexual harassment need the urgent and serious attention of family, institutions, civil society groups, government and international community if we really want to ensure a violence-free society. Cases of sexual violence have increased all over the world. The rape case involving a 20-year-old former Stanford University student, who was sent to jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on the school campus, is a case in point. The judgment generated a lot of negative responses on social media and from the public against the judge, mostly because the sentence – a mere six months, and three years probation – seemed like a slap on the wrist for the rapist. In Nigeria as well, there has been an increasing number of rape and sexual harassment cases on a keen keel. A total number of 150 reported cases of sexual and physical abuse were recorded in Lagos State for one year as at April 27, 2016. Also, the Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Lola Akande, said the ministry in the last one year treated about 589 cases ranging from sexual abuse, physical abuse and child labour. There was the case of a 52-year-old builder who confessed to having carnal knowledge of a 12-year-old girl in Suleja

Local Government Area of Niger State. As a matter of fact, another 33-year-old teacher of Government Girls Secondary School, Minna, Abdullahi Shaba, was remanded for allegedly raping a 16-year-old student. Two teenage girls were violently raped to death by a gang of young men in Bayelsa State. While this was going on, two other cases of child abuse occurred in the state, and this included the death of a sevenyear-old girl after being raped and infected with the Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). There was also a report of a 15-year-old who was gang-raped in Ebonyi State on her way from a Christian wake. If nobody is alarmed at the frequency of these occurrences, we are. They seem to have grown in frequency, maybe because our institutions are not addressing these crimes by dealing with the perpetrators. There was a case of a 44-year-old man from Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State who allegedly defiled his daughter and reportedly confessed to have had sexual intercourse with her severally. What then can we make of the man in Enugu who raped three of his children aged five, seven and nine, and another 10-year-old girl who cried out after constant defilement by her father for a period of 18 months in Lagos? Rape in Nigeria has also been festering in our universities. We are not likely to easily forget the Cross River State University rape matter between the Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, and a 20-yearold 400 level student; the part-time lecturer of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Afeez Baruwa, who allegedly raped an 18-year-old girl seeking admission into the institution. Another case of rape involving a certain Dr. Mohammed Sani Idiagbon took place at the Department of English, University of Ilorin.

Just recently, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, revealed that the 19 governors in the Northern states are set to review the Penal Code which will address the issue of rape and penalties. He also said a bill to that effect was before the House of Assembly. We are gladdened by this, but wish that the governor was not merely reacting to the case of one Haruna Tukur who allegedly raped a five-year-old girl in Kaduna recently. In a survey we have carried out on rape in Nigerian universities, we discovered that in one of the top federal universities, 100 per cent of rape/sexually-harassed victims are female students. Of that number, 67 per cent did nothing after they were raped while 33 per cent made some kind of feeble report of being raped to friends, a course adviser and others made reports to their parents or guardians. Nearly 88 per cent of respondents have heard of sexual harassment with 66 per cent being aware of more than two cases of rape. Of that number, only 44 per cent of the students agreed that there should be a centre where incidences of rape are reported. If that number of students in our tertiary institutions would decide to keep quiet after they had been raped by lecturers, it means that we have one hell of a problem on our hands. Keeping quiet after being raped may just be one very good reason the crime is on the rise in Nigeria. We found out as well that most people keep quiet because they do not have confidence in the institutions that should champion their cause. This lack of confidence can make students and the larger society begin to resort to self-help in the resolution of incidences of rape and sexual molestation in all strata of our lives. In Ughelli Delta State, an alleged rapist was burnt to death by a mob. While speaking at a public hearing of

the Sexual Harassment Bill organised by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, national president of the National Female Students of Nigeria, Idongesit Micah, said: “It is either we enact this law and send predator lecturers to prison for correction or we provoke helpless parents, husbands or guardians to someday pick a loaded gun and deal with this problem in a barbaric manner.” But violence will not be the way to handle this. We believe that everyone – the raped, parents, the universities and security institutions – all should join hands to delete the menace of rape from Nigeria and from our higher institutions. Just last month, to be precise June 2016, the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) released a short documentary on sexual violence. ANEEJ came out with that short documentary as a result of the never-ending reports of rape cases in different parts of the country. In our skit entitled ‘Busted’, we tried to suggest a non-violent and legal ways of tackling the issue of all forms of sexual assault in the society. We sought to highlight the various acts of sexual violence, ranging from harassment to defilement and rape of persons, especially females. We decided to include children because they are mostly the silent victims along the first tier of education. We also use this opportunity to call on the judiciary to intensify effort to removing the delays in prosecuting rape, being fully aware that rape cases are hard to prove. We believe that the law must no longer be lenient with rapists and perpetrators at all levels in the community, to deter perpetrators in the society. • Eguagie, Programme Officer and Rape Watch Coordinator, ANEEJ, wrote in from Benin City..

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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News

International Why Africa needs the United Nations

Photo credit: Farai Sevenzo

In our series of letters from African journalists, film-maker and columnist, Farai Sevenzo, considers why the UN matters to Africa.

Keeping the peace? Still, it does not help to be too cynical, for Africa needs the UN more than any other continent. A brief scan of the UN's history will show us that while its predecessor, the League of Nations,

threw South West Africa (present-day Namibia) from the frying pan of German occupation into the fire of apartheid jurisdiction, the UN has been largely present in tumultuous events in Africa these past 70 years. A UN Secretary General – Swedish statesman Dag Hammarskjold – lost his life in a plane crash in the Zambian town of Ndola in 1961 on his way to peace talks in the Congolese breakaway province of Katanga. Since then UN peacekeeping forces in Africa have been a regular and needed part of the continent's story: 19,000 troops are currently serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo; 12,000 are trying to restore order to the Central African Republic, another 10,000 are deployed in Mali and the UN mission in Liberia is due to end in June 2016 – having been there since 2003. Current UN peace missions in Africa • Central African Republic: Launched 2014, 12,000 currently deployed – Minusca • Democratic Republic of Congo: Launched 1999, 19,000 deployed – Monusco • Ivory Coast: Launched 2004, nearly 7,000 deployed – Unoci • Liberia: Launched 2003, nearly 6,000 deployed – Unmil • Mali: Launched 2013, 10,000 deployed – Minusma • South Sudan: Launched 2011, 12,500 deployed – Unmiss • Sudan: Hybrid mission in Darfur with African Union (AU) launched 2008, nearly 16,000 deployed – Unamid • Abyei: disputed territory between South Sudan and Sudan, 4,000 deployed - Unisfa • Western Sahara: 200 deployed – Minurso

The relationship between peacekeepers and Africa has been fraught with accusations of mineral theft, and more seriously the sexual abuse of women and children by the international UN forces, but the security situation without them does not bear contemplation. A look at the headlines shows us that from Libya downwards, violence prevails. It reveals that the fight for selfdetermination in South Sudan has resulted in increasing deaths after independence; Burkina Faso's presidential guard has become addicted to power and that economies wrecked by Ebola cannot do without international assistance. World leaders have now agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which replace the Millennium Goals, and feature many of the issues that the 20th Century grappled with. But paramount amongst the 17 SDGs is the struggle to end

"From rising prices, to a lack of pasture for cattle to drought and floods – food and hunger remain the continent's major worry." hunger. "While the number of people suffering from hunger in developing regions has fallen by half since 1990, there are still close to 800 million people undernourished worldwide, a majority children and youth," said Mogens Lykketoft, president of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. Of course hunger has not arrived unannounced, the state of the planet and the effects of global warming have been playing havoc with people's crops all over southern Africa. Malawi, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned, faces its worst food crisis in 10 years. The WFP says 2.8 million

people are at risk and that an astonishing four out of every 10 Malawian children are suffering from stunted growth. Poor rainfall affected the crops in 2013/2014 and then floods compounded the problem in early 2015 by destroying homes and wiping out food supplies. USAid's Famine Early Warning System has also listed food shortages in Ethiopia and Somalia, as well as in Sierra Leone and Liberia following the outbreak of Ebola. From rising prices, to a lack of pasture for cattle to drought and floods – food and hunger remain the continent's major worry. UN chief Ban Ki-Moon said the new Sustainable Goals were designed to "resonate with

people across the world", while UN Development Programme head, Helen Clark, said the goals called "for a paradigm shift in how the international society understands development". Development, if truth be told, has sometimes been hampered by some of the very people who gather every September in the autumn sunshine. But it is their solemn duty – and ours – to try and develop ourselves. At its worst, the UN is a grey monolithic beast that is overstaffed with career diplomats and "angels of mercy" who run around African cities in their 4x4s on behalf of Western charities and their own ambitious career paths. But at its best, the UN is the last refuge for the powerless, the hungry and the needy. And Africa has far too many people in all three categories to do without it. • Culled from www.bbc.com

Photo credit: Farai Sevenzo

f the 70th UN General Assembly had a face, it would not only be showing its age, but it would be covered in the cuts and bruises from unending wars, new coups and the perennial problems of poverty, hunger and the new open, weeping sores that are the movements of the desperate and despairing across oceans and borders. For African leaders, the UN in New York is the place to be seen and heard every September. They are there under the magical veil of diplomatic immunity, not only because their leadership is recognised but also because it allows those who are older than the General Assembly to attend, as well as those who have been ostracised by international opinion, those who have been targeted by the International Criminal Court, and those who wish to plead for special attention or show that they are tackling corruption. Small budgets are prepared from the national coffers for the delegates accompanying the heads of state and first ladies fond of shopping, who mark the General Assembly dates in their diaries long in advance. Last year's gathering had even featured a rock star Pope, and the Catholics among Africa's leadership may have wanted to touch that holy hand, though they may not have been so keen on confession.

PARLIAMENT

TheNiche

July 10, 2016

THE GRASSROOTS

INTERVIEWS

Politics

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Big Issue: Global dimensions of Nigeria’s loot recovery agenda Emeka Alex Duru Editor, Politics & Features 0805 4103 327 e.duru@thenicheng.com nwaukpala@yahoo.com Daniel Kanu Assistant Editor 0805 618 0203 kanuemperor@yahoo.com d.kanu@thenicheng.com

GRASSROOTS

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Grazing Bill not our priority in Anambra Assembly

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JUDICIARY

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‘Stamp and Seal’ helps to weed out fake lawyers – Etiaba

Nigerian economy dead, says Usani, Niger Delta Minister Despite the rising tide of insurgency in the Niger Delta and government’s subsequent response, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani, insists that the government and militants are not at war. He also talks on the harsh economic climate in the country and the clamour for restructuring by some individuals and groups in this interview with Special Correspondent, REUBEN BOJOR.

TheNiche

Interview July 10, 2016

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Nigerian economy dead, says Usani, Niger Delta Minister

here has been resurgence of vandalism in the Niger Delta. Were you expecting this? I was not expecting resurgence of vandalism, but I was not expecting calm anyhow. Why I was expecting the possibility was because the people had threatened that if former President Goodluck Jonathan did not win, they would make the country ungovernable. Is the government winning the war, given the relative calmness? The government is not at war with its citizens. And so if there is calm, we do not know what the people are planning to do next. But for government, we know that we mean well for the citizens of Niger Delta. What about the agitation for the restructuring of Nigeria by some individuals and groups? When you talk of restructuring, you need to know what components of statehood that you are agitating to be restructured. Is it in fiscal policy? Is it in security architecture? Is it in the structure of governance which talks about different forms of federalism, different forms of democracy? Which one? What is the content of that restructuring? The agitators favour return to regionalism or true federalism. What do you call regions now? If you talk of regions, are you talking about geo-political regions or developmental regions? This is because the Niger Delta, as it is now, is called developmental region, while the geo-political region within the space is implicative of both South East and South South. Pro-Biafra agitators seem to be speaking the same language with Niger Delta militants. Are you talking about the developmental region or the geo-political region?

Geo-political region. Which means South South. Well, I am an indigene of South South. I don’t agitate for Biafra. And I have not defined a name for the country those who are agitating for separate country will be identified by. Therefore, it’s not a collective agenda. Indeed, if people have to agitate for whatever thing, there are categories of people that should talk for it. Don’t you think it is the people’s mindset and not the system of government that matters? Yes, that is very true. When criminals have a mindset, they will attack what is good. So if the mindset matters, it means government is not ready to be intimidated to continue in what it is doing. That is, it is the system that matters. That is what I want to tell you. You were saying it is not the system that matters. That is why I want to tell you the danger of mindset mattering instead of the system mattering. It is the system that matters because it is the system that shapes the attitudes of human beings. If the system is strong, the human beings must conform to it. And in this system that is determined to uproot corruption and make sure that merit prevails, if it doesn’t matter, then the alternative is that criminality did not matter. And that is why the people with that mindset are perpetrating it. It also alleged that the fight against corruption is tailored against the members of the opposition and those from certain sections of the country. When Jafar Isa was arrested, did you forever imagine that he would have been arrested? He was

a close associate and confidant of the President. I also read on papers, just recently, that General Umar Mohammed has been arrested. Isa belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is very close to the President. As for General Mohammed, you may not know his role in this government. I am just giving you these instances for you to know that the fight is not selective. But do you know who General Mohammed is? You don’t know. That is why you say what you are saying. To hear that the Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested him should suggest to you that the President is ready to even arrest his own where it matters. There are reports of Nigerians experiencing hardship on account of government’s unfriendly economic policies. Why won’t there be hardship when they stole all the money? The cause is from reckless individuals in Nigeria. And the reckless individuals are still prevailing. The fears are that with over 300 assets and billions of naira recovered, won’t the story go the way of the money and assets recovered from

TheNiche

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Interview

the late Sani Abacha? I am not a native doctor to know how it will go. But one thing I know is that in this administration, on all the funds recovered, you cannot charge anyone on account of evidence that one kobo is lost. Beside the N500 billion in the budget for the vulnerable, Nigerians are yet to see this administration’s blue-print on poverty reduction. What is your sense of geo-political economy and the fiscal policy in the country that had pervaded for years? Nigeria is not a production economy; it is an exchange economy. In exchange, it means you are giving me something in exchange of something; goods for funds. So why are you talking about poverty? Is it not because you don’t have money to access the things you want? That’s the same way. At the macro level is the country, and the country does not have the money to purchase the things. So why won’t poverty be. That is what this administration is fighting now. If the money had been finished, from where should we get the money to buy? Even in the militancy you were talking about, they are further destroying the economic infrastructure from where financial resources should be gained to further strengthen the economy. So can you have a bleeding cell multiplying? It will not. That a cell is bleeding means it is dying. It is only those who are alive that can grow. The economy is dead. We are only reviving and resuscitating it. So if anybody is telling you it is this administration that is causing it, tell me by what means. The people’s take is that electoral promises have turned to excuses. It is because our mentality is corrupt, just as our character is corrupt; otherwise, we would ask why it is happening that way. You have no salary and your wife expects you to buy a car for her. What will be

your point of assessment of the sense of judgement of your wife? She is either mad or unreasonable. If you don’t earn income and your wife is saying go and build a house for me, would it be possible? Are you telling Nigerians to be hopeful? Of course. It is not only hope; we will see it manifesting very soon. Some critical voices against the government are drowning, specifically that of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State. What is the magic? I have never heard his voice before. So if he is silenced, I won’t know. For me, it has always been unheard, so I do not know. It is because you used to hear him, that’s why you notice his silence. But for me, I have never heard him. I can’t predict if he is silent. You can tell me what he has been saying. The governor is complaining of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) blocking his account. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the Senate is also threatening not to support the President because of his perceived highhandedness against its members. Won’t that affect the workings of the government? Well, I am not a senator; so I will not be able to know the implications of that withdrawal of support from the Senate. On the other leg of the question, if that’s the reason behind what you say is happening, it means we are endorsing the fact that we should close our eyes to how our financial impropriety is promoted. So it is left for you now to carry out your judgment within the ambits of the law and a sane society. You are a minister, doubling as chairman, Cross River State chapter of APC. Are you not concerned with the agitations against you manning two positions? Well, nobody has brought such issue to me. Now that you have, we will talk about it. I am not state chairman of the party. I couldn’t have been a minister and the state chairman of our party at the same time. The constitution of our party indicates that you cannot hold the party office and public office at the same time. So I will not be too lawless to be the first person to violate the constitution of the party. So I am not the state chairman. What they mean is that even as your deputy is in acting capacity, the party is motionless just as your silence is troubling. So, should I go and wrest the authority from him?

July 10, 2016

The proper thing is for election to be conducted for new state executive members. It is not in my place to do so. The party’s constitution is there to guide us. The party hierarchy is also there to direct. It is not my place to disrupt the authority of a constituted institution that should carry out its responsibilities. Yours is the least on budgets for the ministries. Why is it so? Does it mean the East-West Road will not be completed? Let us assume that we do four years and it is not completed. Let us assess it on the basis of six years before now when it was not completed and when the project started in 2006 – 10 years later. Let us assume we will not complete it before we leave. On whose side does the judgment lay? As a pastor, what is your view on the Osun hijab crisis? Well, in my opinion, worship is not something of competition. As far as it is not a law that compels me to worship in a particular manner, practise your own the way you want, I do mine the way I want. So if you say they approve that students of a particular religion should dress in a particular manner, as far as it doesn’t affect me, I have no business with it. I will go on with my own worship. So if I will go to dress in a particular manner as a response to how the others dressed, I am not practising true religion. But if I have the conviction that what I am doing is to sustain my faith, it means I would have satisfied my conscience that what I am doing is objective. How have you been handling official and personal matters as a minister? The very nature of this administration is a great challenge. Not that the challenge is too heavy for us to bear, but a challenge on confronting and letting the people understand the goodwill and intentions of this administration upon the citizenry, which have been demonstrated. First, salaries were owed before the administration came. This administration has given bail-out. As for the debts that were owed on account of subsidies since 2014, this administration started paying until that depleted the foreign reserves for further importation. How else will an administration demonstrate that it means well? Ordinarily, by the partisan attitude of Nigerians, this administration could be saying it has nothing to do with what happened before it came in. But this is the real practice of government that is a continuum. So, you can see that this government has a sacrificial attitude towards relieving Nigerians of the hardship.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Big Issue Global dimensions of Nigeria’s loot recovery agenda Rawlings

President Muhammadu Buhari wins the support of former Ghanaian President, Jerry Rawlings, and other critical bodies in the loot recovery efforts of his administration, Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, writes.

he issue of corruption war in the country and return of the nation’s stolen funds stashed away in developed countries is on the front burners, again. Although President Muhammadu Buhari has made calls to the international community on the need to repatriate the looted funds hidden in their banks, not much has been done apart from lip service from the Western world, despite their open condemnation. This time around, the advocacy for the return of Nigeria’s loot abroad as well as that of other African countries, and call for a stronger global action, is coming from acclaimed anti-corruption crusader, Jerry John Rawlings, former President of Ghana. The remark, last month, on Nigeria by United Kingdom’s out-going Prime Minister, David Cameron, describing Nigeria as “fantastically corrupt” opened the Pandora’s box on the perception of the nation’s corruption profile, locally and internationally. But Rawlings’ intervention was quite instructive and revealing. He seemed to be interested in Nige-

ria’s case, given his apparent conviction that the man at the helm of affairs is one with integrity. Rawlings said: “I implore the international community to join the chorus for the return of the loot, especially to a country like Nigeria, while she enjoys the leadership of a proven man of integrity.” The former Ghanaian head of state is worried that the western campaign against corruption has not been balanced, as developed nations have continually kept the looted funds in their banks thereby encouraging corruption which they claim to condemn indirectly. This, for Rawlings, amounts to double standard, as he argued that the right thing to do is to stop receiving and hiding such loots and to repatriate all looted funds in their possession if they must be seen as practising what they preach and taken seriously. Rawlings was speaking on the outcome of the recent high-level London Conference on Corruption he participated in. He had charged developed countries to pay more than lip-service to the return of the funds to Nigeria and some other countries. According to him, the international community should spearhead the initia-

tive in a manner similar to that for the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls where global impact was made. Understanding Rawling’s point of departure The ex-Ghanaian leader had argued that the high-level London conference on corruption offered an opportunity not only for countries in Africa and the developing world to revise and enhance their strategies for combating corruption, but also for developed countries, whose banks have served as a safe haven for stolen wealth from Africa and elsewhere, to repatriate those funds. He took a swipe at the developed countries who organise anti-corruption workshops with no concrete action to address issues that concern them. “Let us stop this support and mere conference of words and follow up with serious deeds. The commitment to corruption should work both ways. Developed countries cannot continue to harbour illegally-acquired funds from Africa and expect the latter to successfully stem the source of corruption,” he contended. “Let me speak about these characters corrupting us and sending our loot into their economies as part and parcel of

their capitalist programme. When you begin to speak up, they get nervous. They resent and they don’t like nationalists, pan- Africanists. When the time comes, they would sacrifice you and keep your loot. “Let’s put pressure on those … governments to bring those stolen monies out. Obama and his friends should give them sleepless nights just like the way we handled the Chibok girls’ issue. Let’s go beyond roundtable meetings. The Commonwealth should be made to serve a better purpose. This calls for a loud noise.” Debt recovery challenge The recovery of stolen loots unknown to many is not an easy gamble. This is as a result of the institutional and legal challenges that go with it. As they say, corruption fights back, so those involved seem to use all arsenal, constitutional and otherwise, to frustrate or influence the process. In the first place, there must be very strong evidence to convince the foreign banks in Switzerland, UK, United States of America (U.S.A.) etc. that the money was stolen from the treasury. In Nigeria, while the institutions are weak and easily manipulated, the legal

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Buhari process is not only time-consuming but money-guzzling. The money needed to prosecute such high-calibre cases are usually mind-boggling. To engage the services of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), which quite often is the in-thing, costs a huge fortune. Little wonder, the Presidency in February had to write a UK group for money, explaining the challenges it is facing in its efforts to trace, recover stolen monies and prosecute former government officials. For instance, in a letter by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption (PACC) to a United Kingdom-based anti-corruption organisation, Global Witness, soliciting assistance in raising funds, the committee said the fall in crude oil prices was affecting the war against corruption. The memo dated February 15, 2016, according to reports, was signed by the Executive Secretary of PACC, Bolaji Owasanoye, and directed to the Director of Global Witness, Simon Taylor. It stated that the commitment of the government to tackle Boko Haram insurgency, fight corruption and improve the livelihood of Nigerians through job creation was being hampered by dwindling oil revenue and mounting debts. Owasanoye argued that the economy could not be revived simply by improving revenue generation, without wiping out corruption and recovering money stolen by former officials. He further explained that due to the multi-jurisdiction of the cases, and the exorbitant charges of professionals such as lawyers, forensic financial investigators and the ability of the suspected officials to use part of the alleged stolen fund to challenge the recovery of the fund, the government needed huge flow of resources. “However, this poses a major problem. An empty treasury means that the money is not currently available for the government to engage these professionals due to the high fee that they charge,” the letter noted. Whither the EFCC? During the recent Sallah celebration,

Fayose while receiving a delegation of residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who came to pay him the traditional Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Buhari reiterated that there would be neither peace nor hiding place for treasury looters. The President said: “Please tell those with plenty of money which does not belong to them to try and negotiate and return it in peace, so that both they and us will be in peace; otherwise we will continue to look for it and they won’t know any peace.” Buhari has continued to talk tough, insisting that he would not be deterred in his fight against corruption which happens to be one of his key programmes. He said he would stop at nothing to ensure that nothing stops the war against corruption. Of truth, most Nigerians seem to be divided with the anti-corruption crusade of Buhari. While some are of the view that Buhari is on the right track, some observers say he is using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a tool for intimidation against those opposed to his government, particularly members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, for instance, has accused the Presidency of using EFCC which, to him, is equally a corrupt outfit, to hound opponents rather than fight genuine battle against treasury looters. He accused Buhari of witch-hunt on him, insisting that the President must start the corruption fight from his party and immediate aides “since charity begins at home”. “The EFCC leaders’ opinions remain their opinions and if they are so sure of whatever information they have, they should go to court and stop subjecting Nigerians to media trial, and no amount of media trial from the same elements that orchestrated my removal in 2006 can erode my popularity among Ekiti people,” Fayose said. The governor said any property that might be linked to him or his company

Faseun was bought legitimately and that they were duly declared in his Assets Declaration Form, adding that sources of such funds were not illicit. Fayose, in a press release on Wednesday July 6 by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said all efforts to diminish and destroy him would fail because it’s all falsehood. “If they have anything against me, they should keep their gun powder dry, because in 2006 when they took me to court, their allegations crumbled like a pack of cards because court decisions are founded on facts and law, and not on media trial as currently being done by the EFCC as tele-guided by the APC leaders in their desperation to set the people against me knowing full that they are not on the ground,” the statement noted. But Special Adviser to Buhari on Media, Femi Adesina, differs. In his earlier encounter with TheNiche, he had remarked that those afraid of the anticorruption war are those with skeleton in their cardboard, arguing that nobody without committing any offence has faced any punishment. “There is nothing wrong in the anti-corruption body, EFCC, inviting somebody to make explanations on an issue the person was involved. It is nothing to be afraid of. You cannot be involved or called upon to come and explain what you are not aware of,” he said. According to elder statesman and founder, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Frederick Fasehun, the President is ruling the country by intimidation, just as he believes that the anti-corruption fight is vindictive and used to blackmail the opposition. Observers agree that for Buhari-led governOwasanoye

ment to record any genuine success in his anti-graft war, his leadership must be “transparently open” to the Nigerian people. The problem, commentators contend, has always been that at the end of the day, Nigerians are not usually told what happens to all the so-called recovered loot of the past governments. It is also argued by many that the EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and other anti-graft agencies that have been put in place to fight this pervasive corruption must operate on justice rather than on persecution. Analysts also note that the Nigerian judiciary is expected to rise to the challenge of prosecution and adjudication, given the perception that some of its officers do not seem to be helping matters in the anti-corruption crusade. Critics, for instance, allege that some judges have made themselves stooges in the hands of both the corrupt Nigerian politicians and the government, thereby taking sides in their judgments.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Interview Anosike: Why media don’t need govt’s bailout Publisher of Daily Times titles, Fidelis Anosike, in this engaging chat with Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, speaks on the media organisation at 90 years of existence, secret of media survival and his verdict on President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance, among other issues.

aily Times is 90 years. What are the things lined up for its celebration? We don’t see Daily Times at 90 as a time of heavy celebration, but a time of reflection. That’s why we have been going to all the media organisations to align what Daily Times used to be to what it is today. We have series of events we are trying to finalise with the old legacy association. Once that is done, we can then make it public. But one of the major things we want to do is an essay writing competition for young people. We also want to use the occasion of ‘Daily Times at 90’ to begin the process of revival of Times Journalism Institute (TJI). You plan to align what Daily Times used to be to what it is. Why did we lose the glorious years? I can’t answer that question because it is just like asking the President of Nigeria why the country is where it is. It is a combination of everything. You are a Nigerian. You are in the media, so you know. You should be able to answer that question. I may know. But what about the public? I think the public knows. Daily Times was not just a newspaper. It was the anchor media company for the country. It was started in 1926. From that time to the present, the level has gone under the bridge. Just like every legacy brand, you can’t take out Daily Times from Nigeria. The same way Nigeria is suffering and having challenges in development is the same way

Daily Times has challenges of development over the years because of its influence. It got to a point that it was so influential that the government had to take it over. Daily Times was not founded by government; it was founded by private individuals, but government took it over because of the pervasive influence on the affairs of the nation which cuts across media, finance, banking, even politics etc. So the military government at that time felt that for them to hold onto power, they had to take control of it. And you know at that time there was no press freedom; that started the decline. It got to a time the government privatised it and said they don’t want to have a hand in business; not just Daily Times but every other business or endeavour that government once held. They felt that it was high time in the spate of development that the country divested. So when we are talking about bringing it back, we are saying not just bringing it back as number one but also making sure that it continues to play the role that it should play in national development. Are you worried that new media establishments are not even breaking even, let alone making profit? Why should I be worried? When people don’t break even, it does not mean we can’t break even. Businesses are different. We have different experiences, resources and know-how. The people that are failing in business are those who don’t understand the business they are going into. With the way the new media (on-

line) are taking the market share, are you not afraid they will encroach on print? We are in business in media. Media is media. They are all one. Online and print are all distribution platforms. The content remains the same, but dimension is to meet the audience. People don’t understand what they are going into, that is why they fail. If you understand what you are going into, then you will find the right resources in terms of people, money, capacity, relationships and then you succeed. That’s the way life goes. In the Nigerian environment, many people are still interested in the print media but many are failing…? (Cuts in) That is what I am trying to say. If you know what you are doing, there is no reason for you to be afraid to fail because there is something called context. Every business has a context. You have to situate it to a context. And the context of Nigeria is what you are talking about. But print is a very small part of media. It can be influential, but is a very small part of media. So if you are trying to make money out of media and trying to make impact on national development, you can’t just be in the print because print is very limited. We have over 49 per cent of Nigerians under the age of 54 and they are all online. But you have over 100 million smartphones in Nigeria. So people are consuming news (and the media) on the go. That is a very impactful platform that you should think about if you are a media com-

pany. Critics have accused Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), which you belong to, of not really discussing media issues like bailout when they meet relevant authorities like the President, governors, etc. They (critics) are not members of NPAN; so they cannot accuse NPAN of anything. But the critical point is, what does media need? Is it bailout? Media do not need any bailout, as far as I am concerned. What media need is proper alignment with national development goals of the country. Media are not banking, but the fourth estate of the realm, according to constitution. It is supposed to be a balance of power. So if you are a balance of power, why do you have to go to the executive for bailout? You will lose your voice. You are supposed to be there to defend the ideals of the constitution and the common man. Why then do you have to create a structure where you will benefit from people you are supposed to be checking? So, I don’t think people understand what it means to be a publisher. If you must be a publisher, (you should know) it’s not something you go into to make profit. But you have to break even as a business. But if you want profit, there are other more valuable businesses you can put your money into and then get the returns. But then bailout is not something I think one should be pushing for, for the media industry. What I think is, proper alignment to what the government is trying to do; cooperation with government agencies, especially secu-

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Interview rity agencies, to be more responsive in the job. Media need capacity building and investments, not bailout. The media have to position themselves to attract the right investment, so that people can be trained and be competitive because when you look at the online media, most of the people there are well read and these are young individuals who are Master’s Degree holders and Ph.D holders and are using their time and knowledge to attract followers. So, the print media and cohorts have not developed over the years because they became complacent and they think they have all the power. Change is constant. You have to evolve, if you don’t, you die. Nobody should accuse NPAN, especially nonmembers, of not asking for bailout. Government doesn’t have money. Government itself needs bailout. I think NPAN is doing well and doing what it needs to do.

No, they have not. They are complementary. Just like when radio was invented, people said newspapers were going to die. Newspapers are not going anywhere. Social media are a distribution platform. They distribute news and contents. Now you have to define what kind of news the man at the other end needs. If you provide it, he will still be on your platform. There’s nothing stopping print media from dominating social platform. In New York, New York Times is the king. Those are traditional media houses. They dominate those platforms because they have the contents. They are the people that have the boots on the ground already. So you have advantage. When you look at the social media, the print media are the ones more positioned to be in control of it if they want to, because they have the money. They have clear product lines. One (page of) newspaper advert is about N500,000. It’s a clear product which online doesn’t have.

A lot of newspapers have gone under; doesn’t that mean that the print media have failed? That does not mean that they have failed. If you start a business without the right fundamentals, you will shut down. How many media companies have opened in the past 10 years and closed down in the last 10 years? You can count it on one side of your fingers. But how many financial institutions do you know that have opened and closed down? How many transport companies have opened and closed down? It is something that is pervasive. The phenomenon pervades the economy; it has nothing to do with one aspect of the business. Maybe people run into it and think it’s a simple business to do; they get there unprepared. Media business takes time to build a brand. It takes a lot of resources, relationships and alignments. That is why in any other clime, it is not everybody that becomes a publisher. You don’t just jump in and become a publisher by putting out papers on the streets; you have to think about distribution, journalists, branding etc. You need a lot of time for people to begin to invest in you. The money from medium-customer advertising. People need to have a need to use your medium to talk to people. People need to have a need to buy your paper to better their lives. If you don’t provide the solution to that need, you will not get monetisation for it. It is not like before when everybody gets advert just for doing nothing. Everywhere in the world, economies are changing, there is depression and recession all round the world. What recession means is that there is also opportunity in crisis. During such crisis, the people that are well tuned to that aspect of business survive.

But the online media get adverts too. Yes, they do; but the advert is a bit complex which you know Google and others are in control of. The advertising spend leaving the print media is not going to online, but billboards. And billboards don’t have any content. So there is no product as of today that is like the newspaper because you have the news, features, photographs etc. And then it is something that the people are already used to when it comes to cover price of newspapers. Even when they don’t buy, somebody else wants to use it as a platform to advertise. The point is that we have to be more responsive. We have to find what our customers (the people that are reading and those using us as a medium) want. It’s a traditional business like the man who manufactures bread. You can’t take away bread from people’s diet because they are used to it. We have comparative advantage.

You don’t think the online media, especially the social media, have also affected the performance of print media?

Some people say media is not as elevated as it used to be; they claim it is now more sensational and lacking interpretative journalism. That is what I’m trying to say. If you do the right thing, the consumers will reward you for it and be loyal to you. If you do sensationalism, it’s not a comparetive advantage because so many other people can do it. It’s something everybody can do; you don’t need to be trained to be a sensational journalist, but you need to be trained to be a proper journalist. That’s the comparative advantage media houses have – people that have been trained over the years. They went to journalism schools, vocational schools in training, seminars etc. There is no way you can compare that with people that are not trained in the same field. It is like bankers; you can do wonder bank-

ing, but is it going to be as effective as people that have knowledge in banking? In every service business, experience and knowledge count. So journalists in the print and social media are the same. Most of the people you see dominating social media took their root from traditional journalism. We have to see social media and the online version as distribution platforms which have just evolved. What about the influx of non-professionals? It doesn’t matter. What makes you a professional? Like doctors, the strongest medical platform today is online. You don’t have to be a medical doctor. If something is wrong with me today, I can Google it and get my solution. The world is now a solution-based world, no more an elitist-based world. The consumers have the power, and it is not like before. So the world has changed. Technology has changed the world. I mustn’t go to the doctors for him to use a stethoscope on me; I can easily Google it. But at the back of that are medical doctors. The underlining platform for that technology solution is medical doctors. In-between the chats and discussions, the medical doctors also provide the guide. The same thing should be happening in print media, even in the legal field. People get legal advice without necessarily going to lawyers. But then when you want to go to court, you need lawyers to argue your case. That is why if the President wants to make a decision tomorrow, he is not going to rely on social media; but he will look at the print media because these are the people that they know with the source of the news. News is not opinion, but fact. So, the same way, you have traditional media companies being the ones that influence policy and decisions of government not social media; but social media will contribute because when decisions are made, they are made pervasive, you communicate it and push it. If you write something, for example, in good print media, the President is going to take it serious; but if he sees something on a blog that he doesn’t know, it won’t influence the way he makes his decision. Everything has anchor. Any ship without anchor is floating. Most of the social media sites don’t have anchor, but all print media do. What is your view on the current Nigerian situation? Nigeria is on the right path. I don’t want to say I’m convinced – I know we are on the right part. The path that the current government is taking is the right path. And I say that without fear of contradiction. If you study ‘Reaganomics’, it got to a point where Americans were not saving. They needed someone to inspire them to begin to save and that’s how they came out of recession. There is nobody among us that

doubts that the President we have today is not corrupt. You cannot find anybody in Nigeria that would say President Buhari is corrupt. They can say people around him are corrupt, but for once we are in agreement that the person who is the standard-bearer for Nigeria is not corrupt. What it means is that President Buhari can inspire Nigerians to be themselves because it is human beings that create wealth. It got to a point where people say the country is not working, but they are not doing anything. They just sit down somewhere and say all sorts of things. It’s because of lack of inspiration, because they have tried to do it in the past and the people they called leaders failed to inspire them. You can see it manifesting. Can you remember how many governments have tried to deregulate the petroleum industry, which is the main platform for corruption in Nigeria? We don’t know how many barrels of petrol we consume. We don’t know how many we import. When this President was military head of state (1984/85), over 3,200 kilometres of pipeline to take fuel everywhere was built. Today we have to hire over 1,500 trucks to move petroleum products. Just think about it. You know what one truck is and then you have to hire 1,500. If you put it from here (Lagos), it will get to Ibadan. So think about that operation. There are too many moving parts; hence too much corruption in the country because very few people have made it that way for them to benefit. Just like war, people create war to benefit. A lot of things will be disjointed. When you want to make a change, even in your own life, it’s still going to be difficult. Even before the (Buhari) government, could we say Nigeria was fine? The fact that naira was N150 (to a dollar) did not show the real value of naira. What were we producing? We were importing everything. Everybody wanted to send their kids abroad. After studying abroad, they come back to Nigeria to work in this same disjointed environment. Isn’t it a waste of money? If anybody is sick, he goes abroad; does it mean that those hospitals cannot be built here? So unless you take those corrective measures, which I think that the President is not only resilient but also focused on taking, we will still be walking in circles. There’s going to be bad eggs in every situation. Every turnaround you want to make, just like the one we are trying to do in Daily Times, is going to be difficult. People are going to call you names. But if you stay true to the course, at the end of the day, you’ll be congratulated. I believe and know that Nigeria is on the right path. There’s going to be some mistakes when you are trying to correct any situation, but ultimately we want a better country not for us but for our children.

TheNiche

Analysis July 10, 2016

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Abia governorship tussle: Matters arising

Ikpeazu

Ogah

Special Correspondent, ONWUKWE EZERU, writes on actions and reactions by interest groups on the High Court judgement on the governorship tussle between Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and Uche Ogah

he Abia State Government House, Umuahia, has been a shadow of itself since Thursday, June 30. In place of the usual human and vehicular traffic in the complex, it has been under serious security watch, as the police and the military take over all the routes leading to the entity. This is on account of tension occasioned by the Monday, June 27, court judgment sacking Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and the June 30 issuance of certificate of return to Uche Ogah, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja. Ikpeazu had appealed the High Court verdict. But the issuance of the certificate of return to Ogah, without waiting for the outcome of the appeal, had sparked off confusion and protest among Abians, especially of the Ukwa-Ngwa axis who felt that the removal of the governor was a big slap on them, given that his election marked the first time the zone is in charge of governance in the state. Ikpeazu gets reprieve To prevent possible inauguration of Ogah, Ikpeazu’s legal team had on June 30, 2016, obtained an ex-parte order from Osisioma Ngwa High Court restraining him from being sworn in as Governor of Abia State. Even with what seems a momentary relief for the governor, his supporters had argued that for INEC to have merely complied with the directives of the Federal High Court when it was obvious that the judgment had been challenged at the Court of Appeal amounted to bias and brazen disrespect to judicial process. Ogah had challenged the declaration of Ikpeazu as governor, alleging that the tax receipts he presented to INEC were fake. When he raised the issue shortly after the party’s primary in 2014, PDP leadership in Abia had tried to wade into the mat-

ter but failed following his insistence to go ahead with the matter. Groups pay solidarity visits Even as the situation remained dicey last week, groups and PDP party faithful from different parts of the state kept paying solidarity visits to the governor. One of such groups was the PDP leadership in Abia led by its chairman, Johnson Onuigbo, who condemned what he called the brazen disrespect to the rule of law in Nigeria and called for the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians to save democracy from total collapse. “Abia PDP will resist any attempt by anybody or group to overheat Abia polity. The rule of law should follow its course. The judiciary should give Ikpeazu fair hearing in the appeal court,” he said. Also, the Abia State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Martins Azubuike, in its solidarity message to the governor, expressed the members’ support to the administration of the PDP government in Abia. Abia State Traditional Rulers Council led by its Chairman, Eze Dick Eberechi, also pledged its support to Ikpeazu and called on Ogah to sheathe his sword and wait for the turn of Abia North in the next dispensation if he wants to be governor of Abia. Abia youths and Abia re-union group were not left out in the pilgrimage, as their leader, Giner Onwusoibe, urged Ikpeazu to relax and continue the good work he started, stressing: “Ogah should stop parading himself as governor when the case in the appeal court has not been vacated.” The state’s PDP Publicity Secretary, Don Ubani, said that the party was not disturbed by the court action because Ikpeazu was eminently qualified to be the governor, having satisfied all conditions as contained in the Electoral Act. He noted that the governor paid his tax as and when due and described the

ruling of the Abuja High Court as a miscarriage of justice. Ubani advised party faithful in Abia to remain calm, assuring that the appeal court would upturn that judgment. In similar vein, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Charles Ogbonnaya, told our correspondent that Abians were not happy over the court’s ruling, noting that Ikpeazu had been receiving a lot of distractions since he won election in 2015. He remarked that the governor was a public servant whose tax was deducted at source under the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. While the governor’s camp was making vigorous efforts at upturning the High Court ruling, Ogah and his supporters were already on victory lap at his campaign office in Umuwaya Road, Umuahia. Notwithstanding, the governor, in a press briefing in his lodge at the Government House, declared: “I am still the governor of the state until the appeal court and Supreme Court decide otherwise.” Ikpeazu goes spiritual In the face of the unfolding battle, key officials of the state government have gone spiritual to ask God to intervene in the struggle. In a church service organised at the Unity Chapel, Government House, the President of Eastern Conference of the Seventh Day Adventists, Pastor Bassey Udo, said God has come to redeem Abia, having stopped the alleged plans to swear in Ogah as governor. “God has intervened to save Ikpeazu and Abia. God has raised a government for Abia. Those who said it was all over would regret. Those who changed loyalty would regret. Ikpeazu, do not soil your hands because victory is yours,” he said. The governor noted that in the past one year, his administration has been on in the state, but

regretted that somebody who did not run an election, campaign nor accepted by Abia public decided to distract the peace of the state through abnormal plans. He stressed that for the avoidance of doubt, he has been all along working as a civil servant where his taxes were being deducted from his salaries and remitted to Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) as and when due and wondered why the clamour for tax certificate became subject of litigation against his mandate. The governor asked anyone in doubt to verify his claims at the board. He assured of his administration’s resoluteness towards bringing the expected change in the state, while urging Abians to continue to remain calm in the present circumstances. In lending voice to Ikpeazu’s position, groups and individuals under the aegis of the Coalition for Civil Society in Abia State in a press statement signed by its chairman, Eze Onuoha, and secretary, Ukoha Iroha, had called on INEC to retrieve the certificate of return given to Ogah, noting that it was given in error. It also urged INEC to apologise to Abians and to all Nigerians in three national dailies. The group also called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Senate President and the Chief Justice of the Federation to rise up and defend the laws and constitution of the land, stressing that the democratic process is being threatened by INEC’s actions. In the same vein, the Supreme Council of Ukwa Ngwa Youths who spoke through its National Coordinator, Kingsley Nnana Okadigbo, and the National Secretary, K. C. Dede, said: “We unequivocally affirm our stance on the popular Abia charter of equity and PDP zoning formula which provides that the governorship seat shall rotate among the three senatorial districts of Abia South, Abia Central and Abia North,” adding that Ogah’s Abia North had had its turn in the governance of the state.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Interview

INEC not to blame for inconclusive elections – Clarke

Clarke

Robert Clarke, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has been in active practice for over 40 years. In this interview with Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, he speaks on the take-over of Kogi State House of Assembly by House of Representatives, the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recent elections, President Muhammadu Buhari’s one year in office, among other issues.

he House of Representatives recently took over the Kogi State House of Assembly due to leadership crisis among the members. What is your take on the issue? Well, that is an area I do not want to offer an opinion because despite what has been happening in that state, I was reading in a newspaper, recently, that a group of five minority members of the House were still being led into the chambers by armed soldiers. That situation is becoming abnormal, as I know. I do not want to comment more on it because I do not feel it is proper for soldiers following five legislators to go and assume proceedings in the hallowed chambers of

the legislature. My comment will stop at that. How would you assess President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, after one year in the saddle? Let me borrow what Professor Wole Soyinka said, that he is not saying the administration has done wonderfully well. He said, and I accept his statement, that with the huge amount of rubbish left for the President, he is trying. I will also agree that the present administration came in at a time this country was at its lowest turn. Lowest in moral, lowest in monetary output. They are trying their best; let us give them time. In another year, if you come to me, I will be able to give you answer. If you are asked a closed-

ended question, to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’; what will be your response? You are asking for an answer to a human problem; it cannot be yes or no. Anybody who does that must have some problem because there are many aspects of a problem. You have to look at all the aspects of governance. We have no electricity, why? Is it because government is not trying? It is because of sabotage. We have no petrol; is it because of this government? It is because of sabotage. So, when you look at all the scenario playing out, it is difficult to say yes or no. Under this administration, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has conducted quite a number of “inconclusive” elections. Do you see the umpire conduct-

ing free and fair elections in 2019? Let me say this; it is a shame to us in Nigeria. I had visited Ghana when they were holding general elections; you would not believe that elections were being held, and no policemen on the street. I had gone to Benin Republic when they were holding presidential elections; you would not even know that people were voting. Nigeria has a history of electoral violence because politicians are not here to look after your interest; they are here to look after their pockets. That is why you find young lawyers, young doctors abandoning their profession to go into politics because, there, people are stealing money and therefore it is a do-or-die battle. So you cannot blame the electoral commission for

anything. We have to blame ourselves first. Why can’t we conduct a peaceful election when our neighbours in Ghana, Benin Republic and other African countries are conducting elections? There is no killing, no rigging and no security agencies on their streets. The fault is in us, not in INEC. When INEC wants to conduct elections and you have to find soldiers to accompany it, then something is mad with Nigeria because this is a civil act. But, because of the propensity of stealing by the politicians, it is a do-ordie matter in Nigeria. It is unfortunate and we have to think now within ourselves: Should we continue with this violence and killing? When we stop that, then we can now admonish INEC. They can do it if you and I allow them to do it.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

Parliament

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Grazing Bill not our priority in Anambra Assembly – Speaker Chairman, South East Conference of Speakers and Anambra State Speaker, Rita Maduagwu, speaks with Special Correspondent, OKEY MADUFORO, on her experiences in presiding over the state’s legislature in the last one year, relationship of the House with the executive and her opinion on the Grazing Bill debate. Maduagwu

hallenges in office As a matter of fact, the job has not been easy. The challenges have been great. However, with the quality of members that we have in the House of Assembly, it has been an eventful one year. You know also that not all the 30 members of the Assembly are new into the hallowed chambers. We have synergy among members. I must admit that members – old and new – have made meaningful contributions towards a successful one year of effective and populist legislation in Anambra State. At inception, we had this resolve to make a mark in the total development of the state and the members, immediately after inauguration, commenced their legislative responsibilities with vigour. This made us to be the first among our counterparts inaugurated the same day in the country to pass a bill within our first three months in office. The House has, within one year, passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill, the Anambra State Housing Corporation Bill, Anambra State Vigilante, Security Bill as well as the Tourism

and Hospitality Bill 2016, in addition to numerous people-oriented resolutions emanating from motions. The four bills have greatly enhanced good governance and uplifted the living condition of the citizenry. The lawmakers have enthroned participatory democracy in their various constituencies through town hall meetings and constituency briefings which have enriched the quality of our bills and motions. In the comity of states’ legislatures in Nigeria, the present House of Assembly is playing pivotal role, as I was elected the South East Chairman of Conference of Speakers of the Houses of Assembly in Nigeria. The position has indeed placed both the state legislature and the state government on a higher pedestal and also accorded the government and the people of the state maximum recognition among their counterparts in the country. Another important area of mention is the uncommon cordial relationship existing between the House and other arms of the government. The House is obviously happy with the executive owing to Governor Willie Obiano’s implementation of all the bills and

resolutions of the House. Need for Conference of Speakers The Conference of Speakers of the Houses of Assembly in Nigeria is not a new development. It had been there before I became the Speaker of Anambra Assembly. At some point, it became important that the speakers should meet to share ideas and form a common front in the interest of effective legislation in Nigeria. This, I must tell you, is for the good of Nigeria, our country, and we have continued to record successes so far. We are going to have our meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. In that meeting, issues would be discussed which generally have to do with the growth and development of our country and our respective states. Similarly, one of the issues that the Conference of Speakers would be discussing is the financial autonomy of the Houses of Assembly. This matter had in the recent past been discussed and looked into. It is still topmost in our agenda. This does not affect the Senate and House of Representatives because they are already enjoying the autonomy. But it is only the Houses of Assembly that do not enjoy this

autonomy. In the recent past, we tried to amend that law, but the then President could not ascent to it before he left office. That explains why we are still on it till now. The issue of autonomy is very important for effective legislation, and this also helps us in carrying out our oversight functions as lawmakers. People should not see it as a plot by the lawmakers to begin to arm-twist the executive arm of government. Rather, it makes for effectiveness in governance which has the end point of impacting positively on the lives of our people. The Grazing Bill I know that the matter would soon go to the House of Assembly, as it is being discussed. But I can say, personally, why do we need grazing bill when people have cattle ranches? People build ranches for their cattle. So, of what importance is the grazing bill? I do not support that idea because it is of no use at all. We can do without grazing bill and for us in the (Anambra) House of Assembly, it is not our priority at all. So we are more concerned with governance for our people and not grazing bill.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Judiciary

Onyewuchi Ojinnaka Email: onyewuchi_ojinnaka@yahoo.com 0811 181 3060

‘Stamp and Seal’ helps to weed out fake lawyers – Etiaba Emeka Etiaba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in this interview with Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, speaks on the recent judgment of Osun State High Court on wearing of hijab by female Muslim students to public schools, the judiciary, among other issues. Etiaba

hat is your position on the criticisms trailing the judgment of an Osun State High Court on the issue of wearing hijab to public schools by female Muslim students? Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s decision and the court’s decision will take the people of Osun State back to the Dark Ages. We are talking about looking for money to pay salaries. Every state is talking about how to go back to agriculture, how to encourage young entrepreneurs, how to industrialise the states. And in a state where salaries are owed, the focus is no longer how to pay salaries and improve on the internally-generated revenue (IGR) of the state, they are talking about hijab and that is the legacy he has decided to bequeath as his tenure runs to an end. It is very sad. The other day, I saw in the newspapers the Christians, some wore their choir robes, and others wore white (nuns’) gowns. That is what we called a state of anomie, a state where nobody is in control. That is what he has foisted on the state. I hope he will look beyond party lines. I know how the state worked before he took over. I know how hard the former governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, worked to position the state and I know how bad the state has gone back now. What is your take on the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) election? My take on it is that the Nigerian Bar Association is always leading the way positively. That is a very good one. At least, for the first time, every lawyer is entitled to vote in the election; it is no longer a delegate type of election where a few people determine the future of the entire people. So I see it as a welcome development, and beyond the issue of e-voting comes the achievements of the present NBA administration with the reason-

able innovations which hitherto were thought impossible. For example, the use of ‘stamp and seal’ which has actually gone a long way in weeding out fake lawyers. Before now, fake lawyers were able to pay practising fees, come to court, carry on while some of us never knew they were non-lawyers until the issue of ‘stamp and seal’ came. The NBA administration has done well. The identity (ID) cards are out for the first time; a lawyer has ID card given to him by the Bar Association, the branch where he practices. The regime has done well. The plan for succession is also going on well by the introduction of this mode of election. What is your assessment of the two presidential contenders, Joe Kyari-Gadzama and Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, both senior advocates? The problems we have with Nigerians and the electoral process, most times, is that people are appealed to, to run for election. Reluctant candidates contest election, and most times they win because some interests, power blocs, feel that such characters can be manipulated; hence they are convinced to come out and run for election. But what we are seeing in the NBA election is that you have two people who are desirous on their own to contest the election; the two people who have manifested their interests. The two people who have come out have the capacity to lead the Bar. So I am impressed. What is your assessment of the nation’s judiciary? The judiciary in Nigeria has not done badly. The judicial system is within the larger system called Nigeria, and the judges are Nigerians; they are not from the moon. Going by the rot you find in Nigeria, I can tell you the judiciary has done extremely well. And if you ask me whether there is need for improvement, I will say yes. And when people talk, they talk as if the judiciary has not been self-cleansing. In

the past six months, I can tell you how many judges that have been disciplined; quite a lot of judges. But people do not look at this. People judge the judiciary based on how judgment that comes from there affects them. I will give you an example. Take a look at the Supreme Court decision in the governorship elections in Nigeria. Certain people from certain persuasions felt that the judiciary has not done well; they felt the Supreme Court has not been fair to all. But what they failed to look at are the principles with which the Supreme Court founded its judgments. The Supreme Court founded its judgments on certain principles and nobody has accused them of deviating from those principles. Rather, they will say in Akwa Ibom State, they gave it to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); in Rivers State, they gave it to PDP; in Abia State, they gave it to PDP. They have not said whether they deviated from those principles that they, as court, settled. People will always comment on the judiciary based on where they stand, and I do not waste my time with such people. At times, you also find people who assess the judiciary out of bad faith, some out of ignorance. A lawyer who has not gone to court in over 20 years now has the idea which judgment is correct or not correct, from which knowledge of law? Basically, we have to see beyond the smokescreen. The judiciary has done well, even where there are lapses, they have been cleansing themselves. How can the war on corruption be fought and won? The war on corruption can be fought and won if proper system of accountability is put in place, if laws are put in place, so that people will not abuse. Like a lot of people say, all you need in Nigeria is to steal enough to be able to compromise the system with the best of lawyers there for you; but if the legal system is tightened, I am very sure that people

will think twice before committing atrocities. We also need to regenerate our hearts. Growing up, I remember we had moral instructions in school. I do not know how much of that goes on, and with the advent of the internet today, it is bad. Tomorrow, it is likely to be worse because there are no boundaries anymore; your parents cannot actually determine what you hear, what you watch. In our own days, it was easy; but these days, not even my little boy can be under 100 per cent control because of the influence of the internet. So things are likely to go worse because of the internet and the moral standard. We really have to tighten our belts and live right. Do you think the EFCC should apply plea bargaining in resolving corruption cases? Plea bargaining is actually a situation where a suspect concedes to judgment on the understanding that rather than go to jail, he or she will bring out the loot. But in the civilised world, plea bargaining goes beyond returning what you have stolen. For example, in the case of James Ibori in England, plea bargaining was employed; but after he volunteered to return what he had stolen, he was still sentenced. The only difference was that the sentence was a bit light; it was not as it would have been. In the case of Nigeria, somebody steals N1 billion, you tell him to pay N700,000 and then the person walks home. A lot of criticism has gone through it when the situation arose in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Now, with the new Criminal Justice Act, plea bargaining is known to our jurisprudence and that is why everybody is shouting. We do not stop at the exchange of money as a place for sentencing; you collect the loot, but go ahead and sentence the person. It is known to our jurisprudence now, but it should not stop at that. It does not mean the person should not go to jail.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

Editorial

Mass retirement of Police chiefs

he compulsory retirement of 21 assistant inspectors general (AIG) of police who were senior to the new acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, before his appointment by the Police Service Commission (PSC) is eliciting strong reactions. Last week, the PSC announced the retrenchment of tested and accomplished senior police officers such as Bala Hassan; Yahaya Ardo; Irmiya Yarima; Danladi Mshebwala; Tambari Mohammed ; Bala Magaji Nasarawa; MUsa Abdulsalam; Adisa Bolanta and

Mohammed Gana. Also affected were Umaru Manko; Lawal Tanko; Olufemi Adenike; Johnson Ogunsakin; Adenrele Shinaba; James Caulcrick; Olufemi Ogunbayode; Edgar Nanakumo; Kalafite Adeyemi; Patrick Dokumor ; Joseph Mbu and Sabo Ringim. We believe that this is unnecessary in a country facing dire security challenges. To throw away more than two dozen well-trained senior police officers so that a dark horse, a relatively junior officer, would be made the 19th IGP is another of the many ill-advised policies that have become the signature tune of the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC). There is no overarching reason for Idris’ appointment over and above his more accomplished colleagues except as compensation for the role he played as Kano State commissioner of police during the 2015 presidential election when Unless on the grounds the state returned unprecedented two million votes to give Buhari of gross misconduct or victory. proven incompetence, the Must personal interest always trump national interest particular most senior officer should when the issue has to do with step into the shoes of an national security? Whose decision was this? Section outgoing IGP. 216 (2) of the Constitution says, If he is not considered fit, “Before making any appointment to the office of the inspector general then he can be eased out police or removing him from and the next most ranking of office, the president shall consult the officer steps in. But to ease Nigeria Police Council.” Was there such a consultation? out 21 most senior officers Does the Council exist right now? so that their junior can Feelers from the seat of power also take over is an unfortunate indicate that though the Mike Okiroled PSC claimed responsibility for the development. mass purge in the police; they were only presented with a fait accompli It creates a sense of and had no hand in the decision. insecurity in the police and So, who took this decision and for what reasons? promotes corruption. The bulk, as usual, stops at the president’s table and, therefore, the decision must be his alone. Most of these forcefully retired officers were trained both at home and abroad with tax payers’ money and still have many years to serve their fatherland. Forcing them to retire prematurely just because the president prefers a particular officer as his police chief is a huge disservice not only to the force itself but to the country. We cannot afford to continue the practice of retiring a huge number of active officers of the rank of AIG and Deputy General of Police (DIG after the country has spent resources training and maintaining them at the president’s whims because the professional skills and knowledge they acquired over the years are wasted. This ugly practice also breeds disenchantment and disloyalty in the police and kills morale and professionalism. It promotes eye service and exposes the police to political manipulation. The appointment of the IGP should not be left to only the president and his political party to play politics with. The appointment procedure must be made competitive and transparent so that the most qualified and most competent candidate can emerge. What has happened negates the principle of seniority. Unless on the grounds of gross misconduct or proven incompetence, the most senior officer should step into the shoes of an outgoing IGP. If he is not considered fit, then he can be eased out and the next most ranking officer steps in. But to ease out 21 most senior officers so that their junior can take over is an unfortunate development. It creates a sense of insecurity in the police and promotes corruption. The position of IGP is a political appointment but even at that merit should be the criterion for such appointment. Aside the police and the country, the greatest loser in this game of musical chairs is Idris, an otherwise junior AIG whose more experienced colleagues have been sacked to accommodate his ambition. Ultimately, these are officers whose wealth of experience he needs to succeed.

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FREE SPEECH Ramadan: the moon as a metaphor

or almost one week, we waited for the moon. Meanwhile the holidays had been declared. The fanfare had even started. We were all in celebration mood. Every item for the festivity was ready. The appetite had been sharpened. Still the rams could not be slaughtered. The wines could not be uncorked. Something had gone wrong somewhere. The celebration was put on hold because the symbol of that celebration: the moon had refused to surface. Until it surfaced, the fast was still on. The festivity had to be put on hold. As the world waited, tongues began to wag: what has happened to our dear moon? The moon became the topic; the moon became the issue attracting unending comments from both the initiates and the noninitiates alike. Some wondered why the festivity was tied to the appearance of the moon; and why the public holidays were declared when the moon was yet to appear. So, the moon disappeared and the world stood still. Many non-initiates made huge jokes out of the non-appearance or the disappearance of the moon. The social media, including the ever active WhatsApp, created huge fun out of the non-appearance of the moon. At least, they made Nigerians chuckle despite the biting hardship they face. In one of the jokes, President Muhammadu Buhari was shown in a picture surrounded by state governors and his aides. The picture depicted the president talking to the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai. The mischievous cartoonist presented Buhari as asking: “el-Rufai, where is the moon?” Then the governor answered: “Sir, I think PDP has stolen it...Corrupt people!!!” In another joke, someone sent a breaking news to friends stating in part that “... the moon which was due to appear in Saudi Arabia this morning as predicted, is suspected to be one of the victims of the early morning bomb blast in Saudi Arabia. The moon was said to be holidaying in the holy city having been exiled from Iraq, Syria, Turkey and other troubled states....” So we had jokes upon jokes. They were

meant to generate laughter and ease the tension caused by the delay in the appearance of the moon. My only concern is that when the moon finally appeared, none of my Muslim friends invited me for the celebration. They quickly forgot how much I joined them to pray for the appearance of the moon. Instead, they disappeared into their homes for the feast to begin. Funny enough, while some of us joined our Muslim friends to pray for the quick appearance of the moon, others, particularly the civil servants, embarked on a contrary prayer topic. They fervently prayed that the sacred moon should continue to delay its appearance so that the holidays would be extended. God refused to answer their unpatriotic prayers. Those who prayed against the appearance of the moon also included the bankers—those overpaid and underworked bunch of salary earners. I met one of them in church during the period and her prayer topic was simple: Lord, keep the moon safe in your custody till next week. I love this holiday. It’s good for my health. The crescent moon is the internationally recognised symbol of Islam; just like the cross is in Christianity. I’m almost persuaded to dwell on the history of the moon in Islamic religion. It is an interesting topic; but I won’t go there because I am not an authority on such issues. Any perceived factual error in my historical narrative or a misunderstood intention could offend the sensibilities and sensitivities of many people. It is better to just conclude that the crescent moon is to the Muslims what the Star of David is to the ancient Jewish religionists and what the Cross is to the followers of Jesus Christ or Christians. What this implies is that every religion has its symbol; something that strengthens the faith of the worshippers. The good news is that at last the moon appeared in its glory; and the celebration began with great relief. The fast immediately came to a close without further delay. Cries of dying rams could be heard all over the neighbourhood. Voices of children rejoicing were pretty loud; and understand-

Observations from... Okonjo-Iweala remains global anti-graft czar

year after leaving office as Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, remains the most sought after personality who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan. A week doesn’t go by without her name being splattered on the pages of traditional newspapers and online outfits. Many detractors and paid hands have linked her with almost every corrupt deal during her time as economy coordinating minister. But she continues to soar high and gain more recognition on the international scene, as she maintains her anti-corruption stance. On June 2, she gave the keynote address at the MIT Doctoral Hooding Ceremony 2016 Commencement, the second speaker to achieve this feat thereby sealing her status as a global citizen. She took it a step further on June 7 when she addressed graduands of Columbia University's School of Public Policy at its Commencement. If Okonjo-Iweala was indeed corrupt she would not have the temerity to continuously kick against corruption in her speeches, and such invitations would not have even been offered to her because the international commu-

nity would not want to associate with individuals ‘perceived’ to be corrupt. The volleys range from Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) using an allegation by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Charles Soludo, to the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) accusing her of colluding with former federal Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke, in a “judgment scam”. Okonjo-Iweala argued at the Africa CEO Forum on March 21, 2016 that “we have to fight corruption in two ways; one is by punishing those who steal, and making sure they pay for what they do. “But we also must plug all the holes by building institutions and systems that prevent corruption in the first place. “If you have a financial system for running your financial accounts that is not computerised, that is not technologically based, you are still transferring cash, as we were doing in my country up until 2003, 2004, then you are opening up the place to a lot of leakages.” • Femi Hassan Lagos

TheNiche on Sunday welcomes letters, maximum 250 words, from readers. Send to oguwikeng@y

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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On the beat Oguwike Nwachuku

ably so. The long wait was over. The holy party took off in earnest. The delay in the appearance of the moon, the tension, the drama, the jokes, and the eventual appearance of the moon should serve as a metaphor for the state of affairs in Nigeria. The much expected change promised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) represents the elusive moon. The delay in the realisation of that change is a concern to every Nigerian; irrespective of religion. Nigerians have fasted for too long in anticipation of the change. It was supposed to be a change for a better living standard. What we see now, one year after voting for the change, is a change from the green pastures of the tropics to the inconsumable, yellow pastures of the desert. Hunger is killing the citizens silently. How long do we have to wait for the APCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promised moon to appear? When will the budget be implemented? When will the contractors be paid? When will the change be seen? I keep looking at the word change in the dictionary. The one meaning that comes to mind is: to become something different or to make something into something different. This is July. The difference is yet to be seen. Please, let the moon appear. Let the goodies flow. Nobody is asking for free lunch. Nigerians want change. Let this dry season end. Amen.

oguwikeng@yahoo.com, o.nwachuku@thenicheng.com 0805 306 9019

Eid-el Fitr musings

igerians are indeed very good people when it comes to trivialising serious matters. Many can laugh you to scorn when you complain about a threatening challenge because they have developed the thick skin to tolerate all manner of problems. Nigerians have different buffers or repellants for all sorts of things capable of weighing them down so long as they are in good health and spirits. Those who came up with the hypothesis that Nigerians are the happiest people on earth may not be far from the truth going by our approach, nay nonchalant or unserious approach to intimidating problems. Take for instance the recently public holidays declared by the federal government to mark the end of Ramadan fast by Muslims. The government had earlier declared a two-day (Tuesday, July 5 and Wednesday, July 5 and 6) public holidays to enable Muslins celebrate. But just as Nigerians were getting ready to round off the holiday on Tuesday and return to their businesses, the government said the holiday was now for Wednesday, July 6 and Thursday, July 7, explaining that the popular sighting of the moon that traditionally ends the Ramadan fast could not be ascertained before July 4. The government extended the holiday to July 7 based on a report by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, president general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic

Affairs, which directed that the Ramadan fast be continued on July 5. Trust Nigerians! In their usual suffering and smiling posture, they went about making fun of the extension, particularly the allusion that non-sighting of the symbolic moon was responsible. The jesters were simply legion and you could come across all manner of jokes. Wives who could not serve their husbands lunch or dinner on time blamed it on the nonsighting of the moon, others gave the same reason for their delayed pregnancy delivery. That was how we reduced to the sublime a very serious matter like the unplanned and ill-thought extension of the Eid-el-Fitr holiday with all the consequences on the economy and the polity. For those who trivialised the cost of this decision by the government on our economy, for the three days of staying away from work by a workforce of 40 million Nigerians, the country has lost an estimated N500 billion. For a state like Abia where Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, as a master stroke to pursue his case with Uche Ogah, declared public holidays in honour of the late Ojo Maduekwe for Monday, July 4, the prize the indigenes will pay economically if the three days the federal government gave as public holidays are added can only be imagined. Nobody is opposed to observing public holidays on the days nationally and internationally recognised for such but should that be done in man-

ners that inflict more harm on all of us? A place like the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where civil servants, mainly Muslims, assume that work ends on Thursday (they disappear from offices by 12 noon on Fridays to pray in the mosque) so to say, the government granted them, though unintentionally, a fourday holiday. When they added the Saturday being weekend, they were rolling with five work free days at the detriment of their employers. It causes concern that when we laugh at our problems we turn back to seek who to blame. I was even surprised that most of the private sector chieftains and operators who ought to be more concerned about their bottom line because of the extremely harsh business environment joined in the frivolity of sighting or non-sighting of the moon instead of calling a spade by its name. It is amazing that a Muhammadu Buhari administration which is crying over paucity of funds to deal with mounting economic and social challenges casting a slur on his electoral promises to Nigerians would extend the public holiday. I have never seen a country on a mission to pursue rat when its house is engulfed on fire. That is what this country under the leadership of our dear president simply did with the public holiday extension. The question most people should be asking now is who is actually in charge of the levers of Nigerian power or government â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Buhari, the Sultan or

Internal Affairs Minister, Abdulrahman Dambazau? The Trouble with Nigeria as the late world class writer, Chinua Achebe, observed is a potpourri of different kettles of fish. When leaders make choices that promote their ethnic inclination, religious bias, political leaning, social standing and all sorts of rubbish, it becomes extremely impossible to come clean with populist-oriented policies and decisions that naturally promote common good and spur development. The late military dictator, Sani Abacha, understood the huge losses Nigeria was recording observing public holidays on days outside of when they fall within, like on weekends, and put a stop to it. But when an owambelous Olusegun Obasanjo became president, we returned to business as usual and the policy was reversed with the government declaring public holidays only on work days even when they originally fall on weekends. An Igbo proverb says when a woman marries two husbands she will choose the better of the two. Going by what Nigerians are passing through as regards the economy and what happened during the Abacha days, many would prefer that era to now, even though this is a democracy. That is how bad things are, and how unpopular the economy has become that a leadership which understands the intricacies of modern economic dynamics should see a lack of management of time and space as detrimental to the economic and social upliftment of the

people. In this age and time, it is not the number of days we enjoy as public holidays that will solve our myriad of problems. Rather, what will come to our economic and social aid is the sacrifice we make, which include cutting down on public holidays or outright rejection of them by reallocating that time to productive ventures. No time lost will ever be recovered. No matter how many times we sight the moon, during or after Ramadan fast, it can never put food on the table of anyone. Ditto Christian related public holidays. After all, the Bible says prayer without faith and hard work is useless. The worse thing that can happen to this country at this point in time is for us to bring back the old memories of some Nigerians not prepared to move with time as we saw when the North declined selfrule when the South indicated its readiness in the run up to independence in 1960. What happened with the recent sighting of the moon and changing of the goal post for public holidays between the federal government and the Sultan is a sad reminder of what happened in 1953 when Anthony Enahoro moved the motion for self-government which suffered a setback because his Northern colleagues staged a walk out because they were not ready for independent rule. One of the greatest drawbacks of this country is when some people do things at their own pace and not at the pace that benefits everybody.

Funny World

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Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Ikechukwu Amaechi Executive Editor Oguwike Nwachuku Editor, Politics/Features Emeka Duru Editor-at-Large Sam Akpe

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TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Words &Worlds

Remi Sonaiya

Religion and official public life OW much religion is enough in official public life? That Nigerians are mostly a religious people is undisputable; being a godly people is a different matter entirely. Given that fact, therefore (that is, that most of us are religious), it is normal that there would be some demonstration of it in all aspects of our lives, both private and public. Thus, we begin and end every single gathering with prayer, alternating between a Christian and Muslim version at the beginning and at the end of the meeting. In recent times, however, maybe out of a growing sensitivity to those who do not belong to either of the two main religions, or possibly due to a desire to temper the presence of religion in public life, some organisers of meetings are introducing other forms of prayer; for example, asking participants to pray silently individually. Another growing tendency is to use the second stanza of our National Anthem as the opening prayer. Obviously, there are some concerns among Nigerians regarding religion in our public life – which is a positive development. The just-concluded Ramadan fast has witnessed a big demonstration of religious activity in our official public life, and especially on the part of President Muhammadu Buhari as well as some other highlyplaced Muslims. The President spent several evenings breaking the fast with different groups of

people, both high and low. The evening of Monday, July 4, was a particularly special one, as the President hosted the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), artisans and other “ordinary” Nigerians (not the high and mighty). What was particularly touching about that gathering was that the President personally served his guests, and photographs showing Mr. President dishing out food to a young girl on a wheelchair later graced the front pages of several newspapers and also went viral on the social media. It was a good sight to behold, one that Nigerians are not used to – seeing our leaders actually “stoop down” to serve us in physical, tangible terms. Personally, that was the only iftar event that I found meaningful. The other ones with the high and mighty, the rich and powerful, I take with a pinch of salt. The most worrisome occurrence, it could be argued, were the visits to President Buhari by several individuals on Wednesday, July 6. The evening news on several television stations carried reports of highly-placed Nigerians – politicians, traditional rulers, Christian and Muslim clerics – visiting the President, who appeared like he was holding court and had his subjects come around to pay homage and sing his praises. These people, led by none other than the Vice President himself, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, used the occasion of a religious holiday sig-

nalling the end of the month of Ramadan, to gather to blow the trumpet of a human being and turn our attention away from truly spiritual matters. Yes, that person could well be our President, a mere mortal nonetheless. Two questions come to mind regarding these issues. First, who was paying for all the daily largesse being shown by the President in providing these lavish feasts? Did the money come from his private pocket, or was all this done at the expense of the state? Many of us are only too happy to be among the favoured few who would be chosen to participate at such events, but this is actually not the best use of our resources. And it is not a good model for democratic governance either. We need to get away from the mentality of governance as largesse – distribution of pepper grinders, sewing machines, motorcycles, etc. – activities which simply palliate the poverty of a select minority without fundamentally addressing the underlying systemic nature of that poverty which makes those donations necessary in the first place. The second question concerns the urgent need we have as a country to fully understand what a democratic mode of government means, and to stop according to our leaders unnecessary, god-like attributes – in the sense that their presence has to be allpervasive and that they almost have to be worshipped. And this should best be done in the realm

of religion. Why can’t we just leave our President alone to be a Muslim or Christian privately? Why should the practice of their religion take the front burner in our public affairs? If something they are involved in is their private affair, why should we not leave it as such? Some people would quickly retort that President Barack Obama too shared iftar with some Americans during Ramadan. I hope they would equally think of the obvious differences. For one, President Obama is not known to be a Muslim; thus his gesture was purely symbolic. In particular, at a time Muslims in America had reason to be concerned about their status (what with all the attacks on them coming from the Republican candidate, Donald Trump), it was important for Obama to make a gesture that would reassure them – and that was what he did by inviting some Muslims to the White House for iftar. President Buhari could have contented himself with a symbolic gesture too: rather than make breaking the fast with various groups a daily affair, he could simply have invited that final group of underprivileged Nigerians (IDPs, artisans, etc.), mindful of the difficult economic times that many of his country’s citizens were going through. We must determine how much religion we will allow in our official public life.

Speaker Dogara’s hypocrisy By Tochukwu Ezukanma

e were recently riveted by allegations of sexual misconducts against three Nigerian lawmakers by the United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle. In a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, he accused one of the 10 members of the House that were on an official trip to the U.S. of grabbing a housekeeper in his hotel room and soliciting for sex, and two others of requesting hotel parking attendants to help them look for prostitutes. The accusations generated something of an uproar and an overall condemnation of the actions of the three lawmakers. I was astonished by the uproar that followed the allegations and miffed by the hypocrisy it evinced. Are Nigerians trying to make-believe that the code of conduct among Nigerian public officials is, by any stretch of the imagination, comparable to that of the American public officials? Second, by the standards of the Nigerian National Assembly, notorious for its greed and corruption, what is outrageous about the alleged sexual peccadilloes of the three legislators? On checking into a hotel in Nigeria, it is not uncommon for a courteous porter to help you with your luggage into your hotel room, and solicitously, turn on the TV and AC, ostensi-

bly, “to make sure that everything is working fine”, but, more importantly, to justify the tip he is expecting from you. Sometimes, before stepping out of your room, he informs you that if you need a lady for the evening, he will gladly make one available for you. Generally, female employees of hotels are forbidden from consorting with hotel patrons. However, with an understanding with the night shift manager, a female employee of the hotel can readily sneak into a male patron’s hotel room, and for a consideration, be his romantic guest for the night. By Nigerian moral and ethical standards, these are normal and acceptable ways of doing things. What many Nigerians fail to realise is that by the standards of many countries of the world, our moral and ethical standards are abysmally low. And, as such, some of the things we find acceptable in this country are inconceivable outrages in some other countries. In a country where public officials brazenly plunder the public treasury, lecturers/professors audaciously demand sexual favours from their female students, and pastors remorselessly sleep with their ‘daughters-inChrist’ (including married ones), what can be wrong with an ‘honourable’ member of the House demanding sex from a housekeeper or wanting to procure prostitutes through parking lot attendants? Due to the poverty in the land and the Nigerian tendency to worship the rich and the powerful, many housekeepers in Nigerian hotels, for implied or expressed pecuniary incentives, will have no qualms (and may feel

privileged) in pandering to the libidinal zest of a member of the House of Representatives. And hotel parking attendants will cheerfully and dutifully procure prostitutes for him. By Nigerian standards, these men did nothing wrong. Their only offence is that they failed to realise that the code of conduct, especially, for public officials, is much higher in the U.S. than in Nigeria. And, as such, the American society will not tolerate their accustomed crude and vulgar modus operandi in extramarital sexual gambols. The Americans have frowned at their undesirable behaviours and taken punitive measures against them. And that should be enough. To avoid such embarrassing situations in future, members of the House, before going on official foreign trips, should be made aware of the susceptibilities of their wouldbe host countries. They should be advised to endeavour to restrain their sexual instincts, or otherwise, travel with their wives or girlfriends. For Yakubu Dogara and the other members of the House to feign outrage at the alleged behaviours of the three legislators is hypocrisy. After all, there is no evidence that the generality of Nigerian legislators usually exhibit more discipline and self-control than the accused lawmakers in tending to their own libido. Dogara has directed the House Committees on Ethics and Foreign Affairs to investigate the matter. This is a colossal waste of time and resources aimed at impressing the American government. There are many pressing and dire issues

that should rivet the focus of the House of Representatives. It should direct its energies and resources to important matters with direct relevance to the improvement of the quality of life in Nigeria. It should work against hunger, poverty and desperation that are plaguing the majority of Nigerians. It should direct its actions against the chaos, lawlessness and social injustice that threaten to undo the Nigerian society. The House Committee on Ethics should investigate the insatiable greed and entrenched corruption among Nigerian legislators that has tarnished the image and undermined the credibility of the National Assembly. There are too many other aberrations of the Nigerian society it needs to investigate; for example, why are legislators in Nigeria, a country with the social indexes of the poorest countries of the world, the highest paid legislators in the world; and why are the Nigerian police excessively brutal and infamous for extra-judicial killings? Dogara’s House of Representatives, in its lassitude, avarice and corruption, is grossly failing in its duties to the Nigerian people. Therefore, it should focus on living up to its constitutional responsibilities to the Nigerian people, and leave the three accused lawmakers alone. They operated by the standards we find satisfactory in Nigeria that happened to be unacceptable in America. Harrying them for what is normal conduct in Nigeria is hypocrisy and kowtowing shamelessly to the American government. • Ezukanma wrote in from Lagos.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

www.thenicheng.com

Buhari’s concept of national unity

Email: nwaukpala@ yahoo.com Tel: 0805 410 3327

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with Emeka Alex Duru

rdinarily, President Muhammadu Buhari’s admonition on the indissolubility and non-negotiability of the country’s unity should be the battle cry for every citizen in the face of challenges currently confronting the nation. Nigeria, no doubt, is passing through a great deal of upheavals. Were we to be in an airplane, it would be apt to say that the country was passing through turbulence. Aside the harsh economic climate that is hardly abating, the menace of corruption still looms large. Though the President’s anticorruption crusade appears to be registering some successes, at least, going by claims by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the revelations on the efforts indicate that much still needs to be done to get the country out of the wood. As if that is not enough, there is the angle of insecurity arising from Boko Haram insurgents and other common criminals holding the country to ransom. This is in addition to the challenge of collapsed infrastructure requiring urgent attention in virtually all parts of the country. In situations as these, leaders understandably find themselves in a fix. But they do not give up. Rather, they adopt cocktail of strategies to keep their fellow countrymen going. One of such efforts is moral suasion. It was on this ground that the late American President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, urged the Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. Generations of Americans after Kennedy still hold on to this philosophy. It is also on this basis that an average Israeli or German would see it as an honour to die for the ser-

vice of his fatherland. If Buhari had spoken along this encouraging line, given the huge stress Nigeria under him has been weathering, he would have achieved very high points. To be fair to the President, he had made this resort to emotions in his first coming as Military Head of State. Then, as a young man, Buhari had reminded Nigerians that they had no other country except Nigeria and should join hands to salvage it. More than the guns and the bayonets, that simple invitation to the people turned out what he needed most in rallying support, especially from the youths and the downtrodden, in the 20 months that the regime lasted. But this time around, when age and experience are expected to have sobered him, the President is curiously choosing to spit fire. When, for instance, he spoke to his Sallah guests last Wednesday that the nation’s unity is not negotiable, the President was actually issuing a veiled warning without overtly appearing so. Targets of his declarations were Niger Delta activists, suspected to be vandalising oil pipelines in the region, and members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). IPOB/MASSOB agitators are seeking independence for a state of Biafra from the Nigerian federation, while Niger Delta activists, apart from demanding restructuring of Nigeria, are also asking for greater say in the management of the oil resources in their region. Buhari has not hidden his disdain for these groups and their agenda. When therefore he asked that the boys be told that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be accomplished, he was actually drawing the battle line.

He even went further to draw an unsettling analogy with the situation in the 1967 to 1970 Civil War when the mantra on the Federal side was “Go On With One Nigeria (GOWON)” – a euphemism to frustrate the Biafra self-determination agenda, at all costs. Two things readily come to mind any time this slogan resonates. The Nigerian Head of State then was General Yakubu Gowon. By an odious coincidence, the acronym tallies with the spelling of his surname. That also was the vicious battle cry the federal forces employed in visiting the armless Biafrans with attacks that could pass for the most atrocious military campaigns in modern history. For the President therefore to reference this slogan, in whatever manner and for whatever reasons in calling his fellow citizens to order shows the direction of his mindset in dealing with some sections of the country. Perhaps, Buhari needs to be reminded that times and templates of leadership have changed between 1967 and 1970 he was referring to, as well as between 1984 and 1985 that he called the shots as military ruler. The world, as he saw it then, is no longer what it is. In contemporary international relations, there are no longer iron-cast boundaries. Unity at national and supra-national levels is no more a matter of force. It is rather consensual. In the entertainment world, the maxim is that if the Titanic could sink, any other ship can go under. In that case, anything is possible. And there are instances. Until the early 1990s, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) was almost a behemoth in the then Eastern bloc. Faced with enormous threats from the rival Western bloc led by America, the Soviet Union relied much on its huge population and military strength to assert its authority in international

politics. But with the adoption of the principles of glasnost and perestroika, by the leadership of the Union, it became obvious that the constituting Republics needed to go their separate ways. They have not been faring badly, ever since. It was in similar tone of exercise of freedom that saw the former Czechoslovakia splitting into Czechs and Slovaks. United Kingdom (UK) also allowed the people’s will to prevail recently when, in a referendum, those in support of Scotland remaining part of the Union had their way. Just last month, Britons who did not favour their country remaining in European Union (EU) had upper hand in a referendum. Britain, which tolerated the exercise, was, incidentally, our colonial master. The outcome in any of the instances above was arrived at through dialogue and not intimidation in whatever form. If Buhari is therefore genuinely interested in the indissolubility of the Nigerian nation as currently constituted, he can do so without any subtle or overt threat. He only needs to exhibit transparent and inclusive leadership as a first step in enhancing the country’s unity. He also has to broaden his outlook and change the trend of his activities in relating with other constituting units of the country outside his Northern region of birth. With these, he can preach to Nigerians the gains of a wholesome entity. Sadly, his actions and appointments so far do not portray him as being interested in Nigeria’s unity. His increasing provincial disposition on issues of national interest rather advertises him, perhaps unintentionally, as even working seriously against the country’s unity. And that is the real danger.

Letter to PMB, my President patazurunwa@yahoo.com 08023033488 (SMS only)

Trademark Lines With

PAT AZURUNWA

s President of Nigeria, you are probably the strongest man on earth. It is left to you to decide to what extent you can wield the enormous powers granted you by the constitution. A Nigerian President can do practically anything and get away with it. It is either he unleashes the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) on the opposition, or he ‘settles’ the National Assembly (NASS) to pass whatever law he so desires. The courts are at his beck and call, in the likely event of the need for legal interpretations. So far, your body language has sometimes been vague, unpredictable, and sometimes equally uninspiring. Although it is difficult to accuse you of settling the NASS for any reason so far, it is, however, very difficult to absolve you of the accusation of finding filthy fingers only in the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). One thing the Yar’Adua/Jonathan government must be remembered for was the respect for the rule of law. It will be to your eternal credit to take a cue and allow the

other arms of government to do their jobs. It is true that in some cases, glaring mistakes are made; but you must insist that the right thing is done all the time. To this end, your body language should be easy to understand, as it is the template that sets the standard level of acceptable behaviour in public life and, to an extent, private life. Going through the list of your blood relations that you have appointed to several high-profile positions, I am beginning to suspect that you may not have the energy to control their excesses. It is certain that your verbal communication with them will be in Fulani language and not the official English language. It is possible that when they meet you every Monday morning, it will take about one hour to learn from all of them about their wives, husbands, fathers and mothers – all related to you – before you settle down for work. This is not a good work ethic, more so at this uncertain period in the history of our once-beloved country. As the father of the nation, you are to be concerned about just everything that happens in any part of the country. You are expected to talk – by yourself or through your appointed channels – either in support or in condemnation of such happenings. The needless chaos in Osun State occasioned by the indiscretion of Governor Rauf Aregbesola with respect to his hijab project ought to have got you talking. Religion clearly is a more fundamental component of our being than politics. As the opium of the masses, religion is life. The conflagration in Osun is quite unfortunate. Some say it is a design by the governor to distract attention from his in-

ability to pay the workers and other myriad economic, political, social and intellectual shortcomings. I believe that the situation in the state portends greater danger that what is happening in Ekiti State. Are you silent on Osun in tacit support for your Muslim brother? Are you fighting Ayo Fayose because he is on the other side of the religious divide? I am not saying that Fayose should not be made to give account of his stewardship or of the sources of the Zenith Bank funds, but your silence on Osun does not offer you any positive remark. Our nation is still in darkness, and the hope of a better tomorrow is not near. I know that in Aso Rock you will have gigantic generating sets and your aides will work hard to ensure that power is constant. Instead of giving Fashola the daunting task of explaining to Nigerians why they cannot have electric power and making him lose his hard-earned goodwill, why can you not put a ban on the importation of generators? It has been said over and over that generator importers compromise the power generation, transmission and distribution workers. Some people who patronise you are insinuating that if you knew the level of rot in the system, maybe you would not have thrown your hat into the ring to contest for the presidency. I doubt if you did not know, because all that you are seeing now, you told us during your electioneering. The only practical master-stroke I can give you credit for was the way you defused the effectiveness of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)-organised strike in the aftermath of the fuel price hike. You went into discussions with the two parallel factions – the Wabba and the Ajaero factions – at your convenience and comfort, knowing that the two factions cannot

agree on any matter. When that strategy had succeeded in foiling the strike, you sent the Jagaban to negotiate with the official faction – the Wabba faction – to announce a ceasefire. Victory for you, but gnashing of teeth for Nigerians! Since you have been confused by your aides not to mention the thieves of our common wealth, will they also advise you not to tell Nigerians how you intend to spend the recovered loot? Nigerians want to know which hospital or road has been, or is to be, constructed with the recovered loot. We do not want a re-looting of the recovered loot, and the only way to convince us otherwise is to inform us of the total sum recovered till date and the specific projects such moneys will be devoted to. Remember, the integrity of your list of recoveries is still not guaranteed. I appreciate your joy at seeing the PDP swim in crisis. Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff has been called a mole in the PDP, working for you and your party, the APC. Nothing is wrong with that. It is all politics. If he is your in-law as claimed, then it only strengthens the saying that blood is thicker than water. But everything is wrong with the way and manner your appointees –Abubakar Malami (AGF) and Babachir Lawal (SGF) – quickly cleared the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai, of any wrong-doing in his very suspicious and questionable purchase of prime properties in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Your silence on this matter adds to the charge of nepotism against you. If things continue this way for another one year, you may not bother contemplating a second term, except you will be delivering on the script allegedly being perfected to the effect that your North will not hand power over to the South peacefully. I will write you again in early course. Bye for now.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

www.thenicheng.com

FREE SPEECH By Bilkis Bakare-Ogunnubi

igeria, the most populous Black country in the world and the second largest economy in Africa with a population of over 150 million, is endowed with diverse and infinite human and material resources. But years of mismanagement, negligence and inconsistent policies have hindered the country’s economic growth. Although unemployment is now a global phenomenon, due to the aforementioned reasons, available resources in the country have been under-utilised to yield maximum economic benefits. This has complicated unemployment and poverty situations in the country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s unemployment rate was recorded at 12.1 per cent in first quarter of 2016, up from 10.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2015, reaching the highest since December of 2009. Realistically, 65 per cent of Nigeria’s population is made up of youths, and this segment of the population is generally unemployed. While secondary school-leavers are predominantly affected in the rural areas, making up about half of the unemployment rate, universities and polytechnics graduates make up the overall figure. What seems to be more worrisome is the fact that the nation’s universities and polytechnics continue to churn out more than 150,000 graduates annually, and job creation has been inadequate to keep pace with the expanding working age population. Recently, the Nigerian Police put up an advertisement to recruit 10,000, but over one million Nigerians applied. The age-long craze for white collar job

On Lagos’ renewed entrepreneurial drive

is still a fad among the youths. Rural-urban migration in search of the golden fleece has also continued unabated. Urban centres are now over-populated by youths in search of ‘well-paid’ jobs. This has led to an increase in socio-economic challenges in metropolitan areas in cities like Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt. Similarly, poorly-skilled individuals are replete in all sectors of the economy. To address this, acquisition of vocational skills has been identified as tools for moulding employable individuals, as unemployed individuals need more skills than they already have to find new jobs. Various governments, both at the federal and state levels, had attempted to tackle unemployment, but all efforts at creating jobs for the growing number of the unemployed have yielded little or no result. This is because government alone cannot shoulder this problem. With a population of over 20 million, Lagos State is burdened with the provision of essential infrastructural facilities and employment for the ever growing army of the unemployed. Although unemployment is a national challenge, the metropolitan nature of the state complicates its situation. To proffer solutions to the lingering unemployment crisis, the present administration in Lagos State under Akinwunmi Ambode cemented its desire for an entrepreneurial spirit in the citizens of the state by establishing the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment. Established on June 17, 2015, the ministry is vested with the responsibility of promoting and sustaining entrepreneurship and employment through the effective use of wealth creation strategies and resources by collaborating with all stakeholders. Its activities are geared towards creating employment through the creation of enabling environment for the expansion of small and medium-scale

enterprises (SMEs) in the state. In fulfilment of one of his campaign promises and in seeking to redefine solutions to generic challenges of unemployment and wealth creation, Governor Ambode, on January 5, 2016, signed the state’s Employment Trust Fund into law and also set up a N25 billion Employment Trust Fund. The employment fund initiative, applauded by all, is set up to bridge the deficit skill and policy gaps, as well as tackle inadequate financing. The fund is disbursed to residents with innovative ideas that can translate into viable businesses which will promote self-employment as well as the creation of employers of labour. And for the next four years, the government will commit N6.25 billion annually to loan given out with moderate interest rate of three per cent per annum. It provides financial support to residents for job and wealth creation and gives equal opportunities to all citizens, as part of his all-inclusive governance strategy in the state. Similarly, it is a fact that Nigerian youths, particularly university and polytechnic graduates, usually lust after white collar jobs, but the prevalent unemployment situation in the country has redirected their focus towards embracing self-employment. Hence, to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of young Lagosians, the ‘Ready Set Work’ project was put in place. The aforementioned is an entrepreneurship and employability initiative aimed at equipping final year students in the stateowned tertiary institutions, namely: Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) and Lagos State College of Health Technology with critical skills to either become employable or become employers of labour. The capacity build-

ing programme, an initiative of the state’s Ministry of Education, is expected to run for 13 weeks (Saturdays) during the second semester in each of the participating institutions, and will be divided into three distinct components: employability, entrepreneurship and general module. The interventions are laudable, particularly the skill acquisition part; but for effectiveness, entrepreneurial finance training should be organised, where corporate organisations and financial institutions would be invited to enlighten the youths on ways of financing their projects. Bank of Industries (BOI) is doing a lot in this direction. Other financial institutions should also launch products that would tackle the challenge of financing entrepreneurs. Recently, Ambode, while hosting officials from Mobil Oil Producing Company, appealed to corporate organisations in the country to deploy their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards empowering youths in the state by investing in the Youth Internship Scheme. Thus, graduates of various institutions should be encouraged to acquire vocational skills that can prepare them for self-employment and financial independence because, with paid employment, one earns a living; but with self-employment, one’s earning is unlimited. Individuals concerned, the private sector and government at all levels must put in more effort towards creating jobs for the people. More states need to take a cue from Lagos by harnessing the entrepreneurial potentials of their citizens. This is what our nation requires most at this point in time. God bless Nigeria. • Bakare-Ogunnubi is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Ikeja.

supply chain and, of course, the environment. Nigeria’s production of fossil fuels (like oil) and our over-dependence on its derived products (like diesel, kerosene or petrol) are not helping. The quantum of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reportedly reached record level in 2015. Mankind is producing more carbon dioxide than the earth can naturally process. Most of us would list better roads and constant power supply as absolute necessities for Nigeria’s economic growth. However, our quest for development must be conducted sustainably. For example, while it is splendid that there are plans to build a multi-lane superhighway in Cross River State, it should only be done after taking time to properly assess the long term, environmental impact of cutting through a national park, felling countless trees and irreparably altering certain ecosystems. When viewed through a climate change prism, such a trade-off may prove to be ultimately retrogressive and costly in ways that may only become apparent 30 years later. Having constant power supply is a boon to commercial competitiveness. The country’s current power generating capacity is said to have fallen below 2,500 megawatts (MW). There is a possibility that capacity for an additional 2,000MW will be restored by the end of 2016. The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing forecasts that our peak power demand in Nigeria is around 12,800MW and hopes to generate up to 40,000MW by 2020. However, there are those who believe that the goal is too modest because our needs could in actual fact be as high as 1,000MW per one million people. So, how do we balance this vital requirement for electricity with the pressing need to halt drastic climate change? Right now, the power shortfall is made up principally by gasturbined private power projects or the individual use of generators fuelled by diesel or petrol. Perhaps, it is time for us to be earnest about catching up with the rest of the world and shifting away from relying mainly on fossil fuel to generate our power. It is instructive that the construction of a 10MW wind farm in Katsina State has not been completed 10 years after inception. Meanwhile, the Gansu Wind Farm in China started in 2009 and seven years later it can generate more than 7,900MW. Their goal is to generate at least

20,000MW from this wind farm alone by the year 2020. We seriously need to up our game. Thankfully, there are indigenous social utility companies in Nigeria, which have figured out how to provide 24-hour electricity to rural communities at an affordable rate using solar energy. Incentives should be provided, so that more entrepreneurs will be motivated to develop alternative energy solutions. Institutional investors with excess liquidity should consider ploughing their money into renewable energy projects (instead of building yet another block of unoccupied luxury apartments). Individuals with extra funds earning a pittance in savings accounts can also figure out how to invest in viable enterprises dedicated to providing clean energy. These are ways that we can replicate, for example, the community-owned wind farm system practised in the German region of North Frisia. The wind farms in North Frisia have the capacity to generate approximately 700MW, which is more electricity than the residents can use. Imagine that! Constant power supply without the noise or atmospheric pollution of generators. The sooner we switch to using renewable energy like solar, wind or water, the better our chance of reducing the damaging effect of environmental anomalies within our borders. Though the chances of Nigeria becoming a zero-carbon economy are minuscule, those who insist that we can pursue development at a pace and in a manner that is “in harmony with nature” are not necessarily tree-hugging lefties and should not be ignored. A healthy planet would undoubtedly be one of the greatest legacies that we can leave for the next generation. At a personal level, we can do what little we can to slow down or even reverse global warming. We can reduce, reuse and recycle, if at all possible. Turning off lights and air conditioning when no one is in the room reduces emissions. Even just raising an air-conditioning system’s thermostat by two degrees in warmer climes (or two degrees lower in colder climes) creates less carbon dioxide. Using LED or CFL bulbs also helps. Opting for cars run by renewable energy or carpooling, or biking to your destination if you are able to, can make a difference. Planting trees or finding ways to incorporate existing trees into your building design is beneficial too because trees absorb carbon

dioxide. This reminds me of a U.S.-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) known as the Centre for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment (CREATE!). CREATE! provides training to interested groups in rural communities on how to start and maintain year-round, sustainable vegetable gardens and tree nurseries without the use of any fossil fuel. The trees double as living fences and reverse the trend of deforestation. The foliage provides shade, and the produce provides nutrition, as well as a source of income. One wonders if Gore sees 2015 as the year the world got serious about tackling the apocalypse of climate change. That year saw the signing of the Paris Agreement and a shift in investment priorities away from fossil energy, in favour of renewable energy. The Agreement has so far been signed by at least 175 countries. It commits the participants to reducing emissions or halting emissions growth. Signatories have also pledged to take actions to keep the temperature from rising 2C above “preindustrial levels”. They are actually aiming to cap it at 1.5C which seems like a lost battle already considering that in 2015 the global temperature reached as high as 1.11C hotter than the selected benchmark. Climate scientists believe that if global temperatures rise above 3.5C, small island developing states such as Sao Tome and Principe or Cape Verde will almost certainly be sunk under rising tidal waves. The sweltering heat wave of the last few months, the south-ward creeping desert and the drying up of Lake Chad are harbingers of climate change in Nigeria. The last two are in turn compounding the problem of urban migration, which, as we have seen, has engendered conflicts between hosts and settlers. It behoves us to make adaptive correction, and it will be interesting to know if Nigeria will reconsider its decision not to be a signatory to the Paris Agreement. Even if we don’t sign, hopefully, we have our own plans to cause our emissions to reduce rapidly, so that we are not negligent contributors to an avoidable calamity that could render parts of the world unfit for any life form to dwell.

Stemming harbingers of climate change By Olubunmi Aboderin

ormer Vice President of the United States (U.S.), Al Gore, must be oscillating between glee and gloom. Glee that his prognostications about climate change have largely been vindicated, and gloom that his prognostications about climate change have largely been vindicated. When his book and documentary entitled, An Inconvenient Truth, came out in 2006, he was viewed as everything from a well-meaning but false alarmist to a destabilising quack propagating a conspiracy theory. He was one of the first public figures with international face-recognition to sound the warning on the impending doom we’ve come to know as global warming. Few believed him at the onset, but now 10 years later, history has proved him to be, most unfortunately, more right than wrong. Both 2014 and 2015 were declared the hottest years on record. This year may well be hotter still, judging by the unusually high temperatures we’ve been experiencing particularly from February. In Nigeria, the undue temperatures and changes in weather patterns are causing year-by-year shrinkage of fertile acreage in the North. This warmer-weather phenomenon and its attendant consequences are being felt in other parts of the world too. In December 2015, the former second largest lake in Bolivia, Lake Poopo, irreversibly evaporated. In April this year, thousands of tonnes of dead sardines washed up on the banks of the Queule River in Chile. In May, a wildfire started near Fort McMurray in Canada and spread across more than 505,000 hectares, forcing the mandatory evacuation of an entire town. According to NASA, the global temperature in April 2016 was the warmest ever recorded in any April since 1880. This across-borders rise in temperature is caused by both natural and man-made factors. El Nino, the periodic movement of large chunks of warm water across the Pacific Ocean, is the primary natural cause of climate change. Greenhouse gases (GHG), such as fossil fuel-induced carbon dioxide, are the predominant manmade instigants of global warming. Climate change has an impact on the availability of water, the food

• Ms. Aboderin, an economist, is a member of the Institute of Directors.

TheNiche

July 10, 2016

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Uche Ogah: Raisi temperature of

With INEC’s Certificate of Return in his kitty, oil magnate, Uche Ogah, is already altering the tempo of governorship in ‘God’s Own State’. Senior Copy Editor, INNOCENT ANORUO, profiles this new kid on the block of Abia politics.

e was known in Abia State not as a career politician, but a businessman who, by philanthropy, has touched several lives in the state and beyond through his Uche Ogah Foundation. But his attempt at touching lives on a higher scale using public resources saw him altering the political paradigm in the state. The sphygmomanometer used on the state’s politics was put to task. He emerged the favourite, only second to the favourite of the powers-that-be. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is his name. Governor-in-waiting? As at Friday, July 8, Abia, known as ‘God’s Own State’ in Nigeria, continued in crisis as well as jubilation. The section of Abians in jubilant mood, no doubt, are those in support of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, whose election was affirmed by the Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State. Justice Ambrose Allagoa had ruled on Friday, July 8, that the plaintiff, Friday Nwosu, was unable to prove that the tax documents which Ikpeazu filed while gunning for election were forged. Hence the court held that the tax documents were not forged. The case was therefore dismissed. But on the camp of Uche Ogah, who placed second behind Ikpeazu at the last Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries in the state, there was still optimism that the oil magnate would still claim his mandate as the bona fide governor of Abia. Giving fillip to the optimism in Ogah’s camp is that their principal is still clutching the Certificate of Return given to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). After the PDP governorship primaries, Ogah felt cheated. For him, Ikpeazu could not have been the governorship candidate of his party. Probably not wanting to ‘fight’ with the powers-that-be then, he decided to exploit one of his jokers. He approached the court to open what may be described as the Pandora’s box reportedly with links to Ikpeazu. The documents he tendered to the courts claimed that his rival evaded tax at some point but paid up when he was about to contest election as governor. Consequently, Justice Okon Abang on Monday, June 27, declared Ikpeazu unfit to occupy the Abia governor’s office for allegedly submitting false information to the PDP, ahead of the party’s governorship primary in December 2014. He was ordered to vacate office as governor while INEC was ordered to immediately issue a Certificate of Return to Ogah, who polled the second highest number of votes in the primary. They’ve got Ogah’s back Before Friday’s Owerri ruling, traditional leaders in Abia had hailed the sack of Ikpeazu. They want Ogah to be sworn in as governor. Leader of the group and traditional Prime Minister of Ibeku Kingdom, Uche Akwukwaegbu, in a communique read at the end of the traditional rulers’ meeting in Umuahia reportedly backed Ogah as governor of the state. The forum “frowns at the negative reactions of some reactionary forces who see the Abuja High Court and INEC decision as hasty, as people who are used to disobeying court orders, which President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is fighting hard to change. “This forum views the attitude and reaction of the Adolphus Wabara-led Abia Concerned Elders as that of people who are yet to cue into the President Buhari change mantra. “The public is advised to disregard the informa-

tion contained in the communique as sponsored by those who have contributed in no small measure to the collapse and stunted growth of our dear Abia State. “This forum would not have responded to the communique, as published in the media by the so-called Concerned Elders, if not for the falsehood, distortion of facts and misleading effects on the people as contained in their socalled communique. “As the true representatives of the people of Abia State, we condemn … the purported meeting in Abuja by some people from Abia State in the name of Concerned Elders of the state as their resolutions do not reflect in any way the reality on the ground.” The group added that the people of Abia want Ogah to be governor and urged the “Adolphus Wabara-led Abia Concerned Elders” to convince Ikpeazu to quit his fight to remain governor of the state. “The true position of things in Abia is that all Abians – male and female, young and old, irrespective of clan, religion and political group – are yearning for Dr. Uche Ogah, hence the hilarious and wild celebration that was witnessed on all streets and villages in the state. “All interest groups, professional bodies, youths and women’s groups and community leaders passionately desire a turnaround in the state, and everyone is happy that a court of law has finally restored the mandate of the people’s choice, Dr. Ogah. “We, therefore, emphatically declare our unwavering support for the court ruling, demanding the swearing-in of Dr. Ogah immediately, as the Abuja Federal High Court ordered.” To resolve the political impasse in Abia, a Lagos lawyer, Onyekachi Ubani, has called on the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, to set in motion the swearing-in of Ogah as governor. Ubani, a former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, told newsmen on Wednesday, July 7, in Lagos: “The order of the court was that INEC should immediately issue a certificate of return to Ogah and that he should be sworn in by the Chief Judge of Abia State. “So, the order of the court must be obeyed until it is upheld or reversed by a superior court. Such an order cannot be arrested by a court of coordinate jurisdiction.” “The law today is that Ogah has been issued with the Certificate of Return. I am, therefore, calling on the AGF and the IG to ensure that Ogah is sworn in, since there is no stay of execution from a superior court or any other order contrary to that effect.” Roadblocks With Justice Abang’s ruling of June 27, Ogah should be in Abia Govern-

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ing the Abia politics ment House today, but for road blocks. The euphoria of the ruling coincided with the death of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ojo Maduekwe on June 29. According to Ikpeazu, to honour Maduekwe, public holiday was declared in Abia. However, many believe that the holiday was unnecessary, moreso when there was no tangible thing Maduekwe did for his people. They said it was Ikpeazu’s tactic to buy time, and prevent Ogah from assuming power as governor. On June 30, Ikpeazu had set out for Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, for a function in which he was billed to deliver the keynote address. He was yet to get to the venue of the function when news filtered in that INEC had issued Certificate of Return to Ogah. He had to rush to Government House, Umuahia. Also, Ogah’s traducers claim that there is a grand plan, “now in its well advanced stage”, to swear in Ogah, who will then subsequently defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is holding sway at the centre, on the excuse of the factionalisation within the PDP between Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Markafi. On the other hand, Ukwa Ngwa youths, who unequivocally affirm the popular Abia Charter of Equity and PDP zoning formula which provides that the governorship seat shall rotate among the three senatorial districts of Abia South, Abia Central and Abia North, said Ogah’s Abia North had had its turn in the governance of the state. TheNiche gathered from Ogah’s camp that no roadblock can discourage their principal. Even the July 8 Owerri High Court ruling, they said, cannot stand because it did not come from a superior court to the one that ordered that Ogah be sworn in as governor. Man of the people Sampson Ogah is born on December 22, 1969 to Wilson and Pauline Ogah of Onuaku Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State. The oil magnate, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist attended Ishiagu High School, after which he worked at West African Examination Council (WAEC) from 1986 to 1989, before he proceeded to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu State where he obtained Upper Credit at Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in 1992 and Distinction at the Higher National Diploma (HND) Level in 1995 in Accounting. He also attended University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in 2005. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree (Banking and Finance) from Ogun State University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Lagos. Ogah obtained his ACA in 2007. He is a Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); Fellow, Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria; Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Shipping; Fellow, Employment & Career; Member, Chartered Institute of Bankers; and Member, Governing Council of the Nigeria-Turkey Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Philanthropy In December, 2001, Ogah established Uche Ogah Foundation which aims to provide empowerment, poverty alleviation, and education for the less-privileged. He has sponsored free medical services in different parts of Nigeria, in addition to building and equipping a number of modern hospitals in his native community, Uturu, and other communities in Nigeria. He also partnered with a number of medical centres, including the Hopeville Rehabilitation Centre, to fabricate artificial limbs and calipers for people with a disability.

July 10, 2016

Ogah has offered scholarships to both primary and secondary students across Nigeria since 2006. He instituted a chair at the Abia State University (ABSU) and is building a 5,000-capacity auditorium in the same university. For his philanthropy, President Goodluck Jonathan honoured him with Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in 2014. Business concerns Ogah worked with Zenith Bank before he founded Masters Energy Group. He is currently the president of group – a conglomerate with workforce of about 42,000 with interests in oil and gas, banking, insurance, aviation, shipping, dredging, logistics, construction, travel services, and power. Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited has grown into a conglomerate with investments worth tens of billions of naira. At a time that investors were exiting the Niger Delta because of its security challenges, Masters Energy City invested billions of naira in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A single investment, a 158,000-tonne petroleum products storage facility provided direct employment to over 600 citizens of the Niger Delta region, and over 4,000 ancillary positions. Masters Energy City contains a fabrication yard, which fabricates and constructs equipment for use in the oil and gas industry and other sectors. The fabrication yard has constructed two different 1,000 metric tonnes capacity barges and is presently constructing additional three barges. Masters Energy sells petroleum products at over 60 retail outlets in Nigeria at government’s approved pump price. Its depot in Port Harcourt also sells products at government’s approved depot price. In December 2011, then governor of Abia, Theodore Orji, laid the foundation stone of Masters Energy Industrial City in Isuikwuato. This industrial complex is expected to grow the economy of Abia by attracting investment from across Africa. . Other awards and recognitions His other awards and honours include: Honorary Doctorate degree in Business Administration by Abia State University. Ambassador, Governing Council of the NigeriaTurkey Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 2013 Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Entrepreneur. Oke Oji Abia by Abia State Government. Pride of Abia by Hallmark Newspaper. Ambassador of Peace, UN-POLAC Effective Leadership Award by Global Youths Awareness & Development. Initiative (GYADI). Ikenga Award for Excellence on Entrepreneurship by Ikenga. Award for Excellence Foundation Entrepreneurship Promoter of the Year by Entrepreneurship Promotions Academy Africa. Peace Award by Global Achievers Media. Anya Na Eche Ibe by Igbo-Speaking Community in Lagos State. Distinguished Award for Excellence for Philanthropic and Developmental Projects by Salvage Africa. Igbo Icon Award by National Association of Igbo Students, LASU Humanitarian Service Award by Rotaract District 9130 Nigeria. Episcopal Award for Faith Motivation by Bishop Isuikwuato/Umunneochi, Anglican Corporate Excellence Award for Accomplishments in Private Sector Development by Institute of Management. & Technology, Enugu, (Aba Chapter). An Icon of Empowerment by National Association of Southern Nigeria Students. Diamond Father of the Year, 2012 by Catholic

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July 10, 2016

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‘I pray to soar in the coming months’

debayo David Adeleke (a.k.a. B Red) has said that his prayer is to soar to greater heights in the coming months. He made the declaration in an interview with TheNiche on the eve of the release of his much anticipated EP. Music from the HKN top act is set to hit airwaves from July 11. “I have been part of this family for three years now and I must say it’s been a sweet experience doing music with some of the most talented artistes Africa has produced. I pray I continue to soar to greater heights in the coming months,” he stated. Born to parents from South West Nigeria, he is one of the leading artistes on the HKN music label that has the likes of international act and award-winning ‘Aye’ crooner, Davido; Sina Rambo and a few budding artistes. B Red revealed that after so much painstaking effort in putting together good music to the listening pleasure of his teeming fans, his EP entitled All The Way Up Red Nation will formally be available to the public as from July 11. He said he believes this will signal the journey of his music career to the next level. He explained that the EP is an eighttrack collection, which also has about five bonus tracks where he features the best the music industry in America and Nigeria can boast of. The tracks, he said, are: ‘Te Slow’, ‘Dele’, ‘As E Dey Go’, ‘Kolo’, ‘Romantic Call’, ‘Worry’ featuring talented budding artiste Pohsidon, ‘Give Them’ and ‘All The Way Up’. And the five bonus tracks are ‘Cucumber’ featuring Akon, ‘Twerk’ featuring Davido, ‘Over Do It’ with Lil Kesh, ‘E Wo Ta Go’ featuring Phyno and Blessings. The EP, he further said, is available on iTunes, Nigerian Music Blogs and other online music outlets and retail shops all over the country. Still on his music, B Red, who is a

B Red 2

Tankolowiska dances with wealth in ‘Bolaji’

fro-pop sensation, Tankolowiska, has dropped a new single titled ‘Bolaji’. Produced by Gospel On De Beatz, the party jam is his third single since his debut in 2011. Tankolowiska samples rhyming lyrics with sweet melodies that are instantly memorable in this track. “Bolaji translates in Yoruba as ‘Wake with wealth’ and, trust me, everybody wants to wake up with wealth. The song basically passes a message about treating people with respect without knowing their status,” he said. Tankolowiska is a talented artiste from Ibadan, Oyo State. Born Ishola Olayinka, at the University College

Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, in 1985, he spent his primary and secondary school years in Ibadan and attended Lead City University before he moved abroad to study business administration. His foray into music was in 2011 with the hit track ‘Ibadie Nsoro’. Undaunted by the competitive nature of the music industry, Tankolowiska continued to pursue his passion. Prior to his latest single, ‘Bolaji’, Tankolowiska released ‘Titilailai’ and collaborated with Olamide in his hit track, ‘Bass line’. Why others aim for the sky as the limit, Tankolowiska is optimistic that his passion for music will take him beyond the sky.

cousin to Davido, disclosed that he always knew he would take to music. He started participating in his church choir, playing music instruments and amazingly mastered drumming so well that he has become arguably the best in the country’s music scene. Being part of HKN, he said, has been a sweet experience being a member of a music family that is fast becoming a household name within the music industry in Nigeria. Talking about the rise of his music career, the tattoo-loving act said working alongside American superstar, Akon, in ‘Cucumber’ has been the high point of his solo career and will continue to do more to attract more of such collaborations. “I think working with Akon on my song ‘Cucumber’ was cool and is the high point of my career presently and remains the best thing to have happened to my music career. I hope it opens doors to more of such collaborations with more acts from America,” he said. So why is he called B Red? While he was growing up in America, he was called Red because of his fair complexion. In the United States, such fair Blacks are known as such; so he Added B from his name Bayo to the red and arrived at B Red. B Red added that he is here to stay; hence he enjoins his teeming fans to come ride along with him to stardom. He is the second child out of four from the famous Adeleke clan from Osun State from which Davido emanated. Born in Atlanta, U.S.A., he came to Nigeria when he was five. One year after, he started playing the drums a. He started singing and producing when he turned 16. He formed a music group in Atlanta known as KB International, with Davido, Sina Rambo and Jamrock from Jamaica. They held sway for a year, before he moved to Lagos with HKN Music, owned by Davido.

Tankolowiska II

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tainment

July 10, 2016

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with Terh Agbedeh

The C.E.O. holds grand premiere in Lagos today

Favourites

Yeye Asa (Floxy Bee) Song: (Not stated) Music Video: ‘What’s love got to do with it’ by Tina Turner Movie: Love in Siaro Book: Books by Niccolo Machiavelli

Birthday

Rita Dominic Actress Rita Dominic will be 41 on July 12. Born in 1975, her filmography includes a wide range of Nigerian films, which she has featured in over the years. For her effort, she has won the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and City People Award as the Most Outstanding Actress. The product of the Waturuocha royal family in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, is a graduate of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State. She started performing when she was a child, appearing in school plays and children’s television shows in Imo State. In 1998, she starred in her first movie, A Time to Kill.

New Music

‘Melody’ Afolayan (2nd right) with the Sahara team

ahara Group has announced that it will be partnering filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, to train aspiring film entrepreneurs, just as the Lagos premiere of his latest offering holds at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos today. The initiative it tagged ‘Grooming film extrapreneurs with Kunle Afolayan’ took place on June 30.

“This idea aims at encouraging aspiring young minds within the society to get a chance to understudy the award-winning filmmaker for a period of six months. After, they will undoubtedly leave with vast technical and intellectual resources to take them forward towards a promising career,” said the filmmaker’s company’s website. Interested participants can also find details on the website.

Golden Effects Pictures, which is behind multiple award-winning films like The Figurine (Araromire), Phone Swap and October 1, had earlier premiered The CEO aboard a dedicated Air France AF149 flight to Paris on June 1. Thirty-seven thousand feet above sea level, the film was screened for the very first time to enthused guests of distinguished standings from across the globe to a roaring applause and sustained wonder.

The Night Of mini-series to simulcast with the U.S. on M-Net Edge

he eight-part limited crime drama The Night Of (previously titled: Crime), created by the acclaimed writers of The Wire and Schindler’s List, will be simulcast with the U.S., exclusively on M-Net Edge on DStv. Also, following an exclusive agreement with HBO, Episode 1 is already available on catch up for 28 days since June 2. It is also available for handheld devices. The Night Of is a one-hour crime drama series, in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the brutal murder of a young woman becomes the focus of an all-consuming murder investigation, from the initial arrest to the imprisonment of the prime suspect. Golden Globe nominee, John Turturro, stars as an embattled defence attorney

who lucks into the biggest case of his career. His young Pakistani-American client, played by Riz Ahmed, is a likeable, unassuming college student whose life – and family –are thrown into the pit of New York City’s criminal, legal and judicial system, when he becomes the prime suspect in the case. The Night Of stars John Turturro (O Brother Where Art Thou?, the Transformers movies) as Stone, Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) as Naz, Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire) as Freddy, Bill Camp (12 Years a Slave) as Det. Dennis Box, and Jeannie Berlin (The Heartbreak Kid) as Helen Weiss, the prosecutor in the trial. The series is written by Oscar winner, Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) and Oscar nominee, Richard Price (The Wire, The Colour John Turturro of Money).

On the back of signing a publishing deal with Sony/ATV and his last single ‘Car Key’ featuring UK femcee, Ms Banks, getting massive support and acclaim internationally, London-based Nigerian musician, KC Pozzy, returns with an exciting new music video for yet another monster single, ‘Melody’. Taken from his ‘Who Gave You That’ EP, and produced by long-time collaborator, Ayo Beatz, KC Pozzy’s ‘Melody’ follows in the same vein as previous singles ‘Car Key’ and ‘Who Gave You That’, and is quickly becoming a favourite among audiences in Africa and beyond.

Location

‘Pressure Island’ music video Pundits are already saying that Afro-soul singer Diana Bada’s video titled ‘Pressure Island’ featuring Godwon, is the singer’s most ambitious creative project yet. That is easy to believe since it sees her working with a diverse team comprising creatives and their collaborative efforts to make this artistic video. Pulling in the likes of Nigerian-based visual artist, Olatunde Alara; photographer, Chriss Nwobu Aghana; Swiss/Russian director and photographer, Dimitri Procofieff who also co-directed the video, is partly shot in stop motion, and captures the singer’s sentiment of a ‘Pressure Island’ using imagery to interpret the lyrics, both literally and metaphorically.

TheNiche TheNiche

July 10, June 19,2016 2016

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Event

Union Bank partners Engage ?????

Henry Okelue, Chioma Agwuebo and Japheth Omojuwa

Members of the Engage Team

Angel Adelaja, Doris Orji, Andy Madaki and Chioma Chuka

Guests

Entrepreneurs and Professionals at Engage

Guests at Engage

Mr Emeka Okonkwo engaging the guests Guest Engaging

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July 10, 2016

TheNiche July 10, 2016

Close Up

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Nigerian environment not encouraging arts, culture â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Schmachtel Marc-Andre Schmachtel has had an interesting five and half years stay in Nigeria as Goethe-Institutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director. In this interview with Assistant Life Editor, TERH AGBEDEH, he talks about the memories he will be leaving with as he returns on assignment to Germany.

n an earlier interview shortly after you arrived Nigeria, you said you would not touch the fish in the Lagos lagoon. Now on the verge of departure from the country, have you found an alternative? I have found my alternative. You want to share that with us? The fish in the lagoon is, maybe sometimes, a bit tricky to get; so we get something from Falomo where there is a fish market. What memories will you be taking home with you? A lot of memories, actually. This is not easy to answer because it is a bit overwhelming. I mean, this festival (The Lagos Live Festival) is, for me, a way of taking something with me. I am leaving next week; the festival is this weekend (July 24-26). So all the experiences I have had in the last five and half years here are somehow culminating with this festival. I have a lot of partners that we worked with that are present as well at the festival. So, there are a lot of experiences for me, as well as information. But it is really hard to give you the exact names. More so with the quality of interactions we had with artistic partners, the artists, the cultural operators and so on. So, for me, going to a new place is always a difficult step, but I am familiar with the environment. I feel very good here in Lagos. But I have to leave now. So, really, leaving a familiar environment for somewhere else is a difficult step, but what I take with me from this place will help me a lot in settling in a new place.

They say that nobody ever leaves Lagos; will you come back? I think there is some truth in it. I will definitely come back, yes.

person that is coming now will be there for one year.

The Federal Government Press building was something you really wanted to get; did you succeed with that? We wanted to get it for the artists, and we are still working on it. I have had discussions with different partners on it and it is still something that will hopefully be happening in the next two or three years.

Is arts and culture dead in Nigeria, and what can the federal government do to promote arts? The fact that we are having this festival with so many Nigerian artists already proves that arts is not dead. There is no way that the arts or culture can be dead in Nigeria. There is so much activity actually and for me when we speak about what I am taking from Nigeria, it is the richness of artists, of the culture here. Culture is always fluid. There is nothing static in it, as it is always evolving and changing every day. I think what we have here is that Nigerian artists showcase what was impossible 20 or 10 years ago, but it is possible now in 2016. Whether it is a public or private agency, arts institutions should be following this up. The artists are the ones that have the ideas, but the most important thing is that they find the environment where they can produce arts. This is the challenge in Nigeria; to have an environment that allows you to produce the art that you want to produce. But it is not easy. If you look at the National Museum, all the official structures that should promote arts are not always the way they should be. The ability to support artists is not always there. I think this is something both the public and private sides should really pay attention to. When you look at the Diaspora, the artists that are outside Nigeria, the art they

Yours is one of the organisations that do so much for culture in the country. But when you flip through the papers, often your stories are not there. How do you think you can correct that? That is the issue when you have a small team. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a large team; I am head of the institute, head of the programmes department. I have a programme assistant. For two years now, we have a media and technical assistant, but that is it. So, for the programmes department, we are basically working with three persons. In other institutions, there are more people. It is something that we are aware of. It is not the best it could be and we could be more present, but we are trying our best to get the press involved. Do you already know your successor? I know my successor and he will be coming in this Friday. He will be here for an interim one year because the person that was supposed to succeed me could not come this year. But this

produce in London, Paris and Berlin, would it be possible for it to be done here in Lagos? I am not sure, but the environment in Lagos is not so helpful and this is why this festival, for me, is important. We try to promote Nigerian artists in Nigeria but, in fact, it is a Nigerian institution that should be doing this and not the Goethe-Institut. That is why I say that the environment is not that easy here. But the artists are very much alive; they are very much present and have important messages. Is the project of mapping Lagos that you are part still on? There are two projects, one is to have a map of Lagos with every culture institution represented with its activities, liveinlagos.org. It is still there; unfortunately, it is not really working. This was a very nice idea, but the problem was to really find human resource that would allow us to do it in a way that it should be. But now, we have a second project which is a cultural guide on Lagos. This is something that we are still working on with partners here in Lagos and abroad. The first workshop will come up, hopefully, end of this year and the book will come out next year. But it will be a cultural map of Lagos as well. Are you returning to Germany or going on to another station? I am going back to the headquarters in Munich, Germany. I will be working with the film department there.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Relationship Trust and transparency; foundations of marriage

Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbour (Ephesians 2:25a).

Trust is the total belief, confidence and reliability placed on someone or something, a belief that someone will do certain thing(s) or not. Transparency is doing things in an open, honest, and clear way without secrets, whereby motives are not questioned, because those at the receiving end would know exactly what you are doing. In a relationship, trust is essential, it is actually a form of intimacy; you need to trust each another to make the relationship work and stand the test of time.

Trust is when you know that your spouse is dependable, can come through for you, and be there for you. He or she must belief the same about you, too. Trust and transparency put together is the ability for people to have confidence in what you do, or what you intend or propose to do. Trust and transparency are both foundations of marriage. Being honest creates a solid foundation, and this allows you and your spouse to maintain a healthy relationship. For example, when a couple do things based in honesty, it will be hard for any outside force to come into their marriage, because being honest with each another alone shows they are united, and have

regard and respect for each other. Deception erodes trust and leads to a breakdown of the relationship. It is therefore important not to keep secrets. I am not saying share every minute detail of your life with your spouse, because that’s just not realistic, and it’s even impossible. However, there are some things that are just a must to disclose. These include: money, your differences, addictions, family, personality, and so on. In many cases, it is advised to share with your spouse things you know may impact on how you relate with each another. When you notice you are starting to get attracted to someone else, physically or emotionally, it is

paramount you tell your spouse. Apart from your spouse having the right to know, telling even helps break this attraction that may cost you your relationship. You must let your spouse know of any ailment/health condition you may have. It is totally unfair for your spouse to come home and suddenly find you curled up in a dangerous position, screaming in agony and pain, because you kept this ailment from him/her from its outset. In marriage, ‘the two become one’ extends to your finances. Both parties have to work together for the financial well-being of the family. It is important to share money large debts, bankruptcy, and credit issues,

I feel bad that my husband shops for foodstuff Dear Agatha Please help me out of this problem I am experiencing with my husband of eight months. When we were dating it wasn’t so much of a problem to me. But, since we got married, it has become a major issue in our marriage which could lead to its collapse if care is not taken. I am forced to ask for your help because attempts to resolve the issue on my own are putting my marriage under severe pressure, as my husband has stubbornly refused to see things from my perspective. He thinks I am making a mountain out of an ant hill. Agatha, even when I am in the car with him, he insists on buying things himself in the market. He goes to the market himself to get whatever we need at home. Even when I tell him what I need as a woman in my kitchen, he buys what he wants. I have tried to explain to him that he should allow me run that department of our marriage, that it is my duty to go to the market and manage my kitchen, but he refuses. Even when I use my money to buy food items when we run out of certain items, he complains that they are expensive even when the ones he buys are more expensive. Even if I don’t like the quality of the things he buys, I have to use them because I

don’t have a choice to buy what I want. It is all so frustrating as he appears so set in this habit of his. I tried getting his best friend to talk to him, rather than achieve the result I want, he took it as an offence. So, I have learnt to allow him be, but it isn’t good for our marriage at all. I truly am tired of it all, the constant arguments about this. I don’t know if he is stingy or just being himself but I was brought up with the knowledge that men provide their wives with house-keeping money and that it is the responsibility of the woman to go to the market and buy stuff for her kitchen. Much as I love my husband, this is a situation that I know deep within me I cannot cope with. I grew up with a father who didn’t bother himself with my mother’s kitchen. I’m so confused. Please help me before I do something I will forever regret. Alexandra.

Dear Alexandra First and foremost, don’t try to pattern your marriage after that of your parents, or else you will end up getting hurt, disillusioned and extremely bitter at the choices you made in marrying your husband. Even though they are your parents, you are an individual in your own right, hence

subject to your own choices. In addition, your husband is different from your father. Like you, he has his reasons for doing things his own way. His upbringing and yours are clearly different. So trying to cast him in the same mould as your father would further create disaffection between the two of you. Besides, every marriage comes with its set of problems. Ask your parents, they would tell you that they are still struggling with some issues, too, despite the number of years they have lived together. Challenges will always come and go in marriages but it depends on the willingness and ability of the couple to manage such situations effectively. Also the attitude we develop towards a problem, more often than not, influences how we handle the issue, which is another reason you have to rid yourself of all the negative thoughts you are having about your marriage and husband. Like our faces, our challenges are different and their magnitude is how we define them. This is why one partner will overlook the shortcomings of the other, by focusing on the good aspects of the marriage, and another will cave in at the sight of a trouble. As long as you are determined to make this marriage work at all costs, there is nothing much to what is happening in your home.

The simple solution is to develop the right attitude to your husband’s habit. If it makes him happy going to the market, why not relax and save yourself the stress of managing meager housekeeping money? Obviously he enjoys what most men won’t do, even if offered all the money in the world. So, what is your problem? As long as there is food on your table, let him do all the buying. As for those things you want in your kitchen that he isn’t buying; those you can go and get on your own, not only to satisfy your own craving for those things but to give you the feel of the market scene you apparently wish for desperately. As long as you understand each other, there is no reason for you to feel bad. You are fortunate; he is just buying and not measuring the food items out for you. If some women can cope with men who daily instruct them on the measure of food to cook for the family, without collapsing their marriages, then you have no reason not to succeed in yours. To achieve a good marriage requires a lot of tolerance, sacrifice, patience, wisdom and compromises. The question is: How does his going to market affect the quality of your marriage or your relationship with him for that matter? Really, there is no law preventing a man from shopping for his family. It actually saves the woman a lot

Tinu Agbabiaka Certified relationship expert

0817 313 7189 info@pclng.org, botl@pclng.org so they are addressed collectively. Your hidden feelings should be communicated to your spouse, so there is no reason for them to be hidden in the first place. If you are carrying around baggage, resentment, unforgiveness, or anger towards your spouse, it is important you communicate it. The longer hidden feelings linger, the greater the likelihood that those feelings will compound and eventually erode the unity of the marriage. Marriage is based on mutual understanding,

so it is important to share your most sincere feelings. The essence of trust and transparency in a relationship is for your spouse to know what is going on with the real you, without being judged, and you getting the support your spouse can offer. People go into marriage with a hope that it will be loving and happily ever after, which can be achieved only when there are no secrets between you and your spouse. Secrets and their consequences can weigh down a relationship and/or kill it outright!

Auntie Agatha 0805 450 0626 (sms only) gathedo@gmail.com of complaints about housekeeping allowances not being enough, especially when the man expects the woman to become a magician by cooking him meals his money cannot buy. Honestly, if you shift ground and look at the positive side of all this, you won’t have any need to feel so bad anymore. Also, your presentation of the issue maybe one reason your husband appears adamant. If you are demanding it as your right and using the example of your parents as yardstick, you may not go far. In fact, that may further make him very recalcitrant on the matter. So pretend it doesn’t bother you at all by changing your approach. When next he does the shopping, compliment him for his effort by telling him you are fortunate to have him for a husband. Even when you feel he has been cheated in the market, keep your thoughts to yourself and instead focus on the act and not the thoughts you think he has of going to the market himself. If this is the price you have to pay for peace in your home, please do it. The naked truth is, another woman would jump at the opportunity of having her husband go to the market himself to

save herself the headache of haggling endlessly in the market. You and I know that the money for housekeeping is never enough. Most women supplement what they get from their husbands. You don’t have that worry as it is. Unlike most of us who have to find ways to augment, all you have to worry about is simply to cook the meals and report to him when the stock is depleting. Also, a time would come in his life when he would get tired and too embarrassed to be doing the shopping. Until that time, relax and enjoy this privilege while it lasts. Since you didn’t complain that he is denying you of anything, it means he isn’t stingy; just a man who happens to enjoy shopping just like some men enjoy cooking. Focus more on his good points and stop worrying on the one thing you don’t like about him. Frankly, there is nothing to what you are complaining of. It will become something of an issue if you refuse to let it be. Perish this from your thought, to enable you concentrate on knowing the angel inside your husband, so as to reap the goodness God planted in your marriage. Good luck.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

Faith

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Bassey, relishing his own blessings, urges clerics to support Gospel artistes

ospel musician, Nathaniel Bassey, implored the clerics to support existing Gospel artistes and create the environment for the discovery of new ones. Bassey traced his success to his sister, Mercy Fiderikumo, and mentors in the faith. He disclosed how Fiderikumo travailed in prayer for a year on his behalf and how his Pastor, Eskor Mfon, bought him musical instruments and encouraged him to practise daily. Bassey wrote an open letter on his Facebook page advising church leaders not to hinder the growth of Gospel musicians but to be their mentors and helpers. He wrote: “Dear pastors, my dear and wonderful pastors, I celebrate you all. Please support and mentor your musicians …. “By the grace of God, I’m here today because, in addition to other people’s support (especially my elder sister, Mercy Fiderikumo, who prayed with her friends for one full

“By the grace of God, I’m here today because, in addition to other people’s support (especially my elder sister, Mercy Fiderikumo, who prayed with her friends for one full year after God revealed my path to them), and I had a pastor who believed in me. “He was a man sent from God to me. He later went to be with the Lord.” year after God revealed my path to them), and I had a pastor who believed in me. “He believed in me so much he virtually forced me to practise daily. He bought musical instruments and materials for me to do so. Above all, he was a mentor and father, who didn’t just see me as an ‘instrumentalist’, but a minister in the making. “He was a man sent from God to me. He later went to be with the Lord.

Then God compensated me with another father, Pastor Ben Akabueze. His approach is different, nevertheless not less effective. “God has used him to take me and my ministry to the very next level. He has since helped to bring out other gifts I never knew I had. I think one of my greatest blessings is to have men like this in my life. And I never take this for granted. “I do not worship them,

“God has used [my current pastor] to take me and my ministry to the very next level …. He has helped to bring out other gifts I never knew I had. “One of my greatest blessings is to have men like this in my life. And I never take this for granted. “I do not worship them, but I honour them …. There are lots of diamonds, though in the rough. But it takes greatness to identify greatness.”

Bassey but I honour them. Now, there are many other Nathaniel Basseys out there. There are lots of diamonds, though in the

rough. But it takes greatness to identify greatness.” Bassey counselled Gospel artistes to appre-

ciate whomever God has raised and will raise to help them, as despising them can mean despising God.

CAN seeks protection of Christians in the North

Pam

hristian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Northern Chairman, Yakubu Pam, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and Northern governors to end attacks on Christians in the region. Pam said in Jos that it is unacceptable for persons operating in the guise of defending Islam to hack two Christians, Bridget Agabahime and Methodus Emmanuel, to death for allegedly blaspheming Mohammed. Both were killed in

the North. He charged Northern governors to brace up to their responsibilities and provide security for the lives and properties of Christians in their states, reiterating that Nigerians have equal rights to live in any state of the federation. He described the incidents in Kano and Niger States as regrettable and insisted that they should not be tolerated by people of goodwill. Pam said the perpetrators of these evil acts must be fished out with their gangs, prosecuted in court and jailed, to

serve as deterrent to others who may be nursing such ambition. He also cautioned Northern governors not to create grazing reserves for herdsmen without consulting land owners, because doing so would be counterproductive. According to him, this period in the history of Nigeria calls for prayers and understanding among the diverse peoples, in order for peace to reign in all parts of the country. Pam commended the federal government for accepting to

dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to facilitate peace in the region, stressing that through dialogue most of the conflicts in different parts of the country could be resolved. He urged the security agencies to intensify efforts to end the activities of Boko Haram so that the displaced persons from Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa can return to their homes. He asked Northerners to pray for lasting peace so that investors will be assured to invest in the region.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Train your child in the way of God By Utibe Emmanuel Abasi

n the Old Testament we read about wars being fought by God’s servants like Moses, Joshua, David and so on, I used to ask myself “How can a man go to battle and come out without being touched?” but now I know better. Many atimes I go to spiritual war with the agent of Satan and I come out untouched because God is on my side as He was with our father (physical war or spiritual war, they both lead to one thing, i.e “destruction”, if you are over powered you will be destroyed) why am I saying this? God took me to the evil forest I saw some souls in bondage and tried to free them, I was ambushed by those who captured them, God gave me the power to fight and overcome, another group came with machete, God gave me a sword and I fought my way out, as I got to my car. I saw a large group of children wanting to follow me home, I told them my car could only contain seven people, I can’t go home with all of you, they then asked me to pray for them, which I did, and they were all shouting “I am free”. I want you to know that most of the negative things your children do are not ordinary, they are being controlled” by the powers of darkness, they don’t listen to you anymore, they are irresponsible. Some children even disown their parents they don’t take to your advice, some leave their comfortable home and join thugs, sleeping under bridges, some become prostitutes. Some challenge or even beat up their parents, some will not even want to see their parent progressing, they become hindrance to their parent’s blessings, its not their fault, it’s the negative force controlling them, I have had many cases like that, but to the glory of God their parent have great testimonies. How can you help your children? Prov 22:6 says, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Sometimes the devil also use you to destroy your children through your way of training, most parents don’t have any good example to show to their children, some don’t even have time for them, they don’t care to know what their children are do-

ing or the type of friends they keep, they are very busy satisfying their own personal wants, and forget their duty on their children. I know of a family whose father is promiscuous and the mother, when her husband is out, brings different men into their home, the daughter was not even up to 10 years of age when she became a woman, what will you say to such parent. I know there are so many of you that engage yourselves in such activities out there, as you hear my voice today, I want you to have a change of heart and turn to God, I promise you, no matter how worse the situation is, God still loves you, and is waiting for you to come and to be set free, and He will change the situation in your family and give you peace. God says in John 14:27, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, the world can never give you peace, those things you do can only destroy you and bring shame to your family. As I was saying, how can you help your children? By bringing them up in the way of the Lord. Isaiah 54:13 says, And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children. Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. Verse 7 says: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Teach your children about God, don’t allow worldly conversation to take over the good part of your house. Pray with your children always, don’t go to church and leave them behind. This is very common among parents. Take them to Bible study, so that they can learn more about God and know His will, and they shall never depart from it. What they grow up with is what they live with. How you want your children to be is your personal choice, but I should advice you choose the right part, so that you won’t regret at the end of the day. In the midst of all this, I want to introduce a book I wrote titled The True Footprint. This topic came about as a result of a vision I had. In this vision, I entered a church and saw people putting offering at a corner in the church but when I

Abasi

Teach your children about God, don’t allow worldly conversation to take over the good part of your house. Pray with your children always, don’t go to church and leave them behind. This is very common among parents. Take them to Bible study, so that they can learn more about God and know His will, and they shall never depart from it. What they grow up with is what they live with. got closer, I saw they were putting it into a calabash tied with a red cloth and I wondered how someone could do this because that very act means poverty to those putting the offering and prosperity to the person receiving the offering. When I turned to leave, slippery liquid substances had been poured on the floor to prevent me from moving, while standing there still pondering of what to do, felt a hand holding mine, “but I didn’t see anyone”. He led me through the slippery ground, I followed the footprint, stepped on His footprint, only then could I leave that place without stumbling. It could have only been Jesus. He always makes a way, where there’s no way. This book will let you understand the way of God, His power and the truth that has been hidden from you for so long, it will change your life and improve your mind to know more about Heaven.

I want to share a story with you. In a certain city, the king called for a feast, he called all his chief and so many other dignitaries came from all over to attend the feast and o famous musician was called for entertainment. But he arrived late after keeping every-one waiting he came in with his five man band, rolling the instrument in a wheelbarrow, when the king saw how tattered the instruments looked, he was very furious and went into his inner chamber. All the other guests were laughing and mocking the musician, but after he had finished assembling the instrument and started playing, the melody that came from it was very nice that all those who were mocking couldn’t resist and started dancing, when the king heard the melody and merriment going on, he came out from his chamber, and everyone was very happy. That musician was Jesus

Christ, and I am the musical instrument he assembled for you to hear the sweet melody I have made today, at this end-time and turn to Him for salvation. My purpose of writing this book is to build up those who are willing to make heaven. Some people see no benefit of serving God. I started as nothing, but today I am everything because I humbled myself to God to use me as He likes, when I started writing, it was like a joke, but today, I leave a legacy for my children, grand children, great grand children, my entire generation to see and live. This is the greatest benefit anyone can ever ask for, not eating and drinking, when you die, it all goes down with you, but the benefit of those that knows God can never be forgotten. God can also use you if you let Him. Don’t say in your heart “I am a sinner” that is the trick of the devil

to destroy you, (the devil will never want you to repent). I was once a sinner too, but turned to God and today He has made me a spectacle to the world, a light that can never be dimed. My book launching will be coming up today, Sunday July 10, 2016 in the auditorium of The Rock of Salvation Church, in Obawole, Iju-Ishaga, Lagos. You are all invited. Come and you will see the glory of God. After reading this book your life and that of your family shall be transformed and you also shall be walking in the true footprint of Jesus. John 14:6 says, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the father but by me. Jesus is the only true way, there is no other quick route. God bless you all. • Abasi is general overseer of The Rock of Salvation Church 0803 718 7775

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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A man of God (1 Kings 13:1-32)

he Bible tells us in the above text that a prophet of God came out of the presence of God, had the word of God in his mouth, and was led by the word of God and unto the city of God. By this time, Bethel, the city of God, had become a city of idol-worshippers because of Jeroboam. Israel had been divided into two parts: Judah and Israel. Jeroboam took over Israel while Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, took over Judah and the tribe of Benjamin where he came from. Jeroboam had put up two golden calves at Bethel and Dan to prevent the people of God from going to Jerusalem to worship because Jerusalem was in Judah. He had stood by the altar of God to burn incense, and this man of God whose name was not mentioned cried against that altar according to the word of the Lord. As soon as this prophet gave God’s word against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam wanted to get hold of him. But as he stretched out his hand against this man of God, his hands withered.

Jeroboam then asked this man of God to pray for him that his hand might be restored. When he prayed for Jeroboam, his hand was restored. Jeroboam was a great sinner and had committed great atrocities against God and wanted to destroy this man that God had sent to prophesy against him. But it was this same man of God that prayed for the restoration of his hand. A man of God prayed for a great sinner and God answered that prayer. Yet Jeroboam the king remained in his sins. Jeroboam then asked this man of God to come home with him that he might reward him for his prayer. He declined. This tells us that as men of God, we preach the word of God not for gain or reward, but the calling of God. God had charged this man of God not to eat or drink or turn into any place except to return from where he was coming from. So he returned by a different way from the one which he came from. Now there was an old prophet living in Bethel whose sons went to tell all that had happened between the man of God and the king. This old prophet then went after this man of God

Becoming the best Ituah Ighodalo

Senior Pastor, Trinity House

and found Zion Center him sitting e-mail:pastorituah@trinityng.org under an oak. There are be reversed. One small sin may many times when men of God lead to a cancer. One small sex are sitting when they should be can lead to AIDS; there is even walking, running or flying. a direct correlation there. One The old prophet lied to the abortion can lead to so many man of God that an angel of problems. God had told him to go and This man of God did many bring him into his house. This great things, but he made one tells us immediately that some small mistake and God killed prophets of God are liars. him. They tell lies for their own Jeroboam, who was the father advantages and benefits and of sins and sinned from morning usually to the destruction of till night, was alive; his sickness the people of God. Don’t be was even restored. But we have intimidated by any man of God. this man of God who still had Try to hear from God yourself. many years to serve God dying. God will talk to you yourself. Be We serve a dangerous God. careful under whose anointing The Bible says that He is quick you are. to mercy and slow to anger. So this man of God went back There are many little things that with this old prophet and ate we do that we think He has and drank in his house. As they forgotten. Nothing happens imsat at the table, the word of the mediately. Lord came to the old prophet Pastor may not see, but it is that brought him back. between you and God. The way Our God is very interesting. God deals with Mr A is not the The Word of the Lord still came same way God deals with Mrs back to a liar. We cannot fully B. God deals with each person understand or comprehend God. according to that person. The easiest thing is for you to be Note that God did not forget in association with God yourself. Jeroboam’s sins, but dealt with There are some things that we him at His own time. All that do in our lives that have serious this man of God did was a little consequences that may never

Self-discovery

Yoga

ince there is a wide range of imaginations and perceptions about Yoga, we would like to give you a brief analysis about the original meaning of yoga and a description of different systems of yoga. The word yoga is based on "yuj" (the root of the word) and means "to link with" or "to unite". What is to be linked or united? The atma and the Paramatma - the soul and the Supreme soul or Supersoul. This definition is well known and generally accepted but there is one major misconception about it: many inexperienced yogis and jnanis think that "unite with" is to be equated with "to merge with". Uniting, however, does not mean that the soul loses its individuality, but it means that the soul acts in accordance with the Supersoul. Each soul is the servant of the Supersoul-Krishna (God). There are different yoga systems which can help us to reach this goal. The reason for the difference between the systems is that they are meant for particular ages and persons. Nevertheless they all have one goal in common: to become free from material bondage and to spiritualize the consciousness. People who are unfamiliar with the Vedic tradition of yoga see it as an exercise program or a way to relieve stress. Yoga does help in this way, but its main purpose is to help one regain their spiritual concsiousness and link again with God.

disobedience based on a small persuasion from a respected old prophet. We need to fear God. We need to ask God’s forgiveness. The Bible says that let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Let us ask for God’s mercy forgiveness. One of the problems of the man of God was that after the old prophet gave God’s word against him, he did not ask for forgiveness and mercy. When David sinned against God, he at least asked God for forgiveness and God forgave him partially, though he had set off a chain of curses against his house and country. So ask God for forgiveness for your sins and secondly ask God to forgive the sins of your ancestors. God gave David mercy, but his children suffered. Pray that your children will not suffer because of your sins and you will not suffer because of your father or forefather’s sins. Ask God for total restoration and a new beginning. God will answer.

The following are the most prominent yoga systems: Rajayoga or Astanga-yoga Raja means "royal" and astanga means "eightfold". So the terms refer to the royal or eightfold path of liberation. This process reveals how one can reach liberation by gradually going through eight steps: yama: sense control niyama: rules and regulations asana: sitting postures pranavama: breathing exercises prarvahara: withdrawal of the senses from the sense objects dharana: concentration dhvana: meditation samadhi: self realization, spiritual trance The following eight mystic perfections can be achieved by the practice of yoga: anima: to become smaller than the smallest mahima: to become bigger than the biggest laghima: to become lighter than the lightest prapti: to fulfil desires prakamya: to be able to experience any enjoyable object isita: to control sub-powers of maya vasita: to control others, avoid the influence of the 3 modes kamavasita: to get object s from anywhere The problem with mystic powers in general is that the practitioner cannot stop using them and thus falls into a subtle trap of maya by which he uses up his good karma and then no longer can control the senses. Hatha-yoga Hatha yoga is not a yoga system in itself-as most people think-but one of the eight steps of the astanga yoga process. It includes specific sitting and breathing techniques by which one controls the life airs (prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana).

The process is mainly meant to keep the body free from disease and the mind peaceful and stable. Mantra-yoga This is a simple system for spiritual advancement and is especially recommended in Kali Yuga for elevating one's consciousness. Most people cannot sit and meditate for thousands of years as many yogis did in previous ages. There are mantras for material and spiritual goals. Karma-yoga This is a process by which one can attain perfection through action. It is meant for those who are attached to fruitive, materialistic activities. Generally, the karma -yogi is interested in his own happiness, but is at the same time strictly following prescribed religious duties and offers the results of his activities as far as possible to God. Thus, karma -yoga is considered an intermediate state between material and spiritual life. Jnana-yoga Through studies in the path of enlightenment, empirical studies and mental speculation debates, etc, the jnana-yogi tries to come closer to the Absolute Truth. Without proper guidance, however, it is very likely that one becomes bewildered or agnostic by following this path. Knowledge alone may show one the right direction but is not necessarily purifying the consciousness because even though someone may know something, it does not mean they will also have the realization. Kundalini-yoga This process is in certain ways similar to Astanga-yoga. In addition, the

Kavikarnapura Das

iskcon.lagos@gmail.com 0706 601 1800, 0812 324 5864

yogi tries to awaken the kundalini shakti which is situated within the chakra of the lower back (muladhara chakra). Through specific techniques the kundalini is elevated through the sushumna channel to the highest cakra (sahas-rara). At this point the two shaktis are combined and at this time the successful yogi leaves together with the life air through the top of the head. An experienced guru is required since there is the danger of psychological and physical damages resulting from the practitioners' inability to control the kundalini shakti after rising her up from the base. BHAKTI-YOGA This process teaches one how to attain the Supreme through loving devotional service. In this way the goal of ALL the other yoga processes is easily achieved. Although it is the most direct and straight forward process to achieve the Supreme, it is the only one where the practitioner can be married. Having a Krsna conscious child is bhakti-yoga. All other processes strictly demand complete celibacy, are comparatively mechanical and offer only artificial sense control. One example is of Visvamitra Muni - he was mediatiting and became agitated by the ankle bells of the heavenly society girl,

Menaka. He was no longer able to control his senses and fell down with her. By chanting the Holy Names of the Lord, one is engaging in bhakti yoga and is able to achieve all perfection. Hari das Thakur, one of Lord Caitanya's intimate associates chanted 300,000 names of the Lord a day. He was approached by a prostitute who was Maya incarnate but he did not succumb to her advances and advised her to chant. The power of the Holy Name was that she gave up prostitution, accepted Hari das as her spiritual master, and chanted 300,000 names of the Lord a day for the rest of her life. There are two stages of Bhakti-yoga. Vaidhi bhakti is the beginning stage where rules and regulations help the devotee get rid of their material attachments and begin practicing devotional service. Raganuga bhakti is the spontaneous unalloyed level of devotional service. Only pure devotees are in this stage and one must not imitate them. Engage in Bhakti-Yoga, loving devotional service to Krsna and chant His Holy Names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

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Health

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July 10, 2016

Caring for Down syndrome victims

By Bilkis Bakare

t is a painful thing for a child’s right to life to be decided ever before his arrival on earth. But this is the plight of children with Down syndrome. Statistics show that the estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between one in 1,000 and one in 1,100 live births worldwide. The origin of Down syndrome is traced to John Langdon Down, an English physician who first described the external appearance of the genetic condition, which he classified in 1862. It was later to bear his name “Down”. He also referred to it as Mongolism and the people with the disease are known as Mongoloids. Some posit that the disease is prevalent in Nigeria because of the increasing age at which more women conceive – because of their desire to complete formal education before conception and rising infertility. But this claim has been faulted, as it has been observed that 80 per cent of children with Down syndrome are born to mothers under the age of 35. Scientifically, Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21, referred to as Trisomy 21, which remains the most common form of Down syndrome. Therefore, individuals with this type of Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. This is caused by an error in cell division, called non-disjunction, which leaves a sperm or egg cell with an extra copy of chromosome 21 before or at conception. Trisomy 21 accounts for 95 per cent of Down syndrome cases, with 88 per cent originating from nondisjunction of the mother's

Approximately 40 per cent of such children have congenital heart defects; therefore, it is very important that an echocardiogram be performed on all newborns with Down syndrome to identify any serious cardiac problems that might be present. While some of the heart conditions require surgery, others only require careful monitoring. egg cell. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with the disorder. Usually, it is always difficult to differentiate people with Down syndrome if a large number of them converge in the same venue due to the physical characteristics they share. The remaining 5 per cent of Down syndrome cases are due to conditions called mosaicism and translocation. Mosaic Down syndrome results when some cells in the body are normal while others have Trisomy 21. Robertsonian translocation occurs when part of chromosome 21 breaks off during cell division and attaches to another chromosome (usually chromosome 14). The presence of this extra part of chromosome 21 causes some Down syndrome characteristics. Although a person with a translocation may appear physically normal, he or she has a greater risk of producing a child with an extra 21st chromosome. Down syndrome is not linked to race, nationality, religion and social or economic status. In addition to other traits unique to individuals with this disorder, other common traits are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the centre of the palm. In essence, it causes delays in physical and in-

tellectual development. People with Down syndrome may possess these characteristics to different degrees according to the form mentioned above. During the pre-natal period, to ascertain the possibility of giving birth to babies with Down syndrome, two procedures are available to pregnant women: screening tests and diagnostic tests. Screening tests estimate the risk of a baby having Down syndrome, diagnostic tests tell whether or not the baby actually has the disease. The most commonly used screening test is “The Triple Screen”, a combination of three tests that measure quantities of various substances in the blood. These tests are carried out between 15 and 20 weeks of gestation. In conjunction with other screenings, sonogram, a form of ultrasound, is performed to show some physical traits that help in calculating the risk of Down syndrome. However, it is usually identified at birth or shortly after by conducting a Karyotype test, a chromosome study which provides a visual display of the chromosomes grouped by their size, number, and shape. It is used to determine if a child has the disorder or otherwise. This is carried out through the examination of blood or tissue cells of the baby. The aforementioned physical characteristics

They have talents and gifts and should be given the opportunity and encouragement to develop them. To tap into the full potential in victims of Down syndrome, there should be early intervention shortly after birth. This should include physical, speech and developmental therapies. commonly seen in babies with this disorder are also used in the diagnosis after birth. Aside from both children and adults with Down syndrome experiencing developmental delays and mild to moderate impairments, many children with Down syndrome have health complications beyond the usual childhood illnesses. Approximately 40 per cent of such children have congenital heart defects; therefore, it is very important that an echocardiogram be performed on all newborns with Down syndrome to identify any serious cardiac problems that might be present. While some of the heart conditions require surgery, others only require careful monitoring. Children with Down syndrome have a higher incidence of infection, respiratory, vision and hearing problems as well as thyroid and other medical conditions. Caring for people with Down syndrome can be

frustrating and fraught with challenges as most of them depend permanently on others to lead their lives. And it is common for people in their immediate environment to exhibit negative attitudes in form of discrimination and exclusion towards them. Consequently, children and adults with Down syndrome cannot integrate successfully with peers. But they have talents and gifts and should be given the opportunity and encouragement to develop them. To tap into the full potential in victims of Down syndrome, there should be early intervention shortly after birth. This should include physical, speech and developmental therapies. Most children with the disease attend neighbourhood schools, some are in regular classes, and others in special education classes. But some have more significant needs and require a more specialised programme. Some high school gradu-

ates with Down syndrome get post-secondary education and many such adults can work in the community, but some require a more structured environment. To overcome the health challenges faced by these special people, appropriate medical care should be provided for them to lead healthy lives. If given adequate care, the average life expectancy of individuals with Down syndrome is 55 years; with many living into their sixties and seventies. The government, individuals and non-governmental organisations should rally support for parents and people with this disorder in order to properly integrate them into their communities and for them to enjoy full and equal rights, both as children and adults. • Bakare works in the features unit of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Kiddies

Arena

Temitope Ojo ibilade@gmail.com t.adegboye@thenicheng.com 0708 479 6140

Historical personality

Tunde Idiagbon (1942–1999)

Brain tickler Each day a lady gets the lift from the 12th floor to the ground level so she can go to work. When she comes home, however, she only goes up the lift to level 8. Why is this, and it is not to keep fit?

Answer Because she is a midget and can only reach the buttons up to level 8!

It starts out tall, but the longer it stands, the shorter it grows. What is it? Solution A candle

Invention Halogen lights United States Patent 2,883,571 was granted to Elmer Fridrich and Emmett Wiley for a tungsten halogen lamp – an improved type of incandescent lamp – in 1959. A better halogen light lamp was invented in 1960 by General Electric engineer Fredrick Moby. Moby was granted U.S. Patent 3,243,634 for his tungsten halogen A-lamp that could fit into a standard light bulb socket. During the early 1970s, General Electric research engineers invented improved ways to manufacture tungsten halogen lamps. In 1962, General Electric patented an arc lamp called a "Multi Vapor Metal Halide" lamp.

Babatunde Idiagbon was a Nigerian army officer and a one-time member of the Nigerian military juntas of 1966–1979 and 1983-1998, which ruled the country. He started his military career in 1958 when he enlisted in the Nigerian Military School (NMS), Zaria (1958-1962). From there, he proceeded to the Pakistani Military Academy, Kakul (1962-1965) and later attended a junior commander course at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna. In 1966, he attended a young officers’ course at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna, and also a junior staff course in the Nigerian Army Brigade. He was at the Command and Staff College, Pakistan, in 1976 and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru near Jos in 1981. He attended an International Defence Management, Naval Post Graduate School in the United States (U.S.) in 1982. He held a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the Pakistani Military Academy. An associate member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Idiagbon is a holder of the Senior International Defence Management Diploma. In 1962, he enlisted as officer cadet and was commissioned as second lieutenant in April 1965. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1966 and Captain in 1968. At the end of the civil war, Idiagbon became a Major and Lt. Colonel in 1974; Colonel in July 1978 and Brigadier in May 1980. In the course of a distinguished military career, he held various military posts. He served as Company Commander, 4 Battalion, from August 1965 to February 1966; Intelligence Officer, 4 Battalion, and later GS0 3 Intelligence, 1 Sector; Commanding Officer, 20 Battalion from October 1967 to February 1968; and 125 Battalion from 1968 to 1970. He was brigade major and Deputy Commander, 33 Brigade, from March 1970 to March 1971; and Commander, 29 Brigade, from March 1971 to December 1972. He held several positions between 1973 and 1983. He was appointed Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters when the military overthrew the civilians on December 31, 1983. Following the ouster of the civilian administration of Shehu Shagari at the end

of 1983, he rose to become the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters and de facto Vice President in the military administration of Muhammadu Buhari. In this role, he was the de facto second-incommand and was responsible for implementing many of the government’s policies. Chief among these was the War Against Indiscipline (WAI), which was a campaign to eradicate corruption and disorderliness in Nigerian life. After 20 months in power, the government of Buhari was overthrown by Ibrahim Babangida. Idiagbon was removed from his position in this coup, and he was placed under house arrest for three years. After his release, Idiagbon, who loved jazz music of Miles David and Herbie Hankock, returned to civilian life in his hometown of Ilorin, Kwara State. He died in 1999 of an unknown illness after returning from a conference.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Kiddies Arena StarKid Name: Victory Adaeze Oparada Age: Five years School: YEMAB Crown of Glory Private School, Ifo, Ogun State Class: Basic 1 Career goal: Law Best colour: Pink Best food: Jollof rice and plantain

Be our StarKid: Send your child's full-sized photograph and details to ibilade@gmail.com.

Poem The Orphan's Friend By Julia Ann Moore Come all kind, good people, With sympathizing hearts, Come listen to a few kind words A friend to you imparts. Be kind to an orphan child, And always be its friend, You will be happy in this world, And will be to the end. Be kind to the motherless, Little motherless ones, For God will forever bless You in this world to come. No kind and loving mother To soothe their little brow, Be kind to them always, friends, They have no mother now. Be kind to the fatherless, Wherever you may find One little one that is friendless, I pray you all be kind. For it has no loving father, To speak with mild reproof, Or guide its youthful footsteps In honesty and truth. Be kind to the little orphans, They have no parents dear; Be kind to the little orphans, Speak to them words of cheer, Then they will always love you For kind and gentle words, Then God will ever bless you, For He says so in His word.

Be our poet: Send your poems to ibilade@gmail.com.

TheNiche

Arts July 10, 2016

with Terh Agbedeh

REVIEWS&PREVIEWS

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Oba Ala of Oke-Ayedun: Celebrating centenary with service

The volunteers for the Oke-Ayedun Community Health Outreach at the end of the clinic sessions. Inset: Oba Ala, having a blood pressure check

RH, Oba Jacob Ala, the Alaye of Oke-Ayedun Okunoye II in Ekiti State, will turn 100 on August 8. As a prelude to the week-long celebrations planned for August 8 to 13, the Ala family, in conjunction with Mamie Foundation and Jasons Foundation, organised the Oke-Ayedun Community Health Outreach on Saturday, July 2. Medical personnel that included optometrists, dentists, laboratory scientists and family physicians treated at least 600 members of the community and provided them with free drugs. As early as 8am on July 2, the grounds of St. Patrick’s Catholic Primary School on Orisunmbare Street, Oke-Ayedun, had been overtaken by mostly old, young and pregnant women accompanied by their children, all dressed in their Sunday best. The men were to come later in the day, perhaps after some of the women had gone back home to spread the ‘good news’ of healthcare. Activities for the day started with volunteers, with the Jasons Foundation preaching the word of God and giving those present a health talk. Manager for Jasons Medical Missions International, Wale Akinrinsola, told TheNiche that “this is the way” they begin their activities wherever they go around the world. Early in the morning at the palace chapel where they had all gathered before they set out, there had also been a prayer meeting, with Akinrinsola ministering. There was praise and worship, capped with exultation from the book of Isaiah in the Bible. “This foundation is a Christian organisation; so all that we do is biased towards bringing the gospel of Christ to people. That is why anytime we carry out medical outreach, before the dispensing of drugs, we always preach about Christ to the people. There is a place we are going and that is the bias of this foundation. That is what makes it different from other foundations,” he said during an interview. Jasons Foundation is part of the Jasons Medical Missions International, which was started in June 2004 by a medical consultant then with

the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr. Vincent Jason. The foundation’s office is located at the UCH. Oba Ala arrived the venue resplendent in blue agbada, wine red beads on his neck, just before the health talk ended. The ovation from the members of the community gathered showed that he was not just loved but also respected. Among those singing his praises that morning were the women and young people who had so heartily welcomed the volunteers the night before with song and a drama presentation entitled ‘Integrity’, dance. The play staged by some of the young palace staff and subjects told of a kingdom whose kabiyesi had zero tolerance for corruption and no patience for evil. That kingdom could have been OkeAyedun (‘hill where life is sweet’ in English). Life is indeed sweet here, with fresh air and fresh farm produce all year round. Opening prayer at the outreach was led by Rev. Father Pius Ajibade of St. Patrick Catholic Church, who said he was impressed with the outreach and blessed all those who had volunteered time, money and manpower to make it a reality. It was then the turn of Oba Ala to declare the programme open by submitting himself to a blood pressure check after which the first patient was called at 10.09am. He later also consulted with one of the physicians. The precision with which the activity for the day went on spoke of the experience of the people doing the work. There were four consulting rooms at the school, with two doctors attending to men, optometrics, two dentists and two ophthalmologists. There was also a unit for laboratory scientists and one for dispensing the drugs prescribed during consultation. It all went very well and by the time the last patient was called out to collect her drugs at about 7pm, everyone in the team had given their very best. Perhaps the only drawback was how long it took for the drugs to be dispensed, resulting in those treated having to wait for hours to get their drugs. And as it is often the case even in the cities, the dentists didn’t have many patients to attend to; although at the end of the day, over 20 patients had a tooth or two

pulled. Mrs. Funsho Ola, a general nurse with the Paediatric Department of UCH, a volunteer with Jasons Foundation in the last three years, explained that she decided to get involved because she felt that it was a means of reaching out to the community, helping the lessprivileged where they are not able or capable of getting access to medical attention. “So, what the Lord has given unto us we render to them free of charge and at the same time minister to their souls,” she said. On whether the people she has met over the years are either appreciative of the service, she said it depends on the community the foundation goes to. “There are some places they engage with us; but there are some places where they reject you and you just have to leave the land for them. But in most cases, it is always very interesting because they accept us, they welcome us warmly and we are able to render our services freely,” she said. She explained that the rejection they have had could be attributed to ignorance about what has been brought to such a community. This, Mrs. Ola added, may be partly due to the fact that the foundation is faith-based, since in some places, when they hear that the foundation would be talking about the word of God, they are removed from it. But not the people of Oke-Ayedun, who lapped it all up all day. Even the rain that fell for at least 40 minutes and the registration stopped at 3.30pm did not deter them, as they kept coming to the school in their numbers. Incidentally, this is not the first time the community is benefitting from such an outreach and it could not have come at a better time with civil servants not paid since January in the state and the health centres in the community on strike for over three weeks. Dr. JK Ladipo, a consultant surgeon with UCH and Mamie Foundation, said that two years ago they had embarked on the same journey with a group of medical personnel to render the same service in the community. He explained that it was small scale compared to what obtained on July 2. However, that visit is what gave fillip to the current one.

Two of the women who were present the first time, Yeye Oba Bola Pedro and Lady Grace Osanyinlusi, remember that visit fondly. It is one reason they showed up once more, although for a different ailment they both confessed. Talking through the help of an interpreter, Mrs. Pedro said she felt better after the treatment she got the first time from a white female doctor. It turned out she was referring to Dr. Modupe Ladipo, a consulting family physician with the UCH and Mamie Foundation, also on the recent trip. “I felt better after the treatment,” she said. “I have come back for another complaint and not the illness from the last time.” She added that she would like the outreach to continue, so that more people in the community could benefit. From the number of people who continued to show up even after registration closed, it is one request that the community needs to look into. Osanyinlusi said the medicine she got the first time reacted very well to her ailment. “I came back today for a different complaint and I am hoping that the medicine will work very well like the last time,” she said, adding that the two medical centres in the community are not enough. “People are many here. That one is not enough for us; we need more clinics and bigger ones, too,” she stated. It is easy to agree with her when the monarch, who has been on the throne for 26 years, put the community’s population at 30,000. Dr. Modupe Ladipo said the ailments they encountered during the outreach were not different from those being treated in other parts of the country, but that the number of people with a particular ailment may cause some concern. “Especially, we found that there were a lot of people who were hypertensive. And not just hypertensive, but severely hypertensive. Some didn’t even know that they were hypertensive. We had to treat some and observe them for about two or three hours before we could even allow them to go home,” she said. She explained that it means their blood pressures were very high and they had to do a

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Arts

July 10, 2016

WSICE 2016 ready to roll

ll is now set for this year’s edition of the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Project (WSICE 2016). Organisers of the annual event say that all the invited guests have confirmed that they will attend. Secondary school pupils, who have submitted their pre-screening essays, are also set for the non-competitive essay holding on July 13. The event itself holds on July 13 and 14. As is traditional with the project in past six years, it coincides with the 82nd birthday anniversary of the Nobel Laureate, Professor Oluwole Akinwande Soyinka, who is the grand motivation behind the project. Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, will be holding a special mentorship session with the pupils from the state and other youths at the main hall of the Ogun State Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, on the topic, ‘Challenges or not; I love my country’. One of the highlights of this year’s event will be the presentation of cheques to the remaining winners of the Project WS Essay competition from 2014, who are yet to receive their scholarship funds. This is due largely to the challenges the management of the project said it has faced in the past two years due to lack of sponsorship. “Although this year’s event is not any different and sponsorship has been scarce, we do not want to drop the ball on the event as we are aware of the immense impact that it has had on some of our teenage and adult participants,” said the organisers. An all-female panel is expected to feature at the advocacy lecture this year. The panelists include Hafsat Abiola-Costello, a Nigerian human rights activist and founder of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND); Kadaria Ahmed, a journalist and social commentator; Sola Salako (the anchor), who is also a freelance writer and critic; as well as Rose Moses, a former managing editor and member, Editorial Board of Champion Newspapers Limited. The panelists will be speaking on the topic, ‘Corruption as it affects children, women and our humanity’.

Ahmed

Executive Producer, Alhaji Teju Kareem Abiola

The Special Guest of Honour, Prof. Femi Osofisan, as well as the keynote speakers, Tunde Fagbenle and Prof. Segun Ojewuyi, have also confirmed their attendance. The WSICE is organised yearly under the auspices of the Open Door Series as designed and promoted by Zmirage Multimedia Limited in collaboration with the

United States-based GlobalNewHaven. Teju Kareem, executive producer of the WSICE, said that “this year’s theme for the youth segment is aimed at awakening the patriot in young Nigerians, even as many in the older generation have become disillusioned due to the recurrent failure of the Nigerian state.”

The 82 student-essayists and 18 past winners, along with WSICE officials, as is often the case, will pay a courtesy visit to Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and afterwards proceed to the country home of Prof. Soyinka at Ijegba for a unique personal one-on-one experience.

Eseka launches Catholic Hymn Book in score, tonic sol-fa Aug By Innocent Anoruo Senior Copy Editor

oon, Catholic choirs in Nigeria and even beyond will no more rely on the hymnals of other orthodox churches for standard music arrangements, as the Catholic Hymn Book now has staff and tonic sol-fa edition. Many thanks to Music for the Catholic Hymn Book (Choir Edition in Staff and Tonic Sol-fa) compiled and edited by Ikechukwu Eseka, a University of Lagos (UNILAG) law graduate. It is published by dBQ Music Publishers. Till date, Catholic choirs are known to rely mainly on the hymnals of other denominations like Baptist and Methodist for scored music of popular songs. Launch of the new work comes up in three phases. The first will be on Saturday, August 6, 2016 at the Catholic Church of Ascension, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, by 11am. It will be followed by the Lagos launch on Saturday, August 20 by noon at St. Thomas More Catholic Chaplaincy, UNILAG; and the Abuja launch on Sat-

Continued from page 46 lot of councelling on how they should modify their lifestyle, their diet, exercise, taking their medication and going for regular checkup. “That was the most striking one – hypertension. But all the others are common ailments in the rest of the country; malaria, some diabetes, arthritis, cough, catarrh and such ailments,” she said. She and her husband mentioned earlier in the article are both consultants with the UCH and work with the Mamie Foundation, which was set up in memory of her mother of German

urday, August 27, at the National Press Centre, Radio House, Area 10, Garki, also by noon. According to the Abuja-based barrister, the compilation took over 13 years of extensive research. Officially approved by the Bishops of the Catholic Ecclesiastical Provinces of Lagos and Ibadan through the St. Augustine Regional Pastoral Institute (SARPI), Ede, Osun State, the book’s foreword is written by the Vicar-General, Archdiocese of Lagos, Msg. John Aniagwu. Eseka’s passion for music seems to be stronger than that of law, which he spent many years in the university and law school to study. He has been leading choirs for over two decades now. From being a church choirmaster, he formed Chorale de la Magnifique (CDM) in Lagos with the likes of Benneth Ogbeiwi (now Project Fame West Africa music director). CDM now has Lagos and Abuja branches. Before his transfer to Abuja from Lagos, he was the First Assistant Director of the famous Laz Ekwueme Chorale and orchestra which performed at the 2003 All African Games (AAG) in Abuja organised origin, but passionate about Nigeria who was born in 1929 and passed on in 2010. MAMIE stands for Margo Abayomi Memorial Evergreen (Foundation.) Medical outreaches like this in OkeAyedun are among the many works that the foundation does to carry on the legacy of hard work, honesty, cleanliness, love of nature and the lessprivileged their mother left behind. Others who were part of the programme include: Kolade Mosuro of the Ibadan-based book seller and his wife, Tolani, who is the daughter of the Oba; Augustine Edet (Jasons), Akinbiyi Okelola (Private), Mrs. Bunmi

by COJA, and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) chaired by Queen Elizabeth same year in Abuja. He co-founded De-Clique Vocals and The Chordwebs, and also sang with Lagos City Chorale, Steve Rhodes Voices and Heritage Chorale. CMD, as Eseka is fondly called by his choristers, is versed in various musical genres, including choral, classical, contemporary, highlife, rock, hip-hop and jazz. He has organised and conducted various operas like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar, both by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, as well as A Night in Bethlehem, by Laz Ekwueme. A composer and arranger of many musical works, Eseka, through dBQ Music Publishers, has published several musical books such as: Music for Twelve Masses, Chants for Advent and Christmas Seasons, Chants for Lenten and Easter Seasons, as well as Chants for Sundays in Ordinary Time. On invitation, he gives lectures on Church Music and a part-time lecturer of Church Music at the St. Augustine’s College of Education (PROJECT TIME) in Akoka, Lagos.

Akinboade (Paediatric nurse, UCH), Adebukola Adewunmi (Optometrist) and Mrs. Eunice Arelogun (public health nurse, UCH). Others are: Mrs. Elizabeth Ige (registered nurse, midwife and public health UCH), Alaba Ologundudu (private), Fisayo Akinola (dentist UCH), Shola Mosuro (consultant family physician UCH) and Oluwaseun Adeleke (dentist, Ondo State Specialist hospital). It was an elated Oba Ala who thanked everyone that had taken part in the outreach early the next morning and prayed for journey mercies back to their different destinations.

Osanyinlusi

Pedro

TheNiche July 10, 2016

Fashion

www.thenicheng.com

Temitope Ojo ibilade@gmail.com t.adegboye@thenicheng.com 0708 479 6140

Yemi Alade debuts as fashion designer

inger Yemi Alade made her debut as a fashion designer with “House of Tangerine” (H.O.T.) line at the 2016 Africa Fashion Week Nige-

ria. “H.O.T is a new chapter that it is aimed to explore deeply,” she said, and disclosed that she partnered with Iconic Invanity’s diffusion line D.N.A. Alade performed live renditions of some of her singles and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to showcase her fashion line. She had released praised #YAC jewelry collection last year in conjunction with online fashion retailer, Bland 2 Glam.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Genevieve Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s #GSummerParty

enevieve Magazine had its annual summer party with the theme Summer(time) Fly at Fahrenheit Loft Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Betty Irabor was chief host. DJ Sose was on the decks, Cointreau supplied the drinks. Celebrities spotted included Uti Nwachukwu, Denola Grey, Sika Osei, Toolz, Beverly Naya, Rita Dominic, Chioma Akpotha, Ufuoma McDermott, and Bovi.

Rita Dominic, Genevieve Nnaji and Ndidi Obioha Toolz

Denola Grey

Bervely Naya

Bolanle Austene-Peters and Betty Irabor

Chioma Apotha

Uti Nwachukwu

Sika

Bovi (right) and another guest

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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FOOD &DRINK

Getting the best from your microwave

HE microwave oven has, in a very short time, become a standard piece of equipment in the kitchen. Its place is deserved: it is an extremely fast, convenient, clean and inexpensive way to cook. However, because microwave ovens work in a completely different way from conventional ovens, new techniques have to be employed when cooking with them. When a microwave oven is acquired, the first thing to do is familiarise yourself with all the new techniques. It is not difficult, but you have to think about what you are cooking in a slightly different way. Try to attend an introductory class in microwave cookery and begin by cooking basic dishes until you gain confidence. How the food cooks In microwave cooking, a power level has to be set on the oven, instead of a temperature. Timing is extremely important, too, for the length of time a dish will take to cook will depend on the amount, shape, density and moisture content of the ingredients. Microwaves absorb food and penetrate about five centimetres deep. The microwave energy works on

the molecules in the food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially water, fat and sugar. This produces the heat that cooks the food. Metals used in microwave The microwave repels any kind of metal. It can be quite a violent event, if the power levels are high. Clearly, food in a metal container would not receive any energy, and so apart from the dangers mentioned, the food would just not heat well. This comment also applies to materials that contain traces of metal, such as some glasses and porcelains, and in particular items that have an obvious metallic trim or decoration. The only metal that can be used in the microwave is aluminium foil. Cooking methods Microwave cooking involves slightly different techniques of cooking than conventional cooking. These include arrangement of food, turning, stirring, rotating and standing time. Arrangement: Careful organisation of food in the cooking utensil enhances the cooking and speeds up melting of food as energy spreads evenly across the food. In some cases, you may feel the need to move the food on the outer side to the centre and vice-versa.

This not only ensures mixing of all spices but also eliminates any possibility of over-cooking and undercooking. Foods that require turning over: Foods such as large roast, whole poultry, a ham or hamburger needs occasional turning to prevent over-cooking on one side.Â Stirring: Since the outside of a utensil heats faster than the inside, stir food from outside to inside. Microwave cooking requires far less stirring as compared to conventional

eating out

Alo Alo

lo Alo traditional and international cuisine restaurant is fast becoming a popular choice for fussy diners. The restaurant at Victoria Crown Plaza Hotel redefines the ultimate destination in dining where time stands still and nothing matters except the here and now. The menu list parades with a variety of dishes,

from lamb chops and beef stroganoff to pastas and burgers, and of course Nigerian specialties; they surely have something for everyone. Every Wednesday is their Taj Mahal night with a delicious Indian buffet. Every Sunday they will delight you with their brunch. Victoria Crown Plaza Hotel is at Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

cooking. Rotating: Foods that cannot be stirred or rotated, such as pies or cakes, need to be rotated or repositioned to ensure even cooking on all sides. Most foods do not need to be rotated. Covering: Depending of the food type, different covering materials like polished paper can be used to retain heat and moisture, casserole tops, glass covers or plastic reps are used to trap steam and prevent dehydration. This increases cooking speed and helps

retain natural moisture. Beware of steam burns, as you remove the covering and make sure to keep it away from your face. Shielding: Aluminium wrappers can be used for thin bony areas, such as the wing tip of poultry, the head of fish tail, or the breastbone of a turkey, as they cook faster than the thicker areas. Use shielding when recommended in the recipe and do not let it touch the oven walls. Piercing: Foods that lose moisture while cooking need to be pierced to break

the skin or membrane, such as mince pie and other pastries or snack in this category. This prevents bursting and allows the steam to escape. Standing time: It is one of the most important elements in microwave cooking. It takes some time before you are comfortable with right time-durations for different recipes. It may happen that you over-cook or under-cook in the beginning, but gradually you will get an idea about the perfect timings for different foods.

BUSINESS UNUSUAL

TheNiche

FINANCIAL NICHE

PERSONAL FINANCE MARKETING NICHE

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

ICT

July 10, 2016

BUSINESS

www.thenicheng.com

INFLATION Inflation month RATE Inflation rate

Kelechi Mgboji Assistant Business Editor 0803 469 0996, 0811 181 3047 kckmgboji@yahoo.com

MONEY Broadmoney (M2) 20,721,908.26 SUPPLY (Trillion) Narrow Money (M1) 9,391,866.24

July 2016 15.58 %

Lagos Port access, worst road in Nigeria

‘Failure to involve surveyors leaves Nigeria planless’

$45.31

PER BARREL

Brent Crude $48.65 PER BARREL

Silver

TROY OZ

Tin

Platinum

PER OZ

$19.91

$1354.80

PAGE 56

Gold

COMMODITIES SUMMARY

WTI

Maritime

Business Interview

PAGE 55

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The raft of dealings that sank Skye Bank By Kelechi Mgboji Assistant Business Editor

ear distress condition of Skye Bank Plc was quickened by its over ambitious acquisition of rescued Mainstreet Bank in addition to rafts of dealings under the radar rife among board members. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had, Monday July 4, intervened in Skye Bank by removing 10 executive and non-executive directors including board chairman, Olutunde Ayeni, and the Group Managing Director, Timothy Oguntayo, and in their place appointed Tokunbo Abiru as new MD, and Mohammed Ahmed as Board Chairman. Only two new executive directors who joined the back last year and who were not involved in the boardroom crisis at the bank were left to guide the new management for continuity sake. An ex-board member of the tier two bank classified as systemically important bank (SIB) disclosed to TheNiche that liabilities arising from Mainstreet Bank purchase were much more than projected. “The extent of its liabilities was not completely clear despite due diligence. And the deal and integration of the acquired entity ended up gulping more funds than initially projected,” said our source.

Ayeni Acquisition deal gone awry Skye Bank bought Mainstreet Bank in 2014 from the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) with hope of strategic expansion and growth from expected positive impact but it turned out more problematic as the bank could not raise needed capital to finance the long term investment. Our source who did not want his name on

Oguntayo

The bank had hoped to increase market share and ultimately ramp up stakeholder value from the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank that combined to make new Skye Bank with combined branch network of over 450 which many considered would be a great print disclosed that the bank, instead, used short term capital reserves of the bank to the tune of about N130 billion to fi-

nance the acquisition of Mainstreet while a whopping N10 billion was said to have been lavished on

upgrading its branches and acquiring new work tools for the acquired entity. “The acquisition with technology network upgrade chopped off about N150 billion from the reserves of the bank from over N200 billion before the deal, down to about N50 billion after the exercise,” said our source. Tokunbo Martins, CBN Director of Banking Supervision, confirmed this reckless, over ambitious investment that negates prudential guidelines

when she appeared on a local television programme on Friday, July 8. Responding to the question as to why CBN allowed Skye Bank to take over Mainstreet, she said: “What happened then was that they came out as the highest bidder which was, may be, over ambitious of them. “Yes, they won the bid and were allowed to buy the Bank but with one condition they had to bring Continues on PAGE 52

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Cover The raft of dealings that sank Skye Bank Continued from PAGE 51 in capital. You can’t use short term depositors’ fund to finance the bank. “They were committed to bringing funds but unfortunately they are working in the same economy where oil price has gone from where it used to be to where it is today, and every other thing has gone wrong with the economy. “So, they weren’t able to bring in capital before everything went burst. That was one the major things that aggravated their liquidity position. The bank had hoped to increase market share and ultimately ramp up stakeholder value from the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank that combined to make new Skye Bank with combined branch network of over 450 which many considered would be a great asset. Skye Bank had emerged the preferred bidder after a rigorous bidding exercise that spanned five months, with over 20 bidders contending. It had on October 9, 2014, paid the mandatory deposit of 20 per cent for the acquisition of the target bank, with a pledge to complete the 80 per cent balance within the agreed time frame. On Friday, October 31, ahead of the November 3, 2014 deadline, the balance was paid. TSA cleared N120bn off reserves The implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in September 2015 took away about N120 billion and further weakened the bank’s liquidity condition. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had directed all deposit money banks (DMBs) to transfer public sector funds to a consolidated account domiciled with the apex bank. DMBs’ compliance with the September 15, 2015 implementation deadline of the directive took away a total of about N2.5trillion from the entire banking system resulting to severe credit crunch. Being a brain child of government, Mainstreet had enjoyed tremendous patronage and good will from many parastatals and agencies of the federal government on one hand and those of the Lagos State government on the other hand. But it seems that all of federal government’s patronage ceased at the introduction of TSA leaving Lagos as the bank’s major customer in couple of transactions including monthly salary of workers.

Insider credit, board squabbles deal deadly blow Insider credit advance to board members estimated at about N150 billion dealt deadly blow on the bank which was particularly why the CBN removed the management and board of the bank. A list of 100 chronic debtors released by AMCON in January showed that Skye Bank individually accounted for a total of N16.46 billion and jointly had N104.80 billion bad loans together with Zenith Bank, Intercontinental Bank, First Bank of Nigeria and Union Bank. The replaced Chairman of the bank, Ayeni, allegedly owed the bank about N102 billion for several years without servicing the loan. Other non-executive directors of the bank who owed the bank include Jason Fadeyi, the chairman of Pan Ocean Oil company, who is said to be owing N90 billion. Several firms believed to be owing Skye Bank huge debts that are not servicing their loans include Atlantic Energy, owned by Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko (N70 billion); Oando Oil Company (N20 billion); and Captain Osa Okunbo. Aluko’s brother, Kunle, is among the 10 board directors who removed by the CBN. Boardroom squabbles Huge non-performing insider loans occasioned insider boardroom squabbles between some board members and the management leadership who were not happy over failure to service the loans. TheNiche gathered that between the sacked board chairman, Ayeni, and the group managing director, Oguntayo, there was no love lost. The email of the exGMD to members of staff

announcing his resignation alleged that counter forces from within and outside the bank made it impossible to achieve steady progress. Oguntayo’s email reads: “The last two years, of my stewardship as the GMD/ CEO, have been eventful and challenging. I have put all that I have into turning the fortunes of this bank around, working with each and every one of you. “However, the results have not been commensurate with the efforts. There have been counter forces from within and outside the bank that made it impossible to achieve steady progress. “It is in this vein that I have offered to resign my appointment as the MD/CEO with immediate effect. I enjoin you all to cooperate with the new management that would be announced soon.” Boardroom squabble scares investors Prospective investors who could have helped recapitalise the bank were said to have been scared away after due diligence unraveled raft of dealings in outright violation of prudential guidelines coupled with messy insider wrangling. The efforts of the bank at raising needed capital in line with CBN directive failed flat. Two offshore lenders from Morocco and South Africa bank initially competing to partner with the bank and bring in much needed funds to make it to become a universal bank pulled out at the last minutes without informing the management having done their due diligence on the bank and its board. The existing local shareholders of the bank confirmed interest in increasing their stake but also failed due to internal crisis. CBN had given December 31, 2016 deadline for

To forestall the problem of customers withdrawing their funds from the bank, the new management sent this message to customers on Tuesday, July 5: “Skye Bank’s new management has taken charge of the bank, with the backing of the CBN. The CBN has assured safety of your deposits. There is no cause for alarm.”

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele Skye Bank to raise a minimum of N50 billion but the bank’s management failed after several efforts ruined by internal squabbles. Forestalling a run on the bank To forestall the problem of customers withdrawing their funds from the bank, the new management sent this message to customers on Tuesday, July 5: “Skye Bank’s new management has taken charge of the bank, with the backing of the CBN. The CBN has assured safety of your deposits. There is no cause for alarm.” But for the intervening public holidays between Tuesday and Thursday, July 7, there had been a run on the bank since Monday, July 4 after CBN announced the removal of the management and board as depositors rushed to withdraw their savings out of fear that the bank might be in distress and unable to meet obligations to its customers. CBN assures customers To forestall impending run on the bank, the CBN came out strongly on Wednesday, July 6 to

condemn the speculations going round that some deposit money banks in the country are distressed. However, in another development, the apex bank has admitted that there are only one or two other banks that also have liquidity challenges which is being addressed by the banks in question in satisfactory manner. A press release signed by CBN Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, denounced what CBN described as malicious rumours and unfounded speculations that some banks in the country may have gone or may be going into distress. The statement reads in part: “The CBN wishes to reiterate in the strongest terms that these rumours and speculations are untrue and do not reflect the actual health of the individual banks and, indeed, the entire banking industry. “For the avoidance of doubt, the infusion of a new Board and Management for Skye Bank PLC is a proactive regulatory action meant to ensure that the bank does not continue to fail in its relevant prudential ratios. Neither Skye Bank nor any other bank in

the industry is in distress. “Therefore, the CBN would like to request the general public to ignore speculations or rumours to the contrary as they could only be the handiwork of mischief makers who do not mean well for the Nigerian banking system and its economy. “The CBN further stressed that as the regulator of the industry, the CBN said it reassures the banking and general public that their deposits remain safe in any Nigerian bank. “There is, therefore, no need for panic withdrawals from any bank.” The CBN added: “Going by both the CBN’s Examination Reports as well as analysis from market watchers, International Credit Rating Agencies, and Development Finance Institutions, the Nigerian banking industry remains strong in spite of the global economic challenges emanating from the collapse of global commodity prices. “The apex bank, therefore, urges the banking public to remain calm and go about their normal businesses without panic. “It is important that we do not create problems where none exists.”

TheNiche July 10, 2016

www.thenicheng.com

Financial Niche

Brexit costs Nigeria N23.5b in foreign reserves • Nigeria’s over £500 million in foreign reserves may have depreciated in value to about N166.5 billion from N190 billion, a drop by N23.5 billion or 12.3 per cent. • Decelerating British economy could impact a drop in investment, trade, and also remittances from the Nigerian Diaspora who sent home over $20 billion in 2015. • Bilateral trade between Nigeria and the UK, currently valued at £6 billion and projected to reach about £20 billion by 2020, could also be affected. • The shrinking of the British economy could affect Nigeria’s foreign earnings with recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing that the UK was Nigeria’s largest source of foreign investment in 2015. • The rental income of Nigerians who own property in the UK will be lower in naira terms. Stories by Kelechi Mgboji Assistant Business Editor

raft of risks on Brexit fears have started crystallising with Nigeria losing about N23.5 billion in value depreciation of its foreign exchange (forex) reserves held in pound sterling. The forex reserves which stood at $26.50 billion May end as shown in central bank data, has about five percent in Pound Sterling, valued at about £500 million. About equal percentage is held in Euros and Yuan (the Chinese currency); the rest of the reserve is in the United States dollars which constitutes more than 70 percent. Before the surprise June 23 Brexit referendum, the value of the pound to the dollar was about $2.5 to £1 but as of Tuesday, July 5 the pound had plunged to 31-year low at $1.30. In relation to the naira, the pound closed at about N333 to £1, down from about N360

to £1 at the official interbank market a fortnight ago, while at the parallel market, it crashed from N510 to £1 to about N380 to £1. This implies that Nigeria’s over £500 million in foreign reserves may have depreciated in value to about N166.5 billion from N190 billion, a drop by N23.5 billion or 12.3 per cent. However, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) could not confirm depreciation of the foreign reserves due to Brexit risk. Acting CBN Director (Corporate Communications), Isaac Okoroafor, told TheNiche in a telephone interview that the portion of the reserves held in pound is very negligible, and would not affect the total sum significantly. He said the percentage volume of the reserve in pound is not static but fluctuates along the different movements in currencies, and prescriptions of fund managers regarding what the next move should be. The plunge in value of the pound has been sustained in the last two weeks after the Brexit referendum, and

TheNiche in house analysis showed that the country may have lost about N23.5 billion due to the sharp drop in the British currency valuation. However, Okoroafor said the portion of the reserves held in pound is not substantial to warrant migration of the money to another currency. The Bank of England (BoE) had warned on Tuesday, July 5 that risks to financial stability were materialising after Britain’s shock European Union (EU) exit referendum, as commercial property investors scrambled to pull money out on Brexit fears. And Britain’s first government bond launch since the June 23 EU referendum returned a record-low yield of 0.382 per cent. A shock result has sparked political and market chaos leaving the UK Financial Policy Committee with radical measures to cushion expected severe credit crunch. On July 5, the BoE cut the British banking sector’s capital buffer rate from 0.50 per cent to zero, where it will stay until

at least June 2017. The move, according to the FPC, will boost lending by up to £150 billion ($199 billion, €179 billion euros) – and reduce banks’ regulatory capital buffers by £5.7 billion. BoE Governor, Mark Carney, had earlier pledged to take “whatever action is needed” to support stability. The BoE promised to pump at least £250 billion into money markets if needed to prevent a damaging credit crunch. Analysts' perspectives Financial experts in Nigeria have expressed concern that Britain’s decision to leave the 28-nation EU could have a negative consequences on Nigerian economy considering its strong economic ties with Britain, as a member of the British Commonwealth. They warned that Brexit will create anxiety for Nigeria’s policy makers. Biodun Adedipe, Chief Consultant at B Adedipe & Associates, said decelerating British

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele economy could impact a drop in investment, trade, and also remittances from the Nigerian Diaspora who sent home over $20 billion in 2015. He made the point at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria Centre for Financial Studies (CIBNCFS), a subsidiary of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). Adedipe said bilateral trade between Nigeria and the UK, currently valued at £6 billion and projected to reach about £20 billion by 2020, could also be affected. In his view, the shrinking of the British economy could affect Nigeria’s foreign earnings with recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing that the UK was Nigeria’s largest

source of foreign investment in 2015. Proshare Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Femi Awoyemi, added that the rental income of Nigerians who own property in the UK will be lower in naira terms. But CBN Director Monetary Policy, Moses Tule, calmed frayed nerves, assuring that Brexit will not to lead to a global economic crisis and that Nigerian investors should not be worried. He said financial institutions are now more regulated, banks more capitalised, and the system more equipped to deal with the situation. Tule insisted that the crisis in the UK will not affect any Nigerian banks, including the ones with subsidiaries abroad.

Oando concludes $210m divestment in downstream

Tinubu By Kelechi Mgboji

Assistant Business Editor

month after Oando announced a N94.6 billion credit facility from a consortium of 10 financial

institutions, the oil firm has again announced a $210 million recapitalisation of its downstream operations. The $210 million investment by HV Investments II B.V. (HVI) will see a new company emerge to hold interests in Oando Marketing Limited, Oando Supply & Trading Limited, Apapa SPM Limited, and Oando Trippmart Limited. However, Oando Plc will retain 49 per cent shareholding in the newly formed corporate vehicle, with the Consortium owning 49 percent, while the residual two percent will be owned by a local entity. A statement by the oil marketing firm described HVI is a joint venture owned by Helios

Investment Partners (Helios), a premier Africa-focused private investment firm, and the Vitol Group (Vitol), the world’s largest independent trader of energy commodities. There have been growing concerns over the health of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) quoted company as a going concern, with huge debts threatening the company's fortunes and future. The indigenous energy group listed on both the Nigerian and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges, had reported a loss of N49.7 billion for the 12-month period ended December 31, 2015, after a loss of N145.7 billion in the prior financial results. The company also reported a loss before tax of N51 billion in 2015 compared with N138 billion in 2014. Further financial highlights indicated that revenue

decreased by 10 per cent to N381.7 billion compared to N425.7 billion recorded in 2014 while gross Profit increased by seven per cent to N77.7 billion compared to N72.3 billion in 2014. It had paid N6.2 million fines to the NSE for late submission of its 2014 financial statements, first and second quarter of 2015 financial statements. But there seems to be no end in the borrowing spree as the company keeps accumulating more loans after paying little of outstanding debts. Access Bank, Diamond Bank, Ecobank, First City Monument, Fidelity Bank, Keystone Bank, Stanbic IBTC, United Bank for Africa , Union Bank of Nigeria, and Zenith Bank had pooled the N94.6 billion five-year Medium Term Note (MTN) loan. Oando Group Chief

Executive Officer, Wale Tinubu, hailed it as a "successful completion of restructuring our overall debt profile" and the pivotal leg in restructuring growth plan. He explained that the new company will be renamed OVH Energy (OVH) to reflect its ownership structure and the commitment of its new shareholders, adding that the firm will be led by a local management team, tasked with building the business, safely and efficiently. In the new business structure, the initial board will comprise Tinubu, Group CEO as chairman; Christian Chammas, CEO of Vivo Energy which operates 1,600 service stations in 16 African countries; and other Vitol and Helios representatives. The current CEO, Yomi Awobokun, will continue in his role. The service stations will

retain the Oando brand. OVH’s assets will comprise over 350 service stations in Nigeria with supporting infrastructure, including 84,000 tonnes of storage and a newly built inbound logistics jetty; as well as complementary businesses, chiefly LPG filling and distribution, lubricants and an interest in a supply and bulk distribution company in Ghana. The new business will be the second largest downstream fuels company in Nigeria, with a market share of 12 per cent. Co-founder and Managing Partner of Helios Investment, Tope Lawani, said: “We look forward to leveraging Helios’ expertise in support of OVH’s management team, and to building another partnership with Vitol, with whom we created Vivo Energy, a leading pan-African downstream business.”

TheNiche July 10, 2016

Business Extra

www.thenicheng.com

China opens a new university every week •Overtakes U.S., EU nations

t is part of a silent revolution that is causing a huge shift in the composition of the world's population of graduates. For decades, the United States had the highest proportion of people going to university. They dominated the graduate market. Reflecting this former supremacy, among 55 to 64 year olds almost a third of all graduates in the world's major economies are U.S. citizens. But that is changing rapidly among younger generations. In terms of producing graduates, China has overtaken the U.S. and the combined university systems of European Union (EU) countries. The gap is going to become even wider. Even modest predictions see the number of 25 to 34-year-old graduates in China rising by a further 300 per cent by 2030, compared with an increase of around 30 per cent expected in Europe and the U.S. In the U.S., students have been struggling to afford university costs. In Europe, most countries have put a brake on expanding their universities by either not making public investments or not allowing universities to raise money themselves. But if the West has been sleeping, China and other Asian countries such as India have raced ahead. It isn't simply about bigger student numbers. Students in China and India are much more likely to study mathematics, sciences, computing and engineering – the subjects most relevant to innovation and technological advance. In 2013, 40 per cent of Chinese graduates completed their studies in a Stem (science, technology, engi-

neering and maths) subject – more than twice the share of U.S. graduates. So the graduates who are the cornerstone of economic prosperity in knowledgebased economies are increasingly disproportionately likely to come from China and India. By 2030, China and India could account for more than 60 per cent of the Stem graduates in major economies, compared with only 8 per cent in Europe and 4 per cent in the U.S. Countries like China and India are betting on the future with this. With such an increase in people in higher education, conventional wisdom might assume that the value of qualifications would suffer from "inflation". But this is not happening. In the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with the biggest increases in graduate numbers, most continue to see rising earnings. This suggests that an increase in "knowledge workers" does not lead to a decline in their pay, unlike the way that technological advancement and globalisation have pushed down the earnings of poorly-educated workers. In the past, OECD countries competed mostly with countries that offered lowskilled work at low wages. Today, countries like China and India are starting to deliver high skills at moderate cost. The West cannot compete by keeping the rest of the world out of their economic systems. There are plenty of examples of European countries that have stagnated over the past century by trying to do just that. The massive investment in education in Asia suggests competition through lower produc-

tion costs may be merely a transitional strategy for countries on their way to meeting the Western world at the top of the product range. The real challenge for Western countries is to prepare for future competition with Asian economies in the knowledge sector. Some raise doubts about the quality and relevance of the degrees earned in China. Indeed, there are still no direct measures that allow for a comparison of the learning outcomes of graduates across countries and universities. But China has shown the world that it is possible to simultaneously raise quantity and quality in schools. In the latest round of the OECD Pisa tests, the 10 per cent most disadvantaged 15-year-olds in Shanghai scored higher in mathematics than the 10 per cent most privileged 15-year-olds in the U.S. Perhaps tellingly, objections to the OECD's proposal for international comparisons between institutions of higher education did not come from Asia, but from countries like the United Kingdom and the U.S. Did they fear that their universities might not live up to their past reputations? China's rapid expansion in higher education shows the scale of the challenge for the West and shows the future might be indifferent to tradition and past reputations. It might be unforgiving of frailty and largely ignorant of assumptions about custom or practice. Success will go to those individuals, universities and countries that are swift to adapt, slow to complain and open to change. The task for governments will be to ensure that their countries rise to these challenges. • Culled from www.bbc. com

China has outstripped the U.S. and Europe in graduate numbers and the gap is growing wider. Image copyright Thinkstock.

China is moving from cheap production to an economy of high skills. Image copyright Getty Images.

Graduate numbers in the U.S. and Europe have been overtaken by China and India. Image copyright PA.

Students queue to take a college entrance exam in Wuhan. Image copyright AP.

Tsinghua University, founded over a century ago, now has many newly-opened competitors. Image copyright Thinkstock.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

www.thenicheng.com

Business Interview

‘Failure to involve surveyors leaves Nigeria planless’ Bern Akhigbe, national president of 80-year-old Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), stresses the need for the country to plan everything from constructing buildings and roads to farmlands and the population. He starts by telling Special Correspondent, DADA JACKSON, the enduring multiplier effects of failure to do so. Consequences planning

not

Do you know that if you go to Mushin or Surulere, you have Lagos? Mushin and Surulere were built during the old Western Region. What happened that after Mushin and Surulere we could not plan again? It was just political. Is it not an anachronism? In 1956 people could see that Surulere could be built, we should have road and everything planned; but as we were getting more money, we were becoming like people in the jungle. No more planning. Those things that we needed to do to plan, we just abandoned them. And the cardinal one is surveying. When you go to Abuja now, you would not imagine that we have the surveying profession again because it was a virgin land. When the surveyor tells the government what to do, the government would listen but along the line, nothing happens. When you have bad roads, have you bothered to think about what the surveyor could have done? In a good country, they will find out what the surveyors have done. The normal thing is that if you award a contract for the construction of a road, depending on the traffic that you want the road to carry, you will know the thickness of the asphalt. But what we do in this country is call a construction company that you want to make a road from point A to point B. Before the man goes to the field to know the terrain, he tells you the cost is N1.2 billion or N2.3 billion. How was he able to arrive

at that figure? He has not done anything. The same man, who is going to do the road, will be the same man that will do the survey. Whereas in developed countries what happens is, an independent person supervises the laying of the asphalt to ascertain the correctness of the job being done. I can reel out so many things that are being done to circumvent the job of the certified surveyor in Nigeria but nothing is being done to checkmate this atrocity. There is a strong mafia responsible for this development. So, these are the things that we surveyors are facing as a major challenge. We are talking of population, for example; you say you don’t have a good population figure, how can you have a good population figure when you don’t know the place you are occupying.

Getting it right In developed climes, there is what is called cadastral survey. When you look at the cadastral, you say look this is the area where you can only plant oranges because we know that orange will do well here. And if you want to site an industry there, you would say this industry will require water, so do we have a body of water around this area so that the industry can thrive? You can only determine this through the cadastral survey that have been done. So, you can see that we have gone wrong for such a long time. We cannot continue that way. This is one of the things we want to bring to the fore so that people will be

able to ask relevant questions.

Indiscriminate approval given by planning authorities If there is going to be physical development let us involve the surveyor in every aspect of the planning. It is not to put money in the pocket of the surveyor, no, but for the benefit of the country. There is the need to ensure that anybody who wants to engage in any form of construction subjects his or her building plans for approval by the relevant planning authority. The indiscriminate approval being given by planning authorities is also responsible to a large extent for the incessant building collapse in the country. There is also the need for the relevant authorities to monitor on-going projects in order to avoid collapse. The use of inferior and substandard building materials is another factor responsible for incessant building collapse.

100 years of surveying in Nigeria The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors is 80 years old. Surveying itself has existed in this country for more than 100 years. There was surveying being done in this territory that make up Nigeria before it became one entity. So, as we are celebrating our 80 years as an institution, we want to launch a book later in the year, a compendium of information that gives a detail of what the surveying profession has been doing, the stages it has gone through.

Akhigbe We would need the media to be a part of this epoch making event. We want to identify the mistakes that we have made as a body and let the public know that these mistakes were not deliberate.

Not making a lot of noise to highlight your activities I agree with you that the surveyor is not making enough noise because the environment has not permitted us to make the desired noise. The surveyor you know is the man on the street. When you want to survey a plot of land, you call him. As an association, we don’t recognise such a person as a surveyor; the institution is doing something concerning that. So, the country has to recognise that there is need to use professionals at the appropriate time. Our problem now is number one, we want to call on the government to use professionals appropriately. Over

the years, the surveyors and the town planners have been abused. For example, you cannot carry out a town planning work if there is no survey. The man has to know the area he wants to plan. The man has to know whether there is a hill, whether there is a gully before he plans. A situation where he just plans, he is planning in vain. The reason why I say that the town planners too have been abused is that sometimes the government doesn’t take advice from them. So; it is a very serious matter. There is a basic law in this country which is very important; the Surveying Act of 1962. Do you know the last time mapping was done in the country? Except for Lagos, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers State that have done their mapping, all other states have not done any mapping. Before that time, the map we were using was the one of 1956 or so. The Nigerian Institution

of Surveyors is an unbiased body, we are not an employer of anybody, just like human rights people. The institution does not have a representative in any of the organs of government such as the National Boundary Commission, the Maritime Authority.

Battle for supremacy among the seven built professional bodies I won’t subscribe to the notion that there is a supremacy battle among professionals in the built environment. There is no rancour among the professionals in the construction industry. However, to stem the tide of any unforeseen rivalry, we need to appoint a project manager where more than one professional is involved in a project. The role of the project manager is to delegate functions appropriately. In a nutshell, it is a wrong impression that there is a supremacy “war’’ among the seven professional bodies in the built environment.

Hospitality industry union warns against illegal recruitment agencies

he Hotel and Personal Services Senior Staff Association (HAPSSSA) has alerted the Ministry of Labour and Employment to deregister recruitment agencies in the hospitality industry. HAPSSSA said unlicensed hotel owners’ associations in Abuja, Ogun and Edo States operate as labour centres and deny workers their rights of

freedom of association. A communique HAPSSSA issued at the end of its National Executive Council meeting in Lagos also urged the ministry to urgently address the alarming rate at which expatriates are holding the position of human resources managers in the hospitality industry. The communique “called on the Minister of Labour and Employment to address the springing up of unregistered

and unrecognised associations that are performing the functions of labour centres, notably the hotel owners’ association in Abuja, Ogun and Edo States who prevent their workforces from exercising their rights as entrenched in the Constitution. “The influx of so-called expatriates into the hotel and catering business is at an alarming rate. “Surprisingly, foreigners are

becoming human resources managers/directors in Nigeria as in the case of the Federal Palace Hotel and Casino, Lagos. This development should not be tolerated as it persists even with the notification of relevant agencies.” The communique was signed by HAPSSSA National President, Adeyemi Ademola; acting General Secretary, Gbenga Isola; and National Publicity Secretary, Ahmed

Bala. It criticised the federal government for neglecting the hospitality industry, the associations, and the tourism board. It urged the government to classify hotels in order to offer maximum service to tourists. “The federal government should, as a matter of urgency, set up a commission, inclusive of relevant stakeholders saddled with the responsibil-

ity of classifying hotels within the country, as hotel owners constantly rate themselves higher than their standard and end up disappointing tourists ….“The federal government [should] declare a state of emergency as regards the unemployment prevalence in the country and as such devise a means of addressing it urgently.”

TheNiche July 10, 2016

www.thenicheng.com

Maritime

Lagos Port access, worst road in Nigeria • As tricycle taxi operators take over route

Stories by Foster Obi

Motoring/Maritime Editor

aritime stakeholders are lamenting that the stretch of road from Coconut through Tin Can to Apapa Wharf, Lagos is the worst in the country. Those who spoke to TheNiche include freight forwarders, importers, Custom officers, and agents. Chukwumalu Emeka, a freight forwarder said being the gateway to the economy, the port deserves better access road. “This is the road that takes heavy-duty vehicles more than any road in the country, yet it is not given the right attention. A road like that needs regular maintenance, it is not a road you do once and abandon it”, he argued. Osita Chukwu, the president of Save Nigeria Freight

Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), said the government should be more imaginative in handling the road to avoid giving the country a negative name tag among the comity of nations. David Pius of Uburu Maritime added that the road had remained that way because of the insincerity of those at the seat of power. He said because of corruption and needless politicking, the port access road has been left uncared for while leaving port users stranded for hours because of traffic gridlock. A Customs officer who spoke in anonymity said: “This is the worst road to any port in the world even in smaller African countries.” He urged the government to take more than passing interest on the road as regular traffic gridlock scares away investors who are time conscious. “The stretch of road we are

talking about is not that long. This is the gateway to the nation’s economy. “The government officials are siphoning billions of naira into private accounts yet this road that could help transform the economy is forgotten. “It shows we are not getting our priorities right and have become a laughing stock in the world,” he lamented. For years, no vehicle goes beyond Coconut except Tin Can and Ro-Ro Ports-bound trucks, which on a good day spend at least one and half days from that point before getting into the port. “This is the cruel fate of those who must do business along this corridor that one either treks the long distance already made horrible by the fumes coming from the exhaust pipes of the trucks and stirred dust, or less harmfully bathes in the dirty pools of water on both sides of the road during the rainy season,” an

observer declared. Analysts are not surprised that tricycle taxi (Marwa) operators have taken over the route since vehicles are not able to gain access. “Expectedly, and with some disguised relief, commercial cyclists mushroomed along this corridor. “Their numbers, particularly at rush hours, will conveniently compete with that of stirred bees ready to sting all in a mad rush to make a quick return. “But they also provide invaluable, incontestable and monopolistic service. “The number of operators had surged sharply following the onslaught of the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram, which rampaged through the North East, killing many in sight and harvesting others in its failed bid to establish an envisaged Islamic caliphate”, an analyst noted. They want a more inclu-

Port acess road, Apapa sive Schedule II of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law, which banned commercial motorcycles and tricycles from the highways as re-introduced by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Passed into law in 2012, Fashola had challenged those supporting the unregulated

operation of motorcycle taxi (Okada) riders to take a trip to hospitals and medical emergency centres to see the havoc caused by the Okada riders. He argued that the new traffic law entailed quality life for everyone, the protection of every residents’ assets and businesses.

Peterside wants action on maritime NCS optimistic about

igerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director General, Dakuku Peterside, wants action taken to realise the vast potentials of the maritime sector instead of harping on rhetorics. Peterside reiterated that maritime is the second largest income earner for Nigeria after oil and gas, and it is time the country began to benefit from the industry in terms of employment creation, wealth generation, and government revenue. He called for the integration

of the maritime industry into economic development agenda saying it is a prerequisite for harnessing the vast opportunities in the sector. His words: “We are perhaps the only country in the world that only foreign flagged vessels lift our crude to the international market. We do not have a single Nigerian flagged vessel that lifts our crude. “Our ferry services are also underdeveloped and there are vast opportunities for ship building leveraging on the Cabotage Act.” Peterside said the multiplier effect of Nigerian vessels with

Nigerian crew lifting Nigeria’s crude oil can better be imagined given the cost of freight and the wages of seafarers. On allegation of corruption in maritime, he said it was not limited to the industry but expressed confidence in the ability of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to tackle it. While noting that human contact in any payment system is a foundation for corruption, he explained that NIMASA was automating its processes and systems to eliminate human contact and engender efficiency

and eliminate leakages. “We noticed over time that corruption in NIMASA was propagated through external influences as such we are reforming our people, putting them through a re-orientation process, making them understand that the little things we do in NIMASA affect our global perception.” Peterside said comparatively, Nigerian ports are better positioned and more viable than her other African counterparts if the necessary funding is injected into the maritime sector to develop the infrastructure.

Lagos explains plans for safer water transportation

agos State Government has emphasised its commitment to sanitise the water transportation system to ensure improved, efficient and safe movement of people and goods on the waterways. Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) Managing Director, Abisola Kamson, said the government has embarked on stock taking and repositioning to sanitise its waterways, prevent accidents and loss of lives. She reiterated that the current operations on the waterways does not conform to international standards, and the state government intends to reposition the system, which means the process is not limited to private sector operators. She added: “Whereas in the quest to sanitise the waterways, government has taken giant steps to start from its

home front. “It has ordered the Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRIES) whose current fleet is not considered water worthy to dispense of them, and prepare to comply with new guidelines and standards as issued jointly by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the LASWA. “Implicitly, the sanitisation and reorganisation going on in the water transportation subsector is not limited to private operators alone. It is a cleansing that is aimed at ensuring the total safety of our people. “Jetties, terminal, ferries and other water related infrastructure that is not worthy would not be allowed. The [Governor Akinwunmi] Ambode’s vision of a new prosperous Lagos is to pursue first class agenda and give Lagosians world class standards.” Kamson, however, expressed concern that some

Lagos waterways private operators on the waterways had misconstrued the moves by the state government as a ploy to harass them out of business and had been peddling falsehood, claims, and counter claims in the media. The government has a master plan which has identified 30 routes for channellisation, dredging, lighting, and demarcation for water transportation.

The routes include BadoreFive Cowries, Badore-Ijede, Baiyeku-Ajah, Baiyeku-Langbasa, Ebute Ojo-Marina, IjedeMarina/CMS, Ikorodu-Falomo, Mile 2-Marina, OworonsokiFive Cowries, IkoroduOworonshoki, Marina/CMSOworonshoki-Ebute Ero. Kamson said the jetties also require upgrade, modernisation and addition of new constriction.

NSC seeks revival of national carrier

igerian Shippers Council (NSC) Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Hassan Bello, says revival of a national shipping carrier is key to economic growth. The Nigerian National Ship-

ping Line (NNSL) was liquidated in 1995 by the regime of the late Head of State, Sanni Abacha. “We cannot pretend to be a maritime nation without a flagship. We are trading all over the world as far as Asia but this

is the time for us to have our own ships,” Bello said. The proposed national carrier will be led by the private sector. “We want full automation of our ports and we want trade facilitation, single window,

cargo tracking note and we want to restore the pride of Nigeria as far as shipping is concerned. “We will work toward making Nigeria the hub of the subregion in shipping.”

port revenue target

in Can Island Port Apapa is one of the two high performance ports in

Nigeria. It is highly rated globally because of the volume of imports that pass through the port as well as system automation that encourages ease of doing business. Most importers naturally prefer to use the port to any other in the country. For some months the story has taken a new turn following the situation of the Nigerian economy that has left importers emasculated and ship rudderless. There are hardly imports because of the foreign exchange (forex) policy of the government and this has affected revenue at the port. Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Public Relations Officer, Port Command, Chris Osunkwo, explained that the restriction of access to forex to 41 items affect imports, as about 30 per cent of Customs revenue come from importation of these items. He said while the command was achieving a target of between N25 billion and N30 billion monthly revenue from imports, it dropped to between N15 billion and N16 billion. “With the restriction about 30 per cent of Customs revenue was shoved aside so naturally the bulk of revenue will go down,” Osunkwo added. However, the liberalisation of access to forex by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may turn things

around. “This is what the federal government should have done about a year ago,” he stressed, adding that instead of outright restriction, allowing market forces at play would help decide the market. In his view, the liberalisation of the forex market may change the tempo of imports which would in turn impact on the revenue profile of the command. He also said if the tempo remains favourable, then there is a possibility that the 2016 revenue target of the command will be achieved. “The revenue is achievable but there are factors that will encourage us to make it work. We need support from the federal government fiscal policy. “As the government is revisiting and reviewing the restriction of access to foreign exchange to this 41 items, it will help unlock the 30 per cent revenue that was affected by the restriction.” Osunkwo insisted that the revenue target is achievable with “hard work, dedicated and right leadership as well as constant and sustained blockage of suspected avenues of revenue leakages at the ports. “We have a leader who is focussed on getting it right.” On infrastructure at the ports, he said, “dilapidation is the word. There is wear and tear, the scanners are not working, the offices are leaking, the buildings housing the Customs offices are in bad shape.”

M toring

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TheNiche July 10, 2016

Carmagedeon By Jonas Agwu 0805 316 6400 jonasagwu65@yahoo.com

Honda Civic is turbocharged, Saints or sinners (1) S spacious By Foster Obi Motoring/Maritime Editor

ritics think that the former generation Honda Civic (2011-2015) got some not so good early reviews leading to a virtually unprecedented second-year upgrade. Although that emergency surgery made the Civic more competitive, it failed to restore the car's class-leading status. With rivals improving by leaps and bounds, the Civic was not that popular that period. But the 2016 Honda Civic is better repositioned. You might think of the 2016 Honda Civic as a small, relatively inexpensive car for buyers on a budget, but this little Honda is so much more than that. This new Civic has daring looks, turbocharged power and a spacious, technology-rich interior for you and your friends or even a few kids. The car is a roomy cabin filled with high-quality materials; lots of trunk space for all your gear; ride and handling expertly balanced between comfort and athleticism; excellent fuel economy and performance from turbocharged 1.5-litre engine; numerous available advanced technology and safety features. However, touchscreen interface is a bit confusing and slow to respond to inputs; depend-

ing on the tech you want, the Civic can be pricey: slow-responding adaptive cruise control and overly vigilant forward collision warning safety system are tiresome. It is worthy of note that the 2016 Honda Civic is fully redesigned. Like the best Civics of yore, the new one feels sporty and fun when you're driving it on winding back roads. Unlike its predecessors, however, it's fairly quiet inside at speed, and its ride is more compliant than ever. We generally take boasts like Honda's "best-in-class interior volume" with a grain of salt, but in the new Civic's case, it translates into so much rear passenger. The interior design and materials are laudable, too, approaching Acura-grade refinement in the top Touring model. But a consumer has his own opinion of the car. “The problem with this car is in the centre, software driven console. I have had to learn how to pull the fuse in my Civic, because every 30 days there is a problem. “I have had my car since January, and I have had it to the dealer twice, and I have reset the radio twice. The car is sitting in my garage right now with a rattle in the subwoofer and an audio deck that won't turn off. “I have had the car's software updated in accordance with the

Maintenance tips aking care of your car

the used oil properly.

If you love your car as much as you should, you'll need to take care of it to make it work for you. Here are a few basic maintenance and cleaning tips to keep your car in good shape.

Check all the fluids

Preventive maintenance pays off A trained, qualified mechanic with the expertise and equipment to do the job correctly should perform most of the maintenance on your car. You also should pay attention to what's going on under the hood. The owner's manual for your car will provide you with a maintenance schedule for your specific make and model. Additionally, you can do the following simple checks and procedures to help prevent problems - and extend the life of your vehicle: Change the oil and oil filter regularly The owner's manual for your car will specify exactly how often you should do this, but a good rule of thumb is to change them every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. If you change the oil and filter yourself, be sure to dispose of

This includes brake, power steering, transmission, transaxle, windshield washer and antifreeze fluids. Your owner's manual will tell you how to check these. Check the air pressure level in your tyres at least once a month. Your owner's manual should specify the ideal air pressure for your particular tyre. Make sure all your lights work This includes headlights, turn signals, brake lights and taillights. Replace the windshield wiper blades periodically. If your wiper blades are cracked or torn, or if they begin to streak, it's time to replace them. Inspect the engine belts They should not have cracks or missing segments. Check the air filter The filter should be clean, not clogged or damaged.

issued TSB, no relief. “Dealer just has the stupid look on their face every time I take it back. I am actually thinking about selling the car-it only has 2,000 kilometres on it. “The aggravation is not worth it. The Adaptive Cruise

Control works, but is somewhat slow to respond. The rain sensing wipers work in name only. In general the worst car I have ever owned. “I can't imagine keeping this for five years. Disappointing at best.”

he was the third and only girl child in a family of six. Cute, humble, brilliant and athletic, ebony black Cynthia was the darling of the family especially the late father whose bonding with Cynthia was cemented when at the early age of 50; he was diagnosed with a deadly ailment that kept him bedridden for over 10 months in the hospital. For 10 months, Cynthia who had earlier lost the mother in a road traffic crash which claimed the lives of over 10 passengers was the wife, mother, nurse and the prayer warrior whose soothing voice woke other patients as she daily sought for heavens divine intervention for her father and other patients whose predication only needed a touch from above. Despite her tender age of 18 years when the father took ill, she played the script professionally as if she was destined for that role. Her faith played out well as her father after a couple of months miraculously got healed and was discharged alongside some other patients who nicknamed themselves ‘landlords ‘because of their long stay in the hospital. Barely 12 months after, was Cynthia’s joy short-lived when she lost her father in a bizarre circumstance. Now an orphan, she struggled, selling and buying in addition to doing odd jobs such as working as nanny to different families at different time. It was in the course of this life struggle that heaven smiled on her when a Christian family took interest and offered to bring her in as a step daughter, promising to provide for her what she lost through the death of her parents including sponsorship for her education. It was this promise that paved the way for Cynthia who was admitted to one of the famous state universities to study for a degree in law. From the first year, she shone like the star that she is emerging best overall student both in her first and second year. In her third year, however, tragedy struck as Cynthia who was in a company of two other colleagues was about crossing the road when a patrol vehicle belonging to one of the security agencies knocked her down and killed her on the spot. Cynthia is not the first as many others have either sustain various degrees of injuries, or lost their lives in similar circumstances while others have remained crippled. One way driving or wrongway driving (WWD) is defined by Wikipedia as the act of driving a motor vehicle against the direction of traffic. It can occur on either one- or two-way roads (in the latter case, arising from driving on the wrong side of the road), as well as in parking lots and parking garages, and may be due to driver inattention or impairment, or because of insufficient or confusing road markings or signage, or a driver from a right-hand traffic country being unaccustomed to driving in a left-hand traffic country, and vice versa. People intentionally drive in the wrong direction because they missed an exit, for thrill-seeking, as a suicide attempt, or as a shortcut. On a divided highway, especially freeway, WWD is a serious problem because of the high speeds usually involved, since the result is more likely a head-on collision. In the United States, about 355 people are killed each year in crashes caused by drivers headed in the wrong direction on the highway.

Given an average of 265 fatal WWD crashes, 1.34 fatalities per WWD fatal crash can be calculated. The significance of these kind of crashes is corroborated when this number is compared to the fatalities per fatal crash rate of 1.10 for all other crash types, which translates to 24 more fatalities per 100 fatal crashes for WWD crashes than for fatal crashes in general. Most drivers who enter a divided highway or ramp in the wrong direction correct themselves by turning around. Depending on the jurisdiction, WWD is a punishable offence.

Efforts to reduce wrong-way driving One of the aims of highway engineering is to reduce wrong-way driving. This topic of safety has gained renewed attention in the recent years in the United States. In doing so, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a special investigation report about wrong-way driving in which relevant safety countermeasures to prevent wrong-way collisions on high-speed, divided highways are identified. One important part of this report is Section 4 which provides recommendations for different agencies, including Federal Highway Administration and NHTSA, to address wrong-way collisions.

WWD guidebook In May 2014, ICT and IDOT published Guidelines for Reducing Wrong-Way Crashes on Freeways. The researchers compiled the guidebook by reviewing previous studies, assessing current practices, and examining national and state design standards and manuals that pertain to WWD. The research team also obtained significant information from the National Wrong-Way Driving Summit hosted by IDOT and SUIE as part of this project in July 2013.

Overview of WWD fatal crashes in U.S. In August 2014, Institute of Transportation Engineers published a paper to provide an overview of the general trend of WWD fatal crashes in the United States; discuss general characteristics of WWD fatal crashes; and delineate significant contributing factors. The researchers found an average of 269 fatal crashes resulting in 359 deaths occurred annually in the United States during an eightyear period covering the years 2004 through 2011. It was found that Texas, California, and Florida account for the highest number of WWD fatal crashes and fatalities and represent almost one-third of the national totals.

ATSSA's executive summary on WWD The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) in February 2014 published a document titled "Emerging Safety Countermeasures for Wrong-way Driving" that was developed in the framework of an executive summary of various case studies that aim at providing transportation practitioners with a good understanding of WWD incidents and emerging safety countermeasures. • Continues in the next edition.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Tourism/Aviation

Gabon wants to save its forest elephants to lure tourists • British soldiers arrive to help fight elephant poaching • Tourism can reduce economy's dependence on aging oil fields

abon’s Ali B o n g o Ondimba wants the world to know he’s serious about wildlife conservation. The president of the densely forested Central African nation made his private helicopter available so that United States Trade Representative, Michael Froman, could see forest elephants and even a rare pangolin in one of the nation’s flagship state parks, the Wonga Wongue Reserve. Bongo is hoping to use the country’s wildlife sanctuaries to build a tourism industry. Froman, who visited Gabon to speak about trade between the U.S. and Africa, said the U.S. is committed to curbing Asian demand for poached ivory. His tour of the nature reserve highlighted a push by Bongo to step up conservation efforts in a country that’s home to 70 per cent of Central Africa’s remaining forest elephants. In September 2015, Bongo invited 12 British soldiers to teach park rangers in the northeastern Minkebe National Park surveillance techniques to stop poachers, Omer Ntougou, the spokesman of the National Parks Agency, said. In 2014, the U.S. Pentagon provided basic patrol and riverine training to a specialised law enforcement unit in Gabon with responsibility for protecting the country’s national parks, spokeswoman Army Lieutenant Colonel Valerie Henderson said in an e-mailed statement. Bongo wants to attract ecotourists to Gabon’s tropical forests to reduce the country’s dependence on oil. Crude from its aging oil

Ondimba. Photographer: Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images

MAP: Gabon fields accounts for about 80 per cent of export revenue, and the government is struggling with an almost 50 per cent slump in crude prices in the past year. Gabon will probably cut spending and adjust its budget because of the decline, Minister of Energy, Desire Guedon, said. Gabon is the only country in the region that has managed to reverse the decline of elephant populations in some national parks, according to Michael Fay, an American conservationist who has helped create a wildlife protection strategy for Africa’s

least densely populated nation. Tougher stance “Gabon has taken a tougher stance on wildlife issues, especially illegal wildlife trade,” Fay, who serves as a presidential adviser, told reporters. Rangers in Wonga Wongue haven’t found any poached elephant carcasses in almost a year, he said. Central Africa’s forest elephants are being decimated by poachers, who are cashing in on high Asian demand for ivory. More than 85 per cent of

ivory from forest elephants seized worldwide between 2006 and 2014 has been traced to a vast forest spanning parts of Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Gabon, according to a University of Washington study. Nearby war-torn Central African Republic is the scene of rampant poaching as combatants trade illicit ivory for arms and fuel, according to Enough Project, a rights group based in Washington. The government has signed partnerships to protect wildlife with oil and logging companies, including the China Petroleum &

Chemical Corp., which is known as Sinopec and operates in the Wonga Wongue Reserve, said Fay. In 2002, Fay persuaded Bongo’s father, Omar Bongo, to create 13 national parks in areas that Fay had identified as important wildlife habitats. Bongo ruled the country for 41 years until his death in 2009. Oil partners “At first, many companies were reluctant to engage with us, but the government has been helpful in setting new standards and enforcing them,” said Fay. Critics, including Marc Essangui, are skeptical about the government’s intentions. Essangui heads the nongovernmental organisation, Brainforest, whose protests

against a Chinese mining project led to its suspension in 2007. “The Bongos plundered our country and are even in the process of selling our ancestral forests,” he said in speech at the Oslo Freedom Forum in Norway last year. In 2014, Gabon banned commercial fishing in almost a quarter of its territorial waters. The ban covers 18,000 square miles (29,000 square kilometres) and is meant to protect 20 species of whales and dolphins, as well as the world’s largest breeding population of leatherback turtles. Gabon is “a bright spot in the fight against wildlife trafficking,” Froman said on his website. • Culled from www.bloomberg.com

Face-veil ban may be next threat to beleaguered Swiss tourism • Ticino voters approved ban on face-hiding clothing in 2013 • Swiss hotels already facing headwinds due to strong franc

A proposal to prohibit face-covering veils could become another setback for Swiss hoteliers already contending with an overvalued currency. The strength of the franc against the euro has forced the country’s tourism industry to look to China and the Middle East instead of its traditional visitors from Europe. Making it illegal to cover one’s face in public, as voters in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino decided three years ago, would make it tougher for the sector to attract the big spending Gulf visitors it needs to offset a decline in guests from countries such as Germany, its industry chief said. “Arab countries are an increasingly important market for us,” said Andreas Zuellig, president of the Hotellerie Suisse association. A ban “doesn’t really enhance our image of hospitality,” he

added. In Switzerland, the number of overnight stays by guests from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates almost doubled to 725,000 between 2011 and 2014. Ticino, the southernmost canton, followed France in banning covering one’s face in public. Last year, Walter Wobmann, a lawmaker from the anti-immigrant Swiss People’s Party that in 2009 successfully pushed through a national referendum banning construction of mosque minarets, said he would start collecting signatures for similar a measure, arguing that “no free person covers his face.” In France, women in veils with their face covered risk a fine of 150 euros ($171). While Ticino still is working on a law to implement the referendum, a com-

mittee of parliamentarians in Switzerland’s Lower House last year voted for a comparable national rule, which would apply not only to Muslim women but also to soccer hooligans and demonstrators, according to Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. Popular initiatives are a key feature of Switzerland’s direct democracy, and 100,000 valid signatures are needed to trigger a national vote. Recent plebiscites – including one limiting construction of vacation homes and another to restrict immigration from the neighboring European Union, which local businesses say is essential for obtaining enough skilled workers – are now threatening to the country’s image and economy, Zuellig said. “It is a dangerous development for tourism in Switzerland,” he warned. • Culled from www.bloomberg.com

Tourists in Switzerland

FOOTBALL

TheNiche July 10, 2016

ATHLETICS

TENNIS

FLASHBACK

SPORTS

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a.bada@thenicheng.com

FOOTBALL Football

FOOTBALL

PAGE 61

Ayo Bada Senior Correspondent 0805 410 3980, 0803 332 2615 ayobad@yahoo.com a.bada@thenicheng.com

BASKETBALL

PAGE 63

Aliyu urges Enyimba to maintain form

Liverpool accepts Bournemouth’s bid for Ibe

Forget Iwobi, support Dream Team for Rio, Siasia pleads Iwobi has scored two goals in 21 appearances for Arsenal

igeria's Under-23 Coach, Samson Siasia, says he understands why Arsenal have blocked Alex Iwobi from playing for his country at the Rio

Olympics. The 20-year-old was named in the 35man provisional squad last week having expressed his desire to play in Brazil. With the football due to start on August 3 it would mean Iwobi missing the start of the Premier League season. "I've no problem with a boy I love like a son for missing out," Siasia told BBC Sport from the USA. "I think some people in the media just love to sensationalise and fabricate stuff."

Siasia said Iwobi, who secured a first team spot for Arsenal towards the end of the season, may have had his Olympics dreams shattered but must look on the brighter side. "He's a smart, passionate, enthusiastic and dedicated boy but the fact that it's not a FIFA tournament Arsenal are within their rights to stop him. "Alex has a chance to establish himself in the Arsenal first team and if he could manage that this season then it will outweigh the potential gold medal. "His father [Chuka Iwobi] has made strong efforts, the boy has done his bit as well to be with us but Arsenal pays his wages and makes the calls. "His progress and success at club level will only benefit Nigeria ahead of

the World Cup qualifiers, I want people to lay off Alex and rally support for the team in Rio. Alex Iwobi's agent, Emeka Obasi admits the player would have benefited immensely from his involvement in this summer's Olympics but there will be another chance in the future. "We held talks with Arsenal to see if it would be possible but in the end the decision has been made and we just have to move on from it," Obasi told BBC Sport. "Of course I think Alex would have gained a lot from a competition where the likes of FC Barcelona's Neymar want to play in. I'm sure the standard will be high and as I said Alex was keen to go, but it's not his decision to make.

"I'm sure there will be another opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Olympics in future." Nigeria, who have been drawn in Group B of the Rio Games alongside Sweden, Colombia and Japan, boast a proud Olympics record. They made Olympic football history in 1996 by becoming the first African team to win the gold medal. Nigeria also finished runners-up at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Siasia also led the 'Dream Team' in China. The Dream Team will play its first match in Rio against Japan on August 4 in Manaus and Sweden next on August 7 also in Manaus before taking on Colombia on August 10 in Sao Paulo.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Athletics Ogba cries out for funds for Olympics

thletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) President, Solomon Ogba, has expressed fear over Federal Government's reluctance in releasing funds for the Rio Olympics few days to the Games. He said: "We have not been in this situation in the past. No athlete should be blamed if anything goes wrong. We have not had good coordinated preparations in terms of camping.

Golf

olin Montgomerie has criticised the elite golfers who have withdrawn from the Rio Olympic Games. The Scot bemoaned the absence of Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott all top-eight players in the world - plus a dozen others who have ruled themselves out, citing the Zika virus. "First time we're back in the Olympics since 1904 and we don't show up," said former Ryder Cup captain Montgomerie. "It's a shame that a number of top players have decided not to go." The Zika virus is mosquito-borne and has been linked to defects in newborn babies. "If there was as many ladies not going, you might have thought that was OK," Montgomerie continued. "One lady has pulled out. There you go. How many men? It's disappointing." Henrik Stenson offered some levity on the subject and goodness knows it was needed. Golf in the Olympics has become the touchiest topic. As one stellar name after another - seven major winners and counting - withdraw from the Games by way of earnest lines about the Zika virus and the damage it might do to their unborn child, Stenson spoke with humour on the whole wretched business while on duty at the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart. "It's the only time when it's a competitive advantage to be 40-plus," said the 40-yearold world number six. "I'm

“Some of the athletes have tried to qualify for the Olympics, it's now government's turn to release funds to have the kind of performance Nigerians would be proud of." Ogba said the team that went to Africa Senior Athletics Championship in Durban tried their best in view of skeletal preparations they had. Nigeria's Olympic football team arrived Atlanta, United States without money. We learnt that they are there on borrowed money.

Nigeria's senior male basketball team also arrived Los Angeles, United to begin training for the Olympics without money. The home-based players among them have not joined because of lack of money. They are playing a tournament in China courtesy of a sponsor and are not sure of going to Rio after training because the sports ministry has no answer as to where to get money to take Team Nigeria to Brazil.

Ogba

Montgomerie criticises golfers’ withdrawals from Rio done with the bambino thing. "I've got three kids at home and I'm not looking to have any more. I might be in a different situation [to other players], but the Zika virus is not a concern of mine. "It's the one good thing about being 40 and being done with the baby boom." Golf needed Stenson to talk up the Games. Patrick Reed, the American, weighed in too. "Any time I can wear the Stars and Stripes, I do it," said Reed. "If I get the call tomorrow, I'll be on the flight. "It doesn't matter where it is, when it is. If I can play for my country, I'm going to play. "I've talked to Justine [his wife, a registered nurse] and she looks at it the same way. We have our little baby girl and so we've already started our family. It's risk-reward. I've always dreamed about being able to play for a gold medal." This is thorny stuff for golf. Phil Mickelson spoke about it all on Wednesday as well. It was only a one-word answer, but given the nature of the question and the man who it answered it, it was telling nonetheless. Asked if he was concerned about golf's future participation in the Olympic Games, he replied: "Probably." Mickelson made it clear that, if only his form was good enough and his ranking high enough, he'd be honoured to represent his country. He's too far out of the reckoning for that, but in Mickelson's demeanour, and in the demeanour of others such as Montgomerie, you sensed a disappointment and a worry about the

absence from Rio of some of the game's most stellar names, among them three of the world's top-eight players and three more in the top 20 - Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen and Hideki Mat-

Montgomerie

suyama. So far, 15 male players have ruled themselves out of the Games. Major winners Graeme McDowell, Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel are also on the list.

Englishman Andy Sullivan, the world number 40, is the latest to make the call. Sullivan, like others on the list, would have not have made his national team, but his announcement adds to the

air of negativity around the Games nonetheless. By contrast only one female player has withdrawn – Lee-Ann Pace, the world number 37 from South Africa.

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Football

Aliyu urges Enyimba to maintain form

azaq Aliyu has called on his Enyimba teammates to maintain their form when they face Heartland FC at the Dan Anyiam Stadium today, Sunday, July 10. The Aba outfit are currently fourth in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) table following two consecutive wins. "We have to build on that and make sure that in Owerri we keep doing the things we are doing. "It's a still a long way from now till the end of the season, there is a long run of games to be played, and hopefully we

can do well in them." Enyimba will take on their Oriental rivals Heartland at the Dan Anyiam Stadium on Sunday. But while the team is currently doing well in the local league, the reverse is the case in Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League. In its first match in the money-spinning lucrative Champions League, Enyimba lost to Zamalek FC of Egypt 1-0 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka International Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. It went to Johannesburg and slumped to Sundowns Mamelodi FC 2-1 in its second match.

Enyimba players

LMC shortlists 35 players for the NPFL All Stars

NPFL players in action in the ongoing season

he League Management Company (LMC) has released the names of 35 players shortlisted for further screening to make up the 22 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) All Stars squad for the NPFL-LaLiga Tour in August. There are four goalkeepers, eight defenders, three defensive midfielders, seven central midfielders, seven wingers, and six centre forwards. Goalkeepers: Emeka Nwabulu of Wikki Tourists, Enyimba's Theophilus Afelokhai, Ikechukwu Ezenwa who recently joined FC IfeanyIubah from Sunshine Stars, and Okiemute Odah of Lobi Stars. Defenders: Rangers' Matthew Etim, Ifeanyi Nweke of Nasarawa United, Chima Akas of Enyimba, Gabriel Wassa of Niger Tornadoes, and Enyimba's captain, Chinedu Udoji, Austin

NFF adopts FIFA Domestic Transfer Matching Systems

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) becomes the first FIFA member body in Africa to implement the Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS). The DTMS online platform, which includes league access, will allow the NFF and the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) to manage its international and domestic transfers via one system. It is modelled on the International Transfer Matching System (ITMS), which is provided to 211 member Associations (Mas) and 6,500 clubs around the world for the cross-border transfer of players. The system will provide the NFF and its clubs throughout Nigeria the ability to manage national and international transfers on one platform, generate transfer activity reports and have greater monitoring levels to enhance transparency and governance. Additional MAs from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are expected to implement the DTMS later this year. The NFF’s adhesion to the system was facilitated by the custodians of the NPFL, the League Management Company (LMC). FIFA TMS developed the DTMS system in response to demand from MAs and clubs for a domestic transfer system based on Chairman, Nigeria Football Federation ITMS.

(NFF) Technical Committee, Chris Green

Obaroakpo of Abia Warriors, Kano Pillars' Jamiu Alimi, and Emmanuel Ariwa of Akwa United. Defensive midfielders: former U-20 star, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi of MFM, Dare Ojo of Enyimba, and Dayo Ojo of Sunshine Stars. Central midfielders: Obinna Nwobodo of Rangers International, Otun Fawaz of Shooting Stars, Kano Pillars' Rabiu Ali, Ibrahim Alhassan of Wikki Tourists, Ifeanyi Matthew of Kano Pillars, Frederick Obomate of Rivers United, and Charles Henlong of Wikki Tourists. Wingers: Heartland's Emeka Ogbugh, Sikiru Olatubosun of MFM, Chisom Egbuchulam of Rangers, Ezekiel Bassey of Enyimba International, Shadrach Oghali of Warri Wolves, Bashir Abdulrahman of Nasarawa United, and Bata Mohammed of ElKanemi Warriors. Forwards: Wikki Tourists’ Godwin

Obaje, FC Ifeanyi Ubah's Ismaila Gata, Anthony Okpotu of Lobi Stars, Ibrahim Mustapha of El- Kanemi Warriors, Abiye Moses of Ikorodu United, and Stephen Odey of MFM. A letter signed by LMC Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar, directed the players to report for the first phase of camping that will open on July 11 and end on the 18th. They will be released to play for their clubs in league and Federation Cup fixtures during the period. The second and final phase of camping opens on August 1 leading to the team’s departure on August 8. The squad was selected by a poll of coaches of the NPFL. The NPFL All Stars will play a preseason friendly with Valencia CF and participate in the annual Carranza LaLiga World Club Tournament in which they will play against Malaga CF on August 12 and 13.

NDDC’s new vision to stimulate grassroots sports By Joe Ezuma

Assistant Editor (South South)

he Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which has repositioned its developmental drive for the region since the new acting Managing Director, Ibim Semenitari, assumed duty five months ago, is to tackle grassroots sports development. This, according to the commission, is part of its broad social development programme of that also includes checking youth delinquency, restiveness and crime in the region. To this end, it is moved to boost the activities of the United Youths Sport Federation of Nigeria (USFON), in its quest to get the youths of the Niger Delta off the streets through football competitions and sports generally. Semenitari, made the commitment to support the sports building body, when its members, led by its National

President, Godspower Kokoriko, paid her a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt. Semenitari said that the NDDC would also encourage other organisations to join in the efforts to get the youths away from crime by being involved in meaningful activities. She said: “The difficulty we face today is that we are trying to solve this problem from top to bottom. But we must solve the problem from bottom-up; we must go to the communities and grassroots.” “For us in the NDDC, working with our communities is the reason we were set up. So, organisations like yours (USFON) are critical to what we do.” She expressed delight with the activities of USFON and advised the leadership of the sports body to spend more time in grooming the youths in order to restore the past glory of the Niger Delta region. Kokoriko briefed Semenitari on the activities and pro-

grammes of the USFON. He said the sports federation was a pioneer grassroots organisation that believed in grooming and raising sports talents from all parts the Niger Delta. Kokoriko said getting the youths actively involved in football and other sports like swimming and wrestling would help address the problems of restiveness as well as checking the menace of cult-related violence in the society. “We are putting up with the maiden edition of the NDDC soccer tournament for male and female. We are doing this because if the youths have football matches to play, their time will be put to good use,” he added. “We are also organising the Jesus Cup for all churches in the region. It is the first ever all Christian fellowship tournament. Getting the youths involved in these tournaments is the solution to the problems of this region.”

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Athletics

Rise, fall of Oscar Pistorius

t last, South African Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to six years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. He was initially given a five-year term for manslaughter, but was found guilty of murder on appeal last December. He was taken immediately to jail. Both the prosecution and defence can appeal, but his lawyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; say they will not. Pistorius, 29, shot Reeva Steenkamp four times through a locked toilet door in February 2013. He admitted shooting her, but said he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder and acted out of fear. Judge Thokozile Masipa said mitigating circumstances, such as rehabilitation and remorse, outweighed aggravating factors, such as his failure to fire a warning shot, for deviating from the prescribed 15-year sentence.

Pistorius became the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics

Shock and dismay Many have expressed shock at Pistorius's sentence, which is much less than the prescribed minimum for murder. South Africans have taken to social media to express their unhappiness, with some describing the prison term as an insult. Outside court, legal experts said the sentence

was too little. "The judge was sympathetic and empathetic to Pistorius. It was clear in the tone of her entire judgement," one said. But Masipa said she had carefully considered the circumstances around Reeva Steenkamp's death and her sentence needed to be

fair to both Pistorius and the family of the deceased. South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and some say a short sentence will send the wrong message to would-be-offenders. Has Pistorius got off lightly?

Steenkamp's parents were at the court to listen to the sentencing

Dressed in a dark suit, Pistorius sat and listened to the hour-long session mostly with his head down. He hugged his sister after the verdict, and was taken to Pretoria's Khosi Mampuru prison. Steenkamp's parents, Barry and June, sat quietly on the other side of the packed courtroom. Pistorius has already served one year in jail over his previous conviction. He is legally obliged to serve half of his new term before being eligible for parole. His legal team said he would serve the sentence prescribed and would only act to appeal if prosecutors indicated they wanted to appeal. Prosecutors have not ruled it out and still have 14 days to decide if they will do so, correspondents say. Barry Steenkamp told the BBC he was pleased that the trial was over, even though life would never be the same again. Steenkamp's parents had previously ex-

pressed disappointment with the initial sentence, an opinion shared by many South Africans. Women's rights groups considered it too lenient. But Masipa said her opinion was that "a long term in prison will not serve justice". "Public opinion may be loud and persistent but it can play no role in the decision of this court." Masipa also said there was "no indication" that the victim was in an abusive relationship or this was a case of "gender violence". Some rights groups have also argued that Pistorius, a wealthy white man and international celebrity, has received preferential treatment compared with others who lack his status or wealth. The Women's League of the governing African National Congress (ANCWL) condemned the sentence as too lenient. "It is an insult to women in this country," ANCWL spokeswoman Jacqueline Mofokeng told Re-

uters news agency. The six-time Paralympic gold medallist made history by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics, in 2012 in London, running on prosthetic "blades". He had his legs amputated below the knee as a baby. Tit-bits August 2012: Competes in London Olympics and Paralympics, where he won a gold medal February 2013: Shoots dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp March 2014: Trial begins September 2014: Judge finds Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide October 2014: Begins five-year sentence October 2015: Transferred to house arrest December 2015: Appeal court changes verdict to murder July 2016: Sentenced to six years in jail for murder â&#x20AC;˘ Culled from BBC Sport

TheNiche July 10, 2016

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Football

Liverpool accepts Bournemouth’s bid for Ibe

ournemouth have had a club record £15 million offer for Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe accepted. Ibe, 20, has been given permission to speak to the Cherries after a 2015-16 season that saw him make 12 Premier League starts for the Reds. The transfer would top the reported £10 million Bournemouth paid Wolves for

Benik Afobe in January. England Under-21 winger Ibe has made 58 appearances for Liverpool since signing from Wycombe Wanderers in 2011. Ibe had been earmarked as the natural replacement at Anfield for Raheem Sterling after he made a £49 million move to Manchester City last summer. The youngster's form dipped, however, and he was

not a regular under Jurgen Klopp after he succeeded Brendan Rodgers as manager. Ibe did show a glimpse of his promise with a spectacular goal at West Bromwich Albion in Liverpool's final Premier League game of last season. Bournemouth are seeking reinforcements after selling Matt Ritchie to Newcastle United in a deal that could eventually be worth £12 milFormer Liverpool Manager, Brendan lion. Rodgers, gave Ibe his Reds debut in 2013

’Am ready for challenges ahead, says Mourinho

Mourinho signed a three- year contract with Manchester United

ose Mourinho has said that he is ready for the task of rebuilding Manchester United, insisting: "I am where I want to be." The new United manager added: "I think it is a job everyone wants and not many have a chance to have and I have it." Former Chelsea boss Mourinho succeeds Dutchman Louis van Gaal, who was sacked after United's FA Cup success in May. The Portuguese said he was "frustrated" United are not in the Champions League next season but insisted he was at Old Trafford to win trophies. Mourinho also said that

he wants to make four major signings and not to blame for the departure of Ryan Giggs and will not play Wayne Rooney in midfield as well as has a track record of promoting young players. United, the 20-time English champions, finished fifth in the Premier League last season, 15 points adrift of shock champions Leicester City. United won the FA Cup, but the campaign was generally viewed as another disappointment, prompting the sacking of Van Gaal in May. "It would be quite pragmatic to say let's work and let's try to be back to the Champions League, be

back to the top four," said Mourinho. "I am not good on that and I didn't want to be good on that. I am more aggressive. We want to win. "For many years, success was just routine and in this moment the last three years are to forget. I want the players to forget. I don't want the players to think we have to do better and finish fourth. Finishing fourth is not the aim. "I want everything. I want to win matches, I want to play well, I don't want to concede goals. I want the fans to be behind us. "Of course, we're not going to get everything, but

we want to." Asked if he had a point to prove after his second stint at Chelsea ended in the sack, Mourinho responded: "There are some managers who haven't won titles for 10 years. Some of them never. The last time I won was a year ago." Mourinho, who led the Blues to the Premier League title in 2015, added: "If I have something to prove, imagine the others. That's my feeling. "I feel that I have to prove not to the others but to myself. I would never be able to work without success. That is my nature."

‘Wales have no Euro 2016 regrets’

areth Bale says Wales "can have no regrets" after a 2-0 loss to Portugal in the Euro 2016 semi-final ended their hopes of a first major tournament win. Two goals in three second-half minutes sealed their fate in Lyon. "We have to be proud of ourselves," the forward said. "We have given everything on the pitch and off the pitch and tried to enjoy the experience." Prime Minister, David Cameron, said Wales had "inspired a nation and made Britain proud" with their exploits in France. First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, said he was "sad it's over" but "very proud again". Chris Coleman's side upset the odds to reach the last four as the likes of England, Italy, Spain and Croatia were knocked out in earlier rounds. But he admitted: "It hurts that we lost. The players are gutted, but they need to look back and see they have done their country proud." Reaching the semi-finals was a historic moment for Wales. Their previous best tournament result came in 1958, when they reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in their

last appearance at a major finals. After a goalless first half, Cristiano Ronaldo broke the deadlock on 50 minutes with a magnificent header. Three minutes later, his shot was diverted past Wayne Hennessey in the Wales goal by former Manchester United team-mate Nani. Wales began the tournament as one of the outsiders but caused a shock by topping Group B, finishing above England despite losing to their neighbours. They then edged past Northern Ireland in the last 16 before upsetting a highly regarded Belgium side 3-1 in the last eight. Their exploits earned rave reviews back home, securing a good luck message from the Prince of Wales before Wednesday's game against Portugal. Footballers past and present, politicians, celebrities and other sportsmen and women were also full of praise for the Wales team. Welsh rock band The Manic Street Preachers, who performed the country's Euro anthem Together Stronger, tweeted that the campaign had been "a beautiful dream" and thanked the team from "the bottom of our hearts".

Former Wales midfielder and BBC pundit, Robbie Savage said: "The boys have made us all so proud of our country," while Wales rugby union wing George North tweeted: "Gutted but what an unbelievable tournament!" Boxer Enzo Maccarinelli said Wales had achieved more than anyone thought possible, while cyclist Geraint Thomas, busy riding in the Tour de France, said: "The dream is over... but the boys have done themselves and Wales proud!" Wales players salute their supporters at the final whistle Five months before Coleman was appointed in 2012, Wales themselves. from this experience. were ranked 117th in the "It is difficult to analyse now "I always thought that whenworld. They reached a high of as we are obviously massively ever the time was to bow out it eighth in October last year, one disappointed. would hurt, but I didn't expect month after moving above for "We tried our hardest to get it to hurt this much. It was just England for the first time ever. back in the game, we fought one too far for us tonight." Wales were 26th before the until the last second and we Bale and Real Madrid teamtournament began but when are sorry we couldn't get to the mate Ronaldo shared a warm FIFA updates its list on July 14, final, but we gave it everything. embrace at the final whistle. they are set to rise to 11th – "It's been an amazing jourAsked what he had said above England again. ney. We look forward to the to Bale, Ronaldo replied: "I Wales players had started future." congratulated him on their run. referring to their fans as 'The Coleman admitted a real They were the shining star, the Red Wall'. sense of hurt but was proud of revelation of the tournament." "We want to thank the fans the performance. Ronaldo is now hopeful of for all the support we have "I have a dressing room full winning a major trophy with had, they have been absolutely his country, 12 years after they incredible," Bale said. "I felt we of disappointment unfortunately," he said. were stunned by Greece in the deserved better. "As much as I've told them final of Euro 2004 on home "We wish we could have that they should be proud of soil. done it for them and we'd like themselves, the nation is proud "I've always dreamed of to thank all the fans at home of them, they're still devastated. winning something with my and all the ones who have "That speaks volumes for country and it's just one step travelled out and behaved them and they'll get stronger away," he said. "Dreaming is

free so let's keep dreaming." Coleman believes the performances of the squad in France have set the tone for the future. "It's not the end of this group," he said. "There's plenty of football left in them." Bale also believes Euro 2016 can act as a spur for Wales as they turn their attentions to qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Wales open their campaign at home to Moldova on September 5. "We've got confidence now for the future," he said. "We're all going to be disappointed now but we're going to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and we'll go again for the World Cup qualifiers." • Culled from BBC Sport.

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Candour's Niche

Ikechukwu Amaechi ikechukwuamaechi@yahoo.com i.amaechi@thenicheng.com 0805 506 9065

When a leader fails to listen

here is hardly any Nigerian who is not in a state of despair right now. Since Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as president last year, despondency has enveloped the nation. Disappointment makes the misery worse. In the build-up to the 2015 elections, Buhari was cast in the mould of Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (Charles de Gaulle), the legendary French military general and statesman who founded the Fifth Republic in 1958 and was elected the 18th president of France, a position he held until his resignation in 1969. To some others, he was Nigeria’s Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish army officer and revolutionary, who became the first president and founder of modern Turkey. So beholden was Atatürk to his people that his surname, which means father of the Turks, granted to him in 1934, was forbidden to any other person by the Turkish Parliament. Many of the promoters of the Buhari candidacy then assured us that by the time he was done with governance, he would be deified. To be fair, there are still some Nigerians who believe that Buhari is Nigeria’s messiah but they are in a pathetic minority now. And that is a big tragedy, not only for us but for the man himself, who failed to rise to the occasion when it mattered most. The president has demystified himself. Yes, demystified himself because his injuries are selfinflicted. A friend raised a poser last

week which I consider very pertinent. What do you do when you have a president who did not come to power through the barrel of a gun but the ballot box and yet does not care a hoot about public opinion, about national mood? What do you do when even the most sincere attempt to say, ‘hey, wait a minute Mr President, you are going the wrong direction,’ is hoisted on the pole of deceit as evidence of corruption fighting back? The answer to this poser, I must confess, is not as easy as it seems; which, perhaps, explains the melancholic atmosphere all around us. But it seems Buhari is beginning to take the people for granted. His grandstanding is becoming offensive. His ‘do as I say and not as I do’ attitude is beginning to rankle. So, when he reminds Nigerians of former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon’s refrain in the 1960s that keeping Nigeria as one indivisible entity was a task that must be done, as he did last week, even in the face of his absolute contempt for Section 171 (5) of the Constitution, which states that “In exercising his powers of appointment … the President shall have regard to the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity,” Buhari does so believing that he has conquered Nigeria. He told those who paid him Sallah homage that the slogan in the 1960s, “Go on With One Nigeria (GOWON)” was very apt now, as keeping Nigeria one was a task that must be done. “On security, we have made a lot of improvement … We are now concentrating on the (Niger Delta) militants

to know how many of them in terms of groupings and leadership, and plead with them to try and give Nigeria a chance. “I assure them that the saying by General Gowon that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. In those days, we never thought of oil, all we were only concerned with was one Nigeria. “So please pass this to the militants that one Nigeria is not negotiable and they had better accept this.” But who said? Is it Buhari’s prerogative to decide for the rest of Nigerians the negotiability or otherwise of their country’s unity? The president is his own worst enemy. The tendencies he has brought to bear on his presidency are antithetical to unity. They are the very ingredients that spice up the dish of disunity. His politics of exclusion is so ill-advised that it beggars belief just as his inclination to nepotism and prejudice. The biggest threat to Nigeria’s unity today is Buhari himself. His governance philosophy is so blinkered that it rankles. Only justice, equity and fair play can keep Nigeria one and guarantee its unity. The politics of inclusion rather than exclusion is the magic wand. Keeping Nigeria one is a task that can be accomplished but not by force of arms because if the Soviet Union could disintegrate, then there is no force of arms that can keep an unwilling people together in an unjust and inequitable union. It is only a question of time. Buhari’s biggest problem is that he is frozen in time. Psychologically, mentally and emotionally, he never went

beyond the 1980s when N1 exchanged for $1. Someone needs to tell him the world, and indeed Nigeria, has changed and fundamentally too. The Nigeria of the 1960s is not the same with 21st Century. Perhaps, he has not noticed that no ethnic group is afraid of the other any longer. Time was when the rest of the country caught cold whenever the fabled “Kaduna Mafia” sneezed. Time was when the fear of the Caliphate as embodied and personified in the Sultan was the beginning of wisdom in Nigeria. Not anymore! It is tragic to note that Buhari is unaware of how difficult it will be in today’s Nigeria to build the kind of coalition that included not only the North and West but even the minority groups in the then Eastern region, which isolated Ndigbo and made them easy pick. Today, the Ogoni are seething with rage. The injustice the Igbo fought against, and for which they were visited with pogrom and genocide with their active connivance, is being meted out to them. The Ijaw are wiser, so are the Christian minorities in the far North. The fear of rampaging Fulani herdsmen has made Middle Belters and people from Southern Kaduna, whose sons actually did the yeoman job during the civil war, wiser. Buhari, the world has changed. When Gowon made that statement in the 1960s, there was Soviet Union. Today it is no more. Blacks, who the obnoxious Jim Crow laws kept away from the ballot box despite the 15th Amendment in 1870, which gave black people the right to vote, until the Civil Rights Acts of the 1950s and

1964 ended them, today occupy the White House, the seat of power of the United States. Buhari, the world has changed. Today, women, who were not even granted the right to vote until August 18, 1920 (19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) are poised to have one of their own occupy the White House. When Gowon made that statement Sudan was one country. The idea of an independent Scotland was an anathema. But today, the Scots are working assiduously for a second referendum that would annul their union with England sealed 309 years ago with the treaty of January 16, 1707. Buhari should be told that his blinkered policies, contempt for other Nigerians and politics of exclusion are the biggest threat to Nigeria’s unity. He should also be told that the joke is on him and his cotravellers on the boulevard of insular government because it should have occurred to him that those who survived the scorched earth post-war economic policies of the federal government will survive him and his myopic policies in the 21st Century. The journey will, no doubt, be arduous but Nigerians will survive this nightmare. At the very worst, this bad dream will last for eight years. One year is already out of the way. There will be collateral damages along the line, no doubt, but Nigerians are survivors. Is keeping Nigeria one a task that must be done? The answer is ensconced in the womb of time. But even if it is, Buhari does not have the final say.

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