Friday 18th 2016

Again, N’Assembly Fails to Lay 2016 Budget, Says Document Needs Cleansing Ndubuisi Francis and Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The fate of the 2016 budget remained up in the air yesterday, as both chambers of the National Assembly again failed to fulfill their promise to lay the document, blaming it on the non-completion of its harmonisation by the joint Appropriation Committees of

the federal legislature.

Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, the Senate spokesman, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, had assured Nigerians that the budget would be laid yesterday, preparatory to its eventual passage on Tuesday, March 22.

But the promise was not kept, thus making it the third time the National Assembly would renege on its promise to pass or lay the budget in the past six weeks.

The National Assembly had at the commencement of legislative work on the budget

in February assured the nation that it would pass the 2016 budget on February 25.

But about a week to the deadline, the Chairmen of Appropriation Committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives, Danjuma Goje and Abdulmumin Jibrin,

said its passage on February 25 was no longer feasible in view of the errors and wide-scale discrepancies in the budget.

Subsequently, the two men at another press briefing, announced March 17 as the new date for the passage of the budget.

DSS Dispels Rumour of Death of Ekiti Assembly Member... Page 10

But 24 hours to the rescheduled date, both chambers again gave excuses on why the bill could not be passed, saying it would only be laid yesterday towards its eventual passage next week.

But much to the disappointment of many, the budget was not slated in the Continued on page 6

Friday 18 March, 2016 Vol 21. No 7631. Price: N150

www.thisdaylive.com TR

TODAY'S WEATHER

ABUJA 16°C-33°C

MAIDUGURI 15°C-35°C

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& RE A S O

ENUGU 22°C-34°C

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LAGOS 23C-31°C

KANO 11°C-33°C

PORT HARCOURT 20°C-30°C

Battle for Rivers Gets Bloodier, Army Major, Soldier Killed PDP, APC trade blame, court restrains military from deploying soldiers Wike raises the alarm over plot to arrest PDP leadership Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt The battle for the control of Rivers State got bloodier yesterday when a major in the Nigerian Army and a soldier were slayed in cold

bold in the Abonnema creek in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state by yet-to-beidentified gunmen.

THISDAY gathered that a troop of soldiers from the

CONSTITUENCIES WHERE RIVERS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS WILL HOLD NO 1 2 3 4 5 6

CONSTITUENCIES Ahoada East I Ahoada East II Akukutoru I Akukutoru II Asaritoru I Asaritoru II

NO 7 8 9 10 11 12

CONSTITUENCIES Bonny Degema Ogba/Egbema /Ndoni Emohua Etche II Ikwerre

NO 13 14 15 16 17 18

CONSTITUENCIES Obio/Akpor I Obio/Akpor II Omuma Port Harcourt II Andoni Eleme

NO 19 20 21 22

CONSTITUENCIES Gokana Khana II Opobo/Nkoro Tai

Continued on page 6

Dangote Partners Kaduna, Kebbi States to Bid for Peugeot Nigeria

Report: Nigeria is no longer Africa’s top investment destination Zacheaus Somorin with agency report Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has partnered the Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Kaduna and Kebbi State Governments to acquire

a majority stake in Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) Limited.

This disclosure was made by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, at the launch of the BoI Youth Empowerment Continued on page 6

President Muhammadu Buhari; Executive Secretary, World Muslim League, Saudi Arabia, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki; and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar II, when the president declared open the International Islamic Conference on Peace and Security in Abuja… yesterday godwin omoigui

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FRIDAY MARCH 18 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016

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FRIDAY MARCH 18 2016 T H I S D AY

AUDITED RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015 The Board of Directors of Access Bank is pleased to announce the Group's audited results for the year ended December 31, 2015

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME For the year ended 31 December 2015

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION As at 31 December 2015 In thousands of Naira

GROUP DECEMBER 2015

GROUP DECEMBER 2014

BANK DECEMBER 2015

BANK DECEMBER 2014

In thousands of Naira

GROUP DECEMBER 2015

GROUP DECEMBER 2014

BANK DECEMBER 2015

BANK DECEMBER 2014

478,409,336

405,014,793

405,998,636

351,174,879

Investment under management

10,403,608

-

10,403,608

-

Non pledged trading assets

52,298,422

28,411,644

52,298,422

28,411,644

Derivative financial assets

77,905,020

24,866,681

77,852,349

24,831,145

Net interest income

105,381,650

100,017,143

90,045,956

88,667,121

Loans and advances to banks

42,733,910

12,435,659

60,414,721

55,776,837

Net impairment charge

(14,224,715)

(11,652,271)

(13,287,613)

(10,609,300)

91,156,935

88,364,872

76,758,343

78,057,821

33,463,887

30,796,798

25,892,284

23,044,946

Cash and Balances with Banks

Loans and advances to customers

1,365,830,831

1,110,464,441

1,243,215,309

1,019,908,848

Pledged assets

203,715,397

87,072,147

200,464,624

85,183,353

Investment securities

186,223,126

270,211,388

155,994,798

226,137,983

Interest income Interest expense

Net interest income after impairment charges Fee and commission income

83,014,503

56,310,620

78,623,381

48,246,307

Fee and commission expense

Investment in subsidiary

-

-

45,439,246

40,120,572

Net fee and commission income

Property and equipment

73,329,927

69,659,707

65,900,384

64,160,327

6,440,616

5,592,991

4,977,908

4,436,814

Other assets

Intangible assets Deferred tax (net)

10,845,612

10,881,984

10,180,832

10,128,537

2,591,150,308

2,080,922,055

2,411,764,218

1,958,517,246

179,843

23,438,484

179,843

23,438,484

2,591,330,151

2,104,360,539

2,411,944,061

1,981,955,730

72,914,421

119,045,423

63,343,785

134,509,662

1,683,244,320

1,454,419,052

1,528,213,883

1,324,800,611

Derivative financial liabilities

3,077,927

1,989,662

2,416,378

1,737,791

Current tax liabilities

7,780,824

8,180,969

6,442,311

7,113,226

Deposits from customers

Other liabilities

69,355,947

21,689,079

64,094,358

16,870,132

Deferred tax liabilities

266,644

59,038

-

-

Debt securities issued

149,853,640

138,481,179

78,516,655

73,155,391

Interest-bearing and borrowings

231,467,161

79,816,309

302,919,987

146,345,767

Retirement benefit obligations

Share capital and share premium Retained earnings Other components of equity Total equity attributable to owners of the Bank

Non controlling interest Total equity Total liabilities and equity

5,567,800

3,269,100

5,567,800

3,267,364

2,223,528,684

1,826,949,811

2,051,515,157

1,707,799,944

212,438,802

172,477,671

212,438,802

172,477,671

51,730,369

34,139,453

49,459,102

36,499,779

99,732,330

67,262,761

98,531,000

65,178,336

363,901,501

273,879,885

360,428,904

274,155,786

3,899,966

3,530,843

-

-

367,801,467

277,410,728

360,428,904

274,155,786

2,591,330,151

2,104,360,539

2,411,944,061

1,981,955,730

Report on the financial statements We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Access Bank (“the bank”) and its subsidiaries (together, “the group”). These financial statements comprise the statement of financial position as at 31 December 2015 and the statements of comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes.

Directors’ responsibility for the financial statements The directors are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and with the requirements of the Companies and Allied Matters Act and the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act and for such internal control, as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s responsibility Our responsibility is to express an independent opinion on the financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing. Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform our audit to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.

Report on other legal requirements The Companies and Allied Matters Act and the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act require that in carrying out our audit we consider and report to you on the following matters. We confirm that: I) we have obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit ii) the bank has kept proper books of account, so far as appears from our examination of those books and returns adequate for our audit have been received from branches not visited by us iii) the bank's financial position and income statement are in agreement with the books of account iv) information required by Central Bank of Nigeria Circular BSD/1/2004 on insider related credits are contained in related party balances disclosed in Note 45 to the financial statements v) except for the contraventions disclosed in Note 42 to the financial statements, the bank has complied with the requirements of the relevant circulars issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

For: PricewaterhouseCoopers 16 March, 2016

184,047,834

159,578,184

(94,001,878)

(70,911,063)

(151,118)

(36,763)

-

-

30,760,035

25,892,284

23,044,946

Net gains on investment securities

62,738,014

23,406,363

62,699,600

23,287,274

Net foreign exchange income/(loss)

26,501,682

563,922

23,205,265

(3,398,120)

6,897,879

12,948,230

6,216,992

12,698,034

-

750,000

-

750,000

(42,346,952)

(31,293,540)

(35,699,471)

(25,611,051) (1,344,883)

Other operating income Fair value gain on asset held for sale Personnel expenses

(1,739,857)

(1,541,417)

(1,405,716)

Depreciation and amortization

(10,098,330)

(9,238,173)

(9,086,366)

(8,337,642)

Other operating expenses

(91,384,023)

(62,698,002)

(83,403,018)

(55,422,255)

Profit/(loss) on disposal of associates and subsidiaries Profit before income tax Income tax expense Profit for the period from continuing operations Discontinued operations Loss from discontinued operations Profit for the year

-

-

-

2,418,298

75,038,117

52,022,290

65,177,914

46,142,422

(9,169,344)

(8,958,811)

(6,253,169)

(6,201,296)

65,868,773

43,063,479

58,924,745

39,941,126

-

(87,267)

-

-

65,868,773

42,975,212

58,924,745

39,941,126

(1,061,292)

(991,475)

(1,061,292)

(991,475)

(1,987,684)

1,409,686

-

-

-

97,187

-

-

3,387,680

3,604,150

3,457,636

3,571,278

Other comprehensive income (OCI) net of income tax: Items that will not be subsequently reclassified to the income statement: Remeasurements of post-employment benefit obligations Items that may be reclassified subsequently to the income statement Foreign currency translation differences for foreign operations - Unrealised (losses)/gains arising during year - Realised gains arising during the year Net changes in fair value of AFS financial instruments -Fair value changes arising during the year - Fair value changes on AFS financial instruments from associates Other comprehensive (loss)/gain for the year, net of related tax effects: Total comprehensive income for the year

-

21,492

-

-

338,704

4,141,040

2,396,344

2,579,803

61,321,089

42,520,929

66,207,477

47,117,252

Profit attributable to: Owners of the Bank Non-controlling interest

65,332,540

42,415,329

58,924,745

39,941,126

536,233

560,883

-

-

Profit for the year

65,868,773

42,976,212

58,924,745

39,941,126

Owners of the Bank Non-controlling interest

65,798,664

46,152,431

61,321,089

42,520,929

408,813

964,821

-

-

Total comprehensive income for the year

66,207,477

47,117,252

61,321,089

42,520,929

Continuing operations

65,798,664

46,239,698

61,321,089

42,520,929

-

(87,267)

-

-

65,798,664

46,151,431

61,321,089

42,520,929

Total comprehensive income attributable to:

Discontinued operations

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion Opinion In our opinion the accompanying consolidated and separate financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the financial affairs of the bank and group at 31 December 2015 and of the financial performance and cash flows of the group for the year then ended in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and the requirements of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act and the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act.

176,918,223 (76,901,080)

33,312,769

Prepaid rent expenses

Due from financial institutions

207,802,768 (102,421,118)

Earnings per share: Basic earnings per share(kobo)

265

186

237

175

Diluted (kobo)

262

185

237

175

24,416,535

25,262,415

19,996,906

19,966,521

1.70%

2.21%

1.50%

1.83%

Total impaired loans & advances Total impaired loans & advances to gross risk assets (%)

The financial statements were approved by the board of directors on 28 January, 2016. Signed on behalf of the directors by:

T H I S D AY FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016

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FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016 • T H I S D AY

PAGE SIX BATTLE FOR RIVERS GETS BLOODIER, ARMY MAJOR, SOLDIER KILLED 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, which was on patrol, was ambushed by people suspected to be pirates. In the exchange of gunfire, the major and soldier were gunned down, while two other soldiers were said to have sustained serious injuries.

The fatal confrontation was blamed on tomorrow’s rerun elections, in which the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is slated to take on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the control of the oil-rich state.

Up for grabs in tomorrow’s polls are the three senatorial seats in Rivers State, 12 out of the 13 federal constituencies, and 22 out of the 32 state constituency seats.

The election petition tribunals and Court of Appeal had nullified the elections of three senators, 12 House of Representatives members, and 22 state assembly members, all of the PDP, who had contested in the 2015 general election.

APC is hell bent on winning most of the seats that are up for grabs in order to make governance unbearable for the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, of the PDP and possibly impeach him in the foreseeable future, as it battles to control one of the major oil producing states in the Niger Delta.

The desire by APC to control one of the major oil-rich states was made glaringly evident recently by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, when he did not conceal his displeasure over the Supreme Court rulings, which affirmed the elections of Wike and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

The door to APC’s attempt to win one of the major oil producing states was also slammed shut when the Supreme Court upheld the election of the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, while the ruling party’s candidate, Mr. Timipre Sylva, lost the Bayelsa State governorship election last January.

Confirming the confrontation between the army and the pirates yesterday, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, Captain Eli Lazarus, described the incident as a “fierce encounter”.

He said: “At about 11 am today, Thursday, March 17, troops on patrol in Abonnema had a fierce encounter with a group of unknown gunmen suspected to be sea pirates.

“Our troops displayed extraordinary valour.

Unfortunately, an officer, and a

soldier, who sustained various degree of injuries during the encounter, lost their lives. We are in pursuit of the criminals and will surely get them.”

He urged members of the public to go about their lawful activities, assuring them that the army would continue to make the necessary sacrifice to ensure sustainable peace, and the security of lives and property.

Reacting to the incident, APC, in a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chris Finebone, condemned the attack.

The governorship candidate of the APC in the last governorship election, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, also condemned the incident and blamed it on the PDP. Peterside, who spoke in Port Harcourt, the state capital, alleged that Wike and the PDP were again culpable in this latest tragedy, given their proclivity for provocative statements and threats, both to the citizenry and security officials.

“What has happened today reinforces our earlier position on the conflagration that is capable of resulting from the hate speeches of Wike and members of the PDP. “How can this needless loss of lives be explained

on the eve of an election?

Those who are responsible for these unnecessary deaths and violence in Rivers State have indeed taken Rivers State and the entire country for a ride for too long.

“But we must not continue like this. These are rerun elections, not war. We have all watched in the last couple of weeks, the governor’s utterances and instructions and we know that the fruit from his inciting speeches would be harvested in a matter of time. The world can now see the consequences of those statements.

“I think this madness must stop. Even as we prepare for the rerun elections, there is information making the rounds that over 3,000 boys have already been imported into Abonnema for Saturday’s elections from neighbouring Delta and Bayelsa States.

“This is where we find ourselves today but we must all wake up and save Rivers State before it is too late,” he said.

However, the state government blamed the APC for the incident, stating that it was a ploy to pit the people against the military.

The state Commissioner for Information, Dr. Austin Tam-George, in a statement, called for an independent

international investigation into the condemnable killing of personnel of the Nigerian Army near Abonnema, blaming APC -sponsored cultists for the gruesome killings as part of their plot to pit innocent Rivers people against the military.

He expressed shock at the ungodly level the APC was willing to go in its bid to incite violence in the state.

He commiserated with the families of the deceased and the military high command over the unfortunate killings.

“The government and people of Rivers State are saddened by the unfortunate killings of the officer and soldier. We call for an independent international investigation to ascertain those behind the killings.

“However, we strongly believe that APC-sponsored cultists may be behind the killing of these soldiers in their ugly plot to pit innocent Rivers communities against the military,” he said.

Tam-George noted that utterances of APC leaders and their relationship with cultists across the state was indicative that they are sponsors of violence across the state.

But as news sank of the latest killings in the state and the blame game between the two major parties, a Rivers State

High Court sitting in Port Harcourt yesterday restrained the Chief of Defence Staff, the Brigade Commander of the Amphibious Brigade and the Chief of Army Staff from deploying troops to provide security for the rerun elections.

In a ruling delivered by Justice George Omereji, in a suit filed by the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, and the PDP, the court gave an interim order restraining the Chiefs of Defence Staff and Army Staff, Brigade Commander, 2nd Amphibious Brigade, “whether by themselves, their agents, servants, officers and operatives or privies, from interfering with the applicants' right to freely participate in the government of Nigeria either directly or through freely chosen representatives, threaten to arrest, harass, intimidate, torture, or incarcerate the applicants and their members during the rerun elections for the state and National Assemblies on March 19, 2016”.

The court said it based its judgment on the ruling by the Appeal Court in the case between the APC versus others in 2015, detailing the noninvolvement of the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces

National Assembly to pass the 2016 Appropriation Bill yesterday as promised, the parliament was still within the timeline it set for itself to pass the budget, a top official in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning said yesterday.

Reacting to the postponement, the official said there was no cause for alarm, as the parliament was still within the timeframe it promised to pass the Appropriation Bill.

“It is not an issue because it is still within the timeframe promised by the National Assembly to pass the budget in March. The National Assembly is doing its work on the budget as required by law.

I think that’s what they are trying to do as far as legislative business is concerned.

“It is not an issue since the 2015 capital budget spending is still on till March 31, 2016.

Note also that the government

can spend a certain percentage of last year’s budgetary provision in the first six months of the succeeding year. So no cause for alarm,” the source told THISDAY by phone.

The 2016 Appropriation Bill, which was submitted to a joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 22, 2015 has been fraught with controversies, ranging from the budget’s disappearance to the irregularities contained in the expenditure proposal.

No fewer than 184 top government officials from various ministries, departments and agencies (MDA) of the federal government were last week redeployed in a major shake-up triggered by the controversy over the 2016 budget.

The flaws in the budget proposal have not only led to the delay in its passage by the National Assembly, they also claimed a major casualty when Buhari sacked the former Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Yahaya Gusau, replacing him with Mr. Tijjani Abdullahi.

Continued on page 8

AGAIN, N’ASSEMBLY FAILS TO LAY 2016 BUDGET, SAYS DOCUMENT NEEDS CLEANSING order papers of both houses yesterday.

Briefing the press later, Abdullahi and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Abdulrazak Namdas, blamed the budget debacle on “data cleansing and integration”.

While giving excuses for not meeting yesterday’s deadline, Abdullahi defended the National Assembly, saying it had not failed.

He also failed to make a categorical statement on the budget’s passage next week, claiming that the delay was meant to avoid the passage of an Appropriation Bill that would be un-implementable and appealed to Nigerians to be patient.

“You will recall we promised Nigerians that by today, March 17, we will be able to pass the 2016 Appropriation Bill.

Yesterday (Wednesday), I also confirmed to you that today, that same Appropriation Bill

will be laid, barring any last minute technical hitches.

“We are here to let you know that as of today, we are unable to lay the 2016 Appropriation Bill and thus we are hoping that next week that process will be completed.

When I briefed you, I recalled you were asking if the passage will be done by next week.

And we said ‘yes.’

“When you lay the budget, the next thing is for you to discuss the budget and get it passed. The two activities will be carried out next week God willing. And let me pre-empt you because I know you will say perhaps we have failed to keep our promise.

“But as far as we are concerned, we have not failed.

What is happening is the seriousness with which we take the 2016 Appropriation Bill. It’s such that we cannot also afford to make errors that will become very costly to this nation.

“We have finished all the necessary work within the context of the various committees. But remember, when you do the paper work, you have to also get people who will sit down and check what we call data cleansing and integration, that is, the two appropriation committees must integrate. That is the essence of what you call harmonisation.

“This is something very technical and tedious and if you recall, this is a very voluminous document. So, in our own understanding, we don’t want to rush just because we want to keep to a promise that today the budget must be passed.

“What we owe Nigerians is a budget that is implementable, a budget that will kick-start the reflation of our national economy. It’s a budget that will help to create jobs and therefore stimulate our economic rebirth.

“So, that is what we have

seen as a key objective and I want to assure you that for those of you who know statistics, in everything you do, you must give freedom for a margin of error. And within this context, if next week, we are able to take this, then within that margin of error, the National Assembly is still on course,” he said.

The Senate spokesman asked for the understanding of Nigerians, adding that the National Assembly was as eager as the rest of the country to get the budget passed.

Echoing Abdullahi, Namdas said the decision to avoid costly mistakes was the underlying reason behind the National Assembly’s inability to pass the budget.

He also said that the National Assembly would rather pass a bill that would be celebrated than the one that would not serve the nation’s interest.

Despite the inability of the

DANGOTE PARTNERS KADUNA, KEBBI STATES TO BID FOR PEUGEOT NIGERIA Scheme (YES).

“We have submitted bids for the car maker … with Aliko Dangote on board together with BoI, Kebbi and Kaduna States… We are confident our bid will sail through,” reported Reuters yesterday.

Peugeot is a joint venture between ASD Motors and the French automaker, with a long history in Nigeria, the anticipated hub of automotive assembling on the Africa continent.

El-Rufai said Kaduna and Kebbi, along with BoI and Dangote, had submitted bids for the stake which the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) is looking to sell.

Peugeot Nigeria assembly plant located in Kaduna State has Peugeot Citroen PEUP.PA as its technical partner “with a capacity to assemble 240 cars a day”.

Though conceived in 1969, Peugeot found its roots in

Nigeria only two years later, after winning a bid during the Yakubu Gowon-led government.

In November 2006, PAN was privatised in line with government’s agenda to build a stronger, more competitive and diversified economy.

ASD Motors emerged as the successful core investor and took over the management of the company in January 2007, with a 54.78 per cent stake, making Sani Dauda CEO of both ASD Motors and Peugeot Nigeria.

The expectation was that the privatisation of PAN would create a quantum leap in performance, but that has not happened, the company confirmed.

“Following the accumulation of huge non-performing loans (NPL) indebtedness to banks, in October 2012, the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) acquired the debts of the company and

converted a portion to equity to help restructure the firm,” Peugeot had said.

The planned acquisition is expected to revamp the presence of the company in Africa’s largest economy.

But as news of the bid for Peugeot Nigeria broke yesterday, a new report by Nielsen, a US-based global and information measurement company, showed that Africa’s largest economy was no longer the top investment destination on the continent. In its place, Cote d’Ivoire has risen to the top of the rankings.

According to Nielsen, Cote d’Ivoire has been buoyed by a fast growing economy and a lengthy period of political stability highlighted by successful elections last year to become the prime destination for investments in Africa.

However, that status could now be affected following a recent attack by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM).

Having been ranked as the top investment destination at the start of 2015, Nigeria has now fallen to fourth on the rankings in Africa.

The ominous slide fits the narrative of Nigeria’s slowing economic growth amid a global slump in commodity prices, the report said. Oil in particular, Nigeria’s main export and revenue source, has been badly hit.

According to the research firm, Nigeria’s slide was “driven primarily by deteriorating macro-economic indicators”. It also added that “consumer indicators and overall confidence levels” have also dipped.

A recent capital importation report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also confirmed the Nielsen report.

Last year, Nigeria’s recorded total inflow of capital into the economy stood at $9.6 billion —a 53 per cent drop from the previous year and the lowest

recorded total since 2011.

While incidental economic factors have largely contributed to Nigeria’s floundering economy, the country’s government has also come in for criticism for not managing the crisis effectively.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of the economy has been questioned with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) instituting strict monetary controls in response to commodity prices and a currency slide.

These controls, which inevitably strained citizens and hardly had the desired effect, have been described as unorthodox.

As Buhari closes in on his first year in office, many Nigerians will be hoping that in his second year, the focus will be on triggering an economic rebound in Africa’s biggest economy following slowed growth.

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Nollywood Actress, Ibinabo, Remains in Jail as Court Rejects Her Application Davidson Iriekpen Efforts by convicted actress and former beauty queen, Ms. Ibinabo Fiberesima, to secure bail at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, suffered a setback yesterday due to the incompetence of her application.

The three-man panel presided over by Justice U.I NdukweAnyanwu observed that the appellant failed to attach copies of the judgment delivered by the court which affirmed the five-year jail sentence imposed on her by a Lagos High Court.

Other justices on the panel were Samuel Oseji and Tijani Abubakar.

When the matter came up yesterday, Ibinabo’s lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina, briefed the court of an application dated March 14, adding that same had been served on the Lagos State Government (respondent).

However, the application could not be heard, as the court observed that the appellant failed to attach copies of the

F beres ma udgment of the court as an exh b t thereby render ng the who e app cat on ncompetent Just ce Ndukwe-Anyanwu sa d the on y opt on eft was to str ke out the app cat on or ad ourn t Consequent y Amaech na sought for an ad ournment to enab e h m do the needfu Consequent y the court ad ourned the matter t Apr 7 for hear ng Meanwh e Ib nabo has asked the Supreme Court to

set as de the udgment of the ower court In her not ce of appea she stated that the Court of Appea erred n aw when t affirmed the udgment of the H gh Court of Lagos State by sett ng as de the opt on of a N100 000 fine by the mag strate s court and subst tut ng t w th a term of five years mpr sonment The appe ant further stated that the Court of Appea erred n aw when t affirmed the nterference by the H gh Court w th the exerc se of d scret on by the tr a Mag strate s Court She added that the udgment of the Court of Appea was unreasonab e and cou d not be supported hav ng regard to the ev dence presented before the court In a s x-paragraph affidav t of urgency deposed to by one V ctor Eden the deponent stated that Ib nabo was recover ng from surgery and that she recent y removed a tumour from her breast and needs constant mon tor ng by her doctors “Her wound has not fu y

hea ed and as such she s afra d that her cont nued stay n the pr son may endanger her fe as she w not have access to spec a med ca attent on ” he stated The deponent stated that t wou d be n the nterest of ust ce and for her hea th and safety to adm t Ib nabo to ba pend ng the hear ng and determ nat on of her appea before the Supreme Court The embatt ed actress was sentenced to five years mpr sonment by Just ce Deborah O uwayem for reck ess dr v ng wh ch caused the death of one Dr G wa Sura n an auto acc dent a ong the Lekk -Epe expressway Lagos D ssat sfied Ib nabo n her amended appe ant br ef fi ed by her awyer urged the court to set as de the five-year sentence and restore the dec s on of the Mag strate s Court But the appe ate court n ts udgment de vered on February 11 d sm ssed Ib nabo s appea and affirmed the dec s on of the Lagos H gh Court

STARTERS

Two-Minute Briefing NEWS DSS D spe s Rumou o Dea h o Ek

10

NEWS

Assemb y Membe TheDepartmentofStateServ ces DSS nAbu ayesterdayd spe ed therumoureddeathofHon Akann Afo ab amemberoftheEkt HouseofAssemb yarrestedby theserv ce Afo ab wasrumoured tohaves umpedandd ed nthe DSSdetent on ntheear yhoursof yesterdayPage 10

EDITORIAL O Sn ffe Dogs and Po ous Bo de s

FRIDAY MARCH

DSS Dispels Rumour of De ath of Ekiti Assembly Me mber Email davidso

SSG, commissio ners

Yemi Akinsuyi Sowole in Akurein Abuja, James Victor in Ado and Olakiitan Ekiti

in hiding as secur ity agency lays

Metuh: Judge Refuses to Hand FARE THEE WELL Trial Despite s-off Some of the children DADDY Being Accused Minister of State of Bias session for thier fatherofatthethelateKogi for Labour and Abuja

Alex Enumahin

BATTLE FOR RIVERS GETS BLOODIER ARMY MAJOR SOLDIER KILLED n e ect ons Omere ordered that the PDP has the respons b ty to serve the udgment on the m tary for t to comp y “Leave s hereby granted the app cants to ssue and serve the or g nat ng mot on of the ur sd ct on of th s honourab e court for serv ce on the Ch ef of Defence Staff Ch ef of Army Staff and the Br gade Commander of Second Amph b ous Br gade and the INEC (Independent Nat ona E ectora Comm ss on) at the Federa Cap ta Terr tory (FCT) ” Omere sa d Meanwh e the state governor yesterday ra sed the a arm over an a eged p ot by the po ce h gh command to arrest Obuah 48 hours to tomorrow s e ect ons W ke sa d the attempt by the po ce to arrest Obuah was po t ca y mot vated and was targeted at g v ng advantage to the APC dur ng the po s The governor a so sa d by dec ar ng the Cha rman of Asar -Toru Loca Government Area Sabomabo Jackr ch wanted a few days to the e ect ons the po ce may have been nfluenced by po t ca cons derat ons Speak ng n Port Harcourt yesterday

dur ng a rad o phone- n programme W ke sa d the p anned arrest of the PDP cha rman wou d be res sted by the peop e He sa d the po ce h gh command brought n officers and men from Abu a to d sobey the court order restra n ng secur ty agenc es from arrest ng PDP eaders before the e ect ons He sa d he had g ven the secur ty agenc es a the og st cs support requ red for the e ect ons as the ch ef secur ty officer of the state po nt ng out that the secur ty agenc es had a duty to work w th n the amb t of the aw “Today we rece ved nformat on that po cemen from Abu a are n the state to arrest the PDP state cha rman If the po ce want to arrest PDP eaders 48 hours to the e ect on the act on s s mp y po t ca y mot vated ” he sa d He descr bed as unfortunate reports cred ted to Pres dent Muhammadu Buhar on the v o ence n R vers State not ng that the pres dent even never contacted h m for c ar ficat on on the secur ty s tuat on n the state The governor sa d PDP s prepared

for the rerun po s but the APC and the federa government were not prepared as they were mere y nterested n ant cs wh ch wou d not work On the pet t on wr tten by the R vers State Government to the embass es of 50 countr es Wke sa d t was a confirmat on of the read ness of the PDP to part c pate n cred b e po s He sa d a ready the Un ted States Br ta n and Canada amongst other countr es had requested meet ngs w th h m on the ssue He added that h s government had uncovered p ans by some po t ca ymot vated nd v dua s to ensure that card readers fa n parts of the state espec a y n Ob o/Akpor LGA W ke expressed confidence that PDP cand dates wou d w n the rerun e ect ons because the party started prepar ng s nce December ast year when the e ect ons were nu fied by the Court of Appea He added “APC cannot w n any e ect ons n R vers State Do a oca government-by- oca government assessment and you w understand why the peop e prefer the PDP”

siege on other

High Court of

Justice

officials

Employment,

Buhari: I Bel ieved So Mu ch in Says late minister,

TheM n sterof nter or L eutenant Genera T Abdu rahmanDambazau rtd announced astweekthat thefedera governmentp ans todep oyhundredsofspec a y tra nedsn fferdogstotheborder areasofthecountrytoass st theN ger a mm grat onServ ce T N S Page 15

O

a paragon of

loyalty

Ocholi

ED TOR AL

D

T

POLITICS Nw u u A Speake Pa Exce ence

WEEKENDFILE My Mo he Ove pampe ed Me

Cameroun has sentenced 89 members of the Boko Haram terror st group to death over terror charges In contrast N ger a where the dead y nsurgency started and has recorded tens of thousands of deaths caused by the v o ent sect has on y conv cted a handfu of terror sts to pr son terms Rather than conv ct ng terror sts who have been caught and deta ned n spec a pr son fac t es n ma n y northern N ger a the federa government has been expend ng huge resources on the r rehab tat on Accord ng to a BBC report a Cameroun an m tary court tr ed the nsurgents over the r ro es n severa attacks n the northern part of the country wh ch borders N ger a S nce 2009 when Boko Haram aunched ts campa gn of v o ence Cameroun has been ts next target after N ger a In January 2015 Abubakar Shekau eader of the sect threatened to attack Pau B ya pres dent of Cameroun over

n

1

matter until the in Lokoja...yesterday Mr. James Ocholi (SAN), Chief Judge Justice Okon Abang of a Federal a decision on the matter,” takes at the valedictor High Court y court sitting in Abuja that: “he fears no evil.” adding Godwin Omoigui yesterday vowed The Economic to continue to preside in the Crimes Commissioand Financial case of corruption and money laundering in a seven-coun n (EFCC) had against the t charge accused National Publicity Secretary of the Metuh of receiving the sum Peoples Democratic of N400 Tobi million from the Soniyi in Abuja former Chief Olisha Metuh, Party (PDP), Security Adviser (NSA) National the party, governmen Col. protest letter written in spite of the Dasuki t, and to God. (rtd) through his Sambo President Muhamma by Metuh Buhari governments, visited the Chief Judge company, has said: “Among to Destra Investment du Buhari of described the the paramount positive and pleasant many other rulers, Limited.

Court requesting the Federal High not a Senior Advocate and urged Metuh, things, State for Labour late Minister of always transferred to that the matter be prayed in a no-case-submission, remember Ocholi I will vote in a worthy the people to (SAN) of and Employmen another judge. like him then. Nigeria James Ocholi the court to dismiss man t, for as loyalty his governor.

But politics to our beloved But Abang said: “On the right hand (SAN), as one of his country Nigeria. is a peculiar game in mattered to Ocholi was the what March 16, 2016, charges against him for Nigeria, loyalty men in the quest around 4p.m., want of reposition birth of a strong, The best often the Chief Judge prima facie evidenc to All Progressive to our party, the win. does not wrest solid party, which could Nigeria, forwarded a copy Ocholi did However, the power at the centre, a land of peace and fashion and loyalty s Congress (APC), of a letter from bore it gracefully. not win. But he change Emeka Etiaba and prosperity, to our the EFCC had judge ruled that where to our country. and bring (SAN), praying no man is oppressed. in which he had administration, transfer this case Hierarchy to case of money made a prima facie “In 2015, he threw is important in served for just Buhari in his the legal profession, his hat into about four laundering against the ring again.

Insisting that he to another judge”. him and just as it is in minister who died tribute to the took him. months, before death He sought to would always that governor on the everything on be subordinate the military. But Ocholi do to defend it’s left for him now also killed his in a car crash that the himself. d pride and ego, “In 2011, Ocholi wife, a party he had platform of APC, under Abang said: “I have side of justice, served “The prosecution his subordinat helped to midwife. ran to be son, Joshua, said Blessing, and governor places e, and He still did not by my employer a circular written material : evidence before sufficient mean man. He “Ocholi was no platform of Kogi State on the primaries, win at the party was born dream became APC there is a petition stating that where to show was a man among of our then party the court men, reality.

“Steadily but , Congress gracefully and eventuality he bore an Iroko in a a case, the judge seeking transfer of case to that the defendant has a forest of trees. for Progressive Change (CPC). was part of thesure-footedly, he again. answer,” Abang How are the handling the matter believed so much I mighty fallen!” should continue said.

“When the APC resolved to bring change cabinet, in to preside over him, The and negotiated was president in his ability our country out the of into existence being the woods, and put taught the peoplesaid Ocholi had governance to add value to the Cont’d on pg among Nigeria among the Legacy he left behind of his state, 12 fidelity, commitmen that I yeoman’s Parties, Ocholi did a the greats in the comity of nations. t and loyalty to followed him round the Then the unthinkabl job, contributing state on to campaign. We e happened. the legal processes. his quota The grim visited all the reaper local under This a junior lawyer, he did What a pity! harvested Ocholi.

Sad and who was will be sorely missed.” tragic. He

Zacheaus Somor n w th agency reports

k ed 20 Boko Haram fighters on Wednesday dur ng a ra d n northern N ger a carr ed out by a mu t nat ona force tasked w th stamp ng out the Is am st m tants m tary sources to d Reuters yesterday Cameroun Commander Genera Jacob Kod sa d the Is am st fighters were k ed n the N ger an town of D br a wh ch s about 10km (s x m es) from the Cameroun border A spokesman for Cameroun s Defence M n stry Co one D d er Bad eck sa d 12 hostages were freed and mun t ons and armoured veh c es were se zed dur ng the operat on Boko Haram wants to estab sh an Is am st state n northeastern N ger a and has waged a seven-year campa gn of v o ence to that end k ng thousands of peop e and d sp ac ng two m on others Boko Haram s thought to have k ed around 15 000 peop e accord ng to U S m tary figures A ong w th Chad N ger N ger a and Ben n Cameroun has contr buted troops to an 8 700-strong reg ona task force ded cated to fight ng the group

I S D AY

0811181308

NEC to Hold Retreat on Economy

Cameroun Sentences 89 Boko Haram Members to Death h s country s ro e n the reg ona force set up to fight nsurgency “Oh Pau B ya f you don t stop th s your ev p ot you w taste what has befa en N ger a ” Shekau had sa d n a v deo “If you do not repent you w see the d re consequences Your troops cannot do anyth ng to us I adv se you to des st from fo ow ng your const tut on and democracy wh ch s un-Is am c The on y anguage of peace s to repent and fo ow A ah but f you do not then we w commun cate t to you through the anguage of v o ence ” On h s part B ya vowed to w pe out Boko Haram About 850 members of the sect are current y n detent on over a eged nvo vement n nsurgency n Cameroun Th s s the first t me that peop e have been sentenced to death s nce a new ant -terror aw was passed n 2014 N ger a w th an ant -terror aw – the Terror sm (Prevent on) Act – n p ace s nce 2011 has on y managed to conv ct a handfu of terror sts In a re ated deve opment troops of the Centra Afr can country a so

18, 2016 • T H

Davidson Iriekpe

sdaylive.com,

some mischief makers of Afolabi’s demise. allegedly invaded the assembly “Nigerians and for undisclosed house of assembly.

Ekiti people reasons, had particular are convinced as in the custody of the security died in The lawmakers to life and human The Departmen they can see that Afolabi agency. led by the t At an emergency dignity of our is colleagues are (DSS) in Abuja of State Services hearty press conference Deputy Speaker, Hon. had been receiving as he is being hale and in Ado Ekiti, being yesterday dispelled Segun Adewumi, who some strange the rumoured death addressed by “Arresting and threatened. calls on her the press today,” presented to Information was accompanie detaining them phone and one d without he said.

Commissioner, the by Dr. Samuel Omotosho, Afolabi, a memberof Hon. Akanni of the callers, who charging Garba, Lanre Ogunsuyi, Mr House Chairman is House of Assembly, of the Ekiti was still who said investigation Committee on a breach of theirthem to court Paul Okafor identified himself as the governmen insisted ongoing t Hon. Gboyega Health, fundamental with arrested by the service. +447442364448 telephone No pointed out that on the matter, developedthat the lawmaker had Aribisogan, House human rights.”

Committee on told her to make an ailment the In the petition Afolabi was rumoured herself available Information, urged not received any the service had of Thursday midnight the before in the DSS Office, court order for commission to to have his and died at dawn. slumped and come to the aid commission, they accused the in Abuja soonest. release. died in the Ogunsuyi said: federal DSS the detention in “We call on the of the state assembly and “Subsequent He warned the early hours DSS defend arrest government of plans to to immediate calls from other that the service yesterday. of would not ly clarify the their rights. and intimidate anonymous situation as to hesitate to bring numbers warned lawmakers Omotosho, who the status (dead Presenting that, ‘in my own full weight of spoke on behalf in the state into submission or the law against the alive) of Hon. Akanni . journalists, Mr. Afolabi before one or According to by producing of other members said: “The make myself interest, I should persons that might any him physically Abdullahi Garba them, arrest and detention available as there the arrest is said the member for all Nigerians, has affected the work of engage particularly in violent actions. no hiding place is to the House.

This commission for me.’ his immediate of oppositions silence the voice accounts by the service was duly invited “The DSS will should family defend over some breaches in the state. for my addressing This therefore warn to see. the rights of these rise and bordering on Meanwhile, Press this all those who Conference state security. the In persons. the have plans to outside Secretary “The DSS is a creation to the Ekiti “You can see that make the Ekiti same vein, members of “These intimidatinEkiti State.

State Governme of the law (SSG) Akanni Afolabi a meat out of this, to desist and should not State House of is hale and hearty,”he g and from and some commission nt overzealous it and stay away Assembly behave as if it acts of the men is have reportedly from trouble,” yesterday said there was possibility above the law by ers the DSS He said the breachessaid. he said. of disobeying that some of their contradict gone fall under the purview members in the law that created it. We are the following threats into hiding the 1999 ConstitutionSection 35 of Garba’s of the services custody of the of arrest by not in the a banana republic as amended.

DSS investigate. to sequel to press conference was officers a pronouncem While on a visit might be dead. can do anything where anybody reportedly of the DSS who are One wonders what they are ent by the Garba said the turning democracy to Ekiti State laying siege on and get away Human Rights to the National with it. in Nigeria,” she the state. necessary in orderbriefing became that Akanni,government alleging The SSG, Dr said.

The SSG (NHRC) to submit Commission to debunk the representing “As it is now, who made the Modupe Alade, were beingsaid all these acts of DSS rumour being Efon the commission a protest to constituenc we don’t revelation spread in Ekiti by on March y, who was arrested Angwe, , Professor Bem their whereabouts. Their know conference addressed at a news Ayodele directed at Governor family Ondo 4, when the members are in Akure, close Fayose and those that State, capital, added DSS said the the assembly members worried and are they have remained arrest of that the stanceto him because of his critical incommunicado. list of some executive members on the had affected the their members We asked be arrested was to adding “we federal government, work of the state if they are dead being paraded and nobody is talking all constitution are yet to see a new to us. The rights over the state. in Nigeria that The SSG said since makes speaking one’s Tuesday, she mind on national Tobi Soniyi in issues, a crime.”

Abuja states of the federation The National attending.

The Governor of Economic Council the Central Bank (NEC) will hold of Nigeria next week beginn a two-day retreat and the (CBN), Godwin Emefile ing from Monday Budget and March 21 to Tuesday Planning , Minister, Udo Udoma, are among on policy actions that state other top governments can and the federal expected government functionaries to speak to stimulate local consider in order Akande said: at the retreat.

“The objective costs and enhance production, cut of the NEC Retreat public revenues among other measures a forum for in-depthis to provide to stimulate the economy.

by NEC members discussions of the A statement by the Senior Special actions that the state and policy Assistant on Media federal and Publicity governments can consider in in the Office of order to stimulate the Mr. Laolu Akande, Vice President, costs and local production, cut enhance public said President Muhammadu revenues among other Buhari the keynote addresswould deliver the economy. measures to stimulate during the formal opening “Contrary to session on Monday morning. retreat is not an suggestions, the emergency national He said the Vice President, Prof. economic conference. The idea Yemi Osinbajo, was mooted at SAN, of NEC, an advisoryas Chairman meeting the last regular NEC in January, where body to the president, would members preside over the requested an intensive session retreat with governors review economic to from the 36 trends and evolve strategies to cope.”

Fromtheonsetofthef fth POL T CS assemb y nEbony State there weregreatexpectat onsamongthe Nw u u A Speake eg s atorsandtherewasthesearch F forsomeonewhose eadersh p wou dreshapethebodypo tyof thestatebybr ng ngpeacetothe Ebony StateHouseofAssemb y thatwasr dd edw th eadersh p cr ses nthefourthassemb y Page 16

20 sect members killed by troops of C’African nation in Nigeria

News Editor

n.iriekpen@thi

WEEKEND

Hav ngservedasgovernorfor e ghtyears howd dyoufee the veryf rstdayyoustepped ntothe Nat ona Assemb yasaSenator? fe thappyf rstandforemost fe thappythat wasab eto ach evethefeatofcom ngtothe Nat ona Assemb y Page 23

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Quick Takes

Institute to Address

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT

Managing Director, Minister of State Arco Group Plc, AlfredOkoi Petroleum Resources, gun; Executive Petroleum Congress Dr. lbe Kachikwu, Director, Sahara Group, & Exhibition in Tonye during the visit Abuja…recently of Osinbajo to Cole; Vice President, Professor Arco Group Plc exhibition stand Yemi Osinbajo and at the 6th African

Experts Identif Local Carrier y Challenges Bedevilling s

Transpar

The Institute ency, plans to honourof Information Manageme Accountability nt (IIM) has different stakehold parts of the world, ers in Nigeria announced including and in other ers, captains of industries past and present public office holdfrom various The stakehold sectors of the lecture planned ers will be honoured economy. during the IIM’s for this week Speaking on annual in Lagos.

Management the theme: “Leveraging on Proper Informatio as Basis for ability and Good Promoting Transpare n Governance Governing Council, in Nigeria, President ncy, AccountIIM Africa, and Chairman, of the several challenges thatDr. Oyedokun Oyewole, said with, coupled in view the federal with process, harmonisethe massive amounts government is faced of data that d and integrate, important to they must the lecture address economic Oyewole said challenges of becomes very accountable Nigeria. tion, and improved governance, the fight against of good quality service delivery, all depend corrupinformation about decisions on the availability According to and actions. would lead to him, poor quality data, informatio missed opportuni of publicly funded ties to maximise n and records the full value The recent drive projects and programm es. by the present promote transparen administration to cy and good if governme governance fight corruption, nt have unhindere can only succeed he said. d access to quality information,

Polo Unveils ‘Urban

Movement’ Collectio The Polo Avenue n Label in hosting has announced collaborati on with Omowunm ready-to-wear the unveiling event for its ‘Urban Movemen i collection. A stated that statement issued the by the companyt’ evening of top two organisations hosted fashion as they guests to a Chinedu Eze collection by unveiled the refined Omowunmi new Urban Movement Akinnifesi.

The Creative AVIATI ON a huge chunk High insurance of the airlines’ nifesi described Director of Omowunmi revenues, as Labels, premium, wrongly perceived rising cost aviation fuel woman who her collection as one designed Omowunmi AkinThe of is actively on-the-go. for the metropolit unfavourable operation and (CEO) Chief Executive Officer takes over 30 per cent alone country because as high risk cut lines, bold of cost of of She said the of Aglow Limited, of operation. government colours and policies have insurgents whothe activities collection has an unique structural Speaking on fine been identified aviation support services an He faulted operate at Polo Avenue’s by aviation the system only one section of the company, Tayo Ojuri Executive Director collaboration pieces. experts country, adding that told THISDAY whereby Nigeria Insurance in the factors hamperingas some of that hosting Polo Luxury explained lauded the event, this might high insurance Commission Group, operations have influenced of Nigerian (NAICOM) premium digs a big hole accomplishments. Akinnifesi’s creativity Jennifer Obayuwana, airlines. insists insurance the high aircraft and the remarkabl in the coffers that airlines must insure Some of Nigerian cost in According to stakeholders aircraft through their e her, as a brand, the industry, But NAICOM the country. in comparati airlines. He said Nigerian ment Polo Avenue to re-defining insur- that who spoke ance companies had argued vely, most reiterated its THISDAY aimed at positively Nigeria’s luxury industry commiton Wednesdato in Africa pay lower countries the internation, which partner duty as a regulator, it has the with its core accused the represent insurance y, premium to ensure that al insurance remarkable values companie than Nigerian Nigerian female talents ing and promoting the insurance companies introducing government of and in particular efforts of across all spheres The local operators airlines. insisting s to spread the risk, policies that participate in insuring that they inimical to are called of the economy recently would airlines in Nigeria She said: “As that of Nigerian women the growth on prefer to insure(airlines) as it is done in luxury fashion. domestic carriers. of ment to the federal governcelebrate the such, the Polo Avenue platform in other directly with the internation save them myriad of women policies, according One of such exploitative Ojuri said Nigeriancountries. from the will continue and al insurers. executives entreprene to to them, is the The Managing insurance premium, airlines expend huge urs, by positively Bilateral Air which according cesses and industry Director resources promoting their business owners Service Agreemen to them, is the Arik Air, Chris Ndulue, of operation because on their (BASA) policy, achievements hard work, suct highest in as an inspiration spoke who Africa at the in showcasin of poor, to women everywher multiple entry which allocates moment. that in the same vein, observed obsolete or lack g their talents The points Executive of insurance companie facilities e.” to foreign at the airlines that Airline OperatorsChairman of sessment Ethiopian Simplifie now undercut s’ as- lack airports. For example, of Nigeria as market for domestic of Nigeria, of airfield s Visa Access 38 the Captain Nogie Travellers to high risk operators Meggison who country might be responsibl Ethiopia can of the airport lighting at some and discourage also spoke help of registered now get their runways deny s code-share for the relatively e on the issue, visas foreign carriers. with the high high insurance airlines the chances said premium Kano by the Area tour operators in Nigeria. easily through the insurance premium to fly to such airports, not justifiable Begashaw, while Manager, Ethiopian AirlinesThis was revealed in is for their Nigerian airlines pay thereby because it takes them from making hindering aircraft. addressing travel in Nigeria, Solomon seminar. agents at the He said that additional annual agency Nigeria is Before now all travellers have Continued in Abuja to procure to visit the Ethiopian on page 20 Union(AU), Ethiopiaa visiting visa. As the headquarters Embassy is joining the within Africa of African move by by tour operatorsAfricans. The new arrangemeAU to simplify travel proaching the and travel agents assist nt would see selected their embassy John Iwori passenger for visa. take away one of the obstacles Thus, new arrangeme s in apthe land of Queen nt would for travellers The federal governmen MARIT IME UNESCO heritage of Sheba, is home to to Ethiopia. Ethiopia, the nation’ s the largest number t is set to invest heavily sites territorial waters in Africa.

At the seminar and the Gulf of in shipping saddled in line with of Guinea however silent issues involving that was attended by its has in the with an important role on the amount imposed enormous passenger handling leading agents in programme. diversification the governmen socio-econ discussed. Ethiopian challenges and hajj operations Kano, t plans to invest on the federal governmen of your countriesomic activities The governme Airlines in but the started has been flying were shipping t and and and other coastal nt has also promised to to Nigeria since its flight to Kano in Central African the West countries in He said the sector. invest in capacity 2014 the general.

1960. region in government West and Central Africa building by In that role, you is taking in form an state control equipping port to reduce proactive measure of building a robust and terms important part effective of (PSC) inspectors maritime safety accident rates resources requiredthe necessary working in regime. and the Nigerian fatalities as well as to discharge He Maritime Administr loss of tors directed the PSC Inspec- the responsibilities property. of at NIMASA ation and Safety Agency and the 19 maritime administrations.your “The Central Industry players beneficiaries Bank of Nigeria supporting the (NIMASA) and ederal “Ensuring flag have said to update as much should direct agency with ship integrity knowledge their and Governme as N7 trillion expertise needed the be realised international nt College, and enhance banks could one of the Warri, obligations for general drive the to carry out was from the sale of airline to stop unity the schools its core duties maritime towards building PSC are important sector of estabbetween tickets more efficiently. lished a the elements robust economy 1960 and to the the developm and effective public. Travel in Minister of college annually 1966. The if its huge was maritime ent of maritime actually agencies are potential safety. established safety regime in the Rotimi ChibuikeTransportation, the is adequately 17th of February, accredited to harnessed on country your Your capacity to represent Amaechi, who the . sell tickets on 1966. Some and the region. dropped the core objectives countries by of ment of the Amaechi behalf of the hint in Lagos, effectively man who the establish- Amaechi said: school by thesaid forthe airlines” started business “As inspectors discharging your duties level werewas high federal governme of maritime to promote and when at the national cohesion activities in ntof ships for your respective is critical and should on ships he foster love President, NANTA, father rest, got to 45, his children age of 21 countries, you across inter-ethn and unity, therefore we can make told project peace are all collectively ic nationaliti Alhaji Aminu and at 73, this business him, and

CITYSTRING S

FG Plans Hug e Investment Sector in Shipping

Celebrating Greatness

Federa GovernmentCo ege F Warr wasoneoftheun tyschoo s estab shedbetween1960and 1966 Theco egewasactua y estab shedonthe17thofFebruary 1966 Page 38

he es, harmony Agoha future leaders work Continued and build the business is being called back on page 20 up The college with a detribalised mind-set. be an angry he left at 45, of courseto repair presently in is located in Ogunu area he will was doing man to see a rotten business of Warri well Area of DeltaWarri South Local Governme that “That is exactlywhen he left it.

State, a predomin nt communit He is an angry the situation Buhari antly riverine y with large forest. is today. expanse of man and him to be mangrove we should angry The school allow be angry becausebecause he has has over the exceptiona of the rot that the right to years It is very lly unfortuna he has met. to maintainin brilliant personalities produced be going through te that this in country can both within g an enviable academicaddition what she is right now.

Nigeria, particular records going through I will tell Africa in general you that Buhari responsible ly, and for which awards and is not it garnered West through rightfor what the country recognition many This citadel over the years.now, it is what has is going happened the lives of of knowledge has helped “This so mould many innocent is that failure honourable generation youths into men and women that took I told you that our build some the decision could not of the nation’s as well as helped be the realm of towering giants country. They found worthy to to serve, leadership, serve this in and greatness. hope, entreprene were busy they never acquiring urship needed with Among these If you notice, the peoples things State, Akinwunmare the Governor wealth.

I have supported for the past of Lagos i Ambode; politicians of Delta State, tempted to sixteen years, I have Dr. Emmanue former Governor never been run for an Joseph Makoju, l Uduaghan it is not my office because ; Engr. major Special Adviser calling.

President Olusegun I know instrumen “I love money, t of global Obasanjo on to former Julius Okojie, I love business “We need hard for it. competitiv Power; Prof.

Executive and I work I Universitie explore optionsto engage the governmeeness. glory days Secretary, I wouldn’t sweat for every dime s Commissi is attributed. for a system be nt to both on; renowned National these unity business mogul, M. C. Ebo (1985 that better manages steal. If you tempted to go and I earn, so of blessed pilot and Capt. Hosa President, once again schools. One day, children Okunbor; current E. M. Osemene memory and of course,- 1989) it is business,want to serve, you serve and Nigeria Bar travel from serve and will (2006 you Augustine Mrs. Associatio study across do principal 2011), if business. and at FGC the country Aleghe (SAN), at the same n (NBA), MD/CEO, to the schoolof the school and the first female us. time take our You can serve a serious effort Warri and elsewhere Herbert Wigwe, That Access Bank; old student , if there is business from as well as to reposition Federal Inland the high standard of People is the corruption we former remarkabl others who them are talking Revenue Service Chairman, known that e. were also of education and rekindle Ifueko OmoiguiAlso worthy using their were supposed to serve about.

(FIRS), Mrs. for”. that they were Okauru own companies of mention prominent started and many He to the emerging for their contributio business and and without doing other old therefore noted that those generation too numerous distinguished old ns to do the the teachers, boys and the associatio of leaders students the business of us with the structures past and present n of who are all It is some to mention. infrastructuralgirls must do their were never “Some of were such best to fund of the school considered development and others of the names mentioned schools. For that they will inspiring fountains . months afterus were even owned projects in who this, he above have of learning forever live that converged are affiliated with several doing the the motivation said as old students, the their students. who never on in the minds the school job while for the golden did the they school in the and the influence those the needed of cent of “In the last jubilee of change because the jobs thatjobs were paid 100 to make the the initiative, to appraise, oil city of Warri on per has consisted 50 years, this citadel “if was sad we February 29 that celebrate, never fail to make those that of learning done. It is importantly give thanks people who posterity will remember have groomedof principals and teachers choose to disappointments. serve became us boys and institution seek to revamp and and most future, but had the opportuni who and I call it a failed girls for greatness. ty to shape as We salute and solidify the that produced that is decided generation appreciate the leadership individuals The FEGOCOS not to”. retired as a why we can have a their upon which so many amazing . Without young man who A, Warri leaders would other generation comiums on them, the efforts and horse these great be produced whip on us adult is back today characters their principalsalso poured enpersonalities s of present and benefit using of to serve for the bettermen at not have been and leaders when both past of this country 60 because we failed cut and and would t been fortunatein its tribute said Speaking at the society. well.” without them, and chiseled into As the college to have been fitness; alone.an awardee, Okunbor has been of the Federal the occasion, the current principals impacted andknowledge would not like J. A. Miners led by some great president Governme He was accompan did not visit Students Associatio have personalit nt College E Winlaw Warri imbibed impacted in (1966) and ied by a retinue Warri Old (1966 - 1968) these students so readily. They ies. Among A. W. drawn Chyna Iwuanyanw n (FEGOCOWOSA).

P. H. as pioneer of them chiefs who and young from different principals.

Chief calledDavis, OBE; OON came to represent are Benin Palace minds of the unity school u summed the states of the (1968 - 1981) different cultures Benin Kingdom, the Crown when he said reputation of servingPapa, who happened federation fondly of produced two Prince Eheneden Erediauwa the school their knowledgand values, the investmen , to be the longest principal and governors, has of Kaduna e, uniquenes led by the deputy to whom personalities”, State, Barnabas most of the governor s and diverset the tribute personalities Bala and Highlight noted. in of the ceremony religion, law, politics, business world, various of honours was the award entertainm to over 30 ent and othermilitary, He however old excelled in lamented fields. their various students who have which cut Among those field of endevour. across other the rot in the school colleges in federal governme and business honoured was Edo-born the country nt that used to of unity and who bagged mogul, Captain Hosa air pilot be a symbol urged the federal Okunbo revive the school Award” from “Worthy Ambassad government infrastructu or of Unity to to meet its rally andMARCH Reacting to the school. unity status. FRIDAY otherwise18, his award, According to 2016 that despite Capt. Okunbor • T H I S D AY him, “it is all his successes difficult to noted corruption in life, the level distinguish becoming increasingly in FGC Warri of by people of the country is being and those between products of perpetrated of other schools, in the past. on this note his generation, adding The truth unlike that that it was pride of place is, we are war of Presidenthe backed the anti-corrup losing our as one secondary Muhammadu tion “This is my schools in of the distinguished Buhari.

Nigeria.”

Against this College, Warrifoundation, Federal backdrop, Iwuanyanw Government is where the unity school where we u noted that 49 got our values it all started. This system needs adding that for us, we to be refocused, from. Unfortuna is as stakeholde have lost all have a lot rs in the system, tely us what we those values to lose if things are today. Our they that made His word: 55 and 60 generation “As individuado not improve. years, I can sociation, failed the ls and tell you that , between we need to email:foreigndesk nation. Those we have similar association join forces as an asprivileged with other @thisdaylive.com to go to school of us that were so s to create system that state has given a unity schools’ like this, which can and will like us, who the produce Nigerians unfortunately, much to in our upbringing, , knowledge can compete in a world this country, those of us that chose and the applicatio where we could not to serve to the country. n of it, is give the It is very sad. anything back China has opposed “And that the unilateral sanctions against like Presidentis why we are happy anyone somebody Buhari decided to serve President BarackNorth Korea. US swaths who does business with broad to come back of North Korea’s Asked whetherNigeria. President Buhari Wednesday imposed Obama on including economy, China was worried is like a the sanctions its financial, mining sweeping new Lu told sanctions could

INTERNATIONAL Ch na Opposes Un a e a Sanc ons aga ns No h Ko ea Ch nahasopposedtheun atera sanct onsaga nstNorthKorea USPres dentBarackObamaon Wednesday mposedsweep ngnew sanct onsonNorthKorea ntended tofurther so ate ts eadersh p afterrecentact onsseenbythe Un tedStates Page 49

INTERNATIO NA

L China Opposes Unilateral Sanct North Korea ions against

a daily news transport sectors. affect“normal” on North and business briefing in Beijing. links between to further isolate Korea intended The Chinese situation“Second, under the present country should neither affect recent actions its leadership after will so-called secondary sanctions banks and North Korea, nor harm U.S. China’s reasonable where the situation compel banks seen by the United Foreign Ministry spokesman officials had previously on States and its assets of anyone to freeze the said China is North interests.” , Lu Kang, Korean Peninsula is complex the allies as provocative this was something Korea’s sole major blanket trade ban would believed a who breaks sensitive, we oppose and The new sanctions . blockade, be ineffective without a stronger China may any moves that ally but it disapproves of potentially squeezing the was“paying attention threaten to ban from the global its nuclear further worsen commitment from program and out to”. financial system North Korea’s business ties, “First, calls for the Korean China, North Korea’s “Third, we have tensions there.” peninsula including before, as I’ve said many times largest trading those with China. partner. clearly stressed to be China always weapons. While free of nuclear opposes any many times in meetings country imposing North Korea conducted China has signed with up for unilateral sanctions,” the relevant county, tough new U.N. a unilateral sanctions any so-called North sanctions against test on Jan. 6, and on Feb. 7 nuclear it launched Korea, it a rocket imposed by any sanctions are has said repeatedly allies that the United States and its not the answer said that only a resumption and missile employed banned ballistic technology. China of talks can resolve the dispute signed on to the weapons program.over North Korea’s North new U.N. sanctions against Korea this month.

The U.S. measures, But U.S. officials which vastly expand a U.S. often questioned and experts have Korea, prohibit blockade of North to enforcing China’s commitmen t the export of sanctions on goods Korea. from the United North States to North China fears that too-harsh Korea. measures will destabilize the North.

CHANG

E OF NAME

I formerly CHANGE OF as MISSknown and addressed NAME I OKOJIE HELEN formerly PRINCESS now known addressed and wish to be known and addressed MRS BASHORUN OLARIBIGBas ILUOBE as MRS E SHERIFAT wish to be known now All former HELEN PRINCESS. and addressed as MRS OLARIBIGB valid. The documents remain E SERIFAT LANRE. All should pleasegeneral public remain valid. former documents take note. should pleaseThe general public I formerly take note. addressed as known and I formerly known ONWUBU OYA ENDURAN CE PATRICIA ZIEM and addressed as ANYAEGBUN AM, be known and now wish to now wish to be known addressed as ONWUBU OYA and addressed as PATRICIA JAMES. All former documents ZIEM ACHUKWU. former All valid. The remain documents remain valid. The general public should pleasegeneral public should please take note. note. take

MOB ATTACK

Protesters attack a female Monday police officer accused of shooting in the Buterere neighbourhood

Palestinians Stab Israeli

CHANG

of Bujumbur a, Burundi…

Woman, Shot Dead

E OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as MISS UCHECHU KWU ISIOMA OKOH, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS UCHECHU KWU ISIOMA MGBAKOR . All former documents remain valid. general public The should take

Two Palestinian please note. wounded an s stabbed and of whom I formerly known Israeli woman Israel says were were then shot MISS OLUBUNMIand addressed as and Most others assailants. deaths. and were shot dead CHANGE OF wish to be known JACKSON, now Jewish settlement killed outside a violent during evacuatedThe woman is being NAME protests.

MRS OLUBUNMIand addressed as for medical care,” West Bank, the in the occupied In a statement, OMOGOROYE. military said. it said. I formerly known The surge in All former documents the military and Since October, remain valid.

Palestinian street the latest incident occurred said partly fueled by violence has been as MISS OCHIAGH A addressed Union Bank attacks have Palestinian frustration now wish to FIDELIA road junction at a over the killed public should and the general outside collapse of U.S.-sponso addressed as be known and two U.S. citizens. 28 Israelis and ment please take note. of Ariel.“Forces the settle- peace talks MRS FIDELIA Israeli forces killed at least in 2014, the growthred NNEJI. All former at the scene I formerly known 187 Palestinians have responded to the documents of remain valid. and addressed as MR , 126 the assailants, attack and shot Jewish settlements on land The general they seek public for a future state, now wish TONY IKPESHIA, resulting in and Islamist calls note. should please take their for the addressed to be known and destruction of as MR WILSON Israel.

IRERE UANOBAH I formerly known former documentsORO. All and addressed as PRINCE CHOSEN valid. The remain wish to be known ETUKS, now should pleasegeneral public and addressed as PRINCE take note.

I formerly known All former ARCHIBON G ETUKS. and addressed documents The Kremlin as MISS valid. The general remain yesterday hit out at of America’s SALISU, nowENIOLA TITILAYO a pre-election please take note. public should election campaign,” and addressedwish to be known U.S. presidential video promoting Peskov. as MRS ENIOLA said TITILAYO OLAPADE The United Trump at Hillary candidate Donald this “We always sincerely regret States accused WHELIEMS. and I formerly All former complaining Clinton’s expense, process wish the (U.S.) electoral Russia of not bombing documents known and addressed valid. The general remain that it demonized Islamic was conducted State Russia. public should without same targets in Syria with AKPOBI, as MISS BEAUTY CONFIRM please take such references note.

ATION ferocity or frequency the wish to known and now “I saw this clip.

Russian state our country.” targeted addressed asto be This is to confirm OF NAME as it TV, which usually what Washington BEAUTY ABERHIRE I formerly known for sure if (President)I do not know closely MRS that CHI CHIIKENUA and said were reflects the Kremlin’s and addressed more moderate Vladimir Putin documents remain . All former ELIZABETH as IBRAHIM saw it. (But) our CHINYERE groups opposed world is the valid. The but attitude is negative,” view, has generally general public to be known NASIR, now wish Kremlin spokesman, been more to President Bashar al-Assad. now wish same person, should please positive and addressed take note.

The Kremlin and addressed to be known IBRAHIM AHMAD as told a teleconferen Dmitry Peskov other about Trump than the has denied as CHINYERE presidential ce that charge, ELIZABETH IKENUA. All former documents RUFAI. I formerly known The video attemptswith5reporters. declaring Islamic 4 and addressed However it candidates.

All MISS OKUSAMI State remain valid. The to cast doubt as documents remain valid. former over Clinton’s MODUPEOLUWA OLUWATOSIN about what has complained own a dangerous threat to its public should General ability to deal should pleasegeneral public please take note. security. It it says is Putin, whom with anti-Russia and addressed, now wish to be known take note. has bristled the it MODUPEOLU as MRS FAMAKINWA This is Presenting whatcasts as a U.S. foe. campaign, n tenor of the overall in the past at any to clarify that Western EMEWUSIM WA OLUWATOSIN attempts it suggests are criticizing almost UCHE I formerly America’s toughest the candidates EMEWUSIM-J CHINWE CAROLINE EGBUTA and UCHE all of Russia to liken the threat opponents for EGBUTA as MISS known and addressed on the world documents UDE CHINWE. All former OTAH is the have made on statements they West purportedly poses to the stage, it shows MARIAM same and one SANUSI, YETUNDE valid. The general to that represented public shouldremain Russia.

Russian leader the person. All former please take note.

FRIDAY wish to be

by Islamic known andnow State. documents YETUNDE addressedMARCH 18, 2016 • T opponent in easily throwing an I formerly known remain valid. General a MRS H I S D AY and addressed MARIAM as as ADEBOLA cutting to footagejudo bout before public All former documents RAIMI. should please of Mohammed TOYIBAT take note. Group LAWAL now Emwazi, the valid.

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John”. former documents A. All GERALDINE CHIOMA and SAMUEL duro.ik hazuag andbe@th IFIER addressed as MISS remain valid.

It then cuts to The general OLUWATOY IN isdayli ve.com one person, is the same and ESTHER IBRAHIM, public should in which sounds a clip of Clinton The please take note. known and but now wish to be now to be known Kurdistan Freedom barking have beenresembling a dog (TAK) and addressedwish GERALDINE addressed as SAMUEL MRS OLUWATOY as militant group Hawks its embassy overlaid. Putin then shown laughing.

IN ESTHER documents CHIOMA. All former is in Ankara and yesterday general GEORGE. All “It’s an open claimed responsibility for valid. General its I formerly known public shouldremain consulate in secret for us that remain valid. former documents a suicide addressed bombing please take note.

Istanbul and should pleaseThe general public This is to confi and whatever demonizing Russia Ankara in the Turkish capital to indications that an attack due CAROL now as MALTIDA rm that the bearer take note. is wish to be known that killed 37 names DICKSON could and be imminent. of these unfortunately a linked to Russia is said UCHENNA IJOMAH I formerly known addressed as UCHENNA IJOMAH it would attack people, and in Istanbul The German school ORISHETIM mandatory hallmark MARGARE T and addressed refers to one and the same person.

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ABDULHAM ID should please public VANANGW not 28th 1968 as wrongly take note. written in mydecember number. All documents ALDA. All former GTB remain valid. general publicdocuments remain valid. a/c general public The The should please take note. should please take note.

Kremlin Cond election Clip emns Donald Trump’s Pre-

SPORTS Pauc y o Funds Fo ces NFF o

FRIDAYSPOR TS Kurdish Milita nt Group Claim Responsibil s ity for Anka ra Bombing

She ve Cha e ed F gh o Egyp Aspartofthemeasurestocutcost theN ger aFootba Federat on NFF scons der ngtheopt onof aregu arschedu edf ghttoferry SuperEag esp ayersandcrewto Egyptforthesecond Page 54

Paucity of Fu nds Forces Shelve Char N tered Flight FF to Portland Timb ers offer to foot to Egypt Adi’s bill to play for Nigeria

Olawale Ajimotoka n in Abuja

Even the company As part of the does not see any commercia measures to cut l gain in the given Portland Timbers of the Nigeria cost, cost as USA, where Football the 21 foreign-base (NFF) is considering Federation Cairo, it will pay landing fee in Fanendo Adi plies his trade d players invited in addition offered had the option of a regular the challenge and added on to packing fee flight to split with Nigeria the by stand-in coach Samson scheduled flight s before NFF cost to fly the Siasia. to buy costs, if it flies According to ferry Super player for to the matches. his return that the country Eagles players to Alexandria.

25-year-old strikerPinnick, the crew to Egypt and will bear. The “After Adi flight tickets. benefit Though no decision for approached The yet to be capped is that the club talked to his his club president of the 2017 Africa the second leg taken, president will be Adi is one Pinnick reasonedhas been (Pinnick) informed after he Portland about our challenges, mentioned whenever he represents qualifier against Cup of Nations NFF, that the Nigeria and is which Timbers, resolved the Pharaohs him of cover March 29. on the effect is groaning under half of the responsibil to him to play a great honour for of scarcity of for his country,” Nigeria will foreign ity Pinnick currency, hinted yesterday. adversaries in meet her old money can use the saved days after the Alexandria four of the in paying the bonuses players. in Kaduna on first Group G tie “It is not March 25, as journey to reach the a regular about ego, we can fly the continent’s Gabon, where of N35 flight, save minimum spectacle will foremost football okay million which will be be with governme gathers pace. staged next year, nt.

“We have an option to fly with Briefing reporters Egypt Air which operates yesterday of plans in place three flights out of for Nigeria from fixtures, NFF the forthcoming Abuja Kano, President, Amaju and Lagos on Pinnick, hinted a daily basis and arrive in Cairo on Saturday, might fly to Cairo that the Eagles March 26. aboard a regular Egypt Air that “We can travel departs either Abuja, by domestic to Alexandria Lagos or Kano, flight or by Alexandria via before connecting arrive in time before road and a domestic flight or by road. the match that holds on Tuesday March This alternative Our players have 29. enough days NFF about N35 plan will save prepare. to Our protocol million. officers will The quoted figures leave Nigeria next week’s Tuesday for a charter flight to Egypt, for Cairo to prepare ground Nigerian airline submitted by a our arrival,” for in he said. the ‘Glasshouse negotiation with Pinnick, who ’ said N80million at is $250,000 (about were highly motivatedthe players parallel market rate) the Egyptians, to confront revealed that

CHAM PIONS

LEAG UE FALL OUT

Iwobi’s Perform against Barc ance a Excites Okocha Femi Solaja

Alex Iwobi

Ogba Flays Scrapping of NSC

Iwobi has grown Former Super in leaps and bounds Austin Jay Jay Eagles Captain, for the since making his debut Okocha, has hailed Arsenal senior Olawale Ajimotoka the performan side this ninAbuja ce of his nephew, season. the emerging Alex Iwobi, in He Arsenal’s 3-1 hearsay given development as defeat squad is listed in Super Eagles’ Chairman of Senate Committee at Barcelona “In fact, we that it had in for next week’s Sports, Obinna on League second the Champions of Nations Africa Cup Ogba, has decried informed neither was not been legalizing the still have a bill The as illegal the recent bill is leg, Round NSC there qualifying 16 match decision to scrap written document to that any still working on. which we are is signed not dead. The moment it at Camp Nou of header against Egypt double- the National effect.

Wednesday Sports Commissio on will face where he passed, NSC will When that bill is any one into law, there is nothing night.

(NSC|) which his Gunners can do about it,” come to life again. teammate, With the is a parastatal undern concludes the former NFF Gunners facing Mohamed Elneny obvious elimination who netted the Federal Ministry of Youth board member.

LAGO S SQUA his first goal and against the for the Londoners Sports.

Champions SH CLAS SICS League holders against Barcelona.

Indication that after their first the NSC has been Iwobi joined effectively scrapped Arsenal while London, managerleg 2-0 defeat in at primary followed still week’s redeployme last school, and against expectationArsene Wenger, a new signed nt of its Director 19-year-old Iwobis, opted to start October long-term contract in General, Malam Alhassan Yakmut to the Nigeria Delta 2015. ahead of the pair of Theo Ministry The Nigerian Walcott and as special duties. The DG lad made Campbell.

Joel competitiv Ministry of Youth Top seeds, Wale Amao and Yemisi e debut for the his and Sport now The Nigeria internationa has a Permanent Olatunji continued their In other matches club, some fine form as played in the the 2016 Lagos l put in defeat days later, starting in a 3-0 Secretary, Christian Ohaa a good display men’s Internationa event quality to as in chief Sheffield Wednesday of the opening the Classics of play, which accounting officer. on the pitch wherehis 72 minutes the Round enters crucial l Squash Idowu Enimakure day, he described in Senator he missed an of 16 of the was stretched as impressive.

Today, the semifinalstage. opportunity to to the fourth League scrapping Ogba flayed the Cup. score “I must tell you game by Moshood matches of the $4,000 which he said denied a penalty and was also He made his happened is very high and that the standard prize money Abubakar but the match Professional Premier League because people at the In a tweet at call. debut same Squash Association in favour of Enimakure still ended a good account the players gave helms who won of themselves. game, Okocha the end of the win against month later in a 3-0 sports administration did of (PSA)-sanctioned 5-11, 14-12, 11-5, seeded The Closed understand the not Swansea City watching Alex said: “So happy Liberty nitty-gritty of sports. competition will hold Satellite to the quarterfina11-9 to progress Olatunji players like Amao and at the Stadium, as an “Without mincing at Teslim are in fine l Balogun Stadium. on the big stage.Iwobi (nephew) substitute added-time Other players stage. players are not form and other very much disappointewords, I feel for Mesut Özil.

Amao, who pushovers. Being impressed with I’m very much the last eight that advanced to a PSA-sanctio d about the Iwobi is the his scrapping of NSC. of the men’s ned tournamen The tweet was performance.” team for started in the first event This is what you number one seed wasted men’s include Shola t, all get the 2015/2016 in contrast to Thomas, Sodiq the players are hoping no time Taiwo, his earlier one before FA Cup the when those who don’t know in dismissing Seun Jaiyeola to use 3rd and 4th Endurance garner world ingredient of round the game ranking points it to when he said sports are in the 11-9, 11-3 in the first round 11-2, Ogunjiofor, Lanre Omosor, Jerry all the against Sunderland home wins affairs players that failed while Abdulrahman of sports. Its scrapping of the and competition and between his that he was torn respectivel and Burnley Moses up the nephew and for Durosinmi match pull will their matches will to show y.

Nigeria sports lasted for 35minutes. .

Catalan giants. the Other female be After playing should be allowedbackward. It players that joined by the PSA. It is not decided youth football Unlike Amao “Ready to watch a national to thrive as competition but who spent Olatunji in the quarterfinal are my nephew England, he made his senior for a parastatal 35minutes Alex takes on an my club Barcelona. for Nigeria on October debut Ministry of under the Federal women’s to edge out his opponent, Yashim, Omolola Ajayi, Kally tournament with international Youth and Sport.

Weird feeling, most of Dunni decision kind of torn apart,” replacing Ahmed Musa 8, 2015, is nothing There Olatunji number one seed, Yemisi Okikiola and Taiwo Ebifemi, to be taken by the final wrong about he tweeted. in the 57th the world minute of a it,” Ogba Grace was without mercy against the trio of Bisi Adeleke, while body,” Sanni insisted.

2-0 said.

Sunday Mayh as she Veronica and to DR Congo friendly defeat The final m spent ju He add Busayo in Vi 20m

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FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

News Editor Davidson Iriekpen Email davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081

DSS Dispels Rumour of Death of Ekiti Assembly Member SSG, commissioners in hiding as security agency lays siege on other officials

Yemi Akinsuyi in Abuja, James Sowole in Akure and Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti The Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja yesterday dispelled the rumoured death of Hon. Akanni Afolabi, a member of the Ekiti House of Assembly, arrested by the service.

Afolabi was rumoured to have slumped and died in the DSS detention in the early hours of yesterday.

Presenting Afolabi before journalists, Mr. Abdullahi Garba said the member was duly invited by the service over some breaches bordering on state security.

“You can see that Akanni Afolabi is hale and hearty,”he said.

He said the breaches fall under the purview of the services to investigate.

Garba said the briefing became necessary in order to debunk the rumour being spread in Ekiti by

some mischief makers of Afolabi’s demise.

“Nigerians and Ekiti people in particular are convinced as they can see that Afolabi is hale and hearty as he is being presented to the press today,” he said.

Garba, who said investigation was still ongoing on the matter, pointed out that the service had not received any court order for his release.

He warned that the service would not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law against any one or persons that might engage in violent actions.

“The DSS will therefore warn all those who have plans to make a meat out of this, to desist from it and stay away from trouble,” he said.

Garba’s press conference was sequel to a pronouncement by the Ekiti State government alleging that Akanni, representing Efon constituency, who was arrested on March 4, when the DSS

NEC to Hold Retreat on Economy Tobi Soniyi in Abuja The National Economic Council (NEC) will hold a two-day retreat next week beginning from Monday, March 21 to Tuesday on policy actions that state and the federal governments can consider in order to stimulate local production, cut costs and enhance public revenues among other measures to stimulate the economy.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, said President Muhammadu Buhari would deliver the keynote address during the formal opening session on Monday morning.

He said the Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, as Chairman of NEC, an advisory body to the president, would preside over the retreat with governors from the 36

states of the federation attending.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefile and the Budget and Planning Minister, Udo Udoma, are among other top government functionaries expected to speak at the retreat.

Akande said: “The objective of the NEC Retreat is to provide a forum for in-depth discussions

by NEC members of the policy actions that the state and federal governments can consider in order to stimulate local production, cut costs and enhance public revenues among other measures to stimulate the economy.

“Contrary to suggestions, the retreat is not an emergency national economic conference. The idea was mooted at the last regular NEC meeting in January, where members requested an intensive session to review economic trends and evolve strategies to cope.”

Metuh: Judge Refuses to Hands-off Trial Despite Being Accused of Bias Alex EnumahinAbuja Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday vowed to continue to preside in the case of corruption and money laundering against the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisha Metuh, in spite of the protest letter written by Metuh to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting that the matter be transferred to another judge.

Abang said: “On March 16, 2016, around 4p.m., the Chief Judge forwarded a copy of a letter from Emeka Etiaba (SAN), praying to transfer this case to another judge”.

Insisting that he would always do everything on the side of justice, Abang said: “I have a circular written by my employer stating that where there is a petition seeking transfer of a case, the judge handling the matter should continue to preside over the

matter until the Chief Judge takes a decision on the matter,” adding that: “he fears no evil.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in a seven-count charge accused Metuh of receiving the sum of N400 million from the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) through his company, Destra Investment Limited.

Metuh, in a no-case-submission, prayed the court to dismiss the charges against him for want of prima facie evidenc However, the judge ruled that the EFCC had made a prima facie case of money laundering against him and that it’s left for him now to defend himself.

“The prosecution places sufficient material evidence before the court to show that the defendant has a case to answer,” Abang said.

Cont’d on pg 12

allegedly invaded the assembly for undisclosed reasons, had died in the custody of the security agency.

At an emergency press conference in Ado Ekiti, addressed by the Information Commissioner, Mr Lanre Ogunsuyi, the government insisted that the lawmaker had developed an ailment the midnight of Thursday and died at dawn.

Ogunsuyi said: “We call on the DSS to immediately clarify the situation as to the status (dead or alive) of Hon. Akanni by producing him physically for all Nigerians, particularly his immediate family to see.

In the same vein, members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday said there was possibility that some of their members in the custody of the DSS might be dead.

While on a visit to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to submit a protest to the commission, Professor Bem Angwe, the assembly members said the arrest of their members had affected the work of the state

house of assembly.

The lawmakers led by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Segun Adewumi, who was accompanied

by Dr. Samuel Omotosho, Chairman House Committee on Health, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, House Committee on Information, urged the commission to come to the aid of the state assembly and defend their rights.

Omotosho, who spoke on behalf of other members said: “The arrest has affected the work of the House.

This commission should rise and defend the rights of these persons.

“The DSS is a creation of the law and should not behave as if it is above the law by disobeying the law that created it. We are not in a banana republic where anybody can do anything and get away with it.

“As it is now, we don’t know their whereabouts. Their family members are worried and they have remained incommunicado.

We asked if they are dead and nobody is talking to us. The rights

to life and human dignity of our colleagues are being threatened.

“Arresting and detaining them without charging them to court is a breach of their fundamental human rights.”

In the petition before the commission, they accused the federal government of plans to arrest and intimidate lawmakers in the state into submission.

According to them, the arrest and detention is to silence the voice of oppositions in the state.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Ekiti State Government (SSG) and some commissioners have reportedly gone into hiding following threats of arrest by the officers of the DSS who are reportedly laying siege on the state.

The SSG, Dr Modupe Alade, who made the revelation at a news conference addressed in Akure, Ondo State, capital, added that the list of some executive members to be arrested was being paraded all over the state.

The SSG said since Tuesday, she

had been receiving some strange calls on her phone and one of the callers, who identified himself as Paul Okafor with telephone No +447442364448 told her to make herself available in the DSS Office, in Abuja soonest.

“Subsequent calls from other anonymous numbers warned that, ‘in my own interest, I should make myself available as there is no hiding place for me.’ This accounts for my addressing this Press Conference outside Ekiti State.

“These intimidating and overzealous acts of the men of the DSS contradict Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

One wonders what they are turning democracy to in Nigeria,” she said.

The SSG said all these acts of DSS were being directed at Governor Ayodele Fayose and those that are close to him because of his critical stance on the federal government, adding “we are yet to see a new constitution in Nigeria that makes speaking one’s mind on national issues, a crime.”

FARE THEE WELL DADDY

Some of the children of the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN), at the valedictory court session for thier father at the Kogi High Court of Justice in Lokoja...yesterday Godwin Omoigui

Buhari: I Believed So Much in Ocholi Says late minister, a paragon of loyalty Tobi Soniyi in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has described the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi (SAN), as one of his right hand men in the quest to reposition Nigeria, and fashion a land of peace and prosperity, where no man is oppressed.

Buhari in his tribute to the minister who died in a car crash that also killed his wife, Blessing, and son, Joshua, said: “Ocholi was no mean man. He was a man among men, an Iroko in a forest of trees.

How are the mighty fallen!”

The president said Ocholi had taught the people he left behind fidelity, commitment and loyalty to

the party, government, and to God. Buhari said: “Among many other positive and pleasant things, I will always remember Ocholi for his loyalty to our beloved country Nigeria, loyalty to our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and loyalty to our administration, in which he had served for just about four months, before death took him.

“In 2011, Ocholi ran to be governor of Kogi State on the platform of our then party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). I believed so much in him, and in his ability to add value to the governance of his state, that I followed him round the state on campaign. We visited all the local

governments, visited the paramount rulers, and urged the people to vote in a worthy man as governor.

But politics is a peculiar game in Nigeria. The best often does not win. Ocholi did not win. But he bore it gracefully.

“In 2015, he threw his hat into the ring again. He sought to be governor on the platform of APC, a party he had helped to midwife.

He still did not win at the party primaries, and eventuality he bore gracefully again.

“When the APC was being negotiated into existence among the Legacy Parties, Ocholi did a yeoman’s job, contributing his quota to the legal processes. This he did under a junior lawyer, who was

not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) like him then. But what mattered to Ocholi was the birth of a strong, solid party, which could wrest power at the centre, and bring change to our country. Hierarchy is important in the legal profession, just as it is in the military. But Ocholi subordinated pride and ego, served under his subordinate, and APC was born dream became reality.

“Steadily but sure-footedly, he was part of the change cabinet, resolved to bring our country out of the woods, and put Nigeria among the greats in the comity of nations.

Then the unthinkable happened.

The grim reaper harvested Ocholi.

What a pity! Sad and tragic. He will be sorely missed.”

FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016 • T H I S D AY

11

NEWS

ICPC Investigates FCT Transport Directorate, Discovers N997.8m Unremitted Revenue Adebiyi Adedapo in Abuja The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) is currently investigating allegations of fraudulent practices at the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) commonly referred to as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

THISDAY investigations revealed that officials of the directorate had visited the ICPC on several occasions to answer questions over their alleged involvement in fraud.

The anti-graft agency in a letter addressed to the Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Service, requested the officer in-charge of administration to appear before it with the establishment laws of DTRS, audit report on DTRS in the last four years and records of number plates supplied by Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to DTRS from 2010-2015.

The latter dated February 10, 2016, read: “The commission is investigating alleged violation of the ICPC Act 2000 in your organisation, in the course of which it has become necessary to obtain some information, documents from your service. Pursuant to section 28 of the above stated Act, you are required to furnish the commission with the establishment laws of DTRS, Audit report on DTRS in the last four years and records of number plates supplied by FRSC to DTRS from 2010-2015.”

ICPC in another letter dated February 17, addressed to

the Secretary, FCT Transport Secretariat, in addition to the above-mentioned, demanded records of security documents, motor vehicle particulars printed and issued with details of payment from January 2014 till date, and records of payments received for vehicle plate number issued from January 2010 to December 2016.

The commission had established the fraudulent act in a comprehensive system study of the processes and procedures of the directorate between 2010-2012.

The study revealed that within the three years period, the directorate attained a noncomplaint compliance level of approximately 35.4cper cent on the performance scale, which portends that corruption vulnerability requires urgent attention by the ICPC and FCT authorities to make the Directorate functional.

According to the report exclusively obtained by THISDAY, ICPC discovered a cumulated unremitted revenue of N997.8 million within the three years period.

The report also stated that there was no evidence of consolidated account of the directorate, and re-imbursements for advances were done at intervals without proper retirements of previous cash advances, adding that evidence of refund of unspent balance of personnel fund and capital funds could not be verified.

There were unremitted Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the tune of N463,780,897 in the year 2010, as well as a

Oil Prices Rise by Almost 6% as Producers Agree to Cooperate Ejiofor Alike with agency reports

Oil prices jumped by almost six per cent yesterday thus erasing losses of the past two days, after major producers firmed up plans to meet in Qatar to discuss an output freeze.

United States crude settled up $2.12, or 5.8 per cent, at $38.46 a barrel, after falling by five per cent in the past two sessions.

Brent crude finished up $1.59, at $40.33 a barrel, after falling below $40 in previous sessions.

Crude prices got a heady start after Qatari Oil Minister Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada said producers from within and outside the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will meet in Doha on April 17 to discuss output freeze plans.

Around 15 OPEC and non-OPEC producers, accounting for about 73 percent of global oil output, support the initiative, the minister had said.

Since the freeze was first proposed last month, prices have recovered about 50 per cent from decade-low levels but been volatile without a firm meeting date.

Oil gained further yesterday on data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) that showed US crude inventories last week climbed to its fifth straight week of record highs but by just 1.3 million barrels, a much smaller build than forecast.

The EIA also reported that US gasoline demand over the past four weeks was up 6.4 per cent from a year ago.

As part of the collaborative efforts

between OPEC and non-OPEC producing countries to freeze crude oil output in an attempt to prop up prices, the two groups would hold a meeting in Doha, Qatar on April 17.

Before this development, Saudi Arabia and several fellow OPEC members had agreed with nonOPEC Russia to freeze output at January levels in an attempt to prop up prices.

The renewed cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC members had led to a rise in the price of oil above $40 per barrel but that was still a fraction of the $115 per barrel of almost two years ago.

However, Iran’s latest position that it would only join the discussions for cooperation after its output has hit 4 million barrels per day (mbpd), had led the price to slump below $40.

Iran’s oil exports are due to reach 2mbpd in the Iranian month that ends on March 19, up from 1.75 million in December 2015.

But Thursday’s announcement

by Qatari Oil Minister, Al-Sada, who is also the President of OPEC that the members of the cartel and non- member producers would meet in Doha on April 17 will likely renew confidence in the oil market.

“This comes as a follow-up to the meeting that was held last month in Doha between Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Venezuela at which they proposed an accord to freeze oil output at January 2016 levels and called on other producers to do so,” Bin Saleh Al-Sada was quoted by Reuters as saying in a statement.

sum of N200,540,185 in the year 2011, to the treasury as revealed by the external auditors for the year 2010 and 2011 respectively.

A contravention of section 16, part IV of the Financial Control and Management Act of FCT circular FCT/TRY/ FUNDS/14/120 of May 4, 2009. The revenue record for 2012 examined, show that the total IGR N1,354,999,128 was realised, while only the sum of N821,032,351 was remitted

to FCTA sub-treasury account domiciled with Fidelity Bank.

An examination of the external auditors report, which was signed by the directorate revealed that the sum of N333,516,395 was unremitted to the treasury in the year 2012.

“The report also revealed that there was no evidence of compliance with the 2011 submission of the directorates audited financial statement as provided by section 13 of the

Auditor-General Act, 2008, which requires MDAs to submit their audited financial statement to the Office of Auditor General of the Federation (OAGF) not later than June 30 of the succeeding year.

“The teams examination of the bank statement on the revenue account with Aso Savings and Loans Plc with account number 0010551729 revealed that it had a closing balance of N126,425,149 as at December 31, 2012, which was left unremitted to the treasury.

“Also, and examination of another account with the Aso Savings and Loans, with account number 0010719084 on overhead, revealed that there was an opening balance of N23,276,722 as at January 1, 2012, an indication that the balance for the year 2011 was not remitted to the treasury, while there was a closing balance of N92,797,637 as at December 31, 2012, also an indication that the revenue was not remitted at the end of the year.

LOOKING BEYOND OIL

L-R: Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Mr. Ray Ekpu; Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Sarah Alade; Geoscientist, Geology Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr. Adepelumi Abraham; Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, New Telegraph Newspapers, Mrs. Funke Egbemode; Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello; and former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, at the New Telegraph Economic Summit, titled: ‘Nigeria: Beyond the Oil Economy,’ in Lagos...yesterday.

Senate Begins Amendment of Electoral Act to Legalise Use of Card Readers Concurs with House, asks police to seal Kogi assembly Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja A bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act to give room for the incorporation of the use of card readers into the Act scaled second reading on the floor of the Senate yesterday.

The bill, entitled: “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act N0. 6 2010 and for Other Matters Connected Therewith 2016,” was initiated by Senator Tijani Kaura (Zamfara North).

Leading debate on the bill, Kaura said making the use of card readers a legal initiative had become important in view of the huge value it added to the 2015 general election.

According to him, court pronouncements on the device that it was unknown to law had made legislation on it necessary, noting that: “It will further strengthen our democracy.”

He described its introduction as novel, explaining that a number of African countries have been using the device to enhance their electoral systems.

The lawmaker added that if made a legal instrument, it would further boost Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral process.

“The card reader is indeed a novel innovation by INEC...The card reader machines have been in use in many countries even

before Nigeria adopted its usage in the 2015 general election. It has been in use in countries such as Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and many other African countries and most importantly, it has deterred electoral fraud. Thus, all hands must be on deck to make legislations that will boost the confidence that our citizens have in democracy,” he said.

In his contribution, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, however, suggested the need to ensure a comprehensive amendment of the Electoral Act beyond the provision for the use of card readers.

He listed other issues which he said needed to be considered as amendments to the Act to include electronic voting as well as the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to comply with 90 days’ orders by courts for rerun elections.

But Senator Foster Ogala (Bayelsa West) vehemently opposed the bill, describing it as an attempt to smuggle a strange device into the nation’s electoral system. According to him, the provision of the bill was inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution pointing out that any law that is inconsistent with the constitution is null and void.

He insisted that if the bill must be passed, the constitution must first be amended before the use of card readers could be incorporated into

the Electoral Act as he argued that INEC had successfully conducted several elections without making use of card readers.

Also speaking, Senator Albert Akpan (Akwa Ibom North-east) warned against rushing to make card readers legal instruments. However, he said he was not opposed to the use of card readers but rather its imperfections.

In the same vein, Senator Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central) opposed the bill as he recalled how a number of Nigerians mainly from the South were disenfranchised during the last general election as a result of card readers’ usage.

But Senator Jibrin Barau (Kano North) threw his weight behind the bill, describing the introduction of card readers into the nation’s electoral system as revolutionary.

He said the move had elevated Nigeria into the class of civilised countries.

Also yesterday, the Senate passed a bill raising the number of judges in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High court from 37 to 75.

The increase followed the adoption of a report by Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, David Umaru.

Meanwhile, a week after the House of Representatives resolved to take over the functions of Kogi State House of Assembly, the Senate has concurred with the resolution.

Accordingly, it asked the Inspector General of Police (IG), Solomon Arase, to seal the legislative house until the crisis which engulfed it is amicably resolved.

The House of Representatives had on March 8 resolved to take over the state assembly after a committee it initially set up to mediate in the crisis which resulted in the impeachment of the state asembly speaker,, Lawal Momoh Jimoh, by five of its 20 members failed.

Members of the assembly had vehemently resisted the move.

The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, who moved the motion, said the trend of events in the state assembly had shown clearly that the state legislative house could no longer perform its responsibilities.

According to him, the move to take over the legislative house was in accordance with Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution which he said empowered the National Assembly to take over any house of assembly that could no longer perform its responsibilities.

The Senate also declared the impeachment of the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Momoh Jimoh Lawal, by five of the 20-member house null and void just as it condemned the roles allegedly played by the police in subverting the constitution.

12

FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

PDP Alleges Plot to Impose Emergency Rule in Rivers Dokubo-Asari vows to resist rigging

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Shola Oyeyipo in Lagos The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of planning to perpetrate violence during next Saturday’s rerun election in Rivers State in order to justify imposition of emergence rule.

This came as former Niger Delta militant leader, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari yesterday vowed that the he would join other Rivers State citizens to prevent election rigging in tomorrow’s rerun elections in the state.

The PDP warned that dire consequences would follow any attempt by the APC to push on with its plot to impose a state of emergency in the state.

In a statement signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday, the party said it was privy to a grand design by the APC to orchestrate violence in the state with a view to truncating the elections, having realised that the PDP and its candidates are more popular and ready to win overwhelmingly in all the reruns.

The party said it had also rallied all its formation in the state to stiffly resist by all means necessary in a democracy, any move by the APC to scuttle the Saturday’s national and state assembly rerun elections in the state.

“We are aware that the orchestration of violence is designed to serve as stimulus for the planned imposition of a state of emergency to enable the APC forcefully take over the state which it failed to get

Nigeria’s Economy is in Recession, Says Economist Solomon Elusoji An economist, Professor Akpan Hogan Ekpo, has said the Nigerian economy is currently in recession, after studying relevant macroeconomic and social indices.

In economics, it is possible to ascertain that an economy is in recession through the comparative study of statistics like the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment rate, inflation rate, among others.

Ekpo during his delivery of a keynote paper in Lagos yesterday at the inaugural lecture of the Centre for Financial Journalism said: “The morphology of growth indicates an economy with positive growth trajectories but no development,” According to the academician who is also the Director General of West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, “The high rates of unemployment, combined with reduced output in two quarters of 2015, suggest an economy in the sphere of stagflation, a prelude to a recession.”

He noted that GDP numbers, as provided by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), experienced significant declines in 2015.

“The growth of the agriculture sector’ dropped from 4.47 per cent in the third quarter of 2014 to 3.46 per cent in the same quarter of 2015, a decrease of 1 per cent,” he said.

He also noted that the industrial sectors contributions to GDP declined from 24.20 per cent in the third quarter of 2014 to 23.5 per cent in the same quarter of 2015.

“This is an unhealthy situation given the importance of manufacturing in driving growth and development as well as job creation,” he explained.

Although inflation had been steadied at single digits, due to the central bank’s tight monetary policy, Ekpo noted that the rising rate of unemployment makes mockery of the positive trajectory, currently standing at almost 27 per cent.

He lambasted the NBS for trying to shy away from this sordid fact in its latest unemployment rates that suggests the economy is close to full employment.

The NBS had pegged the rate at 6.4 per cent in the 1st quarter of 2015 and 8.2 per cent in the second

quarter, but that was after ascribing higher rates to underemployment, which is simply a milder form of unemployment.

Meanwhile, while admitting that recessions are inevitable in any capitalist economy, Ekpo noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari government must put in place effective policies to combat the misery it brings upon the common man. The professor went on to advocate policies that would prioritise massive investment in hard infrastructure, employment generation, investment in housing construction, rebuilding the public school system, building strong institutions, and an aggressive monetary and fiscal policy.

“It is expected that President Buhari has a committed team that would put the economy on the path of sustained growth and inclusive development,” he said.

through the ballot box. We also know that the design to unleash violence is behind the recent infamous call by APC spokesman in Ondo State, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, for emergency rule in Rivers State.

“What else, apart from the execution of this plot explains the complaints from our candidates and members in state of constant threats by partisan security operatives as well as the recent gale of arrests, attacks and killing of PDP supporters in the state?

“But let it be known that Rivers State is a stronghold of the PDP and that such profane quest would be squarely and comprehensively greeted with intense resistance and very dire consequences.

“Our position is guarded by the fact that we remain a responsible and law-abiding party committed to the sanctity of our electoral process, the interest and will of the Nigerian people. Besides, we have the numbers, and the people of the state are solidly behind us.”

PDP said it totally welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari’s warning to those instigating violence and causing mayhem in the state.

Meanwhile, South-South chapter of the party has raised fresh alarm over alleged plots by the APC administration to rig next Saturday’s rerun elections into Rivers State Assembly and National Assembly.

The South-South Zonal Vice Chairman, Dr. Cairo Ojoughoh, alleged that the massive deployment of the military personnel to the state is aimed “at arm twisting the electorate and hand over the election re-run to APC.” He cautioned: “Any attempt to rig the election will not only led to anarchy but a crisis whose end cannot be determined by anybody.”

South-south PDP leader urged the party supporters in the state “to defend their votes, obey all civil rules, avoid anything that could led

to confrontation with the military,” adding that they should “stand firmly to collate their results at the polling units and follow it up to the collation centres.”

However, Dokubo-Asari in a statement said his Niger Delta People Salvation Front (NDPSF) and the Niger Delta People Volunteer Force (NDPVF) would be readily available to ensure that will of the people prevails in the election.

In the statement, ex-militant leader said: “Let it be known that the Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari-led NDPSF/NDPVF will join millions of Rivers people to resist any form of electoral rigging at the coming Saturday’s Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly elections.

“Our position on the Rivers elections is unambiguous; it is

simple and clear. It is let there be no form of electoral manipulations, let the will of the people be sacrosanct. Let no president, army, police, minister, governor, militant leader or even media or observer try to manipulate the elections nor mislead the people. We demand Let the wishes of the people prevail.”

According to him, the former governor and Minister for Transport and Aviation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi would also not be allowed to move beyond his polling unit.

“Let every voter be confined to his polling booth and let no big man subvert the rules. Let us clearly warn, should Ameachi who is personally planning to swap results be allowed to move from his unit to other voting units by whatever guise protected by agents of the state will be an open invitation to

violence and chaos,” he said.

Dokubo added that: “Let the forces of the rampaging Fulani herdsman know that the people of Rivers State will totally resist an occupational Army of Slave masters, taskmasters, field slaves and house slaves.

“Rivers people are ready to vote and will defend the outcome of their votes. It is in the best interest of all that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that things are done properly, not allowing itself to be the harbinger of violence, should they compromise, they would be resisted.

“The good people of Rivers State know already that the PDP best represents the interest of Rivers people and by extension the Niger Delta region and will overwhelmingly vote for the party.”

Metuh: Judge Refuses to Hands-off Trial Despite Being Accused of Bias The trial judge then dismissed the application of no-case submission

by Metuh on the grounds that it was lacking in merit, and ordered Metuh to open his defence.

However, at the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to the defence, IfedayoAdedipe (SAN), had requested for an adjournment following the unavailability of the lead counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), whom Adedipe said was expected to open the defence.

“In the light of Ikpeazu’s application after the reason he gave for seeking an adjournment, I will plead that your lordship grant this application to the court’s convenient date. If the date is not convenient, I will undertake to

commence the defence with any witness available,” he said.

Responding, counsel to EFCC, Silvanus Tahir, expressed surprise noting that Adedipe has been speaking for the defence all along even though the lead counsel was around, wondering why Adedipe cannot proceed with the defence.

But before Justice Abang ruled for the application for an adjournment, he told the counsel he would like to ask a question and would also record their response.

The judge asked if they were aware that after eight witnesses have been called, examined and cross-examined, and a no case submission filed by the defence,

defence counsel in the person of Emeka Etiaba SAN, wrote a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, asking that this case be transferred to another court.

While the prosecution counsel claimed ignorance, defence counsel who did not state categorically whether he was aware or not however replied that any decision taken by a member of their team was a collective decision.

According to Abang, the petitioner in the letter accused him of making some decisions in favour of the prosecution; as the court refuses to release records of proceedings to the defence, adding that the accused person was his classmate.

T H I S D AY FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

COMMENT

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

FASHOLA AND RESPONSIVE LEADERSHIP

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C. Don Adinuba argues the Minister of Power, Works and Housing is a rewarding study in authentic leadership

here is a pervasive belief that African leaders are anything but predictable. Who could have predicted in the heady independence struggle days that the generation of African nationalists who waged a determined campaign on the principles of freedom, equality and life more abundant for their people would in no time decree the one-party system into existence and cause their political opponents to disappear? Take Sekou Toure, the man who led Guinea to independence in 1958 and is still beloved by pan Africanists. When he was in the 1970s asked by journalists about the whereabouts of Diallo Telli, his foreign minister who was to become the first secretary general of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), President Toure replied curtly: “Dialo Telli is in prison, and all those who are in prison are dead”. Telli was reported to have been fed to crocodiles as a warning to other critics of the Toure regime.

But there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. There is a new generation of leaders in Africa who understand that leadership is really about service to the citizens, and not about lording it over the people. They draw inspiration not from Mansa Musa, the emperor of the old Mali Empire and one of the richest rulers of all time who went on a two-year pilgrimage to Mecca from 1324 and caused inflation everywhere he passed because of the stupendous quantity of cash and gold he was dishing out to all manner of people. The new African leaders are rather inspired by the example of leaders like Mahathir Mohammed of Malaysia and Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who within a generation transformed their backwater nations to first world status. Both Mahathir and Lee were easily predictable when they were in office because they set their sights on history and were at all times guided by enduring values.

A contemporary Nigerian public officer who is predictable is the immediate past Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, who is now the Minister of Power, Works and Housing. It is easy to predict Fashola once public interest is involved. He will respond with swiftness, solid judgment and foresight, going far beyond the call of duty. In an article published in January, I predicted that the Okija-Ihiala-Uli-Egbu-Oguta-Egbema-Omoku Road which traverses Anambra, Imo and Rivers States and which has not been completed since 1982 may well be one of the first roads Fashola would fix, despite the fact that the people in these places did not vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general election.

The prediction was predicated on the following: Fashola is urbane, liberal and truly detribalised; he would like to end the “ogbanje” or “abiku” status of this road which has defied all governments in the last 36 years; the horrible state of the Ihiala section of this interstate road has earned the road the unenviable status of arguably the worst federal road in the country; and the degrading status of the road has now been brought to the attention of the minister.

It says a lot about the character of the minister that he could have asked an aide to inform me that the letter from the leadership of the Ihiala Progress Union, the town development union of my

THERE IS SO MUCH THE NIGERIAN POLITICAL CLASS HAS TO LEARN FROM LEADERS LIKE FASHOLA. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS IS RESPONSIVENESS. TIMELY RESPONSE TO EMERGENCIES AND THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE GENERALLY IS A TRUE MARK OF GREAT LEADERSHIP

hometown in Anambra State, was receiving attention, but he chose to call me directly. He tried to reach me on the phone many times, but I wasn’t with them; I was immersed in some urgent task. Yet, he kept trying my lines. The minister was compelled to send me a text message which I saw much, much later in the day. Fashola can be so giving of himself and so humble. I am only a year older, but he refers to me as “sir”. I wonder how many state governors or ministers, let alone a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to boot, could be so deferential to an ordinary citizen to whom he owes no obligation as an individual.

It was apparent my call woke him up the next day, causing me to be remorseful. But not wanting me to apologise, Fashola pretended that he had been up for a while! He took time to explain the challenges he met in the new and expanded ministry and his plans for grappling with them before discussing the extremely bad federal road which cut off my people in Ihiala, Anambra State, from the rest of the world during the last rainy season. Typical of him, he tried to play down my expectations. He did everything to conceal from me the fact that he was sending on February 16 a large party of engineers from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing led by a director to the site. Even when he sent a party from the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on Wednesday, March 2 to the site to see if anything could be done to salvage the Ihiala section of the road before the rains set in this year, Fashola made sure I did not know.

The whole drama is reminiscent of my experience when in 2008 I requested him to construct the road leading to my First Unity Estate in Badore, Ajah, in the peninsular part of Lagos because of its criticality. Not once did he promise to build the road, as he kept on saying “we hope to look into it” after reminding me that “it is not in this year’s budget”. Yet, he built the road the same year! He even had to look for more money from different sources to give the contract to an international firm because of the treacherous nature of this water-logged environment. PW of Ireland did a great job. Frankly, Fashola is not a politician, as he often seeks to under-promise but always over-performs. He probably loves to spring surprises.

There is so much the Nigerian political class has to learn from leaders like Fashola. One of the most important lessons is responsiveness. Timely response to emergencies and the needs of the people generally is a true mark of great leadership. By sending within one month two high-powered teams from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing as well as from FERMA to a place in which he has no vested interest, Fashola has gone a long way to restore public confidence in the Nigerian possibility. In fact, he has just completed a nonstop tour of basic federal infrastructure in the North Central political zone of the country, and is about to start a tour of another zone. He will always be a rewarding study in responsive and authentic leadership.

Adinuba is head of Discovery Public Affairs Consulting

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

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Violence affecting women and girls is routine and prevalent, writes Oluwafunmilayo Josephine Para-Mallam

ast February, the Nigerian media was agog with news of a self-sponsored University of Jos psychology student, Nanchin, who was strangled to death in Angwa Rukuba, Jos by her boyfriend, Badung Dele, for refusing to go out with him on Valentine’s Day. When questioned by the Police, he said it was because, “I love her too much.”

He loved her so much that he needed to control her choices, movements and very existence. Sadly, Nanchin is not atypical. Nigeria is full of women and girls who are loved too much, so much in fact that violence is a daily reality for a large number of female citizens of this country. National media reports and empirical studies show that violence affecting women and girls (VAWG) is routine, persistent and prevalent all over Nigeria among all cultures, classes, age groups and faith communities.

It is true that violence is frequently a reality for Nigerians, whether male or female. But studies and observation clearly prove that violence targeted at women and girls is primarily and simply because they are female. Nigeria is full of ‘Chibok’ girls, and ‘Ese Orurus, kidnapped, raped, forced to convert and married off as minors. Only their cases have not hit the headlines. The fact is, females are much more likely than males to be victims of gender-based violence. Culturally, Nigeria’s tolerance level for VAWG is so high as to be classified as ‘gendercide’ and should be declared a national emergency. Let’s look at the evidence.

A recent Lagos State study showed that at least three out of 10 women have experienced some form of gender-based violence by the age of 15. A 2008 UN Women survey revealed that wife battery, forced/early marriage and rape are common all over Nigeria, especially among women of child-bearing age. Nigeria’s statistics on maternal mortality are

chilling and alarming at 554/100,000 – way above the global average of about 380/100,000. Most cases are preventable owing to systematic neglect of female healthcare. In Plateau State, statistics from a 2015 CWEENS report on VAWG among diverse people groups revealed that at some point in their lives almost all women experience violence ranging from physical assault (e.g. wife battery, acid attacks), sexual exploitation (e.g. rape, gang rape, stalking, incest, human trafficking), psychological/emotional torture, socioeconomic deprivation and various types of harmful traditional practices (e.g. widowhood rites, FGM). The perpetrators are usually, but not exclusively, male; they tend to be someone the victim knows such as an intimate partner, friend, relative, neighbour or acquaintance. Contrary to common belief, incidents of VAWG are not rare or isolated cases; neither are VAWG perpetrators sick or deranged individuals. They are your ordinary ‘nice’ guy, next-door neighbour or someone who occupies a position of responsibility or authority in a family, community or organisation. In fact, the study showed that 82.3% of violent attacks on women/ girls are by a known assailant, and primarily by an intimate partner. In other words, VAWG is so endemic to Nigerian society that an abuser could be a well-respected figure in public and a chronic abuser in private. In addition, male violence is the single biggest risk factor to female human security in the world today!

Boys and men typically experience violence in public spaces in the course of work, crime, war and conflict. Girls and women, on the other hand, mostly encounter violence behind closed doors in private spaces and in places where they should be safest, such as homes, schools and hospitals. Consequently, the long arm of the law does not easily reach where VAWG commonly occurs and society as a

whole is often unable, or unwilling, to sanction it appropriately. In fact, society is often only too eager to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the numerous injustices that cause women and girls profound pain and suffering. Victims of gender-based violence tend to be wives, widows, pupils/students, patients, domestic helpers and women in the workplace, especially in relation to colleagues and bosses. All these are contexts where women tend to have dependent or subordinate status. Age is no barrier to the nature or extent of violence; girls ranging from less than a year to women as old as 80 years have been beaten, abused or raped. In 2014, the ‘ChezB’ radio talk show carried the story of Rachel, a10-month-old baby raped by a landlord living in the same compound as her family in Jos. Her mother had left her in his care while she quickly went to collect a debt. The Executive Director of Cindarella shared a startling experience when her NGO went for HIV sensitisation activities in some primary schools. They found only nine girls in a class of about 300-500 pupils were virgins. On closer investigation it turned out that male family members, neighbours or houseboys had been had been sexually violating these hapless minors with reckless abandon. On March 9 this year CWEENS, an NGO working to end VAWG, received a report of a five-year-old girl who was raped by her uncle and the perpetrator was seeing to coerce the police to settle the matter ‘amicably’ out of court. The truth is most incidents of VAWG go un-reported, unchallenged and unpunished leading to a nationwide culture of gross impunity. Women with disabilities are at double risk of falling victim, and stories abound to prove it.

To add insult to injury, in many instances women and girls who fall victim to gender-based violence are shamed, silenced and stigmatised for what they have suffered. People make all sorts of excuses to

exonerate the perpetrator and blame the victim: She must have been rude, badly behaved, in the wrong place, provocatively dressed or, as in the case of Rachel and the primary school pupils, their mothers should not have left them unattended. The ‘blamers’ ignore the fact that none of these excuses provides justification to batter, kill or rape a woman or girl, or deprive her of her fundamental human rights. It is a testament to a perverted national conscience that we rather blame victims of VAWG or their mothers for their predicament than hold the perpetrators of these dastardly acts accountable. This is a sheer outrage and great travesty of justice. Victims who take the bold step of reporting their abuse(r) have often been ostracised by family and friends for damaging the family or perpetrator’s reputation. In 2015, CWEENS assisted the recovery of a young woman raped by her biological father. When she told her mother what had happened, she turned against her telling her daughter ‘you want to spoil my marriage.” What marriage? Is it any wonder that so many victims refuse to report but prefer to bear the pain in silence, often with profound long-term consequences?

Tragically, this outrageous injustice is reinforced by cultural and religious belief systems, which teach that it is a sign of virtue for women to endure all manner of ill treatment, particularly when meted out by their husbands.

Of course, this does not imply that all men are violent or that women are always victims. Women are also guilty of violence towards each other and can be notorious for inflicting psychological harm, especially verbal, on men as well as on their fellow women, in addition to other forms of violence.

Prof Para-Mallam, mni is head, Culture, Language & Media Studies Department, Directorate of Research, National Institute for Policy & Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

EDITORIAL OF SNIFFER DOGS AND POROUS BORDERS

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The borders need adequate policing as they undermine the security of the nation

he Minister of Interior, LieutenantGeneral Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), announced last week that the federal government plans to deploy hundreds of specially trained sniffer dogs to the border areas of the country to assist the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) tackle cross border crimes such as arms smuggling and the influx of illegal immigrants into the country. While we endorse the move, we believe there is need to go beyond the deployment of dogs given the nature of the threats posed by the nation’s porous and poorly policed borders.

Today, there is hardly any criminal act or form of violence in Nigeria that cannot be remotely traced to the relative ease with which armed gangs enter and exit through many of our 149 border points. Smuggling of contraband goods, arms and human trafficking, as well as mercenary activities directly linked to religious violence, are some of the vices attributed to these porous borders.

Some of notorious borders include those with Niger, Chad and Cameroun WHEN THE BOUNDARIES in the north and the ARE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED boundaries with AND DELINEATED IT Benin Republic in the WOULD BE A LOT EASIER Southwest. Without TO MONITOR THEM exception, all these borders are loosely patrolled, if at all, while illegal movement of people and goods flow almost freely on a daily basis. In the northern border towns, the matter is made worse by the close cultural and religious affinity between Nigerians and those across the border. In some of these areas, the contiguous nature of the border sometimes presents its own challenges.

It is also a well-known fact that the Boko Haram sect, just like its Maitatsine cousin of the 1980s, finds ready adherents from within the territories of our neighbours.

Most of these mercenaries, because they have no stake in our country, quite naturally seem to be more violent and ready to exert maximum collateral damage when-

Letters to the Editor

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ever they strike. But the problem is not restricted to the North. In the South western border areas, especially the Seme-Badagry-Idiroko axis, smuggling activities have continued unabated, thereby posing a serious threat to the nation’s economy.

T T H I S DAY

EDITOR IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU DEPUTY EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOlA BEllO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOlAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OlUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOlA BEllO, KAYODE KOMOlAFE, ISRAEl IWEGBU, EMMANUEl EFENI, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OlUFEMI ABOROWA DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS PETER IWEGBU, FIDElIS ElEMA, MBAYIlAN ANDOAKA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS HENRY NWACHOKOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOlA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI GENERAL MANAGER PATRICK EIMIUHI GROUP HEAD FEMI TOlUFASHE ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAKU II DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

he textile industry for instance is a major casualty as virtually all the leading local textile mills have been shut down since their products could not compete with imported but cheaply priced wax and print materials brought through the borders. This, according to officials of the National Union of Textiles, Garment and Tailoring Workers, has led to the loss of some 100,000 jobs. Apart from textiles, assorted contraband and substandard goods also flood the nation’s markets from across the borders.

While we are not oblivious of the existence of the Immigration and Customs Services at the border posts, it is also clear that these agencies have proved to be either incompetent or seriously compromised in the discharge of their duties. There is therefore the need for a thorough probe of the present border security outfits, namely the Immigration and Customs Service, with a view to establishing the extent of their collusion and collaboration with criminal elements at the border towns.

Meanwhile, Nigeria should initiate a cause of action to properly demarcate the nation’s borders through the setting up of an ECOWAS Special Commission.

There should also be regular joint-border patrols with neighbouring countries. When the boundaries are clearly identified and delineated it would be a lot easier to monitor them. Nigeria’s borders remain the easiest crossing points in the world today.

With the increasing proliferation in small and light weapons, we enjoin all the relevant authorities to recognise the danger posed by our porous borders and act very quickly to tackle the menace. Nigeria cannot afford to take the issue lightly and that explains the concerns we have repeatedly expressed why our porous borders require urgent and much more serious attention by the relevant authorities.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

LEKKI BUILDING COLLAPSE: MORE QUESTIONS

hese are certainly not the best of times for Lekki Worldwide Estates Limited, promoters of the hugely popular Lekki Gardens. The tragedy that has befallen the company is proof of the vicissitudes of life; proof that the pendulum of life can swing in different directions at different times.

It could be fortune today and misfortune tomorrow. It also shows that disasters can occur, from the most unexpected quarters.

Before the tragedy that struck last week in form of a building collapse that claimed the lives of 35 people, what came to mind at the mention of Lekki Gardens was a foremost player in the burgeoning real sector of the Nigerian economy and arguably the country’s fastest growing residential property developer. The company, which is synonymous with provision of high quality and luxurious homes for the middle and upper class has, in just four years of coming into existence, redefined the concept of housing in a country with a huge housing deficit of more than 17 million. By the beginning of 2015, the company had delivered 2,500 housing units at affordable prices to owners who are not known to have issues with the houses.

The question should therefore arise as to why the tragedy of March 8, 2016 occurred. What happened to a structure that was only one of the many in the area, some of which have been occupied for more than one year without

complaint? How did a company that places premium on quality and standard find itself in a situation in which it has to provide answers to the whys and wherefores of an occurrence it could not possibly have envisaged? Could the incidence that has tainted an otherwise unblemished record have been averted?

These and several other questions become pertinent when it is considered that there hasn’t been any report of untoward developments in any of the estates developed by the same company in Ogun and Rivers States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory. The answers to these and other questions will only be provided after a thorough investigation of the Lekki tragedy by relevant agencies of government.

We are used to stories of building collapse in areas like Idumota, Isale Eko and other thickly populated areas where old and dilapidated structures can no longer bear the weight increasingly exerted on them by the number of occupants that rise by the day. We are by now familiar with reports of buildings that collapse under construction in areas where unqualified contractors use sub-standard materials to minimise cost. But Lekki? And within an estate being developed by an organisation that is not a new entrant?

But while we wait for investigations to reveal what went wrong, perhaps it is worthwhile to attempt to answer an important question that may arise from the unfortunate

incidence. There is, immediately, the question as to whether there was greed on the part of the owners of Lekki Gardens.

This would seem far-fetched, if information on the company’s operations is anything to go by.

Despite the increased attention that is being paid to provision of houses in the country today, especially by the federal and state governments, in response to demand that has been difficult to satisfy, real estate is still a sector that is waiting to be tapped. With a population that is growing out of control, provision of houses will not be adequate in the foreseeable future. There is, therefore, no reason for greed on the part of a housing provider, certainly, not one that has built a reputation for meticulousness, as well as safety of customers and clients, within the short period of its existence.

Allegation of greed has come as fallout of the story in the public domain to the effect that the collapsed building was marked for demolition, not having met required standards, yet the company still went ahead with its construction, ostensibly looking more at profit making than safety. A comment on this aspect of the incidence is hampered by the fact of the matter being in court, which would make it sub judicial. But it bears mentioning that at times like this, public comments are mostly coloured by emotion than reason, perhaps understandably so, especially as there has been loss of lives.

Samuel Olabode, Lagos

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

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POLITICS

Group Politics Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com 08116759819 SMS ONLY

PERSONALITY FOCUS

Nwifuru: A Speaker Par Excellence Benjamin Nworie attributes the relative peace in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to the political dexterity of the Speaker, Hon. Francis Nwifuru

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rom the onset of the fifth assembly in Ebonyi State, there were great expectations among the legislators and there was the search for someone whose leadership would reshape the body polity of the state by bringing peace to the Ebonyi State House of Assembly that was riddled with leadership crises in the fourth assembly.

For the lawmakers, it was time to look inward and elect a person of proven character, who would bring cordial working relationship among them and other arms of government in the state. This solemn search was most expedient if one recalls the past ignoble and excruciating experience of the fourth assembly in the state.

With the peace in the Assembly, it would not be wrong to conclude that the calculation of the advocates of peace in the state legislature worked as planned because not many people will forget in a hurry, the periods when impeachment and suspension of members were the only ways of settling any misunderstanding. At that time, two Speakers emerged due to the overbearing influence of the executive that was almost dictating every single action in the assembly.

Then, the name ‘Speaker’ represented a mere ceremonial head, taking instructions from power brokers while any attempt by such Speaker to disobey such instructions attracted the stiffest sanction, including impeachment.

Former Speaker, Ikechukwu Nwankwo, was impeached in circumstances that many considered as “a desecration of the laws of the land”. Later, Chukwuma Nwazunku, was also impeached by a splinter group of the House in November 2014, but he was able to escape it due to the political realignment that rescued him from the hands of the power ‘predators’. These ugly trends necessitated the need for the ‘messiah’ who will bring peace and unity to the house. So, there was a mind-set that the job of the Speaker was not a task for charlatans who may be without wisdom in handling issues. The people were looking out for a consummate politician who knows his onions and could stand firm to defend a cause he or she believes in. Therefore, there was a mutual agreement that whoever would occupy the speakership position needed to be a peace advocate and respected lawmaker, who would pay attention to the welfare of members of the Assembly.

The lawmakers were not the only one bothered about the incessant chaos in the last assembly, the people were also unhappy with the unrest in the legislature. The Governor, Mr. David Umahi, was committed to partner the lawmakers to attain peace. The governor started by recognising the independence of the Assembly. In line with the concept of separation of powers and independence of the legislature, the governor allowed the lawmakers to freely operate without meddling in their internal affairs. After a long search, Izzi-born politician, Hon. Francis Nwifuru, emerged as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly in the election that was monitored and more or less, supervised by Governor Umahi. Before the election, all eyes had been on Nwifuru based on his antecedents and goodwill and since he emerged, he has displayed enough wisdom, charisma and openness to improve the business of legislation.

His first assignment as the Speaker, the screening of commissioners and other appointees of the governor, there was a major departure from the uncritical trend in which neither credentials were scrutinised nor petitions considered against any nominee.

Umahi, receiving some bills from Nwifuru

With Nwifuru, members were allowed to question any nominee to ensure that they had something to offer in their area of engagement. It was no longer the usual ‘bow and go’ screening. Before now, the screening of candidates was an exercise in sycophancy where nominees were praised to high heavens. But now, a plenary presided over by Nwifuru is fascinating, educating and most importantly, intellectually stimulating.

Sometimes, those at the gallery are engrossed and enchanted with the way and manner the speaker handles issues, especially when old members want to use experiences and knowledge to intimidate the new ones.

As an advocate of rule of law, Nwifuru, in the course of his legislative functions, has maintained strict adherence to the rules for debates, motions and submissions on the floor of the house. There has been a noticeable departure from the favouritism that was the order of the day in the last Assembly. For this, he has been conferred with the honour of the Fellow of Corporate Administrative Institute (FCAI).

Worthy of commendation is the cordial atmosphere he has created to allow his colleagues to freely express themselves during debates. There is also the issue of speedy passage of bills and granting of approvals that will ultimately enhance the smooth running of the government. Such approvals include the N130million request made by the governor to empower 2,565 Ebonyi indigenes.

Members now bring matters of urgent public importance to the house because the speaker has encouraged them to show more concerns for issues of public interest.

With his growing positive impacts on the legislative business of the state, his leadership talents are being exposed the more and there is no gainsaying that the speaker has grown to become the political head of the populous Izzi clan and a good example of purposeful leadership. His popularity blossomed during the last election when he defeated his village brother, Edward Nkwegu, who contested for the governorship of the state. He also made sure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in all his wards, against the Labour Party. This uncommon victory revealed that Nwifuru was an emerging political force in Izzi land.

When he shared the experiences of the past election and how he triumphed in spite of the strong forces and government efforts to frustrate his return to the assembly, Nwifuru said his success was an act of God, test of popularity, and vengeance of the Izzi people that the past administration did not cite any project in Izzi throughout its eight years in office. He also recounted that his re-election and support for all the candidates of the PDP brought peace and unity in Izzi land. All the political stakeholders are now at peace with one another. An indication of this was the civic reception organised in honour of the governor and the speaker by the people of Oferekpe in Izzi. The event was like a carnival and notable personalities from all parts of the country attended the ceremonies.

To many people, the event was a huge success. It was a display of overwhelming acceptance of the Umahi’s administration by the people. Perhaps, not many people may be comfortable with the popularity of

With his growing positive impact on the legislative business in the state, his leadership talents are being exposed the more and there is no gainsaying that the speaker has grown to become the political head of the populous Izzi clan, and a good example of purposeful leadership…

the speaker because it is obvious that not only have his colleagues in the assembly accepted his leadership, but the governor is also completely pleased with his forthrightness and sincerity in the handling of things.

The governor described him as a “beacon of hope” and “a stable political character”, having known him for many years.

Kudos must also go to Governor Umahi for the free-hand given to the Assembly to operate, and for his proactive actions to nib in the bud issues that could pitch the two important arms of government against themselves.

For instance, when the House of Assembly summoned three commissioners to clear some issues, the invitation did not go down well with the governor, who retorted that the assembly had “no right” to invite his commissioners without passing through him.

That development elicited reactions from both quarters but with the wisdom and ingenuity of both leaders, Umahi and Nwifuru, both parties were able to douse the tension.

The speaker also played a prominent role in what would have created a sharp division and verbal attacks between the members of the state executive council and the state legislature over a comment credited to him against the executive.

Addressing newsmen in Abakaliki, the speaker claimed that he couldn’t have referred to some commissioners as corrupt and incompetent in a government he strongly believes is composed of seasoned technocrats and administrators.

According to him, he merely charged the house members to take their oversight functions seriously so as to oversee the activities of the ministries and agencies in the state, as a way to complement the efforts of the governor in his transformation drive.

On the leadership of the house, the Speaker said he would not probe his predecessor, Hon. Nwazunku, following the petition written against him (Nwifuru) over an alleged misappropriation of constituency projects totalling N2 billion, which led to his invitation by the EFCC, some weeks ago.

Nwifuru’s invitation to clear allegations of misdeeds that took place when he was not the Speaker was considered as the height of tolerance, resilience and probity that any public officer can display. Most of the issues in the petition were projects awarded and executed by the past leadership of the last assembly.

To prove that his is transparent, Nwifuru called on the anti-graft agency to visit the state House of Assembly on a fact-finding mission to verify the content of the petition.

He said he would be glad to render any help that might be needed from him to aid the fight against corruption in the country.

With his fast rising political profile, speculations are high that Nwifuru is being packaged for House of Representatives to represent Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency in 2019 by his people. The position is currently occupied by a third termer, Sylvester Ogbaga, who rumour mill says is gunning for a higher position in the state.

If the permutation is anything to go by, the choice of Nwifuru for the House of Representatives will be a huge investment and remarkable choice. He would be expected to put up a better representation as he enjoys public goodwill and admiration.

Generally, people are of the view that if he continues to uphold the welfare of his members and avoid the murky waters of politics, which truncated the peace of the last assembly, the sky could be his starting point in Ebonyi State politics.

17

T H I S D AY FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016

Advertorial

11th February, 2016 Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR The President and Commander-in-Chief Federal Republic of Nigeria State House Aso Drive, Federal Capital Territory His Excellency,

PETITION FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF A CASE OF ETHNIC CLEANSING; FORCEFUL EXPLUSION; GENOCIDE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION PERPETRATED AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF EBIJAKARA, ABI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE OF NIGERIA BY EBOM COMMUNITY, ABI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE OF NIGERIA ON THE 15TH – 17TH JANUARY, 2006, AND THE FAILURE OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE; FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, CROSS RIVER STATE OF NIGERIA AND OTHER RELEVANT SECURITY AGENCIES TO BRING TO ACCOUNT THOSE RESPONSIBLE (Edited Version).

We are Legal Counsel to the People of Ebijakara Community of Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria who were forcefully expelled or displaced from their ancestral homeland in Ebijakara, Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria by a militia force recruited, funded and sponsored by indigenes of Ebom Community, are now living in Refugees Camps in Calabar, Usumutong, Ediba, Ugep, and other neighbouring Communities since January, 2006. We have the instruction of the People of Ebijakara to make this representation to you in your capacity as The President, Commander –in-Chief and indeed the Chief Executive of the Federation of Nigeria as follows: The People of Ebijakara are a Minority Ethnic Nationality in the Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria. The People of Ebijakara are numbered about 6,000 by the Figures released by the National Population Commission after the 2006 Population Census. Ebijakara is found in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Before their expulsion from this area, the Ebijakara had lived in this area for more than 400 (Four Hundred) years. Indeed, the Ebijkakara provided land to the Ebom People about one hundred years ago when they were displaced and dispersed from their ancestral homeland in a bloody skirmish with their neighbours in the present Afikpo Community of Ebonyi State of Nigeria; this was in the period before the colonisation of this part of Nigeria by Great Britain. It is instructive to note that Ebom Community is a neighbouring Community with the Ebijakara (Abiriba).

The Ebijakara and Ebom have engaged each other in several land cases since 1911 which the Ebijakara have always won culminating in the Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered on the 24th April, 1964, which declared that the entire territory which the Ebom People occupy belongs to the Ebijakara People. However, up till today the Ebom Community has refused to obey the terms of this judgment and had plotted numerous times (to the knowledge of the Nigerian Government and Security Agencies) to eliminate Ebijakara from the face of the earth in order to render this judgment otiose. The vicious, mindless and bloody attack on the Ebijakara Community by the Ebom People was an attempt to bring into fruition the long drawn plan by the Ebom People to totally annihilate the Ebijakara People to gain control of their land which they had coveted for hundreds of years. The Ebijakara Community was a thriving and prosperous Community before it was invaded and sacked by an armed militia, organised, instigated, prompted, sponsored, financed and carried out by certain indigenes of the Ebom Community on the 15th January, 2006, with the tacit co-operation and support of a contingent of the Mobile Force of the Nigeria Police Force deployed to maintain Law, Order and Peace in the Ebom and Ebijakara Communities and elements of the Government of Cross River State and Abi Local Government Area.

In this regard, we respectfully invite Mr. President to direct relevant Security and Law Enforcement Agencies in the Country to investigate the role played in the genocide and crime against humanity inflicted on the People of Ebijakara by the Ebom Community during the tenure of Mr. Donald Duke, former Governor of Cross River State of Nigeria and Mr. Eko Atu, former Chairman of Abi Local Government Area Council. The armed attack led to the mass murder of more than 200 (Two Hundred) People from Ebijakara and the complete destruction of the entire Ebijakara Community and the forced expulsion of its entire population.

The names of the Ebijakara people who were mass murdered by the Ebom people from January-December, 2006 are attached herewith for your consideration and attention. The names of the principal people of Ebom Community whom we urge the President to order that they be investigated to possibly unveil those who sponsored, financed and organized the militia force that attacked Ebijakara and carried out genocide and ethnic cleansing which culminated in the mass expulsion of the entire population of the Ebijakara are as listed below: 1.

2.

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CHIEF HENRY BASSEY CHIEF JAMES OKARI CHIEF JOE ODU AREH CHIEF ETTA ENYI OFFEM CHIEF OGBENYI EGBE CHIEF ENYI ERU IBE CHIEF TOM OKINA ODU CHIEF CHARLES OHATU ETTA MRS. ROSE UGO BASSEY CHIEF JOHN EREMI AZUMA MR. BASSEY FRANCIS ENYA ELDER EGWU IREM IGRI BARRISTER UBA EGBE MR. OKORIE NKANU EGWU BARRISTER EMMANUEL ESUIREM

16.

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BASSEY ANTHONY AROKE EGWU BEN OHAN JOHN JAMES EGWU MR. ROBERT ETU HON. SUNNIE UDEH HON. BASSEY EPHRIAM IREM HON. SUNDAY ENYI EGBE PASTOR BASSEY EYO BASSEY REV. PETER ETU ENGR. JOE ANTHONY AROKE BARRISTER BASSEY NKANU EREMI HON. HENREY OFEWA MR. BENSON OVAI NKANU MR. SUDY BASSEY OKPA ARCHITECT E.E. EDU MR. EGBE UBA EGBE MR. PAUL EGBE OGBENYI MR. TONY NKANU OKPEWURU MR. JOHN EPHRIAM IREM CHIEF TOM ELIJAH UZONG ARCHITECT ENYI BEN EBOH JOHN UBA OKON MR. ADJIAR EKPE IZANI MR. MONDAY CHARLES OBETEN MR. EKPE AGOR AGU MR. ORJI OBAI OKPATA MR. OZONG ELIJAH MR. SUNDAY NKANU EGWU INSPECTOR BASSEY ASAMBA INSPECTOR EZE BASSEY ENYA MR. BASSEY OGBAN BASSEY MR. UBAH JACOB UBAH MR. OKIRIA FRANCIS ENYA MR. FELIX BASSEY ODI MR. TOM OKINA

51.

CHRISTOPHER ENYI UZONG

The People of Ebijakara are presently Internally Displaced People. The entire cultural life of the Ebijakara People has been destroyed and their ancestral homeland occupied since January, 2006, to the knowledge of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Government of Cross River State of Nigeria and the Abi Local Government of Nigeria by a militia force of Ebom Community sponsored and financed by those mentioned above.

Hundreds of Houses belonging to the Ebijakara People and other indigenes of Ebijakara were dynamited, burnt and destroyed on the said 15th January, 2006, in a well organised and co-ordinated attack by the People of Ebom. Presently the entire Ebijakara Town has become a ghost town since the attack of 15th January, 2006 and is under the occupation of the murderous militia force from Ebom to the knowledge of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Government of Cross River State of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force.

There are no human beings living in Ebijakara. The Ebom People destroyed all the Houses, Health Centres, Schools and Economic Trees and Farms of the Ebijakara. The attack has led to the complete and total depopulation and expulsion of the entire Ebijakara Community from their Ancestral Home which they have lived in for more than a century or hundreds of years.

A former Accountant-General of Cross River State of Nigeria, is alleged to be one of the financiers of the Attack who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to facilitate the genocide against the Ebijakara people.

Presently the entire population of Ebijakara are on Forced Exile or are Refugees in the neighbouring Communities such as Ugep, Usumutong, Ediba, Biase, and Itigidi etc. The Applicants are presently living in Refugees Camps created for the Displaced People from Ebijakara Community in Ugep and Usumtong Communities in Yakurr and Abi Local Government Areas of Cross River State of Nigeria.

The Government of Cross River State has completely ignored the plight of the Ebijakara people. The Federal Government of Nigeria, Government of Cross River

State of Nigeria and Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria which is responsible for the protection and security of the People of Ebijakara have done nothing to protect the People of Ebijakara from the wrath of the People of Ebom who have always manifested an intention to annihilate the Culture, Heritage and People of Ebijakara and expropriate their Lands. The Nigeria Police Force and the Security Agencies which are entrusted with the responsibility for the maintenance of Law and Order abdicated their schedule when a contingent of the Mobile Police Force stationed or deployed to maintain the peace in the Ebijakara/ Ebom Communities withdrew from their beat some few hours before the attack and sack of the Ebijakara Community on the 15th January, 2006, despite the fact there had been security report of an imminent attack to be organised by the People of Ebom. Until this moment, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Government of Cross River State of Nigeria and the Abi Local Government Area Council of Cross River State of Nigeria have dismally and woefully failed to ensure that security is provided and guaranteed to the People of Ebijakara who were forcefully deported or expelled by the militia force sponsored and financed by the People of Ebom Community to return to their ancestral homeland which has been occupied by this militia force since January, 2006. The militia force has completely and totally destroyed all the homes of the Ebijakara People using dynamites and other lethal weaponry. The Nigeria Police Force, and other apparatuses of the Nigerian State has woefully failed, refused and or neglected to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime of genocide, ethnic cleansing and crime against humanity are held accountable or brought to justice since January, 2006 a period spanning more than four years!

The perpetrators of these heinous crimes are well known to the Nigeria Police Force and the various tiers of Government in Nigeria but not keen or interested that they are brought to book. In the light of the above, we respectfully URGE Mr. President to direct relevant Security and Law Enforcement Agencies in the country out an investigation of the genocide, ethnic cleansing, deportation, expulsion and crime against humanity carried out against the People of Ebijakara on the 15th - 17th January, 2006, and thereafter in accordance with INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW which prohibits genocide and crime against humanity.

PRAYERS: 1. We respectfully urge Mr. President to direct the Inspector General of Nigeria Police Force, Mr. Solomon Arase and the Director General of the Directorate of State Security, Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura, mni respectively to launch an investigation into the genocide, ethnic cleansing and crime against humanity carried out on the 15th - 17th January, 2006, by the militia of Ebom Community on Ebijakara in view of the failure, refusal and or neglect of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Cross River State Government to bring into book those responsible for these grave and heinous crime.

2. Mr. President to direct the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abubukar Malami, SAN and the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase respectively to prosecute all those responsible for the ethnic cleansing, genocide, arson, murder and expulsion of the People of Ebijakara from their ancestral home on the 17th January, 2006.

3. Respectfully, Mr President to direct relevant security and law enforcement agencies to immediate take steps to provide security to enable the People of Ebijakara return to their ancestral homeland forthwith.

4. Respectfully, Mr President to direct the to direct the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase to take disciplinary measures against the contingent of Police Mobile Force posted to maintain law and order in Ebijakara, Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria but which withdrawal on the 14th January 2006 paved the way for the armed militia sponsored and financed by the People of Ebom to ransack Ebijakara from 15th - 17th January, 2006.

5. Respectfully, Mr. President to direct the National Emergency Relief Agency and the Government of Cross River State of Nigeria the rebuilding of Ebijakara Town that was completely burnt by the militia force sponsored by Ebom on the 17th January, 2006.

6. Respectfully, Mr President to set up a Committee to recommend appropriate compensation to determine appropriate compensation to be paid to the People of Ebijakara.

Yours Sincerely,

MRS. J. O. OBONO-OBLA

18

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

POLITICS

OFF-THE-TURF

In His Spare Time, Edebiri Enjoys Welding

Welding, to the average person, may be considered an unconventional vocation but a governorship aspirant in Edo State, Dr. Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri, finds pleasure in this artisanal job, writes Segun James

W

hen your job is your hobby, it is very difficult to get bored with it. So for Dr. Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri, a leading aspirant for the Edo State governorship on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, his abiding passion is Welding Engineering and he had the unique opportunity to be a pioneer student in this area of engineering at the only tertiary institution (until recently) that offered this course in the country.

Not that he has had any experience in welding metals together when he applied to study engineering at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), it was just by providence that he was admitted to study Welding Engineering, since then, this has been his passion. He specialises in the Edo cultural renaissance.

So passionate about Edo culture was he that the Oba of Benin, in recognition of his efforts, made him a chief of the kingdom. The truth is that the Oba never gives honourary chieftaincy titles; every title has a duty attached to it. For Edebiri, his was for the research undertaken by him during the centenary of the Benin war with the British at the turn of the 19th century and the injustice wrought on the Benin nation and people by the banishment and subsequent death of Oba Ovoramwen N’Ogbaisi in exile.

Just as it is with his love for Benin culture so it is with welding engineering. Edebiri who holds a PhD, is the President, Nigerian Institute of Welding (NIW).

“Welding has become part of my life. It is what I do that gives me the greatest pleasure.

It is my job and for me, it is a way of life.

Even if I become governor and I still have the opportunity, I would always want to weld once in a while. All we were able to achieve at NIW was because of my passion for welding,” Edebiri said.

Today, the NIW takes pride as being the first engineering institute in the country to build a multi-billion naira research and engineering center dedicated to the improvement of Welding Engineering and technology in the country.

Welding has become part of my life. It is what I do that gives me the greatest pleasure. It is my job and for me, it is a way of life. Even if I become governor and I still have the opportunity, I would always want to weld once in a while. All we were able to achieve at NIW was because of my passion for welding

So impressed is the major oil operating company in the country at the job that Edebiri is doing at the NIW that Shell Petroleum Development Company is building and equipping some of the laboratories in the complex. The company is also building all the access roads and the gate house to the complex.

Edebiri as the president of the NIW has saved Nigeria several millions of dollars as several welding processes which could not be done by Nigerian professionals in the past are now being undertaken in-country.

With the support of the Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PTDF), NIW has trained several Nigerian welding professionals in South Africa, France and Turkey in welding processes for which Indian and Filipino nationals were being brought to Nigeria by oil companies to handle at great cost to the nation in the past.

Edebiri has also prompted the federal government, through the PTDF and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to train several welding professionals to welding technician, welding technologist and welding engineer levels so that Nigeria cannot be found wanting in any aspect of welding technology operation.

A believer in vocational education, especially for artisans in any trade and vocational jobs, Edebiri has instigated the inclusion of welding as an engineering course in some universities and several polytechnics in the country.

Until recently, only the PTI undertakes welding education to Higher National Diploma level.

But no more! Welding is now being offered in several institutions in the country.

A welding graduate of the PTI from where he proceeded abroad for his postgraduate studies, Edebiri is today the Chairman and Chief Executive of Typha Cenia Nigeria Limited, an oil servicing company he founded many years ago in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Managing Director of the Nigerian subsidiary of Thortex Corporation, an oil equipment manufacturing company based in Aberdeen, Scotland.

He is also the President of the West Africa Welding Federation and a member of the America Welding Society. Beside these, he is a member of the board of the International Institute of Welding, the umbrella institution of the welding engineering and professionals in the world.

In 2006, he was bestowed with the national honor of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by President Olusegun Obasanjo for his meritorious service to the nation. He is also a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International in recognition of his humble contributions to the welfare of humanity.

Today, Edebiri is a politician. Just like his abiding passion for welding and his Edo culture, he is channeling this to his politics.

He wants to be the next governor of Edo State, a dream he holds very passionately. To him, Edo and its people deserve the best culturally and politically. This he promised to give to the people if elected. He has the belief that he has what it takes to take the state to the next level.

19

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

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Quick Takes Institute to AddressTransparency, Accountability

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT

Managing Director, Arco Group Plc, AlfredOkoigun; Executive Director, Sahara Group, Tonye Cole; Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Dr. lbe Kachikwu, during the visit of Osinbajo to Arco Group Plc exhibition stand at the 6th African Petroleum Congress & Exhibition in Abuja…recently

Experts Identify Challenges Bedevilling Local Carriers Chinedu Eze High insurance premium, rising cost of operation and unfavourable government policies have been identified by aviation experts as some of the factors hampering operations of Nigerian airlines.

Some stakeholders in the industry, who spoke to THISDAY on Wednesday, accused the government of introducing policies that are inimical to the growth of domestic carriers. One of such policies, according to them, is the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) policy, which allocates multiple entry points to foreign airlines that now undercut the market for domestic operators and discourages code-share with foreign carriers.

AVIATION The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aglow Limited, an aviation support services company, Tayo Ojuri told THISDAY that high insurance premium digs a big hole in the coffers of Nigerian airlines. He said comparatively, most countries in Africa pay lower insurance premium than Nigerian airlines.

The local operators recently called on the federal government to save them from the exploitative insurance premium, which according to them, is the highest in Africa at the moment.

The Executive Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria, Captain Nogie Meggison who also spoke on the issue, said the high insurance premium is not justifiable because it takes

a huge chunk of the airlines’ revenues, as aviation fuel alone takes over 30 per cent of cost of operation.

He faulted the system whereby Nigeria Insurance Commission (NAICOM) insists that airlines must insure their aircraft through Nigerian insurance companies, which partner the international insurance companies to spread the risk, insisting that they (airlines) would prefer to insure directly with the international insurers.

The Managing Director of Arik Air, Chris Ndulue, who spoke in the same vein, observed that insurance companies’ assessment of Nigeria as high risk country might be responsible for the relatively high insurance premium Nigerian airlines pay for their aircraft.

He said that Nigeria is

wrongly perceived as high risk country because of the activities of insurgents who operate at only one section of the country, adding that this might have influenced the high aircraft insurance cost in the country.

But NAICOM had argued that as a regulator, it has the duty to ensure that Nigerian insurance companies participate in insuring airlines in Nigeria as it is done in other countries.

Ojuri said Nigerian airlines expend huge resources on their operation because of poor, obsolete or lack of facilities at the airports. For example, lack of airfield lighting at some of the airport runways deny airlines the chances to fly to such airports, thereby hindering them from making additional Continued on page 20

FG Plans Huge Investment in Shipping Sector John Iwori The federal government is set to invest heavily in shipping in line with its diversification programme.

The government has also promised to invest in capacity building by equipping port state control (PSC) inspectors working in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and supporting the agency with the expertise needed to carry out its core duties more efficiently.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, who dropped the hint in Lagos, was

MARITIME however silent on the amount the government plans to invest in the shipping sector.

He said the government is taking proactive measure to reduce accident rates and fatalities as well as loss of property.

Industry players have said as much as N7 trillion could be realised from the maritime sector of the economy annually if its huge potential is adequately harnessed.

Amaechi said the high level of maritime activities in

the nation’ s territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea has imposed enormous challenges on the federal government and other coastal countries in the West and Central Africa in terms of building a robust and effective maritime safety regime.

He directed the PSC Inspectors at NIMASA and the 19 beneficiaries to update their knowledge and enhance the general drive towards building a robust and effective maritime safety regime in the country and the region.

Amaechi said: “As inspectors of ships for your respective countries, you are all collectively

saddled with an important role in the socio-economic activities of your countries and the West and Central African region in general. In that role, you form an important part of the necessary resources required to discharge the responsibilities of your maritime administrations.

“Ensuring flag ship integrity and international obligations for PSC are important elements in the development of maritime safety. Your capacity to represent your countries by effectively discharging your duties on ships is critical and should therefore Continued on page 20

The Institute of Information Management (IIM) has announced plans to honour different stakeholders in Nigeria and in other parts of the world, including past and present public office holders, captains of industries from various sectors of the economy.

The stakeholders will be honoured during the IIM’s annual lecture planned for this week in Lagos.

Speaking on the theme: “Leveraging on Proper Information Management as Basis for Promoting Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance in Nigeria, President and Chairman, Governing Council, IIM Africa, Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, said in view of the several challenges that the federal government is faced with, coupled with the massive amounts of data that they must process, harmonised and integrate, the lecture becomes very important to address economic challenges of Nigeria.

Oyewole said accountable governance, the fight against corruption, and improved service delivery, all depend on the availability of good quality information about decisions and actions.

According to him, poor quality data, information and records would lead to missed opportunities to maximise the full value of publicly funded projects and programmes.

The recent drive by the present administration to fight corruption, promote transparency and good governance can only succeed if government have unhindered access to quality information, he said.

Polo Unveils ‘Urban Movement’ Collection

The Polo Avenue has announced collaboration with Omowunmi Label in hosting the unveiling event for its ‘Urban Movement’ ready-to-wear collection. A statement issued by the company stated that the two organisations hosted guests to a refined evening of top fashion as they unveiled the new Urban Movement collection by Omowunmi Akinnifesi.

The Creative Director of Omowunmi Labels, Omowunmi Akinnifesi described her collection as one designed for the metropolitan woman who is actively on-the-go. She said the collection has fine cut lines, bold colours and unique structural pieces.

Speaking on Polo Avenue’s collaboration in hosting the event, Executive Director Polo Luxury Group, Jennifer Obayuwana, explained lauded Akinnifesi’s creativity and the remarkable accomplishments.

According to her, as a brand, Polo Avenue reiterated its commitment to re-defining Nigeria’s luxury industry with its core values aimed at positively representing and promoting the efforts of remarkable female talents across all spheres of the economy and in particular that of Nigerian women in luxury fashion.

She said: “As such, the Polo Avenue platform will continue to celebrate the myriad of women entrepreneurs, business owners and executives by positively promoting their hard work, successes and industry achievements in showcasing their talents as an inspiration to women everywhere.”

Ethiopian Simplifies Visa Access

Travellers to Ethiopia can now get their visas easily through the help of registered tour operators in Nigeria. This was revealed in Kano by the Area Manager, Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria, Solomon Begashaw, while addressing travel agents at the annual agency seminar.

Before now all travellers have to visit the Ethiopian Embassy in Abuja to procure a visiting visa. As the headquarters of African Union(AU), Ethiopia is joining the move by AU to simplify travel within Africa by Africans. The new arrangement would see selected tour operators and travel agents assist their passengers in approaching the embassy for visa. Thus, new arrangement would take away one of the obstacles for travellers to Ethiopia. Ethiopia, the land of Queen of Sheba, is home to the largest number of UNESCO heritage sites in Africa.

At the seminar that was attended by leading agents in Kano, issues involving passenger handling and hajj operations were discussed. Ethiopian Airlines started its flight to Kano in 2014 but has been flying to Nigeria since 1960.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria should direct banks to stop the sale of airline tickets to the public. Travel agencies are accredited to sell tickets on behalf of the airlines” President, NANTA, Alhaji Aminu Agoha

20

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD EXPERTS IDENTIFY CHALLENGES BEDEVILLING LOCAL CARRIERS revenue.

“The operating environment for Nigerian airlines is harsh because of obsolete airport facilities, inadequate supply of aviation fuel, lack of well trained personnel in the airlines and the fact that major aircraft maintenance is done outside the country. This means a huge cost in foreign exchange to these airlines. If these are addressed, domestic airlines will become stable,” Ojuri said.

He also noted that one of the things that has undermined domestic carriers was their inability to develop more domestic routes, noting that generally, route development is poor in Nigeria because all the airlines concentrate on four major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, adding that there could be other viable routes if developed, which may include Port Harcourt-Warri route; Enugu-Kano route and others.

FG PLANS HUGE INVESTMENT IN SHIPPING SECTOR be given the required attention.”

The minister added that the region is critical to the global supply of energy due to the economic advantages derived from the transportation of low-sulphur crude oil from the region to Europe and North America.

He also said the Gulf of Guinea remained an important maritime route for commercial shipping from Europe and America to West, Central and Southern Africa.

While noting that countries under the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on PSC account for a significant volume of seaborne cargo to and from African, he implored all participants at the recent workshop “to take the engagement seriously, remain focused and avail yourselves with the unique opportunity to secure in-depth understanding of the presentations to be delivered by the resource persons.”

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku Maritime Editor

John Iwori

AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Linda Eroke (Labour) Eromosele Abiodun (Cap Mkt) Ejiofor Alike (Energy) James Emejo (Nation’s Capital) Obinna Chima (Money Mkt) Reporters

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (AgriBusiness)

NEWS

Modernisation of Nigeria’s Rail System Intact, Says Minister Sunday Okobi The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said the federal government’s efforts to transform the country’s rail transport system were still on course.

He made the declaration at the inspection of the newly acquired executive coaches for the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line at the Apapa Ports Terminal, Lagos.

Amaechi, who was represented by Director, Rails, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Mohammed Babakobi, said government remained resolute in improving the rail transport system in the country.

“What we have seen here today are the new coaches that have just been brought to service our standard gauge line from Abuja to Kaduna. It is a complete transformation in the rail transportation sector for the populace. The coaches are made with particular focus on the comfort of passengers; their safety and with a designed speed of about 150km/hour. So with that, we can be assured that the passengers will get to their destinations as fast as it can be, and it is safe,” he said.

He disclosed that in a very short while, the coaches would be moved to Abuja and installed on the rail tracks where they are supposed to be operating between Abuja and Kaduna.

The minister assured Nigeri-

ans of the federal government’s sustained efforts at acquiring more standard gauge coaches to meet demand.

“There will be more as we progress on the operation of the line between Abuja and Kaduna, and as the demand increases, more coaches will be required,’’ he added.

The acting Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, disclosed that the coaches were designed to run at 150 kilometres per hour, even as he pointed out that the corporation was on track to upgrade its

operations.

“This is the first time in Nigeria that we are having the standard gauge and that is to tell you that we are looking ahead. We have one for executive, three standard coaches and one baggage van for passengers’ belongings. They are all air-conditioned, fitted with vacuum toilets, CCTV cameras and TVs. The legroom is quite accommodating and it is going to be comfortable to ride in them. We are equally making progress and the government is hoping to continue at this

pace, and in due course, the standard gauge will go round the country”, he said.

He said NRC had also commenced the upgrade of its website to ensure that passengers could purchase tickets online.

“We have already arranged with a company specialised in carrying extra dimensional bodies at a speed of 30 kilometres per hour.

“This is the first time they will take two as a trial run, then the next time, they will take three at once. So we hope

that by this time next week, the first set would be in Abuja,” he said.

On maintenance, Okhiria noted that the coaches were accompanied with spare parts, adding, “the manufacturer is going to be here in Nigeria for at least one year to maintain them. By that time, our technicians and engineers will grab the nitty-gritty of the maintenance of the coaches. We hope to keep the maintenance level so that they can last even beyond the 30 years they are designed for.”

WE HAVE A DEAL

L-R: Vice Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Osasere Orumwense; Minister of State for Power, Works & Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, and Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding in Abuja…recently

Vitafoam Blames Tough Operating Minister Urges Firms to Explore NYSC Job Portal Clime for Decline in Profit Eromosele Abiodun The Group Managing Director, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, has blamed tough operating environment for the decline in the company’s profit recorded in the financial year ended December 31, 2015.

Adeniyi, who assured the shareholders of higher value, expressed concern about the effects of forex scarcity and imported raw materials on the production of foams in Nigeria.

Vitafoam’s profit before tax fell by 24 per cent to N534 million, from N709 million, while profit after tax recorded a higher decline of 42 per cent to be at N249 million, down from N435 million in 2014.

It recorded a growth of 8.8 per cent in revenue, rising from N16.713 billion to N17.185 billion, while gross profit rose marginally by 0.7 per cent to N5.433 billion, from N5.395 billion in 2014.

He, however, expressed optimism that Vitafoam would continue to operate optimally as measures have been put in place to strengthen the company’s operations with cost saving approach.

Addressing shareholders at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, he

said the company has commenced a new initiative to reduce operating costs and boost shareholder value.

Besides, he said the company has almost concluded arrangements to commence production of oil filters and allied motor spare parts through its newly established subsidiary.

Chairman of the company, Dr. Dele Makanjuola explained that the on-going inclement operating environment had forced the company’s Board and Management to embark on cost saving initiative in order to sustain the company’s competitive edge.

Makanjuola, who reviewed the current challenges facing manufacturing firms in Nigeria, noted that Vitafoam was able to remain profitable due to the prudent approach towards management of human and material resources.

“The foam business is operating in a very competitive environment. There are over 300 manufacturers. It is stressful to operate in the foam industry. As professionals, we have tried to keep administrative and financial cost under control. This prudent approach enabled us to generate profits and declared dividend of 25 kobo per share in an environment where many companies are

closing business. We were able to achieve this feat despite the high cost of operation because of our careful management practice.

“As we try to control our cost, we have decided to limit our exposure to our subsidiaries to a maximum of 40 per cent. This is expected to relieve us of financial burden of 100 per cent ownership. We can always raise 60 per cent equity through private placement.

“We have almost concluded plan to commence production of oil filter in our new subsidiary. As for Vono Products, we shall keep the brand. We have gone to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to ensure that the brand is not taken away,” Makanjuola said.

“Despite this uncertain disturbing outlook, our company will remain resolute in the implementation of nascent strategies that will enable the harvesting of low-hanging opportunities in the economy to improve growth prospects across several markets. Innovation and new products development will be the key drivers of our corporate strategy. We shall stay committed to the company’s brand reposition of much more than mattress by broadening the scope of our products offerings across the Vitafoam Group,” he said.

for Recruitment

The Minister of Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalong has urged companies to explore the pool of screened and talented graduates available on the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) job portal for their recruitment exercise.

Known as NYSCJOBS, the portal is an initiative that makes it easier for employers to find young and recruit talented corpers who start work immediately after passing out.

Speaking during a visit to NYSC Camp in Lagos recently, Dalong promised to sustain the initiative.

“I will stand for the sustenance of the scheme and that it should continue to grow.

What we need to do is to introduce skills acquisition, empowerment, and we need to now repackage the scheme.

Companies should explore the pool of pre-screened and talented graduates available on the NYSCJOBS platform for employment consideration during their recruitment exercises,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dragnet Solutions and Blogme have teamed up to support the NYSC in ensuring that the corp members are afforded a highly efficient, innova-

tive and benefitting service through conducting free aptitude tests.

In that regard, they screened over 5,000 Corp members before their passing-out parade. The screening is being done through the NYSCJOBS platform. With its fascinating and simple surface, the platform allows Corp members to freely create their profiles and present them to companies looking for talented young Nigerians.

These profiles contain details of the candidate’s aptitude test score, tertiary and professional qualifications and Microsoft Proficiency Suites score, amongst other information.

According to the stakeholders, this will help many small and medium sized companies identify their candidates very quickly, and many of the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) will patronise the platform because of the cost savings associated with not having to hire consultants to provide such information on the same candidates.

Stakeholders have said with the NYSCJOBS portal is also an avenue for cost conscious multinationals in the current economic climate.

21

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Flying through Safe Skies Chinedu Eze writes that accurate and reliable information on the weather is vital for safe, efficient and sustainable air transportation The Sosoliso plane crash of December 10, 2005, one of the most tragic accidents in Nigeria, was caused by bad weather (low level wind shear). What made the accident very tragic was because most of those, who lost their lives in the air accident. According to reports, the crash could have been averted if the pilot adhered to weather information from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), directing airlines to delay flights into that airspace until the unfavourable weather disappeared.

Most pilots, until recently, flouted weather reports because then were not reliable.

The failure of the pilot to adhere to weather information, resulted in the plane crash, which killed about 108 out of the 110 passengers onboard. In fact, the accident occurred as the aircraft was about to land to the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in adverse weather - wind shear, occasioned by rain and lightning.

The Sosoliso plane crash, compelled the federal government to effect a lot of changes in the aviation industry, including the release of funds for the upgrading of the airport facilities and the acquisition of the first Doppler Weather Radar for accurate reading of wind shear.

There were other weather related air crashes like the ADC Flight 53, which crashed shortly after it took off from the Abuja airport, killing the 97 passengers, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Maccido and his son.

To curb similar accidents, NIMET has since then, made significant efforts to improve weather prediction and to ensure that pilots strictly adhere to weather information.

Weather Vulnerability On March 13, 2016, the Aero flight that was billed to depart Calabar to Lagos at about 2:05 pm had to delay for 10 minutes owing to adverse weather condition. The pilot had informed the passengers that the flight would be delayed for 10 minutes because weather report indicated thunderstorm on the departure route. According to one of the passengers onboard the flight, immediately after 10 minutes, the pilot took off and landed in Lagos 55 minutes after; however, amid turbulence while flying through the Calabar airspace.

The Director General of the NIMET , Dr. Anthony Anuforom said that since the Sosoliso crash, the agency has acquired equipment to accurately predict the weather and has also trained personnel to effectively understand and interpret weather conditions.

Last week, NIMET had a public presentation on the 2016 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) in Abuja, where Anuforom noted that global warming has jolted the ecosystem and that adequate attention should be given to the dynamics of weather, especially by the aviation sector, the agricultural sector, the maritime industry and others.

“NIMET’s Seasonal Rainfall Prediction is part of the agency’s meteorological early warning system, containing rainfall and temperature outlook for the year, as well as the possible socio-economic implications

and durable assets caused by the floods in the most affected states was estimated to have reached N1.48 trillion.”

Anuforom

of the projected weather patterns.

It is designed to provide relevant information for planning and execution of projects and programmes in various sectors of the economy, especially those that are sensitive to weather. Agriculture, air transpiration, infrastructure construction, telecommunication, water resources are particularly sensitive to weather variability. The SRP is therefore a potent decision-support tool for stakeholders in these sectors,” Anuforom said.

The theme of this year’s SRP Presentation was: “The Impact of Weather Variability and Climate Change on Transportation Infrastructure and Agriculture in Nigeria.”

Anuforom said the theme was chosen because of the pivotal role transportaion and agriculture play in the implementation of government’s economic reform programme and the possible impact of rainfall variability on achieving the set goals.

Global Warming and Climate Change Anuforom said despite the controversies and doubts that trail them, the global warming and climate change are real.

He said: “Global warming and climate change are real; their manifestations in the form of unusual, violent weather phenomena are evident and constitute threats to sustainable development. I believe that it is in recognition of this fact that President Muhammadu Buhari in his inauguration speech and also at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, as well as the UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Paris 2015, stated that Nigeria will join hands with other nations to take actions to combat climate change and its impact on Nigerian citizens.”

The NIMET boss stated that

weather and climate data produced

by NIMET are critical for combating climate change through adaptation and mitigation strategies. He noted that unusual weather and extreme climate phenomena are still very much in existence, noting that Nigeria’s rainfall pattern indicated that the rainfall in the country this year would be characterised by late on-set, early cessation and lower-than-normal rainfall in many parts of the country, especially in the northernmost parts.

“Also dry spells during the rainy season may be more frequent and severe in many parts of the north, while the “little dry season’ or August break in parts of the south are expected to be pronounced. These are risky factors for farmers in the affected areas and has to be carefully and scientifically managed,” the Director General said.

However, Anuforom explained that the expected lower-than-normal rainfall in parts of the country does not rule out the possibility of isolated flash floods due to high intensity rainfall at the peak of the season, especially in places that are naturally prone to flooding.

Weather and Inter-modal Transport System The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika disclosed that the federal government is developing an integrated inter-modal transport system that includes air, land and water that would maximise the transportation of goods, raw materials and people.

“This involves construction of aviation, rail and highway infrastructure that link major cities and centres of economic activities. All these activities and programmes are sensitive to weather and climate variability. In this age of frequent and intense weather extremes, oc-

casioned by global warming and climate change, NIMET’s weather and climate predictions provide useful information for reducing losses, and taking advantage of favourable weather conditions to achieve more efficient and effective implementation of such programmes and projects.”

Sarika said right from inception the present administration has shown commitment to combating climate change and reducing its impact on Nigerians. He promised that the federal government is also committed to implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as well as Paris Agreement on climate change.

Furthermore, he said, the availability of accurate and timely meteorological data was critical for combating climate change as well as achieving the SDG in Nigeria.

“The role of NIMET in these regard is therefore unequivocal and I assure Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Transportation will continue to support NIMET to discharge this responsibility to the nation,” Sirika said.

He added: “Our past experiences in Nigeria show that we are highly vulnerable to extreme weather phenomena. For instance, the 1972/73 drought drastically reduced the contribution of agriculture to GDP in Nigeria from 18.4 per cent in 1971/72 to 7.3 per cent in 1972,73. “ It was also reported that about 300,000 animals, representing 13 per cent of livestock population in North-East Nigeria at the time were estimated to have died as a result of the drought. The 2012 flood disaster directly affected 30 states in Nigeria, killed 363, injured 5,851 and displaced 3, 871, 053 persons due to the resulting floods. The total value of destroyed physical

Early Warning Information The minister also said that losses to extreme weather phenomena could be minimised by using early warning information such as NIMET’s seasonal rainfall prediction, recalling that in 2012, NIMET released the prediction about the likelihood of flooding several months earlier.

“Unfortunately, however, adequate preparations were not made, and the flood inflicted heavy devastation when it came later in that year.

This year, NIMET’s prediction has indicated the likelihood of delayed onset and less-than-normal rainfall in several parts of the country. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past by ignoring the early warning.

“It is important for all stakeholders to take necessary precautions to reduce the negative impacts, especially on agriculture and water resources, in the event that this prediction becomes a reality. It is also important to ensure that our national infrastructural development projects are climate resilient. This is the trend all over the world in response to the challenges of climate change,” Sirika said.

In the last six years, NIMET has acquired hi-tech equipment and also built a laboratory in order to enhance accurate weather prediction.

Few years ago the federal government had commissioned the National Weather Forecasting and Climate Research Centre (NWFCRC) thereby signaling the commencement of operations of Weather and Climate services

by NIMET for air security and safety and the provision of effective weather and climate information for the overall development of the country’s agriculture and socio economic sectors.

Anuforom stated then that Nigeria can no longer be left behind in the realisation of the fact that Climate change and its negative impacts on human society are real.

The DG stated that observational data collected by NIMET and other agencies have shown that since the past three decades, there have been changes in the rainfall pattern in most parts of the country.

“We have also observed increasing trends in thunderstorms and lightening.” Anuforo added for instance that the Sahara Desert is encroaching deep into the country at a fast rate as Lake Chad has been sinking, while lives and property are lost due to flooding in several parts of the country. According to him, the country’s coastal areas are under threat of being submerged due to the rising sea level.

Underscoring the extent of damage to the environment, Anuforom said these meteorological hazards constitute major threats to the socioeconomic development of the country as it is in other parts of the world.

According to reports, over, 36.6 per cent of air accidents, globally is caused by adverse or unfavourable weather. It has therefore become very critical that accurate weather report must be issued to guide the pilots to fly safely.

22

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

Medview Airline Partners UAE’s Anta Tours

Stories by Chinedu Eze

As part of efforts to increase the value of its customer experience, one of Nigeria’s foremost airlines, Medview Airline, has entered into partnership with a leading travel and tour company in the United Arab Emirates, Anta Travel and Tours.

Established in 1976, Anta is a subsidiary of the US$6 billion ETA Ascon and Star Group/AL Ghurair Conglomerate, based in Dubai. The company has 800 plus travel professionals spread across its branches in the UAE, Oman, India and Canada, with a focus to provide impeccable, thorough and personalised travel and tour services. Anta boasts a turnover of US$206 million, in the UAE alone, and continues to enjoy excellent relations with its airline partners across the world and a growing list of global customers.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Medview, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, the move was part of an overall strategy

by Medview to continue to innovate in terms of service delivery, and ensuring that the company maintains its “number

one position” in Nigeria’s airline industry, by adding more value to its customers.

In this vein, Medview is also undergoing a vigorous fleet expansion program, with the recent addition of a Boeing 747, a Boeing 738, and a Boeing 734, to its collection. The airline would also complete and launch its Amadeus implementation by May 2016.

Bankole disclosed that an offer of three piece luggage for Business class at 75kilogram will be one of the numerous packages that customers will enjoy with the airline.

“It is a B767-300ER with 191 economy and 30 Business class seats, our package will start with three piece luggage for Business class travellers at 75kg and we have approval for three frequencies: Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays and it will be Lagos-Abuja-Dubai. We are looking at partnering Air China and Jed Airways as we conclude our IOSA this month”, he said.

For easy automated transactions, he disclosed further that the airline has been signed on by Amadeus as its Global

Distribution System (GDS) while it is also talking with Sabir.

Bankole said Medview airline had thrived on sincerity, consistency and reliability over the years and noted that from its beginnings, on-time departure and good in-flight entertainment stand it out.

“We are promised to deliver local delicacies on London route, we are also going to do same on this Dubai route, we will serve all sorts of local dishes to our Nigerian travellers, no one has done it better than we do, competition will only make us stronger and succeed”, he added.

In November 2015, Medview started a new flight route to London. The airline also commenced flights into Jeddah, via Kano, in December 2015. It is equally introducing a Dubai route, a move which must have inspired its partnership with Anta.

Meanwhile, the airline has promised its customers that new routes to Dakar, Senegal, Monrovia, Liberia, and Freetown, Sierra Leone, are on the way, as it spread its tentacles to the rest of Africa.

Delta Expands Network to North America, Europe Delta Airlines has entered into a codeshare partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Jet Airways to provide convenient connections for passengers to and from key destinations across North America to the Indian Subcontinent via Amsterdam.

The airline said this would be effective March 27, 2016, Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, would launch daily non-stop flights from Amsterdam to each to its hubs in Mumbai and New Delhi.

These would complement KLM’s daily flight between Amsterdam and New Delhi.

Furthermore, Jet Airways will also operate a daily flight to Toronto from Amsterdam.

The three-way partnership will enable customers to enjoy enhanced connectivity and seamless travel throughout the combined networks of Jet Airways, KLM and Delta.

Schedules of all three flights have been planned to allow quick and convenient connections between India and Toronto via Amsterdam.

Speaking on the development, the Senior Vice President Europe,

Middle East and Africa, Delta Air Lines, Nat Pieper said,“With more than 11,000 customers flying between the U.S. and India each day, our partnership with Jet Airways will enable us to meet the high demand for flights between the United States and the Indian sub-continent. Plus, our customers will benefit from reciprocal loyalty offerings and lounge access, meaning they can enjoy the same benefits as they would when flying on Delta.

Also the Chairman, Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new services to Amsterdam. India’s trade relations with the Netherlands go back over 400 years and have continued to prosper in the modern age. The recent meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and the Netherlands has given a new impetus to this relationship. The new direct services by Jet Airways will facilitate greater engagement and co-operation between India and the Netherlands.

“As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India has emerged as a key destination. Initiatives such as ‘Make

in India’ and ‘Startup India’ launched by the Government of India have given a boost for foreign investment and trade.

“Our daily flights between Amsterdam and India will have a significant positive impact on our network and connectivity by opening up multiple destinations in Europe and North America. The codeshare partnerships with KLM and Delta will offer customers wider access, unmatched connectivity and seamless travel from key destinations in Europe and North America to India.”

President and CEO KLM, Pieter Elbers, also commented: “With this new partnership with Jet Airways we are happy to join hands in order to extend our services to more customers all over the world. Together with our Joint Venture partner Delta we will transfer passengers smoothly and swiftly between three continents and via KLM’s home base Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, thus expanding choice and connectivity for our customers. The economic value of the partnership for the integral Dutch economy is estimated €100 million annually.”

IATA Urges African States to Adopt Global Carbon Emissions Offsetting Standard The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged African governments to support the adoption of a global offsetting scheme for carbon emissions at the 39th tri-annual Assembly of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal later this year.

IATA’s call comes seven months ahead of the ICAO summit where governments from 191 Member States would meet to agree on matters, which set the worldwide policy on

aviation for the upcoming triennium. Top of the agenda will be the proposed adoption of a global offsetting scheme for international aviation.

Achieving agreement on this will be essential if the aviation sector is to meet its goal of carbon neutral growth from 2020 (CNG2020), which was adopted at the 37th ICAO Assembly in 2010. The alternative is an increasing patchwork of taxes, charges and regulations, implemented nationally and regionally, that will restrict the

value air transport can bring to the world.

The Director Aviation Environment, Michael Gill said, “The industry has taken impressive steps to reduce CO2 emissions, with representatives from airlines, airports, air traffic management and manufacturing all playing their part. New technologies have been developed, alternative fuels have proved themselves to be a viable option and more efficient operating procedures are being established.

AIR WATCH Checking NCAA’s Excesses

T

he aviation industry stakeholders were in a state of euphoria for days when the 2006 Civil Aviation Act was passed in 2006. The passage of the Act made the NCAA autonomous. What that meant was that the regulatory body had become free from government interferences in carrying out its responsibility of regulating air transportation in Nigeria.

The NCAA carries out safety, economic and security regulation of the aviation industry and issues Air Operator Certificate (AOC), which is a legal approval of an airline to operate in the country.

But industry watchers have observed that since the agency obtained this autonomy through legislation, there has been no cessation of the demand for NCAA autonomy. Stakeholders argue that the NCAA’s autonomy was only on paper and not in practice hence the continued call on the government to recognise the NCAA autonomy.

THISDAY was privy to efforts by some airlines to obtain AOC from the regulatory body to issue AOC, but such requests were rebuffed by the the NCAA. It has to be noted that every country that is signatory to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which regulates air transport in the world, has civil aviation authorities (CAAs) that ideally should be insulated from government interferences while they carry out their regulatory functions. Compared to other CAAs in Africa, the NCAA is highly commended to have insulated itself from the so-called government or political interferences.

The spokesman of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye once told THISDAY that one of the many functions of the NCAA was to implement the policies of the federal government in the aviation industry. This means that NCAA cannot work in isolation with the government representatives, politicians and public servants. This is because they are involved in the implementation of government policies in aviation.

THISDAY investigation has also revealed that while there is the agitation for politicians and other government officials not to interfere in the affairs of the NCAA, the government is not checking the excesses of the regulatory body and abuse of office by its top officials.

For example, it is on record that some of the airports in the country, till date, do not have airfield lighting in their runways. These airports were built by state governments with approval of the NCAA to do daylight operation. While NCAA could defend the phrase ‘daylight operation’, it also knew that once those airports become operational, the state government would not deploy funds for other critical facilities at those airports. Recently in Gombe airport, Aero had to use ladder to disembark its passengers because there was no air stairs. If that airport and other state owned airports were subjected to audit, some of them would be grounded.

Another case in point was the Asaba airport.

When NCAA inspected it before it approved it for daylight operation, it was discovered that there were technical defects with its runway and its environs; yet it still approved it for flights operations.

In the first place, these airports should not have been approved by NCAA. It was later that some airlines, seeing the danger in operating into the Asaba airport decided to withdraw their services, prompting the state government to rebuild the runway and provide other facilities to meet given standards.

So the question is, who will check the excesses of NCAA. Industry observers recalled that some years ago, two airlines were involved in air crash that consumed lives; while one airline was allowed to continue flying, the other was permanently grounded. The NCAA claimed that the one that was permanently grounded did not have insurance and therefore did not compensate victims of the crash.

The question being asked stakeholders is, who

Minister of State, Senator Hadi Sirika

ensures that airlines underwrite their aircraft? The regulatory body also claimed that the favoured airline was allowed to continue operation, because immediately after the accident, it paid compensation to the victims of the crash. Till date, the issue is still raising dust in the industry on why the airline should be allowed to continue flying, when it did not compensate all the victims of the crash.

Reacting to the alleged political interference, the CEO of OAS Helicopters and a seasoned pilot, Captain Evarest Nnaji described the issue of political interference as hypocritical.

“I have read a lot of sanctimonious sermons from aviation practitioners over the years about the evil of political interference in our industry in Nigeria. It makes a nice pulsating conversation as it often radiates and resonates well when dressed and ornamented in safety. Anything hooded around safety will always elicit interest and sympathy in aviation world, home and abroad.

But as a practitioner, an aviator and investor, I have seen a lot about ‘interference’ whether political and institutional. To me interference can come from political office holders or from regulators themselves. It just depends on the intention of the one who is interfering and whether the interference is for good or for evil purpose,” Nnaji said.

He disclosed that he has been a victim of the arbitrariness of NCAA Director General at a time.

“I, for an example, in no distant past, have had to encounter a regulator who either did not like my gut or did not like the size of my ears and thereby decided alongside his lieutenants to close down my operation.

“Every inconceivable, written and unwritten, regulatory clauses man can fathom were quoted and bandied to inflict damage and circumvent our operation. Practically, in one occasion, it took just a phone call from a politician who reported that a helicopter landed on a “walk-way” in his area for our entire operations, in the whole of Nigeria, to be grounded for two days. And that was ever before sending an inspector to find out or to clarify what the caller meant by walkway, or ever hearing from us, the operator. I heard threats and harassments heading precipitously towards grounding my operation and destroying my investment before I reached out for ‘political interference,’” the OAS CEO said.

On the autonomy of NCAA, Nnaji said the aviators and operators in the industry fought for it until it was secured in 2006.

“We stampeded and taunted government officials and policy makers until they had nowhere to turn to than to cave in. That was a great success and our collective energy and effort, including that of regulators as well as operators. So, I cannot in all honesty state here that political interference, or any interference for that matter; is a way forward, but our society is still bedeviled with demonised humans who if completely left unchecked can be palpable monsters. In other words, some of our people are not yet broad minded enough to be completely trusted to be “honest and transparent.”

Stakeholders in the sector posit that while the autonomy granted the NCAA empowers it to ensure safe and secure air operations, government should check the excesses of its top officials to ensure they do not stray from probity.

WEEKEND WEEKLY PULLOUT

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Acting Features Editor: Charles Ajunwa Email: charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

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‘MY MOTHER OVERPAMPERED ME’ ACTING EDITOR CHARLES AJUNWA / charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

24/COVER

18.03.2016

Orji

‘My Mother Overpampered Me’ Senator Theodore Ahamefule Orji, who represents Abia Central in the National Assembly, in this interview, told Charles Ajunwa that he was overpampered by his mother as an only child. He also opened up on the circumstances that thwarted his dream of becoming a reverend father, as well as the qualities that attracted him to his wife, among other issues never before made public Having served as governor for eight years, how did you feel the very first day you stepped into the National Assembly as a Senator?

I felt happy first and foremost. I felt happy that I was able to achieve the feat of coming to the National Assembly. But it wasn’t easy.

It was a position that was keenly and hotly contested, but I won. So I felt happy and I thank God that I have been elevated to the position of a Senator. And this is a position that brands you with a title that is permanent to you until you die. Yes, I was governor and they called me His Excellency. But this His Excellency will one day vanish. It’s only those who like you who will be calling you His Excellency, but as a Senator it is a permanent name. When you see me you know that I’m a Senator and you continue calling me a Senator. So that is an achievement, I felt happy coming to the Senate.

But I also felt like a fish out of water because this is an entirely new terrain for me. And I have to start early to adjust because if you don’t adjust it will be difficult for you. So you have to overgrow and try to throw away all those Excellency things and fit into the

system. Once you have that in mind, you will succeed here. So that is the way I felt, I felt happy and I felt that I’m in a new terrain and I started adjusting.

I wanted to be a reverend father but like I told you, I remained an only child.

When I mentioned this to my mother, my mother said she would kill herself if I become a reverend father because it means that our genealogy would be cut short. Because, you know, in those days, mothers believed in procreation, that somebody must carry on the name of the family

Many say that Mother Nature has been so kind to you. How do you feel about your accomplishments so far?

Well, I believe every person has his own destiny. Once you are born in life God destines you and if you are hard working and you follow God’s destiny you will achieve your goal. When I was growing up there was no time I thought I will be governor. Honestly speaking, God has so blessed me that I have gotten those things I never expected I will get in life. I never thought I will be governor. I was a civil servant and I was following the dictates of my father who said what he wanted me to be was a permanent secretary. And after achieving that, I was ready to go and rest until destiny came. This window of being a governor opened. It was the work of God; it opened and I went into it and succeeded.

I succeeded not only for the first tenure, I succeeded for second tenure and did eight years. Some did four years but I did eight years. Despite all constraints God was there for me. And after doing those eventful eight years as a governor, I made up my mind to go into retirement and rest.

It was still my people whom God pushed

and used. The people of Abia Central came and started persuading me. They said no, you are not going to retire. You will still go to the Senate. And they showed it practically. The Senate form was bought by my constituents, they helped me with the campaigns by talking to the people. Even though it was keenly contested, APGA was there, APC was there, all the other parties were there wanting to go to the Senate but I excelled. I won and today I’m here. So I give thanks to God for the elevation that He has given me. I’m always grateful to God and to the people who have helped me to this position and that is why I don’t play with them. I don’t play with the people! Honestly speaking, if wishes were gold I will do all that they want, but because of constraints of finance and other things I try my best to satisfy them. And when I do that I say ‘please manage this.’ Even now that I’m in the Senate they still think that I’m governor, bringing up requests that should be sent to the governor to me, and I tell them ‘look my position has changed, I’m no longer governor, I’m now a Senator, give me the request of a Senator because I can no longer carry the request of a governor.’ Some

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18.03.2016 of them are listening, some don’t want to listen. They tell you it’s you that we know.

So these are the tasks I’m carrying, I remain grateful to God and to every other person who have remained with me right from the time I was governor.

Recall that I won my governorship election in detention and it’s still historical. Tell me in this Nigeria who has won governorship election from detention! I won it in detention, does that not show you that I’m popular. If you doubt it go and lock up yourself in prison and contest election and let us see. That shows you that I’m a man of the people. I won my governorship election from prison and it is historical. Mention how many governors that have won elections from detention, I’m number one and the only one. Since I came into politics I have never failed any election.

What does that show? It shows that I’m on ground and my people they love me.

What are the qualities that endear you to the people?

Well, I don’t know but everybody must know the qualities which he or she sees in me even though they tell me ‘you are humble, you are not arrogant, you listen to people’s complaints, when they are talking you listen to them, you don’t show off, you don’t behave as if you are governor, you don’t behave as if you are a senator, you reply all my text messages’. That is what they tell me. I think these attributes are rare attributes that one should get and when you have it and you are in politics you will succeed. They will come and tell you that they have seen politicians who don’t even read their text messages. They will come and tell you as governor when we send you text message you will reply. These are things they tell me, I didn’t manufacture it. And this is what I try as much to do to be in touch with them.

And I recommend this to all politicians.

What was your growing up like?

I was the only child of my mother. I came from a polygamous family, so that doesn’t mean that my father didn’t have other children from other wives. My mother was the second wife of my father and I remain the only fruit that she had. Therefore, I was overpampered, especially by my mother. That is why you see that I am not an extrovert. I’m an introvert because of my upbringing. They pampered me, they gave me what I needed, which was within their capacity. Anything I asked for they gave it to me. They gave me education, which was rare to come by at that time, to the university level. It wasn’t easy. I was the first graduate in my community. Go and find out. The record is there.

Like I told you, I followed what my father wanted me to be. He said ‘go to the civil service’. That was because my father was one of those who interacted with the government when he was a paramount chief.

So he interacted with the District Officers (Dos). The DOs are the permanent secretaries today. He said ‘look this is what I want you to be’ and I followed that and achieved that in the service.

I had a clean record in the service before I entered into politics and I have a clean record in politics, not minding the blackmail and propaganda which you know is rampant in politics. So I enjoyed my life as a young man growing. As a youth growing I had most of the things I wanted. I wasn’t extravagant; I didn’t want things that I’m not supposed to have. But I was comfortable and I managed my life, and till now I’m still managing my life, managing the way I want to live. I don’t live the life of pretence; as you see me, you see me in my real self. I don’t pretend. So I thank God for the life I have lived, I thank God for my family that have supported me, my wife who has supported me all along, my children that have supported me and my friends and relations, who have supported me all along. When I’m in trouble they cry with me, when I’m rejoicing they laugh with me.

You wanted to become a priest but later you changed your mind. What actually happened?

You know, I attended missionary schools.

St. Michaels is a Catholic school. Santa Crux is a Catholic school and Holy Ghost College is a Catholic school. St. Michaels was primary, Santa Crux was Secondary, Holy Ghost College was higher school. It was only the University of Ibadan that is not a missionary school. So I was brought up by the Catholic people and that time that was

Orji and his wife, Mercy (Osinulo)

school. That was what happened and that was what changed my not being a reverend.

How did you meet your wife?

I met my wife at a very very early age because you know in Igbo tradition when you are the only child, especially a male child, the first assignment you will get is to get married so that you can have children before you die. Yes, because nobody knows about death, if you die early without producing offsprings, it means your lineage is closed.

So that was the first assignment I had – to get married – and I got married to my wife today and I have remained faithful to her and she has remained faithful to me till now.

Orji

was in vogue. We had Irish priests and we were emulating how they were living and there was that temptation for many of us to become reverend fathers including myself.

I wanted to be a reverend father but like I told you, I remained an only child. When I mentioned this to my mother, my mother said she would kill herself if I become a reverend father because it means that our genealogy would be cut short. Because, you know, in those days, mothers believed in procreation, that somebody must carry on the name of the family. And if I become a reverend father I will not marry and that means that her generation is ended. So, I reasoned with her. I said ‘okay instead of me losing my dear mother let me obey her’.

And the Bible enjoins us to obey our parents so I have to leave being a reverend father.

So why my colleagues at that time were struggling to go to Immaculate Seminary in Ahieke, we vied to go to the secondary

She is a very hard working lady, and beautiful in the first instance. She has all you want in a woman, so what else do you want in another woman? She is hard working, she is beautiful, she is obedient, she respects me, she listens to me, she cooperates with me and she is prayerful.

So these are the qualities I found in her

What were the qualities that attracted you to her?

She is a very hard working lady, and beautiful in the first instance. She has all you want in a woman, so what else do you want in another woman? She is hard working, she is beautiful, she is obedient, she respects me, she listens to me, she cooperates with me and she is prayerful. So these are the qualities I found in her. There are people that will get a wife and she will not even listen to you, you will be telling her yes she will be telling you no. Every day you people will be blowing grammar in the house or fighting. That is not an agenda in our family.

Your marriage is blessed with how many children?

Honestly, God has blessed me richly. I have children who are grown up, responsible children not any how children. Responsible children who have excelled in education, excelled in business, who are doing good, who have not put me to shame, who have not disgraced me, who are not behaving like children of a governor or ex-governor or children of a senator. They are humble, they are hard working, they pursue their goals in life and that is what you want in any child at all. My daughter, Nneoma, is happily married. But we have a small one now that will take up the responsibility of Nneoma by looking after the mother and carrying the mother’s bag. The other ones are men who are responsible in their own disposition and they are very respectful. They are not only respecting me, they respect their elders because they were well brought up and trained. Even though they studied overseas none of them put ear ring for one day, none of them did Afro hair for one day, none of them went and brought a white woman that they will marry for one day. None of them put me into trouble there, for me to go from Nigeria to either US or London to go and start settling problems. So these are the things you look at and you thank God. So my children are responsible.

How do find time to relax after your hectic legislative duties?

Well, you must find time to relax if not you will just die early. You must find time to relax and when I go home I make time to rest. Either rest and watch television or you go on the machine exercising yourself or you lie down and take siesta and sleep.

You must give yourself a break because your body is a working machine. It is like the engine of a machine; if you over work it, it will break. But if you work very well, grease and service it, it will last for a very long time. You must find time to rest; rest is essential. I’m not a businessman and I will never be a businessman. All along I have been in a regimented profession, from this time to this time you are in the office and you are back. So it’s in me and I follow that. If I go outside that and start running around like a businessman it will affect me.

Throughout your eight years as governor, you never celebrated your birthday the way other politicians do. Why? Not only that you see that I’m not a celebration man, I’m not a party man. I’m not used to throwing parties and inviting friends. I’m not a party man, anything I do, I do it quietly. If my birthday comes I celebrate it in a very quiet way – praying to God and thanking Him. If there are friends around I will tell them today is my birthday. I even don’t like people putting advert for me on the pages of newspapers. Any advert you see on the pages of newspapers celebrating my birthday is by people on their own. So, I like doing it on a quiet side. Not only birthdays, but other things also. The important celebration that you have is to thank God for giving you what you want. To thank God for blessing you, that is the best celebration.

It’s not by inviting the whole world and buying drinks and cooking food, and getting every person dancing. He is ten years, he is twenty years. If you should be humble before God and thank Him, because He is the person that has made you what you are. If there is any offering you have, you offer to God. If there is anything you want to do for God for keeping you alive you do it. When you were in Abia, you know the number of churches that I built. A typical example is the church that I built in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture. That is a cathedral. Nobody helped me to build that church, I built it from foundation till finish. That is to appreciate God for what he has done for me in life. That is just one church, there are many of them. I built for Catholic, I built for Church of Christ, I built for Anglican, and just like that, to say God thank you for all you have done to me. And I believe that is the best way of thanking God and celebrating any good thing that has happened to you.

So people who want to put advert in the newspapers for me should give that money to the motherless babies home. That money you want to use to put up advert in the newspaper, maybe N500,000, if you give it to the motherless babies home, it will keep about five children alive for one month. It’s more beneficial to me that you gave that money to motherless babies home to keep these fatherless and motherless children alive than placing an advert there eulogising me for what God has done for you free of charge. Since God has done this free of charge for you, do the same for those who are less privileged. That is my ideology and philosophy about all these.

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18.03.2016

COSON Tasks Presidency on Private Copy Levy Activation Mary Ekah A big challenge has been thrown to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the long awaited copyright levy scheme without any further delay. This is coming from the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nation’s sole government approved copyright collective management organisation for musical works and sound recordings.

A letter signed by COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji and addressed to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, copies of which were sent to President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Attorney-General of the Federation and several ministers, COSON lamented the unending protocol, red tape and bureaucracy in the federal government system which have made it impossible for the stakeholders in the creative industry to benefit from the copyright levy scheme more than 22 years after the law was enacted.

According to the letter, “Section 40 of the Nigerian Copyright Act which provides for the Private Copy Levy has been part of Nigerian law for over 22 years. It was rightly enacted to provide badly needed cushion for practitioners and investors in the creative industry who suffer immensely from the corrosive effect of the unbridled copying and downloading of music, movies and literature.

“Unfortunately, the private copy levy

COSON Chairman COSSON, Chief Tony Okoroji

scheme which has for a long time been an important source of income for the creative industries in many countries around the world, including some in our sub region like Ghana and Burkina Faso is yet to see the light of day in Nigeria, one of the world’s most significant producers of music, movies and literary works.”

COSON insisted in the letter that with the Private Copy Levy in full operation, the government may no longer need to directly give money to individuals or associations in the creative sector because the stakeholders can earn their own money.

Also in the letter, COSON said that it was aware that the required order to activate the private copy levy scheme was made

by the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and published in the federal gazette but that the necessary follow up to direct the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Copyright Commission to activate the scheme did not take place.

COSON therefore requested the Minister of Information and Culture to use his good offices to get the government of President Buhari to give the necessary directives for the Private Copy Levy Scheme to take off so that Nigeria can unshackle its music, movies and literary industries and start the process of providing the right environment for the creation of investments, jobs and growth in that part of the economy.

“Some may ask: What is the Private Copy Levy? With the advent of new technology, most people no longer obtain their music or movies by buying music cassettes, CDs or DVDs. They down load or blue-tooth them for free and deny owners of the works significant revenue. To compensate for this huge loss, which threatens the survival of the creative industries, in many countries around the world, a small levy is charged on the gadgets used for this stealing of intellectual property. The money collected from the levy of such gadgets such as MP3s, MP4s, cellphones, memory cards, flash drives, etc, is paid through the collective management system to the artistes, writers and producers whose music, movies and books are stolen.”

Church Unveils Parish for Social Reformers The Living Waters Unlimited Church (LWUC) has started a new parish in Lekki, Lagos, to raise an army of professionals committed to fighting corruption to a standstill in the nation. No fewer than 100 people drawn from different sectors attended the inaugural service where they enlisted in the campaign to rid the country of every form of corruption.

The General Overseer of the church, Rev. Ladi Thompson, told the congregation that Christians have a responsibility to engineer change and social reformations in their communities. He said the nation was approaching the crossroad, saying governmental efforts to save Nigeria will not do but the resolve of Christians committed to serving as change agents Thompson, who runs the popular Macedonian Initiatives (MI) for persecuted Christians in the North, said what Nigeria needs is the Clapham model responsible for the abolition of slave trade in Great Britain.

The Clapham saints, a group of social reformers in the Church of England operated from a tiny community in London from 1790-1830 with William Wilberforce as the spearhead. The group of wealthy Anglican evangelicals campaigned and mobilised against slave trade until it was abolished in 1807, leading to the passage of the Slave Abolition Act in 1833.

A cross section of worshippers at the church

Thompson said: “Today, Nigeria is exactly at that same point and God directed us to start a parish in Lekki that would serve as a nesting and training ground for the Nigerian equivalents of William Wilberforce, Zachary Macaulay, Fowell Buxton, Hannah Moore and other affluent families that chose to lift the banner of God’s word instead of joining in the extreme profits of the immoral human slave trade.” Thompson said the parish christened Lekki Clapham is poised to have the same effect in the polity of the nation.

Dr. Adejumobi Otekunrin, a Pastor in

the church, lamented that the health sector has been crippled by lack of value for human lives. He pointed out that it was callous and inhuman to still have laws that require medical workers to obtain police permit before treating gunshots victims.

Tunji Osinulu, an associate Pastor and a real estate consultant who was instructed

by God to return to Nigeria four years ago from the United States of America, could not hide his disgust at the degeneration in the society and the seeming apathy of churchgoers to the gradual meltdown of society.

BET Raises the Curtain on “Top Actor” Season 2 For the past two weeks pan-African reality series, Top Actor Africa, has had acting fans on the edge of their seats when Season 2 premiered on BET, 19:30 CAT, Tuesday 1 March. Packed with nail-biting moments, and tense eliminations, the new series will keep the viewers guessing as 12 wannabe actors strive over 13 weeks to prove their acting chops and score a career-boosting prize.

Host and South African movie star, Zikhona Sodlaka, is back to front the second season. Best known for her roles in ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ and the national soapie ‘Generations’, Zikhona has played leading roles in many South Africa productions including “TshaTsha” and “Montana”, to name a few.

Aspiring thespians from across the continent underwent a jaw-dropping audition phase in the race to see who will win the coveted title of Top Actor

Africa. The six gals and guys who made the final cut are: Shamilla Miller (South Africa), Simhle Belinda Plaatjies (South Africa), Farrell Drew (South Africa), Marilyn Sekgapane (South Africa), Jesse Suntele (South Africa), Hendrik Lombard (South Africa) and Sabelo Sibeko (South Africa). Flying the flag for East Africa are Kenyans Lorreine Wangui Gakuo and Alex Khayo, while Nigerian actors Tobechi Nneji, Uriel Oputa and Ifeanyi Dike are representing for West Africa.

Each week, Top Actor Africa takes audiences on a journey through various challenges showcasing their talents and proving if they have what it takes. The pressure’s on as the aspiring actors try their hand at a wide range of acting genres from Crime Drama, to Soapies, Comedy, Improv, Theatre and Music.

Season 1 of Top Actor was won by

Altovise Lawrence. Altovise, who hails from Boksburg, and recently wrapped her first Hollywood movie, “The Other Side” in the USA opposite Brad James and Erica Hubbard. The film is due for theatrical release later this year. BET Top Actor Africa airs every Tuesday at 19:30 CAT on BET (DStv Channel 129) from 1 March. For all the drama on Top Actor Africa, visit www.betafrica.tv, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BETinAfrica or join the conversation about the channel on Twitter and Instagram @BET_Africa using the hashtag #TopActorAfrica. Launched on April 2, 2015, BET (DStv channel 129) is a localised general entertainment service for viewers aged 25-34. Available exclusively on the DStv pay-TV platform, BET is a trademark of Viacom International Inc., and is used under license in Africa by Viacom International Media Networks Africa.

Group Supports NYSC to Train 5,000 Corpers In a bid to ease the unemployment problems and empower the youth in the country, a private sector partner, Dragnet Solutions and Blogme, has teamed up with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to ensure that the corps members are afforded a highly efficient, innovative and benefitting service through conducting free aptitude tests, which is starting this week at the secretariat in Lagos. It will also commence the screening of the over 5,000 corps members in a couple of weeks leading up to their passing-out parade. This is done through the NYSCJOBS initiative, a recruitment portal that makes it easier for employers to find young talented corpers, with the aim of increasing the number of corpers that start work immediately after passing out. This is designed so that corps members can freely create their profiles and present the profile to companies looking for talented young Nigerians. The profile will contain details of the candidate’s aptitude test score, tertiary and professional qualifications and Microsoft Proficiency Suites score, amongst other information. According to the stakeholders, this will help many small and medium sized companies identify their candidates very quickly, and many of the SME’s will patronise the platform because of the cost savings associated with not having to hire consultants to provide such information on the same candidates.

Minister for Youth Development, Mr. Solomon Dalong during a recent visit to the NYSC Camp in Lagos, said, “I will stand for the sustenance of the scheme and that it should continue to grow. What we need to do is to introduce skills acquisition, empowerment, and we need to now repackage the scheme.”

Ovation for Anya at 79 Rebecca Ejifoma Accolades were poured on Professor Anya O. Anya on his 79th birthday by friends and colleagues when Centre for Value Leadership honoured him for his relentless service to national growth and as a leader without care for title.

Anya, who bagged his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ibadan, is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Chartered Biologist and Fellow of Biology of the United Kingdom.

While speaking on the theme of the colloquium, 'Creating an Enabling Environment for Private Sector Led Growth”, he emphasised that instructions are the instruments that can move the nation from generation to another, sustainably. "It is not the big things that define success. It is attention to the little details. And when they accumulate, they become big things," he added.

Meanwhile, the host and Founder of CVL, Professor Pat Utomi, said the ease of doing business index has become a good measure of the prosperity of nations.

A Zoologist since 1973, Anya has an amazing profile.

A handful of such include his service as the first Director of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he took a bow in 2002 after 37 robust years but continued serving his fatherland. The septuagenarian was Chief Executive of many organisations and has been on the Board of many companies. He was the Founding Director of the Diamond Bank and was on the Board for almost 15 years. With these, there is no gainsaying then that Anya knows his onions and has grappled keys to managing organisations.

Rotary Club Reinstates Commitment Martins Ifijeh As part of efforts to sustain Nigeria’s status as a Polio-free nation, Rotary Club International, has announced the commencement of its current project of contributing to the global eradication of polio. Revealing this at a ceremony in Lagos Tuesday, the international President of the club, a K.R Ravindran, said Rotary Club International would be doing all possible best to win the ongoing battle against Polio that has crippled millions of lives across the globe. According to him, the organisation will be raising funds from member donors who have been designed to pursue the vision of the club to be a gift to the world and contributing to the development of their environment. He mentioned the organisation’s strength may not be enough for the global project; hence, “we are calling on the federal, state and local governments to lend their supports. We are also calling on other members of the society to join Rotary in eradicating polio and make Nigeria totally free from the scourge. He also charged the Rotarians to continue to do the job they are designed for, which is the art of giving. “We want more kind hearted Nigerians to join the club and work together for the development of the community,” he added.

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18.03.2016

Sharing Love and Bringing Hope to IDPs

DHI health worker attending to the sick at the IDPs camp

Doctors Health Initiative (DHI), a not for profit, non-governmental organisation made up of medical doctors and other professionals, held a three-day medical outreach at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Benin Edo State recently. This was done in partnership with Novo Health Africa, a health maintenance organisation accredited by the National Health Insurance Scheme with the objective to provide health care delivery solutions across Nigeria and internationally through collaborative partnerships.

The 15-man team was led by Dr. Nkechi Asogwa, a medical practitioner and Director of the NGO, decided to show some love and reach out to about 2,000 inhabitants in the Benin IDP camp comprising mostly of 80 per cent women and children and 20 per cent men.

The aim was to give humanitarian aid, medical treatment and bring hope to the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency residing in the camp. Most of the ailments were treatable and many of them had worm infestations. Most of the children were also malnourished. The children in this camp along with the adults, have meager meals and eat only twice a day depending on the availability of food. There are times they eat only once and when there is no food supply; they have no meals at all.

The children in this camp are aged 0-12. They do not have a balanced diet most times.

The team, according to Ms. Bimpe Adebambo, a volunteer of DHI also inspected their kitchen and environs to check the hygiene standards.

“It was discovered that at the camp, they do not have enough potable water even with three boreholes though only one was functional. When there are power cuts, the borehole does not work at all. They are dependent on electricity from a nearby village”, she revealed.

Speaking further, Adebambo said, “Some of the IDPs also had open wounds; some will need psychotherapy as they have had very horrible and traumatic experiences. The people in charge of the camp said that at times the children and women just start crying and some of them just get up and start running and they in the camp have to go after and catch them. Many saw their parents, husbands and sons killed right before them in very horrible ways. Some Neuro-Pyschiatrists had visited the camp and volunteered their services but that was not enough with so many people.

Some of the very critical patients were taken away by these volunteer doctors for treatment and then returned to the camp. Some of the very critical patients seen at the camp at the time of DHI outreach were referred to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital hoping they will be attended to.”

Pastor Solomon Folorunsho who is in charge of the camp, said it was very difficult getting

ITECH GEORGE OGUNLEYE

funding for very critical patients to be taken care of. He is working towards getting funds from individuals and organisations to assist these people.

There was one of the patients seen, a 12-yearold boy, that seemed to have fractured his hip and was in extreme pain. He fell while running away from the terrorists after they have killed his parents. He would need urgent attention and immediate surgery without which he may never be able to walk properly again.

He could only be treated for pain, which was not solving the major problem. There was another case of a young girl of about 10 years who saw her father being killed brutally by the Boko Haram terrorists. She and her mother witnessed their father and husband being flayed and cut. Some women seen could not even narrate their ordeal. When asked about their experiences in order to ascertain their treatment, they just broke down and started weeping. Another visit to the camp in Benin is planned for June 2016 and the DHI director has also received calls from the IDP camps in Yola where they worked last year calling for help. The DHI is trying to bring help and support to the venerable in the society and is calling on other individuals and organisations to do same and not just pay lip service to the issues on ground concerning fellow Nigerian citizens.

Email: george.ogunleye@thisdaylive.com,

GOtv Celebrates Women with New Series, Movies on Zee World To celebrate Women’s Day, GOtv dedicated the Month of March to air more feminine captivating series, movies, documentaries and lifestyle programmes. Some of the captivating programmes include two new series, ‘The Vow’ and ‘Eternal Love’, on Zee World; and Bollywood movies also on Zee World with ‘Mad About Dance’ airing on March 20, ‘God Tussi Great Ho’ on March 26 and ‘The Shaukeens’ on March 27, among others.

The Vow tells a story of Vidya, a naive, simple village girl who was brought up with love and comes from a poor background.

She gets married to Sagar Thakur, a son of a wealthy family. The fairy-tale wedding turns into a nightmare when Vidya discovers, Sagar has the mind of an eight-year-old, caused by an accident that nearly claimed his life.

Sagar, therefore, doesn’t understand Vidya's place in his life. His family uses this to take advantage of Vidya.

Her sisters-in-law make her life a living hell and her husband doesn’t take her side.

The submissive Vidya is lost in the jungle of unwanted relationships and unreturned love. Will Vidya fulfill her vow of being Sagar’s wife and win the acceptance of the Thakur family? Eternal Love, a story of three individuals Sahiba, Ranveer and Daljeet with a number of twists and turns in their lives, they find themselves in a completely new world where love becomes the driving forces. Sahiba is in love with her childhood sweetheart, Ranveer. Daljeet, who lives in the same village as Sahiba and Ranveer's families, falls in love with Sahiba. Sahiba and Ranveer's marriage is fixed, but Ranveer gets a sudden job offer in London and leaves.

On Sony Channel, channel 21, Ugly Betty Season 4 starts on Friday 18 March at 6:05pm.

Ugly Betty Season 4 tells the story two very different cultures collide in this sexy and stylish series about believing in yourself regardless of the odds. Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner America Ferrera stars as go-getter Betty Suarez, a vibrant overachiever with the spirit and intelligence to live her dream.

See how the heartwarming and hilarious journey ends in the fourth and final season of Ugly Betty - the show is most inspiring and surprising season ever.

www.itechthisday.blogspot.com Tel 07032143733(sms only)

The Lenovo Vibe P1m: It’s all About Long-lasting Battery The ecosystem of the android platform grow bigger by the day, simply because the platform houses lots of client friendly free-apps and also the devices come in a with pocket friendly prices. Android smartphones come in varieties this makes shopping for the right one daunting especially when going for the medium cost range. The Lenovo Vibe P1m comes in handy as a go to affordable smartphone with a longlasting 4000mAh battery, a splash-proof Nano coating for protection from spills and a powerful MediaTek 64-bit quad-core processor that lets you run your apps and games seamlessly.

Close-Ups: Battery Life: The battery's capacity is defined in mAh.The phone houses a non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh battery. A LiPo battery consists of multiple cells with nominal discharge rate and this account for the smartphone’s long-lasting battery life. The Lenovo Vibe P1m Smartphone has a dedicated switch on the left, which puts the smartphones into a power saving mode. It basically takes away your standard launcher

and leaves you with a handful of apps you can use while in this mode.

Design The Lenovo Vibe P1m carries a simplistic design, which has a combination of brushed metal and plastic. Although, the design doesn’t grab attention but it is very sensible and grip friendly. On the front, the 5-inch display occupies and above the screen, there’s an earpiece, usual set of sensors and a 5-megapixel-pixel front

facing camera. The Vibe P1m also has capacitive touch buttons. There are three keys – menu, home and back in the bottom. Moving on to the back, we find the 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, which is slightly protruding. Just below the camera assembly, there’s a secondary microphone pinhole.The Lenovo Vibe P1m sports a 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels.The panel is not that reflective and the sunlight legibility is quite good, so you don’t have to go running to find a cover while using your smartphone outdoors.The back panel is swappable and underneath it lies the non-removable 4,000mAh battery. There are three card slots – two for SIM cards and one for the microSD card. Lenovo Vibe P1m comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop with a layer of Vibe UI on top of it. The quad-core processor along with 2GB of RAM keeps things smooth.

Other Cool Features: The Vibe P1m features Nano-coating technology that protects the phone from spill and splashes.

Its waterproof layer ensures superior liquid

repellence, leaving no weak points to attract moisture and corrosion.

Not only does the Lenovo VIBE P1m’s battery last longer its quick charge function that lets it go from zero charge to having hours of talk time with just 15 minutes of charging and a manual power saver switch that instantly extends battery life.Unlike some other devices that shut down most of their functionalities when in power-saving mode, the Lenovo Vibe P1m lets you boost your battery power while maintaining access to phone, SMS, radio, calculator and calendar functions. In addition, the smartphone can go from zero to about 80 per cent charge in less than an hour, with charging closely regulated through an in-built smart overheating protection system for user’s safety.

Users of the Lenovo Vibe P1m, as you can recharge the battery of your other devices by plugging them into the smartphone using the On-the-Go cable that comes with every VIibe P1m purchase. Multi-media files can be shared between the Vibe P1m and other smartphones, tablets and even PCs using this cable.

18.03.2016

28/ENTERTAINMENTRAVE

eraveonline@gmail.com

@eraveng

www.eraveng.com

Tales of P’Square’s Split

Ushbebe

PSquare and Jude Music act, Peter Okoye has announced a new management team amidst viral reports that the Okoye brothers might be putting an end to the P’Square brand.

Peter Okoye stunned music lovers and other enthusiasts after he performed as a solo artiste penultimate weekend in Abuja. He has also continued to promote himself as a solo artiste with the use of his new stage name, Mr. P via his social media handles.

Also, further check on Peter Okoye’s social media pages shows that he has removed all links to P’Square as he continues to share promotional materials about his forthcoming performance billed for Thursday, April 7, 2016 in Dubai, UAE. On Monday 14, March 2016, Peter Okoye once again left everyone in awe

after he unveiled his new manager, Olatunde Michaels via his social media page. He shared a photo of himself and his new manager with the caption; ““For bookings and enquiries, please contact my new management on 08037531340, bookmrp2@gmail.com ||oyesng@yahoo. com. Thanks so much peeps.”

Currently working at Playcenter Nigeria, Olatunde Michaels once had stints at Trace TV Nigeria as Station Manager and Soundcity where he worked as Head of Channel in 2004.

Peter Okoye’s recent actions fuels speculations that the Okoye brothers might have decided to split and forge ahead in their careers as solo artistes.

Since he went public with the unveiling of his new manager, his numerous fans have continued to express mixed feelings

owing to his actions via different social media platforms.

Paul Okoye on the other hand has floated his record label ‘Rudeboy Records’ and has also signed two acts, Lucy and Muno to the label imprint. He was recently pictured alongside Soundcity Channel Manager, Olamide Adedeji, a move music followers termed a smart one by the music star owing to the rift between the Okoye brothers and the urban music channel in the past.

You will recall that Peter Okoye dropped his first solo single christened ‘Look Into My Eyes’ few days ago.

Paul Okoye soon followed suit with the release of an emotional single entitled ‘Call Heaven’ where he poured out his mind on the current drama trailing the music duo.

Kiss Daniel Unveils Cover Art for Debut Album Music act, Kiss Daniel has unveiled the cover art for his much awaited debut album christened ‘New Era’.

The singer took to his official Instagram handle to share news about his forthcoming album billed for release in May 2016.

The ‘Good Time’ singer shared the album art revealing how difficult it was for him to decide on the songs that will make the album. “You gave me the inspiration needed to prepare

this “love potion”.

“It was difficult picking from the over 150 songs I have recorded over the time I have been signed to G-WORLDWIDE Entertainment, but I assure you that what you will hear on this new album is the very best of the lot,” he added.

Since he debuted in the highly dominated Nigerian Music Industry, Kiss Daniel has released chart topping singles such as ‘Woju’, ‘Laye’ and his recent effort ‘Good Time’.

Kiss Daniel

Banky W, Seyi Shay, Director X, Others Attend Hard Café Grand Opening Gig Penultimate weekend, it was amidst loud cheers that the Hard Rock Café officially celebrated the grand opening of its Victoria Island, Lagos spot. The event was attended by a myriad of popular celebrities and other dignitaries from different industries.

Attendees at the event include popular faces such as Hard Rock International executives from the United States and Europe, including Hamish Dodds, Antonio Bautista, Anibal Fernandez, Sanjay Mahtani, Banky W, Sam Onyemelukwe, Ozzy Agu, Seyi Shay, Shasha P, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Bryan Okwara, Sound Sultan, and Shaydee.

Others were ace broadcaster, Olisa Adibua,Marcy Dolapo-Oni, Vaavaa Voom, Lisa Folawiyo, Aisien Elohor, Titi and Oscar Oyinsan, Rich Tanksley, Mark Slade, Zubby Emodi, DJ Jimmy Jatt, DJ Zeez, DJ Xclusive, and international

Airtel TRACE

Banky W Hard Rock Cafe

music video director, Director X. The event which was hosted by popular media personality, Ozzy Agu,

witnessed a live performance from multiple-award winning singer, Banky W, who thrilled guests and other fun seekers with his repertoire of songs.

He serenaded the building with his resonant vocal which yielded massive applause for guests and other attendees present.

Moments after Banky W’s performance, popular disc jockey, DJ Xclusive took everyone present through a reminiscent mood following the display of his turntable skills with classic songs from popular Nigerian music stars.

To cap a memorable night in honour of Hard Rock’s ‘Love All – Serve All’ motto, Hard Rock Café Lagos made a donation of four new electric guitars to the Akin Marinho Foundation to encourage the growth of music talents among children in the local community.

Comic act, Ushbebe staged the 2016 edition of his annual comedy event tagged ‘Chronicles of Ushbebe’ on Sunday, March 13, 2016.

Held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, the event witnessed the attendance of popular faces such as music act, Sound Sultan, AY Makun, Seyi Law, Mercy AigbeGentry, Juliet Ibrahim, Ubi Franklin, and Helen Paul.

Other attendees include Caroline Danjuma, Igos, Moses Inwang, E-Money, Bryan Okwara, Acapella, VJ Adams, Dan D’Humourous, Elenu, Ajebo, Pencil, Sabina, MC Shakara, Memory Card, among several others.

Comic acts such as AY Makun, Helen Paul, Seyi Law, Acapella, and Sabina took turns to deliver rib cracking jokes to the delight of guests and other fun seekers present.

The highlight of the night was when Ushbebe himself mounted the stage to deliver a theatric performance which was welcomed by a loud ovation among everyone present.

John Fashanu at SPAR

Penultimate Friday, former Nigerian-English Pro-footballer and ambassador for sports and tourism, John Fashanu declared the Spar Store, Abuja opened for business.

Attendees at the historic event include TV personality, Rachel Bakam, John Goldsmith, and a host of other guests.

During the opening, excited shoppers were ushered into the store richly stocked with a wide array of products, ranging from groceries to wine and spirits, fast moving consumer goods, electronics, mobile phones, perfumes, among other goods.

According to the company’s spokesperson, John Goldsmith, “SPAR store was designed to cater to the various shopping needs of the aspiring people of Abuja.

The product assortments of over 12,000 items were hand-picked by SPAR to meet the various needs of all consumers,” he added.

“SPAR as a hypermarket brand, takes cognisance of the various kind of shopping missions and adapts its products and services in respect of choice, quality, service and value to translate the entire shopping experience into a world class one,” he added.

Lola Rae Sonorous singer, Lola Rae has joined the growing list of Nigerian celebrities who have penned ambassadorial deals in 2016.

The singer has been unveiled as a brand ambassador for Swiss manufacturing company, TAG Heuer.

Lola Rae’s ambassadorial deal was announced via the company’s website on Monday, March 14, 2016. The company wrote, “by being disruptive and never cracking under pressure, Lola Rae shares the values of TAG Heuer and is excited to be part of the TAG Heuer family.”

The ‘Pelemo’ crooner recently shot the video for her forthcoming single featuring Davido which is billed for release soon.

29/XTRA

18.03.2016

From Boardroom to Proclaiming the Gospel As Country Manager/Managing Director of Forever Living Products (Nigeria and Benin Republic), Mr. Cornelius Tay, had a large dose of commitment to a network of thousands of FLP business owners in two countries. But he now devotes more time to his family and more especially, to God. Tay, who was recently appointed at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as one of the Mission Presidents across the world, spoke with Mary Ekah on his new office and more the best result in anything you are doing, any endeavor but selflessness, and the ability to make other people happy around you, to share, to empower people to be happy.

These should be the identifiable factor. My belief is that what brings happiness, above all else, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have not been given targets to meet or promised a financial reward. I am simply asked to speak of Christ and encourage all to find happiness through His Gospel. This is the great work the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is asking me to engage in. This is not about money.

You were recently announced as one of 168 new Mission Presidents of the Church called to serve worldwide. How did this happen?

The announcement that was made at the beginning of this year, and published by the Deseret News, in Salt Lake City, and online came from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose responsibility it is to prayerfully consider, choose and assign new Mission Presidents to serve from time to time as part of the missionary programme of the church worldwide.

What this means is that a new set of 168 Mission Presidents will continue the great missionary work of the LDS Church across the world. These people are going to be engaged in missionary activities and helping thousands of young full time missionaries from different countries around the world to carry out their missionary activities of inviting all to come unto Jesus Christ and helping families find happiness through the Gospel of Christ. The First Presidency of the Church, in the U.S. Headquarters, and the Apostles who work with them have prayerfully considered these 168 persons, and they had concluded that these are the people that God wants at this time to help push the missionary work of the Church forward in various countries. And it means that these people must now detach from their normal private activities and take this as full time assignment. As for me, it is a humbling feeling that I have been considered worthy to do this. It is something I had always prayed will come at one time or the other in my life; that I will be able to devote all my talents, my resources and my time to help in the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people wherever I am asked to go. So, for the next three years, I will be engaged in full time missionary work. I am very grateful that the opportunity is being extended to me and I also believe that it is God's will that this is what I shall be doing.

This is purely religious work. You just retired from Forever Living Products (Nigeria/Benin Republic), where within a few years you raised the stakes, guiding the company from the 14th position in global sales to the 3rd position by 2014. Has that got anything to do with your present assignment from the church?

One of the reasons I considered this new assignment divine, and God's will for me, is because a few years back, I had decided that I will bring my professional career in advertising and marketing management to a close in recognition of my 40 years in that line of business. I started my career when I left the University of Ibadan in 1975 and went straight to my first advertising and marketing communications appointment as Client Service Manager at ROD Publicity Limited, one of the earliest indigenous advertising companies in Nigeria. And from there, I made my modest impact in the Nigerian and international accounts advertising industry. I switched my career in 1990, when I founded CT&A Direct Marketing Limited, which enabled many companies to utilise integrated marketing communications to build brands more effectively. And by 2007, I was approached to manage one of the leading multi-level marketing companies in the world, when I took on the assignment to become Country Manager/Managing Director of Forever Living Products International Inc. for Nigeria and Benin Republic. So, by 2015 I had given 40 years of my life to this line of business. It was therefore not surprising that I had to retire in 2015 to spend more time with my family – my wife, children and grand children, and to begin writing,

Tay

because I have a lot to share. So, basically, it was time for me to move on to something else. I believe that every experience that one has gained in one's career will always be helpful. Even when I retired in 2015, I set up Cornelius Tay and Associates (the consulting arm of CT&A) to help people with marketing and management issues.

Since I left Forever, I have been offering free professional marketing and management advice to companies and individuals who approached me. It is something that we call “Consult for Free” service. And anyone who wanted to know how to do business in Nigeria or promote products or services or build brands, I encouraged them to approach CT&A and through that platform we are able to offer them guidance on a pro bono basis. Now, I am leaving all of that and I am going to be working for Christ, talking to everyone about the great love God has for this world and all people. I am going to be devoting the rest of my life in the service of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. And I believe that this is what will give people everywhere the ultimate happiness that the world is searching for.

They want you to grow the church further in the country. Just like you did in FLP. It must be worth the pay?

There is no monetary benefit or reward

in the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. I am not saying money is a bad thing in itself. It is the love of money that is bad. Whenever we see a shift to the love of money, when money becomes a "god" in the affairs of a people, we have seen what happens. - Greed, avarice and destruction.

I am grateful that in my life I have had enough for my needs. In times of difficulties, true faith has enabled me to call upon God for the basic needs of my family. God has blessed me. I have never lacked. In my entire career, I have operated at the pinnacle of the career, whether it was in advertising or in marketing, or in management, I have operated at a very high level. I have been part of major accomplishments for companies, for brands, for people. But in all of these accomplishments, money has never been the object of all my career successes. In all the places I have been able to work, in all the assignments that I have been able to handle, in all the tasks that I have been asked to perform, in all the wonderful success stories that I have been a part of over 40 years of my career, money was not the driving factor. The driving factor was a desire to do something that is above average, which is exceptional.

It is the joy of accomplishing great things that has always been the driving force for me. Money should not be the factor that should enable one to want to accomplish

How then did they choose you?

Since the announcement was made, and people have seen it on the internet, people have wondered: How were you appointed?

This is not like a professional appointment.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you do not seek or aspire for positions. You are called by revelation.

That means that the Prophet of the Church had spoken God's wish for me to do this work at this time. This means that the leadership of the Church has considered one worthy enough to carry out this specific assignment that is related to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is not surprising that the men and women of the Church who are called to serve, without pay, accept to serve. This is because from the very beginning, on the way to become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they understand that they would devote themselves to the Saviour, Jesus Christ and seek opportunities to draw nearer Him through service and devotion.

So, you don't have to apply to serve your Redeemer in the Church of Christ, because God knows who He will need in any given time to advance the work of the Saviour.

And when you belong to a Church where its activities and programmes are driven by revelation, when the prophet of the Church and the First Presidency of the Church approach you to do something, you must know that it’s the will of God concerning you.

For me, this is the essence of pure religion.

That is practising the religion of Christ. It is a practical demonstration of your faith in Jesus Christ that you will leave everything at a point in your life and go do the work of God. How do you intend to reach out to areas where the Church is not on ground in Nigeria?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is doing very well in Nigeria. And personally, I believe that God has not finished His work with Nigeria yet. God has a lot more to do with this country. And one of the reasons why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is so strongly planted in Nigeria and growing all over the country right now, is because the opportunity is being given for more and more Nigerians to understand the Church, to relate with the Church, and to learn about the Gospel of the Saviour, Jesus Christ, that has been restored for this present time. As more people freely accept the invitation to become more knowledgeable in the things of God and to seek the power that is available to everyone who believes in the Saviour, Jesus Christ and declare their willingness to follow Him, the more likely the fullness of the love of God people will experience in homes and communities everywhere. I have no doubt that God has not finished His work with Nigeria. God is going to unfold His work for this nation. We must engage in well doing to benefit from the blessings in store for us.

That is my thinking.

30/ETIQUETTE

18.03.2016

THE ETIQUETTE FORUM ADEKANMI OTEDOLA-OLUSANYA

email mretiquetteonline@yahoo.com

tel. 08112661635, 0809285 4855

Lessons from Donald Trump and How Not to Talk The most powerful force on earth is the force of words. The explanation of that is simple.

Our words control our body, our appetites, our feelings, our moods, our dispositions, our decisions and our choices. Even more than that, it controls how people see us, how they react and respond to us. It can control the unexpected, the weather, our future, our intelligence, our habits, our surroundings and the laws that govern our political, economic, social and financial systems. It controls the animate and inanimate, tangible and intangible and every other thing that can be imagined.

I am therefore very interested in how words are employed and used. So then after months of his candidacy in the American presidential elections, my attention was drawn to the statements that the ebullient Donald Trump was making. I do not intend to spend so much time on Donald Trump.

I just want to give a piece of advice to everyone that may read this article and do a prognosis to buttress my decision to give this advice.

What we say today will determine what will happen to us tomorrow and what is happening to us today is a function of what we said yesterday. It is a postulation I have proven to be true so many times even on this column. Years ago on this column, I reacted to a statement made by soccer coach Jose Mounrinho. He said he should no longer be referred to as the ‘Chosen One’ but now as the ‘Only One’. That statement

appeared rather boastful and I predicted that Jose Mourinho would have an unsuccessful season that year based on that statement.

Eventually my prediction came to pass. He was eventually sacked at the end of that season as coach of Real Madrid after going trophy less.

The statements Donald Trump is making today is very reminiscent of those Jose Mourhinho made a few years back and I fear for him that it may do more harm than good to his political, business and social life.

Donald Trump however is not alone. Every day many of us are guilty of the same trait and are bringing unnecessary problems to ourselves everyday by the words we speak. If we can just learn how to use our words more carefully, we can bring about tremendous improvements to our lives and that of others and even the society at large.

I tell people that there are seven things you should never say with your mouth and they are; Bickering (complaining), Boasting, Blandishment (falsehood which includes lying, flattery, deceit etc) Backbiting, Blasphemy, Begging and Borrowing (other than commercial borrowing).

According to the law of words, what you say determines what you see. If you say negative statements you will see negative events unfold. Making any of the aforementioned negative 7Bs of speaking would create negative events.

I will go through some of the statements Trump has made and show you what is

wrong with such statements and how such a massage could have been better passed across. It is my sincere hope that you would draw as much insight as possible from these positions and undoubtedly become a better you.

negative results.

QUOTE NO 1 "I just realised that if you listen to Carly Fiorina (Republican Presidential Candidate) for more than ten minutes straight, you develop a massive headache. She has zero chance!"

QUOTE NO 3 "If Hillary Clinton can't satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?"

MY COMMENT Alluding to the stupidity of your opponents is insulting, ungentlemanly and unsportsmanlike. It is clearly a negative statement and would yield negative results.

A MORE POLISHED QUOTE WOULD HAVE BEEN… “Carly Fiorina has the potential for a much better rhetoric thus far. If she must better her chances I think she has a lot of improvement to do. “ QUOTE NO 2 “Ariana Huffington (founder Huffington Post) is unattractive, both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.”

MY COMMENT This statement is as insulting as the previous one and would eventually yield

A MORE POLISHED QUOTE WOULD HAVE BEEN… “I choose to reserve my comments on Ariana.“

MY COMMENT This statement is suggestive and quite indecent equating to sexual virility with leadership astuteness which is not exactly intellectually challenging. It’s also insulting and would yield negative results.

A MORE POLISHED QUOTE WOULD HAVE BEEN… “I guess if Hillary Clinton had a more fulfilling family life it could have made her political ambitions more convincing” Next week, I will look at more statements from Donald Trump, and proffer my opinions vis a vis how to speak with panache and grace.

You could purchase a copy of my book on etiquette titled PROPER MANNERS AND ETIQUETTE IN ANYTHING AT ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE at the price of N3,500 at our corporate head office at 340 - 344 Ikorodu Road, by Idi-Iroko Bus Stop, Maryland, Lagos.

Or call 0802 312 6010 or 0811 266 1635 to have a copy sent to you.

Trump said, "I just realised that if you listen to Carly Fiorina (Republican Presidential Candidate) for more than ten minutes straight, you develop a massive headache. She has zero chance!" Alluding to the stupidity of your opponents is insulting, ungentlemanly and unsportsmanlike. It is clearly a negative statement and would yield negative results

Trump also said, “Ariana Huffington (founder Huffington Post) is unattractive, both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.” This statement is as insulting as the previous one and would eventually yield negative results

Trump again said, "If Hillary Clinton can't satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?" This statement is suggestive and quite indecent equating to sexual virility with leadership astuteness which is not exactly intellectually challenging. It’s also insulting and would yield negative results

"I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters," Trump said at a campaign rally. Once again boastful and negative statements yield poor results

31/ENTREPRENEUR

18.03.2016

‘I Started My Business Due to Poor Remuneration’ Ogbuagu Chibueze, a biometric system specialist and Managing Director of Automated Access Technologies and Investment Limited, recently threw the doors open for business when he officially lunched a showroom at Satellite Town, Lagos. In this interview with Mary Ekah, he talks about the beauty of being an entrepreneur is a battery that keeps it running and you need to charge that battery. But if we could eliminate some of these overheads, it will be cheaper. Another factor is that Nigerians like bogus things and so it cost more to buy the materials but you can actually fabricate a simple gate and automate it for an average of N500, 000 but if you have an existing gate which only need to be automated, it will cost you half of that.

Can you tell us about your background?

I am from Abia State but schooled in Enugu State University of Science and Technology, where I obtained a Bachelor degree in Engineering. I studied Computer Science Engineering. I graduated in 2000 and from that time to now, I have put in 15 years of my life in engineering practice. Where I worked last, was a Biometrics Consulting company and I was the head of IT and Operations.

Automated Access is the realisation of my dreams, aspirations and the totality of my engineering practice so far. I have also had training in welding. And today, I am the managing director of Automated Access Technologies and Investment Limited. I also had training in welding.

Why did you study engineering in the first place?

From JSS 3 you need to choose what you want to study and from that stage, I have always been a science student. I actually wanted to study cardiology initially because my father died of heart failure. But then when I realised what it will take for me to become a cardiologist – that I needed to first of all get my MBBS and then probably travel abroad for further specialised studies, I felt it was going to take too long and then I also thought of Pharmacy but I eventually settled for Engineering because I am a typical person and very gentle and so I chose to study engineering because that was what suit my personality and passion. I graduated in 2000 and served in 2001, I have never worked in any sector other than engineering. Even when I was under paid and even when I didn’t like the job I was doing at a point due to poor remuneration, but the best job I ever had in my life is when I was a software developer for a software-developing firm in Anthony, Lagos.

Then, my salary was N25,000 then that was in 2006. It was actually the most fulfilling job I ever did because I was developing software and writing programmes, I really enjoyed the job but the salary was bad. In fact my wife was earning four times of my salary then and so I had to quit even though I loved the job. When I left the company, I found myself in the area of biometric. I thank God that I took the decision that time. I went looking for jobs that would fetch me better pay and in course of doing that, I found a new way to establish something I know can sustain me for the rest of my life. I found myself in biometric in consulting and we have done a lot for job so far with both individuals, private and government organisations. My company Access Technologies and Investment Limited, is a startup, it is the totality of my work experience that has culminated in Automated Access.

Talking about biometric, what do you think that would do to the economy?

In 2008 we implemented a concept for First Bank. It was the first ever-biometric ATM in Nigeria and the reason for that project then was because the level of fraud in the banking industry in terms of stolen identity was alarming. First Bank was looking for a way that when you wanted to collect money, you would also authenticate that you were truly the person. So that started from that time. Most frauds have to do with identity.

When a country cannot identify her citizens either through certain security number or alternatively through technology like biometric, there is a big problem because if anything happens or any one commits crime, it would be difficult to identify who the person is. So biometric helps you pinpoint people oneon-one. At other places like private homes

Can you share one of your memorable moments?

That was when I met the woman I am marrying. My friends and I had one or two issues with girls while we were in the university and so we made a standing rule that whenever a girl enters our room for the first time, the first person that approaches the girl, owns her. And so it was one of those days that the woman I am marrying today walked into our room I quickly said, ‘na me go marry this girl’, before any one could say anything to her and that was how it started.

And today I do not have any regret that I took that step, which appeared so silly then.

Today, I have a strong family background, I am close to my wife. We are friends and so she knows me a lot. There is nowhere I go that she does not know about or that I don’t take her to. She knows my friends. So to some extent that helps to build more trust.

And then, I don’t really give her reasons to worry and she knows I need to work hard.

I work extra hard but I have a strong family background that keeps me going. I have two kids of ages two and seven.

Chibueze

and companies, you can use biometric to protect your properties.

Now what is the focus of your company?

We facilitate Access Control/Time and Attendance. These include facial, fingerprint, card, PIN authentication or mix, integrated with door closers, electromagnetic locks, electric strike locks, dead bolts, turnstile systems, etc.

Network or stand-alone, up to 2000 terminals, 100,000 users, audit trail, system log, digital photos of events, voice prompts, reports, export data, technical support. We also deal in automated gates and doors like the sliding, swinging, collapsible, remote sensor or mobile phone open/close, safe installation, retrofit to existing or fabricate from scratch. Battery backup, can integrate NEPA, generator, solar and inverter systems; framed or frameless glass and low power design.

Then the biometric applications which entails facial or fingerprint authentication applications, linked databases, interfaces to payment platforms through NIBSS, biometric enrollment and verification, field exercises, pensioners’ verification, staff audit, biometric administration systems, document capture.

Conceptualisation, generating user requirements and specifications, design, coding, user acceptance testing, deployment and training, including supporting field biometric enrollment and verification exercises.

Other services include CCTV - Digital or IP based; dome, PTZ or hemispheric cameras

as well as steel fabrication and aluminum joinery like doors, windows, gates, canopies, railings, roofing, cladding, partitioning, etc. materials applied include Steel (mild or stainless), aluminum, wrought Iron, glass (framed or frameless) or mix.

We have established a steel fabrication workshop. We fabricate steels and aluminum.

We have our website where you can find our catalogues and there you would find the kinds of job we do from railings to door, access control, time and attendance and then for the bigger clients like the state governments, pension offices, we can help them to identify their customers, staff and pensioners against ghost workers and the likes. At our workshop, we can fabricate from scratch and with our mobile equipment, we can also undertake on-site fabrication, repairs, fortifications or reuse of existing gates/doors where possible, thereby making our offer more cost-effective and logistics-friendly. Our mission is to make automated gates affordable to middle class people.

How affordable are your works?

Part of the cost of running an automated gate is providing power, not necessarily steady power but at least you should be able to provide five to six hours power within 48 hours so that the systems keep running. Now because of that challenge, we need to provide back up power to ensure that it stays on. Now there

Do you have plans to mentor your people in this line of your job?

You see, having located this kind of business in a residential neighborhood, of course there are a lot of corporate social responsibilities that we could engage in, and I have not had it so good in life in the sense that we lost our father at a very early age in our lives and our mother as a widow had to singlehandedly raise the six graduates out of seven of us.

Her seventh child went to nursing school and today she is a Nurse. So life has not been rosy and I know the value of hard work because I have start from the grassroots and today they are up there. So I believe that the portfolio that we want to go into business with is viable and we are wiling to work hard to make it happen.

What was your childhood days like?

Life wasn’t rosy at all like I said. During my school days, I was sent away from school over nonpayment of school fees. At a point in my life, relatives had to take us to live with them when they saw that my mother was going through so much hardship to train us. It is not that life has been so bad though but if a widow raises you, you will know that you don’t need to finish the last food in the pot, you just have to remain small, no matter what, so that the next person can find something there.

Are there people you look up to as mentors?

My mentor as far as Nigeria entrepreneurship is concerned is, the Chief Executive Officer of Slot Limited, Dr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo.

We are from the same locality and I saw when he started Slot and I know what slot has become today. In a my siblings only two of us live here in Nigeria, the rest stay abroad and the have been talking to me about coming overseas with them but I have never for one day wanted to live overseas because I believe there are bigger opportunities here in Nigeria.

32/COLLAGE

18.03.2016

Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu flanked on the immediate left by Most Rev. Ikechi Nwosu, Archbishop of Aba Ecclesiastical Province, Bishop of Umuahia Anglican Communion and on the immediate right by the deputy Governor, Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, when Nwosu paid courtesy call on the governor

The Arowosadini of Jamaat Arinlese Central Mosque, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Alhaja Sikiratu Ejide Adeyanju (SOCOPAO) flanked by friends at a thanksgiving ceremony in Lagos‌recently

L - R: Groom Sister, Mrs. Sheri Adekowojo ; Mr. Adeshina Adelaja and his wife former Miss. Omolara Adeola; and Groom Father, Mr. Kunle Adelaja during the solemnization of holy matrimony of the couple in The Redeemed Christian Church of God at Oke-Ira, Ogba , Lagos recently JAMES AGORI

L-R: Commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture Lagos state, Mr. Folarin Coker and Mrs. Tourism United Nations World 2015, Ebelechukwu Enemchukwu, during Mrs. Tourism visit to the commissioner recently

L-R: Mr. Emmanuel Nwaru and his wife Mrs. Mary with their Daughter Miss Ogechi during the Thanksgiving Service of their Daughter Ogechi Iruoabo-Oghene Nwaru at God's Kingdom Society Egbe Branch of the Church in Lagos... recently JAMES AGORI

Mr. Onyekachi Emmanuel, his wife former Miss Babalola Motunrayo Oluwaseun, During their wedding at Foursquare Gospel Church Orile Agege, Oke Odo Lagos recently

L-R: Mr. and Mrs GbadeboThomas, Mrs.Temilade Akanni, Mrs. Abibat Olowu, Daughter of Deceased Alhaja Nimota Adeleye, Daughter of Deceased, Mrs. Adebanke Oduniyi, Mrs. Shade Okoya and Mr. Yinka Oduniyi during the burial Ceremony of Alhaja Bilikisu Shittu at Vault Garden MayFair, Ajah. Lagos. recently

33/THISLIFE

18.03.2016

Obasanjo

Obasanjo: A Legendary Statesman Widely regarded as Nigeria’s most accomplished statesman, Olusegun Obasanjo, at 79, is a towering giant in the courtyard of African history, writes Solomon Elusoji They call him ‘Baba’, because he is father.

Love or hate him, Olusegun Obasanjo is one of Africa’s most notable leaders in the past 100 years. From his exploits in the military to becoming the first democratic president of Nigeria’s fourth republic, before becoming an African global ambassador, he has seen it all.

Born around March 5, 1937, at the age of 21, in 1958, Obasanjo enlisted in the Nigerian Army. He attended the six month Short Service Commission training at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England and was thereafter commissioned as an officer in the Nigerian Army.

He was also trained in India at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and at the Indian Army School of Engineering. During the Nigerian Civil War, he commanded the Army’s 3 Marine Commando Division that took Owerri, and which effectively brought an end to the bitter war.

Although Obasanjo did not participate in the military coup of July 29, 1975, led by Murtala Mohammed, he supported it and was named Murtala’s deputy in the new government. On February 13, 1976, when Murtala was assassinated in a deadly coup, death missed Obasanjo by a whisker, foiling the coup in the process. So, Obasanjo became the next military Head of State.

But, unlike some of his predecessors and later military successors, Obasanjo did not believe that the military had an important role to play in politics. So, on October 1, 1979, he handed power to Shehu Shagari, who was a democratically elected civilian president.

That act made him the first military Head of State to transfer power peacefully to a civilian regime in Nigeria. It was a move that would pay off in later life.

During the regime of Gen. Sani Abacha,

which ran from 1993 to 1998, Obasanjo regularly spoke out against the human rights abuses perpetrated by the government. He was soon imprisoned for alleged participation in an aborted coup, only to be released after Abacha’s mysterious death on June 8, 1998.

In 1999, when it was time for the fourth republic to emerge, Obasanjo decided to run for the presidency, under the umbrella of the People Democratic Party (PDP). He would win the elections with 62.6 per cent of the vote, beating his fellow south-westerner, Olu Falae.

He ruled Nigeria democratically for eight years, and many have said that his biggest achievement was the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, which has allowed Nigeria to become Africa’s largest and fastest growing telecommunications market.

He also created the country’s first Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which secured a number of convictions, including high profile members of Nigeria’s elite, recovering

After stepping down as president in 2007, Obasanjo became an African diplomatic ambassador, travelling round the world, delivering speeches, and encouraging peace and unity as key prerequisites for progress and development on the African continent

billions of dollars in assets.

Additionally, with high oil prices, Obasanjo’s government oversaw a doubling of Nigeria’s average economic growth rate to six per cent.

Foreign reserves rose from $3.7 billion in 1999 to $45 billion in 2007.

Of course, he has had his ridiculous moments, among which was the Third Term agenda, but he was able to successfully guide Nigeria through eight years of democracy, despite the country’s long romance with guns and decrees.

After stepping down as president in 2007, Obasanjo became an African diplomatic ambassador, travelling round the world, delivering speeches, and encouraging peace and unity as key prerequisites for progress and development on the African continent. In 2008, he was appointed Special Envoy on the Great Lakes region by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and continues to be an integral actor in mediation efforts in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Obasanjo also served as the African Union’s Special Envoy for Togo’s 2010 presidential elections, as well as South Africa’s presidential polls in 2009.

As the Special Envoy for ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), his role in diffusing the crisis that threatened civil war in Cote D’Ivoire in 2011 was vital. When democracy was once again threatened in Senegal during controversial presidential polls in March 2012, he promptly led the joint African Union and ECOWAS mission to resolve the standoff, paving the way for a smooth transition and pulling one of Africa’s oldest democracies back from the brink.

Earlier this March, Obasanjo celebrated his 79th birthday and, as usual, the celebration was attended by top dignitaries, including serving ministers, friends, and family members. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi,

the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, and the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, were just some of the names present at the birthday event, which took place at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.

Amosun described Obasanjo as a nationalist who puts “Nigeria first in everything he does, while Onu said Obasanjo is a “special gift to the country, because every time the country faces any challenge God uses him to solve that challenge”. Amaechi, on his part, submitted that “most Nigerians believe that you love Nigeria and at all times, you want to save her”, and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, noted that despite being 79 years, Obasanjo’s "strength and wisdom have not waned.”

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari also sent congratulations, via a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. “President Buhari believes that Chief Obasanjo’s place in global history is assured for successfully handing over power to a civilian government in 1979 after serving as a military Head of State, and returning to power in 1999 through elections to stabilise the polity, during which he most remarkably negotiated a debt relief for Nigeria,” the statement read in part.

That Obasanjo’s name is assured in history is a foregone conclusion; he has paid his dues.

His recorded efforts for democracy, since his days in the military, are phenomenal, and he continues to be a torch-bearer for peaceful causes. In February 2015, he announced his retirement from partisan politics, when he tore his PDP membership card in public. But, while Obasanjo’s politics would be missed for its brashness and controversy, his most important legacy is the democratic messages he delivered, not from the pulpit, but through his deeds.

34/OPINION

18.03.2016

ADEOLAAKINREMI HOME TRUTHS

Email: adeola.akinremi@thisdaylive.com

Tel 08116759785(sms only)

Can Anything Good Come out of Akwa Ibom?

T

o summarise things, the narratives of Akwa Ibom State have been written in the negative in recent years.

Controversy of corruption; rumours of ruins and facts of failure have been at the centre of the narratives.

Sometimes the rumors run out of gas and everything follows normal order.

Sometimes the corruption controversy lingers and no one is convicted.

Sometimes that fatal failure to deliver democratic dividends leaves people in fetters in villages and townships outside the capital, Uyo. I know Akwa Ibom State. It is a state that is ready for the future. Some of Nigeria’s best infrastructures are there.

It is debatable, but Uyo will rank number one on the choice of host cities, were Nigeria to host an international event that will bring multitude of foreigners into the country.

But the profligacy of the political leaders of the Oil-rich state has given its narratives a negative place in the chronicle of history.

From Obong Victor Attah to Udom Emmanuel, the character of leadership has painted a bad image of a good state.

For instance, in spite of his talent for governance, the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, has unbounded extravagance lifestyle that has made him unpopular and notorious—that rubs off on the state too.

Interestingly, for the Akwa Ibom natives, the poem has now begun pleasantly, lyrically and without a dark turn.

There’s a man in the state who’s not following the herd. It’s the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Luke Onofiok, who

Akwa Ibom State Speaker, Luke Onofiok

I describe to people as a fast rising politician with impeccable integrity.

His gait and gaze makes Onofiok looks no different from the current British Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Innovation, Chuka Umunna, 37, a Nigerian-British citizen who inspires hope and regeneration.

Based on my interactions with the duo and for what I know about them, they are cerebral—they make decisions using their intelligence and cold, hard facts, instead of their emotions.

On Wednesday March 16, Onofiok turned 38 and in October, Umunna will do the same.

Hon. Onofiok is a rare breed politician I came to know a few years back and we became friends based on shared aspirations for Nigeria’s development in our different spheres of life.

Our friendship was fostered by another ferocious intellectual and a leader who has been changing the narrative for Nigeria in the area

of leadership development, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Leadership Initiative, Mr. Yinka Oyinlola.

I met Mr. Oyinlola in an unusual place and at a difficult time, but his work to save the future of our nation became the magnet for me.

So with one phone call from Mr. Oyinlola on a sunny day, several conversations around Nigeria’s development and its leaders have taken place between me and Hon. Onofiok over the years.

And while those conversations have been going on for more than a year on our cell phones, we didn’t meet until May 2015, when I visited Uyo, and that meeting in itself was a chance meeting.

I merely mentioned Onofiok to my cabby and his response got me curious. “Do you know Hon. Luke...ehmm, I forgot his surname,” I asked simply. It was like I hit the right button. “Is there anyone here who does not know him? He’s Luke Onofiok, the man of the people. That man is not a politician, he’s a community man. He’s going to be the governor someday,” he told me.

Like a man listening to the pleasant sound of a church bell, I listened to my cabby’s pleasant words for Onofiok and I made up my mind to see him, though without prior notification.

I pressed my finger on my phone to announce my arrival in Uyo to Onofiok, he was excited to hear what he called “unusual news”. But to confirm the words of my cabby, Onofiok was away on one of his community organising trips.

We later met in his house the following day.

In Akwa Ibom, Onofiok has many things going for him. First, he’s not a candidate of his party’s establishment. He’s young and intellectual and he’s a community man to the core.

Unlike other politicians, Onofiok came prepared.

Honestly, I didn’t doubt him when he told me that his plan for the future was to raise a generation of researchers and lawyers on maritime activities and environmental toxicology.

Last Saturday, when his wife, Uduak, bagged a PhD in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Cross River State, I immediately remembered the line.

As a lawyer, human rights activist, former students union leader and fellow of Nigerian Leadership Initiative—where the capacity to develop close and enduring relationships with the governed is one clear message to the leaders against detached style of leadership common in our country—Onofiok is that man described as authentic leader by Bill George, an Harvard University Professor, who authors True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership.

Onofiok is someone who is genuine and true to what he believes in. He understands the purpose of leadership; he leads with very consistent values, and with his heart, as well as his head. He’s courageous, compassionate and with other empathy–like qualities he builds long-term connected relationships.

And this, Onofiok has the personal self discipline to deliver extraordinary results.

The Akwa Ibom State Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo bears that testimony. “The right choice was made by my party, the PDP. In Onofiok we have good representation. Onofiok has shown his people that he can represent them...,” Ekpo said during Onofiok’s first term as a parliamentarian.

As I wish Onofiok a blissful birthday, I ask the Akwa Ibom people to savour the moment, because the beautiful one is now born in the land of promise.

LEKANFATODU HEADS-UP

L

Email lekantodun@yahoo.com

Tel 07058069255 (sms only)

Dear Kachikwu, Simple is Simply Better

et me start by admitting that I may be according significance to a common assumption. I am amongst the lot who think that individuals who have gone through some notable institutions of higher learning, particularly the coveted Ivy League universities in the UK and America have so much to offer to improve our ailing system. Most especially when placed in positions within their professional borders.

Would you really blame us for that line of thought? I guess, no. As a matter of fact, in other countries, graduates and alumni of such great citadel of learning have constituted themselves into a cult of curative intellects and problem solvers.

For instance in Britain, it is reported that about 60 per cent of the government's powerful establishments such as the Parliament and the British judiciary are peopled by former members of Oxbridge; that is, Oxford and Cambridge.

Even though a section of the public has frowned on what is now termed the "Old boys' club", the positive impact of these old boys, including girls, in the advancement of the Great Britain is evident to all discerning eyes. Yet these individuals are not flagging in their efforts to make their country greater. They are marked for proffering simple yet effective solutions to difficult situations.

So when, last year, Mr.Ibe Kachikwu was appointed as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and his academic and professional credentials were churned out to accentuate the worth and wealth of experience of the new honcho to the Nigerian public, I was one of those who thought that it was a fitting

Kachikwu

appointment, a good step towards salvaging the nation’s troubled oil corporation.

According to the profile of Kachikwu that was shared with Nigerians upon his appointment as the GMD of the NNPC, Ibe Kachikwu graduated first class in Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and distinction from the Nigerian Law School. And he was the best graduating student and multiple awards winner from both institutions at his graduation. He thereafter obtained a Masters and Doctorate Degree in Law from Harvard University, with distinctions.

Undoubtedly impressive, you would say. And until his government’s appointment, he was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon Mobil(Africa).

With this relevant experience and exposure, most people have been in high spirit that, under

the new chief, Nigeria will get far more than what she deserves or what the country is expecting in the overhauling plan of its preeminent industry - oil -, and ultimately in the supply of sufficient petrol to meet the daily consumption needs of the citizens which is put at 40 million litres.

But unfortunately and unlike the Ivy Leaguers across the pond, Kachikwu has not really proven the unique problem-solving qualities yet. Months into his position as the GMD and the Minister of State for Petroleum, an unprecedented double portfolio which was said was bestowed on him for his faculty and capacity to deliver, Kachikwu has not been able to effectively confront one of Nigerians’ greatest challenges, fuel scarcity, upon which he is actually going to be adjudged as a real performer or otherwise.

Though I understand that the man is good with words, it is then shocking that many of his utterances have created more confusion and worries in the polity than comfort. A case of note: Nigerians were titillated by his assurance upon resumption at the NNPC in August 2015 that by December 2015 the country’s refineries would have been restored to work optimally and by so doing reduce the shortage of petroleum products in the country. But shortly after, he recanted suggesting that the refineries may be put up for saleshould they fail to gain a new life as the minister earlier promised, a position the Presidency has already stoutly moved against.

Just last week, the minister almost threw the nation into a state of long commotion following his confusing statement on the “unbundling” and, later “restructuring” of the NNPC. Nigerian oil workers under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff

Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) embarked on a nation-wide strike to openly reject the idea of unbundling of the NNPC by the minister. No sooner had the workers unions announced the strike action than the situation of fuel scarcity got seriously worsen across the country. While the queues at various filling stations across the country stretched longer than usual, the black marketers on the streets had a field day hiking already outrageously hiked prices of petrol in different sizes of jerry cans sold along major roads. All of this occurred because the minister didn’t make his message simple!

Even though the minister has come, once again, to disregard the earlier statement he made on the unbundling of the corporation and has since acquiesced to robust engagements with the leaderships of the oil workers’ groups, the losses and untoward hardship visited on Nigerians through the hours of the strike action show lack of coordination and clear direction towards the transformation of the oil sector.

This is a critical aspect the minister needs to re-evaluate profoundly for better outcomes especially one that will help in improving the socio-economic conditions of all Nigerians.

Basically the simple language the average Nigerian understands is the surplus flow of petroleum products for the daily needs of the populace. And this language can be well presented in such a way it can be well understood by all stakeholders down to the man on the street.

Meanwhile, while some feel that Nigeria has not really been fortunate with her crop of Ivy Leaguers and “first class” brains in government, hopefully Kachikwu will make a good exception for the good of the nation.

35

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

The Task before Peterside As the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside takes over as the new Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, John Iwori and Nosa Alekhuogie highlight stakeholders’ expectations of him The appointment of the 2015 gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of Rivers State, Dr. Adolphus Dakuku Peterside as new the helmsman of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), came as a surprise to many stakeholders in the maritime industry.

In the first place, he was not among those jostling for the position. Many names, including those of the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe and the acting Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Haruna Jauro came up as among those that lobbied top government officials to get the job. However, Peterside, who was not among those pushing for the job was eventually appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Hullabaloo over Appointment Not a few stakeholders in the maritime industry are perplexed by the appointment of Peterside. In fact many of them argue that the of Peterside’s qualifications do not fit into the provisions for the NIMASA DG position in the enabling law. According to his profile, which was made available by the Deputy Director, Press and Publications, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mrs. Yetunde Sonaike, Peterside is not a maritime practitioner. The NIMASA Act 2007 was not unambiguous about who can serve on the board of the agency, according ton the global maritime watchdog, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as the designated authority (DA) for the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

Among other things, Section 6 of the NIMASA Act stipulates that: “The President on recommendation of the Minister shall appoint to the Board only persons with relevant experience and capacity applicable to maritime administration, recognised expert knowledge, qualification and experience in one or more of the following fields: Maritime Safety; Maritime Security; Maritime Pollution; Nautical Sciences and Hydrography; Marine Engineering; Finance; Marine Laws; Transport Logistics; Administration; and Marine Labour.”

While affirming that the DG is automatically a member of the board governing the multibillion naira agency, section 11 further clarifies the appointment of its DG as follows: “The President on the recommendation of the Minister shall appoint a DG for the agency in accordance with the provision of sections 6 and 7 of this Act. The DG shall be a person with extensive knowledge of and ability in maritime affairs and subject to section 9 of this Act shall hold office, for such term not exceeding four years which term may be renewed for a further term not exceeding four years.”

Enormous Task In spite of the hues and cries over Peterside’s appointment, enormous tasks lies ahead of him as he takes over the reins of administration at the apex maritime regulatory authority.

The DG needs to hit ground running by focusing on the core mandate of the agency. The core mandate of the commission was specified in the NIMASA Act 2007. He should study it and ensure that he begins its implementation as he settles down to work.

Already, stakeholders have called on Peterside to take urgent steps to reposition the industry, especially in the areas of its core mandate. While describing the appointment as “desirable for the industry”, a master mariner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Genesis Worldwide Shipping Group, Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, noted that the former legislator was appointed at a time there were so much to be done, especially in the area of maritime safety, security and administration.

According to him, there has been increasing

Peterside

cases of piracy attacks, ship hijack and ransom taking as well as sea robbery, a development that requires the new NIMASA helmsman to step up security surveillance in Nigeria territorial waters.

Since criminal activities cannot be totally eliminated, this is the only way to curb and ensure safety and security for ocean going vessels, river crafts and those who man them.

Platforms to ensure that security agencies can repel or counter any attack from pirates should be provided at strategic places along Nigeria’s vast coastline. These platforms will significantly increase the security agencies response time to any attack in our waters. It will also help Nigeria in search and rescue (SAR) operations.

A situation where an attack is launched by criminals in our waterways and it takes hours, if not days, for our security agencies to respond did not speak well of Nigeria as a serious maritime nation. A case in point was the head-on-collision of two ships that occurred last year in the Atlantic Ocean near Warri, Delta that took NIMASA nearly one week before it could respond to the distress calls of the victims. Till date, several crew members of the two vessels are yet to be accounted for as their loved continue the campaign to seek redress in court and elsewhere. Peterside should not allow this to be the case during his tenure.

Cabotage Fund The Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF is an area the new DG of NIMASA needs to pay attention to. According to Jauro, the billions of naira that had accrued into the CVFF are intact. Jauro stated this when the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Ahmed Sani led members of his committee on oversight function to NIMASA in Lagos early this year. His statement before the lawmakers punctured the allegations in some quarters that the money has been diverted during the tenure of the former DG of NIMASA, Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi. Peterside should ensure that all the encumbrances to the disbursement of CVFF are removed. With his political father,

Right Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi as the Minister of Transportation, removing the hurdles that had constituted a bottleneck in the release of the fund over the years should not be a difficult task for him.

Analysts had said that it did not make sense that billions of naira are held up in CVFF while hundreds of indigenous ship owners, who would have utilised it to get new vessels or repair existing ones, are suffering so much pain and in penury due to the fact that they do not have the requisite vessels to do certain jobs for the international oil companies (IOCs).

This is one of the main reasons why foreign ship owners are dominating in Nigeria waters, taking over jobs statutory meant for Nigerian ship owners. This is in spite of the provisions of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, 2003. It will be to the credit of Peterside and Amaechi that in their tenure, the much awaited CVFF was given to the beneficiaries selected by the primary lending institutions (PLIs) appointed by the Federal Government over five years ago. These PLIs include some notable commercial banks in the country.

Growing Indigenous Fleet There is also the need to grow indigenous fleet because it is vital for the sustainable development of the maritime sector of the economy. Nigeria cannot be adjudged as a serious maritime nation without good vessels that meet the requirements of the IOCs in the award of jobs. This is significant because the IOCs are more interested in vessel owners meeting the international standards and practices as outlined by IMO rather than where the person comes from. They are more interested in the contractor meeting their stringent requirements for the job they want to execute. This is why foreign ship owners dominate the maritime sector of the Nigerian economy. In addition, it does not speak well of Nigeria as a maritime nation when there are no notable ship owners that can stand their ground neck-to-neck with their foreign counterparts. Peterside also needs to protect foreign flagged vessels.

Given his support for the move, Ihenacho

who is a former Minister of Interior during Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, charged the new helmsman of NIMASA to take steps to protect foreign flagged vessels that come to Nigeria as well as Nigerian flagged vessels with a view to retaining their confidence in the Nigerian maritime environment.

He also stressed the need to grow indigenous fleet and concerted efforts to support indigenous private sector operators to acquire more vessels. According to the master mariner, such efforts should be made to discourage public sector ownership of vessels in the country, which he claimed had never worked in the past and may never work in the future given past experiences.

Ihenacho who is also the Chairman of Integrated Oil and Gas Limited said: “Given the experience of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), public ownership of vessel have never worked in Nigeria and might never work, so assistance should be given to the private sector to boost indigenous fleet.”

Ihenacho canvassed the support of all stakeholders for Peterside to succeed.

“I know Peterside personally and he is a good guy. The best we can do now is to rally round him in this crucial assignment so that he succeeds. He is welcome,” he said.

Also speaking, another master mariner and former President, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Captain Adewale Ishola, pointed out that what was paramount now is for the new DG, who is not an industry expert, to work and learn by liaising with industry stakeholders to chart a new course for growth and development of the maritime industry.

In the same vein, the Secretary General of the Nigerian Ship owners Association (NISA), Mr. Tunji Brown, said Peterside’s appointment was a right step in the right direction. Apparently not pleased that Jauro acted as the DG of NIMASA for almost a year, Brown stated that NISA was not comfortable with NIMASA having a DG on an acting capacity for months.

Avoiding Banana Peels Successive DGs of NIMASA, even when it was National Maritime Authority (NMA) always have cases to answer during or after their tenure. Though the magnitude of their offences varies, virtually all the helmsmen of NIMASA have had cause to be the special guest of the anti-graft agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). That is why Peterside should not only identify the banana peels in the agency but also avoid stepping on any of them throughout the duration of his tenure. The intricacies and complexities in the agency are not for the neophyte. Those who make things to fail during the tenure of his predecessors have not vanished. They are still in the system watching him closely for every step he takes whether good or bad. That is while he should not be carried away by the euphoria of his appointment.

Proving Critics Wrong Just as there are people that are pleased with his emergence as the new helmsman of NIMASA, there are also those who pick holes in his appointment going by the provisions of the NIMASA Act 2007 on the qualifications of the DG. Therefore, there are supporters and critics of his appointment as the DG of NIMASA. However, Peterside must prove his critics wrong by striving to do the right thing. He should create a legacy for himself.

Since the issues before him are so many, he should set specific goals and give himself milestones to attain in the short, medium or CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

36

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Anambra Endorses SABMiller Hero’s Foundation Programme Charles Onyekamuo in Awka The Anambra state government has given kudos to Onitsha - based Intafact Beverages Limited, a subsidiary of SABMiller, one of the world’s largest brewers for instituting the SABMillier Hero’s foundation programme, aimed at instilling the culture of entrepreneurship among the youth in the South-East zone of the country.

The SAB Miller Hero’s foundation programme, which was launched in Anambra commercial centre, Onitsha is Intafact Beverages Limited corporate social investment initiative (CSII), to encourage the youth in the zone between the eyes of 18 and 35 to develop their big ideas into sustainable businesses or

expand their existing businesses through the provision of material and financial support.

Speaking at the launch of the programme, the state’s Commissioner for Youth Entrepreneurship and Sports Development, Mr. Tony Nnachetta said the state government was ready to partner Intafact Beverages in realising the objective of the initiative.

“If you want to know the future of a nation, you take a look at what its youth are doing” he said, adding that Anambra state government is a willing partner in the programme and will contribute time and anything required to make it succeed.

The chairman, Board of Trustees of SABMiller Hero’s foundation, the Obi of Onit-

sha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe noted that the kick start programme offers strong prospects for new ideas and job creation in Nigeria investment platforms in view of the country’s dwindling fortunes from oil.

He said the fact that local youth with bright ideas will have an opportunity to turn their ideas into reality and will in turn help reduce unemployment by engaging them meaningfully through the entrepreneurship development programme.

He added that by encouraging and promoting business skills, mentorship and provision of business grants as start-up capital or expansion seed funding shows SAB Miller’s commitment to bringing fresh ideas and social upward mobility

to millions of people all over the world who enjoy its drinks and beverages, adding that the company does business in a way that strives to improve livelihoods of local communities in which it operates.

“We know that many of the communities where we work face serious challenges in their environments and societies, which we share with them.”

“We know that when local communities prosper, so do we. The SABMiller Hero’s foundation Kick start programme is Intafact beverages Corporate Social Initiative (CSI), and part of its ongoing commitment towards poverty alleviation and sustainable enterprise development in its areas of operation” he said.

FG Approves 27 Shipping Associations Twenty-seven shipping associations have received approval of the federal government to operate in the country, the Executive Secretary Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello has said.

Expressing delight at the development, Bello stated that the establishment of these associations is good for cargo protection across the country.

NSC helmsman, who disclosed this at a two-day national shippers’ celebration in Lagos, stressed the need for shippers to join forces to protect cargoes whether they are exports or imports.

“Shippers should endeavor to channel efforts into exportation of value adding non-oil exports to generate revenue.

The council is still committed to protecting the cargo interest of Nigeria and also enjoined you to remain compliant to both national and international rules guiding global trade practices. The SALS have been very active, I must commend them for their doggedness and laudable ideas and I hope they continue,” he said.

Bello, who was represented

by Deputy Director, NSC Consumer Affairs Department, Mrs. Okam Ada, said that shippers in the country need to sustain the momentum.

President of SALS, Rev. Jonathan Nicole said the theme of this year’s celebration, “Approaching a New Dawn in the Maritime Sector,” is the beginning of the process to get

rid of poverty from Nigeria’s port system.

He said the event marks the beginning of the amalgamation of a very viral maritime institution that will eventually metamorphose into the Federation of Shippers’ Association in Nigeria (FONSA).

Nicole stated that shippers across Nigeria must come together and fight the economic challenges of the country.

“With a powerful institution such as FONSA, Nigeria will dominate the maritime industry and even surprise our trade partners. The period of isolation is gone. Now cooperative and coordination will save us with the massive changes ahead of us. Our government will be happy to have such well-coordinated institutions behind it”, he said.

Nicole called on the federal government to extend some leverage to the operators in the maritime industry to improve on existing facilities, remove the dead infrastructures and give the well tested individuals in the Sector the opportunities to help in nation building.

His words: “We solicit for the resuscitation of the informal sector of cargo management. The informal sector will contribute as much as 45 percent of total cargo throughput. It is our believe that our Maritime shell covering over 20,000 Sq KM Nigeria its Southern littoral States has naturally positioned itself as a potentially veritable Maritime enclave.”

NPA Boss Pledges Support for ICRC PROMOTING MARITIME INDUSTRY

L-R: Head of Maritime Unit, Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL), Dr. Oluwole Akinyeye; Managing Partner Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mrs. Priscilla Ogwemoh and Head of Corporate/Commercial Public Sector Group, Mrs. Olabisi Akodu, at a press conference on “Driving the Maritime Roadmap in a Dwindling Economy” organised by OAL in Ikoyi Lagos….recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

500 Companies to Participate in SouthSouth Trade Fair The first South-South international fair being organised by the Forum of South-South Chamber of Industry, Mines and Agriculture (FOSSCCIMA) has attracted the interest of over 500 companies as prospective participants across the country and West African sub-region.

The International Trade Fair slated for April 10-30, 2016 at Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt, Rivers State will attract businesses across all sectors of the economy according to the organisers.

The President of FOSSCCIMA, Billy Harry during a press conference in Port Harcourt, said the association will strive to create strategic partnership with the government in order to attract investment and growth in the region’s economy.

He noted that the fair would create opportunities for unemployed youths to

be engaged, stressing that the organisation’s focus is to reduce youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region.

According to Harry, FOSSCCIMA will strive to create strategic partnership, sound coordination and cooperation with both the federal and state governments in the region. This, he said, will help to attract investment, encourage more companies to make investment in the region, engage youths and provide platform for continued dialogue towards reduction of youth restiveness.

He said: “We believe that the chains of poverty, environmental degradation, neglect, economic abuse, injustice and absence of visible economic investment in the South-South needs to be severed and not just symbolically but radically through investment in infrastructure, improved youth empowerment and engage-

ment, sustained growth of SMEs and new opportunities.

At the trade fair, he noted that a project termed RUMSSY (Registration of Unemployed South-South Youths) would be launched and it is going to run throughout the three weeks duration of the Trade fair.

The project, he added would provide an avenue where unemployed skilled and unskilled youths in the south-south region will be registered.

Commenting on this, the President explained that the registration of all the unemployed south-south youths ( RUMSSY) is one of the most critical and significant socio- economic change requirements in our region. “What we need in the entire country today is youth empowerment, youth engagement and youth unemployment. This is reported

to be as high as 35per cent especially among the 18-24 year range.”

Also, the Chairman, Marketing, Media and Publicity Committee of FOSSCIMA, Mr. Lucky Akhiwu said that multi-sectoral trade fair would provide an ideal and perfect business matchmaking platform for all kinds of businesses opportunities and connections.

He further explained that despite growing concerns about the rapid decline in our foreign exchange earnings occasioned by the global fall in oil prices and its multiplier effects on economic development in the South-South region in particular and the country in general, we have received a high level of interest from the business community towards the forthcoming Trade fair is surprising but encouraging too.

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority Mallam Habib Abdullahi has assured the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) of the authority’s continuous support and cooperation in the discharge of its duties.

Abdullahi gave this assurance recently while receiving a delegation of the commission led by its director general, Mallam Aminu Diko in his office in Lagos.

As a practical demonstration of this assurance, the MD directed that the Monitoring and Compliance Division should henceforth submit a copy of its quarterly reports to the ICRC. Abdullahi remarked that it is commendable that ICRC is alive to its responsibility, which he said would give it the opportunity to get first-hand information on the challenges of the concessionprogram and listen to observations from concessionaires He announced that a public private partnership department will be established to take care of investors’ interest in the nation’s seaports. While disclosing that some concession agreements, which have expired have been extended because of investments by such concessionaires, he promised to facilitate the flow of information between the ICRC and concessionaires.

Abdullahi

The DG had earlier congratulated Abdullahi on his re- appointment, noting that his re- appointment is an indication of his dedication to duties and enjoined all civil servants to emulate him.

Diko disclosed that ICRC was established in 2005 for two major reasons which include: addressing physical infrastructure deficits and certifying projects by Ministries, Departments and Agencies. (MDAs) and Monitoring project compliance by concessionaires.

He said that ICRC is in Lagos to visit Lekki deep-sea ports projects and the KiriKiri Lighter Terminals 1 and 2 with a view to ascertaining the level of infrastructure development and condition.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

THE TASK BEFORE PETERSIDE long term. He should also have a team that can deliver on his set goals. Those he needs to deliver are within and outside NIMASA. The task before him is to identify these able hands and provide leadership for them to achieve goals and objectives.

Capacity Building One of the areas, the new DG of NIMASA need to focus on is capacity building. The maritime industry as he will soon find out is a highly technical area. Nigeria is lacking manpower in critical areas of the industry. It is therefore, the responsibility of Peterside to provide opportunities for training and re-training in all the key areas. Presently, thousands of Nigerian youths are in various maritime training institutions overseas studying several courses including Naval Architecture, Transport, and

Marine Engineering. The training, which is under the auspices of the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), should be fine-tuned to forestall failure. The sea time training aspect of the programme must be pursued vigorously so that NSDP products do not end up in the already saturated labour market. Sea time experience is a key component for the acquisition of certificate of competency (CoC). Since maritime is not a local business, no ship owner worth his salt will ever engage a seafarer in his vessel without a CoC. This why Peterside must pay particular attention to sea time experience for Nigerian cadets in the maritime academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron and Akwa Ibom State and NSDP. Sanitising the Agency The new helmsman of NIMASA is duty

bound to sanitise the agency by purging it of corrupt elements. Giving the scandal that had rocked the agency in recent past, Peterside should ensure there those that man various departments of the agency are people of high repute.

At the opening ceremony of the regional training workshop on port state control recently, the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi revealed that his office is to embark on audit of the maritime industry, with a view to uncovering the corrupt practices in the sector as well as identifying who the culprits were.

Although the minister was silence on when the audit would commence, he said he had already secured a written approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out the audit.

Amaechi said: “The main drive behind this, is to make the maritime sector viable in such a way that people would invest freely, seamlessly without corruption. There would be changes, and a lot of improvement as well. All hands are on deck to ensure that the industry would be revamped, and results produced,” he explained. He added “ Nigerians need to be patient with the present government in order to enable them to perform their tasks efficiently as a lot of damage has been done in the last sixteen years.”

On what necessitated the audit, Amaechi noted that transparency was needed in the sector and capacity building was also very essential in ensuring that it does not remain in the same state he met it when he got into power.

Heart Foundation Endorses Gossy Natural Spring Water Chinazor Megbolu Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) has endorsed Gossy natural spring water for its quality contribution towards good health and nutrition to consumers over the years.

Gossy is manufactured by Warm Spring Water Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of UAC of Nigeria Plc. The endorsement was made in Lagos during the official launch of Nigerian Heart Foundation Heart Check Food Labeling.

The Vice-Chairman, NHF, Dr. Femi Mobolaji-Lawal, in his address said that Gossy

got endorsement because of its importance to healthy living.

“What people eat can make a real difference in helping to reduce non-communicable disease (NCDs) including heart diseases, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, which are the leading killer diseases globally. As part of the global strategy to reducing NCDs in Nigeria, NHF established the Heart Check Food Labelling Programme in 1998,” he said.

He explained that in fulfillment of its commitment to promoting healthy living and ensure Nigerians are given heart healthy options, NHF works closely with National Agency

for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), State Ministry of Health, food manufacturing industries and other nongovernmental organisations in the food and beverage industry on this programme.

Mobolaji-Lawal further pointed out the growing number of unhealthy heart food products in the Nigerian market is alarming.

He disclosed that NCDs are estimated to account for not less than 24 per cent of the total deaths in Nigeria.

“The growing prevalence of heart disease has called for more

awareness for anybody who wishes to purchase any water product from the markets need to look at the product label.”

He, however, noted that NHF and NAFDAC, through its collaboration on the programme are better positioned to tackle the threat of heart disease by educating the population on the need to make informed choices.

“NHF is encouraged that more food manufacturing companies are enrolling in this laudable programme especially manufacturers of Vegetable oil, Milk and Water, “ he said.

He congratulated the management of Warm Spring Waters

Nigeria Limited for taking the bold step and becoming the first water manufacturing company that focuses on the health of the Nigerian population through its collaboration with the NHF on the NHF Check Food Labelling programme initiative.

“The launch of Gossy Natural Spring Water today is a land – mark in the history of healthy food products in Nigeria. We call on other food beverage manufacturers to avail themselves of this great opportunity, “ he said.

Mobolaji-Lawal used the occasion to call on Nigerian consumers who are conscious of their well-being to eat and drink

heart friendly food products, because that can make a real difference in helping to lower total blood cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), Sodium and blood glucose.

In his speech, the Executive Director, Corporate Services, UACN Plc, Mr. Joe Dada said the company was happy to witness another milestone of delivering superior quality products to its consumers.

He added the endorsement has shown the firm’s commitment to achieving winning values that has upheld it as a customer-centric conglomerate that has gone unwavered for years.

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CITYSTRINGS

Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

Celebrating Greatness Old students of Federal Government College, Warri, recently gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school. Adibe Emenyonu reports that the ceremony also featured awards to former students who have excelled in their chosen careers

F

ederal Government College, Warri, was one of the unity schools established between 1960 and 1966. The college was actually established on the 17th of February, 1966. Some of the core objectives for the establishment of the school by the federal government were to promote national cohesion and unity, foster love across inter-ethnic nationalities, project peace and harmony and build up future leaders with a detribalised mind-set.

The college is located in Ogunu area of Warri presently in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, a predominantly riverine community with large expanse of mangrove forest.

The school has over the years produced exceptionally brilliant personalities in addition to maintaining an enviable academic records both within Nigeria, particularly, and West Africa in general for which it garnered many awards and recognition This citadel of knowledge has helped mould the lives of so many innocent youths into honourable men and women as well as helped build some of the nation’s towering giants in the realm of leadership, hope, entrepreneurship and greatness.

Among these are the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode; former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan; Engr.

Joseph Makoju, Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Power; Prof.

Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission; renowned pilot and business mogul, Capt. Hosa Okunbor; current President, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Augustine Aleghe (SAN), Herbert Wigwe, MD/CEO, Access Bank; former Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru and many other prominent and distinguished old students too numerous to mention.

It is some of the names mentioned above and others who are affiliated with the school that converged for the golden jubilee of the school in the oil city of Warri on February 29 to appraise, celebrate, give thanks and most importantly seek to revamp and solidify the institution that produced so many amazing individuals upon which other generations of leaders would be produced for the betterment and benefit of the society.

Speaking at the occasion, the current president of the Federal Government College Warri Old Students Association (FEGOCOWOSA). Chief Chyna Iwuanyanwu summed the reputation of the unity school when he said the school has produced two governors, the deputy governor of Kaduna State, Barnabas Bala and various personalities in politics, business world, military, religion, law, entertainment and other fields.

He however lamented the rot in the school which cut across other federal government colleges in the country that used to be a symbol of unity and urged the federal government to revive the school infrastructurally and otherwise to meet its unity status.

According to him, “it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between products of FGC Warri and those of other schools, unlike in the past. The truth is, we are losing our pride of place as one of the distinguished secondary schools in Nigeria.”

Against this backdrop, Iwuanyanwu noted that the unity school system needs to be refocused, adding that as stakeholders in the system, they have a lot to lose if things do not improve.

His word: “As individuals and as an association, we need to join forces with other similar associations to create a unity schools’ system that can and will produce Nigerians, like us, who can compete in a world where knowledge and the application of it, is the

Benin Palace Chiefs and one of the awardees, Capt. Nosa Okunbor

major instrument of global competitiveness.

“We need to engage the government to explore options for a system that better manages these unity schools. One day, children will once again travel from across the country to study at FGC Warri and elsewhere, if there is a serious effort to reposition them and rekindle the high standard of education that they were known for”.

He therefore noted that the association of old boys and girls must do their best to fund infrastructural development projects in the schools. For this, he said as old students, they have the motivation and the influence to make the needed change because “if we fail to make the initiative, posterity will remember us as people who had the opportunity to shape the future, but decided not to”.

The FEGOCOSA, Warri also poured encomiums on their principals both past and present when in its tribute said the college has been fortunate to have been led by some great principals like J. A. Miners (1966) and A. W. E Winlaw (1966 - 1968) as pioneer principals.

P. H. Davis, OBE; OON (1968 - 1981) fondly called Papa, who happened to be the longest serving principal and to whom most of the

In the last 50 years, this citadel of learning has consisted of principals and teachers who have groomed boys and girls for greatness. We salute and appreciate their efforts and leadership. Without them, the characters of these great personalities and leaders would not have been cut and chiseled into fitness; and without them, knowledge would not have been impacted and imbibed so readily

glory days is attributed. M. C. Ebo (1985 - 1989) both of blessed memory and of course, Mrs. E. M. Osemene (2006 - 2011), the first female principal of the school and old student of the school as well as others who were also remarkable.

Also worthy of mention for their contributions to the emerging generation of leaders are all the teachers, past and present of the school who were such inspiring fountains of learning that they will forever live on in the minds of their students.

“In the last 50 years, this citadel of learning has consisted of principals and teachers who have groomed boys and girls for greatness.

We salute and appreciate their efforts and leadership. Without them, the characters of these great personalities and leaders would not have been cut and chiseled into fitness; and without them, knowledge would not have been impacted and imbibed so readily. They impacted in these students and young minds drawn from different states of the federation, different cultures and values, the investment of their knowledge, uniqueness and diverse personalities”, the tribute noted.

Highlight of the ceremony was the award of honours to over 30 old students who have excelled in their various field of endevour.

Among those honoured was Edo-born air pilot and business mogul, Captain Hosa Okunbo who bagged “Worthy Ambassador of Unity Award” from the school.

Reacting to his award, Capt. Okunbor noted that despite all his successes in life, the level of corruption in the country is being perpetrated by people of his generation, adding that it was on this note that he backed the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“This is my foundation, Federal Government College, Warri is where it all started. This is where we got our values from. Unfortunately for us, we have lost all those values that made us what we are today. Our generation, between 55 and 60 years, I can tell you that we have failed the nation. Those of us that were so privileged to go to school like this, which the state has given much to in our upbringing, unfortunately, those of us that chose to serve this country, we could not give anything back to the country. It is very sad.

“And that is why we are happy somebody like President Buhari decided to come back to serve Nigeria. President Buhari is like a

man who started business at the age of 21 and when he got to 45, his children told him, father rest, we can make this business work and at 73, he is being called back to repair the business he left at 45, of course he will be an angry man to see a rotten business that was doing well when he left it.

“That is exactly the situation Buhari is today.

He is an angry man and we should allow him to be angry because he has the right to be angry because of the rot that he has met.

It is very unfortunate that this country can be going through what she is going through right now. I will tell you that Buhari is not responsible for what the country is going through right now, it is what has happened over the years.

“This is that failure I told you that our generation that took the decision to serve, could not be found worthy to serve this country. They were busy acquiring things they never needed with the peoples wealth.

If you notice, I have supported politicians for the past sixteen years, I have never been tempted to run for an office because I know it is not my calling.

“I love money, I love business and I work hard for it. I sweat for every dime I earn, so I wouldn’t be tempted to go and serve and steal. If you want to serve, you serve and if it is business, you do business. You can serve and at the same time take our business from us. That is the corruption we are talking about.

People that were supposed to serve started using their own companies without doing the business and those of us with the structures to do the business were never considered.

“Some of us were even owned several months after doing the job while those who never did the jobs were paid 100 per cent of the jobs that was never done. It is sad that those that choose to serve became disappointments. I call it a failed generation and that is why we can have a man who retired as a young adult is back today using horse whip on us at 60 because we failed to serve this country well.”

As an awardee, Okunbor did not visit Warri alone. He was accompanied by a retinue of personalities. Among them are Benin Palace chiefs who came to represent the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, Eheneden Erediauwa led by the Uso of Benin Kingdom, Chief Nosakhare Omoregie Egharevba who in his observation, said “It is marvellous. He has been a man destined for greatness, these are signs of higher things to come. We are proud of him, he is a friend of the royal palace of Benin, the Crown Prince sent two of his able chiefs as his personal representatives and that is why we are here.

He is a proud son of Benin Kingdom and we are happy he is our son.”

Also on his part, a former member of the House of Representatives, Rasaq BeloOsagie said “You can see very distinguished Nigerians today, again if you see the quality of persons who came with Captain and of course a large delegation of members of the fourth estate of the realm, tells you that he enjoys enormous good will across. If it is Captain Hosa people remove the imaginary boundaries of partisanship. I am very excited, I am very happy to be part of this event.

Definitely first among equals from what I have seen here today, one of the leading lights from this institution. He has discharged and acquitted himself creditably. Somebody who went through Federal Government College, Warri, a unity school, very prestigious in quality. We have seen a number of them here today. I want to congratulate him, we are very happy that one of our first eleven was also called to take this prestigious award from this unity school.”

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CITYSTRINGS

Social Security for Niger Teachers Laleye Dipo reports on the challenges in the takeoff of the Niger State NUT social security scheme, Endwell, and what it has achieved in a short time

W

hen about a decade ago, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Niger State introduced what is now known as ‘Endwell Scheme’ many union members kicked against the implementation of the policy. This is in spite of the fact that the policy is to make the teachers who are members of the union to start reaping their reward here on earth instead of waiting to get the benefits when they get to heaven or waiting for handouts from government. The Endwell scheme was therefore necessitated by the fact that the main employer of teachers, governments, have neglected their responsibilities to this important segment of the nation’s labour force.

The opposition to the policy may be justified because it meant deduction from the lean pay of the union members to propel the programme.

This, coupled with the failure of such policies by the government especially the National Housing Fund Scheme that has hit the rocks, and the reluctance by government to refund the contributions made by contributors partly accounted for the vehement opposition to the idea.

Some leaders in their vociferous opposition to the policy approached the courts to ask for a stoppage of the scheme. These antagonists as they were referred to then also prepared a strong petition which was tabled before the then incoming administration of former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu. Aliyu fortunately was a founding father of the NUT and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state and believed in better life for teachers/workers now and in the future, as such did not use his executive powers to stop the programme from taking off. Dr. Aliyu was said to have professionally managed the situation to the extent that those aggrieved sheathed their swords even when they were not 100 per cent convinced that they should participate in the programme.

The Endwell Scheme is a cooperative movement where members contribute according to their financial power and can pull out of the group at anytime. Similarly a member can draw loans far beyond his or her contribution to solve social and economic challenges that the commercial banks or government cannot immediately remedy or would be delayed in getting solution to.

To allay the fears of the major antagonists of the scheme therefore, respected members of the public some of them one time teachers who have also gone through the problems teachers faced daily were brought into the management of the scheme. The acceptance of Hajia Dije Bala a seasoned administrator and one time teacher to serve as the chairperson of the Endwell Scheme Board of Trustees and involvement of Comrade Labaran Garba who has been tested, trusted and found to be above board as a Secretary of the NUT in the state and others in their category soothed some nerves and allowed the programme to take off smoothly.

“The road has not been smooth, people thought it was an “abracadabra”, the Police, the ICPC were used to haunt us, if EFCC had existed then, they would have sent them (EFCC) after us.

“We however continued to march on because we were convinced that we have to do something for teachers whether they are in service or out of service,” said.

This determination by members of the Board no doubt made the scheme to record the huge success it has been able to achieve within this short period. The Endwell Scheme has now become a giant cooperative society with branches in the 25 local government areas of the state.

Its acceptability is evidenced in the patronage the cooperative outfit has now received. From a meager membership of less than 1000 about 10 years ago, the scheme can now boast of more than 27,145 members and it is still daily attracting interest from teachers in primary and secondary schools in the state.

Over the years also, the Endwell Scheme has been able to positively touch the lives of 18,

Ketso (middle), presenting title deeds to one of the teachers

565 of its members by way of giving them soft loans in materials and cash valued at N795, 471, 945.00. These loans included financial assistance for the payment of members’ children school fees, payment of medical hospital bills of members, opening facilities for them to own landed properties, building materials electronics and other home appliances like deep freezers, refrigerators, motorcycles and industrial sewing machines. It is important to stress here that not a kobo of government is in the loans and assistance given to its members by the Endwell programme.

As a result of these financial supports, many members of the Endwell Scheme are now proud owners of small businesses, return from which they apply to solve their immediate personal and family problems.

The Endwell Scheme has also invested a lot in developed and undeveloped landed property in Bida, Kotangora, Suleja and Minna. Some of these landed property are again released to teachers who are members of the scheme at rates far below the amount they were purchased.

This property policy has made hundreds of teachers proud owners of their own houses, some have even become landlords.

If all these achievements are personal to teachers and cannot be physically seen apart from the change in their lifestyles, one remarkable

In view of the landmarks recorded so far by the Endwell Scheme, it is evident that the Nigeria Union of Teachers Niger State wing is no doubt a critical stakeholder not only in the field of enhancing the provision of sound educational standard but also as a complementary agent towards enhancing the socio-economic empowerment of her teeming members and the entire Nigerlites in general

success recorded by the Endwell Scheme which is visible to all and which has now become a reference point in the society is the establishment of the Endwell Micro-Finance Bank and Endwell Primary School.

The Endwell Microfinance Bank started which a few years ago has developed rapidly to the extent that it now employs over 30 workers. With its vision of becoming the foremost Microfinance Bank, demand-driven services and wealth creation, the Endwell Microfinance bank is one of the very few of such institutions that has not gone under in the state. The liberal policies of the bank have also made more teachers and traders to now patronise the bank.

The same can be said of the Endwell Model Primary School which was inaugurated by former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu just over a year ago which has turned to be the primary school of first choice by parents for their children. This is not only because of the serene environment of the school but as a result of the quality of its teachers and teaching apparatus.

The intention of the Endwell Board of trustees according to Bala is to develop the school to a secondary school and in the long run a tertiary institution.

The tractor hiring scheme also established some two years ago by the Endwell programme has also been of assistance to teachers who take to farming as a hobby and other members of the general public who have easy access to the tractors than those of the government.

Recently, the scheme again distributed loan materials and landed property to its members at a colourful ceremony where some of those in attendance doubted if it was the NUT that was sharing out the items because of the quantity and quality of the goods given out.

Some of these observers felt it was the government that was dolling out materials to its supporters as political patronage.

Not less than N400, 000, 000.00 worth of loan items including 832 plots of land, each 100 x 100 in size, building materials, household utensils such as deep freezers, home electronics equipment, industrial machines, water pumping machines for dry season farmers, laptop computers among others were distributed to 4,200 members of the cooperative group in the 25 local government areas of the state.

Bala said at the ceremony that “this single act will have multiplier positive effect on the lives of family members and communities of the beneficiaries in all the 25 local government areas of the state”.

She declared “in view of the landmarks

recorded so far by the Endwell Scheme, it is evident that the Nigeria Union of Teachers Niger State wing is no doubt a critical stakeholder not only in the field of enhancing the provision of sound educational standard but also as a complementary agent towards enhancing the socio-economic empowerment of her teeming members and the entire Nigerlites in general.”

This view was shared by the State Acting Governor Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso when he said, “The success story of the NUT we are witnessing today is not by accident but a rather conscious effort to provide basic social security services for its members and by implication the society at large.”

“I am indeed proud of the Nigeria Union of Teachers Niger State Wing that has since grown into an enviable status with several landmark achievements, as a person who recognises unionism I am happy to identify with the NUT, particularly the Teachers Welfare Scheme - Endwell” Ketso advised the beneficiaries to be judicious in the utilisation of the items given to them and “ensure prompt payment so that others will benefit too”.

State Chairman of the NUT Comrade Ibrahim Umar did not allow the joy of the day to take him away from the problems teachers and the teaching profession is facing in the state and quickly reminded the Acting Governor of the need to raise the career status of teachers to “Tutors General on Grade Level 17.”

Umar also asked the government to increase the retirement age of teachers from 60- 65 years” as their counterparts in tertiary institutions”.

Another issue which did not escape the attention of the Union leaders who graced the ceremony is the vexed 7.5 per cent pension scheme deductions from workers pay and the demand for the refund to the contributors of the amount so far contributed.

State NLC Chairman Comrade Yahaya Idris Ndako while debunking the claims by government that the resources to fuel the old pension scheme was not available maintained that government should first repeal the contributory pension scheme law and from there “we will know what to do”.

“Money or no money, repeal the Law we will negotiate and see how we spread the money,” Ndako insisted.

Senior Assistant Secretary of the NUT Comrade Labaran Garba while closing the event assured teachers in the state that “we will continue to hold the trust teachers have in us” with a closing prayer that “everyone, every worker should Endwell”.

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WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Islam and the Idea of Worship - 2 By: Spahic Omer/IslamiCity (Continued from last week)

P

rophet Muhammad (pbuh) was asked – as is anyone who subscribes to Islam and Muhammad’s mission – to read, study, try to solve and make known the problems and maladies of his people, as well as of the world and life in general. This is strongly suggested by the notions of Allah the Creator and Guardian, and man the guided and taught mortal completely dependent on Allah, which are enfolded in the above mentioned verses.

If Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was asked to read in the narrowest meaning of the word iqra‘, such would have been a paradox because Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was, and remained, an illiterate man. However, since he was asked to read in the widest and most comprehensive meaning of the word iqra’, without which even the purest religious rites and ceremonies cannot be carried out, such not only was not a paradox, but also made the most perfect sense, as Muhammad (pbuh) in terms of wisdom, intelligence, perspicacity, spirituality and morals was the most complete man. His sublime conduct embodied all the qualities which were expected to rise from the Islamic “iqra‘” scheme. Though outwardly illiterate, Muhammad (pbuh) was a perfectly “literate” man. He perfectly exemplified the Islamic message. The words “Read (iqra‘) in the name of your Lord Who created” perfectly exemplifies the Islamic message too. Because of him being an excellent exemplar, Allah’s chosen one, every single Muslim believer extraordinarily admires and endeavors to follow Muhammad’s most beautiful pattern of conduct in his daily life. A prominent place in that task occupies the application of the universal model of iqra’ with all of its dimensions and implications. Due to this, the relevance of Muhammad (pbuh), iqra‘ and Islam never fizzles out. “It was Allah Who educated me and Who perfected my good manners”, were once the words of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Due to this, furthermore, the relevance of Islamic worship, which spawns all-encompassing Islamic lifestyles, never fizzles out either.

Owing to the similar reasons, indeed, the early Muslims had been forced to migrate from Makkah to Madinah, the former being the Prophet’s birthplace and the place which he loved most on earth, because the application of Islam’s universal, all-inclusive and dynamic message in Makkah proved unfeasible after 13 years of intense and futile trying. Thus, other alternatives had to be sought and appraised for the purpose. The best alternative was the town, or the area with a number of loosely interconnected settlements, called Yathrib whose name the Prophet (pbuh) immediately after the migration changed to Madinah (the City).

Madinah, the city-state of Islam, entailed in its new name several and thus deliberately publicized meanings and messages concerning Islam and the nascent Muslim community which embodied the former. Some of those meanings and messages were: Madinah is a place where Islam as a complete way of life is practiced; Madinah is a place of civilization; Madinah is a place where the supreme authority of Islam (Allah) is established and adhered to. Thus, whatever believers do, they do it for the sake of Allah, i.e., for the sake of upholding the truth, as well as for the sake of ensuring that the Word of Allah reigns supreme on Allah’s earth and in the midst of Allah’s animate and inanimate creatures, which is the only natural, logical and needed thing. Indeed, this is exactly what is expected from true believers to do.

Consequently, they are abundantly rewarded for their actions in both worlds: in this world by living an honorable, consequential and truly productive life, and in the Hereafter by the eternal bliss of Paradise. In short, for every act of his, no matter how small and insignificant it may be, a believer is rewarded by Allah, even when he or she

spends the most intimate moments with his or her spouse, as expounded by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on many occasions. A believer is rewarded for spending his earnings on his family members too. The Prophet (pbuh) has said: “You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah’s sake even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife’s mouth.”

While promising it to believers in the Qur’an, Allah calls this type of life hayatan tayyibah and mata’an hasanan, which mean a happy life and a good and true enjoyment respectively. Allah says: “Whoever does good whether male or female and he is a believer, We will most certainly make him live a happy life, and We will most certainly give them their reward for the best of what they did.” (al-Nahl, 97) “Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance; that He may grant you enjoyment, good (and true), for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding grace on all who abound in merit! But if you turn away, then I fear for you the penalty of a great day.” (Hud, 3) Islam strikes a fine balance between the exigencies of the material and spiritual aspects of existence, between the requirements of one’s well-being in this world and in the Hereafter, and between the needs of personal, family as well as societal development. Islam means having a strong and complete faith in Allah and the other required realities from the spiritual and corporeal worlds plus performing good deeds under all circumstances. Appropriation of simply one aspect of Islam without the other is insufficient for attaining salvation. The two must be integrated in a whole that we call “Islam”, which, in turn, must be interwoven with the life-force of the notion of comprehensive excellence or ihsan. In Islam, faith and good deeds go hand-in-hand. Neither faith suffices without good deeds, nor are good deeds of value without faith. A strong relationship between faith and good deeds is the way towards comprehensive excellence. That, too, is the way towards an Islamic quality culture.

The Holy Qur’an affirms that in Islam quality, sincerity, and perseverance are preferred over sheer quantity, irregularity, and pretense. Allah did not say in the Qur’an that man has been created to perform as many deeds as possible, but He did say on more than one occasion that man has been created to perform his required good deeds in the best possible way. For example, Allah says: “Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom, and He has power over all things, Who created death and life that He may try you – which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving.” (al-Mulk, 2) “Surely We have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try them (as to) which of them is best in conduct.” (al-Kahf, 7) “He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days – and His Throne was over the waters – that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct.” (Hud, 7) As a result, a person will be judged on account of his overall performances in life: towards his Creator, his very self, the people around him and the natural environment, as well as on account of the quality of such performances. He will not be judged only on account of his sheer religious rituals because the same rituals have their own personal, family and societal development implications which lie at the core of those rituals and must be duly observed.

Carrying out those rituals unconsciously and mechanically just for the sake of carrying them out, or because they became no more than an unresponsive habit or a cultural manifestation, without producing any impact whatsoever on one’s contributions towards one’s personal, family and societal development and contributions, means that they are done incorrectly and that they at the end might not be accepted by Allah.

Concluded

JOINT COMMITTEE ON WORKS AND FINANCE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ABUJA

INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON CLAIMS BY STATE GOVERNMENTS OF EXPENDITURES INCURRED ON REHABILITATION OF FEDERAL ROADS IN THEIR STATES. The Joint Committee on Works and Finance of the House of Representatives hereby invite the General Public to its Investigative Hearing on a referred motion titled: NEED TO INVESTIGATE THE CLAIMS BY STATE GOVERNMENTS OF EXPENDITURES INCURRED ON REHABILITATION OF FEDERAL ROADS IN THEIR STATES (HR.246/2015).

Specifically, the Investigative Hearing is in respect of the prayer which mandated the COMMITTEES ON WORKS AND FINANCE TO INVESTIGATE THE CLAIMS BY STATE GOVERNMENTS ON THE EXPENDITURES INCURRED IN RECONSTRUCTING FEDERAL ROADS TO DETERMINE THEIR PROPRIETY, INTEGRITY OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS. The hearing, earlier scheduled for two (2) days, 22nd and 23rd of March, 2016 is NOW to hold as follows: Date:

Wednesday, 23rd March, 2016.

Venue: Room 231, New Representatives.

Time:

Building,

House

of

10.00am Prompt.

Advance copies of Memoranda should be sent by e-mail to halunbawa@yahoo.com or sukola2005@yahoo.com, while hard copies should be sent to the Committees’ Secretariat at Room 304, White House, House of Representatives, National Assembly Complex, Abuja on or before Tuesday, 22nd March, 2016.

For further enquiries please call 08028505915 or 08035077205.

Hon. Toby Okechukwu Chairman Committee on Works

Hon. Babangida Ibrahim Chairman Committee on Finance

46

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

FG Launches N10bn Youth Entrepreneurship Support Programme BoI targets 6,000 jobs annually James Emejo in Abuja Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah yesterday officially inaugurated the Bank of Industry (BoI)’s N10billion-Youth Entrepreneurship Support (YES) scheme, aimed at developing the entrepreneurial capacity of youths and providing start up loans at concessionary interest rates to executive their business plans.

The scheme will allow each of the eligible beneficiaries to access a maximum of N5 million loan for the procurement of machinery and equipment, including working capital.

The loans are to be accessed at a single digit interest rate of 9 per cent, with a tenor of three to five years, inclusive of a six-month moratorium, the minister explained.

Enelamah said the initiative would help create and expand about 1,200 enterprises promoted

by Nigerian youths nationwide.

He said:”The YES scheme that is being launched today, therefore provides an opportunity for the BoI to address the worrisome phenomenon by developing the capacity of the youths with a view to ultimately funding their business plans, aimed at equipping them to be self-employed by starting and managing their own businesses as well as eventually becoming employers of labour.”

Noting that Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are critical bedrock of any economy wishing to develop, he said about 1.8 million young Nigerians enter the already saturated labour market on annually.

He said the new scheme is expected to create a minimum of 6,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs yearly.

Also speaking at occasion, acting Managing Director, BoI, Mr. Rasheed Olagunju said the key objectives of the initiative are to create an interactive

learning platform to train young aspiring entrepreneurs in Entrepreneurship, Business Management and Technical Skills that will ultimately translate into improved efficiency and productivity, as well as rekindle the entrepreneurial spirit of youths and act as an incubation centre where business ideas are nurtured to their full potential.

He said the YES scheme further aims to entrench global best practices by inculcating a culture of innovation-driven entrepreneurship and ethics in the participants, promote self-employment among graduates of tertiary institutions, and deepen financial inclusion by de-risking the young aspiring entrepreneurs and making them eligible for small business loans.

He said contrary to the conventional loan requirement plan, the latest initiative has a liberal collateral requirements, including NYSC certificates, approved guarantors among others.

Enelamah

MARKET INDICATORS

Access Bank Gives out Cars in Promo Peter Uzoho Two customers of Access Bank Plc won one Hyundai i10 car each as star price in a draw for the Access Bank Money Gram/ Western Union Mega promo.

In a joint draw held in Lagos on Wednesday, Mr. Ajayi Bamidele, a customer of Ikorodu branch, emerged the star price winner in the Money Gram draw and his loyalty with the bank was rewarded with a brand new Hyundai i10 car.

Other items won in the promo were four motorbikes, 20 LED television sets, 20 DVD players and 80 Blenders, as consolation prices. A total of 420 customers qualified for the promo.

On the other hand, in the Western Union draw, Patience Ndidi Emeh, of Azikiwe Road Branch, Port Harcourt, equally won for herself, a Hyundai i10 brand new car, as the star price winner. Consolation prices of 10 LED Television sets, 10 DVD Players and 40 Blenders, were won as well. A total of 95 eligible customers contested for the promo Western Union promo.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, Personal Banking, Access Bank, Mr. Victor Etuokwu, assured customers that because remittance service is a key aspect of the Nigerian economy, the bank would continue to collaborate with the money transfer agencies.

“The remittance service is still vibrant and viable because people still take care of family members, friends and invest at home even as they live abroad.

And therefore, it’s an interrelation activity that banks want to be involved in. But what we want to do is to draw more recipients to Access Bank to receive their funds for their love ones, and we put incentives around it.

“And we think that the incentives have helped increasing the volume of activities that we get.

Today is a day to redeem our pledge to whoever meets certain criteria and reward those who have have done well with us as our customers,” he added.

Sterling Bank Ranked High in Bank Quality Rating Sterling Bank Plc has been rated 10th by Lafferty Group among 100 other quality banks from around the world. The lender was also rated first in terms of quality in the Nigerian market.

Lafferty Group is a major provider of knowledge services to the banking industry worldwide from benchmarking research and Councils to professional education.

The group, which made this known in a statement, said its approach to rating is to use publicly available information to judge against key quantitative

and qualitative criteria such as strategy, culture, customer care, brand promise and financial performance.

According to the Chairman, Lafferty Group, Michael Lafferty, “banks that score well on Lafferty Bank Quality Ratings tend to trade at a premium price to their tangible book value.”

In an update to investors and analysts on the rating, the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Sterling Bank, Yemi Adeola, said:”Our bank has remained resilient in a turbulent operating environment and Lafferty Bank Quality Ratings has

provided an objective view on the fundamentals of our business, by rating us 10th in the world, top three in Africa (after Capitec and Barclays Africa) and the top bank in Nigeria.

“In spite both regulatory and macroeconomic headwinds, we have maintained strong capital and liquidity positions.

I am pleased that an external and independent party has validated the bank’s reputation as a well- run, sustainable institution which further lays credence to our valuation in the equities market relative to competition.

UBA Expects 15% Loan Growth in 2016 The United Bank for Africa (UBA) expects loan growth of 10 to 15 per cent this year, reversing a 3.3 percent decline last year, it said on Thursday.

The top tier lender had originally forecast loan growth last year of five to eight per cent but that did not materialise.

Loans grew 14 percent in 2014, the bank said.

“Because of uncertainty in the macro-environment we decided to be very cautious in the

growth of risk assets,”Reuters quoted the bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Phillips Oduoza, who is due to retire by July to have said, explaining the drop in loans last year.

“For this year we see a positive outlook but we will continue in our conservative approach to risk creation.”

While commenting on the bank’s 2015 results released recently, Oduoza had explained that the 2015 profit was a new

high, saying it reflected the hard work and discipline of our Board, Management and Staff in creating value for all stakeholders.

“We remain committed to growing in a responsible manner that aligns with our vision of building an enduring institution.”

He said the bank’s resilient business model, geographic diversification, proactive strategies, and strong governance created an edge for it through the year.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

NOVEMBER 2014 Broad Money (M2)

16,696,663.77

-- Narrow Money (M1)

6,678,249.30

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,231,005.96

---- Demand Deposits

5,447,243.34

-- Quasi Money

10,018,414.47

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,183,427.14

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

9,513,236.63

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

16,353,454.75

---- Credit to Government (Net)

-1,755,121.92

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

419,550.98

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-2,174,672.91

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

18,108,576.68

--Other Assets Net

-6,840,218.12

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,068,556.90

--Currency in Circulation

1,577,889.36

--Banks Reserves

3,490,667.54 • Source - CBN

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Price (N) Stanbic Balanced Fund

Buying Price(N)

Selling Price

1,660.29

1,685.29

Stanbic IBTC NEF

1,000.00

11,002.32

11,326.67.11

Stanbic SIBond

20

120.47

120.47

Stanbic IBTC Ethical

1

1.10

1.13

Stanbic IBTC GIF

142.90

143.38

UBA Balanced Fund

1.2563

1.2493

UBA Bond Fund

1.3443

1.3443

UBA Equity Fund

0.8205

0.8074

UBA Money Market Fund

1.1510

1.1510

ARM Aggressive Growth Fund

N13.1141

N13.5095

ARM Discovery Fund

N288.9978

N297.7112

ARM Ethical Fund

N22.6462

N23.3290

ARM Money Market Fund

13.1161 (Yield % ) • Monetary Policy Rate - 13%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 16 MARCH 2016 The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $34.50 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $33.69 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Murban (UAE), Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

47

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016

Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

16-Mar-16 15-Mar-16

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

01 Dangote Cement Plc

162.00

164.00

-1.22%

2,760,562,199,610.00

10.91

11.40

5.53

5.63%

3.38

02 Nigerian Brew. Plc.

96.05

93.00

3.28%

761,590,140,292.40

5.37

17.72

2.73

4.73%

4.42

03 Nestle Nigeria Plc.

680.00

690.00

-1.45%

539,006,251,360.00

24.20

29.04

4.10

3.91%

11.94

04 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.

16.40

16.20

1.23%

482,671,339,273.60

3.67

4.33

1.90

9.12%

1.17

05 Zenith Bank Plc

12.35

12.83

-3.74%

387,746,698,257.10

3.34

3.88

1.12

13.47%

0.71

06 Lafarge Africa Plc.

84.05

85.50

-1.70%

382,839,497,130.50

8.64

9.26

1.77

4.13%

1.85

293.23

293.23

0.00%

381,926,533,832.69

5.18

59.85

2.96

1.29%

8.78

15.45

16.26

-4.98%

283,500,566,271.75

1.39

11.12

0.55

4.00%

0.76

09 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd.

351.00

350.00

0.29%

194,211,919,863.00

94.70

2.49

0.96

6.78%

0.63

10 Guinness Nig Plc

109.50

112.79

-2.92%

164,894,756,586.00

6.24

19.60

1.64

0.00%

3.78

15.50

15.30

1.31%

155,000,000,000.00

2.65

5.29

1.18

0.71%

1.25

12 FBN Holdings Plc

3.67

3.73

-1.61%

131,735,724,546.64

2.39

1.66

0.36

25.19%

0.25

13 United Bank for Africa Plc

3.60

3.74

-3.74%

130,606,294,759.20

1.44

1.94

0.37

17.86%

0.31

28.05

28.06

-0.04%

106,121,459,812.50

0.93

32.52

1.93

4.12%

15.86

4.51

4.58

-1.53%

103,201,964,275.08

1.97

2.08

0.44

8.54%

0.27

16 P Z Cussons Nigeria Plc.

25.00

24.70

1.21%

99,261,926,125.00

1.10

19.09

1.15

6.21%

1.98

17 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc.

151.59

154.00

-1.56%

97,107,093,127.17

11.12

15.97

1.46

1.24%

4.74

18 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc

6.31

6.01

4.99%

75,720,000,000.00

1.11

5.30

0.70

8.46%

1.44

19 International Breweries Plc.

18.50

19.05

-2.89%

60,943,611,680.00

0.64

30.59

3.48

1.28%

5.34

159.95

159.95

0.00%

57,677,212,156.90

11.22

12.52

0.62

4.27%

3.42

41.50

41.50

0.00%

54,780,000,000.00

6.00

7.25

0.26

6.21%

2.25

4.36

4.82

-9.54%

52,470,938,377.84

0.50

7.80

0.08

19.23%

0.30

19.24

19.29

-0.26%

50,490,323,477.88

1.84

10.77

0.16

10.09%

0.51

142.95

142.95

0.00%

48,534,646,599.15

12.41

11.48

0.21

6.32%

3.92

25 Sterling Bank Plc.

1.62

1.70

-4.71%

46,640,477,364.12

0.26

6.80

0.52

14.04%

0.07

26 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

1.09

1.14

-4.39%

42,205,887,193.25

0.02

51.43

1.18

4.07%

0.51

27 U A C N Plc.

20.02

20.95

-4.44%

38,455,705,027.74

3.62

5.25

0.46

9.21%

0.52

28 Presco Plc

34.25

34.25

0.00%

34,250,000,000.00

3.28

10.37

2.99

0.29%

1.52

29 Fidelity Bank Plc

1.18

1.20

-1.67%

34,190,260,487.14

0.23

5.43

0.29

11.20%

0.20

30 Diamond Bank Plc

1.40

1.35

3.70%

32,424,544,555.20

1.05

1.68

0.21

17.05%

0.18

31 Wema Bank Plc.

0.82

0.83

-1.20%

32,380,466,034.66

0.00

24.86

0.63

0.00%

0.85

32 Cadbury Nigeria Plc.

17.20

17.20

0.00%

32,305,075,088.00

3.21

5.92

1.06

6.84%

3.45

33 Okomu Oil Palm Plc.

31.50

31.50

0.00%

30,048,165,000.00

2.25

13.58

3.28

3.28%

1.18

34 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc.

24.98

24.98

0.00%

29,872,994,670.24

2.05

11.90

0.97

5.33%

2.29

35 Cap Plc

38.50

38.50

0.00%

26,950,000,000.00

1.66

22.37

3.91

2.69%

14.82

36 Mansard Insurance Plc

2.14

2.20

-2.73%

22,470,000,000.00

0.18

12.24

1.53

1.83%

1.24

37 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.81

3.80

0.26%

22,409,902,582.95

0.70

5.52

0.90

2.84%

0.88

38 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc

7.87

7.50

4.93%

20,851,080,034.86

0.97

7.23

1.73

12.86%

3.31

39 FCMB Group Plc.

0.82

0.86

-4.65%

16,238,222,818.28

0.82

1.08

0.13

33.71%

0.11

40 Skye Bank Plc

0.99

0.98

1.02%

13,741,498,395.90

0.90

1.22

0.11

27.27%

0.11

41 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

1.62

1.64

-1.22%

12,846,920,205.96

0.14

10.34

0.24

10.96%

0.54

42 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

8.88

8.88

0.00%

11,159,298,562.08

1.13

8.08

0.70

7.68%

1.07

43 Continental Reinsurance Plc

0.91

0.92

-1.09%

9,439,197,323.92

0.16

6.09

0.63

10.31%

0.66

44 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

5.10

5.10

0.00%

8,765,624,974.50

1.81

2.96

0.82

13.08%

0.28

45 Unity Bank Plc

0.67

0.64

4.69%

7,831,856,421.14

0.54

1.22

0.12

0.00%

0.09

46 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,691,369,124.00

0.03

17.47

1.78

0.00%

0.45

47 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

4.04

4.10

-1.46%

6,561,843,750.00

0.45

8.10

0.72

8.24%

0.97

48 Resort Savings & Loans Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

5,664,866,202.00

4.68

0.11

0.02

0.00%

1.89

49 AIICO Insurance Plc.

0.81

0.81

0.00%

5,613,465,628.80

0.18

5.08

0.23

0.00%

0.47

50 Fidson Healthcare Plc

2.70

2.75

-1.82%

4,050,000,000.00

0.63

4.26

0.18

15.56%

0.63

07 Forte Oil Plc. 08 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

11 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc

14 Unilever Nigeria Plc. 15 Access Bank Plc.

20 Mobil Oil Nig Plc. 21 Julius Berger Nig. Plc. 22 Oando Plc 23 Flour Mills Nig. Plc. 24 Total Nigeria Plc.

TOTAL

8,116,659,818,859.14

TOTAL MARKET CAP

8,825,696,601,788.13

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

91.97%

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion) Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Open 15-Mar-16

Close Change % 16-Mar-16

25,745.13 8.86

25,657.48 8.83

-0.34 -0.34

105.14 8.19

104.24 8.12

-0.86 -0.86

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock

Open Close Change 15-Mar-16 16-Mar-16 %

Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc National Salt Co. Nig. Plc Unity Bank Plc Diamond Bank Plc Nigerian Brew. Plc.

6.01 7.50 0.64 1.35 93.00

6.31 7.87 0.67 1.40 96.05

4.99 4.93 4.69 3.70 3.28

Table 4 Top 5 Losers Stock

Open Close Change 15-Mar-16 16-Mar-16 %

Oando Plc Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Sterling Bank Plc. FCMB Group Plc. U A C N Plc.

4.82 16.26

4.36 15.45

-9.54 -4.98

1.70 0.86 20.95

1.62 0.82 20.02

-4.71 -4.65 -4.44

Bearish activities in the market leads to 0.34% decline Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today- Tuesday March 16th, 2016, was bearish due intense sell pressure and profit taking. This was further highlighted by negative performance from NSE Sub sectors; Insurance and Consumer Goods (Save Banking and Oil & Gas). Trading activities increased in volume as 4.35 billion shares worth N4.68 billion in 4,125 deals exchanged hands today. This is an increase from the 310.65 million shares worth N2.06 billion in 3,010deals carried out on Tuesday. Topping in volume terms was Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc and FCMB Group Plc, while Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed negative with a 0.34% (-87.65) decrease to 25,657.48 from 25,745.13 the previous trading day. Market Capitalization depreciated in tandem to N8.83 trillion from N8.86 trillion of prior trading day. The Thisday BGL 50 Index followed suit with 0.86% decrease to close at 104.24 from 104.24 the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N8.12 trillion from N8.19 trillion of the previous trading day.

A total number of 9 stocks gained on the bourse today while 23 stocks declined, leaving 65 stocks unchanged. Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc emerged the toast of investors as it topped the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list with a gain of 4.99% to close at N6.31 per share. It was followed NASCON Plc with a gain of 4.93% to close at N7.87 per share. Others on the gainers list include: Unity Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and Nigerian Breweries Plc while on the decliners’ list; Oando Plc led with a loss of 9.54% to close at N4.36 per share. It was followed by ETI Plc with a loss of 4.98% to close at N15.45 per share. Others on the losers list include; Sterling Bank Plc, FCMB Group Plc and U A C N Plc REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

48

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016

MARKET NEWS

Access Bank Grows Profit by 53% to N66bn, Pays 30kobo Final Dividend Goddy Egene and Eromosele Abiodun Access Bank Plc yesterday excited the capital market community with an impressive financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2015.

The bank reported growth in all performance indicators despite the economic headwinds. Gross earnings rose by

38 per cent from N337 billion to N245.4 billion in 2014. Interest income and non-interest income contributed 62 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively to the gross earnings.

Non-interest income stood at jumped by 89 per cent to N129.450 billion from N68.429 billion. Profit Before Tax (PBT) grew by 44 per cent from N52 billion in 2014 to N75 in 2015.

T H E MAIN BOARD Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. TIGER BRANDED CONSUMER GOODS PLC Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Household Durables Totals Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. Banking Totals Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UNITED CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals

DEALS

No. of Deals 1 17 8 26 No. of Deals 10 10 36

MARKET PRICE

Current Price 0.5 30 34.25 Current Price 1.2

Profit After Tax (PAT) was up 53 per cent from N43.1 billion to N65.9 billion.

Return On Average Equity (ROAE) improved from 16.5 per cent in 2014 to 20.4 per cent in FY 2015, indicative of the bank’s commitment to maximising shareholder returns.

The bank recommended a final dividend of 30 kobo

N I G E R I A N QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Quantity Traded 2,000 66,928 33,328 102,256 Quantity Traded 259,279 259,279 361,535

Value Traded 1,000.00 2,039,839.70 1,170,507.48 3,211,347.18 Value Traded 307,482.01 307,482.01 3,518,829.19

No. of Deals 3 64 25 92 92

Current Price 0.8 1.1 20.1

Quantity Traded 7,000 9,430,955 107,274 9,545,229 9,545,229

Value Traded 5,330.00 10,455,623.92 2,152,344.14 12,613,298.06 12,613,298.06

No. of Deals 2 2 No. of Deals 13 13 No. of Deals 4 4 19

Current Price 0.5

Quantity Traded 1,700 1,700 Quantity Traded 22,620 22,620 Quantity Traded 412,500 412,500 436,820

Value Traded 850 850 Value Traded 995,681.60 995,681.60 Value Traded 2,104,290.00 2,104,290.00 3,100,821.60

No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 9 41 2 199 251 No. of Deals 10 10 No. of Deals 31 63 18 9 1 14 136 No. of Deals 17 55 72 No. of Deals 2 1 3 No. of Deals 25 40 65 538

Current Price 0.5

Quantity Traded 5,000 5,000 Quantity Traded 39,427 212,512 390,200 1,303,331 1,945,470 Quantity Traded 2,310 2,310 Quantity Traded 1,602,723 688,598 494,613 371,000 2,454 534,712 3,694,100 Quantity Traded 91,974 43,857 135,831 Quantity Traded 246,000 30,000 276,000 Quantity Traded 530,117 235,055 765,172 6,823,883

Value Traded 2,500.00 2,500.00 Value Traded 106,058.63 23,149,949.62 7,378,408.00 133,755,399.25 164,389,815.50 Value Traded 374,926.45 374,926.45 Value Traded 8,755,734.49 11,872,981.94 667,277.55 2,612,895.25 15,951.00 881,374.46 24,806,214.69 Value Traded 1,580,509.44 31,880,957.93 33,461,467.37 Value Traded 1,072,560.00 25,800.00 1,098,360.00 Value Traded 12,346,891.12 6,333,374.07 18,680,265.19 242,813,549.20

No. of Deals 116 26 35 49 366 37 22 276 14 35 68 1,044 No. of Deals 6 3 1 1 4 9 1 1 3 29 No. of Deals 20 20 No. of Deals 46 6 83 1 53 194 383 1,476

Current Price 4.16 1.4 18.01 1.13 16 1 1.7 2.98 5.3 0.61 0.9

Quantity Traded 9,763,562 5,976,588 1,983,235 3,907,023 23,579,544 2,079,622 5,163,351 40,412,956 236,215 2,015,243 12,919,127 108,036,466 Quantity Traded 89,100 76,050 3,645,937 1,000 280,217 13,591,264 1,000 111,000 7,506,028 25,301,596 Quantity Traded 2,473,013 2,473,013 Quantity Traded 5,446,268 162,257 26,666,905 1,000 4,206,541 40,127,438 76,610,409 212,421,484

Value Traded 40,579,926.09 8,370,253.84 35,689,629.18 4,380,120.26 379,071,210.78 2,041,135.73 8,968,056.25 120,244,348.26 1,255,494.30 1,240,880.06 11,627,826.30 613,468,881.05 Value Traded 72,109.00 70,727.50 1,822,968.50 500 522,092.31 10,185,446.00 500 55,500.00 3,753,014.00 16,482,857.31 Value Traded 2,641,958.23 2,641,958.23 Value Traded 14,676,945.48 636,810.56 19,838,163.45 500 60,636,019.71 55,850,085.53 151,638,524.73 784,232,221.32

Current Price 41.5 Current Price 5.1

Current Price 2.83 113 18.53 102 Current Price 170 Current Price 5.49 17.22 1.35 7.02 6.65 1.65 Current Price 17.2 715 Current Price 4.36 0.9 Current Price 23 27

Current Price 0.81 0.93 0.5 0.5 1.88 0.75 0.5 0.5 0.5 Current Price 1.07 Current Price 2.71 3.9 0.74 0.5 14.15 1.45

per share to bring the total dividend to 55 kobo, having paid an interim dividend of 25 kobo per share.

Access Bank’s customer deposits rose by 16 per cent to N1.68 trillion, from N1.45 trillion in December 2014 driven by enhanced customer engagement and an accelerated deposit mobilisation drive.

STO C K

Total Assets closed at N2.59 trillion, up 23 per cent from N2.1 trillion in December 2014, reflecting overall business growth.

Commenting on the results, Group Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe said: “Guided by a robust risk management framework, our diversified business model

yielded positive results as we grew the business cautiously and recorded sound prudential ratios. During the year, we successfully raised capital by way of Rights Issue which has significantly strengthened our capital base and now provides us with sufficient headroom to harness opportunities in key growth sectors of the economy.”

E XC H A N G E

MAIN BOARD HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals HEALTHCARE Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. GREIF NIGERIA PLC Packaging/Containers Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals B.O.C. GASES PLC. Chemicals Totals NATURAL RESOURCES Totals OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals OIL AND GAS Totals SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Media/Entertainment Totals Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals Support and Logistics C & I LEASING PLC. Support and Logistics Totals SERVICES Totals EQTY Board Totals Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board PREMIUM FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals Other Financial Institutions FBN HOLDINGS PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials DANGOTE CEMENT PLC Building Materials Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals PREMIUM Board Totals Equity Activity Totals Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund Name LOTUS HALAL EQUITY ETF NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) STANBIC IBTC ETF 30 VETIVA BANKING ETF VETIVA CONSUMER GOODS ETF VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF VETIVA INDUSTRIAL ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals ETF Board Totals ETP Activity Totals

DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

No. of Deals 16 3 5 24 24

Current Price 2.32 24.98 1

Quantity Traded 1,303,000 11,509 163,404 1,477,913 1,477,913

Value Traded 3,023,405.00 283,296.90 164,404.00 3,471,105.90 3,471,105.90

No. of Deals 11 9 7 14 42 83 No. of Deals 3 4 7 90

Current Price 24 9.3 35.78 8.53 82

Quantity Traded 151,732 5,785 25,598 53,358 1,095,805 1,332,278 Quantity Traded 10,200 29,350 39,550 1,371,828

Value Traded 3,641,568.00 52,706.60 946,219.40 463,268.03 90,125,305.69 95,229,067.72 Value Traded 484,500.00 283,125.00 767,625.00 95,996,692.72

No. of Deals 1 1 1

Current Price 3.95

Quantity Traded 400 400 400

Value Traded 1,656.00 1,656.00 1,656.00

No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 155 155 No. of Deals 4 14 90 3 18 129 No. of Deals 9 9 294

Current Price 0.5

Quantity Traded 1,000,000 1,000,000 Quantity Traded 4,298,007 4,298,007 Quantity Traded 13,503 605,007 147,454 132 29,018 795,114 Quantity Traded 3,942 3,942 6,097,063

Value Traded 500,000.00 500,000.00 Value Traded 13,984,032.67 13,984,032.67 Value Traded 234,682.14 1,099,237.49 43,802,859.97 20,136.00 4,079,897.50 49,236,813.10 Value Traded 1,381,774.92 1,381,774.92 65,102,620.69

No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 2 2 No. of Deals 2 1 3 No. of Deals 1 1 No. of Deals 1 2 3 No. of Deals 1 10 11 No. of Deals 2 2 23 2,593

Current Price 0.5

Quantity Traded 400 400 Quantity Traded 101,858 101,858 Quantity Traded 1,490 100 1,590 Quantity Traded 99,000 99,000 Quantity Traded 8,000 50,000 58,000 Quantity Traded 1,000 82,300 83,300 Quantity Traded 14,000 14,000 358,148 238,894,303

Value Traded 200 200 Value Traded 388,078.98 388,078.98 Value Traded 4,297.70 524 4,821.70 Value Traded 49,500.00 49,500.00 Value Traded 6,880.00 271,000.00 277,880.00 Value Traded 2,290.00 334,326.67 336,616.67 Value Traded 7,000.00 7,000.00 1,064,097.35 1,211,914,892.03

No. of Deals 407 407 No. of Deals 189 189 596

Current Price 11.63

Quantity Traded 28,440,889 28,440,889 Quantity Traded 7,328,331 7,328,331 35,769,220

Value Traded 330,173,282.17 330,173,282.17 Value Traded 27,747,501.17 27,747,501.17 357,920,783.34

No. of Deals 155 155 155 751 3,344

Current Price 160

Quantity Traded 424,061 424,061 424,061 36,193,281 275,087,584

Value Traded 68,210,948.66 68,210,948.66 68,210,948.66 426,131,732.00 1,638,046,624.03

No. of Deals 1 1 4 1 1 5 1 14 14 14

Current Price 8.36 2,358.00 72 2.36 6.05 11.4 19.55

Quantity Traded 500 50 15,000 10 75 20,010 10 35,655 35,655 35,655

Value Traded 4,180.00 117,900.00 1,080,000.00 23.6 453.75 212,414.00 195.5 1,415,166.85 1,415,166.85 1,415,166.85

Current Price 50 9.83

Current Price 3.37 Current Price 16.56 1.9 293.23 159.95 137.75 Current Price 352.3

Current Price 3.81 Current Price 2.87 5.51 Current Price 0.5 Current Price 0.9 5.7 Current Price 2.29 4 Current Price 0.5

Current Price 3.65

FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016 • T H I S D AY

49

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

China Opposes Unilateral Sanctions against North Korea

China has opposed the unilateral sanctions against North Korea. US President Barack Obama on Wednesday imposed sweeping new sanctions on North Korea intended to further isolate its leadership after recent actions seen by the United States and its allies as provocative.

The new sanctions threaten to ban from the global financial system

anyone who does business with broad swaths of North Korea’s economy, including its financial, mining and transport sectors.

The so-called secondary sanctions will compel banks to freeze the assets of anyone who breaks the blockade, potentially squeezing out North Korea’s business ties, including those with China.

Asked whether China was worried the sanctions could affect“normal” business links between Chinese banks and North Korea, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said this was something China was“paying attention to”.

“First, as I’ve said many times before, China always opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions,”

Lu told a daily news briefing in Beijing.“Second, under the present situation where the situation on the Korean Peninsula is complex and sensitive, we oppose any moves that may further worsen tensions there.”

“Third, we have clearly stressed many times in meetings with the relevant county, any so-called unilateral sanctions imposed by any

country should neither affect nor harm China’s reasonable interests.”

China is North Korea’s sole major ally but it disapproves of its nuclear program and calls for the Korean peninsula to be free of nuclear weapons. While China has signed up for tough new U.N. sanctions against North Korea, it has said repeatedly sanctions are not the answer and that only a resumption of talks can resolve the dispute over North Korea’s weapons program.

The U.S. measures, which vastly expand a U.S. blockade of North Korea, prohibit the export of goods from the United States to North Korea.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as MISS OKOJIE HELEN PRINCESS now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ILUOBE HELEN PRINCESS. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ONWUBUOYA ENDURANCE now wish to be known and addressed as ONWUBUOYA JAMES. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

U.S. officials had previously believed a blanket trade ban would be ineffective without a stronger commitment from China, North Korea’s largest trading partner.

North Korea conducted a nuclear test on Jan. 6, and on Feb. 7 it launched a rocket that the United States and its allies said employed banned ballistic missile technology. China signed on to the new U.N. sanctions against North Korea this month.

But U.S. officials and experts have often questioned China’s commitment to enforcing sanctions on North Korea. China fears that too-harsh measures will destabilize the North.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as MRS BASHORUN OLARIBIGBE SHERIFAT now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLARIBIGBE SERIFAT LANRE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as PATRICIA ZIEM ANYAEGBUNAM, now wish to be known and addressed as PATRICIA ZIEM ACHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as MISS UCHECHUKWU ISIOMA OKOH, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS UCHECHUKWU ISIOMA MGBAKOR. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

MOB ATTACK

Protesters attack a female police officer accused of shooting in the Buterere neighbourhood of Bujumbura, Burundi…

Monday

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OLUBUNMI JACKSON, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLUBUNMI OMOGOROYE. All former documents remain valid.

Union Bank and the general public should please take note.

Palestinians Stab Israeli Woman, Shot Dead

CHANGE OF NAME

Two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli woman and were then shot and killed outside a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the military said.

Since October, Palestinian street attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 187 Palestinians, 126

of whom Israel says were assailants.

Most others were shot dead during violent protests.

In a statement, the military said the latest incident occurred at a road junction outside the settlement of Ariel.“Forces at the scene responded to the attack and shot the assailants, resulting in their

deaths. The woman is being evacuated for medical care,”it said.

The surge in violence has been partly fueled by Palestinian frustration over the collapse of U.S.-sponsored peace talks in 2014, the growth of Jewish settlements on land they seek for a future state, and Islamist calls for the destruction of Israel.

Kremlin Condemns Donald Trump’s Preelection Clip The Kremlin yesterday hit out at a pre-election video promoting U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump at Hillary Clinton’s expense, complaining that it demonized Russia.

“I saw this clip. I do not know for sure if (President)Vladimir Putin saw it. (But) our attitude is negative,” Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov told a teleconference with reporters.

The video attempts to cast doubt over Clinton’s ability to deal with Putin, whom it casts as a U.S. foe.

Presenting what it suggests are America’s toughest opponents on the world stage, it shows the Russian leader easily throwing an opponent in a judo bout before cutting to footage of Mohammed Emwazi, the late Islamic State executioner nicknamed “Jihadi John”.

It then cuts to a clip of Clinton in which sounds resembling a dog barking have been overlaid. Putin is then shown laughing.“It’s an open secret for us that demonizing Russia and whatever is linked to Russia is unfortunately a mandatory hallmark

of America’s election campaign,”said Peskov.“We always sincerely regret this and wish the (U.S.) electoral process was conducted without such references to our country.”

Russian state TV, which usually closely reflects the Kremlin’s world view, has generally been more positive about Trump than the other presidential candidates.

However it has complained about what it says is the anti-Russian tenor of the overall campaign, criticizing almost all of the candidates for statements they have made on Russia.

The United States accused Russia of not bombing Islamic State targets in Syria with the same ferocity or frequency as it targeted what Washington said were more moderate groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.

The Kremlin has denied that charge, declaring Islamic State a dangerous threat to its own security. It has bristled in the past at any Western attempts to liken the threat Russia purportedly poses to the West to that represented by Islamic State.

Kurdish Militant Group Claims Responsibility for Ankara Bombing The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) militant group yesterday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara that killed 37 people, and said it would attack security forces again. Separately, Germany closed

its embassy in Ankara and its general consulate in Istanbul due to indications that an attack could be imminent. The German school in Istanbul was also shut due to an “unconfirmed warning”, the German Foreign Ministry said.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OCHIAGHA FIDELIA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS FIDELIA NNEJI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MR TONY IKPESHIA, now wish to be known and addressed as MR WILSON IRERE UANOBAHORO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

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I formerly known and addressed as PRINCE CHOSEN ETUKS, now wish to be known and addressed as PRINCE ARCHIBONG ETUKS. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS BEAUTY AKPOBI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS BEAUTY ABERHIRE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OKUSAMI MODUPEOLUWA OLUWATOSIN, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS FAMAKINWA MODUPEOLUWA OLUWATOSIN EMEWUSIM CHINWE CAROLINE EMEWUSIM-JUDE CHINWE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ADEBOLA TOYIBAT LAWAL now wish to be known and addressed as ADEBOLA TOYIBAT OJEMUYIWA. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MALTIDA CAROL now wish to be known and addressed as MARGARET ORISHETIMEYIN OBI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that CHICHI IKENUA and CHINYERE ELIZABETH is the same person, but now wish to be known and addressed as CHINYERE ELIZABETH IKENUA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as IBRAHIM NASIR, now wish to be known and addressed as IBRAHIM AHMAD RUFAI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

This is to clarify that UCHE EGBUTA and UCHE EGBUTA OTAH is the same and one person. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS YETUNDE MARIAM SANUSI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS YETUNDE MARIAM RAIMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OLUWATOYIN ESTHER IBRAHIM, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLUWATOYIN ESTHER GEORGE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MUSTAPHA MUHAMMED, now wish to be known and addressed as MALA ABDULHAMID VANANGWALDA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

This is to clarify that NWOSU GERALDINE CHIOMA and SAMUEL GERALDINE is the same and one person, but now wish to be known and addressed as SAMUEL GERALDINE CHIOMA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

This is to confirm that the bearer of these names DICKSON UCHENNA IJOMAH and UCHENNA IJOMAH refers to one and the same person. Henceforth, i wish to be known and addressed as DICKSON UCHENNA IJOMAH. Also, my true DOB is 4th april 1976 and not 28th december 1968 as wrongly written in my GTB a/c number. All documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

50

FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

FG, EU Fine-tune EPA for Economic Diversification, Increased FDI Crusoe Osagie The federal government and the European Union (EU) are working together to promote the provisions of the West Africa-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that will see Nigeria enhance its drive to diversify its economy and attract foreign direct investment (FDI), THISDAY has learnt.

The Ambassador of the EU to Nigeria and West Africa, Mr. Michel Arion, yesterday at the EU-West Africa EPA conference on increased opportunities for trade and investments, announced that

a meeting between the EU and the federal ministries of foreign affairs, interior and trade, where varied issues on the subject were discussed, was just concluded yesterday in Brussels, with the leaders of the three ministries in attendance.

Arion emphasised that the fears being expressed over the EPA were completely non-existent and based on unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.

He noted that after the meeting in Brussels, the EU and the federal government agreed to work on development issues of migration,

Irabor Takes over as Commander Operation Lafiya Dole The Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-east, Major General Hassan Umaru, has handed over the mantle of leadership of the command to Major General Lucky E. Irabor who was his Deputy Commander.

During the handing over and taking over ceremony at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, General Umaru said his transfer to the Nigerian Army Headquarters was to take

economic emancipation and security enhancement.

According to Arion, “Well, indeed the EPA will reduce the import duties on importation from Europe on a very progressive basis over a period of 20 years. But the first period of five years, we have agreed that the import duties will be reduced on machineries and industrial equipment and basic raw materials.

“Precisely, it will contribute to the industrial policy of Nigeria and other countries in West Africa. So by doing that we are doing two things; we are certainly helping the economy to diversify, in particular in the agricultural sector, to really foster agribusiness and agric transformation and we

are also attracting European investors who will come here and set up businesses in order to take advantage of the EPA and export finished goods from Nigeria to Europe with attendant flow of foreign exchange into the country.”

Also speaking at the event, the Director of Trade, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Dr. Sani Labaran, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Aminu Aliyu Bisala, noted that the EPA as designed is aimed at establishing an economic and trade partnership to achieve and sustain economic growth that creates employment and eradicates poverty.

He however stressed that

anything short of this would therefore be at variance with this government’s policy thrust.

According to him, “The stakeholders need to be sensitised on this core objective in order to make robust inputs towards the achievement of this laudable objective.

“This dialogue must be regular and sustained with a view to reaching consensus on the subject matter in order to arrive at a mutually beneficial outcome for the parties.

“Government in recent time have been engaging EU on this matter and have just conluded Bilateral dialogue on trade and investment including the EPA in Brussels

yesterday.

“The government on its part is poised to frontally address the challenges to doing business and infrastructural gaps in order to make production and businesses competitive. You will all agree that energy situation has improve of recent which is a demonstration of government commitment to addressing the supply side constraints faced by the private sector.

“Finally, I wish once again to thank the EU for this initiative which the government commends and wish to further strengthen by organising similar stakeholder dialogues on the subject of discourse in order to reach a consensus on the way forward.”

over as the Chief of Training and Operations after the demise of Major General Yushau Abubakar Mahmood who died recently in a road accident along MaiduguriDamaturu road on an official assignment.

While taking over, the new Theatre Commander said he would sustain the military operations against terrorists towards ensuring stability in the North-eastern part of the country.

Ikenua Loses International Passport Mrs Chinyere Elizabeth Ikenua has announced the loss of the Republic of Ireland passport belonging to her daughter, Stephanie Chigozirim Ikenua.

According to an affidavit she swore to at the Ikeja High Court, Mrs. Ikenua said the Irish

passport had always been in the custody of her husband for safekeeping and that since he died, nobody was able to find the document.

She urged all relevant authorities to be aware of the missing document.

CPC to Investigate Customer Rights Abuse in Banking Sector James Emejo in Abuja The Director-General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs. Dupe Atoki, yesterday said it was investigating allegations of customers’ rights abuse in the banking sector, adding that a major intervention would soon be launched to address the infractions.

Speaking in Abuja at a stakeholders forum as part of activities to commemorate the World Consumer Rights Day, she added that the hospitality segment would also be probed.

The CPC boss said there had been increasing complaints from consumers in affected sector, vowing that the council was determined to pursue the protection of consumer rights with vigour.

She said: “In view of the widespread abuse of consumer rights in the country, I elected on assumption of office to embark on sectoral interventions as opposed to resolving only individual complaints.

“The reasoning is that the modification of the conduct of a major industry player resulting from such investigation would set the standards for other industry players in that sector to follow, thereby guaranteeing consumer satisfaction at a faster and wider spread.”

She added: “Without doubt,

this has yielded enormous benefits to consumers in the food and beverage sector. Currently, complaints about half-filled cans and foreign substances in drinks, including rusty bottle tops have been greatly reduced.

“There are ongoing investigations in the banking and finance an hospitality sectors and the effect would soon be felt.

My resolve is to take the ongoing reforms to many sectors as we can in spite of the odds. The council is determined to continue to pursue the protection of the rights of consumers with vigor.”

She added that the council would within the next few days embark on an aggressive advocacy of consumer rights.

She urged consumers to endeavour to register any institution which breach their rights rather than resort to grumbling.

Nevertheless, she noted that while a lot of successes had been recorded in the food and beverage sector of the economy in protecting the rights of the consumers, other sector were yet to feel the regulatory impact of the council.

According to her, the success recorded under her watch since her assumption of office needed to be replicated in the financial services sector owing to the widespread abuse of consumer rights.

REBIRTH PROJECT

L-R: Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun; Wife of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mrs. Gimibia Dogara; and Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, during a rebirth project held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja...yesterday

NCC: Telecom Sector Paid N500bn to Federation Account in 10Years Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The Executive Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, yesterday said the telecommunications industry had paid N500 billion into the Federation Account mainly in the form of taxes in the last 10 years.

While underscoring the importance of the sector to the country’s socio-economic development, he said the sector had also created over 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs, adding that no other sector can be compared with it, except the oil and gas sector.

The NCC boss, who spoke during a courtesy visit by members of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), led by its Chairman, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, in his office in Abuja, said telecommunication is at the moment contributing about 10 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Statistically, Danbatta explained that the sector had attracted more than $40 billion direct foreign investment into

the country.

He said: “The statistics are there that $30 billion was contributed to the economy by way of international foreign investments from 2003 when the liberalisation of the sector took place to 2014, the contribution to the economy alone in 2014 was close to $10 billion.”

He however, regretted the slow pace of growth of the sector’s infrastructure, adding that all stakeholders in the sector must come together to grow the infrastructure from its present formative stage to higher level as slow pace of infrastructure deployment can affect the levels of broadband penetration.

“In terms of global infrastructure index, we are right at the bottom, with 134 positions out of 144 countries.

We simply don’t have the infrastructure and if we do have the infrastructure it means that we at the formative stage of development.

“Our mobile money service penetration is just 1 per cent which compares very unfavourably to 59 per cent for Kenya, so something is happening as we roll out the

statistics and here we need to be honest to ourselves that there are areas that we need to conside more, areas that will require huge investment in infrastructure.” he said.

On ALTON’s demand for relaxation on fiscal policy regarding foreign exchange, he said: “What is staring us in the face is investment, more and more investment, therefore your recommendation to the NCC to look into the issue of foreign exchange and by extension a relaxation of the fiscal and monetary policies of government.

“I will join you in this call for government to consider a revisit of the fiscal and monetary policy as it concerns operators and by extension the telecommunications industry and we are going to address some of the very negative statistics staring us in the face.”

According to him, the crash in oil prices is clearly indicative that government will focus more attention on telecommunication sector to drive the economy. “There is unanimity in assumption that the telecommunications sector

has contributed more than any other sector of the economy.

“Therefore, it can play that important alternative role that we need now going by what is happening in the global oil and gas market which is clearly indicative to us that we need to embrace alternative sector to grow the economy, create jobs and alleviate poverty.”

Danbatta said.

In a remark, Adebayo lamented the multiple taxation that is bedeviling the sector, adding that the NCC should wade into it by way of legislation through a critical economic, infrastructure and security bill to the National Assembly.

He added that there are rampart cases of arbitrary closure of cell sites which in effect affect the quality of service delivery in the sector.

According to him, the bombing of over 250 sites by insurgents in the North east have led to loss of several millions of Dollars. He added that the aggregate remittance of over 14 percent tax to government constitute a hindrance to broadband penetration.

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NEWSEXTRA

Emefiele Highlights Nigeria’s Huge Potential in Non-oil Sector No legislation prohibits states from mining, says Fayemi Ejiofor Alike The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has highlighted Nigeria’s strength in the non-oil sector of the economy, saying that the country has a huge potential in agriculture and solid minerals.

Emefiele also said with Nigeria’s geographical location along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the country was well positioned to be a major player in the global fish market, estimated to be worth over $144 billion.

This is coming as the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has clarified that there was no legislation in Nigeria prohibiting state governments from engaging in mining activities.

Speaking yesterday in Lagos at an Economic Summit organised by the New Telegraph Newspaper with the theme: ‘Nigeria: Beyond The Oil Economy,’ the apex bank governor noted that the attendant ripple effects of the drop in crude oil price is being felt in all the major sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Emefiele, who delivered a keynote address on “Returning Nigeria to the Boom Days: Prospects of a non-oil economy,” further stated that for the summit to be organised by the media had underscored the pointy that all the stakeholders had a role to play in galvanising the productive energies of the people to address the current economic challenges.

He said despite the abundant arable land in the country that is

Toyin Saraki Calls for Dignity and Gender Parity Wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, has called for Nigerian men and women to work together to promote dignity for all and bridge the gap in gender equity and opportunity.

Delivering the keynote address at the second Senators’ Wives Forum yesterday Mrs. Saraki stated: “Our second meeting comes at a significant time, a time when women’s rights and equality are being discussed around the world as part of Women’s History

suitable for both cash and food crops, the country spent $956 million, $397 million, $582 million and $592 million in 2015 for the importation of meat, sugar, milk and fish, respectively.

Emefiele, who was represented by a deputy governor of the apex bank, Dr. Sarah Alade, said the country also spent $2.4 billion for rice importation between January 2012 and May 2015.

He identified the non-oil sectors where Nigeria has great potential to include agriculture, solid minerals and creative industry.

“The prospects are great with potentials in agriculture and solid minerals. The country is blessed with abundant arable land capable of supporting the production of wide variety of both cash and food crops. By its geographical location along the coast of Atlantic Ocean,

Nigeria has a huge potential for fish production for domestic need and prospect for export in the global fish market valued at about $144 billion in 2014. In the solid minerals sub-sector, there are at least 44 known minerals, notably gold, iron ore, bitumen and others, which have been identified for commercial production,” he explained.

The apex bank governor also identified Nollywood as another potential earner of huge revenue, saying that Nigeria’s creative industry, driven by Nollywood produces about 50 films weekly and is second to India’s Hollywood.

Also speaking, Fayemi stated that the state governments were free to establish Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to apply for mining licences, stressing that

no legislations in the country prohibits the states from mining activities.

“There is no Nigerian legislation known to me, including the overriding legislation – the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that prohibits states from getting involved in the mining sector. I have been accused of engaging in controversial issue when I said it but I have looked at the laws. I have looked at Section 144 of the Nigerian Constitution.

I have looked at Item 39 of the Legislative List and it only talked about the exclusivity of mining as regards the role of the federal government but it never says that state governments cannot establish SPV – their own business that can apply for mining license and if they do, I will sign it,” Fayemi

explained.

In his speech, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the country was paying the price because of the past mismanagement of the resources.

According to him, the issue of diversification should have been addressed several years ago, saying that the country’s failure to invest in critical infrastructure was responsible for the excruciating effects of the drop in oil prices.

A former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, in his remarks, stated that when he initiated the concept of ‘Delta Beyond Oil,’ he was called names, stressing that he is happy that the slogan today is ‘Nigeria Beyond Oil.’

Month, as well as at the UN’s 60th commission for the Status of Women in New York, which is taking place as we speak. For us here in Nigeria, the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill which was rejected in the Senate two days ago makes this meeting all the more timely; in fact, we couldn’t be meeting at a more important time.”

In light of the rejection of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill on Tuesday, the discourse

Rotary Foundation, Other Partners Begin National Immunisation Campaign The Rotary International PolioPlus Committee has said it will commence the second round of the 2016 National Immunisation Days starting from Saturday, March 19 to Tuesday, March 22.

Rotary, in conjunction with other major partners like the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Centre for Disease Control (CDC), UNICEF, as well as federal and state governments, also announced that the immunisation would take place in all states of the federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Chairman of the Rotary Foundation’s Nigeria National PolioPlus Foundation, Dr. Abdulrahman Olatunji Funso, told journalists that already over 20,000 ad hoc staff had been recruited for the exercise for Lagos alone.

He said arrangements had been in top gear for over a month to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

He said immunisation and vaccination are not what could just be done without careful planning.

“Every vaccination team has four people,” Funso, a consultant cardiologist explained. “You have a supervisor who takes the record of how many children they immunised, there is also the vaccinator as well as the town announcer. There is also a traditional leader that usually goes with the team.”

He explained further that the

ad hoc staff was trained separately and then together to be able to know what and what they were supposed to do when they are on the field. He said there was also what is called micro-map which enabled them to know every household in a particular area. As a result of this, if there was any house not visited, they would know.

“They carry a GPS which we monitor at the control centre.

Before they go to those homes, those homes showed as red dots on the monitor. When they get there and spend a certain amount of time there, the red dot will turn to green.”

He said they had gone to this extent to ensure that this exercise is successful and also make sure that every child is immunised.

He expressed happiness that since July 2014, there has not been any new case of polio recorded.

He, however, explained that immunisation is a continuous exercise; hence the need for another national polio immunisation.

The Nigerian PolioPlus Committee was set up by Rotary International to take care of its involvement in polio eradication in Nigeria and other countries.

Since Rotary got involved, Funso said its Foundation had spent over $1.5billion out of which $260million had been spent on Nigeria alone.

HOWTO SPEND WISELY

L-R: Regional Business Executive, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Tunde Olukoya; Principal, Day Waterman College, Abeokuta, Ms. Linda Potticary; and Group Head, Strategy and Communications, Sterling Bank, Shina Atilola, during the financial literacy week held in Abeokuta.... yesterday

Fulani Herdsmen Crises: Jukuns Lament Alleged Silence, Inaction from Presidency, Arewa Sunday Okobi The Jukun people in Taraba State have lamented the alleged ‘graveyard silence and inaction’ from the presidency, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Northern State Governors’ Forum over their plight in the Fulani herdsman and farmers’ crises.

The people, through the Jukun Development Association of Nigeria (JDAN), highlighted the atrocities being allegedly committed daily by Fulani herdsmen in southern and central Taraba State and much of the states in North-central Nigeria, saying: “As we speak, hundreds of thousands of cows are occupying destroyed homes and farmlands across the region making sure that indigenous population never return to their homeland.”

At a world press conference held in Lagos which was addressed by the association President, Bako

Benjamin, the Jukun people said despite all these, “We and the entire people of Nigeria have waited patiently for strong words and actions from the presidency.

“But the silence is becoming disturbing and dangerous, more disturbing is the graveyard silence of our ACF and Northern Governors’ Forum who have chosen to look the other way as fellow northerners are been butchered and displaced from their ancestral homes and being replaced by new Fulani herdsmen population.”

Benjamin therefore stated that: “On behalf of the Jukun people all over the world and the traumatised Christian minority tribes in the North-central Nigeria, we call on the state and federal government of Nigeria to make a public pronouncement concerning these killings and displacements immediately to demonstrate concern and reassurance, otherwise the

people of these regions will have no choice than to take drastic measures to defend themselves and protect their ancestral homes.

“We once again call on the Taraba State and federal government to immediately send security agents to forcefully send packing all Fulani herdsmen illegal occupying farming communities and arrest the perpetrators of these genocides including villages’ heads and their collaborators.”

The association noted that another “disturbing aspect of this discriminatory blood bath” is that the herdsmen always attribute “their wanton massacre to cattle rustling as the motives for the wanton killings, but facts on ground point to reported and documented cases with the laws enforcement agents rating in Jigawa, Kebbi and Zamfara States as the headquarters of cattle rustling in Nigeria.

“But curiously, Nigerians have never heard of any killing, burning of human beings, destruction of homes and farmlands and permanent arm occupation by Fulani herdsmen in farming communities in those areas.”

JDAN therefore stated: “We want to make it abundantly clear to everyone today that this medieval styled territorial expansion and genocides in this 21st century is capable of triggering another round of Nigeria’s second civil war if not checked immediately by the authorities.

“And Fulani herdsmen and supporters must be reminded that no matter how many millions of poor farmers being slaughtered by their hired Chad and Niger republic mercenaries, they cannot save their medieval profession that is outdated and dying a natural death.”

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NEWS ANALYSIS

Election Petition Judgments Come under Scrutiny A conference of judges of both the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunals was convened recently by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, in Abuja, for stakeholders to review the rulings of the tribunals and various divisions of the Appeal Court. Yemi Adebowale reviews the outcome of the conference and what the forum portends for future election petitions

Mohammed A step in the right direction: Perhaps, this is how best to describe the conference convened during the week in Abuja by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, for justices of the Court of Appeal and Election Petition Tribunal judges. The meeting essentially was to x-ray the 2015 election petitions handled by tribunals and various divisions of the court. It is sad and a great pity to note that the Appeal Court suddenly became the most inconsistent court in Nigeria with different divisions giving different interpretations to the use or non-use of card reader machines during the 2015 general elections.

Though, the conference that held during the week is incapable of reversing and righting the wrongs meted out to many election petitions and appeals, particularly that of the National Assembly members who cannot go beyond the appellate court, it however offers an opportunity to chart a way forward for future tribunals and cases that would be tabled before them.

The fact that the initiative is coming from the judiciary itself is enough to raise the bar of expectations and hope of an improved tribunals and appeal tribunals in subsequent elections in future. In addition, it further goes to show that the Appeal Court has accepted that it has failed to meet expectations at the election appeals. It was even Justice Bulkachuwa herself, who made the admission when she owned up that there were indeed challenges while adjudicating on electoral disputes arising from the 2015 general elections.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, hit the nail on the head during the opening ceremony of the conference when he declared that, contrary to the subsisting judgments of the Supreme Court, there were indeed conflicting decisions by the appeal courts arising from the 2115 general elections.

He added: "We are made to understand that the courts have a principle of obeying the decisions of superior courts by what lawyers call the doctrine of stare decisis.”

Quite a number of Nigerians are interested in seeing how issues like the supremacy of

Bulkachuwa the electoral law, need for certainty in the rules governing the resolution of electoral disputes and principle of obeying the decisions of superior courts are thoroughly addressed at subsequent conferences. It is a fact that the Supreme Courts makes law through adjudication. This is constitutional and must be respected by the lower courts.

Many tribunals and appeal tribunals deviated from these principles while handling the 2015 general election petitions.

One of such judgments that many will not forget in a hurry was that of Abia

Yakubu State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vs Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal cancelled the elections in three local government areas of the state over non-compliance with the use of card reading machines and disenfranchised over 300,000 voters. The court subsequently declared Otti the winner of the election.

Prior to this, an appeal court sitting in Lagos refused to annul the election of Akinwunmi Ambode as governor based on

the submission of Jimi Agbaje of the PDP that the use of card reading machine was not substantially obeyed with during the election. It held that card reader could not supersede electoral register. The Supreme Court also affirmed Ambode’s election, throwing aside card reading machine. All these did not make sense to the appeal court sitting in Owerri. It gave victory to Otti.

The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja also annulled the governorship victories of Nyesome Wike of Rivers State and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State over noncompliance with the same card reading machines despite a subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Ambode Vs Agbaje. But the apex court overturned all the appeal judgments and affirmed the elections of Wike, Emmanuel and Ikpeazu.

Yesterday’s conference clearly helped the appeal court justices to identify their mistakes. One only hopes that they will reflect the gain from the conference in subsequent election petitions and appeals.

Though, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed was not at the forum in Abuja yesterday, but his earlier remarks about conflicting judgments will be of immense benefit to the appeal court justices/tribunal judges as they continue the review of the 2015 election petitions.

The CJN, who admonished the justices of the court of appeal to be consistent, added: “As the guardians of the law, we must not only be just but also convey certainty in our justness. My Lords, it bears reminding that the overriding objective of every legal system in the world is to do justice. However, this cannot be achieved where there is confusion as to the state of the law as pronounced by the court.

“We are not allowed to continue to shift the goalposts when the game is on. We must not ignore the negative perception that is occasioned by conflicting judgments delivered at various divisions of the Court of Appeal. Such judicial contradictions only result in untold hardships to litigants in their quest for justice. They further cast your lordships in an unfavourable light and leave the judiciary at the mercy of innuendos, crass publications and editorials.”

T H I S D AY FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2016

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FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

AFCON 2017 QUALIFIER

Paucity of Funds Forces NFF to Shelve Chartered Flight to Egypt Portland Timbers offer to foot Adi’s bill to play for Nigeria

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja As part of the measures to cut cost, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is considering the option of a regular scheduled flight to ferry Super Eagles players and crew to Egypt for the second leg of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Pharaohs on March 29.

Nigeria will meet her old adversaries in Alexandria four days after the first Group G tie in Kaduna on March 25, as the journey to reach Gabon, where the continent’s foremost football spectacle will be staged next year, gathers pace.

Briefing reporters yesterday of plans in place for the forthcoming fixtures, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, hinted that the Eagles might fly to Cairo aboard a regular Egypt Air that departs either Abuja, Lagos or Kano, before connecting Alexandria via a domestic flight or by road.

This alternative plan will save NFF about N35 million.

The quoted figures for a charter flight to Egypt, submitted by a Nigerian airline in negotiation with the ‘Glasshouse’ is $250,000 (about N80million at parallel market rate)

Even the company does not see any commercial gain in the given cost as it will pay landing fee in Cairo, in addition to packing fee and added on costs, if it flies to Alexandria.

Though no decision has been taken, Pinnick reasoned that the NFF, which is groaning under the effect of scarcity of foreign currency, can use the saved money in paying the bonuses of the players.

“It is not about ego, we can fly a regular flight, save minimum of N35 million which will be okay with government.

“We have an option to fly with Egypt Air which operates three flights out of Nigeria from Kano, Abuja and Lagos on a daily basis and arrive in Cairo on Saturday, March 26.

“We can travel to Alexandria by domestic flight or by road and arrive in time before the match that holds on Tuesday March 29.

Our players have enough days to prepare. Our protocol officers will leave Nigeria next week’s Tuesday for Cairo to prepare ground for our arrival,” he said.

Pinnick, who said the players were highly motivated to confront the Egyptians, revealed that

Portland Timbers of USA, where Fanendo Adi plies his trade had offered to split with Nigeria the flight cost to fly the player for the matches.

The yet to be capped Adi is one

the 21 foreign-based players invited by stand-in coach Samson Siasia.

According to Pinnick, the 25-year-old striker approached his club president after he (Pinnick) informed him of

the challenges before NFF to buy his return flight tickets.

“After Adi talked to his president about our challenges, Portland Timbers, resolved to cover half of the responsibility

that the country will bear. The benefit is that the club will be mentioned whenever he represents Nigeria and is a great honour for him to play for his country,” Pinnick hinted yesterday.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FALL OUT

Iwobi’s Performance against Barca Excites Okocha Femi Solaja Former Super Eagles Captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, has hailed the performance of his nephew, Alex Iwobi, in Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat at Barcelona in the Champions League second leg, Round of 16 match at Camp Nou on Wednesday night.

With the Gunners facing obvious elimination against the Champions League holders after their first leg 2-0 defeat in London, manager Arsene Wenger, against expectations, opted to start 19-year-old Iwobi ahead of the pair of Theo Walcott and Joel Campbell.

The Nigeria international put in a good display in his 72 minutes on the pitch where he missed an opportunity to score and was also denied a penalty call.

In a tweet at the end of the game, Okocha said: “So happy watching Alex Iwobi (nephew) on the big stage. I’m very much impressed with his performance.”

The tweet was in contrast to his earlier one before the game when he said that he was torn between his nephew and the Catalan giants.

“Ready to watch my nephew Alex takes on my club Barcelona.

Weird feeling, kind of torn apart,” he tweeted.

Iwobi has grown in leaps and bounds since making his debut for the Arsenal senior side this season.

He is listed in Super Eagles’ squad for next week’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying doubleheader against Egypt where he will face his Gunners teammate, Mohamed Elneny who netted his first goal for the Londoners against Barcelona.

Iwobi joined Arsenal while still at primary school, and signed a new long-term contract in October 2015.

The Nigerian lad made his competitive debut for the club, some days later, starting in a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the Round of 16 of the League Cup. He made his Premier League debut same month later in a 3-0 win against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, as an added-time substitute for Mesut Özil.

Iwobi started in the first team for the 2015/2016 FA Cup 3rd and 4th round home wins against Sunderland and Burnley respectively.

After playing youth football for England, he made his senior debut for Nigeria on October 8, 2015, replacing Ahmed Musa in the 57th minute of a 2-0 friendly defeat to DR Congo in Visé, Belgium.

Alex Iwobi

Ogba Flays Scrapping of NSC Olawale AjimotokaninAbuja Chairman of Senate Committee on Sports, Obinna Ogba, has decried as illegal the recent decision to scrap the National Sports Commission (NSC|) which is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Indication that the NSC has been effectively scrapped followed last week’s redeployment of its Director General, Malam Alhassan Yakmut to the Nigeria Delta Ministry as DG special duties. The Ministry of Youth and Sport now has a Permanent Secretary, Christian Ohaa as the chief accounting officer.

Senator Ogba flayed the scrapping which he said happened because people at the helms of sports administration did not understand the nitty-gritty of sports.

“Without mincing words, I feel very much disappointed about the scrapping of NSC. This is what you get when those who don’t know the ingredient of sports are in the affairs of sports. Its scrapping will pull Nigeria sports backward. It should be allowed to thrive as a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sport. There is nothing wrong about it,” Ogba insisted.

He added that the Senate Committee on Sports still regarded

the emerging development as hearsay given that it had not been informed neither was there any written document to that effect.

“In fact, we still have a bill legalizing the NSC which we are still working on. When that bill is passed, NSC will come to life again.

The bill is not dead. The moment it is signed into law, there is nothing any one can do about it,” concludes the former NFF board member.

LAGOS SQUASH CLASSICS

Top Seeds Advance as Tournament Enters Crucial Stage Top seeds, Wale Amao and Yemisi Olatunji continued their fine form as the 2016 Lagos International Squash Classics enters crucial stage.

Today, the semifinal matches of the $4,000 prize money Professional Squash Association (PSA)-sanctioned Closed Satellite competition will hold at Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Amao, who is the men’s number one seed wasted no time in dismissing Seun Jaiyeola 11-2, 11-9, 11-3 in the first round of the competition and the match lasted for 35minutes.

Unlike Amao who spent 35minutes to edge out his opponent, women’s number one seed, Yemisi Olatunji was without mercy against Grace Mayh as she spent just 20minutes in an encounter that ended 11-4, 11-1, 11-0 in the favour of the highest rated Nigerian star.

In other matches played in the men’s event of the opening day, Idowu Enimakure was stretched to the fourth game by Moshood Abubakar but the match still ended in favour of Enimakure who won 5-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-9 to progress to the quarterfinal stage.

Other players that advanced to the last eight of the men’s event include Shola Thomas, Sodiq Taiwo, Endurance Omosor, Jerry Ogunjiofor, Lanre Abdulrahman and Moses Durosinmi.

Other female players that joined Olatunji in the quarterfinal are Kally Yashim, Omolola Ajayi, Dunni Okikiola and Taiwo Ebifemi, while the trio of Bisi Adeleke, Sunday Veronica and Busayo Olatunji walked over their opponents to move to the next stage.

Ex-international, Wasiu Sanni commended the players for their

quality of play, which he described as impressive.

“I must tell you that the standard is very high and the players gave a good account of themselves. The seeded players like Amao and Olatunji are in fine form and other players are not pushovers. Being a PSA-sanctioned tournament, all the players are hoping to use it to garner world ranking points while all the players that failed to show up for their matches will be decided by the PSA. It is not a national competition but an international tournament with most of the final decision to be taken by the world body,” Sanni said.

The final matches hold on Saturday March 19 with the top eight players to share $2,500 in the men’s event while the top female players will go home with the $1,500 at stake in that category.

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FRIDAYSPORTS

NPFL: Eguma Faces Goalkeeping ‘Headache’

Neku Atawodi (centre) in a mallet-for- mallet clash with Pierre during the exhibition match last Saturday

Pierre Leads Team Africa to Victory as Beach Polo Berths in Lagos Duro Ikhazuagbe Lagos recorded another first last weekend when the Elegushi beach waterfront in Lekki hosted the first Africa Beach Polo event.

The four-chukka exhibition match between Team Africa and Team World was a precursor to the scheduled African Beach Polo League Tournament billed to kick off in May. Team World made up of players like Thomas Hope +3 (Argentina), Tim Ward +2 (UK), and Nigeria’s female player, Neku Atawodi, who substituted for Malcolm Borwick (UK) took on Team Africa with Pierre Henri Ngoumou (France) as lead predator. Pierre is a +5 handicap player. He had good company with Sadiq Dantata (+1) and Adeyemo (Yemo) Alakija.

Though a non-competitive match, both teams played with flair of a Majekodunmi Cup final.

Of course, Team World had the advantage of a goal lead at the kick off due to the superior handicaps of the Pierre led Team Africa. That edge was cancelled outright in the first chukka with Yemo doing a solo drive from the right flank to flick into the goal post a loose ball. Pierre and Atawodi tried a couple of drives to increase the tally but that initial chukka ended one-all.

On return from break for the second chukka, the tempo of the exhibition match soared with Team Africa firing two more quick goals to increase its lead to 3-1. But Team World remained calm, contesting every ball, mallet for mallet.

It eventually paid off for a second goal. Tim was gifted a through pass after a 10-yard hit

by Yemo was deflected to him by the surging wind from the Atlantic.

The second chukka ended 4-2 with Team Africa leading the scoreboard.

The only female player on parade who incidentally is the force behind the beach polo tournament, Neku Atawodi, got on the score sheet just at the restart of the game in the third chukka. Her goal was greeted

with a massive applause from the stands.

The final chukka was just a rehash of the second but the goals just didn’t come. Yemo however capped an excellent evening with a marvelous goal that left the polo aficionados looking forward to the May 7 date when the league proper would kick off at the same venue.

Speaking at the end of the game, Atawodi was full of excitement with the manner fans responded to the project.

“I feel glad that the Africa Beach Polo has finally taken off with this exhibition match.

It was not easy due to the logistics involved like having to bring top players from across the globe to be part of the show,” gushed the University of Brighton graduate of equestrian sport.

She however admitted that getting more sponsors remain

her biggest drive now that the tournament proper is less than two months away.

President of the Lagos Polo Club, Ade Laoye told THISDAY that the coming of the beach polo was good for polo players in the country as it was going to fill the void when the regular polo season goes on break.

“I am here to lend my support to the project. I am equally happy that this beach polo league is going to fill the void when our regular polo season goes on break,” the LPC chief enthused.

Yemo Alakija while reviewing the exhibition game admitted that it was a little tougher playing on the beach sand. “It is tougher than playing on grass as we do it at Ikoyi Polo Club but I feel excited playing it here.”

Some of Nigeria’s celebrities at the game include President of Lagos Polo Club, Ade Laoye,

Polo enthusiasts from the American Consulate in Lagos, Eku Edewor, Wale Davies, Ladipoe, Bizzle, DJ Obi, Wana Sambo, CNN’s Keturah King and Boj who ran commentaries of the event.

With champagne and other choice drinks on the house, guests were serenaded by live violinist, Godwin Strings, while a graffiti artist, Osa Seven, did live painting of players on ponies as the game was being played. The national anthem was performed

by Nigerian Idol runner up Beebee Bassey.

The African Beach Polo League will continue at the end of May with seven national teams already confirmed to be part of the extravaganza.

The exhibition game and the league proper is to be televised to all 54 countries in Africa by partner of the tournament, SuperSport.

Technical manager of Rivers United, Stanley Eguma must make a decision about his choice of goalkeeping personnel ahead of Saturday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clash with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) in Ibadan.

Sunday Rotimi started United’s first five games this season but was overlooked for the match day six defeat to Niger Tornadoes in Lokoja.

Godwin Anyalogu, Rotimi’s replacement in Lokoja, impressed, despite conceding three goals and Eguma admits he has a decision to make as regards who starts in goal for United in Saturday’s contest against the ‘Oluyole Warriors’.

“It will be a difficult decision to make (as regards who plays against Shooting Stars) but I will wait till the last moment.

“It is a headache but a good one. Rotimi is excellent but I was also impressed with Anyalogu’s performance against Tornadoes.

“There is also (former Sharks goalkeeper) Henry Ayodele who has not played so far this season and he is one of the best goal keepers I have worked with.

“I will decide who plays (in Ibadan) on Saturday,” Eguma told Rivers United Media.

Eguma also discussed his side’s failure to come up with the goods on their travels thus far despite emerging as the NPFL’s best goals scorers on the road this season.

He admitted that ‘mistakes’ have been made in previous games but insists that those errors have been corrected ahead of Saturday’s big game.

“The game against 3SC is a big one and we know that they have been doing well this season.

“We hope we can correct our mistakes (from previous matches) as we go to Ibadan.

“We will map out our strategies as we go to Ibadan for the game and ensure that we do not return empty-handed,” he said.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper,

Anyalogu is still angry following his side’s failure to pick up any points from the Match-day 6 fixture against Tornadoes in Lokoja.

The goalkeeper who conceded three goals in the fixture says United are “too strong to be losing this many games” this season.

“I am still angry that we lost in Lokoja (to Tornadoes). It was a very complicated game.

“We were the better side in the first half and had two very good chances to score.

Unfortunately, we allowed them to score with the last kick of the half.

“It’s strange that despite scoring in all our matches this season, we have not managed to get a single point away from home this season.

“We are too strong to be losing this many games and now we must correct it when we face Shooting Stars on Saturday,” he said.

Anyalogu also discussed the relationship he enjoys with the club’s other goalkeepers, revealing that the camaraderie amongst them is something to be admired.

“There is no jealousy. After matches, we all sit together to critique the performance of whoever plays.

“It’s a good thing because the atmosphere is positive,” he said.

He rounded off by admitting that he would have no problems if he’s dropped to the bench for Saturday’s game.

“Have I done enough to start on Saturday? I think that is a decision for the coach but I will have no problems if (Sunday) Rotimi starts ahead of me.

“What is important to me is for the team to get at least a point in Ibadan.

“Losing two straight games will affect our position on the table so we must do our best,” he said.

Saturday’s game between 3SC and Rivers United is scheduled to kicks off at 4:15pm and it is live on SuperSport.

Clubs Await Foes in UCL Ojo Wins NNPS Lagos Inter-school Sports Q’finals Drawopen for the two La Liga clubs, ChiemelieEzeobi NNPS Mobil Road and with NNPS Ojo, again, picking NNPS Okoko placed second the bronze.

Eight clubs from five countries will feature in the draw for the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals this afternoon with which Pep Guardiola likely to take on his next club, Manchester City, after Bayern Munich came back to qualify. La Liga’s two top clubs are still involved in the last eight Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will find out at today’s draw in Switzerland whom they will face in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

With seedings, pots and country restrictions out of the way, anyone could be paired against anyone else as the competition moves firmly into the business end, with the draw set to take place at around midday in Nyon.

City are the only Premier League side remaining in Europe’s top tournament and could yet have to take on their next manager, Pep Guardiola, whose Bayern team staged an incredible comeback to eliminate Juventus after extra time on Wednesday night.

Elsewhere, the possibility is now

Barcelona and Real Madrid, to face each other after seedings kept them apart thus far, while Benfica and Wolfsburg will be seen as the most generous possibilities to draw.

Joining them in the hat are Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, the latter having seen off Chelsea in the last 16.

The first legs will be played over April 5 and 6, with the return matches set for the following week on April 12 and 13.

The Nigerian Navy Primary School (NNPS), Ojo, Lagos, has emerged winner of the 4th Annual- inter School Sports competition of the Nigerian Navy Primary School (NNPS) in Lagos, held in Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos The competition which had several events including match past, egg-race, relay amongst others saw NNPS winning overall first position in the competition by 105 points.

and third overall positions respectively.

However, in the 4×400M, boys, NNPS Mobil Road emerged first, NNPS Ojo second and NNPS Okoko was in third position.

In the sack race, NNPS Mobil Road clinched first, NNPS Okoko second and NNPS Ojo came third respectively.

NNPS Ojo emerged first in the girls’ high jump while NNPS Okoko came second

BOA Lawyers’ League Q’finalists to Emerge Sunday Quarter finalists in the 2016 BOA Lawyers Football Tournament are to emerge this weekend from the second leg of the Round of 12 matches to be decided at the Astroturf 2000 venue in Ikoyi, Lagos.

In the first leg played last Sunday, Olisa Agbakoba Legal got one foot in the Last 8 with a slim 1-0 victory over new comers Simmoncooper Partners/ Femi Atoyebi. Another favourite

for a quarter final berth, Tayo Oyetibo/B. Osipitan similarly defeated Olajide Oyebode by a lone goal.

Former champions Lagos State Ministry of Justice (LSMJ) was another lone goal winner over AELEX. Aluko & Oyebode defeated ADVOCAAT 2-1 while Pinheiro and Falana & Falana settled for a 1-1 draw. The last game of the Round of 12 first leg clash also

ended in a draw as Sofunde Osakwe Ogundipe & Belgore/ Renascence also played 0-0 with Banwo & Ighodalo.

Spokesperson of Astroturf 2000, Olaseni Harrison, told THISDAY yesterday that the quarter final matches of this year’s edition is going to be full of surprises. “From what we have seen of the matches played so far, I can bet you that there will be many surprise teams in the quarter final.”

The Commanding Officer, NNS Beecroft, Commodore Abraham Adaji, while speaking with journalists at the event said the inter-school sport was significant because the Nigerian Navy Directorate of Education places a very high premium on extra curricula activities. ‘’It is not just in the classroom that learning takes place. Sports is one those extra curricula activities that the school organises to ensure the mental, physical and ultimately the academic health of the pupils. ‘’Indeed, today is not only for us but for the children. This is one of those programmes packaged to ensure total development of the children,” he noted.

The climax of the competition was the presentation of gifts and trophies to eventual winners of the competition.

Present at the inter-house sports was the Director of Naval Education, Commodore A. Almu, Base Education Officer, Lt.-Cdr. B.Y. Ibrahim and other senior officers.

Friday, March 18, 2016

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MISSILE NNPC to Auditor General

“NNPC wishes to state in strong terms that the auditor general’s declaration was erroneous.

It should also be noted that although this period was before the new NNPC management was appointed in August 2015, the management still deems it fit and important to correct any misinformation about the activities of the corporation as this will adversely affect its current and future financial and operational plans if not corrected” – The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) rejecting the findings of the audit report submitted to the National Assembly by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation.

AKINOSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

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s far as foundational and creation day myths go, very few can trump the Yoruba and Hausa archetype of Oduduwa and Bayajidda in sheer creativity. According to legend, ‘A certain number of divinities were to accomplish the task of helping earth develop its crust. On one of these visits Obatala, the King of White Clothes, took to the stage equipped with a mollusc that held in its shell some form of soil; two winged beasts and some cloth like material. Having made palm wine from the palm trees he caused to grow after shaping the planet, he began to drink; soon falling into a drunken stupor, he was unable to accomplish the task he was originally given. Olodumare then sent Oduduwa to save what was left of the mission. When Oduduwa found Obatala in a “tipsy” state, he simply took over and completed the tasks.

The place which he leaped onto from the heavens and which he redeemed from the water to become land was named Ile-Ife and is now considered the sacred and spiritual heart of Yorubaland’.

Similarly and up North ‘Most accounts say that Bayajidda came from Baghdad, travelled across the Sahara, and arrived in the Kanem Bornu Empire, where he married a local princess. Tensions with her father, the king, forced him to flee; leaving his wife in Hadejia now Garin-Gabas in Malam-Madori Local Government Area, where she delivered his first son, he made his way to Gaya, where he had the local blacksmiths forge him a knife. With this knife and his sword, Bayajidda proceeded to the final point on his journey, the city of Daura, where he slew a serpent that had been terrorising the townspeople. In gratitude for this heroic deed Magajiva Daurama, the local queen, married him. He had one child, Bawo, with Daurama, and Bawo’s own children are said to have gone on - together with a child of his first wife - to found the seven Hausa states.

There is nothing new in this historical recall, what is new and interesting is the elevation of the folk hero status of President Muhammadu Buhari (in the Muslim North) to the pedestal of a reincarnated Bayajidda.

Before him, the only other historical personage to share the distinction of this deified mould was the late Premier of the Northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

Until March 28th, 2015 when Buhari won the Nigerian presidential election, I used to entertain the notion that no regional or sectional hero can attain to the Nigerian presidency. This assumption was predicated on the trajectory of the political career of elected or near elected Nigerian leaders seeking to become Nigerian president, particularly the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and President Olusegun Obasanjo. Let me attempt to restate the assumption as follows: the greater the degree (or perception of same) of ethno regional identification of a Nigerian leader, the less likelihood there is of any such leader gaining national appeal and acceptance. It cannot be a coincidence that Moshood Abiola, Obasanjo, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan who made it to the Nigerian presidency were nowhere near being perceived as the personification of sub-national Yoruba, Hausa Fulani and Ijaw leadership hero.

Nonetheless, the validity of the assumption may only hold true under the presidential system of government whilst the parliamentary model will prove to be an exception to the rule. As Northern regional irredentist as Ahmadu Bello was, if he had not, of his own volition, chosen to remain as Premier of the North, nothing could have precluded him from becoming the first Prime Minister of Nigeria in place

akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com

Bayajidda

of his lieutenant, Tafawa Balewa. To become prime minister, all he needed was to be elected House of Representatives member from Sokoto and the leader of the majority party. It was the desire to transcend this implicit shortcoming that made the framers of the 1979 Constitution swap the parliamentary model with the presidential standard-which requires the president to be directly elected by all Nigerians. In other words, the presidential model shares my assumption that no regional bound presidential aspirant should get elected as president of Nigeria. How has this assumption played out?

In 1948 and rather unwittingly, Awolowo started laying the foundation of the perception that would permanently undermine and haunt his presidential ambition when he wrote his famous introductory political testament titled ‘Path to Nigerian freedom’.

How does he reconcile his keynote postulation (in the book) of Nigeria as ‘a mere geographical expression’ with the demand of a cross cultural appeal and support of non-Yoruba Nigerians towards the realisation of his aspiration to rule Nigeria? Rooting the foundation of the Action Group (AG) and its subsequent mutants on Egbe Omo Oduduwa may serve the utility of locking down Yoruba votes but the fullness of the same logic of exclusivity is guaranteed to put off other sub national groups comprising Nigeria. The perception problem was of such critical dimensions that he could not find anyone of consequence from the North to pair with him in the presidential ticket of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in 1979.

Without discounting the national integration utility of the two party system imposition by military President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990, the winner of the 1993 presidential election, the late Chief Abiola had cultivated and was helped to cultivate the image of a pan Nigerian politician. This image took form in his conspicuous partisan opposition to the Yoruba bound Awolowo political camp; prominent and activist national Muslim leader profile and a patriarchal Nigeria wide philanthropy.

When it comes to Nigerian nationalism, howsoever problematically defined, Obasanjo is in a class of his own. I know of no other comparable Nigerian leader who is such a self-willed vocational practitioner of Nigerian nationalism. In the thick of the barrack revolt and the pogrom minded uprising in the North in 1966, the military governor of the Northern region, Lt Colonel Hassan Katsina had singled out Obasanjo for special protection-with the cryptic justification that ‘Nigeria will need him in the future’. As the rear commander of the Nigerian army in the West during the civil war, he refused to play the Yoruba-Southern card that required of him to give free passage (through the Western region) to the advancing Biafra forces led by fellow Yoruba, Brigadier Victor Banjo. And with varying degrees of success or failure Obasanjo sought to reproduce himself in Yar’Adua and Jonathan.

Whatever else may be said of these successors, it is certain that in their prior political stations they were never known to have pandered to the politics of sectional irredentism.

In my hypothesis that ethno regional heroism and the Nigerian presidency are mutually exclusive, I was wrong and right about Buhari. Right in the evidence of the futility of his presidential aspiration in three previous outings; right in the fact that acceptance of his candidacy never progressed beyond the Northern boundary on those three occasions and right in the sense that the political platform he employed prior to 2015 had no effective presence down South. But I

was spectacularly wrong in the belief that he would never be able to surmount the hurdle to become the elected president of Nigeria.

It is not my intention here to dwell on those intervening variables that accounted for his ‘fourth time lucky’ success and upended my summation on his ineligibility. As democracy requires, we the minority have had our say and the majority have had their way.

But for Nigeria, Buhari poses a contradictory utility.

His liability is implied in such sectional appropriation as attributing him with the Bayajidda prototype-a portrayal he very well deserves. His positive quality is his reputation for discipline and integrity-which he has equally earned.

At all times, there is a short and long term perspective to the formulation of Nigeria’s problems. In the short term, it is plausible to argue that the imperative of restoring credibility to governance is of the essence-a task for which Buhari appears to be well suited. Presently, there is the phenomenon of the internationalisation of Nigeria’s problems and solutions-which is what the frequent travels of the president is all about. The more intriguing aspect of this phenomenon is the casting of Nigeria’s net wide into the financial pool of the Islamic world-even as many Nigerians have been understandably wary of any overtures beyond the polite and correct measure of diplomatic relations.

Yet the reality is that Nigeria is home to a population of Islamic adherents far greater in numbers than the population of most Arab and predominantly Muslim Middle East countries. And the heroic leadership stature of Buhari within the ranks of Nigeria adherents has earned him the distinction of being included in the

list of the 25 most influential Islamic leaders. On account of Buhari and the large Muslim segment of Nigeria there is the probability that the Arab powers, notably Saudi Arabia may be predisposed towards economically supporting Nigeria directly as in facilitating soft concessionary loans and grants; and indirectly as in the role it can play within the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to favour Nigeria-such as agreement to shore up lagging oil prices by cutting back on oil production.

This pan Islamic solidarity goodwill is reflected in the blank cheque accessibility issued by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to a delegation of the Northern States Governors Forum (NGSF). Said the IDB President, Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al-Madani: “We will work together to come up with a comprehensive and constructive plan to support Northern Nigeria…

We will start with education, particularly bilingual education, and other areas such as job creation. Before you leave Jeddah, I would like to have a list of your priority areas, such as education, power, agriculture and so on.” The significance of this kind of (Northern region) complementarity was captured in the admonition of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF): “For the stability of this country, it is important that we from the North must play our own role to contribute significantly to the GDP of this country. It is then we come to the table on equal terms and then we will be able to ensure the stability of this country. The only way for us to make our contribution is to go back to mining and agriculture. We must talk to our people that it is time for hard work to do that”.

WE HAVE THE NSPCA, WHERE’S THE *NSPCH? DOESN’T IT BOTHER YOU THAT YOUR ANIMALS ARE TRESPASSING ON YOUR NEIGHBOUR’S GARDEN, EATING AND DESTROYING EVERYTHING THERE?

THEY ARE YOUR ANIMALS - YOU SHOULD DO THE THINKING FOR THEM!

WHAT IF YOUR NEIGHBOUR DEFENDS HIS PROPERTY

BY CHASING YOUR ANIMALS OUT OF HIS GARDEN?

OF COURSE, IT BOTHERS ME, BUT THEY’RE ONLY ANIMALS! THEY’RE NOT CAPABLE OF THINKING ABOUT SUCH THINGS!

I’D LOVE TO, BUT IF I DO IN THIS CASE, THEY WILL GO HUNGRY AND BECOME DISTRESSED AND THAT’S NOT FAIR ON THE POOR ANIMALS!

THEN, THAT’S A DELIBERATE ACT OF VIOLENCE TOWARDS MY ANIMALS! AND I WILL DEFEND MY ANIMALS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY - PREFERABLY WITH MY AK-47!

18-03-16

*NSPCH: Nigeria Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Humans

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