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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016

PAGE NINE

Ambode Vows to Put Lagos Jazz Festival on World Tourism Map Lines up A-list artistes, Grammy Award winners, others

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday expressed optimism that activities lined up for the forthcoming Lagos International Jazz Day would go a long way to showcase the tourism potential of the state to the world.

A statement by his media aide, Mr Habib Aruna, said the governor spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja, when he played host to some of the groups collaborating with the state government on the forthcoming star-studded concert to commemorate the 2016 International Jazz Day. Ambode said apart from being the financial and commercial hub of Nigeria, his administration would work hard to equally transform Lagos to the tourism hub of Africa.

He restated his administration’s strong commitment to use tourism, hospitality, sports, entertainment and arts to grow the economy of the state, just as he assured his guests that nothing would be spared in transforming Lagos to the tourism hub of Africa.

He said: “We want to emulate

and even surpass the International Jazz Festival in Cape Town, South Africa, and then be on the world stage and that is the significance of this collaboration that we have decided to go into.

“During the electioneering campaigns, we did promise that we will use entertainment and arts, tourism and sports to propel Lagos to the next level and this is one of the ways through which we hope to achieve that.

“We want to use entertainment to grow our economy, create jobs for the people and create that global picture of what Lagos is and what Lagos is not.

“Like you are all aware, Lagos is the financial and commercial hub of Nigeria and we want it to be the tourism hub of Africa and we are going to use the Jazz family to start that journey and that is why we are hosting the concert here at the Lagos House.”

The groups on the courtesy visit included the Lagos International Jazz Festival Group, Runway Jazz and Satchmo Jazz.

In his remarks, the leader of the delegation and Chief Executive

He said the South African government generated over a billion rand from the Cape Town Jazz Festival, and that Lagos could do far much better if properly managed.

He commended Ambode for showing genuine interest in the jazz festival, especially with the massive concert billed to take place at the Lagos House on April 30.

Similarly, the state’s

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, declared the readiness of the state government to successfully organise the concert.

Ayorinde, while addressing a press briefing on the festival, recalled the success recorded by the state government in the One Lagos Fiesta, a countdown music and entertainment show used to usher in the New Year, which was held simultaneously in five locations across the state for the first time, adding that the jazz festival was equally designed to give a quantum leap to the tourism potential of the state.

Some of the artistes billed to perform at the concert, according to Ayorinde, are Dare Art-Alade, Yinka Davies, Lekan Babalola (two-time co-Grammy winner) with the Eko Brass Band, Herbert Kunle Ajayi, Bright Gain, Adeh and the Spectacle Band – Afrojazz guitar Supremo, Ubong Ntia, Sam and the Jazz Apostles, featuring Dera, Dotun Bankole Band, Victor Ademofe Band, Omolara, Dapo Fasuyi, and Organic Jazz.

of the tribunal’s proceedings on the social media.

Umar said the tribunal would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against the culprits.

A video clip of the chairman’s heated exchange with Oluyede last week was posted on the internet.

According to Umar, those who posted the video did so with the sole purpose of misleading the public about the actual proceedings in the tribunal.

He said the CCT would discuss with both the prosecution and defence counsel on the possibility of inviting NTA, AIT, and Channels Television networks to broadcast live to avoid misrepresentation.

Umar also directed all armed security personnel attached to the Senate president to vacate the venue of the tribunal.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), there was a high presence of armed security personnel within and outside the CCT yesterday.

Meanwhile, Saraki yesterday got some support from unexpected quarters when 17 opposition political parties demanded the immediate resignation of Umar over his alleged compromise and bias in the ongoing trial of the Senate president.

The political parties also faulted his clearance by the EFCC, saying: “The only way President Muhammadu Buhari can prove that his government is indeed serious about fighting corruption is to direct an immediate investigation into the circumstances that led to the EFCC issuing this so-called letter of clearance to Mr. Umar.”

Similarly, a rights group under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society and Pressure Groups has decried the occupation of the National Assembly by a group known as #OccupyNASS, alleging political motives behind the protest.

While addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja, the National Chairman of Labour Party, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, who spoke on behalf of the parties, said it was clear that Umar is an interested party in the case, “hence, he should step down from the Saraki trial”.

Some of the political parties represented at the press briefing included Labour Party, PPN, AA, MPPP, NCP, DPP and ADC, among others.

“We believe his continued stay on the bench while this defendant is appearing before the tribunal supports the conspiracy theory that there is an agenda to convict Dr. Saraki by all means.

“President Buhari needs to act now, not to stop Saraki’s trial, but to ensure that the process of fighting corruption does not end up being even more corrupt than the corruption it seeks to eliminate,” they said.

While stressing that they were not against the corruption fight or were in anyway canvassing that Saraki should not be tried, the political leaders said: “We are only insisting that the trial should follow the due process of law and be transparent. This is the only way the outcome would be credible and acceptable to all citizens and the rest of the world at large.

“We affirm that if Mr. Danladi Umar continues to sit in the Saraki case, this would only serve to further strengthen the narrative that the Senate president is merely being persecuted as a result of intra-APC politics and not because of any genuine commitment to fight corruption.”

Abdulsalam further stated that there were genuine fears that the current anti-corruption drive of the Buhari administration might go the way of previous ones if nothing urgent is done to steer it away from its selective and

vindictive tendencies.

“We however wish to note that this is not the first time that a president of this country would be declaring war against corruption.

In fact, the reason corruption is still a primary issue for the Buhari administration is that previous attempts were not as successful as they should have been.

“We aver that one of the major obstacles in the fight against political corruption in Nigeria over the years, is the way and manner it has been fought so as to give the impression that the fight is selective and targeted only at the perceived enemies of government.

“Once an anti-corruption action is perceived as politically motivated, then the entire war against corruption easily gets reduced to a means of settling political scores rather than a genuine commitment to fighting corruption. We are afraid that if care is not taken, President Buhari’s avowed commitment to fighting corruption may end up in the way of his predecessors,” he said.

Also the civil society group, which operates under the name, '#SAVENASS, called for the absolute independence of the National Assembly and for the security agencies to ensure that politicians in the ruling APC are not allowed to carry over their intra-party squabbles into the legislative chambers.

Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday, the spokesperson for the group, Ambassador Phil Roberts, urged the security agencies to secure the National Assembly premises from attacks by sponsored political jobbers operating as selfstyled anti-corruption protesters.

He alleged that the demonstration by #OccupyNASS was sponsored by politicians and some government bodies in order to force Saraki to resign.

R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Grammy Award winner, Mr. Kirk Whalum; and Brand Strategist, Runway Jazz, Mr. Ajani Sandridge, during a courtesy visit yesterday in Lagos to the governor by groups collaborating with the state government on the forthcoming Lagos International Jazz Festival Director of Inspiro Productions, Mr. Ayoola Shadare, said Jazz has transcended ordinary music and is now a veritable instrument that can be used to grow the economy if properly managed.

AGAIN, SARAKI SAYS TRIAL BEFORE CCT CHAIRMAN QUESTIONABLE Oluyede argued that Umar owed the EFCC, which exonerated the tribunal chairman of wrongdoing, a favour and was likely to convict Saraki at all cost to repay that favour.

EFCC last week cleared Umar of the N10 million bribery allegation made by one Mr. AbdulRashid Owolabi Taiwo, in his petition to the commission.

Taiwo, who was being tried by the CCT, alleged that Umar had demanded the N10 million bribe from him.

He claimed that part of the money was paid into the bank account of the personal assistant of the chairman, prompting him to write a petition against the chairman to the EFCC. However, whilst Umar’s personal assistant is standing trial for accepting the bribe from Taiwo, the EFCC went against the recommendation made by the then Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Mohammed Adoke, in 2014 that the CCT chairman should be prosecuted.

At Saraki’s resumed trial yesterday, Oluyede claimed that since the Sword of Damocles is dangling over the tribunal chairman’s head, he would be tempted to dance to the tune of the EFCC, if only to rescue himself from the allegations against him.

Oluyede, whose submissions made the CCT chairman visibly uncomfortable on several occasions, asked Umar to honourably recuse himself from presiding over Saraki’s trial in the interest of justice.

The counsel insisted that available facts had proved that EFCC was largely responsible for the investigation of Saraki and that it was the same EFCC that filed the charge and allegedly deployed its main lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), to prosecute the matter.

The only witness called so far

by the prosecution during Saraki’s trial at the tribunal is Mr. Michael Wetkas, a detective with the EFCC. Oluyede insisted that in the course of the investigation into the N10 million bribery allegation, the CCT chairman was indicted in a report signed by a former Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Larmode, and that the purported letter of EFCC clearing the chairman of the allegation well over a year after his indictment could not stand on the face of the law because it did not emanate from the AGF being the appropriate authority to clear him.

“Mr. Chairman, with all these facts placed before this tribunal, the legitimacy of this proceeding is questionable because the chairman may not be impartial.

“There is something wrong with the EFCC for it to have accused Your Lordship of having audience with the accused in his chambers and there is circumstantial evidence that your lordship collected the bribe, only for it to come out now with a letter of clearance.

That is suspicious; it is a cloudy relationship between the EFCC and the tribunal chairman.

“We do not know what prompted the EFCC to recant on the indictment of the CCT chairman when there are sufficient grounds for the EFCC to request for the call logs of the conversation between Umar and one Rashidi Taiwo from whom the N10m bribe was demanded,” Oluyede said.

However, in his objection to the motion, the prosecuting counsel prayed the tribunal to dismiss the motion for lacking in merit.

Jacobs reminded the tribunal of one of its earlier rulings where it held that the charges against Saraki were filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and not EFCC. He also accused Saraki of harassing the tribunal chairman

by making reference to a bill before the Senate, which he said was designed to whittle down the powers of the CCT chairman.

He said that by asking the tribunal chairman to disqualify himself, Saraki was trying to render Umar incapable of carrying out his official functions even though Umar had not been charged with any offence.

But Jacobs, in the main, did not appear to address the allegation by Saraki that he could not get justice at the tribunal as long as Umar remained at the helms of affairs.

He said: “The absurdity of this application is that the defendant here is still performing his duty as the Senate president and still presided over the Senate as of today.

“He has been charged to court, whereas the investigation of the CCT chairman by the EFCC remains an investigation. He has not been charged to court or convicted.

“It is the defendant that has been charged to court. The issues raised in the application are matters of sentiment which has no place in law.”

Despite the claim by Saraki's lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), that Oluyede was a member of the defence team, Jacobs again objected to his appearance, saying: “Mr. Oluyede has never appeared for Saraki at this tribunal at the time he filed the motion, he is not a counsel on the record as at the day he filed his motion.”

He also faulted the application for the chairman of the tribunal to disqualify himself on the grounds that the application presumed EFCC to be a party, whereas the commission was not.

The tribunal will rule on the application today.

However, before the arguments on the motion began, Umar had warned against posting video clips

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THURSDAY APRIL 28, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

Revenue Collection: Banks’ Withdrawal of Service May Impede Operations of TSA, Systemspec Warns

Eromosele Abiodun and Obinna Chima There are strong indications that the federal government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy may suffer some set back following the threat by some commercial banks to stop accepting transactions on the TSA platform.

The move by the banks is as a result of the freeze on commission they charge in rendering service on the Remita platform in the past six months because of the controversies that had surrounded the policy.

The Managing Director, Systemspecs Limited, the firm that developed the Remita software used for the transfer

of government’s funds from commercial banks to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the TSA, Mr. John Obaro, said this in an interview with THISDAY in Lagos yesterday.

He disclosed that some banks no longer honour transactions on the TSA because of the uncertainty surrounding the policy.

The Senate had last October summoned Systemspecs and the CBN over an alleged illegality and exorbitant commission charged for the deployment of Remita.

Also, the lawmakers had alleged that SystemSpecs was making N25 billion daily, which had since been proven to be false.

Labour Proposes N56,000 as New Minimum Wage The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have jointly proposed N56,000 as the new minimum wage to the federal government as against the present N18,000.

The NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, said this at a news conference yesterday in Abuja.

Wabba, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said both the NLC and the TUC made the formal demand on the proposed national minimum wage to the federal government on Tuesday.

“I can say now authoritatively that as of yesterday (Tuesday) we made a formal proposal to the federal government of N56,000 to be the new minimum wage.

“The demand has been submitted officially to government

Part of the contract states that one per cent shall be charged on the government revenue collected. And this one per cent is to be shared thus: Owner(SystemSpecs): 50 per cent; Collecting Agents (banks): 40 per cent, and Introducer (CBN): 10 per cent.

But since the Senate hearing which then mandated Systempecs and the banks to return the commission they had previously collected, there have been a freeze on the agreed commission.

Despite this, he said his firm decided to leave the Remita platform open so as not to disrupt the government’s policy.

To this end, Obaro, who was speaking to the media for the first time since the controversy over the TSA started last year said: “A number of the participating banks, some of their branches are beginning to decline processing

these transactions. Yes, some bank branches have remained committed to it, believing that this issue would be resolved somewhere along the line. We believe that it is getting more challenging, not just for those bank branches, but even for ourself.

“We originally expected that the matter would be resolved within a few days, but unfortunately, that has not happened and we left the platform open. The platform has remained in use and there have been no renumeration to the services providers six months down the road. We have had conversations with the Office of Accountant General and the CBN, and unfortunately, no closure yet.

“We are hanging in a limbo not knowing if government really wants to continue with this project and more importantly for us as

a business people, where do we channel our business. We want this to come to a close as soon as possible.”

According to Obaro, it is not right for the banks to be providing services to people without income, saying they can decide to decline transactions that are not profitable to them.

He stressed that the situation has created a lot of uncertainty in the system.

“If the banks stop collecting, it would cause significant disruption to the economic life of these agencies. But I do hope that we don’t get to that point. We are concerned that this trend should not begin to spread because if it does, it will become a threat not just to our own business, but principally to the TSA. “We are not into politics, we are a technology firm and we just want to be left alone to provide

technology. Let politicians do their own trade, but they should please allow professionalism to also thrive. The two (politics and professionalism) can work together.

“At the Senate hearing, there was desperate attempt to show that there was no contract and we showed all the documents concerning the contract. There is a valid contract and it is laughable for anybody to say there was no contract.

“Many people have been pushing us to go to that court, but we do not think that should be the first line of action because we do know that there are people who mean well for this country and when these issues are well understood, it is a matter that can be resolved. If you think the one per cent is the issue, there is a clause in the contract that can justify a renegotiation, let’s look at it,” the Systemspec boss added.

and we hope that the tripartite system to look at the review will actually be set up to look at it.

“Our argument is that, yes, it is true that the economy is not doing well, but the law stated that wages for workers must be review after every five years.

“So the issue must be looked into by the federal government and workers should not be seen as sleeping on their rights,” the NLC president said at the forum.

Wabba recalled that the last review of the national minimum wage was done in 2011, saying the setting up of a tripartite committee to review the newly proposed national minimum wage was long overdue.

He said it was imperative that government should set up the tripartite committee for the review of the new minimum wage.

Oil Hits 2016 High Due to Falling Output, Weaker Dollar Oil hit its highest level yesterday driven by a falling dollar and evidence of declining United States supply, putting the price on course for its strongest monthly performance since last April, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has said.

Brent crude futures were up with $1.03 at $46.77 a barrel in early trading, having risen nearly 20 per cent in April, their largest one-month gain in a year.

The international benchmark earlier hit a 2016 high of $46.81.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures also rose 86 cents to $44.90 a barrel.

Brent received extra support from news that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait appear no closer to restarting their jointly operated Khafji oilfield, which produced 280,000 to 300,000 barrels per day The oilfield had been shut since October 2014 due to environmental problems.

The prospect of an agreement among the world’s largest exporters to limit production evaporated almost two weeks ago when a meeting between OPEC members and their nonOPEC counterparts ended in stalemate.

Since then, Brent has hit its

highest since November, and aided by further evidence of declining output anywhere from the US shale basin to the North Sea, attracted fresh investment cash.

“There was definitely a bit of a turning point when we had the initial sell-off after the producer meeting,” CMC Markets strategist, Jasper Lawler, said.

He added: “That got reversed and went on to show that (a production freeze) was a fairly small part of what had been supporting the price and really, it’s the supply outlook for the US coupled with the dollar that is really driving returns.”

WTI was further bolstered after the American Petroleum Institute reported a draw of nearly 1.1 million barrels in US crude inventories last week.

Analysts had expected a 2.4-million-barrel build.

The dollar was down on the day, having fallen about five per cent against a basket of currencies since the start of the year, even as US interest rates are expected to rise.

The Federal Reserve’s policysetting committee met yesterday but is not expected to announce any change in rates, leaving traders to scour the post-meeting statement for any clues on the outlook.

FORTHE LOVE OF COUNTRY

L-R: Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, representing the President, Mohammed Buhari; Author of the book and Deputy Senate President,SenatorIkeEkweremadu;hiswife,NwannekaandChairmanoftheoccasionandformerHeadofState,GeneralYakubuGowon(rtd),atthepublic presentationofthebook‘WhowillLoveMyCountry’ inAbuja....yesterday JuliusAtoi

Senate Asks INEC to Conduct Outstanding Senatorial Polls in Six Districts Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Senate yesterday asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately conduct re-run elections to fill six vacant seats in the chamber.

The vacant seats are for Imo North, Anambra Central, Kogi East and the three senatorial seats in Rivers State.

The call was spurred by a point of order by Senator Ben Murray Bruce (Bayelsa West) during which he observed that it took INEC one week to conclude simple elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), lamenting that the commission has failed to conduct rerun polls in the affected districts months after they were ordered by appeal tribunals.

According to Murray-Bruce, INEC owed the Senate an explanation why it had failed to conduct the-run elections.

He described non-representation of some states in the Senate as a violation of the 1999 Constitution.

The Senator urged the Senate to challenge the INEC Chairman, Yakubu Mahmood, to live up to his responsibility, insisting that people of the affected areas have the right to be represented in the chamber.

Bruce’s point of order might have been propelled by a protest last Tuesday by some people from Imo North senatorial district at the National Assembly.

The protesters condemned the delay in conducting the re-run elections in their zone.

“We have not had representation in this chamber from Rivers State, part of Anambra, Imo, Kogi and some other states. INEC concluded elections in one week in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but in these states, they have no representation here and it does not make any

sense.

“It is a violation of the constitution became the people of these states have a right to have representation here. The INEC Chairman owes us an explanation why these elections have not been concluded.

“It is a simple matter and it is the responsibility for INEC to conclude these elections so that the people of these states can have representation here in the Senate,” he said.

However, in his response, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, said he was aware that INEC would meet today to fix dates for the elections.

He said: “Let me just say that I am aware that INEC will be meeting tomorrow (today) to fix dates for this rerun or bye-elections but it is important that you have raised

it so that the nation will know that we are concerned about the non-representation of some of these states.

“It is clear in the constitution that INEC should quickly conduct bye-elections within 30days where there are vacancies and so it is far past 30 days when vacancies occurred in some places. It is important that we urge INEC to ensure that as soon as possible that this elections are conducted so that every part of the country, every state would have their full representation in the National Assembly.

Also yesterday, a bill seeking to establish National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) passed second reading.

Sponsored by Senator Babajide Omoworare (Osun East), the bill sets out to empower NABRO to offer professional input into budget proposals.

THURSDAY APRIL 28, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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NEWS

House Agrees to Remove Alterations in the Budget Opposes N309bn FG bond to finance shortfall in electricity market

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja Members of the House of Representatives have agreed to remove certain items included in the 2016 budget in the course of appropriation, following a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to resolve the difference over the budget.

Some of the alterations in the budget, particularly those for constituency projects, were perceived to have been included to cater for the personal interest of the lawmakers.

The resolution was made during an executive session yesterday where the House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, reportedly briefed the members on the outcome of the meeting with President Buhari last Tuesday.

A lawmaker who spoke off the record, said the speaker noted that the removals are necessary as part of the truce reached with the executive.

“We have to move forward so that the budget can be signed. It does not look good for us as a parliament that we are being blamed for the impasse on the

Gunmen Kidnap Senator Anisulowo, Security Aides Sheriff Balogun in Abeokuta A former Minister of State for Education, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, was yesterday night kidnapped by gunmen along side her security aides along Igbogila area of Yewaland, Ogun State.

THISDAY gathered that the senator was kidnapped at about 8.30p.m. while returning from her farm at Shawonjo area via Igbogila area.

The younger brother to Anisolowo, Mr. Kola Popoola, who disclosed this on telephone at exactly 9.25p.m. yesterday, said the senator went to her farm which was a daily routine before one of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel attached to her returned home to

inform members of her family that the senator had been taken away by a yet-to-be identified persons.

He disclosed that vigilante groups are presently combing the nooks and crannies of Yewaland and its environs to rescue the senator.

Another information on her kidnap has it that the driver and the security personnel were dropped off while the senator was taken to an undisclosed destination.

While speaking with the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, he said: “Yes. We have the report that the senator was kidnapped this evening by some armed men.”

He noted that “the Commissioner for Police, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali has dispatched teams to the area for the rescue operation.”

He added: “We want to assure the public particularly her relations and those concerned that we will rescue her unhurt soon and the perpetrators will be apprehended.”

LOSS OF DOCUMENT Crown Grant dated 6th January, 1869 registered as NO 279 page 279 in Volume 3, belonging to the Ajuwon and Aiyeseni branches of Ijagbo Family in respect of property at NO. 21, Joseph Street, Lagos is missing.

If found, please return to the nearest police station.

budget. The power tussle has to stop in the interest of Nigerians.

Cuts would be made in lawmakers constituency allocations across board, but there would be more cut in the allocations of the leadership,” the lawmaker added.

Meanwhile, THISDAY gathered that the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun, would head the House committee that would interface with the Senate and executive committees on the “grey areas” in the budget.

According to sources in the Senate and House Committees, the Chairmen of the Appropriation Committees, Senator Danjuma Goje and Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumim would be members.

“But they would not play major roles this time,” a source said.

The House has expressed opposition to the plan by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to raise a federal

government secured bond of N309 billion to cover the electricity market shortfall of N187 billion in 2015 and a projected shortfall of N122 billion for this year.

The House, at the plenary yesterday, noted that the bond would amount to spoon-feeding operators in the power sector where tariffs had been increased twice since 2013 without noticeable improvements in electricity generation.

This is as it mandated its Committees on Power, Privatisation and Commercialisation, Aids, Loans and Debts Management to investigate the usage of the N213 billion intervention fund provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2015 through the Nigerian Electricity Sector Intervention facility.

The resolutions of the House followed a motion sponsored

by Hon. Edward Pwajok (Plateau PDP) who accused the distribution companies (Discos) of failure to remit revenues collected to other market participants in full.

“Tariff computation was a factor of capital investment which was considered during the privatisation exercise, but regrettable, there is no evidence that the Discos and Gencos invested in acquiring any tangible assets,” he said.

Pwajok further alleged that the successor companies have failed to produce audited financial statements to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) in the last two years, and have not held annual general meetings to disclose their performance to shareholders.

“The successor companies are supposed to borrow funds

secured by their respective balance sheets and revenue streams to run their operations, but the ministry is curiously trying to ride on the Nigerian sovereign guarantee, whereas the companies are not only deriving returns on investments but there is the like .... of another tariff increase to accommodate the cost of the bond, (though they already enjoy cost-reflective tariff in the MYTO 2015),” Pwajok added.

The motion was unanimously passed by the lawmakers.

The House also directed NERC to devise a monitoring mechanism to measure and enforce full monthly remittances by the Discos.

It also urged the regulatory body to recoup all mis-appropriated funds that resulted in the accumulated market shortfalls and apply sanctions for any default whatsoever, including the threat to withdraw the licenses of erring firms.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh (right), receiving an agricultural project document from the Chairman of Wells-San Carlos Agro Farms Limited, Capt. Idahosa Okunbo (rtd), to the admiration of Mr. San Carlos (left) and Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, during the visit of the Wells-San Carlos team on the minister in Abuja...yesterday

Ngige Distances Self from Double Salary, Emoluments Controversy Paul Obi in Abuja The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, yesterday distanced himself from the controversy surrounding double payment of salaries and emoluments to former political office holders such as former governors, senators and ministers.

The move by the minister to exonerate himself came amid accusation by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that several ministers and senators were still receiving salaries and pensions running into billions of naira from states’ coffers.

Labour has argued then that its “revulsion stems from the fact that most, if not all of these ex-governors, coerced or seduced their various Houses of Assembly into approving for them these bogus and illegitimate pension rates and property ( such as cars and houses) in contravention of the extant laws

and regulations by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

“They are mindlessly drawing these allowances (that they do not need) from our commonwealth when the states are in serious financial difficulty, and poverty is rife in the land. They get paid regularly whether the state can afford it nor not.”

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing and former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola (SAN); Minister of Transport and former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Ameachi; Senate President Bukola Saraki and others have been mentioned as beneficiaries of such emoluments.

Contrary, Ngige yesterday in Abuja told journalists that since leaving office, as governor of Anambra State, he has not received any salary or severance from the state.

“It is my considered opinion that

I respond in the public interest to the issue of double emoluments to former state governors, which has drawn sustained media discuss, and no less negative reactions from a cross section of Nigerians.

“I am doing this, being fully aware of the relevant sections of the law, public morality and the prevailing ethos of honest and transparent leadership which the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government is battling to enthrone. It therefore becomes imperative for me to explain my own circumstance as I neither draw from nor have at any time drawn double emoluments, having been elected or appointed into public service positions at different times,” Ngige said.

He added that: “It is on record, since I left office in 2006 as governor of Anambra State, through the four years I spent in the seventh Senate (June 2011 to 2015) and currently as the Minister

of Labour and Employment with effect from November 11, 2015, I have never drawn a dime even in the intervening period that I was not in public office, as salary, emolument or pension from the state government coffers.

“In fact, I have not received any severance benefit as prescribed in the state House of Assembly law on pensions and other welfare and benefits for former governors and deputy governors 2006 and amended in 2013. Aside the two Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) given to me some years ago, I have not accessed any of the privileges and other lawful trappings due to the office.

“It is worth stating here that the Supreme Court affirmed that I was entitled to these benefits in their landmark judgment in Mike Balonwu and others vs Anambra State Government which declared me governor, de-facto and dejure between 2003 and 2006.

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THURSDAY APRIL 28, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

Judge Hands off Abba Moro’s Case Court adjourns Metuh’s trial on health grounds Sends Lai Mohammed’s N500m libel suit for mediation Akinwale Akintunde inLagos and Alex Enumah inAbuja Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday announced that she would no longer handle the trial of the former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro.

Moro is currently being tried by the federal government on corruption-related offenses.

The judge yesterday told parties in the matter that she was returning the case file back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for reassignment to another judge.

She gave no reason for the withdrawal.

Consequently, counsel in the matter left the court one after the other when the reality dawned on them that the trial would not go on after all.

Addressing journalists shortly after proceedings, counsel to the first defendant, Akinolu Kehinde said: “We are ready for hearing but, the learned trial judge for personal reasons is transferring the case back to the chief judge for reassignment and we respect that. I am saying this so that there won’t be any need for speculation. Just take it that the matter has been sent to the chief judge for reassignment.

“We are not reading any ulterior motive to it at all as this happens from time to time.”

The federal government had arraigned Moro and four others on an 11-count charge of advance fee fraud, money laundering and breach of the Procurement Act. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges, but Moro was however, granted bail on self recognition.

A number of persons lost their lives in the recruitment exercise

into the Nigerian Immigration Services in 2014.

Meanwhile Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja has adjourned till May 17 and 18, the trial of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on January 15, 2016 arraigned Metuh and his firm, Destra Investments Limited, before the court on a seven-count charge of money laundering involving $2million cash transaction.

The decision according to Justice Abang was based on consideration of the health of the first defendant who was reportedly ill. Metuh was seen in court yesterday, when the matter came up for hearing.

At the last adjournment, a defence witness (DW1), Ike Abonyi, had told the court that Metuh’s trial was politically-motivated.

Abonyi, a media consultant to the PDP who made the disclosure during a cross-examination by counsel to the second defendant, Mr. Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN), said Metuh’s ordeals were as a result of his role as the spokesman for the PDP. According to him, “a lot us, committed members of the PDP believed that Metuh got into trouble because of the role he played, as the spokesman for the opposition Party.

At the next hearing of the matter, the defence is expected to call on its second witness.

Also, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court has directed that the N500 million libel suit filed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, against the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, be taken to mediation court.

The judge, who gave the directive yesterday, said the progress report of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) would determine a trial date for the suit.

“The file should be taken to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Prompt Administrator to set the ADR in motion.

“Now that pleadings have been closed, seven days from today please head to ADR Centre for mediation of this dispute,” Ipaye ruled.

Earlier in the proceedings, Metuh’s lawyer, U.A. Otoahine, filed two applications dated April 25 which were granted by the court.

He said: “My Lord, the first

The World Bank yesterday said it was impressed with the reforms initiated by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, at the state-run oil company in order to reposition it into a profit yielding entity.

The bank also commended Kachikwu for bringing transparency and accountability to NNPC and Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

A statement from the Group General Manager, Public Affairs of NNPC, Mallam Garuba Deen Muhammad, in Abuja contained this development.

According to the statement Managing Director of the bank, Sir Mulyani Indrawati, said this when she paid an official visit to Kachikwu in his office in Abuja.

According to Indrawati, the ‘20 fixes’ introduced by Kachikwu to the NNPC business models have gone a long way to reform the corporation for profitability.

She said the bank was ready and available to offer the ministry of petroleum resources technical support, advice and funding.

She stressed that adoption of sound policy thrusts was key in

the areas of fiscal direction, gas flare out and gas to power for Nigeria.

The statement also quoted Kachikwu to have said that since he assumed duty in August 2015, he had introduced lots of reforms ranging from the first phase of restructuring and the recent restructuring which served as enablers for the introduction of new business models that have drastically reduced the losses recorded by the NNPC in the past.

“We first started with the softer issues which were transparency issues, governance, restructuring and that was going well when we went straight into the business model.

“For example, when we came in, the NNPC was recording huge losses and we have been able to reverse that trend and if we continue with that sort of trajectory then we should be able to record profit in the near future,” said Kachikwu.

He added that a lot of institutional framework restructuring are still ongoing in all the parastatals under his watch.

According to him: “Infrastructure is the toughest gap as a lot of depots and pipelines need urgent attention and you need infrastructure, be it in the upstream and downstream sector, for you to deliver results

“It is a comedy of roles when Alhaji Lai Mohammed speaks on corruption, a topic he practices and has well learnt, being a personal aide to one of the most corrupt politicians to ever bestride the political landscape of the country.”

Mohammed, who was a onetime coordinator of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation, claimed that Metuh had injured his character in a grave manner and caused him considerable reputational destruction and embarrassment.

According to him, Metuh’s lawyer, Emeka Etiaba (SAN), had in a letter dated September 25, 2015 to the claimant’s lawyer, Wahab Shittu, admitted authoring the statement but denied that it

was Mohammed that was being referred to.

Mohammed, however, quoted Etiaba to have also referred to an earlier statement where Mohammed also attacked Metuh by stating that “the allegations of corruption hanging on his (Metuh) neck, from within his own party, is a clear indication that he is mortally afraid that the wind will soon blow hard enough to expose the fowl’s rump…”

Mohammed said he made the statement based on a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) written against Metuh on July 15, 2015 by the PDP, Nkwelle-Ezunaka Ward 1, in the Oyi Local Government chapter of Anambra State.

CONSULTATIVE FORUM

(L-R): Director, Licensing and Authorisation, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ms. Funlola Akinyode; Popular Artiste, Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (Alias D’banj); Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; Member, House of Representative Committee on Communications, Hon. Douye Diri, during the consultative forum on the provision of value added services in Nigeria in Lagos....yesterday

World Bank Gives Kachikwu Thumbs up on NNPC Reforms Chineme Okafor in Abuja

application is requesting for an extension of time to file the statement of defence and originating processes. “The second application is seeking an extension of time to file a counter-affidavit.”

Justice Ipaye, however, refused to hear the application brought by counsel to the minister, Wahab Shittu, that the case should be set down for trial.

Mohammed, a former National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had on October 12, 2015 instituted a libel suit against Metuh, demanding N500 million as compensation for the defamation of his person

by Metuh through a statement he authored and circulated on September 20, 2015.

but we will continue to throw solutions at them and try to get private sector participation.”

He said: “The other tough gap is the funding. Just sheer funding of the upstream joint venture cash calls demands a lot of money and we are not pretending about it.

Again, the President has travelled from point to point and a lot of people have offered to support.”

Kachikwu urged the World Bank to offer support in the area of institutional framework and training for the ministry and NNPC, adding that the training would provide the necessary skill sets that are required to grow Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

NNPC through the “20-fixes” which are however embedded in five cardinal business objectives that it intends to pursue, plans to amongst other initiatives, attain zero tolerance for corruption, restructure its major subsidiaries as well as enhance probity in its operations across board.

Also to be done within the initiative are, reduction and audit of running costs; restructuring of corporate centres and staff; renegotiation of existing contracts including Production Sharing Contracts (PSC); streamlining of subsidy management as well as improve security of the country’s critical petroleum pipelines.

Ayade, AMCON Boss Take Maiden Ride on Calabar Monorail Cross River State yesterday recorded another remarkable achievement following the maiden ride of its ultra-modern monorail which took off from the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort to the Calabar International Convention Centre (CICC) at the Summit Hills and back to Tinapa.

This feat is one in a series of pioneering achievements which the state is known for.

The Donald Duke’s administration was the first to introduce a cable car in Nigeria, and the longest in Africa, just as it was the first to launch a canopy walkway in Nigeria.

On board the maiden ride was the state Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, Managing Director, Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Ahmed Kuru and its top management staff, among others.

The premier monorail is designed as a transit for tourists between the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort and the 5,000 seating capacity, multipurpose Calabar International Convention Centre.

Expressing excitement shortly after embarking on the leisure ride, the Managing Director of AMCON, Kuru, said: “Cross River had done it again. First, it

was the longest cable car in Africa, then the longest canopy walkway and today we are riding on the first monorail in sub-Sahara Africa and it is something that is highly commendable.”

Kuru, who was literally wowed by the elegance and luxury of the monorail testified: “The experience was quite awesome because it gives you the opportunity to see one of the most beautiful scenery in the world and I am very impressed about what I saw.”

Speaking on the new business frontier with the state government on the management of the premier business resort, the MD said: “Like I always hold, Tinapa is more than a business, it is Nigeria’s heritage. It is important that we look at it beyond Cross River State because it is a heritage that we must work together as federal government and the state to project Nigeria which is what informed my visit to initiate this partnership.”

He explained that Tinapa is nature and technology at play that if fully harnessed and aggressively projected, can contribute immensely to the transformation of socio-economic landscape of the nation.

Responding, Ayade said the

coming of AMCON for the maiden ride was an indication that the company was willing and readily available to partner the state to revamp Tinapa.

He said: “As you rightly heard from the AMCON MD, Tinapa is not only a heritage, it is the pride of Nigeria and AMCON is here to give a helping hand to resuscitate this robust and tantalising resort and bring it to its full potential in addition to what they are proposing to add.

“So for me, this new frontier with AMCON, which is talking about a partnership that has two vibrant technocrats with bright ideas and strong belief in Nigeria as a nation, is the one that will definitely translate into grater fortunes for Cross River and Nigeria at large.”

Lauding the new leadership of the asset company, Ayade said: “I am so glad that today in AMCON, we have a man who believes in true leader. It is only when we rise above ethnic sentiments and embrace governance while also allowing business to thrive by its natural forces that we will survive as a nation. AMCON has today demonstrated true leadership and has shown not just the love for Cross River State but love for Nigeria at large.”

T H I S D AY THURSDAY APRIL 28, 2016

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T H I S D AY • MONDAY APRIL 28, 2016

COMMENT

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

GREEN IN THEIR EYES

Okonjo-Iweala, former finance minister, has moved on, writes Temisan Jackson

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n recent times, the news space has been awash with news and opinion articles about the immediate past finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Most of the features have stemmed from people with questionable character and, unfortunately, the local media have been complicit in aiding their spread.

As if her continuous strides in the international horizon are touching old wounds, Okonjo-Iweala has been accused of too many things in recent times: from being the one behind the inability of the current administration to run the economy well to alleging that she blamed former President Goodluck Jonathan for not having political will. The latest of these is some silly report that she slams the change agenda of the Buhari government and claims that both Muhammadu Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo are only interested in oil blocs.

The impression these writers and their media partners are trying to convey is that Okonjo-Iweala is still immersed in Nigerian politics after May 29, 2015; whereas, in actual fact, the woman has moved on. After bowing out as finance minister, she has gone ahead to become the chair of GAVI, owned by multi-billionaire Bill Gates. She has also been appointed to chair the board of Lazard, a 168-year old financial advisory and asset management firm. She also chairs ARCapacity, a specialised agency of the African Union with focus on disaster risk solutions across member states. Not to forget that she has received more awards and has been sighted everywhere abroad and at home among the people that matter, and no one has pointed an accusing finger at her in any of those occasions.

You then have to ask, what is this obsession with Okonjo-Iweala amongst local crooks? This woman has left government about a year ago and is minding her business.

Much unlike most of the political jobbers in Nigeria, she has a profession and she is busy exercising it. Why can’t she be left alone? Who is afraid of or obsessed with this lady? Is it the corrupt elements she fought to a standstill while in government? It is amazing that more than a year later, these corrupt people cannot let go and are still smarting from their losses which her process checked. But by attacking her on a daily basis they are only making her very famous as the world is astonished at their stupidity.

When the news of her accusing GEJ of lacking political will broke, knowing her as a tactful person, it was clear it’s another legendary distortion. So I wasn’t surprised when

THIS ADMINISTRATION IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO ALTER THE FUEL AND POWER DYNAMICS, BECAUSE WE SIMPLY CANNOT CONTINUE TO EXPECT OUR GOVERNMENT TO PRODUCE, PRICE AND SELL PRODUCTS EFFICIENTLY

Paul Nwabuikwu, her media aide came out with a forthright rebuttal. As she explained, and recent history confirms, it wasn’t lack of political will on the part of Jonathan, but the stubborn opposition of some governors who are now federal ministers and key members of the ruling government that hindered efforts to save when oil prices were high. That history is known to all of us, so there is no point doing the mischief of rewriting it. Such attempts only help to expose the motives of the peddlers.

Per the ridiculous feature which several websites have now published that she lambasted Obasanjo and Buhari as only interested in oil blocs and not change, it looks like one of those publications sponsored by people who have decided their mission is to tarnish her image, as the badly written story is another attempt to pitch OBJ and PMB against her.

This was the same tactic used in 2007 by a former minister, now governor, after she left the Obasanjo government. This man kept planting false stories about her in the media and in the hearing of Obasanjo, to the point that she turned the former president against Okonjo-Iweala until he became wiser as to what was going on, and that was after she had publicly confronted the diminutive man about his mischievous activities.

The ludicrous thing about this development in our nation is that many of our local media gleefully published such spurious allegations without checking their facts. Perhaps, they do not know Okonjo-Iweala has successfully sued two media outfits for libelous publications.

For those who are saying she is partly to blame for whatever failures of the last administration, why don’t they also blame President Buhari for the misdeeds of the Abacha government since he served there? Is Buhari to be blamed for the billions of dollars stolen by Abacha? These opinion hawkers are nothing but hypocritical. Someone who left her posh job at the World Bank and came to serve her fatherland, improving processes and building all the systems now in use by the current government, should not be maligned in such carefree manner.

The truth is the level of Okonjo-Iweala has changed, but these vested interests and uninformed persons don’t seem to understand this. She has passed where she was when we knew her as finance minister. She has gone global and is waxing greater in profile. She is now an icon of our dear country and the world.

Jackson wrote from Warri, Delta State.

WHAT’S NEW IS OLD AGAIN (2)

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One year in the saddle, Governor Ikpeazu of Abia is yet to get it right, reckons Nnanna Ijomah

et’s take a look at what his counterpart in Kaduna State did.

El-Rufai despite being a religious and ethnic bigot had the good sense to reduce the number of his commissioners from 24 to 13 and the number of permanent Secretaries from 38 to 13 as well as cutting his salary and that of his deputy by 50 per cent. In Kaduna State salaries are paid. This has been possible because the governor has done everything possible to cut cost by attrition and the removal of ghost workers. Governor Ikpeazu on the other has done the opposite.

Despite his acclaimed biometric exercise, workers are still owed their emoluments.

No matter how hard he tries to conceal his know- nothingness by always reminding us of his Ph.D degree, his ignorance shines forth. I challenge him as others have done to make public his 2016 state budget so as to enable us see what it contains, scrutinise and suggest changes. The question is, what is he hiding? Like his predecessor, he too has refused to organise local government elections. The plan is to appoint transition chairmen who again will be turned into Peoples Democratic Party polling agents in 2019. That way he will be able to continue the hijacking of the federal government funds meant for local government councils .To make matters worse he is continually enabled by a state media with their praise singing and heaps of accolades having turned themselves into lap dogs instead of watch dogs.

Despite all his incompetence and lack of vision as governor, there are still people who claim he is a messiah, which makes me want to throw up. Their perplexity echoes the alarming state of denial they often display.

For some, not all from the Ngwa extraction,

presumably, the only group in Abia still singing his praises, their continued support for Dr. Ikpeazu is not based on any governing intellect, experience or even false evidence of vision. For this group, the incoherent truth is bitter and hard for them to swallow. All over social media, when they are confronted with the governor’s poor performance, they always respond like a child who failed his exams and his only defence is to say the subject was difficult and besides two of his friends also failed. They forget that that when you are elected into a political office, failure is not an option. As a governor, you are responsible for the improved welfare and security of your citizens. With this governor, the clock of progress in Abia State seems to have been set backwards. Their standard of living has taken a severe hit. Many are so disappointed that they have begun to deny Abia as their state and claim Anambra where the APGA governor seems to be a transformative leader.

Again despite his mediocre accomplishments Dr. Ikpeazu and his band of comedians are not receptive to constructive criticisms of any kind. They call those of us who are critical of his performance ‘wailing Wailers”, but then they themselves are far from smiling, but suffering in silence. They ask us to go and hug transformers, forgetting that presently the transformers in Nigeria do not generate or transmit any electricity, thereby rendering them harmless. What they want is a culture of silence. But the Governor is not well served if all he hears are the sweet nothings whispered into his ears by the sycophants around him. As usual our leaders, Ikpeazu included, do not learn from history. They forget power is ephemeral. It is here today and gone tomorrow. Those who sing his praises today will be nowhere to be

found when things start going bad or when he is out of power. Like Ochendo before him, the sycophants who were defending and applauding his incompetence are the same people who will bad mouth him tomorrow and deservedly so.

For a governor whose victory was dubious and popular support from Abians lacking at best, his job performance so far is a disgrace.

For those who continue to support him, irrationally to the point of fanaticism and denials, I make bold to predict that in no distant time, their present love affair will turn into a tortured one. One that grits its teeth, girds it loins and pines for a transformative leader like Alex Otti. It is going to be a love affair worn down into resignation and disgust. In time, their praise singing for him will go down in political history as some of the most constipated hosannas ever rendered. By the end of his term, they will discover that individually and collectively their standards of living have not improved but have taken a turn for the worse. They will experience a buyer’s remorse for the can of goods they were sold and that there’s no immediate hope on the horizon until 2019. All any one needs to do is to look at the rate of development in other South-east and South -South states and you begin to wonder if Abia is indeed Gods own state” or the devils paradise.

I therefore, challenge those who may be inclined to come after me after reading this article, to search their conscience before doing so and ask themselves if this is what they hoped for when they voted for Ikpeazu.

I implore them to go on a tour of Umuahia, the supposed state capital with its dirt and decay, vultures having a field day on the refuse dump close to the Government House and other parts of the city. I beseech them

to visit the Enyimba City of Aba and in doing so get themselves canoes to help them navigate the roads that have been turned to creeks. I plead with them to visit our crumbling school buildings with their lack of desks, computers, books, not to mention a demoralised and unenthusiastic teaching staff who are still owed their salaries. I ask them to visit our hospitals where patients sleep on the floor for lack of beds and where to be admitted into any of them is tantamount to a death sentence. I urge them to look closely at the faces of our youths and thousands of unemployed graduates and see the despondency in their eyes and their resignation to a life of misery and poverty. I ask them to speak to their friends and relatives in the state civil service who are owed salaries and enquire how they are able to pay their rent, feed their families or pay their children’s exorbitant ABSU school fees. When they have done all this and still think Governor Ikpeazu’s one year in office deserves a better grade, then they can call me all the names they can conjure. They can then proceed to attack and rain abuses on me as much as they want for all I care, but I will not be deterred from speaking the truth. In time posterity will judge us all. The truth may be bitter for them to ingest but it has to be said if not by me, by someone else. We do this because of our love for Abia State and the welfare of its people. We can do better and we must do better as a state.

Every true leader must have an appetite for constructive criticism. He must welcome it, grab it with open arms, learn from them and make amends. Such is the true test of transformative leadership.

Ijomah is a New York based Political Science lecturer

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T H I S D AY MONDAY APRIL 28, 2016

EDITORIAL THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY VEHICLE SCANDAL

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The decision by the National Assembly to buy luxury cars in these lean times is insensitive

espite strong opposition from members of the public, the Senate has taken delivery of no fewer than 36 Toyota Land Cruiser Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) at N35 million apiece, a cost that is reportedly far higher than their market value.

The House of Representatives has also given out a letter of intent to Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) to supply 360 vehicles for each member at a total cost of N3.6 billion. But as critical stakeholders who have waded in have argued, for the legislators to prioritise buying for themselves some luxury vehicles at a time most Nigerians are going through difficult times demonstrates a high level of insensitivity and recklessness.

Indeed, at a period when there is a compelling need for the elected representatives of the people to ensure robust and timely legislation, and oversight so that Nigerians can begin to derive the benefits of good governance, the lawmakers seem to care more about their privileges.

THE SHEER LACK Indeed, this session OF TRANSPARENCY of the National THAT SHROUDS THIS Assembly, especially TRANSACTION AND THE the Senate, is about MAGNITUDE OF THE to set the standard on FINANCIAL OUTLAY ARE how a legislature can REFLECTIVE OF THE become a subversion ENORMOUS ROT IN OUR of all the ethical SYSTEM TODAY aspirations that ought to drive a society.

On this particular matter of 108 (or 36) SUVs, for instance, despite monetisation, and after collecting some spurious car loans just a few months ago, it is unfortunate that Nigerians would be wasting time debating the propriety of senators who, oblivious to the hunger in the land, would go and acquire some expensive toys essentially to satisfy their greed. If these cars are needed for necessary oversight trips to difficult terrains as being touted, why not buy

Letters to the Editor

a dozen of such vehicles and put them in a pool that senators can sign for when such official trips become imperative?

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BUHARI AND THE WAR AGAINST BOKO HARAM

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hen U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry spoke at a joint press conference with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, he lauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against terrorism and his successful efforts in curbing insurgency in Nigeria. He was speaking from facts.

Over the last 10 months since Buhari was sworn in as president, there has been a palpable change in stories that have emanated from the North-eastern part of our country.

From daily bomb-blasts at market places, to attacks on places of worship; from Boko Haram making nervy claims to Nigerian territory and hoisting their flags to spite our sovereignty, to the kidnap of our young promising boys and girls; from military commanders wining and dining in the capital city even during the heat of war, to our indefatigable soldiers in the battlefront complaining of lack of bullets; from mothers and wives of our gallant forces protesting against poor welfare to their sons and husbands, to battalions fleeing at the sight of Boko Haram Hilux Trucks. These facts dominated the media space at some point in time. But they have changed.

A week ago, a soccer match was played in the heart of Borno State between the El Kanemi Warriors against the Shooting Stars of Ibadan. The last time the Warriors stepped out for a game on that turf was three years ago.

Over the past three years, Nigerians were scared to go to places of worship for fear of untimely bomb blasts or for fear of a random shooting from the vile Boko Haram

r. Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) rightly described as “appalling, insensitive and greedy”, the decision of the Senate, coming after their collection of car “loans” in August 2015 for the same purpose. “It is equally morally despicable and shameful that they are doing this after publicly admitting that the standing committees of the Senate are unable to perform their statutory functions due to the paucity of funds,” said Wabba. “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress equally consider it a wilful and grievous criminal act, the inflation of the unit cost of each of the cars by over a 100 per cent, as each car supposedly cost N35.1 million instead of N17 million.” Wondering whether the funds could not have been put to better use such as the constituency projects of the same senators, especially at a time Nigerians face severe economic challenges, the NLC described as laughable and childish the defence offered by the Senate spokesperson, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi that “special advisers use jeeps, why not senators?”

We align ourselves with those views. But more worrying is that beyond this particular malfeasance is the institutional corruption for which the National Assembly seems to be very notorious. The controversy over the yet-to-be signed 2016 budget exemplifies this concern but what is even more galling is that our lawmakers act in a manner that suggests they care little about the public mood.

The sheer lack of transparency that shrouds this transaction and the magnitude of the financial outlay are reflective of the enormous rot in our system today. While we do not believe the senators who have already taken possession of the vehicles will return them, we hope they will understand that they are fast losing credibility with the Nigerian people they are expected to serve.

sect. But today that fact has changed. In several communities around the North-east, not only have Churches and Mosques been rebuilt, worship of the creator in His sanctuary has returned.

Indeed it became obvious at some point that Nigerians seemed to have lost empathy: the constant news headlines of attacks and bomb blasts, killings, shootings and kidnappings left many affectionless. The question then was not about who died, but where the attack hit; the casualties were too many; keeping track was a chore; the dead became mere numbers.

But these facts are fast becoming past tense.

Only last weekend, the Army Chief, Lieutenant-General Buratai reopened the Damaturu-Biu Road that had been shut for over three years. This act has sparked a renaissance of socio-economic activities in that area.

In droves, families of the Buni Yadi Community, taking the now opened Damaturu-Biu route joyfully returned to clean up their homes and settle in. Most have begun setting back their businesses up, as economic activities have slowly returned to many other communities in the North-east.

The IDP Camps that once formed their temporary abodes are emptying. Hope for a return, once a figment, is now a tactile reality.

In the last six months, more than 200 top Boko Haram kingpins have been arrested, including many who matched the faces of those on the 100 Most Wanted Terrorists list released by the military.

Johannes Tobi Wojuola, Abuja

DO NIGERIANS OWE TINUBU THE PRESIDENCY?

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s a virtuous Nigerian, I have continued to ask myself again and again if indeed we owe the former Lagos State Governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu the slot to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While on the surface, Tinubu is seen as the saviour of the Nigerian opposition; standing firm as the only person who could look up to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in that era; those who look beyond the ordinary will see that Tinubu, already to a very large extent, owns the presidency. For a fact, the recent open letter written by the Senate President Bukola Saraki in response to an earlier piece by veteran journalist, Dele Momodu has brought to the public the initial hopes of Tinubu to vie for the post of vice-president on a joint ticket with Candidate Muhammadu Buhari.

That Asiwaju Bola Tinubu could even think of becoming the vice-president and making efforts in this regards remains disheartening to many Nigerians.

Nigerians, as well do not forget how former Rivers State Governor and Director – General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Committee, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, was schemed out of the race of becoming vice president by this same cabal led by Bola Tinubu. Right from the NADECO days, the push by Tinubu to be at the helm of affairs, no matter what, has always been visible as he remains an ambitious Nigerian.

We cannot but focus a little on the hold that Tinubu has on the presidency, apart from having the office of the vice-president by proxy, Tinubu has his key henchmen such as Babatunde Fashola, Ade Ipaye, Ben Akabueze, Orelope – Adefulire and Femi Ojudu in different appointments as top aides to President Buhari. This leaves one to imagine what else the former senator and governor – emeritus of Lagos wants.

Olalekan Alabi, Abuja

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016

POLITICS

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

T H E G U B E R N AT O R I A L I N T E RV I E W

Ngige: Nigerians are Lucky to Have Buhari The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, in this interview with Charles Onyekamuo, fielded questions on a wide range of issues, including the despondency among Nigerians over the slow pace of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to bring about the change promised by the All Progressives Congress party. Excerpts:

B

y May 29, the Buhari administration will be a year in office and so far, a majority of Nigerians are disappointed with the state of the nation. What really is the problem?

Well, first and foremost, I have to thank the Nigerian people for electing us, for believing in us and our mantra of change. I can tell you unequivocally here that we have a four year mandate, and within this period, Nigerians will smile. The question of being despondent now after just ten months of the administration should not arise. You Know that as the Igbos say, to start to cry is usually very difficult, but when you start, the tears flow. I am going to tell you that we are in our tenth month of a-four-year tenure, and a-four-year tenure is 48 months, so we have 38 months left.

But within the 10 months in question, what have we achieved? We promised Nigerians change, change in the way things are being done, change from corruption, and its tentacles – that we shall fight it to a standstill. We promised them infrastructure development. We are going to tackle manpower, transportation, air and land.

We are going to look at Agriculture, we are going to look at employment which is part of the economy, and we also promised them that we shall in conformity with the Nigerian government, make sure that the primary focus of our government is security – securing the lives and property of the citizens of Nigeria. In that 2015, we told them we were going to defend the constitution; that the material resources of the country will be deployed to general use, not being cornered by a select few.

Ngige...we’ll deliver on our mandate

One thing Nigerians should be grateful for is that it is President Buhari that is in the saddle now.

All areas of leakages have been plugged; even we in the federal cabinet are cooperating. None of us ministers has bought any new cars as official car. In fact, our February and March salaries were paid just the other day.

The running cost of government has come down. No frivolous trips, no retinue of aides, special advisers must be sourced from the federal civil service, same as personal assistants. No minister will fly first class. A lot of sacrifices are being made

So, which of these has the government achieved?

First, we have faced the issue of security.

Let’s look in the area of security, before this administration came, Boko Haram was a scourge.

They had taken 14 local governments in the North Eastern States of the Country. They had hoisted their flags in the north east; they had become what you can call theocratic states and theocratic local governments. They were trying to drive out the governors of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa from office. From Madagali, they were moving to see if they could take Yola; they were moving from Sambisa and Gwoza to see if they could take Maiduguri; they made inroad into Maiduguri many times.

They made incursions into Yobe and got up to Government House.

But when we came, our President, a tested and trusted leader and a general of the army said I will have no more of this nonsense.

He moved the Army command headquarters into Borno, Maiduguri and overhauled the command structure and put in more funds, material resources, money, arms, armament of all sorts and there was a balance of terrors.

The army started pushing them, and today they are no longer a big fighting force; they are now ready for negotiation.

Even the Boko Haram hostages are being released. The Chibok girls who are still in their custody, the latest Video clips have shown that they are still alive, and we will do something.

When two sides go to war, even the side that defeated still comes to a round table for

negotiation. So, this government will negotiate terms with the Boko Haram when necessary, and the Chibok girls will be released. Military operations can do that, but if they do, it may result in casualties and fatalities.

This is just security. On corruption, we have fought it to a standstill. A lot of money had been recovered. We stopped the fuel subsidy, which trillions had gone into. We are no longer subsidising, we are no longer doing subsidy. The money for the subsidy is in the kitty, it is going to be used to fund the federal budget for 2016.

Recovering has also been made. Some people say why not put the money into the system to ameliorate the suffering of the people, but things are not done like that. They should go through the right process. All monies derivable from export, from oil go into the federation account, from where they are to be distributed according to revenue derivation formula. So, this money is in a special account in the CBN, and would be put into the budget and appropriated for Nigerian people by necessary organ of government which is the national assembly.

On the economy, the budget is there. For the first time, we are having a budget going into capital expenditure in the neighborhood of 35%.

This is the first time. We are not playing as a government, and that is why the government was even ready to borrow to finance the capital because that is the only way we can relate this economy, because it was almost going into recession. Oil has moved from over $105 per barrel to $35 per barrel, so the earnings

of the country, in a mono earning economy like ours have dwindled by 66 to 10%, and it is no mean feat to run a government in this particular situation.

But we are up to the billing. We have put on our thinking cap. One thing Nigerians should be grateful for is that it is President Buhari that is in the saddle now. All areas of leakages have been plugged; even we in the federal cabinet are cooperating. None of us ministers has bought any new cars as official car. In fact, our February and March salaries were paid just the other day.

The running cost of government has come down. No frivolous trips, no retinue of aides, special advisers must be sourced from the federal civil service, same as personal assistants. No minister will fly first class. A lot of sacrifices are being made. Show me the leader and I will tell you the kind of government we have.

So, our leader is leading by example. He has not bought any new car; he is using the cars bequeathed to him by Jonathan.

So, we have plugged the area of leakages and now we have some resources. That is why the federal government does not owe salaries and wages. We want to fight unemployment and social protection safety nets. The government has budgeted N500 billion, with which to do intervention skills. These intervention skills are safety protection in nature. Five hundred thousand graduate teachers we are going to CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016

INTERVIEW NGIGE: NIGERIANS ARE LUCKY TO HAVE BUHARI employ them. Whether it is Engineering that you read, whether it is law, humanity, physical science, biological science, we want to move half a million people from the pool of army of unemployed graduates, who if we leave them for some time will constitute social security risk.

Next to that is the skill acquisition programme and vocational training, which we are going to give to 300,000 persons, who for no fault of theirs did not attain university education, but only have the O level certificate. Some may not even have, but so long as they are literate enough to read, we will teach them painting, carpentry and furniture making, fashion design, tailoring, POP making, tilling, brick making, and others, and the good thing about it is that at the level of the NDE, they receive what we can call basic training, and their skills, their labour can be exported for them to earn money.

Our education curriculum is not so wonderful in the area of skill acquisition. We are also looking at it again. Agriculture is another area of diversification we are looking at and we have selected key areas in agriculture, and entrepreneurship, by which young people will be made to farm. You give them capital, give them fertilizers, seedlings, extension services workers to oversee what they are doing and when the programmes come out, they will be able to employ themselves. We also have the graduate internship scheme, which is there.

Then we have the conditional cash transfers, where we will have people like the market women receive micro credits. All these are blue collar jobs.

But the question remains: when will Nigerians begin to enjoy all these?

As soon as the budget is signed, you will see a difference in things and also appreciate the works we are doing now. We sympathise with Nigerians and appreciate all they are going through, especially in the cost of petrol. The issue of fuel scarcity did not also start today, we are doing fundamental restructuring in NNPC, in the way business is done in NNPC, and that is why you are seeing the queues. We are doing fundamental restructuring in the downstream sector of distribution, and even in the upstream.

In the upstream for example, the refineries are working, but they are not working optimally.

Refineries cannot work at 10% or 50% and you say they are okay. It is because of the dilapidation that took place in the over 16 years of the PDP. Somehow, if you talk about the rising cost of food, it is because of dilapidation, neglect of the agricultural sector. Everything that has been mounting and no one has paid good attention to it except lip service. For the first time, we have dissected, we know the problems and we are facing them transparently, and that is what matters. We are not facing them with corrupt tendencies.

You know Buhari doesn’t do deals and Chris Ngige doesn’t need any deal. If someone tells you I need any deal, then confront me with it. Chief Audu Ogbe doesn’t need a deal, Babatunde Fashola doesn’t need a deal, Ogbonnaya Onu doesn’t need a deal. I can go on and on mentioning people here. For us, our reputation is at stake. Anambra people know me, and they know I do not say what I will not do, and I am telling the Igbo people of the South-east that this government will deliver.

The same way I told them that the APC will win and they did not believe me, I am telling them that this government will deliver.

Midway into the tenure of this administration, it will be Alleluia, alleluia, and clapping of hands all over the place. We are lucky we have a president, who does not discriminate based on tribe, religion or anything else. He believes in what is correct and what is good, and I can tell you that the masses of Nigeria will smile.

I am telling you that before the close of the next 18 months, you will see all these things.

Now, the relationship between the senate and the presidency smacks of mistrust and that could be seen in the way the budget has been handled. What do you think are the areas that had bred such mistrust?

First of all, I do not want to say there is suspicion. Yes there could be misunderstanding earlier on during the election of the principal officers of the National of Assembly, and that misunderstanding arose from the fact that the president decided to play neutral, and having played neutral, the tendency is that you will not be anybody’s friend because no one will

Buhari means really well

agree that you did not help the other person, but we who are in the APC party structure and belong to the highest organ of the party know that we enjoy good relationship with them.

However, the 2016 budget, people should look at it and look at the genesis of the problem.

The genesis of the problem arose from the fact that when the calls for budget were done, some bureaucrats, some technocrats, some civil servants tampered with the budget out of mischief, just to feather their nests. Some other group of civil servants, out of carelessness or ignorance missed out vital items in the budget. So, the budget that first went to the National Assembly had

You know Buhari doesn’t do deals and Chris Ngige doesn’t need any deal. If someone tells you I need any deal, then confront me with it.

Chief Audu Ogbe doesn’t need a deal, Babatunde Fashola doesn’t need a deal, Ogbonnaya Onu doesn’t need a deal.

I can go on and on mentioning people here. For us, our reputation is at stake.

Anambra people know me, and they know I do not say what I will not do, and I am telling the Igbo people of the South-east that this government will deliver

a lot of omissions, and corrections were done.

And details were not in the aggregate sum of the budget.

So, the budget was actually returned and the national planning commission that was in charge of budget took the corrections and omissions and corrected them and sent back.

It’s the ministries that detected these omissions and applied to the planning commission for corrections. At the same time the ministries were doing this, they were supposed to be going to their various committees in the National Assembly to defend their budgets. Therefore, in a two way double pronged attack, as they were sending to the budget office, national planning commission and budget, they were also taking advantage of their budget defence to defend those corrections they had corrected.

Budget making process starts at committee level and nothing stops a minister, who has gotten clearance of omission or an error from the budget office and national planning from tendering same to his committee. I was a deputy chairman of committee, I have gone through budget cycles, I did five budget cycles; a budget supplementary cycle in 2011, and I did four other ones, making altogether five. I was a chief Executive of a state too, I sent budgets to my House of Assembly, and I know also what is involved. Nothing says a minister cannot take a correction or omission that has been accepted and formalised at our budget office into the committee for defence.

As a matter of fact, the committee is better guided if such a minister detects this at that particular level. It is after the committee level that it now goes to the appropriation committee of the Senate or the House of Representatives.

These places are collation points. After their collation; the senate will collate and the House of Representatives will collate and then there is a joint sitting of both houses, and after the joint sitting, they send them to their respective houses as harmonized versions. We operate a bicameral legislature and that is why we have bicameralism, because two heads are better than one. So, it is after that that the respective houses now pass and send to the president for assent, and for as long as the president has not assented, appended his signature, it is still a bill. When he assents it becomes a money law; it becomes an act. Therefore, there is no suspicion, we simply detected some errors and omissions and we sent them back, and when they brought us back the details, even though the aggregate sum is still the same, we still saw that some errors and corrections we made were still omitted. I don’t know if that could be called distrust.

Is the Lagos-Calabar rail line part of the omission?

Yes, it was part of the omission. It was part of the

original omission when the president presented the bill, and when it was spotted, we corrected it. The ministry of transport corrected and the national planning commission transmitted it. You have a right to correct. That rail way line is a very strategic project. It is called Lagos-Calabar, but that railway line will go from calabar into Ikot Ekpene, to Aba, to Owerri, to Onitsha, to Asaba, Benin and passing through a lot of South-west capitals and cities to terminate in Lagos. It will carry a lot of goods and services and less pressure will be on the roads. Then another arm of it will come from Port Harcourt and join them at Aba. So it is a critical Railway artery, light transport artery. So it was a very big omission. So, for me, nothing is lost, anyone can make a mistake. After all, we made the first mistake.

So if the mistake happened in the National Assembly, there is no loss of face, it could still be corrected, and that is where I thank the speaker and members of the House of Representatives for the maturity they showed and the able way they took up the issue. Even the senators of the South South, South East and South West have also lived up to their billings. It’s not a tribal thing, but when you are doing something to balance, Nigerians will still recognize that. So if there is a railway transport that moves from Lagos to Ibadan, llorin and getting up to Kano, and it should even move from Kano and get up to Maiduguri and Yobe and to the farthest ends of Nigeria, we will have evacuation of agricultural products. Road transport is not the answer, heavy goods and services are supposed to move by rail, and that is what it is in other climes.

Will government consider a rail line too from the North to the East?

Yes, there is a north east rail line, which runs from Port Harcourt to Enugu, to Makurdi, to Katsina Ala, to Zaria and Zaria to Kaduna, but the important thing is to start with this (Calabar-Lagos rail line), and all of them can be synchronised, then we will have a linkage. And once Nigeria gets the railways right, there will be less pressure on the roads, all the haulage, cement you are seeing will all get into the railway lines. Petroleum products will move in the railway lines.

In December 2015, the court of Appeal annulled the election of a sitting senator for Anambra Central Senatorial District and ordered a rerun within 90 days. You are supposed to participate in that election. The election was supposed to hold on March 5, but for the order of a high court in Abuja which said PDP should be included. Before then however, you did not indicate interest and your party appeared not ready too. Why? No, that is not true. My party was ready and also did a primary to pick someone that will be substituted with me. My people met and agreed that I should carry on with the national assignment given to me by Mr. President. They said for the president to choose me to help fight the scourge of unemployment was a big vote of confidence, and I now made a request to the party asking them to hold a primary and elect a substitute, and we had done that before INEC threw a spanner in the works and said we did not have a right to substitute.

They also told PDP they do not have a right to choose a fresh candidate, and the judgment you spoke about was gotten by PDP to force INEC to let it participate, but my party is also in court, asking them that we have a right to substitute. The case is coming up soon, and there is also a plethora of litigations, because the court of appeal in Enugu ordered that the election be conducted within 90 days, and 90 days have elapsed, so some other people had gone to court to say because the 90 days had passed INEC does not have the power to conduct the elections any more.

Does this mean Anambra Central will not have a representative in the senate for this assembly?

I do not know. Only INEC and the court can answer that now. When they give their judgments, they may factor these in. Any election you conduct now is just a risk because some people may go and get it nullified on the grounds that it is not in consonance with the Court of Appeal judgment. So, we are watching, but meanwhile, I will continue to do my work and fight the scourge of unemployment.

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016

INTERVIEW

Hangover from Power Ruined PDP, Says Mantu Former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu, was recently in Calabar, Cross River State. He granted an interview to select journalists on crucial national issues, especially those pertaining to his party, the PDP. Bassey Inyang presents the excerpts:

F

rom your assessment of political events in the country, what is your view on the future of the PDP and its quest to return to power at the federal level in 2019?

I believe that PDP remains the largest party in Africa because despite the fact that it is in the opposition now, it has more ordinary membership-followership, the largest in Nigeria because after all, PDP defeated itself. I believe that the victory of the APC was facilitated by the PDP. Those who were disgruntled decided that, ‘okay, if you deny me having my right because you use your control and power over the party, you are not going to use your power over my vote. So, PDP members voted against PDP. And that was why APC actually won the elections.

For that reason, I believe that the lesson the PDP as a party ought to have learnt, they have now learnt that lesson. You must actually subject yourself to the will of the people, you must always respect the voice of the people, and you must always ensure that you play the game in accordance with your party’s constitution.

In other words, due process must be followed, which was of course thrown to the dogs because for 16 years of our being in power, power now went into the head of the PDP and they became power drunk. So, when you are power drunk, just like anybody who is drunk, you will definitely misstep. That was what happened to the PDP. The hangover of being too long in power made them to begin to feel that the people no longer matter; they will always have their way and they don’t have to rely on the votes of the people. But the Nigerian people have spoken and have proven to them that their votes are the ones that actually put them in that power.

Having realised that, we are now like, we have purged ourselves, we have now realised that we must respect the views of the people, we have now realised that our constitution must be followed, we have now realised that things must be done in accordance with our party guidelines and so on. In other words, due process must be followed.

So, if we demonstrate that in the way we conduct our congresses and convention, and people see a great departure from what we used to do, then they will now trust that yes, we have learnt our lessons. You know Nigerians are very forgiving.

Once they realise that you made a mistake and you say ‘look, I made a mistake, I am now born again forgive me’, Nigerians will forgive you and give you another chance again.

We are hoping, like you said rightly, that the forth-coming conventions and congresses would make or mar, and Nigerians will see whether we have truly learnt a lesson from our past mistakes. If we do it well, then we shall now earn back their confidence. They will now get us back to the Villa in 2019.

The congresses and convention would require instilling internal democracy in the PDP from the ward level to the national level in electing delegates and party officials, perhaps even if it means adopting the option A-4. So, how prepared is your party to ensure internal democracy prevails at the congresses and convention?

Whether option A-4 or whatever option, the fact is that the guidelines of the party must be religiously adhered to. The people must, you know, elect those they want. There should be no imposition or some powerful people just having their anointed ones as the leaders of the party at different levels.

As long as we demonstrate to the Nigerian people that we have learnt our lessons, and we are going to do things in accordance with our party’s constitution and guidelines, we are going to follow due process, and they see that being demonstrated at all levels, then like I said, we are going to restore the confidence of the people to the PDP. What explanation do you have for those who

Plateau State where you hail from is one of the places PDP suffered defeat in the hands of APC in 2015. Do you see the PDP bouncing back in Plateau too in 2019?

The problem in Plateau State is not different from the problem the PDP had in the country.

Like I told you earlier, PDP defeated PDP. In the case of Plateau State, the governor having spent his eight years in office brought his cousin to continue whereas a particular zone in the state, the southern zone had not had a chance since 1999.

So, it was the turn of the southern zone to produce a governor. But the governor, who comes from the northern zone, having spent eight years, wanted his cousin to continue because he believes he could use the power of incumbency to get that done and the people said no. That is why they elected an APC candidate, who comes from the southern part of the state.

So, and again, it was the PDP that voted for the APC candidate because the APC now picked a candidate from an area that was disadvantaged, which was likely to produce the governor. Our politics is not one that shows that APC is more popular than PDP. No! If the PDP does things right, it will definitely bounce back.

Plateau State, Benue State, all these are very strong PDP natural constituencies. But again, you know the case in Benue. After the governor asked the minister to resign his position as minister to come and pick up the ticket, you now came and ditched him at the last minute and the same person now went to the APC and was elected. So, you can see clearly that the party was definitely on ground, but they messed themselves up by doing the wrong things.

Mantu...we have a fresh opportunity to get it right

argue that it is too early for your party to zone its presidential election ticket to the north for the 2019 general election?

Whether it is too early or too late, that is not the issue. The issue is keeping faith with whatever decision we have taken. An intention – if the intention is genuine and sincere – can always come to fruition. But if an intention is not sincere, then no matter what, no matter how long it takes, it will not actually come to fruition.

So, what is important is that we realised that the north was short-changed in the last dispensation and that led to our losing elections because everybody expected constitutionally that Jonathan Goodluck would complete the

When you are power drunk, just like anybody who is drunk, you will definitely misstep. That was what happened to the PDP. The hangover of being too long in power made them to begin to feel that the people no longer matter; they will always have their way and they don’t have to rely on the votes of the people. But the Nigerian people have spoken and have proven to them that their votes are the ones that actually put them in that power

unexpired term of (President Umaru) Yar’ Adua, which is constitutional. But having completed the unexpired term of Yar’Adua, he should have allowed the north to complete their four years, which he did not agree.

Of course, with the backing of a powerful group in the PDP, they agreed that the incumbent president should go in for the remaining four years of the north.

And of course, that proved negative reaction from the northerners. So, this time around, we are saying that we should not make the same mistakes again, particularly now that the APC presidential candidate is from the north. We must correct whatever mistakes we made in the past by going back to the north to source for our presidential candidate so we could use that to pacify the north and also win votes.

How do you place the decision of the PDP side-by-side with years of agitation from the South-east for the presidential ticket in 2019?

In the PDP constitution, zoning is a cardinal principle and one of the most important policies of the party. But even in doing that, key positions are zoned between north and south. So, each time the presidency is zoned to the north, all three zones in the north are entitled to aspire to that position.

Whoever gets it, fine! If the presidency is zoned to the south, the three zones in the south are also entitled to aspire to that position. So, the fact that the South-east has not actually occupied that position is not anybody’s fault because since 1999, the South has had twelve years.

The first opportunity was occupied by Southwest. Another opportunity came and went to the north. Yar’Adua came, but he died. Then Goodluck completed the unexpired term. Now, after the constitutionally required period was over, the north should have followed. So, in this particular case, the north was short-changed.

So, we are being fair to everybody. I don’t think there is any part of the country that can blame the party for not getting it. Remember that (Dr. Alex) Ekwueme was a candidate. If he had won, the east would have had it.

A lot of founding members of the PDP have left the party to join the APC or have chosen to become non-aligned or bi-partisan, what is your party doing to get back some, if not all of them?

For your information, I am the deputy chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee of the PDP. We are staring our work. We are going to be inaugurated as a sub-committee. We believe that most people, who have left the PDP didn’t leave the PDP because they were not in love with the PDP, but we found ourselves where the characteristics of the PDP as a responsible political organisation that respects the constitution of the party, and does things in accordance with the expectations of the people; we found out that over the years we were deviating from and conducting ourselves not in accordance with the party’s constitution and this never went down well with a lot of the people.

This impunity, imposition and all those sorts of things were responsible for most people ditching the PDP. So, even those, who have left the PDP and joined other parties, their spirits are with the PDP; their bodies are there, but their souls are with us. We believe that if we go and give them assurance that we have now learnt our lessons, realised our mistakes, and are born-again, and should be accepted as a brand new party that is going to do things in accordance with the constitution, I am sure they will listen. But I think it was one of you that said it that the convention will make or mar PDP. Definitely, I agree with you. If we demonstrate that we have learnt our lessons in the conduct of the congresses and convention, it will go a long way in restoring confidence in the people that we are a brand new party. But if we continue in disagreement, nobody can say how it is going to be. We are hoping that it will not end in confusion. If there is a change, definitely most people will come back. If there is no change, perhaps those people are gone for good.

At the moment, PDP appears the party that is firmly rooted only in Southern Nigeria, CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016

PERSPECTIVE

Everything Wrong in Nigeria is Jonathan President Muhammadu Buhari’s buck-passing 11 months after assuming office is no longer acceptable, writes Vera Osuji

I

n recent times, we have become familiar with uttering popular clichés like “Jonathan put this country into the mess we are in today”; “We are faced with the mess the past administration left us with” and “We must probe the immediate past administration”, among others. I can go on and on but for the sake of time I choose to be more prudent.

If we truly take stock and make an unbiased assessment of the immediate past administration, we would see that the administration, like any other previous government-in-charge that led this great country, had its many shortcomings.

No doubt, we the citizens had high expectations from a president we voted in, who apparently came from unprivileged beginnings – remember his campaign mantra of having no shoes at one time in his life – and as a result, felt he was in a unique position to relate with the sufferings of the deprived populace. Secondly, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) happened to be the first lecturer with a graduate degree

That said, it is now time for the Government of the day to take an honest and sincere approach towards addressing corruption. Namecalling and bulk passing is an idle man’s past-time.

What is needed is the putting of the right policy frameworks that can strengthen our judiciary – laws that can ring-fence and empower our institutions against the malaise of corruption

corporation had to exist on overdrafts amounting to over £2.5 million. A loan of £6.7 million was made to the Western Region government-owned National Investment and Properties Co., Ltd. for building projects out of which only £500,000 was repaid. The Western Region Finance Corporation and the Western Nigeria Development Corporation also received loans of millions of pounds. None of these loans were ever repaid.

In 1978, about N2.8 billion of oil revenue was allegedly declared missing from the state affairs as reckless spending characterised by unaccountable governance.

The disappearance of the $12.4 billion Gulf War oil windfall from 1991 to date added some credibility to this speculation. Other events include the 2002 case of $214 million National Identity Card project that involved the Internal Affairs Ministry and SAGEM and the case of about $16 billion in oil revenues lost between 1979 and 1983 during Buhari...time to get down to work

to lead our nation and so, for all intent and purposes, he was perceived as the Messiah of the time. We are all aware of the political undercurrent of 2009 and the country’s need then (and now) to have a decisive, firm and upright leader to step in and restrain the strong elite cabal from strangulating the state machinery. At the time, Yar’adua had become incapacitated and shortly afterwards died. This scenario gave rise to his cohorts hijacking state powers and wielding it for their selfish interests and motives.

Recall, we reached a logjam, which led to all well-meaning Nigerians matching and protesting the provisions of the constitution, which empower the vice-president to be appointed as the Acting President. It was at this juncture, that GEJ came to the limelight for the very first time in the matter.

More so, his quiet demeanor and calmness throughout the dilemma worked to his favour as pundits pondered his humble disposition to either reflect the makings of a highly articulate individual positioning alongside the tunes of the piper or that of a meek servant without the courage or wherewithal to lead a great country like Nigeria. Whatever side of the pendulum you choose to look at Jonathan, the truth remains: Nigeria is a difficult country to rule and no aspersions should be made by associating corruption with only the immediate past administration. History would always repeat itself and providence has a way of making all men sober up to their actions and inactions. With that, I cast your memory back to 1962 when Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the first Premier of the Western Region, was investigated and found guilty of corruption by the Coker Commission of Inquiry. In 1954, the Western Region Marketing Board could boast of £6.2 million. However, by May 1962, the

the reign of President Shehu Shagari.

During the first four years of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, federal ministers allegedly stole more than N23 billion from the public coffers. An audit report released by Vincent Azie, acting Auditor-General of the Federation, showed that the amount represented financial frauds ranging from embezzlement, payments for jobs not done, over-invoicing, doubledebiting, inflation of contract figures to release of money without the consent of the approving authority in ten major ministries.

Corrupt practices pre-date Jonathan’s administration, reaching as far back as the colonial days. Even the process of handing over of power after the fight for independence was corrupt in itself and objectivity and equity were not brought into the picture. So permit me to say that “this country was birthed corruptly” by our colonial masters to safeguard their business and pecuniary interests.

However, I will say that if corruption in the 1990s was endemic, corruption since the return of democracy in 1999 has become legendary. Between the period 2010 and 2015 corruption became institutionalised in the DNA and workings of businesses and society at large. Within the stated period, it was revealed that $6bn (£4bn) was defrauded from the fuel subsidy fund.

We have the Police Pension Fund Fraud, in which the accused got a two-year sentence or $750,000 fine; and payment of 750,000 was made. We also have the NNPC missing $20 billion naira. The punishment was that the whistle blower was fired and the corporation asked to refund $1.48 billion after an Audit report later indicted the NNPC. We have the $6bn Fuel Subsidy Scam. There is also N123 billion fraud in which Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, a former

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was indicted by a report by the Office of the Auditor- General over an alleged N123 billion fraud perpetrated during his tenure, between 2009 and 2010. After all investigations were completed, no action was taken. We have the $15 million Private Jet Arm Scandal, of which the government claimed involvement. However, no further explanations were given, while the United States of America was blamed for black market arms deal. The Abba Moro Immigration recruitment scandal of which he remained a minister after supervising extortion from graduates and death of 20 graduates is another. On Friday, March 13, 2015, he stood by the President as 33 recruitment letters and N75 million was given to the families of slain applicants as compensation. Crude oil theft scandal, according to the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, 300,000 to 400,000 barrels of oil per day, or more than 10% of all Nigeria’s production, was being lost at a cost to the state and oil companies of around £1bn a month. Instead of punishing the culpable individuals, ex militants were given contract worth billions to secure waterways. Rather than a decrease in oil theft, a marked increase was seen. A school dropout militant became a force that could hold the government to ransom.

And the list goes on and on. It is clear that the colonial masters and founding fathers of Nigeria are to be blamed for allowing the seeds of corruption to flourish in Nigeria and not necessarily GEJ. Looking at this present administration, what is the conclusion on the illegal recruitment exercise that involved the president’s nephew and other high profile political elite? Has the president given a speech in that regard?

Does this contradict what this president stands for in the minds of Nigerians?

The delay in passing “the budget of change” as a result of characterised smuggling of frivolous allocations, accusations and controversies points to the fact that corruption is wired in the DNA of most Nigerians. It is everywhere in our families, market, mosque, churches, street etc.

That said, it is now time for the Government of the day to take an honest and sincere approach towards addressing corruption. Name-calling and bulk passing is an idle man’s past-time. What is needed is the putting of the right policy frameworks that can strengthen our judiciary – laws that can ring-fence and empower our institutions against the malaise of corruption. These are herculean tasks that can only be achieved with a forward and right-thinking government. We pray the current administration can take this mantle of leadership and quit the blame-game once and for all.

-Osuji wrote from Lagos

HANGOVER FROM POWER RUINED PDP, SAYS MANTU where it did very well in the 2015 elections.

Given this scenario, what is your explanation to those, who have concluded that the party is a southern party?

The PDP remains the largest organisation in black Africa, even in opposition. One-on-one, the PDP enjoys the largest membership today, even more than the APC. Forget about the fact that the APC is in power. But, in terms of one man, one vote, I am telling you that in terms of membership, the PDP has the largest. Now, apart from that, let me say it clearly that the PDP is the first political party in Nigeria that has its membership in every nook and cranny of this nation.

Before this time, our parties were regionally based. In the Second Republic, even though the NPN was National Party of Nigeria (NPN),

if not for the fact that Cross River State and Rivers State were in the NPN, the NPN would have been a northern party.

But these two states now gave it that national colouration. Now, it was only from 1999 that we had a truly national party that was certainly in the west, in the east, in the south, and in the north. This is the PDP. The fact is that in the year 2015, the north did not vote the PDP. Like I said, they felt aggrieved that Jonathan short-changed them; he took their turn. And so as a reaction, they voted for APC. If Jonathan didn’t take their turn, there would have been no change. But, this time around, if we correct ourselves, definitely the membership is there.

Like I keep saying, PDP defeated PDP. Our people voted against PDP because of

the impunity demonstrated by some people in the PDP. People said ‘look, you can force me in your primaries to impose people, but you cannot force me on voting.

I will go and vote whoever I like’. That was what happened. So, what you are saying does not have a place now at all. The truth is that the north, the entire north felt short-changed because Jonathan took their slot.

No! The calibre and the quality of the candidate determine whether people will want the person or not. After all, Buhari contested with other southerners apart from Goodluck.

Is it only APC and PDP that are parties in Nigeria? Other parties fielded southerners too.

Why didn’t southerners vote for them; why did they vote Buhari? It is just because of the quality of the candidate you are fielding.

Do you really hold strongly that a presidential candidate for the PDP from the north will be able to garner more votes than the APC, if Buhari runs for a second term in 2019?

It all depends on the calibre and quality of the candidate. You know it depends. You cannot just go and bring a ‘maiguard’ (security man) and say you are a northerner.

What is the proof that PDP is the largest part even in opposition?

Since 1999, it has actually occupied more territories, and is visible in every nook and cranny of Nigeria. Up until now, there are some villages in the north that they only know that APC exists in terms of tablet that they used to take for headache.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016 • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

For a Better Nigeria A non-governmental organisation, We Are the Future of our Nation, in its 2016 programme tagged ‘I Believe in Nigeria’, implored Nigerian youths to be resilient in their pursuits of realising a better country. Peace Obi writes

A cross section of participants at the event in Lagos

T

en years ago, the journey began. The journey into positioning Nigerian youths as solution providers to some of the nation's identified problems. The dream which targeted young adults whose age and mind are most fertile for the plantation of right principles, leadership skills, among others sought to have final year secondary school students as its target audience.

However, the need to assemble and reach out to these young minds through a common platform where they are provided with the much needed information, exposure and inspiration by some role models gave rise to ‘We Are the Future of our Nation’ (WATFON).

WATFON's maiden edition which took off in 2006 with the theme "The Nigerian of my Dreams" has ever since then remained an annual event that holds under different themes yet promoting its core objectives.

The 2016 edition tagged, "I Believe in Nigeria" pointing to the need for Nigerian youths to be resilient and indefatigable in their pursuit of realising a better country was aimed at leaving participants with this confession, "Despite all the issues, despite all our challenges, despite all the problems we face as a nation, I still believe that Nigeria is a great place to live."

Speaking at the 10th edition of WATFON that held in Lagos recently, the WATFON convener, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde, revealed how her encounter with some disgruntled youths many years back inspired her coming up with the WATFON project.

She said that listening to the conversation between the young people at the time revealed a people whose views and ideas about the

country painted a picture of people who have lost hope and do not necessarily see anything

I think this should be a national event where schools from Ogun, Kwara, everywhere come together to share ideas; role models teach them what to focus on, what they should emulate, what they should reject.

The students interact, get united, they know what to aim for. The Federal Ministry of Education must start buying into this. That is the way governance should be, that is what government is all about

good coming out of their own country.

According to her, these young people whose minds have been beclouded with some negative occurrences in the land as a result of their limited knowledge and exposure, saw them traveling out of the country as the best and only solution to the problems facing their dear country, Nigeria.

Disturbed by the mindset of the nation's tomorrow leaders, the need to rouse a worthy successor generation became intense. And the search for suitable solution ensued. The solution among others was envisioned to leave the youths more committed to building the Nigeria of their dream, being solution providers and who after passing through WATFON can confidently say, "I am proud of being a Nigerian."

Set out to review the country's problems so as to come up with a formidable solution, Ogunde said, "We looked all around us and we saw a nation that has great potentials, we saw natural resources, we saw determined people, we saw so many positive things. But we also saw disillusioned people, corrupt leadership, distorted values, misinformed youth, crime, disunity, tribalism and many other challenges which we are all aware of."

Speaking on some of the adopted solutions to the identified problems, the WATFON convener noted that her approach was to focus on young Nigerians with three key objectives of inspiring patriotism among them, promote unity and celebrate role models.

According to the Ogunde, through the WATFON platform, "we bring students together, set them thinking, make solution providers, create mentorship programme, get into their schools, link them with men and women worthy of emulation, expand it to

the six geopolitical zones, keep the love for the nation burning in them,” Ogunde said.

A decade into what can be best described as a reformatory scheme for better citizenship, the vision has remained alive, inspiring, nurturing and empowering Nigerian youths into becoming major stakeholders in the Nigerian project. For the organisers of WATFON, it has been 10 years of touching the lives of those that matter most; it has been 10 years of teaching youths to believe in their country; to have a positive outlook about the country.

It has been 10 years of teaching youths to dream and believe in their dreams of a better country, to occupy their rightful place as future leaders and empowerment through open and free access to the WATFON's role models whose exemplary personal and public lives have become a huge resource the younger generation must tap from.

Reflecting on the response and results attained so far, Ogunde noted that the feedback has been formidable. "We have seen students who write their testimonies to us about what they are doing even in their universities. That they are having mini-WATFON even in their universities, that they are talking patriotism even in their universities."

Ogunde, whose desire it is to extend the WATFON programme to other states of the federation, however noted that lack of funds has continued to hamper the spread even from hosting the event in the six geopolitical zones of the country. Charging government on youth education and empowerment, she said "we really need to get serious about what we do, especially about the education and development of our youths. I don't want us paying a lot of lip service."

Speaking with one of the WATFON's

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• T H I S D AY THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016

FEATURES foundation role models, Dr. Leke Pitan, who commended Ogunde's efforts and commitment in affecting the lives of Nigerian youths, described her efforts as helping government to do its work. The former Commissioner for Education in Lagos State who called on the Federal Government to take over WATFON noted that its effect in uniting the nation goes far below National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

"I am calling on Federal Government, especially Federal Ministry of Education to see this as an effort by a CSO or an NGO to help it do its work, to inspire the youth and to also celebrate role models and to also unite Nigeria, even below the level of National Youth Service Corps, that is key. I want to call on the Federal Government, the Presidency as well as the Federal Ministry of Education to start thinking on how to take over this kind of event."

Speaking further, Pitan noted that "when I was a Commissioner for Education, I struggled and requested that the Spelling Bee should be taken over by the Lagos State Ministry of Education and it was taken over.

"I think this should be a national event where schools from Ogun, Kwara, everywhere come together to share ideas; role models teach them what to focus on, what they should emulate, what they should reject. The students interact, get united, they know what to aim for.

The Federal Ministry of Education must start buying into this. That is the way governance should be, that is what government is all about,” Pitan recommended.

In his message to the youth, Pitan urged them not to lose hope in Nigeria, but that they should continue to have faith that the Nigeria of their dream can still be attained.

Stressing that they need to realise that they don't have any other place they can call their own, no matter what money their parents may have to sponsor them to outside the country, they still have to claim to be Nigerians.

The former First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, speaking on the topic "Patriotism in Unknown Places: Ripples Impact of Personal Social Responsibility", noted that WATFON has created an avenue to catch Nigerian youths young adding that the platform has offered a wonderful opportunity to 'catch' Nigerian youth to prepare them towards being better citizens.

Fashola described WATFON as a wonderful programme that provides a platform for Nigerian youths to be brought together at the most appropriate age to be mentored into being patriotic citizens, solution providers, and stakeholders in nation building.

According to her, "The WATFON convener is doing a great job because this is the right time to counsel you on the things that are expected of you as a Nigerian, as a great person and as a great individual. It is really a thing of joy when you have students like this and you are able to catch them young.”

Fashola who charged students to rise to

The former First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, described WATFON as a wonderful programme that provides a platform for Nigerian youths to be brought together at the most appropriate age to be mentored into being patriotic citizens, solution providers, and stakeholders in nation building

Students at the event

Students entertaining guests

L-R: Convener, Mrs. Ogunde; Mr. Jimi Agbaje; Chairman, WATFON 2016, Sir Newton Jibunoh; and wife of Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, during the WATFON 2016 in Lagos…recently

the responsibility of building a better Nigeria added that they must become stakeholders in what Nigeria becomes in the nearest future.

She said that possessing and manifesting such qualities and values as honesty, discipline, integrity, responsibility, accountability among others would make a difference wherever they are.

"So, your personal social responsibility depends on your principles in life. Imbibe the culture of serving people, of being a selfless person, caring for others. So, you yourself can make a difference wherever you are. Your future depends on your actions,” Fashola admonished the youths.

The WATFON 2016 chairman, Sir Newton Jibunoh, who in his opening remarks told

Nigerian youths that the country belongs to them, said that they should rise to the responsibility of taking charge. "We are borrowing a country from you, the younger generation, it does not belong to us because we will all go, sooner."

Speaking on the place of WATFON in attaining national unity and building a country the older generation can be proud of handing over to the younger generation, Jibunoh said, "If I have my way, a session like this should be repeated every month in different parts of the country, because inspiring patriotism, promoting unity, is a difficult one, but we have to start somewhere. This is a major step, and to think that this is the 10th event, it is unbelievable."

Speaking on one of the topics slated for the 2016 edition, "Staying Patriotic in Difficult Times", Mr. Tonye Cole noted that real patriotism is driven by purpose and not by the state of the economy.

"Real patriotism is not driven by the state of the economy, because when it is good, you are in and when it is bad, you walk away. Patriotism has nothing to do with the conditions of your school, it has nothing to do with the conditions of the hospitals. It has nothing to do with whether your president is good or whether the leaders are corrupt or not? It is driven by purpose and without the knowledge of your calling and purpose by which you are created the level of your patriotism will be suspect,” Cole said.

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IMAGES

L-R; CEO, Al-Ves-3 Abia Nig. Ltd, Mr. Javier Presencio; Director of the Company, Mr. Anthony Emelogu; Abia State Governor. Okezie Ikpeazue and Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Henry Ikoh, during the visit of top management team of Al-Ves-3 to the governor in Umuahia...recently

L-R; Head, Government and Community Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Mohammed Suley-Yusuf; Permanent Secretary, Borno State Ministry of Education, Hassan Mustapha and Member, Borno State Education Board, Mr. Mohammed Gamboni presenting to a pupil of Abbaganaram Primary School, Borno, one of the Back-to-School kits donated by Etisalat Nigeria in Maiduguri...recently.

R-L: Director, Food and Drug Services, Federal Ministry of Health,Modupe Chukwuma; 2nd Vice President,Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela; Ist Vice Preaident, IPAN, Olufemi Oyediran; and Head, Quality Assurance, Laboratory Services Directorate, NAFDAC, Olubukola Irurhe, at the IPAN media briefing on 23rd training workshop on entrpreneurship and innovation in Lagos... recently ETOP UKUTT

L-R: Chijioke Ezegbo, winner (most innovative idea category)2015 Etisalat Prize for Innovation; Modupe Thani, Head, High Value Events and Sponsorship, Etisalat Nigeria and winner, (most innovative product/ service category), 2015 Etisalat Prize for Innovation, Obi Brown during the visit of the winners to Etisalat Nigeria head office in Lagos....recently

T H I S D AY •

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L-R; The New Bishop Of Dutse Rt.Rev’d Markus Yohanna Danbinta;The Primate Of The Anglican Communion,The Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh; Mrs Danbinta And The Archbishop Of Kaduna Province, The Most Rev’d Edmund Akanya At The Consecration Of The New Bishop Of Dutse, Rt.Rev’d Danbinta In Kaduna....Recently IDRIS EGAJI

FCT Minister, Malam Muahammad Musa Bello (right) and DG, National Teachers’ Institute, Dr Aminu Ladan Sharehu during a working visit to his office by Sharehu in Abuja…recently.

L-R: Country Director, MamaYe Nigeria, Dr. Tunde Segun; Media Advisor, Laide Shokunbi and Campaign Leader, Mrs Fola Shokunbi, during MamaYe Nigeria team’s visit to THISDAY Head Office, Apapa, Lagos... recently YOMI AKINYELE

Students Of University Of Ibadan Protesting Over Non Availlability Power And Water Supply, In The Campus, Lbadan...Recently FELIX ADEMOLA

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T H I S D AY •

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ORLD

BUDGET DELAY STALLS TELECOMS PROJECTS, SAYS MINISTER was ready to bridge the skill gap by empowering Nigerians in the area of technology skills, through the planned establishment of technology hubs and learning centres across the country.

CONCERNS OVER NCC’S NEW LICENSING POLICY the Website of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Although the NCC did not mean any harm in the planned regulation of the VAS providers, there are views among stakeholders, indicating that local players in the industry stand the risk of being marginalised in the licensing policy.

There are allegations that the revenue sharing formula of the VAS policy would be beneficial to the foreign players like Huawei, among others, who are operating on the Nigeria platform.

Industry observers reacting to the development, suggested that Huawei should not be allowed to participate in the licensing process.

The new document presented by the industry regulatory body, according to industry sources, does not recognise the current category of players in the sector that should benefit from the policy.

Operators have expressed total displeasure over the development, saying that ‘there is no added value in the new document for the target beneficiaries, except for the sponsors’.

There are also allegations that the new licensees, constitute a high number of foreign players, will now act as middlemen between the network companies and the consumers.

It was alleged that, a director of licensing at the NCC had in the last few days, embarked on a move visiting individual firms to ask about their positions on what the entire stakeholders have already agreed on, concreting the policy.

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Adeosun Tasks Operators on Insurance Penetration in West African Sub-region Ebere Nwoji The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has charged insurance managers across West African sub-region to embark on initiatives that will deepen insurance penetration among Africans.

The minister, who spoke at the ongoing 38th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Education Conference of the West African Insurance Companies Association, (WAICA, ) in Lagos, noted that though insurance industry might be currently plagued with some challenges, there are prospects of a brighter future.

Her call in this regard was corroborated by insurance veteran, Professor Joe Irukwu, who also charged the insurers on innovations that will popularise insurance among West African citizens.

Addressing delegates from countries within West African region, Adeosun said Nigeria is one of the countries currently recording low insurance penetration, as most citizens do not value insurance cover, leading to the low contribution of insurance industry to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Adeosun, who was represented by Director, Efficiency Unit in the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Patience Oniha, said the federal government understands the challenges affecting the patronage of insurance products and services in the country.

She said this was the reason the government, through her ministry, inaugurated a

committee comprising of all arms of insurance industry in February, this year, hoping that the committee will come up with a perfect Consolidated Insurance Bill that will drive the industry forward.

“Government is trying all it can to address the poor performance of insurance in the country through several initiatives and we hope the Consolidated Insurance Bill will address some of these challenges,” she stressed.

While charging regulators in the region to create appropri-

ate frameworks and inventions to attract insurance investors into the region, she added that such moves would lead to rapid growth, patronage and profitability of West African insurance market.

“There is urgent need for collaboration among regulators to share information about underwriting firms within the region to curb unethical practices, money laundering, terrorism, among others,” she added.

Irukwu, on his part, said the industry has witnessed

tremendous growth in the last three decades, calling on the current practitioners to imbibe the ethics of professionalism, while hoping for more collaborations among companies in the region to increase insurance education and acceptance.

According to him, “As we express our gratitude to all those who have contributed to the growth and development of WAICA, I will like to take this opportunity to appeal to all insurance professionals and companies and every one

present at this conference to continue to support WAICA. We all have a duty to support WAlCA as a major regional insurance institution so that it will continue to play the most effective unifying leadership role that it has played in the past 38 years,” Irukwu stated.

Also speaking at the event, Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, said the industry is on the right path to growth, noting that insurance remains a key component of economic growth and development.

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Vice President, Association of Outsourcing Professionals of Nigeria (AOPN), Dr. Obiora Madu; Secretary General, AOPN, Jacqueline Yemi Odiadi; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; President, AOPN, Dr. Austin Nweze and member of the Governing Council, AOPN, Mr. Peter Akindeju, during a courtesy call to the minister in Abuja...recently

‘Electronic Payment System Will Boost Revenue Generation’ Emma Okonji Following the continued decline in prices of oil, which has resulted in the drastic fall in government’s revenue, Intermarc Consulting, has urged the federal government to encourage the use of electronic payment system in order to boost Internally Generated Revenues (IGR). The call was made in Lagos at a press conference where Intermarc, through its subsidiary, PrepayGo Technologies, unveiled plans on how to proffer solution to financial leakages in government.

The Chief Executive Officer of Intermarc Consulting, Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi, who spoke on the need for government at all levels to understand and encourage electronic payment system, said PrepayGo Technologies has concluded arrangement to hold Electronic Revenue Sustainability conference in Abuja next month, where financial experts would be showcasing modern solutions that will help government and organisations generate and manage revenue with ease.

According to Adeyemi, the conference, which is planned in conjunction with the Presidency, Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) and Joint Tax Board, would proffer strategies and tactics to grow revenues from all existing and

new IGR resources within the federation, as well suggest effective ways of collecting such revenues electronically for economic growth.

“It provides the government and local authorities with an interactive forum to focus on the challenges faced with identifying and sourcing for IGR revenue collection, management and accountability across the continent. The need for federal, state and local governments to generate adequate revenue from internal sources has therefore become a matter of extreme urgency and importance. This need underscores the eagerness on the part of governments to sustain the traditional areas of taxation through IGR, as well as look for new sources of revenue in an innovative manner in order to grow revenue base and reduce loss,” Adeyemi said.

According to him, taxation plays strategic role in the survival and development of the Nigerian nation. today, both taxpayers and tax administrators must cope with more difficult environments with fewer resources.

“The role of new technology in influencing the way a country’s tax system or particular taxes becomes an issue that needs urgent attention. The realisation of this fact has triggered much interest, planning and restructuring in the area of developing taxation, especially in the developing

economies, including Nigeria,” Adeyemi said.

He explained that over the years, the federal government

has been doing so much in revaluing, restructuring and reforming the Nigeria tax system with the primary

objectives of making it the main source of revenue generation for the government as obtained in other developed countries.

Synergos Nigeria to Train 1,000 Rural Farmers as Facilitators Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The Country Director of Synergos Nigeria, which is a global non-profit organisation, Mr. Oluwale Ajadi, has said the organisation is set to train about 1,000 facilitators to assist rural farmers transit from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.

The Country Director made this known in Lokoja at a meeting of Synergos team with stakeholders from the agriculture ministry, Fadama office, Agriculture Development Project (ADP), state chamber of commerce and industries and farmer associations from across the state.

According to him, with the Agriculture Change Agenda of the federal government, the dwindling resources from oil and the resultant revenue gap, the country was now forced to reconsider agriculture as a viable revenue generating alternative adding that there was need to revamp agriculture for it to operate from a business perspective away from the sub-

sistence level the rural farmers were used to. Ajadi said that Synergos, a global non-profit organisation, was working in Kogi, Benue and Kaduna states to fight poverty and its effects with special intervention in cassava and rice production.

The Country Director said the programme had assisted farmers in Tanzania to maximise their production by training farmers on active involvement in the entire value chain from planting, growing, processing and marketing of both cash and food crops. He noted that the organisation would establish two Prototype Processing Projects in each of the three states to process cassava peels into livestock feeds and as well synergise with governments to solve issues of marketing of farm produce to curtail glut.

Also speaking at the event, the acting Commissioner for Agriculture and Special Adviser to the state governor on Agriculture, Mr. David Apeh commended Synergos for the initiative, adding that there was renewed interest among the

people, for agriculture.

Pledging government’s support, he said: “This is one area we can solve problem of youth unemployment and curtail rural-urban drift. There is very high level of seriousness on the part of the people in agriculture.”

The Director-General (DG), Kogi State Bureau for Public Private Partnerships (PPP), Mr. Roberts Achanya urged Synergos to involve the state Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture in the synergy for renaissance in the agricultural sector.

The Programme Manager of the Synergos in the state, Mr. Victor Adejoh, in his opening remarks, said the organisation was going to adopt the bottom-top approach in the development of programmes to assist farmers.

“We are going to build the capacity of young people and few older people as facilitators to be able to work with their communities and farmers’ cooperatives to develop problem solving skills”, he added.

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BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

Henke: Online Real-time Advertising Will Drive e-Commerce in Nigeria Managing Director, Emerging Markets, Criteo, Mr. Dirk Henke, spoke to select journalists on the shift from generic advertising to personalised advertising, using online real-time technology. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts: grow their business must faster. One thing that small businesses need do is to invest in branding to grow their business. Branding will attract customers to their sites and we will ensure that the number of customers that come to their sites and go out, will surely come back to buy from them, throughout targeted advertising. We are rolling such solutions for small businesses into emerging markets, which include the Nigerian market.

Tell us about Criteo as an organisation Criteo is a leading global technology company that specialises in marketing performance advertising, working with over 10,000 e-commerce companies around the world. Criteo enables companies to engage and convert their customers online whether they are on a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

I started the Germany market for Criteo, which then was an emerging market for us like what Nigeria is to us today. From Russia to Turkey, and in countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, we have established our presence. All these are important markets for Criteo, which have kept growing over the years.

We have been in the African market and in the Nigerian market since two years ago and we already have clients, even though the number is still small because we started few years ago.

So what is the focus of Criteo business?

Criteo is a marketing performance company that works with advertisers in the e-Commerce space. We deal with e-Commerce players that trade online and even those retailers that trade offline. We also work with the media in the area of online advert placement on their sites.

What is social about Criteo, is the technology adoption and deployment in which we drive performance marketing. Every single add we display is customised to the user and we do not pre-produce the adds, but we produce instant adds based on the user needs.

How do you create adverts that are customer specific?

What we do to achieve this is to follow the online buying pattern of the customer, and we will have idea of places where the customer has gone online to shop and the things the customer is actually looking for. With that information at our finger tips about the customer, we will produce an add that meets the customer needs and post it directly to the customer by offering the customer varieties of the things the customer is looking for and also educate the customer on the location those items could be found at best prices.

Again, if a customer goes online and shop for a camera, we will be able to monitor the customer and see the size of camera that the customer has bought and we can develop an add on camera bags that will match the camera bought by the customer and also develop adds on camera accessories and post them directly to the customer because we know the customer will need them for comfort. So in such a way, we customise the customer needs by developing instant adds that meet the customer needs.

All these are done in real time, using the online platform, because we create and produce adds for customers in seconds, and broadcast it while they are on a particular website and the customer sees it immediately and that makes it real time online advertising. So we can create adds that could be sent to over 40 million people that are online, doing different things.

What is the purpose for your online advertising?

Our online advertising is designed to drive sales for our clients. We study the online buying pattern of our client’s customers and design adds that are customised to their customers in real time and the bottom line is to drive sales for our clients. This is true because banners that we develop are not only customised, but are catching and interesting to the customers.

Through the process, our clients will get more customers that will be doing additional shopping from their sites.

This is a new form of advertising that is being driving by technology and we are promoting this to drive traffic to our clients’ sites and also boost sales.

You have been in this business of targeted

What value can your solution add to businesses that are interested in adopting the solution?

The kind of solution we have is not the one that customers pick off the shelf and pay for it.

Our solution is market performance oriented and a client only pays us when a customer clicks on the add/banner that we sent to the customer. But before we display the banner for the customer on any site, we first pay the site owner and we only make money when the customer clicks on our banner. So the more banners we display on sites, the more money we pay to the site owner. So the client do not make any payment until the customers click on our add that redirects them to the clients site. The more traffic we generate for the client, the more money the client makes.

Henke

advertising for the last 10 years in other regions outside Nigeria. What has been the challenges that are common to various regions?

The challenge differs from region to region, depending on the size and maturity of the online business in the region. Nigeria for example, has large size of potential online shoppers but the market is not as developed as in other regions like South Africa and the United States.

Clients like Jumia, Konga, Yudala and various online platforms are, however, trying to boost the Nigerian online e-Commerce business.

The challenges are similar in some areas when it comes to consumer behaviour, while shopping online. Some customers want to sample prices and quality from various online shops before buying and our technology monitors the consumer behaviour and taste and we quickly offer the customer with quality products and better pricing from the list of our clients, and this, like I said earlier, drives sales for our clients. For us, the challenges are opportunities.

What is the acceptance level of targeted advertising in the Nigerian market?

We have been in Nigeria in the last two years, running our new campaign for targeted advertising and clients are beginning to see the huge benefit of our campaign, and they are beginning to accept it.

How do you operate the online advertising to get the attention of customers?

Looking at the Nigerian telecoms market with over 150 million subscribers, having mobile phones that are connected to the internet, we develop banners in form of adds and push them to their emails and they are able to access them through their mobile phones. Before now, people access the internet via the desk top computers and laptops, and it is only when they are sitting close to their computers that they actually have access to the internet. But all that have changed with the era of mobile phones, where majority of people now access the internet via their mobile phones, even when on the move.

Today we have mobile phones with large screens and this makes it easier for customers to read our adds on their mobile phones. Over 70 per cent of the customers globally now access

the internet, using their mobile phones.

What percentage of your clients in Nigeria access the internet via their mobile phones?

We have more clients outside Nigeria and over 70 per cent of the number, access the internet via their mobile phones. For Nigeria and other African countries, which are emerging markets for us, about 32 per cent of customers to our clients, access the internet via their mobile phones.

In Nigeria, I see a massive opportunity for our kind of market performance advertising, because the population of mobile phone users is huge. Although most people in Nigeria still shop offline, but they are beginning to embrace online shopping, which is good for our kind of business.

What does Criteo intend to achieve with this kind of online market performance campaign?

The essence is to address the challenges faced by owners of e-Commerce platforms like the Jumia, Konga, Yudala and a host of others.

One major challenge that most e-Commerce clients face is that majority of their customers do not do the actual shopping. They do not buy, but they prefer to navigate from one site to another, doing window shopping and this does not bring money to clients. The challenge is, however, global, where over 90 per cent of online shoppers go to different sites without buying.

This is so because it is much easier for customers to move from one site to another in search of competitive prices. So we monitor what every customer does online, understand the shopping habit and design adds that are tailored and customised to them, just to catch their attention. By doing so, we introduce them to the list of our customers and we also drive traffic to their sites and increase sales for them.

We work with investment companies and help them grow their business.

Aside big e-Commerce platforms like Konga, Jumia and Yudala, does Criteo have solution to drive sales for startup businesses with few customers?

We have solutions for small and medium businesses, just like we have for big organisations and platforms. Even with their small size of business, we have solutions that can help them

You are entering a market where competition already exists. So what is your competitive edge to remain in business in Nigeria?

Criteo is a pure technology company that is promoting online advertising and we have been in this business in the past 10 years, operating in other regions outside Nigeria. We entered into the Nigerian market about two years ago and since then we are beginning to find out feet. We have the largest technology engineers dedicated to this business and the business is largely driven by technology.

So we have competitive edge over our competitors because we have the right technology to drive the business and we also have a large client base that we service. We also work with big news publishing companies.

Your kind of online advertising is changing the face of advertising globally. What is your take on the future trend of online advertising?

Online advertising is driven by technology and the trend is changing. Before now, online advertising on Facebook used to be on desktop computers and laptops only, but today, that trend is fast changing as the focus has shifted from desktop and laptop computers to mobile phones. The advantage for clients is that more customers now have the opportunity to access the internet via their mobile phones and they get to see and experience online advertising in a much better way. Aside the shift from desktop to mobile, there is also a gradual shift from offline shopping to online shopping and all these drive mobile online advertising, and this trend will continue for some time.

The future is about big data and e-Commerce is going to ride on big data. Can Criteo solution support big data in Nigeria?

We are one of the solution providers that supports big data growth and using big data as part of our daily business transactions with clients to grow their business, because our business is based on big data and our solution is online real time.

Since your solution is targeted at clients that are focused on e-Commerce, how do you manage information of two clients like Yudala and Konga, without compromising?

It is possible to manage information of two clients without compromising. What we do is to separate the information of different clients and use the information to create adds that are specific to their customers, and we do that without compromising information because we know that they are competitors in the same market.

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Rekindling Hope for a More Robust Economy Nigeria’s troubled economy is a source of worry for its managers and citizens. But with the recent measures adopted by the CBN to tackle the headwinds and government’s commitment to diversifying the economy, Nigeria appears set to take a turn for the better come 2018, writes Chika Amanze-Nwachuku The declining price of oil is perhaps the biggest energy story in the world today. Brent crude, used as an international benchmark plunged as low as $27.67 a barrel in January, the lowest since 2004, wreaking havoc on economies of oil exporting countries.

Oil is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy, accounting for close to 90 percent of her exports, 25per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and about 80per cent of government’s total revenue. The oil boom of the 70s prompted Nigeria to abandon other non-oil tax revenue sectors, including Agriculture, which, prior to the oil boom era, was the stronghold of Nigeria’s economy.

At its 95th meeting in Washington D.C, United States, during the IMF/the World Bank spring meetings, penultimate week, the Intergovernmental Group of 24 on International Monetary Affairs and Development, (G-24), noted that the sharp drop in commodity prices has negatively impacted the global economy, “as nations continue to face weaker global demand, tighter financial conditions, more volatile capital flows, and heightened security challenges.”

The meeting, which had in attendance, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who was the leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the meetings, noted that these headwinds could further weaken member countries’ growth outlook and their contribution to global growth.

The member countries had resolved to continue to strengthen their fiscal and structural reforms and financial systems, based on country- specific priorities.

They also identified diversification of their economies as the surest way to enhance growth prospects and promote employment.

“We will continue to strengthen our fiscal and structural reforms and our financial systems, based on country- specific priorities, to diversify our economies and enhance our growth prospects, promote employment, competition, and productivity, while implementing macroeconomic and social policies to address inequality and alleviate poverty’’, the twenty four member group, which Nigeria is a member, stated in a communique issued at the end of the meeting”.

CBN’s Interventions To boost growth in an economy that has been hit by plummeting oil prices, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under the watch of Godwin Emefiele has adopted several measures to strengthen the Naira and return the economy to its growth part through intervention funding.

Indeed, the CBN, according to available data, set up various intervention funds of N1.57trillion, out of which about N819 billion has been accessed by economic operators, according to recent checks.

For instance, the N300billion Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF) was established in 2014 to unlock the potential of the real sector, which has been identified as a key engine of growth, job creation and poverty reduction.

Specifically, the RSSF was set up to lend money to small and medium sized enterprises, and also help expand existing ones The sectors targeted for the RSSF are manufacturing, agricultural value chain and selected service sub-sectors. The RSSF was expected to improve access to finance by the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to fast-track the development of the manufacturing, agricultural value chain and the services sub-sectors of the Nigerian economy; increase output, generate employment, diversify the revenue base, increase foreign exchange earnings and provide inputs for the industrial sector on a sustainable basis.

This was aside the Small, Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Scheme set up by the apex bank in 2010, with its seed money to the tune of N300 billion. A recent check revealed that about N4.219 billion has been disbursed and a total 87 projects financed through the intervention

Adeosun

fund. It was also gathered that N2.439 billion has so far been repaid.

The CBN, under Emefiele’s watch also initiated the N213billion Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility, for the purpose of settling certain outstanding debts in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

Also, through its Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, a total of N337.635 billion was said to have been disbursed for funding of about 423 projects, through which millions of jobs were created for Nigerians.

At a recent Seminar for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors held in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, Emefiele, justified the massive interventions of the apex regulator in financing the real sector projects, pointing out that the current trend in global central banking has gone beyond the core functions of monetary policy management.

“At the CBN, our approach to real sector development is three-pronged. Our interventions centre around agriculture, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs and Infrastructure interventions. “The interventions included the N300 billion Real Sector Support Facility RSSF; the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund, MSMEDF; the N213 billion Nigeria Electricity Market Stabilisation Fund; N500 billion Non-Oil Export Stimulation Facility; and the N75 billion Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL”, said Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, who represented the governor at the event.

The apex regulator, also in September 2015, announced N300billion bailout for some states.

The CBN lifeline was one of the three-pronged reliefs designed by the federal government to help financially troubled states meet up their obligations, particularly payment of the backlog of workers’ salaries.

The states that applied for and received various sums from the aid included Kwara, Zamfara, Osun, Niger, Bauchi, Gombe, Abia, Adamawa, Ondo, and Kebbi, Ekiti, Imo, Ebonyi, Ogun, Plateau, Nassarawa, Sokoto, Edo and Oyo which were granted their packages this week. The package has a 20-year repayment tenor for all states, except Ogun State, which opted for a 10 year tenor.

Emefiele

Anchor Borrowers’ Programme The CBN- initiated Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) was part of its efforts to scale down the huge foreign exchange spent by Nigeria on importing food items.

The pilot phase of the programme commenced in Kebbi state, where it was launched late last year.

THISDAY reported that ABP is expected to be taken to 14 states namely Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, Zamfara, Admawa, Plateau, Lagos, Ogun, Cross-Rivers and Ebonyi for rice and wheat farmers to advance their status from small holder farmers to commercial or large growers. Under the programme, the CBN had set aside N20billion of the N220billion micro, small and medium enterprises development fund to be given to farmers at single digit interest rate of maximum nine per cent per annum, in line with government’s aspiration to achieve food security.

Speaking at the flag-off of the programme, Buhari had expressed the hopes that the scheme would lift thousands of small farmers out of poverty and generate millions of jobs for unemployed Nigerians. He said the huge sums spent by Nigeria on the importation of food items could be produced locally, stressing that the N1 trillion spent on food importation was not sustainable. Corroborating the president’s statement, Emefiele said the bank was concerned about the huge foreign exchange spent by Nigeria importing food items that could be produced locally.

According to him, the allocation of foreign exchange to the importation of items such as rice, wheat, milk and fish, among others, had contributed greatly to the depletion of the nation’s foreign reserves, especially in the face of low oil revenue occasioned by plummeting oil prices. A recent report by the Development Finance Department of the CBN, as at April 22, 2016, revealed that the total number of farmers engaged under the Kebbi ABP was 78,581, while total disbursements so far was put at N4,936,321,400 .

Monetary policies The declining oil prices has affected the economies of oil producing countries, with nations that

depend on oil for exports earnings, such as Nigeria being the hard hit.

In line with its statutory functions, the CBN, as the apex regulator has continued to pursue price and financial system stability through its monetary policies.

The CBN, last year, effectively suspended foreign currency funding for about 41 imported items, which Nigeria can do without. The idea was to channel the resources for the support of the real sector rather than on frivolous imports.

The bank also restricted foreign currency supply, pegging the naira at N197 to N199 per dollar in the past year. Whereas the CBN policies have elicited criticisms from some individuals and organisations within and outside the country, Emefiele, who spoke at the Annual Bankers’ Dinner in Lagos, explained that the policies were meant to promote the development of productive sectors of the economy and expand the country’s aggregate supply capacity. He said the apex regulator had been targeting specific productive sectors in the economy that have the capacity to create jobs on a mass scale, reduce the country’s dependence on foreign goods and significantly reduce its huge import bills.

Emefiele insisted that the decision was reached, taking into account Nigeria’s strategic development priorities; with the policies being designed within an environment of regularly ensuring consistency with monetary and fiscal policies.

An industry operator, who applauded the CBN’s monetary policies in a recent interview with THISDAY, said the decision to ban the 41 items from getting official foreign exchange meant that the CBN can now provide more support for the real sector.

“In my view it is a good policy. Why is it a good policy? With the collapse of the oil price, the country does not have the foreign exchange to support everyone’s demands. Banning of these items from getting official foreign exchange means that the CBN can now support the real sector. So the argument is clear, the CBN can support the real sector and not frivolous imports! This policy should be supported by all Nigerians and it should be sustained for a long time”, he said.

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REKINDLING HOPE FOR A MORE ROBUST ECONOMY Buhari Backs CBN With the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari, the CBN governor has rejected calls to devalue the naira, on reason among others that Nigeria is import – dependent, which implies that devaluation of the naira will make imports much more expensive.

Interestingly, Buhari, recently, reaffirmed his support for the CBN’s decision not to devalue the naira, insisting he was not convinced devaluation of naira is beneficial to Nigerians. According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, last Friday, the President said that regardless of the calls for the devaluation of naira, he would stand his ground against it as he did when he was the military Head of State.

Buhari, who stated this at a meeting with members of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries led by Chief Christopher Tugbobo at the Presidential Villa, declared: “When I was military Head of State, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank wanted us to devalue the naira and remove petrol subsidy but I stood my grounds for the good of Nigeria.

“The naira remained strong against the dollar and other foreign currencies until I was removed from office in August, 1985 and it was devalued.

“But how many factories were built and how many jobs were created by the devaluation? “That is why I’m still asking to be convinced today on the benefits of devaluation.” The president’s pronouncement, according to analysts, showed that the federal government sanctioned the CBN policies, knowing that they are in the best interest of the country.

China Currency Deal During Buhari’s recent visit to Beijing, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC), the world’s biggest lender, and the CBN signed a deal on yuan transactions.

Director General of the African Affairs Department of China’s foreign ministry, Lin Songtian had explained that the currency deal entailed that the renminbi (yuan) is free to flow among different banks in Nigeria, and the renminbi has been included in the foreign exchange reserves of Nigeria.

The agreement was reached following a meeting between Buhari and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Commenting on the currency deal, Emefiele expressed optimism that it will strengthen the naira and help reduce the strong demand for the US dollar in the country.

He pointed out that Nigeria was not the only country that had agreed to a currency swap with China, as several other countries – developed and emerging markets – with growing trade volumes with China had entered into similar currency swaps with the Asian country.

The CBN boss noted that as the second largest economy in the world, more and more countries are turning to China for business, as the country seeks to make its currency a convertible global currency like the US dollar, the euro, the Japanese yen and British pound sterling. Emefiele said: “The agreement on the currency swap with China will definitely benefit Nigeria because the essence of the mandate is to ensure that Nigeria is designated as the trading hub with China in the West African sub-region for people who want the renminbi as a currency denomination.

“Also for us, we believe that using the renminbi will improve trade with China, as this will encourage importers to open L/Cs in the Chinese currency for the importation of raw materials, equipment and machinery from China, rather than other trading regions, so the agreement will encourage trade between both countries.”

Mixed Reactions Trail Deal Expectedly, the China/Nigeria currency deal has elicited reactions from financial analysts.

For instance, the Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane faulted the deal, and argued that the currency swap agreement will concentrate Nigeria’s trade in the hands of another country.

“Now, Nigeria will be using the Yuan to import from China, while they (China) will use the naira to buy crude oil from Nigeria.

And then they (China) will take the oil to sell

L-R: Former Governor Kebbi State Senator Adamu Aliero, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, Minister of Agriculture , Chief Audu Ogbeh and Kebbi State Governor Alhaji Atiku Bagudu at the assessment tour of Anchor Borrowers’ Programme in Kebbi State…recently

in the market to get dollars. So Nigeria’s dollar income will reduce and its imports from the rest of the world would also reduce. So, Nigeria will be more dependent on China. That is all!,” Rewane told THISDAY. He disagreed with the CBN governor on the gains of the deal, insisting that the effect on the naira would be neutral.

“It doesn’t change anything. The man who is going to import from the US, or the man who is going to import a car from Germany, will he need Yuan to buy it. We are only playing with mirror. It does not increase the actual flow of dollar flow of forex currency available to Nigeria. It only means that our trade is more concentrated in Chinese goods and the Chinese with the naira they get from Nigeria they buy oil,” Rewane added.

However, another economic expert, who would not want his name in print, welcomed the currency swap agreement, in an interview with THISDAY. According to him, in seeking foreign aid for the country, Nigeria’s policy makers over the years had allowed themselves “to be led into a blind alley by its Western masters and mentors.” He reasoned that by widening of the circle of the country’s international friendship, and in particular by the immediate establishment of diplomatic, cultural, trade and other mutually beneficial relations with China, the country has taken the right step.

“The foreign policy of Nigeria should be independent, and should be guided by the following principles...In respect to the world in general: the promotion of economic relations with all nations of the world; co-operation with all nations of the world in so far as they respect the ideals for which we stand; respect for the sovereignty of nations and non-interference in their domestic affairs; and attraction of foreign assistance (capital, technical skills and training opportunities for Nigerians) on the most advantageous terms,” he added.

Emefiele Lists Benefits Providing more explanations on the currency deal at a closing press briefing by the Nigerian delegation to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group spring meetings in Washington, D.C., United States, penultimate week, Emefiele said the CBN has been holding discussions with the People’s Bank of China about the swap arrangements, which entails using Yuan for transactions between Nigeria and China.

He said: “At the meeting, what we did was to sign a mandate agreement between the Central Bank of Nigeria and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, which is the biggest in the world to act as our agent in concluding the consummation of the transactions.”

He added: “The issue are in two folds: It affords Nigeria important opportunity to open letters of credit using Chinese Yuan as a currency

rather than using the dollar. As you know, in 2015, Nigeria net import between Nigeria and China is about 15 Billion Dollars. The benefit with the arrangement is that it makes it easier for you to make your transaction in Chinese currency which put less pressure on you looking for dollars to carry out your trade transactions in China.” Furthermore, he said: “China has appointed South Africa as its trading hub for Southern Africa countries, while Kenya will represent East African Countries and the mandate we signed is for Nigeria to be appointed as the trading hub in the West African Sub-Region.

In all, it put less pressure and we expect it is going to be mutually beneficial and eventually, we will be talking to China about importing some of its own items from Nigeria so that the trading balance can be reduced.

He concluded that Nigeria will benefit from it as it will put less pressure on the dollar and reserve. On whether there are risks associated with the deal, the CBN boss said: “In everything you do in life there is risk but the important thing is you identify the risk. We would look at the issues and whoever your business partner you are dealing with in any part of the world, you must look for a way to take care of the risk.”

Economic Boom In spite of Nigeria’s current economic woes, the CBN governor was optimistic that the country will overcome her current economic challenges.

Emefiele has predicted that Nigeria, which is going through her worst economic crisis in years, would experience a boom by the end of 2018. According to him, what the economy is currently going through is a structural reform, which is attracting a series of investments that would translate to a major recovery in about two years.

“Basically, the issue is how the country would respond to the challenges that we are facing right now. Other than the area of investment in infrastructure, one other area has to do with structural reforms which have been suggested.

These reforms had worked in the South Eastern Asian countries like Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and that is why growth from these areas have remained fairly very strong”, he said.

Also, the Minister of Finance, who was the leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the IMF/the World Bank spring meetings, also expressed optimism that with government’s commitment to diversifying the economy and other policies in place, the country will triumph over her economic crisis.

“The country is adjusting and people are going through very tough adjustment in their personal finances and government is going through technical adjustment on how it spends her money and trying to be more efficient in spending, how revenues are coming, trying to block leakages. So we are fixing the problems ourselves. As a country, we have the capacity,

we have the will, most importantly both political and will of the people to solve our problems our own way. We are not denying the fact that we have challenges but we have everything and what it takes to solve the problems.

She said government’s priority is to position the economy properly for growth, recovery and creation of jobs for Nigerians.

Speaking further, Emefiele noted that diversification of the economy is an issue that has been proposed as part of the structural reforms, which he said oil export countries should be looking at. “I must say here that I am glad that Nigeria is taking the issues of diversification from oil very seriously”, he enthused.

Continuing, he said: “Recently, we have seen people coming to talk about investing in agriculture in Nigeria. About two weeks ago I inspected a 16,000 hectares sugar cane farm as well as a milling and refining facilities in Niger State. We have Nigerian investors looking at investing in fertilizer. So the biggest fertilizer plant in the world will be in Nigeria. We believe that over time and hopefully around the middle of early 2018 or the end of 2018, the pressure that the demand for some from these final products, the pressure that places on reserve and CBN will be substantially reduced and I think with that we can see the green light at the end of the tunnel.”

He also spoke on the inflation rate, which is now well above the CBN’s targeted band of 6 to 9 percent and whether the CBN was looking at increasing the interest rate in view of the inflation rate that has risen to 12.4 per cent from 11.8 per cent in February.

For these, Emefiele explained, it would be difficult not to have a fairly high interest rate when inflation is rising. He however stated that the CBN would continue to intervene to ensure the effect of the high interest does not affect productivity and ultimately prices.

He said: “The inflation rate is at 12.4 per cent in the month of March and if the policy rate is at 12per cent, it is not in our economic model to pursue if the policy rate is lower than the inflation rate, that is negative real interest rate, we can do that. Inferentially, what I’m trying to say is that, it would be difficult for you to run away from a fairly high interest rate in an environment of rising inflation.

“But in any case, I had also underscored that the CBN, in line with the development finance objective will continue to provide intervention to some of the target sectors of the country, like agriculture, mining and some of the real sector of the economy that will help engender growth and improve productivity and when productivity improves, naturally, what you will find out is that prices would come down and that will positively impact on inflation, that is exactly what we are talking about. I’m optimistic that will work and eventually Nigeria will have a cause to smile.”

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Comviva Unveils Mooditt 2.0 with Improved Features Mahindra Comviva, the provider of mobility solutions and makers of popular Nigerian music app, Mooditt, has announced the release of Mooditt 2.0 music app, the latest version with improved features.

Mooditt is a high quality multimedia mobile application streaming service with a rich suite of local catalogue based digital music content. The application rejigs the streaming quality of the song, depending on network bandwidth to ensure uninterrupted and seamless music experience to the consumers. The service allows users to create and share playlist and also download songs and ringtones for listening offline, wirelessly. The app offers direct search for tracks, artistes across albums and similarly browse tracks by genres.

Speaking at the launch of Mooditt 2.0, Marketing Lead, Mooditt, Olubukola Awodumila, said the upgraded app would attract more downloads from Nigerians and enjoy better rating than earlier version.

“Our older version of the Mooditt music app recorded 30 thousand music downloads and was ranked No.1 music app in Google Play StoreTMfor eight months in a row. We recorded two million unique sessions, over two million songs streamed and an average seven minutes spent per Mooditt app user,” she said.

Head, Digital Services, Mahindra Comviva, Atul Madan, said: “The expansion of regional music brands and increase in smartphone user-

base has been key growth drivers for digital music in Nigeria and the growth of content consumption on digital has been exponential.”

The new Mooditt 2.0 music app comes with improved skin and highly fluid user interface (UI) but one of the app’s key offering is a first-of-its-kind music cataloging by moods.

Head of D2C Business at Mooditt, Sunil Maharaj Kumar, said the unique dashboard feature was designed based on insight into the Nigerian consumer who consumes music at any given time based on his or her prevailing mood.

New Mooditt 2.0 music app does not just allow users to create personalised playlists but also allows them to interact with their favorite artistes on social media, play puzzle games and enjoy weekly top charts of hottest Nigerian songs. Other features of the app include free downloadable ringtones of all songs in the catalogue, users can set favorite songs as caller ring back tunes right from the app and all payments made in the app are through secure online portals of service providers like PAGA and QuicktellerTM “Mooditt 2.0 music app will easily top the ranking on app stores again as the No.1 music app in Nigeria; a lot has been put into its design and user experience,” Madan said.

He said Mooditt 2.0 music app is available on Google Play Store for android device users and on Apple store for iOS users.

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Firm Introduces Kairosweb Online Television in Nigeria Stories by Emma Okonji KairoswebTV, a premier online television, owned and managed

by Cihan Group, has been launched in Nigeria to compete with the likes of U-Tube and DSTv, with a focus to motivate and inspire viewers to success.

The new form of television viewing, which is driven by digital technology, features up to seven channels with content partners from all over the world.

Describing KairoswebTV as the best watch for Nigerian audience, its chief executive officer, Mr. Celestine Achi, said it is an online television that is complete proprietary system, without depending on any open source system or the U-Tube.

He said the television comes in two models, the free-to-air channels, which allows for free

viewing and the premium content channels that demand for meaningful charges.

He explained that KairoswebTV is partnering Faith Foundation in Nigeria and Real Success.net from South Africa, to bring the latest firm of digital television viewing to Nigeria. Since it is a web-based television, views can long on to www.kairosweb.tv, with any of their mobile devices that is connected to the internet, to access the several local content channels of KairoswebTV. He explained that users do not need to get subscription to have access to the digital television.

“Provided the mobile device is connected, users could log on to the site and click on any channel of choice to watch crystal clear television programmes. The user will

be charged from the existing data bundle on the mobile device and the charges are very minimal because data depletion with KairoswebTV is very minimal as a result of the auto encode introduced for all digital content,” Achi said.

According to him, KairoswebTV comes with nine channels, which include Entrepreneur channel, Netnews channel, Winlos channel, TechSavvy channel, Digital PR channel, E-vents channel, KairosMomemt channel, EduSense channel and Team Naija channel.

Giving details of the channels, Achi said the Entrepreneur channel focuses on motivating emerging entrepreneurs and startups, while the NetNews channel provides up-to-date news on entertainment, politics, business and sports.

The Winlos channel uses creative, inspiring and hilarious skits, sketches and dramatic illustrations to inspire its viewers on real life issues, while the TechSavvy channel delivers news and insights on latest technology trends. The DigitalPR channel offers online masterclass training and courses in social media and DigitalPR, while the E-vents channel is exclusive for live streaming of events, product launch and conferences. KairosMoment channel is a gospel resource platform that provides inspirational gospel programmes, and the EduSense channel brings edutainment for pupils, students and undergraduates, while the Team Naija channel is brought in partnership with Nigerian Olympics Committee and dedicated to advancement of sports in Nigeria.

Digital Base Partners iFLUX on Customer Retail Shop iFLUX brand in partnership with Digital Base Limited, has opened its second brand experience and retail centre in Lagos.

Speaking at the Victoria Island showroom opening, Managing Director of iFLUX, Teddy Lee, said the multinational company is the first of such brands playing in the LED lighting sector to cover a two years warranty on all their LED products.

“We have proven to the market the high quality and our commitment to quality assurance. For instance, the eighty eight solar-powered streetlights installations in Ikeja computer village of ‘Light up Ikeja’ Community Social Responsibility project

by TECNO Telecoms limited are iFLUX products,” Lee said.

He added, “As we speak, those LED streetlights are fully functional; there are no glitches and each one of them has a warranty of two years, within this period, iFLUX will be responsible for fixing or replacing any of the streetlights that show factory faults.”

Speaking on the long life span of iFLUX LED products, the Managing Director, iFLUX LED Nigeria, Victor Okpaluku said on a three hours daily use, the life span of one iFLUX LED light bulb is equivalent

to the combined life spans of twenty (20) incandescent bulbs.

Marketing supervisor, iFLUX, Terry Tang, said: “iFLUX products saves up 80% of the energy used to power incandescent lights, the power wattage required to light up an iFLUX light bulb to full glow can be as low as 8W,” Victor, the brand marketing lead reiterates. The two years warranty on iFLUX LED products redeemable on all CarlcareTM centres nationwide.”

Also speaking, the Head of Marketing, Digital Base Limited, authorised dealer of iFLUX, Abel Emokai said iFLUX has the state-of-art technology to support the Nigeria market.

“We are authorised dealer of iFLUX.. We will go to other locations as part of the toad map. We will go other states but we will have to discuss with iFLUX,” he said.

“In the world over, the Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology used in lighting appliances which is considered to be an eco-friendly and a sustainable lighting alternative has been adopted by global top light brands in marketing their next-generation office and home lighting appliances to local markets across the globe,” Emokai said.

ENHANCING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

L-R: CEO, Kaynicks Communication Limited, Olaniyan Kayode; Trade Marketing Manager, MTN, Osazee Ebueku; CEO, Ugospecial Communications, Nwazue Ugochukwu and General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Richard Iweanoge at a forum organised by MTN for Visafone customers at the Best Western Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos…recently

Yudala’s Same Day Delivery System Excites Customers Weeks after pioneering same day delivery campaign in Nigeria’s e-commerce retail sector, Yudala, a pioneer composite e-commerce outfit, said it is beginning to reap the fruits of the campaign, which has seen thousands of excited shoppers flooding the company’s website and chain of experience stores nationwide to take advantage of the offer. To the delight of shoppers, Yudala had rolled out the same day delivery on a nationwide scale with her Easter Yu-jara promotion. Apart from the hubs of Lagos and Abuja, shoppers in Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Imo, Uyo and Delta, among others were able to enjoy same day delivery of the wide range of products ordered either online or from any Yudala Experience Stores in their location.

On Monday, April 18, Yudala said it witnessed a scramble from thousands of shoppers on the latest edition of its weekly promotion tagged

‘Yudala Mobile Monday,’ with the huge surge leading to the sell-out of a number of products same day. According to the Vice President, Yudala Online, Nnamdi Ekeh, a lot more is in stock for teeming customers of Yudala than is being unveiled at the moment as the company seeks to re-define the concept and conduct of e-commerce in Nigeria and the African continent as a whole.

“With Yudala, you have flexible delivery options – you can shop and pay online or pay on delivery. You can place orders online and collect from any of our shops near you. You can also walk into any of our Experience Stores nationwide, pay and collect immediately or pay and we deliver to you if you are in a hurry. These delivery options offer shoppers 21st century convenience which no other company can provide on this side of the Atlantic. This is why Yudala means peace of mind,” Ekeh said.

Huawei Shifts Focus to Cloud Technology, Big Data Huawei Technologies has said that it will focus on cloud technology and big data at the ‘Huawei Cloud Congress West Africa’ by engaging with industry leaders and Information Technology (IT) vendors on cloud technology and new innovations in big data.

In doing this, the company said it would be promoting more open, more efficient, and more structured business growth for enterprises and government.

The Huawei Cloud Congress (HCC), which is one of the top IT events in the year, commenced in 2011, and was held across the globe in China, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and South East Asia. The HCC, as it is now known, was designed to highlight Huawei’s latest innovations in Information and Communications Technology, specifically in cloud technology.

“With the theme, ‘Building an Open, Collaborative and Win-Win Ecosystem for Industry Transformation’, HCC Nigeria 2016 will bring together hundreds of industry elite ranging from telecoms carriers, the finance sector, the different tiers of government, to energy companies and other partners and stakeholders across the West African sub-continent,” according to a statement from Huawei.

“Participants and attendees at this year’s event can expect to share Huawei’s IT trends and new experiences, while Huawei will showcase its latest innovative products, solutions and services for the various sectors of the economy.

“HCC 2016 is designed as an opportunity for industry leaders and IT experts to build and strengthen cooperative relationships across sectors and seek Win-Win marketing opportunities for all stakeholders.

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The Buhari Administration and Self De-marketing With the plethora of inconsistent policy statements, Raheem Akingbolu reasons that the current administration needs to go back to the drawing board to fashion out a better strategy to project the government and its activities The appointment of Mr. Lai Mohammed, a former image maker of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as the minister of information at the inception of this administration last year was received with mix feelings. Many people raised eyebrows because of the strong perception that he might not be able to readjust his approach and while trying to sell his party during the electioneering campaigns. While his competence was not in doubt, his style of communication was a major concern for many people, including stakeholders within the ruling party. While they admitted that Mohammed did a good job as the publicity secretary of the party, when it was in opposition, they reckoned that managing the image of a government in power would be a different kettle of fish entirely. They have been proved right.

Another issue that attracted criticism was the appointment of two spokesmen for President Muhammed Buhari in the persons of Messrs Femi Adesina and Garba Sheu. Again, their competences were not in doubt but many observers feared that their efforts could be counterproductive. Those who share this belief can also be said to have been proved right, considering the manner in which they give conflict reactions to issues.

While as opposition party, APC was the one raising issues and putting the then ruling party on its toes, which often forced the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), to respond. The unpopularity of the ruling party then was a massive advantage for the APC. It allowed it to be an alternative people had been looking for. The tagline of its advertising campaign was catchy and instructive: change. It clicked and it became not only its tagline but its slogan.

There was the need to change from the old ways of doing things; from ineptitude and a directionless social engineering. Then APC now added an icing on the cake: propaganda. APC succeeded in demonising the ruling party. It made allegations that bothered more on the ridiculous than on the sensible. It accused the then ruling party of planning to kill its leaders. It did not stop there. It also accused it of planning to freeze their account and rope them into the Boko Haram insurgency. APC also criticised the ruling party of not being able to stop the Boko Haram insurgency and also blamed it for poor power supply. Then the party started promising heaven and earth in all in an attempt to sell itself and communicate the fact that it was a better alternative to the floundering PDP. APC won and the narrative of communication changed. Or was it supposed to change.

Before the inauguration of the current administration, the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) had in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, enumerated five areas they wanted the new administration to prioritise. In the letter, which was signed by the association’s president, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, AAAN called for national reorientation project that would make the country build her civic pride that will make Nigerians drive, grow and build things made in Nigeria. Till date, one is not sure if any national reorientation project has been designed.

According to the letter signed by the president of AAAN, the association said: “We strongly believe there is an urgent need for national re-orientation. The current state of apathy, despondency and disconnect between the citizens and the government needs to be addressed.

We therefore suggest a re-orientation project that will genuinely build Civic Pride and get Nigerians to believe in Nigeria and her assets.

We desire to see Nigerians begin to appreciate and support Made-in-Nigeria products and brands,” the letter read.

The association went further to give government hint on how the project could be achieved.

AAAN gladly offered to develop and produce a ‘Nigerian Pride and Unity campaign at no cost to government. It went on to state that if accepted, government would only be required

Buhari

to fund the exposure of the campaign in the mass media.

It was also suggested in the letter that government needs to develop a master plan to inspire innovation, enable industry, guarantee productivity and help build a progressive and competitive economy. According to AAAN, this will provide the opportunity to grow more dynamic and respected Nigerian brands.

And of course, they observed that Advertising, being a critical tool in this process cannot be pushed aside because it helps create choices that expand trade and fuel the economy and even the polity.

Blame game as tool of narrative…

A Mass Communication lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Journalsim, Mr. Jide Johnson told THISDAY that the ruling party did not seem to know that campaign was over even after the president had been sworn-in. He said the ruling party still believes that the best way to establish acceptability was by lacing its communication with anti-PDP narratives.

He said: “The ruling party elevated the art of blame game into a communication tool

The unpopularity of the ruling party then was a massive advantage for the APC. It allowed it to be an alternative people had been looking for. The tagline of its advertising campaign was catchy and instructive: change. It clicked and it became not only its tagline but its slogan

Lai-Mohammed

that must be deployed when responding to narrative of challenge and dissent. To them, the best way to remain popular was to constantly demonise the PDP and blame it for all the woes the nation has been facing since 1960. Besides, it used the narrative of corruption to further pummel an already flattened PDP. Disclosures upon disclosures of billions of naira, if not dollars, allegedly stolen by officials of the last administration initially helped the communication of APC. But one thing the party forgets is that just as it is blaming the PDP; people also need to see demonstrable evidence of change.

If that is not there, then the blame game will soon reach the end of its life span. And that is exactly what happening now.

Narrative of Arrogance…

The APC launched its communication as the ruling party by launching the superiority of its ideas and also taking those of the ousted PDP to the cleaners. With a big flotilla of social media ship owners, its message resonated with a large chunk of the people. The demonisation of PDP continued while in actual sense, nothing was happening that could actually be communicated.

The traditional first 100 days came and gone and when a score card was demanded, the government told the people that it did not promise anything within the first hundred days.

Many observers have since dismissed the response as a bad communication strategy that did so much damage to the image of the party. It did not end there. In a strange change in the tone and fulcrum of communication, the president repudiated the document purportedly spelling out what his administration would achieve in the first 100 days. He said the document did not come from him or from any member of his campaign team.

When Language of Communication Demonises…

Then came a turning point in the communication of the ruling party: demonising critics. It all started when the debate about rule of law started. While many agreed that some accused persons have serious cases to answer going by the gravity of allegations against them, analysts also reckoned that any accused should have his or her day in court. Critics of the president’s decision on national television that the government would not obey court pronouncements ordering the release of Nnamdi Kanu and Sambo Dasuki on phone were lampooned to no end.

“Corruption is fighting back” used to be the

cliché from government and its supporters.

Samuel Ajayi, a journalist and communications consultant, said this was a very wrong approach in government communication. To him, classifying anyone criticising government as enemy of the state or sympathisers of alleged looters would always be counterproductive. He said such would always alienate some sections of the populace from participating in national discourse. He believed not every critics of the way the war on corruption is being fought is friend of alleged looters.

“It is a wrong narrative to say corruption is fighting back,” Ajayi explained. “First, those in government are not angels. That EFCC has not gone after them does not mean they too don’t have cases to answer. If you want people to buy to the anti-corruption crusade, then communication is key. A ‘we’-versus-‘them’ approach can never work. Labeling anyone that pleads caution as sympathiser of corrupt people can never be helpful to the narrative of communication.”

The president remains the number one salesman of any country. However, it is debatable if President Buhari has been a good salesman as far as his pronouncements outside the country are concerned. First, it is believed that it does not help good communication if the president is always in the habit of making major policy pronouncements outside the country. The president has done these more than five times. Pundits think this is a wrong communication strategy which shows that perhaps, the president does not have regard for local media channels.

Between defiance and deflection of responsibility…

The on-going fuel scarcity and biting economic hardships being face by the citizenry ordinarily should have provided the government good opportunity to change the narrative. While these situations are negatives indices, they could be turned into PR stunt that shows that government has been sensitive and shares in the pains of the people. The only top official that has said anything about the fuel scarcity was the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu. But one of the leaders of the party took him to the cleaners. To many, this also showed that officials of government were not on the same page.

Besides, until the last one week, no one was even explaining what the problem is. Rather, what people are seeing is communication laced Continued on page 31

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THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION AND SELF DE-MARKETING with defiance. If the past administration is not being blamed, then it is saboteurs. In other words, in its communication, the government is not ready to take responsibility and explain what it is doing to ameliorate the situation.

Britain example In an essay written to evaluate David Cameron as Prime Minister of Britain, by Kevin Theakston, a Professor of British Government at the School of Politics and International Studies at the University of Leeds and Head of School, it was stated that there was wide agreement that Cameron excels at the public communication aspects of political leadership. According to the university teacher, Cameroon was highly accomplished at the frontman aspect of being prime minister and he appeared to be the government’s most effective communicator. He said Cameron was more like Blair than like Brown or Major in terms of media savvy, presentation skills, and knowing how to handle the media to sell and promote himself and his policies, and to reach out, connect with and persuade the wider public.

“He is good on television, and accomplished and statesmanlike at big set-piece occasions.

Cameron is very good at appearing ‘primeministerial’. He is also quick on his feet, sharp, confident and effective in the gladiatorial jousts at PMQs. Sometimes, however, Ed Miliband and other Labour frontbenchers have been able to get under his skin and unsettle him, leading to suggestions that he can seem to lose his temper in the House and come across as an aggressive ‘Flashman’ figure,” Need for public communication unit Looking at this appraisal and style of policy making by Mr. Cameroon, one is tempted to ask if President Buhari has a policy. In his reaction to this poser, the Publicity Secretary of the Public Relations Consultants Association

of Nigeria (PRCAN), Mr. Israel Jaiye Opayemi, argued that Buhari administration has policy but lack necessary strategies to communicate the policy.

“In my view, the administration has good policies but perhaps the missing link is lack of good strategies to communicate the policy.

I think government needs a separate public communication department that would be run by experts. To achieve this, it may be necessary to look beyond the party and recruit those who are experts in public communication.

This was also the position of a former Head

Looking back, that Fayemi lost his reelection in 2014 notwithstanding, pundits have consistently argued that his administration maintained a credible image throughout, especially in the eyes of people with discerning minds within and outside Ekiti

of Corporate Communications of the Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Kayode Akinyemi, who later served as the Director General of the then newly created Bureau of Strategic Communications in Ekiti State, while the current Minister of Solid Minerals was the governor of the state.

Fayemi had created the office to conceptualise and coordinate the communications initiatives of the government and promote the 8-point agenda of his administration.

In an interview with THISDAY, Akinyemi urged the current administration might need to do the same. According to him, having such office will enable government to have a team that would conceptualise and coordinate the communications initiatives of the government.

Looking back, that Fayemi lost his reelection in 2014 notwithstanding, pundits have consistently argued that his administration maintained a credible image throughout, especially in the eyes of people with discerning minds within and outside Ekiti. However, the communication strategy and the former governor’s high media rating failed because the people at the grassroots could not connect with the administration’s long term programmes and initiatives that would have probably rescue the people and put Ekiti in the world’s record.

Like the former minister of Britain, who promoted a more collective cabinet government style of policy-making and decision making, Buhari will be able to build a strong team and trust his colleagues to get on with the job if well cut-out communications strategies are put in place. The imperatives and dynamics of coalition was said to have helped David Cameroon’s leadership to define the sort of role he can and needed to play as prime minister.

A former President of AAAN, Mr. Funmi Onabolu is more detailed and direct in his recommendation for the government when he spoke to THISDAY. According to him,

government desperately needs the services of Marketing Communication practitioners to communicate its policies.

“In nation rebuilding, Nigeria desperately needs to look for specialists for the solution to nation rebuilding. Advertising shape lives, cultures and opinions. If government understands that, why is it not using it? For instance, federal government can make heads and other members of agencies and ministries realised the need for the service of marketing communication professionals. After this a pitch that cut across all the parastatals and ministries could be called to determine the ideal campaign for a particular programme.

“Aside the need for the use of professionals, government ought to be one of the biggest patrons of the advertising industry. Government does not use professionals and as such does not communicate properly. Take for instance, the government of the UK spends about $300 million pounds on advertising in 2015. If I may ask, what are they communicating? You will be amazed at the level at which they are communicating. It has a lot to do with the budget deficit, role in Afghanistan, referendum. I believe if government communicates, particularly with respect to what happens in the ministries and parastatals by using the experts, it would not be difficult for the citizen to understand the intentions of government. In the areas such as increase in tariff, corruption, diversification of the economy, government needs to engage expert for citizen to have a buy in. You must know that change communication is not only about activities of government alone, it also has a lot to do in attracting investments especially in the area of tourism. We must not forget that economies are not driven by the number of Dangotes but the growth of SMEs. This can only be achieved if we allow professionals to drive the communication,” Onabolu said.

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Nigerite at 57: The Making of a Wholly Nigerian Brand Raheem Akingbolu takes a look at the Nigerite brand as it clocks 57 this month, concluding that its imprint in the building and construction industry is unrivalled In a country where mortality rate of brands and companies are high, sustaining leadership for decades can be a big deal for a corporate brand. That is why the story of Nigerite and a few other companies that have existed for decades have always attracted public attention.

In particular, Nigerite has become a reference point for analysts because it has maintained the leadership of the building materials manufacturing sector for decades. Two things are unique about the legendary nature of Nigerite; as it is still strong as ever even at 57 and it still responds promptly to consumer’s changing needs and lifestyles age notwithstanding.

On a quick count, one can point out many companies that were established just a few years ago but only exist in name today. For Nigerite Limited, it was set up in April 1959 by three shareholders; Etex Group, worldwide leader of the fibre-cement industry, the then five States of Western Nigeria now represented

by Odu’a Investment and PZ Cussons, the well-known FMCG group.

As the company clocks 57 this month, it is surprising that despite the fact that the environment is often unfavorable to manufacturing; the promoters of the company have been able to build it into an enviable height with a high profile equity rating. For close to six decades, Nigerite has been in control of the roofing and ceiling materials markets.

According to THISDAY findings, the success story of the brand can be linked to many factors.

A staff that has spent over two decades working in Nigerite attributed the achievement of the company in the market to the clear vision of its founders and quality of innovative products coming out from the stable. The 51 year old man, who said he was not authorized to talk on behalf of the company, also believed that the huge annual investment of Nigerite into technological development has contributed in no small measure to the reason all its products are unbeatable by competition.

Contribution to economy If an organisation’s contribution to national growth is used as a parameter to measure its success, then one can easily conclude that Nigerite is well above board. Over the years, the company has trained many Nigerians and provided direct and indirect job opportunities for hundreds of people. It is a standard in the company to expose staff, especially engineers, to regular training locally and internationally Not only that, artisans like carpenters who are engaged in using their products are periodically trained and educated.

When it comes to Nigeria’s infrastructural growth, the company is a pacesetter considering the fact that it has grown over the years with and nurtured Nigeria to adulthood. Indeed, its brand identity has almost everything in common with the Nigeria brand name. It is a brand identity semblance that has a symbiotic relationship that has continued to blossom and withstand the test of time. Coincidentally too, hardly has there been any infrastructural project that was put in place since independence without Nigerite products.

Monuments and institutions in Nigeria bear eloquent testimony to the innovative inputs and imprimatur of the Nigerite brand. Beyond that, as a patriotic citizen of Nigeria, Nigerite’s belief in growing the economy can be said to have informed the decision to be promoting local content. Till date, the company is one of the few companies that secure bulk of its raw materials locally. This is not to say that it has not faced its own challenges due to forex scarcity. The truth however is that it now has all it takes to meet the needs of target markets using locally manufactured products for complete building solutions for Nigerians.

Innovation As stated by many stakeholders and consum-

ers, who spoke on the strength of the brand, innovation appears to be part of the company’s DNA. In the last 57 years, hardly there is a year when Nigerite will not introduce new products or raise the bar of the existing products in the market.

Recently, the company introduced Kalsi, a Cement Building Board Solutions into the Nigerian market. The product is a major component in the dry construction system. A couple of months after the launch, the company had taken the innovation a step further by commissioning a Kalsi Experience Centre right within the Nigerite premises.

The structure, a one story duplex, embodies the dynamism and precision of the Kalsi boards as it offers a glimpse into the remarkable and endless possibilities of the dry construction system compared with the traditional wet method.

Apart from the foundation of the building, done with the wet process, the other parts of the construction embodied the beauty of the Kalsi building boards. And that included the floors, claddings, partitions, along with the internal and external walls and ceilings.

As the company clocks 57 this month, it is surprising that despite the fact that the environment is often unfavorable to manufacturing; the promoters of the company have been able to build it into an enviable height with a high profile equity rating

“Let’s journey to the future of the country,” Frank Le Bris, Nigerite’s Managing Director declared with a sense of fulfillment as he ushered major industry stakeholders in the built industry into the state of the art Kalsi Experience Centre during the formal inauguration.

The major stakeholders in the building and construction industry in Nigeria, who were amazed and excited as they were being taken on a tour round the structure cannot but agree less with the managing director that indeed a journey into the future had already started.

Mr. Le Bris told guests drawn mainly from the professional associations and academia that the innovative Kalsi board solutions from Nigerite is a step in the right direction, adding that “it is the future of Nigerite and the building industry in Nigeria.”

Chairman, Lagos Chapter of Nigerian Institute of Architects, Architect Ladipo Lewis who shared similar sentiments with Le Bris said shortly after the tour that the Kalsi building board was a welcome development and offers a fresh new possibility for the building and construction industry in Nigeria. He noted that it is high time Nigerians embraced the new building system because of the numerous advantages therein.

It was also in line with this innovative culture that the company launched a new product called Kalsiceil plain and embossed ceiling sheets which come in tastefully finished patterns. The new product unveiled at the company’s premises in Lagos last yearis offered in a standard dimension of 1.22m x 1.22m (4feet x 4feet) and 3mm thickness. The new product which is grey in colour can also be painted to any colour of choice by prospective consumers.

Unveiling the new product at a well attended event by distributors, senior carpenters and consumers from both Lagos and Ogun States, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Frank LeBris said the new innovation was in line with the promise made to its stakeholders in the previous year that something more unique will evolve from what they have been hitherto used to.

CSR In the area of Corporate Social Responsibility, Nigerite has demonstrated steady commitment to the Nigerian society for decades. Aside its contributions to manpower development, it has through CSR impacted on schools, artisans and communities.

To deepen its relationship with consumers and reward them for loyalty, the company recently did the unusual when it delivered brand new roofing products to selected homes across South West of Nigeria at no cost to the home owners.

Beneficiaries of the initiative had their old rusty and leaky roofs changed and replaced with Nigerite’s Solo Xtra fiber cement roofing sheets.

The product was introduced recently to meet coloured roofing needs in Nigeria known as Solo To contribute to knowledge acquisition in building and construction industry, the premier roofing sheets and building components solution company, recently refurbished the architecture studio of the Department of Architecture, Lagos State Polytechnic as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. Also, the company had sometimes ago handled a similar project at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (Mapoly), Abeokuta in Ogun State as well as renovated architecture studios in University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), in Lagos State.

On a regular basis, the company plays host to undergraduate architecture students in the Nigerian tertiary institutions when they come for training and orientation about latest technology and innovations in the built industry.

Similarly, the company on a regular basis organizes training and retraining programmes for carpenters, plasterboard installers and Dry construction Project Engineers in the south west region with a view to boosting their capacities.

As a socially responsible company, one can simply state that Nigerite has kept a close watch on the environment in line with its environmental statement that reads ‘’Nigerite Limited is committed to continuous improvement of its production, sales and installation of roofing, ceiling, cladding and flooring products with minimum harmful effects on the environment’’ motto: Stakeholders were aware of this when the company for over ten times won the Best Kept Industrial Premises award.

As a socially responsible company that knows the importance of giving back to the society, Nigerite has, over the years, engaged in the provision and replacement of roofs of historic buildings, town halls, schools and palaces of traditional Obas in various towns and villages in South-West Nigeria. The company also trains and re-trains over 20,000 carpenters annually through carpenters’ seminars, which take place weekly all over its territories.

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IVM: Expanding the Frontiers of Local Auto Brand Makers

IVM Chairman, Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma presenting Alpha Fighter Jet spareparts manufactured by IVM to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar

Kasie Abone Before the information went public, it was on record that Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (IVM), the only Nigerian local auto manufacturer provided the needed spare parts for Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Fighter Jets to effectively prosecute the ongoing battle against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East .

Were it not for its intervention, the whole operation of fighting insurgency in the North East of Nigeria would have been grounded.

In a post by NAF spokesman, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar lauded IVM management for “providing the needed technical support that has enabled the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to sustain its operations against the Boko Haram insurgents.” It went further to say that IVM at a time when the NAF would have been forced to ground its entire fleet of Alpha Jets due to lack of brake assembly IVM intervention through deployment of innovative expertise to locally modify and overhaul the brake assembly of the MB-339 aircraft for adoption on the Alpha Jets saved the situation. “This ingenious effort by IVM is instrumental to the continued operation of the Alpha Jets, and had helped to save the day when help was not forthcoming from abroad”, he said.

While recommending a national recognition and award for this patriotic and ingenious breakthrough by IVM, given the important role played by the Alpha Jet in the ongoing counter insurgency operations, Abubakar pledged to ensure further collaboration between NAF and IVM. The collaboration aligns with one of the key drivers of the CAS vision, which is “strategic partnership with ministries, departments and agencies for enhanced research and development”.

It was that assurance of a collaborative efforts that led to the signing of an MoU by both parties to exploit the feat and advance towards mass production of the Alpha Jet break assembly and other parts locally, expand the scope of existing research and development as well as to ‘build own capacity for enhanced self-reliance.’

The IVM team had earlier visited the CAS on his invitation with the assurance of IVM Chairman, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma that the collaboration would go beyond the Alpha jet break assembly to include replication some other spares needed by NAF. At the signing of the MoU in Nnewi, Anambra State, the headquarters of Innoson Group, the Chief of Policy and Plans, Air Vice-Marshal James Gbum, who represented CAS, Air Marshal Abubakar shed more light into the genesis of the partnership.

According to him due to lack of spares especially the brake assembly, which were difficult to source abroad due to foreign exchange challenges, all but one or two of NAF fighter aircrafts, Alpha Jets, ‘a backbone’ to the fight against insurgency were grounded.

Abubakar, who was represented by the

It was that assurance of collaborative effort that led to the signing of an MoU by both parties to exploit the feat and advance towards mass production of the Alpha Jet break assembly and other parts locally, expand the scope of existing research and development as well as to ‘build own capacity for enhanced self-reliance

Chief Of Policy and Plans, Air Vice-Marshal James Gbum, said that the MoU would further solidify the collaboration, improve local content and engineering as well as save the country a lot of foreign exchange hitherto used to import expensive spare parts. A research by Kainji based Research and Development arm of break assembly overhaul could not pass the test.

“The Nigerian Air Force later discovered that Innoson Vehicle Maintenance Company at Nnewi is very capable of collaborating with the Nigerian Air Force to achieve the required standards of overhauling our break assemblies. The company was invited to headquarters Nigerian Air Force for discussion and thereafter went into research and development collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force and the result was successful. To this effect, we have reasonable number of these Alpha Jets serviceable daily to fight the war in the North East.” Gbum enthused.

He added that “the Nigerian Air Force considers this co-operation with the indigenous company as very important in producing some of the spare parts locally. This is in-line with the change agenda of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari and it is also in line with the vision and key-drivers of the Chief of Air Staff.”

In his reaction, Chukwuma said IVM’s ability to satisfy the high expectations of NAF earned it the deal. He pledged IVM’s competences in terms of human and technical capital to deliver world class spares that will suit the need of NAF and save Nigeria the capital flight through imports of foreign alternatives.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the growth of Nigerian economy adding that with time his company would prove to Nigerian s that it has better competencies to match if not surpass the quality of foreign brands.

Anambra State Governor, Dr. Willie Obiano who had earlier played host to the NAF team described the partnership as great initiative and urged them to go beyond the deal to replace the imported Hilux brands with IVM brands.

He revealed that 500 youths from the state were currently undergoing practical training on automobile engineering at the factory.

The action of NAF aligns with federal government’s policy to support local manufacturers as well as promote buy made in Nigeria to encourage growth of local companies as well as create jobs, a policy thrust of the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. After the swearing in of President Buhari, it was hazy whether the new administration would continue with the former President Jonathan’s Buy Made in Nigeria policy.

But with the Mr. Godwin Emefiele- led Central Bank’s ban on allocation of forex on some listed items, the campaign to buy locally made products was revved up. With that the demand for IVM brands and other locally manufactured products soared.

Already more than a cursory attention is being paid to IVM brand by the current administration especially the upper chamber of the legislature with conversation on going that the brand be considered and approved as official vehicle to shore up confidence among Nigerians and indeed offshore markets where the brand is recording strong penetration.

Already the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, former governor of Ebonyi state and now Senator Sam Egwu and Chief proponent of Great Nigeria, Senator Ben Murray Bruce are among the Nigerians that are already enjoying a great ride in IVM SUV brand. Already, IVM is working on the bulletproof brand specially ordered by Bruce. It is expected to be delivered within 60 days.

The IVM commenced local manufacture of auto brands in 2007 with the production of sundry commercial automobiles, utility vehicles and passenger cars, in collaboration with a consortium of Chinese auto manufacturers.

IVM has become a major supplier of buses to the country’s transportation sector, including the mass transit scheme launched in 2012 by President Jonathan. In 2014 IVM expanded its brand portfolio to include sedan cars to cater for the middle income needs.

With the partnership to produce spares for NAF fighter jets IVM has not only expanded its brand portfolio but also demonstrated its leadership position in Nigeria auto market and competence to compete in the global auto market.

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NEWS

ESMCCU Holds AGM, Declares 22% Increase in Capital Base Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja The Economic Community of West African States Staff Mutual Credit Cooperative Union (ESMCCU) on Monday held its annual general meeting (AGM) where it declared 22 per cent increment in its capital base.

The President of ESMCCU, Dr. Alfred Braimah made the declaration at the AGM held at ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja.

He said the event was “very unique to this executive team as it marks our one year in office administrators of our collective common wealth.”

Braimah noted that in a determined effort to grow the funds of the union, the present management embarked on an aggressive sensitisation and advocacy visits to various institutions and agencies of ECOWAS, ERERA, GIABA, WAHO, WAPP, EYSDC, EGDC and EWRCC. He added that the visits were to effectively mobilise membership into the union,

“thus becoming a truly formidable brand that caters for the welfare of all ECOWAS staff everywhere.

“We are very positive that the effect of the advocacy visits will result in increased membership and higher capital base for the union. The total active members of the union as at December 2015 stood at 697.” On the union’s capital base, Braimah said it had in 2015 increased by 22 per cent, compared to 16 per cent increase in 2014.

He attributed the positive increment in the capital base of the union to “our resolve to open up the activities of the union to every staff of ECOWAS irrespective of location.

Braimah equally disclosed that 83 per cent of members had contributions ranging between 1million Fcfa and 50 million Fcfa, with a majority in the 5 million Fcfa to 10 million Fcfa range. He stressed that the increase in the capital base had also reflected positively in

the total asset employed which increased significantly by 21.80 per cent in 2015, compared to the 17 per cent increase in 2014.

“In line with our strategy to compliment the welfare services of ECOWAS, we continued to advance affordable normal loans to staff at an interest rate of 5 per cent per annum, which is the best you can get in the financial market presently.

“We continued to facilitate the access to Normal, Special and Asset Finance Loans to members within 48 hours. This accounted for 98.7 per cent (688) of our members successfully accessing loans for their various needs.

On staff welfare, he said the executive of the union was very conscious of the need for continuous training and improved welfare condition of its staff.

Braimah added that in the year under reviews, the senior accounting assistant was sent on training with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Winners Emerge in Total Startupper 2016 Challenge in Nigeria Total Nigeria Plc and Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria last week announced the winners of the Startupper 2016 challenge.

The French oil giant launched the Challenge “Startupper of the year”, on November 1, 2015.

Initiated simultaneously by the Total Group in 34 countries in Africa, the competition aimed to identify, reward and provide support to the best business creation and business development projects under two years of existence in Nigeria

by Nigerians aged thirty-five years and below.

The online registration and submission portal was open from November 1, 2015 (8:00 GMT) to January 31, 2016 (23:00 GMT). A total number of 1,934 projects were submitted and evaluated to get the top 30. This was conducted in accordance with the contest rules, by the

first level reviewers who comprised of carefully selected professionals, business experts, professors and senior lecturers in Nigeria.

Thereafter there was a second level evaluation by a jury of professionals who reviewed and selected the top ten projects based on specific criteria which include innovation, originality, audacity and potential to impact on socioeconomic development of the Nigerian society and its people.

These finalists received high impact one-on-one coaching engagements with top business technocrats who served as mentors.

The top three projects were selected from the 10 finalists at a pitch event on April 6, 2016 in Oriental Hotel, Lagos. This was after evaluation of their project presentations by the honourable ten-man Jury for

the “Startupper of the year” Challenge in Nigeria.

The three best projects were awarded at the official awards ceremony, which took place on April 22nd, 2016 at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos.

The finalists are: Mr. Opeyemi Owosho of Fitco Tech Integrated Venture, who took first place position; Miss. Uzoma Eleke of Zeta Prime Alternative Technologies, who came second and Mr. Emeka Nwachinemere of Kitovu Ltd., who took the third place in the challenge.

These winners received the Startupper 2016 Award

by Total, as well as financial assistance and guidance from Total in Nigeria.

The Challenge, “Startupper of the Year by Total” stemmed from the Corporate Social Responsibility policy of Total to support the socio-economic development of all countries.

Consumers Endorse Chivita Active Vegetable and Fruit Nectar Raheem Akingbolu Chi Limited, manufacturers of Chivita has been commended by a cross section of consumers for introducing, Chivita Active Vegetable & Fruit Nectar into the market. Speaking during an experiential forum organised to bond with consumers in Lagos, a large number of people described the product as a healthy drink that is good for the body. A manager in one of Nigeria’s leading banks, Mr. Olumide Ajagun said the benefits of Chivita Active Vegetable Fruit Juice is not quantifiable, stating that it has helped him maintained good health and stay active. “I bought a blender about two years ago to make healthy drinks as an easy way of getting huge amounts of micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and cancer-

preventing antioxidants that my body needs for healthy living but I can assure you that the process of getting the vegetable from the market, washing them and blending is a task I do not relish. With Chivita Active Vegetable & Fruit Nectar, I can now enjoy the lip smacking goodness of fruit and the benefits of no cholesterol and low fat from vegetables all in a pack,” Ajagun said.

According to him, consumers who place a premium on health consciousness can easily satisfy their need for healthy drinks with the new offering.

The product, which was said to be the first of its kind in the Nigerian juice market, combines the power of vegetable and fruit, which makes it blend well with vitamins, fibre and nutrients. A statement issued after its launch stated that it was

R DA, APRIL 28, 2016

a healthy and tasty way to get the antioxidants and stamina required for a healthy active lifestyle.

“Chivita Active Vegetable and Fruit Nectaris produced with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and is available in three different exciting variants – Carrot Orange, Beetroot Grape and Beetroot Apple.

The Carrot Orange variant comes with a burst of Orange and the goodness of carrot to ensure a great taste and a healthier lifestyle. While the Beetroot Grape is a tasty blend of beetroot and grape which guarantees stamina and rich antioxidants. The Beetroot Apple variant which is a mix of beetroot and apple ensures a healthier and active lifestyle through the stamina, antioxidants and wellness it provides,”

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Dr. Okonjo-Iweala: A leader worth Emulating Uzoma Ngozi The direction of Nigeria’s socio-political environment saddens my heart. Politicians from all sides have decided to adopt a destructive political system that is inimical to the progress of the country.

Hardly can one identify in our political system a genuine technocrat.

Among the so-called politicians, it is very difficult to identify those genuinely interested in Nigeria. Everyone seems concerned in what comes to their pocket at the expense of the citizen. This is the reason when people with genuine intentions are identified, they should be celebrated and not crucified.

Although, celebrating them has become a challenge in the country because destructive criticism, partisan politics and godfatherism are major challenges that have made it difficult for the dissemination of real facts about these set of people.

One woman that has been destructively criticised in the system is Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. This courageous woman of substance, who stands for the right values has been criticised by partisan politicians and political godfathers who in one time or the other had to be stopped in their conduct of sharp and corrupt practices.

When the country was faced with huge challenges during her time as Cordinating Minister for the Economy in the last administration, Okonjo- Iweala positioned Nigeria by helping her build her capacity, which empowered the country to initiate appropriate fiscal and monetary strategies which was used to contend with the crisis and the potential risks.

genuine technocrats like Okonjo Iweala so that she could be pressured to resign.

They tried to discourage her from national service with propaganda after another.

I am yet to see some facts and evidence put forward against Okonjo Iweala. All I see are people I call political desperados who will stop at nothing until they see that they have destroyed the reputation of this innocent woman.

If you recall, you will remember what these political desperados did in 2012 just to discourage madam Okonjo from rendering her service to the nation. She stopped them from raiding the treasurer through phantom payment of subsidy.

So what did they do? They kidnapped her

Okonjo-Iweala

As a thoroughbred technocrat, she made sure that the government considered sundry fiscal measures, including setting a target of increasing the non-oil revenues at about N480 billion which was actualised within three years as well as introducing tax reliefs for capital market operators to mitigate the negative effect of the dwindling earnings from oil exports on the macro economy.

Her effort was not left unrecognised by the international community as she kept bagging awards upon awards.

Partisan politicians and godfathers, however, constantly created controversies and problems, to make Nigerians doubt the credibility of

If not for her doggedness and fight against the pressure from state governors, who knows whether the Excess Crude Account would have been emptied by now

mother Prof. Kamene Okonjo. The 82-year-old retired professor of sociology at the University of Nigeria was then released six days after the kidnap.

This was all in a bid to discourage madam Okonjo from her service to her father land. One of the major demands of the kidnappers was that Madam Okonjo should resign from her ministerial position but she did not succumb.

Then came the battle from state governors to forcibly share the Excess Crude Account which was resisted by Okonjo Iweala who constantly call attention to the need for Nigerians to save for the raining day.

If not for her doggedness and fight against the pressure from state governors, who knows whether the Excess Crude Account would have been emptied by now.

Now that Okonjo Iweala is out of government, why are some detractors still after her?

After all they promised Nigerians change, so they should go ahead and implement their change without lying to Nigerians.

It will interest you to know that while they keep propagating lies against this woman of substance, Madam Okonjo-Iweala keeps bagging more awards. She was recently named along with other 4 influential and powerful women in the 2016 Power with Purpose award.

The prestigious award recognises outstanding and influential women with leadership focus who have helped in engineering recognisable change in their community and the world.

Madam Iweala keeps getting the awards as a result of hard work while her critics are barely known beyond their criticism corners.

- Ngozi is an entrepreneur and a social commentator who resides in Lagos.

ExxonMobil Loses Top Credit Rating The worst oil crash in a generation has cost ExxonMobil Corporation the gold-plated credit rating it had held since the great depression, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

Standard & Poor’s on Tuesday stripped Exxon of its highest AAA measure of credit-worthiness, cutting it to AA+, the same as the U.S. government. It’s a defeat for Exxon, which sought to retain the rating after S&P placed it on notice in February. Before the downgrade, Exxon shared the distinction with just two other companies: Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft Corp. “Nothing has changed in terms of the

company’s financial philosophy or prudent management of its balance sheet,” Scott Silvestri, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail.

“Exxon Mobil places a high value on its strong credit position and continues to be focused on creating long-term shareholder value despite nearterm market volatility.” The downgrade is another blow to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson’s legacy as he approaches the company’s mandatory retirement age next year. In the decade he’s led the world’s most valuable publicly traded oil explorer, he spearheaded a $35 billion

Tillerson

bet on natural gas right before the market collapsed.

That was followed by a stillborn partnership with Russia’s state-controlled crude driller that stranded $1 billion behind a wall of international sanctions. S&P questioned

Exxon’s decision to spend $54 billion on stock buybacks since 2012 even as its debt load swelled. Exxon’s preference for returning cash to shareholders may be hurting its ability to stockpile cash and pay down debt, the credit rating company said. “The company’s debt level has more than doubled in recent years, reflecting high capital spending on major projects in a high commodity price environment and dividends and share repurchases that substantially exceeded internally generated cash flow,” S&P wrote in the note.

Exxon also is facing challenges in finding enough new

discoveries to replace the crude it’s pumping from the ground, S&P said on Tuesday. The company only found enough new oil last year to replace 67 percent of its production.

“In our view, the company’s greatest business challenge is replacing its ongoing production,” S&P said. Oil prices have tumbled almost 60 percent since June 2014, trading today at about $44 a barrel.

The crash has choked crude-producing nations like Nigeria and Venezuela of cash, thrown hundreds of thousands of employees out of work, stalled drilling and pipeline investments around the

world and even reverberated into ancillary industries such as steel-making and railroads.

Exxon was one of the last holdouts against the wave of credit downgrades that engulfed oil drillers with diminishing prospects of paying debts, dividends and rig fees. The downgrade will not only raise Exxon’s cost to borrow money but may also erode its status among oil-rich governments as a premier partner with which to do business. As Exxon Vice President of Investor Relations Jeffrey Woodbury said in February, the company’s AAA rating was a key selling point when competing for drilling licenses.

Eland Boosts Production at Nigerian Campari Appoints 2face as Brand U.S. Consumer Confidence Slips in April Ambassador Opuama-3 Well West Africa-focused energy firm Eland Oil & Gas plc announced late Monday that its joint-venture subsidiary, Elcrest Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd, together with Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC), has completed re-entry works and boosted production at the Opuama-3 well in Nigeria.

Workover operations at the well included the perforation of two new intervals and production logging runs in both strings. The D1000 upper reservoir flowed for one hour on a 48/64” choke and produced 235 barrels of oil, which is equivalent to 5,640 barrels of dry crude per day.

The D2000 reservoir flowed for six hours on a 48/64” choke and produced 1,137 barrels of oil, which equates to 4,548 barrels of dry crude per day.

The combined flow from both strings was tested for 1 hour on a 48/64” choke and produced 441 barrels of oil, which is equivalent to 10,584 barrels of dry crude per day from Opuama-3.

Following the re-opening of the Forcados terminal, which Eland currently expects within a month, the company expects to recommence production from Opuama.

“We are very pleased to announce the successful completion of the Opuama-3 re-entry and the strong results from flow testing the well. The results are beyond the high end of our previously announced expected range of 2,000-4,000 incremental gross barrels of oil produced per day. The two newly perforated reservoirs have proven to be highly productive.

Raheem Akingbolu Legendary pop star, 2face Idibia has been named the first Nigerian ambassador for Campari.

Unveiling the star artist at the 2016 edition of Nigerian Entertainment Conference, held recently in Lagos, the Head of Marketing at Brian Munro, the company handling the promotions and distributions of the liquor product, The head of marketing, Mr. Abayomi Ajao said the brand settled for 2face because he shares a lot of attribute with the iconic brand.

“The brand has been with us for the past 50 years.

Before now, we have relied on oversees ambassadors. So, we begin to look at it that why can’t Africa have its own Campari ambassador? Why can’t the ambassador come

from Nigeria? So this evening, we are pleased to announce to you that from this year 2016, 2baba is a Campari ambassador for Nigeria”, Ajao said.

He also pointed out what 2face Idibia has in common with the brand that made the company collaborate with him.

“We believe that there’s a lot of things that 2baba has that resonate with Campari. 2baba is a hardworking guy. Campari is for the man that has worked very hard and wants to celebrate success.

“2baba is a stylish person, a humble person. Campari is that brand that’s subtle. We feel that 2baba is a charismatic person, we feel that he has the energy, he has everything to collaborate with. So, on behalf of the company, I announce to you 2baba Innocent Ujah Idibai as our ambassador.”

U.S. consumers were feeling a little less confident in April, even though the stock market was rebounding from its February lows, The Spokesman –Review reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, the Conference Board said its consumer confidence index dropped to 94.2 this month after rising to 96.1 in March.

The April report showed confidence on a sideways path, with modest progress in one month followed by a slight retreat in the following month.

Consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved in April, which could suggest that the economy is growing at a stable pace. But their expectations for the future fell to a two-year low.

Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics said that the recent rise in

gasoline prices seemed to be offsetting the rebound that has occurred in the stock market.

“Consumer confidence has trended lower in recent months, but the fundamentals for consumption remain encouraging,” Ashworth said.

He noted that the labor market remains strong, interest rates are low and the price of such key household assets such as homes and stocks were on the rise.

Ashworth said the reading for consumer confidence was consistent with consumer spending growing at around a 2 percent rate, an improvement over the 1.5 percent spending growth he has forecast for the first quarter.

Economists closely watch consumer spending because it accounts for 70 percent of economic activity.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Struggling to make a living in a harsh economy

AKINWUNMI IBRAHIM

FG Tasked on New Policies to Check Enugu Plans 2,000 Housing Units for LowViolence against Women income Earners Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The Federal Government has been enjoined to come up with new policies to check the increasing cases of violence against women and children in the country.

The call was made by a group, Inter-community Development Social Organisation (IDS) at the end of a two-day sensitisation workshop for the supply-side actors in Abuja.

The Executive Secretary, IDS, Mrs. Gire Doom Eunice, while speaking to newsmen at the end of the workshop, noted that the call became necessary due to the increasing cases of violence against women and children (girls) in schools, places of work, homes, in some refugee and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in the society.

According to her, “This sensitisation workshop is primarily aimed at strengthening the capacity of the supply-side actors and that is, the police, Magistrates, social welfare officers and other service providers including the media in Abuja Municipal Area Council in curbing the increasing cases of violence against women and girls.” Speaking further, she said, “We want government to enact laws because the ones we have are obsolete. And to quickly address this current trend that we are talking about.

If government can enact these laws, it will go a long way in curbing this menace. Security

agencies are the ones that these cases are being reported to. So, bringing them in will encourage speeding up of any case because, they have been trained to handle such cases.”

Eunice said: “This workshop will equip them to effectively handle, document, and prosecute perpetrators of gender based violence so as to improve access to justice for the victims of violence against women in Nigeria. “Statistics indicate that one out of every three (33.3 per cent) women or girls are affected by gender based violence (GBV) globally including Nigeria. 2010 UNICEF report revealed that 70 per cent of women and girls have experienced physical and/ or sexual violence and 60 million girls worldwide are victims of teenage marriage before 18 years.” She added that rape and domestic abuse account for 5 per cent of health challenges for women of reproductive age in developing countries, with Nigeria inclusive.

“Reports also revealed that only few of violence against women cases are prosecuted while most victims and civil society organisations (CSOs) are not aware of their responsibility and do not believe in the Nigerian justice system”, she added. Eunice explained that government hasn’t been so good to the women folks, adding that, “Though, they are trying but they have not gotten it right yet on gender based issue.

Government should increase the

number of women in political positions, and political parties should get more women elected into positions. “The society also doesn’t believe that women and children’s rights count. So, they don’t feel the violation of these groups right is criminal. Because of that, it’s like it is encouraged because the parents, and when their child is involved, they don’t want the public to know for fear of stigmatisation and also they would not want the family name to be mentioned that their daughter was raped.”

Eunice stressed the need for more collaborative efforts from various stakeholders in the society, arguing that the issue of youth and children should not be left alone for the government.

“The development and empowerment of the people most especially women, youths and children is a responsibility of everyone. With this workshop, the supply-side actors will be equipped with the knowledge of what to do. Parents should report cases of this nature to the law enforcement agencies or to the welfare officer or to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

“It is because we are hiding these cases that is why they are being carried out. If the parents report these issues without fear of stigmatisation, this will go a long way in curbing the incidence of violence against women and girls”, Eunice affirmed.

Targets N1tr from land sales Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu Determined to shore up its revenue base in view of the global economic meltdown, Enugu state government has set a target of a whopping N1 trillion to be recovered from the sale of landed property at the newly-carved out New Independence layout within Enugu metropolis.

The target, which is coming on the heels of the recent Oganiru Enugu Investment summit, also emerged alongside government’s plan to build about 2,500 housing units for low and high income earners.

The new Independence layout, christened, Heliu residences (an acronym drawn from the name of the state governor, His Excellency Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi - Heliu) located along Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway is the first district being created by the state government since the creation of Enugu state, about a quarter of a century ago.

The new layout, covering over 132 hectares of land, is divided into two with one section for construction of five hundred houses of single family or twin family duplexes/ bungalows to be solely financed by a Consortium led by FIT Consult and five hundred plots

of land for sale to individuals for development.

The Chief Executive Officer, FIT Consult Limited, Chief Loretta Aniagolu who spoke at the unveiling of the new district, noted that the company in partnership with a Chinese firm, Yuanda Investment Company would invest about N3.5 billion in infrastructure in the area.

The facilities at the new district would include 24-hours security, paved roads, street lights, recreation club, shopping mall, 24 hours water supply, covered drainage, parks and hotels, adding that, the water supply would not be hooked into the state’s present water scheme.

Aniagolu said a plot of 750 metres is presently being sold at N9.5 million, adding that allocation would be made within ten working days of down payment and 14 working days of payment of statutory fees for the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

Aniagolu stated that the layout was the first being created by the state government after the late Micheal Okpara carved out the Independence layout, Ogui, new layout, coal camp and GRA and Chief Jim Nwobodo of Transekulu, Awkunanaw and others.

Also speaking, state Commissioner for lands and Urban

Development, Solomon Onah, explained that government decided to venture into the project so as to raise funds to finance education, health, housing, infrastructure and social services.

He explained that the state government intends to make Enugu the “homes for all”, adding that smaller housing units for low income earners were ongoing in the state and would soon be ready for occupation.

Onah explained that the state planned to build 2,500 housing units to be completed before the end of 2017, explaining that 500 of the houses would cost N7.5 billion, while the remaining 2,000 would be built at different points specifically for low income earners.

The commissioner praised the FIT Consult and her partners for agreeing to come to the aid of the state in the provision of housing, urging other private individuals and organisations to emulate the company, while assuring stakeholders of a favourable policy.

The General Manager of Yuanda, Johnny Jiang, said they were committed to the project and would ensure its realisation by next year. He stated that they already have the commitment of their government for financial facilities that would help them meet the target.

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DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“This administration decided to plug all financial loopholes through the Treasury Single Account (TSA), into which over N2 trillion has accrued so far. Funds that ordinarily would have gone into private pockets are now finding their way into the public treasury, to be used for the benefit of all” - MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, SPEAKING AT A TOWN-HALL MEETING IN LAGOS

Ensure Even Devt across Lagos, Lawmaker Urges Ambode Femi Durojaiye

Stakeholders Harp on How to End Malaria in Nigeria, Globally Abimbola Akosile Alarmed by the number of deaths caused by malaria, stakeholders have advocated preventive methods and strategic investment in the fight against the disease as the strategy to adopt if the goal to end malaria for good by 2030 must be achieved in Nigeria.

Besides, they argued that the proffered strategy is less expensive than the cost of outright cure of the ravaging disease.

This was echoed by the General Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility Sustainable Development (CSR-SD) Total Exploration and Production Company, Dr. Charles Ngiribara and Country Director, Development Africa (DA) during a recent roll back malaria programme in Lagos, ahead of the 2016 World Malaria Day, which is marked on April 25 each year.

The stakeholders stated that creating awareness about the disease would go a long way in helping the masses prevent and protect themselves from the illness, adding that besides keeping a clean environment sleeping under treated mosquito nets would reduce malaria cases. The rollback malaria programme which held last week was jointly organised by Development Africa (DA) in partnership with Total Exploration and Production Company and Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area.

According to Ngiribara, “Annually, malaria affects over 300 million people globally and takes the lives of almost a million. This explains why our company is determined to join forces with all stakeholders and other corporate organisations in the fight to end malaria for good, in line with the theme of this year’s World Malaria Day. “Creating awareness goes a long way in helping the masses prevent and protect themselves from the illness and this is the reason for our gathering here. Prevention

Malaria treatment process

is our watchword at Total because it is less expensive than cure. We believe that with the corporation of everyone, we can control and prevent this scourge in our ultimate battle to eradicate it completely,” Ngiribara stated.

World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics showed that there were 214 million new malaria cases in 2015 and 438,000 deaths caused by malaria worldwide. Activities that headlined the anti-malaria programme included free tests and treatment for pregnant women and nursing mothers, capacity building for community health workers in public and private employ, lectures for secondary school students on malaria prevention, as well as house-to-house distribution of long-lasting insecticide nets in Ilaje and Olomu communities within the LCDA. During the three-day event, over 100 Rapid

Diagnostic Kits (RPD) were donated to primary health centres and community health workers to help with rapid treatment of malaria cases even after the exercise was over.

Also speaking during the event, Country Director, Development Africa, Joshua Kempeneer said the activities were in commemoration of World Malaria Day 2016 with the theme ‘End Malaria for good.’

“The fight against malaria requires strategic investments, continued political will and innovation in the way that we combat the scourge; with this attitude we can eliminate malaria and help future generations achieve their full potential. We must commend the Lagos State Government and Total E&P Nigeria Limited for the continued effort and investment in the fight against malaria.

A Lagos lawmaker, Hon. Abiodun Tobun has urged the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, not to relent in his efforts at bringing development to both urban and rural areas of the state. Tobun made the appeal at the recent media chat with Assembly’s correspondents in Ikeja, the state capital. The lawmaker commended Ambode for all his strides towards sustaining the basic infrastructure in the metropolis and taking development to the hinterlands of the state. He said, “The approach of leaving the rural areas to develop urban areas has led to migration of people to the city. The idea of developing the metropolis is the mindset of people at the helms of affairs; some governments develop the centre and leave the rural areas.

“This approach usually leads to rural-urban migration and makes the centre to be congested while some governments believe in developing the rural area to decongest the city to make more people comfortable living in the rural areas.

“The best approach is to develop both the rural and urban centres simultaneously. The government should not allow the infrastructure at the urban centre decay while at the same time it should take development to the rural areas too.

“This is the approach the present government is adopting. There is no rural area that is not touched. We are encouraging the governor not to relent in his plans to develop the state”, he added. Tobun also commended the governor for picking two roads from each of the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to develop, in a bid to prevent the influx of people into the urban area.

He urged the governor to sustain his determination to light up all communities and construction of more roads to improve socio-economic activities in all areas.

According to him, before the present administration, Epe and Ikorodu do not have master plans, but the government has awarded the work to a consultant to come up with master plans for the two suburb communities.

The lawmaker said such would bring about overall development to the areas. He said the state government was also planning to develop the Fourth Mainland Bridge through the PublicPrivate Partnership approach.

On the Local Government Administration Amendment bill the House passed recently, Tobun said the bill would encourage good governance and checkmate excesses at the local level. On the threat by the National Assembly to veto 2016 Appropriation Bill if President Muhammadu Buhari failed to give assent, the lawmaker said the parliament was at liberty to do same. He, however, urged both the executive and the legislature at the federal level to reach a compromise because of the masses on grey areas of the budget. According to him, the cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature in Lagos State has occasioned different developmental projects across the state.

On the lingering fuel scarcity, Tobun said the situation would continue unless the federal government looked inward by resuscitating local refineries for production of fuel. He urged the President to sustain his determination to stop importation of fuel.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UN MILLENNIUM CAMPAIGN / UN SDG ACTION CAMPAIGN

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INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Abdeslam, Paris Attack Suspect Extradited to France Salah Abdeslam, believed to be the sole survivor among a group of Islamist militants who killed 130 people in Paris in November, was extradited to France from Belgium yesterday.

Abdeslam, 26, was Europe’s most wanted fugitive until his capture in Brussels on March 18 after a fourmonth manhunt. He was taken by helicopter to Paris under armed guard and then driven to the capital’s main law courts.

French Justice Minister JeanJacques Urvoas said Abdeslam would be held in a high-security prison in the Paris region.

His capture in March came four days before separate suicide bomb attacks by Islamist militants at Brussels international airport and on a metro train which killed 32 people.

Frank Berton, a high-profile French criminal lawyer, said he would lead Abdeslam’s defense and had visited his client for more than two hours last week in his prison cell in Belgium along with Abdeslam’s Belgian lawyer, Sven Mary.

Investigators say Abdeslam told them he arranged logistics for the multiple suicide bombings and shooting attacks in Paris and had

planned to blow himself up at the Stade de France sports stadium before backing out at the last minute.

He is suspected of having rented two cars used to transport the attackers to, and around, the French capital.

“He told me naturally that he has things to say and he will say them.

He wants to talk,”Berton told BFM TV.“What counts and what matters for us as his lawyers is simply that he gets a fair trial, that he is sentenced for things he did and not things that he didn’t do. That’s vital because he is the sole survivor.”

Abdeslam’s elder brother Brahim, with whom he used to run a bar in the Brussels district of Molenbeek, blew himself up in a suicide bomb attack on one of several Paris cafes targeted by a group of assailants armed with AK-47 rifles and suicide vests.

Salah Abdeslam’s confession to investigators suggested he may have been the 10th man referred to in an Islamic State claim of responsibility for the multi-pronged attack on the stadium, bars and the Bataclan concert hall.

Police found an abandoned suicide vest in a rubbish bin in a

Paris suburb after the attacks, fuelling speculation that it may have belonged to Abdeslam, who escaped by car back to Belgium hours after the attacks.

Abdeslam had been held in a prison in the Belgian town of Bruges.

Last week, he was charged in Belgium over a shootout with police in an apartment in southern Brussels where his fingerprints were found days before his arrest.

Belgian police have arrested a number of his associates, including Mohamed Abrini, wanted over the Paris attacks and also a suspected Brussels attacker.

Sven Mary, Abdeslam’s main defense lawyer in Belgium, said in a newspaper interview he had been subjected to verbal and physical assault since taking up a case that he might now drop.

Mary, who described Abdeslam as“gold dust”on the grounds that he was willing to talk, distanced himself from his client, telling France’s Liberation: “He’s a little jerk from Molenbeek, from a world of petty criminals - more of the follower than a leader, with the brains of an empty ash-tray.”

Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Woman, Brother Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian woman and her teenage brother yesterday, saying they were armed with knives and tried to carry out an attack at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank.

In the last half year, Palestinian attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two visiting U.S. citizens.

Israeli forces have killed at least 193 Palestinians, 130 of whom Israel says were assailants. Many others were shot dead in clashes and protests.

Police said the woman, holding a knife, and a man walked rapidly toward police and other Israeli security guards in a vehicles-only lane at the Qalandia checkpoint outside Jerusalem.

“Police called on them several times to stop. When they kept advancing ... the officers neutralized the terrorists,” a police statement said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the two dead as Maram Abu Ismail, 23, and her 16-year-old brother, Ibrahim Taha.

Police, who have been on high alert during the current Jewish Passover holiday week, issued a photograph of three knives on the ground which they said the two had been carrying.

Alaa Soboh, a Palestinian bus driver who said he witnessed the incident, told Reuters the pair appeared to be unfamiliar with crossing procedures and were swiftly challenged at the checkpoint.

“As soon as the two crossed, (Israeli forces) started screaming ‘Go back, go back’, and then they began shooting. The first one they shot was the girl ... the boy tried to go backward, when they fired seven bullets

at him,” Soboh said.

Factors behind the bloodshed that began in October include Palestinian bitterness over stalled statehood negotiations and the growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, stepped up Jewish access to a disputed Jerusalem shrine, and Islamist-led calls for Israel’s destruction.

The pace of what had been near-daily Palestinian stabbing, shootings and car-ramming attacks has slowed, although a suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus that wounded 15 people on April 18 has fueled Israeli security concerns.

Israel attributes the fall-off in incidents partly to tighter cooperation with Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and more stringent monitoring of social media to identify potential assailants.

Iran Accuses US of Lifting Sanctions only on Paper Iran’s Supreme Leader has accused the United States of scaring businesses away from Tehran and undermining a deal to lift international sanctions.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told hundreds of workers that a global deal, signed between Iran and world powers, had lifted financial sanctions, but U.S. obstruction was stopping Iran getting the full economic fruits of the agreement.

“On paper the United States allows foreign banks to deal with Iran, but in practice they create Iranophobia so no

one does business with Iran,” he said in quotes from the speech posted on his website.

Iran has repeatedly urged Washington to do more to remove obstacles to the banking sector, in the spirit of the July deal with the United States, the European Union, Russia and China to lift most sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

But some U.S. sanctions remain, and U.S. banks remain prohibited from doing business with Iran directly or indirectly because Washington

still accuses Tehran of supporting terrorism and human rights abuses.

The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, told the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in New York on Saturday that Washington was not trying to stop Iran dealing with banks outside the United States.

“There are now opportunities for foreign banks to do business with Iran ... Unfortunately there seems to be some confusion among some foreign banks and we want to try and clarify that,” Kerry said.

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HERDSMEN MENACE

Enugu Massacre: IG Visits Community, Orders Arrest of Suspected Police Collaborator Ugwuanyi parleys royal fathers, town union leaders S’East APC, CAN, others condemn murder of hapless villagers Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, yesterday visited the Ukpabi, Nimbo community of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area in Enugu State where scores of persons were on Monday massacred by suspected Fulani herdsmen to have an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, vowing to find a lasting solution to the problem posed by the activities of the herders.

Apparently to demonstrate

police dismay to the challenge, the police chief immediately ordered the detention of a policeman, simply identified as Corporal Chukwu, who allegedly collaborated with the Fulani herdsmen during the killing of residents of the community. He directed that the policeman be detained and properly investigated assuring that once the allegations against him were confirmed, he would not only leave the police but would be prosecuted.

He also pledged the readiness of the police to do all in its powers to ensure that those involved in the

Masari Blames Attacks, Rusting on Illicit Arms from North, W/ Africa Senator IroegbuinAbuja The Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, has blamed the crises of Fulani herdsmen attacks and corresponding cattle rustling on the flow of illicit arms from the war-ravaged North and West Africa.

Masari disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, at a press conference organised in preparation for the forthcoming state economic summit, where he also explained that the military and the intelligent community are on top of the situation.

He noted that before the colonisation of Nigeria, there were routes designed for herdsmen, from the country through Niger Republic,

Burkina Faso and other forests in the country.

The governor further explained that between June last year to February this year, the herdsmen had lost more than 700 cows, adding that the issue of cattle rustling is tied to arm robbery.

He said: “Initially when Boko Haram was around we found out there was a linkage, which we were able to break.

“This issue is because of the crisis in North Africa even West Africa. There is inflow of guns and ammunition, which I think the military and the intelligent community are already working hard to make sure that they address.”

gruesome murder of the villagers were arrested and prosecuted.

This came as the command remained deserted as schools, homes and public places remained shut down, two days after the incident.

The IG, who was accompanied during the visit by senator representing Enugu North senatorial zone, Chukwuka Utazi, assured the villagers that the police was on top of the situation adding that no policeman who collaborates with criminal elements to perpetrate crime would go unpunished. He said such person must be dismissed from the force.

“I am not happy about what has happened and that is why I have decided to come and have an on the spot assessment of the situation. I have been discussing with the senator from the area and others to enable us find lasting solution to the problem. I have been able to see what happened and we should be able to find solutions. I can assure Nigerians that nobody has the right to take the life of any other Nigerian and

goes free with it. We are going to make sure that we catch them and prosecute them and we will create the enabling environment for peace. On our way here, we saw where we are trying to put a police station to increase Police visibility in this area.”

The police boss, who also visited the palace of the traditional ruler of the community, John Akor, advised the community to remain law abiding and vigilant, while commending their partnership with the Police that actually aborted the devastation of the environment.

Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the mayhem that took place in the community last Monday.

In its reaction, South-east Leadership Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) condemned in very strong terms the sporadic wanton killings of innocent Nigerians and destruction of villages and farmlands by the “so called Fulani Herdsmen and the reprisals”.

In a statement issued by, Osita Okechukwu Spokesman,

South-east leadership caucus of APC, the party noted that “it is painful that while the Federal Government of Nigeria is doing everything possible to contain the Boko Haram insurgency; another virus in the name of herdsmen is dislocating the security architecture of our dear country. Yesterday it was Agatu in Benue State, today it is Ukpabio Nimbo in Enugu State. It must stop.

On its part, the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), yesterday expressed outrage over the incident, noting that the wanton destruction of lives and properties by the herdsmen could no longer be taken for granted.

Addressing journalists yesterday, secretary of the religious body in Enugu State, Apostle Dr. Joseph Ajujungwa, while expressing shock that security operatives could not nip the attack in the bud despite having prior information, Ajujungwa called on South-east communities to rise up and defend themselves.

“We are shocked and saddened over the level or carnage perpetrated

by these Fulani herdsmen in Nimbo community. More painful is the fact that security agencies had ample time and opportunity but they looked the other way; in view of this, I am calling on the people of Enugu State and other South-east states to rise up and defend themselves because security operatives have failed”, he said.

Similarly, following his visit to Ukpabi Nimbo community to sympathise with the people of the area over the attack unleashed on them by suspected Fulani herdsmen, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, yesterday, summoned an emergency meeting with the traditional rulers, president-general of town unions and leaders of the neighborhood watch in all the communities in the state.

A reliable source disclosed that the meeting which is part of series of action plans of the state government to find a lasting solution to the menace of the Fulani herdsmen in the state is scheduled to hold on Monday, May 2, 2016 at old governor’s lodge, Enugu at 1p.m.

BreakYour Silence Now, Christian Council, Activists Tell Buhari Bassey Inyang inCalabarand Yinka Kolawole inOsogbo The Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) in the South-south zone has urged President Muhammdu Buhari to break his silence and speak out without further delay over the spate of recent deadly attacks lunched by Fulani herdsmen on many parts of the country.

The CCN spoke against the backdrop of last Monday’s destruction of lives and property in Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State

by Fulani herdsmen.

Addressing journalists in Calabar, Cross River State, last Tuesday evening, Chairman of the CCN, Rt. Reverend Tunde Adeleye , said Buhari’s silence in the midst of wanton destruction of lives and property in many communities in Nigeria by the rampaging Fulani herdsmen has become worrisome and could be misconstrued.

Adeleye who is also the Archbishop of the Church of Nigeria, Calabar Archdiocese of the Anglican Communion, said: “Continued silence by the president over this violence and deadly attacks by Fulani herdsmen could be seen as if he is supporting his tribe’s men. He needs to speak now to calm frayed nerves in the country.

“The Fulani herdsmen are now everywhere in the country, not only with their cows but with

sophisticated arms. Where or how did they come about such weapons without the knowledge of the security agencies?”

Also, a group of human rights activists has urged President Muhamamdu Buhari to step aside from office if he cannot put a stop to the incessant Fulani herdsmen ‘mindless’ killings of innocent citizens of the country.

The activists also indicated that they had concluded arrangement to storm the presidential Villa to register their displeasure over the development.

They sympathised with the governments and people of the affected states and communities over the loss of their love ones in the Fulani herdsmen massacre, calling on governments at all levels to come to the aid of the affected people and families to ameliorate their suffering as a result of the ‘dastard’ incident.

The activists under the aegis of Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) are: Centre for Constitutional Rights and Counter Corruption Crusader, Save Lagos Group (SLG), The Conscience Mainstream (TMG), African Masses Voices for Survival (AMVS), Christians Youths for the People’s Rights and Development (CYPRD), Islamic Movement for Muslims’ Rights (IMMR) and Divine Nigerians Liberators for People’s’ Fundamental Rights(DNLPFR).

PANACEA FOR PEACE

L-R: Former Minister of National Planning/Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman; President, Institute of Chartered Secretary and Administrators of Nigeria, (ICSAN), Dr. Nat Ofo; and the Gust Speaker, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), at the ICSAN 2016 annual public lecture with the theme; NigeriaVision2020andaChallengingEconomicSituation:IsGoodGovernanceaPanacea?inLagos...yesterday SundayAdigun

Okorocha, Ikpeazu Condemn Attack Amby Uneze in Owerri and Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia Governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha and his counterpart in Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, have tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene as a matter of urgency in the frequent killings in the South-east region by suspected Fulani herdsmen to forestall future occurrence, describing the recent killings in Enugu State as barbaric and unfortunate.

Okorocha spoke while addressing traditional rulers in the state to take absolute control of security in their various autonomous communities and to also ensure peaceful co-existence between their people and others living in their midst, adding that what the country needs at the moment is

absolute peace.

The governor, however, appealed for calm on the part of both the Enugu people in particular and the South-east in general, expressing optimism that President Buhari would address the ‘unfortunate’ development.

Okorocha, while addressing the traditional rulers, condemned the attack in Enugu State, saying the news of the barbaric attack on the people of the state came as a big shock.

He sympathised with the families who lost their beloved ones and appealed for peace in the region, promising that the government within the region is on top of the matter.

Also, Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State and the royal fathers in the zone in their separate reactions

yesterday called on President Buhari to take urgent action and bring to an end the menace of the terrorist Fulani herdsmen.

The Abia governor in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Godwin Adindu, condemned “the carnage and wanton destruction of human lives meted out to the defenceless people of Nimbo by the herdsmen and the excesses of the herdsmen across Nigeria.”

He warned that “the situation could degenerate into a national crisis if drastic measures are not taken by the federal government to the checkmate the rampage.

“The herdsmen’s audacious killings and sacking of communities and farmlands constitute another national security challenge and a huge threat to the peace and unity

of the country,” Ikpezu said, adding that the trend is a time-bomb waiting to explode.

On his part, the Chairman of the South-east Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Eberechi Dick, who addressed journalists in Umuahia on the carnage at Nimbo, said the dangerous trend of blood letting by herdsmen constituted a very serious security challenge that needed urgent action by the federal government.

He said: “We have been very disturbed since Monday’s invasion of Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo Uwani local government of Enugu State and that is why I make bold to state that there is urgent need for President Muhammadu Buhari to curb this dangerous incident before it threatens our national unity.”

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Emergence of Two Strong Parties Evidence That Votes Count, Says INEC Boss Onyebuchi Ezigbo inAbuja The Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ((INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, has

said the emergence of two strong political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is clear indication that the country’s electoral

Soldiers Protest over Non-payment of Allowances Daji Sani in Yola About two hundred soldiers who fought in the AU Peace Keeping operation in Guinea Bissau in 2015 have been denied six months allowances.

Some of the affected soldiers of 158 Task Force Battalion situated at Guboi Local Government Area of Borno State told journalists in Yola, Adamawa State that the failure by military authority to pay the allowances was already generating tension in the affected battalion.

One of the affected soldiers said they were in Yola to express their displeasure to the media so that those concerned would release their outstanding allowances.

He lamented a situation where soldiers committed to fighting Boko Haram have been starved of their allowances despite their sacrifices adding that the development was also affecting the fight against insurgency.

“There is monumental corruption still going on in the system, we fought in Guinea Bissau between 2014 and 2015.

They promised to pay our allowances immediately we arrived in Nigeria but when we returned, they sent us to Jaji for training and promised to pay us before the end of the training. Soon after the training, we were posted to fight in Yobe and Borno and nobody is talking about our allowances any more,” one of the soldiers said.

It was gathered that the soldiers were further enraged when they heard that eight of the affected soldiers lost their lives in a recent Boko Haram attack in Kareto town in Borno State when their allowances had not been paid.

The soldiers appealed to the federal government to wade into the matter so as to stop corruption which had been a major reason why the insurgency still thrived in the North-east.

process is making progress.

Against the background of criticisms trailing recent spate of inconclusive elections conducted under his watch, Yakubu said INEC has done nothing wrong in the eye of the law but has only strived to improve on the conduct of transparent elections where the votes of the electorate will count.

Addressing journalists covering the INEC at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja yesterday, Yakubu affirmed that the fact that recent conduct of elections has resulted in the emergence of two parties, the APC and PDP, as strong contenders, is an eloquent testimony to the fact that the electoral process has indeed improved.

Yakubu said: “Nigerians have been praying for the day our votes will count, today I am very happy to say that vote counts and that elections have now become more competitive.

Secondly, Nigerians have been praying for a day when we would have two strong political parties and now we have two strong political parties and there are others that are equally coming on strong and winning in areas where they have never won before,” he said.

He said from all indications, elections were becoming very competitive and that the

margin of victory had become very tight in recent elections, adding that most of the re-run elections conducted under his leadership of INEC has been keenly contested.

“Elections in Nigeria are becoming better and votes are now counting. For instance, there used to be one strong political party that always won elections but now there are two strong parties.

“Take the case of Kogi, for instance, in the last governorship election, two strong political parties and candidates, a former governor and an incumbent governor, in Bayelsa State, two strong parties, two strong candidates, a former governor and an incumbent governor and the same scenario played out also in Rivers State where a former governor and an incumbent governor were the main actors even though they were not candidates in the elections.

Regarding the spate of inconclusive elections, the INEC boss said that though the phenomon is already being addressed, it did not start with his leadership as INEC chairman.

According to Yakubu, incidence of inconclusive electoral process as witnessed in recent elections were caused

by several factors among which are threat to violence and actual violent conduct by political actors.

“Whenever there is inconclusive election in the country, INEC gets the bashing for all manner of reasons. But there are reasons behind the inconclusive elections. I have read so much reports on the inconclusive elections but I have not seen anywhere that INEC has been accused of declaring a winner outside the provisions of the electoral Act. “Sections 26 and 53 of the Electoral Act clearly stipulates when an election can be declared inconclusive and how INEC should respond to such a situation. It stated that where there is a threat of violence, actual outbreak of violence or natural disaster, INEC is empowered to suspend an election and to fix date for the conduct of another election. Section 53 is even more explicit, that where there is overvoting, INEC should declaration election in that polling unit null and void and fix another time for the election.

The INEC chairman said so far the commission has successfully conducted 49 re-run elections out 82 such re-run elections ordered by the courts.

Regarding the inconclusive

elections recorded in the FCT council elections, Yakubu said the commission had to contend with various challenges including difficult terrains which were not easy to reach.

He explained that more progress was recorded in terms electorate participation in the last council poll in the Federal Capital territory, adding that available statistics showed that there was 20 per cent voter turn out in the 2016 FCT election as against 16 per cent in 2015.

Speaking on what INEC is doing to mitigate the incidence of violence, Yakubu said the commission will look at the constitution and the electoral guidelines with a view to finding ways of dealing with the matter.

He said that these days he and the commission’s leadership are always very apprehensive whenever there is going to be an election due the tendency for violence.

“It is easier for INEC to conduct a general election than for it to conduct a re-run and stand-alone election because during such general elections the politicians are usually scattered and are not able to mobilise their thugs unlike what happens during a re-run that they will be able to easily focus attention on that particular area and possibly cause trouble,” he said.

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NEWSEXTRA

NMA, FRSC in War of Words over Death of Ekiti Doctors Amid tears, Aladesanmi is buried in Ekiti Paul Obi in Abuja and Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti Members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) are currently engaged in a war of words over the remote cause of the fatal accident that left six medical doctors and a driver from Ekiti State dead early this week.

This came as the FRSC was said to have linked the cause of the accident to over speeding, resulting to the ghastly accident and death of six medical doctors and the driver.

But in reaction, a survivor of the accident and Chairman of the National Association of Government and General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), Dr Ekundare Folu, explained that the comments

credited to the FRSC was distasteful and derogatory given the helplessness of the victims at the scene of the accident.

According to Folu, “the comment credited to the Sector Head of Operations, Deputy Corps Commander, Salisu Galadunci, of the FRSC is very unfortunate. This is an FRSC that got to scene of the accident more than 40minutes after the accident.

“This is an FRSC that were reluctant to take us to the hospital claiming they don’t have fuel and didn’t budget until one of the injured promised to buy fuel for them. The Deputy Corps Commander was not at the scene of the accident,” he maintained.

Folu while commending the efforts of Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, said: “Neither himself nor any representative of

his spoke to any of the people in the vehicle, six of whom, myself included, survived. The Deputy Corps Commander did not even see the vehicle either at the scene of the accident or at the police station.

“How he jumped to that conclusion is beyond me. The comments are an insult to my dead colleagues and a slap on those of us that survived. For his information this is not a driver we picked off the road to take us for the journey. This is a man that has been working with us for more than four years. He is indirectly telling the world that a bus of 12 doctors including several senior consultants could not control a driver we employed and pay salaries to.

“I was in the same vehicle, sitting in the row behind the driver and I checked the

Mimiko’s Commissioners, LG Bosses Defect to APC James Sowole in Akure Two former commissioners that served in the cabinet of Dr. Olusegum Mimiko, Mrs Kehinde Momoh and Mr. Tayo Oluwatuyi, were among the prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members that defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure, the state capital yesterday.

While Oluwatuyi was a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Momoh was a former Commissioner for Adult, Technical and Vocational Education.

Other top PDP members that left PDP to APC were former Chairmen of local governments,

Prince Olu Falolu, Tobi Akinlalu and Bailey Arohunmolase.

Also on the list of defectors were former members of the state House of Assembly, Bamido Omogbehin, Oyebo Aladetan and some former political office holders including Kasali Obanoyen, Chief Ajani Oladipupo, Mr. Yele Akinya and Segun Ogodo.

They defectors moved to the PDP with their followers across 15 local government areas of the state.

The chairman of APC in Ondo State, Duerimini Isaacs Kekemeke, described the defection of the people as the end of PDP’s hold on the politics of the state.

Speaking on behalf of other

defectors, Arohunmolase attributed their joining the APC to failed promises of the PDP led government in Ondo State.

He said they were set to work in line with the APC directives towards winning the gubernatorial election in November this year.

Kekemeke promised to give all members equal right and a level playing field to achieve their desires.

Responding to the action of the defectors, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Banji Okunomo, said the defection of the people was a good riddance to bad rubbish.

He said he was sure that the defectors cannot get what they went to APC to do.

Adoke: EFCC Initiated $6m Non-Prosecution Agreement with Suspect Gboyega Akinsanmi Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, yesterday disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) initiated $6 million nonprosecution agreement between the federal government and Tidex Nigeria Limited in 2011.

Adoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), also revealed that the anti-graft agency adopted the same method of settlements for Shell Nigeria, Saipem, KBR, Inc. and JGC Corporation among others in 2011.

He made the disclosure in a statement he issued in response to a report by a national daily on Tuesday, noting that the anti-graft agency initiated the $6 million nonprosecution agreement under the chairmanship of Mrs. Farida Waziri.

The report had on Tuesday said the incumbent AGF, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN had directed the EFCC to investigate the 2011 non-prosecution agreement executed between the federal government and Tidex Nigeria Limited.

But Adoke, in a statement he personally signed yesterday, noted that the office of the AGF did not initiate these settlements contrary to a report published in a national daily on Tuesday.

He explained that it was the EFCC, under the chairmanship of Waziri that initiated these settlements and nominated Mr. Godwin Obla as the lawyer “to represent their interest in the negotiations that were conducted under auspices of the Office of the AGF.” He added that it was when the negotiations were concluded “to the satisfaction of all the parties that I signed on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the then Secretary to the EFCC, Mr. Emmanuel Akomoye, signed on behalf of the EFCC.” Adoke noted that the copies of the agreements “are in the Office of the AGF and I believe with the EFCC as well,” noting that the process of the non-prosecution settlement did not start from the office of the AGF. He therefore said a dispassionate investigation into the Tidex Nigeria Limited Non-Prosecution Agreement

would reveal that the settlement was at the behest of the EFCC, the Secretary to the EFCC, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye and EFCC nominated an attorney, Mr. Godwin Obla.

He added that a dispassionate investigation “will also reveal that the penal fines imposed on Tidex Nigeria Limited were duly paid into a federal government designated account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and that I did not in anyway derive any benefit whatsoever from the transaction.”

Likewise, the former attorneygeneral disclosed that EFCC adopted the same procedure in respect of all the settlements that were initiated by the EFCC in 2011, mainly those including Shell Nigeria, Saipem, KBR, Inc., and JGC Corporation e.t.c. that infracted the laws of the country.

He thus said: “I reiterate my previous assurances to all concerned Nigerians that while in office, I conducted myself with the utmost decorum and ensured the observance of due process, transparency and accountability in all matters that were brought to my attention.

speedometer from time to time. The bus also makes a beeping sound once the speed exceeds 110km/hr. Let me state categorically that the bus driver was not speeding.”

The NAGGMDP chairman accused the FRSC of “probably trying to justify their intention to sell their speed limiting device to Nigerians hence associating every possible accident to excessive speeding. And it is sad that they would even attempt to use such a sad event to do such.

“Even the police would not convey the bodies to the mortuary in their van until we parted with N4,000. I personally dropped N3,000 but the police officer rejected it dropping the money on their vehicle until the NMA chairman, Dr. Akinbote, added N1,500. The second police vehicle that conveyed those of us unhurt and our luggage to join the others to the hospital also had to be topped with N3,500 black market fuel paid for by me,” he said.

Also, a prominent NMA member, Dr. Henry Ewunonu told THISDAY that increasing cases of road accidents had become a source for concern that

requires immediate government intervention and drastic action.

Ewunonu further urged the FRSC to scale up its accident response and rescue mechanism; stressing that, “government needs to stop paying lip service to healthcare delivery and ensure that there is at least one functional secondary care centre and general hospital within a 20 kilometre distance.

“FRSC also have to partner relevant organisations to train her men on emergency resuscitation measures in order to enhance their accident and trauma rescue activities,” he said. Meanwhile, one of the six doctors, Dr. Tunde Aladesanmi, was buried yesterday amid tears by his family members and admirers.

The late Chief Surgeon of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, was interred at his family residence in Araromi Quarters off Adebayo in Ado Ekiti.

The funeral rite was performed at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Life Fountain Cathedral on Bank Road in the state capital.

The state Deputy Governor, Kolapo Olusola, led the state government officials to the

ceremony where friends and families extolled the virtues of the late surgeon.

Olusola, who represented Governor Fayose, urged the family to remain firm in God. “God in his infinite wisdom allows certain things to happen because he knows the end from the beginning. The enemy has not succeeded.”

Pastor Steven Omotayo of Ekiti Province 1, in his sermon, cautioned people against making derogatory remarks during sudden sad occurrence.

“When sudden things happen to you, watch your mouth,” he said.

The President of NMA, Dr. Kayode Obembe, said Aladesanmi imparted positively on people that came across him.

He was represented at the church by the Ogun NMA Chairman, Dr. Adenike Odewabi, who is also the South West Coordinator.

He said: “Even though his life short, it was impactible. We will defend the dream he lived for.

We shall live with his principles and ideals. His memory will continue in our minds. He has lived a worthy life.”

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THURSDAY APRIL 28, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY THURSDAY APRIL 28, 2016

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THURSDAY APRIL 28, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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CRIME&PUNISHMENT

Badeh’s Trial Adjourned to May 9 Alex Enumah in Abuja The trial of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshall

Alex Badeh, over allegations of corruption has been adjourned till May 9, 10 and and 11 for further cross-examination of the

Police Arrest Yoruba Actress, Mercy Aigbe in Osogbo Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Some policemen attached to the Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo, Osun State yesterday arrested a popular Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe, for having a police cap in her car.

Aigbe, while being driven by a young man at around 4:20p.m in a Honda End of Discussion car, was chased by the policemen after sighting the police cap in the gold-coloured vehicle.

Eventually, the Yoruba film actress was stopped at the popular Olaiya junction in Osogbo while her car was thoroughly searched by the policemen who shot sporadically in the air.

THISDAY gathered that when Aigbe was ordered to step out of the car, her appearance attracted a huge crowd who struggled to catch a glimpse of her face as she was

being quizzed by the policemen.

The actress’s vehicle papers and phones were seized by the policemen.

Apparently tensed, Aigbe had put a call across to someone who spoke with one of the policemen before the vehicle papers and phone were returned to her.

Before the actress could leave the scene, another team of policemen stormed the area shooting sporadically, apparently to disperse the crowd.

The policemen had arrested Aigbe’s driver before ordering the actress to enter her car while one of the policemen drove them along with the police team.

When contacted on the telephone, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Folasade Odoro, said she was not aware of the development.

prosecution witness as well as continuation of trial.

Justice Okon Abang adjourned proceedings midway during cross-examination of the witness by counsel to the first defendant, Akin Olujimi, to enable the court attends to other issues.

At the resumption of the case yesterday, the witness, Air Commodore Abdullahi Yushau, during cross-examination, told the court that he was not part of the bargaining process concerning a property at 19 Kumasi Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, purportedly belong to Alex Badeh Junior, however admitted that he made payment for the house on the instruction of his boss.

Olujimi asked the witness to confirm if the amount that was billed for the sale of the

property was N300million and Yushau and the contractor Kabiru Salau bargained to bring it to N260million. The witness while stating that it was not correct, maintained that the transaction was between Badeh Junior, Salau and the landlord.

“The transaction was between Alex Badeh Junior and Kabiru Salau, I was not part of the bargain,” he maintained.

But when asked whether payment was made at once, he initially said yes, but later recounted, saying, “When Salau told me that the document was with the bank, I told him to make partial payment to enable the landlady collect the title deed and thereafter he should pay the balance.”

Also when Olujimi put it to

the witness that he paid in five installments, Yushau said he cannot remember, but agreed that he paid in installment and not at once.

“I think the money was paid twice because the document was with the bank,” the witness said while responding to the claim of Olujimi that he did not pay in two installments. Also when he was asked to confirmed if the payment was made in his house, he said yes, adding that no payment was made in the office.

“When I receive money from my boss, I take it to my house and then asked them to come and collect the money.”

On how he gets the money to pay Salau he said, when he took the usual monthly money he used to take to Badeh, the former CDS

asked him to remove the dollar equivalent of 260m naira to pay for the property.

When told that most of the evidence he gave in the court were not part of his statement in the EFCC, the witness maintained that he did no say in his evidence-in-chief that he deducted the said N260 million, before taking the monthly allowance to Badeh.

On the renovation of the building, the witness said he did not contract the renovation of the house at Kumasi Crescent to Salau but made payment base on instruction of his boss.

However, when asked if the payment he made were right in his eyes, he said, yes, adding that he was only carrying out instruction.

Masked Gunmen Murder Osun High Chief Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo A 75-year-old man, Chief Moses Elutilo, the Akannare of Ile-Ido Ife, Osun State, was yesterday murdered by some masked men who invaded the venue where he was hold a meeting.

THISDAY gathered that the deceased, at about 8a.m. on Monday received a call that there would be a meeting at about 10a.m at Atagilere plank hall on Ondo road, Ile-Ife of which he was asked to attend.

The source noted that when the deceased got to the venue of the meeting at about 10a.m., he was asked to lead the opening prayer by one Yemi.

“As soon as he stood up to pray, he was immediately attacked by the masked men with dangerous weapons and smashed his head,” the source contended.

The deceased was said to have been immediately taken to a nearby hospital but suddenly gave up the ghost before he could

be attended to.

THISDAY gathered that the deceased was the only and star witness in a land dispute before Justice A. A. Onibokun of the state High Court, Ile-Ife. Elutilo’s death was announced to the court yesterday when counsel to the plaintiff in suit marked: HIF/16/2015 in a case involving Ido Reformation Committee versus Dr. E. B. Makusota and Prophet Sunday Oyebode, aka, Kind Solomon came up yesterday.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Albert Okuovara, informed the court that the star the only witness in the case had been murdered on Monday.

Justice Onibokun adjourned the case till July 13, 2016 to enable the plaintiff put its house in order so as to continue with the case.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, confirmed the murder of the 75-year-old man.

Odoro said the matter was under investigation.

In Brief Obi Ikenchukwu Foundation’s Book Launch Obi Ikenchukwu Foundation will tomorrow launch a book titled: “The ‘Chronicles of Agbor Royalty’ in commemoration of the 37th anniversary of the death of late Obi Ikenchuwku 1 of Agbor land, Delta State.

According to the organisers of the august occasion, the theme of the event will be centred on ‘Obi Ikenchukwu the monarch who lives on’. The event will be held at Becca Civic Centre, First Street in Agbor. The foundation announced that while the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa will be the special guest

honour, Chief Edwin Clarke will chair the occasion and the former Deputy Governor of the state, Amos Utumah (SAN) will speak on the topic, ‘Law and History.’

The event will also have in attendance other important dignitaries such as the Obi of Agbor, Keagborekuzi 1; the first Lady of the state, Mrs Edith Okowa, Sir Emeka Offor as the chief launcher, Dr. Christopher Agidi as the father of the day as well as the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Chiedu Ebie.

NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE SIR

L-R: Public Sector Sales Director, Oracle, Mr. Saidu Abdullahi; Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu; Managing Director, Oracle Nigeria, Mr. Adebayo Sanni; and Acting Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Vincent O. Olatunji, during acourtesy visit by minister to Oracle Nigeria’s office in Lagos...yesterday Kolawole Alli

Kidnapped Twins: Family Disowns Fund Raisers The Robert Opara family yesterday disowned a certain group, The La Vida Founation, which had launched a fund-raising appeal on the internet to facilitate the payment of the ransom being demanded by the abductors of the 20-year-old twins who were kidnapped along Abuja-Kogi highway last Sunday.

Clinton and Blair Roberts, who are upcoming musicians, were kidnapped last Sunday aboard Ekeson Bus service on their way to Lagos, from Abuja, to participate in a musical show, Star Voices organised by Glo X-Factor.

The kidnappers who had earlier demanded for a ransom of N6million, later raised it to N10 million.

And while the victims’ family was yet negotiating with the kidnappers, a volunteer group, La Vida Foundation, opened an online platform last Monday night, soliciting for public support demanding that 10,000 volunteers donate minimum of N1,000 each to enable it raise the required amount to bail out the twins whose stage name is DNA Twins.

But in a statement yesterday, Chief Opara noted that the group

soliciting the fund for the rescue of the twins “is unknown to us and they do not have our permission to embark on such fund-raising scheme for our twin boys”, urging Nigerians to ignore the online appeal for funds..

The Opara family expressed worry that such a gesture could send a wrong signal to the kidnappers who may insist on being paid the very amount they have demanded.

“We are convinced that the step taken by the said group will further complicate the negotiation process and possibly imperil the life and health of our boys,” Opara said.

The group which opened www. savednatwins.com, noted that “A 10million Naira ransom is being demanded for their safe return. We need 10,000 well-meaning Nigerians to help #SaveDNA by making a minimum of N1000 only”, adding that, “Let’s bring our boys home!

The clock is ticking. Every second counts.”

The family further appealed to friends and professional colleagues of the twins to stop calling their phones and making financial commitments especially as the handsets are now in the hands of the kidnappers.

Police Arrest Two as OPC, Hoodlums Clash in Lagos Chiemelie Ezeobi The Lagos State Police Command yesterday arrested two suspects at the Ajegunle area of the state, following a clash between some hoodlums and members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).

The clash which lasted for hours on Tuesday night, was said to have claimed one Lanre Rasheed and another yet-to-be identified person and also left several others with injuries.

Rasheed, who had gone on an errand, had walked into the clash and a stray bullet allegedly shot by the OPC killed him on the spot.

According to eyewitnesses, the clash had begun following the refusal of the OPC to share the sum of money released by a land developer.

The hoodlums popularly known in local parlance as ‘omo nile’ had approached the said developer for their share but he directed then back to the OPC. Upon their refusal to share the largesse with the other group, a fight broke out that led to wanton destruction of properties in the area.

Asides torching some

makeshift buildings and shops, both factions were said to have unleased mayhem with dangerous weapons including locally made guns, matches and axes.

As at yestersday, tentative peace was restored to the area by the deployment of policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, said two suspects were arrested.

She said the fight was between the area boys and the vigilante group members at Arumo Street in Ajegunle over money, adding that leader of the vigilante group allegedly collected money and refused to share it.

Badmos said it was as a result of that the hoodlums attacked the vigilantes and set their office and a nearby kiosk on fire.

She said: “In the process, the vigilantes shot and killed one person. The police went to the scene and restored calm.

“Two persons were arrested, while two live and four expended cartridges were recovered. The case is under investigation.”